2013 New Year's Resolutions with HVNY

Thank you all for your support and a great 2012 and as a team we are looking forward to even more fantastic opportunities in 2013! In a tradition that we started last year, here are some of our wishes for the upcoming year. 

I thought I had my act together in keeping good records of my sales but recently discovered I slipped on a couple of things so my thing for 2013 is ORGANIZATION! I'm becoming more familiar with Outright.com which is pretty awesome for keeping records. - Marilyn from Pulp Sushi

I'm starting over this year... I want to be happily creating monsters with a story to tell (in my own voice), without worrying if my art is catering to others. It'll be a new, more transparent Knot By Gran'ma, where what you see is... me. - Jess from Knot By Gran'ma

Get more organized, can't find anything because I have my supplies strewn everywhere and start blogging. - Hema from Anjali Creations

I'm looking forward to going through all of my past work, making decisions about how to use it or get rid of it. I want to reorganize my studio because the way I paint has changed and the workspace needs to accommodate that. I plan to apply for one of the shows at the Millbrook winery; and to do 2 other solo shows this year. - Becky from Gemini River Rocks

I am planning (hoping) to streamline the candy line and focus on items I know I will sell.  I get bored making the same thing over and over so this will be a challenge. - Michelle from Catskill Candy Co

Get my storage/supply room organized, with new shelving, etc. Streamline my line. Add more year-round and unisex goods. And to finish the two projects I started for myself almost five years ago! - Kathryn from Huzzah! Handmade

We have lot's of goals for this year. 1)Expand our wedding invitation line. 2)Expand our card line by 50 cards. 3)Participate in the National Stationery Show in May, and sell wholesale to at least 10 more stores. 4)Get better at Quickbooks and keeping things organized more than 2012. - Danielle from Wishbone Letterpress

Plan on making more new things for the spring summer fall seasons.  Make more old tried and true designs, too. Wishing that all your resolutions come true.  - Lynn from New Prospect Pottery

Schedule my time better, and then stick to that schedule (when possible). My regular work hours are all over the place and it's hard to find time to work on all the projects I really want to be working on. - Arwen from Arwen Designs

Signposts and Guides for the Creative Life

"The only hope Mother Earth has for survival is our recovering creativity - which is of course, our divine power.  Creativity is so satisfying, so important, not because it produces something but because the process is cosmological.  There's joy and delight in giving birth."  Matthew Fox

In this last week of the  year it is all too apparent that our world is suffering.  We watch the erosion of  consideration, compassion, the environment, values, and sometimes feel hopeless, that things have gone too far, that perhaps we can't recover.  Matthew Fox's words are encouraging.    They remind me of that popular fund raising technique we hear on the radio when they say, "Make your contribution  within the next half hour and we have an anonymous donor who will match what you give."   We have experienced our own small successes when we've lived out our individual and communal creativity; as we look to the new year, what will you birth into being?  What deserves your attention, your nourishment?  Trust that whatever you "donate" will be matched in surprising ways.

Merry Christmas!

From the Hudson Valley Etsy Team...

Holiday Baking with Kids

Blue Snow Cookie Trees

When I baked with my kids, both of them had an egg allergy.  Since you don't want your children eating raw eggs when they taste the dough (how can they resist?) it's safer to use a shortbread recipe for making cut-out cookies.  

Cut-Out Shortbread Cookies

2 cups unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

4 7/8 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Simplest Frosting

Confectioners sugar

Milk

Equipment

Mixer

Rolling pin

Tree cookie cutters

Wilton blue sugar nonpareils/sprinkles

Food coloring

Tiny spoons

Mix butter & sugar on medium speed.  Mix salt into flour, add to butter & sugar until fully blended. Dough maybe a little crumbly but push together by hand.  Take out a 5" ball to work with at a time.  Flour a flat, clean surface.  With rolling pin roll out dough to 1/4" thick layer.  Cut with tree cookie cutters and place on baking tray.  Bake for approximately 14 minutes in middle of 325 degree oven or until edges are lightly brown.  Cool.

Wilton Sprinkles can be found at your local Michael's

I never felt that taking out the cake decorating set, with nozzles and everything else was going to be anything but an exercise in frustration for my smalls, so instead we would mix a very little milk, like two teaspoons, with a cup or more of confectioners sugar, and then add the food coloring of their choice.  It should be quite thick, not runny at all.  We would then spoon the sugar frosting on top of each cookie, spreading it in place with the back of the spoon.  Then they would add sprinkles of all sorts on top.  Then my daughter thought of dribbling a second color of frosting onto the cookie while the first layer was still wet.  She liked to make plaid Christmas cookies.  From her novel method came the idea for these pretty blue trees.

Simple and Elegant

 Mix up a bowl of white and a bowl of sky blue frosting.  Frost with the blue layer and then, before the frosting dries and sets, dribble from the tip of the spoon a zig zag of white frosting.  It may take a little practice at getting the timing and flow right. Put blue nonpareils along the white zig zag.  Let dry.  Frosting will become hard in about an hour, and then put cookies in a plastic container.

Mug from Cerulean Blue, cards from My Zoetrope and KBatty, plate from Megan Hart Porcelain 

 After all that work, it's time to relax with a little hot chocolate.  Happy Holidays, everyone!


Jody Lee

www.astudiobythesea.etsy.com

Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend

It's the last weekend before Christmas! For all you last minute shoppers we have two events this weekend:

Huzzah Handmade is starting the weekend early and will be selling her creations at the Procrastinator's Night at the Palaia Winery at 10 Sweet Clover Road in Highland Mills, NY, on Friday, December 21, from 6PM-9PM.

Huzzah Handmade

Molly's Purl will be vending at the Brooklyn Craft Central Holiday Market 2012 at the Littlefield Art Space in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY, on Saturday and Sunday, Secember 22 and 23, from 11AM-5PM.

Molly's Purl

Happy Holidays and happy shopping!

Meet Our New members: December

Every month the Hudson Valley Etsy Team accepts new members into the group and they are all lovely local artists and crafters from all over the Hudson Valley; you may even have seen them around!

So without further ado, here are this month’s members!  Don’t be afraid to check out their shops and give them some love.

Pink Berry Silk Screened Note Card Set from Dewey Howard 

Elizabeth Grubaugh of DeweyHoward is from Tuxedo Park, NY and has a  wonderful shop full of silk screened artwork including note cards, home goods, gift tags and prints. Welcome to the team! 

Set of 5 Oak leaf acorn ornaments from amberhlynn

I’m also a new member. My name is Amber Hawkinson of amberhlynn and I’m from Red Hook, NY.  I offer an eclectic collection of cute items ranging from hand painted ornaments, original illustrations, polymer clay jewelry, sculptures, and even some upcycled items.  Nice to meet you! 

Owl Christmas Decorations from  SO handmade

Sara Omura of SOhandmade is from Kingston, NY and has a cuddly shop full of stuffed animals, ornaments, and other textile work.  Her shop is on vacation right now, but check back for your dose of cuteness.  Hello!

Gourmet Garlic Powder, Garlic Lover's Size from RockerboxGarlic

Rae Rotindo of RockerboxGarlic is from Millbrook, NY.  Her shop features handmade 100% garlic powder, garlic flakes, and onion dust.  Their packaging is gorgeous as well.  Good to see you!

  

Those are this month’s new shops. I hope you’ll give them a warm welcome. Don’t forget, there is still time to buy local handmade gifts for the holidays and make someone’s day.

See you next time!

Amber

Signposts and Guides for the Creative Life

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter every day epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."  John Milton

It is in that time of awakening when we might experience new visions of and for ourselves.  May our eyes be opened, our heart be quickened, our spirit be deepened.  Our communities and the world are desperate for our creative engagement.

What moves you to gratitude in this season?  What is being born in you as a result of this feeling?

Treasury Tuesday: December 18th

There's still time to get some last minute gift ideas in those stockings. Maybe this week's selection of Etsy treasuries can help out? See more in our December thread.

'Please Share' by handjstarcreations

Burlap Sack - Holds 2 x... RockerboxGarl... $2.00	Holiday tree ornament -... amberhlynn $20.00	Sale / set of 2 vintage... Luncheonettev... $10.00	Dash Stud Earing LaurenRoseJew... $18.00
Infamy - Wet Shavers Sh... Mundus $7.95	Rustic Copper Framed Mi... RobinsArtAndD... $40.00	BE HAPPY Vintage White... MonkiVintage $14.00	Country Charm Bouquet -... sparkleandpos... $85.00
bear portrait no. 2 // ... mimiandlu $15.00	Peach, Frost, Brown, Ne... 8daysOfTreasu... $10.00	Set Free Empty Birdcage... WoodenNickels... $16.00	Camel maxi dress, wool ... texturable $160.00
Forest Brooch silk ribb... bstudio $40.00	Vintage World Globe 197... BridgewoodPla... $45.00	Rustic, country, brown,... MissMPhotogra... $22.00	Miniature Mushrooms Set... FoxtailCreekS... $12.00

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

'I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.' by Drusilla

The many aspects of the color white, featuring artists from the Hudson Valley Etsy Team.

Winter White Wedding Pe... GetGlassy $24.00	Love Birds Coffee and T... LandMstudio $50.00	DIY Crochet Kit - Snowm... ThePudgyRabbi... $17.00	Chopstick bowl Ceruleanblue $30.00
Infinity Scarf KNITTING... AtelierTPK $6.50	Dave's Cluster - Ma... catskillcandy... $20.00	Chakra Mini Monster Set... knotbygranma $214.00	White Happy Buddha Bead... pulpsushi $17.00
Snowperson Sharing Wint... geminiriverro... $3.00	Diamond Ring -- Geometr... SarahLambertC... $46.00	Large Smooth Round Leaf... JSWMetalWorks $18.00	White Cat art PRINT of ... rachelsstudio $25.00
WHITE WINTER BRANCHES e... GypsyRabbit $30.00	Felted Snow White Swan ... Gypsyharte $29.00	16 in Square Throw Pill... wickedmint $36.00

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

The Ever-Cool Gel Image Transfer Technique: A Tutorial.

Hi! I'm Jill from Entropic Grace, an artist in Cold Spring, NY. About a year ago, my husband Mike and I were taking a walk along the banks of the Hudson River in town when we spotted some absolutely stunning pieces of driftwood. Perfectly smoothed, they were just breathtaking. So we picked them up. Then we spotted more, and picked those up, too. And so on, and on...

Being artists, naturally we were thrilled with these found treasures, and we happily piled them into our car. Once at our house, the driftwood remained in our shed for, umm, a while, until my husband came up with the divinely-inspired idea of transferring images from old photographs onto some of the pieces using the tried and true method of Gel Medium transfer. We fell in love with the results, and so I have decided to share this time-honored method of image transfer in this tutorial. Enjoy.

Gather Your Materials. You will need some really cool pieces of wood and the means to cut it if necessary. Your supply list includes: laser prints of the images you want to transfer, sandpaper, brushes, an old rag or tee shirt, a tape measure, straight-edge, gel medium, Mod-Podge, white latex paint, scissors, and an old credit card. And some hot coffee and good music help, too.

Check out the instructions after the jump

Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend

We're ready to do some shopping for ourselves this weekend, but don't forget those stocking stuffers!

Beyond The Picket Fence has got you covered! (Or why not put together a whole basket as a treat for that special someone?). Beyond The Picket Fence will be at the Beacon Farmer's Market at 8 Red Flynn Road in Beacon, NY, on Sunday, December 16, from 11AM-3PM.

Beyond The Picket Fence

Happy shopping!

Inspiration Wednesday

This is my last Inspiration Wednesday. I have had a lot of fun with these posts but I am about 7 weeks pregnant and very sick with morning sickness. It lasts all day and night and unfortunately being on the computer makes it even worse.

I hope you enjoyed these posts and have found some inspiration from the Design Seeds palettes.

Thanks to everyone who read my posts or played along.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Shannon

For My Sweet Daughter