Vintage Provocative Prints!

I have two new vintage paper ephemera print ads in my shop; one is an advertisement for Kraft French Dressing and the other is for Cutex Cosmetics. Wouldn't the seductive red head above munching on salad with her red lips look spectacular in a retro 60's kitchen?!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66660173/provocative-vintage-60s-kraft-french?ref=v1_other_2
Oooh la la, this peacock feathered lady will add elegance to your favorite wall!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66665974/elegant-vintage-60s-maybellinecutex?ref=v1_other_1

Speaking of adding an elegant touch to a room in your home, I have done just that with one of the vintage prints I found in a 60's Ladies Home Journal magazine. Joe and I just purchased a pretty blue quilt set for our queen size bed in our bedroom and I we also have a blue painting on canvas of a beautiful ocean...so we are definitely going with a "blue" theme (which we both love this color)!Isn't this the PERFECT vintage print for our romantically blue bedroom?! I LOVE IT! A very lady-like woman wearing a flowing blue dress is sitting at a dining table with her handsome date who has a caring, concerned looking...I bet he is a real gentleman!

My First Treasury!

Yippee! I have finally created my first treasury...and it was so much fun! Please check it out and on my treasury's page; who knows maybe it will get on the front page of Etsy! I have featured one of my twin sister's beautiful acrylic paintings in this treasury titled "Is He the Man of My Dreams?"

My treasury is titled "Mystical Seaside of Treasures"...ENJOY!!!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d4613760b336d91376b9060/mystical-seaside-of-treasures

Sexy Knit and Crochet Garments in Time for Valentine's!

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it and what is more sexy to a man during the cold winter month of February than a cozy, cuddly little knit or crochet piece of lingerie on his sweetheart?! Just in time for Valentine's, I feature my six favorite Etsy knit and crochet sexy little garments that will mesmerize your lover more than cupid's heart-shaped arrow of romance! ;-)

Oooh, so very romantic! These hand-knit fingerless lace gloves look like something Juliet would have worn to enrapture her Romeo! I love the Victorian elegance of these gloves titled "Red Shiny Lace Gloves" by Yasoknitting.Mystical and full of magical allure these fascinating hand-knit white stockings are very captivating...and speaking of Shakespeare's enchanting tales, these angelic knitted tights look like something from a Midsummer Night's Dream...if you wear these, you will have a night full of fun and fantasy! "White Thigh High Knitted Tights" by Miss Samantha's Shop.
Under that sexy little 60's style babydoll, these darling hand-knit panties have an innocence to them that is enticingly tantalizing! Tempt your lover with this little number...the peek-a-boo design will tickle the imagination! "Hand Knit Panties in Pink" by JackieDKnitBoutique.

Seduce your valentine during a candlelit dinner in this gorgeous red halter top! Red hot and dazzling...with your red lips, whisper sweet somethings into your darling's ear! "Spicy Red for Your Desires Red Halter Top" by Sebsurer.

Wow, absolutely stunning! Flaunt your pinup figure and inner vintage vixen in this sexy little hand-knit garter belt! "Garter Belt" by Lady Lilliput Boutique.
Sweep your wooer off his feet with these ravishing red leg warmers...warm, flirtatious, and oh so cuddly! "Ultra or Knee High Red Leg Warmers" by Lesha's Workshop.

My Sister's New Etsy Shop, Blog, and Her First Treasury Feature!

My darling twin sister, Andrea (the beautiful bride in the picture above), has opened up an enchanting Etsy shop titled "Storybook Artifact"! This cozy, little shop is filled with hand-crafted greeting cards, loose leaf tea blends, all-natural storybook-themed cookies, original drawings, sketches, and paintings, personalized storybook portraits on canvas, and probiotic heirloom kefir grains.Andrea also has an elegant and very intriguing blog where she shares her favorite recipes, natural remedy discoveries, the joys of being a first time mother, and so much more! Check out her new blog...and become a follower!I am astonished...Andrea hasn't even had her Etsy shop "Storybook Artifact" opened for a week and she is already featured in her first treasury! Her fascinating and mysterious portrait sketch of the renowned author D.H. Lawrence titled "Man Behind the Story" looks ravishing as the first item featured in this elaborate treasury filled with antique and Lady Chatterley gypsy themed listings...this treasury is created by Arabesque Aromas and is titled "The Virgin and the Gipsy".

Etsy Business Tip: Embellishments, Samples, and Lots of Love!

One of the best ways to get repeat customers for your Etsy shop is to turn your order packages into captivating gifts! Beautiful embellishments, desirable samples, and handwritten thank you cards will transform the one item you sold into a bountiful gift of surprises and treasures...as well as add a personal touch that customers love, for this is a gift from a friend!

You don't have to spend a fortune gathering up these ornamental items; great embellishments for your packages include: colorful tissue paper, ribbon, scrapbooking stickers, elegant decals, and so much more (use your imagination)! If you can give a sample of something you sell in your shop, this will intrigue your customers, introduce them to other items that you sell, and increase your chances of attaining a repeat customer! Shop samples could be handmade soap, perfume, candles, cookies, tea...or give a small gift of something you sell in your shop like a bookmark, bracelet, magnet, etc.

Don't forget the handwritten thank you card or note! This is essential for adding the "personal touch"; a handwritten message to me says "traditional elegance", "kindhearted effort", "the gift of your time", and "exceptional sincerity". Also, including a business card or flier is a great addition to your packages so the customer can easily find all of your contact information in one place...this will also serve as a reminder of your shop.

Pictured above is what I send will all of my packages: a handwritten thank-you note that expresses my personal style (have fun with your embellishments and stationary; if you can convey your unique style that is fantastic...your customers can really get to know who you are)! I also include a simple flier with my Etsy shop web link and an elegant sample of my newest line of all-natural handmade "Orange Blossom Beauty" soap (which I will be adding to my Etsy shop soon).My soap samples have a handwritten tag tied on with twine and a whimsical flower embellishment; the backs of the soap samples paper pouches are secured with an elegant and forever timeless wax seal.

Jane's Craft "Blue Bunny Boutique" Feature

Isn't my little baby nephew Bobby adorable in this precious crocheted beanie?! I got this handmade treasure from the Blue Bunny Boutique. The creator, Sara, is darling, so very sweet, and personal...everything you could ask for in an Etsy seller; absolutely terrific! She has a wonderful shop full of handmade jewelry and other items...and a vast array of supplies (great for you crafty ladies out there)! You all should stop by and browse the Blue Bunny Boutique. My little Bobby Bunny loves his Christmas beanie; it is keeping his little bunny ears warm all winter long! I highly recommend this delightful Etsy shop; Sara has wonderful communication, fantastic customer service and high-quality products...A+++! ;-)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JanesCraft
Here is a picture of the baby beanie from the Blue Bunny Boutique; she also has a picture of a blue baby beanie in the listing. I chose to have blue and green yarn integrated into the brown baby beanie for Bobby...so precious!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64054485/toddlebaby-beanie

Espy'd: Reduce/Recycle Social Blog Network & Community!

I just joined espy’d™ as a free member! espy’d™ is a NEW social blog network & community for everything handmade, vintage & antique! espy’d™ focuses on products that “reDuce, reUse, reCycle, reStyle & reStore” and we feel that supporting all things handmade, vintage & antique go hand and hand with those ideals.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...hey, that sounds like an Eco-Friendly Freckles motto! I love how this site has a focus on nurturing nature and the beauty of handmade and vintage items...what more could you want in a site?!

espy’d™ is in its early stages and has just launched; the administrator Gina is so sweet and helpful...if you have any questions she will be able to assist you. You can join as a free member if you would like (as I did) and you will have access to many of the features of the site. A few of the features and benefits for the Free Membership include:

• MEMBER CHAT: Connect with members of our community in our Group chat rooms.
• COMMUNITY/ACTIVITY WALL: You will be able to interact and socialize with like-minded people within the community. (Social networking built in!)
• BLOG (ad supported): Your own customizable handmade/vintage/antique blog (add your own logo/header image change colors etc.) with custom sub-domain (example: http://yourname.espyd.com). espy’d™ only has a small unobtrusive community admin bar at the top.
• FEATURED: Members/blog posts are randomly featured on every page of the website including the front page.
• EXPOSURE: Every time you post to your blog it will be featured within the activity stream as well as pages on the website.
• COMMUNITY GROUPS: You can join groups and discussions on various topics related to all things handmade.
• PROFILE: You can create a member profile specific to your interests or products. You can also search the member directory to find like-minded members or members who make certain types of items. Profiles have social networking built in!

This site is so much fun and a wonderful place for fellow Etsyians to meet up, share ideas, post photos and content, and so much more! I am very excited...Please check out this site, here is the link:

http://espyd.com/

Celebrating National Hobby Month!

January is National Hobby Month, and in celebration of the wonderful joys of exploring our own creativity, I would like to share with you all six different crafts presented by some amazingly talented Etsy shop artists!

Did you know that by partaking in a hobby and creating something you are letting your mind expand in new ways and it will continue to grow?! Activating the brain by learning novel skills over time enhances memory and helps new brain cells survive, research shows. So have fun and create something...it's not only enjoyable, but healthy for you too!
Auh, the beauty of the hand-stitch! This lovely cowl neck warmer called "The Uinta - Scarlet" by Chickadee Dee Custom Designed Stitchwear.
Breathtaking! I have always been stunned by how gorgeous mosaics are...this one is incredible! "Paisley Mosaic Swirl Retro Wall Plaque" by Ree Creation Mosaics.Wow, this acrylic painting is very intriguing and full of mystery...I love it! "Gothic Horror Art, Corridor of Doors and Dark Shadows, Original Painting" by Sarada.
Oooh la la, this red pomegranate sculpture is divine! "Ceramic Pomegranates" by Bliss Me Arts.
Aww, this hand-sewn dress is adorable! "Handmade Little Girls Alphabet Double Layered Dress with Pinafore" by Grammy Lambys Handmade Garments.

Woodwork is fascinating the the creations are functional and so much fun...especially for children!"Natural Wooden Race Car w/color people and wheels (RED)" by AE Wooden Toys.

My Decoupage Canister Tutorial Featured on a DIY Blog!

The wonderfully sweet Norma from Quality Cords has featured my tutorial of how to make a hand-painted upcycled decoupage canister in her DIY section of her blog! Thank you Norma for the pleasant promotion and for spreading the fun tutorials! Here are the links to the Quality Cord's blog and to my tutorial:
http://qualitycords.blogspot.com/p/free-diy-tutorials.html
http://ecofriendlyfreckles.blogspot.com/2010/02/eco-friendly-freckles-tutorial-supplies.html

The Royal TenenBuff

I love Wes Anderson movies! My husband, Joe, and I just watched "The Royal Tenenbaums" (which is probably my favorite Wes Anderson film...although I enjoy "Bottle Rocket" and all the others too). The lovely image above is of a card that is sold in a set depicting the profound love between Margot and Richie Tenenbaum by Jessie James titled "Love - Set of 5 Greeting Cards".

In this posting, I would love to share my favorite Etsy shop items honoring the very talented Wes Andreson and his memorably stunning films.
Isn't this Margo Tenenbaum Paper Doll adorable! I LOVE this character (my favorite from the movie; Gwyneth Paltrow plays the part wonderfully)...ha ha, this paper doll even has the option of holding a cigarette! This "Margot Tenenbaum Paper Doll Postcard" is from Claudia Varosio.
Wow, this print of Richie Tenenbaum is amazing! "Richie Print" by A Cagey Bee.
Joe and I purchased this awesome Rushmore light switch cover for Joe's brother Dan for Christmas...it looks even better in person! "Wes Anderson Rushmore Light Switch Cover" by Blastocraft.
This fox hat is delightful! The movie was cute and the hat resembles the Fantastic Mr. Fox perfectly! "Fantastic Fox Hat" by Awberry.
This Bottle Rocket poster has a fun, retro-style...I love the colors in this poster and the charming film! "Bottle Rocket Poster" by Claudia Varosio.Oooh, what an intriguing bookmark...so captivating it just might inspire you to pick up a good book! "Darjeeling Limited Bookmark" by Anatomy of Soul.
Gorgeous colors and so vibrant...this will look lovely on your wall and will definitely catch the eye...art inspired by "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou"! ;-) "Interesting Specimen" by Admidas.

My Colonial Christmas Gifts

This Christmas I gave my mother-in-law, Beverly, and my sister, Andrea, some captivating colonial-style gifts (one hand-made by myself and the other one was a vintage purchase on Etsy)! Beverly is an admire of American History and she is enchanted by anything George Washington. So I wanted to make her this Washington inspired tea box depicting his treasured intimate life on the top (with a photo of his wife Martha, his Mount Vernon home, and a few of his and Martha's personal possessions), and on the sides his professional life as General George Washington and the first president of the United States of America.

Here is one of the sides of the tea box with the constitution and the two paintings that are in the National Archives building housing this historical document.

...and here is a picture depicting General George Washington that I found in a pamphlet that I brought back from Mount Vernon:I painted the inside of the tea box gold...I figured it would bring out the luxurious aesthetics of the piece. ;-)
Beverly and I having breakfast at the Hotel Washington on our trip to Washington D.C. with Beverly's two sons Joe (my husband) and Dan.For Christmas, I got my sister Andrea an elegant Vintage 1940s W.S. George Bolero Dessert Plate Cake Server Set by Teenie's Priceless Vintage. Please check out this wonderful Etsy shop filled with lovely and unique vintage items! The colonial couple on the cake server set remind me of George and Martha Washington!
I was so happy to see Beverly's and Andrea's lit up faces when they opened their Christmas gifts; classic colonial is always a winner!