Three of My Favorite Shops

I want to share with you three CCCOE Team members and their shops.  We all have one thing in common – our love to create.

  

First is Jenna and her Etsy Shop Duffy by Widigy. I love Jenna’s tag line, "You wear Duffy because you are classic with a twist."

  

I am amazed at her skill in creating colorful funky bowties using a variety of fabrics, her favorite being cotton.  Jenna got the bug for bowties after she made sixteen (in a short period of time) for a friend’s wedding – she’s been hooked ever since. 

Somehow, she manages to juggle a husband, two children (with one on the way).  Jenna tries to make at least one tie per week, even if she’s not feeling too great.  Her workspace, like most of us Etsy crafters, is small.  Her space sounds wonderful though, a purple desk her husband made her. 

By the way – not sure how to tie a bow tie, like me, she has a link to teach you.

I wish I could create jewelry, but I don’t seem to have the knack for it.  The last necklace I made, fell apart halfway through the day (while I was wearing it).  Becky has a wonderful shop on Etsy, Junebell Design

 I fell in love with her leather and copper "Love" bracelet as soon as I saw it (hint, hint)

Becky is a full-time preschool teacher and manages to find time in the evenings to make her jewelry.  Becky creates custom copper jewelry by handcutting copper from sheet metal.  She does all the sanding, shaping, texturing, oxidizing and makes sure to seal her jewelry for long lasting wear. 

Becky spent part of her childhood in the Philippines where she picked up her love for the “rice” pearls that are sold in the street markets.  Currently her favorite items to work with are pearl and silver Becky has a room devoted to her tools and supplies (I am envious) but enjoys working in the living room so she can spend time with her husband.

Cherry Designs is another wonderful shop that caught my eye.  Kathy crafts all the handmade greeting cards for her shop Cherry Designs. Kathy launched Cherry Designs after a successful fundraiser for a breast cancer organization.   

Each card is carefully crafted using colorful paper, stickers, buttons, ribbons and other embellishments. Most of all she loves working with color. I love her use of glitter.

Kathy manages to find time to craft her gorgeous cards at night, while her husband sleeps and her husband at work.  Her snug workspace is two desks fitted together in her home office.  She has lots of room for storage.  Right now Kathy's workspace is decorated with red - for Valentine's Day.

Dreaming of Spring

As I sit here in mid January I find myself daydreaming about springtime. It’s a new beginning every spring; new life everywhere in the flora and fauna. All of it wrapped up in fabulous bright colors. As I browse Etsy I find myself eyeing items that are reminiscent of springtime.  Here in California Spring is just around the corner, so hopefully the items listed below will help us all think of spring.

 Come on Baby Wake Up - Lotion Bar from Intentions

Wake up it is spring time! Everyone is coming out of their winter coma, tired of dealing with dry winter skin and this is the perfect product to snap us all out of winter.

Lilac Love 11x14 Fine Art Photograph  from octoberphotography

One of my favorite things to do in the early spring is to notice all of the flowers blooming and coming back from their deep sleep.  This photograph captures everything I love about spring flowers.

Mountain Shawl by Epicurus

It may be springtime (well, almost) but it still gets cold, use this gorgeous shawl to wrap yourself up and stay cozy. Not only is it warm, but this shade of green just screams spring!

Flight of Butterflies Collar  by SophiesThreads

Don’t forget about our four legged friends!! Spring is the time of renewal; maybe it is time to get a new pet collar complete with one of nature’s beauties: the butterfly.

Honey Amber Rose Garden 10 inch Tapers by ForestCandleStudio

These candles spark fond memories of spending time watching the roses grow in my mothers garden.

Handwoven Seed Bead Vine Necklace by AnKaLi

Springtime is filled with vibrant greens and signs of new life.  Wear a vine on your neck to remind you of the beauty springtime has to offer.

7.Bird in the Vines Wall Clock by JessilynJoy

This clock encompasses everything that I love about spring, birds, plants, and vibrant colors.

I hope that this short CCCOE journey has sparked an interest in what is to come in the months ahead!

The author, Carrie of  AnKaLi Designs is a resident of South Pasadena, CA. She enjoys bead weaving, jewelry design, photography, skydiving, and spending time in the California sun.

Some Scarves for a Cold January

It's gotten cold here in California (at least, cold for California), so the scarves have come out.  Yeah!

First, from susanneedlehands is a scarf sure to brighten up a drab outfit.

Or from laprincessa, something that's subtle and classy.

Who wouldn't like some ruffles from CraftyMtnGirl?

Or a bit of brightness on a gray day from handittou?

This lovely scarf from FunkieFresh is sure to keep you nice and toasty.

KindredSpirits143 give us subtle shades of beige and green.

Or how about something a little, um, well...from FunkyMonkeyCreations?

These scarves are sure to chase away the January chill.  

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.