Endless Whimsy: August 2009

8.31.2009

WE DID IT!

We reached the goal of 25 sculptures sold for Daisy's Curly Fundraiser! That's $100 and 25 cans of food! Look for some photos soon of the sculptures AND the food!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen! I was really exciting! I hope you enjoyed it, I mailed 15 boxes today!

If you didn't get a Daisy sculpture, no worries - I'll just take a little break while the stores restock pink! And in the mean time, I'll get a Harley Spy Cat sculpture going. If you are still interested in participating you can let me know via a comment so I know whether or not to keep stocking up......

8.30.2009

Sunday Comics with Stoli and Luxor

8.29.2009

Last Nostalgia Saturday - for a while at least

Here's my last Nostalgia Saturday for a while, I'm extremely busy with the Daisy fundraiser and school is starting.....

Here is a photo of a crochet project from a late 70s magazine. It has a resemblance to Kathy Merrick's Babette Blanket:

Now onto the other stuff -

the Daisy fundraiser is 7 SEVEN sculptures away from our goal! It's a modest goal, I hope to offer another fundraiser with a Harley sculpture after school get's going.

8.25.2009

FUNDRAISER!!!!

Daisy the Curly Cat and Endless Whimsy are teaming up for a FUN fundraiser. Together we are raising monies for the Homeless Animal Rescue Team in Cumberland, Maine . For every special, numbered! sculpture purchased, Endless Whimsy and Daisy the Curly Cat will donate $4 and a can of food! We'll be updating everyone soon on how much is raised. We think the fundraiser will go for a month, but maybe more depending on how many people want sculptures!

8.24.2009

Your Help Please

I am in the market to purchase small kiln. Here are the four I'm looking at - I have no idea about which brands are better than others I'm just wondering WHY there is such a HUGE price difference?

8.23.2009

Sunday Comics with Stoli & Luxor

8.22.2009

Nostalgia Saturday

8.21.2009

Feature Friday: LittleStudioJewels

Meghann from Little Studio Jewels
How did you get started:

I always loved art, but photography really held me captive. When going on a cross-Canada drive when I was 13, my mom got me a basic point and shoot and a roll of film for each week. I took some of the most amazing photos and I was hooked!

For my jewelry making, during high school, I could never find jewelry I liked at the quality I wanted, with a decent price tag. I made my own instead! When I became sick with fibromyalgia and had to quit my job, I needed something to keep me occupied, and my arts came back to me. I haven't looked back since and it has been a great experience to run my own business doing something I love.

What are your inspirations?

My husband, my dog, my family and friends are all inspirational. My husband works so hard to get the things he wants and needs and it shows me that if I work hard, I can do the same. My dog keeps things simple, and I think we all need to take a page from her. Play, eat, sleep, work, everything is just simple - no dramas or manipulations, it is wonderful. My family and friends are all great for different reasons and they keep me happy and sane. I am also inspired by nature, and my Celtic heritage. They both transcend time!

What are your favorite pieces?

I am currently working on my new collection, called NeoAmour, which means new love. I am taking powerful women from history and creating pieces inspired by them. It is fabulous - I get to make jewelry to satisfy my inner artist, and I get to satisfy my inner nerd by researching great women! Here are some of my favorites: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15301910
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28568467
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25758133

Are you affiliated with any charities?

I help many animal organizations, as I give 10% of my total sales to a different charity each month. Some months I help people charities, but I love my animal ones too! Here is a list of charities I help:
Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation
Rescue 100 - an organization devoted to rescuing 100 horses found perilously ill in Alberta in 2008 and seized by the local SPCA
The Arthritis Society of Canada
The Country Cat Sanctuary - A local No Kill Sanctuary for rescued and abandoned cats
National ME/FM Network Canada - an organization devoted to helping improve the lives of those with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Fibromyalgia (FM)
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
Hearts on Noses - a sanctuary helping abandoned and abused mini pigs in BC
Rideau Valley Wildlife Society
Epic Farms in Alabama
National Wildlife Federation
Lanark Animal Welfare Society

SALES AND SPECIALS
I am having a sale the last week of August and also for one day on my birthday, September the 10 - everything is 20% off!

8.20.2009

Featured Items: BLACK

8.19.2009

Endless Whimsy featured on Moderncat

Hop on over to check out this GREAT blog:

8.15.2009

Nostalgia Saturday

Sorry I didn't get a Nostalgia Saturday post up last week, but here it is for this week! $50-$60 a week, that sounds like a lot for 1952. Anyone know how much that would be today?

8.12.2009

Train meets Train:

taken by SavvyCatDotNet

And in case you didn't see: I've updated my shop to show Opposites Attract -

8.11.2009

Doily 2

"kitty talk" by delsie rhoades:

8.09.2009

Custom Order progess:

Here are some completed custom orders. I was SO worried that the glaze would run, I had tried dipping them to get a really clean line of glaze on the bottom.

REENA

CHLOE (so you can see the line)

CHLOE in the catnap pose - this is the first one done in this pose!

PIXEL

Newsletter Tutorial

I figured I should probably have this tutorial on my blog as well as the Sellers Assissting Sellers blog, as I wrote it:

***

Newsletters can be a great tool to get information out to your customers. They are cheap to produce and keep your customers informed. Be careful! You don't want to send out too many, people hate spam, once a month is usually OK. Use your newsletter as an occasional tool to offer great deals to your subscribers or let them be the first to know of a new product.

If you know how to use a web page editor like iWeb or Dreamweaver or other WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor then you can send out a web newsletter! Hooray!

I'll walk you through the process of Google Docs, putting a form on your blog, newsletter design, importing subscribers addresses and sending the newsletter.

Google Docs & Blog

1. Add a Google Form to your blog or website. Sign up with Google Docs (it's free) and click “New” and “Form”

2. Title the Form, Edit the “Name” field, Change the word “Name” to Email and DELETE the “untitled question” at the bottom of the form. Click DONE!

3. Go to “More Actions” and click “Embed”. Then copy this code into an HTML/Javascript widget on your blog or website (usually found in 'settings or layout').

iframe ------------------------->

Result:
You can tweak the settings and placement and confirmation message within Google Docs.

Design your Newsletter

In your web site editor, design a page exactly the way you would like it to look if you were to receive it in an email. Be sure to include your banner, a click to view online link, an unsubscribe link and copyright. Name your page “newsletter” and upload it to your webserver. It's ok if it doesn't link to other pages within your site.

Import your subscribers addresses

Go to Google Docs and copy any emails of subscribers and import them into your address book under a group called “YOURSHOPNAME”. Don't forget to check your email preferences to be sure Group Emails do not display individual emails but keeps them private.

Send your Newsletter

1. open up the online version of your newsletter (http://www.example.com/newsletter.html) in SAFARI.

2. Go to the File menu in Safari and click Mail Contents of this page. It will open up a new email within your computers default mail program.

3. Address the email to the “YOURSHOPNAME” group. Check to make sure everything looks the way you'd like, a trial run to yourself isn't a bad idea.

SEND!

tomorrow' jury

I'm going back to jury duty tomorrow. But I think I'll know the results of the kiln firing today. I tried a new method - dipping the kitties in wax, then in the glaze. I hope it makes for a nice finish of the clear glaze. I'm worried that it will be on too thick. I've spent SO long painting them to look like other people's cats - I'd hate for something to go wrong with them.

8.05.2009

Shirataki Noodles

I hope I like tofu.

I was reading about these tofu noodles as a great and nutritious substitute for pasta. I figured, if they are THAT good for me, I better try them. I'll let you know how they taste. In the meantime, you can check them out online at www.house-foods.com

An excerpt:

LOW CARB - only 3g of carbs per serving
LOW CALORIE - 20 calories per 4 oz serving
NO CHOLESTEROL
NO SUGAR
GLUTEN-FREE
DAIRY-FREE
CONTAINS 10% CALCIUM
VEGAN

8.04.2009

front page!

I guess this is God's way of thanking me for jury duty yesterday. Thanks Stubborndog!

Note for PussDaddy

I can't seem to read your blog without my browser crashing. Have you heard any other people having these problems?

8.03.2009

How To Picot - Featured on Totally Tutorials!

The tutorial I made for the picot stitch is featured on Totally Tutorials!

8.02.2009

Sweet Irie~

I just received the most fun package from Michele from Sweet Irie! She graciously offered to do an exchange for winning the giveaway. I received two cute mini key fobs (one, two) and a lanyard for my school id. And here's my most favorite, a wallet. I don't like to keep my cards in sleeves so I end up shoving them in my pockets and then I don't know what pants they are in when I need them again. This is seeming like the perfect solution - instead of shoving them loosely into my pockets, I shove them loosely into this wallet pocket!

8.01.2009

Nostalgia Saturday

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