Giveaway Time! WIN a Daleks Have the Phone Box Gift Set from us in celebration of the Doctor Who Anniversary!

I couldn't very well let the big Doctor Who anniversary go by without offering up a box of goodies! One lucky winner will receive a Daleks Have the Phone Box gift soap set ($8.50 retail value). A soap dalek a day keeps The Doctor away! (Which, is actually kinda bad, because I'd be really, really happy if Matt Smith showed up at my house right now!) Enter below or on our Facebook page - hosted through Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday Spotlight: Sampler Village

The Sunday Spotlight is technically a Tuesday spotlight this week, but that doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely. Apologies again for the delay, I had a wicked sinus/chest infection that knocked me on my butt for a few days. This week we're interviewing Traci, the creator of Sampler Village.

For those of you not familiar, Sampler Village is a sort of gift-box purchasing system where you get to try a bunch of handmade goodies from artists all over. Artists donate products to the boxes, which are comprised of multiple samples from participating artists. Each month a new themed box is available for purchase - December's will be Holiday Sparkle -, and buyers receive a mixed box of surprise goodies to try out. (Not nearly as complicated as I think I just made it sound!)

Tell us a little about yourself:

Hello! My name is Traci Porczynski and I founded Sampler Village in Sept. 2009. I have been happily married for 24 years to my hubby Tad and we have 2 amazing boys, Lukas and Seth. I also have 2 fabulous dogs, Magnus & Bruiser.

I have been a WAHM ever since Lukas was born (that was over 19 years ago!). I started Sampler Village 4 years ago with the hopes of supporting small handmade businesses. Sampler Village is fun and unique way of getting your product out potential customer to try and enjoy. The samplers go on sale each month filled with amazing handmade samples of all kinds from our "Villagers" (we refer to our participates as Villagers). SV has been growing each year and it is just a lot of fun. I have met so many talented and outstanding people along the way and I expect to meet a lot more!

Tell us about Sampler Village, and what inspired you to start it:

Sampler Village is a gathering of crafters and artisans that send in samples of their handmade products to be included in our monthly samplers. I was inspired by the many handmade crafters and artisans looking for a fun and unique way of advertising. Being part of Sampler Village is so much more then just sending samples, you become part of a large supportive “village” that cares about the success of you and your small business.

Carnival Sampler Boxes

How can our readers participate in Sampler Village?

We have tried to make it as easy as possible to sign up and participate with Sampler Village. Please stop by our Villager Information and Sign Up page at http://samplervillage.com/pages/villagerform.htm

How can an artist stand out in the market today?

Creating and offering a great product with unique style and design will help you stand out. If selling online, amazing photos of your products are a must! Eye-catching photos of your product will be what grabs a potential customers attention.

How do you define art?

Art to me is anything created with unique style and design using your own individual talents.

Handmade Harvest Logo Sampler

What inspires you every day?

The amazing crafters and artisans that I have the pleasure to work with each day. So much talent out there just waiting to be discovered!

Have you had any crafting mishaps/disasters/funny stories?

Haha, first disaster (and hopefully last) happened during the sale of our Holiday Samplers 2 years ago. We had such a rush of customers that my cart could not keep up with the sales and ended up overselling the samplers by 5. I was devistated that I had to tell 5 people about the mistake. Every since then, I have made sure to hold back a couple from inventory, must in case :)

What artists do you admire?

I admire all the handmade artisans out there. Creating handmade items with individual talents is just awe-inspiring to me.

Witches Brew Sampler

What do you think the biggest challenges are for handmade artists?

Being unique. Having your “own” style and unique design are very important. 
 

What else do you enjoy in your spare time?

My family, my pets, crafting and of course shopping!

You can find Sampler Village all over the internet... I don't usually do link lists in our Sunday Spotlights, but I really want to encourage everyone to see how involved the whole process is!

• WEBSITE: http://www.SamplerVillage.com/
• ETSY: http://www.SamplerVillage.etsy.com/
• FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/SamplerVillage2
• FACEBOOK LOVE GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/group/SamplerVillageLove
• TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/SamplerVillage
• PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/SamplerVillage
• INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/samplervillage
• NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/ywEt1
• BLOG: http://www.SamplerVillage.blogspot.com/

What is YOUR favorite item that you’ve made?

Years ago my mom and I made Panoramic Sugar Eggs for Easter, they are my all time favorite item that we made, they were beautiful!

With the fall and winter holidays coming, share with us YOUR favorite holiday, and one of your favorite holiday traditions:

I love Easter! When I little I used to get a Sugar Egg in my Easter Basket, it was always my favorite item in the basket, so I carry on that tradition with my 2 boys. They each get a sugar egg in their Easter Baskets.

Meet Traci!

Give your words of wisdom to other artisans and crafters:

Do what you LOVE! The old saying is true If you do what you love, you never work a day in your life! I am blessed to “work” with so many wonderful people each day, I love what I do and wish that love to everyone!

A big thank you from us to Traci for graciously answering all of our questions this week! (And quickly, too!) She is also offering $5 off your next -or first- Sampler purchase when you sign up for the Newsletter!

There are a lot of companies out there trying to get into the sample box business. Based not just on my time speaking with her, but on the glowing reviews she has received from other box contributers, I highly recommend speaking with her first if you're an artist looking to participate in this sort of experience!  As a shopper, this is a great way to support handmade artists and try something new - or treat a friend or family member! It is a lot of fun to get a box of surprises in the mail. 

Sunday Spotlight Delay

Sorry everyone, but I've been terribly sick the last two days and I haven't completed arranging this week's Sunday Spotlight in time. This week's article will come out on Tuesday, barring any catastrophes here and will extend an extra featured week. Please check back then! :)

Say No To Shopping On Thanksgiving! (In stores, anyway!)

For the first time, my company is opening the doors on Thanksgiving Day. I actually left my last day job because it had gotten to the point where the ONLY day we closed was Christmas, and I really wanted to have some of my holidays back with my family.

I know some people will say, "but not EVERYONE can stay home on the holidays! Hospitals, fire departments, police departments (et al.) NEED to be open and they have to work!"

Yes, this is true. And for those people I am truly grateful. However they also entered their profession knowing full well there was a NEED for their service, potentially any of the 365 days each year. 

There is no absolute NEED for retail stores to be open any sort of prime hours for Thanksgiving. Restaurants? Maybe. I say take a vote and see if there are enough employees willing to work for 1.5x pay on that day and go from there. Supermarkets? Sure. Open from 8am to noon for those emergency "I forgot the cranberry" shoppers and then bar the doors. Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part, and it costs more to keep the store open for the occasional $2 sale than you'll even make that day.

Retail stores opening on Thanksgiving Day has come down to one thing: Greed. The need to be "first" and have just one extra second at getting extra dollars in the door. 

But here's the reality. In that weekend alone - "Black Friday" through the weekend - there will be MORE SHOPPERS out there than you will have enough product to supply at those prices. You're not going to miss any sales, you just may not be the FIRST destination. 

Let's say MegaMart1 has a TV on sale for $300. They open at 6am and have enough TVs for only 50 people. 200 show up hoping to get the TV. 150 leave disappointed. They don't stick around and browse just for the hell of it - they rush to the next store with the next best deal. MegaMart2 has the SAME TV on sale for the SAME PRICE. They open at 7am. Those disappointed shoppers from the first store are ALREADY over at store #2, hoping to catch the deal there. And so it will continue for the rest of the day. You could stay open until Midnight on Black Friday, and anyone that has ever worked retail will tell you, people will STILL be coming in looking for the magical $300 TV.

But that's not good enough. The next year, MegaMart2, not to be upstaged by MegaMart1, opens at 5am. And the same scenario plays out. The year after that, MegaMart1 opens at midnight on Thanksgiving instead, etc, etc. Until the cycle has now crept into full-on Thanksgiving Day.

I think we need to take back our holidays. Maybe not everyone celebrates the same days, but how many occasions are there where MOST businesses are closed. Schools are closed. Banks and government offices are closed. This may be one of only a few days a year that these families ALL have the same day off coincide. Let them have that day. You don't need another TV 6 hours earlier. It can wait, at least until the next day, and we need to teach retailers that by NOT using our dollars that day. 

I'm getting off my soapbox now - I have a family to spend more time with.

Sunday Spotlight: DreamRaes

Happy Sunday everyone! Also, happy first weekend of November (it's getting chilly here, even for Florida!), and happy Daylight Savings Time day (go fix your clocks, if you haven't done that yet!). It's also time for a new Sunday Spotlight! This week we're chatting with Raedin from DreamRaes.

Dreamcatcher Dangle Earrings With Chain by DreamRaes on Etsy

 Remember dreamcatchers? If you don't still have one, you probably did at some point in your life. I love them, as I think the sentiment of having something to give you good dreams is a lovely idea, and Ms. Raedin makes some rather stunning dreamcatchers by hand.

Tell us a little about yourself, your craft, and how you got started:

I'm the not so typical 30 year old who doesnt want to grow up I suppose. I always wanted to do something I was passionate about, but few things could hold my attention. I fell into dreamcatchers by chance.I wanted one for my room, and I was bored enough to try and make it myself!

What inspires you every day?

I'm inspired by the beautiful world we live in. There's beauty everywhere, in everything, you just have to be able to see it, or want to see it. I grew up in Quartz Valley, CA which is in Siskiyou County, at the very tip top of California. It is a small rural area surrounded by mountains. Mountains filled with lakes, rivers, flowers, wild animals and everything beautiful the world has to offer. I spent a lot of time hiking and exploring the mountains growing up. When you finally reach the top of the mountain, after hours and hours of hiking and 

sweating and thinking you were never gonna make it to the top.. you come over the last hill and step out onto the top of the world. It takes my breath away every time, thats what inspires me. The overwhelming beauty that surrounds us. I make dreamcatchers that are inspired by beautiful places, experiences and thoughts/quotes. They're like postcards, sent to you from somewhere you may have never been, and I do love postcards!!

 

Starlight Dreamcatcher by DreamRaes on Etsy

Have you had any crafting mishaps/disasters/funny stories?

I havent had to many mishaps thankfully.  I am naturally accident prone, so I am surprised I haven't had more. The worst thing that happened so far is fish hooking my lip with the little hook I use to pull thread through bead. I've just started using soldering irons, dremels and other power tools. I hope my luck continues!

 

Is there another artist that you admire?

I admire all artists. I admire people who create; who see things differently and who bring the images from their mind to life and bravely show the world. 

What do you think the biggest challenges are for handmade artists?

Finding somewhere to sell.There are lots of people who want to buy handmade items, but being found in the bazillion pages on Etsy is tough, and getting to the front pages of Etsy takes a lot of time. Other sites don't have the traffic Etsy does, so you may be on the front page of that site, but people aren't looking for what you're selling. Selling locally, while ideal, comes at the cost of 50% commission at most places. Its hard to find the right place to sell your creations!

Earth Goddess Dreamcatcher by DreamRaes on Etsy

What else do you enjoy in your spare time?

I spend every single spare second I have creating dreams. If I'm not making one, I'm planning one or searching for something to make one with. All my trips this summer were planned around the natural resources I could collect from the places we went.

What is YOUR favorite item that you’ve made?

My all time hands down favorite is Midnight Sun. It started with a metal coil a friend gave me to use for a hoop.. and from that, 76 feet of chain, and a handful of earrings, pins and other jewelry bits came the most amazing piece. It just recently sold on Etsy, I was ecstatic and sad at the same time. I had a hard time parting with it, so I used bits of the leftover chain to make a smaller one. I actually decided to wear it, and it was a hit. I started making chain dreamcatcher necklaces which led me to earrings and hair clips.

With the fall and winter holidays coming, share with us YOUR favorite holiday, and one of your favorite holiday traditions:

My favorite holiday is New Year's. I'm a huge fan of new beginnings and sparkly things! But I have to say, my favorite holiday tradition is cutting the Christmas tree. Every year on the day after thanksgiving, we go up in the mountains and hunt for that perfect tree. Its quite a process, and since my family lives in different places we have to find 3 perfect trees!

Give your words of wisdom to other artisans and crafters:

My advice is to be courageous! Take chances with your art, even if you don't think anyone will love it but you, chances are, there is someone who will love it more than you! It will probably be your best seller. And don't give up just because people don't see what you see, you're not crazy, you're creative.

 

You can find DreamRaes on Etsy, of course, where new, gorgeous dreamcatchers are always popping up - I've seen several over the course of this week while we were coordinating this interview! - but don't forget to stop by her Facebook page as well.

 

And, she has generously offered FREE SHIPPING to any of our readers who would like to pick up a dreamcatcher! (Can I recommend a custom one for the kids in your life for the holidays? Or my personal favorite, the Starlight Dreamcatcher featured above!) Just use coupon code DREAMS4BUNNIES at checkout!

 

It's the holiday season (if you're a retailer!)

The holidays come but once a year.... thankfully. And it seems every year, the holiday season starts earlier and earlier. Known as the "Christmas Creep", this is the phenomenon of holiday items appearing in stores before Halloween has even passed, essentially as soon as "back to school" season has ended. 

I'm not a fan of this, I'm really not. When I was a kid, Christmas season didn't start until the day after Thanksgiving, which makes perfect sense, as that is the last holiday before the winter ones hit. But sadly, these days if you're a retailer of any sort, you need to be in the Christmas game early, along with everyone else or you'll be left in the dust.

So, we've already began posting our holiday product lines for sale. This year we're including new scents, such as Gingerbread, Christmas Tree, Snow Day, Peppermint Kissed and North Pole - among others to be announced. This week I've already posted our Gingerbread Fluffy Stuff! Whipped Soap, which is my can't-get-enough-of treat at the moment.  Here's a first peek at part of our holiday line:

Gingerbread Fluffy Stuff! Whipped Soap

 

 

 

 

Christmas Tree Forest Guest Soaps

Peppermint Kissed Smooth As Satin Lotion

Peppermint Candy Cane Lip Balm

Snowflake Guest Soaps

Be sure to check back, as we'll be giving some of these away as the holiday season gets closer!

This is why I haven't posted for a few days.....

I'm getting ready for the Christmas/Holiday crunch time! Photo shown here is the massive supply delivery that arrived today - box on the far left stands almost 3' tall, as a reference point. This is SIX TIMES the normal amount of supplies I order at once.

Of course, we're hoping for a busy holiday season, just like any other crafter or retailer is. And this week is my big holiday prep week, as it is also my last week of vacation time from my day job. It's not fun doing 6-day workweeks there, then coming home and trying to get everything ready to go for our shop, too, so better to get a head start this time around.

If anyone noticed, we didn't have a Sunday Spotlight this week. I'm in communication with a few artists to have their interviews in for November, but no one responded in time for this past week. Hopefully, I'll have one in for next week. If you are an artist or crafter that would like to be in a Sunday Spotlight, please send me a message through Etsy or Facebook and I'll be in touch with what we need from you.

In other news, we're launching a TON of new products this week! Roughly 20 new Bubble Me Up! shower gels, plus restocks on the sold out ones, among other things. Also, taking time to spend with the family, since I rarely have this much time off, and with Halloween being this week. I'll have more updates over the week as more news happens!

A Halloween Reminder

Similes are like something, but I don't know what.

As I've mentioned previously, our son, age just-turned-9 is homeschooled. He also has Asperger's Syndrome. 

Most 9 year olds are in 4th grade. Most. Not mine. It was pretty apparent when he was just-turned-5 that he wasn't quite ready for kindergarten. And, fair enough, as he would have been the youngest in his class at that point. So, we kept him back one year, which made him one of the oldest when he began Kindergarten. Most of his classmates would turn 6 over the course of the year, he was already there. That was also the first year of knowing something was not quite right. The first real suggestion that while incredibly smart, something else was a bit off. By the beginning of 1st grade, it just wasn't working for us, or him, and that was when we began homeschooling instead.

Currently, we're working at a 3rd grade equivalent level for most subjects - although he's technically enrolled for 3rd grade, like most kids he is advanced in some areas and lacks in others. Generally, reading is one of the areas he is particularly advanced - followed closely by science, computers, and general technology-related things. 

But, you would think that the advanced reading would lend itself to better writing, based on a vast vocabulary and literary skills beyond his years. In reality, that is not the case. As is very typical of Aspies, a pet name for those affected with Asperger's Syndrome, he lacks the ability to really engage in abstract thoughts and concepts. While he can write quite well for his age, his stories would read as very deliberate and intent. There's little creative flow, no use of excessive adjectives and adverbs, simile and metaphor. Rather, it is quick and factual. He can spin a brilliant tale, but much will be left to the imagination.

Today has been particularly frustrating. As part of his creative writing curriculum, we are tackling similes and metaphors. For those who have been out of the elementary educational system for a while, these are the use of descriptive words to compare things. For example, you may finish the idea "the sun shines bright as a....." with something like "diamond" or "flashlight". Or "the candy tasted like...." might be concluded with "an extravagant birthday party" or "snowflakes made of sugar". Even the slightly creative mind can extrapolate enough information to creatively conclude those statements.

Not here. We've been working on a 20 question worksheet for over an hour to result in answers such as "The kitten was soft as..... fur". "The moon rose like.... the sun". "The rain fell like..... water". This is frustrating for both of us in different ways. For him, because he knows that those are not the answers we are looking for, but he can't pull together anything else. And for me, because I want him to be able to grow up knowing all the fun of reading, and writing, and language.

Similes are like something, but I don't know what.

Sunday Spotlight: Papoose Clothing

Welcome back to Sunday Spotlight, where every week a new artist is featured! This week I had the opportunity to chat with the lovely Ashley of Papoose Clothing.

Ribboned Turkey Dress by Papoose Clothing on Etsy

Ashley makes the most darling children's clothing which are certain to be treasured and passed down through generations, like the adorable ribboned turkey dress shown above. She was kind enough to answer some questions regarding her works.

Tell us a little about your craft, and how you got started: I am the designer and creator for Papoose Clothing, a line of vintage inspired children’s clothing and accessories. Though I knew how to sew from my mom teaching me at a young age, it wasn’t until college when I perfected my skills and really fostered a love of the craft. I continued making clothes for myself after graduation, but I didn’t take myself seriously until I began fashioning pieces for sweet little niece. I fell in love with designing and creating children’s clothing, and opening up a shop felt like a natural step. 

Short Sleeve Peplum Dress with Ruffle Bib by Papoose Clothing on Etsy

 

What inspires you every day?  Nature will always be an inspiration to me, whether it is a positive and beautiful experience or one that is not so enjoyable but still breathtaking. Living in the Mississippi Gulf Coast, hurricane season is a way of life, not to mention basically two seasons: hot and arid or hot and humid. Besides that, good music, old movies, and anything vintage will always tug at my heartstrings and influence my designs.

What else do you enjoy in your spare time?  I love to read, and I have a slight book collection problem. Amazon beckons me even now with my ever-growing wish list. I also have a Netflix addiction. My husband and I love to watch series together, and we are currently watching every X-Files episode. He’s actually already asked me several times today when we were going to watch the next episode.

 

Cats and Dogs Long Sleeve Bib Dress by Papoose Clothing on Etsy

What is YOUR favorite item that you’ve made? I have to say the Cats and Dogs Long Sleeve Bib Dress with Peter PanCollar from the Midnight Moon collection is my favorite item right now. I based the entire Autumn/ Winter collection off of that adorable fabric print, and it’s my favorite dress design I’ve created so far. I think it has the best mix of whimsy and imagination without being too ridiculous to wear.

Give your words of wisdom to other artisans and crafters:  I wish I would have known the importance of branding and setting yourself up for success before opening a shop. I have been learning and growing continuously these past three years, but things could have gone so much smoother if I had known beforehand who my target audience was, what precisely I was trying to cultivate and create, and how to price items correctly. I understood the artistic side but not the business side, so read up and learn as much as you can ahead of time while you also create and stock up on items for the big opening day!

Ashley's designs are both charming and timeless. I so wish I had a little girl to dress in one of these stunning outfits! (Although I do have some nieces that may end up receiving one as a holiday gift!) Ashley is currently offering FREE domestic shipping for the month of October - just use coupon code "SHIPITTOME" at checkout.

You can also find Ashley's designs online at her website, Papoose Clothing, which shows the entire current collection and more information. Also, be sure to stop by and give her some love on Facebook. 

Find Papoose Clothing here:

www.papooseclothing.com
www.papooseclothing.blogspot.com
www.etsy.com/shop/papooseclothing
www.facebook.com/papooosechildrensclothing
www.pinterest.com/papooseclothing
www.instagram.com/papooseclothing

Short flash sale this weekend!

We're getting ready for the holidays! To make room for new products, we're having the LAST sale before holiday season hits. Use coupon code OCTFLASH2013 at checkout in our Etsy shop and save 20% off any order of $25 or more!

Hurry! The sale ends Monday, October 14th!

Coupons cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts, and coupon codes may not be used on custom order items.

Only the good stuff, please!

A little seasonal humor for your day. And, it's definitely the Reese's Peanut Butter cups for me, too.

And this is how we make the ladies at the post office laugh....

My son, age 9, has Asperger's Syndrome. For those who aren't aware of what that is, it is part of the Autism spectrum, and basically makes him unable to comprehend or process emotions - his, and other people's - properly, among other things. It also makes him really unaware of how to act in most situations. 

This has lead to some interesting, and sometimes embarrassing scenarios. There's nothing like having to drag a 90-lb. kid who is almost as tall as you out of a store because he's having a complete and utter meltdown, and the entirety of shoppers at Target are now staring, ever so thankful that they are not you and that is not their kid right now. Or, an equivalent amount of staring when an obviously-little voice drops the "f-bomb" in a somewhat quiet restaurant.

Those are the bad days.

Today, however, was a good day, and after two hours of sitting at the doctor's office for his monthly check-in, he was still in rather high spirits. It was also a musical day, where he has been randomly been bursting into song. Like the song "I'm stuck on two legs, so someone please help me" song about our cat - a rather long story - sung to the tune of the Band-Aid commercial theme song.

We ventured to the post office this afternoon, something I dread doing but a necessary evil when you're in the business of selling things online, and sometimes completely unavoidable. Most days I happily hand the mail carrier my packages in my pajamas. Today I was not so fortunate.

And at the post office, thankfully empty when we entered with no line, my son decided to break into a rendition of his made-up-on-the-spot "slushies" song, because a quick stop at the convenience store for really good behavior all day was going to earn him one of his favorite frosty treats as soon as we got out of post office hell.

The last line of this song, of course, was a climactic "I love slushiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeesssssss" (draw that phrase out for about 45 seconds, folks!) "because they're like snowwwflllaaaaaakeeeess dancing in my mouth" and him twirling around, arms extended, as I finished paying for our packages and thanking the nice lady at the counter for the 20th time for being so patient. To which, both ladies at the counter burst out laughing.... along with the other 15 or so customers in the line that formed behind us while we were at the counter.

So glad this was a good day.......  

Fall Foods Reviews: Pillsbury Perfectly Pumpkin Cookie Mix and Nestle Toll House Break & Bake Cookies

Continuing the trend of seasonal food reviews, I'm offering up two today, but only one is pumpkin. So, I had to change the article series name from "Pumpkin Mania" to "Fall Foods". Because calling it Pumpkin Mania and reviewing sugar cookies just messes up my train of thought completely!

 

Both of our Fall Foods are of the "do it yourself" variety - meaning they are not completely prepared and are not take out, so there's some aspects of cooking involved. 

First up, is Pillsbury's Perfectly Pumpkin Cookie Mix.  This is a super easy, three ingredient mix that you can have into the oven within minutes. Simply add the contents of the mix package, one egg, and one stick of butter, softened. Mix well, then bake for about 10 minutes. And voila! You should have cookies. As noted on the box, the depicted frosting is NOT included.

Don't these look delicious???

Last year, I had picked up an awesome pumpkin spice cookie mix, but I couldn't remember who it was made by and I had hoped this was it. It's not. Definitely not. The awesome looking cookies you see here, completed, have one fatal flaw.

They are hard. as. rocks.

I should have seen this coming. The mixture really needs more moisture. Maybe a bit of applesauce or a touch of oil added would have helped. I've tried this recipe twice. The first time, I apparently hadn't softened the butter enough, and the lack of any significant wet ingredients made it difficult to turn the mix into dough. It was very, very dry. The second time, I melted the butter accidentally, and it made the dough sticky and runny.  Both times, immediately out of the oven and still warm, they were chewy and delicious. But, as soon as they cooled, they became hard and crumbly.

Now, don't get me wrong - even hard and crumbly, these are delicious dunked into a cup of chai tea or coffee. But you might break a tooth trying to eat them as-is. I give full points for flavor, these have the exact flavor I would want in a pumpkin cookie during the fall, and they do go beautifully with warm beverages or some milk. But I really wanted a soft, chewy molasses-type cookie. Also, the box states "makes 3 dozen cookies". Yeah, sure. Maybe if you were making cookies for the Pillsbury Doughboy and you make them in tiny little 1" bite size. Realistically, I got about 18 cookies out of the mix.

Overall, 3/5 stars. 

Next up, Nestle Toll House "Break & Bake" Halloween Creatures cookies. 

I'll be honest, I wasn't even optimistic about these. I bought them because the kiddo asked for them and they were on sale. This is the least amount of work you can do and actually say you "baked" something.

The package includes 24 cookies, in "8 different Halloween Creature designs". They're a basic sugar cookie and nothing too fancy. I really am not impressed with the designs on them. You have to tear the cookies that are vaguely cut out from the excess dough, and in the process, the cookie designs get very distorted. You can see the rough edges from pulling away the extra dough. And I was not investing the time to nicely trim them out with a knife. Not for $2 cookies. Also, the graphics leave a strange texture on the top of the cookie that I just do not enjoy at all. 

 Baking to a golden brown as directed doesn't do much for the sugar images either.  But really the biggest crime is that they don't have any flavor. My son eagerly scarfed a bunch down as soon as they came out of the oven but that was mostly as a novelty - he wanted to bite the heads off the cartoony designs. Since then, the rest have sat, untouched. No one wants to eat these cookies!

Overall score: 2/5.

Sunday Spotlight: Twisted Designs Jewelry

Welcome to our new Sunday feature article, Sunday Spotlight, where we'll be showcasing a new Etsy artisan every week! 

This week's featured artist is Lindsay, owner of the Etsy store TwistedDesigns. Lindsay creates beautiful handcrafted sterling silver jewelry, and she was kind enough to answer some interview questions for me!

Wire Knot Silver Stud Earrings by TwistedDesigns on Etsy

Tell us a little about your craft, and how you got started: Like most people, when I decided I needed a hobby I went straight to my local craft store and picked out a how-to book on jewelry making and a few supplies.  My first few attempts were hideous, but my family happily supported my habit by wearing my creations.  Over the years I have learned more and more and I am happy I have been able to replace some of those first eclectic creations.  My family still happily accepts any of my new creations.
 
What inspires you every day?  The metals themselves inspire me.  They are shiny, strong, natural, malleable and downright amazing.
 
What else do you enjoy in your spare time? I spend just about every minute that I am not working with my 3 children.  We cook, play Play-Doh, do puzzles and basically have fun all day long!

Sterling Silver Moon Necklace by TwistedDesigns on Etsy

What is YOUR favorite item that you’ve made? For mothers day this year I made both my mom and my mother-in-law a necklace with a heart that I designed, on the back of the heart I put the initials of each of their grandchildren.

Give your words of wisdom to other artisans and crafters: Find your niche.  Figure out what is selling in your shop and make different sizes, colors and variations of that to build a whole line.  Customers like to have a big inventory to choose from.  For my shop, I started out with a variety of jewelry but I found that my Silver Stud Earrings were selling so I started building inventory from there.

Sterling Silver Twisted Studs by TwistedDesigns on Etsy

 I love Lindsay's shop, and stunning silver work! I was immediately drawn to the knot earrings, pictured above - somehow they just completely spoke to me and tied in her shop name as well. She has generously offered FREE SHIPPING to all of our readers - use coupon code "BUNNIES" at checkout. You can find TwistedDesigns on Etsy.

Make sure to stop by her Facebook page and give her some love as well! 
 

What do you consider "handmade"?

In light of yesterday's post about changes at Etsy, I'm raising this topic now: At what point do you consider something to be handmade?

I ask this as one of my customers read the post yesterday and brought the question to me regarding beauty products, and whether sellers that exclusively use pre-made wholesale-purchased bases to be handmade.  Rather than re-craft an entirely new article (sorry, I'm a bit lazy and have some soap going right now!), I'm going to post my response:

There are a LOT of gray areas in handmade. One one end of the spectrum, there's this: At some point, you can't do every single aspect yourself. If you were a woodworker, for example, you may not be the one cutting down the tree and breaking it down into planks. If you knit, you most likely don't raise your own sheep, harvest the wool, process it into your own yarn, and THEN knit. Then on the other end, you have jewelry "makers" that take a store bought charm and put it on a store bought chain and call it handmade. Or the bath and beauty makers that buy bases, throw in some fragrance, and call it handmade. That's the other extreme.

I think distinguishing factors need to be:
1. Did you reinvent the items in some way to make them unique?
2. Did you create an entirely new product with the components you used?

If the answer to both is yes, then I think that falls under handmade. Applies very well to bath and body - there are SO many sellers using bases straight-up, and then so many that use them as a starting point, add all sorts of new ingredients, and then "reinvent" them into something new, and then also so many working totally from scratch. The last two, I would consider to be handmade. But, there is no way to sort those people out from the "quickies" in the marketplace in a fair way.

Way back, when I first started, using the pre-made bases was what got me interested, and I'm sure it is for many people because they are so easy to use and really inexpensive. It's designed to be a home project. But if you're really into the creating aspect, it gets boring really quickly! And, the end result is a fairly cheaply-made product, and customers can tell the difference.

Essentially, the customers, like yourself, will weed out the bad products. If you buy from someone and you're not happy, you're not going back to buy from them again and it stinks for you, as a buyer. And those sellers are the ones that are always crying on Etsy, asking why their stuff doesn't sell or why they don't have repeat buyers. But no one ever has the guts to tell them the truth. For sellers like myself, the best thing we can do is try to get our name out there, try to get our product in more people's hands, and hope for the best. Because if our product is good, customers DO come back, and buy more, and tell their friends and family and neighbors how awesome this cool thing they bought on Etsy was. But it takes a long time to weed out the bad from the good, and every day there's just as many bad shops popping up as there are amazing, brilliant new sellers.

I really do appreciate that you love everything you've gotten from us, and that you keep coming back! It means more to me than I can explain. Some nights I'm up until 4 a.m. cranking out whipped soaps and lotions by hand with my little $20 hand mixer until I'm about to pass out - it's just me doing everything, with some little bits that my husband does, and that is with me working full-time also. But, I LOVE what I do and I wouldn't give up all the hard work that goes into it for anything. The money I make back is just a perk that lets us do fun things, like go out to dinner, or on a family day trip, or pays for my son's homeschool books, etc. Every sale on Etsy is a huge big deal.

So thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm sure I sent back a much bigger response than you expected, but there's so many aspects to consider that it took me a bit to explain. 

 I would love to hear comments and thoughts on this - please feel free to post here!

Etsy Sellers: Keep Calm and Carry On, Please

Fellow Etsy sellers, this is for you. And for those of you who don't sell on Etsy, or just don't read your Etsy news emails, and avoid the forums, and have just no clue about the changes, let me explain. 

Earlier this week, Etsy sent out an email to all sellers saying, in short, that they are now allowing sellers to hire factories to produce all or part of their "handmade" goods. 

Yup. Going forward, not everything you buy may be actually handmade. 

It was conceived and conceptualized by an artist, yes. But, this could mean that a designer conceptualized, say, a rug - and then hired a factory to produce it in that likeness. 

But, this does not mean the sky is falling for every Etsy seller. In fact, this may actually be a tremendous benefit to the small seller. Shops that are sourcing factory work, or using shared collectives to essentially outsource aspects of their work are required to disclose that fact in their shop "About" page. And you know what? Many buyers are looking at that. 

There are plenty of buyers who still want handmade - not just "artisan designed". 

And yes, this change in direction makes sense for Etsy as a company. It IS sad. But - and I am not defending Etsy here, by any means - at what point can they draw the line in the sand and still sustain themselves, too? (Etsy as a company, I mean)

They have investors, contributors, and employees to answer to as well. And I'm sure those people want to see growth. Not just in number of members, or numbers of items for sale, but in "Where is the company going?". Inevitably, another site will rise to the top at some point, perhaps - maybe CraftStar, maybe Zibbet, maybe someone else. But eventually, they will come to the same point as well. At some point, you either grow past what you've reached as a company and need to "go big or go home" or you risk the chance of stagnating, and then your market leaves anyway.

So, do you stagnate, and people leave because of lack of change? Or, do you take a chance and make changes for the good of the people that are essentially funding Etsy, through the revenue they make back via sales in those shops. Those shops need to grow as well. And it's a big, huge, tremendous leap in this economy, to go straight from small time Etsy seller to, say, opening a storefront. At some point there is a transition period where these businesses need to grow and see if they can sustain themselves on their own, and Etsy is essentially providing that format for them.

It is not my cup of tea. I will likely always make everything myself, because that is how I want to do it and I have no interest in expanding to the point where I need to outsource, or hire employees. Maybe to take over shrink-wrapping duties, because I hate that part, but other than that, no. There will ALWAYS be a market of shoppers that still want handmade in the more traditional sense, and those shoppers will stray from those that have gone too big, who are outsourcing the creation of their products. And those buyers will need to find new sellers to shop with. Some sellers lose interest, after a few years burn out and close up shop, just as new shops open every day.

I'm just saying, it's not all "fire and brimstone" over here at Etsy. I've tried the other sites, and for most people, they don't offer the features or traffic that you can get here yet. And so, fellow artisans, I say to you for the sake of all of us, keep calm and carry on, please.

Giveaway Winner Announced!

First off, I'd like to thank everyone that participated in our giveaway for a Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake lip balm! I love all of the feedback and interaction and suggestions, they truly mean a lot to me!

The winner has been chosen through Rafflecopter and notified via email - I won't post the name here, because some people really appreciate their privacy (I know I do!) but the initials are S.C.

Mom Reviews: KRE-O Cityville Invasion Marina Madness Building Set

I love doing product reviews, and did quite a few on my old blog. So, I've decided to bring back the review series! Mom Reviews are my reviews of kids toys from both a parent and kid perspective.

We received this kit through BzzAgent for free to try. KRE-O is really up and coming in the world of kids building toys, and I have to say their newest sets provide some steep competition for LEGO. We got the chance to try the KRE-O Cityville Invasion Marina Madness set, loosely based off the popular CityVille game by Zynga (on Facebook). 

The set consists of 260 pieces, and assembles in the same way as the LEGO systems do, a series of interlocking bricks. Bear in mind, a good portion of the piece count does include the pieces to build each character (about 6 pcs. per character), the large base, etc. A nice feature is that this set does include a big base plate, something that LEGO does not. The main base measures about 8"x10" which is a nice, manageable size. The main build is the marina and dock, which encloses a battery operated mechanism that, with the push of a button, has several sound effects included a shark-chomping sound, "Jaws"-like music, seagulls and more, and a vibration effect, which makes the shark, boat, and characters "move" across the "water" through the use of special bases on the bottom of the figures.

We've had a LOT of fun with this and even adults that see it appreciate the adult-humor factor ("Jaws" music, the fact that it is a shark attack themed building set). Very reasonably priced, fairly easy to put together - this set retails for $19.99 on Amazon, or between $19.99 and $29.99 in stores. It took us about 45 minutes to fully assemble. Batteries aren't included, which would have been nice. Sound effects and the vibration really elevated it as a whole - so much that we plan on picking up the other kits too. 

That's my son, making the creepy "look at my shark kit" face!

There is a corresponding app for iOS and Android devices, however we couldn't get it to work properly (froze and crashed several times) - this in NO WAY impacted how enjoyable the kit is though, and isn't the point of toys to encourage more interactive, non-electronic imaginative play? Ronan is already requesting more KRE-O sets for Christmas, including the corresponding series of "Zombie Attack" sets that are also part of the Cityville series. These are definitely a winner, and have found a spot in our home alongside our other building sets.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Mom approved!

Pumpkin Mania!! Part 3 - Sam's Club Artisan Fresh Pumpkin Pie

I'm really knocking out the holiday treats this week, aren't I? We're going to end up having a "post-holiday-season" diet and exercise review series starting in January at this rate.

The newest item up for review is Sam's Club Artisan Fresh Pumpkin Pie.

Looks yummy, right?!

So, my husband, who means well texted me at work with a picture of this pie. He's a smart man. He knows I love pumpkin. By the time I actually got to read the message, it was about 20 minutes later, and trying to be mindful of the waistline I shot back, "No pie."

Well of course the bugger had already bought it. Again, smart man. I'm always a bit skeptical of store-bought pumpkin pie. My grandma's pumpkin pie was the greatest in the world, even the year there was soap in it. Long story there - when I was about 8 or 9, at Thanksgiving dinner the entire family insisted that grandma's pie tasted "soapy". Like maybe the pie pan wasn't rinsed enough or something. But, I loved my grandma, and damn did she really make the best pies EVER. So, soapy or not, I insisted that there was no such thing and this was just the best pie she ever made. And I proceeded to eat half of it just to prove that fact.

But, this pie, made by Sam's Club under their Artisan Fresh brand is a very, very close second to the best. First off, it is MASSIVE. You can't really tell from the picture, but this pie is about 18" across. The crust is thick on the bottom, so that it doesn't get that soft-wet cookie consistancy, but rather a nice, firm crust. And the filling is about 1" thick, which is just right.

The best parts though, aside from the crust, is the consistency and flavor of the filling. It is just the right density, and smooth and creamy with no uneven chunks or lumps of pumpkin puree. There is a nice spice blend, well balanced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and what seems to be a hint of clove. If you're going to go for a store-bought pie this holiday season, THIS is the one to get, hands down. It's also a great value - this massive beast of a pie was only $5.99.

And that about wraps it up, bringing the Pumpkin Mania! contenders score now to 3 Wins, 1 Loss. I'm going to go have some pie, folks - have a good night!