Pay it Forward

Welcome to Monday, and items from some of our very talented team members.

In order to qualify for this feature, you must conform to the following criteria:

1 - be a member of the Positivity Team on Etsy

2 - contribute to the current monthly team discussion at least once

3 - comply with the team ethos of supporting and promoting each other.

Items for this feature will be chosen from those who comply with these requirements.

 Butterfly mosaic from valnorthwoods

Butterfly hair clips in silk, from katesCottage2 

  

Lilou coat from Pieceunique

Fabric bunting by simplewhimsey

 Photographic print by TheEarthAndStars

and finally, a little love from newly engaged Claire, of MissWrightDesigns

Festive yummies

There's been a lot of talk lately on the team page about cookies and other yummy festive treats....

I wonder who's baking and who's buying? Me, I'm just looking at all of these and drooling......

Snowflake cookies by LeChicBakeryBoutique

Santa's cookie plate by palomasnest

Cookies by katieduran

Candy cane cookies by guiltyconfections

Classic chocchip cookies by ThoughtsofHome

Mmmmm. I'm all hungry now.

Friday's Fancies - Liberty

As I've just spent two solid weeks gazing at some gorgeous Liberty of London tana lawn whilst making two bridesmaid dresses from it..........I thought I should look at some more! I found lots of stunning items on Etsy, but these were the ones that really caught my eye.

First off, we have ElisaLou's padded gadget pouch, suitable for cellphones, cameras etc. Next I chose these gorgeous patchwork postcards from AnniesPatch, making letter writing a bit more fun than just plain paper!

The fabric bunting is made by Ravenhill, and is perfect for summery decoration, whilst lastly I selected these stunning handmade fabric beads from MavisandFrank, in a gorgeous fresh blue and mint green colourway.

If you fancy making your own Friday's Fancies, please add the link to the relevant blog page / flickr page in the comments section below. Go on - have a go!!!!!

Lois
xx

Meet the Member - SoleDeVita

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

Hi, there! My name is Solvita and I am 27 years young! I live in a small town called Valmiera in the North of Latvia. I am married almost 3 years now. My husband is Jānis, who works in Theater as a sound operator. I am a warehouse manager at small Optical company. I spend my working days at the computer so in the evenings I want to do something creative. :))

How would you describe your work / style?

Hmmm.. Since I remember my self, I've always created something. Greeting cards, button necklaces, earrings, picture collages and so on... Now I am grown up and I wanted to do something different. I started to make colorful Pin-back buttons for young Ladies. I wanted to do something different an NOT to make those buttons with "funny jokes". So I found my stile. I use natural feathers, gorgeous colorful paper from Thailand, real gold and silver foil and Beautiful dried flowers from Latvian meadows. I describe my style as a quite unique and one of a kind.

Who, or what, inspires you?

I love nature and it is the greatest inspiration of all. I spent lots of time with my Mother and she is also mad nature lover. Very often we go for long walks through the woods and we collect the flowers, which finds its place in my buttons.

What made you decide to start selling your work?

I just wanted to share my creations with other people. And if I can earn a little money with this... So why not?

Do you have a website or blog address?

http://twitter.com/SoleDeVita
http://soledevita.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/SoleDeVita?ref=profile

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

I learned it on my own, without any assistance. Well, maybe with a little help from Internet. ;) I create my buttons already half a year.

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

I would like to learn making stained glass. It is Amazing art.

Anything exciting planned that you’d like to share?

This month is my Moms 50 years B-day! I am planing a nice surprise party by the sea! Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone! :))

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

Unfortunately, no. But I hope to..

Has your work won any prizes/competitions?

I am doing my thing only a half of year. And I do have a long way to go to become recognizable and to win something.

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be………

making something different. Maybe Floristic.

Describe your perfect day.

It certainly is sunny Saturday. Leisurely morning with a cup of coffee in hand.

Describe your proudest moment.

This interview is also a proud moment for me. I am proud when someone gets my Badges, and is happy with them.

What do you do to relax?

I drive my bicycle, I sleep a lot, and I go out with my friends to have some sushi!

What animal would you like to be, and why?

I would be a cat. They are so fantastic animals. Fun, proud and independent.

What’s your weakness?

Chocolate cake and champagne. This is all that is necessary for full happiness. :))

This is me and my Mom. :)

Friday's Fancies

Well, lovelies, time for another Friday's Fancies!
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My mind and heart are longing to get out to my garden and get my fingers in the dirt! So today's Friday's Fancies are all Garden-related!
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Vintage Silverware Garden Marker Set from Wooden Hive!
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2. This original signed photographic print entitled "Traces" by alice b. gardens is so soft and romantic, it makes me wish I had a lovely, distressed wrought-iron fence as beautiful as this one!
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3. Everyone needs a sweet little gardening apron such as this pretty linen and doily pocket apron from Prairie Seed! So lovely and practical at the same time!
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{clockwise from top left}

1. I absolutely love and need some charming little herb garden markers! And what could be better than this

4. All the little birdies in your garden would love this White Shabby Chic Distressed Birdhouse from Cottage Rose! Great for all your feathered friends and so pleasing to the eye!
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Well, lovelies, I hope you will enjoy this gardening season as much as I will! And I hope these little fancies have inspired you!
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Fondly, Kate

{pop on over to my blog: http://www.katescottage2.blogspot.com/ to read the entire post . . . I had TOO MUCH of a fun time with this and have 7 more "Garden Party" picks posted}

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Now it's your turn! Post your own "Friday's Fancies" on your personal blog. Then pop back over here to the Positivity Team blog and leave a comment with a link to your personal blog letting team members know about your "Friday's Fancies"!

Have a LOVELY, LOVELY day!

Meet the Member - Bluebelldesign

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

Hi, I’m Lois and I’m 42 years old. I’m married to Andrew, a self-employed gardener, and I work as a self-employed dressmaker/soft furnisher, and we live in a fairly small seaside village on the east coast of Scotland. Andrew’s a mad cyclist (yes, I spend all summer groaning over the Tour de France and the Giro D’Italia), whilst I love my pilates and circuits classes. We share our small victorian house with two cats and an increasing number of bikes and sewing machines, and dream of one day sorting out the damp and replacing the windows.

How would you describe your work / style?
Tactile, quirky and soft. I love to re-use old fabrics and yarns, and have a massive collection of trimmings and buttons, most of which are also vintage. I want my bags to be “stroke-able”. I also try to inject humour into my work - I love people to smile when they pick up one of my Loopy bags. These have been great sellers off Etsy and I think it’s because they’re extremely touchable.

Who, or what, inspires you?
I’m always inspired by the fabric or yarn first and foremost. It tells me what it wants to be. I listen.
I pretty much make each item as one of a kind. I’m looking into developing patterns so that I can repeat certain items, building up a little collection using different fabrics and yarns, but I’m kind of impulsive so I actually LIKE doing just one of each item.
I love to see other people’s work as well, and am often inspired by music or poetry (anyone reading my blog lately will realise how much I like poetry right now!), images from magazines (UK Country Living is my favourite) and books. I have at least three volumes of books full of cuttings from magazines that I’ve collected over the last few decades and glued in to keep, and at times when the muse leaves me, these have been a wonderful source of inspiration and excitement.

What made you decide to start selling your work?
I started selling it because I started making it! When I make curtains or a roman blind, there are often small pieces of fabric left over. Same applies for garments. It would be incredibly wasteful to throw such pieces out, so I keep them all.
For example, my Jura bag is made from such pieces. It’s absolutely unique and will never ever be repeatable.

I also have a few local galleries and craft shops who take my items, and also participate in a three day event in the village in late autumn, selling from our own homes.

Do you have a website or blog address?
I have both.
http://www.bluebell-design.com/
http://www.bluebelldesign.blogspot.com/


How did you learn your craft? How long have you been creating?
I’ve been making things since I was old enough to hold something in my hand without poking an eye out with it. I was fortunate to have a very “crafty” mother, and probably absorbed a lot of it by osmosis.
I also had an incredibly inspirational art teacher at high school, Mrs McLeod, who allowed us to put the paint brushes down and instead explore textile printing, weaving and batik with her. I will forever be grateful to her for that and truly wish I could tell her how much she changed my life.
After high school I attended the Scottish College of Textiles to do an Honours Degree in Clothing and Tailoring, graduating with my degree in 1990. My passion at college was pattern cutting and sewing - I always felt it such a pity that I had to learn academic stuff as well. We were wasting time out of the workroom!


Is there any other craft skill you would like to learn?
I’m fascinated by weaving, so would love to have the time to learn and the room to have a loom!
I would also love to become more involved with restoration work, having re-beaded a Victorian footstool for a client.

Anything exciting planned that you’d like to share?
Apart from launching the Positivity Team? That’s pretty exciting to me! I’m also re photographing all my stock using my new light-box studio, although I‘ve only found time for one item so far. I’m really pleased with my purchase though, and am looking forward to using it more. I barely had to edit the photos for Selkie hair clip at all, which was a major delight to me.

I also love some of the hugely detailed work that I do for my bridal clients, so am looking at incorporating more beading and embroidery into my bags and fabric jewellery. I’m currently developing a Celtic range but haven’t yet got the design right. Watch this space!

Have you had any work featured in magazines/books/galleries?
Alas, no. I’m obviously flying below the radar at present.


Has your work won any prizes/competitions?
I won a calendar competition when I was 11. I had to illustrate the month of April and drew a cat sitting under a tree with birds’ nests in it, licking his lips! Does this count?


If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be………
Going slowly mad at my previous job. Actually, strike that. I suspect I would be a complete raving loony by now.


Describe your perfect day.
Sleep until I wake naturally, enjoy a lazy morning with papers and coffee and an afternoon in our favourite local café putting the world to rights with my best friend before a lovely italian meal out with hubby.


Describe your proudest moment.
Passing my final exams and getting my degree! I was so shocked and relieved that I’d passed my accounts and statistics exams that I almost fainted.

What do you do to relax?
I love to watch films at the cinema and enjoy pretty much everything except horrors. My favourite movie of all time has to be the Lord of the Ring Trilogy, although Shrek comes a very close second. What can I say? Reality sometimes has no place in entertainment!
I also read constantly, and am a massive fan of Philippa Gregory’s historical novels, particularly the tales of the Tudor period.
Otherwise it’s "no-thought required" television all the way - America’s Next Top Model and the Biggest Loser are favourites.



What animal would you like to be, and why?
I would absolutely love to come back as one of my two cats, as they’re spoiled rotten and don’t lift a paw to help.

What’s your weakness?

Has to be cheese. I love all cheese and wish it didn’t make me fat!!

cheers!

Lois

xxx

Friday's Fancies

Waves and Sand necklace by garbedesigns

Seagull by enchantedpond

Porcelain brooch by seaurchin

Seashore yarn by pancakeandlulu



Now for the fun part - the tutorial!

First of all, you need to find software that will let you make "mosaics" from your selected images. I use Big Huge Lab's Mosaic Maker.

http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php

Once you've joined (it's free) you select your items on Etsy that you wish to feature. It's important to remember that it's the filename of the PHOTOGRAPH not the URL of the item that you need for this.

To get the filename of the photo, simply double click on it to get it to open as a seperate item. All you then need to do is copy the filename at the top.

Back to mosaic maker - the intention is to make these 2 x 2, so featuring 4 items altogether. Simply paste the filename of your selected photograph into one of the openings and complete the mosaic in the same way. Then click on "create" and wait for it to work. If it doesn't work, you've done something wrong, and the chances are it's the URL that's wrong - remember to take the url of the photo, not the etsy item reference.

Once done you can save the mosaic to your own pc, and then set your blog page up like this, using "Friday's Fancies" as the title and adding links for all the items you've featured.

I've not used Positivity Team members for this, and I see no reason why we should feel the need to limit this feature to member's items. I do however feel it's important to inform Etsy artists that we've featured them, so I tend to convo each person with the link to my blog page. We may even get new members this way!

All you have to do then is add a link to your blog PAGE in below and we're off!

Ever thine, ever mine, ever ours

Two birds disputed about a kernel,

when a third swooped down and carried it off.

Proverb from the Congo

"I Will fly Away" by AriaImages

We all look forward to your regular participation in this team, from contests to commenting on features we run. We're also interested in features written by our members, so please don't be shy about submitting things. We want this to be run as a co-operation, a safe haven, the place where we share and support each other.

This is OUR place, YOUR place.

Or, as a great man once said............

"ever thine ever mine ever ours"

Ludwig van Beethoven to his "Immortal Beloved"

For all new members

In order to have you properly logged as a member through the Etsy admin system, could you all please convo either Bluebelldesign or Katescottage2 with your Etsy shop name, your email address and the name you use on Google blogspot.

Many thanks

Welcome to the Positivity Team!!

Welcome to the Positivity Team on Etsy! We’re looking forward to the positive energy you will bring to the Team!

The Positivity Team has a monthly thread in the Teams Topic in the Etsy forums. We encourage team members to post regularly. In the monthly thread, we get to know one another, share positivity, encourage one another and promote each other’s shops and listings. Even when you’re feeling a bit blue, pop on into the forum and find tons of positivity to cheer you up and get re-energized!

We encourage all members to join the Positivity Team blog. This is where we will feature members and their shops, run contests, and promote each other and positivity in general.

Please begin tagging your shop items with “positivity team”. This is VERY IMPORTANT as it helps us find one another, promote one another, and create treasuries featuring each others’ items.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of the Positivity Team administrators: Lois from bluebelldesign, Kate from katescottage2, Val from Valnorthwoods or Nickole from HardLoveApparel

We’re glad to have you on board!

Setting up

We're in the process of setting up the team on Etsy! We'll be in touch with everyone who's expressed an interest in joining the team once it has been launched and will get you all joined as soon as possible.

We'll also be encouraging you to participate in this blog. We plan to run contests, interviews and features so your comments will help us to take the blog in the direction that the team wants.

We'll also add links for those of you who run your own blogs, so that we can all be nosy!