I curated the Etsy Front Page today!

My Red/Valentine's themed treasury was selected for the Etsy Front Page today from Noon - 1pm (EST). The collection featured some of my Aspiring Artisan's Guild teammates, as well as some other favorites sprinkled throughout. This is a first for me so I was quite pleased! A couple of the items appear to have sold as a result as well.

Packaging my Etsy Shop Jewelry

In recent weeks I've read a lot of Etsy shop posts asking about "how do you package?" Of course everyone has their own styles and ideas. Some go way detailed and others more utilitarian - I try to find a balance. Of course with any shipment my first objective is to make sure my jewelry arrives safe and sound. I also don't want to add costly overhead, or waste, to the process. But I think a little girly-pretty stuff can sneak in there easily enough! I've always used the Kraft bubble mailers for actual shipping, and Kraft paper boxes for my items which I find very sturdy and perfect for gifting. I made up my own little earring/necklace cards to put the actual items on, wrapped in a little tissue inside each box. Until a few months ago, I then tied a simple strand of ribbon around the box and voila.

A few months ago, I enlisted WinchesterLambourne to create a new banner for my shop (which she did beautifully!). From that, I got the idea to print my banner onto label sheets (since I buy those for mailing labels anyway), to add a little extra something to my boxes. I can print about 30 banners onto one label, and the labels I buy in bulk so this expense is probably only another penny per item, but I really like the way it adds to the overall box.

I've been looking around for small, inexpensive note cards to include with orders, but haven't had much luck (especially with the inexpensive part). So I printed my own! Using light card stock, and cutting/printing myself, these little cards were very easy to make. I tuck in a little note about caring for jewelry, and thank my customers simply inside.

A couple of customers have commented they liked my packaging this holiday season, so I figured I'd share it here as well. I buy my boxes, mailers and labels in bulk and from the best sources I can find to minimize costs. The extra touches are a few pennies per package but so effective.

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New garden friends

The birdfeeder I wrote about in the Fall is attracting more than just feathered friends. A stray tabby and her kitten have taken up residence. They love to hang out all day around the gazebo but have yet to catch any birds (ideally they won't). I've been putting out breakfast and dinner for them, and fresh water. It's been about a month but they still regard me very cautiously. The kitten has graduated from completely bolting from my yard but still very skittish. I've made them a little bed for when it gets colder but they prefer to sleep under the Bouganvillea mainly.

In hopes of attracting more birds to my garden, I recently purchased up a small birdfeeder, picking one that nicely matches my orchid arbor, to hang in the middle. I've focused on Cardinal bird food (mainly sunflower seeds), but it proves equally attractive to Blue Jays, Crows...and of course squirrels. The latter of which are no longer afraid of me, and allow me to approach within 10 feet before they scurry off. The cardinals have visited a few times but they are not fond of the camera - finally got a good shot of one today (still had to max out my zoom):

Yesterday morning, I found Mr. and Mrs. in the garden:

Here's my most frequent visitor:

October & some Orchids

This past weekend the weather was just perfect here in South Florida: the humidity eased, the temperature dropped just enough, and the breeze picked up ever so slightly.

Some of my more hardy orchids are noticing the change in season. Why the Phals are more strict about their show dates and won't tempt me for a few more months, some of my more reliable multi-bloomers are out.

This Brassavola Nodosa has lovely white waxy flowers - fragrant only at night. He has outgrown his basket several times over the years and been separated into now about 3 plants (maybe 4...I think my mother has one from me now).

The little blue Ascocenda has such pretty blooms:

This dendrobium is quite hardy - I have him on a lower shelf and it looks like some critter has taken a few bites from a leaf, but he's such a bright bloomer.

Hopefully more plants will follow suit in the coming months!

Anticipation...New finds ready for new creations for my shop

The spoils of my gem show spree, I've already got several ideas for these lovelies...

The strand at the front already inspired these...more to come!

Starting to feel the Fall

In South Florida, it will still hit 90 for a few hours of the day, and be humid enough to frizz anyone's hair, but the edge has come off the past few days. Just a touch, enough to hint that the reprieve is on the way soon.

Here's a sampling of some items on Etsy matching that mood of the start of the seasonal change: