Friday, December 31, 2010

Reflections and Aspirations

As the New Year approaches, many of us reflect back on the year, taking note of our successes, joys, shortcomings...I believe we do this in anticipation of shaping our year ahead, for our business/professional lives, and for our personal lives. We hope for the upcoming year to be better than the year we are leaving behind, whatever our definition of better is.
Fragment, Winter Walk II
by
88editions
The AWEteam has gone through many changes over the last year. We have many new members! We've forged new friendships, both in person and online. We've experienced successes, individually and as a team! Our Mother's Day Giveaway was a great success and was greeted with much enthusiasm! Our blog was born, and met positive reaction. Some AWEteam members have met their Etsy sales goals for the year.

As Etsy changed to format of teams, so has our team changed...we've rolled with it, embraced it. We've lost some members on the way, many remained, and many joined us!

We look forward to the coming year...building more friendships, working together to achieve goals, and supporting each other in our endeavors! It would be fabulous to see AWEteam members join forces regionally, where possible at shows, etc to help promote Etsy, and our team! We also are looking to move the blog forward, and hopefully have some awesome surprises along the way! We will continue to WOW you with treasuries, and great Etsy shops, and fabulous First Friday Art Walks!

With that, we leave behind 2010, and look forward to the beginning of the second decade of the new millenium!

Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!
The AWEteam

Treasuries! The last of this year!

Our last treasuries for this year...I hope you enjoy them!









And non-team curated collections featuring AWEteam members...





Wishing you an AWEsome New Year!
The AWEteam

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Treasure Trove Thursday!

This past week, many of us have been preparing for our Holiday Celebrations!  Some have been busy little elves making Etsy Treasuries!  Here are our selections this week!  Enjoy!







This Treasury features a gorgeous pillow by sarahsquiltsncrafts!



Thanks for dropping by!  The AWEteam members wish you a Happy Holiday, whichever Holiday you are celebrating!  May your day be filled with the love of family and friends!

Happy Holidays!
The AWEteam of Etsy

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Treasure Trove Thursday!

Welcome to Treasure Trove Thursday!  A lot of us have been experiencing unseasonal cold weather the last week.  Wintry treasuries have been curated to celebrate winter, and the holiday season!  We hope you enjoy them!
















Monday, December 6, 2010

Our Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations go to Aik!  The turquoise button earrings will be finding their way to Malaysia!
Congatulations!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

First Friday Art Walk on Etsy: Holiday Shopping at it's Finest!

Welcome to December's First Friday Art Walk on Etsy!  It appears we survived our turkey comas and Black Friday Shopping sprees!  Now, you can sit back and relax with your favorite beverage, preview some of the items offered during First Friday Art Walk on Etsy, and shop till ya drop!  No crowds or crazy drivers here!  To find shops that participate in First Friday Art Walk, use the search tag "firstfridayartwalk" under the "all" tab, and enjoy your virtual stroll!  Many of the participating shops will be using Etsy's new coupon codes, so be sure to check each shop's announcements to see how to get your savings!  Happy Shopping!!



by


These next three Treasuries were curated by OneHeartJewelry




...And a couple of other treasuries you may be interested in viewing:


And there's still more!  I thought I would save the best for last! 
A customer appreciation video made especially for eclecticarmadillo!  How cool is that?!
Please have a look!

Remember, First Friday Art Walk is being held on Etsy Friday December 3,  2010!  Come join the fun!
Wishing you all an AWEsome day!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Love Giveaways?!

The holiday season is upon us, many businesses are offering giveways!  I found this site, as a great place to post your giveaway that you are sponsoring, and to search for giveaways to enter!  Check out
Giveaway Scout and have fun!

Spotlight on AWEsome! Pixe's Treasure Chest

Welcome to Spotlight on AWEsome!  This time around we meet Michele, of Pixe'sTreasureChest! Michele designs and creates jewelry using a palette of sterling silver, copper, and semi precious gemstones!  Many pieces are one of a kind, most are limited edition!



The Beginning...
Like most of those involved in arts and crafts, my start came at an early age.  My Grammy taught me to hand sew at a very young age, and I made very crude clothing for my Barbie Dolls.  She later taught me how to crochet.  My mother taught me to embroider, and I do counted cross stitch as well.  My jewelry endeavors began when I had difficulty finding earrings that I liked...I couldn't find anything unique enough to suit me.  One day I was shopping at a discount store, found a book on jewelry making, and the adventure began!  I have since then ventured beyond earrings, though I admit to creating a lot of those, as earrings are my favorite jewelry to wear! 



The Inspiration...
Inspiration for me comes mainly from the natural world around me...The colors and objects in nature often inspire a new jewelry piece.  Sometimes inspiration comes by chance...Tidying up my workspace I may find beads that I think look great together, and make something...Needless to say, my workspace is generally not well organized!  I have found handcrafting jewelry to be a great creative outlet and stress relief from my work as a Critical Care Nurse.


Where to find Pixe...
Online, you can find me in my Jewelry Shop on Etsy, PixesTreasureChest
I also have a destash/supply shop on Etsy;  PixesBeads
In person, if you are in the Reading, PA area, I can be found every Weds. at the Leesport Farmer's Market in Building #1.
I also try to do a show once a month and those are posted on my profile page in my Etsy shop!

Three little know facts about Michele...
~~ I collected rocks as a kid, and still have most of that collection.
~~ I love to read.  I read my first college textbook when I was 8 or 9 yrs old...It was a geology textbook my uncle had given me!  I still have it!
~~ When I'm feeling "Out of sorts", my favorite way to reconnect and destress is grab my camera, and take a walk through my local state park. Alone. I've always felt as thought the  forest was my sanctuary!



Turquoise Button Drop Earrings
The Giveaway...
Michele is giving away, to one lucky winner, a pair of her favorite earrings, Turquoise Button Drop Earrings! 

Entries are open worldwide!  Aweteam members are invited to enter, as well.

To enter:
Visit PixesTreasureChest, and leave a comment on the blog telling us your favorite piece of jewelry.  This is mandatory.  Please be sure to leave your contact info so you can be notified if you're a winner!  Good Luck!!  Entries will be accepted until Thurs. Dec. 2, 2010.  The winner will be drawn Friday, Dec. 3, 2010!





For extra entries:
Each earns one additional entry, except when noted otherwise.   Comments should be left on the blog!
~~  Follow Pixe on Facebook and leave a comment letting us know you are a new follower!
~~  Make a purchase from Pixe's Treasure Chest, and get 3 additional entries for each purchase!       Leave a comment telling us what you've bought!
~~ Sign up for Pixe's Newsletter!  Receive 2 additional entries! 
~~  Follow the AWEteam on Facebook.  Leave a comment letting us know you are a follower.

Thank you in advance for stopping by and entering our giveaway!

THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Wishing you an AWEsome day!
                                                                                    

Friday, November 19, 2010

Thanksgiving in the United States

This morning a friend of mine sent me an email containing a Proclamation from a United States President declaring Thanksgiving a National Holiday.  So that got me thinking...What is the real history of Thanksgiving, as we celebrate today?  My google quest began...Here is the annotated version...


When we think of the holiday Thanksgiving, we think the holiday was first celebrated by the pilgrims in 1621 in Massachusetts.  This day was not a holiday for them, however, it was a gathering thanking God for their harvest...it was a religious day.  Their gathering lasted 3 days,  and did include the Native Americans that helped them survive their first, very difficult,  year here.  They did not repeat the celebration the following year.



The next Thanksgiving celebration was held June 29, 1629, as proclaimed by the governing council of Charleston Massachusetts in recognition of the colonists' recent victory over the "heathen natives".   

In October of 1777,   all 13 colonies joined in a  Thanksgiving celebration, celebrating the victory over the British at Saratoga.

In 1789,  George Washington proclaimed A National Day of Thanksgiving, which Thomas Jefferson later opposed.



It was the efforts of a magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale,  that promted President Abraham Lincoln to proclaim the last Thursday of November as a National Day of Thanksgiving.  Every year since then, each President has maintained that proclamation.

In 1941, Franklin Roosevelt changed the day Thanksgiving was celebrated in order to provide more time for shopping before Christmas.  This is when we now celebrate Thanksgiving...The fourth Thursday of every Novermber.

I didn't know that...did you?
So how do you celebrate Thanksgiving, and what is you are thankful for?

Source:  The Thanksgiving Story  You can read the full version of Thanksgiving here, along with The Proclamations of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Wishing you all an AWEsome Day, and a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Treasuries: Gift Guides presented by the AWEteam!

Happy Friday Everyone!  We have some lovely collections to share with you this week!  Take a peek at our Treasuries on Etsy...They offer some great ideas for your  holiday shopping!


featuring

by

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And these are links to treasuries which feature our members:

featuring

featuring

Thanks for dropping by!  We hope you enjoyed your stay!
Wishing you all an AWEsome day!

Friday, November 5, 2010

November giveaway winner!

Thank you to all those who entered our November giveaway!  We have had 22 comments, and 16 entries!  One lucky winner was drawn this morning to receive the Recycled Pillowcase Shopping Bag from Ponderosaquilter!

The lucky winner is......



minishoes1 !!  I've sent an email, and she has 3 days to respond back to me!  If no response within that time, another name will be drawn!

Congratulations!!!

Wishing you all an AWEsome day!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

November First Friday Art Walk on Etsy!

Happy Thursday everyone!  The team is gearing up for this month's First Friday Art Walk on Etsy to be held November 5, 2010!  Come take a virtual stroll through a variety of shops from art to zafu cushions!  If you are searching for it, we've got you covered!  You'll even find some great deals along the way!  To find First Friday deals, just use the search term "firstfridayartwalk".

To get you in the mood, here are some Treasuries curated by our members showcasing the talent of the Art Walk Etsy Team!






And some more AWEsome Treasuries curated by our members, or featuring our members...

 featuring jscstong

featuring jcstrong



featuring  eclecticarmadillo

Wishing everyone a fabulous First Friday, and an AWEsome day!
The AWEteam!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Spotlight on AWEsome! PonderosaQuilter and a Giveaway!

Welcome to "Spotlight on AWEsome"!  This time around we are talking to Valerie, of PonderosaQuilter!  As her shop name implies, Valerie creates quilts;  she also creates some really great tote bags and rugs, and crochets, too!  Her beautiful creations can be found on Etsy, at PonderosaQuilter!

Valerie is the mother of 2 grown children, and had worked as a nurse for many years.  Her career as a nurse came to stop when she developed a disabling illness.  Sewing is her therapy, which allows her to remain productive.  Selling on Etsy allows Valerie to support her sewing habit!



The Beginning...
Perhaps it was 7th grade sewing class that got me started on sewing. Or maybe it was earlier when I sewed by hand some Barbie doll clothes. However, as my mom often reminds me, sometime during jr. high I swore I'd never sew another thing. But, once I knew how to make clothes properly, I became critical of store bought clothes, particularly my pet peeve - twisted seam allowances. I made many of my clothes and nursing uniforms, up until I had a baby.


Also, maybe around 4th grade, we went to the Kutztown Folk Festival, (A yearly festival that celebrates the PA Dutch heritage of Berks County, PA)   I loved the quilts and started dreaming of making one and selling it at the festival. About 30 years later, I did just that. About that time, I also joined a quilt guild. That's when my quilting really took off.

I used to knit a lot, too. That started when I was a kid, when I saw a skein of yarn in all the rainbow colors. I begged Mom to get it for me. "But you don't know how to knit", she said. I said, "Teach me." So she did. Later I learned crocheting also. I made many sweaters. I started making potholders because I liked the ones my grandmother made, although mine are different from hers.

I also started embroidery as a kid when I saw a red Christmas apron that I wanted to make for my art and music teacher. But I do very little of that now.

A few years ago, I wanted to make a bag with old jeans. I bought a pattern. That was the beginning of a bag-making frenzy, 50 that year. I learned many different methods of making them. They are made mostly from used fabrics [or should I say 'reclaimed'] . The styles and sizes are determined by the fabric.

Any fabric that is not good enough for bags gets made into rag rugs. "Waste not, want not." Reduce, reuse, recycle.


 
Inspiration....
Sometimes I choose a quilt design around a focus fabric. Mostly I get ideas from pictures.  The same with bags - from pictures and some patterns.
 
A Little Known Fact...
I like to listen to audio books while I sew. It loosens me up and lets the creativity flow.




Favorite Recipe...
  I rarely cook from a recipe. Too often I don't have key ingredients on hand. I look at recipes for ideas and methods. Recently I'm into Julia Child's methods,  like using wine.  What I do like is to cook with real food bought from the many local farms. This all came about a few years ago when I was introduced to the Weston A. Price Foundation.  I then developed another passion in addition to all my needlework - reading about nutrition, cooking traditionally, and talking about good nutrition to anyone who cares to listen.  And once I get going on nutrition, well, I can talk your ear off ! 
Pillowcase Shopping Bag-recycled
 
The Giveaway...
Valerie would like to giveaway her Pillowcase Shopping Bag, Recycled to one lucky winner!  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  AWEteam members may also participate!   Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm Thurs. November 4, 2010!  Drawing will be held Friday, November 5, 2010!
To enter:
1.  Visit PonderosaQuilter and leave a note telling us which item is your favorite!   Please be sure to leave your contact information in your comment, otherwise your entry will not be acccepted!
 
For additional entries:
1.  Follow this blog!  Leave a note telling us you are a follower.
2.  Follow the AWEteam on Facebook!  Leave a note here telling us who you are.
3.  Make a purchase from PonderosaQuilter!  Let us know what here what you've bought!
4.  Follow the AWEteam on Twitter!  Leave a note here telling us who you are!

Good luck to all that enter!  I can tell you that this bag is really pretty, and professionally constructed!  I've seen it, and I own one of Valerie's bags!

Wishing you all an AWEsome day!                                                                                                                                                             

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Treasure Trove Thursday!

Welcome to this week's Collection of Treasuries on Etsy!
First up, congrats to BucksCountyFrames for making the front page this week!  His photography is fabulous, you really must check it out!

Screen shot of Front Page featuring BucksCountyFrames









featuring jcstrong
 
 Thanks for dropping in!
Wishing everyone an AWEsome day!