New Custom Paper Bag Album for Boys!

I just finished a custom paper bag album for a boy's vacation to Florida. The Mom wanted to keep it more general Florida in feel so that they could include photos and details about Disney and other spots, too. I think this turned out really cute! The blues/ greens/ and oranges really remind me of Florida from the water and sun to the Everglades, I think this paper bag album could work for anything in the state. I included 4 6x6 paper bags which gives this album a whopping 16 pages including covers, as well as 4 pockets that are filled with lined pages for his notes and stories and blank pages that he can color, draw, etc. to his heart's content.

I may make this a paper bag album kit in my shop as I have extra papers, ribbons, etc. What do you think?

Friday's Favorites Blog Review--KatsKardsnKrafts!!

As I've mentioned a few times on here, I'm really trying to lead a greener lifestyle in our home, and I'm slowly changing over our cleaning supplies and more. In that quest to find more ecofriendly cleaning supplies, I discovered KatsKardsnKrafts on Etsy and ordered several of her items to try--General Diesel's all-natural stain stick, General Diesel's all-natural dryer drops, and General Diesel's all-natural dish washing powder. This really is her passion, so she tries to price her items so that everyone can afford to live a greener lifestyle. I was so impressed w/ the items that I decided to share them w/ all of you!

The General Diesel's all-natural dish washing powder, 96 loads for $5

--just takes one teaspoon of powder per load.

Let me start by saying that our dishwasher is not the greatest and consistently leaves spots on our dishes and doesn't get our dishes completely clean. With that being said, I wasn't entirely sure that this would do the trick, but I rinsed them off as usual and was really surprised. Seriously, this stuff did an amazing job, and even my husband was surprised! She can make it unscented or you can pick a light scent. Mine was a light citrus scent. Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about this and will definitely be back for more when I run out in 96 loads. :)

General Diesel's all-natural stain stick--$1.25

I plan to try this one over the weekend along with the dryer drops, but it's such a bargain. How can you go wrong?

I also tried a sample of the new "Johnny Bombs" toilet cleaners. The directions said to use one or two tablets, let fizz, and then clean w/ your toilet brush. I used one tablet on our dirty toilet, and it came clean w/ little scrubbing. It does take a few minutes to finish fizzing, but it's only because I was inpatient. Another great cleaning product! She's going to sell these 20 for $2.00.

To visit her shop and purchase cleaning or household items for yourself, please go to:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6219949

Room Swap 2009 Makeover w/ Pictures!!

We actually were able to swap the two rooms in two days, and they look great! I'm adjusting to my much smaller office/ scrap space, and my daughter's bedroom looks huge now in her new space. If you're a newer blog reader, here's a link w/ what my scrapbook room used to look like:

http://tscrapper.blogspot.com/2008/10/little-peak-into-my-workshop.html

It's now been taken over by my daughter's new "big girl" toddler bedroom.

Her old nursery

is now my new workspace.

What do you think? Let's hear your thoughts! Think it makes the rooms look bigger/ nicer/ etc. and will help us sell the house? I never imagined having a lavendar office w/ butterflies on the wall, but we're not changing it now. LOL We have a showing tonight, so wish us luck!

Relaxation after a busy weekend

I had a very relaxing Memorial Day today after a lot of moving, cleaning and organizing. We've decided to switch my office/ scrapbook room w/ my daughter's bedroom after converting her toddler bed into the full "big girl" bed. It just made her bedroom look even smaller, so the switch should be good for selling our house. However, I have so much to pack up and store to make all of my scrapbook supplies fit into this smaller space and still have it look neat and organized and functional. I promise to post new scraproom pictures when I get it organized!

Artfire Sale Update

So I know I said I was going to have an Artfire sale this weekend, but I've been rethinking Artfire again all week. I've been a member there since Dec/ early Jan, and my views have been really low. I haven't had any sales there either, while my Etsy shop keeps growing. Instead of continuing to feel like I'm wasting my $7 every month w/ Artfire, I've decided to close that shop and focus all of my attention on my Etsy shop.

I will be having an Etsy shop sale soon. More details to come!

More custom orders w/ Photos!

Just finished up a custom pirate birthday banner, tiffany blue and brown damask bridal shower banner, and pink/ brown cupcake centerpieces. I love how these all turned out!

Currently working on an Amy Butler graduation banner, 150 red/ black and white damask heart cupcake toppers for a wedding reception, and a few other really cool custom orders. More pictures to come! Keep these great custom orders coming!

Artfire Sale Coming Soon!

So I finally decided to really spend some time w/ my Artfire shop instead of just sending them my monthly donation every month and not adding anything. :) I'll keep adding items to my shop there throughout this week, so look for an Artfire shop sale coming this weekend! I haven't decided yet if I'm going to keep it the same as my Etsy shop or come out w/ certain items exclusively for Artfire. At this point, I'm using the same items. Any thoughts?

I'd love some vacation planning help!

We're planning our first driving vacation w/ our toddler for this summer. We're planning to go through Pennsylvania into parts of New York, hitting Sesame Place, Hershey, Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia along the way. Has anyone done this? I'm looking for good deals, coupons, advice, etc. We're thinking of possibly going into Central Park/ Manhatten or even the Jersey shores.

Thanks for any tips!

Any Central Ohioans Looking for Something to do This Weekend?

The Etsy Team Columbus Eco-Chic Craftacular craft show is taking place on Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 12-5 at the Whetstone Community Center near Clintonville. (3923 N. High St., Columbus, OH) There will be between 50-60 vendors w/ an emphasis on eco-friendly wares and arts, free eco-friendly workshops throughout both days, food, music, raffle drawings, swag bags, and more!

My fellow team members have put a lot of time into organizing and promoting this event, so if you're in town, please check it out! More information on the team blog at :

http://etsyteamcolumbus.blogspot.com

The Spotted Box is on Sale Today!!

Today at noon, the Spotted Box goes on sale at Etsy! I sent in 60 clothespin clips, some w/ magnets, for this month's box, and I can't wait to get my box again. I have been thrilled w/ the samples that I've received in each month's box, and I've discovered some great new shops that I may not have found otherwise.

Head on over and get your own! They do sell out quickly!
www.thespottedbox.etsy.com

To find out more about The Spotted Box, vist
www.thespottedbox.com

Arrrr! It's a Pirate Party!

I've finally listed the Pirate Party invitations in my shop and love them! These are part of a custom order that I'm working on, and the photos of the pirate birthday banner should be listed soon. Colors can easily be changed on these, making them suitable for a boys or girls party, and they're such a fun style. More pirate party items to come including coloring pages (great favors!), cupcake toppers, party banners, and more!

Matching Coasters and Kitchen Trivet

This custom order was for a set of 4 custom coasters and a matching 6x6 ceramic trivet to use in a new kitchen. I love how they turned out! All of the coasters and trivet are fully backed w/ cork and sealed several times to ensure that they are durable as well as beautiful decor. These can be made to match your existing home decor or they make great gifts! I can work with you to find the perfect graphic, photo, pattern/ style, etc.!

Paper Bag Album Kits

At this point, I've only made a few paper bag album kits for custom orders, but they are coming to my shop soon! This set of 3 custom paper bag album kits was for a Mom that needed crafts for her 3 year old daughter to do as part of homeschooling. They're mainly girly/ floral/ etc., and fairly simple as they were for a toddler. They included all of the papers and ribbons, as well as die cut flowers and prima flowers, for all of the pages, ribbons for the binding, and extra coordinating papers that she could cut out w/ her own scissors. I can't wait until my little one gets a little older to be able to do some of these w/ her!

Custom Photo Coasters

I hope that everyone had a Happy Mother's Day and enjoyed some R and R over the weekend. I finally have time to share some photos of custom orders that I've been working on lately. Today, it's photo coasters! The request was to use these amazing photos (yes, she has permission) in sepia tone on black coasters, and I love the result! It's really hard not to love them because the photos are just beautiful of the little newborn.

These make great gifts for new Moms, grandparents, Dads, newly engaged couple, proud pet owners, etc.--anyone who would love a set of their favorite photos used as coasters!

Friday's Featured Etsy Artist--SocialButterflies!

This week's Friday's Featured Etsy Artist is another Spotted Box team member--Social Butterflies! My daughter has one of her clips and loves it. I love it because it actually stays in her fine hair and looks cute in the process. Want to try some of these clips for your own hair or your child's hair? She's currently running a sale--buy 4 items and get 1 free!! AND.....she's offering a giveaway for my blog readers! More details on the giveaway coming soon!

What is your shop name and URL?
Social Butterflies http://www.socialbutterflies.etsy.com/

-Tell me two (or more!) interesting things about you. (Hobbies, achievements, favorite something-or-other, family situation, jobs, etc)
I’m a former swimwear designer turned footwear marketing executive and mom to a two year old little girl. I have an obsession with accessories and all things sparkly and colorful.

-What do you sell in your Etsy shop?
Gorgeous silk flower hair clips, unique scrabble pendants, and sweet hair clips for infants and toddlers. I will soon be adding feather headbands and a collection of wish necklaces.

-To which Etsy Street Teams do you belong (if any)?
The Spotted Box

-What inspires your creations?
Everything around me. If I find a cool button or piece of ribbon, I immediately think of a dozen things to make with them.

-Tell me a bit about your creative process and/or how you learned to do what you do.
I’m 100% self taught. I’ve always been a crafty person, so my creative mind is always running. I can spend hours in a craft store. My husband likes to refer to them as the Bermuda Triangle, because he never knows when I will return from my weekly trips there. LOL

-What is your favorite item in your shop (currently for sale or previously sold)?
Most definitely my magnolia hair clip.

-Why is it your favorite? (Please provide a link)
http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=15827873
I made them for my bridesmaids to wear and guests were wanting to place orders for them at my wedding... from that day Social Butterflies was born.

-What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?
Dedicated, Fashionable and Silly :)

-What do you like about Etsy?
It is a fabulous community of so many wonderfully talented people. I can spend hours every day looking at shops.

-What makes your shop unique?
My goal is offer chic & playful accessories at an affordable price.

-What advice do you have for other folks selling or buying on Etsy?
Love what you do and it is reflected in your final product!

-Where else can we find out more about you and/or your creations (please include a link)?
N/A

Looking for a Candle Giveaway??

Natasha from The Melting Pot Candle Company makes wonderful tarts and is giving away a gift set that includes 10 full-size tarts and a tart burner! I have some of the tarts in our home, and they really do smell great and fill the room! (Not to mention that she's a fellow team member from The Spotted Box) She has over 150 different scents of soy candles. This would be a great gift for your child's teacher, birthdays, or even to keep for yourself!

To enter, go to The Spotted Box blog
www.thespottedbox.com/blog/

and list your favorite scent from Natasha's shop:
http://www.themeltingpotcandleco.com/

Giveaway ends at midnight on May 13th. Good luck!

Want to become a fan of T and Little S Designs?

I've spent some time this week finally setting up a Facebook page for T and Little S Designs. I have a few albums started w/ photos of my ceramic coaster styles and party supplies, with much more to come. I'm hoping to update frequently w/ links to new items in my Etsy shop, sales info., etc.

So....
if you're on Facebook and want to become a fan, here's the link:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-and-Little-S-Designs/76746118965

Friday Favorites- A few of mine for redecorating and organizing

Happy May Day! It's been awhile since I've done a Friday Favorites section, so here are a few of my favorite Etsy items for redecorating (or just to add a touch of color). I'm living vicariously through this post in the hopes that our house will sell this summer (or before then!), and I can purchase some of these when I get to redecorate again. Enjoy a few of my personal favorites!

For the Walls or Mantel from Arteest:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9322488

She's a fellow Etsy Columbus team member, and I love this painting!

For the Kitchen (love these colors!):

Love these chalkboards and chalkboard flower pots from MoxieSisters:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23850381

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23852325

For organization in any room:

These organization bins from Sewing Momma that are available in different patterns and sizes:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21836925

These labels from studiojk (avail. for kids rooms, kitchen canisters, and more!) in a variety of colors and styles:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24217275

For Toddler Rooms/ Playrooms/ or Nurseries:

Wall Candy

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5739329

Dandelions Dream:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5261930

CupcakeCutiee's 4x4 Printable Artwork:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18651338

Bathroom and More:

While they're not in her shop quite yet, my friend Amanda from QuiltedMemories4u on Etsy is working on shower curtains, table runners/ table cloths, and more! She's fabulous to work with, and her attention to detail is very professional. Please tell her that Traci sent you and that she loves custom orders!