Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wishing you all the best for the holidays. Hope 2010 is full of joy, happiness and health!

It's been a really busy selling season so I'm winding down for a few weeks. I'll be back to posting on a more regular basis again in the new year.

Have fun everyone!

Christmas Mantelpiece Arrangement - First Attempt

Last week my Mom and I went to a local nursury where we attended a demonstration on creating Christmas floral/greenery arrangements. Well I had my first kick at it today. I wanted an arrangement that I could put on top of our dining room buffet. I used pine, BC cedar and dried proteas (memories of South Africa!). Not the greatest photos but you get the basic idea.

Jacaranda Designs Featured on the Following Blogs This Week

I was so thrilled to find out that I had been featured on the following blogs this week. They're wonderful blogs with some great finds so read on!

Abel Mabel's Blog



Simply Inviting Cards

Cuteable

Winner of Darling Red Dazzle Earrings Giveaway

Morning everyone! Thanks for entering the Jacaranda Designs giveaway for November. The winner of the darling red dazzle earrings is..

Corinna

Congrats!

Black Friday SALE

Black Friday SALE



Black Friday will soon be here and hence, the biggest shopping long weekend of the year. Jacaranda Designs will be offering free worldwide shipping on everything the shop on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday!
Not long to go until Christmas.
Shop early to avoid disappointment!

Search Etsy Treasuries, View Hearts Easily!

I came across this website the day other. Some of you may be familiar with it already but it was new to me and I really find it useful. It is craftopolis.com

There are 4 useful tabs on the page - Treasure Hunt, Treasury Clock, Gift Guide Search and Shop Lovers.

This is the Treasure Hunt page. Just enter you Etsy user name and press "Submit". It will show you all treasuries (including Treasury West) where your items are featured.



Use the Treasury Clock tab to determine how long before the treasury becomes available again for new entries.


Use the Gift Guide Search to see if any of your treasures are featured in the Etsy Gift Guide (sadly, none of mine are right now!)


Use the Shop Lovers to see how many people have "hearted" your shop on each day of the month.


Use Item Lovers to see when your shop has received hearts for a particular item. Just select the item and the hearts for the month will show up.


Hope I've been able to provide you with a link to a useful tool today. Have fun!

JACARANDA DESIGNS JEWELRY 30% SALE SALE SALE!

Today, Saturday and Sunday I am offering 30% off all orders over $25. Once payment is complete, I will promptly refund you the 30% using Paypal. Wonderful opportunity to get some holiday shopping done for you or a friend!

Isn't This What Being a Kid Is All About?

On the weekend, we decided it was time to rake all the leave sin the backyard. Ever since the boys were little, we've raked a huge pile of leaves to the base of the slide and let them slide down into them. Of course, as they get older they get a bit more daring as you can see from the photos and my heart skipped a beat a few times! Oh to be a kid again!

Featured Artist - ToBoldlyFold

This week's featured Etsy artist is Melissa from ToBoldlyFold. I love the name of her shop! It's so appropriate when you see what she sells - what an incredible craft! Read on...



- A little background about yourself
My name is Melissa and I am an artist and bookbinder working out of Boston, MA. My aesthetic is strongly influenced by a love of nature and reverence for Italian culture. I love cooking, creating, and most of all, sending and receiving mail. My shop currently sells handmade sketchbooks and journals. They are softcover leather journals with artist paper inside and vintage buttons for closures.


- Why you love what you do
In this increasingly digital and virtual world, I find myself wondering what we’re leaving behind. To do my part in keeping the art of paper alive, I want to start a handmade bookbinding business. I find enjoyment in creating sketchbooks and journals for other creative types. Surrounded by mass produced merchandise, I celebrate the creativity, care, and individuality that can only be found in high-quality handmade goods.

- What inspires you
I'm inspired by nature, and Italian culture.

- Favorite item in your shop
Softcover Warm Brown Leather Sketchbook or Journal with White Thread and Vintage Button
I love the strong contrast between the stark white thread and the dark leather. The button also mimics that contrast beautifully.



- What items are you promoting for the holidays?
I will be posting some mini books in a few weeks! They're perfect for stocking stuffers and as gifts for co-workers!

- Any specials deals customers should know about?
Free shipping from now until December 1st when they mention this blog post in the convo when purchasing!



- Blog?: www.ToBoldlyFold.com

- Facebook?: http://www.facebook.com/ToBoldlyFold

- Twitter?: ToBoldlyFold

Also, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/toboldlyfold/to-boldly-fold-where-no-bookbinder-has-gone-befor

Phew! It's over and I'm tired!

On Thursday and Saturday I hosted my annual jewelry sale at my parents' home here in Oakville. It takes hours to set everything up and a lot of preparation for weeks before as many of you know. We had a good turnout, not great but I still moved a fair amount of stock which is always a good thing!

Here's some photos of the setup. Every time I host a sale, I seem to set everything up differently. The earrings are always a challenge though. If anyone has any good ideas, let me know!

So it's a day of rest today and then back to the grindstone with photographing pieces for my web site tomorrow!

Happy Sunday everyone.