Weekend Sale

Hi all, I'm having a weekend sale at my Etsy shop
Please come check it out!

Thanks all

Tonya

Etsy Black Friday Sale!

Nearly everyone on Etsy is having a 'Black Friday Sale' which is the day after Thanksgiving and most are running through the following Monday (Cyber MOnday) which is when the largest amount of internet sales are made for the year, or something like that.

I will be participating in the sale too, and will be adding dozens more items, some handmade as well as vintage. Come and check it out at Ellesbelle.etsy.com. I am also part of HOST which is Helping Others Street Team which is completely run and funded by people on Etsy to help others on Etsy who are in financial need. We offer help depending on the circumstances and our recourses at the time. The HOST store (which is entirely stocked by donations from HOST members, can be found at HOST.etsy.com

Please come check us out! It is less frustrating that the mall, less claustrophobic, less expensive, and less commercialized too. Please support independent artists this holiday season and buy handmade! Done with shameless advertisement.

That's all for now.

Tonya

Pajama Day

Did you ever have one of those days when you felt kind of blah and didn't want to do anything except lay around and nap and watch movies? That was me today. Don't know why, but it was actually a productive pajama day. I finished a needle case that has been laying unfinished for sometime now, I finished a felt flower that I've wanted to get done for a week and I listed a few sets of buttons on Etsy early this morning and later this afternoon. I'm currently working on a pin cushion and have recently finished a needle holder and pot holder out of recycled sweaters that I recycled/upcycled by turning them into wool felt.

I'm also experimenting with beading and felt to see what I can come up with. I will post some pics tomorrow as I'm too tired tonight.

Until next time...
Tonya

Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Fall

What a gorgeous weekend we had here in Oregon! Clear skies, almost warm, very little wind and just like a summer day except for the fallen leaves and lower temperature. Perfect weekend for outdoor activities, walks, shopping, yard work, etc....My family? We slept. That's right, we slept the weekend away. We were all so exhausted, daughter and husband from work, me from lack of good sleep, so against our will and no matter that we wanted to play and enjoy the weather, we slept. Saturday was a total loss, nearly the entire day was a sleepfest. Sunday was a little more lively, husband raked one tree's worth of leaves, there was a small shopping trip to be had, and we slept some more! One good thing to come of our sleepfest was that daughter's cold/allergy/general malaise is much better, my serious sleep debt is partially paid back, and husband was able to relax for first time in months.

I guess it's not so bad to stay in on a lovely day after all.

Tonya

A Whole Lotta Nothin

I've been feeling exhausted the last few days so I've been laying around like a sloth! I've essentially ignored my Etsy account except for the sale I had Thursday which I shipped Friday. Other than that I've been a couch potato!

So tonight I am trying to decide what I want to make for my Etsy site. I want to have some handmade items as well as my vintage buttons and patterns. I just have so many interests and 'hobbies' that I can't decide which one to pursue... So I probably will dabble for a while in all except jewelry as there is so much gorgeous jewelry out there that is far superior to anything I could make in a timely manner. I will let you all know what I decide when it happens. In the mean time, I would like to leave you some personal favorites on Etsy (see sidebar)

That's all for now,

Tonya (Ellesbelle)

Lunch with old friend

Today I will be having lunch with an old friend, my old best friend from high school. We reconnected after too many years (not telling how many!) and I'm nervous and excited! Thinking about this lunch has my mind playing back all the fun and crazy times we had together. We were innocent then, 14 when we met. I remember sitting in her parents hot tub on New Years Eve and getting out, making a skinny, pathetic snowman, and running back into the hot tub! It was a very sad snow man since there wasn't alot of snow on the ground and we were freezing, but it was a blast! We liked the same guy at the same time, he liked her and they dated for several years, we were 15 or 16 then. We rode our bikes every where since we couldn't drive. A 5 mile bike ride was nothing to us, as long as there was a reward at the end...like shopping! Or a milkshake :)
I was so skinny in High School due to an over active metabolism, I could eat an entire large pizza with no problem, no weight gain, no sick feelings...now I smell pizza and 5 pounds jump onto my body...Her dad nick named me Tonya Toothpick, or TTP. Now I probably would be known as, well never mind ;) I am so excited to see her, but scared at the same time. Will she still like me with all my disabilities? Even if I can't do shopping marathons, or drive very far, or accidentally let out that I hurt? I am hoping I don't talk about those things, that our lunch is a fun, light conversation, re-introduction with the hope of many more to come.
But, knowing me, I'll turn it into a 'OMG, can you believe how huge I am? How many pills I take? How many docs I have? How many chronic pain issues I have? Woe is me....' Ok, hopefully THAT is out of my system! She was so important to me so long ago, I don't want to lose the chance that she could be important to me again. So I promise to be on my best behavior, not too much sarcasm, swallow the dumb jokes, and choke back the pity party so I am a pleasant lunch guest.

Now, please don't let her come to my house ..... AAAAAAAHHHH hehe

Until later, when my rational self has returned...
Tata for now
Tonya (currently crazed kooky crafty and nervous!)

Overdue Post - New Items on Etsy

Sorry, I am very overdue for a post! I've been so sleepy the last few days that I totally forgot!

Here are my latest items on EtsyThese are my favorite buttons to date. They are Mother of Pearl, dyed blue, and are gears or flowers, depending on how you look at them. Since I used to be a Mechanical Engineer, they are gears to me. Beautiful blue, smooth and shiny. You can find them here

These are doily pattern magazines from the 60's. Patterns include crocheting, knitting, and tatting. They are in great vintage shape and have great doily patterns. You can see the listing here.

I am also working on some handmade items for my shop including items made from felted unwanted wool sweaters (upcycled). Some other sewing items, possibly some potholders and dishcloths. There are a few other items I am working on but not sure if the details will be worked out in time.

I also have hundreds of other vintage buttons and sewing patterns, also some more sewing items, magazines and vintage kitchen items I may put up.

Well, that's all for tonight. I am wiped out and need to some rest .

Until next time,
Tonya