The Frugal Artisan

I wish I could say I was doing something that cool. But just another day at work for the most part.

May I show off a handsome necklace I designed this past week? Not available in my internet shop

Pretty Cheap Jewelry unless reserved by special request.

SEMI PRECIOUS BUDDHA
Carved cinnabar, brickred stone, bloodred sparkling swarovski, and milkwhite freshwater pearl links hang in a 'Y' necklace featuring a bark brown carved stone buddha pendant. (please excuse my hasty photography)

My 4th grader has an assignment to research a historic person from the gold rush times.

The chosen person was 'William Fargo'.

Now I obviously suspected he was part of the 'Wells Fargo' bank empire. But here's more of the story:

Mr. Wells ran a stagecoach company based in the east during the 1800s. They carried people, of course, and there is some element they did 'express' work -- mail. Mr. Fargo joined as an employee and partner soon after. As gold was discovered the two used the stagecoach business for transporting gold and money as needed. They knew anyone with a strong safe and a room was going to be important to the miners. So they got set up of course.

At some point, the express part of the company broke off separately and became American Express. (Which I hold a card today).

Fast forward to the present, and look in my purse: there it is check book from Wells Fargo.

The best part? My kid got the big picture.
....the Wells Fargo commercials show a stagecoach to this day due to their roots...
....risky travel by stagecoach across the country with money/gold avoiding banditos, Indians, and being saved by the Lone Ranger!! (he's seen some old westerns)...
....that daily life for the easterners was far different than the westerners at the time of the gold rush, and what was each were like...

great assignment, fun for me too

Needed a replacement desk chair for my son who has a rad big wood office desk in his room (which I salvaged from an old job when they converted to cubicles).

He had been using a high back, swivel chair handed down from my hubby who bought himself a LEATHER one (!) as a gift to himself a couple years back. (Remember we are the odd couple, DH is the spender, and I am the saver!). The high back chair never fit the desk or the son well.

I promised to get boy wonder a replacement.

(puts on thrift store queen crown...)

Found it! A Steelcase Brand armless wheeled, upholstered office chair in tawny brown. Marked down from $3.95 to $2.95. With tax made it $3.16, but I found a dime on the corner on the way to the car.

Does that make it $3.06?

And all it needed was a hit of Woolite rug cleaner to remove a spot. Left a fresh scent too.

He is a marketing guru of sorts, championed by the internet crafters and small business entrepreneurs I hang out with, but I don't know much about his qualifications or knowledge.

Here is his blog, and he constantly gives reference to other websites:

http://www.sethgodin.typepad.com

An internet colleague showed me this site

World Clock

I have no idea where the info comes from or if it is accurate.

But it is interesting for whatever it's worth.

It's hard being 10 and a boy! Even harder for the mom to give a 'cool' birthday party without spending alot.

! ! SUPER MOM to the rescue ! !

Venue: the city park skateboard bowl, FREE
Although my son is not highly into skateboarding, it is a 'cool' place to party. He wanted to have his party at the indoor skateboard rink, LUCKILY they closed. It was his idea to have the party at the park.

Lunch: Pizza for boys is primo, and the nearby parlor constantly runs a special for 2 medium pizzas about $15. This should feed 5 boys easy. I will bring drinks! Cake for another $11 because I don't have time to cook one for the first time in 10 years!!!!

Games: If needed...2 games which cost $0!
1. Poseur. One boy goes off a ways and closes his ears. The rest secretly decide among themselves what 'pose' they want him to make. When the first boy returns, the group expresses cheers, applause, boos (in moderation), until the correct pose is attained.

2. Sheepdog Tag. One boy is designated wolf, one is designated sheepdog and the rest are designated sheep. The sheepdog and sheep link arms or hold hands. They have to run from the wolf, as a team, until the wolf tags the sheepdog. Then repeat with new assignments.

One game which costs a couple dollars:
3. Whip Cream Frenzy. For each player, place a grape or M&M or small food item on a paper plate. Cover with a moderately sized mound of whip cream. Players stand in front of their plate with hands held behind the back. Upon the word 'GO' players try to grab the little item at the bottom of the whip cream in their teeth. First one wins.

Prizes? Maybe I'll dig some out of the 'gift' closet.

Favors: I kind of hate that this is so expected now, but am happy to do something inexpensive and NOT CANDY related. This time I got 'Skateboard Company stickers. They are about $1 ea, and I got 10 (bleh), but the shop gave me as many Skateboarder Posters as I wanted FREE!

Total for the party under $50 by a long shot (for 5 kids).

Yes, while I was away for the weekend, my husband bought a new car!

And it was NOT a valentine's present....

Saturday: We talked by phone and he reiterated that our second hand Honda now had a leak in the radiator which he was attempting to seal as we spoke. Not to mention it needed new tires AGAIN.

Remember the Toyota Echo? We had looked at one about 5 years ago and weren't happy that it was too light weight. But now felt it was worth another look especially due to the high gas mileage.

I think he took a quick trip to the closest dealer (with the 2 kids) later in the day to see it in person.

But actually was happier with the Toyota Corrolla, which has been hugely improved in recent years. It was not much smaller than a Camry (we own one now), and very reliable, solidly built and priced aggressively.

Later that day he went on-line and contacted at least 12 dealers within 100 miles for competing prices on a Corrolla. As well as collected advertised prices in the newspaper, including one of those "come on" prices (there is only one at this price).

Sunday: During a trip to grandma's (I'm still out of town remember), he receives calls from 5 or so of the dealers on the Corrolla. He wheels and deals on the phone using competitor's prices and the newspaper prices.

On the way home from grandma's he visits one of the dealers for the Corrolla. No major dealing necessary, they agree to the bottom barrel newspaper "come on" price to start!

Including tax, license, this 2008 Corrolla was $14,500.

And by the way, on Saturday he had parked the Honda on the nearest corner with a sign in the window and sold it the next day for $2,000!

WOW, for a final cost of $12,500

and we paid cash

I run a little trivia contest in my shop (click left column 'prettycheap' to see) for fun and promotion.

For several months no-one came up with the answer to the question:

Q: What is the most popular sticker made (in terms of number produced)?

NOT-smiley face
NOT-Made in China
NOT-Caution: Electrical hazard

A: Chiquita Banana
Approximately 3 billion/yr made according to my source.

New question is up and I give a FREE prize to the correct answer (no strings, shipping included):

Q: What was used to build an edible tower about 5 feet tall in 2003?

To enter, go to my shop and contact me with your guess (click 'contact prettycheap in the shop right column).

Good luck and have fun!

Work lunches are for running errands, taking a walk for exercise, and having a hot cup of soup (and maybe some crackers).

Dinner time leftovers also really hit the spot at lunch, warmed up in the microwave.

Only on a once a week or two basis is the treat of eating out. Just don't need it!

Ramen noodles are so cheap, why? OK, don't answer that, maybe I don't want to know. High sodium (and some high in fat as it was pointed out to me).

10 or 12 bags for a dollar or two! Incredible! In fact, I don't even eat a whole bag! These last me a month!

My crafting group, the California Crafters Club of Etsy (CCCOE) had a monthly contest where each member made an item in the topic of "SCIENCE".

All the entries are in and we ask the public to vote on the best one.

A door prize will be given to a random voter at the end of the voting period (shipping included).

If you want to have a little free fun, look over the entries and post your vote here:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5447218

To vote you must be registered with Etsy (just with an email and password, like amazon).

The link above includes a link to the picture of the prize (there are two), links to each of the items, and a place where you can see all the items at once. If you have time, read some of the item descriptions. Several of these crafters are extraordinarily interesting (the prize for example!).

Why? Yes, we do it for exposure to our crafts, our shops, and also for stimulating our creative skills.

Mine is in there, you'll have to discover it for yourself.

Good luck and have fun! There is no big catch, this is a casual group of small entrepreneurs supporting and learning from each other. And this is our 4th or so monthly contest, they have been a great success!

I am a shop owner inside the 'Etsy' website (as many of you know, click on the left pics for a little piece of them).

An investor came in with $27 million for Etsy which will help them become a household word.

See an article here from cnet, internet news service:

http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-9861216-36.html?tag=blog.1

And they expect to go public. No time line, no other details.

But I've been involved for 2 years, a veritable oldster!! And am ready with the little buck$.

I let an acquaintance pitch me an unnamed business venture yesterday over coffee for 15 minutes. She didn't give a name to the venture, but it sounds very much like what Amway used to be.

Anyone have experience with them?

Supposedly entails purchasing your household goods directly from the manufacturer, saving a good percent of cost. No pyramid scheme, each purchaser makes their own profit.

Anyway, I am not interested. Just wonder why these organizations are not more high profile if they are so profitable.

Not Saving Advicers, my Etsy buddies!

I belong to a team of California Crafters inside the Etsy handmade marketplace. We call ourselves the California Crafters Club of Etsy (CCCOE). It is a statewide group, so alot of distance separate many of us.

But a good number are in Los Angeles, of course. And a few near my location.

A comment in our group discussion was made about the wholesale fabric shop in downtown LA (Michael Levine's) and a couple members decided to meet there to shop!

A few more members are truly professional jewelers and work in the downtown LA jewelry district. They wanted to join and it took off from there.

I am going down just to have a blast and see who some of these characters are! And they no doubt wonder about me!

As I mentioned, a couple new members of this Crafting team are fantastic professionals and I show two pieces below. Somewhat intimidating but inspiring to be in this group!

New Beginnings Ring
by Amanda K Lockrow Jewels

http://www.amandaklockrowjewels.etsy.com



BodyCast
by PalliekoDesigns
http://www.palleikodesigns.etsy.com

Which is higher priority?

Craft items to build 'after' Valentine's Day stock?

Redesign business cards to reflect new logo on website at

Pretty Cheap Jewelry?

Pursue April Art Show (application due in Feb)?

Oh, yes;
Plan 2 kids birthday parties in Feb?
Cook hot meals?
Clean the house?

OK, nevermind those last two.

I actually am fairly caught up and have started a line of wedding styles for my business. Watch for photos after Valentines Day!

Three day weekends are helpful, and we have another one coming up 1/28 (Teacher Buy Back Day). That means I stay home from work with the kids and get a couple hours to chip away at the list.

SOLD Yesterday!
Vintage Cupid Valentine's Bangle.
~~~~Offer to Saving Advicers~~~~~
Free pack of handmade pressed floral notecards with any order from my shop (click 'prettycheap' left column). Mention this offer, expires 1/31/08.

Pretty Cheap Jewelry has added a new address! I'm now available in 3 local and one distant shop, as well as the original website (link in the left margin).

Wonderful to acheive this goal so early! (of adding a shop to my family in 2008)

Here's a few new items to delight your eyes. Everything made (by me) with quality and care and sold for fun and love at a bargain basement price.

~~secret special to SavingAdvicer's only~~
A free Dark Chocolate Hershey 1 lb bar with the order of any 3 notecards or journals. Offer good until 1/31/08 only. Please mention this post at check out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks and here's to a sweet 2008!

BEAR HOPES AND DREAMS JOURNAL
Slim volume perfect for a new marriage, graduate, or baby book.


WATCH US GROW
Photo album cover features cross stitched sprig and ruffled lace!


GRACIAS
One of 3 International thank you cards featuring different girls, each holding a heart. (sold separately)

This question comes up for me most years.

My kids have plenty, they are not spoiled (imo) but have items that just are hardly used.

For example, my daughter was given a "Groovy Girls" set a couple birthdays ago with two cute dolls, a clothes chest and dozen little outfits. She never really took a great liking but it has remained well-kept in her room. (I do the 'well-kept' part).

(btw I used to intercept many of the excess toys given to the kids when they were younger and they didn't notice to regift, return or donate later...this is much more diffucult now though as they are older)

Some books, puzzles, and other toys fall into this category as well.

On Monday, my next block of free time, I plan to go through the kid's room with them and remove with their permission all these items in anticipation of making room for new things from Santa.

SO---------
My preference is to give the dolls, for example, to a girl who really wants and wouldn't otherwise have such a toy.

How?

I am contacting the Boys & Girls Club first. I am not a churchgoer, and have no contacts in that department (unless through a friend). Last year a County Children's agency had a room where families could come 'shop'. They are not doing it this year due to staff cuts

Instead of giving to the thrift store (who would make some money on these), or Toys for Tots (who probably won't take a used toy anyway) I wish it to be more personal if possible.

This comes up almost every year. I need to find some solution.

In a fairly small office of about 25 employees, we now have or have gone through on the receptionist's desk:

2 bags caramel corn
2 bags fancy mixed nuts
2 lb chocolates
2 more lb chocolates
choc covered coffee beans
choc covered choc nibs
2 boxes choc dipped apricots
dried pineapple
dried papaya
small artisan choc squares

and I am sure I'm forgetting some.

These are from service providers to us of course.

We are the last ones who need anything like this.

There is nothing one can do but I wish these folks were more creative in the spending and gifting to company employees.

(Last year I took some of the leftovers and packed it into my kids lunchboxes. Fairly nutritious and/or treats for kids.)

So many times people cringe at the word cheap, other times it is regarded as humorous.

Without changing much in the business overview, I'm redesigning my banner and biz cards like this (might be hard to see because it is long).



or just see it at the top of my website

http://www.prettycheapjewelry.com

My son gave me the idea to just put a slash over the 'cheap' word, and it is a very effective visual tool imo.

Yesterday.

They were searching the house for a little eraser which my son had forgotten where he left. (This little penguin erasers which the kids are trading in school like Olympic pins).

Up high, and squished back in my closet, has been a stash of gifts accumulating since August or September. Even my husband doesn't think to look 'up' when the closet is open. We share one of those double sliding door closets with mirrors on the front. The laundry baskets are on my side and the doors are open frequently.

Well, I had just gotten done with ALL my shopping a couple hours prior and took the time to wrap the last 3 big gifts for the kids and husband.

Just in the (St.) nick of time!

My son, who has been walking around for 2 years brashly claiming Mom and Dad are Santa anyway... had been qualifying that with ...I just don't know where the presents are...maybe in the attic. My youngest wasn't so sure. Phfft, the attic my t*sh.

Their only problem yesterday was that they "didn't know for sure who all those presents were for, we didn't see any names".

(there's a tag on every one of them!

Ho Ho Ho!

JC Penney's sent me another $10 off coupon (with ANY sale of $10.01 or more).

My little daughter wanted some cozy warm slippers. I am in favor. We went to the ladies area where nice boxed ones are just under $10 (marked down as they are a typical gift).

Since we were under the required limit, and she had lost her gloves (I think they are in our camper at our weekend property), we went over to the the knit glove section.

There among the picked over, messed up racks of scarves, hats and gloves, were a nice chenille red pair for $6. (I correctly suspected they were half off the original price of $12).

Summary: A free pair of slippers and new gloves for $6.42 with tax.

OK, besides the obvious girl popping out of a cake...

A great price on TOOLS! My DH went out and bought these for himself and I am going to put a big bow on the box.

Combo Set from Sears

Of the original price of $180 (who really believes original prices anyway?), he used a sale and a coupon and ante'd up $135 w/tax.

They are a set for our weekend house so he doesn't have to continually bring the home set with him in the back of his truck every trip.

And of course, they will pay for themselves many times over in the construction of his garage (he'll do it himself), deck expansion for the new house, and whatever else he dreams up.

Prologue
Just flying along on a Sunday morning back at the end of October with little to no other traffic around at the time. Oops, my mistake for forgetting on this particular stretch of 2-lane country highway the speed limit is 55. Of course I was not going 55. The CHP was fairly good about it and cited me for ten miles less than I was really going. I'm not going to argue.

Chap. 1
The saga? He advised me that I might not get a 'courtesy' notice in the mail and that it was my responsibility to show up in court on the date shown, or otherwise clear the fine via phone or internet.

Chap. 2
OK? About 2 weeks later I go to the internet and look up my ticket by citation number. Hmmmm...might not be in the system yet.

Chap. 3
Wait till the third week. Internet says 'system is busy' come back later. Went back later and system still busy.

A couple days pass and internet says no such citation, might not be in the system yet.

Now we are in late November. I am due in court by first week of January. No problem, eh?

Chap. 4
How about calling? The phone number is on the ticket, and look up the citation by punching in a bunch of numbers. Not found. Oh, how about checking via my driver's license number? Do so, no citation found.

Several days that week I try the phone system again. And it boots me off!! Too many callers.

YIKES. End of November, beginning of December. I do not want to take time off to appear in court if possible. Ugh. I just want to pay it, take on-line traffic school and get on with my LIFE!

Chap. 5
Early one morning I tried and got through on the phone lines. Just wanted to ask why my citation is not in their records.

I WAS 79th IN LINE ON THE PHONE QUEUE!!!

If it wasn't so ridiculous it would be laughable. But I stayed on the line with a death grip on the phone. The polite machine comes around every so often....Now you're 48th in line.....Now you're 37th in line....Now you're 15th in line...

A PERSON finally answers. She looks me up and confirms there is not record. The CHP has not sent it in yet as far as she knows. And there is NOTHING they can do.

I SHOULD WAIT 2 MORE WEEKS and do it all again. AHHRGHHH!

Epilogue
My husband says just go to court as the statistics are that 25% of the time the officer does not attend and the case is dismissed.

*sigh*

Want a little dirt on

Pretty Cheap Jewelry?

I belong to an internet team of California Crafters, an interesting and diverse group!

One card maker/graphic designer featured me in her blog here

Nothing too racy, but a fun read. Here's a Bow Pin for sale at Pretty Cheap for $4.

"Oooo that's clever"..."That's cool"..."Wow, look at this"

Some of the many comments I hear about one particular design of mine (photo not available). Over the past 3 day weekend of craft fairs, I was advised to copyright the particular design and am now investigating.

The fee is not too much, in fact, sales at

Pretty Cheap Jewelry this past month have been enough to cover the cost.

What is the benefit of copyrighting? If someone steals the idea, I can sue? Bleh. Forget it. But it is also a symbol of respect and accomplishment.

Please put your 2c in below. And have fun looking at a couple other clever ideas in the shop --->

Important Little Things-Cross Stitched Hummingbird Blank Unlined Journal

Wish Upon a Star Pin

Should it feel like Christmas?

OK, Chanukah is only a week away. I light candles, say prayers, read stories, cook latkes and play driedel. But gifts are given later in the month with my husband's big Catholic family.

Regardless, the commercial world is in high gear. And I have completed the vast majority of my shopping.

Why? Early Planning Saves Money (not to mention my nerves).

For example;
--I've taken advantage of a moderately expensive buy one/get one toy for tots weeks ago

--More time to cost compare between retailers on a few items; and way better selection on the items I wasn't sure of

--Using coupons a few at a time at the bath/linen store

--Using coupons one at a time for ribbons and other goodies at the craft store

--Time to make many of the gifts for teachers, store owners/employees where I consign, and nurses where I have a relative living

--There will be NO last minute running to the overcrowded mall or big box store with mean spirited, desperate shoppers

--Relaxed fun at home finally with the kids to make cookies, decorate, hang out with neighbors

--The only shopping I have left are the important, unusual special things for my husband. I want to have a good feeling giving him a gift. Not anxiety over the price, or time to squeeze in getting things. He just wants a couple items from an independent dry goods (western type) establishment in town that is extremely less stressful to visit.

See you all round the fireplace with a cuppa hot chocolate.

A hot cup of homemade soup hits the spot this time of year. If it is a snap to make, your recipient will be thankful. This last gift recipe is a thoughtful offer to many on your list; teacher, neighbor, young cook, friend, co-worker.

I hope you have enjoyed all the six ideas in the 'Handmade' category of this blog, recapped below. One for kids, one for the guys, one for the vegetarian, one for the fitness buff, and so on.

#1-Spicy Rice Mix
#2-Choc Chunk Oatmeal Cookies
#3-No Yeast Whole Wheat Bread
#4-Sun's Up Granola
#5-BBQ Rub

[u]#6-Confetti Comfort Soup[u]
Ingredients:
1 Pint Jar with tight screw lid
2/3 C dried green split peas
2/3 C dried yellow split peas
2/3 C dried orange lentils

(Note: these dried legumes are available at the whole foods, natural markets. Other types are also possible, just make sure they have identical cooking instructions)

Assemble Ingredients (see Photo)


Step 1 (see Photo)-Place green peas in jar for first layer.


Step 2 (see Photo)-Place orange lentils in jar for second layer.


Step 3 (see Photo)-Place yellow peas in jar for third layer. The items should reach to the top of the jar threads.


Step 4 (see Photo)-Tightly screw on lid and cover lid with a piece of wrapping paper or fabric. Tie on with ribbon.


Step 5-Tie tag with Mix instructions (as follows) around lid:
"Mix Instructions-Warm up on a cold day! Just place 1 C mix and 3 C water in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Promptly lower heat and simmer covered about 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste."

I heard of (and looked at briefly) a website for those ridiculously low priced items stores offer at the crack of dawn on Black Friday -

http://www.bfgear.com

It stands for Black Friday Gear. Supposedly has some of the ads in advance from retailers.

My hubby is one that has been known to get that $9.99 DVD player or whatnot.

Good luck!

Isn't it satisfying when the perfect use comes along for those little things you've been saving and saving?

I have a dozen little pots of craft paint that were left over from one of my kid's project. And bits of ribbon, a few sequins, some buttons. Even some little Christmas decorations when they were 90% off last year, for example.

So voila! They have been made into great fun pins which are destined for a few craft shows this year. They will cost $2.50 each.

Have a look:

BRIGHT CHRISTMAS TREE, RED 'SWEET' HEART
The tree is embellished with pearl swags, button ornaments, a bit of silver snow, and a big gold bow topper.

The heart is enhanced by a rosebud and lettering.


NATURE CHRISTMAS TREE, BACK-TO-BASICS HEART, ROMANTIC HEART
The tree is brightened with copper glitter branches, button ornaments, and a silver bow topper.

The old fashioned heart is decorated with buttons, and outlined in yarn. It reads "Peace".

The romantic heart is embellished with a sweet pink flower, two ribbons and a bit of pearl string. It reads 'SWEET' on the side.



Every bead has it's place, right? Now I can't wait to start saving all the gift wrap decorations from this year!

This is the fifth 'Gift in a Jar' you can make for family and friends this December. It is rather inexpensive but thoughtful, especially if it is made even more personal.

For example, personalize this spice rub attaching a BBQ tongs or fork, or a big potholder (available at the dollar store).

Find more great easy recipes in the 'Handmade' section of this blog (click on category column left). And more are coming for you to collect and make later this year. Some of the recipes are my own originals, some are credited to others. All lean to the healthy diet, as I prefer to avoid heavy sweets and fats. Enjoy!

Spice Rub
Credit: Gifts from a Jar, Publications Intl.

Ingredients:
Clean dry jar with screw lid
1/2 C chili powder
1 1/2 Tb salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 TB ground cumin
2 tsp ground red pepper
1 TB black pepper
2 TB plus 1 tsp oregano

Layer ingredients in jar with the chili powder on the bottom. Cover the lid with a square of fabric or wrapping paper, tie with a ribbon and attach a tag with these instructions:

"Shake and Bake! Sprinkle the rub on burgers or chicken and grill to your heart's content!"

Just a clever name for an item I made and lowered the price in my little internet shop

Pretty Cheap Jewelry

Fringed Blues Bracelet $6


Want the good news or the bad news? The bad news first...yesterday my shop was spammed by a bogus 'buyer'. Not just a spam email. This one actually went into the shop and bought 4 things, with payment never to be sent. The good news? I notified the Etsy admin and they corrected the situation immediately. Whew! thanks for the fast response.