Snow CAN be a Good Thing...Sometimes

If you run your own Etsy shop etc, you probably know how important pictures are. Many times, they are the determining factor on whether or not someone even chooses to view your item. So they must be of decent quality at least.

Some people prefer white backgrounds (honestly, I think they are boring). I do agree that they make it easier to see right away what the product is that you are offering. And so I gave in, and decided to work on my product photos this week. I put them on white backgrounds (the snow, because I kill all light boxes haha). I suppose that is one good thing about snow. I left my funner backgrounds in the extra photos, the ones that don't show up as the first photo. I love the way natural lighting adds to my photos. Here are some samples of what I worked on this week.

Learn more HERE

View the listing HERE

Check him out HERE

What have you been up to this week?

Dragons in the Garden

This week I have been working a lot with polymer clay - making miniature dragons. They have glass eyes and fit in the palm of your hand!

Purchase Casper HERE

Purchase Midnight HERE

Purchase Sonny HERE

What have you created this week?

Getting Ready for a Craft Show!

I have spent all week getting ready for my craft show Saturday - it is going to be so much fun!

I have homemade soap, infinity scarves, ornaments, jewelry, and more! What items would you like to see me make next?

Time to Sew

This past week JoAnn had a mega sale!! I went back 3 times for fabric! And patterns ;) I am hoping to get more into sewing - I love trying new crafts!! What kinds of crafts have you done lately?

Multi-Vendor Video Game Auction!

I have organized a video game themed auction on my Facebook page Raeosunshine Pets. There are over 50 items in this auction - all handmade by various artists. 

There are several Pokemon themed items - a favorite of mine! That Pikachu jewelry set was made by me, and I nearly kept it for myself haha!

Several Legend of Zelda inspired items also - although I have never played the games, I still appreciate all this adorableness!!

And now on to Mario...by far the most popular topic in the auction! Even I added a Mario themed set.

Which video game is your favorite?

These are not all of the items in the auction - there are several Harry Potter, Pacman, and even Disney items, etc. Please visit the auction album HERE - bidders pay via Paypal. Ends Thursday night! Get your bids in before it is too late

Snoopy!

"These are the times that make me want to go out and accomplish big things...tomorrow." and "Happiness is a thoughtful friend!"

Recently, I did a giveaway for one of my shadow box magnets. I make Peanuts, Vintage Coca-Cola, and Pokemon inspired ones. This led to a custom order :)

I love custom requests! This lady asked for two Snoopy inspired magnets, and here they are. Unfortunately I had trouble getting a better pic of them - they just weren't working with my light box. But I expect eventually I will figure out a better way.

Who is your favorite Peanuts character? Mine is Schroeder :)

*Interested in one but can't find them in my shop? Don't worry - I just haven't gotten around to listing them yet, but you can still have one! They are $10 including shipping & an additional $8 each if you order more than one.*

Shelly

"Shelly" a Pet Portrait made for a winner from my Facebook giveaway.

I am so proud of this! I know I am not an amazing painter or anything like that, but this is my first "large" watercolor (9x12 as opposed to my usual 4x6) and I feel like I totally rocked it! Large blank pieces of paper frighten me. Haha! What do you think? Is this something I should offer in my shop?

Only a few days left to enter to win a 4x6 pet watercolor on my Facebook page! To enter, go HERE

An Anniversary Gift

Check out my little dragon Merida! She was recently part of a trade I made on Etsy. I love trading with other artists! Merida is needle felted, with felt wings and a Merino wool braid for hair. She is too cute!

Made by Certified Gemologist, Sandy Martinez

It was my parent's anniversary recently, so I was happy when I was able to trade for this classy birthstone necklace from GriffinsNestJewelry on Etsy - as a gift for my mom. This is a great gift - the seller was very helpful and it arrived quickly. I could tell from first glance that it was a high quality item! The stones are gorgeous and sparkly. They are set well, not loose or crooked. Absolutely perfect. And my mom loved it too! This is something she can where all the time - great for everyday wear and special occasions. It is very classy and not so gaudy that she is unable to wear it to her job. I give this piece of jewelry two thumbs up!

Even the little box it came in was perfect!

Check out our shops on Etsy:
My shop HERE
Her shop HERE

Time For a Party - A Mario Party!!!

Look - baby Yoshi is hatching!! Now he is going to be late to the party for sure!

Yoshi is a needle felted miniature - 15% proceeds from his sale will be donated to the animal rescue of the month. Don't you want to adopt him? He promises to help you win Mario Kart - well he promises to try anyway! 

Who is your favorite Mario character?? Mine is a tie between Yoshi and Boo!

Don't forget to take the poll on the right side of the page - where you choose either Mario or Luigi to go on an adventure with!

Find Yoshi in my Etsy shop HERE

Woodland Creatures

Looking through my stock today, I realized I needed to have a "woodland creatures" photo shoot with these three little guys! And so I did.

All three are needle felted miniatures, finished with glass eyes and plastic noses. I made the little fox for a trade, so he is already spoken for. BUT the little rabbit and brown bear are still up for grabs! All proceeds from both of them go to animal rescues. What do you think of them?

View the bear on Etsy HERE

View the rabbit on Etsy HERE

Colors of Nature Review

Disclaimer: I received these items in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to post a positive review. These are my honest opinions. Your experiences may differ

Colors of Nature was kind enough to send me a sample of their paints to review on my page. I was delighted when it arrived - I know many of my followers are creative like me, so you can understand my excitement about new craft supplies! Colors of Nature makes professional quality, earth-friendly artists' paint. Their paint is certified vegan, petroleum free, cruelty free, AND made only from natural ingredients, like plants and minerals.

I love to paint! I may not be the best painter, but that does not hold me back! Due to the fact that their paints are only made from plants and minerals, the result is a more natural painting - one that reflects the true colors of nature. I thought this was great! There are several different browns - which are perfect for what I enjoy painting best - pet portraits. From the first brush stroke, I could tell that these are high quality paints! I found that these paints blend well and easily produce a beautiful image. They are also long lasting - a little truly does go a long way!

Overall, I give these cruelty free, earth friendly paints two thumbs up! A perfect score!!  

Get your own Baker's Dozen Watercolor Paint Kit HERE

Visit their website HERE

x

What Does the Fox Say?

Check out my little Foxie Loxie!! Needle felted for a trade on Etsy :)

This little fox was so fun to make! For this project I used a more coarse wool for the body (I prefer coarser fibers - from my experiences, they seem to felt faster) and for the tail and sideburns I used a more fine wool. The face was finished with a plastic nose and a pair of glass eyes. I love using glass eyes - they make my miniatures come alive!

We have an enormous maple tree in the backyard and that is where I chose to pose this little guy for a photo shoot. Before I send this mini out, it will be attached to a ribbon. My miniatures look great sitting in a display case, but they also are wonderful hanging from your rear view mirror or even from your Christmas tree! And you know, Christmas in July is coming up here soon ;)

Find this in the Etsy shop SleepingFoxBitchery

This "Little Sh*t Pet Silhouette Hand-embroidered wall art" is what I will be receiving in return. Well, not the exact one in the pic, but a customized one for my tuxedo kitty Artemis! When I saw this item, I knew I HAD to have it. Because, well...Arty is a "little sh*t!" Haha! I am so excited to see how this turns out and I will post about it again later, when I receive mine.

In the meantime, check out our shops on Etsy!

My Etsy Shop

SleepingFoxBitchery

Pet Portrait Giveaway

YOU could WIN a custom watercolor pet portrait!! Visit my Facebook page to see the original post and all the rules etc.

Here are just a few ways you can enter:

☆Following my shop on Instagram @raeosunshinepets

☆Following my shop on Twitter

☆Following my blog on Tumblr

☆Favoriting my shop on Etsy

☆Donating funds or purchasing a charity listing in my shop

This month proceeds from the fundraiser will be donated to Cat Shelter Felix/ Azil za mačke Felix - a cat sanctuary in Serbia.

Please visit their website HERE

Noah

One of my favorite Bible pendants so far - where Noah sends out the dove! Check out my Etsy shop to see what other verses I made into pendants. 15% donated to the animal rescue of the month

My first infinity scarf!

Here it is...my very first infinity scarf. Look for these in my Etsy shop soon :)

What kinds of prints do you like best?

Jiji Goes Undercover

Inspired by the young witch's little friend in Kiki's Delivery Service, this needle felted cat is now available in my shop! Every Studio Ghibli fan NEEDS one of these miniatures ;) Perfect for display or even cosplay.
Check out the listing here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/112441381/kikis-delivery-service-cat-jiji-in?ref=shop_home_active_1

Brown Bear

Today I had a real photo shoot with this little guy  Find him in my shop, all proceeds go to Cat Shelter Felix/ Azil za mačke Felix AND you get raffle tickets when you purchase him.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/193294935/100-donated-to-charity-miniature-brown?ref=shop_home_active_2