valentine’s day etsy treasury

the crafty black cat — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:18:36 +0000

‘handmade i love you’ by blackcatcraft

a little soft and romantic.

a gift – 8×8 fine a… shannonpix $25.00	Romance with a Bow … StarBags $183.00	ROSE BLOSSOM – Anti… LaClaire $22.00	22″ Romantic S… fairyblooms $145.00
Two of Us – Valenti… irenesuchocki $4.50	Soft Red Jersey Cow… habitatclothin… $50.00	Romantic Vintage Pi… TutusChic $75.00	VICTORIA…RED – An… AmberSky $38.50
5×5 Twenty-One fine… abcdimages $12.00	Fabric Leaves – Spr… janejoss $40.00	Forgotten Memories … ThatOldBlueHou… $28.00	Romance Me in Italy… OPosies $12.50
Bleeding Hearts 8X1… AprilLahti $20.00	small red African G… RosellaResin $35.00	Be My Valentine Hea… HeartOfGlassDe… $53.00	Valentine Sea Stone TerrijDesigns $15.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

Filed under: etsy, etsy treasury Tagged: etsy, etsy treasury, valentine's day

Shop Local – Save the Brick and Mortars!

the crafty black cat — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:49:35 +0000

Some of you may have heard of the 3/50 Project before. If not, you really must check it out. The idea is simple – pick three local businesses and commit to spend $50 of your monthly budget supporting them. A little goes a long way in supporting your local economy. Find out more by clicking the image below.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: brick and mortar, shop locally

Saturday Treasury!

the crafty black cat — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 17:14:11 +0000

Another lovely treasury I was featured in recently!

‘Peppermint, Red Hots, Black Licorice and a Birdberry’ by ArtByAmarose

A bunch of cool stuff I found in my “You Might Like” section.

Zombie Brass Ring MoseyDog $	HAND PAINTED Ankle … RetroVintage12… $42.00	She Catches Stars T… iheartfink $95.00	Airguide Gas Mileag… funretro $40.00
REAL BUTTERFLY SET … REALBUTTERFLYG… $39.99	Birdberry Necklace TillyBloom $25.00	8×10 polaroid trans… shehitpausestu… $65.00	Greige Vintage Rhin… blackcatcraft $18.00
Pant NO2 RenzStyle $39.00	Red in White Porcel… NewMoonStudio $58.00	HELLO recycled wood… WilliamDohman $	Black Flapper Glove… flapperfashion… $
RED RUSSIAN DOLL -V… emylyne $23.00	Travel File/Folder … MyPaperGarden $16.00	Cotton Jersey Neckl… outofline $68.00	Handmade Peppermin… opheliasapothe… $4.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Filed under: etsy, etsy treasury

Handmade Harvest – Incredible Edible Gifts

the crafty black cat — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:05:13 +0000

My blog for The Handmade Gift Guide today!

Handmade Harvest – Incredible Edible Gifts.

Filed under: etsy

Saturday Treasury

the crafty black cat — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:42:03 +0000

‘”You Might Like…”‘ by ArtByAmarose

All from my “You Might Like” and oh, I do, I do like very much.

alphabet charms foundling $25.00	Pocket Dress ellainaboutiqu… $64.00	Eco-chic Handmade Vegan… TheGeneration $58.00	Zen Style Ikebana / Flo… misunrie $32.00
Koi wrap Ahpeele $48.00	rain boots 5×7 inch pri… abbytrysagain $11.00	La Fleur Bag – Khaki Gr… StarBags $87.00	EMYLYNE-FROSTED SILVER … emylyne $24.00
SALE- Resurgam – San Ju… zuppaartista $8.00	The Ice Cube Necklace blackcatcraft $35.00	Call of the Wild Cluste… jaunebleu $136.00	Bittersweet -Fine Art S… galleryzooart $16.00
Hand felted Dahlia Flow… JurgitaMi $30.00	Sew Happy Together, Ori… jenniferkerr $33.50	small thai spice kit wi… purposedesign $16.00	Turquoise cuff bracelet… theshagbag $19.95

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Filed under: etsy, etsy treasury

DIY Halloween – Handmade Costumes for Kids

the crafty black cat — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:04:46 +0000

So of course, I’m checking out Martha Stewart this morning and she has an entire spread on handmade kids costumes. They’re absolutely adorable!! I’m in love with the butterfly, lambs and woodland creatures.

Since she’s awesome, Martha includes easy plans for making the costumes featured on her site. Most can be made from everyday items you either have or can get on the cheap. We all know how much costumes can cost nowadays, so why not put a little bit of yourself into it?

I also wanted to check in over at Etsy and share a few kids costume ideas from there as well.

monarch butterfly tutu costume |$55| pigtailsandpearls

yoda costume |$44.95| thegreenhedgehog

super hero monkey business cape |$25| pipandbean

I personally want the Monkey Business cape so I can be Captain Monkeypants for Halloween. Happy Haunting all!

Filed under: crafts, Creativity, etsy, handmade, holiday gifts, sewing Tagged: costumes, diy, halloween, martha stewart

Another Front Page Treasury

the crafty black cat — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:06:29 +0000

Filed under: etsy, etsy treasury

The Dreaded Creativity Mind (Road) Block

the crafty black cat — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 22:40:47 +0000

I am one of those creative types with an overactive brain. You know the type: we think too much, do too much, have too many ideas. Creativity unfortunately seems to come with a price. Once in a while the Mind decides it’s time to shut down. I get blocked out of my own brain. It still spins, thoughts still fly around inside, but NOTHING comes out. At least cohesively that is.

I’m an artist but also a writer. Sucks to be me when that creative road block happens – it’s twice as painful.

Thankfully, us creative types are, well, creative. We find ways to recharge and re-inspire ourselves. Over the years I’ve learned a few tricks that I’d like to share with you.

creative block journal by mypipsqueak

Number 1 – The almighty journal. Yes, it’s true, the journal could and should be your best friend. I recommend at least two. A little one for your bed side table and one to carry around with you. Ultimately I’d just like to have one in every room of the house.

mini journal necklace by wayfaringart

2. Word Prompts. You have a few options here. There are books, cards and online creative writing prompts.

journal jar by journaljarsbyjen

3. Stimulate yourself visually. Go old school and browse some design magazines. See what Martha has to say. Go to Flikr and look at pretty pictures.

paintbrushes photo greeting card by broomhillpictures

4. Walk away. Literally. Take a walk, a jog – anything to get your body moving.

dancing in the dark by donera

5. Consider a media diet. Go in the complete opposite direction and just shut it all down. The TV, the computer – everything.

wildflower yoga pants by redbootsdesign

6. Relax. Try Yoga, meditation, get a massage.

Creative minds, like the rest of your body, once in a while need a break. Nurture your brain, treat it with respect and before long you’ll be back on that road to Creativity. If you’re interested in something to feed your brain (literally) check out this list of Brain Food.

Filed under: Creativity, inspiration, personal Tagged: brain food, creativity, writers block

Fashion Trends – Looking Forward

the crafty black cat — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:15:52 +0000

If you pay attention to fashion and trends you know top designers are always looking forward. It’s hard to believe that Autumn has just arrived and yet Fashion Week in Milan last week had designers focusing on Spring/Summer 2011.

Dolce&Gabbana Spring 2011

My favorite was Dolce&Gabbana who emphasized lots of white and gorgeous vintage looking lace. Of course most of us can’t necessarily justify running out to D&G and spending a fortune. The good news is, with awesome handmade designers, you don’t have to.

Doily Dress by ArmoursansAnguish

Layered Ruffles Lace Mini Skirt by SalvationScraps

linen camisole with lace trim by sandmaidensleepwear

Filed under: etsy, fashion, trends

Fall Fashion Trend – Faux Fur

the crafty black cat — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 18:50:51 +0000

Looking through pictures of Fashion Week today, I’m noticing a huge emphasis on fur. I’m not a big fan of real fur at all. The good news is that some designers are not only fashion forward, they also have a cruelty free conscience. Seeing this trend able to carry through Fall and Winter, I’m willing to bet you’ll be seeing a lot more “fur” to come. These Handmade artisans feature faux fur in their work.

faux fur legwarmers by KimKatBags

faux fur and wool cape by kellylynne

concrete jungle snowskirt by fantasyworldheroes

mini faux fur collar by labwear

Filed under: clothing and accessories, etsy, fashion, handmade, trends