Showing posts with label uncorked. Show all posts
Showing posts with label uncorked. Show all posts

New Wine Cork Earrings in Uncorked and a special coupon code





I made some wine cork button earrings for a special bride's special day and a few more for my shop Uncorked.

10% off any Uncorked purchase thru 3/23 with the coupon code BRISTOL (the bride's name - no, not that Bristol) - have an amazing weekend everyone! xo

Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend Special - Wednesday thru Monday!

To thank all my wonderful customers and kick off the holiday season I am having a special in both my Etsy shops!

Holiday Weekend Special -

Order any Polarity locket from Wednesday, November 25th thru Monday, November 30th and receive a free lid set for the holiday season!

Leave a message in the comments to seller section of your order letting me know if you would like the Christmas or Hanukkah lid set!

Order any Uncorked necklace and receive a free wood holder for your test tube!




(but if you are one of those Black Friday die hards who needs to head to your local mall to get in the spirit- here's a little tip to make the day go faster.

When you drive to the mall, instead of wasting your time looking for a parking spot -drive right up to the mall entrance and when you see people coming out with an armload of gifts yell, "Hey! Would you like a ride to your car?" - this could prevent the endless circling looking for an empty spot.

Or if you are really pressed for time when they put their gifts in your car, you can just drive off without them. Shopping done.)

YUP ... It's Me ETSY FEATURED SELLER 9/9/9!



Even though I submitted this picture of me looking a little like a giddy, red headed chipmunk

(not that I have a problem with red-headed chipmunks, but I swear my hair is not red and my teeth not quite so ... chicletty ... and giddy not a word usually associated with me)

and I do ramble on about turtles (no clue what I was thinking with this) and blanked on all my favorite books and music for the interview -

I AM FLIPPIN' OUT and have wanted to post about this since my post on keeping secrets weeks ago!

So.. I will let you know how this goes - maybe cork will save the world and get us all healthcare or maybe you will just be stuck with my kisser up there for 48 hours- which is about my usual expiration date for people so this should be ok ....

My Scoutie Girl Giveaway

Check out my interview and giveaway on the absolutely amazing Scoutie Girl blog.

Jan said some really nice things about me-

"Cat Ivins is a very 'cool cat' (shucks!)- her originality & commitment to her ideas, techniques and materials rocks in every which way. she is currently focused on two materials in her work: sustainable cork and recycled steel. using these materials in conjunction with gorgeous artwork and other repurposed items, like barnwood & galvanized steel, she creates ingenius cork pendants, magnetic lockets, earrings, bulletin/magnet boards, pushpins and so much more. when i see an artist who pushes boundaries like this in such simple yet unconventional ways - and do it so well - i can barely stand it! progressive artists like Cat are such an asset to the modern art movement of their/our time. in her words: "I seek to use repurposed, recycled and sustainable materials in new, unique and beautiful ways leaving the lightest possible footprint in my wake." that's passion baby!"

*yes, Jan, your check is in the mail*

Actually I have hung this in my studio to remind my family I am one cool Cat!

This giveaway is double-trouble and includes my favorite GIDDYUP seahorse cork necklace by Uncorked and a TinyArtbyJMullin Locket from my Polarity artist series featuring the gorgeous collage work of Jennifer Mullin. The contest runs through July 5th so drop your barbecue mitts and get yourself entered!

If something HAD to crash...

So, I arrived home from my great Oregon adventure two nights ago. After some hugs and "missed ya's" and hints of parties that I just don't want to even know about I was finally able to sneak away from my family and head to my studio

(aka the room that used to be called the garage)

which felt oddly quiet with the computer screen blank and I felt oddly disconnected after only 4 days away (more proof that this room is starting to feel alot more like WORK and alot less like fun these days).

I pushed the start-up button on my Gateway and waited to reconnect with the world... and ... NOTHING happened... before I had time to analyze the situation (ie PANIC) hubby caught up with me (it was after midnight) and demanded (ie pleaded) for me to go to bed with him -

(totally NOT what you are thinking)

he confessed that he had tossed and turned all night without me (I did NOT confess that I had slept like a rock without him), so I went off to bed convincing myself that pup Olive had pulled a plug and that my life was not about to implode.

(how long ago HAD I backed anything up, anyway?)

Fast forward about 7 hours and $70.00 later and I am on the phone with a Gateway tech named Tommy.

Now, in the normal, real world I would NOT be taking advice from anyone who called himself Tommy- well, not since 6th grade anyway and would likely be trying to get past Tommy to a Tom or a Thomas or a Thomasina but in the techie world the people named Tommy and Billy and Jimmy are king and I am immediately convinced that he knows what he is doing.

(Note- I never trust anyone over 30 with my computer and drive my hubby crazy when I ignore his advice for that of my 12 year old neighbor Lucy)

Dead motherboard (really bad), maybe dead harddrive (really, really bad), since all of Tommy's diagnoses (is that a word?) involve the world "dead" as in NOT COMING BACK TO LIFE - this is all very bad news.

I wish I could wrap this up with a happy ending, but right now I am still in the middle of "the crash" and using a VERY old computer and my laptop in some strange combination with each other that has me tripping over cords and attempting some leftie mouse maneuvers AND doing really fast research on a new system. Luckily, I do have ALOT backed up on my external- unluckily I do NOT have everything backed up.

Looking at the bright side of all of this-

(yes, I am a very Pollyanna type personality who always looks on the bright side in case you hadn't noticed this about me before)

at least this crash didn't involve the airplane I was on the other day because to be honest with you I never listen to those crash procedures and would be looking around for a 12 year old to tell me what to do- they always seem to be paying attention ....





Me meeting my new little mini me in Oregon pre-crash (Elise daughter of ButtonEnvy's Miranda)






Some Etsy crash survival gear:



1. Lost by YaelFran
2. Crash Pin By Hariette Estelle Berman
3. CrashTest Dummy Shirt by DesignedThreads
4. Crash and Burn Notecard by GramkinPaperStudio
5. Crashing Waves Pendant by Chickory
6. Laptop Vinyl by Vinylville

Minding Their Manor

Just a few days until my great solo Oregon adventure- heading to Portland to visit my sister and her family including my new little niece (whose cute little pics show a remarkable resemblance to her Aunt Cat, if I do say so myself). My family is staying put in New Jersey, so I am on my own for this one.

(drops mouse to happy dance around the room)

I have been thinking about proper houseguest etiquette and googled some rules so I don't make a pest of myself.

(not that this is even remotely possible... we are family, right?)

1. Share your itinerary - let your hosts know if you have other plans - easy one to follow since I have no itinerary and no plans. BUT I don't want to be one of those, "I don't know... you choose" kind of guests so I need to come up with something... and it has to be something that can be done in the rain... because this IS Portland we're talking about here...

2. Bring a gift / leave a note - this is an easy one since gifts for the kiddies, especially my new little mini-me, are easy peasy and I know any 4 month old would be pleased as punch to wear (ie gnaw on) a cork necklace, right?

3. Buy a meal - well, I guess if my sister is going to cart me around for 4 days, she can at least get a hot meal out of it, or a warm meal or at least a cold Dr. Pepper - let's see where she takes me ....

4. Never use the soap/razor/washcloth/loofah that's in the shower - that would be gross AND rude (shampoo and toothpaste are possible sharesies though). Also carry your toiletries to and from the bathroom- nothing says "Diva" like a complete bathroom sink takeover. And don't drape damp towels over the antique highboy (not that my sister has an antique highboy, but she HAS been buying alot of stuff lately at garage sales and off Craig's List so I have to be careful).

5. Make your bed- now I have to admit that most days hubby makes the bed around here (most days he also sleeps WAY later than I do) and making is really just kind of straightening so this is also a no-brainer and strip (the bed, that is) before leaving on that final morning.

6. No noisy sex - well, since I am traveling alone this would be a little hard to do and a little sad if I attempted it, but if you are traveling with Mr. Right or Mr. Wrong it is still a no-no in my book.

(and by MY BOOK I mean the etiquette book I am now thinking I should be writing since I am really, really good at this stuff)

So, what else am I missing, does anyone have any other good houseguest tips to share?



1. Sherry Truitt - Custom Destination Vintage Map Necklace (super houseguest gift I think)
2. GetReadySetGo - Upcycled Luggage (except this little elephant bag is mine - get your own)
3. JJill - Dress (I have this in every color they offer and it is perfection- it can be worn over tights, jeans or as a dress- total versatility with this one)
4. NectarJewelry- one of her new Polymer Pendants, total awesomeness
5. StrikeBooks - Pink Paper Journal - nothing screams 'my sister' like pink, believe me
6. SpaGoddess - Travel Size Scrubs - pure bliss in little jars

Fantabulous Mother's Day Giveaway

Mother's Day (the one day a year we moms get to put our feet up and be waited on hand and foot by hubbies and little munchkins - this is far more important than candy or flowers because it is all about the appreciation!) is fast approaching.

My mom passed away 13 years ago and really not a single day goes by that I don't miss her and remember some nutty thing she did or said that still makes me smile - she was a bit of a wiseguy and not a girlie girl in any possible way, but in honor of Mother's Day I am giving away something that my mom (and girlie girl moms) would love.

WHAT YOU GET:

You get a gorgeous 15"X15" hanging jewelry organizer! This one is a brand new fabric pattern that I am just loving and made of repurposed pine. It makes the perfect place to hang your jewelry, notes and little what-nots and you AND your mom will just love it.



HOW TO WIN:

Leave a comment about the favorite Mother's Day gift you either received or gave OR check out either of my shops and let me know of a favorite or least favorite item or something that you would like to see me offer - Uncorked Shop or Polarity Shop

For some big time additional entries:

(10) Blog about this contest, linking to this post
(10) Twitter this post
(10) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries.

DRAWING:

5PM EST on Mother's Day, May 10th!



FREE UPGRADE to priority shipping on any U.S. jewelry order in either of my shops this weekend - just note UPGRADE SHIPPING in the comments to seller section of your order

3 Things for Earth Day

I have always been a bit of an Earth Day skeptic. Being environmentally focused for 24 hours and then rushing back into our modern, fast-paced, disposal lives seems as fake as those 'green products' that keep popping up and are anything but.

Earth Day does, though, give us an actual date on the calendar to renew our commitment to saving this planet's amazing beauty and diversity for our children and for their children and it does help us to get focused.

Each year we try to commit to 3 new practices (last year we switched to compact fluorescent bulbs, gave up paper towels, paper and plastic bags -and take out containers- when shopping and started composting kitchen scraps more consistently).

This year our 3 new commitments are : 1. Reduce our garbage to 1 bag a week (with a family and two businesses we are continually challenged with this) 2. Send one letter each month to a politician -local, state or federal- concerning an environmental issue (this will also challenge us to be aware of these issues) and 3. grow more of our own fruits and vegetables and can them for colder seasons (I have never done anything even remotely like canning - no idea why this is even called canning when we use glass - we do use glass, right?), so this will be my biggest challenge yet. Hopefully I can do this without putting anyone in the hospital, or at least anyone I like in the hospital.

To celebrate Earth Day I am offering free shipping on any jewelry order in both my shops- Uncorked and Polarity through Friday midnight. Just write Earth Day in the comments to seller section of your order and I will refund your shipping!

1. Artwork by KD - Flower Ring
2. Pouch - Recycled Brooch
3. 2ReVert - Earrings
4. Infusion - Toddler Slippers
5. zJayne - Recycled Wristlet
6. Knitstorm - Tea Cup Cozy

counting down ....

UGH, It is almost April 15th- there I have said it out loud!

My hubby and I each have a business and neither has an accountant so even though Quickbooks and Turbo Tax make it alot easier than it used to be, it is still a stressful few days (also because we procrastinate it until those last few days and hours and minutes).

Actually, most of the stress in my life has come through my incredible ability to procrastinate - this is almost a lost art in these hectic times and I pride myself on being a bit of a master.

I am offering 15% off in both my Etsy shops Uncorked and Polarity - now through April 15th- just note April 15th or Tax Day or some such something or other in the comments to seller section and wait for a quick refund!

Now let's just take a deep breath and relax ........................................

1. crystalindumentaria - yoga top
2. aprilhl - peace wall art
3. mountainmamaskitchen - yoga in a can
4. allthosethrees - traveling soul necklace
5. irenesuchoki - simplexity
6. hypnotransformations - relaxation hypnosis
7. uncorked - just breathe bracelet

All Sewed Up

As a closet embroiderer and avid collager I have an intense attraction to the wonderful textile collages we call quilts. Symbolic of warmth, protection (quilts were even worn under armor during the crusades) and a sense of community (particularly female) and family history - quilts in all their classic and modern manipulations can stop me in my tracks (I have been known to go into a kind of quilt-trance which sometimes prevents my bed from getting made).

I recently stumbled upon a modern quilter who reassembles everyday snapshots as refracted fabric visions. Luke Haynes works from photographs and disassembles, digests, and reconstructs images as progressive cloth murals. I think they are pretty cool.





More Cool Etsy Goodies
1. Space Spores in Search ... - sillyboodilly
2. Rooster Quilt - mariannemccann
3. Sew On Recycled Locket - polarity
4. Quilted Coasters - btaylorquilts
5. Space Spores in Search - sillyboodilly
6. Soft Patchwork Pillow Ring - raeburnink
7. Not Afraid of Needles - uncorked
8. In The Beginning - hudsonquilts
9. Nest Colorblock - littlelegwarmers

hiring (?) MODELS

Well, I didn't exactly "hire" them, unless you count the pizza I have promised, but haven't delivered on yet (after all models can't actually eat pizza, right?). At the urging of Noelle, of Xenotees, to get some 'models' in my pics I "hired" these two pretty (and familiar) faces- what cha' think?



This Week's New UNCORKED Listings

This week's new items in my Uncorked Etsy shop which offer free shipping through next weekend are my EQUESTRIAN RIDER piece 'heels down' - which is dedicated to all the girls out there who got their horses and those of us who didn't (remember when we really, really wanted a horse!) and my FOXY piece which is dedicated to all those Foxy mamas out there and wannabe Foxy mamas. I am thinking the FOX is about to be the next big thing! Both are now available in my Uncorked shop with free shipping.

PUCKER UP People


I happen to know that REAL men wear cork and REAL women love to wear little recycled auto parts. How do I know this you ask? Well, let's just say a little naked guy with an arrow told me.

Paper or Plastic = A Gift from zJayne

I was having a bad week, a very bad week (I realize that bad is a relative thing and you are going to have to trust me on this, but it was a bad week). So, this morning I am eating my breakfast, thinking about my bad week and realizing that I had memorized the back of this cereal box already (this was not what made my week bad, but it is a sad day when you realize something like this) and thinking I need to start buying a new kind of cereal when the doorbell rang and my mailman, as is his custom when I have a package, tossed my mail onto my porch which caused Olive (the biter) to jump off the arm of the chair where she likes to spend her mornings dangling over the heater, and bark.This got me moving (and away from my raisin bran) and I was SO excited to find a gift from my Etsy buddy Jane Pierce (aka zJayne) on my front porch. Jane is an amazing Ohio artist who creates beautiful art with meaning. She salvages found objects, once loved jewels and other treasures into one of a kind defining images that make a difference to the people who are fortunate enough to experience them. She is also the famous 'T-Shirt Market Bag' maker on Etsy. When I had admired her Red Cross market bag (made from a t-shirt) she gifted it to me along with an amazing and adorable bird wristlet bag (made from a t-shirt sleeve). Jane reminds us that the answer to paper or plastic is neither and that it takes as much petroleum to make 14 plastic bags as it does to drive a car one mile. Her bags are so sturdy and well-made, roomy and amazing (and cheap!) that everyone sincerely needs to own a few! Check out zJayne's amazing Etsy and 1000markets shops. Thanks Jane - I have already used your amazing bag to stock up on some new cereals! It is never leaving my car.

Social Responsibility for Java Lovers this V-Day


More than 150 million people in the U.S. drink at least 1 cup of coffee a day. This represents a huge opportunity to have an environmental impact. If you are a coffee drinker- what can you do? 1. Make your own coffee at home - keep that throwaway cup out of the landfill, save the energy that we call money that is in your wallet and have some control over where the coffee you are purchasing with that energy and putting into your body comes from - buy beans with the rainforest alliance seal of approval and avoid supermarket brands with poor environmental records. 2. If you are an addict of Starbucks or your local coffee shop - don't forget your travel mug! And learn more about the business practices of the places you patronize. Is Dunkin Donuts still using styrofoam coffee cups and Nestle genetically engineered coffee beans?

How to Make Amazing CORK Christmas Tree Ornaments

While you are getting merry this season with your favorite bottles of red and white - start saving your wine corks (you may already have a nice little collection) and turn them into amazingly awesome Christmas tree ornaments. Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree. Most cork is grown in managed forests, primarily in Portugal and Spain, where the cork is carefully harvested in a centuries-old tradition using hand tools and without pesticides or fertilizers ensuring the trees will remain undamaged. So remember to support this amazing industry by buying your wine with cork stoppers!

To make these little beauties you will need:

Corks, Buttons, Glue, Pleather Cording, Eyehooks, Slip Rings and Some Cute Little Christmasy Things to Hang From Your Corks

1. Start with a button that is about the size of your cork or a bit larger and thread it with a strand of pleather from the bottom up
2. Stack on a few more buttons and tie it off. Give your pleather a few more inches for hanging and trim.
3. Using a pair of sharp little scissors dig a little hole in the top of your cork so your bottom button sits flat
4. Glue the button to the cork and let this set
5. Twist an eyehook into the bottom of your cork and add a slip ring
6. Now you are ready to add any cute little Christmasy things you can think of to dangle from your corks

REwrapping this year - Boxes and Bows

Go green instead of spending green this year!

You will need: Scrap paper (a colorful magazine page looks great), cardboard packaging (here I am using a dog food box), scissors, stapler, twine, paper cutter (or ruler), glue

1. To make the bow cut several strips of paper down to 8.5" X .75" and one piece to 4" X .75
2. Loop each strip ends back into the center and staple
3. Staple all your looped pieces together at 90 degree angles and top off with the 4" piece looped and stacked on top
4. Flatten out your cardboard packaging
5. Find the glued side and carefully separate the cardboard to open the packaging
6. Turn the box inside out and reglue it back together (or tape it if you are going to cover the box)
7. Telephone book pages run through a paper shredder make a great replacement for tissue paper
8. You can now decorate your box to your own style- or keep it simple with some twine and your recycled bow!

Black Friday thru Cyber Monday (otherwise known as Thanksgiving weekend SPECIAL in honor of LUCY)

I once had a chicken named Lucy. She appeared in our yard one day and kept trying to get into our house by flying into the windows (unopened windows...ouch, poor Lucy!). My generous hubby would walk around the yard with Lucy at his feet looking under rocks for crickets. This next part gets a little gross. He would toss the cricket on the ground to stun it and then Lucy would gobble it up - hey the girl had to eat! She would jump into our laps when we sat on the patio and nibble on our toes when we ignored her. Our dog Hershey would chase her around the yard and she would fly atop the patio umbrella to get away. When fall came (and the chicken clean up got a little too much- chickens require a lot of clean up, if you know what I mean) we took Lucy to a farmer down the street named Junebug where she lived happily ever after with other chickens and one lucky rooster, laying a gazillion eggs for farmer Junebug.

When Etsy announced a Thanksgiving weekend site-wide super-sale I somehow thought of Lucy ... I mean Lucy wasn't a turkey, but she was the closest friend to a turkey I have ever known ... So I have decided to participate in this sale in honor of Lucy. I will be offering customers a free I AM A GOOD EGG cork small necklace as well as donating 1 CHICKEN (yes, as in cluck, cluck) to World Vision (the gift of a chicken will provide a family with a lasting source of nutrition and income. Fresh eggs raise the levels of protein and other nutrients in a family’s diet, and the sale of extra eggs provides money for other household needs) with their purchase of any 3 items between my 2 shops from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. Hoping to donate a little flock, clutch, peep, brood - what the heck do you call a bunch of chickens anyway?!

New Stuff Added to My Shops This Week


This is my new Spread Your Wings butterfly mini recycled magnetic locket set - that was a mouthful! - I am feeling a lot like spreading my wings lately!










I can never have enough bookmarkers because I hate to dog ear my precious books (although I still do sometimes) and this little cork one is very special to me!

Favorite Recent Monthly Purchase


As part of my monthly Etsy tithe (I am committed to putting 10% of my Etsy profits back into Etsy each month) - this is my favorite October purchase. They are the sturdiest and most amazing bibs you can imagine! I was tremendously impressed and the little mama I gave them to was, too! Check out Mandolyn's amazing shop THE pretty BEAN committed to recycled plastic bags. This may also be a good place to donate your bags!