Tag archive for etsy - page 3

I attended my first Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle this weekend! My friend Kiki and I went towards the last half of the second day on Sunday. I had fears that everything would be sold out and the fair would be a ghost town, but the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall was actually teeming with people. We saw many great vendors, bought some gifts for others and a few little ones for ourselves (button rings via Greenbelts!).

shower art by Ugly Baby

I stopped by longtime favorite Rosalie Gale’s shower art Ugly Baby booth and was tempted to buy one of her pieces again, but resisted! They’re great for gifts, and we even kept one for ourselves which says “Love handles are soft and sexy”. It’s positive affirmation in the morning, let me tell ya.

I was also able to meet and hang out with Bread and Badger lovelies Amanda and Sean. Their etched glass pint glasses, stemware and other doodads are just swell and make great holiday gifts. I’ve personally bought a couple of items from them and they are top notch. They love beer, good home-cooked food and rad company so we got along fabulously!

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I don’t require gifts at Christmas. I don’t believe in the push towards such commercialism during the holiday season, and we’re either making all our presents this year or buying them handmade from places like Etsy. So this wish list is compiled from my favorites that I’ve saved on Etsy. If you’re REALLY curious as to the other things I’m sinfully lusting over, sans handmade, then you’d be better off gazing at another wish list (it’s a lot of books!).

Farmhouse Patchwork Cushion by EmmaBeeTextileArts

Rufus and Rumsey Painting by mosie26

Quince Flower Stack by wireddesign

Hemp and Denim Market Tote by katherinehandmade

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I tweaked my logo a bit, specifically my Etsy banner and avatar and my Twitter avatar. I was feeling like my original was a bit overdone and I want to distance myself from the “eye”, as it was a piece of clip art I threw in to spice things up. I should have taken my own advice: SIMPLE is the most effective.

You can still see the old logo here on WordPress. But DO check out the new one on my Etsy shop and on my Twitter page and let me know what you think!

ALSO! New creative ideas on the forefront: mobiles made out of reclaimed branches and handmade sewn doo-dads and cheery bunting flags!

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My blogging has dropped off for a couple of reasons. I shut down my Etsy shop temporarily to concentrate on moving, and since this blog is directly related to the content of my Etsy shop it made sense to put a temporary kabosh on it.

And we moved, from the beautiful small suburban town of Issaquah to the bustling neighborhood of Columbia City, oft-referred to as the “ghetto” of Seattle. This supposed ghetto has a strong sense of community, a dog park within a 1/2 mile, a small little bar/restaurant strip, has kick-ass Ethiopian, Vietnamese and Mexican taco truck establishments and is a mere bus ride away from downtown.

Take that, Issaquah!

So my new ghetto = the most exciting and fun neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. Just when I get sick of the boxes and seemingly unfinished nature of our new house, I sneak a glance at things that make me happy. Things that are a sign to me that our style is finally emerging, our sense of home is finally settling.

Here are a few superb furniture finds we snagged off Craigslist.

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My creative energy has been a whir of indecision drowned in a bucket of lofty ideas. I have grand notions and undiscovered talent in these hands, but lack the time (focus?) to complete my vision.

Along with my full-time job, getting married in Texas in March, our four crazy pets, trying to find a house to move into in a month, my Etsy shop, my writing for OffbeatBride.com (which has been scarce unfortunately) and my music writing for ThreeImaginaryGirls.com, I’ve barely had time to sit on my tush for a second.

My focus needs to be on my Etsy shop, on freelancing my writing and on finding a new job that will give me some good experience on paper. Ideally I want to run my own business someday, so my thoughts are moving in that direction.

What would be a good business to run from the internet?
What skills/crafts do I have to offer?
Is it realistic to make a career this way?
Do I opt for crafty/artsy or businessy/marketing?

Thoughts are swirling in my head and I need to hone in on some real plans, a light at the end of the tunnel per say, a goal to be reached. I’m goal-driven and not comfortable with no planning, though I’m trying to live on the edge a bit more these days. I think in the coming days I’ll use this blog to outline my ideas and flesh out my thoughts in regards the my Etsy shop and career path.

I don’t want this blog to only be about crafting and design. I want my readers to be able to view me as a person, struggles and all. Plus, as a list-maker and organizer, it’s imperative for me to get these thoughts out of my head and into my ever-evolving day-dreaming daily thought processes.

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When I’m buying a gift for a friend or family member, or really anyone for that matter, I always think handmade first. Granted, it’s easier to go to Target and pick out something cutesy and plastic, but there is something special and real about buying a gift for someone that was made by a person who puts a little love into each item they create.

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Lately I’ve been buying some fabulous paper hang tags through Etsy sellers, one of which is Farouche (who makes fab tags… go buy some).

Yesterday I was feeling adventurous though, and after raffling through odd-shaped paper scraps and slightly bent cardstock leftovers I decided to make my own!

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Through various blog perusing (okay, I was looking for ways to promote MY blog) I came across a magnificent resource! > HandmadeMarketing.org

HandmadeMarketing is a one-stop shop for resources and info pertaining to marketing your own handmade goods and/or shop (duh, the name says it all!). They cover everything from how to shoot a good product photo, to how to write your shop profile to drive more buyers to sell to the the most effective way to advertise to your niche market.

They also have fab badges, so you can show off your handmade savviness all over your web presence.

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