Update!

I know I’ve been lazy and haven’t been doing my ‘Friday Finds’ for two weeks as well as making regular posts. I have been busy as I have just started a new job, and am working on the shop to keep adding items. I’ve also been trying to raise awareness of animal cruelty. My heart just sunk when I saw what happened to Amber-Lee, and I realized that there is so much cruelty going on that we can’t even fathom. I figured that I’d check out PETA’s website. I don’t agree with all of their ideals/beliefs (I will still eat meat), but I am against cruel treatment of animals. Unfortunately, the food that I eat may have been slaughtered in a very painful and cruel way, because I don’t have the information needed to really make well informed choices like that. But there are things that I CAN do, and I will try my darndest! Also, on the Amber-Lee front, she is still able to see, which is good news.

 

Also, for all of you wondering what Amber-Lee looked like before, here you go:

 

Amber-Lee Update

I have heard word on Amber-Lee’s condition and recovery:

 

“Amber-Lee has her bandages off now and can get around some. She may have to have surgery on her eyelids, but she is able to see. Thank you all for your love and good wishes!”

-Snow Camp Sanctuary

If you wish to donate directly, please click here

Amber-Lee Needs Our Help

The owner of Snow Camp Sanctuary in North Carolina (a not-for-profit with 501(c)3 status) that helps animals in need. The founder, Karin, informed us that something terrible has happened to one of her precious kitties! She wrote the following:

“On Feb 7th one of my kitties, Amber-Lee, came home critically burned. It looks like someone threw her in a fire pit. After spending several days at the vet she is doing better, eating on her own and trying to walk. This photo was taken after two weeks of healing.

I’m trying to do a chip-in to help with the huge vet bill, but can’t figure it out. If anyone know how to do facebook fundraising, please let me know.”

 

In response to hearing this story, Little Chickies Crafts Etc. is trying to raise $100 to help Amber-Lee recover. All you have to do is make a small purchase at the shop. I will also be setting up donation listings later on, for those who want to contribute money only. I will keep you updated on money raised and the status of Amber-Lee’s recovery as soon as I have info.

Thank You!

Little Chickies: http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlechickiescrafts

Snow Camp: http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/SnowCamp.html

Friday Finds

Every Friday, I’ve dedicated my blog post to sharing an item from three shops that I love! These are fairly random, however, each week I choose 1 shop that has been around Etsy for a while, 1 new/newish shop, and 1 Canadian shop! Have to have my Canadian content So here are this week’s selections!

Things I Love This Week!

  Navy Blue and White 3 inch Hair Bow by Sugar-n-Spice Boutique

This is a super cute little pinwheel bow from Sugar-n-Spice Boutique (from Warrenton, VA) has a nautical look to it! It’s great for your little girl, but I would probably still wear it because it’s so adorable! The bows are great because they are fray-protected, so they won’t fall apart. Great non-slip grip, so it’s perfect for your little one to be active, and for you not to worry about her hair. I just love it! There are so many bows to choose from, but this is my hands down favourite!

Buttoned Scarf by SharonBoazFashion

I want to start off by saying that I usually really hate the color orange….but this scarf really makes me rethink that. The scarf is handmade by Sharon Boaz of SharonBoazFashion (from Israel), made from a soft and warm jersey material. The look says vintage, but the quality and love that went into making this piece says handmade! Best of all, the shop offers free shipping worldwide! I chose this scarf as one of my faves because it’s so bright and really makes a statement! A nice big splash of color! I just love color!

Fox Earrings by TheTinyFig

It’s not intentional that I picked something else orange…but I sort of fell in love with these little fox earrings by TheTinyFig (from Vancouver, BC, Canada)! These earrings are handmade on sterling silver posts. I like to add a little bit of cute to what I wear. Something to keep my look fun (and would also go with that scarf up there!!) These earrings are on 274 treasury lists for a reason! <3

Hope you all liked my three choices for this week! I just want to remind you that I am doing this for fun. I have not been asked to promote any items, I am just sharing my style and fashion sense for fun, while exploring new Etsy shops and connecting and networking with others in the Etsy community as well. I often ‘window shop’ on etsy and love to share my finds! Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday Finds

I’ve dedicated my Friday posts to share with you things that I find on Etsy as well as anything I feel might be useful to share, that pertains to Etsy, sellers and buyers. So here we go!

Things I Love This Week!

Mustard Yellow Everyday Bag by marbled

I’ve come across Marbled Bag’s shop recently (from Turkey) and discovered much to love! This bag was my favorite, but there is a wide variety of bags to choose from, including ones that look a bit more casual to ones that look a bit more dressy. The styles cater to different tastes, which is great. Only Eco-friendly, high quality materials are used, and the purses are also very wallet friendly! Special requests are also accepted, and best of all, this particular bag is currently on sale! Love it!

Recycled Inner Tube Owl Earrings by IndieKulture

Recycling is a beautiful thing and can make beautiful jewelry too! IndieKulture (from Bend, Oregon) takes old bicycle tires and inner tubes and makes them into wearable pieces of art in the form of jewelry. I happen to really love owls, so I fell in love with this pair right away. These products make you feel really good about what you’re wearing, not only because it is helping the environment and a skilled artist, but you’re also wearing something so unique and uncommon, it’s definitely a conversation piece! IndieKulture‘s shop has been open only since September 23 of 2011, so please let’s all give our warmest welcome and maybe even favorite <3 (I know I did). Definitely on my ‘to buy’ list!

 

Purple and Blue Sparkles on Black Recycled Spoon Pendant Necklace

by TamedRavenDesigns

It’s time now that I feature a Canadian Etsy seller, which I will be doing every Friday along with my other finds. This one’s from my own hometown of beautiful Ottawa, Ontario, Canada! TamedRavenDesigns makes these beautiful pendants made of recycled spoons. I have never seen this done before, but the idea is brilliant! I love this particular design, but there are a lot more listed on her page. An eye catching piece that is sure to get some comments when you’re wearing it around town or at work! Absolutely awesome!

That’s it for this week’s Friday Finds, I learned a lot today about recycling and upcycling items and making them beautiful. Hope you enjoyed my 3 picks today! Also, don’t forget to visit my shop, Little Chickies Crafts Etc.  for some great deals!

Before and After – Making the Most of Listing Photos

In life, most of us continuously try to improve ourselves and other aspects of our lives. I’m always looking for better ways to do things. If you’re running an Etsy shop, you want your listings to be the best that you can make them. Sometimes, when we first put our listing up, we are completely satisfied with the job we’ve done. After a while of browsing other shops’ listings and seeing photos on other sites, we realize that maybe our listings aren’t quite up to par. I personally came to this realization, that I need to work on my listings. This is progressive; you won’t always have the photo you want right of the bat. Sometimes I take 10 pictures of the same item in different ways and with different backgrounds, and I end up not liking all 10 photos.

The bottom line is that you need to regularly go through your shop and pretend that you’re a customer. Take out a pen and paper and write things about each listing that could be improved. The same with other aspects of your shop, such as your policies page, your banner and item descriptions. Not just the photo. The photograph, along with the first couple of words in your listing title, are going to leave a first impression. You want that impression to be positive, and you want them to remember your item.

All of you veteran Etsy-ians will already know these basic things. Why am I mentioning this? Because I am fairly new and I keep learning things each and every day. I don’t want other people to settle with mediocre. It’s not good enough if you want to sell the item. I had just realized this. I’ve been tweaking my shop but it’s taking an incredibly long time to get things the way I want them to be. I’ve started with the photos. I have a few pictures I’d like to share with you. I’d still like to improve some of these, but it’s a start. Here we go!

BEFORE                                         AFTER

 

 

 

 

BEFORE                                       AFTER

 

 

 

 

BEFORE                                    AFTER

 

 

 

 

BEFORE                                  AFTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free Shipping Sale!

I hate trying to shop for something on Etsy, and falling in love with it, and then finding out that the shipping is ridiculously high, or that it doesn’t ship to my country. With the FREE SHIPPING sale, you know what the price is right off the bat, and we ship to anywhere in the world! For free! A little gift to you, from us. Little Chickies Crafts Etc. is trying to clear out stock to get ready for some new things! The shop will soon feature a variety of craft and jewelry making supplies, in conjunction with some vintage jewelry as well (I can’t quit vintage!)

Check out the sale before it’s too late!

NEW – Earrings – Pink Cat’s Eye Rhinestone Cabochon

These sweet pink earrings feature cat’s eye cabochon stone with a small pink rhinestone above it. These earrings look sweet, have a nice shine to them, and are nice and light to wear. The metal is silver tone and are lead free. Very chic! I love these earrings because they are very feminine, but not over-the top. I can wear these with a pair of jeans and a knit sweater, or a lovely dress. They are very versatile. I really enjoy cat’s eye stones, because they give off this magnificent sheen that catches your eye every time.

Check out the new listing!   http://www.etsy.com/listing/91764270/earrings-pink-cats-eye-rhinestone

Craft Project – Valentine’s Arm Warmers

I had decided yesterday, that I was going to make something with the Valentine’s Day theme, and here is what I came up with:

Wear your heart on your sleeve! I made a pair of arm warmer glove sleeves and sewed a heart that I had made out of lace and felt. I only put it on one of the two sleeves, on the right side, so that when you put your hand over your heart (eg. at national anthem) it would be on the appropriate side! <3

Make Your Own! You can use an old long sleeved shirt for the sleeves (mine was jersey), just cut off the ends, and make any adjustments so they fit comfortably. And of course, add thumb holes and a decal. You might also want to check out Craftster for some arm warmer tutorials.

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to the Little Chickies Crafts blog! I would like to start off by thanking you for coming by and visiting the blog! If you haven’t already done so, please be sure to visit the Little Chickies Crafts Etc. Etsy shop for a complete list of  vintage, handmade and supply products.

This blog gives me the opportunity to connect and share with you – the etsy and online shopping community.