My New Crafty Love: Wood Burning

At our last 4H meeting, one family of kids was giving a talk on how they learned to do wood burning. The parents were there, supervising, and I asked some questions. I thought it would be something affordable, and fun, that maybe myself, and DJ could get into. Caitlin said she wanted to try it too, but it gets really hot, and you have to have a strong, steady hand. I might let her give it a whirl. So, I bought a simple wood burner, at my local Walmart and a wood plaque. DJ only tried on one small part, just to see if he would like it. He said yes. Anyway, I hand drew the deer head onto the wooden plaque. I wanted something for Father's Day, but not too difficult to start with. I wrote in pencil Happy Father's Day 2015. I figured the words would be the hardest, so I started with them. They weren't that hard, just had to go slow. The antlers were way more difficult. Now, that could be because my hand was tired, and hot. I am not sure, but I did the antlers last, and that was a killer. Of course I want to do more intricate designs. So, the next time I head off to Wally World, I will buy three pieces of wood, or maybe a wooden box for me to dabble with. Anyway the Father's Day deer head plaque, is available in my Etsy shop, click here. I left it natural, but it can be stained, painted, and even personalized.

Ooh, and don't forget I have a Christmas in July coupon available.  Read the details in the listing.  

Happy June! Pearl Is the Birthstone for June

Well, pearls and Alexandrite. I don't have any Alexandrite, sadly, to share with you. But, I have some pearl items to share. The bracelet shown is faux pearls, as is most of my jewelry pieces. Why? Because real pearls, are not as stable, hard to care for, and fragile. However, I should say every woman should own at least one beautiful set of genuine real pearls. I have some, but don't get to wear them much. This multi colored faux pearl bracelet is available in my Etsy store, with free shipping. Check it out.

 I had a very fruitful day today. What crafting fun I had. I got two pairs of new flip flops painted, a couple crochet items, and a very special, and adorable Father's Day painting drawn out. I hopefully will get it painted this week. Stay tuned for all those items, and be sure to check out my Etsy store. 

Auctions are Coming to This Blog!

So, I have been thinking of ways to increase my traffic, and sales, and I am going to be starting some auctions on this blog.  I will advertise the auction on other sites, but the actual bidding will take place here. Here is how it will work:


Every other Friday, I will share an item, from my Etsy store that will be auctioned off.  All bids will be low, with one dollar increasing increments.  Shipping and handling and all info will be listed.  If you are the winner a Paypal invoice will be sent to you from me.  When you bid, you must leave a legitimate Paypal account email address.  If you bid and do not pay for the item, I will block you from all future auctions.  Bids are to be made in the comments, and the auctions will run until Sunday night at 9PM Eastern time, at which time I will close the auction to bidding and contact the winner.  The winner will have three days to respond to me with payment, or to arrange payment.  I will ship to USA, Great Britain, and Canada.  Canada and Great Britain bidders need to have a verified Paypal account.  If you have any questions please ask them in the comments, before you bid.

I hope this will be fun and a great way to get exposure to my Etsy store, and this blog.  First auction starts this Friday, March 7th, 2014 at 9 AM.  All times are Eastern time and the clocks do spring ahead that weekend, so keep that in mind. 

Happy New Year Bag, A Painted House and Glass Cabochons

I painted my second New Years bag, and I am unhappy with it. I just don't like the way the bear looks for a lot of reasons. I don't think I will be listing this one, but will attempt it again next week. I thought black and brown together would be nice for a bear, but it just looks icky. They eyes are not right either. I painted on two glass cabochons, to practice painting backwards. I had done some of these before, when I was just learning, and these are much better. I am still not in love with them, but a vast improvement. A lot of the fine edging, and the writing on the bag, were done with a toothpick, not a paint brush. This allowed me more control. Not sure what I am going to do with them, but can you tell they are snow covered pine trees? DJ says the one looks like a creepy dinosaur eye or something, lol. The painted house, was just a practice sheet. I like it so much, I am probably going to frame it and hang it. I do not like the way the one half came out, so if I can not fix it, I will just cut it in half and make a smaller picture. I really how the color blending came out. The large tree, which I thought I did not like, looks like the orange is coming through it, so I like it. So, I got some stuff done, but probably none of them will be for sale.

Flash Sale Hand Painted Snowman Christmas Gift Bag

Yesterday, we were so busy, I didn't get to post my sale item of the day. Today, I will do it before we head to church. My sale items are always shared on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Google plus, so there are lots of ways you can follow me. Today, I have put one of my hand painted gift bags on sale. These are new to my store, but since it is Christmas, I figured I would offer a couple of them at a sale price. I always consider offers too, so remember that when browsing through either my Etsy or Ecrater store. This bag, Christmas With the Snowman Family, is only in my Etsy store. It did not make it to my Ecrater store, yet. Click the link if you are interested in purchasing. I offer a free layaway service too. I hope to get some New Years bags painted tomorrow, and a dolphin wire pendant or ornament. So, watch for that. I finished all the slippers I was making, and now am working on an interesting item, that I will share if it turns out how I hope.

Theme Friday Dark Pink and Light Beige Color Theme

I have four beautiful handmade items to share with you this week, for my weekly Theme Friday Facebook activity. Anyone who makes handmade things can join. If you would like to join here is my Facebook fan page. Just like the page and wait for the theme each Friday. You do not have to have an Etsy store to join. It does make sense if you have a place where the item can be purchased though. This week I am sharing a leopard eye print upcycled painted jar, pink and brown beaded bracelet, pink and white baby hat, and a cute beige bunny painting. You will go to each featured item's shop, by clicking the corresponding links. Don't forget Christmas is coming and if you buy a little as you go, it won't be such a burden when it gets here. So why not start now? Happy Saturday.