Handmade With Love

Enjoy a visit to Ria's enchanting paper craft Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/riaann/

where she shares her many wonderfully handcrafted greeting cards, magnets,pendants and gifts.

by Ria Creations

I am a SAHM mom to twins who will be four next month and wife to a supportive husband of almost 10 years. I have been papercrafting for about 11 years now.

I have always loved being creative as long as I can remember. So it should have been no surprise when I was introduced to rubber stamping through an at home party I would be hooked.

Since my start I have expanded to work on all sorts of crafts. I started my Etsy shop last September figuring I can start to add all my greeting cards to the shop. Since then though I have tried to expand that a bit to include other “papercrafted” items.

 I have a few categories in my shop right now which included Greeting cards, Magnets, Pendants and Gifts. I love Etsy, everyone who buys and sells on the site are wonderful and the fact that it is an all handmade items site is amazing.

Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/riaann/
Etsy Blog: http://riacreationsetsy.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/riaann720
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Ria-Creations/155555613194?ref=ts

I LOVE to Sew

Fabric Greetings is a great Etsy shop that features specialty handmade fabric cards. She shares..." for me, sewing is the greatest form of relaxation. I have done other crafts, but I always come back to the sewing machine. I just need to sew! I also teach for local quilt shops and fabric store. Fortunately, I have a loving and supportive husband who understands this. And he knows exactly where to put the sewing machine when we pack the car for vacation.I love sending cards - all kinds of cards for no special reason. So I started making these fabric postcards as a way of letting someone know they are special. No two cards are exactly alike, just as no two people are exactly alike. I have sort of made it my mission to convince people to send a card that fits the person receiving it."  Enjoy a visit to her wonderful Etsy shop 

http://www.fabricgreetings.etsy.com/ .

by Fabric Greetings                                                                                                                                 
I am a retired teacher who thinks she was born with a sewing machine at her finger tips. I LOVE to sew and I love to send cards to family and friends. So when I discovered these fabric postcards, I knew I had found something that I would enjoy doing. It is my mission to convince people to send special one of a kind cards to special people. We aren't mass produced, so why settle for a mass produced greeting card.

I am lucky enough to have a huge sewing studio that could easily get out of hand. So I have cubbies for the colors of fabrics I work with, many hanging spool racks to keep threads organized and off table tops, and a drawer unit devoted entirely to the embellishments and cording for my cards. My counter height cutting surface is always a disaster, but I have learned to work with that. The best thing about all this is that it is on the second floor of our home and nobody ever needs to go up there except us.

My only advice to those starting out is to find something that you are passionate about and go for it.
Life is too short to not enjoy yourself.

New Art from Recycled Goods

Have a look at this lovely Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/juleseveland . She is an avid cardmaker and scrapbooker, and likes to discover new ways to make artwork out of recycled goods. Best wishes for a successful year!

by juleseveland

I create greeting cards of all types and sizes, and can personalize each card to the likeness of the customer. I have been making cards and other paper crafts for the last eight years now, and have loved every minute of it! My sister and I often get together to create cards, handmade envelopes, and tags for Craft Fairs, etsy, friends, and various buyers. I also create magazine bowls which can take hours to make, but the end process is worth it!

My craft studio is in a spare bedroom of my house, and can be a chore to keep organized, but I know where everything is…almost. If anyone feels that crafting can be expensive, there can be ways to work around this- rummaging through garage sale deals and thrift stores is one of them. I have found my best deals at local garage sales! A favorite quote of mine is “Don’t think it, create it”!

Eclectica

In keeping with the "Eclectica" in her shop name, Jan makes crocheted wearables, afghans, and throws; collaged greeting cards and ACEO's; and her signature Tabletop Labyrinths. Jan shares her belief that beyond that, the sky's the limit! Enjoy her feature and a visit to her shop!

by EclecticaByJan

Be sure to enjoy a visit to Jan's shop http://www.eclecticabyjan.etsy.com/

Jan's blog: http://www.jan4geo-glow.blogspot.com/

I have been needleworking and crafting since I was a kid - that's over half a century with a crochet hook & yarn in my hands! In keeping with the "Eclectica" in my shop name, I make crocheted wearables, afghans, and throws; collaged greeting cards and ACEO's; and my signature Tabletop Labyrinths. Beyond that, the sky's the limit, and I will be updating my offerings as my creative nose leads me onto new paths.

I freely admit that organization is not one of my strong points, but I want to share one thing that really works for me:

These folding canvas bins, which are available at variety stores like Target and Kmart, are great! They fit perfectly on the built-in shelves in the photo, where I use them to store sewing supplies and notions. The lowest row of bins holds books and items I don't use very often. I have more bins on freestanding shelves in my collage room, where I store markers, paints, embellishments, photos, floral materials, and so forth.I like the bins because - first of all - the bright colors lift my spirits when I see them lined up like this. Then, I don't have to be too organized to corral my clutter when I toss it in the bin. I put just like items together in a plastic bag, and I'm good to good to go. On the handle of each bin, I've hung colorful tags to identify the contents. Not bad for someone who's organizationally challenged!One last thing: I really can't work without a studio cat! The second photo shows my cat Luvlee, helping me out with a fabric-sorting project. And I've included a picture of me holding the furry culprit, just before we head off for some noms :)