Etsy Pick of the Week

Here is luxury for you...I can just imagine myself washing with that soft cottony shower puff! Click on her name to see her shop. My Etsy pick of the week:

Myissa G

1. Tell us a little about yourself…what you make and sell, where you sell, who you are, etc.

My name is Melissa. I am a stay at home mom to our 3 children. My hubsband is a truck driver and on the road a lot. We live on a farm in the country.We have a couple of dogs, that live outside and watch over our other animals. We have 2 ducks, around 25 chickens and 3 goats.I sell mainly hand crocheted items. My currant main focus has been on dishcloths and bath and shower puffs. Although I do sell other things, like scarves,hats, afghans, facial scrubbies and a few other things when I have time.

2. How did you get started with crafting and selling?

I taught myself to crochet over 15 years ago. When I first started, I mainly made things for friends and family. And then I discovered the internet. And that is where I meet Carol Alexander. She is now the Editor of the crochet magazine named Crochet. For a long time, I was making afghans from her designs for publication. And she introduced me to a few other designers that I was able to work for as well.(Anne Halliday, Brenda Stratton) You can find photos of some of the afghans I did for them in publications by Leisure Arts, Needle Craft Shop and a varity of magazines.Working with them was a wonderful experience for me. I learned a lot more about my crochet during that time. A few years after that I found Etsy. I was originally just a buyer. But I decided to take the plunge and try it out.

3. What do you enjoy most about your craft?

The ability to be able to take a ball of yarn and a hook and create something with it. Its amazing all the different things that you are able to make. so many things that are useful to you on a daily basis. For example facial scrubbies, you can use those everyday, and rather than throw them away like those paper ones. You can throw them in the washer and clean them to use again. Or creating an afghan, you can use those to keep warm when it is cold out. Each of my children have there own personal afghan.And they use them all the time. We also have plenty of extras on the quilt rack in our living room. :)

4. Describe your creative process…what inspires you?

Right now I find that the beautiful fall colors are inspiring me. I have been picking out several colors of cotton in beautiful colors that to me represent fall.

5. What other interests do you have?

When I have time I like to draw. I also like to write in a journal from time to time. :)

6. What do you think of the handmade movement?

I think this is wonderful. I love to see so many promoting handmade items rather than machine made items.Its wonderful to receive a package in the mail knowing that this product came directly from the creator.

Thank you for participating, Melissa. Good luck and God bless!

I'm working on it!

Changing over from chemical cleaners to the all natural homemade recipes is taking longer than I thought. I didn't think it made much sense to just toss the chemical cleaners wasting the money that I spent on them and it's taking time to use them up. I'm getting there little by little though and I will give you an update:

• I am now loading the dishwasher with equal parts washing soda and borax.
• I am still looking for Fels Naptha soap to make laundry detergent...please leave a comment and let me know if you know where I can get some.
• I have cleaned my whole bathroom using vinegar and baking soda and it worked superbly! The vinegar worked so well on the mildew stains...they just wiped right off!

Well, that's it so far. Check back for more updates. I will keep at it!

Organic Housekeeping

Got time to read? I've been catching up on reading while I eat my lunch and right before bed and my newest purchase is a book called Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck. It is filled with tons of timesaving and health related ideas for cleaning and organizing.

The first chapter that I have been applying to my house is the kitchen. Inspired by what I read I am cleaning out all of my cabinets. My husband and I bought our Christmas gift to each other this past weekend...no more carcinogens in our foods! That's right, we bought all new stainless steel pots and pans. I'm ridding the kitchen of teflon. I'm also ditching as much plastic as I can. Plastic wrap will be replaced with waxed paper; tupperware is out and glass is in. All plastics that do not have a 2 or a 5 in the recycle triangle are outta here.

There are many more changes that I want to make, but it is so overwhelming. I'm taking it a little at a time and hopefully our house will be healthier and safer for it. I'll keep you updated on the changes as I make them.

Etsy Pick - sparklysoft

I found this gem of an artist in the etsy forum! Here's my etsy pick for this week:

Sparkly Soft - Kristen

1. Tell us a little about yourself…what you make and sell,
where you sell, who you are, etc.

As a professional artist, I split my time between jewelry
and the violin. I think what draws me to both is the raw variety of expression
available in each medium. I am always developing my own style and creating what
I want to see and hear.

I would describe my jewelry as contemporary and eclectic. My
influences are varied and often I will utilize elements from many different experiences. For example, I grew up in a home with very minimalist decor. When I crave simplicity and elegance, I make earrings with few twists, few beads, strong colors, and a single focal point for one’s attention. At other times, I incorporate the gilded and complex themes that are expressed in Indian artwork that I saw when I lived in Chennai. I feel that whether you live in the city or the country or a suburb that I make something just for you. And, if I haven’t listed something for you yet, please contact me! I love custom jewelry
requests.

My jewelry can be found online at www.sparklysoft.etsy.com/.

2. How did you get started with crafting and selling?

I began crafting before I can remember, before I realized that many people find creating something of their own daunting. My husband demonstrates this well as he jokes that given enough used match sticks, I could build a house. Much of what I know about crafting, I learned from my mother. She is an amazing DIY woman; she made blinds and drapes, reupholstered chairs, did electrical work, knit, and made many of my dress clothes when I was a kid, and she taught me a lot of these skills at a young age. I am still impressed by her creative genius and resourcefulness. If there's one lesson that she demonstrated more than anything else it's that there is no reason to fear a large project or a new medium. Only a handful of months ago, she joined my grandma (wonder where my mom learned what she knows) and began studying silversmithing. She's already has made a number of very cool pieces of jewelry.

3. What do you enjoy most about your craft?

I love that I get to wear what I make. If I were a chef, wearing what I make probably would not be this cool. I also love to see people enjoying and wearing my jewelry, and love that I can relax while I create.

It is also rewarding to see that my work has an impact on other people. A friend recently posted about a pair of earrings that I had made for her from a pair of enameled fish that I bought in Israel. It's a wild pair of earrings, big and colorful, and the fish are segmented so that they move. When I gave them to her (and she is not a particularly ostentatious person), I told her that she could only keep them if she promised to wear them. She tells a story about how she picks days that need a little extra spice to wear the earrings and dubs them Awesome Fish Earring Days.

4. Describe your creative process...what inspires you?

A lot of my inspiration comes from the materials with which I work. The stones are so lovely in
their own right that I'm often overwhelmed with design ideas. I find myself attracted to form and structure, which has a tendency to appear in my earrings. I also draw inspiration from the people around me, their beauty, and the beauty of nature. I can barely contain myself now that the leaves are turning colors here
in Chicago!

5. What other interests do you have?

As mentioned, I am dedicated to the violin. I love to play and perform, love to listen to music and learn about a piece, love seeing it develop as I learn it. I also teach and I’m finding it far more rewarding than I expected I would when I first began. It is remarkable to see young people learn something new and challenging and do it well.

Additionally, I organize a political action group of concerned citizens (me) that lobbies my husband to get a kitten. The cause has met staunch resistance to date.

6. What do you think of the handmade movement?

The handmade movement is wonderful. To an extent, I'm pleased because people are more and more interested in what I create, but also because the handmade movement fosters creativity that may have remained dormant for people otherwise. I know I’ve a lot
of friends who get interested in learning new things and finding trades that they are good at, where as previously, they may not have had that opportunity to explore themselves in that realm.

I’m pleased to see people moving towards owning something artistic, unique, high-quality and sustainable, rather than mass-produced. People are buying handmade both for aesthetic purposes and to know that real people are benefiting directly from their purchase, rather than large corporations. Plus, I find that the jewelry that I make far outlasts anything that I could find in a store for even twice the cost. Which, to me, says that we’re doing much better for ourselves and our world to buy quality, to buy from individuals, which reduces factory waste, and to buy those pieces that we’ll treasure our whole lives through, not just for a season or two.

7. Is there anything else you would like the public to know?

Do you really want to let me keep talking after all of this??? If I managed to leave any stone unturned, or if you’re interested in my jewelry, I can be contacted through my etsy site, or the blog that I dutifully neglect:
http://www.dornbrook.com/Blogs/Kristen/

Thank you for the interview and the opportunity to share some of
my thoughts with you!

Thanks for participating, Kristen! Good luck and God bless!

Etsy Pick

Here is my Etsy pick of the week. Isn't it nice that we can use the internet to communicate (and shop!!) worldwide...

Enyaeire

1. Tell us a little about yourself…what you make and sell, where you sell, who you are, etc.

I am Irish and was born and raised in Co. Dublin Ireland. I go by the name enyaeire but my real name is Amanda. Enya is an Irish singer and Eire is Gaelic for Ireland so I put them both together and come up with the name enyaeire. I have many interests and of course crochet being one of them. I also like to etch glass and knit. I love everything to do with Celtic Art. I forgot to mention that I am known to be very witty yet there again most Irish people are.

2. How did you get started with crafting and selling?

I knew how to knit as growing up in Ireland they used to teach us how to in primary school. I started crocheting one day when a very good friend of mine from Co Sligo Ireland showed me how to. That was about 10 years ago and ever since I am hooked. I also find it very relaxing. I sell my items on Etsy and also in my job. Word of mouth has helped a lot.

3. What do you enjoy most about your craft?

I really enjoy coming up with different designs that I always add an extra touch to. It is a great feeling inside when you see you final product. All my designs I do myself and have never worked off a pattern. Once I line up the stitches, everything just seems to fall into place itself

4. Describe your creative process…what inspires you?

When I go to the store I head straight to the wool aisle. I never get a basket and always end up with more than I can carry to the cash registrar. The colors inspire me along with the quality of the wool. For me the thicker the wool the better. Growing up in Ireland I always loved the Aran knit sweaters and of course I still do. When I find the wool I get an image in my head of what I am going to do next.

5. What other interests do you have?

I love horses, the mountains and nature, cooking, wine tasting and being with my husband on the weekends. I love classic rock music and all the good things that life has to offer.

6. What do you think of the handmade movement?

I am all for it and I am often in awe when I see the amount of talented people on Etsy. Esty should have their own TV Channel to promote all the wonderful talent.

7. Is there anything else you would like the public to know?

All my creations are made from the heart and I hope them to touch many hearts.

Thanks for participating Amanda. If you would like to see Amanda's shop visit http://www.enyaeire.etsy.com/

Good luck and God bless!

Etsy Pick

I wanted to share some blog space with some of my favorite Etsy sellers! They are wonderful people with unique and artistic talents that they want to share with the world. So, here you go world...

MJH Designs

1. Tell us a little about yourself…what you make and sell, where you sell, who you are, etc.

I am Melissa Howington. I live in a small town, Hogansville, Ga. I love to create things. My passion is painting. I currently paint pendants, picture frames and ornaments. I will paint ANYTHING! My broom is proof of that. I currently sell on Etsy. My address is mjhdesigns.etsy.com

2. How did you get started with crafting and selling?

Last year I saw those little pendants that people had painted on what looked to be tiny bathroom ceramic tiles but I didn't really like those. That started me on a mission to find that "perfect something" that I could paint on and I stumbled upon these little wooden squares and disks. I also like jewelry so combining the two just made sense. I started painting them for an after Thanksgiving show that I was having along with some other artist friends. I had no idea they were going to take off like they did. It has been almost a year now and there are people still going crazy over them.

3. What do you enjoy most about your craft?

That it doesn't take long and you have a finished piece, therefore I can move on to another idea....there are so many!!! I only have a small amount listed on my ETSY site but I have about 300 here at the house and I constantly have people come to my house to shop and give me more orders!

4. Describe your creative process…what inspires you?

Oh gosh! I get inspiration from color, color , color! Give me bright colors and I go crazy! I love everything colorful! Fabrics make me happy also!

5. What other interests do you have?

Too many! Well, I like to play around with designing special jewelry pieces....I haven't taken that very seriously, though. I like to paint on canvas and also fabric. My dream is to someday paint portraits from real life! There isn't enough time in the day with work and a family to try and fit my creative desires into my life! I would be happiest if I were creating all the time and could forget about work! Haha, who needs it?

6. What do you think of the handmade movement?

It is so cool. I think we all need to jump on that wagon and support each other.

7. Is there anything else you would like the public to know?

I love to do custom orders! You can contact me at mjhdesigns.etsy.com. And remember....I will paint anything if it sits still long enough!

Thanks for participating, Melissa! Good luck and God bless!

The Handmade Movement

In a time where mass manufactured items are selling like hotcakes and people want what they want when they want it, I never thought I'd see so much support for crafters and artists! It is wonderful! I just found out about this website from an etsy forum and the "sneak attack"! They find an etsy crafter with little or no sales and many people will purchase from that seller during a specific time slot to boost their sales and give them a nudge! What a caring community it is to help each other out! You don't see that too often these days.

Check it out and be a part of the next sneak attack! I would want someone to sneak attack me if I need it so I want to be a part of it!

http://www.handmademovement.com/

More Green and Clean

Here are some natural cleaning recipes that I want to replace my toxic cleaners with:

Disinfectant- 1 tsp eucalyptus, clove or lavendar
2 c. warm water

Glass Cleaner- ¼ c. vinegar
2 qts. Warm water

Bathroom Mold- 1 part hydrogen peroxide
2 parts water
Or just straight vinegar

Dishwasher Soap- equal parts borax* and washing soda

Wood Floor Cleaner and Polish- equal parts vegetable oil and vinegar.

Furniture Polish- a few drops lemon oil
½ c. warm water
Mix well. Spray onto cotton cloth. Dry with a clean cloth.

Laundry Detergent- 1 c. Ivory or Fels Naptha soap
½ c. washing soda
½ c. borax*
Use 1 tbsp for light loads and 2 tbsp for heavy loads.

Oven Cleaner- Make a paste with ¾ c. baking soda, ¼ c. salt, and ¼ c. water
Spread on and let it sit overnight. Remove with a spatula and wipe clean.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner- ¼ c. baking soda
1 c. vinegar

*Borax is still toxic and all these ingredients should be kept out of reach of children.

I'm still not sure if I want to use the dishwasher soap and laundry detergent recipes because of the toxicity of borax. The whole point was to rid the house of toxic chemicals. I will keep searching. Stay tuned...

Resources:

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/homecleaning.html#windows
http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/8088/clngrn.html