How to beat procrastination... NOW!

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We all know how to get things done. You simply follow a set of steps:

  1. Determine what you need to get done
  2. Understand your motivations for getting it done
  3. Break it down into smaller sub-tasks if necessary
  4. Decide you are going to do it
  5. Do it
vintage clock phone lamp by vintageboxedblonde

vintage clock phone lamp by vintageboxedblonde

So why do we all procrastinate? Why do we allow ourselves to be distracted? Why do we put off doing something that we need to get done? 

Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder. -Mason Cooley

There are a few common reasons:

1. Fear. Maybe it's a fear of failure or success or simply the unknown. The most important thing to know is that you can do something to move through that fear. If a task seems difficult or time consuming, break it down into smaller tasks that are easier to manage. If there is a bit of unknown, focus on the positive good outcomes of getting this done rather than the negative or fearful aspects. Look for the joy in the task and hold onto that. 

2. Instant gratification aka laziness. Fix this by holding yourself accountable. Set your intentions on social media, get a buddy to work towards goals with, or ask a friend to help. Find ways to set and hold yourself accountable to your time frames.

3. Distractions. Set time aside. Meditate for five minutes to focus your mind. Use paper and pen instead of a computer. Turn off notifications, if you must use your computer for the task. Use a time-bound hack, like working for 30 minutes on something you need to get done, then rewarding yourself with 10 minutes of doing something fun, repeating this as often as necessary. Or try working for 10 minutes blocks at a time if something seems really overwhelming. Sometimes just getting started is enough to move past the distractions (and fears!).

Can It Tee by RusteriorThreads

Can It Tee by RusteriorThreads

4. Maybe you don't actually need to do that task. Sometimes you have to say no to doing things. Is this task really important? Is it beneficial to you? Is it necessary for you to complete it? Sometimes the key to overcoming procrastination is identifying what does, and what doesn't, actually need to get done.

Shawn Carney Art
https://www.etsy.com/shop/shawncarneyart

DIY: Halloween Puppets

There’s a chill in the air, jack o’lanterns and ghostly decorations are everywhere. Yes, Halloween is near! This year we wanted to try making something different other than the usual paper plate masks and construction paper cut out bats. We love those, don’t get me wrong but we came up with our own project and we love it. We made puppets with foam balls, wooden dowels and my husband’s old shirts (sshhh! Don’t tell!) The best part of this project is that you can make any character you want and make them as crazy as you want them to be.  This is how we did it:

1. Make the heads:

You’ll need 3” smooth foam balls (or approximate size),  gesso, wooden dowels, pencil, craft paint in the colors of your choice, brushes in different sizes. For the optional steps you’ll need school glue, water, tissue paper, mod podge or finishing spray.

Cover the foam balls with a couple coats of Gesso. You need to do this in order for the paint to stay on the surface later on, that way it won’t peel off. After the gesso is dry, use a pencil to draw your puppets’ facial features. Draw eyes, mouths, big ones, small ones, anything you like, this is Halloween after all! Use your craft paint to paint the ball all around, making sure you can still see the pencil lines through the paint. Trace the features with a thin brush. Insert the wooden dowel at the bottom of the head. Because the foam ball is soft, it won’t be hard to get the dowel in there but you may use the tip of a pencil to get a hole started and then push the dowel. 

Optional steps:

* If you would like to make three-dimensional features such as ears or noses, you’ll need to make a quick mix of papier maché. Simply mix equal amounts of school glue and water and dip shredded pieces of tissue paper in it, mold into shape and place on the foam ball, where you want it. It will be very wet, you will need to let it dry overnight. This is what I did for the cat’s ears and nose and the pumpkin’s stem.

* You may add a special touch by adding the year on the back and making it a family keepsake. 

* After painting the head and facial features, you may add a layer of mod podge or finishing spray. That way you’ll be able to show off your puppet for years!

2. Make the clothes:

I kept this part very simple. I used sleeves from old men’s shirts. Cut off the sleeves and cut off the cuffs. Then gather the narrower end at the base of the puppets’ heads and glue gun it to the dowel, at the base of the head. If you don’t have shirts to cut, simply use old scraps of fabric to glue on the dowel, at the base of the head.

Optional steps:

Make a couple of fancy items to add to your characters! I used felt to make a little witch’s hat and cape. You can use ribbons, buttons, pom poms, etc to glue onto your puppet’s clothes or heads.

The kids loved working on these puppets, I think we’ll keep them around even after Halloween passes. They’re making up their own little stories and using their imaginations to play and be creative. They also loved being involved in the making process. From brushing the gesso onto the balls, to painting and cutting off the shirts, this project is kid friendly. My oldest is learning how to use the glue gun but you be careful with the little ones around as they can get easily burned with the tip of the gun or the melted silicon. Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Natasha K.

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Shopping Etsy NY in Person!

For most shopping Etsy online is the only way to get your favorite handmade items. But more and more Etsy sellers are breaking into brick and mortar retail stores across the country. Check out a few of our own Etsy NY team successful sellers rocking it in the real world!

Brooklyn Owl can be found at many local NY retailer and across the US including Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store in Park Slope, Brooklyn. They create whimsical and creative party items can''t be missed including Unicorn Horns and garland!

You can find Tamara Garvey's illustrations at Holly's Co-Opp Shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn as well as craft markets throughout the NYC area. She creates a number of products including prints, cards, original art, iPhone covers, Moleskines, & personalized stationery. All made from her whimsical and nature-based pen-and-ink illustrations these make perfect gifts for any occasion!

Get a head start on your winter and holiday shopping this weekend before the chill sets in! Brooklyn-based Etsy shop owner Emily of Slope Girl Knits will be selling her line of cozy handknit and crochet wear and decorations at this exclusive trunk show at Woods Grove in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn on October 24. Visit the store from 11am to 4pm to find infinity scarves, wrist warmers, ornaments and more! Custom requests are also welcome!

Bugged Out is another talented Etsy NY team member who sells at the New York Botanical Garden, Shop in the Garden. Their fruit and vegetable line was originally designed exclusively for them and available online as well!

If you find yourself on the west coast, you can find my very shop Amberlee Isabella Home now available at Sausalito Stationery in Sausalito, California! Just outside of San Francisco, Sausalito Stationery carries several custom Amberlee Isabella Home products including totes, postcards and mugs and artwork. For me it's always such a pleasure to create custom products for both customers and retailers! 

Do you shop local Etsy products in your city? Maybe you're a seller expanding to brick and mortar? If so we'd love to here your story below!

 ~Amberlee

Amberlee Isabella Home

Crafts in Chelsea 2015...Only Two Days Until Awesome Handmade Shopping for a Good Cause!

Crafts in Chelsea is upon us...well close to upon us. In two days,  Saturday, October 17th, friends and families of PS 11 will celebrate the fall along side local designers in the annual favorite street fair benefiting the children and art enrichment programs at PS 11.

This year promises to be just as amazing as years past, with over 40 artists and vendors, this event will be a great kick off to the holiday season!  For the kids (and kids at heart!) there will be bouncy castles, yummy food and raffles. For the grown-ups, a wonderful, affordable artisan market full of handmade-only products from local designers.

Products at the market this year include unique fine and fashion jewelry, one-of-a-kind paper goods as well as an amazing variety of custom-designed clothing and accessories for children and adults.  Also featured will be an array of all-natural, eco-friendly candles and skincare products in fresh, original scents, bits and bites for nibbles or gifts, as well as festive accessories and hand-sewn linens for your fall table.  As if this weren't enough, the market will also showcase a selection of funky, cool original art, prints and accessories as well as fun, retro-inspired housewares!

Buy Local Goods from the Real People Who Make Them

Go Home with Something Special Made with Love

https://www.facebook.com/events

But first let's take a #shelfie...

First it was #selfies but now it's #shelfies...

Shelfies are exactly what they sound like, beautifully executed photos of the shelves in your home. Perfectly curated and personalized, the shelfies trend focuses on showcasing small details that make your house feel like a home. And of course the Etsy has everything you need to elevate you shelfie game! 

This embroidered Brooklyn print by Koto Designs is from a Etsy NY team member. This artwork is perfect because of the beautiful details. Proping this on a shelf is a great way to admire the detail up close! 

Clocks are a great shelfie addition because they offer a bit of nostalgia. With smartphones, clocks aren't really necessary anymore. But this piece is really equal parts art and function. SimplyNu created this design from salvaged slate and is also an Etsy NY Team member!

No shelfie is complete without a little bit of green. This succulent planter from Blue Room Pottery fits the bill. The delicate white ceramic planter is trimmed with metallic gold adding a little something special. 

Organizing books by color in the home has been trending for quite some time and when it comes to shelfies it's no different. This vintage collection from St. Olive Vintage is a easy way to add that rich color and character to your surroundings. 

Wrapping things up, the last key to a well balanced shelfie is a good candle. This natural soy candle by Coco + Bubbles is perfect for fall. Available in a variety of scents we recommend ordering one with colorful label that ties your whole shelfie together!

Have your own awesome #shelfie photos? Please share in comments, we'd love to see them!

~Amberlee, Amberlee Isabella Home  

 

 

A Spooky Weekend To-Do List

Immerse yourself in the "spirit" of the season with fall activities that are rich in history while designed to give you a fright:

1.  Attend a live storytelling of the The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, in Sleepy Hollow.

Set to spooky organ music, Washington Irving's classic tale is told at the burial ground which inspired the author's Headless Horseman. In addition to the many historic sites in the town of Sleepy Hollow and surrounding area, visitors can experience The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, cemetery tours, harvest fests, and  other activities.

Sleepy Hollow, New York (http://visitsleepyhollow.com/)

http://www.delcoghosts.com/loganinn.html

http://www.delcoghosts.com/loganinn.html

2.  Spend  a night at a haunted hotel. 

If you're a ghost hunter, The Logan Inn in New Hope, Pennsylvania may be the place for you. Established in 1727, the Logan Inn is one of the oldest inns in America, with a history dating back to the Revolutionary War. There have been reports of ghosts, strange sounds, and poltergeist activity. Make note of Room 6 when planning your visit. 

The Logan Inn, New Hope, Pennsylvania (http://loganinn.com)

Weird U.S. (http://www.weirdus.com/states/pennsylvania/ghosts/logan_inn/)

3.  Give a toast to Poe at his grave.

For over seventy years, a mysterious, rarely seen person known as the "Poe Toaster" would visit the grave of Edgar Allan Poe on his birthday, toasting him with a glass of cognac, then leaving three roses and the unfinished bottle of cognac. Fans of Edgar Allan Poe can check out the gravesite in Baltimore, as well as the lectures and tributes to the poet, organized through the Edgar Allan Poe Society. At the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, diehard Poe followers may be interested in the many artifacts honoring this master of macabre literature. 

Edgar Allan Poe Society, Baltimore, Maryland (http://www.eapoe.org)

Poe Museum, Richmond, Virginia (http://www.poemuseum.org/)

 

Post by: Nicoletta Siccone / ETSY Shop: ArtologieDesigns / Website: www.art-ologie.com