ETSY~CLEVELAND STREET TEAM SPRING CHALLENGE!

Well, I'm a day too late for this one but at least I can post about it! The Cleveland Street Team is a group of local artisans that sell their handmade goods on Etsy. We have grouped together to help support, promote, and interact with each other. I am a proud member of this fabulous group.

This SPRING CHALLENGE was sent out to the members of the team to create something springy and have it voted on by the public. Here is a sampling of what was created. If you would like to take a peek and vote just follow the link here!

Here is a treasury sample full of Cleveland Handmade goodies titled, WEARIN THE GREEN!

Thank you Photohale for creating this beautifully green treasury!

HAPPY ANNIVERSAY 50's Pin Up LEbg Style!

Finding the perfect anniversary gift for my husband always seems to be such a challenge! Most items he ever mentions liking, he ends up purchasing for himself. When you ask him what he would like, or course he will say "Hon, you don't have to get me anything at all!" . So, I've been watching him closely and we both like art deco, the era of the 40's and 50's, and particularly those pin up ads right around WWII. So, I decided that I would get some pictures done of me with a 50's pin up look. That was a lot easier to think of than it was to orchestrate the whole ordeal. Geesh!

So, I called on my good friend Kathy Paton, better known as SMASHING on Etsy. Kathy is a fellow metalsmith artist and photographer. We set up a day and time and I got busy looking for vintage clothing appropriate to the era. I found some AWESOME finds at a local second hand store called The Sassy Peacock. I spent under $80.00 and came home with several beautiful outfits that I know I will wear again. Then, I came across some "kickin" high heeled saddle shoes at a thrift store for only $3.00. I can't believe they fit! All I needed where a few accessories including some beautiful fascinator combs from BORING SYDNEY off of Etsy, and schedule my hair and makeup appointment.

I found a fun and friendly hair stylist at the JC Penny hair salon in Erie by the name of Amanda. We did a mock up hair style and scheduled the "real deal" look for Saturday morning the 10th of January. My friend Nicki, HANDMADE, helped me secure a MAC makeup artist at the Crocker Park Mall in Cleveland.



In the mean time, I was also invited to attend the local Pittsburgh Belly Dancing performance the very same evening as a vendor. Now the day was REALLY jammed pack!

Saturday came and there were snow warnings all over Pa. and Ohio! I had to go, so I set out for my hair appt. first. Amanda did a wonderful job and I traded some jewelry work as part of my tip. Take a look at her beautiful bracelet! :0)




Off to Cleveland for makeup and a photo shoot! The roads were terrible and it took me nearly 3 hours to get to the appt. Now I was late! We finished makeup and I headed over to the photo shoot. By the time we were finished and reviewed some of the pictures it was already 5:30pm. The Belly Dancing Performance was to start at 6:00! Thank you Andrew and Jennifer (husband and sister-in-law) for taking my wares to the show, for setting up, and for manning the table until I got there! I took me 2 1/2 hours to get back home and to the show. What a day! But, it was all worth it because in the end, my pictures turned out really fun and cool and my husband was ecstatic! :0)
I owe a BIG THANK YOU to all of the people who where involved in helping put this together! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Jodie

PASTOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES is at it again!

I am so proud of my husband, Andrew! He has his own business, PASTOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, and does trim and paint finishing for newly constructed homes and remodels. He has worked with several contractors and always seems to be in high demand for projects all over the Erie area. Andrew,my son Jason, and Grandpa Pastor all shared in this doll house bed and play center for my youngest girls. They created this piece of functional art with in a week's time while still working for the contractors. The time they shared building it will be memories they will share. It was such a nice project and the girls absolutely adore it! Thank you Grandpa, Andrew, and Jason for all the hard work you put into this amazing piece!

Team Eco Etsy AUCTION FOR A CAUSE!

Auction for a Cause is a collaboration of TEAM ECO ETSY sellers who have come together to auction their wares in order to promote handmade, eco-friendly goods and to support a worthy organization. This auction is entirely a non-for-profit auction and all proceeds will be donated to THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.

The benefit auction started preparations in the spring of 2008, and each participant that
donated to the auction basket were required to follow a set of rules for their items:
● Every item is Eco-related in some way. These include repurposed, recycled, up-cycled,
and eco-friendly products.
● Every item is handmade.
● Every item includes a small card that describes the item and how it relates to ecopractices.
More than 60 individual items are contained in this beautiful, eco-friendly auction
handcrafted by people who care about nature and our environment. The total of all donations
is valued at more than $300 retail.

AUCTION DETAILS:
Donation photographs will be available beginning October 20, the first day of the auction.
These photographs can be accessed by viewing the album at
http://ecoetsyauction.myphotoalbum.com/
Auction Start Date: October 20th, 2008
Auction End Date: October 30th, 2008
This auction is open to US residents only. This is to prevent any legal issues as well as prevent
shipping issues that may arise due to regulations that other countries have.
Bidding: Bids may be placed on the auction basket by emailing promo@ecoetsy.com. Updates
will be announced regularly on the EcoEtsy blog (http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/) with the
highest bidding amount.
Please n ote t ha t t he mo n ies rai sed wil l a lso be u sed to s h ip t he do na t io n b asket to t he wi n ner.
The highest bid placed by 9 PM MST (-7 GMT) will be awarded. The auction basket will be
shipped within one week of bid payment receipt – payment details will be sent to the winner
after the auction via email.

Hullabaloo Boutique

OH MY GOODNESS! I just HAD to feature Hullabaloo Boutique this week because of the fabulous job Nicci did on my girl's Sassy Pants Tea Party custom order outfits! They are just too adorable! Nicci is another artist on Etsy who makes handmade items to sell. I love shopping for handmade boutique items because I have three girls that are difficult to by matching clothes for. Besides, they don't always like to exactly match. So, when I purchase from someone like Nicci, I have the choice to switch things up a bit so that each outfit is unique to each girl's personality but still match when it comes down to the BIG picture. Thank you so much Nicci! The girls and I love them!

LOOK! I've been Blogged by Bonghi Natura!

What a wonderful blog set up Bonghi Natura has! This blog features a different Etsy seller each week. I was lucky enough to have been chosen to be featured this 3rd week of April. I'm feeling the love and hope I can pay it forward! To read the entire interview and view the blog just follow the link! Thank you Bonghi! :0)
Bonghi Natura


Visit her shop here:
Bohghi Natura Etsy Shop!
Speaking of paying it forward...I'm not one to believe that by doing good to others that there is a mystical or universal force that generates the good you've done back to you BUT...I do believe that by giving, doing something good for another, and by maintaining a positive outlook that it is contagious and people will naturally be drawn to you and you will be happy and successful. :0)