Soy Tea Lights Special!

 

I've added some great new scents to my soy tea lights selection in my ArtFire shop. These candles are handmade from an all natural soy blend, premium fragrance oils and natural cotton wicks. They are long burning and have great scent throw!



To help get them into your hands I'm offering a great deal - Buy one set of 12 soy tea lights and get another set of 12 for 50% OFF! The second set can be the same scent as the first or a different scent. Just add the two sets to your cart and use the code "bogosoy" to get the special price.


You can even use this special on my tea light sampler packs! With these packs you get to sample every scent from the fragrance category of your choice. You'll get one or two of each scent in the category (12 total). This is a great way to try new scents and find your favorites!

Order from my shop DragonsDen on ArtFire.

Here's a complete list of all the incredible scents I have available (ordered by category or type of scent):

Clean/Fresh Scents:
Clean Cotton
Eucalyptus Leaf
Green Garden
Rain
Sea Shore
White Tea & Ginger (sweet and lightly citrus)

Earthy/Herbal Scents: 
Amber
Black Canyon
Dragon's Blood
Enchanted Forest
Endless Summer (handmade blend of Cinnamon, Sandalwood and Patchouli)
Sandalwood
Tall Grass
Witches Brew (blend of Patchouli, Cinnamon, and Cedarwood)

Spicy Scents:
Apple Cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon & Sandalwood
Incense
White Ginger & Amber

Decadent/Dessert Scents:
Chocolate
Coffee
Mocha
Vanilla Bean
Vanilla Buttercream
Vanilla Musk

Floral Scents:
Birds of Paradise (floral and fruit)
Fresh Cut Roses
Fresh Cut Tulips
Hungarian Lilac
Lavender Fleur
White Lily & Amber

Fruity Scents:
Apple
Black Raspberry Vanilla
Cucumber Melon
Mango Papaya
Mulberry
Raspberry
Tahitian Orange & Musk

Free Lip Balm!

This week get a free full-sized tube of lip balm with any order from my ArtFire shop! There is no minimum order and you choose the lip balm flavor! To order and get your free lip balm, visit my shop at DragonsDen.ArtFire.com

Add the item(s) you want to buy to your cart. Then go to the Lotions & Lip Balm section and choose a single lip balm in any flavor and add it to your cart. Then use coupon code "SPRINGKISS" and the cost of the lip balm will be taken off your order. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

My lip balms are made with cocoa butter, beeswax, sweet almond oil, hemp oil and vitamin e. They glide on easily and really last!

You can choose from any of these 9 flavors:

• Chocolate,
• French Vanilla,
  
• Mango Mania,
  
• Cucumber Melon,
  
• Orange Cream,
  
• Jack Frost Kiss (Peppermint),
  
• Honey Bee Mine (Honey),
  
• Creamy Coconut, and
  
• Unflavored.

This special starts now and lasts until Easter Sunday, April 24th at midnight PST.

New in my Shops: Carved Candles and Plaques!

I've recently started exploring my ability to carve. So far I've only done carvings in wax - beeswax and paraffin. At some point I will likely try using other materials, but this is great fun for now! :) I work with completely cooled/solid wax and use wood carving tools for cutting. Then I use Lemon essential oil to soften any hard lines or edges. The Lemon essential oil naturally dissolves wax and works with both beeswax and paraffin.

My carvings take between 8 and 16 hours to complete. I don't refer to pictures as I carve. I simply have a general idea in mind when I start and then see what shows up as I work. After I finish the carving, I make a silicon mold from the original. The carvings I have for sale are the wax duplicates made from the molds. The molds create perfect reproductions!

Here are the first two carvings that I have listed in my shops.

Beeswax Goddess Candle
This is my first detailed carving and I'm very happy with how she came out! She's 2 inches tall. I carved her from beeswax, starting from a square votive. It took about 8 hours to carve this.

Fairy Plaque 
I love this fairy design! I carved the original in beeswax. The picture shows the reproduction made from paraffin wax. This also took me about 8 hours to carve. This plaque is 3 inches in diameter and is 3/4 inch thick. There is a flat edge, which allows it to stand on any flat surface. This has no wick and is meant to be displayed for decoration only, not for burning or melting.

Keep watching my shops for more to come!

Etsy shop
http://dragon06.etsy.com

ArtFire shop
http://DragonsDen.artfire.com

Giveaway on Indiespotting!

Right now Indiespotting.com is running a giveaway for my shop! Follow the link for details and find out how to enter the contest. I'm offering a $25 credit to anything in my ArtFire shop at http://DragonsDen.artfire.com.
 You can even use the credit towards the shipping if the items you want come to less than $25.

The giveaway is on until March 30th, so get your entries in soon!

Handmade For Less!

I've created a new website called Handmade4less to help promote fellow artists and crafters who are selling their products online. Customers can browse this site for coupons to online shops that sell handmade products. They get great deals and the shops get extra promotion! The site has almost 30 stores promoted now and it's growing fast!

If you're a shop owner, this is a very cheap and fun site to use for promotion! If you like "Buy N Stay" promotion threads then you have to check this out! Shops from any online marketplace are welcome. We already have stores with their own sites as well as shops from Etsy and ArtFire.

I promote this site on Twitter through @craftydragon. I always post with each newly added coupon.

There's also a brand new Facebook Fan Page where I'll be posting updates about the site.

So check it out and let me know what you think!

Wonderful Spooky Collection!

My candles were featured in this great ArtFire Collection. Enjoy!

Are you afraid of...

Curated By: artandjewelry

ArtFire.com

Jewelry Supplies

New to ArtFire Sale!

I finally made the plunge and joined ArtFire. ArtFire, like Etsy, is an online marketplace for handmade and vintage items.My new shop is http://DragonsDen.artfire.com

20% OFF everything in the shop!

To celebrate, I'm offering this awesome special until next Sunday (October 10thth) midnight EST. The prices are already marked down to make it easier for everyone. :)

Since this is to honor my new shop, the special only applies to the ArtFire shop, and not the Etsy shop. So drop in and help me celebrate!

Visit DragonsDen's ArtFire Shop

Crocheted Blanket in Progress

I'm really excited about this project I've been working on that is finally starting to take form. This is a small blanket/throw made up of many rectangles sewn together. So far it is about 1'4" by 2', so I've got a long way to go yet.

Since I have a hard time following crochet patterns, I do pretty much everything freeform. I watch the examples of friends' work for new ideas. So I'm sorry but I can't really provide a proper pattern, but I'll let you know generally what I'm doing.

I found five colors of the same texture of very soft synthetic yarn. I wanted to incorporate them all together somehow, and that's how I came up with the blanket idea. I like easy projects, so I thought I'd start with making a lot of small rectangles and then go from there. I said I like easy - that doesn't mean it's not tedious! Actually, crocheting is one way I relax, so I prefer projects that are very simple and repetitive.

Using the single crochet stitch, I make the rectangles about 6" wide by 4.5" long. I haven't been exact - I measure each rectangle against the last one to make sure it's the right size. I don't even count the stitches or the rows. Insert here the shocked gasps from experienced crocheters! ;) So no they are not exact, but even still, it's fitting together well.

I then put a border of beige around each rectangle. And then using the beige yarn, I sew the rectangles together.

I don't have a pattern in mind, other than keeping the colors well mixed up. I'm not sure how big it's going to end up. I still have many rectangles that need to be added, and I still need to make more rectangles as well.

So even though it's not done yet, I just wanted to show it off! I'll follow up here when it's done. And I think I might want to hunt for more yarn after and make another one! This is definitely a long-term project, but working on the little "squares" is so easy in waiting rooms or airports or wherever you have free hands. Of course it's also possible that I won't want to see another crocheted rectangle as long as I live! I'll keep you posted. :) This blanket is for my house, but if I make another it'll be a gift for some lucky friend or family member.

Featured on Etsy Item of the Day!

Today my beeswax tea lights and my shop are featured on Etsy Item of the Day. This site is beautifully organized and a great resource for all of us who love Etsy!

They included a picture of my tea lights in the gorgeous wood holders made by Peg and Awl.

This has inspired me to get back into my work on this blog! So expect to see more entries soon.

In the meantime check out this great feature!

Ren Faire Vending!

This weekend (September 18-19) I will be vending at The Village Renaissance Faire in Wrightstown, PA. This Faire is a blast! It's a great family event with lots to see and do for a low entrance price.

I'll be sharing the space with a friend of mine. We did this faire last year and it was lots of fun! My friend sells jewelry and bellydance accessories (some handmade). Her stuff was a hit last year! You can see her site at Crystal Kini Designs.

Hope you can join us there!

Here are a couple of pictures from last year.

Giveaway!

Mrs. Nespy's Frugal World is running a bunch of great giveaways in September for back to school. It's a great opportunity to pick up some fun free stuff!

One of these great giveaways is from my shop! Click this link to find out how you can win a $15 credit that you can use for anything in my shop.

Don't forget to check out the other giveaways while you're there. Mrs. Nespy's is one of my new favorite blogs!

Team Tuesday: Barnegat Bay

This past Saturday I was one of the Etsy NJ members that set up to vend at the Barnegat Bay All About the Waterfowling Day. It was great to connect in person with these fellow team members! It was so fun browsing through these items in person that I just wanted to show off some of them here.

Barnegat Bay Vending

Just wanted everyone to know I'll be vending Saturday, March 27th at the "All About Waterfowling Day" at Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. Vendor table fees are donated to the National Resource Education Foundation of NJ, so I thought it was a great chance to get out for my first vending this year and help out a valuable service!

This will be a great event for the whole family! Along with the specific waterfowling displays and demonstrations, there will also be music and hayrides. And I'm just one of the many crafters who'll be vending there. All vendors are selling 100% handmade items!

For those of you who haven't seen my handmade items check out my shop at dragon06.etsy.com

All About the Waterfowling
www.experiencebarnegatbay.org
Barnegat Bay, NJ
March 27, 2010
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Free Admission
Free Parking

Sunday Roundup (Feb 28 - Mar 6)

Have a few new things to share with everyone today. These really caught my attention this week.

Fave blog post:
Good Job! by Lisa Bonchek Adams
* A fun post talking about appreciation.

Fave tweets:
by @McMedia One never succeeds by trying to look good at someone else's expense. Always be kind, show class & integrity.

by @BelieveAngels Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms, you will never see the beauty of their carvings.

Fave New Webcomic:
Valor of Zen
* Beautiful fantasy comic!

Team Tuesday: A Shop for Yarn Addicts!

As some of you know, I do some crocheting in my spare time to relax and create fun things for my family and friends. I don't go through much yarn this way, and that's a big problem ... because I love buying new yarn!!

I am drooling over the gorgeous yarn from Pancake and Lulu, one of the great sellers on the Etsy New Jersey team! I dare you to try and browse this shop without buying! As soon as I've worked through enough of my current yarn pile I will back here for sure. :)

Just click on the pictures or links below to buy or get more information.


Read more about Etsy New Jersey shops by checking out the blogs listed below.

Sunday Roundup (Feb 21 - 27)

I wanted to share with my readers some of my favorite things from this week. Enjoy! :)

Fave blog post:
The One Deadly Sin of Changing Habits by Leo Babuata (@zen_habits on Twitter)
* Straight-forward delivery of some great advice. A great read!

Fave tweet:
by @paulocoelho "25/02 Dreams cannot be tamed. Dreamers cannot be ruled"
* Enough said :)

Fave Books:
The Story of my Life by Helen Keller (audiobook on Librivox)
* A touching story full of beauty and wisdom.

Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
* Second book of "The First Law" fantasy series. This series so far is filled with great characters, action, intrigue, and wit.

Team Tuesday: Handmade Jewelry in NJ

"Team Tuesday" blog posts are part of an Etsy New Jersey Blog Hop. So to check out more great posts about New Jersey artists take a look at the list of links below.

This week I'm featuring some items from a couple of my favorite jewelry artists in the EtsyNJ team. Click on the pictures to purchase or find out more information about their items.



Join Us for the 1st "Team Tuesday" Blog Hop and add your Link to our List!

Rules

Blog post must be about an EtsyNJ member shop. To find an EtsyNJ shop, search "EtsyNJ" at Etsy.com. Please limit yourself to just EtsyNJ shops, you may feature more than one if you like, use whatever style or format you want, its your blog. Your post can be as simple or as elaborate as you want.

You do not have to be a team member to participate, but you MUST feature an EtsyNJ member on your blog.

Snowed In!

We got a snowstorm last night that left us with drifts a couple feet tall in the backyard. Our poor little dog just looked at the wall of snow at the door like, "Now what am I supposed to do?" :)

So since I'm stuck inside today I might as well enjoy it! I put together this lovely selection of picks from the Helping Others Street Team (HOST) and the EtsyNJ team. Enjoy!

Free Lotion With Every Order!

I now make cream lotions, and I know my customers will love them! This all natural cream lotion is made from a high quality, paraben free and vegan lotion base. It works in quickly, leaving your skin feeling silky smooth and not sticky or greasy. You don’t need to re-apply very often, and a little goes a long way!

Here are the scents I currently have available.

• Unscented
• Lavender (made with Lavender essential oil)
• Chamomile Neroli (made with essential oil blend)
• Vanilla (made with fragrance oil)
• White Tea & Ginger (made with fragrance oil)

And more scents are on the way! Custom orders are always welcome.

For more information and a complete list of ingredients, you’re welcome to check out the listings in my shop in the Lotions and Lip Balm section.

Free Samples!

For the entire month of February, I will include a free lotion sample with every order. I know once people try this they’ll love it! As well as a promotion for these lotions, this is also a thank you gift to my wonderful customers. This free offer applies to every order – no minimum!

The samples are ½ oz each and come in bottles for easy application. These bottles are also a perfect size to keep in your purse or use when traveling.

No special code is required to receive your sample. However, when placing your order, please let me know if there is a scent of lotion you really would love to try. Or if you would prefer unscented, just let me know. You can tell me by just putting your preference in the message to seller box at checkout. If you don’t mention a preference, I’ll pick a random scent for you.

My family and I are in love with this lotion! I hope you love it too! :)

Purple Friday Finds

Pretty, perfect, passionate ... PURPLE!

These are some of my favorite picks from the Etsy Freethinkers Team. Click any of the pictures for more information about each item.