jessiemac's Burning Paper

WOW Factor Wednesday Feature - Lucky Me Lucky You Vintage Shop

2010-05-05T09:35:00.009-04:00

Well it's been awhile since I've blogged! I hate being inconsistent but my life went absolutely haywire there for a bit. Things have settled and I am slowly getting back into the swing of things:) I'm happy to say I will be working hard on new creations for the upcoming weeks that I will list in my Etsy shop
If you are already a follower you know that today is WOW Factor Wednesday, where I feature an artist/favorite shop from Esty or Artfire. Today I am going a little astray from the norm as the feature is a vintage shop. Personally, I love vintage anything! The wonderful finds in this shop scream nostalgia to me and I can't help but look through and make up a story about the life and history of each item. So with out further ado let me introduce you to Lucky Me Luck You.
My name is Amanda and besides my passion of "treasure hunting", you can find me spending time with my crazy dogs, hiking, trying to grow stuff in my garden (and usually failing), working on upcycling craft projects, training for my first marathon in October (still in denial that I'm actually going to run that far) cooking, reading, game nights with family and friends, etc.

I first opened my Etsy shop on March 8th, 2010, but didn't list anything until March 27th. I wanted to make sure I read up on how to have a successful shop and memorized the Etsy handbook (just kidding!).
So many different things inspire me and in different ways. My dad inspires me to not be afraid to try new things. Fellow Etsians work inspires me to be more creative. Just a walk outside with my dogs will inspire me with colors and smells. My step mom is also a huge inspiration as she is the one who got me hooked on hunting for great vintage finds. I find myself inspired by people and things every day.

As of right now you can find all my great vintage treasures on my Etsy site, as well as on Twitter, http://twitter.com/ShopLMLY.

We hope you have enjoyed this weeks featured shop! We would also like to thank Amanda for her time and her input! Be sure to check out her shop for more fun pieces of life well lived!

Saturday Blog Shoppers Sale! Today Only!

2010-04-17T09:23:00.005-04:00

Welcome to todays Saturday Blog Shoppers! For a network of participating shops please visit Quilts Galore & More or click the button on the sidebar. For today only everything in my Etsy shop is 20% off! Just type "SBS20" in the notes of your purchase and the discount will be refunded to you via Paypal! Hope to see you all there!

Parker's Prints - Wow Factor Wednesday

2010-04-14T14:27:00.007-04:00

Today's feature Etsy artist is Parker's Prints. This adorable shop boasts wonderful handmade cards for all occasions. Make sure you stop by and check it out! But in the mean time, here's a little more about the artist herself!

My name is Stephanie. I'm a true girly girl that loves color, more tv shows than I should, animals, & of course my husband. :) I am 24, I have 2 Yorkies & a Jack Russell Terrier that I consider my children. I enjoy shopping, watching TV, and papercrafting in my spare time.

I started selling my cards in June 2009. I named Parker's Prints after my 6 year old Yorkie, Parker. I've always had a passion for making cards, but don't always have a reason to make one. That's why I started this shop- to be able to do more of what I love. I work a full time job, & this is my side hobby. My main inspiration is color combinations I find in everyday things like furniture, clothing, or magazine ads.

♥You can find Stephanie on these sites:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ParkersPrints www.twitter.com/parkersprints
www.parkersprints.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/parkersprints
parkersprints@yahoo.com

Some of her favorite sites:
Her Mom's store: http://www.victorianmercantilestore.com/
www.kevinandamanda.com
www.elegantbowtiquedesigns.com

We hope you have enjoyed todays featured artist. We just know you will love to browse around and shop in her Esty shop! Be sure to come back tomorrow for a tomorrow themed feature - Go Green!

New Zibbet Member!

2010-04-12T09:48:00.003-04:00

After all the buzz in the Etsy forums I decided to check out Zibbet.com. After perusing the site and checking out the features; I decided what the heck.. let's give a whirl!

I jumped right in and purchased the $8.00 per month Premium Account for 2 reasons...

1. There are no other fees (no listing fees and no commission fees),the only other fees you need worry about are through Paypal, so $8.00 a month seemed like a real bargain to me.

2. I grabbed the $8.00 Premium Account right away because there were only 147 left at that price (104 as of today!)and then they are going up to $9.00 per month, after these sell out (I guess there have been a lot of people joining in the last 7 days). I made the mistake of not joining Artfire as a Premium member back in January when the fees were around $10 a month; now they are $16 and going to $20 soon!! I wasn't about to make that mistake again. Especially since there is zero obligation! You can downgrade or cancel at ANYTIME!

Also there is a Referral Promotion that goes like this:

"For every friend you refer who joins at a Premium level ($8.00 per month right now), we'll take $1 off your monthly membership, for life. For a limited time, our upgraded Premium accounts are only $8 per month. Therefore, if you refer just 8 friends, we'll convert your upgraded, full-featured account to 'FREE FOREVER'. That means, for the rest of your life, you can enjoy unlimited listings, no sales fees and all the benefits that a Premium Account holder gets, for FREE"!

If you decide to try Zibbet (either the Free Account or the Premium Level),I would beyond appreciate if you used the following link to sign up:

http://www.zibbet.com/jessiemacCreations/sell

This will help me in the Referral Promotion Program. Once you are signed up you can then get Referrals also (and you only need 8 right now to get a FREE membership). After you sign up as a Seller; go to "My Zibbet", then in the right hand column click on "Referral Promotion" and you will receive your own link to give out for Referrals.

I also found this-"Give your friends a FREE 7 Day Trial of a Premium Account by telling them to enter the following coupon code when signing up: FREETRIAL" , so if you want to try it out use my referral link to sign up and remember to put this coupon code in when it asks! Try it out for 7 days and see if you like it, no obligation!

Here is my referral link again:

http://www.zibbet.com/jessiemacCreations/sell

As for the site itself, I love it! Now don't get me wrong, I'm not leaving Etsy! I will be the first to admit that as far as traffic, Etsy can't be beat right now. However, the "competition" is ample! I'm hoping to get in at a great time and make a real name for myself while the site is still in its growing phases!

Zibbet is easy to use and has a lot of great features! For instance, there is the "copy listing" features which allows you to list in bulk so to speak; very time saving and convenient. You also have the ability to create your very own coupons and gift certificates. Personally I love this feature; it is a great way to promote or say thank you to our loyal repeat customers! There is also the "Sales Mode", again a great way to promote! This gives you the ability to "turn on" a sale and discount your items. No need for Paypal refunds or editing 100's of products. This is probably my favorite feature!

Well I hope I've at least enticed you to check out Zibbet. Please don't forget to check out my referral link!

Thanks for Visiting my Blog!!!! Happy Shopping & Creating!!

It's All About Baby, baby!

2010-04-08T09:06:00.012-04:00

Well the week of baby continues! Please check out yesterday's featured artist; Mad About Colour. Today I will share with you some of the cutest baby accessories I have found on Etsy. I hope you feel a sense of renewal and joyous beginnings as you mosey through the pictures and shops. It's a great reminder of the precious gifts that are brought into this world everday that need to be cherished and nurtured. Enjoy...

Hand Crocheted Newborn Hat by Boston Avenue Babies

Newborn Petti Romper by Chic Baby Rose

Lucia Crocheted Mary Janes by Curly Bird

Baby Cocoon by Charbridge Knits

Mad About Colour - Wow Factor Wednesday Feature

2010-04-07T10:03:00.007-04:00

Welcome! We have had an exciting new addition to the family; Morgan Allison was born on March 31st and weighed in at 6lbs 12oz. A big congrats goes out to my sister and her husband! In honor of this special occasion, this weeks features are all about baby! So on with the show...

Mad About Colour features wonderful knit items for baby. Joanne's creations have been featured on Parents.com as well as in Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine. Her fun and whimsical baby items are the perfect gift for that new addition in your life. Now a little more about this amazing artist.

I am a Prince Edward Islander presently living along the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, on Canada's east coast, with my lovely Scottish husband.

For many years I enjoyed careers in weaving, fibre arts, sign manufacturing & graphic design arts.

My art/craft work returned to my lifestyle as a "hobby" recently, and now it is full time work for me. I take great pleasure in that.

I create each and every item with love and care, to the best of my ability.

I look forward to every order, and welcome the opportunity to create "specialty custom" orders:)

Thanks so much for looking. Mad About Colour can be found on Etsy.com.

We hope that you have enjoyed this weeks featured artist. Come back tomorrow for more fun with baby!

Saturday Blog Shoppers Special! Today Only!

2010-04-03T09:48:00.004-04:00

EASTER!!

2010-04-02T10:02:00.012-04:00

Todays featured product theme is Easter. With the holiday quickly approaching I wanted to start things off right with a grouping of beautiful items I found on Etsy.com. Hope you enjoy!!

Sweet Easter Wreath by Gillian's Cork Creations

Country Gourd Rabbit by Epic Epoch

Spring Fever Necklace by Roia O'Brien Jewelry Design

Hand Painted Glass Eggs by Schemata

Spring Bunny Group by Runaway Yarn

Hope you have enjoyed this weeks featured product theme! Please feel free to leave your comments and to follow along! And as always... go check out our featured artists and there fantastic finds!!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!!

Wow Factor Wednesday Feature - Salutations!

2010-03-31T11:34:00.010-04:00

Welcome to our Wow Factor Wednesday Feature, todays featured seller is Charlotte from Salutations! on Etsy.com. I recently purchased a baby beanie and couldn't be happier! It is very well made and utterly adorable!!

Now, let's get up close and personal with our artist...Hello! I'm Charlotte. I live in Northern Utah with my husband and our little girl.

I've been crocheting since I was about ten years old, which is when my mother taught me how. Years earlier, my mother learned the same set of skills from her mother. The funny thing is, when my grandmother was around 80 or so, she had me sit down with her and re-teach her. So, we came full circle.

Crocheting is one of my most enjoyable hobbies. I like the feel of the yarn between my fingers, and I love the way a hand-made blanket, scarf, hat, or whatever else has a different feel to it than something that is made with more automation. There's a feel of love in handmade articles. I'm grateful for that.

I've been selling on etsy since the summer of 2009, and have had just a marvelous experience here. I'm a member of the etsy Create Crochet team, as well as the Trade-a-holics team, and I fully enjoy my participation in both.

If you'd like to learn more about me and my little family, feel free to check out my blog at charlottelaughs.blogspot.com Any time I list new items, I post pictures on my Facebook Fan Page. You can check that out at:
http://www.facebook.com/SalutationsCrochet Be sure to stop be her shop on Etsy, where you can get 20% your order just by putting "jessiemac" in the notes!

Hope you have enjoyed this weeks feature! Don't forget about our giveaway - #50 takes the prize!!

Todays Trends & Techniques - Pink Paislee Spring Collections

2010-03-30T16:34:00.013-04:00

Pink Paislee is a fairly new company in the scrapbooking industry, established in January 2008 and based in Kansas City,Mo. Their products are "more than just backgrounds for your photos; they are a path to your inner artist." They currently have over 200 products available and can be found in scrapbook specialty stores in more than 40 different countries. Their new Spring collections were recently released and are now available.
.

This is a fantastic collection of papers and embellishments done in shades of yellow, gray and black. Perfect for all of your Spring Projects. Pictured is a mongrammed door hanger. Click here for instructions.

The 365 degrees Collection is full of bright primary colors done in a way that is shabby chic and fabulous! Perfect for any occasion! You'll find paper, embellishments and fantastic stamps in this collection! This amazing box set is just one of several fun projects possible with this beautiful collection. Click here for instructions.

The Bayberry Cottage Collection is a fun and whimsical assortment of papers, embellishments and stamps. The colors are bright and summery. As the name foreshadows it is reminescent of a summer cottage by the beach. Featured is an Altered Wooden Hook done in the Bayberry. Click here for instructions.

We hope you have enjoyed this weeks article. Come back next week when we take a look at the upcoming trends in altered albums!!

***All photos, projects and instructions were provided by pinkpaislee.com and are the express copyrighted property of Pink Paislee, LLC.

Saturday Blog Special

2010-03-27T11:32:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the Saturday Blog Shoppers Special. For this weekend only, my entire shop is Buy One Get One Free. Just put SBS in the notes section of your order for discounts! Hope to see you all there! http://jessiemacCreations.etsy.com

The Timely March Hare

2010-03-25T11:24:00.014-04:00

Good Morning and Welcome. Todays featured theme is the March Hare. I felt it appropriate not only because it's March but because Alice in Wonderland is one of our favorite stories. We recently went to see the new Alice movie by Tim Burton, definitely worth the trip to theaters! So let's dig in!

March Hare by RayvenwoodManor

March Hare - Raku Pottery by Wildfire Pottery

The March Hare - Tempest in a Tea Cup by Amazing Owl
I'm Late by darklingwoods

We hope you have enjoyed this weeks themed feature. All of the artists can be found on Etsy.com. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR GIVEAWAY! BE THE 50TH FOLLOWER AND WIN!

GIVEAWAY!! BE #50! FREE CARDS!

2010-03-24T11:07:00.007-04:00

This is the easiest giveaway ever! All you have to do is be the 50th follower of this blog and you will receive a set of 12 FREE cards (your choice of holiday/occasion). It's really that simple!! No Purchase Necessary!!! So come join the fun and enjoy weekly features, giveaways, promos, and much more!

Braggin Rights Bath - Our Wow Factor Wednesday Feature

2010-03-24T10:18:00.007-04:00

Hello all and happy Wednesday. We have returned from our Port St. Lucie Spring Training adventure (Let's Go Mets!). I am feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and in the spirit of that I have decided this weeks feature is going to be one of my favorite bath and body shops: Braggin Rights Bath!!
This wonderful shop is full of amazing items that are luxurious and whimsical. My personal favorite is the Chocolate Milk Bath! So rich and creamy...my skin feels amazing after.

Here's a little bit about the owner; in her own words!
My first name is Tracy, I got into business about 4 yrs. ago, though I only opened this Etsy shop in January. I love anything that smells good, love chocolate, and bath products; as well as love to be creative... I thought it was a perfect match, and I was right! I spend time with my family and embroider as well. My mother is, and always has been my inspiration- she has given me the morals and beliefs that have allowed me to treat my customers excellent, and provide a fantastic product. She told me to make someone smile, and I try to do it daily! :-)

Braggin Rights Bath can be found on Etsy as well as on the web. To find her on etsy please go to To find her on the web please go to We hope you have enjoyed this weeks feature and that you go check out this great shop! Tracy is a real joy to work with; her products are fabulous and her customer service is unbeatable!

What's New This Week..

2010-03-08T12:56:00.005-05:00

Well, this week is going to be a crazy one! Leaving for a vacation in a few days, so I'm working double duty on both businesses right now! Here's a little shot of the latest St. Patty's Day items in my shop. Hope you come take a look!

CHEERS! - SET OF MINI CARDS

KISS ME I'M IRISH - SET OF MINI CARDS

LUCK O' THE IRISH - SET OF TAGS

I'll be posting a giveaway! Come check it out!!

Don't forget to come back and check out the features this week!!

I'm Feeling Blue....

2010-03-04T12:46:00.011-05:00

This is a first in a series of features. Every Thursday, there will be a new group of items all relating to a particular theme. Obviously today's theme is blue. Below you will find items that are not only blue, but also inspire a certain mood (at least in me). Enjoy!

This amazing knit cowl is offered by Urbanknit at Etsy.com. Although I absolutely adore this item; it makes me cringe at the thought of the cold blasts of this past winter and yearn for blue summer skies.

This wonderful bag is available from shanineal. Dark and dreary but mysterious and alluring at the same time... Love it!

I simply adore this brooch by Claybykim. It reminds me that Spring is right around the corner!! (And Mother's Day;)

Better and Brighter Days are Ahead...or so this gorgeous gown by 4YourWedding screamed at me!

The whispers of the ocean are tickling my ears. Just in case I need a reminder, there's this lovely pendant by GlassyGrace.

All of these fun finds can be found on Etsy.com. In case you couldn't tell I'm not a big fan of the winter and I'm chopping at the bit for some warm weather. Hope you have enjoyed this feature!

Wow Factor Wednesday!

2010-03-01T18:29:00.009-05:00

This is the first article for a weekly feature called Wow Factor Wednesday... These articles are going to introduce you to an artist from etsy or artfire.

Todays artist is AmiKami from Etsy.com

Her beautiful knit and crocheted items can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/AmiKami

A little about this amazing creator

My name is Victoria and I'm a mom to three wonderful little boys. We live in a small town nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains.

AmiKami means "knitting spirit" --- through the time and concentrated attention that goes into this craft, I believe that handknitted articles possess a special quality that no manufactured piece can have.

I have a deep appreciation for handcrafting and feel that over the past decades we have been losing that sense of personal human connection through an ever growing dependence on commercial manufacturing. It thrills me to have found a community here on Etsy that provides the world with an opportunity to rediscover the wonder and beauty of items produced by loving hands instead of machines.

I have always had a great interest in history, particularly the period between mid 1800's to early 1900's. I enjoy reading books written in that time, studying the fashions and styles, learning the fine art of various "dainty work" and watching old movies - with a special fascination with Silent Films (I can get lost in them for hours!)

Having been collecting antique knitting & crochet books and patterns for years, I have acquired a vast library where I find endless inspiration for my work here in my Etsy shop. I love finding ways to incorporate past aesthetics with a hint of modern styling. Fiber is my medium of choice and knitting still never fails to enchant and challenge me

We would like to thank Victoria for the info and for allowing us to feature her on our blog. We hope you stop by her shop and take a look around. We're sure you will fall in love with her gorgeous creations, we sure did!

Trends & Techniques Tuesday! Tear Bears

2010-03-01T18:02:00.006-05:00

Todays featured technique is Tear Bears. Those of you who scrapbook know all about tear bears and their current popularity. They are by far one of my favorite paper goodies to make and to decorate! The possibilities for these little guys are endless.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with tear bears, they are fuzzy, handmade teddy bear paper piecing that are so cute you will want to hug them. With sparkly eyes, fuzzy limbs and adorable clothes, these bears make sweet page accents for any occasion. Their limbs are poseable so they can be positioned in a variety of ways!

What will you need??

•Chalk
•Lightbox
•Black pen
•Water pen or cotton swab
•Quick drying glue
•Brown mulberry paper
•Toothbrush
•Black cardstock
•White paper
•White pen

Step by Step
Select a piece of light brown mulberry paper, which is a handmade paper with fibers in it. When torn, the edges remain fuzzy. You can find mulberry paper at ACMoore or online at a variety of scrapbooking sites.

Step 2
Draw a pattern for your tear bear on a white sheet of paper. If you need a pattern, you can download and print one from About.com (just search tear bear pattern). It should include one large pear shape for the torso, one medium round circle for the head, four medium rounded rectangles for the arms and legs, five small ovals for the hands, feet and muzzle, and two small half circles for the ear. These can be sized up or down for a small, medium or large bear.

Step 3
Place your mulberry paper over the pattern sheet.

Step 4
Trace a line around one pattern image, using a water pen or a wet cotton swab. You should be able to see the pattern paper through the mulberry paper. If you cannot see the pattern, use a light box to help illuminate the image.

Step 5
Tear on the wet line to remove the shape from the mulberry paper. Repeat this process until you have torn out all 13 body parts.

Step 6
Stipple the edges of the body parts with a toothbrush to help them appear fuzzy.

Step 7
Apply chalk to the edges of the body parts. Make sure the paper is dry first. A slightly lighter color of brown is best. Use pink chalk on the cheeks.

Step 8
Assemble your bear. The hands and feet should lay on top of the arms and legs. The ears should be behind the head and the muzzle should be near the bottom of the face.

Step 9
Glue the body pieces together using quick drying glue.

Step 10
Cut out two small circles for the eye and one small oval for the nose from black cardstock.

Step 11
Glue the eyes over the muzzle and glue the nose in the top center of the muzzle. Using a white pen, add three small white dots on each piece as the sparkle in their eyes and the wetness of their nose.

Step 12
Draw a black line down the muzzle from the nose for the mouth and add two eyebrows.

Now that your tear bear is complete, you can dress them up and try different poses before gluing!

Trends & Techniques Tuesday! To Temper or Not Temper??

2010-02-16T10:41:00.010-05:00

Welcome to Trends and Techniques Tuesday! After much deliberation we have finally figured out a format for our beloved blog. Make sure you come back tomorrow for Wow Factor Wednesday; we will be featuring an artist from either Etsy or Artfire!

I decided to make this first article about something that is near and dear to my heart...CHOCOLATE!! I love chocolate and it is fun to work with, once you have the proper techniques. Chocolate is a funny creature as it can go from silky smooth and cooperative to rigid and frustrating in a matter of seconds.

So, what is "tempering chocolate" anyway? Well, tempering is a method of allowing the crystals in the chocolate to be distributed and suspended evenly throughout the final product. Correctly tempered chocolate will produce a shiny, bright and crisp chocolate, while incorrectly tempered chocolate will appear streaky and dull.

There are a couple of different methods of tempering, my personal perference is the "seed method".

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler while stirring to ensure unform temperature.

Once the chocolate has fully melted and reached a temperature of over 105°F (41°C), remove it from the heat. At this temperature, all the crystals, loose or stable, should be melted. Add a piece of unmelted chocolate to provide the seed crystals. This piece can be as big as 2 ounces (if you're melting a sizeable amount of chocolate) or can be chopped up into a few smaller pieces.

Stir until the chocolate's temperature enters the tempering range, 88-90°F (31-32°C). The chocolate should be kept at this temperature until used.

Specific Tempering Temperatures
Depending on the cocoa butter content of the chocolate and introduction of other ingredients, the tempering temperature of chocolate varies. Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking provides these values for the three broad categories of chocolate:

Type of Chocolate Tempering Temperature
Dark (no milk content) 88-90°F (31-32°C)
Milk 86-88°F (30-31°C)
White 80-82°F (27-28°C)

Note that although white chocolate does not contain any cacao solids, it is still subject to the same tempering procedures since it is made of cocoa butter.

Storage
Tempered chocolate can be stored for several months without blooming at constant cool room temperature, 60-65°F (15-18°C).

Now you are ready to make a confection creation to die for!! Hope you enjoyed this little chocolate tutorial and come back to see us soon!!

Feeling a Bit Down Hearted

2010-02-14T14:35:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling a bit frustrated today. I recently opened an Etsy store as well as an Artfire store and I'm finding it rather difficult to get things moving! I have opened a twitter and blog account, built a facebook fan page, I'm listing everyday and I'm posting in the forums. I even joined a team; but nothing is working. My views are up but my sales are stagnant. I know it's only been a little over a month but I'm getting impatient.

On top of all that I'm ready to pull my hair out because of the technologic difficulties I've been having! Something like adding a picture to a post should not be a difficult thing, but I'm finding that it is.

All in all this experience is becoming a bit ball of frustration and stress!

Ok well I'm sorry that one of my first posts is nothing but a vent session. Promise I'll get better at this. Thanks for hangin in there with me!

Thank You for your support!

2010-02-08T23:05:00.002-05:00

Thank you to those who have become followers. I am ashamed to admit I have been trying to spruce up my blog by adding links to my etsy store but I don't seem to be able to figure it out. Oh and what the heck is a "widget"???? I never thought I was that far out of the loop... Well guess I'll keep plugging along. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Welcome! A Little Introduction..

2010-02-07T18:02:00.001-05:00

Hey, I finally figured this out. Not nearly as hard as I thought it would be! Well, to tell you a little bit about us.. we are a small company specializing in whimsical paper goodies & more. We have a real passion for handmade treats of all kinds! We currently have a shop on etsy.com, artfire.com and ebay.com. This blog is not only for self-promotion but also for education, awareness and promotion of incredible artisans. Over the coming weeks we will be including informational articles, newest trends, hot artists and more; in not just paper but all things handcrafted! We hope you enjoy what we bring to the blogging table!