Promoting Creative Friends: June 2012

TAK Jewelry Designs

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born and have lived in Louisville, KY all my life. Married for 28 years to a wonderful man. We have 3 sons, 1 daughter, 5 grandchildren and 2 dogs. We own an automotive service in Brooks, KY and are there 5 days a week, 10 hrs. a day. We stay pretty busy.

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

I first named my shop TAK Unique Designs - the first 3 letters being my initials. I began creating jewelry about 11 years ago with my daughter - she got tired of it and I kept going. I've branched out some to doing magnets, keychains and cards. I love creating things! I changed my shop name to TAK Jewelry Designs about 4 months ago - how ironic - I changed it and now am creating more than just jewelry!

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

1- quality,
2- fun,
3 - unique,
4 - creative
5 - customizable

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

Well, it used to be gemstone beads - I have so many favorites I couldn't name them all! Now it's card stock, stamping blanks, scrapbooking supplies.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

I love to read and I enjoy walking my min pin every day.
*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?
Right now, I'd say the cards I make. I really enjoy putting them together.

*What keeps you motivated?

To be honest, I buy supplies that I see and think I could use in a certain way. Then, I have to create something because I have these supplies:) Gemstone beads, findings, craft supplies - when I see some I like, I figure out a way to use them and do it.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

Don't give up when it seems you are not getting the views, sales, etc. you want. Promote, promote, promote!! Be active in the teams and always promote your fellow creators! We all win when we help each other!

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

www.facebook.com/takuniquedesigns
www.twitter.com/hummingbirdtak
www.blogspot.com/takuniquejewelrydesigns
www.bonanza.com/booths/takuniquedesigns

Christmas In July Auction

July 10 - 15

Christmas In July Auction
with the

Promoting Creative Friends Team!

How the Auction Works:

Below is the list of the shops from the Promoting Creative Friends Team that are participating in the auction. Click on the title to the shop and a new page will open featuring the items the shop has put up for auction.

The name of the item, retail value, starting bid, description etc are all listed for each item. At the bottom of each page is the bidding form. If you find something you would like to bid on - fill out the form in the appropriate places and submit.

~ On July 16 the winning bidders will receive an invoice via paypal for the item they bid on. The bidder has 48 hours to pay the invoice. If after 48 hours the invoice has not been paid, they may be banned from any further auctions.
**DO NOT BID if you are not going to pay for the item.**

PRIZES: There will be 1-2 prizes awarded each day of the auction to the bidders. The winners will be picked randomly.

** At the top of each form is a link to the bidding history for the shop. **

Here are the shops that have items up for auction:

AmyDsCrochet: crochet scarves, hats, items for the bath and kitchen.

Arts & Crafts by Kathy : Hand Tied Fly's, Crochet Crafts & Jewelry

Audrey's Cozy Crochet: crochet for baby, home and fun

Averylee Designs: Handcrafted Home Decor and Holiday Merchandise: pillows, banners, ornaments, artwork and more

Averylee Kids : Specialty Items for Kids; Infants and Children

Bibocks: The Bibocks with Lapkins Company.

BKInspired : Creative wood pyrography designs

Buffalo Creek Crafts : coasters, magnets, cards

Ceraminic : Handmade Pottery, Jewelry, Ornaments, Dishes

Crimson Hill Soaps & Scents : nature-inspired, spa-quality soaps and bath, body & home luxuries

Dogwood Corner: felt appliques, flowers & seasonal

Earthlie Treasures: Handmade jewelry, petrified pets, floral arrangements

Gumpaste Garden: Gum Paste/Royal Icing Flowers & Handmade Crafts

Holiday Time Decor: seasonal decor for your home

Jewelry by AmyT: decorative magnetic id holders, lampwork beads & more

KatKeRosCorner: Wire jewelry, hair accessories, ornaments

New England Quilter: Handmade Quilts, Baskets, Headbands, Toys & Holiday Dec

Peace of Art Studio: Unique Wire Wrapped and Semi Precious Stone Jewelry

Peace of Stone Studio: Reiki Stone Macrame and Leather Jewelry

Phresh Threadz : Unique, casual styles in clothing, jewelry, bags and more.

Posies & Poppies: Custom Wood Letters & Home Decor

Scunjeebabe: Knitted Baby Booties, Children's Mittens, Scarves & Bears

The Mystical Oasis Glow : Hand Crafted Mystical Oasis Jewelry and Accessories

The No Sweat Shop : Sewn gifts for your whole family

This and That Crafter: Arlene's Crafty Creations

ToppyToppy : Handmade Knitwear and Jewelry for Everyone

Valkin Threads : clothing, accessories, goth, punk, rockabilly, gypsy

ZVineWine : unique wine bottle stoppers

Thursday's TAG - YOU'RE IT treasuries

NEW RULES:
** Use the feature item somewhere in your treasury. Does not have to be the first item.
9 shops from the PCF Team
6 random shops from Etsy.

This thread will be new every Thursday.
Will run for one day only.
All treasuries using the feature item will be added to the blog.

THEME: Unique
Feature Item from THEODORADESIGNS

Weekly Shop Hop

Do you have an online shop? Love to check out other shops, and would love some free advertising? This is the place for you!

Just click the blue button below to add a link to one of your shop items. Type your SHOP NAME in the box that says "name", then add the link to the item you would like featured in the URL box.

The linky will change every Wednesday, so be sure to come back and add your shop.

There will be 5 shops featured each week, chosen from those that joined the previous week.

Here are this weeks featured shops:

SandrasCornerStore

SuzieQTee

NekozukiYarns

TheBeautyAround

Kali's Kreations

Briana Dragon Creations

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm from Maine, currently living in Georgia. I've been crafting since I was about 5 and I'm constantly doing something crafty or artistic.

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

I use the name BrianaDragon or BrianaDragon Creations everywhere online, so I keep using it. That way people always know how to find me. The first part is my name, and I love dragons, so... ;)
I started selling my crafts years ago just to make ends meet. Then I started to really love creating. Now I'm doing it because I missed the joy of making physical items (after years of doing digital art). I'm also hoping to add to our income.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

Pretty
cool
weird
neat
I have to own that!

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

I guess I don't really have one. I pretty much take what I can get. I do have a certain love for reclaiming broken stuff and turning the parts into items where you'd never guess their humble origins, like turning tacky old Christmas ornaments into classy goth jewelry.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

If I could I'd probably be creating all the time. When I'm not crafting I do enjoy MindJolt Games, various TV shows and listening to lots of music with the occasional singing and dancing.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

Wow, that's a hard one. Even though it was difficult the Woven Turtle Choker set (www.etsy.com/listing/100846741/hand-woven-bead-choker-and-earring-set) was very satisfying. That was one of the first things I wove by hand after throwing out my loom, so it was quite a triumph.

*What keeps you motivated?

Looking at the awesome things that other people make and wanting to be both that good and that successful. I'm constantly being inspired by other artisans to do better work and be more successful.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

Don't get discouraged by a lack of sales. I've worked enough sites to know that it can take a while to hit your stride, but waiting for that first sale is always the hardest part. just keep faith and keep adding new items, the sales will come if your work is good. And on that note, never stop trying to improve the quality of your work.

* Is this your first craft adventure or have you tried other crafts? What would you like to try?

I've tried more kinds of art and crafts than I can list. Jewelry is something I've done before and will do again. I would love to start working with higher end materials like real silver and crystals though. Wire weaving fascinates me, and I'm hoping to try Viking Knit and spool knitting soon.

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

twitter.com/brianadragon
www.facebook.com/BrianaBlair.Jewelry
brianadragon.com/
www.zazzle.com/mbr/238965068089071689

Thursday - TAG YOU'RE IT treasuries

NEW RULES:

** Use the feature item somewhere in your treasury. Does not have to be the first item.
9 shops from the PCF Team
6 random shops from Etsy.

This thread will be new every Thursday.
Will run for one day only.

THEME: Summer Wedding

Feature Shop: darlyndax

Feature Item:

Weekly Shop Hop

There will be 5 shops featured each week, chosen from those that joined the previous week.

Here are this weeks featured shops:

creativelycarole

BoutousCreations

LadyBugCo

ACharmingTime

MsHandbagsNMore

Always With Me

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.
I have lived in Virginia for the past 8 years, but I am originally from New Jersey. I am married to an amazing man and a working mom to one amazing little boy.

*How did you decide on your shop name?

I knew that I was going to make items that were inspired by my life. My products were going to be based on the people and the events that really shape my life and make the kind of memories that really stick with you, both the happy and the sad. So I decided on the name Always With Me, because those people, events, and memories will be Always With Me. I have items inspired by pregnancy and infant loss, infertility, adoption, family, and home. Why did you start your business? My shop is like therapy for me. My crafts help me to remember my Angel Baby and also to take my mind off of our struggles with infertility. I love to create and my shop allows me to share that love with others.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

Unique
Beautiful
Passionate
Bright
Interesting.
I hope they can sense the love I pour into each piece.

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

Paper, boxes, and stamps. I love brightly colored items.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

I work and chase my 4 year old around. We do a lot of things together as a family like BBQs, swimming, and riding bikes.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

Custom angel baby

memory boxes. Each box has it’s own story, and while they are sad, and I almost always cry, they are real. I feel honored that I am able to help people cope with their losses in some small way, and I am inspired by the strength and love that these women show.

*What keeps you motivated?

I get the most beautiful messages from customers and “window shoppers”. It keeps me going.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

Join the etsy community. Join some amazing teams like the PCFTeam and meet other shop owners. It’s a great community and you can learn so much!

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

alwayswithmeonetsy.blogspot.com

Weekly Shop Hop

There will be 5 shops featured each week, chosen from those that joined the previous week.

Here are this weeks featured shops:

chokethai

fiiimac

BrightBlueSkyDesigns

ThreadedChains

JoysinStitches

Laser Cut Wood Designs

*Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.

Our business Gulf Coast Laser Graphics is located in Florida. My husband Tom and I (Denise) run the company. We have 2 boys that are 27 and 19. Originally, we both came from the upper Midwest, Wisconsin and Illinois.

*How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?

Our location had a great influence on our company name. Living on the West coast of Florida and engraving products for pet shows and gifts combined to form our name. We formerly operated a commercial cleaning business, but needed a creative change.

*What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product?

The 5 things we want people to think when they see our product are:
1. Wow, they have a great selection of hard to find pet lover's items.
2. I love the detail and ability to customize a product.
3. The quality of the work is great:)
4. The shipping time is very rapid.
5. Their product line is expanding to sports, promotional items, holidays, and gifts for special occasions.

*What’s your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up?

We use wood a great deal because it is so versatile for engraving, and now that we are starting sports items the plastic is great for color.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

I am a foodie at heart; have been since the age of 17 when I worked at a fine dining restaurant in a suburb of Chicago as a bus girl at and helped serve at the table where Julia Child was. Tom is a sports fan who has a great time with our 19 yr. old watching the games.

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

The photo engraved ornament is the one we enjoy the most. It is like capturing a moment in time that you will pull out every year and possibly hand down to your child to help them remember what they looked like or what their pet looked like long after the time has passed.

* Is this your first craft adventure or have you tried other crafts? What would you like to try?

As for previous crafting experiences, I enjoyed candy making and adventurous cake decorating from the time I started experimenting with it at the age of 16. My largest project ever was a 3 layer wedding cake with a fountain between the first and second layer.
As for other crafts, learning the art of lampwork beads to create characters, or animals would be something I would like to try.

*What keeps you motivated?

The motivation comes from 1. a never say quit attitude, 2. a desire to expand and look for what the public may want, and 3. a belief that as long as we keep trying new things and examining all options that success is possible.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

Get as active as you can manage in the teams, because the more you network your business, the greater exposure you will have.

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

www.facebook.com/pages/Gulf-Coast-Laser-Graphics/219114098152870
pinterest.com/gclgraphics/
twitter.com/#!/GclGraphics
www.gulfcoastlasergraphics.com/
www.wanelo.com/gclasergraphics
www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/gclasergraphics

Thursday - TAG YOU'RE IT treasuries

TRYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT
NEW RULES:
** Use the feature item somewhere in your treasury. Does not have to be the first item.
9 shops from the PCF Team
6 random shops from Etsy.

This thread will be new every Thursday.
Will run for one day only.
All treasuries using the feature item will be added to the blog.

THEME: Beach Party

from: Loustudio