Making Valentine’s Day count with your loved ones

“Will you Be Mine?”  

Remember handing out Valentine’s Day cards as a kid? There was all kinds of themes you could choose from: Super-Heroes, Peanuts, Scooby-Doo, and cutsie cartoons… We always made our own to give to Mom & Dad. You know the ones? Pink or Red construction paper, markers, glitter, and lots of X’s & O’s!

As we get older, we (especially the ladies) set our sites on romance & dreamy notions. Will I get asked out on a date? Will there be a proposal? Will I get that Mac-Daddy box of Chocolate I’ve been hoping for??? Hmmmmmmm.

It goes without saying that the retailers really celebrate the whole commercialism side of it. For the past few weeks,  television & radio advertising introduce new  Hallmark & Jewelry commercials, M&M candy promo’s, reminders of  dinner reservations, flower deliveries… Who is St Valentine anyway & why are we celebrating?

This is what I found on Wikipedia. It’s not the “romantic” we see in movies, but in the literal sense, it reigns true:

“Saint Valentine (in Latin, Valentinus) is the name of several (14 in all ^[2]) martyred saints of ancient Rome. The name “Valentine”, derived from valens (worthy, strong, powerful), was popular in Late Antiquity.^[3] Of the Saint Valentine whose feast is on February 14, nothing is known except his name, that he was buried on the Via Flaminia north of Rome on February 14, and that he was born on April 16. It is even uncertain whether the feast of that day celebrates only one saint or more saints of the same name. For this reason this liturgical commemoration was not kept in the Catholic calendar of saints for universal liturgical veneration as revised in 1969.^[4] But “Martyr Valentinus the Presbyter and those with him at Rome” remains in the list of saints proposed for veneration by all Catholics.^[5] “

My simple advise would be, find the people you love & celebrate them somehow this season. February is a cold month, so it’s apropos to make the whole month count!!

XOXOXO’s to all of you,

~ Angie

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XOXOXOXO out to my friend Ursula

This posting dedicate to a generous, warm-hearted person, Ursula. A big XOXOXO to you, my friend!! To find out more about her plight, go here: http://www.giveforward.com/ursulastocke

Valentine’s Day & month of February Promo

FREE SHIPPING available. Enter Coupon Code upon purchase – FSPROMO. Good thru end of February!!

With the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, why not give a OOAK gift? Take your pick from these hand-made goodies – all made with quality beading & handiwork. There’s also a selection for those of you who like to recycle & re-use. Used to decorate & distinguish Wine Glasses, Coffee Mugs, & some Beer Pilsner stems. Artist will take requests for custom pieces. Here are just a few ideas…

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87446086/the-great-outdoors-wine-charms

http://www.etsy.com/listing/91601446/dragonfly-pearls-zipper-pull

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92324399/valentine-duo-fun-pair-of-ear-bling

 

If you’d like to WHOLESALE these items in your retail establishment, contact me for an appointment. Minimum order required. 

 

~Angie

On the Phone & revved up!

Part of being a small business owner is learning about your tools and how to use them. There’s lots of trade materials to sift thru to learn “how to” create this or that, or how to hone a skill-set. You Tube has been posting all sorts of things from lessons on Oragami to jewelry making. It’s a wonderful reference library at one’s fingertips.

One of the tools that I often forget to use is the old fashioned telephone! How many of us pick up the phone & start dialing our customers to check in with them? I often find myself turning to email to do this. Why is it? Fear of rejection? Fear of sounding silly on the other end?

Working with my husband, I find myself on the phone calling his customers all the time. It takes a mere minute or two & it really does lend itself as a personal touch. Hmmm, maybe there’s a bigger lesson for me here?!

I have started beefing up advertising lately. This is the kind of activity can be done at any time, thank goodness. It takes a little more effort and time, but customers are seeing my products and ordering. One step at a time.

Here’s the latest creations for Etsy. Enjoy!

Best Sellers -- Gold Wine Party - Wine Charms

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92324399/valentine-duo-fun-pair-of-ear-bling

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92394084/feather-and-blue-semi-precious-bauble

http://www.etsy.com/listing/27494039/gold-wine-party-wine-and-drink-charms

~Angie

Attending Everett Art Walk

Wanted to follow up my last posting with a picture.  Josie (right side) poses with Shannon.  Josie, owner of WiseDesignz Gallery, was the featured Artist for January. Well attended reception & great oils!

Art Walk is here, Art Walk is here!!

Wahoo!! It’s Art Walk tonight in Everett. And what a welcome event it will be!!

Am sure a lot of you know that the PNW has had a rough go of it in the on the weather side this week. It’s something we don’t normally deal with every Winter. I’ve scanned my FaceBook friends and read that there has been numerous people without power for a couple days, and others have stayed home to work. One tends to go a bit stir-crazy when we’ve had to stay in for 4 days. Am reallly looking forward to seeing people this evening!!

Makes you go stir-crazy after a while!!

What will you be doing this weekend? Heading out in the crowds? Staying home to watch the latest episode of Travel thru the Backdoor? GOing grocery shopping? Taking on a new craft project?  Drop a comment & let us know!

Oh, if you’re out & about in Everett, hope to see you tonight at 3231 Creatives/Black Door Studios or WiseDesignz.  I’ll be at our studio space (BDS) for a couple hours and then hope to mosey on over to Wise Deisngz! Josey’s got some new great Oils on display & I’m excited to see them.

~Angie

Snow topped tree branches

Surprised more branches did not snap off under the weight of all our snow.

Shiver me timbers…

Brrrrr! The ole thermometer just plunged 15 degrees over the past week and we’re not exactly used to that in the Western part of Washington. Have to admit that I was ECSTATIC to see all the snow flurries finally some our way. My step-daughters thoroughly enjoyed making mini-snowmen in the yard. They spent hours outside making their little fingers turn red with near frostbite. Brought back a lot of memories. Made me think of those times we went to Grandma’s and didn’t have our boots… she just fashioned a pair out of bread-bags & rubber-bands. We didn’t care. Heck, we just wanted to go OUT in that snow!!

Maybe it was the newness of the snow covered tree-tops, or showcasing of wintery skies; in any case, today was a good day to get clarity. Ever worked on a project for a long time? It feels like the never-ending journey while you trudge thru it, wondering if it’s really the right thing to do or not. Often, the end goal (or answer) is the culmination of time spent in discovery. Sometimes we just need to work things thru to find out that the original idea we had was a mere conduit for something else. Today I had such a discovery. It took a big step in another direction and then dialogue with a good friend to realize that what I was truly searching for was really just in front of me… Am glad for those moments.

 

And now for something far less philosophical! Etsy has a lot of really talented Artisans. Over the past few weeks I’ve been taking note of them & creating what they tag as “treasuries”. Thought I’d share the lists with you & encourage you to comment, share, or maybe even find some new goodies for Valentine’s Day!! Hope you enjoy!

Treasury list: http://www.etsy.com/people/WannaBRockstar/treasury?sort=creation_date&order=desc

~Angie

 

It’s all “new” to 2012!

Happy 2012 to you & Yours!!

Let’s look @ “New” for the New Year, shall we?

In the 5th grade, I became infatuated with the English language and the Thesaurus. All thru Junior High & High School I would write poetry, short stories, and articles for the school newspaper. Etymology really makes my motor run. (Maybe I should have studied more Latin?) So forgive me if I get too excited about looking words up & finding out the definition, then running with it in this blog!

Fast forward, here we are in the new year of 2012. There’s that word… “new”. Just what does it mean for us? Let’s consult one of my favorite sites on the internet, shall we? The handy-dandy Dictionary.com   Hmmmm. Glancing over the 12 or so definitions, I’m particularly liking how it’s used as an adverb. Definition for “NEW” as follows…

•  recently or lately (usually used in combination) –  i.e.  The valleywas green with new-planted crops.

•  freshly; anew or afresh (often used in combination) –  i.e.   roses new washed with dew; new-mown hay.

** And I really like this note… Can be confused:  gnu, or knew   

Looking towards Short Bay on Whidbey Island, WA

Our “New” Adventure:

My husband & I took a drive over New Year’s weekend. We just got in the car and head North.  The air was crisp & very Winter-y. Made for the perfect canvas for all things “new”!  Since the skies started to darken around 4-ish, we chose to drive around the Washington Park Loop vs. walking the 2 & 1/8th miles. Nature couldn’t have been more resplendent that afternoon. Broad sweeping clouds across the skies, rippling waves from the small boat traffic in the bay, and groups of sea-fairing birds making their way towards shore to feed. I felt like I was inside a Jack London novel.  Brrr… let’s go find dinner shall we?

Yum! We feasted on diner food in quaint downtown Anacortes, WA. Imagine a delectably tasty clam strips (or should I say CHUNKS) basket, Halibut sandwich, tater tots, and  strawberry milkshake. Ocean Americana cuisine at it’s deep-fried best.  We shall return again for the Clams!

Our short trip was a great way to usher in the new year. There was no real agenda, but we experienced new scenery & a new restaurant. Always a good thing to interject variety at low-stress.

Still exploring “New” in 2012:

Being the 11th day of the New Year, I’ve been exploring the possibilities of afresh and what the goals are for this recent time. For sure, I will continue to build my Art Business & new clientele.  There’s been some talk about new classes with Julia/Black Door Studios @ 3231 Creatives in Everett. Sales at this Gallery & Wise Designz have been going steady. And I’ve been gaining new custom orders thru Etsy. Am hoping to expand in that area… stay tuned.

Your “New”?:

How about you? What’s you’re “new” look like? I’m not talking about the resolutions to loose weight or stop an ugly habit… I’m talking about what’s on your mind for starting afresh? The travel plans you’ve been looking into… share with us what “new” looks like or sounds like for you!

Keep creating!

~Angie

Making my list & checking it twice

The air is getting that oh, too familiar crispness to it & I’m loving it! We were at a Holiday party a couple nights ago in the historic district of Kent, WA. Very cute area. Lots of fun restaurants & shops. The food was deeeelish & the company was outstanding! (Hey, how many times can you say that about a Holiday party?) It was cold that night & I was super glad to have on my long wool coat for the evening.

“It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas…” cam e to mind as we strolled down tree-lit walkways. Something so romantic about bright, little twinkle lights hung simply along a tree limb. Makes your countenance light up & begin to feel all cheery inside. Yes, it is the season of goodwill towards men. (Too Polly-Anna for you? You can deal with it.)

Crisp & cool weather!

Earlier that day, I started making my lists & checking in with the relatives. Does Sally really need this? Have any ideas for Bob? Thankfully, our family decided quite a few many years ago to limit our gift-giving activities to children & the names we pick out of a hat. We really do focus in on the food & hanging out together. It’s very refreshing. But there’s still that one person who you can never really think of what to give.

Because my husband & I devised some pre-Holiday travels of our own, this last week has been focused on trying to get custom orders for Etsy customers out before the 2nd week of December. So far, so good. Got most items all wrapped up & shipped out yesterday. Am very thankful Pay Pal has a label making tool with a postage feature. One doesn’t really want to spend precious hours at their neighborhood Postal Office this time of year…

Am sure we’ll order a few gifts on-line and gather the food items closer to the date. I figure that one or two days of shopping with the rest of the frenzied shoppers won’t be so bad. I really don’t mind intermingling with all the shoppers as long as I can blast Christmas Carols in the car.

Happy list checking!

~Angie

New items on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87686729/oregon-state-pride-state-wine-charms

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87690582/upcycled-coral-beads-ear-bling

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84034935/assembled-rosy-joy-necklace

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87685738/idaho-pride-state-wine-charms