More Easter Bunnies in My Etsy Shop

Crazy New Rings in My Shop

New Cell Phone Charms

Spring Cleaning Giveaway!

I have recently added a lot of items to my shop and it's time for a spring cleaning giveaway! This giveaway is a little different because I'm going to pick a hodge podge of items from my shop totaling $15 and you won't know what you'll be getting until it arrives at your door! A grab bag of my kitschy creations! I am planning on adding a Scrabble Tile Pendant, keychain, ring, and a necklace, but which one's?

I'll make this interesting and add several ways to enter, but you MUST leave a comment for each entry or it won't count!

1. Visit my Etsy shop and comment on your favorite item in my shop for one entry.

2. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know for an additional entry.

3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. Leave a comment with your Twitter name letting me know that you've earned yet another entry.

4. Finally, the BIGGIE! Purchase something from my Etsy shop for an additional FIVE entries. You must leave 5 separate comments and your Etsy username so I can confirm the purchase.

Follow these rules and you may win a grab bag full of cool and kitschy creations! Make sure that I have your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. You will have 48 hours to respond. I will be drawing a winner at random on April 6th (Mom's birthday!) at 8 AM EST, so hurry up and enter already!

Flip Off Ring

I love this ring! It's somewhat inappropriate, but awesome nonetheless! This was made out of an upcycled medical vial cap. I bought them new off of eBay. I've listed one in my Etsy shop and three are reserved for myself, Sugarlishes, and Tara! Enjoy ladies! I have six more caps left, so if you want one plenty more are available! Just let me know!

Brand New for Easter!

I have added a brand new creation to my Etsy shop for Easter time! This glass tile pendant is decorated with Japanese Washi Paper. A cute little bunny rabbit is the focal point. Keep checking my shop for additional bunny rabbit glass tiles for Easter!

C'mon, Everybody's Doing It!

Visit my Etsy shop and take advantage of my generosity! It's March Madness time, but not for long. Until March 31st you can buy any two $3 items and get one item of equal or lesser value free! Most of my items, which currently total 153, are priced at $3; so it's one heck of a deal! Yes, this is shameless self-promotion, but somebody's gotta do it!

Wee Tiny Monster Plush Giveaway

We all know how much I love monsters! Pandawithcookie just so happens to be giving away a Wee Tiny Monster in their giveaway. The deadline to enter is 3/31/09. A winner will be drawn and contacted on April Fool's Day! There are three ways to enter, so just click on the link about and check it out!

I Feel So Honored!

Frankcreations just featured me in their Etsy Treasury, The Real McCoy. I feel very honored that someone appreciates my creations enough to list it in a Treasury! I've been feeling a little down all day, and this totally lifts my spirits! Many thanks to frankcreations!

BUY TWO GET ONE FREE!!!

March Madness has hit my Etsy shop! When you purchase any two $3.00 items from my shop, you get the third $3.00 item for free! Visit my Etsy shop for details. That means you can purchase two rings and get a third for free! OR purchase a Scrabble Tile pendant and a ring and get another Scrabble Tile pendant free! And so on, and so on. Take advantage of this great deal before the madness ends!

New Items in My Etsy Shop!

Check out my Etsy shop
for my newly listed items! They include Glass Tile Pendants and Roman Goddess Cameo Rings. I plan on listing some more Scrabble Tile Pendants later on today! New items are listed weekly, so don't be a stranger . . .

Winner of the Name My New Pet Monster Giveaway!

Anna M. is the winner of the Name My New Pet Monster Giveaway! Her winning name for my pet monster is "Crab Grass." A big thank you to everyone who entered! There were a lot of great entries and it was really hard to choose. Anna M., your prize will be sent next week. Sorry I didn't get to send it this week, but I've been a little under the weather. Stay tuned for more great giveaways!

New Etsy Store Item--Floral Cameo Ring

I just listed another ring in my Etsy shop. This is a beautiful floral, coral and ivory cameo. The ring is silver-toned and adjustable. This specific ring has been very popular in my shop. Mainly the beads that I use to make rings come out of destash lots that I purchase, and rarely do I receive more than one of a specific type of bead. This is the third exact cameo that I have received in two separate destash lots. My pal Sugarlishes is a proud owner of one of these cameo rings! I invite you to come visit my Etsy shop and take a look around. You are sure to find something cool, kitschy, and very affordable for yourself or to give as a gift. Or both!

New Creation--White Rose and Pink Button Ring

Here is yet another ring that I listed in my Etsy shop today. It's made up of a hot pink button that came with a pink blazer that I may still own and a white rose cabochon. The two pieces are attached with e6000, an industrial strength adhesive, which also attaches the button to an adjustable silver-toned ring blank. These are so fun and so simple to make!

My New Logos

Here is one of my new logos that I bought from VistaPrint for under $20. I got six different logos total. Most people have the knowledge to make something like this themselves, but not I! I must pay for my graphics because I'm computer illiterate. I fell in love with the sock monkey and couldn't resist.

Allie's Motivational Poster

My Etsy Seller Badge

I've been trying to find a site where I could make a button or badge for my blog for free. I came across Big Huge Labs and ended up creating this Etsy Seller Badge instead.

New Scrabble Tile Creations on Etsy

Here are two of the four Scrabble Tile creations that I added to my Etsy shop today. These are a little different from the ones that I usually make. First, instead of using aanraku bails to make pendants, I used adjustable ring blanks on two of them in order to make rings. Second, I have used a different type of paper. Usually I just use plain copier paper with images printed on them. On my four newest creations, I used high quality Japanese Washi Paper. Third, instead of using Diamond Glaze, I used my new favorite product, 3D Crystal Lacquer, which is a lot better quality. Therefore, I have increased the price by $1.00 on these new items to a still very affordable $4.00!

Diamond Glaze vs. 3D Crystal Lacquer . . . Which is Better?

For several months, I have been a loyal user of Diamond Glaze. Diamond Glaze is a clear, nontoxic sealant most commonly used these days to create the glass-like finish on Scrabble Tile Pendants. 3D Crystal Lacquer is a similar product, which I only started using last night.

Well I can already tell you that even after just one craft session, I'm sold on 3D Crystal Lacquer. Although I was loyal to Diamond Glaze, it wasn't very loyal to me. When using Diamond Glaze, you often end up with unwanted bubbles. Sure, the bigger ones can be popped by moving them around with the tip of the Diamond Glaze bottle when the glaze is still wet, but the small ones are nearly impossible to remove. I had absolutely no bubbles when using 3D Crystal Lacquer.

Another big problem I had with Diamond Glaze was that my Scrabble Tiles would end up with huge cracks in the glaze after they had dried. I Googled this occurrence which was at first attributed to a defect in a specific batch of the glaze. Upon further research, I read that others had problems with cracked glaze even in unaffected batches. I had no cracking issues with the 3D Crystal Lacquer.

3D Crystal Lacquer dries a lot clearer and has an overall cleaner look to it. I am really impressed by 3D Crystal Lacquer and do not intend to ever use Diamond Glaze again. Lost Luggage Reviews conducted a more professional review of the two products back in 2007.

I'm Old School! New Social Networking Confuses Me!

I remember a time when social networking was simple. It was called Myspace, and it was wonderful. I was truly addicted to it at one point, having to check it every chance I got to see if I had new comments or new messages. Now Myspace feels like a wasteland every time I log on, so I've pretty much stopped dropping in. All God's children are on a little site called Facebook now. Evil, maniacal Facebook. It is truly a stalker's paradise. Without someone adding you as a friend, or whatever the kids on there call it, he or she can see everyone else who's your friend. The friends that you have accepted become super intrusive, at least they did in my experience, by inviting you to undergo interviews, grow plants in cyber gardens, and join obscure groups. Then there's the WALL. I hate the wall because any of your friends can post any or all of your business on the wall and then all your other friends can see it. At least on Myspace you had the option of approving comments before the world saw them! Maybe Facebook has that option, but I haven't had the patience to find it. I always get freaked out when I check my e-mail and I get a message that so and so has "whatever they call it on Facebook when they invite you to be a friend." Sometimes I'll see a name from my past, cringe, and think, "oh no, they found me!" I never log on to Facebook because it makes me too nervous. It's too much like high school and I hate it! The only reason that I re-joined after canceling my account was because my friend, Teletha, asked me to. Thanks, Teletha!

The other new on-line craze, Twitter, kind of confuses me, but is a little more my speed and I'm slowly getting used to it. I don't like the idea of people "following me." I finally had to turn my e-mail notification off because I'd get weirded out when I'd get a message that bob45 was following me, not knowing who the hell bob45 was! Getting this message about 10 different people 10 times a day is a little scary. I like Twitter because you can plug yourself whenever you want (e.g. your blog, your Etsy store). Whether or not it works, who knows? I also like it because it meshes well with my ADHD. Posts are short, to the point, and about whatever is going on that particular moment. "My neighbors are incredibly loud." *5 seconds later* "I really enjoy eating cheese." I finally added a device (my Palm) to Twitter. Now I can tweet anytime I want to! Now my whopping 51 followers can see my rants more often. Aren't they lucky!

New Rings Listed on Etsy

I listed three new rings in my Etsy store today. I also made a few more rings to give to my friends as gifts, but they're not pictured. I ordered some medical grade vial caps that say "Flip Off" on them yesterday from eBay. I plan on making rings out of those as well (they're perfect to wear on your middle finger!). I love making rings because they are so simple to make, and because there are so many different types of media you can use to make them. Not only can you use beads, cabochons, and charms, but you can use found items (such as medical vial caps) and other things that you have created (such as fabric buttons and altered Scrabble tiles). I plan on making a few altered Scrabble tile rings soon. If you love wearing rings as much as I love making them, you should check out the kitschy selection at my Etsy store.

Giveaways and Advertising Do Not Mix

I recently had a major Giveaway entering addiction. It has paid off for me because so far I have won two prizes by entering Giveaways. Unfortunately, it has also hindered me from being able to post advertising on my site. One way to enter a Giveaway is to blog about the Giveaway or post a link about it on your blog. Apparently I have completed this step way too many times and was turned down when I asked Entrecard to post adverts on my blog. Because I went on that Giveaway entering spree, I'd posted probably 20 blog entries regarding third party information. Entrecard's rule is that if your blog contains 50% or more of "unoriginal" posting then you will be denied as an advertising publisher. This will probably hurt my chances with Project Wonderful with who I advertise my Etsy store through (although it's been rather unsuccessful). Oh well, very few people are reading this blog right now anyway so it would be a fruitless effort for someone to advertise on this site (please participate in my survey in the previous post)! The moral of the story is, if you want to advertise on your blog, do not litter your site with third party giveaways, but if you want to win cool, free stuff; litter away!

Does Anyone Read this Blog? Survey

Please click on the link below to take a short survey so I can find out if anyone is actually reading this blog, and what the readers like and don't like about this blog. I think there are only 8 questions. They are not multiple choice, so if an answer doesn't apply to you just answer "N/A." Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my survey!


Click Here to take survey

Jimmy Pickles $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway

Visit SimplySentimental for a chance to win a $25 from Jimmy Pickles'Etsy store.

There are a lot of great items to chose from such as large selection of Wristlet Keychains and Pocket Purses. The fabrics that Jimmy Pickles uses are simply fabulous!

Name My New Pet Monster Giveaway

I think that it's about time for another giveaway from my Etsy store! Soon I will receive my pet monster that I purchased from Sugarlishes, but I don't have a good name for him and I need help coming up with one. Another reason I want to host another giveaway is because I found a gadget that I've not used before on Wufoo that I wanted to give a whirl.

Anyway, here is what you win: your choice of one item in my store $5 or under. I know that this doesn't sound like a lot, but the majority of my items are $2 and $3 each! Currently I have over a hundred "kool and kitschy" items in my store with more on the way. This giveaway does not include my promotional offers, but anything else $5 or under is up for grabs. All you have to do is give my new pet monster a name and my favorite name wins! To enter click on the "Please Fill Out My Form" link posted below. Fill out the form and voila you're on your way! Now the form is a pop up, so to enter you may have to enable pop ups for a minute or two.

You may enter as many times as you'd like and if you put multiple entries on the same form that's OK. The quantity of entries does not increase your chances of winning, but the quality does. Remember that I'm looking for the perfect name for my new pet monster, so ultimately it's my opinion that counts. I'm looking for something original and unusual. Not Bob or Dan or John. I really think that he should have more than one name. I'll give an example. I made an owl plushie for a friend once and his cousin said, out of the blue, "you should name him Johnny Tobacco!" Something catchy and of the wall like that will definitely get my attention.

This giveaway will start late Wednesday, 3/11/09, whenever this blog gets posted and will end at 8 a.m. EST on Thursday, 3/19/09. It may take me some time to decide on a winner depending on how many quality entries I receive, but as soon as I come to a conclusion I will e-mail the winner immediately. The winner has 48 hours to respond to my e-mail with their mailing address and prize of their choice from my Etsy store. If that person fails to respond then I will pick my second favorite name, and so on, and so on. So lets get this game started!

Please fill out my form.

My First Receipt from a Craft Swap

Well I received my first craft swap items today. Earlier this month I sent out my first craft swap projects, but I haven't received my partner's yet because she's been out of town. I should have taken pictures of the things that I made. It was an Alice in Wonderland themed swap. As you can see the items I received today are cell phone charms. Creativemind from Cut Out + Keep sent me these wonderful charms! I'm not going to put them on my cell because the strap from an old charm I'd made got stuck in the charm slot and I can't remove it. I'm going to use them as purse charms instead. I think that Creativemind did an excellent job. The ones that I made for Heidel are out in the car right now waiting to be delivered to Norway. I used the Vice charms on one and a Scrabble Tile Pendant with a seahorse on the other. Yet again, I forgot to take pics of my creations.

Currently I'm involved in a zombie swap with Sugarlishes. I've got one more project to go, but I'm not going to tell what I've made or am going to make because Sug follows my blog (although she never reads it). Just in case, I want it to be a surprise. Before I package the zombie loot up, I'll take pics this time and post them after Sug receives them. I think Ale and I are going to do a LOST swap in the next month or two because we're both huge fans of the show. I have no idea what I'm going to make for that one. Well I thought I would share the goodness I received in the mail today with whomever may be reading.

A Nun Plushie for Allie

Allie is my niece who will be 2 on July 4th. For some odd reason she has an obsession with nuns. (See this blog post for a little background). Well I had insomnia again last night and early this morning I decided to search for "nuns" on Etsy. I found a nun plushie that I liked, but it cost 10 bucks and there was no way I was paying so much for something so small. My friend, Sugarlishes, who made my new pet monster immediately came to mind. She has a knack for making plushies, so I decided to ask her if she could commission one for me for less than $10. I sent her the picture of the $10 nun earlier today and she just posted the above pictured nun in her Etsy store
maybe 10 minutes ago! Needless to say, I immediately fell in love with this nun plushie and snatched it out of her store (even though it was a reserve listing for moi). I know that Allie will absolutely go nuts over it! Thanks again, Sug, for creating something wonderful! You rock!

My New Pet Monster

This is my soon to be new pet monster! I bought him from my friend Sugarlishes's Etsy store. I should be getting him in the mail sometime this week. I have no idea what to name him. If anyone actually reads this blog, please help me name my new monster. Just leave me a comment. You know what? I may turn this into a giveaway! Whoever comes up with the name for my monster wins something from my Etsy store. That sounds like a good idea. I'll contemplate it some more and post about it later.

Giveaway at Mrs. Cox's Slice o' Heaven

Click this post's title to be redirected to Mrs. Cox's Slice of Heaven. She is hosting a giveaway where you could win a Poppies Wall Decal from Elephannie's Etsy store. Elephannie has some really awesome decals in her store and they're affordable! My personal favorite is the Have a Seat Decal.

I Win Yet Another Blog Giveaway!

I won a pair of knickers from Knickerockers! Thanks a bunch to Knickerockers and Fabyuhluhs!

Lara Lewis Jewelry Giveaway

The Give-Away Diva is hosting a giveaway of a pair of Lara Lewis Audrey Earrings. Just click on the title of this blog and you'll be redirected to the giveaway site. Lara Lewis has a fabulous Etsy shop that you must check out. I was awed by all of the beautiful jewelry she has created. It is now one of my favorite shops on Etsy.

My Etsy Store Update

My Etsy store, kiddo47, has grown into a more massive project than I had first expected! At this moment I have 100 items for sale in my store. I've made a total of 12 sales (it would've been 15 if I hadn't had to cancel three sales--two for nonpayment and one because the buyer mistakingly purchased the wrong item). I made three sales today, but I haven't received payment for them yet. This is very frustrating as I always pay my sellers immediately. Why me? Why on three sales today? Hopefully it's just a glitch with PayPal. Last night I bought a ring on Etsy and it took me six tries to pay for the item because I kept getting error messages. Hopefully that's what is happening to my buyers today . . .

I'm advertising on a couple of blogs, but I haven't gotten any clicks yet. I've only been advertising for two days though. My advert is just my avatar with my store name on it, so I probably need a new one.

Well I think that I'm going to go make some more Scrabble Tile Pendants. I'm addicted to making them. I just wish I could learn how to make my own graphics so I could be more free with my designs.

Cupcake Giveaway!

Visit RockerJewlz Rockin' News for a possibility of winning one of three prizes. Just click on the title of this blog for a direct link to the site. The giveaway ends on April 4th and the winners will be notified on April 5th. You can e-mail RockerJewlz at Julie@RockerJewlz.com.

Vice Charms

I just received four packs of these awesome, yet inappropriate, charms in the mail today! I'm so excited about making jewelry and accessories with them. I already made a cell phone charm using the girl, dice, and martini to send off in a craft swap (I hope it doesn't offend!). There is also a pack of smokes, a bottle of booze, and an assault rifle. Just thought I'd share the highlight of my day with you. Yes, I know my life is pretty sad . . .

Winner of Scrabble Tile Pendant Giveaway

Fae V. is the winner of her choice of a Scrabble Tile Pendant from my etsy store! I have contacted her via e-mail and she has 48 hours to respond with her choice of pendant and mailing address. If no response is received within 48 hours, I will draw another winner. Congratulations, Fae V.!

GreenEarthJourney: Giveaway from Kangaroodle

GreenEarthJourney: Giveaway from Kangaroodle

Giveaway at Mrs. Cox's Slice o' Heaven

Visit Mrs. Cox's Slice o' Heaven for a chance to win a pea magnet from Polpette Clay on etsy.com.

Chocolate and Steel: *:*:* GIVEAWAY *:*:*

Chocolate and Steel: *:*:* GIVEAWAY *:*:*

I'm a Winner!

I'm so happy! For the past couple of days I've been entering numerous blog giveaways in the hopes of winning something for once in my life. I was just notified that I am the lucky winner of an Appledonia children's t-shirt (see previous blog)! I chose the shirt pictured in this post. I am going to donate it to DCS. It will make some little boy very happy!

HelenesDreams.etsy.com: Yummy Toffee Cookies! - Etsy Giveaway

HelenesDreams.etsy.com: Yummy Toffee Cookies! - Etsy Giveaway

HelenesDreams.etsy.com: Super Sweet Crochet Slippers- Etsy Giveaway!

HelenesDreams.etsy.com: Super Sweet Crochet Slippers- Etsy Giveaway!

J. leigh designz: Featured Friday: BALANCED Giveaway!

J. leigh designz: Featured Friday: BALANCED Giveaway!

Click the link above to enter a chance to win these lovely turquoise earrings.

bebe au lait nursing cover giveaway

Enter for a chance to win a nursing cover from bebe au lait in this pattern. Mommy Works Blog is sponsoring this giveaway.

http://mommyworksblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/bebe-au-lait-nursing-cover-giveaway.html

Lula Ballou Gadget Case Giveaway

Mommy Works Blog is sponsoring a giveaway of a Lulu Ballou Gadget Case. These cases are really cool and can hold any gadget that you need to keep safe such as your cell, iPod, PDA, etc . . . Visit this link for a chance to win one of Lula Ballou's handmade cases.

http://mommyworksblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/lula-ballou-gadget-case-giveaway.html

$20 Bath and Body Works Gift Card Giveaway

"Shop With Me Mama" is giving away a $20 gift card to BBW. To enter, simply go to the the following site and follow the directions:

http://www.shopwithme.doodlekit.com/contact

Milkshake Giveaway (Children's Music)

Mama's Money Savers

Gilden Tree Home Spa Giveaway

Mama's Money Savers

See Kai Run Giveaway

Mama's Money Savers

Jack and Lily Shoes Giveaway

Mama's Money Savers

Topless Undershirt Giveaway

Mama's Money Savers

Carolyn's Kitchen Apron Giveaway

Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a Aqua Sweetheart Apron. It will make household chores much more bearable!

http://www.pinklemonadeoflife.com/2009/03/carolyns-kitchen-giveaway.html

I'm Excited and It's Work Related!

I am so excited about a contest that we have going on at work right now. I work for the Department of Children's Services, and historically our buildings (we currently have 4 in my county) are not kid friendly. One of the "powers that be" had a good idea to run a contest as to which building can create the most kid friendly lobby area. Our building has decided to do an "Under the Sea" theme. I found this fabric to cover some ugly office tables and this beachy looking chair and table set for kids to sit and color at (it was only $20 for the set at Wal-Mart)! My coworkers have gotten artistic and covered the lobby with tropical fish, sea foam, waves, sea grass, and coral. I think that we're going to win this one! But the real winners will be the kids! I can't wait for the real judges to give their opinions (the kids that is)!

EmBelISH: Giveaway Giveaway Giveaway Giveaway

EmBelISH: Giveaway Giveaway Giveaway Giveaway

a little etsy love: Monday Giveaway-John W Golden

a little etsy love: Monday Giveaway-John W Golden

Buttercuppity Wallet Giveaway

You have a chance to win a fabulous wallet similar to this one from Buttercuppity! You get to choose your own fabrics and how you would like your wallet made (e.g. magnetic closure, inside pockets, etc . . .). There are several ways to enter! Check out the following link:

http://buttercuppity.blogspot.com/2009/03/march-madness-giveaway-craziness.html?showComment=1236412380001#c5243513972192565959

I have also included a button to this site in my "Flare" section.

Ms. Cora and Ms. Willie Giveaway

Who wouldn't want these adorable creatures in their Easter baskets this year? Junque Drawer Chick is giving them away! Just visit the following site for more information.

http://junquedrawerchick.blogspot.com/2009/03/march-giveawaymeet-ms-cora-and-ms.html

byhand.me Giveaway

Enter this awesome giveaway and get all these great handmade goods! Just visit this link: https://www.byhand.me/component/option,com_content/id,2755/task,view/

Icy Jewelry Giveaway

Please visit this link for a chance to win this "Twilight" inspired necklace:
http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/icy-jewelry-giveaway.html

I think it's absolutely delicious!

Donations Needed for Foster Children

As of March 1st, I have been working for the Department of Children's Services in Tennessee for 7 years. We are always in need of donations for our children. I'm not talking about used toys and clothing, because we get tons of that stuff (mostly unusable). Just because a child is in foster care doesn't mean that they deserve only hand-me-downs. They deserve new toys, books, clothes, etc . . . I am asking anyone who reads this blog to please get in touch with me if you can help fulfill our need to give our children nice, new things. And don't just think baby stuff, we have plenty of that. Most of our children in DCS custody are 10-17 and they often get the short end of the stick. Also, around this time each year our local juvenile court holds a basket auction in order to raise money to purchase Christmas gifts for our children. If you would like to donate a themed basket, that would be great as well! If you happen to read this, please post a link to this entry on your blog or tell a friend. Our children need your help!

Thank You,
Suzanne

My St. Patty's Day Shirt

This shirt is soooooooooo me! I had to have it! I bought it at www.cafepress.com. I can't wait to wear it!

Japanese Softie Book Giveaway

Visit the following link for a chance to win this book!

http://pinkpetunias.typepad.com/my_weblog/giveaways/

Valentine's Necklace Giveaway

Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a beautiful Valentine's Necklace. Visit the following link for details: http://thegiveawaydiva.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-second-giveaway.html