Make Our Garden Grow

It's been a long time since I'd actually heard the song "Make Our Garden Grow", but I listened to it a few times while putting this treasury together this morning.  My usual weekend treasury game seems to have been replaced with another promotion, but we still have Shops of the Day to promote so that's what I'm doing now.  And listening to classical music in the background just makes it that much more enjoyable.

It amazed me that although it's been years since I'd heard the song, I was able to start humming along immediately and remembered some of the words too.  It's such a romantic song that really has nothing to do with a real garden, but it's still so beautiful!

Make Our Garden Grow

The Promoting Creative Friends Shops of the Day featured in this treasury are:

• GECKOWOODWORKING.etsy.com
• watercolorsNmore.etsy.com
• MyMexicanArt.etsy.com
• RockNBeads.etsy.com

I fell in love with the little garden rabbit as soon as I saw him.  I'd definitely put that cute little guy in a flower bed (sadly I don't have a garden).  I'm also a very big fan of the vintage apron with the rabbits on it!  It's amazing!

All of these items have me eager for spring and summer and being outdoors.  I can't believe that it's officially spring, but we woke up to frost on the ground this morning.  There's even snow in the upcoming forecast.  I think Mother Nature forget to turn a few pages on her calendar!  I'm ready for everything to start turning green, and for flowers to bloom.  Now just for the weather to catch up!

A Rabbit's Whisper

It's no secret that I love bunnies.  I have as long as I can remember.  My mom often jokes about when I was little, and I'd want something with the Playboy bunny on it.  I didn't know at the time what Playboy even was, I just saw a bunny!  There's also a running joke in my family about a giant bunny I saw in the backyard as a kid.  I still swear I saw it, and they still laugh!

Anytime I get a chance to use a bunny in something, I do.  So it should be no surprise that this weekend's treasury also includes a bunny (well two actually).  I didn't start off creating the treasury for a rabbit theme however.  I started off picking my favorite items from the four featured shops this week; those shops are listed below.  Then I chose another four PCF team shops as per the weekend treasury game rules.  After that I started searching the Etsy wonderful for grey and spring.

As the treasury started to come together, I love the greys I had found, I love the softness, and I was quickly reminded of my favorite soft grey thing....bunnies!  I pulled up my Etsy favorites and added some bunnies to complete the treasury.  That part was super easy, because my favorites are filled with bunnies!

Here's a snapshot of the treasury and a link below to view the treasury on Etsy.

A Rabbit's Whisper by C. Russell on Etsy

This week's featured shops:

• www.etsy.com/shop/WoollyBudgie
• www.etsy.com/shop/ToppyToppyKnits
• www.etsy.com/shop/WendysWonders127
• www.etsy.com/shop/hbjewelrydesign

Be sure to click on the treasury, add it to your favorites, and share a comment!  What's your favorite item from this week's treasury?  The handmade polymer clay beads have already sold today!  I always think it's exciting to see sales from featured items.  I don't know if it was the treasury that sparked the sale, but I like to think that I helped in some small way.  My favorite item in this collection is the rabbit photograph.  I'm obsessed with photography now, and I think it's a wonderful closeup.  I'm hoping this summer when the bunnies come out in the backyard, I can snap a few closeups of my own!

On a sad note, yesterday my Shmetsy tool stopped working.  I have only been using the tool for a little over a month now, but became addicted to the ease of making treasuries with it!  It's difficult to go back to the "old way" of making treasuries and sending convos to the featured shops one-by-one.  I've contacted Shmetsy but haven't received a response yet.  I'm hoping it gets fixed soon!  I already miss it!!  

Hope you have a great weekend!

Shabby Chic Spring

It's Friday again, which means its time for the Weekend Treasury Game from the Promoting Creative Friends Team on Etsy.  For the theme this week I went with shabby chic.  It's light and pretty, and definitely spring fresh!  Check out a snapshot of the treasury below, and click the link to see the actual treasury on Etsy!

Shabby Chic Spring Treasury by C. Russell on Etsy

This week's featured shops were:

• www.etsy.com/shop/RidgeTopEmbroidery
• www.etsy.com/shop/shusha64
• www.etsy.com/shop/SandrasCornerStore
• www.etsy.com/shop/amydscrochet

Another fun promotion the PCFTeam does are Shops of the Day.  Each day four shops are featured to be promoted.  I'm one of the four shops today!  So as a special treat, I included the other three shops in this special weekend treasury as well. 

Those featured shops were:

• AmarigoldLife.etsy.com
• lamamadesmatous.etsy.com 
• SadiSweetShop.etsy.com

I really like how the colors in this treasury came together.  I'm a huge fan of the dollhouse chaise.  I need something like that for Maddie to hang out on when she's not modeling my hats!  I also really like the wooden bunny.  It reminds me of a wooden bunny bank that I had growing up.

What's your favorite item in this week's treasury?  Be sure to visit the treasury on Etsy and add it to your favorites!

Wine or Coffee?

Wine or Coffee.  If you had to choose between the two which would it be?  I think personally, I'd choose coffee.  There's just something incredibly compelling about holding a hot cup of deliciously fragrant coffee in your hands.  Wine is good, but I prefer my wine cold so it just doesn't have that same effect.

Anyway, the reason I ask is because that is the title of my latest treasury for the Promoting Creative Friends Weekend Treasury Game.  Here's a snapshot of the treasury, but you can click below to see the actual treasury and items on Etsy.

Wine or Coffee?

This week's featured shops were:

• www.etsy.com/shop/SassySudburySisters
• www.etsy.com/shop/watercolorsNmore
• www.etsy.com/shop/CraftyCutiesbyDesign
• www.etsy.com/shop/jewelry56

I love how this treasury came together.  The geek in me loves that I was able to sneak in a Tardis with the Doctor Who coffee mug.  The crochet afghan is beautifully and really makes me want to finish one of my own soon, or go curl up on the couch with the crochet blanket I got from my great-grandmother (perhaps with a hot cup of coffee too).  I added the coffee cup wall art to my favorites.  I'm going to have to remember that piece for when we redo our kitchen in the coffee theme I'm dreaming about!

I am completely hooked on using Schmetsy for my treasuries now too.  If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to do so soon!  You won't regret it!

Hope you all have a great weekend!  Find time to relax, either with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, or whatever else suits your fancy!

Etsy Anniversary

Although the blog has been around for a few years now, today is my one year anniversary for my Etsy shop! I'm excited about the progress and direction the shop has taken in this past year.  I feel like I got off to a rocky start and had a few bumps in the road along the way too, but especially in the last few months, I'm more excited than ever about Handmade by CJ!

One year ago today, I opened up my shop with one painting.  When I had sat down to do this painting, thoughts of Etsy and sales were not on my mind.  I was just so happy to be painting for the first time in a long time.  After I finished this one, I did another, and another.  And then I made a decision I wanted to share my art.

After a while I came to realize the importance of this painting was more than a sale.  When the listing expired, I didn't renew it.  This painting has been hanging on the wall in my kitchen ever since.  It's a reminder of where I started, and where I want to go.

If you've followed the shop from the beginning, or even if you've only discovered it recently, you'll notice there are more than just paintings at Handmade by CJ.  In the past few months, I've started adding my crochet projects to the shop, and I'm fairly certain that is the direction my shop will stick with.

As much as I love painting, it's much more difficult to stop and start in the middle of your work.  It's more time consuming to clean up and put away the supplies, and drying, sealing, storing, and shipping are all more challenging.  It's something I plan to keep up with for myself, and my kids (who definitely caught the painting bug!), but not where I want to spend my focus with Etsy.

So back to the crochet.  I think this may be one of the best things I've taught myself to do.  It's relaxing.  It's easy to put away and pick back up right where I left off.  As a mom of young children that's the priority.  I can set my project down and return hours or even days later with no problems.  I can't leave a painting like that, or else I'd be spending a fortune to replace my brushes all the time!

I'm enjoying the challenge of figuring out new patterns and techniques, working with different types of yarn, and truly feel I'm creating with my hands.  Somehow I think when I chose the name "Handmade by CJ", I knew that it wasn't going to be an art shop forever!

With the crochet projects came the newest part of my shop, the doll fashion section, and the introduction of Maddie, my neo Blythe doll.  She's a beauty and the perfect model.  I really enjoy designing new hats and accessories for her, and for the shop.  I even foresee in a few years, branching out into designing for American Girl when my daughter is old enough to have one.  It's neat to think ahead, in terms of years, where my shop will be!

And lastly another question that's on my mind and one you may be asking as well based on my recent posts about photography, will Handmade by CJ add prints?  The short answer is no.  Although, that doesn't mean I won't open up a second Etsy shop when I feel my work is great enough to be sold.  It's a time consuming hobby that I can already see getting in the way of my current Etsy venture!  And I have years of experience yet to acquire!

In the meantime, I'll continuing posting some of my favorite photos here, as I learn new techniques both with the camera and in editing.  I've also already chosen a name and logo for when that time comes!  See, sometimes I plan ahead, and sometimes I don't!

Captured by CJ Photography

With all that being said, Happy Anniversary to Handmade by CJ.  The shop has come so far, and still has so far to go and achieve!  Today only, I'm offering my largest discount ever in the shop:  25% off your purchase with coupon code 'HAPPY1YR'.  Don't miss out on this special offer if there's something you've had your eye on!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandmadebyCJ

I'm also still planning a giveaway in the coming weeks.  I just need to find time to make the product before I kick it off!  Stay tuned for that, and keep checking back to see what's new and exciting.  I hope to always provide both!

Weekend Treasury

Now that I have discovered the Schmetsy tool for making Etsy treasuries I have been making a ton more treasuries recently!  I'm am hooked on how positively easy it is now!  One of my favorite things to make a treasury for is the Promoting Creative Friends team Weekend Treasury Game. 

Four featured shops from the team have to be included in the treasury, along with another 4 items from other shops on the team.  The remaining 8 spots in the treasury can come from anywhere on Etsy to help you create the perfect treasury!

So without further ado, here is my PCFTeam Weekend Treasury!

Click here to see the Treasury on Etsy.

This week's featured shops were:

www.etsy.com/shop/WendysWonders127

www.etsy.com/shop/AstaArtwork

www.etsy.com/shop/FiberandBeadBoutique

www.etsy.com/shop/darlyndax

Please check out these fantastic shops and this fun treasury on Etsy!  Feel free to leave a comment on the treasury as well!  

Etsy Schmetsy!

If you've been on Etsy at all you've probably seen something called a "treasury".  Even if you haven't, you've probably seen me linking quite a few recently on Facebook and Twitter.  Treasuries are member curated lists of 16 (or fewer) items from Etsy.  Members can pick a theme, color, or anything they want to put a treasury together.  I create them for team promotions, special occasions, or just for fun!  You don't have to have an Etsy shop to create them either.  All you need is an Etsy account.  Once you start, you'll find it's very addicting!

I've been making treasuries for almost a year now since that's how long I've been using Etsy.  My very first treasury was all bunny themed items.

Bunny Love by C. Russell on Etsy

Many of the items have expired or the listings removed, and most have long since sold.  It's still neat to be able to look back at where I started making treasuries, and how they've changed in the past year!

I've also recently discovered a helpful tool for making treasuries on Etsy.  It's called Schmetsy!  It's an easy to install browser extension that eliminates the needs for copy and pasting listing urls onto the treasury page.  I so wish I'd known it about it sooner!  It also gives you the ability to save a draft of a treasury you are working on.  No need to rush and finish up a treasury just to save it.  Just save the draft, return when you are ready to finish, and pickup right where you left off!  It retains any tags, title, description, and listings you've already added to the treasury!  How awesome is that?!

The other fun part of Schmetsy is the convo sender.  Not always, but often when I make a treasury, I send an Etsy convo to all those featured to let them know about it.  Many of us have way too many people in our circles which translates to a whole bunch of activity in our activity feeds, and it's easy to miss being featured in a treasury.  Sending a convo is an easy way to ensure it doesn't go unseen!  

Before I discovered Schmetsy, the process of sending a convo included opening up each shop featured in the treasury in a separate tab.  Scrolling down to the "Contact" button on the page, typing in my message, and clicking send.  To save time, I did copy and paste the same message into each convo, but this is still a time consuming process.  With Schmetsy, all you have to do is use the "Convo Sender" tool. 

It adds a section underneath the tags on the right side of the treasury page for creating your convo.  You can change the subject title and body of the message and the tool automatically adds links to the treasury and the item featured.  My favorite part is that it remembers what you used before and you get to keep using your custom message over and over again.

The only problem I've experienced with this is that it doesn't send out all 16 convos for items featured.  I think this may be to avoid getting blocked for spamming on Etsy.  Generally for me, anywhere between 10 and 14 convos are sent.  I have never seen it send all 16.  But this still makes me happier than all that time spent copying and pasting to convo all 16 shops!

There are many amazing treasury teams on Etsy.  I am a part of a few teams that enjoy promoting each others shop through treasury making.  One of those teams, Promoting Creative Friends, does a weekly treasury shop on Wednesdays.  Shop sign up in advance, a total of 17 shops.  And each shop creates a treasury featuring one item from the other 16 shops.

Dinner Party by C. Russell on Etsy

It's always fun and a bit of a challenge, to come up with a fun and unique theme when limited to specific shops.  It's amazing how different each challenge is from the other team members as well.  Even though we are all using the same shops, we all have such different ideas and beautiful treasuries.

Here's a peek at my treasury for today's Mighty 17 treasury swap!

I am also part of a fun team called Treasury Island that features one shop daily for a spotlight treasury.  One participating shop from the day before randomly gets chosen to be the next spotlighted shop.

It also just so happens that my shop is today's spotlighted shop!  I am looking forward to seeing all the amazing treasuries created today!  Below is a look at the treasury I made for yesterday's spotlighted shops.

Etsy's My Muse by C. Russell on Etsy

So do you like making treasuries?  Have you tried Schmetsy or another tool perhaps?  Share your secrets or shortcuts for making great Etsy treasuries in the comments!