Christ Bell

Christ Bell


THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1:6)
I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are?


Keep this bell ringing...pass it on
'The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you;
The LORD turn His face toward you
And give you peace...

Numbers 6:24-26

BESTeam Weekly Feature

It's time again for my weekly Esty BESTeam feature. The BESTeam is a group of Etsy sellers who support one another by promoting each others shop.  One way we do that is to do a weekly BESTeam blog feature.  This week I have four BESTeam shops to feature.  Riorita, Ms formaldehyde, Sandy's Handmade Soap and Things and Poison Garden.

Here are my choices from their shops for this weeks post.  Take a few minutes and click on the shop names above and learn a bit more about them and the other terrific things they have to offer in each shop.

Here is an unusual bracelet from Riorita that I love.  I really had a hard time picking out just one item from the many beautiful offerings in her shop.  Riorita is located in Israel and she has silver and gold creations that include semi-precious stones, ancient glass and beach glass, and pebbles from the Sea of Galilee.

Surprise bracelet with stones in Sterling Silver and Gold Bracelet

riorita.etsy.com
irithbzjewelry.net
rioritajewelry.blogspot.com
rioritasjewelry.tumblr.com
twitter.com/riorita3
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001186016759

The next shop to feature is Ms Formaldehyde.  Ms Formaldehyde is located in San Diego, California.  She makes feather fascinators, feather earrings, wedding fascinators, bridal veils, carved skulls, sugar skulls, gothic, lowbrow, lolita pin up and dita burlesque accessories.  Here's a beautiful special occasion item from Ms. Formaldehyde.

Ostrich feather fascinator

twitter.com/#!/MsKFormaldehyde
www.etsy.com/shop/msformaldehyde
msformaldehyde.blogspot.com/
pinterest.com/msformaldehyde/
www.facebook.com/pages/MsFormaldehyde/104565692916493

Next is Sandy's Handmade Soap and Things by Sandy Vern.  Sandy is located in Stamford, Connecticut.   Here is just one soap from her wonderful shop which also includes handmade jewelry. This wonderful soap has one side that is a brown sugar scrub, much like a pumice stone, to gently exfoliate, and smooth away rough skin with a light creamy lather for exfoliating. The other side is made from a shea butter base which is skin nourishing and super moisturizing. It is scented with yummy brown sugar fragrance.      

Brown sugar scrub and shea butter soap

My last shop to feature today is Poison Garden.   Poison Garden is a collaboration of three artists who share a love for the romantic with a bit of an edge. Poison Garden offers many handmade, vintage and revamped vintage items in several styles including Victorian, Neo-Victorian, Steampunk, Gothic and whimsical.  Here is a long Strand of vintage costume beads that can be worn a number of ways.   At one end is a decorative dangle, at the opposite end a delicate silver hook. You can hook one end to any link of chain on the strand and wear as an asymmetrical choker with the long strand hanging delicately down the back. It can also be wrapped around twice to make a classy double strand choker or it can be draped in any number of ways, or even worn as a whimsical wrap bracelet.

Neo Victorian Long Bridal Strand

poisongaren.etsy.com
poison-garden.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/poisonousgarden
www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Poison-Garden/123138724371600
poisongarden.tumblr.com

I hope that you enjoyed viewing these items and that you will take the time to visit these shops on Etsy.

BESTeam Shop Feature

I have three shops to feature this week from the BESTeam on Etsy.  Here is an item from each of these shops.  Take a few moments and check out the other great items in these shops. 

Here is the first item from Joyflower on Etsy.  Joy of Joyflower creates beautiful hand painted silk scarfs and women's fashion accessories.  Check out the beautiful blue shades in this Azul Mother of Pearl pendant with Aigner gold chain.  Visit her shop and check out the vibrant colors she also uses in her silk scarfs.
Links: www.Joyflower.etsy.com facebook  www.facebook.com/Joysilk twitter: @JoySilk blog:    joysilk.blogspot.com/ flikr: www.flickr.com/photos/joyflower/

Azul Mother of Pearl Pendant

Azul Mother of Pearl Pendant

 

 Here is a unique pair of earrings from Cksilver on Etsy.  I love the blue lapis lazuli stones and freshwater pearls along with the sterling silver. 

Lapis blue and silver earrings

Cindy of CK Jewelry specialize in sterling silver, pearls, semi-precious stones, and Swarovski crystals.  Her shop is worth a visit to check out her other beautiful pieces.  Here are her links:  Shop: cksilver.etsy.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cksilver Twitter: www.twitter.com/cksilver Blog: cksilver1.blogspot.com

Last but not least here is a cute and creative bag by Etsy shop Creativity Bugs. The Creativity Bugs are two sisters (Sandy and Sue) who have a passion for crafting.  Shop items include paper crafts & gifts, handmade cards, paper craft kits and supplies, holiday gifts, doll clothing and accessories, plus a whole lot more. This 6x6 bag can be used as a purse for a special little girl in your life or as a great gift bag.

Fun and flirty handbag

 Links for Creativity Bugs: Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/creativitybugs
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Creativity-Bugs-Crafters/165471840170137?ref=ts
Blog: creativitybug.blogspot.com/

If you are looking for a team that provides marketing support for each others' Etsy shops take a look at  The Boosting Etsy Shops Team. One thing we do is to write weekly features on our blogs for each others Etsy shops.  The BESTeam also encourages use of Twitter Accounts and Facebook Fanpages to promote each other. They  are now accepting new members so if you are interested here is the link to the team page. http://www.etsy.com/teams/5645/besteam-boosting-etsy-shops-team

Shop Etsy on Small Business Saturday

The second annual Small Business Saturday is November 26, 2011. It is about supporting the small business person, your family mom and pop business rather than the chain stores or Fortune 500 corporations. It’s about entrepreneurs and families selling things that the chains aren't. Think about what is available in your local community and give them some support even if you need to spend a bit more.  When I think about my local community, the small mom and pop business is almost a thing of the past.  Sadly, the ones that are left are struggling to compete with large conglomerates who can offer volume discounts that they can't. For example, the large grocery stores now offer all sorts of services, like floral which makes it difficult for the local florist shop to compete.  I think I will find one of the few florist shops left in my area to support on Saturday.  Another idea is to support a home based Etsy business this year with your holiday shopping.  Etsy business owners are home based, mom and pop businesses doing what they can to make ends meet in this tough economy.  Etsy businesses offer truly unique gifts that will wow your family and friends.  You can find that something special that can't be found in any brick and mortar store.  You can feel good about getting that special gift and also about helping a small business owner.  You can even shop by location and find Etsy sellers in you general area. Click here to shop local on Etsy:

So if you are unfamiliar with Etsy, I recommend you check out what the small business owners and handcrafted artist have to offer, but be warned, the creative unique offerings are endless and it can be very addicting.  Here are a few examples of what can be found on Etsy:

 

Who wouldn't love to receive a handcrafted leather journal like this one?  Shirley Lynne of The Orange Windmill makes all her journals from scratch. She hand-cuts the leather for the covers and tears each sheet of paper individually.  Take a look at her other journals here.  Here are her other links:   

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theorangewindmill Twitter: twitter.com/#!/shirleyljmartin
Pinterest: pinterest.com/shirleymartin/

Leather Journal - Mahogany Brown by The Orange Windmill on Esty 

How about this unique piece of jewelry for that someone special? 

Jayne started making jewelry when her daughters were small and found out that she really enjoyed designing and making jewelry.  She started making jewelry for herself and received many compliments and questions about her jewelry and  because of that she decided to design and make jewelry for sale. She only uses the highest quality gemstones and pearls.  Check out her other unique designs here.  Other links for Jaynemarie:
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JewelryByJaynemarie Twitter account: twitter.com/#!/JewlryJaynmarie
Blog page: jewelrybyjaynemarie.blogspot.com/

Freshwater White Pearls and faceted Rose Quartz Rondells by Jaynemarie on Etsy

There are an endless supply of jewelry sellers on Etsy.  You could spend days, just looking through all the unique and beautiful one of a kind handcrafted choices.  Here is another unique piece of jewelry if you are looking for something in the $30.00 price range.  Handcrafted by Agnes of BeaderBubbe on Etsy with fancy jasper semi-precious stones and stone bead chips on memory wire.  It is one size fits all.  If you have a few minutes -- visit her shop - you'll be glad you did.  

Chips away bracelet by BeaderBubbe on Etsy

Lastly, Etsy is great for getting the right gift for that hard to buy for person on your list.  If you have someone to buy for who is a collector, take a look through the vintage shops on Etsy. You might just find that perfect, unique, gift. Here is a listing from Redemption Art on Etsy.  Connie works hard at providing a range of vintage goods that would please the start up collector as well as the professional. Her business is based in Hawaii so if you are looking for something special that you think might be specific or found in Hawaii contact her and she will try to help you find it.  Check out her shop here.  Other links: facebook:www.facebook.com/redemption.art

twitter: twitter.com/#!/islandbuzzy blog: islandbuzzy.com

Vintage rose colored depression glass

BESTeam finds

Annie Oliverio of Empty on the Inside has been creating art since she was a kid.  She opened her Etsy shop in March of 2011.  If you like greeting cards - check out her shop. She is busy stocking her shop with Christmas and holiday cards. 

Daffodils blank greeting card

 Annie started making the cards for her own use because she was having difficulty finding cards that she liked.  Incredibly, there are no mass produced or printed cards in her shop. Each card is a hand painted original

Hand painted greeting card - blank inside

  Every one is unique and special and anyone you give one to would feel special.  They are "empty on the inside" and therefore you can fill them with your own words. 

Handpainted sunflower greeting card

Faith of Stitchprincess sells one of a kind homemade clothing, aprons and photography.  Here is a sampling from her shop but it's worth a trip to visit her shop and see her other creations. 
Her specialties are dresses (casual and evening), skirts, aprons, purses, and small quilts. All of her products are hand or machine-sewn, with materials purchased from local fabric stores or vintage fabrics from her mother and grandmother. 
Faith's formal dresses are beautiful.  They are custom made in any fabric or size to your particular specifications. 

Royal blue apron

Formal gown with gathered bodice

Looking for some unique hair accessories?  Check out Danielle's shop called ChickyDs. Danielle always loved arts and crafting. She knew from middle school that she would pursue a career involving art. She went to school, studied Graphic Design and now works doing just that at a local newspaper.  Here are just two of her creations,  take a few moments and check out her other creations. 

Primary color dots loopy bow

Teal poly-satin flower ruffle headband

Tree of life necklace

Here are a couple of creations from Bluewhitewhere on Etsy. 
CC of Bluewhitewhre is an American (born & raised in upstate NY) expat who has lived in Bangkok, Thailand for 9 years.  She recently moved to Santiago, Chile with her husband.  She creates jewelry with an oriental flair.  Take a moment to visit her shop - you will be glad you did.


Here is a antiqued silver toned tree of life pendant with two round malachite stones and five little faceted golden crystal beads.

Turquoise and tiger eye necklace

Turquoise nuggets and shiny, faceted tigers eye create a feeling of the old Southwest in this updated, modern necklace. An asymmetrical necklace has little gold-tones balls to add a little sunlight sparkle. The necklace is about 17 inches long (43 cm). Fastens with a gold-tone lobster clasp

BESTeam Feature

It's time for my weekly BESTeam feature.  Once a week on our blogs we feature 3 or 4 of the members of the BESTeam.  If you have a blog and are looking for a team that will push you to keep up with your blog posting - The BESTeam is a good choice.  

The first shop that I would like to feature is knitfuldezigns.  Veronica Grace of Knitfuldezigns has some basic knit hats for adults or children.  She also has some creative knit accessories like bows and headbands along with knit scrubbies and baby booties.  Stop by and take a look.  If you see something you like -or if you want a different color - she is willing to do custom orders. 

Here is a darling toddler hat from Knitfuldezigns on Etsy:

Toddler's Hat by KnitfulDezigns on Etsy
Here are the other links for Knitfuldezigns:
Facebook   Blog     Twitter

The next shop to feature is GMaEllenCrochetGifts.  

Ellen Mackler of GMaEllenCrochetGifts has some unique crochet items in her shop.  She calls it "Not your everyday, ordinary crochet".  Check out this heirloom lace edging. It is handmade using a double strand of bedspread weight cotton thread.

Here is what Ellen says about her heirloom crochet lace border edging:

"I am particularly fond of this one. It is a little bold because of the double strand of thread. Use your imagination and it can be used in so many ways.

As shown it has dressed up my secretary very nicely. Use it on a shelf to really dress up your home decor. Use on shelving in your kitchen . . . wow! Really makes a statement!

Get brave, use it as a fashion neck scarf. Dress up that satin blouse. It drapes around your shoulders and will fold over once, to hang nicely on a button up blouse." 

Here are her other links:               Facebook             Twitter

Heirloom Crochet Lace Border Edging by GMaEllenCrochetGifts

         

Infinity Scarf Crochet in Creamy Beige

Our Home to Yours is the next shop to feature.   Our Home to Yours is a creative mother daughter team.  The shop has a great mix of jewelry, crochet and home decor.  Debbie is the mom and creates the jewelry and floral decor.  Here is a crochet scarf created by daughter Amanda.   And here is a beautiful unique African beaded necklace by Debbie.  Here are their links - take a few minutes and check them out. 
Blog    Facebook   Twitter

African beaded necklace by ourhometoyours on Etsy


The last shop to feature this week is Absolutely Kismet on Etsy.    Check out this unique pendant.  This shop has
wine glass charms, stitch markers, and hemp and beaded jewelry.  If you are looking for unique stocking stuffers or gifts check out this shop.  



Tiger striped heart pendant

He calls me friend!

John 15 vs 12 by Angelasheartworks on Etsy

I am a friend of God - lyrics by Israel Houghton

VERSE:
Who am I that you are mindful of me
That you hear me, when I call
Is it true that you are thinking of me
How you love me, it's amazing (Who am I Lord)

CHORUS:
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

God Almighty
Lord of Glory
You have called me friend

We sang this song at church on Sunday and every time we sing this song I am so moved.  Here on the internet and also in life, we spend much time trying to make the right connections.  We think, if only I knew someone who would help me.  If I could get the right people to follow my Facebook page or my twitter I could be successful.  There is much concern about who we have as a friend and how many friends we have.  If we are looking for a job we think, if only I knew someone who would help, the mayor or someone in some big company who would show favor to me.   

Well, we do have a friend to help in our times of need.  His name is Jesus and we can call upon Him and He hears our cry.   He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  He is our advocate. He is God and He calls me friend!

Here is an uplifting version by Israel Houghton and New Breed.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXFi6lUUz5s

Etsy shops from the BESTeam

This is my very first BESTeam feature.  I just joined the BESTeam this week and have spent some time familiarizing myself with the many shops on the team.  If you are looking for a team which encourages marketing via blog posting this team would be a good choice.  There are some very talented members on the team and I have some shops that I would like to share with you.  One great thing about having an Etsy shop is that via your computer you meet shop owners from all over the world.

The first shop I would like to share is Riorita.  Irith of Riorita is a gold and silversmith from Tel Aviv, Israel.  How cool is that?  I would love to buy something made by hand in Israel.  Check out her shop to find unique handmade jewelry designs.  She likes to combine her jewelry with semi-precious stones, ancient glass and beach glass or pebbles from the Sea of Galilee.  Here is a beautiful sterling silver ring from Riorita with a gorgeous oval blue kyanite stone. 

Riorita's blog   /Facebook   /twitter

Sterling silver oval kyanite ring by Riorita on Etsy

My second shop to share is Las Flores Del Sur. Marisa of Las Flores Del Sur is from Montevideo, Uruguay.
This shop has an assortment of necklaces, bracelets and earrings with glass or acrylic beads.  Her seed and glass bead bracelets are beautiful.  Marisa has a second shop Flores Del Sur which carries handmade hair pins, hair clips, pins and brooches.  Check out this owl necklace from Las Flores Del Sur.

An owl in a starry night by Las Flores Del Sur

The final shop that I would like to share is Poison Garden on Etsy.  This shop carries neovictorian, gothic, steampunk jewelry and accessories.  The location for this shop is Lafayette, Indiana.  Every piece in the shop is unique.  Take a look at this unique necklace made with icy cracked glass beads, accented by glowing blue crystals.  Just beautiful!

Neo Victorian cracked glass necklace by Poison Garden

So here are just three of the many talented shops that belong to the BESTeam -- check them out!

Trading or Bartering On-Line

I have to admit, I'm not an expert on this subject.  I did my very first trade this week.  While we all are thrilled when we sell one of our listings and make some money, another way to do business and benefit is to trade. If you are limited with money, you can trade your artwork or creations for something of equal value.  There are teams or social groups on Etsy specifically for trade friendly shops. Here is one that has over 1000 members called Etsy Trade Team and here's another with over 2000 members called Etsy Trade-a-holics   Just search the teams on Etsy  with "trade"" to find other trade friendly teams on Etsy.  If you find something you'd like to have -- send the shop owner a message asking if she is interested in trading.  Don't feel bad if she says no.  It just might be that what you have is very nice but not what she is looking for or not her taste. 
So my trade came about when I received a convo or message from  DELdreamart on Etsy asking whether I was willing to trade.  I took a look at her shop and it just so happened that I was looking for someone to do just the kind of art work that she did.  Here is an artwork from her shop. 

Fairy Dancing by DELdreamart on Etsy

I have a friend who had written a children's book which had some mystical characters and I was looking for someone to do a artwork that illustrated some of the scenes in the book.  I asked her if she would do a special art work for me to give to my friend for her birthday.  We agreed on a value and in exchange for the artwork she picked two items from my shop.   Here are the two items from my shop that she chose:

So I sent her the descriptions from the book which included a young girl with long brown hair and blue gray eyes.  She lived in a cottage on a small farm.  There was a field with bluebells and heather and fairies and a  queen fairy.  So this is what she did for me.

 
She matted it nicely and I gave it to my friend and she loved it.  Overall this trade was quite the positive experience.  I might just join one of the trade friendly teams myself.  One good thing about doing a trade is that it shows as a sale on Etsy, and it is also a great way to build up positive feedback. 

You want to sell your creations on-line.........

Here is another post for those wishing to sell their creations on-line.  I have had my Etsy store for about two years now and I probably know 10% of what I need to know to run a successful ecommerce business.  If you'd like to take a look, visit my Angelsneverlastings Etsy shop.   There are a lot of skills you will need.  You will need to be creative, have patience, be disciplined, have time, and be organized.  Last week I listed a few of the sites available for selling on-line.  Here are the steps once you have chosen a site. 

1.  Create your handmade items.  Create something that is unique and different from what is already being done.  Spend some time checking out what others are doing so you can set yourself apart. 

2. Photograph your items.  Your customers can't touch your product so your photos need to touch them.         Take the clearest, sharpest photo possible. If you are like me, your first photos won't be great but with some practice, they will improve.  You don't need a fancy camera but you do need to know how to get the best photos with the camera you have.  Familiarize yourself with how your camera settings work and how to get the best results.  If your photos aren't great, you can edit them after with good results.  There are some free photo editing programs available. Gimp for Windows, Picasa,  picnik, are a few popular free photo editing programs.  There is also a wealth of photography how to information on the web.  Here are just a few that I found. http://smallobjectphotography.com/ 
http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/point-and-shoot-challange-making-point-and-shoot-pictures-look-more-like-a-dslr/
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/macro-photography-for-beginners-part-1

3. Post your listing including uploading the photos, choosing the title,  writing a description, and deciding on the price.  Choose a title very carefully so your items will be seen.  You want to choose words by how you think someone will search for your item.  The first few words in the title and description are the most important.  You might be tempted to come up with a cute name for something but if it's not something that someone will search for it's not a good idea.  For instance, if you sell hair bows, if your title is frilly silly pretty ribbon bows, no one will be searching for frilly or silly - you might want to use bows as the first word in the title, then maybe children's, babies, after that you can use descriptive words like frilly or silly if you want.  Here's one of my Etsy listings as an example:   http://www.etsy.com/listing/78779781/wreath-grapevine-dried-flowers-pink 

4. Do social networking to get your product seen.  You need to work hard to be seen.  Join some of the many social networking sites.  Facebook, Stumbleupon, Twitter, are a few of the more popular social sites.  Joining these sites is only the beginning - then you need to learn how to use them effectively.  There is so much helpful information on the web.  Here are a few sites to help: http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/how-to-use-facebook-for-business-and-marketing-4765088.html  http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/pages/how-to-use-twitter-for-e-commerce.aspx   http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/stumbleupon-guide/  Depending on which marketing site you choose, familiarize yourself with the social options available.  For instance, Etsy has "teams" you can join.  I believe Artfire has "Guilds". 

5.  Be patient!  If your items sell immediately that's great but most times it will take quite a while to be noticed.  Don't get discouraged.  The more items you list in your shop, the more opportunity there is to be seen.

Could you use some extra money?

Who couldn't? Are you creative?  Do you have some unique talent or skill?  Can you make something unusual - something that can't be purchased at the local Target or Walmart. Something that someone will see a picture of and say "I have to have it".   Would you like to use that talent to generate some additional income for yourself or your family?  Maybe you have some bills to pay off or would like to save for that something special. If so, you might want to utilize the internet to sell your handcrafted creations.  Do you have enough time to devote to creating, listing and promoting?  You can of course, set up your own web page and sell directly or you can set up shop in one of the on-line eCommerce marketplaces. Here are a few good eCommerce marketplace choices:

http://etsy.com - Their motto is  "Buy and sell handmade or vintage items, art and supplies on Etsy, the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace."   Etsy charges .20 per listing and when the item sells Etsy takes 3.5% of sale price.  You can visit etsy.com and search through the sellers in your category to get an idea of  what others are selling and for what price.  There are hundreds of thousands of sellers on Etsy and it can be very challenging for your shop to get noticed.  Here is a link to more  info about Etsy.


http://artfire.com - Their motto is "A premier handmade marketplace to buy and sell handmade crafts, supplies, vintage and art".  There are over 80,000 sellers on Artfire.  The cost for Artfire is $11.95 per month for unlimited listings and unlike Etsy there is no fee when your item is sold.  Like Etsy you can visit the Artfire site and look around at other shops and what they have for sale.  Here is a bit of history about Artfire. 

 http://handmadeartistsshop.com -  The Handmade Artists Shop is a relatively new handmade marketplace having started in December of 2009.  It is a much smaller marketplace than Etsy or Artfire. Unlike Etsy or Artfire, you cannot sell vintage (anything over 20 years old) on handmadeartistsshop.com.   No resellers, unaltered vintage, or non-handmade supplies are allowed.  They plan on closing open registration at 10,000 members and at that point, create a wait list and hand pick the remaining vendors, capping out at 20,000 members.  Take a few minutes and check out the shops and what they are selling.  You can sign up for either $5.00 per month or $50.00 per year.  There are no additional listing fees or fees when your item sells.  Here is a link to Handmade Artists' Shop info. 


Of course these are just three of many eCommerce marketplaces available on the internet.  I presently have a Etsy shop called Angels n Everlastings and at one point also had a Artfire shop but decided to close my Artfire shop to concentrate on my Etsy shop.  You'll find that setting up your shop is easy but that listing your items is just the beginning.  With over 100,000 shops on Etsy and 80,000 shops on Artfire it can be a challenge to not get lost in the crowd.  There is a wealth of knowledge available on the internet, Etsy or Artfire that will help you on this eCommerce journey.   In my next post I will  list some sources of information that will help you develop a successful eCommerce business.

Great Finds by Made for Me by Oaklie

Autumn Fall Front Door Wreath

My autumn/fall door wreath was selected as one of the featured fall items at. http://madeformebyoaklie.com/greatfinds.html 
Take a few moments to look at the beautiful items featured. I'm honored to be included with these talented artists and handmade crafters.  This is a voter contest so if you have a moment and want to vote for my wreath, I would really appreciate it.  You can click the link about or click the button to the right to view or vote. Here are a few of the other featured listings.

Carnelain Rainbow Bracelet by enlalumiere

Golden Seashell Beaded Scissor Fob by TJBdesigns

Where were you five years ago?

Hope! by DesignsBySyd on Etsy

What did your life look like five years ago?  Do you remember anything specific about the summer/fall of  2006?
Maybe it was just another year in your life -- not too different than any others.  I remember 2006 very clearly.
2006 was not a good year for me.  In June, at a routine doctors appointment, they suggested I have a mammogram to check out a suspicious spot that the doctor found.  By August, I was facing surgery, chemo and radiation and trying to get my daughter prepared for her first year of high school. There was no quick fix -- It would be months of being totally consumed with treatment, and months before I could put it behind me.  I managed to maintain my daily work schedule although, by 7pm I would be in bed.  There was no cooking dinner, helping with homework or any of the other routine daily responsibilities.  I can't even remember how laundry got done.  Every day we were doing fast food or take out of some sort.  My daughter had all sorts of stomach problems that year and I felt like we were in the midst of one of those Mcdonald's fast food studies. Eat fast food for 30 days and see how you feel!   I remember after it was all over being thrilled to be able to have energy to cook dinner again.  By the time my 5 week daily radiation treatments were over I felt like a mouse in a wheel.  Go to work, daily treatment, home, eat, bed - wake up do it all again for 5 weeks.

Greeting card by Mysavior on Etsy

I am fortunate to live close to one of the top medical facilities in the country.  The Mass General Hospital's Avon Breast Cancer Center is a 20 minute drive from my home.  People come to Mass General Hospital  from all over to seek treatments for all sorts of medical problems. I stopped complaining about my daily drive to the radiation clinic when I saw others who traveled 2 hours each way every day for treatment. You realize, as your treatment progresses, that they have made great strides and progress with treatment options and continue to make progress every year.  Breast cancer caught early enough is not the death sentence it once was.

4x6 Digital Collage Sheet by Bottlecapmania on Etsy

Money is what makes this progress possible. The American Cancer Society, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fundraiser is this weekend in Boston, on October 2.  I have a friend who is raising money and attending the walk.  If you would like to contribute and help to continue this progress in the hope that our daughters will see an end to Breast Cancer - here is the link to her page.

Boston Tickled Pink Team
So here I am - I've hit the five year point, where supposedly the odds are with you that there will not be a recurrence.  I refuse to live in fear as I trust God for my future. Not that the thoughts don't come from time to time but with His help, I got through this and my faith is stronger that I will get through anything.

An Etsy Wedding

If you are planning a wedding and are looking for something to make your occasion special check out some of these handmade items on Etsy. 

How about these handmade stuffed elephants as cake toppers?

Miniature stuffed elephants by Sewfaithful

How about a banner?

Wedding banner by Studio 1621

 

 

 

 

 Handmade soy wedding candles

Candles by Goodneighborscandle

 

Fashion accessories

Woodland Hair Comb by LeahRHood

Tiny white pearl post earrings by SueRunyonDesigns

Annabelle Necklace by dspdavey

These are just a few of the choices on Etsy.com.  Check out my  A handmade wedding treasury or search by wedding for other wedding choices on Etsy. 

Preparing for Fall in New England

I've started to unpack my Christmas stock from last year. Before we know it we will be in the midst of the Christmas rush! Here is an angel that I created last year. I have a few left from last year and although I haven't decided what to charge - I know they will be less than I sold them last year. These angels are each one of a kind. They can be either a table decoration or a tree top angel. They are crafted out of fabric and then finished with stiffy to create a lasting finish.
These angels are a lot of work and I'm not sure I will be making any this year.

It doesn't seem possible that summer is almost over? At this time of year we are never ready to let it go. We never seem to get enough of the summer. Fall in New England is beautiful and the cool crisp weather is refreshing but we are sorry to say goodby to summer.
Here is a fall wreath for sale in my Etsy shop.

Here is the link to my web page, kindly visit to see my other creations http://www.angelsneverlastings.com




I have the good fortune to live on the East Coast so last week I took the opportunity to spend a day at Rockport, Ma. It is one of my favorite coastal spots in this area. I walked the beach and collected some interesting tidbits. Here's a picture of my finds

-- broken seashells, bits of seaglass, and if you look closely you will see there are some bits and pieces of imprinted pottery that washed up on the beach. I will be using these soon in one of my seashell embellished creations.








Here are a few pictures I took while at Rockport. Enjoy!