Treasuries ROCK!

I recently discovered a fun, supportive flickr group of Etsy shop owners. It's called Treasuries ROCK! and it's all about putting together and celebrating Etsy treasuries, which are pages showing 12 images the treasury curator selects (it's hard work)!

Today, I wanted to highlight the three most recent collections of Treasuries ROCK! members (hint: each includes one of my fashion scarves!). I've included the shop banner and an item photograph from each of their Etsy shops (in no particular order):


Toni of TheLittleRedDoor made a fun, pastel collection called I'm Your Fan

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Heather of WineMakersSister created an appropriately named Treasuries Rock! collection!

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Kari of Maravillosa jewelry designs made a Pretty In Pink medley!

Valiant Valerie Leaves Me Speechless...

I've been procrastinating for over an hour on writing this post because I so want to do justice to how special Valerie of the future etsy online gallery mistflowerstudio truly is. Valerie's BaileySue shop on Etsy isn't open yet, so please check her out at her current Mist Flower online studio, featuring mosaics, paintings & more.

Valerie was up all night last night, as she is so many nights. You see, she devotes herself as a volunteer to Catahoula United Rescue Society (C.U.R.S.) to help homeless dogs find loving, permanent homes with adoptive families. Just two irresistible examples from the C.U.R.S. website:

"Sarah was pulled from a high kill shelter in AL along with her 7 puppies. She was an excellent young mother and now it's time for her to enjoy the good life."


"Teddi is approximately 1YO. He gets along well with cats and dogs and loves to run around and play?"

I can see why she finds these precious, innocent dogs in need so compelling!

Amazingly enough, Valerie has even found time to put together a very special surprise for me: She's built an entire Treasury around my Carnival Circus Clown Yellow Orange Brown Black Turquoise Blue Aqua Handknit Gift Scarf, which has never happened to me before! Thank you, Valerie, you're a hero in so many ways. I can hardly wait to get to know you better; with all that good karma, you're bound for Etsy success! :)

Brooke is a Treasure "Trove!"

Brooke of TroveDesigns has just posted what I think is the most original treasury idea, ever! Etsy treasuries are collections of 12 items for sale on Etsy. It's something of a feat getting one of the available Etsy slots, let alone making it interesting! There are treasuries based on color themes (red, blue, etc), treasuries based on item themes (moustaches, angels--anything!), and then there's Brooke's unique idea: the Top 12 available items in her "favorites" list on Etsy!

You see, any member of Etsy (it's free to join this online, handmade buying/selling venue) can add items or shops to their favorites list. The "Etsy lingo" for this is "hearting" an item or shop.

I was lucky enough to have Brooke "heart" my Shades of Silver, Soft Grey or Gray Unisex Handknit Scarf for All Seasons, Year Round Wear recently, so I'm in her treasury! Brooke, thanks a bunch for giving me an excuse to promote you here. You're not only a customer, you're also becoming a friend. I'm so glad we met on the Etsy forums! :)

Honda is a Honey!

"Hondamom works here!"

That's the shop title of Honda's Etsy shop, and all of her fellow members of the Fiber Arts Street Team (FAST) are glad she does!

Are you diggin' her colorful, fun, imaginative & unique items (just a few are posted here, for more please visit her online boutique)?? I am, too! And that's why it means a special lot that Honda has included my Marigold Yellow Flowered Problem-Solver Handmade Scarf is Seven Feet of Sunshine in her latest treasury. Thanks a bunch, Honda! And everyone, please visit Honda's shop soon before she sells out of her super stuff. :)

Shelley Lends a HelpingHand!

Shelley of Helping Hands Crafts has a unique & personalized approach to helping the scrapbooking challenged (from her Etsy shop):

"Do you have old photos lying around? Lots of old albums, that are not worth taking out to show off? Let helpinghandscrafts help you with your dilemma. We make 12x12 premade scrapbook pages and premade albums for any occasion. Let us help you make your memories memorable!! We will be happy to scrap something at your request. Just email a sample photo and your requests to helpinghandscrafts."

Isn't that neat? Just above is an exampe of a hiking & camping scrapbook kit! Shelley just joined Etsy this February, and she's already making a name for herself as an important part of the Etsy community; she's even got a treasury of Whisper Pink & Chocolate items (including my Roses n Chocolate Red Pink Brown Handknit Scarf)! Thanks so much, Shelley, and we're all looking forward to getting to know you even better. :)

Found: Fellow Color Junkie!

I'm so glad to have met Britta of birribe in Stockholm; she's a color junkie just like me!

Clue 1: She just created a treasury, viewable through Thursday, called, "I long for colors: A few of my colorful favorites." Thank you, Britta, for including my very colorful See Through Hot Pink Sparkle Handknit Scarf is Perfect Sexy Gift for Bellydancers (below)!

Clue 2: Her profile reads: "I am Britta B, [a textile artist] living in Sweden. I work with textileprint for institutions and private places. Here on Etsy I show smaller works, crafts that everyone can by and use. My great inspiration are the nature and I also use things from nature like moss, dried rowanberry and hips. I also love colors, all colors.
Thank you for looking in my shop! For more info take a look on my site."

Conclusion: Yep, I found a kindred spirit! :) Thanks, Britta, for being you. :)

Southern Vermont Soap is Dope!

Uh, yeah...that's me trying to be "rapper cool...." I don't think I quite pulled it off, tee hee!

But, I had to say something catchy so you'd read about Nadine of Southern Vermont Soap, who's put together a lovely Chocolate Mint Treasury. The treasury features my Chocolate Mint Handknit Green n Brown Scarf, shown below (thanks, Nadine)!

For a full list of the enticing fragrances Nadine offers, please see her online profile; she has so many to choose from! I think Orange & Cinnamon together would probably be my choice...how about you?

I Adorri HandmadesbyLorri!

Please check out HandmadesbyLorri's online knitting shop! From Brisbane, Australia, Lorri offers handmade stitch markers as well as quality, knit purses, hats & more from 100% wool or cotton. I love the serenity & sweetness of her pieces (a few are shown here).


Lorri and I are members of EtsyKnitters together, an international group of knitters who work together to promote knitting and their online Etsy shops of handmade items.

Today, Lorri's supporting her fellow team members with an online collection of her teammates' items, called a treasury, which is viewable for only a few days; please check it out today! :) Thanks, Lorri, for including my Rose is a Rose Pink Handknit Gift Scarf in your treasury!

Carolyn Likes to Spin--Yes, That Rhymes!

Now, I've tried my hand at spinning. In fact, I've tried really, really hard--I guess I'm just not born to spin. Before you feel sorry for me, I've had some very nice, very skilled spinners take me under their wing and try to teach me. Nope, I'm hopeless. Which is why I admire spinners so much!

One special example is Carolyn in Canada! Her shop motto is:
Do you baloo? Fiber, Fur, Wood....Touchable Treasure

Please, let me tell you a little about what Carolyn does. Part of her shop's business is brushing her 5 beautiful dogs, humanely collecting the soft, beautiful hairs, and spinning them yarn, then knitting the fiber into wearable, warm garments (like the items in the pictures here).

Now, before you raise your eyebrows, let me tell you that I used to volunteer at animal shelters and I worked at a vet clinic for 5 years. I would collect hair from the dogs and a local spinner made it into a tweed handspun for me, for a very reasonable fee. I made a pair of lovely, incredibly soft, sweet-smelling mittens with it. Still not convinced? Here's more info from Carolyn's site:

Why Dog Fur?
Dog fur is similar to angora and is very soft to the touch. Over time the softer undercoat will fluff up more. The fur fibers are squashed a bit during spinning and knitting, but will straighten up with wear making the center of the cuff look just like real fur pelt.

All the dog fur is collected during regular grooming. I do not trim our dogs, rather I brush out the fur for extra softness in the spun yarn.

Contrary to popular rumor: Clean dog fur will not smell like dog (even when wet), nor will it attract fleas. Rather it is like other fine luxury fibers such as mohair and cashmere.

During spinning and manufacture, the fur is washed and sanitized. Because the dander and oils are washed away, it can often be used even by those who are allergic to dogs.

Isn't that neat?! Please check out Carolyn's shop as well as the treasury she's put together of her fellow Etsy's Fiber Arts Street Team-mates' items! (Hint: She included my Marigold Yellow Flowered Problem-Solver Handmade Scarf is Seven Feet of Sunshine!)

Renee at DecorateTheDiva Has Something to Share!

From Renee's DecorateTheDiva online jewelry boutique:

"I’ve been in the business of making women happy with my jewelry for several years, and this is what inspires me most. Using my talents to do something I love is a privilege. Seeing you wear my jewelry is an honor. I hope that you find something you like because every woman deserves to “Decorate the Diva”!"

She continues....
"Tagua Nut Information
What do African elephants and the South American rain forest have in common? They are both being eliminated from the face of the earth at an alarming rate. During the past three decades, poachers in search of ivory tusks have decimated large populations of African elephants, some by as much as 50 percent. Bans on international trade of elephant ivory have discouraged the slaughter of elephants, but the demand for polished ivory has pushed the world's largest living land animal to the brink of extinction. Across the Atlantic Ocean, in a land that was once connected to the African continent, another kind of massacre is happening to the rain forest. In Central and South America this destruction amounts to about 50 acres per minute, an area roughly the size of West Virginia each year. Slash and burn agriculture is directly responsible for the extermination of hundreds of plant and animal species each year, largely for plantations of exportable products such as fast-growing pines, rubber, bananas, coffee and cattle. However, there is a glimmer of hope in this modern day battlefield of people against nature: A lovely Amazonian palm might help to save its rain forest relatives and the African elephant. A TAGUA NUT is a seed that comes from the Tagua palm tree (also called ivory nut palm) (Phytelephas Aequatorialis) in Ecuador, South America. The nut becomes as hard as ivory (takes a hacksaw to cut) and can be carved. Natives who raise these trees do not cut down the rain forests anymore because these trees are now a source of income. These nuts are hand carved and accented with inlaid wood, tagua shell powder, coconut powder and coconut shell. The caramel colored pieces have been briefly deep fried to achieve this color. Often a small spot of brown nut is left on an otherwise all white carving so it is not mistaken for elephant ivory by customs officials. The little brown Tagua nut has many advantages over mammal ivory, becoming popular enough to stand on its own. Tagua nuts can be grown and harvested economically, and so art and other items made from Tagua nut are reasonably priced, meaning more people can enjoy their beauty and durability. Tagua nuts are a resource that seems to benefit just about everyone!"

See, I didn't know that! I've included two pictures here of necklaces made from taqua, which are currently available in Renee's online jewelry boutique. Won't you help such a giving person out by clicking on each item in the treasury she put together today? That will increase the chances that this very worthy collection will make Etsy's home page, a huge honor. The treasury is called "Everything's Dipped in Chocolate!" and features chocolate-colored items that would make great gifts for men, whether it be for Fathers Day or anytime! Thanks so much, Renee, for including my Caramel Mocha Dark Chocolate Brown Handknit Scarf, Unisex for Men or Women. Please hurry, the treasury is only viewable (and clickable!) through Sunday. Oh, and when you're done here, please hop on over to Renee's blog--thanks!

MidnightRabbits is Where It's AT!

You know how when you love someone's work so much that you can hardly decide on a favorite? Well, it's like that for me with everything that Kim of MidnightRabbits sews for her shop. See what I mean:

Kim is one of my vegan buddies on Etsy; together we belong to Cruelty Free Etsy,
EtsyVeg, EtsyForAnimals and Vegan Etsy. I love the fact that she's in Cardiff, Wales, the setting for one of my favorite shows, Torchwood! :) Oh, yeah, and that she donates so much of her proceeds to animal-friendly charities.
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And now, Kim's put together a very nice collection of cruelty free (no animal products) items in her latest Treasury. Thanks, Kim, for working in my Antiqued Look Americana Navy Cream Burgundy Handknit, Patriotic Gift Scarf...for the conscious All American! ;)

Grapes, Violets & Plums...Oh MY!

Purple is one of the most difficult colors to photograph, and iWunder does a terrific job of picking pretty purples for her latest Grape Ape Treasury, which includes my (Thanks, Jennifer!) Plum Purple See Through Handknit Scarf to Wear Any Season!

But then, risks, adventure, talent & fun are what this Floridian Fiber Fanatic is all about: Who else names her stove-dyed sock yarns "Trix" or "Jester," both shown in this blog entry? :)

Just to give you an idea, here's an excerpt from iWunder's online boutique:
"Thanks for visiting my shop! I Wunder if you will find something you like...
I Wunder if I can knit my life away instead of, well, all the other things I should be doing.

I Wunder if you recognize the Florida native plants in all of my pictures.

I Wunder if you know that my German last name, Wunderlich, is a word that means odd or strange in a brilliant, magical sort of way.

I Wunder what I'll be making tomorrow."

Lucky Girl Trading Makes this My Lucky Day!

Lucky Girl Trading has included my Animal Print Black n Tan Long Skinny Boa Handknit Scarf in her latest treasury of items she's like to have!

Normally, I like to compose a bit of a write-up about the artists I feature here. In Lucky Girl's case, however, I think her profile says it all:

"In the spring of 2001 I was overwhelmed by sadness and huge piles of clutter. My marriage was in the midst of a very ugly ending, and he had left tons of his stuff behind. I suddenly realized that I was a very lucky girl to be rid of him, and Lucky Girl Trading Company was born. I began listing his stuff for sale on eBay, clearing away both the clutter and the sadness. A few years later I met my lucky guy--who was selling a bit of jewelry--and married him in a hot air balloon ceremony in 2006. We've worked together to build Lucky Girl Trading into a fun and fulfilling enterprise. I've also discovered working with glass--one of my all-time favorite creative outlets. I've also discovered two ancient arts: Kumihimo and Temari. Both are centuries-old crafts, and both give me a zen-like tranquility while working.

I truly am a Lucky Girl! Every day I gather pretty, sparkly things and send them to people. I imagine a person opening their mail and taking out their new pendant or chain or pouch. It's perfect--they have a huge smile on their face--and so do I. I'd love for that person to be you!

Be my friend on MySpace

Make Every Day Your Lucky Day (my blog)
"

Thanks again for spreading that luck around, Lucky Girl!

Sedruola Maruska is a Real Class Act!

Sedruola is talented. And gorgeous. And generous. And classy. Her shop name on Etsy is Yarn Obsession and her work is detailed, sumptuous & the highest quality; her stitches are so even, something that eludes many fiber artists. Below is just one example of her work, a hat she designed herself. She also makes throws and other luxuries for the home as well as refined, elegant fashion accessories:

Okay, so you get the whole, "This lady's got mad skills!" thing. But wait, there's more! From her online boutique's profile: "Each month 20% of all proceeds will be donated to a charitable organization involved with the environment or children around the world. Thanks for your contribution!" How cool is that?! I never thought I'd attract the attention of such an incredible person, and today Sedruola has included one my humble scarves (shown below) in her treasury, entitled Hot Pink is Sooooooo Hot! Hurry, it's only available for viewing through Saturday! And Sedruola, thank you so much for everything you bring to our Etsy Fiber Arts Street Team (she's also a proud member of Etsy Artists of Color); it's an honor to work alongside you. :)