For The Girly Girl

One of our newest members is Alicia Straub from For The Girly Girl.  In her shop you will find all sorts of handmade accessories from scarfs to fascinators and beautiful handmade jewelry.  She also has a very eclectic selection of cool vintage finds!

Purple Crystal and Metal Necklace

My name is Alicia. I am in Pocatello, ID USA. I love anything to do with creating new things! I can usually find beauty in things most people kick to the curb because they are "UGLY". I have my Dad to thank for this gift. He is an amazing artist.

I get my inspiration from everywhere. It's kind of crazy. I can just see some every day thing, get an idea, and roll with it. It is a good thing I have a notebook handy most of the time because sometimes it happens in my sleep and have to jump up and write it down. I find tons of inspiration in other artists. Not the product but their personalities. People are a wonderful source to pull ideas from. 


My shop is a place for feminine things. On the outside I am a mother, Grandmother, Creator, and so on. My shop reflects my heart and soul! It is full of beautiful things that I want myself and everyone else to wear everyday. My shop has something for every woman in all walks of life. Etsy is the way I show and share with the rest of the world! I am consistently coming up with new concoctions. I am designing and making clothing. I love upcycling items! Hats and jewelery are an amazing accessory that I love to embellish and make. I am always adding new items on a regular basis. Please visit my store often!

Vintage Blue Paisley Dress

How long have you been creating?
I have been creating things for as long as I can remember. We used to live in the middle of nowhere and had no power so as a kid I had to get creative for entertainment. I learned how to sew on an old foot pedal singer sewing machine so when I got an electric sewing machine I went CRAZY! I wanted to sew everything. We also didn't have much money and that carried on to when my daughter was young so all the things I wanted to buy for her I had to learn how to make.

What different mediums do you use?
My favorite things are making jewelery and designing and making clothes. I have dabbled in almost every craft I think.

Do you have any tips on spotting great vintage items?
Hmmmm... That's a tough one. I always tell my kids that things just call out to me but in all actuality they don't. I think the best tips I could give would be to look for the unique vintage. Go to thrift stores, estate sales and auctions. They usually have great vintage items. Also keep looking. You have to sort through and look at everything there. You will usually find a diamond in the rough.

Where can we find your work?
My work can be found at www.forthegirlygirl.etsy.com

Do you participate in any local markets or events?
I am trying to get into the Sagebrush Art Festival this September. I also do flea markets a couple times a year. I am hoping I will be able to do many more art shows next year.

How To Survive A Trip To The Fabric Store

With the price of cotton on the rise I have found a new need for bargain shopping my fabric store.  Here's what I have learned:

You gotta prepare, people!
I don't ever pay full price for anything at my craft store.  Ever.

First and foremost, sign up for the craft store's mailers and sign up everyone in your house.  I receive weekly coupons and sale alerts under 4 names!  I signed up for myself, and then again with my new last name when I got married.  I signed up my husband, and my best friend who lived with us for like a month... I still get her coupons ;)  Also, I signed up myself and my husband for their weekly emails, and downloaded the stores app on both of our iPhones.  So I generally have over 20 coupons in my possession at any time, and usually they are for 40% to 50% off any one NON SALE priced item.  Which leads me to my next point:

Figure out what never goes on sale.  For me it's zippers.  I can always count on zippers being full price, so if I need nothing else I buy zippers with my coupons so they don't go to waste (My new Zippered Pouches have been a big hit, so I will always need zippers ;) ...how about I say zippers a few more times...)


Not all coupons can be combined.  If they have the same bar code then they will have to be used on separate transactions.  Watch out for this one; if you are buying fabric you will need the fabric cut on separate tickets in order to separate your coupons.

Shop sales!  If you get your craft store's mailers you know when a great sale is happening.  At a recent trip to the fabric store they were advertising 50% off Home Decor Fabric (which is what most of my bags are made from) AND in the mailer they had a 10% off your total purchase INCLUDING sale items!  So I stocked up on indoor/outdoor fabric which at $19.99/yd regular price is completely out of my reach.  I paid roughly $8.99/yd.  What?!

Buy remnants!  Every fabric store has a remnant bin, and they should be scoured regularly.  I am often able to find pieces of fabric that I normally buy, but since they are smaller than 1 yard, they are 50% off!  When you are buying fabric look for the bolts that are almost empty.  Usually fabric stores will re-order before they entirely run out, so if there is less than 3 or 4 yards on a bolt I will pick that one and ask for the remnant.  The associates at the cutting table will usually give you the last 35" or so at remnant price since it is less than a yard.




These tips really are common sense, but if you use them together and prepare for every shopping trip you can score some amazing deals.  I would never be able to sell my handbags at their current prices if it weren't for these things I have learned.

For example, this particular Market Bag is for sale at $15.  Had I paid regular price for everything included I would need to sell it for $27!!!

Do you have any other tips for saving money at craft/fabric stores?  I would LOVE to hear them :)

This article was originally posted on LazyMondays in June 2011

Weekly Treasury

Our team treasury this week is fun and whimsical and comes from KnitGirlInIdaho :)

Giveaway over at My Sweet Potato 3!

A member of the Idaho Etsy Team is hosting a Giveaway!!! Who doesn't love Free Stuff?

 

My Sweet Potato 3, makes custom children's hats and photography props and is giving away a $40 gift certificate.

Check out her blog here for details and to enter to win! Make sure you let her know you found out about it through the Idaho Etsy Team Blog, and Good Luck!

Soap To Use, Not Eat!

One of my favorite shops on etsy is called Buzz Planet. They make wonderful soaps and are consistently coming up with new stuff that has catchy names that are too cute, for example: Idaho Dirt, Crunchy Mama, Lime in the Coconut, Buttermilk Blossoms, Naked Lady, and even Dirty/Clean! She even sales "Ugly Duckling" grab bags of her soaps that just don't quite look perfect. Meet Brandi the shop owner of Buzz Planet.

Idaho Dirt Cold Process Castile Soap with Cocoa Butter

My name is Brandi, and I'm a stay at home mama to five sweet little boys. I've been a stay at home mom since my first son was born in 2000; and it's always been important to stick to a budget; and I'm always looking for ways to save money. After I had my fifth son last summer, I did some research on the so-called "natural" baby products I was using, and didn't like the ingredients I saw. I also didn't like spending 8 or 9 dollars for a bottle of baby soap that invariably got poured down the drain by one of my curious boys! I did some research on making liquid soap, finding that the products I thought were gentle because they were "tear free", were only tear free because of the addition of a numbing agent that did nothing to prevent irritation of the eye, just kept my boys from feeling the irritation! I was shocked! I found a basic recipe using a store-bought bar of castile soap (which is a high percentage or all olive oil soap). I made my first batch, but wasn't completely happy with it, especially since a bar of the soap they recommended was expensive and hard to find. I decided to make the soap I used; and got a book, "The Complete Soapmaker" by Norma Coney and learned about the basics of saponification and what ingredients make soap that is good for different uses. My first soap was quite an experience, I was extremely scared of lye, and even had my boys at my mother's house while I made soap! There I was, goggles, gloves, plastic covering every surface, gingerly adding the lye solution to the oils. I stirred the mixture for over an hour, having no real idea what I was trying to

Tell No Tales Sea Kelp Herbal Soap

see! Fortunately, it turned out, and I began hand-milling soap, because that's the real focus of the book. Over time I discovered that the handmilling process has it's benefits in some cases, but the curing time is extended and it doesn't allow you to make a great quantity at a time; so I learned how to develop my own recipes using a lye calculator. After several weeks and several batches of soap, my little house started to get overwhelmed! After giving my soap to family members, several of them encouraged me to open an etsy shop, no small task since I had made the decision not to have a computer or internet access in my house; so this meant borrowing a laptop from my Dad, which I'm still using, and the wonderful gifts of $60 from my sister in law which allowed me to buy the supplies I needed and a wonderful digital camera from my aunt. I opened my shop in December 2010, and I've loved every minute, even the nights I'm up until 3 am shipping orders or making my soap! Oh, and I've discovered lye isn't all that scary, and while care is necessary; it's not STRICTLY necessary to have your children across town every time you work with it!

What's the inspiration behind the soaps you create?



Naked Lady Unscented Loofah Soap



Most of the time my ideas come from the seasons, I've made soaps using heirloom tomatoes and Meyer lemons from my mother's greenhouse, and my Hippie Mama soap came about in the fall, when someone requested a cinnamon and oatmeal soap. I've also gotten ideas for some of my bestsellers from my fans, Crunchy Mama was actually named by a fan who liked my Hippie Mama but wanted something more "granola". Lately I've been inspired by the first signs of spring I'm seeing, Idaho Dirt is based on a freshly plowed field, and I have a upcoming soap, Summer Lawn which smells like freshly cut grass. I love to be able to take an idea someone has and create something they love.

Are you hoping to expand in the future?

Start Fresh Laundry Fizz

Yes, I've just started ordering greater quantities of my supplies, including 20 pounds of shea butter and cocoa butter which I got from a woman who's family business imports them directly from West Africa. I want this to be an outlet of creativity that I can do while being home with my children, and also finance a few extras for my brood!





Tropical Lady Gift Set

 









Beside Etsy, where else can we find you?

Right now, I'm only selling on etsy, but I applied for a sellers license so that I will be able to sell at a Farmer's Market locally this spring. Stay tuned! I do have a Facebook Fan Page and a Blog.

Anything else you'd like us to know? 

I know I'm 30, but I love the Twilight Saga, books AND movies. And I won't apologize for that! It's great for a busy mom who needs a little fun break! TEAM EDWARD/JACOB! :D

I hope you enjoyed reading her story and inspiration and take the time to visit her shop, you won't be disappointed.

*This feature was origianally published on My Sweet Potato 3 in March 2011

Green Tuxedo Art

One of our newest members is Chris Zeller of Green Tuxedo Art.  He shared with me a bit about his art and his history and what inspires him to make these beautiful works of art.  He is truly talented, and the best part?  His shop is trade friendly!

Since the day I was able to peek over my grandpa's art table and see him work his magic I was captured by the world of creating and creativity. He has worked on big jobs independently since the 60's creating illustrations for many food brands and before computers were able: labels for candies like Starburst and Twix. Del Monte still uses his artwork for their canned goods. Since then I've gone to school to become an art teacher and currently teach K-12 art. I love painting in my studio where my five other roommates have encouraged me to place directly in our living room so they can watch me work as we entertain guests.

I first started seriously painting my senior year in high school when I had the opportunity to go home early and come to school late. instead - half out of wanting to be with my girlfriend at the time and half wanting to take advantage of my extra time I enrolled in 3 hours of art everyday. My high school teachers were instrumental in cultivating my interest into artistic growth - teaching me on an individual level how to stretch my own canvases and use different materials and techniques.

I suppose the anticipation of going to college and having my first room to myself (my younger brother and I shared a room since I was six) and being able to make my own decor choices inspired me to create paintings to hang on my wall. This eventually brought the motivation I needed to grow as an artist and eventually brought the decision to become an art major I realized how therapeutic it was for me to indulge in the arts. Towards the last weeks of my experience with my art teachers in high school I knew I wanted to be in their position: someone who could give the gift of learning art.




What inspires you? When I work with my students I get the opportunity to see unbridled and completely original works of art which in turn gives me material to work with. Of course the hugs and gifts are a big factor too in what keeps me moving.

Do you create art in any other forms? The only form I don't regularly practice is glass blowing and basic lamp work but this summer I plan on using my new garage to get into the art form.

Where can we find your work? I keep a blog running at greentuxedo.blogspot.com that I post to anywhere from at least once a week - to sometimes posting multiple times a day. All of my work is available first and foremost for trading and of course for sale as well. Also if you're interested in seeing some of my older work I keep a running gallery online at greentuxedo.deviantart.com

Do you participate in any local markets or events? Next September will be my first attempt at applying for art in the park but please message me if you know of a venue in the Boise/Meridian area - Never have been interested in placing work outside of the internet until recently.

Anything else you would like to share? Thank you for taking the time to get to know me, if you follow my blog I'll be hosting monthly giveaways and gift certificates towards my work on Etsy.com

Idaho Etsy Shops! Check them out!