Black Friday through Cyber Monday Holiday Sale

Starting NOW and all weekend long we are discounting items in our online shop. New items will be listed throughout the weekend.

If you want a larger quantity of a particular item than what is listed we can set up a private listing for you.

Orders placed during this sale will ship out by no later than Tuesday, November 30.

All items/quantities listed in our online shop are in-stock and ready to ship.

Please note that with some items there is a limited in supply. While we are happy to make more product where supplies are limited, keep in mind this will increase the number of days before your order will ship.

Need a gift basket put together, or need an order shipped directly to the recipient? No problem. We love special requests and are happy to make your shopping experience easier.

Meet Devine Designs ~ Where Bending and Twisting of Metal into Unique Metal Designs is Abundant

Striving for perfection, Devine Designs uses wire to make twists and coils that adds greatly to her original art jewelry designs. A mostly self-taught wire and cold forged metal jewelry artist, Devine comes from a family of creativity.

She has studied under local artist, Stacy Perry, as well as learning from books and video tutorials. She has also gained a wealth of knowledge from other jewelry artists and instructors that include Sharilyn Miller and Lisa Niven Kelly, who are considered among the best wire jewelry artists.

Take a visit of her shop and you will be amazed with her work. I personally love the Goddess Spirals in copper. The bracelet and earring set is very reasonably priced.

Devine also maintains an informative blog where she shares the highlights of her metal jewelry artistic moments. You can also follow her on Facebook!

Congratulations, Devine Designs Jewelry, our Etsyblogger Featured Artist for the Month of November, 2010!

Inspired By Food

For the November 19th Blog Carnival hosted by PatchFirstShop she asked us to:

Talk about your inspirations!!

1) What item are you working on?? What is your inspiration for this piece??
2) What is always inspiring you for your shops, your works, or anything in your life??

I am often told by customers that my products make them hungry and those that know me well say they should have guessed that my products look good enough to eat (I manage a school kitchen where we cook from scratch and use a lot of local produce). A lot of my soapy inspiration comes from my passion for cooking foods that not only smell good, but have great eye appeal and the same rings true with my soapy projects.

I've Been Tagged and Asked Four Questions

My friend Deb, from Stroll Through Storyland, tagged me and asked me four questions.

1. What's your favorite store to go into?

Ok... hands down it is the King Arthur Flour Store. I know ~ lots of jealous folks out there ~ because I live so close and can go anytime I choose. I could spend hours in that store looking at all of the baking supplies and ingredients... and tasting all sorts of bakery treats while I shop. What can I say? I love to cook and I love to eat.

2. Do you keep a journal or diary?

No, I never really got into that sort of thing.

3. What time do you go to bed?

Most nights it is 10:30 or 11 PM when I fall into bed for the first time. Then it has been 2 or 3 AM after feeding grand baby while her momma is working the graveyard shift then I go back to bed for the second time. We've had a couple nights of no waking up, so that is good for me.

4. How many hours, on average, do you spend on the computer?

Hmmmm...if you count the number of hours I sit at the computer at work ~ lots...but it is work and no fun. At home it greatly depends on what is going on. Two grand babies keep me pretty busy in the evenings so some days I never even log on to the computer and use the cell phone to check out what's going on. I'm finding the traveling Internet on the cell is a golden highway as it reduces the amount of time spent sitting at a computer....but the down side is that I can't do as much online with the cell.

Now it is my turn to tag four people. Mountain Woman from Red Pine Mountain, Teresa from Life, Homesteading and Everything, MamaZ from Two Zany Zebras and Lily my dear friend over at Fusion Art Jewelry that I'm hoping will come out of hiding for a little bit of bloggy fun.

Should you accept, Here are you're Four Questions:

1. What is your favorite season and why?

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

3. What is your least favorite household chore?

4. Do you like your toilet paper hanging over or under the roll?

EtsyBloggers October 11 Blog Carnival

Welcome to the October 11th, 2010 edition of the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival!

Here are this edition's themes:

1. What are some fun activities you like to do in the fall. (travel, apple
picking, etc)

2. Show us some awesome photos of autumn in and around where you live.

Enjoy!

Laurie Jackson presents Fall in Colorado posted at Indulge Your Shelf.

gilliauna presents Seattle in the Fall and Steve Raley Photography - A Rare Post by Leal posted at The Meandering Musings of a Consummate Shopper.

TiLTcreations presents Etsyblogger Carnival: Fall Fun posted at Crafts, kids, home and life.

Linda B presents October 8 Blog Carnival - Autumn the Season posted at Linda B's Blog.

Patti presents MMM...Mustard! posted at peacoxcreations.

Jessica presents Blog Carnival: Fall Fun posted at Cut Your Heart Out.

Jordan Pulliam presents Finally Fall posted at Jordan Necessities.

cindy devine presents My favorite time of the year posted at Devine Designs Jewelry.

Charity presents BlogCarnival – Fall Activities posted at Eternal Stardust Jewelry, saying, "Sorry it's kind of short. "

Erika presents Here Comes the Fair posted at NICO* Designs.

Alicia Mae presents The leaves, the leaves posted at Crafts and Cooking.

storybeader presents Etsybloggers Carnival - fall in Oklahoma posted at Stroll Through Storyland.

Linda Wheelock presents The Roads Less Traveled posted at Spotted Cow Soaps.

Lydia Schrandt presents Where are you autumn?? posted at Glowbug Design.

Joey & Aleethea presents apple picking time posted at J o e y & A l e e t h e a.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of etsybloggers
using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Learning to Roll with the Punches Life Deals Me

Sometimes our dreams and goals are changed due to life experiences. Over the past 16 months (or so), a lot has happened and changed in my life. Becoming a first time Grammy, enduring a house fire and clean up 2 weeks before my second child graduated High School, experiencing the beginnings of becoming empty nesters and then suddenly having 7 adults, 1 baby, 3 cats and 2 rabbits under one roof. What can I say, life got hectic. In about two months we'll be welcoming Grandbaby #2 into our hearts, arms, and home.

At times I do get frustrated with all of the extra work but at the end of the day I'm thankful that we have been blessed with this awesome large home to accommodate the needs of our growing family. I may not be able to tackle the projects I had before (when I want to), but seeing that smiling precious grandbaby looking up at me as she toddles into the kitchen to "help" her Grammy is far more important than the project I thought I needed to do.

This summer I plan on enjoying every moment of every day with my precious Grandbaby and soon love on her new baby sister. Not to worry, I will have 2 days each week while Christina is in Day Care to tackle the projects I need to accomplish...and ramp up my products for this fall and into the Christmas season. A happy compromise where we all win in the end.

Meet Dizzy Dragonflies ~ Where Spinning and Yarn are Abundant

Vicki is the woman behind Dizzy Dragonglies and Knitting Dragonflies. She states on her shop that she has always loved creating items. While her passion is yarn, knitting and crocheting, she has branched out with spinning, and hand dyeing yarn.


By accident she started selling her hand knit items when people offered to pay her to make them something.

In my journey to become better acquainted with Vicki, I found her photostream on Flickr to be the best resource where she is showcasing various projects. I am in awe of the detail on this particular project...


In addition to running two online shops, Vicki also maintains Knitting Dragonflies Blog.

Congratulations, Vicki on being the Featured Etsyblogger for the Month of March 2010!

Lilacs ~ My favorite flower of Spring

I have always dreamed of having lilacs growing outside my bedroom window. When we moved into our house, the first thing I bought was a lilac bush and I planted it between my bedroom and bathroom window. Each spring I look forward to the smell of lilac wafting through the windows. I also love to take photos of the lilacs when they are starting to bud out and as they come into full bloom.

In anxious anticipation of spring, Lilac products are making their way into our shop.


Lilac Soap


Lilac Shower Gel

Look for more Lilac products to make their way to our shop in the near future.

Meet TiLT Creations

Teresa is the woman behind TiLT Creations. A stay at home mom to two, Teresa has been sewing and crafting for years and now shares that talent with others through her online store.

Handbag in Brown and Pink Blooms is one the newest additions to TiLT Creations. I just love the pink and brown combo. Here is the low down on this beauty...

This mid sized Janet handbag fits great on both your arm or in your hands.
The exterior is a cotton shirting fabric with brown blooms that have a pink center on a cream background.
The lining is an ivory silk twill ~ the lining is interfaced to give some shape and stability.
The closure is a magnetic snap. There are no interior pockets.
There is rose colored 7/8" grosgrain ribbon sewn around the bag's exterior. There is a vintage styled antiqued bronze stamped metal floral filigree attached to a gathering of the rose ribbon on the front of the bag.
The strap is the same rose ribbon, stuffed with polar fleece to make them soft to grip. It is one loop that is held at the sides under a pocket of sorts inside each side of the bag. These "pockets" are made from the same fabric as the exterior, giving a pop of contrast on the interior.

approximate size:
11 1/2" wide
6" top to bottom at the center
2 1/2" deep

You can't beat the reasonable price on this gorgeous handbag. I have a feeling it won't be in her shop for long.

Teresa also has a destash shop, TiLT Too!, along with FOUR blogs! It's all I can do to keep up with one, I don't know how she does it with four!

TiLT Creations Blog
Crafts, Kids, Home and Life
TiLT Treasures
TiLT's Giveaway Finds

Become a fan of TiLT Creations on Facebook to receive late breaking news, hear about new additions, what Teresa is working on, and more!

Congratulations, Teresa, for being the Etsyblogger of the Month for February!

A Tropical Oasis

I take a deep breath and smell the salty air coming off the ocean through the open doorway as warm breezes kiss my skin. I quickly open my eyes to take in the views of the tropical oasis when reality sets in...I'm laying in my own bed, buried underneath a mountain of blankets to keep warm, hear my husband snoring next to me and the furnace clunking in the basement as a blast of warm air pours from the register. Sigh....It's that time of year when winter begins to wear on me and I dream of warmer climate. Most of the snow has stayed south, pushed further north, or missed us entirely...so far this winter. I'm not missing the snow all that much, but I sure am missing the warmer weather. I'm all for ditching the coats, scarves and gloves in favor of shorts and tank tops. This year I feel more cabin fever than I've felt in the years before, most likely because last summer we didn't have much of a summer to speak of. The yearning for warm tropical air is beckoning me. I hope the lack of snow means an early spring and nice warm (and long) summer. But until then, my tropical oasis will have to greet me in my dreams.

Meet Edi from Memories for Life Scrapbooks

Edi got her start and gained her love for paper crafting from being involved in a 4-H program. Today she gives demonstrations and teaches her craft to girls in 4-H and she's recently been invited to judge the historian book category at a local county fair.


At Memories for Life Scrapbooks you will find an assortment of Scrapbooks in pre-designed words.






Or how about a unique shape Scrapbook like this Star?






Don't you just love these Flip Flop Albums? So unique, so original, so cool!








Be sure to drop on by the Memories for Life Scrapbooks Blog where you will find some of her work in progress, where she finds inspiration, and more.

Meet Miesmama...where Handmade Goodness Abounds

Miesmama is a mother to two who loves to be creative. She is also a fellow Etsyblogger, and my "neighbor" over in the Adirondack Mountains. I have had my eye on this stunning Strawberries and Cream Handbag listed in her Shop. Not only is it super cute, but its size is perfect for holding all of the summer extras one needs to carry around with them....towel, suntan lotion, etc.

Miesmama says ~ "my goal is to spread a little handmade goodness and personally try to be more self-sustaining. Each item is imagined and handmade by myself with love."

In addition to her shop, Miesmama maintains a blog you really must check out!

Grilled Potatoes

One of my favorite dishes for the summertime is a recipe I posted last year ~ Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Today I would like to share with you a side dish that I serve quite frequently throughout the summer ~ Grilled Potatoes. You will need aluminum foil, potatoes, onions, spices of choice, and a fat of choices (olive oil, bacon grease, butter, etc.), pan spray, hot grill, grill mitts, and a hearty appetite.

You can make small individual packets, or a couple large packets if preparing for a large group.

Wash the potatoes and slice thin ~ skin and all! If you aren't into eating the skins, then peel them before slicing. Put potato in bowl. Slice onion (if you dice they will over cook too fast) and add to potato. Add spices of choice (now would be a good time to add salt & pepper, too). I prefer Mrs. Dash because it is salt-free and I strive to limit my sodium intake because of hypertension. Add fat of choice (olive oil, bacon grease, butter, etc.) and mix together.

I prefer to spray the tin foil before placing potatoes and forming packets. HINT: Shiny side of tin foil IN helps radiate the heat through the food. :) To form packets I place one sheet of tin foil shiny side up, spray with cooking spray, add potatoes, place another sheet of foil shiny side down that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Then I begin to fold in sides until the packet is sealed up nicely. Smaller packets will take less time to cook than larger packets.

After all of the packets are ready, it's off to the hot grill (I prefer the old fashioned charcoal grills, not the gas grills but you can achieve the same results on a gas grill with a little tweaking). You will want to turn the packets every 10 minutes. These cook up relatively quickly ~ 20-30 minutes. I pull a packet off the grill and give a gently squeeze with the mitts to see if the potatoes are soft yet. These packets can be set aside while you cook the meat of choice.

You can add other veggies to the potatoes (peppers, peas, etc.) ~ experiment and have fun! I have found that cheese melts and holds up better when sprinkled as a garnish after the spuds have been cooked. Cooking the potatoes this way keeps the heat out of the kitchen, and you can personalize each packet for individual preferences (ie: onions or no onions).

Happy Grilling!

Handmade Items Masterfully Created with Yarn

Meet Tricia from LazyT Crochet.

She loves working with yarn, especially hand-spun wool and cotton in order to offer affordable, handmade items to the marketplace. Not only does she create modern and original designs but also traditional, old-world styles in knit and crochet. Tricia specializes in custom orders, too.


Tricia's quality and workmanship is top notch, and it is visibly seen in her products. I am the proud owner of this gorgeous hat, and I absolutely LOVE it! Please take a moment and visit her shop and blog. And, I just discovered she's got a cool Destash Shop ~ Lazy Stuff!

Summer in Vermont

Summer is here! The school where I work has been out for a week, now. YEAH! Time to get down to some fun in the summer sun....wait, we haven't had much sun or heat yet!

In a nutshell, summer in Vermont is never warm enough or long enough to appease me. But, I didn't move here on account of the weather, it came with the package so to speak. While most of the south is sweltering and stuck indoors with air conditioning, just last week we were still running the woodstove to take the chill out of the air indoors.

Ponds, lakes and even the ocean in nearby New Hampshire and Maine is never warm enough to suit me. First time I took the kids to Hampton Beach, NH the natives of this region were walking in and out of the water as though it was a tropical beach. I was fooled...you know it is cold when you take a step into the icy water and your toes cramp up immediately. We're talking skin is red from the icy cold. No comparison to warmer climates where the ocean waters are warmer. Despite the cold water, it is always great fun to hang out on the beach for a day.

My favorite beachy place to visit is Old Orchard Beach in Maine. The family fun atmosphere includes an amusement park, lots of eating establishments and live entertainment. The Pier is awesome, and one often hears live music from establishments within the pier while hanging out on the beach.

Tapping toes, anxiously awaiting the arrival of some sun and heat so we can get out and enjoy our summer of fun!

Top Secret Mission

This Momma/Grammy Cow has accepted an invitation to be part of a very special event this summer and she's working her fingers, hooves and toenails to the bone getting ready with some top secret soapy creations. This top secret mission is for a wonderful cause that has me absolutely tickled pink! I will reveal this top secret mission and soapy creations real soon....In the meantime, I'm up for guesses as to what this top secret mission is about. If you think you know, leave a comment here on this post. On or after June 15, I will reveal this top secret mission and if YOU guess what it is (or a good close guess), I will let you enjoy a shopping spree in my shop! My dear blogger friend (and partner in crime) Lily aka Hot Lips is the only person who cannot guess ~ only because I shared with her a month or so ago about this top secret mission...so Lily ~ mum's the word (and no fair accepting bribes, either!), got it? LOL Oh...you guys want clues? I've given enough clues already...just reread this post if you have to, it'll bite you in the nose!

Mama Z of Two Zany Zebras

Mama Z of Two Zany Zebras always keeps me in stitches with the stories she shares on her blog of being a mother to two zany children. I laugh at her life experiences because my 3 children were monkeys when they were little, and pulled a lot of similar stunts over the years. And when she's on the brink of insanity, I can totally relate...been there! :)


Two Zany Zebras Shop "is home of the Zarkles. Wondering what in the world is a Zarkle? They are whimsical creatures that are part of the Zarkle family. Each Zarkle has their own unique name, personality, and Zany Pocket Blankie to sleep in. They can also be a comfort at night and help keep all the scary things at bay. Two Zany Zebras also specialize in the Zany Cuddle Blankie, Super Zany Blankie, and Zany Pocket Blankie."


Aren't they cute? Oh, you know you want one, so get over to the Zany shop and grab yours today!

My Dream Backyard Oasis

If I ever win the lottery my Dream Backyard Oasis would look something like this...

Over in the far left corner you will find this gorgeous pond.


And in the center of the yard you will find this awesome entertainment area.


Any my favorite spot in the yard, the outdoor kitchen.

But of course, this backyard dream is just that. I don't buy lottery tickets so my chances of winning are pretty bleak. I will continue to dream....

Spring in Vermont

Mud Season on the back roads...


Potholes...


Maple Sugaring Time...

The Eighth Annual Vermont Maple Open House Weekend will be held at sugarhouses throughout Vermont, March 27-29, 2009.

Meet Donna Pool

For several months I have been intrigued by these unique Patchwork Puzzle Balls that Donna Pool makes.
What is so amazing is that each piece of these balls has been lovingly hand stitched ~ no machines were used in the making of these awesome toys!

They are safe for pets and children and the best part ~ they are machine washable! What a truly unique idea for a gift!

You really must check out Donna's blog where she writes about her creations and more.