Baby It's Cold Outside

Brrr! The weather outside has been frightfully chilly for many from coast to coast. Many people dread having to wear several bulky layers of drab colored clothing. Have no fear, California Crafters are here! From snow bunnies to those just braving the cold, here are some ways to stay warm from head to toe while being fashionable.

To keep your ears warm and hair from blowing in your face, check out this head accessories from MariesCrochetCorner, MoonlightDreams, and ardentreverie: Keep your neck warm with these great scarves from Phydeaux, Raghousenternational, and DesignKnitFun:

Peacefu1, BlueBirdsandBlossoms, and Ohmay make beautiful gloves: Finally, as a blast from the past, legwarmers are making a come back. Check out these fabulous designs from Reggief, EfiaFair, and Mademoisellemermaid:

Handmade Holiday Style Ideas from the CCCOE Team

Dreading that upcoming holiday party? Me too, but you know what gets me in the mood? When I pick out my outfit. I get more excited about the outfit than the occasion itself. So if your looking to shine or just having wardrobe woes, here a few ideas to mix and match your way into the ultimate holiday party look. Be envied… not envious.
Here’s an outfit idea for any shindig.
Starting with a Cheerful Handmade Holiday Sweater from raghousenternational

Great to wear over a dress or over a fluffy blouse with your favorite skirt or jeans. Casual to cocktail party, you decide.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/11311222/forest-green-low-cut-body-knit-top?ref=sr_gallery_23&ga_search_query=cccoe+team&ga_search_type=&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade&filter%5B1%5D=clothing

Pair this sweater with a scarf from OceanAvenueSilks http://www.etsy.com/people/OceanAvenueSilks?ref=ls_profile,

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64291828/hand-painted-silk-scarf-in-olive-and?ref=sr_gallery_36&ga_search_query=cccoe+team+scarfs&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

How bout a little something to spice it up, feather earrings from ShadesOfAmber http://www.shadesofamber.etsy.com/

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64523065/20-off-sale-see-store-announcement

This bracelet from cigarboxbeads http://www.etsy.com/people/cigarboxbeads?ref=ls_profile
will go great with any earthy tone outfit.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/8875464/marching-prehistoric-lava-bugs-bracelet?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_query=cccoe+team+&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=5&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

And to top it all off, the perfect necklace to match from BellaBeadsOriginals http://www.etsy.com/people/BellaBeadsOriginals?ref=ls_profile

You can achieve any great look by using colors. Try picking an item you love and dress around that item. Pull colors from the piece you want to showcase to accessorize. The scarf has shades of green to accent the beautiful sweater the earring have colors that are incorporated in the scarf and the beautiful pendant pulls every shade in the scheme of the outfit. I hope this solves your problems in your holiday wardrobe woes.
Check in daily for new blogs from our etsy team.
On my next blog I will feature home décor ideas from CCCOE Team sellers.
Wishing you a Happy, Handmade Holiday from,
ShadesOfAmber & The CCCOE Team

Getting Your Store Listed on the Blog

We want to make it easier for customers to find what they want to purchase from our CCCOE members. To do this, we want to have your store listed under one category. So what do you need to do? ---> Send the following information to Nan at NansGlam via convo.

• The category you would like to be included in.
• If you are interested in writing for the blog please let Nan know. We'd love to have you.

How To Relax During Holiday Rush

Aquamarine & Lapis Lazuli Sterling Silver Stacking Rings. Rings & Photo by Emily Wiser

Worried and frazzled during Etsy's holiday rush? Here are some tips to help you relax and enjoy the ride. 1) Make a work schedule and stick to it. It will stop you from worrying about what comes next. 2) Keep an online calendar of important events. Need to reorder boxes regularly? You can schedule your reminders on Google's online calendar, and have it email reminders. 3) Take a break. Get a massage. Walk around the block. Drink some Tension Tamer Tea by Celestial Seasonings. 4) Exercise. It's been proven to help you with stress. And you'll get to use different muscles from the ones you normally use for crafting. 5) Make your friends and family help you. Sure, they can't help you make your items. They don't know how to knit or sew, but they can run packages to the post office, cook you dinner, and help clean up your studio.

Have Your Team Treasury Shared on Twitter

The CCCOE Team account, http://twitter.com/cccoe, now has over 3100 followers & climbing! If you'd like to have items tweeted & exposed to thousands, then: 1. Make an ALL CCCOE team treasury; and 2. Post the treasury in our team treasury discussion thread on Etsy: Allie will then tweet your treasury & an item from your shop. ****Members that are more involved in the team are more apt to be tweeted more often. Re-tweet items from CCCOe twitter & be retweeted. Use the #@cccoe tag to help us find you.

Handmade Holiday Gift Guide Featuring CCCOE

Due to the relentless leaders of the California Crafters Club of Etsy, a select few CCCOE members were featured in the Handmade Spark Holiday Gift Guide. Winged Basket | $135 | Crist Pottery

Rust and Turquoise Crystal Earrings | $12 | Red Bess Bonney

Garnet of Delight Bracelet | $65 | Whimsicals

Organic Orange Calcite Macrame Necklace | $45 | Earth Cultured

Frida Kahlo print of painting with frame | $60 | Estudio Martita

Squirrel Thank You Set of Five Handmade Cards | $15 | Shanna Michele Designs

Say Goodbye To Summer – Chunky Moebius Cowl | $36 | Third Eye Artisans

Pink and Blue Piglet, 2010 | $24 | zfla

Saturday in the Park-hand painted silk georgette scarf | $42 | Muse Silk Paintings

Artisan Necklace – Karen Hill Tribe – Rock Salt | $72 | Keikeaux

Many members submitted their items so thank you to all our wonderful CCCOE members who submitted their items.

Five Ways to Make Your Facebook Fan Page Stand Out

Looking for ways to maximize your Facebook Fan Page? Here are five easy suggestions from Simply Zesty, a blog devoted to social media and online public relations, on how to make your business page more effective. Plus, there are lots of other articles on using social media to build a business. Now if you only had time to read them all ...

Noah Erenberg...extraordinary abstract artist

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Noah Erenberg is the son of Elena Mary Siff who has grown to be a fine abstract artist in his own right. His obvious talent being inspired and nurtured by family & friends.

Asked what his favorite colors are... the straight forward answers are red, blue, pink. When asked what "art" means to him, he says it makes him feel wonderful & happy he's an artist. He does his work outside...being directly inspired by the neighborhood, trees, ocean, surf.

He was invited to join an international exhibition of visionary art called, "Internal guidance systems" which traveled the world from 2006-2008,

His art is featured in a new book titled, "Drawing Autism" by Jill Mullen, Mark Batty Press, NYC http://markbattypublishers.com/books/drawingautism

Also see more of his work on a website he shares with his mother.. http://elenamarysiff.com/noah/index.html

Heading for a Craft Fair? Read This First!

From the blog Create Some Buzz, here's a list of 14 Tips to Increase Your Craft Show Sales. Also, at the bottom of the post there's a link to an earlier piece with a checklist of what to take to a show. Even if you're an old pro at craft fairs, there's a lot of great information here.

When Silence is Not So Golden

Most of us have been there. You decide it's time to expand your business and run across an interesting possibility -- a shop or a craft fair or another venue that features handmade items. So you call, write or email to find out the details on getting in. And nothing happens. Zip. Nada. Crickets. It's easy to jump to the conclusion that they didn't like your work. Not so fast, says blog team member and etsy seller Sage Sky. In the post below, she explains that the real reason could be that the people running the operation are so disorganized that they've forgotten a very simple business rule: Vendors are paying customers and should not be ignored. Bottom line: if a business is so poorly run that they're not responding to potential customers, do you really want to be part of it? The vendor is a paying customer, too. How to read the ZERO response market. A brand new, hip flea market that features half vintage and half handmade items recently opened near my house. Two months ago, I started e-mailing them asking for a space. I have had ZERO response. I am vendor, which also makes me a paying costumer, right? So how should I take it when they don’t get back to me? I shop where the flea market is located. I am very involved in my community. I have a lot of resources that can help drive business to them. No one I've talked to has even heard of the flea market. So why for two month now have they not gotten back to me? Are they completely disorganized or do they hate my stuff? Look, it really doesn’t matter to me if I ever set up a booth at this flea market, but as a paying customer, a neighbor and an active community leader, it's just common courtesy to respond to an inquiry. So, here’s my opinion: when a market doesn't get back to you, don’t take offense. My business partner finally broke down and called them. The girl on the other end of the line, who is also the contact for the flea market, was talking to my partner on the phone while talking to someone else in the room. She told her to send the e-mail again. My partner sent it right away and again days have passed with zero response. So our conclusion is that the flea market organizers are very disorganized. But get it together folks! We the vendors are paying costumers, too. You would not have a market or a fair without the vendor. Just a quick e-mail would do the trick.

Crist Pottery at Etsy.com

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Crist Pottery...handbuilt pottery

The styling of Beverly Crist's handbuilt ceramic pottery has been a long time in the making. Always making art since early childhood, she got her B.A. & B.F.A. degrees from Florida universities and wherever she lived she always had a ceramic studio practice...in Florida, Texas, California & Germany.

She's been published in numerous ceramic/art books & magazines, as well as, had commissioned art work in Florida & California.

Not letting the moss grow under her feet, she also has been active in professional guilds & associations as an exhibiting member, instructor & board member.

Her work has been on display in several TV shows, as well as, a guest segment for HGTV's "That's Clever".

A couple of future gigs for Beverly is an impressive entry in a published ceramic/art book coming out in the Fall... "500 Vases".

She'll also be in the ACGA Clay & Glass Festival, July 10th & 11th in Palo Alto. Come up and support her there & at her etsy shop.

Help Turn Trash into Crafting Treasures -- and Earn Some Cash!

A little off topic maybe, but since so many CCCOE members have children and we all know the schools are hurting, so here's a way to reduce landfills, contribute to the crafting movement and make some money for your school, charity or club. Just go to TerraCycle and sign up. Once you're registered, you can start collecting juice boxes, candy wrappers, chip bags, yogurt containers, toothpaste tubes, tape dispensers and similar stuff to send to TerraCycle with one of their free shipping labels. Then they upcycle the "junk" into some pretty amazing things, including everything from coolers and corkboards to purses and window boxes. Even better, your group earns 2 cents for every item you send. Considering that each school child throws away about 67 pounds of trash per year, it's easy to see how it can add up to some real money.

Robert Seitz...rdotell at Etsy.com

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Robert Seitz...artisan jewelry at it's best

When I first approached Robert for permission to write this entry about him & his shop, I mentioned that I thought he should be a "rockstar". I was surprised his shop wasn't "sold out".

Robert grew up in East L.A., but left it as a youngster to travel the country...after 10 years, he returned home to share what he learned about living a good & creative life. He brings culture, handmade skills & traditions, and variety to his life and others around him.

Currently Robert has a website under construction, BUT there are some lovely additional pictures of his work in the "gallery" section, as well as the selections from his Etsy site.

Zazu Faure/Los Angeles at Etsy.com

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Zazu Faure/Los Angeles ...handcrafted animals from recycled materials

Zazu's motto is summed up in one word..."repurpose". Using all the little scraps she hoards away, she's inspired by nature, architecture, fashion design, fine arts & misshapened vegetables :D She uses her scraps like a sculptor uses clay. She sees her job to strip down to "essential" forms & employ minimal moves to convey a creatures characteristics with simple sculptural forms & clean lines, so evident in her Etsy shop. Zazu is a LA based building designer focusing on residential remodels...as she explains, practicing architecture with a lower case "a". More creatures can be seen on her Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zfla/sets/72157623898662762/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/zfla/sets/72157605755463097/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/zfla/sets/72157605755258839/ Please mark your calendars for (2) upcoming shows: May 15th (LA area), 9am-5pm... Red Rabbit Spring Arts & Crafts Market,Glendale Civic Auditorium May 22-23 (Bay Area)... (showing & teaching a class as part of Etsy Plush Team)Maker Faire at the San Mateo County Event Center Also sells locally in Sierra Madre at the artist's co-op, Belles Nest

Miriamdema at Etsy.com

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Through the window of Miriam Dema's window...

All of Miriam's work is handmade or screen printed in limited editions at her studio in the mountains of Los Angeles. As she says, "I read lots of old books and magazines while I breath the musty smell deeply and sneeze."

She's not limited by color or imagination...as she straddles between a retro post-war styling & our modern world, to present strong visual & current subjects more poignantly.

Check out her Etsy shop for extraordinary buys, her blog site for her brand new things & frequent musings, and her website that shows her earlier work.

Please mark this on your calendars... Miriam will be participating in THIS WEEKEND's Spring Brewery Artwalk... a free weekend of open artist studios at the world's largest art colony located in downtown L.A. , the BREWERY ARTS COLONY.

Open 11am- 6pm, Sat.- Sun. April 17th - April 18th, 2010.

2100 N. Main StreetLos Angeles, CA 90031

Ph# (323) 223-6089

email: info@breweryartwalk.com

website: http://www.breweryartwalk.com

Craft & Hobby Association Super Show

Carmen of floresflorestanis brings us the following announcement about an upcoming trade show in Anaheim: The most amazing Craft & Hobby Association is holding a 2 day "Super Show" in Anaheim on January 22 and 23rd, 2010. Usually you have to be a member to attend their industry trade show but this two day event is will be open to the public. It's an incredible opportunity to try out the latest materials, tools and techniques and to visit with the rock stars of craft - like Carol Duvall and Vickie Howell. It's a way for the retailers and manufacturers to introduce the products directly to the consumers so that then the consumers will go to their crafts stores and demand these new things. There are going to be lots of free "make-and-take" projects and workshops and raffles and amazing things to do. And kids under 10 are free so it's a great thing for families. I'm a CHA member and can't wait to go! (When I die, I hope heaven has a big craft exhibit hall like a CHA convention does). You can order tickets online here: http://craftsupershow.com and if you use the ticket code CRAFT33 you'll get $5.00 off! CHA is an amazing organization whose mission is to help craft businesses connect and prosper. If you ever get a chance to visit the members-only trade show you must go. They have unbelievable seminars on licensing and design and everything you need to know to take your craft business to the next level. Not to mention the incredible supplies and tools! Oh yeah. :0) I hope everyone can go! I'm going to be teaching 3 classes including my soda can pinwheels and brooches at the Supershow so please stop by and say hi! Convo me if you have any questions!

Estudio Martita 2010 New Year Sale!

Estudio Martita is having a sale to ring in the new year! GET RID OF 2009 & MOVE ON TO 2010! HANDBAGS 25% OFF! HOME ACCESSORIES NOW 20% OFF! A storewide sale to clear out, refresh and start new. I'm working on new items and want to bring them in for the new year. First I need to move out the old to bring in the new. Take advantage now of these great items at great prices. I offer an electic grouping of gifts: jewelry created with vintage findings and beads, home accessories with Latino and pop-art influences and brightly colored artwork.

CCCOE Members at Long Beach Sunday Market!

Come out and shop with CCCOE members at the Long Beach Sunday Market on February 7th. The market is located outside Longfellow Elementary, California Avenue at Bixby Road and is open from 9am to 2pm rain or shine! InMyBlueRoom is gathering team members to sell at the market. If you are interested in joining them and selling at the event please e-mail inmyblueroomdesigns [!at] gmail.com. The twelve CCCOE team members who will be selling there are: bybelinda, fallingstarlane, smallandmighty, Janiexy, lotusinthemud, nasila8, noemisfigureines, redbessbonney, Reflections, Tmpenrose, waxingmooncreations, and daniellastiritup. Sounds like a great day - hope to see you there!