Talkin' Tuesday - Meet Julie from Newberry!

Click here to visit her kitchen tools shop!

Here's Julie making a dotted rolling pin!

Here are 9 Fierce Facts about Julie and one line is completely fictional.  Get involved by guessing which one of the 10 items listed below is the impostor. Put your comments below to test your sleuthing skills!  The fictional statement about Julie will be posted next Tuesday when I feature the next CN Teammie. See below for the false fact about last week's featured teammie, Melinda.

1. I am fiercely shy, I am convinced a person can die from embarrassment so I do improv with an extroverted LA actor... agonizing fun and cheaper than therapy.

2. One part of my business is developing serving pieces for restaurants, green ones particularly seek out Newberry Furniture and Kitchen Accessories, or Newberry FaKA, just trying out a new acronym.  Our most popular online item: pizza peel and pizza knife.

3. A documentary was made about building our house (we physically built much of it ourselves and it’s green). It’s called Styrofoam House on YouTube. Basically we built it out of giant Legos later filled with concrete, it’s LEED certified and energy efficient.

4. As a frustrated foodie, I wrote a cookbook about friendship and northern Italian cooking about Stella Cinque, her name means Five Star. She would always say, "Because I am the best!"

5. I thirst for knowledge, so I attend beer school. I didn’t get enough credits to graduate this Spring. I'm going back in the Fall, at least the homework is no burden.

6. In the 80s, I was a pop star, Julie Sparkles and sang in shopping malls with my big hair, shoulder pads and pushed up sleeves. Alas, a one hit wonder. 

7. I was an associate producer of a movie two years ago, probably a concession because my house was the movie set, 80 hours of filming, 4 cast members, 40 crew members, plus the making of the movie staff. It was 2 weeks crammed into 5 days.

8. Completely landlocked, I live within one hour from the geographic center of the country, St Louis (at least that's what National Geographic reported). According to the FBI, it’s the most dangerous city in the nation, which makes no sense to me. Someone is lying about my city, when I find out who your are, I’ll cut you.

9. Bill and I won an award for having a sustainable business and we didn’t know green was a thing. We didn’t want to waste wood. We are really tree career counselors, example: storm felled tree, you get up and be a chair, now get to work. 

10. I have used power tool for 13 years. Power tools and marriage requires healthy communication. I am still boy crazy for Bill. We started our business and got married the same year. Love is like that, goofy.

*******Last week's false fact about Melinda from Melindamilkshake was this one: #6 Melinda does not study psychology and anthropology.  She studies comparative religion and anthropology, the rest of the statement is true. ***

Saturday Theme Treasury Challenge - Home Sweet Home

Darling Girl's Shirred Summer Dress from CN teammie's shop SuchAPrettyDress

Memorial weekend is here and it's traditionally known as the first weekend of summer!  Woo hoo! The kids are out of school, it's time to hit the outdoor flea markets, fire up the grill for some backyard gatherings and catching candy at your local hometown parades!  For the Treasury Challenge show us what being home for summer means to you.  To see the entire Etsy post, click here for the 'Folk Heroes' Finds

There is always a photo used to express the theme but this item does not have to be included in your treasury.

The Rules:

1. Include at least 8 Curation Nation team members. 
2. Tag the treasury "curationnation" 
3. Tag the treasury "etsyteamtreasury" - if you tweet, tweet your treasury using the hashtag #EtsyTeamTreasury.

4.  Tag the treasury "home sweet home".

5  Tag the treasury "June trends" 

6. Post a comment here on the blog with a link to your treasury - your treasury will not be judged unless you have posted it below in the comments. Your shop could be chosen as the winner to be featured on our Wednesday Item Treasury Challenge.  

7. Put a link to this blog post in the comments of the treasury - this helps others find the challenge and enter. 

8. Please follow our blog. 

9. DUE DATE: Wednesday, June, 1. 

10. Saturday Treasury Challenges are the only challenges that get judged.

Everyone is invited to play - these challenges are open to all! These challenges are also voluntary - never mandatory for team members. Remember to try to include team mates you haven't used before.  These challenges are meant to build your treasury making skills, promote the team and make Etsy connections.  If you deal in vintage it's a great time to promote your vintage goods by making the old new again!

Wednesday Item Challenge - EcoPrint

Holy Hannah you guys made it hard on me this week! I've only been back a few days...you couldn't take it easy on me? haha. Seriously you all made some amazing T's this week. It was very hard to choose!

I am pleased as punch to announce that this weeks Saturday Theme Treasury Challenge winner is EcoPrint with the treasury "the day began with me kissing you..." (love the dot dot dot). Congratulations Steven, Olesya and Irina! (please note that the entire treasury is made up of CN team members including the one that is now missing. Fantastic!)



This screen shot is a live, clickable version of EcoPrint's "the day began with me kissing you..." Treasury. You can click on any of the images above to be taken to each individual shop!

So this week for the Wednesday Item Challenge we'll be featuring EcoPrint's "enjoy the rain quote print in sky blue and black". We've been experiencing a lot of grey skies and drizzly weather lately here where I live so I was inspired! I'm a huge fan of ran and think this print would brighten up anyone's blustery day! I'm so excited to see what awesome treasuries the team comes up with!

Enjoy the Rain Quote Print in Sky Blue and Black

The Rules:

You must include at least 8 Curation Nation team members - use the sidebar on the blog for a list of team shops.

1. Please follow our blog.
2. Put a link to this blog post in the comments of your treasury. This helps other people find the challenge and enter.
3. Post a comment here on the blog with a link to your treasury.
4. Tag the treasury "curationnation"
5. Tag the treasury "etsyteamtreasury"
6. Tag the treasury "rain"
7. If you tweet, tweet your treasury using the hashtag #EtsyTeamTreasury
8. Include the featured item in the first three rows of your treasury.
9. DUE DATE: Wednesday June, 1.
10. Have fun!


Wednesday Item Treasury Challenges feature one item from a shop - the item must be included in your treasury. The featured Wednesday item is picked from the winning shop of the Saturday challenge. If the winner doesn't have a shop on Etsy, they will get to pick an item of their choice! Everyone is invited to play - these challenges are open to all. These challenges are also voluntary - never mandatory for team members.

Talkin' Tuesday - Meet Melinda from MelindaMilkshake!

Click here to visit Melinda's Vintage Fashion from All Eras!

1.  At 20 I left the state with a group of people I had met two weeks before.  I travelled the country selling magazine subscriptions door to door for one year.  We went all over the country living in hotel rooms and having interesting encounters with strangers.  It was a great learning experience in my life. 

2.  I come from Amish heritage.  My great grandmother was born Amish and became Mennonite when her mother died and she was sent to live with a new family.  My grandmother was raised Mennonite and left the church when she was 18.  She cut off all her hair and promptly became an airplane pilot.  She was one of the first women stunt pilots and airplane racers, she was also the first women helicopter pilot in Michigan and one of the first women to race cars.  She rocks!  She had three sons and taught them to fly at very young ages. My father had a reputation for flying upside down more than right side up and he had me steering planes and co-piloting starting at the age of 9.  They lived on a farm with a runway between the cornfields and the Cessnas stored in the barn.  Much of my family is still Mennonite and Amish, although I was raised "English". 

3.  I was a goth cheerleader, in fact I was captain of the cheerleading squad.  We did competitive cheer and I loved it! 

4.  I once travelled around the country for several months with a boyfriend living at campgrounds and out of a Bronco.  My favorite memory of that time is sitting on the beach in Bodega Bay at full tide watching the surfers swim out and picnicking on french bread and brie.   

5.  I spent one year working on an all natural animal farm.  It's a cooperative community that was started in the 70's as an experiment in behavioral psychology.  I wanted to get in touch with where my food came from and reassess if meat eating was the right thing for me.  It turns out that I'm not as squeamish as I thought!  I participated in butchering a chicken and castrating a goat and I still eat meat!  While working there I was trained in all that goes into raising and farming dairy goats.  I hadn't thought about goats at all before that experience, but I quickly fell in love with them!  I now plan to have some goats of my own one day. 

6.  I spent ten years studying art, literature, creative writing and photography.  At one time I wanted to be a writer and even spent some time writing editorials for the Kalamazoo Gazette. Eventually I decided to be an anthropologist.  I started my Etsy shop so that I could work part time while earning my degree.  Now I'm earning a degree in both psychology and anthropology and I want nothing more than to work for myself and continue to expand my business!  I can't wait to be finished with school so that I can work full time for myself!

7.  Last spring my fiance and I took a trip together to Spain and Morocco.  We spent a month away from home and he proposed to me on the balcony of the apartment we rented in Barcelona.  It was the most beautiful time!  We will be married this August 27th on Lake Michigan and I will wear a sage green dress with a skirt I designed from fabric dating to the 1800's.  

8.  I have taken two solo trips to Europe.  Once I hitchhiked to Berlin from Dresden and took a road trip to Italy from Germany.  My German friend and I neither spoke or read Italian, so driving was quite an adventure!  We saw Florence, Pisa and some amazing medieval towns in the northern mountains.  We waded in ice cold glacial lakes of green and blue and slept without a tent on top of a small mountain over looking a farm village.  We were also yelled at by police men toting machine guns and followed by groups of young men attracted by my friend's blonde hair and blue eyes.  Another time I traveled alone to France and Spain from Germany.  I spoke no French and no Spanish.  My ATM card neglected to work when I arrived and I had to travel without money seven hours away to find my American credit union on a military base in Heidelberg.  I then befriended a military man outside of the base and convinced him of the importance of me getting to the credit union.  He took me into an office where he questioned me about terrorism before escorting me to the credit union.  I was so relieved to get my money!   

9.  The first time I travelled to Germany alone I almost missed my flight due to security at the Kalamazoo airport.  After searching, questioning, and scanning my hands for explosive residue, they finally revealed that they had detected bomb residue on my backpack.  The backpack was from WWII and still had residue (I even washed it) ! After some deliberation they put a special note on my passport and sent me on my airplane.  I still have that backpack but I won't be taking it on anymore long trips!    

10.  I have been hostess to The Black Lips, King Khan, The Fatals and Jay Reatard.  (These are musicians).  I wasn't going to include this tidbit, but a Black Lips song came on the radio just as I thought of the memory!  Synchronicity.  The Black Lips, King Khan and I played dress up and had a photo shoot.  I love playing dress up!  The guys wore my black tutus, 1970's nightgowns and sparkly eyeshadow which I applied to their lids.  Entirely too much fun for one evening.  However, I don't recommend lending out your favorite black tutu and bottle of fake blood to fledgling rock stars, they'll surely forget you. ; )  If you're reading this post the black tutu via Priority Mail asap!

*******Last week's false fact about Stephanie from LaCocoRouge was this one: #5. When I lived in Australia our school had a program called Extreme Adventures!  We traveled to Antarctica for a week to study penguins.  My favourite penguin was Louie because he liked to play fetch and a loose version of soccer which was really passing the ball back and forth.

Saturday Theme Treasury Challenge - Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam, not just a band that was huge in the '90's.  
And, not something you spread on toast.  

This week's treasury challenge is all about June's birthstone, the pearl, and we are going to jam with it! 

"Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles."  ~Sonja Henie

Carnation Pink Shell Pearl Beads from CN Teammie's shop BeadFrenZ

There is always a photo used to express the theme but this item does not have to be included in your treasury.

The Rules:

1. Include at least 8 Curation Nation team members. 
2. Tag the treasury "curationnation" 
3. Tag the treasury "etsyteamtreasury" - if you tweet, tweet your treasury using the hashtag #EtsyTeamTreasury.

4.  Tag the treasury "pearl".

5  Tag the treasury "June trends" 

6. Post a comment here on the blog with a link to your treasury - your treasury will not be judged unless you have posted it below in the comments. Your shop could be chosen as the winner to be featured on our Wednesday Item Treasury Challenge.  

7. Put a link to this blog post in the comments of the treasury - this helps others find the challenge and enter. 

8. Please follow our blog. 

9. DUE DATE: Wednesday, May 25.

10. Saturday Treasury Challenges are the only challenges that get judged.

Everyone is invited to play - these challenges are open to all! These challenges are also voluntary - never mandatory for team members. Remember to try to include team mates you haven't used before.  These challenges are meant to build your treasury making skills, promote the team and make Etsy connections.  If you deal in vintage it's a great time to promote your vintage goods by making the old new again!

Welcome, New Members! (Pt 2)

Hi everyone! This is part two of our big huge welcome to our newest members. I hope you'll take a second to peek at their shops and let them know we are so excited for them to join us :) In case you missed it, check out part 1.

skyejuice

velvetmorning

PeachWillow

MixedMediaCocktail

illuminera

EcoPrint

Welcome to the team, you guys! I hope you've all enjoyed being a part of this community so far, and we look forward to curating many treasuries with you. *Hugs*

June’s Merchandising Plans & Treasury Tips

Summer Tank Top with a Fleur de Rose from CN Teammie's Shop RCTees

Happy ‘Almost Summer’ Curation Nation teammies and faithful followers!  Here are the targeted merchandising points for the month of June - they are straight from Etsy’s Merchandising Desk. These specifics are what Etsy will be looking to showcase on the front page. It’s a great guideline to use to create items for your shop or for the vintage shops to be on the hunt for. When you curate Treasuries using these merchandising tips, remember to tag them with these words and themes as well.

JUNE'S BIRTHSTONE: Pearl   

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: Gemini is May 21 - June 21 and Cancer is June 22- July 2

COLORS: Jewel tones, orange, blush, and neon

FASHION: Slim clutches, espadrilles, wooden platforms, maxi dresses, stripes, tribal references, tailored classics, full short skirts, retro swim, summer scarves, circle lensed sunglasses, and sweetheart necklines, emphasize showing some skin, open toes, lightweight materials, and sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen, makeup, balms, hats and cover-ups. Summer dresses, swimwear, shoes and accessories, and options for hair are key. Design labels are already launching previews for fall lines and lookbooks.

VACATION: Outdoor Travel: Think in terms of the beach, countryside, forest and mountains. Outdoor activities on the rise include camping, biking, hiking, fun at the beach, fishing, and water sports

GRADUATION & TEACHER GIFTS: Gifts that show appreciation for teachers or a sentimental congratulation for graduates. Personalization, handmade cards, and keepsakes are always sought after. While the typical college year has already come to a close, high schools tend to close in mid to late June.

WEDDINGS & CELEBRATIONS:  It’s the height of wedding season! Think about outdoor options for both the ceremony and after-party and warm weather honeymooning. 

FATHER’S DAY: The rush is here, so make sure your Father's Day items are listed and expedited shipping options are easy to find. Focus on gifts that would make a great gift for the many types of dads out there: business and office accessories, gadgets and tech gear, the cases to carry them in, outdoor equipment, sports gear, men's fashion, keepsakes, and luxury gifts. Keep in mind the home chef, the auto enthusiast, the handyman, the trendsetter, the music lover, the classic, and those dads who seem to have it all. Personalized options are always a good idea to offer.

4th OF JULY: Patriotic decor, outfits and accessories. Stars and stripes, Americana, American flags, picnics, barbecues, grilling, spirits, fireworks, and summer sports.

SUMMER: The first day of summer belongs to June; keep in mind seasonal activities like summer travel, outdoor activities, open air soirees, summer fashion, and lighter, brighter colors. Emphasis on outdoor entertaining, hostess gifts, bath and beauty, and clever ways to stay cool all summer long.

GARDENING & ARTISANAL FOOD: Expect farmer's markets, seasonal food options, raising animals, community gardens, and co-ops to continue to grow in popularity. Think of tabletop accessories, containers, tools, and seasonal calendars.

COLLECTING: Summer months bring an opportune time to take advantage of antiquing, collecting, flea markets, outdoor bazaars, and vintage renewal.

ETSY'S 6th BIRTHDAY: The celebration of handmade!

NATURAL HISTORY & WOODLAND FOREST THEMES: namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, wood grain, and natural colors 

seasonality of the northern hemisphere = warm

seasonality of the southern hemisphere = preparing for autumn

Vampires - True Blood on June 26

Typewriters - With the recent closing of the last typewriter manufacturer,

these are becoming hot commodities.

Carnivals and State Fairs: bright colors, side show spectacles, animals and costuming

 Sports: Tennis (Wimbledon), swimming, volleyball, cycling, archery,

croquet and outdoor sports

The Local Artisanal Shop: butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie

Throwback to the Speakeasy: barware, mixology, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords

The Garden: indoor, outdoor, community, and rooftop gardens, glass domes, terrariums, air plants,

 window herbs, succulent plants, garden markers, planters, tools, buckets, baskets, gloves, organic

seeds, and boxes

Culinary trends: year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaroon, summer cocktails, home

brewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions, garden to table

Vintage Designer: fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories

Writable surfaces: chalkboard, whiteboard, fingerprints

Geometry: shapes, patterns, triangles, chevrons, facets, and arrows

Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram

housewares, and typewriter keys

Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiacs, constellations, portraits, custom labels,

stamps, fingerprints and family trees

lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys

arrows

diamonds

paper cuts

silhouettes

fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling

large scale vintage and handmade paper maps

botanical and anatomy charts

upcycled lights and lamps, specifically with exposed bulbs

feather hair extensions, earrings, and accessories

gadget cases, docking stations and accessories

Scandinavian patterns and motifs

facial hair, beards, mustaches (I know, shocking!)

wall decals

EVENTS IN JUNE:

June is known as candy, rose and dairy month.

June 6 - Dragon Boat Festival

June 8-9 - Shavuot

June 13 - Queen's Birthday

June 13 - Sewing Machine Day 

June 13 - Whit Monday

June 17-19 - Aspen Food&Wine Festival

June 18 - Etsy's 6th Birthday

June 19 Father's Day

June 21 - Summer Solstice

June 20-July 3 - Wimbledon Tennis Championship

June 23 - Feast of Corpus Christi

June 24 - St. Jean Baptiste Day 

June 29 - Laylat al-Miraj

June 29 - Camera Day

Click here to read the entire post!

Wednesday Item Challenge - jessicatorres

Hi ya! I'm filling in for Lindy this week and my new computer...oh how I adore you, but today you did not adore me back.  Sorry for the tardy post, my fingers are still learning their way around

my new techie machine.

I may not know who da man is, but I do know who da chic is!  The winner for 'Who Da Man' Saturday Treasury Challenge is Jessica from jessicatorres! 

As Father's Day is quickly approaching, here's to all men who are honored to be called dad, pops, daddy, papa, father, or King Tut.  Men, we love ya!

This weeks winning treasury for the Saturday Theme Treasury Challenge is Black and White Finds for Dad by Jessica

It had such a fab-o mix of items from candy mustaches to motorcycle keychains to fine art photography! Fantastic job Jessica.



This screen shot is a live, clickable version of Jessica's Black and White Finds Treasury. You can click on any of the images above to be taken to each individual shop!

This week we'll be featuring 's most beautiful hydrangea. The inspiration to choose this piece to feature came straight from Etsy's May Merchandising Desk post: Gardening.  Click here for a direct link to pop this item in your Treasury: Click here for a direct link to pop this item into your Treasury!

The Rules:

You must include at least 8 Curation Nation team members - use the sidebar on the blog for a list of team shops.

1. Please follow our blog.
2. Put a link to this blog post in the comments of your treasury. This helps other people find the challenge and enter.
3. Post a comment here on the blog with a link to your treasury.
4. Tag the treasury "curationnation"
5. Tag the treasury "etsyteamtreasury" 
6. Tag the treasury "gardening"
7. If you tweet, tweet your treasury using the hashtag #EtsyTeamTreasury
8. Include the featured item in the first three rows of your treasury.
9. DUE DATE: Wednesday May, 25.
10. Have fun!

Wednesday Item Treasury Challenges feature one item from a shop - the item must be included in your treasury. The featured Wednesday item is picked from the winning shop of the Saturday challenge. If the winner doesn't have a shop on Etsy, they will get to pick an item of their choice! Everyone is invited to play - these challenges are open to all. These challenges are also voluntary - never mandatory for team members.

Saturday Theme Treasury Challenge - Who Da Man?

Ares, Greek Warrior Soap from CN Teammie's Shop Sacred Suds

Over Spring Break I took a trip to Florida to visit my parents.  I went fishing with my dad and I skunked him.  Oh yeah, that's right, I caught 2 fish & he caught zero, zippo, nada.  And I reminded him of it OFTEN throughout my visit with him.  Yet still, when we to the local honky tonk to sing Karaoke, he let the entire place know I was his daughter as he dedicated and then sang, 'You Are My Sunshine' to me.  That's what dads do - they take your grief and love ya anyway! 

This week's treasury challenge is all about da man we all call 'dad'.  As you curate around this theme, here is what Etsy has suggested, which was taken right from Etsy's May Merchandising Desk - May Planning.

"Father's Day: With Father's Day approaching in June, think about types of gifts that would make a great gift for the many types of dads out there: business and office accessories, gadgets and tech gear, the cases to carry them in, outdoor equipment, sports gear, men's fashion, keepsakes, and luxury gifts. Keep in mind the home chef, the auto enthusiast, the handyman, the trendsetter, the classic, and those dads who seem to have it all."

There is always a photo used to express the theme but this item does not have to be included in your treasury.The Rules:

1. Include at least 8 Curation Nation team members.
2. Tag the treasury "curationnation"
3. Tag the treasury "etsyteamtreasury" - if you tweet, tweet your treasury using the hashtag #EtsyTeamTreasury.
4.  Tag the treasury "father's day".
5  Tag the treasury "June"
6. Post a comment here on the blog with a link to your treasury - your treasury will not be judged unless you have posted it below in the comments. Your shop could be chosen as the winner to be featured on our Wednesday Item Treasury Challenge. 
7. Put a link to this blog post in the comments of the treasury - this helps others find the challenge and enter.
8. Please follow our blog.
9. DUE DATE: Wednesday, May 18. 
10. Saturday Treasury Challenges are the only challenges that get judged.

Everyone is invited to play - these challenges are open to all! These challenges are also voluntary - never mandatory for team members. Remember to try to include team mates you haven't used before.  These challenges are meant to build your treasury making skills, promote the team and make Etsy connections.  If you deal in vintage it's a great time to promote your vintage goods by making the old new again!

Welcome, New Members!

Hello good friends! It's time once again to welcome our wonderful new members. Unfortunately, my scatter brained self left off a couple of folks the last time around so we're going to start with them!

Vintageimaginings

HighNoteJewelry

hisss

tinygalaxies

I'm so sorry for the late welcome, but better late than never I always say :) I hope you guys have enjoyed your time on the team so far. We're so glad that you're here! *Big hugs* from us all!

----------

I'm sure you all know that recently we added several new members to the team in our last round of voting. It's always so much fun to welcome new people to this wonderfully diverse group! We have some seriously amazing talent on this team, and adding to it just makes me giddy. Now I'd like to welcome our first batch of newbies from this voting period. We are all so glad you're here and look forward to making many many collections with you! *Hugs*

CheekyChicVintage

handmadetherapy

lacocorouge

newberry

jaunebleu

aubepine