Latest Craftster Craft Swapping - I made a cute clutch purse & received a lovely new craft to explore... spinning with a drop spindle!

I'm so excited to share with y'all what a splendiferous mail day I had today! Yesterday I was in such an unexplainable blue mood & today is the polar opposite! I woke up cheerful after one of the best night's sleep in a month of Sundays & then when I called the postal office about a package I had been anticipating from a swap on craftster, the sweet voice on the phone replied, "it's here!" ...so on to the good stuff!

The swap was a make a friend swap...so in this type of swap you have the opportunity to get to know a fellow crafter. The items to be swapped were something you do well (crafted item), something you love (non-crafted item), and a surprise...up to you if it is crafted or not.

I learned mid-way through the swap process that beading is not something I do well. I thought how hard can this be if I follow a pattern? Well, I guess I had problems following the pattern because I messed up my rows & the image I was going for ended up skewed. I scrapped that idea & sought inspiration elsewhere...& went with something I knew I wouldn't mess up.

I made a cute batik blue & green pieced clutch purse with a kiss lock frame based on my partner's likes. The purse was time consuming certainly due to piecing & selecting the fabric squares to make an attractive pattern. The construction of the purse itself was fairly easy because of the fabulous pattern & instructions I got at While Baby Naps on etsy. I also bought the fabric glue, frame, & chain from them. It was a great etsy experience with super fast shipping & great communication. I highly recommend their shop to other crafters out there looking to make something similar.


The work in progress...making sure I had bits of fabric that looked good next to each other...then cutting them into rows of squares...


Sewing....


Lining up the different rows so that no two of the same pattern were next to each other. I wanted a nice contrast where the squares complimented each other. Once this was done & my pieced fabric panels were done, I could cut out my pattern.


After adding fuseable interfacing, pressing, sewing & turning, this is what it looked like... all ready for the frame.


I attached the frame one side at a time...allowing the first side to dry completely before attaching the other side. This part made me nervous that I would somehow screw it up, but it went together fairly well. Doing a dry run to see if the pattern fit the frame before adding the glue is definitely a must. It would be tragic to have done all that hard work, only to mess it up in the final stage of the process.


I love how this project turned out! The colors are so yummy & bright... super cute for summer! It makes me think of the Earth & Sea!
Here are a couple more glamour shots of the final piece:



I'd love to make a few more of these in different fabrics... vintage linens, kawaii cute Japanese prints, & more colorful rainbow batiks! I'm officially hooked!

Here is the whole package I sent to my partner:

There is the purse, one of my resin glitter bubble rings, some tea by teaman on etsy, a tube of glitter, and an Ohio magnet. My partner is also from Ohio...so it seemed a good match! The glitter & the tea are my loves... I can't not walk into a craft store without buying at least one tube of the twinkly stuff... and teaman's tea is the best! If you love tea, try the Christmas blend or black raspberry. They're my personal favorite!
The ring is the item I do well. I've gained a lot of experience working with resin & wanted to send something sparkly to my partner that she could wear out to the pool or the beach...it's waterproof & so twinkly in the sunshine!



Here is the super amazing package I received from my partner, Loves2experiment, on craftster!

When I opened the box, Hello Kitty was looking back at me! I knew this was going to be really good!


What an unexpected delight! A book about a craft I have not yet tried & was looking into just this week! Seriously, I googled how to make yarn & spinning with a drop spindle! ...you can even ask my BFF Kelly...she'd vouch for me! ;)

The cutest craft bag... with one of my favorite quotes inspired by Hyperbole and a Half! "Craft All the Things!" LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

...and there's more inside!

...super squishy fiber & a drop spindle...no, a 'glittery' drop spindle!!!
Just look at the eye candy colors!

I need to learn how to use this asap! I'm so excited!

A closeup of the gorgeous lining fabric in the pouch... so beautiful!

The surprise goodie my partner sent was a crafted unicorn zipper pouch. The unicorn is embroidered! My daughter would claim it if I let her see!

How cute is that?!!

And finally, the goodie my partner can't live without...or something she loves... candy! You can't go wrong with candy!


This has been a super-fun craftster swap & I had as much fun crafting for it as I had fun opening all the goodies! I can't wait to try spinning & hopefully will have updates on my adventures with that soon! Thank you so much Loves2experiment! I'm over-the-moon thrilled with my goodies & you made such a beautifully crafted & thoughtful package! I'm going to treasure it!!!

Stay crafty!

Quick & Easy Gift for Teacher ...easy peasy kid craft idea!

This morning before school, my daughter approached me about giving her teacher a gift on the last day of school... which is today. I thought quick to have my girl do some mini artworks & insert them into one of those photo totes (which thankfully I had on hand in my craft room) ...along with a couple of photos of my daughter's class & her with the teacher.

This was so easy, quick, & fun... and it was budget friendly too!



If you try this, please let us know! We'd love to hear you were inspired!


WELCOME SUMMER!!!

Mani Pedi How to Ombre Rainbow Nails by isewcute

I'm long over due for a how to post, so when I painted my nails a fun kawaii, ombre rainbow, I knew I had to share with y'all! This was so easy guys!

The colors I used:
Sally Hansen Extreme Wear 360 'mellow yellow'
Sally Hansen Extreme Wear 90 'sun kissed'
Sally Hansen Extreme Wear 23 'fuchsia power'
Sally Hansen insta-dri 420 'lively lilac'
Sally Hansen insta-dri 28 'mint sprint'
Sally Hansen Extreme Wear 02 'green with envy'
Sally Hansen Extreme Wear 130 'blew me away'




I'm sure it can be improved upon, but for a first go at it, I'm well pleased with the results!

Also I used a clear fast drying top coat.

Simply brush one color on one half of your nail such as yellow...and then on the other half, brush on a complimentary color such as red...so that when they come together they make the 3rd color you'll brush on in the center...(orange).
Quickly, before it dries, brush on the clear coat & kind of wiggle the brush as you apply it to soften the edges between your colors & give the whole thing a nice smooth shine.

I'm loving this even more than when I did the glitter tips french manicure...and it takes a lot to make me like something more than glitter!

Enjoy & feel free to share your results if you try it! I'd love to see!

isewcute was featured today over at Mom's Basement

Oh happy day!
My galaxy rings were mentioned in a blog post over at Mom's Basement! If you'd like to see all my currently available galaxy inspired jewelry, you may find it here. I have a few necklaces, many rings, & plan on adding keyrings & earrings this spring.
I'm very excited about my new line of cosmic galaxy space jewelry for this year!
<

Thank you to Michelle from Fun With Needles for the heads up about it!
If you have a minute, check out Michelle's shop! She makes great geekery cross stitched gifts such as jewelry & decor for the home!

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!