Etsy On Sale

Well, the weekend didn't bring much for sales. But I still got to try out Etsy On Sale! Etsy On Sale is a third party app. that lets you put items in your shop on sale by section. You schedule what time and date you want the sale to start and end and decide on a percentage or dollar amount off and Etsy On Sale does the rest! The app. worked like a charm! It started and ended on time and added ON SALE to my selected items and added my 20% off discount just like I wanted! The only thing I didn't like was if you added items to a section that was currently on sale, it didn't update new listings to be on sale as well. And it will only put items on sale if they belong to a section. I had a few items I had to manually place on sale because they weren't in a section. Overall I love this app! It is an easy way to have a sale and edit multiple listings at once. I'll definitely be using this app. again in the near future!

Crafted By Hands Blog

I was recently introduced to a very cool new blog! Craftedbyhands.blogspot.com is a place to showcase Etsy finds. Each weekday there is a new theme and if your items fit the theme, you can add them to the gallery for that day!

I received a convo that my Baby's First Year Calendar Album had been added for the Black Friday Weekend gallery...how cool! I checked out the site and added my Family Word Album as well. It was so easy to add my item! Nothing to sign up for, no hassles, just add your item and boom...there it is!

I can't wait to see what the theme is for Monday! It's fun seeing if your items fit the theme...and gives you new ideas of themes you could make items for in the future!

New Friends Album-ON SALE

And the sale weekend rolls on!!! I've even decided to add a new item to my shop today while the sale is still going! Get this NEW listing at a great discount!

All premade items in my shop are 20% off! Prices already marked down...shop away :)

11/25-11/29

Hot Pink and Black Friends Scrapbook...with Zebra Print Papers!

This album is as crazy as your friendships! Put your wild and crazy photos in here to remember all the good times :)

The Savings Continue!

I hope everyone found lots of great Black Friday deals yesterday! But the savings aren't done yet! The EtsyBloggers Team Sale runs all the way through Cyber Monday!

Missie of NWWonders curated a beautiful treasury full of great deals going on this weekend! Click on the photo to be taken to the treasury and see all of the items up close!

Thanks for including my 2011 Calendar Missie :)

Friday Features-EtsyBloggers SALE

Are you ready for some shopping!!! And how about a sale!!! The EtsyBloggers Team is having a huge Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sale!!! You can go HERE to see all the details that each shop is having. I am offering 20% off all premade items in my shop. All prices have already been marked down (thanks to Etsy On Sale) so there is no need to wait for a revised invoice or a refund. Shop away!!! Here are some other great sales the team is having:

MorningSkyJewlery Free shipping and 10% off your entire purchase. Use coupon code Etsybloggers10. Handcrafted jewelry specializing in chainmail and bead crochet. peacoxcreations 10% off everything plus free shipping!!! Pine needle baskets, scrubbies...both dish and facial, dishcloths, facecloths, pine needle gift baskets with various scrubbies Joey & Aleethea 10% OFF EVERYTHING!! (use code: "EtsyBloggers" and refund will be sent via Paypal) Super cool handmade baby and childrens clothing for boys and girls! Custom made Monster Shirts, Monster Onesies, Monster Jeans, Monster Dresses, AnNKLE BITERS Lounge Pants, Super Chic toddler dresses, FUN TIGHTS, Hair Scarves, Rings of Cuteness, baby accessories, super cutesie kawaii goodness, and more fun stuff! Rustic Goth 10% - 50% Off Everything in my Shop. Whimsically dark original paintings, prints, wearable art, art covers and Real Egg Ornaments. Prices will be adjusted through the Etsy on Sale app to reflect the Sale prices. Happy Shopping :)

Thankful :)

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope you are enjoying time with family and eating lots of great food! We have a busy weekend planned around our house! We get a much needed 4-day weekend!!! *Yesterday we had a get together at our house after work. It's always fun to spend time with the people we work with OUTside of work :) We get to relax and have fun! *Today we are going to my grandparents' house for Thanksgiving with my extended family :) Can't wait to see everyone! *Friday I will be one of the crazies out shopping for Black Friday! What's even crazier...Jesse might go with me! This could prove to be a very interesting trip!

Then we have Thanksgiving with his brothers that night. *Saturday we have Thanksgiving with Jesse's extended family in the late afternoon and then a birthday party that evening. *Sunday's plans are to RELAX!!! I am very thankful for this time off work to relax and spend time with my family! What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Wordless Wednesday-Beauty in my Window

For The Boys

Yesterday was all about the girls and today is dedicated to the albums I've been working on for boys!

Alexander's album was made to match his nursery. I was given the name of the paint for the room and asked to match the papers. It's fun going on a hunt for the perfect paper and embellishments for each album!

Trysten's nursery is decorated in Tonka Trucks and I was asked to make his album to match this theme. What fun! The primary colors worked well with all the colors of the trucks!

Okay, this Grandma album obviously isn't for a boy, but it is for the Grandma of a little boy :) This grandma loves to play outside with her grandson and take him fishing. Together with my customer, we decided on a hunter green and brown color combo and lots of fishing embellishments. What a lucky grandma :)

And I can't wait to show you Samuel's album that I'm working on right now! Stay tuned for a post about it soon!

For The Girls

Holiday shopping is in full swing! And I have several custom orders in the works :) I love all the different ideas my customers come up with and I love hearing the back story behind each album :) I get to know who it's for, what they like, how they want their album decorated, etc. I love getting to know my customers during the custom order process!

Today's albums are all about Girls! I just have two for today, but I have two more really cute ones in the works as well!

Alison is a ballerina and asked for a scrapbook for Christmas :) Her mom says she is a very "girly-girl" so pink, pink and more pink would work best!

I just LOVE this album! I love the name more than anything! Zella is a new baby girl born to a friend's cousin. Having a unique name myself, I love when people give their babies special and unique names as well :) Zella's album is a month by month album, so her mom can fill it with photos all year long :)

And don't worry, I didn't leave the boys out! Stop by tomorrow to see the awesome boy albums I have finished!

Devine Designs-November's Featured EtsyBlogger

DevineDesignsJewelry is our Featured EtsyBlogger for the month of November...Congrats Cindy!!!

The thing I love most about DevineDesign's shop is that every piece is truly handmade. She says "I try to take metal to the extreme; by bending and twisting to create unique designs. I use lots of wire to make twists, coils, and spirals that I add to my work. I strive to form designs that have not been done before, original works of art jewelry. I strive for perfection and high quality."

Here are a few of her works of art jewelry that I love

See all of her beautiful items in Her Shop and stop by Her Blog and tell her congrats :)

It's A Zoo In Here

Rose of RandomCreative chose a super cute Zoo theme for our Team Treasury this week! I am always looking for new themes for our team when I create a treasury and never would have thought of this one! I just love the items she chose :)

Just click on the photo to see all of the items up close!

Friday Features-Pink Christmas

I am loving all the pink Christmas decorations that I've seen this year! If Jesse would let me, I'd buy a white tree and decorate it all PINK!

Of course Etsy has lots of pink holiday decorations as well :) I went with a snowflake theme for today, but I'm sure you'll see more pink ideas in features to come :)

Silver and Pink Snowflake Chandeliers

by KatesFetes

Wine Bottle Fabric Drawstring Gift Bag

by RLG1282

Pink Snowflake Scrabble Tile Pendant

by VanityDesign

Pink Snowflake Ornament

by jackisglass

Gifts for Baby

Everyone loves to give a unique and special gift to a new baby and parents. I love giving my albums as gifts as I know no one else will give one too :) I recently relisted these Baby's First Year Calendar Albums with new photos! They give the new parents space to write about baby's firsts and a layout for each month of the baby's first year. There is also an intro page and a growth chart to complete the albums.

Baby Girl's First Year Scrapbook Photo Album Calendar

Scrapbook Photo Album Calendar - Baby Boy's First Year

(Update...this album sold before I got my blog posted...YAY! I hope to make more soon!)

I also offer 4x6 Baby Photo Albums for the busy mom who wants a special gift that she can quickly add her photos to. And my Custom Baby Name Albums are the most personalized gift you can give :) Make Mommy and Daddy happy with a gift the new baby can cherish for years to come!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

I love that the trees are still changing! These trees in our front yard went from green to red in a day's time when the cold spell hit last week!

Photos...A Work In Progress

Photos are something I think every Etsy seller struggles with! We want our photos to be the best they can be as our customers can't touch, feel or handle or items. My photos are a constant work in progress! I've updated some of my Custom Listings with new, brighter photos. I think they are "better" but not the "best". I like that they are brighter, but some of them are too bright! They went from underexposed to overexposed in some cases! My light box is made of foam board and has a shiny surface. I think this acts sort of like a flash and makes some areas brighter than others and makes it difficult to adjust the white balance. I tried to cover it with a white sheet thinking that would keep it from being too shiny, but that just showed wrinkles...ugh! Let me know what you think of my Custom Name Album listing. Are they better? Too overexposed? Here is the photo I was using for my first photo: And here is the new first photo. You can also click on the photos to be taken to a sold listing and a new listing to see all the new photos. Do you struggle with photos too? Have any great tips you'd like to share? Let me hear 'em :)

Pretty in Rose Color

Etsy seller MyKnittingWorld was kind enough to feature my Custom Name Guest Book in her Rose Treasury!

It doesn't matter how many treasuries I am in...each message I receive letting me know I've been featured puts a huge smile on my face :) It's such a nice complement when someone likes my items well enough to choose them for one of their 16 slots. With all the choices Etsy has to offer, it really does make me happy :) And to be featured in a PINK treasury...now that really made my day!!!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

The holiday season will be here before we know it! I for one can't wait to celebrate with all of my family and take tons of photos! Christmas pictures have always been my favorite to scrapbook :) And I always give a lot of scrapbooks for gifts as well. I've added a few Holiday Photo Albums to my Etsy Shop this week that you could use for gift-giving as well. I like to fill them with photos from Christmases past before I give them away :) Or better yet, get one for yourself and have it ready when you get all of your holiday photos printed!

Happy Holidays 4x6 Photo Album

Merry Christmas 4x6 Photo Album

Mark one (or two) more gifts off your list :)

Fall Is In The Air

Becky from miesmama curated a beautiful Fall Treasury for our EtsyBloggers Team this week!

Fall is sure in the air this week here in Iowa...70s one day and 40s the next! Throw in my first cold of the season and we're off to a perfect start...LOL :)

Friday Features-Soup's On

This time of year has me yearning for a hot cup of soup! And with the cold I've had this week...I could use a little soup to cure me :) I could almost survive on soup and sandwiches alone most days!

Etsy has some very yummy soups and soup accessories...have a tasty look:

Chicken Noodle Soup Mix

by GardenBlends

Small Table Jewelry, Orange and Pink Spoon

by josmund

Can't Resist It Cheesy Broccoli Soup Mix In A Jar

by SkippingSkones

2 Turquoise Soup Cup or mug or bowl

by Redstonepottery

Almost Wordless Wednesday-Bath Time

Harley likes to help dry himself off...

All clean...

Still in Love with Purple and Brown

I am still so excited that I came across this beautiful color combo and love using it in my scrapbooks. I showed you some Custom Albums I had made with this color combo and now I have added them into my Premade Albums as well!!! Purple and Brown 4x6 Memories Photo Album Purple and Brown Family Word Album I think the next scrapbook layout I do for myself will have to include these colors as well! What color combo are you loving right now?

Another Holiday Tip

Last week I shared how I stay organized around the holidays by using a day planner and keeping all of my information in one spot. Today I thought I'd share another holiday tip I have for you: Gift Certificates.

I do a lot of custom work, especially around the holidays. Each year there comes a point where I have to decide that I have enough orders and that I will have to deactivate all of my Custom Listings until after the first of the year. This year I have decided to take a different approach. I plan to put a note in each of my Custom Listings saying: I am no longer taking orders for Christmas and all orders placed between now and Dec. 31st will be processed on Jan. 1st. If you would still like to give a Custom Album for a holiday gift, you can purchase one of my Gift Certificates for gift giving instead :) Even if you don't do custom work, you could still add a note in your listings about gift certificates. There are always late shoppers who want to buy on Dec. 23rd and still receive their gift on time! A gift certificate is the perfect gift. You can email them a file and have them print it themselves! I'd love to hear your holiday tips as well :)

Everything Happens for a Reason

Take the bad with the good and remember that Everything Happens for a Reason.

Yesterday's craft show definitely wasn't the greatest. I should have known from the minute we got there and our booth spaces were wrong. And then the lady I wanted to talk to about a digital cutter wasn't there. It was a sign!

There were lots of people there...just not many buyers. And I heard this from many of the crafters. There were two other shows that day and I think people were afraid to buy at one and find something better at another.

My business cards were a good thing...and a bad thing. People loved knowing they could find me online and buy later. But it also kept them from buying right then. I will just have to wait and see if these people come to my site later.

But as I said...everything happens for a reason :) I now have lots of new things I can add to my Etsy shop!!! I've been wanting to get things added, but just haven't had time. Now I'll have lots of options before Christmas!

And...I came home to an email from a buyer wanting 7 Custom Albums!!! Had I taken a bunch of orders at the show, I would be totally swamped and stressed right now. But because I didn't have any orders, this message made me even more excited :)

I challenge you today to find the good in the bad...and remember...Everything Happens for a Reason :)

Two Times The Treasuries

This week we have two beautiful team treasuries! And both have the holidays in mind!

The first is from miesmama with An EtsyBlogger's Holiday

And the second is by me with great Custom and Personalized gift ideas

Click the photos to be taken to the treasuries and see all of the lovely items up close!

Friday Features-It's Time

Today's Friday Features are a Fun and Friendly reminder that Day Light Savings Time ends this Sunday.

Right now Jesse and I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, so it will be nice to have some light in the mornings now! And enjoy your extra hour!!!

Big Pretty in Pink Fluffer Cupcake Art Clock

by OffHerRockerArt

Large round wall clock printed colorful semi-transparent shades in a Japanese cut out design

by ArtisEverything

doily clock

by andfurthermore

Hand-Made Customizable Butterfly Shaped Wall Clock

by portzcustomclockz

Happy Birthday DAD!!!

Wishing my dad a Happy 57th Birthday today :)

He's since trimmed his beard, but I just love this photo :) And the next time I see my parents will be over Christmas break. I sent him a note today letting him know he's getting the biggest hug in exactly 44 days!

Love you DAD!!!