Front Page!

We made the front page of Etsy tonight! First time ever! And lucky you, our weekend sale is still going on. Use code FRIDAY20 for 20% off your entire order. And like us on Facebook to hear about more sales in the next few weeks before Christmas!

Etsy Gallery View

I may be the last one to discover this, but I just found out the best way to view shops on Etsy. You know how cool the front page gallery always looks? Well, you can make every shop look that great. Once in a shop, choose "gallery" instead of "list" for viewing shop items. You can find the buttons just underneath the shop announcement section, to the right of the page numbers.

I love the new view....the pictures are bigger and you can appreciate the artistic look of it all! Enjoy!

Etsy Love: Karisma by Kara

Kara is a local gal who I had the pleasure of meeting in person just the other day. She placed a pottery order with us and I couldn't resist taking a peek at her lovely Etsy shop. She is new to Etsy and her shop, Karisma by Kara, is a gem. Her jewelry uses natural stones like onyx, turquoise, and jade mixed with wire and polymer clay. Head on over and give her a little Etsy love.

Here are just a few of her lovelies...

Etsy Feature

Stone Lotus Pottery was featured on Blue Moss! Check it out here.

I've posted about Blue Moss before, but Michelle deserves another mention. She is a local Greenville gal and makes beautiful things that give you that just-have-to-have-it kind of feeling. Check out her shop and one of my favorites....

make mine sparkly

A Handmade Christmas: Children's Art

I can not take credit for the following ideas, but I'm happy to share nonetheless. While we don't have children, we know many people who do, so hopefully these ideas will jump start your creativity and if they're old enough, even get your children involved in making gifts with you.

Children's artwork and projects can make wonderful gifts for family, especially the grandparents and aunts and uncles. We all know that grandparents love everything about their grandkids (even at 27, I know this goes well beyond childhood, but we'll stick with the childhood theme for now.)

This first idea is from my cousins (hi Erick and Jenny!). The other day I received a note in the mail and opened it to find a colored drawing that their daughter, Elise, made for me. She's 3, so obviously Jenny helped with writing the note to me, but Elise signed her own name. (Thank you Elise for my artwork!) The note mentioned how much fun we had at the beach this summer and was such an adorable surprise to receive in the mail. As it turns out, Elise colored pictures for much of the family and Jenny was sweet enough to mail them to all of us. I think this could be a wonderful idea for Christmas as well. Whether your children are 3 or 13, you could put together a scrapbook of artwork, make a collage, frame a special drawing, or simply send it along with the family Christmas card. The kids can help pick which pieces to send and it's a great way to share the 100s (so I'm told) of things they bring home from preschool and elementary school.

If your children are not of preschool age yet, I have another idea. I saw this one on a blog I read and have to pass it on. This mother is quite the artist. She creates drawings and other designs using her daughter's hand and footprints. It's an artistic way to capture a moment in time. Her hands and feet will never be this little again and the design options are limitless. These are specifically for Halloween and the fall, but you could easily use the idea for Christmas.

Here she used footprints to make ghosts on a pumpkin with the saying "Trick or Treat. Smell My Feet." And pilgrims and wheat stalks for fall and Thanksgiving decor.

And here she used handprints to make a wreath.

And one last idea from Etsy...custom silhouettes of your children. There are several shops if you search "custom silhouette" but this one stood out because she has a one week turnaround once she receives your pictures and oh, she's in Greenville too! A lot of the shops use stock images similar to clip art for the silhouettes, but this artist does it from your personal images. Read all the info on her listing for the details, but her shop can be found here and the custom silhouette item listing here.

And if your creativity is escaping you for the moment, framed photographs of the kiddos are always a much appreciated gift. If you're interested in using a photo of your family or your child on a custom Christmas card this year, don't forget Fostering Creativity.

A Handmade Christmas: Stone Lotus Pottery

Without further ado, my first post on A Handmade Christmas is about our new artistic endeavor, Stone Lotus Pottery. My mom and I launched our Etsy shop in October and are jumping head first into the Christmas season.

In the shop, you'll find gifts for many people on your list. Stop by and see our beautiful and unique jewelry items, bowls, vases, votives, plates, and coasters. Don't forget your moms, daughters, granddaughters, aunts, nieces, and grandkids. Also, keep in mind co-workers and bosses, your hair stylist, manicurist, or other professionals you visit often, and of course, your friends.

Unique jewelry items for those with the most discriminating taste. Prices range from $14 to $24 for various earrings and necklaces.

We also have a large selection of bowls and vases. Prices range from $11 to $20, something to fit every need. Small bowls are perfect for jewelry, potpourri, and candles. Larger bowls can hold fruit, side dishes, or whatever your imagination creates. Use them as a base for floral arrangements. They make great hostess gifts as well!

Feel free to bookmark our shop and check back often. We'll have new items added throughout the season. Look for more coaster sets, Christmas ornaments, and more jewelry.

Welcome!

Welcome to first time vistors from The Nesting Place! Thanks for stopping by.

The Nester was kind enough to create a place for all of her readers to link to their "handmade" businesses and for all of us to find new and wonderful places to shop for the holidays. Her slogan..."Buy from real Moms this year, not robots!" While I'm not a mom, my mother definitely is and since we're in this thing together....it only seems right!

Stone Lotus Pottery is a mother daughter team creating wearable and functional art. We are both creative souls who needed an artistic outlet, so Stone Lotus Pottery was born. The extra time together is just an added bonus : )

We opened our Etsy shop just about a week ago and had our first sale on Sunday! Check out our shop and see what inspires you. We find that pottery is such a unique medium in that it has a way of speaking to people in different ways. The colors and patterns, the texture and the shape, are all a part of its unique nature. It is organic and elegant at the same time and we hope you enjoy our creations.

Click the shop link on the right to see our Etsy shop. You can read more about us in our Profile or just scroll down for our latest additions to the shop. Enjoy and thanks for visiting!

Welcome!

Welcome to Stone Lotus Pottery!

We are thrilled to be officially up and running with our new shop on Etsy.

www.stonelotuspottery.etsy.com

From our Etsy shop (rhymes with Betsy), you can browse our latest designs and purchase gifts for yourself or someone special. For those of you new to Etsy, it is an online marketplace for crafters to sell handmade and vintage items. It is an amazing venue for exploring everything from ceramics to jewelry to accessories and vintage home decor. We'll warn you...it's addictive! Once you go handmade, you'll never go back!

As for this blog, we hope you'll bookmark us or add us to your feed reader, so you can learn more about us, get sneak previews of the latest designs, and give us feedback and suggestions for new items you would like to see in the shop.

Feel free to contact us using the email link on the right or leave a comment for us on this blog. We would love to hear from you and look forward to this new adventure!

Jeanette and Jill