Etsy Treasury Team's Featured Artist of the Week

This week's Etsy Treasury Team's featured artist is Kim of The Apple.  Kim makes an eclectic array of fun and colorful jewelry using traditional and nontraditional materials.    She makes rings, bracelets, necklaces, and my favorite earrings (can't have too many earrings) from precious metals, semi-precious stones, colorful epoxy beads, whimsical charms, and old typewriter keys.

Typewriter Key Tie Tacks

Translucent Grass Green Earrings

 Ruby Red Swarvoski Crystal Earrings

 Cocktail Ring

Deep Coral Flower Earrings

 Vintage Corona Typewriter Key Ring

Kim also has a second shop called Kim's Crafty Apple where she sells heirloom quilts, fabric art, fashion bags, and kids clothes.  So take some time and check out both of Kim's wonderful shops, your bound to find something you will fall in love with. 

Etsy Treasury Team Challenge

Every month the Etsy Treasury Team has a challenge to make a treasury on a specific topic.  January's challenge was to make  a treasury that shows your life story, designed to help team members get to know each other a little better.  so I thought it would be fun to post mine so my reader's could get to know me a little better.  Hope you enjoy it!

My Life

Esty Treasury Team's Featured Artist of the Week

This week I am featuring a very talented photographer from the Etsy Treasury Team, her shop name is Leapinggazelle.  Lauren's nature inspired photographs all have a soft, romantic, dreamy quality to them.  I have been a fan of Lauren's even before joining the Etsy Treasury Team. Her floral pictures have a rather unique quality, almost reminiscent of antique botanical illustrations.  I also really enjoy her sea shell series.  Please take some time to browse through Lauren's lovely shop!

  

Poppies

 

Columbine Flower

Morning Poppy

Nautilus Sea Shell

 Dark Sea Shell

Ocean Whispers

Back to Blogging and a Feature

Happy New Year to everyone!  I know I'm a little bit late with this but I have been on a blogging hiatus.  I had an amazing Christmas season and I hope everyone else did too.  But it left little time for blogging.  The beginning of the New Year is always a time to regroup, rethink, and reorganize for the coming year and that is just what I have been doing for the last couple of weeks.

Last September I joined a wonderful Etsy Team called the Etsy Treasury Team.  The main focus of the team is to create beautiful treasuries and help promote your fellow teammates.  I am really happy that I joined this team because all the team members are so supportive of one another plus I have learned quite a bit about promoting, making treasuries, and SEO. 

Since joining the team I wanted to start a weekly feature on my blog spotlighting a different member each week.  I thought the best person to start with would be Lynn of Midnight Coiler our team founder and leader.  Lynn's Etsy shop is filled with hand-carved gourds, coiled baskets, and an array of other amazing items all crafted from natural elements. She is not only a talented artist, she is also a fantastic team leader. 

Banana Gourds

Gourd Bowl

Egg Gourds

Turtle Box Gourd

Coiled Gourd Bowl Basket


I really enjoy Lynn's work and I hope you do too!

Black Friday Sale

I am having a BLACK FRIDAY to CYBER MONDAY SALE in my Etsy Shop!  Everything in my shop is 15% off for the duration of the SALE.  The sale will run from November 26th until November 29th. 

                                   Coffee Butter Sugar Scrub

                                 Lemongrass and Sage Handmade Soap

                                    Handmade Soap Gift Basket


Visit my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetSallysSoaps

Exciting News From Sweet Sally's Soaps

After much contemplation, I finally decided to take the plunge and make some major changes in the production of Sweet Sally's Soaps.  I am now making all of my soaps with organic base oils.  The base oils for all of my soaps are olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. 

I have been using organic sustainable palm oil in my soaps since the beginning of this year.   My decision for switching to organic sustainable palm oil was based on environmental issues.  Late last year many articles about clear cutting methods used to harvest palm oil were brought to my attention.  I became aware of the devastating effects this had on the environment.  At first I thought to stop using palm oil in my soaps but the results were less than satisfactory.  So instead I found that one of my major suppliers offered organic sustainable palm oil.  My suppliers reputation is very good and their organic oils are certified and they also supply information on harvesting techniques of their sustainable palm oil. 

My decision to switch my other oils to organic was more of a health and value issue.  As we hear over and over lately that produce grown without pesticides is better for us it is also true for products we put on our skin.  I try to eat as much organic food as I can afford so I thought it only right that the products that I produce should be as organic as I could afford to make them.  So by making all of my base oils organic this makes my soaps roughly 80 to 85% organic depending on the soap.  I feel that my change not only offers a healthier product for my customers but also adds value to my soaps in that the customer is getting a better product for their money.


I have been working on this change for the last few months.  I wanted to make sure I had sold most of the soaps made with non organic oils before I started advertising my soaps made with organic oils.  I am now working on changing ingredients on labels and listings on my website and Etsy shop.


I am very excited about this change and I am hoping my existing customers and all of my new customer will be pleased with the new and improved Sweet Sally's Soaps!

September's Soaps of the Month Winner

The winner of September's Giveaway is Beth of BPR Designs.  Congratulations Beth!