Etsy Bloggers Site Ring

Click on the links in the header to view the Site Ring and the various shops included. Way cool method of viewing the blogs written by shop owners.

Now a Member of Etsy Bloggers Street Team

Due to my time constraints I am no longer a member of Etsy Bloggers Street Team but I'm leaving the link here so others may investigate joining. It is a great team but I am on more teams than I can easily support and this one was the last one I joined. I highly recommend the team.

Kae of Kae1Crafts

I have just joined the Etsy Bloggers Street Team so my blog will have many more posts in 2008. Be sure to come and check it out frequently.

Hanger Christmas Trees

Here are a couple of pictures of Christmas Trees made from wire clothes hangers. They are difficult to photograph because they are so shiney. The first view is the tree standing on a glass table and the second image is of the inside showing the crossed hangers. I've used 6 hangers that are interlocked with all of the hooks pointing downward. They are taped together like a star and then a craft wire is fastened around the bottom to make it secure. Once the hangers are secured, I then take garland and wrap it around the tree shaped hangers fastening at each hanger edge with hot glue. Once all the garland is attached, you can add a string of mini-lights if you wish. I don't because these trees are perfect for nursing homes and other places where you don't have a plug-in or lights can't be used. I then add decorations (again using hot glue to keep them in place). To store, I cover with a cloth and put in a dry place until next year. The colors and decoration choices are almost unlimited. Go Trashion and impress all your friends and family.

Announcing "Save the World Sunday" Sale

!!! SALE !!! SALE !!! SALE !!! SALE !!! SALE !!! SALE !!!
TAKE 20% OFF ALL ITEMS IN MY STORES ON SUNDAY, NOV 25, 2007
http://kae1crafts.etsy.com/
http://kae1supplies.etsy.com/

*********** TRASHION TEAM - SAVE THE WORLD SUNDAY SALE *********
To encourage customers to buy recycled, and to buy handmade, the Trashion street team is hosting Save the World Sunday, a major sales event and celebration of all things recycled & handmade.
• Participating shops are offering 20% off or free shipping on two special sales days, Sunday Nov. 25 and Sunday Dec. 2. For a list of participating shops, visit http://www.etsytrashion.com/ or http://www.etsytrashion.blogspot.com/

Here is a list of participating stores and what they are offering in the way of discounts:

A list of all participating shops:http://SweetWolf.etsy.com 25% off anything. Free shipping over $25.00
http://LindaErzinger.etsy.com 20% off. Free shipping
http://etsytrashion.etsy.com 20% off
http://fairytalefibers.etsy.com 20% off
http://anniessweatshop.etsy.com 20% off
http://samann1121.etsy.com 20% off
http://SweetyPrize.etsy.com 20% off
http://JunktoJewels.etsy.com 20% off
http://bayousalvage.etsy.com 20% off
http://foundthings.etsy.com 20% off
http://reduxdesigns.etsy.com 20% off
http://jen1kanobi.etsy.com 20% off
http://JunktoJewels.etsy.com 20% off
http://tomatedepingles.etsy.com 20% off
http://trashionmode.etsy.com 20% off
http://sojourncuriosities.etsy.com 20% off
http://RunzwithScissors.etsy.com 20% off
http://kae1crafts.etsy.com 20% off
http://www.kae1supplies.etsy.com 20% off
http://reneedesigns.etsy.com 20% off all Trashion Items
http://LilliputianDesigns.etsy.com Prices reflect 15% off
http://www.siragwatkins.etsy.com 20% off on three or more
http://bayousalvage.etsy.com Free shipping anywhere
http://sweetpepita.etsy.com Free Priority shipping
http://tamdoll.etsy.com Free domestic shipping
http://PaganoDesignWorks.etsy.com Free shipping
http://TwistThis22501.etsy.com Free shipping 'til noon

Eco Etsy Holiday Sale Launched

"Welcome to the Eco Etsy Holiday Sale. Take 20% off select items. When you purchase an item on sale, you will be entered into a drawing to receive a free gift donated by our members. See our blog at http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com for more details. Happy shopping!"

Both of my shops are participating - just click on the sale category in each shop and you will find the items on sale and already reduced 20% for ease of calculating final price with shipping. I will combine items from both shops whenever possible to save you shipping. Just convo me or email me and I will send you a corrected invoice.

Happy shopping - remember - Buy Handmade for the Holidays.

BUY HANDMADE FOR THE HOLIDAY'S

I took the handmade pledge and I hope you will too. This is my effort to walk gently on the earth, give gifts of art and love and support other artisians and crafters. I hope everyone will join us in this effort.

Blog Action Day

I just learned from another Etsy Trashion Team Member that today is Blog Action Day and wanted to participate. The focus of recycling is so VERY important to all of us that I like to make my voice heard even a little bit.

I think I was born into a recycling family - in that they never threw anything away!!! :) Now, sometimes this can become a problem but often great uses were found for the saved objects. Used yogurt cartons became freezer containers for leftovers, jams, jellies and more. Flour sacks were transformed into beautiful clothing. Living on the farm meant that compost piles nourished the garden, manure piles - ditto.

Now I live in the city in an RV so my footprint is small but I still recycle what I can, I shop for clothing as thrift stores and yard sales, I recycle packaging materials when shipping items sold in my Etsy stores Kae1Crafts.etsy.com and Kae1Supplies.etsy.com as well as my Amazon and Ebay accounts. When I ship books, I make my own boxes out of discarded cardboard.

Many of the items in my Etsy stores are recycled, upcycled or used.

Special Invitation Wine Tasting and Craft Show

A friend was invited to bring her crafts to a wine tasting and BBQ today and asked me to help her and bring my jewelry. We both had a fun and successful day. Fall in Oregon can sometimes be very lovely and today was one of those days. Some clouds, some sun, shade of a fir tree, and appreciative customers. What crafter could ask for more. We were the only crafters invited so we really felt special.
We each had sign for our section of the tables, business cards, and name tags. There were many comments on our nice displays, requests for business cards and some special orders taken. This is a small winery in a country setting and only about 70 - 80 people attended so we were very surprised and pleased at our sales.
Since this was the first time we had joined forces to show our crafts, we were both very pleased at the results.
Just wanted to share the fun with all of you. Here is a picture of my happiness.

Gratitude - Is It Good Business?

I want to share the link to this Reader's Digest article. Personally I've found this to be true and am grateful to see that the science backs up my experiences for a change. To make it even more special - my Sister sent me this link with the comment that she knew that I already did this. :)

The October Reader's Digest had an excellent article that I wanted to share with you, so here's the link. http://www.rd.com/content/the-new-science-of-being-thankful/

VAST AUTUMN EVENT LAUNCHED

The Visual Artist Street Team of Etsy is launching their Autumn Event today, September 15, 2007 and it is well worth your while to check it out. It is a visual feast for the eyes as well as a great way to get started on holiday shopping.

Just follow this link to Etsy.com http://www.etsy.com/buy.php and enter the following phrase into the search box: vastautumnevent

Yes, I know that there isn't any spaces in it - the search tag was designed that way so you would find the items you are seeking.

Happy searching and shopping.

NOT A CRAFT - GREAT SITE

If you have a high-speed internet connection and haven't already discovered National Geographic's Wildcam Africa you need to take a look. Best viewing times are listed on the site. You can sit comfortably at your computer and have a window into wild Africa. Pete's Pond (where the camera is located) frequently has visits of elephants, giraffes, eland, wildebeast, hyenas, jackels plus a crocodile lives in the pond.

Here is the link and hope you enjoy the viewing as much as I do. I just put a small real player viewing window on the corner of my screen and go on about my Etsy or other business. http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/wildcamafrica/

Fall Events and Happenings

Lots of great things have been occurring lately on some of the street teams that I'm involved with plus a surprise notice from the cross stitch editor of http://craftgossip.com/ stating that she will be mentioning my Kae1Supplies.etsy.com store in the blog.

Etsy Trashion has been very busy with their Trunk Show (a great success) and now a posting on Etsy's new Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/events/article/trunk-full-o-trashion/124/

that shows some of the Trunk Show action and participants.

VAST Street Team is getting set to launch our VAST Autumn Event on September 15th so we are all busy creating great items for this. You can use vastautumnevent as a search on Etsy to find the items that are linked to autumn and this event.

On a more personal front, I've been busy creating clothing for my Craft store and adding a lot of new craft books and magazines to my Kae1Supplies store so do check them out and remember that I will combine shipping for items purchased in both shops to save you money.

I've also joined ecoetsy street team but haven't had much time to really get acquainted with it. One of their focuses is to reuse as much packaging materials as we can so that items don't get put in the dump -- well many of my items I use in shipping are 'reclaimed, reconstructed and repurposed' to say the least. Here is a short list of how I reuse packaging materials:

1. I use old plastic bags to make padding for shipping using foam peanuts that I've been given and then seal the bags to that the peanuts aren't floating away while packaging.
2. I use old boxes to make 'new' shipping boxes the correct size for what I'm shipping.
3. Egg cartons make good packaging around lighter weight items and protect them.
4. Cereal cartons make a good protective backing for lighter weight books and magazines.
5. Carefully open any item you receive so you can reuse the envelope, bubble wrap, peanuts, etc.
6. Tell friends and neighbors that you accept all used bubble wrap, peanuts, and any other packaging materials you use so you don't have to buy new.
7. Protective plastic wrap from boxes (the soft kind of plastic wrap) is great for filling small corners when packaging.
8. Soft foam can be sliced with a serrated knife and made to fit whatever packaging shape you need. I found a cheap knife at a thrift store and use it just for that purpose.

These are just some of the things I've done for reusing packaging. I'm sure others have many great tips and I hope you will share them.

Happy autumn, selling, packaging and successful shipping.

Kae

Places to promote our shops

Hi,

I want to start a list and a dialogue of good places to promote our Etsy shops. Here are a couple that I have found and almost overlooked and they are free. The links are in my links section on the right hand side of my blog.

1. PayPal shops. Since most of us accept PayPal as a method of payment on Etsy we should take advantage of the free listing in the PayPal shops. It is a very easy signup once you log into your PayPal account.

2. Eons (for those over age 50 and who will admit it) - they have a group that focuses on people in our age group that are selling online. Again free advertising.

3. Flickr is a great site for posting pictures that many come and view just to see what is happening.

4. Your own blog - If you don't already have one -- start one!!! Run, Hurry, Do It Now!!! It is easy and free on Google, Yahoo and many other sites. If you can read and type you can have a blog. If this 60+ grandmother can do it then so can you. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be done daily. It just has to be.

5. Please feel free to link to this blog, email me and ask me to link to your blog, web site, network, so that we can help each other. The more people who discover Etsy and our wonderful crafts, supplies and ideas the better.

6. Please add any more free sites as comments and I will try to get the links into my links section.

Thanks for reading, linking and posting.

Kae

Introducing my New Supply Store on Etsy

Hi Everyone,

I have opened a store on Etsy just for supplies since I was overwhelming my crafts with all the books, patterns and supplies that I needed to list. I hope you will take a moment and check it at at Kae1Supplies.etsy.com

I am also trying to post my Etsy Mini in this message so I hope it works.

TODAY'S THE DAY

Well, it has finally arrived ETSY TRASHION TRUNK SHOW DAY!!! I will only be able to attend via computer but have sent items to be sold - see my Flickr Post to see what went to New York -- and now I anxiously await the time for everything to start.

Now is a great time to for me (and everyone else participating) to thank all those who worked so hard to make this event happen and who promoted the heck out of it. Being around all these creative minds is very invigorating even when it is 'just' a computer association.

Watch for more great things from this team -- they have snagged at least 4 Etsy treasuries, a Etsy showcase spot, a featured place on the Etsy Home Page and so many other great things I don't even remember them all.

So let's all shop Trashion, recycle, upcycle and make our world an even better place with less trash blowing in the wind and filling up the landfills.

Great Site to promote your store

Hi,

If you are over the age of 50 then this site is for you. It is called eons.com and concentrates its marketing and site to the baby boomers and those that are older. It is free to join and they have a specific blog that focuses on home businesses that welcomes Etsy stores participation. Here is the link so look it over, then join and promote, promote, promote. The more we have our name out there the more people we will drive to our stores. http://community.eons.com/groups/group/the-home-business-network

VAST 15% OFF SALE STARTS TODAY

Check it out. VAST members are having a 15% off sale.

15% off all items in Kae1Crafts.etsy.com shop. Buyers please write 'VAST OFF THE WALL SALE' in the notes section of your purchase and wait for a revised invoice.
Sale will take place Friday July 6th through Thursday July 12th (art knows no time zones!)

Come look now and get great buys on craft patterns and books, jewelry, cards and much more.

Added a Flickr page

Hi Everyone.

Since others on Etsy have been talking about their Flickr page I decided to add one to my different efforts. Here is the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/9808686@N08/ . I've been using it to showcase the items I've made for the upcoming Etsy Trashion Trunk Show on July 27th being held in New York City. I can't be there but some of my projects will be. SweetyPrize has offered to sell some things for me and I am contributing to the swag bags (see sample of the cards I'm sending in picture above) that are being given away at the Trunk Show. I will also send some ACEO kits so people can take something home and create a 'Trashion' project.

Etsy Treasury

This has been quite a week for me. I'd never had anything of mine selected for a treasury on Etsy and this week I had not one but two ACEOs featured. You can check them out here:

The Trashion Treasury featured one of my Taradiddle Cat ACEOs
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=265

And the Visual Artist Street Team (VAST) featured one of my series from a slumber party challenge.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=267

In addition to all this excitement, the Trashion Team has their new store up and running. I will have my addition added shortly. I have made two cards that are completely constructed from junk or damaged papers. Nice to find something fun to do with junk mail!!!

Here are the pictures of the cards.





In addition to the EtsyTrashion shop opening, the Etsy Trashion Street Team is going full speed ahead on their Trunk Show being held on July 27th in New York. Details were published earlier in this blog. Sure wish I could be there but hope others will attend and snag one of the great swag bags we are handing out.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July in case I don't get back to posting on this until afterwards.

Removing Smells from Books & Paper

I've had a question on how to remove smells from old books or papers.

Here are a couple of suggestions that I found that work:

1. Cedar Oil Spray:

I have had some success in removing odors from old books by spraying the sides and lid of a cardboard box with cedar oil (used to refresh cedar blocks to place in closets)by putting them in a box being careful not to let the oily parts of the box touch the books. Then close up the box and leave for a couple of days. Your books or papers should be odor free or almost so. If not completely free of odors, repeat treatment.

2. Kitty Litter:

I have had moderate success with burying a book or magazine in kitty litter (clean and unused of course!!!) that is in a plastic bag. Close up the bag and leave book or books for a couple of days. Don't over-fill the bag.

3. Freeze it:

Our librarian recommends treating smelly books by sealing them in a plastic bag and putting them in the freezer for a couple of days. I haven't tried this one but I frequently see books stashed in the library freezer so it must work or they wouldn't keep doing it!!!

As you can see, none of these methods are rapid but at least they are fairly safe for the books or papers involved.

If you have a method that works -- and especially for large quantity of books, please post it. Our Friends of the Library group is constantly running into smelly books -- some we discard, some we clean, some we isolate and let others worry about it. We'd like an easy method to clean them all.

Announcing Trashion Trunk Show

Hi,

The Etsy Trashion Street Team is holding a Trunk Show. Here is the announcement:

The Trashion Street Team will have a trunk show at the Etsylabs in Brooklyn, Friday July 27. Please join us for all things trashion - clothing, accessories, jewelry, housewares, paper goods and more made out of unique materials. We'll have items for display, for sale and to giveaway!Our inspiration is using materials that are found, reused, reclaimed, second hand or otherwise destined for the trash bin. We take it and reconstruct it into beautiful new items. Think upcycling.For more information see the Trashion Street Team profile at: http://team.etsy.com/profilest/trash.shtml

Here is a link to the Forum Thread.

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5119729

Wish we could all go and meet there. Many of the Trashion items could fit in VAST very well, I know that some of mine are already there.

Taradiddle Cat ACEO Series

I've begun an ACEO Series focused on cats. This all began because of a VAST project to compile an ACEO album of animal cards then sell it to benefit an animal charity. Well, the end result was after I made the first card I was having so much fun that others just came to life as well. I have some of them listed in my Etsy shop so check them out. The one I listed today is titled "Halo", shown above. Hope you enjoy it.

Here is a great weekly post on Etsy featuring new art. Check it out.

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title&search_query=WeeklyArtOfferings

Removing a Musty Smell from Fabric

I've recently received som items that had been my grandmother's and they had a very musty odor to them. Now from past experience, I knew that this odor is difficult to remove so I finally put a query on Y!Answers and got some very good advise. Here are a couple that I've tried that worked very well.

1. If you can wash the item just add about 1/8 cup of ammonia with the soap to the tub of laundry and the smell will magically disappear. CAUTION: Be sure that there is NO clorine bleach in your laundry detergent before adding the ammonia or you will produce a deadly gas.

2. Some of the things were skeins of yarn and I didn't want to handle them to wash so another suggestion was to put cedar wood into a box with the item for a couple of days and the odor would disappear. Since I didn't have any cedar, I purchased some of the cedar oil you can use to refresh cedar items and sprayed it on the sides and lid of the box being sure to protect the yarn with an old towel. After a few days the odor was mostly gone.

3. Since another suggestion was to hand items out in the sunshine and fresh air for a day, I threaded a small rope through the skeins of yarn and hung them in the sunshine for a day and they now smell fresh and ready to use.

Next I plan to use the box and cedar oil spray method with old books and see if it will remove the odor from paper without damaging it. I'll let you know if this works.

VAST Showcase

The Barrette is from glasshousejewelry http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5355006

This stained glass is from Bear Hollow Creations Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=616326

These are just two of my favorites. I am new to blogging and having trouble setting this up so will continue to study on how to do it. Any suggestions are very welcome.