Hello again!

Yes, it's me!  I really am here.  I've been thinking about my little blog often & have come to the realization that it's time to make some changes here.  While I really enjoy all of the things I post about, I've decided it's time to make the focus of this blog my "random creative moments" rather than the cool things going into The Whimsical Muse.  So, I'm starting a new blog for The Whimsical Muse, aptly titled The Whimsical Muse.  I will post my first welcome over there in the morning & have some fun things planed over there.  

I also have all kinds of fun things to share here.  I went to Cloth Paper Scissors CREATE Art Retreat in May in Costa Mesa.  I've been making some "critters" inspired by an article in Cloth Paper Scissors by...Diana Trout, I believe.  I'm continuing to participate in the Outside the Box book club & do related projects.  And more!

Anyway, I will be back soon & look forward to having blogs for both my shop & my mixed media creations.  Please join me here, if you're interested and/or my other blog.

Pam

New to The Whimsical Muse!

Some new items are making their way onto the "shelves" at The Whimsical Muse on Etsy this week! 
I'm offering them in sets of 36 and 120.  They are cute & tiny at .75" tall by .75" across at the widest point.  They are great for envelope seals for invitations for special occasions, such as weddings, showers & anniversaries.  They are also fun for notes to your sweetie or lunch notes to your kid.
36 kraft heart stickers 
120 kraft heart stickers

 

Coupon code

Here's that coupon code, as promised :) 

The details
The code - THANKSGIVING2010
20% off your purchase
At The Whimsical Muse on Etsy only
How to?  Select your items & enter the code at check out

Just a quickie

Unfortunately, I didn't add anything new to my shop since my camera stopped working at the beginning of last week.  My new camera has a bit more of a learning curve, so I'm working on it.  Hopefully I will get to some more sticker seals posted by the end of the week.

**Stay tuned this week for a special coupon code to The Whimsical Muse on Etsy for my blog visitors :)**

New at The Whimsical Muse! 1-inch round envelope seals

New in my shop today! 1-inch round glitter envelope seals!
Currently available in silver, gold, green, red, white & sky blue.
Next week I will be adding a few more colors :)

In use on some enclosure envelopes that measure about 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"

The envelope with the red seal reminds me of Rudolf! I could see this becoming  part of some fun envelope art for doodlers :)

Here are the small glitter heart seals also available in my shop layered on top of the 1-inch round seals.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thewhimsicalmuse

CREATE and Kindergarten

Things have been fantastic!  Busy yes, but fantastic. I closed both Etsy shops for about 2 weeks toward the end of August.  I went to the Cloth, Paper, Scissors CREATE retreat in Chicago, IL.  While I did my utmost to be ready with supplies in hand at the retreat, it seemed as though there were still a few more to buy when I arrived in Chicago and still a few I wished I had while in several workshops.  It was five really full days.  I really enjoyed having the opportunity to learn new things, meet new people and simply play.  The instructors were full of techniques and ideas.  While I would end each day utterly exhausted, I still found myself wanting to work on more of whatever I had done that day.  My projects remain unfinished but at some point I will post pictures, finished or not, along with bits of info from the workshops I took, as well as some more about CREATE. 

My little one started all-day Kindergarten yesterday, so we've been figuring out all of the details (like how to get her to school by 7:35 am...okay, before the tardy bell rings at 7:40 am...we're working on becoming early birds, what to bring for lunch and snack, remembering to prep as much as possible in advance since it really does...).  We did what seems to be the requisite running around to pick up some back-to-school clothing, shoes, a lunch box and whatnot over the weekend.  It wasn't crazy but it was things to get done.  Since she's in school all week now, things are changing with my schedule.  I'm not sure how things will look in a month but for now, it seems like I have a bit more time on my hands.  The school is on a year-round plan so I will have a month here and there where being "mom" will be my main focus.

That's all for now :)
Pam

New at The Whimiscal Muse!

1. A set of "funky buttons."
2. A set of "fancy buttons."
3. Walnut ink dyed crinkled seam binding (I have some white crinkled seam binding that will be listed later in the week).
4. Travel sized dominoes (dominos) approximately 1/2" wide by 1 1/4" high. Great for making domino pendants with ink, alcohol ink or even using the number sides in front! These are the exact kind I use for my mini sized alcohol ink domino pendants over at http://etsy.com/shop/HandmadebyPam

New at The Whimsical Muse!

I'm just starting to add a few new things at The Whimsical Muse! "This is a muslin gift bag set. I love these little muslin bags. They are so nice for packaging & to store a few little treats when no longer used as a gift bag. I'm offering them as a small set with a hand cut gift tag & kraft heart envelope seal. There's a bit of the new burgundy baker's twine on the tag that I will be offering in my shop soon. Here's the link to the set in the picture: muslin love gift bag

Thrilled!

The lovely(oh, hello friend) you are loved blog is doing a "lovely packaging" giveaway & there is, among many other things, a $10 gift certificate from The Whimsical Muse in the giveaway! The giveaway features many fantastic shops from Etsy that offer a beautiful array of items to dress up those lovely packages.

New at The Whimsical Muse!

New at The Whimsical Muse on Etsy.com, glitter heart stickers - envelope seals in red, gold, pink, lavender (not shown here) & a set of all four colors. They are perfect for Valentines day, anniversaries, weddings & just to say "I love you." Great to seal an envelope, make a simple card, dress up a present, add to a mixed media project, embellish a scrapbook page...

holiday sale day 4

Free 1st class shipping for purchases over $20 within the United States at The Whimsical Muse! For my fabulous international customers who purchase $20 worth of items from my shop, I am offering discounting shipping based on the discount my US customers receive. For example, if someone in the US would normally pay $3.00 for shipping the purchase you are making, I will subtract $3.00 from amount of your shipping. The $20 amount refers to the total purchase price of the items. Valid Saturday, December 12, 2009 only.

To take advantage of this deal, please "commit to buy" $20 worth of items from my shop then:
1) either go all the way through & pay using PayPal or 2) ask that I send you an invoice with the shipping modified.

Sale is still on over at Random Creative Moments/HandmadebyPam.

Have a fantastic weekend!
Pam

holiday sale day ??? & something new in my shop!

So we missed a day buttt...things are still on sale over at Random Creative Moments http://www.etsy.HandmadebyPam.com. Do take a moment to check things out over there. I will have a new category on sale tomorrow in one of both shops.

New to The Whimsical Muse...tinsel wire ribbon! It's so flipping cute & there are really so many things that you can do to use it in your crafting, gift wrapping & home decorating! It's great year round but super special for the winter holidays.

I think it would be great in place of ribbon on presents, to top ornaments, in place of string or other ribbon on gift tags, on mini (or regular) Christmas trees... It could be used to create a simple but lovely card holder for Christmas or birthdays. If you hung a length of it horizontally on a wall, you could attach some cute little clothespins or paper clips to it & hang Christmas (or birthday) cards from it.

Anyway, without further ado, here it is:







I offer it in 3 yard increments (it's about 1/2" thick) in gold, red & silver. I'm happy to cut additional amounts. I wrap a length of antique white ribbon adorned with a jingle bell around the tinsel wire ribbon. You can check out TheWhimsicalMuse on Etsy.com (check out the right side of my blog) & comment here or convo me on Etsy if you have any questions.

Back later with more sale stuff!
Pam

holiday sale day 2

Baker's twine is just fantastic, isn't it? Fantastic for putting the finishing touch on a package whether a wrapped present or some yummy cookies in a tin or bakery box, baker's twine can add a nice bit of simplicity and some nostalgia. Baker's twine is a lovely detail at weddings & in crafts. I offer baker's twine in: black & white; brown & white; red & white; blue & white; lime mint green & white; & light blue & white (the latest in my shop & really very nice). My current listings include baker's twine in 4 different increments: 5 yards, 20 yards, 50 yards & 100 yards. If you're interested in a different length please don't hesitate to contact me. I've set up many custom orders & am happy to do more. Please do understand that custom orders may take 2 days from payment for me to mail (rather than 1).

Anyway, time to get to the sale! Buy 3 get the 4th baker's twine FREE! Each listing must each be the same size but can be on any size listed (or custom). For example, you would purchase 3 of the 20 yard packs of baker's twine & then you get the 4th for free (whatever color you choose). Valid all day on Wednesday December 9th. Valid only at my shop, The Whimsical Muse on Etsy. If you don't see the size in a color you see I have, please let me know so I can list more :) This sale is happening Wednesday, December 9th only, through midnight PST.

Here's how to take advantage of this deal:
- "commit to buy 3 of the same size of baker's twine"
-let me know you would like the "buy 3 deal" & your color choice for the 4th pack in the "notes to seller" or by contacting me using the Etsy convo system
pay for your purchase using PayPal (you can use a credit card this way!)

If you have absolutely an questions, you can contact me by using the comment section here or by convo on Etsy. If you haven't yet made a purchase on Etsy.com, here are some FAQs that may help http://www.etsy.com/faq_buying.php?utm_source=etsy_success&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=etsy_success_090109

Pam :)

holiday sale day 1

Today until midnight (or until I post the next sale), the holiday sale deal is:
25% off all paper goods including greeting cards, tags, stickers, & bookmarks in both of my shops
The Whimsical Muse and Random Creative Moments This doesn't apply to the shipping price. I am, however, happy to combine shipping on items purchased in each shop, so your shipping will probably end up being a little lower than listed.

There are two ways take advantage of this deal:
1) "commit to buy the item(s)," let me know you would like the "25% off paper goods deal" in the "notes to seller" or by contacting me using the Etsy convo system, pay for your purchase using PayPal (you can use a credit card this way!), I will refund the discount.
2) "commit to buy the item(s)," let me know you would like the "25% off paper goods deal" in the "notes to seller" or by contacting me by "convo" on Etsy. I will send you an invoice with the sale price.

If you have absolutely an questions, you can contact me by using the comment section here or by convo on Etsy.

Pam :)

Holiday sales this week!!!

There will be some great shop deals advertised here this week for my Etsy shops!
Here's the deal:
1. Check in every daily for special sales. Tuesdays sale will be posted by late-morning Pacific time. There will be different types of items on sale each day for that day only. Mailing list members will be notified in advance (if interested in getting onto my list, let me know) & just may get extra bonuses :). If you have purchased from me in the past & haven't yet used your 20% off one item coupon (for The Whimsical Muse shop only), you can still use it if the item you want is one of the special items of the day! Pretty cool, huh?
2. I will give you instructions each day for that specific day. For example, if I'm offering a "buy 3, get the 4th free" special, I will ask that you purchase the 3 items you want & then mention in the "notes to seller" or by convo the code of the day & the color, style, type of item you want as your 4th item.
3. This applies to my shops on Etsy The Whimsical Muse & Random Creative Moments
4. There are all kinds of cool things available in my shops! So many yummy colors of baker's twine, carnival tickets, ric rac at The Whimsical Muse...plus some lovely pendants and artwork at Random Creative Moments (etsy.com/shop/HandmadebyPam)

I'm shipping all items within 24 hours of payment until just before Christmas in order to do my best to assure that packages get to their destinations in a timely fashion. If you are interested in a shipping upgrade to Priority or Express, please send me a convo on Etsy. If I confirm that I'm able to do this, I can either set up a special order for you to include the shipping upgrade or after purchase, I would simply send you an invoice to reflect the increase in shipping & then get your order to the post office ASAP.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comment section or by Etsy convo.

Stay tuned!
Pam :)

New stuff soon!

The UPS guy just dropped off a package of goodies tonight! More black & white baker's twine & some fantastic new baker's twine. Will be back soon with some pics in the next couple of days & then will be listing it at The Whimsical Muse on Etsy by next week, if not sooner.

Exploring!

Hello everyone!

Today the kid & I had a little adventure! We were tasked by her preschool teacher to go on a nature walk & collect leaves that had fallen to the ground to bring back to school on Thursday. As today my car's temperature gauge said it was 105 degrees, it was a tad toasty to go on a "real" nature walk. I was able to show her how to gently feel the leaves as she picked them up. I also showed her how the newly fallen leaves & the ones that have been on ground longer were so different. She probably would have kept on collecting leaves had it not been time to move on to another activitiy.

Our next stop continued our exploration mode. We hunted for buttons at our favorite button box (a bit of treasury box). She filled her tin & dumped it over & over. We talked with another lady as she was button hunting. We found some fabulous buttons, some of which might end up listed in my Etsy shop (TheWhimsicalMuse).

TheWhimsicalMuse on Etsy:
Newest additions:
1) A set of handstamped Christmas cards
2) baker's twine in 100 yard increments in black & white; red & white; brown & white; blue & white; and green & white

Items I've been cooking up for The Whimsical Muse
1) hand crafted items, including holiday tags
2) baker's twine offered in 50 yard increments (rather than it being a special order only item)

That's all for now :)
Pam

My life in a nutshell...keyword "busyness"

Things have been really busy around these parts:

1) We had a fantastic extended weekend trip to Durango, Colorado. A really nice place. Fun to visit my sister & her boyfriend (along with their 50 lb puppy & two cats who hid most of the time we were around. Yummy yummy food. My sister's boyfriend smoked chicken & ribs. The ribs were TDF...probably the best ribs I have ever eaten. My kid & my sister made pizza one night. Pretty amusing but fun with tasty results. We got out to restaurants, the hot springs, the local playground, more restaurants & more. Thank goodness for having the laptop with us...

2)...because sales on Etsy at The Whimsical Muse have been really great! Especially while we were on vacation. I don't know if it's Murphy's Law (or what) but I had an inkling that I would have a bunch of sales while we were on vacation & I did. A number of requests for custom cuts of bakery twine, along with a number of in stock, "on the (Etsy) shelf" items. I was up late the night we got packing orders & getting things ready for the week. I have been amazed at how quickly orders have gone from the local post office to their destination. Two days to get from San Diego, CA to the east coast.

3) The kid is back in preschool, absolutely adores her new class & wakes up every day asking, "do I get to go to preschool today?"

4) I finished a million flowers (okay, 28) for the flower swap at Scrapbook Club. We had SB Club tonight. Fun fun! I think people focused more on their swap items than on creating new things. The flowers...wow! Every person's flower creations were so different than the others but oh so fun. I love love love the creativity in this group! I will try to get a pic or two up eventually with all of the flowers. Crazy but I didn't end up doing anything (yet) with the kit from the last SB Club meeting. I guess I was busy :)

5) I just started singing again with a choir group I used to sing with :)

I think that summarizes the (happy) busy-ness in my life. Of course, the mundane is still there.

Bakery twine delivery!

I got a yummy delivery of bakery twine tonight! Two huge spools of the goodness! One spool is wrapped with a pastel colored minty lime green & white twine and the other is wrapped in black & white. The green & white twine is very sweet & would be lovely with vintage style crafts & designs. The black has a very classic feel to me & would be nice in everything from vintage to modern designs. They are each now available in my Etsy shop The Whimsical Muse in 5 & 20 yard increments (in addition to red & white, blue & white and brown & white twine).

Austin's Gallery on Coronado & store update

Fantastic to see contest entries! I will accept entries until midnight Pacific Standard time tonight.

Today the kid & I went to Coronado Island to get away from the 95 degree heat in our neighborhood. It's always a beautiful ride, albeit a little scary going over the bridge to Coronado. It was a rather nice, though still hot. Many people were out enjoying the sun. I was thrilled to come across Austin's Gallery. I had heard about it before seeing it but really didn't know what to expect. It's this fantastic little gallery/artist co-op. Fantastic needle felted items, beautiful photography (one picture was of a hummingbird mid-flight & you could actually see the wings!), jewelry, purses...focus on handmade craft items. It was smaller but much cuter than I thought it would be & the person working there was very welcoming. I recommend a trip to Austin's Gallery if you're local or visiting the area. It's just off of the main drag by about 1/2 a block & really close to the famous Hotel Del Coronado. Check it out: http://www.austinsgallery.com/

I have a few new items over at The Whimsical Muse. Today I listed some gorgeous ivory braided gimp trim & some sweet white eyelet pattern heart favor tins! I have a number of items that I'm working on getting listed, so I should have a lot of new items in the shop this week. I'm expecting to receive some baker's twine in a few new colors by the end of the week & will list them as soon as possible. http://thewhimsicalmuse.etsy.com