save the world sundays

A global group of crafters and artists, including several in New Jersey, is hoping to change the face of gift-giving this holiday season.
The message: Consumers have options beyond mass-produced items made from virgin materials.
This group, the Etsy Trashion street team, wants to show you the holidays can be eco-friendly and handmade.
Comprised of 100-plus crafters, artists and artisans, the Etsy Trashion street team have banded together on the web site for all things handmade, etsy.com, to show the diversity of products that can be made with recycled materials.
Everything from toys to ornaments to clothing to greeting cards can reuse unique ingredients, made by hand into something new.
To encourage customers to buy recycled, and to buy handmade, the Trashion street team is hosting Save the World Sunday, a major sale event and celebration of all things recycled & handmade.

· Participating shops are offering 20% off or free shipping on two special sales days, Sunday Nov. 25 and Sunday Dec. 2. For a list of participating shops, visit www.etsytrashion.com or www.etsytrashion.blogspot.com
· Special gift guides focusing on different holiday themes - winter wear, holiday decor, gifts for children of all ages - are up for view at www.etsytrashion.blogspot.com
· All shoppers can enter to win a gift bag filled with handmade items made with recycled materials, valued at $50. For more details, visit www.etsytrashion.blogspot.com


This holiday, think green. Buying items made from recycled materials that are made by hand are more than unique - they both clever ingredients, advocate sustainable design and support independent businesses.

For more information on Save the World Sundays and the Etsy Trashion Street Team, visit www.etsytrashion.com or www.etsytrashion.blogspot.com

Etsy Fiber Arts Trunk Show is Nov. 16, sale starts soon!

Sweety Prize's Crochet in the Etsy Fiber Arts Trunk show!

Stock up on Handmade Fiber Art, yarns, knitting, crochet and more! A major sale of dozens of online crafters to celebrate the holidays!

The focus is Fiber! November can keep you warm with a team of independent crafters and artisans who are rocking all things fiber art this month.

The Etsy Fiber Arts Street Team is having a team-wide sale to celebrate our coming trunk show (6-8 p.m. friday, Nov. 16 at etsylabs in Brooklyn.
The sale starts Nov. 1 and will go through 11:59 p.m. Nov. 16! Dozens of online shops will be offering sales, to help celebrate.

The month of November is the time to snuggle up with handmade goods bought from Etsy fiber artists. Crocheted scarves, knitted mittens, handpainted merino wool, soft roving, luxurious woven fabrics, needlefelted jewelry and on and on…unique, handmade items that escape the mainstream! November is a celebration of all things fiber!

Let fiber keep you warm during the Etsy FAST team sale, trunk show, online events … and all year round!

Who: the fabulous independent spinners, knitters, crocheters, weavers, felters, yarn-makers and fiber artists of Etsy.com, your place to buy handmade!

What: a giant event, online and in person, celebrating all things handmade and fiber!

When: Sale in online shops from Nov. 1 - Nov. 16. Trunk show date is Nov. 16, online and at Etsy Labs 6 - 8 p.m. EST.

Where: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street, 6th Floor, Brooklyn NY 11201 , and also online at www.etsy.com and http://www.etsyfast.com/

Why: Warm up your November with our great fiber artists! Great sales on items for the holidays, supplies, and more! Interact with our members, learning more about these products and techniques! Buy handmade.

How: RSVP at labs@etsy.com, check www.etsyfast.com for more info, and be sure to visit us during our sale and show Nov. 16!

SweetyPrize & Bonsai Tree go on a date, tree-hugging style

Once upon a time there was a SweetyPrize.

Once upon a time there was a Bonsai Tree.

And on that blessed day under the shade of the Oak, they met.

They couldn't let each other go.

They decided to enjoy each other's company more over an impromptu picnic.

Would you like some plant food? What a lovely day for a picnic lunch.

Over a stroll in the park, SweetyPrize and Bonsai learned more about each other.

Hey! Here are some of the Bonsai's friends. Nice to meet you.

Why don't we all go back to my place and watch a movie?, asks SweetyPrize.

This film is called "BioDome," SweetyPrize says. Bonsai says he has an ironic appreciation for the movie.

Into the night, SweetyPrize and Bonsai share some more conversation over drinks and laughter. Smile for the camera, let's hope this doesn't end up on MySpace, because we kinda look tipsy, SweetyPrize thinks.

It ends as most good dates do. In the arms of your loved one. Bonsai and SweetyPrize tree-hugged all through the night. The sunrise on the Bonsai Tree is a great way to start the next morning.

THE END

Yes, it's Saturday

So that means Sweety Prize is having a Saturday Night Special:
ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOO00000000000000000OOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo


Buy one item, get a second lesser-priced item half off. BOGO 1/2 off through 6 a.m. Sunday EST. Use SNS in notes to seller, and you’ll receive an adjusted invoice.


BOGO ½ OFF!!!

Unique scarves, cassette tape recons, neat stuff and trashion at Sweety Prize!

Check it out:
Find unique scarves, cassette tape recons and neat stuff at Sweety Prize


Find unique scarves, cassette tape recons and neat stuff at Sweety Prize

Sweety Prize's adventures in HTML

Sweety Prize is learning HTML! Wish me luck!

Look what I made, a clickable link, all fancy like:

Find Unique Scarves, cassette tape recons and neat stuff at Sweety Prize

Nor' Cackalacky Crafty Spectacular = The Crafting Patch

I want to tell you all about http://socaligirl.etsy.com. She's been busting her butt organizing an amazing craft fair to be held Oct. 13. It's called the Crafting Patch. It's gonna be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, or as I lovingly refer to it, Nor' Cackalacky.

Here is the scoop. Go to the event or die wishing you had!

THE CRAFTING PATCH MARKET TO SHOWCASE NEW CRAFT TALENT
OCT. 13 IN CHARLOTTE

What’s sure to be one of the more unique fall craft fairs is coming to Independence Park, Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, October 13.
Lined with more than 50 craftspersons and artisans, The Crafting Patch Market will feature sellers ranging from:
- spinners who make unique yarns by hand
- jewelry makers using everything from precious stones to revamped circuit boards to make women’s, men’s and children’s jewelry.
- Handmade clothing from knitters, crocheters, seamstresses
- Hand crafted soaps and bath & beauty products
And more…

The vendors consider themselves among the new wave of crafters who are exploding the growth of Etsy.com, an online website for all things handmade. Shoppers can browse through booths whose shopkeepers buck the trend of mass-production, by offering handmade and handcrafted goods that are unique. These independent entrepreneurs are locally based, but also come as far away as New Jersey to participate in what is sure to be a fun event filled with items you can’t find anywhere else.

Shopping begins at 9:00 a.m., admission is free, and parking is available near Independence Park, Charlotte. The event will be held rain or shine. The event is also a drop-off site for donations of clothing and bedding for the Battered Women's Shelter of Charlotte.
For more information, please visit: http://thecraftingpatchmarket.com/

Buttons make the world go round

I love pinback buttons. I stick them to the soft synthetic fabric that is the walls of my cubicle. It makes it that much more awesome.

Buttons can be varying degrees of awesomeness. Chart topping awesome? Check out http://lizstaley.etsy.com.

Her buttons are dang awesome. Besides the classic "Frell!" and "Frak!" there are truisms such as Luke Was a Putz.

There's also a gi-normous section of one of kind buttons, made from manga and other comics. Me likey.

If your in the area, stop by my cubicle and see the buttons in person. Or, simply head over to http://lizstaley.etsy.com and get your own. I recommend it. Word.

My non-treasury treasury

HeyMichelle.etsy.com noticed the treasury was busted, so where could a lonely admin pick up a hot treasury around these parts to keep company through the cold dark night?
Answer: in the forums of course. Etsyians went bonkers posting impromptu treasuries, hoping admin would select one for the front page.

Here is mine! The theme, since the treasury is busted, is busted things! Broken, beat up, messed up, out of order, unserviceable, in shambles and shattered. If you ask me, that's exactly how I like my treasury!

Things you should know if you are swapping with me

I'm participating in a fall gift swap! So I had to answer a questionnaire, so whoever my secret buddy is doesn't send me a bacon cooker to this vegetarian.

I thought the questionnaire was long, but insightful. Here are my answers!

whew! i'd forgotten things about myself by the time i finished :-)
Autumn Swap Questionnaire
Personal/Basic InformationBirthday: may 18, 1980
Location: jersey shore, nj. usa
Pets: wish i had a cat
Children: none
Do you like, love, or not care for Halloween? its ok! i usually think of something to do the last minute
Favorite Holiday: the sweety's birthday!
Occupation/Major in school: journalism
Livejournal/Blog/Website: http://sweetyprize.blogspot.com
Organizations/Causes/Activities (Things you belong to or causes you believe in): environmentalism, eradicating poverty, helping those with humbly outstretched hands, equal rights
BeautyHair type: brownish
Skin Type: pale
Allergies: i'm allergic to too much makeup.
Other things to avoid: things that smell like fruit or flowers. is vanilla a flower? in that case vanilla is ok
Tub, shower or both? both
Favorite bath & beauty products: tea tree oil. soap! soap that smells like chocolatey desserts. cinnamon. liquours.
Clothing Style/Fave garments: thrifted, vintage, handmade. I like the look of Forever 21. I wear a lot of skirts.
Type(s) of jewelry worn: barrettes, bobby pins, hair clips, pony tail holders, post earrings, preferably made with handmade and recycled materials
Ring/wrist/collar size: large
Jewelry - gold or silver? Do you have any allergies to metal? silver
T-shirt size and preference (standard, babydoll, tank, cami, etc):standard, large
LifestyleFavorite colors: gray, black, brown, blue, green
Style/home decoration style: quirky but simple
Things you collect: nothing at the moment
Favorite music: oldies - 1960s soul, garage, doowop; ska, punk, rap, jazz funeral/New Orleans, rockabilly, surf rock -- man i like all sorts of music
Least favorite music: emo, top 40, death metal, opera, contemporary R&B
Vegetarian/Vegan?: yeah veggies!
Other food restrictions: me like food
Favorite foods/drinks: tea, coffee, hot chocolate, beer, gourmet sodas
Favorite authors/genres: chuck palahniuk, dorothy parker, flannery o'connor, craft books
Least favorite authors/genres: romance, chick lit, the secret, lovecraft
Books/authors you'd like to read, but haven't yet: i dont get much chance to read. so i guess graphic novels would be good. or books about improving your online or indie business
How do you feel about receiving gently used books as gifts? i don't care
Favorite gemstones: i don't wear gemstones
Favorite stores (including clothing stores): thrift stores, forever 21, etsy stores!
Favorite online stores (including B&B stores): the etsy trashion street team and others in my favorites on etsy.
Magazines you subscribe to: adorn, croq, vegetarian times
Magazines you like, but don't subscribe to: readymade! i keep forgetting to subscribe to it; make and craft
Favorite movies: the big lebowski, clive owen films, cohen brothers films, Wes Anderson and other Anderson's films, David Fincher, Chris Nolan
Favorite TV show: clean house, the boondocks, tom goes to the mayor, real time with bill maher
Hobbies/crafts done: crochet, jewelry making, dismantling/recycled crafts, paper crafts
And now for something slightly different:
- Let's say you're "Lost" on an island: what two people and which three things would you want with you? my sweety Greg and my sister Patricia. some spicey spaghetti, something to crochet and a good movie to watch together: food, crafts and movie watching endless nights
- What's your superpower - or what would you like it to be? my superpower is thinking creatively.
i wish my superpower was more confidence/energy
- What things do you consider a necessary part of your "comfort" ritual? very good soap, some type of tea such as darjeeling or english breakfast, good music while i drive
- Describe your favorite place, real or imagined. it would probably be a store that sells handmade items, thrift items, spicy spaghetti, good desserts and beverages, and has an area to watch movies on comfy couches while you make crafts and talk with friends and loved ones.
- What are the last 5 CDs you've had in your CD player, or played all the way through on your MP3 player? the zodiac soundtrack, the traveling wilburys, johnny & the hurricanes, amy winehouse, inspecter 7
Notes (Here's where you can add additional information you'd like your swap partner to know!): I'm trying to be more simple in my life. An item that is consumable is very appropriate. I'm hard to shop for, really. But ultimately I'm grateful for anything I get.

LE FIN

Patricia's dog Jack for Halloween

Every dog should celebrate Halloween.

My sister Patricia's dog, a lab, needs a costume.

We had a chat this afternoon, me, Patricia and Jack.

Here are some ideas for Jack's costume:

-dog catcher (my idea)

-a cat (me and sis)

-a horse (patricia's idea)

the leading idea is:

fire hydrant! (my idea)

red cotton outfit with black lines

circular red valve accessories

hydrant top hat

What does Jack think? Take a look:

Things I am doing right now

* staring at my messy closet

* packaging up some sticker promos

* watching Shooter starring Mr. Wahlberg

* not sleeping

* snacking on whole wheat toast with cream cheese and honey on top

Hope and Healing project

For the entire month of September, shop "Hope and Healing" on etsy.com and help out a great charity. Here is more info from http://sojournquilts.etsy.com/, who is organizing this project.

"This is the third time Rape Response Services and Etsy have teamed up to raise awareness and money for this important issue. For more information about Rape Response Services, you can check out their website athttp://www.raperesponseservices.org/.

Here are some sellers who've generously provided items that, when sold, will benefit RRS:http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title&search_query=hopeandhealing

"Rape Response Services (http://www.raperesponseservices.org/) is a non-profit agency in Bangor, ME that provides educational and community outreach programs for adult and child victims of sexual violence and the people who support them. The project for Hope and Healing is a collaboration between RRS and Etsy sellers who've generously agreed to donate part or all of the proceeds from the sale of their handmade items to Rape Response Services. Donations are made by Etsy sellers directly to RRS and will be used to support the following programs: 24-hour hotline, community and business outreach, school-based outreach, volunteer training, and support groups for victims of sexual violence. Contact information is available at the RRS website if you'd like more information about the organization or the project for Hope and Healing."

I am donating the proceeds of my button earrings and other button items: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7052165

Thanks for making this fundraiser a success!

Interview with nitelily3.etsy.com

Simply put, nitelily3 makes beautiful bags. They caught my eye and I had to reach out for an interview. Here is the good word. Check out all the beautiful items at http://nitelily3.etsy.com

Q: what do you make and why is it great?

A: I make anything that involves fabric, including bags, wristlets, and clothing, as well as paint. I love creating new things, with out the use of patterns that way each item is unique and I have a fun time figuring out what to do with my next piece.

Q: why handmade?

A: Handmade things are original, one of a kind. It's also that touch that you know someone has spent hours working on something and can be yours.

Q: is there a particular reason you make bags?

A: I make bags and clothing because I love fabric, designing, textures, mixing old with new. I began sewing at age 8, making doll clothes, and I've been sewing since then. I can pretty much make anything out of fabric, all one needs is a sewing machine, thread, some fabric and imagination.

Q: describe what you put into your craft, the process of making things.

A: For me, making bags and clothing is like second nature. I look at a piece of fabric and know in an instant what i'm going to make out of it. Or I know a person and make a bag have its own personality, thats why most of my items have names...they usually come to me while making the item and I go from there.

Q: would you like to talk more about a particular item you've made?

A: The Large Karolina Tote: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6622045

I Love my new Large Karolina tote. I made a small purse out of the same fabric and saved the last sliver I had for something special. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to make, but I knew I had to hold on to it for a while. Fast forward 2 months and the idea sprang on me. I knew that I wanted to make a large bag with a mix of old and new. It is pleated and the edges are rounded for a retro, yet feminine look and I added a genuine Vintage Brooch with a Cameo that can be removed and worn on any item of clothing or another bag. I have a lot of favorites in my store, and a lot of ideas in my head, so watch out for new things to come!

Found rubber beads bangle bracelet is a tongue twister

Walk past the mechanic/tire shop, find lots of these little rubber circle cast offs. I did this every day on my way to work to Sears. Sears Auto had all this rubber bits littering the parking lot. I presume they are some part of flat tires , which the mechanic cuts off to replace the tire quickly. I don't know, but I do know I found a gazillion of them and they are awesome.

They make the perfect rubber beads. I fashioned a bracelet out of the deal. It's a rubber beads bangle bracelet!

Cleaned, recycled / upcycled rubber bits, paired with yellowy bead soup. Bangle has an about 7 inch circumference. It's trashion! Save the world, buy unique handcrafted items made via recycling.

This is now available at my etsy shop, http://sweetyprize.etsy.com/

Buy My Supplies is buy two, get third FREE

I have a supply shop. There is a massive sale going on. http://buymysupplies.etsy.com

GIANT LABOR DAY SALE!Buy two items, get a third item FREE!

http://buymysupplies.etsy.com

For every two items you buy, the third item is free, now through Labor Day 11:59 PM EST. The lesser priced item is FREE!What a steal :-)All you have to do is select 3 items and put "labor" in the notes to seller. Await an amended invoice. Shipping cost is not included.This is a GREAT way to stock up for everything you need!Lots of supplies at a great price!Thanks for looking, new items will be listed regularly, so check back.I accept Paypal and other forms of payment.

http://buymysupplies.etsy.com

I love handmade soap

Put down your Ivory. It's all a lie. Irish Spring? No.

You need actual soap. Soap forged by the hands of human and made of things that aren't also used to kill insects. You need - you deserve- handmade soap, and you need to buy it on http://etsy.com.

This is my handmade soap manifesto. I am not a soapmaker. I am a client. Let me tell you about some of the fine people I've bought soap from.

Today in the mail arrived a beautiful package from http://lothandvolta.etsy.com. One of my favorite scents is cinnamon. Now I have cinnamon and geranium soap from L&V. I am clean and a smell like cinnamon. I am a happy, clean, and good-smelling woman. I defy you to find stuff this good at Rite-Aid. I also bought the mint and the flower soap, which look and smell wonderful. Truly impressive, I love it. Check out all the fabulous products from this two-person soapmaking team.

When mosquitos attack, who do you call? http://shineyourhineysoapco.etsy.com, that's who. Her lemongrass and green tea soap did the trick. Mosquitos are at bay. I was at work today and I nearly said aloud "who smells so wonderful?". I stopped myself, because it was me that smelled so wonderful. Washing with this soap is the equivalent of having something great to smell all day. It's a real pickme up. DEFINITELY check all the other great products in this soap. The packaging also makes you smile.

I also recently bought tea tree soap from http://distilledrose.etsy.com. This soap was gigantic bar. I'll never leave the shower. The tea tree is great for oily/combination skin. Plus its great to shave with, did you know that? Fresh and bright scent with great properties. The rest of the shop? Top notch scents and ingredients. Head over there. right. now.

These are just SOME of the wonderful folks I've bought soap from. I am always impressed, every shower. It's a really happy thing. Buy lots of etsyian's soap. You will get a far superior product, will be supporting independent crafters/artisans, and will feel and smell good - if not far better - than before.

If you want to see these products in person, here's an opportunity. At the EtsyLabs in Brooklyn, a team of etsy shops called the Etsy Clean and Green Guild are having a trunk show Aug. 31. You need to be clean for labor day. So buy some of the fine wares available this evening. For more information, please check out: http://etsylabs.blogspot.com/2007/08/last-fridays-trunk-show-etsy-green-and.html

New goodies at sweetyprize.etsy.com

Looky here!

Some new goodies from my shop, http://sweetyprize.etsy.com/:

Interview with Sojourncuriosities (http://sojourncuriosities.etsy.com)

Sojourncuriosities' shop is stunning. Beautiful objects wrapped intricately to form beautiful jewelry.

Her nearly 100 shop items will take your breath away!

I reached out to her for an interview. Please check it out to learn more about http://sojourncuriosities.etsy.com/

WHAT DO YOU MAKE, WHY IS IT GREAT?

*One of a kind, fine jewelry with a story to tell. Dreams and memories of people, places, times and tales expressed in knitted and sculpted wire, incorporating lace, ribbon, semiprecious beads, vintage and modern found and natural objects.

WHY DO YOU DO THINGS HANDMADE, OR WHY DO YOU MAKE THE PRODUCTS YOU DO?

*My work is a melding of my passion for capturing the intangible in words, and my drive to create. The planning and dreaming is something I've always been prone to, and the bringing of those dreams and thoughts into a piece of wearable art that I can then share with someone is incredibly gratifying to me. Knowing that my pieces are created with a special intention, and then having someone else be drawn to that intention, and cherish it is amazing.

DESCRIBE WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR CRAFT, THE PROCESS OF MAKING THINGS

*Collecting: I've always been a collector. My dad is a nature lover and a scientist, and, in part, I think, due to him, my eye has been keen for interesting bits of nature for my whole life. For a while in college I had bracket fungus, small dried mushrooms, bits of lichen and moss, dried flowers, stones, and twigs, as decoration in my place. There would just be these little enclaves of nature preserved, something like a museum, actually. I still collect, but, now, I incorporate the special bits I find into my pieces.

*Revisiting: Sometimes I start with a plan, and I know what I'm looking for. Most times, I just open up my button box, or my box of nature, and see what calls to me.

*Making: Whatever I find calls to me, becomes knitted, or sculpted into a piece of wire based jewelry, along with beads, buttons, ribbons or lace.

*The Story: Sometimes the concept or story is there first, or develops, sometimes it's still developing even as I finish a piece. This aspect of my work is just as important to me as the finished tangible piece. It's almost like breathing life into the design.

PICK OUT ONE ITEM AND TELL US MORE ABOUT IT

*http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=5157039

The "What the Nets Brought In" line of knitted pieces is based on the idea of some traveling ship, nets cast and bits of the essence of that time or place, dream or memory cling to the nets when they are drawn up.One of the most special-to-me pieces in this line is an earlier cuff, called "What the Nets Brought In: Christmas Eve, Fairmont Ave". This is based on memories of my Meme's house at Christmas time. She would have ribbon candy, and other old-fashioned fancy candies in bowls. Her tree was adorned with old-fashioned ornaments, metallic, glittering and fragile. At arrival or leaving, the darkness of her porch was threaded through with large, opaque multicolored Christmas lights.

Thanks, sojourn! Be sure to check out her shop at http://sojourncuriosities.etsy.com/!

what i am doing

packing up stuff

remaking a banner for an etsy seller

making a custom scarf

cleaning

writing for the brick times

hoping the caffeine will kick in

frontlines at trunk show

I just got done telling the street team members how the trunk show went:

First chance I had, had to tell you some of what happened at the trunk show!

We had Sarah of haptotrope.etsy.com, Mallory of dismantled, diane of miggipyn, renee of reneedesigns, Stephanie of tiltcraft, meg of enderby, Allison of papercrafts, joann for christine’s eyepopart and me!

We divided up the sellers who mailed things in, pairing up with them to sell their fabulous wares! Mallory-dismantled sold space oddities, diane-miggipyn sold funkyluke, renee sold amuckdesigns, Allison-papercrafts sold naturemadescents, and me-tiltcraft-enderby sold pauliina, fairytalefibers, kae1crafts and groovyvinyl (we shared a long table)

If you’ve ever been to a craft show/fair, this was nothing like it. Lots of fun cool people having fun, oogling our stuff. We all got to chat with the guests and each other, we all had a real admiration and we’re having a grand time. We had a packed house!

WabisabiBrooklyn.etsy.com came to have a bit of fun and also helped. She was the official door monitor and handed out the earlybird swag bags (which were admired by many). Then we had a full table of just giveaways, promos, prizes and other free fun! There were extra biz cards for folks to take, a paper bead takeaway craft station that was jumping all night, oodles of free trashion inspiration packs, duct tape roses, a door prize and a mailing list all hanging out on one table.

When you went inside, you saw our wonderful sellers. Three racks of clothing, five tables of merch, a packed place. Everyone had beautiful displays and we looked dang good. We offered customers to pay by PayPal and had about $200 in sales that way J One customer was able to make purchases even after running out of cash because paypal was available! Yay!

When you went in further, you could partake of our chips, dips and drinks ( I made a weak cocktail that was yummy) and watch the workshop – the fun chat room we set up. There was a camera and keyboard nearby to interact further. Online in the workshop there was constant chatter and some free prizes!

Everyone who participated had at least one sale! I had to stop myself from buying more than one item from everybody! I was so impressed! Oh and admin bought from us too. Rob will use a fairytalefibers hat to keep him warm in the office during cold winter climes. We had at least 100 people there easy, I did not keep count. I hope you all will share some of your successes from the show too!

It was all tons of fun, though a lot of work. But so worth it! We got a new member who came to learn more, we have a mailing list of people who want to learn more about us, and our stuff is in the hands of lots of people who came out! Just great!

what i am doing

making things from cassette tapes, forgotten puzzles, plastic flower innards, discarded junk jewelry, buttons... http://sweetyprize.etsy.com

preparing for the trashion trunk show, july 27 at etsylabs http://etsylabs.blogspot.com/

heading the trashion street team http://www.etsytrashion.com

watching 'tom goes to the mayor' and 'shin chan' from cartoon network http://www.adultswim.com

eating too much surf taco http://surftaco.com

designing ads with cars/boats/trucks or homes in them http://autoshopper.com

Trashion Trunk Show - check it out!

our flyer made by the gracious folks at etsylabs. hope to see you at the trunk show july 27! spread the word!

Trashion is...

What is this thing called Trashion?
It's pretty broad, actually. It is a group of crafters who take old, discarded, used, or found objects and make them into something new. It's repurposing, recycling, upcycling, reconstructing, reusing, rethinking.
It is everything from enthral, http://enthral.etsy.com, who makes jewelry out of unique materials, to groovyvinyl - http://groovyvinyl.com, who molds vinyl records and LPs into unique pendants and jewelry.
It's also folks like disCARDs (http://disCARDS.etsy.com) and reneedesigns (http://reneedesigns.etsy.com) who take junk mail and old papers and transform them into new paper products.
Drew at http://fairytalefibers.etsy.com makes beautiful pieces out of selvedge. And Mallory at http://dismantled.etsy.com takes all sorts of unusual fabrics and transforms them into new dresses, skirts and barrettes such as this: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6123834
For my shop, http://sweetyprize.etsy.com, I have a couple different ways of expressing my trashion. One is through crocheting with used materials, such as cassette tape. I also cut things into long, yarn like strips, and then crochet with them, such as this scarf: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5180316
Another way I create with trashion is by taking odd items and making jewelry out of them, such as the classic button bracelet. I also find things that have holes or drill holes into things to use them as beads.
Finally, I take second things and crochet with them, such as a scarf I made with old flower appliques. Sometimes the yarn is second hand, or even unraveled from an old sweater.

Search trashion on etsy.com as a tag or title and you can see some of the great variety involved with this style of art and craft.

Trashion is gaining speed. The street team has new members and has a trunk show slated for July 27, 6 -8 p.m. at EtsyLabs in Brooklyn. Please come, you'll have a great time and get to see what this is all about. For directions to EtsyLabs please click: http://www.etsy.com/labs/visit.html

A beautiful idea

This was really ingenious. A way to give a beautiful gift, and direct the recipient back to your and other shops with a special gift certificate.
Here is more information!

It's the brainchild of Lucid Dream Designs, at http://www.luciddreamdesigns.etsy.com. She made these beautiful gift card purses, that are a lovely greeting card with a gift certificate inside. The gift certificate can be used in a variety of etsy shops, all of who agreed to accept the buyers and will be reimbursed the value they spend. It was such a simple idea! I loved it! Here is one of the listings : http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=5461737

Lucid Dream Designs's shop is great - beautiful cards, notebooks and other paper products. I particularly love the argyle designs.

There are so many other shops participating. You can use your gift certificate in more than 30 shops. Mine is a member, of course, but so are some shops I love!
check out auntie di's candles, or shineyourhiney's great soaps. BellaStyle has great aprons, skirts and headbands! A real variety of goodies when you have these gift certificates.

I wanted to bring your attention to a great shop with a great idea - thank you Lucid Dream Designs!

Be sure to check out http://luciddreamdesigns.etsy.com :-)

Buy My Supplies

Boy, Sweetyprize.etsy.com is getting cluttered. So I created another etsy shop. This one is just for supplies and vintage. It's called buymysupplies. Catchy, eh?

So far I've listed lots of buttons and patches. More, like beads, yarn, fabric, papers, to come. Not soon enough if you ask me.

Please check out http://buymysupplies.etsy.com and scoop up some great deals :-)

Going Old World

There's people who are doing innovative thing with new materials, modern designs and post-post-post whathaveyou.
But then there are folks who insist on doing it the old fashioned way. They are woodworkers. They are carvers. They weave. On etsy.com - your place to buy all things handmade - these crafters are united in Old World Shoppes.
Check out all the members at http://team.etsy.com/profilest/ow.shtml
I am a member, and have listed some more Old World Shoppe items - mainly decoupage and rag rugs.
Decoupage is the art of applying decorative papers to an object and then sealing them so it appears to be part of the object. On my esty site, http://sweetyprize.etsy.com, you can find my decoupaged eggs. I selected a variety of papers to create unique patterns on the eggs, such as silverfish, bear jars of honey, totems, as well as creeping phlox. Check them out, but dont try and scramble them.
DUring the Great Depression, fabric was at a premium. Well, everything was. In the spirit of taking scraps and making things out of them, came the necessity of rag rugs. Strips of worn fabric were woven, braided or crocheted into rugs and blankets. This Depression Era craft has a new installment in some crochet rugs in my shop.
Check out all the other Old World Shoppes, and take in the beautiful diversity and craftsmanship of these artists and artisans! You can search the etsy site for OWS or Old World Shoppes to take it all in. Contact etsy seller Wildwood to join or for more information!

Today is showcase day

I forked over some dollar bills and got myself into two showcases on Etsy this month. Its a special feature on the front page, look for me today under Showcase. I was also very very very busy redoing my avatar and banner. I think they look great! Much thanks to MSArt.etsy.com, without her and her hubby I never would have figured out my massive banner problem. I swear, if she sends her address I'll send cookies.

I also wanted to give some inches to Susarto.etsy.com.
I bought a bookmark from her shop and it arrived quickly and beautifully. What a big help she was, and her product made a wonderful gift. Never will forget that one!

RightAsRainCreation.etsy.com is the place to go for chocolate orange. I don't want to smell like an orange, and I'd probably get very hungry if I smelled like chocolate. Her chocolate orange lotion is not a combination of scents, but more like that chocolate orange candy they make. And in that way, its not too citrus, not too dessert. What's more, it's a lotion. And that makes me and my dry legs very happy. Please check out her shop and other scents.

Silly origins to my items

It's April Fool's Day!
I thought to offer a peak into how some of my sillier items were created. All are or were available for sale at http://sweetyprize.etsy.com. Check them out!

1. Helmet Hat

I had this super thick yarn, and wondered what would happen if I made a hat out of it. Hats can be so silly, like anything, if you just take it and exaggerate an element of it. Crazy brim, oversized pompom. This one is an exaggeration of thickness. It came out looking like a crazy helmet. Something a vintage footballer or a character out of a video game would wear.

2. Leafy nymph scarf thing

Well, this yarn looked kinda like the color of a tree branch. And then I had all these silk flower leaves. I crocheted them together, voila, it's a thin scarf. Or maybe its a belt. But either way, you are definitely a spritely creature if you're wearing this thing

3. VHS tape place mat

There is no doubt about it, cassette tape looks like

yarn. So I use it like yarn. And here it is as a

placemat. Add some shiney crinkilyness to

your meal.

4.chalkboard mug
Gosh, they have mugs that say anything on them don't they? Well this one can say anything you want it to. Go ahead! You just write it on in chalk. I liked the idea of being able to write anything you want on it. So I gave it a try!

Now go be silly.

PamperingBeki - from dork to hot Mom - pamperingbeki.etsy.com

A while back I sent a call out for dorks and one person was honest enough to reply. Well, I know there are more dorks out there. And you should be proud. This feature is about PamperingBeki.etsy.com. Please check out her shop if you are a dork or a hot mom!


Sweetyprize: so, you think you are a dork, huh? what gives you entry into the land of dorkdom?
PamperingBeki ** Oh honey, if you only knew what a big dork I am!! Awkward, quirky, geeky, goofy, scatterbrained... those all describe me. Yep, I'm a dork. (Actually I think I need a tee with the word DORK really big on the front...)

Sweetyprize: what does etsy mean to you
PamperingBeki **Well, I'm still fairly new, but I'm LOVING it so far. I've been selling on an auction site (ahem!) for over 4 years, but I've always felt like I had to channel my items toward a certain audience. On etsy, I feel like I can be as creative as I want and the buyers "get it". That, I love.

Sweetyprize: explain the creative process for making your items, where does your inspiration come from?
PamperingBeki **You know, I get an idea in my head and I HAVE to create it... right then. I'm lacking in the patience department. If I have to order supplies and wait for them to arrive, I think about my piece day and night until it's created. I'm also a mom of 3 kids, one being a newborn, so time is not always plentiful but I'll tell you, I dream about that piece for hours on end in my mind. There is SUCH a sense of satisfaction when I finally get it made. Fortunately jewelry doesn't take too long to make so it's a bit of instant gratification. My inspiration comes from the fashion industry in general. So often I'll see an outfit on a runway and instantly know the piece of jewelry that it "needs", or I'll see other artisan's jewelry and become inspired by it. I'm constantly looking through fashion magazines and developing new and fresh ideas.

Sweetyprize: describe your shop using metaphor
PamperingBeki **You've stumped me..."PamperingBeki designs are wearable luxuries, everyday indulgences, and adorable adornments." ???

Sweetyprize: you have a section called 'hot mom' ... what's the deal with that
PamperingBeki **I LOVE that we live in a time that it's 'cool' to be a mom. And it's okay to be hot still! It's all the rage in Hollywood, you know? ;-) Just because someone has children doesn't mean she should retire her sex appeal and begin wearing her husband's sweats and tshirts everywhere she goes. And it's not just about appearances, it's about remaining true to yourself, even after childbirth. Women need to maintiain their interests and activities that they enjoyed before mommyhood. Being a mom is a great job, but I'm much more of a person than 'just' Mom. It's about empowerment and redefining motherhood. If mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy! :)

Sweetyprize: when did you start crafting? did you always do the type of work you sell now, or did you begin differently?
PamperingBeki **I've always enjoyed crafting, but never really found a passion until I dabbled in jewelry 4 years ago. The urge hit me suddenly one day, I knew I HAD to create jewelry, and I've never looked back.

Sweetyprize: is 1980s hair metal cool?
PamperingBeki **Sorry but no, it's not. Spiral perms, however... now those rocked!

Sweetyprize: what does the name of your shop mean and why did you go with that?
PamperingBeki **It's fairly simple really. I'm Beki, who pampers others, a.k.a. PamperingBeki. It was the first online id I registered with and I sort of became "branded" with it and it stuck!

Sweetyprize: what item are you most proud of? and why?
PamperingBeki **My most recent piece. Like I said before it's so completely gratifying and rewarding to see my vision completed and every time it becomes my newest favorite.

Sweetyprize: what was the ugliest thing you made? describe it in all its hideous glory.
PamperingBeki **Oh mercy, do I have to just pick one? Some of the first bracelets I made were pretty horrid! Everything from the tacky wire to the silver plated toggle, the atrocious crimp job to the awful cheap beads made those bracelets just ghastly. Fortunately there were only a handful of those before I got the hang of it. ;-) It's scary to think they may still be floating around out there in the world somewhere though.

Sweetyprize: tell us something else about your self you think we should know
PamperingBeki **I'm loads of fun to hang out with. :)

Sweetyprize: and tell us something else about your crafts!
PamperingBeki **My items are made with the finest ingredients available and I offer a lifetime guarantee on every single piece. I want people to be thrilled and enjoy their item for years to come.

Sweetyprize: and finally, why should our readers check out your shop?
PamperingBeki **Because everyone needs to be Pampered occasionally!




Would you like to be featured here? Check out my shop at http://sweetyprize.etsy.com/ and send me a convo! I’ll review your shop and you could be next!

Big plastic storage containers

I'm having a big sale at http://sweetyprize.etsy.com, because I'm soon moving and need to pack up all my goodies. So, look fast for some great deals!
Everything I own is in big plastic storage containers; it's kinda nuts. That's what is making my world go round, that and sharpie permanent magic markers. I've got it down to a bit of a science, so yay for me. But it's a lot of work!

I've had some responses to my call for etsyians to feature. For others, I'll just be picking them and asking them some questions. Much love to etsy.

Gonna feature me some Etsyians

So, perhaps you've heard of Etsy. It's a place to buy and sell all things handmade. Lo and behold, lots of people make things. Who woulda guessed it? Well, about tens of thousands of people. I hope to feature some of them here. Yes here, in my blog. This thing you're reading right now. It will divulge what makes these sellers so awesome. I tell you what I think is so great about them, and I'll interview them and you can get a peek into their minds and craft. And lots of fun will be had by all!
Check out http://www.etsy.com to see all the magic!

Visit me at the Brick Township High School craft fair Saturday

Still got a long list of things to do.
It was work just taking down all my listings at http://sweetyprize.etsy.com, because I didn't want any customers there to buy what might be sold at the craft fair. I still have a lot of pricing, tagging, inventory-ing and on and on to do.
As my mom says "lord give me strength." But now another cup of tea will suffice in place of divine intervention.