Showing posts with label February. Show all posts
Showing posts with label February. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

February in Milwaukee

Actually February in Milwaukee this year has been much like December and January with massive amounts of cold and snow. We were pitifully grateful to get a couple days of more typical February weather last week with 30+ degree temperatures and sunny skies. I found a little time to get out and enjoy it.










 







If you're ready for a change of pace and some pictures without snow, check out what this area looks like in late spring.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

February Mid-Month Sponsor Love

I'm celebrating the middle of the month with a shout out to all of my lovely blog sponsors!

 Edi's handwritten engraved recipe cutting board makes a wonderful gift. Of course it's so fabulous that you'll want one for yourself, too.

Angela of angleah
 Angela's button necklace is right up my alley (surprise, right?).

Valerie of additionsstyle
 I am a huge fan of mixed metals so it shouldn't be a surprise that I was immediately drawn to Valerie's new pendant necklace.

Deb of storybeader
 Deb is sharing her adventures of learning how to quilt and draw this year. Be sure to tune in regularly for her latest updates.

 If you're as tired of looking at gray and white as the rest of us are us this winter, pick up some of Tiffany's yellow and white chevron ribbon for your next project.

 Paige shared her fabulous ideas for decorating with gold earlier this month.

I hope that you found some useful resources today!
Are you interested in becoming a sponsor? Click here for more information!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

What's Up For February


January was a tough month. While there is nothing that automatically changes when the calendar rolls over to a new month, it's nice to get that little fresh start. I'm glad to be moving on and looking forward to bigger and better things for February.

  • Getting back into craft fair mode. I've been making jewelry the past couple months, but I haven't been working on much else for craft fairs since my last show wrapped up in early December. My next show is in early March, and I will most likely have at least one more show in the spring. I want to revamp my price tags and price signs, make new small inventory, and roll out some new packaging for my smaller items.
  • Embracing Bubblews. The cool place for writers to be these days is Bubblews. It's something of a cross between a social media site (i.e. Facebook) and a dedicated writing site (i.e. HubPages, Squidoo) where you get paid for views, likes, and comments on your content. I've had an account for over a year but literally didn't do anything with it until the fall. There are a lot of things about the site that I don't love. However, I think that it could be a worthwhile time investment. I am enjoying the writing format and am hoping that with more practice, writing and networking there will become a more natural part of my routine that won't compromise blogging, HubPages, or client writing.
  • Planning for a vacation. As I've mentioned before, the furthest that Jake and I traveled in 2013 was Chicago. Last month I eluded to the fact that we did have a winter vacation in the works. It's taking us a ridiculously long time to get the logistics together, but we will be heading to a warmer-than-winter-in-Milwaukee destination later this month. I can't wait.
  • Taking more pictures. Lately there have been a number of things that have prevented me from getting out and taking pictures as much as I normally have been the past couple years. I miss it so much. Lousy weather or not, I'm determined to get out of the house and take more pictures again this month.

What are you up to this month?

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

February Top Commenters and March News

I hope that March has gotten off to a great start for everyone!

Top Commenters
As always, I really appreciate all of the feedback that I get on this blog. It means a lot that so many people take time to share their insights with me.  Thanks to Ann of Ann's Snap Edit Scrap and Jamie of Crafter on a Budget for stopping by and commenting regularly! Check out goodies from some of my other top commenters who are selling their handmade items online.
















Blog Sponsors and March Advertising
I have an awesome round up of blog sponsors!  These lovely ladies all have Etsy shops and/or blogs.  Check them out on the left hand side of my blog under "Private Sponsors." Would you like to join the them?  It's only $3 per month or $10 for 4 months to advertise with me.  Check out all of the details about it right here.

Out With the Old Sale
I brought back my Out With the Old sale this year for the beginning of 2013. There are a number of older pieces in my shop that I would really like to clear out forever to get my shop more streamlined and reflective of my current lines. Take advantage of these amazing deals while you can right here.

Bring It On March!
  • I'm not sure what to share about my work that I didn't share last month. Last year the HubPages traffic explosion that I had from Valentine's Day helped keep my holiday numbers going through Easter. So far that has been true this year, too. My client work has been pretty steady, which means that I haven't had to do much searching for random freelance jobs.
  • I have my first 2013 craft show this coming weekend! How did that come up so quickly? I am absolutely never ready for a show until the morning of the event, but I'm doing pretty well all things considered. I have one more next month and have applied for one in May as well.
  • I have a milestone birthday coming up at the end of this month. I have been talking all year about how I want to do something for it and am excited that those plans are finally in the works.
  • I am also pretty excited about how many pictures I got to take during the month of February. I didn't let the cold weather slow me down too much. I hope that I'll be able to keep that up in March.

What's going on with your blog and/or business for March?

New article:

Where I Linked Up Today:
Treasury Tuesday

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

February Mid-Month Sponsor Love

I'm celebrating the middle of the month with a shout out to all of my awesome blog sponsors!

I recently won a set of Edi's magnets, and they are fabulous. The craftsmanship is beautiful. I love Edi's new peacock and feather magnet set.

Are you looking for a simple dinner that your whole family will love? Jamie recently shared a great chicken pot pie recipe.

Linda of PruittCreations

Angela of AngleAh
 How can you not the pinwheel buttons for Angela's red pinup earrings?

Valerie of additionsstyle
 Valerie's bib statement necklace is simple and versatile.

Deb of storybeader
 Deb shares some great strategies for designing and using luggage tags.

Tiffany of MaddieBsBoutique
Shop ahead and pick up a St. Patrick's Day bow for your little girl.
Paige did an amazing job transforming an old coffee table.

Kristen of Milo and Molly
 Kristen has started a great 2013 series on her blog about sewing. Check out the latest installment about the sewing machine.

I hope that you found some useful resources today!

Are you interested in advertising with me? Click here!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

January Top Commenters and February News

So I completely forgot about this post last month until it was way too late to fit it in with everything else that I had scheduled. My apologies. I hope that February has gotten off to a great start for everyone.

Top Commenters
My commenter base has been amazing the past few weeks. I especially appreciate all of the feedback that I've gotten about my new goals for 2013 and my recent photography. If you've left me one or more of those comments, thank you! Interaction with readers is one of the things that keeps me posting here every week. Thanks to Ann of Ann's Snap Edit Scrap and Jamie of Crafter on a Budget for stopping by and commenting regularly! Check out goodies from some of my other top commenters who are selling their handmade items online.


1) PATTERN - Crocheted fingerless gloves with flower by JNOriginals
2) Jewelry bracelet kit - Turquoise & hand-rolled paper beads by storybeader
3) Baby Shower Guest Book - Personalized Baby Buggy Stroller Design by memoriesforlifesb
4) Blue Kerosine Lantern Earrings Retro Hypoallergenic by StalkingTheWildSnark 
5) Shabby chic cottage style eyemask. Chambray Rose. Blue by PeriDotbyDuni
6) Sky Blue Crystal Sterling Silver Earrings by BeadedTail
7) Red Rose With Water Droplets Greeting Card by Cyndi Calhoun
8) Buckskin Mare Dale Evans Horse Buttermilk 5x7 inch print of original watercolor painting by tapestry316

Blog Sponsors and February Advertising
I have an awesome round up of blog sponsors!  These lovely ladies all have Etsy shops and/or blogs.  Check them out on the left hand side of my blog under "Private Sponsors." I have to give a shout out to my newest sponsor, Tiffany of MaddieBsBoutique. She sells hair bows and other adorable goodies.

Would you like to join the private sponsors?  It's only $3 per month or $10 for 4 months to advertise with me.  Check out all of the details about it right here.

Out With the Old Sale
I brought back my Out With the Old sale this year for the beginning of 2013. There are a number of older pieces in my shop that I would really like to clear out forever to get my shop more streamlined and reflective of my current lines. Take advantage of these amazing deals while you can right here.

Bring It On February!
  • My Christmas HubPages traffic way exceeded my expectations this year. As I've mentioned before, last year I had ridiculously good Valentine's Day traffic. It hasn't been ridiculous this year thus far, but it's been very solid. I'm hoping the momentum will keep up and I can keep some steady holiday traffic going through Easter like I did last year. I had a great January publishing there with 10 new articles and hope to maintain a minimum of once a week publishing through February.
  •  Client work was a little slow around the holidays, but things are more or less back on track now. My regular client base has shifted a little this past month. However, I continue to get regular assignments coming in from familiar clients, which is great.
  • My first two shows for 2013 are going to be in early March and late April. It's hard to believe that first one is only a little more than a month away. I have a number of craft fair related tasks to complete before then.
  • Those of you who know me outside of this blog know that my social life has kind of exploded since September, which has been pretty amazing. It's great to have things going on just about every single week. It's also really nice to be back in the swing of things with the holidays done.
  • It is frustrating not to get outside and take pictures very often this time of year, but I'm determined to make use of every single warmer day that we get through the end of the winter.
      
 What's going on with your business and/or blog for February? 

Where I Linked Up Today:
Treasury Tuesday

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Saturday Link List: the February recipe edition

Happy Groundhog Day!
Add watching the Groundhog Day movie to your to do list for today if it is not on there already.

Welcome to my Saturday Link List!  There is no theme here, but as always, I tried to mix it up and include some great seasonal recipes.  Enjoy!

 
 

  
  
  
  
  
I haven't made oatmeal cookies in forever. It's on my list for this month.
 
And finally, this idea is...really awesome. That's all there is to it.
  
What recipes/foods have you been enjoying lately?

Create your own link list and grab a button for your post or simply spread the word on your blog.
Saturday Link List

Did I feature your work here?  Grab a button for your blog or web site!
Saturday Link List


 
Did you use one of the resources, tutorials, or recipes from my link list?  Leave me a link in the comments or send me an e-mail (randomcreative28@gmail.com) with your photos and stories.  I would love to post them here.

Stay tuned next week for the February resources edition!