A Smile Everytime

"Sisters" Little Mini Quilt by Little Quilts

I know, with 100% certainty, that I will feel happy when I check in at Shalece's Etsy site Little Quilts. This woman is amazing! I want EVERY SINGLE ONE of her pieces, a dilemma that has left me without a single one since I simply can't choose. I'm going to have to just point with my eyes close someday and order one up! She is incredibly funny as well. You'll get a chuckle from this description of the above "Sisters" quilt - I even had to read it to my husband since I laughed out loud when I read it. Enjoy!

"I was the youngest of six kids and I always wished I had a little sister to love and dress up and push around in a stroller. My older sister assured me that having a little sister was anything but fun, she said “it’s like having a dog with no legs permanently tied to your waist and you have to drag it everywhere you go”. All that did was make me really want a dog! And if I could get one with no legs, all the better, it would be easier to dress and would never run away."

I hope you're smiling too!
xOxOx Molly

P.S. Don't forget to enter to win the Give Away! You can still post a comment for a couple more days!

Valentine's Day Give Away and Discount Special!

"Garden of Love" felt and vintage fabric button brooch

Oh, the love I have for my Etsy friends!
To show my adoration, two Valentine's Day specials for you...

First, a GIVE AWAY! Simply take a look at my Etsy shop WhimsyHouse and comment here on your favorite handmade item. Your name will be entered into a drawing to win a felted wool rose brooch or a daisy ring (your choice!)

Second, Receive 25% OFF your order with code "V-Day Blogpost" in the notes to seller box at check out. You may wait for a revised invoice or I will happily refund your discount through PayPal. Love you!

Drawing entries will be accepted until midnight Sunday, February 15th and the winner will be announced and contacted on Monday the 16th. The discount code is valid through Sunday, February 15th as well.

Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy the ones you love!

xOxOxO Molly

Meet Casey at Across the Pond

Casey and I met the first week I set up shop on Etsy - we did a fabulous trade... a necklace for a brooch. She's a sweetheart indeed! Enjoy meeting her and be sure to check out her Etsy shop.

1) What is your craft and what led to you to take it up?

I dabble in a lot of crafts, but I have stuck with mostly papercrafts and jewelry. I love old things and I enjoy thinking of the history behind them, so I've made my focus creating with vintage or antique items, like buttons, clock parts, paper, etc. I also think it's important to record the history we're making in the here-and-now, which leads to a love of writing and scrapbooking, which in turn leads to my papercrafting hobby.

2) What part of your work do you enjoy the most?

Shopping for supplies! I'm happiest when I'm surrounded with an entire store full of paper, ribbon, beads, fabric, and all the other little bits and bobs.

3) What part of your work is the hardest?

Adding that finishing touch. You know when you've made something according to your plan, but when you finish you realize the item is not "finished"? I get that a lot. Then the item I made sits in waiting for a long time while I think about it, and sometimes it never gets done.




4) A top ten list of your favorites...

...handmade possession...
The little sweater and hat my mother made for my son. They are so beautiful and such a wonderful family heirloom.

...item in your shop...
This just came together beautifully, including the photos!

"Just a Note" Locket

...item in your favorites list...
This print from LondonParticulars

I'm married to a Londoner and I love the city...we're even planning a move there in 2010! This print is so unusual and magical.

...etsy purchase...
I had these silhouettes of my children made by jennyleefowler for my mom for Christmas. They came out perfect and it was the favorite gift I gave this year.


...item you've sold...

I just sold this one about a week ago. I was actually logging on to take it off my list because I had decided to keep it when I saw that it had sold, lol. I miss it. :-)

...esty shop...
Just one? I always have such a hard time answering this because there are so many awesome shops on Etsy! I'll go with Deciduous Soul. This was one of the first shops I hearted and is still a favorite. I want everything she makes!

"love letter" by Deciduous Soul

...blog or website...
Etsy, of course!

...source of inspiration...
My materials are what really gets me going. I love leafing through my papers or digging through my buttons and dreaming of all the things I can make! I also get a lot of inspiration from other artists.



...rule to break...
I'm a rule follower, lol.

...piece of advice...
Everyone, even the most successful, were once where you are today. Don't give up.

I have to share this wonderful artist with you! Yesterday she purchased these blocks from me for her "new urban/retro office" - very cool. Her Etsy profile listed her as a children's photographer and had her website - Work Of Heart Photography. I was intrigued and had to check it out, thinking maybe she was using these fun blocks in her photos. WOW! Her photography is FABULOUS! 100% Original and Inspirational! What a unique and personal style. I am ready to jump on a plane and have her photograph my girls... Her art is brave - enjoy the blocks, Skye!

Introducing Skye Hardwick-Edmonds.

May she inspire you too!

http://www.workofheartphoto.com/

Julie's "Big Bow Knited Headband" and darling daughter

http://knitsational.etsy.com

"I am a terribly independent and creative woman. I treasure my time alone and time spent dreaming and creating... I struggle to "surrender" to these little people every day." Julie, Knitsational Artist and Owner

Julie's honesty in her response to my "Inspirations and Beginnings" post is exactly the way more people, namely women, need to start in their journey to a happier heart. If we embrace what makes us ourselves we can move forward in fulfilling our own needs - in the case creativity is the craving, the need. It took me awhile to figure out that I need a creative outlet like I need food, drink and sleep. Otherwise my head gets cloudy, all full of half baked thoughts and crazy pent up emotion. Creating lets it out... the dancing daydreams that don't let me sleep at night. The "surrender" is easier if we take care of our own needs as well. I'm only starting to practice this. I know I can do better. Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.

Dear Julie -

Your independence and creativity are anything but "terrible"! Teach your girls it's OK to be that way - as your mother did for you. Let them learn now that Independence, creativity and the ability to dream are all qualities that are sought after and hard for many people to learn. They're lucky to have you as a mom and role model. Kiss them, hug them and buy them crayons - the washable kind of course!
Cheers to you and your lovely family - thank you for relating to me. It feels good to know we're on the same "boat."

xOxO Molly

Favorites from other Etsy Mamas

Watch for more details on these lovely Etsy ladies soon. They are each an inspiration! I plan to do a feature on each of them in the coming weeks. Be sure to check out their Etsy shops... you won't be disappointed!

Laurie at GiftsandTalents.etsy.com
Erin at ElmStudiosOnline.etsy.com
Amy at BeanPickleSprout.etsy.com
Casey at AcrossThePond.etsy.com
Katie at KatiesKreations.etsy.com

Inspirations and Beginnings

"There is no place else that I'd rather be but I can't just be right here.
An enigma wrapped in a mystery or a fool consumed by fear."
- For You by BNL sung by Ed Robertson (who makes me smile!)

I love this song - the melody, the words. I think this quote sums up where I was in my life when I started my Etsy shop last spring. Let me give you a little back ground...

My husband and I purchased a fabulous piece of property in October 2006 - two acres close to the city yet just far enough away to feel like country. The most fabulous part, and likely the biggest sway in our decision to buy, is the 150 year old stone house and beautiful old white barn that live on the property. Oh, the dreams! Being an interior designer by trade and with a handy husband enamoured with quality and detail it felt like this project was meant to be. We put our existing house on the market, survived what felt like hundreds of showings and finally sold 8 months later. A blessing - we made it out of the faltering market just before things became really shaky. So we moved our family of four into a two bedroom town house with our many belongings (Oh, the stuff!). Said family included, at that point, our 3 year old Elle and preemie Sophie. It was a chore of mammoth proportion although I have no doubt that every move, of every size, feels the same.

So we settled in and began our journey of life in much closer quarters. On top of having two small children, my husband and I both ran our businesses from home. It quickly became apparent that ALL these "tasks" were not going to bloom in the new digs. (Is it possible for a town house to shrink?!) The office of an interior designer has loads of stuff, from paint swatches to fabric samples, catalogs for furniture, art and accessories, files on this client and that client and piles of ideas for someday. I was only able to unpack a teensy bit before my new title "stay-at-home mommy" emerged and my brief life as a career woman was put on hold. Preemies are a lot of work... 3 year olds are even more! My contact with the people outside the house, namely my clients and reps, slowly faded and my familiarity with Dora, Ruby and Max, Monkey George and the Wiggles skyrocketed. I adore my babies - truly, every little part of them, every daily discovery, every inch of daily change. I also, with a tinge of guilt, love design and decorating, contact with people, the feeling of concrete accomplishment.

Do you see where I'm going here? Back to the song lyrics... "there is nowhere else I would rather be but I can't just stay right here..." Etsy answered my prayers - solved my dilemmas! And I'm quite certain I'm not the only mommy counting Etsy in her daily blessings. I've since thought I should have named my store "The Sanity Shop." So, I continue to unwrap the enigma (mommy hood without losing mommy!) while perpetually tackling the mysteries of the computer world and wading through my fears (not sure I can shake the "fool" part though!).

Since Spring 2007 I've met so many awesome Etsy shop owners and truly wonderful customers. I hit 400 sale this week, am 3 shy of 800 "hearts" and have just over 500 100% ratings. When I "opened my shop doors" with a dozen felt brooches I promised myself I'd be happy with just 1 sale, just 1 thrilled customer. I still do the happy dance EVERY SINGLE time a sale rolls in, a convo comes through, a rating is logged. I love it - Etsy validates the part of me that I felt I was losing... make that the people I meet THROUGH Etsy - they are my angels! Thank you!!!

If you're a stay at home mommy hoping to jump into Etsy, I would love to chat! Drop me a line, post a comment - I'd love to help in any way I can. Cheers!

x0x0 - Molly