Today is Earth Day. Its one day that inspires many people worldwide to demonstrate their commitment to reduce their environmental footprint.

Many of us artists look for unique way to reuse our scraps and left overs. My mom uses a lot of crochet thread and saves the wooden tubing. She gave me a huge shopping bag of these tubing and scrap fabric. At the time I wasn't sure what to make with them. They just sat in my workshop until I could come up with something creative.



After some brainstorming along with some trial and error I finally got one of my ideas to work. I turned these cardboard tubing into bracelets! I covered a few with some of the beautiful scrap fabrics my mother gave me. I also use some left over yarn for a few bracelets. I really love the way they came out. They are a lot softer than they look.





We can all make a difference on a daily basis to "go green". What are some things that you have done around your house or with your artwork to reduce and/ or reuse?

April is Autism Awareness month. Autism is a development disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. Autism affects 1 in110 children. 

 Here are a few items that are for sale on Etsy to raise awareness.


LazaFlair



TamanthaJewellry BackroomTreasures AlwaysTinaJo



I am fascinated with all things crochet. There are so many talented people with extraordinary creativity. If you search the internet you will find thousands of these people. Here are a few of my favorites.

Pictures are a great way to capture special moments & events in your life. I don't go anywhere without my camera! I love taking pictures. I can see myself as a grandma going through my photo albums telling my grandkids of the good ol' days. But that's years and years and years and years away! So for right now I will share them with you. Enjoy :-)

I Am a ' Kept ' Woman
You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,
but GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go no longer,
but the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong,
but the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough,
but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc. (Matt. 6:25 -34)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up.
When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me!

I'm blessed to be ' kept '

I'm "Kept" by the Love and Grace of God

God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you NEED,

To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the
Person you were meant to be.


Peace Be With You Throughout Your Day!


TRUST IN GOD!


~Author Unknown

I read on the forums (yesterday) that Etsybot is no longer going to be on Twitter retweeting Etsy shops. Its a good thing that there are other tweet peeps who are willing to step in and fill the need to help Etsy shop owners network on Twitter. Here are a few: #etsyguy #handmadebot & #madebyhandbot. If you know of any others please share it with us.

One of the things that Etsybot did was tweet useful tips. I managed to collect a few of these tips so I can list them here for you to have. Since Etsybot deleted all their tweets I am missing a few. So if you have any of the ones I'm missing let me know and I will update the list.


Tip #1: Try not to place your links at end of tweets. When people RT you, your links may get cut off!

Tip #5: Try to create an attractive business card or unique item tag to place in orders. You will get repeat business!
Tip #6: Yes being in a ReTweeting team can be good! Just DON'T alienate yourself by only socializing with your team!

Tip #7: Create or have someone create a nice, unique avatar for your Twitter! These avatars help catch people's eye & makes them STOP 2 see!

Tip #8: Your Etsy banner reflects, in the mind of the customer, the quality of your merchandise! Find an Etsian 2 help U create 1 of u cant!

Tip #11: Stick to one specialty in your shop. Don't sell crochet with woodwork with digital graphics. Open up another shop or two!

Tip #12: Blogging is a great way to spread the word about your shop(s)! Create an informational blog with pictures and tweet about it!

Tip #13: You can use the "Share" button to create Twitter promos of your own shop and others! Select "Share" click on "Twitter" and modify!

Tip #14: Try to comment when you ReTweet other Etsian's promo tweets. Let's people know you actually viewed the item in the link!

Tip #15: Pick a Twitter username that is the name of your Etsy shop OR that reflects the name of your Etsy Shop!

Tip #16: In your twitter bio, don't just tell about yourself, tell people about your shop! You can even place a short link to your blog!

Tip #17: Create a unique Twitter background! If you can't, ask around or search Etsy for services related to Twitter, banners, avatars, etc!

Tip #18: wRiTiNg LiKe ThIs Is HaRd tO rEaD aNd CoNfUsInG... Keep it clean when you promote your shop!

Tip #19: Place the word "Etsy" in your Twitter bio/profile. This helps people, who search for other Etsians, find you more easily!

Tip #21: Make sure your Etsy shop's Title contains a few keywords that relate to your shop!
Tip #22: If you create a blog, do write-ups showing how to use/wear the items you are selling. People like to see the items in "action"!

Everyday new shops open up on Etsy. It amazes me all the talent that is out there. Below are just a few of my favorites I found using Pounce. They are still waiting for their first sales. So show them some love ♥



Middlegray

GiddyHippo

FairytaleJubilee

SnowStitched

Part of owning a business is knowing the numbers. With an online shop my numbers are particularly important. Its important to know how often my site is being viewed, by whom and how often. I also have to take into consideration if the number of Etsy Treasuries and Etsy Front Page I am featured in play a part in my views. I use Google Analytics and Craftopolis to help obtain the figures I need. I've decided to keep track of my numbers on a quarterly basis and analysis them to see what has been working and what changes I need to make.

JANUARY

16 Total New Listings
61 Total Renewed Listings
12,686 Pageviews
3,394 Unique Visitors
66 Hearts
140 Treasuries Featured IN
3 Front Page Appearances
9 Sales

FEBRUARY
10 Total New Listings
8 Total Renewed Listings
9,214 Pageviews
2,636 Unique Visitors
93 Hearts
195 Treasuries Featured IN
1 Front Page Appearances
4 Sales

MARCH
55 Total New Listings
8 Total Renewed Listings
12,195 Pageviews
3,135 Unique Visitors
90 Hearts
201 Treasuries Featured IN
1 Front Page Appearances
1 Sales

Overall I am happy with my stats. As long as I keep listing and renewing items my pageviews will continue to climb. I am however concerned with my 54% bounce rate!! More than half of my visitors look at one item and then leave my shop. I have my link placed in every single listing and in my profile. Apparently I have to do something different to keep visitors looking around my shop.

How have your stats been for this quarter? What do you do to keep your bounce rate low? I would love to get some ideas.

What's yarn bombing? Its a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted cloth rather than paint.

Like most graffiti, its a statement of art and creativity. It is pretty amazing what people can do with a some yarn and a crochet hook. While I have never done a yarn bombing, I think it would be a neat idea.

I was at my mom's house and noticed that she covered a few items with crochet work. I'm thinking this is the closest she's going to get to yarn bombing!!

 



http://www.oberholtzer-creative.com/visualculture/2009/01/yarn-bombing/pd26392062-2/

http://yarnbombing.com/yarn-bombing-diy-flickr-pool

Have you done a yarn bombing? Please share!

For those who don't know what WIP means, it stands for Work In Progress.

I am not sure if anyone has this problem, but I have a ton of unfinished projects! I tend to start something and lose focus. Or I get an idea and start working on a new project.

Several months ago my sister requested a pair of fingerless gloves. I accepted the challenge. I figured it should be easy to find something for her, since there are hundreds of patterns out there. I was so wrong.

My sister and I are both thin with long arms. She wanted gloves that would cover the length of her arm and wasn't "holey". Well, I looked and couldn't find any patterns I like.

So here I am working on writing my very first pattern for fingerless gloves. Its been a slow process. Below is a picture of how far I've gotten. At this rate she might have her gloves by the fall!



What are your WIPs? Please share!

Now that I had a clean canvas it was time to decide what to plant. I wanted flowers that would bloom at different points of the season. Some in the spring, some in the summer. I want to keep my garden colorful. After a trip to Lowes I picked up a ton of bulbs. My friend also sent over bulbs from her lillies. While shopping at Walmart I found some bulbs which were part of the "Plant for Hope" series named in honor of Susan G Komen for the cure.


I just had to have them! With my mom being a breast cancer survivor, what a better way to show my support than to have a garden full of shades of pink. So now that I have my bulbs planted its time to wait and see what happens. I will keep you posted :-)

I love thrift store shopping. You never know what you can find. Recently I have been on the hunt to rescue crochet items. It saddens me to know that handmade items, such as baby blankets, that were meant to be keepsakes get sent to the thrift store. Then sold for less than $5. When I find something like scarves, hats or blankets in good condition I buy them. I use the yarn to recreate another wonderful item that will go to another loving home.

Most of the time I just wonder around aimlessly until I find something that interest me. Today I found these wonderful charms. I think they are adorable.



I was able to "rescue" this scarf made out of this great multi color yarn.



My last find was a single skein of variegated yarn. I don't know if I've seen this color before. Its very bright.


Over the last year I have gotten a hand ful of items from the thrift store. I have to admit that most of them are sitting on a rack in my workshop. Its a good thing I have my own space, or my hubby would have went crazy a while ago. They are just waiting for inspiration to hit me. I promise I have all good intentions! I will keep you posted on what I come up with for these items.

Do you thirft store shop? Or am I the only crazy one :-)

I am a big kid at heart. I love to play and have fun. I think this is why God gave me children of my own. It’s a great excuse for acting silly and not taking one self too seriously.



Photo by: unicornkids

When my kids were little I use to love waking up Saturday morning, curling up on the couch with them and watching cartoons. I would tell them about the cartoons I use to watch when I was growing up. Remember? Rainbow Bright, Care Bears, Jem, Fraggle Rock & Thundercats. Now those were cartoons!



Photo by: SalvagedLoveVintage

  Keeping in the spirit of being a big kid my hubby bought me the best Christmas gift ever. Soft, fuzzy, purple Smurf print pajama pants. They have to be the best pajama pants I have ever owned. I LOVED watching the Smurfs when I was younger and it is still my favorite cartoon of all time. So what is your favorite cartoon of all time?


Photo by: WheeTreasures









Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Caitlin. I am 27 years old and exactly where I'd like to be at this point in my life. I share my small apartment with an absolute sweetheart of a husband (my honey and best friend), a fluffy bunny named Truffles and a little blue Japanese fighting fish. I've worked MANY jobs in the past (usually 2 or 3 part-time jobs at once) and consider myself to be all the better for it. I've done everything from working in theater as a stagehand to some big shots, trying my hand at theatrical design (lighting, sound, etc.), done a little acting, worked in public libraries for 8 years, spent 3 years as a special ed paraprofessional in a middle school, did a painful 6 month run as an administrative assistant to the treasurer of a major bank, spent a year and half prancing around Disney World in a big, furry costume as a character and the list goes on and on. Now I am proud to say that I have the privilege of working from home in my spare bedroom studio (hence the shop name) creating to my heart's content and selling those creations online and in local boutiques.


When did you first discover your creative talents?

I can't actually think back that far. As long as I can remember I've been creating, drawing, painting, sculpting, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, etc. I've always loved ALL of it! My mother certainly helped by buying me endless craft books and kits when I was a kid and always helped me set up crafty things to do. She always says that when I was little I was constantly nagging her to do projects with me. I even started a Craft Club when I was about 10 and had my friends over once a month to have snacks and do a designated project. They paid dues of about 50 cents and my mother and I would take that to the store to buy supplies for the next month's craft. It was a lot of fun and lasted about 2 years until I moved to a different town.




What made you decide to open your very own etsy business?

I had actually never heard of Etsy until I met my friend Heather of MySelvagedLife. We were co-workers at a public library and when we weren't wasting time being silly or actually doing our job, she spent EVERY spare moment (when the boss wasn't watching) on Etsy. Over time I became enthralled with what she was doing and couldn't take it anymore... I had to open my own shop!! I love crafty things and creating in general and always have, so I figured… why not?

Describe your style in 5 or 6 words?

Airy, whimsical, fun, unique, funky, sweet


Describe what you struggle with most.


No question about it! I struggle with photos the most for sure! I can create new items until the cows come home and be happy, but when it comes time to take pictures...I want to run away screaming. One day I'll come up with that perfect photo trick and all will be well and good... a girl can dream can't she?


Do youhave any advice for those who are just starting out?

Join teams and make Etsy friends!!! It is SO helpful to have a positive support group of people who know what you're going through and can help you through it in a loving way. Teams are definitely worth the time and effort put in! Plus they are loads of fun!



What are you links? Shop, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc

Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpareBedroomStudio
Blog: http://sparebedroomstudio.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SpareBedStudio

Matthew 5:42 says, Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

An awesome story of a very talented man who fell on bad times and landed on the streets of Columbus, Ohio. A video posted by the Columbus Dispatch two day ago has already gotten over 6 million hits. When you see him you'll never guess what comes out of his mouth.



This morning his appearance on the CBS The Early Show was absolutely inspirational. He talks about his faith in God and never giving up hope.



Such a heart warming story is a wonderful way to jumpstart the new year!!

I love, love to shop online. I always check the mail to see if my package has come in. Even though I know that it will take longer than a week! When my package finally arrives, it feels like my birthday or Christmas. I can't wait to open it up and take a look at my new goodies. I love it when sellers take the extra time to package items nicely. I get extremely disappointed when things are just placed in freezer bags and toss into a bubble mailers. I expect more, especially for Etsy sellers.


If you sell items on Etsy, you are running your own small business. You represent yourself through the quality and packaging of your item. It doesn't cost a lot to package your items with a little love.

Here are a few ideas in no particular order:

♥ Mailers

Depending on how you send your packages you have several options. If you are in the United States and send your items via USPS you can go online and order your boxes free of charge. They will even deliver them to your doorstep. If you rather use mailer you can use anyone of these online shops to purchase them in larger quantities for a good cost. http://www.uline.com/ or http://www.papermart.com/

♥ Packaging

Do you sell jewelry? If so do you place your item in a jewelry box or plastic bag? Do you sell clothing? Do you place you clothing in a shopping bag, freezer bag or gift box? Whatever you do think about presentation. Your customer is going to open their box and in front of them see.... what? I sell clothing. While I don't put them in gift boxes I do gift wrap them. You can purchase colorful tissue paper from the Dollar Tree along with ribbon. Not a huge investment but makes a big impact on how your package looks. Be creative, add your own touch.


♥ Hand Written Note


♥ A Little Something Special

Who doesn't love freebies? Well your customers do! This is a perfect opportunity to send out a sample size of something you’re working on. For the last three months I have included a small Breast Cancer Awareness key chain free with every order. When I am out of those I might crochet some headbands or something small like that to include with my orders. If you sell soaps you can include a small bath sponge. If you sell prints you can include a small postcard size print. You don't have to spend a lot just be creative.

I am by no means an expert. These are just a few ideas that I have tried and they have helped me along the way. I would love it if you'd share some of your ideas with me.

Did you know that yesterday, November 15th was America Recycles Day? I will be completely honest, I didn’t know until I saw random people at work walking around with big green pins! So what exactly is this day all about? According to their website: “America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. One day to inform and educate.”

So now my question to you is do you recycle? I don’t. Sure I have my reasons but they sound more like excuses. There really isn’t a good enough reason for us not to do our part.

While I don’t recycle - I do reuse. I love using everyday items that would normally end up in the trash for my art projects. I am not the only one. If you do a search for recycle or upcycle on etsy.com you will find over 50,000 search results! You will find some extremely cool items.

Like this laptop sleeve by NottyPooch made from recycled billboard banner.


This lovely art collage by cindycolumbia1958, she used corrugated paper and buttons among other things.


What about these unique postage stamp earrings by withaflourish?


I bet if you take a look around your house you can find quite a few items you can use for that next art project. Here are a few of the ones I came up with.

Coasters/Trivets using old unwanted CDs. These are easy to do and everyone had CDs lying around the house that you don’t want or need.


Fabric Covered Bracelets. For these I used cardboard tubing and scrap pieces of fabric.


How about plarn coasters?


What is plarn? Well its yarn made out of plastic grocery bags. Its time consuming to work with but if you have the patience you can make just about anything. This blog has great examples: http://www.myrecycledbags.com/ .

Whether you recycle or reuse we all need to play a part in ensuring that we keep this earth beautiful and vibrant for the upcoming generations.

So what do you do? Do you recycle? Do you reuse? Do you upcycle? Please share so we can all learn from each other!



Thanks
Lily
http://www.myhobbyshop.etsy.com/