Obsession...for paper?

Who knew that it was possible to fall in love with a paper? But it is true.

I did a custom print for a client and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge that came with trying something new, albeit a bit scary at first, the exileration at the end was totally worth it. I found out about Somerset Velvet paper from www.iprintfromhome.com. Just saying those words has me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Now I am obsessed trying to find the best supplier so that I can start my own velvet watercolor paper colony. Well, all right, I wouldn't leave my life behind for a paper, but it is close.

The print I had placed on it looks gorgeous and creamy, but still translucent like a watercolor dream. I truly had a hard time parting with it. I am sure my client will find a bit of shock over the super careful packaging. Damage just was not an option!

Take a gander!

go ahead click it for a closer inspection...I know I did. :D

Mix-it-up Monday Recipe Reviews

**

I am not sure when the aversion to Mondays started or came from but it probably has to do with not being able to sleep-in or goof-off. :D Nothing better than a new recipe to spice up a Monday, wouldn't you say?

This last week has been crazy busy with my husband less than two weeks away from graduation (insert squealing here). It has been a long road but you can see why during crunch time our dinner fare may be more pizza and sandwiches than new and exciting culinary adventures. So I am pulling out one of my oldies but goodies that never fails in wow-ing a crowd!

White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas
1 package tortillas (corn or flour)
2 cup cooked chicken, shredded (can used 2 cans of chicken as a timesaver)
1 small can of green chilies-diced
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 small green onion sliced
1/2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped

*put all of the above ingredients into bowl 1 of 2. Except the tortillas. In the next bowl place:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk (never, never condensed milk...made that mistake one, never again!)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. cumin

* this makes up the white sauce.

Now with your two bowls side by side there, get your tortilla stack ready for assemblage. Place about 1/3 of a cup of chicken filling down into the top third of the tortilla topped with 2 TBS of the white sauce. Roll up the bad boy and place in a greased 9x12 baking pan. Repeat till all of the tortillas and filling are up. I always place my tortillas in the microwave first for about 30 seconds to make rolling much easier.

Once you have a nicely lined pan of enchiladas take remaining white sauce and pour over your tortilla bundles.

For a bit of kick and color mix, 1 small can of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of salsa, (change this amount to your spice tolerance). Pour this down the center of the pan on top of the covered enchiladas.

Bake this uncovered for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees farenhuit. If you start to see to much browning on the edges feel free to cover with foil towards the end.

To serve, top with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes with a dollop of your favorite sour cream or guacamole. This makes about 8-10 adult servings depending on how hungry everyone is by dinner time. :D

Now if you have a recipe you would like to share on your blog let Mr. Linky know or give us a run down in the comments section!





**assorted herb recipe cards by kissandtellcards on Etsy.

And the Winner IS?????

Thanks to all who played in the $50 Gift Certificate Mother's Day Giveaway and gave me such great feedback about my work and Etsy shop! It is truly appreciated! Now on to the juicy part...the winner!

The random generator picked number 63. That comment is lovely little dear! Congratulations!

I will send your electronic code through your email provided.

Thanks again for playing everyone, and keep coming back. This was so much fun I will be doing it monthly, different prizes, different sizes, and sneak peaks!

Like a Suspenseful Movie

As usual I stayed up way to late because I have the hardest time stopping once I start an art project. It would be like stopping at the climax of a superbly suspenseful movie to go to bed. I just have to see how it turns out. But it was worth it. Here they are the three custom Tulip name and monograms.

Now on to another custom of the cutest baby hands and feet flower painting! I am already in love and I only have the watercolor done so far. More on that on Tuesday!

Don't forget Monday will be the first Edition of Mix-It-Up Monday Recipe Reviews. I am reviewing Secret Sauce Sweet and Sour Meatballs. You won't want to miss it...I have the best thumbs up picture to show or thumbs down if the recipe stinks. :D Plus all of you can join in...click HERE to read the post.

And my $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway in honor of Mother's Day is still going strong. I have to thank all those so far for such great feedback and participation. What would you do with $50 at my Etsy shop? Read HERE for more details. Contest ends next week so don't delay!!!

Tips and Tricks to Tags of Etsy

Update: QuirkyDolls so kindly added a great link in the comments, but I wanted this front and center. The information is invaluable! Click HERE to read the article on tags.

A big thanks to those who put on the Virtual Labs in the classrooms on Etsy. I always come away with such good information, that really helps my shop improve. Now I want to share my notes with all of you!

A week ago in the Tags Critique I gained a few tips and tricks to help your buyer really find you and want what you are selling. So crucial. Your tags might be pulling traffic, but if it all fluff traffic you aren't going to make a sale. You need those truly interested in what you have to sell to make the sale.

*hops off soap box*

Okay now to the tips:

• -Having trouble finding enough to fill all 14 slots??? Never fear, you probably already have a passe in your description. Take a peek and see what you can't borrow from there as a new word. Say you have a listing with forest hills and cute bunnies. Try to sum them up into another word, like woodland. Ta-da, another tag.
• -Here are a fews tags that might not get enough use: "sale" if you are having one, handcrafted, your location, "free shipping" when applicable, "world wide", "international", and your user name in a few of your shops listings.
• -Always use your main color as a tag. This is how most treasury hunters find their items! Plus in another workshop where I played 'search guinea pig', the more specific, e.i. color I could get with my adjectives the better my results were. So get those color tags in there!
• -and last but not least, try to go all the way to a sub-sub category in your tags. The farther you get within a category the better your chances are to be pulled by the relevance search engine.

Now, for the cream...the tricks:

• The best way to test out your new tags are to search like a buyer. Imagine you knew nothing about your listing, but wanted to find it. What is the basic search word(s) would you use? See what page your item ends up on.
• Then add the color you want, and a specific characterisitc of your item, that makes your item stand out...did you come up?
• Finally, think about where you would use the item, and who would be using it. This will help you brainstorm your target market.

After reading this I hope you feel ready to tackle those tags and see if you can't improve their usefulness.

If you are doing great already, feel free to add your trick and tips in the comments!

Series Smorgasborg

Spicing up my series with flower letters with some more custom goodness. So many choices so little time. :)

Silhouettes are so elegant and Victorian that I couldn't resist.

Then I gave Spring Butterflies and Cherry Blossoms another whirl. More margin for framing, a better crop, and a few more depth techniques really helps this piece out.

With another reading with Hans Christian Andersen I was spurred on to recreate a rendition in more muted tones than usual for me, but thought it a worthy subject.

Thumbelina found in her Tulip. One of my favorite things about her is the flowy red tulip dress with those deep green eyes.

Once Upon a Time

My four year old is into fairy tales as of late.
R.e.a.l.l.y into fairy tales.
She wants to hear them over and over, with enthusiasm each time. This got me thinking, a dangerously crafty pastime of mine I know.

I should put down in illustration what my favorite tales mean to me. I always envisioned each fairy tale, whether it be Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, or Lewis Caroll in my own vibrant way. These are the beginning of my fairy land excursions.

*Careful, you just might become attached that you won't be able to part with them. In that case, just click on the picture to make all your dreams come true.*

Alice in Wonderland:

Alice in the Flower Garden

In all her adventures, I like to think Alice spent the longest in the flower garden amongst her favorite pink and purple tulips.



Little Red Riding Hood:

Little Red Riding Hood Pauses to Chat with Mr. Robin

On her way to Grandma's cottage in the woods, Little Red Riding Hood finds time to pause in her walk, to chat to Mr. Robin. His news is not good!



The Princess and The Pea

The Princess Tries to Sleep A Loft the Mattresses In Spite of the Dreaded Pea

Mattress galore and down comforter tucked, the lovely princess desperate for a wink of sleep, nestles in, trying to resume her beauty rest. The Pea will have none of it!



And if you so choose they are available at my Etsy and Artfire shops.

Thursday Sweet Treat : Rainbow Chaos

Wow! Every week I anticipate the grown up version of show and tell over at Natasha's blog, Thursday Sweet Treat . Each previous week seems to out do itself and I wonder if it could happen again. Let me repeat myself...

WOW!

I can't post my favorites this time because well there were to many, it would just be easier for you to click THIS link, and see for yourselves! You won't be disappointed and you will surely leave with a smile on your face and joy in your hearts!

I will post mine here as it gives a good indication of the brightness of the vivid entries:

This is a preliminary digital painting and hand drawn butterfly collage, that I will eventually make into an acrylic painting and collage.

"Partly Cloudy with a Chance For Rainbows"

Enjoy the rainbow spectacle you are going to see!

Snarky Sells

I have noticed a trend in online venues. The value of snarky.

Here is one definition of snarky: Adjective - Any language that contains quips or comments containing sarcastic or satirical witticisms intended as blunt irony. Usually delivered in a manner that is somewhat abrupt and out of context and intended to stun and amuse.

Take WryandGinger , staceyrebbecca and mincingmockingbird for examples.

Here is a prime example, of using your actual product with the snarky factor by WryandGinger:

And here we have a witty title by mincingmockingbird

It Is Folly To Assume My Awesome Lies Dormant - A Book Of Mincing Mockingbird Paintings

and last but not least a snarky listing description by staceyrebbecca from her "Bees are the new Owl Finger Puppet" listing:

That's right! Bees are the IT! They say spring, they say fashion, they say "I make your honey and keep your earth entirely sustainable and without me, you best consider figuring out how to pollinate thems crops all up with your bad selves--and ya know what? We're goin all KINDS of extinct on your face, so you best watch yourself the next time you complain that 'earmarks' went to fund our species alive..oh, and the rest of the ecosystem as well, which, last I checked included humans? Yeah, that's why we get less than the cost of just one Senator McCain's houses to fund the repopulation of YOUR survival. mmmk?thxbye!"

wow, bees can be snotty.

That's right, friends, 1.7 million dollars was awarded to fight the unsettling continued disappearance of honeybees in the world.

why are bees so necessary?

Because they're ADORABLE, of course!

man, you people are dense sometimes.

/!\ CAUTION: small parts. Bees kill babies and irresponsible people who decide to swallow things they shouldn't. This is not a cat toy. seriously. It is also not a bedpan or a mop.

Honestly the list can go on and on! Now granted, they have a price range that the average buyer could purchase an item, and the item is specialized, saying they make one particular thing with variation and make it well and the photos are smashing good! But the addition of their wit and ability to entertain sets their shops apart. Much can be learned by combing their shops!

So my tip of the day, if your shops warrants a bit of snarkiness, give it a go!** Let it shine in your listings for a better chance to sell. Not only does a buyer get a great item, but entertainment as well.

**by no means I am I endorsing or condoning the use of your snarkiness towards others...just for the things in your shop. :)

Tid bits.

In my efforts to be positive in this economy with the added bonus of starting up a new business, (not sure what was I thinking two years ago when I procrastinated!) I decided to list some tidbits of good news.

• being featured in my third treasury, feel free to take a peek, make a comment, make my day...;-)
• having an etsy mini window placed on an admirers blog, thanks so much gracies-eggies!
• getting 2 more positive feedbacks racking my total up to a whopping 9...:-)
  
• finally getting around to replacing some awful washed out photos of my plush dolls with these photos that hopefully do the trick.

What do you think? Do they 'pop'? I would love to know what you all think!