MEET NAN OWNER OF NANS GLAM

Nan Owner of Nans Glam

Est. May, 2008

Located in Los Angeles, California

Hi! My name is Nan. I was born and raised in Southern California. Prior to retiring, I worked for the Postal Service managing the Engineering Department and teaching quality processes throughout the organization. I am married with two wonderful grown children and two fabulous grandchildren; all living local. They keep me busy and very happy. 

I enjoy working with different metals, beads and gemstones. I am a softy for the classic and romantic designs such as hand knotted pearls, so I will always offer those pieces in my shop. I spend most of my free time in my studio with music flowing, beads spread out and doing what I am passionate about; creating jewelry. 

******You can also find me here:
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Nansglam
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/nansglam
• Flickr Portfolio: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nansglam

I tend to over stock way too many beads so find extras here in my destash shop:http://www.etsy.com/shop/nansglamsupplies

MEET KATHLEEN OF VINTAGE ENCORE

Meet Kathleen Owner of Vintage Encore

EST. February 2008

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Vintage Encore specializes in one of a kind designs from recycled vintage linens.

Kathleen - Owner, Maker, Curator 

I have been sewing all my life, and come from 3 generations of seamstresses. I love all things vintage and have been going to flea markets and estate sales for many years. Sewing and "hunting " are THE most fun!

Combining sewing and vintage

I chose the name "Vintage Encore" because my mission is to re purpose the vintage linens, that I have collected over the years, in a new and serviceable way.

I combine them with new fabrics, in my own patterns, to make totes, aprons, clothes pin bags, etc.

Etsy provides another outlet for my one of a kind items, in addition to participation in my local craft shows. It's all good!

MEET MISHELE OWNER OF INDY AND CLEO

Mishele Owner of Indy And Cleo

EST. April 2009

Located in Coto de Caza, California

The story of IndyAndCleo . . .

When I was a little girl, a handmade sock monkey was given to me as a gift. I fell in love. ❤

Many decades later, my beloved childhood friend sits, still smiling that sock monkey smile, and I am reminded of all the fun and delight we shared. 

Today my love continues. I have been inspired to follow my bliss, handcrafting my own lovable and quite huggable sock monkeys. Each sock monkey I create is truly a personal work of art, and colorful decorative stitching is part of my very own "signature sock monkey style". I enjoy creatively writing the mini bio for each monkey, which is included on the Adoption Certificate. Really now, who doesn’t love a sock monkey? Here's hoping they will provide a lifetime of hugs and happiness!

My husband John, is a Graphic Designer & Illustrator, with an avid interest in fine art, especially oils and watercolors. I have featured some of his art prints (my very personal favorites) here in the shop.

Visit his Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/LostCactusComicStrip and read his About page for details on the new book! Discover even more info at http://www.lostcactus.com ...this website is seriously outstanding!

By the way, the shop name (IndyAndCleo) is inspired by our love for two of the most loved dogs EVER! . . . Indiana Jones and Cleopatra. ❤ View and purchase their "pawsome" portraits here in the shop!

Indy ~ http://etsy.me/1U6cXkF Cleo ~ http://etsy.me/1sGcyyY

Of course, IndyAndCleo is filled with many delightful and charming handmade creations, therefore—

❝ All kinds of cool stuff... ❞ 

I hope to make you smile! 

Sock monkey hugs,

~ Mishele

MEET ALLIE OF OLDETYMENOTIONS

OldeTymeNotions

Vintage toys, photos, postcards, buttons & more

Est. July 2008
Located in Tucson, Arizona

I come from a long line of hoarders, um..ah, I mean, collectors, yeah, that's the ticket, collectors. Collectors & recyclers who love vintage items & have a tough time throwing *good stuff* away. 

My mother still brings me random bits & bobs she finds in thrift shops or on her walks, hoping that I can transform them into some other treasure. Every "thing" still has some kind of useful purpose.

Personally, I'm never going to create everything I dream of making, so I hope to lighten my load so that I can move to Maui. 

I'm parting with collections that have been passed down & items I've acquired to "create" with. 

Perhaps in this lifetime, I'll be free.  Owner Allie



♥(\__/)
(◕ ᴥ ◕)
O(")‿(")O¸,:•: •*¨¨*•.,¸¸,:•:❀ Vintage goodies, toys, photos & buttons:
http://www.OldeTymeNotions.Etsy.com

Challenge Thir...er Fourth Week Tallies

We still have a little over a week to go in August. There's still time to join the challenge:

1. A new listing in your shop (50 points)
2. Revamp an old listing in your shop (25 points)
3. Promote others in the challenge on one or more social media platforms (10 points) 

Tag your new or revamped listings on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #CCCOEchallenge. Tag your promotion of others as well. Or post your new listings as a comment on this post. And next week I'll have updated point totals for everyone.

Only one new entry, a promotion post to Twitter:

Hey Carol! @quirkynberkeley SO much #cuteness, teeny tiny #envelopes https://t.co/nWqpyfN7k4 #CCCOEchallenge #etsy pic.twitter.com/1Sju6irAPl

— IndyAndCleo (@IndyAndCleo) August 17, 2016

The point totals as of now:

• AnnieKDesigns: 150 points
• IndyAndCleo: 110 points
• OceanAvenueSilks: 100 points
• NansGlam: 100 points
• BeadFashionDesigns: 145 points
• cserpentDesigns: 50 points 

There's still time to participate. Come on and join us.

MEET CAROL OWNER OF TEENYTINYENVELOPES

Carol Christopher Owner ofteenytinyenvelopes 

Est. February 2011

Located in Pleasant Hill, California

I love turning beautiful paper into beautiful envelopes

I started selling teeny tiny envelopes in one of my other shops -- Quirky'nBerkeley. They were so popular, I decided to put them in their own shop. Someday I''m going to count all the teeny tiny envelopes I've made by hand, but I'm guessing it's in the hundreds of thousands.

I really enjoy working with brides, and by far the biggest seller in my shop is custom envelopes that people ask me to make in their wedding colors. They're often used for unique guest books, for guest "advice notes," or for escort cards.

Shop owners also like having envelopes for their customer thank you notes to add a little something special to their packaging.

I offer 40 colors and more than 10 styles of envelopes, including custom sizes, as well as hundreds of patterned envelopes that are ready to ship.

MEET CAROL CHRISTOPHER OWNER OF QUIRKYN BERKELEY CARDS

Carol Christopher

Owner, Maker, Designer, Photography, Shipping

My cards are original designs and truly handmade. I add several new ones every month, so check back frequently to see what's new. I have a great deal of fun making them -- especially those that are a little out of the ordinary, and hope you will enjoy browsing through the more than one hundred designs I keep in the shop. Feel free to request a change in color scheme or sentiment on an existing card. 
I enjoy the challenge of custom requests, and take pleasure in working with you to create a card that reflects your personal tastes. With an inventory of thousands of rubber stamps, I am well-equipped to meet the needs of corporate clients as well, and am happy to consider bulk pricing. I also collect hard-to-find stamps for all of life's occasions such as religious events, retirements, anniversaries, and condolences.
Oh, and I also make teenytinyenvelopes for my second Etsy shop. Come and visit www.teenytinyenvelopes.etsy.com. Or visit my Facebook page to keep up with new listings, sales, discounts, and shop events. http://facebook.com/quirkynberkeley. You can visit my Pinterest boards at http://pinterest.com/quirkynberkeley. I also have a de-stash shop at www.quirkynberkeleyto.etsy.com.

Quirkyn Berkeley Cards

Selling original handmade greeting cards on Etsy since 2006

MEET ALLIE OWNER OF ALLIES ADORNMENTS

Allie C. owner of AlliesAdornments

EST. July 2007

located in Tucson, Arizona

A LOVE OF VINTAGE

My great aunt instilled a love of vintage in me at a young age. A visit to her house was like a trip to another world. There I reveled in the beautiful jewelry, furniture, linens & photographs that were handed down through a number of generations in our family. Today as I use their silver & china, I find myself wondering about my great great grandmother & her 3 beautiful daughters, Allie, Grace & Louise (my great grandmother). Knowing that my relatives once used these items & that they have survived over 130 years to be part of my everyday life, is something that never fails to astound me.

Allie is the namesake of my jewelry line & I use her picture from the 1880s in the packaging for my button bookmarks. A photo of Allie & Louise from 1881 are used to package my button hairpins. The smiling girl wearing a crooked hat was a young cousin of my great grandfathers & this image of her from the 1900s is my online avatar & tags for my button jewelry.

Allie passed away at the young age of 31 and never had any children. The way her items & image have sparked my creativity is her legacy.

One thing that my family believed about "things" was that they needed to be used in order to be properly appreciated. Let those things bring you joy every day instead of locking them away for special occasions.

When my great aunt gave me her collection of buttons, they were so lovely that I was inspired to find a way to view these tiny pieces of art more often. Most are too delicate to wash in a modern machine, so wearing them as jewelry occurred to me. Hence, Allie's Antiqued Adornments was born.

This jewelry line evolved as a way to share the romance & craftsmanship of antique buttons as miniature pieces of art. This soon became a treasure hunt to find additional beautiful & unique buttons from around the world.

These century old buttons traveled from England, France, Germany, Bohemia, & old estates of the eastern United States.

Each button is lovingly cleaned to reveal its former glory while keeping some patina. Their original history remains a mystery. The majority are over 100 years old; plastic & modern buttons are not used.

♥ For vintage buttons, postcards, toys, photos & notions visit: OldeTymeNotions.Etsy.com 

Challenge Second Week Tallies, Continued

Who's been participating in the August Challenge? There's still time to join. The tallies for last week and the rules are here. This post is to show off all the newbies...

Petersite Statement Choker Necklace by Bead Fashion Designs

Labradorite Silver Earrings by Bead Fashion Designs

Green malachite lavender lampwork copper earrings by cserpent Designs

Quilted Rescue Dog Zippered Pouch by anniekdesigns

Quilted Rescue/Adopt Dog Zippered Pouch by anniekdesigns

Teal Sea Foam Sterling Earrings by NansGlam

Bluebird of Happiness Scrabble Pendant by IndyAndCleo

Challenge Second Week Tallies

The August Challenge seems to be ramping up...

If you want to join in, there's still time. A reminder of the challenge:

1. A new listing in your shop (50 points)
2. Revamp an old listing in your shop (25 points)
3. Promote others in the challenge on one or more social media platforms (10 points) 

Tag your new or revamped listings on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #CCCOEchallenge. Tag your promotion of others as well. Or post your new listings as a comment on this post. And next week I'll have updated point totals for everyone.

The point totals so far:

• AnnieKDesigns: 150 points
• IndyAndCleo: 100 points
• OceanAvenueSilks: 100 points
• NansGlam: 100 points
• BeadFashionDesigns: 145 points
• cserpentDesigns: 50 points 

If I missed you, let me know.  

Want to see all the newbies posted this past week? They're in this post. 

MEET LIZ FROM ZIZIRHO

Liz shop owner of  ZiziRho
EST. 4.2007
located in Long Beach, California

Hi, I'm Liz. 
My great-grandmother taught me to knit when I was 16. After she died I inherited all of her tools (no one else in the family picked up the habit). I stopped knitting sometime in college (time constraints), but I picked it up again in the late '90's, and I've been knitting continuously ever since.
As for crochet, I'm mostly self-taught (books and videos). I already had the tools--thanks Gram-Mavis!

CALIFORNIA DREAM'N

"it's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine ... it's summertime!" - Kenney Chesney

In beautiful California when our April showers subside, you know that summer will soon begin.  The beautiful mountainous regions turn from fields of flowery blossoms and grassy green into the Golden State’s famous hills of gold.

It’s when farmer’s markets and street fairs begin to pop up on the streets and people come from local areas to gather, enjoy the fun and fest.

It’s a busy time for local produce farmers to come out to present their most recent crops of summer fruits and veggies.

And Artisans of all types, to show off their beautiful creations and designs.

Summer is best known as a time in which we in California experience the hottest and longest days in the year.  


It is a period of maturing powers and the perfect season for outdoor activities like vacationing, swimming, enjoying the ocean view on the doc or simply lazily laying on the beach sand to soak up a few rays lathered in sunscreen wearing your favorite crochet bikini...watching the children play in the surf.

"Summer was on the way; Jem and I awaited it with impatience.  Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back screened porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the tree house; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape; but most of all, summer was Dill" 

- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Challenge First Week Tallies

Have you joined the August Challenge? 

A few who undertook the challenge last week...

Winston the Sock Monkey by IndyAndCleo

Magenta and Orchid Floral Silk Scarf by OceanHandDyed

Hand Painted Silk Scarf in Turquoise and Burgundy by OceanAvenueSilks

Beaded Cuff by NansGlam

Friday vibes. #sockmonkey #photoshoot. Meet Winston. https://t.co/02B3WLewoU #etsy #handmade #smile #CCCOEchallenge pic.twitter.com/rHch3ZuxE6

— IndyAndCleo (@IndyAndCleo) July 30, 2016

So, current tallies:

• AnnieKDesigns: 50 points
• (shown in last week's post)
• IndyAndCleo: 50 points
• OceanAvenueSilks: 100 points
• NansGlam: 50 points

Are you participating and not represented in the tallies? Let us know you're playing. Post your link in the comments. Or tag your new item or your promotion of fellow teammies with #CCCOEchallenge.

The August Challenge

Kudos to everyone who joined the first week of the Summer Challenge. Come back tomorrow to see everyone that participated. But today, we're talking about...

Just a little something to keep us on our toes this month.

This is prime time for us to start getting our shops up to speed. We need to be adding inventory. Increasing visibility. Christmas is just around the corner, so now is the time to ramp up and get ready.

For the first week of August, your task is to complete one or more of the following...

1. A new listing in your shop (50 points)
2. Revamp an old listing in your shop (25 points)
3. Promote others in the challenge on one or more social media platforms (10 points)

Tag your new or revamped listings on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #CCCOEchallenge. Tag your promotion of others as well. Or post your new listings as a comment on this post. And next week I'll have updated point totals for everyone. 

Happy challenging.