Etsy Blog Of The Month- May

I just joined a great Etsy team just for Etsy sellers with blogs (check out the button to the right!) and I am really excited to get started in all the fun they do! It's a great way to network to other Etsy sellers and find out about great shops I may have not found on my own. We do giveaways and have carnivals (still learning about what that is) and we feature one member every month on all our blogs.

So, even though it is a little late in the month, I bring to you the Etsy featured blogger for May: CREATEaTHOUGHT! Here is an excerpt from her profile;

"Everyday you are creating thoughts. Thoughts that are interesting and beautiful, profound and deep, silly and funny."

There are lots of amazing creative tools in the CREATEaTHOUGHT store, such as:

This upcycled journal (love the color!)...

I love this 'Imagine The Stars' ring...

And my favorite- this 'Someday you WILL be an astronaut.' Journal! I just love the images and the text on the cover. I could see this being a great gift for a young child just starting to write out their life goals and dreams.

I Heart Thursday (oops I guess Friday!)

So I have been slacking a bit on the I Heart Thursday- but it's ok, I have been busy, and this is just supposed to be fun anyway. As my favorite bumper sticker saying goes (for Ben & Jerry's ice cream, no less- yummm) 'If it's not fun why do it?'. I agree whole heartedly.



Anyway, back to what I heart today and, well, every Spring. More specifically, every May. Lilacs have always been sononomous with May, Memorial Day Weekend, and then my birthday which always seems to fall within Memorial Day weekend or close enough. I used to joke when I was a kid that the Memorial Day parades and dances were for my birthday. Of course, now I am well aware of the significance of Memorial Day and have grown out of such selfish thoughts.



But lilacs have always seemed like they were mine. I have always loved their light purple color, tiny little flowers all clustered together in masse, and the delicate perfume that leaks from them. You only have to pass within a few feet from a lilac bush to catch a sniff of it. They have always seemed to peak in bloom right around my birthday so many a birthday celebration table of mine has been decorated with them.

To me they are innocence and they whisper to me of a simpler time when I had not a care in the world, and my whole life in front of me. They are the beginning of Summer, the almost-end of school, and the start of the next year of my life.



I love that the house we own already had several large lilac bushes around it. Some are huge. Like this one. I spent yesterday afternoon cutting some to place all around my house and the smell is better than any potpourri, candle, or incense.



I hope that all of you have a great Memorial Day weekend and you take some time to stop and smell the lilacs.

Looking On The Bright Side

Have you heard about the Bright Side Project? If you haven't then you really need to check it out! It is the brain child of the authors of two of my favorite blogs LeBlahg and Pancakes and Frenchfries. They decided to do a daily giveaway for 28 days back in February - yes that is what I said 28 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS! And all of them were amazing. Even more amazing is that the response to their little project was so overwhelming that they decided to keep going. And they have been doing a daily giveaway every day since!

I particularly love how they execute their 'sunshine delivered daily' as they call it. Each month has a theme and to enter the givaway you have to answer a question. Sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes silly, and the questions are typically provided by the artist who donated that particular item.

Lest you think that the giveaways are probably not that great, since quantity usually means a loss of quality, let me assure you that they are not. They are actually some of the most beautiful and inspring giveaways I have seen (and I see a lot). Here is a peak at a couple that I entered this week (the theme this month is typography extravaganza :


I have been a fan of the Keep Calm Gallery for a while, and the 'Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining' print is one of my faves!


I had never heard of Maria DeMarco Illustration and Design before seeing this giveaway, but that is one of the great things about The Bright Side Project- even if you don't win you discover all these great shops and artists you didn't know about before!

So, seriously, go check it out!

Carnival Wedding Inspiration Board

click on image to view larger

I have been working on some exciting and unique invitations recently for a carnival themed wedding. They are so different than anything I have done before and I feel extremely lucky that I got hired for the job! My client had an inspiration poster for me to go off of and I think they are turning out pretty fabulous. I can't wait to share them with you here- but they're not quite done yet! Soon, though, I promise :-)

In the meantime I bring you this inspiration board. The idea of a carnival themed wedding is really growing on me- it sounds like so much fun! And there are all sorts of possibilities with favors, food, and even games.

Top Row (left to right): A traditional English Groom's Outfit with top hat- couldn't find any sources online, but this image came from Nothing But Bonfires, (top) bright and colorful tiny lantern lights from the Paper Lantern Store, (bottom) peaked white tent from Wedding's Tents & Events, A photo booth is a perfect prop and can serve as the favors as well, you can rent photo booths in Vermont from Vermont Photo Booth

Middle Row (left to right): Cupcake and Cotton Candy image from Martha Stewart Living, Caramel Apple Favors- image from VT Vows

Bottom Row (left to right): A candy bar would be another great favor idea- love this cheery yellow striped canopy- photo from Budget Dream Weddings, rent a concession stand and make cotton candy and popcorn for your guests (fried dough wouldn't be a bad idea either!), finish the night off with a fireworks show (if your venue allows) image from Celebration Fireworks

Project Wedding

While browsing this afternoon I stumbled accross an amazing wedding resource site called Project Wedding. The site is full of useful information and inspiration– from stories of real weddings to DIY ideas this site has it all. They even offer a free wedding website service!

Here are some of the inspirational things I found at Project Wedding:

A great tablescape for a beach themed wedding.

Adorable DIY Homemade Jam & Bread favor idea from Jordan Fernay of Oh Happy Day (where I found Project Wedding in the first place).

Gorgeous white and green themed wedding–be still my heart!

Mother's Day Giveaway Winner

Chosen by random generator, the winner of the 'Turquoise & Amber DANCE' is...........

Becky!

Congratulations on winning my first ever giveaway! I will send your email information to Kelly of All Things Simple so she can arrange shipment.

Spring Has Sprung

It might have been around for a couple of weeks already. Technically it started a month and a half ago.


But we live in Vermont. And it takes a while for Spring to officially start here (and it doesn't last too long either).


And even when you think it is here for good, a snowstorm in April, or even May is not unheard of.


But I think its finally here to stay.

**psst- don't forget to enter my Etsy giveaway here!**

Spreading Etsy Love

**psst- don't forget to enter my Etsy giveaway here!**

Today I decided to share some of my favorite things from Made In Vermont Etsy artisans. Vermont is a pretty artsy place and almost everyone I know has some sort of craft that they are into. So it's no surprise that there are many talented Vermont crafters on Etsy. Here is a sample of some of my recent faves:

Soap and Organic Wash Cloth Set - by fuzzybunny

I love everything about this gift set! It's organic (and you know I am a crunchy granola type) and the colors are so bright and cheerful. It would make a great gift for anyone- who doesn't use soap?? And I especially love the chunky look of the handmade wash cloth- you aren't going to find anything like that at Bath & Body Works.

Sustainable Spalted Walnut and Oak Jewelry Box- by westcorinthstudios

Here is another product that speaks to my crunchy, granola side- a jewelry box made out of sustainable wood! And it's gorgeous, isn't it? I really like the two tone look from the two different types of wood used to make it and the craftsmanship is unbeatable.

Amber Chip Beaded Necklace- by JennyLynnJewelry

I love amber and this necklace showcases many of the beautiful tones that it can come in. From light blush pink to deep burnt orange the stones in this necklace are beautiful! I like all of the irregular shapes too- goes better with my personality than uniform beads- hehe!

Silk Handkerchief with custom text- by ArtfulBeginnings

Since this is sort of a wedding themed blog I figured I should include something applicable to that (you know, other than my awesome hand-crafted wedding invitations that are on Etsy!). ArtfulBeginnings suggests this charming blue handkerchief be your 'something blue' and you can customize the text on it to be your vows, a meaningful poem, or perhaps just record the details of your wedding day. Unique AND meaningful!

Win A Set Of My Custom Note Cards!

Kelly of The Mystical Kingdom is hosting a Mother's Day Giveaway of a set of my custom note cards! Leave a comment over on this post to enter!

Thanks Kelly for the wonderful write up on Truly Noted!

*Don't forget to sign up to win my giveaway- a beautiful original painting by Kelly Todd of All Things Simple!*

Made In Vermont Giveaway #3!

I am really excited to bring you the third in a series of giveaways the Made In Vermont Etsy Street Team is hosting for Mother's Day because it is being hosted here on Truly Noted! This will mark my first giveaway ever on my blog and the best part is that it happens to be a gorgeous original, signed watercolor painting done by Kelly Todd of All Things Simple.

9" x 11" on 140lb. watercolor paper, "The Turquoise and Amber DANCE" is a one of a kind painting inspired by Kelly's butterflies painting. Simple and elegant, this painting will be a perfect gift for a Mother or Grandmother, or for yourself if you can't bear to give it away! The painting is not matted or framed so you can choose your desired effect.

There are three ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post (make sure to include your email address)
2. Link to this giveaway on your blog (then leave me a comment letting me know that you did with the URL)
3. Follow us on twitter and tweet this giveaway - leave me the permalink of your tweet (you can get this by clicking on the time of your tweet) https://twitter.com/VermontmadeEtsy

The giveaway will end at 11:59 pm EST on May 10th and I will contact the winner to arrange shipment!


About All Things Simple:

All Things Simple is a little shop in northern Vermont.We specialize in all handmade items made from 100% natural materials,paints or fibers. Our passion for crafting is inspired by our children and our waldorf lifestyle. We are a homeschooling family of Five. We believe in living a simple and natural lifestyle and strive to create a gentle and embracing environment for our children. We feel that natural toys awaken the child's creativeness and awaken their spirits!

We enjoy making things together as a family and we hope that our love shows in our creations. All of the crafts and toys I make are made in the Waldorf tradition, using natural materials and leaving much to the child's imagination.

Made In Vermont Giveaway #2

Head on over to The Mystical Kingdom for the second Mother's Day giveaway item from the Made in Vermont Etsy Team! This beautiful hand-felted rose pin is from Botanicopia and is sure to warm the heart of any mother, or grandmother, or sister, or aunt, or best friend, or keep it for yourself! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here!