4.14.2010

Melon Berry...a sweet color combination AND how to snag a treasury!

One of the many things I love about Etsy is that it is a great source for inspiration. Today I had a chance to create another treasury and was really inspired by this gorgeous necklace that I came across so I decided to find more lovely items that had a similar color scheme and feel.

This treasury made me realize that I REALLY need to get some of the new American Crafts Dear Lizzy line! :) Doesn't it have that kind of feel to it?

Click HERE to see the treasury up close along with the links to the shops that sell these beautiful items.

A few people have asked about how I seem to get treasuries so much, so I thought I would pass along the information that helped me figure out the 'secret' to getting a treasury.

First, it is helpful to read this post by Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-to-make-a-treasury-the-nuts-and-bolts-688/

And Craftopolis is another helpful tool (although it is not always completely accurate so be sure just to use it as a guide). Click on the Treasury Clock tab to see an approximate time of when the treasury will open...which is when you will have a small opportunity to create one. Also, please note that there is also a Treasury West...it is not as well known about (so it does not tend to get as much exposure) but it is another place that you can create a treasury.

The treasury will open when the number drops to 332 (treasury west will open when the number drops to 221). In order to have a chance at getting a treasury, I recommend watching the treasury fairly closely once it gets down to 350 as people often delete their treasuries which will bring the number down to 332 faster than what the treasury or Craftopolis may indicate.

Now for the biggest secret to success! Once the treasury is at 333 no one is able to delete a treasury so whatever it says the time remaining is on that top treasury on the first page, that is when it will expire and the treasury will drop momentarily down to 332 and you can snag a treasury. It is very important that you do not refresh the treasury page as you are likely to refresh and have missed the opening. However, the big trick is to scroll down to the bottom of the treasury screen (you must be signed in to Etsy too) when there is only 1 or 2 minutes left and slowly click back and forth between the treasury pages, keeping an eye out for the blank box that will pop up for you to type your treasury title into. If you just sit on page one of the treasury until it expires you will likely be able to get a treasury but by clicking between page 5 and 1 or 3 and 1, etc. there supposedly is a slight lag from the last treasury expiring to the new treasury box popping up and switching between the pages seems to avoid the lag and catch the exact moment that the treasury opens up.

Now you can make your treasury! I usually bookmark some items ahead of time that I think will make for a nice treasury. You can also use Etsy's Poster Sketch Tool to organize your items ahead of time. All you need to enter items into the treasury are the listing numbers for each item...just copy and paste them into your treasury.

I hope this is helpful! If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section. And if you finally score your first treasury because of this information, I'd love to see it so please come back and share the link with me! Treasury West is opening up soon...good luck! :)


4.13.2010

Have a sweet day!

I just wanted to pop in and share another fun card that I created with the new Caffinated Cropper's kit, 'With a Cherry on Top'. It is filled with all sorts of great goodies and they are having a blog hop today that you should check out (especially since Amy is giving away a prize!) :)

I am in love with that gorgeous red ribbon, the cork board and the little white pearl ties that come in this kit. I created my own cherries using some red cardstock, small circle punch, and Papertrey Ink buttons. The sentiment is from Unity Stamp Company and I added a few little rhinestones (Taylored Expressions tiny twinkles) to finish off the card.

If you want to check out more cherry goodness, you can take a peek at my Etsy Inspired card HERE...there's still plenty of time to play in the challenge this week!

Hope you're having a sweet day! :)


4.11.2010

Let's have a picnic!

Yesterday I was so inspired by the Etsy Inspired shop, The Mouse Market, and the little cherry card that I created, that when I got a chance to make a treasury on Etsy I filled it with some fun picnic items. Care to join me for this lovely picnic?! :)

This treasury just makes me smile...bright colors, fresh fruit, and gingham too...now I just need a beautiful summer day! :) Click HERE to see this treasury in full view along with the links to the fabulous shops that sell these items. I am absolutely in love with that sweet yellow berry bowl and I thought those cherry earrings were so unique and pretty. Which item screams picnic most to you?

Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing Sunday! I am hoping to do some major purging of the house today in order to get things ready to sell in our upcoming neighborhood garage sale...wish me luck! :)

4.09.2010

Life is a bowl of Cherries - Etsy Inspired Challenge #83

Did you ever have a dollhouse when you were little? Our featured Etsy shop this week makes me wish I had a little dollhouse now! :) The Mouse Market is filled with some of the cutest, most colorful and realistic dollhouse miniatures I think I have ever seen! The Mouse Market specializes in adorable food items, flowers, and cute jewelry. I was inspired by the overall feel of the whole shop (it makes me want to have a picnic) and these pieces too.



See, I told you they were super cute! I stuck with the food theme and pretty pink color from the inspiration pieces. I was lucky enough to get to play with the new kit from Caffinated Cropper - 'With a Cherry On Top'. Everything on my card (except for the white cardstock) is from the kit. I will have more fun projects to share with you all next week using this fabulous kit!

Our sponsor this week, Paper Maniac, is offering up a fantastic prize for one lucky winner who plays along in the challenge. Imagine 3 great paper pads, some stamps, rub ons, and more! Check out the Etsy Inspired Challenge Blog for all the details and a picture of the goodies too!

And if you would like to purchase some things from The Mouse Market, they are offering 15% off your purchase (not including shipping) now through April 30, 2010, when you enter the code HUGAMOUSE in the message to seller box on the Etsy order screen. The discount amount will be refunded via Paypal.

Okay...are you ready to play now?! Visit The Mouse Market and find an item that inspires you. Create your own project based off that inspiration and link it up to the Etsy Inspired Blog by Friday, April 16th at noon PST.

And pay a visit to these lovely ladies today to see what inspired them!
Have a great weekend everyone!

4.08.2010

New, new, new!

I have been busy filling up my Etsy shop with lots of new goodies this week! New cards, fun notepads, and a great family mini album...take a peek!





Click HERE to check it all out! The family album would make a great gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day!

Oh and did you see what my sweet blogging buddy did with part of my felt scalloped borders? Check out THIS cute card by De!

I also managed to get another treasury on Etsy. I went with the theme of honey. Click HERE to see the items close up with links to the great shops that sell them.


I hope you all are having a wonderful day! The sun is shining here but unfortunately we are too exhausted to go out and play. My little one got croup last night and we ended up in the ER for a few hours. He is much better today (thank goodness!) and we are hoping to all get a good nap in this afternoon! :)


4.05.2010

Life is Sweet

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend! I enjoyed lots of great time with my boys and a nice dinner with my family last night. I also found some time and energy to get some crafting in so I decided to participate in the Get Sketchy challenge this week.


Here is the sketch I was working with. I thought this card turned out pretty cute...makes me want to have a picnic! I am loving the new gingham ribbon from May Arts. And I thought the sentiment (from My Favorite Things) worked perfectly with the sweet strawberries. I hand cut that strawberry in the center.

The patterned papers are from BoBunny (dots) and Basic Grey (Nook & Pantry).


And here's the latest treasury I created over on Etsy.
I just love this color and especially the ocean photo...so soothing. I could so use a peaceful beach vacation! :) Click HERE to get a closer look at these items and the fabulous shops that sell them.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll have more to share later this week!

4.02.2010

Etsy Inspired Challenge #82

Happy Saturday! It's time for another Etsy Inspired Challenge!

Well this week's featured shop really got me inspired because I actually have two cards to share with you all today! :) Until It Ends Studios offers a variety of handmade creations, from Pacman magnets and Kawaii mushroom bracelets to beautiful glass pendants. I am very proud of my first card which was inspired by the cute rainbow Kawaii mushroom charm bracelet.



I just love rainbows...so colorful and happy! I was in the Spring mood because of BoBunny's spring card challenge (which I am entering this card into) so I thought BoBunny's fun and colorful double dot papers would be perfect for my card. Doesn't it make you smile?! :)

Since I created a little scene and pieced together that rainbow, I'm also entering this card into the Moxie Fab World challenge.

I also used some great products that were given to me from our fabulous sponsor this week, My Favorite Things. Some of the buttons, the little Glittered Garnish in the middle of the flower, the yellow ribbon, and the sentiment are all from MFT. I have to say that I am pretty proud of my sunshine! I will definitely be creating more ribbon suns or flowers in the future!

Okay, next up is a fun little owl card I created using MFT's Thinking Of Hoo stamp set which I think goes perfectly with My Mind's Eye new Quite Contrary Little Boy Blue collection!
I was inspired by this more earthy, neutral colored Kawaii mushroom bracelet. Here's what I came up with:



I thought this would be a cute card to give to someone who is adding another little one to their family.

Okay...now I know you all want to play along for your chance at some fabulous MFT goodies! So head on over to Until It Ends Studios and find an item that inspires you. Create an amazing project of your own and link it up to the Etsy Inspired Blog by Friday, April 9th at noon.

Please take a moment to visit the rest of the team too!
Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Easter!