Thanks Maia and Karen Beth

So, when I came home from vacation I discovered I had been nominated for two blog awards. When I shared this news with Geoff, his response was "What? You?" And when I told him one of them was the "Rockin' Girl Blogger" award, he just laughed and laughed.

Don't let this interaction fool you. He is a very loving and supportive guy. Really.

My pal Maia is responsible for the Rockin' award (I am pretty sure I was rockin' for at least a minute or two in 1991.) and I am thrilled to pass on to:

stilettoheights because, honestly, she really is rockin', even off-line. And her letters to celebrities are the sole reason I am excited to wake up on a Wednesday morning. (Okay, I love my kids, too. And coffee.)

zellmer because she refers to doing a great deal of rockin' pre-baby (and look at her picture - she's still rockin'), and her blog was the first Mommy blog I found that I enjoyed reading.

tracey because, well look at her playlist and try to argue with me. And because she writes a very engaging gardening blog that feels like it is about a lot more than gardening.

______

The other award was invented by Karen Beth of Zazazu. It is the "Uplift Award" and I am so touched that she mentioned me. I am not able to express how much it means to me that someone who reads my little ramblings finds them uplifting. I am also a little self-conscious, because she mentions my One Small Change series as a reason for the award, and I stole the idea from Gillian.

So naturally, I want to pass the Uplift Award along to

Gillian who inspired One Small Change and writes from Nottingham, England, which always gives me a little thrill. Her artwork is lovely, and it is wonderful to read about her process and the inspirations behind her work.

Eva whose blog is so lovely looking. When she is not writing about her beautifully embroidered animal creations, she posts thought-provoking and often spirit-lifting links, poems and quotes.

MissFickleMedia who has been so supportive of my work and my process. She is a kindred spirit and I always look forward to reading what she has to write about her kids. Also, I love watching her process as she develops new products and new looks for her popular pendants and gorgeous fine silver jewelry.

MsBelle because she is the kindest, most supportive blogger/seller out there. She is always the first person to comment on my new work, the first person to congratulate me on my successes, and I swear, she was even more excited about my front-page appearance than I was. It has been exciting to see her develop a signature look for her shop and even more exciting to see her work gain the attention it deserves.

Beck because she is the best writer in blogland and at least once a week she publishes a post that makes me think perhaps she is living in my head.

And finally, Karen Beth, can I pass the award back to you? Karen-Beth's blog is like a little yoga class for your brain. Amazing, serene photos and quotes that remind you to slow down, breathe deeply and appreciate all the beauty and goodness that surrounds us.

Thanks, friends.

hobbledehoy!! or The Kindness of Strangers

I do not know Liz, the seller behind the etsy shop, hobbledehoy, from Adam, but when she read my forum post asking where I should buy a Tecre Button Machine, she offered to LOAN ME HERS.

For those unfamiliar, a Tecre is the pinback button making machine recommended by all Etsy sellers who use button machines. And they cost $250!

I have been wanting one for the longest time, because I think it would be so fun to send out little stephaniegibson pins and magnets (the machine makes those too) as promos to my customers. I could also use the machine to make rings that I think would sell like crazy at Eastern Market. I have saved up all my sales money for the last three months to justify buying one, but I was still thinking maybe this was an impulse buy that was never going to pay for itself. Now, thanks to the generosity of Liz, I can try one out and see whether it is really something I need to invest in, or whether it is just another craft gadget for the closet where all non-jewelry-related craft gadgets go to live sad, lonely lives, unable to entertain even one another, because, of course, they are all still sealed in their original packaging.

So, help me celebrate by checking out Liz's shop. Not just as a favor to me, but because she is selling fiber batts called Riot in the Batcave!

The Adventures of Ducky and Bunny

Ducky and Bunny (so named by Things One and Two in a temporary lapse of creativity) traveled to us all the way from Germany and the gentle, talented hands of Eva. They arrived in pretty paper wrapping, sewn closed with thread and identified with beautiful hand stamped tags. The design and workmanship of their embroidery is breathtaking.

Ducky was created just for Thing One. Thing One is a little too imaginative for her own good and often thinks up some scary things to torment her in the night. Her sweet, brave Ducky has the word "Courage" embroidered on the back, just to help her out a little when the dark is too frightening.

Bunny was created for a little cousin who has not joined us yet, but when Thing Two saw him, his eyes lit up. "Is that MY Bunny?" he asked with hopeful excitement. Well, how do you say no?

The two of them ran off with Ducky and Bunny and immediately began telling stories with them. Ducky's and Bunny's lives have been filled with peril and miraculous rescues since they arrived in our home. But I am sure they do not mind, because they end each day snuggled in the arms of children who loved them from the moment they saw them.

Thank you Eva. You are generous and thoughtful. The beauty of your spirit shines through in your lovely handiwork.

Moms - Have You Seen This?

This pleases me beyond all expression.
Available on a button at Mutha Crafter.

UPDATE: She has a maternity Tee listed now too.

A Treasury for You

I think I managed to get most of my regular commenters into this treasury:

Blog Pals

I know I missed some people, so I will be changing it out tomorrow.

Go look! I think it turned out pretty well considering I didn't go in with a plan other than to promote my friends.

Hugs to you all.

I Am An Idiot

So a week or so ago, I was lamenting that none of my bloggy pals had a bag I could use for shopping, when it turns out that the sweet and lovely Sara of Girls Can Tell had a PERFECT one. The perfect size and shape and greeny/blue! How did I miss that?!

New Artist Profile - Lemon Cadet

Stop by Mira and see my interview with Lemon Cadet. The place to buy adorable onesies and YETI PANTIES. You have to see them to believe them!

Well, You Really Know How to Cheer a Girl Up!

Thanks to everyone who had good wishes for me. Thanks to Maia, who came up with the worlds greatest response to being over-tagged (I am going to get around to stealing that idea sometime this week!). Thanks to Sara, who invited me to participate in a trunk show at the EtsyLabs. And thanks to Elise for the nice little surprise in my in-box.

Thank you friends in the blogosphere! Hope I get to give you all real hugs someday!

One Reason I Love Blogging

Okay, so it is not really such a new idea that the internet makes our world smaller. But how often do you truly experience the results of this increasing sense that the world is your neighborhood,

Over the weekend I was driving around doing errands (read: having some alone time) and listening to NPR. They had a news story about a conflict between Russia and Estonia over a Soviet Era statue that the Estonians want to move from one place to another in their own country. Three months ago I would have listened while thinking about other things and would not really have taken any of this story in. But now, because of my blog-friend connnection with Eva, I actually listened with interest and wondered how Eva felt about it. I recognized the name of the capital city (Tallinn) and could actually picture it in my mind.

So, three cheers for blogging, which has made me a better citizen of the world!

New Artist Profile

Please check out my profile of lorimarsha, one of my long-time favorite Etsians, and maker of fabulous jewelry, handbags and clothing.

Mira

I finally have my first interview posted on my Etsy promo blog, Mira. Please stop in and check out my interview with Ginger Wagner, of MsBelle. She is a ray of southern sunshine and a talented jewelry maker. Come see why I love her!

See my new blog here.

Morning At the Bead Show

I spent the morning at a bead show. Exhausting, but very fun! I am finding that certain stones are becoming harder and harder to find affordably. Makes me think it is time to switch to glass. Didn't even buy any citrine, it was so crazy expensive.

But......look what I did get! Pretty, pretty, pretty. I am envisioning lots of chunky bracelets in my shop this Spring!

The pendants are created by Natalie Gillihan. I cannot wait to use them as the focal pieces for some wire-wrapped necklaces. Do you think I could talk her into opening a shop on Etsy?

Buy Handmade

I want to promote Etsy a little bit today. I have had a great experience selling and buying there. I have not gone to the mall to buy a gift since I started selling last October! Please have a look around: you are sure to find wonderful and unique products.

Mostly I just want everyone to watch this video because, whether or not you are an Etsy fan, it will put a smile on your face.

Sorry, Mom, I'm Keeping It

I bought this beautiful mixed media painting by Jennifer Gordon from her Etsy shop, stilettoheights. I was planning to give it to my Mom for her birthday, but it looks so great in my newly organized (yes, you read that correctly) studio. I think I will keep it as a little reward for all my hard work!

The World Traveler

With two small kids, I only travel in my dreams lately, but someday......

In the meantime, I have to be satisified with dispatches from my friend Josh who seems to be hopping a plane any time he has a couple free days. In 2006 he had several free months. He flew to Australia and came home slowly, hitting Fiji, parts of Asia, the Middle East and Europe. He kept a blog journal about the trip, and while it hasn't been updated since May, when he got home, the final entry is well worth checking out. In this entry he sums up the trip and describes some lasting impressions. Most compelling to read were his thoughts about being an American traveling in the world right now. If you have three minutes to spare, check it out. It is a valuable counterpoint to the view of the world that we get from the media.

Josh's Blog

Thanks Mom!

This sweet pair of shoes was handed down by my fabulous mother yesterday. Cannot wait for warm weather!