Excitement!!!

By the time you read this, it will be gone, but I have a treasury on the Front Page of Etsy!!! Woot!!

A Very Nice Christmas Gift

HeyMichelle, Etsy admin, started a thread the other day about posting treasuries that she would put on the front page over Christmas. I posted what I had in my poster sketch, hoping what I created would get to the front page. Guess what - it did! Yesterday morning this was up for a while -


I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!! :)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

I mostly made all the gifts this year, so avoided the rush at the mall! (thank goodness!) And I finally finished my baking today. (now Santa will have cookies to go with his milk!)

I didn't get as much done as I had planned though, so I'm bummed about that. Christmas just sneaked up on me this year.

Tonight we will be going to early Christmas eve service at church, then home for a yummy beef stew. Tomorrow it will be just me, my husband and son hanging out, as all our relatives are far away. Looking at the gifts under the tree, we may have to get a storage unit to house all the toys! :) And sometime we will be driving around to look at all the lights!

I hope you all have a very merry holiday season!

Missed it AGAIN!!

Second time on the front page of Etsy, and I missed it again! Why? It was on at 2 AM PST!!! Brenda of phydeaux got a screen shot for me, though! Thanks, Brenda! :)

Last minute shopping ideas...

Wow, Christmas is Thursday!!!

It really snuck up on me this year. Shopping is done, and gifts are wrapped, now I have to concentrate on baking!

For those of you who haven't completed your shopping yet, this weekend I am having a buy one, get one (or more) half off sale! Visit RedBessBonney.etsy.com for details. I am willing to upgrade to priority mail, or if you live near me, I can arrange for pick up or delivery.

Another option for terrific handmade items is the Handmade in California gift guide. Many of the shops listed will also work with you to ensure items are received before the big day.

Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday To Me....

and congrats to the winner of my birthday giveaway, Hyla of MyFairyBabies! Hyla gets her choice of a jewelry item from my shop!

My birthday plans had included a special trip to Disneyland, but it's been raining buckets. Sigh. I know I don't have anything to complain about with the more severe weather in other parts of the country. Just an annoyance that I can't play today! :)

The Spreader of Love Award

I was just given a lovely award by Sue of signaturesterling - "The Spreader of Love" Award ~ a reminder that I'm "loved" and that there are other very special people out there for me to "spread this love" around with! Thank you!

So here are the rules:

(1) Post a copy on your blog

(2) Mention who gave you the award.

(3) Pass the award on to 6 others.

(4) Leave a message on their blog letting them know the honor has been bestowed upon them.

And I would like to pass this on to
Kecia of Lemoncholy's
Tiffany of BAM Designs
Wendy of buttercup
Dawn of Draw and Quartered
Deirdre of Positive Thinking Everyday
Michelle of Faerie Dust Dreams

It's Birthday Giveaway Time!

Isn't that cake fabulous? It's not edible though - it's made by CrashCanStudio on Etsy!
My 42nd (EEK!) birthday is looming! I want you all to celebrate with me, so I am having a giveaway! From now until December 14, just leave a comment on this post, and I will have my son draw a name on December 15.
The winner will receive a piece of jewelry $25 or under from my shop! I will also send one of my origami frames as well.
Thank you for celebrating with me!

The Fabulous Artistic Moms Holiday Gift Guide Is Here!

I'm a member of a great team on Etsy - Fabulous Artistic Moms, known as FAM. They have put together a terrific gift guide for the holidays! Please check it out! Each day will feature a new category, and every day brings new specials! Happy Shopping!

ON SALE NOW!!!

Everything at RedBessBonney.etsy.com is 15% off! And everything at RedBessBonneyToo.etsy.com is buy 3 get 1 free! Both sales run through the end of the year! Shop now for the best selection!

Weekly Giveaway!!!

I know I've mentioned the 2008 Handmade in California Holiday Gift Guide... well, we now have a weekly giveaway on the guide! Different items will be given away each week, and all you have to do is sign up for the mailing list. We will not plague you with constant e-mails, just a few a year. Check it out! Here is the item for this week, by visionquest...

FRONT PAGE!!!

I was just on the front page of Etsy, and I missed it because I had to pick up a few things at Target!!!! I do have a screen shot, however...

Ornaments!

As promised, here are my Victorian-inspired ornaments! The front is the young lady in red, and the back is adorned with either a felt red or white poinsettia. What do you think?

Busy Busy Busy

I've been neglecting my poor little blog! So much going on right now.

I had an extremely successful show a couple of weeks ago - hoping for the same success at a show coming up in a couple of weeks... I'll have details on that soon.

Money is tight, so I am making everything this year for Christmas gifts. I'd love to say what I'm making, but some of you readers are on my list... :)

I'm doing a secret Christmas swap with one of my Etsy teams - it's been great fun, but very difficult to keep secrets! I'll put pictures up of what I made after she receives it...

I'm also doing an ornament swap with another Etsy team. I have one more step, then they will be ready to photograph. I'm doing a pseudo Victorian kind of thing. I'm anxious to see what you think of them!

I'm also expanding my web presence, in hopes my sales will increase. You all know about my two Etsy shops, RedBessBonney and RedBessBonneyToo. I've also made my own website, and have opened shops on Big Cartel, 1000 Markets and Art Fire. I'm also wasting way too much time on Twitter!

And getting ready for turkey day. Got my turkey today - an 18 pounder! I plan on having lots of leftovers! No big plans, just me, hubby and son at home. I won't go shopping on Black Friday, unless Michael's has something I really want on sale. We are tossing around the idea of either Sea World or heading up to Big Bear that day. And we have to take Colin for his annual train ride to Santa!

Keep watching for my birthday giveaway... starting December 1 I will post a giveaway here - the drawing will be December 15, my 42nd birthday. (damn I'm getting old)

Well, I've rambled on enough for tonight. I'll be back soon with pics!

Come Visit Me Sunday!

you're invited to...
PATCHWORK
the premier indie arts & crafts festival in the oc

SHOP: over 80 local vendors featuring handmade goods for you, your family & your home including... amazing clothing for men, women & kids, letterpress stationary, jewelry, rock'n'roll belt buckles, edgy dolls, artsy purses, green & sustainable goods, aprons, refashioned vintage clothing, art & so much more...

EAT & DRINK: memphis, the gypsy den and the crosby serving up barbeque, veggie delights and libations

LISTEN: evocal, kuci and crew dj and dish out live music

GET: harvey's - the original seatbelt bag - will be making purses & buttons on site just for you!

CHECK OUT THE MAP: it's right off the 5 and it's a sunday so if you're headed down from los angeles (only 30 miles!) or up from san diego there shouldn't be any traffic!!!! if you're coming in from out of town it'll be a fun all day event and there's lot's to do around the area... including bowers museum, the beach, the discovery science center, the best antique stores in downtown orange, art galleries bars & restaurants in downtown santa ana... so you can make a day of it!

SEE YOU THERE!!!
help spread the word and forward this email to your pals!

PATCHWORK SHOW
www.patchworkshow.com
2202 1/2 north main street
santa ana, ca 92706
714.836.8727
nov 9th - 11-5pm

VOTE!!

If you want to practice voting before Tuesday, head over to this forum thread on Etsy. The CCCOE is having their monthly challenge contest again, with the theme of "Give Thanks". If you have an Etsy shop, you will be featured in a treasury just for voting. All who vote are eligible for discounts in some of the CCCOE shops.

Thanks for voting for your favorite item in the thread, and don't forget to vote on Tuesday!!!

CCCOE presents The 2008 Holiday Gift Guide!

I belong to the street team on Etsy, the California Crafters Club of Etsy, or CCCOE. I am a member of the PR committee, and we created an awesome Gift Guide for the holidays! Check it out!

Nightmare Before Christmas Fun

Announcement!

I have created a website for Red Bess Bonney Creations! It's still in progress, but let me know what you think!

SAVE THE DATE!

I will be there, sharing a booth with Yolanda from Yolanda's Clay. Stop by to say hello!

Busy Weekend

This has been quite the weekend so far. First off, I listed my CCCOE October challenge entry...


Yesterday we went to the Seaside Highland Games. It was a lot of fun, but extremely windy.

Colin had a great time doing the stone throw and caber toss!



This morning we got woken up by a phone call from Chris' work that there was a fire in the valley. He got ready and went off to work, to help get animals evacuated. Colin and I will be attending a first birthday party for a friend this afternoon.

Hope you had a great weekend too!

Time to Vote!

Nope, not the election, but for your favorite interpretation of Fall Traditions by the CCCOE (California Crafters Club of Etsy)! I did not get my challenge piece finished in time, but there are some really awesome pieces! Go here to vote, and you can see all the entries here. All you need is a free Etsy account to vote, and if you have a shop, your vote = a treasury spot. Also, voting will give you discounts in many of the CCCOE shops, including mine. So go vote! Now! :)

Come See Me!

Experiment

I have begun to experiment with other e-commerce sites. I created a new shop on bigcartel.com. I have a couple other sites I will be trying out as well, and will announce those when I'm ready!

I WON!!!

Every month the CCCOE - California Crafters Club of Etsy - has a team challenge. Based on the theme, members create wonderful items and submit them for voting. Voting is done by the Etsy community.

August's theme was Back To School. I decided to bead an apple - and I won! I must give a shout out to Ann for helping me procure beads to finish the project, as I had cleaned out my local stores!

This month's theme is Fall Traditions - Halloween included. I will post here when voting happens, so you can vote for your favorite too!

I will be finally starting my virtual road trip series this week - so check back here soon!

A Trip to the ER...

Well, we finally had our first visit to the ER with Colin last night. Here's the story...

Daddy came home and Colin was not listening when Daddy said not to do something, so he put him on his bed for a time out and shut the door. I was making dinner, and the reason for the door being shut was to protect me from flying toys being thrown by Colin. Not a minute later, we heard a thud and a scream... He fell out of his bunk bed onto his head...

We got an ice pack on it right away, and called the doctor. They asked some questions about it, and told us he needed to be seen right away.

We got to the ER, where Colin screamed bloody murder while his temp and blood pressure were being taken. We then walked through the main ER, full of people very bad off. After a wait, of course, the doctor came in to see us.

By then, Colin was chatty and more like normal. (On the way to the ER he was quiet, kept trying to go to sleep, and his pupils weren't doing normal things.) After checking his pupil reactions and having Colin perform tasks such as touching his nose, we were released with no further treatment.

We were exhausted by the time we got home. And now I'm back to getting ready for our trip! What a week for this to happen!

And the final winner is....

YummyMummy! Congratulations!

Thanks again to everyone who played along this summer! Keep visiting for a virtual roadtrip coming up next week...

Blog Feature!

One of my CCCOE teammates, Shell, has featured my apple in her blog today! Please check out her wonderful shop on Etsy as well!

Giveaway Extravaganza, FINAL WEEK!

Thanks so much to everyone for playing along this summer!

Want to see what you can win this week?

This week I'm giving away a necklace/earring set - Eire.

Just visit my shops, RedBessBonney and RedBessBonneyToo, and then leave a comment about them on this post.

Thanks again for playing!

Winner Announcement, Week 5

drum roll please....

Beth is this weeks winner! Congrats!

Giveaway Extravaganza, Week 5!

Wow, week 5 already! Only one more giveaway after this...

This week's giveaway is a pretty little bracelet, Sophistication. If you like pearls, this is definitely a bracelet for you!

Just check out either of my shops, RedBessBonney or RedBessBonneyToo and leave a comment.

(if by chance the bracelet sells, another item will be substituted.)

Thanks for playing!

This week's winner...

is stampinc! Congrats! I'll e-mail you for your address.

Just Listed!

Every month the CCCOE has a challenge. August's theme is Back To School. This is my entry - I finished it last night. What do you think?

Giveaway Extravaganza, Week 4!

Three weeks down, three weeks to go! This week's prize is a pair of earrings....

Spring Fling!

Just leave a comment about either of my shops, RedBessBonney or RedBessBonneyToo, and my 4 year old will draw the lucky winner next Sunday!

Thanks for playing!

And this week's winner is....

drum roll please....

rubyclover!

Congrats! :D

Giveaway Extravaganza, Week 3!

Wow, week 3 already! This week you'll be playing for a lovely little bracelet I call Celtic Pearls.

Just check out either of my shops, RedBessBonney or RedBessBonneyToo and leave a comment.

(if by chance the bracelet sells, another item will be substituted.)

Thanks for playing!

Winner Announcement, Week 2

This week's prize goes to Michelle P! Congrats, Michelle! Please contact me with your address!

Christmas In July Challenge

This month's CCCOE challenge theme was Christmas in July. Voting is now open! To view all of the challenge entries, go here. To vote, click here. If you vote and have an Etsy shop, you will automatically be in a treasury! Everyone who votes gets a discount from many participating shops! A great way to start shopping for the holidays! :) Have fun!

Giveaway Extravaganza, Week 2!

Now that we have our winner for week one, time to see what lovely I am giving away this week...

A lovely pair of earrings, Mauve Celt!

Same rules apply... just take a peek at either RedBessBonneyToo.etsy.com or RedBessBonney.etsy.com and make a comment about either shop. The drawing will be done by my 4 year old next Sunday...

(if by some chance this item sells before then, an alternate selection will be made)

Good luck, and thanks for playing! :)

Team Notes...

I am on some great Etsy street teams... I just wanted to mention a couple of things that we are doing....

CCCOE, or California Crafters Club of Etsy, is now holding a 27 hour sale every Wednesday! Join us in either posting your sale or shopping (or both) on our West Coast Wednesday sale thread! It is started every Tuesday at 9pm PST (that's midnight EST). Hope to see you there!

My newest team, FAM, or Fabulous Artistic Moms, is looking for Etsy recipes for a cookbook! See this post for more info. Deadline for both recipes and ad pages is August 1.

and the winner is...

Nina of prettycheapjewelry! Congrats Nina!

Giveaway Extravaganza!

A year ago I heard about Etsy, and decided to set up shop. I started this blog as well...

I want everyone to celebrate with me, so I am doing one giveaway per week through August 17!

That's right - 6 chances to win! The first drawing will be this Sunday on July 13! Just leave a comment about something in either RedBessBonney.etsy.com or RedBessBonneyToo.etsy.com. My son will pick the winning name on Sunday, and I will post next week's item then!

Want to know what you're playing for this week? Shades of Red

(if by some chance this item sells before then, an alternate selection will be made)

Thanks for playing!

It's that time of the month again... :)

Time to vote in the CCCOE Challenge! June's theme was Independence Day. Check out this link to see all the entries! (I'm not thrilled with mine, but I just ran out of time to do my beaded 4th of July mini picnic basket.) To vote, go to the voting thread and post your favorite! Voters receive a discount in many CCCOE shops, and if you have an Etsy shop, you will be featured in a treasury! Happy voting!

From Red Bess Bonney Creations...

My half off summer sale is still going on! Come visit my Etsy shop to browse over 50 items on sale! And in the coming weeks I will be listing new items in both my shops. Stay tuned for more...

FIRST ANNUAL KICKOFF TO SUMMER YART SALE ON ETSY!

FIRST ANNUAL KICKOFF TO SUMMER YART SALE IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS! The sale will run from Wednesday, June 11- Friday, June 20 ~ An Artistic Slant to a traditional Yard Sale. 10 day countdown to the first Day of Summer. Just a few suggestions to all you shoppers. Type "Yart" in the Search area and choose the appropriate category from the NEW Etsy Drop Down Menu - Choose handmade, supplies, vintage or all items to view the specific items you are looking for. You will have so many choices from all the wonderful shops that have chosen to participate in this sale! Click here!

News from Red Bess Bonney Creations!

I have opened a new store with my cards and papercraft! Yay! So, here it is... RedBessBonneyToo.etsy.com!

Vote in the CCCOE Wedding Challenge!

Log into Etsy and vote on this thread for your favorite! If you are a seller on Etsy, you will win a spot in a very hot treasury, plus a discount for everyone just for voting! Go here to see all the entries. Thanks for voting!

Huge Sale!

Now through July, I am having a half off sale! Over 60 items are included! Prices are as marked.

Attention Bargain Hunters!

I am part of a wonderful Etsy team - California Crafters Club of Etsy, or more commonly known as CCCOE. We have team coupon good through the end of the year, and I thought I would share it with you...

$5 off your next purchase of $20 or more*
Coupon Code: 14289901
Insert coupon code in notes to seller, complete the checkout process and wait for a revised invoice from the seller.

*Regular priced merchandise only. Good at participating CCCOE shops. Valid for one transaction only. Not valid on sale or clearance priced merchandise, custom orders, gift certificates, previously purchased merchandise, or in conjunction with any other coupon. Coupon may not be sold or transferred. Void where prohibited.

I am also having a HUGE sale in my Etsy shop June and July - my goal is to sell enough to pay for my son's fall preschool tuition... Stay tuned for more info!

New Project! Yay!

After taking a brief break from creating... I began a new project last night! I'm beading this Mickey Mouse box! It's going to look very cool when finished! This is just a sneak peek - at the rate I'm going, this should be done and listed in my shop by the end of June!

Mother's Day 2008!

My boys took me to Disneyland today. We had never gone on Mother's Day, and thought it would be crowded - but it wasn't at all! They had flowers for moms, and Colin picked a red one for me. We did a few rides, and had some refreshment at Coke Corner before meandering over to the Disneyland Hotel for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. We watched the waterfall for a bit, then the fish in the koi pond. Dinner was fun - our first character dining experience! Goofy, Rafiki and Gideon(?) kept coming back to our table again and again - Colin thought it was great! He also had all he could eat mac and cheese, and whatever desserts he wanted! I was in heaven with the Chambord tiramisu and fondant cake. Yum!

I hope all the mommies who read this had a wonderful day too!

Happy Mother's Day!

I know it's a couple days early... :)

My son's preschool had a Mother's Day tea yesterday - it was very sweet! They made us several things, and sang us songs. The teachers went all out and fixed a fabulous brunch buffet! It was very fun!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

My Margarita Madness earrings have been featured on this blog today:
http://www.my3lilmonkeys.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Mandi!

Raffle!

I am donating this bracelet for an hourly raffle being held at the craft show I am doing on Saturday... If you live in SoCal and want a chance to win it - stop by!

Michelle's Craft Space Challenge...

I signed up for Michelle's Craft Space Challenge... You can see why! Here is just one picture of how horrible and disorganized things are...