Teams Treasury

This morning I'm running out the door for my daughter's class and my (fasting - argh!) blood work. No, nothing's wrong - I'm just old apparently and require such things in advance of a routine physical.

Anywho, since I have nothing interesting to say (and am too grumpy and hungry anyway), I'll leave you with my pretty green treasury, which includes someone from each of my beloved street teams!

Coming Soon - Baby Stuff!

Although you wouldn't know it to look at my Etsy shop, birth announcements have always been and continue to be a big part of my offline business. Most of the time, I create a completely custom design for each new mama, but I've lately been channeling a bit of my non-Holiday design energy into creating some stock layouts. In preparation for a client meeting last week, I was able to find some fun new design elements, play around with baby-inspired color schemes, and come up with some initial offerings that I really love. A little more modern than my usual stuff. Here's a sneak peek at a few of my "flowers and pinwheels" layouts.






Look for these designs to show up in the shop sometime after my Holiday line launch at the end of the month! Got feedback? I'd love to hear it!

Stuff I Love - Jewelry Edition

This week has found me struggling with a bit of a creative block (not to mention persistent equipment issues, but that's another post entirely...). After cranking out my back to school selections for Artiste (take a peak at the new stuff here), I've attempted to resume work on my 2008 holiday line, only to find that what's coming out on the page, so to speak, is.... well... let's just say it's "lacking." Given the 100+ degree heat and my self-imposed August 15th deadline for launching the line, perhaps the cards are just stacked against me, but I've had quite a bit more difficulty back getting into a creative headspace this time than I normally would. And procrastination seems to be the order of the day.

And sooooooo... like any self-respecting procrastinatress (ya like that?), I've decided to spend a few minutes here with you playing show and tell with a few of my favorite pretty, girly things, all created by fellow Fabulous Artistic Moms.

These silver hoops by sarawestermark make my heart go pitter-patter:


This family pendant by theprettypeacock would make a fabulous gift for any mom!


These squiggly earrings by merkabajewelry are simply stunning:



I feel like these striking red earrings by PinkfireDesigns would be perfect with almost anything in my closet...


I just adore this ultrafeminine birdie pendant by earthexpressions:


And, sorry, but you can't have these. 'Cause I already do! I just had to show off these fantastic earrings by JGEdgeWear:


Check out the FAM Blog for more beautiful mom-made creations.

And now, back to the drawing board (literally). Have a great Friday!

A Little Bitta Blog Love

This morning I received a lovely little convo from sassalynne saying that she'd featured my cards on her blog. And what an adorable little blog it is too! Rather than wait around for the treasury to open up and spending eons putting together the perfect compilation of items, only to have it expire in a few short days, this resourceful blogger puts together daily, permanent, lovely little mini-treasuries on any theme she fancies that day. And like the real thing, her treasuries always link back to the featured items, so her blog is a great place to grab a quick "best of" when you need a little Etsy fix.

I did a little browsing and this girl's got great taste (ahem - if I do say so myself...). Here's just a screen grab of Wednesday's picks:



(Sorry - apparently that pic's just going to be tiny...). Check out Sassa's Etsy Treasury for yourself and don't forget to leave a little comment love!

Wednesday Eye Candy - Shiny Objects Showcase

I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for something light this morning. Feast your eyes, if you will, on my latest Trunkt showcase.

Guest Vendor with Artiste Congo

Tonight at 9 PM, Artiste Congo is stocking for Back to School and I'm honored to be joining them as guest vendor. Along with several of my best-selling card sets, I'll be offering some fun new college-themed sets that will be sold exclusively through Artiste until the end of the month. Here's a sneak peek:





Although I initially panicked when I heard we were going with a Back to School theme, I confess that I really enjoyed the design challenge and am looking forward to the chance to offer my line through another venue. Thanks to Valerie of Valerie's Gallery for putting me in touch with these talented ladies and to Sue of Pink Lemonade Shop for patiently walking me through the ins and outs of the stocking process. Check out all the Artiste Back to School offerings here and don't forget to "spot" your faves so you can get 'em tonight!

Scavenger Hunt!

Those fabulous FAMs are at it again. Through August 10th, Macaroni and Glue is participating in the Fabulous Artistic Moms street team's Back to School Fling and Scavenger Hunt.


Calling all players! We've got another great game for you - a Back To School (B2S) Scavenger Hunt where each of us have hidden either a little owl in one of our Etsy pics or the text “B2S” in an item description. All you need to do is find one of those owls in five different participating shops, submit your answers to Pandys or AbleMabel and you’ll be entered to win one of several FAMtastic FAMBucks prizes. In addition to the FAM Spring Fling Scavenger Hunt, all purchases made in the participating FAM Shops on Etsy will automatically be entered in the drawing.

HOW TO PLAY:

Each participating Etsy store has hidden the image of our FAM owl (above) or the text “B2S” in one or more of their listing descriptions or listing photos. Find the owl image or text in 5 participating shops and be entered for a chance to win! All purchases made from participating shops during the promotion will also be entered into the drawing.

Send your guesses to: Pandy's or AbleMabel on Etsy and please include the following information:

- Your name
- Your Etsy username (just a quick sign-up if you don't yet have one!)
- Your email address
- The URL to the items where you found the owls or B2S text

The drawing will be held shortly after the end of the event. The winners will be notified by convo or email. All entrants agree to have their names announced in the Etsy forums and on blogs.

PRIZES:

The prizes being awarded are FAM Bucks which are FAM Team coupons used in participating FAM stores on Etsy. FAM Bucks are codes that entitle the bearer to receive discounts in participating FAM stores. FAM Bucks allow the winner to choose their prize from any of the participating FAM stores. What a great prize!

Grand Prize: $100
Runner Up: $50
Honorable Mention: $10

Check out the FAM Blog for a complete list of participating shops!