Freezer Paper Stenciling-I am hooked!!!

So last week I decided to give a new craft a try-freezer paper stenciling. Well, I am now addicted! I have done about 10 projects already! I will gradually be integrating the best ones into my shop, and the first one to be added is this sunny orange sundress. the hibiscus flowers and surfboard were all hand drawn stencils of my own design. It will be so hard to sell, I want it for myself! Check it out here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25659411
Here's a tip for anyone who wants to try this out (and you should): I use acrylic paint mixed with a textile medium that turns the mix magically into fabric paint! It is inexpensive and I like the way it spreads better than fabric paint. Also, one coat is usually enough. More than that and it is easy to get bleed through. So get out there and try it!

Sea Ice Bracelet

Ok, this piece is probably one of my favorites. It will be hard to let go of it when it sells! I call it "Sea Ice" because the frosty blue beads and the iridescent shell pieces remind me of ice chipped off of a glacier. I think it is delicate yet eye-catching. I try to make pieces that would seem to have a story behind them (as you can tell in my Etsy descriptions) as if they have a life all their own. They are more fun to wear that way! You can check this bracelet out in my Etsy store!

www.SunsetSurf.etsy.com

New "Speed Shopping" on Etsy!

The wonderful people over at Etsy have created a fun and fast new way to shop! It is called "Recently Listed Items" and it is sooooo addictive!! Just click the link near the bottom of the front page right above the recently listed items ticker (which seems to be moving faster to accommodate more items, thank you Etsy!). A new page will start filling up with items listed 1 minute ago. So much fun! and you can mouse over any item to see a little bit of detail about it and a bigger picture. This is a great thing for sellers, but even better for buyers. Who doesn't love to speed shop!!
So go check it out! You might discover something you absolutely must have!

www.etsy.com

Window Shopping!

www.handmade.me has a great feature called "window shopping". Members create spotlights with their and other artisans' items (kind of like Etsy's treasuries, but you can use your items too!). Then window shopping shows 9 random items from 9 random spotlights. Cool, huh? Clicking "another" brings up another set of items. I could do this for hours! What a great way to discover wonderfully handmade goods!

Yay! I had a sale!

I am at work on my lunch break today when my husband calls. He says "guess what!". I say "what" (of course) and he says "You sold something today!". How exciting! I have only just decided to have a surf style handmade shop this past month, and it already seems to be coming together. The item I sold, a Riptide hat, (above) had just been listed yesterday! That was quick! So, my fellow Etsy sellers, keep it up! Work on your photos, promote, and find your niche. It works!

p.s. those tiny oranges are S and P, and they were begging to be in the pics!