Merry Christmas...In July!!

No one is sure how or why "Christmas In July" celebrations came about. Some speculate that an Irish group who enjoyed the winter snow in Sydney, Australia's Blue Mountains during the summer decided to throw a party....and who can resist a good party?!

Whatever the origin, now millions of people worldwide like to have a festive holiday celebration in the hot and humid month of July....and retailers are using this as a way to draw in customers during a normally slow sales period. July is the perfect time to hit the clearance racks or start shopping for the actual Christmas holiday. This is especially true if you shop online (and we hope you are shopping on eBay!); buying now ensures your packages will arrive in plenty of time, and you can avoid the rush of crowds at the stores in November and December.

To celebrate "Christmas In July", Annabella's Gift Shop is giving away one FREE premium Christmas gift bag (value $1.99-$2.99) with every item purchased now through July 31, 2006. Win one auction, get one bag; buy two store items, get two bags; win two auctions and buy one store item, get three bags...there is no limit and no special code to enter as the bag(s) will automatically be added to your order! However, this offer is only available while supplies last, so shop early. In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas...in July!!

Freaky Friday --- Video Pleasures

It's Friday ! Time for a little fun !

OK ... this has got to be one of my most favorite homemade music videos !

The song is NIN (Nine Inch Nails) "Everyday Is Exactly The Same" from Microbefox ... check out his other vidoes.

Does Anybody Look Like Me?

"Why is my skin color different from yours?" "Why are my eyes different from yours?" And the one that was so hard for me to answer with our oldest daughter; "Mommy, why do they call me ugly names?" We adopted a beautiful three-week-old baby girl whose birth mother was Cheyenne Indian and whose birth father was Cheyenne and Pima Indian. Having been adopted by a family with a mix of Indian and non-Indian background, I found no issue with such a thing. But as the years went by the heartache was so hard to carry. Our beautiful daughter was often the brunt of very ugly jokes and very ugle slurs. I'm Irish (as Paddy's pig) background and my husband is German background. Our beautiful daughter never looked like us - and never will. But she's still ours.

When I came across this book in doing some research, I felt a certain amount of empathy for those families that also deal with these issues every day of their lives. We're living in an ever-changing world and our children have to cope with things that most of us never considered or imagined.

We can't solve all the heartache - or all the problems, but a book like this can at least provide some understanding and/or some advice that can help. If it just opens a few eyes, that may be enough to effect change for the better. KC's Kozy Korner

The Amazing Almighty Conch Shell Part III

Okay folks, for the last installment of my series of Conch posts, I've gathered up some delicious carribean recipes that are sure to please at your next dinner party!

Conch Fritters with Mango Chile Dipping Sauce


Conch Fritters

2 lb Conch -- ground

1 tsp Black pepper

1 Green pepper -- chopped

1 tsp Baking powder

1 med Onion -- chopped

3 oz Tomato paste

2 tsp Salt

3 c Self-rising flour

2 TSP Hot Sauce

Mix the ground conch with green pepper, onion, salt, black pepper and baking powder. Stir in the tomato paste, hot sauce and flour. Shape into balls and spoon into hot oil. Fry until golden brown and drain on brown paper. Serve warm with dipping sauce.


Mango Chile Dipping Sauce

cup puréed mango (about 2 mangoes)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well. Serve Chilled
Yields: 1 1/2 cup

And to round out this spicy meal how about a Margarita?


Jose Cuervo's Billionaire's Margarita

1 oz Reserva da la Familia

1/2 oz Grand Marnier Cuvee du Centenaire

2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1 oz simple syrup*

Ice

Lime Wedge

Large Grain Kosher Salt

Combine Tequila, Grand Marnier, simply syrup and 1 oz. lime juice in a tall mixing glass, and mix well. Tip your serving glass upside down and dip rim in reserved ounce of lime juice then dip the rim into the salt. Add ice to the glass, pour in the mix and garnish with lime wedge. Viva Cuervo!

*simple syrup is little more then a mixture of sugar and water.
Bring the water to a boil, add sugar to the water and dissolve. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool.
The ratio of sugar to water can be left to personal preference, traditionally it is one part water to two parts sugar.

"And how do I serve up these tasty treats?" you might ask. Well! How about stopping by My Mercado Mexican Imports They sell beautiful handblown Margarita Glasses and Pitchers and also Beautiful Mexican Pottery Serving Dishes!

Enjoy!

Support our Troops: Buy a Bracelet

I am selling this bracelet at auction on Ebay:




100% of the proceeds will go to the USO through Mission Fish.

I challenge other sellers out there to try some auctions for charity. It is a great feeling to be able to use your items to benefit others.

Creepy Crawly and Butterfly Greeting Card: Craft Examples

Thought it might be a good time to put up some craft projects Kimmi has done over the last few months. Enjoy !

This is a handmade greeting card that Kimmi made in the Spring to use for some of her Summer RAK's. This is a bright, cheerful card made with the Posh Impressions Butterfly Kisses duet rubber stamp set.

The background is white, glossy card stock distressed in a yellow ink with multiple "quick stampings" of the solid butterfly. That is then applied to a flat black card stock with a flat black card stock band. The center image is the solid butterfly stamp with the black outline stamped over the top. This is done on bright white card stock. Kim used Marvy Markers to ink the stamps as opposed to a stamp pad.



Next we have a VERY cool ATC ( Artist Trading Card ) that Kimmi made just a week ago for a friend. This "Creep And Crawl" card was made with multiple collage layers applied to very heavy card stock that had been cut to size. She acquired most of the collage pieces from the newspaper and various collage image sheets that she has. The finishing touch, of course, is the fiber (yarn) scarf.

As a side note, Artist Trading Cards are typically 1 of 1 pieces of mini-art that the artist names, signs, dates, and then gives to another. Rubber stamping, painting, drawing, paper piercing, embellishments, and many other craft techniques can be used to make an ATC. (more on ATC's in a future article)

Have questions on how this was done ? Please feel free to post a comment.


As always, the latest and greatest unmounted rubber stamps can be found in our Simple Treasures Collage store at this URL:
http://stores.ebay.com/SimpleTreasuresCollage

Treasure Hunt For June 26th ... Win 75 Credits !

Treasure Hunt
For June 26th - July 1st


THIS CONTEST IS OVER ...
Winners Posted HERE

Next Treasure hunt to start July 4th or 5th. Receive email notification of new contest by subscribing to our email updates.


Here's the deal. Find the answer we are looking for and you can win credits on Blog Explosion.

Winners will be awards BlogExplosion credits so you must have a user account on Blog Explosion so that we can send you your credits. If you do not have one already, you will need to sign-up for an account unless you would just like to play for fun.

When you find the answer to the question you must post your answer by leaving a comment to this post. Include your answer and make sure to tell us your Blog Explosion Username. This is the same one that you log-in with and that displays on your BE Profile. DO NOT post any of your personal information or your password ! All posts will be hidden until the final day. At that time the comments will be revealed and the winners announced.


THERE ARE 2 QUESTIONS

You only have to answer ONE of them correctly, but you can win bonus credits for answering both questions correctly.

The first person with at least 1 correct answer will win 50 BE Credits. If they answered BOTH questions correctly, they will receive a bonus of 25 credits for a total of 75 BE Credits.

We will then draw a name at random of all the other people that answered at least 1 of the questions correctly and award that lucky person with 25 BE Credits. If that person answered BOTH questions correctly they receive a bonus of 15 credits for a total of 40 BE credits.

So everyone that answers correctly has a chance to win !

RULES:
Our "Blog Of The Week" renter cannot play their question, but they can play the question about our blog.

The DOE Team Bloggers may not answer the question about our blog, but they may answer the question about our "Blog Of The Week". Team bloggers, you also MUST log-out of blogger and post your answer as "Anonymous" due to the moderation.




Question #1 for This Week:
According to the person who posted the topic ... What are the fates of Locke, Eko, and Desmond ?

Where is the Answer ?
The answer is on our Blog Of The Week Pick.

Give me a Hint ?
Another small hint ... Scooter is his own island, try not to get lost over there. ;-) (this will be the ONLY additional hint)


Question #2 for This Week:
Which one of our "Team Bloggers" has a boy walking down a dirt path in their store logo. I'm looking for the name of their store.

Where is the Answer ?
The answer is on our blog.

Give me a Hint ?
OK ... It seems that the 2006 Summer has a catalogue of fun in store for us !


Have Fun !

It's a Seashell...it's a Soap Dish!

In my household of mostly males, I am forever looking for places I can sneak in some more feminine touches...one place I seem to have a little success at that is in the bathroom. So I decided I should have a little soap dish that could sit on the counter and hold those cute little soaps...Here is what I came up with:

I bought a totally beautiful seashell from Ebay seller Scarborough Seashells . There are some wonderfully amazing shells in that store! Then I glued some little wooden beads onto the bottom of the shell and voila! It's a soap dish!

I bought a bag of shell shaped soaps from Country Heart Gifts . There is a huge assortment of shapes, colors and scents to be had on that website. I had to have the pink because I was going for feminine! I got the honeysuckle scent because it brought back childhood memories.

This was a simple fun project and I am thrilled with the results!

Posh & All Night Media Wood Mounted Rubber Stamps

These all new wood mounted rubber stamps from Posh Impressions and All Night Media are now available in the Simple Treasures Collage store !

Available right now are the Paisley Flower, the Butterfly, and the Floral Heart. These new designs by Dee Gruenig are absolutely stunning. They are sure to bring many hours of rubber stamping enjoyment to your house for many years to come.

This is somewhat new product area for us. We usually focus on unmounted rubber stamps, but Posh Impressions is so popular in our store we thought we would give this a go. Should these do well we will be considering carrying more wood mounted stamps possibly including Stampin' Up Stamps. We are interested to hear your thoughts on the possibility of us carrying more wood mounted rubber stamps in the near future. Click here to give us your thoughts ...

Details
* Link To Items
* Designer: Posh Impressions
* Material: Red Rubber
* Stamps are mounted on Wood Blocks

As always, the latest and greatest rubber stamps can be found in our Simple Treasures Collage store at this URL:
http://stores.ebay.com/SimpleTreasuresCollage

Blog Of The Week ... Scooter McGavin !

Our first "Blog of The Week" is Scooter McGavin's 9th Green.

Scooter's blog is one person's view on music, TV, politics, sports, and just about anything else. Some of the recent topics covered is a perspective on the tv show LOST, World Cup Soccer, some great music reviews, and so very much more !

Make sure to swing by Scooter McGavin's 9th Green for some enjoyable information overload !

Chris

Here We Go!

I can't believe that June is almost gone. I feel as though I've wasted the whole year until now. That is not quite true of course. In the past 2 months I’ve “abandoned” the kids who I “played” nanny to, according to the kid’s father. Long story short, in February of 2005 I agreed to become the Nanny for a family with 9 children after their mother died of breast cancer. Among other things I was responsible for getting the 5 school age ones to and from school, activities, doctor’s appointments and “babysitting” the 3 year old all day. That job ended on May 2, 2006 so now I’m semi employed.

I’ve been working extra hours at the hospital where I am normally the weekend receptionist, to help tide things over until eBay becomes the success I’ve been working for it to become. I have also been furiously working to completely re-doing my eBay store. I have even changed the name. Check it out at: Lorna’s Re-Use It Decor

I’ve also designed a new logo which meant that I also had to change the theme colors of the store to match the new colors of the logo. It also means that I have to go back and revise ALL my listings. It is a lot of work but I’ve got to do it! I’m also going through and reducing the prices on many items. Check it out here: Reduced Reduced! Reduced!! Reduced!!!

One of the items that I’m featuring right now is this neat old Humphrey Radiantfire Gas Heater that I purchased at an auction.

What am I doing to combat the stress of trying to do EVERYTHING at once? Well I’m working out in my garden, of course. Spring seem to have missed north Texas this year though. Temps have been in the mid to high 90s and a few days we’ve hit 100 and officially the calendar does not say that its summer as yet. We’re in for a long one, I predict.

Don’t forget to visit my eBay store Here

Until next time.

Lorna/

eBay Giving Works - Listing for Charity

I decided I should set up some listings to raise money for charity. My family donates to charities on a regular basis, but this was something I could do myself, using items I had made to raise the money. eBay sellers can create listings to raise money using the eBay Giving Works program, which is administered by Mission fish. My initial reaction when I first read about the giving works program was that Mission fish would take too much of the money, and that I should just do it on my own. But there are advantages to using Mission fish and the reality was I was not doing it on my own, so I decided to just jump in and do it! Any charity fundraiser in real life is likely to have administrative costs, so I will accept the costs of doing the fundraising on eBay.

So, I jumped in last night and set up my first charity auction, this one benefitting The Autism Society of America. Many of the wonderful people I have met since I started selling on eBay are dealing with the effects of autism in the life of a child in their family. This seemed like a way for me to show support for them. The list of available charities is huge, and you can search by location to find a charity that is near where you live.

I sent a store item to auction, and then went in to try and add the charity designation...Oops! You have to register with Mission Fish before you can add the charity! Off I went to register, then still no way to add the charity. The secret seems to be that you need to start a new listing after you register. Therefore if you sign up and want to start a listing right away, make a new listing designating the Mission Fish charity of your choice and then end the old listing!

Here is the item I listed last night:

I have decided to run one item a week for charity. I set up a category just for Charity Auctions in my store, Maggie's Handcraft Studio. I think for a while, I will rotate through a number of charities- there are so many worthy causes to choose from!

If you are thinking about testing the waters by doing some fundraising using eBay's Giving Works, come on in, the water's fine!

3 Straight Battles ... 3 Straight Defeats

Well, I thought I would spend a little "offtime" doing battle. Battle of the Blogs that is.

Three straight battles for the Deals on eBay Blog. Three straight losses. Why do I abuse myself ? Oh ... that's right it's FUN !

Guess the color brown just isn't in right now. LOL (was it really ever in ?)

If you would like to take part in the voting OR wage battle with your blog, Grab an account a Blog Explosion. It really is quite fun and you can earn credits to boost traffic to your blog.

Time to get back to work ....

Chris

The Amazing Almighty Conch Shell Part II!

The word "conch" pronounced "conk" is derived from a Greek word meaning shell. When used in the Keys or the Caribbean Islands it refers to a mollusk, the Queen Conch, which has the technical name of stombus gigas.


Primitive Conch Uses
Conch has had a strong influence on the regions where it is found. Conch has been and continues in some areas as a prime source of protein. In the Keys and throughout the Bahamas and West Indies conch was a major source of food. Columbus's crew according to his logs ate conch after gleaning conch shells from the waters of Cuba. Archaeologists' excavations show that the conch was used by Indians as food, and as a tool. It is thought that pre-Columbian Indians possibly use the conch shell to make the huge canoes that Columbus observed Indians using during his visits to the New World. Columbus described canoes five feet in width and upward of 70 feet in length which were made of mahogeny tree trunks such that the centers were burned and chiseled out.

Indian settlements from the time before Columbus show that the Conch shell was used as scraper, scoop or dipper, hammer, gouge, chisel and eating dish. The shell was also used as a trumpet. Ancient West Indian civilizations have worshiped idols made from conch shells.

Indians used the conch shell for ornamentation and decoration and as a valuable trade object. The Arawak Indians of the West Indies created bracelets, amulets, necklaces, hairpins, and buttons from conch shells. In the Bahamas craftmen still create cameos from part of the shell.

Conch shells have been made into horns for centuries. In addition to their use in religious rites, the conch-shell trumpet had many practical uses. They were used by Indians to communicate from village to village and were used to initiate battles. Historic accounts of Hernando DeSoto's explorations of Florida tell of Indian tribes greeting his explorer with the sounds from conch-shell trumpets. And in the cane fields of the West Indies slaves were summoned at the end of each work day by the sound of a conch trumpet.

Even in the present time conch shells are used as trumpets. Sea captains, sailors and fishermen signal each other with them. Conch blowing contests are a part of present day Key West celebrations.

Did you know that the Conch Republic was established by secession of the Florida Keys from the United States of America, on April 23rd, 1982 in response to a United States Border Patrol Blockade setup on highway U.S.1 at Florida City just to the north of the Florida Keys. This heinous act effectively isolated Keys Citizens from the U.S. mainland since the blockade was on our only land artery to and from the mainland. This roadblock portrayed Keys residents as non-U.S. citizens who had to prove their citizenship in order to drive onto the Florida mainland! The secession is celebrated every year with a weeklong list of events throughout the town of Key West. Click Here for the 2007 Schedule of Events







How to Make a Conch Trumpet


To make a conch horn you need a conch shell; a hacksaw; a punch or drill; and a file and coarse grit sandpaper. The first step is the hardest: saw off the tip of the shell. A conch is one heck of a tough gastropod so make sure you have a sharp blade on your hacksaw. You want to end up with a dime sized hole at the small end of the shell, so cut accordingly. Unfortunately, it's not obvious what distance back from the tip will yield the required orifice. I read this line while looking for instructions for this blog entry and thought it was a great way of explaining things! "Every conch builds his house differently, so it's sort of trial by error. If you don't cut off enough of the tip, you can always cut off more, but if you cut off too much, you won't be able to put it back on again."

Once you've cut the tip off, you'll see that the internal passage is obstructed by the shell's inside spiral structure. You have to open up the passage by using either a hammer and punch or a drill. Don't get too carried away; air flow should still be restricted (think of a tuba, which is basically a coiled tube, small at one end and big at the other). Now comes the delicate part. Take a file and sandpaper to the outer end of the hole to create a smooth, thin lip.

At this point, your conch horn is ready to blow. If your conch shell wasn't vacated voluntarily, it probably has a slit cut in it the fourth ridge back from the tip. You can temporarily block this hole with your finger, but eventually you'll want to close it off with filler such as bondo or thickened epoxy.



Prohibition

The Queen Conch is now protected by Florida and Federal law. Once abundant in the Key, the Key's most famous shell was banned from be harvested in United States waters in 1985 because its population as been severely depleted.

Conch is still harvested elsewhere in the Caribbean but with government control. Conch is still a major food source in the Bahama Islands, but permission must be obtained from the Bahamian Government to export conch food products. Permission is also needed to export conch shells for use in the production of the floor covering material terrazzo.



Research into the conch along the Florida Keys shows that in some areas of the Florida Keys, conchs are starting to come back. In some areas they are not.

Conch had to be protected because it is the favorite food of many. In the Keys locals and tourists eat conch dishes. Any conch product or preparation eaten in the Keys has been imported from the Bahamas or other Caribbean islands.

When prepared properly to soften the texture of the meat many people consider conch to be among the choicest seafoods of the world. In the Florida Keys restaurants often will include on their menu conch fritters, conch seviche, conch salad, a marinated dish called cracked conch and of course the ever popular conch chowder.

Aphrodisiac

With the pharmacitical companies development of viagra and other similar products, aphrodisiacs of the past seem to have lost favor. Cooked conch, pickeled conch and raw conch meat have been considered to be an aphrodisiac. Of note, particularly in the West Indies a rod shaped portion of the conch's stomach called the "crystalline style" is swallowed by males as they proclaim "It will make you a Mon man".

We have just learned that a new supply of the beautiful Queen Conchs will be made available in approximately 6 weeks. We can't wait to get these beauties back into our store, they've been sadly missed!

Coming Soon, the third and final installment of the Amazing Almighty Conch- with a recipe for Conch Fritters and other tasty tidbits!

I am off to a great start, I am finally getting my website together, it has already been launched but I am having trouble getting into searches. We are fixing the broken coding. I am learning more and more about computers everyday.

As far as my products are going. I have put in some incredidble porcelain music boxes by Suberto. I also like to learn when and where my different products come from. So here is a little piece about music boxes

The picture to your right is a gorgeous music box by Suberto "Love Birds". There is magnificent detail in this piece.

Myth has it that the first music box was designed for the amusement and entertainment of Marie Antoinette. History, on the other hand, reveals the availability of musical clocks constructed in the 16th century for royalty and the wealthy. The musical tones were derived by notching a revolving disc striking a single pin.

The music box proper was introduced by Antoine Favre, a Swiss watchmaker, in 1796, enabling the middle class to dance and enjoy the popular music of the period in the privacy of their homes. The latter half of the 19th century rewarded the world with the enchanting melodies of the disc player, the predecessor of the contemporary phonograph, tapes and discs. These instruments were not only produced in Europe, but had great success by American manufacturers.

Please visit my little corner of Ebay at Sooshiscorner

Click here to see what's in SooshisCorner!

Curl Up With A Cozy Mystery

Get your yourself a stack of cozy mysteries and curl up in your favorite chair!

Cozy mysteries are probably one of the most popular type for readers today. These are mysteries that are primarily based upon brain power rather than brawn. They lack the graphic sex and violence that frequent the pages of today's thrillers. Most often the primary character is an amateur sleuth - one who uses their own intellect to follow clues and solve the mystery.

In addition to the classic cozy mysteries written by such authors as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers or others, today's cozy mystery writers include people from all walks of life and with differing lifestyles - a single mother, a senior or group of seniors, eccentric cat owners, or sometimes cozies written about characters living hundreds of years ago. Whatever your interest may be, you can certainly find a cozy mystery that provides you with hours of enjoyment!

We were extremely fortunate not too long ago to find a cache of cozy mysteries that had been purchased by someone during the 1990s - but never read. These books are almost flawless - We are in the process of listing over 200 separate cozy mysteries to add to our current stock. The authors include, but are no means limited to: Clare curzon, M.R.D. Meek, Gwendoline Butler, Barbara Paul, Lee Wallingford, Peter Turnbull, Reginald Hill, Janet LaPierre, Ralph McInerny, Monica Quill, Christine Andreae, and so many more.

Please, come in and check them out. You're welcome at KC's Kozy Korner!

The Amazing Almighty Conch Shell Part I

I bet when you think of a conch shell you conjure images of white sandy beaches and crystal blue waters. What if I asked you to put that notion aside for a moment and take a look at the cultural and spiritual side of this fantastic shell?

The conch shell has survived as the original horn trumpet since time immemorial. Ancient Indian epics describe how each hero of mythical warfare carried a mighty white conch shell, which often bore a personal name. It is one of the main emblems of Vishnu, and his conch bears the name of Panchajanya, meaning 'having control over the five classes of beings.' Arjuna's (hero of the Mahabharata) mighty conch was known as Devadatta, whose triumphant blast brought terror to the enemy. As a proclaiming battle horn, the conch is akin to the bugle. It is an emblem of power, authority and sovereignty whose blast is believed to banish evil spirits, avert natural disasters, and scare away poisonous creatures. Today, in its greatly tamed avatar, the conch is used in Tibetan Buddhism to call together religious assemblies. During the actual practice of rituals, it is used both as a musical instrument and as a container for holy water.



Ancient Indian belief classifies the conch into male and female varieties. The thicker-shelled bulbous one is thought to be the male (purusha), and the thin-shelled slender conch to be the female (shankhini).

The fourfold caste division is also applied as follows:

a). The smooth white conch represents the Brahmin caste

b). The red conch the kshatriyas (warriors)

c). The yellow conch the vaishyas (merchants)

d). The grey conch the shudras (labourers)

Additionally, there is a fundamental classification of conch shells occurring in nature: those that turn to the left and those which turn to the right.




Shells which spiral to the right in a clockwise direction are a rarity and are considered especially sacred. The right-spiraling movement of such a conch is believed to echo the celestial motion of the sun, moon, planets and stars across the heavens. The hair whorls on Buddha's head spiral to the right, as do his fine body hairs, the long curl between his eyebrows (urna), and also the conch-like swirl of his navel.

Vajrayana Buddhism absorbed the conch as a symbol which fearlessly proclaimed the truth of the dharma. Among the eight symbols, it stands for the fame of the Buddha's teaching, which spreads in all directions like the sound of the conch trumpet.

In addition to Buddha's throat, the conch also appears as an auspicious mark on the soles, palms, limbs, breast or forehead of a divinely endowed being.




Coming soon... Part II where we will explore one town's historical, functional and sometimes comical connection with this amazing shell, plus- how to make a conch shell horn!

Don't forget to stop in to Scarborough Seashells to check out the wonderful conchs and other seashells we have for you today!

Summer Shopping Catalogue --- from Deals On eBay !

It's hot outside and the price of gas is high, so what better time to stay home. Grab a nice, cool glass of lemonaid, take the laptop out to the pool, and do some shopping over the Internet. To help you we are offering the 2006 Deals On eBay Summer Catalogue.

Just think, you can buy yourself an extra gift with the amount of money you will save from not having to buy gas !

You can also print and download
a PDF Copy of this Catalogue.



Annabella's Gift Shop
Small Town Charm - Online Convenience! Annabella's Gift Shop is home-based in Iowa and features unique gifts and personal treasures, including: Baby Gifts, Children's Items, Books, Journals, Bath & Body, Collectibles, Home Decor, Candles, Women's Accessories, and Holiday & Seasonal Merchandise!!
http://stores.ebay.com/Annabellas-Gift-Shop




Anns Mix-N-Match Mosaics
HAND CUT MOSAIC CHINA TILES
Original Designs, Sets, Focal Tiles, & Fillers. Chintz Patterns, 1/2 Miniature Tea Set Embellishments, Mini Tiles, Carved Hearts, Glue, Sealer & MUCH MORE!
Special Orders & Requests are always welcomed!
http://stores.ebay.com/AnnsMixNMatch
Mosaics?refid=store




Bauers Toys For All Ages
Something for everyone. I love toys! Fisher Price, Little Tikes, Bandai, Playskool, Playmobil, Battat, Kenner, Mattel, Polly Pockets Bluebird, Star Wars, GI Joe, Disney, Bratz, Trolls, Trollz, CD Players, Vintage Toys. Collectables, antiques, and so much more !
http://stores.ebay.com/Bauers-Toys-for-All-Ages?refid=store




Carolina Girl
Carolina Girl is an eclectic bit of this and that. I scour closeouts, auctions, estate sales, store closings, importers and many more places to bring you the best. Some items will be one of a kind, only available once. Glass, Antiques, Books, Dishes, Fashion Jewelry, Necklace Slides, Printers, Handbags, Small Applicance, Baskets, Home Decor. I have been in business in the brick and morter world for over 30 years.
http://stores.ebay.com/Shop-With-Carolina-Girl?refid=store




Cookie Jar Junction
Welcome! Collectible McCoy cookie jars in various shapes like the McCoy Rooster cookie jar, the McCoy Apples on Basketweave and some of the interesting offerings like the McCoy Sack of Cookies and the McCoy Koala cookie jar, while the McCoy Aladdin teapot cookie jar and McCoy Cook Stove in both black and white can be found in Country Home Cookie Jars at Cookie Jar Junction! Many vintage cookie jars are listed and all are very collectible cookie jars. So pull up a chair and look to your heart's content!
http://www.cookiejarjunction.com/




Fraziers Finds
Gifts & collectibles for you, your family, your home. Jar candle toppers accessories by Lang, Old Virginia & Our America Gift including licensed Debbie Mumm. Franciscan, Spode, Lenox, Portmeirion tablecloths. That's Mine children's bedding. Toland decorative garden flags. McDonald's Happy Meal Toys.
http://stores.ebay.com/Fraziers-Finds?refid=store




Gear For Health
We have pharmaceutical grade vitamins and supplements, protein powders and bars, balanced spectrum lighting, orthopedic supports, car and office chair backrests, topical analgesics, handheld massagers, robotic massage chairs, doctor-recommended pillows, aromatherapy products, antioxidant-rich teas, ergonomic bags, backpacks and briefcases, air and water purifiers, lotions, shampoo and conditioners, essential oils, soaps, and many more healthy products for you, your family and your environment.
http://gearforhealth.com/




HTF Toys and More
Welcome! Offering a great assortment of Name Brand Toys, Dolls, Action Figures, plus more! Our inventory includes Barbie, Care Bears, Power Rangers, Fisher Price Toys, Disney Toys, Strawberry Shortcake, Rescue Heroes, Polly Pocket, Board Games, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, X-men, TMNT, Spider-Man !
http://stores.ebay.com/HTF-Toys-and-More?refid=store




JoFlora's Unique Antiques
Antiques and Collectibles including McCoy cookie jar, Metlox Poppytrail Dinnerware, Weller, Roseville, RS Prussia, Haviland China, Silver, Nippon, Noritake, Lenox, Fiesta dinnerware, Spode, Lamps, Pewter.
http://www.joflora.com/




Kalama Quilts Crafts Books and More
Vintage and new: Estate & Discount Quilt Sewing Embroidery Cross-stitch Hardanger stitchery craft tools patterns & books. Fat quarters & Fabric yardage. Cookbook Mystery History Fiction Non-fiction & audio books, DVD & CD offerings, Ephemera, vintage magazines & advertising. New items daily!
http://stores.ebay.com/Kalama-Quilts-Crafts-Books-and-More?refid=store




Kathy's Kupboard
Specializing in Mark Roberts Fairies, Chamilia Jewelry, Bearington Bears Bunnies, Jacqueline Kent Carollers. One stop shopping for unique items for the home and you.
http://www.kathyskupboard.com/




KC's Kozy Korner
Used/New Books,Easy search & reasonable shipping. Legal mysteries, cozy mysteries, thrillers, contemporary romances, historical romances, science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, true-crime, home & garden, crafts & hobbies, biographies & memoirs, new age, classics, cookbooks & so much more. Welcome !
http://stores.ebay.com/KCs-Kozy-Korner?refid=store




Lorna’s Re-Use It Decor
Lorna's Re-Use It Decor. All things Home Décor - Hanging Decorative Plates Picture Frames Artistic Painted Wooden Plaque Crafts Fabric.
http://stores.ebay.com/Lorna-s-Re-Use-It-Decor?refid=store




Maggie's Handcraft Studio
Maggie's Handcraft Studio is your supplier for beautiful handmade jewelry and accessories. earrings, bracelets, necklaces, Christmas items, lanyards, eyeglass cases, eyeglass chains, ribbon belts, watches, stitch markers, beaded bookmarks, craft supplies, purses, tote bags, guitar straps.
http://stores.ebay.com/Maggies-Handcraft-Studio?refid=store




More Fond Memories Antiques
1860-1970 Primitive Victorian Art Deco 20th c. Vintage Collectibles Games Toys Trains Dolls Clothing Costume Antique & Fine Estate Jewelry Ephemera Rare Books Militaria Fire Police Elegant Depression Glassware Shelley China Art Pottery Sterling Silver Lamps Fabric Sewing Quilts 20+ years in business
http://stores.ebay.com/morefondmemories
antiques?refid=store




My Mercado Mexican Imports
I specialize in Mexican imports - Mexican folk art Talavera tiles Mexican handbags Pewter crosses Clay figurines Tin ornaments Morter and Pestle Loteria Cards Molinillo Mexican gift baskets Molcajete Fiesta Dresses Hand Blown Margarita glasses Papel ...
http://stores.ebay.com/My-Mercado-Mexican-Imports?refid=store




Pinman's Stamp Pin Design Store
High quality metal stamp pins. Great as stocking stuffers, hat pin, lapel pin, or tie tac. Each stamp pin design United States Postal Service (USPS) licensed. Most stamp pins are enamel on etched metal ( cloisonne ) while some stamp pin designs are photo images. Designs are also used as keychains, magnets and collectible pins.
http://stores.ebay.com/Pinmans-Stamp-pin-Design-Store?refid=store




Red Headed Witch
Enchant your home, garden and bath with items from the RedHeadedWitch. Here you'll find fantasy art, new home and garden decor, fairies, angels, divas and craft supplies.
http://stores.ebay.com/redheadedwitch?refid=store




Rejoice Music
Lightly used (and new) church choir music; anthems, cantatas, songbooks, accompaniment trax, organ music, piano lesson books, piano repertoire, music for flute, violin, viola, clarinet, praise worship music, gospel, vocal, popular music ...
http://stores.ebay.com/rejoiceusedchurchchoirmusic?refid=store




Scarborough Seashells
Seashells nautilus shells pacific triton trumpet shells abalone bahama conch sea glass crafting shells murex seashells collector specimens oysters hermit crab shells sea life & taxidermy: starfish sea fans sea urchins sea horses sharks seasonal items beach & nautical decor & seashell jewelry
http://stores.ebay.com/Scarborough-Seashells?refid=store




Something 4 Sum1
SD secure digital memory card readers USB 2.0 Heatsinks and Shims, ATI Brand, Wyse, Terminals, Desktop, Laptop, Notebook Memory, Nvidia-Based Video Cards, Case Fans, Compact Flash, CF, Thinclients, Workstation, CD DVD Roms, CD-RW, Drives, Hard Drive, Printer, Dot Matrix, Drafting, and more computer supplies.
http://stores.ebay.com/Something4Sum1?refid=store




Sooshis Corner
Welcome to Sooshis Corner where you will find treasures and keepsakes, hinged trinket box, porcelain miniature tea set, porcelain music box, porcelain cell phone holders, porcelain teapot, enameled stamp holder, miniature musical instruments, wooden ship, wicker basket sets.
http://stores.ebay.com/SOOSHISCORNER?refid=store




STC Rubber Stamps
Rubber stamps, EZ Mount Foam, Posh, Stamp-N-Stor, Acrylic Handles, Scrapbooking fibers, yarn, fiber color sets, graphics, stickers, ephemera. Simple Treasures Collage specializes in unique and vintage embellishments for creative collage, scrapbooking, greetign cards, bookmarks, ATC's, and more !
http://www.lohmantrading.com/




Take Time For Fun
We sell a wide variety of items: fiction, non fiction books; scrapbooking and craft supplies; educational supplies including self help, textbooks and homeschool items; collectible pins, patches, drug rep, keychains; religious items; charms; jewelry; sports; clothing; and more! New items daily!
http://stores.ebay.com/Take-Time-For-Fun?refid=store


You can also print and download
a PDF Copy of this Catalogue.


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As always, you can find the latest products and the most unique styles on the Deals On eBay blog at this URL:
http://dealsonebay.blogspot.com

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Using Vintage Playing Cards For Scrapbooking, ATC's

This is one of the areas that Simple Treasures Collage really enjoys specializing in ! Most of the vintage playing cards are rather inexpensive and there are almost limitless uses for them ! Most cards are printed on THICK stock and have a nice medium gloss to them. Here are just a few different uses for Playing Cards:


1. Use To Create Backgrounds:
Use a single playing card to create a background on a small item such as a tag. Use multiple, contrasting cards to create a background on a sheet of paper, card, scrapbook, or the like.


2. Use As Embellishments:
Try cutting the "image" out of the card and using it as an addition to a tag, altered book, scrapbook, bookmark, handmade greeting card, collage, or ?. Many of the images on these cards are quite beautiful and would make a great addition to just about any craft project !


3. Use The Face Of The Card:
Use the face of a playing card to add some flair to your collage. Use the entire card or try cutting out the numbers, suits, or the King / Queen / Jack to set your craft project apart from the rest !





4. Creating ATC's:
Vintage playing cards make great Artist Trading Cards. These give you a fantastic artistic foundation to begin your card with. Try distressing the card with an emery board or sandpaper and then lightly inking with Tim Holtz Distress Inks for an even more unique card. Add your personal art, some rubber stamp images, fibers, and embellishments to help it stand out.

5. Swap Cards
This is a quite popular hobby in some parts of Europe and Australia. It is just now becoming popular in the United States. Vintage playing cards are collected and swapped much like American Baseball cards. While there is no craft involved, this is mentioned here because you may be able to swap your extra cards ...


Many of the playing cards that we carry are vintage cards from the 1940's, 50's, 60s' and 70's. Adding these to your period piece can really send the viewer down memory lane !

Details
* Link To All Vintage Playing Cards
* Go To: Distress Inks

As always, the latest and greatest unmounted rubber stamps can be found in our Simple Treasures Collage store at this URL:
http://stores.ebay.com/SimpleTreasuresCollage

Fun Items with a Musical Theme

I am Maggie, the owner and creative force behind Maggie's Handcraft Studio. All of the items in my studio are handmade by me, and include unique yet simple jewelry items like earrings, bracelets, necklaces and beaded eyeglass chains, as well as items sewn by me, which include purses, eyeglass cases, belts and guitar straps.

Music has always been a really important part of my life, and that of my family. for this reason, I love that my items include many musical themed creations. My most popular items are my guitar pick earrings:

Most of my guitar pick earrings are made with genuine Fender guitar picks and Swarovski crystals in coordinating colors. All of the earrings in my store are on sterling silver ear wires.

The most interesting and newest category in my store is the guitar straps. I hand select fabrics to sew onto polypro webbing, and make these fully adjustable straps which have genuine soft leather tabs for attaching to the guitar. If you have special requests, I am more than happy to work with you on them, just visit my custom item page.

Watch this space for future featured products.

Where I am shopping today: Katiyana's Handmade Collectibles features some great jewelry to fit your American Girl doll and your little girl. She also has a huge line of sweaters to fit American Girl dolls as well as other dolls and now even teddy bears!