What Brings YOU Joy?

I love to hear Lucinda Williams singing "you took my joooooooy, I want it back!" So what brings you joy? What makes you happy?

Here are some things that come to my mind:

MUSIC - Music can totally change my mood. If I am not having a good day, there are certain songs that will pick me back up! One of my favorite pick me up songs right now is by Bell X1 and the song is The Great Defector. I also love to listen to Dave Matthews Band Live at Piedmont Park. We have the concert recorded and watch it almost every weekend!

MY HUSBAND - My husband brings me lots of joy and happiness and I am not sure what I would do without him. We love the same things and also have time apart with our friends. A perfect balance. He is a wonderful man!

ART - I have a great appreciation for art and craft. I can't think of a better gift than something handcrafted. Especially from the state of Ky! My favorite place to shop for handcrafted items is Etsy.


Here is a great example of joy on Etsy. Cloudy with a Chance of Balloons by jewelkrug on etsy. $19.99 by Julie Kruger

PETS - Animals bring us so much joy and unconditional love!


Today I was away from the house for 8 hours (normal work day) and as soon as I pull into the driveway, I see my two kitties at the front window waiting for me. Do they sit there and wait for hours? Do they know the sound of my car?

Our older cat Tucker loves to sleep on my pillow at night. There is something about the purr of a cat in your ear that absolutely will melt the coldest heart!


ICE CREAM - How can ice cream NOT make you happy? I prefer the real stuff versus soft serve but really wouldn't turn any of it down. I would have to admit that the Baskin Robbins turtle pie has brought me lots of joy in the past! And probably a few pounds too.

CHOCOLATE - I don't really discriminate against any form of chocolate. It's all good and it certainly brings me lots of joy. A nice box of Godiva or See's Candies is one of life's greatest pleasures!


FRIENDS & FAMILY - How could we get through rough days without the love of our family and our best friends? One of the benefits of growing older is all the friends you accumulate along the way.

I feel very blessed! Sometimes it is good to slow down and think about your blessings in life. So what brings you joy? Blog about it!


“This post is part of SOYJOY‘s What brings you joy contest. Learn more here.”

Look What I Won!

Check out these lovely pearl earrings that I won earlier this month from Blair's Wild and Precious blog. These beauties were created by BonnyBeeDesigns. I don't normally enter too many blog contests, but I fell in love with these earrings. I was so excited to win!

I am using Bonnie's photo as hers is so much better than mine!

Check out her etsy shop to see more of her creations.

Holiday Sale!

I will be hosting a sale in my etsy shop from Black Friday through November 30 Cyber Monday. I am offering free shipping to the US and Canada. Purchases will arrive in a gift box tied with ribbon, ready for giving!

Mention that you saw this post on blogger for a free gift with purchase.

Here is the link to my CreativeEyeStudio etsy shop.

Thanks for looking and Happy Holidays!

Go Bluegrass Team!

I am so proud of our team! We have had several members in the spotlight recently and I want to brag about them!

Jama Watts of These Precious Things was featured in the 2009-2010 Fire Mountain Gems Best Sellers Catalog. Turn to page 258 if you have one! Way to go Jama. I am in awe of your work!


Our team leader Libby Goldsmith of Maylees Garden has been named as a writer for Handmade News. You can see her bio here. Check out her marketing articles by going to Handmade News, then click marketing and you'll see her name. If you click her name, it will take you to her articles. Libby has a wealth of information to share with us.

And finally, our team member Rachel Taibi of Rayela Art has reached 1,000 sales on etsy after opening her shop only two years ago. Rayela's very popular blog is a great resource for fiber artists. And her recent blog post gives etsy sellers some great tips on how she made it to 1,000 sales! Click here to read more.

Great job team!!

To see more of our Kentucky team's talent, go to etsy.com, then type teambluegrass in the search box.

Etsy Yart Sale!!

Q. What is a Yart Sale?
A. An Artistic Slant to a traditional Yard Sale: Yard + Art = YART

I will be participating in the etsy wide Yart Sale sponsored by Team ESST.

Come visit my Creative Eye etsy shop for some very affordable jewelry.
Free shipping is being offered in my shop from June 10-14!

You can search throughout esty for other Yart Sale items while you're there. Just type in "Yart" in the search box.

Check it out! Just don't show up on my driveway at 5 am, okay?

New Jewelry Creations

Here are a few of my latest creations!


I just created this hematite chip necklace last night with a mother of pearl shell flower pendant. The second necklace features cherry quartz nuggets, sterling silver mirror ball beads and Swarovski crystal bicones. It was a special order for a customer that bought the bracelet and wanted a necklace to match.


My mom has a bracelet that I made with funky black and white striped furnace glass. She wanted a necklace to match, so I gave this to her for Mother's Day. The pendant is Swarovski crystal with a sterling silver bail. Mom wears a lot of black so this necklace will go with lots of outfits. I wish I had one too!


Here are a few pair of earrings. The unakite earrings are earthy in autumn colors. I sold these at my etsy shop pretty quick. The second pair features harmony jasper or peace jade with Swarovski crystal. Finally there are some pink and green dotted earrings with lampwork beads and a green and white dotted version. Fun for spring or summer! Saving the best for last is my latest creation with one of my favorite stones, rhyolite accented with olive Swarovski crystal!

Lovin the Lilacs - Courtesy of Concord Soap Co.

The smell of lilacs is one of my favorite parts of spring, second would be peonies. When I was single, I had a house with a large lilac tree in the backyard. It was wonderful as I could cut as many branches as I wanted to make the house smell good. I could replace them in my vase each day and take them to work, and never run out. Since I moved, we planted a small lilac bush in our new backyard. It's not very tall, the flowers are small and I hate to cut anything from it since it's so tiny. On my route to and from work, I can tell you everyone that has a lilac blooming in their yard. I have been scoping them out and am tempted to put some snippers in my car. Surely they wouldn't mind! Actually I am guilty of doing that in a business park area where there were lilacs a few years ago. Unfortunately, the city decided to repave the road and the lilacs were in the way of progress. One day I drove by and the whole green island in the middle of the two lanes was dug up. My lilacs were dug up and in a heap of dirt and debris. It was a sad day.

Since it will be years before my small lilac does much of anything, I have resorted to other means. I have found a great etsy shop that is able to provide me with my lilac fix. Check out Concord Soap Company located in Concord, Ohio. Melissa makes some great products. I purchased the lilac soap, the lilac sachet and the lilac lotion stick. If you have not tried lotion bars or sticks, you really need to. They are great to rub on your elbows, knuckles, feet, knees, etc. And the scent is just wonderful. I found Melissa on twitter and signed up for her mailing list for specials. She sent me a sample of an almond amaretto body butter and I can't wait to try it too. Check out her etsy shop!

A Prize from Miss Lilith Jewelry!

Shortly after we came back from our Spring Break mini-vacation, I received this lovely surprise in the mail!

A fellow jewelry artist and blogger, Miss Lilith, had a contest on her blog recently. She asked people to offer advice on packaging items for sales on esty or just packaging items in gift boxes. Lots of great comments were left on her blog. I was surprised to learn that she picked my packaging as the winner of her contest.

Here is the lovely necklace that she sent to me. Please check out the ribbons and cute packaging she has designed. I love the crystal accent added to the flower. Here is a link to her shop at etsy, which also features lots of great pearl clip earrings. Clip earrings are so hard to find and I am always looking for them for my mom and my mother in law. Please take a look!

Sending out a big thanks to Miss Lilith for the contest and the wonderful necklace!

Packaging & Branding on Etsy

One of the things we learned in our marketing classes in college was to create a brand relevant to our product and then consistently use that brand. They called this “integrated marketing” – where you have a consistent image with all forms of advertising. While this is more important when you are selling soft drinks and food products, it is also important when you are selling your art/craft related items.

Here are some images of the packaging materials I use in my jewelry sales. The starting point for me was my business card. I collect fleur de lis items and wanted to use that as an art element. I felt the purple and green colors were complementary. I communicated the design that I had in mind and the cards were laid out by a friend. The fleur de lis does not tie me to any particular design or style. It could suggest a European or French style or it could just give the appearance of style in general.

I use the same logo from my business card as my avatar when using online social marketing services such as twitter, blogger, etsy, etc. When I set up at craft shows, I also have a sign with the same logo and color scheme. To prove that this “integrated marketing” works, I had someone recognize my logo first, then look up to greet me! She commented that she recognized my logo from our online communications and made the connection.

Using similar styled packaging materials helps to convey my “brand” even more. I use green and purple tissue with simple kraft tote bags. I stamped a fleur de lis image on the bags in sepia colored ink and used the same design on my kraft boxes. I tie the ribbon with green or purple ribbon, attach a business card, and it’s complete! I printed out small stickers that match my business card in case I wrap something in tissue and want to put a sticker on it. I also use inexpensive organza bags in the same color scheme.

While I won’t go so far to say that it’s “all in the packaging” I do believe that first impressions are very important. As an example, when I first considered online art/craft sales, I made a couple purchases myself to see how the process worked. One item was a one of a kind polymer clay bracelet. I was very excited to get this piece in the mail. I opened the envelope to find it was inside a clear plastic bag that seemed “used” and the packaging materials were a little dirty. Surely this handcrafted piece deserved more than to be tossed in a bag and shipped! I liked the bracelet but was disappointed in the presentation. My expectations did not match my first impression.

From this, and similar experiences, I have learned that packaging and customer service are so important! Make the buyer feel like they made the right decision to buy from you. Thank them, confirm their order, let them know when you have shipped, etc. Then thank them again. All of this is part of the big picture and is so important. It could be the difference in a one-time sale, versus a repeat customer or a customer that provides referrals.

If you have similar experiences in packaging and conveying your brand, and would like to share, I would love to hear from you. The best way to learn is from each other and from experience!

April Bluegrass Team Giveaway!

This month's Bluegrass team giveaway comes to us from Sara at The Savvy Stitcher.


Reduce. Reuse. Recycle!

Attention coffee lovers: Help save the planet by using this cute fabric coffee cozy every time you get your to-go coffee!

This fabric coffee cozy will keep your hands cool while drinking your favorite hot beverage.

Each cozy is approximately 3 inches (7.62 cm) wide and will fit most to-go coffee cups. The elastic band keeps it snug and secure around your coffee cup, while allowing it to be adjustable to fit different cup sizes. (Pictured on a 16 oz cup)

Fun, designer fabric is used outside, and I have lined the center with cotton batting for extra comfort and thickness! A fun and funky button is used on each of the adjustable cozies to keep them closed. The others simply slip on the bottom of the cup, but still fit most coffee cups.

Rolls up nicely to keep in your purse or car!

Fully washable. Lay flat to dry.

*See my shop for more choices of color and pattern!*


To enter the April drawing, please visit our Ky Bluegrass team blog!

First Etsy Sale

Still reeling from the great turnout at the holiday show on Saturday, I opened my email on Sunday morning to find that I had my first sale at etsy. I did a happy dance down the hall and gave my husband a high five. I have been listing my inventory slowly and working hard on promoting my shop. I wondered when/if a sale would happen. I realize it takes time and considered that maybe people don't want to be your first. (For example, at ebay I would hestiate to buy from a new seller) I was so excited when I saw the email. A pair of my holiday Christmas tree earrings sold. Woohoo!

Not long ago I made some purchases from etsy to see how the process works when you are a buyer. What I noticed is there wasn't a lot of communication. I didn't get a confirmation from the seller when I placed the order, when I paid for the order, etc. This was a good exercise because I realized how important it is to communicate with buyers. My first buyer may get tired of hearing from me, but I certainly plan to keep the lines of communcation open.

I was curious about how she found my shop. I am in KY and she is in PA. I asked her about it and she told me that she likes shopping with etsy and she had purchased some holiday earrings last year from a particular shop. Her friend wanted a pair like them and she went to the original artist and found the shop was no longer on etsy. She then did a search for "Swarovski crystal" and "Christmas tree" and found a bunch to look through. She told me that mine were the "nicest and a good buy." And because they had a green bead at the top and all the others were red, her friend liked those the best as green is her favorite color. I thought that was a cool story!

Part II

The buyer received her earrings on Wednesday and emailed to say she wanted a pair for herself too. So Wednesday night I made another pair, posted them and sold them. Thursday I shipped the second pair to her.

It reminds me of my friend Lisa. When we see something that we love, we buy it for each other. And then we buy one for ourselves too. I know if I love it, Lisa will love it too!

Featured on Bluegrass Team Blog - How Cool!

On our team chat this week, we were on a roll and brainstormed on lots of great ideas to implement in the next few months. It's exciting to be on a team that is regional, as I have the opportunity to meet most of these ladies and gentlemen. Somehow there is more of a connection. Maybe it's that we all live in the great state of Kentucky!

Corinne, our team leader sent me a note today letting me know that I am featured on the Bluegrass etsy team blog this week. Click here to take a look!

Octoberfest Treasury

Here is another example of a treasury assembled today by the Bluegrass etsy team.

My glass pumpkin earrings are featured in the bottom row.

Go team!

Octoberfest Teamwide Sale!

If the cooler weather has you thinking about fall or holiday shopping, you are in luck. And the best part is that you don't even have to leave the comfort of your home. Click here to visit our Bluegrass team site to see the details on each shop participating in the sale. Our special sale is just in time for the holidays! Most shops are offering 20% off!

Just enter in the code, "BEST OF" in the message to seller in checkout, and wait for a revised invoice before paying.

Our sale runs until October 19th. But remember, these are handcrafted one-of-a-kind items, so shop early for the best selection!

You can check out my shop here.

Another treasury!

Wow, another great treasury of handcrafted items from B.E.S.T. (Bluegrass Etsy Street Team). Way to go team! To see more Kentucky crafted items, go to etsy.com, then search for "teambluegrass" to see all of our items. My earrings are the blue striped glass earrings in the top row.

Special thanks to Libby of AurorasGarden for creating both treasuries this week. Check out her handcrafted shea butter rosemary soap! I just love the smell of rosemary and peppermint!

Team Bluegrass Treasury & Holiday Earrings

I just joined a new etsy street team called B.E.S.T (Bluegrass etsy street team). This team features the work of artists throughout Kentucky. Our work was featured in a treasury today. My fleur de lis earrings are featured on the third row. How cool! To see artwork from Ky artisans, go to www.etsy.com and enter "teambluegrass" as your search term for tags.

I've had a productive morning and have posted four new items in my esty shop. I know it's early to be thinking about Christmas, but I have signed up for three holiday shows and I am making them now so I'll be ready! Visit my shop at www.creativeeyestudio.etsy.com.

My First Etsy Treasury!

Earlier this week I was included in a Etsy Treasury listing for our etsy team, eSMArts. This treasury represents the work of our very talented team. Take a look! My rhyolite earrings are in the third row to the right. Thanks to Diane of MyGemstoneBox (http://www.mygemstonebox.blogspot.com)for taking the time to create this and get it posted into the treasury listings. We appreciate all your time and effort to make this happen!




Here is a link to my etsy shop if you'd like to see more!
http://www.CreativeEyeStudio.etsy.com

First Etsy Shop Listing

I finally did it! I posted my first item to my etsy store front. Hopefully this will be the first of many. Now that I have everything set up and my policies listed, I hope it will go a little faster for the next listings! I really had fun taking pictures of these earrings. Love combining photography with my art!

Have a look.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13433448