Insomnia makes me...

1. adjust pricing for products and shipping to better suit you all
2. make sure the names of the products are clear
3. clean up the side bar of the blog
4. eat my new favorite treat, bagelfuls
and all from Scouty, my laptop, whilst sitting up in bed

What does insomnia make you do?

My blog feature

I love doing blog features for other artists. And I suppose karma loves that I do those features as well, because someone featured me! Small Dog was nice enough to not only be one of my wonderful friends, but to brag about me as well. Plus she is hilarious. So go check it out!

Blog Feature - Gilliauna’s Bits and Beads

Another week, another blog feature. And I’m so excited to introduce you to Gilliauna’s Bits and Beads store. This shoppe is actually run by two friends, Zoie and Leal, and they are so creative.

Let's look at some of their really REALLY cute stuff, shall we?

This cute earring is so fun and versatile and I probably want it.

 This tranquility stone choker matches everything and it's so dang cute!

 

 I love reading, so this dragonfly's kiss bookmark is right up my alley.

 

And this is only the beginning! Gilliauna's Bits and Beads is full of beautiful pieces that any girl would love to own, to wear, and to give to her friends. But enough of my blabbing - let's hear from the ladies!

1. What is your favorite product to make?

Zoie - I adore working with earrings. I like how delicate they feel to the touch while I'm working on them and I have a hard time not keeping each creation for myself!

Leal - My favorite product to make varries depending on what I'm making at the time. Usually whatever I'm working on becomes my favorite for the duration of a project. At the moment, I'm working on rosaries, which is very exacting and time consuming work, but also very rewarding. They're a new project I'm just starting out with and am enjoying a great deal.

2. Where do you get your inspiration?

Zoie - I'm very drawn to color, all color. So a great deal of my inspiration comes from that. Visually, I can't resist certain combinations of hues and shades and I try and share that enjoyment with others through my craft.

Leal - Primarily nature. I'm a big fan of the outdoors and spend as much time there as possible when weather permits. I bring back with me from those experiences new ideas to incorporate into my work.

3. How did you get started making your products?

Zoie - I've been crafting for my entire life... *Smile* I come from a long line of women crafters. Each generation of women in my family has had certain talents. My mother sews, embroiders and makes wonderful candy and candles... my grandmother was a potter and sculptor as well as made beautiful hand-crafted porcelain dishes. My great-grandmother made lace and did breathtaking embroidery. My mother started me out early looking for what crafts I would take to... and things just progressed from there.

Leal - Zoie got me into crafting when I was young, which I've been doing since soon after I met her. She was a family/spiritual advisor for my family and it wasn't uncommon for her to come over and sit my sister and I down around our coffee table and spend time with us crafting while we talked about our day, beliefs, ideas for holiday celebrations, parents, life, etc. Much to my father's dismay, I stuck with it growing up.

4. It’s Tuesday night and it’s raining. What are you doing?

Zoie - It's been chilly here lately and I like to snuggle myself under a nice soft blanket with a tray in my lap and work on my craft or spend some time reading. Most of my evenings are spent that way. I'm not much of a tv watcher so there's music playing in the background and the quiet hum of the clothes dryer coming from the other room. Sometimes I'll spend that time of day working on pics to load into Etsy as product photos.

Leal - Fitting question since we live wedged between rainforests and mountain terrain. I've usually got the TV on. I might help my twin sister with her homework if she needs it or work on my own if I have anything to finish up. Probably sit at the table and craft for a bit or log on with the laptop and spend it talking to my boyfriend in IMs while promoting and exploring advertising ideas.

5. What else do you want to tell us about you/your product?

We'd love to have more custom orders. We offer them in our shop and both of us are happy to work with customers who are looking for something unique and special that's created just for them or to their specifications to be given as a gift to another.

Don't you just love them so much? I know I do. I'll beat you to their site - ready, set, GO!

Valentine's Day!

It's coming! And you know that you want to get something special for that special someone (including yourself). So why not head over to my Etsy shoppe and look at all of the items with "love" in the title. Between now and February 8th, every item with "love" in the title comes with a free pair of flower earrings. Free. So you should go check it out. In fact, let me give you a preview with these new, beautiful love bird earrings.

Mr. Venice saves the day!

Good thing he gets the internet! No more frownie faces! So sorry for the inconvenience.

Picture Problems

For some reason, during different times of the day, the pictures on the previous post are appearing as giant frownie faces, which makes me frown, too. I'm working to fix it (promise!), but if you get a frownie and you wanna see the real pic, I have linked the words that described the pictures. For now, be patient while I try to fix the internet.

Blog Feature - Wish With Me

Are you ready for the blog features to begin? I know I am, and I'm so excited to feature this fabulous Etsy shoppe called Wish With Me.

Let me show you some of the amazing handmade stuffed animals you can find at Wish With Me's Etsy store, because they are so cute. I kind of want them all...

This cute wish dog is just looking for a cuddle...

Do you think my boss would mind if I brought the tiny turtle playset to work with me?

 I hope the tiny wish fairy makes all my dreams come true!

 

I am a sucker for stuffed animals, especially when they are this cute. And you can tell that they are made with love, which makes them so much more special.

So let's meet Wish With Me!

Here's what Kathie, Wish With Me's creator-extrordinaire, says about the five get-to-know-you questions:
My favorite things to make are my tiny stuffed animals, even though there a bit difficult on my eyes. There just so cute when there finished. :)

My inspiration comes from the memories of my own childhood and the things I liked to play with and remembering all the little things my children used to love to have.

I always wanted to find a way to sell my creations, but never knew how to go about it. I heard of Etsy in a magazine and on the View and I kind of studied all the ins and outs for a couple months. I then saw someone make a dog out of gloves on T.V. and I took that dog and put the Wish with me twist on it. I used buttons, beads, fabrics and imagination. My wish dog was the very first item sold in my shop. I put the word WISH on his belly, because that seemed to say it all. Close to his heart was an embroidered wishing star with a Swarovoski crystal in the center. One of his eyes was encircled with embroidery floss to give him that whimsical, wishful look and I finished off with a little hand crocheted scarf to give him that cozy feeling. I still offer my Wish dog along with about 35 other items. I also have another 30 items I add to my shop here and there.


So it's a Tuesday night, it's raining and I'm usually on the sofa, watching T.V. and sewing, cutting, sketching out new ideas or gathering materials for my next project.

I've been creating things all my life. The best part of what I do is seeing that awesome expression on the face of those I touch with the things I create, and reading the feedback from a customer who just received their package in the mail. My shops name is wishwithme because this shop is the wish I've had for as long as I can remember. I invite my customers and future customers to wish along with me. Some of my best ideas come from my customers. I take great pride in the quality of the things I create. From my half inch stuffed lady bug, to my fourteen inch tall Fuzzy Tummy Wummy. I love the challenge of a custom order.

Now you know Wish With Me, so go check them out!

Ideas, ideas, ideas

It's time (already) to start thinking about Valentine's day. And I would love your help. What jewelry item should I make specifically for Valentine's day? Keep in mind what I already do because that's about my skill level at the moment! If your idea is the one I like the best and I end up making it... I will send you one of those items for FREE. Yes, I said free. Seriously. Free. So how do you enter? Well, leave a comment for me with your idea. The winner will be announced on January 20th, so tune in to see what happens. Alright, now go suggest!

Deal of the Day

December 30th only - free shipping when you spend $10 or more at my Etsy store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleVeniceDesigns

Blog features in 2010

Wondering what you're going to see when this starts up? Well, let me tell you! All our features will be of artists on Etsy and we will focus on their marvelous products. The giveaways will be explained as we go. As for what we'll talk about with the Etsy artists, well, that one's easy. They will all be answering the following questions and we will be displaying three pictures of their fabulous products:

1. What is your favorite product to make?
2. Where do you get your inspiration?
3. How did you get started making your products?
4. It's Tuesday night and it's raining. What are you doing?
5. What else do you want to tell us about you/your product?
   

New Years Resolutions

I want to make some changes in 2010. I've joined Etsy and I'm working on networking with other buyers and sellers. So what to do, what to do? Well... in 2010, every Monday, I'll be profiling other Etsy sellers and their products. Some of them will be doing giveaways and all of them have fabulous products. So get ready for a fun filled 2010!

One Day Only!

Tomorrow is Monday, December 27th. If you go to my etsy page and order a necklace, I'll throw in a pair of earrings for free. Yeah. Free. So go hunting!

Etsy Shoppe

We now have an Etsy shoppe, and it's full of stuff that's not on the blog. Go check it out! Visit us at http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleVeniceDesigns

Boutique #2

So... who wants to go to a really fun boutique? I'll be there, but so will these other fabulous vendors:


Brit with Shabby Flowers
Roxy with Ritzy Reasons Desserts & Primp Boutique Designs
Abbie & Amanda with Canary Creations


And more are joining by the second! It's going to be so much fun, and there will be such great stuff available to you. 



So... the when and where:
Saturday, December 12th, 12-3 pm
Four Chairs Furniture
150 S State Street
Lindon, UT 84042


Let me know if you need additional information or if you have questions, and we hope to see you there!