New Vendor Calls Added

Just a reminder to everyone that I will continue to add dates to the Calls for Vendors page as I find them so keep checking back! I just added three dates for the St. Catharines Brocante Lux Fashion and Art Market if anyone is interested in travelling a littler further for a great show! Take a look! ♥

Shameless Self Promotion

Anyone who follows my blog knows that I very rarely talk about me. But today I decided to do a little bit of shameless self promotion so I could share some new items that I’m very excited about! I was browsing the bead stores on Queen West in Toronto last week looking for inspiratin but trying very hard not to buy any new beads, when I saw these beautiful pink Czech glass leaves and I knew I had to have them! They make me dream of the warm spring that is months away and beautiful spring flowers. Today I wanted to share some of the pretty things I’ve made with them!  Wearing any of these things will make you feel like spring is just a little closer! Enjoy! ♥

Bits of Blue Etsy Treasury

I love to create treasuries and today I found a fun new game! I joined the Handmadeology Etsy Team and one of their threads is a Treasury Chain Game. The basic idea is that you create a treasury with 16 shops. Then in turn each of those shops create a treasury and include your shop in theirs. I think it’s a great fun way to spread a little Etsy love! Here is my first Chain Game treasury. Enjoy! ♥

Making Something Out of Nothing with Landfill Designs

Today I’m thrilled to introduce Emma from the Etsy Shop Landfill Designs. Read about her fun creative world!

Can you tell me a little about Landfill Designs? Based in Toronto, I focus on making jewellery out of “landfill” – primarily beach glass/ceramic found on a man-made shore in Lake Ontario; a shore that was created using, you guessed it, clean landfill. I also rescue pretty glass bottles from the recycling bin and smash and tumble them myself, creating my own “beach” glass, as well as using upcycled thrifted pieces that I pick up everywhere. Vintage fabric, vintage buttons, old keys, and glass fish (that was a lucky day at the thrift shop), and lots of stuff from eBay (evil, evil eBay!). All of these components are used together to create unique one of a kind jewellery that will suit any personality and any outfit or event. You can follow me on Twitter or you can stop by my website to see how I make it all happen.

Where you always crafty as a child? I would have to say I didn’t have a choice about being artistic/creative/crafty – whatever you want to call it. My Mother was an artist, and a single Mom, so there was a lot of creative DIY going on in our house. Looking back I can recognize now that a lot of it was based in economic need, we didn’t have extra money, so we made do, creatively, with what we had. But we also had a big push towards the creative. I grew up in a house where it was assumed that you knew colour theory, could use the potters wheel in the basement, could mix oil paints, and weren’t afraid of the jigsaw or power tools. This lead to some very confusing moments in my early dating life realizing that I knew how to use power tools and my boyfriend didn’t.

Warm Up With Wintergarden

I love featuring artisans who are local to me in Toronto! Let me introduce Glenda from the Etsy Shop Wintergarden. Wintergarden offers a wide variety of fun colourful knitted items. And not just scarves but flowers, bangles and more! Here’s a little peek into who’s behind this wonderful shop!

Were you always crafty as a child?  I had never thought of myself as particularly crafty or creative when I was growing up, but as I look back I realize that I had a very strong craft education beginning before I began kindergarten. I learned sewing by hand, embroidery, baking, making jam and jelly, canning and freezing vegetables, pickling, candle-making, making paper flowers, ceramics, etc. This early education instilled a life long love of being productive. I realize that lots of people are not as fortunate as I was to explore and develop their talents in these areas at such a young age. I am so grateful to have had the chance to enjoy such a large variety of activities.

Beautiful Crochet by HogansHandiwork

I’m so excited today to introduce you to another talented Etsy seller. Denise Therese runs HogansHandiwork with her sister Erica Marie. I had a chance to talk to Denise today and here is a little look into her creative life.

Have you always been a creative person?
I guess you could say that of both my sister and me! We love to write novels, and I personally love scrapbooking. But crocheting is definitely my niche.

Seafood in Parchment Parcels

I’m certain that some of you love birds are already thinking about what to make for your sweetie for Valentine’s Day and I think I might have just the recipe. If you love seafood this is a super easy dinner to make, healthy and has very little clean up. It can even be made earlier in the day so you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing. You can easily substitute the seafood of your choice to include your favorite. Enjoy! ♥

Have a Hoot with NobleUpcycling!

I love it when I can feature a fellow Etsy Artisan who is also local to me! Today I’m excited to share a little look into the creative world of Leanne from NobleUpcycling. She’s a wonderfully talented Etsy seller who focuses on using upcycled sweaters to create beautiful items. Enjoy! ♥

How long have you been creating handmade items? I have very clear memories of always choosing the crafting option on elementary school electives days—remember those plastic do-hickies that you hooked yarn on and a long piece of knitted goodness came out the bottom?—loved those. As an adult I’ve been working with upcycled felted wool sweaters for about one year. It began with a fundraiser that a friend and I organized for Haiti, where I sold my handcrafted mittens and slipper socks. After raising $500 for the cause, NobleUpcycling was born!

Why do you love to be creative? Being creative is just so darn good for the soul. When I’m in my craft room, snuggled down in a lovely heap of the softest felted wool, I feel like my authentic self. With CBC Radio 2 on my vintage radio and a steaming cup of tea at my side anything is possible in my craft room.

Great Reads for Creative Entrepreneurs

I just wanted to take a quick minute to share something that I think is a great bit of information. If you’ve never come across Blacksburg Belle then I highly recommend you take a look at her site. Today I just want to share with you a link to a list of books she calls her 10 Must Reads for Creative Entrepreneurs . If you’re like me and you love to read everything you can get your hands on then I suggest you take a look. I’ve started working on the list with the very first one, Unmarketing by Scott Stratten. Now that the holiday craziness is past, there is no excuse not to get reading! I’ve already read several chapters and I can tell it’s full of great information. Take a look at what April has to say about each book and I’m sure there will be at least a couple you will find helpful to meet your goals for 2011. ♥

http://www.blacksburgbelle.com/2010/12/10-must-read-books-for-creative-entrepreneurs/

Handmade Pay It Forward

I’ve been trying for a while now to come up with some way that I can use Sea Flower Studios to help spread a little joy and here’s my plan!

I’m almost certain everyone knows the Pay It Forward concept by now, well this is a Handmade Pay It Forward. If you don’t know Pay It Forward, basically the concept is that you do something nice for x number of people and in return each of those people do something nice for the same number of people and in a short amount of time the number of good deeds grows rapidly.

Well in this version we will be spreading some joy with handmade gifts. I will start this off by sending something handmade to the first few people who contact me (that number will depend on the response I get at first) and in return each of those people will agree to send handmade gifts to two people and so it goes!

So let’s say I send out 5 gifts, each of those recipients send 2 so that’s 10, each of those send 2 that’s 20, each of those send 2 that’s 40, each of those send 2 that’s 80, each of those send 2 and that’s 160….WOW that number starts to grow fast! I’m going to need your help promoting to make sure I have enough addresses to keep this going as long as possible!