L is for Lake Michigan

Are you ready for another round of Alphabe Thursday? Let's go!

Many of you already know that I love Lake Michigan, regardless of the season and where I'm viewing it. I kind of completely missed out on taking pictures of it this fall with all of the craziness in my life. I'm doing my best to get out and take a few pictures of it this winter. If you've never seen these type of ice formations in person and gotten to experience walking on them yourself, I highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity.

Check out what the other Alphabe Thursday participants posted for the letter L this week right here!

January Mid-Month Sponsor Love

Welcome to the first sponsor love post for 2014! 

I'm celebrating the middle of the month with a shout out to all of my lovely blog sponsors.

Edi of memoriesforlifesb

 Giving a real wood card for a 5th anniversary is so brilliant. I love this double heart wood card in Edi's shop.

Angela of AngleAh

 How adorable is Angela's rustic boutonniere?

Valerie of additionsstyle

 Valerie does simple jewelry so well. Check out these silver stud earrings.

Deb of storybeader

 Deb did a great job explaining how she layered paper in one of her recent journal layouts.

Tiffany of Ribbon Lane Supplies

 Are you crafting for Valentine's Day yet? It isn't too early to pick up a few yards of Tiffany's love bug and hearts ribbon.

Paige of Little Nostalgia

 Paige put together some great resources for the 2014 Pantone color of the year, radiant orchid.

Kristen of Milo and Molly

 Recently Kristen shared a story about how she almost stole someone's graphics for items that she was planning to sell. The message here is so important.

I hope that you found some useful resources today!

Are you interested in becoming a sponsor? Click here for more information!

January Top Commenters and February News

So I completely forgot about this post last month until it was way too late to fit it in with everything else that I had scheduled. My apologies. I hope that February has gotten off to a great start for everyone.

Top Commenters

My commenter base has been amazing the past few weeks. I especially appreciate all of the feedback that I've gotten about my new goals for 2013 and my recent photography. If you've left me one or more of those comments, thank you! Interaction with readers is one of the things that keeps me posting here every week. Thanks to Ann of Ann's Snap Edit Scrap and Jamie of Crafter on a Budget for stopping by and commenting regularly! Check out goodies from some of my other top commenters who are selling their handmade items online.

1) PATTERN - Crocheted fingerless gloves with flower by JNOriginals
2) Jewelry bracelet kit - Turquoise & hand-rolled paper beads by storybeader
3) Baby Shower Guest Book - Personalized Baby Buggy Stroller Design by memoriesforlifesb
4) Blue Kerosine Lantern Earrings Retro Hypoallergenic by StalkingTheWildSnark 
5) Shabby chic cottage style eyemask. Chambray Rose. Blue by PeriDotbyDuni
6) Sky Blue Crystal Sterling Silver Earrings by BeadedTail
7) Red Rose With Water Droplets Greeting Card by Cyndi Calhoun
8) Buckskin Mare Dale Evans Horse Buttermilk 5x7 inch print of original watercolor painting by tapestry316

Blog Sponsors and February Advertising

I have an awesome round up of blog sponsors!  These lovely ladies all have Etsy shops and/or blogs.  Check them out on the left hand side of my blog under "Private Sponsors." I have to give a shout out to my newest sponsor, Tiffany of MaddieBsBoutique. She sells hair bows and other adorable goodies.

Would you like to join the private sponsors?  It's only $3 per month or $10 for 4 months to advertise with me.  Check out all of the details about it right here.

Out With the Old Sale

I brought back my Out With the Old sale this year for the beginning of 2013. There are a number of older pieces in my shop that I would really like to clear out forever to get my shop more streamlined and reflective of my current lines. Take advantage of these amazing deals while you can right here.

Bring It On February!

• My Christmas HubPages traffic way exceeded my expectations this year. As I've mentioned before, last year I had ridiculously good Valentine's Day traffic. It hasn't been ridiculous this year thus far, but it's been very solid. I'm hoping the momentum will keep up and I can keep some steady holiday traffic going through Easter like I did last year. I had a great January publishing there with 10 new articles and hope to maintain a minimum of once a week publishing through February.
•  Client work was a little slow around the holidays, but things are more or less back on track now. My regular client base has shifted a little this past month. However, I continue to get regular assignments coming in from familiar clients, which is great.
• My first two shows for 2013 are going to be in early March and late April. It's hard to believe that first one is only a little more than a month away. I have a number of craft fair related tasks to complete before then.
• Those of you who know me outside of this blog know that my social life has kind of exploded since September, which has been pretty amazing. It's great to have things going on just about every single week. It's also really nice to be back in the swing of things with the holidays done.
• It is frustrating not to get outside and take pictures very often this time of year, but I'm determined to make use of every single warmer day that we get through the end of the winter.
    

 What's going on with your business and/or blog for February? 

Where I Linked Up Today:

January Mid-Month Sponsor Love

I'm celebrating the middle of the month with a shout out to all of my awesome blog sponsors!

Edi of memoriesforlifesb

How can you not love mustache cufflinks? Check out the other cufflinks that Edi has available right here.

Jamie of ForLoveofCupcakes

Jamie and her family recently started having a game night. She has lots of great tips and advice for starting this tradition yourself.

Linda of PruittCreations

 Linda has lots of beautiful pillows and pillow covers in her shop, including this lace heart romantic pillow. It's perfect for Valentine's Day.

Angela of AngleAh

The pop of colors from Angela's daisy push pins is much needed this time of year. I love this cheerful set.

Valerie of additionsstyle

 No one else in the room will have a pair of these unique washer earrings.

Deb of storybeader

I love how Deb documented her 10 long term goals. This is such a great visual.

Paige of Little Nostalgia

Who else is excited about the 2013 Pantone color emerald? If you weren't already excited, you will be after you check out Paige's emerald picks.

Kristen of Milo and Molly

 Household cleaners may not be very exciting, but they are useful. Kristen has some great recommendations.

I hope that you found some useful resources today!

Are you interested in advertising with me? Click here!

Saturday Link List: the January recipe edition

Welcome to my Saturday Link List!  There is no theme here, but as always, I tried to mix it up and include some great seasonal recipes.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Roasted Red Pepper + Bacon Goat Cheese Truffles from How Sweet It Is

 

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Fried Goat Cheese from Heather Christo

Easy Chicken Salad Recipe from vesapwoolf

 

Thai BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe from habee

Mom’s Famous Cheesecake Squares from Sharon Smith

Seven Layer Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Recipe from Kelley Ward

 

Cannoli Tart from How Sweet It Is

10 Things to Do With Leftover Homemade Cranberry Sauce from savingkathy

How To Make Kiwi Fruit Jam from ladyrain

What recipes/foods have you been enjoying lately?

Create your own link list and grab a button for your post or simply spread the word on your blog.

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Did I feature your work here?  Grab a button for your blog or web site!

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Did you use one of the resources, tutorials, or recipes from my link list?  Leave me a link in the comments or send me an e-mail (randomcreative28@gmail.com) with your photos and stories.  I would love to post them here.

Stay tuned next week for the January resources edition! 

January Top Droppers and Commenters and February News

Where did January go?!  It's February already, which means that it's time to thank my Top Droppers and Commenters once again and let you know what's going on with my shop next month.  Even though this is a slow shopping season, there is still a lot going on here.  Come along for the ride!

TOP DROPPERS:
Entrecard has had a few rocky days at the end of this month, but overall things have been pretty solid there.  Here are the top 10 for January.  Thanks so much to those of you who also take the time to leave me comments!

 

 

TOP COMMENTERS:
If you're new to this blog, you can check out my Top Commenters widget on the right side of my blog.  Just scroll down to see where you rank. It's right under my blog roll.  I will feature an item or give a shout out to everyone on that list or who has commented regularly (even if not within the last week) in this monthly post.  I really appreciate those of you who take the time to leave me feedback!

Thanks to Grace of Dragon's Alley and Anne of Small Town Mommy for stopping by and commenting regularly!  Here are some lovely items from the ladies on my list who have Etsy shops.

1) Personalized Guest Book Photo Wedding Album - Double Intertwined Hearts by memoriesforlifesb

2) FREE SHIPPING - Knit Coin Purse Zipper Pouch Wallet - Chevrons Grey/Hot Pink Zig Zags by NFallonDesignStudio

3) Custom Journal - Cats are put on Earth to make us smile - Made to Order Sketchbook by BeadedTail

4) paper and sterling beaded earrings by storybeader

5) Envelope pocket album for photos, 7 pages, 12 pockets, 30 pages, tangerine, lime, earth tones by MisterPenQuin

6) Handmade Journal - FAITH with bird - Custom, Personalized Sketchbook You Choose Cover Color by ArtfulRising

7) SILK Scrunchie,  hand dyed, soft for hair, moss green and sot turquoise by SplendidLittleStars

8) Springtime Print Subway Art 8x10 PDF by ForLoveofCupcakes

Valentine's Day Promotion and Other Sale Items:
I have a couple different sales/promotions going on in my shop right now.  The first is my Valentine's Day promotion.

I'm offering free shipping on all items in my Valentine's Day shop section through February 14.  No coupon code is needed.  Many of these pieces are simply Valentine's Day color palettes and can be worn year round.

The second special is my "out with the old" sale, which is still going strong.

Most of these items are styles that I will no longer be making so get them from my sale section while you can.  These items will be discounted through the end of the month.

New Blog Sponsors and January Advertising:
I am wowed by the number of people who took blog spots with me this month!  Your support means so much to me.  All of these ladies have awesome Etsy shops and/or blogs.

My 2012 ad offer is over, but I've lowered my monthly ad price.  It's only $3 per month or $10 for 4 months to advertise with me now.  Check out all of the details about it right here.

Bring it on February!

The biggest thing going on the beginning of this month is an open house in the Chicago area.  If you are interested in attending, please leave me a comment with contact information so I can send you more information.  After that, I'll be focusing on listing new items in my shop, making spring greeting cards, and figuring out if there are shows I want to apply for this spring.

What's going on with your business and or/blog for February?