I am still 100% in the midst of reorganizing my craft room, my bills, my life…here’s a few finds from etsy that may help make that job easier for me. *crossing fingers*

Maybe this ‘You had me at Merlot Recycled Wine Cork Test Tube Storage Rack’ by Uncorked would be a good solution to storing beads or buttons?

Lists always seem to help me stay on track.  This List Maker and Coupon Take from WatermelonWishes would work well…and it’s cute!

I’m always looking for cute things to put my supplies in like this Shaggy Bucket from ShaggyBaggy.

My kids always seem to have the dvd collection all over the floor…this Bicycle Rim Chain and Cog DVD Rack from MesaMods would be perfect for that issue – and it’s really cool looking too!

I have a lot of stuff…one can never have too many storage containers.  Sewingmomma’s Bohemian Poppies Fabric Bin In Cream Recycled Felt Fabric With Flowers Grande really caught my eye.

How are you getting yourself organized this year?

KEYWORDS (search term):

• winter accessories x 3
• plaid
• peach

INSPIRED BY:

• tribal
• nostalgic whimsy
• New York City
• New Beginnings
• Getting Organized
• Back to Basics
• taking up a new hobby
• hints of summer in the southern hemisphere
• Fresh Starts
• Jane Austen
• New Year’s Eve

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Unique Gift Ideas x LOTS & LOTS
• Unique Finds
• Summer Holidays in the Southern Hemisphere
• Shop by Color Using Etsy’s Color Picker
• Featuring New Shops to Etsy
• Fibery Goodness
• Community Picks from Etsy’s Treasury
• Fresh Sellers Found using Pounce
• A Steampunk New Year’s Eve
• Happy New Year!

Etsian Curator:

• galit
• shavingkitsupplies x 2
• anakim
• elde
• felicitycrew
• ifanhour
• OneClayBead
• lacravatteduchien
• kraplap
• LaCometaLab
• twolefthands
• elhombreylaluna
• veroque
• picotee
• SimplyMaisy
• ThatSomething
• loddelina
• cricketapollo
• IndyGrrrlProductions
• AnnaLela
• elineof
• babytogo
• LaTouchables

• terraworks x 2

Tang Lime Flair Vase

from terraworks

• steinschmuckdesign
• BeesandTrees
• SigMosaics
• GaijinGeisha
• sisterstreasure
• silverfawnstudio
• Rosengarten
• MarKhed
• AntherLiam
• juneshin
• Monicaj
• PeacockInvitations
• justCHARMING
• WildWomanJewelry
• ThePeachTree
• betsy3
• GetReadySetGO
• NiuTaller
• Donauluft
• littlebugjewelry
• LaBestia
• PipingHotPapers
• leapinggazelle
• DearLola
• elizabethwrenvintage
• paisleybaby
• ffflowers
• Balanced
• HinterlandVintage
• AlessiaChic
• ggiotta
• bubbletime
• birribe
• moonovermaize
• SunshineFolk
• kanokwalee
• TheLoudLion
• paperinstyle
• TheFloatingMarket
• mooshoopork
• ThongbaiTatong
• leavesofglass
• aBreathofFrenchair
• voscoleccion
• LostandFawned
• LeelaBijou
• volleyballgirl
• innovationdesign

…I would venture to say that Etsy is starting to use a lot more member curated treasuries on their front page…

I should be embarrassed to even show pictures of my crafting area but I’m not.  I’m actually hoping this makes me actually finish organizing it!  I usually start but then get distracted as I find projects I started to work on, lost interest and put aside for later.

My husband put it best, “I don’t know how you can create such beautiful things when you work in such a mess!”

A quarter of my basement is dedicated to my crafts.  Since I make a little bit of everything, I have a lot of supplies and I rarely throw things away (it seems like when I throw away, I figure out something to make the next day and I needed just what I threw away…). 

I used to have a bunch of wood apple crates against the wall that stored my fabric and other miscellaneous, but we realized last apple season that we’re starting to actually use all of the crates we have.  My husband started to hint that he was going to take them from me and I said he could if he built shelves to replace them – so he did!  (Have I ever told you all how amazing my husband is…especially at making shelves!)

  I took some pictures of the work in progress. And of course, you always create more of a mess at the beginning of the organizing project…    Here are the shelves once they were up!  I’ll be showing pictures (soon I hope) of the space after it’s been organized…

I may work in a mess, but it’s an organized mess that I can (usually) find everything in.

If you were to peak at some of the items I first sold on etsy and then look at my listings now I’m fairly confident you would see that I actually learned how to use my camera.  I have spent months learning how to take decent pictures with my camera and have shot, edited, re-shot and re-edited each listing numerous times.  The forums on etsy have also been extremely helpful to me this respect.  Here are just a  few threads I found:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6384998

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6399190

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6317469

  I still have to work on some of my photo’s, but I feel pretty good about most.

One of the hardest items to shoot (not including jewelry – that by  far, is the most difficult) is quilts.  They are so large, colorful, and textured.  It’s hard to portray in just five pictures how beautiful a quilt is.  I have been a member of the Quiltsy Team on etsy and it used to be a challenge for me to put together a treasury with 12 decently pictured quilts from 12 different shops (sorry guys but it’s true.)  Now, it’s easy!  I found 12 amazingly shot (and made) quilts to put in my treasury and I had 4 alternates…and I could have had more. 

On etsy, not only do have you have to be good at the craft you are creating but you also have to be good at photographing that item…which is much harder than you would think… Starting from the upper left and reading like a book:

• Lantern Bloom Charm Quilt from lmkQuilts
• Simply Delicious from bungalowquilts
• Retro Citrus Fun Lap Quilt from QuiltsbyBarb
• Roller Coaster Baby or Toddler Quilt from OriginalsbyLauren
• Panache Blocks Quilt from Quiltville
• Painter’s Canvas Quilt in Lantern Bloom from Laura Gunn from SFOQuilter
• Batiks around the Nation Lap Quilt from KimsCraftyApple
• Black, White and Red All Over Quilt - 70 x 70 w/ Matching 16 Inch Pillow Cover from warmnfuzzies
• Flower Boxes Quilt with Organic Batting from MountainHomeQuilts
• Bohemian Baby Patchwork Quilt from Whimbrella
• Baby Genuises Grow Up III, Crib Quilt from QuiltingCafe
• Midnight Garden Quilt from withhugsnstitches

Which ones are your favorites?

Did you grow up spending hours of fun imagining a new world with your paper dolls? Now here’s the perfect opportunity for your daughter, niece, or granddaughter to do the same!

A quilted 12.5” x 12.5” block is appliquéd with two adorable ‘paper dolls’. The overlapping pocket in the back (with a bit of velcro to secure it) holds the clothes that lets the child dress up their dolls - stimulating imagination and hours of fun at home or on the go. These are the perfect size to fold in half, tie up and take with!

This set includes 4 dresses, 3 hats, and 3 pairs of shoes. If you are interested in more clothing please convo me and I’ll see what I can do.

I used 'Paper Dolls' by Sherri Marquez for Windham Fabrics to help create and find inspiration from for this fabulously fun project. I’m calling these: Quilted Paper Dolls on the Go. If you have suggestions for a better name I would love to hear!

Let’s meet the dolls! (the first 7 are named after my mom and her six sisters)

Judy Joan Betty

Mary Kay Diane Peggy BarbieNatalie AnneAbby Jenny

Which doll do you think is the cutest?