Momathon Blog

It's So Etsy: Hand Embroidered Clutch

I heart all things handmade. This Etsy find, Love Bird clutch with hand painting, would make a cute Mother's Day gift. You can find more of my Etsy favorites here.

Details:

• Clutch with hand embroidered "You & Me" on grey wool fabric. 
• Handmade by Sylvia Lee in Shanghai and sold via her Etsy shop iFashionLady.
• Dimensions: 5.5"×3.54"×2.55"
• Perfect for day or night—just the right size to hold makeup for a date night, or an iPhone, small camera, cell phone, etc.
• Detachable and inner hide-able bronze chain--47" chain makes it long enough to wear it over shoulder.
• Lined purse with a floral Bali gold cotton fabric
• $34.99 at her Etsy shop.
• Check out her other purses in a variety of colors and designs here.

Image by Chris Olson with photo via Sylvia Lee's shop iFashionLady.

 

It's So Etsy: Pastel Flowers Print Is My Fresh Pick for Mother's Day

Bree Madden's photography makes me want to jump on Travelocity and book a trip to the coast. She captures scenes I love—the ocean, beaches, flowers, and birds—in the softest pastels that make me smile. I think her photos would make the perfect Mother's Day gift. You can  find her amazing photography on Etsy at Maddenphotography. You can find Bree on Twitter here.  

The Pastel Flower print featured above is a signed 8x10 print by Bree (also available in a variety of other sizes) and sells on Etsy for $25.

Find more of my posts about lovely Etsy items here.

You can find my free Mother's Day gift box PRINTABLE here.

Building Your Brand on Etsy

How does Janell Anderson of Prunella Soap on ETSY make her shop stand out? Unique photos, lovely products, and pretty packaging are just a few reasons.

Having a shop with a clear brand message is the key to getting noticed and remembered. What are the core values of your shop? Once you know what your brand values are, you can explore the details of what makes your brand stand out from the rest. What is your brand style? According to Janell, Prunella Soap's brand style is minimalist, playful and good clean fun. Next consider the packaging and other materials—they should mirror the appearance of your brand.

Putting the message of your brand into words takes time and patience. If you can be a fearless editor and tweak the wording until you find the essence of your brand, then you will have the pitch to attract customers. 

Here is how she puts these core values and keywords into her Etsy shop description.

Prunella is vegan cold process soap made with organic ingredients in Portland, Oregon. It is made utilizing the old-fashioned method of soap making and cures for a minimum of four weeks from the time it is made until it’s available for sale. Eco-friendly, super sudsy and wonderful for your skin!

Perfect phrasing, don't you think? Learn how she did it, and how you can do it in this short ETSY video. Also, check out the FREE Etsy Success Symposium: Get Found today, Friday, March 30th.

Image above by me, Chris Olson. Photo from Prunella Soap video on ETSY.

It's So Etsy: Floral Mary Jane Baby Booties

Soft and cozy, these adorable handmade Mary Jane baby booties by Pitter Patter Shop on Etsy are perfect for spring. 

Details:

• 100% cotton floral pattern shell, and lined with light pink.
• The interior is so soft that even the smallest toes would be happy in these shoes, with or without socks.
• Velcro closure for quick and easy fastening on even the busiest of little feet.
• Embellished with a pink, blue, and green felt flower topped with some decorative pearls.
• A wide variety of sizes and bootie styles are available at the PitterPatterShop.
• Link: NELLA CORDELIA (Brown Pink Blue Green Orange) $7.

 Find these handmade booties on Pinterest, right here.

(Images by me, Chris Olson. Photo by PitterPatterShop on Etsy)

Just Add Glitter (Video)

I love glitter. More is better. Can you ever have too much of it? Glitter generally makes people happy. Some of my favorite blogs talk a great deal about glittery things--The Pretty Blog on Pinterest, Design is mine, Rue, Design Mom, {frolic!}, sfgirlbybay, and The Etsy Blog.

So where does glitter come from? Here's a short sparkling video from my friends at Etsy via the amazing Retronaut .

All That Glitters: The History of Shiny Things from Etsy on Vimeo.

Valentine-y things for you

 

Valentine's Day has always been one of my faves, so it isn't surprising I keep adding new heart-worthy Etsy items to my Salt and Paper Designs  shop.

I love printables. Here are just a few of mine for Valentines:

Pink Flower Printable Gift Box 

Eiffel Tower Printable Gift Box

Valentine Yorkie Set "Be Mine" and "Hello Love"

Valentine Yorkie printable envelope

Minty Heart Valentine Postcard with Envelope at LunaBlueStudio

Sweet things you can print

Valentines come in all shapes and sizes. My faves are easy-to-make cards. This year I decided to make printables--easy to print PDF files that make it a snap to make as many as you want. 

Do you like to use printable cards and gift wrap? Here are the two newest items at my Salt and Paper Designs shop on Etsy:

Valentine Eiffel Tower PRINTABLE Pillow Box and Valentine HELLO LOVE and HELLO Printable Note Cards

Weekend Inspiration

Happy Friday! Hope you had a great week. Now it's time to kick back and enjoy a long weekend. What are you going to do for fun? I will be busy with my kids. Hope to sneak in some window shopping in between errands. And I will be giving one of my dogs some extra TLC since she is recovering from surgery. (We are counting down the days until her cast comes off!)

Before the weekend zips by, take a few moments to pamper yourself too. Remember, friend, you are BEAUTIFUL!

A few things:
The amazing homeless lab mix Oscar that I wrote about recently may have a new home soon. Cross your fingers. I will keep you updated. Special mommy hugs to everyone who spread the word about this dog.

As you know I have two shops on Etsy, LunaBlueStudio and SaltandPaperDesigns. I just added a new printable note card set with my cheery cat illustration. You can check it out on Etsy here.

Note about the photo at the top of this post: I have always admired the flower boxes at this Minneapolis shop. Recently I decided to do some window "redecorating" with a special message just for you. (This photo illustration is by me, Chris Olson.) 

 

New watermark logos for photos at my Etsy shop

Just added a new collection of custom watermark logos. Available at my Etsy shop Salt and Paper Designs. The original LUNA Design above by me would be the perfect watermark for any photographer or small business owner. Includes three file formats PSD, JPG, and PNG. The Photoshop (PSD) file features a slightly transparent white background with softened edges so your photo below is visible. You can adjust the watermark size to fit your needs. See photo samples above. Photo watermark is designed to use with dark or light photos and in vertical or horizontal format.

Also available is the GIDGET Watermark Logo Design personalized with your initial.

••• If you like this, PIN it:  •••

Custom banners and more at my new Etsy shop

 

     

Hi friends! I opened a new Etsy shop with my friend Carolyn. The new shop is Salt and Paper Designs by on Etsy. We create personalized stationery, business cards, blog banners, Etsy shop banners, avatars, online ad graphics, and more.

My newest item in the shop is Penguin Etsy Shop Banner & Avatar Set featured in the photos. I would love to have you check out our store, and drop a note and tell me what you think.

Want to know what new items we are adding? You can follow our shop on Twitter: @saltnpaperetsy.

 

Its so Etsy: Snowflake Onesies, Red Christmas Glass and more Holiday Delights

 

Are you using your Etsy iPhone app to shop for the holidays? Just in case you don't have one yet, here are just a few of the many lovely handmade items at Etsy: 

Christmas Glass Fairy Lights red with glass snow by redbrickglass

Snowflake Baby Onesie Dyed Poppy red or custom by CausticThreads

Woodland Folk Reindeer Push Toy for the by prettydreamer on Etsy

Crochet scarf mulberry vermilion red cocoon by violasboutique

Photos: Etsy shop links shown above. 

 

It's so Etsy: New Esty App for the iPhone

If you love handmade crafts and vintage stuff, then the new Etsy app is a must-have app. Fun app features include: amazing photos of popular items in Treasury Lists, search function that almost reads your mind, access to your personal Etsy account, and much more. I just opened a new Etsy shop yesterday with another designer so this app has perfect timing!

My thoughts on the app:

• Easy to use.
• Sleek design.
• Eye candy for crafters.
• Addictive window shopping.

You can watch the clever Etsy video about the new app here.

Photo: Etsy promo photo on Etsy.com.

It's So Etsy: "Let It Snow" embroidery

 

We are expecting a big snowstorm this week and it is not even Halloween yet. So when I saw this cute embroidered "Let It Snow" wall decor by Danielle on Etsy I had to share it with you. 

You can find more embroidered hoop wall art, initial necklaces and more at her online shop The Merriweather Council.

"Let It Snow" details:

• "Let it snow" hand stitched in an icy light blue cotton floss on creamy white cotton fabric
• stretched in a 5 inch wooden embroidery hoop
• $40

I also adore Danielle's "This Is My Happy Place" embroidered hoop wall art (see below).

Photos: via Danielle's shop on Etsy,  merriweathercouncil

It's So Etsy: Halloween Banner

This cute and spooky hand-painted burlap banner is guaranteed to add plenty of sparkle to your Halloween decor. Created by Brandy and available for $16.99 at her Etsy store baybeedahlboutique. Her store includes more banners. I also love the banner that says "Halloween." Perfect to hang on a front porch or across a dining room for a party!

Notes:

• Designer orange and black fine glitter spell the word "Spooky."
• Burlap is treated to prevent fraying edges and sewn onto natural jute twine.
• Banner can be used for many years as glitter is also treated to prevent sparkle loss.
• Individual burlap pennants measure 10 inches tall and 7 inches wide.
• "Spooky" portion measures 46 inches.
• Total banner length measuring over 9 feet long.

Photo: baybeedahlboutique

It's So Etsy: In a Royal Wedding Mood

 

Sweet Heart felt crown by TaffieWishes on Etsy

 

Purple Amethyst druzy 24k gold pendant by friedasophie

 

 

Accordion Top / Tunik by flowersun

 

Knit Princess Tutu Dress by bearhuntmama

 

Wedding Ring Pillow by PillowsandMittens

 

 

Simply Sweet Tutus Yellow by SimplySweetShoppe

Royal Wedding celebration printable garland PDF by happythought

 Etsy is the place to find wonderful handmade items. For more of my handmade favorites, check out Momathon loves Etsy.

It's so Etsy: new Etsy apps

Thanks to clever writers over at the blog Handmadeology, now you can find all the new ETSY apps in one place. To find out more, check out their post, New Etsy App Gallery.

Photo: Tools4Etsy and Handmadeology.

It's so Etsy: luxurious handsewn leather totes

Gorgeous leather totes by Etsy artist Joanna at her shop cecil and edith. You can read more about Joanna at her blog stardustshoes.

 

 

Hand sewn Sunday Best red leather tote. Price $260.

Sunday Best tote facts:

• Lined with linen. 
• Reinforced in all the right places. 
• Antique brass hardware w/ snap closure. 
• Dimensions:11" x 14" x 2.5"
• Strap drop: 12"
• Outer pocket: 6" x 6"
• Inner pocket: 5" x 4"

 

 

The Emma Tote in cactus green distressed leather by Joanna is both luxurious and utilitarian. According to her website, the tote is "great for holding in your hand, in the crook of your arm, or thrown over your shoulder." This lovely green bag has already been sold.  I  hope she makes more!  

For more beautiful handmade items at Etsy, check out Momathon's Etsy faves.

 

 

It's so Etsy: Down2Earth handmade jewelry

   

I have two relatives with birthdays coming up and I'm thinking of buying them each a piece of hand-hammered and hand-stamped jewelry created by Michell Mathis, an Etsy artist and mother of two. The handmade jewelry is available at down2earthjewelry at Etsy. All jewelry is made of natural and vintage materials and gift packaged in an earthy brown box made of 100% recycled materials.

For more beautiful handmade items at Etsy, check out Momathon's Etsy faves.

Photo above is a screenshot of the Mathis online Etsy store, down2earthjewelry. Sending a special shout out to my best bud and a craft guru, Kathy, who introduced me to this jewelry. 

It's So Etsy: Honey Drop Earrings

 

These honey drop earrings look delish! Etsy jewlelry designer Nanette Bevan says it best: my earrings "look as though amber honey is slipping off a spoon, just catching the light." 

The handmade glass drops measure 30 x 10 mm. The entire earring from the arc of the sterling ear wire to the bottom of the luscious drop measures 47 mm. $28. Bevan has more delectible earrings and other jewelry in her Etsy shop.

 

 

Bevan is a member of the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) www.cgge.org. For more about her jewelry visit her blog: Nanette Bevan. 

For more of my handmade favorites, check out Momathon loves Etsy.

It's so Etsy: Angel Kiss Organic Coffee

 

 

Perfect for iced coffees or hot in a mug, Angel Kiss organic coffee is a delicious mix of caramel pecan, butter rum, vanilla notes and a touch of cinnamon. Coffee orders are available ground or whole bean. Perfect for gift giving. You can even add a custom label. Each order comes with a simple recipe for making your own Lattes at home too. $11.45

Angel Kiss flavored coffee beans available at katherynmd's online store at Etsy.com--your place to buy and sell all things handmade.

Don't read this if you are hungry...

Last week at the BlogHer 10 conference in NYC, 2,400 bloggers/attendees gathered to discuss all things blogging and, of course, to have fun. I was delighted to meet blogger and artist Carol Gillott who creates the lovely blog Paris Breakfasts. 

 

Carol's blog is filled with her whimsical watercolors and mouth-watering photos of French pastries, bakeries, cafes, and many more decadent treats. 

"Macaroons, jam jars, cafe cups--reflections 

of everyday life in Paris"

-- Carol Gillott on Etsy

You can find more of Carol's watercolors at 

• Paris Breakfast on Etsy
• Paris Breakfast on Flickr
• Paris Breakfast on Zazzle

I'm sending special mommy hugs to Carol for her inspirational conference presentation and her yummy blog. Thanks for sharing your talents at BlogHer 10.

At the BlogHer conference Carol mentioned she isn't on Twitter or Facebook yet, but I am going to convince her to join us :)

(Photo above is a screen shot of her Paris Breakfasts blog.)

It's so Etsy: Pink sunhats for babies and toddlers

Looking for the perfect baby shower gift? Check out the handmade hats and bows and more at the Etsy.com store TinyTotsBows.

A mother of two in Wisconsin designs these adorable hats and bows. One of my personal faves is the Hot Pink Sunhat with Interchangeable Zebra Gerbera, $22.95. This hat set is available in a variety of sizes: infant (0-6+months) and toddler (6-18+months).

According to her Etsy store: 

"This sunhat is made of special water resistant UV fabric (50+ UPF) with an extra wide brim to provide excellent sun protection! It is adjustable to achieve the perfect fit and has a chin strap, so it can't be pulled off. Attached to the hat is an interchangeable strip, so all bows and flowers can be attached to create a custom look to match any outfit!"

(Photo above from the TinyTotsBows online store; photography by www.siribenrudphotography.com)

Can you really make money on ETSY?

I frequently post about some of my favorite Etsy.com artists and their handmade products. I have a small store on Etsy also. So far, my Etsy experience has been fun, but not very profitable. My other work projects end up taking most of my time and my Luna Blue Studio projects on Etsy do not get the marketing/networking push from me that they deserve. My store is down to only 4 items. After I read Inc. Magazine's article, How to Make Money on Etsy, I realize I definitely need to make some changes.

According to Inc., handmade arts and crafts is growing in popularity. Artists need to invest time and energy to get noticed: "It takes a village to build a business, and that's especially true online."

If an artist wants to get noticed on Etsy, she needs to think of her online store as window shopping for the products--in order to catch a shopper's attention, artists need to make sure product photos and descriptions are top notch. Also, the name you give each item is so important because it is the key to getting noticed and shorter titles are better than longer. Remember to make the tags relevant--the tags help potential buyers find you in a search. Keeping new items coming into your store is key to getting noticed because the most recently listed items show up in search results first.

For more tips, check out the Inc. article: How to Make Money on Etsy.

 
 

The gremlin dolls are coming

 

Handmade plush gremlins made out of recycled fabrics will be available at my Etsy store starting in May. The image above is a sketch of one of my favorite gremlins--my Three-Eyed Bex.

Gremlin dolls are mutant plush dolls with any number of funky button eyes, some big white teeth or fangs, and crazy yarn hair. In the gremlin doll world, the crazier, the better. Just don't call them ugly!

It's so Etsy: Sweet tutus for little girls

 

 

Love this sweet and fluffy cotton candy tutu available at Simply Sweet Shoppe at Etsy.com. A variety of sizes available--newborn to 5 year-old sizes. Matching hats and headbands available too. (Tutu, $30)

(Image: Cotton Candy Tutu Aqua by SimplySweetShoppe)

It's so Etsy: Dew Drop Moonstone ring

Luminous. Dreamy. Fabulous. That's my take on the lovely Dew Drop Moonstone ring by OneGarnetGirl at her shop on Etsy. Ring features a 10mm (slightly less than 1/2 inch) white moonstone cabochon and bezel set in a sterling band. Available in size 6.5. $74.00.

Etsy is the place to find wonderful handmade items.

(image by onegarnetgirl on Etsy)
 

It's so Etsy: Snuggly warm knit hats for babies and kids by Malindi

 

Elizabeth knit hat by Malindi on Etsy

Snug as a bug white knit Elizabeth hat with a rose pink flower is handmade by Malindi, a proud member of the Etsymoms Street Team. The wool hat is hand knitted with a seed stitch rim and stockinette stitch. Rose flower is crocheted. Available in newborn, 0-6 months, 6-24 months and 2T+ sizes. The Elizabeth hat featured in the picture above is size newborn, $22.

 

Penelope knit hat by Malindi on Etsy

The adorable dark heather grey Penelope hat with a heather grey rose is also handmade by Malindi. The wool hat is hand knitted with a seed stitch rim and stockinette stitch. Flower is crocheted. Available in newborn, 0-6 months, 6-24 months and 2T+, teen/adult sizes, $22. The Penelope hat featured in the Etsy photo above is an teen/adult size.

Malindi has hats available in a variety of styles and sizes. If you would like to have the hat made in a different size or color combo just contact Malindi at Etsy.

It's So Etsy: Pink Prep School Plaid Baby Booties

If only my little girl was still little...

I absolutely adore these plaid baby booties. Handmade by Minneapolis artist Tokara Sexton. The shoes are available online at her fabulously feminine Etsy store Frosting Couture. The booties are made in a variety of sizes for $18.50.

I think her shop tagline is priceless: Every girl needs a bit of frosting.

--Momathon blogger Chris also has an 

Etsy online store featuring her handmade cards 

at Luna Blue Studio.

It's So Etsy: Adorable Animated Video on Making a Felt Camera Case

Just one more reason I love everything handmade. 

I adore the handmade Felt Camera Case by Etsy seller Hine and her stop-motion video below.

According to Vanessa on Etsy's The Storque:

Canada-based Etsy seller and animator-extraordinaire Hine sent her new animation in to the blog. It's an ad for the cute, felt camera cases she makes by hand. As you can see, Hine is very talented, but what about this banana slug? He's going places!

Hine's camera cases (and her banana slug) are a Momathon Fave. 

(If you want to watch the video on Blip.Tv click on this link.)

No School Today: Too Cool Science Experiments Video Clip

Looking for a fun show to watch with the kids on President's Day? Check out the amazing science experiments on the video clip from the Rachael Ray Show. Rachael and science whiz Dr. Rob Bell of the Australian kids' show SCOPE team up for some very cool experiments. Imagine making instant ice cream with super cold liquid nitrogen! (Don't try this one at home.) In one experiment Rachel walks on water.

If your kids like Nickelodeon's hit show True Jackson, VP, then they will love watching Rachel interview the show's star Keke Palmer. Check out the interview here.

Have fun. Now I have to make lunch for my kids. Rachael's recipe today for Big Spicy Mac sounds very tempting. 

Bon Appetit!

It's So Etsy: Handmade "Pam Bag"

The bright reversible bag available at MichelleSaintOnge store at Etsy.com features the distinct contemporary silkscreen artwork by Ms. SaintOnges. Who can resist the charming blue dog in this hand illustrated artwork and silkscreened artwork? 

Reversible bag features these 100% cotton fabrics: Bad Dog Illustration/White Polka dot. Reinforced bottom, grommets, secret interior pocket, purse feet. Dimensions of the bag: 15" (height), 6" (depth), 12" (handle drop). Purse is signed and numbered: 200. Bag available for $125.

Etsy.com is a great online destination to buy and sell all things handmade.