welcome spring early

I may be jumping the gun here, but I wanted to welcome Spring with open arms and hope that it shines its happy face upon us as soon as possible (especially since I'm going to the beach in April). Here are some fun, springy items to get you in the spirit:

adorable bunny necklace by LOOKA jewelry:

bring on the April showers with this cute umbrella from Mod Cloth:

i love this reversible windbreaker from Mod Cloth, too:

treasury features galore

My "side project" Charm Star has had quite a run on etsy this week! It's been in four different treasuries, and two made it to the front page! Check it out:

boom box charm

jellyfish charm

bicycle charms

tiny sewing machine charms

Another thing that is so cool about Charm Star is that it really speaks to people overseas - I have sold so many items to people in Europe, and recently Australia. It's so exciting to fill out a customs form and know that your little product is going on quite a journey to another part of the earth.

Freshie & Zero didn't do too bad last week, either. My eclipse necklace was featured in etsy finds - an email that goes out to anyone on etsy's email list. I don't know how many people that is, nor do I know how many hits it generated since etsy's hit counter reset to zero by accident over the weekend, but it was still a super cool surprise - and THEN it was on the front page!

All this to say - what a bright shiny silver lining to my cloud on Thursday! My car was broken into for the third time in the past few years and I had to pay to fix my window (again). Grrrrr. These crooks better stop messing with me, or I'm going to have to get a gun permit and show them who's boss! (do I sound tough???)

I need your opinion!

Help! I need the advice of my trusty blog readers about trying out something new. I decided to try out the Sampler after months of thinking about it. In short, the sampler is a groovy indie service that sells goodie bags full of designer samples to eager indie shoppers. I had never been able to think of a cost and time effective way to participate, and my solution wasn't really either but I really like what I made. Take a peek...


It's a sterling silver "Sweet" pendant on a white silk string with a little hook & eye clasp. Surprisingly, they're not much less expensive to make than the sterling silver chain (although sterling prices keep going up & up so that could change this year) but I think they turned out really pretty! I just don't know about the durability of the silk string, since I've never really worked with fabric materials. I've ordered some more silk to experiment with and may try and sell a few in my etsy shop.

Anyway, my question is - does this idea of a necklace appeal to you? Do you like the mix of the sterling pendants on the soft silk string? What would you think about different colors of silk? (I've ordered navy, yellow, green, & turquoise) Please post a comment and tell me what you think! Thank you!!!

I snagged a Treasury!

It's a miracle!!! I actually got up way too early this morning (too much fun yesterday = not enough sleepiness) and saw treasury #333 was about to expire. As my heart began to race, I took the time to figure out how the treasury actually worked, and lo and behold, the magic box appeared and I got one!!! I feel like I've been on a fishing expedition and have finally caught the big one! Okay okay, enough with the dramatics. Here is the treasury. Please go visit before it expires in 48 hours!

not much going on

Hey there party people. Sorry I haven't written much lately - I was on a roll for a while and there was so much to talk about! Crazy stuff has been keeping me busy the past few weeks, but not really anything worth sharing with the world, you know? In a nutshell...

I went down to the Beehive in Atlanta again and set up my display, which was so fun! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I can't share a photo of it with you. :( I sold a piece within 24 hours, so I'm off to a good start there.

January was a slow month in Chicago at Renegade Handmade, however. Where are you jewelry lovin' people in Chicago? Go to Renegade Handmade on W. Division St. and get shopping!!! I have also been toying with the idea of applying to the Renegade show in New York City, which would be fabulous to be a part of, not to mention doing such a cool craft show in New York (Brooklyn, specifically). Maybe a stop in Philly on the way would be in order to visit my long time friend Amy? I think so.

I got rejected from the American Artisan show here in Nashville, but that wasn't a really big surprise. I also got denied from the Decatur Arts show in Atlanta. Wah wah.

I got accepted to the Steppin' Out Blacksburg VA show in August, which is a fun show near my in-laws that I did last year so that means.... spending time with baby girl Ella and her big brother Jackson! Yay! Here's a picture of Jackson with his Tonka truck:


So that's it. I'm just trucking along, filling my website and wholesale orders, tinkering with my etsy shop and playing with side projects. I did get some much needed girlie time yesterday when I got coffee, shopping, and sushi in with Amy F, then I had a couple of drinks with Lyndi. My brain was spinning last night with all the wonderful chit chat of the day swirling in my head! Maybe I could join a sewing circle, just for the pure girl power camaraderie of it all but unfortunately I'm not really interested in needlepoint... I just need Beth Howard to sew for me and I'll sit and watch and together we'll chat. I wonder if she'll agree to that...

and the contest winner is...

Holly!!

Holly, a.k.a. H, will receive the limited edition sterling silver heart necklace, just in time for Valentine's Day, and the Hidden Habitats Calendar, just in time for February where the illustration features horses, foxes, and bunnies. Too cute!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest - I loved reading all of your entries so much so that I may have to make this a monthly or bi-monthly thing! If you entered but did not receive the discount code for being a participant, just email me at freshie[at]freshieandzero[dot]com and I'll gladly send it to you. If you missed the contest completely, just sign up for my e-newsletter and then you'll totally be in the know.

Thanks again!

Calling all crafty moms!

Announcing the Spring 2008 Mamamade show!!! If you are a mother who likes to make things and would like an application & information about the show, please contact me at freshie[at]freshieandzero[dot]com for an application. Below you will find some basic info about the show:

About Us
Mamamade is a group of mothers (and a few Honorary Mamas) that possess creativity, an artistic eye, and the determination to see Mamamade products enjoyed by all. We value innovative design, handmade, and quality.

The Spring Event
The covered back garden and courtyard at Lillie Belle’s tea house in Franklin, TN is the venue for our Spring 2008 Mamamade Market. This location allows us be outside in the spring weather while remaining uninhibited by rain or extreme sun. The date of our event coincides with the annual Franklin Main Street Festival that draws an additional 50,000- 100,000 people. The Festival occurs just one block over and we plan on benefiting from all of the additional foot traffic that day!

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2008

Location: Lillie Belle’s teahouse in Historic Downtown Franklin

Time: 9 am- 2 pm (set up 7 am – 8:30 am, break down 2pm-3pm). This is a tentative end time, and might go longer if Lillie Belle’s does not book a wedding for that evening… we will know more in April. The 9 am start time is especially advantageous to customers who may wish to avoid traffic from the Street Festival (the Street Festival starts at 10am).

Contact Info
Spring 2008 Mamamade Market Organizer: Tisra Fadely, tisra[at]fadely[dot]net
Publicity/ Press Organizer: Carrie Ferguson, ferginnash[at]yahoo[dot]com
Participant Recruitment: Angel Funk, angelfunk[at]mac[dot]com