Giveaway!!

I need to thank Audrey's Country Crafts, who organizes giveaways for other Etsy shop owners. I was planning to organize a giveaway this summer and was just starting to look through other giveaways to get all the details organized. Then I came across Audrey's post in the forums offering to do all of this for me! So, of course I said yes!

Starting today, you can enter for a chance to win one of my Angel Hair Zig-Zag Scarves. After purchasing several skeins of yarn, I spent the last week and half knitting 8 scarves to have ready. Be sure to visit Audrey's blog to read the full article. http://audreysgiveaways.blogspot.com/2010/07/yardbyyard.html

Christmas in July sale!!

Instead of writing a spotlight this week, I've been busily preparing my stores for my Christmas in July sale! Enjoy free shipping on all items now through the end of the month. Here are how the shops are set up:

Etsy and Craft is Art: shipping costs will be refunded via paypal or contact me before making a purchase, and I will set up a custom order for you.

Artfire and Zibbet: shipping has been changed to reflect free shipping

Please don't ask me why it varies from shop to shop - each set up page is different, so it's a matter of how many steps it takes to make all the changes! (And how much time I have on August 1 to put my shipping charges back in place!)

Be sure to search "Christmas in July" at all these sights for some other great finds.

For another bit of self-promotion, here are some pictures of my newest scarves:

Sarah's Spotlight - Lama Works

As I've mentioned before, I'm planning my wedding for late August. I first learned of Lama Works as a fellow member of the Etsy Knitters Team. So much to surprise, one day Laura, the shop owner, posted a wedding invitation on Facebook that she had listed in her store. It was right around this time that I had decided to poke around Etsy to find inspiration for my wedding invitations. I only needed to order 25, so I could splurge on something handmade. After hours of searching, numerous new items listed in my favorites, and a long conversation with my mom, I narrowed down my list to two invitations. Laura was immediately so friendly and easy to work with, that my final decision was made very quickly!

Laura is certainly a multi-talented crafter. She offers hand knit hats, scarves, shawls, socks, mittens, and brooches. Additionally, she creates stationary, greeting cards, and all sorts of wedding decor! In addition to my beautiful wedding invitations, she also made bud vases/place card holdings for my tables. I would include pictures of my actual purchases, but I don't want my family to see the invitations before they arrive in the mail! And I know one lovely sister who likes to check in frequently to see what I have to say! :)

But, if you're looking for table numbers, place cards, thank you cards, save the date cards, engagement cards, or anything other stationary for your wedding, then Lama Works is the place to start. She has also added some really cute animal themed pull-out note cards as well, so there really is something for everyone in this store. Laura says that she loves to craft and design. She admits that her interests vary widely, and while she may focus on knitting one month, she might go back to cards the next. In one email, Laura said the only hard part of her job is that not everyone realizes that "working from home" really does mean "working"!

I've spotlighted several artists who donate a portion of their proceeds to charity, and Laura is no different. A full 10% of every sale is donated to the American Cancer Society through the Carry On Campaign. She started this challenge in March 2009 and raised $552! I'm glad to know that a portion of my purchases will be going to a good cause.

You can also visit Laura at:
Blog: http://www.lamaworks.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/lamaworks

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lamaworksdesign

Please note: Due to an upcoming vacation, this will be my last spotlight for the next 3 weeks. I plan to resume on June 14. I will hopefully not completely neglect my blog during that time! :)

Sarah's Spotlight - Merkaba Jewelry

After a break last week, I'm refreshed and ready to write up a great spotlight today! I have been having fun looking through some Artfire stores and happily came across Merkaba Jewelry. This shop owner, Jennifer, features some great hand-knit scarves and scarflettes along with some handmade jewelry.

What first drew me to this store is how cozy her scarves and scaflettes look! Once I opened an item, I learned that she uses Lion Brand Homespun to make these great pieces. I personally LOVE Homespun yarn. It is so soft and fun to knit with. If you remember my pictures of Max and Izzy on their striped blanket, that was knit with Homespun. Because of its texture, it is incredibly forgiving if you make a small mistake. However, if you need to find said mistake, it can take a while because of that same great texture! But back to the store... I was surprised to find such great hand-knit items in a store with jewelry in its name, but these do look great! The buttons she uses on those scarflettes really make them pop!

Equally as impressive is the jewelry in this store. There is currently a small selection of earrings and bracelets. I really feel each piece's elegance comes from its understated simplicity. Jennifer states that her jewelry is for every day women. Her pieces are certainly affordable and can dress up any outfit. She encourages every woman to feel pretty and hopes her jewelry (and scarves) can help you do just that.

I think Jennifer writes it best when she says, "Because each day is special, you deserve to feel like a queen even if all you did today was walk to the mailbox." I don't think I even made it as far as the mailbox yesterday, but sometimes those are the best days. Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom, so she certainly understands the need to feel special on those not so special feeling days. She never leaves her house without earrings! That's a rule I need to start living by. If I don't pack jewelry in my gym bag, I'm out of luck since I shower at the gym after 6am class! I always wonder why I don't keep more earrings in a pocket somewhere.

Jennifer also has an Etsy store and a blog. Her Etsy shop has a larger variety of her work. I chose to feature only items currently offered on Artfire.

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/merkabajewelry
Blog: http://merkabajewelry.blogspot.com

I certainly look forward to meeting other Artfire artists - I hope you do too!

Reversible Cables are finally here!

After weeks of thinking about reversible cables, I finally made my first scarf with these great cables! It was so easy to do and looks great! It's now posted in both my Etsy and Artfire stores. I was able to use my new yarn from Herschnerr's and even have one skein left over in this color for another project. I can't wait to make a matching scarf in purple with my other new yarn! Here are some pictures:

After Christmas Sale!

All scarves in my shop are 10% off now through 9am (EST) on January 4, 2010. I have several fashion scarves for shoppers who live in warmer climates. Here are just a few pictures of all the great scarves I have to offer! Be sure to check out the full selection at my store. Several scarves can be ordered in different colors, so be sure to read each description for details! Thanks for shopping!