Bitta this, bitta that.....

First off--check out this beautiful assortment of goodies!! All mine. Yup. I was the lucky winner of the 200th blogpost drawing from Becky at Hospitality Lane. I couldn't believe it when I got the package in the mail the very next day! Just an absolutely beautiful bunch of prizes and so generous, wow! That beautiful teacup and saucer in the front is filled with the most heavenly smelling candle that looks just like a nice cup of tea! Becky actually sells those, so if you really want to treat yourself or send a nice gift to someone--that's a great idea for ya! Thank you so much Becky--I am stunned and delighted!

Check this out! Is it crazy to have a pink potbellied ketchup pot?? I found this cute little set of vintage potbellied ketchup and mustard pots while out on my last treasure hunt. They even still have the little plastic spoons with them! They were painted tomato red and mustard yellow, of course, and were pretty grubby and when I tried scrubbing them up, the paint was getting scrubbed off! So I scrubbed them really good and decided to give them a little paint job! I finished them off with a few clear coats of poly so you can wipe them clean. It's listed in my Etsy shop (if you would like the mustard pot too, just let me know and I'll give you a shipping deal!)
AND some good news about a dear friend--Miss Bufforfington finally updated her blog!! Yeah. I wrote her a silly comment about getting her rear in gear--and she did! LOL Please stop by and say HI to her, and let's see if we can encourage her to come back to us more often! (just joking around Dinah--I'm just excited to see you back!)

Well, I should go get some work done--then I have to shower up and get ready for my Mammy-smashing this afternoon! Fun! Remember gals-- it's not a very pleasant thing, but it's important to get those mammograms on a regular basis--keep "the girls" healthy!

xoxoxoxo Karen

Sweet Little Bears and Street Teams

Here's my newest little creation! Isn't she sweet? I was at Seaman's Treasures yesterday to see if she had any new buttons in--and found some of these sweet vintage flocked bears! Awww---brought them home and decorated this one up with a pretty flowery hat and some ribbon and lace--and even made her a pretty heart from wood and a sweet birdy image from a vintage greeting card! Available at Mrs. Kwitty's Cottage.

I haven't actually been able to work too much on new designs--been busy with a custom order (which I did finish up today--yeah!) and another order for the Loopy Ewe. Keeping my busy, but I am really looking forward to having a little time to doodle around with some new design ideas that are rattling around in my melon!

So, we all know that a big part of having an online business is the promoting. The constant promoting! lol It's really not that easy finding fresh ways to get out there and let the world see your new creations. One way is to join in on some street teams--that way you get to hook up with some people who are pretty much in the same boat that you are--you know--power in numbers. I belong to 3 different street teams--and I really love them all. Good people and between the 3, I feel that most of my items are represented properly. Each one has a different approach to promoting too, which is good!

1) Cottage Style Street Team-- CSST We represent the cottage, vintage, and shabby chic stuff! Oh my! Just gorgeousness, really. This team has a NING group and a daily thread in the Promotions forum on ETSY each day. Just type CSST in the search bar "titles and tags" for fresh and beautiful cottagey goodness--new items listed every day. AND type CSST in the forum search bar to catch the thread each day, find the best and newest items added by the members and other goodies that they run across in their travels through Etsyland each day of the week. A real fun and sweet bunch of people.

2) Olde World Shops--OWS. We represent traditional crafts and methods being kept alive and well in today's world. Fantastic craftsmanship abounds here! Woodworkers, ironsmiths, pottery, painting, etc. The main promotions with this group are promotional mailings and one of the members is putting together YouTube videos, with a theme song and everything! Check it out (I'm in this one)

Just type OWS in the search bar and check out the wonderful crafts!


3) EtsyMom--- We are representing the Moms on Etsy. The ones who are dealing with raising the families and trying to squeeze in a little craft time on the side! lol There are lots of things for the little ones--fantastic beautiful things--but that is not all. Sometimes I feel like maybe I am a little old for this group, but hey--I have crafted for sanity and profit since my children were babies--and even though they are teenyboppers now--I'm still Mom and I'm still trying to squeeze in my crafts around their schedules! lol It's a wonderful group and I'm proud and happy to be a part of it! Type Etsymom in the search bar and see what you can come up with!!

Remember--there's still time to sign up for the drawing for this planner and keychain wallet--open until Thursday.....see the post right below this one for a link!!

Check this Out!

Hi! What do you think of this cute set--a 2008 planner and a matching keychain wallet?? Well, would you like to have it? I have some fun news: I was featured, by the sweet and marvelous Angie, on The Downtown Boutique blog! She was kind enough to do the feature, interview, and showcase several of the items from my Etsy shop--and I provided this set as an item she could offer as a giveaway! Please stop by and read, look, and leave a comment to be entered into the drawing!! Yeah--thank you!

I'm Baaaack

Good Morning my fine friends (or what ever time it happens to be when you read this--it's 7:15 a.m. for me right now). How y'all? That's right, I'm a southerner from northern MN! How y'all like that? huh? *grin*

Well, I decided I'd better get back to my blog! I've missed you all so. I'm not sure what happens to me at this time of year--I just get so weird and home-hermitty and don't feel like doing anything. I recently talked to my doc (2 days ago actually) and she seems to think I may have a mild case of SAD--which has to do with depression that comes from lack of sunlight. I think in the old days they used to just call it "cabin fever". PLUS, I gave up cappucinos (sp?) for Lent--and I think I'm having withdrawals!! Anyways, I'm sick of it and I need to get back to talking with my friends!

Are you thinking Easter yet? The big thing about doing business online is that you have to think so far ahead on the Holidays and once the holiday is actually here, you are already onto the next one! lol I've resurrected (good choice of words huh? resurrected/easter! yeah) my little bunny pins from last year--they are just so little and cute!

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Oh! tomorrow I am being featured on this blog The Downtown Boutique and I've even offered a goodie for a Prize Drawing--so you will want to check that out tomorrow!!

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The kids are off school all this week, it's so nice to have them home. Hub and I have started on our remodelling project for this winter--it's the big foyer room, which also happens to be my computer room! The cracks in the plaster have been ripped and patched and the wood-stripping has begun (ugh!). Stripping wood has got to be one of the most boring and nit-picky things in the world. Let me tell you, if you've never done it, don't just think that you can just zip-zip-it's gone---nooooo, uh uh. It is so tedious and time consuming. Especially if it is wood that has varnish topped with a couple coats of paint. Heat gun the paint and then paint remover for the remaining paint that the heat gun doesn't get off and the varnish--smelly, gooey and you have to nit-pick over every little nook and cranny. We are blessed with some beautiful detailed wood work in our home, but MAN we have had to work at it to uncover it's beauty.

Ok--enough babbling for one day, lol, have a fun day and I'll be back soon--promise!

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Oh, WAIT! One more thing--caught this great funny on YouTube that you need to check out--cracked me up!