How to Get a License to Sell Disney Characters

How to Get a License to Sell Disney Characters

I was shared this site, check it out, very informative!

My Babies as lolcatz! =)

The first 2 are Georgie and the last one is Georgie sitting on Munchkin!

Thoughts? =)

Spotlight on Spirit of the Stone

I have always found repurposing fascinating but this is something I find BEYOND impressive! Carving into rock is a skill that takes an incredibly steady hand and a sharp eye. I met Katie in a BNR and got to talking with her. She has two wonderful shops but today I am spotlighting Spirit of the Stone.

I asked Katie to share a little bit about herself, her work and any advice she would like to give fellow creators. Her response was inspiring!

I am a wife and a mother first, but second to my family is my love for art. I love to create. Whenever I see something unique or beautiful, the first thing that crosses my mind is ~What could I do with this and how can I turn it into an amazing piece of art?~ I also love crafting, taking things that stand out to me, putting them together and making something new. I chose to dedicate this shop to rune stones because I am fascinated with natural healing and the energies that are imbedded in everything around us.


I have been making artwork and crafts for many years but the reason I started a business on etsy, was due to a stranger who showed up at a garage sale I had last year. He was an artist too and we got to talking about art. I showed him a painting I had made of a tiger and he encouraged me to get prints made and put them on etsy. I never did get those prints made but I took one look at etsy and knew it was for me. This shop is the second one I have opened. I also have Katies Creative Corner ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/katiescreativecorner) where my other arts and crafts can be found.

I find inspiration in everything around me, from a piece of fabric at the store to an interesting comment in a conversation. It can come from anything and I find that it comes from everything if you are open to the possibilities.

My favorite items from this etsy shop are my party favors. They are so cute and though the pictures are good, they just don't capture their true essence. Much cuter in person! My favorite piece I have ever made is not a piece that I have put on etsy but it is one of two tiger paintings I have done.

My advice to other etsy hopefuls is, make sure to do it because you love it. Don't give up if you are having a slow start. The sales will come. Make sure that you get as involved as you can in teams and if you want to enhance your chance of getting your first sale participate in a BNR or BNS. Oh, and ask questions, most people are more than willing to help. We were all new to etsy at one time.

This is my personal favorite from Spirit of the Stone!

I hope you enjoyed reading this inspiring interview as much as I did and please stop by Katies shop and see her beautiful pieces for yourself!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpiritoftheStone 

Courtney~*

♥ A Little of This and That ♥: Congrats! Blog winner this month is Wicked Karma ...

I won the giveaway!!!! I HAD to share! I've never won anything before!! I'm so excited!! =)
Thanks sooooo  much Julie! You're AWESOME!!

♥ A Little of This and That ♥:
Congrats!  Blog winnerthis month is Wicked Karma ...: Congrats!  Blog winner this month is Wicked Karma Jewelry !

Huge List of Places to Advertise or Market Your Shop

I saw this list on a blog I subscribe to (A Little of This and That) and thought I would share it. Sea Star Dreams posted a huge list of places to advertise and market our shops!
Check it out! =)
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6243899

Thanks Julie from A Little of This and That!!

Spotlight on IPhone 4

I suppose it’s the artist in me but anytime I get something simple and “uniform” I immediately try to figure out how I can turn it into something that reflects my personality. I’m sure some of you are the same way. Well today we’ll be taking a look at a woman who helps people turn their phones into works of art!

I found Rebecca through a networking team on Etsy and was so impressed with her shop I had to ask her to be on my blog! So without any more ado, I give you IPhone 4 Designs:

Short Bio:

I am actually a wedding cake designer by day and an Etsy enthusiast by night. I'm a mother of two, and a wife of 17 years to my high school sweetheart. Everyone has a position in the Etsy shop, I am creative director, my husband covers the technical department (computer and printer issues), and my two little ones are president and vice president of the shipping department. Kind of...More like, post office officials.

                        If her cakes are as beautiful as her

                        phone covers I don’t think I could

                        ever bring myself to cut them! =)

This one is sooo crazy cool!!!

What inspired you to start your business?
My inspiration was more of a 'who' than a 'what'. My mother has been with Etsy for over a year, Ridge Top Cottage (http://www.etsy.com/shop/RidgeTopEmbroidery) and she loves it. Some how, and I'm not sure how, a little over a month ago I stumbled right into a passion of my own! I started one iphone case at a time and now I can barely pull myself away from the computer!

What inspires your creative process?
Crazy as I may sound, I feel like the creative inspiration dam has busted wide open! I've always had an artsy side, and have had a great outlet with my wedding cake business, but since working in my new medium, I feel like the ideas just keep coming. I actually have a little pad and pen next to my pillow...sometimes it comes in a dream :).

                                This one is my favorite and definitely

                                   Looks like a dream come to life!

What is your favorite thing you’ve made and why?
I think my most favorite item is a custom order I had received my first week on Etsy. I love the colors in the design and it inspires me to add more fantasy based items.

(Insert the pics with the listings)

www.etsy.com/listing/101925955/iphone-4-case-iphone-case-iphone-4s-case

www.etsy.com/listing/101577916/unique-building-iphone-4-cell-phone-case

www.etsy.com/listing/103603755/unique-robot-iphone-4-case-iphone-case

What advice do you have for other people who want to start or grow their Etsy shop?
Although I do not even remotely consider myself a person to give advice, I will say this. Don't be afraid to ask, ask, ask. The vendors of Etsy can be so supportive. I quickly sought mentors and they were very receptive to share tips and tricks with me. Through their advice, I have joined teams, favored shops and promoted items.Of course the basics, great pictures, detailed listings, and a fully stocked shop. Also, so important, don't be discouraged. Rome wasn't built in a day, and Etsy sales don't show up in paypal overnight...although sometimes you wake up in the morning and there IS a sale...that can make your whole day!

I agree! Seeing a sale always makes me feel like I’m walking on cloud 9, lol!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about Rebecca and will venture over to her Etsy store and see all of her unique and inventive covers!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/IPhone4Design

Spotlight on Bambi Creations

Didn’t you ever wish, just once that you owned a candy company? Well Bambi is a woman living every childs dream and every dentists nightmare (lol), she makes gourmet lollipops! =)

From the extreme to the exotic, Kula Strawberry (pictured left below) to Cinnamon Raisin (pictured right below)

Well, that’s enough of my ramblings, lets hear what Bambi has to say about her sinfully sweet sensations!

Aloha, my name is Bambi. I am a local girl raised in beautiful Hawaii. As a little girl, I was very crafty, and always loved making my own things rather than buying. I have always had a creative mind. As I got older, I always knew that I wanted to have my own business. Some may think I am a jack of all trades, because I like to do and try to make everything. But the way I look at it is..... I am trying to find my niche. 

One day I decided that I wanted a sewing machine. lol , at that time I have never operated a sewing machine and had no idea where to start. All I knew was that I wanted to sew..... and I was going to learn. So I self taught myself and began sewing new creations. 

I opened my Etsy shop BAMBIcreations in 2011. I think my first creation I ever listed in my shop was fabric covered photo albums. that was something I learned how to make in high school, and enjoyed making those. Of all my sewing creations, I am most proud of my Mod Mini Wallets. They are fun, and very functional:) 

(I want the pink one myself!)

Here is a link to the Mod Mini Wallet section in her Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/BAMBIcreations?section_id=7823135.

My other passion is cooking/baking. I love being in the kitchen.. I think that is my favorite place in the house to be. So a little after I opened my Etsy shop, I ventured into candy making:) I am a little girl at heart and love to make and eat candy:) My first candy creation was Island Style Taffy. It was a hit and sold very well. Anyone that tried my taffy always came back for more, and I had a lot of repeat customers come back just to order more taffy. For the past 6 months or so, I have put taffy making on hold for a little bit to expand my candy making creations. I now create Luau Pops which are Gourmet Lollipop Creations. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE creating new lollies with unique flavors. My lollipops are very tasty, unique and nice to look at:) My Gourmet Lollipop craft allows me to be creative and unlock the inner artist in me:) For me, creating new flavors, ideas, and concepts with these lollies is liberating. It allows me to be free and just create. No limits. I love creating new flavors that are so weird, so innovative you just can't help but buy just to try:) Here is the link to my Luau Pops

(Have you ever wondered what Butterscotch and Bacon would taste like? This woman and it’s become one of her more popular lollipops to date!)

www.etsy.com/shop/BAMBIcreations?section_id=7757588

Our lollies make great treats, gifts, and party favors. They can be created fun for a child's birthday party, and elegant for a wedding

The advice I would give others that are just starting out with their Etsy shop is have NO LIMITS. Be as creative as you want to be, keep creating and never give up:) I have found that not everything will work, or sell..... you just have to keep creating and see what works:) The more passion and love that goes behind your creating, the more successful your shop will be.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope it has inspired you to take the limits off and just create because you love to create:)

Bambi (shop owner and creator)

If you read my story, checked out my shop, and see something you'd like, please enjoy 10% off your first purchase with coupon code LOLLIPOP10 at checkout

Enjoy your little piece of paradise!!!!

Thank you Bambi for sharing your story! I plan on using the code to try the Kona Coffee pops as soon as I have cash to spend! =)

Here’s the link to Bambi’s shop, check out her awesome candy, wallets and all the other fun stuff they have to offer! Don’t forget to get 10% off and mention I sent ya! ;)

www.bambicreations.etsy.com

Courtney~*

Try, Try Again....!: Giveaway!!! and Need Your Imput on New Hedgehog Co...

Try, Try Again....!: Giveaway!!! and Need Your Imput on New Hedgehog Co...: Giveaway!! Magnet Set... Owl and Cat Art Magnets *Printed on high quality thick sheet magnet (These are prints of my 100%Polymer...

Spotlight on French Market Stitch

If you thought sexy costumes were only for exotic entertainers, you’d be wrong! Olga of French Market Stitch creates burlesque style corsets for all sorts of occasions! Halloween, women who want to take pin-up photos for that special someone, and (my favorite!) themed parties!

As I’m sure you guessed, French Market Stitch is located in beautiful New Orleans, which is also where my family happens to be from! Love it! And it’s the perfect place to find inspiration for her beautiful outfits!

From the brightly bold to the subtly sultry, The French Market Stitch has an outfit that’s sure to make all your other clothes jealous!

These are two of my absolute FAVORITES from her line! As a ginger I think I’d pull off the green pretty well.. ;)

I asked her to share with us what got her started and what inspires her pieces.

“My business came about because one Halloween I wanted a burlesque costume, but everything I saw online was either too expensive or I didn't like the style. At the time I remembered that I had an old corset in the closet and decided that maybe I could do something with it. After I decorated it and totally embellished it, added a feather bustle and fringe, etc., I had myself my first burlesque costume. I got so many compliments on it that Halloween that it kind of started the ball rolling, and ever since then, I started making them out of my garage at night.”

“I look for color combinations that I really like, something that's more old school and not too wild. I like the old-timey feel to my costumes. I also really like brightly colored gem colors, so I try to incorporate that into my style.”

I asked her what her favorite outfit was that she makes and I was excited to hear that it was one of my favorites as well!

“I love the Kali costume because it's dark and mysterious I feel. It's one of the ones I've had the longest. I like the black on black color and the lace dot overlay on the corset.”

www.etsy.com/listing/62586889/kali-black-swan-burlesque-showgirl

When asked what advice she would give to anyone who is thinking of starting their own business or opening a shop on a site like Etsy she had this to say:

“For me it was easy because I found something that I loved to do. So I think that's the most important part. Find something you love to do and keep at it. Someone will appreciate it somewhere.”

Sometimes the simple advice is the best advice. If you do what you love you 

never work a day in your life!

I hope you enjoyed seeing the wonderful products from French Market Stitch. Take a moment and visit her shop to see more wonderful pieces like these!

French Market Stitch On Etsy

Spotlight on RixiePixie

As a certified “crazy cat lady” I LOVE anything having to do with cats! I was on a Tophatter auction one day and I met the fabulous Ricki Hipwell. She said she made clay cat figurines and necklace charms. So, of course I HAD to see them! I went to her shop and immediately fell in love!! I had to order custom creations of my babies, which I wear every day, and a Mr. Waggletom, the Tophatter kitty! I’ve gotten so many compliments and every time I visit her shop she has more adorable and unique kitties!

I LOVE people who do custom orders like this!

These are the FABULOUS kitties she made for me! Aren’t they precious!?

My favorite thing about Etsy is that you can get to know the people that you buy from. So I asked Ricki to share with me some of the things that make her and her business so unique.

Give us a short bio: I'm 26 years old and spend my days with my Husband and 2 Furbabies in Naples Florida. Not to mention my 100+ clay kitties. I guess you can say I'm kind of a cat lady.

What inspired you to start your business? I love creating things and my Kitties are my biggest inspiration for all the kitties I make. Dexter is my grey and white tabby who is a big 17 pound mama's boy and Gabe is my tuxedo kitty who is a ninja who literally bounces off the walls.

What inspires your creative process? My fans. I get super ideas from my fans everyday. I write down the 100's of ideas and try to spend at least a full day just making all the kitties. I couldn't do it without my fans.

What is your favorite thing you’ve made and why? I would have to say my Avengers Kitties are my all time favorite. I worked so hard to get them to resemble their super hero counter parts. They are a fan favorite for sure.

www.etsy.com/listing/102166950/itty-bitty-avenger-kitties-set-of-4

What advice do you have for other people who want to start or grow their Etsy shop? The biggest piece of advice I can give for Etsy shop owners is to take advantage of the Online Labs: www.etsy.com/community/online-labs They have soooooo much helpful information about how to get your Tags set up so people can find your shop, how to take the best pictures and Etsy Success Symposiums that are FANTASTIC for getting your name and brand out there. I couldn't have done it without Etsy's resources.

                                          Here are some of my personal favorite of her kitty creations:

I hope you enjoyed getting to know this fabulous artisan as much as I did! Please stop by her shop and adopt a Itty Bitty Kitty of your very own!

RixiePixies Etsy Shop

Courtney~*

Christmas in July Mania!!

Christmas in July sale on Etsy starts tomorrow!! I'm kinda jazzed! Everyone's got some crazy awesome things on sale! I've got everything in my shop 15% off. So (*fingers crossed*) wish me luck and sales! =)
Check out my pinterest page with all sorts of CIJ treasures!!
http://pinterest.com/wickedkarma/christmas-in-july/

Courtney~*

My Precious Punkins!

I'm a cat person. My sister and I are the cat ladies and we love it! =)
I rescue kitties and give them the love they never got from their cat mother.

On the right is Georgie! She's my oldest punkin and on the left hugging his teddy bear Bertram is Munchkin! Aren't they ADORABLE!!

This is Georgie, hugging Rodger the goose! She sits next to me and watches t.v.! She LOVES to watch t.v.! She's started picking out movies from my shelf! She'll go over and deliberate and then pull on off onto the floor and then jump on the bed and meow as if to say "put it in the dvd player mommy"! It's so precious!! I wish I could catch it on video! She loves to snuggles with me and watch cartoons especially! Also, anything with Jackie Chan (like mommy, like kitty, lol)! She's also a great judge of music! I put my Itunes on random and she will purr when the White Stripes come on! She becomes increasingly beautiful and increasingly neurotic as the days go by! People are always telling me to put her in showbiz but I'm afraid she's too skittish for that.. She came from a kind of abusive home. She would bleed and they would laugh.. I wanted to kill them! I think she might have a little brain damage.. but that only makes me love her more!

This is the munch munch after his first bath! I found this little baby in my dads storeroom. There was a big cat that used to sneak in and out of it and he never bothered it cause he knew I'd scold him, lol! But then all of a sudden the cat stopped coming around. We never thought anything about it until 2 days later when I heard meowing coming from the storeroom. I ran inside and got my dad who helped me climb the stacks of boxes and tools to find this preciousness. Turns out he has a sensitive tummy so his mommy abandoned him, like feral cats will do if they think a baby won't survive on it's own in the wild. I named him Dorothy originally until I discovered he was a boy, lol! I named him after Wizard of Oz characters because when I found him he was so hungry and had worms and was just pathetic but I couldn't get him to eat and the vet was closed cause it was saturday. So I just held him in my arms and rocked him on the porch swing to keep him from crying. Eventually I started singing "somewhere over the rainbow" to him and within minutes he was sound asleep. He is the most loving cat I've ever had! He sleeps with me every night!

♥ A Little of This and That ♥: JULY 2012 GIVEAWAY>>>CLICK HERE TO ENTER

♥ A Little of This and That ♥: JULY 2012 GIVEAWAY>>>CLICK HERE TO ENTER: BIGGEST CONTEST YET! Silicone molds, micro beads, clay, clay tools, miniature cookie cutters, foam shapes, buttons, strawberry c...


Love these giveaways!! =)