ddpool’s blog

Etsy has been doing a series of articles on their blog, "The Storque" called "Handmade Kids". As part of that special emphasis, I was contacted about submitting an article on the CafeMom Etsy Moms Street Team because I'm one of the leaders of that team. So, I compared notes with the founder of our group, rockerchic and we thought about who we are and why we are and what we do and then put it all in an article we submitted. Our article became part of the Etsy article and you can read it for yourself, here:

Handmade Kids: An Insider's Review of CafeMom.com

If you want to take a closer look at the CafeMom Etsy Moms, check out our CafeMom profile or our CafeMom Etsy Moms blog. You can also check my sidebar for a scrolling list of CafeMom Etsy Mom's blogs. And if you'd like to see what all these talented moms do, just go to Etsy.com and search "Cafemom team".

Yesterday was my grandmother's birthday...her 100th birthday!

I didn't get to go to the party since she lives in Texas and I live in Maryland, but I sent flowers to honor the occasion. I talked to my sister tonight and got a good report of the festivities and it sounds like a good time was had by all, especially Grandma!

A few weeks ago I was in Texas for a brief visit and my sister and brother-in-law and I went to see Grandma. We had brought along some old family photos we'd found that we'd never seen before. One photo showed what appeared to be a large family gathering of some kind...several couples with kids of all ages, one mother holding her baby in her lap. We showed it to her and asked if she knew anything about it. She perked right up and said "Oh, yes! That baby is me! I was six months old!" She said it was a family reunion and she pointed to each person, reciting their names and relationships, telling us the whole story of the event as though it had just happened last week.

We were spellbound. Well, at least I was. My sister was scrambling to write down everything she was telling us so we could have it all documented!

100 years. She told me once how she used to pick cotton as a child of 6 or 7, with the hot Oklahoma dirt burning the soles of her bare feet as she dragged that long sack of cotton behind her. And yesterday, I was ordering flowers for her over the internet and now I'm sharing the story with all of you. 100 years...amazing....

DonnaGrandmaChristmas1961

All this week you can join in on the Etsymom Fall Y'all Giveaway. I donated an item for the giveaway for yesterday.
Go here to read all about it. And then go here to see what the whole Fall Y'all Giveaway is all about.

Here's a picture of what I donated to the giveaway, a set of 1 inch button magnets featuring my original photographs of flowers from my mother-in-law's backyard:

FlowerMagnetSet6_1

I'm featured in Etsy Treasuries again! My buttons were chosen for two treasuries with an "Office" theme and one that's called "Happy Birthday, Sputnik!". Here they are, with the links below each image:

Etsy Treasury - Work day commentary2

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=10595

Etsy Treasury - The Office (British Version)2

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=10522

Etsy Treasury - happy birthday Sputnik!2

I haven't made a new Teddy Bear in a while, so I figured it was about time. This one is made of soft, chocolate brown microsuede. I haven't sewed a face on it yet, but if a customer wants one I can certainly do that. The yellow ribbon can be changed for another color, also. This teddy bear is about 11 inches from the top of its ears to the tips of its toes, like all my Teddy Bears.

Available now in my Etsy shop, here is my Chocolate Brown Teddy Bear:

ChocolateBear2

ChocolateBear3

I want to introduce you all to a new feature in my Etsy shop.

Meet Brother Blotz:

BlotzButtons1InchSet

Brother Blotz was born the same year I was, another product of Doug Dillard's creativity, I guess you could say. Yes, my father is Doug Dillard. Throughout my childhood, Bro. Blotz was featured in numerous Baptist publications, as illustrations in books, and starred in a series of cartoon books of his own. To quote my father's website: "Brother Blotz cartoons use humor to poke holes in our pomposity, chide us for our inconsistencies, and hopefully make us want to do better. He first appeared in print in 1961."

Brother Blotz, one of my favorite pastors, taught us all that even in church, we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously.

When I got my first button machine I realized I could finally do something I'd always wanted to do...put Brother Blotz's image on a button.

So I scanned some pages from the first book, "Meet Brother Blotz" and the cover and made the buttons pictured above. My father loved them! A few months later I attended a conference where I knew I would encounter several of my father's old friends and I took a few of the buttons to give to them. Usually, when I attend these events, my dad says "If you see anybody I know, tell them hello", so I thought the buttons would be a nice touch.

Then I recalled the sweatshirts my father had made for the family when I was a kid and decided to duplicate the design on 2 1/4 inch buttons:

BlotzButtons

When I sent them to my dad he got the idea that I should make these available in my Etsy shop and he would link to it from his website, http://www.brotherblotz.com. And that's what we're going to do.

Brother Blotz now has his own section in my Etsy shop, with buttons, keychains and magnets available for purchase. So, if any of Brother Blotz's friends and family are looking for unique gifts, they'll know where to find them!

Here's to you, Brother Blotz...and thanks, Dad!

I just wanted to share some of the newest photography-related button magnets I have listed in my Etsy shop. These are 2 1/4 inch ones:

I'm currently featured in three different Etsy Treasuries!! My orange Etsymom buttons, my blue striped teddy bear, and my "2 Girls for Every Boy" buttons! Take a look

Etsy Treasury - It's Like a Bad Joke In Reverse

Etsy Treasury - It's lovely in DC....

Etsy Treasury - Wonderfully Bright and Kitsch!

I've got another blog where I've posted a few photos I don't have uploaded here yet, and a very interesting story to go with them. I hope you'll take a minute to check it out:

http://ddpool.blogspot.com

I've got some new pocket mirrors available in my Etsy shop, and I'll still more posted soon:

I love vintage cameras! I think I've mentioned that before....

Over the weekend I sold 4 sets of 1 inch buttons that I made using images recycled from vintage photography magazines. These showed pictures of darkroom equipment...enlargers, film cannisters, even the beloved old Gra-lab 300 timer! I loved printing my own black & white prints back when I had access to a darkroom. The first time I tried it I felt like I'd found my paintbrush! And I had a feeling there might be some others out there who felt the same way, so I made these buttons. And I'm glad to know they did indeed mean somthing to someone out there! I have lots more where they came from, too. I have some copies of the same ads in different magazines, but each button is a little different...each one is one of a kind. So check my shop again if something like that suits your needs.

I also sold a couple of 2 1/4 inch keychains I made, also using recycled images from vintage magazines. The two I sold showed a Pentax Spotmatic and an Olympus OM4-T. I have more with other cameras and will continue to post similar keychains that showcase those classic oldies. Maybe they're the cameras you started out with, or maybe the ones you remember your dad or grandpa using. Hey, these would make a great stocking-stuffer for your favorite photographer. Now there's an idea!