Finding a Great Bargain

If you are looking for a good bargain, this is a great time of year to find one. Retailers are trying to get rid of any leftover stock, as well as make room for upcoming fall fashiions. This can be the best time of year to buy coats, jeans or any other last season wear.

Before you start shopping, it’s a good idea to know what you are shopping for. Start by going through your child’s closet and drawers and evaluating what they will still be able to wear this year. Then, make a list of what your child actually needs. When you go shopping with a list in hand, you will stay on budget and be less likely to buy impulse items.

At the same time, keep an eye out for each retailer’s weekly sales ads. Each store will likely have a big sale on one or two items, in order to draw shoppers in. It may take a little bit of time to run around to each store in order to buy just the sales items, but it could save you a lot of money.

If you are crafty, you can buy plain items, such as t-shirts and let your kids customize them. Some easy ways to do this are with fabric paints or iron on transfers.

While many people head straight to retail stores, going to consignment shops, yard sales, and sites such as eBay can be more budget friendly. Before buying any used clothing, check for any tears, rips, or stains.

Etsy Twitter Team Featured Shop of the Week -Maine Lee Crochet

The Etsy Twitter Team's mission is to bring Etsy sellers who use Twitter together to become the authority on Twitter for all things handmade.

Ginny, from Maine Lee Crochet, has been in business on Etsy since March 2008. She makes gorgeous all crochet or knit items like hats, socks, scarves, dishcloths, and towels with crochet tops . Everything is handmade by her and ready to ship.

Ginny says about her handicrafts, “My product is high quality and made with my heart. I love what I do and I hope it shows in my items. If I don't like the way something turns out it doesn't get listed for sale. My ‘oops’ products stay at my house for my own use.”

Ginny promotes her shop in a number of different ways. She says, ”I use MySpace, word of mouth, I leave business cards where ever I can. I use the forums a lot. I also visit the chat rooms on Etsy and talk about my items, the way they are made, and the material used.”

She ships internationally! Stop by her shop for some good crocheted love!

Want More Traffic to Your Handmade Shop?

Do you have a handmade shop on Etsy or Artfire? Would you like to have more visitors to your shop? I'd like to help if you'll let me.

I write a weekly post on my new blog, The Handicrafter. The post is my top 10 craft picks of the week. The first week I ran the column 3 items on the list sold.

I'd love to feature one of the items from your shop and help spread the word for you.

How does this work? Very simply. To enter the draw for next week's column just leave a comment on this week's column about any one of the 10 items on the list. That's it. Too easy!

Remember it is a weekly draw so check back each week and re-enter.

The link to this week's current column is

6 tips for Sticking to Your Budget This Christmas

Every year there are reports on the news about how deeply in debt people become every Christmas. It is possible to have a nice Christmas without maxing out the credit cards. Here are a few simple tips that could save you a bundle.

Hide the credit cards

By not using credit cards you are already a step ahead of the game. There’s
no worry about the interest and all those payments that come due after the first of the year. If you are already using credit cards carefully you might be able to continue using them for Christmas gifts, just be sure to pay it off when the bill comes due.

Make a list

Sit down and make a list of all the people you would like to give gifts. Once the list is made, stick to it. Decide how much to spend on each person and write it beside each name. Then when you go shopping there will be a price range for each gift. It will help avoid overspending. Even a dollar over expected spending can add up if there is a large shopping list.

Draw names

Many families help cut back on holiday spending by drawing names. Each person in the family only shops for one other person whose name they have drawn. Instead of buying several gifts, even if they are inexpensive, each person can get one nicer gift. This makes shopping easier too.
Instead of trying to fill a huge list, just take your time and focus on getting that "perfect" gift for just one person.

Shop ahead

Get organized and have good hiding places. By doing this you can purchase Christmas gifts all year round, taking advantage of after Christmas sales, out of season and clearance sales.

Go ahead and wrap and label the gifts. This helps keep people from seeing what was purchased and you won't forget which gift was for whom.

Lay-away

Some stores offer a lay-away program, so you can pay a little at a time each month. By doing this, you can budget things out over a period of time. By combining this with the list and budget plan, you can cut out the interest incurred using credit cards and still make a monthly payment.

Gift cards

While gift cards are convenient for gift giving, many people feel they are impersonal. Gift cards can also help you shop on a budget, if shopping ahead of time. Purchase the gift cards in the amount you can afford each week or month. Tuck them away in an envelope in a safe place until
you have the amount needed to purchase the gifts. You can keep an eye out for sales on certain items this way, as well. Be sure to check to see if the cards have an expiration date. Some expire after a certain time once activated and others have no expiration date at all. Some are even "rechargeable" and more money can be added as needed.

No matter what plan you choose, the best thing is to get organized and plan ahead. Spur of the moment shopping is the worst for anyone's budget. It's too easy to just grab something on impulse and blow the best of intentions.

A work in progress - A tutorial - Etsy Bloggers Team Carnival

I like to begin by scanning a photo(s) of my chosen subject into the computer and uploading into a software program called Paint-It. If I am making a composite drawing I will most likely try different combinations in the Paint-It program as it is both easier and faster than making several different sketches.

If I am working from a live model, then I will make several quick sketches and then scan those into Paint-It. It is fairly simple to move things about.

Once I have decided on the composition I will then begin the drawing. At this stage I concentrate on making an outline of the main elements of the drawing. The details will come later. It is important to get the outline drawing as exact as possible. This is the foundation for everything else to come.

I like to rough in the eyes and nose first. If these features are not 'right' the whole drawing is 'bin' material. It also makes me feel not so alone!