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

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

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

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

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

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

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.
>