Almost Spring

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Winter is, finally, almost over. I can feel the weather beginning to turn. Yes, we will still have cold days and even colder nights, but the warmer days will be become more and more frequent.

This month the Etsy Bloggers are posting about what they like and don’t like about Spring.

My likes are easy:

Leaves on the trees

Birds singing

Warmth of the sun

Green grass

More hours of daylight

Open windows

Kids outside playing

Flowers

Gardening

As for my dislikes, there is only really one:

Allergies! Sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes.

Yes, I suffer quite badly from seasonal allergies. Last year I thought I would give it a go with over the counter medications only. After all, the commercials say how great they work. Well, maybe for some, but definitely not for me. I was miserable. I won’t be making the same mistake again this year.

What are your likes and dislikes about the arrival of Spring? I would love to hear.

A Chainmaille Treasury

I woke this morning to find that I had been included in a chainmaille treasury. (Available for viewing until Monday, March 16, morning)

I love chainmaille treasuries, not only because I make and sell chainmaille, but also because it lets people know that chainmaille is not just about knights and armor.


Thanks to Avionmaille for including me in this beautiful collection.

Featured Etsy Blogger For March

This month's featured Etsy Blogger is DesignByNora.

She has these cute polymer clay stud earrings in her shop and is offering free shipping. That can't be beat.



You will also find a great selection of handbags by her Uncle Naz. Cindy's purse, shown below, is just one of the many that Nora has to offer.



Right now Nora is offering $1.00 purchases as a way to celebrate her 100th blog post. What a great time to visit her shop and make a purchase.

Think Pink

I just added this to my Artistry Arts shop. It was made by crocheting bright pink lined and pale pink lined glass seed beads into a bangle bracelet. Perfect for Spring!

Spring Ahead

For those of you living in areas that observe Daylight Savings Time, don't forget to set your clocks ahead 1 hour at 2:00 AM tomorrow morning (or before bed tonight).

It should be sheer torture getting the teenagers out of bed for church tomorrow morning.

New Handmade Selling Venue

I came across a new online site for selling handmade called Artistry Arts. They allow only the selling of handmade items and supplies used to sell handmade items.

I was fortunate enough to be among the first to sign up and therefore qualified for a 6 month free membership. This allowed me to start listing and set up my my store without having to pay a penny.

For those who still wish to sell it is only $5 per month to start selling and that price is guaranteed to never go up. You can list as many things as you want and choose how many days you want to list for - 30, 45, 90 or 120. You can also have your listing automatically renew 1 or 2 times.

I think that my favorite feature is the payment options that you can choose from. You can require your buyer to pay instantly before the item is removed from your shop or you can choose to invoice them for their purchase.

The front page also features different items on a rotating basis so that every time you refresh you will see new items that are chosen randomly. What a thrill it is to see some of my items on the front page at any given moment.

Some other features are:

· Paypal Cart Checkout

· Ability to Leave and Receive Feedback

· Sell Similar Option

· Favorites

· Create and Send Invoices

· And more.

This site was only started about 1 month ago by Sharon and John, also known as Mom and Pop. They are constantly upgrading the site and are very good about responding to user recommendations.

Check it out. What have you got to lose?

Foundhandmade

Foundhandmade is a unique way to shop. A buyer is brought to a page with blocks of photos showing them either handmade items, vintage items or supplies. Clicking on a block brings you to the website page where that particular item is for sale. There are also opportunities for buyers to win items.



Sellers get exposure by having their blocks link directly to their website, whether it is a personal website or an online selling venue. You can either buy blocks: One block – One month - $5, Five Blocks (non-touching, randomly placed) – One month - $20, Four-merged blocks (one larger image) – One month - $30, or enter one of their events for a chance to win a free block.


They also have a "Where to Sell" feature. Here you can find traffic rankings of various websites where crafters, artists and designers can sell.

Etsy Envy

The Etsy Bloggers Team is blogging about something from Etsy that you wish you had thought of first. As soon as I read that I new exactly what I was going to blog about. I came across 2ReVert.
This husband and wife team make jewelry from old skateboards. I think my idea envy stems from the fact that my son has been skating for over 9 years so we have gone through our share of skateboard decks. Here are a few of their unique pieces.

Micro Dots Necklace

Reversible Teardrop Necklace

Earrings

Until I came across their jewelry I had no idea that the layers in the deck of a skateboard were so colored and varied.

February Featured Etsy Blogger

The Etsy Blogger for February is Donna Pool. I had never been to Donna's shop before and I was very impressed with what I found. Donna not only sews and takes fabulous photographs, but she also makes awesome buttons. Here is just a sample of what Donna has to offer. Please visit her shop to see more of her great creations.

Electric Guitar Buttons

Puzzle Ball Ornament

Cat Note Cards

I Was Featured

A few week's ago I was featured on Angie's blog. It was very exciting for me and she wrote a very nice review of my shop. You can find it here if you would like to read it.

Of course I then had to go and check out Angie's shop, Handmade by Angie. I was totally blown away by what a talented lady she is. Not only does Angie have crocheting and cards, she also has ceramics. Here are my favorite picks from each of the 3 categories.

Three Pointed Bowl

Congratulations Card

Copper Patina Wool Scarf

Go check out Angie's shop; she truly has something for everyone.