Mad Men *sigh*

I had almost come to terms with Mad Men not being back on TV until 2012, but lately I have been bombarded with reminders of this amazing series - if you have not seen it yet find some DVDs asap!

(Left - My kitchen calendar)

First thing this morning, my daily Etsy Finds email, subject 'Mad Style'... "Taking inspiration from the extraordinary set and costume direction of the TV series Mad Men, today's Etsy Finds is a spread designed for your martini-sipping, lipstick-wearing, executive lifestyle". More MM inspired treasuries here.

And then on the gorgeous blog brightbazaar.blogspot.com, these mid-century inspired paints, so pretty!

Last week I stumbled across this new range of clothes by Mad Men's costume designer (available in the US at Banana Republic).

And I saw these on pinterest...

Why do I love Mad Men so much? Not only because it is gorgeous, but also clever and funny and sad... do you miss Mad Men too?

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Handmade vs The Man

'I Heart NY', by tru.che, imakeshinythings.com

In a week when the power of social media has been widely discussed in the mainstream news, I find this fascinating...

Handmade jewellery (Etsy store tre.che) was ripped off by retail giant Urban Outfitters in the US, who then had to backtrack after being attacked on Twitter and Facebook. Read the story here (via Sarah McNeil).

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Introducing Our New Etsy Shop: BELOVED BOOKS.

I have always wanted to own my own used book shop that specializes in vintage childrens' books. Ad now I do - sort of. At least online. And although I always wanted to serve coffee in said book shop, I am thinking that perhaps you can grab a cup in your own home and surf through the fabulous books while still wearing your pjs.

Here is a sample of the goodies you will find there:

Please stop by and take a look around. From now till Christmas we are offering a 20% discount when you enter the coupon code: NewShop. Discount will be automatically taken off your total bill (a new Etsy function!).

Thanks for your continued support in all our endeavors. And ENJOY!

Love,

Jodi

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Etsy Shop Difficulties.

I am sorry to report that somehow my Etsy shop has been deleted. I am terribly frustrated by this, as are several of my customers. I have contacted Etsy and am currrently working with them to get my shop back online. Meanwhile, for those of you who have contacted me regarding your orders and/or your attempts to order ... I will send out open orders asap ... and if anyone needs a journal, you can still purchase from me directly by e-mailing me at jrenshaw@hotmail.com.

Sorry for the trouble. All will be well soon.

Love,
Jodi

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Ready Made Journal SALE!

Time for a back-to-school sale! I know, I know, there are still a few weeks left before school starts ... (at least here in Maine) ... but NOW is the time to get in on the sales ... and our shop is hosting a good one.

Here is the deal: Buy 2 of our recycled, vintage, upcycled, READY MADE journals for just $20. A savings of $4. Full price for journals must be made at time of purchase, then I will reimburse you the $4 savings through Paypal. Please be sure that "READY MADE" is in the title of the listing in order to get the sale pricing.

There are some really fun journals available right now. All contain the original stories of the recycled journal as well as 100+ pages of recycled paper. SO MANY USES!

Thank you & ENJOY!
~ Jodi

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End of Sale - Tomorrow!

Ok, I never announced the sale here to begin with. Sorry. I announced it on Twitter instead. But now I am here to tell you that it ends tomorrow night at midnight.

All my journals, pins, magnets and handsewn goodies have been reduced by $1-$5 each. Sort of an end-of-the-year sale.

It is not too late to grab some goodies though. I especially love the Darth Vader pouch I made with my own fabric design! There are 2 left if you want to grab one :)

Journals are just $10 each!

Grab one or grab them all :)

http://www.thishandmadelife.etsy.com

Love,

Jodi

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Etsy Love ... My Holiday Purchases Thus Far ...

Wanna save your economy? Wanna be more eco-friendly? Wanna help your neighbor stay home and raise her child? Wanna keep jobs in America (or Canada for my Canadian friends)? Want to give gifts that will be appreciated for longer than a week? Well ... I have got the answer for you! ETSY. period.

And here is some of what I have bought so far from some wonderful Etsy sellers. All these are gifts that I am giving over the upcoming holidays (so if you see something you love - you may just be getting it!).

1. Universal Bliss Soap by SacredSuds

2. Twilight Owl Pendant by Analiese

3. Custom Vintage Wallets by SewSewSuckUrToe

4. Fang the Pocket Ghost by SleepyKing

5. Octopal by Benandi

6. Signature Dish Tweet by TheBrickKiln

7. Mouse Starter Kit by AnitaBelcast

8. Skull I Spy Bag by BabyLoveBlankies

9. Set of 4 Dishtowels by VintageLucy

I highly recommend every one of these Etsy sellers.

And of course, you can always drop by my shop for some goodies too ;)

As I continue to shop Etsy, I will continue to share the goodies I find. I hope you will too.

ENJOY!

Love,

Jodi

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Thrifty Thursday : 3 for $30 Sale in MY Shop : Now That's Being Thrifty!

Stock up for birthdays, holidays, scrapbooking, sketching, homeschooling, etc... I am getting ready for craft show season and am offering this sale to you all before the pickings get slimmer (hopefully not - but the busy season is beginning).

I did just purchase a HUGE lot of vintage Golden Books on Ebay and plan on getting busy making those right away and *may* offer another sale later but there is a good chance that this is my last journal sale of the year. So, enjoy it while it lasts. Sale ends Sunday night at midnight Eastern Time.

I will be having a pin sale soon too! For those who want to give out pins on Halloween rather than candy :)

Love,
Jodi

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Backpack Eye Candy for Back-to-School

Shameless Shop Promotion Time!

I am having a blast making pinback buttons for my shop. And people are loving them! (See my shop feedback here.) They are so cool as backpack "graffiti" --- and I thought that some of you may want to include them on your back-to-school shopping list.

I have all sorts of buttons already made:

... and some that I haven't yet taken photos of, including the following themes:

* Star Wars

* Charlie Brown & Snoopy

* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

* Winnie the Pooh

* Frog & Toad

* Little Bear

* Vintage Fairy Tales

* Disney's Peter Pan

* Beatrix Potter

ETC....

I can customize a lot of them for you ... mixing & matching themes ... selling bigger or smaller lots. You decide. And if you have a theme in mind that I have not mentioned ... I am 99% sure I can make it for you! I am constantly sifting through old books in order to find art to recycle into pinback buttons.

All pins are one-of-a-kind, as they are created from previously loved books. And even if I have duplicate copies of a book, the chances that I cut them the exact same way are slim.

So - if you are interested, please e-mail me at jrenshaw@hotmail.com (or via this post and/or Facebook/Twitter) and I will be glad to create a custom order for you. Or if you prefer, you can just go to my shop and purchase some there.

Thank you for your continued patronage ... and for buying local, handmade goods!

Love,

Jodi

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Making Fabric Banners for the Shop Again.

Check them out here. Want a custom made bunting? I can do that!

Love,

Jodi

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Hidden Eloise.

Ah. I just had the most delightful buying experience through Etsy. I purchased some gorgeous art postcards (suitable for framing - which I intend to do) from Hide N Seek ... the "home" of Hidden Eloise.

Little Miss Eloise is a sweet, unconventional girl who loves to spend her time with bears, as well as other woodland creatures. And she is a huge fan of playing hide and seek (thus the name). When you make a purchase from Miss Eloise, she not only sends you the highest quality art products (i.e. copies of paintings of her woodland frolics), but she also sends you some lovely free gifts, a handwritten note, and wraps your goodies in the most wonderful dressing.

Her shop is an absolute delight. And I will likely return to it again and again. I highly recommend that you do the same.

ENJOY!

~ Jodi

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This Handmade Supply.

Time to part with much of the crafting supplies that I have horded through the years ... as well as some vintage goodies that I can let go of in the name of making room for more vintage goodies :)

So ... introducing ... This Handmade Supply!




Please check back often for all sorts of crafting supplies and vintage materials. This is going to be fun!

Love,
Jodi

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A YART SALE!

I am happy to announce that my shop, This Handmade Life, will be joining the "2nd Annual Etsy Yart Sale".

What is a Yart Sale, you say? A “Yart Sale” is an artistic spin on the traditional Yard Sale: Art + Yard Sale = “Yart Sale”.

Throughout the week I will be posting specials and sales on some of my goodies. I hope you will take a peek.

To find other participating shops simply use the search word YART in the Etsy search bar.

Happy Shopping!

Love,

Jodi

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THREE FOR THIRTY Week Long Sale.

I woke up this morning and figured it was time for a sale. I am creating way more of these upcycled Golden Book journals than I have room for (it is quite addicting!). So, I thought I would do a little summer cleaning ... and hold a sale: 3 journals for just $30 plus shipping (I even lowered the shipping fees).

So - time to stock up on these recycled books for those birthday parties, baby showers, vacations (can be used for travel diaries or autograph books), holidays, homeschooling journals, etc. These books have so many uses ... and they make for such a great way to hold onto a nostalgic piece of our past (I carry my Poky Little Puppy notebook everywhere).

And please remember, we also give part of our profits to charity, and this month's charity is Hearts With Haiti. Your purchases are good for you, the environment, creative economies, and for children in need. You can feel good about all of that!

The sale will run all week -- so please tell your friends. Thank you for your interest and your support.

Love,

Jodi

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Something New : For the Shop.

I continue to try to find new and creative ways to sell upcycled products for my etsy shop ... and at various craft show venues. Recently, I picked up some vintage POKENO cards at my local thrift store ... and decided to turn them into large sketchbooks (or score keepers for avid card players like my Dad).

I really like how they turned out:

Please check these out in my shop. Readers of my blog get 10% off if you mention my blog during checkout! I will send you an updated invoice when you do so. Thanks!

Oh - and remember, 10% of all profits go to the charity of the month. My products are good for the earth, good for you, and good for someone else.

Love,

Jodi

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Serendipity Farm "Photo Shoot".

This past Saturday, I spent most of the day with my good friend, Tom ... photographing horses at a lovely farm in Bangor, Maine: Serendipity Farm.

Tom and I are both looking to work on our photography skills ... build our portfolios ... and just enjoy the company of a fellow photographer. So I made a phone call to a couple of horse farms to see if I could gain an invite for us to shoot some pics around their farms. When I called Val ... I knew her farm would be perfect. She was so inviting and appreciative. And I was right.

Val is an inspiration. She only began riding horses when she was 48 (I think) and within 10 years, if I have my story correct, she bought her dream horse farm and has been enjoying her life to the fullest. (Had she not said a word, I would have no idea that she was in her 50s! Living your dream makes you youthful, I think!) Her farm is so great ... has a lovely river in the background ... lots of customers ... several incredible horses and dogs.

I fell in love with one of the horses: Cashmere. And hope to return to visit her soon. Apparently, she would be difficult to ride, but Val has offered me a ride on another big guy when I am intersted. (When you put yourself out there - wonderful connections can be made :)

I have been SO slow in uploading pics from this great day, but some can be seen here. (I will continue to upload to this link as I am able). Some of Tom's pics can be seen here (he took the above photo - for which I am entirely grateful).

And speaking of collaborating with Tom - he is the best. Here is a man that has VERY limited eye vision --- but unlimited artistic vision. He is an inspiration to me and a great guy to be around. I highly recommend shooting with a friend, because you will both see things so differently, and can assist one another in differing strengths and weaknesses. I think I took better photos because of his insights and perspective. I hope I gave him some help as well.

Anyway - more photos will be forthcoming and some may even show up for sale in my shop. Meanwhile, I need to get Val a disc of the pics taken at her farm - as I always offer copies to those who are generous enough to invite me to expand my portfolio at their homes & farms. (Are you interested in a visit?)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I am hoping to get out and take some more photo goodies tomorrow.

Love,
Jodi

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Still Creating ...

In the midst of all our recent struggles within the family ... I am still creating. I am still crafting, photographing, book making, etc. I need to. I have to. I would go bonkers otherwise. And frankly, with my husband's recent job loss, I am trying to pick up the slack as much as possible by selling some of my work.

Hopefully soon I will begin advertising to shoot Senior & Family Portraits. I am trying to get that in motion right now - in between helping Dad and parenting Isaac.

I am also picking up some crafting expos here and there. For those interested (and local), I will be peddling my wares at the 2009 Hope Festival in Orono, Maine on April 25th. This is my first time selling at this fair, and I will be bringing all of my upcycled books, as well as my pin/magnet sets and stationary. I will also have some photography available - but not my full collection. So - hope to see some friends there!

And for those of you who are not local - I have been posting MANY new items in my Etsy shop. Please take a look.

xoxo,

Jodi

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Around the Farm.

Ooohhh.... oooohhhh.... I love this book. Mostly because it was made by me. But, I really do love the photography inside ... and love to show it to others. It is a nice compilation of all my favorite photos from around my old farm. Fond memories and some beautiful scenes.

Hanging out the quilts to dry.

Visiting the horses.

Raising my Aussies.

Big, beautiful sky.

All this and more. If you are interested in purchasing this handmade-by-me photography book, please see my Esty shop. There are only 7 available. All signed and numbered.

These photos remind me of spring --- a season that I am SO looking forward to. I am sure you are too. Actually, some of you are already growing and planting, etc. Enjoy!

Love,

Jodi

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Recession Sale!

I am having a bit of a "recession sale" of the photos I have posted in my This Handmade Life shop. Firstly because times are tough, so prices are reduced to accommodate (even shipping has been reduced). And secondly, because I have opened a new shop that is exclusive to my photography ... so am hoping to sell off that which is in my initial, handmade goodies shop ... in order to keep things better organized.

Anyway, click on over to the shop to see what goodies are on sale. (And please note that my logo will not be printed on your purchased photo).

Happy Bargain Hunting! More bargains to follow. And 10% of all profits go toward Haitian Roots this month.

Love,

Jodi

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And the Winner Is:

Congratulations "Mommacole" ... who said: "The he-man buttons rock but I am going with the Shy Little Kitten upcycled journal. Very sweet!"

Please contact me for info on how to redeem your $30 Gift Certificate. And THANK YOU to all who participated!

Also, I have been adding some fun pins to my shop offerings. These Calvin & Hobbes are my new faves:

Oh, and FYI: I used Random.org to pick the winner of this giveaway.

Have a great day.

Love,
Jodi

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