Happy Halloween?

As the summer days grow a little bit shorter and the morning air carries a chill in it, we all feel the stirrings of autumn in our blood. Halloween is just around the corner, and here's a pretty card to send to someone who just LOVES that holiday. Just click on the photo above to find out more about it.

Bravo! Front page for a little while

This card made it to Etsy's front page a few weeks ago, thanks to curator luchi. Here's a link to her treasury.

Wall of Hope

I read about a greeting card project on a blog post by one of my Etsy Greetings team mates, wimzieprints. Thought I'd share it with you. Just click here.

I don't do mornings

I had some time to make cards last night. Here is my favorite. It's handstamped with two different stamps. I'll post the others later.

I got blogged today

GEDesigns blogged about my teeny tiny Cupid envelopes today. Be sure and take a look at her wonderful custom valentines!

Gift Guide front page today

CCCOE's Handmade in California Web site included me as one of the front page picks for the day. Go by and visit to see all the other great CCCOE artists that have signed up.

Valentine's Day preparations

I've had a great time this week turning the supplies I bought last week into cards. Here are some samples. You can find all of them at my shop on Etsy,

Handmade in California

The California Crafters Club of Etsy (CCCOE) has a wonderful PR team which has set up our spring "Handmade In California" Web site, following on the huge success of the Winter site. The new one won't go live until February 1, but you can get a preview now. Last time I checked, one of my cards was on the front page.

Valentine's Day is coming

I got my first request for this year's batch of teeny tiny envelopes for Valentine's Day this morning. That was a fun project, and, of course, led to a trip to not one, but two craft shops. Scrapbook Territory is one of my all time favorite shops because they have beautiful paper, wonderful stamps and a great store dog named Wilbur. Diane is the friendly proprietor. I also went to Michael's. You know what that's like. I got a new pad of beautiful double-sided cardstock, some Valentine's cardstock to make more teeny tiny envelopes, and some stamps for making my Valentine's cards. The visions of them are starting to dance in my head. Look for them in my shop in the days to come.

I got blogged today

AlliesAdornments blogged my shop today! You can read her post here. Allie has two shops, AlliesAdornments and OldeTymeNotions. Allie makes beautiful jewelry out of vintage buttons.

I was featured today

in this blog yesterday ChrissiB -- My Life On Parade. Please go by and give her a visit!

A wonderful feature

I was featured in this wonderful blog by naturemanipulated. Please stop by and comment.

Featured by mooretaste

Lovely feature here today on this blog.

Deirdre Ryan Photography

Deirdre Ryan is originally from the small, historic town of Bordentown, New Jersey. She graduated in 1996 with a BFA in photography from Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA. During college, she came to the conclusion that her purpose was photography when she found herself spending so much time in the darkroom.

But she has always loved photography. "Cameras were always a presence in my family. I love to shoot pictures, although it is hard work, and not always financially rewarding. Telling a story through my imagery and preserving images are passions of mine. I cannot remember a time when I said, 'I give up, I hate this, it's not for me.' Even in tough lean times I just couldn't give it up and work in an office."

She loves creating fine art, photo journalistic and funny images. Her current obsession is creating cards. She also has been going back to using film with her Holga camera as well as her Lomo -- a plastic Russian camera with a glass lens. She's excited to have a new archival printer that will allow her to create panoramic prints that are 13 inches wide and "however long she chooses."

Her inspirations come from her life and "odd" sense of humor. "I have a beautiful family that makes me want to get stuff done," she says with a big grin. Deirdre donates portions of her sales to benefit multiple schlerosis research and maintains a blog on positive thinking. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, Jayden, and the family dog. Deirdre is a proud member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers and the Stock Artist Alliance, both of which help photographers understand the business of photography and how to maintain their copyrights.

Did It Myself/happi commi press

Erin, named after the Walton on "The Waltons" TV series, runs Did It Myself/happi commi press on Etsy when she's not busy working as an extra and stand-in on TV and in the movies. It's a great job, she says, because there is a lot of down time when she gets to craft at work. Her shop is an imaginative, charming nod to the 40s, 50s and 60s with a funky flare, while remaining unique. There is a little something for the whole family, she says.

Says Erin, "I was born in a building in Hollywood, CA that is currently occupied by an infamous coo-coo cult and still reside in the Los Angeles area. I'm one of the very few people who can claim they are a native of Los Angeles." Her interests include wallpaper design, photography, screen-printing, knitting, making jewelry, graphic design, cross-stitch, Chairman Mao and collecting odd things. "I try to incorporated at least one of these things in in my daily life."

Her first recollection of creative crafting goes back to when she was only seven, when she found violin parts discarded by her father's friend and promptly made a necklace of them. The thing she's most proud of making, however, is a purse made of chopsticks and kitchen twine. She doesn't need anything special to be inspired -- "I see things that I like and go 'ooo, I can make that.'" Erin likes creating things since the process itself makes her happy. "It also makes me happy to see somebody else enjoying something that I have created," she says. So what are you waiting for? Go visit her shop.

Featured by onathousandhills

Onathousandhills wrote the loveliest profile of my shop today. Please stop by and visit her blog and see the other wonderful artists she's featured. And don't miss a chance to look at her beautiful beadwork, either.

Red Bess Bonney

Susan of RedBessBonney has been crafting all her life. She started early in life with crossstich, but jewelry really caught her attention a few years ago. Her inspiration comes from years of being involved with renaissance festivals ("I'm mostly just attending these days," she says). She also draws on her heritage (Scottish), and that of her husband (Irish), so you will find many items with Celtic influence in her shop. Making jewelry led to her to beading in general, but she's recently diversified recently with picture frame cards.

Susan found out about Etsy in 2007, and thought it would be a great way to pay for her son's pre-school tuition and still be able to stay at home with him.

Amanda K. Lockrow Jewels

Amanda K. Lockrow is a born artist and her mother always knew it. But it took Amanda a while to realize her destiny as a metalsmith and jewelry designer. "I have always loved art and making since I was a young girl. My mother always knew I would be an artist in some way, while others pushed me to be more realistic and to 'use my brain.' I went to Syracuse University originally for communications. I bounced from there to fashion to art education to finally metalsmithing. All of this was prompted by a meeting with my faculty advisor. She asked me why was I not in the Visual Arts Program. Since I really had no answer I started working on my portfolio and taking drawing and painting classes."

Her passion for metalsmithing began when she took her first elective in college." I had no idea you could get a BFA in this and instantly fell in love. My college experience was amazing and strongly influences my designs now. I was able to explore fibers, sculpture, glass, painting, and photography along with my major." She utilizes techniques and materials from all of these when she creates her jewelry. "I do not think anyone should ever feel trapped in one material or technique so I consciously choose to not focus on one thing. I design a variety of lines within my line and believe this gives me great versatility. I am constantly inspired by the world around me. It may be a flower petal formation, the ocean waves, a piece of candy, a button, or a piece of discarded trash, all of it inspires a shape, color, or technique."

Amanda also believes in keeping an element of play in her studio and so an experiment will later inspire a finished piece. She makes all types of jewelry but focuses on rings and necklaces. Her jewelry is designed to be loved by the wearer. Amanda K Lockrow Jewelry is available in galleries and boutiques across the country and in Canada. Drop by and visit her blog

Allie's Adornments

Alyssa of Allie's Adornments began her craft after inheriting some gorgeous buttons. "I found them too pretty not to want to look at over and over again so I started making jewelry as a way for me to wear and enjoy them as miniature pieces of art. That something as small and simple as a button can be so detailed with wonderful craftsmanship never ceases to amaze me."

Alyssa has always had a fondness and love of art. "My favorite places are galleries and museums and I am inspired by the craftsmanship of items that are well made and endure. I’ve been heavily influenced by antiques, especially those that down through my family, and find that a well made piece of furniture can be just as beautiful as a painting or piece of sculpture."

She subscribes to publisher William Randolph Hearst’s belief that in order to properly appreciate beautiful things, they must be utilized for the purpose that they were created. Eat off of the good china and silver, use the good crystal, and let them bring you joy every day instead of the once a year that they are brought out of the cabinet.

She also makes some "funkier" styles of jewelry with elements not always thought of as jewelry in the traditional sense -- things such as elongated pennies, taxidermy eyeballs, and foreign coins. However, her fascination remains with antiques, especially the tiny buttons because of their history.

And history is important to Alyssa. You will see many old family photos in the displays of her jewelry. Her avatar is one of her great-grandfather's cousins from the late 1800s or early 1900s. And she frequently uses several photos of three sisters Allie, Louise and Grace at various age; the two little girls in the photo of her hair pins are Allie (for whom the jewelry line is named), and her sister Louise, while the younger, pouty girl in the pram is Alyssa's great-grandmother, Grace.

Mommy and Me Boutique

Corline of MommyandMeBoutique loves to work with the designer fabrics, beautiful trims and ribbons that she uses to create her specialty, aprons designed for mothers and children who want to show off their sense of style. She works hard to make items that you can be proud to purchase and enjoy using. "Loving care and personal expression are put into each one. Whether it be cooking or entertaining, you can be sure "these are not your mother"s aprons," she says.

Corline is a member of the California Crafters Club of Etsy and has a blog that I encourage you to visit.