Sunday, November 29, 2009

Gifts4All with WithOurHands.Artfire.com

I took a pledge this holiday season and that was to shop handmade as much as I could. With the economy hard on everyone, I wanted to support my fellow crafters and artisians. Especially those in the United States of America. Buying american made products is really important to me. It's hard these days to find things in our big box stores not made from outside the USA. With handmade, you can support fellow Americans.

I have a shop on Artfire called WithOurHands. If anyone else wants to join in with the handmade pledge, be sure to check out artfire.com or etsy.com to see all the great products available.

To save 10% off your order, enter coupon code Gifts4All during checkout. Right now most products in our studio are reduced 25-75% off. Save 10% on top of the already reduced prices.


Here is a sampling of what we have available in our shop:


LadyBug Thumbtacks, Set of 4

Jazz up your bulletin board at work or home with this set of four red ladybug thumbtacks.
$3.75

Flower Die Cuts Package

Die Cut flowers - the large flowers are 3" and the medium ones are 2".
Great for scrapbooking embellishments, card making or other craft project.
$3.00



Greeting Card Variety Pack, Set of 10, Your Choice

Why give an ordinary, store-bought greeting card when you can give one made "with our hands"?
Purchase a total of 10 cards from my greeting card listings and I'll reinvoice you for a special rate of 10 cards for US $18.75.



Mini Jello Pudding Notebook

We recycled a Jello Pudding cardboard box and turned it into a cute upcycled Notebook. Great to keep in your purse or car for when you need a little piece of paper. Great for a mini address book.
Measures 1.25" x 1.5". Filled with white paper.
$1.00



Rainbow Kandi Bracelet

Your choice of a Kandi Bracelet made in the colors of the rainbow. If you see a particular one you'd like, let us know and we'll try and fill that request.
$2.50




Holiday Snowman tile Pendant with Chain

Get dressed up for the holidays with this adorable snowman pendant made from an upcycled ceramic tile. Included is a 24" ball-chain necklace.
$6.00




Green Butterfly Fun Adjustable Ring

A fun, butterfly ring. Adjustable in size.
$5.00





Green and Brown Glass Bead Bracelet

Brown, Green and Clear beads adorn this glass beaded bracelet. Made with a stretch cord.
$4.99





Market Bag - Upcycled and Eco-Friendly

This upcycled t-shirt was given new life by being transformed into a recycled market bag. Help save the planet a little at a time by bringing your own bags to the grocery store and farmer's market.
Makes a great book bag also. I use mine for the library and my kids have one for their school bag.
$5.00

Water/Soda Bottle Carrier Holder

Great water bottle carrier for the times when you don't want to use your hands to carry your bottle. Use it when you go to an amusement park/zoo, on a walk or hike, to the gym, yoga class or doing your everyday errands to remind you to get your water in.
This water bottle carrier holds a 16 oz. (or a little larger) bottle. Doesn't have to be a water bottle either - use it for your soda bottle also.
$5.49


Eco-Friendly, Reusable Swiffer Sweeper Dust Pads

Save yourself money with these reusable dusting cloths made to fit your Swiffer Sweeper. Just slide them onto your swiffer and use. Throw them into your laundry or rinse them out in our sink.
$5.00


Imagination at Play Finger Puppets, Set of 3

Imagination is so important for little kids minds. Watch your kids play make pretend with these adorable finger puppets.
You'll receive a set of three puppets.
$6.00




Navy Blue wrist cuff with denim button
Wrist cuff made with navy blue yarn and decorated with a denim button on the front. Wrist cuff closes with one circle button in the back.
The back button is used to close the cuff. You can make it as loose or as tight as you'd like.
$5.00





Crocheted sock for your cell phone, mp3 player, or makeup. Button closure. Measures approx. 5" x 2 1/2" - although it does have a bit of give to stretch a little more. Made with 100% acrylic yarn.
$2.49



Face Cloth Scrubbies, Set of 3
Set of 3 face wash cloths made from 100% cotton yarn. Great for washing your face and removing make-up. These are environmentally friendly, just machine wash and dry them. Reuse them over and over again. The more you wash them, the softer they get.
Great for kids in the bathtub.
$2.00


Yellow, Blue and Green Dishcloth Set with Pot Scrubber

Set of two crochet dishcloths. Made with 100% cotton yarn, double crocheted. Plus, one matching pot scrubber made with netting. Works great on teflon pans without scratching them.
$4.00



Green and Yellow Skinny Scarf with pom poms

Green and yellow thin scarf with pom poms. Hand crochet, 100% Acrylic yarn, 88" long by 1 3/4" wide.
$10.00



Light Green Fringe Scarf

This scarf is so beautiful with it's soft green color. It was double crocheted and is machine washable.
$10.00




Pink and White handbag/purse

Crocheted purse made from 100% cotton yarn. Perfect for adults or for young girls.
This handbag measures 44" long. The purse is 5" x 5 1/2". Made with pink and white yarn. Button is hot pink.
$8.00



Red Wallet, Makeup Bag, Clutch, Envelope

Crocheted "envelope". Use as a wallet, clutch, makeup bag or as a little girl's purse. Measures 5" x 5". Closes with a button.
$4.59





Friday, January 9, 2009

My Name Is Linda And I Make Items For Cats And For Humans Who Love Them



I live in South Burlington with my five cats, Morris (all 20 pounds of him), Brady who is named after the New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, Maggie, and Tom and Jerry. All of them were rescued from a barn, except for Morris.

Ever since I was a young child I have loved to create things. My mother used to make braided rugs and I would sit underneath her treadle sewing machine (no electricity!) and pick up the scraps and make scrap dolls with them.

I like to sew, paint and scrapbook. The one thing I don't like to do is to use other people's patterns. I much prefer making my own designs. I received a Scroll saw for Christmas 2008 so soon I will start making wooden plaques and paint them or wood burn on them.

My Etsy Shop is called All About Cats and I make items for cats and for humans who love them.

Here are pics of some Organic Catnip Bell Toys I've Made:


I also have an All About Cats blog where I write about cats (go figure!), my crafts, Etsy and other Etsy sellers.

In the beginning of 2008 I had never heard of Etsy and I had no idea what a blog was. I've come a long way since then :-)

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

My Name is Heather & I Make Soap

I'm so honored to be the first to post on the Vermont Etsy Street Team Blog! It's so fun getting to know crafters from our gorgeous state. We've all decided to use the first several posts to introduce
ourselves. Here's my story~

Before all other things, I am a mom & wife. My fantastic husband, Gerry Tallman, is an attorney here in Randolph. We have 4 fun kids. Austen is 12, Peter is 11, Cora is 8 & Ella is almost 6. We also have a ginormous yellow lab named Max. He's 3 1/2 & weighs 119lbs.

I've always adored cooking and baking (and eating!) Until 7 years ago, I'd been a part of the foodservice industry for 15 years. I managed restaurants for the first 5 and was a sales rep for Burlington Foodservice Company for the last 10. The best part of that job was becoming friends with some super~talented chefs & foodies. They readily shared all matter of kitchen knowledge which I thought was a blast.

I have also always had a passion for bath & body products. A great 10 minutes in the shower can carry me a long way. Three years ago, I discovered the joy of handcrafting soaps, lotions, bath bombs, salts... I was so hooked! With lots of love & support from my husband & the kids, as well as many wonderful "guinea pig" friends, I launched Twin Birch Bath & Body. I am also so lucky that many local businesses are happy to carry my products.

I have so many favorite products! It's hard to pick one, but right now in the dead of winter, I am loving my Shea & Shimmer Scrub. It is keeping my skin soft and helping me avoid the scalies & itchies of dry winter skin. I make it with organic shea butter and other emollients. It also contains cane sugar as an exfoliant and is made to be used in the shower. I have been able to skip my "after shower lotion" routine since I began using this scrub everyday. I also love the shimmer that stays on my skin and plays with the light. I believe we should all shine inside & out!

Here's to a wonderful 2009 for all of us! Cheers!