Where Creativity Blossoms: January 2010

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Bra Quilt for Breast Cancer

10:29 AM |

This is a project that was completed by the Quiltsy Team prior to my involvement with them, but it is such a great project I had to share it with my readers…

This one of a kind quilt was started in October 2008 by the Quiltsy Team. Many of us have been touched by Breast Cancer, and we wanted to do something to make a difference. With the project inspired by Whimbrella and a generous donation of theme fabric, volunteers came forth to make individually made and designed blocks. We ended up with 20 members making 22 blocks. JabaroDesigns volunteered to put the blocks together into a top, and did a fabulous job arranging the varied colors and styles into an attractive design.

After the top was sewn it was sent to DragonflyStitches to be professionally quilted. With all the embellishments it was not an easy task, but it came out beautifully. After quilting it traveled to PamelaQuilts to have the binding, label and hanging sleeve attached.

Now that we have finished the quilt it has been decided that we are going to offer it for sale here. The proceeds of this sale will be donated to a major charity that raises money specifically for breast cancer research. (We will name our charity as soon as we receive permission and will let the buyer know where the donation is going)

This quilt is a one of a kind item, and is a wonderful piece of art! It measures 56 x 78 inches. It has a hanging sleeve attached and is ready to hang. The label is made to show the name of each of the block makers in the order of the blocks on the front of the quilt. Our hope is that it will go to somebody who will enjoy knowing that it was made with lots of love and care.

We would recommend that this quilt be washed with caution. It does contain embellishments and a variety of materials of unknown origin. Chances are it could be hand washed with care, but it's not something you would just throw it in the washing machine.

1 comments

Thursday, January 28, 2010

THEMED THURSDAY – MIXED MEDIA

7:56 PM |

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I have just purchased supplies to do some mixed media projects…we’ll see when it actually happens – hopefully sooner than later. Here are a few of the reason’s why I need to try my hand in this form of art…

Love Is In The Air Recycled Mix Media Cuff from TocadoraLeather fly free sing fine art print by mixed media artist julie king

Trio of Magenta, Orange and Yellow Flower Mixed Media Mini Paintings from trucdart

Reach For the Sun Collage Print by OddStuffbyXanthe

The Button Clutch – Lg by alisaburke

If these finds have inspired you to try your hand in some mixed media arts and crafts I strongly recommend purchasing or borrowing from a library Alisa Burke’s book, Canvas Remix. She gives you a clear start up supply list, a lot of ideas to go off of and easy to understand directions.

I hope I’ll have some of my own art to share with you all in the near future…

3 comments

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Apple on Front Page!

12:32 PM |

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Yup! It’s true! My Vintage Alphabet Rings were on the front page of etsy at 12 (my time today). And they didn’t last long :) No worries…I still have a few letters/numbers left!

4 comments

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Etsy Front Page Keyword/Themes January 11th – January 19th

8:01 PM |

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KEYWORDS/Search Term:

Nature
hand-dyed
honey
cream
geometric x 2
fox
antler
cranberry
love
frost
mustard
love x 2
romantic x 2
olive

INSPIRED BY:

an etsy Valentine x 3
a whimsical fairytale x 2
etsy’s TWITTER
Keep it Weird
Valentine’s Day x 4
a romantic getaway
a day on the farm

MISCELLANEOUS:

Unique Gift Ideas x 3
Found Browsing etsy’s Valentine Category
Celebrating Warmer Weather in the Southern Hemisphere
Pounce Your Way Into Fresh Finds x 6
Our Hearts Go Out to Haiti
Community Picks from Etsy’s Treasury x 2
Northingham, MA sellers found using Shop Local
Items Found in Etsy’s Valentine Category
Enter to Win Etsy’s Valentine’s Day Card Challenge

MEMBER CURATORS:

3dots

abacusbeadcreations

alisonkelleydesigns

aroluna

barbdunshee

baronikadesigns

BeadFrenZ

bellalulu

bitterend

Bluejules2008

botanicaltheatre

Brokenghostcouture

btaylorquilts

bubbletime

Buzzabee

cookoorikoo

coolranchstudio x 3

DawnCorrespondence x 2

ddfromscratch

deliriumden

DiamondDollsCouture

dreamsandthings

elineof

evihan

fatalefemme

fireandfeather

floodplainstudio

Fluur

Foreverinmyheart

galit

ggiotta

ginnyhuber

glasfaden x 2

glassetc

GlazedOver

GraysonMae

GreenGableArt

halpal28

HeartShapedCreations

Huismus

ioulia

Iwannabe

jacjewelry

JemmDeeCreations

jessejamesjake

juicygraphics

KalliaSuppliesland

kathiroussel x 2

KinthupAndGloria

KnotOriginal x 2

knotworkshop

lacokine

LaCometaLab

lacravatteduchien

LaTouchables

ljlhdesigns x 2

Maykela

MissSideburns

muggytuesday

MyissaG

MySelvagedLife

Niushop

NiuTaller

noblegnome

Olaladesigns

OliveandRuby

Ottoman

ozetta

PamelaAngus

persephonesplunders

ReclaimedPurpose

redbirdstyle

rewindtime

sabahnur x 2

SewnNatural x 2

Sigmosaics

Sparkle Peach

StonesinBloom

stylinstuff

Sumikoshop

SupplyStudio504

terraworks x 2

The Loud Lion

TheCottageCheese

TheEnchantedSquare

TheJoyofColor

TheVintageCabin

TheVintagePatisserie

travels

tundradear

vaivanat

VernonBea

waysideviolet

WhoaItsMe

WildWomanJewelry

Xenotees

YannPendaries

zwzzy

1 comments

Monday, January 25, 2010

THE CHALLENGE…

12:56 PM |

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Someone my mother-in-law, Diane, knows called her up to see if she could make a quilt for her daughter’s high school graduation. Her daughter is really into horses and had lots of ribbons, so the mom thought it would be neat to have a ribbon quilt made. Diane said okay. Little did she know that a LARGE tote full of ribbons would make it into her craft room and she would have to come up with a design. (Unfortunately we did not get a picture of the original tote but it was quite an overwhelming and daunting task).

After staring at the tote for hours waiting for inspiration, Diane decided to do some goggling and see what else was out there. She finally decided on a ‘bargello-like’ design. You will see from the pictures below, that not only did Diane complete the challenge given to her, but she did it with flying colors! an overview… Diane took some of the blank ribbons and wove them to make a upper and lower border for the quilt. I just love the dimension and effect it adds to the completed quilt. A zigzag stitch down the line of each ribbon creates the quilting for this quilt. Much more would've hidden what the ribbons have to show. Even her corners are perfect! AND she managed to use the ribbons for the binding…looks and works perfectly! A flannel is the back of the quilt.

4 comments

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Team EtsyBABY Valentine’s Day Challenge – the CONTENDORS

9:11 AM |

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Hi everyone! Kim here. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I entered a quilt (you’ll see it below) in the etsyBaby Valentine’s Day Challenge. To be fair I wanted to show you who I’m competing against and I would like you to vote for your favorite…but if you feel so inclined to vote for me I’m good with that too! (A link to the vote is listed below all the entries…)

Shop: mysweetsunshine
Little Miss Red Poppy 2 Piece Outfit

Shop: BabyEtte
Sueded Ring Sling Be my Valentine Baby

Shop: AngelBeez
The Kye Parfait

Shop: KimsCraftyApple
Love is in the Air - Hot Air Balloon Quilt

Shop: Little Jumping Beans
Valentines Hearts - Soft Soled Cloth Baby Shoes

Shop: mrowe
Cashmere Baby Blanket

Shop: alphabulous
"Be My Valentine" fabric appliqued photobook

Shop: SaritaBaby
Andalucia minky baby bib

Shop: PoshPipsqueak
Fuzzy Legs

Shop: auntyanndesigns
Boutique Style 3 Piece Baby Bling Red and White Lycra Leotard with Multi Petal Swing Skirt and Matching Headband Set

Shop: LaDyLaDuke
MY BABY'S GARDEN-BABY BE MINE VALENTINE FLOWERS

Shop: Daisy Creek
"Bee Mine" Rhinestone Tee

Shop: GrowinLikeAWeed

Hand Painted Wood Plaque for Girls Room

Shop: hottotsbowtique
DREAMY DAMASK 2 peice set

Shop: claireandjanae
Felt Cookies

Shop: trendypeas
Bird Card Design Valentine's Day

Shop: ImogensGarden
Lucy the Lovebug an eco friendly rag doll

Shop: LittleTumblebees
Love - Valentine's Day Onesie

Shop: tigesandweince
Heart Shaped Pillow

Shop: elisehooperdesigns
Red Octopus Poncho

Shop: DivaBabyDesigns
THE HEART BREAKER -Zebra Heart 2pc Tutu Outfit

PLEASE click HERE to vote for your Favorite! Voting is Open Through January 31st!

1 comments

Friday, January 22, 2010

Valentine’s Day Card Challenge – from CoolMomPicks

1:41 PM |

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I have managed to enter my design into the CoolMomPicks Color-Your-Own Valentine’s Day Card Design Contest. Waiting until the last minute is not something I usually do, but at least I got my entry in! I saw it when it first came out but finally had time to create my drawing and put it up. I decided to stick to the hot air balloon design similar to the quilt I made for the Team EtsyBABY Valentine’s Challenge.

The BEST part of this challenge is that 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Children's Heart Foundation, which helps children impacted by congenital heart defects, the number one birth defect in the USA.

It’s not too late to enter your design! You have until 12 PST to submit your drawing. Click HERE to find out more info or to see the other challengers!

1 comments

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Themed Thursday… How do YOU find what You’re looking for?

4:58 PM |

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A question that I’ve had going through my mind for the last few days is, “How does one get their jewelry ‘found’ when the jewelry market is just so oversaturated as it is?” I have heard from others that they renew many, many, many times throughout the day…but what if you don’t want to do that? Are there other options? What are YOU searching for when you look for jewelry?

Here are a few pieces that caught my eye today…

I started my search as ‘sterling silver rings’ – it gave me 1206 pages to look through. As I browsed I realized that I’m really like the stacked ring look…now I’ll search ‘sterling silver stacked rings’ which brings me down to 80 pages…a bit more workable…

I found a lot of rings that caught my eye but I really love the mixture of blue’s and greens in this stacking set:

Ocean blue - sterling silver stacking rings - set of 4 - made to order from preciousjd.

I also like to check out jewelry that is something I don’t know how to make like these Transparent Scribble Pearl Earrings from . AroshaTwists.

The picture of the jewelry is also extremely important when shopping for a new piece in my mind. Which is also probably the second hardest part about selling jewelry online (the first hardest is getting yourself found). This is a pink bouquet wrap around ring from my etsy store, theApple. My photography is not perfect but I do feel that I’m getting better…

Being high up on the search is definitely really important. When I first started looking at bracelets this NEW Serendipity boro lampwork bracelet OOAK - 15 PERCENT OFF SALE from SweetGems was the first item I saw. So, being high up on the search combined with a great picture is a plus…

I guess my final thought on how to get noticed is to have something different from everyone else. Sure, styles are going to be similar in some cases but we, as artists, will add our own style, color combinations, and flair to each piece. This quirky shabby but chic vintage crystals and coins assemblage steampunk necklace with repurposed earring from lilyofthevalley is the last piece I will feature today…I love quirky!

How do you get your items noticed? Do you have any advice for me and my jewelry store, www.theapple.etsy.com?

Labels: advice, jewelry, rings, theapple |

1 comments

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Etsy Front Page Keyword/Themes January 1st – January 6th

8:37 PM |

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KEYWORDS/Search Term:

recycled x 2
steampunk
whimsical
lovebirds
romantic
frost
butterscotch
fiber

INSPIRED BY:

woodland creatures
gardening
a refreshing color palette
the shades of yellow and blue
red and blue
rustic log cabin
a whimsical fairytale
Getting Organized
emerging fashion
ForestFinds
mod

MISCELLANEOUS:

Community Picks from Etsy’s Treasury
Unique Gift Ideas
Wishing the Etsy Community a Happy New Year
Unique Gift Ideas x Quite a few
An etsy Valentine Preview x 2
January Finds
Summer Holidays in the Southern Hemisphere x 2
Found Searching through Pounce
Found Browsing Etsy’s Treasury

Etsian Treasury Creators:

thevintagecloset
3dots
ThatSomething
socksandmittens
moonovermaize
nanouke x 2
CurlyGirlCrochet
lilyja
LostandFawned x 3

Les Amoureux Vintage Pendant - Silhouettes in a Baroque Frame from LostandFawned

alexkeller
AddieDesigns
Glorioushats
erinsjoy
TheJoyofColor
mitchellanddent
colouryourhome
CocoaBeans
JKphotography
lapalomarosa
MyissaG
abitabite
yarnplusyarn
LoveFirstSite
Xenotees
VintageScraps
oliveleafandapricot
reflectionsbyds
AMIdesigns
stellabystar
ovgilliesdesigns
BoutiqueKokosh
baahar
IlluminatedPerfume
songsparrow
eclu
coolranchstudio
yesyoumaigh
morganjoyminear
colouryourhome
vloutextiles
bebdesigns
ThatOldBlueHouse2
licklekisses
knitoramaa
lapommevintage
hueconcept
ikabags
retroattack
TheFancyLamb
betsybensen
RustBeltThreads
TheVintagePatisserie
NiuTaller
MarKhed
jeniferglagowski
jennyndesign
PoleStar
Montagyoo
Wandering
slubird
shellieartist
laslopezlas
MariaLuna
EdensWake
decoratethediva
ThePeachTree
epicCpoke
shazzabeth

Once again, it looks to me like etsy featured treasuries made by the community more than their picks – I’m liking this new trend!

1 comments

Monday, January 18, 2010

Love Is In The Air – My Entry for the Team EtsyBaby Valentine’s Day Challenge

6:27 PM |

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The idea to create this Hot Air Balloon Quilt has been in my mind since I was looking through blogs and saw one with a gorgeous nursery decorated using hot air balloons (of course I can’t find the link right now…I will post it if I do…). My initial roadblock to creating this quilt was all the other projects I had to complete first – it was Christmas time!

With this idea for a hot air balloon quilt in my mind, I read about the new challenge for team EtsyBaby:

Our Theme For January: "Be My Valentine"
Team EtsyBABY©

Here are the following details to participate in the Challenge:
A.   A (new to your shop) baby/toddler item that is Valentines Day inspired ( keep in mind that it should be an item that COULD be used all year long, so it can be re-listed after Valentine's Day)
B. All Items should be listed by January. 12th
C. Include in the title listing : Team EtsyBABY Valentine Challenge.
D. Add the following tags to the listing: "EBValentine" and of course Team EtsyBABY
E. A PUBLIC poll to vote for your favorite "Team EtsyBABY© Valentine Challenge" item will be available via our website ( http://shopetsybaby.com ) starting Jan. 14th   and the poll will close on the 30th .

It was the perfect solution! I could incorporate a Valentine’s theme into my quilt, taking care of two things at once!

Just before the end of 2009 I was finally able to put together a background for the hot air balloon quilt. And then, a few nights to go I put together the fabrics I wanted to use for each of the balloons and started the quilt project!

Children will love to play on and cuddle under this beautiful quilt. I used a soft, texture fiber as the strings to connect the baskets to the hot air balloons. The variety of color will be sure to stimulate their dreams of someday flying in one of these beautiful contraptions. The backing of this quilt is a beautiful pink striped flannel fabric to make it even more cozy.

I titled this quilt ‘Love is in the Air’ to fit with the Valentine’s Day theme and the fact that I used a Heart/Love patterned fabric for one of the balloons. Also, if you look closely I free motioned the word ‘Love’ into the windy, swirly sky.

The seven hot air balloons are all raw edge appliquéd onto this quilt. I free motioned quilted the entire quilt on my sewing machine and the border is done with a fun decorative stitch which is my trademark for these beautiful, whimsical, and fun children quilts.

Voting is going on now until January 31st so if you could please head over to www.shopetsybaby.com and show your support I would really appreciate it!

1 comments

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Reorganization is COMPLETE!

10:08 AM |

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I know! Can you believe it! I am actually done reorganizing my craft area…I never thought it would happen. I usually get about 1/2 done and then get too distracted by other projects. This time I really stuck to it and my quarter of the basement looks great (I haven’t created anything in yet though…) This picture show’s half of the shelving filled with my standard cotton and flannel fabric for quilting and bag making. The other half of the shelving holds the fleece, random clothing for applique, towels, miscellaneous fabric for added texture or crazy quilting. These shelves are home to boxes full with many miscellaneous supplies from beading supplies to quilting fabric scraps, to scraps of felted wool, to yarns, to completed projects, to you name it – I probably have it somewhere! The metal shelve is home to my beads (lower half), books, and random glass vases for various projects that are still in my mind. Here is my ribbon organizer and some more beads. I also hung a spool hanger…maybe I should put my thread there… The cupboards hanging are from our old house that we had to tear down. We pulled everything remotely salvageable out and reused in in our new house or one of the sheds. I covered a counter/cabinet section with material you can iron on to make it rather large ironing board. You can actually see the table!