Happy New Year From Expressions By Devin

I just want to wish everyone a wonderful and safe New Year.I want to thank all of my blog readers and everyone who has supported Expressions by Devin this past year.It has been a wonderful experience.I am looking forward to another wonderful experience in 2009.

New Craft Desk!!!

Yesterday Joseph and I decided to go out yesterday and spend or gift cards and use some of our Christmas money.I have had my old desk for about 3 years,it been though alot. It was a cheap made desk.That i got on on sale really really cheap.It was time for a upgrade.I went to Joann's Fabric and crafts Store.I Love that store.It has tons of different craft items that hobby lobby and Micheal's don't.Joann's had this really awesome Craft table, that would help me get really organized.So I got it.I am so excited about it.Here is picture of our adventure trying to put it together and what it looks like finished:

Sunday Feature on Faded But Desired Treasures!!!

1)How did you first hear about Lollishops: I frequent blogs and shabby chic sites.. I do not remember who's blog or site i found a lollishops link on, but i clicked on it that day and have visited often.. When Sadie said she was going to open the Lollishops site to all of us that wanted to sell on it , i was so excited.

2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!: I love to try all kinds of things. I am into Vintage at this time, and do not do a very big amount of crafting so to speak. I personally love to work with with wood.. Take old things and make something different from it. I have not been doing to much of that lately as i have been having a shoulder problem i am working to get healed.

3)How did you get started as a designer?: Well I have no degree to say i am "A Designer" but, I have crafted and scrapbooked for many years.. I love to just let the creativity flow and see what happens.

4)What inspires you to create?: Feelings mostly.. It always depends on the mood i am in as to what i do create.

5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Lollishops?: Send emails, blog, exchange links and word of mouth.

6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?: Just always let your design lead you . Most of the time it falls into place even when you sit down with an idea, it will change.
Check out her lovely shop: www.lollishops.com/faded-but-desired-treasures

Valentine's Item in shop today

I just posted a couple new Valentine items in my shop today:


I am hoping to have more valetnine's items and gifts up this week so keep checking back.
I also posted a new baby girl card today also:

Keep checking back for new items daily!!!
www.devinprather.etsy.com

Christmas Recap

This Christmas was one of the best Christmas I have ever had.My husband Joseph always has to work holidays,But not this year.He was off on Christmas eve and day.I was super excited.I was so glad that I didn't have to go to all the places by myself.I got tons of craft stuff and some other things I wanted,But most of all I got to spend a wonderful Christmas with my Husband, all of my family and close friends.It was the best Christmas Yet!!!

P.S.Our Camera batteries died so no Pictures this year!!!

Feature blog on secondsister!!!!

1)How did you first hear about Etsy?:I don't even remember how I stumbled onto Etsy. I must have been clicking around the internet as I so love to do.

2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:Well, I am first and foremost just a stay-at-home mom to one small boy. We live very near the ocean and we spend a lot of time in the sand. We are adopting a daughter from China. I have a small studio where I work as a silver smith and overall tinkerer.

3)How did you get started as a designer?:I started making jewelery when I was only 12. I have never stopped.

4)What inspires you to create?:I find inspiration everywhere I go. I love different cultures and I find the jewelry and fashion of Asia to be very interesting. I also love to listen to music in my studio. It brings out my creativity.

5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Etsy?:I have a blog which brings in a fair amount of traffic. When I first joined Etsy, I spent a lot of time on the forums getting to know other artists.

6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?: Don't spend a ton of money taking instructional classes. A book from the library or a phone call to an established artisan can be just as beneficial.

Check out her etsy shop: www.secondsister.etsy.com

A day trip to Brown County Indiana

Yesterday my Parents , my husband and I took a trip to Brown county Indiana.We go 2 or 3 times a year.We have never went there during Christmas time.Brown county has tons of really great shops and eating places.Of course I took pictures of our adventure.


My mom and I

The best shop at Brown county !!Its awesome. I get alot of my unique stamps from there.They have so many different kinds of stamps and card making stuff that you cant find any where else.I bought a awesome set of vintage looking stamps .

Some really pretty decorations they had set up

The Brown county train all decorated for Christmas and blasting holiday music.Very festive!!!



My husband and I

Some of the pretty Christmas lights at night!!
We had a wonderful time,spending time with my parents and getting in to the Christmas spirit!!!

Saturday Feature blog on Catnip Studio

1)How did you first hear about Lollishops:
I knew Sadie (CEO of LolliShops, Inc.) from another venue for artisan handmades.

2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:
I'm retired from the U.S. Navy, and I spend my days and nights designing, drawing, and creating in a variety of mediums. Mosaic art with broken china and stained glass is my most favorite, though anything with scrapbook paper is a close second!

3)How did you get started as a designer?:
It's something I've done all of my life, since I first picked up a crayon as a young girl.

4)What inspires you to create?:Everything I see is a potential inspiration, especially the natural world. And beautiful colors, shapes, and lines.

5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Lollishops?:Mostly with online networking, and keeping up my blog, as I live in a rural county in the mountains of Northern California.

6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?:Do what you love. Do it well. And, in the words of George Eliot, "It is never too late to be what you might have been."

Check out Catnips studios shop:www.lollishops.com/catnipstudio

Feature Blog on Michelles Charm World!!!

1)How did you first hear about Lollishops:
The Etsy Forums, People were asking who was accepted and who was rejected. I figured what the heck! I checked it out and it sounded really great, so I figured I didn't want to sit around wondering what-if? So I applied and now here I am!

2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:
I'm a 28 year old mother of 3 married to her Prince Charming. It truly is one of the happily-ever-after kind of things! We were even married in Disney World! I stay at home and look after my children (ages 3,2 and 1) and create my wearable sweets for my shops! I love finding goodies to turn into spectacularly funky treasures!

3)How did you get started as a designer?:
In high school I wore a uniform and had to adhere to one of those dress codes! Blahh! I got so tired of looking like everyone else, that the weekends were my chance to really branch out! I loved color and it had to be bright! Nothing from those mall shops ever seemed to be the right touch for my outfits, so I would buy a few things here or there, add a little something from around the house and BAM something new and funky!

4)What inspires you to create?:
Lately, it's been my children. They have the most colorful, fun toys! I just have to use everything I find laying around and turn it into something different! My daughter now things that Barbies come without shoes and tea sets come without cookies! My husband is seeing that his miniature train hobby has me often raiding his stash of accessories too! My boys know they have to share their legos with mommy too! haha It's fun!
5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Lollishops?:
I have a blog, Facebook, Myspace, Flickr and I twitter! I can often be found in the forums several times a day too! While out and about (a majority of the day!) I have my shop decal on my back windshield of my cars and magnetic signs for the side doors of my cars.
I leave fliers and business cards wherever I go that seems to have my type of shoppers there. When traveling and taking road trips I leave business cards and fliers in magazines and books I leave in the airports and rest areas. I pretty much paper the world!

6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?:
My favorite advice to give is to STEP OUT OF THE BOX!
The big box craft stores that is! Take a look around any craft show or selling site and you will see over 50% of the people are using pieces purchased at craft stores or big places online. Everyone uses the same charms, the same baubles, so get out there. Look around. Extend you mind. You will be amazed at what you can create when you don't limit yourself!
Me? I'm off to go and turn some jewelry box knobs into a fabulous bracelet and replace those knobs with Scrabble Tiles!

Check out her Lollishop:www.Lollishops.Com/MichellesCharmWorld

Feature Blog on aggieray

1)How did you first hear about Etsy?:

I actually found it by accident. I was on another auction site looking at handbags for sale and there was a link to ETSY. I know I had noticed it before, but didn’t take the time to find out more about it. A couple of months later, I saw another LINK. I then took the time to look at the shops and dove right in to getting my shop up and running.

2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:

My name is Linda and I live in Rhode Island. I’ve been married for 23 years and have a son and daughter ages 22 and 19. I have lived in Rhode Island my entire life and graduated from both Bryant University and Roger Williams University with degrees in accounting and paralegal studies. I have worked for the same attorney for 27 years as a Paralegal and Real Estate Agent. I design and make handbags, totes and accessories of all shapes, styles and colors! I sell them on ETSY at www.aggieray.etsy.com


3)How did you get started as a designer?: I started sewing in the 7th grade. I was fascinated with creating clothing and objects out of fabric. When I married and had children, I started sewing more for my home and children to save money. Over the past few years, I started creating these beautiful handbags from all the beautiful fabrics we have available to us. I am addicted to fabric.



4)What inspires you to create?:

Beautiful fabrics inspire me. The look and feel of the fabric is very important. If something is not beautiful and nice to the touch, I will not create an item with it. Of course, my creative process starts with the fabric. I usually fall in love with the fabric first. After I purchase the fabric, I usually lay it out and look at it to come up with coordinating fabrics and the style of the handbag. As soon as that style pops in my head, I then cut into the fabric and sew up a beautiful new item for my shop!


5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Etsy?: Word of mouth in my home town and I pass out business cards. I promote on several social networking sites such as We Love Etsy , Creative Butterfly and FLICKR.

6) Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?:

You must truly love what you are doing. If you do not love it, then the creative process is lost. Stay positive in the forums and read everything you can about how to improve your sales, pictures and shop. Don’t worry about the competition. You know they are their, take a peek, but don’t get obsessed over them. If you create a beautiful product, provide great customer service, promote your shop, then the sales will come.

Check out aggieray's shop:www.aggieray.etsy.com

First Big snow

Today was the first big snow of the season for us.We got about 2 inches if snow with about a 1 inch of ice on top.It not the prettiest snow,but its snow.I took a couple of pictures when i was outside.
Here is a picture of one of our trees with snow on it.

My Hubby Joseph shoveling the snow

This picture is of my dog Lovie.She hates snow she is walk around the out side of the house under the awning so she wont have to get in the snow and freezing rain!!

Our christmas lights

This year we decided to try and tackle putting up lights.Last year was crazy my husband fell of the latter(He did not get hurt thank goodness) and then half of the lights went out in a week.This year the lights were a success.Here are a couple of picture of them.I took these photos when it was snowing and freezing raining out side it looks photoshopped the flash picked the it up.How cool is that



here is a picture of my craft christmas tree and our big Christmas tree





Thanks fro stopping by from the blogger Christmas tour.
Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

Christmas Blow out sale

Sale on all Christmas items.New Prices are all ready marked on shop.Here si a peview of what I have.




Holly ornament Gift card holder are now $1.50




Old fashion Christmas Ornament gift card holder now $1.50



Have a jolly Christmas fro card is now $2.00



Bundle of 8 Christmas different cards was $15.00 now is $10.00
don't let these great prices and deals pass you up.All Christmas items must goto make more room for new items!!!
www.devinprater.etsy.com