Nature Manipulated - visual and wearable art

Quick Update - It's a ....

2011-04-27T20:28:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update, on April 1st I gave birth to a baby girl. She is so precious and we are enjoying every minute we have with her.

Handmade Registry

2011-02-06T14:54:00.005-05:00

Now that my registries are finalized and my baby shower is only a few weeks away, I'd love to share the items a few Etsy sellers reserved for my guests to consider or me to buy. Starting my child on handmade VERY early.

To view each of these items individually, please visit my Baby Registry list on Etsy.

A few of these items have already sold and I am SO grateful to the buyers.

Finally, I Can Share the News

2010-11-15T21:43:00.003-05:00

It's been a REALLY long time since I last posted. Life got a little hectic and my mind preoccupied. With what you ask? Well, my boyfriend and I were trying to conceive and now ... I am 20 weeks pregnant and excited as h*ll. I would have posted sooner but I wanted to give it some time and make sure family, friends and coworkers knew first. Now it is safe to spread the word. Not sure how much I will be posting in the coming months, and then after the baby (nickname = BMW) is here but I will try and keep you up-to-date. I also have a number of handmade items I am adding to my baby registry and would love to share them with you. Also, will be sharing some wonderful handmade favors and shower games. Until next time ... real soon.

Welcome Home... Moving, Starting Fresh and Decorating

2010-05-29T15:23:00.003-04:00

Our lease is up in a little over a month and my BF and I have been looking for new apartments. We found one apartment that we are absolutely in love with and put an offer in for it. Although our offer has not yet been approved, nor have we submitted the application, I can't help but start thinking about how we will decorate the new place. Since the apartment will be bigger than the one we are in now, we surely will need new items to fill out the space.

Here are a few items that caught my eye on Etsy and very well may end up in the apartment if we get it. If you are moving or just doing some spring cleaning and redecorating, you may want to consider some of these fabulous handmade items as well.

To check out the items listed in this Etsy treasury, click on the image above.

Beauty of Nature

2010-05-20T13:10:00.004-04:00

It's a beautiful day outside here in New York (not that I would really know because I am home sick) so I thought I would share this wonderful nature-inspired treasury a fellow Etsyblogger, ebogie, created.

Beauty of Nature

Click on the image to check out the wonderful items in ebogie's treasury, including my Starfish necklace. Couldn't help the self promotion!

Update on Blog Giveaways

2010-05-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

I am going to be taking a little break from posting blog feature/giveaways. Although the posts still provided information on the artists and crafters, remaining true to my blog's purpose, I started to feel it was a little heavy on the giveaways. What ended up happening was I only had time to write one post a week and because I had giveaways lined up, that is what the posts were. I would like to go back to writing a variety of handmade-related posts, including sharing treasuries, some of my favorites and tips and advice for the handmade seller. I have been really busy lately so it may be a bit before the tips and advice posts come back.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Outta Sight {Closed}

2010-05-10T00:00:00.001-04:00

This week's giveaway is from Outta Sight

London Pickett of Outta Sight has been making jewelry for approximately eight years. She began making jewelry after she visited and made a pair of earrings at "The Bead Bar" for a Ladies Night Out. London continued to have design ideas and began frequenting the shop. Making jewelry became therapy for her.

Making jewelry is a bit difficult for London but that doesn't stop her. London is blind in her left eye. Fortunately, she sees color and shapes with the little vision she has in her right eye. With the help of good lighting, a magnifying glass and most of all, determination come, London is able to create wonderful handcrafted pieces.

Since discovering her passion for jewelry making, London has sold her designs in retail stores and by word of mouth. Recently she decided to open shops online and currently can be found on Artfire, Etsy and Zibbet.

For more information on Outta Sight and to keep up to date with London, stop by and read her blog at london-outtasight.blogspot.com.

While looking around Outta Sight, please take advantage of London's special offer for my readers - receive a free pair of Awareness Earrings with any purchase from London's Artfire shop. Mention my blog upon checkout and London will contact you to find out your cause and color preferences. Also, keep in mind, London donates a portion of all sales from Awareness items to ABC of NC, a highly specialized school for autistic children.

This week, enter to win a pair of Awareness Earrings (your choice of cause and color) from Outta Sight.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Outta Sight, come back to this blog post (not facebook) and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win a pair of #handmade Awareness Earrings (your cause, your colors) from Outta Sight @ http://bit.ly/5yrO5o. @NMGiveaway #Artfire #etsy #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Follow my blog publicly via Friend Connect - 1 extra entry

6) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, May 16, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to contestants worldwide

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Blackdog Handcrafted Jewelry {Closed}

2010-05-03T00:00:00.003-04:00

This week's giveaway is from Blackdog Handcrafted Jewelry

Sandi of Blackdog Handcrafted Jewelry has been making jewelry for approximately five years. She began making jewelry because she wanted pieces with an organic look and couldn't find then anywhere. After learning how to shape, hammer and polish metal, Sandi fell in love with jewelry making and since has been handcrafting unique, natural, eye catching pieces. As Sandi describes, her jewelry is "soft yet bold".

Sandi's inspiration comes from her surroundings. The land, creeks, mountains and trees of her hometown near Denver, Colorado, are breathtaking and provide her with a never ending supply of inspiration.

For more information on Blackdog Handcrafted Jewelry and to keep up to date with Sandi, visit her website at http://www.blackdoghandcraftedjewelry.com. Sandi can also be found on facebook. In addition to Artfire, Sandi has shops on Etsy and Zibbet.

This week, enter to win a pair of Pink Rhodonite and Hammered Sterling Silver Earrings from Blackdog Handcrafted Jewelry.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Blackdog Handcrafted Jewelry, come back to this blog post (not facebook) and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win a pair of #handmade pink rhodite & sterling silver earrings from Blackdog Jewelry @ http://bit.ly/5yrO5o. @NMGiveaway #Artfire #etsy #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Follow my blog publicly via Friend Connect - 1 extra entry

6) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, May 9, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to contestants in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: MysticKnotwork - Two Winners, Two Prizes Each! {Closed}

2010-04-19T00:00:00.003-04:00

This week's giveaway is from MysticKnotwork

Matt and Jill Beaudoin of MysticKnotwork have been knot working together for over 15 years, a tradition in the Beaudoin family for well over 50 years.

The art of knotwork (or marlinespike seamanship) is a field of decorative work with a tradition that dates back to the invention of cord. The braided bracelets Matt and Jill make are one continuous piece of cord approximately 3 yards long. Through a series of bends and tucks, a woven pattern is created that resembles a traditional hair braid. Unlike macramé, these are a single knot made with one piece of cord. To make a traditional sailor knot bracelet, the only tools needed to tie the knot are bare hands. When making complex knots, using a packing needle or icepick helps feed the cord through the progressively tightening weave.

Matt's grandfather learned how to do knot work from retired officers while he was working as a bosun’s mate in the Merchant Marine. He later went to school for this art at the Seaman’s Institute in New York City. Matt's father and uncle carried the tradition forward, and Matt was taught to tie the basic sailor bracelet before he was able to ride a bike. He's now been tying these knots for over 30 years, and has made well over 100,000 of them just as a kid. Matt's grandfather would pay him for each one he made as a way to earn allowance. People ask if Matt enjoys tying sailor bracelets, and his response is, ‘do you enjoy your heartbeat?’ Tying sailor bracelets are so much a part of Matt's life that its hard to find him without one close by.

In 1987, Matt made over 50 decorative rope mats for a condo development on Long Island. It was the first time he worked directly for a customer. Through the years, he has owned a fabric store, worked in a Fortune 500, but all the time, the feel of cord in hand has kept him grounded - the definite tie to the history of his family, as well as the connection to the sea. Every time Matt picks up cord, he is reminded of his grandfather. He cherishes the memories of staying at his grandfather's house, learning fancy knotwork and macramé.

When Matt met his wife, Jill, she was into beading and sewing. Jill quickly gained a love for the knotwork and her artistic touch has added to my family's tradition. Now, Matt and Jill also make macramé, a series of simple knotwork creating a complex pattern, those are made by hitching square knots and similar knots around a core of either cotton or satin.

Matt and Jill take quality very seriously. They buy their raw materials from U.S. companies and do their best to source items locally while buying in super-wholesale quantities. They try hard to minimize their carbon footprint in everything they do.

Matt and Jill work with non-profit organizations to provide their bracelets for fundraisers. Over 70% of funds raised through our bracelets stay with the charity that buys them. (Did you know that only 15-30% of money from school fundraising stays with the schools?)

For more information on MysticKnots and to keep up to date on Matt and Jill's work, visit their website at www.mysticknotwork.com. Matt and Jill can also be found on Etsy, facebook and flickr.

While you are looking around MysticKnotwork, take advantage of Matt and Jill's special offer - 15% off every item (in their Artfire shop) with coupon code NMBlog. This special offer will run through May 21, 2010.

This week, two lucky winners will receive either two sailor bracelets of their choice or a single matching sailor bracelet set from MysticKnotwork on Artifre.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit MysticKnot, come back to this blog post (not facebook) and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win 2 #handmade sailor knotwork bracelets or a set from MysticKNot @ http://bit.ly/5yrO5o ~ 2 WINNERS. @NMGiveaway #Artfire #etsy #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Follow my blog publicly via Friend Connect - 1 extra entry

6) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, April 25, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to contestants worldwide.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Etincelle Design {Closed}

2010-04-12T00:00:00.002-04:00

This week's giveaway is from Etincelle Design

Denise of Etincelle Design has been creating things (wire decorations) and experimenting with different materials (vintage finds, leather bags) for many years. (Denise currently is deconstructing and making candelabras from brass wallmounted lamps.) More recently, Denise started making jewelry and opened up a few shops online. Etincelle Design is now filled with pages of contemporary earthy wire wrapped and metalsmithed jewelery inspired by tribal design, as well as wallets created from pieces of hand-cut leather.

When designing jewelry, Denise enjoys to work with copper, brass and silver - metals which have been traditionally used for ornaments, and she can't get enough of the beauty of natural stones. For her wallets, Denise like remaking and reusing leather, although she also buys larger offcuts and whole skins to get pretty finishes and a variety of colors.

Denise's main inspiration comes from ornamental and decorative traditions from all over. She finds it fascinating to learn about the significance of different materials, and specific motifs or items in a social, religious and historical context.

In addition to Artfire, Denise's work can be found on Etsy and Shophandmade. You can also keep up-to-date with Denise by following her on twitter, visiting her on Indiepublic and/or reading her blog on Artfire.

While you are looking around Denise's Artfire shop, take advantage of her special offer - 10% off your order for the duration of this giveaway and the week following it. When checking out, leave Denise a message telling her you were referred from this post and she will refund the difference via PayPal. This offer is only valid in Denise's Artfire shop.

This week, one lucky winner will receive a Hand-cut Leather Wallet with Stud Closing from Etincelle Design.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Etincelle Design's Artfire Shop, come back to this blog post (not facebook) and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win a #handmade leather wallet from @etincelledesign at http://bit.ly/9P9DCT. @NMGiveaway #Artfire #etsy #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Follow my blog publicly via Friend Connect - 1 extra entry

6) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, April 18, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to contestants worldwide.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Designs by Sari Lynne {Closed}

2010-04-05T00:00:00.004-04:00

This week's giveaway is from Designs by Sari Lynne

Sari of Etsy's Designs by Sari Lynne has been beading jewelry since she was a young girl at summer camp and continuing in elementary school and at home. In 2008, she decided to start selling her creations online after receiving encouragement from some people at comic book conventions she would attend with her husband.

Designs by Sari Lynne is filled with handmade jewelery and accessories, crafted from a variety of materials including semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, wire, beads and more. Sari enjoys working with anything she can get her hands on. If Sari sees something she likes, she figures out a way to make something with it. Her shop currently has a little over 30 items listed although she has more than 200 items waiting to be photographed and listed. If you don't see exactly what you're looking for in Sari's shop, she would LOVE to make a custom piece especially for you.

In addition to Etsy, Sari's participates in select craft shows throughout the year. For the past two years, she has organized and exhibited at the Creators’ Marketplace Show & Sale. This year's event is being hosted on May 1, 2010, at the Thornhill Community Centre, just north of Toronto, Ontario.

For more information on Sari and to keep up to date on where she may be exhibiting her work, visit Sari's blog at designsbysarilynne.blogspot.com. Sari can also be found on facebook and followed on twitter.

While you are looking around Sari's shop, take advantage of her special offer - FREE SHIPPING for the duration of this giveaway with coupon code NMCONTEST. Enter the code in the notes to seller upon checkout and the shipping fees will be refunded to you via PayPal.

This week, one lucky winner will receive a pair of Green and Gold Shimmer and Sparkle Earrings from Designs by Sari Lynne.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Designs by Sari Lynne, come back to this blog post (not facebook) and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win a pair of #handmade sparkly earrings from @SariLynneK @ http://bit.ly/dd4Tnq ~ US/Canadian contestants only. @NMGiveaway #etsy #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Follow my blog publicly via Friend Connect - 1 extra entry

6) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, April 11, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian contestants only.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Allegheny Hearth Soaps {Closed}

2010-03-29T00:00:00.005-04:00

This week's giveaway is from Allegheny Hearth Soaps

Bonnie of Artfire's Allegheny Hearth Soaps has been making soap since 1979 - 31 years. She is a self taught artisan and takes advantage of every opportunity to learn all aspects of soap making. She reads books, attends classes and conferences. She also belongs to organizations dedicated to the advancement of the craft and regularly exchanges ideas with other soap makers. Bonnie is always looking to learn and always willing to pass on the things she has learned.

Bonnie lives in the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania atop a hill on five wooded acres. Her inspiration comes from the abundance of nature around her - the trees, flowers, her garden, and all their wonderful scents.

When Bonnie started out making soap she was limited to what her local grocery store sold. Now, thanks to the advent of the internet, Bonnie is able to purchase the finest ingredients. Her cold process soaps are fragrant with shea, mango and cocoa butters; coconut, palm, avocado oils and more, and these scents extend to the powders, balms, salts and other bath and body products in her shop.

While you are looking around Bonnie's shop, take advantage of her special offer - $1 off your purchase with coupon code BonnieBuck. Also, to keep up with Bonnie you can visit her on facebook.

This week, one lucky winner will receive a Set of 3 Gemstone Glycerin Soaps from SoapSmith.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit SoapSmith, come back to this blog post (not facebook) and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win a set of 3 #handmade gemstone glycerin soaps @ http://bit.ly/dq6zD9 ~ US contestants only. ~ @NMGiveaway #artfire #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Follow my blog publicly via Friend Connect - 1 extra entry

6) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, April 4, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to U.S. contestants only.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Cindy's Creative Crochet - Two Winners! {Closed}

2010-03-22T00:00:00.006-04:00

This week's giveaways are from Cindy's Creative Crochet

Cindy of Cindy's Creative Crochet is a self taught crocheter who has been working with wire for approximately five years. and cannot follow a written pattern without a LOT of frustration. Cindy started making crocheted wire jewelry because she had trouble finding ready make bracelets that fit her and thought it was a great idea to make her own after seeing a crocheted piece elsewhere. (Cindy has huge hands, bigger than some men's hands.)

Cindy loves to work with copper wire. She loves the warm and natural color. Cindy also likes using polymer clay beads, especially ones made by her friend tooaquarius, and amethyst stone.

Apart from crafting, Cindy is a mother to 5 kids, ages 12,9,8,7 and 6. She enjoys baking, and does so for people in her neighborhood. Cindy's specialty is cheesecake (YUM!!!). She has over 100 different cheesecake recipes and makes more up as she goes. Cindy also likes to make ice cream. Her favorite is what she calls Mexican Mocha Fantasy. It's chocolate, cinnamon and coffee flavored (another YUM!!!!).

To see more of Cindy's work, visit her on flickr and check out her Etsy shop.

This week there will be two prizes and two winners (one prize for each winner).

Enter for a chance to win either an Crocheted Wire Bracelet & Earring Set or a Pop Tab Wallet in your choice of color.

The first winner will have a choice between the two prizes. The second winner will receive the remaining prize.

For a chance to win this week's giveaways:

Mandatory: Visit Cindy's Creative Crochet, come back to this blog post (not facebook) and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win a #handmade bracelet & earring set or a pop tab wallet @ http://bit.ly/5yrO5o ~ 2 WINNERS! ~ @NMGiveaway #artfire #etsy #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Follow my blog publicly via Friend Connect - 1 extra entry

6) Enter my other blog giveaway from Valmade - 1 extra entry

7) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, March 28, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winners via email and the winners will have 48 hours to respond before I choose new winners.

This giveaway is open to contestants worldwide.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for a great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Valmade - Two Winners! {Closed}

2010-03-15T00:00:00.013-04:00

This week's giveaways are from Valmade

Val of Artfire's Valmade has been knitting and cross stitching for approximately 25 years, and more recently starting making handcrafted greeting cards. Val's mother taught her to knit and sew when she was a child. Later, she went on to study needlework at school. It has always been something she kept up and when her friends started having children, she’d make them all booties and cross stitched baby picture as gifts. One day, someone suggested she try selling her items and so she did. In addition to Artfire, Val's work can also be found on Zibbet and Dwanda.

Just over 5 years ago, Val had the misfortune of being caught in the Asian Tsunami. By a difference of 10 meters, Val survived and her best friend did not. Since then, Val tries to make the most of every day, and she takes note of the saying “Life’s Too Short”. A year after the disaster, Val had the opportunity to go and spend a week in Sri Lanka building a house for a family that had lost everything. She hopes one day she will be able to regularly donate a significant percentage of her sales to charity.

To learn more about and keep up with Val, you can follow her on twitter.

While you are taking a look around Valmade, take advantage of the special discount Val is offering Nature Manipulated's readers - 10% off all orders over $20 with coupon code NATUREMANIPULATED. This special offer ends March 31, 2010.

This week there will be two prizes and two winners (one prize for each winner).

Enter for a chance to win either an Easter Chick Chocolate Egg Cover or a Pair of Baby Booties in your choice of color.

The first winner will have a choice between the two prizes. The second winner will receive the remaining prize.

For a chance to win this week's giveaways:

Mandatory: Visit Valmade, come back to this blog post (not facebook) and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win #handmade baby booties or an Easter chick egg cover from @Valmade @ http://bit.ly/bUPBxq ~ 2 WINNERS! ~ @NMGiveaway #artfire #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Follow my blog publicly via Friend Connect - 1 extra entry

6) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, March 28, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winners via email and the winners will have 48 hours to respond before I choose new winners.

This giveaway is open to contestants worldwide.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for a great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

For Baby - Some of My Favorites on Etsy

2010-03-13T18:50:00.004-05:00

A bunch of babies have been more into my family recently and there are more on the way. You can imagine, I've been busy checking out all the wonderful handmade baby items on Etsy and marking many as favorites. I've even picked out the items I would love to have. Today, I've decided to share a few of my favorites with you.

Included in the spotlight (from top left to bottom right):

- Geometric Shapes Lovie the Minky by AbleMabel
- Heirloom Baby Stacking Rings Set by DillyBaby
- Matilda Mary Jane Crochet Baby Shoes by CurlyBirdie
- Giraffe Print Cloth Diaper by littlemuffinbottoms
- Matryoshka Burp Cloth Set by valeriya
- Blue Choc Daisy Baby Wrap/Sling Carrier by loveyduds
- Moon and Star Ohio Maple Wood Block Teether Set by littlealouette
- Adorable Monkey Hat by ApparelbyHANNIandKAI
- Alphabet Soup, ABC Plus Set by evgie

Spotlight created on ByHand.me

Share your favorite handmade baby items with us in the comments section of this post.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Fantasy Clay {Closed}

2010-03-08T00:00:00.007-05:00

This week's giveaway is from Fantasy Clay

Susan of Fantasy Clay has been sculpting for approximately 10 years. Her interest was peeked when she found a Klutz book for kids. Susan fell in love with the endless sculpting possibilities and the ability to blend colors and began looking for more books and learning all she could. A big turning point for Susan was reading Dinko Tilov’s book, Creating Magical Creatures. It helped her go beyond making cute stuff and trying out some new ideas.

In the past few years, Susan's clay work has focused on fantasy creatures but other items have mixed in too. Susan's biggest inspiration comes from the colors she mixes. She often feels guided by the clay. After she builds the basics, the characters come out on their own.

To learn more about Susan and her work, you may visit her blog at fantasy-clay.com. She can also be found on facebook and on twitter.

While you are taking a look around Fantasy Clay, take advantage of the special discount Susan is offering Nature Manipulated's readers - 15% off any item with coupon code Natural Fantasy. Limit one use per customer. This special offer ends May 31, 2010.

This week, win a Handcrafted Pastel Gingham Teddy Bear from Fantasy Clay

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Fantasy Clay, come back here and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win a #handmade clay gingham teddy bear from @FantasyClay at http://bit.ly/bnrOHi ~ @NMArt @NMGiveaway #artfire #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, March 14, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winners via email and the winners will have 48 hours to respond before I choose new winners.

This giveaway is open to contestants worldwide.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for a great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Tali's Creations Artisan Jewelry - Two Winners! {Closed}

2010-03-01T00:00:00.011-05:00

This week's giveaway is from Tali's Creations Artisan Jewelry

Tali of Tali's Creations has been making jewelry for approximately four years. She started after admiring her co-workers handcrafted creations, and with her co-workers help bought her first supplies and starting creating her own beaded pieces. Today, Tali's Artfire shop is filled with lots of beautiful necklaces, bracelets and earrings - many of them one-of-a-kind. Tali's designs are made using natural stones, Swarovski crystals and pearls, fresh water pearls, and high quality glass and lampworked beads. Her favorite materials to work with are natural stones and Swarovski crystals, and she really like using wire wrapping techniques.

Tali's inspiration comes from seeing people's reactions to her work. When someone is awestruck and can't believe her work is handmade by her, it gives Tali the incentive to make more, improve her skills and master new techniques.

To learn more about Tali and her work, please become a fan of hers on facebook and you can also follow her on twitter.

This week there will be two prizes and two winners (one prize for each winner).

First winner will receive a pair of Chinese Turquoise and Silver Earrings from Tali's Creations.

Second winner, will receive a pair of Dragon Vein, Black Swarovski Crystal and Silver Bead Cap Earrings from Tali's Creations

For a chance to win this week's giveaways:

Mandatory: Visit Tali's Creations, come back here and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry (once daily)

You may tweet the following: Win a pair of #handmade earrings from @TaliCreations at http://bit.ly/cUmX3m ~ 2 WINNERS! ~ @NMArt @NMGiveaway #artfire #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Enter my Putumayo Music Rhythm & Blues CD giveaway - 1 extra entry

6) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, March 7, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winners via email and the winners will have 48 hours to respond before I choose new winners.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian contestants only.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for a great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Weekly Feature and Giveaway: Authentic Arts by Jenny Hoople {Closed}

2010-02-22T00:00:00.004-05:00

This week's giveaway is from Authentic Arts by Jenny Hoople

Jenny Hoople has been making jewelry for approximately seven months. A few years back she attempted making a necklace with job's tears that she grew in her backyard but it did not pan out so well. This past July, Jenny found herself in a craft store. While there, she bought a few items that would go well with her job's tears and from which she could make a necklace. Jenny made a necklace and her mom liked it so much she asked her to make one for her. Jenny made her mom a necklace and many more with her left over materials. When she used up her materials, she went and bought more and from there, Jenny couldn't stop. Shortly after coming up with several designs, she started selling her necklaces.

Jenny use knotted silk to string her necklaces because she like its history and finds it most romantic. She uses natural materials such as stone, bone, wood, shell and silk because "even when altered by human hands and arranged and strung by them, the beauty of the processes that formed them breaks through and dazzles me."

In addition to Etsy, Jenny's work is available at several consignment shops - Poppy Gallery in Columbia, Missouri; Project M boutique in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (opening March 1st) and The Hive Creations on the Anna Maria Islands in Florida. Jenny can also be found on twitter, facebook, myspace and Indiepublic. You can also read more about her and her work on her blog.

This week, win a Rainbow Choker Necklace from Authentic Arts by Jenny Hoople

This Rainbow Choker Necklace is handcrafted from dyed mother of pearl and labradorite beads. The necklace is adjustable, ranging in length from 13.5" to 18.5" The necklace is hand knotted on grey silk thread and fastens with a silver-plated hook and eye clasp and chain.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Authentic Arts by Jenny Hoople, come back here and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry per day

You may tweet the following: Win a #handmade Rainbow Choker Necklace from @jennyhoople at http://bit.ly/diLf1E ~ @NMArt @NMGiveaway #etsy

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, February 28, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian contestants only.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by every Monday for a great giveaway.

Also, if you haven't already entered the Rhythm & Blues CD giveaway, you may do so here.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Unhandmade Giveaway: Putumayo Rhythm & Blues CD {Closed}

2010-02-20T21:00:00.004-05:00

This post is a bit unusual. I don't generally review and offer giveaways of non-handmade items and I don't normally post two giveaways in a week or for longer than a week but I couldn't turn down this opportunity. So this week, you, my readers, are lucky ones.

A few weeks ago a representative for Putumayo World Music got in touch with me and asked if I would like to review one of their new CDs and give one away. Little did he know that I was well aware of Putumayo and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE their compilations. I have a bunch of their music (mostly African and Latin) in my iTunes collection and I have given a few of the kids CDs away as gifts. As you can see, it was very hard for me to say "No" just because I don't usually offer non-handmade giveaways. (By doing this giveaway, I'm secretly hoping I will have the opportunity to review future Putumayo CDs as well. Shh!)

If you haven't heard of Putumayo, the label was established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of the world's cultures. Since its founding, the label has become known for its compilations of great international music; and according to their website, "characterized by the company's motto: 'guaranteed to make you feel good!'" For more information on Putumayo, visit the fascinating About Us section of their website. You can also learn more about Putumayo Kids on the same page. If you have children, I highly recommend their CDs.

Well, now for the giveaway CD...

Earlier this month, Putumayo released Rhythm & Blues, their newest addition to the successful American music series. Rhythm & Blues features first generation soul legends and rising stars of the retro R&B revival. Featured artists include New Orlean's legends Snooks Eaglin, Irma Thomas and Rockie Charles, as well as first generation soul and contemporary artists Lavelle White; The Emotions; Sam Moore, Keb' Mo and Angie Stone; Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings; The Quantic Soul Orchestra; Catherine Russell; Ruthie Foster; Cracked Ice and James Hunter.

Its been awhile since I listened to rhythm & blues. I actually haven't listened to much music at all lately. Strange since I have this dream of one day going back to school for ethnomusicology. This afternoon I decided to pop the CD in while I was making a few pairs of earrings. I was pleasantly surprised! I really liked many of the songs and as the CD progressed, I liked it more. It ended before I was done making my earrings so I put it on again and my like did not change. I think I even picked a favorite! - "Put Me Down Easy" - Like all of Putumayo's CDs, Rhythm & Blues adheres to the company's motto; it makes you feel good.

Win a Rhythm & Blues CD from Putumayo World Music

For a chance to win this giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Putumayo, listen to sample tracks from Rhythm & Blues, and come back here and post the title of your favorite song.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry per day

You may use the following tweet - Win a @PutumayoMusic Rhythm & Blues CD @NMART @NMGiveaway ~ http://bit.ly/d0aSmW Please RT #giveaway

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Purchase a CD from Putumayo and tell us which one - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, March 7, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to U.S. contestants only.

Thanks for participating in this giveaway. Don't forget to enter my regularly scheduled handmade giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Monday Giveaway and Feature: five and two by briana rose {CLOSED}

2010-02-15T00:00:00.013-05:00

Congratulation to #41 Lauren for winning this giveaway

This week's giveaway is from five and two by briana rose

Briana Rose began making accessories at the age of fifteen. Briana is a creative freak. [Her words, not mine! She started out wanting to make something different and natural. So she did! Briana began making accessories that are adorably chic and emphasize the sweet beauty found in nature. Briana loves using sugar starfish for her hairpins. "They have so much character and personality!" She also loves working with Swarovski crystals and semiprecious stones, such as amazonite.

Briana has been blessed and received a scholarship to further her accessories line and establish a business. In addition to Etsy, her items can be found at a local spa boutique. Briana is also looking to sell in other locations throughout the country.

Briana's shop name, "five and two", is very symbolic and important to her. It comes from a biblical story (Matthew 14:18-21a) where Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. This story reminds Briana that a little can be turned into a lot. I'd say her jewelry speaks to this message!

This week, win a Swarovski Embellished Starfish Hairpin from five and two

The starfish used are called “sugar starfish”, imported from the Caribbean. Sugar starfish are in abundance and are not an endangered species. They are one of nearly 2,000 types of starfish. Starfish are not classified as a fish, they are represented in the same family as the sand dollar.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit five and two by briana rose, come back here and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt in your tweet) - 1 extra entry per day

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, February 21, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to U.S. contestants only.

While you are looking around five and two by briana rose, take advantage of Briana's special offer for Nature Manipulated readers: 25% off your first purchase; use code FIRST at check out and you will be refunded through PayPal. .

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Simply Signs by Jessica {CLOSED}

2010-02-08T00:00:00.007-05:00

Congratulations to Vicki @ Nostalgic Collections for winning this giveaway.

This week's giveaway is from Simply Signs by Jessica

Jessica Kayne of Simply Signs by Jessica began painting personalized signs last fall. Jessy started making signs after she set out to fix an old wooden yard stake that was living in her attic. She went to the store for some paints and brushes and from there she was addicted! Within weeks, Jessy's garage was covered with her creations. She started doing local craft fairs and soon after, opened shop on Etsy.

Jessy has always loved to craft. She was brought up in a very artistic family. Her mother created stained glass for 25 years and her grandmother and uncle were fantastic artists as well. Jessy's brother is also awesome at drawing and sketching, and her grandfather paints. Did I say Jessy was brought up in an artistic family?!

Jessy is looking to branch out into wholesale. She would like her work to be featured in local stores and shops, but in the meantime, Etsy is her primary home. Her items are also listed on her Facebook page and she continues to sell at local craft shows.

This week, win a $20.00 Gift certificate to Jessy Kayne's Etsy shop

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Jessy Kayne's Etsy shop, come back here and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt in your tweet) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, February 14, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

International entries are welcome!

While you are looking around Simply Signs by Jessica, take advantage of Jessy's special offer for Nature Manipulated readers: Free Shipping on your first order. This special offer is valid from February 8-21, 2010.

All proceeds from Jessy's sales are going to help pay for her dog's knee surgery. Approximately six months ago, Jessy's family rescued an eight month old pit bull named Bronx. It was love at first sight! Jessy knew she had to show Bronx what a loving family was. He was so shy and scared which leads Jessy to believe Bronx was abused by his previous owner. As Bronx settled in and became less shy, Jessy began to notice he was walking funny, as if something was wrong with his hips. She took him to the vet and found out Bronx's two back knee caps pop in an out of place and therefore he is unable to bend his rear legs. At times, Bronx cannot get off our bed or couch, causing him to have accidents, and as a puppy, he cannot play. His surgery is estimated to cost $1,500 per knee. Unfortunately, Jessy's husband currently is out of work and the money is proving hard to find. Now, let's help Bronx out! Shop Simply Signs by Jessica.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen {CLOSED}

2010-02-01T00:00:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Wehaf for winning this giveaway!

This week's giveaway is from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen
Back in October I did a feature on Rebecca where we learned a lot about her, her soaps and how she became so successful on Etsy and Artfire. (Read the interview here.) In the interview, Rebecca mentioned her health was down so when she contacted me about doing a giveaway, I decided this would be a great opportunity to follow up with her.

Rebecca has had a rough few months. While she was able to fill orders as they came in, she has been mostly non-functioning. After a long struggle with finding the right medications to treat her bipolar disorder, she is starting to feel she can do things again, and has made her first batch of soap in several months. The soap will be part of her spring line and smells like Rice Flower and Vanilla.

Rebecca's goal for 2010 is really simple - get back into the swing of things; make soap and promote her shops again. Rebecca already has purchased lots of new scents and is ready to go. Now, she's taking baby steps back into marketing her shops. In 2010, Rebecca also hopes to stay on top of her bookkeeping - every year she ends up slacking until sales tax is due.

This week, win a set of 3 bestselling soaps: Lavender Mint Soap, Falling for You Soap, and Raspberry and Vanilla Soap.

These handmade, cold process soaps are perfect for dry or troubled skin. Great as facial bars or all over. Bars contain both shea and cocoa butters, as well as an abundance of skin loving oils such as Olive and Rice Bran, both known for their moisturizing properties. These soaps are cleansing, but also leave behind a bit of your body's natural oils to help smooth and rehydrate your skin. They will leave you feeling moisturized and not oily. They also make great shampoo bars.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway:

Mandatory: Visit Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen on Etsy or Artfire, come back here and post your favorite item and email address in the comments section of this post.

Additional chances to win (leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, February 7, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

International entries are welcome!

While you are looking around Rebecca's Artfire shop, take advantage of Rebecca's special offer for Nature Manipulated readers: FREE SHIPPING on orders of $25 or more with coupon code "naturemanipulated". This special offer is valid from February 1 - March 31, 2010.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Read Nature Manipulated's giveaway disclaimer.

Monday Giveaway and Scavenger Hunt: RWest Designs - CLOSED

2010-01-25T00:00:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to Vittoria for winning this giveaway!

This week's giveaway is from RWest Designs
It's almost Valentine's Day and in the spirit of the loving holiday, RWest Designs' Rebecca wanted to sponsor another giveaway on my blog. Feedback from her first giveaway back in December was positive, how could I say not feature her again? If you missed out on her first giveaway and feature, please click here to learn about Rebecca and RWest Designs.

Since I have already featured RWest Designs in the past, this giveaway is going to be a little different. Since the December feature, Rebecca has opened a new shop. Now in order to win, you have to tell me where.

This week, win a pair of Valentine's Day earrings from RWest Designs.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

1) Tell me where RWest Design's newest venue can be found.Hint: The answer can be found on RWest Design's facebook fan page, but you have to search for the answer. Come back here and leave your answer in the comments section below (link at the end of this post), AND 2) tell us your favorite item from RWest Designs.

For additional chances to win (must leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt and a link to the giveaway in your tweet) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry. Tip: When leaving your email do not use the @ and . symbols, instead spell out AT and DOT.)

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, January 31, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Winners will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

Per the featured artist's request, this giveaway is open to U.S. shipping addresses only

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

New Places to Submit your Item Photos

2010-01-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

Flickr has become the standard place to upload your photos and share them with your friends, family and fellow crafters, but there are a few other places where your items photos can reach a larger and more targeted population (targeted if you remember that handmade artists are also buyers of handmade). Also, the terms and agreements of Flickr does not allow you to post a link to your item. Below I will introduce you to three websites where you can submit your item photos with a link to the item in your shop. Please note, the sites are listed in order of difficulty for your item to be accepted and posted (easiest to hardest).

Yaami Handmade
Yaami Handmade is a new community of buyers and sellers of handmade creations. Yaami provides ways to help sellers promote their shops as well as tools to help in the running of their shop.

To add your shop to the directory and to plug your item, click on Promote your Shop in the right hand side bar and then click on the corresponding sub-navigation.

While you are at Yaami, don't forget to check out the forums, tutorials and the Etsy and Artfire tools that are being added as the site grows.

IndieSpotting
IndieSpotting is a gallery showcasing fantastic photos of indie and handmade goods available for sale online. It's a place to be inspired and "window shop" for unique, one-of-a-kind and cool products. IndieSpotting is a section of My Shopping Connection, a resource for people who love shopping for interesting, unusual or one-of-a-kind items from reputable online and local sources.

To submit a photo of one of your items, click on Submit Find and enter the requested information about your item. Keep in mind, your photos must be 200x200 pixels so crop your photo ahead of time. Also, Indiespotting asks that you wait one week between submitting items.

craftgawker
craftgawker is a gallery where anyone can showcase their art, crafting and photography skills. It's a place for you to discover new artists and handmade goods to inspire your own creations.

To submit a photo, click on Submit and enter the requested information. For craftgawker, your photos must be 250x250 pixels. At this time, craftgawker is only accepting one submission at a time to allow items to remain on the front page for longer. Once your submission has been reviewed and either accepted or rejected, you may submit a new item. As craftgawker is a juried site, do not get discouraged if one of your submissions if not accepted. Try to improve your photos and try again.

To check on the status of your submission, log in to craftgawker and click on "My Submissions" on the top right hand corner of the page. You can also set up your account to send you an email when the status has been updated.

If you know of any other sites where you can submit your item photos for free, please share them with us.

Happy Submitting!

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Andrea T Jewelry - CLOSED

2010-01-18T00:00:00.006-05:00

Congratulations Damla! You are the winner of this giveaway.
This week's featured shop is Andrea T Jewelry
Andrea has been designing jewelry for many years but it was only three years ago that she began selling to the public, at craft shows and online. Andrea likes to work with natural stones, including ocean agates she finds around her in her home state of Oregon. When Andrea is designing her jewelry, she likes to start with a one focal point and build her designs around it. Andrea has recently been making lots of earrings because she believes one cannot have too many pairs of earrings. She's probably right!

Andrea recently moved from a coastal town in Oregon to the Central Oregon's high desert country. One thing she misses the most about the coast is meeting lots of dogs. Although Andrea has a cat (who would be quite upset if she brought a dog home), she loved playing with the dogs on the beach, street, and those of her friends and neighbors.

In addition to Artfire, Andrea is starting a shop on Zibbet, although she doesn't have too many items listed there yet.

This week, win a pair of jasper and hemimorphite earrings from Andrea T Jewelry.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and/or post a link to your favorite item/design from the featured artist's shop in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = AndreaTJewelry.artfire.com

For additional chances to win (must leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt and a link to the giveaway in your tweet) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)- 1 extra entry

5) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 5 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. (Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. If your Blogger profile links to your email or shop, that is acceptable too. Leave contact info for each entry.)

While you are looking around Andrea T Jewelry's shop, please take advantage of Andrea's special discount for my blog readers: 20% off your order with coupon code NATUREBLOG. This special offer is valid through January 25, 2010.

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through Sunday, January 24, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Winners will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

This giveaway is open to participants worldwide.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

New Years Resolutions and Plans for 2010

2010-01-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions or set goals for the year - I never have - but this year I decided to set a few. My top most resolution is to pay off as much of my debt as possible. I went through my credit cards last year and looked at the APRs on each. They were INSANE! I tried talking the credit card companies into lowering them but they weren't hearing it. After all they will be losing money starting February. So, instead, I decided to pay off as much as possible of the ones with the highest interest rates. Almost two weeks into the new year and I have already taken steps towards doing this.

My second resolution is to do at least one craft fair this year, preferably the Handmade Calvacade put together by the NewNew Team of Etsy. I missed it the last two years. From what I can tell, it looks incredibly fun (hard work as well). I am hoping to also do the Brooklyn Flea once this summer.

I've done a few craft fairs here and there but it is a bit hard to do in New York City. I don't have a car so transporting my items to the location can be difficult and storing tents and tables in my small apartment is nearly impossible. Also, many of the fairs are just outright expensive. Nonetheless, I WILL do one of them this year.

I also have one goal for this year but it is too early to share. I don't want to jinx it. When the time comes, I will definitely share it with all of you.

Do you have any New Years resolutions or goals for 2010? Share them with us!

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Ruby Red on Fire Graphics - Closed

2010-01-11T14:00:00.013-05:00

Congratulations AndreaDesigns, you are the winner of this giveaway!
This week's featured shop is Ruby Red on Fire Graphics

Yini of Ruby Red on Fire Graphics is a trained Interior Designer who started playing around with Photoshop in 2007 when she was creating a banner for her Etsy shop. She really liked the process and began making more which she put up for sale. After she sold a few of her designs, Yini was hooked.

Some of Yini's favorite custom banners she created can be found at:

SevenWestDesign
MoonofGlass
EcoBabez
AmyDesign

Yini will be closing her Etsy shop soon and continuing to sell primarily on Artfire. She will continue to keep up her blog where she provides helpful information for crafters and artists who sell their work online. Yini can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Polyvore.

Yini also sells jewelry supplies such as beads in her Red Ruby on Fire shop on Artfire, and some of her photography at RedBubble. Yini is also working on a book on Malaysian hawker food which should be out on Blurb sometime in February. She is currently a student, working towards a new career in hairdressing - multi-talented!!

This week there will be 3 winners! Each winner will be able to choose a custom graphic design item of their choice. Your pick! Have Yini create a banner, animated square button ad, gift certificate or business card design

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and/or post a link to your favorite item/design from the featured artist's shop in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = rrofgraphics.artfire.com

For additional chances to win (must leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post a link to your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt and a link to the giveaway in your tweet) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Join Nature Manipulated's mailing list (by doing this you agree to receive a monthly newsletter from NM)

5) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 4 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. Leave contact info for each entry.)

While you are looking around Ruby Red on Fire Graphics' shop, please take advantage of Yini's special discount for my blog readers: buy one get one free (equal or lesser value). This special offer expires February 11, 2010. Please contact Yini with your choices prior to making the purchase so she can adjust the prices to reflect this offer. And, make sure to mention this giveaway in your message to her.

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted until Sunday, January 17, 2010, 11:59pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Winners will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

January's Featured EtsyBlogger - Nico Designs

2010-01-10T19:37:00.005-05:00

This month's Featured EtsyBlogger is Nico Designs!

At Nico Designs you will find handbags, accessories and an assortment of handcrafted gifts. Nico's shop is a creative expression of things that go on in her and her family's little world. Nico is a stay at home mother with two small babies, ages two and one. She sews for sanity!

At Nico Designs each item is created with design, style and functionality in mind. Nico strives to create handbags that are eco-friendly by utilizing a combination of new, repurposed, recycled or upcycled materials. Nico's diaper bags use 100% cotton fabrics, not vinyl or PVC that may be harmful to children.

Below is a sampling of items from Nico Designs' Etsy shop.

You can also stop by Nico's blog to see what she is working on and/or what her family is up to.

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Cokie Pop Paper Boutique - Closed

2010-01-04T14:00:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Alicia Istanbul for winning this giveaway!
This week's featured shop is Cokie Pop Paper Boutique

Angi of Cokie Pop Paper Boutique creates eco-friendly paper products that "pop", including scrapbooks, albums, greeting cards and office products. Angi has hooked on scrapbooking for approximately five years now. She attends scrapbook retreats and craft classes with friends and loves to learn new techniques. Angi is now learning to make her own embellishments and greeting cards using graphic design software and technologies. Angi loves to use designer papers, ribbon and chunky embellishments, especially ones that pop off the page. This makes her scrapbooks unique and one-of-a-kind. It usually takes Angi a couple of hours to make a scrapbook (ten pages) - she takes her time to ensure a good quality product is sent to her customers each and every time.

Early in 2009, Angi opened shop on Etsy under the name of Crafty Angi. This year she moved her items to Cokie Pop Paper Boutique to consolidate her brand and started a new blog to go along with it - cokiepopaper.blogspot.com. On January 15th, Angi plans to open shops on Artfire and 1000 Markets. You can also find Angi on Twitter and facebook.

One of Angi's favorite shops on Etsy and where she has bought her children gifts is Yummy Pocket.

This week, win Good Times Scrapbook Acrylic Album from Cokie Pop Paper Boutique

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and/or post a link to your favorite item from the featured artist's shop in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = cokiepopaper.etsy.com

For additional chances to win (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt and a link to the giveaway in your tweet; include your twitter username in the entry comment) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 4 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. Leave contact info for each entry.)

Per the featured artist's request, this giveaway is open to U.S. shipping addresses only.

While you are looking around Cokie Pop Paper, please take advantage of Angi's specials discount for my blog readers: 20% off for the duration of this giveaway. Please send Angi a message through Etsy before making a purchase and she will create a custom listing for you reflecting the discount.

Entries will be accepted until Monday, January 11, 2010, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

2010 Pretties

2010-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Next major gift giving holiday is Valentine's Day so I put together this Etsy treasury highlighting some great gift ideas... and all the items are new in 2010.

Please visit the treasury and click and comment if you like the items.

2010 Pretties

Featured in this treasury (from upper left to lower right, including alternatives)

1) Garnet, Pearls and Silver Flora and Fauna Pendant by artjewelryonline
2) Be My Valentine Felt Embellishments by chocolatecupcake
3) Red Rose/Coxcomb Bouquet by AprilHilerDesigns
4) Sterling Silver Golf Ball Marker by sTuckintheCoop
5) My Sweet Heart Handmade Cold Process Soap by innerearthsoaps
6) Unisex Double-Stranded Beaded Wood Bracelet by naturemanipulated
7) Vintage French Coin Cuff Links by wickedpen
8) All My Love Notebook by JuniperJournals
9) Drink Love On-the-Go Cup Cozy by KnitStorm
10) Felt Love Mini Book by SmartLilCookie
11) Love for All, Hetero Valentines Cards by airportlovestory
12) Bon Bon and Belchick Squirrels in Love by sleepyking
13) Be Mine Anatomical Heart Valentine Cards by thecraftpantry
14) Hopeless Romantic Custom Sewn Petti Tutu by tiarastutus
15) Pink Champagne Truffles by VintageConfections
16) Quiet Reflection Grey Vintage Swarovski Pendant on Long Black Chain by ShySiren

New Year Updates for Etsy and Artfire

2010-01-02T12:00:00.016-05:00

Let's welcome in the New Year with some updates and/or works in progress to Artfire and Etsy. Many of you may have already heard about these but I thought it would be nice for those who haven't to summarize the events in one place.

Artfire

Shopping Cart Updates
The checkout process should be smoother now for buyers. Artfire has made some upgrades to their shopping cart, including making it easier to contact the seller, return to their shop, and remove items from carts and add them to your hotlist instead. Customers will also have added opportunities to include a shipping note.

New MyArtFire
Artfire has begun redesigning the MyArtFire control panel. The team is working on building a more elegant graphic interface with more consistent navigation and room for the expansion of new features in 2010.

Unlimited Listings For All Members
There is no longer a limit on the number of items sellers Basic members can list on ArtFire.

Etsy

New CEO
Rob Kalin, a.k.a. Rokali, returns as Etsy's CEO, replacing Maria Thomas. It seems like there will be a bunch of changes and improvements coming along with this. We already see more transparency and the community's questions being addressed. Some of the improvements we can expect to see are: a new tagline, new category structures, more exposure to supplies and vintage categories, no more gift guides, no more Weekend Deals, a new About page with more detail as to who is responsible for what, less admin-curated areas (including the front page) and a bunch of new seller tools which are being disclosed and refunded fees for returned items. Increased buyer privacy will also be visited, as well as ways to crack down on resellers.

This is exciting! Hopefully we will see some of these changes soon. I'm particulary interested in the new tools and hoping they include tools for discounts, coupon codes and gift certificates.

If you have any questions you'd like to see answered, Rob will be following this thread - http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6384197. You can also ask your questions on Twitter - include @rokali in your post and/or the #etsyq hashtag.

To follow Rob's responses, visit the Announcements section of the forums and look for his "Answering your Questions" series.

Voter
This feature is not new but I just learned about it so I figured there may still be a lot of people who haven't heard about. The Etsy Voter was launched around the summer of 2009. It is an interactive tool that allows people to vote on their favorite Etsy items. At the end of the voting period, you can see which items come out on top. Etsy is using the Voter to conduct mini polls and featuring some of the winners in the Storque. The Etsy Voter can be found here.

If you know of any other advances and/or changes, please share them with us.

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Brown's Country Originals - Closed

2009-12-28T14:00:00.003-05:00

This week's featured shop is Brown's Country Originals
Mike and Donna Brown, the owners and crafters behind Brown's Country Originals, are a husband and wife artist team with approximately 20 years experience in making decorative pieces. After selling their items at craft fairs, Mike and Donna decided to venture into the online marketplace and opened Brown's Country Originals in 2008. When Mike and Donna are not crafting or selling their items at craft fairs, they enjoy fishing, camping and spending time with each other, their son and Beagle.

Mike and Donna make an assortment of goods using wood, chalk, hypertufa (a light weight concrete), paper mache, clay, flowers (dried, fresh and artificial) and basket reed. Mike and Donna also have a line of garden items; Donna makes hypertufa birdbaths, flower planters and flower pots and Mike makes wooden potting benches, planter and garden stakes.

This week, win a Chalkware Snowman Pin from Brown's Country Originals

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and/or post a link to your favorite item from the featured artist's shop in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = brownsco.etsy.com

For additional chances to win (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt and a link to the giveaway in your tweet; include your twitter username in the entry comment) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 4 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. Leave contact info for each entry.)

Per the featured artist's request, this giveaway is open to U.S. shipping addresses, lower 48 states only.

Entries will be accepted until Monday, January 4, 2010, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T10:41:00.004-05:00

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas holiday and/or break. At 8:45 this morning I woke up like a little child, ran to the tree, turned the lights on, woke my BF up and opened presents ... before coffee! I got lots of great gifts but I know many of you would like to know which of the handmade gifts I requested I got. Well, I only received one of them and that is okay (the others were sold already and the BF didn't think of seeing if they were relisted or not). It is one I have being eying for SO long now. I got ... Cecil & Co's Downtowner-Leopard in Green bag. I love it! On top of that, I got a Silhouette SD digital cutter. I can't wait to download designs and start cutting. You can expect new cards soon. Hope you got everything you wanted!

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Within Wire - Closed

2009-12-21T14:00:00.007-05:00

Congratulations Shay Lee! You are the winner of this giveaway.

This week's featured shop is Within Wire
Within Wire's artist, Anna, made her first piece of jewelry approximately two years ago when she took a fusing fine silver jewelry class with her friend. Since then, Anna has been busy trying new jewelry techniques, of which she uses wire wrapping and caging the most. Anna's style inspired her shops name. She likes to take natural components, particularly beach glass and shells, and adds wire to them. All of the beach glass and shells are hand picked from local beaches in Hawaii, where Anna is from. When Anna is not making jewelry, she works in a laboratory as an oceanographer, looking for the next biofuel using algae as the source. Anna also likes to paint, draw, sew, do ceramics and cook.

This week, win a Zen inspired stacked seaglass pendant from WithinWire

This beautiful pendant is created from seaglass - a classic color combination of bright green, light blue and white. The stacks are offset to the right of a beautifully handmade sterling silver circle. Pendant does not come with chain.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and/or post a link to your favorite item from the featured artist's shop in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = WithinWire.etsy.com

For additional chances to win (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt in your tweet and your twitter username with the entry comment) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 4 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. Leave contact info for each entry.)

Per the featured artist's request, this giveaway is open to U.S. shipping addresses only.

Entries will be accepted until Monday, December 28, 2009, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

While you are visiting Anna's shop, please take advantage of her special offer to Nature Manipulated readers: Use code NMpendant to receive 50% off a chain when you buy a pendant (mention the length of the chain when checking out; difference will be refunded through PayPal). This offer is valid until December 30, 200.

To keep up to date with Anna and WithinWire, stop by Within Wire's twitter page. Also, Anna loves to create custom orders. If you would like something specially designed for you, send Anna your request.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

My Handmade Holiday

2009-12-18T22:07:00.029-05:00

Unfortunately, I never plan ahead of time to get many of my gifts and decorations handmade, but this year I did! I managed to buy a bunch of gifts, and a new ornament, on Etsy; and give my boyfriend a list of handmade items I would love to get as gifts. On top of it all, when I was decorating our tree last night, I realized we had LOTS of handmade ornaments - some my own and some from years past. I even have one I made when I was about 11 years old (it might be the best one on there).

Some of the handmade gifts currently wrapped under my tree include:

There's two more items - one I made and one I bought but I can't shop in case my BF visits my blog (yeah right!).

Some of the handmade items I asked for and hopefully are under the tree:

Oops! I didn't realize that by doing this, I would find out which of the items I asked for sold and which did not. I think all but one sold. I wonder!

Hope you're having a handmade holiday too! Happy Holidays!

Meatless "Chicken Scratch" - Vegan Bath and Body

2009-12-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

This feature is LONG overdue (and long, but worth reading). It's been in my hands for quite some time and somehow I have not gotten around to posting it until now. Sorry, Beth!

Chicken Scratch has been one of my favorite shops for awhile, with many of owner, Beth's items in my favorites. Chicken Scratch is full of handmade vegan bath and body product: massage candles, scrubs and bath bombs that look good enough to eat - even if you are a carnivore!

Now, before I get hungry looking at Beth's Cranberry Fig Soy Candle and Gingerbread Bath Bomb, here's a little bit more on her and her shop:

NM: How long have you been making candles and bath and body products for? Which did you start out with first?
BM: I've been creating bath & body products for about two years. I started with melt & pour soap, but wanted to branch out and get a little more involved in my products. I experimented and gave a few gift baskets to friends at work. Soon I had enough people demanding candles and bath bombs that I opened shop on Etsy.

NM: How did you begin making these items? What attracted you to them?
BM: My sister and I had fooled around with homemade cosmetics when we were teenagers - you know, mayonnaise hair conditioners and such. I've always been a DIYer because we could never afford many luxuries. After I became a vegetarian in my twenties, I began reading product labels and becoming concerned with what I was putting in and on my body. I realized I could concoct many products myself and have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what went into them. Now I try to keep all the ingredients of my products familiar and pronounceable - as well as vegan, of course!

NM: What differentiates your handmade products from others in the same category?
BM: I focus on vegan and cruelty-free ingredients, and madly research everything I include in my products. I also like the idea of creating "spa luxuries", little things to spoil yourself when you need a pick-me-up. Over the next year I'll be expanding my product line to include massage oils, facial scrubs and masques, and hair treatments.

NM: Your shop states your items are vegan. What materials are generally used in bath and body or candle products that are not vegan?
BM: I only use soy wax in my candles, instead of beeswax or petroleum-based waxes. Soy burns cleaner and longer than beeswax. Even the wicks are cotton fiber dipped in soy wax - I have to get them from a separate supplier. I also don't use lanolin, which is derived from sheep's wool, or other more obvious products like honey or milk powder. Sometimes the preservatives used come from questionable sources or contain parabens. I only use optiphen or essential oils like rosemary and grapefruit seed.

NM: Do you have any items for sensitive skin? Dry skin?
BM: I can make any of my products unscented or color-free, and will make substitutions in case of allergies. My body butters are wonderful for dry skin - they contain shea butter and cocoa butter, as well as avocado oil. My candles are great moisturizers, too - I light one during my bath and then smooth down my legs with the warm oil afterwards.

NM: How long do your candles last?
BM: My candles are good for about two full body rubs, head to toe. You can get several back massages out of them. If you're only burning them (which is just half the fun), they last about 25 hours.

NM: What inspires your mixtures/scents?
BM: I live steps away from a huge park, and everything in Southern California blooms year round. As I walk to work in the afternoons, I breathe in the eucalyptus, plumeria, magnolia and jasmine. I want to capture all these smells and send a little California sunshine around the world. It's hard not to get inspired.

NM: Do you have anything special for the holidays?
BM: I listed Gingerbread Men fizzing bath bombs and a Fresh Cut Spruce massage candle. I expanded my listings so that all scents are available in all products (although you can always request a custom order). I also have a big package of new scents at my place - including a Frankincense & Myrrh blend, Turkish Mocha and Snickerdoodle.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy and Artfire?
BM: I have cold process soaps on sale at the Old Globe Theatre gift shop in San Diego - so if you're in the area, stop on by!

NM: Where/how do you promote your shop?
BM: I'm a member of the EtsyVeg team and do a lot of group promoting with them on blogs. I'm on twitter - chknscratch - and always notify my followers of new items or sales, and offer twitter exclusive promos. My facebook fan page is facebook.com/chickenscratchbathandbody.

NM: Do you sell your items at craft fairs? If so, what advice can you offer artists considering their first fair?
BM: I haven't ventured into the strange new world of craft fairs yet.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
BM: I love my Eucalyptus Lemongrass massage candle because it was my first product created and listed. The scent is bright and happy, and an instant hit with my customers and friends. I rub out my poor arthritic knees when they ache, or a little on my chest when I feel congested.

NM: Do you belong to any groups on Etsy, Artfire or elsewhere? Tell us a little bit about them.
BM: I belong to EtsyVeg, a group of sellers who are vegetarian or vegan and sell vegetarian goods. Check out our blog - etsyveg.blogspot.com. It's a wonderful, supportive and creative group of people. I feel like I have friends all over the world - and besides helping me with business advice, we talk about everything: families, vegetarian recipes, politics.... I'm so lucky to have found this group.

NM: Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
BM: I love a challenge, so bring it on! I'll customize any product to your liking, or create something unique just for you. I also welcome wholesale or bulk inquires.

Business Details

Your Name: Beth Merriman

Shop Name: Chicken Scratch Bath & Body

Location: San Diego, California, USA

Website URL: chickenscratchbathandbody.com

Etsy URL: chickscratch.etsy.com

Artfire URL: chickenscratch.artfire.com

Twitter: twitter.com/chknscratch

Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/chickenscratchbathandbody

Artist's Eye

2009-12-16T21:02:00.004-05:00

Zionshore of Etsy put together this beautiful treasury and included my "They Don't Make Buildings Like Me Anymore" photograph. If you like what you see, please visit the treasury, click and comment.

Artist's Eye

Monday Giveaway and Feature: RWest Designs - Closed

2009-12-14T14:00:00.009-05:00

This week's featured shop is RWest Designs

RWest Designs' artist, Rebecca, has been making jewelry on and off since 1997. She considers herself a crafting freak and constantly wants to make new things. Rebecca sells her creations on Etsy to help pay for her daughter's adoption and to set up a fund to take her daughter back one day to see where she was born.

This week, win a pair of Angel Earrings from RWest Designs

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and post a link to your favorite item from one of the featured artist's shops in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = rwestdesigns.etsy.com

For additional chances to win (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt in your tweet and your twitter username with the entry comment) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 4 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. Leave contact info for each entry.)

Per the featured artist's request, this giveaway is open to U.S. shipping addresses only.

Entries will be accepted until Monday, December 21, 2009, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

A little bit more about Rebecca's craft and shops:

Where does your inspiration come from?
Mostly the beads themselves. My work table is messy, with lots of beads leftover from projects, and most of the time ideas will come to me from just looking at the beads laying together on the table. Somedays I have nothing, other days, ideas are flowing at me so fast I can't keep up!

What material(s) do you primarily use?
Semi-precious gemstones, I like them all! Sterling silver, but I am considering doing some silver plated to offer a less expensive option for those who don't mind plated items. Also, swarovski crystals are a favorite!

Do you have a favorite stone? If so, which one?
I LOVE them all but my favorite ...hhhhhmmmm, probably Turquoise.

Other than Etsy, where else can your work be found?
Right now only Etsy, however, I'm working on some other projects. I do have a basic account with soopsee.com and I am looking into Artfire.

Are you on any social networking sites? Which ones?
Currently I am on facebook - RWestDesigns Jewelry. Come be a fan! I'm also on twitter - rwestdesigns. Come follow me!

Please provide a link to ONE of your favorite Etsy or Artfire shops.
whimsypics.etsy.com - She is an awesome designer of cards, scrapbooks, altered jars - all kinds of neat stuff, and a really sweet person too.

Tell me something interesting about you or your shop. This can be anything but should be something not found in shop profile.

I love the colors purple, lime green, pink and cobalt blue. I love the simpler, smaller things in life. I love to cook, paint, take pictures, read different blogs and create with my hands. I am impatient and can't get enough of my beautiful baby girl. I keep my three nieces during the day. I am secretary of Woodlawn Community where I live. I'm working at my jewelry business, and am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, sister-in-law and aunt to the the best family ever. That's probably not too interesting but it's my life!

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Handmade Living - Gift Ideas for the Home

2009-12-13T18:48:00.005-05:00

As part of the holiday gift guide series, I created this Etsy treasury full of fabulous gift ideas for the home.

Handmade Living

Included in this treasury (from top left to bottom right, including alternates):

1) Blue Bird Pillow by diffractionfiber
2) Doppio Espresso Cup and Saucer by ofminedesign
3) Red Flowers Natural Lacquered Chopsticks by WindAndRain
4) Hand Made Lampshades by myfinch
5) Nosh Bowl by laurawallstaylor
6) Climbing Vine Wall Clock by infinityarts
7) Rustic Wood Candle Holders by thelogbasket
8) Rectangle Poplar Cutting Board by boardsandbeads
9) Linen Hand Hemstitched Napkins by LinenMe
10) Cheers .. Scrabble Tile Wine Glass Charms w/ Display Rack by stewartathome
11) Modern Style Tile Bowl with Oak and Cedar by touchofparis
12) Silverware Vinyl Wall Decal Flatware by circlelinestudio
13) Wine Rack by AspenBottleHolders
14) Stickler for Stripes Napkin Rings by houseofpeltier
15) Citrus Collection Crocheted Washcloths by shopspottedelephant
16) Cup by ebenotti

December's Featured EtsyBlogger: Calkat

2009-12-09T12:00:00.003-05:00

This month's Featured EtsyBlogger is Calkat! In Calkat's case, there are two bloggers - Kathy and Carrie.

Kathy and Carrie have been making and designing OOAK pieces of jewelry for over five years. In addition to Calkat, they have three more shops on Etsy, each distinctly different from each other. At Ametista, Kathy and Carrie sell dark apothecary bottles, furry monster boxes, unusual OOAK gifts and more; at The Clay Shoppe, they sell molds and supplies for polymer clay lovers; and at Yoga Fairies, Kathy and Carrie create polymer clay fairies in a variety of yoga positions.

Below is a sampling of items from Kathy and Carrie's four shops.

On the Tree and Under the Tree

2009-12-08T13:00:00.001-05:00

Handmade holiday decorations and gift ideas.

Included in the above Etsy treasury (from top left to bottom right, including alternates):
1) A Closer Look Series-Underneath It All Pendant by blockpartypress
2) Brown Fern Sachets by lottahelleberg
3) Ginger Bread Man Christmas Ornament by vivikas
4) Sea Urchin Collection-Sterling Silver Green Ring by staroftheeas
5) Candy Cane Ruffle Soap by sunbasilgarden
6) Massive Scarf Wrap by moocowhandknits
7) Opal Tidal Whirl Pool Ring in Sterling Silver by sarawestermark
8) Ivory Victorian Romance Heart Earrings by dkjewels
9) Art Deco Kimono Flower-Kanzashi Hair Comb by PetalMix
10) One Sweet Linen Tree Ornament by allthingswhite
11) Midnight Sea Pottery Vase by lurearts
12) Tote Roll Up-Honeycomb by efran
13) Ctrl-Alt-Del Three Pillow Set by diffractionfiber
14) Limited Edition The Downtowner-Leopard in Green by CecilandCo
15) Little Red Bird-Holiday Sparkle in Snowy White by LowellandSon
16) Ceramic SHOT Glass by ofminedesign

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Phoenixwildfire Studios - CLOSED

2009-12-07T14:00:00.012-05:00

Congratulations to The Hemisphere for winning this giveaway.
This week's featured shop is Phoenixwildfire Studios

The artist behind Phoenixwildfire is a college student who loves to craft. She has been making jewelry since she was very young. Her mother taught her how to make her first necklace - it was for an outfit they were making for the SCA (medieval reenactment group). Since then, Phoenixwildfire has taken on additional forms of crafting and art: making stuffed animals and costumes, painting, drawing, crocheting, stone wrapping, glass beadworking, photography, and the list goes on.

Experience a part of Phoenixwildfire with her HUGE lot of a giveaway!

Win 5 different ACEO prints and a Waterhouse themed pendant

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and post a link to your favorite item from one of the featured artist's shops in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = phoenixwildfire.etsy.com

For additional chances to win (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt in your tweet and your twitter username with the entry comment) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

3) Add one of my ad buttons (left hand sidebar) to your blog or website and post a link to your site in the comments - 1 extra entry

4) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 4 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. Leave contact info for each entry.)

Per the featured artist's request, this giveaway is open to U.S. shipping addresses only.

Entries will be accepted until Monday, December 14, 2009, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

A little bit more about Jessica's craft and shops:

How would you describe your workshop?
My work and shop are both very casual - a table with a new sewing machine, my little sushi pin cushion, several tubs and dividers for fabric and other crafts, and drawings all over the walls, along with a small folder of ideas I jotted down here and there. I work hard to make things as best I can. If I wouldn't want it, how can I expect anyone else to want it?

What is your favorite item in your shop?
My favorite item is a print of the 'cover' I drew for one of my many stories I write.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33691815

It's the cover for my favorite story, The Mirror. Toran (the man) and Althea (the woman) are two of my favorite characters ever made. The story is a lesson on racial tolerance, trust and survival.

Can your items be found anywhere other than Etsy?
They can also be found at phoenixwildfire.deviantart.com. That is where ALL of my artwork is. It's sometimes difficult to find crafts among the drawings, and you can't purchase anything there.

Please name and provide a link to ONE of your favorite Etsy (or handmade) shops.
Talkproof - She makes the cutest stuffed animals! I have been wanting one of her cupcake bears for months now.

Tell us something interesting about you or your shop.
I work at a bakery as a cake decorator but I'm also a dental hygiene major. A lot of people find this ironic.

To find out more about Phoenixwildfire and her work, please stop by her blog at phoenixwildfirestudios.blogspot.com.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Jess Kay Designs - Closed

2009-11-30T14:00:00.005-05:00

littledeadmommy and Aik won this giveaway. Congrats!

This week's featured shop/artist is Jessica of Jess Kay Designs
Jessica started making jewelry as an early teen. It began as a hobby she
would do with her mom and sister. Jessica stopped for many years and just started back up a few years ago, mostly making gifts for friends. It wasn't until earlier this year that she decided to really dive in. That was when Jessica started her Etsy shop. Now that she's started, she can't stop!

Win a pair of Green Chalcedony Dangle Earrings ($28.00 value)

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and post a link to your favorite item from one of the featured artist's shops in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = JessKayDesigns.etsy.com

For additional chances to win (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt in your tweet and your twitter username with the entry comment) - 1 extra entry

2) Post a link to the giveaway on your Facebook page and leave a comment below with the Facebook post and a link to your Facebook page - 1 extra entry

3) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

4) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 4 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. Leave contact info for each entry.)

Entries will be accepted until Monday, December 7, 2009, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

Thanks to Jessica's generosity, two lucky readers will win a pair of these earrings.

While you are visiting Jessica's shops, please take advantage of her special 20% discount for Nature Manipulated readers. Enter NMBLOG in the message to seller upon checkout and the difference will be refunded to you. This offer cannot be combined with another discount offer, minus "last chance" designs. This special offer is valid until December 31, 2009.

A little bit more about Jessica's craft and shops:

What is your favorite material to use? Stone?
I love working with sterling silver and stones (semi-precious and precious). For silver, the material I'm currently working with is Art Clay Silver (a recycled silver clay that is kiln-fired into pure silver). As for stones, depending on my mood, I sometimes look for rough and organic looking stones, but right now I'm doing a lot of pieces with sparkly, cut/faceted stones.

Can your items be found anywhere other than Etsy?
Currently, Etsy is the only place I sell my jewelry.

Are you on any social networking sites? Which ones?
I also list new items on my facebook page, myspace page and I have a flickr account.

Please name and provide a link to ONE of your favorite Etsy (or handmade) shops.
I love Mautto Handbags! I might be a little biased because it is my Aunt Lynette's shop, but she is extremely talented and thoughtful about details. I have a handbag and lunch sack that I use everyday!

Tell us something interesting about you or your shop.
I am a full-time Interior Architecture student in my final year and as much as I'm ready to graduate and move on from school, a small part of me wants to stay there for the sole reason of being able to take some jewelry courses and expand my skills. I am mostly self-taught which makes my skills somewhat limited and I want to be able to take my line of jewelry even farther. I am really interested in learning about wax carving, casting and metal smithing techniques, so I may try that out next summer!

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Black Friday Blacks

2009-11-27T17:57:00.004-05:00

For the second time this week, I swiped an Etsy treasury. That never happens! In the spirit of Black Friday, today I put together some of my favorite black items tagged with EtsyHolidaySale. If they are your favorite too, you can now purchase them for less.

Black Friday Blacks

For more Black Friday and Thanksgiving weekend specials, search EtsyHolidaySale and EtsyFreeShipping on Etsy. Also, stop by the official Black Friday Extravaganza thread and the EtsyBloggers Holiday Sale thread. And of course, don't forget Nature Manipulated's Black Friday-Cyber Monday Sale on Etsy and Artfire.

Happy Shopping!

Etsy Black Friday to Cyber Monday Extravaganza

2009-11-26T00:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone is getting ready to spend some time with family and/or friends and eat LOTS of food. I know I am, and I am SO excited. I LOVE Thanksgiving. I think it's the cranberry sauce and stuffing that does it for me. Oh yeah, and the butternut squash soup. Can't forget Aunt May's soup!

Well, once you recover from cooking, eating, drinking and watching football, it's shopping time. That's right, IT'S SHOPPING TIME! Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Followed three days later by one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, Cyber Monday. This means SALES, SALES, SALES.

For the next few days, hundreds of Etsy shops will be participating in the Black Friday Extravaganza, offering buyers great discounts, free gifts and more. Don't miss out on this opportunity to get your handmade holiday gifts (and some of your favorite items for yourself). Use the directory below to find the items you are looking for and/or search Black Friday on Etsy.

Before I post links to the directory, here is ...

Nature Manipulated's Black Friday - Cyber Monday sale
(applies to both my Etsy and Artfire shops).

1. 20% off ALL orders of $25 or more*
2. FREE holiday card with necklace purchase (surprise card)
3. Buy 1 photograph get 1 FREE**

Three great offers! Take advantage of one, two or all three of them!

Start shopping the sale today!

*Purchases on Etsy: Enter BLACKFRIDAY in notes to seller upon checkout and the difference will be refunded through PayPal within 24 hours. If you would prefer to wait for a revised invoice, please specify so in the notes to seller upon Etsy checkout and I will send a revised PayPal invoice within 24 hours.

Purchases on Artfire: Enter coupon code BLACKFRIDAY upon checkout and the discount will be immediately applied to your order total.

This offer is not valid on custom orders and cannot be used with other discount code offers.

** Free photo must be of equal or lesser value. Please specify upon checkout which photo you would like free. If you see a photograph but would like a different size, please send me a message and I will try and accommodate your request.

And now for many of the other shops participating, please search the Black Friday Extravaganza directory (courtesy of Zeba):

By Category

By Shop Name

Black Friday Extravaganza participants are also posting their items and special offers on the Etsy Black Friday facebook page.

Nature Manipulated Featured on Handmade News

2009-11-25T19:24:00.003-05:00

Nature Manipulated was featured yesterday on Handmade News. Read the interview and learn more about me and my crafts. Vote thumbs up if you like it!

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Swank and Capricious Adornments

2009-11-23T14:00:00.005-05:00

This week's featured shop/artist is Natasha Suter of
Swank and Capricious Adornments.

Natasha Suter always had a thing for creating and trying new techniques of art. She loves to sketch, paint, sculpt, decorate and cook. Today, she works on her passion of creating jewelry. Natasha has two distinct shops on Artfire. Capricious Adornments is home for her classic and traditional pieces and Swank, her trendier sister. Capricious Adornments is also on Etsy.

Win a boot bracelet of your choice from Swank (up to $24.99 value)

Shipping is free to U.S. and Canadian addresses. If you are outside the U.S. and Canada, you will have to pay shipping charges if you win

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and post a link to your favorite item from one of the featured artist's shops in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = swank.artfire.com and capriciousadornments.artfire.com

For additional chances to win (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet the giveaway and post your tweet in the comments below (include @NMArt in your tweet and your twitter username with the entry comment) - 1 extra entry

2) Post a link to the giveaway on your Facebook page and leave a comment below with the Facebook post and a link to your Facebook page - 1 extra entry

3) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

4) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 2 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted. Leave contact info for each entry.)

Entries will be accepted until Monday, November 30, 2009, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

While you are visiting Natasha's shops, please take advantage of her special 10% discount with coupon code NATUREBLOG. In addition, Natasha is offering FREE SHIPPING in the U.S. and Canada and a FREE pair of earrings with every purchase.

A little bit more about Natasha's craft and shops:

What is your favorite stone?
All gemstones, especially in unique mined colors or vintage style forms.

Do you participate in craft fairs?
I no longer sell at craft fairs, but have a studio attached to my home for walk in and custom work by appointment. I also do home parties.

Do you belong to any Artfire guilds or Etsy Teams?
Yes - New Jersey ArtFire/Guildmaster, Steampunk Artists of Art Fire, Verified Artfire Seller Guild, SRAJD Members, HAF Artfire Guild & EtsyNJ

Please provide a link to ONE of your favorite Artfire shops.
I shop AF quite a bit; soaps, candles, supplies - but my Favorite is Creative Critters. I just bought a cute handmade catnip filled mouse that actually made my cat move! Must be some fresh catnip in there!

Tell me something interesting about you or your shop.
Born here, I am fluent in French and Russian, and have spent many years volunteering, working and teaching in the school system with Special Needs Multiple Disability children - both in New Jersey and Florida. I retired my service when my own children became older, my business grew and life became more demanding with their activities. I'm a married full time Mom with teenagers also!

To keep up-to-date with Natasha, her work, guilds and teams, please visit her blog. Natasha can also be found on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook (Swank) Facebook (Capricious Adornments) and Networked Blogs.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Handmade Hanukkah Gift Guide

2009-11-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hanukkah is pretty early this year (starts at sundown on December 11th) and the holiday shopping season has begun. I have put together some great handmade Hanukkah gift ideas to make your shopping experience ,much easier. And don't forget to check out my handmade Hanukkah items!

Items/Shops from left to right, top to bottom:
1. Marble Glass Magnets/TamarHammer
2. Song of Songs in Hebrew/KhaliNouveau
3. Ethereal Kippah/downtoearthcreations
4. Sieberdesigns
5. Spiral Bound Journal/anjalicreations
6. Watercolor print and verse/mishmishmarket
7. Baby girl's blessing Hamsa/studiodanale
8. Golden Menorah Hand Painted Rock/Doodlage
9. Ima Mug for Mom/agru

Items/Shops from left to right, top to bottom:
1. Dreidel Scrabble Tile Pendant with Necklace/aPassionForFashion
2. Miriam Kippah/kippahmitzvah
3. Chanukah Menorah Ornament/nicholasandfelice
4. Knit Bubbe Mugrugs/blazingneedles
5. 8 Hanukkah Cards/Roosevelvet
6. Personalized Wooden Me/norah/cardonawoodworks
7. Personalized Chanukah Cards/AnotherCreation
8. Star of David, Menorah and Fish Ring/UniversalAge
9. Hanukkah Pop-Up Card/tracychong

Items/Shops from left to right, top to bottom:
1. Festival of Lights Pillow/agraceunlimited
2. Gracie in a Hanukkah Dress/SugarAndSpice
3. Chanukah Embroidered Gift Card Holder/28SidesDesigns
4. Star of David Bobby Pins/sewjewcy
5. Dreidel Plate/marshabanderson
6. Hanukkah Celebration Soap/spottedcowsoaps
7. Hanukkah Gelt Pouch Calendar/thymbyldesigns
8. Hanukkah Reusable Cotton Cloth Dinner Napkins/MaryLittfin
9. Dreidel Holiday Cookie Gift Collection/CookieCreatives

Happy Hanukkah Shopping! Be sure to keep an eye out for my upcoming Christmas and holiday gift guides.

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Glass and Wire Gems

2009-11-16T14:00:00.006-05:00

This week's featured shop/artist is Donna of Glass and Wire Gems.

Donna started making jewelry in early 2008 as a hobby and started wire-wrapping about six months later. Donna has worked with stained glass for years. A friend/mentor who has worked with dichroic glass for a long time asked Donna if she wanted to take a class with her. Her interest grew from there - it's the hobby that has grown wings.

Now you can fly away with this week's giveaway. This week there will be two winners.

Wire-Wrapped Aqua Dichroic Teardrop Pendant

White with Silver Wire-Wrapped Dangle Earrings

This giveaway is only open to U.S. shipping addresses.

The first name, picked at random, will have a choice between the two items above. The second winner, also picked at random, will win the remaining item.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

Name and post a link to your favorite item from the featured artist's shop in the comments section of this post (link at the end of this post)

Featured Shop = glassandwiregems.artfire.com

For additional chances to win:

1) Tweet the giveaway (include @NMArt in your tweet) and post your tweet in the comments below (include your twitter username) - 1 extra entry

2) Post a link to the giveaway on your Facebook page and leave a comment below with a link to your post - 1 extra entry

3) Blog about the giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below - 1 extra entry

4) Purchase an item from the featured shop and post a link to the item you purchased (transaction link) - 2 extra entries

ENTRIES WITHOUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted)

Entries will be accepted until Monday, November 23, 2009, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

A little bit more about Donna's craft and shop:

What is your favorite stone?
My favorite stone is the amethyst.

Do you make other crafts?
I've done some card making and crocheting.

What attracted you to Artfire?
It's newness and the ease with which you can do things. I'm not good with computers and their site helps a lot. I also like the way the different artists work together. They are a community.

Can your items be found anywhere other than Artfire?
I have my own website - www.glassandwiregems.com. I'm currently on Etsy too. I also have my pieces on consignment at two local stores.

Please provide a link to ONE of your favorite Artfire shops.
silverNglass.artfire.com

Tell me something interesting about you or your shop.
I love the desert and the mountains. Their beauty has always been amazing to me.

While you are visiting Glass and Wire Gems, please take advantage of Donna's offer - 15% off your order with coupon code NATURE. Special offer valid through November 30, 2009.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Be sure to stop by next week for another great giveaway.

Newbies Ask Their Questions Round 8

2009-11-14T17:00:00.003-05:00

Okay, I have no excuse this week for Newbies Ask Their Questions being late again other than I was too tired to post yesterday. Think I might make this post a Saturday thing. Much easier to get done than relying on myself to have enough energy Friday after work.

I think this week we do have some Artfire participation. Great! Please, if you have any selling handmade questions, please post them. You don't have to be on Etsy or Artfire. How you find this week's questions and answers helpful!

Question

"I am stumped with the best way to fairly charge for postage -not understanding the second purchase bit. Does this mean if someone buys more then one item from me they would only pay $1.00 each for them? Or would it be $5.00 if the first quote is $4.00 and the second $1.00? How do I charge properly without paying for it myself?"

- smallwonders4u (Artfire)

Answers

"If a customer purchases two or more items from your shop, they will be charged the full/higher amount for the first item and the 'if shipped with something else' amount for each additional item. So let's say you have items marked as $4 shipping, $2 if shipped with another item, your customer will be charged $6 for two items or $8 for three items.

A good way of figuring out what you should charge is bring your items to the post office and figure out what it would cost to send one item on its own and then the additional cost of adding an item. If your items all weigh around the same, this will be easy. If they are different weights, you may want to go by the heaviest item(s). If you have different types of items in your shop, you can set shipping costs accordingly to sending those items.

- Nature Manipulated (Artfire & Etsy)

Question

"When I read posts in the forums I often see people posting the work 'Marking'. What does that do? Is there a place in etsy that you can go to and look at all the posts that you marked?"

- SharpMtnCreations (Etsy)

Answers

"Marking is making a short post on a thread so when you come back to the forums, you find the topics you posted in in the right hand top corner."

- VeronicaRStudio (Etsy)

"Go to Forums and in the upper right hand side you should see a link called "Topics I've Posted In". If you click on that all the threads you've posted in will come up.

"On Artfire, go to your 'My Artfire' page; your latest posts are listed on the left hand side of the page."

- Nature Manipulated (Etsy & Artfire)

Monday Giveaway and Feature: Morning Glory Creations

2009-11-09T14:00:00.003-05:00

This week's featured shop/artist is Melanie Howitt of Morning Glory Creations.

Melanie has made one of a kind, handcrafted jewelry off and on for about 10 years but only recently started producing jewelry for sale. In her bio on Artfire, Melanie says, "Sometimes the simpelest design is the best and the most versitile match to a wardrobe. Jewelry is an expression of me."

We can see this expression in this week's giveaway piece:

Raw Oregon Sunstone Wine Charms wrapped in Sterling Silver Wire

Melanie's parents came back from a trip to Oregon with buckets of these stones. They are uncut and unpolished but have a wonderful glassy appearance on their own.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

NAME AND POST A LINK TO YOUR FAVORITE ITEM FROM THE FEATURED ARTIST'S SHOP IN THE COMMENTS

Featured Shop = mhowitt.artfire.com

For additional chances to win:

1) Tweet the giveaway (include @NMArt in your tweet and post your tweet in the comments with your twitter username) - 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway (post a link to your blog post in the comments) - 1 extra entry

3) Purchase an item from the featured shop (post the item you purchased) - 2 extra entries

ENTRIES WITH OUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted)

A little bit more about Melanie's craft and shop:

How did you begin making jewelry?
What really got me started was coming across some beads surprisingly at Walmart that I thought would make a pretty necklace. I have however made simple strings of beads since I was a child. My grandmothers always had boxes of craft items ready for when the grandkids came calling.

How would you best describe your pieces?
I tend to gravitate between simple styles that are a great accent for formal wear to statement pieces that stand on their own.

What is your favorite medium to work in?
I love working with sterling silver or gold plated wire wrap but I’ve started to expand and started working with poly clay and the Mokume Gane process. I also have a passion for wine glass charms and developed a new style that clips to the stem instead of wrapping around it.

Where does your inspiration come from?
All kinds of places. I may see something in a magazine that catches my eye but my latest inspiration actually comes from the Pantone Spring 2010 Color report. I found the clothing designers' sketches pretty inviting.

Can your items be found anywhere other than Artfire?
I currently also have an Etsy Shop at mornglorycreate.etsy.com

Are you on any social networking sites? Which ones?
Facebook, Indiepublic, and Twitter

Please provide a link to ONE of your favorite Artfire shops.
I love hand made soaps! www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=270459

Tell me something interesting about you or your shop.
My children (I have 3 boys) are starting to really enjoy my crafting especially with the clay, or as they call it Adult Playdough. My 12 year-old is convinced he will create something grand that someone will want to pay him thousands of dollars for.

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Entries will be accepted until Monday, November 16, 2009, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winner the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

Newbies Ask Their Questions - Round 7

2009-11-07T20:11:00.014-05:00

Round 7 of Newbies Ask Their Questions is a day late. I apologize! It was my birthday yesterday and on top of that, I haven't been feeling well the last few days.

The response to Round 6 wasn't too bad but we still have a ways to go to pick Newbies Ask Their Questions back up. On the Etsy thread, newbies and old timers were pretty positive and I have a bunch new questions for the upcoming weeks. The Artfire crowd, I'm working on them. I know they have questions. Luckily, some of this week's questions, can apply to both selling venues.

Question

"I attended a virtual classroom & they said to set up a blog, twitter, etc. I set up a blog, but still don't understand its usefulness. I'm not sure anyone is reading it. I have one follower. Am I missing something?"

- LiseWinne (Etsy)

Answers

"I have a blog which I started because I thought it would help me with sales. I was apprehensive, however, it has been so much fun! I have met the best people! To gain followers: comment on other blogs (more than one word, usually), follow other blogs, post your blog in the forums, join the etsy bloggers' team, participate in meme's such as Today's Flowers and SkyWatch Friday (every Friday)."

- SplendidLittleStars (Etsy)

"I haven't twittered, Flickred, facebooked or [social] networked but still I get sales. I think newbies panic at first and think they have to get into all these things when really they have enough on their plate just learning the in's and out's of Etsy. So, my advice to newbies is...relax and have fun; meet people on the forums; keep listing new items or renewing occasionally; and the sales will come."

- pincushioncrazy346 (Etsy)

Question

"I open shop tomorrow and trying to get my International shipping costs set up on PayPal. I've looked at the forums and have seen that many Etsians ship first class international because it is the least expensive way to ship unless the customer requests otherwise. My predicament is that I don't see first class international listed on PayPal's drop down menu. Is it called by another name on PayPal (such as International Economy or Standard Economy)?"

- LydiasTreasures4u (Etsy)

Answers

"As for my question on PayPal, I found out from another Etsian that PayPal does not offer this type of shipment. In fact, it is better not to fill out any kind of shipmemt on PayPal to avoid double shipping costs (Paypal and Etsy).

"I also had questions as to how I would give customers an invoice with shipping costs on it if PayPal didn't offer the kind of shipment I was looking for. I was advised from very helpful, fellow Etsians to 1) make sure shipping costs are input in your Etsy profile so shipping costs would be printed out on your invoices 2) there is a program called USPS Shipping Assistant available for download to help print shipping labels, etc. 3) check the United States Postal Service website for shipping prices."

- LydiasTreasures4u (Etsy)

The same thing goes with Artfire. To avoid double shipping costs, set your shipping costs on Artfire and leave your PayPal shipping profiles blank or deactivate them.

- naturemanipulated (Artfire and Etsy)

For those of you who are new to "Newbies Ask Their Questions" ... Every week I run a thread on Artfire and Etsy looking for new sellers and buyers to post their questions regarding the sites or general handmade marketing questions. From the threads I gather several questions every Friday to post in this interactive series and encourage readers to provide answers and share their tips and advice.

If you are a new seller or buyer to Artfire or Etsy and have a question, don't hesitate to post it in the comments. Also, if you have questions regarding other handmade online marketplaces such as Dwanda or 1000 Markets, post your questions here too. I'm sure some of NM's readers may be able to help you out. Please, post as often as you'd like. This is meant to be an interactive post.

PLEASE POST ANSWERS TO THE NEWBIES' QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST

Ongoing Artfire and Etsy Newbies Ask Their Questions forum threads can be found at:
Artfire Chatterbox
Etsy Forums

A Holiday Gift and GIVEAWAY

2009-11-02T13:25:00.017-05:00

Monday giveaways are back ... and with more chances to win! I am filling up the calendar with some wonderful items from crafty shops, and looking forward to feature the talented artists. This week's featured artist/shop is Amy's Holiday Gifts.

Amy of Amy's Holiday Gifts describes her shop as "an outcropping of my love for the holidays, and a way to share the love of celebrating holidays with others." Amy has been kind incredibly kind this holiday shopping season and is providing TWO giveaway items.

Candy Disk Earrings

Snowman Ornament

The first name, picked at random, will have a choice between the two items above. The second winner, also picked at random, will win the remaining item.

For a chance to win this week's giveaway, you must:

NAME AND POST A LINK TO YOUR FAVORITE ITEM FROM THE FEATURED ARTIST'S SHOP IN THE COMMENTS

Featured Shop = aholidaygift.artfire.com

For additional chances to win:

1) Tweet the giveaway (include @NMArt in your tweet and post your tweet in the comments with your twitter username)- 1 extra entry

2) Blog about the giveaway (post a link to your blog post in the comments)- 1 extra entry

3) Purchase an item from the featured shop (post the item you purchased) - 2 extra entries

ENTRIES WITH OUT CONTACT INFORMATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
(Email address, Etsy username and Artfire username accepted)

In addition to the two giveaway items, Amy is offering Nature Manipulated's readers a special discount. Enter coupon code "NATURE" upon checkout and receive 15% off your order at aholidaygift.artfire.com

A little bit about Amy and her shop ...

How long have you been crafting for?
Most of my life. I’ve been surrounded by family members who have always crafted. I have fond memories of sewing a pillow at one grandmother’s home and using a jigsaw at another grandmother’s home. And then… there is the birthday party my mother and I held for myself with a sesame street theme. One of my jobs was to paint the outside of ice cream containers to make them look like garbage cans for Oscar the Grouch favors.

Where does your inspiration come from?
Everywhere. I may have a particular person in mind when I create something, but then make changes or replicate it to put it into my shop. Sometimes, I’ll be driving to work and an idea will pop into my head because I’m thinking about how to best use a particular material.

You have two shops on Artfire. Can your items be found anywhere other than Artfire?
Yes, on Etsy and eBay. (Amy's second Artfire shop is Amy's Jewelry and Gifts)

How do you manage more than one shop?
Check in to each one daily; try to balance what is listed in each location; attend to different trends in terms of what sells where.

How do you promote your holiday items around this time of year?
Advertising within sites where my listings are; advertising on external websites; having sites listed on business cards when I do craft fairs

Are you on any social networking sites?
Facebook

Tell us something interesting about you or your shop.
We have 5 dogs in the house. We thought we were nuts to have 4 but the teenager needed her own so we recently adopted a Chihuahua pup. His favorite playmate is our great dane. Watching them play keeps us in hysterics daily.

One of Amy's favorite Artfire shops is WUDLS Woodshop

Thanks for participating in this week's giveaway. Entries will be accepted until Monday, November 9, 2009, 2pm Eastern Time. I will notify the winners the following day. Please be sure to stop by every week for more great giveaways.

Newbies Ask Their Questions Returns - Round 6

2009-10-30T16:17:00.022-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted the weekly Newbies Ask Their Questions. When I first started the weekly interactive post, participants were excited and the posts were well received, but after Round 4 the comments began to twindle and I stopped after Round 5. Well, now it's been over a year and my number of blog followers has grown substantially. Also, since then, Artfire has emerged and Etsy has revisited its Dos and Donts. I'm thinking this may be a good time to start Newbies Ask Their Questions back up. So ... here we go.

Question
"How do I get my artfire shop seen? My family and friends don't support me. How can I get people who dont know me to be interested in my products and what I have to sell?"

- - Pink N Lime (Artfire)

Answers
"It might help to have the text in your banner be something like 'PinknLime Graphic Designs' or 'PinknLime Banners and Avatars' just so it's clear what your product is. Also, the title of the product you have listed is 'Porch Flowers'. Because Artfire is very Google-search focused, buyers will be less likely to find you on Google if they type in 'banners and avatars' or similar search terms. The second picture you have uploaded is really a great demonstration of what you do so maybe it should be the first picture."

- - Coolstraps (Artfire)

"The more your name is out on the Web the more likely people are to find you in a search; go twitter, blog, chat in forums, put pics on flicker and promote, promote, promote."

- - CrochetAddict (Artfire)

Question
"I just don`t seem to learn how to take good pictures. They always turn out dark and don`t show the beauty of my crafts. My pictures make my jewelry look much worse! That`s how bad it is. Any advice?"

- - Unique Edition (Artfire)

Answers
"For my small items, if it is a good sunny day or grey overcast, I will take white printer paper, go outside and use the setting macro (flower icon) ... and take pictures. Natural light works the best for me. When I do this I turn the flash off though."

- - Liberty Doll (Artfire)

"I posted in my ArtFire Blog, DIY Light Box & Photo Tips"

- - Capricious Adornments (Artfire)

"I live in a tiny apartment and do not have enough light for photos (going outside is not really an option as I live in a major city). I use the EZ cube - it's pretty inexpensive, easy to store and works real well.

"Also, photo editing programs are critical. You can get away with using Microsoft Picture Manager if you don't have another one. Play around with midtone, brightness and contract, then crop to position your item nicely.

There are also some posts on my blog about photographing:

Lighting, Clarity and Composition - Photographing for Success

Boost Your Sales, Get Publicity and Maybe an Etsy Front Page Treasury (useful links in this post)"

-- Nature Manipulated (Artfire and Etsy)

For those of you who are new to "Newbies Ask Their Questions" ... Every week I run a thread on Artfire and/or Etsy looking for new sellers and buyers to post their questions regarding the sites or general handmade marketing questions. From the threads I gather several questions every Friday to post in this interactive series and encourage readers to provide answers and share their tips and advice.

If you are a new seller or buyer to Artfire or Etsy and have a question, don't hesitate to post it in the comments. Also, if you have questions regarding other handmade online marketplaces such as Dwanda or 1000 Markets, post your questions here too. I'm sure some of NM's readers may be able to help you out. Please, post as often as you'd like. This is meant to be an interactive post.

PLEASE POST ANSWERS TO THE NEWBIES' QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION.

Ongoing Artfire and Etsy Newbies Ask Their Questions forum threads can be found at:
Artfire Chatterbox
Etsy Forums

Handmade and Homemade to Make Me Feel Better

2009-10-23T13:59:00.008-04:00

I'm not feeling so well today so went on a hunt for handmade and homemade items that would make me feel better. This is what I found ... Think it's working already!

Items included in my get better spotlight (from upper left to lower right):

Organic Chamomile Flowers by MisticalAcScents

Red Mug 5 by almapottery

Holly Golightly Sleep Mask by missindie

Vitamin C is SO Good for You by Paulina

Wintry Night Blanket by mountainweaver

Be a Doctor Set by Gulf Coast Cottage PDF

Two Blue Mugs by Cresek Studio

Chicken Soup Scrabble Tile Pendant by Miss Snappy

Package of 22 Honey Stix by PeaceBlossom Candles

Last Minute Halloween Shopping

2009-10-18T17:33:00.003-04:00

Halloween, one of my favorite holidays, is less than two weeks away. That means there is still time to get some last minute handmade Halloween goodies online. Below are some of my favorites from Artfire.

Items featured (upper left to lower right)

Vampire Note Cards by Peculiar Parchment

Halloween Spiders Boutique Hair Bow on Woven Headband by Hootiebee

Primitive Folk Art Halloween Old Fashion Shaker Set by Vintage Keepsake Trunk

Halloween Soap by Daisy Soap Girl

Halloween Spider Glass Tile Pendant Necklace by Melody of Beads

BOO CREW 6x6 Paper Bag Mini Scrapbook Album by Bippity Boppity Glue

Bat on the Moon Stained Glass Suncatcher by Glass Cat

Big Pumpkins, Czech glass, moss agate, brass earrings by Karmeli Designs

Orange and Green Pumpkin Hat by Nell22

Don't forget to visit Nature Manipulated's Halloween section, and to browse more Halloween items on Artfire, click here.

Spotlight created on byhand.me

An Order of Shea from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

2009-10-09T15:45:00.010-04:00

Several months ago, I stumbled upon the Web site byhand.me and noticed that Rebecca of Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen was one of the most active participants on it. Shortly after that, I noticed her on Etsy and Artfire as well. You know how that happens? You notice something for the first time and then it keeps popping up afterwards; you wonder how come you never noticed it earlier. Anyway, I ventured into Rebecca's Etsy shop and was taken aback by the yummy sounding soaps - Lemon and Poppyseed, Coconut and Lime, Nanny's Pumpkin Pie. They're almost good enough to eat! Rebecca's sales weren't too shabby either - over 2000. Totally intrigued by her shop and her frequent participation on multiple handmade venues, I wanted to know more about Rebecca.

NM: How long have you been making soaps?
RD: Since 2001. I started out making glycerin melt and pour soap but quickly fell in love with cold process soapmaking once I got over my fear of lye.

NM: How did you begin soap making? What attracted you to it?
RD: I've always had extra sensitive skin and discovering handmade soaps after college was like a blessing to me. After months of buying soaps from other soapmakers I took the plunge into making my own starting with extensive online and book research. I still buy from other soapmakers time and again though. No one makes exactly the same soap and it's fun to experiment especially if you're as big of an addict as I am.

NM: Do you make soap full time?
RD: I did up until recently. I've been way laid by some health issues recently and have cut back to try to get myself mentally and physically in order. I'm very lucky to have a supportive husband and the ability to take time off as needed. However, that being said, I have a large amount of soaps back stocked to get me through the holiday season if needed. I work hard when I can because I know there will be days or even weeks I can't get anything accomplished.

NM: What differentiates your handmade soap from others?
RD: The recipe. Every soapmaker has their own recipe or recipes they use. I have two basic recipes - one that's good on all skin types and another that's formulated specifically for drier skin types. My soaps are also designed to have a nice, rich lather and work well not only as body bars, but as facial soaps and shampoo bars as well. I also heavily scent all of my soaps so the smell lasts from shower to shower without fading.

NM: Since joining Etsy in 2005, you have sold over 2000 items. You also have more than 200 sales on Artfire. How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
RD: It's all about marketing. I joined Etsy as a buyer while it was still in beta and originally sold some art and m&p soaps there just for fun. I didn't get serious about selling on Etsy until January 2008. That year makes up the bulk of all my sales because I was able to market constantly. I actually wrote an article about my experience as a "newbie" to selling online and have it posted here. I've also found giveaways effective.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy and Artfire?
RD: I offer my products in several local shops - Shades of Color and Calhoun & Kipp in Roanoke, VA; Poked You Too in Daleville, VA; and my mother-in-law is opening a new brick and mortar in Zanesville, OH soon and will be carrying my soaps there as well. I gave a brief go at selling at 1000 Markets, and even sold some things there, but didn't have the time to juggle multiple shops nor 1000 Markets' markets.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
RD: My Raspberry and Vanilla Soap is my favorite. It smells fantastic and it's great on my dry skin. (We have especially hard water where I live which doesn't help.)

NM: Do you sell your items at craft fairs? If so, what advice can you offer artists considering their first fair?
RD: I sold for about 4 years at the local Roanoke City Market which is similar to a farmer's market but it allows crafts as well. Recently I pulled out of the Market to focus on other things in my life including my mental health after recently being diagnosed as bipolar... and that's on top of having agoraphobia. So I'm searching to take a new direction now and working on improving my quality of life. In lieu of selling in person, I have placed my products into shops, sell online and I have some wonderful people who are taking my products to shows and fairs for me to sell there for a percentage of the sale. First timers should always take business cards. Even if no one buys that day, that business card can bring them back to your online site down the road. Be cheerful and maintain a positive attitude even if sales are bad. Your time isn't being wasted because as long as you are there you are getting free up close and personal advertising.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
RD: I actually have two blogs. Soap Deli News is my blog for my shop, Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen. You'll find lots of fun craft and soaping projects there as well as all of my new updates to my line, contests, etc. My other blog is Shop ByHand. Shop ByHand is a handmade shopping blog dedicated to products handcrafted by indie artists. Discover fun, new handmade products and unique gift ideas by independent artists, along with artist features and artist interviews.

NM: What is your affiliation with byhand.me? Can you tell us a little bit about the site?
RD: My husband, Adam, built ByHand to give back to the handmade community. I try to manage it but lately have been struggling with it. We've considered selling, but want to keep it a free and open community and not become divided by venues, etc. Right now I'm looking for ways to make "maintaining" the site easier on me and trying to rile up Adam's attention to it once again. Perhaps someone can think of a cool coding project for him?!

NM: Do you belong to any groups on Etsy, Artfire or elsewhere?
RD: I do, but they're not worth mentioning as I'm not active due to lack of sheer time.

NM: Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
RD: You can shop through Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen on Artfire through 12/25/09 and receive free shipping to the US or Canada when you spend just $30 or more. Use coupon code: FREESHIP at checkout.

Business Details
Your Name: Rebecca D. Dillon
Shop Name: Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen
Location: Roanoke, VA
Artfire Shop: soapdeli.artfire.com
Etsy Shop: soapdeli.etsy.com
Blog URL: www.soapdelinews.com and www.shopbyhandblog.com
Twitter: twitter.com/soapdeli
Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/soapdeli
ByHand.me: soapdeli.byhand.me

Over 2000 Sales in Less than a Year... Learn How Kristin Did It

2009-09-28T19:41:00.012-04:00

Approximately two weeks ago, I received a link from Timothy Adam to an interview he conducted with a fortunate Etsy seller, Kristin Purcell. During the interview, Kristin shared some of the things that help her bring customers to her shop. After listening to the interview, I had to make sure I wasn't imaging the number of sales Kristin's shop had. I went to Peaches 4 Me and yes, Kristin had over 2000 sales. In total awe, I had to share Kristin's shop with my readers and ask Kristin some of my own questions....

NM: Please describe your jewelry.
KP: I make modern and vintage style jewelry – I'm kind of partial to necklaces, being a necklace person myself. I draw inspiration from all around me. Nature is a heavy influence, especially trees and leaves. I love the look of botanical anything – jewelry, paintings – you name it!

NM: How long have you been designing jewelry for?
KP: I've been designing jewelry for a few years, although I've always been told I have a knack for putting things together.

NM: How did you begin making jewelry? What attracted you to it?
KP: Well, I am a jewelry lover for sure! I think that is what attracted me to it. Plus, I could never find exactly what I was looking for in stores so I started putting it together myself.

NM: During your recent interview with Timothy Adam, you mentioned you lost your job several months ago and have replaced your income with jewelry sales. Since joining Etsy in November of 2008, you've sold over 2300 items. You've also had several sales on Artfire. That is impressive! What were your sales like while you were still employed? What are they like now? What are the some of the key things you've done or changed to bring and increase sales?
KP: I started listing items in January, right before I lost my job. Sales were iffy, but I wanted to give this a chance. I figured, it was now or never. I started out making wall art and housewares. I began sprinkling jewelry in, but I was afraid to go with jewelry all the way at first because it is such a saturated market. Then I started noticing that most of my sales were jewelry items, so I took the plunge, so to speak.

As far as improvements, I have spent what feels like a lifetime on my photos. Still to this day, there are some I am not happy with. I just keep working at it. I think that, coupled with the fact that nature inspired items are trendy and sought after, has brought me the success I have enjoyed. I also work at promoting my shop many hours a day. I have never worked this hard or this many hours, but I am incredibly grateful for my success.

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
KP: I promote my shop anywhere and everywhere. I use paid advertising, mostly on Facebook, but I have used I-Promote on Artfire as well. I also have a fan page, which not only brings me sales, but allows me to interact with my customer, which I love. They are a super cool bunch of folks. I also do my fair share of renewing on Etsy. There is so much competition there, it makes it necessary for me to use that tool to stay relevant in the searches. You have to spend money to make money. I really believe that.

Also, through what I think is sheer luck of the draw, I've been featured in Etsy's Weekend Deals, on the front page and in Gift Guides.

NM: During the interview you also mentioned you heavily rely on Google Analytics to determine best listing times, as well as to gather other pertinent information such as traffic sources, search terms, etc. Is there a site or tutorial you can recommend for learning how to best use the tool?
KP: I recommend using Tim Adam's tutorial for Google Analytics. It can be found on his blog, I believe. The biggest tip for me was checking GA to see the times of day when I had the most traffic to my shop, and choosing those times to renew on Etsy and also, those are the times I choose to run my paid advertising.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy and Artfire? Do you sell your items at craft fairs?
KP: I also have a shop on 1000 Markets. I don't currently do any craft shows. The ones I know about locally are just not a good fit for me. Plus, I am really busy with online sales.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
KP: I love my Mod Love Bird earrings. They are just so simple and so cute. They are my biggest seller as well. I wear mine all the time.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
KP: I do have a blog, but I regret to say, it's woefully neglected. :)

NM: Do you belong to any groups on Etsy, Artfire or elsewhere?
KP: I do belong to a couple of teams on Artfire. Also, I belong to the Pagan Team on Etsy. I am not terribly active, I'm sorry to say. I just get busy and overwhelmed at times.

NM: Is there anything else you would like to share with us? (A little more about yourself, words of wisdom, marketing tips, …)
KP: Well, one thing I will say is that you should use some of the tips I gave as a guideline. Not everything works for every shop. Also, I think improving photos is monumentally important. Don't try paid advertising until you are happy with at least some of your photos.

Another thing is trading – I cannot say enough wonderful stuff about trading. It's a fabulous way to get some of your products out there, and get some feedback. Especially if you're just starting out. I have made some wonderful connections by trading as well. My very first sale on Etsy was a trade. There are always trading threads going in the Promotions Forum on Etsy. It's worth a try. Plus, you get some great stuff! :)

Business Details

Your Name: Kristin Purcell

Business/Shop Name: Just Peachy by Peaches4me

Etsy Shop: www.peaches4me.etsy.com

Nature Manipulated Featured on Artfire

2009-09-25T18:27:00.007-04:00

I am today's Featured Artisan on Artfire. Read the wonderful interview posted by Sara and learn more about me and my shop, Nature Manipulated.

Register on ArtFire.com

Making the Most Out of the Holiday Shopping Season

2009-09-24T09:19:00.015-04:00

Since my last post (approximately two weeks ago) on search engine optimization (SEO), I stumbled upon some additional resources for optimizing your listings, bringing outside visitors to you shop and increasing holiday sales. The coming months are the biggest shopping months of the year, and putting some of these tools to use will be important for having a successful holiday season. Although it is still September, it is NOT too early to start preparing for the winter holidays.

During the summer months there is generally a lull of sales activity, both online and in retail stores, but things start to pick up (especially online) in October. Shortly after, things get crazy and everything is sold out. That doesn't just happen at Toys R Us or the Apple store. It happens on Etsy and I'm sure it will on Artfire and other handmade venues. Things will pick up and for some, things will get crazy.

A lot of you may be thinking, "Holiday sales were slow last year", "I didn't do as well as I expected to", "It was probably the recession" ... Part of it may have been tough financial times but sales did NOT stop. Part of it may have been you were not as prepared as you may have thought. Having items to sell is only one step towards success. Having customers find your shop and products is another.

Here are a few things you can begin working on now to prepare for the holiday shopping season:

1. Update your listings and tags - I briefly discussed this topic in my last post on SEO and have a few more important items to add. Make sure your items are tagged for the holidays. That means, if an item is appropriate for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, etc., note it. Add the holiday(s) to your tags, titles and description. Let customers know why it is a great gift choice and who it would be appropriate for. Not everyone knows what to get as gifts. Online holiday shoppers often search for gift ideas and enter questions or phrases such "gift idea for middle-aged animal lover"... The more detailed your description is, the more keywords you use and the more appropriate tags you have, the more likely you will turn up in relevant searches (or at least not as the 342,984 result).

A useful tool for researching commonly searched terms is Google Adwords' Keyword Tool. The keyword tool allows you to find out how many times a month a particular word, phrase, question, etc. was searched. This lets you know how competitive a phrase it and may give you ideas for similar and alternative search terms. Find out more about the Google Adwords keyword tool - you can also read more about it on Artfire.

2. Create items with holiday themes and put them in a seperate holiday shop category so they can be easily located.

3. Chat in the handmade forums - The forums, especially Etsy's can sometimes get overwhelming but pick an ongoing thread or two to participate in everyday. Get to know the regulars. Remember, handmade sellers also shop handmade! If you are on Artfire,stop by the Item of the Day and Card of the Day threads in the Group Worktable section of the Chatterbox!

4. If you blog, post more often; add Handmade Holiday badges to your site (Artfire has a bunch); start a gift guide

5. Hand out business cards as much as possible - Place them in local shops, restaurants, participate in business card exchanges, ...

6. Advertise - Many blogs and Web sites offer different advertising opportunities. If you are new to advertising and want to try out a few different sites, Project Wonderful (PW) is a great place to start. You can search by target sites, site ad prices and more; monitor how many hits your ad gets; terminate an ad whenever you want. Many handmade blogs have PW ad space available - check the side bars!

For more helpful tips, read Artfire's new Holiday SEO guide.

If you have any additional tips and advice, please share them in the comments section.

Register on ArtFire.com

Introducing the Artfire Cards R Us Guild

2009-09-15T22:03:00.007-04:00

I recently joined a guild on Artfire called "Cards R Us" and thought I would feature a selection of items from members of the guild.

Featured items and artists include (from top left to bottom right):
African collage frameable art card by AJ's Designs

Witch Halloween Card by Angelmaz(guild master)

Carolers Card by CrazyDazy

Bee Happy Journal by CardsByPatzee

Pink Floral Spray Note Card by SooBoo

Motorcycle Birthday Card by Butterfly-Crafts

Whimsical Party Frog Greeting Card by veritas-art-project

Choo Choo! On the Birthday Train Handcrafted Greeting Card by NatureManipulated

Bat and Pumpkin Handmade Greeting Card by PrincessDCreations

If you are a card maker on Artfire and are interested in joining the guild, visit our page. Once you are a member you can join us at cardsrusguild.ning.com.

Search Engine Optimization, Increasing Traffic to your Handmade Shop

2009-09-12T17:14:00.015-04:00

If you use Google Analytics to monitor traffic to your handmade shop, you may realize that the Google is the least common source of traffic. I'm sure you have all searched Google at some point and your search returned 20,000+ results. You probably looked through the first few pages, maybe skipped to the 16th page out a curiosity and then closed out of the window if you didn't find what you were looking for. Search "handcrafted jewelry" on Google. 687,000 results are returned and there are no Artfire or Etsy shops on the first few pages. Not surprising! There are TONS of handmade artists out there and many, if not almost all, use the World Wide Web to sell their work and promote their goods.

So what can you do to boost your Google page rank and increase traffic to your site? There are a bunch of things! ...

Optimize your Shop and Item Titles
The first thing that Google spiders look at when picking up your shop is the shop title and item titles. This is the title that appears at the top of the browser Window and turns up in Google search results. On Etsy, you can set the title for your shop home page under the Appearance tab in Your Etsy. Make sure your shop and item titles include key and descriptive words.

Tags
Tags used to be an important part of search engine optimization (SEO), especially metatags which are used to influence the description of your page in search engine crawlers. With so much pay-for and bidding on ranking these days, tags are less important for increasing your Google rank. Don't get me wrong though, tags are still important, in particular for internal searches such as on Artfire or Etsy.

Don't be scared to be creative with your tags. If you just tag your items "handmade", "jewelry", "paper goods" and so on, your items will probably get buried with items containing the same tags. In addition to these standard tags, use ones that describe who the item is for, for what occasion, shapes, colors, materials, inspiration, ... Use phrases and include your shop name and groups you may belong to. Including both singular and plural versions of a word is not necessary, and when Google does pay attention to tags, it is frowned upon. Use the singular for most tags unless the word is usually spoken in the plural. Think about how you would search for a item containing that tag! On Etsy, you are limited to fourteen tags but on Artfire, I think the limit is 10,000 words. Use as many as possible!

Item Descriptions
In addition to shop and item titles, and less so tags, Google also picks up on the first few words or paragraph in your item descriptions. Make sure your first paragraph contains as many keywords as possible. If you are listing a handmade carnelian necklace, you may want to start your description off with something like, "Handmade carnelian gemstone necklace with a brilliant orange color and intricate floral beads." If the necklace is one of a kind, add that into the sentence too! The first sentence of the example description is full of keywords such as: handmade, carnelian, gemstone, necklace, orange, intricate, floral, beads.

Submit your Shop and Listings to Online Directories
The more links there are to your shop or items, the better your Google ranking. This means you want to submit your shop and listings to online directories, and participate in link exchanges. There are a number of free online directories, some of them specifically for handmade. You can start by submitting your shop to the following directories:

- Handmade Directory

- Handmade Feed (Thanks to Timothy Adam, you can add your URLs to your Artfire, Etsy, 1000Markets and Dwanda shops, as well as add your blog, twitter, Facebook and Myspace URLs.

- Find it Handmade

- DMOZ Open Directory Project

- Search-O-Rama

Promote your Shop
Lastly (although there is probably a lot more), make sure to promote your shop. That means, do not limit yourself to the Etsy and Artfire forums. If you have time, start a blog, use twitter, build a facebook fan page, promote on myspace, add photos to flickr and participate on byhand.me.

Additional Resources
- "SEO" Tips for Facebook

- SEO 101: An Introductory Guide to Understanding Search Engine Optimization by Vanessa Ford

- A Beginner's Guide To SEO by Darlene Norris

Although Artfire's SEO is pretty good, and Etsy is supposedly working on theirs, it is not enough to depend on their SEO alone. Use all the tools available online to increase your traffic and boost your Google page rank.

Good luck optimizing your shop and listings. Hope this post makes it easier.

If you are not on Artfire and would like to register for a studio, click here.

Meow! Painting Charlie

2009-09-04T16:59:00.004-04:00

A lot of people are scared of cats, allergic to them or just don't like them. Not sure why because cats are SO cute. At least mine is! I may have just given away that I am a cat lover, so you won't be surprised when I tell you that I LOVE Heidi Shaulis' paintings! Don't worry! You don't have to be a cat lover to appreciate Heidi's art. The colors are vibrant, the subject matter playful, and the technique executed brilliantly. Now, lets find out more about Heidi and what she thinks of her own work.

NM: How would you describe your paintings?
HS: Oil paintings of cats, most often my tuxedo cat, Charlie, in both cat poses and anthropomorphic ones.

NM: What is your favorite thing to draw and why?
HS: I love to paint cats. I've always been drawn to them.

NM: How long have you been painting for?
HS: 24 years!

NM: Did you go to school for art? If yes, what did you specialize in? If not, how did you get into this form of art?
HS: No, I went to school to be an archaeologist and even have an MA from UPenn. That was my career for years. I started painting as a fun thing to try when I was in graduate school; played with it for years before I thought my paintings were finally okay enough to share.

NM: Do you paint full time?
HS: Yes, as often as I can. Sometimes 7 days a week.

NM: Have you ever thought about illustrating for children's books? Or do you currently?
HS: I would love to and might someday...

NM: Is your work on display in galleries? If so, where?
HS: Not currently. After trying both consignment through galleries and direct sales via the internet, I've found I prefer to sell on the internet...a much broader audience is available and I really enjoy the interaction with customers. Through galleries you rarely get to know your customers.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
HS: Currently I use Etsy as my storefront. Occasionally I auction pieces on ebay. I started westcorinthstudio with my husband Isaac who is a woodworker, and recently opened my own etsy address for just my cat art.

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
HS: Currently I am most interested in the possibilities of social networking and am using my Facebook fan page as a way to communicate with a target audience. My cat Charlie has his own Facebook page and has over 1000 friends!

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
HS: I do, but once I found Facebook, I abandoned it. I prefer to just post updates to my facebook fan page.

NM: Thanks Heidi! You work is beautiful and I wish you luck with your Etsy shop. I hope one day your work does make it into children's book, as it really does deserve it.

Readers, please share your thoughts on Heidi's work in the comments section. Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Business Information

Name: Heidi Shaulis

Business/Shop Name: Heidi Shaulis

Location: Corinth, Vermont

Website URL: www.heidishaulis.com

Etsy URL: heidishaulis.etsy.com

Facebook Fan Page: www.new.facebook.com/pages/Heidi-Shaulis/108485365503?ref=nf

Back to Artfire... Digging the New Features

2009-08-31T21:14:00.010-04:00

Shortly after joining Artfire, I took a little hiatus from the site. It was hard to handle two shops at once and I wasn't sure if the monthly Artfire fee was worth it for my shop. Over the last few months, I have watched Artfire grow and the updates to the marketplace have been incredible. After reading about their latest updates, I couldn't resist upgrading my account to Verified. Below I outline some of these features and how to access them.

But first, to celebrate Nature Manipulated's return to Artfire, please take advantage of NM's BACK TO ARTFIRE SALE. 15% off all orders of $10 or more through September 2, 2009. Use coupon code BACKTOARTFIRE and the discount will be applied to your total. No more refunds through PayPal! Also, receive a free gift with every order. Happy Back to Artfire!

SAVE 15.00 % On Order Total (orders above $10.00)

Use Coupon Code:

BACKTOARTFIRE

during checkout.

Expires September 2, 2009
Okay, well the most recent updates to Artfire include the Facebook Kiosk, Coupon Codes and Gift Certificates, not to mention all of the updates to the site's userface and look and feel. These new additions are a gem for handmade sellers and if you haven't checked them out yet, you definitely should!

Artfire Facebook Kiosk

The Artfire Facebook Kiosk allows Verified Members to add their Artfire Fusion Shop to the tabs on their Facebook personal and business pages. Just like "Wall" and "Info" are tabs at the top of your page, now "Artfire Kiosk" can be too! Buyers can purchase items directly from your Facebook page without having to sign up for an Artfire account. You can also set the Kiosk as your landing page. This means when people click on your page, the first thing they will see is your Artfire Kiosk.

According to Artfire's Community Newsletter, "in the First week of rolling out the new Facebook Kiosk there have been over 3,000 Kiosks put up and reports of member sales increasing!"

To add the Artfie Kiosk to your Facebook Personal page:
1) Authorize the application
2) Allow access to the application
3) Enter your Artfire username and answer the security question
4) Go to your profile page and click the "+" button. Artfire Kiosk should appear in the drop-down menu. If not, begin typing in the available tabs search box.

To add the Artfire Kiosk to your Facebook Fan page:
1) Follow steps 1-3 above
2) Go to the ArtFire Facebook Kiosk profile page
3) Click the "Add to my page" button on the left hand sidebar
4) Go to your Facebook fan page and follow step 4 above

To set your the Artfire Kiosk as your landing page:
1) Click on "Edit Profile" from your fan page
2) Click the pencil next to "Wall"
3) Select "Artfire Kiosk" as the landing page from the drop-down menu

If you have any trouble installing the Artfire Kiosk, please visit Artfire's Kiosk Guide.

Coupon Codes

Artfire's new coupon system allows Verified Members to create customized coupon codes. Sellers can now offer discounts and free gifts without having to send revised invoices or send refunds through PayPal. Discounts are automatically applied when a registered coupon code is entered upon checkout. Members can offer discounts based on order totals, individual items, shop sections and more. Widgets can be created directly from the "Manage My Coupons" page and added to your shop and twitter feed, or sent to friends, family and customers via email.

According to a recent blog post by Timothy Adam, Artfire is the first handmade venue to offer coupon codes.

To learn more about creating coupons and managing your coupons, please visit Artfire's Help Guide and Reference Guide.

Gift Certificates

Last but not least, Artfire now allows Verified Members to create gift certificates and email them directly from your Artfire. Members can now list Gift Certificates in their shop and when one sells, members fill out the Gift Certificate form and send to the recipient. Artfire will keep track of the certificate's balance. This feature is convenient and GREAT for the upcoming holiday season! More information is available in the Coupon Reference Guide.

Hopefully, you find these features as exciting as I do. If you are not a part of the Artfire Community, be sure to sign up now. This site is headed in the right direction! And the staff are friendly and helpful too!

The Way of Plastic Pumpkin Leads to True Art and a Giveaway

2009-08-24T18:53:00.009-04:00

I came across Ren Adams in a thread on Facebook (FB) fan pages in the Etsy forums. I visited Ren's FB page and saw a few wonderful items posted, but what really grabbed my attention was Ren's shop name: Plastic Pumpkin Designs. I was very intrigued by the name, especially since the few items I saw on Ren's FB fan page did not exactly match what I imagined the shop would carry. I'm not sure what I expected, but I know I was more than presently surprised.

After viewing all ten pages of Ren's shop, I read her profile and wow! Ren's inspiration fascinated me and her words are truly reflected in her art. After reading Ren's profile, I picked up my copy of Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" and read:

Empty the self completely;
Embrace perfect peace.
The world will rise and move;
Watch it return to rest.
All the flourishing things
Will return to their source.

This return is peaceful;
It is the flow of nature,
An eternal decay and renewal.
Accepting this brings enlightenment,
Ignoring this brings misery.

While I started out trying to find out why Ren's shop was called Plastic Pumpkin, I ended up reminiscing about my long abandoned studies in anthropology and religion. I had to know more ...

NM: How long have you been making traditional Chinese brush paintings?
RA: I've been doing traditional Chinese brush painting for about five years now. I've been a sketch artist, acrylic painter and mixed media artist for over 20 years.

I've been doing art my entire life, even scribbled in my own baby book.

NM: How did you get into this style of painting?
RA: Chinese brush painting was taught to Taoist monks as a way of cultivating "Tao" (inner balance, inner peace, harmony). As a dedicated student of Taoism, and already an artist, it just clicked with me. It made perfect sense to try it.

Taoism, like Zen, often teaches concepts in paradox. Having a background in Eastern philosophy helped me understand brush painting techniques like having a brush that's simultaneously as wet as the spring rain and dry as the autumn wind.

NM: Did you go to school for art? If yes, what did you specialize in?
RA: I took many art classes in college, but the first time around I attended UC Berkeley and majored in English (focus on 19th & 20th century literature and poetry, and creative writing) with a minor in Anthropology.

I gave the corporate world a shot and was an editor and professional writer for almost a decade before I walked away and realized I had been denying something I was doing all along: art.

I have since decided to go back and refine my studies in art. My college counselor commented that many people say they should have majored in art the first time around. I said the same thing! Not that I regret my studies in English, but you know what I mean. I am currently pursuing a BFA in Art Studio, with the intent to go on to achieve an MFA. I am focusing on painting and printmaking. I guess I like to collect Bachelor's degrees. Ha ha.

NM: Do you paint full time?
RA: Absolutely. Every day. I often spend 10 or more hours a day at the studio. Some days I log 14. If I'm not at the studio, I'm doing advertising, planning, and writing.

NM: You currently have over 200 sales, how do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
RA: I use my blog, Twitter, Facebook, business cards, my main website, MySpace, Craigslist and anything else I can think of. I have a pretty big mailing list these days, which helps.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
RA: I don't really have a favorite. I see each painting as separate, one step improved over the last. I see them all as concepts or ideas that needed to come out and be expressed, and each is meant for someone special. You can always tell who it's meant for--they snap it right up. At art shows, they lock eyes on it and can't leave without it.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
RA: Yes--I do have some on ArtFire (mostly the prints). Some of my images are available on objects at Zazzle. My main website will have a store finished soon. I've been on Lov.li and DaWanda for a few years, but the traffic there is slower. I also sell resin jewelry on Etsy at Plastic Pop.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it
RA: I do a "Daily Musings" series; personal stories or reflections on Eastern Philosophy, sometimes humorous, sometimes serious.

My blog also has info on my upcoming art shows, featured paintings and featured artists on occasion. I am also planning a 30 Paintings in 30 Days project which will be featured on my blog.

NM: Is there anything interesting about yourself you would like to share with us?
RA: Hmm... I don't know. I've studied music extensively (almost went into music instead of art or writing.). I'm a published poet and writer. I teach Eastern philosophy, mythology and art classes through the University of New Mexico, Continuing Education department.

I love video games, clubbing, electronica/trance music, world foods, Chinese and Japanese culture and history, and indie films. I collect Chinese opera costumes. I currently also have an obsession with colorful faux Bavarian and German spotted mushrooms. LOL

NM: Thank you SO much, Ren, for sharing all this wonderful insight with us. Your work really is wonderful and you can tell just from looking at it that you really enjoy what you do.

Business Information

Business/Shop Name: Ren Adams Art / Plastic Pumpkin Designs

Location: Albuquerque, NM

Website URL: www.renadamsart.com

Etsy URL: plasticpumpkin.etsy.com

Artfire URL: plasticpumpkin.artfire.com

Blog URL: plasticpumpkin.wordpress.com

Twitter: twitter.com/plasticpumpkin

Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Ren-Adams-Art/124357617408

Last but not least, Ren has been so kind to offer NM readers a chance to win a 4" x 6" (valued at $5.00) Art Reproduction Print, winner's choice. For a chance to win, please visit Ren's Etsy shop, Plastic Pumpkin, and tell us what your favorite item is. Please provide the name of your favorite item and a way to contact you (Etsy username, Artfire username, FB fan page, email address) in the comments section of this post. All entries must be received by August 31, 2009, 6pm ET

FINE Art Photography by Maleah Matthews

2009-08-17T20:04:00.004-04:00

I always knew there were many GREAT photographers on Etsy and I have featured some in the past but Facebook fan pages has introduced me to several more, including Maleah Matthews of Urban Design Photography. Each of Maleah's photographs captures a deep emotion and the result is a shop full of stunning fine art photography, ... and her photo blocks are so original and make me want to stack them in my living room. As manu of you know, when I find a shop I REALLY like, I ask the artist some questions. Below are Maleah's answers.

NM: How would you describe your photography?
MM: Oh this is something I really struggle with. It's a fusion of texture meets grunge, meets airy nature, meets vintage photography all rolled up into one.

NM: How long have you been doing photography for?
MM: I've always had a camera around but I got serious about photography in April of '08. So just over a year.

NM: How did you get into this line of work/hobby?
MM: This is where it gets weird, lol! I actually started out on Etsy last year selling jewelry. My photos were bad, bad, bad, so I set about trying to make them pretty. Through that process, purchased a new camera and gradually found I liked taking pictures better than I liked making jewelry. I haven't made jewelry since!
NM: That is a great story! Your work really shows you love it.

NM: Do you do this full time?
MM: No this is a hobby for me. I would love to have it grow into more in the future though.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
MM: Right now it is my newest my photo, New Beginnings. I like it because it has some of my favorite colors and a certain airy feel to it, ... and I had fun creating it!

NM: What are some of your favorite handmade shops or items online?
MM: Oh, wow! Choosing is hard! I have sooo many faves, but here we go: ImeonDesign, 3squares, SaidInStone and TickledPinkKnits

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
MM: I have been lucky to have some great blogs do features on my work. I have found that seems to generate lots of traffic. The only advertising I have done is on Facebook and I have purchased some Etsy showcases.
NM: Well, you ae doing something right! You currently have 131 sales on Etsy.

NM: What advice can you offer other handmade sellers to boost their sales?
MM: Learn as much as you can about your target market. I've done lots of reading in the Etsy storque articles and the forums, where I've learned tons from other sellers. I think focusing on a few things for promoting yourself and do them well. I'm still working on this!

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
MM: Yes, they are available in a couple stores in Oregon.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
MM: Yes, it is mostly about my photography but is sometimes sprinkled with other bits of randomness.

NM: Tell us something interesting about yourself.
MM: I love to be outdoors with my kids. No better way to spend a day!

Business Information

Name: Maleah Matthews

Business/Shop Name: Urban Design Photography

Location: Eugene, Oregon

Etsy URL: urbandesign.etsy.com

Blog URL: urbandj.blogspot.com

Twitter: twitter.com/urbandesign

FB Fan Page: facebook.com/pages/Urban-Design-Photography/86438245904

Ella Parry Illustrates Little Curly

2009-08-06T19:35:00.006-04:00

To date, I haven't featured many visual artists on my blog. For no reason in particular; somehow it just worked out that way. Last week, I was admiring the paintings/illustrations of some of my Facebook fans and decided to contact a few of the artists to see if they were interested in answering a few questions for us. Ella Parry was one of the responders ...

NM: How would you describe your work?
EP: Most of my work represents my fantasies and my dreams. For example, “my dear ladies” collection is all about sexy and pretty girls ... I would love to be one of them! My band new collection, “little Curly” is of my childhood, and the illustrations are based upon myself when I was a little girl.

NM: How long have you been drawing/painting for?
EP: I have had a strong passion for art ever since I picked up my first pencil as a child. When I was working as a graphic designer, I didn’t have time to draw or paint. Two years ago, I picked up pencils to draw, and since then, I make time to draw everyday.

NM: Did you go to school for art?
EP: I studied Commercial Design and Graphic Design in Hong Kong. In 1999, I went to London to study Visual Art at Camberwell College of Art.

NM: Do you do illustrate full time?
EP: At the moment, I am a part-time freelance illustrator. I would love to be a full-time artist one day. I’m working on it!

NM: Have you ever thought about illustrating for children's books?
EP: I love to illustrate children's books. I’m current illustrating a children's book and I’m planning to write something about “little Curly” for one too.

NM: What is your favorite thing to draw and why?
EP: I love to draw children, girls, animals and everything natural.

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
EP: To be honest, I don’t have much time to promote these days. I tell people about what I do and about my shop, and I have a myspace, facebook and flickr pages, and a blog.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
EP: My items are on Etsy and some gift shops in London.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
EP: Yes, I do. My blog is mainly about illustration - my work and useful information for other illustrators.

NM: Is there anything interesting about yourself you would like to share with us?
EP: Well, there's a lot of interesting things about me!!! Hmm??? I’m a funny person (my husband always say this). I’m not good at speaking and writing, but I’m planning to write a children's book! I was born in Cambodia. I have natural curly hair with two round big eyes... I look like little Curly. I’m 100% Chinese but I do not look Chinese at all. When people look at me they ask ”Are you Chinese or …? But you don’t look Chinese."

Business Information

Name: Ella Parry

Business/Shop Name: Ella Parry

Location: London (UK)

Website URL: www.ellaparry.com (under construction)

Etsy URL: ellaparry.etsy.com

Blog URL: ellaparry.blogspot.com

Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Ella-Parry/43176685758

Becoming a Bag Lady ... In a Good Way!

2009-07-31T20:33:00.005-04:00

If you aren't into bags and purses, you will be after visiting Cecil and Co. I know I'm becoming a bag lady. I already have a few picked out and I can only see myself wanting more.

I came across Cecil and Co.'s Facebook fan page and based upon, designer Lisa's profile picture, I HAD to visit her Etsy shop. The bags at Cecil and Co. are awesome! Not exaggerating, I don't think there is one I don't like. After marveling at Cecil and Co. for awhile and hearting a bunch of items, I knew I HAD to ask Lisa a few questions:

NM: How would you describe your shop?
L: Stylish handbags that are classic, meshing modern and vintage (which I love).

NM: How long have you been sewing for?
L: Since I was little...about 30 years

NM: How did you get into this line of work/hobby?
L: I started making handbags about two years ago for my retail store because I couldn't find what I was looking for. When I carried one everyday I would get stopped everywhere I went...so I decided to design a whole line and sell them to more than just my store. That has brought me here.

NM: Do you do this full time?
L: I sew full time. I have a drapery workroom and retail store and have been making and designing draperies for about 20 years. I design and make draperies by day, and handbags whenever I can. I am hoping to turn that into handbags by day!

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
L: My favorite would be The Designer Tote. It is the most versatile for me. I use it to and from work and when I travel and for knitting and the list goes on. Although I carry the Shopper everyday as well, my favorite one to date is in my new fall line, coming soon.

NM: What are some of your favorite handmade shops or items online?
L: I have so many! I usually look for things I can't or won't make myself. I will start with Graciewear. She was my very first purchase. She has amazing fiber art clothing and accessories, something of which I haven't tried yet. Second would be TheFeltElf. She has really awesome elf-like scarves. For vintage, It goes to CatBooks1940s. I love everything about this shop from the way it is set up to what is for sale. Another very talented artist is KaysK9s. She creates an unbelievable sculpture of your dog! There are so many amazing artists on Etsy.

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
L: I tell everyone who comes into my store about Etsy. I just recently started online with facebook, twitter, flickr and I have a blog. Trying all to see which ones fit best and I also network in a lot of the Etsy forums.

NM: What advice can you offer other handmade sellers to boost their sales?
L: Patience, and promote outside of Etsy! I do not have a lot of sales to date but I am definately getting much more exposure now that I have started networking off Etsy.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
L: Our retail store which is located in Batavia, IL. We are currently working on our web site, a very time consuming process.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
L: My blog is cecilandco.blogspot.com. It's in its infant stages. I would like to not only provide updates of our progress and our products, but to promote what we like and what we believe in, like the 3/50 project, and maybe even provide inspiration to others. That is what I would like to do.

NM: Tell us something interesting about yourself.
L: I love fabric and have a passion for the creative process.

NM: Lisa, thank you SO much for sharing some information with us. I hope everyone else appreciates and loves your shop as much as I do. Readers, share your thoughts on Cecil and Co.

Business Information:

Name: Lisa

Business/Shop Name: Cecil and Company, USA

Location: Batavia, Illinois

Website URL: www.cecilandco.com (currently under construction!)

Etsy URL: cecilandco.etsy.com

Blog URL: cecilandco.blogspot.com

Facebook URL: www.facebook.com/pages/Batavia-IL/Cecil-and-Company-USA/135957095672?ref=ts

Twitter: twitter.com/Cecilandco

Exploring Color at 10eisha and a Giveaway Too!

2009-07-24T18:43:00.012-04:00

Since I created my Facebook fan page two weeks ago, I was introduced to so many talented artists and wonderful shops I had no idea about. A few shops in particular captured my attention and I will be featuring a few of them in the coming weeks.

The first shop that really caught my eye was 10eisha. Artist/crafter, Teneisha (what a clever shop name!) creates fabulous hair accessories and plush toys but the colors are what struck me. Her items are so vibrant, and Teneisha is a Master of mixing and matching! Yes, the "M" deserves to be capitalized!

Earlier this week I asked Teneisha if she would tell us more about herself and her shop, and fortunately, she agreed. In addition to taking time to answer my questions, Teneisha is offering Nature Manipulated's readers a chance to win one item ($12 and under) from her shop. Find out how you can win after the interview ...

NM: How would you describe your work?
T: Very colorful

NM: How long have you been making hair accessories for?
T: Since February 2009…I’m a newbie! However, I was selling plush monsters and puppets for a few years.

NM: How did you get into this line of work/hobby?
T: I made my own birdcage/fascinator for my wedding and I enjoyed it so much that I said, "You know…I could do lots of these…in crazy colors!"

NM: Do you do this full time?
T: I would like to. I have been unemployed for almost 6 months, so I guess you could say this is my full time job. Right now I am gearing up to start doing wholesale as well as craft fairs, swap meets and so on.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
T: I love all the small fascinators. They are such an easy accessory. You can stick them on anywhere and forget about them, yet everyone else notices them. I get a ton of compliments every time I wear one outside of my house. I think they also set a tone for your outfit. There are some that I feel like I have to throw on matching heels with and some that work perfect with jeans and a t-shirt.

NM: What are some of your favorite handmade shops or items online?
T: I love the supplies sellers that hand make their items. I’ve recently been getting my brads this way. Aimoobaroo is a great one.

I love love love the wristlets from meringueshop. I have one in black and white and one in red and white, and I get a ton of compliments on them. You can carry your purse without even realizing its there!

I’ll also give a shout out to Briana Edelman Designs. I got my wedding necklace from her and it was such a high quality. It also came in a great box that I have been using since!

And last but not least, Etsy Hacks. These hacks will change your Etsy selling life!

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
T: I do a little bit of everything. The one that gets me the most purchases I think is Offbeatbride.com. I advertise in the tribe on that site which is a pretty direct marketing approach. I also do occasional one day $2 Facebook ads. I was trying Google AdWords for a while but I suspended it for now. I have a Facebook Fan Page and a blog. I also stay involved in the Etsy community forums which I think is a great way of networking.

NM: What advice can you offer other handmade sellers to boost their sales?
T: Stick with it! I know that Etsy is really slow right now and a lot of newcomers are discouraged. Just keep making what you make and get as much stuff up there as you can. Talk to people in the forums. Just stick with it.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
T: I tried ArtFire and Ebay for a while. I actually did well on Ebay…Its just a pain to add items. I’m hoping to get out into real life venues soon.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
T: I have a blog called Dumpster Ninjas. We have multiple contributors but I am the main admin. We blog about art, design, ideas, crafts or whatever seems inspiring at that very moment. I’ve started featuring a lot of Etsy sellers and we seem to be getting more traffic.

NM: Tell us something interesting about yourself.
T: I have a degree in Industrial Design (Product Design) which I always forget pertains to exactly what I do with crafting. I always forget that product design doesn’t have to mean shoes and cars. It can mean handmade items and functional art!

Business Information:

Name: Teneisha (aka 10eisha)

Business/Shop Name: Hair Accessories for the Brave

Location: San Diego, CA

Website URL: http://www.teneishabydesign.com

Etsy URL: http://10eisha.etsy.com

Blog URL: http://dumpsterninjas.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/10eisha

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hair-Accessories-By-10eisha/120030310942?ref=mf

Hope you enjoyed learning about Teneisha and her shop. Now, ... for a chance to win one item ($12 or under) from 10eisha, leave a comment with your favorite item from Teneisha's Etsy shop. Tell us why you like it and make sure you leave your contact information (email, Etsy username, Artfire username or link to your Facebook page). One entry per person. All entries must be submitted by July 31, 2009, 6pm ET.

Spotlight - Thank You to My Facebook Fans

2009-07-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

In appreciation of my Facebook Fans, I put together a ByHand.Me spotlight of some of my favorite items from their shops.

Thank You to My Facebook Fans

Items and Shops included in the spotlight (from upper left to bottom right):

The Weekender-Green Dots by Cecil and Co.
One Sunday Morning by Under a Blue Sky
Meadow Mini Cards by articulations
Rusty Fascination by 10eisha
Magnolia Blossoms Spa and Travel Pillow by Mireio
Fiori D'arancio Earrings by Anna Blue Almonds
Mulberry Drop Earrings by Quercus Silver
Custom Urban Baby Burpie Cloth by Urban Orchid Designs
Kissed By Pink by urban design