All You Need is.....

Wine charms and a bottle of wine!! Hey everyone....I would like you to meet Heather of AllYouNeedDesigns I was offered a chance to review Heather's handmade wine charms and I must say that this was a fun filled review to do...Tee hee!!!



I made a baked Haddock dinner for my husband, and we locked ourselves out on the sun porch while our children ate pizza and watched a movie. The review went very well, so well in fact I ended up drinking the entire bottle of wine by myself since my husband doesn't drink. Oops...then I realized I forgot to take the pictures of the charms with my photo prop which happened to be the wine that I just finished. That's ok cause I sent my Husband out to get another bottle, and took the pictures. Tee Hee!! So back to the review. These charms are the cutest little things and they compliment the wineglasses so well. The colors are bright and some of them have cute little encouraging words engraved on them like....Love, Laugh and Live. The wineglass charms are made very well and are easy to put on and take off the wineglass stems.



If you are looking for some unique gift ideas for that next birthday coming up, head on over to AllYouNeedDesigns, and take a look around. A few of my favorites are these great items...


This is the coolest thing ever. BEST FRIENDS beaded bookmarks - set of two - Customized just for you. Heather lets you pick your bead colors and you can give one to your Best Friend. You can get your set for only $13.99.

Next is this Turquoise and Silver beaded lanyard/necklace. The colors are gorgeous on this piece and would be great for your work or school ID badge or you can remove the silver clasp and wear it as a necklace. How sweet is that??? What a steal at $14.99.

The last item I want to point out is the Merry Merry Christmas 5x7 Photo Card also with other sizes available. All cards are completely customized for you, and are sent to you in a digital card file so you can print your own. What a great idea! Get this item for only $12.99.

I asked Heather to tell me a little bit about herself and her shop. This is what she said

"I've been married to my husband for 8 years, and we have 2 beautiful children - a 5 year old son and 2 year old daughter. I've always been a creative being - art was always my passion throughout school. But sometimes life doesn't go the way you plan, and my day job does not involve much art or creativity. In my spare time, I taught myself how to use Photo shop and that's when I started graphic designing. When I first started planning my Etsy shop, it was going to be strictly for graphic design products, like invitations and cards. But then I started playing with beads, and it turned into a passion for me. I began with beaded bookmarks and then it exploded from there into wine charms, key chains, jewelry...I love thinking up new ways to use beads! When I finally opened my shop in late June 2010, I decided to offer both in my shop - handmade items and graphic designs. The great thing is that I've had some success with both. It's nice for me to have a variety of creative outlets because it allows me to change things up and stay busy. If I'm going through a dry spell with jewelry design ideas, I can turn on the computer and play with graphic designs instead.

I've had a lot of fun with my shop over the last few months and I'm looking forward to the holiday season and rolling out even more product ideas soon. So stay tuned!"

Heather is offering a giveaway prize to one lucky reader. You can enter for a chance to win this Fall Dreams Sunflower bookmark - made with beads in shades of gold, amber, green and brown with a charming sunflower charm at one end. Measuring 14.5" from one end to the other with 10" of black linen cord between the beads. Will fit well in paperback and hardcover books.
Here are the rules to enter...

1. Go to All You Need Designs and heart your favorite item, and then post a comment here.

2. Follow Heather's Blog

3. "Like" Heather's Facebook Fanpage

4. Make a purchase at All You Need Designs and receive 4 extra entries.

5. Like my Facebook Fanpage

6. Follow my Blog

You will have 9 possible chances to win if you complete all 6 steps. Please make a separate comment for each entry. Be sure to leave your contact info so I can contact the winner. I will choose the winner via Random.Org on Sunday October 17, 2010 at 11:59 PM. Good luck to everyone and thanks for following. Now if you excuse me...I have some more wine to drink!

Helena Puck is the next shop feature

I would like you all to meet a very good friend of mine who I met on Etsy. Please meet Robin Hartman from "Helena Puck" I am so excited to be able to do this shop feature for Robin. She has a great little shop with so many items to choose from. I am the proud owner of many "Helena Puck" products.


Robin sent me a pair of really neat earrings for review. These things are sooo cool and will be a great choice for the Halloween season. I showed them to a few friends and they all want a pair of their own.

The earrings are made with black and orange Marbles....how cool is that and creative I must add! The marble used is a regular size glass marble. The glass marble has been secured in between two spiral silver wire spirals. I have been wearing these for the last few days and I love them. They are the perfect weight...not to heavy or light....they are just right. These are going to be part of my Halloween costume for sure!


The other really cool thing about Robin's shop is she sends all her Jewelry out in origami gift boxes, made from recycled greeting cards that she makes herself. Another A+ for you Robin!




Other Items you will find in "Helena Puck" are products like these....



The Quilter Necklace is one that I have, and I can tell you that it's a fabulous piece. Made with a cross stitch design, and silver plated 24" steel ball chain. You can purchase this for only $17.00.


The next item on the list is another item of Robin's that I own and love! The Glass Pearl Wire
wrapped Ring is one of my favorites. I have this one in a blue color, and I get compliments on it all the time. This ring is only $10.00 Wow!

Last but not least we have these Awesome Mermaid Peacock Shell Dangle Earrings. I do not own these beauties yet, but they are on my list! The disc are beautiful shades of blue reminiscent of peacock feather, mermaid fin, or dragon scales. Own these for only $8.oo

Now for the Awesome giveaway.....Robin is offering the Black and Orange Marble Earrings for one lucky winner. Just like the ones she sent me. Yay!! Now for the rules on how to win this great prize...

1. Find your favorite item in "Helena Puck" heart it and come back here and post your favorite in comments.

2. Follow Robin's Blog

3. "Like" Robin on Facebook Fanpage

4. Follow Robin on Twitter

5. Make a Purchase at "Helena Puck" and receive 4 extra entries.

6. Follow My Blog

7. "Like" me on Facebook Fanpage


You have 10 possible chances to win if you do all 7 steps. Also be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, and I will choose a winner via Random.Org on Friday October 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM. Make sure to leave your contact info in your comments so I can email the winner. Good luck to you all and Thank you for following.

Yes Please......

Happy Tuesday Morning to you all. I would like to start the day off with a product review and a great giveaway today. I was sent a lovely pair of earrings from Jennifer Broyl of "Yes, Please. Studio"



These great little earrings have got to be my new favorite addition to my jewelry collection. They are just the right size...not to big or small. I love the antique feel of these and they will match a number of outfits, making it easy for these to go from day to night. The earrings are made with Czech glass flowers in a peach/pink and white mixed color design. Hanging from the antique brass plated ovals is three flowers, and Jennifer also added in a antiqued little bow at the top of each earring. Very cute indeed!! I received a number of compliments on these earrings too!

I asked Jennifer to tell me a little bit about herself and her shop, and this is what she said...

"I've enjoyed creating for as long as I can remember, and have tried many different crafts including sewing, ceramics, painting, interior design, and obviously, jewelry making! As I got older I spent less and less time crafting, until I started feeling like something was missing from my life, so realizing a needed a creative outlet I decided to open "yes, please. studio" in 2008. I never had any type of formal training, putting jewelry together just kind of came naturally to me. My goal with "yes, please. studio" is to create fashionable and affordable jewelry. I make the kind of jewelry that I would be happy to wear myself, so if a piece doesn't sell after a while, I'm more than happy to give it a home in my own jewelry box! I believe that if you make what you love then others will love it too."

Jennifer also told me that she will soon be expanding her shop to include home decor and Holiday items. Very excited to see what she comes up with.

Jennifer has so many pretty items in her shop such as these Colorful Crocheted Flower Bobby Pins Now how cute are these? You can choose 2 of them for only $5.00.

Next she has these gorgeous Bright Red Cinnabar And Colorful Glass Chips Necklace. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this piece!! It features five 17mm (about 3/4 of an inch) carved flat round Cinnabar beads in bright red with a floral pattern. What a steal at only $25.00. That one is on my "Must Have" list for sure!





And last but not least Jennifer has created these beautiful Bright Gold Plated Filigree Earrings With Aqua Drops. Another addition to my list. These beauties are only $14.00.





Now for the giveaway details. Jennifer has so graciously offered a giveaway prize to one lucky winner. Yippee!!! Up for grabs in "Yes, Please. Studio" is a $20.00 Credit to the shop. What a great prize to be able to pick your own item. You could also use this as a gift for an upcoming Birthday party or Christmas gift. So if you want to get in on the action and enter for a chance to win this Awesome prize just follow these simple rules.

1. Go to "Yes, Please. Studio" and pick your favorite item in her shop and heart it. Come back here and post in comments your favorite item.

2. "Like" Her Facebook Fanpage

3. Make a purchase at "Yes, Please. Studio" and get 4 extra entries.

4. Follow my blog "Kidnaroundcreations.blogspot.com"

5. "Like" my Facebook Fanpage


You will have a total of 8 possible entries if you do all 5 steps. Please make a separate post for each entry and I will choose a winner via Random.org. This giveaway will run for 1 week ending on Next Tuesday October 12th at 11:59 PM. Please be sure to leave your contact information so I can reach the winner. As always....have fun and Good luck!

Giveaway winners

HI everyone and sorry for the delay on the announcement of the winners of the 2 giveaways.

Lots of unexpected things have happened this past week and I got thrown off track for a bit. Hoping things will get back to normal this week and I can get back to work.

So for the 1st giveaway of the $40 Sterling silver choker necklace from Jacqueline Jewelry The winner is Jasmine1485 .










The second giveaway of the Pumpkin pin from Brown's Country Originals winner is
LjWood.


Congratulations to you both, and I will email you to get your mailing address. Thanks to you all for entering and stay tuned for more giveaways and product reviews this week.

Shop Feature and Giveaway #2

Good morning to you all! Looks like today is going to be a beautiful day, and a great one to write my next shop feature and giveaway. This next shop has some truly unique items. Please say hello to Brown's Country Originals


What a great little treasure this shop is. All kinds of unique gift items available in the Brown's shop to choose from and prices start at $10 and up.






I was totally amazed when I learned that these goodies are made with paper mache . I know....can you believe it!!! Wow...some super duper talent in this Etsy shop. I remember playing with paper mache win I was a kid, and my creations looked nothing like these!! They even make these great little paper mache pins, such as the sheep in the photo below.



The Brown's Country Originals is owned and run by Mike and Donna. They are a husband and wife team who have combined their artistic talents to make these one of a kind works of art. I asked Mike and Donna to tell us a little about themselves and their work. This is what they said....

"We are a husband and wife team that create must haves and needfuls for your home and
garden. Our pieces are handmade from paper mache, chalkware or hypertufa.

Since both of us were very young we have always been involved in making crafts and share a passion for art and decided two years ago to start a business to share our talents with all of you!"

I am very Happy to announce that Mike and Donna are offering this one of a kind Pumpkin paper mache pin to 1 lucky giveaway winner. Just in time for the Halloween season. Now for the rules on how to enter...

1. Go to Brown's Country Originals
and heart you favorite item, then leave a comment here.

2. Make a purchase from Brown's Country Originals and receive 4 more entries

3. Follow my Blog

4. "Like" my Facebook page

5. Follow me on Twitter

Take a peek at Brown's Country Originals website for more fantastic creations. They also accept wholesale orders.

You must post a separate comment for each entry to count. This giveaway will end on Thursday Sept 23rd at 11:59 pm. The winner will be chosen via Random.org and I will post it here on Friday Sept 24th. Please be sure to leave contact info in comments. Thank you and Good luck!

Tuesday Morning is here and only 3 more days....

till the weekend!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Looks like from the weather report it is going to be a nice one in the 70's. Just might be able to squeeze in 1 last weekend on the lake...keeping my fingers and toes crossed.




Today is Tuesday and that means I will be posting the winner of the hopscotch set giveaway. I have installed the Random.Org number generator and I am going to plug in the numbers to see who won....ready..set...go

The winner is #71 My Springfield Mommy Yay!!!! I will email you and get your mailing address. Thank you to everyone who played and be sure to check out the Jacqueline Jewelry giveaway for a chance to win a beautiful Sterling silver choker necklace worth $40.

I have another feature and giveaway to post today, but It will be much later today. I have a sick child who I have to take to the Dr this morning. Have a blessed day everyone!

Gorgous Giveaway

Good Morning to you all, and what better way to start off a fantastic weekend then with a Shop feature and giveaway that you won't want to pass up. I had posted in the Etsy forums that I was looking for some Etsy shops to feature on my blog. I was totally blown away by this 1st shop owner who contacted me. This Artist is new to Etsy and is waiting for her very first sale. I introduce to you..... JacquelineJewelry



Jacqueline makes some of the most beautiful creations I have seen in a long time. She carries a large variety of items in her shop and at different price points. Something for everyone in this great shop! From Necklaces, earrings and bracelets to wine glass charms and wine toppers...you will be sure to find that one of a kind gift for that special person on your shopping list. Of course you could just splurge on yourself...Why not...your worth it!



Now a little about Jacqueline and her shop...

"I am excited to be selling my jewelry on Etsy. I live in New York, NY and work in my teeny tiny apartment on a folding tv table and sitting on my bed. I have jewelry materials all over my apartment, but have made everything ship shape by making my storage and projects part of my decor.

I work in sterling silver, gemstones, Czech glass, as well as copper and fabric. I also design home decor and whimsical, trendy pieces. All of my work is one-of-a-kind, but I do take commissions.


My designs are based on my observations of the inter-relationships of materials and color. I have explored many different concepts over the years, from the ideas of impermanence and transience to the concept of the preciousness and sacredness of the everyday. Still, I want to create pieces that are accessible to a wide audience, and hope the forms and materials I use will appeal to people on many different levels. Treating each piece as an individual work of wearable art, I create timeless jewelry meant for day into evening wear.

I have had careers in production pottery, graphic design and industrial design with a sidetrack into computer programming early on. Ever since I can remember, art and craft in some shape or form has been my passion. I am a graduate of The College of Ceramics at SUNY with a BFA in sculpture and art history, an MFA in Arizona State University in environmental design, and an MID in industrial design from Pratt Institute. A perpetual student, I am self-taught in jewelry. I have also written two books. Graphic Illustration in Black and White and Polymer Clay; Creating Functional and Decorative Objects."

Here is a photo of the Talented Jacqueline hard at work on one of her wonderful creations.

Now for the giveaway! Jacqueline will be offering this stunning sterling silver choker necklace. Isn't it just so beautiful!!

This Sterling silver choker necklace was made using a tiny wire wrapped (27mm long) jade cabochon that hangs sweetly from a 16 inch (40cm) 1mmthick silver cord with a twist clasp. This necklace will go from day to night and from business to dress-up. The choker is valued at $40.00 Wow what a super prize!

Now how to win this beauty!!



1. Go to Jacqueline Jewelry and heart your favorite item then come back and post a comment here.

2. "Like" Jacqueline on Facebook

3. "Follow" Jacqueline's Blog

4. "Follow" Jacqueline on Twitter

5. Purchase a item from Jacqueline Jewelry and receive 4 extra entries


Please leave a separate comment for each entry and 1 winner will be chosen via Random.Org . Only separate comments will be counted. This giveaway will run until Saturday Sept 25th 11:59 PM. Be sure to leave a contact so I can email the winner.

Don't forget to visit Jacqueline at these other links to learn more about her extraordinary talent.

Creativity Website
Jewelry Website

Fabulous Fall finds under $10

I was able to squeeze in 1 last summer day with My youngest son and my Mother-In-law on Wednesday this week. We made a trip down to Hampton Beach and enjoyed a day on the beach building sandcastles and looking for shells.



As much as I hate to say goodbye to summer, I am excited for Fall. Fall is my favorite time of year. The sound of the leaves crunching under your feet and the beautiful colors on the trees is what makes me love the fall so much. I wanted to share with you some Fall Etsy finds that I came across this morning and the best part is they are all under $10.

First we have this ONE - 8 oz CANDY CORN Mason Jar Candle by Candle Lynn Candle Company
Yummy I can just smell the candy corn now! It is only $6.00


Next up we have Nutty Squirrel Fabric Button Magnets Set of 3 by RowanDesigns So cute and only $4.50 for all 3...Wow!




The third item that I found is this Apple Cider Potpourri. Heavily scented with loads of Apple slices and Cinnamon sticks by NHWoodscreations . This is made in my Home state. Yay NH! I bet this smells wonderful! Only $5.00 for 2 cups...what a steal!



The 4th fall item I love is this Set of 3 Fall Metal signs with dried Maple leaves by KraftyChicDesigns I can just see this hanging in my 3 season porch next to the pumpkins...and you will get the set for only $6.00



And last but not least I found these cute little Fall Apple Candles - Red, Green, or Golden by jkcountrycandles These are super super cute and they look so real..you will get your choice of one apple for only $2.50 each and if you want all 3 is still under $10. How cool is that!



Well that is it for my Under $10 Fall Etsy finds. Now I must go and make plans for Apple picking this weekend with my family. Then it will be off to the kitchen to make Apple pies. Oh YUMMY!!! Have a blessed day everyone!

A hoppy little giveaway

Good Tuesday morning to all my friends!! In my last post I told you about the giveaways and product reviews I will be offering now and to start of the giveaway event, I am going to offer one of my items in my shop Kid-N-Around Creations



The item that I would like to offer is this great Hopscotch set. This would make the perfect gift for your next birthday party or for Christmas. I will even personalize it for you too. The set comes with the bag, 2 sticks of chalk, 3 butterfly markers, hopscotch directions and a chart. I can even make it in boy colors if you prefer. Now how can you win this sweet prize??

1. Go to my shop Kid-N-Around Creations and heart your favorite item in my shop leave a comment here.
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter
4. "Like" my Facebook fan page
5. Make a purchase and receive another 4 entries.
6. Sign up for a giveaway, product review or both and receive another 4 entries.

You must have a separate entry for each one in order for it to count. Total possible entries is 12. This giveaway will end next Monday the 13th at 11:59 PM and I will email the winner on Tuesday the 14th. Be sure to leave a way to contact you. Thanks so much for playing and Good luck to you all.

Beautiful Monday

Happy Monday to you all! Ok so first thing is first...Today the "Back to School sale" over at Kid-N-Around Creations ends today. Buy any 1 item and get your 2nd item of equal or lesser value 30% off. Just go ahead and check out as normal, and I will refund your 30% off with Paypal. Sale will end at 11:59 tonight.


The 2nd thing on my list for today is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. 3 Cocker Spaniel rescues need our help bad. You can read about the emergancy situation here http://www.lifeslittlepaws.com/GA-Cockers.html From now until Sept 24th Kid-N-Around Creations will donate $1 from every sale made to the GA Cockers. If you want to make a direct donation you may do so by clicking on the link and following the page to the bottom. Lets help these 3 amazing rescues get these dogs the help, saftey and love the so much deserve.

The 3rd item on my list is about the Giveaways and product reviews I will be offering. I started to tell you about it in my last post yesterday. Givaways and reviews are a great way to get sales and traffic to your site and can be much cheaper then paying for advartising. If you would be interested in a giveaway and or a product review, please email me at kidnaroundcreations@myfairpoint.net or leave a comment at the end of my blog post. I will email you the details. All giveaways and reviews will be promoted with many differnt websites and my fb fanpage which just hit 500 followers. YAY!



Now I am off to have some breakfast and head out for a day on the lake with the family. Have a blessed day everyone!

Good bye Summer ...Hello Fall

Yes, it's true the kids are back at school and summer is coming to an end. I must say that I am sad to see it go. My family had one of our best summers yet, and we didn't even go on any vacations this year. My husband and I both put major projects on hold and we spent most of our free time with our 4 children just hanging out at the lake and enjoying life together as a family.





Now that 3 of my babies are in school full time, I am going to have much more time to blog and focus more on my shop. Some of my goals for the next few months are.. hosting at least 2 giveaways a week and I also am going to be offering product reviews with or without giveaways. I would like to be able to review at least 1 product a week. I have many new items that I will be working on in the next few months for my shop. I now am going to have some help from my dear mother who just retired. My mom worked for Annalee Dolls for 26 years and she taught me how to sew when I was little, so having her to help me is going to make a huge difference . She also is going to help me with my time management skills, which I so desperately need right now.

So, I will post more about the giveaways and product reviews later....time to go grocery shopping now. I also have to tell you about a fundraiser for a Cocker Spaniel rescue, and my wholesale line sheet I just created, my sale that's ending tomorrow, my group discount I am offering, the new place where I am consigning....see TIME MANAGEMENT!!! I need it...bad!

Christmas In JULY sale has begun

Jingle Bells Jingle Bells Jingle all the way.....
Ok I won't torture you guys anymore, but I will let you know that the "Christmas In July" sale has started at my shop. Kid -N- Around Creations



Buy any 2 items and my shop and get your 3rd item of equal or lesser value for free. Just add your 3rd item to your shopping cart and check out as normal. I will refund you with paypal. Be sure to check out all the other great shops on Etsy who are having "Christmas In July" sales. Just do a etsy search for "cij" or "christmasinjuly" and you will find thousands of great listings. Get some early Christmas shopping done and get some great deals too!

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!! (Gosh that feels so strange to say when it's 90 degrees and sunny)