FABULOUS FRIDAY FINDS: 24KLUXE

Hand-woven Double North Star Non Tarnish Set , handmade by Leah Papa of 24kLuxe in Etsy. Leah is a close friend whose creativity and business sense served as an inspiration. Here is an excerpt from her website, http://www.leahpapadesigns.com:

Leah Papa Designs creates and markets fashion-exclusive accessories sold in Felicity - The Shangri la Mall, Firma - Greenbelt 3 & Trinoma from 2006-2009. We showcase our designs and conveniently manage our online ordering system @ www.leahpapadesigns.com. Selected designs are sold at The Landmark Makati & Trinoma. All products are hand made using techniques such as sculpting, knitting, wrapping & weaving. Some articles are embellished with our very own designer beads. (read more)

visit her Etsy shop @ https://www.etsy.com/shop/24kLuxe, what is your favorite item from Leah's shop? We'd like to know!

 

1. Tell me a little about yourself.

I started designing & creating fashion accessories in 2003, alongside a career in IT. I remember hunting for the best accessory to complement my dress back then. Long walks, lots of time spent, but nothing caught my eye. As soon as I got home, there was a bazaar at my place, one booth sold fashion accents/accessories... and BEADS! That's where it all started for me...being a BSM by education, the MATH in me found a partner ♥

I now sell to three big bookstore chains in my country. My FB page is www.facebook.com/leahpapadesigns.com. I am lucky to have been featured in fashion magazines & some online reviews.

2. Where does your inspiration come from when crafting?
Most often, I have clients asking me to design something that would complement their outfits. I also get inspiration from nice and trendy clothes I see or have or from OOAK beads I just bought.

3. Who taught you and how did you learn to craft? I am a self learned multi media crafter. I am always intrigued at how things are made. I love working with wire most specially.

4. Any Specific Tips you have for newbie crafters starting a business in easy? Starting a business like this entails building a good relationship with clients. People have different views of what's pretty or nice. Respect the fact that "beauty" is subjective. Most importantly, take clear photos for your buyers to appreciate and take time to describe each piece or answer inquiries.

5. Name 3 websites you couldn’t live without.
www.leahpapadesigns.com
www.facebook.com/leahpapadesigns
www.24kluxe.etsy.com

6. What are your 3 favorite shops and why.
www.etsy.com/shop/24kluxe
Simply put, this shop is a window to my creative soul

www.beadbucks.etsy.com
This is me sharing my collection of fab supplies

www.thirdeardear.etsy.com
This shop is owned by one of the most trusted people I know, my childhood friend.

7. Where do you see your crafting business in 10 years?
I am in the midst of rebranding…. in 10 years i hope my new brand SOFI will be a common fashion lingo.

FABULOUS FRIDAY FINDS: MEDDYWV

Custom Dog - Amigurumi - Hand Crocheted is made by Meddywv, a wonderful etsian and a wonderful friend. Visit her Etsy shop @ https://www.etsy.com/shop/meddywv

1. Tell me a little about yourself.
Well, I'm the VP of a no-kill animal rescue, The Olive Branch Animal Rescue and Refuge. I have a shop in Sistersville WV along with the Animal Rescues Pet Supply store and I live on a farm with my husband, 4 horses, 3 cats and 2 dogs. My kids are grown. 
 2. Where does your inspiration come from when crafting?
 I guess my inspiration comes from all the animals in my life.

 3. Who taught you and how did you learn to craft?
  I've been crocheting since the 6th grade when my teacher taught me. But only have been doing amigurumi for the past 2 years.

4. Any Specific Tips you have for newbie crafters starting a business in Etsy?
tips would be to be persistent and keep at it....it took a year for my etsy shop to catch on. lol

5.Name 3 websites you couldn’t live without.3 favorite websites for my crafting
etsy!
i can't live without the following websites: Etsy (of course), the Olive Branch www.olivebranchwv.org , and facebook (to keep up with my kids!) lol

 6. What are your 3 favorite shops and why.
TEDARLA, for her bows that she makes for me, Caribbean Scents for her body butter which I adore, and SoapArt for the best clove soap i've ever used!

7. Where do you see your crafting business in 10 years?
in 10 years i hope my hands and my eyes allow me to keep crocheting!!!

*************WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITEM FROM MEDDYWV? WE"D LIKE TO KNOW!****************

CRAFTING FOR A CAUSE

Supertyphoon Haiyan barreled through six central Philippine islands on Friday, wiping away buildings and leveling seaside homes with ferocious winds of 235 kilometers per hour (147 miles per hour) and gusts of 275 kph (170 mph). By those measurements, Haiyan would be comparable to a strong Category 4 hurricane in the U.S., and nearly in the top category, a 5.H orrified residents spoke of storm surges as high as trees and resulting in over 1,000 fatalities. 10%of proceeds from the HANDMADE GIFTS section will be donated to the victims of typhoon Haiyan. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThirdEarDear?section_id=13471791

TOP TEN REASONS WHY DIY

TOP TEN REASONS WHY DIY

Ever walk through an arts and crafts fair and think to yourself “I could do that too!” One local Crafter was overheard saying “You could but would you?” The 90210 acronym DIY stands for Do-It-Yourself.  The professional definition of DIY is the method of building, modifying, or repairing something without the aid of experts or professionals. But then brings us to the question of why DIY? Here are the top ten reasons why people DIY:

1.       To enjoy a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of creating something useful and beautiful. To many crafters, this is a big motivation! Imagine creating something with your own hands practically out of nothing. And adding to this is having other people appreciate it too. I would say this is a big reason.

2.       To learn a new skill and keep your mind engaged. Imagine being a stay at home mom or anyone with some time to spare, DIY can be productive and useful!

3.       To be challenged to figure out how things work. For all you inquisitive minds out there, this one’s for you.

4.       To reduce your environmental footprint. Some Crafters upcycle, this means repurposing items to make new ones. Also, Ecofriendly is a trending term for crafters.

5.       To create one-of-a-kind items. Another acronym floating around the DIY scene is OOAK for One of a kind. These are unique items that make unique gifts or simply wonderful to own.

6.       To make gifts that show you care. Nothing says special than receiving a gift made by some especially for you. It means that that special someone carved out their own time to do this for you.

7.       To share something meaningful to you. DIY a special project and sharing it with someone, let alone have them appreciate it, is pretty awesome.

8.       To personalize and customize projects. To have something created just for you brings such a wonderful feeling, and we all need to stand out in this “one size fits all” world.

9.       To minimize cost.In this day and age amidst the economic recession, it is a good idea to turn to DIY to bridge finances.

10.   To have fun. Let your inner creativity shine! Go you!

I encourage each and everyone to try DIY projects, it doesn’t have to be perfect, remember mistakes can be beautiful.  You can find ideas on DIY on Pinterest. Enjoy!

TREASURY MONDAY: FLOWERS EVERYWHERE!

TREASURY MONDAY: FLOWERS EVERYWHERE!

1.       a Floral Letterpress Linocut Blank Card : Rose, Lily, Protea, or Daisy by Twotonnepress- For people who like to know, Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing using a printing press. A worker composes and locks movable type into the bed of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer the ink from the type.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/114424741/a-floral-letterpress-linocut-blank-card?ref=tre-2722569495-1
2.       Handmade White Crochet Flower Headband by TrueColorsBoutique- How adorable is this headband on a little girl. She will truly be the center of attention wearing this. https://www.etsy.com/listing/123264285/handmade-white-crochet-flower-headband?ref=tre-2722569495-2
3.       Beautiful and bored – Portrait by Maria Jose Treasures- Maria Jose truly captures the emotions on every porrtrait. ACEOS also available. https://www.etsy.com/listing/152924720/beautiful-and-bored-portrait?ref=shop_home_active

4.       Felt Flower with button center - you pick the backing, by 2sweetbeans- Marissa, the creator of these , is truly a wonderful lady, and a very creative one at that. This felt flower would look good as a magnet, imagine displaying your children’s artwork with this on a refrigerator? How cute! https://www.etsy.com/listing/121622423/felt-flower-with-button-center-you-pick?ref=shop_home_active

·     Other

Ready to ship in 3-10 busi     5.     Flower Beads, Plastic, Royal Blue, 16 mm, Jewelry, Supplies, DIY by gagirjewelryandgift- Any creation would look absolutely beautiful with these acrylic beads. https://www.etsy.com/listing/164099382/flower-beads-plastic-royal-blue-16-mm?ref=tre-2722569495-

6.     4 x 6 Photo Print Field of Daisies White Flowers by Krafterskorner- “If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.” https://www.etsy.com/listing/129190942/4-x-6-photo-print-field-of-daisies-white?ref=tre-2722569495-6

7.     Red Poinsetta Silk Flowers by beautifulswagstore- Christmas is around the corner! A favorite Christmas flower is the poinsettia, with its beautiful, red, star-shape. It is called the "Flame Leaf" in Central America or "Flower of the Holy Night" and was brought here over a hundred years ago by Dr. Joel Poinsett, our first ambassador to Mexico. https://www.etsy.com/listing/116694541/red-poinsetta-silk-flowers-cij?ref=tre-2722569495-7

8.     red fimo rose wire-wrapped ring, US5,6,7,8,9,10,11 by Thirdeardear- Pretty Red Rose Fimo Flower Ring, Handpainted and wire-wrapped with a silver artistic wire. Flower size is Size : 22 x 7mm. This beautiful ring is so light and looks so fresh, you almost feel the cool summer breeze as you wear it. Simplicity and Elegance at its finest https://www.etsy.com/listing/129937621/red-fimo-rose-wire-wrapped-ring?ref=tre-2722569495-8

 

***WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITEM FROM THE ITEMS ABOVE AND WHY? Voice your opinion in the comments below and be featured in the future boards of TREASURY MONDAY =)

FABULOUS FRIDAY FINDS: GRANNYSCRAFTATTIC

FABULOUS FRIDAY FINDS: A HANDMADE BABY AFGHAN

This Colorful Kitties Baby Afghan is handmade by Grannyscraftattic, a truly wonderful lady and fellow crafter. What do you like about this afghan ? We’d like to hear from you!

 Visit her etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/grannyscraftattic?ref=pr_shop_more Granny loves custom orders, have her  customize something for you now =)

1.     Tell me a little about yourself.

I'm retired and have two beautiful girls. One is an aerospace engineer and the other has made me a grandma to three beautiful kids. When my girls were growing up I volunteered for every activity they were involved in........room mother, gymnastics mom, library mom, baseball mom, band mom....and I enjoyed every minute of it. Made Christmas presents for just about every teacher they ever had.
I started my life on Etsy with a shop called Smart N Sassy Sayings, and made little hanging pillows with outrageous and funny sayings on them. Then, when my married daughter became pregnant with her third child, I went back to crocheting. Since the crocheted items did not fit into a shop about sayings, I opened Granny's Craft Attic, moved all my inventory from the first shop over and closed the first shop.

2. Where does your inspiration come from when crafting?

Sometimes from pictures of finished items that I see in cyber space, other times from the 'out-of-the-box' part of my brain. I can get rather silly with some of my creations!

3. Who taught you and how did you learn to craft?

My wonderful grandma taught me how to crochet. One of the first things I ever made was a pineapple motif afghan for her.

4. Any Specific Tips you have for newbie crafters starting a business in Etsy?

Never give up.....when you are a new shop you need to build a reputation for excellent customer service and great items, and this takes time. Excellent customer service should encompass 95% of your business.
Answer convos promptly.
Listen to your customers and ask for their opinions....you never know where your next inspiration will come from.
Take good pictures.
Have competitive pricing and reasonable shipping rates.
Try to list as many items as possible......the more items you have listed the more people will visit to your shop.

5. Name 3 websites you couldn’t live without.

Only 3???? Oh my! There are so many:
Joann.com
Knitting-warehouse.com
Moogly.com


6. What are your 3 favorite shops and why.

I have so many favorite shops on Etsy that it would take forever to list them all. They all have wonderful items!

7. Where do you see your crafting business in 10 years?

At my age, 10 years is like the blink of an eye! LOL I will probably still be sitting here crocheting and hoping for sales LOL