Etsy for Ava

One of the things I love most about the online community is the way it facilitates people from all over to come together for a common cause, such as

http://tinyurl.com/etsyforava

When my friends Amy and Kati heard about Ava Hunter, a little girl battling brain cancer, they decided to call upon all their Etsy friends to raise money for Ava and her family. It was an easy decision to participate: the only thing better than making something you love is making something you love for the benefit of others. Sadly, as Etsyians all over the South mobilized, Ava passed away. In Amy's words (she said it better than I ever could):

In honor of Ava’s life and her family’s faith, we are continuing on with the Etsy for Ava fundraiser. Several Etsy shops responded to the idea and have also listed items in their shops to benefit the Ava Hunter Fund that’s already been established. Proceeds from the sale of these items will go directly to helping Ava’s family with whatever financial needs they may have.

Click the link below to be directed straight to the search results on Etsy that include all items in the 

Etsy for Ava Fundraiser

Also, help us spread the word! Feel free to use the “Etsy for Ava” artwork as your Facebook profile page, or post it to your blog. Email it to everyone you know. An easy way to get people directly to the search results is to use this address–http://tinyurl.com/etsyforava. That’ll take people directly to the items listed as part of the fundraiser (and it won’t take up your entire Facebook/Twitter status). 

Thanks for caring enough to help bless this family as they walk through something no one should ever have to. Thanks for continuing to pray for them.

Sweet Ava

And, thank you to the following shops who have listed items:

Autumn & Everything After

Birds Eye View

Bubblegum Kisses

Gongy & Squish

Happy Lappy

Lisa D Jewelry

L.Tipping Paintings

Moon Lily Designs

Mrs. Jones’ Soapbox

Second Glantz Crafts

Snow Jeweler

Snugglebug Collection

Two Florida Girls

(And, it’s not too late to add your shop to the list. Want to participate? Click and comment on this blog post and we’ll get you all the detailed information about the fundraiser.)

If you've ever thought about buying something on Etsy, now you have a great reason to do so.

WordFUL Wednesday: The Etsy Edition

Wordful Wednesday is sponsored by:

Ever since I asked you guys about your expectations as a blog reader, I've been thinking about the reason I blog (more on that later), which led me to think about the reasons I do other things: write, scrapbook, list things on Etsy.

This is the Etsy post.

Growing up, I watched my dad make all kinds of things with his hands, from models to jewelry. I remember watching him as he wrapped wire around gemstones, wondering where he drew both the patience and inspiration. Though the hobby fascinated me, and I thought one day I might like to try turning the pretty beads our local craft store had to offer into something cool, my time and money was always spent scrapbooking.

It was when I was brainstorming what to make for my mother-in-law for our (semi-)handmade holiday that I first started dabbling in bead work. All it took was making a few wine charms, and I was hooked. The problem is that you can only make so many gifts for your friends. In my mind, I needed a reason to justify my supply purchases; I needed a reason to litter my craft studio with beaded drink markers and keychains and bookmarks (oh my!). So I started an Etsy shop.

I really don't make much money on it. In fact, at this point, I'm far from breaking even. This is partly because I'm terrible at self-promotion. While I have the means with my many social media outlets, I feel guilty pimping product to my friends. I also, quite honestly, need to work on taking better pictures to adequately capture the colors and detail of each piece.

The bottom line is I have the best time making this stuff (I don't think playing with Twilight, True Blood, and Florida Gators supplies will ever get old), and attempting "to Etsy" (if Google is a verb, why can't Etsy be one?) gives me permission to keep playing.

Etsy Buy Handmade SecondGlantz

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Disclaimer: the rest of this post is one of those self-promoting, shamefully shameless (how's that for an oxymoron?) plugs that I hate so much.

Through May 2, I'm running a Mother's Day special: any "Gifts for Her" purchase includes complimentary gift wrap and a handmade card.

You can follow Second Glantz Crafts on Twitter for the latest listings, sales, and promotions.

And end shameless plug.

Getting back on track

Yesterday I got an email that said, "Congratulations on your sale at Etsy!" I looked at the computer screen blankly, a "Huh?" forming on my lips. And then I remembered a day not that long ago (which feels like an eternity) when I decided that this was a good idea.

To be fair, it was a good idea. I sold four pieces in one week, and only two of them were to my mother. I closed my shop for Chrismukkah break, excited to reopen in 2010 with a plethora (I love that word) of new items. But then this happened, and rocking yourself in a fetal position in the corner of the room for a month does not for great productivity make. Unless you want to make things out of snotty tissues. I also couldn't justify spending money on craft supplies when I was worried about how we would afford takeout groceries once my paychecks stopped.

I'm happy to announce that I'm not only coming out of my cave, but also getting back on track because I GOT A JOB! Cue happy happy, joy joy dance [video link]. For those of you who are new to the mundane details of my life (lucky you), I've been working as an English-Language Arts/Literacy Curriculum Developer for three years for a national educational publisher. I'm incredibly lucky that another division of the company picked me up to do pretty much the same job. The biggest difference is that instead of print, I'll be working on online curriculum, which greatly excites my inner geek. And yes, my commute from the bed to the desk is the same. ☺

To follow up on my previous promise of a prezzie, and to celebrate both my new job and my mission to Etsy it up, I'm giving away a set of Girlfriend Drink Charms to one of you.

Though the original purpose of these is to mark your wine, iced tea, or martini glass, you can also use these as gift ties. All you have to do to win is leave me a comment on this post before Sunday, February 28, 11:59 pm. Comments submitted after then will not be included in the drawing. On Monday (my first day of the new job), I'll randomly draw and announce the winner. Good luck, and many thanks to everyone for being so supportive. ❤

train track image source

Grand opening of SecondGlantz Crafts

I took the plunge.

Now you can Take a Second Glantz at my crafts on Etsy! There are a number of Twilight-themed ☺ and seasonal items. I hope to have more uploaded throughout the weekend.

Grand opening special: free shipping through December 4.

Blog reader special: 10% off for blog readers through December 4. Enter the promo code "bloggy friend" when paying.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SecondGlantz

Etsy Buy Handmade SecondGlantz

Glantzing ahead...

Stop rolling your eyes-- I haven't used the pun in a really long time!

Fun & exciting things are coming your way, so I thought I'd take a minute to give you a sneak peek.

*September 4–6, my bloggy friend Sara is hosting a blog hop, inspired by Operation Nice. I'll be a stop along the tour, and your blog can be, too. Just click the button below for details. Several participating blogs will be giving away blog candy, so be sure to check back next weekend to do a little hopping.

*September 8 will be my first blogoversary. (singing)Happy blogoversary, happy blogoversary...To celebrate and say thanks to those of you who put up with all my puns, I'll be giving away a few gifts. Winners will be drawn on September 15, so you'll have a whole week to rack up entries (details will be posted on 9/8).

In case you need your appetite whetted... someone will receive a gift from one of my favorite Etsy shops.

And of course, there will be a scrapbooking gift among others.

*And last, but perhaps most excitedly (for me, at least), is that I will be blogging from overseas starting September 5. I'm saying goodbye to Hubby, Mimi, and my job for a while to visit my dad in Portugal and finally step foot into Spain (which has been a dream of mine for the past 15 years). I've bought every adapter and converter known to man (more to be said about that later) so that I can share my travel adventures with you.

photo "courtesy" of my dad

(Daddy, do you mind if I swipe one of your photos? Thanks!)

So if I'm off the grid for a little while, you can see that I have a lot to prepare for! Talk to you next weekend if not before. J