Weekly Sewing and Craft Tip

This tip is in in honor of the upcoming holiday. Some of the Christmas cards that I receive in the mail are just so beautiful, I hate to throw them out! Well, I have found a way to get another use out of them.

I cut the pictures and sayings from the front and re use them for gift tags for the following year. My family and friends love seeing the beautiful handmade tags each year, and I get to enjoy some of the beautiful cards for one more year!

Winner of the Coffee Cozy Giveaway!

The winner of the Coffee Cozy Giveaway is Nicole Bergman of Langham, SK, Canada! CJ's Fine Designs would like to congratulate all of the winners for the Month of Giving contests!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win. Keep your eyes out for more contests in the near future!

Month of Giving - Coffee Cozy Giveaway

For our third “Month of Giving” contest, CJ’s Fine Designs is featuring an Etsy shop called TheGreenHaven. Here is a little information about the shop owner for TheGreenHaven.

My name is Megan Anderson. I currently live in Frostburg, MD, which is a pretty small town. I’m going to college at Frostburg State University which is way up in the mountains, making it ridiculously cold.

My mother actually found Etsy for me. One of her co-workers told her about it and she passed it on to me. My craft is sewing, which I’ve been doing it most of my life. My grandmother started teaching me when i was around 5 or 6. (I’m only 18 now... so I’ve been sewing for about 12 yrs.) I can get inspiration from anything, from a new fabric I buy, to a bag I saw in a store. I often find that my best projects come when I just start sewing with no intention in mind.

I work out of my apartment in a small room, so i have to keep my material and inventory in tubs in my closet. I use an end table with a towel for an ironing board, and my desk has to get cleared off whenever I want to sew so that I have room for my sewing machine.

I will be going home for the holidays. I am very excited about that. My favorite holiday tradition is our family visits. Every Christmas Eve we go to my mother’s parents and have Christmas dinner and presents. Then Christmas day we open presents at my house and then go to my Dad's parents for Christmas dinner and presents. We all live within 5 miles of each other it’s so nice to have everyone close.

You can find me on:
Blog~ www.thegreenhaven.blogspot.com
Facebook~ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=feed&story_fbid=188066719607&id=1461616913#/pages/TheGreenHaven/215015841258?ref=ts
my other shop~ www.megsbags.etsy.com
other blog~ www.megsbags.blogspot.com

Megan has been nice enough to donate a Winter Penguin Coffee Huggy for this contest. This coffee huggy will make a great gift or you can keep it for yourself!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from TheGreenHaven shop on Etsy.

Additional ways to enter:

Visit my Etsy shop at CJ's Fine Designs and leave a comment with your favorite item.

Become a fan of my Facebook page.

Become a follower of CJ’s Fine Designs on Twitter

Become a follower of my blog.

The winner will be chosen on December 17th!

Snowman Pin Giveaway Winner Announced!

CJ's Fine Designs would like to announce that Holly Casey from Tulsa, Oklahoma is our lucky winner of our Snowman Pin Giveaway.

Thank you to Brown's Country Originals for donating the Snowman Pin for our giveaway!

Month of Giving Contest - Snowman Pin Giveaway

For our second “Month of Giving” contest, CJ’s Fine Designs is featuring Brown’s Country Originals. The owners of Brown’s Country Originals can be found on Etsy at brownsco. I wanted to get to know the owners a little so I asked a few questions.

What are your names?
Mike and Donna Brown

Where do you live, and what is it like?
We live in Pennsylvania lots of mountains, hills and lakes.

How did you find Etsy?
A friend told me about ETSY

What is your craft, and when did you start doing it?
We are a husband and wife artist team. I work with wood, chalkware, clay and papier mache. My wife works with dried, fresh and artificial flowers and hypertufa. These creative passions led us in 2008 to start Brown’s Country Originals. The name came from living in the country and our last name.

Hypertufa is a lite weight concrete. Besides the paper mache and chalkware we have a line of garden items my wife makes country/primitive hypertufa birdbaths, flower planters and flower pots. I make country/primitive wooden potting benches, planter and garden stakes.

What gives you inspiration?
Life, friends, family and my job.

Where do you work from (home, office, boutique, a tiny corner of the house... lol)?
Our studio is in our home.

What will you be doing for the holidays?
Spending time with friends and family

What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Searching for a real Christmas tree.

Where else can we find you? Blog, twitter, facebook, etsy shops, website, etc...
www.brownscountryoriginals.com
www.artsaflutter.com

The owner’s at Brown’s Country Originals has agreed to give away this beautifully handcrafted snowman pin. This pin is crafted of chalkware.



The winner will be picked on December 12th.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from Brown’s Country Originals shop on Etsy.

Additional ways to enter:
Visit my Etsy shop and leave a comment with your favorite item.
Become a fan of my Facebook page.
Become a follower of CJ’s Fine Designs on Twitter
Become a follower of my blog.

Winner of the Holiday Gift Tag Set is Announced!

I am pleased to announce the winner of the Holiday Gift Tag Set is Gloria McKellar from Sebewaing, MI. She is very excited about her set of gift tags.

It was a very successful contest, with over 36 entries. Thank you to all that entered.

December is The Month of Giving

CJ's Fine Designs has decided to bring you a month of giving to honor the holiday spirit! We are kicking off the month with a Giveaway from Etsy shop OhHappyDayCreations! I wanted to find out a little more about the shop owner:

1) What is your name?
Theresa

2) Where do you live and what is it like?
Right outside of NYC. Its getting cold now! Winter is almost here. It is a nice place to live. 30 minutes from the BIG Apple and 30 minutes from some nice beaches. I grew up here, so it home.

3) How did you find Etsy?
I was looking for some great handmade touches for my recent wedding. I had made a bunch of things myself, but there were still a few other things I wanted. Someone on a wedding message board mentioned Etsy...and I have been in love ever since!

4) What is your craft and when did you start doing it?
Right now I mostly make items for wedding, party decor. Pomander balls, place cards, gift tags. But lately I have made some pretty note card sets. I love rubber stamps, ink, and embossing. I am venturing into letterpress now too...be on the lookout for the cool new items come the new year.

5) What gives you inspiration?
Weddings, nature, color.

6) Where do you work from (home, office, boutique, a tiny corner of the house... lol)?
We have an second bedroom in our apartment. Its the office/craft room! I usually just spread out on the floor in there! My crafts have taken over!

7) What will you be doing for the holidays?
For Thanksgiving, we are headed to my husband's mom's house in CT. And for Christmas we will be with my family here in NY. My dad is Mr. Christmas. So naturally, it is my favorite time of the year as well. He starts decorating right after Halloween. We all joke about it...he bypasses Thanksgiving every year. LOL.

8) What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Being with my family and decorating the tree. Also, I love NYC in the Christmas time. All the shops, the tree, the people...it is really is a special place.

9) Where else can we find you? Blog, twitter, facebook, etsy shops, website, etc...
My etsy shop is my only internet home right now. I often think about starting a blog...maybe one day. There are so many amazing wedding items, ideas, and vendors out there. I might put a blog together featuring all the awesome Etsy wedding items I come across.


Theresa, from OhHappyDayCreations has been kind enough to offer this lovely Holiday Gift Tag Set to the winner of our first Month of Giving contest!



All you have to do to enter is leave a comment for this post with your favorite item from OhHappyDayCreations.

Additional ways to enter:
Become a fan of this blog.
Become a fan of my Facebook Business Page
Become a follower of my shop on Twitter
Once you have fanned or followed me, just leave a message here!

The winner will be drawn on December 7th!

Coming in December!

The month of December will be a month of giving here! I will be hosting three giveaways, so stay tuned.

There will be several ways to enter. Details will come soon!

Oswegatchie Craft Show

Well, the Oswegatchie Craft Fair was a huge success. I just want to thank my friends and family that stopped by to see my boutique. My holiday bibs and jumper dresses were a big hit as well as my baby sleep sacks. I sold out of my reindeer bibs, but I will create more for sale this week.

My craft fair appearance will be at East Lyme High School on December 6th from 10am to 3pm. Make sure you mark your calendars and stop on in to see CJ's Fine Designs.

Weekly Craft and Sewing Tip

I am going to be offering a weekly craft or sewing tip.

This week's tip:
When winding thread on a bobbin, wind two at a time. You always use up the bobbin before the spool. This way you have a backup to load into your machine in the middle of a project!

Holiday Baby Bibs!

I just wanted to share my adorable Holiday Baby Bibs with you!









CJ's Fine Designs has everything from snowflakes to penguins and reindeer to candy canes. Why not decorate your baby for the holidays too?

Adorable Models!

I just have to say that when working with children for models, you can do no wrong. My photographer, Little L's Photography, and I, worked with a group of children to spice up my Etsy shop.

My little friend Mia proudly posed in my Blue & Brown Corduroy Jumper Dress.




Ciana had a good time posing in my Pink and Purple Corduroy Jumper Dress.




Bianca showed us all how it is done while showing off this Hot Pink Polka Dot Jumper Dress.




Take a look at little Eva in this Light Pink Sleeper Blanket Sack.




Let's not forget Scott, who sweetly sported this Penguin Waterproof Bib for us!



I just want to give a great big Thank you to my wonderful models!

Autumn Inspired Finds

I love shopping on Etsy. There is always something for every occasion and for everyone. I have decided to put together a collection of my favorite fall inspired items for some wonderful Etsy sellers.



Use these Oak Leaves in Autumn Colors stamped by SoftDayStudios to decorate your holiday table, accent handmade cards, scrapbooking or other craft projects.




Decorate your wrist with this lovely Autumn Colors Bracelet crafted by Innerversion. Wear with it to accent a dress or to dress up a sweater and jeans.




You can't have fall without the smell of fresh pumpkins and spices. This wonderful Pumpkin Spice Shea Butter Soap is crafted by Wickfulthings.




Keep your neck warm during this cold season with this handknit Spiced Pumpkin Cowl by Phydeaux.




Keep your lips from being chapped with this tasty Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm by BohemianRose. This lip balm is just like a slice of pumpkin pie, but without the calories!




Fill your home with the enticing aromas of vanilla cream pudding sweetened with caramel and hints of pumpkin with this Pumpkin Pudding Melting Tart by CountryHomeScent.





Accessorize your home with these handknit Organic Nesting Bowls by EcoChicHandKnits. What a wonderful addition to your fall decor!




Your Thanksgiving Host or Hostess will be touched when you thank them with this Festive Seasonal Fall Card created by AddieBear.




Fill your home with wonderful autumn scents with this Autumn Leaves Soy Candle made by AjsCountryCottage.




Bring a Thank You bottle of wine with you to Thanksgiving dinner adorned with this Personalized Thanksgiving Wine Bottle Gift Tag crafted by FanfareDesigns.

Etsy Treasury

I got an Etsy treasury!!!
Check out this fine collection of Autumn inspired Etsy Finds.


Click Here

Halloween is Just Around the Corner!

In preparation for Halloween, I thought I would post some great Halloween items for you all to take a look at and shop from!

Etsy has so many options to offer for any occasion including Halloween.

Check out these awesome Halloween favorites!




From Etsy seller, MomentInTheSun, Eerie Pumpkin gift boxes in bright orange and green on midnight black with glitter accents.
Fill 'em up with Halloween goodies and sweet treats.




From Etsy seller, HouseHoldWords, A cute and whimsy little Grim Reaper. Have fun with this little guy applied to your laptop, car window, locker door, toaster and more!
Order more than one for party favors or gift giving!




From Etsy seller, KittyKatKards, Wish someone a happy Halloween with this adorable origami bat card! The card features a personally folded bat and a paper punched message. Cards are left blank for your personal message.




From Etsy seller, smc801, Wish everyone a Happy Halloween with this large and very cute rustic wooden Bat door sign.




From Etsy seller, CatnipStudioToo, use this set of 4 tags. 2 angry cats and 2 spooky pumpkins in black, cream, and orange polka dot card stock papers with inked edges. Cats have button eyes, paper noses, and black eyelets with poly satin ribbon ties. Pumpkins have hand cut faces, and green eyelets with poly satin ribbon ties.




From Etsy seller, CustomKids, tranform your little one into a Jedi Knight for Halloween with this one of a kind custom made Jedi Robe.




From Etsy seller, ThePigAndThePeacock, they have made these delightful Jack-O-Lantern soaps just in time. These fun soaps are scented with a pumpkin spice blend. This listing is for one set of two 2 ounce soaps.




From Etsy seller, craftylittlekitten, she introduces you to this cute little trio of ghosts...The Boo's Brothers!!!




From Etsy seller, MHaynes2009, she has these adorable felt pumpkins. Buy one, or buy more for a pumpkin patch!

Sleep Sacks

Keep your baby warm without blankets this fall with these adorable and stylish Sleep Sacks handcrafted by CJ. More styles and sizes are available. Just contact CJ's Fine Designs for a custom sleep sack!

New Fabrics In Fabric Shop!

Check out the new fabrics in my fabric shop, CJs Supplies

I have Alexander Henry, Robert Kaufman and much more in stock!

Shop CJ's Fine Designs Locally

I am pleased to announce that my Children's and Baby line can be found locally at Guppies Coastal Kids Shoppe in Niantic, CT! You can also still purchase my products online at: www.cjsfinedesigns.com

Winner of May Giveaway!

I am pleased to announce that the winner of my May Giveaway is Theresa Lautenslager of Rosalia, WA. She is the proud owner of the shop Flight Fancy.

She will receive her flip flops generously donated from Solely Charming shortly and sport them all summer long!

Please keep watching out for my June Featured Seller and Giveaway.

May Featured Seller & Giveaway

Jaylene from Apple Valley, California is my May Featured Seller! Jaylene owns and operates her Etsy shop, Solely Charming, out of her home studio. Jaylene creates the most unique and fun flip flops. Her Etsy store is stocked with high quality flip flops and accessories.

I asked Jaylene what inspires her the most and she said, "The idea of creating something that makes someone else feel special and that becomes a part of who they are. The joy of my products being incorporated into something as special as someone’s wedding day."

Jaylene tells me about how she became an Etsy shop owner. "I owned a retail gift and craft store for several years and have missed that. I helped my husband design footwear at one point when he worked in that industry and later started designing my own footwear. I began creating those designs, and they were popular with friends and family, so I decided to search for a venue to sell my handmade designs." Jaylene continued to explain that she had been crafting for over 15 years in several different forms. She has done florals, tole painting and rustic wood crafts before discovering her talent with footwear.

Jaylene is a mother of one and a Grandmother to two with another one on the way. She actually discovered Etsy by accident. While on a social networking site, she came across an ad for Etsy. She had been looking for a venue that showcased handmade products. She loves to shop for supplies right on Etsy too! I asked Jaylene what she like to do to relax and she replied, "Aside from creating new products, I like to read and spend time with my family and grandchildren."

For this months featured seller giveaway, Jaylene is going to giveaway a pair of black flip flops with your choice of rhinestone color! Perfect for the summer!

To enter, just visit Solely Charming on Etsy and then leave a comment below as to what your favorite item is in the shop. Additional entries can be submitted by becoming a follower of this blog during the giveaway or becoming a fan of my Facebook business page during the giveaway.

The winner for this giveaway will be chosen on May 27th, so hurry up and enter now!

More Fabrics Listed

If you like designers like Alexander Henry and Amy Butler, then I have the supply shop for you! Check out my shop, CJ's Supplies, to see all of the great new fabrics!

April Giveaway Winner!

I am pleased to announce the April giveaway winner is Krystal Brobst of North Port, FL. She is a very excited work at home mom of two with another on the way. She can not wait to receive her new earrings from Ella Scott Jewels. Thank you once again to all that entered. I will be starting my May Giveaway shortly, so keep looking out for that!

April Giveaway Winner To Be Announced

I will be announcing the April Giveaway winner in the next couple of days. Thank you to all that entered. I had a total of 74 entries!

New Supply Shop

Check out my new supply shop on Etsy at:
CJsSupplies.etsy.com

April Featured Seller and Giveaway!

This month I will be featuring a wonderful Etsy seller from EllaScottJewels
Janet is a fabulous crafter on Etsy. She creates the most beautiful and unique jewelry!

I asked Janet when she began crafting and she said, "I got started crafting when I was younger but didn't do it much while I was in college. Once I became engaged though I was a crafting nut and even made my bridesmaids jewelry. Then this past year I made bouquet crystals and the jewelry for my brother and sister-in-laws wedding and since then there is just no stopping me." She loves working with semi-precious stones because you will never find the same two stones and that adds character to all that she does. She says, "Most of my current work uses stone and I just love the pops of color throughout my shop."

Janet bases her business out of her home in Richmond, Virginia where she is raising two year old twins. She found Etsy by chance a little over a year ago. When she decided to start her business she looked into a bunch of different avenues but kept coming back to Etsy because it was the best fit for her. She says, "I have been on Etsy since October 08. I actually opened my shop one day before my 30th birthday and it is the best present I ever gave myself."

I asked Janet if she wear her own work and she said, "I absolutely wear my own work and love it! Most of the time when I make a piece I wish that I would have bought extra to make one for myself."

"My favorite crafting tip has got to be practice makes perfect. Looking back on some of the older stuff I did I am so glad that I continue to create new things all the time. My work has definitely come full circle and without any formal training I know it is just from constantly getting in there and getting my hands dirty.", Janet says.

Janet has two favorite supply stores. One is local, Fandangle Beads, and no matter how many times she goes there, she always seems to find new treasures. Her second favorite supplier is a national chain, Fire Mountain Gems. She loves the great discounts she gets from them and she buys all her silver and copper there.

Janet says she is most inspired by her children. "You can see there playful nature in a lot of my pieces. Second would have to be nature. Spring has certainly given a lot to work with. Lastly would be fashion. I try to keep up with the trends so that there is something out there for everyone."

Ella Scott Jewels also does custom work. If you have an idea in mind just ask!!

April's Giveaway will be these Blueberries and Cream Earrings crafted by EllaScottJewels!

Beautiful blue candy jade stones are suspended from hammered sterling silver ovals and sterling silver earwires. These little beauties measure in at approximately 2 inches from the top of the earwire.

Blueberries and Cream come packaged ready to give as a gift or to keep all to yourself!


To enter, just visit EllaScottJewels shop and leave a comment below as to what you favorite piece is.

Additional ways to enter:
Become a follower of my blog in the month of April.
Become a fan of my Facebook Page in the month of April.

The winner will be picked on May 1st!

Destashing Supplies

I have gone through my fabrics and have started listing fabrics on my Etsy site. Check in and grab a deal or two!

CJ'FineDesigns

Binky Clip Giveaway Winner

Barbara Gajewski with BarbaraCrochetStudio of New York is the winner of the March Binky Clip Giveaway!

Congratulations to Barbara! Keep watching for our April Giveaway!

March Giveaway! Ribbon Binky Clip!

I will be giving away any ribbon binky clip of choice for my March Giveaway! Simply just go to my Etsy shop and comment below on which ribbon binky clip is your favorite. You will then be entered to win that binky clip. Winner will be chosen on March 31st.

You can get an additional entry by selecting to follow my blog in March!

Fellow Etsian Speaks Out!

Etsy shop owner of shadesofsplendor, Victoria, has touched me in a way I never could imagine.

Victoria is a mother of 3. While be challenged with everyday parenting, her 5 year old son, Ethan, has lead poisoning. Victoria does not know exactly what caused the lead poisoning. It could have been a multitude of things. Victoria is a crafter, just as many of us are, and understands the frustration with the CPSIA laws. She also knows the importance of them. These laws will continue to protect children from suffering as her son does.

Victoria says, "I will be the first to agree that the new CPSIA laws are ridiculous: they are going too far: that changes must be made to protect our "way of life". I am a crafter, I understand the dilemma and the pain that is affecting many of my friends here on Etsy, and the impact it is having on your income and family. To hear that a child could not buy a baseball glove; or after spending an afternoon shopping for a bike, was turned away at the register, saddens me greatly." She shows great compassion for our crafting community. What we don't understand is the other side of the CPSIA; Victoria's side.

"MY child suffered from lead poisoning. I have read posts that have seemed so heartless, with words such as "only one child has been known to die of lead poisoning in the last 10 years", or "I made it through, and I'm 80 years old"." She continues with, "What if it HAD happened to YOUR child? What if your son or daughter was the one who had died- or, what if your child was one of millions who suffered neurological damage; perhaps causing near blindness in one eye? MY CHILD HAS SUFFERED. We never found the "item"- for all we know it could have been any number of things combined during the phase when every toy in our home was up for teething and chewing on."

Ethan is a very happy 5 year old boy who battles his lead poisoning with therapy to retrain his eye-brain connection. He will be entering Kindergarten this fall where he will be challenged on a daily basis.

Victoria and her son are a perfect example of why the CPSIA laws are so important. These laws have not been created to attack crafters, but to protect children. I hope we all don't loose sight of that as we continue to fight for amendments.