Treasure Hunt

The Promotional Frenzy team on etsy.com has started an exciting new event for the month of November.  There are 51 shops offering amazing discounts and that makes this the perfect time to start that holiday shopping!  The rules are simple.   Pick a shop, browse through that shop's listings, find the listing with the hidden Treasure Hunt picture (see image below) and you will discover a coupon code to use at check out.  Each shop is offering different deals, so make sure to read that listings details to find out what the discount will be.  Happy shopping and thanks for playing!



Here is a list of participating shops:

1. Trinkets N Whatnots - www.galla15.etsy.com
Handmade Button, Crystal and Pearl Jewelry

2. Sewinggranny - www.etsy.com/shop/sewinggranny
Sewn items - baby, kitchen, home decor, holiday

3. CalliopeAZCreations - www.calliopeazcreations.etsy.com
Handmade Jewelry, Medicine Stones, Decorated Feathers

4. jQ jewelry designs - www.jQjewelrydesigns.etsy.com
Gemstone Jewelry that is Classic ... with an Edge

5. KrystalsJewelry - www.krystalsjewelry.etsy.com
Intricate Handmade Jewelry of all styles for all tastes

6. rooee - www.rooee.etsy.com
Quilts & quilted things, cloth dolls, fabric postcards

7. PaintedMemoriesByRos.etsy.com
Fine Art Note Cards and Prints

8. Peelirohini.etsy.com
Colorful and Unique Sterling silver , Gold fill Jewelry with Genuine Gemstones and/or Polymer Clay

9. www.etsy.com/shop/SunnyCrystals
Crystal Tumblestones, Natural Gemtone Jewellery & Decoupage Cards plus a bit of Vintage Jewellery

10. Symbolic Imports - www.SymbolicImports.etsy.com
Handmade Bath & Body - Lip balms, Sugar Scrubs, Handmade Soaps, Perfumes & more!

11. Beautifulswagstore - www.etsy.com/shop/beautifulswagstore
hair accessories, dog toys, baby gift sets, home decor, gift wrapping

12. Bijibijoux- www.etsy.com/shop/bijibijoux
Handmade jewelry/ beads/ supplies -

13. Newcreationz - www.etsy.com/shop/NewCreatioNZ
Fine art and photography craft

14. BountyOfBeads - www.etsy.com/shop/bountyofbeads
Handmade Bead Dangle Drop Charm Sets and Trinity Brass Findings
Jewelry Making Supplies

15. Fair Lady Boutique - www.etsy.com/shop/fairladyboutique
A Beading Boutique with vintage beads + components, Czech glass, gemstones, and custom made bead mixes

16. HollysFollyGlass - www.etsy.com/shop/HollysFollyGlass
Fine and fun Lampwork Glass Beads by artist Holly Dare.

17. Glitterbird Glass - www.etsy.com/shop/GlitterbirdGlass
Home decor and jewelry made from beautiful fused glass.

18. CrochetedbyCharlene - www.etsy.com/shop/CrochetedbyCharlene
Beautiful crocheted afghans, accessories, and much more.

19. Camillescloset- www.etsy.com/shop/Camillescloset
Handmade jewelery items.

20. Prittify - www.etsy.com/shop/Prittyfy
Handmade Jewelry, Modern, Altered Art, Steampunk

21. Crystalphotography - www.etsy.com/shop/crystalphotography
Fine Art Photography Prints and Greeting Cards

22. iaFlowerPower - www.etsy.com/shop/iaFlowerPower
Whimsical Crocheted and Knitted Baby Hats and more

23. Gabby's Quilts - www.etsy.com/shop/GabbysQuilts
Handcrafted Quilts, Tablerunners, Wallhangings and Embroidered Gifts

24. CNJ Ceramics - www.etsy.com/shop/CNJCeramics
Contemporary Clay Jewelry and Home Decor

25. LostLemonade - www.etsy.com/shop/LostLemonade
Body Care Products made to cleanse, moisturize and soothe

26. RomanticThoughts - RomanticThoughts.etsy.com
Handcrafted Jewelry, PreMade Scrapbook Pages, Vintage Items and More

27. Ooh Leela! - isabelafelix.etsy.com
Handmade dish towels and trendy accessories

28. KatersAcres - katersacres.etsy.com
Polymer Clay Creations, Trinkets, & Treasures with a Whimsical Feel

29. Magda - magdamagdaFashion.etsy.com
custom clothing, accessories and supplies

30. Ugly Duckling Beads - www.etsy.com/shop/uglyducklingbeads
Handmade glass beads, digital collage sheets, tutorials, and jewelry

31. BellaTheBead - www.bellathebead.etsy.com
Handcrafted jewelry and supplies with vintage soul

32.IdeasBloom - www.ideasbloom.etsy.com
Handcrafted decorative wreaths

33. Greenhouse Glassworks - www.greenhouseglassworks.etsy.com
Fused Glass Jewelry, Stained Glass Home Decor, and Handmade Cards and Tags

34. Five Supplies - Five0101.etsy.com
All the supplies you need to create

35. TheMayFlower Fashions - themayflower.etsy.com
Fun & Stylish Fashion Designs for Women

36. Something Wyrd- www.SomethingWyrd.Etsy.com
Handcrafted jewelry and beaded charms

37. iluvmarin - iluvmarin.etsy.com
Greeting cards, scrapbooks, cupcake toppers, & festive banners

38. Lexilouflowers - www.etsy.com/shop/LexiLouFlowers?ref=si_shop
Hair Accessories, Feather headbands, and Hair ties

39. Mt Baldy Glassworks www.mtbaldyglass.etsy.com
fused glass jewelry and home decore

40. LexiekinPrints - www.etsy.com/shop/LexiekinPrints
Personalized, customized and Printable Invitations, tags, cards and more!

41. Turtlexiii- www.turtlexiii.etsy.com
Sterling Silver Jewelry with Swarovski Crystals and Pearls, Gemstones & more.

42. IsabellesAttic- www.isabellesattic.etsy.com
aprons, accessories, baby items and more

43. AshlynDesign - www.ashlyndesign.etsy.com
Artisan handmade lampwork beads, metal charms, and finished jewelry

44. eveyinorbitshop - www.eveyinorbitshop.etsy.com
Mixed media art, original aceo and zines.

45. Suzie Tenzer - www.susietenzer.etsy.com
Original fine art paintings and prints

46. LindaB - www.lindab142.etsy.com
Artisan crafted beaded and wire wrapped jewelry, Jewish jewelry and accessories, wire beaded kippot

47. DellCoveSpices - dellcovespices.etsy.com
hand mixed spices, magnetic spice kits, cocktail sugars & margarita salts, organic popcorn, popcorn toppings & other treats

48. OverTheMoonGifts - overthemoongifts.etsy.com
personalized gifts, accessories, and home decor

49. craftycreations81 - www.etsy.com/shop/craftycreations81
Peacock feather items, wedding items and items for newborns/children

50. nan gates designs - www.nangatesdesigns.etsy.com
Fabric handbags, totes and accessories

51. ProdigyCrafts - www.prodigycrafts.etsy.com
Crocheted Clothing, Accessories and Gifts                   

The Gift of Fall

Fall is, by far, my favorite season.  I love the crisp autumn air, the beautiful leaves, pumpkins, apple cider and everything else that comes with this season!  Fall gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling.  It also brings two of my favorite holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Decorating for these holidays makes me happy.  I love to fill my home with fall decor.

As we prepare to celebrate this time of year, many of us will not only be decorating our own homes, but will probably be attending one or two fall themed parties and dinners.  Consider giving the gift of handmade.  Handmade crafts make wonderful gifts!  When you give a hostess or friend a handmade craft, you are not only taking the time to select a special gift for that special someone, but you are also supporting the community of crafters and artisans.  Handmade gifts are created with love and passion for the craft.  A significant amount of time is put into creating each item and the crafter puts a little of themselves in each piece.  Not to mention, handmade crafts are almost always a better quality than something you run to the store and pick up! 

Below you will find some of my favorite suggestions for fall gifts.  Of course, I have to throw in some of my wreaths.  Wreaths make a wonderful gift.  However, you will also find some other crafts that I love, all available on etsy.com.  Consider the gift of handmade!


http://www.etsy.com/listing/82102031/fall-wreath-autumn-wreath-leaves-and


http://www.etsy.com/listing/77825566/brown-cream-orange-and-yellow-fall


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81466306/fall-wreath-sunflowers-and-pumpkins-20


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81412680/batty-mum


http://www.etsy.com/listing/74651890/hand-made-amigurumi-key-chain-owl-key


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81821730/crazy-lace-and-montana-agate-necklace-of


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81775083/bookmark-fall-buttons-on-checkered


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81730792/autumn-cupcake-soap-bar-handmade-cold


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81571503/orange-and-black-tags-set-of-8-248


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81317790/scarf-and-rose-chiffon-set


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81330616/sugar-scrub-soap-caramel-apple-crunch


http://www.etsy.com/listing/81096742/geometric-flat-bottom-cosmeticmakeup



http://www.etsy.com/listing/80761124/24kt-gold-real-maple-leaf-pendant

These are just a few examples of great gift ideas.  You can find more by searching promofrenzy on Etsy.com.  The possibilities are almost endless!

Stay tuned for my suggestions on giving a handmade Christmas!  Coming Soon!

August Promo Frenzy Mega Event

It's been a while since I've blogged.  It seems that I always find an excuse to not do it. 

A couple of months ago I had the privilege of joining an amazing team on etsy.com.  It's called the Promotional Frenzy Team and what a great experience it has been.  I've discovered a wonderful group of sellers and have learned more in these 2 months than I could have in a year! 

When I joined the team they were just starting their push to win a contest on the Handmade Top 10.  With a lot of effort and a lot of team work, we won!  I have to say that I was very excited to be a part of this team when I saw the effort that everyone put into this contest. 

In an effort to put that team motivation to use again, Promo Frenzy has started an August Promo Frenzy Mega Event!!!  There is one coupon code :  frenzyspecial  and it will get you amazing savings in many of the team shops.  You can check out the list below for participating shops.  Happy shopping!!!

 jQjewelrydesigns.etsy.com - 15% off all items over $20

 Galla15.etsy.com - 30% off all items over $20

 SymbolicImports.etsy.com - 25% off orders over $10 (some exclusions apply)

 CalliopeAZCreations.etsy.com - 20% off everything in the shop

 KrystalsJewelry.etsy.com - 20% off orders over $20

 SunnyCrystals.etsy.com - 'Summer Special Offer' section - items already reduced plus buy 2 or more of my 3D Decoupage Cards and receive 10% Discount (refunds via paypal)

 CrochetedbyCharlene.etsy.com - 20% off all orders

 NewCreationz.etsy.com - 20% off everything Plus free gift Plus entry in to a draw for a voucher to my shop

 DellCoveSpices.etsy.com - 5% off everything in the shop

 BountyofBeads.etsy.com - 20% to 25% off Lampwork Beads, Sterling Silver and Polymer Clay Beads (no coupon coded needed, I am using etsyonsale)

 PaintedMemoriesByRos.etsy.com - 15% off these sections - BLANK CARD SETS, MATTED CARDS and FRAMED CARDS (also using etsyonsale, no coupon)

 Bijibijoux.etsy.com - Use coupon code frenzyspecial for 10% off any purchase $8 & UP PLEASE

 TurtleXIII.etsy.com - 15% off entire purchase, NOT INCLUDING destash which is already super cheap

 delightfulprints.etsy.com - 15% off everything in my shop, does not include custom orders

 CrimsonHill.etsy.com - 15% off any order over $10, before shipping with team code.

 nangatesdesigns.etsy.com - 15% off everything in shop

 Sewinggranny.etsy.com - 15% off everything in my shop

 MoanasUniqueDesigns.etsy.com - 10% discount on orders $20 and under, 15% discount on orders over $20

 lindab142.etsy.com - 10% off of all combined purchases over $15 dollars (except destash and paper items)

 prodigycrafts.etsy.com - 20% off everything in my shop

 cigarboxbeads.etsy.com- 20% off everything over $30.

 vervecolor.etsy.com - 20% off everything in shop before shipping

 rabbitdogprints.etsy.com- 20% off everything in shop before shipping

 bloomandbling.etsy.com - 15% off everything in shop before shipping

 Prittyfy.etsy.com – 15% off any order $20 and up (excluding shipping)

 iaFlowerPower.etsy.com – 20% off any order $20 and up (excluding shipping)

 Camillescloset.etsy.com- 15% off any order.

 TheMayFlower.etsy.com - 20% off on any item in shop (sale price already applied! no need for a coupon code!)

 Five0101.etsy.com - 15% off on any item in shop.

 PowersOfLove.etsy.com - 25% off your purchase.

 BellaTheBead.etsy.com - 15% off purchase of $20 or more (excluding shipping)

 IdeasBloom.etsy.com - 15% off purchase before shipping

 KrisKraftnMore.etsy.com - 10% off photography prop orders (before shipping). Buy three patterns get one free.

 CrystalPhotography.etsy.com - In stock section is 30% off. (Prices already reduced via etsyonsale).

 cindydidit.etsy.com - use FRENZYSPECIAL to enjoy 20% off

 RomanticThoughts.etsy.com - 15% OFF everything in shop, before shipping

 Impactjewelry.etsy.com - 15% off all purchases (before shipping)

 ToyStoryNutty.etsy.com (Kater's Acres) - 10% off store prices before shipping

 justByou.etsy.com - 10% off everything in our shop

 desertshinejewelry.etsy.com - 15% off everything in our shop before shipping

 TheCraftingPlace.etsy.com - 20% off everything in our shop OR Free shipping on orders $20 or more (order must still be $20 or more once coupon is applied)

 Galla15whatnots.etsy.com - 15% off of all orders over $25 dollars!

 AshlynDesign.etsy.com - up to 20% off all in-stock jewelry designs (coupon not needed, prices are already reduced)

 GlitterbirdGlamour.etsy.com - 15% off of all orders

 craftycreations81.etsy.com - 10% off all orders

 www.etsy.com/shop/TownandCountryVntage -25% off any item (before shipping and DOES NOT include clearance items).

 kellyjsorenson.etsy.com ~Kelly Designs~ 20% off all PreMade Logo Designs! Prices already reduced, no coupon needed :)

 babypenguincreations.etsy.com - 25% off any order $10 or more!

 laugingpenguincreations.etsy.com

 magdamagda.etsy.com - 25% off anything in "ready to ship" section plus free gift

 IsabellesAttic.etsy.com- 15% off everything!

 uniquecozytreasures.etsy.com- 5% off everything over $25. All orders receive FREE my eBook, "Vintage Ice Creams".

 EldoradoSoap.etsy.com - 20% off all orders of $15 or more (before shipping)

www.etsy.com/shop/uglyducklingbeads - 20% off selected items in "MegaPromoFrenzySpecials" section.--- use coupon code "Frenzyspecial"

My First Sale

Woo Hoo!  I made my first sale on etsy.com.  The best part is that it was followed by another the next day!  I have to say that my motivation and entrepreneurial spirit were starting to fade a little.  However, now I feel re-energized and ready to go.

In honor of my first sales and, of course, my wonderful mother, I am running a coupon code for my etsy shop.  Just enter MOMSROCK for 15% off your order!  The code will be good through Mother's Day! 

Inspiration From the Younger Generation

I love to hear about other crafters and artists and feel that it is our responsibility to help each other as much as possible.  We are all out there trying to make our business work and get our product a little publicity.  That's why when I started this Blog, I promised myself that I would not only talk about my own projects and products, but also feature other crafters and artists.  I immediately thought of my niece, Krista.

Krista was ALWAYS a crafty kid.  I remember one time when she was in elementary school she was visiting my parents and had been making little figures out of clay.  She was selling them to her classmates at school and making a profit.  If that's not the entrepreneurial spirit, I don't know what is!

Now she's all grown up and still crafting away.  Razzle Dazzle Bows is her business and she makes adorable bows by hand.  What is most inspiring about her and her business?  She does it all while working a full time job and remodeling an antique  house she bought with her sweet BF, Michael.  Talk about motivation!  Whoever said that today's generation isn't motivated hasn't met this girl!

She does have a Facebook page for Razzle Dazzle, but it's not the business page.  However, you can send a friend request and see her creations.  I believe most of her business is custom orders right now due to time constraints.  I really hope to see her build on all of her creativity in the future and when she has more time (maybe when the house is finished)! 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001867977225

A Digital World

Over 11 years ago, my husband and I made the decision that I would quit my job and become a SAHM.  I was working as a Corporate Account Representative for a large rental car company and was excited to become a mommy and raise my children. 

Not long after I started my adventure into parenthood, I found that I loved crafting.  One Fall I was searching for a great wreath for my front door.  I couldn't find anything I loved and decided that I would put my creativity to the test and headed to my local craft store.  I soon discovered a love for making wreaths and quickly made one for several friends and family members.  I enjoyed it so much and  didn't want to stop, but I only had so many doors and walls and concluded that I needed to start my own business. 

Ideas In Bloom was born and I jumped in with both feet and registered my business in Fairfax County, VA.  We had just bought our first computer and I started my own website through Yahoo using our dial up connection. 

After a couple of years I was having a great time making wreaths and my daughter was now almost three.  My husband and I knew that we wanted to have another child and were blessed to get pregnant again.  I made the decision to put my business on hold and spend the next few months enjoying my daughter and spending special time with her before her brother arrived.  I always told myself that I would pick up the business again after he was born, but sometimes life gets in the way! 

Three moves, three states, and seven years later here I am!  I've never stopped making wreaths and am happy to find myself in a place in my life that I am ready to start my business again.  What a shock it was to find out how much things have changed! 

Now, I haven't been living under a rock.  I have my own laptop, a Blackberry, and spend a lot of time on the Internet.  However, when it comes to the business aspect of selling and marketing on the net, lets just say I'm not using a dial up connection anymore.  Now I'm learning to use sites like etsy.com to sell my product and finally gave into the idea of Blogging.  A big "THANKS" to my friend, Val, for helping to guide me through this new (to me) digital world! 

I really never thought I would be a blogger.  It just didn't appeal to me and I was sure I didn't have anything to say that anyone would want to read!  Now I realize what an important tool it is for the business owner. 

I hope to share my own projects and inspirations and also feature some other crafters that I feel have some great ideas and inspire me. 

Please feel free to visit my shop at ideasbloom.etsy.com

I welcome feedback and "creative" criticism