Etsy ~ Etsy ~ Etsy

Everywhere you visit you see that tiny little word ~ Etsy, pronouced like Betsy without the B!! Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. When you buy from an Etsy Shop, you are supporting individual creators of unique one of a kind items. If you are still seeking out some Great Places to Christmas Shop, here are a few Etsy Shops run by some very talented Art Friends.

Tracy Webster ~ Artwerx ~ I enjoy creating mixed-media art because it fits with my personality... a little of this and a little of that. My art changes with my mood - it can be soft & quiet or loud & vibrant. No matter what it is, each piece has a little piece of my heart in it.

Crystal Neubauer ~ Other Peoples Flowers ~ Offering mixed media jewelry & assemblage art along with quality found objects and unique treasures for the artist.

Fran Saperstein ~ Artsy Fran ~ Welcome to ArtsyFran Designs, the studio of Fran Saperstein. I love to use texture to tell a story, so you will see deeply textured artwork that expresses feelings.

Elaine Smith ~ Painted Cottage ~ Each piece is an original, one of a kind art work by Elaine Brady Smith. Many of the pieces contain original vintage papers or vintage images, handmade papers, vintage lace and fabrics, buttons, hand tinted photos and more!!!

Beth Robinson ~ Pumpkin 12 PM ~ A fabulous Fabric Artist whose works are rich with color, texture and details.

Carrie Jones ~ Just Jones In Jewelry ~ A very talented artist creating beautiful one of a kind jewelry.

Pilar Pollock ~ Pilar Pollock ~ A wonderful Mixed Media Artist. You will find Pilar’s creations and writing in many art magazines.

Shari Beaubien ~ Artist Unleashed ~ A wonderful Mixed Media Artist, working in all media... especially paint, collage, assemblage, fabric and fiber.

Amy Huff ~ Pop Ink ~ A Mixed Media Artist, that loves to make jewelry, assemblage and altered art especially pieces with a vintage and romantic feel.

Debra Cooper ~ Little Black Kitty Art ~ A stay at home artist mom and crafter focusing on mixed media artwork and also handmade crafts.

Until next time....I have to run, I have more shopping to do.

Debbie

Lost Comments & More

I have received several emails over the past week to let me know some of you were leaving comments but they are not showing up. Well looks like I may have had my first Beta switch over problem....up until now the switch over has been a breeze.....almost 2 months. All the settings have been checked and I have republished....still they are not there.

Thank you Deborah, Lizzie, Lisa, Sally, Deb, and others that may have left a comment and it is somewhere in cyberspace. I hope some of you will be so inclined to leave me another comment as I do enjoy them.

It has been a busy weekend....Seth is now back in Louisiana, Colby's in Arkansas, Steve's at work, and Kaycee's back to school....and I am just enjoying the quiteness while catching up with emails.

As usual everyone helped to bring the Christmas boxes down from the attic.....and that is it....I have boxes everywhere.....Santas, Snowmen, wreaths, lights and etc scattered all over. I guess they think if they bring it down they have done their part in decorating. Plans for today are to put on some Christmas music and try to bring some order to this mess.

We are having an Arkansas Razorbacks party Saturday.....Arkansas and Florida play in the SEC Championship Saturday at Atlanta's Georgia Dome and we have invited some of our new Georgia friends over for some football, food and fun. Should be fun since many of them will be rooting for Florida....although Kaycee has converted a few at school. In one of her classes the coach calls her Arkansas and the kids like to call the Hogs when she answers a question in class.

Until next time.....It's time to get this house decorated and start thinking about a football party.

Debbie

Happy Thanksgiving

Thank you to all that have emailed or called thanking me for the time and energy I devote to MMCA in order to make it a great place for Mixed Media Collage Artists to share and learn from each other. Because of you the group has grown and is stronger than ever as we begin our 2nd Year.

We celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend with my parents. My Dad, Mom and Seth drove over to be with us last Thursday. We had 3 wonderful days and enjoyed a delicious meal Saturday night with Turkey, Dressing and all the trimmings. My parents are back in Arkansas. Seth and I are enjoy some time together for a few days. We will meet my parents Saturday half way....Seth will spend a day with them and then it's back to Louisiana Tech until Christmas break. He is counting the days....as our deal was he could not take his car to LA Tech until after the first quarter or we saw grades. So we are looking for grades any day now or at least I am!!!

Please come back soon as I will be posting more Great Places to Christmas Shop within the next couple days.

Until then. . . .I wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving and leave you with this adorable photo.

Debbie

More Great Places to Christmas Shop

Everywhere you go "It's beginning to look alot like Christmas"....

I love that song! Here's a few more wonderful women owned businesses sure to help you complete your Christmas list.

Elizabeth's Flowers ~ Flowers are a gift of nature representing beauty, brightness, celebration…the fingerprint of our Creator.

Elizabeth’s Flowers offers pressed flower cards, framed botanical art, journals, and other creations using real pressed flowers on handmade paper.

Small Meadow Press ~ Beautiful and Useful Papers for Everyday Life. Lesley's life-long affection for books, paper and ink combines words and pictures to bring you cards, letter paper, notebooks, garlands and more.

More Great Places to Christmas Shop coming soon.

Until then....hope you will take a few minutes to browse these wonderful online shops and come back in a few days for more.

Debbie

Ribbons, Ribbons & More Ribbons

Oh how I love pretty vintage ribbons....sometimes I want them all neat and grouped by color.....sometimes inspiration comes from having them all jumbled up in a pretty crystal bowl. Either way I am happy....Old ribbons can be hard to find at flea markets and antique shops however you can always find them online. Here are a few of my recent ribbon purchases, some very vintage, some vintage inspired.

Light Pink/Chocolate Reversible Matte Satin from The Ribbon Jar. You will find quality ribbons and trims in fabulous colors. Everything from classic to fun and funky in velvet. That is 25 yds of pure heaven!

French style silk embroidered ribbon ~ soft organza in Light Peach ~ Silk embroidered with lovely spider roses in light ivory, antique white and light peach from Threaditions.

Silk embroidered French Victorian ~ twin daisies in Azalea pink and light pink on Azalea pink ribbon ~ Hand-embellished with Aurora Borealis seed beads from Treaditions.

Silk Bias cut ribbon in Pink Marble Splatter and Herb Garden ~ Rayon in Beach Glass, Meadow, Fruit Punch and Tie Dye ~ Cotton Twill in Spring Blush and Old Rose from Carma. A wonderful selection of fabrics and trims all hand dyed.

A wonderful surprise package of beautiful ribbons and trims Carolyn from Carma included with my recent order.

Can you say Vintage? My friend Debra recently shared a wonderful online source for ribbons, Les' Bon Ribbon. I couldn't resist the Vintage Lime Green/Natural Scalloped, Lemonade Swiss Dots, Cream White/Pale Pink Reversible Woven Dots, Vintage Natural/Pink and the Brown/Pink/Lt Pink/Tan/White Woven Jacquard.

I have been busy creating and you will see many of these ribbons in upcoming projects.

Until then....if you know of a fantastic ribbon source I would love to check them out.

Debbie

Great Places to Shop for Christmas

The Holidays are a time for friends and sharing....so I share with you some of the Best Places to shop for Christmas. Each of these online shops is owned and run by women with a real passion for what they are doing. Sure you can go to a big chain store and find something for everyone....but I think my friends and family deserve things that are as special as they are.

Roxi Designs ~ Vintage Inspired Jewelry & Stationery Designs
Whether you are hanging out poolside or having a night out on the town, Roxi's designs will be sure to compliment you and your own unique style.

Woodruff Designs and Shabby Signs ~ Hand Painted Wood Signs by Heide. The wood has been cut, routered and sanded with care, and all the milling and hand lettering is done by Heidi.

Genuine Bloom Co. ~ Surround yourself with that which inspires and reminds you to follow your dreams. Let everyday objects serve as visual affirmations (much better and prettier than a sticky note stuck to your bathroom mirror). Let the scent of a candle remind you that you are accepting more Love or Bliss into your life. Wear a special handcrafted necklace that speaks to you of the Courage of being True to who you really are. Or as you sleep wear a sleep mask that reminds you that sweet dreams do come true. Whatever you seek find your expression of it at the Genuine Bloom Co.

I'll be back in a few days with more Best Places to Christmas Shop.

Until then....browse these special online shops for someone special or yourself.

Debbie