Cinco De Mayo, an Etsy Owls Challenge!

We decided to honor Cinco de Mayo by having ourselves a little creative challenge. The theme was simple, all you had to do was make something honoring Mexican or Mexican-American culture. Our last challenge was just a few weeks ago, so due to the shorter creating period we only had 3 owlies enter this challenge, but no worries, because all 3 of them brought awesome stuff to the table.

Check out the entries below and vote for your favorite in the poll on the left. There are two photos per entry.

If you cannot vote in the poll, put your vote in the comments here, but be sure to say the poll doesn't work for you or your vote will not be counted.

Entries:

LoveAlisa's Cinco De Mayo Clutch:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24535239

SquareJane's Cinco de Mayo Taco Earrings

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24612612

Ickydogcreations Cinco de Mayo with Chihuahua flair

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24483628

For other fun Cinco de Mayo activities, check out EtsyBaby's Cinco de Mayo Challenge or visit the Spanglish team's blog for the history of the day. Feliz Cinco de Mayo from all of us!

April Rain Challenge

The theme of our April's Challenge was to create based on a word. The team submitted words and then we voted, and 'rain' won the most votes. So, several team members submitted rainy items :) See them all here or check out the end of the post for the individual item links on Etsy.

To vote for your favorite, use the poll on the left. Voting will go for 1 week.

Important: Some voters have problems with the Blogger poll. If it doesn't work for you, please post your vote in the comments on this post. Be sure to let us know that the poll didn't work for you when you post or your vote will not be counted!!

Here are the item links:

blackcatmima: Rain Cloud Barrette

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23916978

gypsyeye: Cascade Earrings:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23918230

lalala08: Raindrop Earrings:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23931275

lovealisa: April Showers Market Tote

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23951190

shisie: Rainy Days Are For... (wall hanging)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23920953

Squarejane: Spring in Vancouver (painting)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23954842

WeiOpenSecret: Rain Glass Necklace:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16224846

Tutorial: Making a Lightbox with Lovealisa

LoveAlisa recently decided to dive into the world of lightbox making, and she was nice enough to take photos along the way to write up a tutorial for the blog. Follow this to start the path to better photography in no time!

Creating your own Professional Photography Studio

It has become apparent to me that I need to improve my product photos. They aren’t terribly awful, but I want them to stand out and show off how fantastic they are in my eyes! So, I started researching and heard a lot about Light Boxes. I basically took my design from this lovely tutorial (http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html), with some insignificant but duly noted changes. Most of this low cost project can be found rummaging around my pantry/craft area/closets for items of use.

Go Gather your Supplies!!!

• 1. One Box (about 14x14x14 seemed like the right size, just eyeball it. Eventually I’ll make one capable of holding my totes)


• 2. Scissors/Exacto Knife (to cut out your panels. Be careful, I sliced my fingers holding onto scissors and sawing…)


• 3. Parchment Paper (or anything to diffuse light… tissue paper, thin white fabric etc)


• 4. Poster Board (in white, and/or optional black)


• 5. Tacky Glue (tape works if you have strong packing or electric tape… which I did not.)

Costs:

I forgot that my hubby and I live in a one-bedroom apartment, and we don’t have a lot to rummage through. So, I did purchase a few items. Box: $4.50 Poster Board: $0.49

Steps:

1. Cut out three square panels from three sides (see photo). If you don’t want your hubby calling you “Alisa Scissor Hands” please be careful how you hold your sharp tools.

OPTIONAL: Cut out the bottom side of your box so you can take your light box outside and photograph immovable plant life and other items.

2. Cut parchment paper to match the empty panels plus 1 inch room on each side.

3. Glue the parchment paper to cover the panels. (I tried to use scotch tape, but I realized after taping ALL the panels on, that it didn’t work and it all fell off.)

4. While the glue dries, trim the poster board to a width of 14 inches and slide it into place.

5. Bada Bing, Bada Boom. You are done. Go take the best photos of your Etsy items!

Note: I have been using this outside with natural light (which works) but you can also use two lamps on either side.

Check out the above bracelet in the Etsy Owls shop where proceeds go 100% to Autism research! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5271044&section_id=5156130

Owls find plum!

Plum is the new black ;) Thanks to lovealisa for putting together this owlfinds list!






http://tqbdesigns.etsy.com/ http://jume.etsy.com/ http://thesnootypoodle.etsy.com/

http://hopevenessa.etsy.com/ http://twistedcrystals.etsy.com/ http://trollop.etsy.com/

http://tortillagirl.etsy.com/ http://badcatjewelry.etsy.com/

Owl Spotlight, lovealisa

I always feel self-centered when tooting my own horn. So here I am, In the spotlight. It’s a little bright, but I think I can handle it!

My Name is Alisa Marie of LOVEALISA and I joined these OWLS for a couple of reasons:


(This is no particular order):

• I love owls.


• I was new to ETSY, and wanted to feel connected in this big ETSY world.


• I needed sales (When I joined the OWLS, I had 6 sales in as many months).


• I’m a little off the wall (my husband might say nerd…)


• I need friends.
  
  




• 
  
  Reasons I LOVE being on the OWLS team:

• I still love owls.
  


• I have so many fantastic artists and ETSY experts that are so willing to give me advice and bounce creative energy off of.
  
• Since December, I’ve have had 20 sales, and 4 custom orders! Is it due to the OWLS? (Well, you can’t deny the actuaries.)


• These girls are truly off-the-wall, and so much fun.


• I found friends.
  

I know those 25 Random Facts are going around blogs and facebook, I thought I would use that as a basis for you all to get to know me and my shop here in the spotlight!




Facts about my Shop and my craftyness:

1. ETSY has fine tuned my ability to complete projects. (see my closet at my mom’s house for the boneyard of forgotten and abandoned craft projects.)
   
2. I like making lists (as you can tell)


3. I am a complete and total nerd.
   
4. I made my family member’s tote bags and jersey scarves for Christmas. It was the first time I used a sewing machine.


5. I have been saving up for a sewing machine.


6. My husband says that I can use some of our tax return to supplement the rest of my sewing machine fund!!!! I GET A SEWING MACHINE!


7. I plan on geeking up my shop. This includes more: Geometry , Pi jokes, formulas, computer disks, binary code… and so on.


8. I plan on getting boy stuff up in my shop: I have entirely too much girly baby stuff. But recently a lot of my friends have baby boys and are asking what a made for their boys.


9. I plan on expanding my embroidery in my shop: so much I am hoping to expand my products to adult scarves and other embroidered projects


10. I have a few items in my jewelry section, but I will probably stop selling them and take them down when they expire, so I can focus on more fabrics.


11. I get my creativity from my mom but my precision and math skills from my engineering dad.


12. I will probably be fine tuning my shop to get my best products out there.

Facts About Me, Alisa!

1. I teach Math. For Junior Highers.
   
2. I tend to procrastinate……. Ok, you got me, I have perfected the art of procrastination.


3. I watched all six Star Wars movies in one day (see #3 above)


4. I follow ashton kutcher and demi moore on twitter, and I don't really know why... but I can't bring myself to un-follow.


5. I love to talk to newscasters like they are my friends (this includes local and national) example: I truly believe that Chuck Todd and I would be best friends if we ever met.
   
6. I am NOT crazy (see #5)



7. My husband and I are high school sweethearts. (no pets and no kids yet).
   
8. Every Friday night is "Chipotle Night" with my Tad. Even the manager at Chipotle knows this and gives me a great big “HELLO HOW ARE YOU!” Then she asks what salsa i want. (I suspect she already knows.)
   
9. I passed the algebra/number theory & geometry/stats CSETS (each is a four hour standards test), which I'm quite proud of. What makes me MORE proud is that I did that with out paying for ANY books/classes/kits/tutoring. Just free on line sources.
10. When I leave on a long trip, I always have to gas up on pump #8 or suffer a hardship along the way.
11. I hate cleaning. I hated cleaning my room. In college in order to curb this hatred, my roomies and I made up a special Cleanest Roomie Award complete with an old bowling trophy. And every month our RD would come and judge out respective areas.


12. I married a clean freak (see #10).


13. I have a etsy, a blog, a twitter a facebook, but I refuse to get a myspace.

Alisa Marie McPherson
alisa-marie.blogspot.com
lovealisa.etsy.com




Alisa is the heart and soul behind LoveAlisa where she makes gorgeous onesies for baby as well as sweet bookmarks perfect for your favorite sweetheart! She can also be found on blogger or on Twitter @lovealisa

The OWLS take on Valentine's Day

The winner of our previous challenge HollyStott, got to choose the theme for this challenge! Congrats Holly and great job on the last challenge! She decided to do Valentine's Day, but with a twist. The main objective of this challenge was to make an item you would give to your best friend for Valentine's Day, but back in high school! So thse items are all silly and fun (and by the way, would make a perfect gift for that young one in your life *wink, wink*)

The entries are shown below, and each have links to their listings on Etsy. Vote for your favorite in the poll over on the left hand side of the screen. Please note that only votes in the poll will be counted, comments do not count as votes! Thanks for visiting, and Happy Valentine's Day from the Etsy Owls Street Team!

HollyStott's Love Monster

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20452591

LoveAlisa's Conversation Hearts

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20495530

Lalala08's Owl Love Notes

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20514119

Jonikay52's After the Rain 8x10 Photograph

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8741256

WeiOpenSecret's Emergency Valentines

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20515770

RaynaE's Unicorn Rainbow Barf Candy Bag

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20513145

StripeyMonkey's Luv U Ipod Cozy

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20487971

Suenosdejmi's Ribbon Bracelet

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20151151

Also, be sure to visit this gorgeous Valentine themed treasury and also search etsyowlsteam for a bunch of great Etsy Owls items!