Focus on... SimplyInvitingCards

• Tell us who you are… what makes your crafty passion tick…

My name is Jen, I'm 33 (almost 34) years old, married to my very awesome husband, Rusty, and dog-mom to our Bluetick Coonhound, Blaster, and our newest addition, a Basset Hound/Brittany mix named Ally. We call Manhattan, Kansas our home, but we like to hit the road pretty often. After all, it is Kansas! Not much happenin' here.

Paper crafting aside, I'm into music, movies, concerts, aquariums, foreign languages, travel, shopping, painting, mixed media and collage. I also enjoy watching college sports and pro football with Rusty. My convoluted creative journey goes pretty far back in life, beginning with a French Horn at age 9 and ending up with a paper penchant in my 30's. My creative spirit has taken on different forms at different points in my life, but I've always had to be creating something.

What makes my crafty passion tick? Hmm. I guess my craft does double-duty. I make things I enjoy and they are often given to people who will appreciate them. I also have something of a need to create things that make you go "ahhhhh". At the end of the day, if I have inky fingers and a messy table, then it's a good day.

• Who, or what inspires your creations?

Lots of random things, really. I most often let inspiration come to me, but there are things that I most often find inspiring. Imperfection inspires me. Any surfaces or objects that are somehow distressed, worn, tarnished, antiqued, torn, rough and tattered. Conversely, I find clean lines and streamlined silhouettes inspiring as well. I am also inspired by color combinations inspired by natural elements and undertones - dramatic skies, sprawling landscapes, animal markings - as well as trendy and progressive color combinations.

• What item do you like to work on the most and why?

My word-shape albums. They've always found a perfect home!

• What do you do besides working on your passion and shop?

I freelance for a small, niche arts and entertainment newspaper based out of Pasadena, CA called Irish News & Entertainment. I basically handle the pagination and design of many of the advertisements.

• What is something that you don’t do well that you’d like to do better?

Draw. It is an essential skill that all artists can continually improve and benefit from. Keeping my studio organized is pretty essential to me. All that, and I could stand to drink more water, too.

• Do you have favorite Etsy peeps?

I do, but there are too many to name, and their creative styles pretty much run the entire spectrum! My favorite Etsy peeps - too many to name, in fact - are those who put joy, heart and soul into their creations.

• What’s your fav thing about Etsy?

Just one fave thing? That's tough. But to sum it up I'd have to say: "All the wonderfully nice, knowledgeable, and talented people that have helped transcend my Etsy experience beyond just selling".

• One tip you could give, about life, about Etsy, about the weather…

Life is too short to not do something you enjoy. After all, what would you want to look back and remember?

Look what I found today, import Virtual Labs to your google calendar...

I can't believe I haven't seen this before.  Maybe it's because until now, the calendar on the Community Page of Etsy annoyed me.  This is really going to help me to plan my week and not miss the important labs.  I am not in the Eastern Standard time zone, and when you add the labs calendar to your Google calendar it automatically changes to your time zone!  

Sweet niblets, where have I been?  Apparently living under a ROCK!  As usual... lol.

If you have been living under a rock too, first I promise I won't tell.  Next, go to the Community tab on Etsy, on the calendar there is a cute little button that says "+Google Calendar".  Click on that and it will give you prompts.  You can add Virtual Labs, Etsy Team Events, or both!  I opted for just the labs.  

And viola!  Now you're cool too!  :D

Mini Gallery; Rustic Spring Wedding by guest HeatherJaneDesign

A big "thank you" to Heather Jane from HeatherJaneDesign for putting together this Mini Gallery!

Focus on... beadsandbotanicals

Sally: Tell us who you are… what makes your crafty passion tick…

Carla: I like rocks. A lot. I get fired up about the legends of stones, the possibilities with stones, the colors, textures and variety of stones. They seem alive to me, and that is very exciting.

Sally: Who, or what inspires your shop?

Carla: I’m constantly in awe of entrepreneurs. Doesn’t matter if they sell handcrafted alpaca-fiber ponchos or car parts. There is something magical about those who are passionate about what they do, and committed to taking good care of their customers.

Sally: What item/ product do you like to work with the most and why?

Carla: The gemstone beads are my faves, of course. I also really enjoy working with packaging and promotional items that go in with each shipment. The colorful tissue, ribbon, thank you stickers and other items that go in each box are fun to work with.

Sally: What do you do besides working on your passion and shop?
Carla: I’m a free-lance writer as well as a “bead lady.” I write about non-profit and public organizations that help people. As often as possible, I spend time on the hiking trails and beaches of the Lake Michigan shore.

Sally: What is something that you don’t do well that you’d like to do better?

Carla: Dance. Look good in a bathing suit. Wind surf. Speak HTML.

Sally: Do you have favorite Etsy peeps, or an item that you keep coming back to?

Carla: I’m addicted to the hair bands and fabulous personality of Marisa at www.purplelicious.etsy.com.

Janelle at www.scrapwithstyle.etsy.com is amazing, and I’m not sure I could ever thank her enough for the time she gave to me, a stranger, to help me get settled in as an Etsy seller. She also carries awesome grosgrain ribbon.

Sally: What’s your fav thing about Etsy?

Carla: Etsy is a wonderful place to find people I didn’t even know I was looking for. By maintaining a shop, keeping it stocked and updated, I find new customers, new mentors, and new inspiration.

Sally: One tip you could give, about life, about Etsy, about the weather…

Carla: I wish I could say, “don’t sweat the small stuff.” But I do sweat the small stuff. A lot. I think it is the little things that allow us to add quality and value to our customers’ lives. Whether it be pretty packaging, super-prompt shipping, a convo to notify the customer when the item will ship, or helping someone find a source for something I don’t carry, the small stuff helps me let customer know they are very much appreciated. 

Enjoying the weather...

I haven't been on my blog for a few days because we have some gorgeous weather!  I know I have to enjoy it while it's here...