Monday, April 30, 2012

Bring Nature Inside!

Snowflake: Welcome to our week with Nature!! Let's check-in with our roaming reporter and see who is in the spotlight this week.

Sunshine: "Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play. Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day'!! ....Churp! Churp!.....Ribbit! Ribbit!....those are the sounds of Nature coming to your live this week from our featured spotlight members shop Cindy of Pine Branch Designs!! Welcome Cindy! I know you are eager to learn more about Cindy and her nature shop so here is what she had to say.....
1. Why did you start your business? 
    Dec 2010
2. How long have you been in business? 
    Informally, 3 years
3. Can you share a diy project with our readers? 
    Yes. I can tell them how to use our branch slices to make a moss & branch centerpiece/planter

Moss and Branch Centerpiece
Supplies:
Branch Slices (cut your own or you may custom order them through my Etsy Shop)
Floral Moss (Available at Walmart)
Wooden Box (use your own or you may custom order one through my Etsy Shop)- natural or stained. It is best to use a box that does not have varnish on it.

1. Collect branch slices in a variety of sizes and shapes- the number of slices you need will depend on the size of box you are covering.

2. Apply a thick layer of wood glue to coat a 4-6" section of the box. Place the branch slices firmly in the glue, leaving enough space to tuck in thin sections of floral moss. Wrap the moss around each branch slice and press into the glue. Lay the box on the side you just completed and allow to dry for 20-30 minutes before going on to the next side.

3. Repeat step 2 until all 4 sides are covered.

4. Finish the top edges of the box by coating them with glue and attaching floral moss.
The finished product makes an earthy and organic display for flowers, river rocks, bath towels, etc. 


4. Where can folks find you online?
5. Where do you get ideas from? 
     Nature,Personal experiences, suggestion from customers!

6. Can you offer our reader's a special discount?
    new customers may receive 25% off their first order with this discount code: NEW25.

Snowflake: It is so much fun to visit a new members shop each week here on our Sunshine Farm Girl Co-op blog. Only our blog reader's will get to use this special coupon code and save big in Cindy's shop this week and only at our online craft show. Check out the Calender of Events page at the top of this page for location.

What else do you have for us Sunshine?

Sunshine: So glad you asked Snowflake! I wanted to announce our winner from last weeks Spring Cleaning Contest. The winner is.......drum roll........another drum roll.......Congrats! to.......using random.org.....our winner is......Brandee of homesteddinmom blog! She won the crochet flower cleaning cloth from Jeanpatch by MK! Woot!

♥ Next, Sampler Bags......we still have a few available so head on over to our website and visit the sampler bag  
page and give yourself or a friend a very special gift!

You'll find something from Sunshine Sisters, Reflections of Kayla, Country Cents and Jeanpatchbymk in our Eco-Gift Sampler Bag. We will be posting testimonials once they are all sold! You won't be disappointed, unless you miss getting one!!! hehe!

Big Announcement....we can now be heard on blog talk radio.....visit the home page of our website and click on the arrow to listen to the show where I am a featured guest. I will be back on the show May 10th at 7 p.m. cst!/8 p.m. est! mark your calenders. I will be talking about gluten free baking and more!

Vendors Wanted - for the sampler bags - If you would like to advertise your business in our successful Eco-Gift sampler bags then fill out the vendor application on our join page and the sampler application found on the sampler bag page on the left side bar. You will be rewarded for each month that you complete. See details on the application page.

It is a good idea to purchase a sampler bag so you can see how to wrap your samples and what to include with each one. Back to you Snowflake!

Snowflake: Thank you Sunshine for all those great updates for our readers and members. We have a fun game for you this week. It is called the Referral Game! Here is how to play and what one person will win!

Rules:

1. Refer a friend to follow our blog - 1 entry
2. Refer a friend to join the co-op as a 'Buyer Club' member-5 entries
3. New followers leave a comment telling who referred you.
4. New 'buyer club' members leave a comment saying who referred you.

Reward: The winner will receive a renewal for their annual 'Buyer Club' membership! Woot! WooHoo!!! (you must be a current 'Buyer Club' member to receive the renewal membership)

Whose ready to play?! The more active you are in the co-op the more rewards your will receive. Tune in next week for another great game and to see who our next spotlight member will be.

Same co-op time! Same Co-op blog!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

SPRING CLEANING WITH JEANPATCH BY MK!!!



SNOWFLAKE: It's time to announce the winner of last weeks recipe swap contest. Congrats! to Kalliescotton!!! Yay! Now, let's check in with our roaming reporter and see what she has in store for us this week....follow me.


SUNSHINE: Spring is in the air Snowflake, and to get us in the mood for some spring cleaning fun around the house and home office, let's put on some mood music shall we. How about that golden oldie "Happy Trails", I have it playing in the background....can you hear the clipity-clop of the horses hooves as it trots along the brick road? He is stopping in front of our featured members shop- JEANPATCH BY MK to drop off his passengers for some shopping fun!!!


Jeanpatch has a great variety of handmade sustainable items made from vintage books, vintage hankies and cotton fabric and yarn. She also offers a great line of crochet flower cleaning cloths, just the thing for our spring cleaning theme this week. They are available in a variety of colors. Custom orders are welcomed.


SPRING CLEANING GIVE-A-WAY CONTEST!!!


                                        
Jeanpatch has offered one of our reader's the chance to win one of her pretty flower cleaning cloths this week. Here's how to enter....
                                


1. Follow her blog at http://jeanpatch.blogspot.com -1 entry.

2. Follow this blog for 2 entries

3. Share this post by clicking the Facebook, twitter and blog buttons 3 entries

4. Leave a comment saying what you did
                                


Earn Extra Entries by.....

5. Favorite her Jeanpatchbymk shop on Etsy 1 entry (www.jeanpatchbymk.etsy.com)
6. Join our website as a 'Buyer Club' member 2 entries www.sunshinefarmgirlcoop.com/JoinUs.html
7. Buy a Sampler Bag on our website 3 entries
www.sunshinefarmgirlcoop.com/SamplerBoxOrdering.html
8. Come back and leave a comment saying what you did


SNOWFLAKE: That is sure to put us in the mood to spruce up the house. I can already see those windows sparkling while using one of Jeanpatch's cleaning cloths. Thank you for doing this for our reader's. I'm headed over to start on the list and get those extra entry points.


SUNSHINE: Join us for some shopping fun this week with our Online Craft Show in the BNS on Etsy. There you will be able to shop with Jeanpatch and her Etsy team members. You'll find handmade products, vintage collectibles and craft supplies and much more.

We have an extra treat for our reader's this week. Marsha of The Sunshine Farm Girl Co-op is going to be a guest on Shabby Lane Shops blog talk radio show. Wahoo!!! Here is the link so you can tune in. This Thursday, April 26th at 11 a.m. cst, 12 noon est!


www.blogtalkradio.com/shabby-lane-shops/2012/04/26/shabby-lane-shops


You'll learn tips for re-purposing items around the house and for your business, plus do-it-yourself craft projects. Find out which of our members gets a shout out from Marsha when she is on the show.

SNOWFLAKE: That was a great scoop Sunshine. Thanks for bringing us another featured member from the Sunshine Farm Girl Co-op Etsy team (SFGCTEAM).

Who will be in the spotlight next week? Tune in here to find out. You won't be disappointed.
Same co-op time!
Same co-op blog!!!!

Monday, April 16, 2012

MONEY SAVING RECIPE SWAP & GIVEAWAY!

SNOWFLAKE: Welcome to another week of fun here on the Sunshine Farm Girl Co-op blog. Let's check in with our roaming reporter and see what she has in store for us.

SUNSHINE: Howdy Folks! I have some great events planned for you this week. I hope you can keep up with all the happenings. Back in the spotlight is Nicole of Woodstreamdream.



1. Where do you get your inspiration?
There's so much beauty out in the world, I would have to say that nature is my biggest inspiration.
2. What is your favorite item to make in your shop?
That's really tough! I enjoy making all of my items, but I would have to say that I really have a lot of fun cutting and handstitching my flowers for the Marie Collection.
3. Can you share an easy recipe with our reader's?
My recipe is a penny stretcher. For years I'd bought butter with olive oil in it because it was easy to spread. It was expensive, but easy. Well, last year sometime it dawned on me that for a lot cheaper, I could buy butter by the pound on sale and whip my own olive oil into it. It took a little working on, but this is what has worked for quite some time for my family. With a husband and two little boys who love pancakes - we go through butter quickly and this has helped to stretch the penny for our home! This amount of butter usually lasts at least three weeks in the fridge - before it's eaten!

Whipped Butter
2 sticks, 1/2 pound salted butter - softened (if you use unsalted, just add 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
2 ounces water
5 ounces olive oil
2 2-cup pyrex dishes with lids
Once the butter is really soft (take it out in the morning and do this before dinner), dump it in the bowl of your stand mixer. Pour in the water and olive oil. Start on low. Scrape down the bowl after about 2 minutes. Gradually turn up to medium-high speed and let the butter get really fluffy and white, about 5 minutes unattended. Scrape down the bowl one more time and let it mix for another minute or two.

Then scrape the fluffy butter into glass storage bowls that have tight-fitting lids.

Then enjoy - the butter spreads easily from the refrigerator onto bread, pancakes, toast - for whatever you need!


4. Where can folks find you online?
I can be found many places online... My shop is www.woodstreamdream.etsy.com  My blog - where you can learn more about me, my upcoming craft shows, and see custom creations is www.woodstreamdream.blogspot.com I'm also on Facebook www.facebook.com/WoodstreamDream Twitter @WoodstreamDream, and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/woodstreamdream Soon I'll be opening my new shop - WoodstreamPapery www.woodstreampapery.etsy.com where you'll be able to find all of my stationary and gift packaging items.

5. Can you offer a special just for our blog reader's?
Blog readers can enjoy SUNSHINE20 for 20% off any purchase, not including gift certificates.

SNOWFLAKE: What else do you have for us Sunshine?

SUNSHINE: A fun "Money-Saving Recipe Swap & Giveway!" Just post your favorite money-saving recipe here in the comments section. For added fun I'll do a drawing at the end of the week on Sunday and draw one name from those who post a recipe.

SNOWFLAKE: What will you be giving away?

SUNSHINE: I'll give one of my gluten free recipe journals to one of our reader's who posts a recipe in the comments section this week. 



SNOWFLAKE: You always have such nice surprises for us and fun activities too.
In addition to helpful do-it-yourself tips and features of our Etsy team members we offer these great rewards on our website.

FOR SHOPPERS: Check out our Sunshine Market section, where you can shop in the comfort of your home.

FOR CRAFTERS: Advertise with us! We offer our crafters a vendor page. Promotions at Shabby Lane Shops website and national magazine.

NEED MARKETING? Try our Eco-Gift Sampler Bag program. A great way to let shoppers try before they buy.

BONUS: Join us as a 'Buying Member' and receive free do-it-yourself downloads and free advertising in our classified section and much more!

We look forward to seeing and trying all of your yummy money-saving recipes. Tune in next week for more great news from our roaming reporter Sunshine!

Same co-op time! Same co-op blog!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

FIDDLE BELLE PLAYS A SWEET TUNE!!!

FIDDLE BELLE PLAYS A SWEET TUNE!!!

SNOWFLAKE: Good day to you one and all. We are so glad you are here with us this fine day in April. I hope you are ready to check in with me and find out who our roaming reporter Sunshine has in the spotlight this week. Hello.....Sunshine!!!!

SUNSHINE: A big howdy to you too Snowflake!!! I have a fun guest for us this week appearing in our online craft show on Etsy. Let's all give a big farmgirl welcome to Sherrie of Fiddle Belle!!!! Woot!!!!

If you or someone you know loves to play a musical stringed instrument then you'll fall in love with Sherrie's shop. She has fun accessories for all of your musical needs. Check our Calender of Events section at the top of this page for the location. 

1. Why did you start your business?  I always wanted my own business ever since I was in high school,and as an adult,I realised that since most regular folks don't get paid a "living wage" I could do far better by striking out on my own.  In this recession,I've tried to encourage several people into making their own business instead on relying on "jobs".
2. How long have you been in business? While I've tried different things over the past several years,I started Mandolin Babe's Pickin' Parlour in '09 and FiddleBelle I believe in '10-'11. I also just opened a BanjoBelle shop a month or so ago for banjo accessories. 
3. Where can folks find you online?  Mandolinbabe.biz  Fiddlebelle.com   banjobelle.biz

Here is a fun Do-It-Yourself project that Sherrie is sharing with us too. Let us know if you make one,  just come back here and leave us a comment.

Yo-Yo Barret

You will need:

Needle
Thread
Small glue gun or fabric glue
Vintage buttons
3 or 4 fabric yo-yo's, one larger, 2 smaller of the same size
4 1/2” clip barrette blank (can be shorter but will need smaller yo-yo's)

With the warmer weather upon us, you will want to wear your hair up. This easy to make barrette is a cinch, especially if you made fabric yo-yo's ahead of time. It will take under an hour to do with a glue gun. Fabric glue will take longer since the glue has to dry.

First, with needle and thread, sew buttons to the center front of the 2 yo-yo’s that will go on either end of the barrette. Leave approximately a 1/4” of the edge of these yo-yo's overhanging the outer edge of the barrette and glue them into place like this:

                                              
Next glue the center yo-yo in place, making sure it’s centered on the barrette and in relation to the yo-yo's on either end like so:

                                            
Now, glue the top center yo-yo (it can be round or a particular shape as shown in the photo at the beginning) into the center of the bigger yo-yo you just glued into the center.

                                                   
This second example shows the same using all round yo-yo's. You’re done!
A 2nd yo yo in the center isn’t required and if you go with using three yo-yo's, be sure to sew a button or charm to the center of the third one before gluing it to the center.  I’ve found this to be a great way to use vintage buttons and fabric pieces that are too small for sewing projects; you can make them for holidays using seasonal colors, or in certain genres like music or gardening, the possibilities are endless. They make great quick gifts for all ages from girls to women. FYI: when using a shorter hair clip, use smaller yo-yo's. You can also make pins by purchasing pin-back blanks.  Have fun! 
(insert project)

SNOWFLAKE: I love the sound of music don't you? What else do you have for us Sunshine?
SUNSHINE: Glad you asked Snowflake.....the newsletter for April is now on our website under Sunshine News  be sure to read the latest news!!!!

We also have a limited supply of Sampler Bags available so feel free to order one today before they are gone. And, that is a wrap!!


SNOWFLAKE: Thank you Sunshine for sharing another great member's shop with us here on our Sunshine Blog. Remember, you will find great deals each week from all the shops in our online craft show event with our Etsy team. Who will be in the spotlight next week???


Stay tuned to find out! Same co-op time! Same co-op blog!  

Monday, April 2, 2012

SCAVENGER HUNT BNS/ONLINE CRAFT SHOW!!!!

Snowflake: It's that time again folks for another great member in the spotlight. To add to the fun this week we are going to play the Scavenger Hunt game in our weekly online craft show event.

Let's check in with our roaming reporter and get the scoop!

Sunshine: Thank you Snowflake! This week we are featuring, Reflections of Kayla in our spotlight. 



 We are ready to add to the fun of our online craft show by adding a Scavenger Hunt game. Here is how to play the game.

Game Rules:
1. Find the item that has the attached picture and words SFGCTEAM Scavenger Hunt in the description. 
2. Write down the shop name and item where you found the picture and words in the description.

3. Send an email to: sunshinefarmgirlcoop@gmail.com with all the shops on the list with the information in #2.

4. Optional: Make a purchase and get 5 extra entries in the drawing!

5. One winner will be drawn next Monday!!!

6. Leave a comment here for one extra entry!
We have over 10 shops that have donated a prize. This will make a great gift for yourself or for your friends!


Snowflake: What else do you have to share with our friends?


Sunshine: Here is a fun DIY project that Kayla has shared with us.
Transfer Your Own Image Onto a T-shirt or Tote Bag!

1. Buy a pack of cotton transfer paper and a canvas tote bag at your local craft store.





2. Take any picture and using your home copy machine copy the image onto your fabric paper.
3. Peel off the paper backing.
4. Cut your image to the size you want.
5. Sew your image onto your t-shirt or tote bag or use permanent adhesive spray.






Snowflake: Wow! What a fun idea you have for our friends Sunshine. Just in time for spring to help get us in a better mood after a dull and drab winter. That is such a cool do-it-yourself project. Thanks for sharing that with us Kayla.

Sunshine: Be sure to check our comments below for coupons to use at the event from Kayla's shop. If you leave a comment that will get you another entry in the drawing.

Snowflake: Thanks for that reminder Sunshine! You'll find the link to our Scavenger Hunt and Craft Show in our Calender of Events Section. We hope you have enjoyed this weeks roaming reporter scoop!

Tune in next week! Same co-op time! Same co-op blog!!!