I realised this morning that I never actually came back to this blog :( I haven't restarted the jewellery, it's a saturated market and I'm just not good enough to be able to make a living out of it. The ancient history business didn't go well at all either (spot a pattern here? XD) and back in Easter I got a full time job in the civil service and moved to London!

I have however opened up a new Etsy shop for vintage books. It's called The Bibliophile and it's had a few sales :D I'm slowly but surely uploading more stuff as and when photographs get done.

And to go with the new shop I opened up a new blog, called The British Bibliophile. It's very similar to Trinkets and Charms so if you missed my random posts you are more than welcome to follow me over there!

I may come back one day and relaunch T&C with some different products, or find the time to properly develop my jewellery, but for the time being The Bibliophile is getting my attention.

Thank you everyone that followed me, I hope you're all well!

~ Katie

So those of you that read this blog and check out my Etsy shop may have noticed that A) I've stopped updating and B) my Etsy shop is in vacation mode.

This is because of 2 things:

1. I launched my "main" business back in April, doing ancient history presentations and artefact handling for schools. The preparation and marketing for this has, naturally, taken up all of my time.

2. I did a craft fair back in May at my local village fair and sold quite a lot. Not only did this decimate my stock but it also led me to wonder why I wasn't selling on Etsy when there were clearly people interested in my work, so I decided to take a break and have a think.


So basically it's a combination of no time and needing to do a lot of work. Jewellery making is a hobby but it's still a hobby that I'd like to see become successful in it's own right. I've learned a lot from my ancient history stuff, experience that I'm going to put towards Trinkets & Charms in the future.

I decided to put my Etsy shop in vacation mode to let listings of the items currently for sale expire, and so I didn't need to worry about checking for sales. I'm currently working on a proper business plan for it, because even though it's a hobby I do need to get ideas down on paper, and then I can start working on rebuilding my whole shop.

I'm hoping to be back in September, depending on various things going on over the summer. If I'm not back by then I'll hopefully remember to come and post an update here XD

In the mean time you can always follow the blog for my ancient history stuff, which covers Etsy as I'm planning on selling some things in the "educational" section over there (at the moment it mostly covers Zazzle as I'm selling ancient history-themed designs over there), my blog is here:

http://creativeclassicsforkids.blogspot.com/

See you soon! :)

- Katie
Trinkets & Charms

This is the second to last section of my “I Want That In My Home” series. All there’s left after the study is the bathroom. So clearly I’m going to need to find something new to blog about XD

So as you can probably guess, I’ve moved on to the study/home office. Since I hope to be self employed by the end of the year this is a subject that’s very close to my heart. I just hope that I’ve managed to get everything you would normally find in a study.

The first thing we need is furniture, and no study can possibly be called a study unless it has a desk.



This gorgeous desk is “French inspired” desk is from ShabbyChicFairytale, a lovely south California Etsy shop. The shop has a range of beautiful chic furniture, most of them in a similar French inspired style.



This chair may not match the desk but I love the colours! The frame is vintage while the upholstery is, obviously, more recent. This is straight from ReclaimTheThrone, and most of the shop is all about things you can sit on! Along with more chairs there’s also a settee, footstools and a pillow or two.

You then need something on your wall to help you keep track of time, especially if, like me, you constantly misplace your watch and never switch on your mobile phone.



I went for this clock because I love the shade of pink, and the pattern. It’s called “Hummingbird Vines” and is from KonaInteriors. This shop is all about clocks, in a huge variety of patterns and colours, mostly wall clocks but a few desk clocks (they come with a little stand to rest on) and there’s even a plate clock! If you’re looking for something new to stick on your wall, definitely check out this shop.

And then your desk needs a little colour, and if you have a computer on it then that colour can come from a mousemat!



This funky mousemat was created by GilmoreCreations. This shop has a selection of beautiful items in modern colours, there’s also some fabric hairbands, ribbon keyrings and leather hair accessories, so definitely have a look!

And that’s it for today. Part two of the study will be up on Wednesday!

Welcome to Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a good week :D I’m currently catching up on CSI episodes.

So on to Bedroom part 2 of the “I Want That In My Home” series. We managed to get the usual things, bed, bedsheets and cushions out the way, now we need the little details to really make it cosy.

And the first thing every girl needs in her bedroom is something soft to cuddle.



This gorgeously soft-looking bear is a from the home of ClareBear. Her shop is all about handmade cuddlies, along with other soft furry bears in various fur colours from chocolate, to grey, and biscuit, she also makes sock bears. Sock bears are a little less fuzzy but three times more colourful, especially the dotty sock one! And if you can’t quite justify buying a whole bear, she also sells little felt bear keyrings!

If you’re anything like me then you like having photos of family and friends around the place, and you need nice frames to put your photos in.



This lovely pale blue frame is by tadworks, and I love the colours! Her shop has several more photo frames in other colours including a lovely bold “dots and lines” pattern, and she also sells “desktop companions” (I also want one of these for my desk) and cute phone charms, lots of little things to compliment your things.



This stunning jewellery box comes straight from Mosabox, their shop has a wide selection carved boxes with mosaic decoration, as well as a mirror and some lovely antique bits as well. Judging from one of the feedback comments this seller is in Syria, but they state in their listings that they ship via DHL, so you won’t need to wait for months until your item reaches you.



And finally you need something nice to go on your carpet to brighten up the floor. This fantastically coloured rug is made from a huge selection of felt balls! The creator, Krita, has a variety of felt things, including loose felt balls for your own projects!

And there we have my bedroom wishlist! On Sunday I will probably be moving on to the bathroom. Or a study. I haven’t quite decided yet XD See you then!

It’s Sunday, and you know what that means! Today we’re moving on to bedroom!

To anyone new to this, I am currently running a series of blog entries on the theme of “I Want That In My Home”. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to be going on a VERY big shopping spree on Etsy XD You will also notice that I have no sense of matching styles and colours and I tend to be fascinated by both vintage and modern.

So, bedroom, first thing you need is a bed to sleep in!



I’m assuming this bed doesn’t come with all the stuff on it XD I love the carved bed posts! This bed is in the shop of VintageChicFurniture, a New York shop that also sells gorgeous vintage furniture on Etsy. Along with beds they have dressers, antique bookcases and even an antique baby cot!



And on your bed you need some sheets. I’m a total sucker for oriental themes like cherry blossoms, and this elegant set is from UrbanAccentHome. This shop also has wall decals, chandeliers, and other beautiful items to jazz up your home!



Admittedly I already have a patchwork quilt which my Mum made when I was a child, but if I didn’t I would love to have one like this, made by Quiltville. As the name suggests the shop is all about patchwork quilts, from lovely pastel ones like the one above, to bright zesty colours, and she sells patterns so you can make your own!



And finally I want another cushion to go on my bed (along with pillows). And for my bedroom I have one that at least fits in with the duvet pattern XD This elegant cushion is created by DimmalimmHome out of kimono silk!! There’s more in her shop, which also has slip-on coasters for glasses.

And that’s it for today! As before, check in on Wednesday for the second part :D See you then!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my Wednesday blog post!

So, returning to the kitchen. We’ve got all the basics out of the way with our teatowels, pottery and pretty aprons to wear when cooking. So now we need a little something to decorate it, something that cheers the place up and makes you smile when you see it.



I love this sign! I’m sure there are a whole load of stressful women out there that wish they could smack their partners over the head with this sign XD This was made by JessyKayne, who has a ton of these lovely signs in her shop, from small elegant ones that say “His” and “Hers” to larger ones that include motifs such as “I found my Prince, I call him Daddy”, covering Grandparents, Mums and Dads, boys and girls, this shop covers the whole range of family members that you will, at some point, need to buy a gift for.

Right, moving on, if you ever step in to my mothers kitchen one of the first things that will draw your eye is the number of cookery books she has, and all the folders that have recipes cut out from magazines. I’m not even sure if she uses all of them. What she needs is to condense them down in to a recipe box...



I have had my eye on GiftsandTalents for a while now because I think her shop is lovely! Her shop has recipe card boxes, trinket boxes and gift vouchers, all decoupaged and made to your specific order. The ones she lists are just examples, if you buy from her you can choose your own colours and image choices, which is why the gift vouchers are so handy! You can buy a voucher for a friend or family member and then they get to choose how they want it to look, so you both know they will receive something they actually like the look of (always my main worry when I buy a gift for someone).

And then finally your kitchen needs its cupboard stocked with lots of tasty things!



Those of you who spend any amount of time in the Etsy Promotions forum will no doubt have come across the wonderful Teaman. He sounds like an overly British superhero, flying through the air making sure everyone has their morning cuppa. And the name doesn’t lie, his shop is completely dedicated to the delicious drink that is tea. From teabag samplers in a lovely tin, to bulk buys, loose leaf selections and variety samplers, this shop really does give you a great variety to choose from.



It is impossible to be a UK blogger talking about food, without mentioning the wonderful Marmalady. She can only send food within the UK, so sorry Americans, but you can at least indulge in the photos of her lovely things! She has fudge (fuuuudge!), cakes, flapjacks, biscuits, jam and of course her namesake, marmalade, and not just plain old orange stuff as well! If you’re a bit bored with Seville oranges then try out her lemon and lime marmalade, or the pink grapefruit!



Right, to make up for the fact that I have just taunted a lot of you with British delights that you can’t have, I shall end with an American food seller. SkippingSkones is an American baker whose shop also has a range of cakes and biscuits, including these incredible “cake lollies”. These are baked fresh and you can specify your flavour from a list of twenty, including strawberry, peanut butter and plain old chocolate. She also has toffee apples, pretzel sticks and “soup mix in a jar”.

.....Is anyone else hungry now?

Crikey, I managed to remember to actually do this! I’m going to give myself a round of applause!

For those that missed last Sunday, I am currently running a new blog feature called “I Want The In My Home”, going from room to room in my imaginary house. This idea came to me after I failed to win £113 million in the Euromillions lottery. Had I won I would have spent an insane amount of money on Etsy XD So instead of shopping, I am merely window shopping, and dreaming, and blogging about it all.

So today we move on to my imaginary kitchen! Obviously I imagine buying a fridge or cooker or kitchen cupboards would be rather difficult on Etsy, unless you want to buy vintage which I don’t (no offence to vintage sellers but I’d rather have a fridge that doesn’t need repairs every other week XD) but there are plenty of little things you can buy to make your cooking area more like a home and less like a small canteen.

Let’s take teatowels as an example...



These gorgeously bright teatowels are by the California-based SommerDesigns, her shop is full of brightly coloured things from the towels above, to aprons, zipper pouches and bags, and with lots of gorgeous patterns as well.



And when you’re cooking you need something to protect your clothes and in my case I would like this gorgeous one! Handmade by the apronqueen, as you can tell by her name her shop deals exclusively in aprons. But don’t let that make you think her shop is dull because it certainly isn’t! Along with adult aprons like the one above she also sells childrens aprons and really cute “half aprons”, all of which look fantastic!

And obviously you need something to eat foot off!



This lovely plate is from the shop of chutneyblakedesigns, a Dallas crafter whose shop has not only plates but beautifully decorated ceramic photoframes and coasters, including custom-made ones for your college, and flower pots, with animal and floral prints and polka-dot patterns.



I will be the first to admit that this bowl does not match the above plate in the slightest XD But if you haven’t noticed my eclectic colour choices by now then you aren’t really reading this blog properly. This beautiful blue and white bowl is was made by KarinLorenc, whose shop is all pottery! Bowls, mugs, casserole dishes, jugs, all in simple but bright colours.



And then finally we have this gorgeous pink and white floral pattern cup and saucer (for my tea!) are from AmongstLovelyThings, she hand paints a variety of pottery, plates, mugs, coffee pots and serving trays, with butterflies, flourishes and other lovely designs.

And that is all for today! The second half will be up on Wednesday and features some yummies!

Welcome to the second part of the “living room” feature! The eclectic madness continues.

So, while I am lounging around on my couch, which is now covered in a medley of cushions, I need something to put my tea and cake and current book on. A table!



This lovely round coffee table was found in the shop of turquoiseshed. This shop specialises in “upcycling” items, and the shop currently has a gorgeous colour scheme of turquoise, yellow and white items.

I also need a bookshelf to keep my large collection of books on!



Straight from compulsivecollection, this shop has some lovely vintage furniture and other bits and bobs such as planter boxes for your garden.

Since my floor is wood I need a nice rug to brighten it up, and like everything else in my living room, it doesn’t quite match anything else XD



This rag rug was made by WebWorksFiber out of recycled cotton jersey knit. I just picked it because I love the shade of red, and I’m hoping the little bit of white will help it match my other white furniture even if it makes everything else look even more out of place as a result.

And then finally I need some wall decoration. I was considering buying some original art work, but in the end I decided I prefer the idea of a wall decal.



This beautiful hummingbird decal is from signchick1, her shop also includes leaf patterns, elephants, kokeshi dolls and plenty of other themes! And it’s not just wall decals, she also has a delightful selection of laptop decals too! And you can pick your own colours! Although in my case I’d probably stick with brown and teal as any attempt to pick my own colours would probably be disastrous.

And there we have my mental home. Stay tuned for more insanity, next Sunday I will be moving on to my kitchen!

So the other day there was a huge amount of money going in the EuroMillions lottery draw, £113 million to be exact. I think everyone will agree that that is a life-changing amount of money. Well, right now I think £5000 would be a life-changing amount of money for me but that’s beside the point. With a win like that you wouldn’t need to work again if you didn’t want to.

So I got to thinking what I would do if I did win (I did buy a ticket, and ended up winning nothing, c’est la vie). And one thing I would spend my money on would be a flat. Not sure where, I’d possibly give living in London a try, even if it was only for a year. And then of course once you have a flat you need to furnish it, so my next job would have been...well, spending a huge amount of money on Etsy XD

Once I discovered that I hadn’t won so much as a bean I spent several hours consoling myself by browsing Etsy to see what I could have bought if Lady Fortune had been smiling at me. And this has then triggered my new blog series, IWTIMH, or “I Want That In My Home”.

So today I bring you the first room that you generally find in a house, the living room. This was meant to be one blog post but it ended up being quite long, so I have split it in half. You get the first part today, and the second part on Wednesday!

Oh, before we start I should actually warn you about my slightly insane colour-coordination. Or rather, my lack of it. When I do eventually own my own place I suspect everything is going to look a little higgledy piggledy and very mis-matched, that’s just the way I am. And in order to save some sense of taste, let's just assume that all the walls are white and all the floors are uncarpeted, ‘kay? XD

So, the first thing you need in your living room is somewhere to sit.



This gorgeous couch is currently available in sprucehome, an Etsy shop located in Austin, Texas. This sofa is expensive but completely worth it, I love the whole “Victorian” look and this couch looks gorgeously stylish. Plus I have £113 million so money really wouldn’t be an issue XD

And to complement my lovely white Victorian couch I would like...



A very colourful armchair. Okay, I’ll admit, going from Victorian to something with a Hippy feel is a bit of a leap in sense and style, but look at it! I love the combination of colours and the large flower pattern. This was hand-dyed and painted by MimzieD, who appears to take vintage furniture and then add her own flair to it (check out the side table as well). Failing that I’m going to need a house rather than a flat, a house that is big enough for me to have multiple living rooms.

Right, what do you need on your chairs and sofas? Cushions! And I really wish I had money right now because I REALLY want these three cushions XD They are simply fabulous!



First we have this gorgeous Union Jack cushion from Helkatdesign. She has other Union Jack ones in other colours in her shop but I’m a real sucker for shades of blue.



Probably a better candidate for Valentines Day but I don’t generally believe that heart patterns should stick to that one day. Plus I think it would go well on my Victorian couch XD Check out PoorJean for more cushions, as well as towels, bags and some vintage bits!



And last, but certainly not least, this gorgeous ruby and gold cushion comes from TheHomeCentric. Her shop is simply stuffed with gorgeous cushions, placemats and table runners and I could quite easily buy her entire stock with my £113 million, even if I ended up giving most of the stuff to friends (well I do only have one sofa after all XD)

And that is the first half of my living room. I will (I WILL WILL WILL!) post the second half up on Wednesday :D See you then!

Yes yes, long time no see, and all that jazz.

Plenty of you know me as a person on Etsy but there is a whole big internet out there and Etsy isn't the only website I browse.

One of many forums I frequent is GaiaOnline, and it was on this forum that I met an artisan who I know as "Naki" XD She's a graphics artist by trade but she also dabbles in jewellery and once I saw her shop, Koana, I just had to include some of her beautiful things on this blog!



First things first, a very pretty phone charm! The stars are origami paper, folded in to shape and hand painted before being sealed with gloss and a fixative spray so they should hold up during everyday use. The other glittery bits are pealised beads and swaroski crystals and the whole thing is absolutely gorgeous!



These gorgeous butterflies are another example of origami work! The butterflies were made using vellum paper that was again hand painted and sealed with spray before being attached to more crystals. I just love how delicate they look, and according to the listing you can request them in other colours as well, so if turquoise isn't your thing then contact Naki and she'll do her best to do them in a colour you like :D

Along with the Etsy shop she also has a shop on Zazzle where she sells her gorgeous designs on t-shirts!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Today's featured crafter is not an Etsian. I found her through the wonderful world of DeviantArt. I tend to go for a browse in the Artisan Crafts section and when I spotted her photos I just had to start stalking her on DA, and feature her here.

Helen1988 is a baker and cake decorator! And you won't find any cake wrecks here (small pimp of one of my favourite blogs thrown in for good measure) because everything she puts up is simply stunning!



Yes, that IS a wedding cake. And if it was my wedding cake I would be the happiest bride in the world. This is referred to as a "simple little cake", if that's simple I'd hate to see complicated. The flowers and blue ribbon are all made of fondant and the flowery decoration is made out of modelling chocolate, and yes that is a monogram "A" on the front, painted on (if it was chocolate it would probably fall to pieces).



I love this cake simply because of the blue colour XD The title is "Sweet Sixteen Cake" so I'm going to take a guess that this was a birthday cake. Iced with teal buttercream (I think my thighs just doubled in size at the thought of all those calories) and chocolate modeling stuff for the decoration. The bow on top is made from chocolate. Yes, that is a giant chocolate bow on top, if someone could buy me one for my birthday I would be very happy.



And last but certainly not least, an awesome laptop cake! This is another wedding cake, apparantly for the wedding of two people who met on the dating site Eharmony. The picture is fondant (yes, fondant, not paint, not felt tip pen, but actual fondant). The screen itself is foam (I'm assuming this means it couldn't be eaten?) but the laptop base and the keyboard are all proper cake, and look at the detail! Even the keys are labelled! (To see a large version check out the proper deviation and click on the picture to make it larger).

While helen1988 is not an Etsian she is on DA and she also has her own website, Cake Me I'm Yours!, which has even more photos of her amazing creations!

Go check her out and be prepared to end up hungry!

And I'm back again!

Today I went out with my sisters to get blackberries and conkers. The blackberries because my youngest little sister picked some this morning while my Dad cut down branches in the back garden, and conkers because they keep spiders away and our house seems to be full of the 8-legged monsters at the moment.

We ended up spending nearly 2 hours wandering around our village collecting both. Youngest sister got stung by a stinging needle, I got cut several times by thorns on the blackberry bushes, and eldest little sister is now coming down with a cold.

I am now also really tired, blasted country air has worn me out. The blackberries are apparantly going to be used to make sauce for Dad and youngest little sister to have on ice cream, while I am going to be drying the conkers out in front of the Aga tonight.

Did you know that if you search for "conker" on Etsy you get a grand total of 7 results?



This felt pot was made by the UK Etsian cityroad, who also has some great felt badges in her shop!

Oh, and now for BIG news! I WAS FEATURED IN A BLOG!

I'm donating a percentage of my profits from various items in my shop to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and The You And Me Show picked me as someone to feature on their blog! So go check them out as they've also got a great charity project of their own, Art = Food.

I am both tired and hungry, and I really love autumn :D

Someone I know is going to be a bridesmaid next year.

When she saw my jewellery she asked if I would make some for her to wear! This is the second wedding commission I've had. The first ended up being a bit...rushed. But I have learnt from my mistakes.

The wedding is not until next year. But my friend is very specific on what she wants. She likes the flower earrings I sell in my shop and specifically requested the colours for them, which makes my job a lot easier.





She also wants a necklace the same. And she has also asked me to make a bracelet for the bride :D

Oh, and a little pimp of my new phone charm!

I managed to nab a Treasury spot!

And I filled it with items for the kitchen!

In The Kitchen

I especially want the recipe box XD

I've been featured in a Treasury!

No one has featured me before!

BLOO AND WITE

It's the "Super Blue (and white)" bracelet :D

The Treasury expires tomorrow so go check it out!

Time again for a new Featured Seller, and this week I have dived in to the world of clothing!

I found delguidicestudio (aka, the shop with the difficult to pronounce name) while reading an Etsy forum thread about quitting your day job. Delguidi posted to say that she hadn’t jumped in to quitting her day job, but as a victim of a economic problems she had been pushed. After losing her job as a restoration specialist and artefact handler for museums in San Diego, and finding that getting so much as a waitressing job would be nearly impossible, she took the plunge.

Her shop is, at the moment, a little sparse on the ground with 35 items for sale (I know that’s a bit rich coming from the person who only has 15 in her shop, but I haven’t quit my day job for anything yet XD), but all of them are gorgeous. Dresses, sleep mask, tops, scarves, and a few oil paintings, as well as the odd piece of jewellery too.



This gorgeous dress is described as a “pontina wrap”. It’s made with 100% cotton black and white polka dot material and has a lovely wide belt with a rose appliqué. It ties at the back of the neck like a halter-neck, and looks simple but absolutely gorgeous. And if you like the dress but not the belt, or like the belt but don't fancy the dress, delguidi states that she is happy to sell them separately!



And this is a “Dopo Puccini” facemask, made with 100% silk! Lets face it, there isn’t a whole lot more that will feel good against your skin, and with this over your eyes I think getting to sleep would suddenly become a whole lot easier! Plus I love the gorgeous little bow in the corner.

delguidicestudio has only been an Etsy member since May 2009 and she already has 5 sales! I highly recommend that you hop in and buy something from her now, before she becomes too flooded with work :D

I know, I'm a bad blogger XD

I have a new listing, Snow!. My first charity listing, although I've now gone over my other items and added two more earrings.

$2.50 from selling those earrings goes to my favourite charity, the Motor Neurone Disease Association. I'm trying to raise £200 for them by October 2011. I've got a bunch of my friends collecting stamps for me to sell for the charity, and I'm contributing some of my jewellery :D Hopefully going to add some of my cards as well in the future.

I apologise for not blogging as much I should XD

Yes! It's Sunday and that means it is time for my new spot! Featured items!

Because I see so many lovely items on Etsy and it's very difficult to get a Treasury spot, I felt I may as well use some of this blog space to highlight some of the lovely things I see as I browse!



This gorgeous scarf has been knitted by tallib, who specialises in knitted items. Her shop is full of hats, scarves and gloves and the occasional doll, all knitted by her. And she's currently having a Spring Sale!



I make cards as welll (obviously from my last post) but I can't make them nearly as lovely as this one, created by mrsdstahl, who doesn't just do cards but also has wedding invitations and stationary sets! Currently 10% of her profits are going towards the Fisher House charity which helps the families of injured military personel (the English equivalent would be Headley Court in Surrey). So not only do you get some lovely things to give people, but you're also helping a charity!



Being a jewellery maker myself I can appreciate pretty pieces, especially when they're made of memory wire!!! (I love memory wire). This green bracelet was made by greenstar9, a relative newcomer who Etsy as she has only been there since January this year, but she already has two sales (including this bracelet) so I think we'll be seeing more of her in the future!



These adorable tags were found in the shop of detailshomegoods. This shop is a veritable treasure trove of items, from greetings cards to napkin rings, all involving some kind of sewing! Plus they ship internationally! Always good to know when you're browsing.



Raise your hand if you want a cushion made with that fabric! Yes, I've raised my hand too. I love the pattern and I love the shade of pink used. LittleMissQuarter printed this by hand, and has got lots of other lovely printed materials in her shop! She is VERY new to Etsy, she only joined at the end of April, but she has 2 sales and is currently offering a "Three For Two" offer to celebrate her shop opening. If you're better at sewing than I am and would like a funky or cute cushion cover for your home, this is the place to check out!



And last but not least, cupcakes! Not for eating though, purely for your hair. Charity5 is currently taking a mini hiatus to catch up on her orders because she is incredibly popular, and I can see why! Her shop is full of items for you to dress your children in, including some GORGEOUS costume pieces that make me wish my sisters were 5 again. Her shop is still open but with a reduced line from the look of things, so I would recommend this place as the place to go when you need to buy Christmas presents for little people.

And now go check out the shops themselves!

Featured Crafter will return next Sunday!

I have come up with a new feature for my alternate Sundays (until I get bored :P)!

It's quite difficult to choose a particular crafter, especially with so many lovely items that I see on Etsy.

So I'm going to stat doing a Featured Item selection, 6 items from 6 different crafters, and this way more people get featured, I get more to write about, and you guys have more pictures to look at. Everyone wins!

So keep your eyes peeled like onions tomorrow!

So a little while ago I decided to start planning what Christmas cards to make for next Christmas. I now know from last year's experience that the time to start making Christmas cards is some time in June, so I thought I should jump ahead and get planning while I had inspiration.

I absolutely adore Woodware Clear Magic stamps and bought 2 lots of Christmas ones back in November, and decided to put at least one set to good use this Christmas (a bit more difficult to use the other set and they are a bit larger and I tend to struggle to get an even amount of ink on them).

These are all hand stamped and hand coloured so believe you me, it takes me a while to make them XD I apologise for the poor quality of the pictures, I took them using my tiny little Nikon, my Etsy photos are taken by my Dad using his awesome stock photography camera so they look a lot better.



As you can see, this one involves 3 Christmas stockings and then mittens in each corner. I just the same mitten stamp for each corner but I might change it so I have two different mittens, in diagonally opposite corners, need to test that one out next. I don't particularly like this one because I think there is too much white space.



In this one I have 3 stockings, 2 hats and 4 mittens. But it took much longer to colour because the mittens are all different and I kept losing track of which pens I had used (I have the full range of 36 Whispers double end markers). The stocking on the right is actually sky blue rather than a sort of mental glowing turquoise glowing blue. If I put these into production when I will more than likely only use 2 mittens and, as with my plan for the one above, have them diagonally opposite.

The text reads "Christmas Wishes" and I will probably do it in red or green rather than black, just need to get a red or green ink pad.



And here we have nothing but mittens! The text reads "Warm Woolly Mittens" and I added little springs of holly to the corners. I think this is my favourite one because I managed to space all the mittens fairly evenly so it looks quite colourful and the white space is more scattered than in big blocks.

I'll probably end up doing some cards as mixed packs and some as packs with just that theme (i.e. one pack with cards with the first design).

I made some earrings the other day so now I just need Dad to photograph them and I can list them on Etsy! Yay for new things!