2nd Annual Tis the Season Giveaway

This is the second year of my Tis the Season Giveaway at my shop, Stir Crazy Crafts . For every purchase made I will enter your name and you could win this great prize

A crochet bath set, including a soap saver, washcloth and scrubbie and a pair of crochet trimmed mittens. A value of $20.00.

Trans Canada Street Team Contest

The Trans Canada Street Team wrapped up its first contest this weekend with great success. We had over twenty entries and after a difficult decision three great winners.

1st Place is http://wwwflurrsprite.etsy.com/

2nd Place is http://www.willowcatstudio.etsy.com/

3rd Place is http://www.seealso.etsy.com/

Wild Wednesday

This week I am featuring the first ever Trans Canada Etsy Team Contest. I am a member of the mod-sqaud and am looking forward to participating in organizing this event. I am sure we will see lots of wild entries:)





Here's the information about the contest from our blog,

Best Collection of Canadian Handmade Goodies

To participate:

1 - Create a "poster" with the Poster Sketch Tool of 9 Canadian handmade items available on Etsy.

2.1 - Create a screenshot of your amazing poster and submit it to us by email, or post it to the Trans-Canada Flickr group pool with the title "Trans-Canada Contest".

2.2 - Or send us your 9 items numbers by email.

3 - Don't forget to leave the item numbers visible or to mention the name of the shops!

Email: transcanada.etsy(at)gmail.com

The posters will be displayed in our Flickr group pool, and must be submitted before midnight on November 3rd. The mod-squad will assemble and vote on the winner that same weekend.

Photos of the prize will be posted before the end of the contest so you can see what you can win!

The gift basket includes items from

:tanisalexis

tomatedepingles

neawear

stircrazycrafts

myhandboundbooks

NeaBlossoms

* This is a growing list, come back often to see more sellers who donated an item!

GOOD LUCK! :)

Visit the Trans Canada Etsy Blog for more information

http://transcanadaetsyteam.blogspot.com/2007/10/trans-canada-etsy-team-contest.html

Creative Challenge #70

Although I have not quite finished last weeks project I will add the new challenge.

This week our inspiration comes from the word "October". What inspirations to you get from this month. October is the month where leaves are changing and there vibrant colors seem to bright things up right before the cool winter sets in. In contrast to that beauty, there is Halloween! A night filled with ghosts, goblins and sugar high children. There is also Thanksgiving in October, this weekend, in Canada. I am looking forward to making a huge turkey dinner and eating until I can't move. Since I get the job of cooking, I don't have much on the clean up end of the meal:)

October is a busy month and there will be great and varied inspirations taken from it. I am looking forward to seeing each one!

The Creative Challenge was created by Jewelstreet, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=36577 , and continues to be a great way to expand your horizons every week.

Happy Birthday, Dakota!

Today is my oldest sons 11th birthday! I am amazed at how fast the years go by, although I definitely feel myself aging:) He has decided this year that he is too old for a birthday party and opted to go swimming with a few friends, something they normally do 2 or 3 times a week, and have cake at our house afterwards. Since we have moved to town, two years ago, he has taken to skateboarding and now we are shopping for a real skateboard. He has had the same one for two years and is venturing into the type you can upgrade and change pieces on. This is all new to me, so I am learning as we go. I did learn the other day that skateboarding is NOT for Mom. I tried and even holding on to my son and husband could not manage to go in a straight line. My son did advise that flip flops are not real good footwear for skateboarding. I thought flip flops were designed for any activity. While on a company trip with my husband, I wore flip flops golfing, in the rain. My footwear was as about as good as my golf game:)

Since it is my sons birthday I must take a minute to be a proud Mom and tell you what a great kid he is. My husband works away alot and he has stepped up and is my biggest helper. I am really not sure if I could manage some days without his help! He has been delivery newspapers for a year now and is not scared to work. In fact he is looking forward to getting a real after school job as soon as he is old enough. He does well in school and regularly finishes his school work ahead of the rest of the class, leading to his teachers only complaint-he's a talker:) He hangs around with a good group of friends and so far has never managed to get himself into to much trouble, although I am sure the day will come.

Today I am offering 20% off all purchases in my shop to celebrate his birthday. Just mention "Birthday" in notes upon checkout and I will send a revised invoice.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAKOTA!!!!!!!

Crazy Week

This has been a crazy, busy week and I have been a little neglectful of my blog. I think things are finally getting caught up and I will start posting regularly again. I am still hoping to complete my Creative Challenge but the project I decided to do is taking longer then I had thought. I will get it up as soon as it is finished.

Creative Challenge #69

This week our challenge is to be inspired by pictures craftymoose, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=42753 , took while abroad. The first picture, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jewelstreetdesigns/1433444656/ , by her husband in Brussels, Belgium. It is a huge steel structure that resembles an atom, giving its name "Atomium. It was originally built in the 1950s for the Brussels World fair.

Here is a different picture of the Atomium

The second picture is filled with vibrant colored houses, in Buraro, Italy. They were painted brightly to help fisherman find their homes. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jewelstreetdesigns/1433444670/

This week I plan to use the Atomium as my inspiration.

Saturday Night Specials

Saturday Night Specials, SNS, was started by WillowGlass http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=26237 . It is a weekly promotion that starts around 5pm EST in the etsy forums under promotions. It has become a popular event and it is always a race to make it into the first few pages of the thread. If you are interested in more information see this thread http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5052160&page=1 for FAQ of the SNS.

I normally participate, with the exception of the odd Saturday I have plans. After having four kids my Saturday night life has slowed incredibly:) Plus when I make plans for Saturday night I make sure they start after the SNS! I will post my SNS special on my blog every Saturday and a link to the SNS thread once it has been started. Be sure to check it out there is always many great sales. Start thinking about Christmas early and get some shopping done.

***Stir Crazy Crafts SNS***
Everything in my shop tonight is BOGO 50% off. Buy one item at regular price and receive the second(of equal or lesser value) at 50% off. Mention "SNS" in notes to seller and wait for a revised invoice to pay.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=33637

For an idea of what is in my shop see my Etsy Mini on the side bar.

Plus as an added bonus if you read this in my blog and mention "SNS Blog" in notes to seller I will give you free shipping:)

Here's a link to everyones sales http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5241941

Farmers Market Friday

With school back in I have returned to the farmers market. I headed off this morning with my little helper, Adam. I meant to bring my camera but forgot in the chaos of trying to remember everything. Next week I will have pictures for you. The best part about this market was having my new bags from Blossom Arts, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=24747 . The looked professional and are great for advertising my shop!

These bags are made by her 11 year old son, a great and affordable way to prompt your business and help out a kid! Blossom Arts was great to work with, going out of her way to look into postage for me. I will definitely be back to purchase more! Be sure to have a look for yourself, here is a link to the listing for you http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6919195

Wild Wednesday

I thought it would be fun to start a regular Wednesday post in my blog featuring wild things of all sorts. Every week will be different, you never know what wild item or event I will have! This week I thought I would share some wild pics I got on a camping trip. Here goes...

During the month of July we made plans to spend a week camping with friends of ours. So we loaded up the trailer,the quads and the kids and off we went. The weather for the whole week was insanely hot and we had limited shade but we made it through. We camped at a little fish pond close to town that had a gravel pit behind it, so it was a great place for the quads. Due the limited camping space there was us, our friends and one other group a campers. The kids could ride the quads in the campsite so it was perfect. Calen must have done a million trips around the pond on the quad that week! Myself I would take my youngest around a couple of times and be bored. How he can go around and around I will never understand. About the only time he would take a break was when we had heard enough quad noise and put a stop to it:)

This was also the week of my youngest 2nd birthday. As you can tell by the picture he enjoyed the ice cream cake! The day of his birthday we decided it would be fun to have some fireworks for him. So after dark we set them off. Every night we all hoped that a shower would roll through and give us a break from the heat, but nothing until the night of the fireworks. We watched as the lightening was getting closer and hoped to get the fireworks set off before the storm was overhead. The last one went off and it started to rain, within minutes it was an all out downpour and we all ran for a dryer place to watch. From inside the trailer I took pictures hoping to get a couple of good lightening pictures. And it worked! I am so thankful for digital cameras because I took 250 pictures during the half hour the storm lasted. As soon as the storm past we went back out to enjoy the campfire.

Hope you enjoy my wild lightening pictures!

My Creative Challenge Piece

I always like to take the creative challenge as an opportunity to try something new and push myself to new limits. Which is exactly what I did this week. I had a thought while back that it would be great to make an hat with butterfly ear flaps. Last winter I made ones with heart flaps, which I thought were great. If you are interested here's a link for you http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5270063

So here it is my Toddler Butterfly Winter Set, inspired by the creative challenge

Here's the link to the listing http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7130822

Although my husband gave me a funny look I also took pictures of my youngest wearing this set so you could get an idea of how it fits. That is the best part of having a toddler to them it is fun to dress up and colors and designs don't mean a wholelot to them!

Creative Challenge #68

Every Monday Jewelstreet, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=36577 , posts a Creative Challenge on the etsy forums. There is a wide variety of talented artists that participate each week. The atmosphere in the challenge is super friendly and inviting, so I thought it would be nice to share their creations. I would also reccomend taking a look around Jewelstreets shop, she makes AMAZING jewelry.

This week our challenge is to create something inspired by the word "Flight". I am sure there will be many incredible contributions. They will be posted on my side bar for all to see.

Craft Juice Competition

I entered my Ladybug Hat is Craft Juices Competition. This hat was inspired when I asked my son what I should make next. His response was " I bet you can't make a ladybug hat", of course I had to prove him wrong!

Stop by and vote for it http://www.craftjuice.com/story.php?title=A_super_cute_ladybug_hat_to_dress_up_anyones_winter_wardrobe

Finally Did It!

I finally decided to do it and start a blog.

I will start off by sharing a little about myself. I am a SAHM of four boys Dakota (10), Calen (7), Bryson (5) and Adam (3). The older three are in school full time, giving me more time to concentrate on my love of crafts. I have been selling my wonderful creations on etsy.com since April 2006. Stop by and have a look around http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=33637

I hope to share my expierences as a Mom (it can get interesting) and my latest craft endeavors. So be sure to check back and bare with me as I learn this blogging thing:)