Are *you* ready?

I just snagged a new treasury....'An Etsymom Christmas'. Christmas is right around the corner. Are *you* ready? Click the link below to visit the treasury. Your clicks and comments are VERY MUCH appreciated!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=4097

Etsy Shop * Flickr * Love.li Shop

Banner Exchange Anyone?

I would like to feature a few banners from other artists on my blog and MySpace pages in exchange for a spot for my banner on their blogs/MySpace pages. Anyone up for a banner exchange? Contact me if you're interested!

Etsy Shop * Flickr * Love.li Shop

Featured Artist...Pixie Blossoms!

Introducing my featured artist of the week, Pixie Blossoms. Her digital photography is just beautiful!

If you would like to be a featured artist, contact me at handcraftedbyjanice@yahoo.com.





Pixie Blossoms

Who are you?
I am a woman that loves to create and make pretty things. I am a mother of two little boys and I spend the whole day at home with them. When I have some "free" time, I will enjoy photography, sewing, creating some exquisite and playful pieces for our home, myself, kids and friends. I was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil and I have lived in the USA since 2002, because I met my husband and he is an American citizen.

Shop name/link
My shop name is Pixie Blossoms and the link is http://pixieblossoms.etsy.com

Categories I specialize in
Usually art (photography), vintage (for my vintage kits), bags and purses and children.

Do you create for children or adults, women or men?
Adults and children, usually for women. I will be making kids' backpacks soon, for little kids and I will make for boys too (kindergarten age).

What do you like about Etsy?
Their organization, it's handy and easy to deal with. I think it's a great site that is helping a lot of people out there to show off their work. It's not easy to build a website (online shop) ourselves and maintain it. I like it more than Ebay. We are able to buy and sell unique handmade work and also I've been finding nice craft supplies.

What do you like about creating?
I love the freedom of choosing whatever comes to my mind. I love to play with different patterns, textures, colors. I feel really good when in the end of a creative process, I like the result and also it's a pleasure to know that people like it too. Creating means something new and I consider myself a very bright and open person, welcome to new ideas, new concepts.

What do you love about your business?
I don't think I own a business. This "business thing" is too big for me. I am small, only one working sometimes, I don't know how things will turn for me in the future. I don't really keep thinking about it. I live this moment now of making few pieces of joy for people, because they really make me feel happy. I like selling and I love when you love what I make. It's all about the pleasure of making and being recognized as well. Money doesn't really matter at this moment.

What is your favorite product right now?
My bags.

What makes you unique at Etsy?
Hmmm, let me see...I can say the way I put so much on my products. I spend hours on each of them. I will try all possibilities before finishing something. I like the style I am in right now, it's playful, it's colorful, it's happy, it has a different touch, a vintage feel. Also, my photographs pass the same feeling. It's never sad, never dark. People say I am generous, outspoken and bright. I think the uniqueness of my products reflects who I am.

What makes you unique as a woman?
We are all unique. I don't wanna be pretentious...we are all unique.

What do you love about your kids?
They are so smart, so beautiful...they amaze me all the time. I love the fact that they are here, they are around me all the time, I love to have the chance to be their mother. I am very grateful for that!!!!

What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create?
I have a blog since last year and it's fun. Come visit anytime! http://journal.pixieblossoms.com
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Etsy Shop * Flickr * Love.li Shop

I can't believe it!

Happy 4th of July! To celebrate, I'm having a killer sale! Buy one get one FREE on anything in my shop through midnight on July 4th!

Candy Shop Cards

I just finished these cards about 30 minutes ago. They remind me of bubble gum or a candy shop or something. Too cute! Click on the pic above to see more photos. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did making them!

XOXO

I just finished these vibrant little notecards. I'm really feelin' the color combo! Can you tell I have summer on my mind? Click on the picture to see more photos!

Love and Be Loved

This card has to be one of my favorites. But then again, I think I say that about all of them at one point or another! This one almost looks "quilt-inspired". I used beautiful shades of purple and blue in this one. The front of the card features an inspiring message that reads: "Love and Be Loved". The back of the card has my signature stamp that reads: "Made with (heart) by:" and I have signed my name.

Look what I just bought!

I found these really cool crayon roll ups on Etsy in Trendy Tootsie's Shop. I thought they were just adorable so I bought two, one for the girls to share and one for the boys. They just came in the other day and, I tell ya, they're a big hit with the kiddos! And do you know what the best thing about them is? The kids actually *like* cleaning up their crayons now! No more broken crayons all over the floor because they aren't getting picked up! The craftsmanship was great on these products. They looked even better in person! Another great Etsy shopping experience.

Cute Autumn Scarecrow

My little girls and I were playing arts and crafts today and look what I did! And yes, I realize it's only June. Not *quite* time for autumn yet. :o) But I had this really cute scarecrow stamp and just had to use it. So now I have a head start on my Thanksgiving cards!

My First Swap!

I am a member of an online scrapbooking group where they do scrapping swaps. I had never even heard of one, let alone participate in a swap. But, I decided to try something new and sign up. The theme was Retro...the pinks and the browns. Such a cute color combination! The assignment was to create 13 identical 6 x 6 layout pages using the color scheme and one embellishment of our choice. I just finished all 13 pages, but before putting them in the mail, I took some photos to share with you. Let me know what you think of my first swap creation!

Retro Kitty Cat Cards

I was up late last night and couldn't sleep so I decided to mess around in my craft room. Lo and behold my newest creation....the Retro Kitty Cat cards! I think the cards are fun and people like fun. :o) I made six cards in three different colors: pink, blue and green. The pink ones are my favorite...only 'cause it's my favorite color.

Another Custom Order - Baby Shower Thank You Cards

My friend Erica just had a baby shower for her new baby. The theme was Turtle Bay (Google: Turtle Bay Bedding). She asked me if I could make her 50 Turtle Bay thank you cards. I couldn't find Turtle Bay paper or embellishments to save my life! So, it was time to get the creative juices flowing and see what I could come up with. This is a picture of the front of the card. I stamped "Thank You" in blue ink on the inside. I'm so happy with how they turned out!

Check out this custom order I did!

A very good friend of mine, Suzanne, has a son she can be very proud of. Her son Tyler was selected to be a Student Ambassador for his school. This summer he is going to have the opportunity to travel to different countries and have an experience of a lifetime! Suzanne has some wonderful people in her life who were able to donate funds to help make this opportunity possible for Tyler. Suzanne wanted to send all of the donors an extra-special thank you card. These are pictures of the postcards I created for her. I had so much fun making these and I am so proud of Tyler!

Dragonfly Thank You Cards (set of 3)

Beautiful pastel colored thank you cards with dragonfly, sequin and ribbon detail. All three cards come together as a set with matching white envelopes. $5.00 US

Elegant Girly Cards (set of 5)

You'll have fun sending these cute cards to your best girlfriends. It's a set of 5 cards each featuring a different girly picture. Each card reads one of the following words: Elegant, Smart, En Vogue, Chic, and Stylish. Each card comes with a matching white envelope. $8.00 US