more mushrooms

lovely, aren't they?

find more images from machel spence here

mushrooms for mushrooms

mushrooms
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

i probably get a convo asking to trade about once a month.
i usually send out a polite 'sorry i can't, blah, blah, blah.'
i really can't justify trading very often, especially for a custom piece.
rewind a couple of weeks.....
machel of wavyshell asked me to construct a custom mushroom pendant and mentioned that she was also open to trading.
so, i took my sweet time and finally checked out her shop.
oh my gosh!!!!!!
she works magic with her camera!
i love flowers for their tiny details.
machel has captured each mushroom with such detail and finesse....
i am now thinking of ways to add itty bitty mushrooms and fungi to my stones instead of just flowers.
to top it off, she doesn't use photoshop for anything other than cropping these fantastic images.
i am blown away by her talent and i am excited to have several of her prints on their way to my house.
here is her etsy shop
here is my post featuring some of her images

still taking pics

violet
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

updating the shop and waiting for the holiday rush to really kick in.

just a reminder, i will be at fondren unwrapped this thursday night from 5-9pm.
i will be in the corner across from basil's.

i still heart moop

moop
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

back in 2008 i purchased the duffel from moop and absolutely loved it.
it was the perfect everything: size, color, pockets, etc.
then i went and had another boy.
needless to say, the duffel just couldn't cut it anymore.
because i loved my first moop bag, i wanted to continue to support them and their small business.
i didn't want something super large, so i ended up with the kid's bookbag.
it served me well, but i had always desired more pockets and i wanted it to hold its shape a little more like the duffel....
enter the small messenger....
it is the same basic size as the kid's bookbag, but with more pockets (YAY!!!!)
it is also lined in the same water-resistant fabric as the duffel which i appreciate.
all in all, moop delivers the perfect bag for me yet again.

look------->

self portrait thursday
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

my new earrings from ashley arrived yesterday and i LOVE them!!
i snagged the pair of her fiber earrings with plum and teal, two of my favorite colors.
you can get some too if you go here.

all i want for christmas

for those of you who just can't decide what to send me:

flowers of course

moira k lime

maybe some itty bitty earrings

singleBbeautiful

or a gigantic cocktail ring

rosyrevolver

and did i mention that they are all handmade by some very talented ladies?

woohoo!!

woohoo!!
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

i finally made it to 1,000 etsy sales!!!

this week has been rather stressful with me trying to get every little thing done before boy #2, so what an accomplishment to finally reach this milestone!
and i must add a special thanks to rubygirl who had been stalking my store and was purchase 999 & 1,000.
i always get even more excited to sell something to another talented metalsmith.
oh, and the recipient of the goody bag is purchase #989.
(it will be shipping out today)

my very own giveaway

giveaway
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

in honor nearing 1,000 etsy sales, i will be having a giveaway.
every purchase made from 985-1,000 will be entered into a drawing to receive all of the goods pictured.

handbag from meringue
mini notebook from shalom's cottage home
zombie card from tinaseamonster
card case from blissful
octopus magnet from tinaseamonster
huge pocket mirror from kateblack
red lychee soap from savor
pushpin miniature from johnwgolden

etsy front page

front page
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

YAY!!!
i have not been feeling well this week, so what a nice surprise to find out that i was featured on etsy's front page.
i also like when i have been featured and it is not strictly related to a treasury.

and thank you tess for letting me know!

production work

finally a thistle
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

after swearing off production work (at least in my mind), i have decided that sometimes it isn't so bad.
i know that i need a steady flow of cash so i can keep buying supplies to create new pieces, but i realize that it is super hard to get this from just one of a kind or even very limited edition pieces.
i brought back my itty bitty studs to the shop and have been selling them well.
honestly, i got a little frustrated about how well they were selling in comparison to my more complicated and one of a kind pieces.
then this morning i woke up to such a nice sale that it should help me remember to find a balance between doing my next favorite piece ever and something that will help me to afford to make my next favorite piece ever.

earrings on the front page

front page
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

thank you gina for letting me know that my stormy afternoon earrings made it to the front page early, early this morning.
what a nice convo to wake up to!

(and really, i am finishing up quite a few pieces for etsymetal's new release thursday)

actually getting work done

dust
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

the stage of feeling endlessly exhausted and constantly nauseated seems to have passed.
YAY!!!!!!
however, it seems to have been too late for me to really produce for the holiday season.
that won't stop me from listing new work over the next few weeks.
i have quite a few pairs of flowers that are ready to go up in the shop and a couple of new designs that i wanted to try out.
check the shop on thursday for a batch update and search tags for "etsymetal team" because many of us will be participating in weekly updates for a while.

SALE

subdued
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

the SALE is on!!!!
any purchases that total $50 or more will receive a FREE pair of enameled mini post earrings.
(similar to the pic, but your own special pair)
now is a great time to buy christmas, birthday, or anytime gifts and get a little something for yourself.

check out the shop
and check out etsymetal for more deals

yes, more yarn

251/366
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

in the spirit of blogging more, i am trying to get back into the habit of praising all of the WONDERFUL etsy sellers i have dealt with lately.
several weeks ago i found sunriselodgefiberstu on etsy while searching for the perfect handspun yarn.
when i found shannon's shop i was thrilled.
not only did she come up with some great color combos, but her endless skiens (400+ yards!) were very enticing.
several convos later, shannon was working on some custom spins for me and i LOVE them both.
the only bad thing about buying so much yarn, is that i will never get to use all of the scarves i make.

a few good things in the forums

i regularly browse the etsy forums and have taken to responding as little as possible.
the forums just aren't like they used to be.

but this morning, i found a post by vadjutka about the pricing of handmade goods.
if you have a moment, stop by and take the survey.
while there are some inherit faults, i still think it is worth the 3 mins it took me and i am interested in the results.

i also found a link to a nice article written by thefunkyfelter on wholesaling. it has some nice general info and some helpful links at the end.

blogging

i have been really trying to keep up with my blog and to write a few interesting things.
i am no expert and was pleased to find this article with a few tips and tricks on optimizing blog traffic.
its so nice when the etsy community shares.

this week

139/366
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

i am hoping for a rather laid back creating week.
i dug out this gorgeous yarn i got from greenwoodfiberworks FOREVER ago and i am knitting myself a new scarf. i have two skiens and the other may end up for someone else. more likely, it will become a matching hat.
i am also planning on working on some rings. many of mine have found new homes and i really enjoy making them.