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 ...