Etsy Owls

Etsy Owls Black Friday Sales!

2010-11-25T00:28:00.035-05:00

Check out all of these great Owlie shops for some amazing Black Friday specials.

Please read the details of each sale, as some members are only running on certain days. With Etsy's new coupon code feature, you should also check the Shop Announcements and see if there's a new Coupon Code for some amazing specials!

Shops are presented below in alphabetical order. Again, please make sure you check Shop Announcements for new details about individual sales, and pay attention to dates!

ADragonflysDream

Free Worldwide Shipping!

AnaDiazArte

11/26 - 11/29 weekend SALE!!!!! Thanksgiving Sale! 15% off @ my shop. Please note: I will be shipping on Tuesday, 11/30/10

Use coupon code THKSGIVINGSALE15 during checkout.

BlackCatMima

Black Friday Weekend Sale! 10% off your Entire Purchase November 24 - 29, 2010

Use Coupon Code BFWE10 at Checkout

BumperStickersNMore

15% off storewide! Sale ends 11/30. Same special also available at her handmade shop SweetGrassValley

Coupon Code at Checkout: CMASSHOPWKND

ChicBoutiqueJewelry

Free Shipping on All Orders over $10.

DreamBirdPhotos

50% off Storewide! Sale ends at the end of the day Cyber Monday, 11/29/2010.

Coupon Code: HALFPRICEPHOTO

Jonikay52

Free shipping from Black Friday to Dec. 15th. Added special 15% discount on all items Black Fri. and Cyber Mon.

No Coupon Code! Contact Jonikay52 for questions.

SpunkiChick25

CYBER MONDAY ONLY! 40% off Storewide

Coupon Code: CYBERMONDAY

Until December 25th, Holiday Sale! 15% off Storewide.

Coupon Code: HOLIDAY15. (Cannot be combined with Cyber Monday sale!)

Dreamy Jamie Knits (or suenosdejmi)

50% off storewide starting Black Friday 11/26/2010 & ending end of day Cyber Monday, 11/29/2010.

Coupon Code: BLACKFRIDAYSALE.

For Thanksgiving Day, and after Cyber Monday, ending end of day Monday, December 6th, get 25% off storewide!

Coupon Code: Discount25

(These sales cannot be combined!)

YadYarn!

Free Sbipping Store Wide! Shipping is already adjusted, Sale Ends 12/3

Halloween Challenge!

2010-10-05T16:43:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween from Us! Vote for your favorites using the poll in the column on the right! Voting will close on Tuesday the 12th at 6pm Eastern time. Click the links to check out the Etsy listings. Do it! They're all awesome!

Also see our other non-challenge Halloween items by clicking here

Madcanvases: Halloween Note Cards

SuenosdeJmi's Gargoyle Amigurumi:

Vee41dmb's Spider Woman Necklace

Zemphira's Owl on a Pumpkin Art Quilt Brooch

Showcase: ADragonflysDream

2010-09-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Etsy Owls member ADragonflysDream was the only participant in our June summer challenge. Her entry was this darling Lemon Drop Teardrop Necklace. Below is some of her other pieces. I love her use of cute little charms, like the camper or the gnome! Check out her shop!

Squarejane Featured on Parenting.com!

2010-09-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

Kudos to SquareJane for having one of her awesome Halloween costumes featured on Parenting.com! That's a big deal!

Here's her feature.

Check out her costumes too!

Get Ready For Halloween!

2010-09-07T12:00:00.001-04:00

It's not too early! We're starting now!

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull mask by PrayingForFall

Cobweb Gift Tag Set by Gypsyeye

Jack O Lantern by Zemphira

Zombie Bride Wedding Dress by Squarejane

Burlesque BabyBeaded Satin Choker by pink80sgirl

Candy Corn Halloween Bobby Pin by BlackCatMima

New Owls Members From August!

2010-09-06T18:26:00.000-04:00

I'm a bit behind on the introductions, but welcome to our new August Members!

Cleaning Crew, Coming Through!

2010-09-06T17:36:00.002-04:00

Don't mind me, I'm just getting the dust off this blog and making it ready to rock for fall! Stay tuned, it's going to be totally awesome!

New Etsy Owls Members!

2010-06-16T15:21:00.000-04:00

Yep Yep! We've been on a membership hiatus since March, but now we're rolling again! So lets meet our new members. Click the links to find these goodies and more in their shops:

Remixstudio goes shopping!

2010-06-10T20:11:00.003-04:00

With the kick-off of summer, I've also kick-off my newest craft obsession: Moleskine notebooks. But not just any Moleskine notebooks, the ones that are hand printed, often either letterpress, gocco, or screen printing. The notebooks come in a variety of sizes, colors, with grided pages, lined page, or blank pages. Basically there is something for everyone.

Not only do I want to snap up every single one I find on Etsy, I also want to start crafting them myself. But with so many choices on how, I think I'll just have to buy a bunch, and give it a-go!

Brought to you by Remixstudio:

Owlie Feature - MAB Jewelry

2010-05-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

Ahhhh, MAB. Laura of MAB Jewelry is a slightly "newish" member, and she fits right in! I think she was made for our group! And she makes fabulous jewelry.

Laura started making bracelets with her mom and many of her pieces are inspired by movies.

Laura also has a love affair with Project Runway. But we love her in spite of that! :)

Rock on, MAB. Rock on.

Owlie Feature - Bumper Stickers n More

2010-05-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Bumper Stickers n More is another one of our newer team members. And yes, as the name implies, she does have bumper stickers. Cool vintage bumperstickers. And other nifty vintage goodies!

Interestingly, Bumper found many of her stickers in the attic of her home. How cool is that??

She also makes Native American jewelry, which she has in her second shop, SweetGrassValley.

Rock on, Bumper. Rock on.

Owlie Feature - Zemphira

2010-05-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

Sara, of Zemphira, has all kinds of delightful things in her shop. Art dolls, aprons, zipper pouches, snack bags . . . . the list goes on!

And owls! You can't mention Zemphira without mentioning owls! She designed the pattern with her daughter.

I have no idea where she finds the time to create everything she does - she has 4 kids! But create she does, and we're thankful for that!

Rock on, Sara. Rock on.

HollyStott Going Out of Business Sale!

2010-05-11T20:09:00.000-04:00

Holly of HollyStott's having this crazy going out of business sale, and she's listing loads of supplies. So, you jewelry people, go check it out!

Owlie Feature - Very Vee

2010-05-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Very Vee (vee41dmb) is one of our newer Owlies. And she makes some pretty fab jewelry.

Vee has only recently begun selling on Etsy (though she's shopped there for over 2 years). Which makes her a newbie seller too!

Now, most of Vee's treasures are jewelry, but she also dabbles in amigurumi. Go figure . . .

Rock on, Vee. Rock on.

Cinco De Mayo Challenge!

2010-05-04T22:13:00.000-04:00

Happy 5th of May everyone! We decided to celebrate by having a Cinco de Mayo creative challenge. We did it kind of last minute, so we've only got 3 entries, but they're 3 amazing entries! Vote in the poll on the right for your favorite! Voting will end Tuesday May 11th.

Also, information on Cinco de Mayo

In alphabetical order:

Anadiazarte and her Agave Tequilana Freeform Crochet Brooch

IckyDogCreations and her Bulgy Eyed Cinco de Mayo Chihuahua

Zemphira and her Frida Kahlo Snap Pouch

Owlie Feature - Suenosdejmi

2010-04-28T07:00:00.002-04:00

Since this blog is devoted to the Etsy Owls Street Team, I thought it would be appropriate to showcase a member here each week. And to kick start this new feature, why not showcase our fearless leader?!?!

Suenosdejmi is run by the fabulous Jamie Collins. Who is awesome. She knits and crochets and is the brain behind almost everything Owlie. Because, well, she's awesome.

Jamie makes the most wonderful scarves and cowls, fingerless gloves and adorable amigurumi (dude, I'm still waiting on cow butt - sorry, inside joke).
She's a wee bit obsessed with Harry Potter, but I'll forgive her for that. :)
She spent 3 months studying in Spain, and that makes her one lucky broad! Well, that, and it also lead her to photography (of which she has some really gorgeous shots in this shop).

So, rock on, Jamie. Rock on.

Owl Spotlight: JamieLeto

2010-04-27T13:14:00.000-04:00

I started jamieleto.etsy.com in 2007, about 3 years ago, and within the past three years my shop has been opened, closed, reopened, reinvented, you name it. I began with sewing little stuffed monsters to knitting scarflettes to making jewelry to writing cut-paste zines and everything in between.

Despite having loves of all different DIYs and dabbling in each category and finding my temporary niche in each one, it was always sort of an underlying dream of mine to be making decoupage creations. For the past 6 years I've been an avid collage maker, and have collaged entire walls with pictures I've hand picked. I just find it so interesting and rewarding for some reason I can't explain. This year I finally found it in me to dedicate my shop to decoupaged creations.

Last christmas I made my boyfriend a decoupage frame with little green triangles that took me forever but I loved the outcome. I really just enjoyed doing it and the meticulous nature of it; just putting pieces together, like a puzzle. I just sort of fell in love with decoupage. So after being on a shop hiatus for a while, I began to create more and more and decided to get back up and running again. I chose the name mélange, which means collection, because I think of these collaged products as a collection of ideas because I think that's what magazines are: collections of photos, words, ideas.

Red Angle Decoupage Heart Mirror

Green Angle Decoupage Box

Aside from just doing what I love, I'm happy to do it with recycled products. With my collaging addiction I have tons of old magazines lying around and now I've found an awesome, profitable, sustainable way to use them. If you're interested in getting rid of any old magazines e-mail me at jamieleto@hellokitty.com . Depending on the amount I may be able to take them off your hands as long as you are willing to pay shipping.

Quadro Decoupage Frame

thanks for reading owls (:

http://jamieleto.etsy.com

New And Notable Monday 4/26

2010-04-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

Hand Stamped Disk Necklace by AoDesigns

Bird Nest Charms by GoldenPondStudio

Bruised Love Bracelet by Vee41dmb

Soft Green Flower Necklace with Earrings by Jonikay52

Today's New and Notable is all jewelry, because that's what's new! As always, check out all the new from the Etsy Owls Team here

O Rly?

2010-04-21T16:30:00.001-04:00

Ya Rly!

No Wai! There's so many cute little plush owls on Etsy! These are just the beginning...

( the rest are here )

The New Generation of Treasury- EAST!

2010-04-20T13:12:00.001-04:00

Lately I feel like I should just wear a sign around my neck that says "Treasury East is AWESOME!" because it seems like everywhere I "go" I'm telling someone about it.

Until recently, it had been quite a while since my last Treasury. They were hard to catch, I was never online when they became available, etc. With Treasury East there's no longer any waiting to catch a treasury, they are unlimited! All you have to do is push a button, and VOILA, your very own Treasury!

For those of you that enjoyed the chase and are a little disappointed, the ease of getting a new treasury comes with some fun perks that make it worth it.

The whole world of Treasury East is cleaner, fancier, and just screams 'buy me!' They have fancy 'share' tools, where you can build, then tweet your treasury right there on the spot! Each now holds 16 items (no longer have any alternate spots), items will stay until you replace them (even if they sell), you can create as many lists as you'd like, AND they don't expire!

Why are you still here? Why aren't you off making a Treasury?!?! :)

p.s. I've made two so far, and they'd like your love, if you want to randomly see what one looks like. :)

Lend a Helping Hand For Autism

Get Geeky about Team ESST!

New and Notable Monday!

2010-04-19T16:23:00.000-04:00

Franken Bunny by IckyDogCreations

Peach Plum Punch Necklace by lalala08

Red & Black Quilted Potholders by RitasCreationsOnEtsy

Small Kisslock Coin Purse by Zemphira

These pieces were selected by browsing our team search tag. I try to mix up the mediums, so there's definitely more new and notable there already, so go check it out!

Help Us Support Autism!

2010-04-01T20:44:00.000-04:00

One of our Owlies, lalala08 is walking in this year's Walk Now For Autism in her area. To support her awesome efforts, we've got an Autism section in our shop. 100% of proceeds from this section will go straight to the Walk!

Help us help others by making a purchase, a donation (by clicking through to the link above) or simply by promoting Autism Awareness during April, Autism Awareness Month.

For more information about autism, and what you can do to help (and why helping is so important!) visit Autism Speaks

Beware of Easter Identity Theft!

2010-03-30T13:17:00.014-04:00

Darn bunnies, deceiving us with cuteness. . .

Easter Finds!

2010-03-26T09:31:00.006-04:00

With Easter just around the corner, I thought it only appropriate to showcase some adorable Easter items on Etsy!

Crocheted chick and Easter basket

thehatshop

Felted bunny with carrot

scratchcraft

Easter bunnybird

sabahnur

Easter owl

moonspiritstudios

There's plenty more squeel-inducing Easter goodies on Etsy!

Easter basket ideas from the OWLs team!

2010-03-25T15:46:00.010-04:00

Buttons the Bunny Puppet

squarejane

Alice in Wonderland Iphone cozy

HappyKATT

Little pink beaded flower ponytail holder

Tattietats

When Pigs Fly amigurumi

suenosdejmi

Zombie bunny

IckyDogCreations

Spring Dragonfly bookmark

vee41dmb

Pink Easter Bunny

zemphira

Fuzzy Bunny Necklace

MABjewelry

Blue Hue Rose bobby pin and ring set

GoldenPondStudio

A parliament of colorful felt owls from sassypackratstudios

2010-03-24T10:01:00.008-04:00

A parliament of colorful felt owls, all representing the Tutti Fruiti clan, from sassypackratstudios, perfect for Easter baskets!
Greenie

Pinkie

Rosie

Sunshine

And Teal

Etsy Owls Spring Cleaning Sale!

2010-03-19T00:01:00.007-04:00

Come help us clean up and get ready for Spring! We're having a week long Spring Cleaning sale starting this Saturday, the first day of Spring! The sale will end the 28th, so check out the good deals while they last!

Come hang out with some Etsy Owls members and get a Preview of great specials and deals in the Etsy Chat Rooms TONIGHT Friday night at 6pm eastern! Look for the SALE Sneak Peek Room!

Search etsyowlsteam on Etsy to see the variety our team has to offer!

Here's our Spring Cleaning Sale participants, visit their shops for more information! Items featured here might not be on sale, please check shop announcements for sale details!

Bonfires: Free Shipping on all cards!

bumblebirch:

10-25% off all stitch markers and skeins of yarn.

bumperstickersnmore: Buy One, Get One Free!

Dreambirdphotos: $3 5x7 prints!

gadgetgear: Check her shop for a special Spring cleaning section!

goldenpondstudio: Check out her 30% off sale section

happykatt: 20% off all knits!

hooksandeyes:
Free Shipping on All Crocheted Items!

ickydogcreations: Free Shipping!

jonikay52: Free Shipping on Jewelry only!

katscozykrafts: Free Shipping and 35% off. Prices not adjusted!

Keriredmondwade

Buy One Get One FREE on all Vintage and Supplies. Refund via Paypal after purchase.

Gypsyeye

Sale Section!

mabjewelry: Free Shipping Plus a Sale Section!

spottedtummy: Sale Section!

suenosdejmi: Free U.S & Canada Shipping plus a Sale Section!

tattietats: Check out her sale section!

Zemphira

Check out her sale section! Also, check out her Bunny specials!

Treasury time!

2010-03-18T21:51:00.001-04:00

See it live here

Live Owl Nest Box Cam

2010-03-17T22:28:00.004-04:00

I ran across this online today, for all of you owl fans. It's an amazing and mesmerizing sight. A fellow has placed cameras in a female barn owl's nesting box. The owlets are due to hatch any moment. The female owl is named Molly, and her dude's name is McGee. It's amazing to watch how she cares for the eggs, moving them around so they don't get too warm. When McGee shows up, she makes all kinds of racket. Plus, you may even get to see them eat, amazing and disgusting simulatenously!
I have to warn you, it is addictive. I don't want to miss the eggs hatching. Owlets! Yes!
You can view the cam here. Enjoy!

Shop Unique with ArtTales!

2010-02-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

A couple of our members stumbled across this shop, and we all fell in love! Her items are made from recycled materials (she stuffs them with plastic bags, for starters!) and are all free-form ideas from her imagination. Just LOOK at the plushy cuteness!!!

OMG Owlies!

Tribal Leftz

Mama & Babe

ArtTales, thanks for being awesome and unique! We all covet a Leftz plushie of our own!!

(Why are you still reading this blog post? Go to her shop NOW!)

Adventures in Dyeing with Suenosdejmi ( Owl Spotlight )

2010-02-17T00:19:00.003-05:00

I've spent the last good while coveting and drooling over handdyed yarns. Gorgeous colorways and combinations of color that make me go oooooh....anyone who knits or crochets has been there. But they're always sooo expensive! Sure, they're worth it, but we can't all shell out that kind of money. I definitely can't.
After running across the fact somewhere that people dye with Kool-Aid, I decided to work up the courage to try it myself. That time's finally come.

Before I was ready to attempt it myself, I've spent a good amount of time gathering resources. It's helpful to know what direction to go in before you try it out. Some really handy tutorials are over at Knitty KnitPicks and a pretty useful tutorial over at A Beautiful Life

I read and reread these articles, and others, and visited some groups on Ravelry, just trying to soak up the details of how to do it. When I started earlier, I discovered very quickly that this isn't like knitting, there's no pattern. There's just what to do and what not to do, and then you, your yarn, and the colors you choose. Everything else just happens as you go along.

I decided to approach it in small doses by test dyeing only a little at a time. My method would be microwave dyeing. My first attempt was overdyeing (dyeing a yarn that is already colored) some Patons Classic Wool Merino, a bit over 2 yards. Mine was a light blue when it started out.

I soaked it a bit then tried the hand-painted approach, I put it out on a grocery bag and dabbed it with bits of grape, lemon lime, and black cherry. Now, I learned the hard way that you want this yarn to be fairly damp when you do this, and when you go to microwave it, for the love of God don't add it to water! (which I might or might not have actually done...)

The result was (okay, so I did that, duh..) that the colors ended up seeping out into the water, and swirling around a bit as the yarn soaked up the dye, so I got a bit of a heathered look. I like it, but it wasn't at all what I wanted.

At this point, my water wasn't clear. It actually wasn't anywhere close to clear. I wondered what would happen if I took my second yarn (Condon's Wool in a very light tan color) and just added it to the purple-ish water. I took a little bit (7 yards) and just plopped it in there, and put it back in the microwave for a few minutes. The color instantly took to this yarn (this is obviously the winner yarn here). I had a solid very light purple red yarn. What would happen if I handpainted some green on it?

I made sure the yarn was very damp, and very gently added small amounts of green to it in sections around the loop. then i spooned a bit more water on it to help dampen it, and put it back in the microwave (without water added, obviously!)

This was that result:

By testing, I learned that it works best for me to get a solid color then try to add others to it, but would that work for a lot more yarn? This third dye is about an ounce, I think. It came as an addition to my 4 oz skein of Condon's. (I'll measure it for sure when it's dry and ready to ball up, so we'll know for sure then)

First I soaked it for about 20 minutes in just warm water, to allow it to get really damp. Be careful not to use too hot water, or to agitate it in hot water, as you'll felt your yarn.

Then i removed the yarn from the water, mixed in some black cherry koolaid (about a tsp) and added the yarn again. The websites all say that it doesn't matter how much water you add, as it doesn't dilute the dye any, it's all about the amount of powder to the amount of yarn. I've been using small amounts because I'm dyeing small amounts, most sites recommend a packet of koolaid per ounce of yarn.

I put my yarn back in the microwave for 2 minutes, then let it sit in the microwave for about 5 minutes, and then repeated the process again. The next time, I took some grape, about half a tsp, and added it only to the part of the water in the middle and mixed it a bit, hoping to get a darker turnout in the middle. This is the time where I added the grape.

Overall I repeated the microwave process about 4 times (over the commercial breaks of LOST) until the water was clear. All the tutorials say that the water will be clear, and boy was I shocked to see that it was actually clear!

This is the end result:

From what I can tell, the grape didn't really take in the middle, it probably just blended in with the overall coloration.

Now, because I can't be ultimately happy with one gorgeous solid color, I had to take it further. While soaking the yarn in some water, I took two coffee cups and mixed some dye in them, one grape, the other lemonlime.

From my second testing, I remembered the black cherry taking the lemon lime well. So I decided to see how well it'd take it. I put about half a tsp of dye in each cup, and making sure the yarn that wasn't in a cup was really damp, put it back in the microwave for 2 minutes.

After two trips through, I brought it out and covered it with the pyrex dish (that the cups are sitting in) and let the yarn steep a bit. After about 10 minutes, it had soaked up all the green dye (with little result) and was working on the purple dye. I added the rest of my green koolaid (about another half tsp) and put it back in the cup and put the pyrex dish back on top. About 10 minutes later, the water in both cups was almost clear, and I had this:

The green isn't entirely saturated all the way through, but it's a nice representation. The darker end is a bit of a light purple. I'm quite pleased with the end results, and can't wait to try some more!!!

Love Gone Wrong Valentine's Day Challenge

2010-02-01T16:18:00.002-05:00

This year we'd like to pay hommage to the imperfect side of love. Heartbreak, lies, zombies....you know, the stuff that the Commercialization of Love glosses over.

Our 'Love Gone Wrong' Challenge focuses on just that, love gone wrong. In some instances, way wrong.

Thanks to everyone who entered. Vote. All of you. Look for the poll. Over there ------------->

Be sure to click through to check out the items on Etsy!

What the Knit?!?!

2010-01-21T22:22:00.003-05:00

Some fun fiber/knitting related Geekery. :)

New from the Owls!

2010-01-19T19:56:00.001-05:00

Here are some new items from the Owls team! Check them all out!

Owlies in the New Year

2010-01-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

Hey! I bet you're wondering where we are and what we're doing!

Well, we're gearing up for 2010!

(but you're thinking it's already 2010, right?, sure you are!)

So, what we're doing is taking some new members, we got a pretty big batch for January, so shout outs to new members:
hooksandeyes , enoreelapo, bumperstickersnmore bonfires radicalrecycks ritascreationsonEtsy

We're gearing up to have a Valentine's Day Challenge with a Twist, so watch for more info on that soon! Also, we're hopefully going to have some new Owlie bloggers coming up! Yay!

More Holiday Cooking with RemixStudio!

2009-12-30T12:00:00.002-05:00

Today's snack would make a great New Years Eve party snack! Remixstudio wanted to share this simple but yummy pretzel recipe, so what are you waiting for? Get to it!

Chocolate Pretzel Sticks

Okay, so I don't have an official name for these, but they are super simple, and if you have kids around, easy for them to help with.

Ingredients:

Long pretzel sticks

Chocolate Almond Bark and or White Almond Bark

Nutella (Optional)

A variety of toppings if you so choose (I used almonds, pecans, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, ground up health bar, and coconut for mine.)

Melt your Almond bark in the microwave, or a double boiler. It's a pot with water and I just stuck another bowl over the top. There are fancy pots for that out there. I don't own one. If you so choose, spoon in a tablespoon or so of nutella. Yum!

Break your long pretzel sticks in half.

Separate into bowls the toppings you want, and grind or chop up the things like pecans, or chocolate chips.

Dip the broken side into your now really warm chocolate.

And sprinkle with whatever toppings you so choose! This is the part that is great for the kiddos. I did a bit of everything, and a few plain.

Let the chocolate get hard again, and then enjoy.

Holiday Cooking with the Owls--Kiflis with BeanLennon

2009-12-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

Some of our Owls decided to share some holiday recipes! Hope everyone's having a happy holiday season with your loved ones! Check back for another recipe tomorrow, and look for us to be back and rolling in 2010!

Kiflis with BeanLennon

(Editor's Note: I had to use the Wiki to find out what kiflis are...)

As far as ingredients go, this is a simple recipe. The hard part comes in rolling out and filling the dough. It takes patience, and preferably two people. This recipe will make 4-5 dozen, if done right.

Ingredients:

Dough--

4 cups flour

1 lb. butter, room temp.

6 egg yolks, beaten (see photo below)

1 cup sour cream

Filling--

1.5 lb. chopped walnuts

3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

6 egg whites

1/2-1 teaspoon lemon juice

To make dough: Mix flour and butter as for pastry. I throw mine in my Kitchenaid, and it makes it so much easier!

Add yolks and sour cream. Mix well. Chill the dough overnight. The dough has to be cold so it can be rolled out easily!

When you're ready to roll the next day, heat the oven to 350. Make the filling by beating the egg whites until frothy. Again, my Kitchenaid is a boon when it comes to this step, but you can use a whisk or handheld mixer too.

Slowly add the powdered sugar to the whites and beat each time. Add the lemon juice, and then fold in the walnuts.

Set up the "rolling station." This is when it's best to have two people...one to roll the dough and one to fill the dough, roll it up, and put in the oven. You need plenty of flour available for rolling, and we used a marble rolling pin/board so that the dough stays colder.

Roll the dough into quarter-sized balls, and roll them into flat circle. The flatter the dough, the flakier the pastry! Hint: Use plenty of flour because the dough will stick. (If the dough gets too sticky, throw it in the freezer for awhile). Fill each pastry circle with a spoonful of filling.

Roll the filling up into the dough, pinching the ends, and curving into a crescent shape. Ours turned out a little wacky because I have zero patience.

Bake 15-20 minutes. The kiefels might burst open when baking, but that's okay! Remove them immediately from the pan, and sprinkle with more powdered sugar if you like. Kiefels freeze well too!

Hootables launches!

2009-12-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

Yep, yep! We've finally got our first post over at Hootables!! Come check it out to see a variety of gifts from us Owls! And stay tuned for some holiday features here as well! Happy Holidays!!

Etsy Owls Team Scavenger Hunt!

2009-11-25T10:47:00.003-05:00

Several of our members have joined together to host a team scavenger hunt, we think it's a fun addition to our Black Friday Bonanza and a great way to get yourself an extra 10%off our bonanza sale specials.

All you have to do is start here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/OffTheWall
In one of the stores items where the 5 item pics are listed you will find an image of this:

In that items description you will find a link to the next participating Owls member shop. Follow the links and images to the last store, making a list of which shop and shop item you found the image, and once you are done email the list to prayingforfall@gmail.com.
If you have it right a promo code will be emailed back to you that you can use for an additional 10%off at the shops that were part of the scavenger hunt during our Black Friday Bonanza sale.

So keep your eyes peeled and good luck! Gobble Gobble Gobble!

Black Friday Bonanza!!

2009-11-12T21:32:00.011-05:00

The Etsy Owls Black Friday Bonanza is running from Thanksgiving Day through December 6th. Each shop has a specific sale, and some shops might be running different dates, so check out shop announcements for the full scoop! Here's a preview of some of the specials in advance. You can't get the specials yet, but you can start favoriting and planning in advance! Odds are, if you're looking for that certain gift, someone here has just the thing!

Plush Christmas Trees by TattieTats

Prices reduced 30%

Free Priority Shipping on orders over $50

11/26 through 12/6

Zombie Snowman Ornament

by IckyDogCreations

15% off Storewide, 11/26 through 12/1

Bright Eyes Owl Painting

by lalala08

Buy One Get One Free, 11/27 through 11/30

Free Gift with Purchase

Gray Stars Tshirt Purse by remixstudio

Free Worldwide Shipping

11/27 through 11/30

Set of 4 Handwoven Cotton Towels by beanlennon

Buy One, Get One Half Off--11/26 through 12/6

Bumblebirch is celebrating the Black Friday Bonanza with discounts from 5-25% off! Check out the sale section for daily specials on yarn, stitch markers, and stationary! Sale dates 11/26 through 12/6

Forest Flower Superwash Merino

Personalized Choo Choo tag by WeiOpenSecret

10% off your total order 11/26 through 12/6

Gift bag set by thatDESIGNshop

20% off storewide 11/26 through 12/6

Jeff the BlackEyed Pea

by GubFactory

20% off Storewide, 11/26 through 12/6

Mocha Latte Wool Cable Knit Gloves

by Squarejane

Buy One Get One Free

(pay shipping on free item!)

11/26 through 12/6

The Mega Cowl by suenosdejmi

PICK YOUR SALE!
Special sale sections include 50% off, Buy One Get One Free, and Free Shipping
See Shop Announcement for details before purchase!

Silk Crochet Choker by anadiazarte

Free Shipping 11/27 - 11/30

Free Ring with Purchase 11/27 through 12/6

Lady Godiva Rides Necklace

by PrayingforFall

40% off Storewide

11/26 through 12/6

The Dutchess of Malfi Necklace

by MABjewelry

20% off storewide, free worldwide shipping

11/26 through 12/6

Silver Autumn Circle Earrings by fashionablychic

35% off total order

Free Shipping plus Free Gift

11/26 through 12/6

Ice Ice Bangle by knitandpearl

50% off storewide 11/27 through 11/29

Nemo Earrings by HollyStott

30% off Storewide, 11/26 through 12/6

Christmas Owl Pin by BlackCatMima

15% off Storewide, 11/27 through 12/6

Mocha Pearl Necklace by Taw0106

20% off Storewide and Free Shipping

11/26 through 12/6

Red Leaves over the Moon by HeesenJewellery

Free WORLDWIDE shipping 11/26 through 12/6

Owl Spotlight: Suenosdejmi

2009-11-07T23:39:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to recycle my own yarn forever, but I haven't had the courage to try it before now. I found this really excellent tutorial on the process the other night and summoned up the courage to try it. I went out thrifting yesterday and found this glorious sweater at Goodwill. The yarn's a 60/40 Cotton/Acrylic mix, and the colors are dreamy. Plus, it only cost me $2! (sorry, the picture's icky!)

When shopping, I checked for 1)types of seams 2)weight of yarn (I really wanted heavy worsted yarn, lots of sweaters are made with smaller yarns and I didn't want to go that way on the first try) 3)price (because why pay a lot for it when I don't have to!)

If you want to try this yourself, it's important to know what to look for before you get started. There are only certain sweaters that can be unraveled, some can't be due to the way they were constructed. Look at the tutorial above which shows really good detail example of the types of seams to look for. Once you get that down pat, the rest should be easy.

So, I've got my sweater with the right seams, and I started unraveling. The tutorial says to cut it, but I'm kind of a chicken, so before I started cutting, I spent some time with a small crochet hook unlacing it a bit. You can see the fine thread that the sweater's sewn together with, and once you know how to look for it, it's easy to cut. The sweater pulls right apart.

When I got to the sleeve section, I found that the sleeve would come straight out, just like frogging stitches. This is the hole where the sleeve would be attached.

After the sleeve is seperated, I went across the shoulder and around the collar. The collar was horrid! At this point I've figured out that the stitches used to connect all the pieces are slip stitches, and that if you can find them on the side and cut every few stitches, it comes apart easier and you run much less risk of cutting the sweater yarn. Once I finished the neck, I went across the other shoulder, back around the second sleeve, and back down the other seam.

Here are the 4 pieces, two sleeves and the front and back panels.

After this, I looked around for a corner, found a tied off spot, and started unraveling. :) This is the yarn from the front and back panels, I'm guessing it's about sport weight.

I haven't unraveled the sleeves yet. I'm excited about giving this sweater new life. I'm thinking the yarn shown here will be a nice scarf, double stranded, and the sleeves could definitely make some gloves. It's sooo soft, so some nice stuff will come from this.

I love the process and will definitely do this again! :)

Dia de Los Muertos Challenge

2009-11-01T21:11:00.003-05:00

The Owls are here with another challenge! We've crafted up some items in honor of Dia de los Muertos (also known as Day of the Dead or All Souls Day). The holiday is celebrated on November 2nd (after the Catholic holiday of All Saints Day) and honors those who have passed on before us.

Vote for your favorite in the poll on the left. You can click through to see each of the items on Etsy. Voting will end Monday the 9th at noon eastern time.

Owls find fall (or leaves)

2009-10-27T15:48:00.003-04:00

With Halloween practically upon us, many (okay, so maybe just me) are already focusing on that next Holiday, Turkey Day! Personally, I don't really get into the spirit of fall until after Halloween, and I love the chaotic weather, breezes and falling leaves that November usually brings. (though this year it seems the weather's started early!)

Prayingforfall put together this Owlsfinds list celebrating fall. Enjoy!

Hootables!

2009-10-26T19:47:00.000-04:00

We're launching Hootables, an Etsy Owls gift collection. Need a holiday gift? Check out Hootables for a series of beautiful gifts and items. We've just set up today, so stay tuned for the pretties!

Hooters Promotion Club (HPC)

2009-10-16T12:00:00.019-04:00

The HPC (Hooters Promotion Club) was an idea crafted by AndreaTedford that would focus on promoting one person at a time in a spotlight fashion. We ran a round of this back in the summer where each member who signed up had a week worth of promoting!

This time, we decided to do it a bit quicker, so each person who signed up gets two days. This weekend, the HPC'er is Bumblebirch. Love yarn? (I'm drooling...) Check out her Yarn and Tea club! Also available in smaller portions sans tea.

Other HPC'ers that have been featured so far this round are:

Zemphira makes gorgeous fabric creations, everything from coffee cup cozies to craft aprons to adorable plush owlies like this little guy here:

Weiopensecret feature a wide variety of accessories, including these ChooChoo the Owl luggage tags.

Chester the Jerboa from Inkypaws is just dying to go home with you. Isn't he adorable?

Squarejane was our first HPC'er this round, and she's made of awesome. And so is Maggie.

Stay tuned for weekly updates on the Owls being featured in the HPC, and you can always see the current Owl being highlighted by looking at the Etsy Mini on the top-right of the blog. We'll be featuring different Owls every few days throughout October and November.

Owls Find Masks!

2009-10-15T13:00:00.050-04:00

It's the masquerade season, everyone needs a good disguise! Here are some owlfinds picks from prayingforfall. Get incognito and get out there!

Everyone needs a fake beard. Everyone. Herflyinghorses is here to help with these cute felt beards.

Flapperdashery brings unique into the masquerade scene with this smoking flapper girl mask. Yes indeed, she's smoking!

Don't get cheeky, get even! Myredboots has the answer with this vintage mask.

Looking for that piece to complete your grasshopper costume? TomBanwell has this gorgeous and artistic grasshopper mask just for you!

Go Evil with this OOAK Obsidian mask from che4u

Owls Find Halloween Costumes!

2009-10-14T17:55:00.000-04:00

PrayingforFall has put together this lovely OwlFinds list for those of you out there still looking for that perfect Halloween costume.

Keep it funky with this Hulk Hogan costume from Thrills

Got Gnomes? You could have one of your very own with this adorable child's gnome costume from Uniquery

For you sushi lovers out there, Sushibooties makes it possible for you to bring your pooch along to that Halloween event! Sushi Dog Costume

Go Corpse Bride with this gown from axoloti

Feeling too lazy to dress up but want boatloads of candy? Buttonhead has the perfect solution for you.

Tutorial: Go Steampunk with MabJewelry

2009-10-13T13:15:00.000-04:00

This blog entry was also posted on mabjewelry's own blog , go check her out there. You can also find her on Twitter and, of course, on Etsy! Enjoy your adventures into steampunk, and as always, be careful with the glue!!!

Okay, guys, welcome to my first tutorial: How to make your own steampunk pendant or charm. It's not all that difficult. You just need the right stuff and a lot of creativity and patience. If you can make a collage, you can make one of these cool little guys.

So, you'll need some watch guts, parts and innards, including cogs, sprockets, gears, and other delightfully little shiny bits. Please see my giant pile of said guts pictured above. I know, I know, it's excessive, but I have an addiction, and I'm working through it. I didn't get all of them available in the free market, so they can still be found.

One tip: Do not smash open a modern watch. Most of the innards are plastic, unfortunately. I learned this the hard way. But you can still use the casing if it's pretty, as well as the clock face, from a dead modern watch.

Other stuff you'll need:

The blanks or settings that you'll use as the base of your pendant or charm. Here are four examples. You can pick these up anywhere anymore. Some metals do not like some brands of glue, and the metal will turn white upon contact with the glue. You won't know until you try it, unfortunately.

Some kind of serious glue--I use Gorilla Glue in the super glue tube. Trust me, it will glue anything to anything forever. Beware, it will glue watch parts to your fingers, and your fingers to anything, including your lip. Ouch.
A styrofoam plate and paper towels. It's just the easiest way to do it.

Toothpicks, to smear and smudge the glue around, and to move itty bitty pieces into the right spot, thus decreasing the chance of gluing those pieces to your own skin. I get mine for free from the restaurants I frequent. Thank you, restauranteurs!

One last important supply: Junior Mints, or the nom nom of your choice. Crafting is difficult and intense work. If you're like me, and sit hunched over for three hours at a time, it's good to preplan some kind of sustenance to keep your energy up. Cheetos are not so wise, as they tend to leave a bright, toxic orange film all over things. Also, make sure not to glue the Junior Mint to your hand. Seriously. It happens.
Okay, poke through your watch guts and find some larger pieces that you want to use. It's easier to get the larger bits glued on first, and then go from there. Put a small amount (yes, I always get a little carried away) of your glue on the setting in the spot where you want the watch bit to go. Smudge it around with the end of a toothpick, to get a fairly even layer of glue.
This will help you get even adherence, and also help to keep glue from globbing out around the sides of the watch piece in an unsightly way.
Be careful where you place the gluey toothpick. It will stick to the carpet, your bead board or the cat. Honestly.
Put the watch bit on top of the glue and press down firmly. It will stick. This glue is no joke. A friend of mine fixed her roof shingles with this glue.
Glue the larger pieces on where they fit on your setting in a design that pleases you. I just kind of wing it.
After you get the larger parts glued on, add some medium-sized parts wherever you want them.
I sometimes layer the medium-sized ones in over the larger ones, and always mix gold and silver, shiny and matte. Just glue on whatever makes you happy however it makes you happy. There are no rules, and that's why this is wonderful.
Remember, Gorilla Glue is pretty unforgiving, so, if you let something set on it for more than a few seconds, you'll have a heck of a time scooting it.
Now, fill in empty spaces with the teeny tiny, itsy bitsy pieces. Use a toothpick to move these little bits into the desired spaces. It's also fun to drop miniscule pieces into the carpet so your vacuum will have something to do the next time you run it.
Add where you want to. It's easier to glue pieces with flat backs or bottoms. Leave blank space where you want blank space. When it reaches the point where you're happy with it, you're finished. The hardest part for me is knowing when I'm done and not just gluing five pounds of stuff to the setting. Usually, it just looks complete.
I leave the pieces to dry overnight, on top of the entertainment center, because that's the only place the cat will not jump. Then, string them with beads, hang them from chain, do what you do.
As for the Junior Mints, you can eat them throughout this activity, or save them until the end, as a reward for your creativity and hard work.
So, making your own steampunk pendant--it's that easy.

October Challenge Winner!

2009-10-12T23:40:00.000-04:00

The results were close, but we have a winner!!

Congrats to Squarejane for rockin' the October challenge! Total votes were 58, and 16 of those went to the poo! Prayingforfall came in a close second with 12 votes, trailed by Ickydogcreations with 11 votes, and mabjewelry and blackcatmima with 9 votes.
You have won the eternal glory of being awesome, and well, there are all sorts of poo jokes I could make here....

Stick with us, audience, as we get closer to our November challenge, Holiday season excitement and the fantastic deals that come with it! We're also working on getting our blog back up and running daily, so we hope you'll come read it! Yes, come read it!

October's Halloween Challenge!

2009-10-05T20:41:00.000-04:00

The rules were simple:

You can wear it or carry it while Trick or Treating. We had 7 willing entrants, and some great stuff (as usual!).

You can check out everyone's Etsy listings by clicking below, and please VOTE for your favorite by using the poll on the left. Voting will last for one week and will end next Monday.

BlackCatMima
Hollystott
IckyDogCreations
Mabjewelry
PrayingforFall
RusticRainbow
Squarejane

An Etsy Owls Halloween

2009-10-04T16:09:00.000-04:00

Yep, yep! It's that time of year again! To celebrate one of our favorite holidays, we're having a Halloween challenge, how exciting! That'll be posted tomorrow, but for today, we're going to share some of our Halloween love. Anyone want to help us figure out what Figaro should be for Halloween?

Deck out your accessories with this Ipod case from gadgetgear

Whoever thought Frankenstein wasn't cute had no idea, did they? Get Frankie by Lalala08 to complete your Halloween look!

Keep your coffee/tea warm while you take the kiddos out for Trick or Treat with this Halloween Cozy from Zemphira.

Got Steak? Squarejane does, and you could have some too! Dare to be rare this Halloween!

Burrowing Owls - Halloween Owls

2009-10-01T10:45:00.004-04:00

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought it appropriate to share some of the wonderful Halloween inspired owls on Etsy! There are too many to choose from, but here is a sample.

sarada - Owl Painting

Harker - BOOtiful bag

blackbirdfolkart - Owl treat bowl

EeirieEmporium - Owl wall hanging

pastelly - Halloween Owl

JMcGuinness - Beware the Pumpkins greeting card

Owl Spotlight: suenosdejmi: Owlie Rendez-Vous

2009-09-16T14:24:00.013-04:00

In August, I took a trip to meet some fellow Owlies (yep, yep!!).

Kristen of KnitandPearl and I flew out to Denver to spend a weekend with Amanda of PresentsforPirates. We planned the trip forever, and when it came time for me to get in the car to go to the airport it didn't seem real.

I was *sooo* nervous to meet them in person. I've known Kristen online for over two years now, and Amanda for at least a year, but meeting someone in person is so much different. What if they realized I'm the biggest dork ever, and allowed that to stop them from liking me?

I left around 2 am to go to Nashville to get on a direct flight to Denver, and got there around 8 am local time. I spent a bit of time in the airport by myself, then Amanda came out to meet me. We people stalked for a while before Kristen arrived, and then stalked her around baggage claim before she realized who we were. :) After meeting Santa in the airport parking garage (thanks Santa for giving Amanda her car back!) we were off!

Since we're crafty girls, we had several crafty things planned for the weekend. We went to Ceramics in the City (great place, two thumbs way up!) and hand-painted some ceramics. The place doesn't charge a studio fee, so we got to sit around all afternoon and paint our pieces. The we left them there, where they were fired, sealed, and then the next week in the mail on the way to us. Amanda painted a Pirate Mug, Kristen painted a Whore tea cup and saucer, and I painted a little blowfish (Hootie). Here are some fun before pictures.

Man's Pirate Cup

Kristen's Whore Cup

Hootie, my blowfish (the shop named him that, not me!)

I don't have a good after picture of Hootie or Kristen's Whore Cup yet, but Amanda so kindly provided me an after-shot of her Pirate Mug. I had never painted ceramics before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The colors turned a lot darker, the surface somewhat glossy, and the before pieces all had a powdered feel to them that doesn't exist now.

We also took a scenic tour of the local area craft stores, hitting up a local yarn store, then a Joanns and a Michaels. We got yarnie goodness, and some scrapbooking supplies so Man could help Kristen ~~learn to spell~~ and I make project journals. This is a pretty bad picture, but it's my project journal. I've never really made anything paper crafty either, and well, Man did all the binding work, but I'm still proud of using those stamps! :)

We also did some touristy good fun stuff, and I'd say overall I really liked the little look I got at Colorado, and had a rockin' good time with my fellow Owlies. Where shall we go next, girls?

Myself, Man, and Kristen at Red Rocks, where we ~~tried to sneak into a concert~~ went to see the view. There's more pictures and random fun on my blog and also on Facebook.

The OWLs are ready for Halloween, are you?

2009-09-07T13:46:00.007-04:00

Get a jump on one of our favorite Holidays! Click on the pictures to check out each item on Etsy!

A Dose of Owlie Love

2009-09-06T01:13:00.003-04:00

As you all know, we recently had our first ever Trunk Show. We all put a lot of hard work into it, you know...blood, sweat, tears, all of that. (Wait, that might have been only me...) We had a lot of fun and had a great turnout during the show! Some of us even got some sales from it (yay sales!)

Well, the show was over, and I was feeling totally content with the success that the show was. Then I discovered that the girlies had gotten together and got me a nice little prezzie.

FREE YARN!

They actually got me a gift certificate, and all of that's what I carefully researched and selected.

This is the awesomest thing ever, and this is my way of saying THANK YOU!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU lovies. :)

Owl Spotlight: TattieTats

2009-09-01T12:00:00.001-04:00

As Labor Day approaches and Summer comes to it’s unofficial end, I can’t help but think back over the past few month and wonder what I could have done better. I spent a lot of time setting up shop this year. At first glance, I would imagine that I could have better spent that time taking my children swimming, playing at the park, or going hiking. Many years, I feel as if I wasted away the time I had with my son and, now, my daughter. However, we did quite a lot over the course of the last four months. Camping, hiking, attending summer camp, traveling, golf tournaments, swimming, touring our city, walking the greenways, the list goes on and on. Plus, I set up my own business. Oh, and I have a baby. I’m amazed I’m still standing, quite honestly.

Over the course of the summer, I learned many things. Some were important, some not so important, but all have their place in my crazy, busy life. In no particular order, the 25 most wonderful lessons of Summer 2009.

Rollercoasters are kinda fun, but don’t eat pork rinds before boarding.
If you drop a needle on the floor and can’t find it, put on some shoes.
Go to court if your dog gets loose and it is not your fault. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a misdemeanor.
Have lots of extra craft ideas just in case the Cub Camp you’re staffing falls during an exceptionally rainy week.
It is okay for your child to be bored once in awhile. He’ll learn to cope.
It is even better for the game system to break the first week of summer. The child is then forced to use his imagination. [gasp]
Babies can extend their short little bodies to reach anything. Watch out!
If you go camping and don’t over-pack, you will invariably need whatever you left behind.
On the flip side, if you go camping and you pack way too much, you won’t use any of it.
Don’t shoot your water-adverse husband with the hose. He will get you back.
Go ahead and spend the extra money on a really good sewing machine. You still won’t use it nearly as often as you think, but it will work when you need it.
Who says laundry has to be put away as soon as it’s done? It won’t walk away.
If you haven’t attempted to dive in ten years, you’ll quickly remember that belly flops hurt.
Dogs will steal hot dogs from the grill, but doesn’t that sort of make them cannibals?
Store-bought cupcakes do not taste better than homemade, even if you do spend lots of money on them.
If you don’t take an umbrella with you to the festival, it will rain.
It really does take an eight year old two hours to play four holes of golf. Plan to work on your tan.
Boys become more reckless the older they get. If you hear a large crash from the backyard, don’t expect to ever find out what caused it.
It’s okay to be a twit, but don’t abuse it.
Do not convince your elderly mother to go down a waterslide by saying, “it’s no big deal.” It is a big deal and she will threaten to kill you about halfway down.
Fire is hot. Don’t touch the pretty end of the fire stick.
Kill em with kindness. They won’t know what to do.
If everyone in the house has the stomach bug, don’t pretend you won’t get it.
When you’re ready for your child to go back to school, you realize that you have six more weeks in which to entertain him.
Summer comes to an end every year, but you can still wear your swimsuit if you dare.

Editors Note: TattieTats is one of our brand new members, having only joined with the August batch. Check her out! Etsy Mini love:

Owl Spotlight: Taw0106

2009-08-31T15:17:00.000-04:00

I started making jewelry a few years ago. I would go to horse shows and pay outrageous prices for bracelets or earrings and one day I got to thinking I can do this. So I did.

I have come a long way from just stringing beads. I have fallen in love with right angle bead weaving. I took a class on wire, and I'm so excited to make my own earring wires now!

I have been very busy this past summer. I was commissioned by two different wedding parties to do jewelry for the bride, maid of honor, and bridesmaids. I even did jewelry for the mother of the bride and the groom in one of the weddings. I love what I do and I love learning new things.

I also love being a part of the OWLS. Etsy has opened up a new world of creativity for me.

Editors Note: Trish can be found at Taw0106 Have some Etsy Mini love.

Owls August Travel Challenge

2009-08-24T15:14:00.004-04:00

Kudos to SquareJane who came up with the theme for this month's challenge. The objective is simple: Make an item that reflects your favorite travel destination.

Vote for your favorite item in the poll on the left. Votes will be taken for one week, and the item with the most votes on the 31st will be this month's challenge winner.

Thanks to all of you travelling Owls who entered the contest, and good luck to all! Individual item listings can be seen by clicking on the names below.

anadiazarte
ickydogcreations
jonikay52
lalala08
squarejane
taw0106

Etsy Owls Trunk Show participants and Specials

2009-08-19T21:41:00.003-04:00

Hey! These were the specials offered during the Etsy Owls trunk show. Most sellers are offering these for a while, so convo and ask! *especially* if you were at the show!

I recommend convoing to ask before purchase to confirm you were at the show. Otherwise you might not get the deal.

suenosdejmi 50% off total shop if you were at show, convo!
knitandpearl 25% off total shop with trunk show code, convo!
hollystott 20% off total shop, convo first to see if she's still offering!
lalala08 buy 3 items, get free US shipping until the 23rd
gypsyeye 20% off earrings and hair accessories until the 23rd
andreatedford free worldwide shipping
squarejane 15% off until 9/9/09 with the trunk show code, so convo her first!
inkypaws free us shipping for people at the show, convo her first!
remixstudio free us shipping if you were at the show, convo first!
presentsforpirates free us shipping, free INT over $15, convo first!

Trunk Show Giveaway Prize Packages

2009-08-19T00:25:00.002-04:00

These are the prize packages available to win during the Etsy Owls Trunk Show tonight in Etsy's Virtual Labs. These prizes will be given away with trivia questions throughout the show. The show starts at 7:00 pm eastern time, be there or be square!

Thanks to all Owls members who donated the awesomeness below.

General info:

Most prize packages shown here come with postcards or a photo from dreambirdphotos even if it's not shown in the photo. Packages that include cards will say so in the description. Also, some packages also include items that are not pictured, such as gift certificates from sellers. These will be delivered by the sellers via convo.

Prize package that contain soap: Soaps are made with goat's milk base and scented with macha tea. For more questions concerning soaps, contact gypsyeye

Prize package 1 (above): Pouch and earrings from Hollystott, owl pendant from WeiOpenSecret,
soap from gypsyeye and postcards from dreambirdphotos.

Prize Package # 2 (above): Pouch from Hollystott , earrings from KnitandPearl , and button from WeiOpenSecret Package also includes postcards from dreambirdphotos

Prize Package # 3 (above): Pouch and earrings from Hollystott , soap from gypsyeye, an ACEO from remixstudio, and postcards from dreambirdphotos

Prize Package # 4 (above): Pouch from hollystott, button and tip cards from WeiOpenSecret, soap from gypsyeye, and an ACEO from remixstudio.

Prize Package # 5 (above): Pouch from hollystott, soap and earrings from Gypsyeye, 4x6 photo from dreambirdphotos

Prize Package # 6: (above): Pouch and love monster from Hollystott, 4x6 photo from dreambirdphotos. This package also includes this little guy from inkypaws. Will ship seperately.

Prize package # 7 (above): Pouch and earrings from hollystott, ACEO from remixstudio, gift tags and button from WeiOpenSecret. Also includes postcards from dreambirdphotos.

Prize Package # 8 (above): Pouch and earrings from Hollystott, soap from Gypsyeye, button from WeiOpenSecret. Package also includes postcards from dreambirdphotos and a $5 gift certificate to PresentsforPirates . Gift certificate will be sent via Etsy convo.

Prize Package # 9: A custom business card wallet from Squarejane. Pictured are monster wallets but she'll design anything the winner chooses!

Prize Package # 10: Two gift certificates, a $10 gift certificate to lalala08 and a $5 gift certificate to PresentsforPirates. These will both be sent via Etsy convos.

Prize Package # 11: Two gift certificates, a $10 gift certificate to hollystott and a $5 gift certificate to CocoStIves . These will be sent via Etsy convos.

Prize Package # 12: A $25 gift certificate to KnitandPearl. Winner can choose to receive gift certificate code via convo or be mailed a certificate for gift giving.

It's Giveaway Time!

2009-08-17T13:55:00.009-04:00

**okay no more entries will be accepted from this point on** winners will be picked shortly

In honor of our upcoming Trunk Show, we've decided to host a few giveaways! At the show, we're going to be showcasing some great shops, as well as giving away some merchandise from those shops and other Owl members.

It's only 2 days away, and we're really excited! We're even on the Labs schedule now. The show starts at 7pm Eastern this Wednesday in the Gallery of the Virtual Labs.

To get everyone else excited, we're giving away a few items here on our blog in the next few days. The first item is this bracelet from KnitandPearl

Entering is so simple! All you do is check out some of the participating Trunk Show shops and then comment with your favorite shop or item and tell us why! Also provide an email or an Etsy ID when you post, so we can contact you if you win! These are the shops:

SquareJane presentsforpirates

HollyStott gypsyeye

suenosdejmi inkypaws

knitandpearl luckytwentyone

lalala08 cagedbirdsings

lovealisa remixstudio

If more than 25 people enter by Tuesday night at 10 PM eastern, we'll pick two winners instead of just one and give away another prize! Winner (s) will be contacted by email or Etsy convo Wednesday. Only one entry per person. No Etsy Owls team members may enter. Tell your friends!!

2009-08-13T19:06:00.006-04:00

The Etsy Owls are having their very first Trunk Show Wednesday August 19th from 7:00 to 8:30 Eastern in Etsy's Virtual Labs.

What's a trunk show? In this case, a trunk show is an online craft show, with sellers showcasing a variety of items. Participating sellers will be offering special discounts in their shops, and the team will also be giving away a variety of "door" prizes throughout the show.

It's never too early to get started on holiday shopping or buy yourself a little something special either. :) Avoid the retail madness and support the handmade movement.

For more info:

See participating sellers here

Get info on Etsy's Virtual Labs here

Owl Finds: Guinea Pigs

2009-08-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of the new animated movie G-Force, I thought I'd find some cute little guinea pigs to share with you! Getting a guinea pig item makes more sense than everyone going out and getting a guinea pig . . .

The featured Etsy sellers are:
tanyabond
Zygopsyche
NoosedKitty
happygoatsoap
Morumoto
chiwaluv
Tecopia
zozocards

Hooray for guinea pigs!!!

Owl Spotlight: RemixStudio

2009-08-07T14:07:00.000-04:00

Switching Crafting Gears

Unfortunately, I'm known for not having the best "follow through" if you will. I have a habit of starting projects, and not finishing them. Or getting bored with projects and wanting to do something else.

I've recently fallen into the later. I'm absolutely bored with sewing (for a variety of reasons that I won't go into here.) It's bound to hit everyone at some point, to certain degree. So what do you do? Or at least, What did I do?

I found something else that interested me. I knew how I got bored easily from the start and didn't corner myself into one type of project, which was nice.As I started to get bored, I realized I had other things that I liked doing. I realized that I had dozens of old art drawings and prints from college, that I in all honesty I had no intention of doing anything with. I then worked to turn all these prints into ACEOS (Art Cards Editions and Originals )

While I have no intention to stop sewing things out of tshirts (I've got too large of stock to do that) switching to something different for a while had been the break I needed. Don't be afraid to try something different for a short time (or long time if you so choose.) It can be quite refreshing!

Owl Spotlight: RaynaE

2009-08-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

I have really started to hit my stride as a knitter, and it couldn't have come at a better time! I've been knitting and crocheting like a mad woman, and, if I may say so, I've made some pretty darn good stuff. I've really taken a shine to knitting. I think it's my new favorite. :) I always have multiple projects going at the same time so I don't get bored, but I am DETERMINED to finish things. I have this new rule where I can't start a new project until I finish something else. It mostly holds true. I've actually been doing pretty well with it, but I NEED to have more than one project going at a time or else I'll go stir crazy! So below are some of the things I've finished! Hurray for finishing things!

Here we have a bedtime hat modeled by the lovely Pooky Bear. It was crocheted using the finest baby yarn and will flatter your baby's head in every season as well as serving its noble purpose in keeping his or her head cozy warm.

Not modeled by anyone (or thing) but still fabulous are a pair of baby leg warmers. These were knitted with the softest lace yarn in the most vibrant of colors using beautifully handcrafted wooden extremely tiny knitting needles. They were worth the work, however, because baby is sure to be the most stylish in a diaper-padded onesie.

Our model Pooky Bear is now ready for snowtime frolic as he sports his Alaskan wilderness mountain hat. It was crocheted with care and love and the thickest and warmest yarn to be found. Pooky Bear is sure to be the one to enjoy his time in the snow the longest in his cozy ear flaps.

Finally, you will see an amigurumi giraffe to match any baby's jungle-themed room. It is made out of soft cotton yarn and has no hard or sharp parts so your baby can enjoy all his or her time chewing on it until they are ready to chew on something else.

Of course, there are other projects I'm working on, such as a couple baby blankets and a cute little baby sweater. So there's a theme here, right? Baby things... hmmm... well, they're small and awesomely easy and quick to knit or crochet. That's definitely a plus. And they're cute. You can never have too much cute stuff. And... we're pregnant! (my husband and me, that is) And I say we because I'm not letting him off the hook that easy. :)

*No Pooky Bears were harmed in the photographing of these products. As a matter of fact, I couldn't have asked for a more cooperative or cute little model.

Owl Spotlight: GypsyEye Studio

2009-08-04T15:20:00.000-04:00

I have decided to begin having a bi-weekly giveaway on my blog. Go check out Gypsy Eye Studio on Etsy , then leave me a comment on my blog about your favorite item and why you adore it. Your comment on my blog enters you into the giveaway. On August 15th I'll randomly choose a name to decide the winner.

Please be sure to leave a way for me to reach you if you're not a Blogspot user (Myspace, email, Twitter, Etsy shop, etc)!

The lucky winner will receive.........

Their own set of Alexis Barrettes and a special surprise from Gypsy Eye Studio.

Editors Note: Please make sure you comment on GypsyEye's blog, not here, if you wish to enter the contest. Comments here will not be entered into her contest. Good luck all!

Owl Spotlight: KatsCozyKrafts

2009-08-01T14:51:00.005-04:00

Kathie Brechbuhler has been on Etsy for a year. Her shop is needlework of all types. The name of her shop is Kats Cozy Krafts. She goes by Kat online. She is a retired Spanish teacher living in Allen, Texas. She found out about Etsy from a friend who works at Hobby Lobby. She said I loved to sew so much I should get on Etsy and show off my projects. So I did.

She recently joined the Owls. She waited to join and is glad you chose her! She enjoys our challenges sooo much she doesn't do regular shop projects anymore. They're boring compared to what you all come up with. She is a buyer and a seller. She does cross stitch, crochet, punch needle embroidery, counted cross stitch and other crafts on linens and afghans, hats, scarves, pins, magnets, pin cushions and more.

Her proudest piece to date is her counted cross stitch of the girl and the goose "Love is Blind" It's her first "counted" cross stitch and she struggled with it and swore she'd never do another one. Bet there are a few of you who felt the same way the first time. But she's working on a second. Another precious moments design of two young sweethearts. It's going better. For one thing she's using 12 gauge Aida fabric. The smaller the number the fewer the holes and the easier to see. Even so, she still uses a standing magnifying glass to do it. She entered her "Love is Blind" in the Owls Summer Color challenge. She's really proud of it.

She has a new blog that's bare. She hasn't had time to get it together with all her travels this summer and the many challenges she's been getting ready for. Etsy Tx has had four she's finished this summer besides ours on the Owls. Anyone who has talent with blogskins, let her know, please.

Here are some recent pics of her travels to Chicago and SanFrancisco and of her pups and of course her hb. Also, her cross stitch she's so proud of.

Some Sponsorship Love!

2009-07-30T19:36:00.003-04:00

We're doing some advertising for our Trunk Show coming up in August, and we'd like to take a minute to say thanks to some people who are currently running our ads on their sites.

SpringCartDesigns is doing a free ad swap with us for an ad on her blog at thahotness.com. Go visit and take a look at her great site!

We've also got an ad running on Lillyella's blog. We've had Lillyella featured on our blog before as a Stellar Seller , and we love having a spot on her blog. Go have a look see, and a read (because her blog is awesome!)

Finally, thecreativemama has the cutest website and we've got an ad running over there! Please go give some love to these websites!

Summer Finds: Blueberry Pancakes

2009-07-26T21:24:00.005-04:00

Berries are in bloom this summer, and we Owls are berry crazy! BlackCatMima had blueberries on the brain, and put together this SummerFinds list of blueberry pancakes. Click the links below the pics for the item listings on Etsy. Syrup, anyone?

Featuring:

moonlightbaker
andwabisabi
bugnikdesigns
MollycoddleSoap
clanne04
GingerbreadPrim

Burrowing Owls: Tags

2009-07-23T17:42:00.008-04:00

Gift tags are a great finishing touch to that gift presentation you're going for, and with these tags selected by BlackCatMima, they're nice enough to keep! In fact, they're so nice you might want to keep one for yourself. Check below the picture for links to the individual items!

lemontreestudio
cgoriginals
wonderartstudio
Qdesigns
Kindershop
MommyHolly

burrowingowls 2009

Summer Finds - Strawberries!

2009-07-22T12:00:00.002-04:00

Summer is the time for fresh fruit! And in my opinion, there's nothing quite as delicious as strawberries! By themselves, strawberry shortcake, parfait, icecream . . . I can never get enough! So of course I had to go in search of yummy strawberries on Etsy. Makes me wanna eat my computer screen . . .Featured Shops:
kategreiner
dennisanderson
melbangel
HerOwnFrequency
loobas
BubblesUpByBethieB

SummerFinds

Burrowing Owls - Owl Keychains!

2009-07-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Everybody needs keychains. And everybody likes owls. Owls? Keychains? Oh yeah! These are only a few examples of all the wonderful owl keychains on Etsy. Enjoy them!

Featured shops:
LaCoque
leatherprince
sweetirie
HibouCard
VyanMica
ZozoCards

Owls find Harry Potter!

2009-07-19T12:00:00.004-04:00

Since I'm a geek and I love me some Harry Potter, I'm making some cute posts all about Harry, his friends, and Hogwarts! :) This Owlfinds features some of our favorite Hogwarts students.

If you haven't seen Half Blood Prince, gooooo.....stop reading and gooooo now! Enjoy!


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Congrats July Challenge Winner(s!)

2009-07-18T18:52:00.002-04:00

Our first cross team challenge was a success! We're proud to annouce that the winner was Lolos from the Spanglish team for her awesome Frida Kahlo sculpture.

Second place belongs to SquareJane from the Owls for her Frida Kahlo Art doll . Close runners up were BululuStudio from Etsy Spanglish and Suenosdejmi (who is a member of both teams).

If you scroll down the blog, you can see the original poll in the left hand column near the bottom of the blog.

You can still see and purchase most of the entries by searching Frida challenge on Etsy. Thanks to participating members from the Owls and the Spanglish teams, and also to everyone who voted. We couldn't do it without you!

Owl Spotlight: CocoStIves

2009-07-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Face it – it's summer. When summer begins we, especially those of the female persuasion, wage the battle of the bulge.

I have to admit that I, too, am dieting. Happy to report I have lost nine pounds in three weeks. The trouble is, I love food. Real food; low calorie frozen dinners and Butter Buds – not so much. I have a passion for cooking and decided at diet outset I am going to eat real food and enjoy this lower calorie lifestyle or it just will not work.

I have no other choice. I made my first béchamel sauce at 14; sold bread, pies, and pastries my best friend and I baked during the holidays while in high school. My first job out of J school (that’s journalism school) was as the assistant food editor of the Boston Herald American (I replaced Gwen Ifill!). I’ve cooked for probably the best-known caterer in Boston – Rebecca’s; I’ve worked as a personal chef and am a Food Network junkie – my cooking style striving to be that of Tyler Florence. (His banana pudding is to die for – but includes eight egg yolks; whole milk; bourbon; and banana liqueur!)

So, it is no wonder once I hit 40 (and let that be a warning to those younger) the pounds got easier to put on and harder to take off.

I’ve picked up some recipes here and there that are not only low calorie, but also fit for family, friends, and our thin and slim fellow owlies. One is low carbohydrate for those of you who follow that scheme. I am sure I do not need to remind us that alcohol has no nutritional value. On the other hand, sometimes a tall, cool drink is welcome on a hot summer night. So, I have included my personal diet cocktail. Believe me, one of them is all I need on a Saturday night! Fire up the grill or the grill pan and get ready for some good eating. Here are two menus to try:

Menu 1 ~ LOW FAT

Chipotle Chicken Kebabs
Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pineapple
Tomato-Parsely Couscous

~

Chipotle Chicken Kebabs ~ serves 4

½ cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1 large clove garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
Cooking spray

Combine yogurt through pepper in a small bowl and stir with a whisk. Pour into a heavy-duty zip lock bag. Add chicken; seal bag, and toss to coat. Marinate in refrigerator one to two hours (but no longer than 24 hours), turning bag periodically.

(If using wooden skewers, soak them in water 30 minutes before grilling). Prepare grill or heat grill pan. Thread chicken onto four or eight skewers, depending on the length of the skewer. Spray grill or grill pan liberally with cooking spray. Grill 5 to 6 minutes on each side, turning once for a total of 11 minutes or until done.

CAL: 209; FAT:2.3 g (sat 0.6 g); PRO: 40.7 g; CARB: 3.4 g; FIB: 0.2 g; CHOL: 99 mg; SOD: 445 mg;

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pineapple ~ serves 4

1 peeled and cored pineapple OR 8 canned pineapple rings in their own juice
1 ½ Tbsp. pineapple juice
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
Cooking spray

Prepare grill or heat grill pan.

Cut pineapple into 8 slices. Combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, and adobo sauce in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Blot excess moisture from each pineapple slice with paper towels. Brush one side of each slice with brown sugar mixture.

Place pineapple slices, brushed sides down, on grill or grill pan sprayed with cooking spray. Grill 3 minutes or until browned; brush with remaining brown sugar mixture, turn, and grill 3 minutes.

CAL: 87; FAT: 0.2 g (sat fat 0 g); PRO: 0.6 g; CARB: 22.7 g; FIB 2 g; CHOL: 0; SOD 45 mg;

Tomato-Parsely Couscous ~ serves 4

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup water and ¼ tsp. salt to boil. Stir in ¾ c. dry couscous; cover. Remove from heat and let stand for five minutes. In the meantime; chop ¼ c. parsley and chop two plum tomatoes. Fluff couscous with a fork and spoon into a serving bowl. Stir in tomato and parsley.

CAL: 130; FAT: 1 g (sat fat 0); PRO: 5 g; CARB: 28 g; FIB: 2 g; CHOL: 0 mg

Menu 2: Low Carbohydrate

Salmon is high in fat but it is the omega-3/omega-6 rich fat that is not saturated like other fats from animal protein.

Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce
Lemon Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce

1 small lemon
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sour cream
1 Tbsp. stone-ground (country-style) Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 clove minced garlic
4 (5 oz.) salmon fillets
salt and pepper
Cooking spray

Prepare grill or heat grill pan.

Grate ¼ teaspoon rind from the lemon. Squeeze lemon to measure 1 ½ teaspoons juice; reserve remaining lemon for another use. Combine grated lemon rind, lemon juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, parsley, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl and stir with a whisk. Set aside.

Season fish with salt and pepper. Place fish on grill rack or grill pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve each fillet with one tablespoon of sauce.

CAL: 300; FAT: 19 g. (sat fat 4 g); PRO: 29 g; CARB: 2 g; FIB: 0; CHOL: 88 mg

Grilled Lemon Asparagus

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or a sprinkle of dried thyme
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed of woody ends
pepper
cooking spray

Prepare grill or heat grill pan.

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, and pepper to taste in a shallow dish; stir with a whisk. Coat asparagus with cooking spray. Grill 4 minutes or to desired tenderness. Add grilled asparagus to lemon mixture and toss to coat.

CAL: 37; FAT 2.7 g (sat 0.4); PRO: 1.4 g; CARB: 3.1 g; FIB 1.2 g; CHOL: 0

~

Coco’s Fizzy Lemon Highball

1 to 2 packets Splenda or sugar substitute of choice
3 Tbsps. lemon juice
2 oz. Vodka
seltzer water
ice

Mix sugar substitute with lemon juice in a tall glass. Add vodka and ice. Fill with seltzer. Enjoy!

CAL: 140; FAT: 0; PRO: 0; CARB: 3; FIB: 0; CHOL: 0

Frida Kahlo Challenge!

2009-07-06T02:13:00.010-04:00

For our creative challenge this month, we decided to do something a little different. We invited the Spanglish team to create with us, and set out to pay tribute to Frida Kahlo.

The entries are below. You can pause this slideshow using the buttons in the bottom right corner of the slideshow (which show up after you hover there!) Vote using the poll on the left.

The voting for this challenge will last for one week, ending on the 13th around 9 pm Eastern time.

You can vote for more than one entry, so be sure to vote for your favorites! You can see all the entries on Etsy by searching for 'frida challenge' or by clicking on team members names below.

Spanglish Team: lolos, tumbleweedstudios, bululustudio, piruli, chicboutiquejewelry*
Etsy Owls: hollystott, katscozykrafts, taw0106 , lalala08 , squarejane, suenosdejmi*
*are members of both teams

Happy Birthday Frida! We love you!

Owl Spotlight: LucidMoonStudio

2009-07-05T02:03:00.005-04:00

This is my first post, and I wasn't quite sure what I should blog about, but then I decided I would write about my dog, Cooper. Cooper is a Weimaraner, and he is 9 months old. He is such a good dog, so I decided he deserved some really good treats. I found a recipe in Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way by Mark Beckloff and Dan Dye, the owners of the Three Dog Bakery (Cooper's favorite store, by the way!).

You can check out the book and recipes on Amazon here. I decided to make Belly Rub Brownies because what dog wouldn't want these?! Here is the recipe:

Belly Rub Brownies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons carob powder (I bought
mine at the health food store)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup canola oil (I didn't
have any, so I used vegetable oil instead)

3/4 cup honey

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with nonstick vegetable spray. In a
large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and carob powder. In a
smaller bowl, whisk honey and oil together. Add eggs one at a time,
whisking after each. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine
well. Spread the batter into the baking dish. Bake the brownies for
20-25 minutes or until set. Let cool to room temperature, then cut
into squares.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or wrap
and freeze for up to 2 months.

Wet and dry ingredients

Ready for the oven! I tasted the batter, while
Cooper got to lick the spoon, and we both agreed it was yummy even
before baking!

Ready to eat!

Are those for me? Really? Is this a
joke??

I will do ANYTHING you
want...ANYTHING!!

Can I has just one more?
PLEASE!!

As you can see, Cooper really enjoyed his treats! I have to say, he never performs his tricks as well as when I am holding one of these brownies! If you have a dog, I hope you try
these yummy treats, and if you don't, surely there is a neighbor with a dog who would love these! Enjoy!!

Owls take on Facebook!

2009-07-04T19:25:00.000-04:00

Facebook has long since been the hangout for college and high school students, but now that's changing! With the event of Fan Pages (and actually, before that!), people have been using Facebook in a whole new way. With Fan pages, you can link people to your Etsy shop (or whatever!) and share photos, have contests, and so much more! Plus it comes automatically with the popularity of Facebook!

The above shown Fan page belongs to me, and I've just started it (after caving in to peer pressure, which is how I ended up on Facebook to start with!). However, there's a bunch of Owls on Facebook, and fan pages are sprouting up everywhere!

So, check us out! Yep yep!

cagedbirdsings
Etsy Owls!
luckytwentyone
squarejane
suenosdejmi
tabmade
Wendydoescrochet

Owls Spotlight: AlphabetDiva

2009-07-02T15:00:00.001-04:00

I love to take pictures, and I always have, so it only made sense to me to start a business taking photos. I have been focusing on taking photos of everyday items that look like letters of the alphabet. Now that is not as easy as it sounds, I mean go out and find the letter G, and then find one in nature, sports and architecture! So it takes a keen eye to find these letter photographs. I started out like most, finding the easy letters, the B’s and L’s using windows etc. and slowing sharpening my focus to find the harder letters, and items not normally scrutinized , like a baseball glove and a garden gate.

Now I see letters everywhere I look! I am always taking pictures, and have actually had people come up to me and ask me why I am taking pictures of them, and I have to explain that I am taking pictures of the basketball court floor, (weird I know) . Some others have asked if I was from the Health Department (taking close ups of the water fountain at my child’s school), or maybe I am from the bank because I am outside taking a picture of their garage door or the shutters on their house!

Recently my girls have started whining every time I pull the car over to take a picture of a telephone pole or tree knot, “Mom, please”, I hear from the backseat, “ I hate stopping all the time” the exclaim! Hey is it my fault that it takes twice as long to get anywhere these days? Well yes I guess it is, but I can’t seem to break my LETTER PHOTO ADDICTION!

Owls Spotlight: Icky Dog

2009-06-30T08:00:00.004-04:00

So we celebrated my husband's birthday this weekend and one of his presents inspired me. He received a book titled The Truth About Chuck Norris - 400 Facts About The World's Greatest Human. This book is filled with hilarious "facts" about Chuck Norris. Here's a few, to show you what I mean:

When monsters go to sleep, they check their closet for Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris makes onions cry.

It never rains on Chuck Norris.

A cobra once bit Chuck Norris's leg. After 5 days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.

Every piece of furniture in Chuck Norris's house is a Total Gym.

Chuck Norris can charge a cell phone just by rubbing it against his beard.

I've heard some of these "facts" before, and always thought they were hilarious! So I figured hey! Lets see what kind of Chuck Norris goodies I can find on Etsy! Sadly, not nearly enough!

Actually, Chuck Norris isn't God, but he does beat God at golf. This button is from indietrinkets.

And Chuck Norris can turn back time simply by staring at a clock and flexing. This vinyl wall decal is from willocreeksigns.

There is no chin behind Chuck Norris's beard. There is only another fist. This cute t-shirt is from jamjamtees

Chuck Norris flosses with barbed wire. This fun art poster is from revolutionoise.

Hope you all enjoy this as much as I do! If not, Chuck Norris will roundhouse kick your head!

Plushies from the Owls

2009-06-29T18:01:00.007-04:00

As a mixed medium team, we have people who make just about everything. This post highlights our members who bring animals to life in unique ways, making everything from sweet little owls to monsters! Ickydogcreations squarejane and zemphira make some of the craziest, funniest, and cutest little animals out there! Check them out below and click through to see their shops, and maybe even adopt a new little guy of your own!

This little guy was created by Ickydogcreations . His name is Jackson, doesn't he just steal your heart? (If he hasn't yet, he will!)

Another Ickydogcreations guy is shown below. He has some issues, like he kinda has the plague and maggots are munching on him 24/7, but he still needs someone to love him. Don't we all?

One of Squarejane's art dolls has become somewhat of a celebrity. This is Terrence , who is currently living in the Monster Big Brother house, where he's one of the final five monsters.

Go check out his experiences there (and VOTE for him to win!). Before the MBB house, Terrence was enjoying his life of sock-stealing with his close friend Maisy (shown below). What will his life be like after the House, and will he win? We'll see...

Last, but most certainly not least, is Zemphira and her line of simply gorgeous owls. I mean, look at this little guy? Who wouldn't love it forever? I know I would!

I couldn't resist digging through her sold items to show some of her holiday themed owls! Aren't they adorable?

Owl Spotlight: BlackCatMima

2009-06-27T14:15:00.000-04:00

The summer heat is here and my favorite way to cool off is to jump into my neighborhood pool for a refreshing swim. Ahhhh - the cool water quenching your hot and sweaty skin, sounds of happy children playing, the smell of the chlorinated waters and sunblock in the air ... it's the ultimate summer experience to me!

I live in a townhouse subdivision in the Chicago suburbs and the subdivision pool is literally right across the street from my house. All summer long, right from my front porch, you can hear the music playing, the children laughing and the water splashing. This is just one of the many reasons that I absolutely love summer!

Another great way to cool off - stay inside your air conditioned home and shop on Etsy of course! Go grab some lemonade or iced tea and let's go see what we can find . . .

all items found searching "cool water" on Etsy.com

Wishing everyone a fun and safe summer. Remember - stay cool, and shop handmade!

Visit BlackCatMima's Etsy Shop or check out her blog or other appearances on the Owls blog!

Owl Find Ice Cream!

2009-06-26T15:24:00.007-04:00

Since it has gotten hot the only thing I have been able to think about is ice cream, so I figured it would make for a fantastic SummerFinds post!

Owls Spotlight: Holly's Finds

2009-06-26T14:41:00.015-04:00

Today is my day to create a post but since my life is soooo boring I couldn't think of anything fun and personal to write about. So instead I decided that I would write about some of my absolute favorite finds on Etsy.com. Here is my list for the most awesomeness most fabulous finds on Etsy.com!

1. The coolest little ninja I have ever seen. I just LOVE ninjas! This ninja was made by Beladonna.etsy.com.

2. Next up is this glamorous to die for cocktail ring. I love the style of this ring. I love that it is simple, elegant, and really shiny. I know that sometime in the future I will own one of Crowsnestmountain.etsy.com's glorious rings!

3. Did someone say MUSTACHE? I think mustaches are sooo funny. That is why this Mr. Pringles Mustache necklace by LittleAngelsJewelry.etsy.com is number 3 on my list.

4. If there is one animal that will always put a smile on my face it's a hedgehog! Rainbowswirlz.etsy.com must have read my mind when they created this absolutely adorable Hedgehog t-shirt.

5. Anyone that knows me knows that there is and will always be a special place in my heart for all animals (big or small, fluffy or scaly), this is why I had to feature RescueMeTugz.etsy.com on my list. RescueMeTugz not only makes super fun toys and collars for dogs, but this seller donates 100% of the proceeds to Great Dane Rescue. Since I have three puppies I always go to RescueMeTugz for all my puppy accessories!

June Contest Winner: HollyStott!

2009-06-24T00:15:00.003-04:00

Our June Challenge ended Monday and the winner was HollyStott!

The winning item, an upcycled mosaic piece, is still for sale in Holly's shop. Also, Holly has entered Etsy's Handmade Moment contest with the precious video on the right (that also just happens to feature all of our June challenge entries at the end, yay us!). So, show Holly some love and go watch her video on the Etsy.Tv website . She'll move on to the finals if enough people watch her video, so go watch it and share it with your friends!!

July's challenge will bring something new and unique for the team, as we've decided to team up with another team for this one! The Owls and the Spanglish team will be joining forces to create some awesome Frida Kahlo themed items! The challenge will be hosted here on our blog, and will work the same way as our normal challenges do, only will include participating members from the Spanglish team as well. This challenge will be on Frida's birthday, July 6th, so stay tuned for the awesomeness!

Owls Find Cephalopods!!

2009-06-23T10:29:00.006-04:00

I couldn't resist!! Who doesn't love a cephalopod! Squid, octopi, cuttlefish . . . they're so fantastical it makes my brain hurt! I just wanna squish 'em!!! Enjoy their cuteness!

Featured sellers:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5408586

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6418630

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5352938

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5849939

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6335064

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=12650

This OwlFinds list was brought to you by Ickydogcreations. Enjoy!

Stellar Seller: BirdNestsandPaper

2009-06-17T12:30:00.000-04:00

This week's Stellar Seller is BirdNestsandPaper. Her shop is somewhat accurate to what her title suggests; it actually reminded me of a tour through that unknown supply box. Just what you'll find is unknown, but you're guaranteed to find something awesome! She was nominated by BlackCatMima, who recommended her shop to us, so we'd like to share her with you! Read the interview, check out her shop, and also, check her blog out at http://birdnestsandpaper.blogspot.com

Tell us and the Etsy world a bit about you, anything you'd like to share...

Well - I am really excited to be invited to participate on this blog! Thank you blackcatmima! I am an assemblage and collage artist living in San Diego. I have two lovely grown daughters, an awesome step-son and a goofy-yet-loving husband. I am lucky to have a working studio that I share with two other crazy artists, and I run the Etsy business from a home studio (do I need to say that it seems to spill over into every room!) – so fun!

How did you meet Etsy? Was it love at first sight?

I heard about Etsy when a friend started selling her crocheted mice, so I have been shopping for several years. And, it was absolutely love at first site! Now the experience of selling on Etsy is even better than shopping (if that’s possible) – all the people that I “meet” and the connections made - wow! I am completely convinced that each of us makes a difference in the lives of other artists every time we post on a blog, sell or buy something on Etsy, respond to a convo, or offer a tutorial. I am so grateful to be part of this growing community.

How do thrift stores fall into your Etsy business and do you have a local favorite?

I don’t know what I would do if people stopped getting rid of all these treasures! Yikes! I go to thrift stores all the time – there are several in San Diego – but my favorite is AMVETS near Pacific Highway. I ALWAYS find something there. And I think it is fun for people who shop on Etsy to know that I really hunt and search for the one-of-a-kind goodies that get posted in the shop. Not only do I resell some items, but I also use much of what I find in my own artwork.

Describe yourself in 1 word: compulsive

Do you have a favorite:

word or saying? Art Saves Lives (from an art magazine in the 80’s) it saved mine!
website or blog, other than Etsy! – Love this blog http://andothersillythings.blogspot.com recently she moved her studio to her home and STILL managed to keep creating these perfect stuffed toys – I continue to be inspired by her dedication.

book and/or author? I adore reading – mainly a fiction gal – and anything where a mystery must be solved! Currently loving anything by Donna Leon because the mysteries are all set in Venice and she describes the long Italian lunches in such delicious detail!

song/music artist? Oops - I rely on my husband, John, to find music for me and put it on my ipod – sad, huh. I blame my upbringing which was a combination of Classical music and Herb Alpert / Tijuana Brass. I am a sucker for anything by U2.

Etsy seller? I would love to list all of the fantabulous shops that I see and experience. Pretty sure I am not the first person to say that! Here is one of my favs - a great artist that proves all those cast offs are being put to good use cocoondesigns.etsy.com – for a while I thought I might keep some of my old sweaters and try my hand at . . . never mind!
Thanks, so much, for letting me ramble! Have fun creating!

Summer Finds: Picnic

2009-06-16T21:19:00.003-04:00

Summer is the season of freshly mowed lawns, children laughing and playing outdoors, ice cream, and of course, picnics! Enjoy this picnic, and go have one with your friends or family! Please note, these foods aren't edible! Don't try it!

Featured Artists and Items:

http://sunbasilgarden.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26334140

http://sewnnatural.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25946698

http://risamay.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12941726

http://punkidoo.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25312616

http://trishafern.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25231164

http://nadiasplace.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25335860

Sunny Summer! Etsy Owls June Challenge!

2009-06-15T15:14:00.006-04:00

In honor of summer's gorgeous summer days, we decided to make June's challenge a color challenge. The rules were simple: make your item primarily one or all of the selected summer colors (yellow, orange, red). After that the rest was up to the crafter, and the results were some amazing intrepretations on the summer color scheme.

The entries are shown here in alphabetical order by shop, and are on the poll above in the same order. Each person's item is also linked below the slideshow, so make sure to go check out their items on Etsy too! Voting will last for 1 week.

gubfactory's Tommy Ato, Vampire Tomato

gypsyeye's Camille necklace

Hollystott's Sun Mosaic Wall Art

ickydogcreations's Sunburned rat

Jonikay52's Fun in the Sun Hoop Earrings

KatsCozyKrafts' Love is Blind Counted Cross Stitch

lalala08's Deesse du Soleil Necklace

lovealisa's Here Comes the Sun earrings

luckytwentyone's Heat oil painting

squarejane's Sunny Day Owl Makeup Clutch

suenosdejmi's Sunny Summer scarf

zemphira's Orange Fiber Art Quilt

Search owlschallenge on Etsy to see these and other challenge entries!

Something New This Way Comes...

2009-06-14T22:41:00.002-04:00

We've got some new things up on our blog! One is the search box at the top of the left hand column, it's set up to especially search our blog, so if you're looking for something, check it out! It's a great new Blogger feature and we're very excited about it!

Secondly, within our team we've started a mega-intensive promotion group, called the Hooters Promo Club, or HPC. Members sign up for this on their own, so it's not the entire team, (this round it's only 7 members thus far) and each week we'll take turns being the one promoted. First up is BlackCatMima and for the entire week we'll keep her Etsy Mini here on the blog, it's on the left below the Project Wonderful ad box!

We're also launching a challenge tomorrow, so stay tuned!

YART!

2009-06-10T00:44:00.003-04:00

Here are all Owls participating in the Yart Sale starting today and ending Sunday 6/14. See all of our Yart Sale items by searching EtsyOwlsTeam + Yart

AODesigns: Jewelry, Custom Pet Tags, and more!
Yart Sale Section

BlackCatMima: Felt Accessories, hairpins, and much more!
Yart Sale Section

CocoStIves: Vintage supplies, ephemera, and antique photography
Yart Sale Section 25% to 30%

dreambirdphotos: see the world, one photo at a time
$1 4x6 photos, 2 5x7 photos, and $5 8x10 photos

gypsyeye: unique jewelry
Yart Sale Section

hollystott: Cute animal earrings and more!
Yart Sale section starting at $4

IckyDogCreations: Plush Creations and Watch Sculptures
Yart Sale Section

lalala08: Free US Shipping plus a Secret Jewelry Sale every day!
Check for Today's Secret Sale

lucidmoonstudio: Free US Shipping Storewide
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5150683

LuckyTwentyOne: Ink Drawings, Paintings, and More!
Free Shipping Worldwide and 50% off total purchase!

RobinsonsNest: Cards, Magnets, and more!
50% off Yart Sale Section

Square [J] Jane: Paintings, Art Dolls, and More!
Yart Sale Section--Up to 50% off

suenosdejmi: Crocheted scarves, gloves, and more!
$5 Yart Sale Section
$10 Yart Sale Section
$15 Yart Sale Section

Burrowing Owls: Owl Masks

2009-06-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

Who'd have thought there were so many owl masks out there? I know what I'm wearing to my next masquerade ball! These Etsy artists are way talented!

Here's where you can find these gorgeous masks:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25573324

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25431260

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25413177

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24991323

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23858472

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23132268

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6741917

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16226363