I will be posting a new contest within the hour.

Holly, the talented artist that owns PaintedPets and atreasureforever, messaged me and asked me to post this. I am of course happy to do so

Hello from Holly, The Featured Artist for March:)
I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to visit my stores,
and left such kind and thoughtful comments. It’s a great encouragement
to me, and I’m grateful to you all, and especially to Bethany, for spending
so much of her precious time in putting the contest together. Thank you all!

This first contest is a great one. Mary of MagicIsland will be giving away a 5×7 print ($12 value) from her shop, and the winner can pick the print that they want!

So what are the rules? It’s easy! Visit MagicIsland, then leave a comment here with the link to your favorite piece in her shop, and why you like it! Don’t forget to leave your email address at all. If I can’t contact you, you can’t win.

Get a bonus entry! Sign up for my newsletter. I use the newsletter to keep you aware of special sales going on, blog contests, etc. I will not abuse the list to spam you all of the time, and I will not share your email address with anyone. Just click here to sign up.

The winner will be drawn on April 15th and will be announced on this blog, as well as being contacted by email. Good luck!

Footnote
Since I am in the process of switching my blog over to blogger, all entries on BOTH blogs will be counted. So if you enter here, you do not need to enter on the other blog.

Although I am a fan of all of her work, I do have a favorite in her shop. And I am really hoping that some day it will be mine!!!

I talk to Mary often, and recently I asked her if she wouldn’t mind answering a few questions for this article. Here is what we came up with!

Name: Mary Haggerty
Age (if you don’t mind): Rather not thanks, but older than you!
Where do you live?: Ocracoke Island NC

How did you get started with photography?
I was always the kid carrying a camera I don’t ever remember a time when I was not fascinated with capturing images.

What inspires you most?
Nature, people, and places I’ve never seen before.

What do you do in your spare time?
I like to sew and I make quilts. I also love to travel when I can. And I spend some time at the beach.

Tell us a little known fact about you.
I have been a photojournalist for many years, I was a freelancer for the NY Times and I have exhibited my photographs in museums and galleries. I published a book, “American Journal: a collection of off beat small town road trips”

Do you have a favorite subject to photograph?
I love to photograph people. If find they are the most interesting subject. I love photojournalism and making editorial portraits.

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy? Where?
I have a shop, Ocracoke Photo on Ocracoke Island, NC come visit! I photograph a lot of family portraits at the beach and weddings on the Island.

What advice do you have for anyone that would like to start selling their own photography?
It’s not easy. I’ve done a lot of different things over the years, portraits, weddings, photojournalism, fine art. Find what interests you the most.

Do you twitter, flickr, facebook..or anything else where people can follow you? Please feel free to list all of your “social networking” addresses.
http://www.OcracokePhoto.com
http://www.MagicIsland.etsy.com
http://www.PhotoAmerica.etsy.com
http://www.Ocracokeweb.com
http://www.OcracokeIsland.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ocracoke-Island/53887363599

thats most of my sites lol.

******

To put it in plain English, Mary’s work is beautiful! It is professional and her aspect on things really shines through. She is also very easy to communicate with. So if you need a gift, something for your own wall, or you just want to admire some amazing photography, take a look into her shop!

….drum roll please….
….and the winners are….

DigitalMisfit wins a $20 gift certificate for PaintedPets
Mj wins a $20 gift certificate for atreasureforever

Congratulations to the winners! And thank you so much to everyone that entered. I will be posting April’s blog contest in a few minutes.

I have been keeping myself very busy. I am really loving making cards. I love picking out patterned paper, and being able to play with colors. I have also been getting some custom requests from people for their events, which is very exciting to me! So I am getting a lot deeper into making cards than I ever thought I would. But it’s great. It also lets me be distracted from manically making earrings and things. However, it is difficult for me to keep up with all three of my shops at times. I have been able to establish sort of a rhythm though. The down side is it keeps me busy pretty much 24/7. I don’t let myself relax, and I think I am starting to get stressed out.

I am not sure if my mood lately is a bipolar thing or a stress thing. But I think it is a combo of both. I am snapping pretty easy lately. A quick example: The other day I stubbed my toe on a mostly empty laundry basket, so I picked up the basket and threw it against the back of our closet. Now don’t get me wrong, snapping is not a new thing to me. I have had an anger/rage issue for as long as I can remember. I just have not had a big problem with it in awhile. I really hate it, it makes me feel so out of control. I also worry if it will change the way my fiance looks at me. He is an amazing man, and he has been so accepting and supportive of me since the day we met. But I still worry. I am not worried I will hurt anyone, my family and friends are not in danger. As a matter of fact the person I tend to hurt is me. I just am so afraid of how it makes me look to others. And I am so sick of apologizing about it.

In high school I would punch brick walls, and I remember one event when I was meeting with my guidance counselor that I picked up a chair and threw it. Now I do not do these things to intimidate people. I think that the fact that I do these things just as often, if not more so, when I am alone then when I am with other people is proof of that. I just get filled with such anger, that I have to do something. When I punched walls I would look for the brick walls instead of the “softer” plaster walls. I am not writing this to say I am afraid I will start doing small things to hurt myself. I have no urge to punch a wall or anything like that. I just hate feeling such anger inside, and it is usually for no reason at all!

I am also crying a lot these days. I don’t just sit on the couch and cry. But I cry over just about every show or movie we watch. Once again, it annoys me because it just makes me feel so out of control. It is weird, because I really like where I am. I love being here in Texas, I love being with Paul, and I am very proud of the progress I have made with my Etsy shops. But I still have all of this inner turmoil. I know, that sounds so totally emo. But I really don’t know how else to explain it.

I think what I just need to do is get back to my shrink. I am having a really hard time making myself leave the house, and appointments almost worsen that because all I do is think about the fact that I have to leave from the time I make the appointment, until the time I go. But I really just need to buck up and do it. And I need to get myself on a medicine regime. Well not get myself, but work with my shrink to figure out what will be the best path. I am 32 now, and this is really not cute anymore.

Anyway, those are thing things going on in my head the past few days. Like I said, things are good. I am just going crazy :p But I love where I am, I love Paul, and I love the business I am trying to build. So I know I can make this better, I just need to take the steps to do it!

Well thank you for reading my ramblings Talk to you soon!
:w

Final Entrants
#1 wimsy.etsy.com
#2 Goshengirl.etsy.com
#3 indulgentcreations.etsy.com
#4 PrimitiveJunkie.etsy.com
#5 SimplyStacyJewelry.etsy.com
#6 twobsmith.etsy.com
#7 chaoticcurios.etsy.com
#8 odditiesofdirtydirk.etsy.com

Congratulations WINNERS!
Random numbers generated Mar 25 2009 at 7:4:4 by www.psychicscience.org.
Free educational resources for parapsychology, psychical research & mind magic.
Click Photos to Enlarge
#3 indulgentcreations.etsy.com Prize Package #1

#4 PrimitiveJunkie.etsy.com Prize Package #2

Congratulations! Thank you for participating.

Please stay tuned for prize pack #2 photo.

The prize packages are comprised of items donated by participating shops from the
?¸.·´The Dedicated Beaders & Jewelry Makers BNR?¸.·´.

Challenge Rules

The challenge rules are simple.
Please read to the bottom as there are details for Additional entry opportunities there.

1) Search the following shops for the shamrock photo. Each shop has one (1) shamrock listing. It can be found in “any” photo in “any” listing.

AllThatGlass.etsy.com
CreativeSpirit.etsy.com
CreativeSpiritToo.etsy.com
DesignGal.etsy.com
DsignsByMelissa.etsy.com
Gallagj.Etsy.Com
GlassDezignz.etsy.com
PeculiarParchment.etsy.com
PimpMyPaperDesigns.etsy.com
Raevyn77.etsy.com
RhisBitsAndBeads.etsy.com
SimplyRaevyn.etsy.com
SlidingAlong.etsy.com
Yndigo1.etsy.com

2) Jot down the listing ID number when you find each photo with the shamrocks.. Remember, it can be in any photo in any listing. The listing ID number is found at the end of the url in your broswer. Tip: open the listings!

3) Once you find a shamrock in every shop, submit your entry HERE. Please note that e-mail addresses will be used only to contact the winners and will not be shared or used for any other purpose.

INCREASE YOUR ODDS
Make a purchase from any of the participating shops above and get ADDITIONAL ENTRIES. Each item purchased = one entry.

Challenge Entries will be accepted beginning March 17th through midnight EST on Tuesday, March 24th. Two lucky challenge winners will chosen by random number generator and announced here on March 25th.

Have fun and good luck!

Prizes:
$20 gift certificate to Painted Pets
$20 gift certificate to A Treasure Forever

How to enter:
To enter, all you need to do is visit Holly’s two shops. Then comment here on your favorite item from her shops. She has two shops, so that means two chances to enter. Leave a comment about Painted Pets, and you are entered for that prize. Leave a comment for A Treasure Forever, and you are entered for that prize. Comment on both and you will be entered for both prizes!! Make sure to include your email when commenting. If I don’t have a way to contact you if you win, then you can’t win.

Her first shop is Painted Pets. This shop immediately caught my eye. I am an animal lover, and I have always had pets that I love to death, and tend to spoil. This shop is filled with Holly’s beautiful paintings of animals. She paints them on rocks, accessories, jewelry, and any other place she can think of! She has told me that she also loves doing custom work. As soon as I saw her shop, I ordered from her! This is what I got:

Her second shop is A Treasure Forever. In this shop she has beautiful handmade jewelry! Her chandelier earrings are gorgeous! You should really take a look.

Although Holly keeps herself very busy with two shops, she did take the time to answer a few of my questions.

Name: Holly Cicchirillo

Age (if you don’t mind): The Last Age of the Baby Boomers
Where do you live?: The High Desert Plateau of Arizona, a mile high and up!

I know you have two very different etsy shops with very different products in them. Which is your favorite to work with?
I can’t decide, really. When I’m beading, I want to paint. When I’m painting, I want to be creating jewelry. I’m beginning to see some up sides to this cloning thing, or anything that would satisfy the old adage about the need to be in two places at the same time.

What inspires you most?
The beauty of God’s creation - animals, the plant world, colors, textures, aromas, sounds. A trail ride on a mountain path. Watching baby animals discover the newness of life. Leaves falling. The dogs swimming in a pond. Taking a nap with the horses (which is NOT the same thing as sleeping with the fishes).

What do you do in your spare time?
Paint and bead, of course! And spend time with the husband and animals - dogs (all black chows or chow mixes - we’re addicted), cats, chickens, and a seriously deranged Siamese Fighting Fish named Bruce.

Tell us a little known fact about you.
I’m a licensed pilot, with a college degree in Aviation Science. I usually don’t share this, as it leads people to have false expectations of me, like, I’m smart or something. Flying is fun, but much too stressful. I’d much rather be painting or planning my next piece of jewelry.

What are you working on now?
Painting Memorial stones for dog friends who have gone on. Trying to organize my beads. (Is that even possible? Even if you get the current stash organized, what about the beads who haven’t come home yet? My stack of organizers is getting higher, and there’s no end in sight.)

What is your favorite all time piece? If you have a link to the picture for it, please include it.
So far, my favorite painted piece is a memorial stone I painted for my best friend Liz, of her Siamese cat Sapphire. Not just the technical aspects of the painting, but the cat’s personality really came through. It helps to know one’s subject when painting, I can attest to that.(Bethany, this will be one of the pics in the banner, so you can word this how you like) As far as jewelry pieces, I love wire spirals, whether they’re one dimensional, or 3-D spirals. As long as it coils, I’ll like it.

Do you twitter, flickr, facebook..or anything else where people can follow you? Please feel free to list all of your “social networking” addresses.
Huh? Yeah yeah, I have heard of those things, but really - if you do those things, doesn’t it take time away from the real fun of creating?
Sorry, I’m something of a hermit, cyberspace-wise and in real-life.

All I can say is Holly’s shop are what Etsy is all about! Talented artists offering their handmade, amazing goods for sale! Take the time to look at her two shops, you won’t be disappointed.