Favorites from the CASTTEAM Weekend Help Thread

Each weekend the CASTTEAM on Etsy opens a promo thread. If you belong to the CASTTEAM and are looking for a way to promote your items -- visit the thread here. You need to be willing to promote other posts if you want to list your items in the thread. Please read full instructions before participating.

Here are my favorites from this weekends posts. Click on the links below the photos to take a closer look.

Embroidered Necklace, Black Cat Pendant

Lil Twister Mini Quilt Table Topper

Christmas Countdown Calendar Garland

Candy cane Christmas reversible apron

CASTTEAM Weekend Promo Event

Each weekend the CASTTEAM on Etsy opens a promo thread. If you belong to the CASTTEAM and are looking for a way to promote your items -- visit the thread here. You need to be willing to promote other posts if you want to list your items in the thread. Please read full instructions before posting.

Here are my favorites from this weekends posts.

This is just the cutest baby hat and what a great photo:

How about this gluten free playdough:

And one more -- I love this beach themed treasure box:

Take a moment to visit these shops and listings -- You'll be glad you did. If you are a Christian and have an Etsy shop and are looking for a team, I recommend joining the CASTTEAM. It's a great group of supportive Etsy shop owners. Someone is always available and willing to answer questions or offer suggestions on how to improve your shop. It's also a great place if you need prayer or are interested in Christian fellowship from around the world.

Castteam Themed Treasury Event Winners

The Castteam on Etsy had their first themed treasury event this month. The theme for September was Autumn or Fall. There were many good treasuries that were posted in the event thread. You can view them here if you'd like.  The first one I will share was the one with the most views called The Color of Autumn. It had 182 views this morning and 100 admirers.  

Green Earrings light Aventurine by JunrylGems

This one was created by JunrylGems on Etsy. Tess of Junrylgems designs unique and one of a kind jewelry. Here is one of her earring listings: Visit her JunrylGems Etsy shop
to see her other one of a kind jewelry listings. 

The second one I will share is the Castteam leaders choice. There were so many great fall treasuries that it was really difficult to choose just one. The one we chose was titled Sights and Sounds of September made by Dianna Wood of The Woods Secret Garden on Etsy.

Hand Painted Jacket By Dianna Wood

Dianna uses her art to decorate shoes, leather jackets, boots, vests and handbags with Christian themes. Here is just one of her unusual listings.  You should visit her shop to see her other creative art. It is a real treat.
Her other links -  www.DiannaWood.blogspot.com
www.IWillSingANewSong.blogspot.com
www.TheWoodsSecretGarden.blogspot.com

Favorites from the Weekend Cast Team Help Thread

 

Wood Sign with Seashells

If you are familiar with my Angels n Everlastings shop -- you know that I love anything coastal, so of course,  here is a favorite by Elaine of Sharing Seashells.   She has other interesting seashell creations - check them out here.

Personalized Wedding Coaster Set

 

Planning a wedding?  Etsy is full of unique handmade items that can be personalized especially for your day.  Here is a nice coaster set by Prayer Notes by Cynthia which could be used for favor or wedding party gifts or even a special gift for the bride and groom. Check out the other listings here.

Crocheted Infinity Scarf in Teal Blue

 
 
My last choice is this handspun infinity scarf in a beautiful ocean teal blue.  Joanne of Heaven Spun Creations hand spins the yarn for this scarf from the highest quality merino and local wool.  Check out her other listings here.



Click here to check out the other Cast Team listing on the "help one another thread".  If you are a member of the Cast Team - there is a new thread every weekend -- join in! 

A Morning on Revere Beach

 One morning recently, I spent a bit of time at our local beach. 
 
It's not the most scenic beachfront but none the less, it is nice to visit first thing in the morning to walk and collect some seashells. 


These are the pictures I took that morning.

Seashell Heart Wreath

It was a bit of a cloudy somewhat overcast morning with the sun peeking through.  

Photo Frame with Seashells and Sea glass

Many of the shells that I use in my wreaths and photo frames are collected right here on Revere Beach








 
The week before was the yearly sand sculpting festival.  Usually the creations last for weeks but we had just had a major thunder lighting hail storm the day before so some of the creations were destroyed but here are some that were still standing. 

 Look at the incredible detail on this one.

This one was a tribute to Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox play and also honored the festival sponsors.

I hope you enjoyed the visit to Revere Beach,  in my hometown, and the oldest public beach.

Beach House Decorating

Since I love anything about the beach I thought I would search around Etsy to see what I could find in beach decor.  Here's my Etsy beach finds:

a sweet little "Life's a Beach" sign for your entryway. 

Primitive Country Sign

Shell collection in an antique soda crate

How about a seashell collection?

This beautiful seashell collection is made using an antique soda crate and carefully selected shell specimens. The "cabinet" is an antique find: an old Pepsi crate. The outside is a grey color, almost whitewashed with a red Pepsi Cola logo. Each of 24 "cubbies" holds a unique seashell specimen. Perfectly worn and rustic.

Seashell Table Lamp

 Here's a nice table lamp decorated with seashells and aqua blue glass.  This would be really pretty in a beach house. This seashell lamp is made using the traditional stained glass method. Every lamp is a unique creation. Soothing Aqua glass gems are Interwoven throughout the shade.

Starfish Watercolor

 
 
Who doesn't love starfish?  Here is a lovely print to decorate your beach house walls. This print is a reproduction of an original watercolor painting by Kelly Bermudez. It is printed on Hahnemuhle Fine Art paper which is high quality, beautiful and Certified Archival. The print looks very much like an original watercolor painting

Heart Twig Wreath with Seashells

Here is a twig heart wreath from my Angels and Everlastings Etsy Shop with assorted seashells and sea glass.  This heart shaped twig wreath is embellished with seashells and sea glass and measures approximately 18" across from tip to tip. This wall hanging is perfect for rustic home decor. If you love the beach and nautical decor this wreath is for you

Jewelry Holder or Key Rack

Seashell jewelry holder or key rack.  Brighten up your vanity, bathroom, bedroom, closet, mudroom, or home with this beautiful jewelry or key holder. Use It as a fun, stylish jewelry rack to hang up your most treasured, or well-worn pieces. No more digging through a box to get just the right one!
This also can be used by the front door or in the office to hold your keys. Easy to find when you're rushing out the door!



For those that are unfamiliar with Etsy, it is a on-line marketplace for handmade items.  There were so many beach decor choices on Etsy and it was hard to choose so I know that this will be the first of many Etsy beach posts I will make.  I hope you enjoyed my choices.  Take a look on Etsy here for more beach listings.  Check out my Etsy shop for  seashell and sea glass embellished photo frames, silk and dried flower wreaths and wall hangings at Angels and Everlastings.

Wreath, heart shape, dried roses and seashells - $29.00

A 18" twig heart wreath decorated with seashells, sea glass and mini pink dried roses accented with lavender and eucalyptus. Created in a smoke free home.

Click Here to Visit My Etsy Shop!

Photo frame, nautical beach home accented with seashells and sea glass - $12.00

3.5" by 5" photo frame embellished with blue sea glass and seashells. Perfect gift for the beach lover. Photo frame can hang on wall or stand on table top either vertical or horizontal. This photo was taken in Rockport, MA.

Click Here to Visit My Etsy Shop!

Red White and Blue on Etsy

Patriotic USA Banner by Avery Lee Designs

4th of July Wreath by Angels n Everlastings

Cross Stitch Pendant by Wits End Design

Fourth of July Wreath by Red With Envy Designs

Boys Patriotic Romper by The Designers Loft

Shop feature - Kristine of Gulickkr on Etsy

Hair-pin/Shawl-pin

Purple and white amethyst pendant

Kristine of Gulickkr on Etsy has been creating beautiful jewelry since 2008.  It started as a labor of love and a way to support her dad's new-found hobby.  Her dad was inspired by a TV show and decided to go mining for gems.  He found many beautiful stones but also found that it was very expensive to have the stones cut and set into jewelry.

Sterling silver wire wrapped purple pendant

 To save money, he decided to join a rock club and took a lapidary class where he learned to cut cabochon out of stones. A cabochon, from the Middle French caboche (head), is a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted.  He learned how to cut the stone slabs and grind and polish the stones into beautiful one of a kind pieces.  Kristine, along with her dad, then took a wire wrapping class.  Together they created beautiful jewelry.  Dad continued to make the cabochon pieces and Kristine developed her love of wire wrapping.

Sadly, Kristine's dad passed away from cancer in 2010.  She still has a few gems that her dad created but now she buys all her stones from fellow Etsy stores, rock and mineral shows, or jewelry suppliers. To honor her dad's memory, and to help raise money for cancer research, Kristine donates 10% of each sale to the American Cancer Society.

I asked Kristine, what advice she had for new Etsy sellers:
"Advice that I would give someone new to Etsy is to be patient and committed. It takes time for your shop to get noticed. It is frustrating waiting especially for that first sale, but it will come. Just believe and it will happen. The biggest thing that I learned since opening my shop is that it really is a full-time job. It takes time to make items for your shop, but it takes even longer to commit to marketing and getting yourself known. It is so important to invest that time in your shop."

Plum crocheted shawl

What's new in Kristine's shop?

Gemstone wire wrapped gemstone tree

"I  have started a few new lines since opening my shop. Since November, I have launched a line of chainmaille ornaments (seasonal item only), gemstone trees, and hair/shawl pins. The hair/shawl pins have been really popular, so I would like to continue adding more styles of these pins to my shop. Also, to compliment the pins, I just starting selling crocheted shawls (as of two weeks ago). I have loved crocheting since I was a little girl, and am having so much fun working on shawls now. So that is the main focus of my shop right now (building up inventory of the shawls)."
I have chosen just a few of the beautiful listings to feature here.  I recommend you take a moment and check out  Kristine's Gulickkr shop on Etsy. Click here for Kristine's facebook page  and here for twitter.

Special orders don't upset us on Etsy

Heart twig wreath

A great feature about shopping on Etsy is being able to communicate directly with the shop owner -- the creator, the artist.  Many shop owners on Etsy, welcome requests for special orders.  If you are unfamiliar with Etsy, it is an online marketplace where you can buy unique handmade and vintage items directly from independent sellers from all around the world.  Check it out here.  As you can see their are all sorts of categories with oodles of choices.  If you like handmade or one of a kind products you will love checking out these unique listings.

Recently I received a request for one of my photo frames but the customer wanted something a bit different.  She contacted me and told me what she liked about my photo frames but then told me what she wanted.
Here was her request - she referred to this listing:

Photo frame embellished with seashells & sea glass

"Do you do custom orders? Kind of looking for something a bit more simple, I think.... preferably a 3x5 photo size (but 4x5 would be okay too. It is for a horizontal photo... and I was just thinking some pieces of pale aqua sea glass, maybe on the bottom corner... and if that is too plain, possibly a couple of tiny shells sprinkled in. Maybe a few pieces in the top (opposite) corner.... but only a few."

This is what I put together:

 So, if you see something that interests you in my Etsy shop, contact me and I'll see if I can do something special for you.  If I put something together and it's not right, there is no obligation.  If you decide the finished product is not right -- I'll list it in my shop for sale.  In my shop I offer front door wreaths, silk and dried flower wall hangings and seashell decor.

Spring front door wreath

 Here are a few listings I found on Etsy offering "special orders":

Handmade modern crochet accessories by Loopdeedoo

Special order handebar bag by Savvysacs

What's new at Angels n Everlastings

I just love these rustic twig heart wreath frames.  I decorated this one with seashells, sea glass, pretty pink dried roses and fragrant lavender and eucalyptus. 

Twig Heart Wreath

I just added two new photo frame listings in my Etsy shop.  The first is embellished with bits of light purple seashells along with creamy white shells and sea glass.

Beach lover photo frame

 This would make the perfect gift for the beach lover.  It can stand or hang either vertically or horizontally.  The size of this photo frame is 5" by 7".  Contact me if you'd like a certain color or a different size. 

 Here is a photo of me at the beach collecting the bits of light purple seashells for the photo frame above.

Seashell sea glass photo frame

Here's the second -- A simply decorated photo frame with aqua blue sea glass and a few white seashells.  This is also a 5" by 7" photo frame. 

                     

                                                                                                                                                                
Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and checking out my new listings in my Etsy shop.  Kindly leave some feedback.  Let me know what you think of my listings.  If you have any ideas for my shop please let me know. 

Can you make money on the internet?



Twig heart wreath

Selling on the Internet - Easy Right?
Not so fast. While there are opportunities to sell your handmade creations on-line - It's not quick or easy.

Handmade sun dress and matching purse

This is my third year selling my silk and dried floral home decor on Etsy.  For those who are unfamiliar with Etsy it is an online shopping site for handmade, vintage or supplies.  Take a look for yourself here.  There is everything imaginable for sale on Etsy.
From handmade childrens clothing -
to unusual one of a kind handmade jewelry - handmade pens, photography or artwork - Etsy is the place to find that unusual one of a kind item.



Rainbow moonstone bracelet

Eash seller sets up their own on-line shop.  Once set up, the wait for sales to begin.  I really thought by this time I would have made my first fortune yet I'm still trying to turn a profit.  I mean, take a look at my shop here and the beautiful, one of a kind, handcrafted dried and silk floral home decorations that I create.  The problem is that it's easy to get lost in the crowd.  You need to spend a considerable amount of time promoting what you sell.   If you are thinking of starting an internet business, familiarize yourself with some social media sites, the most popular being facebook, twitter, pinterest or stumbleupon.



Handcrafted wooden pen

On Etsy, there are teams that you can join which give you a chance to socialize, share ideas and help promote one another. You can easily find a team where you fit in as there are numerous teams to choose from.  On Etsy, I found a Christian team called the CASTteam (Christian Artist Street Team) Being a Christian, you like to cross paths with other likeminded Christians. With over 3000 members, the CASTteam is a great way to connect with other Christians from all over the world. On the CASTteam, we help one another with business but more importantly, we support one another as Christians. We share our burdens, we pray for one another, and we laugh and cry together. It's interesting that there are so many different backgrounds or Christian religions represented in the group, yet there is real harmony, as we are all one in Christ.    

Erasable magnetic calendar

So if you are thinking about starting a on-line business, these are just a few of the things you need to think about.  Jump in and who knows who you might meet on-line.