I opened my inbox earlier this week to discover the latest newsletter from the Humanitarian Service Project (HSP), a wonderful non-for-profit in our area dedicated to serving the less fortunate in Kane and DuPage Counties. For several years Q and I have participated in HSP activities such as buying presents for giving trees and helping with gift sorting around the holidays. Well... as I was reading through the newsletter at the verrrry bottom there was a note about a new spin-off of the popular birthday box project HSP does. Instead of birthday party supplies, they will be collecting arts & crafts supplies in kits for children ages 8 - 12 and up to 15 for the holidays. I got so excited! This is a great opportunity to give to the community in a new way... and not only that.... but in a way that supports and fosters creativity in young people!

I immediately set to work trying to figure out how to raise awareness while also gathering supplies and I decided to incorporate the Quintessential Quirks Etsy store. So for every item sold from November 1st through December 6th, 2009 I am going to donate an arts & crafts supply. The supplies will be assembled into creativity kits to be delivered to HSP on December 13th when Q and I participate in the annual present sort.

I've already put a notice up on my Etsy store and I sent a preliminary tweet out. My goal is to be able to provide 5 creativity boxes to HSP by December 13th. I can't wait to get started!

SQ

... and just a quick note about another exciting development... today my Red Tomato Poptop was featured in this Etsy "Do-It-Yourselfer" Gift Guide!

Where do I even begin?! It's been an absolutely crazy week at QQ/SMC. After Q's amazing Etsy front page appearance... Screamin Monkey Circus had a Hollow Book Safe included in The Storque (Etsy's Handmade Blog) in an article titled "Etsy Finds: Libra vs. Scorpio" that was e-mailed to about a million subscribers. We were both shocked to find the book included as the store is relatively new and although we do advertise on Facebook and Twitter, we certainly don't have a budget to pay for advertising to get noticed like that... and boy did it open the flood gate! Q has been absolutely inundated with orders! Shop visits were over 1,000 views yesterday and hearts are through the roof. Even Quintessential Quirks has tipped 70 + hearts now!

After rolling out the most recent Poptop Pincushion Rings, I've had several requests for custom orders that I have been happy to fulfill. I am most proud of the orange Crush design I created for a customer. I ended up making a second Crush Poptop because I loved how it turned out. I haven't snapped a photo yet, but I will. It's on the list with the Apple Pie on a Stick recipie I HAVEN'T forgotten about.

Speaking of food... I embarked on another food-related adventure recently and created bite sized pumpkin pies for the lovely people at my work. Here is a cell phone photo of the pies in progress and completed:



They were easy to make and I used a technique I read on Bakerella! I just used 2 boxes of Jiffy Pie Crust Mix and one regular can of pumpkin pie filling. Just make the pie filling according to the instructions on the can. I did the crust one box at a time. The beauty of Jiffy is that you only need to add water and it comes out really well every time. Seriously. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Then I used a cookie cutter to make the bitty crusts. It was probably about 3 inches in diameter... work with whatever you got. Stick them in a mini cupcake pan and add a tablespoon of pie filling to each crust. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Each box will make 24 mini crusts and the pie filling will fill all 48 perfectly. (There will be left over dough for Monkey Tails should you wish to make them! Just roll out the dough, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar and roll them up. Bake for about 10 minutes or til done.)

YUM!

In other interesting personal news, as many know I am in grad school right now working towards a Masters in Leadership Studies. Well, it turns out I might be closer to the finish line than I originally thought. The faculty in my program have revised the curriculum restructuring the requirements and according to my transcript, I have completed the necessary requirements after this quarter! Amazing news! I do still have a thesis to complete but knowing that I am almost finished with courses is a great relief.

Until next time!

SQ

Hello!! Q reminded me yesterday that I had not blogged in quite some time... I didn't realize how long it's really been! Things around here on the craft front have been quiet for the most part... well until recently. Q had a rather large order of 7 hollow book safes come in from a couple in San Francisco getting married this weekend. They too are using them as groomsmen gifts like previous sales. Who knew Q would be making such an impact on the wedding scene with those books! Amazing! The bride also decided to order each of her 6 bridesmaids a Love Bird Lavender Trio sachet set too. This weekend was very busy for us here at SMC/QQ headquarters to say the least.

In other big news, I received a text from my friend Chris at 12:15 am this morning telling me that Q's most recent computer hard drive/turntable creation made it to the front page of Etsy last night at midnight. Talk about a wonderful surprise! Our first front page feature!



I also woke to a lovely surprise with a message in my inbox from Damjama on Etsy notifying me the she had featured my brown Poptop Pincushion with a red heart on her blog: Loddelina Designs. I highly recommend you check out her shop and blog as they are both full of beautiful things.

I have another sachet order that came in yesterday almost ready to ship... but I do have grad school tonight so unfortunately it will be another day before I can work on the finishing touches. All in all, things are going well at SMC/QQ. I've also been in touch with Bella Cosa out in Long Beach and their brick and mortar store is coming along well so QQ is still slated to be in store for their opening day! Come on supply order! I'm just waiting on you!

Until next time,

SQ

Hello all!

I am officially signed on to do consignment at Bella Cosa green boutique in Long Beach, CA! Putting together an inventory list right now and the store is slated to open late October. I will be sending my lavender and cedar sachets along with my Poptop Pin Cushions! Now to come up with appropriate packaging to ensure freshness of the sachets...

SQ

What a refreshing weekend! I hope everyone had a nice relaxing time :)

Since coming home Q and I have been going non-stop in the crafting department. Yesterday I came home from work to find plastic cups, light bulbs (some broken, some not), screws, nuts & bolts, quick set cement, bottle caps, glue sticks, magnets, and two extra large zucchinis in the kitchen. Not to mention the bag of lavender and photography equipment I left hanging around....

At any rate things are getting done! This weekend is the DuPage Co. All Night Flea Market and we are attending! Every year we go to staff the M.I.N.I. club table but this year we are gearing up to sell too! Exciting :)

In other exciting news... 3 of my items have made it onto CraftGawker.com! The pretty lavender sachets, my sunny side up flower, and my little teal poptop. It is juried website so I am happy to have been accepted. It is an absolutely beautiful website... another one of those where you can just get lost for hours.

Sooo it is getting quite late here in Chicagoland so I best be closing up shop. Before I go though, here is a kinda crummy photo of the recent additions to the Poptop family. The delicious photos to come soon ;) Good night and be well.

SQ

TA-DA! Introducing an original quirk: poptop pin cushions! They are made of the same eco felt I use in all my crafts and itty bitty buttons cradled in a upcycled pop (root beer) and beer bottle caps. Contemplating offering these as-is even though their original intent was to be attached to ring blanks and be pin cushion rings. I absolutely love how they turned out. One would be just as useful in a mini sewing kit as on a ring. They fit perfectly in an Altoids tin... I tested it out! More photos are on my Facebook Fan Page: http://tinyurl.com/mwsa6b


Next in line to be completed are these little sachets for lavender. I just need to fill them up and package them and they will be ready for their new home. The pound of lavender in my work space waiting to be scooped up is soooo lovely.

The long awaited red and orange fall leaf has FINALLY been listed. I was stalled so many times with this one but fingers crossed, the next few will not be such an ordeal!


SQ