Audrey's Country Crafts

Happy Thanksgiving Canada

2011-10-09T03:09:00.000-07:00

Yes - tomorrow is Thanksgiving in Canada. Our boys are home for the weekend, so I cooked dinner yesterday, and we had a great day transplanting 46 small trees :) Sometimes it's good to have boys! lol

All the fresh air yesterday made me tired, so I was in bed by 9pm, but that meant I was awake at 3:50am this morning!! Made 2 salads for lunch, now I'll go play with a little dog that is boarding here. Should be a good day :)

Hope everyone has an amazing Sunday & Thanksgiving!

Here is a little poem I got in an email from a fellow school bus driver.

TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.

THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.

TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.

I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

I am WAY to busy!

2011-09-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

I think I've stretched myself a bit thin.....
Started a new team on Etsy in July, and just started a Blog for the team last week. Have way to much going on...

I have managed to make a few new Christmas ornaments and coasters for my shop:

Oh well. Of course this means that I don't have time to blog on my own blog!! Shame on me!!

Here are some funny signs a friend sent me in an email!!

How a Horse's A$$ Controls the world

2011-09-25T04:37:00.000-07:00

Who Knew?? All makes sense in the end as you will clearly see

Railroad tracks.
The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number.

Why was that gauge used?

Because that's the way they built them in England , and English expatriates designed the US railroads.

Why did the English build them like that?

Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.

Why did 'they' use that gauge then?

Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they had used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing?

Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England , because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.

So who built those old rutted roads?

Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (including England ) for their legions. Those roads have been used ever since.

And the ruts in the roads?

Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels.

Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome , they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. Therefore, the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. In other words, bureaucracies live forever.

So the next time you are handed a specification/procedure/process, and wonder, 'What horse's ass came up with this?' , you may be exactly right.

Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses.

Now, the twist to the story:

When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, you will notice that there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah .

The engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit larger, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains, and the SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds.

So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's ass. And you thought being a horse's ass wasn't important?

So, Horse's Asses control almost everything...

...Explains a whole lot of things, doesn't it?

My Dining Room - almost done

2011-09-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

I did remember to take photo's of my dining room before and after I painted it. We aren't quite done yet. There will be a "chair rail" (oak) running around the room - as soon as hubby cuts the pieces, they get stained and installed.

I didn't realize that the room was so dark! It was hard to take good photo's.

Hubby didn't know about the red :) It's call "barn" and the top is "sunbeam", not yellow, but more of an ivory color. We are slowly getting used to it :)

I will take photo's once we have all the oak up, the oak shelves back above the windows and new blinds.

The Kitchen is next! oh dear....

Insults Before 4-letter words

2011-09-19T05:08:00.001-07:00

These glorious insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words..

·A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease."
·"That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

·"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

·"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill

·"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow

·"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

·"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas

·"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain

·"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.." - Oscar Wilde

·"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend, if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
·"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second ... if there is one." - Winston Churchill, in response.

·"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop

·"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright

·"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb

·"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson

·"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating

·"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand

·"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker

·"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain

·"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West

·"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde

·"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

·"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder

·"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx

Pretties for a Little One

2011-09-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Do I wish I had grandchildren!! Ok - maybe not right now, the boys need to grow up a bit first :) But if I did have grandchildren - bebbyjumpers would be really hard to resist! Love hand knit baby and childrens clothes!

Bebby is offering an amazing COUPON CODE for all my readers :)

BEBBYBLOG10 ~ to receive 10% discount from any purchase made from her shop, valid for 14 days! This might be a good time to start Christmas Shopping!!

I live in a ramshackled, tumble ~ down house in the south of England, near the sea and in the countryside, in a small village surrounded by fields of sheep, horses and cows, and hedgerows full of pretty flowers and fruits.

I begin everyday with a 4 mile trek through the fields with my faithful friend whatever the weather. Then I spend my morning working on the computer with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.

My shop name came about when my sister's little boy who was 2 years old at the time, said "Bebbyjumpers" when he was helping to open a parcel of jumpers which I had sent to them in Australia. I have always been known as Bebby to my younger sisters and their children have called me Auntie Bebby. I guess I started my little shop because I wanted a wider market for my sweaters and Etsy was recommended by someone who recognised my talent at a local craft fair and realised I wasn't getting the recognition that I wanted. I do not consider this to be a business but I do enjoy knitting as a hobby and get great pleasure knowing someone else likes what I produce enough to want to buy and own it, to wear themselves, or to give away as a gift.

The 5 things that I want people to think when they see any of my products are:

~ the beauty of the finished product and how the colours of the yarn, stitches and buttons, if used, blend to create a garment that someone wants to snuggle into.

~ the professionalism of the finished garment which involves great attention to all detail throughout it's creation, and NO ghastly mistakes in the knitting which is often passed off by others as "part and parcel of home~made".

~ the originality of the finished garment as I have designed many of my sweaters myself.

~ that with the same care that I have used in producing the garment, it can be maintained in it's original condition for many years and give much pleasure to other wearers over the years.

~ the pleasure and joy of owning a Bebbyjumper of their own and I know many of my customers (both locally and from Etsy) get great delight seeing their little ones in a Bebbyjumper.

I just love yarns of all colours, particularly soft textures and bright colours, and often know immediately what I want to knit and how the finished garment will look. I keep all my treasured yarns in a room under lock and key......Sometimes I see buttons in a discarded button box and feel a huge urge to knit "just the right garment" to give those buttons a new life!!

My favourite knits in my shop are the arans that I design and produce in bright colours for children, which all have traditional touches and modern features. I tend to use acrylic yarn because it is very child friendly and can withstand machine washing and drying, but I will knit custom orders using other yarns. One of my favourites is this little sweater which I designed and won a 1st prize with at my local horticultural show in August 2011 ~ http://www.etsy.com/listing/77173760/childs-handknit-yellow-aran-sweater-with

I have other sweaters in my shop using this design which I call My Pearl Collection and was created when a friend was telling me how her aunt Pearl used to knit shapeless sweaters for the family and was always dropping and making stitches, so I have created this design using her name and skills ~ dropping and making stitches but still maintaining a beautiful pattern involving pearly things.

My favourite pastime is sitting in my garden watching my veggies growing and knitting. So peaceful. When I am not knitting, I enjoy making jams and chutneys which I sell at craft fairs, alongside my jumpers.

I can be found on ~
Etsy ~ www.etsy.com/shop/bebbyjumpers?ref=si_shop
Facebook ~ www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002527789071
but my Facebook page is more fun and up to date ~ www.facebook.com/pages/Bebbyjumpers/187799704613467
Twitter ~ twitter.com/#!/bebbyjumpers

"WARSHING" CLOTHES RECIPE

2011-09-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

Never thought of a "washer" in this light before..what a blessing!

"Warshing Clothes Recipe" -- imagine having a recipe for this ! ! !

Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.

WARSHING CLOTHES

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles

1 pile white,

1 pile colored,

1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.

Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.

Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.

Hang old rags on fence.

Spread tea towels on grass.

Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water.

Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs.. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

================================================

Paste this over your washer and dryer Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks.. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer, also your toilet---those two-holers used to get mighty cold!

For you non-southerners - wrench means, rinse :)

Shop Hop & Treasure Hunt

2011-09-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

The "Hunt" will run from Oct 23-29, with Prizes drawn for on the 30th.

Rules for the "HUNT" will be posted on the 23rd early in the morning. But basically people will be asked to look through the shops for certain things including the graphic below, come back here with the links to the items they have found, and then be entered to win prizes. There will be extra entries and special gifts for those who make purchases.

To Join as a Shop:

Add a link to an item in your shop, post your shop name in the "title" spot.

Sometime before October 22nd, please grab the following graphic and add it to one of your item listings:

** It must be on the first 3 pages of your shop

** Add it as the 2nd or 3rd photo of the listing.

Please send me a convo with the link to the listing with the graphic ... if I don't hear from you with a link, your shop will be removed.

Check back here on October 23 for the Shop Hop Rules to win prizes.

Promote Promote Promote!!

It's Ba-ack!

2011-09-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school - so I'm back to work :(
Can't say that I missed it this summer.

Only had grades 4-9 on the bus today, so at least it was nice and quiet :)

I could have used another month or so. Didn't get the diningroom and kitchen painted yet - it's just been WAY to hot, and it's hot all week again.

When will fall arrive and cooler temps?

This Dude is NUTS!!

2011-09-05T16:08:00.001-07:00

Luke sent us the link to this video - would you do this?

What a busy Month!!

2011-08-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Why are they called summer HOLIDAYS?

August was crazy busy for me.

* Canning:

17 quart jars of sweet cucumber relish

82 quart jars and 2 half gallon jars of apple sauce

corn

cut apples for the freezer

* Mowing grass - takes between 3.5 and 4 hours to mow everything, though since we haven't had any substantial rains since June - I don't think I'll have to mow for a while now.

* Just doing everything else that needs to be done around the yard and house.

Did get some crocheting done in the evenings as hubby and I bond while watching TV :)

Found these really cute ornaments to crochet:

Put one set in my Etsy shop and I'm going to also do them for the kids on my school bus this year. They don't take very long to make, can easily do a few in the evening.

Hopefully now I will have a little time each day to start painting some Christmas ornaments. Yes - it's time to start thinking about Christmas :) I'm almost 1/2 done my shopping! Hubby will be the hardest one to buy for... he really needs to start making a "wish list".

Hope everyone has had a wonderful and RELAXING summer holidays :)

Going to start blogging on a regular basis again - I hope...

I'm still alive :)

2011-08-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

This week has been a zoo!
Trying to catch up on so many things. It finally rained this morning! WE HAVE PUDDLES! It's so dry here that the puddles will be gone in no time. My garden took a beating this morning with the thunderstorm - way to much wind, but I think the corn will survive!

Have you ever crocheted with t-shirt yarn? I've purchased a bunch of colors and I'm going to crochet a rug for my kitchen.

Now all I have to decide is what order to do the colors!

I've also been busy crocheting for charity - have another box full ready to go :) The rolls are a hat and scarf set. There are also 2 afghans under all the scarf sets.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!! Can you believe it's August already?

Beautiful Unique Jewelry

2011-07-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not a girly girl, can't wear jewelry unless it's 14K gold, but I still love & appreciate beautiful jewelry. Dragonfly Creations is a wonderful shop on Etsy. It's so nice to see a unique shop :) Here is a bit about Cara and her jewelry.

I am from Long Beach, CA... and currently live in Seal Beach, Ca

I am a Resource Specialist for LBUSD when I'm not creating things. I also love hiking, playing with my dogs, spending time with my boy friend, family and friends. I enjoy reading, traveling and photography.

I started my business because people were always asking me to make them jewelry, and I luv to do it <3 When people see my jewelry, I want them to think: simple, unique, delicate, original and classic. Supply addictions: shells, beads, wire [I luv turquoise, shells on the beach, antique beads, faceted stones] The wrapped rings { www.etsy.com/listing/78582431/aquamarine-dream} have been my favorite things to make recently. I also luv making the nursing bracelets {www.etsy.com/listing/23527787/for-new-moms-nursing-bracelet-or}

I stay motivated by making/ creating something daily (this is my goal. doesn't always happen since life has different plans then I do)

My shop name is my first name and old last name. (my banner says dragonfly Creations) I actually am in need of moving my shop. In the future I will go by something else. Dragonfly Creations is my initial jewelry lines name, but realized very quickly it wasn't very original.

Advice: continue to create new things. get feedback from friends, listen to them and create a community online with other Etsy members. Also, try to get involved outside of Etsy, so you down micromanage your shop and get too obsessed.

My Favorite Commercial

2011-07-24T11:12:00.001-07:00

Mango Smoothie

2011-07-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

We have a cooking show up here - Best Recipes, that plays every day. The host is pretty annoying - WAY WAY to perky for me... but she has some really great recipes sometimes.

I've never tried a mango before (other than in a cooler), but saw her make this smoothie the other day and went mango shopping. It's really really good!!

MANGO SMOOTHIE

2 mangoes

1 bananas

1 cup milk

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup ice cubes

Peel mangoes and cut into cubes; place in blender. Peel banana and break into chunks; add to blender. Add milk, yogurt and ice; blend until smooth.

I do 1/2 a recipe - since I'm the only one who likes smoothies. I would suggest that you blend the mango first quite well so the smoothie doesn't have quite as much pulp - unless you like pulp.

Going to try it with Strawberries instead of the mango - that would be really yummy too!

Is it Hot Enough for You?

2011-07-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

I think I'm Addiceted to Yarn

2011-07-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

Happened to be in Wally World a couple of weeks ago and purchased some yarn to make 2 afghans for charity. The red & black will hopefully look like THIS, and the other 4 colors will be a stripped afghan. May change my mind yet - but we'll see :) I'll make scarf/hat sets with whatever is left.

Found some brand new Phentex at the local thrift shop. Decided to try my hand at slippers. It's great for slippers, but not my favorite yarn to work with. Wouldn't go out a buy it again, unless of course it was this cheap :) The colors are red, yellow, pink and green. Made one pair of slippers so far:

Then I went on kijiji to see if I could find someone selling yarn, and found 2 people! Purchased 9 big balls from one lady for about a 1/3 of the cost elsewhere (there were also two balls of Ivory and 3 balls of White - already used them):

The other lady had her living room FULL of tubs of yarn she had collected over the last 2 years since her husband passed away. She said it had been to fill the void, however, now she was moving to a much smaller house and couldn't take it all with her. This is what I purchased from her:

I think I will be busy for a while :)

Plant a Little Sunshine

2011-07-19T05:54:00.001-07:00

I have quite a few cards from ViveLaFranceDesign. They are all so beautiful, but I think I like the ones with flowers best :)

When I saw the card featured in the #1 spot - I just had to make a treasury. It's so bright and cheery! Hope this adds a little Sunshine to your day :)

Grandma Joke :)

2011-07-17T16:20:00.001-07:00

Three old mischievous Grandmas
were sitting on a bench outside a Nursing home.

About then an old Grandpa walked

by, and one of the old Grandma's yelled out saying, 'We bet we can tell
exactly how old you are.'

The old man said, 'There's no way
you can guess it, you old fools.'

One of the old Grandmas said,
'Sure we can! Just drop your pants and under-shorts
and we can tell your exact age.'

Embarrassed just a little, but anxious to prove they couldn't do it, he
dropped his drawers.

The Grandmas asked him to first turn around a couple of times and to jump up and down several times.

Then they all piped up and said, 'You're 87 years old!

Standing with his pants down around his ankles, the old gent asked,

'How in the world did you guess?'

Slapping their knees and grinningfrom ear to ear, all three old Ladies happily yelled in unison--

'We were at your birthday party yesterday!'

Black Hills South Dakota Part 2

2011-07-12T05:07:00.000-07:00

I love art - almost any kind. But wood and metal are probably my favorites. Oh - and glass! This metal horse is one of the first things we say on the street across from the restaurant our first evening in Hill City. The artist used all different types of metal tools to make the parts of the horse.

Isn't it amazing?

Just down the street where two guys making wood sculptures using chainsaws and grinders.

How do they do that?

Bath Puffs & Dish Cloths

2011-07-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

It's not really the right season for crocheting scarves, hats and afghans, so I thought I would try something new.
Purchased a bunch of 100% cotton yarn and going to sell the bath puffs and dish cloths on Artfire to try and raise some money to purchase more yarn for the scarves/hats/afghans that I donate to the shelters in the city.

Haven't got them listed yet... need a few more hours in the day :)
But they are fun too do :) The orange bath puff is HUGE!
If you are interested in anyone of the above - just send me an email.

Black Hills South Dakota Part 1

2011-07-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

It so happened that hubby had last week off because he started a new job today. Last Tuesday we decided that it would be nice to get away for a few days, since we don't know when he will have holidays again. Hubby has never been to the Black Hills, it's a one day drive, so that's where we went. It takes 11 hours to drive to Hill City SD, where we managed to find a hotel after 2 hours of phoning hotels/motels on Tuesday.

We left Thursday morning at 7:30am, the border only opens at 8 so we couldn't leave earlier. Arrived in Hill City just in time for dinner :) We took the shortest route, which actually meant very little interstate driving. Never saw so many rolling green hills and cows in my life!!! There was a 100 mile stretch where we met 7 other vehicles, saw NO yards/houses/civilization, only hills and cows.

Here are some views of Hill City, I took them in the early morning when we went for breakfast - no one else is up at 6:30am :)

There was a thunder storm the first night we were there, 3 storms the 2nd day and one the 3rd evening. None of them lasted more than 30 minutes thank goodness! It's hard to site see in the rain.

This is our truck parked in front of the restaurant the last evening we were there. You can't see the pea size hail that was also falling. Really felt for the people on motorcycle! Check out the water behind the tires of the Jeep. It was just running down the street!

I will post more photo's of some of the sites in the next installment :)
Have a wonderful day!!

Look want Logan brought home

2011-06-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Logan lives/works in the city. His girlfriend and her parents do too. They had a ground hog in their yard that was digging up their garden. He/she also liked to get some sun on a lawn chair on their deck once in a while. They didn't like the mess in the garden, so they trapped it and Logan brought it home so it could live in the wild :)

Isn't he/she cute?

Taco in a Bag

2011-06-25T05:09:00.000-07:00

We had this at a fair one time many many years ago. Sometimes when I have left over taco meat, I'll pick up some small bags of taco chips and we'll have lunch :) The boys loved it when they were little.

TACO IN A BAG

Small bag of taco chips.
taco meat
chopped tomato
chopped lettuce
grated cheese
taco sauce

Cut the bag of taco chips open on the side. Crunch the chips. Add warm/hot taco meat, tomato, lettuce, cheese and taco sauce. Mix well and enjoy :)
Quick, easy and fun for kids!

My Yard on the First Day of Summer :)

2011-06-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Went out yesterday morning and took some photo's of our yard. It was cloudy on the first day of summer, hope that's not a sign of what the whole summer will be like! I did mow the grass later in the day, luckily - it started raining last night - we have 2" so far...

My 3 pots of flowers :) The white ones with the purple middles only open if the sun is out. They are really cute... Luke picked those :)

My garden:

Went to the end of the driveway and took photos in each direction so you could see how flat it is here. The photo's don't show how far you can actually see.

Looking south

(that's our yard in the distance, we have a 1/2 mile driveway):

West:

North:

East:

Might have to take photo's again when the sun is shining.

I'm So Glad I Found Out About This!

2011-06-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

The correct way to weigh yourself:

I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years!!

WE MUST SPREAD THE WORD.

Never take life seriously; nobody gets out alive anyway.

Chicken Stew on the BBQ

2011-06-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was trying to figure out all day what to make for dinner. It's just hubby and I during the week, cooking for 2 is sooooo different than cooking for 4! I needed something that I could just throw on the BBQ and not worry about while I was mowing grass. This is what I came up with.

Chicken Stew in Foil

2 chicken breasts
3 large potatoes
4 carrots
2 tins of cream of something soup
1 envelope onion soup mix

Place in large bowl:
peeled and cubed potatoes, cubed chicken breasts (I cut each into about 9 pieces), peeled and cubed carrots, condensed soups and soup mix. Stir.
Soups: I used one cream of mushroom and one cream of chicken. But you could use cream of celery too (going to try that next time) or any combination of cream soups you have on hand

I had 2 smaller foil pans and lined them with heavy duty foil, then closed the foil tight. It only took about 35 minutes on the bbq at med. heat. Quick and easy :) Hubby says it's a keeper!!

Amazing Leather

2011-06-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

*Where are you from?

I am originally from MA. I grew up on the lake in Monticello, Indiana. At 16 we moved to a small town in Illinois, where I remained until 4 years ago when we relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio.

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I am the mother of 4 wonderful children. 2 boys, 2 girls. Ages 13-21. My husband and I have been married since 1990. We have a very spoiled Pug named Lucy who is 9. We have an extremely close family and I am so proud of them all! I am an EMT. I just retired myself from EMS a year ago and my husband is a Truck driver. However, I have been an Artist my whole life. It literally drives me in many aspects of life. For this I am so proud and blessed. This is why I love Etsy. It is such a wonderful feeling to be in the company of so much talent and others who have the same passions for all forms of Art!

*How did you decide on your shop name?

Since our shop is a combined effort, consisting of both myself and my husband when he is home, we felt we should incorporate our last name somehow. We wanted Creations instead of Works, because we draw a lot of our own designs and patterns. We cut all of our own patterns and have tried to put a whole different twist to leather tooling and design. We still do the intricate classic forms of leather tooling, but we also have added a lot of more modern designs and vibrant colors. Sometimes we combine the two using an age old form of stitching (that I feel is the most superior in stitching leather ) with the modern colors and designs. So Creations would have been more accurate, but it was 2 letters too long.

*Why did you start your business?

Well, I am a 'jack of all trades' artist. Everything you can think of is a blank canvas just waiting for a new twist or a design. Wether it be a piece of wood, an old picture frame, fabric, paper or canvas. You name it and my mind will come up with a design for it. So I have always been the artistic one that everyone comes to. However, my husband has had a huge talent for leather tooling and has been doing it for the last 30 years. He just never thought of himself as an 'artist' like I do. I came up with the idea ( since I never had a real niche') that we combine our talent. My dream has always been to be a successful artist and this was a venue I really thought we could shine at. Combining his skills and mine ( along with him teaching me the tooling and stitching), I feel we are on our way. The great thing to leather work is I can still be very versatile. I have a niche' now, but can still create whatever I feel like. Now the leather is my blank canvas for whatever design I'm feeling and whatever type of item I feel like creating.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

1) Craftmanship - I want people to be able to see the detail, time and attention that goes into each item we create.
2) Quality - I want them to see the stitching and linings and backing we use to truly make our product top notch. I feel we go one step further. When we stitch and use lining and backing, we use a soft leather and leather lace. Each hole has to be individually punched. Everything is done by hand. But we use this method, because we know it never comes undone! I think it looks great too.
3) Unique - Although some think this word is overused, I truly want to stand out and be a little different than others in my trade.
4) Variety - Something to suit a wide range of taste, along with a little of this and a little of that.
5) Versatility - Many of our items like the bracelet cuffs, can be versatile in many looks you are going for. Dressy, casual, etc.

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

Specific color for me is turquoise. I love the vibrant colors. Really I love them all! I never have one addiction because of my " Oh we can get this and add it to this and create........" ALL the time! or "We should try to make a pattern for this or start adding in this" Everything I see is an addiction!

*What activities do you enjoy?

I love to cook! I always cook a great dinner and we eat as a family at the table almost everynight. At least whoever is home and not at work. I'm an obsessive neat freak, so I clean all the time. I love to read and we all love being outdoors. We do a lot of family activities, wether we are just hanging out on the deck, playing yard games or heading to the park for some Spicer baseball.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

Although I'm addicted to purses and I just LOVE them, I would have to say the bookmarks. I know, silly, but as an avid reader, I love great bookmarks!

*What keeps you motivated?

My own constant drive to create. It's like food for me. I have to utilize it or I go buggy. When I get an idea or design in my head, I have to get it out.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

Well I am new, but patience. Love what you do! Good photos. We know that this is so hard and our items look so much better in person, but this is how the customers view our items. VERY important. Good descriptions and policies! Policies are really important. How soon do you ship, how do you ship etc should all be in there. Great customer service is a must! Communication is key to this.

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

I am on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/paintandcreate
As far as FB goes, I only have a regular personal page. I have not created a fan page as of yet.

Fresh Biscuits & Strawberry/Rhubarb Jam

2011-06-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

The grocery store had strawberries on sale last week, and they looked really good! Purchased to large containers and decided that Luke & I would make some jam on Friday.
We made Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam and also a Rhubarb Freezer Jam. They are both amazing!!
Of course Luke asked for biscuits for Saturday's breakfast so he could try the new jam :)

BISCUITS

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup hard margarine

4 tsp. baking powder

1 cup milk

I put the flour, cut up marg. and baking powder into my food processor until it's crumbly. Doesn't take very long. For the milk - sometimes I do 1/2 c milk + 1/2 c. buttermilk or cream. Depends what I have in the fridge.

Pat the "dough" until it's about 1/2 an inch thick and cut into circles with a cup, cookie cutter or whatever you happen to have.

Bake at 425F for about 12 minutes or so.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB JAM

4 cups fresh strawberries, crushed

2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb

1/4 cup bottled lemon juice

1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin

5-1/2 cups sugar

In a Dutch oven, combine the strawberries, rhubarb and lemon juice; stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 6 pints.

(I put the jam into containers and froze it.)

RHUBARB FREEZER JAM

5 c. cut up rhubarb

4 c. sugar

Mix and let stand overnight. Heat and boil until rhubarb is done (not very long). Remove from stove and add 1 (3 oz.) box of strawberry Jello (dry). Let cool. Put in small containers in freezer. Tastes like strawberry jam. Delicious as an ice cream topping.

Ceramics For Everyone!

2011-06-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

I love handmade ceramics! Ceramics for Everyone has the most beautiful plates and cutest cups! They look way to pretty to use :)

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born and brought up in Wales and then spent many years living away in London, Spain and other places in the UK before returning home five years ago.

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

I started Ceramics for Everyone in 2009 after being inundated with requests from shops, companies and friends to produce a lower price gift ware service to cater for the Welsh and English markets. The credit crunch had started and customers still needed lovely handmade gifts but at a lower price.

I used to have a company that produced limited edition bespoke bone china tableware but its price point was too high when the credit crunch hit.

Previously to this I was a sole trader producing porcelain batch production tableware using various processes as jigger-jolley, slip-cast and thrown ware.

I grew up with lots of little ornaments that I had to dust so now I only seem to want to make items that have a function as well as looking great on the wall, dresser or table.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

I can only think of three.
1.WOW!
2. It was made in Wales!
3. I want one!

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

I love anything that I cannot make myself. I love to see craftsmanship, skills and old fashioned techniques that large companies will not produce due to costs.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

I’m a bit of a gym bunny! But yoga tries to keeps me in the now. I also have two teenagers, hence the yoga! I also love baking super size cakes and growing vegetables in pots apart from that I’m always writing notes and ideas, doing scribbles, drawings. I don’t think you can ever stop being creative. It’s the only constant, regular and reliable thing in my life.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

The next new item is always the best! I get bored easily so working with clay is great as you are always using different tools, machines and processes to produce an end result.

*What keeps you motivated?

That is such a difficult question.
Feedback from customers are absolutely fantastic especially if it’s been a tough day.

If I am having a lethargic week. I take a deep breath and ask if I’d rather be doing something else, the answer is always no. I love my job. I think I’m very lucky to have found clay and the thought of my creations being passed down to generations long after I live is mind blowing.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

I’m pretty new with the Etsy shop compared to all the amazing shops on there.
Dream, Believe, Achieve and I also pray a lot!!!

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

www.ceramicsforeveryone.etsy.com
www.ceramics4every1.twitter.com
www.flickr.com/photostream/ceramicsforeveryone
www.ceramicsforeveryone.blogspot.com

My Shop - new and sales

2011-06-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

I've actually been making some new coasters and magnets for my Etsy shop :)

Here is what I've been up too - the first 4 items are actually on sale this week - $1 off.

Scrambled Eggs

2011-06-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

Hubby has eggs for breakfast twice a week. I was getting tired of the same old eggs and found this recipe in a cookbook that I have. You can add any meat you want, this time I did it with ham. Usually I will omit the jalapeno pepper - don't have those on hand as a rule :)

FIESTA SCRAMBLED EGGS

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Salsa

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion and peppers until tender. Sprinkle with bacon. Pour eggs over the top; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until eggs are completely set. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with salsa.

Have an Awesome Weekend!!

Some Treasuries

2011-05-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

I should be posting a feature - but still having some trouble typing with only 3 fingers on my left hand :)

So I thought I would share some treasuries I've made. Starting an "Inspired Series". I pick an item I love, then make the treasury around it. Here are 3 of my favorites:

What NOT to do when camping...

2011-05-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

We went on our annual camping trip this weekend. Usually we ride the atv's on Sat and Sun. however this time we ended up making a trip to the hospital on Sat. morning. I was trying to chop wood to start a fire for breakfast and missed...

Well - I missed the wood that is. My pointing finger has 3 stitches between my finger nail and the top knuckle. They think I will have nicked the bone too, so I'm on antibiotics for two weeks. The middle finger wasn't cut quite as deep, so it didn't need stitches.

Won't be driving the bus for a couple of days, and typing is interesting :) Hubby and Logan got a little riding in Sat. afternoon after we got back to the campground, but it started to rain and didn't quit until late at night. Guess we'll have to go another weekend - I just will leave the ax alone :)

Hope everyone else had an uneventful weekend!

Taco Pasta Salad

2011-05-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

I love taco salad - but the "men" don't care for it quite as much. Then I found this recipe - now they love taco salad too :) It's a wonderful salad to take on a picnic, to a summer potluck, or camping!

TACO PASTA SALAD

2 cups uncooked spiral pasta

1 pound ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning

3 cups shredded lettuce

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup Catalina salad dressing

Tortilla chips

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the taco seasoning; cool.

Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stir into meat mixture. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onion, green pepper and dressing; toss to coat. Serve with tortilla chips.

Do you have a favorite summer salad?

Beautiful Flowers!

2011-05-25T01:56:00.000-07:00

Are you getting married this summer or know someone who is? Ardesign has some beautiful bouquets! I looked through her whole shop to find my favorites to feature, I think I changed my selection of favorites a dozen times before I decided on these :) They are all so beautiful!

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am from Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
I have been in the floral industry for about 15 + years as a artistic freelance floral designer
Having been part of an award winning design team and having the pleasure to design pieces for TV, Movies, Magazines and celebrities including Her Majesty The Queen

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

I came up with the name because my last name is "Ard" and just added the word "design" into it and thought it was nice and simple :)
I started my business when the economy took a down turn and had some extra time on my hands
Prior to opening my shop, i was freelancing for various party planning event companies and wasn't getting enough work from them as the economy had impacted the industry quite hard

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

Alternative,unique,forever keepsake,beautiful,Realistic

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

Feathers are my supply addiction, i have all colors and types of feathers you can imagine...i really think they make a custom piece look so gorgeous!

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

I love to go to flea markets and thrift stores and find vintage treasures...treasure hunting is my way of relaxation and very theraputic, i also love spending time with my dogs and hubby going for long walks in the wilderness or out and about on my Electric scooter

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

I love making the feather and organza bouquets they are quite labour intensive but the finished product is so very stunning
I have alot of favorites like the Feather Fusion design www.etsy.com/listing/53358497/feather-fusion-feather-and-organza

Giving an artist the freedom to create what comes from the heart is the best way to receive the most beautiful piece you can imagine! :)

*What keeps you motivated?

My happy clients keep me motivated, I love that my design is going to be involved in such a special part of their day and I get so excited when they send me pictures of my designs in action, the pictures they send are so very much appreciated

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

Answer your convos quickly and daily from potential buyers,believe in yourself and your product and they will come :)

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

I do have an "Ardesign" facebook fanpage where I have a plethora of albums for all to see of the beautiful weddings my designs were a part of
here is the link www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Ardesign/107501499271675

Well ... that didn't turn out.

2011-05-23T01:19:00.000-07:00

Do you every start a project, get almost done, then decide you don't like it?

After crocheting scarves and Hats for 3.5 months or so, I decided to switch to afghans. Found out that the shelter I was sending the scarves/hats too also helps people set up in homes once in a while. Everyone could use an afghan for the cold Manitoba winters. Finished this one:

Was disappointed that it wasn't bigger. If I do this pattern again I will make more rows before putting it together and doing the border. Had quite a bit of yarn left over - so thought I'd just crochet long strips then sew them together to make another one. Had the strips almost done - but didn't like the way they looked when I had them lying beside each other:

So I'm starting again. Crocheting Backwards? This time I'll do the afghan in one piece just have the stripes running width wise.

Also have this dark red one in the works, but need another big ball of yarn to finish it. Will get it the next time I'm at wally world.

What are you working on?

Chicken Tater Bake

2011-05-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

I found some left over turkey in my freezer the other day, so I went looking for something I could make with it. This is a new recipe for us, but I was told that it's a keeper and I can make it any time :)

CHICKEN TATER BAKE

2 cans (1- 3/4 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, cubed

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 package (16 pz) frozen peas and carrots, thawed

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 package (32 oz) frozen Tater Tots

In a large saucepan, combine the soup, milk and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Remove from the heat; stir in the chicken, peas and carrots, and 1 cup cheese.

Transfer to two greased 8 inch square baking dishes. top with Tater Tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350F for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through.

To use frozen casserole: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Cover and bake at 350F for 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours or until heated through.

How I did it:

This is where I tell you what I did different. There are a few recipes that I actually do make according to directions :)

I used left over turkey, and added on packet of chicken bouillon and a 1/2 tsp of thyme. Didn't have peas & carrots, so used the mixed veggies I had in the freezer. Also heated the soup, milk and butter in a glass dish in the microwave. Instead of 2 - 8inch containers I used a 9x13, so it needed to bake about 20 minutes longer for the middle to get hot.

Blue Wave Glass

2011-05-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Jennifer - I live in beautiful SW Florida with my husband, two daughters ages 3 & 5, and one crazy dog. They keep me very busy! We are originally from Baltimore, Maryland - Moved to Florida about 6 years ago to enjoy the weather and a quieter, more peaceful area. Family time is most important to me..We love going to the beach, swimming in our pool, and gardening together.

I have always loved to create, but have found Mosaics to be my passion. I love the idea of putting together a picture with so many tiny pieces...like a puzzle, they all come together to create something really special.

I have been making Mosaics for a while now...Mostly flower pots for myself, friends and family. I have always dreamed about selling items at craft shows, so I have decided to start something new with Blue Wave Glass. I am inspired always by nature...birds, butterflies, dragonflies, all kinds of flowers and plants. I think because of my daughters, I am now dreaming of mermaids and fairy mosaics too!

I want to make items that people will really use and display in there homes and gardens. I call it Functional Art - Flowers Pots, Candle Holders, Trivets, Birdhouses and Wall Hangings. I have so many more ideas!

I make each item like I was making a gift for my own friend or family. And I have a lot of fun making each and every one.

*How did you decide on your shop name?

My shop name tells you how much I love Florida's Gulf Coast...We have the most beautiful blue water!

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

I do have a supply addition - Blue Stained Glass. For some reason all shades of blue just call out to me.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

I have only been on Etsy for a short time...but I think the best advice is to take great pictures, promote your shop where ever you can, and don't give up. I like to read the Forums, other sellers give the best suggestions, they are really very helpful.

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?
www.facebook.com/bluewaveglass
www.bluewaveglass.blogspot.com

There is a Tent in my Living Room

2011-05-16T03:16:00.000-07:00

Did you ever make tents out of chairs and blankets for your kids? The boys used to love doing that in the living room and "camping out" :)

For some reason I thought they would out grow that - but Luke purchased a new tent last week, and when it showed up in the mail, he promptly set it up in the living room.

It's called the "hubba hubba" - it's a one man tent. Luke is hoping to do some back trails hiking and camping this year, so he purchased the tent, a new back pack, and a sleeping bag that is good to about 15 degrees Fahrenheit. The sleeping bag is down filled.

Well - hope he has fun. Think I'll stick with camping in a cabin with a real bed :)

Whatcha' Reading?

2011-05-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

Do you have a favorite book site? Mine is Fantastic Fiction. You can search an author, see every book they have written and if it's a series - find out what to order of books is! Wonderful site! They also have a section for new releases and coming soon.

This week I started "Death Echo" by Elizabeth Lowell. I've read her books before, but many many years ago. Of course after checking out Fantastic Fiction, I find out that it's book 5 in a series :( Oh well, guess I'll read this series backwards.

I just started Chapter 7 and I'm still reading it - so it must be a good book :) Here is a teaser from Chapter 43, page 220:

"As she reached for the pull rope to start the kicker, water slammed into the boat and spray slapped across her face. She yanked the starter rope once, and again, then again. On the fourth try the small outboard shuddered, belched a cloud of unburned gas and oil that wind swept back into the boat, and died."

This is a Suspense novel - so far so good :)
What are you reading now? I'm always looking for good books and authors.

Oven Apple Pancake

2011-05-13T12:33:00.001-07:00

We love this recipe. I make it when I have time - take about 1 hour start to finish, but is well worth the time and effort.

Oven Apple Pancake

1/4 cup butter or hard margarine

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

ground cinnamon, light sprinkle

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced in wedges

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup flour

Melt butter in 9 inch pie plate in 425F oven. Stir brown sugar into melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Overlap apples in single layer. Cook in oven for 10 minutes.

Beat eggs with spoon in bowl. Add milk, salt and flour. Stir to moisten. Don't try to smooth out small lumps. Pour over apples. Return to oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Featuring Beautiful Unique Jewelry

2011-05-11T01:28:00.000-07:00

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Rogers Park in Chicago, moved to Albany Park after getting married and I have lived in the western suburbs for about 20 years now.
Four of my favorite things are cats, reading, beading, and eating chocolate.

*How did you decide on your shop name?

In one job, I was always called “Linda B” because there were 3 Lindas in the same department. By accident, I signed up with what would be my username, thinking I could change my shop name. The numbers 1+4+2=7 = Creation. So, it really is Linda B’s Creations.

*Why did you start your business?

I started making beaded jewelry and shopped at local gem shows for gemstones and sterling silver findings. I purchased way too much for me to wear, so I chose to start my Etsy shop.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

1. I want to wear that bold design by Linda B.
2. That piece of jewelry is so unique that I’d like to own it.
3. Her designs are so creative and she offers a variety of styles and prices.
4. That piece of jewelry matches that outfit I want to wear for a wedding, graduation, birthday, etc.
5. I wonder if Linda can alter the beads to match the color blue, red, yellow, etc. or design it for a gift.

*What is your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can't pass up?

My weakness is Jasper gemstones, red, greenish (ocean jasper), brown jasper. Jasper gives you strength and protection.

*What do you do when you are not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

I love playing fetch with my black cat Fritzy with a bottlecap. He can play for hours and he plays with both me and my husband, alternating between us. Snuggling with our other cats Buddy and Sammy for weekend naptimes is another favorite thing to do. Give me a good book, a cat and a blanket and I’m thrilled.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

One of my newest items is my Facebook Tutorial or Guide, which is 13 pages (and includes screenshots) on how to set up a FaceBook personal and business page. www.etsy.com/listing/72307494/facebook-tutorial-or-how-to-guide

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

Join an Etsy team and learn from experienced sellers how to photograph your items and learn other tools to promote. Read the Etsy blog and other articles thoroughly.

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

Blog: linorstorecom.blogspot.com
Facebook: facebook.com/linorstore
Twitter: twitter.com/lindab142
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24930325@N03/

MenoPause Sucks!

2011-05-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

So what exactly is supposed to "Pause" now? It's not the monthly's and PMS seems to be permanent (at least the family thinks so). I can go from "WOOHOO - the day has started" to crying to depressed to angry - and that's just the first hour of the day when I'm the only one awake!! ARG!!

My memory is crap. It's never been the greatest but now...
If I don't write down EVERYTHING it doesn't get done. Luckily I can get up, start coffee, pack lunches & start breakfast in my sleep, or most days hubby would have to buy lunch. And luckily I've driven the same school bus route for the last 7 years - could almost do it with my eyes closed.

Don't get me started on hot flashes! They were gone for 2 years, now they are back worse than ever :( Hubby thinks "hot" flashes means I'm horny. WHAT?!! Are you Kidding?!!

I finally decided to go to a local herbal shop to see if they had something that would help. They gave me these pills to help with:

Mood Swings
Hot Flashes
Insomnia
Stress & fatigue
Decreased Libido
Improves memory

Now if only I could remember to take them. Put them on the table right where I set my plate - maybe then I'll remember.

Double Brownies

2011-05-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

We love brownies :) But it took me a while to find a recipe that wasn't just chocolate. I've made this one many times, and we quite enjoy it. Don't always add the icing - it doesn't really need it. Do you have a favorite brownie recipe you might want to share? :))

DOUBLE BROWNIES

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Chocolate Layer: Beat 2 eggs until foamy. Add granulated sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Melt cocoa and butter together in saucepan over low heat. Add to egg mixture and blend well. Spread in greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Set aside.

Butterscotch Layer: in clean bowl cream butter with brown sugar. Add 2 eggs and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Spoon over chocolate layer in small blobs. Spread as best you can. Bake in 350F oven for 30 minutes until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool and frost.

ICING:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3 tbsp. milk

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Bring butter, brown sugar and milk to boil in saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes. Cool Stir in icing sugar, adding more sugar or milk if necessary to make consistency for easy spreading. Spread over cooled squares.

Sweet & Sassy Cards

2011-05-04T02:43:00.000-07:00

Since opening my shop on Etsy - I purchase very few "store" cards anymore. There is such a variety of beautiful handmade cards on Etsy that cost less than the ones at the card shop. Everyone LOVES a handmade card :) Sweet and Sassy Cards has some serious cards, funny cards (really!), unique ones and also a wonderful selection of cards, tags, place cards for a wedding!

*Where are you from?

I was born in Buffalo, New York and lived with my family in what was once my great grandmothers house. I’ve lived my entire life within a 5 mile radius of that old house This Buffalo gal really does believe that home is where the heart is.

*How did you decide on your shop name?

I decided on my shop name when I sat down at my computer, signed on to Etsy for the first and the name I wanted was taken. Sweet and Sassy Cards seemed to fit.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

I want people to see my cards as:

fun
unique
creative
sweet
and sassy!

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

Paper - without a doubt. Whenever I'm at a craft store, I grab a few sheets (or maybe more than a few) I really do like purple. There is one particular brand of paper that I cannot get enough of. I hate the idea of running out of glue, so I buy lots of glue.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

My day job brings me lots of happiness and joy. I’m an elementary school library aide and have been for 18 years. I love it, kids are almost always happy and they are a pleasure to see every day. One of my great
loves is animals. I have quite a few critters that want lots of attention. Of course I love spending time with my so patient hubby and my grown children too.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

Every time I start a new card it’s my new favorite. I really enjoy making custom cards and hearing the stories of who will receive it and why. It makes the process so special.

*What keeps you motivated?

Honestly, it’s sales. I love, love, love creating new cards, but sometimes when the sales are slow it’s hard for me to find motivation. I do know that I can turn to my Etsy friends for a “motivation renewal”. I’ve come to realize that sales ebb and flow.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

It would be the same advice that I received as a newbie - have patience. I think you can tell from the post above that I’m still working on that one myself!

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

You can find me at
Facebook - www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-and-Sassy-Cards/292705589332
Twitter - twitter.com/SweetandSassyCa
Artfire - www.artfire.com/users/SweetandSassyCards

My new Puppy & Intelligence According to Pony Tails

2011-05-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Ok - it's not a real puppy :)

This is what I received for my birthday from my sister-in-law. Isn't it cute? Now I need to find something to put in the basket. She mentioned that there is also a "boy" to go with this one. Might have to find out where she purchased this and get that one too!

Luke found this on the internet. Not quite sure I agree. Though Luke thinks it's right on target since he wears his hair in a pony tail like the last one.

Almost burst out laughing on the school bus the other day, when one of the girls walked up with her pony tail on the top of her head :)

Yesterday was my Birthday & Blog Changes

2011-04-30T03:17:00.000-07:00

Yes - yesterday was my birthday :) It was a wonderful day. Woke up to 3 sales in my Etsy shop, and by the end of the day I had 36! What happened? Well it seems that some of my friends on Etsy decided to hold a "reverse" b-day party for me. Instead of sending my gifts - they purchased items from my shop. Crazy!! I was speechless.

Hubby did remember at breakfast to say "Happy Birthday". That's not bad - breakfast is at 5:15am! Of course he had been mentioning my birthday every day during the week - I think it was more to remind himself not to forget, like he did last year :)

Had to send the boys each a text with "Happy Birthday to Me" on it. But they are boys. This is what Luke sent me back in an email:

Isn't he just a funny boy! lol

Blog changes:
I'm going to post on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays now. It's just getting to hard to keep up with everything. I'm hoping that this way I can comment on other blogs the days I'm not blogging :) Wouldn't that be a nice change? I'm getting so bad at commenting!

Hope everyone has an amazing weekend!!

Easy Taco Shepherd's Pie

2011-04-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

We really like taco flavoring, but having taco's all the time can get old :) I found this recipe somewhere - never did write it down, but it's so easy you don't really need a "real" recipe.

TACO SHEPHERD'S PIE

Make taco meat like you usually do, using 2 lbs of ground beef. Add one tin of kidney beans and one tin of canned corn. Let simmer for a few minutes, then place in a casserole dish. Top with cheese, then mashed potatoes. Place in 350 Degree oven until it starts to bubble and potatoes are a little brown.

** I made this on Monday and used left over corn and mashed potatoes from Saturdays Turkey dinner.

Feature 4/28 - CNJceramics

2011-04-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

I love pottery! So when I found CNJ Ceramics and saw some of their beautiful unique items, I just had to feature their shop :)

Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a New Florixan. I know you are wondering what that means, because I did indeed make it up! I was born and raised in Florida but now reside in New Mexico, which I refer to as my home. The smell of roasting green chiles in August, the mountain in my back yard that is my playground, and the eclectic traditions of the various cultures are all things that make me smile. It is inevitable that a piece of Florida still lives with me, mostly the fear of sea creatures I can’t see when I swim in the ocean and the rocket launches from Cape Canaveral. Which brings me to the next important fact, I am an aerospace engineer during the day time. I am proof that some engineers do have an artistic side, but on the contrary I analyze everything to death!

How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

My shop is rather simple. CNJ is a combination of initials from myself and my husband: with mine being first, his being second, and ours being last. Then of course, ceramics is what I sell. Honestly, my husband (an engineer as well) is my secret helper, he makes a lot of my ideas work, not to mention he loads my kiln. The least I could do was give him a bit of the name, even if it is only 10%.

I started my business from peer pressure really. I made all of the vases for the centerpieces at my wedding reception, along with our cake topper and even the guest favors. My guest asked if they could take these things home for home décor to which I gladly obliged. I received so many compliments on the pieces I made which included the peer pressure to begin to sell them. Everyone was super supportive in making sure my hobby would become a product (particularly my Dad, who is very successful entrepreneur and the source of all my business advice).

What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

First and foremost, I am a mother to a marvelous son; honestly, he is the most rewarding part of my life, he gives me a reason to wake up happy every morning! Second, I love to travel and it can be anywhere and by any means; I am not picky. I live for the experience (and luckily I can be a mother simultaneously)! If I could travel non-stop and still have means to an end, I would.

Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

Ask me again in a month and it probably will have changed, but right now I am in love with my Terracotta Night and Day Luna Bowl. It is a little piece of me! The piece is a combination of my work and my travels, not to mention it is functional.

What keeps you motivated?

My forever revolving brain! I have so many ideas in there for new products that I need to let out; now if only I could buy more time.

If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

You can’t be successful if you never start! By this I mean, don’t wait until “everything” is perfect to get your shop up and running. In the engineering world, your Etsy shop would be known as a spiral process: develope, plan, analysis, evaluate and repeat! Go ahead post your products, right now. Even if you think your pictures are only mediocre or you think your product descriptions are lame, these things are all easily changed, and you will eventually discover that they will evolve. People can’t LOVE your products if you aren’t listing them.

Are there other places on the net we can find you?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Clay-Space/159523937431433
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/505ClaySpace
Blog: clay-space.com
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/57781338@N07/sets/72157625613135251/

Twitter Tree Tuesday!

2011-04-26T02:50:00.001-07:00

My friend Jacki over at Christie Cottage came up with an ingenious idea for promoting items in your shops.

The Twitter Tree will be hosted by a different shop each business day.

Monday: Christie Cottage
Tuesday: Audrey's Country Crafts
Wednesday: Eluna Jewelry
Thursday: I Wish I May, I Wish I Might
Friday: Sweetybird09

Here are the instructions:

You tweet the item(s) for me and all the posts above yours, along with your twitter account so we can follow you, and list 1-3 items (clickable links) from any of your online shops that you would like for all those posting here to tweet for you. ( No "mature" items, please). Be sure the item is twitter ready. (See above) Check back throughout the day and tweet all the new items posted from other online shops. Etsy, ArtFire, Zibbet, Bonanzle, ebay, your own website, etc..

Please add this tag to your tweets. " #BlueBird"
This way we can Retweet later in the day, simply by searching the tag.

Please add a description of your item, not just the link.
Thanks!

By reaching out thru blogger and blog follower's twitter accounts, we will reach a new audience of viewers and hopefully land some sales. After all, we all have our online shops to make money.

Here are my 3 items for the day:

Beige Flip Flops Coaster

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71868740/ #bluebird

Blue Squares Domino Magnets

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72335209/ #bluebird

Pink Tulip Coaster

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72269146/
#bluebird

Hope everyone has fun promoting and maybe we'll get some sales!!

Chartreuse & Orange

2011-04-25T04:39:00.001-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

2011-04-24T04:58:00.001-07:00

Bacon Roses and some favorite Recipe Sites.

2011-04-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of the site Instructables? Luke apparently looks there quite a bit. He found out how to make Bacon Roses. I kid you not!! How cool are these!

I don't think I'll be making bacon roses anytime soon - but someone has a very good imagination.

Here are some of my favorite places to look for recipes when I just don't know what to make.

Taste of Home
Kraft Canada
Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Do you have favorite sites you go to for recipes? Would love to see them!! One woman can never have too many recipes :)

Feature - Rosa Maria's Kitchen

2011-04-20T01:37:00.000-07:00

I was quite surprised to find food shops on Etsy when I first started selling there. But I've since found some really good ones! Rosa Maria's Kitchen is a wonderful shop! I've tried the taco seasoning and the Dry Jerk Rub. We liked them so much I've re-ordered them :) Now I really want to try the Strawberry Daiquiri Jam. It looks sooooooooo goooooood!!!
Rosa Maria's Kitchen is offering a coupon code for the next week!!
BLOGFEATURE for 20% off
I may just get that jam after all!!

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

- I'm from a small town in Northeast Ohio. My parents were raised in the same town, graduated a couple of years apart in school and were highschool sweethearts. I grew up about 5 miles from my husband and we graduated high school together. We dated on and off in school but I wouldn't really call us high school sweethearts. We were married last July surrounded by everyone we hold dear to our hearts. I graduated college with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology. I currently work as an Applications Chemist - I test chemicals in their final state - plastics, rubbers, PVC, wood plastics. And I actually love what I do. I have a cat that I love dearly - Bella. She really is my baby - especially since we don't have children. I enjoy cooking but I'm not so found of doing the dishes :)

*How did you decide on your shop name?

- That is probably the easiest question! My grandmother was a very influential person in my life. When both of my parents were working, I would spend the day with her as a little girl. Her name was Rosa Maria. She passed away about 5 years ago and I still miss her dearly. She was always in the kitchen and you could never go to her house without eating something. So when starting an etsy store related to food I knew that I would have had her blessing. This way her name and spirit still lives on. Maybe it is her blessing that has helped my store to succeed.

* Why did you start your business?

- I actually started my business because I had so many extra Hot Pepper Jellies in my fruit cellar from the year before. They stay good canned for several years but I have seen that several other etsy stores selling this product were doing very well. So I thought I would give it a try. Not it is a part time job!

*What are 3 things you want people to think when they see your product?

- I want to try that!
- That sounds interesting!
- That would be great on ...

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

- Well, I have a full time job - Monday thru Friday - job. After that I enjoy dabbling at photography. I have another store that sells that - NoteablyRelaxed.etsy.com. I have a neice & nephew that I enjoy playing with. And in the summer I love to be outside. I also love to travel - just recently returned from our belated honeymoon in Hawaii. It was absolutely beautiful and can't wait to go back.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

- Pumpkin Apple Butter - it takes about 2 hours to make. And while it is cooking the house smells wonderful. I just had a large order of it for a wedding and the house smelled great for days!

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

- Keep trying! At first it seems like no one is noticing your work. You have to keep listing, network - make friends. Every little thing you do helps. Second, treat your customers great. Throw a little something extra in. If you keep them happy with your product they will be more likely to come back again.

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

- RosaMariasKitchen.blogspot.com

- www.twitter.com/RMariasKitchen

- NoteablyRelaxed.etsy.com

Twitter Tree Tuesday!

2011-04-19T01:01:00.000-07:00

My friend Jacki over at Christie Cottage came up with an ingenious idea for promoting items in your shops.

The Twitter Tree will be hosted by a different shop each business day.

Monday: Christie Cottage
Tuesday: Audrey's Country Crafts
Wednesday: Eluna Jewelry
Thursday: I Wish I May, I Wish I Might
Friday: Sweetybird09

Here are the instructions:

Here are my 3 items for the day:

Beige Flip Flops Coaster

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71868740/ #bluebird

Blue Squares Domino Magnets

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72335209/ #bluebird

Pink Tulip Coaster

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72269146/
#bluebird

Hope everyone has fun promoting and maybe we'll get some sales!!

Where did Spring Go?

2011-04-17T03:14:00.000-07:00

When we woke up on Sat morning, and there was almost 3 inches of snow on the ground. It started snowing around 5:30pm on Friday, we didn't think it would amount to much.
Luckily, it's almost all gone now, but that means the yard is all wet and the roads are a mess. Since I live in the country, it's mostly gravel roads around here, with paved highways between towns. I'm glad I didn't wash the bus on Wed. like I'd planned!!

Going to order seeds for the garden tomorrow. Wonder if I'll ever get to plant?

Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

2011-04-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love my slow cooker :) Saw a blog about a year ago where she used her slow cooker every day for a year. That might be a bit too much, but once a week works for me! A friend of mine does Lasagna in the crock pot - she gave me her recipe. Might have to try that and see how it goes. But here is a recipe that we really like, it calls for stew meat, but I cut up a round steak I had in the freezer - worked wonderfully!

SLOW-COOKER BEEF STROGANOFF

2 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
10oz. fresh mushrooms, halved
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 cup Sour Cream
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 pkg. (16 oz) egg noodles, uncooked
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Place meat, mushrooms, onions and garlic in slow cooker. Add broth, paprika and salt. Cover with lid. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours (or hon HIGH 5 hours).

Mix sour cream, flour and mustard. Stir into ingredients in slow cooker until blended. Cook, covered, on LOW 15 min. Meanwhile, cook noodles as directed on package.

Drain noodles; place in large serving bowl. Add meat mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yum Yum!!

Flip Flops & Pigs

2011-04-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

Feature - Aunty Ann Designs & Sock Monkeys

2011-04-13T01:31:00.000-07:00

Going to this shop always makes me wish I had grandchildren :) LOVE those sock monkeys! Aunty has them in a wide variety of colors - I'm sure you can find something for your little girl or boy :) She has created a coupon code for anyone interested in making a purchase.
BLOG411 = 11% off!!

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in California's Bay Area. Married 40+ years with 2 grown adult children and 4 beautiful grandkids. Competed at the State and Local Fair levels, claiming the top award -- Textile Sweepstakes High Point Winner at both twice. Received the Superintendents, Grand Price and most importantly "Peoples Choice" awards.

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

Aunty Ann has been registered as a business for almost 30 years. The business was started when friends and relatives wanted to buy the clothes that I made for my children. I am currently "retired" from the 9-5 working world, after spending 37 years there.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

It's important to me that each item reflect:
1) Quality and Fair Pricing,
2) Uniqueness,
3) Workmanship,
4) Attention to Detail and
5) Wow factor, "have to have this."

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

I am on a constant quest for beautiful colorful fabric, which has taken a 25% increase the past few months. I love laughing and playing with our grandkids, who are a constant source of entertainment. The sock monkey is my favorite item, love making each face come to "life" and make people smile and laugh.

*What keeps you motivated?

I stay motivated by the love of creating and staying busy, helps when there are great sales too!

Do I have any advice?

Do your homework and find something you love to do. Don't try to make an over-saturated or trendy item, in hopes that crowds will flock to "yours."

Twitter Tree Tuesday!

2011-04-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Jacki over at Christie Cottage came up with an ingenious idea for promoting items in your shops.

The Twitter Tree will be hosted by a different shop each business day.

Monday: Christie Cottage
Tuesday: Audrey's Country Crafts
Wednesday: Eluna Jewelry
Thursday: I Wish I May, I Wish I Might
Friday: Sweetybird09

Here are the instructions:

Here are my 3 items for the day:

Black Flip Flops Coaster

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71868969/ #bluebird

Frogs Bottlecap magnets

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71818266/ #bluebird

Country Sheep Gift Cards

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71339930/
#bluebird

Hope everyone has fun promoting and maybe we'll get some sales!!

My Yard is Ugly

2011-04-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

I really like spring - the birds chirping, Canada Geese flying north, no snow etc. But why can't the sun shine every day and the grass be green as soon as the snow is gone?

Here are photo's of my yard taken yesterday morning in the drizzle.

The first photo and the last photo show my garden. No snow - but it sure is muddy. Won't be seeding it until close to the end of May I'm thinkin'. Oh well. Everything will turn green eventually right?

Happy Birthday Luke!

2011-04-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Luke is 21 today!! Happy Birthday Son1 :)))

Here are some posts that I've done in the past about Luke:

Bragging

Luke's new tent

New Jacket

Luke's Truck after the Accident

New Car

Now it's time to make Luke's favorite lunch :)

Brownies

2011-04-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

I really have been slack in the baking department lately. But it's a bit of a problem too. My "men" complain if I bake because they will have to eat it and don't want to eat to many sweets. But if I don't bake - they want to know what's for dessert and disappointed if there isn't any! If only they would just Make Up Their Minds!!

I think I'll bake these today, haven't made them in a while:

BROWNIES

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine, melted

1 cup water

3 rounded tbsp. cocoa

Boil above ingredients and let cool.

Add to cocoa mixture:

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup sour cream

Bake in large cookie sheet at 350F for 20 minutes.

Icing:

1/4 cup cream

1/3 cup margarine/butter, melted and cooled

3 tbsp. cocoa

Add 2 cups icing sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla and mix well. Pour over cake while still warm. Enjoy!

Well - I placed the 1 cup of margarine in a 2 cup glass measuring cup and melted it in the microwave, then added really hot water from the tap and mixed in the cocoa till it was smooth. (why heat up an element?) Also - I baked the brownies in a 9 X 13 pan, but then had to bake it almost 10 minutes longer. They are really quite good!!

Feature - Kottage Kreations

2011-04-07T01:30:00.000-07:00

Do you love jewelry? Then this is the shop for you! Kottage Kreations has so many beautiful earrings and necklaces it was actually quite hard to pick my favorite in her shop. But I finally decided that the A Mother Awaits Handcrafted Birds Nest Pendant is my favorite! How does she wrap all that wire? Really amazing! Please read the feature and check out the lovely pieces in her shop!

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in San Jose, California. I moved to Turlock in 1999, purchasing my first home. After my son finished school, I opened up my first online shop to sell my jewelry. I wanted to share with other women alike my creations, thus, Kottage Kreations was born.

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

I live in a cottage and that is my inspiration behind the name of my business. I enjoy creating jewelry, wood crafts, and crochet. My passion is jewelry though. Nature inspires me, whether it be gemstones from our precious earth, birds in the air and trees, or anything else you can imagine nature brings us.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

Nature,
Earth,
Beauty,
Love,
Womanhood

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

Beads of course! I only use semi-precious gemstones, and gemstones. I also use sterling silver, and swaravski crystal beads. I only use the best, and sales from Etsy are my passion when it comes to shopping for goodies and gemmies. I use all colors of the rainbow, and every color and combination are my favorites. I have no particular style. It is what ever comes to my mind. I often wake up in the middle of the night with my inspirations exploding in my head. I always keep a notebook within reach to jot down my newest idea for my creations.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

When I'm away from my workshop, I enjoy online communication with my friends and family, my artisan community; sharing ideas and networking, as well as sharing posts with my twitter followers, and facebook followers. I give myself some bragging rights as well. This is how I generate new customers as well as return customers.

When I'm not networking, I enjoy gardening, shopping; what woman doesn't love to shop, and I listen to music while cleaning beautiful messes. I also travel a bit locally in California. There is so much to do here.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

My favorite creation has to be what I call "A Gardens Paradise": www.etsy.com/listing/63562301/ This amazingly beautiful necklace has a new twist for me, which is wire-wrapping. I am a self taught artist, so this was quite the challenge. Now that this is perfected, I am hooked on this technique. It is time consuming, but I enjoy the challenge!

*What keeps you motivated?

My motivation comes from my customers, my online social networks, and the compliments I get with every heart I get for each piece I share in my shop. Nature motivates me as well. There is so much beauty mother nature shares with us, I can't help but be inspired by Her!

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

You can find me on Etsy at kottagekreations.etsy.com
Blog: kottagecreations.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/kottagekreation
Facebook: facebook.com/kottagekreations
Flickr: flickr.com/kottagekreations
and... kottagekreations.jimdo.com

Etsy Teams - some shameless Promotion :)

2011-04-06T01:07:00.000-07:00

When we found out the forums on Etsy were closing, some of us were feeling pretty lost. Some friends and I had just started something new in the forums after Christmas and we were wondering what we were going to do now! Where do we advertise? How do we get our shops out there? I still really feel for the shops that are just starting out on Etsy - they have to be wondering how they can get noticed.

At first I thought the best idea would be to join lots of teams to get noticed. It didn't take long to figure out that many of them where going no where, plus there was no way I could get to them all in the time I had to spend on the computer each day. So - I ended up dropping most of them. There are really only 2 that I go to on a sorta regular basis, and one that I am captain of - so obviously I'm there a lot :)

Fun and Friends Promotion Team is a great team that is trying to run the same as the forums used too. It's a great place to advertise. Many different "discussions" to check out and post on.

Promotional Frenzy Team does something different every day. I'm slowly getting the hang of this team. They have many active members, and fun things to do.

Monday - PROMO Frenzy
Tuesday - BNR Treasury
Wednesday - Blogging
Thursday - List an Item
Friday - Workshops
Saturday - OFF to relax and recoup
Sunday - OFF to relax and recoup LOL

I have a friend on this team who will remind me once in a while that I need to go and post something :) (thank you Crystal!) It's a great bunch of shops. If you are looking for a place to advertise and get to know other Etsians and make new friendships - this is a really good place to start. If I ever get around to making a list of teams for newbies to join for exposure - this team will be at the top of my list.

BNE - Buy N Enter Team. This is the one that I'm Captain of. Sure didn't realize when I started it how much work it was going to be!! :) It is a lot of fun though.

What we do:
Every two weeks we start a new round for the BNE.
There are 16 new prize shops each round that donate on prize that they mail to a winner.
Each round there are 4 winners, who receive prizes from 4 different shops.

What do the prize shops get in return:
As much exposure as I can give them :) We have 4 BNR treasuries during the 2 week BNE round, and each prize shop is featured in two of them. The last 8 buyers after each BNR get carried over to the next BNR treasury. This has really helped us get buyers to join the treasuries and make purchases.

Every Tues & Thurs we have "Promotion Commotion" on the team. Who ever wants to join just has to list 2 items from their shop and promote the shop above them on the list. We just started this last week.

We just had the Secret Easter Bunny Swap. Now we are all waiting for our gifts and on the 22nd we can open them and post about what we got & who it's from on the team thread. This has been quite a bit of fun so far. Can't wait to hear about everyone's gifts!

It's Free and Easy to join the team - you don't have to make a purchase. If you want to meet a great bunch of shops, get a little help promoting, and get your shop out there - PLEASE come and join us :) If you would like to be a prize shop some time - just leave a comment here:
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7498/bne-buy-n-enter/discuss/6841881/.

Do you have a favorite team on Etsy? Or maybe some pointers for new shops on how to get out there and noticed.

Twitter Tree Tuesday!

2011-04-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Jacki over at Christie Cottage came up with an ingenious idea for promoting items in your shops.

The Twitter Tree will be hosted by a different shop each business day.

Monday: Christie Cottage
Tuesday: Audrey's Country Crafts
Wednesday: Eluna Jewelry
Thursday: I Wish I May, I Wish I Might
Friday: Sweetybird09

Here are the instructions:

Here are my 3 items for the day:

Polar Bear Coffee Coaster

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71451990/ #bluebird

Country Home Gift Cards

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71340132/ #bluebird

Cute Spring Cards: Set of 12

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71340314/cute-spring-cards #bluebird

Hope everyone has fun promoting and maybe we'll get some sales!!

I LOVE Potatoes

2011-04-02T05:10:00.000-07:00

Rice is nice, pasta is fine, but I really really LOVE potatoes! Any kind of potato really - mashed, cooked, baked, scalloped, seasoned, fries, etc. I shared Logan's favorite potatoes with you last week I think, but we have since found some new spices that work amazing on potatoes.

There are tons of BNR (buy n replace) treasuries on Etsy right now. I think it was before Christmas or shortly after that I found Dell Cove Spice Company. The first time I ordered from them I ordered seasonings for popcorn. But the last time I was looking through their shop I noticed that they had spices for potatoes!!! You know I had to try those!

So I ordered the Spice Kit with a choice of two flavors: Spicy southern Cajun & Butt-Kickin' BBQ. We've tried them both now and LOVE them! Here is a photo of the Butt-Kickin' BBQ potatoes we had last night.

I put on a little too much spice, they were pretty zippy :) When making the potatoes you cut and spice them about 2 hours ahead and let them sit to soak up the flavors. Then put them in the oven for a while to bake. Amazing! They can be done on the bbq in foil too, will try that once the weather is nicer.

My next purchase will be the Spice Rubs for BBQ potatoes, french fries, vegetables to 4 pack. Just check out all the cool flavors!! Deciding which 4 to try will be the hardest choice.

* South of France herb rub
* Tandoori spice rub
* Southwest Chipotle rub
* Blackened Cajun rub
* Sweet & Spicy BBQ rub
* Tropical Hawaiian spice rub
* Butt-Kickin' BBQ rub
* Italian Tuscan rub

Maybe I'll have to ask Logan to help me choose :) Which flavors look good to you?

Feature: Beautiful Stained Glass

2011-03-31T01:28:00.000-07:00

I love stained glass! Wouldn't it be great to have stained glass windows in the house? Since it's really not feasible or affordable to have stained glass windows, how about a smaller piece to hang in your window or maybe a night light?
Stained Glass Studio has some really beautiful pieces - just take a look :) These are some of my favorites:

Here is a little bit about Maddy, the woman behind these beautiful designs.

I live in Wisconsin and my studio is in my home, great on a day like today when we're in the middle of a 1 ft. + snowstorm. I've been doing Stained Glass Art for almost 30 years and the reason I started is because I've always been so attracted to the beauty of Stained Glass. When people see my work I want them to love the combination of glass colors along with the different glass textures and how they interact. I want them to appreciate the individual pieces as home decor art that enhance and add to their existing decor. My supply addiction is definitely sheets of glass, in a wide variety of colors and design, when I think of starting a piece, the most exciting part is putting the colors together. I don't really have a favorite in my shop-they're all favorites for different applications.

I'm motivated by new ideas constantly, just about anything can be incorporated into a Stained Glass Piece.

Logan Spring Cleaning & Give Aways

2011-03-30T01:29:00.000-07:00

Logan is our youngest son and is home most of the week, so I put him to work helping me wash walls on Monday. Isn't he a good boy?

We still have the living room, craft room and office left to do. I think I'll do the craft room alone :)

Here are some give aways that I'm hosting right now. Click on the photo to go to the give away post.

ENDS 04/06

ENDS 04/08

ENDS 04/15

$40 G.C. - ENDS 04/15

ENDS 04/22

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

Twitter Tree Tuesday!

2011-03-29T01:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Jacki over at Christie Cottage came up with an ingenious idea for promoting items in your shops.

The Twitter Tree will be hosted by a different shop each business day.

Monday: Christie Cottage
Tuesday: Audrey's Country Crafts
Wednesday: Eluna Jewelry
Thursday: I Wish I May, I Wish I Might
Friday: Sweetybird09

Here are the instructions:

Here are my 3 items for the day:

Cute Purple Owl Coaster

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65992638/ #bluebird

Pink Magnets for Mom

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66258378/ #bluebird

Orange Spring Flowers Coaster

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66258609/ #bluebird

Hope everyone has fun promoting and maybe we'll get some sales!!

Spring Cleaning

2011-03-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

We have spring break this week, and since I'm home by myself all day - I thought I'd get the spring cleaning done. Will get the "men" to help move some furniture the night before - in which ever room is next on the list.

I often wonder what is the deal with Spring Cleaning. It's not like the house will stay that way!

How many supplies do I really need?

Ever feel like this?

Oh well - It needs to be done. The windows are a mess, though they will be again I'm sure. And I know that with both boys home and hubby getting dirty at work, my walls won't stay clean long either. But at least I can say I tried :)

Logan's Favorite Potatoes & Saucy BBQ Chicken

2011-03-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

Found a recipe for some spicy potatoes - they have become Logan's favorite.

They are so easy to do - though I don't really have set amounts of ingredients.
Basically:
Peel and cut potatoes into bite size pieces.
In a glass bowl, melt some baking margarine.
Add seasoning salt & chopped garlic.
Stir in potatoes, microwave until done.
Sorry - it's the best I can do :)

Here is a "real" recipe for some easy yummy chicken!! I've done this recipe with chicken breasts or legs/thighs, either works really well. The recipe calls for adding potatoes, which I've also done, but last time we did Logan's potatoes instead.

SAUCY BARBECUE CHICKEN

4 potatoes
baby carrots
4 chicken legs or breasts
1 cup ketchup
1 tbsp. each Worcestershire sauce & prepared mustard
2 tbsp.l vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Peel potatoes. Arrange chicken, carrots and potatoes in a dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Blend remaining ingredients and pour over top. Cover and bake about 2 hours at 375F basting occasionally.

I usually just throw the carrots over everything. They will still get done.

Twitter Tree Today:
Sweetybird09

BNE - Buy N Enter Thread and Team:
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7498/bne-buy-n-enter

Feature - Andi's Magical Needles

2011-03-24T01:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I met Andi - but I purchased one of her Towel Toppers a while back - it was coffee themed :) Since then I've purchased another one in beige, so that it goes with all my towels I like to have in the kitchen. Also have some amazing red/white coffee coasters from Andi's shop, and a red/white bath puff. LOVE them all!! There is nothing like hand made items!

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm from Connecticut (CT). I lived here most of my life. I'm a wife of (31 years) a mother 3 and a grandmother of 4. I have been crocheting since I was about 13 years old. My grandmother taught me..

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

I got my name from a consignment craft shop I was in. I started my business to make a little extra money and people said I should sell things..

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

Useful
eco-friendly
great quality
reasonably prices
nice shop

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

Yarn is my weakness. It doesn't have to be any special kind. I like working with most of them.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

I love being a grandma. I like camping, fishing and traveling.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

I love making bath puffs and washcloths. They work up nicely and people seem to like them.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

My advise to new shops is promote as much as possible. Don't give up to soon.

Twitter Tree Today:
a Needle in a Haystack

BNE - Buy N Enter Team on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7498/bne-buy-n-enter

Wordless Wednesday - Yellow

2011-03-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Kiwi Small Butterflies Embel... maikam01 $2.00	Reversible Applique Button B... auntyanndesign... $14.00
Snake 8x10 inch PRINT of ori... DaRosa $7.50	The Sunshine Hat Yellow KerryLaneCraft... $18.00
Yellow Spring Blossoms ViveLaFranceDe... $4.00	Lovely Yellow Flowers - Fabr... RainbowLollies $7.00
Pearls, moonstone and more o... IsabellesAttic $25.00	Giraffe Chalkboard lillollipop $30.00
The Lady Flora Handmade Pape... DragonflyExpre... $2.00	Retro Diva digital post card... crochet18purpl... $6.00
votive candle YOU CHOOSE THE... cakeordeath5 $2.15	Bottlecap Bookmarks-Your Cho... whatshername $2.50
PINA COLADA - Natural lip ba... belleskincare $3.50	Vintage Yellow Pill Box Hat ... NatureAngels $15.00
sunny delicate copper wrappe... KicaBijoux $54.00	ACEO - Watercolor original -... watercolorsNmo... $7.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Twitter Tree Today:
Eluna Jewelry Blog

BNE/BNS Team:
Come join the Buy N Enter/Buy N Stay team!
No purchase necessary - just join the fun :)
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7498/bne-buy-n-enter

Twitter Tree Tuesday!

2011-03-22T01:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Jacki over at Christie Cottage came up with an ingenious idea for promoting items in your shops.

The Twitter Tree will be hosted by a different shop each business day.

Monday: Christie Cottage
Tuesday: Audrey's Country Crafts
Wednesday: Eluna Jewelry
Thursday: I Wish I May, I Wish I Might
Friday: Sweetybird09

Here are the instructions:

Here are my 3 items for the day:

Angel Thank You Gift Tags

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70077256/ #bluebird

Summer Flower/Pocket tags

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70147874/ #bluebird

Spring Flower/Dragonfly Magnet Set

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70216598/ #bluebird

Hope everyone has fun promoting and maybe we'll get some sales!!

It's Back :(

2011-03-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

I was doing so good this winter - then Luke came home with a cold and was nice enough to share it. So I'm running very late in everything. Energy is gone, keeping Kleenex close at hand (need to get more!!), and taking Tylenol cold night time so I can maybe get some sleep. I think I'll pick up some Neocitron too.

Hope everyone is feeling much better than I am!! I will try to get to everyone's blogs this week :)

Broccoli/Cauliflower Salad

2011-03-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

The boys don't care for salads too much, but this is always one of our favorites. I think it's the bacon that makes it sooooo good! Can never have too much bacon :)

BROCCOLI/CAULIFLOWER SALAD

1 small head cauliflower

1 small broccoli

8 slices bacon

Optional:

1/2 c. raisens

onion

1 tin water chestnuts

Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and fry till done. Add cut up cauliflower, broccoli, bacon, raisens, onion and water chestnuts to large bowl and stir.

Mix:

1 cup miracle whip (or salad dressing)

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vinegar

Add to vegetables etc., and let sit over night. I didn't add onion or water chestnuts.

Twitter Tree Today:
Sweetybird09

BNE - Buy N Enter Thread and Team:
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7498/bne-buy-n-enter