Valentines Gift Guide... and the countdown begins

Today I wanted to share a quick little gift guide for the Valentines Holiday.

I created this awesome little treasury on Etsy. Featuring the lovely work of Shantastic Shine Sales, Forgotten Cotton, Beadsoul, SteamCircus.com  ,and Chrysalis Jewelry  
and many more!

I will be working on a 14 days of Valentines gifts , and decor... I will hopefully be featuring each of these lovely creators from this treasury once they get back to me :)

Time to let the handmade gifts and romance begin.

CLICK HERE  FOR MY Valentines treasury

Custom Birds Nest Necklaces

Custom Birds Nest Necklaces are now being made. I have been working on different combinations to incorporate birth stone colors, and other neat little things to make them special. I created this custom pair for my Aunt in Missouri! I hope she loves them. They were made JUST for her.
This set was specifically made to represent this Mommas four "babies" which include her 2 children and 2 grandchildren.
The four eggs in the nest are to those four closest to Momma Birds heart.

The Earrings Beads and Gems are to represent Birth months of children.

Dark Green -  Emerald- May
Light Green - Peri dot- August
Pearl - self explanatory- June
Dark Red- Garnet - January

I can also make custom bracelets and anklets to go with the sets. I enjoy making these special pieces for moms especially. It's a way of letting them keep their loved ones close at heart and to have a fun story behind their accessories.

Place an order and we shall work together to make something special for someone special today.

SHOP SHANTASTIC ON ETSY .... Order yours today!

Currently updating shops then will update blog!

Been playing in the studio again!

Amazing Mis Matched Glove Love

I have been networking with some awesome new people. While doing soo I keep searching etsy for some awesome new finds as well! I came accross these fingerless gloves and I must say I fell in love!

Peak at the shop they came from HERE

Ms. Heidi from The Savvy Stitch makes awesome home spun yarn and other awesome yarn made products! I can't crochet knit or weave! So I truly cherish items like these.  If anyone wants to get me a present I would love to see these join my wardrobe ;)

Did I mention she just started her blog TODAY!!! Go over and show her some love  :) she's doing awesome and didn't realize how easy bloggin' really is !


Happy Crafting

Links for easy finding :)

 I  just wanted to remind everyone  that I am looking for new friends to blog with and crafty people to help support!

Here are great ways to keep up with Shantastic!

Facebook me @: https://www.facebook.com/ShantasticSales


of course I'm on twitter @ : https://twitter.com/ShantasticSales

I am addicted to Pinterest @ : http://pinterest.com/ShantasticSales/

I also try selling on Artfire @ : http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/shantasticinksales

I am really looking to link up with some people. I am kicking off my blog and want to make it more active. I would love to do some featuring and giveaways. If you are interested in working together and are crafty , artsy, or a blogger of any kind _ PLEASE_ feel free to contact me via any webpage :)

Beaded Hypsy Jewelry

I wanted to try some new wire bead techniques so I experimented with these awesome little necklaces. Boyfriend calls them "hypsy" jewelry. 

BUY ME HERE

His "clever" combo of Hippie Gypsy, which he says is my new style... I can't wait to start rocking some of these pieces. They are nice and jingly. Just how I like ;)

Oh Know! - My Schedule appears to have broken

I just realized that my blogger didn't post any of my blogs as it was suppose to! I left you all hanging for what seems to be a week or more! I have been busy working towards new opportunities and updating all the shops. It will be fixed! I am working on it. I really wasn't slacking.

Until it's fixed you can check out the updated Artfire:

Visit shantasticinksales's ArtFire Shop

A Great Feedback comment from an AWESOME first time customer...

Wanna see the best way to start off a Say something Saturday kinda morning?

I woke up to this awesome message froma first time buyer that I had grown up with in grade school. She moved away in high school after having a few classes together I was sad to see her go. However, I was so glad when she made her first purchase.  I always love sending stuff to friends who have moved away. Here is what she sent me back:

"Omg Shannon I just got the necklace and bracelet and anklet. They're all so great, thank you! The necklace is beautiful and so well made! I've wanted to get something from you for awhile and am glad I did. Quality stuff ;) thanks again!"

Now that made me smile :) So  I had to for sure share it for Share something Saturday!

I also started another painting, this one is an owl. I will for sure share some photos on the Shantastic Spectrum page when it is done.


I also made this Hippie Bling: 

Sun and Moon Fire Pendant
(Pendant Only - $15.00)
With Chain and beaded $25.00

Was another studio kinda day. Though the weather out was beautiful!

Tomorrow is another day.... hopefully to bring more art our way.

LunaLove - I just realized I painted my night away.

I just realized I painted for about 6-7 hours..... I went down to the studio instead of cleaning like I said I would in my last post because it was a beautiful day outside and the sun felt awesome coming through the studio windows. I started painting and just got really into it. Then I realized the Sun disappeared  and I wondered why I felt kinda tired. I looked at the clock and the time had flew buy! I had facebook notifications and a new Etsy contact!

TIME FLEW... and now I realize I have a bad habit of hunching over my easel :/ however... I did create a pretty sweet looking moon piece.  Wanna see?:)

Luna Love is a 16x20 Acrylic Paintnig by Shannon Cook of Shantastic Spectrum
This piece is for sale and can be purchased -Here-

 I used my new paints with new brushed and a new canvas...... what an awesome feeling. That doesn't happen often.  Did I mention the studio was all cleaned up still? (Yes I am proud of myself. )

Here's to a good days work... Off to a relaxing evening of Pinterest "research"

Check out the new Section for Shantastic-Spectrum on my blog here:

Fix Something FRIDAY! ... Starts Now!

So since I have officially dubbed Friday as my day to Fix something.....I got a late start today but started by FIXING and updating all the social networks with the new links and web address changes since my Re-Launch of Shantastic!

I also did my good deed of the day by helping FIX my friends car who needed a jump was out in the sticks where I live, it's rare that I'm the closest person to help in those situations since I'm so far out of town. Was nice to go for a drive towards the lake anyways. :)

Anyways I'm kinda cheaping out those are my Fix-its for the day so far!  But, I do want to go work on cleaning the bathroom and making a new painting for Shantastic Spectrum.

So while I go work on some more Fix its! Here are some items I made last night Check out some of the new Hippie Bling creations:

 

buy me here

Buy this here

buy me here

 

ALL THE UPDATES coming your way.

Shantastic, is finally making some *LASTING* changes.  But not to the "name" like I had thought I would be doing.

Lately, I have been doing some soul searching and come to some decisions to help get some "structure" around here. I really desperately thought I needed a name change for my "brand". Though I had no idea what I wanted to do. I'm sure some of you have seen me toying with the banners and logos the past few weeks. Looking for what I just really like. I couldn't figure out what I wanted my "style" to be. So while searching and asking others for help I decided to put my mind elsewhere and started thinking of other things that needed organized as well.

I have been determined to get the house arranged, get to work in the studio, while keeping an updated blog. I have struggled to make the blog gender neutral to keep my guy fans around for updates on paintings and other things I do festy wise  but it has been pretty hard. I'm working on getting pages for different sections of my "artistic spectrum" of ideas all in an organized manner for my viewers to read and keep updated.... because that is my goal. To share all things art that I am doing or come across with whomever I can reach.

So Shantastic Sales sounded too, un-appealing to me.... it sounds like I'm automatically trying to sell you something. That's not necessarily the case. I want to share the updates of my latest painting, talk to you about ideas, meet new people who are just generally interested, Or even help you find a gift for someone special or help you find an affordable way to spice up your living room.  I'm not all about the "sale" I'm about the Art... or the craft... or the easy "D.I.Y." behind the matter.

So I needed to take a step back. Figure out how to organize all my "ideas" or "projects" as Boyfriend calls them.

Here goes...


For my jewelry/accessories I realized I had two styles. Kinda different from each other. I had many "hemp" and "hippie" type necklaces, headbands, hair feathers, sandals, tye dyes, and more!  

BUT

I also had many unique , wire wrapped pieces, girlie earrings, childrens' hair flowers, glasses holders, broaches, hair clips, ect.  But they just didn't really look like they all went together. They appealed to people with very different styles.  So I have decided to desperate them into "Lines" and help promote them in different "sections" on my Etsy Shop

Shantastic is now introducing :

I also wanted to showcase my painting in it's own "section" To keep any updates for my "live paintings" or painting showcases I will have a new section called  Shantastic Spectrum

 

And then there will of course be a section for ShantasticInk Photography that helped kick out m bloggin' experiences :)

That left one thing... all my random D.I.Y.'s and Gift options I like to share.... well.... last but not least ( because I may come up with some other needed section very soon with all the upcoming changes!)  I will be hosting a section I would like to call 

Shantastic Solutions!

That being said I have come up with a nifty little schedule to help ensure I keep up with all sorts of updates!


Look forward to the upcoming:
Make something MONDAYS

Tutorial TUESDAYS

Wired up WEDNESDAYS

Take the paint out Thursdays

Fix it up FRIDAYS
Say Something Saturdays- Random Internet/Pinterests posts
Share something Sundays - Featured Posts , Items , Ect

  

I will also be working to bring viewers a :giveaway: or contest of some sort every month. :) I wanna make sure you have a reason to check back even if you don't want to buy something.... have a chance to win something... I'm not stingy I really do just want to share ;)

SO for the rest of January I will be finishing the RE-MODELING of the Shantastic! page.  Deciding to keep the Name as it is.... as  just     SHANTASTIC! ... as a whole..... I am Shannon.... but I have also felt more of a -Shantastic...... and that just seems to fit everything I am trying to do...... I kept searching for something spectacular ( Yes I even toyed with the idea of Shantastic Spectacular, and felt terribly silly) then I realized, I am special and  Shantastic is me..... I was upset that I couldn't get the web address Shantastic.com and I was upset to start thinking everyone else was starting to use it too... But simply put.... almost nothing in this world is just one persons anymore.... and I shouldn't have to change something that seems to fit me and that I have stuck with this long.... So Shantastic it is... and now it's time to get organized, and just stick with it.HOWEVER!
I do have one last thing I would like to announce.

WITH All of my changes I would also like to make one more rather LARGE update for me. I will be working on the last thing I wanted to call the Shantastic Shine..... A Newsletter for my dedicated fans that would like to get a brief update on ALL things shantastic but may not have time to check back to the site EVERYDAY.  I will start by making the Shantastic Shine newsletter once a month and if I get enough interest it may go weekly ( up to you guys I won't bother you that much unless I get peoples attentions)
But not only will the SHINE feature Shantastic... I would also like it to include links to others blogs, reviews, products, and more. It could be a great way to help spread the word to others.


Now I feel like I've introduced a lot here..... Hope I have a few readers that legitimately got through the full update.... If so... I thank you dearly.


Have an AWESOME! Day while I continue to make some last minute changes to kick off the start of new beginning. 

 

 

My sorta kinda ... Studio reveal time!

So I kinda disappeared from the blog for a few days. I felt bad because I was doing SO good at my goal of making posts every day. I know  I should have probably had some ready and just added them to the list to post on my behalf. But I admit... I was SO per-occupied with cracking down and actually getting the studio ORGANIZED! ( Or well as organized as my disorganized self can get!)

Now before I go showing off my Mess to Not as Messy Studio I will warn you that I don't have the picture perfect studio that most bloggers seem to have these days. ( I will someday though!)


Here is the before:

I hated having to walk through the futon it needed to be more open!

The easel was block my natural window light! It has a huge light of it's own ... time for it to move a bit..

all my tables have stuff everywhere! I needed to work but couldn't get to any workspace!

So that is a lot of mess... It was WAY worse.... the last time I went on a cleaning spree it was with a jumpstart from Mr. Boyfriend who took it upon himself to re-arrange the downstairs into a studio in the first place for me instead of me having supplies ALL over my house.

I then had an old co-worker come up with the idea for my nifty make-shift desk... which is currently a pair of old speakers holding up an old door... and WA-LA instant long desk.

It had been awesome...for a day or two then it just became awesome.. for piling junk on.... Which needed fixed. I've been dying to sit there in front of those awesome windows and enjoy the sun while preparing awesome tutorials and other crafty things for everyone.

But my problem was, I started to bring all the supplies he missed ( Or didn't know I had hidden all over the house)  into the studio.  Then, I  realized nothing really had a home.

So then what was I suppose to do? Everything slowly just kept piling up. I ended up doing many of my projects all over the house and not getting anything really done.

Everything kept getting messier, and those photos were after the first few days of organizing the mess a little bit.... scarey I know. I was worried I was starting to become a hoarder because well... there are still about 5 closets I haven't shown that are full of MORE supplies and projects ect.

So .... I know you are dying to see the Reveal... as much as I was to get it finished... It's still not finished. but it is a bit more organized! I will be putting more effort into making it picture perfect.... I just need to get to workin' and making some things so that I have more money to make everything pretty :)

and Here we go:

 This section is still in progress. The cork board is hiding my desk which I plan to turn into a D.I.Y. day where I happily revamp it. Once that is finished I plan to turn that section into a "display" area off a lot of my jewelry and other work for friends and visitors to easily see. It will be like my own little store! :D






This is an idea my boyfriend came up with. He turned his old futon frame into a drying rack for me  I can store all my "in progress" canvas' there to until they get finished or re-started as some often do.

I would like to get this more "professional" and make it not look like a futon some how... but for now it works and it was free!

 Now for the fun corner.
I needed somhow to organize and neatly store all, or at least some of all that junk, or well supplies.  I wasn't sure how to do it. I was out of room in the closets and really wanted to get them organized too. '

Well boyfriend made the mistake of ordering something from a store we don't have. Well lone and behold it was not as he expected! So we had to make a trip to Pittsburgh!  WELL, I didn't complain :) I use it as an excuse to go to IKEA!  I picked up one of these nifty Expedit. It had the square selves and I could easily get to it for anything I stored there. I should have gotten those boxes that perfectly fit each one, but I was trying to go on a budget here. I spend $80.00 on these shelves but so far everything been pretty much free right?   So I convinced boyfriend to put together the shelves for me and I am going to admit he did it in Record time! (with only one minor mistake that we had to fix;)  but I caught it before he got to far.)


Now on to my favorite spot. The BIG AWESOME EASEL Which I will feature on my "Artist Tool Box" one day soon.  This easel is by far my best flea market pick EVER. Take a guess how much I got it for.... you'll never guess that I got this one of a kind custom made easel for only $20 bucks...  it has a HUGE built in light that alone someone would probably pay a 20 bill for.  It is big enough to put some pretty decent size pieces on. I got it from the "Santa Man" last spring at the Queen City Flea Market in Cumberland, Maryland. They are a rather large indoor Flea Market Venue that everyone should check out a few times a year.  He really liked my Boyfriend and thanks him for his services in the airforce so he gave me a super deal. He had been asking close to $120 for it before and it was hidden in his secret stash of awesome bargains.  That was one of those days I felt the universe telling me Painting was a must for me.I'll explain that more a different day.


ANYWAYS,

I also have this nifty paint shelf I made from an old CD holder I got for a buck at a flea market a long time ago. It's been used for many things but I couldn't handle the paints falling through so I did came up with some Shantastic Solotions on it and made it so the paints wouldn't fall through! ;) that is another DIY I will be posting next week.

Oh there are all those awesome new paints I mentioned picking up on SALE from Michael's the other day after picking up Boyfriends awesome new musical toy from Ferralton Guitars.

I haven't really gotten to play with them yet because I was determined to move the easel before starting any new projects. So I will be putting them to use this week too.
Here is a shot of my now mostly cleaned workdesk! I'm pretty excited it is useable again! Did I mention that my makeshift table only cost me a buck? I got the speakers from a yardsale for a photography display project and they were a good hieght to attempt to make a desk from! The door was found in one of the old sheds that my uncle had filled so my gram said it was free game!  I plan to one day get some book shelves or 2x2 expedites and make it either all white or all wood. One day it shall be picture perfect, one day.


And one more thing here is the not so pretty sitting area for friends and buyers to come chat with me. It still has A LOT  of fixing to do. I inherited Boyfriends ugly couch and have my mismatch Halloween and Harry Potter pillows all over.... This will be a project! I want to re upholster the couch... and get matching pillows... but this is all in time I am just glad it's not covered in junk and people can happily sit there and not be surround by junk. I do need to find a better home for my awesome spinning easel when it's not in use but for now it is safe back there. I'm glad I unblocked all the windows now though so that way more natural lighting can get in .  Oh and that awesome tapestry over there... it's hiding two more shelves of storage and the computer that is now connected to the T.V. so that I can watch my videos, you tube, or check out / update the blog from the studio itself. ( OHHHH, fancy!) it's pretty nifty to have the web on my studio t.v.  I can watch D.I.Y videos pretty much life sized! That makes it was easier on my terrible eyes!

So here it is my main work area all done up! I am pretty proud of myself for now. I still have a few closets to tackle but for now I need to make some creative awesomeness. I can clean when it's all rainy and spring-like again. Today has been beautiful. Time to enjoy my little piece of crafty painting heaven.

Musical rings, they're pretty neat little things!

 Ah these little rings , may just be one of my New favorite things.

They are so simple but fun to make and wear.One of my favorite customers found one on pinterest so of course I had to look into it.

I tried going to the original website but pinterest didn't have one for it. Just simple the url of the photo.  DARN IT. So I would love to give whomever some original credit if they would like it , but I have no way to.

I have seen a few more floating around today even since I made some but still not original credit or websites just more photo posts. Seems they became popular pretty quickly though.

They were so easy and fun to make I shall be making a bunch in every color.  Since I posted them on the Shantastic Facebook I have already recieved many messages and a few likes for them :)  I can't wait till band season to make them in school colors like Ms. Molly had suggested when she came accross them.

Look out homecoming ;)

My brother would be a drummer.... I'll have to give him some to hand out to some of his little girlfriends at school :P
 Here's a bit of a closer shot of one.

I will be making more and getting better sun lit pictures tomorrow :)
 

Happy Crafting!

Shopping spree, Yippee.

I had a lot I planned to do today... Okay, maybe not I was probably just going to have a lay around and try to organize things on my tablet and get lost on pinterest kinda day.....  

But that's okay  I had
WAY MORE FUN!Boyfrienddd had to get a new Guitar from his new custom Guitar buddy. ( @ Ferrelton Guitars who I will be doing a post on very soon so keep a watch for more info , until then look at their website for some awesome GUITARS if you or someone you know is musical ;)

But since we had to go for the drive anyway I decided to go to Michael's  to make the trip worth it on my end :D

Never pass up a chance to go craft shopping ;)

I had coupons , that were useable via my smartphone Or via my new tablet :D hehehehe. I was shopping smart and saving trees! 

( It's a good thing too because my crappy printer  is out of ink! )
ANYWAYS! TO THE NEW CRAFT STASH GOODIES!


 I managed to use a coupon and snag a pretty awesome
Steel stamping kit!
Which I must say I am pretty pumped to try to make these Washer necklaces I found on 36th Ave via Pinterest.


I also got a TON of new artists quality acrylic paints, because well.... they were buy one get one free! So that means buy them in every color that's in stock right?  ... It does when you don't live withing an hour of a craft store!


I also picked up some jewelry tid bits and a buttload of new paint brushes!


SOOOO  you know what that means right?


Yeah yeah, I guess it really means it's time to clean the studio

BUT THEN

It's play time!!!!! Also known as Studio time.... it makes me sound a little more professional :P


 Oh yeah I also got this cute little Tin , it caught my eye by the register and Boyfriend said I had to have it for ....something.... So I grabbed it for a buck! I will for sure store beads and cords in it to take a project with me in my purse. I have to have something to do when I get stuck at un announced band practices ;)

Anyways back to cleaning the studio .... so that I can have fun making a huge mess with some new toys.



Have a good one!

I now have those fancy social icons... and guess what I made them myself!

   

Time to pat myself on the back. I created all these pretty much from scratch in Photoshop in less than a half hour

AND gathered all the web addresses

AND created the HTML code
AND easily added them to my blog!

All in under 30 minutes...
Now that may not seem all that quick... but seeing as I have a bad habit of doing a million things at once and never doing one thing at a time and finishing quickly.... 
Well this time I did. so Boo-YA!

Now it's your turn... This is how... I did it.

I  needed a  coding refresher soooo I admit followed the blog on Sew Many Ways
Where  Karen nicely explains how she added social buttons from CarryLoves to her own blog so that even I could read through it quickly and understand.

Well I tried to use the buttons from Carry Loves but Photobucket was frozen and refused to let me sign in or sign up. So if you need some buttons, and have more patience to wait on photobucket than I did... hurry on over to  CarryLoves
and pick out one from her MANY colors to choose from. And while your there take a peak at her page too....

BUT  don't forget to stop back at Simply Shantastic ;)
----ANYWAYS---
Instead, I played in photoshop and created my own :D

 

IF photobucket ever lets me create an account or if I get a flickr later tonight I will share the codes for you to use my buttons for your blogs as well. :)


Oh yeah the shopping cart is for my ARTFIRE store ... because they don't have their own buttons.... I may have to close this shop soon their traffic seems to be lacking... So be sure to keep checking out that shop because I may be posting some sales before I close it but you could easily use the shopping button for any store website you may have to link too.


Now I have some more bloggin' matience to tend to. Trying to get all organized and acceible for you guys :)

Until then try taking a peak at the Etsy Shop :)


Happy Crafting!