Crickets' Creations Under New Ownership?!

If you have been by Crickets' Creations lately, you may have noticed a completely new look for the scarf and shawl photos!

They've gone from me putting on a scarf, holding the camera at arm's length and shooting... to more of a catalog style with light background and mannequin wearing the item.  Crickets' Creations now has a professional, uniform presentation that's almost unrecognizable from the former look.

Click here to see the makeover

So, what's the story?  Is Crickets' under new ownership? Who is making the scarves these days?  Where is Crickets??? 

I'm right here, gang!  It's still me under the shiny, new hood.  ;)  Here's what happened:

Etsy, the online, handmade shopping venue for handmade artisans where I list so many of my knits, started a new platform called Etsy Wholesale for designers to list their wares that are available wholesale to retailers.
I really wanted in!  What an opportunity to connect with fashion boutiques all over the world much more easily than when I first started out; back then I would research on Google and then cold call shops... eep!  That's scary, I'll tell ya! ;)
Anyway, Etsy Wholesale is very picky about who they let in, since they work with some big names such as Nordstrom's and West Elm.  They told me that I would be a great fit if I only had more cohesive photos with simpler presentation.

 

So I dragged my mannequins "Manny" and "Mona Quinn" over to my cohort and professional photographer Alicia Cram's for pics of all the scarves and wraps!  Here's a photo of me getting Mona Quinn ready with an EnCircle loop scarf (um, yeah, my other friend Annie Howes used Photoshop to make me skinny, haha):

It took four sessions to get everything shot, but just MINUTES after I showed the new look to Etsy Wholesale, they accepted me even though it was ELEVEN O' CLOCK at night when I wrote them! :D  Hurray!

I have to admit that I kind of like the new look even though I miss the uniqueness & personality of the old photos.  What do you think??

ANYWAY, now that I have a nicer online display... DO YOU KNOW ANY GIFT, ART OR FASHION BOUTIQUES THAT SHOULD CARRY MY SCARVES??

This is the time of year that shops stock up on fall/winter items and I would so appreciate if you would let me know any store owners who value color, texture and fun as much as you and I do!

After you let me know their contact info and maybe tell them about me then I can reach out to them and show them my fancy, new product photos?? ;)

Thank you so much for being with me every step of the way!

Celeste (Crickets)
Founder and President of Crickets' Creations, LLC (BabyBirdz, CricketsHome & CricketsKnits)
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"Meet Me in Montana....

...I wanna see the mountains in your eyes..." Know that one? No? Well, then maybe only people who are from Montana know the song. ;) Even though I no longer live in the state of Montana, I remember it well and still have family there. And now, I have an Etsy family there, as well!

Yes, Margie of MontanaKntryGal started a team just for Montanans and I was lucky enough to be invited!

Team member Barb of StrandsofLight gave me a little jolt of homesick nostalgia with her Meet Me In Montana treasury, chock full of items from the new Big Sky Montana Etsy Team. The images you see here are jewelry pieces from Barb's online shop.
Nice, huh? Thank you, Barb, for promoting the team and for including my Pretty Magnolia Flowered, Spring Green, Skinny, Handmade Scarf (shown below)!

Havin' Fun with RetroAlchemist!

So, yeah...I'm a color junkie: "Hi, my name's Celeste & I'm an addict, I've been clean & sober for 0 days now...."

Imagine my delight at discovering RetroAlchemist's bright, cheerful and decidedly fun artwork in her online gallery!

I especially love owls...

...and kitties!
Here's what RetroAlchemist's shop announcement says:

"Come on in and meet the Robots, Bunny-Bots, Cupcake-Bots, Bow-Wow-Bots, and Meow-Bots! They would never destroy anything (much less an entire planet), but they might melt your heart with their with their whimsical wonderfulness:-)

Besides Bots you'll find lots of kittens doing what they do best (being cute), some cheery bluebirds and redbirds, an owl or two, a mermaid, a clown, and an Invitation to a Party hosted by Augustus Caterpillar III. Hope you'll meet us under the Red Polka Dot Mushrooms!"

Imagine my delight at discovering that RetroAlchemist included my Orange & Pink See Through Lightweight scarf for summer in their latest smile treasury! What an honor. :)

You've met Anne of Green Gables, but do you know Anne of Ennadoolf?

Anne from ennadoolf has so much to offer in her online Etsy shop! Here's her shop announcement:

Welcome to my shop!
~ Topsy Turvy dolls ~ Corking/Knitting Spool sets ~ Barbie clothes ~ Knitting ~ Photography ~

She actually has even more than that (like vintage patterns!); today I wanted to highlight her fun, fantastic Barbie clothes (in the pictures here)!

Anne's a real team player, too! We're both members of EtsyKnitters, a virtual knitting circle, and she made our team an It's Coming! IT'S COMING! treasury including my Violet Purple, Teal Aqua Turquoise, Blue-Green Handknit Boa Scarf to build excitement because....June 14 is WWKIPD! What's WWKIPD, you ask? Click here to find out! Anne, thanks; you're the tops!:)

BLSoaps Really Shines!

The more I know Lindsay from Body Language Soaps (BLSoaps on Etsy), the more I like her!

She's warm, giving, friendly, real & very, very talented! Besides, we're practically neighbors, since we both live in Utah. ;)

Lindsay just honored me by giving me a huge nod in her You know you want it!!! treasury, featuring my Cranberry Bing Cherry Red Berry Handknit Scarf (the one in the picture below).

Lindsay, thank you. It's an honor to be your friend. :)

From Buttons to Bed Quilts to Blossoms

Kristy of Hailey's Bobbins offers everything in her online shop, from $550.00 handsewn bed quilts, to $5.00 button assortments.

My favorite thing in her lively & successful shop, though, is her newly introduced photography prints (like the lovely rose featured above).



This lady's got taste, right? :) That's why I'm especially proud to have my Orange to Red Fire Handknit Scarf (shown below) as part of her new Red HOT Summer treasury. Thank you so much, Kristy, I don't know how you find the time to be my Etsy pal along with doing great work and having a wonderful family, but I'm impressed! :)

You Can Put Your Stock in Stockton & Co!

So, what's Stephanie of Stockton & Co all about? From her online boutique:

"Sweet & sincere: handmade items for home, baby, and staying in touch. Check out our acorns and elephants, bunnies and bears!"

Stephanie is truly sweet & sincere, I can tell from the online messages she and I have exchanged on Etsy, "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade."

Proving just what a love she is, Stephanie just included my Marigold Yellow Flowered Problem-Solver Handmade Scarf (picture below) in her Summer Citrus collection of subtle, muted handmade items in the colors of lemon, lime & orange! Stephanie, I appreciate it so much, thank you!

To learn more about Stockon & Co., please visit the shop blog!

Such a Lovely, Steampunk Lily...

Hey, wanna see some really cool stuff?

Lily of slvrlily offers, "Steampunk, dieselpunk, industrial and so much more!"

And, she's just featured me in her treasury, appropriately titled, "Brown paper packages, tied up with string," which fellow Julie Andrews fans will appreciate. ;)

Check it out through Wednesday, it's gorgeous and includes my Drunken Peaches on Champagne See Through Handknit Scarf Weighs Only Ounces (shown below, the rest of the fabulous items in this post are by Lily). Thanks, Lily!

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?