Fabulous Finds: Tote and Wristlet

Florspace is back and their stuff is cuter than ever! Check out this adorable extra large tote with wristlet.


Get a closer look or purchase it HERE.

Have a great day! -Suzanne

Featured Etsy Shop: Sun2Create

Featured Etsy Shop: Sun2Create

1.What is your shop name and what do you sell? Sun2Create
I sell throw pillow covers, market totes/handbags and weekender laundry bags. I am expanding my line of market totes and adding some small accessories such as zip pouches. I also have some wine bottle bags available in my shop.

2. What is your shop URL?
http://sun2create.etsy.com/

3. What is your blog URL?
http://themarygoround.blogspot.com/

4. When did you start selling on Etsy?
I had been on Etsy as a buyer for a couple of months but actually started stocking my store at the end of August, 2008.

5. What is your favorite thing about Etsy?
My favorite thing about Etsy is the sense of community. I have learned so much from other Etsy sellers. and I know that there is always a wealth of knowledge and experience available for me as a seller. This helps tremendously in giving new sellers the confidence to get started. There is also a lot of support and encouragement from Etsy members.

6. What is your favorite thing about what you sell?
I love fabric of all kinds. I love color and texture and pattern. I spend a lot of time looking for unique fabrics that I think would make a great pillow or bag. Throw pillows can very quickly and easily change the look of a room. I like being able to find that special fabric that will really pop in someone's decor.

7. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why?
Typically, my favorite thing is whatever I made last. I always love whatever I am working on. But, if I had to choose, it is probably my Lipstick Safari Bag. It is oversized and has long, comfortable straps. I was recently in New Orleans for the weekend and could certainly have used a bag like this for the all-day walking and shopping we did. And, the true-red and oatmeal-colored animal print is just one of the most fun fabrics I have ever used! I will definitely be making another one of these bags for myself.

8. What teams do you belong to?
I belong to the Design Style Guide Team, the Wild, Wise, Witty Grandmas Team, the Southeastern U.S. Team and Team Etsy Mississippi.

9. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop?
I have really started to enjoy my blog and I have made some blog friends, some Etsians, some non-Etsians. I like keeping up with their activities and lives through visiting their blogs. I do a weekly “Best Gifts on Etsy” feature on my blog and it is geared toward a different type of recipient each week. I also have been writing a monthly newsletter for those on my mailing list. I enjoy that as well.

10. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers on Etsy?
A jewelry seller named Maddyanne has a bracelet I love called Jolie Bracelet.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16916308

I really love the artwork of Karenfieldsgallery such as her painting called Take Your Time.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16481041

And Pickleberries makes some very pretty fused glass earrings like these called Delicate Nosegay
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13582018

11. What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I play with my four-year-old grandson, cook, read and garden. And of course, browse fabric sites on the web.

12. What blogs do you follow?
I follow TimothyAdamDesigns blog. http://timothyadamdesigns.blogspot.com/
And PamperingBeki http://pamperingbeki.blogspot.com/

13. Do you have anything else you would like to share?
I would just like to say that selling my handmade items on Etsy has been a completely positive experience. The community is friendly and supportive, the array of talent there is amazing and the buyers I have dealt with have been wonderful! I love being a part of it all!

My Big Shopping Trip

I have been working incredibly hard these days so I decided to make a trip to a show that I have done for the last two years but couldn't afford this year ($265 booth fee and 10% of sales ... youch!). Beneath the Wreath is sponsored by the Grand Rapids Junior League and is a wonderful high end shopping event that is invite only -- in other words, they ask you if you would like to have a booth there.

I visited several favorites as well as some new ones and wanted to show off a couple of my new goodies! I encouraged both artists to join Etsy so if you like their websites, send them a note to give a little more encouragement :)

The very first (okay... after the toffee booth) item that I bought was a handbag. I'm not usually the type to buy handbags but the quality of these and the styles they had available were not only outstanding but styles I hadn't seen before. This wonderful artist, The Poppy Bag Co., has "an original line of custom-designed bags and accessories." The fabrics are beautiful and they have a bag design for everybody...even me! Plus they do handbag parties! Since it is dark and gloomy here in Michigan, my photo quality is not the best but here is the one I purchased. You can see more at http://thepoppybagco.typepad.com/. You can email them at thepoppybagco@allcom.net.

Then I had to make my annual trip to the Great Lakes Tea & Spice company. They have the most heavenly array of teas, spices, rubs, and gadgets! They have teas ranging from fruity to floral to herbal including black teas, white teas, green teas, and botanical blends. They also carry pure spices, spice blends, and some incredible rubs. My favorite rub, which they were out of already if that tells you anything, is the Teriyaki Ginger Rub. Talk about fabulous! I highly recommend checking out this wonderful vendor from Glen Arbor, Michigan. You can shop online at http://www.glteaandspice.com/. Here are photos of some of my goodies.

How wonderful would these things be in a basket with some Bliss Soybean Candles???

Happy Shopping! -Suzanne

Featured Etsy Artist: Whynott Sewn

Featured Etsy Artist: WhyNottSewn

1. What is your shop name and what do you sell? My shop name is Whynott Sewn, a play on my last name, Whynott. I mainly sell baby blankets, but will hopefully be expanding the inventory sometime soon.

2. What is your shop URL? The address is whynottsewn.etsy.com

3. What is your blog URL? whynottsewn.blogspot.com. However, you won't see a whole lot when you visit the site because I just made it the other day!

4. When did you start selling on Etsy? April 2008

5. What is your favorite thing about Etsy? Continuously finding new and incredible handcrafted items that I have just got to have. I know "thing" means one thing, but I suppose the fact that Etsy has provided a forum for me to sell my items is also a definite favorite thing.

6. What is your favorite thing about what you sell? That's easy, the fabric! The blankets are largely a way to showcase my love of fabric.

7. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why? That's a hard one because I love them all, but I would say that my favorite would probably be the "Hotty Dotty". The reason being would be because this fabric holds a special place in my heart. My first purchase on Etsy had been a patchwork pillow from stitchindye.etsy.com, which had small pieces of this fabric worked in. To make a long story short I loved these little bits of fabric, had to have it, researched the heck out of fabric on the web and found it, which all began my love and obsession of fabric.

8. What teams do you belong to? Etsy Montana and on the waiting list for Etsy Kids.

9. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop? I always find it fun to tell people about my shop, or simply tell them that I make and sell baby blankets. I think it tends to be unexpected, so I like seeing people's reactions.

10. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers on Etsy? There are just so many, which I come across all the time. One of my recent favorites, which I ended up purchasing was this... http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=10896613. On my blog is also a preview of some of my many favorite items on Etsy.

11. What do you do in your spare time? Aside from sewing, searching Etsy, and browsing sites for fabric..... not a whole lot else...... well also cooking, walking, biking, and hanging out with my sweetie.

12. What blogs do you follow? The only one I really follow is Angry Chicken, I absolutely love this blog.

13. Do you have anything else you would like to share?In addition to including more handcrafted items in my shop I also plan on one day selling some of the fabric I use by the yard. So if anyone shares my love of fabric, and likes what I use, check back periodically to see if I have begun this (though I imagine it will be a little while). And finally, I would like to thank you for featuring me in your blog!

Featured Etsy Artist: Bellflower Textiles

Etsy Artist Feature: Bellflower Textiles

1. What is your shop name and what do you sell?
My shop is BellflowerTextiles, and I sell embellished toddler and baby clothing, felt floral hairclips, burpcloths and baby accessories, wall quilts, and home accents. All of my items incorporate gorgeous, high-quality quilting fabric and traditional quilting elements into unique, modern designs.

2. What is your shop URL?
http://bellflowertextiles.etsy.com/

3. What is your blog URL?
http://growingnotes.blogspot.com/

4. When did you start selling on Etsy?
I joined in September, 2008, so I'm brand new! So far business is going great.

5. What is your favorite thing about Etsy?
I love how simple Etsy makes it to set up a professional looking shop, and also how easy it is to connect with a fantastic community of talented crafters.

6. What is your favorite thing about what you sell?
Getting to play creatively with beautiful colored fabric and then share it with other people. I love the excitement of posting a new item and watching to see how many views it get or who marks it as a favorite. And I love the sense of playfulness in many of my items, such as my toddler dragon tees or my rubber duck onesies.

7. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why?
I love my sea monster toddler tee: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15681900. It's fun and playful and the colors are great. I make these in all sizes and colors!

8. What teams do you belong to?
I'm a proud member of the Seattle EtsyRain team, and a member of Team Etsybaby and Team Etsymom.

9. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop?
I love promoting in flickr -- I try to add my products regularly to a bunch of appropriate groups so they get a lot of views. My flickr site is http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellflowertextiles/.

10. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers on Etsy?
Here are a few of my current favorites:

Pretty little doll quilt: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15930153
Platypus placemats: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15502573
Tabby cat travel pillows: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13876364
Black and white quilt: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5253063

11. What do you do in your spare time?
I have a toddler so I have very little free time, but when I'm not parenting, sewing, crafting, photographing new items, processing photos, or blogging I like to read, garden, and cook. I'm an obsessive tomato grower and make a killer homemade tomato sauce. I try to read a book a week.

12. What blogs do you follow?
Way too many!! A few of my current favorites are Crazy Mom Quilts (http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/), Cool Mom Picks (http://www.coolmompicks.com/), Sew Mama Sew (http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/), and Sweet Figments (http://sweetfigments.blogspot.com/).

13. Do you have anything else you would like to share? Thank you so much for featuring me!

Featured Etsy Shop: Dream Mist Crafts

Featured Etsy Shop: Dream Mist Crafts

1. What is your shop name and what do you sell? Dream Mist Crafts

2. What is your shop URL? http://dorothywyn.etsy.com/

3. What is your blog URL? http://dorothywyn.blogspot.com/

4. When did you start selling on Etsy? 15-Jun (btw, I was Ms Million at that time. I could hardly believe that when I received Vanessa conv & email)

5. What is your favorite thing about Etsy? I love the community. People are so helpful here. I've got difficult time at the beginning and got much support in the forums.

6. What is your favorite thing about what you sell? The cute fabrics, I love them so much and want to share them with the others. I try to turn them into something useful so that the others can see them daily.

7. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why? Well, frankly, I love all items in my shop :P If I have to choose one, it should be the 'Tangram Series - Handmade Colorful Swan on a Lake Drawstring Bag' which is also my avatar. I like the color of the swan. Tangram puzzles have some special meaning to me, it is the first gift I got from my husband (boyfriend at that time).

8. What teams do you belong to? I've just joined DIY Scene, HOST, Etsy Bloggers and SquidEtsians.

9. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop? Hanging around in different networks, knowing friends around the world.

10. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers on Etsy? There are many :P You can see the long list of my favorite sellers. I especially like the following:
http://gorjuss.etsy.com/
http://patchworkpottery.etsy.com/
http://seaviewcards.etsy.com/
http://icinginmykitchen.etsy.com/

11. What do you do in your spare time? Watching Japanese anime or comics, reading

12. What blogs do you follow? Your blog :P http://blisscandles.blogspot.com/ , http://buriedtreasury.blogspot.com/ , and also some Hong Kong blog in Chinese. Actually I have just known about 'follower' function of blogger recently. I used to go to the other blogs through the bloglist of my blog

13. Do you have anything else you would like to share? Time may be tough due to the poor economy, but we may get ourselves prepared before the situation improves. Also, thank you for featuring my shop !