Three lucky ducks will snag the wristlet or pouch of their choice all the way from Singapore from Artfire Seller JDStoreRoom. She is including airmail shipping for the many who happen to not live anywhere nearby. Enter Here before next week!
Swag #71 - Wristlet from DJStoreRoom
Three lucky ducks will snag the wristlet or pouch of their choice all the way from Singapore from Artfire Seller JDStoreRoom. She is including airmail shipping for the many who happen to not live anywhere nearby. Enter Here before next week!
Etsy Treasures: Springtime!
This week I am desperately yearning for some springtime weather. Here are some Etsy picks inspired by my wish for spring. . .
What says more about spring than the chirping of the birds and their busy nest-making? This gorgeous yellow fellow by amberalexander is resplendent in the glowing light and shadow of this watercolor print. He appears to me to be a thoughtful bird, contemplating the tune of his next warbling song.
I love having lots of living bowls to serve side dishes or appetizers. This little bowl by etsy seller EmmaLitten is an ideal perfect hostess gift or a springtime gift for yourself! It is Robin’s egg blue that captures the delicate blues of new life and hope. (The best thing is this bowl is dishwasher and microwave safe!)
Wear the joys of spring on your wrist with this stunning bracelet created by schoolofcharms. It is composed of vintage flowers and European charms. This bracelet captures the spirit of vintage Paris in the springtime – elegant, charming, and oh-so-gorgeous.
This tote bag made by BStauffdesigns is simply gorgeous. The purity of colors in the brocade shimmers with a pearl-like sheen, creating the feelings of opulence and luxury. I have recently become a big fan of the color combination of blue and brown and this bag captures this elegant look.
Here is a beautiful photographic print of Robin’s eggs by artofwhimsyphoto. I love the look of the elegant vignette – it perfectly sets off the color of these eggs. Eggs are the perfect symbol of spring: new life, hope, and the joy of nature’s beauties.
This beautiful skein of handspun yarn by sagefox is made out of merino wool. Perfect for your springtime creation. The pastel colors of this yarn remind me of dying hardboiled Easter eggs as a child. Knit or crochet yourself into spring!
I hope that the warmth of spring's winds have blessed your home wherever you are (and if you're in the Southern hemisphere that you can live vicariously through this collection of Etsy treasures.)
Thanks to the Daily Etsian for this wonderful opportunity to share with you some of my favorite finds, look for my column each week!
A little about me: My name is Hannah and I am currently in my last semester at St. John’s University in Queens, NY working on my undergraduate degree in English. When I am not reading and writing for classes, I create things! I love to paint, draw, do freeform crochet and knitting, as well as work on mixed media projects. I am currently running a little Etsy shop named after my grandmother called Genevieve’s Legacy. The beauty and pride that comes from working with your hands to make a beautiful object of practicality or simple aesthetics is a joy that I hope to share with you!
What says more about spring than the chirping of the birds and their busy nest-making? This gorgeous yellow fellow by amberalexander is resplendent in the glowing light and shadow of this watercolor print. He appears to me to be a thoughtful bird, contemplating the tune of his next warbling song.
I love having lots of living bowls to serve side dishes or appetizers. This little bowl by etsy seller EmmaLitten is an ideal perfect hostess gift or a springtime gift for yourself! It is Robin’s egg blue that captures the delicate blues of new life and hope. (The best thing is this bowl is dishwasher and microwave safe!)
Wear the joys of spring on your wrist with this stunning bracelet created by schoolofcharms. It is composed of vintage flowers and European charms. This bracelet captures the spirit of vintage Paris in the springtime – elegant, charming, and oh-so-gorgeous.
This tote bag made by BStauffdesigns is simply gorgeous. The purity of colors in the brocade shimmers with a pearl-like sheen, creating the feelings of opulence and luxury. I have recently become a big fan of the color combination of blue and brown and this bag captures this elegant look.
Here is a beautiful photographic print of Robin’s eggs by artofwhimsyphoto. I love the look of the elegant vignette – it perfectly sets off the color of these eggs. Eggs are the perfect symbol of spring: new life, hope, and the joy of nature’s beauties.
This beautiful skein of handspun yarn by sagefox is made out of merino wool. Perfect for your springtime creation. The pastel colors of this yarn remind me of dying hardboiled Easter eggs as a child. Knit or crochet yourself into spring!
I hope that the warmth of spring's winds have blessed your home wherever you are (and if you're in the Southern hemisphere that you can live vicariously through this collection of Etsy treasures.)
Thanks to the Daily Etsian for this wonderful opportunity to share with you some of my favorite finds, look for my column each week!
A little about me: My name is Hannah and I am currently in my last semester at St. John’s University in Queens, NY working on my undergraduate degree in English. When I am not reading and writing for classes, I create things! I love to paint, draw, do freeform crochet and knitting, as well as work on mixed media projects. I am currently running a little Etsy shop named after my grandmother called Genevieve’s Legacy. The beauty and pride that comes from working with your hands to make a beautiful object of practicality or simple aesthetics is a joy that I hope to share with you!
Paying for Press - do you?
First of all let's talk about the guidelines I set for my business way back when when I started up. I thought long and hard about what I would and wouldn't do, for instance, I won't get involved with a website or business that hasn't launched yet. I won't pay more than 75.00 for a first year craft show that has no proven attendance. The list goes on down to the miniscule, but on that list you can find - I won't pay to have anyone write about, or feature, my work.
I firmly believe that press always should be free. If my work/products are interesting and of a high quality, people will write about it. They will blog away, I will be featured on the front page and gift guides of etsy, and be "item of the hour" on Artfire, all without having to do one thing - all which really happened to me. If your business is based on your art or craft, your main concern really should be just that. Make amazing things with all your heart, for the sake of it, and the rest falls into place.
Plus, something really rubs be the wrong way about someone writing a phony positive article about me just because I paid them to. I'm not sure if I would have the stomach to read it.
I suppose it all boils down to one bottom line. Legit businesses who want to work with you will either be free, or will be paying YOU for your hard work. If someone is asking you for money, especially online, try to put aside the initial excitement of reading about how wonderful they think your work is and think long and hard about what you would be receiving for your hard earned money.
Either way, I'm sure that a LOT of people don't agree with me, and I'd love to hear from people who received offers like the ones I mentioned and turned them down, as well as ones who went for it. So, paying for press, would you?
Etsy Developer Community and public API is up!!
Today the etsy API went public at http://developer.etsy.com! This is the most exciting feature, for me, that etsy has incorporated since I joined. There is already a small list of available applications, including the ever beloved etsyhacks , plus some others you might not have heard of. Check out the new apps here !
Swag #70 - Watercolor tutorial from cat lady Susan Faye
Susan was also kind enough to make a tutorial outlining her personal watercolor techniques , I hope you find it as fascinating as I did. I've tried to watercolor a few times out of curiosity, and have always ended up with a soggy mess. Susan makes it seem easy in this step-by-step tutorial, perhaps I've been inspired to try again! Now all I need to find are some cats . . .
Swag #69: Notebook from dozi
Part-time Etsian and full-time Californian Wendy Chung is the artist behind Dozi . Her love of pattern and color is clearly defined in her sets of notebooks that she sells in her etsy shop . You can snag a free one here , by checking out the lovely interview with wendy on the MustardSeed blog.
Swag #68: Art by lorikoop
The artwork, clay pots, and bowls in Lorikoops etsy shop are very tactile and organic. Each item has a mixture of textures that add color and depth, resulting in a rustic yet sophisticated style. You can snag the item of your choice from Lorikoops on the SuchCoolStuff blog.
Tea Party
If there is one that the British and the English in particular are best known for it is their love of tea.
Without tea workmen can not work, with tea there is the slimmest chance that after it has worked its restorative magic they might get on with fitting your bathroom or finish demolishing the rest of that wall.
A year or so ago before my daughter was born I found myself stranded at home, bereft of tea bags awaiting the arrival of the carpet layers who were due to put the carper down in the nursery. With visions of irate workmen and rolls of carpet running through my addled brain I was very relieved when they both expressed a preference for coffee.
So pop on the kettle and have a look at this week's picks, inspired by the humble yet mighty cup (or mug) of tea!
What a Mug!
This may be a mug, but you won't be one for coveting it! I love everything about this Blue Argile Mug from Mullox; the colour, the shape, the mugginess! What beats me is how I managed to discover this shop before anyone else! There is something very Liberty's about this mug, andit has a generously sized handle, so bigger hands can hold it and stay warm.
A Paler Shade of Green
If you prefer a cleansing green tea, as opposed to the traditional brew that a spoon could stand in, then this gorgeous handle-less Aqua cup from Bridgeman Studios is the perfect choice. It is a snuggley size, perfect for cupping and a lovely calming aqua green.
"I know someone who is immensely fond of Strawberry Tarts!"
And I know someone who is immensely fond Strawberry Tea Sets! From The Fancy Footworks Pottery Studios this is a stunning strawberry coloured set, perfect for your own personal tea ceremony. To be honest I am coveting everything in their shop!
Tea for Me!
And for those times when you aren't actually partaking of tea there is this felt brooch from Lupin which will dispel any mystery surrounding your beverage of choice!
Ah the kettle has boiled so that's all from me this week!
Everyone change places!
xAlice
Artfire, Rapid Cart, and Etsy
I'll be blunt, Artfire hasn't been good for me. I'm verified but have yet to have a sale, whereas I sell everyday through etsy and my website combined. However I'm sticking with them, as they keep impressing me with some really neat features rolling out over the last few months.
Some of these features are only available to verified artfire sellers. You can join for 7 a month.
Here's the low down:
1. Rapid Cart. This is an intriguing idea that is realted to the piece we published yesterday about how to sell your items directly from your blog using paypal. Turns out that if you have an artfire shop you can do the same thing using RapidCart. Here is an example from my personal artfire shop:
Like Etsy Mini, you can customize the size and number of items that are included. Unlike etsy mini, you can also choose which specific items show up and in what order. Nice. I also played with the code a bit to move the "Rapid Cart" logo to the bottom. I don't think I'll be implementing this code on my blog, but I can see how this could be slightly more useful than the artfire "shop window" or "etsy mini."
2. Ipromote Studio. View their FAQ here. I'm not signed up for this, nor am I a believer in large online advertising campaigns for small craft businesses. However, partnerships like this are interesting, and show that Artfire is actively thinking about opportunities for sellers to promote their shops.
3. My Market Hub. Now THIS I wish etsy had. A simple graphic interface in your shop that allows users to visit your website, blog, your etsy shop and more. Handy. Plus you get stats of how many visitors have clicked through to each site. Etsy is all about twitter, how I long for a simple twitter button in my etsy shop, or integration of my tweets. Maybe someday. . .
4. The 11-step quick start guide. Friendly and helpful, these tips can apply to any site you are selling on. Download it here, and visit their social media resources section for more helpful tip.
5. Easy to find and view video guides and help guides. So reading a boring PDF isn't your thing. The left sidebar of the "My artfire" section contains every support link you could need, including links to videos and tutorials of common artfire features. A format like this on etsy would send me over the moon, no more spending 10 minutes searching the storque for articles about how to take nice pictures, or find the bannerator link.
We'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on artfire and etsy, which aspects you like of each, and how sales compare. Let us know your thoughts!
Some of these features are only available to verified artfire sellers. You can join for 7 a month.
Here's the low down:
1. Rapid Cart. This is an intriguing idea that is realted to the piece we published yesterday about how to sell your items directly from your blog using paypal. Turns out that if you have an artfire shop you can do the same thing using RapidCart. Here is an example from my personal artfire shop:
Like Etsy Mini, you can customize the size and number of items that are included. Unlike etsy mini, you can also choose which specific items show up and in what order. Nice. I also played with the code a bit to move the "Rapid Cart" logo to the bottom. I don't think I'll be implementing this code on my blog, but I can see how this could be slightly more useful than the artfire "shop window" or "etsy mini."
2. Ipromote Studio. View their FAQ here. I'm not signed up for this, nor am I a believer in large online advertising campaigns for small craft businesses. However, partnerships like this are interesting, and show that Artfire is actively thinking about opportunities for sellers to promote their shops.
3. My Market Hub. Now THIS I wish etsy had. A simple graphic interface in your shop that allows users to visit your website, blog, your etsy shop and more. Handy. Plus you get stats of how many visitors have clicked through to each site. Etsy is all about twitter, how I long for a simple twitter button in my etsy shop, or integration of my tweets. Maybe someday. . .
4. The 11-step quick start guide. Friendly and helpful, these tips can apply to any site you are selling on. Download it here, and visit their social media resources section for more helpful tip.
5. Easy to find and view video guides and help guides. So reading a boring PDF isn't your thing. The left sidebar of the "My artfire" section contains every support link you could need, including links to videos and tutorials of common artfire features. A format like this on etsy would send me over the moon, no more spending 10 minutes searching the storque for articles about how to take nice pictures, or find the bannerator link.
We'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on artfire and etsy, which aspects you like of each, and how sales compare. Let us know your thoughts!
Swag #67: GOING TOO FAR
Enter to win the book GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols by commenting on the Women Who Rock Wednesday Interview with Jennifer by 3/24!
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