Positive Quote for the New Year!

I loved this quote, it really inspires me to make the New Year the best it can be! I hope you enjoy it too :)

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Sharing our blessings.

Unless we make Christmas an occasion 

to share our blessings, all the snow in 

Alaska won't make it 'white'."

Bing Crosby 

  

In no particular order........ 

I'm grateful to have a home to live in.

 Felted brick house tote bag by taffyknits

I'm grateful to have music in my life.

Peace and love guitar pick pendant by susanwilliamsdesigns

I'm thankful to have my friends and family.

Family fine art photograph by briefmoments

I'm grateful to be free to have dreams and ambitions.

Dream catcher hair sticks by Karilan

I am thankful for laughter.

Laughter and joy journal by thisisit

As Bing says, how about we share our blessings and truly appreciate our 

lives, instead of getting caught up in the commercialisation of this season.

Irrespective of faith or beliefs, this is surely the true joy of December.

Merry Christmas everyone.

With much love from Lois, Nickole and Kate

xxx

I'll Be Home For Christmas!

{Home for Christmas Tiny Textile House by cottonbirddesigns}

I'll Be Home For Christmas!

What is it about Home that makes us yearn for it at the Holidays?

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What are some of your favorite memories of Home during Christmas-time? 

* * * * *

All members are welcome to post Christmas traditions and memories on our new team page on Etsy HERE!

We look forward to reading your traditions! Maybe it will give us all some ideas for us to start in our own families! :)

And the Winner is . . .

Well, the November Team Contest has come to a close, and Naomi from Historika has chosen a winner!

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Susan from susanwilliamsdesign with her submission of these lovely Icicle Earrings!

Said Naomi, "All three {submissions} were totally gorgeous, but Susan William's earrings were exactly the type of item I had in mind when I set the theme- she caught the 'patterns of winter' so perfectly!!"

Susan will have a whole month to think of a new theme as we will take a break this month from the Team Contest, and enjoy time with our families and friends. Look for a new theme coming in January! :)

Enjoy the Patterns of Winter that surround you this month! :)

Positivity Quote Monday

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." ~ Anthony J. D'Angelo

Meet the Member - Groovyanklets

Please introduce yourself. Who are you, where do you live?

Hello! My name is Christine Krebs and I live in Columbia, Maryland.

How would you describe your work / style?
I would describe style or work as Gypsy / new age. Because I combine my spirituality with my creations it tends to look pretty mystical, well, at least to me.

Who, or what, inspires you?
I am inspired by my cats, my spirituality, colors and nature, and by other artists. Sometimes creativity is contagious!

What made you decide to start selling your work?
My friend Lisa talked me into selling my work. She is my biggest fan. I bet if I glued a potato chip to a charm and strung it on ribbon, she'd wear it.

Do you have a website or blog address?
My blog address is: http://groovyanklets.blogspot.com/

How did you learn your craft? How long have you been creating?
I taught myself my craft. I earned an art degree from FSU about 25 years ago and have been painting since I was a young child.

Is there any other craft skill you would like to learn?
I would like to learn metal work, furniture making and just about anything else you can do that has a creative outlet, which also includes dance and music. I took a ballet class 5 years ago and was so untalented that I was placed way in the back for our final performance. My moment on stage near the front was spoiled when my partner, a scared little boy, wet his pants and started crying. He ran off stage leaving me scared and I blanked out and just stood there. Good times!

Anything exciting planned that you’d like to share?
The only exciting new thing I would like to share is that I am working on a new Etsy store that concentrates mostly on astrological jewelry.

Have you had any work featured in magazines/books/galleries?
The last time I had anything featured in a magazine was when I was in college. It was an awful pen and ink drawing that I attempted on rice paper. The ink bled all over and for some reason I won a contest. Honestly, it was the most horrible thing I ever created. Anything I create that I love seems to go unnoticed. HA!
Oh, I forgot, I have a painting in one of those "Bad Art Galleries" that everyone laughs about. It was taken out of my garbage can outside my apartment 10 years ago and is now hanging in a museum.

Has your work won any prizes/competitions?
Just the one I just mentioned. Oh, I used to sell photos a while back when I had use of a dark room.

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be………
extremely depressed. YIKES!

Describe your perfect day.
My perfect day would go like this: I wake up, cuddle with my cat, make jewelry, stop by the craft store and buy what I want without worrying about money, then have a romantic dinner with Payton Manning in candle light. All he'd be wearing would be a thong.

Describe your proudest moment.
My proudest moment would be when I graduated from the Medical College of Virginia with a BS degree in Clinical Laboratory Science. No one showed up to congratulate me. But when you feel that good about your accomplishment, it really doesn't matter.

What do you do to relax?
To relax I enjoy drinking wine.

What animal would you like to be, and why?
I would like to be one of my cats because they receive TONS of love and cuddle time and their own Christmas stockings and sometimes even lobster! They prefer tuna from the can though, except Que Ball who also has his own Facebook page.

What’s your weakness?
I am too sensitive to the suffering of animals and children. I don't even listen to the news anymore because they seem to report on it all the time. So, I tend to cry often for these souls. I don't think that I am depressed, just very emotional.

Positive Quote Monday

No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking. - Voltaire

It's time for another team Treasury Challenge!

This month the theme I picked is "Thankful".

It is especially hard during this busy time to stop
and think about everything you are thankful for, so here
is a great way to help to take time to be THANKFUL :)

I'm thankful for:
Love
Family
Laughter
Positive People

Here's a sneak preview.....

Want to participate?

Make your own treasury based on your

idea of being "thankful" and add it a link in the comments below!

Can't wait to see them all.... xo Nickole

Fine Art Print by pocketmemories
Laughter is Timeless Ring by bddesigns
Family Nest by dearjes
Origami Greeting in a Box by peacecrangreetings

Positive Quote!

{Think Deeply, Speak Gently, Love Much, Laugh a Lot Wall Decal Letters by HouseHoldWords}

"I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare."

- C.S. Lewis

"When you give yourself, you receive more than you give."

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

* * * We'd LOVE to hear a story or two from your personal life when you've received more than you've given; or, when someone has given to you and it has had a great impact upon you. Please share your story in the comments section. :) * * * 

Friday's Fancies {Give Thanks}

Living in the Midwest, USA, this time of year makes me ever so grateful to have a warm house to live in! I remember, growing up in a tiny town in upper Michigan, one year we got snow that STUCK on November 9th! I remember this because my mom lined all us kids up outside in our winter coats, holding a sign that said, "November 9, . . . {sorry, can't remember the year} and took our picture.

It's also the time of year {in the U.S.} that we celebrate Thanksgiving.

One year, I cut out leaf patterns from pretty scrapbook papers, and hung them on dried branches stuck in mason jars. This was our centerpiece. Our family would write something they were thankful for on a leaf and hang it back on the tree. At the end of the evening, we all read what our family members were thankful for.

Have a peek at these WONDERFUL Etsy items encouraging us to GIVE THANKS {and eat a little pumpkin pie} this Thanksgiving season:

{clockwise from top left}

Give Thanks Burlap Banner by sherisewsweet

Thankful Subway Art Print by iloveitall

Pumpkin Pie Many Purpose Solid Lotion by EpicallyEpicSoap

Give Thanks Vintage Silverware Serving Fork by WoodenHive

Team Challenge: Think of at least one thing every day that you are thankful for.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR??? Post your comments {and gratitude} on this post! :)

Positivity Team Treasury

The Positivity Team is so creative and talented! Just take a look at these great finds from our team members!

Hand Painted Silk Scarf by silkshop

Natural Stone Set by kuberacrove

Hand Stamped Paris Necklace by thoughtfullyadorned

A Vintage Morning by ColoursBetweenSeas

Time for a Positive Monday!!

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is

like wrapping a present and not giving it.

William Ward

Gratitude necklace by thoughtfullyadorned

This seemed appropriate, as our team "project" is all about gratitude.......

November Team Contest

Another huge CONGRATULATIONS to Naomi from historika, winner of last month's Team Contest!

Naomi has chosen a wonderfully seasonal {unless you live in Australia} Theme for November's Team Contest!

Put on your scarves, mittens, and hats, and get ready to create! This month's theme is . . .  

{Tiny Trees Photo by magdelainaphoto}

"Patterns of Winter"

Says Naomi, "I have been thinking about snow, ice, and frost, and their effects on our landscapes; the different textures, patterns, and forms they create. Ice patterns on frozen windows, the varying designs of snowflakes, rigid icicles, soft, powdery snow, and crunchy, sparkling, yet delicate frosts. "

Here are the rules for submissions:


1. create an item that relates to the monthly theme.
2. list the item in your etsy shop.
3. come back here and leave a link to the item.

Can't wait to see what wintry creations you'll all come up with!!!

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Submissions will be accepted until Tuesday, December 7th.

Winner will be announced Thursday, December 9th.

In anticipation of the busy holiday season, we'll take a break from the Monthly Contest for a month and resume in January with a new theme chosen by the winner. :)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Here are the entries!!!


Very Warm Wool Winter Mittens by SexyHandmade

Icicle Earrings by SusanWilliamsDesigns

visions of sugarplums by Kate's Cottage

Friday Fancies - Fairy Tale

In honor of the team treasury challenge, this week's Friday Fancies is devoted to one of my favorite fairy tales..Beauty and the Beast!

Beauty and the Beast Belle Tutu by TinyTutuBoutique

Beauty and the Beast Beast Opulence by octoberstate

Beauty and the Beast Spell of the Rose Necklace by grendelboots

Enchanted Mirror by Aglimpseofreality

And the Winner is . . .

Well, the October Team Contest has come to an end, and we have a winner!

Lynne from ClosetFull {winner of last month's contest} had a hard time choosing a winner from all the lovely entries! {In fact, she would have loved to have chosen them all and delegated a "committee" to choose this next month's theme} ;) 

*

However, Lynne has chosen . . . 

Historika's Regency Silk Taffeta Reticule 

as the winner of the October Team Contest! 

In Lynne's own words, "It is so delicate and sweet and yet speaks of autumn." 

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Naomi from Historika!

Now it's Naomi's turn to come up with a Theme for November's Contest, and our turns to await anxiously! :)

Come back next Wednesday, November 10th, when we unveil Naomi's Theme!

Meet the Member - Illana from Zipandruth

Please introduce yourself. Who are you, where do you live?

My name is Illana Burk, I live in Sacramento, CA

How would you describe your work / style?

My two passions are finding things and making things. Typically, I hunt for the broken, the battered, or the hopelessly awful and work at it until I can make it into something lovely.

Who, or what, inspires you?

I am really fortunate to have a wonderful partner who challenges me to be interesting, and a wonderful mother who inspires me to be strong!

What made you decide to start selling your work? Do you have a website or blog address?
Necessity! I have always wanted to be a business owner, and the current business climate meant turning lemons into lemonade!

Do you have a website or blog address?

Yup.
Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/zipandruth
Website: www.zipandruth.com/
Blog: http://www.zipandruth.blogspot.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/zipandruth
My blog is a hub for promoting other artists, DIY tutorials, business tips, along with my own musings on life, craft, and happy living!

How did you learn your craft? How long have you been creating?

I have been creating for as long as I can remember. My mom is an amazing muralist and sign painter. She has photos of being seven months pregnant with me while painting the side of a bread truck. I really never had a choice about being creative (as much as I tried to fight it growing up).

Is there any other craft skill you would like to learn?

Anything but knitting! Everyone I know knits and they are always trying to talk me into it. I guess you could say I am an instant gratification girl.... knitting just takes too long! (though I totally envy having that much patience)

Anything exciting planned that you’d like to share?

I am working like crazy on a full line of upcycled leather handbags... stay tuned!

Have you had any work featured in magazines/books/galleries?

Does my inner monologue count? It keeps telling me that I am already wildly successful!

Has your work won any prizes/competitions?

I'm not much of a contest girl. Competition makes me twitchy.

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be………

Really bored! No really, before I decided to do art full time, I was a business consultant. I have a Green MBA in Sustainable Enterprise and years in marketing, so I would most likely be doing that, which is really what I do now, I guess I would just be doing it for more $$:)

Describe your perfect day.

Sleep late (I'm a night owl). Kiss my boyfriend. Do things that make me smile. Show the people who love me that I love them back. Sleep. Repeat.

Describe your proudest moment.

I spent a long time helping a friend raise his little boy. Watching him grow was a thousand perfect, proud moments.

What do you do to relax?
I make things that are terribly ugly when I want to relax. There is nothing more relaxing than not caring how something turns out.

What animal would you like to be, and why?

I think being human is pretty great. I'm pretty attached to having opposable (sp?) thumbs! If I had to pick though, I would really like to fly....so being a bird would be pretty great.

What’s your weakness?

I can get pretty hard on myself sometimes, definitely much harder than anyone else ever could. I know it slows me down sometimes.

Positive Quote

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can 


do small things


with great love. "


-Mother Teresa

* * * about the inspiration item: I love this amazing Family Rules Sign from SignsOfVintage! It reminds me of the practical application of this wonderful quote from Mother Teresa! Love can be shown in the simple, everyday things from sharing to showing gratitude. * * * 

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Challenge: Let love fill you this week, and extend it to the world around you. See if it makes a difference!

Friday's Fancies {blustery Autumn days}

It seems that I can always count on Autumn to give me a few REALLY blustery days. In fact, this morning, I awoke to mounds of red and orange leaves strewn across our front yard. The thing is, we don't have any trees in our yard that have red or orange leaves!

Yesterday, I watched the wind create tiny leaf tornadoes and make leaves "rain" sideways, whilst I sat inside my kitchen with a cup of warm cocoa, staying mostly warm. The wind rattles our 120-year-old windows at night, rustles the leaves on the trees, howling and howling through them, and brought in dark, low clouds all day yesterday.

It's amazing to me that something quite invisible can have such power!

Today's Friday's Fancies are a tribute to that very underestimated force of nature . . . 

THE WIND!

I just LOVE the motion and movement of all these wonderfully windy items! :)

{clockwise from top left}

Blustery Day Giclee Print by pattyabaker

Windy BamBoo Forest T by Ahpeele

Windy Recycled Paper Necklace by SugarbakerHepburn

Windy Shadow Fine Art Photo by DeemWave

Wishing you all a warm place and a clear window to watch the wind do its amazing work!


Fondly, Kate 




* * * Now it's your turn. Have a go at creating your own Friday's Fancies on your personal blog. When you have, come on back to this post and leave a link! We'd love to see what wonderful items you've found! :) * * * 

Treasury Challenge - Faery Tales

It's time for another team Treasury Challenge.

This month the theme I picked is Faery Tales, and

here's my treasury based on one of my childhood

favourites.

"Mirror Mirror on the Wall,

Who is the fairest of them all?"

Snow White

Here's a wee sneak preview......

Want to participate?

Make your own treasury based on your

favourite faery tale and add it a link in the comments below!

Can't wait to see them all............

Positive Quote Monday

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." ~ Stanley Horowitz

Autumn in Marmora by paint1chris

Friday's Fancies

Just a teeny bit early, as I don't think I'll have time to do it tomorrow. I'm going to the funeral of a close friend's father just before lunch, and in order to get there by bus and be sure I'll make it in time, I need to leave the village at 9.30am then have to wait in town for another bus to the venue. It's unlikely I'll remember to do this tomorrow!

Sometimes a label merely describes the item it's stuck to. Sometimes the label informs you of how the item is to be used. Or perhaps the label is all about status, making the garment or accessory more desirable than something without the label.

All of these labels are functional, imparting information and providing a service (although you could argue that the last ones are decorative only but I like them).
 

Gift tags from thequeenofcups

French apothecary jar from TheShabbyChicCottage

DIY sign kit from ourhobbytoyourhome

Merci ornaments from FrenchAffairs

Positivity Team Members

Here are some beautiful goodies from our AMAZING positivity team members! There are so many wonderful shops in our team, have you checked them out lately?

Irish Linen Full Apron by historika

Shades of Purple Bracelet by SeaFlowerStudios

Subtle Tones Felted Alpaca Wool Scarf by taffyknits

Expression and Communication Crystal Therapy Kit by SubtleHarmony

Enjoy!! xo Nickole

Friday Fancies - Halloween Spirit

It's that time of year, when the creepy and the crawly are part of the fun that is HALLOWEEN!

Etsy ALWAYS has an abundance of amazing goodies, but this time of year everyone's creativity really shines. Maybe it's the spooky and the scary or the change in season that really sets it apart from the rest of the year...my favorite time of year! And if you do your own Etsy search you are sure to find your own Halloween spirit :)

Black Spider Webs Pleated Wristlet by honeydbags

Victorian Black Widow by birdzNbeez

Lace Fingerless Gloves in Black by ZenAndCoffee

Pearly dew drops drop by irenesuchocki

xo Nickole

October Team Contest!

Another HUGE CONGRATS to Lynne from ClosetFull for winning the September Team Contest!

After only a few minutes deliberation, Lynne came up with a GREAT theme for the October Contest!

Think of cool evenings, autumn leaves, mulled cider . . .

Here's a few items to give you a hint and some inspiration {too many great Etsy products to just choose one!}:

{clockwise from top left}

 Pumpkin Spice 8 x 10 Print by charmsoflife

Two Primitive Folk Art Pumpkin Jack O Lanterns by LennyMud

Zig Zag Tam in Pumpkin Spice by YesJess

Gourmet Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Mix by Teton Cocoa Company

In Lynne's own words:

"October's theme just has to be: 

Pumpkin, Orange and Spice; Something to Make Us Smile!"

So pull out all your Autumny supplies and get ready to create something just wonderful {as I know you all will!!!}

When you've completed and listed your item, come on back to this post and leave a link in the comments to your item. {It helps to bookmark this page, then when you're ready to post your entry, just go to your bookmarked pages and click on the link! Easy peasy!} We'll upload the photo to the post for all to see, and Lynne will have a chance to pick the winner.

Please post your entry by Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010.

Winner will be announced Thursday, November 4th.

The new Contest Theme for November will be announced Wednesday, November 10th!

Can't wait to see all your WONDERFUL creations!!! :)

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And here they are!:

Cambridge Autumn Hat and Scarf in Brown by sexyhandmade

* * *

Tiny Orange Fabric Bowl/Basket by SeeAnnaSew

* * *

Regency Silk Taffeta Reticule by historika

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Fire Agate and Sterling Silver Necklace by bluegiraffeshop

* * *

Autumn Leaves Glass Necklace by ElectricPenguin