quirky n berkeley feature

flurrsprite's nook was featured today on quirky n berkeley's blog! hurray! go check out the fabulousness :D

scarf!

i promised i would make sure to write up a post about stircrazycrafts's lovely scarf that she donated as a prize for the canada contest that i won recently, because i left it in missouri and was unable to include it in my post :)

so here it is, folks! all fluffy and sparkly and super warm! love it!

i are nerd

sort of finished my cloak! but my parents don't have a full length mirror, so i didn't really get to see what it looked like until i had my mom take pictures... which led to my decision about it not being quite finished yet, because the capelet is shorter than i had intended (it was long when i first sewed it together, but my mom suggested i chop it a little and i got a bit carried away) so i'm going to need to add some more felt onto it! i'll use this as an excuse to embellish it, because it's rather plain ;) sadly, i'm not completely happy with my hood (that's what i get for making everything up), so i may need to do it over... we'll see!


i'm leaving hawaii tonight... i'm actually pretty sad about it, which isn't normally the case! but it'll be good to go back to missouri. for example: this is what my "work space" looked like here:


okay, that may have been on a bad day, but still! it'll be nice to have say, a table to work on instead of the floor! ;)

alas, i had to mail back a bunch of my bookbinding supplies, and parcel post takes 3-5 weeks (AUGH) so it may be a while before i post up any new books! but that's okay, i have all of my jewelry stuff with me so i can play around with that for a bit, if job hunting goes well anyway!

split!

there are two pairs of etsy pretties that i am trying to decide between.

the first pair is more of a "i've wanted one these for a while but now i have a practical need for them"... i have my lovely new bag, but it only has one pocket so i'd like to organize it a bit more with a cute little pouch by sidneyann!

options a & b:


the second pair is more of a "let me earn a little bit more money and then splurge on clothes" (it's pretty sad, i'm far more willing to splurge on some sushi than i am for buying some decent clothes for myself) from papaya!

options a & b:


any thoughts? ;)

new new year year

finally got around to playing with my hammer and baby anvil! made some new earrings, which i rather like :)

what did you all get for christmas from etsy? i got (myself) a pretty leather journal (that i actually plan on using!) from my handbound books, a super-cute clay book from lady artisan for best's first book swap, and my sister got me some mango lotion from spa therapy! ...actually, i also got some awesome dead sea mud soap too, but i used it already ;)


i finally sold my puffin book! it was possibly my favorite book.. i've made others that are better quality and probably cuter, but i've had a special attachment to my puffin book. i'm a little sad (as you can see in my goofy picture below), but for some reason it makes me feel like i'm moving forward. huzzah!


on a completely random not-craftsy note, it appears that we have a wild pua'a living nearby that likes to eat our front yard.


if you see one you're supposed to report it and the peoples will come out and kill it for you. i wonder if we can convince em to build a pit and make kalua pig if that happens.... heeeeere piggy piggy piggy...

15% off sale

yep, i'm having a sale until friday night at midnight because i am addicted to handmade etsy soaps. everything is 15% off in my shop, prices are original and you can either wait to receive your revised invoice or i can just send you a refund.

help me remain addicted.

new year's resolutions for etsy

1. start editing pictures in photoshop...✓
2. clean up shop profile and announcement...✓
3. organize money spreadsheet (eg separate tabs)...✓
4. adjust item prices according to calculator...✓
5. fiddle with blog...in progress
6. update shop avatar, maybe banner
7. make at least 3 things a week

seller of the month - GoBuggy

Machiko Munakata - Illinois - USA



WHO (Your name, general description, any random bit of info about yourself, a vague sentence):

My name is Machiko Munakata and I am a mom, wife, in my 30s, hooked on toys, who couldn't train her dog.

WHAT (Tell us about your shop, the items you make):

I make felt foods. I started to make them so my daughter and I could play with them.
I pick foods that are familiar from my upbringing, and foods that I liked the aesthetics of.

WHERE (Why do you sell on Etsy?):

I was introduced to Etsy from a friend also a seller (kristinpavelka). I love the fact that I do come across a shop far away from my town. I also like the conveniece since I have a baby girl and it was easy to set up. The customers have been very nice and supportive. I think that is why I want to stick with Etsy.

I also like finding quirky wonderful people who can share my weird interests.

WHEN (When did you start making handmade items? When did you start selling on Etsy? Any tips for current/future sellers?):

My background is in Ceramic/Sculpture so I have been making things with my hands for a while. I started Etsy in Sept of 2007 and the store is especially inspired by the birth of my daughter. I am a newbie so i don't have good tips but I have learned from others that making something that I like is the most important thing-- And I agree. I think you can see that in other shops and I hope that comes through in mine.

WHY (Go on, free self-promotion time! Why should people buy from your shop?):

This is always a difficult question to answer. Well, if I can promote Etsy in general, that might be easier for me. I always think that buying handmade things are not just buying a product, but also sharing and supporting the maker's vision and piece of their world.

FUN (Whatever you feel like talking about. A favorite shop or item on Etsy, a website you think others should look at, why butterflies and toe socks should rule the world):

I have not had the pleasure to cruise through many shops yet--- I hear there are close to 100,000 shops? But few I have found are lovely prints (Deardodo and yellowmonday) and potteries (kristinpavelka--- okay, she is my friend but she is quite the potter). I also love shops that have toys, characters that the seller has made up. I probably cruise through Geekery more often more than other categories. Geekery moves the world go around!!!

Aaaand…RANDOM QUESTION! What is your mostest favorite kind of sandwich?

As of now, it is French Dip. The sandwich can be swimming in that dip.

Featured Items

post-christmas update

so what's new? well, let's see...

1. i had a day after christmas sale where everything was 15% off, but never fear! i am holding a general end of the year sale now, with 10% off everything in my shop!

2. i bought jmacc's falling leaf hobo bag. it's mine. you can't have it. i ♥ it fohevah!!!1!11one!1!

3. made a couple of earrings, want to make more! i've got some ideas for my silver wire :) i brought my hammer and baby anvil all the way to hawaii, gotta put em to good use eh?
my forest angel earrings
my epimeliad earrings

4. made a mushroom book! hee hee. badger badger badger badger...


i have four more book blocks that i've put together, so i just need to get my lazy bum up and make the covers for them!

5. i bought 4 yards of gray felt, and i am going to be making a cloak! ordered this cute cloak clasp because i am a hugenerdomg. i'm a little skeptical about the felt (no wool fabric at the FABRIC store --sure, i'm in hawaii, but really? no wool? really?-- and no gray fleece, which i think would've hung better) but that's okay, it's all for fun! maybe it'll turn out fantabulous and i'll sell some online! ...hyeah, right. maybe if someone buys me a sewing machine first. ;)


s'all for now! i'm going to curl up on the couch with some tea and read me a book!

etsy texas crafters contest

phew, i'm on a roll! the other day i participated in one of the texas street team's treasure hunt contests, and won! out of the list of possible prizes, i chose from the team's shop and got the taste of texas grab bag, a promo box filled with goodies from the team's members!



hurray for street teams! i can't wait to finish looking through all of the shops, and check out all of the promos and coupons from everybody!

my dad = my spokesman

my dad was chatting to a friend of his at work about how i bind books, and she requested i make one for her friend, who had just had a baby.

unfortunately, my dad didn't ask for any specifics, like if the baby was a boy or a girl, so i decided to make two books for her to choose from:



she ended up buying both!

(the one that says "eva" on it originally didn't, i was going to put "baby" on it in felt but my dad snagged it before i had gotten to that point and brought it to her. luckily he called and asked me about it so i told him that if she liked that book that i could cut out whatever words she wanted, so she asked for "eva 2007".)

and then she requested one more, for her "not-girly" friend. so i made this out of some new fuzzy paper i had just gotten:



my dad also showed her my asian inspired book ("just in case"); it had been sitting in my closet because i had taken it off of etsy after my grandpa's pecans exploded in my suitcase and gotten oil on its cover... you couldn't really tell after i wiped it a few times with water, but i knew it was damaged and just couldn't sell it in good conscience.



she bought both.

go daddy! XD


on a side note, look at my books together:


i do not seem to have my own "style". i'm still trying to decide if this is a good or bad thing haha!

BEST Holiday Books! Treasury

check out my very first treasury, featuring lovely (holiday style) books from the best team! :)

experiment: bag

my sister gave me some fabric and little bag handles from japan (she visited during the summer), so i decided to experiment and make a bag! ...and also because i was having bag indecision (although i ended up buying jmacc's bag from my little bag feature that i posted a short while ago as a christmas present to myself hehe).

so! here is what i came up with:

i sort of just made it up as i went along... i didn't use a pattern, and i got lazy and didn't make any sort of lining haha! i figured the canvas was sturdy enough ;) but i think it turned out pretty cute! well, so long as you don't look at the stitching on the inside (i didn't feel like hunting for my mom's sewing machine, so i hand-stitched the whole thing) XD


see? back-stitching is never really pretty on the other side haha! but for my first bag, i like :3

oh pooh, i just found another bag on etsy that i like! woe is me!

the best holiday sale!

seller of the month - fringe

Dennice Mankarious - California - USA



WHO (Your name, general description, any random bit of info about yourself, a vague sentence):

Dennice Mankarious, wife, mother, sister, daughter. fiber fanatic. perfectionist.

WHAT (Tell us about your shop, the items you make):

i design scarves, cowls, shrugs, capelets, shawls, lariats and many other items. i have a wide range of fashion styles from high drama to urban prairie to appeal to everyone, i hope. i feel that accessories make the outfit, and are a perfect form of personal expression. i make my creations in hopes that whoever wears one of my items will feel self-confident and divine.

WHERE (Why do you sell on Etsy?):

i sell on etsy because it's the perfect venue for my life style. it gives me a lot of freedom and the site is designed in such a fabulous way that you can give your shop your own personal style very easily. it has been an excellent learning experience for me and i have been very successful on etsy. plus, i'm my own boss. yippee!

WHEN (When did you start making handmade items? When did you start selling on Etsy? Any tips for current/future sellers?):

i started selling my creations several years ago, but not seriously. i didn't become focused and serious until i joined etsy back in January of this year. my humble advice to sellers is to do your research, take pride in your work, take good photos and list frequently. etsy's wikki has wonderful articles to help everyone who wants to take their shop on etsy seriously. it's how i did it. i didn't have a mentor, i just read everything i could lay my hands on that etsy had to offer me.

FUN (Whatever you feel like talking about. A favorite shop or item on Etsy, a website you think others should look at, why butterflies and toe socks should rule the world):

i have many shops and sellers that i adore here. i will say that leavesofglass, talula, boringsidney and bayousalvage are my top four. and they are all run by exceptional businesswomen.

Aaaand…RANDOM QUESTION! If you could live in any shaped house (a round house, a hexagonal house...), what would you like to live in?

i think of all the shapes out there in this big, beautiful world i would choose a u-shaped house with squared corners. the inside of the "u" would be floor to ceiling windows overlooking the center of the "u" which would have a swanky pool and lounge area. yep. a girl can dream can't she?

Featured Items

trans-canada etsy team contest prize

as mentioned in a previous post, i won the trans-canada etsy team contest! i would like to show off their fabulous prizes here! i received...

...a pair of adorable catnip mice from 4paws

alas, i have no kitties, but i'm going to use them as christmas tree ornaments until i see my uncle's kitty again! ...i hope catnip lasts that long!

...a fluffy coffee condom (i think it looks like a corset... and want to wear it as a bracelet!) from caffeinatedcrafts


starbucks beware!

...pretty little earrings from mieldesigns


i love the lapis lazuli stones on them!

...a whimsical bird hanging art piece by tanisalexis and a precious stuffed bunny by her sister shop, mwahcreations

the bunny smells like lavendar! hee!

...an eco-chic vintage leather necklace by tomatedepingles


the clasp has a little leather piece attached... what a cute detail!

...awesome feather deploy earrings by neawear


they're delicate, but super sleek! can't wait to wear them out!

...a butter soft leather book and fun leather cuff (which i am totally going to wear on my ankle instead!) by myhandboundbooks



unfortunately, i forgot my wonderfully beautiful fluffy scarf by stircrazycrafts back in missouri :( i had already integrated it into my wardrobe, so when it came time to pack for hawaii, i put it aside... boooo! i promise i'll post a special entry just for the scarf :D it's very warm, and will definitely be put to good use when it's blustery outside! hurray for handmade scarves!

happy holidays everybody!

tagged

the other day i was tagged by the lovely danca to do a survey, which i have no problem doing because they're fun :) however, seeing how i just did one a handful of posts back (and i don't have many!) i figure i'll skip the tagging forward and just say that if anybody wants to do it, then go on ahead! :D

the rules are:
Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. 7 things about me:
ignore the rules ♥

1. each week this past month was spent living in a different state
2. lately i have been far more interested in green things than blue, which is my favorite color... but out of loyalty to blue i refuse to make green my fave
3. the only thing i actually want to do here in hawaii is eat
4. i have "deformed" feet: my big toes are shorter than the ones next to them
5. i just bought munchkin, a fabulous card game. everyone should play it!
6. i am completely, compleeeetely addicted to the internet. i mean, i would much rather have my laptop than my car.
7. i've decided that only a fun obstacle course will motivate me to work out

lately...!

i haven't completely died these past couple of months, i swear! :) i've been...

...experimenting with chocolate and candy molds! (mostly because i really want to make pirate ship chocolates... how awesome would that be??)

{duckyyyyyyyyy!}

...made a halloween costume for etsy's contest

{kaylee from firefly!}

...made a couple of book commissions for some friends. interestingly enough, both named sarah and both were for their siblings!

{a leather book with hindi writings on it. the cover says 'brother'}

{a cafe book for a sister who likes coffee!}

...and hopefully more will be coming soon~!