Doing the right thing

I was doing some reading yesterday about marketing your small business and I read a line that struck a nerve,I re-read it and it sparked a flame,then I wrote it down and it made knots in my stomach.
"How you handle anything,is how you handle everything!"
Some of you might think, why the heck would that simple line make such an impact?
I will tell you why....
Etsy has become the small town girl/boy who made it big in Hollywood and forgot all it's high school friends who supported him/her through drama class and stuck by her/his side during auditions and disappointments. But hey, that's business.
Knowing that fact, is why team members should behave like team members and that is why we should respect the rules set in place by team captains. It's tough trying to not sink in the ocean of other creative warriors
Don't misunderstand, I am part of an amazing and supportive team (holla STATTEAM) but there are a few members who make it rough and uncomfortable for the whole lot by not abiding by the rules and disrespecting their captain/leaders and fellow members. And I am making a statement about this for no other reason than it breaks my heart!
You may think I'm silly for taking it personally but I will ask you this...
Is it easier to ignore someones wishes and fail them because you don't have to look them in the eyes when you do it?
I can tell you that my shop is a shop run with morals and heart, just like my home is run. And there are MANY other shops on Etsy that I know are run the same. Of course it's business and ultimately we are there for the sale! But there's more going on in the Etsy community than bottom dollar. So stealing someones creative ideas and blatantly copying their work, creating treasuries and not commenting on the ten above you that your peers worked so hard on, not favoriting or at least commenting on a treasury you were featured in, or just doing sneaky business is crushing to the shop owners who get up every morning (in addition to taking care of their families) and pour their heart and soul into their little piece of this handmade community.
Again,I am not here to call anyone out or to be the big mean ogar (no offense Shrek)
If nothing else this will give you insight to who I am. But if one person reads this and thinks "oh my gosh I am behaving that way but now it's time to put my big girl panties (or big man briefs) on and do business the humble way!"
Than that is awesome!!!
I don't think I am any authority here I guess you could say my conscience made me do it!!
I wish you all the best!!

The Fifth is for Friends!!

Every month on the fifth I will feature art work and crafty creations made by friends of mine!
This first lovely, is a cross stitching piece made by my darling friend Nichole. Take a look and read what she has to say about her work!

I started cross stitching after finding a website full of video game patterns - suddenly stitching looked pretty cool.  I started with simple, small pixelated characters (mario, megaman, link, etc.) before moving on to bigger projects.  This one is my biggest project so far - Samus from the intro of Super Metroid, with a total of 25,920 stitches (17,515 of them being black) I felt quite excited to finally finish it.  I've recently branched out into television as well - the last project being pixel people of the characters of Big Bang Theory, and having recently completed a pattern for a large stitching of the Winchester brothers from Supernatural.  It's turned into a great hobby, I recommend it to anyone with access to a craft store and some spare time to be creative

What your favorites say about you...

Do you ever wonder what other people are like in their day to day based on the items in their shopping cart?! Have you ever seen a formal dressed,manicured lady with a cart filled with beer,Doritos,duct tape,rope,pickled eggs and a chainsaw and thought....hmmm, maybe she's a party planner for truck drivers and lumber jacks?! Me neither. But i have wondered other things about other people and their items from time to time. So what do you presume about moi, based on these items from my Etsy favorites?! Please don't be shy to comment, it'll be fun!

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


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

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


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


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


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

Something out of nothing

If you take a peek through the enthusiastically decorated windows of my life you will see (apart from an amazing family accentuated by one charming pup) a LOVE for making things with my hands!
I thrill at the possibilities of making something out of nothing! Taking a ball of clay and forming it into a sweet monster with a charming personality, delights me to my very core. While this is a very (and I do mean very) recent found passion of mine, I will never give it up!
I spent many years scrapbooking, paper craft making, even gave knitting a try! But none of that was ever enough for me. And then just recently, while doing my usual Sunday shopping at my local craft shop, I saw one of the employees making a polymer clay turtle in an example workshop. Other shoppers, smiled and nodded, lingered for a brief moment before taking their baskets of googly eyes and glue sticks and heading to the checkout. I was frozen, in awe! Not at the fact that this craft counter employee was making a clay turtle, in fact my main focus that kept me frozen in place was the fact that she wasn't putting any life in to it! I was planted, mouth agape, because of the green lump in front of this girl had possibilities, so many possibilities! My fingers tingled with the urge to take it from her and fill that little clay creature with personality and features! I refrained (yay me!) and loaded my cart with 75 bucks worth of polymer clay! And so it began....

Co-dependant Crafting = Anxiety

Most of my crafty creations (Monster friends and Mystery Forest Creatures included) are made using polymer clay, which means I am dependant on an oven to complete the process of "bringing my creations to life"
Well....my oven exploded on Saturday! You may think I'm exaggerating for effect but (maybe just a little) this is a huge deal! If you do not know the sound an oven makes when the heating element coil pops out at 450 degrees, than, good for you!! That means you haven't had 4.8 years removed off your life from heart pounding terror! Apart from it being terrifying and shocking, it's now terribly inconveniencing! I am anxiously awaiting the part replacement's arrival so that I may get back to work and introduce some rather charming and delightful little creatures to the world!
In the meantime....Pepsi drinking, nail biting, foot tapping, temporary reliefs have been put into place!

Please stand by....

Greetings Friends

Welcome to my world!
 This is where Monsters are friends, Mystery Forest Creatures are discovered, and creative juices flow freely!
I invite you to hang with me in my world and embark on an artsy journey.

Here you will find; crafty creations made by myself and friends of mine.
                             Items, reccomendations, favorites, and treasuries from etsy.
                             Links to shops and craftyness I love.
                             And whatever else strikes my fancy!

Thanks for stopping by!