Feature blog

My shop has been featured on Three Kids and Just as Many Brain Cells Left. Check it out :
http://mymamamultitasks.blogspot.com/

Winter Storm 2009

I really don't like winter for this reason.Ice and snow and we got lots of it.
We have a lot of branches down in our yard.Trees are down everywhere.Almost all of Bullitt county doesn't have power.Thanks goodness we do for right now.The power flickers and shut offs then comes back on.It been like that all day know.Tons of people in Kentucky are with out power.Here some pictures I took:



Lovie Really hates snow



Tree branches down in the back yard

More branches from the back yard





Branches down in the front yard

more branches in the front yard

New shop!!!

closed my Lollishop and open another shop. Lollishop was just not for me I didn't fit in there.Artfire is were I open my new shop.It's alot like etsy. I Love it !!!
Check out my artfire:
www.expressionsbydevin.artfire.com

Thanks for your on going support:0)

Its not just toys!! Save handmade

The CPSIA does not just affect toys--it regulates all products for children under 12.Kids Clothing, school supplies, cloth diapers, car seats, boy scout patches, bicycles, sippy cups--everything.
Other items include
hair bows
kids cds
kids books
doll
baby and kids blanket
anything to do with baby (baby slings ,hats,clothes,bids etc)
any toys(felt food,wooden toys etc)
Help keep toymaker's and crafter's in business.This will effect all of us

Check out this site for more info:
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org

50th Sale Feature on 3 Magpies

1)How did you first hear about etsy:

I first heard about etsy when visiting Arkansas last April. My daughters and I were shopping in a quaint rock shop and the proprietor told us that her husband listed and sold some of his beautiful handcrafted pendants online at etsy. I came home and researched etsy on the internet. I joined in September of 2008, but did not list anything until November 28. I have only made 8 sales on etsy, but I have made lots of contacts with many other fabulous artisans, yourself included, Devin. I love your cards!

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

I am the mother of two daughters. We live in Grand Rivers Kentucky near the lake. We love to explore and travel. I have always had a love for rocks and have collected them since childhood. We "treasure hunt" fairly often in LBL and other secret places looking for treasures to turn into jewelry!

I began making jewelry as a way to be creative and positive away from my regular job. I work in a school district with at risk and truant students. The job is rewarding, but often is very very stressful. Making jewelry takes my mind off of the stresses of my job and really off life in general.

3)How did you get started as a designer?:

I took a wirewrapping class at a shop (now closed) in Paducah called Poppyseeds and Beads with Sherry Johnson as the instructor. A couple of my friends and I had a blast there. That was two years ago. I haven't taken any additional jewelry classes, but I have logged many hours practicing and creating. I simply lovelovelove it! I wear some of my designs. Friends and family members complimented them and others wanted to buy them. I was astounded that anyone would want to purchase something I had made, but I have given away and sold probably 200 original designs.

4)What inspires you to create?:

The colors of stones and the way they look and feel together inspires me.

5)How do you get the word out about your shop and etsy?:

I'm still struggling with that one. I really love to create... selling...not so much. I wish I had an agent. Is there such a thing as an etsy agent???

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

Make beautiful objects and have lots of fun!



Check out her Awesome shop: www.3magpies.etsy.com

Feature Shop : Heart Felt Crafts

This feature is a special feature.This shop is my mom's shop.She has been crafting as long as i can remember.I get my craftiness from her lol.She has super cute purses , so awesome primitives items and the most Delicious looking felt food I have ever seen.She just posted her first felt food listings yesterday:




This felt food is great because it wont add to your hips lol.You children will love to play with a yummy looking cake and a adorable box of donuts and don't forget to that special some on in your life. the Box of Candy is great fro Valentines day.This felt food is great because it wont add to your hips lol.
check out her shop
www.heartfelt3.etsy.com

Tuesday Feature on Cute and Sweet!!!

1)How did you first hear about Lollishops:

I believe someone mentioned LolliShops in the Etsy forums. I checked out the site and thought it was awfully cute so I decided to apply. Much to my surprise I was accepted!
2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:

I'm a wife to a very hard working man and a SAHM to a 5 year old and 2 year old. I love going on scrapbook weekend getaways, learning to sew, and "playing" with my ribbons. My secret passion is...as crazy as it may sound...organization. Yes, if I could, I would spend all my time organizing closets, cupboards, drawers--you name it!

3)How did you get started as a designer?:

I started making hair accessories about 2 years ago. My girls were blessed with a fair amount of hair when they were born and I always had a hard time finding really cute hair pretties. I did some researching and found I could easily make my own. CuteAndSweetDesigns began after requests from friends and family (and a nudge from my husband) to make hair pretties for them too. I brought my items to Etsy and it didn’t take long for those first non-family, non-friend customers to start buying!



4)What inspires you to create?:

My girls are my inspiration. Without them I wouldn't be creating hair accessories or learning to sew, and my scrapbook albums just wouldn't be the same. :) I do get a lot of ideas from surfing popular children's clothing websites or just taking a peek into my daughters' closet for the latest color trends.



5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Lollishops?:

I never thought I would need a blog, but blogging has turned out to be a great tool in spreading the word about just about anything! I mentioned I’d be selling on LolliShops on my blog and have had a lot of hits that way.



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

Believe in yourself and your business. I never would've thought I'd be selling in B&M shops and taking wholesale orders, but I am because I believe in myself and in the items I sell.



Check out her adorable shop:
http://lollishops.com/cuteandsweet

One away!!!

I am one away from my 50th sale.

The next person who buys a item from my shop will get a Feature blog about there shop on my blog and a free gift!!!

Thanks for reading and supporting Expressions By Devin

Expressions By Devin fan club

To help promote my shops I have made a fan club on Facebook.If you are interested to join click on the link here:http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Expressions-By-Devin/43476194053?ref=mf .
Thanks for all your support!!!I really appreciate it

Feature Lollishop caroline alexander

1)How did you first hear about Lollishops: I was conted by Sadie Lou this summer after she saw my fairy houses on etsy. I have just kicked off my own website, so I just got my act together to get on this great site.

2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!: I am a stay at home mom, a mother of two girls. I consult and teach (college) in my spare time. I own my business with my mother, it is something that we always wanted to do together. I moved back to my home town about five years ago, so we decided to go for it.

My favorite craft/art is pottery-I love to handbuild. I make the fairy houses, tooth fairy boxes, leaf plates and I just finished my rose lamp. The lamp is on my blog www.carolinealexander.blogspot.com. Now all I have to do is glaze it and assemble it into a lamp.

3)How did you get started as a designer?: I took a pottery class (mudslingers Fredonia, NY) to make drawer pulls for my daughters desk, I loved working with clay. One thing lead to anther and I have just progressed with my artistic imagination.

4)What inspires you to create?: My daughters are my true inspiration. We got a book at the library two years ago called "fairy houses." This book taught us how to make a fairy house with all the things in our gardens and yards. Well, we had a difficult time. So I thought, clay is a natural substance, lets try to build one out of clay. We use all natural elements in our houses (leaves & bark). My girls take me to a magical world where I do believe in fairies.

5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Lollishops?: I will do a better job with my blog and I also send out a newsletter. I will promote the site on my website and a lot of word of mouth.

6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?: Stick with what you know and do it well.



Check out her wonderful shop:http://www.lollishops.com/node/9459

Vacation!!! I Need your help?

My huband I are planning a trip to South Dakota for our 2nd Wedding anniversary .We are planning to go in April.We are planning to go to Mount rushmore and so other national parks.We love sight seeing and seeing new places.We are trying to find some other national park or other sight seeing place that are close to see too.Has anyone every took a trip there or knows anything else we can see or do in South dakota when we are there?Your help is much appreicated!!!

I will be posting updates!!!

Feature On Lesbijouxcrealune

1)How did you first hear about Etsy?

I first heard about Etsy from a buyer at a street fare. She asked where she could buy my jewellery and I told her I had a few boutiques in the area, but that I was looking for something wider range. She mentioned she had a friend that’s been selling on Etsy for a while and doing very well. She suggested I should check out the website and here I am.

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

Let’s see… I’m from Québec city and now living in Montreal. I did a lot of travelling and hope to do more in the future. I’m an art lover, I’ve always been attracted to all forms of art, weather it be visual or other. I’ve now been designing and creating jewellery for over 10 years.

3)How did you get started as a designer?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been surrounded by creative people. My mother, being an artist herself, always encouraged me. I started doing photography at the age of 11 (I built a black room in my parent’s basement.) Then I started scrap booking and the drawing and making cards. In 1997 I decide to take a small jewellers course, which I cut short because I decided to go to Costa Rica for a year to manage a friend’s business. Everything happens for a reason because I met a few people in Costa Rica that made jewellery. A few months after I’d helped out at my friend with his business, I joined my new friends and started making jewellery to pay my next meal and so on and so forth. A year later, I returned to Montreal and took another jewellers course and I then started doing art fares and selling to boutiques.

4)What inspires you to create?

4-Many things inspire me. New materials and metals, I love coming home with new materials! This definitely inspires me. Change of season, events, colors. Music certainly inspires me. I usually listen to a lot of music when I design. That’s probably when I’m most creative. That and when I return from a long walk. My moods change a lot, which explains incorporating different styles and mediums into my work and the fact that I like exploring new techniques. My greatest desire is to keep evolving and always be inspired. Some day hopefully, I may live mainly from my art.





5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Etsy?

I’ve never been too good at selling myself. I know though that my jewellery is appreciated because my clients keep coming back. I’ve been selling at street fares for years and the same clients keep coming back for more. I’ve been distributing plenty of my business cards, which is my way of promoting Etsy and myself. I’m starting to take part in some of the forums in order to promote myself and I spread the word about Etsy to friends, family and a lot to people I meet. I opened my shop on Etsy in mid July and I’m happy with sales and feedback. I would appreciate if people took the time to leave more feedback, but I am grateful to those who do leave it.

6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?

Explore; try different mediums until you find what you are most comfortable with. Have confidence in yourself. Being creative is such a wonderful way to express ourselves. Open your mind. Open your eyes. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Be patient. When it’s not working; take a break, come back to it later. Try new things. Have fun.

I have a great SALE section, so please visit my shop at: http://www.lesbijouxcrealune.etsy.com/ to view my other items.

Little Window shoppe

One day I was searching around on the Internet and found this really cool site.Little Window shoppe is a site that features your shop or shops.I applied in December.I got a email today saying that my shop has been added to there site. You can see my add by clicking Sweet shoppes .Then clicking on the By alphabet button and searching E or you can see it when you click on the paper and scrap booking button.The picture above they made, It looks awesome!!!I am super excited about this I hope this really helps out both of my shops.
Check out this Awesome site here:
http://littlewindowshoppe.com/
or you click on the Little shoppe Button on the right had side of my blog.Thanks For reading!!!