Facebook Stocktake Sale

As you all know, we are now into the new financial year (yes, there is a hint of panic in my voice as I have yet to fully organise all my paperwork for tax time).  So I am having a stocktake sale on Facebook.  I am selling off my creations which are not currently listed in any of my stores.

So if you are looking for a bargain and some exclusive and one of a kind items, visit my "Sale" photo album and grab yourself some bargains!  Thank you to those of you who have already visited my sale album - I really appreciate your support!

Details and sale items can be found on my Facebook fanpage.

Celebrating One Year on Etsy!

Today's post marks one year for me on Etsy!  It has been a rollercoaster of a ride and a steep learning curve, a curve which I am still on.  My range of creations have changed and expanded over the year and I have met so many lovely artists, crafters and handmade afficionados online in the process.

So to thank all of my supporters and to celebrate one year of intense craftiness, I am having a little giveaway!  Up for grabs is a prototype vintage art greetings card similar to the one pictured below.

You won't be receiving the pictured card, but will be able to design one to your specifications!  That's right, you can choose the colour of your card (white, light pink or light blue) and the illustration to be printed.  The backing paper will be a vintage book page, although you can have the vintage sheet music if you choose an instrument illustration.

How do you enter?  There are a few ways...

EDIT: This giveaway is now closed! Thanks to everyone who entered.

Mandatory entry:

1. Look through my store and tell me which illustration you would choose for your card and to whom you would give the card.  (Or suggest a print you would like if you don't find what you are looking for).

Extra entries:

2. Tell me which is your favourite vintage art print in my store or suggest some illustrations you would like to see instore.  

3. Publicly follow my blog.

4. Follow me on Twitter.

5. Tweet, FB or blog about this giveaway and leave me a link. 

6. Purchase anything from my store during the giveaway period and leave me a link to your transaction.

PLEASE leave each entry as a SEPARATE comment.

This giveaway is open worldwide and will run until midnight, 10th of July 2010 (Australian Eastern Standard Time) and the winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Feature Friday - Hundreds of Buttons

This week's featured artist is Liz of Hundreds of Buttons.  Liz is a fellow Aussie and DUST member who, as you will soon see, creates some very colourful and cute works!  The photo is of Liz (in the middle) with two other lovely DUST members, Del (of Delicious Designz and Get SPOONED) and Samara (of Maddabling) at a recent get together.

Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in Echuca, Victoria, a pleasant tourist destination on the Murray River.  I have recently finished full time primary school teaching and now work "on call" between trips and holidays!

Blue Button Bouquet

Describe yourself in 5 words.
5 words which have been used to describe me are: calm, thoughtful, frugal, level headed.

When and how did you first start crafting/creating?

About 2 years ago friends had a go at making a button necklace, and on a weekend away, showed how it was done.  I just kept on fiddling with buttons as something to keep me occupied while football or cricket were on TV.  It's surprising how many bracelets can be made during a test match!  Button necklaces filled the lounge so to clear them I set up my online etsy and madeit shops.  Button flowers began as a sideline and they have been quite popular sellers I resist using anything other than buttons but occasionally I will add materials for effect.

Saftey Pin Bracelet

And since you have managed to answer my next two questions as well, he he, let's move on to five words which describe your store.
Buttons, intriguing, surprising, handmade, fun.

Where can we find you online?
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/hundredsofbuttons
Madeit: http://www.madeit.com.au/hundredsofbuttons
Website: http://www.hundredsofbuttons.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/hundredsofbuttons

Twitter: http://twitter.com/100sofbuttons

You can also find Hundreds of Buttons on Flickr and Picasa.

Button Necklace

Wordy Wednesday

Faith, Hope, Love Stamp Set

I know that Wordless Wednesday posts are more the norm than Wordy Wednesday posts, but today I wanted to post about something which I have been thinking about for some time.  Today I want to discuss words and how I use them, especially in my day to day interactions with others.  I know this post covers a more serious topic than I normally write about, but I hope you will all benefit from it anyway.

As someone who frequently blogs, writes item descriptions and chats on Twitter, Facebook and various online forums, my words, and the ways in which I use them, affect not just the people I see face to face, but also people whom I might never meet in person.

I see the way my words affect people quite clearly each day when I see my girls' reactions to the things I say to them or hear them mimicking my speech patterns in their conversations with each other.  So, I have been thinking about some of the Bible verses I have read which address the issue of how we use our words.  I realise that many of you may not share the same faith and beliefs that I do, but I think the principles behind these verses are ones to which many people can relate.

Proverbs Photograph

One of the first that came to mind was James 1:19-20 which says, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's [or woman's] anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."  Ashamedly, I often find that I am slow to listen and quick to become angry, rather than the converse which is recommended in the first part of these verses.  While I am not perfect and can let tiredness, stress or hormones get the better of me, these really are no excuse for the way I find myself responding to others.  Not that there isn't a time and place for appropriate anger, I'm just saying that my first response is often NOT the most appropriate one.
Two other verses which remind me of the importance of watching my speech are Proverbs 12:18, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." and Proverbs 16:24, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."  I like these verses because they remind me just how wonderful kind and well-thought words are to those who receive them.  I know from experience how sweet it is to receive an email from a customer telling me how much he/she loves their new purchase, or how happy it makes me to hear my family rave about how great dinner was.  And I see in my girls' faces and postures just how much a few encouraging words from me can lift them up and how low I can tear them down when I shout at them without thinking.
So what am I going to do to improve the way I use my words?  To be honest, I think that this is something that I am going to be working on for the rest of my life, with ups and downs and good days and bad thrown into the mix.  Someone like me probably needs these verses stamped onto my hands and forehead to remind me to think before I blurt out something I cannot take back!  But I am not going to let that put me off.  I plan to pray about it and keep working on improving my failings, one little bit at a time.  Will you help me?

Vintage Art Print Ideas

Microscope Art Print

In the last few months I have had a lot of fun designing and creating my range of vintage art prints.  I have been quite overwhelmed by their popularity and am so thankful to all of you for your support in purchasing prints or blogging, Tweeting and Facebooking (is that a verb?) about them!

I have been spending the last few weeks searching for a wider range of images to use in my prints after some of you mentioned themes or images which you loved.  I have already introduced some biology/geekery and kitchen-related art prints into my store and am now working on introducing more "masculine" prints after a friend bought a print for her brother-in-law and suggested I add prints with machinery, vintage gadgets, etc.

I also thought that monogram or initial art prints might be worth considering.

Therefore, today I am asking you, my readers, what you would be interested in seeing instore.  What kind of art prints would you buy for yourself or others?  Do you like flowers and plants, or maybe you want something specifically for decorating your craft room, study/office or dining room?  I would appreciate any ideas you have, and in the mean time, will keep hunting for more lovely vintage illustrations!

Feature Friday - New CreatioNZ

Now I know there is normally a lot of trans-Tasman rivalry between Australians and New Zealanders, but I wasn't about to let that stop me from featuring the amazing Jocelyn of New CreatioNZ!  Her store is full of beautiful photographs, paintings, ACEOs, stationery...the list just goes on!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in the beautiful, far away land of New Zealand, also known as 'the land of the long white cloud'. I moved here from South Africa 13 years ago with my husband and two children. We have since had another delightful surprise to complete our family of five. I work in the local Christian School that my children attend. It suits me perfectly as I go and come back with my children each day and have the holidays off with them. I work with children that have special needs. Though I would love to be a full time artist, that is not to be at the moment. I am just very grateful to be able to have a job that still gives me time with my kids.

Describe yourself in 5 words.

Easy going, artistic, procrastinator, quiet, Jesus lover. (I had to have help from my family with these).

Love in the Mist Photograph

When and how did you first start crafting/creating?

I have been tinkering in all sorts of crafts since a young age but it is now that my children are past the age where it's all 'hands on' that I have really found my passion. My hat goes off to those of you who are in the midst of babies, nappies, sleepless nights and CREATING!

What do you create and what are your favourite materials with which to work?

I absolutely love to paint. I enjoy the spontaniety of contempory art and very seldom paint in a realistic style as I feel thats what my camera captures for me. Which brings me on to my second passion: photography. I love especially to go close up and capture the things that we often miss. We have such an amazing creation around us that leaves me awestruck. Needless to say, I photograph mainly nature themes. It doesn't stop there though. I love to try new things and am keen to give anything a go, so you are likely to find a few other random odds and ends in my shop too. The next on my list is flamework! But as I said earlier, I am a procrastinator, so who knows when that will be!

No Ordinary Love Heart Magnetic Puzzle

When and how did you start selling online?

I have had my shop open for just over a year now. Etsy was mentioned to me by my neice who lives in Australia. I had never sold online before so it was all new. Etsy is almost an unknown here in New Zealand so I am very grateful to all my customers who have trusted me and my packaging to get their purchases to them all over the world!

Describe your store in 5 words

Inspired...contemporary painting creative photography

Handmade Encouragement Cards

Where can we find you online?  

Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/NewCreatioNZ
Twitter http://twitter.com/newcreationz
Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/jocelynfriisart
Blog http://jocelynfriisart.blogspot.com/spot.com/

Relaxing With Some Craft - Card Making

First off today, I want to thank all of my readers for putting up with my rather haphazard and rushed blogging this last month!  As many of you know, we have struggled with an almost continual cycle of illness this year, with each of my family members taking it in turn to be sick.

So today I thought I would blog about some crafting I have been doing once the kids have gone to bed.  I know most sensible mothers dealing with sick kids (or their own illness) would probably drag themselves to bed once the kids are asleep, but I find that picking a simple craft project to tackle really relaxes me.

And when I say simple, I really do mean simple!   I made the card above for a friend of mine who plays the electric organ.  It was fun digging through my various papers and ephemera to find complementary flowers, brads and paper, but it was a struggle for me to cut up the vintage sheet music for the accent on the bottom of the card!

I made this card for my mother-in-law (hmmm...I am suddenly seriously hoping that none of these recipients is reading my blog post...oh well).  I don't consider myself to be very "girly", but I do have a penchant for lace and flowers and thought a combination of the two would work well.

Some of you will have already seen this final card on my store Facebook page.  For those of you who haven't, I made this card for another musical friend, who happens (funnily enough) to play the French horn.  The design of this card was inspired by my vintage art prints, but I used my vintage sheet music for the background since I had already plucked up the courage to start cutting it up.

I am quite pleased with my efforts and have even started researching the possibility of producing vintage art cards to sell in my stores.  But more importantly, I had a great time making these cards and am really hoping that their recipients will feel special receiving them.
So, as I wrap up this blog post, I would love to hear whether you craft or create to relax.  And if you do, which crafty endeavours do you find to be most relaxing?