BESTeam Trio

"Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity." ~Bo Bennett

This week I ask the questions, what inspires you? How do you take your inspiration and turn it into something fabulous? This week's trio brings three very inspiring shops: The Orange Windmill, Empty on the Inside and CK Silver. What better place to capture your ideas than in a beautiful hand-bound leather journal?! The Orange Windmill is the perfect place to find just that. A dutch girl calling Canada her home, Shirley loves all things handmade. Her journals are made from scratch of hand-cut leather and hand torn sheets of paper. They are so gorgeous I wouldn't want to dirty the pages.

Leather Journal, Green, Hand-Bound 4.5 x 6 Journal

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Annie from Empty on the Inside wants you to use your own inspiration to finish the cards she makes. Phrases of beauty being skin deep and beautiful inside and out morphed into Empty on the Inside. This name is not a reflection of sadness or loneliness, but instead a symbol of leaving space on the inside of her hand-painted cards for a personal, heart-felt message. So grab that pen and put the card giants to shame!

Bouquet of Flowers Blank Greeting Card

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If writing down your thoughts aren't working stir up any ideas, wearing this inspirational necklace may be not only a great accessory, but a motivator. Cindy and Marilyn, a mother-daughter team, create classic pieces of jewelry in their shop CK Silver. These sterling silver pieces are beautiful, timeless, elegant and unique incorporating freshwater pearls, semi-precious stones and Swarovski crystal.

Fancy Jasper Inspirational Necklace

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As a member of BESTeam (Boosting Etsy Shops Team) myself, along with the members of this team promote each other by blogging, Twitter, Facebook, in treasuries, etc. For more information please visit: Boosting Etsy Shops Team or the Etsy team page.

BESTeam Trio

Sun tanned toes ticklin the sand
Cold drink chillin in my right hand
- "When The Sun Goes Down" Kenny Chesney

In a new BESTeam format, I will now be featuring not one, but three shops weekly! This week I've chosen a beach theme showcasing items from Redemption Art, Ms Formaldehyde and Our Home To Yours.

The plane is first landing on the Hawaiian islands to check out Redemption Art. You may remember Connie's shop from my feature last week. Her store brings hand picked items found in places from high end estate sales to neighborhood garage sales. Doesn't this Vintage Ceramic Sea Shell exude the feel of Hawaii??

A short hop off the island lands us in San Diego, California with Ms Formaldehyde. Specializing in accessories which incorporate styles of gothic, voodoo, glitter fashion, lowbrow, lolita pin up and dita burlesque these accessories will be sure to get you noticed. Her love of tiki, Polynesian, Hawaii and Day of the Dead can be seen in items such as these Black Tiki Earrings

To wrap up our beach tour we'll stop on the east coast in North Carolina to check out Debbi and Amanda's shop, Our Home To Yours. This mother-daughter duo offers a wide variety of handmade creations including scarves and jewelry. They are currently working on stocking up for the holiday season so be sure to check back often for new items. A trip to the beach wouldn't be complete without a pair of flip flops! These Funky Fuzzy Lime Green Fun Fur Flip Flops are so great, you might not want to kick them off :)

Chicky D's Air has landed for the evening. Next flight will be departing the week of September 26th. Until then, please take some time at each of these fabulous shops!

I hope everyone is awake and enjoying their Sunday afternoon! I just thought I'd share this picture...while taking some product pictures in close proximity to where Bagheera was sunbathing I decided I'd snap a few pictures of her as well. Next thing I know she's letting out a big yawn and I was fortunate enough to snap a picture quickly. In a way I think it looks like she's screaming.

BESTeam Feature :: Redemption Art

As the temperatures are dropping here in the Midwest and the summer is slowly slipping away, miles and miles away on the Hawaiian islands Connie of Redemption Art is searching for the perfect vintage items to offer for you. After spending a lot of time in the corporate world to provide for her family, Connie is now able to take the experiences, relationships and wisdom gained and translate it into successfully managing her online businesses.

From high end estate sales to old China Town antique shops, items are hand picked while relationships are developed. Through providing quality products, listings and customer service, the hope that these experiences of finding the unusual and eclectic can be transcended to the customer is desired.

Check out some of my favorite items and head over to Redemption Art...perhaps you'll find a little piece of Hawaii just right for your home!

Vintage Tea Pot Copper and Ceramic Found in Hawaii

Vintage Hawaiian Tiki Kitsch Figurine

Catnip Toy Hawaiian Rain Forest Friends Two and Three

How cute are these?! From Connie's second Etsy shop, Volcano Girl Creations, these adorable pals can be found amongst several other Hawaiian inspired handmade creations.

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BESTeam Feature :: Upcycle, Recycle, Reuse

I think that everyone is at least aware of the implications of not recycling items that can be. In my adult life I've realized the simple steps I can take to make a difference, even if it is small, by being more eco-friendly. From choosing to filter my own water instead of buying bottled and bringing reusable grocery bags to the store to opt out of using multiple plastic bags, these small efforts can hopefully make a big impact if everyone else joins in.

With the same mindset, Upcycle, Recycle, Reuse takes old products and transforms them into something of more value. With a goal of preventing the potential waste of usable materials and reinventing them has the potential to reduce the consumption of raw materials. This reduction can also impact energy usage, air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Here you will find a variety of cards, gift boxes, envelopes, paper embellishments and even a journal. Below is a sampling of items you will find at Upcycle, Recycle, Reuse

Birds and Spring Blooms Gift Box

Any Occasion Bright Floral Embellished Blank Card

Classic Cat Handmade Envelopes, Black and White

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