It has truly, been a great year!!

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It has been so great. I am so thankful for all the memories I made this year. Ofcourse the highlight would be my trip to Europe! 

I worked on my ideas, I made way for new plans. I made some new friends ( for whom, I am truly grateful)

I learned so much. I plan to do so much more. 

There are some decisions that I still need to make, some important ones, and I hope I would come to a conclusion for that soon!! 

Thank you so much for every one who stops by my blog. I love each and every comment, they just brighten up my days! 

I am really excited to start some new projects this following year. So much fun stuff coming on the blog as well, hope to see you along :)

Have a great time and a very happy new year!!

Etsy Feature: RossLab

If you are looking for something pretty and adorable, to add to the collection of things made with love! You have to visit RossLab

Super adorable

So lets ask Rossella, how she does it all....

- What is your favourite part of creating beautiful ceramic ware?

R: I really like the designing and decorating process. I constantly work on my designs and process because I believe colors and patterns are just as important as shape and functionality. Some of my pieces take up to an hour to paint, and I often use four different glazes that have to be applied at different times. Every step is necessary to obtain the final result. Details are key to me – from testing and selecting the best raw materials to using extra care to pack every piece on its way to my customers.

- Have you always wanted to do that?

R: Yes, I have. It is always been something I wanted to try, and when I finally had the chance to do it it felt right. The potters' wheel is highly addictive!

- Which is your personal favourite of them?

R: My favorite piece to make is the ceramic vase from my Black Bird Fly collection. I throw it on the potter’s wheel in the same relaxing and meditative way I throw all my pieces, but decorating it is truly special. I hand paint nine black swallows on each vase, and afterwards I see a flock of birds before my eyes. It’s like staring at the sky on a clear spring day, and it always cheers me up!

- How does your normal working day looks like?

R: It really depends on what other tasks I have for that day, but I try to work on the potter's wheel during the day, when the studio is sunny and warm, and keep other duties for the evening (packing orders, answering emails, etc.).

- What is your most memorable moment, when opening a shop on Etsy?

R: I came to Etsy by chance, opening my shop when I had no more room to store all my pieces. I wasn’t planning to start a business, but after some positive feedback I decided to turn it into a full-time job. Since then, my shop has grown bigger and my creations have evolved, but my customers' emails and thank you notes are still the what makes every day memorable.

 Thank you Rossella for sharing. 

All images belong to RossLab

Breaking in new shoes!!

This one is latest, in the lines of dresses...that I recently finished. 

The moment I saw the fabric, I had to pick it up for something. Wasn't sure at the moment, even after that. Very recently I got into formal dresses, and this print was perfect for it!

Favourite part...the frill at the bottom 

In love with this pair!! (weee)

Merry Christmas

Hey everyone, sorry for the late post. 

I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas,  hope you all had a beautiful day, with loads of yum food, and family time :)

Here is the whole pic of my tree!!

Happy Holidays!!

Holiday Mani

So by now, I am sure that everyone knows, I LOVE glitter!!

I love the combination of light purple with glitter.

What are you sporting?

sneak- peek......more pics coming soon!!

Etsy Feature: makenziandmadilyn

Personalized embroidery, sweet quotes and hoops with vintage fabrics. Pretty things to add sweetness to your space. All of which you can find at this store.

(isn't that adorable?)

I just love everything at this place. So lets hear it from Kristi, how does she keeps the cuteness coming!

- What is your favourite part of creating beautiful embroidery hoops?

K: My favorite part is simply sewing - it is soothing to me and I feel a good contentment while stitching. 

- Have you always wanted to do that?

K: No, I hadn't always wanted to be an embroidery artist, although I have always enjoyed sewing. I didn't even realize it was something I could do until a friend of mine wanted something embroidered for a wedding. It sort of just evolved from that.

- Which is your personal favourite of them?

K: My personal favorite item is the one with "You are my favorite." I have it sitting between photos of my two girls, for they are both my favorite!

- How does your normal working day looks like?

K:When I sit down to sew, if I don't have an order to fill, I begin by writing out different quotes and sayings and playing with different letters. I love to arrange words on the fabric in an organized way, but so that it still looks sort of written out at random. Then I decide on colors and get to work!

- What is your most memorable moment, when opening a shop on Etsy?

K:Most memorable is a very special item I was privileged to sew, it was for a bride whose father had passed away years earlier. She had a letter from him, and wanted his writing embroidered onto silk to be sewn into her wedding dress. This is my favorite kind of work to do, so sentimental and meaningful.
 

Thank you so Kristi, for sharing. 

All images belong to makenziandmadilyn

 

Then the Fairytale begins....

I am so excited to share this shoot with you!!

This gown just tops the list of favourites now! 

I think it came out better than I visualized it to be. I have always been in love with the classic"red-black" combination. There was nothing better than a gown, to try it out with.

The bling quotient is the waist belt :)

Etsy Feature: TheChequeredLily

Glittery shadows, pretty rosy blushes...glossy balms, If you are always on the lookout for same. Then you are in for a treat. This lovely store has it all.

I am personally smitten by the glitter shadow range. (how can you not??)

They are just so pretty!!

see....

Lets get to know more from Kimberly, the lady behind it all. 

What is your favourite part of creating vegan cosmetics collection?

K: My favorite thing about creating any collection is the inspiration phase. Brainstorming ideas and mixing test colors to see which combinations best fit my vision. When I am working on challenging colors that I want to be vegan (reds, pinks, purples), it is the challenge I enjoy – trying to get the desired result with a limited set of ingredients.

Have you always wanted to do that?

K: No. I've always loved makep, but never really thought about making it. I have had many jobs, but no real career. I got very close to having a career as a cook, and I'd like to get back to that someday, but for now I'm really happy with making color cosmetics and personal care products. 

Which is your personal favourite of them?

K: I don't have a favorite color, but I am very proud of the Halloween collection from 2011 because it was my first big collection and I felt like I really was successful at making it cohesive. It also was one of the easiest collections to make because it just came together so fast. 

How does your normal working day looks like?

K: I'm pretty lucky that I don't really have any normal workdays. Every day is different. I still have a real job at the moment, and I have to work my business around my work schedule, which is always different. Most days I am able to pack orders either in the morning or late at night and work through the day making products and filling samples and containers. Some days are spent entirely on packing up orders when I'm busy. All last week I spent making bath products for a craft show and dind't get any makeup formulating in at all. I expect that this randomness will continue for awhile, as I have a new product line launching soon and a packaging change coming up too. At least I'm never bored. 

 What is your most memorable moment, when opening a shop on Etsy? 

K: I think the most memorable experience was opening up my 3rd shop and just hoping it was the right thing to do. When I opened The Chequered Lily on Etsy, I already had 2 shops going and had been selling eye shadows on one of them for a few months. I had decided that the makeup line needed its own space if it was to succeed, with a brand identity and a professional appearance, so I opened up my third shop and started working on branding. Looking back, it was definitely the right move, but it was scary at the time.

Thank you so much Kim, for sharing :)

But that's not all my friends, there is a special coupon!!

Use coupon code GORGEOUS

and it is good for 20% off any order of $5 or more through Dec 31st, 2013 

 
All images belong to TheChequeredLily

Holiday Favourites...

Just sharing some of the favourites from the holiday season!

Love to add some colour 

What are your current favourites??

Are you a fan of Studs??

 When your outfit shines for you, do you love adding a pretty petit pair of earrings to finish off the look?

I love these daisy ones! they are kind of my go-to these days. 

For more.....Rosabelle Treasures

Once upon a time..

I am so excited to share this outfit with you all. 

Its just a sneak peak, but the pics are coming real SOON...

In love with this pair (sigh)

Etsy Feature: LITdecor

This store is the kinda place, where you can't stop looking through. The very same thing happened with me, when I stumbled across this place. The designs are just mesmerizing and you can see the impeccable detailing.

Its truly hard to pick a favourite.

So lets hear from Vanessa, what it takes to have such a lovely store!

- What is your favourite part of creating exquisite home decor products?

V: - My favorite part of my work is coming up with new designs and creating these new jars, whether these are custom orders or just new ideas.


- Have you always wanted to do that?

V: - I haven't necessarily always wanted to paint glass jars specifically, but I have always been artistically inclined.. I have a background in Product Design, and I often said that my dream job, if money were no object, would be a job as an artist or painter. Through Etsy, I have been able to achieve this in a real way, even with money being an "object". I feel so blessed to be able to help support my family and have my dream job in this way.

- Which is your personal favourite of them?

V: - I don't have a specific favorite design, but I enjoy making newer designs that I have listed. It is fulfilling to see a design become popular, and always surprising. I honestly couldn't predict which design will become the most popular out of a group of new listings. Some designs are sleepers, they will hang out in my Etsy store for a long while without many sales, and then they will get hot. Sometimes I can figure out how this happens, link it back to a front page Etsy spot, a feature in a blog, or a great treasury that includes the listing; but sometimes it is a mystery. I would probably get very bored if I was painting the same 3 or 4 designs all the time, but this is never an issue with my store.. I am always painting different style jars or creating new designs for custom requests. I guess my favorite type of order is when a customer gives me some guidelines such as glass color, detail color, or design style (ex: henna patterns, geometric styles, etc); but then asks me to come up with the designs for the jars. I always come up with new designs when this happens. I love this freedom, and I love to reward customers who allow me this freedom with first access to new designs.

 - How does your normal working day looks like?

V: - I am a definite night owl, so I have a rather unorthodox work day. I wake up my daughter Chloe for school at 8 am and ensure that she is dressed, fed, and ready for school- my darling fiance Nick knows that I am very bad at mornings, so he drives her to school while I take a little nap on the couch. Depending on the night before, I sleep anywhere between 30 min to a couple of hours. Once I really wake up, I start my work day. I generally start the day preparing orders that are ready to ship. The shipping prep process ( for me this involves putting handles on the jars, individually boxing them, then packing them in their shipping boxes) is pretty time consuming, which is definitely not my favorite. I would rather be painting all the time :-) If orders need to go out that day, they are rushed out to either the post office or other shipping services,depending on individual package needs. Nick works from home as well, and he often makes these runs for me (see? saint!) . Short break for child retrieval/ homework/after school activities, then I am back to work painting jars. I do most of my actual painting in this time, and tend to work until around 2 or 3 in the morning.

- What is your most memorable moment, when opening a shop on Etsy?
 
V: - My most memorable Etsy moment was probably when one of my lanterns was featured in an Etsy "Get the Look Decor" article. I opened my Etsy shop in Oct 2011, and this article in Jan 2012 really increased my shop views and changed my whole business dynamic. I love how the Etsy format has allowed me to grow a business with lots of hard work, creativity, and a fresh idea, but not a big budget for advertising. It was an overwhelming and amazing day for me when this article first came out. I spent the whole day answering messages and creating custom orders! I could not have reached so many people without opportunities like this. I am still a bit shocked and amazed at the way my shop has grown, it is so fulfilling to have so many customers who like my artwork, enough to spend their hard earned money at my shop!  

Thank you so much Vanessa for a lovely conversation!


All images belong to LITdecor

Bringing Spring back.....atleast a part of it!

Hey all, hope you having a great week so far. Winter is here in full swing and it has started to feel all christmas-y. I just love it :)

But there is a little part of me that is missing spring....

something to remember the colourful season!

Finished this two nights ago

Done with soft pastels

Have a great day :)

Etsy Feature: CoquetteBath

Yummy lipbalms, delicious smelling scrubs and adorable packaging, Is that what drives you to a bath and beauty store? Then, I have got a catch for you today!!

A beautiful store, with all the beautiful products you would love to stock on!

So lets hear from Cari, about her lovely journey :)

- What is your favourite part of creating beautiful cosmetics and bath products?

C: My favorite part of creating is...creating. And knowing that what I've made is both beautiful, fragrant and lovely to use. I use my products and I always say that if it isn't good enough for my family, I won't sell it to yours.

- Have you always wanted to do that?

C: Have I always wanted to make products? Actually no. I rather fell into it. I owned a gift store for about 6 years and when I couldn't find anything at Market that met my quality, ingredient and price requirements (first for candles) I learned how to do it myself. I quickly got 'hooked' and just won't buy anything else, now. 

- Which is your personal favourite of them?

C: I like every single product, but of course, not every scent is a favorite. I prefer my lip balm to anything made by anyone anywhere. Seriously. I love my rollon perfumes, and my soap...well, my skin is very happy. I also use both my body bliss cream and my lotion bars.

 - How does your normal working day looks like?

C: I don't have a normal working day. I still have a full time, fairly demanding, 'day job'. When I get home, I get online, see if I have any orders to pack, and then do some website/online shop maintenance. Adding new photos, improving tags, etc. I batch product weekly, but not every product. Recently, I've handled a huge batch of roll on perfume, soap, lotion bars and will dig into the wax melt production in day or so. 

- What is your most memorable moment, when opening a shop on Etsy?
 

C: I don't have a most memorable moment. I strive to make each product to the best of my abilities. I'm constantly trying to improve my quality and my product image. My kids get tired of me changing my labels but as my vision sharpens...so do they.
 

Thank you so much Cari, for sharing :)

 All images belong to CoquetteBath