Keiki Gifts, Crafts & Activities

There is a great post on the Etsy forum written by sparklerama.  The article is titled “20 questions YOUR BUYERS are asking!!” and it has some useful tips on how to describe the product you are selling so you don’t leave potential customers “scratching their heads”.

These are the points to hit when describing your product.

1. What IS it?

2. What color is it?

3. How big is it?

4. What is it made from?

5. How do I care for it?

6. Who should buy it? or Who should NOT buy it?

7. What is it used for?

8. What does it feel like?

9. How does it work?

10. Why is this one better than the one in the next shop?

11. Do I get everything in the picture?

12. Will it fit me?

13. What if it doesn’t fit?

14. Is it ready to use?

15. How does it arrive?

16. Will I get the EXACT item in the photo?

17. Is it gonna stink?

18. How do I know it’s “vintage”?

19. What do those fancy terms mean?

20. Can I live without this item?

Although all of these questions may not apply to your product, detailed description of your items may save time and money for both the buyer and seller.

Thank you sparklerama for sharing your knowledge.  Read the entire article here.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, product description

Here’s an easy way to make a child’s necklace using recycled t-shirts as the necklace cord.

1. First I cut horizontal strips (about 1 inch wide) from the t-shirt.

2. Stretched it by tugging on it.

3. Cut it at the seams.

4. Accessorized with beads/charms.

5. Ended it by tying a knot on the loose ends to make a necklace.

Take a look at a terrific tutorial at Cucumbersom.com!

Technorati Tags: craft tutorial, How To, recycled t-shirt necklace

I’m gonna make a pitch here. This is for is for cash back shopping at Ebates.  It works likes this…shop at over a 1000+ stores listed on Ebates, accumulate cash and earn cash back.  Quite easy.  And yes, you get paid for referrals also.  Here’s a video description on the program.

Here are some art/craft supply stores currently selling on Ebates.

• Dick Blick Art Materials 3% Cash Back
• Fabric.com 5% Cash Back
• Joann.com 5% Cash Back
• Mr. Art  4% Cash Back

You can even combine savings while shopping.  For example, you can use coupons that you may have received or use your credit card that rewards you for purchases.

If you haven’t signed up for Ebates yet, I’d suggest you try it out…it’s free!

Technorati Tags: ebates, money saving tips

I’m currently working on Origami Fans for my Etsy shop and wanted to give a full description of the products I’m using to create these fans. Sometimes customers want a more detailed description of the materials I use but often times, after buying my supplies, I organize them into containers without saving the original packaging it came in; therefore, I forget the name of the manufacturer and the details of the product. Before I do this again, I thought I’d document what I’m using to create my latest collection of Origami Fans.

The origami paper used to make these fans are made by Yasutomo and Company, made in Japan and distributed in the U.S. The print is called “Peony” and decorated on both sides. The front is a pastel floral print with butterflies and the back is solid yellow. The paper is quite sturdy and flexible making it great for origami. (The open fans are made from washi paper and from a different project).

The glaze is Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating (1303). This glaze provides a permanent, protective gloss finish that does not yellow with age. It is also moisture resistant making the finished fan more durable. Although the vapors are toxic while wet, the dried product is safe but I wouldn’t recommend eating it or having it around kids who may mouth the fan.  With Hawaii’s high humidity, the glaze sometimes takes longer to dry.

The thread used to bind the fan’s pleats together is Coats & Clark’s brand, metallic thread made of 40% polyester and 60% nylon. The jump ring are 7mm and gold finished from stock I already have in hand.

These fans will go up on Etsy soon.

If anyone can recommend a glaze that is non-toxic both wet and dry while providing clear, glossy protection for paper projects, I’d love to hear from you!

Technorati Tags: Etsy, origami fans, paper

Last week I wrote a post about joining a free network called Link Referral. I am enjoying the experience and appreciate the comments and feedback I have received regarding my Keiki Gifts shop on Etsy. The box shows the first five comments I received. Overall the functionality of my Keiki Gifts shop is good and that credit goes to Etsy for it’s set up. On my part, my products are good but I need to improve my shop by providing more selection and better photos as well as working on my shop’s policies. What I am finding challenging about Link Referral is that sometimes I am unable to visit 30 sites and provide the 5 member reviews as well as post on the forum. I must say though that I have received traffic from Link Referral and that’s a great thing! Now I need to start improving my shop…! Thanks to the visitors for your constructive feedback!

Our Reviews “Very cute Etsy shop. I like your banner and avatar. Your adorable products are pictures very well and your descriptions are very good. Nice profile and good policies. Love your cell phone charms very much!! Best wishes. “Mary brush-it-on.com “Your off to a good start. Some really cute items to choose from. Think you will do well with your site. You need to get some more items on. Pictures are clear and precise and pages load quickly and it is easy to navigate. Good Job.”Karen impressivebargains.mybisi.com/ “So colorful. Love the phone charms, ever think of making jewelry out of hem?”Kelly PureeDePois.etsy.com “I think the Kawaii Grandma is adorable.”Virginia spinningginny.com “I think your site has potental. I would like to see very close up shots to show how crisp your cuts are. Your lighting is very good. That is often a problem with working with handmade. Your variety is slight but I see you are new. Great luck to you. “Carol balsampondsdesign.etsy.com Get your own reviews, free traffic at

Technorati Tags: Etsy, keiki gifts, link referral

One of the best thing about being a stay at home mom is that I can be with my children whenever they are ill and tend their needs. While other responsibilities are put aside I am relieved that I do not need to worry about the boss, the office and the other demands outside of the home. I am very grateful to be able to work from home and be with my children whenever necessary and whenever I want to.

This past week was a week full of high fever and sleepless nights but thankfully all is well and I able to resume to my daily routine. I apologize for being late with my monthly craft carnival post, but here it is for all to enjoy. I hope you don’t mind this condensed version but please visit the sites listed and I’m sure you will be able to read the full post and also enjoy lots of other creative ideas. Thanks everyone for your submissions!

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Beall

Maggie Mayer presents Stamping the Night Away posted at Wedding Thrift. “Great resource for stamping ideas, projects and links!”

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Vera Lang presents Free Knitting Patterns Easter Eggs posted at Fine Craft Guild .com, These are great for Spring, or depending on the colors you choose, year round. They look fabulous don’t take all that long to make…

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Ash_the_Wondercat presents Shiny Purple Cats: Easy Earring Charm Bracelet posted at Shiny Purple Cats. “Put those mis-matched earring to good use! Make them into a charm bracelet!”

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Joyuna presents Knitting with handspun yarn, part 1 posted at Joyarna Knitblog. “Knitting with handspun yarn explains what makes handspun different from commercial yarn, and how you should take this into account when knitting it.”

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Wren Caulfield presents Spring Cleaning: Do It Cheap, Do It Green posted at True Adventures in Money Hacking. “DIY cleaning supplies–make your own inexpensive and green cleaning supplies with these recipes!”

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Andrea Drugay presents Make Your Own Aromatherapy Sachets posted at Holistic Radiance.

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Cindy presents Tee-Shirt Recycled into a Handbag posted at My Recycled Bags.com. Cindy offers a free crochet pattern and details on how to create a cute handbag purse from your old t-shirts. It takes just a few tee-shirts cut into strips to crochet this purse.

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Dawn presents Free Crochet Snowman Pattern and Video posted at How to Crochet. This is a free Crochet pattern and full video instruction on how to crochet Snowman.

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ChadChandler presents Teacup Rack posted at Chad Chandler.

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If you are interested in submit your blog article to the next edition of crafts carnival, please use our carnival submission form. You may submit one (1) post for consideration. These must be your own blog posts. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Thank so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Technorati Tags: crafts carnival, Tutorial

This is something I made a while back but will be making again. It is a kid’s yogurt drink bottle that was recycled into a party favor. The fun part is that the bottle is re-sealed so the child can open it up and expect a surprise. It’s even more special if you put a personal note or photo inside the bottle.

This is a just a simple upcycling project. Clean out the yogurt bottle and put a new label on it with pretty paper. Embellish with ribbon. Stuff with tinsels and small goodies. Using the top of the bottle as a template, make a new cap with a round piece of cardboard that has been covered up with paper. Glue the cap into place once your bottle has been filled.

For printable directions, please go to my Keiki Gifts link on Qassia >> here.

Technorati Tags: Craft Instructions, How To, keiki gift, party favors, recycle

For the first time in a long time, we’re out of plastic grocery bags. I’ve realized that plastic grocery bags are in high demand at our home and as we begin to use canvas bags for our daily needs, our plastic bag supply has dwindled. We re-use plastic bags to “pick up” after Fido, to carry wet clothes from the beach or pool, to line trash bins, as a litter receptacle for the car, to store toys and such in the closet and for crafts.

Above is a project that I have been working on for my new Etsy store, Piggie’s Everyday. The entire flower, including the thread, is made from recycled plastic bags. My project will be complete once I’m able to get my hands a few more plastic bags.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, piggies everyday, recycled plastic bag flowers

When the weather is unbearably hot, I like to make a Somen Salad dish for my family. It is refreshing and delicious!

Photo Credit: st3v3133

Here is the recipe:

• 1 pkg. somen, boiled according to package directions
• ham or char siu pork, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, scrambled, thinly sliced
• 1 kamaboko (fishcake), thinly sliced
• green onions

Sauce:

• 2 T sesame seeds
• 2 T sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 2 T vinegar
• 2 T shoyu

Cool rinse and drain somen then lay in 9″ x 13″ pan. Garnish with lettuce, kamaboko, ham, green onions. Mix sauce ingredients in a bottle, shake well. Chill. Pour sauce over salad when ready to serve.

My notes: I like to “roll” the somen into balls (like when eating spaghetti) then place the balls into the serving dish and garnish — makes it easier to pick up for individual servings. I usually have everyone pour their own sauce. I like the tart vinegar sauce above but my kids like the milder bottled sauce.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: recipe, somen salad

School will be out soon and I will find that my time on the computer will be much more limited because more of my time will be spent with my keiki. I’m trying to be much more productive with my computer time by learning to network and hopefully this interconnection of people will do some work for me when I cannot. Currently, my main chain of support has been my Hawaii WAHMs Group, a local support group for work at home moms. Today I signed up for a free traffic referral program called Link Referral. Basically, I participate by visiting other member’s sites (30 max) and reviewing other member’s sites (5 max), per day and in turn my site will be viewed, reviewed and ranked. I was a bit worried about the computer time required to visit websites but then it is something I do almost everyday…30 sites went by fast and I discovered new blogs and etsy shops. The “max per day” actually helped me because it signaled that I could stop….I’m sure I could have spent a lot more time “discovering”!  I’ll see how it goes but if you want to check it out, just click the image below.  If you have anything to share with me, I’d love to hear from you.

Technorati Tags: free traffic