New Shelves!

I know- you are thinking- how can someone get so excited about shelves? Well, I am because this is a major factor in making my craft space more flexible and my worktable more spacious. These shelves are positioned over where my worktable will be installed. They are probably the largest part of my expenditure so far also. (When everything is complete I will itemize my room makeover.)

Below the old:

My old shelves were great and a colorful way to display my many jars of beads and little pieces of art I have created. These jars hold mostly glass and wood beads of every style. However, we use mostly gemstones at UnStrungSisters. So, this design was not making the most of the wall space for me.

Somehow, I will build these back into my display because they really brighten the space and inspire me. Plus, I love jars full of craft supplies as you can see. These hold thread, silk ribbon, dyed silk cocoons and buttons.

Tomorrow- my work table- a great low budget solution.

This has got to go....

An update to my craft room would not be complete without ripping out this huge and ugly ceiling fan fixture. The room is about 9' x 9' and this fixture took up more than its fair share of space while contributing to a claustrophobic environment. Moreover, it really was not functional. When the fan was turned on, there was a wind tunnel effect and blew anything weighing less than half a pound off of my table. Don't even get me started on the small control panel that was in the place of a simple on/off switch! The only thing going for this fixture is that it matched the ugly wall color perfectly!

My new fixture is sleek and stylish and gives me a surprising amount of light. And, thanks to my husband, Logan, it was installed while I was shopping! What more can you ask for?!


You can see some of my new shelving in the background. More on that soon. Amy

Oh- I'm loving this!

Yesterday and today, I painted away the ugly wall color in my craft room. The old color can be summed up with the name "Always dingy looking taupe" or "Forever dirty looking tan". Really, the possibilities are endless. Comment below with your favorite name for this color.

Blah!

My new color is quite different. Anyone who has seen my current or former home knows that I LOVE color. In my old house, I sweated bullets on an extension ladder to paint our 22-foot high foyer pumpkin orange. In our current home rooms are being made over to suit my need for color. And, I mean the real deal- not a faded shade of a color.

For my craft space I chose...... purple! Not a color I would have for any other room save my daughter's bedroom nonetheless I am so happy with my choice. I have read that purple inspires creativity. The following is from About.com:

Purple has a special, almost sacred place in nature: lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers are often delicate and considered precious. Because purple is derived from the mixing of a strong warm and strong cool color, it has both warm and cool properties. A purple room can boost a child's imagination or an artist's creativity (hey - I happen to fall into both of these categories most days). Too much purple, like blue, could result in moodiness (a good bottle of red wine or a margarita can solve this problem).

So, love it or hate it.... here is my new craft room in purple. That is Benjamin Moore Hydrangea #1390. More tomorrow on shelving and lighting! When the room is complete, I will share my budget too.

A Clean Slate of Sorts

Stripped bare.....

A new year is approaching and it is time to organize and renew. I have shared photos of my craft space in previous posts and here it is again. Or, more accurately, as it was.

This photo is a bit old and my jewelry supplies have grown considerably. So I have decided to start over and redesign the space. I'll keep you updated as I go. What led me to this point? Well, keep reading but please heed the warnings below.

The following picture is for Mature audiences only.

It is not for the faint of heart and contains graphic depictions of unspeakable destruction. If you are highly organized, type A or just plain anal the following photo will be quite disturbing to you. It can be described with any of the following: annihilation, decimation, demolition, desolation, devastation, extermination, extinction, havoc, loss, obliteration, ruin, ruination, wastage, wreckage.

You have been warned!

As you can see this set-up is just not working. I have grown into this space like a goldfish to a small bowl. When organized and with no projects underway it is quite workable. Once a project is underway there is little space to move items to use the space for anything else. The above picture was taken recently and is after a two month craft show season, the holiday season, 8 days of company, two straight weeks in December of at least one of my three children sick and home from school (when I need to be wrapping, shopping , cooking and, ahem, cleaning), a birthday for my now 6 YO daughter and the multitude of school parties and activities only known to parents of elementary age children. There are other photos of the room but I can not bring myself to share them.

Check back soon to see how I am progressing.

~Amy~

Priority Mail Upgrade

*******HOLIDAY SPECIAL *******
Now through December 31, 2008 - for our United States customers - purchase $50.00 or more of jewelry(being shipped to one address) at UnStrungSisters.com and we will automatically UPGRADE your shipping to United States Postal Service Priority Mail for FREE!!!! Not spending $50.00 – we can still send your purchase Priority Mail for an additional $ 3.00 fee (just convo us and we will make a special listing for you). All of items are shipped with-in one business day of your order, see USPS.com for their shipping date delivery guidelines - we are sorry but we cannot guarantee delivery by a specific date. Happy Holidays!

Free Shipping Special

Free Shipping Through December 13th

Shop UnStrungSisters today through December 13, 2008 and the shipping is on us for all US and Canadian customers. Live elsewhere in the world? We'll reduce your shipping by $1.85 for the first item and $0.25 for each additional item. All you need to do is mention "Blog Special" during checkout or the contact UnStrungSisters link and you will receive this great deal. If you pay during checkout we will refund your Paypal account or you can wait to pay and we will issue a new invoice.

Don't forget - we are happy to ship items directly to your recipient to save you some time!

Wishing you Happy Holidays!

Amy & Erin - the UnStrungSisters

Holiday Shopping UnStrung Style ...

Here is your chance to sit back, read a book and sip some tea - this is a once a year completely UnStrung Special - buy a $20 UnStrungSisters gift certificate and we will add some Holiday Cheer. We will also take care of everything - mail the gift certificate in an appropriate card, include your message, if the recipient is new to Etsy we will include instructions on how to make a purchase on Etsy and we will magically turn the $20 gift certificate into a $25 gift certificate. This special starts today and runs through next Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008.

All you need to do is go to our Etsy Shop - Gift Certificate Section - buy a $20 gift certificate and in the message to seller add "Happy UnStrung Holidays" or you can "convo" us after you complete your purchase. We will also need the full name of the recipient, who the gift certificate is from, type of card (holiday, birthday, or everyday), message for inside of the card and where you would like us to mail the card and gift certificate. We will be happy to add a "Do Not Open Until ..." to the front of the card.

We do have a few gift certificate rules -

***Gift certificate only valid at UnStrungSisters Etsy shop.***

***Gift certificates bought through this special will expire on December 15, 2009***

***Gift Certificate is not redeemable for cash.***

Can't resist shopping for yourself ... buy a gift certificate with any other items (through December 3rd) and we will include free shipping (refunded back through PayPal). Yes, we are UnStrung.

Wishing you the happiest of Holidays,

Amy and Erin - The UnStrungSisters

Mid Week Special- Free Gift Box with your Order

Okay- time to get serious about the holidays! Knock some gifts off of your list. We are ready to help by offering free gift boxes with each item you order. Just mention the "Blog Special" and let us know your choice of ribbon. We can make you life even easier by mailing your purchase directly to each recipient (one address per order please). Included will be a gift card with your message. Can it get any easier? Well.... we also offer gift certificates!

O Mid-week Special

Oh, you really will want some UnStrungSisters O jewerly. Never mind that Erin and I sport a last name that starts with O (we both have clung, in whole or part, to our maiden name).

In honor of the O we are offering our green Jade O Earrings, Lavender Jade O Earrings, Sodalite O Earrings and our Angelite O Necklace as a mid-week special. Purchase any of these items and we will knock 15% off of the price. We can send you a new invoice through Paypal or refund you the 15%. Just mention "Blog" during check out and we will see that you get the deal on any of these items.

Oh yeah! Or in our case O'H. yeah!

Necklaces, Necklaces, Necklaces

Erin here - Amy and I seem to both be on a necklace phase - so I thought I should feature a few...

Stop by our Necklace Section to see the rest of our necklaces and don't forget to check out our weekly blog special.

Mid-Week Special-Ceramic Jewelry

The special for this week is a savings of 10% off any of our ceramic jewelry. Mention "Blog Special" during check-out and we will send you a new Paypal invoice. Feel free to check out our "Sold" section. If you see any items there that interested you contact us and we will let you know if we can make another.

In Honor of Our Mother

This weeks blog special is simple and straight forward - it is our mother's birthday this week - so anything you buy at UnStrungSisters will be 7.2% off through the 5th of November if you include the secret words. What are the secret words??? "Happy Birthday, Margot" - to receive the discount just include those words on your Esty invoice or convo us right after your purchase and we will refund you the 7.2% or send you a revised invoice - your choice. I had typed something really funny here but Amy nixed it. Thanks for stopping by our blog - Erin.

We Know Who You are Special ...

This week's UnStrungSisters special is $2.50 off any ID Holder just include the words "Blog Special" on your Etsy invoice or convo us right after purchasing and we will refund $2.50 of your payment for any ID Holder right back to your PayPal account !!!! Any of our ID Holders can be made with either a pewter ring, medium clip, or large clip. This special will run from October 23rd through October 28th.

It's not to early to start your holiday shopping!!!

UnStrungSisters Lumpy Bumpy Special

UnStrungSisters special this week is this lovely pair of Green, Brown and White Lumpy Bumpy Earrings. We will run this special all week (Yes, that's right - through October 20th).

So what is the special??? HALF PRICE - include the words "Blog Special" on your Etsy invoice or convo us right after purchasing and we will refund $6.25 of your payment right back to your PayPal account !!!!

Unnamed Lovely

This lovely new necklace has yet to be named but I thought I'd share it nonetheless. Feel free to suggest a name.

Watery green moss agate beads were the inspiration. They are paired with hammered Hill Tribe silver accent beads. The centerpiece is a stunningly simple sterling silver pendant depicting a lotus flower on a lily pad. (It is not a pineapple as my 7 year old son and husband suggested.) It will be listed at UnStrungSisters in the next few days.

Hmm... perhaps Pond Lotus Necklace. That prompts a strange train of thought that brings me to "Pond or pool... Pond would be good for you?" Nah- reminds me of gophers. (Not so vague movie reference- just so you don't think I'm completely mad.)

Have a great weekend. ~ Amy

In Honor of the Debates

MIDWEEK SPECIAL ...


Get Out and Vote Bracelet. It's time to exercise your right TO VOTE and be proud. My county (Spokane County in Washington State) went to an all mail-in balloting system - no more voting booths, no more "I Voted" stickers, no more sharing that sense of community pride - not in who you voted for but that you did!!! So I made this bracelet as a symbol of my pride in being able to vote.



So what's the special - purchase this Perfectly Patriotic Bracelet - mention "Blog Special" in the comments section on your Etsy purchase (or convo us) and we will refund all the shipping costs for this bracelet and any other items you purchase(from us!) with this bracelet. Don't hesitate we only have 5 bracelets available with the star toggle clasp - this special will run through Thursday(or until the bracelets are gone). Need a different length? Just mention that in the convo - there is also a matching necklace. Please VOTE and show the world how much we care about our country also take a second and answer our poll question. Check back next week for our new special.

My new friend

Meet my new friend. I think I'll call her Stella or maybe Thelma... probably Roxanne. Stella is going to be my new model and is especially helpful with long necklaces. Thelma is modeling my Harmony Necklace in Gray. Roxanne really likes this one. (I haven't lost my mind- I'm trying out all of her possible names.)

Here is a look at some soon to be listed Harmony Necklaces in other colors.



On a final note~ this is a treasury I made today on Etsy. It's gorgeous and I want it all!



Have a great Sunday!
~ Amy ~

What to do with all of those ACEOs

Looking for a way to display all of those ACEOs you have collected? I've been collecting them for over a year now and love them to death! It is time to put them on display. Having quite a few I decided to hang them going up my front staircase.

First, I needed some frames which I found at Michael's Craft Store- $2.99 each for the 4 x 6 inch size- good deal! Next, I purchased a large sheet of water color paper, natural white, 140 LB, 22 X 30 for around $8. I cut pieces to size for each frame to use as my background and mounted my ACEO's to the watercolor paper using glue dots- an inexpensive matting alternative!

I hung them so that they were centered over each step and at eye level (my eye level- I'm 5' 6"). Don't make the most common decorating mistake of hanging them too high.

Ta Da!

Where did I get my ACEO's? Here's a partial list.

Cindy Couling / LunaGraphica

Crooked Little Studio

Serpentmandalas

meArtDesign

JODIEHURT

Acarrdian Designs

BoodZoo Studio

~Amy~

Slooooooow to Blog

Okay- we have been really slow to update our blog. We are officially blaming it on summer and plan to get back in the swing of things soon. We are having a fabulous sale: check out our Goodbye to Good Buys section. To keep it fun and lively we are reducing the prices in this section daily! Grab 'em before they get away!

Our snailly friend is someone we met while on vacation in upstate New York. I captured this shot with my new Canon PowerShot SD890 IS. Ten megapixels and 5X optical zoom! Love it!

Treasury

Hi - Erin here - I happened to be at my computer at just the right moment and snagged a Treasury . I had to think fast - so I used the "Shop Local" feature on Etsy to find lots of great artist right in my own back yard. Our next Treasury will feature Amy's back yard - the Hampton Roads area in Virginia. The Artists we featured are -

JewelrybyGeorgene

Rachel323

TeacupElephant

pcoyne

VIZArt

GayleForceWind

SewItSeemsClothing

TeaandInkStudio

EtherealGirls

OutofTheFlames

HudsonsHolidays

NDNChick

What Packaging Says About the Artist

Amy here. Erin is enjoying some vacation time with her family.

What does the packaging say about the artist? A lot! Here is a great example of wonderful packaging of an order (or three- I can't help myself) I received from Etsy seller Phizzychick.

Each time I have opened an envelope from the wonderfully talented Georgina I have been wowed by the creative packaging of her products. Not only is the outer wrapping so appealing but the individual items are wrapped with care and include labels that display her artistic talents.

Let's be honest- it's a thrill to open the mailbox and see that an Etsy purchase has arrived. There's anticipation- no matter if you have ordered art or supplies. Opening a package to find an item you have ordered for yourself wrapped in a lovely and thoughtful way is a treat! It leaves an impression. This seller has taken the time to "present" my purchases.

Phizzychick provides a wonderful example of how to extend your art into the packaging. She has used her art on the tags of individual bags, made one-of-a-kind thank you tags and demonstrates that each items that has touched her hand has an incredible amount of detail.

What does your packaging say about you?

Yikes!!!

Yikes! What happened to the jewelry - we'd love to say we had the customer of the year who bought half our inventory - but alas Erin is taking a vacation - so it is Amy, Amy, Amy! Erin will still be checking in - if there is an item that has disappeared that you would like - just convo us.

Which Sister Made These??!??

Do you ever wonder which sister makes which item?

Well it's time to guess - this is a copy of the listing for this pair of earrings and a link to our Etsy site - guess correctly and we will refund your shipping costs for this item and any other items you buy with them.

Here's the listing and the link:

Okay I'm going to let you in on a little secret - do you ever wonder which sister makes which item? Well if you have to do a double take, think "my that's interesting", or wonder "who would wear that"? - it's obviously the more UnStrung of the two of us. Yes, I would hang a toaster from my ears if I could figure out how!!! So needless to say I have a similar pair of these earrings that I wear quite often - either people love them or give me that look (which gives me a little inner giggle). **~**There is another hint in this listing - if you purchase this pair of earrings and guess correctly who made them- Amy or Erin (put your guess in comments from buyer) we will refund your shipping costs!**~**

Made from resin discs these earring are long on length and also long on fun! The uber brightly colored resin discs are accented with sterling silver and finished on sterling silver earwires. The overall length of these messengers of funk is 4 3/4 inches (12 cm) from the top of the earwire to the bottom of the last dangle.

A perfect gift for yourself or someone special in your life. All of our jewelry arrives with a complimentary anti-tarnish pouch to keep it looking great. We also offer gift boxing which can be purchased separately.

Happy guessing.