carmel renehan: July 2009

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A couple of weeks ago Jess from Epheriell Designs put this on her blog-

"Those of us in the handmade scene love what we do. Many of us would also love to make a living from it, but I think the love of the craft came first.

I’m sure many of you have participated in craft swaps over the years, but I want to take the concept of sharing what we love that one step further.

And so – Handmade Pay It Forward. The idea is simple. You recieve a handmade gift from a fellow craftsperson. You Pay It Forward by sending some of the things you have made and loved to others."

I thought it was a great idea and so I joined up. Yesterday I recieved my gift

Gorgeous isn't it? I love it. Now I have to find someone to pass something on to so if you would like to be a part of this fun game just leave me a comment.

In order to participate in this, there are a few requirements:

1. I will choose an undisclosed number of people who comment on this post to send a gift to. This gift I have made with my own hands, and with love.

2. If you choose to comment, and you recieve a gift from me, you commit yourself to Paying It Forward.

3. You must then make a post on your blog, making the same offer to your readers.

4. On your blog post, you must include this list of requirements (basically, all the text between the asterisks). You choose how many people you Pay It Forward to – though it would be nice if it was more than one. However, I realise that some of you make high-end or expensive wares, and I don’t want to exclude you from participating by setting a minimum number above one.

5. In each of your packages, as well as your gift, please include a minimum of 5 business cards (if you have them). Also include the business cards that you recieved in your gift – this allows every recipient to visit the people who’s generosity brought Handmade Pay It Forward to them.

6. Finally, in your PIF blog post, include the history of your gift – i.e. the name and blog of all the people before you in the journey.

Handmade Pay It Forward 2009 – Those that gave before me: Jess from EpheriellDesigns,

7. Please only participate once. Obviously, if you haven’t recieved a gift within a few weeks of leaving a comment on a PIF post, you can probably assume you missed out that time, and try again if you see it elsewhere This keeps the PIF goodness spreading to new people! I think I will start a new one once a year… but we’ll see how this evolves!

Please use this button on your blog to share that you have participated!

HandmadePayItForwardButton

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Aussie Christmas in July

Do these words conjure up an Australian Christmas for you??

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos
(Torme & Wells, 1946)

No, not usually. Unless, of course, they refer to the Etsy Down Under Street Team (DUST) “Aussie Christmas in July” promotional weekend.

Etsy DUST members from all around Australia are coming together for one whole weekend, 12.01AM Saturday 25th July through to 11.59PM Sunday 26th July (AEST), to showcase their talents & stunningly handmade creations.

All stores participating will be offering a promotion to their customers - free worldwide shipping or % off sales; a selection of items at reduced prices or reverse auctions.

With so much variety, including jewellery, children’s clothing & accessories, art, supplies, vintage items, stationery & bags, you are sure to find something to suit each & every taste.

The DUST team will also be running giveaways for the entirety of the weekend, giving you the opportunity to win some fabulous prizes from Australian sellers. Poke your nose into the Etsy Forums during the promotion for your chance to win.

I encourage you to visit the participating stores, as well as our team website – http://www.dustteam.com/ – and support the handmade revolution sweeping Australia.

Stay tuned for more details as the weekend draws nearer, but for now here's a sneak peak at som