My Little Hands Etsy Experience

Back to the living

2009-04-13T19:19:00.005-05:00

Whew - Its been a while. I am overwhelmed with trying to find a house, deciding whether to rent or buy... painting and organizing and general daily crap. I have an art show coming up... wonder if I will do well. I am hoping to at least sell one of the three entries. I have broken my routine! I have trashed all daily happenings and have thrown linear happenings out the door.

My dog has allergies and looks like Quasimoto. His one eye is al pink and swollen. He is on puppy Benadryl and Eye drops. He now HATES the eye drops, and has learned when they are coming...then mopes around the house with his eye closed to make me feel bad. But for whatever reason he thinks the Benadryl is a specially wrapped piece of candy just for him so thats good to give him a treat after enduring that terrible eye drop.

I am surprised my BF and I havent killed each other. The stress of him not having his job finalized and on paper yet, along with us being in corporate housing STILL (going on 10 months now) is getting to be at a bit of a climax. Of course it wouldnt be so bad if we both hadnt already been through a lengthy relo process a few years back...seems like we havent been stable since 2005. Aside from that - our spirits are ok.

I want to paint a big painting again! I cant risk buying a canvas though. I had bought one that I didnt get a chance to paint on and had to leave it in Texas. Bummer. I am glad I hadnt painted it yet. I actually would rather be making my own but of course that wont work either.

I will try to get to posting again soon.

Portrait attempts

2009-03-24T21:10:00.002-05:00

I had an idea a few weeks ago for some paintings. The problem is that many of the paintings in my series that I want to do will include pictures of people. And I CANT PAINT people. I have never had an art class (Don't know how I missed out on that in school AND college) but anyway I have no idea how the paintings in my series would turn out if I went all crazy without any practice.

So I have decided that before I start my series, I will have to paint several pics of people to get the juices flowing. I am painting all of my favorite facebook profile pics from my friends accounts. Yep... I snuck in, stole pictures from my friends wall photos and will be painting all of them to get my butt in gear.

All of them will be on 9x12' acrylic paper and I will have to figure out what I will do with them after that. That is pretty much where my idea ends. So here was my first victim. It is my friend Cecilia from KY. She knits, and this is apparently her knitting a scarf. I apologize in advance to all my friends for my poor skills thus far.

Made my Day Mondays - Gas Chamber

2009-03-23T19:20:00.002-05:00

I cant really say that this made my day in a positive way but it certainly gets me started each day with a laugh and a turn of the stomach. As most of you out there know, I am on the road with my Bulldog. What many may not know, however, is that Bulldogs are brachycephalic. This means that their tiny little noses are too freaking shirt and they have to "reverse sneeze" every now and then to get air. This leads to too much air in their system which must get out.

When Rambo was a puppy, he got the air out through swallowed burps and got the hiccups every few hours. Now he just farts. ALL the time. And they are bad. They aren't little puppy toots that you smell and everyone in the room blames it on the dog. They are Crop dusting, loud, Rambo is walking from the kitchen to the back porch farting the whole way kind of toots. And this is 24 - 7. We have learned to live with it... except I get the pleasure of living with it much more than Rambo's daddy does.

Since we are on the road, we cant travel with Rambo's kennel all the time. He is kennel trained so we lock him in the bathroom at night so that he doesn't break his routine. Here is the problem: He is locked in a bathroom from 10:30 - 6 am with him, his toy moosey, and his farts. So every morning at 6 am when I get him out for his morning walk, I am walking into a room sized gas chamber. You can smell the trapped puppy gas in there and man it is dank!

I need to get a House with a kennel so that there is more room for those farts to air out before morning!

Fine Art Friday - Part 1: whitneyj

2009-03-20T16:45:00.004-05:00

My first feature for Fine Art Friday is an Etsy seller who creates wonderful collages. Whitneyj constructs them from magazine images and affixes them to wood, which creates an incredible earthy feel, despite the glitz and forced glamour of some of the images plucked from the pages of fashion magazines. I love that they are mounted on wood too. Something about that root element drives the message home.

My favorites are from a collection of collages that transforms images of women into a mother - nature hybrid. Back to basics, so to say. whitneyj speaks about her inspiration and process in her Etsy Profile: "Many of my images are pulled from fashion magazines where the female form has become a hanger for expensive uncomfortable clothing. Models are posed in objectifying ways that often remove any sense of strength and joy. Let's face it, women are art's muses. Why not celebrate our strength and beauty? My approach is to extract women from their constructed photo shoots and place them in an environment that is empowering and engaging. "

Very true... and it makes for such captivating work! Check out my favorites:

Check out this whole collection and perhaps buy a few of them. How cool would these all look right on a row on your living room walls?

Wishing for Sales Wednesday - SickSadKids

2009-03-19T20:29:00.004-05:00

Due to my sporadic laziness of late, this post is about 12 hours behind but here it is notetheless. I found a super cool shop yesterday that definitely deserves a feature - SickSadKids. This shop sells handmade dolls that are lovingly crafted from Beanies! (The hats, not a cute word for beans or anything like that) SickSadKids has been selling these slightly sadistic best friends for 2 years in the real world, and has just recently joined the Etsy world. All bases are covered here, including "Kit Katasptrophe" with hearts on his tummy (from loverspast) and a studded choker... and one of my favorites, "Sleepy Harlow" which makes me kind of want a little nap. (Without the razorblade pillow)

SickSadKids invites one and all to get their own slightly darker version of themwhichever lovely doll they best identifies with, captured in your own beanie doll, "I hope you enjoy throwing, tossing, loving, caring, sleeping, and playing with these rocked out kids as much as I enjoy stitching them."

Check out some of my favorties:

Isn't he sweet? Stop in to SickSadKids and buy up the whole set!

Whats up with me today

2009-03-18T17:06:00.002-05:00

Do you ever hear a song on a commercial and want to shake the hand of the person that thought up that winning combination? That has happened to me more and more recently. the first time that I noticed it was when UPS started using songs from "The Postal Service". I love The Postal Service and have often wondered how many people out there caught the connection and thought it as clever as I did. Probably not many, but they are out there!

Today, while updating my last post, I caught a Crayola commercial using a song by "The Unicorns", which is a band that I don't think is around anymore...under that name anyways, but I loved them just the same. I was so proud of that selection! The commercial had my undivided attention. You should totally look them up on Wikipedia and try to get some downloads of them.

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ART Show update:
I have finished my two paintings for the Bakersfield Museum of Art Visual Arts Festival. Whew - mouthful. I have to coat them up and make them all shiny and then sit on them for a month or so until I can submit them. That will be the hard part. I don't want to wait. I am satisfied with them though. I might do some more pics of them...but I don't want to spoil all of the surprises.

My big plan this year is to enter at least 10 Art shows... most online, some in person. I am 3 months behind already so I better get a crackin.

Wishing for Sales Wednesday - Smitherine Designs

2009-03-18T16:44:00.004-05:00

I got a bit of serendipitous luck this morning. While researching my Etsy Road trip, I had found a seller named SmitherineDesigns in the Los Angeles area. As I always do prior to any feature, I convo'd requesting permission. As my response was a bit delayed, I hadn't performed the write up for my Etsy Road trip - L.A. which is great because This shop fits right in to my Wednesdays! Double Bonus! Smitherine Designs is awaiting her first sale. Stop on in and check out the fantastic jewelry in this shop. I was at first attracted to the Lemon Chalcedony Drop Necklace. I think I was on a yellow kick that night. Also, anything that uses a noun as an adjective in the Item title is an automatic click for me. (Like "That Ford Fiesta was a funky Nail Polish color."... not such a great example but that's the one that comes to mind)

I also like the Bamboo Leaf Agate Hoop Bracelet. I think what I like best about the jewelry overall is the quality of work. These pieces were very thoughtfully constructed, and each have a very individual look to them. Check out my favorite images from the shop:

See how pretty that Yellow is? Very dainty and lovely, but also substantial enough to create a very dramatic look. Yummy. Make sure to stop in and support Smitherine Designs! I am adding these pieces to my wish list right now.

Made my Day Mondays

2009-03-16T17:44:00.005-05:00

I don't talk much about my boyfriend. Truth is, he doesn't like being talked about. He is a bit on the Obsessive Compulsive side. (And trust me, I am not making light of OCD...this man actually has it, but being the uber patient loving gal that I am, I find it to be entertaining most of the time...and when its not, I can deal with it) Anyway, he doesn't like personal stories being told about him... would NOT allow me to post a picture of any kind blah blah. Aside from all this, there are many many moments that would make a fantastic book. The man is walking Blog fodder.

I was reminded of an interesting travel story when my mom called to tell me about her trip to see Ron White. She was telling me of a story he told about going to a golf club and getting into it with the Valet booth attendant. I guess he rolled down the window and very calmly told the man what he could do with himself. The comment was about how it would feel to be able to just tell people what you thought of them on a bad day... and not be socially obligated to be polite or patient. This struck me as funny because my boyfriend IS that way. ALL the time. He rarely contemplates how he will be viewed socially prior to acting or saying what he thinks.

In most cases, I follow behind him in public and voice apologies and all of those niceties that he might have overlooked... like all of the thank yous when we are at a restaurant and the waitress refills both our drinks... or the excuse me's needed when he pushes past a crowd of people... or the thank yous for people holding doors for us. I guess it never occurred to me what might happen in my absence. What goes on when he is out there all alone in the world, tunneling through things in his own little bubble?

Well, on the drive out here I found out. We were traveling with the dog so at all of the gas stations we took turns going in so that we didn't have to leave him in an un-air conditioned car. I went in first at a stop right outside of Los Angeles. The gas station was REALLY busy and there was a man at the counter talking loudly to himself and bothering many of the others waiting in line. I ignored him like everyone else was doing and went on my way. After I got out to the car and my boyfriend went in and returned, we were leaving and I noticed that familiar look on his face. He had done something for sure. I asked him what was up and he did not hesitate to tell me.

He, too, saw the man that was bothering everyone. Problem was, the man got too close to my BF. He apparently told the man, "Listen up buddy. Do us a favor and shut the F#@% up!" The guy shut up and left. Figures. He truly is a KY boy. No doubt about that. Moments like that remind me why I am with him. I am helplessly attracted to that little KY badass charm. Maybe some day I will tell the story about the conversation that took place when he went to Oregon and a man tried to pump his gas for him. THAT one had me rolling in the floor.

Watercolor!

2009-03-15T19:05:00.003-05:00

I am trying my hand - for the first time - at watercolor. I never liked it too much because I am a huge fan of texture and nothing is better than thick old globs of paint...but I figured I need to expand my horizons. Plus I have about ten good strong ideas and I think they would be conveyed better with softer colors.

So here is my first attempt. I call it, "Cowboys and Indians was a game that was lost in translation on Mental Margot."

Fine Art Friday - Part 1: jdegarmo

2009-03-13T17:13:00.006-05:00

My first entry for Fine Art Fridays is jdegarmo. I was drawn to this shop for many reasons. I first noticed a painting entitled, "Contortionist" through a general Etsy search, and was immediately prompted to enter and poke around. The art filling the rest of the shop was equally visually appealing to me. I think I liked the expressions on the faces of the people. The color and detail also sucked me in.

Most paintings in the shop are 6"x 4" acrylic on paper, and are framed and matted in a fantastic deep Black frame, which is an excellent finishing touch, as it makes the piece ready for you! All you have to do is hang it up! There are also a few paintings on canvas and wood that are very awe - striking.

jdegarmo states that he injects his "awkward sense of humor into the images whenever possible," which is apparent in several slightly twisted pieces, including a slightly sadistic twist on Willy Wonka...entitled, "Five Scrumdiddliumptious Youths", which I would buy in a heartbeat had I the funds!!

Here are a few of my favorites:

I especially like the second painting, titled, "Say Uncle". I had a nightmare once about that giant white rabbit from the skittles commercial. He was singing and trying to eat my stomach. I climbed up on the roof to get away from him but that punk rabbit jumped up after me. Anyway, I painted a squirrel caught in the act of decapitating that rabbit, which made me feel a lot better.

I digress... visit jdegramo and buy your favorite one!

Belated Wishing for Sales Wednesday Featured Seller

2009-03-12T15:31:00.004-05:00

Ah! I wrote this up last night but got into watching a movie and forgot to log in and publish it...hence the explanatory edits...

Featured Seller #2 is none other than the talented lilheart! Her shop, Little Heart - handmade with heart by Chelsea sells fantastic earrings and other accessories! This fabulous start up shop has some amazing potential. Stop in and buy all the feathers that you see and put them in your ears and put them in your hair. lilheart has an eye for the natural, and uses this keen eye to turn the natural into a supernatural piece of adornment.

Take a moment to look over my favorites!

Fantastic Pictures too, huh? What better way to display feathered accessories than where they live in the wild? This truly is a shop that is a "Bud ready to bloom!" Buy a pair of earrings from lilheart today.

First Sale Wednesdays! - Undergroundgrace

2009-03-11T18:34:00.003-05:00

My first Featured Seller today is Etsy Newbie undergroundgrace. Undergroundgrace sells unique handmade clutches, original stitched "cubby buddies", and my favorite, his digital prints. Hailing from Philadelphia, undergroundgrace is a practicing artist and master of illustration. Along with his Etsy shop underground grace, this talented artist also has a personal website featuring many more graphite drawings and other pieces. Check out his site here.

Here are a couple of my favs from Undergroundgrace:

Please be sure to check out the shop for a larger image of that illustration. My little blog pic doesn't do it justice. I think I was drawn to it (pardon the pun) because I like repetitious patterns...and drawrings too. The cubby buddie reminds me of a robot...which we all know I have a thing for too. His name is Hiroshi, although I would call him Herman for short.

STRUCTURE!!

2009-03-11T17:31:00.002-05:00

I want to have some structure finally to this all over the place blog! I don't think that I am ready to commit to a theme every day but lets try 3 days a week! Lets try Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

Monday - Made my day Mondays: Interesting things have been happening since I have been on the road. I will try to lighten those Monday moods with something funny that might have happened to me or in my area that weekend.

Wednesday - When will I sell something Wednesdays: Features Etsy sellers that are eagerly awaiting their first sale!! Gives you a chance to look at the undiscovered and maybe even give them that first boost!

Friday - Fine Art Friday: I want to get back into painting so I would like to take Fridays and feature Etsy artists that paint and collage and all that fun stuff...Most of which I would like to have less than 50 sales or so but I wont discriminate if I fall in love with the art!

Well... as it is Wednesday, I think I will poke around on Etsy to see what Newbies I can find!

New Necklace

2009-03-10T15:34:00.002-05:00

I had a bitof inspiration the other day when looking for a ring mandrel at the craft store. They had these scrapbook tags just hanging out, all trimmed in metal. My first thought went to what wonderful tiny things that I can paint on them! So I tried one out. My challenge came when trying to figure out how to mount them onto jewelry. I had to take some 20 guage wire and hand wrap a bit of a hook. Here is my first attempt. I will get some more on here this week, along with some more noteworthy photos.

Art Show entry Day 2

2009-03-10T15:20:00.002-05:00

I worked a little too long yesterday (most of which was thinking and staring) on my art show entry. I added some paper details, and some cheesecloth socks. I think, also, that my BF has talked me into submiting two entries. Of course he is worried that this one will not win because it was too dark and the background shouldnt be black...I think it will be fine, and just want to submit another piece on the off chance that it will sell. I am crossing my fingers taht these pieces will at least sell, even if I dont place...and that will bring some money in for me!

Still a lot to do though. I have to outline this guy... do some more coral cut outs, more texture on the birdie. I have to finish off the socks and get some straps on them so taht they dont slide down on his birdie feet. I am also ocnsidering changing the formulas in the fibonacci spiral a bit...maybe painting them i a lighter color. I dont think I will work on it today...maybe wait till the weekend.

Art Show Day 1

2009-03-09T16:26:00.006-05:00

I know the photo sucks, but bear with me...it is a bit chilly outside and I don't feel like messing with tons of photos to get the right one when this is just a first day sort of progress report. So here is the First Day product! (Keep in mind this puppy is only 8"x8", which is soooo tiny for me.

The theme is "roots" so I have quite a bit planned for this one. The background is the my poor attempt at the Fibonacci spiral...what part of it will fit on a square canvas at least. I also plan do do a bunch of perfect square numbers in the borders. I have some coral collage cut out for the sides and for the birdies mouth. I have to add color to his eye, the flower pots and some more texture to his body today. I hope to finish up in a week or so...working only a few hours per day. I am sure that I will get to a point where I don't like it this week sometime and put it in painting time out for a week or so. I am not sure if I like it yet. We will see what Day 2 brings.

Project Wonderful

2009-03-09T13:39:00.003-05:00

I have added a Project Wonderful Ad Space to my blog. I wasn't going to.. but I figured this would be a good way to advertise for other Etsy Sellers too. Right now she is free, so I wanted to post to give anyone a chance that might follow my blog or stop in from time to time. I will most likely go out to the Etsy Forums later on and give away some first come first server type spots.

Get in there while they are free! (Not to mention help add some color to that eyesore on my page!)

I will update later on today with some pics of my painting for the art show, as well as a new line of necklaces that I am working on.

Shop Revamp

2009-03-07T13:18:00.005-06:00

I updated my banner! I am trying once again to make my two shops a bit more alike, to ease the eventual transition into one store. Check out the new digs! I also took a slew of new photos the other day and finally got most of them edited and into my items. I also listed 3 new necklaces. I have to expand my jewelry items a bit more. My shop doesn't have a lot of variety in sizes and colors, and I feel that this could hurt my sales. I will work to add more items this weekend too.

I have been practicing the rings, but don't want to go too Wrapped Ring crazy until I get an official Ring Mandrel. It looks a tad unprofessional when my descriptions say, "It fits my pinkie finger nicely" haha. Also, I made an unrelated trip to a few craft stores on Wednesday and ended up spending $40 on new pendants, beads and buttons YIKES! Ah well, it will all be used some day.

I am entering a juried Art show in my area. (Hence the unrelated craft store trips) I need an 8x8 canvas...inches, not feet, and cannot find one anywhere. I usually make my own canvases but as I don't have any tools with me on the road and nowhere to store lumber and gesso, I must buy pre-stretched. I am making the journey to the museum today to buy one of the canvases that they offer for the show, and maybe pay my registration. - Of course I will update with progress reports once I get to start the painting!!

Here are some before and after pics from my shop redo.

Etsy Showcase coming up

2009-03-05T17:40:00.003-06:00

I purchased an Etsy showcase for my shop this weekend. I will have a spot on the Saturday 7th Accessories showcase. I hope to unload some of my brooches and maybe even a necklace or two. I plan to have a mix of them in my top ten. I have re-taken all photos and will be photo editing and reposting like crazy tonight in preparation. I HATE redoing all my pics at once, as it is so time consuming but ah well... I hope I get some sales from the showcase though. If I get only one then it will be worth the cost.

I have been trying my hand at wire ring wrapping. I have had a few successes and a few dissappointments too. I will hit you up with some pictures of the ones that didnt simply fall apart later on.

I renewed last night and logged into my google analytics page to find that my bounce rate was down to 50%!!! THAT is a huge triumph over my 63%+ that I have been battling all month. Whew. I also have to revamp my profile and my welcome message. I will be online until bedtime. Whew. Better get going on those photos I guess. If I have time I will post some of my Bakersfield Etsy ROADTRIP sellers.

Etsy ROADTRIP - Los Angeles Part 2

2009-03-04T21:43:00.005-06:00

Prettypennydesigns is my second featured Etsy seller from Los Angeles. Pretty Penny is a darling little Etsy shop full of all things pretty. You will find pins, brooches, bracelets, hair clips and necklaces to spice up or pretty up your wardrobe. Prettypennydesigns collects all materials from her compulsive desire to rescue items from thrift stores and flea markets, then she spins them into nice things for you to wear. Pretty Penny features unique accessories and jewelry that would no doubt re-invent any cardigan, T-Shirt or simple outfit you can come up with.

And just as if it cant get any better, each purchase is wrapped up all pretty with a box and bow. I don't care if you order the necklace for yourself or not, EVERYONE feels better when they get something in the mail that is wrapped in a cute box and bow. Check out what I thought was special from Pretty Penny.

I love that wrist cuff. I am drawn not only to the red flowers, but also to the plaid pattern underneath. With the combination in colors, the cuff could be versatile and worn with lots of things. I like this necklace because it is so unique. The combination of cloth, beads and chain is very cute and classy looking. Like vintage, yet chic. For many many more pretty things, please check out the creations of prettypennydesigns!

Etsy ROADTRIP - Los Angeles Part 1

2009-03-04T21:18:00.005-06:00

For my first Los Angeles Etsy seller, I would like to introduce franticmeerkat! I used to be sickly addicted to old books. I loved the pictures, the style of speaking and yes, the smell... and this shop simply reminds me of those wonderful books. The images created are not only super cool, but they are assembled with such a sense of humor that I cannot deny the giggles arising in my tummy. Franticmeerkat also has an Etsy store showcasing some of her super talented artwork so be sure to stop in there and check that out too!

There are just so many cards, magnets and prints available in The Frantic Meerkat that I could spend all day clicking each individual image and exploring franticmeerkats art. There truly is something for everyone in this shop. Check out what caught my eye from the start.

In case all of you (any of you) out there were wanting a fun and fantastic story about why I love these two images in particular, here you are: I, myself have partaken in the drunk waffles outing many a times. Of course that was in KY where Waffle House if king (2 years in Iowa without Waffle House was like being in Hell without water). I actually ate there one time and a friend offered to buy my whole dinner (after I had eaten it) if I chug the Tabasco. You know how that one ends. As for the Vespa image...well, I think that bicycles are neato and I always dreamt of someday moving to the Canary Islands and opening a Vespa rental shop. *sigh*

Go to franticmeerkats shop and buy all of her cards and magnets!

Etsy ROADTRIP - Tucson Part 3

2009-03-04T21:08:00.004-06:00

For my final installment in Tucson, I have selected vella, proprietor of a fantastic Etsy shop that makes backpacks. These packs are created from some of the most dreamy, wonderful fabrics that I have ever seen. I am a fabric nut myself, although I am too cheap to collect it and too untalented to create things out of it. Vella's profile states that she is connected to each fabric that she uses to make her fantastic bags. (Connected in a Drawn to it, must have it, sparks fuzzy memories and thoughts sort of way, not a "the fabric told me to" sort of way)

I also must comment, before getting to the favorites, on the excellent, capturing manner of photography that is used to sell these awesome bags. The pictures of the bags could be sold as artwork in themselves. --jealous of photography skillz--

Anywho, here were my favs from vella's shop!

See what I mean? They are beautiful! Stop on in to see what fantastic piece might interest you!

RAMBO's Half Birthday

2009-03-04T18:05:00.011-06:00

I plan to update later this evening with some more Etsy Roadtrip posts but for now I would like to celebrate my dogs half birthday. Today he is six whole month old. Lets take just a moment to review the last 6 months ! You will notice that he gets progressively uglier each month.

ROADTRIP through the eyes of Rambo

2009-03-03T13:30:00.006-06:00

I had the pleasure of taking my baby bulldog Rambo with me on the road. He was the perfect backseat companion. He was good most of the trip, but every time we had to stop at a gas station, he was frantic when my BF got out of the car. He didnt much care if I was there or not, but man did he hop to when his daddy was gone. I have put together some pictures of the puppy through each of the cities. (I took more pictures of Rambo on the trip than I did of the scenery)

Here he is!

Aint he cute? He spent a good deal of time trying to sneak into the front seat. At 40 lbs, he was rather hard to push away when he was fighting me for attention. When he finally lost the battle, he would usually end up like the last image, where he put his huge head on the center console. The top picture is a good representation of every gas station along the way. It was so hot outside and we had all of our belongings in the car, so my BF and I would take turns going in to the gas station or rest stop so someone could remain in the air conditioned car with Rambo. This was fine, because Rambo could then pretend that he was driving.

Etsy ROADTRIP - Tucson Part 2

2009-03-02T23:13:00.006-06:00

My next Tucson seller is tianyoutian, from T K Jewelry Design. I must say up front that I have profound respect for anyone that makes their own jewelry. Not like the jewelry that I make, where I go to the craft store and buy components and then put them together, but those that take METAL and then make it into JEWELRY are truly talented. tianyoutian is no exception to these talented few. Her store is chock full of crazy cool earrings, rings, brooches and bracelets... all of which I have been completely taken with.

I love anything that includes dots and stripes and a lot of these pieces have such clear patterns and shapes in them that I cant resist paying homage to them. Be sure to check out the T K Jewlery Design sale on Silver Hoop Earrings too! $9 a pair! Here are some pieces I felt to be irresistible.

What a lovely ring! Bold, but still pretty and delicate. Check out tianyoutian and the awesome things that are made and sold by T K Jewelry Design!!!