Find me here:

Did you notice the words, "Swag Bags"? Yes, I know it's only for the first 50 people but that's the first 50 people EACH DAY!!!

Not just that! You also get to bring a piece of new or gently used winter clothing for a foster kids. ( not required but it would be nice :)

There will also be a raffle to benefit the kids and 4, yes four, lucky winners will win a basket filled with full size products made by our very own Local Artisans! I was the "collector of the stuff" for these baskets and let me tell you, I'm buying some raffle tickets! Now come on down!

Big Weekend! 11-1 / 11-2

Im a bad blogger. What can I say?
It's holiday time and I've been working long and steady to build up inventory, take pictures, post a few things for sale in my stores here and there, fill wholesale orders, fill up the B&M stores I sell and consign at... Then there's the regular "life" stuff. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it.

This weekend is a double-header:

Saturday 11-1

Holiday Craft Fair - November 1, 2008Each year, hundreds of people attend the SEPAC Holiday Craft Fair. Local artists and crafters display and sell their wares at this popular community-building event. If you're an artisan looking for such an opportunity, click here for details about the date, location and a downloadable application.
This is a great opportunity for you to display and sell your interesting and artistic wares. It will be held at Woodmoor Elementary on: November 1, 2008!

Sunday 11-2 Come by and say hello!

I'm featured at Talent Database!

This morning I received an email telling me I'm in the "featured" section of the Art Channel's front page. Yay!
Talent Database Art Channel

Up Next: The Handmade Arts Show

Sunday October, 12th, 2008

Team EtsyRain is having a pre-holiday Arts Show!
...and the best part, Swag Bags!!!

A variety of artisans will join together for The Handmade Arts to sell and promote handmade arts & crafts in the Puget Sound. The first 50 people through the door will receive a free bag of sample work from local artisans. The group is also holding a bake sale to benefit VSA Arts of Washington, a local non-profit organization dedicated to providing art opportunities to persons with disabilities.

The Handmade Arts Show runs from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and is held inside a historical seminary located at Saint Edward State Park in Kenmore, Washington on Juanita Drive.

Coming up: I Heart Rummage Sunday, Oct 5

I Heart Rummage is the 1st Sunday of the month and I will be there!

Come by, say hello and buy cool stuff!

It's at

Chop Suey

1325 E Madison, Seattle, WA

12pm to 4pm

check this out for more info:

Local Bounce today!!!

Come by Queen Anne Art Walk today from 4 to 9pm and see some awesome local Etsy Artisans.

Follow this link to see who will be there:

Local Bounce

...and I'm first in the feature!

The birthday gift to Etsy

Etsy Admin made a video of them opening our Team EtsyRain birthday gift!

Green EdmondsFestival!

Here it is already September!
Come out to vist me at the Green Edmonds Festival

this Saturday, Sept 13 from 11am to 6pm

The Charm Swap

I signed up for a charm swap at the urging of a fellow jewelry maker. The swap was at this awesome little place called The Salvage Studio in Edmonds. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into until I had signed up and started asking questions.

It ends up that there are a total of 25 people. Each person brings 24 hand made charms. We all sit around a giant table and pass the plate with our hand made charms to the person on the left (this time). Each person chooses one before passing the plate on. Everyone is doing this at the same time so it's "musical plates" so to speak. When your own plate gets back to you, it's empty and you should have 24 different charms from the plates you passed.

Here's some of what I brought to trade:

Let me tell you, there were some awesome treasures I collected from those plates! It was so fun and everyone was so creative!

Here's what I got to take home:







As the plates were being passed you could hear the oooohs and ahhhhs and a little squeal now and then (probably from me :) I can hardly wait for the next one! We have to wait till February. I'm already working on the planning for the next batch.

What was especially fun was after the swap, we went around the table telling which charm we had made, what supplies we used and how we made it. Everyone had the opportunity to ask questions. I highly recommend signing up if you ever hear of a Charm Swap happening! Great fun!

So, I made this bracelet and listed it for sale...

It brought back a funny (now) memory that made me smile and laugh at myself.

In the 5th grade I was not allowed to watch scary movies. I had never seen one.
BUT, I spent the night at my friend Patty's house and we stayed up till midnight to watch Nightmare Theater. The name alone should have told us what was to follow. The "Theater" opened with it's Vampire host waking up and lifting the lid of his coffin as he introduced the evenings/early morning horror film that was coming up. At 10 years old, that was almost enough right there.

The movie that was being shown was "Murders in the Rue Morgue". Yes, by Edgar Allen Poe starring Bella Lugosi.
Needless to say, 10 minutes into the movie in Patty's attic bedroom and I was scared to death. The young dancer we were watching was dead in her room, blood was dripping everywhere staining the white sheet on the television and the bloody bracelet on the murdered star was still tinkling, even after her death. A gold bracelet with a little bell.

Well, heart racing and wild eyed, I had to go the bathroom. You would have, too. Down the loooong hallway. In the dark. Alone. I made it to the door (and lived), turned on the light and on the back of the toilet was a gold bracelet with a little bell. (We later learned it belonged to Patty's older sister). I screamed, Patty came running. We both screamed, her Dad came running.
We were terrified and decided, with her father's help, that it would be better to listen to top 40 on her little am clock radio than finish the movie.

I was never allowed to spend the night at Patty's house again. lol

Share my terror and find out how you can have this bracelet for your very own :)

Two Big Deals !!!

First,

EtsyRain was selected to be the featured Team for the Storque Team Spotlight article this week! Read about it here: http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/spotlight/article/featured-etsy-team-etsyrain/2345/

Second,
We had our EtsyRain first birthday

and decided to send a gift to Etsy Admin!

Here is the response we received from Etsy:

~~~~

Dear EtsyRain,Words cannot express how fun it was to get that package from you!! We all stood around squealing and gasping and unwrapping and trying things on. We spread it out all over our meeting tables and were so amazed by the quality of work and thought you put into all these items. It was such a great time! You guys really put a lot of time and effort into this package and we're so so so grateful. Everything was done up so lovely too - loved all the little details.

We aren't entirely sure what we will do with all these things yet! We might donate it to a charity that we work with or maybe we can find ways to send them in our press packages and try to get you guys some press! We've already been fighting about who will get to have what haha, so instead of us taking these items home to keep we thought it would be good to share the wealth.Well thank you again for your generosity. What FUN! Here's to another amazing year working together! And good luck with your future promotions/meetings/shows!

Love, ETSY!!!!!

~~~~

We knew we were going to be featured before the package went off but one had nothing to do with the other. Our was a package sent from delight to have such a great team with etsy as our common thread FOR A WHOLE YEAR ALREADY!!!

My 1st birthday with the Team is August 11. Pretty soon now...

Speaking of Street Teams...

Seattle's awesome Etsy Street Team, EtsyRain has a new logo:

We have our own website (that's currently directed back to our blog) at: http://www.etsyrain.com/

There you can find all of the awesome EtsyRain team members shops, how to join our great group if you are an etsy seller in the greater Seattle area and a link back to our very active MeetUp site and calendar.

It will show you where to find us "at large" in the Puget Sound area and even has an etsy shop feature determined by birthday. (look for mine in the June blogs)

This is such a welcoming, cohesive and active group. I'm honored to be a part of it!

Don't miss the shops of Meghan, our Logo Designer Extraordinaire

Baubles by Hand AND It's Made at Home

The Sampler, part deux

The fabulous EtsyRain team, aka: etsy Seattle Street Team did a collective donation to the sampler of more than 200 pieces!
Look at some of the awesome goodies:


That's me on the cone near the center of the picture.

It was really hard to come up with something that shows my work yet is still one of a kind and recycled, reused. My things just aren't intended to be duplicated.

I ended up making pendants by taking apart a long piece of crystal chain I had and adding different recycled pieces to the bottom of each one. They were similar, but different.

My understanding was that they sold out right away! Yay EtsyRain!

It Came, It Went...

It was Awesome!

Punk Rock Flea Market 4

July 26, 2008

Thanks to everyone who came out to see me! This is always such a fun and action packed event. Rumor has it, another in the fall...

Almost here...

Come one, come all!

Visit Puget Sound Indie Artists,

Get great deals on handmade treasures,

Visit the Ballard Locks, Eat B-B-Q, Support the Ballard Sr. Center.

How can you beat all that?

Etsy Recycle Artist Feature: TheGreeneFairy

Look what I stumbled across!

Is this the most awesome, environmentally conscious paper you've ever seen???

Tell me a little about yourself.
I'm Kerry, and I'm a 30 year old transplant from southern WI :) I've been doing arts and crafts my whole life-- lots of happy childhood memories of drawing, bracelet making and other assorted crafty activities! I wound up at UW Madison, where I earned a bachelor's degree in fine art...here I focused mainly on drawing and painting, but also dabbled in etching, beading, and ceramics.


How did you get started making paper?
I first made recycled papers at age 11 ...
I was at Octoberfest in LaCrosee WI with my aunt. Her roommate was an art teacher, and had a booth where people were making handmade paper-- I was hooked from an early age I think. I learned some basic techniques which I picked up again with later, when I got my own paper making kit at age 18. I made paper on and off throughout college (not specifically for a class, but on my own), and eventually wound up teaching an art class at a non-profit organization for 5 years. It was a really fun class-- we made lots of handmade recycled paper! Over the years I experimented with different techniques, and kind of developed my own style. It was so much fun! Recycling is a big thing in Madison too, so that made it extra cool-- to create something fun and beautiful out of recycled materials.

What inspires you to create?
I'm inspired by so many different things. In college, I was often inspired by my own experience, and would put my own personal symbolism into my work. I still am a little,(for instance, my Mr. Chicken series at my other shop, Snitterdog, is inspired by the pop culture I grew up surrounded by), but truthfully, these days I am more inspired by all the things I see around me...I love nature! I used to walk in the woods up in WI-- hence all the leaf and flower paintings. I'm also inspired by other artists...I might see a painting I really like, and just want to go home and start painting! I might see a color scheme or mixed media technique I want to try. When it comes to the recycled papers, I just love the idea of making something new and pretty out of scraps! :) I want to see how decorative and sculptural I can get the paper, and still have it be a functional sheet of paper.

Recycling tips?
Those scrap papers from home and your office really come in handy! That's the main base on my paper and I've found that little tidbits you are inclined to throw a way; little pieces of string, stamps from envelopes you receive in the mail, the old sequins you've had for 20 years and never thought you'd use... often make great additives your art pieces! Sometimes I look at something I might want to throw away and think to myself-- is there a way I could use this in my art? It saves you money, and helps the environment-- extra cool! :)

Check out Kerry's awesome and super affordable

papers in her Etsy store.

TheGreeneFairy

Don't miss her beautiful Artwork, ACEO's and her blog too: snitterdog.blogspot.com

Featuring Etsy Recycle Artist: IMOTIME

Lookie Here! Upcycling at it's best!!!

I have watched these awesome and ocasionally bizzare clocks list and sell at the speed of light and knew I just had to (have one) feature this creative recycle/upcycle artist.
There is one in particular I have my eye on but I'm waiting for my next sale and I'm not telling you which one ;-) Those that know me personally can easily guess. I better not see it on your wall! It's calling MY name. Not yours. To buy it before me would just be mean.

I asked IMOTIME;

Who are you?
I am 40-yr-old Eric Masters, in San Diego. I have one dog, and love it here. I grew up in Evanston, IL. I spent almost seven years in Osaka, Japan, teaching English, and doing some translation and Spanish-teaching there, as well.

How did you get started making these awesome clocks?
I actually first got the idea watching Martha Stewart on tv a few years ago, where she made a clock out of a cake cover. I thought it looked fun (and easy) and unique, so I made one and gave it to a neighbor. It was well-recieved, so I just went on from there, and now almost everything looks like a clock to me.

What inspires you?
These days, the feedback I get about my clocks really inspires me, and gives me great strength. I love hearing people say that they have never seen anything like "that" before!

Which one is your favorite?

I think that my current favorite is my present Etsy Avatar, a Barbie bust doll thing with the clock in her "chestal region". Campy, if I may say so myself.

Since you use recycled materials in your artwork, do you have any recycling tips?

One thing I have learned in recent years is that so many things can have second lives in places and ways that are so new and fun. Stop before you toss that can, box, shoe, globe...

Think about it in a different way, and you may get some great (and way inexpensive) results!

I used to be called cheap. Now I am Green. Cool, huh?

Run to IMOTIME's shop to get 1st choice of these incredible clocks

(but not the one that will be mine)

http://www.IMOTIME.etsy.com

RECYCLE, REUSE and REDISCOVER!

Featured Etsy Recycle Artist: Pine Blossoms

Wow! These are recycled!?!

That was my first thought. My second was that I had to show them off. She also makes beautiful handbags.

PineBlossoms

I asked her a few questions:
My name is Jennifer Guthrie. I live in the mountains of Northern California with my husband and 2 big old children... (they really do grow up fast!) I have always been creative... and used to sew a new garment when I had nothing exciting to wear to school the next day. I used to sew dolls and bears, for gifts, and because I wanted them... and knew I could do it better myself.

How did you get started making your upcycled wallets and bags?
I started selling on etsy after much urging by my sister... who sells as Petals.etsy.com. I love the idea of making something new out of something old. Living in the mountains too, helped steer me to Upcycling. No fabric stores for 100 miles, can force one to think outside of the box. I love the body and feel of wools. I love how you can full, felt it, and dye it and make it into something completely different from what you started with.

My favorite thing now is to make a "pretty" bag out of a "manly" suitcoat. I love pretty things, but don't consider myself super "girly" so this mix suits me well.

What inspires you?
The 30s and stories of the Great Depression and the ingenuity of women in rural areas making do, or doing without inspire me. Living here in the mountains, things like tall trees, and funny blue jays scaring off squirrels to win a meal, inspire me. I now find myself seeing something beautiful and asking myself "How can I capture that in wool?" I have a horse, whose grace & beauty inspires me and I relished the challenge of making a bag with a horse on it... without it being too horsey. I live in a mixed forest with oaks and pines, birds, wildflowers... you will see hints of these themes in my bags. I think too, that the cold winters, and the high cost of heating fuel may have helped me to appreciate another of the wonders of wool!

Recycling tips?
Look at everything as a raw material. Think of how it can be used in another way. Garments made of fine material, such as wool, linen, and wonderful cottons deserve to be used up and worn out. It is fun to see how much "new" you can avoid buying. For example, I use a lot of piping in my bags and wallets. 10 yards costs about $3.99 at the big city fabric store. I found a bunch of macrame twine at the thrift store. I think it started out as about 200 yards of nylon fiber twine and it makes a perfect piping filler. It cost $2 and went to fund a hospital. The $4.99 at the fabric store didn't do much for the folks in China who made it, and plenty for the chain owners.

Visit her store and buy from this wonderful recycle artist, Jennifer

and RECYCLE, REUSE and REDISCOVER!

PineBlossoms.etsy.com

She can also be found at: Flickr

Featured Etsy Seller - dahlila

Check out this awesome recycle Artist,
dahlila

I asked a few questions,
My name is Dahlila (but if you've read my blog, you know my secret. shh! don't tell.)

How did you get started making these awesome recycled button bracelets?
A lot of my work comes from an initial need for a gift. I like to create while thinking about the friend it's for. In this case it was a birthday for a friend who loves jewelry and bright colors. After that, buttons began materializing! People gave me their grandmother's attic stash. What a gift.

What inspires you?
Wow. An odd juxtaposition of nature and junk--however, not together. I like nature pristine and peaceful. But I also love discarded piles, thrift stores, junk yards, scrap piles. I'm a dumpster diver at heart. It's all about the curiosity. It runs in my family. We are a thrifty and creative people, if I do say so.

Recycling tips? Keep your eyes open. I find crazy stuff on the street just being out in the world. I'm a natural crow. If it shimmers or shines, I have to see what it is. As for my own stuff? Give it away, sell it, dismantle it, recycle it, compost it, refurbish it. Check out www.freecycle.com. It's a great trade source.

Do you Blog? http://snowflowerstreet.wordpress.com/. I've got another shop opening soon as well: dahlilafound.etsy.com. for scavenged objects, buttons, paper and supplies. It's good to spread it around.

Anything else? Experiment. Try new things. Recycle yourself. I don't think it matters so much what you make or do as long as it wakes up your heart.

I know you HAVE to own one of these but you'll have to hurry,

they're one of a kind! Stop by, grab one fast and

RECYCLE, REUSE and REDISCOVER!

http://www.dahlila.etsy.com/

Featured Etsy Seller: Ivy Lane Designs

This weeks recycle Artist, Merrill
of IvyLaneDesigns

I stumbled across these awesome notebooks and notepads and knew I had to share. I asked Merrill a few questions:

How did you get started making your notebooks?
I made a notebook from a tampon box several years ago in order to cheer up a friend whose toddler had broken his femur. She loved it and the rest, as they say, is history.

What inspires you to create?
Trash inspires me. I see other uses for almost everything. I am developing new products at this very moment that breathe new life into plastics. These will surely rock your socks, so be sure to check my Etsy site regularly.

Your shop features repurposed items. Do you have any good recycling tips?
My biggest tip is to please think before you buy - whether it is groceries or a car. My husband and I drive hybrids and buy everything we possibly can in cardboard rather than plastic. We continue to teach our children by example that we should cherish and protect our environment.

Do stop by, see her great items and RECYCLE, REUSE and REDISCOVER!
http://www.ivylanedesigns.etsy.com/

as Merrill says, Helping the environment, one recycled notebook at a time.