Feature Friday - Small Fry Notables

 



Hoot Owl Shower or Party DIY Printable Thank You Card


 



Quote Print, Printable Art




Airsoft Battle Party Custom Printable Invitations



Butterfly Bugs Rainbow Party Personalized Printable Set



Dinosaur Theme Birthday Party Printable Thank You Cards

Sheteam Gets Organized

Here is a cute little ditty dedicated to keeping it real, keeping it fun, keeping it together and keeping it at home.

A place for our pencils
A journal for Mommy's thoughts
A chart for kiddos's chores
Now that's an aweful lot

A shelf for every book
A smart baby holder too
A snack to keep us going
School at home is what we do



Vintage Pencil Holder - Gremlina


Handmade Journal - Whimsie's Cottage


Chore Chart Kit - January's June



Distressed Turquoise Book Case - USA Creations



Baby Pouch Sling - Earth Slings


Go Green Produce Bag - Handsfull Creations

Posted by VeryVerdant

Sheteam Member Featured In Etsy's Quit Your Day Job

Our very own Chris and Laura of The Wood Garden


were recently featured in Etsy's Quit Your Day Job. We want to congratulate you, Laura and Chris, for a job well done!!!


Please stop by and read the article as it was posted on Etsy's Quit Your Day Job.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/quit-your-day-job-chris-and-laura-of-the-wood-garden-12769/

Julie Talks About Homeschooling and Homebusiness

Julie is the creative mind behind Third Eye Artisans and a member of Sheteam. Today Julie is sharing with us a little bit about herself and her Etsy shop.



I have been married for 27 years to a remarkable man and have 8 children, ages 32 to 12. I also have 3 perfect grandsons, who I am blessed to see several times a week. My homeschooling adventure began 24 years ago as a stop-gap for my oldest daughter, who I pulled out of public school, not because of a dissatisfaction with the school system, but because of peer pressure and influence. We had planned to home school her that first year until we could find a suitable, small private Christian school to enroll her in. As the Lord would have it, I took the plunge and never looked back. I have graduated 5 of my children with 2 still in school, but almost done. My youngest has Down syndrome so I expect my homeschooling of him will never end.
We live a not-so-quiet life on 10 acres in the country, a life that I am quite content with. I call the happenings around here "controlled chaos" because of animals, school, jobs, errands, lessons, college, home business, grandchildren, etc. I can't believe how undeservedly blessed I am.



~~~~~~~Baby Hat~~~~~~

I have been crafty my whole adult life, but especially since I started homeschooling. I think crafting is such an integral part of homeschooling for most folks. I have taught all of my daughters to crochet and knit but I am the one who really enjoys the designing and experimenting with color, texture, and technique. My stash of yarn keeps growing and growing as I find different yarn suppliers. Please!! I can't help myself! I started out making my items and simply giving them away as gifts to everyone. Many times for "just because". Finally, my family and friends suggested I try and sell the things I was creating. My oldest daughter has a very successful etsy shop and she really urged me to open my own. So, I did.....


~~~~~Stained Glass Skinny Scarf~~~~~

You know, I have *so* many homeschooling memories but I have to say that one of my favorites is when, after spending what seemed like way too many grueling hours on phonics lessons with one son in particular, the light finally came on in his brain and he started reading. He's not stopped and is one of the best readers I know. It was an epiphany for me and a culmination of all those hours of toil, teaching a dyslexic child to read who might, otherwise, have been lost and forsaken in the public school system.



~~~~~Dopey Slouch Hat~~~~~

The best advice I can give, and have given, to any homeschooler trying to run a business is to not forget your priorities. It sounds cliche' but is so important. Anyone who looks at my shop can see I don't have monumental sales. It takes a lot of time to homeschool and a lot of time to run a business, as well. I can't do it all and neither can any homeschooling mom I know, although we try. The actual crocheting part of my business is easy because I do it while I'm schooling, during quiet time, and watching a movie in the evenings. But taking photos, writing descriptions, listing, etc. takes a lot of time and it's time that I'm not tending to household things so those etsy tasks don't get done as consistently as I'd like. For instance, right now I have about 20 new items that I need to list but I'm trying to get outside to photograph them, write descriptions, and get them listed. I try and work in the 20 minutes snippets of time I get here and there, rather than carving out a full 2 to 3 hours, which is nearly impossible. So, the new items wait, and sometimes wait a little longer. But I am at peace with where my shop is and where it's going. I'm mindful that there will be plenty of time later, maybe too much time, to devote to my shop. In the meantime, I do what I can, when I can.

~~~~~~~~~Razzle Dazzle Shawlette~~~~~~~~


Believe it or not, the inspiration for my pieces comes from inside my brain. I have *always* loved vivid color. I see a beautiful yarn and can picture in my head what to make with it. I tell a little story on my profile page about a first grade teacher who told me, and the whole class for that matter, that my Abraham Lincoln ditto sheet was not colored correctly because I didn't use black or brown but, instead, used every single color in my crayon box. In my little 6 year old brain, black and brown was boring and I wanted to see all the lovely colors that God has created in my picture. I've not changed much since then. Although I do use black and brown in some of my items, I mainly use bright, vivid colors and color combinations.



~~~~~Simple Scarf~~~~~

My main goal for homeschooling has basically remained unchanged all these years and that's to not focus on academics, although we all know how important that is. Rather, I want my children to be hard working, capable, common sense driven, other-oriented, people who know what they believe. I know many well intentioned homeschoolers who thought the whole reason for homeschooling was to just provide a better education than the public school and, although that is part of why we homeschool, it's not the main reason. So, for my husband and myself, if we've raised hard working people who value what God values, elevate others above themselves, and know what they believe, then we've succeeded.
As far as my shop, I would *love* to see my sales soar. We all know the feeling we get when a sale is made! I hope to see my sales continue on a steady course and as the Lord sees fit. As long as I can continue to create and give things to my family and friends, I'm happy.

Birthday Celebrations!

Time for another Etsy treasury featuring a bright bunch of beautiful, birthday ideas. Each of these items were chosen as a fun way to celebrate a birthday, for young and old, male or female.

Family Recipes from Sheteam

My sister actually taught my second oldest how to make these oven crisped sandwiches. They have become a favorite in our house so I thought we would share them with you.

















Ingredients List:

8-10 French rolls from the local deli

3-4 sweet large onions

10-12 ounces thinly sliced deli ham or turkey

8 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese

1/3 C mayonnaise

1/3 C Dijon mustard

Preparations Instructions:

First slice the onions into thin rings and lightly sauté in butter or olive oil. There is no need to season the onions. While the onions are being sautéed slice the rolls into halves and set the tops and bottoms open faced on a cookie sheet. Set aside for later. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

To Prepare the bottom portion of the French Rolls.

In a small dish, mix 1/3 cup Dijon mustard with 1/3 cup mayonnaise. Using your fingers, scoop out a small portion of the bottoms of the French rolls and into the holes place 1 tablespoon of the sauce mix. On top of that place one slice of Provolone cheese and set this back on the cookie sheets.

To Prepare the upper portion of the French Rolls.

On the top portions of the rolls layer 1 piece of deli sliced meat and a good portion of the sauteed onions. Place these back on the cookie sheets.

Place both cookie sheets in the oven and allow the sandwich halves to cook until lightly golden. Serve while hot. YUM!

~Originally posted at VeryVerdant...used with permission.

So What Exactly Is She???

We have so many new members on "SHE"team and so many people asking about the team, that I thought I would take the time to introduce us. First of all, I would like to explain what "She" is not. We are not a particular religious group. Contrary to some popular beliefs, homeschooling is not always a religious choice. We are not anti-public school, in fact, several of our members have children in public school and children schooling at home. This is also not a negative group. One of the things I have come to love and appreciate about this team over the past couple of years is that the group as a whole is so supportive of each other and always has a word of encouragement to help the day along.

Now...on to what "She" is...Here is the team description as found on our team page.



(Bookplates by Montserrat)



We are a group of artisans united by the bond of home education. SHE is a family-oriented team.






(Activity/Crayon Bag by Poppy Patch)

Shops must meet team requirements in addition to Etsy rules, especially in regard to mature content and prohibited items.

Items in your shop (and linked from your shop) must be family friendly. We will not consider anything with adult content, profanity, the occult, mysticism, or nudity. They would not be considered family friendly. SHE is a "G"-rated team.


If you are schooling at home, have recently schooled at home, or working towards schooling at home( starting in 6 months or less) and your items fit with our target audience and community as a whole, you are welcome on our team.
(Felt World Map by Garden Of Francis)


We come from a variety of backgrounds, locations and faiths. The purpose of Sheteam is to provide support and promotion of our Etsy shops, not to promote a particular religion, political view or philosophy.




~Posted by VeryVerdant

Birds of a Feather

Flocking together in this fun, new treasury is a group of items representing the talented crafting and artistry of the SHE Team.

Team Giveaway

********This Givaway Is Now Closed!********
**Winners Will Be Announced Monday, March 20, 2011**
We are so excited to announce the official start of our first team give away! There are 9 prizes to be won which means there will be 9 winners!!!

First, here is the list of prizes followed by brief descriptions.
Prizes 1-4


#1.) Shady Side Farm 's prize is a set of three dryer balls in undyed natural ivory.
~ approximately 8 inches in circumference, and about 2.75 inches in diameter
~ Each averages 1 ounce of 100% felted virgin wool.
~ These will be shipped to you with an instruction sheet enclosed.
~ 100% Shady Side Farm wool roving -an alternative to heavily scented dryer sheets
~ reusable and versatile.
~ help to fluff your clothing and shorten drying time
~ may help reduce static cling somewhat

#2.) This prize from TheHandmaden is a hand dyed 8 point mandala 100% silk scarf. It measures 42 x 44 inches.

#3.) Simple Basic Knitted Sock Pattern from Ripsimeh. These are a very simple and easy pair of socks to knit. They fit well, look great and wear very well.
~Included in this pattern is Knitting Notes. A guide to help you with your knitting. and a guild on how to use magic loop to make these socks too.
~Difficulty: Intermediate
~Format and Delivery: The pattern is a PDF file which will be emailed to you within 48hours of payment. See my Shop Polices for more details.
~ Ripsimeh’s pattern’s are protected by copyright.


#4.) Red Star Polka Dot Card from KLowEnergetic colors and a fun star motif decorate the front of this standard-sized card.
The red star is hand-crocheted with a yellow center to liven up the polka-dot background great for any celebratory occasion. The card measures 5 1/2" X 4 1/4", comes lined with a white paper for adding your own personal message and includes a coordinating envelope for mailing.

Prizes 5-9I know! I know! There are only 4 more pictures! Prize number 7 will actually be awarded in two different sizes so there will be 9 prizes - not 8.



#5.)
From Ocean Breeze The October Splendor Series - Brass Necklace
This color combination reminds me of the Autumn colors when the tree just starts to change and there is a bit of green and some orange. This necklace is 16.5" in length. The beads are 6.5" of that length.

#6.) Beautiful handmade necklace with ribbon and beads by Gloriapatre

#7.) Two winners will recieve one of these aprons from VeryVerdant. One will be size 6. The other will be size 4. This fully lined apron would be a cute addition to any little girls wardrobe.

Preshrunk
Machine Wash
Non Chlorine Bleach Only
Tumble Dry Low or Lay Flat To Dry
Warm Iron When Needed


#8.) Custom Mother/Grandmother Necklace by Ocean Breeze Designs. Click Here for more details of this necklace.




HERE'S HOW TO ENTER TO WIN!!!

~Anyone can enter!!!
~ Simply leave a comment at the end of this post.(Please be sure to leave a way by which we may contact you.)
~You may submit 1 Entry per day until Saturday the 19th of March, 2011 at 12:00 midnight Central Standard Time.
~One winner will be chosen for each prize in the order that they appear.
~Winners will be chosen by random generator.
~After winners are selected I will contact each shop with the name and email address of the winner.
~It will be the responsibility of the shop owner to contact the winner and to send out the items to the winners themselves.



Sonja

Megan - Spice Of Life - Shares Her Artistic Journey

Megan has graciously extended a discount to our readers. Find details below.

Section 1 Tell Us About Your Crafting
1. How long have you been crafting?

Forever, but jewelry specifically since late 2007. I was blessed in elementary school to have a phenominal art teacher. Mrs. Runnels let us experience everything
from coiling, glazing and firing pottery - to batiking fabric and carving our own lino cuts.
The broad discovery of techniques in grade school led to a life long love of art. I arrived at creating jewelry in a roundabout way. Photography was my primary artistic outlet, and became even more a focus on the birth of my first child. Scrapbooking entered the scene, and not content to just slap the pictures on the page, each one had to have handmade embellishments, too. At that time, wire embellishments were just gaining in popularity - it was so pretty on the page it made sense to turn it into jewelry as well. I've always loved working with color - and the amazing array of gemstones available results in an almost endless palette to work with.

2. Do you have childhood memories of a crafting success or failure?

When I was in first grade I won first place in the Indianapolis 500
Art Festival for an oil crayon drawing of an iris. I wore a super
frilly lavender dress loaded with ruffles to accept my big blue ribbon
on stage at the Childrens' Museum of Indianapolis. Let's just say my
fashion sense has changed since then...but I still love Irises!
Hand Forged Sterling Hammered Heart Necklace in Pink Gems


3. Do you have your own workspace?

I'm supposed to, but to my husband's chagrin I have something jewelry related in almost every room of the house...I fuse on the stove top in the kitchen, heat
harden my argentium in the oven, tumble pieces in the bathroom, ship
from the dining room...the only place there probably isn't something
jewelry related is in the kids' rooms - and if there is something
there, they need to put it back.

5. What inspires you to create new pieces?
Most of my pieces start with a focal stone and evolve organically from there. I'm constantly trying new techniques and wanting to learn better methods to create
the multitude of ideas I have floating around in my head. Every once
in a while I'll see a striking color combination or shapes and
patterns in nature that I try to capture in a piece.

Section 2 Tell Us About Your Homeschooling Life

1. Are you currently home schooling?
If so how many and what ages/grades? I'm currently homeschooling three children, ages 10, 7 and 6. We work to abilities instead of grade levels.

2. What challenges do you face when combining homeschooling and home
business?
Time management - finding enough time in every day to
conquer school, household tasks, and business issues is a constant
battle. Most days - the housework loses....

3. What advantage do you think you have by combining homeschooling and
home business?
If we weren't homeschooling, I probably would not have
survived the crazy rush on personalized family tree necklaces I
received between Thanksgiving and Christmas - Since we homeschool our
schedule can be more flexible and relaxed during peak business times.
We take December off, but are still going strong through July, so it
all works out.

4. Do you have a favorite curriculum or style of teaching? We're
unschoolers/ interest based learners - I just sent my oldest off to
grandma's with a vintage camera and a basic lesson on using it - we'll
get the film developed and talk about color theory, the science and
chemistry of photography, the technical aspects of things like
aperture and depth of field, with charts and math rolled in.

Section 3 Tell Us More About Yourself
1. What is your education background?
I have a BA in Psychology, which I completed the year after my son was born.

2. Did you do other work before you began selling your handmade arts
or crafts?
I've been home with the kids since my first child was born - other than a very brief stint as a scrapbook consultant (it was good for discounted supllies even if I didn't sell anything to anyone else!) I'm blessed to say no.
Handwoven Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings

3. Why did you choose to start your home business?
After my husband's second job loss in less than five years, if I wanted to continue to pursue my 'hobby' I had to make it pay for itself - it morphed and
grew from there! I'd love to get to the point where we can pursue the
business as our primary source of income and my husband can handle the
'office' side of things so I can just make things...sigh, that seems a
long way off right now.

4. Do you have a favorite Quote or Verse?
Jeremiah 29:11 is my favorite verse - 'For I know the plans I
have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." '

5. Are you currently reading a book?
We'll be moving soon, so I'm reading 'Home Rules' by Nate Berkus so that I've got some guidelines for redecorating. I love that he emphasizes the use of color and
makes suggestions about where to splurge in your budget and where you
can cheat and go cheap but still get a great look.

Raw Green Garnet and Argentium Sterling Silver Necklace

***You'll find Spice of Life Designs on facebook
*** I rarely twitter these days, but you can find me on Twitter
***My organically styled jewlery handmade in argentium sterling silver
can be found HERE also HERE
***and in my recently reopened Artfire shop.

***I also have an email list that I use to promote new designs, special offers, and my favorite thing - coupons!
You can sign up for the Spice of Life Designs
Jewelry by Megan Martin mailing list

AND Now For The Fun Stuff
Megan is offering a 20% discount to our readers. The coupon code is - SHEsAwesome .
Just type it in when checking out. The coupon is good until March 1.


Posted by Sonja

Toys, toys, toys!!

Yes, today's focus is on toys or objects that inspire play. Enjoy...




Tawashi - Lime green octopus by flutterbugcreations








Knitted Farm Animals by mamma4earth



























She makes me smile crochet pattern by chriscrochetcrazy




























Goldilocks and the Three Bears Waldorf Playset by theenchantedcupboard



























Cranberry Child's Pouch Sling for Dolls & Teddies by earthslings


Posted by Kelly of The Handmaden

Baby it's old outside!

 It may be Summer here in Australia but I know a lot of SHE teamers are feeling the cold right now!

I found some wonderful Winter themed goodies so take a look and warm yourself!

                             Pumpkin Brulee handmade olive oil soap from Maple Hill Farm.

                  Hand painted Merino/ Bamboo/ Tussah Silk Roving from Wool Gatherings.

       Sterling Silver Snowflake Charm bracelet with Swarovski Crystals from favmoongirl.

                                   Little Snowman Crocheted Cuff booties by puddintoes

Posted by Kelly of The Handmaden

The Thanksgiving Dinner

Once there lived a woman,
who was hosting her family Thanksgiving.












She cleaned for days and the house smelled so nice.











Dressed in her best, she welcomed her guests.




Herbs from her own garden formed the humble wreath on her door,as guests arrived bearing gifts to say Thank You to their hostess...










Her table was set with lovely dishes...







...and the food was...well...divine.


Buzz, buzz, buzz...The alarm clock sounds. Wait it was only a dream. What time is it? What is today? Tuesday? The 23rd? Wow, I have a lot of work to do. Cleaning, scrubbing, cooking, baking...Thanksgiving is only two days away!





Wishing you all the best,
VeryVerdant

Untitled

Let's have a little fun with this post. I was asked to do a themed collection of items from a few Sheteam shops. So, here are the items and shop links but....I am leaving the title up to you. What would you name this "themed" collection?



Set of Four Napkins by WeeBeaks




Original Painting on Linen Canvas by Whimsygal



Zippered Pouch by VeryPrettyThings



All Hearts Bracelet by Unkamengifts


Leave your suggestions in the comment box. I am sure this very talented group of Homeschooling Families can come up with a few extraordinary titles for this collection.

VeryVerdant