Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Stop OBSESSING!!!!

So I come on a message board today and run across some Twilight topics. A lot were saying "I'm in love with Edward" and other non-sense. Geez, wake up and come to reality. Stop with the freakin' obsessions. Don't get me wrong, I like the Twilight series. Reading the books, saw the movie (once, not 1000+++ times like some did) but the OBSESSIONS have GOT to stop....Those characters are FAKE!!!. If you think you're "in love" with a FAKE person, then you need to get your head checked. I don't know if I can bare to see another "obsessed Twilight" topic. I'm not dising the book, I love the series but please people, stop OBSESSING....

Monday, January 5, 2009

2 in 1

Today we have 2 featured members. Normally there would only be one, but I didn't get around to featuring anyone yesterday.

Our first featured member is BriGuysGirls. She hails from Vineland, NJ, Glenside, PA, and Philadelphia. She is a wonderful jewelry maker. Here's a snippit of her world.


1) How long have you been making the things you make?
7 years. I saw an issue of INSTYLE magazine and their jewelry section was beckoning me (as always) and I looked at how the pieces were made and thought, hey, I can totally do that, and for way less then 500 bucks! So, I got my first strand of semi precious beads, some copper wire and some scissors...*gasp!*...and made my first very crude necklace. It was HIDEOUS! I have improved since then though...I think. :o)

2) What inspires your work?
Colors in nature, colors in organic fabrics like silks and leather, I love natural colors and so a lot of my work is very earth toned. My family inspires me to do better, I want to help provide for them.

3) What is the hardest of your work to make?
Wire wrapping briolettes, i am ever trying tgo perfect my technique here. and coming up with fresh dsignsm that can be a challenge some days.

4) With saying that, what is the most difficult part in makeing any of it?
The design process is very tedious. i am a perfectionist and if one thing is amiss, it's re-done or scrapped totally. i annoy myself sometimes!

5) You have some neat items such as the ipod/cellphones pouches. Did you come up with those creations, or was it a inspiration?
I was going to attend a craft party, where each person brings a hand made SOMETHING or an idea on paper, and I remembered using a denim pocket when i was little as a holder for some pretty dried flowers for my mom, so i took that idea to another level and thought, what ELSE can you fit in a denim pocket?

6) My future sister-in-law told me about Etsy, how did you find out about it?
My mom. she is very proud of her daughters work, so she is forever trying to find new venues for me. this one has been working well so far, thanks mom!!!!

7) Any upcoming ideas for the new year?
just to focus on making my shop the very best it can be, tweaking it, etc. but the biggest thing for me right now is to learn perfec balance of family duties, household chores and etsy, i thought i was a pretty good multi-tasker, until now!


Our second member comes to us from California. There name is CuteFramesByK. She has some neat items as well. Here's a small peek of her life.

CuteFramesByK is a mother and daughter team that loves creating all sorts of gifts for everyone to love and cherish forever. All of their items are made with the outmost care and quality as they would want for something to be made for them. They also do custmized items and bulk items

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Mad Maggie!


Today's featured member is a jewelry maker from Farmington, Missouri. She goes by the name Mad Maggie Designs. Enjoy the Q&A below :)

1) How long have you been making the things you make?
My father taught me how to make jewelry in 1999 and I did it just for myself until 2005 when other people started asking to purchase from me.

2) What inspires your work?
My daughter, nature, the beautiful area I live in, and other artists!

3) What is the hardest of your work to make?
Wirework is hardest for me due to having Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 36 (My entire family has it), but all it does is slow me down a bit, and make the evenings a little painful! For now, it will not stop me from working with wire!

4) With saying that, what is the most difficult part in making any of it?
TIME! I have a husband, 3 year old daughter, a full-time nursing job and a home to run FIRST! Sometimes I have more designs running around my head than I have time to get them out! Thank goodness for my sketch book!

5) You have some neat items such as the I C E bracelet. Did you come up with those creations, or was it an inspiration?
The I C E bracelet was truly an accident of the strand of crystal sticks and the memory wire lying next to each other on the design table! I knew during the stringing of it I wanted some silver dangles on each end…….that is how it happens a lot with me. During the actual construction of an item the can designs change midstream!

6) My future sister-in-law told me about Etsy, how did you find out about it?
My mother went to an art show in Clayton Missouri and brought me back a postcard from a booth and the designer happened to have a link to Etsy on her website! The rest, as they say, is history! I signed up to sell in March 2008, but did not list my first item until September 2, 2008.]

7) Any upcoming ideas for the New Year?
TONS! I am chomping at the bit to get them up in my shop! New rings, GREAT new earrings that I am SUPER excited about, some new pendants that follows in the steps of my FAMILY Jewelry, bracelets, and sterling necklaces! You will have to stay tuned to my shop or blog to get a first look at them!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Day Two of 2009

I have 2 weeks of people lined to be featured on here. After that, I will be featuring 1 advertisement (from my advertisement section) a day. If you wish to be a advertisement, it's a one time fee of $3. Contact me for my info on that (or leave your e-mail and I'll get back to you). Thanks and enjoy today's feature.


Today we start day two of 2009 off by featuring LisitaGlamita She makes cute whimsies, hair candy, and ornaments. I recently had a chance to ask her some questions. Maybe you'll see how her world is.

1) How long have you been making the things you make?
I've been making for about a year

2) What inspires your work?
My work is inspired by everything cute, sanrio, kristen ferrell (artist), freyagushi (clothing company), candy and cute foods. Basically it's like cute on crack.

3) What is the hardest of your work to make?
The hardest thing to make is the stuffing that I use in the sugar skulls because I make it out of old felt and it takes awhile and pricks my fingers a lot.

4) With saying that, what is the most difficult part in making any of it?
The most difficult part of making is baking the clay because if you bake it wrong it cracks.

5) You have some neat items such as the Ooak Sugar Skulls. Did you come up with those creations, or was it a inspiration?
I came up with the ooak sugar skulls by myself, sittin in bed with a cold! I'm inspired by all the sugar skull artwork in southern California (where I live) and by my family's traditions.

6) My future sister-in-law told me about Etsy, how did you find out about it?
I found out about etsy by accident, while surfing the web looking for japanese stickers.

7) Any upcoming ideas for the new year?
Upcoming ideas include a whole line of medical fetish accessories and dreadfalls!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Start 2009 off with a new feature


Today we start 2009 off by featuring Angellove91805 She makes lovely bangles, earrings, bracelets, and trinket boxes. I recently had a chance to ask her some questions. Maybe you'll see how her world is.

1) How long have you been making the things you make?
Over 1 year, I also crochet for over 20 years now.

2) What inspires your work?
art work, weather, sometimes just a bead will inspire a creation.

3) What is the hardest of your work to make?
circular trinket boxes. they are the hardest for me to make correctly. I can make triangle, square and all other ones but the circle is the hardest.

4) With saying that, what is the most difficult part in making any of it?
the sides.

5) You have some neat items such as the trinket boxes. Did you come up with those creations, or was it a inspiration?
I got the basis directions from Julia S. Pretl, but the patterns are my own. With the one that is listed as my icon now, that image just came to me when I was asked to make it for a proposal. A friend of mine is getting married (hopefully if she says yes) and he asked me to design something for the ring. the image is a combination of his and her intial. S and M. They are also from India so I had that as an inspriation too.

6) My future sister-in-law told me about Etsy, how did you find out about it?
sufing the web.

7) Any upcoming ideas for the new year?
Mostly completing the season line. I have spring, and autumn. now i have to come up with winter and summer.

2009

Welcome to 2009 everyone! I made my FIRST THREE sale today!!! What a great way to bring in the new year!

$3 to be advertised on http://southern05belle.blogspot.com/
GET ADVERTISED FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF TIME!!! ONE TIME FEE

$3 for regular banner
$5 for animated banner (etsy won't support animated banners, which is why it's not in my etsy shop)
$6 for holiday banner
$2 for icon
$2 for flyer

Custom clothing starting at $10

Other items starting at $1.50

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Closeing out 2008

Today is December 31, 2008. Here I sit watching "The Perfect Holiday" and blogging as we close out 2008. It seems like just yesterday that 2007 was ending and 2008 was beginning. This year has surely gone by fast. I remember when I was little, the days would go by much much slower. It seems the older I get, the faster they go by. That goes to show, when you're little, you don't have a care in the world. You can actually sit back and enjoy the days. All you have is school. You have nothing to worry about. Then you get older, get bills, get job(s), and you wonder "Where did the days go"? I'll actually be home this new years. I wasn't able to be home to bring in 2008. For those of you that don't know I was at MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina). The day was December 28, 2007. My mom had just given birth to two identical twin boys name Jacob and Joseph. We saw them and held them, but Jacob wasn't looking so great. He had some blood in his head or something like that. Both had bruising. Some other stuff happened at the hospital that I don't really remember. They ended up taking Jacob to MUSC. We stayed up there for almost a week. He had sleep apnea (you stop breathing in your sleep). He finally got better enough to go home. He had to wear a heart monitor for a few months. Well he's off now, and is doing 110% better. The doctors said he would need therapy because they thought he was behind. They just turned a year old and he's already a head of Joseph, he's even walking. Goes to show how much doctors really know. Another great thing about 2008 was that Matt proposed to me! Yay! On Valentines Day too :) But anyways I'll be home this New Years :) Hope you all haven't forgotten to make a New Years Resolution. Here's mine:
1) Sell more things
2) Get down to my idea weight (shush)
3) Don't put things off till the last minute (that'll be hard to do ha)
4) Take each day at a time and not worry about the day a head and enjoy the moment I have.
5) Finish college

Now that's said, I thought I would make a list of the Tops of 2008. Just for fun :)

Top 10 Songs (picked by me)
1) Hot N Cold-Katy Perry
2) Just Dance-Lady Gaga
3) I Don't Care-Fall Out Boy
4) Gotta Be Somebody-Nickelback
5) Live Your Life-T.I
6) Mrs. Officer-Lil' Wayne
7) Fall For You-Secondhand Serenade
8) Don't Trust Me-3OH!3
9) Womanizer-Britney Spears
10) I'm Yours-Jason Mraz

Top 10 Movies (picked by me)
1) Twilight
2) Eagle Eye
3) Yes Man
4) Wall-E
5) The Dark Knight
6) Iron Man
7) Pineapple Express
8) Journey to the Center of the Earth
9) Step Brothers
10) Kung Fu Panda

Top 5 Shows (picked by me)
1) iCarly
2) Degrassi
3) How It's Made
4) Dirty Jobs
5) Spongebob Squarepants

Top 10 Games (picked by me)
1) Guitar Hero World Tour
2) Rock Band
3) Silent Hill 5 (okay I didn't play it but my Fiance has it and it looks super cool)
4) Paper Mario
5) Wario Land: Shake It
6) Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2
7) Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe
8) Left 4 Dead
9) Mario Kart
10) Call of Duty4 (I didn't play it, but enjoy watching my Fiance play it)

If you don't like my Top 2008 list, then poohey on you :P Happy New Years everyone!

Wednesday Featured Member - Closeing out 2008


Today we will be closing out 2008 while featuring Etsy member, MaruMaru. MaruMaru sells and makes wonderful necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. As her shop says "Everything is clearer when you're in love" ;-) She can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5170042

Recently I had a chance to ask her some questions. Maybe it will give you a small look into her world.

1. How long have you been making the things you make?
I started my shop about a year and a half ago, and I've been loving it even more since!

2. What inspires your work?
Vintage styles and colors inspire me the most. I can't imagine life without color, so all of my items are featured in front of colorful origami papers. I love music and retro-inspired items, so I have made John Lennon, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, and other items to capture these moments from the past.

3. What is harder to make, necklaces, earrings, or bracelets?
Bracelets are harder to make because it uses more materials and it has to be adjustable in size. Necklaces are more fun to make knowing they sit cute around your neck and it's the first thing people will see! :)

4. With saying that,shat is the most difficult part in making any of the jewelry?
The most difficult part about making jewelry is using resin over images. My ink tends to spread when I pour resin over it. If I have black image, there will be a pink outlining to it and there's no way to get rid of it. To avoid this, I usually try to find images that are colorful so that way the pink will blend in.

5. My future sister-in-law told me about Etsy, how did you find out about it?
I found Etsy by wandering around in MySpace and seeing other shops that were advertising their store.

6. Any upcoming ideas for the new year?
I definitely want to stay focused on retro and vintage themes. I love kitsch charms, and I wanted to start using more antiqued bronze chains and settings because it has that perfect vintage tone to bring out bright colors. Also, I will definitely try to be promoting more in the new year. Thanks so much for this opportunity, it will be a great way to start off the new year!