I hope the weather where you are is as gorgeous and warm as it is here. I'm so glad that all of February wasn't a snowy/rainy drag! Danaemau brought some of that sunshine to Etsy last week with a beautiful orange treasury:
This fabulous buyer was kind enough to include one of my own items in her gallery - my deep orange ladybug earrings:
For more of Danaemau's treasury lists, be sure to visit her profile (linked above). Feel free to leave a comment here or on the treasury to let us know what you think of the collection!
This week I'm introducing you to not one, but two talented artisans from Missouri. Alexander's Designs is a joint venture run by a husband and wife team, Jenny and Skip. Both have been making jewelry for several years and they each have developed rather sophisticated talents, including fused glass techniques and metalsmithing. The end result is a collection of unique, handcrafted wearable art pieces blending glass, semi-precious stones, crystals, and precious metals. Here are a few of my favorites from this shop:
Although it should be obvious that the prices I post in my blog features are subject to change, I do want to point out that Alexander's Designs is having a sale right now. These discounts are only good until 2/25/11, so be sure to check out the shop now to get what you want!
Find Alexander's Designs at these places around the web:
After you're done shopping, be sure to come back and tell us which items are your favorites and/or which ones you purchased!
Until next time,
Elle
I'm a part of an Etsy team called Boosting Etsy Shops Team or BEST. The purpose of the group is to provide promotion for each team member through our existing social networking accounts. Each week I'll be doing a blog feature about a different team member.
I get asked frequently how I manage to update my various social media accounts with fresh content on a regular basis. While life does get in the way sometimes, I am able to minimize disruptions by scheduling things in advance and working hard to get as much done as possible when I do find a few free moments. One of the tools that helps me do this more efficiently is Postling.
Postling is a scheduling website that lets you post things to your various social media sites from their portal. You can add a variety of social media accounts to your "brand," including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn and Blogger. Once you've added the social media account, you can use Postling to update it, either by an immediate post or a scheduled one. You're also able to check your "stream" or the feed of posts that come from those you follow on a particular network.
I prefer to update my Facebook and Flickr accounts manually, and I use TwitterFeed and Hootsuite to schedule my Twitter posts. I signed up for Postling primarily to deal with a problem I've encountered with Tumblr. Tumblr can be a great marketing tool and I'm currently using my micro-photo blog there to promote my brand name, the indie community, and Zibbet. However, I have had a problem with Tumblr's internal scheduling feature. I would set a few photos to be posted over the course of the coming week and check in a few days to find that they hadn't posted. Ack!
Postling eliminates my need for concern. I simply create posts in much the same way I would in Tumblr. I add tags and set the date and time I want my posts to appear. I can confirm that the posts are set up the way I want them to be by checking the "Drafts and Scheduled" section (pictured below). I typically set up about two weeks worth of posts at once, and it takes me about 30 minutes or so from start to finish (depending on how long it takes me to find the pictures I want). I then set a Google Calendar alert to remind me when my posts are running out so that I can redo the process when necessary.
My understanding is that Postling has a variety of other features for paid members. As I only utilize their free service, I can't recommend those features. I will say that Postling has helped me keep my Tumblr consistently updated and for that reason I recommend checking out their free service if you're looking for a post scheduling service.
Have you used Postling? What are your thoughts on it? Have any other schedulers you use? Let us know which ones so we can check those out too!
Long time readers of the blog may remember this shop from an earlier feature in September 2010. Too Much of a Good Thing has really grown since then and I think you'll fall in love with the new items! For those of you who don't know, Leyla (the artist) has a variety of crafty talents ranging from wearable art to paper crafts to amigurumi. When I first introduced her I wanted to show off her beautiful cards, but this time I'd like to showcase some of her unique and colorful accessories for you:
For more crocheted goodies, zipper flowers (how cool are those!?), and many other handmade items, make sure to mosey on over to Leyla's Etsy shop and browse around! Find Too Much of a Good Thing at these places around the web:
Also if you're local to Salem, Oregon or just happen to be out that way, check out this link to find out where you can purchase Leyla's work in local shops.
What is your favorite item from Too Much of a Good Thing? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time,
Elle
I'm a part of an Etsy team called Boosting Etsy Shops Team or BEST. The purpose of the group is to provide promotion for each team member through our existing social networking accounts. Each week I'll be doing a blog feature about a different team member.
Happy Valentine's Day from Elle's Beads! Although I do not have any personal attachment to this holiday, I know there are many who enjoy it and I wish those people a romantic and meaningful celebration. And....umm....Happy Monday to the rest of you!
(Oh, lighten up - I hate Mondays too!).
Here's a look at the Valentine's Day treasuries I've posted over the last month in case you missed them:
I hope you'll have fun browsing though the shops. Go easy on the wine and have a great night! :)
This is the last of the 4-part treasury series celebrating the creative ways Etsians express love. This week's theme is food love and is designed with the foodie (food and/or wine aficionado) in mind:
I hope you enjoy browsing through these artists' shops! Please feel free to comment here or on the treasury and let me know what you think!
This week I want to talk about the indie movement in general. Regardless of whether or not you sell online or at craft fairs or both, regardless of whether this is a hobby for you or a business or both, you are selling your items so that people will buy them from you. Your motivation may be different from the next person, but the basic goal is still the same - sales.
Stories by vasta on Flickr
Used under Creative Commons
license
How do you get sales? At the most basic level, getting sales requires 1) having a product and 2) putting it out for sale. To make a sale, you also have to set a price for the product and pricing your work can be a somewhat contentious issue among indie sellers. Some businesspeople lament the hobbyists who can charge less for their work because profit is not their motivation. Some hobbyists lament that their work is seen by some as inferior because it is frequently (and incorrectly) assumed that price is directly correlated with quality. No matter where your items fall on the pricing continuum, and no matter what criticism you receive (i.e. your prices are cheap so you must have Walmart quality items or why buy from you when I can get the same thing 75% off at Walmart) there is still a huge difference between your crafts and the similar items people buy at Walmart.
So why should someone buy a (insert name of craft here) from you as opposed to Walmart? I can get cheap, trendy jewelry there for a fraction of the price of some I see on Etsy. I can buy crocheted cozies, dyed scarves, and trendy shoes all in the same place without paying shipping or walking around a dusty farmer's market in the heat/cold/rain. What makes the handmade or vintage items you sell better than the mass-produced beauties in stores like Walmart?
Stories by normalityrelief on Flickr
Used under Creative Commons license
Only you can answer that question specifically. Maybe you've spent weeks combing over thrift store shelves and antique malls to find those perfect dresses and brooches and silk ties for your vintage shop. Maybe you fire up the kiln every other night to finish up the pottery you take to the local market each week. Perhaps the beads you use in your jewelry came from your grandmother, who is the one who taught you how to bead 40 years ago. Everyone's special selling point will be different, but the point is that every indie shop, handmade or vintage, has a story behind it. Telling this story in a compelling way is what will draw people to your shop instead of the big box retailers.
This week's suggested reading list will give you some ideas on how to figure out what your story is and how to turn that story into selling points to present to potential buyers.
Suggested Reading:
Buy Handmade: Why Buy Handmade? - Article with some of the reasons why people are choosing to buy handmade. Check out the list of links for ideas that may help you with developing your story and deciding why your indie shop is unique.
Etsy Blog: How to Sell Your Story with Johnny B. Truant - Article with great ideas on how to incorporate your story into your item listings to get people more interested in buying your items.
Etsy Community: Etsy Shop Makeover Challenge: Storytelling - Step-by-step article that helps you define your story, develop it, and turn it into a compelling artisan/shop profile, from the talented storyteller whose YouTube video I've embedded above.
Until next time,
Elle
P.S. My six word story is: Strength is the will to overcome. What's yours? Leave it in the comments after checking out Suggested Reading article #3.
As you may remember, I'm a big fan of Animoto slideshows for showing off one's work and creating YouTube videos. Here's the newest slideshow I made featuring some new items I'm working on listing on Etsy:
As you can see, I'm trying to add a lot of bright, colorful items, especially in yellow - one of the colors that isn't represented often in my shop. What new items, colors, or styles are you working with this winter? Let us know in the comments!
As the spirit found truth and the Mystic Wynd blew..."
This week I have the pleasure of introducing you to Mystic Wynd, the shop owned and operated by BESTeam leader Karen. Karen hails from Scottsdale, Arizona and started expressing her creativity at a young age while living with her family in Chicago. Mystic Wynd is primarily a jewelry shop, though you will find little trinkets and handmade accessories sprinkled throughout the various sections. Although she features a very diverse range of styles, her use of categories makes it easy to find what you want. There really is something for everyone here, the reasons for which you can find in Karen's Etsy profile. As such, I've tried to pick items from different style categories to share with you:
Be sure to check out the shop and come back here after browsing to let us know which jewelry style is your favorite!
Until next time,
Elle
I'm a part of an Etsy team called Boosting Etsy Shops Team or BEST. The purpose of the group is to provide promotion for each team member through our existing social networking accounts. Each week I'll be doing a blog feature about a different team member.
My yellow beaded chunky ring is making waves again in a lovely treasury featuring members of the Queer Etsy Street Team. Check out the entire treasury below or click here:
Be sure to check out all of the shops, including the curator's (AllThatIAm). She makes beautiful wire and gemstone jewelry. Here's one of my favorite pieces from her shop:
The third, in what I have now decided will be a 4-part treasury series, is yet another unconventional collection of items pulled from Etsy search. This week's theme is geekery and has some great gift ideas for those who have nerdy chick or geeky guy to buy for this V-day:
I hope you enjoy browsing through this collection and the artists' shops. Please feel free to leave a comment here or on the treasury to let me know what you think! Until next time, Elle
This week I have the distinct pleasure of introducing you to Write Owl Designs (WriteOwl) from Portland, Oregon. The multi-talented shop owner, Jean, got her start in journal making at the age of eight. You can read about her source of inspiration here on her Etsy profile. Write Owl journals are perfect for doodling in, crafting poetry, and so much more. Jean encourages those who buy her items to use them as platforms for creating their own art.
Writing has always been therapeutic for me, but most of the journals I've had over the years have been spiral composition notebooks. If I could go back and replace those drab, boring notebooks with handmade works of art, these are the ones I couldn't do with out:
In addition to bookmaking, Jean also has a knack for making great desk accessories to go along with the journals, namely hand-painted pottery. Here are a couple of my favorite pieces:
Keep in mind that Write Owl Designs also offers custom orders for those who don't find the perfect item already sitting in the shop. Find Write Owl around the web at these locations:
Make sure to check out the shop and, as always, come back here and let us know what items you like best!
Until next time, Elle
I'm a part of an Etsy team called Boosting Etsy Shops Team or BEST. The purpose of the group is to provide promotion for each team member through our existing social networking accounts. Each week I'll be doing a blog feature about a different team member.
Posts
