Useful Links to Help Bloggers!

Welcome to those who have never been to my blog before! If you have, then welcome back. You might have noticed some changes to the blog today. I DO have a new format that I am working with and I am so excited to share some new sites with you!

Today I started a Blog Exchange in the Etsy Forums to network, link, and exchange!

Here are some things I learned while visiting other's blogs!

1. Thanks to TimelessPaperArts, I learned how to edit HTML to make a third column on my blog. I had seen blogs with this and was so jealous for the longest time. Here is the link they provided me with that gives step-by-step instructions!

Blogger Buster (widen your blog with extra columns)

2. There is this really neat gadget for your blog that can track where visitors live on a small map. I found this widget on the blog by etsian fede. 

I am never sure what gadgets to use on blogs because I hate having to get new passwords, usernames, junk mail, etc. BUT... the GOOD NEWS is that I just had to copy/past the HTML. No sign-up is necessary! You can even customize the colors you want it! Check it out below!

FEEDJIT

3. These are some of my new favorite blogs after adding them today! Check them out and give them a whirl!

fede-designs and textiles

Pitter Painter

Lani Blue

Ok... I think that is all I wanted to say for now! It is odd for me to post twice, but I have time to make up for and I wanted to share these links with you!

Please visit the Blog Exchange Thread if you would like to be apart of this!

Llama Treasury!

My treasuries seem to go by so quickly before I can share them with others. I LOVE llamas. It is more of an inside joke with my boyfriend and I, but I found some very cool things on Etsy related to llamas, so I made a treasury (pictured above).

When I showed him all of the listings, he immediately had me buy a llama ACEO from Etsian AnnRan, whose shop can be found here. I figured I would add it to the other ACEOs I have been sharing with my students.


In other news, the ACEO book with works by Etsy artists and my 3rd-5th grade elementary artists has reached over 1000 views in a week. Only 5 pre-sale copies are left! Buy one today and help out student artists!

Please visit my treasury, which will only be up for about one more day, or comment about it here!

If you are bored..... VISIT THIS SITE! This is a funny Llama video that you HAVE to see!

Announcing the COVER ARTISTS and the PRE-SALE of Create. Collect. Trade.!

Pre-sale for Create. Collect. Trade. began yesterday (3/15) with copies already sold!

For a limited time, ordering your pre-sale copy gives you a discounted price! 

All proceeds from Create. Collect. Trade. go towards the purchase of student copies of the book.

30 Etsy and Ebay ACEO artists are featured alongside 3rd-5th grade elementary school artists! I cannot think of a more meaningful and inspirational collaboration. If you were ever wanting to get into ACEO or ATC art, this is the book to get! There are so many inspirational images, teaching tools, and actual ATCs made by students included in the book. 

There are six student ATCs featured on the cover (grades 3-5)... can you guess which ones 

those are???

WIN A COPY OF CREATE. COLLECT. TRADE.!!!!

Want your own FREE copy of Create. Collect. Trade.?

This project is so important to the artists and students involved that we want the word to spread. There is already a waiting list for artists to be featured in the next edition.

Visit the Official Book Blog at THIS LINK for more information!

The Black Apple on Martha!

Last week I got to watch the ETSY segment of Martha when Rob was on the show. I saw some amazing shops and shops I had even gotten to know! I had never run across seller, theblackapple, before other than looking at the Top Sellers List every once in awhile.

Today in the threads, I came across this thread about theblackapple on Etsy. I just think it is so cool when sellers ae featured on the show, so I watched the clip and was very impressed by her! Being a 1st year art teacher and college art major, I was so excited to see someone as young as myself making a living off of her talent.

This is only my third month on ETSY and I sold my 100th item on Monday! It is sure a start, but nowhere near the 13,096 sales she has had as of today! She is currently the top seller on ETSY and creates wonderful prints, paintings, and dolls in her shop.

Please take some time to check out this link to her shop.

Click here to be taken to the video segment!

Click here to the thread about her feature!

I think I am Going to Go Crazy..........

This week has been crazy in the way or new customers. It is weird how business is because in order for me to sell more, I have to raise my prices. I had recently posted some new crayon designs. Usually my crayons are hot sellers, but I have not spent as much time promoting my shop and products with so many things going on  in my life and three separate projects that need to also be completed this weekend.  The good news is that I completed my first THREE wholesale transactions this week!!!

These orders were HUGE compared to what I normally create at a time. I am sure I have been breathing in a ton of wax fumes (but the crayons are non toxic, so I should be safe right) and that will take its toll in about 40 years. I am almost complete with all three except for packaging, labeling and shipping. The only thing I do not have complete are the Rainbow Butterfly Crayons(see picture from previous entry) because they are so slow and time consuming to make! THEY ARE DRIVING ME NUTS! These large crayons are the coolest ever, but I have to make them one at a time. I have 10 out of 60 to make. I think after these orders, I will not wholesale those again....

In other news, the book I am creating about ACEO Art and Artists is coming along great. I have recently written a grant that will provide copies of Create. Collect. Trade. to all of 3rd grade at both schools (about 110 copies). Please wish me luck in getting this grant because it would mean so much for myself, the students, the artists in the book, and ACEO art in general. If you would like to make a $5.00 donation or donate a whole copy of the book for $23.00 (and get a dedication/donor label for the book) please visit The Official Book Blog for Create. Collect. Trade.

I was also featured in a blog this past week. Elektrajewelry blogged about my shop and my crayons, saying some wonderful things about my products and some of the services and items I sell/offer.

Well... I am hoping things will slow down for a bit, so I can catch up with life! Hopefully I will have more time to blog now! Check back for more updates!