Better Times, Bitter Times

Filling our days around here is no hard feat! Stacy H. and I chat on the phone about how in every possible snippet of free time we are working on jewelry, listing a new item in our shops, or scouring the internet for awesome supplies to inspire us. Making time for our creative endeavors is definitely not easy between baby bottles, cooking, laundry, potty training accidents, etc but without time to ourselves, we would go insane LOL. Even if a we lose a few winks in exchange for running a kitsch jewelry online shop, it's worth it!

So I just wanted to share a few of the newest things we've been losing sleep over! Check out these SUPER cute tattoo-style earrings from Stacy's shop, Running With Scissors! Perfect for tattoo art lovers or an awesome accessory for those who arent tattooed but would still like to look a little edgy ;)

We have also been madly preparing for the holidays and upcoming events that we will be setting up booths at. I am going to be at Hissyfits' HUGE craft fair up here in Phoenix and we are also both going to be at next year's Tucson Tattoo Expo which we are very excited about!

We will update you with info closer to each event. In the meantime, Stacy H. will be giving away a FREE pair of these "Better Times, Bitter Times" tattoo flash earrings! As usual, just leave a comment below! If you dont have a Blogspot profile please leave your email address in your comment in case you win! Winner will be drawn Halloween night!

Good Luck and feel free to leave comments on stuff you would like to see us make in the future!

XOXO, Stacy M.

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EDIT: 11/16/09 Winner is Ali! Thx for reading our blog and hope these earrings bring you good luck and better times ;)

FREE makeup/jewelry clutch!!

Hey ya'll we just wanted to put the blast out there that we are giving away these ADORABLE zippered pouches absolutely free with any purchase of $25+ or more! This is going on in both my shop, Essem Design and the other Stacy's shop, Running With Scissors! You can use them for just about anything... makeup, school supplies, traveling and of course jewelry LOL. It's our way of saying thanks for being an awesome customer and supporting handmade artists!

Have a great weekend everyone :)

~Stacy M.

REAL product reviews!!

Ok people, Imma gripe for a lil' bit... as an blogger and an artist, I am kind of tired of being approached by people who do "product reviews" on their blog where you have to not only send an item to the person doing said review, but also on as a giveaway to a reader. So I have to come out of pocket 2 items so that maybe you get traffic to my site? Some say this is very successful. I dunno, I understand that the reviewer has to see the items in person to give a good review... but more often is just seems like a ploy for any random person with a blog to get free stuff.

Ok I am gonna stand up and respectfuly say NO! All the giveaways we have done here at Lipgloss and Razorblades are items of our crafter friends who we can personally vouch for their handywork OR items from fellow crafters we have actually purchased! Wow, how's that for an idea!! In this economy, I truly believe in supporting other artists! Buying handmade means you are supporting that person and their family directly! And if you really think someone is worthy of featuring on your blog, then they should be worthy of you yourself purchasing an item from them and supporting them! It's good karma too!

On to the good stuff! I have been dying to post pics of these awesome baby bibs I bought for my now 4 month old girl, Stella, made by Palm Tree Princess! I buy a lots of online baby stuff (the only thing I buy more of is my craft supplies!) and these bibs are SO cute and well made! I got a pink cupcake and a light blue Hello Kitty one! They have absorbant backing and are stitched beautifully. The cute big button closure is a plus for me too cause I hate velcro. So I just wanted to giver her shop a shout out, especially when there are SO many crafters on Etsy, you could spend hours searching for who you think has the best stuff. So, from one mom to another, these are a great find for anyone who loves unique, handcrafted baby stuff!

Her hair bow is by Katie at Lucky Lemon Accessories who is due to have her baby boy ANY day now! She is another great crafter I love. I know, I know, there's a lot of bows out there but really, her stuff is made meticulously with now glue poking out or anything! I was super impressed.

Also, in the future the other Stacy and I will be reviewing other items we have purchased and give you the low down on what stuff we loved!

PLUS, our next few giveaways are going to be our own items that we made and come from inventory in our own shops! All of our giveaways from other artists go directly to the winner, we dont ask for free merch from anyone!

Speaking of giveaways... Stacy H. hasnt picked a winner for the hot yellow Gunslinger Necklace yet! Scroll down, its a totally cute kitsch piece from me, Essem Design! Its still up for grabs, so go comment to be entered to win!!

Check back for updates, trends, info and more awesome giveaways in the future too :) We are building new websites for own online shops and we post hot new items all the time, so there's a lot we're brewing!

XOXO, Stacy M.

GET YOUR OWN IDENTITY B*TCH!!!

okay, okay...so they say the best form of flattery is immitation so let me know if I'm wrong here, but I'm pissed!!
Soooo there's this total C*NT on Etsy who's like TOTALLY copying the designs of like EVERY resin artist on Etsy, me and Lil Stacy included. It's to the point where there is NOTHING in her shop that is original and everything she has is an EXACT REPLICA of an item in another persons shop.....to the tune of 250 items!!! And.....oh it gets worse....AND she's using the same titles and actually COPYING AND PASTING OUR TEXT TOO!!! She is actually using OUR words in her listings, shop announcement, etc!!! The icing on the cake...are you ready for this??? In her shop announcement she says "please don't redistribute or copy my original designs" WTF EVER!!! I'll show you original B*TCH!!! Lil Stace and I composed a very...uh....professional message and sent it to her to no avail....of course!!! I'd love to out this b*tch but I don't want to give her ANY publicity AT ALL!!!! Any advice???

~Stacy H.

L&R back from hiatus!

Hello world!

This is Stacy M. reporting back for duty as crafter, blogger and prize give-a-way-er! For anyone lovely enough to be reading this... you probably know that I had my 2nd baby a little while back and this past couple of months have been crazy! But please welcome little miss Stella Noir who was born on my 30th birthday on May 8th, 2009 :) Here we are at her first pool visit!

So as I acclimate to having 2 kids, I realize what all my mommy friends of more than one said was true, that it's a total juggling act! It's like they tag-team you between the fits and the crying! So here I sit, starving (because gawd forbid I get to eat after catering to their meals) and in this rare moment of quietness (OMG they are BOTH actually sleeping) I decided that our crafty blog needed to be revived... right after paying my car bill online and checking my Etsy store, that is.

So basically, stay tuned for more giveaways as me and the other Stacy hunt down some new-found talent and find some great stuff! Because in this crazy world of ours full of potty-training, making dinner, being good wives, cleaning up dog puke and running errands we still gotta be crafty mamas! So lets cheer for those rare moments of "me" time! Yay!

Ok, I am gonna go eat something. Maybe taquitos in the oven? Ew. Whatever.

~Stacy M.

Our next giveaway is..... Essem Design!!!

Yes!! It is true!!! We both want to participate in giveaways to our readers!!! We appreciate you and want to share our great stuff too!!! In this post I have the honor of reviewing my blogging bff and her magnificent creations!!! If you have seen anything this girl has made you know what I'm talking about!! Stacy Marshall, the woman behind Essem Design, is one of the most talented artists I've ever met and I am lucky to have her as a friend and partner!! Her meticulous attention to detail make her creations not only one of a kind but the peak of perfection!! Not only can she graphic design, paint, and decopage, she is the resin QUEEN!! She has an incredible eye for perfect color combinations and is always making us all oooh and ahhh with her goregous photography to top it off!!! Seriously, there is nothing she can't do!! You really cannot skip this giveaway girls!! I mean it!! Essem Design will be giving the winner of this giveaway a super hot yellow gunslinger resin necklace!!! The eighties are back!! Stay with it and rock this hot accessory this summer!!! To win this item simply leave a comment below about the item up for grabs or anything in Essem Design's shop!! www.essemdesign.etsy.com If you do not have a blogger profile please leave your email address in your comment so we can contact you if you win!!! Good Luck!!

~Stacy H

Winner Chosen!! October 15th 2009
Chrissy Myers you are the lucky winner!! Add this amazing piece to your EXTENSIVE Essem Design jewelry collection!!! We love you!!

Hatchizzi - what a team!

This week's giveaway comes from Hatchizzi! Hatchizzi is a dynamic duo of soon-to-be newlyweds, Lauren and Gabe, that had the great idea to put their creative energy together and start making great handmade jewelry! Two minds are better than one, right?




Ok, check out this shop because their jewelry is beautifully handcrafted and lends a very organic, yet glamorous feeling to anyone wearing it! They also have an awesome variety to choose from and the materials they use vary too, from glass beads, pearls, glass crystals and even wood. Hatchizzi welcomes custom orders if you are looking for specific colors in a piece or if you want to order matching sets for your bridesmaids!

Right now they are giving away not just one piece, but this stunning bracelet/earring set called Keira. So leave your comments people and we will draw a winner in about a month!

~Stacy M.






Winner update: Kim! I will be emailing the winner :)

Our Newest Giveaway, Lockman Pottery!!!

Our newest featured artist is a super talented guy who is oh so good with his hands!! His name is Barry and he's been making this incredibly beautiful pottery for over 35 years!! His pots are oncefired and salted. Salting gives a hard protective coating and tends to reveal nature at its rawest and often finest. He creates the pots using a clay that he digs from the earth himself.... Yes, he is the real deal!!! Also, his pieces are all oven and microwave safe!! What could be better? For this giveaway, you will have your choice of a goblet, bell, or coffee cup!!! Check out his shop!!








As always, to win this item, simply post a comment on this post!! The lucky winner will be chosen on March 22nd!!

March 22nd, Winner Update!!!

A fellow etsier Hatchizzi is the new winner!!! Congrats to the dynamic duo of beading!!! You two rock!!! Everyone check out our Hatchizzi post to be entered for a piece of goregous jewelry!!! Thank you Lockman Pottery!! Your pieces are incredible!!!

Hooray For Crochet

The name says it all! Barbara, who runs Hooray For Crochet, has been crocheting since she was 9 years old! Now how many of us can say we've been doing something for that long? LOL. Her shop on Etsy has a vareity of fashionably knitted items like scarves, hats, jackets and wrist warmers. Winter isnt over yet, so bundle up folks and check out this talented lady's shop!





Leave a comment here to win this beatifully crafted hat! I love how this hat could be both wintery and springy! The beige and black colors go with anything and the flower on the side is SO femme and fun. This wonderful item is not your average knitted beanie, and it could be YOURS!

~Stacy M.



03/13/09 Winner Update!!
The winner for this giveaway is Celeste! I have contacted you via email to claim your beautiful hat!

Move over Bath and Body Works!!! This super-talented lady blows all those commercialized products out of the water!! Her name is Pat and she's been hand-making INCREDIBLE soaps since 2001! She uses the utmost care when selecting her ingredients and she uses the finest skin-safe fragrances and essential oils! She also leaves the bad stuff out! None of her soaps contain any pigments or oxides! They DO contain olive oil, coconut oil, goat's milk and tussah noil silk!! She also adds other ingredients for variety including apricot kernel, avocado, jojoba, macadamia nut, mango butter, shea butter, sunflower, and sweet almond! You can't top her great selection! For this giveaway she is giving the winner a gift certificate to a bar of their choice!! Get ready to papmer yourself! All you have to do to win is leave a comment!! The lucky winner will be announced on March 3rd!! Check our her shop at http://www.boondockg.etsy.com
Here is a lil preview of what you'll see!



Winner update!
Marie Isabella and she chose the Lavender Apples and Oak, YUM!!

Giveaway Time Again!!! This time it's from MeatalLeaves!!

This giveaway features a professional photographer named Nicole who is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design! She has a wonderful eye for a great photo as you will see in her shop at http://www.metalleaves.etsy.com/

She has been around the world and photographed some of our favorite musicians...but now (lucky for us) she is selling her incredible prints on etsy!!! The print that she is giving away is really beautifully done featuring a hearse which is usually really morbid, however, she shows it beneath an incredible blue sky...I think you'll love it! The winner will recieve a professionally printed 5" x 7" of this goregous print!! As usual, all you need to do to win is leave a comment to this post!! The winner will be chosen on February 25th!!

02/25/09 Winner Update!
Rachel from Jungle Scrapper! Congrats!

Jungle Scrapper - handmade card queen!

Here at Lipgloss and Razorblades we are doing a great new giveaway from another awesome crafter! Let me introduce you to Rachel from Jungle Scrapper who is a rockin' stay-at-home mama and wife to a Marine who, like many of us, loves being crafty and creative in her spare time!

www.junglescrapper.etsy.com

Right now her Etsy store is chock full of the most detailed and well-crafted cards and tags you will find around! And dont let the name fool you, Jungle Scrapper has a little something for everyone from safari themes, cupcakes and skulls. I have seen them in person and I was impressed by their quality and her attention to detail! I have done my fair share of paper crafting like scrapbooking, card making, decoupage etc but her cards really show her expertise in this area!

Rachel uses the cutest ribbon and embellishments! And at such an affordable price you can have a beautifully made card that is fit to give at any special event. Cards and tags are not just for giving either people! For the less crafty people, they would be easy to use in your scrapbooking or in a frame paired up with some photos!



Ok, so dont just take my word for it, check out her shop and leave a quick comment here to win this badass girly skull card!




Feb. 18th 2009
Congratulations to Marigold!! You are the lucky winner!!!

Giveaway Time Again!! Sherri from ss10001

You know it! Giveaway time is here again!! These are the goregous earrings that can be yours! They were handmade by a super-talented crafter named Sherri! This lovely lady combines the art of macrame and beading to create some of the most original and unique jewelry you've ever seen! She uses a variety of tiny cords and beads and weaves them together to create jewelry that is beautiful and easy to wear! You've GOT to go see it for yourself... http://www.s10001.etsy.com/

and.....as usual.....just leave your comment to this post to be entered in the drawing for this AWESOME prize! Winner will be announced on Feb. 10th. Just in time for Valentine's Day!

Feb. 10th 2009

Congratulations to Micaela6955!! You are the lucky winner!!