eastern washington etsy street team

congrats to ndnchick

2011-11-21T10:07:00.001-08:00

Leannas lovely beaded tie tack made the FP of Etsy this morning! Way to go.

Thank you ZiBagz for a lovely Front Page

2011-11-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Lisa of ZiBagz and her clever curation, we have 3 teammates who saw Front Page exposure last night. Congratulations to LaurenBPhotography, TeraBliss, and IrishBabies. All very beautiful as you can see.

Congrats to Leanna on her first Front Page feature

2011-10-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Beautiful feature Leanna, NDNchick looks great. Congratulations!

Congrats to 2 on the Front Page

2011-10-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

DreamofaDream out of little old Leavenworth has actually been on the Front Page of Etsy several times lately. One of the cool things about this is the variety of choices. A tower pendant, a painting, and a wolf pendant. Beautiful work Jessi. Here they are:

Here is Lori from KiltedWoman with her beautiful water droplets necklce. Congratulations, Lori, the attention is well deserved.

Challenge Time Sept 14 - 19

2011-09-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

For this weeks treasury challenge, we will be featuring a set of vintage LPs from 13thFloorVinyl. Great job on the photo, Natalie. That will be a great one to feature this week. Here is how to enter.
Anyone can enter this challenge and anyone can win. You do not have to join the Inland Northwest Team. Just follow these instructions:
1. Make an Etsy treasury between now and Tuesday morning, September 19th that features the inspiration item (record set above) somewhere in the first 3 rows of your treasury.
2. Use INWChallenge as one of your treasury tags.
3. Post this link in your treasury description http://ewateam.blogspot.com/2011/09/challenge-time-Sept-14-19.html
4. Post a link to your treasury here in the comments.
It is that easy. Natalie at 13thFloorVinyl will choose a winning treasury from the entries and post the winner here on the evening of Tuesday the 19th. The winner will choose the next inspiration item from their own shop and have the privilege of being featured in lots of fabulous treasuries.
Good luck!

This weeks winner

2011-09-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Natalie on your winning treasury for the week. Some words from Kathy,"I want to thank the INW Team so much for the really great treasuries. They were all very creative and lovely. It was a hard decision. I really appreciate the promotion it has brought to my fledgling shop. You are all a very welcoming group and I look forward to many more fun times with the Inland Northwest Etsy bunch!"
Tune in tomorrow to see what we will be featuring this week from 13thFloorVinyl.

New Challenge Sept 7 - 13

2011-09-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

Our new inspiration item is this pillow featuring the Monroe Street Bridge in Spokane. Here is how to play:
Anyone can enter this challenge and anyone can win. You do not have to join the Inland Northwest Team. Just follow these instructions:
1. Make an Etsy treasury between now and Tuesday morning, September 13th that features the inspiration item (Pillow above) somewhere in the first 3 rows of your treasury.
2. Use INWChallenge as one of your treasury tags.
3. Post this link in your treasury description http://ewateam.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-challenge-Sept-7-13.html
4. Post a link to your treasury here in the comments.
It is that easy. Kathy at VanishingPts will choose a winning treasury from the entries and post the winner here on the evening of Tuesday the 13th. The winner will choose the next inspiration item from their own shop and have the privilege of being featured in lots of fabulous treasuries.
Good luck!
Kathy is the newest member of the Inland Northwest Team. Here is her intro from our forum:
Hi everyone! My name is Kathy and I'm an architect in Spokane. I'm married and have two small children. I've had an Etsy shop for a while, selling my architectural sketches, but it wasn't very successful and I didn't try marketing it very hard. In May, I lost my job at an arch firm in a downsizing. I'm working part time now in a new firm and am revamping the Etsy shop to try to supplement the income. It may also be a great way for me to stay working part time, if we can make a go of it. It's been nice to spend more time with my kids.
Kathy plans to add more pillows and cards to the shop throughout the Fall. Congratulations again, Kathy, on being chosen the winner. I hope these treasuries make you feel welcome to the team.

Challenge Winner

2011-09-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

Some words from Tera "This was a blast and I appreciate everyone taking the time out of their busy labor day weekends to participate. Look forward to the next challenge!"
And the Winner is:

Kathy at VanishingPts is our new featured seller for the coming challenge. I will post here when she has chosen an item for us to feature.
Great work everyone, and congratulations to Kathy.

Treasury Challenge Aug 31-Sept 6

2011-08-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

A winner has been chosen:

A new inspiration item has been chosen:

Here is how to participate:
Anyone can enter this challenge and anyone can win. You do not have to join the Inland Northwest Team. Just follow these instructions:
1. Make an Etsy treasury between now and Tuesday September 6th that features the inspiration item (Circus vaudeville showgirl earrings) somewhere in the first 3 rows of your treasury.
2. Use INWChallenge as one of your treasury tags.
3. Post this link in your treasury description http://ewateam.blogspot.com/2011/08/treasury-challenge-aug-31-Sept-6.html
4. Post a link to your treasury here in the comments.
It is that easy. Tera at TeraBliss will choose a winning treasury from the entries and post the winner here on Tuesday the 6th. The winner will choose the next inspiration item from their own shop and have the privilege of being featured in lots of fabulous treasuries.

Treasury Challenge Aug 23-29

2011-08-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Megan. We are featuring her sugar scrub this week. How to play follows.

Anyone can enter this challenge and anyone can win. You do not have to join the Inland Northwest Team. Just follow these instructions:
1. Make an Etsy treasury between now and Tuesday August 29th that features the inspiration item (sugar scrub above) somewhere in the first 3 rows of your treasury.
2. Use INWChallenge as one of your treasury tags.
3. Post this link in your treasury description http://ewateam.blogspot.com/2011/08/treasury-challenge-aug-23-29.html
4. Post a link to your treasury here in the comments.
It is that easy. Megan at CountryBlossom will choose a winning treasury from the entries and post the winner here on Tuesday the 30th. The winner will choose the next inspiration item from their own shop and have the privilege of being featured in lots of fabulous treasuries.

Congrats to CountryBlossom!

2011-08-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

Megan's "My Birthday Wish List" has been chosen as the latest winner for the Inland NW Treasury Challenge.

www.etsy.com/treasury/MTI1NDY5MTZ8NjA4OTQ5MDMz/my-birthday-wish-list

Thanks to all that featured my earrings last week. All the treasuries were so gorgeous... it was extrememly difficult to pick just one!

The next challenge featuring an item from CountryBlossom will be posted shortly. Stay tuned!

New Challenge Open

2011-08-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here is our new inspiration item

Anyone can enter this challenge and anyone can win. You do not have to join the Inland Northwest Team. Just follow these instructions:
1. Make an Etsy treasury between now and Tuesday August 23rd that features the inspiration item (feather earrings above) somewhere in the first 3 rows of your treasury.
2. Use INWChallenge as one of your treasury tags.
3. Post this link in your treasury description http://ewateam.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-challenge-open.html
4. Post a link to your treasury here in the comments.
It is that easy. Tera at CreativityisMessy will choose a winning treasury from the entries and post the winner here on Wednesday the 24th. The winner will choose the next inspiration item from their own shop and have the privilege of being featured in lots of fabulous treasuries.

Challenge winner

2011-08-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you all who featured my mans shirt in a treasury last week. Look at the composition in this treasury. I have to say that is what won the challenge this time is the composition. I love how the colored backgrounds march down the page. Thank you Tera. And thanks to all who participated. I will be back here later posting the next challenge which will be something from CreativityisMessy.

Congrats to Ivy on the Front Page

2011-08-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Beautiful!

A New Open Treasury Challenge

2011-08-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

The winner of last weeks Inland Northwest Treasury Challenge was BrandybuckClothiers with "Barely There"

The item to feature this week is:

Anyone can enter this challenge and anyone can win. You do not have to join the Inland Northwest Team. Just follow these instructions:
1. Make an Etsy treasury between now and Tuesday August 16th that features the inspiration item (the linen shirt above) somewhere in the first 3 rows of your treasury.
2. Use INWChallenge as one of your treasury tags.
3. Post this link in your treasury description http://ewateam.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-open-treasury-challenge.html
4. Post a link to your treasury here in the comments.
It is that easy. Cherie at Brandybuck will choose a winning treasury from the entries and post the winner here on Wednesday the 17th. The winner will choose the next inspiration item from their own shop and have the privilege of being featured in lots of fabulous treasuries.

Catching up on Teammates on the Front Page

2011-08-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Pamela of SeeingisBelieving

Congratulations Cori of Corid

Congratulations to Natalie of That70sShoppe

Congratulations Rachel of OrangeThyme

Way to go Ivy! DistinctlyIvy

Interview with Pamela from SeeingIsBelieving

2011-08-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

I think you will enjoy hearing about Pamela and seeing her beautifully organic shop with its wonderful works of art. She also has some great advice for us.

First off so everyone can get to know each other better what is your 'real' name? And where do you live? Tell us a little about yourself.

My Name is Pamela Petry and I live in Moses Lake, WA - a small town in Eastern Washington - with our son Skylar and our 3 dogs. I am originally from Michigan and moved to the Seattle Area about 17 years ago. Then moved over to Moses Lake about 3 years ago. I went to college for graphic design and chose Fashion Design as my Focus but never wanted to live the high pace lifestyle of the truly big cities. I developed a career in the sign industry from designer to production, all the way to sales. I hit pretty much every as aspect in the sign industry. Now I am a SAHM trying to make a name for myself with my art.

How did you learn about Etsy? How long has your shop been open?

I have known about Etsy pretty much from the time the site opened but never made the jump into it until I became a SAHM. But actually my friend Tracey of Summerone gave me the push I needed to actually do it. My shop now has been open about 8 months.

How did you come up with you shop name?
I have known since I was about 25 what my 'someday' business name was going to be. Luckily, it wasn't taken by any other person. I just figured that it could be incorporated with about anything I wanted to do, anything that I would eventually create.

What do you like most about your shop appearance? What would you like to improve?
I, actually, like everything about my shop. I have taken my banner and have created it into my logo and blog site now. The feel of the shop is how I want to portray my earthy pieces of art. The thing I would like to improve is the wording. I am not much of a writer, so, honestly, most of the similar items are cut and pasted with a few different words thrown in here and there.

What is your creative style? Is your work area neat and tidy or a disaster? What inspires you?
EARTHY is my style if you can't tell. lol I love nature and want my pieces to represent that. But I also have a whimsical side which you will find in my paintings usually. As for my work area, I would most likely say my work space is a semi organized... for me. You won't say that, looking at it, though. Before I get to making the pieces, I have to clean it up every time I get ready to create. My shop is in our garage and it just happens to be a collect-all place at the moment. But what Ceramic studio is spick and span?

What is your favorite Etsy story?
Not sure if it's a great story, but it made me feel great. I was at an art show one year and picked up a business card from the Artist to put in my "future have to have something from them one day" and tucked it away. Then when I became a member of INWteam I had notice that same artist CORID was in the group. I had written her to let her know I loved her pieces so much and at the same time she was writing me and telling me she liked my pieces and that I should make and sell beads. She was sure I would do well selling them. I have to say, my first sale WAS a set of beads that I created just because Cori said she believed in my pieces.

Do you have any advice you’d like to share?

Photos are the key. Practice, Practice, Practice. Get to know your camera and create a coherent look for your shop with photos, banner, copy etc. This doesn't happen overnight. And go on Etsy Success to find helpful hints for just about anything

Enjoy some of the great treasuries that have featured SeeingIsBelieving:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTgxMzQ4N3wzOTYyNDI2Nzg/upcycled-sun-bathed-beauties
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTA2NTMxNnwzOTg0MzI5NDA/the-woman-behind-the-work

Treasury Challenge 8/2 - 8/7

2011-08-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another Inland Northwest Treasury Challenge! This weeks treasury challenge will run from Tuesday, August 2nd until Sunday, August 7th.

And this week's featured item is this gorgeous necklace from KiltedWoman!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77597782/pink-scottish-sea-glass-necklace-with

Good luck and have fun!

THE RULES:

1) Use the item above in your treasury. This item is from the Etsy shop KiltedWoman. Your treasury can have any theme you like as long as it includes this item.

2) This item MUST be placed within the first three rows of your treasury.

3) Tag your treasury with “inwchallenge” (all one word). We recommend you fill all of the remaining 17 tags with descriptive words pertaining to your treasury, as this will increase your treasury’s exposure.

4) You MUST post a link to your treasury as a comment on this blog post.

5) In the description section of your treasury you MUST include the URL for this blog post.

OTHER NOTES:

- You can make as many challenge treasuries as you want (as long as they include the featured item).

- You are not required to be a Inland Northwest Team member in order to participate in (or win) these challenges.

- Participants are allowed to win more than once.

- PLEASE make sure you don’t forget guidelines #4 and #5 listed above.

- If any of the above guidelines above are forgotten your treasury could be disqualified from this challenge.

Remember, you have until end of the day, Sunday, August 7th, to create your treasury (or treasuries). The winner will be announced shortly after the challenge ends.

If your treasury is chosen as the winner you will be notified as soon as possible. We’ll ask you to select one of the items from your shop to be featured in our next challenge. If you do not have an Etsy shop we’ll ask you to nominate a shop. We will also ask you to select the winning treasury for the challenge in which you (or your nominated shop) are featured.

Another Treasury Challenge Winner has been chosen!

2011-08-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to KiltedWoman for winning the latest Inland Northwest Treasury Challenge!

Here is the winning treasury:

The next challenge will be posted tomorrow. Don't forget to check back!!

Treasury Challenge 7/21 - 7/26

2011-07-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Another treasury challenge is ready to go, and this time we are extending the time allowed to make treasuries! This weeks treasury challenge will run from Thursday, July 21st until Tuesday, July 26th.

And this week's featured item is this adorable tutu by BlueBassinet!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74490029/cotton-candy-tutu-toddler-size-ready-to

Good luck and have fun!

THE RULES:

1) Use the item above in your treasury. This item is from the Etsy shop BlueBassinet. Your treasury can have any theme you like as long as it includes this item.

OTHER NOTES:

Remember, you have until Tuesday, July 26th, to create your treasury (or treasuries). The winner will be announced shortly after the end of the day Tuesday.

2011-07-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Congratualations to BlueBassinet for winning this week's INWTeam Treasury Challenge! Here is her winning treasury:

A new challenge will begin this Thursday! Check back to see what item from BlueBassinet has been chosen to be featured in the next challenge. And don't forget... ANYONE can win!!

New Tree Challenge: 7/14 - 7/17

2011-07-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

A big congratulations to GizmoFiberArts for winning the last treasury challenge! Here is the winning treasury:

The item chosen for this week's challenge is this adorable hat crochet pattern by GizmoFiberArts.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70850529/crochet-pattern-girls-hat-3-months-to-10

THE RULES:

1) Use the item above in your treasury. This item is from the Etsy shop GizmoFiberArts. Your treasury can have any theme you like as long as it includes this item.

OTHER NOTES:

You have until Sunday, July 17th, to create your treasury (or treasuries). The winner will be announced sometime the following week.

Treasury Challenge 7/7 - 7/10

2011-07-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

Time for another Inland Northwest Treasury Challenge! This week's featured item is...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77216179/ginger-pear-olive-oil-cold-process-soap

THE RULES:

1) Use the item above in your treasury. This item is from the Etsy shop OrangeThyme. Your treasury can have any theme you like as long as it includes this item.

OTHER NOTES:

You have until Sunday, July 10th, to create your treasury (or treasuries). The winner will be announced sometime the following week.

Congratulations OrangeThyme!!

2011-07-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Rachel of OrangeThyme is the winner of the first ever INWTeam Treasury Challenge! Whoo-hoo!!

Here is the winning submission:

'Shapes' by orangethyme

Look for Rachel's featured item in our next challenge this Thursday! Good luck!!

Our first ever Inland Northwest Treasury Challenge!

2011-06-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the very first Inland Northwest Team Treasury Challenge. For those that have not participated in a challenge before, let me give you a run-down of how it works.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76795601/sun-medallion-with-recycled-glass

THE RULES:

1) Use the item above in your treasury. This item is from the Etsy shop SeeingIsBelieving. Your treasury can have any theme you like as long as it includes this item.

OTHER NOTES:

You have until Sunday, July 3rd, to create your treasury (or treasuries). The winner will be announced sometime the following week.

Interview with Lori Cook Of Kilted Woman

2011-06-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed learning more about Lori and her unique and exciting shop. She also shares some wonderful advice on how to market your shop.

First off so everyone can get to know each other better what is your 'real' name? And where do you live? Tell us a little about yourself.

Lori Cook, I live in Richland, WA with my husband and two sons. My husband is from Scotland and right now I am sitting in the local Aryshire, Scotland library using their internet service. I am originally from a small town in Oregon. I met my husband on match.com and we have been married for 6 years. We enjoy traveling back to Scotland about every two years to visit family, beach comb and take pictures. I really enjoy old cemeteries and artful stonework found in the graveyards here. I have been a registered nurse for about 20 years. I currently work with the elderly but previously I worked in a state hospital for the mentally ill for 13 years.

How did you learn about Etsy? How long has your shop been open?

My friend Dana was selling her jewelry on Etsy and I decided to give it a try. I began in November. I had picked up many pieces of sea glass and sea pottery on previous vacations in Scotland so I started making necklaces with it. Now can't seem to stop creating things! My shop only has a portion of what I have made and I am nearly at 300 items listed!

How did you come up with you shop name?

I started Scottish highland dancing two years ago and I wear a blue tartan dancing kilt. Originally the dances were only performed by men and only men could wear the kilt. It was a novelty to see a woman in a kilt and was considered very daring. I thought Kilted Woman would be a good representation of what my shop was about.

What do you like most about your shop appearance? What would you like to improve? I like my banner. I took the picture in Dunure, Scotland which is the location of one of my favorite ruined castles. I need to improve the brightness of my pictures. I have some pictures I took in full sunlight which turned out well but I find I run out of time to retake the rest of them.

What is your creative style? Is your work area neat and tidy or a disaster? What inspires you? I like to keep things tidy, I have little labeled drawers where all of my things go. (Sort of like a nurses medication cart!) I like to look at a piece of glass or pottery and imagine where it has been and who used it for what purpose. I put things together one way and then take them apart and put them together a different way. It might take me several tries to get what I like. If I wouldn't wear it then I won't sell it. I am inspired by Scottish history, architecture and scenery. It is full of depth and layers.

What is your favorite Etsy story? (ie: a funny sales story or customer interaction.) I can't think of anything funny that's happened but I have met many fellow TriCities sellers and have made some new friends through Etsy. I find that really the most enjoyable part of this site. I just sold some wine charms to a lady in Scotland and sent them by mail from Washington before I realized I could have pretty much hand delivered them to her this week!

Do you have any advice you’d like to share?

Take great pictures, that is the key to selling things people can't actually touch or see. Use the Etsy application to make a catalog of your things and leave the catalog in the break room at work. Buy a purse with windows in it for photos and use it to display your wares-works well for selling jewelry.

Enjoy some of the wonderful treasuries created by the INWTeam featuring Lori's items.

Craft Party Wire Wrapping

2011-06-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Adults in this photo: Sarah, Sarahndippity; Coleen, ByrnesJewlers; Megan, FlowYogaMats and CountryBlossom; Tera, CreativityisMessy; Ivy, DistinctlyIvy; Tera, TeraBliss
To celebrate the 6th anniversary of Etsy, we got together and learned something new. Sarah of SarahnDippity was our expert teacher and she walked us through making her lovely Baroque pearl pendant. I was really impressed with everyone's results.

There was also all kinds of yummy food supplied by the attendees. Rachel of OrangeThyme couldn't make it, but she gave us each a lip balm and a fragrance sample. Thank you!

Tera, CreativityisMessy, gave us some fun bottle cap refrigerator magnets. I supplied the name tags that turn into magnetic picture frames for the fridge.

We all agreed that we should do something like this again. Thanks again Sarah! And thanks to Coleen, ByrnesJewelers, for being our gracious host.

Maybe next time we can play more with fire - I think Sarah would like that! Check the StudioCherie blog if you want to see what I made at the craft party.

Who's ready for a Craft Party?!?

2011-06-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, June 18th, the Inland Northwest Etsy Team will be having a Team Craft Party in the Spokane Area!! This will be an awesome opportunity for members to participate in a fun "craft" project, eat some delish food, receive a very special goodie bag of gifts, and meet and hang out with fellow members of the INWTeam!

A big thanks to Coleen, of ByrnesJewelrs for allowing the team to invade her home. And to Sarah, of Sarahndippity, who will be teaching the project. I hope you both know what you are in for!

Details and photos will be posted on the blog after the party. Stay tuned!

Featured in Summer Issue Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine

2011-06-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ed and Linda of ArtsontheVine are featured in the Summer issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine. Click on the link to see a preview of the magazine. Their article is called luxurious lampwork. Congratulations Ed and Linda!

Spokane Arts and Crafts Show This Saturday

2011-05-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Join these talented ladies from Etsy: CarolSchmauder, SeamsVictorian, and GlitznGlass along with 7 other local artists featuring pottery, aprons and all kinds of lovelies for a local meet the maker shopping experience.
Details: Saturday May 21 10 am - 4 pm at 2720 E Bruce, Spokane, WA

Interview with Tracey Weiser of Summerone

2011-05-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

Read about Summerone owner, Tracey Weiser. This talented lady has a way with taking something old and changing it into something fabulous!

First off so everyone can get to know each other better what is your 'real' name? And where do you live? Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Tracey Weiser and I live in Moses Lake, WA. My husband and I moved here about three years ago after we got married. He got a job here and the cost of living was so affordable it seemed like a good fit. We had come to check it out the year before, our friend's had moved here and they're the ones who offered the job opportunity. It was a wonderful couple of days, sunny and twinkling and we were smitten right away.

Moving here was another experience, to say the least. It is far away from our families - mine live in BC, his live west of the mountains and don't travel often. Because we were newly married and not finished the immigration process when I got pregnant I was kinda 'trapped' here. And as you can imagine that 'trapped' feeling made the whole process of getting used to a new town difficult. The immigration process is all complete now and a great weight has been lifted.

How did you learn about Etsy?

I had stumbled upon Etsy the year before we moved here, through an artist that was featured in a little mag I'd picked up. I don't remember the title of the magazine but the artist was trixiedelicious from Australia. I have always loved shopping garage sales and second hand stores and I found that last solitary dish from a fancy set to be one item I had a hard time letting pass me by. I would, invariably. But I would yearn for those misplaced, forlorn treasures after wards. So I love that she finds a way to reuse them. She makes them stand alone and be special! In fact, I just had to feature one of her items on my blog last week: her MOFO plate for mother's day! Just to be cheeky!

How did you get started making jewelry and how long have you been doing it?

I've always been interested in the art of making things: paintings, driftwood sculptures, knitting, jewelry. I have a degree in Fine Art and English

I'm not exactly sure when I started making jewelry. I made some things when I was in college, about 10 years ago. And I remember that those friends thought of me as a jewelry maker, but I don't have any of those pieces anymore, so I can't tell you what I made. I DO have a terrible memory, though :D

What do you like most about your shop appearance? What would you like to improve?

I was so happy to find Etsy for the sake of having a store, but I find the process of making my shop the way I'd like it to be to be a difficult one. I like that my shop currently has a cohesive feel to it, but I'm not particularly fond of the overall theme it projects. I'll be changing it again, though that entails taking all new photos. I've been working on my photos and I feel that those are coming along, but I still have work to do there, for sure. I would like to have more close up photos of my jewelry and to be more careful about background colors. Good photos are integral to selling on Etsy, I think. I think, too that a cohesive backgrounds to your photos should suit the theme you want your shop to project and my feels all over the map to me, frankly! I've found fotofuze.com to be helpful in tweaking photos for items that I haven't gotten around to taking new photos of. It is a slower process than I'd like it to be but then I'm impatient! I feel the pressure of my to-do list the strongest when I get working. I have a hard time, working and relieving the pressure I put on myself to get more things done. Consequently, I'm usually spinning in circles with too many windows open on my computer and too many projects out on my desk.

What is your creative style? Is your work area neat and tidy or a disaster? What inspires you?

I do wish that I was a cleaner worker. When I'm deep in a project: painting or jewelry, I definitely need a space with a door that I can shut. Just so that I can walk away from it. I'm pretty messy; I love to have all the parts at my disposal, so that I can grab them as I need them and I don't put things away very well. A difficult way to work when you have a toddler. Ha-ha!!

Everything inspires me! I wish it didn't!! The outdoors, fashion catalogs, what my friends wear, my friends: I think about them and make what they would like. I could go on and on! I have far too many ideas racing around my brain - I can't get them out fast enough. I keep photo files and they are filled with examples of work, directions that I'd like to pursue, try my hand at. But when I'm actually working it is quite organic. I have all my beads and wire around me and start a new earring or pendant design just as I finish one, sometimes WHILE I'm working. I'm a very circular thinker! Maybe a little A.D.D! :D That's probably how I got started working with repurposed items.

How did you come up with you shop name?

I called my shop summer's workshop for so many reasons: my birthday is in July and summer is my favorite season! It has such a magic to it; it seems that life is more ripe and bountiful in the summer! Summer's workshop sounds a little like Santa's workshop: another phrase that brings up ideas of magic and possibilities. I'm still not clear on how to present that as a theme for my store, but as I said, ideas are always spinning and I feel that I'm close!!

I noticed you have a lot of variety in your shop and you used recycled, repurposed components. How did you get started on this path? What kind of jewelry do you like to wear?

I've always been a little bit crow: sparkly things catch my attention and I have to snatch them up. I'm also a big fondler, I always touch things in stores and I loved dress up as a child. When I was little, I liked to pick up a long necklace and wrap it around my wrist and if it was long enough twist it under my hand and over my finger for a 'matching' ring! As I got older and got better at different techniques, I would take old necklaces that I found at garage sales or secondhand shops and make bracelets or earrings for myself. Then, gradually, other people asked me to do the same for them, with items that they loved, but that had fallen out of style or they had grown tired of. I love doing it! Seeing what I can come up with! That in particular is a very organic experience. Very experimental. I just play around with different materials until something speaks to me: matches the beads or style of the old piece and I move from there! I love to wear the jewelry I make! Perhaps that sounds self serving, but a lot of times, I make jewelry because I have an outfit that I want to wear and I don't have anything to go with it! So I make something.

Another Front Page

2011-05-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

Way to go Pamela! This happened on Earth Day. Great job being on top of the featured themes! Sorry I missed it. This was made by Seeingisbelieving.

Congrats to our Front Page Curators

2011-05-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

BlueBassinet with her first front page. One of many we hope!

CreativityisMessy with her umptillenth. Thank you ladies for setting such great examples for us by making fabulous treasuries.

Interview with Jennifer of GizmoFiberArts.

2011-05-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Jennifer shares some things about herself and her totally charming shop, GizmoFiberArts. Thanks Jennifer!

Enjoy some treasuries featuring GizmoFiberArts! Read her interview and check out her new banner!

First off so everyone can get to know each other better what is your 'real' name? And where do you live? Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Jennifer and I live in Colville, WA. I am single and I have an orange tabby named Chips. I have a Masters degree in Philosophy but after teaching some at the college level I realized that's not the life for me. Now I sell on eBay as my "day job" and write and design as much as can.

How did you learn about Etsy? How long has your shop been open?

My sister-in-law told me about Etsy and I opened my shop in November last year. I thought it might be a better way to sell my patterns as it takes so long to submit them to publishers and there aren't very many publishers left these days.

How did you come up with you shop name?

Well, I really love gadgets and inventions. I wanted a name that reflected that aspect of my personality because a lot of my creativity has to do with figuring out how to make things. It's more about how to achieve a certain effect, such as how to make a hat "floppy" than having a specific look in mind. I searched all kinds of word combinations to come up with one that was available on all the social media I could think of. Gizmo isn't used much so I chose that to represent my personality. I chose fiber arts because I was writing both knit and crochet patterns (though there are only crochet ones in my shop), and I also have some ideas for embroidery. I didn't want to limit it to crochet though it's mostly crochet.

What do you like most about your shop appearance? What would you like to improve?

Well, I recently won a makeover for my shop! I received new graphics; they are my favorite part of my shop's appearance. LOL On the negative side, a lot of my pictures are really dark. I live in a dark house with little windows and lots of rain outside. It has been hard to get enough light to make my products look their best.

What is your creative style? Is your work area neat and tidy or a disaster? What inspires you?

My work area is a mess usually. I don't have a lot of space to have it be the total disaster zone that I would probably prefer. All kinds of things inspire me. I'm constantly having to edit because there are so many things I want to make. I'm mostly inspired by trying to figure out "how" to make something. At the moment I'm working on a crocheted Chinese dragon. I like the look of Chinese dragons and I was just wondering, could it be crocheted? The challenge is on, and I'm trying.

You state you’ve been crocheting for thirty years in your profile, what draws you to this art form?

Well, my mom taught me to crochet when I was 5. I wanted to be like her and my grandma, who is legendary in my family. I like crochet, and knitting also, because they are structural and mathematical, yet so feminine at the same time. Even as a little kid, I loved figuring out the math involved in making crocheted stuff.

Has it been challenging to go from producing items to creating patterns? What made you decide to go in that direction? Have you found that aspect of your shop to be more successful as far as sales go?

I really like writing, and I used to write gaming guides, which were step by step instructions for beating online games. That skill plus my love of crochet led me to want to try writing some patterns. I would like to start adding things like helpful tips and ideas of how to adapt the patterns.
As far as my store, I opened it to sell patterns, and then realized I could add the finished items too since I don't have anywhere else to sell them. The patterns are the best sellers in my store, and definitely my main focus.

Do you have any advice you’d like to share?

Yeah, as far as sales, definitely renew or list every single day. When I started renewing 3 items/day I saw a huge jump in sales. I didn't see any increased sales for the first 10 days or so and started to think it was a waste of money, but I had committed to doing it for a month. Then, all of the sudden, the sales started coming in.

DistinctlyIvy on the Front Page

2011-05-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Ivy!

BlueBassinet Featured Team Seller

2011-04-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Christine of BlueBassinet shares a little about herself and her wonderful shop. Enjoy the great treasuries she has been featured in and then learn a bit more about this creative full time wife and Mother.

First off so everyone can get to know each other better what is your 'real' name? And where do you live? Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Christine Brandstetter, I live in Richland, Washington - but my hometown will always be Gig Harbor. I grew up there and never thought I would ever leave, until I met my college sweetheart Jeremy. After getting engaged in 2004, I spent all my summers in Richland and finally moved here after graduating from Washington State University. Jeremy and I have been married for 5 years and we have 3 beautiful children - Westin (4), Aubrey (3) and Nolan (1). I'm a full time Mom and love every second of it.

How did you get started making tutu's?

The tutu's started in September after I asked my daughter what she wanted to be for Halloween. She couldn't make up her mind so I ordered supplies to make a lady bug, a pink bunny rabbit and a Tinkerbell outfit. I made all three and when she decided on the bunny rabbit I ended up selling the other two tutu to friends for their kids. Then something crazy happened and two of my friends asked me if I'd make tutu's for them to. After getting some great feedback from them my husband thought I should put them up on my Etsy site to see what happened. I had no idea Adult tutu's would be so popular. In the last 8 months I have sold 4 times as many adult tutu's as I have childrens.

How did you learn about Etsy?

I learned about Etsy from my best friend Amber (FableBay). She had been on Etsy for a while and thought it would be a great idea for me to start selling nursing wraps and other baby items on the site. She's been a great cheerleader!

What do you like most about your shop appearance? What would you like to improve?

My logo is by far my favorite thing about my shop. In November Blue Bassinet celebrated its 1st Birthday and my husband had a logo designed for me. A lot of my tutu pictures are just snap shots that I have taken for my customers right before I shipped their tutu and never imagined they would make it up on the site. So right now I'm in the process of redoing as many of the photos as I can. I also recently opened another account and plan on moving almost all of my adult tutu's over to my second shop LambertLane.

What is your creative style? Is your work area neat and tidy or a disaster? What inspires you?

I often joke with my friends that I have "Artistic ADD" once I make it in to my office I sometimes get distracted and can't focus on the project I'm working on and end up working on two or three different things instead. My work area is almost always a disaster - its also in the middle of the house and it isn't uncommon to find my children walking off with materials. My children have always inspired me, a lot of what you see started as projects for my kids.

How did you come up with you shop name?

After our first son was born my husband and I had played with the idea of starting up a baby boutique and had come up with the name years before I opened my shop. Blue because we had a boy and Bassinet mostly because we liked the way they sounded together.

Any stories or advice you'd like to share?

Photography matters! I've seen so many items that are beautiful made but poorly photographed not sell. Your photos sell your items, they're the only visual your customer has to go on. When you're taking your pictures play with the light if inside isn't given you great shots take the product outside in the morning light.

What are your goals if any for your shop in 2011?

2011 is about expanding I'm working on all sorts of mystery projects so you'll just have to check back frequently!

Benele Bakery Featured Team Seller

2011-03-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Enjoy these treasuries we made for Rhonda, and get to know her in this little interview-

First, if you could tell the story of why you went glutenless, that would be great.

I went gluten free about a year and a half ago after 10 or years of health problems going undiagnosed by doctors. It was the start of my healing journey. Which I am still on :).

I think you were selling your mixes in shops before you came to Etsy, is that right?

I sold some baked goods before Etsy but not mixes. It was mostly by word of mouth.

Tell me about being invited to join Etsy.

My friend, Rachel (from the very successful Orange Thyme and Rachel323), thought my mixes would do well on Etsy. She urged me to open my shop and helped me a ton from getting started to photographs to questions, questions, and questions.

How has the Etsy experience been so far?

It has been great. I was a little obsessed at first watching my shop :). But now I have calmed down a bit about it! I still have very few sales, but I am hopeful it will pick up once I open back up.

Anything you want to share about your personal/family life?

My family is my life! I have an amazing husband who is my soul mate. He works hard so that I can stay at home with the kids. He is also writing a book and runs a website as well. {A little side note: if you were in the Spokane area in 1994, you may want to check out his website http://www.fairchildhospitalshooting.com/}. My son, Ben, is 7 and is a kind, funny, and brilliant boy. My Daughter, Eleanor, is 5 now and is a funny, beautiful, and brilliant princess. Tooting my own horn now! My kids amaze me and make me proud (and a little crazy) everyday.

What has been the most memorable feedback you have received on your products.

I haven't had a lot of feedback yet on Etsy. Baking for family and friends, they seem really impressed. I can make food taste really good, even without gluten! I think I can even fool gluten eaters with some of my recipes.

What should we be watching for in the future from Benele?

I have more mixes in the works. It takes a lot of time to create them since I am writing the recipes from scratch. I will not create a mix based on a recipe until it has been tested several times with great results! I would love to write a cookbook but the competition is pretty stiff right now in the gluten free cookbook arena.

Thanks so much for letting me be on this team. It has been a great experience!

Rhonda

Notes from Team Meeting on Marketing

2011-03-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

Some of this will be review for many of you. If you are anything like me, sometimes you have to hear something a few times before you pick it up for yourself. There are a couple of new strategies here as well, so I hope this meeting had/has something for everyone.

When people talk about marketing online, they talk about inbound marketing and outbound marketing. Inbound is people coming to you.

Outbound is you paying to have placement, advertising in other words. First, we will talk about maximizing your inbound. Then, we can discuss finding the best place or places for you to do some outbound.

Obviously, the more inbound we have, the better because that is free. So let me walk you through some questions and exercises you will each need to consider to maximize your inbound marketing.

"Content" is an important concept to understand for marketing online. The internet is "content" driven.
For our purposes in maximizing inbound marketing, we will define content as
anything you have online that can be useful or interesting to people - hopefully to the people who would buy your product.

Every item you list is "content." The fresher the content the better. This means you need to be continually creating new and different items. If you have best sellers, of course keep those too. Etsy runs on keeping things fresh and new. You can make your old items new with new descriptions and new photos.

Here are some questions to ask yourself about your product as content:
Are you making something people already use?
Can they recognize it as such by the photograph?
Remember, art has a use, so I am not just talking about soap or teapots.
Are people already searching for your product online?
Check this by going to the google keyword tool
https://adwords.google.com/o/Targeting/Explorer?__u=1000000000&__c=1000000000&ideaRequestType=KEYWORD_IDEAS#search.none
When you are at the keyword tool, type in words that describe your product to see how many people are searching for it on Google.
Use the tool to find the most searched words that describe your product and be sure to include those words as tags in your item listings.
Use those words in your shop title and in your item
titles and descriptions.
So the point is- your items are content.
1. Determine if there is a need for your content.
2. Use keywords so your content can be found by the people who need it.
Here is the place you might need to get pretty specific about your ideal customer. For example, the search term travel bag is extremely popular and has something like 65 million possibilities. This means I am a pretty small fish swimming in a sea of choices. My duffles are pretty different from most of the choices, so I need to revamp my product titles to make them less generic and attract my specific customer.

I should take a second to tell you about your shop title.
If you go to your account, and then to shop settings, Info and Appearance, shop Info, title -
This is an important place in terms of online marketing that is frequently misunderstood.
Find a way to describe your shop succinctly that uses the major keywords that people are already using to find products like yours.
This is not a place for your shop name.
It is a place for you to describe what is found in your shop that is most likely to attract buyers.
You do not need to be extremely clever or have a tagline that people will hum while they wait for their toast to pop up in the morning.
If you can be short, use the keywords and still be poetic or funny - great!
It is the keywords that are vital here. The first 30 characters is what google will see.
I took out a descriptive word in favor of a keyword to improve mine.

The next question is: what makes your product the one they should buy?
This is the question you answer in your product description.
Point out how yours is better, more valuable, a better deal, more useful, whatever it is that sets you apart.
If you have a reason they should buy it now, all the better.
Is it one of a kind? The last of a limited edition? Do they have an event they should have it for?
So that is your product as content.
Your photos as content.
We work hard to make our photos the best they can be.
They should be working for us.
Here are some ways other people might like to use your photos online to add to their content -
Maybe they want to share them in a treasury. When they do, the potential is to reach the treasury makers sphere of influence and the Etsy community in general to some degree.
Let's talk about reaching a wider than Etsy sellers who like to promote one another.
How can your photos be used to reach the people who are looking to buy items like yours online?
Flickr is a place that gives anyone online easy access to your product photos.
From flickr, your photo could get picked up and added to google's image search.
From Flickr, a high traffic blog could find interest in your products and photos.
A high traffic blog who's readers are interested and buying products like yours is the ideal target market for you.
These people are always on the hunt for content.These are the kinds of blogs that run on a schedule of features and may have several authors.
So having awesome photos on Etsy and on Flickr makes you findable by these blogs.
A blogger may just want to illustrate a point they are making.
Or they may want to blog about your product, or the idea behind your product.
An author or magazine editor might ask you to use your photo in an upcoming publication.
With all this potential behind one photo sharing site, you want to optimize your use of it.
You do this by tagging your photos.
Try to think of all of the reasons someone would want to share your creation with the world, and use the tags.
Flickr does not allow selling on the site, so make sure you do not have any links to your Etsy shop. You can link to your Facebook page or to your blog. From those places people should be able to find your shop pretty easily.

Now I want to talk about blogging.
We need to look at blogging as a way to add useful content online that will attract an audience. The audience can also become buyers and attract other buyers to your shop.
You can be a source of your own content, and you can do something called crowd sourcing. First I will throw out some ideas on content you provide.
What kinds of questions do your buyers have that you can answer?
This is an important question. If you can become a source that people turn to with their questions and concerns, you win them over and they want to promote your business.
Do you have crafting tips?
Cooking tips or recipes?
Organizational tips or tricks?
Did you recently find a great source for something that might also be useful to your readers?
Did you meet someone special that your readers would love to hear about?
Did you figure out how to solve a problem they might have too?
Think about it a second. When you have any question at all from spelling to medical concerns to how-to's you go online for the answers, right?
So does everyone else.
Be there with answers on your blog. Answers that are relevant to your product or expertise.
This should be one aspect of your blog.
Realizing how huge this is, I have made it a goal to include one free project on my blog for every pattern I release, starting with this months release. I will be publishing a gym bag pattern and the free project on my blog will be the yoga mat carrying strap.
That goal is a little intimidating, but without goals, there is no progress.
Other content you provide on your blog...
Valerie and I both enjoy writing. Her creative writing is bound to attract an audience.
Her stories are set in time that is in sync with her products. Readers who enjoy her stories will also enjoy her bags.
I was cast in a show coming up on Mothers day - reading from my writings on motherhood that I originally did for my blog.
The timing will be great since I plan to launch my clothing shop in April - so of course I am planning what to wear and what to carry to the event.
Does that make sense how Valerie and I have expanded our audience and seized opportunities through creative writing on our blogs?
Books are another way that people connect. Publish your own book reviews and include an affiliate link to Amazon.
That way when your readers click and buy the book you recommend, you get paid.
If you are a magazine reader, you can certainly point out the great stuff in the current issues of your favorite magazines.
Seamstresses love pattern reviews.
Everyone love product reviews.
Can anyone think of other things you could review on your blog?
Crowd sourcing - this is the concept of allowing other peoples content a place on your blog.
Here are some crowd sourcing ideas.
I would include in this featured seller interviews.
It may take a little time to ask the questions and get the answers, but for the most part, it is like having someone else write the blog post for you.
Have a guest blogger.
Invite someone who interests you to write something for you to publish on your blog.
Post your favorite treasury of the week and say something about it.
If you go here:
http://craftcult.com/treasury_widget.php?userid=
and enter a seller name, you can pull up their treasuries and choose one to share very easily.
Link to other peoples tutorials and tell why you like it.
If you come across another blog that you think your readers may like, blog about it briefly and link them there.
One last thing to keep in mind to make your blogging count - tag your posts!
If you don't have relevant keywords as tags in your blog posts, they won't be found. So use tags on your blog that same way you do in your shop items and on your Flickr photos.
Okay so we have covered 3 ways to think about your content-
1. Your product
2. Your photos
3. Your blog
Number 4 is your video. This is a powerful tool.
If you are not already using this, I hope you have plans to use video to promote your business.
Etsy loves video!
Go here to get some ideas for videos you could do
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/video/
You will see process videos, portrait videos, how-to videos, lifestyle videos...
My goal for this year is to make an awesome video and submit it to Etsy.
Anyone willing to commit to that goal for themselves in the next 12 months?
Active ways to promote your content:
Etsy makes our listings easy to share, so I won't cover promoting your listings per-se.
Promote your photos on flickr very simply by finding groups on Flickr that might like to see your photos - people who share your interests.
Add your photos to those groups.
Groups create wonderful pools of photos for authors and publishers to find what they need.
Promoting your blog content:
Make it easy to share.
If you don't already have a prominent link where people can click to share your blog content on twitter, facebook and other places, make sure you add that widget today!
Submit specific blog posts as possible content on other blogs.
Tutorials and recipes are popular for that type of sharing.
I have found hootsuite to be a valuable tool for sharing. I can link to my blog posts on twitter, facebook and linked-in simultaneously through hootsuite.
Anyone have questions or comments about sharing your blog content?
Sharing video would be similar to sharing blog posts.
I also want to briefly cover outbound marketing. This is also called advertising.
It will take some time, but if you have done your homework, and you have a product that people want online, you will have found those people who connect with your products.
In the course of doing all of the things we have talked about regarding content, you will meet the people who will lead you to your target market.
When you find the major places where your target market spends time online, you might want to advertise there.
If it is a blog that already sells advertising, you may want to ask for a small test before buying to see if your product resonates with their readers like you think it will. It can't hurt to ask.
Other than just letting it happen organically, you can actively seek the places that are having the conversations online that apply to your product.
Some ways to look:
1. Search Yahoo groups. Mommie groups if moms are your market. Professional women, nurses, vintage lovers...
If you join a Yahoo group, don't be spammy. Just participate in a meaningful way. You want people to trust you.
Watch for those people to lead you to blogs where you can effectively advertise.
2. Sign up for a google alert. Google can be working for you and doing searches all of the time, letting you know when a certain topic is mentioned online.
Of course you have google alerts set up to let you know if people mention you, but being more proactive, what about an alert letting you know if people are searching for authentic 1950's furniture, or whatever applies to your wares?
http://www.google.com/alerts
I just added several alerts. You can preview the results of your new alert before you decide to add it.
Try using your topic of expertise with the word question after it. So one of my new alerts is "sewing pattern question."
This way I can answer peoples questions directly as I get the alert, or at least see where they are posting their questions which may lead me to new places to advertise or participate.
3. Etsy's blog
Etsy frequently publishes great ways to promote yourself.
Some great reading here:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/blog-promotion/

featured seller VintageUrbanCowgirl

2011-03-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

Enjoy these treasuries we created for them, and get to know Brande and Amanda in this lovely interview: Visit them at VintageUrbanCowgirl

So can you tell me the first thing that you two created together when you were in highschool creating stuff?We began our business adventure in high school making large birdhouses to sell at local shows and give as gifts. They were really intricate and detailed. We salvaged door handles, pocket watches, vintage architecture and ceiling tiles to set them apart and show are creative side. We made birdhouses on and off for quite a few years, but materials got harder to find and they became to time consuming and expensive to create.

Do you each have a favorite vintage find you could talk about?
Brande: Through the years we have found so many unique items its hard to choose a favorite. Right now I have an extremely old set of vintage lockers. Twenty-four numbered wire baskets sit on a rusty, white shelving unit. It was a great find and a fabulous addition to my collection of vintage furniture!
Amanda: While digging through an old barn we came upon a large red bakers table. The top is rustic metal detailed with large brass brads. It opens to reveal sliding drawers and bins. "Spokane Bakery" is painted on the side which is why I love it so much. Its home grown and absolutely fabulous.

It seems you two are in harmony with one another. Is there anything you diagree about or something that sets you apart from one another dramatically?It really is amazing how long we have been friends and how few disagreements we have had. Having the same values and the same goals minimizes any arguments and the fact that we are completely open and honest with each other about everything from what to pay for a vintage item to how we should handle a situation with are kids. One of the things that keeps us close is the fact that we really have a ton of fun together. There is not a day that goes by that we do not break into hysterics over something!! We really can be are true selves, there is defiantly no faking who we are when we are with one another. We are both outgoing, spontaneous and love adventure. If there is one thing that sets us apart its Amanda's "by the book" attitude while Brande is more "just do it and we will figure out the details later". But we have balanced each other out for 23 years creating an amazing friendship and wonderful business relationship.

Brande, if you could give the perfect gift to Amanda, what would it be?. When I think about the last 23 years the one solid thing in my life, the person always standing beside me has been my BEST friend Amanda. Through junior high drama, high school boyfriends, college, pregnancy, marriage and divorce she has been my number one supporter. To try and come up with a gift to express my love, appreciation and thanks is nearly impossible. If I am being cheesy I would say I would give her a life free of worries and full of laughter. If I am being realistic I would buy her a new car. Hers may be paid off, but Lord knows she needs a new one!

And Amanda, what would you give Brande that would express your lifelong friendship to her?There is nothing in this world that I could give Brande that could truly express how much I adore her. Her friendship has blessed my life more than she could ever realize. I would want to give her a gift to express how she has influenced my life for the better. She has helped mold me into the person I am today. Her laughter, her smile and her wit could never be matched. There is not a day that goes by that she does not make me laugh until I pee. She never takes life to serious and is always up for any adventure life has to offer. I am truly blessed to have such a beautiful friendship.

Anything else you want to say or add?
We just want to say thank you to everyone who has helped and supported us for all these years. To our grandmothers and mothers: Not a salvaging day goes by that we do not discover something that reminds us of you! To our children: We promise we will not fill up the truck with junk and then try and find a place for all SIX of you to sit this garage sale season! To our friends: Thank you for supporting us and buying our stuff even when we went through are "awkward" stage! And to all our new friends and Eastern Washington team members on Etsy: Thank you for your patience and for inspiring us! Happy Trails!! Brande & Amanda

This picture is hilarious! Last summer on the way to the lake we could not resist hitting a few sales. In this car: Two adults, six kids, two dogs, backpacks, sleeping bags and coolers and a few wonderful finds: a metal bucket, vintage metal bed, a large wood bench and a few rusty door handles! Nothing beats a great sale :)

Featured Seller Interview with Catherine Freshley

2011-03-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

Enjoy these lovely treasuries we made for Catherine, and learn more about her below.

How was it that you came to Spokane from New Orleans?
I was living in New Orleans after graduating from Tulane University, where I got a degree in economics and English. Though I love the city, I was wanting to be closer to home, which is Portland, Ore. When my boyfriend found it he would be moving to Spokane for work, I was happy to come with him.

Are you adjusting to life in the Pacific Northwest?
I suppose I’ll take a very particular approach to this question. If I was from New Orleans, I would consider Spokane part of the Pacific Northwest. But since I am actually from Portland, there is not much “Pacific” about Spokane in my opinion! That said, I am really liking the “Inland Northwest” a lot and being back in the Northwest in general is great. However, I was just in New Orleans for a week and I remembered how much I love 70 degrees in March, among many other things.

Say something about your love of art, or your journey with regards to your art.
My parents are both very artistic so my sister and I grew up always doing art projects – stringing necklaces, making paper, drawing, painting, you name it. I have had a few lessons here and there but most of my learning has come from doing. I had a few other hobbies growing up, but art was the one that ran throughout.
I tend to go through phases, frequently changing the subject matter and media that is of the most interest to me. Right now – though not reflected very much in my Esty shop – I have been inspired by the beautiful landscapes of this area, of Willapa Bay in southwest Washington, and by some photos I took while driving here from New Orleans. I have long been interested in multiples and collage, which you see more of in my shop.

Can you tell me something about the direction you see yourself going from here with your art and or life.
Though I have always been making art, I had never tried to sell any until just over a year ago. I made the wood block collages that fill my Etsy shop. Though I haven’t yet had much success on Etsy, I was very successful selling these in New Orleans – at a market, in a gallery and to friends. The quick success I experienced was exciting and made me seriously consider the possibility of making money on art for the first time. At that point, I was working full time. Now I am only working part time and have been keeping very busy getting 15 large acrylic landscapes ready for a restaurant show at Picabu Bistro on the South Hill starting March 23rd. I am anxious to see if I am able to sell anything, which will help me determine if I should consider full time work again or if I should keep devoting so many hours to painting.

Any thing else you would like to say or tell us to help know you better?
I have always loved to bake but since graduating from college (almost two years ago) I have really been enjoying learning how to cook, which my boyfriend appreciates though he is quite a cook himself. I like to run and be outside and am looking forward to my first summer here. Spokane doesn’t have quite the music scene that New Orleans does, but I have been pleasantly surprised to find a few good live music venues. I love going out dancing.
Though I am not very good at participating on this team, I enjoy at least peripherally being a part of the camaraderie and reading everyone’s advice.

Featured Seller last week DistinctlyIvy

2011-03-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

Last week we all made treasuries to show off Ivy's beautiful jewelry. I just did a little belated interview with her to post here. Enjoy it after these lovely treasuries featuring DistinctlyIvy:

Tell me something you are passionate about and how that relates to your work.

I am passionate about being able to stay home with my kids in the future. I don't have kids now but hopefully we will in another couple of years and I want to be able to stay home with them like my Mom did with us. I believe this business will get me there!

Is there anything that frustrates you?

It frustrates me when I don't have that one charm or pendant that the customer wants. I might have it in red, but not blue. That frustrates me because I want to be able to give them what they want and make the sale but I just can't for whatever reason.

Is the Etsy community more or less than you expected it to be?

The Etsy community is way *more* than what I thought it would be. There are so many shops and so many buyers!! It's amazing though, how small it can be at the same time. For instance, my sister and a friend and I mentioned a shop we had individually found that sold the cutest headbands. Turns out we were talking about the same shop!! I guess that shows that even with all the shops, you can still make a name for yourself.

Can you share a piece of customer feedback with us?

My favorite piece of feedback: "Timely shipping. And it was even gift-wrapped!! Perfect as this is a birthday gift. I've never had this level of thoughtfulness!"

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I live in Spokane, WA and have been there for the last 10 years. I love that it doesn't rain like Portland but I'm not big on some of the super cold weather we get. :) All in all, though, it's one of the best cities... I love the people!! I have been married for 5 years and we have two kitties who are truly our kiddos right now. Our family is all in town which is so great. I absolutely *love* making jewelry; it is truly my passion.

Featured Seller of the Week CountryBlossoms

2011-02-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

As a team, we have been enjoying and benefiting from the featured seller project. Each week we choose one seller to highlight in our treasuries. Everyone who participates in the project makes at least one treasury for the project (some do more) and comments on all the other treasuries too. Here is this weeks thread where we are posting all of our treasuries. I can tell you I felt like queen for a week when it was my turn. It is a great morale boost.
This week, we are adding to the feature with a mini interview with our featured seller, Megan of CountryBlossom. Right after these treasuries:

I opened my 2nd Etsy shop on January 29th. (Her first shop is flowyogamats)I really like to make things with very few ingredients. And I love when I can make an item with very few ingredients and it’s fantastic. I am the same way when I cook. When I was younger, my Mom used to call me her “hippy child”. I have kept this way of thinking throughout my whole life. So, that is what I set out to do when I first started making the lip balm. It has very simple ingredients that you could find at any local store. And I like that I can make any flavor I want just by simply mixing flavors together. And it’s not just the lip balm that has simple ingredients in it either. All of my items are simply made with natural ingredients. Right now I sell lip balm, lip gloss, perfume oil, whipped body butter, sugar scrub and soy candles. But, my mind is always racing and thinking of new items to make and add to the shop.

I get inspiration from all areas of life. For instance there is this juice that I love at the grocery store that is blueberry pomegranate. So, that is what inspired me to make my blueberry pomegranate lip balm. And as of right now I am working on an Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade mix) lip balm. I cannot wait for it to be perfect. Because everyone who knows me, knows I LOVE Arnold Palmer drinks. I also ask my friends and family what they would like, because ultimately not everyone is going to love the same things I love. My husband has helped me greatly, just by believing in my dreams and helping me out along the way.

So, I guess I started making these items and opened my shop to sell great items that are simple, natural items. I want people to feel good about what they are putting on their bodies or in their homes. And I think that is what is most rewarding, is that people can feel good about using my products.

Front page feature

2011-02-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

Congrats, Tera! Your upcycled fabric flowers are a popular feature.

FlowYogaMats Featured

2011-01-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

In this lovely blog post. And on Etsy's front page. The key ring charm is a great idea for an afforable gift, Megan. I am sure it will sell like crazy for you! Congrats.

Gorgeous Magazine article by Tania

2011-01-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

Green Craft magazine. Even the name sounds perfect for any of the millions who are Etsy fans. Our own Tania Angelo of C'estMagnifique was asked to write an article for them. The article is beautifully illustrated with her works and a great read for eager crafters. Here is a link to a scanned copy of the article on Tania's blog. Congratulations!

The Etsy love continues this month

2011-01-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

Here is the link that shows you LaurenBPhotography in the Shabby Chic Etsy Finds email newsletter from last week. Sign up for the Etsy Finds Newsletters to keep track of what is hot on Etsy.
Congratulations to one of our newer members, DistinctlyIvy, for making this lovely front page treasury!

Catching up on Features

2011-01-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

Tera (creativityisMessy) has this talent for making cool manly treasuries that Etsy loves as well as more woman centered choices like this:

In all cases her treasuries have a confidence that is very attractive. As teammates, I can tell you we appreciate her tremendously.
Also, there is really no way to picture this here, but several of our teammates have shown up in the Etsy finds email lately, including OrangeThyme and LittleVintageCottage. Craftcult has a new feature whereby searching for features includes not just front pages and storque articles but the finds email as well. Here is the search that shows littlevintagecottage.Here is the one for Orangthyme.
Lisa, at ZiBagz is another curator who has the confident touch of a master with the treasuries. Here is Sagegold starring in a recent Etsy front page courtesy of ZiBagz.

Excellent items everyone and great work promoting one another.

Randi and Nancy featured on Etsy Front page

2011-01-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

3 front pages in the last few days. I love doing these updates. Fantistic items and photography ladies. Congrats to Ragnzidnar - soon to be known as EcoTwist and TheVintageDresser. Beautifully done! And the plaid collection was curated by Lisa of ZiBagz.

CreativityisMessy makes great landing pages

2011-01-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

Everyones thanks goes out to Tera for these recent front page features. I think she really has her finger on the pulse of Etsy, as do the talented sellers who appear in these treasuries. Congrats to LaurenBPhotography and LittleVintageCottage!

AND

Catching up on features

2010-12-08T09:14:00.001-08:00

That lovely Parrot wings hair clip is from our friend Leanna. This morning, Creativityismessy is in the Etsy finds, which reminded me that StudioCherie was in the finds last week and SeamsVictorian was on the Front Page last week (as shown above) as well, so here we all are together. Congrats! Cherie's feature can be found in this Storque Article.

Fun feature for Creativityismessy

2010-12-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Front Page with Sarahndippity

2010-12-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Congratulations!

Eastern Wa teammates on a roll!

2010-11-21T22:37:00.000-08:00

Lisa's gorgeous treasury made the FP on Friday. Included in this treasury are two other Eastern Wa shops, Bits and Purses and Readesign. Lisa has certainly caught Etsy admin's eye and we are so proud to have her on our team. You go girl!

Then Tera was featured in this lovely treasury. A well deserved feature, I might add!

Once again, Tera hit the spotlight in this delicious treasury. Way to go!! We love our special teammates!

A Time to be Thankful!

2010-11-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

Tera's gorgeous Thanksgiving themed treasury made the Front Page of Etsy today, and a well deserved feature it was too! As part of our treasury making project, she featured Sarah of Sarahndippity in the collection. We hope it brings both of you many sales this holiday season! Congratulations, Tera!

Very Humble Teammate

2010-11-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

Lisa has been kissed by an angel! Not only has she had her own treasuries make it to the FP of Etsy, but she has also been featured on the FP several times! Here's her latest feature. She's so humble, she didn't even tell the team that this treasury existed. Way to go, Lisa! Here's to many more FP's for you!

An Etsy Favorite

2010-11-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

Etsy has long had a love affair with our very own Cori D. Here she is again on the front page of Etsy in this delightful treasury with a honey bee theme. Congratulations, Cori! Your work is bee-utiful!

Paying Attention

2010-10-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lisa of ZiBagz pays attention. Etsy published an article and is co-sponsoring a contest with NASA. Of course they are going to want to promote that through the front page. Lisa's treasury was the perfect opportunity. I think I have said this a couple of times before: read the Storque, and let it inspire you! Great work, Lisa! Congratulations to Kristi, MischiefbyLoki, for the front page appearance.

Front page news

2010-10-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

Tera of CreativityisMessy is included in this front page slide show of fun christmas items. way to go, Tera. congratulations!

FlowYogaMats Featured

2010-10-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, Megan for this excellent front page feature.

A love of reading...

2010-10-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

...reading that a teammate made the Front Page! Fabulous work, Lauren. I can hardly wait to get my note cards with that print on them. I will be listening for the mailman today.

Treasury Action Paying Off in Front Page Appearances

2010-10-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that a little ol' team from Eastern Washington could be so popular on Etsy? Leanna and Lisa are two of our most prolific treasury makers. (Click on their names to see their treasuries.) Here they are together on a Front Page appearance, courtesy of a member of the European Street Team. Treasuries are a fabulous way to make friends on Etsy. Here is the proof. Way to go, you two!

good morning!

2010-10-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Way to go Lisa! Congrats to Lauren. Beautiful work.

FP News from last night

2010-10-05T11:01:00.001-07:00

Great treasury Kristi! Congratulations Lauren!

Team Treasury FP

2010-10-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you Tera, CreativityisMessy, for the beautiful front page for Kelly, KZShots. Keep up the great work with the treasuries everyone!

More News!

2010-10-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Nicole let us know she added some new illustrations to her shop. They are so beautiful they are getting into a lot of treasuries. So here she is on the front page right now. Adding new items is the way to go. I have to get back to my sewing room to get my new items out pronto! Congrats Nicole - BabyDobbins.

Front Page News!

2010-10-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

Lisa made another gorgeous front page featuring our newest teammate, FunkonaString. Early this morning - in the wee hours - Aforetime was seen again as well. Love that photo of the book, Lauren. Congratulations!

2 of our newest shops on Etsys landing page

2010-09-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! What a great way to start the week. Lisa of ZiBagz, made this lovely treasury featuring Tania and Laurens new vintage shops, and here it is on Etsy's landing page. What a great kick start for a new shop. Congratulations everyone. Fabulous job curating this, Lisa. I always love your treasuries!

'Week End Wishes' by ZiBagz

...peace...

Caramel knitted Socks-Slippe... RGsocks $24.00	Sunshine Dress - Handwoven a... larimeloom $170.00
SALE Sapphire Citrine Wire W... mylenefoster $103.00	Sonyta original painting behappynow $65.00
Celtic Princess Gauntlets, p... InnerWild $	Blue earth globe earrings - ... DreamsCorner $29.00
Blue Vintage Hall Teapot Aforetime $	RESERVED Grecian Blue Dress-... MagnolijaDRESS $160.00
romantic natural book Ferrarel $18.00	Dorothea Dress annaallen $
A Lovely Vintage Hanger - Up... LittleVintageC... $10.00	Hemp and Linen Market Bag queenbee55 $50.00
Sea cairn... urchin print oc... leapinggazelle $23.00	Hand Crochet Linen Pouch Bag SundayFactory $
resistor fish earrings Aula46 $15.00	Made to Order....A Pair of L... clearmountainc... $50.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Team Treasury on FP

2010-09-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lauren for making this beautiful treasury. congrats to Gingerale shop and MKHQuilts for having your wonderful items appear there.

Randi's Treasury Front and Center

2010-09-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Nice work on the FP, Randi. Trying different ways to share these here on the blog. Let me know which way you like best. This is a screenshot from craftcult.

GingerAleShop on the FP of Etsy

2010-09-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

'Prairie Autumn' by cornflowerbluestudio

AT THE CORNER -- 8x10 fine a... prairiesummer $25	Vintage 70s Indigo Denim Pra... enidandedgar $58
Large Bean Pot jasperjane $32	Prairie Wind - 8x10 - Fine A... amberaikenphot... $30
vintage hat- Straw Hat by He... tamallama $28	vermont as i remember it - s... slightclutter $35
Any Six Jams or Jellies bovinebubbles $34	Green Shells Fingerless Glov... tallib $28
Prairie Sunset - Giclee Prin... pattyabaker $24.95	Flowers in the Garden Quilt ... sweetjane $9
Prairie Skirt in Camel with ... GingerAleShop $32	NEW - Fresh Farm Soothing Cu... bodycake $4
blissthings skinny scarf in ... blissthings $22	Wooden Utensils Fork Spoon K... OutNumberedNov... $22
COMING WITH THE CLOUDS - 8x1... PrevailingWind... $30.00	Vintage Fruit Jars - Perfect... jinxxy $13

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Treasury style links made bigger and easier taken direct from the treasury through Etsy's API at WhaleShark. The link shows above. I like seeing the items this size, don't you? Congrats Jen! Now that the kids are back in school time to sew like crazy!

MischiefbyLoki on the Front Page

2010-09-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

A wonderful Fall treasury featuring our own Kristi. Congratulations!

Kim's Turn!

2010-09-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, Kim, on your first front page appearance! Great things are going to start happening for you now. Keep up the beautiful work. You have got top quality products, good variety of items and great product photography. Knowing you, your customer service is excellent. All ingredients for a super successful shop.

Congratulations to Lauren

2010-08-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Lauren's photography is becoming a quick favorite with Etsy. Keep up the great work Lauren. A lot of people are including LaurenBPhotography in their treasuries because she has such a variety of images, colors and moods. I am still smitten with the kitten cards and plan on reordering any time I run out of them.

Fall Preview

2010-08-15T09:29:00.001-07:00

Malerie and Lauren are on top of it. Fall treasuries are starting to show up on the Front page of Etsy. Time to break out all of your back to school and Autumnal items, make sure they are tagged as such and renew them or list them.

In praise of a certain teammate

2010-08-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

Leanna is one of the most prolifically talented people you will ever meet. An entrepreneur to the core with 3 shops. A busy family life which included the wedding of her daughter last week. Somehow she manages to also be one of the most helpful people you can find on Etsy. She is our team treasurer and a wonderful leader and inspiration to us all. Here she is in a treasury that made it to the front page last night. She is also a finalist in the best bustle gown in the world contest. Makes me wonder what other wonderful things are going on behind the scenes with Leanna. Congratulations, lady, on all of your success.

More from Malerie

2010-08-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

Way to go, Malerie. Your jewelry is so feature friendly!

Postscripted giveaway

2010-08-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to follow up on yesterday's post and mention Postscripted's success this front page feature! Also, Malerie is having a fabulous giveaway. Visit and comment for your chance to win any item in her shop. Wow. I think that is a really neat prize.

Blog Hop

2010-08-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

July was a great month for all of us on the Eastern Washington Etsy Street Team. We started a treasury making project that landed a few front pages. We had some newer shops get ramped up with sales. Some of the established shops had their best months ever. We think Rachel broke sales records for Etsy with her featured seller interview. Here are some of our success stories posted around the web:
Tera had a great feature being shown as one of the items in April Smiths wardrobe.
Leannas bustle dress is in an amazing best bustle dress contest.
Megan has had some great front page and Etsy finds exposure resulting in sales. Here she is in a great interview on Gails blog.
Cherie was featured on the Unofficial Etsy Featured Seller Blog, where she gave a shout out to Sarah, which we hope resulted in some good traffic and sales.
Lauren did a blog post about being on the front page here.

Self Magazine Feature

2010-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

FlowYogaMats was the star feature of this Self Magazine blog post. Congratulations, Megan! I like to call Etsy "your place to discover (great stuff) and be discovered (for having the great stuff.)"

Great teamwork!

2010-07-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Linda at AntlerPantry had this great idea where we devote a week to each team member and everyone makes treasuries featuring that member. Well, we have never made so many team treasuries before and we have never had so many get featured before. It has been a blast! We had 2 on the Front page this evening. One is posted over at my own blog. If you scroll down a few posts there, you will also see the StudioCherie treasury that featured 6 teammates in it on the front page. Actually, 7 got featured because items were selling out of that one. We are having a team meeting on tuesday AM to talk about getting featured and being prepared to make the most of it when you are featured. Great work everyone!

Front Page Features

2010-06-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't done one of these posts in a while, but that doesn't mean we haven't been featured. Here is a quick catch up!

LaurenBPhotography on the FP today

Corid recent appearance

postscripted treasury promoted to front page

CreativityisMessy treasury promoted to FP

StudioCherie appearance

StudioCherie appearance

More of corid goodness

We have a Winner

2010-05-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

SarahnDippity has won the grand prize in a huge contest at rings-things. If you click on the link and read the details of this necklace, you will not be surprised. It is truly a masterpiece and a piece of work to be proud of. Congratulations, Sarah! I think we better snatch up all the Sarahndippity we can.

The New and Improved...

2010-05-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

Here at EWAET (thats Eastern WAshington Etsy Team for short) we've had a surge of new members who have jumped right in, feet first, and really done some great things for their shops and for the team. Thursday night, at our monthly meeting, we had a great turnout with 5 new members and 4 of our long time die-hards who are coming back each week to learn how to tune up their shops and increase sales.
We learned a lot about what's coming up in Etsy trending, how to evaluate our sales compared to the top sellers in our categories, and the 10 commandments of shipping. A big thank you to those that attended, and if you're in Eastern WA and want to get in on the fun click the "How Do I Join" link on the right hand side bar.
Until next time... rock the craft!

Great Gobs of Gingham Goodness

2010-05-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to GingeraleShop on her first Etsy homepage feature, and the sales to go with it. This looks like a perfect picnic.

Etsy FP Feature

2010-05-18T09:25:00.001-07:00

Orangethyme appeared on the FP of Etsy yesterday. Looking yummy!

Team Blog Features

2010-05-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

Our friend and teammate, Gail, is doing an ongoing series of shop features on her blog. Stop over and check it out. There are 6 different team shops featured there over the last few weeks, so scroll down and read. Also, Gail is having a big sale in her beadedsplendor shop which is linked on her blog. Sorry this isn't the prettiest or most informative post I ever did here, but I just want you to go read Gail's blog - that is where you will find the pretties!

Morning Meeting and merchandising

2010-05-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

One of the topics of discussion at our morning team meeting was Etsy's merchandising schedule. Did you know that Etsy helps its sellers by posting monthly merchandising focus areas? We can be tapping into the kinds of things shoppers will be looking for and Etsy will be featuring each month. Here is Etsy's post for June from their blog. Megan's shop will be sure to get a lot of features through the Spring as shoppers focus on fitness. Here is one of her yoga mats on the front page last week. Congratulations, Megan! If any of us have items that fit into the merchandising schedule, be sure to tag them with keywords that Etsy will be searching as outlined in the article.

New Members and Features

2010-05-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Check out the roster of shops on the right and you will find lots of new talent here. Like Sarahndippity, who made her first front page appearance last week. Welcome to the team and congratulations! See one of Corid's sweet illustrations in the other FP from a couple of days ago. Way to go. Keep making the great stuff!

Made the FP recently!

2010-04-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

CoriD
SageGold

StudioCherie

Congratulations ladies!

Team Members Featured

2010-04-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

How exciting for Lauren who is brand new to Etsy to have her first front page appearance! Congratulations on the exposure (pun intended - or maybe that is double entendre) Lauren. You know I love that darling kitten photo.

Kim of SentimentalStones was featured in a blog this week. Congrats Kim! Here is the blog link.

I thought it was about time that some of Randi's handmade flowers popped up on the FP, so I plugged her name into the search bar at the vault, and there she was just this morning! What a wonderful wedding treasury. Congrats Randi.

2010-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Megans yoga mats had a very popular mention in a great blog this week. Check out SocialWorkout.
Kim has graciously opened her home to us to have an in-person luncheon on Saturday the 24th, where both Lauren and Randi have offered their expertise at photography to any who want to bring items to be photographed. If I were you, I would take advantage of this offer. Bring several things!

Team Meeting and Features of the Week

2010-04-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

The shops represented above attended our monthly morning meeting in Etsy's chat rooms. We discussed the importance of shop profiles, and reviewed some tips for writing a good profile. We will be sharing our improvements with one another and asking for feedback on the Yahoo group. In this way, we can help one another with shop makeovers a small bit at a time.

Leanna was featured by the stately Estelle Barada who looks absolutley queenly in the skirt and bodice she bought from SeamsVictorian.

One of StudioCherie's customers printed her own time travel fabric to sew up a travel bag from Cherie's duffle pattern. I think her ingenuity deserves a blog link here.

Lastly, here is Cherie's houndstooth duffle on an Etsy homepage featured this week.

Timely Features

2010-03-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

SeamsVictorian struck a harmonic chord with an active Victorian re-enactment enthusiast in Rhode Island. She is very excited about her purchases and has blogged about them here. This is the kind of thing that can set off a chain reaction in a niche market. Leanna's work is so true to the times in detail and quality. It will not be a surprise to see her shop go viral.

Quilts were all the talk on Etsy last week, and Cherie's one of a kind quilted pillow cover made it into the Etsy Finds. The Etsy finds emails are currently the best avenue for item exposure on Etsy. Of course, we have no control over what gets picked for it. The best we can do is to comment on relevant posts in Etsy's blog, and keep up with Etsy's trending (which Randi covers so well in our evening meetings.) There will probably be a number of Easter themed and Spring renewal (think yoga, health and beauty, Spring cleaning) Etsy finds coming in the next few weeks. If you have items that fit these trends, make sure you add tags that will get them found. Do click on the trends link and read. I was surprised to find that Etsy is looking to highlight nautical themes so early in the year.

Featured this week

2010-03-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

Congrats go out to mary of MKHQuilts and to Megan of FlowYogaMats for being featured in the press this week. Mary's cat and mouse quilt was featured on a blog and sold. Megan was featured in the Spokane Journal of Business.

Front Page Treasury

2010-01-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Kim of SentimentalStones for making this fabulous treasury that was featured on Etsy's front page this weekend. Great work!

Brick and Mortar Born of Etsy Shop

2010-01-14T10:09:00.000-08:00

The new kid on the block in downtown Spokane is one our teamates and a favorite Etsy seller, Buttercuppity. Ari(pronounced like fairy without the f) and her husband Michael were doing so much business online that they needed more space. As long as you need more space, why don't you make that a retail space? I can hardly wait to see it. Their soft opening is tomorrow night, and we are all invited. See you there! Buttercuppity in The Steam Plant Square 159 S. Lincoln Street #165, Spokane

January Tips

2010-01-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

From Randi's post on the Yahoo group. Thank you Randi!
> And now on to the Hot List for January!...
> Two themes that Etsy is going to focus on for January is "handmade resolutions" and "love in the air." Keep these in mind while making and listing new items.
>
> -2010 calendars and thank you notes will sell early in the month and start to trickle off as the month goes on. Start listing them now if you have some.
> -As part of the handmade resolutions theme you'll see items that pertain to learning new skills, DIY kits, journaling, recipes, crafting supplies, etc), active wear and healthy living, and organization for the home, office and studio.
> -Home décor with a cozy theme will still be popular this month. Think candles, baskets, quilts, blankets, pillows and other items with rich colors and textures.
> - Winter fashion includes layering, coats, knit and crochet, woven accessories, and large sturdy (carry-all) bags.
> - Valentines Day is also just around the corner, so think "love in the air." Prep for Valentines sales with conventional and unconventional gift solutions. Cards, jewelry, and gifts for him, her, and kids. Anti-valentines, funny valentines, and "naughty" themed items may also be popular for those thinking outside the box.
> - January themes will be vintage décor, organizational solutions, knits, rustic and natural motifs. Geometric patterns, floral and foliage motifs modern design and personalized items will also be hot. Colors will be in the vibrant and pastel shades of pink, red, champagne, gold, ivory, silver, white, plum, lavender, and dark brown.
> -Garnet is January's birthstone- a deep red. Etsy is looking for items in the garnet gift guide. If you sell items that fall in that color scheme, or know someone who does, nominate that item here: www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id6366334
>
> Here are some dates to remember in January:
> All January is known as national blood donor month, national hobby month, and hot tea month.
> -Jan 1st: New Years Day
> -Jan 15th: Martin Luther King Day
> -Jan 19th: Edgar Allen Poe's birthday
> -Jan 24th-26th: Lunar New Years
> -Jan 26th: Australia Day
>
>
> In the spirit of the New Year Etsy will also be focusing on shop makeovers. Everyone will be encouraged to update and makeover their shops. Here are some ideas for giving your shop a makeover:
> -Update your banner. If you don't know how to you have team members that do this or you can purchase one off of Etsy. They usually range between $5-$10 depending on who makes it and whether it is pre-made or not. When updating your banner ask yourself whether it compliments the style of the items you sell. It is also recommended that it has your shop name on it.
> -Update your shop announcement. Make sure that there are no expired sales or dead links in your shop announcement. You may ask a friend or a team mate to proof-read your announcement for spelling or grammatical errors. Keep it short and sweet so people will want to read all of it and you don't have to scroll forever to get to the goods! Include "I am a proud member of the Eastern WA Etsy team" if you like.
> - Review and update your shop policies, or if you don't have any shop policies you should write some. Make sure that it describes your shipping services and schedule as well as accepted payment methods and any other important information. For ideas on what you write you may check the policies of other well known shops.
> - Review and update your shop sections. If there are sections that you no longer use, delete them, or if you have recently added new items to your shop you may want to include a new category for them. Sections help people browse your shop more easily, especially if you have many listings.
> - Think about re-vamping your photos, especially on items that have been in your shop a long time. Use all 5 photos and make sure they are clear shots with good lighting that make people want to click on them. Try switching up the background or angle on old listings, or try adding in relevant props or models with new photos.
> - Re-think your listing descriptions. Try adding in a fun anecdote and make sure that your listings contain all the relevant information a buyer would need like size, color, materials, etc.
>
> Etsy's blog, the Storque, has tons of shop makeover suggestions and will be publishing new ones throughout the month of January. There is also a flickr group for Etsy shop makeover photos that is worth checking out if you have some before and after photos to share or would like to get some ideas.
>

Weekend Deals Tips

2009-09-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

The summary of our most recent team meeting is on the Yahoo forum, if you are on the team, be sure to check it out. Leanna did a great job of leading the meeting. Since weekend deals came up, and I have some good experience with that, Leanna invite me to share my tips.
What is Weekend Deals?
Sellers on Etsy who have sales or specials during the weekends. MaryMary, one of the Etsy admins, is in charge of weekend deals features. Every weekend, there is a different focus. A weekend deals email goes out from Etsy to thousands of subscribers every Friday, encouraging people to shop. The email also gets posted as an article in Etsy's blog, the Storque, which exposes it to thousands more. A weekend deals gift guide is also created to make shopping easier. Getting featured in the week end deals means huge exposure for your shop. Even if you don't make the Gift Guide or the email, Etsy includes a link to the forum thread so people can read all of the posted specials and shop from there.
How do I participate?
The first step is to post your deal on the forum thread that MaryMary has started for the particular weekend you want. Here is a link to all of the options. (The threads you want are started by MaryMary.)
Tips to participate effectively
1. Follow the instructions Mary gives in the forum thread. If she is looking for a percentage off, do not post a buy one get one (BOGO). Be aware that if you want to limit your special to only certain items or a certain section of your shop, she probably will not feature you. Look at what you can offer that could apply to your whole shop.
2. Try to word your special in an enticing way and mention what it is you sell in your shop. When you post on the forum thread, you are trying to get Etsy Admin to click and check out your shop. You may even want to post a link to your best item - most gift guide worthy item. Also people who shop through the forum thread may not click unless your avatar interests them or something you said about your shop gets them to click.
3. Post your week end deals in your shop announcement during the weekend. You will still get some full price sales because not everyone reads the shop announcements, but admin does instruct you to have the deal in your announcement.
4. If you are fortunate enough to get featured in the email, the storque, or the gift guide, edit the featured item to raise the quantity (if it is something you can reproduce) and edit the description to include your weekend deals announcement. That way, if a shopper clicks on the item and likes it and wants to just buy it, they do not need to try to find your shop announcement to see what the deal is.
5. Do not change all of the prices in your shop. Simply use paypal to refund the savings. Some people will ask for a revised invoice before they will pay, but for the most part, Etsy feels it is easier to give paypal refunds. If you suggest revised invoices, you may lose some buyers who don't know what that is, and Etsy will not feature you because that sounds complicated.

I think Etsy has really drummed up some great sales for people by putting out these weekend deals features. I know a couple of jewelry sellers who have been blown away by the volume they can do in a single week end. As for my experience, I did about $340 worth of sales I might not have had otherwise.

Hope this helps. Here is a look at who was at the meeting. (Randi was there in her pre-type-ed-ness)

October Merchandising

2009-09-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the article in the Storque. There is a new addition to the merch desk articles - seller tips. It's a nice basic list of tips that we need to keep on top of to make our shops the best they can be. Let us know here in the comments or over at the yahoo group if there is anything you will be doing differently in your shop or new items you are adding because of something you learned in the merchandising article.

Get together

2009-08-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful potluck lunch in Spokane yesterday. Imagine 8 crafty, talkative women all together in one place. The anecdotes, ideas and tips were flying. We enjoyed seeing each others work in person too. Back row from left to right: Mary MKHQuilts, Cherie StudioCherie, Randi Ragnazidnar, and Leanna SeamsVictorian and BitsandPurses. Seated from left to right Mary's friend who introduced herself as "I'm with her" (maybe this blog post will cure her shyness - maybe not- don't hate me, I am just having fun and don't have all of the information I need) Linda AntlerPantry, Kim SentimentalStones, and Monti GlitznGlass.