Monday, May 28, 2012

Custom Sticker Labels


Happy Monday, everyone!

I thought being in Indonesia would have given me more free time, which also more time for me to blog. However, there are always things to do that have been keeping me busy.

Today, for example, was a busy one. Morning started with working in completing orders, followed by bringing the car for its first service. We had to go to a different post office today as our regular post office closed earlier than we thought it would.



Above are owl stickers I made for my shop. These will adorn my packages in its cute way. I have so much fun making stickers and you can be sure you'll be seeing more of them.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Blog Giveaway: Pink Tanzanite Necklace

This fantastic giveaway is sponsored by the North Way Studio.

Win this beautiful Pink Tanzanite Necklace with a petite Pink Amethyst wrapped in 14k Gold. The winner can have their choice of 16" gold fill chain or 18". The focal pendant hangs at 1.5". Valued at around $40.



Get to know Maria, our Saturday Artisan this week.

Contest starts now and ends on June 2, 2012. Contest opens to worldwide. Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you. Entries without contact information will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified. Contest winner will be drawn on Sunday, June 3. Winner must respond within 48 hours after being contacted otherwise another winner will be randomly selected. 

 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Saturday Artisan: The North Way Studio


Meet our Saturday Artisan, Maria of the North Way Studio. You'll agree with me that she has an amazing talent once you take a peek at her Etsy shop.


Hand crafted with a focus on the simplistic, every item is lovingly created to add a bit more beauty to your life. All designs, materials, and colors are inspired by nature, with a little twist of whimsy thrown in.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?
My Fiance and I are both from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, about 4 hours north of the Mackinac Bridge. We are incredibly lucky to live in such an absolutely gorgeous area, right on the shores of Lake Superior. We love it there and are really proud to be Yoopers (one that lives in the U.P.). A lot of the jewelry that I create is inspired by different aspects of life there—apple blossoms, the ruggedness of the area, and the rich history of the mining towns. It’s all so incredible that it’s hard not to find muses on a daily basis.

What is the story behind your shop name?
The name The North Way Studio came about last winter, when I originally opened the store. In the beginning it was going to be dedicated to knit goods all named as different aspects of the Upper Peninsula. I really enjoy Fair Isle colors and designs, so the store was going to be filled with items of that nature. When I finally opened with a few items (only a few months ago!) I realized what I really wanted to focus on was jewelry. So my inventory changed, but the name just stuck. It’s still a sort of dedication to my proud northern roots. 



Who is your target market?
My target market is really anyone who enjoys fine jewelry with a focus on the simplistic. You can do a lot of amazing things with wire, but at some point, it just becomes too extravagant to wear and enjoy on a daily basis. So I wanted to keep it simple, really trying to highlight the beauty of the stones rather than bury it.



Which part of creation process that you like to do the most?
It really depends on the stones I’m purchasing. Sometimes the best part is seeing the finished item; how it hangs or how the facets catch the light. Other times, just finding the stone is the most exciting. I literally spend hours online searching for the perfect piece. I’m a little bit crazy here lately when it comes to gem shopping. At least now I have an excuse to hoard all of them.
 


Any advice for others running their on-line shop?
My advice to other sellers would be to really follow what you want to do. Don’t get set in a certain rut, thinking you have to stay in one category always. I changed from knitting to jewelry making nearly overnight, reworking item names and everything. These are your beautiful creations and your little spot of the world to really show them off—so make it exactly how you want it to be!
 


 For us who love to travel, could you share a bit about your beautiful town/ city? 

The town I’m from is just wonderful. We’re still on the small side, but we have some amazing culture that is very unique to the area. The Keweenaw is filled with rustic beaches and huge forests, cabins, a few lighthouses and old towering mine shafts from the mining boom. 


 

There is so much history tucked away up there, it’s hard sometimes to really take it all in. Artifacts from the 1800s could be sitting in your yard and there are a lot of ruins just off the road that we walk by on our way to classes. A lot of people still retain their heritage, such as the Finnish in the Keweenaw. My family is a very proud and boisterous mixture of Italian and Finnish—and we love it! Of course, the gem of the Upper Peninsula is Lake Superior. There is something so majestic about the fresh water and how ginormous it is. It’s always toe-numbing to swim in, but Yoopers seem to relish that for some reason. We’re very proud of our Lake and of the entire area.


Friday, May 18, 2012

Friday's Treasuries

Happy Friday!

A lots of beautiful handmade pieces in Etsy. Here are some of them. Enjoy.

 

'Serenity - Follow Me Team Treasury Contest' by adorebynat


Tangerine and pistachio frui...
$9.90

Breath Of Fresh Air - fine a...
$30.00

French Yellow Clay Soap - Ve...
$6.00

Pure Raw Honey Tea LEMON THY...
$6.00

Felted slippers Grey frowers...
$65.00

Natural Baby Balm - Soothe, ...
$10.00

Silver Infinity Love Pendant...
$25.00

Bobby Pin Set - Bird Nest an...
$22.00

Fine Art, Custom size, lands...
$85.00

Skinny scarf - Crochet jewel...
$40.00

A tiny rustic ceramic beach...
$14.00

Knit Bracelet Set Citrus Yel...
$24.00

Vintage seltzer bottle yell...
$44.99

Rustic bridal halo, weddings...
$40.00

Star shaped Pillow or cushio...
$24.00

Coffee Mug Happy House ceram...
$9.50

 

'Soft ' by adorebynat


Travel Size Cleansing Grains...
$9.50

Soap Sampler set - Vegan Soa...
$15.00

Mellow Yellow - Flower Bloss...
$8.00

DREAMS locket and purple be...
$18.00

Dark blue beaded bead neckla...
$14.90

Vintage Faux Leather Ice Buc...
$22.00

Denim skinny scarf with tass...
$40.00

Bright orange, orange and le...
$6.00

Hand sculpted Peonias "...
$250.00

Gemstone Bookmark / Copper, ...
$25.00

Orientalia - Leather Journal...
$65.00

12 inch embroidery hoop with...
$40.00

Dainty Vintage Umbrella Yell...
$96.00

Beautiful Vintage Belly Danc...
$45.00

Bright Yellow Triumph Typewr...
$215.00

2" Vintage Brass Headpi...
$4.50

 

'Cheer Me Up - Follow Me Team Treasury Contest' by adorebynat


10% off sales Handmade Paste...
$8.00

Facial Mask - Spot Treatment...
$19.00

Crimson berry - sweet pink e...
$27.00

Rose Quartz and Moonstone Ea...
$49.50

Freddie Mercury Queen Song Q...
$18.00

Three violins, original oil ...
$30.00

Circus Cirque Necklace Banne...
$28.00

Small Bowl Red and White Ror...
$24.00

Pink Blossom ruffle scarf. R...
$30.00

grumpy white squirrel - felt...
$48.00

Knit Bracelet in Red Rouge C...
$18.00

Apron Style Alice in Wonderl...
$49.00

Textile necklace with baby b...
$17.00

No Clowning Around Illustrat...
$27.00

Upcycled Primitive Country W...
$45.00

Cross stitch in wooden hoop ...
$25.00

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Chillin' out


Greetings from Indonesia.
Here we are at one of the malls, having coffee.

We've been here for 2 weeks now, adjusting to the hot weather and life style while we are trying to get back to the routine.

Ethan is having a great time here, of course, since he's being spoiled. The only thing that his body can't take is the heat. But he has so much fun that he's hardly noticed.

My Etsy shop remains open while I'm here. While completing on existing orders, I'm working on new designs as well. Too adorable, I promise you. Plus, I'll offer more stickers in addition to favor tags.Here is an example:



Have a great week!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Blog Giveaway from BeautifullySpun

Another generous giveaway! This time, win one item of YOUR choice from BeautifullySpun

Get to know Brianna, our Saturday Artisan this week.
After all, it's always nice to learn a bit more about the artists who are generous in giving away their beautiful items. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Contest starts now and ends on May 19, 2012. Contest opens to US only. Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you. Entries without contact information will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified. Contest winner will be drawn on Sunday, May 20. Winner must respond within 48 hours after being contacted otherwise another winner will be randomly selected.