Love Message in a Bottle-Personalized Valentines Gift

Personalized Love message in a bottle. So romantic and perfect for Valentines day, Anniversary, Birthday or anytime to say "I love you" to your sweetheart!

My Workspace

Awhile ago My husband and I found a really neat old desk. We brought it home, fixed it up and now it is the workspace for my shop. It works perfectly for what I need it to.  I updated my "About" page on Etsy and added pictures, I thought I would also add it to my blog :)

 This is the old desk. You can see the tiny glitter funnel I use, the jar may be too tiny to see but it is there!

My glitter stash!

New Shop

I love seeing new shops and waiting to see their first sale. Here is a fun new Etsy shop:

Vintage Peanuts Lunch Box

 

Vintage Heidi Book

 

 

Cute Halloween Wreath

 

Each of the pictures is a link to the item in her shop. You can also find her here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/classicchoices

 

Welcome to Etsy Amie!

 

 

 

 

Mermaid Birthday Party Ideas

Here is a blog full of Mermaid Party ideas :)

http://blog.swankypress.com/2013/08/mermaid-party-inspiration/


http://blog.swankypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/mermaid-party-inspiration-board1.jpg

Yes Chocolate does seem to do the trick...

Rosemary

Recently I planted a Rosemary plant. I have LOVED it. It smells so nice. It takes SO yummy on Chicken.  I also discovered it has other qualities. Such as it is supposed to help your memory (which as a mother, I really could use some help :-) )

Here is a fun Rosemary Recipe that I like to use.  If you have any Rosemary ideas, please share!

Chop 2 sprigs of Rosemary finely, Mix with Olive Oil and Rub on Chicken. Grill to your liking.  Or, You can take a Rosemary Twig, take off all of the needles and use the Twig as a Skewer and place in your chicken to give a wonderful flavor.

Christmas In July

Here are some fun shops having SALES for Christmas in July.  Is your shop having a sale?

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CCARIA 30% off Everything in her shop

https://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagetoyshoppe 25 % off Books through the end of July with the coupon code BOOKS25

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Ceraminic

New Chain Necklaces

For awhile I've had so many ideas for my shop. I've finally been able to finish some of them. Here is the first of many more to come.

Sorry about not posting for quite some time. Life was crazy for a month or so, but is finally starting to be calm :-)

Treasury Time!

A beautiful Spring Treasury!https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTgyMjkwMTh8MjcyNDMxMzc1OA/spring-dream

Fairy Necklaces-Choose your color

 

I had a request to be able to choose a solid color, so I added them as a shop option.  Life is so busy right now, my blog has been neglected. I'm truly sorry about this. Hopefully in about a month life will return to a little more calm and my blog will see more posts as I hoped to accomplish this year.  If there is anyone wanting a blog feature, please let me know I always love to do shop features for your Etsy shop or if you have an amazing item not on Etsy I would love to feature that as well :)

 

Mermaid Birthday Party

Here is another adorable Mermaid Birthday Party.  Wanted to share. The picture is a link to this wonderful blog :)

Etsy Banner-DIY

Banners

The first time I made a banner I spent hours figuring out how to make it. Then when I went back to make another one I couldn’t remember how to do it so I spend several more hours figuring it out again.

The program I use to make my banner is Picasa, a free photo editing program. ( link for people to download ......) However these tips should work with any photo program.

Below are simple steps to get you started creating your own customized shop banner!

Step 1: Choosing & Saving Your Photos

Pick the photos you want to use as your main focus or background.
~ Tips: If there is an upcoming holiday, you may want shamrocks, or Easter Eggs, grass , etc. Find a picture that has several of the same images or that will work when you crop it. You can also search the internet to find many free photos.
*Once you find that perfect photo for your background save it to your desktop by right clicking on the image and “save image as” from there you can choose to save to your desktop (or another folder which ever is easiest for you to go back to find it later).
* Now that is is saved go to your desktop and click on that picture. You should have the option to edit this picture in Picasa. Once you are in Picasa, right click on the picture and add to Album, then add a new album. Name the album something easy to remember such as Easter Banner.
*After I have an idea of all the photos to use, I add all of those photos to the same album (in this case Easter Banner). You can save these photos to the same album using the same method as steps 1-3.
~Tips: Its good to have a total of 3 pictures in your folder, one for a background, and 2+ from your shop or other desired photos

Step 2: Creating a Collage Styled Banner

*First, you need to make sure you have the correct size. To make a etsy shop banner the suggested size is 760 x 100. You can get this option by choosing the custom option on the left side of the screen there is an option for page format. From there you choose the option for custom aspect ratio. Enter 760x100.
*Next, click on the second icon from the left that creates a collage. At this point you click on that icon to create a collage with your chosen photos that you have saved in your album.
Choose the background in the collage setting. To do this you click on the picture that you want for my background, then on the left side in the middle there are 2 options to use for backgrounds, solid color or use image. We are using the image in this case although if you choose to use a solid color you could choose that for your background. After you have created the background with the correct ratio you will no longer need that picture. For Picasa, it will set the background, but it will also keep the picture in your collage. So you can delete that picture from collage since it has set as your background.
*Next, with the 2 remaining pictures, you can place them wherever you want. Usually I like to place them on an angle. One tilted one way, the other tilted the opposite direction. After I have finished I save the collage.
*Lastly, you can go back into my collage and add my shop name. Choosing the font actually is the part that now takes me the longest. After you've chosen your font and added your name or sale or whatever you want to say then hit save. Then save the collage to your desktop (that’s the easiest place for me to find it). Then add it to my Etsy shop.

Here is my upcoming Easter banner I made while making this blog post:

 

Here is my St. Patricks Day Banner:

 

Valentines Banner (made with a plain colored background):

 



The best part is you can change it for each holiday or season. I love making my own banners

Please let me know if you have any questions or need any help making any banners :)

Easter Necklace/ Printable House Box

 

Made this Easter Necklace today. Thought it turned out so cute.  I love looking at all the new and fun things on Etsy for Easter and Spring. I recently found this cute printable box on Etsy and bought it. 

 

The picture is a link to her shop. I love printables because after purchases I can print and make as many as I want. Being a mother I love this little box. The one side of the lid opens so you can fill it with a little gift or treats.

 

Sprouts Press Etsy Feature

-Start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself.



Hello, I’m Carolyn of Sprouts Press. I live and work in Toronto, Ontario out of my home studio. I suppose you could say I’m an artist and also a crafter, a multi disciplinary creator if you will! I do things like bookbinding, papermaking, printmaking, drawing and painting. I love learning new techniques and am always on the lookout for used books to save and repurpose into journals or book art. 

I went to art college here in Toronto and then studied overseas for a year in Italy. While there, I developed a real appreciation and love for hand bound books, fine Florentine papers and the artisans who craft these things by hand, with tools and passion. I returned to Canada knowing that this was the way I wanted to live my life! Since then I’ve been creating and selling my wares online, at brick and mortar shops and various book arts fairs and craft fairs. I also love to teach my craft through workshops and courses, I’d love to start making online tutorials – perhaps in the future!

-Do you have a favorite piece that you have made?



I have a few favourite pieces, all for different reasons. I have favourite venting pieces, aesthetically pleasing pieces and then there’s also My Favourite Piece, I’ll talk about that one. 

It is an Artists Book titled O2, as in oxygen. This was an art college project and it was ‘my baby’. This was the first piece that I crafted entirely out of materials that I made myself. The pages were my handmade paper, the text I had researched and written myself. The images I drew and carved from lino as reduction cuts, reducing the image three times and to make a rich, 3 tone print. The subject matter was scientific and cellular, a fascination of mine, which made the images almost abstract-like, another love of mine. While I love the final product, I feel that this piece is one of my favourites for the fond memories of the process and satisfaction of creating something from scratch. There isn’t really a heartwarming story here, just raw love of craft, maybe that’s heartwarming to some? 

-Describe your workspace... (include a pic if you'd like)



As mentioned earlier, I work out of my home, which is a modest place. I have a little nook in the front with natural light and I try to keep it tidy but find it’s often not.

When you are not working on your crafts, what else do you like to do?


I have my hands in many pots and sometimes find that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew! That being said, I love the mix of activities in my life and find that I learn something everyday. So, to answer your question, when I’m not creating art or crafts this is what my life looks like. I have a part time job, I volunteer and have many, many hobbies. A bit more specifically, I am on the Artists Committee for the Artists Health Alliance, here in Toronto. I also volunteer with various not for profit local urban gardening/gleaning organizations, which leads me to my hobbies. 

I love vegetable gardening, taking photos of my garden and sketching my garden in a handbound sketchbook, of course. I take workshops in canning and preserving vegetables from my garden and love to trade and share my preserves. I suppose the common theme here is doing things the old fashioned way, manually with a bit of elbow grease and a lot of love. That being said, I am also fascinated with technology and it’s possibilities. I don’t claim to be any kind of expert but will admit that I’m kind of a tech-buff wannabe, ha! (Is ‘tech-buff’ even the right term?) 

I also love being outside and enjoy many outdoorsy-type activities like hiking, canoeing, cycling, walking and tennis. 

-Lastly, do you have any advice for fellow crafters/entrepreneurs just
starting out?



For those artists/crafters just starting out who really want to give it their best shot, I really recommend learning as much as you can about being a businessperson. I know, I know – boooring. But, chances are if you’re confident enough in your craft/art to start a business, shouldn’t you also be confident in running a business? This doesn’t mean getting an undergrad in business, just reading up on local laws and policies, learning what taxes you have to charge, getting a vendor’s permit and generally taking yourself and your craft seriously. Even researching other successful crafters or artists in your field is a great way to learn. You could ask them some questions about when they first started or what their tip to newbies would be. And, you’d be starting a network of peers, which is always a handy thing!

-Feel free to include any blog links you have, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

I’d love to connect with you! Find me here: 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SproutsPress
Twitter: twitter.com/SproutsPress 
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/sproutspressdesigns

Paper Finch Design-Etsy Shop Feature

This is later than usual, as my day escaped me. Here is Amy from Paper Finch Design! Thank you for sharing with us!

Hi there! I’m Amy, the designer behind PaperFinch Design. I’m also a wife, a southern gal, and a lover of cheese. Mostly the dairy kind, but also the bad-pun kind. I live just north of Atlanta, Georgia on the Chattahoochee River. If any of y’all have ever heard the song, then you’re well aware that down here it gets hotter than a hoochee coochee. And yes, I say y’all. A lot.

I also have two kitties, have an affinity for 80s sitcoms, and a lot (I mean, a LOT) of books.

PaperFinch design started a couple of years ago when I was sitting under a tree and an apple fell on my head, causing me to realize that I just wasn’t doing what I wanted to do in life. Okay, the apple part isn’t exactly true…but the sudden realization that I didn’t want to work as a secretary/waitress/bartender for the rest of my life? That part’s true. So I went back to school (art school, in fact) and learned all about graphic design. I already had two degrees - one in Theater and one in English… I guess you can add school to the list of things that I like to do.

I had been scrapbooking for years, but never thought I could be an (ahem) artist…simply because I can’t draw very well! But I learned a couple of things at art school: One, people in art school are weird. True story. And also, that I can draw better than I thought! And that, with the magic of a computer, you don’t really have to be able to draw perfectly, per se, as long as you know how to manipulate your horrid stick figure drawing into something beautiful and wonderful and fully realized on the computer! And so, ta da, I became a graphic designer!

The road was still a little bumpy, though, and I started out designing mainly vintage-inspired invitations. I still have some of those invites up in my shop (and they still sell!), but I discovered along the way that my true love lies in home décor. In art school, I always got in trouble for too much decoration. Translation, I liked to just make my projects ‘pretty’ and not ‘informative’. Well, blah, blah, blah – now I get to just make ‘pretty’ all I want! My current favorite ‘pretty’ is probably my “Home is Wherever I’m With You” print. I just really love how it turned out…and I love that song! Have y’all heard that song? By Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes? It’s fantastic. And also in commercials, so I’m sure you have actually heard it.

As for my workspace, it’s not very exciting. Since 99.9% of my work is done on the computer, my workspace consists of a desk, a bunch of drawers holding my current inventory, a cat (or two), and, most likely, a day old empty coffee cup. And sticky notes everywhere.

 

But I don’t spend ALL my time at the computer! No sir! I also like to play tennis (a new hobby of mine), read all those books I mentioned earlier, and dream about decorating my house. Which I don’t ever actually do. ☺ I’m too busy doing laundry.

For all you new crafting entrepreneurs out there, I have a few little tidbits of advice. One, do what you love! That’s the easy one. But after that comes two, three, and four, which are – work, work, work! You’d be amazed at how much work it takes to keep your Etsy shop up and running. You can’t just list your fabulous creations and sit and wait for people to find you. In the past two years I learned all about Liking and Tweeting and Pinning and Following and Stumbling and you get the picture. (Full disclosure: I DID already know about Facebook because, duh.) But, as much as you’d be amazed at how much time it takes to get your shop moving, you’d also be amazed at how great it feels once you do!


All the places to find me:
www.paperfinchdesign.etsy.com
www.facebook.com/PaperFinchDesign
www.twitter.com/PaperfinchAmy
www.pinterest.com/PaperFinchParty
www.wanelo.com/PaperFinch
plus.google.com/u/0/108410883423142780549/posts

Etsy Shop Feature CCARIA Jewelry

Cari is such a wonderful person to talk to! I love her jewelry! She has a whole section just for diabetes awareness. Such a neat story:

Start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself. - When I start talking there is nothing 'little' about it. I like to talk...ALOT..so I'll keep it brief, sort of.  I started making jewelry about 4 yrs ago when my son (only child) and my husband started to bond over video games. That left me to my own devices. Weeks prior my best friend asked me to help her make some stretchy bracelets to raise money for her Breast cancer walk. I had so much fun making them but realized that I wanted to do more than that. So I did what I always do, I researched stuff on the internet, planned on what materials I needed and went on a shopping trip. I never start out small, and next thing I know I'm over run with pieces that I had been creating. I started to give them to my friends and family, when someone suggest I try to sell them. So back to researching again, then a friend recommended Etsy to me. And the rest is history (that is if I want to keep this short) if you want to know more of my story you can see it here in my "About" pagehttp://www.etsy.com/shop/CCARIA/about/

Do you have a favorite piece that you have made? I have many several pieces. But I think one of my favorite is my very first WDD (World Diabetes Day). My son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 5 years ago (this month). I joined Twitter and made a lot of friends with parents with kids with Diabetes and Diabetics themselves. One person asked me if I could make a necklace for her, and this is the result. That trigger all sorts of pieces to my Diabetes Awareness Line http://www.etsy.com/shop/CCARIA?section_id=6909612  all my proceeds are donated to JDRF.   

I'm also starting a new line for children/tween, those pieces can be seen herehttp://www.etsy.com/shop/CCARIA?section_id=12949937

Describe your workspace... (include a pic if you'd like) My workspace is 'cluttered' but I seem to thrive in that. I have a HUGE work space and yet I'm still very cluttered. So no picture included here HA

When you are not working on your crafts, what else do you like to do? When I'm not working on my crafts, I'm working full time (I am a Finance/Associate Executive Director for a Non for Profit) or spending time with my family golfing (in the spring/summer/fall) and just hanging out in general with them.

Lastly, do you have any advice for fellow crafters/entrepreneurs just starting out? My advice would be to do your research. I researched how to make the jewelry and pricing and all that good stuff, but I didn't research enough on how to market it. My first few years on Etsy were sort of a 'throw away' I didn't know what I was doing. It was and still is a hobby to me, but I realized that I needed to put much more effort into it. Just posting it doesn't mean it will sell. So do your homework, join teams, promote and tell everyone you can about your products.  Don't be afraid to give your products to people to promote for you, whether it's for fundraisers,  or blog or on your own social media giveaways. The more you get your product out there, the better shot you have of selling it.

Feel free to include any blog links you have, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Twitter https://twitter.com/C_CARIA

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/ccaria/

Lemon Salad Dressing Recipe

A Yummy Recipe for Lemon Salad Dressing:

1 Lemon, juiced
Lemon Zest (Zest before juicing)
1/3 C. Oil (light flavor light texture light testure olive oil)
1/3 C. Sugar
1 tsp Mustard Seed

Mix and refrigerate. Enjoy! :)

StarlightWoods-Etsy shop Feature

Starlight Woods, such a perfect name!! I absolutely LOVE this shop. What an amazing story and way to use her talents. I love everything in her shop.  Here is her story:

My name is Lisa and I am the mother of 2 girls, 17 and 11. We started Starlight woods sort of on a whim. We are always looking for items to repurpose and create art projects from, the storms of 2011 were crazy, they ripped trees out of the ground and left yards full of limbs. What better material to repurpose!

My favorite piece, well that kind of changes with my moods, some days I crave a big sparkly ring, other days I simply love my minimal studs, if I really had to pick one piece, I think I always do fall back on the big sparkly ring- in light green, it makes me feel happy:)

One similar to this, in light green

My work space...oh boy, well it's a work in progress, I really need more room to bring my ultimate work space to life. Right now it consists of a table with all of my art supplies and outside I have a big shed where I store and cut my wood. My dream is to put a small room onto my house dedicated to my shop :)

The Wood Pile

When I am not working on my shop, I try to work out just a bit to keep in shape and the rest of my time is dedicated to my children and their schedule of activities! There's not much down time but when I do find some, a glass of Pinot noir and some comfy pj's is my heaven!

My advice to anyone starting out is simple, don't give up. If you believe in your vision, work your butt off, research, ask questions and follow your heart.

Facebook.com/starlightwoods
Twitter.com/starlightwoods

Some more items from her shop:

Esty Shop Feature-Ceraminic

This weeks Etsy Shop Feature is Ceramic, or Ildi.  It has been so great to get to know her. I love her shop!

 

Start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself.

It was 7 years ago that my life took a major turn, when we moved from Budapest (the capital of Hungary) to a small town in the Netherlands. I stopped with my full time job, where I worked as an economist at a marketing agency.

I’m a proud mom of two girls. I realized that I have plenty of time for my daughters and myself. I wanted to learn English, I started volunteering at the school and joined two clubs. One was a local pottery club, and the other was an International Ladies Club. Now I’m a happy chairman of the Ladies Club and an enthusiast ceramic shop owner on Etsy.

Do you have a favorite piece that you have made?
I feel like sometimes I am still a child at heart, so I like my fruit plates the most, the frog dish and the cat spoon rests. My hubby is a fan of my owl collection and my girls love to wear my ceramic jewelry.

Now my focus is 1oo% on my new Wedding Gifts and Decorations Collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Describe your workspace...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, yes…..this is something new in my life: I have a Hobby Room, a small place with a great view. Imagine, before I used to work in a local Arts Center and in my kitchen, so my life was always cleaning and packing……now I am very grateful to have a separate room to work.

When you are not working on your crafts, what else do you like to do?

Our International Community is changing every year, thus people are coming and leaving. We help new members to feel better about themselves here, organize different programs, craft projects, Charity Lunches, dinners, family days, one day and long weekend trips in Europe.
I’m also a member of a Walking Group. This is a big challenge for me, because it it is always raining here….
I love to go biking with my husband; it is a fun, relaxing time for us☺

Lastly, do you have any advice for fellow crafters/entrepreneurs just starting out?

1) First of all, join in to your favorite Teams. One of mine is the SOS Team. I found great Treasury games here and the new Business Topics are great extra help every week. We all want to take better pictures, use the most relevant title and find the best tags…

2) Make Treasuries regularly and ask successful sellers who have more experience. It’s not a joke, we are a social community too, most of the shop owners are very kind and helpful☺

3) Don’t hesitate to fill your shop up with hundred(s) of items and use social medias.


You can find Ceramic here:

Etsy shop:

www.etsy.com/shop/Ceraminic

My blog: ceraminic.blogspot.nl/

Twitter: twitter.com/Ceraminic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Ceraminic/476092472418005#

Pinterest: pinterest.com/ceraminic/

Rebelmouse: www.rebelmouse.com/Ceraminic/

 



Chocolate Chip Cookies, Yum my favorite Recipe

Here is my very favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Yep, just a yummy recipe. :)

This is off of an old Chocolate Chip bag. I remember someone giving me a bag of chocolate chip cookies years ago. I told them how delicious they were and asked for the recipe. Oh, it was just the one off the bag they told me! So I found the same chocolate chips they used and grabbed that yummy recipe.  I may have changed it slightly over time, but still my very favorite soft cho chip cookie recipe.  By the way, this is a recipe for a day you aren't worried about too many calories.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C. Shortening
1/2 C. Butter or Margarine
1 1/2 C. Packed Brown Sugar
3 Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 Cups Flour
2 C. Chocolate Chips

Bake at 350 deg for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Blog Feature Etsy Shop GatzBcn

Start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself.
My name is Anna and I was born in Girona, Spain, very close to France. However, I am living in México City temporarily because my boyfriend is from there. I am 23 years old and I studied a degree in Humanities in Universitat Pompeu Fabra, in Barcelona. I love reading and traveling.

Do you have a favorite piece that you have made?
I loved a custom order I made for a man who wanted to give as a Christmas present to his wife a little story. He wrote the story, a Swedish girl illustrated it and I bookbinded it. He also requested a shiho chitsu, which is a Japanese type of case to keep it. The ending result was so beautiful in my opinion! I would have loved to keep it for myself. Unluckily, we were on a rush because Christmas was close and I finished it at night, so my pictures are horrible.
My second favourite is this journal that I gave to my boyfriend as a gift:

He loves the movies from the origins of the cinema, specially Méliès' films. I thought he would love this paper, so I did this Belgian binding for him. He loved it! And so did I.

Describe your workspace...
The flat where I am living is quite small, so I work in a table and keep my materials in another room. On the table you can see my laptop, a box that helps me keep my tools organized, a cutting board and some journals in project. Four have the covers and the block for the inside and are going to be bound journals; then there is a pile with cardboard and fabric cut, ready to be glued and to become the covers of four Belgian journals. You can also see a leather journal waiting to have some pictures taken and a little wood press with some papers in it.

When you are not working on your crafts, what else do you like to do?
I love reading. I am currently reading La Celestina, a Medieval classic by Fernando de Rojas.

Lastly, do you have any advice for fellow crafters/entrepreneurs just starting out?
Well, I actually consider that I myself am starting out. Even though it says my shop is two years old, I could only start working full time in it when I finished school, last June.
First, I would advise them not to despair if the beginnings are slow. Trust what you are doing and don't be afraid to spend time and money in it.
Secondly, I would tell them not to expect Etsy to do everything for them. They also have to move in social networks because they are a good source of views: Twitter, Facebook, DeviantArt, blogs, Tumblr, Pinterest,... It is important.

Here is a picture of Anna and her sister. The one on the left is Anna.

Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/GatzBcn
My blog: gatzbcn.blogspot.com
My facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Gatz/211477362220254
My deviantArt: gatzbcn.deviantart.com
My tumblr: gatzbcn.tumblr.com
My pinterest: Layra Leopluredon (that's my facebook name... a personal joke with some friends)
My twitter: @ChatAvecChapeau

Thank you Anna for sharing!

Whole Wheat Muffins

These are delicious!

Whole Wheat Muffins (Makes 12-16 Muffins)

2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Milk
1/2 C. Melted Margerine or Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 C Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Soda
1 Egg

Mix all dry ingredients and liquid ingredients seperately. Then mix together. Put in greased muffin tins. Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Enjoy :)

Mermaid Party Invition Necklaces

Here is a fun way to invite your guest to your Mermaid Party.  A personalized message in a bottle inviting them to the party. This is also a necklace!

Etsy Shop Feature Eyelah

Blog feature today is Etsy Shop Eyelah. If you have an interest in having your shop featured, please let me know! I will be doing Etsy Shop Features every Friday.

My name is Ayla and it's pronounced as "Eye-lah" hence the name of my etsy shop and blog. I started my blog a few years ago when I started making jewelry. I thought it would be a good way to keep track of my work and write about my thoughts and journey. A friend told me of Etsy in 2009 and thats how I got into the handmade business.

I have a science background and I never thought in my dreams that I would prefer making things and selling things over working in a lab. Learning to craft and sew really has changed my life in such a positive way.

Do you have a favorite piece that you have made?

I have so many favorite pieces it's hard to pick just one. I would have to choose my floral clutch purse. It was the first final product that I made that was really really happy with.

Here are some items from her shop:

Describe your workspace... (include a pic if you'd like)
my workplace is a constant cycle of mess and cleanliness. The picture I have included is my work area "cleaned"

When you are not working on your crafts, what else do you like to do?

If I am not crafting I am either working at my full-time job, spending time with my boyfriend, or cooking.

Lastly, do you have any advice for fellow crafters/entrepreneurs just
starting out?

It's hard to say because I feel that I'm a crafter starting out too. But, I think I can say is have a set goal. Once you figure out what you want to do it makes it a lot easier to run the business. It took me a while to finally decide what I wanted to make , sell and promote. Writing goals down and completing them is definitely helpful.

Another piece of advice would be to start a blog. I have found that having a blog bring so much traffic to your shop and people really enjoy being able to see the life of the shop owner too. I know I enjoy reading about fellow shop owners.

Other Places on Etsy to find Ayla:

Links:
Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/Eyelah
Blog: www.eyelah.blogspot.com
Tweeter: twitter.com/eyelah2012
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EyelahAccessories

My Favorite Banana Bread Recipe

Do you have a recipe book that just opens to certain pages automatically because you have used those pages so many times?  This banana bread recipe is one of those. I just love it!  So next time you have some bananas that are just a little too ripe to eat, enjoy some yummy banana bread. Actually the riper the bananas the better the bread!

Banana Bread

1/2 c. Oil (I like to use a light tasting Olive Oil)
1 c. Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Ripe Bananas Crushed (the more ripe, the better)
2 c. Flour
1 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Salt

If you like nuts and blueberries you can add them (I don't add them, but they are probably delicious)

1/2 c. Chopped Walnuts
1-1/2 c. frozen blueberries

Cream oil and sugar together well. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each one. Add bananas. Sift flour, soda and salt together. Add to sugar mixture. With last 1/2 c. flour, dust nuts and frozen blueberries. Add and mix as little as possible-just enough to distribute evenly. Pour into greased loaf pan (or into 4 mini loaf pans).  Bake for 45 minutes (30-35 for mini loaf) at 350 degrees.  Test.  May have to cook longer if you add blueberries. 

***I recommend using Bakers Joy to spray the pans.  It combines flour in the spray to have a wonderful baking experience. :)

A Lavendar High Tea Birthday Party

I was sent an message from a customer that I made a special order for. She had requested purple necklaces. They turned out beautiful. She posted this beautiful party on her blog, and I wanted to share. The cake is absolutely amazing and the treat bags adorable.  Click on the picture for a link to her blog:

This necklace turned out so cute I added it to my shop after making it:

Blog Features

Today was supposed to be my blog feature day. I didn't end up getting the feature done, but plan on doing it for next week. If you have an Etsy shop and would like your shop featured on my blog, please let me know! I will be looking for shops to feature :)

Recipe for Glitter Playdough

Today I'm going to share one of my very favorite recipes. Homemade playdough. I like to add extra fine glitter to it to make glitter playdough! The kids love it! 

Here is the recipe:
2 c. Flour
1 c. Salt
4 t. cream of tarter
2 T. cooking oil (I use olive oil, you could use any vegetable oil)
2 c. water
food coloring
extra fine glitter

Mix all dry ingredients (including extra fine glitter) in a bowl. 

(this picture you can't see the glitter, but I did add it here. I added an extra fine iridescent silver glitter)
In a pan, add water, food coloring and oil. Bring to a boil. Pour into dry ingredients and mix together.

(this is the boiled water and the dry ingredients before I mixed them.)


 Knead like bread dough (with hands-it is hot so I mix with a spoon until it cools enough to touch). The more you knead the smoother and nicer the playdough gets. Makes quite a bit (you can do a half recipe).

Here is the finished playdough. The glitter doesn't show well in the picture, but makes the playdough fun and sparkly. 

Store in a zip lock back. Can be used over and over as long as it is kept in an airtight container. Hope you enjoy!