Buy Local Saturday

Another big shopping day is happening today:  Buy Local Saturday.  Yesterday was Black Friday and Monday will be cyber Monday for all of you online shoppers.  This year we have started a new day in the seasonal shopping mix, and that day is 'Buy Local Saturday". 

Support your local small businesses today (and always) by buying local. 

My store is a member of our local buy local network, which is a culmination of local businesses who have gotten together to promote each other and offer discounts to shoppers who carry the buy local network card for our area.  All card members for this entire week will receive a free gift from buy local merchants when they use their card this week.  As this is National Buy Local Week (Friday, November 26 - Sunday, December 5, 2010) I humbly request that you do support your local businesses.

Here is a picture of the cute bear ornament we are giving away to celebrate and gift our local customers.

Have a great day today and remember to support your local small businesses it is appreciated more than you could imagine.









Don't forget coupon code(BLKFRDYCBRMON10) is valid in my etsy shop (http://www.creationsbytricia.etsy.com/) until Monday at 11:59pm EST.

Have a day filled with blessings today!

Tricia

Savings Coupon

I am on just a bit earlier than usual today to offer a coupon at my Etsy shop (http://www.creationsbytricia.etsy.com/) for this start of the Christmas shopping season.

Use coupon code BLKFRDYCBRMON10 at checkout to receive 15% off your entire order from my shop.

Have a beautifully blessed day for the start of this Christmas shopping season!

It is Thanksgiving Everyday!

You know tommorrow, Thanksgiving, is all about giving thanks for what we have. We set aside one day every year and call it Thanksgiving, I think thanksgiving should be happening daily! I know many do already give thanks daily, but we should be celebrating daily in our thanksgiving.

As you know from previous posts I have been thru a lot of change this year, well, apparently God has even more change in store for my family.  My husband will be permanently laid off from his job of 10 years on December 6 of this year.  My initial thought was: 'yikes, another change, the bead store isn't quite producing yet, what are we going to do?'  Pete's (my husband) first reaction was anger, of which I can understand.  We are now giving thanks that Pete will be permanently laid off. 

Pete has wanted to go to school for the better of 20 years, but it was not possible with the finances and time necessary.  It is now!   Pete is able to go to school, have the majority of it paid for by the government (WARN act) and still collect unemployment.  It will probably still be a bit of a struggle with finances, but I know God has a plan for us, a plan to prosper and not harm, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11).  I give thanks to God for all He does and will give thanks daily.  Sometimes I do have to remember this acronym:  False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR) and then I remember all that God has done for me and I again give thanks to Him!

As I am typing this I listen to KLove radio, and this song just started:  Give thanks to the Lord Our God and King, His love endures forever!  That is kinda funny, because I want to end my post today by spotlighting a fellow teammember, and I know who that is to be now.

 
http://hislovenduresforever.etsy.com/  click to check out the many great things in this store.

Happy Thanksgiving All....don't eat too much turkey!

God Bless you!          Tricia

Christmas gifts under ten dollars!

Here is a treasury of Christmas gifts all for under $10.00.  It is a BNR (buy and replace) treasury that I was asked if I would like one of my items to be featured in, and all I need to do is promote it.  Not a hard thing to do when all these handmade gifts look so lovely.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4ce34f0cf2808eef9ef08da1/christmas-gifts-under-10-bnr-day4-open

Click, comment and enjoy your day!

New listing on Etsy

I finally finished this beaded necklace.  I decided to make it a single strand as opposed to doubling it up with the seaweed quartz necklace.

Have a great day!

MY-ITIS....NOW WHAT IS THIS?

We had an absolutely wonderful service yesterday at church.  The presence of God was absolutely awesome and the Spirit was moving.  I would call yesterday's service 'A Holy Ghost Service'!  It always amazes me when He shows up like that. 

When we suffer from the folowing, we can miss out on services such as described.

MY-ITIS (egocentric syndrome)

A very infectious disease that affects a number of people.  Symptoms include the constant use of the words: "I, me, my, mine."  No matter what subject is being discussed, the infected person's comments will be laced with these words.  The cause is a lack of love and concern for others.

HERE'S THE CURE:

The 'prescription' to treat this disease includes the following:

• Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourself.
• Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
• Think as Christ Jesus thought.  (Philippians 2:3-5)

Here are some follow up testing for you to check yourselves:

If one has been cured of this dreadful disease, his or her comments will be laced with:  "you, your, yours".

Periodical testing is recommended as the condition may reoccur.

I hope you enjoyed reading this today.  I hope to have some new listings up tommorrow and will post them here as well as Etsy.

Have a stupendously blessed day!

Treasuries to see

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cdcc2adf35b8eef0a57ad33/feeling-blue#4cddd3eb0a248eef5568e7f8 

Check out this lovely treasury in shades of blue that was put together by one of my CAPS teammateson Etsy.  Just love the different shades of blue.

Here's another with handmade Christmas gifts all under $20.00.    http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cdb1ba0fce66d91cce4afeb/gift-ideas-20-and-less-from-the-cast

Enjoy taking a peek at all the wonderful handmade and vintage gifts on Etsy.  Please click and comment on the treasuries, we appreciate it for sure.

God Bless you and have a fabulous day!

1 strand or 2 strand beaded necklace??

I am working on this beaded necklace that I originally planned to make a 2 strand, but now I am not sure.  I do like it as a two strand, but I also like the 2 strands as individual necklaces.  Hmmmm, now I am in a quandry as to what to do with this beaded necklace.

I posted pictures showing it as a 2 strand beaded necklace, and also as individual beaded necklaces.  Tell me what you think.  Any opinions, constructive criticism and comments are appreciated.

♥♥♥††† CHRISTIAN ARTISTS STREET TEAM-CAST†††♥♥♥ on Etsy

     I am learning so much about Etsy, it is just amazing.  You can read thru the forum threads and find the answer to just about any question.  If you can't find the answer you are looking for, post a new thread and it is guaranteed there will be many Etsians to help out and give support and answers.  I am so awed by it all beings a newbie on Etsy. 

     As I was searching thru the forums yesterday looking for an answer to one of the many questions that have run thru my brain since I started this Etsy adventure, I found another team I will be joining.  It is amazing what God brings to you even when you are not looking.  The CAST team is very supportive of their team, they have prayer lists in their forum threads, they promote their fellow team members, and from what I have read there is no negativity in the threads.  Absolutely awesome!! 

A group of Christian Artists and Artisans who believe Etsy is a great place to buy and sell handcrafted, family friendly items. We only ask that all of the items in your shop are "Family-Friendly". No adult content, profanity, nudity, etc.)

There are no requirements other than a willingness to acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If you'd like to pop in and say hello, or ask some questions in a positive and supportive manner, we'd love to have you.

This is the original post of the thread I started reading yesterday, this alone created a desire within me to join this team, as I read thru the posts I was/am very encouraged. 

As I have been reading the forum for answers to my questions, I have noticed an overwhelming negative flow to many of the posts and was getting a bit discouraged.  Sure there are changes taking place on the Etsy site, life is all about change, but we shouldn't let that change negatively affect us.  You should always look at the positive side of things, it is a choice!

I am excited that God showed this team to me.  I am no longer discouraged but ENCOURAGED to be joining a team of like minded brothers and sisters in Christ!


    

Rubies and Apatite times 2

As you know from my previous post, I was gifted some gorgeous Burmese ruby and apatite beads.  It was fun coming up with something for them.  I was able to make two (2) necklace and earring sets with the ruby and apatite beads. 

The first necklace and earring set I did with just the 2 stones and accented with Sterling silver tubes and spacers.  I finished the necklace with a sterling silver 's' clasp.  This first set I will most likely list in my Etsy shop soon.  Let me know what you think!

And here is the second set I did.  I used some hematite tubes for spacers and just a bit of contrast in the piece.  Being the stones were gifted to me, I believe I will keep this set for myself.  Can't ever have too much jewelry in my opinion. 

I finished the necklace with a handmade clasp I created with a couple sterling silver headpins. 

I think the rubies and apatite beads look really good in both pieces. 

Do you like one over the other?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Have a fabulous day!

Baci Beads are here!!

Finally, my Baci beads have arrived in the store.  Haven't gotten a 'real' display for them just yet, but have them in a tray for now.  Pete has got to make me a display for them.

Here is a picture of what I did receive at the store, and so everyone knows:  you can look thru the catalog and special order anything you like!  Enjoy

Have a super day all!!!

Rubies and Apatite

This past Friday I was blessed with some amazing ruby and apatite beads.  Just for helping someone out with a ride to Pittsburgh.  Amazing how God works and blesses when we are obedient. 

All we (Pete and I) did was agree to help a gentleman out by giving him a ride to the airport so he could be with his family.

The beads he gave me are absolutely awesome!  After doing some research on Burmese rubies, I found out what these beads cost, and all I can say is WOW!!  After looking around in my own stash and not finding anything that would work well together with these beads, I decided to use just the 2 stones, rubies and apatite, with sterling silver findings.

The apatite beads are also very fine beads.  Researching apatite, I found it too is a wonderful quality stone.  It can be mistaken for topaz, tourmaline and a few other stones out there.  Hence the apatite name's origins being from the greek word to deceive.   

Still working out the detail with the first necklace as you can see.  I like the effect of the rubies and apatite together, but I think there needs to be more sterling in the mix. 

My designs are never drawn out on paper, I do better designs when I start by just putting things together, so the process sometimes involves stringing and restringing and then restringing again until it looks right in my eyes.  Have an opinion on the 'unfinished' piece pictured below?  I welcome your comments, criticism and opinion.  ALL are most definitely welcome.  When I do get this piece finished I will be sure to post it!

Have a wonderful day!