Etsy Holiday Bootcamp is Under Way!

I, Amy of SewArtsy, pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!

Have you taken the pledge yet? Find the details here at Etsy Success!

Here's to a successful holiday season to all my crafty friends! Amy

All the best in 2009!

Happy new year my friends! Hope you all had a blessed holiday season! I'm sure glad to get back into the swing of things here.

For my first post of the year I thought I'd share a few of the wonderful items I gave and received over the last month or so!

First up, thanks to my incredible circle of friends here at home for throwing us an incredible Welcome Home party for Charis. It was a sweet time, and your generosity was overwhelming! I have some amazingly talented friends who knew I was hoping for handmade items :o) And afterward I was in the buy-for-new-baby mode, and I snatched up a few of the Etsy items from my baby wishlist.

And with Christmas fast approaching at the time I also shopped some fab Etsy shops to find gifts to give. Some places I shopped:
**Fun Button Hip Clips for 11 year old neighbor from Button Boutique
**Awesome emery Pin Cushions for sewing friends from Dottyral
**Sweet Bows for baby girls from Tara Marie
**Soft and squishy cloth balls for babies from Muse
**Adorable Pony Tail Holders and Hair Clips from Mary Marsh at Meeting Street Designs
**Super-fun jewelry for friends of assorted ages from fellow Amy in the Arts teammate AlwaysAmy
**And everyone on our Christmas card list received a darling photo card of the boys with their brand new sister along with holiday greetings handmade by another Amy teammate, Amyzo

Some extra-special gifts I received for Christmas:
**An incredibly special personalized necklace with the kids names and birthdates from ChristinaPDesigns

**A gorgeous pair of earrings and a Signature Chain bracelet from Mary Ellen Doran for our CREST team exchange





**Actually a gift for our 10th anniversary - an amazing Ametrine solitaire ring (ametrine is special to me because it is the natural blending of two quartzes: amethyst - my birthstone - and citrine - Josh's birthstone - he gave me a necklace with this stone for our first anniversary)

Overall, spending time with family and friends this Christmas and New Years, and having a little downtime, was the best gift I could have asked for! I look forward to a wonderful year ahead, hope to share more with you, and get to know you all better.

Happy new year! Amy

PS - come back tomorrow for details on my very first SewArtsy giveaway!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

I hope your Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of family and friendships this year!

If you are planning on shopping online this weekend, don't forget Holiday EtsyFest 2008.

Personally, I will be offering free shipping on all purchases, and 10% off your entire order when you order 3 or more items (at both SewArtsy and SewArtsyBethany!) starting Thursday, November 27 - that's Thanksgiving Day - through Monday, December 1.

Check out other wonderful Etsy shops participating in this sale at http://heatherknitzgiveaways.blogspot.com

The shops are categorized for easier browsing depending on who's on your list this year!

Take some time to consider handmade items this holiday season,

Happy Thanksgiving! Amy

Thursday's Featured Amy

This week I feature a new Amy teammate:

AmyLiz of A Main Collection and A Market Collection!

Holiday happiness, here we come!

Are you looking for just the right holiday accents for your home? Are you ready for the turkey, snowman and Santa invasion! Take a gander at what AmyLiz has to offer you. This creative lady has made some fabulous items that are just waiting to deck your halls, your tree, your gifts - you name it! You'll find lots of felt candle mats and ornaments meticulously embellished in all sorts of designs to tickle your fancy, paper items to adorn your gifts, and stitched items you're just sure to want to grab up!

Amy's been in business almost 20 years, and has been crafting in some fashion since she was a child. She's a stay at home mom of two teenagers, has a very supportive husband, and two Etsy shops - her favorite place to sell online!

My favorite item right now has to be A Glimpse of Autumn Gift Tags. I adore brown and blue together, and the felt flowers attached to the gift tags are a sweet and unexpected detail. AmyLiz is having a sale this week, so make sure you grab what you want while you can, and then keep checking back to see what's in store!

AmyLiz.Etsy.com
AMarketCollection.Etsy.com
AMainCollection.com

Happy Thursday! Amy

Holiday EtsyFest Participants

Want to find out who's participating in Holiday EtsyFest? You can find all of the vendors here. If you're looking for just bags and totes, click here. That's where you'll find SewArtsy and SewArtsyBethany! Please check out all of the wonderful vendors excited about offering you fabulous deals from Thanksgiving Thursday through the first of December!

Happy Wednesday! Amy

The Waiting Game Continues

So we're still in a holding pattern for baby #3, but one thing we know for sure is that each day brings us closer to her arrival. We are surely ready! We've pulled out everything from storage we can think of that this baby will need, and we've stocked up diapers, wipes and formula. Now, what are we forgetting?!




In the meantime I'm trying to get everything in my inventory reposted into my Etsy store. Stop by and check out what's available in my pre-made stock. Also, enjoy free shipping (within the US) through December 20th. It's my way of helping out with your holiday spending!




Until next time - I'm stockpiling my sleep hours, and spending as much time one-on-one with the boys before their sister makes her arrival!

Happy Wednesday! Amy

Just Hear Those Sleigh Bells Jingling?

Are you thinking about holiday shopping, and all of the handmade goodies you need to start looking for to give your friends and loved ones this year? You should be!

Having made the "handmade pledge" for this holiday shopping season, and being the big nerd that I am, I've already started scouring the pages of Etsy and making some purchases. It's fabulous fun, but be prepared to spend a good amount of time trying to make decisions among many wonderful handmade items!

I'm decking the hall's of my Etsy shop with lots of lovelies for Christmas stocking-stuffers, Chanukah gift boxes, and gifts to make December birthdays really special. And just to keep those holiday shopping costs down I am offering free shipping from now until December 20!

For those special ladies on your holiday lists, what about a beautiful new tote or purse! (Hint: hubbies and boyfriends, take note! A pretty bag is both a fun gift and practical!) Even better, if you would like to choose your style and fabric, then a custom item is even more of special gift. Right now the last date to request a custom SewArtsy item is November 20. That date is subject to change if I get a whole lot of custom orders, so do please inquire early if you want something made specifically for you or a loved one.

One Christmas gift everyone on our list will be receiving this year is a Christmas card from Amyzo's shop, Handmade by Amy!

Happy Wednesday, and Happy Holiday Shopping! Amy