Today`s Treasury: Fall Favorites

First off I just want to say I know were not quite into fall yet but definitely on the cusp of fall the past weekend I was in the mountains and it really felt like fall. I can`t believe the summer is over
and there are already hints of the season to come. Good bye Summer Hello fall! I pick a few this out I thought
were great fall must haves. Enjoy!

‘Fall Favorites! ‘ by margopage

Everyone please check out this treasury posted on margopage.comEnjoy!

Hand knit unique mu… LizSox $50.00	Fall Canopy – origi… ColourAndPassi… $900.00	Fall Country Farmho… theflowerpatch $19.95
Dozen Holiday Pie C… halfbakedco $24.00	Paper Mache Bowl Wh… etco $10.00	7 XL felted acorn f… ronc3m $12.00
Long Cable Cardigan… knitsbyjessie $220.00	Special Listing for… stevenjameskea… $100.00	Rosette Gold Metal … inbarshahak $78.00
Log Candle Holders,… naturallyaspen $15.00	Fall fashion .Winte… Ayca $47.00	Ceramic White Pumpk… HurricanePotte… $15.00
SAMPLE SALE Lovely … finchdesignsf $55.00	Beadwoven peyote ri… IzabelDesigns $21.00	fall houndstooth bl… nicolecarey $72.00
FALL Bridesmaid Gif… shopsomethingb… $108.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Today`s Treasury : Makeup Face

I dont know about all you other ladies out there. But sometimes I just LOVE makeup! I love to
play its one of my most favorite things about being a girl. I found some really great stuff on
etsy. Please check it! Have a lovely day!

‘Makeup Face’ by margopage

French Lavender – … MadisonStreetB… $1.99	Grapefruit – Vegan … nakedelements $10.00	Wood COSMETIC ORGAN… lessandmore $75.00
Toner anti aging Or… CrushedBotanic… $9.50	Tangerine Scream, C… AniloracCosmet… $5.00	Make-up Remover Pad… softandscrubby $5.00
Blue Quandong – Veg… nakedelements $12.00	sequin multi colore… exposedorganic… $7.99	Liquid Foundation, … CrushedBotanic… $16.00
Vegan pure mineral … anaisantiaging $6.50	Face Loofah Aromath… healingmuse $3.50	Organic Mineral Lip… BotanicalLabs $1.90
Lip Plumper – Organ… anaisantiaging $39.00	All Natural Eye Mak… aunaturelle $9.00	XXL 12pc Mineral ma… SobeBotanicals $52.99
Aruba Vegan Lipstic… justpureminera… $9.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Indie Spotlight: Happy Kathy

Hello everyone! I am so sorry it has been some time since my last post, But you will be hearing soon enough what I have in the works!!!

So! Sarah Brown is the brain behind Happy Kathy. I have to tell you I am always looking for a non leather wallet!! I have found some great ones here at Happy Kathy. Sarah has so many different prints to choose from. You could even get one to mach each hand bag you carry!! Enjoy the spotlight ladies!!!

1. What is your name, where are you from and what do you do?

My name is Sarah Brown, I am originally from Florida but now live in Oregon. Specifically Astoria, which is on the coast and very rainy! I am a part time teacher, part time sewist and full time mother of three.

2. Tell us a little more about yourself?

I have three children that are my life! Isaac is 7, Hannah is 6 and Scarlett is 4. They fill up all the extra time in the day and I can’t imagine life without them. I went to school for public relations and then changed to Education. I have my master’s in elementary education but there are no jobs for teachers in the area I live in, so I had to find something else to do to make money. I started to sew bags and my sister in law introduced me to Etsy, I decided to start selling there and then, viola! I am a seller of mostly wallets right now.

3. How did you acquire your craft/art?

Well, I picked up sewing little by little from my mother when I was younger and then in middle school I took a home economics course where I learned more sewing skills. Mostly I have learned a lot from self-teaching, using books, and videos, and of course just lots of trial and error. I am still learning and perfecting!

4. What inspires you?

New fabric always inspires me and seeing what is new in fashion. I am a fabric-a-holic so I have lots of different fabrics and holding them and matching up colors is very fun for me. I am also inspired by other people who are creating and selling their creations on Etsy, they always amaze me by their creativity and ingenuity.

5. What is your creative process?

I usually start with creating a pattern, I make a mock up and then end up using the item for myself to see how well it works, and then I make some for sale. With my wallets it is all pretty much a set process, I find a great fabric, match up some complimentary interior colors and then create! I find that I need something to listen to while I create and listening to books on my ipod touch has been a life saver, I get to listen to great books, and sew at the same time. For me that gives me motivation to get in my sewing room and get going!

6. What do you find to be the secret to your success?

Probably that would be having great support around me. My family is very supportive of my Etsy shop. My husband takes care of the house and kids so I can sew and create. My sister has bought lots of things from me to help support my business as well. I also have a bit of a background in photography, so I find that the photo part of the shop is easy for me. And I guess I have a pretty good eye for fabrics, I just buy what I would like, and then go from there.

7. where are you now in your creative business and where will you be in the future?

I am at an okay place with my business currently, but I would love to be able to create more things for the shop. I always struggle with finding the time to create enough new things. I have been making my wallets now for over a year, and they are down to a science, so it takes me a lot of work to want to create a new pattern and make new things! I need to make sure I don’t get stuck in a rut, but at the same time, you gotta do what works!

8. Any words of wisdom to share with fellow artist/crafters?

Be willing to change what you are doing if it isn’t working. If I wasn’t selling my wallets, I would have to stop making them and start making something else. Find something that you love to do and then it will be easy!

9. What is your most favorite handmade item you have had to part with?

That’s easy, it was a cute little purse I made and my sister bought, I loved it and I think I broke like four sewing machine needles making it!  I loved that bag! But I am so happy that it is still in the family!

10. Why do you love doing what you do (what fuels the fire)?

I think I love it so much because it is fun and always changing, and really there is no better feeling in the world than knowing that something you made is in the world somewhere being used by someone you have never met! That is one of the coolest things to me! I also love it because I set my own hours, I have no boss, I have no one telling me that I have to do something right now, I can do it when I want to do it and when I feel like it! Love being my own boss! 

11. Shameless advertising, go for it babe? We want all your info!

I am Happy Kathy, on Etsy. I named my shop after my mom who passed away in 1999. She was and is my inspiration, and I love to remember her smiling face, so that is why I named the shop Happy Kathy. If you want to buy a wallet or a bag, please visit my site at www.etsy.com/shop/happykathy

‘Happy Kathy’ by margopage

Handmade Wallets, handbags, totes and gadget bags

Perfect wallet handmade… happykathy $43.00	Handmade perfect wallet… happykathy $43.00	Handmade wallet japanes… happykathy $43.00
Handmade wallet white w… happykathy $43.00	Mio Caro Perfect wallet… happykathy $43.00	Handmade wallet japanes… happykathy $43.00
Handmade wallet in yell… happykathy $43.00	Perfect Wallet Red Leav… happykathy $43.00	Perfect wallet handmade… happykathy $43.00
Lorelei perfect handmad… happykathy $43.00	Caribbean Dream wallet … happykathy $43.00	Handmade wallet Yellow … happykathy $43.00
Handmade wallet beautif… happykathy $43.00	Handmade wallet in past… happykathy $43.00	Handmade wallet japanes… happykathy $43.00
Handmade wallet vintage… happykathy $43.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Indie Spotlight: Couch Guitar Straps

OMG!! I LOVE this next indie artist. I’m not sure if it is because Daniel can sew (a guy learning how to sew so cute!) or because he had a dream and followed the creative path to make a product that was up to his standards! I will be ordering a few things soon and stashing then for christmas!! Enjoy this great spotlight and have a fantastic day!

1. What is your name, where are you from and what do you do?

My Name is Daniel Perkins and I play in the band The New Fidelity and design and make vegan vinyl accessories at Couch Guitar Straps.

2. Tell us a little more about yourself?

Years ago I bought an old Fender Telecaster guitar and wanted a cool looking guitar strap for it, to my surprise I couldn’t find one I liked so I decided to make my own. The only thing was, I didn’t sew, craft or design, so it was pretty hard to get started. I originally had straps made for me by contractors in and around Los Angeles, but I hated the quality, and really wished I had the equipment and skills to do them myself. That way I could feel great about every strap that someone bought from our website.

3. How did you acquire your craft/art?

I learned a lot about sourcing and materials by hoofing it for years around the garment district in the bowels of Los Angeles: South Central, East LA, Vernon, Downtown, Compton etc. Over time I was able to figure out how to make our straps and what to make them with, but I was still unsatisfied with the quality when other people made our straps so it was time to learn how to sew. I bought a walking foot upholstery machine on ebay and had it delivered to the door of my friend Nancy, a master sewer who has a line called Jack Blue Handbags. I quit my job and just worked with her all day helping her make her handbags until I really learned the craft. From then on, most of the strap making process has been done by me, or by my friends who now work with me at our Couch Guitar Straps headquarters in Signal Hill, near Long Beach, CA. We have some talented people here now and work as a team to make and ship stuff all over the world every day!

4. What inspires you?

Vintage materials definitely inspire me. I love old 80’s Mercedes “MB Tex” vinyl on our 80’s Mercedes Guitar Straps and Wallets, or the plaid pattern on a Vintage 60’s GTO Trunk Liner Guitar Straps. When I find old rolls of vinyl I get so excited to turn them into modern day useful items. The way stitching goes into vinyl for some reason also really gets me excited, it’s when a piece seems to come to life!

5. What is your creative process?

It’s different every time. Sometimes I find and old 30 year old roll of vinyl and just have to do something with it. Other times I see an object in the world and work to reinterpret it as an industrial object like a guitar strap- I’ve reinterpreted and old 60’s desk of mine into our Racer X White with Orange Stripe Guitar Strap, and Ilse here helped me conceive an entire line of guitar straps based on the patterns and stylings of the old vintage Samsonite luggage bags you see in a lot of vintage stores that we call our Vintage Luggage Straps.

6. What do you find to be the secret to your success?

I feel sticking with it for sure has been the key, I’ve been doing this since around 2000. Also a lot of crafters are afraid to risk putting in a lot of their money to do it right, but that’s the secret to me, when you save up $500 hard earned dollars and spend it on materials for your craft instead of a vacation with your friends, your creations fare so much better and you often learn and progress faster. You get out what you put in, this means time and money.

7. where are you now in your creative business and where will you be in the future?

We are making new things and having a blast! Wallets, camera straps, passport holders, we are working on upcycling even our smallest scraps and in sourcing new vintage materials and making new friends around the world who we ship our stuff to.
Also right now I’m personally into organizing Couch to be a really efficient operation and provide secure jobs and freedom for everyone that works here including me. We’d like to be a model for a new era of USA production where the designers work at the factory and the factory sells direct to, and communicates with the customers.

8. Any words of wisdom to share with fellow artist/crafters?

Ask yourself what you can do that’s new, not just what will help you fit in with the scene. Ask yourself “what’s next” with what you’re interested in and really try to make that.

9. What is your most favorite handmade item you have had to part with?

We did these original Deadstock Flowers Guitar Straps that were made of the most amazing vintage vinyl I’d ever seen. We did a couple hundred and now they’re gone forever. I should have kept one for myself.

10. Why do you love doing what you do (what fuels the fire)?
Making things is fun! There’s nothing like making a song or a guitar strap, at the beginning of the day it didn’t exist and now it does.

11. Shameless advertising, go for it babe? We want all your info!

Visit us at http://www.Couchguitarstraps.com or if you prefer our esty page http://www.etsy.com/people/couchguitarstraps?ref=si_pr

We make your item here at Couch and often ship it within 24 to 48 hours.
We make everything vegan, a lot of it from vintage found materials, and even upcycle our own materials into things like killer camera straps. Come by!

12. This last one is not really a question but rather a space for you to share anything else with us that we have not covered.

I just love the indie craft movement and I love how with craft shows and sites like etsy the designer gets to communicate directly with the person who wants what you make. Goodbye middle man, goodbye China, hello new craft-scene-friend, pleased to meet you!

Picture links
GTO Guitar Strap http://www.couchguitarstraps.com/the-vintage-blue-gto-trunk-liner-guitar-strap-p-145.html

Vintage VW Guitar Strap
http://www.couchguitarstraps.com/the-vintage-volkswagen-guitar-strap-p-116.html

Oldmobile Station Wagon wallet
http://www.couchguitarstraps.com/oldsmobile-station-wagon-wallet-p-113.html

Blue Green Seatbelt Camera Strap
http://www.couchguitarstraps.com/the-recycled-bluegreen-seatbelt-camera-strap-p-122.html

‘couch guitar straps ‘ by margopage

Grey w/ Yellow Racer X … couchguitarstr… $34.95	80’s Mercedes Guita… couchguitarstr… $49.95	Vintage GTO Reversible … couchguitarstr… $26.95
Brown and Aqua Racer X … couchguitarstr… $34.95	Dark Red 80’s Merce… couchguitarstr… $26.95	Army Green Recycled Sea… couchguitarstr… $21.95
Black Vegan Belt – Othe… couchguitarstr… $17.00	Mustang Trunk Liner Cam… couchguitarstr… $26.95	Black Byloos Victorian … couchguitarstr… $44.95
GTO Billfold Wallet – M… couchguitarstr… $26.95	Red and White Racer X G… couchguitarstr… $34.95	Social Studies Brown Bi… couchguitarstr… $39.95
Blue 80’s Mercedes … couchguitarstr… $49.95	Timber Guitar Strap – C… couchguitarstr… $44.95	Jet Age Upcylced Passpo… couchguitarstr… $22.95
I am 8-bit Guitar Strap… couchguitarstr… $39.95

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

I can express my love of garlic enough… I LOVE GARLIC! is about as good as its going to get in a written format. My most favorite way to eat garlic is roasted. Its so easy I just take a glass oven safe bowl throw in the peeled garlic cover it with extra virgin olive oil until it is swimming in it. As I am doing this I pre-heat my oven to about 400°n next I just place the garlic in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Wile it is cooking it fills the house with the most lovely smell. When it is finished I usually take it out and spread it on some crunchy bread! Yum Yum. The left over oil is so delicious I like to either dip the bread in the oil or put it into mashed potatoes. But, this particular time I was feeling a salad, so I put a few things in the blender and came out with a wonderful vinaigrette! The recipe is as fallows.

Recipe:

1 handful garlic cloves roasted
1 cup extra vergin oilve oil (preferably the oil the garlic is roasted in)
1 handful of fresh herbs (I used thyme)
salt and pepper to taste

Now just throw everything in the blender and blend until smooth. To jazz this up a little you may add lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.
I am working on my camera skills so please bare with me the next few months wile I am learning how to take pictures!!!!! 🙂

This is perogies on top of a bed of baby greens with the vinaigrette on top.

Indie Spotlight: Nicole K. of vegan kitty xoxo

First of I want to express my excitement for this new series of blog posts. I have asked for help from my fellow Etsy entrepreneurs, and boy O`boy did they fallow through! This first indie artist will always be near and dear to my heart maybe because she is the first of many or just because she seems like a really cool cat! So with no further ado….

1. What is your name, where are you from and what do you do?
Hey Hey!
My name is Nikole Kler – I live in a little boonie-ass country town in Michigan that lies somewhere between the big city of Detroit and the BFE world of the back woods.
I sell happy-skin-making handmade vegan soaps, scrubs and lotions on Etsy.com and have lots of fun, silly stuff that will help you get your dirty little children to actually WANT to take a bath.

2. Tell us a little more about yourself?
I have a day job working for another major city here, paying pensions to our retired heroes of the Police and Fire Departments. On top of that I co-own and help out my awesome hubby with his business, doing the books n’ paperwork n’ whatnot, and jealously desiring his freedom of being able to take advantage of self-employment.
Other than all that boring stuff… I already mentioned hubby, who at my ripe ole’ age of 35, I’ve already been with for more than ½ of my life  And we live out in the country with our two goofy and lovable dogs – Bela my little princess Pitbull and Otis my big ole’ lolly-gaggy English Mastiff. Don’t get no better n’ this…
Oh wait, it could – I could ditch the day job and just be home full time making my beloved soaps, having a party with my little soapy robot friends and dorky dogs and doing the hubby-work-stuff whenever i get a chance in between. Now THAT would be the life!

3.How did you acquire your craft/art?
Honestly, my mind got bored (ok it HAD been for a while) and I needed a hobby!
I forced myself to find something to do on the side. But since I have quite a problem with believing in myself and thinking that I can actually accomplish anything half way decent – this was a much harder task than I thought.
Thankfully, I was also realizing that I was getting tired of the crappy, skin drying soap I would buy in the stores, or paying ridiculous amounts for the stuff that was actually decent. So after talking to an awesome friend that already knew about soap making, I figured I’d give it a try! I was still apprehensive, but I stuck with it and realized that dang, I actually CAN do something! All up hill from here….right?

4. What inspires you?
Anything and Everything FUN!
Quirky, Obnoxious, Geeky, Bright, Dark, Creepy, Silly & Dorky Things! (i can have fun with lots of stuff)
The possibilities are endless when you have an open mind to all things odd and stop worrying what others won’t like – who cares, make it anyways, if they don’t like it, they won’t buy it – now I know, but hell I had fun making it!

5. What is your creative process?
Just living my day to day life I suppose.
If I actually try to think about what to make – it will never come to me, its like a brain freeze without the Slurpee. But if i’m in my backyard and see a spider struttin’ over a pretty colored rock, I think “Ooo, I’d like to make a soap with a fake spider inside”
Yeah, I obviously really don’t know where it comes from…

6. What do you find to be the secret to your success?
Well let’s pretend that I’ve had lots of success here and I’ll say – Keeping it light (my mind), and having fun – people seem to like fun stuff, go figure. And if your having fun while doing it, it will show and be a draw to others.
Now, that being said… I apparently need to have WAY more fun so I can achieve that successful feeling!

7. Where are you now in your creative business and where will you be in the future?
Right now I’m still just starting off, trying to fit in a profitable hobby with my busy life. I need to set myself up with a schedule that suits all of the hats that I’m wearing and a frickin’ shelf to put them on.
And in the very near future I see myself more than accomplishing that and getting my products out there for all to see and Oooo and Ahhhh over. Or at the very least pass up on a shelf at the corner Co-op Market or craft show and say “hey, those are kinda cute”

8. Any words of wisdom to share with fellow artist/crafters?
I won’t bother with all the usual “hang in there – you can do it” type bla bla stuff, I haven’t been in the game long enough to know what the hell I’m completely doing myself. But I guess I would just have to say the same thing I keep going back to – have fun!!! If you’re really trying to make something of your craft and get it out there for all to love, it can be hard and there will be obstacles and road bumps and all sorts of other sh*t in your way to give you headaches – so relax, keep calm and don’t scream at too many people in the process, or they won’t help you out later when you could really use them.

9. What is your most favorite handmade item you have had to part with?
My soap robots, I love to play with them when I make them. But lucky for me my soapy little friendships are disposable and I can just make another army of them afterwards for my amusement!

Check our Nicole`s shop on etsy!!!

‘vegankittyxoxo’ by margopage

Vegan Sudz Shop – Natural Soaps & Lotions

Robot Vegan Soap – Choc… vegankittyxoxo $5.00	3 Tiki Man Soaps – Vega… vegankittyxoxo $9.00	Natural Brown Sugar Soa… vegankittyxoxo $6.00
Critter Soap – You Pick… vegankittyxoxo $5.50	Skull & Crossbones Soap… vegankittyxoxo $4.50	Bath Butter – Body Poli… vegankittyxoxo $6.00
Bomb Diggitys – Orange … vegankittyxoxo $10.50	Candy Cane Vegan Soap vegankittyxoxo $5.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Quick Pumpkin Pie!!!!

We haven’t had pumpkin pie yet over the holidays and as I was shopping for our new years dinner the other day a pre made organic wheat pie crust caught my eye and I just couldn’t resist (it was on sale!!), I will be the first to admit I have a soft spot for sweets…. So I grabbed it. Then I went to the Canned pumpkin Pie mix I picked up a can. When I got home I looked around on the internet for a vegan pumpkin after a bit I decided to just have a go at it by myself. It turned out fantastic!!! I think I have eaten at lest half in the past couple days :/.

RECIPE:

1 frozen pie crust
1 15 oz. can organic pumpkin pie mix
1 12 oz. block firm tofu
1 T. clove
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 C. evaporated cane sugar

Preheat oven 425°

throw everything except the pie crust of course into the vita mix, or a standard kitchen blender/food processor will do just fine and blend until smooth and creamy pour into pie shell. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes the turn heat down to 350° and bake for 40 minutes. remove from over let stand 1 hour to set up. and enjoy!

PS- I use Farmers Market organic pumpkin pie mix which it the best out there 100% vegan and with only 5 ingredients that I can read I say its a total win!

Stewed green beans and tomatoes

Happy New Year!!!! Since I can remember Every New Years day we celebrated with ofcouse what else but food! Stewed green beans and tomatoes were a staple at the holiday table. I Had a craving for them this year so I called my mom and asked for the recipe she gave it to me with a little skepticism in her voice she said, “you know Margo the bacon is what makes it good.” So I began creating a recipe in my head to make this a vegan recipe… well… I am sitting hear now waiting for it to finish and it smells fantastic I tried a small bite to see how well it turned out and O’BOY!!!!! I hate to say it it is better then the original!!!

RECIPE:

1.15 # of fresh green beans ( with the stems off)
1 12oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 32oz. box of vegetable stock or broth
2 onions peeled and sliced
2 T. smoked paprika
3 T. evaporated cane sugar
1/4 C. apple cider vinager
olive oil
s&p

First make sure you have a large stock pot. Saute onions with salt and pepper until golden in color. Add paprika and cook until paprika becomes fragrant, Next deglaze your pot with the apple cider vinegar making sure to get all the little bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the can of tomatoes, stock, sugar, and green beans cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until green beans are soft. Enjoy!!!!

Not Just Any Cookies! Holiday Colorful Raw Macarons By GreenChefs Golubka « G Living | Dark Twisted Space Monkies Go Green

Not Just Any Cookies! Holiday Colorful Raw Macarons By GreenChefs Golubka « G Living | Dark Twisted Space Monkies Go Green.

OMG! I have been trying for sooo very long to come up with a way to make vegan macarons and I finally found it! This cookies are going to be a beautiful little experiment for me when I get home!!!

Olsen Haus Spring 2011 look book!!!

 

Yes ladies that is right Olsen haus has  released  there spring 2011 look book which is very exciting!!!!!! They have some fantastic new colors, materials, and styles. All gorgeous as usual they have not let me down… as usual. 🙂 O also if your looking for some stylish shoes for the vegan babies in your life they make the most adorable  baby/kid shoes. Take a peek I promise  it will warn your winter time blues right up!!!!