An apple a day...

Having been Easter and all, I've been craving chocolate sweets. And what could be better then double dipped sweets??? Be sure to check out the BONUS for our readers at the bottom!

::Featured Artist and Etsian::

DoubleDippedSweets

shop:: DoubleDippedSweets

"So, here I am celebrating my 1st year of business…"

The ::sweet:: history

Last year, beginning of 2007, I lost the home/in-law business I was doing. I thought about it; and the answer hit me- make caramel apples! Now, mind you, I have never made caramel apples before! I got a basic, over-the-telephone lesson from a relative who makes them elsewhere, and I was off! I then thought of doing caramel popcorn and covering it in chocolate- no one else did that! So, I experimented with caramel recipes; found one I liked, and started adding toppings. …The popcorn turned out to be a hit!!

[So, does the Queen of sweets have a sweet tooth or two?]

Oh, do I! I love all sorts of treats … brownies, choc. chip cookies, ice cream... My favorite popcorn is the German Chocolate Caramel Popcorn; the apple is Almond Joy. I LOVE the chocolate dipped Oreos.

I [recently] discovered Dark chocolate haystacks... heaven. (I had only had them in Milk Chocolate before). But, luckily I've passed the phase of "inventing" and "gotta have some" or I'd weigh a million pounds! I would love Double Dipped Sweets to be an almost full-time job. But, I want my kids in school first (3 years). So, for now, I'll take whatever orders come my way and enjoy it!

:: DoubleDippedSweets Featured Item ::

Click here to view or purchase in shop:: Cinnamon

…My Cinnamon Roll Caramel Popcorn is clearly [the] most popular popcorn ... I tried it out on my aunt [who] does NOT like cinnamon... and now she's addicted! My father-in-law recently had a Russian Scholar here visiting/learning for 6 months. Her last week here, she tasted the Cinnamon Roll and said it was the best thing she had tasted since coming to America! Wow!

:: Editor's Pick ::

Cookies and Cream Caramel Apple

Doesn't this look delish? I've had a thing for oreos lately, so this delicasy fits the bill! Made from a large and crisp Granny apple, and smothered in caramel, white chocolate, oreos, and then MORE white chocolate!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?

Bonus!!

DoubleDippedSweets will gladly offer a 10% discount to you! Just put the name of the blog (cachevalleyboutique.blogspot.com) in the notes of your purchase to the seller!

You can also view this feature at simplyserra.blogspot.com. Be sure to visit cachevalleyboutique.com and simplyserra.etsy.com

Artist and Etsian

I have found that I love Nicole's style! Check out what she has to say here and visit her ever growing shop! (Don't miss out on the editors pick at the bottom!)

::Featured Artist and Etsian::

Nicole Lee

Shop:: nicoleleeartistry.etsy.com

Blog:: http://nicoleleeartistry.wordpress.com/

Nicole:: I love when things do not get made by a machine. When we create handmade items, we are erasing our self-doubt and are giving our thoughts and feelings form…

When we recognize that we are capable of a unique form of greatness, no fear or criticism can take away the joy that you get from expressing yourself through an art form and creating something that people everywhere can enjoy!

I've been creating for as long as I can remember. I only started wire wrapping less than a year ago. I decided to start selling on Etsy on January 28th of this year, after no luck with Ebay and too much hassle when I designed my own site, Etsy was a breath of fresh air! I've only had my shop opened for about two months...given my success thus far, I'm optimistic about the future!

I quit my job in corporate America to become a full-time crafter, so my goal is to make a great living at doing what I love and to love doing it! Failure is not an option! …I can be moved by sounds, words, colors, magazines, fashion, plants, nature or whatever tickles my fancy … I find that I'm most inspired by the details of things. I suppose you could say my inspiration is consistently inconsistent, which is good because it keeps things exciting!

I'm starting to develop some very new and exciting jewelry products that are a mixture of wood, wood burning and precious stones. They are SO cool!

Sneak Peak at the Upcoming Goods!!

Nicole's featured item:: Hand Painted Wine Glasses

See them here:: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10355167

"...My mother's favorite [are] my hand painted wine glasses and I think they are just lovely! They take forever to make, my hands cramp a lot from the detailing, but I must say that it's all worth it in the end, when I see the results."

And now, for the editors pick::

Red Hot Wood Bracelet

Isn't this a fantastic piece of jewelry? Too bad it is reserved for someone else! I love wood, I love beads. What to love more then wooden beads? Visit Nicole Lee's shop for more awesome works of art!!

You can also view this feature at simplyserra.blogspot.com. Be sure to visit cachevalleyboutique.com and simplyserra.etsy.com

My First Spotlight!

When I was a kid I loved to be spotlighted, and hear about other spotlights. Isn't it just so fun to get to know new people?? I think so. Therefore, I will be starting to feature other artists, particularly those who support the handmade community. I will most likely draw most the talent from Etsy, as I am a big supporter of that community. Stay tuned....the first feature will be here soon!

In the meantime, visit my shops!

simplyserra.etsy.com
cachevalleyboutique.com

I heart these magnets!

I am excited about these cute heart magnets (everyday is Valentine's Day)! Visit simplyserra.etsy.com for more details.