Twice now, I've been lucky enough to have an item from my jewelry shop, on Etsy's front page. Both of which resulted in sales. Being chosen for a treasury is exciting. Being noticed and well received is great fuel for creativity. To see your own work on the home page, is even more fantastic. It's a bit of a rush, however long it lasts. That is all I need to keep me happy. So, when a sale results from all of this, it's just icing on the cake. Bonus points.

So listing often won't guarantee me sales. But, finding myself on the front page is guaranteed to make my day.

Here is the wonderful FP treasury, curated by chicalessia . Thanks Ana.

In usual Basic Grey fashion, just as I am beginning to enjoy my new Spring collections, they introduce another.

Euphoria "designed in a dream… placed in reality Slip into summer amid enchanting patterns splashed with sparkling amethyst, willow green, lagoon blue and verbena pink. Relax in happiness and well-being, while indulging in your own personal
state of delirium."

Here is a preview...




and I'm loving these stamps...




wholesale ordering began today and they will ship in June. Keep your eye out for these new lovelies.

My friend Sam shared some of her great new paper with me. She sent it from Arizona, and I received it yesterday. It's really yummy paper with wood grain patterns, swirls, and even cute little cowboys. I got to thinking it would be fun to continue the love of sharing by paying if forward. I created a set of gift tags with the papers I got. I listed them in my Etsy shop as a PIF (pay it forward). Usually when someone lists a PIF, it costs 20 cents to cover the listing fee plus the cost of shipping. I decided to cover those costs for my PIF, because I wanted it to be a true gift. I asked for one stipulation. That the receiver Pay It Forward, somehow. When they do, they must report back to me and tell me what happened. Then they tell the next person to contact me and tell me their PIF story. And so on and so on.

I don't know how far I can expect this to go. The longer the love train gets, the less likely it will be that people will report back to tell me their stories. But, I can at least try and follow it as long as I can. It will be interesting to see how it goes and hear about how others Pay It Forward.

Here is the gift tags set I offered below. Within 5 minutes of listing, RayvenRenn took the challenge. She says that she does PIF's all the time and thinks they are great fun. She will try and continue the train! So thanks Rayven, let's do this love train...

It's so exciting to find my treasury on Etsy's front page. Even more so, when I actually see it and can take a screen shot.

Open Waters

Treasury west seems to like me lately. I've managed to snag 3 or 4 treasuries in the last week or so. It's definitely less popular, harder to get to, and less visited for sure. But, quite a few front pages seem to be coming from the West, recently. Plus I'll take a treasury any time, any where. Today I made an all white list, my favorite to create and look at, I think. So clean and crisp.

In the Etsy forums, I see a lot of conflicting views about whether or not to share information about techniques and supply sources when it comes to each of our crafts. Some say sharing this information is bad for business and to guard such trade secrets. Others say share the wealth, it's about community and helping each other out. I've seen some heated discussions about this and a lot of people feel strongly about it, either way.

I say, mind your own business. If you want to share, then share. If you want to hoard, then hoard. Me, I'm a sharer. Nothing I know is a huge secret that can't be discovered in the same way I have. Here is a list of some of my favorite supply sources. When it comes to supplies, I'm usually looking for paper goods or jewelry supplies. So, that's what my list consists of.

Ribbons and Bows Oh My - great selection of ribbon (gross grain, velvet, satin, novelty, etc.) good prices and easy to navigate, accepts PayPal.

Two Peas in a Bucket - one of my favorite paper sources. Tons of scrapbooking supplies. Carries many company's products, easy to navigate, great site tools, fair prices, accepts PayPal.

Paper Source - lovely site. Unique paper in large sheets, bookbinding supplies, cool catalog, fun to browse.

Paper Mojo - another great selection of unique papers. Easy to navigate, pretty to look at.

A Cherry On Top - another scrapbook shop, large selection, carries many company's, good prices, fair shipping, and they have a fun game where you collect cherries whenever you see one on certain products when browsing.

Accessories Susan - my new favorite jewelry supply source. Awesome prices on findings, gems, settings, etc. No sterling silver, but lots of brass, copper, and plated metals. I try to buy jewelry supplies at wholesale, but found this place to be priced even better. Great find. PayPal friendly. Free shipping.

The Beading Path - Love this place. I have a wholesale account with them, but they sell retail also. If you can get a wholesale account, you can buy at 50% off with no minimum and they offer free shipping. Great variety of glass, vintage, swarovski, and much more. A must visit. I love this place. PayPal friendly.

Rings and Things - I have only browsed this site so far. But, I hear many great things about this shop. Easy to navigate, large selection, and good prices.

Fusion Beads - Everything you need in one place. Good prices, free shipping, no minimum, easy to navigate. No PayPal here, though.

Black Star Beads - Etsy shop with great vintage beads and great prices.

Black Sheep Beads - Etsy shop with vintage beads, findings, and great prices.

e & e bungalow - Etsy shop with beautiful wood beads.

Stone Soup Supplies - Etsy shop with awesome handmade findings.

The Beading Tree - my favorite Etsy shop for shipping and packaging supplies.

Gaussboys Super Magnets - the lowest prices for rare earth magnets that I've been able to find. Quick shipping. PayPal friendly.

***added 04.26.08
Stampfranciso - after browsing this site I got excited about going to their shop, assuming it was local. Apparently they aren't actually in San Francisco. Washington, actually. But they aren't open to the public there either. The online shop is awesome. I love their selection of stamps, they have soooo many. Tons of cool, unique stamps to choose from. PayPal friendly too. I highly recommend this place.

I'll add more as I discover or remember them. Please share your favorite sources, if you are willing....

made me giggle.

My husband just bought me the "American Gangster" DVD. I thought the movie was excellent. I found the true story, behind the movie, so interesting. Seeing the interviews of the real Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and the detective that brought him down, Richie Roberts (Russel Crowe) made it even better. I learned that Richie Roberts later represented Frank Lucas as his defense attorney, and now the two are close friends.
I love adding new movies to my list of favorites to watch again and again. Better yet, I have a new favorite song that I still can't get enough, from the movie.

"Do You Feel Me", by Anthony Hamilton
Enjoy.

If you love to play around with colors, palettes, and design patterns,
this website is a great place to experiment.

COLOURlovers gives the people who use color - whether for ad campaigns, product design, or in architectural specification - a place to check out a world of color, compare color palettes, submit news and comments, and read color related articles and interviews.

One interesting feature is that when you create a palette, there is an option to attach an inspiration image to it. This next palette I made came from the colors of the photo below it.



Colour Lovers can be pretty addicting. So be warned.