Rustic Pine Cone Decor Wall Sculpture

The item I would like to talk about today are my Rustic Pine Cone Decor wall sculpture. My Etsy shop originally just featured my Electric Hurricane Lanterns but since opening in summer of 2012 I've added many different items that I personally make.

Rustic Pine Cone Decor Wall Sculpture Introduced

These rustic pine cone decor wall sculptures use all natural materials. First I start with the wood base. Each piece I made are from reclaimed wood from furniture I built years ago but no longer needed. These boards help add to the rustic charm with their screw holes, aged look, etc. I then add pine cones from White Pines that grow on my property, acorns from oak trees, and pine needles from those same white pines. Finally, I preserve the items by coating them so that they will last for years and years. Each pine cone decor sculpture has a picture frame hook on the back so that they can hang from a wall. They are also sturdy enough to sit upon a fireplace mantel. Place one on each side for a really nice display!

The Idea For These Rustic Pine Cone Decor Sculptures

In 2008 I moved into my first house. When putting together my living room I wanted a rustic charm to it. So during my first weekend there I went outside and grabbed some stuff that was native to my property. I made two pine cone decor wall sculptures. Now they were different then what is currently in my Etsy shop but I made them with the same process. Today they still hang from my walls and look really cool. They really do add that rustic and country living charm to any room.

From An Idea To A Product

A year ago my life took a turn for the worse and I no longer had income coming in. My Etsy shop was a few months old and although making sales it wasn't enough to cover my bills. I became very fearful that I was not going to be able to pay my mortgage anymore and end up losing it all. I had to get creative and add to my shop. That’s when I saw the pine cone decor display on my wall and came up with an idea. I collected as many pine cones as possible and went into my pile of wood that was from some old furniture I cut apart and began to make these pine cone decor sculptures.

My plan is to sell these out and not make any more. My ultimate goal is to only feature Electric Hurricane Lanterns in my shop. You can get access to these pine cone decor pieces in my Etsy shop here.

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Mike M Burke
MikeMBurkeDesigns (ETSY SHOP)
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Fall Decorations In My Etsy Shop

In this post I will talk about my art on wood and specifically my fall decorations. Each post of this blog is to make people aware of what I have to offer in my Etsy shop. Each item are things that I handmade.

The Fall Decorations Come To Life

I still remember the day clearly when I made these. It was just a few weeks away from Thanksgiving on a crisp fall day. I was very much in that fall spirit. I wanted to create something special that would easily blend into anyone’s decorating style. I know that there are many people, my mother included, who like to add seasonal decorations to their home such as fall decorations. I knew I wanted to do something with fall colors and it had to be simple.


Using my stock of reclaimed boards from furniture I had taken apart I painted colored leaves. I chose just three colors: orange, red, and yellow. I used acrylic paint and once finished I sprayed polyurethane over the fall decorations art on wood to protect it. I really like the colors of leaves on top of the light stained pine boards.

Fall Decorations Now Available

I have been able to sell a few pieces of these fall decorations but still have more available. With autumn now here these are perfect to add to any decor. They have a picture hanger hook on the back making it easy to hang on the wall. They can even be placed on a fireplace mantel or bookshelf.


If you are interested in these awesome fall decorations be sure to check out my Etsy shop. I am hoping to sell these out soon so if you like what you see grab yours today!


Check out these really cool metal wall sculptures I recently made here!

Mike M Burke
MikeMBurkeDesigns (ETSY SHOP)
"Like Me" on Facebook


If you think these fall decorations are cool please share this post with others.

Rustic Country Living Metal Wall Sculpture

New to my Etsy shop is this limited edition metal wall sculpture. This piece is made with pine boards and features green metal vines. This is perfect for anyone with a country decor, log cabin, nature lover, or anyone looking to add that special touch to their decor.

How This Metal Wall Sculpture Came To Be

Recently I created these special novelty picture frames. You can learn more about them in a previous post. I needed to find the right frames and I couldn't. These frames needed to be flat wood and wider than 2 inches. The only thing I could find were these picture frames that had a green metal vine going up the side. I decided to buy these frames in order to create my product. I knew that I could find a use for these metal pieced and almost instantly I thought of this metal wall sculpture I could create. Not too long ago I cut apart some furniture I had build years ago and no longer needed. I had some good pieces of wood sitting in my wood burning stove pile. I took the best pieces and was able to create three of these metal wall sculptures.

Cool Rustic Metal Wall Sculpture

I had no idea how to position this. My thought was to cover most of the board with the vines in order to create these metal wall sculptures. I placed them in such a way as to make them look as natural as possible. What I really like about the leaves of the vines is the fact that not only were they hand painted but they have two shades of green . This really makes them pop up against the light color of the pine board. Each metal wall sculpture features a hook on the back for hanging it on the wall and they are 14" tall x 4" wide.

Very Limited QTY's

I was only able to make four of these metal wall sculptures but now only have three available in my Etsy shop. Once these three sell out won't be making any new ones. These are perfect many decor styles. They also make a great gift!!


If you would like to get one they are now available in my Etsy shop here. If you like what you see I would jump on these fast as they are likely to sell out quickly!



Dream Big, Believe In Yourself, And Anything Can Happen,

-Mike M Burke
MikeMBurkeDesigns (ETSY SHOP)
"Like Me" on Facebook


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Novelty Picture Frames Now In My Etsy Shop

Introducing my new Novelty Picture Frames. From trash to treasure I have created something really cool for all photography fans, movie fans, and alike.  These really cool frames can be hung on a wall or sit upon a table.

Novelty Picture Frames Explained

Novelty Picture Frame - Style 1

These novelty picture frames are made from real wood but they feature something even better! I have created two versions. The first has a photo slide in each corner of the frame and then running down along the sides are real 35 mm film strips! The second version doesn't have the slides. There are only two available per style and they can hold up to a 4 x 6 photo. I came up with idea for these novelty picture frames when I was working on another huge project.

The Story Behind These Novelty Picture Frames

I have been involved with photography ever since I was seven years old. I had taken a modest amount of photos until I reached 14 years old and then I went crazy with an automatic 35 mm point and shoot! Two years later my uncle, who was a professional photographer and artist, gave me this great Olympus 35 mm SLR Camera. From that point on I began taking hundreds of landscape photographs and many of my pets! About 9 years ago I moved onto digital photography and left film behind. Digital is great because of all the things that I can do with those images. It’s super easy access, easy for me to edit them as needed, etc. As far as my print images, I was never happy with the results I got from scanners so they just sat in photo albums and boxes just wasting away.

Novelty Picture Frame - Style 2

Recently I decided it was time to do something with all those old photos. I had photography books to make and photo prints to release. I got a hold a professional film and slide scanner and embarked on this enormous project of scanning 4,000 images! I had no idea I had that many. I even discovered images that the photo labs had never printed. What made these special is they were of my dogs who are no longer here. It was amazing to see something new from a time that no longer exists. I converted each image to digital and cleaned them up in Photoshop. The end result blew me away. These images were all stunning and looked far better than the original prints!  In the process I also found many blank film strips and bad film slides. I was going to throw them away but I waited. I knew that there must be something I can do with them. Soon after I had a vision of these novelty picture frames and I knew I was onto something really cool.



The Frames Are Born


I finally got around to making these and they are exactly what I pictured. These novelty picture frames are so perfect for anyone wanting to have something extremely rare and unique. I was only able to make two of each style and once they sell out I will never offer them again.  These will be a conversation piece for sure! These novelty picture frames can hold up to a 4x6 photo.



If you are interested in getting my novelty picture frames I will include a link for each style. I am really hoping to sell these fast and I’m sure photography and film fans will love these! Once they do sell out they will never be available again because I have no more film strips left! I also really like the fact that I have a story behind these frames and it wouldn't be the same if I sought out film strips that are being trashed.



For the picture frame with the slides and the film strips go here: STYLE 1 

For the novelty picture frames with just the film strips go here: STYLE 2




Dream Big, Believe In Yourself, And Anything Can Happen,

Mike M Burke
MikeMBurkeDesigns ETSY SHOP

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How To Make Money With Etsy

It is very easy to make money with Etsy is you have handmade items you create or antiques to sell. If you’re looking for part-time work or even a way to replace your job you can make money with Etsy write from your own home. Etsy  allows you to create your own online shop. You can either sell antique items, artwork, or handmade items. Your success depends on whether or not you have a niche that people are looking for.

Create A Cool Shop And Then Make Money With Etsy

Before you open up your shop, in order to make money with Etsy, you should research the site and see what other people are selling. You want to make sure that this site would be perfect for the product that you want to sell. Unlike eBay, this site is not geared for discount but more for quality. When you are ready, you can open up your shop for free. The first thing you want to do is fill out your profile and shop information.  It is important that you name your shop and keep in mind that this name will brand you and your product. The next thing you want to do is fill out your about page. Recently in my own and Etsy shop I wrote a short story about how my shop came to be. The story was brutally honest and told about how I was mistreated at my former job and then how that led me to the unemployment line. Moments after posting this story sales started to pour in. People like knowing the story behind the product they are buying as it gives the item more meaning to it. Writing a simple honest story can make a huge difference and you too could make money with Etsy.

Pricing Your Items Correctly In Order To Make Money With Etsy

A lot of people find it difficult to figure out what they should price their product for. There is no real answer for this however one of the best things you could do is just search and see what other people are charging for their item. Believe it or not when people come to this site, they are looking more for a good quality product than they are a discount. If they love the item they will buy it regardless of the price. You want to be ethical and not overcharge but at the same time you don’t want price items too low because people will think your product must not be of good quality. You’re going to find that it’s more of a trial and error when you seek to make money with Etsy.

I learned an important lesson when pricing my product. When I first opened my shop I didn’t really allow for a decent amount of profit per sale. I thought the only way that I was going to sell my product was to price it low. My sales were okay but believe it or not when I raised my prices by $20 more than what I originally had them for I actually sold more! More recently I had a lull  in my sales, so I thought it might be best to lower my prices. What I found is that it made no difference whatsoever. Once I raised my prices back up to where I had them I started making sales again. It really does come down to quality versus cheap. People are willing to pay if the product itself is unique and of good quality.

Finding Or Hand Making Your Products

In figuring out how to make money with Etsy you need to decide whether or not you’re going to sell antiques or make your own items. If you are going to sell antiques you could go to tag sales, flea markets, or even antique shops. You may even find stuff at estate sales. If you’re going to build something you have various choices. You can either build a stock of the product and store them away in your house or you can build to order. The different type of products you can sell include drawings, paintings, frames, lamps, small furniture, custom jewelry, clothing, handmade soaps, and anything else you could think of. If you have a creative side you can actually make money with Etsy utilizing your own talents.

Best Way To Deal With Customers

It is very important that you learn to be professional when dealing with customers. Most of the time you’re going to find them to be polite however there will be the occasion where you’ll have to deal with someone who is very rude or disrespectful. In order to protect the integrity and honor of your shop it is best to deal with these customers in a friendly manner and then move on. One of the most unfortunate lessons I have learned is that some customers will have an absolute disrespect for you as a shop owner. You will become irate because you’ve just spent so much time dealing with this one person in hopes of creating a lucrative deal. You may offer special discounts to them, research better ways to ship, etc. and yet they will suddenly stop communicating with you altogether. People like this do not understand that this particular website is built up of individuals and not huge companies. It is vital you learn to accept this as just part of the game.

Sometimes Little Extras Go A Long Way

There are things you can do to help boost your sales in order to make money with Etsy. You can offer free gifts with every order, offer There will be times  I get a customer who wants to order a large quantity of my product. Usually they will ask for a discount. I have set my prices so that I can allow these discounts once in a while. It might be a good idea to think in those terms. That discount will make the customer happy and you will make money with Etsy.

Your Shop May Ride Along Ocean Waves

Every store is going to be different. Some will see regular sales were others may have lulls. It’s best to think of it as riding on ocean waves. Some months will be better than others. One of the best months to sell is actually November. It might be a good idea to stock up on the product that you have in this particular month. You have the potential to make a lot of money because many people are seeking gifts for the holiday season so it’s best to be ready early on. The reason why I look at this as riding on ocean waves is because in one month I could not keep my items in stock and then the next two months I could not make any sales.  Unfortunately this is the nature of the beast. If you have the ability to add various products to your shop it may actually help offset the lack of sales of your other products during slow periods.

Writing Your Product Descriptions

In order for people to find your products you need to write a very effective description. One of the best ways to go about this is to think of it as a blog post or article. You want to make sure that you optimize this description using keywords. When opening your shop do as much research as you can on SEO (Search Engine Optimization.) Try to find a combination of keywords to create your key phrase that will be the most effective in getting people to visit your product. You also want to make sure that you include every detail about your product in your description. Try to think of what the customer might ask you. Think of things such as size, color, shape, weight, and any other little detail that they may need to know. Sometimes it’s good to include a small story about the product and how you came up with the idea . Believe it or not this is a really effective way to  help you make money with Etsy. Lastly make sure your description is honest and truthful.



Having your own shop with Etsy can be a very cool thing especially if you are creative. It allows you to build your own products from home and then sell them from this really cool website. If you are into antiques or vintage items this is a great place to sell as an alternative or along with eBay. Make sure your ads are written effectively and similar to the way you would write a blog post or article. Remember if you price your items too low it will not increase your sales. People come to this site for quality not discounts. It may take some time before you begin making excellent sales but as long as you stick to it and you dedicate your time to your shop you’re going to find this to be a very fun and exciting way to make money with Etsy from the comfort of your home.

Etsy not for you? Read my post on other things you can do from home to make money here.


If you like this post please “like” and “share” for more content.

Mike M Burke

Work With Me Personally!  DreamBigger.us

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in only a few hours? Click Here!

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My Etsy Shop And The Story Behind It

In 2012 my life took a turn for the worse. Everything that I knew and counted on was gone in the matter of days. My friendship to my best friend of 22 years was gone due to his horrible selfish acts against me and because of his actions my bosses turned on me. I was now faced with a grim future and I knew I had to act fast.

The Original Electric Hurricane Lantern (2012)

I have been involved in the entertainment business ever since I was 13 years old. It has been a struggle. A few years ago I had a major deal that made me some good money. I should say damn good money! I thought I was on my way! I paid off all of my debts and bought a house. It was nothing fancy or overpriced. It did require some handyman work however. I decided to take a short break from making movies and focused on fixing up the house. Part of my thought process was that I could film scenes of my films at this house and it would be extremely helpful. Unfortunately for me the house became the money pit. Everything that could go wrong did. In the end it ate up all of the money I made from my big Hollywood deal. I was now back to where I was, barely surviving on low income, and struggling everyday. I can say for those few years when I did have money it was so nice not having to worry about paying bills. I felt free!

When the actions of my former friend caused major trouble for me at my brick and mortar job I had to rethink everything. I was in no way going to give up on my entertainment career. I know that I born to do it but I was now in a situation where it was a matter of surviving. I knew I would not have my job much longer. It takes time for film deals to happen and I didn't have that kind of time. I turned to the internet and began researching for work I could do at home. My main goal was to be able to create full time income for less than part time hours. This would allow me to pay my bills, buy food, and then spend the rest of the day working on my film work.

I tried many things and failed. Out of all those opportunities only two actually brought me income. The first was Fiverr.com where I actually got paid for being an entertainer. People would pay me to create a custom video for them where I would play various comical characters. I also did voice over work. This was always something I wanted to do and now finally I was. I got to record narration for children's audio books, video game characters, celebrity voices, greeting, commercials, etc. Unfortunately this business was volatile for me.  One week I would see more orders than I could handle and then for the next month pr so no orders at all. At one point I had enough money coming in to be equal to part time pay. I needed something else for the rest of  the income I needed in order to survive. It was my hope that I would bring in enough to quit my job once and for all and never have to work for another. This is when I discovered Etsy.

Etsy allows you to create handmade items and sell them. You can even sell vintage items as well. For me I knew exactly what to sell; Electric Hurricane Lanterns. You see a year before this I was remodeling my home office. I wanted a room that was inspiring because of my writing work, etc. I knew the perfect touch would be a kerosene lantern that was electric. I didn't know if any existed so I did a google search. To my dismay I could not find one. This was when I decided to build it myself. I found a black lantern at Walmart and got the electrical parts at Home Depot. It didn't take me too long to figure out how to actually convert. The finished lamp was awesome. Now back to present time, I knew this could be something that others would love just as much as me.

I started right away and bought lanterns and electrical parts from online. I quickly built them and photographed them. Soon my shop was created and my Electric Hurricane Lanterns were available for sale. It must have been a day or two when I actually began making sales. I became very exited. As months grew the lanterns became more popular. What really got me was how much people loved this item. They would write to me and tell me how much they loved them. It was a rocky road. Some months would be okay and then others not so much. I could never earn enough to quit that horrible job.

Eventually the day arrived that I had known was coming. For no reason at all I was fired from my job. I had been quiet, hardworking, and made sure not to rock the boat once they turned on me. It didn't matter. I knew they wanted me out and nothing I did could have stopped it. I believe it all had to do with money and the dishonorable actions of my former friend helped give them the fuel for their fire. I became extremely fearful of my future and what would happen. I decided to make my lanterns better and add other products to my shop. I created art on wood, original charcoal drawings, and most recently photography prints.

Bronze Electric Hurricane Lantern - The Newest Edition

The lanterns have yet to bring me a full time income or even a part time pay to despite how popular and beloved they are but on average I am now selling a certain amount weekly that I can count on. I believe the biggest problem for me is this gruesome joke of an economy. People want this item but they hold off because of uncertainty.

 My Electric Hurricane Lanterns show up in the top of google results but I feel I need to do more. That is where this blog comes in. It will focus on my Etsy Shop and what I am offering. If I add something new I will tell you all about it. I may even feature a different lantern from time to time to show them off.

I hope my story has touched you and maybe you can even relate. It has been a very difficult and bumpy road. If you like my shop please show your support by sharing it with others. I could really use the help to get more people into my store. You know that  when you buy a product of mine there is a story behind it. It's a story of heartache and determination. A story of not giving up no matter difficult it gets to keep fighting forward.

I invite you to take look at my Etsy Shop: MikeMBurkeDesigns At Etsy