What's new today..

It's another semi rainy day here in Toronto, which means I'm not super motivated to run errands outside of the house. The day started with looking for inspiration on Pinterest, since lately I've been really into budget home decor and inspiration..
After having some Persian cherry jam on a buttered toast and a tea for breakfast I decided to start my day by painting my nails some fun colors...

That's Topshop's Heart Of Gold with PureICE's Home Run!

Another color I've been loving (specially on the toes) is Pink Lingere by Revlon..

I have a few jewelry projects i'll be working on today. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you would have noticed that I've come up with a new line of miniature coffee/tea decorative rings and necklaces. My white coffee cup with a spoon was featured on Buzzfeed food website and recieved quite a lot of attention for a week or so... I'll leave you with a few pictures of my latest designs which can be found here.

Mini Starbucks Frappuccino ring

Mini Starbucks Frappuccino necklace

The coffee cup ring which was featured on Buzzfeed Food

XoXo
PinkDiamondGirl

Saturday Spotlight #3

Hope everyone's weekend is going wonderful so far! :)
Here we are with a new Saturday Spotlight post. Sorry I've been away for some days. I was sick for a few days followed by a week of many trips to various parts of the city for job interviews. But i'm very happy to be back and today I'll be featuring two wonderful Etsy shops here. They were kind of enough to answer a few questions about their shops and Etsy journey so we can get to know them a bit better. So here we go!

First we have Belle from Designandplay

Personalized Modern Party Printables Invitations

When did you start selling your craft and what inspired you to open your shop?
I had decided in 2012 to open up my current shop. I enjoy designing and wanted to share my own spin on invitations with others.

What is your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
Etsy makes it so easy for anyone to start their own creative shop.

What are your top 3 success tips for selling on Etsy?
1. Keep creating & continue to list what you create.
2. Share your Etsy shop with everyone!
3. Customer service. A potential customer who has one or a dozen questions can be your next loyal customer.

Next we have Emma from EmmaDickieDesign

Jewellery, Knitted Scarves, Hats and Cross Stitch

What would your dream work space/office look like?
I would love to one day own a cottage in the countryside. My workspace would need to have big windows so I could look out across the fields and get inspiration from the natural shapes and colours around me.

What is your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
I just love being able to reach customers from around the world. I used to worry about selling knitwear during the summer, however it's always winter somewhere! I also love the fact that customers can get in touch and request a custom item - there's nothing more satisfying than providing someone their dream product!

Where would you like to see your shop in 5 years?
In 5 years' time I would like to have a more streamlined range of products and have a strong brand developed with a good following of loyal customers. I'm also constantly reworking my photos and in 5 years I would hope to have some very professional shots of my products.

Thank you Belle and Emma for joining this week's Saturday Spotlight on my blog. You can click on their shop names to visit their store front page. 

Wishing everyone a great weekend and happy mothers day to all the mothers out there including my mine! :)

XoXo

PinkDiamondGirl

My mom, the new Etsy seller..

Every since I was a young kid I remember my mom working on her sewing machine and making cloths for me and my siblings as well as other friends and relatives. She was a stay at home mom when we were growing up and I have a lot of memories of her sewing something and me watching very curiously and even tried sewing a few simple doll clothing occasionally. I remember going to fabric stores and being able to choose the fabric I liked and then few days later that lovely fabric was turned into a cute dress or something else for me and it was really exciting.
This continued for many years until eventually she started working full-time and between that and taking care of the house she didn't really have time or the inspiration to sow anymore.
Over the last few years I mentioned to her a few times it would be nice if she got back in to sewing and even selling some of her creations but she was always too busy to do so. Finally few months ago I convinced her, as I know she is a very creative person and would enjoy getting back into it. So she got herself a new sewing machine and got a bunch of lovely fabrics and started sewing some fabric purses.

About a month ago I opened an Etsy shop for her and although she is not very much into the "techy" stuff and self promotion, with my help we listed a few of her creations online. I am so happy for her and I still sit and watch her sew the purses, like I use to as a child, sometimes. So today I felt like introducing her shop to you all, even though she has no idea i'm doing this! :-)

Here are a few of my favorite designs from her shop Linda Faith Designs..

She has a lot of new designs coming out soon and she gets very happy with every favorite and "like" she gets on Etsy. I would be very happy to have a small part in that.
Hope you all have a lovely Wednesday! :-D

Xoxo
PinkDiamondGirl

Saturday Spotlight #2

Hello and happy Easter everyone! :)
It is Saturday again and time for another "Saturday Spotlight" post. This week I will be again featuring three amazing shops from Etsy. The shop owners were kind enough to answer a few questions about their Etsy story to help us get to know them better.

First off we have Jayde from ArtbyJayde..

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am 19 years old, and I live in Florida. I am a full time student majoring in Studio Art. I love to learn, paint, draw, and just create things in general. Outside of my art, I enjoy listening to music and finding cool things in thrift stores and antique shops. I want to live my life in happiness doing the things I love most.

How did you learn your craft?

I wouldn't exactly say I'm self taught, but I started drawing since I was 6 years old and I haven't stopped since. Art classes in school have given me additional tips and definitely improved my skills and background knowledge in art, but for the most part I have taught my self through repetition and practice.

When did you start selling your craft and what inspired to open your shop?

I started selling my art my junior year in high school when I was 17. I noticed people taking a lot of interest in my work, which was really surprising because I was so young! A lot of my friends were asking me to do custom orders for them. One of my friends then referred me to Etsy to sell my work. I was unsure about selling online, but I tried it and I have gotten a lot of online exposure through Etsy. I haven't had that many sales, but I definitely don't regret opening my shop. It will grow in time, I know it!

Next we have Michelle Chan..

When did you start selling your craft and what inspired to open your shop?

I started Misala Handmade back in 2010, when me and my husband went to live in Dubai for his job. I started crafting out of frustration with my life in a foreign city and did it as a hobby to ease myself up. Seeing my work, my hubby encouraged me to open a shop to sell my creations online and over the years it became our lifelong ambition. We moved to Taipei last year so we could devote ourselves into the business with our full passion.

Where would you like to see your shop in 5 years?
We hope to build a sustainable business model in which everyone can be rightly rewarded for doing what they have a passion in. It doesn't need to be very big, and we hope to hit the sweet spot in balancing between keeping our handmade, personal touch in our petite little beauties and economies of scale. We also hope that our workshop in Taipei could become a little-known, secret treasure for international travelers happening to visit this part of the world.

What are your top 3 success tips for selling on Etsy?
I would say persistence, persistence and persistence :) Have passion in what you do, believe in yourself and do not give up easily. Selling anything online is not easy, building a crafty business is even harder. So don't be discouraged by one, or a series of failures. Keep on improving every detail of your craft, as well as every detail on your shop's business aspects. Think as a potential buyer and get advice on the forums. Persist towards fruitful success!

And last but not least we have Susie from GinnyPenny..

Tell us about your creative process.
I have a note book I take with me everywhere. I sketch ideas (even though drawing is not my talent). My husband and daughter always have great ideas too. I have no lack of ideas. It's hard to find the time to make new designs for my shop. Some of my cutest creations have been custom requests though. I have made bride and groom robots with the couples wedding date embroidered right on the robots and baby robots with diapers and pacifiers that match nursery colors. I love hearing my customer's ideas.

What are your top 3 success tips for selling on Etsy?
First, check your shipping costs really well. I hear stories all the time where Etsy sellers take their sold items to the post office and are surprised by the amount it costs. This can eat into your profits in a major way. Weigh your item with a box and packing material and calculate the shipping on usps.com before you list your item. I just use a cheap kitchen scale and round up the ounces.
Next, invest in quality supplies. Buy the best you can. I started out with cheap scissors and had to replace them quickly. I invested in some I could sharpen. I wish I had done that first. I always did buy the best fabrics and felt I could. It makes a difference.
My last piece of advice is to not stress about making your photographs fancy. Good, well lit images with simple backgrounds show off your product the best.

What is your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
I love Etsy. I love how easy it is to set up a shop get your creations out there. They have all sorts of tools and educational posts and videos. I love the community and the type of people Etsy attracts. My customers are wonderful. I love shopping on Etsy too. I love finding gifts that you can't find at the mall. it is fun to know who I am buying from and to build relationships. It's a great platform for artists.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading their stories and I hope that you all enjoyed learning a bit more about these amazing artists as well. I look forward to putting the spotlight on a few more shops next week. If you would like your shop to be featured you can send me a message on Etsy here PinkDiamondDesign.

Have a great weekend!

XoXo,

PinkDiamondGirl

Etsy Lookbook (Bedroom inspiration)

Hey everyone.. :)
Hope your Wednesday afternoon is going well so far!
I would like to introduce a new series I would like to start on my blog called "Etsy Lookbook". In this series every week I choose a category and put together my favorite items from Etsy which inspire me and I believe will fit very well together.

This week's theme is bedroom inspiration and I have selected several items from amazing fellow Etsy sellers whom I believe will to together in a beautiful bedroom design. Clicking on the shop name in the captions under each picture will take you directly to the shop's home page.

 

Duvet Cover Set by BHDecor

Geometric Pillow Cover by Nirwa

Cotton Ball Light by cottonlight

Geometric Pattern Vases by CeramicaBotanica

Side Table by RAKAMod

Amsterdam Art Print by confettielove

I love the combination of gray with pops of color which is what inspired me to put these items together. I hope that you will enjoy this new "Lookbook" series and I would appreciate your feedback. Have a lovely Afternoon!

XoXo,
PinkDiamondGirl

Baby friendly jewelry

In this post I wanted to talk about my new line of mommy and baby jewelry and how I came up with the idea. Since the birth of my cousin last December I've been more into looking up baby accessories on Etsy along with my mom. We came across a great variety of teething necklaces made out of wood or silicone and since I already have been making jewelry for few years my mom asked me to make a special gift for her new nephew! :)
While shopping for the supplies I thought to myself why not buy some extra materials and maybe sell them at my jewelry shop. I created three new designs, one of which is already sold out!

These necklaces are:
- Made of 100% Food Grade Silicone beads
- BPA Free
- No PVC's
- No Phthalates
- No Lead
- FDA Approved

- Silk pull away cord
- Easy to clean - simply wash with soap and water!

This necklace offers mothers a stylish but practical way to ensure teething relief and a colorful toy is always within reach and babies will love the soft and chewable nature of child-safe silicone.

They can be found in the ``Mom & Baby`` section of my shop here.

I`m really excited about adding more baby friendly designs to my shop in the upcoming months and would love to hear everyone`s feedback on my first few designs! :D

xoxo
PinkDiamondGirl

Saturday Spotlight #1

Hey everyone,
As some of you know I'm starting a new weekly series on my blog called Saturday Spotlight where I feature 1-3 amazing Etsy shops and ask them a few questions. This week we have 3 lovely participants, all with very beautiful shops. So lets get to know them a little better.
First off is a lovely clutch by Laura from atomique47...

Click photo to see Laura's Etsy shop

When did you start selling your craft and what inspired to open your shop?
I’m a professional interior designer. I design hotels, resorts and restaurants all over the world. I love color, pattern and texture in interior design which naturally translates into fashion as well. When the economy tanked a few years ago, people weren’t spending their money on travel as much anymore so my day job slowed down. I used my down time to start my Etsy shop and it gave me a place to direct my creative energy. I really enjoy not only making my bags but the whole branding aspect of opening a shop.

 How did you come up with your shop name?
I had a horse that was a very important part of my life. Her name was Silver. I wanted to name the shop after her in a creative way. On the periodic table of elements, the atomic number for Silver is 47. I chose the French spelling of Atomic (Atomique) because I liked that it sounded like a combination of Atomic and Unique. My clutch bags often feature handmade felt flowers which make them unique and stand apart from the average handbag.

If you could have any famous person try/buy your product who would you choose?
I can definitely see Zooey Deschanel rocking an Atomique47 clutch. The colorful patterns, wood felt and the handmade element are very much her style. Hopefully you’ll see one on an episode of New Girl someday.

Next we have a cute doll by Corrie from StrangelyEverAfter..

Click photo to see Corrie's shop

What would your dream work space/office look like?
It would probably be the equivalent of an indoor fabric bazaar. I would love to have a space that is pretty much the size of a small house to dedicate to my work; a place where I could have everything spread out so I could more easily visualize the different color combinations and how the different textures play off of each other. It can be frustrating having everything stored in clear plastic bins all stacked up against the wall so I can move around in my current work space.

How did you come up with your shop name?
I have always been so inspired by fairy tales and folklore and wanted to incorporate that into my name but also to give a nod to my more unusual aesthetic. I struggled for days trying to think of something but then it just came to me and I immediately went to my county office to register it as my business name.

If you could have any famous person try/buy your product who would you choose?
Neil Gaiman! I've read all of his books and I think he has such a special and unique voice in the literary world. At least a couple times a week I am tempted to make a Coraline themed set of dolls since the animated movie had such a great balance of creepy and cute.

And last but not least we have amazing photography by GiGi from AroundTheGlobeImages..

Click photo to see GiGi's shop

What is your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
Etsy is a true community in every sense of the word. I love engaging on a personal level with both sellers and buyers. The cultural diversity, talent, and entrepreneurial spirit found here is inspiring! Often I’m contacted by people who are originally from the countries I’ve photographed and I love hearing that an image I’ve captured reminds them of home, a moment or happy experience in their lives.

Tell us about your creative process.
It’s all about chasing the light! Whether I am capturing a particular landscape, wildlife, or even a Route 66 vintage sign, I spend a lot of time researching weather conditions, the position, direction, and quality of the sunlight or moonlight at particular times, and then I scout out various angles and positions of my subject, all the things that will help me reveal the story or emotion I hope to capture with the image. Then it’s just a matter of lugging my gear and waiting for the right moment to click the shutter. After that, I do very little post-processing other than basic dark room development or basic edits in Photoshop.

How did you learn your craft?
I’ve studied photography on the college and post-graduate level for a number of years and am currently on my way to earning my Masters in Fine Art Photography. I’ve studied the work of Master Photographers ( and still do!). Being out in the field shooting with other photographers and experimenting on my own with different cameras, lenses, and technologies has definitely helped me hone my craft.

Hope you all enjoyed this post and I really look forward to featuring (or shining the spotlight on) more wonderful Etsy shops.

XoXo,

PinkDiamondGirl

TMI TAG (Blog Edition)

On my spare time (Specially right before going to bed) I like to watch Youtube beauty/lifestyle videos and some Vlogs. I've been seeing this Tag going around called the TMI TAG and I thought to myself even though I don't do Youtube videos I'd love to participate in this tag! :-D

It's a long list of 50 questions and there are some references to Youtube which I've switched to the word Blog. It's a great way for everyone to get to know each other in a fun way, and I tag everyone who follows my blog! :-) 

So here we go...

1: What are you wearing? I'm wearing black yoga pants and a pink Victoria's Secret shirt
2: Ever been in love? Yes
3: Ever had a terrible breakup? A couple
4: How tall are you? 5'5" or 165 cm
5: How much do you weigh? Kind of personal, but between 110-115 lb
6: Any tattoos? No, and I think there is a 1% likelihood I will ever get one. I'm quite indecisive and get bored of things easily!
7: Any piercings? 3 piercing on each ear lobe but only 1 remains functional! :P
8: OTP? I don't really watch much TV anymore so I can't think of any "one true pairings" :)
9: Favourite show? Shark Tank
10: Favourite bands? Hmmm I don't listen to a lot of music lately so can't think of a favourite
11: Something you miss? Right now I miss warm weather. It's been a long, cold winter here in Canada this year and it's been 6-7 months since it's been warm enough to go out with only a tshirt
12: Favourite song? Right now I LOVE John Legend's "All of Me"... obsessed with it, can't get enough! 
13: How old are you? 31 
14: Zodiac sign? Virgo
15: Quality you look for in a partner? Kind, compassionate, adventurous and easy going
16: Favourite Quote? Many, but this is the last one I posted on my facebook "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." -Abraham Lincoln
17: Favourite actor? Leonardo DiCaprio.... yeap! :)
18: Favourite color? Pink and Aqua (and any pastels at the moment)
19: Loud music or soft? Soft when I need it to be in the background, and loud when I'm driving/working out etc.
20: Where do you go when you're sad? My bedroom!
21: How long does it take you to shower? between 10-40 minutes, depends!
22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? On average 30 minutes
23: Ever been in a physical fight? No, unless fighting with my brother when we were kids count
24: Turn on? Humility, thoughtfulness, sense of humor 
25: Turn off? Arrogance, Selfishness
26: The reason I joined Blogger? To use it as an outlet to express myself, share my projects, connect with others.
27: Fears? I can't swim and I'm terrified of deep water
28: Last thing that made you cry? A rejection call from a job I interviewed for! :-/
29: Last time you said you loved someone? Few hours ago
30: Meaning behind your Blog Name? I have a jewelry shop on Etsy called PinkDiamondDesign and I thought it would be cool to name the blog PinkDiamondGirl to kind of match! :-D
31: Last book you read? Wow it's been a while, I use to be obsessed with reading when I was younger but lately haven't had the time
32: The book you're currently reading? None :-/
33: Last show you watched? I watched Shark Tank last night
34: Last person you talked to? My mom
35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted? My mom hehe
36: Favourite food? Love Persian food, Sushi, any food really
37: Place you want to visit? Many countries around the world, Several in Europe and Asia
38: Last place you were? At the mall to meet my friend
39: Do you have a crush? Not in real life, but "celebrities" sure.. A few! :)
40: Last time you kissed someone? A few months ago
41: Last time you were insulted? A few weeks ago, I think
42: Favourite flavour of sweet? I love coconut or anything with nuts in it (Walnut, Almonds, Pistachios,..) 
43: What instruments do you play?? I played the guitar in high school but nothing since then
44: Favourite piece of jewellery? I love them all but I wear necklaces more than anything else since my wrist and fingers are too small for most standard sized jewelry! :-/
45: Last sport you played? Badminton but that was monthsssss ago haha
46: Last song you sang? "All of me" by John Legend.... While driving in the car
47: Favourite chat up line? Don't have any
48: Have you ever used it? Never lol
49: Last time you hung out with anyone? Couple of days ago 
50: Who should answer these questions next? Everyone who reads/follows my blog. Please leave a link in the comments in case I miss it. 

What do you guys think of turning Youtube tags into blog tags? I think it's kind of fun! :)

XoXo,

PinkDiamondGirl

For the love of tea...

If there is one thing most people in my life know, it's the fact that I LOVE tea. Growing up in a Persian family tea or (Chai) has always been a big part of our lives. It's the drink they serve you at get-togethers, work or most formal functions. We have tea with breakfast in the morning and most enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon or evening as well. Having lived in Canada for 17 years has definitely not changed this habit one bit. I still enjoy my average 2-3 cups of tea daily, and the tea of choice, cardamom black tea!

Traditionally Persians serve tea in clear delicate glass teacups and enjoy it with condensed sugar cubes.

Inspired by this love for tea, recently I added a couple tea inspired jewelry pieces to my shop which I wanted to share with you all. The response has been great and I do really think they are quite cute and fun to wear! :D

First in line is my gold ring with a cute ceramic white teacup on top.

You can find this ring in my shop here

And next would be my teacup earrings. Now these teacups are even tinier than the one I used for the ring. I think they are quite adorable! :)

These ones are also in my shop here

I hope to add more to this lovely tea party collection soon. Maybe a milk pitcher necklace soon?

Here I leave you with a picture of my now Sold Out teapot necklace which I was quite in love with! :D

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

xoxo
PinkDiamondGirl