Women-preneurs Galore Blog Giveaway Featuring seababejewelry

Sea Babe Jewelry is one of my favorite Etsyans- well, technically two of my favorite Etsyans, because Kristin and David work as a team. They caught my attention on the Etsy forums as a wonderfully friendly and helpful pair, and their work is intensely inspiring. I ordered a custom ring stack for myself as a 30th birthday treat, and I couldn't have been more pleased.

The three silver rings are each a different texture, and I chose champagne (natural) diamonds. The result is simply stunning.

Sea Babe has been featured- deservedly so- in Etsy's Storque and also in magazines and blogs. Currently, you can find a blog feature/interview with a giveaway at Women-preneurs Galore.

You can read Kristin and David's own blog here, where they are also currently doing a very sweet giveaway!

Thankful Thursday Post

When I did my first (and only- until now) Thankful Thursday post, I thought it would be sweet to do one weekly. Then my boys got colds. I was up all night with them. Then I got a cold. Then my cold turned into bronchitis. Tanner's cold turned into ear infections. And Braeden's cold turned into strep throat which turned into scarlet fever. Are we a talented bunch, or what?

We managed to have a fabulous Christmas despite being under the weather (we spent Christmas Eve at urgent care, and New Year's Eve at the doctor). When we missed church, church came to us in the form of our pastor, his wife and one of their sons. It was so heartwarming to have them come bring us their well wishes, and a few surprise gifts.

My cookie mix turned into.... nothing. It stayed in the pantry. My Christmas cards turned into Happy New Year cards. And later, I found out, a treasury that I was featured in by pinkparchmentsoaps was turned into a Front Page (and I made front page again today, which turned me into a giggly little girl).

I enjoyed the company of my family, my friends, and my Etsy peeps. I think I love them all equally, lol. My life is full, my heart is bursting, and I am *almost* always smiling. And I just want to say thank you to everybody who is a part of my life and my world.

Custom Ornament

Fully customizable ornament using your images and/or keepsake items, such as fabric, stamps, postcards, etc.

Now available in my shop.

Busy Busy Bee

Okay, so I knew I hadn't blogged in awhile, but I was a little surprised when I realized my last blog post was just over a month ago.

I've swept away the dust bunnies and am ready to hit the keyboard.

First, I'm pleased to announce that my divorce is final. Five years ago when I said my wedding vows, I didn't believe in divorce. But I've come to understand the certain situations warrant it. I am now officially a single girl again, and am looking very much forward to this new beginning. Starting with a new last name, which I will do just as soon as I can get the paperwork into my hand (my lawyer currently has it- or ex-lawyer, I should, say, since I no longer have a need for her services).

I have decided to make the business that I've been doing as a hobby for the last few years official. I will be getting my business license under the name that I have chosen: Shoppe von Shultz. I have also decided to keep CelebrateLife open. I had previously opened woogiewoogie for my handmade supplies- but CelebrateLife is near and dear to my heart and I am not ready to part with it. So I will instead keep my supplies there and get rid of woogiewoogie.

I am doing my first craft show on Sunday, and have been working well into the next day to get things ready. Only time will tell how it will go, but I have a good feeling about it. Of course, prayers and well-wishes are always welcome!

Now that my financial situation has been determined, I can go to the university and apply for grants and/or loans to finish school. That is high on the priority list, since I would like to be completely done with my degree before Tanner starts kindergarten.

I have a LOT of new projects that I'm working on, but I will save that for another day and another blog post. I would like to instead talk about something that touched my heart today and really reminded me again of just how blessed I am.

I got home from work and opened a package from a good Etsy friend of mine, beadbug00. I call her Jess when I'm not calling her bead. :)

There were two surprises in my box- a clay pendant that she had made for me that says, "CEL" on it (my Etsy nickname for those of you who don't know). And there was an extra surprise- one of her beautiful glass pendants with a ladybug on a leaf. I've had it hearted in her shop for awhile, and she was just so incredibly thoughtful and generous and I cannot wait to wear her special gift tomorrow.

As I write this I'm wearing a gift pendant from my other dear Etsy friend, Elizabeth (happylake). It's a clay pendant with three frogs on it and I've worn it to work a couple of times and have gotten compliments on it (no surprise!). I have three of her beautiful frog themed pendants, as well as some beautiful flowered pendants. Just look below, you'll see. :)

And then I had a convo from another Etsy friends (my Etsy friends SO rock!). MK (MissKnits) had included me in her Thankful Thursday blog. It was so sweet to be included, and it's a good reminder that you are affecting people when you don't even realize it, good or bad. And it makes me want to strive to always be a positive influence in other people's lives. You can see her blog here. (PS, she has way cute stuff in her shop. I personally love her washcloths and throw-a-fit dolls.)

So today, I'm thankful for all of these things and more. And I will definitely be around more, both on my blog, on CAKE, and the threads now that I have the long and difficult process of the divorce behind me.

LilPink's Purple Friend

Here is another entry in the ACEO Extravaganza. This fun character was created by LilPink and her friend, and she put it on this ultra-cute aceo.

This particular aceo is not for sale, but you can visit her shop here. I happen to be particularly fond of her octopus friends. :)

New Project

I found these authentic Italian tiles and just knew I had to do something with them. They are just beautiful, brilliant colors with glorious gold specks throughout all of them. So bright and happy. So I thought- perfect for wearing!

I'm currently in the process of turning them into pendants, and am waiting for a couple of supplies to finish them up.

The brown is so warm and gorgeous for matching your fall outfits, and the others are perfect for brightening up a dreary day.

Here are a few of them all wrapped and soldered. I was quite pleased with how well they wrapped. I was concerned about the copper foil adhering well to the tiles, but they did wonderfully.

This one has already been designated for my personal use. I love the brilliant gold specks against the pink, and can't wait for the bails that I ordered to come so I can wear this beauty:





These will be in my shop when they are done.

Second ACEO in the extravaganza

Abject Poverty Peru

This next aceo comes from my friend and fellow etsyan, Pat, of SouthhamptonCreations. It is a remarkable portrait drawing of a Peruvian deaf woman and mother of six physically challenged children. To support her children she sells flowers to tourists at a train stop at Machu Picchu.

To read the rest of the story, see the listing in Pat's shop.

ACEO Extravaganza

"Remembering Alex"


The first entry for the ACEO Extravaganza is in, and it is a beautiful one that I just cannot wait to share. The story is so very touching, you might want to grab a kleenex before you continue reading.

This aceo was created using the materials that were provided in the kit from my shop, adding only the yarn to the flower, the blue ribbon and the stickers.

The creator, Melissa, tells the significance of each piece of the aceo here:

* The butterfly--origami folded from a 2.5 x 2.5 square of brown floral paper, represents a free spirit

* The angel holding the rosary--punched from the scrap after trimming the butterfly paper, represents the angel assigned to Alex

* The rosary and "a" stickers are from my supplies--"A" is for Alex, the rosary is his

* The blue ribbon--we lost Alex on Sept 9, blue is September's birthstone color

* The heart is punched from the ACEO blank and mounted on the center of the letter "O" from the kit, will be used to attach a hanging hook

Melissa said that this aceo will hang on her Christmas Tree in memory of the dear baby that was lost to them, and will help to celebrate and remember the baby that was in their lives for a short time.

You can find more of her dear creations at catscradle.

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and to help the cause two wonderful Etsyans, MissKnits and SarahinFlorida, have hosted a challenge calling shops to create items relating to breasts/breast cancer and list them in their shops with the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for a Cure.

54 shops have risen to the challenge so far, and although the challenge doesn't officially start until September 20th, several items have already been listed and sold. In fact, $72 has already been raised, and I know that number will skyrocket in the coming weeks.

I am very happy to participate in the challenge, and have listed several items in my shop, with the hope of adding several more before the 20th. Above, you see the picture of one of the aceo's that I made and is currently for sale in my shop.

If you want to see where the challenge originated, you can visit the thread on Etsy. The thread also contains a list of all of the participating shops as well as the items as they are listed. It will also keep a running tally of the money raised as the items sell.

Very Vintage

I have to admit, my first few months in Etsyland I didn't visit the vintage category very often. Okay, never. I found Etsy because of its handmade pledge, and was so in awe of everything you could find there that had been crafted out of felt and paper and duct tape (oh yes, I just said duct tape) that it took me awhile to discover the wonder that is vintage on Etsy.

And after reading a very intriguing article in Glamour magazine about how vintage is a much greener choice than buying new (it only makes sense) I became that much more interested in vintage.

My Etsy friend JanEleven has such a wonderful assortment of vintage finds that I wanted to share a couple of my favorites here. This is one of a couple hundred photographs that can be found in the black and white book from the reign of Queen Victoria. Each photograph in the book measures 8 x 10 and has a description with it. This is one of the most wonderous things I have seen lately, but alas, it is not in my budget, so I will ogle it until it sells to an appreciative shopper.

Jan also has a neat selection of vintage bracelets. This sterling silver bracelet can be used to hold your personal charm collection, but I personally like it just the way it is.

You can find some non-vintage items in Jan's lovely shop, where she will happily serve up a cup of tea while you browse through her hand painted aceo's. And I think it is so neat how she does them- she does them in sets of four, and I've never seen the same one twice in her shop. She has a wonderful Alice in Wonderland set in her shop currently, but it was too suiting to share her "celebrate" aceo on my blog. Isn't it marvelous?