and the design challenge is on... baby, it's COLD outside!

FINALLY! the design challenge voting is up! we had a HUGE response to this month's challenge which has been so fantastic!!!!

we had to change the way we post the items here on the blog this time around - with almost 40 entries it was too hard to post each image here. so, we ask that everyone use the search tag "TRADEFEBRUARY11" on etsy to see all the complete listings. the participating shops are as follows:

abespoketouch

amadorasbathcreation

amandajphotos

awhimofmine

blancheb

carlasinspirations

charlenefreemanart

divinebeautification

drmhas2

handymaiden

harvestmoonbyhand

ladyjayd

lindsaywhimsiestutu

love2embellish

magymai711

marciamenendez

melanieganson

mindybanta

ontherocksgems

piggytailsboutique

preciouselaine

raspberryswirl181

rayvenwoodmanor

retrobabs

rockpilewest

rubyreddragon

salutationscrochet

sandijagt

seaflowerstudios

seasandseasons

solcreator

solideogloriasdg

sparklegarden

suzannedesigns

the3maries

vixensnaturaljewelry

wedunitjewels

willowfolk

yarngraphics

yellowee

thank you for abespoketouch for the lovely graphic here with the entries! GORGEOUS!

we are looking at other options for next time's challenge in regards to posting the entries here on the blog - the wonderful amandaj suggested that we make treasuries and post the widget here - wicked! - so we will most likely do that next time around. sorry it took so long to post - and thank you to all the entrants for putting up with all my convos!

VOTE away! you have till the 28th to vote - so go NOW!

xoxoxoox muffin

happy holidays! and we heart firstlightglass!

seriously, i owe firstlightglass a HUGE apology. not only have i slacked on writing up this feature since she was crowned the hands-down winner of october's design challenge, but because she and i have NEVER traded. her shop is GORGEOUS. and having worked alongside several lampworkers/fused glass artists, i know how much work goes into what she does!

mama by day, glass artist by night (or whenever she can squeeze it in), Dawn makes gorgeous dichroic fused glass pendants, fused glass artworks such as candle holders and fabulous plates and nightlights - and my favorites - slumped glass bottle spoonrests and cheese boards! she has a wonderful sense of color and design which is reflected in the photographs of her work in her etsy shop. with a background in architecture, fine art and city planning, Dawn definitely redefines "renaissance woman".

working from her home studio in jacksonville, FLA, Dawn continues to make awesome creations that delight all of us tradeaholics! thank you, Dawn, for sharing your amazing work with us!!!

now, the details for february's design challenge! Dawn has chosen the theme "It's COLD Outside!" as inspiration this time around.

the rules are simple:

- entries will be accepted until february 17th, 2011.

- only one entry per shop

- all entries MUST be handmade and listed for sale/trade in your Etsy shop. (no supplies or destash please!)

- all entries must reflect in some way the current theme "it's cold outside!"

- tag your item with this month's challenge tag "tradefebruary11" so that people can find your item!

- starting on february 10th, CONVO muffintopdesigns with a photo of your entry (it's easier to post on blogspot that way - plus it keeps me better organized)

Feel free to promote the challenge - and yourself! - via facebook, twitter, etsy, your blog or hot air balloon! the voting will start on february 19th and go till the 26th!

thanks to you all - especially firstlightglass! - for being so awesome! happy holidays and as always - TRADE ON!

xoxoox muffin & raevyn

a spooky halloween... and the challenge is ON!

hiddengatedesigns

sweetpb

mjowest

i am so sorry about being late in posting this awesome design challenge... but it is definitely worth the wait! please vote on the sidebar - and spread the word about the voting! we'd love to get as many as we can! the poll will be closed on the 29th - just in time for halloween - so get voting! (if you did send me an entry before the deadline and i have forgotten to include it in this post, please convo me ASAP and i'll add you to this post! (i won't be able to add new people to the poll however, sorry!))

cortsthings

darlingdilemma



feltedkitten



firstlightglass




lizziebeesthings

lostsentiments

love2embellish

monkeytreecreations

thebackyardbear

yellowee

October's Design Challenge!

we cannot believe that it is OCTOBER already! where did the summer go? and it's time for another design challenge! the winner of the last challenge - the lovely rayvenwoodmanor - has chosen "a spooky hallowe'en" as this month's inspiration!

entries will be accepted from now until the 17th of october. the rules are simple:

- only one entry per shop

- the item must be a handmade item, listed on etsy, and made by you (no supplies or destash, please)

- the item must somehow reflect the theme "a spooky hallowe'en"!

- tag your item with this month's challenge tag - "tradeoctober10"

- convo muffintopdesigns via etsy with a photo of your item (so that it's easier to post on the blog during voting!)

feel free to promote the challenge - and yourself, if you enter! - via twitter, facebook, on the etsy forums, and/or on your blog! the voting will start on october 18th and go till october 25th here on the blog and the winner will be announced on october 26th - just in time for HALLOWE'EN!!!!

so dust off your witch's hat and your broom and get creating! (thank you again, rayvenwoodmanor! and thank you, readingbunky for the photo of your awesome shirt!)

rayvenwoodmanor wins again... and our hallowe'en design challenge!

as you probably figured out by now, the lovely rayvenwoodmanor swept our design challenge voting and is the winner!!! congratulations - seriously, that lovely boutonniere certainly deserved every vote!

in the spirit of all things haunted and ghostly, our lovely winner has chosen "a spooky hallowe'en" as the next challenge! so put your creative hat on and get thinking... more details on how to enter to follow ASAP!

thanks again to everyone who entered!

team treasuries! go team TRADEAHOLICS!

We have a new forum thread on ning. It is for team treasuries!! A few members have pointed out that we should be using the treasuries to promote our team - get team members sales and maybe on the front page! So we are encouraging members to go out and make treasuries featuring team members. We have a very large team (858 members), and if we view, click and comment on each others team treasuries it could go a long way towards promoting and getting sales!! So we started a forum to post treasuries that you make featuring team members. http://tradeaholics.ning.com/forum/topics/team-treasuries Even if you don't make a treasury, please take a look at the thread and go to the treasuries that other members post. It only takes a small amount of time, and it is so helpful. Click and comment!!

(treasury courtesy of the lovely huggermugger!)

TIME TO VOTE! August's TradeAHolics' Design Challenge

so, without further ado, here are your design challenge submissions for this month's theme - "a diamond in the rough"! please take the time to check out the talents of your fellow tradeaholics' (you can click on the links underneath each photo to see the full listing) and VOTE for your favorite on the sidebar! you have till august 25th to vote, at which time, the winner will be announced! thank you to all the shops that entered... we LOVE seeing what inspires you!

stopher

ravyenwoodmanor

mycellardoor

muffintopdesigns

cookiesforsale

feel free to blog, tweet, facebook this challenge - the more votes, the better!