Sunny Days

Was chatting with some friends thinking we need to get our sales out there.
How can people find our amazing hand made items???

First make a list of everyones sales.


My sale at Sunny Days Embroidery buy 5 candy cane holders in any combination get one free. Please put your choice of free candycane holder in notes to seller no coupon code needed. You will find them in the ORNAMENTS section of my shop.

20% off the entire shop Black Friday thru Cyber Monday use coupon code CYBER09 You can combine this with the coupon for the candycane holders.




Merigreenleaf is offering free shipping to the US and Canada until the end of December with coupon code HOLIDAY09.



At 28 Sides Designs & Crafts you can find some awesome medieval clothing and embroidery at 25% off until the end of November: coupon code: ERLIDAY09



Avalon Studios is having a 25% off everything sale from now until December 17th, which is the last day to order to be sure your item arrives in time for Christmas. Discount is already taken off.



At Pegasus Soaps Nov 24-30th save 20% off every item with coupon code ANNIVERSARY



Char over at her artfire shop Char Spirit has 33% off use the coupon code CHARSPIRIT good thru Dec. 15. Shhhhh check out her paperback book covers they are awesome. I have one made up in my own fabric that I sent to her its the animal print below







Cindy at Sew Happy Designs is having 15% off Coupon sale with code THANKSGIVSEW from now until Saturday, November 28!



Added to the sales is Teri from The Beaded Branch Her special is FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING until Friday, December 4.




Nightmaiden is having in her artfire shop, is free shipping on everything and theres a coupon code, gobble09, for 20% off.



Over at Fo-Shizzle Design Studios you can get a free gift with every purchase over $30.00 Coupon Code: HOLIDAY-09



Simply Smiss says Get 20% Off Black Friday Thru Cyber Monday coupon Get 20
OR
Buy 2 items get FREE US Shipping Coupon Code 2ITEMSFREESHIP, Half Off International Shipping given through paypal refunds.



April has 2 shops with sales :
First at Creative Haven, you have your choice of sales each is good for a one time use and is good for a year.

CH-20% ~ 20% off all items
CH-30%~ 30% off all items
FBFANS for 25% off entire purchase

At Creative Supplies

FREE SHIPPING
20% OFF ~ for entire purchase use code 20% off





Get yourself over to EmilyClaireCreations to find 30% off your entire order, using coupon code HAPPYHOLIDAYS



At Blue Almonds, Anna has free shipping on all items and two collections reduced by 10% - Polish Gold and Pure Luxury.



If you have any problems with any of these codes dont be afraid to contact the shop owners they will be more than happy to help you out.

Second blog it all and third have everyone post it on their facebooks and twitters!!
Have fun holiday shopping with my friends!

Normally on the weekends that Rob works I dont go out. Nothing to do no place to go except the food store.

Well this weekend there was a local quilt show. I talked to my friend Karen and asked if she wanted to go. She did.

We figured since it was local it was going to be tiny and we would be in and out in about a half hour. NOOOOOOOOO it was really nice. A couple vendors and over 120 quilts.

Here are a couple of the ones I really liked I didnt get names off them so I cant give the makers credit but they were all beautiful.

Its been a while since I have felt like blogging. Last week I was talking to a friend and looking thru her shop and fell in love with her work. How come sometimes you just dont see things the first hundred times you go thru the shops?

Rebecca Salcedo of Smelly Rhino Studio is a folksy artist who does pet portraits, aceos, prints and giclees.

Want something special made up, just ask she has no problem doing custom work for anyone of anything any time.

You can find her work at http://www.artfire.com/users/smellyrhinostudio

Follow her work on her blog

Read a funny interview that Christy DeKoning did with her.

If nothing else, enjoy her work, its pretty amazing!

Well Rob came home with this huge desk that came out of a model home and suggested using it for my sewing room. soooooooooooo down my table and ironing board came



and up went the desk



Now to find a place for everything :-(

Hey after 4 1/2 years at Etsy I finally got on the front page!!!!!!!!!
4 sales from it and 5 hearts.

Birthday cake for Nicoles 21st.

I got an email over at Artfire this morning saying that one of my items was featured in an online magazine article.



Its a little tiny patch but it does get alot of attention.



Thank you Rouxbee

Yep that's right 48 for Larry is happening this WEEK!!! Go on over to www.blockheadradiolive.com and check it out!!!
As of today 11 pages of goodies are up for the silent auction!!!
Rod at Blockhead Radio has been working like a mad man to get the auction pages, so go on over and thank him!
Don't forget to give DeDe a HUGE thanks for getting this whole thing started and planning everything!!! Thank you DeDe and everyone else that's been a part of this HUGE event!!!

Copied with permission of Skyline Candle Company

Larry Hamm over at Chelsea Lynn Designs on Artfire is a friend of many in the world of handmade, he is also the voice of The Crazy Train on Blockhead Radio. Larry has a fantastic wife Janet, and an 8 year old son Jacob who live with him in Lansing, NC deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Larry is a friend to everyone and just an all around swell guy. He is most definitely the "shirt off your back" kind of friend. Right now, all of Larry´s friends and Blockhead Radio are teaming up to help him out in a tough time.
The Hamm's

Larry is a disabled diabetic who currently has lost his health insurance. His medication alone monthly is over $2,000. Larry is not receiving disability, he has not been approved yet. His wife is the only source of income and she doesn´t make enough to cover his medications. Larry´s doctors have given him an outlook of only 18 months to live if he doesn´t receive a $17,000 gastric bypass surgery as soon as possible. Larry and his family need all the help from their family and friends they can get! Jacob and Janet need Larry to hang around here with them as long as he possibly can! All of his friends surely want Larry to stick around too!
Larry

All of us at Blockhead Radio are gearing up for the biggest Radiothon you´ll ever be a part of! July 24th at 6pm until July 26th at 6pm, Blockhead Rod will be live on the radio for 48 hours straight raising money for our friend Larry. A silent auction of donated handmade goods will also be going up on the home page of Blockhead Radio with 100% of the proceeds going to Larry.

If you would like to be a part of this wonderful event, please email DeDe Sorensen at: 48forlarry@blockheadradio.com Please donate any handmade items you can for the silent auction have your emails in with your donations by July 22nd. If you would like to donate cash for Larry’s prescriptions and surgery please visit Blockhead Radio July 24th through July 26th. There will be plenty of ways to get your donations in.

Keep listening to Blockhead Radio for fantastic indie music, and how you can help Larry Hamm of Chelsea Lynn Designs.

Copied with permission from Blockheadradio.

Well the contest is over. I didn't win. Sorta. I came in second place. Sorta.

I was in Blockheadradio chat listening to the Inside Handmade radio show with John and Tony from Artfire, learning about SMO (social media optimization) and minding my own business.

WHEN Kevin from Artfire private messaged me.

He wanted to let me know that Cher , the winner of the contest had wanted to give me the third shopping spree as a runner up in the contest. How cool is that?? What a sweet person she is.

So everyone get over to her shop JewelryByCher , check her out, tell your friends about her beautiful handmade items.

So because of Cher, I ended up a winner. Thank you Cher!

Thank you to all of my friends who voted up my comment! You are all the best!

Artfire is having a contest. Win a 100.00 shopping spree for you and 2 friends.
There are 4 days left and I think I can do this.

I need my friends to go to this facebook link and become a fan of Artfires facebook page, then go to my comment and click LIKE under it.

Teresa from Elegancebymode has been helping me get lots of votes so she is getting one of the shopping sprees if I win.

The other shopping spree I am going to put everyone that voted for me into a random number generator and let Random pick the winner of the other shopping spree.

Leave a comment along with your like and I will enter your name twice.

Thanks for everyones help.

I have never before recieved an award for blogging, so it amazed me when I found out I was nominated not once but TWICE for this award.
First by Shelley the NCTeddyBearLady
Second by Jenn of Haffina Creations
It is really amazing to me that I recieved this as I am not really a great blogger!

The rules you have to follow:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So for my nominees:
1. Pastry Stitches
2. Great Ride Across America Pedaling Steady
3. CharSpirit's Blog
4. Ignis Fatuus
5. Rainwolf Studios
6. The Blue Daisy Designs
7. Jenny Karlsson Designs
8. Yours Truli
9. A Punkin Card Company
10. Skyline Candle Company
11. Wunderments
12. WeeKnit
13. Polymer Clay Smooshers
14. The Chain Maille Lady
15. My Doggie And Me

Dont forget to take some time to visit all these great blogs. Leave a comment and let them know you were there!

A Shopping Spree for Three!





Playing is easy, and winning is even easier! Here’s what to do:



1. Go to the main Artfire.com fan page wall on FaceBook and tell the world why you love Artfire.com. It could be your favorite function, feature, or the community in general, just let the world know!



2. Invite all your friends to join and “like” and “comment” on your post, go ahead and “like” your friends’ posts too.



3. The post with the most "likes" on June 30th at 11:59PM PDT will be this month’s winner and receive a $100 shopping spree at Artfire.com!



4. The winner will get to pick two friends who will each receive a $100 shopping spree at Artfire.com as well.



Head on over to the Artfire.com fan page wall and tell us what you love!





ArtFire.com Facebook Fan Page.





LEgal Stuff



No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Items shipped to winners must comply with all local laws and regulations. Shopping spree has no substitution and no cash value. All awards and decisions by Artfire.com are final. Identity verification of winners may be required to ensure shopping sprees are not awarded to the same person.



In the event of a tie the number of comments on a post will be used as a tie breaker.



Shopping sprees are $100 USD total which includes item costs and all associated shipping fees.



A shopping spree may not be broken up into multiple shopping trips. Artfire.com will pay for each winner’s shopping cart up to $100 inclusive of shipping.



Artfire.com can randomly select two of the friends who liked the winning post at the request of the winner.

I havent been very good about updating all my friends about what is going on with my best friend JoAnn and her dear husband Donald. Here is her latest post.


First I guess we start with the good news - that is always best I guess. I am just overwhelmed right now. So many have written emails asking how things are going - and we appreciate that - so here are the updates.

Well, you remember that horrid co-pay for Don's open heart surgery - and our feelings of helplessness - we've had a bit of a reprieve. A very dear friend talked to us about the out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance. She said to check again with the insurance company and see what our total would be. Out of pocket expenses are what you are expected to pay, up to a certain amount, and then insurance takes over and pays 100% after that. So instead of 25,000.00 we were originally told, we are responsible for only 2,000.00 - still a hefty sum - but with the quilt raffle, quite doable. It was such a relief when we found this out - like we could breath again. The big question is - why didn't the financial people at the hospital know about this - surely they've dealt with other people in similar situations. Well, it is past now - and we are so relieved. But the quilt raffle is still on - and if we go over our total needed we will donate it to someone else in a tight financial situation because of illness or surgery. So you still have time to get in and get your chances to win the quilt - and the other lovely prizes donated by good friends and good blogger-friends. There are some new prizes being offered also - and I'll update those soon.




So - now for the rest of the news. Most of you have read that there is no bypass surgery needed at the same time as the open heart surgery to repair the mitral valve - which is very good news - the less time they have to spend in there - the better. Then yesterday we saw the surgeon and he set up the surgery for June 19 - a Friday. Then things got a bit crazy.

There was some edema in Don's feet and ankles yesterday . . .

Edema was worse by evening . . .

Edema still the same this morning. . .

Called surgeon on emergency number this morning - he said to get to the cardiologist to have this checked - and to reschedule the surgery sooner . . .

Visit to cardiologist - nothing is urgent or dangerous so they will be watching and gave Don a presciption to control the edema . . .

Surgery rescheduled for June 12 - next Friday. . .

So that's it - and I think that is about all I can deal with right now - we are delighted with the insurance results - a little frightened about having to move the surgery up so soon - but we will get through this - with the help of family and friends.

Artfire launched their new look today. I think it looks great!!!



Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

The FREERIDE is back at Artfire. Sign up 12 friends and you AND a friend of your choosing get a free account for life.

Since I already have my free ride, I am trying to help my friends.
Sign up under one of my friends links and as soon as they verify that you joined under them I will add your name to my list of friends to help.


Register on ArtFire.com smiss00
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Teresa at Elegancebymode is having a Memorial Day Sale. 25% off her entire shop. Its already marked down just go in browse and buy some of her great jewelry items.

I personally have one of these, if you need it larger or smaller let her know she is so easy to work with.


I also own one of her bracelets thanks to a giveaway at Blockhead Radio



So go over to Elegancebymode say hi, check out and purchase some of her awesome work.

May 15 was our 27th wedding anniversary. We had never ever had a vacation by ourselves, so we decided this was our year.

Always wanting to go to the Florida Keys thats what we did. We stayed at Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key.
What a nice place!!!! Rooms there start at 149.00 a nite so how can you go wrong for a resort?

We drive up and wow its pretty. Lots of flowers and foliage, well maintained.
Get to our room and again WOW

The bed



The bathroom



The view from the balcony


The week we went seems to be the start of rainy season but thats ok, the temps were down and we got to do most everything we wanted except for a keys sunset.

This was the sunset we caught on our last night while having a spectacular dinner at Alma on the patio of the hotel. The sunset may not have been what we were wanting but oh that food was beyond!! It was also the most expensive meal for 2 we had ever had!


For a great beach (we were told the keys had no good beaches) go to Bahia Honda State Park. 6.00 for 2 to get in.


haha me at the beach unheard of!!

Rob loves the beach


We did go fishing which was the one thing Rob wanted to do. It was a nasty rainy morning which turned into a bright sunny morning. We caught a bunch of grunt, snapper, trigger fish. Nothing really worth keeping for us to take back and have someone cook so we gave them away.


Many more pictures are on my flickr if you would like to look.

As always the best part of vacationing is getting home to your own bed!