Sock Monkey Greetings

Enter to Win a $500 or $100 Visa Gift Card

2009-04-30T12:12:00.002-04:00

I'm begging and pleading with all of you to go and vote for me for the American Idol/Ford House Party Host Contest. I'm 1 in 1000 finalist. The more votes I get, the more entries I have to win a 2010 Ford Fusion and trip to the American Idol Finale.

Please, please vote!!!! I need all the extra entries I can get.

What's in it for you besides helping me? You'll be entered to win either a $500 or $100 Visa Gift Card.

Just visit my house party page at http://www.houseparty.com/party/136498 and click on the VOTE button.

If you have any questions on the contest, please let me know. Thanks so much for voting for me!

Necklace Giveaway

2009-04-09T11:20:00.001-04:00

Through my networking on Artfire, I ran into a wonderful woman, Desiree. She sells beautiful jewelry and more. She has graciously offered a custom created necklace for my giveaway. It's a 3-strand necklace made out of acrylic beads that are lapis lazuli colored with silver nugget beads. It's 18" long with a 3.5" extender clasp. Retail value $25. If you're the lucky winner, you'll be able to own this beautiful piece.
You can find her other items at Jewelry by Desiree.

This giveaway is open worldwide and will end on April 19, 2009 at midnight EST. To enter, stop by my other blog Front Porch Reviews.

Front Porch Reviews

2009-03-03T11:42:00.002-05:00

What are the goals of Artfire apart from being a better Etsy?

2009-01-25T09:35:00.002-05:00

Someone asked this good question over on the Artfire Forum and here's the admin's answer:
So let's talk goals. This isn't a top down broadcast kind of discussion. This site is the first of its kind. We are engaged in community directed development a process that creates the foundation of the site and then opens the development process to the members to direct our growth, functionality, goals, mission and vision.So here is the ideas we have and the goals we have set, these are open to input and feedback from the community.
1) We want to help sellers sell - no matter where. Using the following:
A) Education - teaching and mentoring new sellers and helping experts strive to improve through rich media lessons, expert consulting, third party support, and community mentoring.
B) Systems - creating a selling platform that is functional, simple, customizable and most importantly - fully integrating, to the best of our ability, your promotion and management of all selling sites through the artfire platform. We seek to be a hub that allows you to manage your business, no matter where you are selling.
C) Bringing Buyers - Reinvesting money from the site into buyer marketing. This will start on Internet sites and print channels, then shift to include broadcast, new media and more traditional channels. We intend to champion the handmade movement using all of our marketing and PR resources to shift this trend from micro to macro and create an environment where handmade buying is much more the norm.
D) Positively impact the planet and our fellow humans - cooperatively build a site that pools our indivdual resources, money, service, impact and creativity to improve our environment, help those less fortunate and support humanitarian efforts in research, education and the arts. By collecting and focusing a little from each of us we can make a dramatic impact in many of these areas.
E) Become the preeminent place on the Internet for artists and crafters to collaborate, partner, communicate and share via extensive, rich, functional community features and interaction points.
F) Create a self regualting, self supporting, self reliant community where each member can have both responsibility and interaction at a level that best suits them.These are a just a start.
Register on Artfire.com

Find me on Artfire - Goodbye to Etsy

2009-01-13T13:42:00.003-05:00

I am making the big switch from Etsy to Artfire. After reviewing Artfire and everything it offers, I decided it was best for my business to make the move. Etsy is set up nicely and is pretty easy for buyers to find items they are looking for, but it's not the best set up for sellers. Artfire gives me things I have been wanting from Etsy. First of all, it's alot more affordable. When you are selling $1 and $2 items, the listing fees can really take a big chunk out of the little profit you make. With Artfire, I pay a monthly fee of $7 and I can list as many items as I want. No listing fees and no selling fees. Plus when a buyer searches for something, the results are random. So not just the person who just listed something shows up. No need to keep relisting your items just to show up in a search result.

Another change is that my name will no longer be Sock Monkey Greetings on Artfire. Although I do have a shop there with that name, I am no only going to be actively selling under the name of "With Our Hand". My mom and myself will be selling our crafts together on this shop. She makes beautiful scarves. Be sure to check out our new site and let me know what you think.
http://withourhands.artfire.com

I'm really going to miss the friends I have made on my Etsy teams but I look forward to meeting some new friends and hopefully some of the same faces on the Artfire Teams.

VT Etsy Street Team

2009-01-07T13:58:00.006-05:00

Welcome to our new team on Etsy. The VT Etsy Street Team. We are currently a team of 13 Etsy Sellers. If you live in Vermont and you'd like to join our team, please visit our Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VTEtsyStreetTeam.

To find items for sale by our team members, click the photo below. It'll automatically search Etsy for our items. (tagged with VESTeam)

Who are the members of VESTeam?

Sock Monkey Greetings
Vermont Maple
Scene Girl
Twin Birch Bath & Body
All About Cats
Fuzzy Bunny Fibers
The Fuzzy Bunny
Love Hate Clothes
VT Fiber Girl
Red Eft Vermont
Vermont Jewelry

Coloring Pages, New Year's Resolutions and my WLS Journey

2008-12-19T16:06:00.005-05:00

What do coloring pages, New Year's Resolutions and Weight Loss Surgery have in common? Nothing at all. They are just things I wanted to blog about today. :)

First, I wanted to share a great blog that I came across today while surfing the blog world through Entrecard. This blog offers Free Coloring Pages. Great resource for all of you parents of toddlers and preschoolers, plus day care providers and baby sitters. My kids are both teenagers now but I remember frequenting these printable coloring page sites all the time. Check out this new one at http://dailycoloringpages.com/.

Second, Next week we'll be talking about New Year's Resolutions. What is your New Year's Resolution? Please leave a comment here on my blog with yours.

Lastly, I wanted to share a link to my "other" blog. On December 15th, I had Weight Loss Surgery with the Gastric Lap Band. Read about my journey at http://startenjoyinglife.blogspot.com/.

Etsy Mini

2008-12-18T14:09:00.002-05:00

Blog Carnival: Spotlight an item in your Etsy Shop and an item from another shop

2008-12-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

It's December and along with December comes Christmas. This is my first year selling my greeting cards and other crafts online. I opened an Etsy store at the end of August when I was laid off from my job. I have really enjoyed having an online store. I have been able to network with other crafters and it gave me a good reason to start my first blog.

Here are a few of this year's holiday cards:

If you're looking for a gift to go with your greeting card, look not further than Twin Birch Bath and Body. She's a fellow Etsyblogger and VT Etsy Street Team member.

EtsyBlogger Team's Featured Artist for December

2008-12-10T19:41:00.000-05:00

Spotted Cow Soaps is this month's featured seller on Etsy from the EtsyBlogger Team. Be sure to visit her store and check out her awesome bath and body products. After you visit her store, be sure to stop by her blog: Spotted Cow Soaps.

Looking to sell your Crafts?

2008-12-09T15:39:00.001-05:00

I've compiled a listing of places online where artisans can sell their crafts, along with the fees from each site. If you know of a place not listed, please let me know.

Artfire - http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=sevenforlife&afuid=5726 (free or $7/month - please use sockmonkeygreetings as your referral)

ArtFlock (Euros) - http://artsefest.com/home.php (USA - $14-18/month)

Blujay - http://blujay.com/ (100% free to sell)

Bouf - https://www.bouf.com/sell?selltabs=2 (Euros 35% Commission, .20 + 3% credit card fees for basic account)

BigCartel - http://www.bigcartel.com/ ($0 - $19.99/month)

BuyItSellIt - http://www.buyitsellit.com/ (free)

Craftfinder - http://craftfinder.com/html/mktservices.html ($0 Classifieds -$20)

CraftMall - http://www.craftmall.com/join/ ($8-$55/month)

Creative Cafe - http://www.creativecafesalesrooms.com/fees.asp (0-5%)

CraftersBuzz - http://craftersbuzz.com/ (0 - $9.99)

CutNpaste - http://www.cutxpaste.com/consign.html (consignment 40% fee)

Dawanda - http://en.dawanda.com/info/show/service_fees (free to list, 5% commission)

Ecrater - http://www.ecrater.com/help.php (free)

Elsewares - http://www.elsewares.com/blog/about/ (wasn't able to easily locate)

Erayo - http://www.erayo.com/ (unsure)

Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/ (.20 each listing plus 3% sales fee)

Funky Finds - The Shops - http://www.funkyfinds.us/theshops/compare.php ($4.99 - $16.99)

Felt - http://felt.co.nz/ (NZ .50 to list, 5% sales fee)

Folksy - http://folksy.com/static_pages/faq#shop-cost (Euros 20p plus 5%)

GoZabo - http://www.gozabo.com/about/artistsguide (4%)

Guild - https://www.artfulhome.com/ (can't locate fees)

HandmadeCatalog - http://www.handmadecatalog.com/ ($4.95 - $12.95/month)

iCraft - http://icraft.ca/how-it-works.php (Canada $25 Reg Fee, unsure of other fees)

Lov.li - http://lov.li/ (3.5% sales fee)Lunacraft - http://lov.li/ (free, donation)

MintD - http://www.mintd.com/subscriptions/plans ($/5% to $100/3%)

My Art Plot - http://www.myartplot.com/ (unknown)

My Store - http://mystore.com/flash_landing_person.html (?)

Overstock Auctions - https://help.auctions.overstock.com/cgi-bin/overstock_auctions.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_li=&p_faqid=699 (.10 - $3 plus 3%)

PapernStitch - http://www.papernstitch.com/shops ($45/month)

PinkDoodle - http://www.pinkdoodle.com/

Poppytalk Handmade Market - http://www.poppytalkhandmade.com/node/632

RubyLane - http://kb.rubylane.com/question.php?ID=36 (.30 per item/month)

SilkFair - http://www.silkfair.com/ (3% sales fee)

Shopify - http://www.shopify.com/ ($24 plus 2% per month up to $299 plus .5% per month)

ShopHandmade - http://www.shophandmade.com/ (free or donation - please use sockmonkeygreetings as your referral)

SmashingDarling - http://www.smashingdarling.com/ (free)

Strictly Handmade - ($25 per year and 10 sales fee)

SuperMarket - http://supermarkethq.com/signup/designer (fees are hidden until you become a seller)

Thumbtack Press - http://www.thumbtackpress.com/faq.php#cut(prints only 65% commission)

UShops - http://www.ushops.com/index.php/faq (free)

Veganica - http://veganica.com/info/faq.php (not easy to find)

Wagglepop - http://www.wagglepop.com/bin/Help?cmd=view&pages=sellingFees ($29.95/month)

WinkElf - http://www.winkelf.com/ (2.5% selling fee or $5.00/month)

WholesaleCrafts - http://www.wholesalecrafts.com/rates.asp ($150 plus $39/month)

World Wide Crafters - http://www.wwcrafters.com/site_fees.php ($6.99/month)

Yessy - http://yessy.com/help.html?h=sellerfaqs&s=ngmbkqaxaxdowl55puptax55 ($59/year plus 10%)

YouCraft.org - http://youcraft.org/ (free classifieds, allows links to your Etsy or other craft store)

1000markets - http://www.1000markets.com/site/fees (upon sale 5.5% plus 50cents)

I'm new to Art Fire!

2008-12-08T11:14:00.001-05:00

I heard about a new place online to sell your crafts. The mall like store is called Art Fire. It's very similar to Etsy. I created a store called Sock Monkey Greetings and uploaded a few of my cards. Over the next week I'll be adding more items. The fees are alot lower at Artfire which works well for my low priced items I sell on Etsy. Right now, Etsy and Paypal take a large portion of my sales amount.
Stop by and check out my new shop and Artfire. The more traffic they receive, the more successful the stores will become.
http://sockmonkeygreetings.artfire.com

If you are currently selling online and you'd like to give Artfire a try, please use my referral link - Register on ArtFire.com.

New Vermont Etsy Street Team

2008-12-05T08:09:00.001-05:00

I wanted to take a very quick minute to tell you about a new Etsy Street Team that hit the Etsy Community this past week, The Vermont Etsy Street Team. We are in the process of setting up a blog and have some wonderful ideas on promoting Etsy, Handmade Items and Made in Vermont products.

If you live in Vermont and you sell on Etsy, we'd love to have you join us.

Membership requirements for The Vermont Etsy Street Team:

1. You must be active within the team

2. You must post to the Yahoo Group at least once a week

3. You must participate in at least one team activity a month (chat sale, treasury, promo packages, etc.)

4. You must help us in the promotion of our team through your Etsy Tags, Profile and blogs (if you have one).

5. After six weeks of inactivity, you will be unsubbed from the yahoo group and team.

If you have any questions about the team or selling on etsy, please contact Tamra at http://sockmonkeygreetings.etsy.com/ (click on the convo button).

Here is a spotlight of some items available from the Vermont Etsy Street Team.

http://allaboutcats.etsy.com/

http://vtfibergirl.etsy.com/

http://sockmonkeygreetings.etsy.com/

http://twinbirchbathandbody.etsy.com/

http://crunchycrafts.etsy.com/

Thanksgiving Memories

2008-11-26T08:11:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm visiting my parents home this week. I won't be here for Thanksgiving as we are heading to my in-laws for that day but we are here Monday through Wednesday. I always enjoy visiting my parents. It feels like a mini vacation from home and the hectic duties of everyday life. My mom keeps her house spotless. Everything is always organized, uncluttered and clean. Although I do a pretty good job of keeping my house picked up and clean, there are my hot spots of clutter here and there. Stress just seems to roll off from me when I'm here.
The home they live in now is not my childhood home. It's actually 3 1/2 hours from that house. It is closer to their childhood home though. About 7 years ago my parents decided to move back to upstate New York, their home town area. They grew up in Massena, NY but live in Canton, NY now. My childhood home is in Winooski, VT. It's actually a block away from my in-laws house. So even though I don't go inside that home each Thanksgiving, I do drive by it and remember the years we all would get together and have Thanksgiving there. I come from a family of 4 children. I have an older brother and two younger sisters. I don't get a chance to see them at Thanksgiving as they each spend their day with their in-laws also. It's been hard for us all to get together since my parents moved out of the area. They were the magnet that drew us all in. My two sisters live in the White River Junction, VT area which is two hours from my house and 5.5 hours from my parents. My brother lives only an hour away from me but he is probably the one I see the least. It's amazing how close we all still live to each other but don't spend very much time together. The last time we all got together was in May 2007 when my brother in law deployed to Iraq.
Alright, back to Thanksgiving. Here I sit in my parents living room. It's 8:24am and my family is still sleeping. My dad is sitting on the couch drinking some coffee. Mom is in the bathroom getting ready. My husband and kids always seem to sleep in late here. I often wonder if they feel relaxed here like I do. By the way they act, I'm thinking they do. Of course, they don't have any chores here and they can pretty much do as they please. My parents own two laptops and we usually bring ours with us. My two kids love having the opportunity to go online whenever they want.
The food here is always plentiful. We always get a homecooked meal and dessert always follows. We never have dessert at home so it's a treat to enjoy that after our meal. Of course that means I usually gain at least 5 pounds when I visit. Every pound is worth it though.
We're leaving to go back home today. I'm not sure when we will find our way back over here but hopefully soon. I'm sure within the next couple of months I'll need a break from everyday life and I know exactly where I can get that - right here at my parents.

Etsy Blogger Holiday Sale

2008-11-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

Vermont Maple Giveaway Winner

2008-11-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

For the last month I've been running a giveaway on the blog from Vermont Maple on Etsy. This morning, a random number was drawn through random.org and the winner is Akua from Akua Designs. Amy, from Vermont Maple will be contacting the winner. Congratulations Akua!
Thanks to everyone who entered. Make sure you enter this month's drawing - a $10 Gift Certificate to Sock Monkey Greetings.

Shop with the Made in Vermont Etsy Team

2008-11-17T07:29:00.002-05:00

Are you doing some holiday shopping? Be sure to check out these great etsy sellers from the Vermont Made Team. Shop with us for Vermont Maple Syrup, Homemade Soap, Jewelry, Greeting Cards, Cat Toys, Kids Items, Wool Products, Housewares, Plus many more items!

http://sockmonkeygreetings.etsy.com/

http://vermontmaple.etsy.com/

http://twistedsister.etsy.com/

http://twinbirchbathandbody.etsy.com/

http://yellowdogfarmvt.etsy.com/

http://whiteoakcreations.etsy.com/

http://whatchabuildin.etsy.com/

http://sylviel.etsy.com/

http://studiofresca.etsy.com/

http://spottedcowsoaps.etsy.com/

http://southernvtsoap.etsy.com/

http://sanssoucistudios.etsy.com/

http://runnerbean.etsy.com/

http://riverroadstudio.etsy.com/

http://tamar.etsy.com/

http://naturalgoatsoap.etsy.com/

http://moonlightllamas.etsy.com/

http://monkeysnugglesdiaper.etsy.com/

http://maydaystudio.etsy.com/

http://marblemeadows.etsy.com/

http://mannybeads.etsy.com/

http://madebymissy.etsy.com/

http://longfellow.etsy.com/

http://kerinrose.etsy.com/

http://kalos.etsy.com/

http://jburlette.etsy.com/

http://jessedanger.etsy.com/

http://jenkahn.etsy.com/

http://jamilary.etsy.com/

http://itselemental.etsy.com/

http://myfairladyvt4.etsy.com/

http://fuzzybunny.etsy.com/

http://fiberphiles.etsy.com/

http://ederajewelry.etsy.com/

http://cranberryandsage.etsy.com/

http://craftyinvt.etsy.com/

http://contentedbutterfly.etsy.com/

http://childsplaycrochet.etsy.com/

http://chickpeastudios.etsy.com/

http://amandamay.etsy.com/

http://allaboutcats.etsy.com/

http://afterall.etsy.com/

*********************************************

Here's my deal for your holiday shopping!

Sock Monkey Greetings - http://sockmonkeygreetings.etsy.com/

Buy one set of Christmas Cards and receive a second set at 50% off.

**********************************************

Visit our Forum thread for more posts of good deals from the Vermont Etsy Team.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5907456&page=2

Blog Candy Giveaway

2008-11-15T17:27:00.001-05:00

Giveway from Sock Monkey Greetings

Prize: $10 Gift Certificate to Sock Monkey Greetings
End Date: 11/22/08, 11:59pm EST
Can Be Won: Worldwide
How Many Winners: 1
Etsy Account: Is not needed
Enter: Enter by visiting my etsy store and placing a comment on this blog stating which item from my store is your favorite. For a bonus entry, let me know what special occasion card you'd like me to carry. Please place each entry on it's own comment line.

Christmas Card Sale

2008-11-15T13:20:00.002-05:00

I'm running a sale from now until November 30th. Buy one set of Christmas Cards, get the second one 1/2 off. Shop at my Etsy Store.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
SceneGirl.etsy.com

Saying Goodbye to a Good Friend

2008-11-11T14:11:00.002-05:00

This morning, while bringing the kids to school, I found our faithful cat Shadow laying in the road. He had been hit by a car and was killed. It's been a sad day in our household. Shadow was a very loving cat. He had a very tiny meow - he'd open his mouth to cry and a little tiny squeek would come out. He had nice long hair and loved to be pet.

Shadow came to us as a two day old kitten. He was abandonded by his mother, who was a stray cat living on the Army Base I worked at. The gate guards asked me if I wanted a kitten and instead of taking just one, we took the whole litter in. The first night we stayed up feeding the kittens with bottles. The following day we were able to capture the mother (who had left the kittens alone for two days) and secluded her with the kittens. Luckily the mom turned out to be a good mom and took very good care of her kittens. We found a home for all of the kittens but kept Shadow and his brother, Ari.

I thought I'd share some photos of Shadow - in his memory.

EtsyBlogger Team's Featured Artist

2008-11-03T20:08:00.000-05:00

The Storybeader is this month's featured seller on Etsy from the EtsyBlogger Team. Be sure to visit her store and check out her beautiful jewelry.

After you visit her store, be sure to stop by her blog: Stroll Through Storyland.

Monkey Moments on Etsy

2008-10-28T20:42:00.000-04:00

I stumbled upon a shop on Etsy a few weeks ago that I fell in love with right off. The store is called Monkey Moments and they sell these adorable greeting cards featuring my favorite monkey - the Sock Monkey!

I asked Claudia of Monkey Moments to tell me a few things about herself and her shop.

Monkey Moments came to life when I, Claudia, wanted to make a Christmas gift for my sister Carollee. What started as a picture album of the woods we frequently hiked together turned into pictures of sock monkeys playing in the woods. I secretly spent one year making sock monkeys and their clothes and then taking their picture in the woods. The first images were compiled into a calendar for Carollee and with the laughter that resulted, Monkey Moments was born.

We decided to combine whimsy and nostalgia to bring laughter to the world, one sock monkey at a time. Creating monkey images was the perfect outlet for our shared sense of humor, creativity and our desire, as they say, "to escape from real life." We had a childhood full of freedom and beach adventures (we spent all of every summer of our childhood from sunup to sundown, playing on the beaches at Bethany Beach, DL - coming inside only for the barest of necessities!)

For the past six years, Carollee and I learned about the business of greeting cards from the basement up. (Literally, we started out in my basement.) Armed with only 27 images in the beginning, we nervously bumbled our way through a sort-of-sales pitch at A Pleasant Present, a store in Squirrel Hill, PA. Michael Ferraro, the owner, said he would order some of the cards. We didn't even have a pencil or paper with us on which to write an order.

As our number of images grew and with additional stores selling our cards, we gained more confidence. We attended the National Stationary Show in New York City. We constructed our own booth, made 36 sock monkeys to use as promotional items and set off to the Big Apple.

At the National Stationary Show, we made some sales, but most importantly, we got many leads that helped us decide what direction to go in next. In fact, we acquired our first card rep through an unknown woman who stopped by our booth and told us to contact The David and Lisa Showroom in Los Angeles. David and Lisa were among the first to showcase Nick and Nora sock monkeys that are printed on all types of clothing and they picked up Monkey Moments for their showroom as a way of drawing people in. Six years later, David and Lisa are still representing Monkey Moments.

These days, sounds of uncontrollable laughter still break the silence of the otherwise calm woods where we can be found inside a quaint cottage at the end of a lane. We still spend each day the way we started out: making and dressing sock monkeys and designing the props and backgrounds for each Monkey Moments vignette.

We recently discoverd Etsy through my daughters. The website is great and has provided us another outlet in which to show our cards and gift items. I love the uniqueness of Etsy and how well thought out it is.

Our inspiration comes from the distinctly recognizable and memorable moments of life, as well as the daily humdrum that we all can identify with, but photographed through a sock monkey's perspective. We believe that Monkey Moments' appeal lies in how the sock monkeys take on a life of their own and highlight the humorous complexities in everyday situations, from mundane daily chores to the celebrations of life.

Always Amy's Stud Earrings

2008-10-28T07:54:00.001-04:00

I was cruising through Etsy Giveaways today and stumbled upon a new giveaway from Always Amy. She's giving away a three month subscription to her Kitchsy Cute Stud Club. One of her criterias is blogging about it on your blog.

Here are the two stud earrings that I'd love to win!

If you'd like to play along, visit her blog at http://always-amy.blogspot.com/2008/10/kitschy-cute-stud-club-give-away.html.

Visit her Etsy store at AlwaysAmy.etsy.com.

Made in Vermont Etsy Street Team

2008-10-23T07:42:00.004-04:00

Vermont Maple Review and Giveaway

2008-10-16T11:24:00.007-04:00

I shared my love of Etsy with my younger sister and she opened her own store, Vermont Maple. I asked her to introduce herself this month and to share a giveaway with my readers. She agreed.
I first need to tell you that I have been enjoying my sister's maple syrup for many years. Recently she has expanded her product line to include maple candy, maple cream and lollipops. Just this past weekend I was able to try her newest addition, Maple Peanut Butter. Yummy!!!
Her products are perfect for those hard to buy for people. Grandparents, dads, teachers and co-workers. She'll even give you a discount on shipping if you fill a large priority mail box. Just send her a message via etsy.
Do you have loved ones deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan? She will put together a special package for them. I know when my husband was deployed to Iraq and Qatar, he really enjoyed the tastes from home, including Maple Syrup.

So without further ado, let me introduce to you, my sister Amy and Vermont Maple.

Our family began making maple syrup back in 2000. My husband was bored during the long winters and wanted a "winter hobby". I think this happened in March 1999. During that time we visited many sugarhouses and HE thought, "I can do this". So we ventured out to look for maple trees to tap. So in the winter of 2000, our first year, we tapped 100 trees. After putting up and taking down sap buckets for a couple of years, we decided it would be easier if we had our own land. So we went out to find some land for sale. We were fortunate to find 11 acres just 12 miles from our house that had loads of maple trees on them! We built a camp on the land, tapped our trees and our neighbors trees and now we have an operation of over 1000 taps! We made just over 220 gallons of Pure Vermont Maple Syrup this year!

Through the years, as the kids have grown, I have become more interested in the whole process. It's alot of hard work to make the syrup! Most people have no idea how many man hours it takes to prepare the sugar orchard for the season. It's a year long process! So, since we have an abundance of syrup on hand I figured it was time to use it in some recipes. I've been to many maple seminars where they taught me how to make the lollipops and the maple peanuts. Each week it seems I find a new recipe and try it! A couple of weeks ago, I discovered maple peanut butter. It is so wonderful! It is more of a cookie dough consistentcy, not smooth like store bought, but I figure that's a trade of to having something so fresh (with no preseratives!).

I'm continually trying new recipes and am open to any suggestions. I am in the process of trying out some maple salad dressings and maple/oatmeal bars! Someone suggested maple/caramel dip and smaller lollipops that I will be working on in the next week too!

What's the Prize? A 1/2 pint of Maple Syrup and a package of my Maple Candies.

How to Enter: Visit Vermont Maple and come back here and post what your favorite item is that she sells and one suggestion on something they would like to see in her store that isn't already there.

This giveaway will end on Sunday, November 16th at 11:59pm (Eastern Standard Time). After the giveaway has ended, the winner will be picked randomly using random.org. In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email only. If there is no email address provided, another person will be chosen. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification with their complete mailing address, If this information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to anyone worldwide!

My Etsy Favorites

2008-10-10T08:53:00.001-04:00

Wonder what's in my favorites? Here is my Etsy Mini on items that I have added to my favorites.

Spotlight on one of my Favorite Etsy Sellers

2008-10-05T22:35:00.004-04:00

I'm starting a new feature this week where I'll be spotlighting a new Etsy seller from time to time.
I stumbled upon this seller today and immediately fell in love with her children's clothing.

Pickles and Company

Tell us about you and your shop.
My name is Annette, and I'm the WAHM mom of two girls, ages 14 and 10. I'm very blessed that I'm able to work at home doing what I love doing. I create mostly girls clothing, but occasionally I mix in a boy's set or two. I LOVE to applique. Most of my designs will feature at least some applique, while some of my designs will be LOADED with applique.

How did you get started in your craft?
I've sewn for as long as I can remember. My mom is probably the most talented seamstress I know. My aunt ran a sewing school, so I learned a lot from her. My mom's best friend was also my home ec teacher, and hardly a day goes by that I don't use something that she taught me, whether it be something about sewing, or something about life in general. Despite all that, it actually took a while for me to become "domesticated". It wasn't until after I had my girls that sewing really became my passion.

Where do you get your design inspiration from?
I find inspiration in many things. I guess, for the most part, it would come from the playfulness and silliness of children.

Anything else you'd like to share with my readers?
I love that through doing what I LOVE, I've met so many wonderful people, some of whom will be lifelong friends.

Be sure to check out her Etsy Store , her Blog and her ebay store.

Made in Vermont Etsy Street Team

2008-10-05T08:07:00.002-04:00

I joined an Etsy Street Team last month and wanted to share with you all the great Vermont businesses that are selling on ebay. They have a blog where they spotlight etsy sellers. There you can also see a listing of all Made in Vermont Etsy Street Team members. http://vermontetsystreetteam.blogspot.com/

Here is a list also (no links though):
Members Etsy Shops
Yellowdogfarmvt
Whatchabuildin
Twisted Sister
Twin Birch Bath & Body
SylvieL
StudioFresca
Spotted Cow Soaps
Sock Monkey Greetings
Sans Souci Studios
Runner Bean
Nest Pretty Things
Moonlight Llamas in Vermont
Monkey Snuggles Diaper
Mayday Studio
Mannybeads
Longfellow Designs
Kalos
Josh Burlette
Jesse Danger
Jennifer Kahn Jewelry
Jamilary
Inspired Jewelry By Ann Burke
Fuzzy Bunny
Contented Butterfly Farm
Child's Play Crochet
Chickpea Studios
Back To Nature Goat Milk Soap
Amanda May
All About Cats
After All Designs

Creative Memories Storybook

2008-09-30T08:46:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I attended a Croptober Fest (it was early this year) with my Creative Memories Consultant. This time around I decided to put away all my paper scrapbooking items and just focus on digital scrapbooking. Earlier this year I created a Storybook for my Daughter's Sophomore Year in High School. I loved creating it digitally. This past weekend I created one for my son.
I would love to see other CM Storybooks if anyone has one they'd like to share. If you're interested in viewing my Storybook, just let me know and I'll share it with you.

Virgin Mobile Promo Code - Talk an Hour on me!

2008-09-13T06:50:00.002-04:00

I know this is completely off topic from my usual topics but I wanted to share a special deal with you. If you're in the market for a cell phone, I highly recommend a Virgin Mobile Prepaid phone. My husband, daughter and myself all use one. With the combined expenses, it's still cheaper than a "normal" cell phone plan. My daughter mainly uses hers for text messaging so we can just add on texting dollars and keep the talking minutes to the minimum. My husband and myself are both on monthly plans.
If you're interested in a Virgin Mobile, if you sign up and use my referral code you can receive an extra 60 minutes. Code: NsqsF4o5

My Etsy Store - Etsy Mini

2008-09-05T17:46:00.000-04:00

I'm now on Etsy

2008-09-02T11:06:00.003-04:00

I opened an Etsy Store last week. Etsy is the home for buying handmade items. If you haven't checked them out, visit them (and me) at http://sockmonkeygreetings.etsy.com. You can see what I currently have for sale. I will be adding new items daily for the next month. If you are looking for anything in particular, please let me know as I may have it, just haven't listed it yet.
I have also joined a few Etsy Teams - Homefront Team, Made in Vermont Team and EtsyGreetings Team.

New Journals for Sale

2008-08-28T12:03:00.003-04:00

Below are journals for sale. Each Journal is the size of a small composition book. Each journal is $6.00. Click on the photo to see a larger image.

Brown/Blue Dreams

Dreams Journal

Maple Leaf Journal

Apple Bucket Journal (each page inside is also stamped with an apple) Makes a great gift for a new teacher!

New Cards for Sale

2008-08-28T11:56:00.002-04:00

More Cards for Sale. Each card is $4. (click link to view a larger image of the card)

Apple Card

Fall Flowers

Scarecrow Card

Fall Open Fold Card

Pumpkin Card

Visit me at Stampin Up!

2008-08-15T09:24:00.003-04:00

I'm now online at Stampin Up. Visit my website http://sockmonkeygreetings.stampinup.net and sign up to receive communication regarding Specials, Promotions, Events and Newsletters! Plus, right now you can view the New 2008/2009 Catalog!

Cards I've Made

2008-08-13T22:40:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share with you some of the cards I've made and have available for sale. If you'd like to see any of these cards close up, please let me know as I have most of these individually photographed also.

Welcome to Sock Monkey Greetings

2008-08-13T21:08:00.005-04:00

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. Do you hate stopping by the drug store to pick up a greeting card only to find out that someone else gave the same exact card to the recipient? With Sock Monkey Greetings helping you with your card giving, that won't happen. Most of our cards are limited edition. The cards you see here are for sale. I also do custom orders: Baby Announcements, Weddings, Anniversary, Birthday, Thank You and more.

Let me help you send unique, handmade greetings to those you love.

Price: $4.00 per card

Special discounts apply towards bulk purchases.

sockmonkeygreetings@comcast.net

2008-08-13T18:27:00.002-04:00