Treasury Sunday - May 5th

Every other Sunday I like to feature some of the fabulous treasuries which have included my products. These treasuries are so important to those who sell on Etsy because it brings additional exposure for our products. Please take some time to view these gorgeous collections, shop the Etsy stores, and support small business!

'5. Vintage garden' by ukrainianwoods

The Farmers Jumper Floral on... xMOTHERx $140	Antique Book Collection - Gr... thewhitepepper $66.5	Still Life Photograph, Lime... PrettyPetalStu... $15	Vintage Picnic Basket, Rusti... NostalgiaWareh... $205
Floral embroidered necklace ... skrynka $19.5	Rusty Vintage hand folding s... theMomsAttic $25	Herbal Drawing Clay for Chil... GrowingUpHerba... $11.97	Vintage Tool Box - Carpenter... BeeJayKay $210
Hair pin - Mad Hat-St. Patri... Dariami $9	Vintage French Coffee Pot //... FrenchAtticFin... $34	Revere Beach Photography / L... JillianAudreyD... $30	World Map Handbag Tote Purse... renklitasariml... $59
Tree photograph - original f... photographybyk... $30	Baby's Breath room and l... DLitesbyDorene $6.49	Mint - light green, mint, sa... valezhki $18	Modern brooch in ombre turqu... ShinyJane $17

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

'Dear Mom, My Love for You Never Wanes' by Gemstonesonmymind

Breast Cancer Awareness - Pi... aquariann $15	Butterfly Brooch Set (2), Pi... PennyandPaper $16	Carnelian Coral Turquoise St... EleriaJewelry $89	Silk Scarf Hand Painted Pink... silkshop $40
Layered Asymmetric Orange J... BijiBijoux $145	ORIGINAL Asian Inspired Pain... HeatherRLange $149	Miniature Turquoise Bird Scu... doudoubirds $10	Jablonecke Sklarny Vaclav Ha... CzechGlassColl... $50
Red Print Decorative Toss Pi... PillowsGaloreN... $12	Lily of the Valley 12 oz. ca... DLitesbyDorene $15.75	Four Tangerine Hydrangeas In... IllusionCreati... $35	Sugar Scrub Cube - You Choos... SymbolicImport... $24
Lavender Patchouli Aromather... pldbody $12.29	Sea Glass Coins Puffed 20mm ... gypsybeadpeddl... $3.98	Antique Birthday Postcards 4... LBscrapboutiqu... $8	New Mom Typographic Print Lo... GrammaticalArt $18

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

'Mother's Day Gifts under $20' by smijims

Crochet Flower Beanie Aftern... SalemStyle $18	Wash Cloths Crochet Set of F... CreativeEndeav... $19.5	Sample pack, four 2 oz. jar ... DLitesbyDorene $15	Vegan Lavender Aromatherapy ... pldbody $14
Sugar Scrub Cubes - You Choo... SymbolicImport... $16	Wool Coasters RED & MULTI Fa... WormeWoole $16	Clearance, 50% off, Hand Kni... WendysWonders1... $15	tea lights, candles - hand s... serenitylane $7.5
Silver Heart Blue Swarovski ... BijiBijoux $19	Sterling Silver Starfish Ear... LoopsJewellery $18	Sklo Union Adolf Matura Rosi... CzechGlassColl... $50	Candleholder Dish Green Flor... IllusionCreati... $15
Peach Guitar Pick Earrings, ... HausofAriella $8	Natural Stone Beaded Wrap St... PowellArtAndDe... $8	Bird on Branch Silhouette Ha... TheDoubleDubs $15	Mother's Day Dusty Rose ... crochetedbycha... $14

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

'Head over the hills' by Grimme

V I N T A G E fuchsia and tu... GMNYC $24	Micro Beads (no hole) cattales $5	Baby Butterfly Barefoot sand... Lasunka $8	You're in my heart - iP... GalaBorn $34
Ombre Tights. Hand dyed Neon... xsilk $40	Mens bow tie freestyle groom... BartekDesign $22.5	Set of 9 Felt Hearts - Fuchs... FeltFamily $18	Light pink crochet Earrings katrinshine $7
Strawberries & Creme 12 oz. ... DLitesbyDorene $17.25	Rosette Shoe Clips Fuchsia P... Brydferth $32	Hot pink - chunky statement ... TomBjornDesign... $35.5	Bamboo Silhouette Diamond Ri... whimsymilieu $20
Dark Fuchsia Opal Nose Stud ... eleanorjoseph $10	Azalea Lipstick, Moisturizin... GlacierSkinCar... $6.95	Tagua nut primitive rings la... Organicjewelry... $55	Bohemian Tunic Retro Clothin... BrokenGhostClo... $59

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

'Love gifts for mom' by lalunadianna

Fragrance tarts, candle melt... DLitesbyDorene $5.5	Valentine gifts for friends ... Sweetkeetle $32	Ceramic heart necklace, Cera... 99heads $14	Red jacket - Taffeta Bolero ... Malam $150
Ruby Red Pomegranate Soap - ... SakuraBathAndB... $4.95	Ombre tights red-black virivee $35	Ladies Summer Straw Hat with... oldandnew8 $14	Designer Leather&Suede Vinta... MariaBaba $37
Bud vases, MADE TO ORDER, an... LynettesArt $5	Felt Handbag Purse Bag Uniqu... TopHome $22	Red dress knee length, sexy ... undressclothin... $44.99	Statement chain wool necklac... ylleanna $30
Heart Soap - Decorative I Lo... SoapRhapsody $8	Red Cherry Earrings handmade... AbraKadabraJew... $35	Eco Gift: Herbal Gift Set of... Ievinia $17	Red Lace Coin Purse humoresque $48.5

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Spring Flower Arrangements

My goal in gardening has been to create a landscape with more than one function. This helps your landscape create visual interest as it transitions throughout the seasons. For example, using a burning bush shrub creates greenery in the late spring and summer, fiery bursts of red in the fall, and an architectural form for snow in the winter.

So when I add flowers to my garden, I like to add ones that I can also use for cuttings. I love having fresh cut flowers in my home and office, and having your own from your garden creates a huge amount of self-satisfaction.

That said, I'm not always one to plant bulbs for spring blossoms, much as I love the happy nods of daffodils and the fresh scent of hyacinths, mostly because our springs in Ohio tend to be too wet to want to walk around for cuttings.

Previous owners of my home had a fondness for spring bulbs, and I chose to keep them wherever they were planted. Admittedly, the bulbs around my house have a very ad hoc look, but I'm not bothered by it.

This year, the tulips were amazing.

So for this year's first arrangement, I cut several tulips, found some daffodils and a couple lone hyacinths. While I love fresh flowers in my home, my sister is actually the florist in the family. But I was rather satisfied with the final look:

You'll notice the greenery in the back. These are actually my newly found pussy willows. I like the look of structure and architecture they bring to the arrangement. And I'm hopeful they will root so I can start a smaller bush for another area of the yard.

How does your garden grow?

Coming soon.....lilacs!

...May Flowers!

Yes, indeed....April Showers bring May Flowers!

D'Lites by Dorene is pleased to offer two customer favorites as fragrance(s) of the month for May!

Lily of the Valley fragrance tart

Coming to you first is Lily of the Valley.  Read what satisfied customers say about this lightly floral fragrance:

"Nice pleasant scent."

"LOVE this candle! The Lily of the Valley fragrance is dead-on as well as being strong (it's not a faint, vaguely-lily scent) and it is great quality. My mother loves it!!!!"


In addition, we're offering customer favorite Orange Blossom as a special this month.  Orange Blossom is a custom blended fragrance I created nearly two years ago. Here's how satisfied customers feel abut this scent:

Orange Blossom 12 oz candle

"Just got my orange blossom body lotion and it smells scrumptious!! "

"This scent is so comforting! And yet, not too overwhelming."

"Smells like heaven..."

"I love the scent of these tarts! I live in FL and that is the exact smell of the orange blossoms that floats in the air from the orange trees, certain times of the year. You captured it perfectly! Fast Shipping! Also thanks for the free bee!"

"Smells delish! Love it!"

"The smell is just intoxicating....love it...."

Both scents are available in 12 and 7 oz candles, wickless candles, votives, tea lights, fragrance tarts, fragrance sprays and diffuser oils.

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Did you notice? We recently introduced two new products:

7 oz cube jar

This 7 oz cube jar is an architectural look for the contemporary home. Wrapped in plastic and topped with a bow, this jar is ready for gift giving!

Orange Blossom breakaway melts

We also introduced breakaway melts. Smaller in size than fragrance tarts, these melts are packaged in clamshells and work perfectly in Scentsy and other candle warmers.

Please check out my Fragrance of the Month section for more information on specific products.

Click here to subscribe to my newsletter for more information on candles, decorating, and sales and specials!

Etsy shop review, Yael Berger and The Joy of Color

Every other Sunday I like to feature an artist from Etsy and his/her shop. Today I'm pleased to introduce you to Yael Berger of The Joy of Color.  Please take a few minutes to learn more about her and her beautiful work! 

My Name is Yael Berger I live in Givataim, small town near Tel Aviv. My greatest passion is for color and Pattern. This is the origin of my Etsy shop name: TheJoyofColor. My favorite medium is watercolor and I also enjoy painting with Acrylic on paper or Canvas. Natures, every day objects and folk art inspire me and make me happy. My all time favorite and inspiring artist is Henri Matisse. As a minimalist at heart I try to keep the shapes as simple as possible and let the color talk. I hope my optimism, and the joy I feel when creating is reflected in my paintings.

Tulip Field

I really love the deer watercolor.  Till 2 years ago I painted mostly floral, landscapes and fruits this was one of my first attempts to paint an animal and I was happy to discover. It became one of the favorite prints in my shop.

Deer Art Print

I am a textile designer (BA Shenkar College). I worked in the fashion and home textile industry for more then 20 years. I had my own design studio and sold funky printed T's. Then I worked (16 years) for a leading company of socks and underwear called Delta Galil LTD, as a senior sock designer and stylist. It was and interesting and challenging job as I designed for mass, mid market and for brands like Nike, Hugo Boss, Mexx.... I traveled a lot to Europe and the USA, met some very nice people, got a lot of experience in design, styling, marketing...

Succulents in Black Planter

In 2007 I made a big change in my life I quit my day job as a Textile designer for a major textile company in Israel, in pursue of more artistic and relaxed path. Now days I combine painting and running my Etsy shop with design projects for few Israeli companies. I design mainly prints for a wide range of products, from socks to schoolbags, housewares and more. I like that I can combine my love to design and the artistic path, in more relaxed ways than in did in the past. 

Koi Pond

I hope my optimism, and the joy I feel when creating is reflected in my paintings and Prints.. Natures, every day objects and folk art inspire me and make me happy . As a minimalist at heart I try to keep the shapes as simple as possible and let the color speak. I do hope that my work will bring you joy and happiness.

A Stack of Bowls

Follow Yael and her work here:

http://www.facebook.com/yael.berger.75

https://twitter.com/thejoyofcolor

http://pinterest.com/thejoyofcolor/

Are you an Etsy shop owner and interested in being featured? Do you write fabulous content and would you like to write a guest article? Email me so I can send you my sample interview questions and blog guidelines!

Christmas In April

I have to share with you this photo of my gorgeous Christmas cactus. Yes, it's April and the plant decided to bloom. Not that I mind...I always enjoy having flowers in my home!

Why it's blooming now, I can't say. Something in its chemistry, in its environment, makes it happy right now.

I was never interested in gardening growing up. In fact, it would be more accurate to say I had a true disdain for the activity and wanted nothing to do with it. So imagine everyone's surprise when I developed the proverbial green thumb.

I don't know how I developed a skill.  I do read some, and I've always learned by the trial and error method. Along the way I've picked up two tonics (and one variation) that I use when watering my plants:

1. Coffee water. Yep. Mother introduced me to this one. I add the leftover morning coffee to my watering pot then top it off with tap water. I highly recommend diluting the coffee and not pouring it straight onto your plants. Otherwise your plants will smell like...well...coffee. (If you like a coffee fragrance in your home, I can introduce you to a lovely Hazelnut Latte candle!)
2. Tea water. This is a variation of coffee water. If you're a tea, not a coffee drinker, start with tea as your base then top off your pot with tap water. I've found tea water best to use when the tea is too old to drink.
3. My secret tonic water. Actually, I was introduced to this "recipe" many years ago when I used to watch the Lynette Jennings show on the Discovery Channel. Take a used steel wool pad and drop it in tap water. I use an old plastic coffee can and used SOS pads. Let the water cure for at least a week before use. Add one cup of the tonic to your watering pot before topping with tap water.

All three tonics will be brown, and you'll wonder why in the world to use such a yucky combination on your plants. Trust me, they work!

What are you favorite tricks for your garden or your houseplants? 

Your Blog: Connecting Your Marketing Content

Like most bloggers, I work to find ideas for content. Like most bloggers, I work to find ways to bring additional readers to my blog. And like most business owners, I work to find ways to connect all my marketing content.

So I had a V-8 moment last week when I came across an idea on how to combine all three.

Add your electronic newsletters to your blog.

Like I said - a V-8 moment.  You know, the way you slap yourself on the forehead when you realize the obvious is right in front of you.

Last fall I wrote a series of posts about how to develop your newsletter content, how to create your electronic newsletter, and how to market your newsletter and yourself. I truly don't know why it did not occur to me to add my newsletter to my blog.

I wish I could find the article I had read which gave me the idea. Prior to writing this post, I spent an hour looking in the usual places where I store similar gems I find. But alas, it's nowhere to be found. So, without that article as my resource, I'll give you a few reasons why I think adding your newsletter to your blog is such a great idea:

• Most newsletters are written with customer-friendly content. Most blogs (this one included) struggle with writing content that is customer-specific. Adding your newsletters to your blog enables your customers to search your "archives" in an easier format to learn more about your and your product. 
• As your customers spend more time "in" your blog, the more they learn about your.  Think about it - your newsletter represents how your product and your brand have evolved. The more your customers learn about you, the more making a purchase from you is a personal decision, rather than a business decision.
• Past newsletters give your customers a glimpse into your future. For example, I have featured Strawberry scents as the Fragrance of the Month for the past two years in June. What are the odds I'll over it again this year? This can help your customers plan their future purchases.
• Your newsletters and your blogs can support each other, driving content from one to the other. In addition to linking your products in your newsletter back to your shop, your newsletter can link to your blog for more information. Again, try to keep your customers' attention as long as possible.
• Adding newsletters together with the appropriate tags can help optimize your search engine results. Aren't we always looking for ways to do that?

So, in the spirit of transparency, click here to view my April newsletter! Seriously, you'll soon see my blog updated with a link to all my past electronic newsletters. I challenge you to do the same!

Happy sales!

Dorene

P.S. - I'll add the link to the article I read with more information....just as soon as I find it!