New Sewing Machine!!!! Yeah!

So I finally found a new sewing machine! And I love it! It's well-built and doesn't sound like a jet engine. It runs really smoothly and is super easy to thread, which makes it much easier to use!

I made 8 pencil pouches today with it! I meant to take a picture of it but forgot, so I had to google it. Here is the one I ended up getting:

It's a Kenmore; I got it at Sears. It was on sale for $96, down from $120.

It felt great to be able to sew again! I feel like I got a lot done. Tomorrow I am going to be making iPod/mp3 player cozies and wrist cuffs....hopefully! I got a new sewing projects book too!



It has some cute stuff in it that I can finally make!

A sad day in the world of BirdWatching Designs...

...so, this weekend, my sewing machine died.

Now I am stuck debating whether I want to try and get it fixed or not. I went around to like, 6 places looking for a good machine in my price range and found nothing, so I am a little discouraged.

I actually bought one, but it sounded like a train when I used it, and that if I continued using it it would break, so I returned it.

I really like my old machine, I just wish I knew how to fix it myself. It's from Montgomery Ward, which doesn't exist anymore, so it looks like I won't be getting another like it.

Anyhow, I managed to get a few new items made before my machine decided to stop running. Enjoy!

HaPpY HoLiDaYs!!!!

Just want to wish everyone happy holidays and a happy new year! Have a safe and happy season!

Newwwwww

I made some new zipper pouches today! They are posted in my shop on Lollishops. Hopefully tomorrow I will have new items for etsy AND Lollishops!

Please stop by and check my new items! Here they are!

Safari Deluxe Zipper Pouch


Penguin Scrabble Tile Pendant

...there are even more cool new things at lollishops.com/birdwatching-designs!

New Business Cards

I ordered some new business cards from VistaPrint! I am very excited to get them because they are so pretty! Plus they have my dot com address on them, which I am proud of! Take a look!

I love them even more than the last batch I bought. I'm still trying to use those up. If anyone wants to do a card exchange, let me know!

Penguins!

Hello all! I have some new items in my etsy shop. I made some cute little penguins!



I am going to have two weeks off soon...please leave a comment if you have any ideas or requests of new items I should make to stock my etsy and lollishops stores!

Thanks!

New on Etsy

I posted two new owls today on etsy, as well as destashed some mahogany Scrabble tiles, if anyone is looking to make pendants!

Hopefully I am going to start making some Christmas pendants (by request)...don't know how many I will make, though. I think it's a tad too close to Christmas already to post them in my shops, but we shall see.

I am watching Napoleon Dynamite. I just checked the hockey score and they lost 7-1....totally slaughtered. I'm watching this movie to cheer myself up, haha. I just hope they win on Thursday when I go to the game!

Well, off to bed again!

Big Week for BirdWatching!

Wow! This week has been kind of big for BirdWatching Designs!

I received a 1 minute radio mention on KEZ 99.9 in Phoenix! Please visit my website to take a listen!

BirdWatching Designs Announcements: Radio Mention

Also, I was invited to sell at a four-day bird-watching festival in April! The lady who runs the festival got my web address from a friend and really wants me to sell at it. I got the official application so I might be doing that!

Not sure if I am going to be able to make it to the Artist Market this weekend. I really want to go because it's supposed to be pretty busy...but it's supposed to rain and be cold, and my back is hurting. They announced I'd be there on the radio so I kinda feel like I should. We'll see how it looks tomorrow.

I have one more custom owl to finish and then I can go back to making new things for my shops. Sales were great the past week or two and have sorta slowed down now. I am hoping some new items might make things pick back up. We shall see!

Well, I am getting tired. I should probably head to bed! Good night!

BirdWatchingDesigns.com!!!

It's official....BirdWatching Designs now has its own .com address!

birdwatchingdesigns.com

Please stop by and take a look, and leave a comment in the guest book!

Also, BirdWatching Designs has a new store on Lollishops.com!

lollishops.com/birdwatching-designs

There will be ALL NEW items in this shop, not available in the etsy store!
Like this Christmas Stocking:

Please take a look at these new sites! Thank you!

BOGO FREE Soaps! Saturday Night Sale!

Please see my thread and comment on my BOGO Soap Sale! Its a great deal for the holidays, especially if you are looking for stocking stuffers!

BOGO SOAPS!

Gift Guide Feature 2!

I made it into the gift guide again! My other owl that was in the stocking stuffer section sold, so they put another in! Check it out! *excited*

Happy Halloween!!

I was watching the Phoenix Coyotes game and was finally inspired to carve our pumpkin! They won 4-1, so I guess I made a good choice! Here it is!

CIC Street Team! and 50% off BOGO soaps!

So, I might be overdoing it, but I joined another etsy team! I am now on the etsy East Valley Artisans team, Team AWBAR, and the Crafting in Color Street Team. So far everything is working out and I am able to contribute to all of them.

I guess after I got home last night and fell asleep because I was so tired, a bunch of my soaps expired on etsy. I am slowly renewing them in small batches. The BOGO 50% off soap sale is STILL going, so please hop on over to my shop and stock up now!

Off to the day job :-( See ya later! Leave me some comment love!

Holiday Gift Guide Feature!

I was browsing the holiday gift guides tonight, and managed to find myself on one of them! How cool is that? I am on the stocking stuffers gift guide. See it here!

Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

Or you can just see this picture! :) See? First box down on the bottom row!

Preparing for a Busy Weekend!

I am hurriedly trying to get all my stuff together for this weekend's markets! I went to Goodwill and found some super-cheap display things to put my items in/on:

I spray painted this black to hang my necklaces on!

My owl minis are ready to go!

So are all my soaps!

I also felt in the mood to make some cute, simple little hand-stamped note cards. I made a little owl stamp that looks like my owl minis, and stamped some cards for my shop. I think I am going to give away one free hand stamped card to each of my next ten orders! I am getting close to 100 sales on etsy, so I feel like giving a little something away. I think people might like the little owl cards.

Well, now I have to print some signage for the markets! Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote on my poll! (It's up in the top right corner of the blog!)

Come See BirdWatching this Weekend!

I am going to be out at TWO different events this weekend! It's going to be a busy weekend. I am getting all my stuff ready tonight because I am excited!

I am bringing different items this time, so please stop by! I am bringing:

* My whole inventory of soaps (they are expiring on etsy soon, so buy some and save me
the hassle of relisting! hehe)

*My whole inventory of Owl Mini Burddies

*Scrabble tile pendants/necklaces

*Magnets

*Zipper pouches/Halloween Wristlets (ok, so a few things might be the same as last time)

*Wall Decor/Art

I will probably be bringing more items to the Local Artist Market on Sunday than I will to the MACFest on Saturday, because on that day I will have to share a booth with two other people. Saturday I should have soaps, owls, and necklaces for sure, and Sunday I will have all of it, hopefully! Please visit my website for info on how you can attend the MACFest, the Local Artist Market, or both! I'd love to see you there!

Fall Contest Featured Seller: ItsNotGold

The next seller on my list of entrants for my fall contest is ItsNotGold!

ItsNotGold makes some VERY pretty things! I love her shop name, and shop look! It's very well put together and professional looking.

ItsNotGold is based in Portugal, and she makes LOTS of cute accessories! I LOVE this headband:

...and this hair clip:

I love ItsNotGold's vibrant colors and interesting designs. I hearted her shop, and you should too! Please stop by and take a look!

ItsNotGold.etsy.com

Fall Contest Entry Featured Seller: TwilightKnits

This is the first of several mini features I will be doing in the Fall Contest Entrant Feature series.

Lucky number one in this series is TwilightKnits!

TwilightKnits is located in Knoxville and creates BEAUTIFUL hand-dyed yarns!

Take a look at the gorgeous colors in this yarn!





TwilightKnits is a fairly new shop but with such lovely items, I am sure orders will be pouring in soon!

Her profile also says she knits and accepts custom orders! So hurry over to TwilightKnits and see her beautiful work! TwilightKnits.etsy.com!

...And the winner is.....

EternalAutumn!

Congratulations!

Please check your convos on etsy for how to claim your prize!


All other entrants will be receiving a feature right here on my blog!
I will convo you when your shop is featured!

Thanks to everyone for playing!

Enter NOW! Contest ends tomorrow!

Please view the details of my contest in the entry below (scroll down a few), and enter today! Tomorrow at 7 PM Pacific time, I am going to have a third party assist me in randomly selecting a winner from all the entries!

If you are still having trouble finding all the items to enter, please visit this thread:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5829680

Make sure to check back...I may do one more clue before the contest ends!

The prize is any one hand-drawn bird pendant necklace of your choice from my shop if you win!

Please help a good cause!

I was on the etsy chats tonight and I heard something that REALLY made me sad. Please read below and help out, if you can. I signed up for Team AWBAR and will be donating items to the shop to help raise funds.
_________________________________________________________________
WE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE READ!

Someone was rude enough to leave antifreeze in water dishes and food bowls at our facility on September 23, 2008. Antifreeze was also placed in our feeding areas located in our forest preserve.

AWBAR- Abandoned Wild Babies Animal Rescue has already lost one raccoon to antifreeze poisoning. Also wild raccoons are coming back dying in our driveway and yard.

So far 2 of them have been poisoned and 4 others are showing signs of poisoning. Every day they receive 1000 cc of lactated ringer solution (LRS bags) which is a Sub Q IV that is placed under the skin to help flush out the poisons. Also they are receiving shots of antibiotics to help fight any illness since they are so weak.

AWBAR needs your help, our vet bill has already reached to almost $500.00. By making a purchase off our etsy shop www.awbar.etsy.com 100% will go to the vet bills and help the babies get better.

A group of AWBAR volunteers have posted Reward signs in our area leading to the capture and arrest of the individual(s) that have done this to our shelter.

If you click on one of the photos, you will see all of them in a slide show. In the photos, George the raccoon is one of the raccoons that have been poisoned.
http://foowahu.deviantart.com/art/AWBAR-George-goes-to-the-vet-99070852

Thanks everyone for your continued support through this tough time.

Remember 100% of all sales from our AWBAR shop will help pay for the vet bills, and help us raise and release wildlife!

Amanda

www.awbar.com
www.awbar.etsy.com
___________________________________________________________________

Yay!

I am so happy people are entering my contest! I would love to have lots of people to choose from on Sunday! If you haven't entered yet, it's pretty easy! Just see the blog below for rules and how to enter!

This weekend I am doing another craft sale. I hope to make a little more money to save up.

I got my business cards from Vista Print! They are awesome. I got the glossy ones; 250 of them! And between the cards and shipping they only cost me around $10. I am very pleased and I will probably order from there again when I use my cards up.

I had a lady convo me today to tell me that she saw my decal on my car and hearted my shop. She wanted to let me know that she saw it, which I thought was very nice.

Hmmm...what else. OH! I sent a package to Italy today! It's my second international order. I was very excited to know that something I made will be going to Italy! I was SO tempted to find a way to pack myself up and send myself along with the order. I would LOVE to go to Italy!

Well, I am going to go check out the chats and forums! Thanks for reading!

FALL CONTEST!

Do you want a chance to win a FREE hand drawn bird pendant from my shop!?! Here's what you have to do!

This is a scavenger hunt! I am hiding some text in several of my listings. The text says:

"Hello, Happy Halloween, BOO!"

You have to find ALL 5 listings with this phrase in the item description section!

Once you have found one of the items, heart it.

By NEXT Sunday, October 5, 2008 I will check Majaba to see all the hearts for these 5 items.

I will randomly pick ONE person who has hearted ALL FIVE ITEMS, and that person will receive a FREE bird pendant necklace! That person will get to choose ANY hand drawn bird pendant necklace in my shop, and I will send it to them, free of charge.

Please see this thread for more details and CLUES!
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5829680

birdwatching.etsy.com

Esty Featured Seller: ClockStrikes12

I met ClockStrikes12 in the chats! I seem to meet a lot of nice people that way!

ClockStrikes12's shop is FULL of beautiful jewelry and magnets! I particularly love this:

I ordered some of her buy two get one free scrabble tiles pendants and I LOVE them! There is a pic of me several blogs down wearing a bird one I got from her!

They shipped super fast, and she even threw in a super cute extra one! Needless to say, when I get a few more sales, ClockStrikes12's shop will be receiving some more business from me!

This is similar to one I bought...look how cute it is!


Visit ClockStrikes12's shop today and look at all the lovely stuff!

NEW Halloween Inspired Items!

Hey!

Today I started making my Halloween/fall items! I love how they are turning out so far!

Here is what I have posted so far (more to come tomorrow!):



Halloween wristlets! Fun! Please check them out on etsy! Thanks!

Slow Motion

Hi everyone!

WOW, it's already almost October! I can't believe it.

I had a BLAST at the artist market on Sunday. I wish I could sell there every day! I will have to wait til next month, though. I sold plenty to make it worth it. I needed it, too, since sales on etsy this month have been SO slow. It's been very disappointing. I do have a couple custom orders I am working on, and this weekend I hope to make some Halloween and fall themed items for my shop.

I hope everyone is having a great week. Only 1 more day til the weekend! Hooray!

Etsy Featured Seller: DevinPrather

I met miss Devin in the chats in an empty chat room I started. She had just started on etsy and already had some super cute cards in her shop! Now, months later, she has a great inventory of cards, gift tags, and note cards in her shop!

I bought a super cute fall card as well as some VERY cute birdy Christmas gift tags from her. I LOVE them! The tags were made to order and she did a great job!

Halloween Cupcake Tags (Set of 10)

Mommy-to-Be Card

Devin's cards are cheaper and MUCH cuter than store-bought cards! They are very well made, and the designs are SUPER cute. She has cards and tags for all occasions! Please check her store out at DevinPrather.etsy.com. Thanks!

Come See Me! And Bring Cash!

Don't forget, tomorrow the 21st I will be at Inside the Bungalow selling my wares from 11A-2P! I would love for you to come out and support local East Valley artists and designers!

Please see the blog below for details if you would like to come!

And don't forget to bring money if you are interested in buying! I will have nearly my full inventory with me, so this is your chance to buy without having to pay shipping!

Inside the Bungalow

Hi guys!

I want to encourage everyone to come to the event I will be at on Sunday, September 21 from 11AM to 2 PM!

I will be at Inside The Bungalow's Local Artist Market. This place is also known as Coffee Talk. It is located in Mesa, AZ, and if you are in the area, I would LOVE for you to come support us!

Here is more information if you are able to make it.

Local Artist Market: Inside the Bungalow

I would love to see you there! And bring some cash along in case you see something you want to buy! :-)

Fun New Place!

I found a fun new store today! Fun and useful! It's called Paper Plus. I didn't get to look around as much as I would like because they were closing, but they have TONS of paper, and all kinds of supplies that I could use for BirdWatching. Packing, marketing, etc.

I am SO excited to go back and get some things. My one tiny purchase was FRAGILE: Handle With Care stickers to put on my orders for when I use the self-checkout type thing at the post office. I have been looking for them for a long time! I want to go back and get some new baggies and boxes for packaging. I know, how sad that that is what excites me?

Here is their website; they have stores in some other states too:
http://www.paperplus.com/

Someone please tell me that this store excites them too so I don't feel lame. Hehe.

*NEW* at Birdwatching.etsy.com!

Hello all! Here are my NEW items, just listed today. Please stop by and give them some love, as the categories were broken when I posted them and they have not gotten as many views as I would like.

Thanks!

Goose on the Water Deluxe Zipper Pouch (Turquoise)

G is For Grass Scrabble Tile Pendant

Bird on a Branch Scrabble Tile Pendant

Metamorphosis Scrabble Tile Pendant

My etsy Purchases (and Trades!)

Lately, I have been in the mood to buy and trade with other sellers on etsy! I haven't made any huge purchases, but I have gotten a few things. I got some awesome Scrabble pendants from ClockStrikes12 (buy two get one free!), and I traded for a totally cute bird necklace from casualsimplicity.

I also ordered a Whiffy Bean Bag from whiffybeanbags . Sandalwood and Vanilla scented...my favorites! I am going to put it in my car so it smells good! Can't wait for that to get here. She is even putting some extra stink in it so it really smells up my car. Hehe.

I also got a 5 button suprise pack from Buttonhead ! Love it! I put half of them on my bag for work and the the others on my laptop bag!

And last but not least, I got some super cute Christmas to/from tags and an awesome fall card from DevinPrather .

Wow, I actually shopped/traded more than I thought! Now lets get some sales in MY shop so I can buy some more!!!!!!

Here is me taking a craft break to show off one of my Scrabble pendants from ClockStrikes12 (I made the ribbon cord it's hanging on myself! Buy them at birdwatching.etsy.com!):

Etsy Featured Seller: PaganCellar

This week's featured seller is PaganCellar! I met PaganCellar in the etsy chat rooms a few months ago. He is an awesome guy, not to mention a great seller on etsy! He has had hundreds of sales (I know...jealous much?) and rightfully so.

PaganCellar makes awesome soaps, jewelry, and more! He even provides tarot readings through etsy! I have heard they are spot on, though I myself have not yet worked up the nerve to get one. Someday, hopefully! His soaps are awesome; my favorite is the strawberry banana. It made my whole bathroom smell sooooooo good!

Strawberry-Banana Tye Dyed Soap



Tarot Card Reading: Ten Card Spread

If you want to see the rest of PaganCellar's awesome items, please visit http://pagancellar.etsy.com today! Thanks!