Random Stuff by SAM

Today: Lots of Ice

2012-01-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

Today, everything was covered in ice: cars, plants, pretty much anything that was outside was glazed in ripples & sheets of ice...

Pretty to look at, otherwise not so fun...

Lots & Lots of Snow...

2012-01-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

The Snow Blizzard (like wizard only with extra flakes :)

And we're expecting more...

Changes... Part 2

2012-01-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile & I've been in kind of a transition stage in many areas, including my shops, so I thought I'd talk about editing & tweeking your shops & mine.
I've talked about photography before & it's vital. The first impression someone will get of your shop will be visual & if you don't capture their attention right away, they won't generally move forward, disappearing into the ether, with a single click. Photos should be sharp, clear, & convey a sense of the item. They should be uncluttered & focus on the item you are selling.
The shop banner & arrangement of listings also play a role in the visual appeal of the first impression. The banner should convey a sense of your shop & it's goals. The shop arrangement can lead the viewer through the shop & make browsing easier for the shopper. Alternating light & dark items can make it easier on the buyers eye, you can tell a story with each line of listings, grouping them in a theme or you can arrange your shop in blocks by type of item or color. All are good ideas, so it's really up to you, which one you decide to use, but whatever you decide, the shop should have some kind of organization, to make it easier on the shopper.

Beyond the surface, you have shop & item titles, item descriptions & tags. This is what I've been working on more recently.
I'd come to an epiphany of sorts, realizing what I'd really been saying all along, that my shop items tell stories. My creations have stories to tell, each one arranged in a very specific manner to create a story, in color & materials. Vintage items, well they come from different times & places, styles were different & the wearers followed those styles or created their own, so vintage items have stories to tell, as well.
I've been rearranging titles & item descriptions to better tell those tales & give the shop more of a cohesive feel.

Here is one of my original item descriptions:
Vintage. 50's. Beautiful

Dress up all your clothes in vintage style, with this lovely bit of history. Feel like you're on the set of "Mad Men" or in a great old classic film, even if you never leave the house! SAM

5o's
triple strand necklace
crystal
black bakelite beads
faux pearl
glass
gold color findings
hook closure
made in Japan
about 17.5" from end to end
Very good condition

It's ok, gives all the little details, but doesn't add to the 'True Stories, Tall Tales' cohesive style that I am now aiming for.

Here's a newer version:

Vintage Triple Strand Necklace

True Story:
Dress up all your clothes in vintage style, with this lovely bit of history. Feel like you're on the set of "Mad Men" or in a great old classic film, even if you never leave the house! SAM

5o's
triple strand necklace
crystal
black bakelite beads
faux pearl
glass
gold color findings
hook closure
made in Japan
about 17.5" from end to end

Vintage. 50's. Beautiful

Here, I've mirrored the item title at the beginning of the description, adding strength to the key words & then I have mirrored the True Stories/Tall tales (this particular item doesn't have a 'tall tale,' at least not yet) from the shop description & the banner.

Most descriptions now have a "tall tale," a little short story that goes with the feel of the item & all have a "true story" the facts behind the item, materials used, repurposed, recycled or new. I moving more toward organic, recycled or locally sourced for the new item components & that is reflected. Most of my pieces have a vintage, recycled or found component & this is listed in the "true story" portion of the listing, along with sizes & any other little facts the buyer needs to know.
I've struggled with whether or not to put the "true story" or the "tall tale" first. The "tall tales" are fun & add a sense of personality, so, for now, I've put them first. Maybe it's better for SEO to have the facts or "true story" first..

"True Stories & Tall Tales" has been added to the shop banner & the shop description, to create the cohesive feel, that I referred to above. I've also added it to the individual item descriptions.

One other change that I've made, for relevancy, is that I've been playing around with the arrangement of the words in the title, putting the more descriptive words, the words that hopefully customers would use to search for my items, first. I didn't get rid of the fun titles, the 'personality,' they're just at the end, rather than the beginning of the title. How do these changes look & work?

Here's the original title in one of my vintage items, from my ArtFire shop:

Vintage Black and White Triple Strand Necklace

It's descriptive, to a point but how many customers are searching for this necklace using the terms "Vintage Black & White?" I'm guessing not too many.

Here's the current title, from the Etsy shop:

NECKLACE VINTAGE TRIPLE Strand Mid Century

Mad Men Hollywood Style Fifties Black and White

Also descriptive, looks a little funny, but there's more information about the style & era this is from & more important words are up front, so it's more likely to be found by customers looking for this type of item as it's more user friendly in terms of SEO. If you find that you are not getting hearts or visits for your items, it's possible that you are using the wrong combination of words to attract the right visitors. You can always go back & change this, experiment until you come up with the right combination.

What else have I done? I've been changing item tags, editing & re-arranging, so that the more important, searched for terms come up first, other terms, like team tags or location come at the end, as they are less likely to be searched for by the average buyer looking for my items, more likely to be used by specific users, like team members, putting together treasuries.

So these are some of the things that I've done, but what does this have to do with your shop? What I'm attempting to do is to create a feel that ties the whole shop together. You might be able to do this merely by selling one type of item, but I don't & even if I did, I would still go through the same process to tie everything together:

1. Choose a theme- a mission statement, something that describes what you do, what your shop is about
2. Create a tag line that describes that theme- a very short, catchy statement that narrows the focus, something memorable that describes your shop, your work & hopefully, makes the customer want to know more.
3. Add that tag to your banner & to your store description. Don't bury it, put it right at the beginning.
4. Play around with your item titles- put the terms that customers will be searching for first. I don't know much about SEO or relevance, but I know this. Also, if you are on Etsy, the Relevancy default makes this super important. The items that have the terms customers are searching for in the beginning of the title, will come up first in the searches. Make sure that those terms are relevant, though. Don't put terms in your title that have nothing to do with your item, they may be popular terms, but if your item has nothing to do with what the customer is actually searching for, they'll still click on past.
5. Put those same terms at the beginning of the item description. This is more for SEO than anything else. Customers have already read this, in the title
6. Add your shop theme into your item description. This may have a little to do with SEO, but it also helps to make your shop memorable. It's the old 'If you want someone to remember something, repeat it at least three times.' It work for speeches & meetings, so it works in shops, too.
7. There's nothing like re-arranging to highlight some big editing errors of the past, like spelling errors, better photos, buried in the thumbnails or items with only a few tags ;) so take time to change those, too. It's a great time for editing of all kinds

When I first started, I did little of this, made all the mistakes & wondered why others didn't notice me or see the stories that I thought my items were almost shouting. The basic answer was that no one knew I was there, but beyond that I wasn't giving the stories a chance to shine, few saw them, let alone understood. I've come a long way, but it's a long road & things change along the way, so nothings ever really finished.

The result of these types of changes? More views & traffic? I would say that general traffic doesn't increase & that's ok, better than ok, really. Traffic & views are more targeted to your store's specific items & so your store receives more of the right traffic, not just traffic in general. Items receive more hearts in fewer views & this, to me is better than having higher, general traffic numbers.

The new year is a time for change. How about you? Have you made any changes, lately?

My New Hat

2011-12-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

So, lately I've had a lot of time for making things. I just had my knee operated on & can't get around. Yesterday, I decided to make a hat. I don't have a winter hat & I've seen all the cozy, fun ones about, so I thought, why not try? This one is pretty simple, just one piece, gathered at the top & a little border around the bottom. I didn't use a pattern, just made it up as I went. This one is organic cotton in "Macadamia," kind of a warm, dark off white or very light beige. I love the softness & it seems like it'll be plenty warm. The color is perfect for just about any outfit. I think I'll add some beads to the tie (Here it's simply tied with a bow.) If I make another (& I think I will) I'll make it just a little 'taller' & slightly bigger. It's just a little snug, though it'll probably stretch & I don't want to end up with it being too big...

What about you? Have you made anything new, recently?

More Last Minute Tacoma Gifts

2011-12-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

Check out more of the great last minute items available from talented Tacoma area sellers on Etsy:

For the nature lover:

Upcycled "Owl" Cuff From UpTownDownTown

For the retro party animals:

Recycled Kon Tiki Bookends from OrangeDoorCottage

For the traveler:

Faithful Friend Vintage Salt & Pepper shakers from snapdragontacoma

For Bohemian types:

Framed Embroidery "Love, Balance & Sunshine" from shellseye

For Hollywood diva types:

Rhinestone Cat Eye Sunglasses from pinkparee

For the fan of luxury:

"Bubbles and Tea" from khaberlack

For the adventurous spirit:

The Little Explorer from sumrsprite

Have some last minute gifts to buy? There's always the gift certificate, but consider shopping handmade, shopping vintage & shopping local :)

Are you having a handmade/vintage/local Christmas this year?

Tacoma Holiday Gift Guide

2011-12-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

Great gifts from local Tacoma, WA shops on Etsy: fun things, pretty things, cute things, artsy things & beyond, local Tacoma shops on Etsy have it all :)

For fun lovers:

Raindrop Cannonballs by slidesideways on etsy

For busy bees:

Peppermint Red Bakers Twine by Just Scraps N Things

For lovers of pretty things:

"Little Melancholy" earrings by CrowandIris

For animal fans & vintage lovers:

Vintage Owl Necklace 1970's by purevintageclothing

For creative types:

Hand Painted Angora Mohair Roving by bertaberta

For flower fans:

Hawaiian Hair Flower by lostaloha

For game fans & scribblers:

Small Monopoly game board notepad by GratitudeJewelry

For retro fans & health fanatics:

White Swiss Cross Beanie Hat by TygahKnits

For fans of classic style:

Vintage Mid Century Cuff Links by HoneyAndPearl

For sweethearts:

Hand Crochet Cuff Bracelet "Fairy Tale" by samsstuff

For art fans:

Serendipity in blue & brown by StudioZen

For colorful & artsy types:

"Glass" photography by WmBrayPhotography

Check out Etsy (& ArtFire) for more great local handmade & vintage goodness from the Tacoma area!

Tacoma, WA 11/11/11

2011-12-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Tacoma, WA is a mix of industrial & rural, less stuck in between, a mix of both worlds & more of an existence on both ends of the spectrum. On one side you have a major shipping port, home to the Chihully Glass Museum & at the other you have farmlands & dairies, without any buffered mixture of sights in between...

Sunset Somewhere in Tacoma, WA 11/11/11

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great day!

Fall Leaves Tacoma, WA

Winter earrings

2011-11-18T13:53:00.000-08:00

My newest creation that I like to call "winter' for the colors & the vintage porcelain bead that reminds me of a snowflake or a winter flower...

"Winter" earrings: vintage European milk glass, vintage faux pearls, vintage re-purposed bracelet links, crystal, silver ear wires

Who's the 'mug' on the mug? That's Colette, controversial woman & interesting historical figure, best known for her novels "Gigi" & "Cheri." The mug itself is a vintage porcelain mug from a QPBC historical People series

Short Cuts & Funny (but useful) Little Household Hints

2011-11-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Today, I thought that I'd share a few short cuts with you, quick answers to small day to day type problems, kind of household hints, except that they're not really all cleaning related.

Great tip #1: Have a shirt or sweater you want to wear, but it's too large? Maybe you really liked it, but it was the only one left or it was a great price? Maybe you lost weight? Whatever the reason, it's a great piece, but it doesn't quite fit...Try pinning it! No, not with safety pins, unless that look works, like it's a really great retro punk or New Wave piece (Much of 80's clothing was oversized, worn with leggings, etc.). Use decorative pins, something that goes with the style of the piece & gather the fabric to reign in the size, creating the illusion of a waist. Make sure that your gathers don't get caught in the pin clasp or you could end up with a hole, when you remove the pin. This can be done on the front, gather both sides or the back:

This would also be fun to do with the sleeves, just don't do all of these things at once or it'll look over done. It's also great if you want a more sleek look under jackets, vests & sweaters.

Great tip #2: Going someplace (interview, fancy party...) where you'll be wearing a jacket over your shirt? Your shirt is completely wrinkled? No time for ironing the whole shirt? Just iron the front. *Don't do this if there's any chance you'll have to take off your jacket.

Great tip #3: Have an interview or need to go someplace where your dress shoes need to be presentable? Have small scuff marks on your shoes? Find a felt tip pen in the same color as your shoe & color in the scuff, blend a bit, if needed. This works best on black shoes (it's easier to match the color)

Great tip #4: Your favorite shirt is completely wrinkled, but you really want to wear it & you don't feel like ironing? Spritz the shirt with water & gently smooth the wrinkles. If you have time, you can hang the shirt to dry (it won't take too long, if you haven't completely drenched the shirt). You can also put it in the dryer, after spritzing. Add a wet washcloth, for a bit of 'steam.' Lastly, if you are in more of a hurry, you can blow dry the wrinkles out, after spritzing. This, of course, works with any article of clothing.

I hope you enjoyed this little household hints :)
Do you have any great hints you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments, below.

Sundays in My City: Fall?

2011-10-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

It's gotten cold here (or at least what seems like cold to me) & near freezing at night, but we have fall color, something I don't see that much around here. I think it may be a cold winter, they're already predicting snow in the mountains. If it weren't for the fall leaves, I'd think that we'd skipped fall & gone straight to winter...

Oak leaves (red oak tree) Tacoma, WA

How about you? I've heard there's snow on the East coast already. Are you having fall weather or have you gone straight to winter? Did you get any fall color?

Check out other Sundays & other cities here:

My Latest Crochet Goodness...

2011-10-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Without further adieu, here are some of my latest crocheted goodies:


A lacy golden yellow cuff, with sweet little flower buttons, in a 100% cotton yarn

A little 100% cotton crocheted envelope style wallet, in a bright orange. The lining is a brown & white check, vintage kitchen towel that has little houses at the borders & the closure is a sweet, garden basket button


A super soft crochet cuff in a pink organic cotton yarn, with lace trim. The closures are a little wood button & a metal claddagh friendship/love style button.

These are a few of my latest projects, how about you? Have you been working on anything lately?

Papier Mache WIP: Scrappy Cat & a Bowl

2011-09-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Since it's Handmade & Made by You Monday, I thought I'd show you a couple of works in progress:

This is "scrappy cat" a feisty little kitten who's lost his tail & a papier mache bowl that I'm working on. I have some plans for the bowl involving paint & comic books, first it needs more layers...

scrappy cat: right now, there's only a couple of layers on him

more scrappy cat: I plan on painting him black & giving him a great handmade collar

Scrappy Cat's face

a little papier mache recipe (the formula we used):
about 1 c. flour to 1.25 c. water, add a bit of salt to help prevent mold.
Allow to dry thoroughly between each layer or two, also to prevent mold. Use a hair dryer to help speed up the process.
use strips of paper that are about 1" to 1.5" wide. Newspaper works well, avoid paper that shines.

I started these as part of a little mini papier mache workshop from the Tacoma Arts & Crafts meetup group (Thank you, Meg). I hadn't done papier mache since grade school (remember the papier mache over balloons thing?) & had forgotten A. how & B. how much fun it can be. I'm loving this more adult version of the technique & it was fun learning how to use make something besides balloons covered with paper.
How about you? What new things have you learned? What have you been working on? SAM

Freshener Sachets: a tutorial

2011-09-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! How you doin'? So this time I thought I'd share a quick & simple idea with you, something I like to call fresheners:

Fresheners from Sam's Stuff ArtFire

These couldn't be simpler to make, can cost very little & are great for keeping things like shoes & drawers dry & fresh. I like to use vintage fabrics & ribbon/lace, but you can use any fabric & any ribbons. You could use colorful rubber bands, in place of ribbon, for a different, more modern effect. I recommend using a fabric, like cotton, that breathes, but is not too porous or open.
Instructions:
1.Cut a square of fabric, I'd recommend about 4" X 4". Any smaller is really too small to work with. You can make these as large as you want. This is a good size for shoes or drawers, they're also great for closets & for that you can make them larger. I like to use vintage pinking shears, the fabric won't unravel, eliminating the need for a 'hem' & it makes for a cute, retro touch.
2. Place about a heaping tablespoon full of baking soda or corn starch in the center of the square. You can put more or less, depending on how large you are making your freshener. You don't want too much or you won't be able to tie off the top
3. Gather the corners together
4. Tie off the top with your ribbon, lace or rubber band.

You can re-use these, once the baking soda has lost its effectiveness, untie & discard, simply add more baking soda & re-tie.
These would be great in a little basket of housewarming gifts or with a pair of shoes. Really they work just about anywhere for a bit of practical cuteness ;)

I made a book!

2011-09-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd share with you my first book :) I've been wanting to make a book for awhile & so, when I saw the make a mini book swap on swap-bot, I thought I'd sign up. I like the way it turned out, though if I make more, I'll probably try some different techniques & bindings. This is truly a multi media piece, with crocheted pages, a bit of notebook paper, embroidery, stamping & even a bit of photography. It only has only has 4 actual pages (not including the "journal" part), each saying something different & each in a different type/color of yarn, for lots of texture.

Front cover: Divided heart design embroidered on cotton crochet

Page 2: Nature- hand embroidered flower on 100%% cotton yarn , hand stamping on notebook paper, hand stitched, Somehow I missed taking a photo of p. 1. It's hand crocheted ribbon type yarn, a sun cut from a photo, hand embroidered, "sunshine" hand stamped on notebook paper & hand stitched. It's the bright blue page.

Page 3: industry- embroidery stitches on milk yarn (so soft!), hand stamping on notebook paper

Last page: peace symbol hand embroidered on acrylic yarn, hand stamping on notebook paper, hand stitched

Notebook "journal" pages

Back cover: hand embroidery, hand stamping on notebook paper, hand stitched, ink, folded over front & hand stitched with large cross stitches

I had fun & I want to explore making more little books :) How about you? Have you tried anything new recently?

* Sorry about the blur in some of the shots, they were quick shots to document the book before sending it away, so I wouldn't forget what I did.

Writer's Club: Beautiful People Part A

2011-09-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

Two webs by samsstuff

I have often wondered what became of A. She was a beautiful person, with a troubled past. Some members of her family where abusive, in a singularly ugly & troubling way. She had gang ties in her past, but she was smart & funny, sweet & yes, sometimes, like most of us, difficult to get along with. She had her triggers, words or gestures that could have multiple meanings, without a clear context. We all have these, some more than others & well meaning or not, sometimes we can touch these triggers in others.
She had gorgeous long dark hair, with a bit of a wave, that she could tie back simply with a quick twist & a stick or often, a pencil. I've always been jealous of this ability. For some reason, when I try, the sticks just fall out. Maybe I need more practice, maybe my hair is too thin or maybe she just had a gift...
She generally dressed plainly, in plaid & pants. I don't remember ever seeing her in a dress. This was the style then: the 'grunge' era. I liked to mix the the plaid & torn jeans with feminine touches, some stuck with the classics. It was really about personal expression.
She had a big bear of a husband & no children. I wonder if she ever had any? She always thought she wouldn't make a good parent, not having had many good examples, in her past.
We worked together in a big & often very busy bookstore. It was a busy store then Business changed with time & the addition of other company & competitor stores in the area). The store still stands, temporarily housing Halloween related products.
She loved gargoyles, often participating in local gargoyle creating contests & all things dark. Edward Gorey was a favorite (of hers & mine). Halloween was her favorite holiday. She wasn't really goth, though & neither was I. Maybe it was more of a design thing. Neither of us was girly, but of the two of us, I'd say I was more on the girly side.
Business was troubled, not just in our store, but all over. I ended up in another store & then I had to leave. She suddenly quit one day, not long after I left our store. I often wondered if she was ok. No one seemed to know where she was, after that. Sometimes I was ok, sometimes not, but I will probably always remember her, even if she doesn't remember me...I did give her one of my creations, a hair stick made with a combination of a heart shaped rock, carved skull beads (that she gave me), all wrapped together with wire, on a vintage, sparkly hair stick. I hope it reminds her of me, on occasion...

(photo is the sole property of Shelley McElhiney. Please contact the blog for any usage)

Another New Project: Pincushion from a Tea Tin Lid

2011-08-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! How are you doing? My summer's been weird, to say the least...I had no internet access for most of last week. Ants ate my modem. Yes, really: ants. No, not really: they didn't so much eat the modem as destroyed it. Apparently they are attracted to electricity or maybe the warmth. The clerk who exchanged the modem said it was the third one that week, one of them even still had live ants attached (no, not mine). The ants are out of control around the area. There must not be enough picnics around...

Anyway, here is a new project, no ants involved. It's a pincushion made from the lid of a tea tin:

The fabric is a black brocade, covered with dragons. The one I sent away has hearts & peace symbols around the metal edge of the lid, with + & - signs in between, so it's love + peace-love+peace...The photos show it without the symbols. I think these lids make great bases for pincushions, they're the perfect depth. I'm definitely making more of these!
What did I get in return? An amazing magnet to remind me of Tucson & the southwest, made from a juice can lid, with feathers, a little skull bead & Milagros. I'll post a photo soon, you have to see it!

How about you? have you been working on anything recently? SAM

Made by You Mondays:Hand Embroidered Earrings

2011-08-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Here's one of the things I've been working on recently, Southwest inspired, hand embroidered velvet earrings:

Front only: hand embroidered flowers & stitching on velvet

Back only: hand stitching on vintage fabric

Front & back: wire wrapped beaded fringe using black seed beads (extras from a beaded sweater), copper beads, clear glass seed beads (from the ends of purchased bead strings), green glass beads, square metal frame, pink copper wire, vintage gold color wire

These were made for a jewelry challenge, to be shipped out soon.
So, this is what I've been working on, what have you been working on lately?

Stop by Made by You Mondays on Skip to My Lou for many other projects & even a tutorial or two (or a hundred):

Confessions of a Hate Smurf ;)

2011-07-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

Arizona by Shelley McElhiney

My first job was at a Jack in the Box. I know, that's already enough of a confession, but there's more! The business was across the street from the University of Arizona campus, a bastion of great learning, filled with studious individuals, all far to busy with the business of learning for anything as frivolous as cartoons, hamburgers or parties...
Just kidding, it was a "party school." Late at night or very early in the morning, depending on your point of view, after the bars had all closed & long after any other business in the city had locked up their doors our store was packed, filled to bursting with hungry college students, college student wanna be's & drunks, most of whom could be described in at least two of the three previously mentioned categories & more than a few of whom were very close to the third category. Sometimes, I was on their side of the counter, amidst the yelling throng, dodging the popping of random ketchup packets. More often, though I was on the other side, with the employees, trying to remain calm, mostly succeeding, sometimes not (I once threw an order at a 'frat rat,' a whole different story) at least until the boss decided we needed to stay open until the crowd disappeared, sometimes hours later.
After close, crowd or no, I was left with them. They were 'pros,' I was new. It took me longer to clean up. They would torture me by standing around talking while I struggled to finish cleaning some horrible thing (like the 'cheese pot' that no one had stirred all night long) or another (a grease trap, don't ask), every once in awhile making some snide comment about how long it was taking & how much they wanted to go home & I always wondered, if they really wanted to go home so much, why didn't they help?

Tiny House Dangle Earrings Smurf's House by MarshiaCy Etsy

They loved Smurfs. Yes, Smurfs. They gave each other smurf names & discussed Smurf life & much frivolity ensued...for them. I hated Smurfs. I was too old for the cartoons (no, I'm not saying that I wouldn't like the film, from what I've seen, the film is not really like the shows. It's more 'mature' in a number of ways) & I didn't watch the show in some altered state of being that might of made them more interesting, like many, but not my co-workers, they watched the show 'straight,' as adults & they enjoyed it. They dubbed me 'Hate Smurf.' I wasn't Gilgamesh or whatever their nemesis was called, I was 'Hate Smurf.' I didn't wish the Smurfs harm or so they decided. I was a Smurf in denial of its Smurfness, even if I wasn't sure what Smurfness was, so 'Hate Smurf' I was. Don't laugh, it's not funny, I just didn't get it, didn't get the show & didn't get Smurfs. They were never able to answer my questions, Smurf experts that they were. Why were they all male, except one? Why was there a Papa Smurf, but never any Mama Smurf?

Smurfette Bottle Cap Necklace by meme52 Etsy

Eventually, they moved on to other newbies & even invited me to an outing or two. They learned that I could do my job & was a pretty fast grill/fry cook. We learned to let go of animosity & even like each other, for the most part, but I never did get the Smurf thing. I guess I'll be 'Hate Smurf' forever ;)

Smurf Calavera limited edition gocco from MisNopalesArt Etsy

All other images remain the sole property of the shops mentioned. I hope you'll click on their links & take a look around!

Writer's Club: 80's fashion...

2011-07-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

So, the question today is: if I cold keep a fashion style from the 80's it would be...The short, unrealistic answer is I love the eighties & I'd keep it all, but the reality is that there are things that I actually love & many things that I would want to go away forever. I dislike eighties shoulder pads, for instance, those huge linebacker things that swallowed your neck & were completely out of proportion to the human form. Great, if they're a piece of sports equipment, not so great for professional, business attire. Power shoulders, yikes & they used to put these in everything, even really lightweight tops, a terrible combination. So, I was never a fan of the "Dynasty" look.

I did love the contrasts, the idea that you could throw out the rules. You could wear combat boots with skirts or a motorcycle jacket with a lacy top. Madonna was wearing bra tops out in the open. Slips were worn as dresses & Doc Marten's were being worn with pretty skirts. There were contrasts, but it was still all about the balance. People had Mohawks & safety pins. Torn jeans & slashed tees weren't being thrown away, but were sought after. So sought after that manufacturers were pre tearing, pre fading. The difference between worn in & real street fashion & the pre made kind was easy to spot. No matter what they did or how much they charged, they just couldn't match what was going on in the street.

If I could keep anything from the eighties or have anything come back, it would be the street fashion & the sense of change, of balance in contrasts, the good, bad & ugly all in one glorious mix. SAM

Free Stuff, Sort of...

2011-06-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

"Night" cuff by samsstuff

Today, I thought I'd talk about free stuff & who doesn't love free stuff, right? This post is a little different, though than the giveaway posts that I've done recently. Those were about entering/ putting together giveaways, for those who like to win fun, new stuff & those that want to promote the new stuff that they make, services they offer or the stuff that others make. This is about trading stuff, as a way to try out new products, experimenting with new product lines, advertising what you make & as a way to get new stuff that others make, are trying out as new product lines & advertising, so it's a win, win situation, without the stress of wondering whether or not you'll win some contest, out of the hundreds that have entered. The catch, of course, is that you must trade something to get something, so it's not truly free. Why do it, then?

Well, first it's a great way to get feedback on that new item/product line you're making, a way to gauge the reactions of the public, before actually listing. Second, it helps you get the word out about your product. You trade it to someone who can actually see, touch & use your items, not just look at them on a computer screen or worse, on a tiny phone screen. They can tell you about their experience & they can tell others that they know, helping you get the word out! You can tell whether your line will work or not. If there are any flaws, you have a chance to fix them, before releasing your products to the public.

You get to help out others, who are trying out their products & working on improvement or gauging public reaction. And the best part: it's fun to get things, it's like your birthday or Christmas, you get little surprises in the mail :) You never know exactly what you might find!

So, how do you get started? You can sometimes find blogs organizing trades. You can start a blog trade, yourself or you can check out some of the sites out there. One of the biggest is Swap Bot where you can sign up for all kinds of swaps & groups (not all craft related, so if you just want to trade quotes or postcards, for fun, you can do that too) or you can put together a swap of your own, which could be a good way to get some 'link love?' I've been in about 10 swaps now & I think I've learned a lot, about my items, the items that others are making, plus of course, it's been fun. Maybe I'll start a swap of my own, I haven't tried that yet...

Here's my newest creation, made for the Twinkle, Twinkle jewelry swap on Swap Bot. It's hand crocheted & hand embroidered. The removable moon button is by sharkskeepmoving on Etsy. The thread I used is hand spun thread by Dragonflylotus Designs (my winnings from a Unanimous Craft giveaway). Also included: a milky glass star, silver plated stars & an abalone shell star button

I've been making a bunch of cuffs lately. This one takes those a bit further, adding embellishments & embroidery, like the headbands I have been making. I wanted to try something new & was inspired by the twinkle/star theme of the swap.

This shows the mismatched two button closure

Try it! It could be fun & it's a great way to learn something at the same time :) SAM

My Woodland Tea Party: Mad Tea Party 2011

2011-06-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm so glad you could make it to my little woodland tea party, I hope you can stay a while!

Antique Tea Pot by Shelley McElhiney

First: A beautiful dress from RiverOfRomansk

And a gorgeous hair wreath from gardensofwhimsy

Some sweet sandals, worthy of a wood nymph by HeidiLouiseBootmaker

We need something to eat, how about some little cupcakes with edible dragonflies by SugarRobot?

And some sweet honey lavender shortbread hearts from PicklePetuniaMade

With some Neapolitan marshmallows by haveitconfections, yum!

Of course we need some tea! How about some relaxing Peaceful Dreams loose leaf tea from teasandtapestries

Some honey straws, if you like your tea naturally sweet from honeyrunfarm

A cute vintage tray, for holding everything from oldtymenotions

Some cool mid century cups & saucers from One4TheSun

Beeswax candles for soft light from AuroraCandles

Flutes from ClayZ

And a guitar from smokinaxe for music

Just forget about time & place, for a bit...

Tree Heart: Winter by Shelley McElhiney

Don't get too relaxed though or like the sleeping giant, you might not be able to leave ;)

A Fanciful Twist
Follow the link to find other tea parties & possibly a white rabbit or two !

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest creation, a Father's Day card for my Dad :)

He was in the Air Force for 21 years, so I added a little air plane. He started out as a parachute rigger (where he learned to sew, an unusual skill for a man of that time) & early on, moved to rockets & missiles, where he spent most of his career. Maybe I should have added a rocket or spaceship, instead...The photo was taken in Arizona, so I added a little sun & since he's my Dad, I added a little family of 4 (I have a brother, too).

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! I hope you have a great day!

Random Winnings & Cool Stuff

2011-06-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share with you some of the wonderful things I've won recently, the blogs I've won them from & the people who created them :)

From Unanimous Craft I won a 6 month subscription to the thread of the month club at Dragonfly Lotus Designs. They have great handspun threads in beautiful, limited edition colors. I love receiving each shipment, plus I get to preview & pre-order upcoming designs. Check out all the great fiber combinations & colors by clicking the link (Also, come visit me on my brand new Tacoma Regional Craftologist page on Unanimous Craft :)

Little frog cocktail ring from Lucid New York by way of North on Harper I love the color of the stone & the sweet little frog. The other cocktail rings are vintage, from my grandmother's collection. No, none of them are real, but they are lovely, aren't they?)

pink earrings from Simply Stacie & Artistic Inclinations I like the pretty pink color of the quartz hearts.

Crocheted coffee sleeve from Scary White Girl by way of Roseworks Jewelry blog The pink & black reminds me of licorice candy!

A great cuff & bag by Wear the Canvas Etsy the copper bracelet is vintage 60's, from my shop samsstuff Etsy

Rings again :)
How do I win these things? Random luck, volume & sometimes low entry giveaways, but mostly it's just luck!

Wayzgoose: part 2

2011-06-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

So, before I got started, I wanted to make a correction to the last post, what I kept calling a bulldozer is a steam roller, like you see in cartoons flattening the poor characters shadows of their former selves. I don't know why I kept calling it a bulldozer. Temporary insanity? The second thing that I wanted to say was that the first post was the one post that was affected by the Google issues & I still haven't been able to fix it without deleting virtually everything, this is why there are duplicate shots & why, if you visited during various points in time during the whole Google thing you would have seen a post with varying numbers of photos. Check out the post on Unanimous Craft, for the way it should look.
As I mentioned in the first post, Wayzgoose was an event that was all about paper, printing & community, with a variety of local teams getting together to create amazing steam roller prints, but there was more & this post is all about the more.
Inside were all the vendors, local & semi local presses, demonstrating their wares & a variety of presses (I so want one now, if you know of any going for cheap, let me know!), platens & type, letterpress & photo printing, many of which you could try out yourself. At the Springtide Press booth, as at several other booths, you were able to print out your own card on a little antique platen style press (did I mention that I want one of these?). You basically create the pressure needed to make the print, by hand, with the help of the machine's gears. At one of the booths, Notta Pixie Press a whimsical press, filled with funny & slightly risque items, I purchased a tiny note book with a imprinted image of a 50's housewife next to what looks like a hot water heater, like something from a vintage ad. I fell for a little tiki god at one of the other booths selling old type & even though I don't have a press (yet ;) I had to take it home with me:

The place was packed & hard to maneuver, but it was fascinating & everywhere you looked there was something interesting to see, even if it was stacks of old books. Near the front of King's books were the Fez group, otherwise known as CLAW, with their comic folding demonstration, posters, t-shirts & even a comic book style film guide. The author tried to stump me with "Deadman," kind of a journey through the land of the dead, not really Western, not at all horror flick, starring Johnny Depp, among others & produced by Quentin Tarantino, but I'm one of the few who have actually seen it. I even have a copy around here, somewhere (It's a really interesting film, if you haven't seen it, you should check it out. There's a lot of swearing & violence, so it is not for children, just as a warning). His "Johnny Darko" review t-shirt is awesome, I wish that I had gotten one.
Also, near the front of the store was Mitzi Lindgren who teaches bookbinding techniques locally, she had a class scheduled for 6/4 at King's Books & I'm hoping she'll have another soon, as I missed this one.
Outside, were more demonstrations: some demos of how the linoleum blocks are carved & how ink is rolled on to the plate:

Small & large rollers were used to place ink onto the plates

ink

& a fun paper making booth:

Paper drying rack

clothespins for the rack

removing the mold

paper slush

Placing the mold in the slush

There were plants available for sale, a produce booth & just for fun, a bit of juggling. All in all a pretty fun day. I hope they have more events there real soon :) SAM

Writer's Club: Mortal Enemies

2011-05-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Spider to the Fly bag by samsstuff

This week the question was to describe your mortal enemy & why you hate them. I chose this prompt to highlight an unusual philosophy of mine: I don't actually hate anyone. How can this be? Doesn't everyone hate at one point or another? Yes, maybe, but...There's always a but, isn't there? Again, maybe. I will say that there are certain individual actions that I am not fond, political posturing, lies told behind the back, harmful talk that once done, can't be undone. My dislike could be possibly be called hate, but a hate of action, not of an individual.
So, who is my mortal enemy? If I had to name someone, it would be myself, but even then, I wouldn't say I hate myself. I only say this in that I can get in my own way, like we all get in our own way, from time to time. We don't always know how to pick the right battles or when to say the right thing, to make things happen in our lives or when to help out others. Sometimes we run possibilities over & over again until we've missed the opportunity to act. We become our own nemesis, a stumbling block to the perfect life we might otherwise have and this is why I say that I'm my own worst enemy. The upside of this, though is the opportunity to learn & that makes us our own best friend. If things were perfect the first time, every time, we wouldn't grow, we'd stagnate & life would ultimately be pretty boring, wouldn't it?
Have you ever seen the movie "Unbreakable"? I love it, but then I love comic books, though not usually the super hero variety. In the film Bruce Willis plays the unbreakable one. No matter what happens, he survives. His life is far from perfect. His marriage is falling apart, he's losing his job, despite having the ability to survive any physical disaster. His nemesis, played by Samuel L. Jackson, is the opposite. He can barely walk across the street without breaking bones. He is a successful businessman, he has a mother who loved him, but he becomes obsessed with learning how the Bruce Willis character survives so easily, when he is so fragile. It's kind of a super hero/ super villain juxtaposition, in a way that only really happens in comic books, but told in a very realistic manner. They become friends & they become enemies. It's a fascinating study. In reality, I think we're all a mixture of these extreme characters, fragile & strong, enemy & friend, kind of all & none of the above.
What do you think? Do you have someone you hate? Do you have a mortal enemy? A frienemy? Someone who has been both friend & enemy, at some point? Do you think we can be superhero/nemesis even to ourselves? All interesting questions...SAM

Writer's Club: Images & stories in words & pictures

2011-05-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

This time I've chosen one of our older prompts, to post a photo & talk about why you shot that particular image.

This was shot that I took on the same day as Wayzgoose, but of course, it is not of the event. This is down the street from King's Books & I shot it before I ever reached the event. I chose to shoot this for a number of reasons, some conscious & others not. Consciously, I wanted to shoot the flowers from a different perspective & I liked the beautiful white & soft pink blossoms against the blue sky, with the clouds wafting away in the background, bright light contrasted with the looming hint of rain. Not so planned was the contrast of urban environment & nature. In fact, I tried to crop any signs of city out of the shot, but I think that if I had actually done this, it would have been a far more mundane shot. I like that the flowers are in a more contained space, that the sky looms overhead & the city is trying to crowd in. This image has grown on me & I like all the comparisons & contrasts it contains. It tells a story all its own. I bet you have many photos that tell their own stories, each one does.

Made by You Mondays: For the Love of Books

2011-05-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hi! Just a couple of little things that I've been working on recently. I love reading, real, paper books with real print & real ink. I know there are many others out there, too. We may love those e-books, but paper still has a certain allure. I don't have a lot of time, lately & there are a lot of books waiting for me, all with different bookmarks, marking where I left off. Some of them I may have to start reading all over again, having waited too long to finish, but at least I'll know where I left off.
But, anyway, back to these lovelies: I had a lot of fun designing & making them. I hope you enjoy them, too:

Hand crocheted bookmarks: I made these as giveaways for the recent EtsyRain show in Seattle. I love the yarn, It's an eco cotton & the colors remind me of candy :)

This is the back: Hand stamped red lettering on vintage yellow, cotton, tropical print fabric. I added long, knotted fringes to each one, designed to dangle playfully out of the book.

I did the labels "mass production" style.

All of the above


A Photo bookmark: Hand embroidered, kraft bookmark. These are pieces of one of my prints, in this case a corner of "Time." I didn't like the way the prints were cropped, so I cut them & embroidered them onto the bookmark. The back was a hand stamped piece of notebook paper, also hand stitched. (Sorry about this shot, the stitching doesn't show well). How about you? Do you love reading? Do you prefer paper or electronic (or audio)?

Sunday at the Wayzgoose

2011-05-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

Recently I went to the most interesting event I've seen in a while: Wayzgoose, an event hosted by King's Books & held in downtown Tacoma, all about paper & printing. How exciting can paper & printing be, you ask. Well, when the printing press is a bulldozer, it can be pretty interesting.

The "press" in action: a bulldozer is used as a giant press & is rolled over a hand carved linoleum block, covered with ink. Paper is carefully placed on the block & a piece of wood covers everything, before the bulldozer is set in motion. The trick is to make sure that nothing moves or there will be smearing & the print will be ruined, so people stand along the edges of the wood, moving out of the way when the bulldozer nears. The driver needs to be very careful to drive over everything straight, for the same reason.

Inking the plate: There were a number of plates, each carved by a team, in their own design & then hand inked. The prints were raffled off (sure wish I had one)

Placing the paper: This had to be done very carefully to prevent smudges & fingerprints

Waiting for the press: A group standing on the edges of the wood, to prevent slippage & keep everything straight

Finished print: The wood cover is carefully removed & the paper picked up to reveal the finished print. This one said "Tacoma
Neither Beer nor Bears

Finished print: This one is of Tacoma's famous Ivan the gorilla, who spent most of his life as an attraction in the B & I shopping center, a beloved but controversial piece of Tacoma's history. The print is displayed here, in the window of King's Books.

There was more to the event: paper making, letter presses, paper makers, printer makers, a fez or two & even a tiny tiki god, but I'll save that for a part two...SAM

Writer's Club: Changing the World

2011-04-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Thinking by Shelley McElhiney

The question this week is: If you had the means to change one thing about the world, what would it be?

My answer is both simple & complex, in basic terms, if I could change the world, I'd make it so that people would listen to each other. Everyone, always & when I say listen, I mean truly listen, actually hearing & processing what another person has to say. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Often people will ask questions of each other without truly listening for an answer. Why bother with asking if you're just going to assume an answer anyway. Just skip the whole question part, it's an empty shell, a pretense to what you were going to do or think, regardless of the real answer.
People would be much happier, there would be less confusion, miscommunication & hurt feelings if we were all better listeners. Strife would be less prevalent, maybe there would even be fewer wars, if we all regularly used our innate ability to listen to & process the information that surrounds us. Maybe this has become the issue. We are surrounded by or bombarded with constant bits of information. We've shut down against everything, as a kind of defense mechanism. We've shut down too much & its become a habit. Now I'm not saying we have to absorb everything, that would be an opposite extreme, we don't have to absorb advertising, for instance, we can take or leave TV & games, as we please. They don't have to penetrate the surface of our being, but we should listen to each other & that's where it gets complicated.
So, in short, if I could change anything about the world, I would give everyone back the ability to listen to & process each other & put it into widespread, universal use.

What about you? If you could change anything about the world, what would it be? SAM

Broken Hearts & the Writer's Club

2011-04-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

This weeks prompt: describe the events that led to the first time your heart got broken.

The Arizona Desert by me

So, the first time I got my heart broken...Hmm. I guess it wold be my junior year of high school. He was a little younger than me & my first boyfriend. I hadn't dated anyone before, not really sure why. I've never been very good at picking up 'signals' & unless someone just outright stated the obvious, I didn't see the attraction. I've never been good at the whole flirting thing & that's one of the major reasons why. So anyway, he was the first guy to ever ask me out. We didn't date very long, we weren't really right for each other & his family would have preferred that I date his brother, who was my age & with whom, I eventually went to the only prom I ever went to.
I'm not really sure what happened in either case. My first boyfriend & I dated about 2 months. I think I cried for 2 weeks straight & that was the end of that. I, like most teens, thought my life was over & that I'd never find anyone again. He moved on, fairly soon after & started dating a girl that had moved to our area, from Australia. I thought she was prettier than me. Maybe, maybe not. She did have beautiful super long golden honey color hair. I think I was more jealous that she was from Australia than anything else. I'd never been there, still haven't made it there, but I'd like to someday...
After about two weeks, I realized that he really wasn't right for me & eventually I did go out, once, with his brother, to the junior prom. Prom night was all the cheesy things you think of, bad decorations, nobody dancing, everybody in clothes they felt uncomfortable in. I had a pink & blue floral Gunne Sax dress & feathered Farrah hair (can you guess the era?) He had to match, so he had a light blue tux. I think it was polyester, but maybe I'm just imaging that part. I don't even think they had the infamous spiked punch. A few days (maybe it was weeks) later, we got the photos back. He told me I should get mine, before they got rid of them & then he said something else, but I never really heard it, so I never knew what it was. I think I just nodded or something & that was the end of that. Maybe I should have asked him what he said. I did like him more, maybe than his brother. He was definitely more like me. I never did ask, though. Again, I felt like I was destined to never find 'love.' again, like most teens...I didn't cry for two weeks, this time.
Things do work out. It's not the end of the world. First love rarely is last love or only love, sometimes it's not even love at all. Sometimes it works out, but in the vast majority of cases, it's a later love that is 'the one.' That's my story, anyway. SAM

Made by You Mondays: Cards, Yarn & Stuff

2011-04-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a few things, lately: I just finished a bag, made from a vintage napkin, a fabric remnant, vintage hardware, ribbon, chain, seed beads & embroidery, photos to come...
I made this great little cuff of orange & blue & I'm working on more things (wallets, headbands & more cuff bracelets) in these colors. I'm really loving this color combination :) Are cuffs considered accessories or jewelry? Hmm...

Cotton yarn, blue button closure (the mannequin has a line across her wrist, so I covered it with a vintage scarf) samsstuff Etsy

I've also been working on these hand embroidered photo cards, part paper, part photo print & part embroidery. I'm thinking of making them into journals, with handmade paper from zuzu2u, one of a couple of collaborations with this fun shop on Etsy. She makes great handmade paper that will go really well with many of the things I have in shellseye, I can't wait to see what she's come up with for me! Here is one of the cards that I've been working on for the journals:

Hand embroidered, "Bells" image, purple & red paper, sheer sparkle fabric

So, these are a few of the things I've been working on. How about you? Have you been working on anything, lately? Check out other great projects here, on Skip to My Lou's Made by You Mondays:

Changing Colors of the Seasons: The Oranges of Summer

2011-03-22T16:26:00.001-07:00

To me, each season is filled with its own colorful wonders. Fall is filled with the colors of change & falling leaves. Winter is cold & filled with blues & grays, even black. Spring is soft, a different kind of change, gentle colors that transition from the cool colors of winter. Summer is sunshine & warmth, the opposite of winter. Orange is one of these summer colors. I love it's intense heat & the brightness that it brings. It's one of my favorite colors! What about you? What colors do you associate with the changing seasons?

Here are a few things, from some of my favorite shops, featuring my new favorite color of summer & beyond: orange.

Orange Crochet Fish in My Crochet Shop by AnneMariesBrieBlog
Isn't this a sweet little fish? A shop filled with bright & sunny crocheted little hearts, animals & sweet banners. Stop by & tell her I said hi :)

Spring Flowers also in My Crochet Shop

Chaco Canyon, New Mexico by Shana's Shop

A shop filled with sweet little magnets, journals & photography. I love these cactus blossoms, they remind me of summer in the dessert!

Set of 2 Matchbook Notebooks by Shana's Shop

These are adorable little notebooks, great for jotting down notes, on the go!

Handmade Paper Heart Card by zuzu2u

These are adorable little cards, in a sweet mango (mmm...mangoes) orange color, for sending a special message to someone you love!

New Bean Shoot Card by zuzu2u

I hope you enjoyed these little bits of "Wild Sweet Orange," one of summer's wonderful colors (& a delicious tea by Tazo :)

The Etsy Giving Tree

2011-03-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Apple Tree by samsstuff

The Etsy Giving Tree...

Ok, so it's not really a tree, unless you think of Etsy as the trunk, teams as the branches, shops & shop owners as the leaves. The real reason it's a giving tree is in the helpful spirit of the site & its members. There are teams that have given to charities helping out in Haiti & New Orleans, teams & sellers that give to causes like autism awareness or cancer research & recently, sellers have come together to help the people of Christchurch, NZ & Japan. The spirit of giving is in the love & helpfulness of the giver, for the joy of giving & not about the gift. Many sellers on Etsy have come together to help those in need. Here are some of the givers on the Etsy tree, check them out, get something great & help out at the same time. Find more givers by using the Etsy search tool:

HOST

Team statement:

Our team runs a shop on Etsy called HOST which stands for Helping Others Street Team. We sell donated items in our shop. Items come from members and some random shops on Etsy that wish to donate to help someone. We have helped by doing needs threads in the forums. Usually these needs threads are during the holiday season. At times we have arranged used clothing to be shipped to someone in need. Our shop proceeds go towards helping with shipping items that have been donated. We have contributed towards sellers shop fees that they were not able to pay. this was to help them remain open and make a small supplement to their income by having an Etsy shop. We have supplied ink for printers. Sometimes life just gets in the way and someone just needs a small boost to keep them going, be it emotional, or financial. We do not make it publicly known that we help out financially, it is done by votes with the members when we find someone needs something.
We are a small team and have also sent out Food Gift cards to some of the shops on Etsy in their time of need.

Team page: http://www.etsy.com/teams/6423/host-helping-others-street-team

Team shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HOST?ref=seller_info

Etsy for Charity Team

Team statement:

Hand-making A Difference! Etsy for Charity (EFC) is a team of artists, from all over the world, who gather together under a unified name (EtsyForCharity), helping out and promoting any charitable activities. They will generate funds from their own shop and making donations to their favorite charities.

Team page: http://www.etsy.com/teams/6364/etsy-for-charity

Etsy for Autism

Team statement: Every one of us has some connection to the Autism Spectrum in one way or another. Some of us sell our handmade goods and items that cater to the needs of the ASD & the Special Needs community. Others are trying to recover some of the expenses that come with having a child with Autism. Some of us have autism and would like to share with the world, our perspectives and our creativity through our Arts and abilities. One thing we all have in common is to raise awareness of the Autism Spectrum.

Many of us donate portions of our sales to our favorite Autism Awareness organizations. We have links and Resource/Donation lists. We all realize the expenses incurred in a family affected by Autism.

Our team is very unique, low key, and was created to provide a community and a platform from which we can share stories, experiences, advice, support & ideas with each other while we navigate this ocean of treatments & therapies, in addition to nurturing and comforting one another during those “melt-down” seasons that we are all familiar with...and maybe help some great organizations along the way!

http://www.etsy.com/teams/6356/etsy-for-autism

The Createabilty Team

Team statement: We are a group of artists and sellers either with disabilities ourselves, or caregivers of disabled people, who may use art and Etsy as "therapy" and our link to network with others. Create + Ability = Createability!

Our mission is to form partnerships for building our businesses, support each other, and encourage growth within the Etsy and artist community. We choose to take back control of the terms used around our various conditions, and hope to bring knowledge and awareness to those around us.

http://www.etsy.com/teams/5732/createability-team

Sellers that give:

Japanese Disaster Relief T by Ahpeele
Our hearts are broken.
100% of the profit from this shirt will go to the japanese red cross.
Please let us know if you have any questions about the final destination of the proceeds.
The text on the shirt says "the sun will rise again"
http://www.etsy.com/listing/70228104/japanese-disaster-relief-t

Christchurch Earthquake Red Cross Donation Print by chriswaind

This print represents Mount Cook (Aoraki) the highest mountain in New Zealand, and an icon of the south island.
All proceeds from this print sale will go to the New Zealand Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal - to support those affected by the recent Christchurch earthquake.
This will fund the New Zealand Red Cross response to the disaster, including transport and provision of goods. As weeks go by, different needs will be identified and Red Cross, there for the long haul with your help, will be meeting them.
http://www.redcross.org.nz/donate
It is New Zealand's greatest time of need. Please help us get through this tragedy.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57333330/christchurch-earthquake-red-cross

givemoney2curecancer

shop statement: I have a begun crafting for a CURE. I lost my sister Robin after a 11 year battle to breast cancer, at the age of 40. She lived everyday with inspiring passion and an unbelievable strength. At her passing I vowed to do all that was in my power to help find a cure, so that someday her daughters would not have to face this horrible diease. I will donate 100% of my profits to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Just think your purchase could help find a CURE! Thank you!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/givemoney2curecancer?ref=seller_info

CancerKicker

shop statement: All proceeds go to the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center to fund cancer research. If you are interested in donating an item, please convo me. Thank you for your support!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CancerKicker?ref=pr_shop_more

Africanwomenswork

shop statement: MY STORY - After living in Botswana, Africa for nearly three years, my family and I have now moved back to NYS to help the women I worked with by either selling their crafts/products or by bringing awareness of their way of life.
My mission is to enable women (including myself) to live our chosen, desired way of life.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/africanwomenswork?ref=pr_shop_more

3d Heart Butterflies for Japan Relief by BugsLoft
3D Heart Butterflies for JAPAN RELIEF - 10 Butterfly - 100% DONATED to American Red Cross
3D Wall Butterflies - 10 White Butterfly with Red Heart - Sizes: 2" to 4.5" wingspan
This is a series of 10 different 3D Wall Butterflies I special design for JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI RELIEF. Each one is cut from recycle color paper cardstock from my art projects....
100% OF ALL SALES GOES TO THE AMERICAN RED CROSS FOR JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI RELIEF.
http://www.redcross.org

samsstuff I donate a portion of each sale to Autism Speaks, a group dedicated to autism research, support & awareness.

Red Hummingbird Love Headband

* The teams & sellers listed here have been chosen solely based on their shop & team statements, no further research has been done. Please give, but give wisely.
Shop listings were written by the shop owners & are from their shops.

Tacoma Has Crafty Goodness, Too

2011-03-12T21:24:00.000-08:00

A great place for theater & musical productions. This was recently redone. Isn't it gorgeous?

Seattle & Olympia may be the main Washington meccas for arts & crafts, with their great museums & interesting neighborhoods filled with creative, interesting people, but surprisingly the little port of Tacoma, located in between these two cities, is not without it's pockets of creativity. I hope to highlight some of these for you, to illustrate that art exists anywhere there are people to create it, in big cities & small, sea ports, industrial hubs & small country towns!
Tacoma hosts the Chihuly Museum of Glass, the Tacoma Art Museum, great downtown shops, a weekly art walk & groups of people dedicated to creative endeavors. The Tacoma Arts & Crafts Group is one of these groups, with monthly meetings, creative free craft times & workshops for learning new crafts or collectively improving old skills.
We've had felting, embellishment (I led this one:), photo fabric printing & this weekend, a mosaic workshop. We each had a personally chosen project to work on & support each other with questions, suggestions & encouraging remarks. There are common supplies & embellishments that we bring in & quite often share with each other. Each workshop is completely affordable (currently $10 per workshop). My project was a clay flower pot. Others had trays, candle holders, wooden letters & even a table top! I started off by putting 4 'flowers' spaced around my pot, after smashing an old yellow ceramic cup, something I was a little afraid to do, but we had canvas bags to protect from flying debris & I kept my hands away from the hammer. I also had some pieces of an old acrylic wind chime (already broken, since it's meant not to break easily this would have been very difficult for me to break. Thankfully, a very strong windstorm did all the work), beads & bits of jewelry. Buttons, more ceramic pieces, glass & a snail shell were supplied by others in the group. After the flowers, I filled in with two shades of blue ceramic dish pieces. Around the rim, I added star beads, buttons, jewelry pieces & pieces of glass. It was a fun experience & I learned something new. I've never done mosaics before (or felting, for that matter). Next, we add grout to our pieces.
Our next Meetup will be our regular, monthly meeting, with free craft time afterwards, where we can work on whatever projects we might have & share the things we've been working on. Our next workshop will be on peyote stitch beading. I've done a little of this, but its been a very long time. It should be interesting & fun! After this we have lamp shade making, photography (with me again) & then ...
Tacoma Arts & Crafts Group
Another crafty Tacoma group is the Tacoma branch of EtsyRain. We also meet once a month (every third Saturday) & are a group of creative Tacomans who meet to discuss what we make, support each other, with questions thoughts & ideas & to socialize. We may have craft demonstrations, in the future & have most recently had a 'destashing swap.' I ended up with a huge number of beads, that would have cost me a fortune (some of the stars on my flower pot are from this 'destash' event) & got rid of some tea tins that I didn't want to throw away, but I didn't need, so score all the way around! It's very helpful to get the perspectives of other crafters & sellers, who either are on Etsy or are thinking of setting up shops & it's just plain fun, plus we can craft & eat lunch, while learning something new or getting fresh perspectives. Next week, I'll talk more about the group. We meet by a great shop that sells recycled art & craft items, so I'll tell you a bit more about this great shop, too.
EtsyRain website Check out "What's Crafterin" for the Tacoma Meetup & more local events
Tacoma EtsyRain Meetup (link for EtsyRain Meetup members)

I hope you enjoyed this little "Taste of Tacoma." Until next time... SAM

Made by You Mondays

2011-03-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today, I thought I'd show you something that I made this last Saturday at a meeting of a local craft group. We had a little mini demo on art journaling, something that I'd never experienced before & our instructor gave us the topic of goddesses. Now, we often think of goddesses as beautiful & we had gotten into the topic of spas & pampering & 'feeling like a goddess," but since I know, from mythology that goddesses were also just as strong & contrary as the gods of mythology, my page took a different turn & ended up being more about balance & opposites. It's not finished, or I don't think I'm done yet, but here's what I have so far (this is a scan, so the colors, etc are a bit off). How about you? Have you ever tried art journaling? What did you think? It can be therapeutic :)


Drawing, stamping, pieces from music, paint, photo found in an old magazine.

Stop by Skip to My Lou & check out all the fun Made by You Mondays projects:

Shop Make Over: Photos

2011-02-21T11:22:00.000-08:00

I've been busy fixing the photos in my shop, samsstuff. When I look back at some of the first shots I'm struck by just how bad they were. The new ones may not be perfect (Is anything ever perfect?), but most of them are a vast improvement over the early shots. I love photography, but product photography is a whole new thing for me. It has been a process learning the ins & outs of product shots. I was not a digital photographer. I learned old school, with film. Digital is a whole different process. So what have I learned?

1. Simple & plain is better. You want the product to be the focus, not the distracting background or the props. You can use props, just make sure that they compliment the product & focus the attention back on the product. You don't want your item to become the background to your props. If you have lots of people commenting on the props or the background, it probably means that the focus is not on your piece.

2. It's not necessarily bad to have your first shot be a close up. Focus on an interesting detail or the workmanship that has gone into the item. Draw the viewer in, then move back to the big picture.

3. Think about how the item will look in a thumbnail, this may be the first way a customer will view your item. Will it stand out among the other thumbnails? Will the viewer be able to tell what the item is? Will they be intrigued enough to click on the item?

4. Crop your shot so that you product takes center stage & one of the best tips I've seen: crop your shot square. This is the format that Etsy uses for the thumbnails & you can be certain that your product will be seen in the 'just listed' stream, as well as in your last 4 shots.

5. Natural light is best. The colors are truer & they won't have the yellow tinge that often comes from fluorescent light or the glare that comes from a flash. Adjust your camera settings so that white turns out white & black comes out black. You can also do this in post editing (there are many great free programs available: my favorite Picnik, Irfanview, Picassa ...)

Here are a few of my before & after shots:

White bag

Before shot taken on a fabric covered footstool. The red background is distracting. It's plain, but the bag handles, also red, fade in to the background. The angle is 'wonky,' so while this is not a horrible shot, it's a meh shot. It doesn't grab attention, ultimately forgettable...

White Handbag: Fancy Free

White bag

After shot: The background is still basically plain, the colors contrast & compliment the bag & they're nuetral, so not overly distracting. The light pattern (ok, I'm a sucker for light patterns...) adds interest, but still doesn't distract from the bag. The light is natural here, no flash, so the colors are truer. The before picture was taken under florescent light, so it has a yellowish tinge, adding an old fashioned, frumpy look.

Pink Preppy Punk Headband

Before picture: It's a close up & has good detail, but the background is kind of distracting. Even though it's blurred & fairly plain, there's too much of it & it does nothing for the headband. I was trying a 'laundry strewn about by the wind' look. The biggest problem is that they're just hanging there & there's no indication of what they look like when worn...

Headband: Preppy Punk

After shot: The background here is neutral & plain, the light is again, natural. This also has good detail, but not we also have an idea of what this might look like when worn. It's also not just hanging there, so it looks more dynamic. I've styled the shot to have a retro 'hippie,' through the way I've placed the headband on the mannequin & the way I've done her hair. I've shot her in profile, giving her a far away look & the focus remains the headband, rather than the mannequin (or worse, the wall).

Steampunk Skeleton Key Pin:

Before: There are many issues with this photo, glare from a flash, for a start. The background is plain, but the yellow is to bright & distracting, the green might have been better. It was even worse, as I started from too far away, so not only was there yellow & green, but white wicker & the pin itself was a speck, one of those "what is it?" shots...

Steampunk Skeleton Key Pin

This is better in some ways, not as good in others, so it still needs work. I've kept both in the shop, for now. This one is better, in that it shows what the pin looks like when worn & I've placed it in a unusual spot, on the pocket of a vest, to show that it's versatile. I wanted to show the buttons & the pocket to hint at the fact that it's on a vest (more of a Steampunk look). The tiny check on the vest may be a bit distracting & the pin is in the same color family, so it kind of fades into the background....

An update of the key pin. Just a bit of color in the background, but not enough to distract from the pin, itself

So, as you can see, it's a constant process. I'm still working on more photos & the last tip that I have for you:

6. Create a clean & unified look for your shop. This has to do with branding & marketing specifically to your customers. It looks less cluttered & gives the customer something to focus on. If you can, when re-arranging your shop stagger the light & dark photos: light, dark, light, dark...This makes it easier for the customer to see each individual item & separates them from each other, making them stand out.

I hope that this has helped & given you some ideas for your own 'product shots.' Thanks for stopping by. SAM

Sundays in My City: Spring v. Winter

2011-02-20T17:06:00.000-08:00

Tree Heart: Winter

Magical Signs of Spring

Now go check out other cities around the world...

Handmade Wednesday Store & Blog Hop

2011-02-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Hurray! This week shellseye has been chosen to be a store co-host for "Handmade Wednesday Store & Blog Hop." Every Wednesday, Blue Eyed Blessings & Crocheted Little Things put together a blog hop for handmade stores & craft blogs to get together, link up & find fun new stores & great new blogs to explore. If you have a store that sells handmade, a crafty blog or both, link them up here (they only ask that you keep it family friendly), follow any blogs or stores that interest you! We’d love it if you’d follow the Hosts & Co-Hosts. Now go explore :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Yep, I made it myself! Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

* Feel free to link back to this post & share it with friends & family. Image for personal use only, please contact me for any other usage. The font & the hearts are from Picnik.

Made by You Mondays: Photo Editing

2011-02-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

So, I thought I'd do something different this time, for Made by You Mondays. Since photo editing is one of my favorite pastimes (ok, not everyone is a fan of photo editing or graphic design, I know, but I love it!) & I've been playing around with making shop banners & ads, I thought I'd post a few for you to see:

This is the first banner that I made. It's a desert shot, that makes a pretty good background. I've kept it as my ArtFire studio banner (ArtFire is based in my 'hometown' Tucson, AZ)

samsstuff Etsy shop banner I like that it has sort of a retro, Edwardian, Steam punkish kind of feel, good for an Indie shop with one of a kind & vintage items. I like to call it an on line emporium.

Three different versions of the smiley photo used as a banner . I like the green print best, the blue is a little plain & the pink is harder to read. The bright colors go well with the smiley's & the green has a bit of an edge, like something from an old film, but not too schlocky, like the pink...

This is the banner I created for my new shop, shellseye. I like green print & the child like writing. It's simple & eye catching & since the shop is photography & fun little embroideries, the graphic with the vintage frames is perfect. I also like the pixelated look, like it's being transmitted through an old TV...

One of my first attempts at an ad. It's ok, but it doesn't catch the eye, well enough & needs something a little more descriptive, to identify the shop...

My latest attempt at an ad. It catches the eye & tells you a little about the shop, without cluttering up the ad, too much.

I'm having a lot of fun, maybe I've found a new calling :)
Thanks for letting me share!

Want to know how I did these? I'm not sure that I could retrace all the steps, but I will say, you don't need expensive software or cameras. I use free, readily available programs, sometimes alone, sometimes in layered combinations. Here's a few to try: Picnik (go, go now! I love Picnik. Not like, love), Picasa & Irfanview. Each one has something that the others don't. There are others out there & of course, there's always PhotoShop...

*All the images are my property, feel free to let people know what I've been working on (if you want), but please contact me for any other usage. SAM

Stop by & see what other projects people are working on, here on Skip to My Lou:

Handmade With Love Winter Giveaway!

2011-02-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm so glad you stopped by for my entry in the Handmade With Love Winter Giveaway blog hop, filled with handmade goodness, just in time for Valentine's Day! Each blog is offering a giveaway of a handmade item or a gift certificate to a shop that specializes in handmade :) through 2/6.

I'm offering this sweet hand crocheted retro 50's style handbag, perfect for all the essentials & great with almost any casual outfit, in a yummy spring time apple green color:

Feeling Green Bag

Hand crocheted, lined with a beautiful blue sari fabric, clear bamboo look handles, Victorian reproduction button closure, satin & organza ribbon trim, hand stitched from my samsstuff Etsy store.

How do you enter? Well, I'm glad you asked:

1. Required entry: Stop by samsstuff Etsy, come back & tell me about a favorite item.
2. Optional entry: Follow Random Stuff by SAM through GFC, on the sidebar
3. Optional entry: Follow samsstuff on Twitter
4. Optional entry: Like samsstuff on FaceBook
(Click the links to go directly to the page)

Leave a separate comment for each entry!

That's it, thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed your visit :) Now, go check out some of the other blog hop entries:

Congratulations to Anne of Mommy Has to Work winner of my entry in the Handmade With Love Blog Hop! Go check out her blog, when you have the chance.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by & entered. I hope you can visit again, soon :)

What Makes a Shop Memorable?

2011-01-31T17:13:00.000-08:00

Hand embroidered on vintage Western fabric, vintage lace & paper, hand stamped Chinese coin. made for Phat Quarter embroidery swap on Flickr
WB version of Lobo

ComedyXTragedy=Love shellseye Etsy
Hand embroidered on vintage fabric, wool felt, paper, found frames

Recently I was recognized by someone who used to shop at a little comic book store I once worked in. This probably doesn't seem too unusual until I tell you that its been about 15 or 16 years since I worked in this store, the store itself has been closed for probably 14 years & this isn't the first time someone has remembered me or that store, years later.

So, what was so special about this particular store, that people remember it & its employees so many years later? It was a family owned business that catered to niche markets, comic readers & rare book enthusiasts. In the decades that the store was around it became not only a source of used & rare books but grew into one of the largest used comic stores in the nation & was known worldwide. On the book side, the owner would not only search out books that his customers were looking for, catering to their needs, but also had a partial trade system for used paperbacks (rarely valuable) where the customer could bring in used paperbacks & trade them either for store credit or cash, receiving more in credit than in cash. On the comic book side, he created a system of “comic files” where the customer could reserve a list of specific, ongoing titles & pick them up all at once. Customers remember the unique inventory, the innovative systems & the individualized customer service that the employees could provide.

The business ultimately closed, due to other issues, but there are still many things we can learn from its unique business model: lessons about finding & catering to your market, lessons about customer service & lessons in problem solving through innovation.

There are many used book stores out there, most unique in some way, but all cater to the same customers. Innovative systems, personalized customer service & an unusual inventory, not easily found are what made this store memorable.

The used paperback system encouraged a continuous flow of inventory, with little or no cash output. Customers had a continuous source of books to read, with potentially little or no cash output for them. They would often end up browsing the stacks, to end up with more books than they brought in. These could be purchased for cash. For avid readers, this was a great system that kept them coming back for more. They could have purchased their books elsewhere, ending up with less, but they chose our store.

For comic readers & collectors, comic files gave them a reason to come in on a regular basis, browsing both new & used shelves for more to purchase. Not only did he take great care to offer his customers personalized service, but he hired knowledgeable employees, who could take care of the in store customers.

The inventory was diverse & unique, with not only new & used books & comics, but other collectibles, like art, vinyl & games, many of were rare, some generated curiosity, even a very valuable item or two. The owner would personally search out specific items for regular customers. Often, in his searches he would find & acquire things of general interest to his customer base. Often these things would come in the door, unsolicited, sellers knowing that this was a market for their wares. The owner sold what he loved & his customer base was filled with people who loved those same things, so he knew the market well.

This is what made the business & its employees memorable. These are the tools we can use in making our own businesses memorable, stand out in the crowd. First, offer personalized customer service, make your customers feel like you are there for them. Know your customer base & cater to them. Find or make what they are looking for, but make it in your own, unique style. Sell what you love & you will know your market. Second, create a unique inventory, give your customers a reason to purchase from you & not someone else. This is another expression of knowing your customer & catering to them. Make something unique or make something in a unique way, offer a unique service, find a niche. What would you buy & who would you buy it from? Why them & not someone else? Offer exemplary customer service, go out of your way for your customer. One last thing & maybe the most difficult, innovate, think outside the box. Find ways to keep your customer coming back, maybe a coupon with purchase, mix & match items, maybe suggest items that would go with the one that was purchased, offer a subscription or mailing list, find a special vintage piece for a regular customer...

This is what made our store memorable, why customers remember it & us. Find what works for you & your shop & your customers will remember you for it :) SAM

Here There Be Dragons shellseye Etsy
Hand embroidered on felt, hand stamped

Sundays in My City: Tucson, AZ

2011-01-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

Not much is going on here in Tacoma right now (except an awesome lunch at Vuelve a la Vida, a great little Mexican restaurant on Pacific Ave. This was the best Mexican food I've had in a long time) so I thought I'd give you a picture from my 'hometown,' Tucson, AZ. I hope you enjoy this little look at 'my city.'

San Xavier Del Bach: a mission outside Tucson, AZ otherwise known as the white dove of the desert

Mountains outside Tucson, AZ

Stop by the Unknown Mami for a look at other great cities:

Wordless Wednesday:a Blast From the Past

2011-01-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

Some 70's stuff for your enjoyment:

Disco or roller disco belt, to go with the shorts & the rainbow socks :)

Have a Nice Day!

Rainbows & stars, to go with the rainbow suspenders...

Free Stuff: Part 3

2011-01-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the great things that I've won in the past year:

From Tehlia on Etsy, a lovely cowl, perfect for cold winter days (the one I received was blue & white, not currently in her shop) I love the cotton yarn, so soft! She also has great little washcloths & even handmade laundry soap
From Orchid Lane Designs:

A lovely Headband, same design as this but in a wonderful burgundy red! She also sells adorable, handmade baby things, check out the little cinch hat, so cute:)
From WAHW : This lovely crystal bracelet (I love the color) by rosesbeadbeautiful

and photo jewelry from Photo Jewelry Making. com

I love winning beautiful, useful things!
Check out their fun shops the next time you're in need of a sweet gift, something fun to make or something fun & warm to wear! SAM

Made by You Mondays

2011-01-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

So, today I thought I'd show you something that I've been working on, a cover for my laptop. Since my computer is small, it's hard to find covers that fit it, it's not a standard laptop & it's not an I Pad, so it doesn't fit into most of the covers that are currently available. It's portable, but who wants to carry their computer around for the elements to destroy. I started with a sage green piece of eco felt that I recently bought, not having any specific projects to use it for & cut a piece just a bit wider & not quite 3 times as tall as the computer, to create a wallet style cover. I used pinking shears (vintage ones that were my grandmother's) & pinked the upper edge, then stitched up the sides with bright pink, contrasting embroidery thread. I added little embroidered flowers & a heart in the middle & topped it all off with bees hand stamped on reclaimed, vintage shirt fabric & cross stitched them, in a honey gold color, onto the bag. I think it turned out sweet & looks like nothing else available & I like the retro colors. Now my laptop is all safe & protected from the elements :)

Stop by Skip to My Lou for other fun projects!

Made by You Mondays

2010-12-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

Made by request:

Recently I had a request to make a couple of hummingbird headbands & I thought I'd share them with you. The second one was a request for a hippie style headband, in a greyish color, with a hummingbird (like the golden yellow 'hummingbird love' headband below) & an embroidered heart in pink & red (made like the one on the 'dragon love' blue headband), that was to be a bit thinner in width. Since it was hippie style I made it so that it ties in the back, rather than with the elastic that is normally used, just to add a bit of 'authenticity' to the style & since it ties, it turned out to be very adjustable in size. I edged it with more pink stitching, that goes great with the grey.

The first request was for a small headband, to match the 'hummingbird love' one, as a mother/daughter set that would be more unique than the usual infant headbands available (generally made with big bows or flowers). They're virtually identical, with the exception of wider elastic on the infant headband. Both can be sized up (or down) by removing a few stitches & refolding the elastic to the right size. This way the infant headband can be used a little longer than a single size version.

All headbands are hand crocheted, hand embroidered & the stamping is done on remnants of fabric left over from remaking a vintage shirt. It's fun creating them & I like the idea of being able to customize the designs, so much that I'll be adding a custom listing where you can request different color & design components for your very own samsstuff headband. What kind of combo would you choose (You can see more colors & style choices in samsstuff on Etsy)?

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-21T17:52:00.000-08:00

Just a card, from me to you:

All the Trimmings!

2010-12-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

Everything you need for a great holiday season:

Grandmother's Attic Vintage wrapping paper

Barbara Schriber Vintage mercury glass garland

tippleandsnack Vintage snowmen

pumpkintruck vintage Hallmark card

Check out my "All the Trimmings" treasury on Etsy for more great vintage & handmade holiday ideas:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4ce68ec2bb918eef5c0dc1c6/all-the-trimmings

Then search Etsy for other great ways to complete your holiday style! SAM

Sundays in My City

2010-12-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

Some more of downtown Tacoma:

Clock Tower

There are lots of doors that may or may not lead somewhere...

Rooftops as far as the eye can see.

How about you? What kind of city or town do you currently call home?
Now, go check out other cities:

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner

2010-12-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, not chicken dinner (what does that mean, anyway?), but the winner of the $20 Gift Certificate to samsstuff ArtFire is:

Jennifer of EightyMPHMom with comment #58.

Congratulations to Jennifer & thank you to everyone who stopped by! I hope you all had fun blog hopping & I'm jealous of everyone who won something ;)

Stacie is planning another blog hop, in early February, with lots more fun prizes (this time handmade), so stay tuned for more giveaway blog-hopping fun!

I hope you can stop by from time to time, I love all the company!

Sunny Side Up by Shelley McElhiney

Made by You Mondays

2010-12-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

"Here There Be Dragons" This is one of my "tiny embroideries." It's a three part framed piece that is hand stamped & hand embroidered on vintage shirt fabric & felt. (The glass has been removed from the frame for photographic purposes, to prevent reflection & glare) Dragons have traditionally been symbols of royalty & strength, as well as hoarders of shiney objects & wealth, so there is a kind of a balance between nobility & selfishness. They were thought of as peace keepers & warlike, another balance between opposites...

Stop by Skip to My Lou to check out other handmade projects & holiday gift ideas:

Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop :)

2010-11-30T21:05:00.000-08:00

Hurray for giveaways, lots of giveaways!

I'm taking part in the the Holiday Gift Giveaway through Simply Stacie, a blog hop filled with great giveaways from lots of different blogs & through many different businesses.

First mine:
I'm giving away a $20 gift certificate usable on anything in Sam's Stuff ArtFire Studio, a shop of eco friendly, handmade & vintage photography, art, household items & ephemera. In addition to these items, most samsstuff Etsy items are listed here: eco friendly, handmade & vintage jewelry, accessories & clothing, in other words, great gifts for just about everyone!
Anyone is eligible to enter!
Main entry:

Comment here and tell me what country you are from (US, Canada or International).

Bonus Entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter.@samsstuff

2. Like my page on Facebook.

3. Stop by my shop & tell me your favorite item.

4. Join my Blog Frog Community (button on the sidebar)

5. Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect

Good luck & have fun!

Rules:

The giveaway begins at 12:01 AM EST on December 1 & ends on December 5 at 11:59 pm EST.

This giveaway is open to everyone & the winner will be picked through Random.org. The winner will be notified via e-mail & will have 72 hours to respond. If the winner doesn't respond within the 72 hours, a new winner will be picked.

For other blogs & other giveaways, check out the blog linky list!

Sale! Black Friday through Cyber Monday ;)

2010-11-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

Just a short post to let you know about my coupon sale, this weekend ;)

Use the code HS112010 in at checkout to receive 20% off all shop items:

samsstuff Etsy Eco friendly, handmade & vintage jewelry, accessories & clothing

And shellseye Etsy Unique art for your space: photography & tiny embroideries

I hope you can stop by! SAM

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

A card for you :)

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by my little bloggy home, I love your visits & appreciate your comments.
I hope you have a great day! SAM

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

Snow. Tacoma. Enough said

Made by You Mondays

2010-11-15T20:35:00.000-08:00

It's getting cooler, getting dark earlier (with the whole daylight savings thing), there's ice of the windshield early in the morning & a chill in the air. It's the perfect weather for bundling up, getting out those sweaters, hats & scarves. To go with the cooler weather, I've started making accessories. I'm working on a pink cowl, with organic cotton yarn (so soft & pretty) & I recently finished this black cowl, that reminds me of a mantilla scarf or women with scarves tied around their head, fifties & sixties style. I made this so that it can be worn many ways: up & over the hair, down keeping your neck warm or even around the shoulders. It has three buttons, one hand embroidered with a little peace symbol & two sparkly black buttons, that can be buttoned anywhere on the scarf, for a symmetrical or asymmetrical look. SAM

Stop by Skip to My Lou to check out other Made by You Monday projects :)

Sundays in My City Part?

2010-11-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

Some of the buildings & things we saw today during our art studio tours:

Statue: The Spirit of Sarah Bernhardt artist unknown
at the entrance to Opera Alley

Fall Leaves

Graffiti

Reflections on the Pantages Theater

Architectural detail in front of Tacoma Metal Arts Center

I had a great time, seeing all the studios & meeting some of the artists. Some of these studios had beautiful views of wonderful downtown architecture & a few had views of the Sound. I would love to work in one of these, maybe someday, when I'm too old to see the views ;) I hope you enjoyed some more of my city. Check out other cities on The Unknown Mami

* All photos the property of samsstuff. Please do not use without permission. Feel free to link back to this post & credit me as the author, for all other usage, check first for permission. Thank you!

Brains! An Etsy Treasury

2010-10-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

It's all about the brains :)

champignons Etsy

mammaslittlebabies Etsy

beanforest Etsy

ghostlovejewelry Etsy

In honor of um well, BRAINS! Er, I mean Halloween & Dia De Los Muertos... Stop by & check out the whole treasury, "Head Games" on Etsy, say hi & maybe even leave a comment :) SAM

New Beginnings or Stop Discussing the Game & Play It!

2010-10-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

Memories: A photogram calendar shellseye Etsy

When I was in college, I hung out with a group of science fiction & fantasy fans called, if I can remember the full group name correctly "The U of A Science Fiction & Fantasy Film Club." We did a lot of discussing of a variety of things: films, books, writers, characters, costumes, science & games. Now, most of these discussions were long, involved, animated & quite detailed, discussed from every possible angle, pros & cons, good & bad, each detail gone over with a fine tooth comb. Films & books were picked apart & put back together again, any inconsistency noted & inspected for believability. We were able to screen films many of them borrowed from the University library or rented, through catalogs, for a fairly small fee. We went to conventions, some of us in costume, some not, spending time roaming the halls , looking for other like minded groups to join, other discussions to take part in & maybe a game or two to take part in or just a party to join. We'd discuss strategy or if we were bored, even shook up a game or two with random & chaotic acts, to make it more interesting.
So, you may be wondering, what does all this have to do with business or crafting or well, anything? I'm glad you asked! We loved playing games. No, not video games or board games or ...We played RPGs. Yes, role playing games, science fiction & fantasy related games. Games of strategy & interaction, heavily anticipated & often talked about before any playing actually occurred. It's one of these discussions that is the subject of this post. I remember it well & the reason I remember it so well was that it was discussed over & over again, on a daily basis for several weeks, endless variations of the game, kind of a 'well, if you do this, I'll do that, then he'll be forced to... ' It was repeated so often, that I could leave & come back the next day to what seemed like exactly the same discussion, virtually word for word. The discussion became predictable & when the game was actually played there was no excitement, nothing was new, it had already been played out, verbally & there was no reason to actually play the game. I warned them that this would happen, but did they listen? No. They said the game wasn't ready or they weren't ready or something. They didn't want to tell me the end result & yes, I really did tell them 'I told you so.'
This can happen in life & business, we get so wrapped up in endless 'if/then' (thought I'd add a bit of geekery into the mix ;) loops that we become paralyzed with possible consequences & we're afraid to play the game, we forget that there's a randomness, in life, that changes everything adds possibilities & makes the game worth playing. We need spend less time going through the possibilities & move to the action stage, before the complacency sets in & we become locked in inaction. Don't get me wrong, there's definitely a place for planning & structure, chaos isn't desirable either, especially not in business. At some point, though we need to move to the action stage, away from the fear of what if. There's the possibility of not succeeding, but we learn from those moments, they make us better & we can't think them away, no matter how hard we try. If we get stuck in the planning stage, if we never try, then we can never succeed & we also never have the fun of trying :)
So I'll say now what I said then: "Stop discussing the game & play it!" In the end, it'll be far more worthwhile & you'll be surprised by the results, no matter what they are... SAM

Made by You Mondays: Alien Monster, Oh My!

2010-10-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

Alien Monster Boy Hangs Out Among the Stars

So, this is a little character I created from a scribble that a friend of mine drew. He's kind of a cute little alien, with a mischievous side ;) I've embroidered him on a few things now, by himself & with another of my creations, Medusa Girl. There's quite a little back story developing & I'm turning it into a written/ embroidered tale, each piece standing on its own & working together. I hoe you enjoyed this little bit of the story...SAM

For other "Made by You Monday" posts, check out Skip to My Lou:

Peace and Compromise...

2010-10-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

How Does Your Garden Grow? Gloves

A while back (ok, a long while back) I received a comment on a post I did on Craft Stylish that showed one of my embroidered pieces. The piece featured a peace symbol. Not unusual, I have peace symbols on a number of pieces & I didn't really think a lot about it, after I posted it. I never received any notifications on comments & so, I didn't think there were any. I went back, a while back, visiting the site after seeing something interesting in the newsletter & came upon the comment on my post. I'm not sure how the comment was actually meant. The written word can come out different than spoken words, there's no vocal inflection or facial expressions to put the words into a context, so you have to rely on well, the context of surrounding words. The commenter had stated that my peace symbol was not a peace symbol, but rather a Mercedes logo. I'm not sure how or when Mercedes chose their logo, what meaning they attach to it or why they chose what they chose but, I have seen peace symbols drawn two ways, as a trio of 'triangles' or with a line extending through the lower 'triangle.' I vaguely remember a controversy over a car company (Mercedes, I assume) that wanted to copyright the peace symbol (without the extending line) & keep people from using it. I also remember the design for the peace symbol, at least as it was explained to me, probably from my my 'hippie, flower , love child babysitter , as being chosen specifically as a trio of triangles within a circle to mirror theological & philosophical ideas that were consistent with peace. This is one of the main reasons that I prefer the symbol without the extending line. The design makes sense this way, when you add the line, it becomes a four part symbol & loses part of its meaning, unless you just ignore the extra line. It's easier to draw with the extra line (& some preferred just to draw it this way, for the ease of drawing), it just seems like a compromise. Compromises can weaken principle or meaning. You have to pick your battles, though. Can you imagine 'peaceniks' battling with a car company over a symbol? That might have been the wrong battle. Those that created & adapted the peace symbol, co-existed with the auto makers. I can make the symbol either way & 'peacefully' co-exist with detractors, well meaning or not & turn the other cheek, so to speak. What do you think? Are all battles worth fighting? Should we choose what battles to fight, save energy for the things we feel are worth fighting for? I think so. To do otherwise might wear us out, so when the real fights come along, we have little or no energy & end up giving up when we need to fight the most...SAM

Made by You Mondays: Button, Button Who's Got The Button

2010-10-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've been busy making hand embroidered buttons. They're so much fun to make & the actual button part is so simple to put together. I've hand embroidered my own little designs on vintage & re-purposed fabrics, added a tiny bit of stuffing & assembled the metal button forms to create these, then sewed them onto cards with hand drawn designs. I hope you like them :)

Peace, Love & Flower Power

Flower Collection

Sunshine Collection

I sent some of these away (single cards) for swag at the Etsy Rain Pre Holiday show & have started listing these in my shop, in cards of three & soon, single cards. I've also used a few on my creations. They're great, of course, just as buttons on clothes or would look pretty cool for pillows or even as jewelry. Hmm...maybe soon!
Stop by Skip to my Lou to see other "Made by You" projects:

If you're in the area check out the Etsy Rain show:

Sundays in My City: Downtown Tacoma

2010-10-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

The other day we took a little stroll through downtown Tacoma (as a side note: if you're ever there you have to stop & get a cupcake at Hello Cupcake. It'll be the best cupcake you've ever had :) & this is what we saw:

The view of the Chihuly Glass Museum, the glass bridge sculptures & one of Tacoma's older buildings from the Washington State History Museum walkway...

The History Museum stairs...

The cone shaped Glass Museum...


& the stairs by the UW Tacoma downtown campus

There's lots to see downtown & there's art everywhere, kind of little, hidden away sculptures & window displays. One day we even saw a living chess tournament with giant handmade chess pieces & every week there's a tiny park where you can watch artists doing chalk drawings. It can be a fun way to spend a day, even if it's kind of gray & overcast! SAM

Check out other cities on the Unknown Mami:

Don't forget to say hi!

All photos the property of samsstuff, please do not reproduce without permission.

Sundays in My City: The Puyallup Fair

2010-09-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend, along with hoards of other people, we went to the Puyallup Fair. This fair has been around for eons (ok, not really eons, but decades, anyway) & is held twice a year in spring & in the fall. All the traditional fair type stuff can be found here, gardening, cooking, animals, food & rides. The theme this time was "Free Your Glee." Sorry, I don't get it, is it a reference to the show Glee (I love this show, by the way) & if so, why does this relate to a county fair? Was there a singing contest? I don't know. There were musical performances. Kid Rock was there (he's doing county fairs, now?) & we saw a brief part of some show where the entire group wore jumpsuits. The lead singer made reference to a 70's leisure suit he had in his closet, but from where I was standing he was born in the 70's, if he experienced the 70's at all. If he has a leisure suit in his closet, he must have bought it for the retro appeal !

Sillyville

Free Your Glee?


Gigantic Pumpkin

Scones: A fair tradition

Earthquake Burgers: These are 1 pound burgers!

Flo the Clown


The Fair Exit I hope you enjoyed the glimpse at a local tradition. Check out Sundays in My City on The Unknown Mami, for other local treats! *All images remain the sole property of Shelley McElhiney. Please do not use without permission.

Sundays in My City: Pretty Flowers

2010-09-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Sunny Side Up: Shasta Daisies

Wall Flowers: Pansies

Blue Lupines

Just some pretty flowers for you to look at...

Now, stop by The Unknown Mami, say hi & check out other great places!

*All photos the property of samsstuff, please do not use without permission

It's all about the music...Back2Blogging Day 3

2010-09-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

This is a post about some of the concerts that I've attended. Unfortunately, the local venue mentioned at the end is not currently in use. It was closed for a lack of parking & that's too bad, it had a lot of potential:

The first concert I ever went to was Kiss. For years, I wouldn't admit this fact & I would tell people that my first concert was Aerosmith. At the time, Kiss was a 'party band,' fun & a good time, but not known for their musicianship. They put on a great show, lots of pyrotechnics, stages that would rise from the floor & of course, costumes & make up. Musically, though, it was rumored that they could only play a couple of chords & most of their song where about partying & having a good time (sorry to all those "Beth" fans out there, but really, did they ever have another song like "Beth?") Some thought of them as metal, but I never really thought of them that way. To me (& many others, come on, admit it) they where more of a pop phenomena. There where some elements of metal, but for the most part, it was all about the party & the stage show (and, yes it was a great show).

The second concert I went to was Aerosmith. This was either before their great fall & triumphant return, or at a rare lucid moment during the fall. I actually enjoyed this concert more than Kiss. It was more about the music & Stephen Tyler was great at engaging a crowd, without all the excess staging. It didn't hurt that my big crush at the time was on stage with him, Joe Perry. In the music I saw blues influences. Stephen Tyler had an amazing voice & they could just flat out rock, when they wanted to. The songs wove stories & the band was great at telling these stories.

They didn't need all the extras, it was there, that night, anyway, in the music & the music was more varied, had a greater depth, than many of the other bands at the time.

The last concert I saw was Sting (not exactly, but we'll get to that in a moment) This was his "Dream of the Blue Turtles" tour. This concert was in Munich, GE. The stadium seemed more like a gym than a concert hall, but it didn't matter. not only did Sting take the stage (another great performer, able to engage an audience, without a lot of extras) but, on this particular tour he had with him a dizzying array of some of the world's best jazz musicians. The concert, at times, took on more of a jam session feel, than that of a big stadium. Truly a great visual & auditory feast.

In between, there where several other memorable concerts. I've seen The Eurythmics, at the U of A (the same venue where I saw a lecture by Ansel Adams, a beautiful old theater.) Annie Lennox has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard & talk about engaging an audience. Few can match her skill. I saw The Blasters at The Backstage, an old punk venue in Tucson Arizona, an awesome show, in it's own way. The lead singer had these weird facial expressions that where fascinating. His mouth would open so wide, it looked like he could swallow the audience. They had such amazing energy & their own style (rockabilly/punk) that you couldn't help but love the show. An Alice Cooper show is one of the more memorable shows I was able to see. This was right after he had left rehab & the show was sort of a nightmarish re-enactment of his experiences. Almost more of a theater performance than a concert. What else? The Kinks (lots of energy, smallish venue), Styx (lots of staging)...more that I'm not remembering right now. Each had something that made it interesting to see.

A couple of nights ago, i went to see LeRoy Bell at the Midland Music Hall (ok, so I lied, Sting wasn't really the last show I've seen.) The hall is a small venue, just opened in May of this year, in the Tacoma, WA area. If you're in the area & you get a chance, I suggest you stop by & take in an event. It's a music hall, rather than a bar, so you get the effect of an intimate concert more than you would in an actual bar (less in the way of distractions.) As for LeRoy Bell & His Only Friends, it's an interesting group, kind of along the lines of Dave Matthews, but with a little more blues & actual rock thrown in. LeRoy Bell has written for many famous musicians over the years & he & his band give an enjoyable live experience. They're currently touring, so, if you're nearby one of their venues & you get a chance, check them out too.

I love music & now that I've gone back, I think That I should get out & enjoy more concerts myself! SAM

Back2blogging: Day 2 For My Beautiful Grandmother

2010-09-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

These are images of my grandmother & some of the things that she made. There is a newspaper clipping of her working in a salon, with the title "Beauty is an Art...," one of her in Beauty School (she is on the bottom row, third from the right) & one of her in her own shop (that she had for awhile, in Illinois). There is a detail of a blanket she made, I believe in the 70's. She made several of these, twin size, to fit her bed. My grandfather passed away in 1969 & she never remarried, sometimes living with us & sometimes with my great grandfather, who survived her by a number of years. Lastly, I have some detail shots of some of the clothes that she made, all of which had great details that you rarely see now. She taught me a great deal about art & craft. I thought I'd share these with you, she was influential in my life. I felt that she was a strong & independent woman, ahead of her time, in some ways & did many things that were not the traditional housewife role. My grandfather worked for the railroad & this necessitated a certain degree of independence. She passed this on to me, at a time when women were making strides in independence. How about you? Has a family member or teacher had a major impact on your life? What kind of impact have they had?

This is a re-issue of a post that I wish more people had seen, for SITS Back2Blogging, sponsored by Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen & Bath & Florida Builder Appliances. It's been slightly expanded.

Me, My Shop & Daylight Savings Time: #Back2Blogging My First Post

2010-09-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

My Writing

Hey everyone,

So, first a little about myself. I'm a designer & a writer. I say this, not because I do these things professionally but, because these are things that I love to do & couldn't stop myself from doing, if I wanted to (& I don't). I have my own shop samsstuff (two now, there's also an Arfire studio, also samsstuff),where I share the things that I make, in the hope that, one day, this will be my full time job!

I can also be found on flickr (all kinds of photos, not just things I've made, please take a look), twitter, *mycraft, *ravellry & *craftstylish, all as samsstuff.

One of the first things that I wanted to talk about, since we just went through our annual torture, is Daylight Savings Time. Do we really still need to go through this twice a year? We have "modern" lights & electricity. What function does this practivce now serve? Most of us do not live outside (& if we did, we'd probably rise & go to sleep with the sun, so we wouldn't need a system anyway) so why do we need to go through some torturous, antiquated ritual? It really defies logic. We work & go to school at all hours of the day & no longer function only during daylight, plus we have lights & electricity to see & function when it's nighttime. So, my thought is that we should abolish Daylight Savings in all states (some states have already done this, like Arizona). What do you think? Sorry for the rant, I go through this every year, particularly in the spring. We have to force our bodies to adjust & really, for what?

Winter is definitely still here, in the Northwest! Yesterday we had snow again & expect freezing temperatures for the rest of the week. The day before, it was rain, snow, hail & sun, randomly dispersed throughout the day! When will it end. I'm so ready for this to be over!

I have been working on several new projects for my shop & will be posting them, I'm hoping daily (this was pretty ambitious, for me & virtually impossible to do, while still working a day job. Oh well, you live & learn). Stop by the shop & have a look around!
I have also been adding vintage items (some of them handmade, by my grandmother!). Multiple item shipping has been reduced!

That's it for now. Stop by the shop, let me know what you think about Daylight Savings (& winter) & take care!

SAM

* Update: I still have MyCraft, CraftStylish & Ravellry accounts under samsstuff, these accounts are not used as often as I'd like. I write articles for Handmade Spark. Stop by, have a look at the articles& visit my mini site. Check out my FaceBook fan pages for the Etsy shop (one of a kind & vintage jewelry, accessories & clothing) & the ArtFire studio (one of a kind & vintage household items, art & photography) Take a look at the sidebar for some of the other sites where you can find me :)

This has been day one of the "Back2Blogging" challenge for SITS, sponsored by: Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen & Bath & Florida Builder Appliances. Here's a link to the original post, from 3/09, if you want to see the changes: http://samsstuff-samsstuff.blogspot.com/2009/03/hello-daylight-savings-other-randomness.html

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this 'blast from the past' with extras...SAM

Made by You Mondays: Medusa Girl Bag

2010-09-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

This one's a one of a kind, hand embroidered messenger bag, based on my drawing. It's also hand stamped on vintage fabric & has vintage lace, vintage earring & vintage button embellishments

Medusa Girl Chases the Aliens Through a Field of Flowers

Detail lower left corner

Sundays in My City: Charlotte's Blueberry Park

2010-09-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Spider


Blueberry Park now Charlotte's Blueberry Park


Charlotte was a neighbor of ours who helped the community in many was & these are blueberries in her park. While cleaning a parcel of land in the area, she discovered an old abandoned blueberry farm. She rallied the neighbors to help restore it & when she passed away, recently, they renamed the park in her honor.

Blog Hop for Autism & Asperger's

2010-09-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hi! I just wanted to let everyone know about this "Blog Hop" for autism & Aspergers spectrum disorders on Sueberry Lane. It's for anyone who has children on the spectrum, whether you blog about these topics or not & looks like a good resource & support group for parents:

http://www.sueberrylane.info

Check it out & join, if you are a blogger who falls into any of these categories. SAM

New Thing, Made by Me :)

2010-08-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Since it's "Made by You Monday" at Skip to My Lou:

I thought I'd share my newest creation, something I made yesterday. I hope you like it :)

Strawberry bracelet: acrylic & metallic look porcelain on copper color wire, the closures are different from my other bracelets, so this one, even though it's in two pieces, is not really mix & match with the others in this group.


Strawberry Bracelet front: Vintage, late sixties buttons, crystal, glass & green floral wire.