Posts Tagged ‘Etsy’

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Wednesday What-Nots…Feature Focus: Fine Art Photos, Cool Photography Links


2010
03.03

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Posted in Etsy, Wednesday What-Nots | 2 Comments »

I was hanging some artwork this past weekend, in dire need of finding creative ways to ignore the dismal days of weather that have been lurking around.  In doing so,  I came across some photos I had framed a few years back that had been in an “as soon as I can get to it” pile.  It reminded me that changing around home decor accessories can really jazz up a space and give it some new life.  It worked!   A few nicely framed and matted photos brightened my walls and my spirits…

If you’re looking for some new sources of artwork to spruce up your “nest”, consider photos, hung alone or in groupings.  I did some “window shopping” on Etsy over the weekend and found some really wonderful fine art photo shops that I would love to share.  Might just be the lift you’re looking for.   Check out the amazing talent here.

Lena of LenaBrownDesigns is a self-taught photographer as well as a passionate knitter, spinner, and fiber artist from Grand Rapids, MI.  The photos in her shop deal mostly with nature and our surroundings, and are quite lovely.  Pictured below is a photo she took of  flowers in a Mother’s Day bouquet.  It is a stark, yet delicate floral photo that  really caught my eye, entitled “Stand Out”  … and it does!  Lena is running a 10 % special in her shop that makes a purchase even more alluring.

  stand out

Billy Currie hails from Stirlingshire, Scotland.  He has two passions – woodturning and photography, and is renowned and quite proficient in each.   What a range of expertise!  The photo I selected to high light in this post is entitled “Delicate Wings”, found in the “Artistic Photography” category of his shop, as it is available in five colors/styles.  The photo is of a butterfly, and the detail is remarkable.  Take a look, and then check his shop to see the processing styles he is offering on this image.

butterfly

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for anything bird-related.  I’ve always enjoyed the capers of the little creatures.  Tracey from Raceytay  has captured a sweet little goldfinch in a setting of red buds from maple trees that is a delightful  burst of color.    Graphic design is Tracey’s background, but her passion for photography is quite evident in her work.  She is having a “March Madness” sale in her Etsy shop … not to be missed.

goldfinch

Another photo that wows! in the color department is in a shop called davita.  Jamie Mc Coy is a self-taught photographer and environmental artist from Erie, PA – she has a fine selection of photos in her shop and graciously offered a special promo to readers when I asked if I might highlight her shop in my blog this week.  (more on that in a sec…)  The photo that I chose to include here was one of many I loved – the “play” of the red and electric blue is amazing.  She has titled the image “Heaven is Decorated in Polka Dots”.

blue

Jamie’s offer, available through next Wednesday, March 10, is a “buy one print, get one half off” sale.  When you’ve made your selections  from her Etsy shop, simply put the word “nest” in the “Message To Sellers” at checkout and Jamie will take care of the rest!

As I’ve been doing since I started this Wednesday feature a few weeks ago ( and with thanks for your encouragement and kind words regarding it! ) I will give you the benefit of some research and/or personal experience about the week’s topic.  I am not a photographer in, really, any sense of the word, but thanks to my trusty digital camera I can at least come up with photos that do some justice to the items in my Etsy shop and on my website.  And I have found a few tools to help in the process, and some fun sites as well…

To adjust my photos (crop, enhance, size, etc.) I mostly use Paint Shop Photo Album 5 from Corel which I’ve had for some time.  (the newer version is out, natch, but I’m still happy with the one I have)  I do have Photoshop Elements 5 installed on my computer, but haven’t had sufficient time to play with it to feel confident.  I’m anxious to do so, and will!

I came across a Gorillapod (a flexible, easy to use tripod) a while back on Photojojo, a website devoted to the very best photo tips, DIY projects, and gear.  It’s a fun site, loaded with tons of  ideas.  (The Gorillapod is great!)

Two sites that are cool for creating official postage stamps utilizing your own photos are zazzle and photo.stamps.com.  What a great way to advertise your work  (promotion, promotion!) or celebrate a special occasion or person in your life such as a new baby or an upcoming wedding, perhaps.

One last site to share before I close, and I use this one a lot, is picfont, a site where you can add text or comments to a picture in about ten seconds – it’s just FUN!

thanksnest

I look forward to your comments and hope you’ll subscribe to my blog by either adding your email address to the left sidebar or by clicking on your favorite reader, also to the left.                               Have a great Wednesday!

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Wednesday What-Nots…Feature Focus: Cupcakes, Baking Websites


2010
02.24

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Posted in Etsy, Wednesday What-Nots | 4 Comments »

It’s been, and supposedly will continue to be, a dreary week weatherwise here on the shoreline of CT.  Gray/ rainy/sleety/snowy … yucky.   A good week, though, to do some baking.  Warms the house and makes it smell yummy.  Takes me back to the days when both my great-grandmother and Nana baked – made it feel like “home”.  Grandma Laux (my maternal great-grandmother)  made donuts (actually not baked, but deep-fried) …  great, great donuts with powdered sugar on them.  Light as air and simply irresistible.  Sadly, these donuts are the only thing I remember about her…ah, but what a sweet memory!

I remember a lot about Nana, my maternal grandmother.  She was a real “lady” and we were all very close to her.  She made tapioca and rice puddings that could win contests, and she also made a mean NY cheesecake.  However, terrific cupcakes are what I remember best.  They didn’t always look as pretty as the ones we see today, but they were tasty morsels .  Such a treat to come home to from grammar school in Riverdale, NY.  I was reminiscing about them the other day with a friend, and hence, the “theme” for this week’s Wednesday What-Nots.  Cupcakes, whether plain and simple or ornate, but always tempting, single-serving delights…this one’s for Nana!

I was amazed to find a wealth of great products when I researched “cupcakes” on Etsy this week.  In their truest form, you can actually purchase delicious home-baked cupcakes from various sellers on the site, but I’m going to focus on cupcake-related products that I found.  And, if you are inclined to bake your own, there’s a great little book on my website that has sold very well and is also a  personal favorite of mine,  “Cupcakes Year-Round” by Sara Neumeier.  (The Black Forest Cherry Cupcakes are positively addictive!)

When you bake your own, you’ll want to check out Cupcake Social, a shop devoted to “making cupcakes too cute to eat”.    There is an amazing array of all things related to making cupcakes look as good as they taste.  From toppers to sprinkles to cupcake liners, this shop has it covered!  The assortment of green liners, shown below,  is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or, perhaps, a Springtime garden tea party. cupcakeliners

 

How cute are these!

 

 

 

 

 

Another great source of cupcake and cookie toppers for all occasions is TwoSugarBabies, made from fondant (edible!) and available in a variety of themes and for all the seasons and holidays.  Charynn specializes in custom work, creating handcrafted toppers to fit any occasion you may have.  With Easter not too far off, these little baby chicks caught my eye!chicktopper

In the non-edible category, there were two shops that put a clever spin on the “cupcake” theme.

Priscila’s ModDiaperCakes are elegant, artistic creations that are as affordable as they are stylish.  Diaper Cakes (in this case, cupcakes!) are hot commodities in the baby gift world, and these are a great find!   Priscila crafts baby diapers and washcloths into these sweet concoctions and packages a set of four ”cupcakes”  in a gift box that is almost as cute as the product.  Check out her full-sized cakes, bouquets, and lollipops, too.  You’ll want to keep this shop in mind when you need a special baby shower gift!

moddiaper

 

 

Introducing:  Pretty in Pink Cupcakes!

 

 

 

 

Totally different from the above, but certainly worthy of mention as well, from TheBumblingBird - a baker’s necklace.  This one has a tiny antique silver pewter KitchenAid mixer and cupcake/muffin pan that dangle from an 18 inch sterling silver chain.  For the chef/baker in your life, or a great gift for Mom or yourself (the cupcake baker!), this is a gift that’s sure to please…  kitchenaid

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Kitchen Tools – great little replicas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought I’d share a two favorite baking sites to coordinate with all this.  Without a doubt, entire days could be consumed – easily – looking at various food-related websites.  Unfortunately, I’d never get any work done, as these sites draw me right into the kitchen.  Not a bad place to be, but, as I said, I’ve got work to do!

Devoted solely to cupcakes is a blog called “cupcakestakethecake“, with recipes, links, resources and more.  The site has more than 3400 followers, so you know it has to be good!  Naturally, I can’t resist the urge to spotlight a specific page on the blog which has the cutest little bird cupcakes created by a San Diego baker! 

The browneyedbaker, self-dubbed a “virtual kitchen”, is  a food and cooking blog loaded with drool-producing photos that is really well-organized and easy to navigate.  While the list of ingredients might make you think twice, don’t! … the lemon-limoncello cupcakes are truly citrus delights!  A real recipe keeper….

 

I love getting feedback from my readers, so I look forward to your comments. In addition, please feel free to email me with any questions or suggestions you may have. karen@thewellseasonednest.com

 

 

 

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A Clean Slate


2010
01.12

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Posted in On My Mind, The Joys of Nesting | No Comments »

I love the start of each new year.  For me, it’s like a clean slate – a time to renew, revitalize and revamp.  As much as I enjoy the holiday season, there is a calmness when it’s over and I relish that.  This year has been no exception.

It’s a time of new beginnings.    An opportunity to collect my thoughts,  consider things I want to change, redo, and/or ponder the possibilities of.  Projects to plan,  appointments to make, new directions to travel.  All in an effort to put a fresh face on things, make it new again, alive, interesting, fun…..

I love setting up a new calendar for a new year and opening a fresh business notebook for ideas, sketches, and strategies.  I actually look forward to such activities as rearranging the kitchen pantry, reorganizing closets,  and putting the workroom where I did all my wrapping and shipping into some semblance of order once again.  Ah, for me, change is often good!

This past weekend, we dismantled Christmas.  All the decor that I’ve accumulated over the years was spread out in the family room and surveyed.  It was interesting to see how my “look” had emerged over time.  I weeded out and repacked that which I wanted to keep into plastic storage crates from Target and taken to the attic for storage till next year.  A big accomplishment!  Off the “Reorganizing TTD” list…..

In the revamp category, I did some thinking about my blog.  It’s time for a little revitalization – definitely want to work on making it more interactive and informative, now that I’ve figured out the “platform” and how to manuever it to some degree.  With my online and Etsy shops, and getting a start on Facebook, it’s time to pull the package together and offer to viewers, and shoppers alike, something new to “play” with.  Watch for some changes in the days ahead…

The NY Gift show is just around the corner – it is a mecca of all beautiful things, artfully presented, and pure eye candy.  I’ll make my room reservation today and do some buying for my online shop, just in time for the seasons ahead.  In the downtime, I’ll be planning the start of my handcrafted categories in my Etsy shop.  So exciting!

Yes, although cold and often dreary, January can be a great month.

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A Visit to a Mission’s Tea…via Etsy


2009
12.03

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Posted in Etsy, On My Mind | 1 Comment »

I “met” a nice person through Etsy last week- Maria was one of my new shop’s first customers.   She purchased a set of six white vintage custard cups.

In the course of our conversation back and forth I learned that Maria had purchased the cups to use at a ladies mission’s tea at her church last Sunday afternoon.  The seven tables at the tea were all decorated with a Christmas theme.  Among the items  on the “menu” of events for the tea was Christmas music, as well as a presentation from a missionary about the work they are doing.

The holiday tea was a fundraiser for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  As I didn’t know of Lottie Moon, I did a little research to learn more.   Southern Baptist churches collect the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the sole purpose of supporting international missions.   Every penny of the offering goes to the International Mission Board’s overseas budget, to support the missionaries and their work.

I further learned that Lottie Moon had been a missionary for 39 years, mostly in China’s Shantung province.  She taught in a girls’ school and often made trips into China’s interior to share the good news with women and girls.  In 1918, Woman’s Missionary Union named the annual Christmas offering for international missions after the woman who had urged them to start it.  Lottie Moon died in 1912, but her legacy is alive and well, thanks to efforts like those in Maria’s church in South Carolina.  To read more, check out this website:  http://www.tlogical.net/biolmoon.htm

Maria was kind enough to send a photo of the table setting where she used the custard cups she had purchased.  It’s lovely!  The table has an inviting elegant feeling … beautifully appointed.  I applaud their efforts.  What a nice way to start the holiday season…

Thanks for sharing, Maria!

Marias Seaside Christmas

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Etsy Rocks!


2009
11.15

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Posted in Etsy, On My Mind | 1 Comment »

Been away from this venue for a few weeks – working on a new project I’d love to share with you.

Still very much into my website (www.thewellseasonednest.com) but found I was coming upon products that did not fit in my mind’s vision of the “footprint” of the site.  I began to look of other venues to sell these products as well as have the added advantage of promoting my site at the same time…kind of  like the cross-merchandising I did when I had my brick and mortar shop.

During my research I stumbled upon Etsy, a website (http://www.etsy.com) which provides small business entrepreneurs a place to sell handmade items.  Items on the site are solely limited to handcrafted wares, vintage items (20 years old or more), and commercial supplies.  I think it’s amazing!  I have “lost” hours at a time just visiting the site;   it can be quite riveting.

So I set up a selling account and have, this past week, started the process of listing items to sell.  I haven’t gotten to handcrafted items yet  – no time right now, but fully expect to in the not too distant future.  I think of the Etsy shop as an adjunct to my beloved “nest’ and think they will complement each other very well.  I have much more to learn but have been so very impressed with the community of Etsy sellers who have been more than generous with their help, support, and encouragement as I made my way through the Etsy set-up maze.

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No question I have posed has gone unanswered. No advice I have solicited has been ignored.  A great sense of community/family here.  And there’s sooooo much to learn.

I hope you’ll visit my little Etsy shop, and (http://www.thewellseasonednest.etsy.com) watch it as it grows.  Kind of like that little baby bird hatching from the nest!