Happy Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, I've gone pumpkin orange! I used to love making costumes for the kids and taking them to parties or out trick-or-treating. Those days are long gone, but take a trip down memory lane on your way to all the good candy, and check out my favorite costumes, that I made. The year was 1992. Kyle was 2, Laura just turned 5.

There's nothing scarier than a shark with a pacifier! But Belle has the situation well in hand.

Sad News for the One a Day Challengers

This evening we all learned that one of the original Challengettes, Corinne (Cori) Portalatin, ccdesigns, passed away Monday morning, October 27, from a brain aneurysm. This is such sad and shocking news, and she will be dearly missed. Cori always had a positive word for us all, and offered her expertise in many areas. She made beautiful jewelry, and freely gave tips to us, both in our team thread on etsy and on her blog.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this sad time.

Baby Friendly Beads, Featured Blogger

October's featured Etsy Blogger is Jen, of Baby Friendly Beads and Mama's Magic Studio. Self-professed domestic goddess, she makes necklaces and bracelets for nursing moms and their babies. In her own words, from her profile,

"Baby Friendly Beads are the original, adjustable-length, one-piece design for nursing necklaces. Because there is only one, continuous piece of cord used in my necklaces, there is no risk of the pendant breaking off and scattering beads everywhere."

Nursing Necklace and Bracelet Reminder Set

In Mama's Magic Studio, she makes the cutest fraternal earrings, earrings that are "like fraternal twins...not identical, but definitely a pair."

Knit the Knot Known Fraternal Earrings

Read more about Jen, her family, and her creating in her blog, Mama's Magic Studio.

Coaster Giveaway Winner

I did the drawing tonight, as promised. There were 21 entrants (one was through a convo on etsy), and I used random.org to choose. The winner was a fellow Etsy Blogger member, Tote N Tots. Congratulations!

She is donating the proceeds from her October sales to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, so be sure to check out her shop. I love this elegant tote that was recently listed! (I am way past the diaper bag phase, lol.)

Coaster Experiment Update

Well, thanks everyone for your ideas and opinions after reading about my coaster experiment. The final votes are not in, but the majority thought having some waterproof capability is important. There are a number that really like the idea of reversible coasters.

So, I've decided to make both! I'm calling the reversible coasters, Coffee Mug Coasters, to let everyone know that these are best for hot drinks! I've got some great Christmas fabric and winter fabric that will be fabulous to use when you make that hot chocolate. Don't forget the marshmallows.

The coasters with the waterproof bases will be simply coasters with waterproof, non-slip bases. Check back in the shop often, because I'll be trying to list 1 or 2 sets a day.

And the contest is still open, so if you want to comment on whether you like reversible or waterproof coasters better, you'll be eligible to win a free set (your choice of any in the shop). The contest ends this Thursday at 10 pm, est.

Coaster Experiment and Giveaway

I was so excited! First of all, making quilts, even small ones, takes some time. And they are expensive to buy. I'm always looking for something quick to make, that has a lower price point, to give my shop some diversity. And I found it. I thought. Made these great coasters that are reversible.

Reversible 4" Coasters

But then reality struck. I started testing them out. And since they are cloth, even with two layers of batting, they get wet and eventually soak through. So what to do? I decided to test different types of layers. I tested adding a layer of insul-brite, a batting used in hot pads that has mylar woven through it. I tested a layer of vinyl. I bought a waterproof crib mattress pad, and tested that. And finally, a layer of that grip stuff you line your shelves with made by Con-tact.

Here's what happened with all of them: when enclosed between the fabric and batting, the liquid will soak through the top, and wick around to the bottom, eventually soaking the bottom, and getting your table wet (or at least damp).

Con-tact sheet on left

The final thing that I tried was to sew the con-tact grip sheet directly to the bottom. Voila. Success. The problem here is that now the coasters are not reversible. How important is that anyway?

The bottom line, no pun intended, is that the coasters as originally made, are fine for hot drinks, acting like a small hot pad. But I'm considering adding the waterproof capability to make these little gems more versatile.

What do you think? With or without a waterproof bottom? Let me know in a comment and you'll be eligible for a free set of coasters from Elle Quilts (your choice). Right now, there is only one set, but, hopefully, by next week there will be more choices. I will draw a name using random.org. Just be sure to leave your email (you can email me if you don't want to leave it here...ellen@downthestreetcreations.com), or a link to your etsy shop.

The drawing will be on Thursday, October 23, at 10 p.m. EST.

And thanks for your help!

Monday's Musings

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

~Mark Twain

Happy Columbus Day!

Blog Carnival -- Working for Weight Watchers

It's Blog Carnival time again for the Etsy Bloggers, and the 2 topics we have to choose from deal with work or play. I've decided to write a bit about my current employment (other than etsy, of course). Actually, for most of my adult life, I've multi-tasked... for the last 18 years, I was (mostly) stay at home mom to 2 wonderful kids. But I always seemed to be busy with other things as well, often volunteering, going to school myself or working at a part-time job of some sort.

So, running two etsy shops, in addition to another job really suits my style. And, just what is this other job. I am a Weight Watchers leader. My sister wondered why I would want to tell people that's what I do, because then they would know I had been fat. (One of the requirements for employment with WW is to have been a member, and been successful at weight loss.)

So, yeah, it took me a long time, but I lost 20 pounds. Not a lot of weight, but I struggled and had the same difficulties that people that have much more to lose. I currently run two meetings for the Corporate Solutions side of WW, meaning once a week, I go into a place of business, and run a meeting for their employees. Working for WW sometimes feels like a volunteer job, as the pay is, well, nothing I'm going to get rich from. But giving people the support they need, and educating them about healthy eating has been very rewarding.

I have some awesome members, that often thank me when they lose weight. But really, they have done the hard work themselves. Because, as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. And that is the flip side that can be frustrating. For every successful members that I have, there are 3 more that find themselves unable to make the necessary changes.

Sometimes I wish I had a magic wand that I could wave over every person that wants to lose weight and, Poof!, they were thin. But if I can help a few find the motivation within to make changes and lose weight, then the job is worth it.

I've Been Tagged!

I'm really thrilled in an odd kind of way, perhaps, for a woman of my age, but I've been tagged by fellow blogger purlyshells to divulge 6 secrets about myself. So what don't you know? Well, probably pretty much, but here goes...

1. I love to be part of the group! Which I guess explains why I'm thrilled to be tagged to do this little blogging exercise. There is a down side to this little characteristic, in that I tend to be a people pleaser, putting myself at the end of the line, but that's another topic. But to paraphrase Sally Fields from her Oscar acceptance years ago, "You like me!" OK, you don't really even know me, but that's beside the point. :)

2. I love maps! I have loved poring over maps since I was a little girl, and about 8 years ago, I earned my Associate's Degree in Geography. I hadn't really intended to get the degree, but just wanted to see if I liked going back to school enough to get my Master's. (I already have a Bachelor's degree in psychology.) Well, never got the master's, but got the Associate's.

3. I've lived in Prague. From 1993-1998, Roland and I and the kids packed everything up and the cat, and moved to Prague. Roland worked for an American law firm, and I held down the fort, managing the kids, the navigating, and the shopping. I spoke Czech very badly, but could make myself understood. Scary at times, but 110% rewarding. I recommend living out of the United States, for at least a short time, for every American citizen. Dobry den!

4. I've won ribbons for smocking at the State Fair of Texas. One was an Honorable Mention, and one was Third Place, as I recall.

5. I attended an elementary school reunion last month. It was held the same day as my 30th high school reunion. Sounds kind of strange, and while I had not seen this group of people in at least 30 years, and probably longer, we all reconnected, and had a great time.

6. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while I have been fortunate to not have had this disease, like many people, my life has been touched by those women who have. In 2000, in honor of my turning 40 that year, I walked 60 miles in the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk, from Frederick, Maryland to Washington, DC. It was one of the most meaningful events that I have ever participated in.

And now, tag!, you're it...

the gaudy goddess
Bead Flora and Jewels
Sleepy Mama Times
Rainy Day Art
Tulip's Treasure Box

Happy Birthday, Heather

I've decided to feature Challengettes in their birthday month, and before September ends, I want to introduce you to Heather of BeadifulBaublesSC, and wish her Happy Birthday! Heather is one of the jewelry makers in the One a Day Challenge Team. She joined just this past July, and shortly after she joined made a move from Michigan to California, so she has been one busy girl. She has 2 small children and a husband with a budding country music career, so life can be hectic, but she finds time to make some beautiful pieces. Here's a couple to tempt you with:

Joey & Aleethea, Featured Blogger

This month's featured blogger for the Etsy Bloggers is Sandra of Joey & Aleethea. What is her shop all about? In her own words, from her profile, "Joey & Aleethea™ is a super cutesie boutique for baby boys, baby girls and their peeps!"

And cute it is! Check out these favorites from her shop!

Besides making adorable things for babies and their peeps, and taking care of her own family, Sandra is the Admin and Team Leader for the Etsy Bloggers. She also gives back by donating a portion of her profits from Joey & Aleethea to the March of Dimes. If you want to read more about Sandra and her busy life, check out her blog.

Midnight Blue for the Evening

I've decided to do a second Blog Carnival for the etsy bloggers this month, they are always so fun and thought provoking. The topic I'm choosing is to pick a favorite color and show it in your work.

Probably the color that I always answer in the "favorite" question is blue. I really love just about any shade of blue, but in honor of the high school reunion I'll be attending this weekend, the showcased "blue" will be the midnight blue that was the color of my '66 Mustang I drove my senior year. OK, disclaimer... when I bought the car for $600, it was a lovely bronze-y color. My dad and I repainted it ourselves the said midnight blue. Sadly, no picture of it here, but it's pretty darn close to the color of this little evening bag. (The golden butterflies are a pretty good representation of my car's former color.)


What high school reunion is this? There are a couple clues in this post, and maybe in other posts... can you guess?

Note (added 9/16/08): Went to my 30th high school reunion over the past weekend. The 66 mustang was very used by the time I bought it in 1978. I think my clues were much too subtle, lol.

Quiltsy Team Trunk Show Sept. 22

I've just recently joined the Quiltsy team in an effort to give my new second shop some more love (and well needed promotion). This team includes a busy bunch of gals who are so talented, and make so many different kinds of quilted items. You can find quilted postcards, handbags and tote bags, pot holders, wall hangings and, of course, the most beautiful quilts of all sizes.

They are participating in an etsy trunk show on September 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET, and I want to help spread the word to some of my friends that might not know too much about quilting. I'm not totally sure about how this all works, but check out the post here from Originials by Lauren. She explains it so much better than I can. And definitely check out the shops of Quiltsy that are listed in one of her more recent posts.

A Blog Giveaway

What? A blog giveaway? Well, not here, though I've been thinking about doing one. Maybe later this month. But over at my friend and fellow One a Day Challenger, Cori's blog. Cori has her shop, ccdesigns, filled with gorgeous jewelry, and she is giving away a pair of earrings. Head over to her blog, Designs by Cori, and post a comment. She wants you to take a look in her shop, too, and give her a little critique. Not too much to ask for some free earrings.

Here are a couple pieces that I love that are in her shop right now:

I'll Never Forget the Beach

It's blog carnival time again for the etsy bloggers, and the topic I'm choosing this month is "something I did as a child that I will always remember." Well, you could interpret that as one specific moment in time, but the event that was a constant in my life was going to the beach in Galveston, Texas.

When I was just a toddler, my maternal grandparents moved from Dallas to Seabrook, Texas. We went to visit them at least once or twice a year, maybe even more. And Seabrook was not really that far a drive to Galveston. Of course, you passed through the scenic Texas City with all its refineries, but that's a topic for another day.

Me, with my mom and dad

Those were the days... you could drive on the beach! I don't think we missed a summer between 1962 and 1975. Maybe even later. Of course I got older, and didn't go as often. Then I was off to college. Sometime in the early '80s, my grandparents moved north to Plano, tired of hurricane evacuations, and wanting to be closer to my mother and my uncle.

But, how could I ever forget the endless hours of sandcastle building,

dripping the wet sand, ever so carefully, from fingertips, to make the turrets of the castle.

And anyone who ever visited Galveston in the 60s and the early 70s will never forget the trips to the gas station to get gasoline to remove the tar from your feet. Or what about rinsing off the sand in the car wash that was on the beach. Put in the quarter and run through, squealing with delight as the cold, fresh water rinsed off the sand and salt.

My weren't we skinny back then?! So, thank you, etsy Bloggers, for this trip down memory lane, remembering an important family time in my life. My grandparents have long since passed away, but the memories I have from my childhood are with me still.

This Weeks Excitement

Okay, I know. I've been MIA from this blog. But I had a good reason. Really. Last weekend (wow, has a whole week gone by) Roland and I drove Kyle up to Nashville, and helped him move into his dorm at Vanderbilt. Our nest is officially empty. But doesn't he look happy in his new room!



So, this week I've been recovering. Just two WW meetings, but one of them was a Week 1 and that always means more organizing, more paperwork, and more stress... emails, phone calls, etc.

Then there was the trails of debris left from all the packing for the above mentioned move. I haven't really even made a dent, but it's not going anywhere.

My biggest etsy excitement was an appearance on the front page! And it all had to do with my membership as an Etsy Blogger! Admin wrote a Storque article on the Etsy Bloggers, and along with it, featured us on the front page! After much fumbling about, I managed to get a screen grab:

My goals for this week:

1) A daily listing for my new shop, Elle Quilts
2) Reconnecting with the Etsy Bloggers Message Board. I'm sure there's a blog carnival to be written.
3) Reconnecting with the Etsy Host Team.

Featured Etsy Blogger -- Tulip's Treasure Box

When most people think of B&B, they think bed and breakfast. When Lily, of Tulip's Treasure Box, thinks of those letters, I would bet that she thinks beading and blogging! I recently had the pleasure of working with Lily on an apron project that I made for her, and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her.

I'm always interested in knowing how artists get their start in their chosen craft. Lily started her beading journey only a year and a half ago when she stumbled into a beginner's bead class. It was not quite the beading experience that she had hoped for, but took more classes, practiced, learned from mistakes, joined a beader's guild, and you can see in her shop that it all paid off.

I asked her the typical "what inspires you" question, and Lily is inspired by the usual: other artists, nature, books. But, in her own words, "I am also inspired by the hunt for my supplies. Starting a new project is like a blank painter's canvas, and you get to be the one to conceive." She enjoys seeing her work in progress in photographs, and often blogs about the process from start to finish, both in words and pictures. Reading her blog, Tulip's Talking, is educational and inspirational, both.

Finally, I wanted to find out what she likes to do besides beading, and she admitted that she is "deeply addicted" to beading! But she also LOVES to be out on the water, and living near the coast of Florida gives her that opportunity. You can see the influences that the water and sea life have on her art.

So, stop in Tulip's Treasure Box and see what's new, and you will thoroughly enjoy reading her blog!

Happy Belated Birthday, Bittersweeets!

All About Knitting?

It's blog carnival time again, and our choice was grilling or reading. I like to fire up the grill as much as the next girl... no heat in the kitchen, maybe the man doing the cooking, etc., but I'm more a slap a steak (or chicken) on the grill without regard to marinades and fuss. But I love to read, and while I don't read as many books as I would like to (or as quickly), I am constantly reading something.

Right before we left for vacation, I picked up a book that I thought would be easy reading and kind of fun. You know, a "beach" read. And, I'm usually late to jump on the bandwagon, preferring to wait until a book comes out in paperback. So, many of you crafty ladies (and men?) may have already read the book, The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs, published last year. It really touched me though, and felt it deserved a review.

The Knitting Club is about Georgia Walker, a single mom with a preteen daughter, living in Manhattan, and the owner of a yarn shop. A knitting "club" has evolved in the shop on Friday nights, yet the book is about so much more than the shop and the club. It is about friends and relationships, and interactions both past and present. It is about how we see ourselves and others, and what we want, need and expect from these relationships. And, above all, it is about a need to connect in a time when a lot in our lives seems unconnected and lonely.

The book touched a nerve in me, because, as I've made friends on etsy, especially with the Challengettes, but also with the Etsy Bloggers, and others, I have found a connection that started with our crafting and our art, but ultimately has lead to caring so much more about each other. Many of us would seem to be as different as night and day, as well, but we have connected and have found a kinship of sorts, a common spirit.

So was The Friday Night Knitting Club the light, "beach" read I was expecting. On the surface, yes, but it is not hard to move into the deeper meanings in the book. And Kate Jacobs is a beautiful writer, I'm looking forward to reading more from her. She has a website, so check her out for yourself.

Trying a New Craft

I like to do crafts. Always have. I don't like doing the same thing over and over, which may not make the best business sense. On etsy, some of the more successful sellers seem to find their niche and become apron queens, or scrabble pendant makers, or make lots of tote bags. Once I conquer a design, pattern, or technique, I'm ready to move on. Well, instead of fighting it, I recently embraced the itch to try something new.

Inspired by one of my fellow challengettes, Jennifer of iWunder, and her beautiful yarn, I began to wonder if I could learn to crochet. Before we left for our Tennessee vacation, I headed to Michaels, and stocked up on "how to" books, a kit with multiple sizes of hooks, yarn and crocheting thread. With no sewing machine in the hotel room, I began the journey. Here are a few pictures of my early efforts. Oh, and youTube come in pretty handy, too. The rectangles are rows of different stitches, which I am not sure are entirely right. They look a little lumpy to me.

The etsy Hookers have nothing to worry about. I'm not ready to start competing with them... yet. The little pink flower below (or a similar one) will be showing up on an ACEO very soon.

Full disclosure. Sometime in my previous life, I learned a little bit about crocheting. But it had to be at least 25 years ago, maybe more. I even came across a crochet hook that I already owned. I think I used it for some other sewing thing though.