♥ Busy Busy Busy !

Yes, that is how I felt often! Well there is always the honey. 

cotton drawstring pouch bag -- busy as a bee -- idiom bag by chasinglightningbugs

I bet you guys had forgotten about me! I don't blame you! I  am so freaking busy these days ( then again I am kind of always busy!).  Let's see what I had been up to ::

♥ I am spending a lot of time with Halley Boo (my 9 weeks old kitten), brought him to the vet and yes I know I told you guys it is a female but the vet felt his miniscule testicles and happy told me "It is a boy!!!!" ( after all, we are in China). I was shocked! GOODNESS!!!!! I had been raising  him like a girl all these weeks! I had been combing his hair 100 times before he sleeps, accessorizing him with little clips and ribbons ! His litter box is pink, his small cushion is pink , his food bowl is pink and his nail polish is pink ( just kidding but THERE IS nail polish for kittens!!!!). 

Duhz... well, at least that explains his super speedy growth, his pretty aggressive nature and his sloppy eating habit! LOL! I am not too bother really, he is such a fun and affectionate kitten, it is a really pleasure watching him grow! 

I love to watching him sleep. It is nice when I can see he felt safe with us and love sleeping near us!

My friend bought her cat over for a play date. Dimanche is a four year old handsome tom cat! You can see Halley is trying to steal the food! LOL!

♥ I am preparing my trip to Melbourne ( YAH!!!!!) , gosh  I need a break so badly! I am a little worried though because I am not sure if it is easy to get around there. I need to Google abit more. Anyway, the idea of chilling out with Lilien, my super fun God sister really makes me very happy! I know the both of us is going to hunt down the best bargain in town and make everyone back home super envious!

Lovely necklace ! By Arete

♥ I am finally able to find a decent supplier for my deco tapes! Perhaps because I am an expat here and my Mandarin is not very good, I might been deem as not one of the local hence the suppliers are abit wary to deal a lot with me. 

After 6 months of spending a lot of money at their stores, I am so happy to say I had established a good relationship with many of them! The last batch of tapes, I manage to get it at wholesale prices! God, that means, approx 40% to 60% off!!!! Yeah!!!!!! It sure took awhile but perhaps I did not buy in bulk so that is why they are reluctant to give wholesale prices.  

I am in the mist of reducing my prices for my deco tapes and changing my listings. I hope to complete it by 30th April but changing 1800 listings can be a daunting task! Lucky for me, I have loads of coffee, cds and a warm kitten to keep me company!

*ROFL*

♥ I had been officially selling on Etsy for 4 months  and it is really an experience for me. I find this site to be really quite different from eBay in all ways pleasant.   Etsy buyers are much more polite, friendly and positive!  I truly enjoy selling on Etsy.

I do learnt a lot too. I mean, I had used various ways to give discount to buyers and it did worked but after doing some serious calculations and studying the buying trends in my store. It seems that 75% of my buyers typically buy less than 10 items.  They buy 6 to 8 items per order on average.  

I received approx 21 convos asking me to explain the old discount rates.  I do not blame them really, it is really quite confusing even to me. 21 convos in 6 months is not good, I know I need to do something about this.

So I was brainstorming and with the supplier's wholesale discount, I gathered I can merge these two events together. I can lower my prices and this would benefit 75% of my buyers who buys less than 10 items.

For those who buys 10 items, I can give them a 10% discount and if they buy 20 items, it would be 15% discount. Just giving two discount rates, I hope it would help to make it easier for buyers to calculate and more free ways to include any items, instead of specific categories.

I have approx 30 IHeart members now and I really appreciate them a lot!  They should not be to affected with the new rates. I hope this would make them happy too! :)

This cartoon is taken from http://www.shannonburns.com/cartooncatalogbusiness.htm

♥ As I had mentioned I would be on holiday soon and my stores would be closed from 4th May to 21st May.  I am using this time to recoup, regroup and re-troop ( I don't think there is this word but it kind of rhythms so I use it).   I have many many plans for May to July, read on ::

a) There would be a Featured Seller here every weekend till July. I am reviewing the sellers as we speak. I love doing Featured Seller posts and I hope it is a way I can help give back to the Etsy community.

b) The last Blog Giveaway was really a lot of fun! The next one would be in June.  Do look out for the details here late May.  

c)  This blog is about 3 months old I think and I also want to use my vacation time to see which direction I want this to go. The purpose is to promote Etsy and it's sellers , I want to see if I can do a store directory here .  Perhaps a weekly update about each store's special offer or new items. 

d) I am going to source for more stuff for my IHeart eCrater store. I love listing there! So easy and I am starting to come out of the Handmade/ Supplies mentality and see if I can list more categories like headbands, hair clips and more household items!

Indeed, I am blessed to be in this place, this time, this era and this body! Thank you all for being so nice and read my blog!

COMING UP THIS WEEK :: I am featuring  a vintage seller and look out for the next Finder's Keepers !

 

♥ Jacarandadesigns - Beautiful Hand Made Jewelries, Featured Seller Series

As you all can see, I do love to feature Etsy sellers! I always have a lot of fun and I learnt many things from them! I get a lot of insights into their craft and life. I am always glad when they agreed to be interview by me!:)  I plan to have a featured seller every week now and I sincerely hope somehow this would let more people see not just the products but to understand and get to know the artist behind each piece too.

I am thrilled today to have Jane , Etsy store owner of Jacarandadesigns this week. I am not very much a jewelry lover and personally I am fussy as hell when it comes to them. I like my jewelries clean, fuss free and in the other words, I quite boring.  So Jane really amazed me with her range of lovely earrings, bracelets, necklace , rings and more! I mean, she uses such a wide range of beads, crystals and metals!  She does not seems to be confined to one style at all and I bet her mind run as free as horses on a wide plain. I felt caught up in her world and yes, indeed,  it was quite a journey as I shop through her store!

Let's chat with her and be prepared to be dazzled!

 Clockwise : Pearls and Swirls Brass and Pearls Maple Leaf Necklace,  Blue Egg Birds Nest Earrings,  Green Tea Pearl Bloom Brass Necklace  and Dancing Flower Silver Earrings .

       

♥ When I first enter your store, I was amazed by the wide range of jewelries you had created! I can see that you really make a lot of effort to makes these lovely items, can you tell us when you started making jewelries and what motivated you to open a store on Etsy?

I've always been creative, dabbling in all kinds of crafts and arts and I've always loved wearing jewelry. A few years ago, I went to a beading class with a friend and I was hooked. At the time I was battling an illness and I found jewelry making very therapeutic. I made so many items that I gave to family and friends but then I found many people asking me to sell them pieces of jewelry that I had made. It just took off from there. My sister was one of the first sellers on Etsy. She convinced me that Etsy would be a wonderful place to sell my jewelry.

Gems and Jewels Vintage Style Necklace

♥ How does each creation comes about? For example, do you start with an idea, then source for the material or the other way around?

I wouldn't say I have a set process. Whenever I see beads and findings that I like and can imagine in a piece of jewelry, I snap them up. When I make jewelry, I usually start with a base color and then put tons of my beads on my table where I can see all the colors and then pick certain ones that complement each other. About twice a week, I take out all my photography equipment and take tons of shots of the new pieces. I like to list something new on my shop almost every day.

Brass, Blue and Bronze In One Necklace

♥ I see you uses many different types of media for your craft, which is your favorite ? Can you recommend us something pretty to wear for a) a date b) a family outing c) an anniversary ?

I enjoy working with all forms of beads and beading materials but I think I'd have to say Japanese Miyuki and Toho beads. That is the type of bead I used for the Love Knot Bracelet. They come in so many different colors and they retain their color over the years.

For a date, make an impression with Tons and Tons of Gorgeous Pearls Necklace

Tons and Tons of Gorgeous Pearls Necklace

For a family outing, maybe one of my posy bracelets. The Shades of Green Posy Bracelet

Shades of Green Posy Bracelet

And for the anniversary, definitely the Love Is In The Air Silver Love Knot Bracelet

Love Is In The Air Silver Love Knot Bracelet

♥ And yes, we love to know more about you too! Tell us a little about your childhood, your career, your likes and dislikes.

I am 42 and married with two very energetic boys. We live just west of Toronto, Canada. I was in the IT industry for twenty years before packing it in and pursuing my passion, making jewelry. I’ve always been quite creative, dabbling in sewing, embroidery, painting, drawing etc. but for a long time, these hobbies were left on the backburner. Like most moms, my life is fairly hectic but very rewarding. I love cooking. I have a huge collection of cookbooks so I’m always experimenting with new recipes. I love gardening, photography, cross country skiing, cycling and traveling.

Pearl and Swarovski Bracelet

♥ I am sure, like a lot of us, you love Etsy too. Want to share a few of your favorite sellers with us?

I have mostly bought supplies on Etsy but the store that I keep going back to look at and hopefully will buy from is catherinereece.

Spring Flowers Bracelet

♥ Lastly, please let us know what other fun sweet creation we can be expecting for Spring and Summer!

I'm inspired by the colors in the natural environment that surrounds us. I love gardening and take loads of photos of my flowers and others each spring, summer and fall.

When I'm creating jewelry, I often go back and look at many of these shots and draw inspiration from the hues, shades and shapes. So I will be continuing to create

jewelry that draws upon the colors and elements of my garden.

Fairy on a Blue Dewdrop Spring Necklace

♥ Do you sell your wonderful accessories in any other site or places other than Etsy? Where else can we find you?

Not currently. But hopefully once I am more established on Etsy, I will be able to branch out to other sites.

I Love You Yeah Yeah Yeah Necklace

Thanks again Jane for letting us have a peek into your life and enchanted world. I personally am in love with all the beautiful  Love Is In The Air Silver Love Knot Bracelet above!  Do spend sometimes in her store! You would come out soothed, calm and refreshed, I did.:)

♥ Jane's Etsy Store

www.jacarandadesigns.etsy.com

♥ Her Sweet Blog!

http://jacarandagal.blogspot.com

♥ Nun of a Kind Dolls - Featured Seller Series

Nun Of A Kind Indeed !

You know 1 year ago, if I mention Etsy to my friends or family members, I would not be too bothered when they told they did not heard about this wonderful site. 1 year later, NOW, if they still had not check it out, I would look at them with pity in my eyes. I mean.. oh man.. they are so MISSING OUT. 

They would retort with one can buy things easily in one's country , after all , everything is Made In China. If I heard this complacent sentence one more time, I would... look at them with even more pity and sadness. Everything is SO NOT CHINA MADE! Anyway, I will blog about China Made stuff next week. 

Today I am going to introduce a seller whose items I can't find in Singapore, in China or in my dreams. Not too bad really, cause they exist in real life. I want to show you someone who created such inspiration and unique dolls. Everytime I see them, I smile and start to think who should I buy them for!  It is definitely a store I would check in very often when I need a special gift!  

Sister Curlotta--the hairstylist

I am thrilled to feature  Nunofakind ( yes, all the puns are intended!) today!  It's owner and creator Linda is such a positive and friendly lady! She makes beautiful Nuns dolls and her word play is wicked too ( check out her listings titles!) . I had a really nice time reading her interview she had so kindly granted me.  I wish I can load all her dolls on my site ( I would feel blessed barnun ;p). Nuntheless  (I am getting good at this!) , I know where I can find her anytime anyway.:)

Nun the Wiser

1) Every time I see your Nuns dolls, I remember my encounter with some of them! They ( the Nuns) are indeed very human and very fun people to be with. How did you come up with such usually and very inspiring dolls ?

The “Nun of a Kind” collection began with the creation of an ornament made for teachers who had presented their version of “Sister Act” at my son’s school. That, along with the fact that it occurred to me that like the “Sisters”, we all share different “habits”, was the beginning of the collection which now has around 80 different “Sisters”! Some of my teachers at elementary school were nuns, and I remember them fondly. My music teacher, Sister St. Louis, was also a wonderful influence in my life.

Sunday Morning Fever, the dancing nun

2) How does each creation comes about? For example, do you start with an idea, then source for the material or the other way around?

Often, the idea begins with a request from a customer. For example, a customer wanted something for her hairdresser, and “Sister Curlotta” was “born”. In some cases, I do find items which I think might be a nice “fit” for the characters, and then I go about creating the name. It is choosing of the name which is the most fun….. I love puns and word play, so this challenges me in that regard.

Mother Souperior

3) Do you sell your sweet dolls in any other site or places other than Etsy? Where else can we find you?

I do have my own personal site www.nunofakind.com in which customers can see the nuns in their “habit-at”! There are 50 sisters pictured there at the moment, and also some items in the “Nunderware” section for other ‘nun” items. My Artfire site is www.nunofakind.artfire.com as well, and as Artfire grows, it will be another great venue at which to sell. "Etsy", (www.nunofakind.etsy.com) of course, is an absolutely wonderful place to sell....and to buy!

Nunderware-Mother Souperior tea-towel

4) Do you accept custom make orders and normally how long it takes for you to complete a doll?

Custom orders are my specialty! Customers contact me with their request, and through email, and digital pictures, we are able to create their custom nun together, as they give approval before the final item is shipped.

Sister Anita Timms, the coffee-loving sister

5) I am sure a lot of us come across Nuns in our countries, can you tell us some stories about them?

I have had several letters from nuns from all sorts of religious orders, and their message is that they are happy that the “sisterhood” is being kept alive through the creation of these nun dolls and others. There have been a few new sisters to orders who have received these as commemorative gifts. Also, sisters who are celebrating anniversaries of their entry into their vocation have received their personalized “Sisters”. However, the intent was that women in general would buy and receive these sisters to remind us that we are all sisters of sorts, and all types of interests, occupations, etc. are addressed in the "Sisterhood".

Sister Esther Jen, the hormonal nun

6) And yes, we love to know more about you too! Tell us a little about your childhood, your career, your likes and dislikes.

I have created items, particularly characters, for many years, and usually exhibit at art and craft shows. My entry into internet sales started about a year ago. I have an interest in knitting, crocheting, painting, and quilting, but for the most part, I am devoting most of my time to this business. This is what I hope will be my full-time career at this point in my life!

Fullabean Chef

7) I am sure, like a lot of us, you love Etsy too. Want to share a few of your favorite sellers with us?

I am especially drawn to the jewelry that is sold on “Etsy”. I have purchased some unique gifts for friends on the site. There are so many fantastic sellers on “Etsy” that it is difficult to “narrow it down” to just a few favorites. I love looking at the “Pounce” section and have discovered many new shops that way.

Sister Ivana Wynne, the bingo player

8) Lastly, please let us know what other fun sweet creation we can be expecting for Spring and Summer!

There will always be more “sisters” joining the collection. In addition, there will be many “one of a kind” angels, Santas, and ornaments added to the shops.

For new items, and news from the “Sisterhood”, please visit the “Nun of a Kind” blog at www.nunofakind.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nunofakind

Nun of a Kind Greeting Cards

I had loads of fun doing this post! I like Nuns, I always feel there are more to them under their "habits" and thanks Linda for affirming that. In this sometimes crazy and sad world, I feel good, calm, soothed whenever I see them, like everything is just going to be alright. I will think about what doll I would like one for myself.  Once again, she loves to do custom listings (yay!!!) and super reasonable shipping rates! You can hang out with her at :

♥Linda's Stores:

www.nunofakind.etsy.com

www.nunofakind.artfire.com

www.nunofakind.com

♥Her Twitter :

www.twitter.com/nunofakind

♥Her Super Cute Blog!

www.nunofakind.blogspot.com

♥ BowMeOverBows - Featured Seller Series

Tree Hugger Bow

Everyone knows you can find really pretty hair clips and bows for little girls and big girl ( like me ;P) on Etsy. I do feel it is a pretty saturated market and it can be hard to spot the really unique and well made hair clips when there are like hundreds of pages to choose from. I am therefore happy to find one whom I feel has very unique and pretty pieces! Her store  BowMeOverBows is pretty new but she has got some really pretty hair clippies and bows!

I got some clippies from her and I love them! Very well wrapped and fast shipping too! I feel her store is different in the selection of ribbons and appliques she uses. I am glad to feature her this weekend on my blog! Read on to find out more about this fabulous seller!:)

Hugs and Kisses Bow

1) You do not make bows like an beginner! Come on, tell us how long you have been making these lovely clips?

Well, it all started one day back in August 2008, when I was recruited to make hair bows for my oldest daughter’s cheerleading squad. I started researching how to make hair bows on the web, and before I knew it I made my first bow! Well, I thought, “That was fun! I’ll make another!”, and so I made my girls Halloween hair bows, and I haven’t stopped making them since! My loving, VERY SUPPORTATIVE husband even constructed a “device” to help me hold my ribbon together while tying off each layer for the bow! But don’t ask me to see pictures of that, it’s a secret! Maybe we’ll patent it someday! :)

Keep The Earth Beautiful Clippie

2) How does each creation comes about? For example, do you start with an idea, then source for the material or the other way around?

Well, by looking at my shop you can easily tell that I LOVE to make hairbows!!! I buy all of my ribbon and embellishments personally and in small amounts to keep a constantly changing inventory! I love to mix and match colors, patterns and prints to come up with the beautiful bows you see in my shop! I am a perfectionist, and all of my products are made with great care and lots of attention to ensure they last and stay beautiful!

I’ve often been asked, “Where do you draw your inspiration from for your amazing designs?” Well, to answer this question honestly, I just shop for ribbon and embellishments that I love! When I come home I simply spread everything out and mix and match until I come up with exactly the combination that I like best! Most of the time the creative process happens over a couple of days, first I go through all my ribbons and embellishments and decide what few combinations I want to make pairing them up, and then I make the bows later! This way each step gets my “fresh, creative mind”! I can’t tell you enough how much I love both parts of the process, picking out the ribbon and embellishments and then the actual construction of the bow, because then I finally get to see what my creative ideas look like completed!

This Little Chickie Clippie

3) Do you sell your beautiful clips in other places other than Etsy? Where else can we find you?

For right now the only shop I have is on Etsy, www.BowMeOverBows.etsy.com , but I have started a facebook page and a flickr account where you can view pictures of some of my bows. Both of these pages are under BowMeOverBows. You can also reach me at bowmeoverbows@gmail.com

Bright Rock n' Roll Bow

4) And yes, we love to know more about you too! Tell us a little about your childhood, your career, your likes and dislikes.

I’m a stay at home mom, happily married for 10 years with two beautiful little girls, one who is 7, and the other who is 3. I have a degree in Elementary Education from Illinois State University, and I taught kindergarten for 7 years before I decided to stay at home with my girls. I’ve never really had a hard time coming up with creative ideas, I guess that’s just the teacher in me, but I never would’ve thought I’d be making little girl hair bows let alone opening my own shop on Etsy!!!

I am a MAJOR perfectionist and I love to do crafts! My mother always teases me because I’m good for pulling out all the craft stuff, you know, paint, glue, play dough, etc, on any given day with my girls usually before 9:00 in the morning!!! You can hear them all the time saying “Mommy, can we do a craft?” Our latest creation was little pom pom chickies in and eggshell base, which after my mother saw them she said “You should sell those on Etsy too!” I simply replied “One thing at a time mom!” LOL!!! Anyway, I like to think of myself as someone who can get along with anyone, and I am really enjoying meeting new people through Etsy!!! I am amazed at how many truly talented people there are out there crafting! I just love surfing Etsy to find cool stuff! Actually, today I just found some really neat people who make terrariums! (Don’t worry, I’ll list my favorites a bit later! :)

Take the Cake Birthday Bow

5) Lastly, please let us know what other hair accessories you are dazzling to show us! We love to know!

As far as new “works” in progress go, I’m currently working on bitty bows on headbands for infants, and a line of “doggy bows” for the pampered pooch! Watch for these up and coming new products!

Circle Of Love Bow

6) I am sure, like a lot of us, you love Etsy too. Want to share a few of your favorite sellers with us?

*berrysprite
*humblebee
*shopmayapapaya
*gingerblossoms
*nostalgiccorner
*Loloandbebe
*tvtrayart
*mylavaliere
*madebymavis
*GnomeHomes

Here Comes Peter Cottontail Clippie

It is truly enjoyable reading her story.  Her hair clips and bows gives me the impression she is a very positive and cheerful lady. She must have taken a lot of effort to source for such wonderful ribbons! Do pop in and have a look at her store or say Hi to her, she is super friendly and nice!:)

I