Mosaic Monday: A Little Silly

Before I get into our Mosaic Monday, I'd like to congratulate Lynette of LuvEweKnits as the winner of our Spring Giveaway! Thank you to everyone who entered, and thanks to the lovely members who volunteered to partake in it! We'll have another giveaway in the Fall.

Anyway, onto Mosaic Monday - it feels like forever since I put one of these together! In honor of April Fools Day (coming up on Thursday) our items are just a little silly and whimsical, for a smile.

1) Cookie Monster Brooch by CuteButGeeky
2) Ahoy There Sailor Suit from zwzzy
3) Winkie Emoticon Decal by Squier
4) Just Dance Greeting Card by 2ndcoming
5) Please Don't Pee Pee On Me by mizkatie
6) Kung Fu Kitty by TexasBeadz
7) Wannabe Punk Rocker Necklace by glassali
8) Bunny Fingerless Gloves by funkisockmunki
9) Bottoms Up Blank Birthday Card by SimplyInvitingCards

Enjoy :-)

Feature Friday, suggestions needed...

We have a break in the features this week, so I am taking this opportunity to ask the team what additions or changes they would like to see in the feature.  Here are the current questions...


1) Tell us about yourself, your shop and what brought you to the Etsy community.
2) Walk us through a typical day in your life.
3) Name your top 3:
-Books
-Music
-Movies OR TV shows
-Websites
4) Where do you hope your shop will be in 1 year?
5) What is one of your favorite shops on Etsy?
6) What projects are you currently working on?
7) If you could have 1 super power, what would it be and why?


These are all great questions.  I love reading the answers every week.  I am all for keeping things fresh, so I'm putting it out there.  


Is there something else you'd like to ask?  
Is there something you would like to add to the features?


FYI... I had lots of fun looking through all the great labratsteam tagged items, 39 pages!  WOOT WOOT
Check us out!  LabRatsTeam

1. Toffee Silk Baby Ring Sling by Babyette

2. Teal Flower Polymer Clay Beads by RolyzCreations

3. Origami 15 Mini Floral Shirts by SleipnirDesigns

4. Tangy Tangerine Hand Painted Doll by KimArt

5. A Train from 175th St Art Print by 2ndComing

6. Pure Love Card by SimplyInvitingCards

7. Pink Cherry Blossoms Ring Bearer Pillow by WhiteThisleBridal

8. Small Collage Art Bottle by OcasioCasa

9. The Circus Charm Bracelet by LushBoutique

10. Handbound 5x7 Journal- Alice & Rose by UndercoverSt

Wishlist Wednesday -- Jenni from Lush Boutique

Hello lovelies! Well, I was a little lazy this week, and so you get to check out my picks for Wishlist Wednesday!


I can tell you can hardly contain your excitement.


It has finally stopped raining here in Sacramento, which means that Spring and its 100 degree temperatures will be here soon! Spring means my birthday, which also means an excuse to shop shamelessly for myself online.  I also know some of you have just been fretting over what to get me, so I thought I'd give you a list.


I have to warn you though, these picks are fabulous. Get ready to feel.


First is this dress. I mean honestly. I love it. I'd also need a tan and one heck of a push-up bra, but I would wear this all summer long.

To go with this dress, is this bag. I don't have an orange purse. Actually, I don't have anything orange. To tell you the truth, I didn't even like the color orange until I saw this bag.

To protect my eyes, these shades. Very classic, lounging-by-the-pool-in-my-yellow-dress, don't you think?

For my derriere, this chair. I love the ruffles, but I'd have to figure out an awkward way to sit on it so everyone else by the pool with their unprotected eyes and unyellow dresses could still see the cute ruffly flower. 

To massage away the aches and pains of sitting awkwardly on this lovely chair, and to bring me icy fruit drinks, this hottie.

Haha oh wait. That's my husband, Mr. Lush Boutique

And the grand finale.

To satisfy my insatiable lust of burgers and cupcakes, I introduce to you....


The burger cupcake.

Epic and disgusting. Everything I have ever dreamed of. Just throw 24 candles onto those bad boys and I'm one happy birthday girl.


Have a great week everyone! 

(Who wants to do Wishlist Wednesday next week? Hmm?)

Feature Friday, Zidisha of zidishaluxe

Today's great Friday Feature shop is zidishaluxe

1) Tell us about yourself, your shop and what brought you to the Etsy community.

My name is Zidisha Dambuza, I'm 17 years old and I absolutely love to

create clothing. Basically, the start of my shop just began with me

being really interested in having clothes that were different from

everyone else. When I realized the only real gaurantee for that was to

make my own, I got a sewing machine, taught myself, and began making

my own clothes. I started getting a lot of interest from my friends,

and began making things for them as well. When I came across Etsy (and

fell in love) I decided I wanted to open my own shop, and took the

plunge after about a year of just being a buyer. Etsy just seemed like

the perfect environment for my endeavor and I'm really glad to have

joined a community of such excellent crafters and wonderful people.

2) Walk us through a typical day in your life.

3:00/4:00 am - 6:30 am : Wake up to finish homework/orders

6:30 am - 7:15 am : Get ready for school/Breakfast with dad

7:40 am - 2:40 pm : School

3:00 pm - 5:30 pm : Little Shop of Horrors Rehersal

6:00 pm - 9:00/10:00 pm : Schoolwork, Sewing, and Dinner

Sleep! Then repeat.

3) Name your top 3:

-Books: Watchmen, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Million Little Pieces

-Music: Spoon, Regina Spektor, M.I.A.

TV shows: That 70's Show, Bones, anything on History/National Geographic

-Movies: Zoolander, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Men Who Stare at Goats

-Websites: Etsy, Chictopia, Twitter

4) Where do you hope your shop will be in 1 year?

I hope that I will be expanding my shop into a few boutiques and that

I can also grow my online presence. I'd like to be making continuous

sales (I've got college to pay for next year!) and I would also really

like to start getting involved in craft fairs and other local events

of that nature.

5) What is one of your favorite shops on Etsy?

One of my favorite shops on Etsy is definitely

ruffeoheartslilsnoty.etsy.com. They're just such a fun and unique

clothing company and they've really inspired me to inject more

personality into my own. All of their pieces are so unique and their

descriptions can't be read without a smile. I absolutely love them.

6) What projects are you currently working on?

As far as new clothes, I've got a bunch of new style ideas and have

picked up tons of fantastic fabrics for them! I really want to push

myself design-wise to create things totally out of my comfort zone.

I'm just really trying to grow in my abilities. I'm also currently

working with a shop in Ohio to get my clothes in their shop. I'm very

excited about it, as this is my first time working with a brick and

mortar shop. I've been working to improve and better my business, so

I'm really glad that that work appears like it's paying off.

7) If you could have 1 super power, what would it be and why?

I would love to be able to freeze/slow down time. Sometimes there's

not enough, and sometimes you're in this perfect moment that you wish

could last longer. Either way, I think that would be a fantastic power

to possess.

Spring Giveaway 2010: Post Entries HERE!

Finally! The time has come to officially open entries for our spring 2010 team giveaway! In case you didn't read the mini-reviews or missed a few, here is a quick rundown of ALL the goodies that will be given away to 1 lucky winner in TWO WEEKS! 

1) A custom stamp (OR scarf) of your choice from lemonadesun.
2) A zipper animal pouch AND 2 buttons from funkisockmunki.
3) A necklace from MichMade.
4) An 8x10 print of your choice from jellybeans.
5) A custom word album of up to 8 letters from SimplyInvitingCards.
6) An Isadora headband from bethanylorelle.
7) A crocheted gray elephant from seventytwostitches.
6) A water bottle from PrettynPreppy.

Nearly $200 in free, fabulous and handmade goodies! 

HOW TO ENTER:
-- Leave a comment on this blog entry.
-- Include your NAME and E-MAIL in the comment, no e-mail means your name will not be added to the mix.
-- ONE entry only.
-- Anyone may enter, team member or not. Feel free to invite others to enter.

WHEN YOU CAN ENTER:
GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED :-)

Feature Friday, BySaraLynn

Today's great Friday Feature shop is BySaraLynn

1) Tell us about yourself, your shop and what brought you to the Etsy community.

Hi everyone! *waves* My name is Sara and I'm an Etsy-holic. I've been a lot better these days, but I still can't help multiple visits to the forum a day, a weekly vlab fix, and constantly adding to my favorites. Ah, I digress... Last April I graduated from college with a degree in interior design and sometime last summer discovered Etsy. It didn't take me long to realize that I wanted to open shop after I started sewing again. Right now my shop consists of womens wallets, cell phone sleeves, and clutches. I'm hoping to expand that soon with all sorts of little sewing projects. My mom makes quilts so she's got the big sewing crafts covered in our house.

2) Walk us through a typical day in your life.

I don't really have a typical day which I can't decide if I like or not. Since graduating it has been incredibly rough to find a job (hello, I live in Michigan). Some days I intensely work on resumes, cover letters, and my portfolio and seek out job opportunities.  Other days I cut fabric for hours. Most days are in between with a little bit of this and a little of that. I can pretty much always guarantee 2 things. 
   1) I will be on the computer far longer than intended and 
   2) I will be up late.

3) Name your top 3:
-Books

Right now I'm reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. You can add to my faves the Twilight series (don't hate), and Harry Potter.  I don't read much so Harry Potter always rounds it out.
-Music

This changes a lot, but I love Owl City, Hellogoodbye, and OneRepublic
-Movies OR TV shows

Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. You can't have one without the other. And Lost. I love Heroes, but have totally biffed it on keeping up this season.
-Websites

Facebook, Pandora, Twitter

4) Where do you hope your shop will be in 1 year?

That is a good question! A lot of it depends on where I am personally. On a shorter timeline, I'd love to have a successful summer at the weekly crafter's market and build a local presence that I hope will carry over to my shop. With the pressure of the market coming, I also hope to start producing more items to list on Etsy. Consistently producing and listing is one of my major challenges.

5) What is one of your favorite shops on Etsy?

I have some sellers that show up in my favorites repeatedly, but the great thing about Etsy is that there is soooo much out there. I'm constantly finding new things I like so I don't think I could ever have just a few favorites.

6) What projects are you currently working on?

I recently started making kanzashi, folded fabric flowers, after getting a book from the library. So far I've just made magnets out of them and have them stashed in a little box for market. I'm hoping to use them in several different projects though in the future. I've got a book full of projects I'd love to try and a few I've already attempted. I'm hoping everything I make will eventually make its way into my shop.   

7) If you could have 1 super power, what would it be and why?
Oh my gosh, when I read Sally's answer last week I was totally there! Ever since this question started coming up in the Feature Fridays I knew I was going to say "I would love to have Hiro's power to control time and space" and I'm going to keep saying it. I always thought it'd be amazing for travel, first, and then time management, secondly.

Spring Giveaway Feature Artist: funkisockmunki

Alrighty rats, we've come to the end of our features. Next Monday you will be able to enter (and invite others to enter) to win nearly $200 in free stuff from the lovely members who volunteered their items for our giveaway!

Last but not least, we focus on Tabitha of funkisockmunki.

What is your craft and how long have you been at it?
I create a lot of things. In my shop, my top sellers are my sock munkis and knitted fingerless gloves, many are custom orders.  I also paint and make 1" buttons using hand-drawn artwork of cute stuff. The theme of my shop is cutie stuff to make people smile. I recently added cutie animal zippered pouches. Etsy is a part time / full time thing for me depending on whether I have freelance jobs at the moment. I've been working as a graphic designer for 11 years, freelancing for the past year in order to have more time to do art, crafts, gardening and volunteerism in my community. I'm a newly graduated Master Gardener intern.

Where are you from and how do you spend your free time?
I'm in Seattle, WA. My husband and I have two adorable bunny companions that live with us. Nuggit is a teenie tiny netherland dwarf hotot, and Ella is his giant lop companion. We scuba dive recreationally, hike and bike in the summer, and are both really into computer games. We're pretty nerdy.

What will she be giving away?

 

A zipper animal pouch with a set of 2 pin-back buttons!

Sit tight for Monday, March 15th when we will open the giveaway for anyone and everyone to enter! Thanks to the FABULOUS sellers who have volunteered their items for us :)

Wishlist Wednesday -- Erika from UniquelyEJewelry!

Happy Wednesday my lovely rats!! Hope your week is going great!


Today's Wishlist Wednesday is picked by the lovely Erika from UniquelyEJewelry:


"I'm totally in a pink mood today. It must be the warmth of spring creeping into my lovely morning sunshine.

I seriously adore this dress from Ouma on Etsy. Growing up I was the epitome of a twirling skirts princess. This dress makes me want to dance the night away in my glass slippers embraced by my Prince Charming. (I really am married to my Prince Charming :) The femininity and grace of this dress is so stunning and photographed so elegantly.

These pinwheel bouquets are the most whimsical idea I have ever seen for a bridal party. I recently featured this photo in a treasury of mine and I keep coming back to it. Something about the idea makes me smile and think of fairytale weddings.

Last but not least is this stunning bouquet from Claycraft by DECO.... anyone who works with polymer clay will have a jaw dropping moment when they see this gorgeous bouquet. It's so rich in color and the flowers look completely real. Simply amazing."

Thank you so much  Erika from UniquelyEJewelry!

Spring Giveaway Feature Artist: SimplyInvitingCards

It's getting closer! Only a week from today and we will be opening our huge giveaway for entries, nearly $200 in free stuff - amazing.

Today we're focusing on the super talented Jen of SimplyInvitingCards.

What is your craft and how long have you been on Etsy?
Greeting cards, albums, journals, handmade paper, gift boxes. Basically all kinds of paper stuff. I've been on Etsy since May 2009.

Where are you located and how do you enjoy your free time?
Manhattan, Kansas. I like to travel, shop, spend time with the hubby and fur baby, go to movies and concerts, cook, bake and I am a huge magazine reader.

What will she be giving away?

A TOTALLY personalized word album, up to 8 letters, anything you want it to say!

Spring Giveaway Feature Artist: PrettynPreppy

Hello all! Sorry the updates are a little off, I (itsa/Malarie) just moved to a brand new state, in a brand new apartment, so getting the internet has been interesting. Should be totally back to normal tomorrow.

ANYWAY, today we're talking about the awesome mother/daughter team of Janet and Jennifer (respectively) of PrettynPreppy!

What is your craft and how long have you been on Etsy?
We make water bottles, travel mugs, tote bags, eye masks, key fobs, wallets, etc. and we have been on etsy for less than a year! We opened in June of 2009.

Where are you located and how do you spend your free time?
South Louisiana (:Lafayette). Free time? I didn't know there was such a thing anymore! When we do make time, we love spending time with the family.

What will they be giving away?

 One of their pretty water bottles!

Feature Friday, nightowlcraftworks

Today's great Friday Feature shop is nightowlcraftworks

1)      1) Tell us about yourself, your shop and what brought you to the Etsy community.

My name is Sally, my shop is NightOwlCraftworks, and I came to Etsy after falling in love with binding and running out of people to give my journals to.

2) Walk us through a typical day in your life.

My typical day is fairly bland.  Most of it is taken up with my kids, but when I get a chance to work on my shop this is how it usually goes:

Wake up & check e-mails, respond to any convos or tweets.  When the baby naps I either do work in the studio, or I work on my blog and getting caught up on my social networks.  The afternoon and early evening is spent with my girls and the hubby, then if everyone gets settled in, I might have a little time to squeeze in some more work.

3) Name your top 3:
-Books
Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath

-Music

Dave Matthews Band, Bare Naked Ladies, Beastie Boys
-Movies OR TV shows

Labyrinth, Glee, Bones
-Websites

Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger

4) Where do you hope your shop will be in 1 year?

I’m hoping my sales have doubled and I manage my time well enough so I can list a journal every other day.

5) What is one of your favorite shops on Etsy?

One?! I don’t have one, but I do have styles that I like.  I really like any item that incorporates original artwork into the piece.  

6) What projects are you currently working on?

I have a bamboo tablet that I’m hoping to learn and have the ability to screen print some new covers.

7) If you could have 1 super power, what would it be and why?
I wish I could bend time, like Hiro on Heroes.  I would be able to stop time and work on my shop, then start time again and spend all that extra time with my family.

p.s. Sorry I got this post out late, I have been super busy with family this week and I got a little behind. 

Wishlist Wednesday - Jen from Zwzzy!

Hola Lab Rats! Happy Wednesday. Today we have the lovely Jen from Zwzzy to tell us about her favorite picks.


"Hi! Jen from Zwzzy vintage here to gush about a few of my Etsy favs! I'm pretty picky with my hearting, so this was super fun to be able to share a few of the items I don't know why I haven't picked up for myself yet!

Duck ring! Holy crap, I just saw this the other day, and their shop is a bunch of unique rings like this. I'm a HUGE duck lover (their cheeks, eeee!) so my heart stopped when I saw this!

 So funny, I think orange and brown are my least favorite colors, but MAN they look great together! Something about the cut of this dress, with the waist belt and flowy skirt = love! 

I can't get enough of Amber Alexanders store!!! The girliness of the watercolors, the cute as hell animals, and those expressions! I love how this guy's got cake on his mouth, silly kitty!

I call these "cupcake dresses" cause I'd feel like the most frilly feminine cake wearing this!! I have a weakness I've discovered for these poofy 50's, or replicates of them, dresses!

YES. I want a space age Eames home please, thanks."


Thanks a ton Jen from Zwzzy!!! Have a fabulous week everyone!