Yoga Mat Bag 2.0

I've been taking Yoga classes - finally - since that was one of my New Year's Resolutions! I have found a great yoga studio - the Motion Center in Providence's Jewelry District - and an even better teacher, Rebecca Donnelly. I "graduated" from the Intro to Yoga class and I'm now taking Anusara Yoga. Now I wonder what took me so long to get started.

One of the things I really like about Rebecca's teaching style is that each week she gives us a little anecdote about her life and ties it into one of the principles of Anusara yoga - last week, our lesson was about humility. One of the ways I've been experimenting with humility is certainly through my yoga practice. Another is my experimentation with constructing a bag for my yoga mat and all of the necessary accessories....

Here's a few photos of our latest version. It's bigger than before, so I can toss in an eye pillow and a towel and any other odds and ends I need. The pockets are smaller, so my ID and tiny bits don't get lost in the bottom of the pockets. Plus, it has a key fob to keep control of the all-important car keys We like it more than our last version, but it's not the best it can be. We are already making improvements for version 3.0. Do you practice yoga? Tell us what you think of our bag....

Byhand.me

It's hard for me to navigate the many social-networking sites that feature artisans. I want to spend as much free time possible actually CREATING rather than talking, clicking, or typing about creating, so I need to get the biggest bang for my tiny amount of free time!

Lately I have been spending quite a bit of time at byhand.me which is one of the best sites!

• One of my favorite features about byhand.me is the Spotlight. It's similar to an Etsy treasury but you don't have to compete to get one. You can make as many as you like for other users to see and make comments. Here's my spotlight.
  

• Byhand.me is great because it doesn't involve selling -- you get to advertise all of your venues in one place -- so prospective customers and prospective friends can get to know the whole you!

• Speaking of prospective friends...byhand.me has great features like forums and clubhouses where you can get and give advice and support.
  

So, what should you do now? Maybe you should go take a look!

My free time is being sucked away but this has been a fun break! I'm going to go MAKE something now!

LuvHandmade.com

Who doesn't love a great feature for St. Patrick's day -- corned beef, green beer? Oh, wait, this is a new site providing great publicity and exposure for artisans while at the same time providing a fun community to meet and share.

What are you waiting for? Get over to LuvHandmade.com and check them out! This is a great social networking/community site for artists who sell on Etsy and other online venues. LuvHandmade.com offers blogs, forums, and features -- it's free and friendly -- give it a click!

Sweater Surgery - Owl Inspiration

I've been playing around with a book I recently bought called Sweater Surgery: How to Make New Things with Old Sweaters. It has the cutest OWL project but of course I'm always altering the pattern in my mind even before I begin.

I posted on the Etsy forums asking for some inspiration from other Etsians and I wanted to share with you...

SleepDreamPlay shared two amazing Owl Brooches inspired by photographs and illustrations.

LittlePancakes shared this super-sparkly vintage brooch.

EverImprovingMe shared this tote with an owl's piercing stare.

PhotoTeresa shared this amazing print -- my husband is dying to know how she could get so close!

WHIMSYlove shared not one but TWO cheery springy owls!

SHAMBEEandJAK showed us two great owl keepsake boxes. I totally dig the pink and black - that's the kind of girl I am!

I would like to thank all of the Etsians who shared their fab creativity with me! I'm bursting with inspiration, it's Sunday morning, it's sunny, and I can't wait to get crafty!

Whooo Spotted Us? IndieSpotting!

We were totally honored to have one of our totes featured on the IndieSpotting website!

Their website is a fantastic collection of drool-worthy indie finds that are making me a little frightened that today's payday! Go ahead, click on the owl and check it out :)

Thanks to Catherine at Dreamland Crafts

She featured us on her blog in the pet products category:

http://madeforyoublog.blogspot.com/search/label/Pets%20Items

Go ahead, click and scroll down a little to see some of Ginger's favorite Catnip Activity Mats.

Ginger likes to stand guard over (er, lay on top of) the plastic totes that keep them clean and fur-free while they wait for their new homes. In exchange, she gets to be the model all over the internet. Alas, Ernst is immune to catnip.

Sharing the Etsy Love with SpunkByCM

Check out this fabulous bit of promotion from SpunkByCM.

http://spunkbycm.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-i-like-about-youwhat-you-like.html

I'm absolutely captivated by this gorgeous little widget! Go take a look...

I find myself spending way too much time on Etsy being captivated by all of the marvelous creativity of others...