Pumpkin Whipped Cream Recipe... you don't even really need to eat it with pie it's so good!

Ingredients:

1 pint of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
dash of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla


In a chilled bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks begin to form. Add in remaining ingredients & mix thoroughly.

I swear this is so good...it tastes like pumpkin pie!

To reduce calories, you can substitute splenda for the sugar.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Christmas & winter holiday resin glitter jewelry at isewcute on etsy!

Hello all! It's that time of year again! I've been crafting up some of my classic sparkly resin snowflake rings as well as many brand new one of a kind winter & holiday themed resin pendant necklaces & sparkly statement rings with glitter, santas, deer, & snowmen!
This is my original big snowflake dome ring...back again for another season...available in the shop now!

This is a brand new funky mod sparkly 'snowflake' ring in winter white! It sparkles just like sunlight on snow! I had so much fun crafting this whimsical resin ring!

I will be listing a few one of a kind novelty big statement pendant necklaces in the shop over the next 2 weeks! Check out my Christmas & winter holiday section to see whats in store! I have Santas & elves like this one available now at isewcute.

If you know a girl who made Santa's 'nice' list, she deserves something fun & sparkly from http://www.isewcute.etsy.com

I've crafted some new dome rings which are like Christmas ornaments for your fingers!
This one makes me think of a shiny brite ornament! It has those classic cool Christmas colors swirling around inside!

This christmas crimson red glitter dome ring is perfect for children aged 5 & up... or for more delicate hands. This ring fits both my 6 year old daughter & me.

This lovely mini glitter heart would look lovely all year long...not only for the holidays...even though it's that festive & sparkly!
Twinkly red glitter heart ring available now!

This sweet little friendly deer winter necklace will make it's debut in the shop next week!

I've handcast some new resin glitter holiday pendants in this sweet small heart size... for those who like a little sparkle, but not big gaudy baubles. (you know if it sparkles, I love it all no matter how big or small!)
This sweet Santa pendant necklace would look so lovely on a girl wearing her holiday dress, as well as being paired with jeans & worn to school! Coming soon!

Snowflake necklace coming soon!

Too Cute for Words! Grab Life as it Happens!

This kind of cuteness I just couldn't keep to myself! I've been working on etsy stuff when my daughter walked in all dressed up like Alice & I asked if she would mind sitting on the couch for a photo with our bunny.

This could be my Christmas card this year!

If I hadn't been spontaneous, the moment would have escaped us, and after many years of photographing children now, I realize you've got to jump at the opportunity & not let the moment pass.

Etsy Success: Merch Trends for the Holidays Interview with Emily Bidwell Highlights

I've been working on getting the shop holiday ready & wanted to share with y'all the notes I took while watching the online lab video from etsy merchandising strategies for the holidays with Emily Bidwell...in case you missed it. I'm finding it very helpful to have written them out, since I have the attention span of about a minute & a half. ;)
This is how I interpreted the video, so please forgive me if I may have forgotten something.

You may watch the video here for yourself: http://www.etsy.com/community/online-labs under the etsy success video library.

Review your tags & titles to reflect what is going on with etsy's merchandising report.
Maybe redo photography to be more holiday friendly... this works well especially if you'll be selling the same items next year, however may be time consuming if you sell many ooak items.

The press is looking for holiday product 6 months in advance...so they're looking for holiday items in May June & July (doesn't help me now, but the press keeps coming to etsy looking for last minute features too...so it's never too late to be featured in a blog or for things like 'great gifts under $50' )
Shoppers are really getting into looking for holiday decor, gifts, & items for entertaining now.

Q: Is it beneficial to change your tags to Christmas/holiday etc...or does that get lost in the shuffle?
A: I think it gets lost... I'm usually looking for something specific like a vase or a certain style.

Q: What is the secret for getting on the front page of etsy?
A: Think about really great photography...to appeal to treasury makers, people who are shopping, & people who add to their favorites. Think about your product & also curate beautiful & relevant to the season treasuries as well.

Q: White backgrounds best for being featured?
A: White background can be beneficial if it is well photographed...& be featured by etsy & by bloggers, but also think about fashion magazines & how things are featured... editors picks (white background) vs. editorials...Ex. photos of models wearing a dress in a field with wildflowers. Balance is important in etsy finds emails to show shoppers items in different & interesting ways. Think about which way supports your product. If you sell clothing, the editorial way may be the way to go & if you sell a smaller product, a white background may make it pop more. It gives your shop a clean cohesive look as well.

Q: Watermarks good or bad?
A: Watermarks are recommended as a way of protecting your work... but in terms of getting featured in the different curated areas of etsy, it is difficult to use a photo with a watermark across the entire page...because it breaks the image & etsy is looking for really clear photography.
You can maybe have the first thumbnail image not have a watermark, or sometimes if the watermark is smaller & in a corner or around the edge etsy can still use it.

Q: Biggest tips for getting noticed or featured?
A: Good photography...tag correctly in ways that are relevant to the ways a shopper would think.
Get away from the literal aspect of what you make from an artisan/seller point of view... & think about the style. Think like a shopper would.
Get a friend to try to find your items from the home page & see what words they type in... in association with your creations. Think style, shape, & color. Shoppers may not search by specific materials that only the artisan would be familiar with.

Join an etsy team & get team members to help & support.

Q: What else is etsy looking for besides good photographs to be featured?
A: It's the science of merchandising... we're looking at top search terms, what people are clicking on, observing shopping behavior... so etsy is making an effort to feature things that support those numbers.

Holiday Shopping for a Cat Lover? Here are Some Gift Ideas!

If your hunting high & low for something cute to give a cat lover this holiday season, I may have handcrafted just the thing you're looking for at www.isewcute.etsy.com

To find all the ready made kitty-specific items that I have done, check out this shop search. There are rings & necklaces available in a variety of colors, shapes, & styles ready to ship by the next business day!

I can do custom kitty portrait jewelry in any of the shapes in my shop as well as jewelry made from your family photos, or child's artwork! All I need is a high resolution photo & a few days to create your personal treasure! What would be more special to someone than a custom pet portrait piece? Those are the orders I love to work on the most because I know they'll truly be loved by the person who receives it.

These types of items take a little longer to ship for the crafting time involved...usually a few days - up to a week depending on how fast the resin sets up, but they are well worth the wait!

Best thing to do is get your order in early so there is plenty of time for it to reach you before the holiday. If you don't have to rush for the holidays, feel free to contact me any time at all about a custom order! I do several throughout the year for birthdays, anniversaries, as well as pet memorial pieces. That way you can keep your pet & children close to your heart always.


Stay Sparkly!

Artisan Spotlight wayneswoodworking on etsy

With over 40 years experience in working with wood, artistan Wayne Hall may have just the thing you're looking for in sturdy traditional modern handcrafted wood items. wayneswoodworking.etsy.com offers a variety of products including benches, tables, cutting boards, shelves, and cabinets.

You may ask why not go to a big brand name store for your furniture needs? A few great reasons are that it feels good to support an independent designer such as Wayne, who takes great pride in his work. His items are built to last with attention to detail. They have modern flair as well as rustic farmhouse charm...so they would appeal to a variety of tastes in home decor. His pieces are custom made & you as a buyer, have the option of changing out the color & even the opportunity to work with him in creating your very own unique piece.

If you like any of the items below, then click on the links to be directed to the items in Wayne's shop. If they have sold, then don't hesitate to contact him. That's the beauty of buying handmade itmes like this... you get to work directly with the craftsman.

My personal favorite is this little red bench! Our house is crowded with furniture already, but this is the kind of thing I could find a spot for.

This is a classic... farmhouse style tables have always appealed to me. They just make me feel right at home & as Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, there's no place like home!

This is a table where modern & rustic come together in such a beautiful way! It's functional art for your home.

The perfect holiday hostess gift? Yes! I think so!

My little kids would love sitting at this table, having tea parties & drawing. It would make a great additional table for Thanksgiving dinner this year. Who doesn't remember sitting at 'the kids' table? If you don't have children, it would make a great end table.

This is just the thing a family needs this winter when coming in from playing in the snow. You would have a place to sit & kick off your snowy boots & then be able to store them underneath! Wayne can make this bench in a variety of colors to match your decor.

This would make a lovely bookshelf or display unit!

This is another gorgeous coffee table where modern & rustic come together in such a beautiful way! Isn't the color & woodgrain beautiful?

I hope you've enjoyed this feature & take the time to browse www.wayneswoodworking.etsy.com Happy shopping!

Some days I just have to draw!

manda31409 doodle sketch by isewcute kawaii handmade doll rainbow fashion blog, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

Got up this morning inspired to push a pen around on some paper & once I started, I didn't stop & even imported it into my computer for a wild splash of rainbow colors. I was inspired by my new friend Manda over at: www.youtube.com/Manda31409
She does cute fashion & accessories blogging & I'm working on a special birthday present for her! Can't wait to reveal it!

Stay sparkly!

Glitter and Nails Featured my Pumpkin Orange Glitter Heart Ring, Yay!

I'm delighted to share that this lovely blog has featured one of my sparkly rings! If you are looking for nail beauty ideas, then check out the gorgeous photos on Glitter & Nails!

This is a rough translation of the part mentioning my ring as the blog is in french:
"And have you seen my beautiful ring?
She comes from the Etsy shop isewcute held by the adorable June.
If you like glitter, unicorns and kawaii, I can only advise you to go check it out, I'm sure you will find your happiness."

Isn't that the sweetest thing? It really made my week! Thank you to Marie from Glitter and Nails!

Rabbit Care... Solution for Rubbing the Fur off the Heels May be a Soft Pet Bed

darling bunny Yuki surrounded by pink leopard spots cute rabbit photo by isewcute, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

Some of you know that we celebrated our one year 'bunnyversary' last month. Yuki is enjoying her present...a lovely fuzzy pink leopard bed. Shhhh! Don't tell her that it was for a cat. She'd take offense. :)
For Christmas, we're going to get her one of these lovely 'Ugli' donut beds from thehareapparent on etsy... handmade especially for bunnies.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/107757757/ugli-donut-bunny-bed-for-medium-to-large?ga_search_query=small

That way she'll have a cozy spot to rest in when she isn't in her cage during the daytime.
If you have a bunny & run into the same problem we have with your rabbit rubbing her heels raw from backing up against the wall of the cage, then one of these beds may be the answer.
Yuki had 2 dime sized raw patches on her feet because she'd do this & now that we've had the bed for a couple of weeks, her little feet are doing so much better & the fur is growing back.

Halloween Resin Jewelry Crafting New OOAK Halloween Lockets

I wanted to make something really special for Halloween 2012, so I hand cast some resin cabs with spooky-cute Halloween characters & lots of glitter & then mounted them into antiqued cameo lockets. The results have been spectacular! I'm so tickled with how they turned out. I kept one for myself & only listed 4 of them in the shop. Once they're gone, there will be no more in the shop until next year.

I think nothing represents Halloween more than a grinning jack o'lantern. This one is a little devilish.

This locket has a smiley pumpkin... more sweet & less spooky.

Here we have a traditional grinning spooky jack o'lantern.

I think my favorite one in the group is the spooky Halloween black cat...

This is how the lockets would look on a model so you can see how large these are:

These lockets have room inside for 2 decent sized photos, or you can place a small keepsake inside such as a lock of hair, or a pressed flower...or even fill it with your very own solid perfume!

There was a recent article on etsy on how to make your own wedding favor solid perfumes.

Happy Halloween & stay crafty!

halloween candy corn trick or treat ring handmade resin jewelry byisewcute

halloween candy corn trick or treat ring handmade resin jewelry by isewcute, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

Just a quick little post to let y'all know I've been so busy crafting for Halloween that I now have nearly 3 pages of new Halloween goodies listed in the shop! Many of them are one of a kind, so check it out!

www.isewcute.etsy.com

For Halloween jewelry items at a glance, click here: My Trick or Treat Jewelry

Here's to hoping for the greatest Halloween ever!

rabbit in the doll house again one year bunnyversary photo by isewcute

rabbit in the doll house again one year bunnyversary photo by isewcute, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

I wanted to share an updated photo of Yuki in the dollhouse on her one year bunnyversary. My how she's grown!

septermber 10th Yuki's bunnyversary

septermber 10th Yuki's bunnyversary funny surprise cute pretty rabbit, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

One year ago today we brought home a little house bunny that has brought so much unmeasureable joy into our lives!
Yuki hasn't erased the love & longing I have had for my kitty, but she has softened the blow in how we lost him.
I did so much research on bunnies & thought she would be a good fit for our family...boy, was I right about that!
Have a slice of carrot cake today & celebrate with us!
Happy bunny-versary Yuki! We love you!

Mango Salsa Recipe Fun Summer Food by isewcute

Summer isn't over yet, so indulge with this yummy mango salsa recipe. It's my super-crave at the moment! I love eating it with tortilla chips or grilled chicken.

MANGO SALSA INGREDIENTS
Dice or finely chop the following:
2 mangoes
1 cucumber
1 green pepper
1 sweet red pepper
1 yellow or orange pepper
1 med. vidalia or sweet onion
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
& mix in...
2 Tbsps. lime juice
1 tsp. sriracha(hot chili sauce) ...if you like things hot, then add more to suit your taste.

This is so yummy...I hope you love it!

isewcute is getting ready for Halloween

isewcute is getting ready for Halloween, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

I have many new beautiful unique resin jewelry designs in the works for Halloween this year! I've been working on many one of a kind & limited edition pieces. I'm so giddy & excited I can hardly contain myself & summer isn't even over yet. Don't you think it's okay to wear this type of thing year-round?

Stay sparkly!
www.isewcute.etsy.com

Neon unicorn charm necklace handmade by isewcute

unicorn charm necklace handmade by isewcute, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

Now for summer 2012, I've crafted my adorable multi colored unicorn heart resin necklace in a brand new bold electric neon color blend!
It's available in the shop now...along with many other new fabulous resin glitter jewerly creations!
Take a peek! If you like it, tell your friends!
http://www.isewcute.etsy.com

fortune cookie fortune the weekend ahead predicts enjoyment by isewcute

fortune cookie fortune the weekend ahead predicts enjoyment by isewcute, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

Hope y'all have a lovely Memorial Day weekend!
We're having friends & family over for food & fun.
Good times!

yuki bunny with a big four leaf clover photo by isewcute

yuki bunny with a big four leaf clover photo by isewcute, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

We have been looking for four leaf clovers. Guess who is the luckiest bunny of them all?

She didn't eat this really, but she did have some lovely dandelion greens.

I will have many new pieces added to the shop soon!
http://www.asluckwouldhaveit.etsy.com

lets do a John Waters embroidery stitchalong this summer by isewcute

I was inspired to finally do an embroidery pattern of the divine Mr. Waters! Feel free to downoload the image & stitch it for yourself I'd love to see what y'all make with the pattern, so please come on back & share Happy Stitching!

isewcute glitter hearts in bright pastel rainbow colors handmade resinjewels

isewcute glitter hearts in bright pastel rainbow colors handmade resin jewels, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

New month...new resin glitter heart creations! Well, actually, they're an older design that I have revived for someone special. This is a partial custom order where the bands of the rainbow are slightly different in each piece.
I'm also working on more unicorn glitter hearts and a variety of new sparkly star rings. Come on & visit the shop to see what's new!
http://www.isewcute.etsy.com

Stitchalong Handmade Ryan Gosling 'Hey Girl' for Hand Embroidery

Good morning crafty peeps!

Thought I'd start off April with a free pattern for y'all to stitch along!
Last month I did a swap on Craftster & made this oh so handy embroidered tote for my partner featuring inspiration from craftster & the handmade Ryan Gosling tumblr!

The tote I stitched on was a heavy canvas type of fabric which was challenging to stitch on to say the least...but there was also no need to use a hoop.
I used 6 strands of black DMC floss for the thicker parts & the details were done in 3 strands.
Here is my free pattern for you! I hope you have fun stitching up your very own handmade Ryan Gosling lovelies! Please share with us what you stich up! I'd love to see all the crafty goodness!

If you've never been to craftster before, & you're the crafty type, you should check it out! I love swapping on craftster. You get to meet really cool crafty folks & participating in swaps gives me an opportunity to get out of any craft ruts & make fun things for other people.
Here are some of the other treats I made for my super-wonderful partner!

These are a few of the items my partner made for me! I was spoiled so much!

I'm participating in the Unicorn Swap right now & making all kinds of cute & glittery surprises for my partner!
I can't wait to see all the pretty unicorn things everyone else is making.

If you'd like to get in on some crafty swap action, then sign up for one of the organized craft swaps going on now on craftster! It's a joy to craft something for somebody else & then a joy to get super fun mail!
Huzzah for craftster swaps!