A Little Birdie...

My new pillows look just lovely in my living room.

(Blue pillow cover is by Nestables, cream w/birds is by Olive)

Great Start to 2010

Today I was checking out my Etsy shop when I noticed that about 15-20 people had "hearted me". That usually doesn't happen to me unless I'm featured somewhere. So I headed right to CraftCult.com, a handy resource that tells you if you've been featured anywhere on Etsy lately.

Sure enough, my Butterscotch Swirl ring was featured on the front page of Etsy today, in a Treasury hand-picked by Etsy admin. Woohoo!

My ring got several hundred views today, and some other items in my shop looked like they were big hits, too. No sales, though...but it feels great to be noticed!

Another accomplishment of the day involved my finishing the first painting I've made in over a year! It's a self-portrait for the CAW: Creative Arts of Women show at the Carnegie Gallery. I am happy with the way it came out, for sure. And the process was enjoyable, too - even though it involved painting all those cupcakes.

Below is a detail of the painting -

And I also have been listing some yummy new items in my Sweet Stella Etsy shop. Below are some examples of new items - just in time for Valentine's Day!

And last but not least, I am working on an excellent collaboration with my buddy Megan for an art show in late February. More details coming soon - but it's going to be fabulous for sure.

Featured on the Daily Etsian Blog!

I am excited to have my Rainbow Cake Earrings featured on the Daily Etsian blog. 

The Daily Etsian features sellers on Etsy, cool finds, and has fun giveaways. Check it out!

It's Almost My Birthday...

...and if you're stumped about what to get for me (on May 21st), I've got some items on my wish list from sellers on Etsy.com. :)

An Ode to Salvador Dali

My parents' wedding anniversary was last month and I really wanted to get them a unique present for around their house.

Then (on Etsy, of course!) I stumbled upon a fabulous seller from Cincinnati whose business is called Pragmatic Effects. Hilary, the artist, creates an array of melting wall clocks, a nod to artist Salvador Dali.

With clocks in a variety of colors, and even those that look like they're sliding down a bookcase or draping over a mantle, a gift from Pragmatic Effects will delight any art-lover. My parents loved theirs and they can't wait to find the perfect spot for it in their house.

Etsy is really a great place for gifts that you won't be able to find anywhere else!

Shop Local for the Holidays!

Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Look no further than the talented artists and crafters in Columbus, Ohio! I created this compilation of local Etsy sellers to show what creative and beautiful work is made right here in central Ohio.

Wondering how you can find sellers on Etsy from your area? Just use the Shop Local tool at Etsy.com!

Holy Cow!

This is one of the only days where this would be possible: but I made sure I was at my computer at 1:00 on the nose when the Etsy Cooperative Advertising Program went on sale!

I scored a spot: which means that a mini photo of a Sweet Stella item will be in an ad (along with 35 other Etsians) in Craft: Magazine in the November 2008 issue!!

Now, all I have to do is decide which photo to submit. My deadline is Wednesday, August 20th!

If you have time, please check out my Etsy Shop and let me know which photo/item you think would be a good representation of my work. I think the theme for November's issue is "Green".

Crafting For A Cause!

On the evening of May 15, Rachel Widomski was seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver outside of Haiku restaurant. Rachel’s severe spinal cord injuries will leave her paralyzed for life. Please join us in a city-wide fundraising effort to help support Rachel and her family during her long road to recovery.

We have set up an Etsy shop called HaikuHelp where we will be selling handmade goods from crafters in Columbus. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Rachel Widomski Medical Trust fund.

For more info or to hear Rachel's story, please visit haikuhelp.com.

If you would like to contribute your handmade item to the HaikuHelp Etsy shop, please contact AmyD or me (Amy N.).

Looking for Crafty Supplies?

Well, look no further! I opened up a new Etsy shop, Sweet Stella Stash, to sell supplies, findings, and other crafty items. I needed to de-clutter my craft room and found that I had tons of cool stuff that I was never going to use.
I have already sold 3 items, which is a much better track record than I started out with for my other shop! Many new items will appear within the next few weeks, so get excited. Yipee!

Sweet Valentine

Looking for a gift for your valentine? Look no further than Sweet Stella Designs!
Have something special in mind? I would be happy to create a custom order for you or your special someone!

SHOP ONLINE HERE!

Patrice is my Informant

Yay, my apple core necklace is part of an little Valentine's feature in Etsy's web-zine, The Storque! If you look in the lower area with the six boxes, there it is on the bottom left.

Patrice is the one who alerted me again. I'm happy I have friends who are so vigilant.
Speaking of Patrice, my tummy is still happy from eating her scrumptious home-baked bread. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Ok, so my little spotlights/features this week have been very exciting. Although what would be more exciting would be a sale as a result.

I'm in the Craft: Magazine Blog

Yesterday, Patrice pointed out that my Credit Card Pendant Necklace was mentioned in the Craft: Magazine blog!!! Hooray!

This is so exciting, as that piece now has 570 views (and more people have "hearted" me on Etsy within the last 2 days, too!). Maybe someone will decide they can't live without it...

I have also broken my rule about not listing new items on Etsy. Yes, I am supposed to be writing my thesis, but I really needed to make some new things and list some old ones as well. Plus, I have 3 more books to pick up at the library...so naturally I should hold off on the writing until I have more sources, right? Right.

Website Milestone!

Since its launch in September, my website, sweetstelladesigns.com, has had 900 unique visitors and 1056 visits!!
Big thanks to tinycanary.com, the site where most of my referrals come from. And another big thanks to I Love Treefort, who designed my site.
This "milestone" is so exciting, especially since I just assume that no one is paying attention to my adventures on the inter-web. (haha, inter-web.)

Thanks to Google, if you type in "Sweet Stella" my site and my Etsy page comes up first!! I have triumphed over the sweet-stella.net...the porn site! (Notice how I did not make that last web address a link.)

Remember that the holiday gifting season is upon us. Chanukkah is next week and Christmas is...well...the 25th, just like it always is.

Have you taken the Handmade Pledge yet? If not, go to http://www.buyhandmade.org/ and add your name to the petition.











Since we're buying handmade, now would be a great time to mention that I have many excellent, unique gift ideas available at the Sweet Stella Designs Etsy shop, like this adorable Carrot Cake Gift Set.

Love to shop, or know someone who does? How about this cool Credit Card Necklace!

Or the smaller, pinker version!

Have something special in mind, but don't see it in my Etsy shop? Just send me a quick note and let me know what you're looking for; I love custom orders!
Happy buying (handmade)!

Holiday Cards!

I ordered these so I can have a stash for my non-Jewish friends!

These are from Cricket Press:

These are from Fisk & Fern:

Now to go hunting for some visually yummy, non-cheesy Chanukah cards. Hmmm...

My Favorite Things, Part I: Jewelry

Here are a few of my favorite handmade jewelry items on Etsy right now. Wishing it was my birthday or Chanukah so someone could buy me something from this list...

Birds On Tree pendant by Simply Modern

Lime and Pink Biomorph Stud Earrings by Islay Jane Spalding

Gear Earrings by Nicholas and Felice

Summer Confetti Pendant by Jennifer Maestre

Bubbles pendant by Ling Glass


Bryzoa Tentaculum Ring by Nanopod

Circle Ring by Kristin Perkins Glass Jewelry


Auriga Pendant by Atelier Les Lucioles


This Way Home pendant necklace from The Muse's Jewels

Serotonin Necklace by Molecular Muse

Indian Summer necklace by Sunyata Designs

Decisions & Questions

Well, I've been away from my computer for 3 whole days and I feel like I have been disconnected from a limb. Ok, not really. I did make another sale on Etsy the other day (hooray!), so it looks like things have been picking up. I'd like to think that it's due to my contributing to The Sampler, but it's hard to say for sure.

I am going to start working on my Masters' thesis project this week. No joke! It will be a collection of autobiographical short stories and comics. With any luck, I will have my Masters in Art Education by the end of Spring 2008!

I had to say goodbye to some old friends tonight: my Converse Chuck Taylors from college. I am pretty sure these were my original Chucks from college (we are currently in "round 3" of Converse replacement). They are so gross and dead. It was time. *sniff*

Featured on the Front Page of Etsy!

Today, my Lime Slice Pendant is featured on the front page of Etsy.com! I was looking at my listings and wondered why in the world the "views" on that pendant seemed to have skyrocketed today. Well, I checked the front page and there it was! (And there it is below, on the right-hand side.)

I am so excited because of the exposure this has brought my Sweet Stella Designs shop on Etsy. 14 people have added my shop as a "favorite" today and I am so close to having 200 people "heart" me! Several have added the pendant as one of their favorite items as well, and all of the views on the items in my shop have gone up! Woohoo!

I hope this leads to a sale or two. That would be super.

Columbus Crafters Treasury List on Etsy!!

I always feel special when I can score a Treasury spot on Etsy. I finally nabbed one this afternoon and my theme for the list is Columbus Crafters!


You can view the clickable list on Etsy.com right HERE!

Tomorrow is "Market Day!"

Finally!
Tomorrow will be my first day as a vendor with my friend Lori at our booth at the Lynn & Pearl Alley Markets (we're called Handmade Parade!). We've worked so hard to get to this point, and I think we are both crazy-excited to begin our adventures in market-land.

For more info, see my post on Craigslist.

In other news, I finished designing a promo button to include as a freebie when someone makes a purchase from my shop on Etsy.



I think these will be very adorable! Ooh, and I am almost at 50 items sold on Etsy. Just 4 more to go. Perhaps you should buy something. *wink*

Design ADD, part 2

I was thinking about new business cards today...and then I just redesigned my blog, MySpace, and Etsy sites. The orange/blue motif wasn't really working for me. I'll still keep my business cards and hang tags until they run out, and then figure out the least expensive way to have them printed: 2-sided, glossy, full color. That's the plan.

Side 1

Side 2

What I like about my new design is that it features my jewelry; which really remains a mystery for buyers when they look at my current card.

Design-type folk: any suggestions? (I saved each one with all of its layers as a .psd, so they are still editable.)