Handmade Business Card Exchange: Rebeccas Kit and Kaboodle

Handmade Business Card Exchange: Rebeccas Kit and Kaboodle: " Pet Portaits and Themed Dolls-Making Memories Last"

Handmade Business Card Exchange: Welcome!

Handmade Business Card Exchange: Welcome!: "We all know about blog exchanges, link, url exchanges. Well, I was looking around and thought of maybe a virtual business card exchange. I..."

Wow..Has it been a while!

Well, here I am writing to you all.  I never meant to neglect my poor little blog.  But as such is life, I was pretty busy :)


My clients have the greatest imaginations and the most wonderful pets!  I have been really challenged over the last few months with everything from a life sized cat made from Angora rabbit hair to guinea pigs and hamsters:)

I have also been approached by some with one question...."How do you do that?"  I have never dreaded this question and am happy to explain every bit of the process.  But it is very hard to explain in just words.  I am a doer, which means that I learn by actually doing the task at hand.  It can take me a bit to grasp a concept based on words alone.  Since I can't have you all in my little 9x9 studio to stand around my little fold out table to watch me perform my art creation, I figured that I should maybe add an instructional segment to my blog in amongst the wonderful finds I will be posting here.

BTW, I am truely loving Etsy's new Tweet and Facebook buttons.  My Twitter is www.twitter.com/fibreheart and my Facebook Fanpage is www.facebook.com/FibreheartonEtsy.  I am posting my likes on my pages and tweets of all different kinds of shops I stumble into in the forums, chats and circles.  Yes, I am a huge fan of circles too :D.  So if you want to find great stuff follow me on my twitter.  Like my fanpage and who knows, maybe you will find your next piece of wonderful art from some of the most awesome Etsy artists.

If you feel that I am leaving out a kind of art, let me know and I will go a searching!


Bye for now, I promise I will be back
Mandy

How about some Dolly clothes this Christmas......

I recently reviewed a fellow Etsy shop called Tracy's Design Shop.  Here, Tracy has the most cutest doll clothes I have ever seen.  She sews them and crochets.  They are for American Girl Dolls but they will also fit most 18" dolls.  Tracy will also make custom orders.  So if you are looking for something for the little girl in your life this holiday season, stop by Tracy's and get a handmade with love gift that I am confident your little girl will love.

Handmade Artists from around the globe....

 www.leeya.etsy.com
I have featured artists from the US, and Canada.  But, but as you know, artists come from every corner of the world, like Leeya.  Leeya comes from  historically rich Israel.  She is the owner of a lovely boutique in Etsy called Leeya Engel.
  Leeya's handmade jewelry is not only beautiful but there is a feeling of cultures abroad as you browse her shop.  Her beautiful pieces are carefully crafted and some are even re purposed bobbles and pendents to make even more breathtaking pieces
From necklaces, to earrings, to rings.  You are sure to find that unique, culture inspiring gift for you special someone, any time of the year.  Your shop is gorgeous Leeya and pieces are to die for :) Great work!

Speaking of Unique Handmade Toys.......

www.zeropumpkin.etsy.com
You can find gorgeous, lacy and beautiful things on Etsy for sure, but you will also find truly different, special, unique and one of a kind items too.

When I first met ZeroPumpkin, I was floored.  I was awe inspired at the cuteness of their handmade dolls plus intrigued by their unique presentation and crafting.  They will also custom make your doll for you!

ZeroPumpkin's Dolls are truly collectibles.  Each is handmade and carefully crafted.  And each may be similar to each other,  but ZeroPumpkin has managed to instill a unique personality to each and every one they create.  I bump into ZeroPumpkin from time to time on Etsy chats and such, and every time I do, I have to check out their shop to see whats new.  And every time, I am pleasantly surprised.   So if you are looking for above the norm, collectible dolls, head over to Zeropumpkin, and try to decide which ones you will get first:)  ZeroPumpkin is also having a 100th sale Giveaway on their blog www.3nity79pumpkin.blogspot.com They have two dolls to name in a contest!!  Good luck to everyone and Great work Zeropumpkin!!

For those Joining Me......

I have posted a lot today and I will be featuring more artists tomorrow. 

Now my main base is Etsy located at www.etsy.com.  Etsy is an online venue for not only online buying but for online sellers too.  These sellers are truly artist.  The catagories for Etsy is anything handmade, vintage or supplies.  The sellers featured below are just a small example of what can be found on Etsy.

Here at my Craft Market is your catalog of all Etsy sellers and more.  I will be featuring anyone from other venues.

If you have joined me from other blogs, Twitter, Face book or group, and you have a venue that you would like featured just send me an email.  There are just a few rules.

1. Anything you sell must be handmade.  No resellers or dropshippers please.
2. Please follow me if you can
3. Please spread the word on your social networks, blogs or groups.
4.  If you have purchased anything from the featured shops, please leave positive comments about your experience.  Please keep it nice though.  We don't really need any complaints here.

Other then that.  There are no restrictions as to how many sellers will be featured.

Oh and if you would like me to put a small slideshow or Etsy widget up let me know too.
Thanks everyone and i will see you all tomorrow.
FibreHeart
Mandy

How about Handmade and Personalized.......

www.newhopebeading.etsy.com
To have one's name put on anything is special.  Put it on something beautifully hand crafted, now that is truly special. 
New Hope Beading is a gorgeous shop on Etsy that has some truly breath taking jewelry.  Each piece is lovingly crafted with pearls, semi precious stones, swarovski crystals and fine silver pieces.  And for that extra special touch, they do hand stamping! Each piece can be personalized just for you or that special someone. 

The one thing that caught my eye in this shop, other then the beautiful bling ;) was it's style.  This shop gave me a feel of being in a boutique.  The photos really fit the product and the product is a must have this Christmas or anytime really :)  Excellent work New Hope Beading!!

Beautiful Jewelry for a Unique Handmade gift this Christmas....

www.indulgentdesigns.etsy.com
Everywhere you look, there are Christmas in July sales.  And as it happens from July until December, we are so worried about others, that we often forget about ourselves.  Well my next feature has that covered. 
Indulgent Designs is a fabulous handmade jewelry shop with beautiful necklaces and earrings and waiting to give you pure indulgence.  Indulgent Designs uses wonderful stones, fine chains, and beautiful crystals in their lovely jewelry.  There were so many things I liked about this shop.  The one thing that stood out was in most of their listing were short descriptions of what the stones and metals they used were and what they stood for.  Even some had benefits to your health!  So now when the hubby asks, you tell him you did it for the benefit of your body:)  So remember while your spoiling others, Indulge yourself at Indulgent Designs!  Great work to this artist!!!

Not Just Home Decor....

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/zparkleys
For some, the word handmade means, frilly lace pillows, silk, scented flowers and pretty door wreaths or swags.  While all are things that make me weak.  There is also another aspect of handmade that went out with our fore fathers.  Handmade Toys.  You must remember the sock monkey.  He was traditionally made from a gray and white sock with button eyes.  Made for those kids whose parents couldn't get the designer toys.  But they are very cute and as the years went by they grew more popular and now our Etsians are adding more artistic edges to our Sock Monkey of the past.  Meet Rita, the 80's Sock Monkey.  She is handmade by Etsy Shop owner  Zparkley's.  Their Sock Monkeys are so darn cute you just want to pile them in the middle of the floor and dive in :)  Each is handmade and carefully crafted to last for years of love. Zparkley also makes custom Monkeys just for you!  Once you take a look at Zparkley's shop, you'll be there for hours trying very hard to decide which one or ones you want first.  Too cute Zparkley!  Keep em coming!

Posting Comments on Features

I felt I should mention that as I feature shops in the market, if you have purchased in the shops before, please, by all means, share your experience.

We are all being introduced to some new friends and some old ones and a few words about our skills will be greatly appreciated.

That being said, this is also not a complaint board so please keep the comments positive.  Everyone makes mistakes and we learn from them.  We don't need to be spreading bad karma everywhere.

Thanks everyone, and I hope you enjoy my Market.  If you have any ideas on how to make it better, please email me :)

Handmade Soap Can be art in itself!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/soapdeli
You know, growing up, I'm obviously used to the commercial soaps where they expressed their creativity in the name stamp and the different colors.  Rather boring.  Then I came to Etsy and a whole new world of Bath and Beauty opened up for me.
On Etsy, you will find Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen.  She is a Handmade Soap Artist.  I say artist because the work that goes into the layering and colour coordinating the soap is amazing.  Rebecca makes her soap so beautiful you have to not only try it, but you have to heart her to see what she comes out with next.  The soap featured here today is a Cold Press Shea Butter Coconut Cream Pie.  I can smell it now :)  Her soaps can also be used for shaving bars and shampoo bars because shea butter is so good for your skin.  Beautiful shop Rebecca and keep up the gorgeous work!

Card Stock Goes Beyond Cardmaking!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/fairycardmaker  
You can find various forms of handmade cards, origami beads and flowers, but an old but relatively unheard of artform is now surfacing called Paper Quilling.  This is an example from one such artist named Fairy Cardmaker.  Here not only do they make gorgeous cards but they also use the paper quilling technique.  They explain this technique in their shop as "The quilled creations of today find their roots in Paper Filigree. Paper Filigree is the art of making things out of rolled paper. When paper filigree started, the paper was rolled around a feather quill which created the name paper quilling!"
Their items are so unique and different you just can't help not to look for that finishing touch for a special gift! Awesome job, Fairy Cardmaker!

Looking For Gorgeous Jewelry?

www.yourtime.etsy.com
On Etsy, you will find a few jewelry artists.  I have the great opportunity to feature Your Time For..  Not only do they use gorgeous stones but also beautiful swarovski crystals as well.  Each pendent and necklace is handmade and as stated in their shop, when each pendent is made "I make each one without conscious thought of what the final product should look like, and instead let my fingers do what comes naturally to them."  This is truly a handmade artist who knows the beauty of art.  Great work YourTime!

Crocheted Cuteness!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChocololicKnits I have the real pleasure to start my Country Market feature with a Fellow Etsian from Chocololic Knits and Crochet located here: www.chocololicknits.etsy.com
She has fabulous amigurumis which is all the rage in the collectible doll world right now. Here cute Sushi critter and Giant Panda are absolutely to die for and she sells the PDF Patterns for the DIY crowd.
As well, if you don't see anything you like, she does custom requests! These are a must see. I know I was impressed! Great work ChocololicKnits!

Country Market/Christmas Wish List

I went to my local flea market today. People in my area know it as the 400 flea market. This used to be a huge maket filled with handmade items, antiques, knick knacks and things. There were some areas where wholesalers could move a lot but you didn't see many of them.

Today, though, the handmade artist had either shrunk to smaller booths or closed up. Now, there were nothing but, in Etsy terms, Resellers everywhere. There were some great handmade artists there, but they all but said to me that their days were numbered. I was saddened.

I believe that we need now to start pushing the handmade artist even more now or the path of death for us will get larger.

So I wanted to start here. I want to feature as many people as I can on my blog. Only handmade artists. I will tweet, facebook and do whatever I can to get this out.

We have Christmas in July on right now and although I don't have a lot of followers right now, I'm sure that number will change as our list grows.

There is no limits as to how many features I will put up but I will make sure each and everyone is a handmade artist. But if I happen to feature a reseller by accident. I hope someone will tell me..

Anyway, If you want to featured here, the only thing I ask of you is to follow me and promote the handmade artist to who ever will listen.

Congrats all and Happy Sales!!!!!!!
Firbreheart

Hiatus done....Back to work...........

Well, I've been away for a bit. Honestly, I never really gave my blog the attention it deserved, but I'm changing that now.

I have been a little bit down lately because this is my first summer in online sales and it is sllloooowww. I expected slow periods but no one mentioned the boredom that would come with it. In fact, I was soo bored with everything, I felt myself not wanting to do my crafting anymore.

Well, I managed to get some sales in the last couple of weeks and am starting to feel a little better.

I even managed to get some new stuff posted in the store, with the help of some custom orders :)

Anyway, after I left you, fellow follwers, I managed to start 2 new lines that are starting to gain popularity. FibrePlushies and FibreHeart Car accessories.

FibrePlushies are felted critters that are not as firmly felted as my realistic sculptures and they are more cartoony. They are still not toys, but they are cute nonetheless.

FibreHeart Car accessories were born from looking at my stacks of beads from my bookmark days. They are needlefelted cats, dogs, etc... with a beaded string that wraps around your rearview mirror or I put velcro on them for dash mounting.

I have also started FibrePuppies today. These will be either my own creation or custom ordered. They range in age from 1 day old to a few months old.

So that`s what I have going on now. What`s going on with you all.

I would love to hear what you are trying to do to beat the summer blues?

Helping Mom's for Mommy's Day!

So Mother's Day is fast approaching......have you bought your mommy a present yet(remember shipping time if your buying online)

One thing with today's mom is that fact that she has more things on her plate and the plate is getting smaller.

Well of all her sacrifice and efforts, its nice to be recognized.

I received a convo today at my store from Melissa. Melissa has started a Mom Blog about all the small business mom's out there on and off the internet.

Melissa's blog is a resource for families to help mom's succeed and also provide us with great products. She has requested to feature my store Fibreheart in her blog with a Product Review and Giveaway! I can't wait. This really warms my heart. Especially when everything has been so up in the air lately with sales and views on Etsy. Things like the SnickersnCream blog at blogspot.com seem to make all this worth it and made me feel like I am succeeding somewhere. Thank you so much Melissa for your invite to your blog.

I wish everyone great success and on Mother's Day give your Mommy an extra hug to show her you care.

To view and follow Melissa blog go to snickersncream.blogspot.com.

Happy Shopping!

I am obsessed.......

I have realized this morning, that I am obsessed with the checking and rechecking my Etsy shop for any change what so ever.

I have come to the conclusion that this is a lot like watching water boil.

To not lose your sanity on a site like Etsy, I think you do need to step off for a few days.

It takes me a day to 2 days to make my little creations and I believe that I could probably get those out quicker if I wasn't refreshing my shop, floating aimlessly around the forums and playing in the chat rooms.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that you do need to do these things to network, answer questions, have questions answered, but I think that like all things, it must be done in moderation.

You can check your shop for convos, post listings, renew items, change your shop announcement, but then get off. Hanging around cuts into your production time and valuable photo light if you take pics outside.

So in light of all this I am going to conduct an experiment. Check my shop just for sales and messages, see if anything needs revamping and get off. Prepare stuff for listing and list on the weekends. Sundays will be forum and chat days. I will do this for my next fiscal month and see how that compares to the previous month.

I do have mentors on Etsy and I hardly ever see them around. Top Sellers, hardly ever see them around. I know they have other venues to attend to so I will have to see if that has anything to do with it as well.

I would be curious to hear if anyone else is doing or going to do something like this. Leave your comments and Happy Selling!

Fellow Etsian and Felter

I would like to introduce a fellow Etisian on Etsy.com that I came across while I was researching my craft.

Her talent is shown in all her wonderful creations.

Janice of Janice Cordeio's Wool creations can be found here http://www.etsy.com/shop/JaniceCordeiro

She can also be found at the ArtSprings Gallery in Silver Springs, Maryland and one of her ornaments will be featured in Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Craft Magazine.

She has helped me with advice and inspiration.

Thank you Janice.

Here is a sample of her work. Just the cutest!

Needlefelting-Little Known Art

Now for a little about what I do.

I am a needle felter. What's a needle felter? A needle felter is basically a wool knotter...lol. My creations are created with an old technique called Dry Needle Felting.

First you aquire some non spun wool called roving in some parts, batts in others. There is a difference though that I a learning about as time goes along. You also need a special needle that is barbed. They primarily come in 2 shapes, triangle and star. These needles have barbs up the shaft that catch the hairs of the wool and pull them into the center of your work. These needles are very, very sharp! I have ouched myself plenty of times....lol. Blood sweat and tears is an understatment when your learning this craft. But don't be afraid. Usually you have a stiff foam block to help protect your table, lap etc and you can buy finger protectors to stop stabbing your self. I also got some hand carders. These can be small or they can be large. They help with brushing the wool straight, blending colors, and brushing out vegetable matter that may still be trapped in the wool.

How it works: Ok so you have your supplies. You want to make a ball, fine, but how? First you would figure out how big you want your ball. To do this you first need to know a few things. 1. Felted wool shrinks. As you felt your ball it will shrink down to about half its size because as you draw in fibers to the center, you are pushing out the air in it. but no worries, you can add more wool to build up 2. How squishy do you want your ball? The more you felt your ball the harder it gets because of the air again. So if you want a squishy ball go easy on the felting. 3. Felt and look. If you want a ball that is perfectly round you must look at your ball from all angles as you felt. Felt a bit, look a bit and keep doing this for all your projects. 4. The details are in the needles. Your needle can come in various sizes but what you will hear of most commonly is 38 and 36 needles. Your 38 needle is your bulk needle. This will allow you to felt your project quickly and create the most of the density. The 36 is your detail needle. This needle is smaller and only grabs a few fibers at a time and allows for more detailed work. A little note on needles, you must go in and out of your work straight no matter what angle you are at. A bent needle can snap easily.

I hope this first installment of needle felting info was helpful and if you are a needlefelter and feel that I have missed something, feel very free to leave comments for others. I will be reading these comments and can make corrections in the post.

I will be posting the new things i learned during the week every Monday as well i will be posting creative works from people i run into so you can see what can be done with this art form.

Till we talk again!
FibreHeart.etsy.com

Welcome to my blog

A little about me, I am a 33 year old mother of 2 beautiful girls and a work at home mom. I have a shop on a great website called ETSY.COM. This site may be about selling handmade treasures, but its much more than that. My shop, FibreHeart.etsy.com, has only been open for about 3 weeks. I have asked a lot of questions during that time and I owe all my success to this point to the kind members of Etsy. Their insights, input, and kind words are most inspiring. Everyone looks out for each other. I have found some of the most kindest people there. If you are ever going to do online sales got to Etsy and tell them I told you.