I Wish I Were Thinner

Not because I care so much about being skinny, although it'd be nice. But because I want to be able to wear these gorgeous vintage clothing from REiNViNTAGE. The clothes, shoes, and accessories she's found are so adorable.

I always love when people do such an incredible job digging through vintage clothes and finding the gems. I bet my mom could make some cash selling some of her old prom dresses. When I was little I used them for dress up, but they're still in really good condition.

This beautiful yellow sundress is so cheerful!

I'd LOVE to be able to fit into this stunning red dress. Red is one of my favorite colors.

Fashion in the 30s and 40s was so awesome. I wish these shoes fit me!

What is even cooler...I sent her a message on Etsy to find out if she has larger sized shoes and I find out that she has a 10 month old! :) My boy is just over 9 months old. I love finding new moms like me!

When I Grow Up

I want to be these jewelers! Holy talented batman!

Check out their rings!!!




I bow before their superiority.

Someday I want one of those "Melted Emerald" Rings with sapphires and diamonds (for my little boy's birthstone and my hubby & my birthstones). You know, when I win the lotto!

Cute Fruit

Okay...I don't always understand why people create the things they do, but when I saw this artisan (who I found through my Entrecard hopping...say what you will about this service but I have discovered more awesome blogs and even more awesome people than I ever would have without it), Nico Designs, I fell in love with this pear.

It's a PEAR for goodness sake. And I love it. :) What in the world would I do with it? [Not that I can afford to buy it...I just did our budget for when we're on one salary...ouch!]

I want to make a recommendation that she change her first picture to this one instead of the one she has...it draws the eye better I think. Head over to the listing in her Etsy shop and tell me whether you agree.

Or at the very least crop the photo with the 'white'-ish background so that the pear takes up the whole square. Do you think she'd be offended with my recommendation???

Catching the eye is by far the single most important thing for capturing sales on Etsy. Not that I'm so brilliant with it...it's a constant battle.

Fashionably Trashy

And no, I'm not insulting anyone. :) Who says that garbage can't be classy?

One of the designers, Allyson Hill, who I have made several purchases from made the front page on Etsy today and it just reminded me how truly cool her product is.

I bought one of her car trash bags a couple of years ago for my own car and she's made it even better with a snap-able strap. I've also bought these as gifts, since they are so reasonably priced, for my husband's truck, my mom's car, and my MIL's car. You can personalize these with all sorts of different fabric choices. I got hubby a camo one!

You can hang it from the back of the front seats (or even the back seats if the headrest works with it) or from the stick shift, which is how I have mine.

Now she has something called an Auto Sneeze that is SO flippin' clever. She's so imaginative. It's a cozy for tissues that attaches to your visor. How cool is that?!?!
I go through so many Kleenexes though that this isn't nearly big enough for me...I keep full size boxes in my car. ha!

I'm very proud to say that "I knew her when" ... back when she had a lot fewer sales. She's almost to 7,000 sales on Etsy!!! You go girl!

Back in Gear

It has been a while...I went back to work this week and it's been quite an adjustment. Thankfully hubby is at home this whole month to watch the boy. :) It's a lot easier not having to drop him off at daycare yet.

I've also been on a roll listing new items (and relisting some older items) in my Etsy shop. I have a few orders and it's a lot of fun getting gifts ready for people to give.

Here are a couple of newly listed designs.

A tiny version of my fine silver Cherry Tree pendant necklace. I love this miniature style.


I made a fine silver version of this and it's sold (I can make more but just haven't yet). This is made with Bronze clay, which I won't be using anytime in the near future because I don't have a kiln yet...it can't be hand fired. But I have two of these small sea shell pendants that I made this summer. This is one that I made into a necklace with 14k gold filled chain.


I just love the color of these freshwater pearls. This is a simple, but I think elegant, pair of earrings.


I made this pendant ages ago, but this summer decided to add some color. Then it sat for another few months before I finally added it to a chain to complete the necklace. :)


If you're looking for something personalized...like my custom alphabet bracelets...let me know right away. I'm not making a lot of "made to order" items. Most of the items I'm listing are already made. I've got just a little bit going on in my life right now so the simpler this selling season is, the better. =)

Let the Fundraising Begin!

The Saving Shelter Pets Etsy fundraiser began yesterday and I'm so excited to be part of it. I've already made one sale and am thankful to be able to contribute.

I'm also eying some of the items for sale from a few of the participating vendors.

If you are a planner like me and have upcoming birthday gifts you need to buy, please consider purchasing from the fundraiser participants. 20% of your purchase will be donated to SSP to help them save shelter pets from certain death.

Here are a few of my favorite items from participating vendors.

Gorgeous "The Mojito Maxi Dress" by Rali.


TTV Carousel photo print by Gothicrow.
And I can't decide on one of the pieces from Sherry Dole - all are so bright, colorful, and fun.

I'm trying to plan ahead for Christmas gifts and birthdays. :)

I Heart Elephants

I've been leaning heavily toward elephant related items for our soon to be born baby boy (does 8 weeks count as soon?).

One of my coworker's just alerted me to her mother's Etsy shop, which she just started a few days ago, and I'm gaga over this adorable little stuffed elephant and matching onesie. I want!

Her shop is Chrissy Creates...head over and check out her other cute items. I'm sure she's going to do really well.

Communication Matters!

This post definitely deserves the exclamation mark. As sad and teary eyed as I was on Friday, I'm equally happy and relieved today.

Open and honest communication really does matter in business, and I think even more online.

I sent a message to the person who left me negative feedback on Etsy and heard back from them yesterday. My message offered to allow her to return (for full refund) the item, exchange it, or I'd replace it. Unfortunately she does not have the time to deal with a return, which I completely understand.

However she agreed that she should have contacted me about her displeasure before leaving feedback and she used the "kiss and makeup" feature on Etsy. I'm SOOOOO relieved and thankful. Truly and humbly thankful.

She has EVERY right to leave negative feedback as she was not satisfied with her purchase. I am thankful though that she saw how much I wanted to make the situation right and rescinded her negative feedback. I also left her positive feedback, with my thanks.

Every situation has two sides...and thankfully we were able to amicably resolve the issue. And I have told her that if she finds some time in the future I will take the earrings back for refund, exchange, or replacement even up to a few months from now (well past my 7 day policy).

I believe feedback is an incredibly important part of shopping online. It's one of my disappointments with 1000 Markets, that they have no manner for customers or artisans to leave feedback. I understand their reasons, but to me feedback is an incredibly important part of knowing who you are buying from.

I'm glad that my feedback is once again negative free - and trust me, I've also learned that every single item I send out has to meet my normally stringent standards. Pregnancy is NO excuse for sloppiness!

Very Depressing

I'm crying. Sure it may be the hormones, but it's probably the situation.

I got my first negative feedback on Etsy. :( I've been on Etsy for nearly four years now and have never had ONE single negative or even a neutral feedback. Ever.

Why? Because I work with my customers. And I work very hard to make sure my customers are happy with their purchases. If there's a problem I want to make it right. That's one of the reasons why I take returns, even though I really don't like taking returns on jewelry that is sometimes one of a kind.

This person did not contact me at all in any way to tell me that she was not satisfied with her purchase. I can't fix something if I don't know about it.

Do people expect too much from handmade? Nothing will be perfect ... and some of the PMC pieces I make are specifically NOT perfect ... they're supposed to be a little more rustic. And I'm not some faceless store - I can easily be reached and I'm obsessive about checking my Etsy messages.

Hubby is now mad ... not at me but mad because I'm upset. He hates it when I cry.

At least the person left a reason. I sent her a message and asked that she allow me to either replace them, take them back, or exchange them for something different and whether she would withdraw her feedback. Thankfully Etsy allows a "kiss and makeup" feature.

I hope she will reply. I'm just sick. I know it's all part of business but the whole situation has upset me a lot.

My Unofficial Registry

I'm excited to start registering for baby boy but I wish more of my family would purchase from Etsy or 1000 Markets.

I really really really want some police oriented onesies and shirts and things. I saw one that said "My Daddy Can Arrest Your Daddy" and I loved that but it looked cheap and like it used an iron on (plus the shop had gotten some really bad feedback). I don't want iron ons. I want to be able to save them and either use them for a second baby (if I ever decide to go through this hell again) or pass them down.

I also want one that has the Washington State Patrol logo and says "Future Trooper". I may have to resort to Alchemy on Etsy but I'd rather avoid it.

Here are some of the fun onesies I found and would put on a registry.

heh...my mom would HATE this, but my grandpa would love it. Don't worry, they have the 'alternative' too. :) By Giggle Room.

Isn't this funny!?! Hubby is a big fan of 80s hair bands...ACDC counts as one right? I was pretty young back then. Made by Fun 2 Wear.

Punk rocker one day, Jr Executive the next. :) I do plan to groom the future geek generation you know. Made by Allie Craft.

I love elephants and this design is so adorable. Made by Tadpoles and Tutus.

If you've had good luck with any designers who can make custom pieces please let me know (please don't solicit me though...unless you really and truly can do EXACTLY what I'm looking for...I will delete spam). I don't want cheapy or iron on. I think the Trooper badge logo may be easiest done with an embroidery machine (those things rock).

I'll be adding things to my unofficial registry as I find them. Hopefully someone in my family will brave the online world. :)

Looking for Something Special - Be Specific

If you've ever looked for that perfect gift I'm sure you know how frustrating it can be. Which is why the Alchemy feature of Etsy is so wonderful. Just create a listing telling the artisans what you want and let them come to you!

There's a problem that I notice though...if you are not extremely specific in what you want you will get a bunch of junk bids from artists who just bid on everything without really taking into consideration the needs of the customer. As someone who has requested projects I can tell you that there are some very unprofessional business folks out there. They only seem to care about getting a sale.

When I bid on someone's request I try to be as specific as possible in order to meet their requirements. What's the point of bidding if you can't do what they've requested? But it can sometimes be difficult because the requester doesn't include all the details for what they want. Being vague isn't always a bad thing if you want a lot of items to pick from, just realize that you will be inundated with bids.

So while I love Alchemy - both as a customer and an artisan - I definitely think there should be some guidelines for people who post their requests.

The number one most important thing to remember when writing out an Alchemy request - Be Specific.

If you know that you want a gift for your sister don't just ask for a "gift for my sister"...you will get 100 bids. Seriously.

If you don't know *exactly* what you want at least give specifics like "she likes flowers, she doesn't wear earrings, she has plenty of jewelry, her hobbies include xyz, her favorite color, fragrance, etc." This helps keep your inbox from being filled with jewelry bids...because trust me when I say that jewelry alchemy requests get pounced upon quickly.

Also, it is important to Be Realistic. Do you really think that you will get a quality piece if you ask for a "Sterling Silver Freshwater Pearl Necklace with Swarovski Crystals" but you only want to pay $7.00??? Seriously? That is an insult to any jeweler worth their salt and I never bid on such insulting requests. It tells me that you care only about cheap and not quality - so go to Walmart.

If you honestly don't know the right price for something bid $0.01 and ask for reasonable offers. If the prices all seem too high perhaps your expectations were too low. Browse around the category that your item falls in and see what other people are charging for similar products. Who knows? You might even find exactly what you want while browsing.

I highly recommend Alchemy to find your perfect item - whether a blanket, a t-shirt, or something really obscure. Just try to use common sense and give the artisans as many details as you can think of. :)

A New Selling Venue - 1000Markets

I've sold on a few different online venues in the past few years, but so far Etsy has outlasted them all.

There are other outlets though and so I thought I'd try a fairly recent one that looks super polished.

1000Markets is new but so far it looks great. It is for independent artisans to share and sell their work. I just set up my shop today and here are my first observations.

PROS

I love the listing process for each item. It's all on one page and completely intuitive. Adding photos is simple - and you can add four pictures at a time or one - as opposed to uploading one file at a time. They even provide a cropping tool within the listing page!

The look is much more sophisticated, in my humble opinion, than Etsy. The front page looks more fashionable and less cluttered. Etsy sometimes has *too* many choices, as fun as they are. I really like clean and simple designs.

Each shop comes with a blog. A very unique feature, though I don't know that it'll get much use from me, since I already write three blogs.

Your shop must be approved. I love this. While Etsy is wonderful and anyone and their dog can sign up to sell, sometimes those with really great talent get a little lost in the quantity of sellers. 1000Markets has some standards that you must meet before your shop will go live.

Free to join and start a shop.

Customers must pay before the order is complete. This is one huge complaint at Etsy. A customer can complete their order on Etsy, but that doesn't mean they are done - they have to complete one more step in order to submit payment. 1000Markets seems to have learned from this huge issue.

I really like the "Marketplaces" ... these seem to be user generated and organized. I was asked to join two marketplaces within five minutes of my shop going live, and there are dozens of different marketplaces. You can also ask to join a marketplace, though they all have different rules for membership.

Potential pro, but in my head a con right now, they use Amazon.com for payment. This actually may be a good thing as so many people have accounts as shoppers with Amazon.


CONS

It's pretty new and looks like it's still in a start up phase. I have no idea how sales have been for other shops.

Their fees are higher than Etsy - 5.5% for each item sold plus $0.50. But that is it - there are no hidden fees (according to their fee policy).

They don't use Paypal. All payments go through Amazon. Again, this seems like a con to me right now, but that could be because I'm just used to Paypal. It could be a huge pro. We'll see.

Browsing can be a bit confusing as there are no item categories. It is organized by "Market" or by Shop. There are 168 pages (right now) of shops so there is a lot to see.

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So far that's what I see. Have you joined yet? Do you plan to? Have you had any experience with them yet? I like that there is another option for selling and buying and it looks like a great new option.

Picture It

I think that one of the most important aspects of online selling has to be photography. Unfortunately, it can be a difficult skill to master. I certainly do not think I've mastered it at all, but I have come a long way since I first started selling online.

I wish I could find some of my very first photos but I think I've hidden them. =) I do have some earlier photos though and I want to share those so you can see that I have come a long way. At least I think I have.


This one wasn't so bad, or at least I didn't think so ... but you can see in the corner where there is a background distraction and really the outdoor lighting is too harsh.

This one makes me a little ill to my stomach. The gray looks terrible and the green frame around the photo is distracting. Plus my attempt at a watermark is ridiculous.


Here you can see my failed attempt to take a quick photo inside. The yellow tone is because I was just using indoor lighting and nothing else. I didn't yet have a photo tent at this point.

Now that I do have a photo tent with lights I don't have to wait until it's bright and sunny outside to take my photos. Which is good since I live in Washington State and those days are few and far between.

Yesterday I took a few hundred photos - yes a few hundred. It takes many attempts to get just a few good pictures. So I thought I'd share the untouched attempts and the final edited results.

Here are a few samples from the 17 pictures I took of these earrings. If you want to see all of them in greater detail you can check them out on Flickr.







As you can see, some are blurry, some are too bright, others too dark. There's almost always some sort of fuzz or hair floating around.

I admit to being a lot more lazy lately when it comes to my photos. I should be using my small tripod - especially with the earrings are hanging. It's nearly impossible to get a clear and crisp shot just holding the camera.

My final results aren't that great but you can see what simple editing software and a few minutes can do to improve ghastly photos.








I was really trying to show the flash from the Labradorite since it is gorgeous, but it is tough to capture. I ended up with 7 photos that are decent, though imperfect. Looking at them again I can see a piece of red fuzz that I missed. Oh well.

And I can only use 5 of them in the Etsy listing. So I'll try to pick the best 5 and go with it. They are a simple pair of earrings so I'm not too concerned about attaining the *perfect* photo. I have so many other pieces of jewelry that spending too much time on an inexpensive pair doesn't make a lot of sense.

I hope this post was somewhat helpful. Photography matters a LOT when you sell online. People can't touch, feel, smell, or sense what you are selling except through your photos. They need to be all they can be. =)

Wait ... What are Those???

I seriously thought someone had taken a picture of a cup and saucer with ants crawling on it. Which I was going to say was ridiculous.

But look closer!



How freaking cute is that?!? Although I admit I would have a hard time drinking anything from this cup without a shudder. =) Ants do freak me out you know.

People are so clever. And talented. Excellent piece.

Unintended Consequences

Cross Posting from my other blog Amid Clutter. It's that important.
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The "do something" disease is an epidemic in government. They have to try to make themselves seem relevant so anytime the slightest thing happens that might have a negative impact on their constituents, politicians rush to "do something" to prove that they can solve the problem.

Here we have the government trying to protect our children (it's always all about the children you know) with stringent new requirements for products intended for kids under 12.

Why does this matter? Because, once again, the politicians, in their rush to protect us, did not think through their new law.

One of my favorite things in the world is handmade items like the ones found on Etsy. I sell there and I buy there. When I have a baby I want to be able to buy clothing and toys made from the amazingly talented folks who sell their products on Etsy.

But this law may make that impossible. And it really ticks me off!

I can understand regulating manufacturers importing things in from China. But to affect the livelihoods of super small, sometimes one person, businesses who are crafters and artisans is unnecessary and harmful to the economy.

These are people who are trying to make it on their own by working for themselves. Many of the people on Etsy are understandably concerned that this law will make it impossible for them to sell their goods. And I'm worried that I won't be able to buy their products.

For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however, the costs of mandatory testing will likely drive them out of business.

• A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.
• A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes dolls to sell at craft fairs must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
• A small toy retailer in Vermont who imports wooden toys from Europe, which has long had stringent toy safety standards, must now pay for testing on every toy they import.
• And even the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007.

There is an alliance of artisans and crafts people who are trying to call to the attention of lawmakers the negative consequences of this overreaching bill. Can you help???

Write to your congress person and your senator. Post about this issue on your blog. Sign the petition.

Because the more government sticks its fingers in our lives the more they will do so in the future. First they came for the toy makers ... soon they'll come for the jewelry designers. After all, we know that Chinese jewelry will contain led.

New Business Ideas Get Me Revved Up

I am so excited and my brain is going a thousand miles a minute. A coworker gave some people this really neat gift that she made. I've never seen one exactly like it out there in the crafty world so I told her she should sell them at our gift show next year.

Then I said she needs to set up a site on Etsy. I think she'd do really well! Of course I can't tell you what exactly she's doing but it's personalized and very affordable. =)

What are the first steps to take if you think you have a great idea that can be sold online?

First, research. Research. And research some more. I did not do this when I first started selling jewelry. As with most of my life, I jumped in with both feet without a second thought. In reality it would have been to my benefit to do research first.

Research the cost of supplies. Since her items will all pretty much be the same (with slight predictable variations) she can pretty easily estimate her costs. Knowing the cost to create a widget is vital.

Not only do you need to account for the precise cost to produce the widget, you need to think about the intangible costs...

• Power/Electricity - it costs money to turn your lights on and if you need other types of power it will cost that much more...and it can add up.

• Space - how much space will your work take up in your home? Or will you need to actually go out and rent space?

• Advertising - Business cards, fliers, and any ads you may take out can quickly add up. If you haven't factored in the cost of this into your product you may come up short of funds.

• Office Supplies - I go through a lot of pens. And order forms. Right now I am totally out and really need to go pick up more. They aren't super expensive but every penny adds up.

• Photos - Online sales can only be as good as the photos showing your widget. You should see some of the hideous photos I took when I first started. I cannot believe anyone ever bought a single thing from me (not that I had many online sales at first). I tried to pick a horrible one but this is the worst I could find...and it's a huge improvement from when I truly first started.And it costs money - real money and money in terms of time). A good digital camera is vital. For me, a photo 'tent' was a priceless investment as well. But it was an investment. You can build your own, but I could never make one as good as the one I bought.
  

Include all of the above expenses in the cost of each item. It doesn't have to be an exact cost for all of these intangibles, but they need to be accounted for somehow.

Once you figure out the actual cost of your widget you need to decide what sort of profit you want per widget. Some people figure out the hourly wage they want and then figure out how long each item takes to make.

Others just take the total cost of the widget and multiply it by a certain number. Sometimes two, sometimes three, it just depends on the person. The problem I find with doing it this way is not always accounting for time. Something that doesn't cost a lot in dollars may still take a long time to create.

I sometimes use a combination of the two pricing methods...figuring out a total cost and factoring in my time as well. I don't really want to work for less than minimum wage. =)

My juices are flowing now with ideas from my coworker ... and it's not even my business!

There are other factors to research and consider when starting up a new business but we can talk about those later.

Is Having a "Real" Website Worth it?

I've had my own website for several years now. When I first started out, I tried making my own but found my skill in the area definitely lacking. So I started looking around for someone to help me out and hired someone who helped me create a better site. But it still wasn't what I wanted.

Through networking sites I met and started working with Lightning Bug Designs - I was one of their very first clients. I LOVE their work. Things aren't always perfect because we're all very busy but I'm always happy with the final results. The first site was great but a year later I decided I wanted it changed again.

The second site is what I have now and I love it. We did a change again this year, but not a redesign. This time I decided to remove my shopping cart. It was not an easy decision to make. Having my own shopping cart allowed more flexibility and it also gave a more "professional" feel to the site.

However, sometimes life takes over and I ultimately decided that simplicity was more important than appearing "professional" (because I know some very unprofessional sites that have shopping carts).

I decided that Etsy will be my shopping cart. Have sales slowed? Yes, but it could have more to do with the economy than with my change over to Etsy. I know that some people will prefer not to shop via Etsy and pay via Paypal. So I also have to be a little more flexible with payments. I'll accept money orders but it will take longer for people to get their jewelry that way.

In the end, I may end up adding a cart back to my main website in the future. But for now Etsy is my main focus.

Which is better? I don't think that can be determined ... it is an individual choice and each person will have a different experience. I love Paypal and find it easy and secure to use. Others don't feel the

A website adds legitimacy. Even just having the address www.castocreations.com already gives that air ... but Etsy allows people to leave feedback publically. My rating so far is 100% and I hope it stays that way. To me, that feedback is super important.

I also love that I can see who 'hearts' me ( a way to add a favorite in the Etsy world). I do not contact people who heart me but it is nice to see new people finding my work.

Etsy has a built in audience. When you post a new item it is added to the front page, for at least 15 seconds, but is also added to the top of the list in your category. The list can move fast but for those few minutes you are at the top. To stay visible you need to post several times a day throughout the day.

On a website you can post new items and not be seen for days, weeks, or months depending on your sites SEO. Etsy items are able to be found via search engines as well.

Another huge benefit Etsy offers is affordability. It wasn't inexpensive to have my website built. I won't quote my figures but having an effective site can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 and more.

Etsy charges $0.20 for each item listed and then when the item sells takes 3.5% of the price. If you also use Paypal to receive payments you'll be charged a fee there too. But together they are still a decent cost of a business, in my opinion. It costs me at least $16 a month (that is with no sales) to have a merchant account to take credit cards. On top of that monthly minimum fee, when I do have sales to charge I get charged a percentage of each sale - a different one depending on the card used. Then there are other fees if the customer uses a rewards card or if they return something.

In the end, for small businesses like myself who hand make their products, Etsy is an amazing and wonderful option.

I Finally Got a Treasury

Sheesh. It took me long enough. I have had an idea for a treasury on Etsy for weeks and I kept missing out. I stayed up late just to get one! =)

This link will expire in 3 days ... but feel free to visit and comment until then. I hope you like it!

Christmas is Only 37 Days Away

Are you ready???

I'm actually more prepared than I think I am but I need to sit down and write a list of all the gifts I already have and who they are going to. If you haven't gotten all your gifts yet I'll be blogging about some of my favorite sites, stores, items, and artists over the next few weeks.

One gift that I'm super excited to give is for my Mother in Law. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I ordered this but it looked so beautiful that I couldn't resist. Once I got it in person I was awed.


Hand painted on silk by West Egg Studio this pillow is SO well made. I was truly impressed and I think my mother in law is going to love it. Even my hubby asked if we could get one for ourselves ... though I did veto that. With our dogs a gorgeous work like this would be destroyed.

She has so many different designs. I love this one too.

She's also started offering wonderful hand painted and one of a kind Baby Room art.

Here is a blurb from Lori's site. Her pillows being sold on Etsy are a steal!

I have been in the handpainted pillow business since 1995, and I am delighted to offer some of my retired designs on Etsy! You may recognize many of the designs. These pillows are individually handpainted on fine silk, each an original design, and they have sold around the country through the finest retailers, including Neiman Marcus, Barneys New York and Saks Fifth Avenue.

The pillows have been featured in numerous design and trade magazines, including Victoria, Veranda, Southern Accents, Colonial Homes and Florida Design. Retail on the pillows was from $200-400 EACH. The designs featured on Etsy are retired, so I am able to offer overstock at wholesale prices or below. Many of the pillows are no longer in production, and I have only one left of certain designs. I have noted "last one" if this is the case. I am also selling selected handpainted art on silk (not made into pillows), which you can frame or use as you wish. Thanks for visiting West Egg Studio.

I definitely recommend Lori of West Egg Studio for a unique and treasured gift.

My 5 Seconds of Fame

Thanks to my friend Jennifer I found out that one of my pieces of jewelry was on the front page of Etsy for a few seconds today. *grin* Woohoo! I'm famous!

Well, not really. I don't know why but they rotate that page crazy fast. I swear it must have been up for less than 5 minutes. But it was really exciting and Jen took a screen shot!

That's my necklace in the far bottom right corner. My mom wants that necklace and the matching earrings. Ha! I may have to take it out of my shop if she hasn't bought it before Christmas. It'll be hers if I can't think of anything else to get her.