And the winner is............

Congratulations to bastillebleu! You are the winner of my PCAGOE scavenger hunt!

You will receive your choice of my Guardian Angel pendant with necklace.

Thanks to all who entered, I had a total of 25 entries in my contest. I appreciate your entries and all of the wonderful and kind comments on my shop.

There are plans for another contest like this to be run in the future...stay tuned to my blog here for more details or visit the PCAGOE page.

Thanks again and Happy Holidays!

Join the party! PCAGOE Holiday Scavenger Hunt

The Polymer Clay Artists Guild of etsy is hosting a Holiday Scavenger hunt.

To participate, simply go to my etsy shop and look for this hidden image somewhere in my products.

Once you’ve found the correct image, copy the url and convo me, pasting the url into the message and click send. This will enter your name into the drawing.

You must be a member of etsy. (pcagoe members excluded)

I will take entries until Midnight December 21st. I will announce the winner on my blog, Monday, December 22, using a random number generator to choose a lucky number from all the entries.

The lucky winner will receive their choice of my Guardian Angel Pendant Necklace.

Check out these shops also participating in the PCAGOE Holiday Scavenger Hunt:
Divadea
Tejae'sArt
SCDiva
PCDiva
OrganicOdysseys
VAharoni

Lynn's Little Creations

MarciaPalmer

Juliespace

Angeli

See more details here: http://www.pcagoe.com/ (will be updated soon)

Feel free to enter for each shop, but if you win in one shop you're not elgible to win in another. (sorry, trying to keep it fair for all participants.)

Good luck!

Black Friday Sale in My Shop!

Hope all our American friends had a Happy Thanksgiving yesterday and that you are not too full of turkey today!

In honour of Black Friday...I am having a SALE in my Etsy shop! FREE SHIPPING on all items until December 1st!!!

This includes all packages including international ones!

Please stop by and check us out!

Happy shopping everyone!

I would like to share another of my hobbies!!!

I do love to craft but haven't shared another of my hobbies with all of you.

Do you want to guess what it is?

You guessed it...soapmaking! These beauties are a few of my own from scratch soaps.

I have been soapmaking for...hmmm...lets see....at least five years now! And I haven't bought one of those icky store bought soaps since then! Let me tell you, our skin is very thankful for that! There is nothing compared to handmade soap! If you haven't tried it...maybe you should!

Well that first picture was just a teaser so here are a few soapy goodies! The blue is a Bay Rum scent and the other is what I call Orange Glow, a very nice bright orange scent. I do make others too but these are just a few to show for now.

I do not sell these (yet! maybe I will list on etsy if I get enough interest) but just wanted to share some of my other hobbies with all of you readers out there!

Have a great day!

37 days until Christmas!

I was looking at my calendar today and realized that is is just over a month until Christmas! 37 Days to be exact!

Yikes, if you are like me, you haven't even really started shopping yet. But seeing the 37 makes me a little nervous! I think I will start shopping very soon...maybe I will start today even!

I want to try to shop online as much as possible and buy handmade too for my gift recipients. So I will be surfing Etsy, that is for sure!

If you haven't already visited, I have my own Etsy shop and I think it is filled with lots of great gift ideas!

Here are a couple examples I think would make any gift giver and recipient happy.

First is this desk calendar for 2009. It features my own photographs and is the perfect size to display on your desk. When it is all cold and snowy here, I will look at my calendar and dream of summer!

I also have these fantastic Christmas ornaments too! They are wire wrapped and each is unique! I think they look great hanging on a tree or even in a window as a suncatcher!

Etsy has lots to offer. I am sure you can find something for everyone on your list there! What have you found on etsy?

Happy shopping!

Happy Halloween!

Boo! Its Halloween today!

My little ones are so excited today as I am sure all the kiddos out there are! I remember the excitement as a child too. I still look forward to seeing all the costumes of the kids too.

My daughter and I carved this pumpkin last night. I think he turned out kinda cool. She drew his face and I carved it out. I think she is pretty good for a 4 year old! Here he is:

Happy halloween everyone! Hope everyone has a SAFE and fun evening!

Wonderful fall comfort foods!

It has been a little chilly lately. It always seems that when fall comes I want to make comfort foods. Tonight is spagetti with meatballs featuring homemade tomato sauce from my own garden tomatoes. And the onions used are from my garden too. I can't wait!

I thought I would share the tomato sauce recipe as it is a real winner and it is even very tasty used as a pizza sauce! I have even added it to a beshamel sauce and used it in baked macaroni and cheese. This recipe is a real winner!

Here it is:

2 c. finely chopped onions

1/3 cup olive oil

8 c. tomatoes (peeled and seeded...put through blender if you want...I used my food processor)

2 cans tomato paste

2 tbsp. oregano

2 tsp basil

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. finely chopped garlic

Start by cooking the onions in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. I cooked mine a little longer because I like a thicker sauce. Season more if preferred. You may can this sauce or it can be frozen.

Here is a photo of my sauce.....

Crafting madness!

I have been busy crafting lately. Its great, I seem to have been hit with an ispiration bug lately! I have 3 shows to attend in November so I will need a lot of stock for then.

Here are a couple things I have been working on. First up is earrings....I have been making earrings galore to match pendants that I have on hand too...I think they are turning out quite nicely...aren't they? They are made of polymer clay beads I have created and are on sterling silver earwires.

Next up are these cute little guardian angels. They are made with a swarovski pearl and feature a polymer clay bead created by me as well. I am not sure what I will do with these little angels yet....maybe a bookmark or a pendant or a cell charm or keychain? Not too sure though...any suggestions? Please feel free to comment!

Take care and until next time!

Early Christmas Sale in My Etsy Shop!

I am having an early Christmas sale in my etsy shop! Purchase anything in my shop and get 10 % off! This does not include shipping. The difference will be refunded to you via PayPal. To take advantage of this great sale please write this code in the NOTES TO SELLER section of your etsy purchase earlychristmas10.

Hurry though, sale is today October 6th through October 10th midnight etsy time!!!

Perfect purses for fall!

Fall is definately here! The leaves are turning bright orange and falling from the trees! I hate to say it but winter will be here before you know it!

Purses are a great accessory at any time of the year and I have the perfect purses for fall. They are knit out of wool and felted. I have lined them with fabric and they close with a magnetic clasp. They are wonderful for fall and winter! Check them out here in my etsy shop!

Here are a couple of them I currently have available:

Happy Autumn!

Well it is finally autumn here in this part of the world. So far, its been kind of nice outside. We did have a killing frost the other night and I am sad to say my garden is now finished.

I have been creating again though getting ready for fall sales! Here is my latest fall inspired item....Pumpkin Ripple. It can be found here in my etsy shop.

Please enjoy! For more great items, please visit my etsy shop!

Calendars are here!

Just listed today in my shop are photo desk calendars! They would make excellent stocking stuffers or gifts.

Here is a sneak peek!


They are found here in my Etsy shop!

Enjoy your day!

I have been neglecting my blog lately....

I realized this morning that I hadn't posted on here for almost two weeks! Yikes...where does that time go?

Hope everyone is enjoying the very last days of summer...I sure have!

I have been really busy...getting ready for some family celebrations and really creating like crazy! I have been making new jewelry and cards for my Etsy shop. Here are a couple sneak peeks...you will have to visit my shop to see the rest!

I would also let all you blog readers in on a little secret of something that I am currently working on...desk calendars for 2009. These 12 month calendars will feature some of my photography....stay tuned in my etsy shop....they will be out soon! Also, new pendants will be out soon too!

Trunk Show on Etsy!

Get a jump on your holiday shopping with the Fall into Holiday Cheer Trunk Show the wonderfully talented Etsymom Street Team Members are hosting this Thursday, Sept. 4th at 7 pm in the Etsy Virtual Labs. Come find out what inspires the beautiful handcrafted artistry of this dedicated group of moms in business. Each Etsymom participant will display images of their work, share about their creative process and answer questions. Don't miss this first-time event for Etsymoms and an opportunity to buy some incredible handmade goods!

PCAGOE September Challenge...Texture!

Its that time again, PCAGOE challenge time! This month's challenge was texture. There are lots of fabulous entries this month to choose from.

Go to http://www.pcagoe.com/ to check out all the great entries and vote! This month, there are two prize packs that two lucky winners will get just for voting!

I love taking pictures!

I love taking photos. Capturing nature is one of my favorites...I love flowers and plants especially. I have listed a few sets in my Etsy Shop with greeting cards featuring some of my newest photos. Here are a couple sneak peeks for you.

I will be listing more sets and cards as I get them made. For others that I have in my shop, please check them out here!

New in my shop...a few Christmas ornaments

Yes you did read correctly! Christmas ornaments!

Why not get your shopping done early? For all those early shoppers I have listed some unique wire wrapped Christmas tree ornaments. They could be used as window suncatchers too! They are found here in my shop!

I will probably be listing more in other colours so keep your eyes open and visit often!

Lots of zucchini...and Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

Why is it that every year I plant more than I need of zucchini? Maybe its my thinking...what if the plants don't come up or if it freezes shortly after they emerge. Anyways, the result is always way too much zucchini.

I have yet to find oodles of zucchini recipes that I love. I did find this one recipe from FabulousFoods.com for a chocolate zucchini bundt cake. I must say it is very dark and rich and tastes wonderful. It is not really sweet either, which I like. This is definately a keeper! I made a chocolate icing glaze for the top but it would be just fine sprinkled with icing sugar.

Here is the recipe:

3 cups shredded zucchini

3/4 cup cocoa

1 2/3 cup flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9" bundt pan with cooking spray and lightly dust with 2 tbsp. cocoa powder. (I just dusted with flour as I was low on cocoa powder)

In a large bowl combine cocoa, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl combine eggs, oil and vanilla.

Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and beat vigourously to combine until well blended. This mixture is VERY STIFF!!

Stir in shredded zucchini until well blended, pour batter into pan and bake for 50 - 55 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Like I mentioned before this is when you sprinkle with icing sugar if preferred or glaze. I glazed with a chocolate glaze.

Here is my chocolate zucchini bundt.

If anyone has any other zucchini recipes they would like to share, please let me know. I am always willing to try out new recipes!

New in my shop!

I have been creating again and wanted to show all of you my newest creations.

I have been making wire wrapped pendants with faceted glass beads. They are very pretty and unique. They are available here in my etsy shop. These pendants come with a sterling silver plated box chain. More colours and shapes are sure to follow!

PCAGOE for charity!

I am so pleased to be a part of a collaboration with members of the PCAGOE (Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy). We are all collaborating on a fantastic project.

Each volunteered member was asked to create a letter from the alphabet. My letter was the letter "U". Here is my interpretation of this letter.

I wanted a masculine letter because since the majority of the PCAGOE are female, I thought they would make feminine letters. Honestly, my mind went to frilly and pretty and sparkly at first too. I like the bold orange background and I think the offset brown stripes bordered with orange stand out.

The letters will be assembled and then donated to a children's hospital. I am not sure where yet as that still needs to be decided. It will be an American hospital though as the majority of members are from the United States. But this project is a collaboration between artists worldwide. Other members are from the UK and Australia as well as Canada and the United States.

I will keep you all posted as to the progress and I will post a picture of the finished work as soon as it is completed.

Would you like to join Etsy?

Etsy is a fabulous place filled will all sorts of handcrafted items and even some vintage and supplies. Its free to join and once you join you can start purchasing from all the wonderful shops on there (including mine.... hee hee). You can even set up your own shop if you like.

If you are interested and would like to join click here to be referred to etsy!

Thanks and have a great day!

Its Christmas in July!

I am having a Christmas in July sale in my etsy shop! Lots of great deals....some items are even half price!

Check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=47618&section_id=5401170

New in my shop - Birthstone rings!

I have decided to start to make birthstone rings in my shop so of course I would start with July and the ruby. I have wire wrapped the ring on tarnish resistant silver coloured copper wire. It is found here in my etsy shop. I can make this ring in the size of your choosing. I am also going to be offering it in other birthstones too...please convo me though if I do not have one listed that you would prefer.

Thanks and have a great day everyone!

I have been featured in a blog!

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends! Hope you all have a great holiday!

I am featured in a blog today. Here is the link to the feature.

Thanks very much to StormyDesigns for featuring my shop in her blog.

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day everyone! It is a beautiful day here and I hope it is all across the country and the world today.

To celebrate this great country of ours my Etsy shop as well as a bunch of others are offering some great sales! They will run until July 5th to also celebrate Independence Day for our neighbours to the south! Here is the link to the list of shops.

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5691248

I am offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders from July 1-5th! And a Toonie Tuesday section where all items are only $2.00! Please check out my Etsy shop for details!

Be BOLD and make a statement!

I have created a really bright and bold treasury. Its rainy and gloomy here today so I thought something really bright might help to cheer me up. I am really proud of it and want to show it off to all of you.

It can be found here. Feel free to check it out and show it some love!

Some fabulous felted purses!

I have to say that I also love the fiber arts. I love knitting and crocheting and I really love making felted objects. I have a few purses that are felted and lined in my Etsy shop. Here they are for your viewing pleasure!

I also have a few other felted items in my etsy store such as these coasters and this brooch.

Featured Etsy Artist of the week - HarvestMoonPaper

This week's featured Etsy artist is HarvestMoonPaper Creations. Her Etsy shop is here. HarvestMoonPaper also has a blog here.

What is your craft?

I love papercrafting!!! I do alot of cards but I love just about anything paper! I make paper bag albums, mini albums, scrapbook pages, decorate gift bags, tag albums...anything I can think of really!

How long have you been doing your particular craft?

I've been papercrafting for fun for about 4 years. This year I decided to get a bit more serious after friends and family convinced me to sell my work, so I searched around and found ETSY!!!

Where do you find inspiration? Who inspires you to create?

People who request specific items inspire me. I'm working on a wedding scrapbook for a friend, and talking to her and knowing her personality is what I like to use for inspiration. It also depends on the type of item I am making. But when I need a boost to my creativity I look through magazines.....those I find truly inspiring, especially for colour combinations.

Where do you do your craft?

I've set up a small (well medium now!) corner in my basement where I craft. I have a mini desk beside me too for my daughter to craft while mommy is "working". It's quite spread out and not very organized.....I'm hoping to remedy that come the fall when all my children are in school full time.

What is your most favorite item you have ever created?

I don't have a favorite item so far. I love all the things I make, especially for other people, because of the feeling I put into it. I didn't just run to the mall and buy it, I took the time to make it especially just for you!

Here are a couple of items featured in HarvestMoonPaper's shop.

I would like to thank HarvestMoonPaper very much for allowing her shop to be featured here on my blog this week!

Yart Sale!

A lot of Etsy shops are having a Yart sale! This is a twist on the classic yard sale. Sale runs from June 11-20th. My shop has a yart sale section here. Lots of items reduced to up to 50% off! Stop by and check it out!

Featured Etsy Artist of the week - Adornyou

Featured here in my blog this week is Adornyou another fabulous Canadian etsy shop. Check out all her amazing jewelry creations.

What is your craft?

I design and make handcrafted jewelry and accessories.

How long have you been doing your particular craft?

For about four years now, I have been playing around with beads.

Where do you find inspiration? Who inspires you to create?

Nature is my biggest inspiration! I love wood, gemstones, pearls and shells. All the textures and wonderful color combinations! My family is my inspiration and my four year old son loves everything I make and sometimes helps me title some creations! Also, other designers for clothing, jewelry, etc spark some ideas to keep me going.

Where do you craft?

I have little sections all over the house of beads and supplies, but mostly at my computer desk, so I can craft and have fun on Etsy at the same time!

What is your most favorite item that you have ever created?

I created a necklace which I think is my favorite, that took a long time with wire wrapping all the beads. It is actually pictured in a book coming out in June 2008, called 1000 Jewelry Inspirations. Here is a link to the book.

This is the Tropical Beauty necklace that is featured in 1000 Jewelry Inspirations.

Here are just a couple of great items listed in Adornyou's Etsy Shop.

Thanks very much Adornyou for letting your shop be featured here on my blog!

Been busy listing again!

I have had a busy week with listings again. Just wanted to show you some of my latest creations available in my Etsy shop.

Here they are:

Featured Etsy Artist of the week - CrazyBliss

Welcome to our featured artist of the week. This is week 2 of our Canadian Etsy artists. This week's featured etsy artist is CrazyBliss. Check out her shop here. CrazyBliss also has a blog that you can read here.

What is your craft?

I love dabbling in all media however my specialty is vibrant watercolour illustration that appeals to both children and adults. I try to capture the subtle humor and sensitivity found in everyday situations. When I need a break from painting, I like to knit and crochet, work with wood and metal, make polyester resin pendants, sew, work with plaster and ceramics and what ever else I can get my hands on!

How long have you been doing your particular craft?

I’ve been working in watercolour for almost twenty years and developed crazy bliss illustration in 2004. I began doing pieces of cats in various sizes, selling at local art-shows then quickly found the ACEO group on ebay and was instantly addicted! I continue to sell my original crazy bliss ACEOs on ebay under crazy_bliss and have since expanded my artistic vision of crazy bliss to include various products such as pendants, tiny treasure mini-frames, cards and more found at http://crazybliss.etsy.com/.

Where do you find inspiration? Who inspires you to create?

I don’t sit still very easily so I’m constantly doing something crafty. I get inspiration overload sometimes so I keep many journals to keep the ideas organized. My inspiration for my illustration usually comes from something funny I heard or observed while out and about. I love the innocence and perspective of children and animals and am constantly inspired by their joy of discovery. I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful backyard to wonder in and let my mind run free. I have a really supportive and creative family who offer up many thoughts and ideas to keep me busy too.

Where do you craft?

I have a nice 9’x20’ studio in the basement of our home with a production area at one end and an office workstation at the other. I work on a plastic-top 6’ table with all of my tools and supplies close at hand. My computer, marketing files, finished products and mailing center is arranged so I can complete orders quickly. It’s been a long time coming but I’m finally set up well and “contained” as my husband would say. We have a dining room again!

What is your most favorite item that you have ever created?

Ooh, that’s a hard question! It’s between two projects. The first, a free-motion embroidered art quilt of a field of wild flowers for my mom’s 50th birthday that I had spent 40+ hours on and the second, a 13” tall, functioning cat in the hat teapot that won first prize at a teapot show (the tea came out of his paw!). I absolutely love making one of a kind pieces and it’s so hard to choose a favorite.Thank you very much for the opportunity to share a bit about my crazy bliss world. You’re welcome to visit my website at http://www.crazy-bliss.com/ .

Here are a couple fabulous items found in Crazybliss' etsy shop!

I would like to thank CrazyBliss for allowing her shop to be featured here on my blog!

Such a gloomy day!

Its kinda gloomy and windy out here today. So I thought to brighten my spirits and yours I would post a couple of pictures of the lovely tulips from my flower garden. I took these photos the other day and it was so nice and sunny out. Hope it brightens your day!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Our first featured Etsy Artist DZDesigns!

Welcome to our new weekly featured artist. I am going to start out featuring Canadian Etsy artists.

Our first featured etsy artist is DZDesigns. She has a great shop featuring beautiful handmade greeting cards. Check out her shop here. DZDesigns also has a blog that you can read here.

What is your craft?

The craft I'm most passionate about is Card Making. I've had a dabble in many many crafts, however the one i'm most passionate about is most definately Card Making!

How long have you been doing your particular craft?

I've been Card Making for about 10 years now, originally it started on the computer but have since evolved to hand crafting all of my cards.

Where do you find inspiration? Who inspires you to create?

Every occasion for Card giving inspires me. A set of stamps, a thought, a saying, even a piece of scrap cardstock inspires me.

Where do you craft?

I have a craft studio on the second level of our home. My husband has worked hard at designing and creating sufficient storage space to house all of my crafting goodies! I think we've got it!

What is your most favorite item that you have ever created?

Now that's a tuff one...each card that I've made is a favorite! I am proud of the work I do and the cards I'm able to come up with! Only the ones that meet my standards are posted in my card boutique!

Here are a couple of examples of the quality cards that DZDesigns has available in her etsy shop.

Thank you to DZDesigns.etsy.com for allowing me to feature them here on my blog!