psst...my new blog is hosting a contest

Love the pandacub (now known as frolic) flaunt bobby pins and rings? They're my most popular collection in the shop.

Well, I'm giving away a set of the flaunt bobby pins and a matching ring in your choice of colour in my November weekly giveaway (which means there are lots of other goodies being given away all month!) on my new blog. Go check it out now!

pandacub wants...sherlock holmes (and watson too!)

My husband and I have just finished watching the third episode of the absolutely brilliant Sherlock series starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman (from the British version of The Office) as Watson.

I love reading Sherlock Holmes (my favourite is the Hound of the Baskervilles), and have watched several different interpretations of the characters through the years. This one is a modern take on the characters (Holmes is quite fond of texting and Watson has a blog), it's very well written and acted and I'm quite upset that the first season (or series, as they say in the UK) was only 3 (yes, THREE) episodes long.

But I'm super happy and excited to find out that on Aug 10, they just renewed Sherlock of a second series so there will definitely be more great episodes to come!

In the meantime, I'm browsing Etsy for Sherlock-inspired items.

Top row:
1. Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...mini wooden library book - hand made from scratch...from the elloh public library...one of a kind...keychain or miniature wall art, $24.00 by elloh
2. Sherlock Holmes Tote Bag, $20.00 by chibitoaster
3. Sherlock, $15.00 by boisdarc

Middle row:
4. Sherlock Holmes, 8 x 10 art print, $13.00 by Larriva
5. Sherlock Holmes - 13 inch Version - Macbook Vinyl Decal, $12.00 by TheDarkMonkey
6. Sherlock Holmes, $50.00 by Jtnee

Bottom row:
7. Sherlock Color Graph Afghan pattern, $3.20 by CrochetChest
8. Sherlock Holmes Tie Tack - Come Watson - the Game is afoot, $8.00 by pretentiousjewelry
9. Sherlock - Etching on Clay Brooch, rolled edge setting, $35.00 by Musetypes

pandacub wants...more shakespeare

As I blogged about on Sunday, I was lucky enough to have tickets to watch Christopher Plummer as Prospero in Shakespeare's The Tempest on Saturday, so I have a little bit of Shakespeare on the brain.

I was never really interested in the Bard in high school (there's something that turns me off whenever I'm "forced" to read something) but now that I'm a little bit older, and wiser, I can definitely appreciate more the witty wordplay and cultural impact of Shakespeare.

Let's see what a search of "Shakespeare" turned up on Etsy...

Top row:
1. Exit pursued by a bear, $1.00 by beanforest
2. Shakespeare Art Taming of the Shrew 8.5 x 11 Print, $18.00 by thedreamygiraffe
3. Shakespeare Smarty Pants Tie, $20.00 by inhope

Middle row:
4. Shakespeare- 8 X 10 Digital Print, $20.00 by Goobeetsa
5. Tempest Journal - Shakespeare Leatherbound Blank Book, $35.00 by immortallongings (this is the second journal that I've bought from immortallongings - they're even more stunning in person!)
6. To Be Or Not To Be, $20.00 by CupcakesAndMace

Bottom row:
7. sterling silver ring engraved Love all,trust a few, do wrong to none. size 6 1/2 (M1/2), $120.00 by pocketfullofpoesy
8. A Plague on All Your Houses Shakespearean Pin Brooch from Hoolala, $4.00 by hoolala
9. William Shakespeare's Hamlet 'To Be Or Not To Be' Brass Cuff, $38.00 by JezebelCharms

pandacub wants...ice cream

Toronto has just gone through a week-long heat wave. And since last winter, when it was -39 degrees C and icy, I vowed never to complain about the heat again, I didn't say one negative thing about the heat. But I did have lots of cold drinks handy!

One thing I didn't have a lot of, and would like more of, is ice cream!

Top row:
1. Crochet Pattern - FRUITY ICE CREAM - Play food, $5.99 by skymagenta
2. Ii is for Ice Cream, $14.00 by ModernPop
3. PDF Printable- Kawaii Pink and Green Ice Cream Trucks, $2.50 by paperglitter

Middle row:
4. Personalized Ice Cream Ice Cream Man Bowls with Handles (set of 4), $55.00 by happiestdaysdesigns
5. Roscata Pastel Ice Cream Cone Purse Charm Bag Charm, $18.00 by roscata
6. Big Scoop, $50.00 by CharleneFreemanArt

Bottom row:
7. Cat Art- Stolen Cone - Print, $18.00 by amberalexander
8. with a cherry on top - 5x7 fine art photograph, $15.00 by heidiherrera
9. Grape and kiwi ice cream cone post earrings, $8.00 by mmagda

patriotic hair accessories

So both Canada Day (July 1) and Independence Day (Jluy 4) are a month away, but I figured it's a good time to start promoting these adorable bobby pins that are relatively new in my shop. This way, you have lots of time to buy your own pair and get them shipped to you in time for the celebration!

Not based in Canada or the USA? Check my shop anyway as there are several other countries that I have flags for (like Germany, France, UK and more!)

pandacub wants...a newspaper

Well, kind of. To celebrate the upcoming launch of the pandacub e-newsletter (have you signed up for it yet?) I did a quick search on Etsy for some nice newspaper inspired items and look what I found!

Top row:
1. Headline News Reusable Sandwich Baggie w/ Waterproof Lining, $6.75 by bellsandunicorns
2. On the Toilets - open edition print, $15.00 by TheNebulousKingdom
3. My Medium Purse- Extra, Extra, Read All About It, $16.00 by wildmustangs

Middle row:
4. The Daily Prophet Reporter - badge, $2.00 by celestefrittata
5. Newsprint and Dot Reversible Headband, $10.00 by darlingdaisy2468
6. Toronto Egg Prices, $35.00 by jennlawrence

Bottom row:
7. NewsPaper Retro Circle Pendant Necklace, $14.00 by PaisleyChainsaw
8. Newspaper and Billboard Messenger Bag, $69.99 by ReclaimedWreckage
9. Lovely Real retro Vintage Fabric newspaper Patch Petticoat skirt with Ruffles, $180.00 by malam

pandacub wants...to see a robin

I didn't even realize that the first day of Spring has passed - although we did have amazing Spring-like weather here in Toronto last week. Alas, this week, it's back to rain, damp and single digit temperatures again. :(

I'm sooooo ready for Spring. And summer, but I'll settle for Spring. I just want warm weather, so I'm hoping to spot my first robin soon as that always gives me hope that the warmer temperatures are just around the corner.

In the meantime, check out these lovely robin-related items I found on Etsy!

Top row:
1. robin short-sleeved, $22.00 by mollyotshirts
2. Robin Ball Needlefelting Kit, $12.00 by fancytiger
3. Needle Felted Bird Wool Soft Sculpture-Robin With Nest, $22.00 by JaniceCordeiro

Middle row:
4. The Robins are Back - Fine Art Print, $18.00 by theeye
5. Tiny Woodland Terrarium Robin's Nest Necklace, $44.50 by WoodlandBelle
6. Robin Coin Purse, $8.00 by birdversusbird

Bottom row:
7. Robins Nest Bracelet, $26.00 by mootsie
8. Bird Nest 3 - Original Painting, $27.50 by peacockgarden
9. Wee Robin On A Spool, $24.00 by humblebea

pandacub shops local in...dublin, ireland

More St. Patrick's Day-related goodies! This time, I headed a little south and "shopped local" in Dublin, Ireland! :)

Ok, so now that pandacub has checked out some Etsy sellers in Belfast and Dublin - where should I "shop local" next? (Check out all the posts under "pandacub shops local" to see where else I've been!)

For more things Irish - check out the lovely Crafty Ireland team over at the Etsy Ireland blog!


Left to right:
Top row:
1. Gingerbread Bears - One Dozen Gingerbread Cookies, $30.00 by gingerbreadstreet
2. Assorted greetings (Set of 4), $16.00 by littlewhitedog
3. Large Toy Car Plates, $46.00 by scottmccarthy

Middle row:
4. Blue Glass Pearl and Swarovski Crystal Ring, $28.99 by LauraCassidyDesign
5. Heart Belt / Head Band, $75.00 by byathreadhats
6. Original Mixed Media - wee houses in blue, $38.00 by irisoconnor

Bottom row:
7. Fairy Dust - White Hand Felted Flower Necklace, $40.00 by Crafts2Cherish
8. Proud as a Peacock to be Irish - folded square card, $3.50 by propeller
9. Peacock Feather Silk Brocade and Silk Lined coin purse, $24.00 by BagNoir

pandacub shops local in...belfast, ireland

I've just discovered some pretty amazing shops from sellers all over the lovely country of Ireland thanks to the Etsy Ireland blog and with St. Patrick's Day coming up, I've decided to "shop local" in Belfast, Ireland! :)

Tomorrow, I'll be "shopping local" in Dublin!

For more things Irish - check out the lovely Crafty Ireland team over at the Etsy Ireland blog!


Left to right:
Top row:
1. Six Tea Cups, Card, $5.00 by bridbird
2. Special Spiral Necklace - Silver and Black, $43.00 by aurajewellery
3. Little Book of Love, Hand Made Artist Book, $12.00 by BridgetFarmerBooks

Middle row:
4. big bubble beads, $45.00 by poisonits
5. Donegal Sunset Greeting Card, $3.00 by fatlittlepixie
6. Celtic Organic Cotton Fair Trade t shirt, $25.00 by GreenWorks

Bottom row:
7. Textile brooch pin, $12.00 by lilgreenshop
8. Blueberry Bubbles Pearl Bracelet, $24.00 by AMIdesigns
9. Shifty Cat - ACEO, $5.00 by moonkooki

pandacub march giveaway

Yep, that's right! The pandacub giveaway returns for the second month in a row (having such a great time with this I may make it permanent, but we'll see...)

One lucky winner will receive their choice of ONE pair of bobby pins from the House Collection:
- the house collection - lions (Gryffindor House): red blossoms on gold bobby pins
- the house collection - badgers (Hufflepuff House): yellow blossoms on black bobby pins
- the house collection - snakes (Slytherin House): green blossoms on silver bobby pins
- the house collection - eagles (Ravenclaw House): blue blossoms on copper bobby pins

These bobby pins are fairly new to the pandacub shop and were inspired by the Harry Potter series. But, of course, you don't have to be a fan of the book/movie series to enjoy these pretty blossom bobby pins (perfect for spring!)

Visit my shop, pandacub, then come back here and tell me what your favorite thing in the shop is! Just leave it in a comment on this post.

Want extra entries? (you must complete the first step above before doing these)
- 1 extra entry: Follow this blog. Leave a comment telling me that you've become a Follower (or that you were already a Follower).
- 1 extra entry: Become a Facebook fan at http://www.facebook.com/pages/pandacub/82432588156. Leave comment telling me that you've become a fan (or that you were already a fan).
- 3 extra entries: Follow me on Twitter (pandacubcafe) and tweet about this contest (use the tag @pandacubcafe so I can see your tweet). Leave a comment letting me know you've done this.
- 10 extra entries: Buy anything from my pandacub shop. Come back and leave a comment letting me know what you bought and your Etsy username.

Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!

Notes:
- This contest closes at midnight (ET) on Monday, March 29, 2010.
- Winner will be contacted via email shortly after the contest closes.
- This giveaway is open worldwide.

GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!

mulling around...

I love it when the weather starts to turn and things get warmer. Although I can't really complain much about the winter we just had, I still am a much happier person when the warmer months start kicking in. Just the fact that it's bright when I wake up and still light out when I get out of the office makes me smile.

So, with the change in weather, there are lots of fun ideas bubbling around in my mind in regards to pandacub. Some will probably never see the light of day, but there are others that have great possibilities...

- a really fun contest that involves all my lovely pandacub customers

- a monthly e-newsletters with special giveaways and discount codes

- a Tudor-inspired collection of pandacub accessories

Of course, much of this will depend on my day-job schedule and how much I can actually accomplish in the few hours I have after work, but I'm having fun daydreaming anyway!

What do you think?

pandacub wants...lemons

I love lemons. I love how cheerfully yellow they are. And the smell - it's so fresh! And I love a nice lemonade...and lemon candy...and lemon sorbet...mmmm.


Top row:
1. Lite, Low-Cal, Low-Fat Lemon Love Cheesecake, $15.00 by GoomasGoodies
2. Hand Painted Modern Lovely Lemon Slice Recycled Wall Clock, $14.99 by bearlyart
3. Lemons in a bowl - original oil painting - 6x6, $58.00 by sharonschock

Middle row:
4. Lemon Verbena Handmade Soap, $5.00 by seaspritesoaps
5. Lemons on Blue -5 x 5 Fine Art Photography Print, $15.00 by JenniferAitchison
6. Dollhouse miniature Lemon Meringue Pie, $8.00 by BlueKittyMiniatures

Bottom row:
7. Lemonade Cross Stitched Refrigerator Magnet, $12.00 by DefiantDamsel
8. Meyer Lemons Sandwich Sak, $7.50 by WasteNotSaks
9. Lemon Sugar Lip Balm, $3.50 by FlourishBathBody

what a weekend!

I had a great Etsy weekend and wanted to do a quick thank you to everyone!

This past weekend, I hit 400 sales in my pandacub Etsy shop and I was featured in THREE treasuries!

thank you!

I just wanted to post a happy hug & thank you to my lovely friends, fans and customers. :)

My little pandacub Etsy shop shop is 2 sales away from its 400th sale and this week we hit 900 shop hearts!

Yay!

february giveaway

I had such a great time with my November giveaway that I figured it would be a nice cheerful way to brighten up February.

One lucky winner will receive ONE pair of Flaunt bobby pins in the colour of their choice (available colours: black, purple or red).

These bobby pins are new to the pandacub shop and are very sparkly and would be a nice feminine touch for a night out on the town or just to to brighten up a normal day!


Here's how to enter:
Visit my shop, pandacub, then come back here and tell me what your favorite thing in the shop is! Just leave it in a comment on this post.

Want extra entries? (you must complete the first step above before doing these)
- 1 extra entry: Follow this blog. Leave a comment telling me that you've become a Follower (or that you were already a Follower).
- 1 extra entry: Become a Facebook fan at http://www.facebook.com/pages/pandacub/82432588156. Leave comment telling me that you've become a fan (or that you were already a fan).
- 3 extra entries: Follow me on Twitter (pandacubcafe) and tweet about this contest (use the tag @pandacubcafe so I can see your tweet). Leave a comment letting me know you've done this.
- 5 extra entries: Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Leave a comment here and include the URL where I can see your post
- 10 extra entries: Buy anything from my pandacub shop. Come back and leave a comment letting me know what you bought and your Etsy username.

Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!

Notes:
- This contest closes at midnight (ET) on Monday, February 15, 2010.
- Winner will be announced on this blog shortly after the contest closes.
- This giveaway is open worldwide.

GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!

pandacub wants...lilies

I love lilies! Lilies of every colour, big lilies, calla lilies, tiny lillies - I love them all.

Look at all the lovely lilies on Etsy!


Top row:
1. Sweet Lilly Bracelet - Liquid Silver, $19.00 by sweetfindings4you
2. Ruby Red Lily Napkin Rings - 50 pieces, $65.00 by PrudenceOctavia
3. Carved Stone Black Lily Pendant, $18.00 by TrashAndTrinkets

Middle row:
4. 1/12 Scale Dollhouse Miniature Wedding Cake with Blue Ribbon and Calla Lilies, $15.50 by creationsinminiature
5. 10 Hand Molded Calla Lily SOAPS -Scented Favors/Table Decor 4 inch, $12.99 by enchantingsoapfavors
6. Purple Flower Blossom Earrings - France Earrings in Mattte Purple Lucite, $22.00 by Dalim

Bottom row:
7. Blue with Purple Lily Hair Flower Clip, $8.99 by paintergrrrl
8. Melanie Collection lined in Victorian rose silk, $70.00 by FIAZCO
9. Snow Lily, $12.00 by allnaturalimages

pandacub shops local in...toronto, canada

Ok, this is cheating a little, but for my first "pandacub shops local..." feature, I, obviously, HAD to do my own hometown of Toronto, Canada.

The best thing about this list is that I've actually met some of these great Etsians in person at local craft shows so I know first-hand just how talented they really are. (And yes, I do own some of their great hand-crafted creations).

Ok, so now that pandacub has checked out the Etsy sellers in Toronto - where should I "shop local" next?


Left to right:
Top row:
1. Quick Snap Card Holder - Little Bird Sunburst, $8.00 by DearSukie
2. Pink glass pendant with steel wire chocker included, $22.00 by taragilchrist
3. Little Gnome, $20.00 by VintagePaperParade

Middle row:
4. elk pillow, $38.00 by linesbydavis
5. I love my coffee break - 6x6 inches print, $20.00 by joojoo
6. Mustache Handkerchiefs - Pop Of Color - Set of 4, $56.00 by avrilloreti

Bottom row:
7. contemporary table runner (cyan blue and brown), $40.00 by knottednest
8. pretty spring skunk, $37.00 by pupa
9. Pleated Wristlet- Indian Summer, $25.00 by LMcreation

mmmm...candy

Let me start this post off by saying I never win anything. Nothing. Ever. My sister, on the other hand, wins things all the time. She must have gotten the "luck" gene from my parents.

Anyhow, I rarely bother entering contests because of my lack of luck, but once in a while there are contests that I can't resist - cute handcrafted dolls, unique prints...and candy. :)

So I threw my name in to the Sweet Lollipop Shop's 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway back in November and then forgot about it. Imagine my surprise when I got an email telling me I won!!!

I was soooo excited!

I won 2 YUMMY bags of their Crystal Jewels Barley Hard Candy - in "Egg Nog Delight" and in "Cranberry".

The Crystal Jewels candy come in perfect bite-size and last quite a long time. I love having the bag at my desk at work for a quick pick-me-up whenever I have a sweet craving. Now I'm hooked. The best thing is that the Sweet Lollipop Shop has soooo many flavours to choose from that there's something for everyone.

And they don't just sell Crystal Jewels candy - they also sell fun-shaped lollipops as well. You can check out all their tempting goodies in their Etsy shop - Sweet Lollipop Shop.

free shipping at pandacub all weekend

Looking for some cute little accessories for the holiday gift-giving season?

My little Etsy shop, pandacub, is offering free worldwide shipping all weekend, so why not browse for some great deals?

Pandacub accessories make perfect stocking stuffers, or offer a imaginative way to decorate a gift!

Or...you can always treat yourself to something nice too!

introducing pandacub pips

I was kind of bored last night and doing some random Etsy stuff for my shop (cutting fabric, gluing bobby pins, etc) while watching TV and for no reason, decided to rename one of my products and expand the collection.

Some of my bobby pins that are made up of smaller buttons are sold in sets of 5 and I love making pretty matching sets. I had a few that were based on the seasons for inspiration and then others that were matched based on colour. They're a great way to accessorize with a little colour.

So, as I was playing with my fabric, I decided to try and create as many different colour sets as possible and will be posting these in my shop in the next couple of weeks.

Also, they used to be named after the seasons or colours, but I've decided to give them a common name and make it a real collection. So...I'm officially introducing...pandacub pips!

According to wikipedia: "Pips are small but easily countable items. It is used to describe the dots on dominoes, dice, denote suits, and is the name for the small seeds of some fruits. It could be used as a synonym for dot in most situations, for example morse code."

So, I think "pips" are a cute way to describe these little bobby pins. What do you think of the new name?