The Blog of Portable Graffiti

Have not been Blogging - But I have been Pinning

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

Do you pin? I've been enjoying Pinterest.

It's a great way to organize bookmarks of things you love.

My boards look like this. I have 70 boards I am working on.

And a total of 2,540 pins.

Pin It

Fantastic Five: Warm Up with a ‘Cuppa Tea’

2012-01-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

Fantastic Five: Warm Up with a ‘Cuppa Tea’

A Great Reason to Blog

2012-01-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

I've been neglecting my blog with so many other things to do, but now I have a great reason to write here. I just entered a giveaway contest on an awesome blog. You can read about here:
http://whatrosemadetoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/win-happy-2012-whimsy.html
Enter for a chance to win today.
If you love Mother Earth like you do you will LOVE everything in her shop.
Treat yourself a bit of nature at Walk in the Woods LLC.

Pin It

My reply to anyone who says they have no sales.

2011-10-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

If people don't know you exist, it is tough to get sales. Here are just a few possible ways to be seen.

Comment on all the Fantastic Fives. I have discovered new and interesting shops when I see their comments on the Fantastic Five articles.

You can do that here:

http://www.zibbet.com/blog/category/fantastic-five

Another place to be seen is commenting on the Featured Zibbeters.

Give them support and others will see you being supportive.

You can find those here:

http://www.zibbet.com/blog/category/featured-zibbeters

Another way to get noticed and sales in your shop is by purchasing from other Zibbeters.

They quite often reciprocate.

150,310 items to choose from.

You can find them HERE.

If you can use supplies for your crafting needs, shop on Zibbet under Supplies for 20,960 listings

Find those HERE>

Stop in here at the Hub often and join in on the many fun threads. We have threads going on gardening,recipes, crafting, saving money, pets, health, dieting, hobbies, and promoting each other through the various promo threads such as the Stocking Stuffer Scavenger Hunt.

Don't miss PIFs, Pinterest, Challenges, Holiday Card Exchange and the Color Games.

If you need thank anyone, do that HERE.

If none of this interests you, start a new fun thread of your own. Anyone can.

You can find me promoting Zibbet at

Facebook

Facebook Zibbet Group

Twitter

Flickr

Flickr Zibbet Pool

Flickr Zibbet Open Studios

Flickr Zibbet Front Page Pool

Flickr Zibbet Vintage

Stumble Upon

Google

Blog

Judy

My shops:

Portable Graffiti Graphics

My Daughter's Shop

PS Don't forget to include a link to your shop in your travels.

Organic Cotton Tea Bags by Gypsy Goods on Zibbet

2011-09-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

I'm cheating!

This is a screenshot from my Facebook page about the awesome organic cotton tea bags that Kathy of Gypsy Goods mailed to me. I love being a tester for her. I had the privilege of also testing coffee filters before she offered them in her Gypsy Goods shop.

The coffee filters are amazing, and last forever. Think of the savings. How much do you spend of coffee filter each year? Cross them off your grocery list forevermore.

The tea bags are working out great! Others I have tried from other places have too narrow of opening. Gypsy Goods tea bags are easy to fill. They are also easy to empty. Just dump the tea into your compost or directly in your garden. Rinse the cloth tea bag, hang it to dry, and you're ready for the next cup.

Kathy does not have the tea bags listed yet, so send her a message and tell her to get listing.

But you can find the coffee filters in her shop here:

http://www.zibbet.com/GypsyGoods/section/kitchen-bath-home

Pin It

Well hello blog

2011-09-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Long time no see.
I used to blog daily, then it was more like weekly, and then monthly and more recently with so many other places to hang out on the Internet, like the Zibbet Facebook Group, the Zibbet Community Hub, Pinterest, Zibbet Flickr Group ...I had deserted my poor old blog.

I have also been busy writing the Fantastic Five on Zibbet. I hope you'll check it out. It's a weekly feature.

Zibbet sales are going well. I've been working on a few new shop banners for these shops. Bet Your Bottom Button Creations is a new shop on Zibbet and this banner is not completed yet, so it will change quite a bit before it goes into her shop.

Second Sister at MoArk Jewelry has me working on a logo for her. Waiting on feedback from customer. Once the logo is finalized I will be making her a shop banner for Zibbet and Artfire and and an Earring Card design.

Nicole's Visions ordered a shop banner, label, 2-sided business card, a web ad and product tag designs. At this point I am still working on her banner. Once the banner is decided on, I will work on her other items. Nicole is planning ahead for when she will be adding new crafts to her shop made from vintage vinyl record albums, reclaimed wood and fabric, a eco-friendly line of products. Currently she sells her photography.

Creations by DJ ordered a shop banner and it is also pending final approval. This is where it is right now. This shop has quite a variety of handmade crafts made by two women friends who are both nurses. Lots of neat Christmas items.

This banner I just completed and you can see it in her shop. Susan Wise makes gentle handmade soap. This is the second shop banner I made for her and I sure do appreciate return customers. This banner celebrates the beautiful season of Autumn.

Sherry Spring has two shops on Zibbet: The Bead Supply and Sherry Spring Designs. This is the second shop banner I created for her. Her other shop banner I made can be seen in her supply shop HERE.

Another return customer yesterday was Deni of Breitwerk. Deni had me design a logo for her a few weeks ago, and yesterday requested a 4x6 card to use in Z Boxes and other advertising uses.

Last week I also designed, made and shipped 100 buttons to Izzy's Place. Pat is going to use them as a way to advertise her shop. People will remember her when the button magnets get put to use on refrigerators and filing cabinets.

Last night I sold 6 Superman Vintage buttons from my Portable Graffiti button shop. A random customer who just opened a buyers account on Zibbet.com.

Keeping busy at Portable Graffiti Graphics ....hope you are, too.
Hugs,
Judy

Best Garbage Can I ever had

2011-08-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

My car has never stayed so clean since I bought this handy garbage can made with a recycled soda bottle and fabric.

It is so easy to empty and it stays put in the car tied with a strap. Slide the pastil bottle out to empty the garbage and then it slides right back in. I wish someone on Zibbet made these.

They also hold a large drink cup when I need an extra cup holder.

Tiflo Gifts and More TM: Weekend Artist (TM) - Judy Youngquest

2011-08-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

Tiflo Gifts and More TM: Weekend Artist (TM) - Judy Youngquest: "In the summer of '79 Judy Youngquest 'dropped out' of the corporate world and moved to the Finger Lakes where Judy was co-buying a 112 acr..."

Featured Zibbeter - BungleBands

2011-08-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

Featured Zibbeter - BungleBands

The Importance of Your Shop Banner

2011-08-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Importance of Your Shop Banner

Forever Free Basic Shop on Zibbet

2011-07-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

16th July, 2011

Artfire is Removing Their Free, Basic Accounts From Their Site - What Does Zibbet Think About That?

Firstly, I want to make it abundantly clear that I am not here to throw stones at Artfire. The purpose of this email is NOT to tell you that Artfire is doing the wrong thing - they are doing what they feel is necessary based on their unique situation. The purpose of this email is to inform you about our reasons for keeping Basic accounts here at Zibbet.

In this email we'll cover a few things (it will be a long email - read when you have time!):
1. The details
2. Why Zibbet won't be getting rid of its free, Basic accounts
3. Are Basic Artfire sellers welcome on Zibbet?

1. THE DETAILS
For those that have never heard of Artfire or don't have a clue what we're talking about...

Artfire is another handmade venue, similar to Zibbet. They had a free, Basic account and an upgraded, paid account - again, similar to Zibbet. Yesterday they announced officially that their Basic Accounts would be shut down on August 15.

How many sellers will this effect?

Over 42,500 active Basic sellers will lose their shop (about 75% of their total sellers), at which point around 350,000 items will be unlisted from the site (about 25% of their total items).

Why have they made this decision?

You can read the full, official announcement here.
2. WHY WON'T ZIBBET BE GETTING RID OF ITS FREE, BASIC ACCOUNTS AS WELL?
Zibbet and Artfire are two different venues, with two different leaders, with two different strategies for moving forward. At Zibbet, we're a metrics driven business, which means that we track LOTS of different things - the numbers don't lie and we base our decisions on those metrics. I want to share some of what we know with you, to help explain why having free, Basic accounts at Zibbet works well...for us.

SEO benefits
Firstly, I've harped on and on about this - the more active items we have on Zibbet, the more buyers we will have. Basic sellers list items, and those items help to bring in more buyer traffic - for everyone! Basic sellers only account for 15% of the total sales on Artfire. They also only account for 25% of the active items - Do you think that would have something to do with their low sales percentage? You bet it does. Less items, less traffic, less sales. Period.

On Zibbet, our Premium sellers make up 24% of our active sellers and account for around 70% of the sales. Our Premium sellers do get more site exposure, have better tools and features to help them sell more and have unlimited, non-expiring, listings. There's no doubt that Premium is the way to go on Zibbet.

We know that Basics will upgrade to Premium when they see the value to do so (and we certainly hope they do), but even if they don't that's ok - because...

We make money off Basics too!
We have a couple of exciting partnerships launching in the future which will allow us to make a small cut off each sale that is transacted on Zibbet (Basic and Premium). This DOES NOT come out of your pocket - you are not charged a cent, nor will you even notice a difference to your service. These partnerships will be announced when we are ready to roll them out. Basic sellers make sales too, therefore they will make us money. Just another reason why Basic sellers add value and are here to stay at Zibbet.

Basic sellers need time to upgrade
Our metrics tell us that Basic sellers need time to decide whether to upgrade or not and we're willing to give them the time that they need. Some sellers will never ever upgrade, and that is something that we're aware of and are fine with. Hosting costs are so low these days that these sellers are literally no burden on us financially.

Check out this graph which shows historically how long it takes for our Basic sellers to upgrade to Premium. Most upgrade within the first couple of weeks (as you can see below), but there are still sellers upgrading every day in the 365 day period shown. This means that the Basic account is serving its purpose as a 'taste-tester' that compels sellers to upgrade over time - which puts money in our pockets to keep making Zibbet better and better...

The graph below is a little more crazy and complex, but I'll try to explain. We track your activity (sales, upgrades, downgrades, etc) based on the month and year you signed up to become a member of Zibbet. We call this your 'cohort', which is the group we associate you with for the life of your account. This allows us to find 'trends', which is why I say that we're a data driven company - the numbers don't lie, and they help us to base all our major decisions on. This graph shows the percentage of seller registrations that go Premium. And as you can see, over time a greater and increasing percentage of sellers will upgrade to Premium over time. The higher lines, representing a greater percentage of sellers that have gone Premium, belong to earlier cohorts. You can see that from the February, 2010 cohort, 20.85% of the seller registrations we received that month have upgraded to Premium. Therefore, we can again conclude that over extended periods of time, more and more sellers will see the benefits of being Premium, and upgrade.

3. ARE BASIC ARTFIRE SELLERS WELCOME ON ZIBBET?
Yes! We welcome them with open arms, all 42,500 of them can make their home at Zibbet and they can bring all 350,000 items with them (and hopefully list 50 items each to make over 2 million items!). This would bring huge SEO benefits to Zibbet and will increase the sales of all our sellers. If you love Zibbet and you love sales, you should be telling Basic Artfire sellers to join us.

To help make spreading the word even easier, I've created a special coupon code that will give them a free 45 day trial of our Premium Account (monthly or yearly). The code is: WELCOME

This offer is valid until August 15. Or, they can just sign up for a free, Basic account and upgrade when they are good and ready (or not).

We also have an Artfire Importer, so setup will be quick and painless! They can import all their items in with a few clicks of the mouse!

If you have bothered to read this far, thank you! I hope that what I have said makes sense and you can clearly see why Basic accounts are valuable to us at Zibbet and our reasons for keeping them around - for good! If you're from Artfire and you're reading this, we welcome you to give Zibbet a try. You'll love what we're doing here and the community is super friendly!

Have a great day and please feel free to post this entire email where you feel is necessary to inform all handmade sellers.

Regards,

Jonathan Peacock
CEO, Zibbet.com

Fantastic Five: Summer Vacation

2011-07-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Five: Summer Vacation

Zibbet Front Pages

2011-06-28T18:02:00.001-07:00

Zibbet Front Pages, a set on Flickr.

IndieSmiles.com » Blog Archive » Monthly Marketing – July

2011-06-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

IndieSmiles.com » Blog Archive » Monthly Marketing – July

Fantastic Five: Pillow Fight

2011-06-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Five: Pillow Fight

Who wants to have a pillow fight?!

December Girl: 31 + 1 Good Reasons Why Every Artisan Should Sell ...

2011-06-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

December Girl: 31 + 1 Good Reasons Why Every Artisan Should Sell ...: " click image to be taken to Zibbet If your choice is to sell as a Monthly or Yearly Premium account holder, you gain to benefit from th..."

BreitWerk Buzz: Give A-Way!!!

2011-06-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

BreitWerk Buzz: Give A-Way!!!: "I believe I said I would do a give-a-way once I reached 100 Facebook fans - well, it's time! I am posting all the give-a-way information h..."

Fantastic Five: Trees Are Cool

2011-06-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Five: Trees Are Cool

I Love Trees! Do you?

Check out this week's fantastic Five on Zibbet!

My First Grandchild Sporting Her New Hair Accessories From Zibbet

2011-05-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

I was completely surprised by a gift that arrived in the mail from a fellow Zibbet Seller. I hardly knew her. How thoughtful and kind that she mailed these hair accessories to me for my first grandchild, Isabella.

Today my daughter sent me some photos of her wearing her new hair accessories.
Isn't she cute?

Thanks to Lori of Lori's Styling Hair Stuff on Zibbet.

Fun with a PIF

2011-05-05T19:13:00.001-07:00

I got this super awesome Blackboard Button button from Gypsy Goods. I had been wanting one for a while. Kathy listed it as a PIF and I was thrilled to be able to get one.

They sure would make a really nice gift. Kids and adults would enjoy this. They are packaged super nice. And it even came with the chalk so you can play right away.

I opened the package and got the chalk out.

Directions say to prime the button with chalk. So I did.

Then you smear the chalk around. I hope I have this right. kathy can correct me if I am wrong.

How did I do Kathy?

Then I wiped the chalk off, as you would with an eraser which gave me a nice black surface to write on.

And then I wrote:

Okay that's not very creative. But I'm going to practice. This button will be lots of fun.

You can get yours HERE:

http://www.zibbet.com/GypsyGoods

2011-05-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

This Zibbet shop goes all the way in eco-friendly.

I ordered a PIF (pay it forward) from Thoughtful Gems. It is a cool little spiral notebook made with a used gift card from Toys R Us. My daughter will love it.

Not only did I get the PIF in the mail quickly, but she also sent me an extra gift of another little notebook.

I was highly impressed with wrapping.

It came in a paper bubble envelope, the items were sealed in a cello bag that is certified biodegradable and compostable. I like that! Her products and packaging are 100% recycled content.

Inside the cello bag, the notebooks were gift wrapped in brown paper and tied with string, probably hemp.

Anything from Thoughtful Gems would make wonderful gifts that could be shipped to the recipent direct and you would know how presentable they will arrive to the giftee.

Talk about "thoughtful." I'd like to thank Thoughtful Gems for being so thoughtful of our Mother Earth and the future generations of children.

Testing the Un-Paper Towel Coming Soon from Gypsy Goods

2011-05-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

I'm testing the Un-Paper Towel Coming Soon from Gypsy Goods here on Zibbet.

This is going to be a lot of fun and will involve updated blog posts.

Look at the pretty un-paper towels I get to play with, okay well work with, too.

I have not bought paper towels in years. I find them to be a huge waste of money, not to mention the trash they make.

Aren't these so much prettier?

While you wait for these pretty cotton un-paper towels, you can get organic cloth coffee filters in her shop. I have 2 of them and use them every day. They are awesome and save me from having to buy paper ones.

More Fabulous PIFs

2011-05-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

Have you been playing PIF?

I have as you can see.

I have mailed out 11 PIFs to date.

I have bought 11 PIFs.

In this fabulous selection I have:

A Soy Candle from C'est Soy which I am going to use during my next house showing. It;s smells so nice.

A Denim Barrette from Lori's Styling Hair Styling Stuff who also sent me a wonderful gift for my first grandchild. My thank you for that gift and photos can be seen HERE.

A set of two hand sewn pouches from Tawny Bee which I love and were mailed to me all the way from Canada.

A Puppy Necklace from Chastity which is so adorable I wore it right away. I'll be putting it away though for my granddaughter.

Here's the link to the current PIF game for May.

http://community.zibbet.com/forum/topics/may-2011-pifs

Have You Been Playing the PIF Game on Zibbet's Community Hub?

2011-05-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

If you haven't play the PIF game on Zibbet's Community Hub, you're missing out on a lot of fun. Getting my mail lately has felt like it's my birthday every day.

Here are just 2 of the cool PIFs I got recently. I'll be posting more here on my blog.

The necklace, bracelet and earrings were made by Daresa of Daresab.

The hand made wash cloth was made by the Crafty Little Kitten.

"One hand washes the other." (and you dry them with a towel)

2011-05-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

PIFs are a great way to try products on Zibbet. For a dollar or under and free shipping you can try a product, meet a new seller and make friends. Alice of Mimi and Colette posted this towel as a PIF and I had been wanting to try her towels. I also purchased one of her scrubbies at the same time. I had bought items from her shop before and have loved everything. She does great work.

Buying on Zibbet when you are seller is good for creating relationships, also. Alice has purchased from my shop, as well. She got her shop banners and other graphics and tags from me.

My mother used to say this a lot:

"One hand washes the other."

Think about it.

Featured Zibbeter - StimplesAndStrummels

2011-05-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

Featured Zibbeter - StimplesAndStrummels

Fantastic Five: Fill the Easter Baskets

2011-04-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Five: Fill the Easter Baskets

Fantastic Five: Sugar & Spice

2011-04-18T21:09:00.001-07:00

Fantastic Five: Sugar & Spice

Featured Zibbeter - MadeOnFifthStreet

2011-04-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

Featured Zibbeter - MadeOnFifthStreet

Fantastic Five: The New Baby Boom

2011-04-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today is my daughter Kate's due date. In anticipation of the birth of my first grandchild today's Fantastic Five on Zibbet is titled "The New Baby Boom.

Fantastic Five: The New Baby Boom

Please stop in to Zibbet's Blog and comment. See you there!

Judy

My Daughter Unicycling with UF Juggling Club

2011-04-02T16:31:00.001-07:00

Fantastic Five - Hugs from Zibbet to Japan

2011-03-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Five - Hugs from Zibbet to Japan

Unicycle Polo

2011-03-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

What my daughter does at the University of Florida.

Fantastic Five: Skin It & Stash It

2011-03-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Five: Skin It & Stash It

Featured Zibbeter - HandmadeFuzzy

2011-03-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Featured Zibbeter - HandmadeFuzzy

Eat Organic- So True - Watch It

2011-03-12T10:00:00.001-08:00

So much yarn, so little time.: OOOH look what came through the letterbox!

2011-03-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

So much yarn, so little time.: OOOH look what came through the letterbox!: "Hmmm. I don't know why they make letterboxes so high these days. Still can't reach. Think I can see who it's addressed to though...Niftyk..."

Fantastic Five: Skin It & Stash It

2011-03-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Fantastic Five: Skin It & Stash It

So much yarn, so little time.: What if Etsy was a grocery store...

2011-01-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

So much yarn, so little time.: What if Etsy was a grocery store...: "Many of us type 'LOL' fairly regularly, but every now and then I truly *do* Laugh Out Loud. When I recovered, I asked Jen of ArtmakersWorld..."

The Making of a Map Button

2010-12-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

My map buttons are made from actual maps. Get a piece of the world in your very own button for ONLY $2.50.

This is how they are made. My customer paid for this listing on my Portable Graffiti Zibbet shop. She requested a button with Zadar, Croatia. I searched through my big tub filled with maps until I found this map.

I located Zadar, Croatia.....

See, there it is......

I line my trusty circle cutter up so Zadar is in the center....

...and I cut it out.

Here's the finished button....

....and the back of the button.

Each button gets packed in a cello bag to protect it.

I grab a padded mailing envelope, the other buttons and magnets that my customer ordered, one of my "thank you" business cards, a Portable Graffiti button, and a Zibbet button, to promote Zibbet.

Everything goes into the envelope and gets weighed...

I print out a Pay Pal mailing label and pay the postage on line.

I attach it to the envelope and it's ready to ship.

What place in the world would you like in your button?

Prefer a magnet or a mirror?

Just ask.

I make 4 sizes.

Visit Portable Graffiti on Zibbet.

June 12 Peace Rally Buttons

2010-12-04T07:18:00.001-08:00

June 12 Peace Rally Buttons, originally uploaded by Portable Graffiti.

These are buttons from my collection.

Portable Graffiti's Last Year at Shows

2010-12-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

It takes years to get a craft booth set up just the way you want it. Just found these photos taken in 1989 or 90, the last year we did shows with the buttons.

Now all Portable Graffiti buttons are sold on line at Zibbet.

Making Product Tags

2010-12-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

Need product tags?

Get them on Zibbet at Portable Graffiti Graphics.

Order 200 for 39.00 and get 25 FREE Zibbet Tags

Order 100 for 20.00

Order 50 for 10.00

Each circle is cut individually and holes are punched one by one.

Cute Rubber Duckies Found on Zibbet

2010-12-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a well-loved gift. I found this awesome bib set on Zibbet at Comfie Cozie Creations.

They came wrapped in pretty tissue and a cute thank you sticker. They are cotton on one side and terry on the other side. One has a pocket. They are made really well. And I am glad I purchased them.

Evolution of a Shop Banner

2010-12-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

I made the first 2 banners pictured here for Handmade Fuzzy, a shop on Zibbet.com

and she liked parts of one and parts of the other.

I combined what she liked into this banner.

But she wanted more of her hand knitting photo to show.

So I changed her banner to this:

Then tried it with a stylized background.

She wanted a script font, so I switched fonts and gave it a white highlight.

She liked this one.

But I still wasn't satisfied with the look,

and made one more banner.

This one:

And that's the one she picked.

You can see it in her shop at:

www.zibbet.com/handmadefuzzy

If you need a shop banner, business card designs, web ads or any kind of graphics,

I am happy to work with you.

Just visit

www.zibbet.com/portablegraffitigraphics

Hanging Out in the Zibbet Community

2010-11-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

I check the Zibbet Community Hub often throughout the day and evening. But I don't stay there long because I have work to do. I use the forum there but hardly ever do I look at the chat feature. Last night I did for some unknown reason. I met a new Zibbeter, made a new friend. We got talking about how broke we are. She needed a shop banner. And I made a trade. Victorian Spice has lots of neat treasures from yesterday for you to find today.

This is her new shop banner and avatar made by me, Portable Graffiti Graphics.

This will be my new grinder when it arrives. My mother used to have one like this.

There are plenty of treasures at Victorian Spice, so get over there and see what you find.

So Pretty for Baby Gift from Mimi & Colette

2010-11-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

This is my second purchases from Mimi and Colette. Her items always come beautifully wrapped with the tissue paper not taped so it can be reused. Pretty ribbon that goes will with the gift inside. I bought a large fabric gift bag for a baby shower present and a duck bib. Both the bag and the bib are reversible. She even sent me a free gift. I'm keeping the fabric bracelet for myself. In fact, I am wearing it now. It's really nice and you don't even know you are wearing it. Makes me want a bunch more of them. At Mimi & Colette you always find new and interesting things to buy....everything from shopping bags to pet supplies. Quality made products at affordable prices.

I also love how Mimi & Colette presented her business card, so it coordinates with the gift, which assures the person will include the card when they give the gift.

x' and o'x Came with this Zibbet Purchase

2010-11-21T05:44:00.000-08:00

I bought this cool gypsy bracelet for my daughter for christmas. I hardly ever buy her jewelry but for some reason this bracelet called out to me. The beads are from Morocco. It arrived wrapped in pretty rose tissue paper that wasn't taped, so I could open it, see it, and reuse the paper for wrapping it back up. I love the x's and o's ribbon. And I even got a free gift of pretty earrings. So now I have another gift to give someone. Check out From Me To You on Zibbet.

Shhhh don't tell the rats.

2010-11-21T05:34:00.000-08:00

I ordered these on Zibbet for a gift for The Purple Rat's rats. She has 4 rats, so I figured 2 per tent. You can find these and many other pretty pet tents at Laurel's Zoo on Zibbet.

Double the Luck

2010-11-21T05:26:00.000-08:00

I bought these lucky pennies on Zibbet. They will be my gift to my daughter's dog. Why two? Because I put a different phone number on each one. If the dog is lost, and the finder calls one number and gets no answer, there is still another number to call. I thought they were cute and would make fun dog jewelry. They came in a box with a ribbon ready for gifting.

A Peek into How I Make Business Cards

2010-11-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

When I get an order for a shop banner or a business card, oftentimes the customer pretty much leaves it up to me to design it for them. Without any vague idea as to what the customer wants sometimes I end up making up to 25 designs or more before my customer and myself are happy with the end results. I don't mind one bit. I want my customers to be 100% happy and I want to love the end result as well.

Currently I am working on a business card for JacBer Creations which is based in New Zealand and has a shop on Zibbet. Here is proof #1, proof #2 and proof #3. Her business card may end up like this or it may become something totally different. Stop back again to see how this business card by Portable Graffiti Graphics evolves.

Proof #1

Proof #2

Proof #3

UPDATE Proof #4 (per Nifty's Comments and another change I made)

UPDATE Proof #5: Just playing around.

Don't Forget Those Who Don't Use Computers

2010-11-15T17:14:00.000-08:00

I was just reading a nice post by Gypsy Goods and it reminded me of a favorite song of mine.

This was FuN ::: Quilts Made in a Tin Can

2010-11-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

I sold another banner on Zibbet. A sale is nice to get, yes, yeah, WOOT!, and all that hip hip hooray stuff. But besides the dollar factor it was the communication and friendly banter back and forth, the LOLs, that made this an especially fun Zibbet Shop Banner to do. The "communication" factor and the "making friends" factor is the best part of selling on line.

Now that this banner, avatar and business card is done, I can tell you that shopping with the Tin Can Quilter will be a pleasurable experience.

Stranger turned friend and I look forward to the Tin Can parking in my yard for a visit someday.

Check out the Tin Can Quilter to read how her shop was named and all about the "real tin can."

The Cupcake Cuppy: Enter to win an iPad!

2010-11-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

The Cupcake Cuppy: Enter to win an iPad!: "Zibbet, THE place to buy unique, handmade products from the maker, is currently having a HUGE promotion! Crafters and artists, if you sign..."

Update on Gypsy Goods Organic Coffee Filters

2010-11-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

If you haven't switched to fabric coffee filters yet, I urge you to get with the program. You don't want to throw all those coffee filters in the trash, do you? I hope not. Some are made of 100% paper, and can go in your compost pile. Do you have a compost pile?

Some paper filters have other weird unidentifiable things in them that your coffee has to seep through before you get to drink it. Yuck.

Beyond going "green" there is another reason to use fabric coffee filters. Saving Green....money. You will save an incredible amount of money when you no longer have to write coffee filters on your grocery shopping list.

They are so easy to use. They start out white. With each use they turn brown and browner, which is just the lovely coffee naturally dying the color of the fabric.

In this photo of my coffee filters, some of which I have been using for years, I have assessed each one. The results are that Gypsy Goods Organic Coffee Filters which you can find on Zibbet, are the best in every way. Get yours today and stop tossing filters and money in the garbage (or compost pile.)

Been Busy Making Shop Banners on Zibbet

2010-11-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

I made this shop banner and avatar for The Little Mommy shop on Zibbet.

What can I make for you?

I made this shop banner for La-De-Da Creations shop on Zibbet.

Indulge your inner hippie.

Paintings and Designs by Barb requested me to make this for her Zibbet shop.

If you'd like a shop banner, avatar, business card design or any kind of graphic design, I would love to work with you.

Stop in to Portable Graffiti Graphics to see more of my work.

Thanks,

Judy

Go Green with Gypsy Goods Organic Coffee Filters

2010-10-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

I was so happy to get my mail today, for more than one reason. Since my truck has been broken down for 3 weeks today I can only go to the post office when I can get a ride from a friend. But, today was extra nice to get to the post office and find a package from Gypsy Goods. Kathy sent me a sample of her newest product: Organic Cotton Coffee Filters. I'm going to be testing it out and reporting back here how well it works.

I was first introduced to using cotton coffee filters way back, when I lived on an organic communal farm in the Finger Lakes area of New York. That was in the 1980s. My initial reaction was something like aghast, asking what this brown raggy thing was in the kitchen. These white cotton coffee filters turn brown after much use. But it's just natural brown from the coffee. I try to buy organic coffee, but at the very least I look for the Fair Trade emblem to be sure those who pick those coffee beans for my morning wake-up beverage, are being paid fairly for the hard work they do.

My frist impression before I even opened the package was that this crafter really loves what she does. I could tell by the whimsical sticker she puts on the outside of the package. It made feel like she was really excited to be sending this to me.

On the inside I was greeted by more than I was expecting. Kathy sent the promised coffee filter, but addition sent sent me a soap scrap saver. I am the proud owner of an antique metal soap scrap saver, which is more for swishing around in the bath tub to make suds or the wash basin for washing your clothes. The soap saver made by Gypsy Goods looks like it will be perfect for hand washing and showers. I can't wait to try it out.

All of the packaging by Gypsy Goods is fun to read. Not only does she make the products, but she designs her own labels. Talented gypsy, she is....

Being such a big fan of Zibbet, I was pleased as could be to see that she had "ZIBBET" on her labels as well as the other venues she sells on. Go Zibbet!

I haven't tried these products yet, because they just arrived today, but so far I highly recommend you stop by Gypsy Goods and check out her products. Reasonably priced and easy to mail, they would make great eco-friendly gifts for the too-near holiday to come.

Eco-Friendly Purchase from Mimi & Colette

2010-10-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

I love this Swiffer cover I bought from Mimi & Colette. First, I want to make it clear that I have never used a Swiffer as they are sold with those disgusting-smelling chemical-soaked disposable things that you put on them. My sister bought me the Swiffer a long time ago, and it just sat with the broom and did not get used.

When I saw that people could now buy a reusable cotton cover for this cleaning gadget, I thought that was pretty cool. I ordered mine from Mimi & Colette on Zibbet.com. They come in all different colors, made from 100% Cotton. You can wash them over and over. Nothing to ever throw into the landfills. That makes me very happy.

Look how products from Mimi & Colette arrive in the mail...wrapped beautifully...so you can order from her shop and have the items mailed directly to the person who want to give a gift to. That saves a lot of postage costs, and you don't have to gift wrap it and go to the post office.

I LOVE how Mimi & Colette did not use tape on the tissue!!! Look at this, so neat! I can fold up that tissue and REUSE the paper and the ribbon.

And here's my reusable cotton Swiffer cover which she sent to me with a really nice personally hand written thank you card and a FREE GIFT!!! Mimi & Colette sent a wonderful cotton hand made wash cloth and I just LOVE the purple.

I HIGHLY recommend this Zibbet shop. So stop on by Mimi & Colette and see all the other wonderful items she makes.

Need Bags? Ole Bag Lady Has Them

2010-10-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with my friend Tami who lives in Missouri. I've never met Tami, in person, but she and I have been buying from each other's shops for many years. She's a hillbilly from the country. HER WORDS, not mine. : ) She has a great sense of humor and is a really kind and thoughtful person.

I've been using her bags for gifts for years. I love the concept, because they eliminate so much trash. The bags become treasured keepsakes, and the kids have favorites, that they love to get gifts in each year.

Tami's bags are so incredibly low-priced, that even I can afford to buy them. LOL And they are VERY WELL MADE.

It is very difficult to list items when you have very slow dial-up internet service. Due to the recent Importer, Tami now has her shop filled with all her amazing bags.

Here are her Halloween and Thanksgiving bags:

http://www.zibbet.com/olebaglady/section/halloween-thanksgiving

Christmas:

http://www.zibbet.com/olebaglady/section/christmas

and her Main Shop Page:

http://www.zibbet.com/olebaglady

She's working on her shop sections as I type this, so visit the main page and take a look. I personally guarantee you will love her bags and go back for more.

Thank You "Running Garlic"

2010-10-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

Check out this cool package I got in the mail. FREE!!! All the information about it is on Running Garlic's Blog.

She also has a very cool shop on Zibbet. So if you don't get lost reading her 2 awesome blogs, stop in and check out her Zibbet Shop.

My First Order From Mrs. Supply

2010-10-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Supply is a very popular shop on Zibbet. I placed one small order from Mrs. Supply and now I can see why she has so many sales. Look at the awesome packaging job she does. Talk about coordinated!!!

The ribbon is packaged so cool, all wrapped around a wooden clothes pin. I hate to even open it. I might hang it on my bulletin board just as it is. I ordered the tree ribbon, but look what Mrs. Supply sent....additional free ribbon on another clothes pin. Thank you so much Jennifer!

Holiday Recycling

2010-10-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

Look what I got in the mail today from a fellow Zibbeter. After I made a shop banner and business card for Nancy of Millions of Stitches , she asked me if I could use her old Christmas cards she had saved. I said, "sure, I'll make buttons out of them." They came in the mail yesterday. So far, I have made a Snowman Button Collection. Other collections to come.

Thank you Nancy.

October-Autumn-Cool Stuff on Zibbet

2010-10-10T13:16:00.001-07:00

Okay I wanna play this linky game too.

List any October-Halloween-Autumn-Fall ITEMS.
Have fun....think orange, brown, leaves, pumpkin pie......cookies baking...anything.
List as many items that you have that fit the theme.

Items should be on Zibbet,

Thanks,
Judy

Easily Import Your 1000Markets Items Into Zibbet!

2010-09-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Easily Import Your 1000Markets Items Into Zibbet!

Here at Zibbet we had mixed emotions when we heard about 1000Markets recent acquisition by Bonanza. 1000Markets was a great site, with a great concept and full of beautiful items. We were sad to hear that the site would be closed entirely on the 30th September. At the same time, we became excited to see lots of 1000Markets sellers flocking to Zibbet looking for a new home as very few want to make the transition to Bonanza, which to quote one seller "looks like a flea market", and is not a handmade only venue.

Zibbet To The Rescue!

The biggest frustration we've seen from 1000Markets sellers is that they have to both find a new place to sell AND spend hours and hours re-listing all their items and setting up their shop again. Well you'll be happy to hear that Zibbet is solving that problem for you! We've created a tool to quickly and easily copy all your 1000Markets listings onto Zibbet. All you need to do is go to www.zibbet.com/sell, sign up for either a Basic (25 item limit) or Premium (unlimited items) account and then enter your 1000Markets username in the field on the right. It's that easy!

Use coupon code 1000MSPECIAL for a FREE 30 day trial of our Premium Account. Cancel within the 30 days and you won't pay a cent!

All your items will be imported, including:

Item title
Main image
Description
Price and shipping charge
Tags
Quantity available

The only thing you need to do is categorize your item and upload any extra images for each item, which will be super fast with the ability to upload multiple images at once. Or you can list your item with only the main image, and go back and add extra images later.

Why Should You Sell At Zibbet?

Zibbet is a site on the move, which is gaining popularity amongst buyers and sellers fast! We are constantly developing the site and listening to users' wants. There's so many great upcoming features in the works, which you can read about on the Zibbet Blog
Our shops are beautiful and our Premium shops are very customizable: You can change colors, make your thumbnails bigger, add "widgets", have a choice of different sized banners plus so much more. Here's just a couple of examples of how great your shop can look: ChristianMarie andumeorigami
We have great selling and promotional tools and features, such as putting groups of items on sale, offering fully customizable coupons and gift certificates, plus so much more.
We have no listing fees and no sales fees. You keep all your profits!
We provide great and timely customer service and support.
Our community is friendly and thriving.

Make sure you spread the word and tell your fellow 1000Markets refugees about Zibbet's import tool and how easy and painless it is for you to set up shop here!

If you have any questions at all, contact support@zibbet.com. We look forward to having you with us on Zibbet. You'll love it here!

The Highwaymen - Highwayman

2010-09-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I found where the chickens are laying the eggs

2010-09-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

UP HERE on top of the roof of this shed.

And they land DOWN HERE as they roll off the slanted shed roof.

Zibbet's Re-Launch is Live!

2010-09-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

Copied from the blog of LOC Design.

Zibbet's Re-Launch is Live!

Earlier today, Zibbet CEO Jonathan Peacock announced the re-launch of Zibbet. Zibbet's re-launch brings a fantastic new look to the already fabulous venue which is dedicated to hosting online shops selling handmade, art, vintage and craft supply items.

In addition to a new look, Zibbet is also sporting a new blazing fast search engine. A really neat search option is the ability to search for shops with items in "sales mode" using the Items on Sale option. Search results can be sorted by listing order, price or discount level. Searches within one of Zibbet's four main categories, Handmade, Fine Art,Vintage or Supplies, produces a list of matching items sorted based on relevance to the search term. Search results can also be sorted by listing order or price.

Buyers can now use Zibbet's search engine to search within a particular shop. This is especially helpful in finding that "perfect item" in large shops with hundreds of items in inventory.

Other new features include a weekly Zibbet blog article titled "Fantastic Five" which spotlights five items that fit a particular theme from five different Zibbet shops. Zibbet's homepage shows a random display of nine items from Premium shops. This display is changed with each screen refresh and is a great way to browse. A Gift Guide search and a Zibbet's Hot Picks newlsetter are "in the works" and coming soon! You can sign up to receive the Hot Picks newsletter now so that you don't miss a single issue!

In celebration of the re-launch, Zibbet is offering the next 100 new Premium shops their first 60 days FREE! If you've been considering opening a shop on Zibbet or you're just getting started with your pursuit of online sales, now is the time to give Zibbet a try. After your first 60 days, the monthly fee goes to $9.95, which is a great value for the money. To see all of the great features available to Premium sellers visit Zibbet today! Enter coupon code 60FREE at sign up to receive your 60 days of free Premium benefits!

Be sure to try out the new search engine and browse the wonderful shops already selling on Zibbet!

Buy Handmade ~ Buy Handmade ~ Buy Handmade

Gotta Get a Zibbet Keychain

2010-08-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

I did an awesome trade with Scott, the owner of the Dusty Newt. I hope he likes the buttons I made for him as much I love this keychain.

I used to do the state fairs and I've seen many wooden name keychains before, so what I got in the mail today was not what I was expecting. The wooden name keychains at the fairs have ragged edges, and aren't sanded. When you order from the Dusty Newt on Zibbet, expect quality.

This key chain is glossy smooth, made extremely well!!

The metal key ring is large enough to stuff a mess of keys onto it. And get this! It comes with a lifetime guarantee. Seriously.

If you don't want an

I♥ZIBBET keychain......Scott makes any names or words you want. Check it out!

Another neat thing happened today. I went into an Army-Navy store to purchase a new can opener because the one I have is so worn out it won't cut butter. The only ones they had were the same kind I have. I was explaining to the clerk that I want the smaller ones, the real military issue can opener. But that was all he had. A young man in uniform heard the conversation and told me had one in his truck. He went out to get it and brought it back into the store. Took it off his keys and gave it to me. That made my day, too! I offered to pay for it, but he refused. I gave him one of my buttons with my web site on it and told him to stop by my shop and pick out a button, and just let me know he gave me the can opener, and I'll make him a button for free. I don't know if he ever will, but I hope he does.

You can see the new can opener n the first photo.

D-E-F Danielle-Earl-Fiona

2010-08-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

Danielle has passed us by, Earl, now a Cat 4, might just skim the US, but he keeps ducking lower. Fiona remains to be seen, but is also projected to curve north.

There's a cool blog giveway....

2010-08-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

......going on right now at Stitch ~n~ Studio.

The prize will be this awesome ORANGE bag and I hope I win because it is my 20-year old daughter's favorite color.

Anyone know how to repair a key?

2010-08-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

Was just heading out to the post office to ship orders and my key broke. The only key I have to my trusty Toyota truck. I am stranded.

Thank You Beads 'n' Bauble for your order

2010-08-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

Brooch 'n' Bauble on Zibbet ordered business cards from me.
You should check out her shop....cute whimsical brooches totally handmade in New Zealand.

Art Supplies Galore: Look what our neighbors gave us

2010-08-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

This should keep my daughter, The Purple Rat, busy painting for a while.
Neighbor contacted me and asked if she would like some more art supplies. We had bought some at their yard sale last year and then they have given us even more when the sale ended.

Yesterday they told us to come and get the rest of it.

WOW! A big wood easel, 1 portable metal easel, and small metal tabletop easel, a folding stool, piles and piles of canvases, paints, pastels, quality brushes, and more.

We moved it from the truck to the porch and snapped some photos before bringing it all into the house.

More Zibbet Sellers Have Joined the Back To School Sale

2010-08-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

All these Zibbet Shops are having Back-To-School Sales.

http://www.zibbet.com/PortableGraffiti

http://www.zibbet.com/peartreejewelry

http://www.zibbet.com/itsmythingdesigns

http://www.zibbet.com/lucysbeadstudio

http://www.zibbet.com/texaseagle

http://www.zibbet.com/DenimAndPearls

http://www.zibbet.com/LOCDesignStudio

http://www.zibbet.com/ariamy

http://www.zibbet.com/artemis53

http://www.zibbet.com/LaDyLaDuke

http://www.zibbet.com/mimiandcolette

http://www.zibbet.com/sewshine

http://www.zibbet.com/TesoroDelSol

http://www.zibbet.com/RoyAltis

http://www.zibbet.com/KaNom

http://www.zibbet.com/CaribbeanDreams

http://www.zibbet.com/geeklingdesigns

http://www.zibbet.com/JewelsSoSweet

http://www.zibbet.com/foxaz

http://www.zibbet.com/fiercehook

http://www.zibbet.com/JillysStuff

http://www.zibbet.com/PetitPoulailler

http://www.zibbet.com/milesoftextiles

http://www.zibbet.com/ThreeFrenchHens

http://www.zibbet.com/TheLittleChickenCoop

http://www.zibbet.com/AllAboutTheButtons

3rd Named Storm: Colin

2010-08-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

I don't think Colin is coming to Florida.

Might be time to mow the grass?

2010-08-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy with Zibbet because I love Zibbet and want to spend all my time there. Do you suppose I should spend some time mowing? The grass just kind of got out of hand.

Don't forget to bring an APPLE for the teacher

2010-08-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Back To School Sale at Zibbet Starts Today.

It was started by Wanitta.

Kids Need Zipper Pulls

Cool stars to hang up notes from the teacher and report cards.

PIck an apple for the teacher.

http://www.zibbet.com/peartreejewelry

http://www.zibbet.com/itsmythingdesigns

http://www.zibbet.com/lucysbeadstudio

http://www.zibbet.com/texaseagle

http://www.zibbet.com/DenimAndPearls

http://www.zibbet.com/LOCDesignStudio

http://www.zibbet.com/ariamy

http://www.zibbet.com/PortableGraffiti

Trip to the Post Office to Mail Button Orders

2010-07-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't left my property in so long there were spider webs running from the tree I park under to the side of my truck. No kidding. I took one spider for a ride all the way to the highway.

I was on "E" so it was great to arrive at the post office without running out of gas. Phew! Lucky day!

More luck - NO LINES!

But when I got in the truck, it wouldn't start. Totally dead. No click. No sound at all. So I went back in the post office and asked to use the phone. I called a friend of mine but no one answered. I attacked a few men in the parking lot who looked like they might know what jumper cables are and if they didn't look over 90. That eliminates most of the men here in Florida. No luck.

I was sitting in the parking lot for an hour or more. It felt like 3 hours. My iced tea was long gone, and it was getting mighty hot out there.

So I called my daughter and asked her if she could send one of her friends. She said she would. But then she put her BF on the phone with me and he said, "It won't start even when you push the starter button?"

I replied, "OMG, I love you!!!! I totally forgot about the starter button! I'm going to try it and I know it's going to start."

A friend of mine installed an alternate starter push button under my dash for when my truck won't start. It's quirky. It goes months where I have to use the push button, and then out of the blue, the key will work. The key has been working for a long time now, and I forgot about the push button.

This is the smart boyfriend who reminded me of the button under the dash of my truck. He also changes my oil and helps me keep it running good. Thanks DJ!

I knew it was going to start, so I put the hood down, put my stuff in the truck, got in, put my seta belt on, stuck the key in the ignition, reached under the dash, pushed the button, and it started right up. DUH! I could have driven away from the Post Office hours ago.

More Awesome Ways To Send Your Orders

2010-07-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is the second time I have ordered my dish cloths from All About the Buttons. What made me shop there again? The product is reasonably priced. The seller is very friendly. The service is fast. And of course the products come presented so nicely. She always sends a nice thank you card. The packaging is reusable.

Dish cloths and washcloths from All About the Buttons make an excellent gift.

And she will make them in any color you want.

Need a bigger gift?

Barbra also makes clocks, very unique clocks that would make an awesome gift for an anniversary, birthday, wedding gift, house warming.

My Zibbet Dish is the Perfect Size to Hold My Figs Until They Ripen

2010-07-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

I have a lovely fig tree I planted when I had the house built. It gives me a few handfuls of figs 2x a year. I have to be quick, though, and get them before the birds do. I am sure the birds get more than I do. That's okay because I like birds.

If you need a little dish to set by your computer to ripen your figs or hold your blackberries or M&Ms, I'll tell where you I bought mine:

Wildfire Pottery Pottery on Zibbet.

2nd Named Storm for 2010 - Bonnie

2010-07-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

How To Package An Order To Get a WOW From Your Customer

2010-07-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

I get my mail at the post office and when I find a key in it, that means I have a package in one of the lockers. I was delighted to open the locker and see this pretty hand painted box covered in sparkling glitter and decorated with hand drawn stickers. It was from Sea Willow Herbs on Zibbet.

The box is decorated on all sides and I hope the glittery paint shows up in the photos. I took photos of all sides of the package.

Sweet huh? A lot of work into that packaging job.

THen I opened it, carefully, and it was just as pretty inside with blur tissue paper, that I can reuse. I love packaging I can reuse.

Under the pretty tissue paper my order was safely tucked inside a bubble wrap envelope that I can also reuse, 2 business cards that match everything perfectly, and handmade, hand painted thank you card.

Inside the bubble wrap bag was this. Three lip balms with hand painted tags and matching fluffy ribbons, presented in a way that they make a nice gift for someone. Three lip balms could be just stuck in a padded envelope and dropped in the mail. But if it was done like that, then it wouldn't get a "WOW!"

So if you're looking for an affordable gift and you want it sent directly to your friend, mother, great aunt, godmother or a nice teenager you know, you now know how your gift will arrive if you order anything from Sea Willow Herbs on Zibbet.

Sea Willow Herbs products are made with only 100% Organic ingredients and she even gathers the herbs herself by wildcrafting in a sustainable way.

Featured Zibbeter - OleBagLady

2010-07-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

Featured Zibbeter - OleBagLady

Featured Zibbeter - ThePurpleRat

2010-07-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Featured Zibbeter - ThePurpleRat

Proud Mama

Welcome to the Chicken Swap

2010-07-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Chicken Swap

Featured Zibbeter - SewShine

2010-06-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Featured Zibbeter - SewShine

First Named Storm of the Season: Alex

2010-06-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Let's hope Alex doesn't cause havoc with the oil mess.

Some days just don't go as planned...

2010-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

My day was well outlined on a legal pad yesterday and that day went as planned but today I have nothing crossed off my extensive list. I got a message from a local woman about a little 7 year old boy who suddenly died just a few days ago and the family has no money or insurance to cover his burial.

She wanted to know if I would make some buttons to donate. Of course, I said yes.

Featured Zibbeter - LadyLaDuke

2010-06-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Featured Zibbeter - LadyLaDuke

Wow, they're NOT just a delicious addition to salad!

2010-06-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5 Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6.. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

GET YOUR CUCUMBER BUTTON

Always a fun day when packages arrive

2010-06-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

I was perusing the Zibbet Community the other day and saw this bookmark posed on the cover of Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral.

It caught my eye because this is one of the books on my very long list I want to read. I've been trading books on paperbackswap since 2006. I have mailed out 208 books and received 187 books.

I commented where the photo was posted and said that I should get that bookmark for reading that book. I went to her shop "All About the Buttons" to buy the bookmark, but got distracted by all the other wonderful things in her shop. I decided what I really needed was dish cloths. She makes some really nice 100% cotton ones. I ordered the dish cloths instead and told her I needed those more than a bookmark because I generally just use a piece of paper, the slip that comes with the paperbackswap books.

I took Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral off the bookcase. Okay not "the" bookshelf, but "one of" the bookcases. (More confessions: I have 8 bookcases in this house crammed with books.)

I brought the book to the "reading room" and began reading. When I stopped, I realized there was no paper slip in the book so I used the other kind of paper found in the "reading room."

When I opened up the package from All About the Buttons, not only did I find the exquisite dish cloths, but a wonderful surprise was also enclosed.....a bookmark.....

.....with a cute little card that said, "Enjoy! Slips of paper doesn't cut it! Barbra" Wasn't that sweet?

All About the Buttons makes all kinds of things from clocks to cozies and everything has buttons on it. If you need some nice gifts to have on hand, wouldn't these wash cloths make a a pretty package. Look how nice she presents them,

My Prize Arrived

2010-06-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Isn't this the most beautiful quilt ever? I love it. I won this quilt on Tootsy Two's Blog. She had a contest and I'm the winner.

I had Scuffy test it out and he says it's perfect. (Scuffy is my bear from when I was a little tike.) Okay I'll admit it, he was my teddy bear even longer than that. I took him with me on my honeymoon and quite a few other places as well. Now he sits on the shelf because he's too fragile to sleep with.

I have decide that this quilt is too special to use right now, so it's going in the cedar chest and will be given to my first granddaughter.

You can buy your own Tootsy Two quilts on Zibbet.

Tag! You’re it!

2010-06-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tag! You’re it!

The Blog of Portable Graffiti

Have not been Blogging - But I have been Pinning

Fantastic Five: Warm Up with a ‘Cuppa Tea’

A Great Reason to Blog

My reply to anyone who says they have no sales.

Organic Cotton Tea Bags by Gypsy Goods on Zibbet

Well hello blog

Best Garbage Can I ever had

Tiflo Gifts and More TM: Weekend Artist (TM) - Judy Youngquest

Featured Zibbeter - BungleBands

The Importance of Your Shop Banner

Forever Free Basic Shop on Zibbet

16th July, 2011

Artfire is Removing Their Free, Basic Accounts From Their Site - What Does Zibbet Think About That?

Fantastic Five: Summer Vacation

Zibbet Front Pages

IndieSmiles.com » Blog Archive » Monthly Marketing – July

Fantastic Five: Pillow Fight

December Girl: 31 + 1 Good Reasons Why Every Artisan Should Sell ...

BreitWerk Buzz: Give A-Way!!!

Fantastic Five: Trees Are Cool

My First Grandchild Sporting Her New Hair Accessories From Zibbet

Fun with a PIF

Testing the Un-Paper Towel Coming Soon from Gypsy Goods

More Fabulous PIFs

Have You Been Playing the PIF Game on Zibbet's Community Hub?

"One hand washes the other." (and you dry them with a towel)

Featured Zibbeter - StimplesAndStrummels

Fantastic Five: Fill the Easter Baskets

Fantastic Five: Sugar & Spice

Featured Zibbeter - MadeOnFifthStreet

Fantastic Five: The New Baby Boom

My Daughter Unicycling with UF Juggling Club

Fantastic Five - Hugs from Zibbet to Japan

Unicycle Polo

Fantastic Five: Skin It & Stash It

Featured Zibbeter - HandmadeFuzzy

Eat Organic- So True - Watch It

So much yarn, so little time.: OOOH look what came through the letterbox!

Fantastic Five: Skin It & Stash It

So much yarn, so little time.: What if Etsy was a grocery store...

The Making of a Map Button

June 12 Peace Rally Buttons

Portable Graffiti's Last Year at Shows

Making Product Tags

Cute Rubber Duckies Found on Zibbet

Evolution of a Shop Banner

Hanging Out in the Zibbet Community

So Pretty for Baby Gift from Mimi & Colette

x' and o'x Came with this Zibbet Purchase

Shhhh don't tell the rats.

Double the Luck

A Peek into How I Make Business Cards

Don't Forget Those Who Don't Use Computers

This was FuN ::: Quilts Made in a Tin Can

The Cupcake Cuppy: Enter to win an iPad!

Update on Gypsy Goods Organic Coffee Filters

Been Busy Making Shop Banners on Zibbet

Go Green with Gypsy Goods Organic Coffee Filters

Eco-Friendly Purchase from Mimi & Colette

Need Bags? Ole Bag Lady Has Them

Thank You "Running Garlic"

My First Order From Mrs. Supply

Holiday Recycling

October-Autumn-Cool Stuff on Zibbet

Easily Import Your 1000Markets Items Into Zibbet!

Easily Import Your 1000Markets Items Into Zibbet!

Zibbet To The Rescue!

Why Should You Sell At Zibbet?

The Highwaymen - Highwayman

I found where the chickens are laying the eggs

Zibbet's Re-Launch is Live!

Copied from the blog of LOC Design.Zibbet's Re-Launch is Live!

Gotta Get a Zibbet Keychain

I♥ZIBBET keychain......Scott makes any names or words you want. Check it out!

D-E-F Danielle-Earl-Fiona

There's a cool blog giveway....

Anyone know how to repair a key?

Thank You Beads 'n' Bauble for your order

Art Supplies Galore: Look what our neighbors gave us

Copied from the blog of LOC Design.

Zibbet's Re-Launch is Live!