Wednesday Wellspring: Happy New Year and Congratulations

Congratulations to Salleefur/Jesslyn/Jesster for winning the elegantly beautiful pendant from Beauty in the Eye!

And a hap-hap-happy new year to you all! See you next year in the Wednesday Wellspring for more wonderful giveaways and team challenges! Wishing you all the best!

Treasury Tuesday: RNEST's Shiny New Year!

If you're like me, the thought of New Year celebrations conjures up images of bright and SHINY things! Well, luckily, I have a nice little collection of some handmade (and vintage) shiny things from some of our local artisans! I know it's a little late to order any of these to get your glam on at a New Year's Eve party this Friday, but New Year's Eve isn't the only time you can wear shiny things!

RNEST's Shiny New Year

Happy New Year! See you in 2011!

(anyone pick up on this treasury's title as an homage to the movie "Rudolph's Shiny New Year"? Anyone? Bueller?)

Make-it Mondays: Home Baked Crayons

This is a project I have been excited to do for awhile. After teaching Art for a couple years, I have a big box of little Crayola stubs that I couldn't part with. So here is a fun way to reuse them. These make great gifts for small children and a fun art club project as well.

All you need is:

1. Broken, nubby crayons in search of a new home
2. A muffin pan
3. Paper muffin pan liners
4. Oven mitts
5. An oven

1. Divide your crayons by color scheme and peel off any paper. I like staying with analogous and warm or cool color families, but feel free to go crazy!


2. Place paper liners in a muffin pan and fill the cups up with crayon pieces. Most of the gaps will fill in, instead of overflowing.


3. Put your mitts on and the pan in the oven. I preheated my oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and melt time took about 15 minutes. (Times may vary based on brand, so keep an eye on them!)

4. Once melted, remove the pan and let cool until they have solidified and feel cool to the touch.

5. Remove the crayons from the liners and have fun!

Post project thoughts: When the paper liners are peeled off, it is a good idea to rub down the tops, as the edges have thin, flaky pieces. You could also just leave the liners on the crayons to give them as gifts or even leave them in a cute, thrifted muffin pan that doubles as gift wrap and storage for your home baked crayons. The only downside to that is the tie-die effect isn't revealed until they are taken out of the liners. Side project options could be personalized coloring books/pages...mmmm, another tutorial perhaps?

Wednesday Wellspring: Beauty in the Eye

Bubbling up from the well this week is Beauty in the Eye with some beauty for your eye: a gorgeous reversible pendant!

This reversible pendant is made from handmade Japanese paper - two different designs are nestled between glass slides wrapped with copper tape. Each side of the pendant shows a different paper. A metal leaf charm completes the ensemble! This pendant can be worn on a ribbon, chain, or leather cord.

And now for the rules (This giveaway is open to the US only.):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to Beauty in the Eye, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.
MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. Become a follower of the Beauty in the Eye blog.

2. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

3. "Like" Beauty in the Eye on Facebook.

4. "Like" RNEST on Facebook.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, December 28 and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Treasury Tuesday: White Christmas

Christmas is this weekend and so this will be the last holiday gift guide of 2010. Whether you're dreaming of a white Christmas or wishing the white stuff would go away already, you can enjoy these bright and white items from our RNEST members.

Under $35 Gift Guide from RNEST (White Christmas)

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Season's Greetings!...and all that jazz! See you next week with some shiney New Year's items!

Make-it Mondays: Goodies For Your Blog

As Esty sellers we are aesthetically sensitive people. We've made a visual, online space to market our goods, and many of us have also created blogs, Flickr and Twitter accounts and Facebook fan pages to reflect our style and story. Here are some fun things you can add to your blog that will let readers know a little more about you, your interests and enhance the visual space of your blog.

WidgetBox: a site that offers great pre-made and custom widgets for your blog. Updates often. I added their Music Monday player widget to my personal blog, since I blog specifically on Mondays. (BTW, great music choices as well)

LinkWithin: With this application you can add a list of posts readers may also enjoy if they liked the post they are currently reading. The list will go at the end of a post with thumbnails. It's a good way to keep people reading, when they don't want to search hard.

RNEST buttons: Members did you know we have a variety of colorful buttons/badges for your sites, designed by our very own Kira of KiraArts? Grab them on our Ning Team page and spread our street team love.

The Cutest Blog On The Block: Don't know much about designing your own blog layout? This site has TONS of free ones perfect for an Etsy seller. Other great blog template sites are: shabbyblogs and hotbliggetyblog.

Jack's Pick: Pottery Plates by Goldhawk Pottery

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

I'm very pleased to introduce you to another new team member of RNEST this week. Sara Goldhawk of Goldhawk Pottery is not just new to RNEST, she is new to Rochester as well. Sara moved back to the greater Rochester area after spending some time in Washington DC. She is putting her BFA to work, as she sets aside her Masters in Education to make pottery her full time pass

ion. I say the Capitol's loss is our gain!

Just look at this great example of her work; a set of serving plates. Sara's work

is in a style I just find so visually interesting. These serving plates have an eastern edge to them, with a great use of complimentary colors. Her glazes are nice and sharp and precise, and I can totally see this on my dining room table for a simple Sunday dinner, or a special holiday gathering.

On an aside, my wife loves pottery. She loves this type of glazing as well. So when I see it, I pay attention. I am very happy to now know someone who she can go to when she needs a piece of show off. I am happy to know I can just stick them in the dishwasher too!

Great job Sara, and welcome to RNEST.

Wednesday Wellspring: Double Your Fun Giveaway Winner

Congratulations, Crystal! You've won the double your pleasure, double your fun, double whammy giveaway from In My Head Studios and The Quilted House! Thanks everyone else for entering and while you may not have won the giveaway, you're still winners since the RNESTROCKS coupon code is still good for both shops until December 31st! Thanks for entering!

Treasury Tuesday: Firey

You asked for it! This week's Gift Guide Treasury features items in firey reds, oranges, and golds to make you feel all warm and toasty as the snow flies outside! So fire up the woodstove/fireplace/space heater and cuddle up as you check out these handmade gift ideas!

I had to break my goal of having all these December holiday gift guides be under $25 and make this one under $30 instead, because some items, like the lovely scarf from kurpisz (aka:
"Beauty In The Eye") simply HAD to be included!

Under $30 Gift Guide from RNEST (Firey)

Jack's Pick: Hercules by Dan Bentley

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

This week I would like to introduce Hercules, a robotic sculpture from the creative mind of Dan Bentley, one of the newest members of RNEST.

Dan Bentley have been building and deconstructing toys and tools since his childhood. Dan's mission is to feature the aesthetics of manufactured products in unique sculpture. Hercules is a great example of this mission.

Hercules arms are made from two vintage Black and Decker electric drills. His head is made from an old alarm clock. You quickly begin to realize Dan's genius in finding complimentary curves, colors, and shapes in putting together these found objects. In his descriptions of his creations, you begin to realize this robot IS the sum of it's parts, with each element telling an incredible story of design and function.

Dan wisely recruited the aid of his daughter who captures a mood for each of these robots in her stunning photos.

You can see more of Dan's work on his website, and in his etsy shop.

Wednesday Wellspring: Double Your Fun

Congratulations, Erin! You won Kelley's Beadings awesome kit from last week's giveaway!

This week with much excitement, we're doubling your fun with a double giveaway from In My Head Studios and yours truly, The Quilted House! Vickie from In My Head Studios is offering a sweet and unique domino pendant, while I am offering a mini gift tote to present it in! You can check one person right off your list and you won't even need to wrap anything!

You can find beautiful domino and scrabble tile pendants and ornaments in Vickie's shop, perfect for unique and thoughtful gifts. She also LOVES custom orders! Plus, through December 31st, the coupon code RNESTROCKS will net you 10% off everything in her shop!

As you know from my name, my specialty is quilting. I love to create useful quilted items that are beautiful and will make you smile every time you use them. My shop is currently chock full of fun items for the holidays and beyond! And not to be outdone by In My Head Studios, the coupon code RNESTROCKS will give you a 10% discount in The Quilted House, too!

And now for the rules (This giveaway is open to US and CANADA!):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to In My Head Studios, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Go to The Quilted House, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #3: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. We both hid holiday candy in our shops, click around and leave a comment with the link where the candy's hidden. (Leave a seperate comment for each link to get two entries!)

2. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

3. Follow the In My Head Studios blog.

4. Fan In My Head Studios on Facebook.

5. Fan RNEST on Facebook.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, December 14 and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Treasury Tuesday: Blue & Silver

The holidays don't just have to be about red & green! Wanting to break from the norm, on our first Christmas together, my husband and I decided to decorate our tree in blue, white and silver. My husband likes blue, and I prefer silver over gold.

It was only later on that I learned that those are the colors traditionally associated with Hanukkah (which is December 1st-9th this year). But whether you celebrate Hanukkah or not, you can enjoy the color scheme and these lovely handmade items from our RNEST members!

Under $25 Gift Guide from RNEST (Blue & Silver)

Only two more weeks of gift guides before Christmas! What treasury theme/color scheme would you like to see next?

Make-it Mondays: Fill Your Circle

Image from Think Vitamin

Most of you have probably noticed that Etsy has created a bunch of new apps to make listing, searching and connecting easier and more fun. One of the newest is the "activity feed". In it you can see a live feed of who likes you or your items, who puts you in a treasury, and my personal favorite, who adds you to their "circle". Adding someone to your circle is sort of like "friending" them into a creative network. (Which leads one to wonder if there will be a rash of uncircling, just like unfriending on Facebook...hmmm?) One plus to being in a network is the strength that comes with numbers.

Speaking of numbers, let me give you a little math....

I started my Etsy shop late in 2006 while in college. I didn't network. I didn't know how to take great photos. I didn't have feedback from other artists. And I had no business tips from anyone. Not surprisingly, between 2006-2008 I averaged a measly 8.5 sales a year. Finally in August of 2009 I began to get serious and joined RNEST, a local network or circle one could say. With better morale and a few tips I doubled my sales to 17 in 2009. Still small potatoes I know...but with the ideas, suggestions and accountability I feel being on a team, in 2010 I have made 48 sales with a couple solid holiday shopping weeks left. And this doesn't even include the opportunities I have gotten from local businesses and indie craft shows, just because I knew someone, who knew someone.

So what am I getting at? Fill your circle. Fill it with everyone on your team. Fill it with other local sellers you love. Then fill it with those special Etsy sellers you love and may never meet, but really really want to from all over the world. There is strength in numbers and it multiplies the opportunities for people to find YOU.

Wednesday Wellspring: Kelley's Beading

Bubbling up from the well this week is Kelley's Beading and a unique gift-giving/gift-making opportunity! Kelley is offering the winner a Crystal Flowers Bracelet Kit. It's prefect for the holidays - you can give the kit as a gift or make the bracelet and surprise someone with something handmade by you!

Kelley's passion is creating jewelry projects for others to make. Seeing someone's face light up when they "get it", watching them show off the jewelry they made and listening to them tell their friends "you can do it, too!" makes her heart sing. Since classes only reach a few people at a time, she took her writing skills and turned her classes into kits with the best materials, full-color patterns and detailed instructions. Her goal? Simple patterns, outstanding results.

With this Crystal Flowers Bracelet Kit, you can transform 20 Preciosa crystals into five perfect flowers. The kit contains materials for one adjustable bracelet (up to 9 inches long!) in fuchisa pink, including crystals, two colors of seed beads, clasp and findings--all in a reusable plastic case. A Level 1 Beginner Kit - no experience necessary!

And now for the rules (This giveaway is open to US and CANADA!):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to Kelley's Beading, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. Check out the Kelley's Beading website and leave a comment here telling Kelley what you'd change.

2. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

3. Follow the Kelley's Beading blog.

4. Fan RNEST on Facebook.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, December 7 and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.