Subject is Summer and what kinds of Fun Crafts are Lirking!

Lirking crafts you say......yes! Lirking...The kids will be going to camp and doing all kinds of crafts that are going to be great fun.........Remember in Girl Scots when you made an OIL CLOTH PILLOW to sit on so you wouldn't get dirty around the campfire.

Mine did not look that this one at Cherry Hill Cottage http://cherryhillcottage.typepad.com/cherryhill_cottage/2008/04/cottage-oilclot.html, but I thought it was great...Our troop made them from Kelly Green solid oil cloth and we stiched around them with yellow yarn...I'll never forget that Summer when my Mom was our troop leader.  That was a lot of fun.

Other Crafts lirking will be those from the camps all around the country...your child may come home with something like this...although maybe more crudely made. It is at this link from Katesy's shop http://www.kaetsy.etsy.com/   http://www.etsy.com/listing/47882323/perfect-for-summer-wooden-armoury?  Very cute...don't you think. 

And if you are going to the beach..........think of all of the shells that you and the kids may want to pick up for making shell, beachy stuff later.  My kids and I made all kinds of neat things after visits to Padre Island and other beaches......We made shell frames...just glued the shells on...after soaking them in bleach to get the stinky smell out and all kinds of jewelry.........I came across these site on Etsy for shells and other neat things that may give you some great crafting ideas.  www.thesaltyseahouse.etsy.com has these and other wonderful treasures for you to purchase if a trip to the beach is too distant on your Summer Calendar.And don't forget about all the wonderful things you can do with Rocks. You can pick up rocks anywhere.........you don't even need a Vacation!  I have loved rock projects with my kids....Paper Weights, Door Stops, Scuptures, Mosaics and lots of other things that you can let your imagination fly with....and...I found these wonderfully colored and shaped crayons for kids that you may love...www.AugustGrove.etsy.com has them and lots of other great things  too. 

The only problem that I see with these crayons...they look good enough to eat!

Enjoy.....until nex time...take a look at my own art on my etsy sites:

http://www.diannearnettedesigns.etsy.com/ and http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/

I am a CREATOR...when not working on real estate!

Weird is the Topic of TODAY...TOAY'S creatively WEIRD!

CosmicFirefly

Today just felt "weird" to me, so I decided to support my feelings with some really cute and creative weirdness from my fellow artisans on Etsy, the famous handmade website that helps us all "get discovered". The idea of weirdness is, well, weird but also weirdly creative....In fact, we artists are used to being referred to as delightfully weird, or original...we like that!  The shop for the eyeballs is  BeanDoll.etsy.com

Lilley.etsy.com

Isn't this just adorable!  How sweetly weird...almost anyone would love to cuddle this little guy.

CosmicFirefly.etsy is where you will find this very Cosmic Steampunk necklace....you are sure to be the only one at your party with this cutie...and how orginal...to have her head stuck in a camera...This could be one for the Pavarotsi girls.  Of course, being weird can be wonderful! And speaking of wonderfully weird...see what is next. I seem to be attracted to eyes and heads today in this blog on weird so take a look at what HappyFunShop.etsy.com has created and how it is just too cute and wierd for words.The other thought that I have as I blog and share today is how great the photography is for all of these items.........The photos make us really notice how wonderfully weird these all are.

and without further babbling about wierd, enjoy some of these other creations from Etsy and friends.

KristinaEllis.etsy.com

hapitat.etsy.com has beautiful and unusually created items....take a look there.   Well...as you can see as I stop today's findings and expressions...I am beginning to find more on the beauty side of weird.

Note:  I is not that I actually think any of these are "wierd"....it is just that "wierd" was one of the tags used in each of these listings........so I guess that "wierd" like "beauty" is definitely in the eye of the beholder.

I am Crafting in Pink today......Pink is for Girls and Pink is for Spring...

What the heck....I just love pink and bet you do too.

Along the way today, I am going to show you some lovely "pinks" that are onsale at http://www.etsy.com/.
At Etsy, we are crafters and we love to make stuff............but to make it is not enough, we also want to sell it.  There are many budding designers just waiting to be discovered.....and of course, there is me!

You can find all of my designs at http://www.diannearnettedesigns.etsy.com/ and http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/.

(I am in the process of closing http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/ and everything is 20% off...so close me quick!)

Now for PINK!   Pink can be reddish, orangish, bluish, .........purpleish.......well you decide.

You can mix pinks and reds and blues and turquois and they just all work together.  You can dress a girl, a baby, a man, a woman in pink and they all look good..........It may be a jewel, or a tutu, a tie or a purse......Pink looks, well Pink! and Pretty.

Pink mixes with checks and just about any pattern that can be imagined.Dogs wear pink.............mine does! And she just loves it!

I love pink in anyway it is used.........I often like pink in my own designs, but this blog is about other people's pink today...

You can see my pinks at http://www.diannearnette.etsy.com/ and at http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/ 

Enjoy

Arts and Craft Shows....Good, Bad, Beautiful, and Ugly!

Since I began selling the jewelry and accessory items that I design, I have found that one way of promoting my jewelry business is by participating in art and craft shows in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  This has been both rewarding and frustrating at times.  At my first show I had no idea of what to expect.  Would they like my things? Would they be priced too high or too low? Would there be a lot of people there? Did I have enough inventory to show?  Maybe I would sell everything and then have to start over!

Now, with 6 shows under my belt, I have become a good judge of what is good, great, bad, or just plain ugly in the way of craft shows.  Read up!

1.  Timing.........if the show is too close to a holiday, people won't come and buy....because they already bought.  If it is on a weekend of a holiday, people are getting ready to go out of town, or are already gone.
..........slow people traffic
2. Promotion ....Show organizers are going to make money whether the vendors do well or not. They have their money up front.......so I now know to ask what kind of promotion advertising the organizer will be doing.......and ask to see the printed materials and dates for those ads.  New promoters will often think they can just pocket the money and not do anything to produce buyers at the show....News alert!  If there are not many people there........the vendors will not participate a second time.
3.  Types of vendors showing.  If every other booth is offering the same as your product, you may have too much variation in product and it will just confuse the shopper.  They cannot decide what they want when earrings are $25.00 at one booth, and $6.00 at the booth down the way....Shoppers often don't take the time to find out what the differences in the products may be.
4.  Music........If there is entertainment at the bazaar.......it must appeal to a wide variety of people.  The music should make the shoppers enjoy the experience, not make them want to flee the area.
5.  Concessions........Vendors need a place to get a snack, drink, etc. Promoters who do not think of this, are not thinking of the vendors who are counting on them for comfort, traffic, etc.  Vendors will feel unimportant..frustrated .i.e. you just wanted my booth fee, but did not want me to like your show.
6.  Good Promoters make everything as easy for vendors as possible when checking in and out.  They ask for feedback about the show...was it what you expected?...How can we improve?  etc.

I love the opportunity to meet my potential customers at various shows...and I like it when I see repeat customers...It is like seeing an old friend!  I also like visiting with the vendors who I have often met before at other shows.  They are helpful and I am finding a vendor network who is willing to share other really good information with me....

If you have been to a craft show recently either as a Vendor or a Buyer..please take the time to tell us about your impression of the show.

I am always looking for new shows and venues....I love to craft my jewelry and accessories and offer it to the people who will appreciate it........

Finding Inspirations Where You Are

Drive through the Botanic Gardens, or open a Catalogue....you may see something that is pure inspiration.
From a crafters mindset, it is always what could I do that would be in that feel, but with my orinality?
Recently, I have been fascinated with fibers and what I can do without actually sewing too much. So I have delved into the world of knit tops and tees.  With a twist.

Here is one from Valentino and it is very sophisticated....sewn by a real professional in a factory in Italy.............and Here is one from Wantzit2 (which is me)....By the way the Valentino is $195.00 on the Neimans website.  Checkout http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/ for the price of mine.

What I am enjoying is that with my creativity, I can enjoy a "look" at a price and offer it to my handmade addict mavens like me.  It makes being "in style" fun and affordable........and you know, we will be on to the next idea next week.  

By the way, speaking of other ideas....I can't say this idea was orginal to me or the many who also do this kind of experimentation....but look how cute this is!  I have this on my jewelry website http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/ and it is VERY AFFORDABLE.  I have done a lot of silky statement necklaces but usually more formal........this one is just Gigglie Fun!

I hope you will drop by my stores and also follow my Fort Worth art and real estate blogs..........I get around!  You never know what I will be talking about next....Just Yelp me!

I JUST LOVE FORT WORTH...AND FUNKY FINDS WAS FABULOUS!

What a great day we had in Fort Worth at the Will Rogers Complex on Saturday.  The Funky Finds Spring Fling show was hosted by FunkyFinds.com and Etsy Fort Worth and it was a big hit. I am not sure how many people came through the show, but it was a lot.  There were groups of people constantly up and down the isles of booths and impossible to see from one end to the other for the people milling around and shopping at the neat....no...NEAT, artisan's displays.

I was a participant and had a great day of meeting people, showing my hobby/business (I am really a REALTOR, disguised as an artist.) and selling my work.  Since I am a people person, meeting the people is the number one priority for me.  I just love to visit and hear what they are doing, what they like and just intereact.  I always learn so much and make several new friends.

You may want to know what I sold........Well...a little of this and a little of that........

This black with pink flowers tee was a big hit.  And after I sold all of it, I took orders for black and also for white.  I like either pink or white blossoms on the black one. And on the white, I like pink or black blossoms.

I also sold 4 pieces of jewelry to a Gallery that will be representing my jewelry designs.  This is one of the pieces the Gallery selected.  The others were pretty too.  The Olive Tree Gallery in Keller will be showing this and other pieces in their new gallery which will open soon in Old Town Keller.

Of course.......I sold earrings which you can see at http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/ and soon on Funky Finds.com when I can get my shop opened.

My other good sellers were necklaces to layer one on the other and to mix to make the look you like.  Since the trend is "mix it all up" and "the more the merrier"..........I have beautiful beadery that alone is conservative, but when you add something to it, it pops and is bold and fabulous.

That is enough about me...........the other shops at Spring Fling that I though were great were Bob Collett's woodturnnings..........He shows at Stanley Korshack and is a wonderful artisan.  His website is

http://www.intothewoodswithbob.com/  and the vessel here is only a taste of what he does.  Check it out and also look at Korshack's store online in the gift department.  He will have more on both places soon.

Thank you to all of my wonderful friends and shoppers who stopped by to see me on Saturday.  I will be emailing each of you a thank you and for those who placed special orders, I will contact you this week to work out the details of your order.

I will be doing other shows all Spring.......always new creations on my websites..........

http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/ jewelry   (I am gradually moving that to http://www.diannearnettedesigns.etsy.com/)

http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/ headbands, tees, clutches, and whatever other accessory that I want to add

and of course..........my REAL business http://www.diannearnette.com/  is where I am working daily!

Funky Finds Spring Fling is in just 5 more Days! Ready Set...Setup!

What a great job Jessica and her staff at Funky Finds has done with organization and communication for the Funky Finds participants.  The great advertising and cute cards for mailing have been great!  Now if the weather holds, we should have a grand old time!

A preview of some of the artisans that you will see are SKETCH CUSTOM CLOTHING tees and just cute things with cute sayings....Very "now"!

Then there is Bob Collett, who is a Master Wood Turner....I did not know what that was until I saw what Bob does....He will be showing at Funky Finds...got in at the last minute and will be a quality addition to the show.  His things are always available at Stanley Korshak, Dallas, in their Gift Salon. 

The Team Fort Worth Etsy group will be sponsors of the event.  I am a member, however, my real estate career has limited the time I have to spend....so I just create and try to promote what they do.

One of my headbands from http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/, my online shop for accessories... and also I have done some handbags and totes that I like a lot...Tote made from an Antique Quilt...with a sheet ribbon rose on the front..........and then my jewelry which is at http://www.diannearnettedesigns.etsy.com/ (my new shop ) and http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/ (my old shop which will be

 moving to the new one soon.....Beautiful Amethyst with Peridot earrings...

Citrine on 14K Goldfill.......

Please come see all of us at the

That Thing is Legendary!

The week in Fort Worth is the end of the world famous Stockshow and Rodeo.  Just the name, Will Rogers Colliseum, conjures us images of cowboys, cows, horses, and of course little buckaroos. My creative mind, always at work decided to show you a few of my favorite cowboy items from around the country that Etsy artisans offer.  Although here in Fort Worth, Where the West Begins", we think we are the only true cowboys, certainly, the other parts of  cowboy US of A, deserve a look too.

This little cowgirl bow would be a cute look to get a future Dale Evans dressed in her cowgirl finery.

ZombettyBows  on Etsy.com shows a lot of these cuties.

And who could resist this little cowgirl dress...............from abbysatticsatx on etsy.

From my own Etsy Shop I have several Contemporary pieces that I would wear to a Rodeo with my boot, jeans, and other Cowboy accessories...........I have always like putting the unexpected together...gold and turquois are some of my favs..My things are at http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/  and I love visitors who "heart me".....Now back to my other Cowboy finds.

When I saw this art.......I just loved it because I did a charcoal drawing of some boots one time.......so I love this idea... This is done by JKDooleyArt,

again from http://www.etsy.com/ and this artist is from Mesa, Arizona.  Take a look at the page to see more wonderful artwork.

Gowing up in Texas, I had many of these handtooled belts before they were the rage... I love them just as much now and I did when I was a kid.  What boyscout or girl scout has not gotten a leather tooling set at some point and tried their hand....Well this artist is terrific...RHolmesCustomLeather.etsy.com is where you can see the work..........and this is, by the way from New York...

Do They have Cowboys there?.............Doesn't matter, this is great!

To finish up today's sputterings....I must say that there are all kinds of cowboys in all states....and sometimes they are just fans............take a lookRockabillyPunkBaby  on Etsy offers this look and lots of others too.

Well, maybe next year for our Dallas Cowboys.

Until then, Shop Handmade!

I Mentioned that Etsy TeamFort Worth is Talented...Take a Look

These cute baby slippers from from Etsy FortWorth team memember
WeChooseJoy....how sweet

and the etsy shop is very nice...lots to see there

FitzySparrow does these beautiful and fun jewelry designs...

The fun thing is that artist may use the same materieals, but the styles are always different.

Artist are always encouragers and share techniques and ideas.......but their work is always different.

Blueskysunburn is the artist who does these original and colorful paintings.
Her things are always full of little details that make the textural feeling of her work so orignal........Check out BlueSkySunburn on etsy.

Knittyknittybangbang makes fabulous knitted items...lots of pretty yarns and can they knit!  They knit and talk, knit and drink coffee, knit and think....knit knit knittyknittybangbang.

CarolineCreates did this adoreable invitation and she will do yours too....just located her on etsy.  The way to find any of us is to

plug in the name.etsy.com and you will find us.

Watch for all of our Group at Funky Finds SPRING FLING in March!

ETSY Team Fort Worth is Getting Ready for Spring Fling

Team Fort Worth is fast and furiously working to be ready for Funky Finds Spring Fling.
Most of the members work other jobs in the daytime.........and do what they love in creating at night.  The evidence is clear..........there is a lot of talent in this group.  As with any group, only a small percentage is active all the time, but all love ART and Creating.

Getting a treatsury is not easy!  I have tried, but never have been successful, but some of these

members have a knack for knapping a treasury just they come available at http://www.etsy.com/.

You can see the team effort above.  And....please see more of their talents at each of their websites.

Take a look at this treasury that was made of all Team Fort Worth artisan....

On my Wantzit2 Site....New things!

I made several clutch purses and gave them as Christmas gifts....thus, I got rave reviews and decided to work with fabrics and do some Retro feeling handbags for Spring and use them on http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/.

I must say that just a short time into the project, I am enjoying the experiment.  Let me know what you think.

The fabrics are my inspiration and I totally go out of control when I get to a fabric store and see colors, textures, etc. that I like.

This little Messenger Bag has a pretty creamy yellow lining and a pocket inside to hold your
importants.

Going Retro or Vintage seems to be my constant inspiration.  See what you think about Grandma's quilt that I have upcycled.  I will be adding other styles from this quilt.............don't want to waste it!

This is a quilt more than 100 years old!  It was all yellowed and looked beyond help........OxiClean to the rescue.  It is white and it's delicate colors are just devine.  I have added extra padding to be sure than my bags hold their shape.

You can see the collection of one of a kind clutches and others at http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/

More later.............

DiAnne Arnette, Wantzit Jewelry Designs: A Proud Member of Etsy Team Fort Worth....Resolutions...Yikes!

DiAnne Arnette, Wantzit Jewelry Designs: A Proud Member of Etsy Team Fort Worth....Resolutions...Yikes!

A Proud Member of Etsy Team Fort Worth....Resolutions...Yikes!

The first 2 weeks of 2010 are almost over........resolutions are many, however we all know that the ones that we act on early are the ones that may survive.  Since I am a REALTOR in my regular career, I have those resolutions and in my other life I am an artist and creator, I have two sets of resolutions! (My real estate blog is http://youwanttoliveindallasftworth.blogspot.com/ . Statistics say that shorter lists are better lists with more likely hood that some or most of the resolutions will be kept. So here ya go!

Here is THE LIST: (all caps to say I really intend to do it!)

1. Post more photos of me and mine on my blog...

Ok....that is done. And I will continue...because that is not all of my beautiful grandchildren.

I am a lucky grandmother and have lots of fun with my "kids".

I take advantage of time with each of them now while they are young, because they grown up all too fast!

Charles....always with a fun thing in his mind!

I have 2 more identical twins.....Caroline....delighted with a present.

Alex, with her beautiful big smile.

2. Keep my workspace (creative den) neater and better organized!

Gotta get that done.....post hast!  Someone must sneak in there and mess it up, because seems I clean it constantly.

3. Be more proactive in getting my creations noticed and maybe get a space in a store to sell things.

Why am I shy and hesitant to do this............confidence, confidence.........just do it!

                   Sub-goal: call or talk to one shopowner a week and find out how they work.

Nothing to be shy about.....this stuff is good!:)

Lots of new looks are coming for Spring...........which brings me to the next resolution!

4. ORGANIZE PROJECTS....Plan, gather materials for each and place in a location with all parts together...........then CREATE in an orderly way.

Last......goal........

5.  Use a calendar and post the projects for the day they get done....DON'T DO TOO MUCH so that creating continues to be fun...........creativity cannot be forced, and should not be forced.

There are more resolutions that I could adopt, but probably would not be able to keep. There are more that I might decide along the road to add and I will update them if I need to.  The point is that resolutions are only as good as what is possible to do..........I think I can do most of these!  I will need to see if I can create the new habits to accomplish them.  OK.......one...two...three...Here is to 2010!  Cheers!

My old Art Prof and the University of Oklahoma always "preached"

"Art is a Process, NOT a Product!".....We all need to remember this so that we keep that

fresh creativity that makes us and our "stuff" unique.

Happy New Year!