Treasuries!

I have been lucky to get a few treasuries this week. Pictured above is my most current.

I would appreciate if you would visit, click on the items, and comment. I think this one is front page worthy!

It will expire at 2:29 on Saturday!

I wish everyone a very happy New Years! Be safe!

(There is a previous post from today as well below)

The 2nd Edition of Create.Collect.Trade. is Out and For Sale!

The Pre-sale listing is out for the 2nd Edition of Create.Collect.Trade!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19176011

If you are an art collector, coffee table book lover, or ACEO artist, this is the book to get! There are both artist and elementary student ACEO and ATC artworks featured in the collaborative book. There is even a "How To" section on marbling with shaving cream!

This is a wonderful book for teachers, artists, and book lovers alike!

The first edition last spring was a huge hit and received national attention!

I only have 1 copy of the 1st edition left for sale. 

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19175797

Visit the book blog for more information, to learn what ACEO and ATC art is, or to give back to Project ATC! http://createcollecttrade.blogspot.com

So You Want to Make Lip Balm??? I know I do...

I LOVE lip balm and chap stick. I use to always use it until I started buying a TON from Etsians! I do not think I want to make it to sell because I have enough things as it is, but I sure want to try it!

Here are some awesome links to learn how to make your own lip balm!
ETSY Labs Tutorial on Making Lip Balm
Majestic Mountain Sage

Not Martha-Lip Balm Making

Here are some lip balm supply shops on Etsy...

VickysSupplies (and has ready made base with the oils)

BLSupplies has Lip Balm Trays to Fill Your Tubes

Don't Want to Buy all the supplies? This kit by SummitSensations makes a perfect gift or activity for a friend or child (with adult supervision of course). 

Here are some great shops to buy lip balm from!

KreatedbyKarina

inalather (Local Indianapolis and main blog post picture)

YouStinkSoap

LeastLikely2Breed

GudonyaToo

dennisanderson (Recently Featured in NY Times)

bubbletub

BareFootBathandBody

ayelet17

**Thank you to beneficialbee, where you can also buy lip balm after the holidays, for sharing some special sites**

SAVE HANDMADE! LEARN ABOUT CPSIA!

DID YOU KNOW THAT ON FEBRUARY 10th, BASICALLY ALL SMALL, MEDIUM, MOM AND POP, STAY AT HOME MOMS, AND EVEN SOME LARGE TOY MAKERS WILL BE OUT OF BUSINESS?!

Yes, that is right... After Feb. 10th, my Jumbo and Mini Rainbow Crayons will be concidered "toxic" and "dangerous" to kids since I do not have between $500-$2000 to get each crayon style and size tested for lead. This also means that my fiancé's mother can no longer sell her American Girl Doll clothing, plushies, and other things she makes for kids.

No more craft fairs.... no more natural, handmade toys and educational items for your young ones...just what you can find at WalMart and other big companies (which will go up in price as well). All because of the CPSIA (Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act).

They have no idea what they are doing to "small people" like those on Etsy and small time craft fair sellers. PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS SITE or click on the bear to the left of my blog. COMMENT BELOW AND SPREAD THE NEWS!

This is really sad news. 

1. Because I am finally earning a living and making a huge business out of selling my popular Rainbow Crayons.

2. Sooo many people want natural toys that are made by hand and made by REAL people and artists.

3. I will not be having kids for quite some time and want to still be able to buy some of the following products on Etsy . I do not have space to buy tons of kids toys and wait 10 years to have kids to use them....

In 2 months, these wonderful things will be BANNED unless tested for lead (every button, piece, part, style, type...)

Felt Alphabet Set by MiChiMa

Adopt a Toy Robot by WoodMouse

Bare Bones Play Dough by DoSiDough

Felt All American Breakfast by umecrafts

I LOVE Christmas Lights with Music!

A teacher at my school won front row seats to the Trans Siberian Orchestra Concert tonight with this display! I just wanted to share it with you. Here are some other lighted, musical selections from the same house! Congrats to them!

New Chiyogami Glass Pendants in my Shop!

Happy Sunday everyone!  I am finally on winter break (I am a teacher) and glad to be off of school for a few weeks. This way I can pack up my things (because I am moving to a HOUSE), clean, and catch up on Etsy things!

Today I listed some new pendants in my shop that I wanted to share with you. I just love all of the wonderful colors and shimmery golds! 

This pendant is my favorite so far!

I would love to hear what you think of the pendants. One of the best things about them is the fun ribbon/cord they are on. It is not your typical ball chain or black cord! 

Check these pendants and more out in my shop! Happy Holidays!

BRAND NEW Style of Mini Crayons to my Shop!

I just listed a brand new Mini Rainbow Crayon to my shop! 

Introducing Mini Snowflake Rainbow Crayons (Set of 6)! I have 2 sets ready to go in my shop to be shipped out in time for the holidays! These make great stocking stuffers or party favors for winter parties!

We Just Got a House!

House Pillow, My Lovely Dreamy Reading Room by LeiLiLaLoo

My future husband and I just got an accepted offer to buy our first house! We do not close until the end of January, but wanted to share this happy news with my readers!

In honor of getting our first house, I want to share some "House" items from Etsy with you!

I Will Wait for You by dazeychic

Swirl Wall Graphics by michellechristina

Chicks in the Hood Small Pillow by jamtartbaby

Thanks for reading!

The T-Shirt Memory Blankets Have Been Featured!

I woke up to a nice surprise on my blog reading feed this morning! 

I have been featured on The Alternative Consumer!

I had never visited the site before, but found their features a great read. They feature different items from all over the internet and world during the day. I am very honored to be on their site and thank them for featuring  our T-Shirt Memory Blankets.

For those who are interested in getting one made, we are booked for Christmas, but would be happy to add you to the list for after the holidays! We have been very busy with requests. Blankets come in 4 sizes at different price points.

Here is the latest feedback we received from a kind customer, who also attached a photo!

"This quilt is absolutely fabulous ! I had it done in Harley Davidson Tshirts , and it turned out so much better than I could even imagine. It's made very well and well worth the money ! If you are even thinking of doing this , don't hesitate !"

You can check out the blankets we make custom on my ETSY site!

Thanks for reading and catching up with me!

Cover for the Fall Edition of Create. Collect. Trade. (An ACEO Book)

Hello everyone!

I am back on my feet again and in desperate need of updating everyone and everything. Several people know some of the things that have been happening lately, but I am doing much better now. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers.

I wanted to update you with the cover of the book and some sample pages to follow. For those of you who have been keeping up to date in the forums, the book has been pushed back to the end of December/start of January. We had a few artists go A-wall and was wanting everyone to get a fair shot.

I have heard so many wonderful things about many of you being featured in shops, galleries, articles and that is SOOOO AWESOME to hear. I would like to update and link those bits of good news (on my to do list), as well as post some photos from the conference and students using the book from the Spring.

I hope everyone is doing well and that the holiday season is treating you well. It is a busy, but welcomed time of year as things are "settling down" a bit more for me. Please do not hesitate to contact me. The best way is though my e-mail art2theextreme@yahoo.com or an Etsy convo (but those can get buried fast since I receive so many a day).

For those Etsians who purchased and AD space, here is the layout of the page!

Black Friday Wrap Up and Thanksgiving Weekend Sale!

Good afternoon everyone! Hope your Black Friday and Thanksgiving went well!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am currently running a Thanksgiving Weekend and Cyber Monday Sale!

:::BUY 2 SETS OF RAINBOW CRAYONS, GET 1 SET FREE (Plus Bonus Crayon):::

:::FREE ETSY GOODIE BAG with any $20.00 or more purchase:::

Please visit my shop to pick up some great stocking stuffers, ceramics, and original art!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My great news for the weekend is that I made the Storque article for Black Friday that MaryMary wrote! My Jumbo Tree Rainbow Crayons were listed with a photo and my current sale! That was very exciting! Check out the screenshots I took!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Turkey Day Everyone! The featured item above is by creativethursday in honor of the holiday!

I snagged a treasury yesterday that I wanted to share with you! Please visit, comment, and click. I think this one could make the front page!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Happy Wednesday.. I Have Returned!

Hi everyone! I am showing my "face" again (check out the cool stuffies from desirapesta).

Wow... what a busy and crazy month it has been. For those wondering where I had gone or if I am doing better, I am back and much better now. Many of you helped contribute when I was in need and it helped a ton. I was able to give back to a few shops myself once things settled down. 

I will still be featuring those I promised and will be putting links up shortly.

Are you ready for Black Friday yet? I am putting a ton of new listings up tomorrow, but have already had many sales today even. I am hoping for a big day since it is also my Etsy Birthday on Black Friday!

I am having a sale, but not announcing it officially till Thanksgiving night on my site... This is an Early Bird Sale for Blog Readers...

BUY 2 SETS of RAINBOW CRAYONS and GET 1 SET AND a BONUS HOLIDAY CRAYON FREE! 

*Sale ends Monday at midnight! 

*Buy this weekend to ensure holiday delivery!

*Bloggers, enter "BLOGSALE" for Early Bird Discount!

Two Great Websites!

Good morning and happy Thursday! 

Today is the day I am showing my mom my wedding dress I love, so I am super excited.

It is good to know that with all of the sad things happening right now with my family, that I can still try to have an awesome wedding. If you have not been reading, I have gone from a wedding reception at a local hotel, to a back yard reception (hopefully), but it is going to look SUPER awesome. My parents have a great back yard and I have some awesome ideas that I will be sharing for "the special look." I hope the sales fairy hits me soon with some sales or else I am not sure how I am going to pay for everything...

It is not like I have had a "dream vision" of my day like many women have, but I still want it to be special and be something that both my family and I are proud of as well. I am liking the idea of an outdoor reception because I can add my own artsy side to it. The colors are brown and turquoise if you have not been reading a long. I need to have a super sale or something to hopefully turn things in my favor. I see sellers all the time who have sales trying to pay for things and they are successful, but what makes this any more important than someone else's problem?

I am typing and venting out loud now.... maybe someone else reading has had something similar happen??? I do have a great idea of something I am going to sell so it is usable, affordable, and AWESOME, so I can raise some money for the cost of my reception. I do not want a thousand dollar dress (that is crazy and I am a deal shopper), I do not want the best cake around, I do not have to ride in a limo, or vacation in Europe. I can make this look simple, elegant, and something that everyone can be proud of and enjoy. The Ipod has replaced the DJ, as I am sure I am going to find other replacements for things as I plan. It is going to be great...

I wanted to share with you two sites today. One I found in the forums, and one that found me and wrote an awesome review of my shop and my Rainbow Crayons!

The Handmade Movement

This site is awesome! I never knew that this existed and I found it in the forums. 

What The Handmade Movement is, is a site where people come together and "sneak attack" a shop with sales. One shop, group, or Etsy Team is the sponsor and chooses who to "attack." Last night herbanlifestyle was chosen and gained 28 sales because of the attack.

I think this is such a great idea. It is so nice to see people come together and organize something like this to help out sellers. This must be a huge moral boost for the shop and buyers as well. The site does not announce who is being "attacked" until right before the time. There is a set schedule for those interested in participating.  Now if someone would only attack my shop... 

Super Fun Mama's Blog

My Review

This is a great blog for those who have kids. This blog reviews shops and products on a weekly basis, then reports their findings to readers. I have been featured in several blogs in the past, but this one has done the best job and was very detailed. 

I sent some Jumbo Star Rainbow Crayons to an etsian who runs Super Fun Mama, who in return, took pictures of my crayons being used by a little one, and wrote a great review of my shop. Not only did they talk about the crayons and show pictures, but they posted all of my shapes I offer, other products from my shop, and a detailed interview that I answered questions to. I am also giving away some Jumbo Star Rainbow Crayons though their site, so visit this great blog to learn more about me or the opportunity to win some Jumbo Crayons!

Ceramics Fun with Raku and More!

The other day my friend Kim was looking at my blog and wanted to see some ceramics. I just got some images back (although some are grainy because I had to scan them in), so I decided to post them. 

The mug is a listing I have not posted to Etsy yet. The other two pieces are Raku fired and are the best pieces I have Raku fired so far. These are keepers for me (or at the right price, they could be yours). 

It is show and tell day for ceramics on my blog. Happy Viewing!

Updates and What's New!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Today's entry is going to be in a few parts...

CHECK OUT THIS FRESH NEW SHOP!

I am on a few Etsy Teams and though TeamSASsy (which helps new sellers), I was contacted by a new shop, Faerie Majikks, to give some advise.  In the forums, you always see similar threads about helping new shops, tips, advise, etc. I would love it if sellers/buyers could comment with a piece of advise for this shop. She would love some feedback on pricing and promoting. I am going to help her one on one, but sometimes it is nice to hear things from several people, and I would like to make that happen for her.

My questions to you are: 

1. What is the best promoting tip or site you could provide?

2. What is your best suggestion on how to price (or how do you think her pricing compares)?

If you comment, I will post them below in an update and link your shop as well for your time.

Thanks everyone!

I WAS FEATURED IN A BLOG!

I woke up this morning to a convo that said that my tie purse had been featured in a blog. Here is a screen shot of Knick Knack's blog!

OCTOBER BUST AD

I finally got to Borders and was able to snap a few pictures on my ad in BUST magazine with my mother's IPHONE.

Can you find me?

There I am. The photo is a little blurry, but it does the job. I was the only one who put a children's item in (my Original Mini Rainbow Crayons), but I thought it was one of my more attractive photos and it pops out more and any other in my opinion.

Photos from my Latest Craft/Art Fair

Thanks to those who commented about my post yesterday. It is good to know that I am not the only one as well...

Two Saturday's ago, I participated in my second craft fair every and did pretty well. It was small time, but had a great selection of arts and craftspeople. I would love to hear what you think of my set up. I have a TON of things, so it is a little crowded, which is not the best, but it worked. It looked like a novice, but sold like an expert ;). 

Everyone seemed to love the fact that I had a ton of different items. I explained that I am an art teacher and like my lessons, I can never stick to one thing for too long.

My Rainbow Crayons, American Girl Doll Clothes, and glass pendants (not found in my Etsy shop yet) were the best sellers. I also sold a ton of ceramics. 

The photos are a little pixilated, so my apologies. Blogger does not like large files...

Things On My Mind...

Hello fellow readers. 

I have been super busy as usual, but now I am on Fall Break for 9 days, so I will be updating every day!

A ton has happened in the past few weeks that has affected my life and the lives of those closest to me. I would really love to blame it on the whole "financial crisis," since that seems to be what is causing all of the chaos lately. 

As an artist and craftswomen, I would love to know how everyone is doing with their sales since the panic hit earlier in the month. Through September, I had consistent sales each day, but on October 9th, things dropped dead for me, as it did with other Etsians. 

Now do not get me wrong, this is in now way meant to complain, but I have been fascinated by how the media can freak so many people out and now be old enough to finally see the impact on the consumers of the world.  Sales did not stop for everyone, but it seemed like every other forum was about "Did You Get any Sales Today" or "Where is the Sales Fairy," etc.

Luckily, sales are starting to pick back up, as I have hoped, since the holiday season is approaching quickly. This is happening just in time since I am now finding every means that I have to pay for my wedding in June. At this point, I have a down payment at a wonderful hotel for the reception. I cannot afford this, so have been brainstorming other ideas and with the help and encouragement of a close friend and Maid of Honor, I am now going into the direction of an outdoor reception at my house. A huge change, but I think it could be really cool. My parents have a great back yard. I will be buying every set  of Christmas lights I can grab after the holidays. There are a ton of great things I can do to save money and make it totally awesome. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them. 

What I am really trying to say in all is that I encourage EVERYONE to try your best to buy handmade this holiday. The impact one purchase can make is HUGE for many people like myself. Trade, purchase, and support our artists and craftspeople. It means the world!

::Nicole gets off of her soap box::

Be looking for several reviews this week, photos of the goody bags that many of you donated to, photos from my craft fairs, and the latest issue of BUST that I am in!

Marbling With Shaving Cream: A Really Cool Art Idea for All Ages!

MARBLING WITH SHAVING CREAM

Today, I went to a professional development meeting where I got to exchange ideas with other Art Teachers around the Indianapolis area. One of the coolest things I learned, I want to share with you.

Marbling With Shaving Cream and Watercolor Paints

What You Need: 

-Paint brush

-Cup of water

-Water Color Paints (the Crayola or Prang kind that kids use or liquid water colors work best)

-Can of shaving cream

-Paper 

-Cardboard, matte-board, or something to smooth and scrape shaving cream

Steps and Process:

1. Squirt a handful of shaving creme on the table (yes, right onto the table as long as it is not a wooden one or something totally nice. This works well if you are in an art room or have a plastic cardboard table-shaving creme actually cleans the table very well afterwards. You can find some plastic or a tray if you are not comfortable doing this right on a table).

2. Take cardboard or matte board square piece  and smooth out/flatten the shaving creme for a work surface (as large as what ever size paper you are working with). 

3. Wet paintbrush, choose a color of paint, drip some water onto the paint cake (in the water color tray) and swirl your brush to get paint on the brush. 

4. Flick the paint in various places on the shaving cream (it works best to tap the brush so paint does not fly everywhere).  You can do this in a variety of colors.

4. Take the end of the paintbrush or a stick/tooth pick to swirl the colors and shaving creme together.

5. Lay a piece of white paper on top. You do not have to press hard. Lift up (it will look like it did not work).

6. Use the matte board/cardboard to scrape off the shaving cream. Voila! You marbled image appears and is automatically dry!

This is fun, easy, fast, and not hard to clean up at all. You can continue to use the same shaving cream pile. Just flatten it back down with the cardboard. You might have a tinted background next time, but that is even cooler.

This is great for bookmaking paper, scrapbooking, ACEO cards, gift tags, or just cool art!

I will try to post pictures when I do this with my elementary art classes for you to see!

Let me know what you think. If you try it, I would love to post pictures of your final product or process!

Favorite Item of the Day!

I was so thrilled to see that one of my favorite Etsy artists, shaylamaddox, is now selling ACEO cards in her shop! I keep reminding myself that I am going to purchase a painting of hers very soon! She even offers payment plans!

Anyways, her shop is SOOOOO cool because her paintings change colors in different types of light and even glows in the dark! Check out the photos to see the different light changes!

Awhile back, I did a feature on her. Check out what myself and others had to say here!

As many of you know, I am an elementary art teacher, who teachers ACEO art to my students. They would be so excited and baffled to see an artwork ACEO like this! I need to ask her to be in my book next time around if she keeps the ACEO art up!

Check  out her shop HERE!

Look What I got In the Mail Today?!

A few weeks back, I started a trading thread for the holidays. There are so many talented artists on Etsy and everyone needs gifts to give and receive. I thought it would be fun to trade with some Etsians. 

My latest trade was with etsian nanouke, who sells wire knitting jewelry! I traded several packs of crayons for these AWESOME Starry Night Earrings. I am will be teaching my 4th graders about Van Gogh's Starry Night and thought this would be great to wear for those lessons!

Take some time to check out this great shop full of amazing jewelry. This shipped to the US from Portugal super quick and had super cute packaging.

Take a look at my photos and let me know what you think!!