Update for May 31, 2009 - Handmade Cards!

Happy Summer! It's officially here! For those of you not in California, BE GLAD. IT'S FREAKIN' HOT OVER HERE.

This week's posting is the FIRST handmade card set to be sold at Deliciously Girly! I'm very excited, because I think these turned out really nice. Granted, I AM biased. Click the picture below to see for yourself!


The listing is for the ENTIRE set - so you'll get 5 lovely cards (with envelopes, of course) to send to friends!

Next week will be wedding necklace #2, just waiting on MORE supplies (I'm so lame at ordering the right supplies amounts, hahaha), and maybe my first CROCHETED item! We'll see how it goes... the prototype is in progress, and if I like it, I'll write the official pattern and then make a nice version for the shop.

In other exciting news, I had my first purchase last week! WHOOO! The customer really liked the little gift I threw in there - marble magnets! I also have an order from a friend for jewelry for her bridesmaids, which we'll be looking at beads for next weekend. =D Yay for all this crafty goodness! If you'd like to see what I've made that hasn't gone in the shop, click here for my Flickr.

Have a great week!

Shop Update - 5/25/09

Happy Memorial Day! Hope you're enjoying your barbecues.

I was hoping to have 2 items added this week, but I've hit a snag in paper coordination. (You'll see what I mean next week. Meh.) BUT I finally was able to finish my big bridal set, so here it is!

Click the picture to go to the listing!

I think it would be fantastic for a bride getting married on the beach. The inspiration was to make it look a little like something that washed up, made of sea glass and shells. (Which it's close - there's shells and dyed blue quartz.) This took a while to get to look just right, so I'm pretty happy with it.

Next week - another wedding necklace to match the the Modeste earrings, and my first card set! Whooo!

Weekend Shop Update - 5/17/09

It's still the weekend! I'm in under the deadline!

It's my personal goal to list at least one new item every week, and jewelry tends to be my quickest thing to put up. I'm currently held "captive" by my supplies order, though. I'm down to my last few headpins and jump rings, and it's driving me NUTS. I'm thisclose to finishing a piece for my wedding section that I think would be really amazing for a beach wedding, but I just HAD to run out of supplies *grumble*... should be here any day now, but obviously I can't list the item yet until it's DONE. Hopefully everyone will really dig it, though. I wanted to make something unique for a bride who wants to go beyond the traditional pearls and crystals look. NOT that there's anything WRONG with that - I love making those pieces, too!

It's not my supplier's fault, either, I love my supplier. SO much, in fact, that I'll pimp them really quick. Artbeads.com has always provided wonderful service, easy returns, and GREAT products! The best part (for me at least) is that they sell their products individually, which means if you want to try a product out or test an idea before buying in bulk, you can buy just a few beads or findings instead of a TON, but when you buy a ton they give great bulk discounts.



It's funny, I'm feeling so full of ideas and just want to create, create, create right now! I've been doing a practice crochet hat because I'll need to start crankin' out my crochet hats for the upcoming cold season soon. I also have a headband idea I want to start playing with soon. Cards! Can't forget cards. SO MUCH TO DO!

Anyway. Let's get to the good stuff - this week's listing, of course!

Sweet Blossom earrings! Simple glass beads in pretty floral shapes. =) Just a little sweet somethin' to make yourself "spring-y" ;D

More to come, hopefully soon!

Store Update: May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!

To share what else I like to make (despite what's currently listed, I do other crafts outside of jewelry), below are the Mother's Day cards I made for my own mother and my mother-in-law.

I will eventually have cards for sale on the website, but they take a little more time to make in sets; I'll sell individual ones as well, but I also like the idea of selling sets of themed cards. =)

Also, new item listed today!

Click the picture to be taken to the listing!

WE'RE OPEN!

I'm official! I took decent pictures (and put a copyright image on them, dammit - no thievin' me, y'all!), I set up listings, and I'm OFFICIAL! WHOOOO!

It's so exciting! I officially have a shop!

Of course, there's still a ton of things to do. I need business cards and more shipping stuff. Plus now I'm low on supplies. BEH. I'm hoping to add at least 1 new item a week. Figure that's a good pace. =)

Go shop, y'all! There's STUFF in there now!

T minus 2 plus 3 divided by the moon...

*sigh* Real life got in the way like WHOA. While I do have new items made, I haven't been home at any time that lets me photograph in natural light! Stupid real job and magically having a social life for once as well. It's very frustrating! I will FINALLY be home in the morning/afternoon this weekend - not once, but TWICE. My camera and I will be getting all up in each other's bidness, yo, so I can post some DECENT, non-flashed-to-hell pictures.

So May 1st is a no-go - which is a shame, 'cuz I was planning on tying in a birthday discount 'cuz it's my baby bro's bday. Instead, we're now aiming for a Cinco De Mayo opening. We'll claim our Mexican heritage (half, on my dad's side FYI) and do a opening/5-5 discount tie-in to be cute. 'Cuz who doesn't like to be cute?

In the meantime, I'll continue to work on pieces. Next project: a set of cute "thinking of you" cards for people to send. Check out the prototypes on my Flickr! (Obviously, the for-sale ones will be a little neater and more cohesive, those two were just playing with the design and ideas.) The shop will probably only open with jewelry while I crochet, cut, and paste my little heart out for the other pieces.

See you when I announce that the store is OPEN!!! So excited!

Update: T-23 days until open!

I figure if I don't give myself a "due date", this shop will NEVER open. Which would just stink, frankly.

So I'm opening on May 1st. That's my deadline. Below is a list of what I still need to do, and I'll cross it out as it comes along:

• Finish pieces in progress (3 necklaces, 3 pairs of earrings, 3 bracelets)
  
• Photograph items for sale
• Order banner/business card designs
• order business cards once design is done
• purchase shipping products

So yeah, a lot to do still. But if I work on it a little each day, I think I'll get it done. And awaaaaaaaaaaaay we go!

Deliciously Girly - A Creative Blog and an Etsy Shop

This is the blog for Deliciously Girly, the Etsy shop of Samantha M. It is also a place for Samantha to share the neat things she stumbles across, loves, and creates when she's not looking to sell. ;D

Things Samantha likes and will most likely post about: Art (including her own), craft (including her own), art involving craft, craft blogs, cooking, adorable things that aren't "kawaii", creative processes, girly fabulous things that make her squee, things/people she really wishes she'd thought of/could be, life's little pleasures and treasures that make her world a little sweeter, and occasional pop-culture goodness that she simply can't keep to herself.

Things about Samantha you might be interested to know: Her alter-ego is an English teacher, so she keeps the details of her life fairly non-incriminating (it's like I have a secret identity!); she's married to The Hubs, a sweet man who puts up with far too much of her crap (and you will most likely see in doodles); she likes to watercolor and use oil pastels, make cards and multi-media work, make jewelry, and crochet, and also knows how to sew and knit but doesn't feel much inspiration to pursue those as much due to a short attention span; she is hoping to get a dog soon and will probably torture readers with pictures of its adorableness once the dog is procured; she enjoys cooking for cooking's sake, but not so much for the purpose of eating - same with baking (in other words, I LIKE to cook and I CAN cook, I just don't like it when I HAVE to do it); she loves the little things that make life grand, and one of the purposes of this blog is to help remind her to focus on those wonderful little things on occasion. =)

If you're interested in the store, here's the fancy info about it:
"Deliciously Girly aims to provide customers with fun, flirty accessories for gals. Flowers, hearts, crystals, and pearls abound in the pieces, with an aim for the pieces to be fun without being immature or cloying. Cute crochet hats, quirky scarves, a variety of jewelry options, and happy cards to share with friends are the main products you'll see in the Deliciously Girly shop. She is also a sucker for weddings, and will be making pieces aimed at making a lady's special day just a little more special and unique.

Materials that Samantha prefers to work with are:

• shells and natural rocks
• freshwater pearls
• Swarovski crystal and glass pearls
• interesting glass beads
• fun and funky buttons
  
• sterling silver and gold-plated wire and findings
• soft yarns (Samantha prefers to work with fibers that feel good as she works with them)

Samantha is also open to custom orders and remaking sold out pieces (if materials are still available); email her at deliciouslygirly@gmail.com with specifics and desired price range, and she'll be happy to provide an estimate and time frame. She will not try to imitate someone else's design, though."

Want to see more from Samantha?

Samantha's Flickr: Wearables photo set

Samantha's Flickr: Non-Wearables photo set