Tulip's Treasure Box

Today, I'm featuring another Etsy shop owner and fellow member of Etsy Bloggers...


Lily, owner of Tulip's Treasure Box and fellow member of Etsy Bloggers, has a wonderful variety of treasures, including tote bags made from recycled T-shirts and intricately-beaded jewelry. Here's a small sampling of her wares:

You can also check out Lily's blog called Tulip's Talking. You'll see posts on a variety of subjects, such as travel and her creative hobbies. The the photography is spectacular!

So please come explore all that Tulip's Treasure Box has to offer to you.

Have a great day!

Spring Cleaning Time

I know it's not really Spring any more, but I've never been on the same schedule as everyone else. So why should this be any different? :p

I've decided it's time to narrow my focus a bit, and tidy up my shop. To accomplish this, I decided to create a Clearance section in my Etsy store. Everything has been marked down, so grab it while you can!

Here's a sampling of the items you'll find. (Just click the image to visit my Clearance section):

Stinky Feet

Today, I've decided to feature the new Etsy treasury one of my online buddies, MFCrafts, got today. With the weather so hot here in Northern California, the idea of bare feet (preferably not of the stinky variety!) is very appealing! Here's the treasury:

To check out this cool treasury, and give it some love, just click the image. And to visit MFCraft's shop, just click her shop name.

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie!

From time to time, I hope to feature a shop I really like. Today's featured shop is MiniPlants.

I've always loved really detailed miniatures, and am even building (very slowly) and 1":1' scale dollhouse. Eventually, I plan to collect really nice miniatures for it, and this shop has just the type of quality I'm looking for. I can't wait until I'm ready to start mini-shopping!

I think what got me started on this project is CSI: Las Vegas...believe it or not! The miniature room tableaus in the "miniature killer" episodes were amazing! Here are some snaps I found on the internet to give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

Howard Family Reunion

Here's a totally non-business post, just to change things up a bit...

On Saturday, August 16, 2008, (which also happened to be my birthday) I attended the Howard Family Reunion in San Jose, CA. (The Howard branch of my family descended from George Washington Howard and his wife Georgia.)

There were about twenty-four of us there, which was a nice size for my parents' backyard. We had a ton of food and it was really nice reconnecting with relatives I don't see very often. And all my little cousins are so cute!

It took me a few attempts at the names because things get a little confusing here and there, but here's a photo of the group (just click on it to zoom in)...

Swirly Treasury on Etsy!!!

As all my fellow Etsyians know, getting a treasury on the main Treasury is REALLY tough, so I'm really excited to announce...

I got one!!! Woohoo!!!

I love spirals and swirls, and there were so many beautiful ones, it was really tough choosing my favorites!

This treasury expires on the morning of Monday, August 25th. So if you get a chance, please take a peek, and maybe leave a comments and some clicks, will you?
(Just click on the image here --->>>)

Have a wonderfully swirly day!

Etsy Bloggers Featured on the Storque!

I recently joined the Etsy Bloggers street team, a group of bloggers from around the world. I haven't been very involved yet, but my involvement is increasing, I'm happy to say.

Recently this team was honored by a Spotlight article on Etsy's Storque. We're so excited! To read the article, just click on the image (which was on Etsy's front page!) above.

Gamble Gardens

As you may have noticed, I love flowers... Alot! Yesterday, I went for a walk during my lunch break over to Gamble Gardens (in Palo Alto, CA). So much was blooming, I couldn't help but take a bunch of photos. Here are a few of my favorites:

I'm toying with the idea of creating some new note card sets using some of the photos I took. I'm thinking of the following themed sets: Sunflowers, Dahlias, and possibly a mixture of flowers.

What do you think? Would any of these sets be of interest to you? Would you like to suggest a different set of cards? (Each set consists of eight cards, two each of four images)

Have a great day!

Flower Pens

Hi Everyone,

I thought it was time to add some color to my blog, by introducing you to my flower pens. I made them all by hand, and the pens I use are Bic Round Stic Medium Point.

I've had a lot of fun looking through all the silk flowers in the shops I go to, then choosing only the very nicest ones for my pens.

I hope you enjoy them, and that they bring a little light and color into your life.

Cheers!

SF Etsy is Featured on the Storque!

Looks like my San Francisco area Etsy street team, known at SF Etsy, has finally made the big time! (Well, sort of.)

We are so honored to be featured in an Etsy Storque article today! Just click here to read about us.

We had so much fun at our first Handcrafter Faire in Los Gatos, we're having another one in November. You can read a recap of our first faire by clicking here. Jen Johnson, of BF Beads, was kind enough to put it together for us. Thanks Jen!

I'm Famous!

Heather, also known as "MooseBerryHill" on Etsy, featured my shop during her online radio show yesterday! I knew she was going to mention Treasures by Tina, but she went far beyond that and described my shop, announcing my first Etsyversary. It was really nice! And I enjoyed listening to her show, where she chatted with a fellow crafter named Bunny about crafting, family, and more. It was very entertaining! :)

Thanks so much Heather/MooseBerryHill!

I'm Shop of the Week!

I just found out I was selected as Shop of the Week on the Naptime Crafts blog! I feel so honored! You can read her post about me here: http://naptimecrafts.blogspot.com/ Please visit Naptime's shop. She's got wonderful cards, tags, and knitted items!


And now for my newest pillow. I just finished this cutie last night:

Once again, I stitched this by hand, using repurposed designer fabric (and tassel!) samples.

Have a wonderful day!

Opinions, Please...

Today I'm asking for your opinion.

As you know, I've been hand sewing pillows using repurposed designer fabric samples. People seem to like them, but I haven't sold any yet.

Why is this? Do I need to adjust the pricing up or down? Are the colors or styles not popular?

To take a look at my pillows, just click the image and you'll be taken directly to my Etsy shop so you can see full item descriptions and closeups.

I'd really appreciate as many opinions as I can get on this.

Have a wonderful day! :)

Dining By Candlelight

“The candle’s bright.
It’s just been lit.
At the table it’s time to sit.”
CMA

“By the peaceful light of the candles,
The family dines calmly in silence.”
CMA

Ah, the light of a candle…

Who doesn’t love the soothing, peaceful feeling that arises when a candle is burning? Candlelight can set a mood unlike any other form of light. My parents always burned candles at the dining room table at meal-time when I was a child. It was a small daily ritual: First, my father would get the matches down from the top of the fridge, where they were safe from us little ones. Then he lit the candles, blew out the match, and tossed it in the kitchen sink. Next, he turned down the overhead lights. Once this happened, we knew Mom would bring our plates of food out shortly. The light was relaxing to us at the end of the day, and it signified the beginning of the calm of the evening. Candlelight at the dinner table encouraged us to slow down, unwind, and savor every bite of our food.

In addition to the lighting provided by the candles on the dining room table, the candles were a part of the décor even when they were not burning. My mother always placed the candles in decorative holders, which were usually surrounded by freshly cut flowers from the garden. Her choice of candle color varied with the season and the rest of the décor, as she always tried to coordinate them with the flowers and place settings on the table. As the dining room was in the front of the house, this was the first thing visitors always saw when they walked in the front door… A warm, inviting space.

Tina’s Tip: Always place your candles on something that will protect your furniture from drips and stains from the wax dye. A small saucer will usually do the trick.

It's My First Etsyversary!

Woohoo! August 4th was my first anniversary at Etsy. (I like to call it my Etsyversary.)

To celebrate, I'm offering YOU a ...

*************** SPECIAL OFFER!!! **************
I joined Etsy on August 4, 2007.

To celebrate my first Etsyversary, through Friday, August 8th, buy any two of my hand-sewn pillows and receive a set of my notecards FREE!!! (Just add your choice of notecards, normally priced at $10, in the notes section when you order and I'll include them. :)
*************************************************

Here are the pillows I've created so far:

And here are the photo notecard sets (each set contains two each of four different images):

For more photos or information on any of these items, just click the picture.

Have a wonderful day!

My Latest Pillow

Well, I just finished yet another pillow.


This one is light yellow with darker yellow bands. I sewed it by hand, using repurposed designer fabrics. I hope you like it. :)

I'm really enjoying creating these. I love rooting through my big stash of designer fabric samples from Fabmo to pick out the material I want to use for my next project. It also feels really good knowing I'm repurposing/recycling items that would otherwise be thrown away. Thanks Fabmo for rescuing all these wonderful materials!