EB Friday Hotlist: All Good Things...

(I know it's not really Friday, but I sure wish it was!)

As you've seen, I have not been updating my blog lately.  If you've stopped by my shops, you also know that I'm not listing new items and I'm letting all of the current items expire.  I have made the difficult decision to shut down Elle's Beads.  I won't be updating the blog again any time soon, if ever, for the same reasons.

If I could give a crafter some advice about starting a business online, it would be to determine upfront how much time you wish to invest in building your business and how you will measure success.  Back in 2009 when I started Elle's Beads, I thought I wanted to run my jewelry business as a full job.  It didn't take long for me to realize that the "Quit Your Day Job" lifestyle wasn't actually what I wanted.  Instead, I decided it would be a lot more fun to make whatever I wanted to make on my own time without the pressure of needing to bring in extra income.  That worked really well for me.  Through blogs, Twitter, forums, and teams I met tons of interesting people from all over.  I am grateful to have had these experiences.

However, as I've said in previous posts, part of the calculations you should do when you're making business decisions is a cost/benefit ratio.  You have to be mature enough to define what success means for you and then evaluate whether or not what you're putting out is worth what you're getting in return.  In other words, you have to decide at what point you need to step back from the business or shut it down altogether.

For me, the other things I have going on in my life are more important to me than running and promoting Elle's Beads.  I work full-time at a day job, and starting tomorrow I'll be working an additional part-time job in the evenings and on weekends.  I'm doing all this so that I can be in a better financial position when I start law school in the fall.  The school I'll be attending is 4 hours away, so in between work hours, I'll be spending a lot of time packing, cleaning, and getting ready to move.  (Not to mention that I'll be looking for a place to live up there as well.)  Additionally, since first-year, full-time law students are strongly encouraged not to work even part-time during the first year, I'm relatively certain I won't have time to make things, photograph them, edit the photos, and list them online.  I am completely sure I won't have time on top of that to do any promoting of my shop whatsoever.  Since my future career opportunities are more important to me than my beads, my cost/benefit analysis is telling me to quit while I'm ahead.

I want to thank each and every person who has posted comments here, bought jewelry from me, or has given me support in other ways.  While it's possible that I'll come back next summer or in a few years down the road, returning isn't in the cards right now.  My Etsy account will remain open, even after the last item has expired, and I paid out the nose for a lifetime Zibbet account, so I'll have a presence over there as well.  Be sure to keep in touch!

Until next time,
Elle

Weekly Treasures: Amber Sunsets In Your Life

Continuing this week's "sunshine" theme, I'm pleased to share with you a treasury by the talented Freedom32 on Etsy:



My beaded peace sign bookmark made it into this beautiful color-themed treasury:

Beaded Gold Bookmark $15.00

Be sure to check out Freedom32's original paintings and other items, as well as the shops featured in her treasury.  Feel free to leave a comment both here and on the treasury to let us know what you think!

Until next time,
Elle

Weekly Treasures: Orange You Wanting a Bit of Sunshine?

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:

 

Wood and Crystal Earrings $12.00 

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!

Until next time,

Elle

New Items from Elle's Beads

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!

Until next time,
Elle

Weekly Treasures: Helloooo Yellooooww

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:

Sterling Silver Wire Wrapped Pendant $395.00

Feel free to leave a comment here or on the treasury to let us know what you think of the selection!

Until next time,

Elle

Weekly Treasures: The BEST Spring Collection

I don't know if you're following the national weather stories, but this has been an unusually snowy and (in my opinion) dreary winter.  Sometimes it's encouraging to look forward to warmer seasons and relief from slippery black ice and high heating bills.  One of my fellow Etsy sellers and BESTeam members has decided to beat the cold with a brightly colored team treasury in the spirit of springtime:

The item of mine pulled for this treasury is my Yellow Beaded Chunky Adjustable Ring:

Be sure to check out the curator's shop, Your Daily Jewels, and all of the wonderful BESTeam shops represented here!

Also, if you made or were included in a spring or summer-themed treasury, be sure to post the link in the comments!

Until next time,
Elle

Weekly Treasures: Summer Colors

It's been an unusually long, cold, and snowy winter here in my state following the longest summer and shortest fall I remember in my lifetime.  I've made an active effort to create items in bright yellows, oranges, and reds lately to contrast with the dreary, gray weather we've been having.  Etsy treasury creators have taken to making bright, summery treasuries as well.  Here are a couple I found today while thumbing through my Etsy activity feed:

When is Summer Coming Back?:

When is Summer Coming Back? is a treasury created by getlovelights, a new Etsy shop featuring a mother-daughter team who specialize in wearable textiles.  The item of mine pulled for their treasury is my Yellow Beaded Chunky Adjustable Ring:

Blue and Gold:

Etsy's billiebrand created this Blue and Gold Treasury.  Billiebrand is a lovely accessories shop, featuring items especially for the little ones.  The item of mine pulled for this treasury is my Paisley Shade of Orange Flower Brooch:

I hope you enjoy looking through all of the bright, cheery items from these two treasuries!  Be sure to leave a comment on the Treasury pages if you would like to share your thoughts on the collection with the treasury maker.

Until next time,
Elle

EB Friday Hotlist: More on Microblogging and How to Keep a Positive Brand Reputation Online, Part 1

This is the first half of a two-part article about how average users' mistakes on Twitter can be learning tools for handmade businesses looking to establish their social media presence.  I encourage you to check out each linked article and to check back on November 19, 2010 for the second part of this story.

Check out HautTotes on Twitter.

I've written about Twitter before and it still remains my favorite social media tool.  Since I'm currently on a semi-vacation from my jewelry business, my Twitter has definitely become more of a personal and less of a business account.  I comment back and forth almost daily with fellow fans of my favorite TV shows as they air, read hundreds of tips and tweets about the LSAT (December 11 is fast approaching!), and react to current events (midterm elections, anyone?)...all more often than I get to talk about handmade.  My Twitter started as a personal account anyway and really only developed into a business tool after starting Elle's Beads.  I really wanted to start a new account to match the all of my other branding, but the name @ellesbeads was already taken and Twitter won't let users snatch up inactive names.  I decided to stick with the commonly given advice that primarily talking about things other than your shop can actually drive business to your shop, so my @ellexmarie Twitter became a part of my marketing strategy.  Time will tell if that was a good idea for me.  I think Haut Totes is truly the master of "Twitter for handmade businesses" with almost 30,000 followers to date.  From what I notice in my timeline, she seems to have a nice mix of work and personal life, with the bulk of her tweets focused on encouraging followers to engage with her brand.  It goes to show that what some social media experts say and what actually works for each individual business doesn't always mesh.

If you're like me (i.e. not really at the 10,000+ follower level or even in shouting distance) and don't already have a strong customer base or online following to funnel into Twitter, you're probably reading forum posts, blog articles, and e-newsletters written from these aforementioned social media experts about how to navigate Twitter and increase your followers.  There are tons of them out there - and by them I mean both articles and self-declared experts.  For this blog article, I'm taking a different approach than I did last time.  While I still stand by my advice that using hashtags effectively and filling out your profile information can increase your following, not doing those things will probably not keep people from buying from you.  The things that will are the focus of this post.  I want to talk about how you can keep the followers you already have and avoid damaging your business with your tweets.  This is based on what the experts say, actual real life situations, and my personal experience using Twitter both primarily for business and primarily for social interaction.
 

Be careful with what you say.  

Obvious, right?  I didn't say these tips would be rocket science. :) Whether you're running a business or just chatting for fun, what you say on Twitter can really come back to bite you in the butt.  Don't think so?  Remember when Facebook started and then slowly expanded and became more popular?  Remember when law enforcement, employers, and school officials started accessing it and then started holding people

Photo by edvvc

accountable for what they posted (text, pictures, video...even outright confessions to crimes) by arresting them, firing them, or not accepting them into their universities?  If you weren't around when this all developed, that's okay.  Technology has progressed significantly over the past few years - I'm pretty young but I remember using pay phones at school because personal cell phones (the small ones that could now fit in a purse) were a luxury.  Forget the iTouch - I was so unbelievably excited to get my first portable CD player because it didn't require cassette tape rewinding like the Walkman.  And yes, if I wanted to keep a recording of a song I either had to wait for it all day on the radio and hit the record button on my radio-cassette player (aka "boom box") at just the right moment or I had to get my mom to take me to the store and purchase the tape or (by the time I got to middle school) the CD.

Anyway, now I'm digressing and feeling nostalgic.  If you don't remember the advent of the home computer, the internet, and the subsequent social media explosion dominated by MySpace and Facebook, here's a recent (as in this month) story for you to relate to: Check out what happened to this student who posted a comment on Facebook that landed him in jail, barred him from finishing college, and is basically killing his dreams for the foreseeable future.  While I doubt you or the average Facebook user will ever have these kind of consequences for what you post, it's important to bring up because there are more common, lesser consequences for less egregious behavior as well.  There are tons of personal problems you could encounter, but for the purposes of this discussion we'll focus on the repercussions for your business.

Alex Payne's tweet caused considerable backlash.

Twitter is a social media tool just like Facebook and, just like Facebook, text and photos (think TwitPic for example) as well as links to anything and everything are posted all the time.  It's easy to get complacent in the midst of all that information sharing, especially considering the fact that a very small percentage of tweets are replied to or shared by other users.  However, if you're running a business you're likely including your Twitter link on things like your mailing list emails, your Facebook fan page, your blog, and your shop.  If you want it to be a useful tool for business, you need new people to follow you and share your content.  To facilitate this, your timeline is probably "unprotected," which basically means that all of your tweets are public and users don't need your approval to view them or to follow you.  What this all means practically is that potential, current, and former customers as well as fellow artisans and competitors are following you or finding links to your tweets through your shop, mutual contacts, or even search engines like Google.  Yeah that's right - public tweets are indexed, included in searches, and sometimes show on the search page in real time via a scrolling widget (see screenshot below).  Here's what you don't want to have them see:

• Anything absolutely stupid.  Again, if it has the potential to get you in trouble with law enforcement, your boss, or your school, just don't mention it on Twitter.  Go old school and do what I did before Xanga and Live Journal became cool - write it down with a pen in a real-life paper journal and keep it off the internet.  Remember too, it's not always the case that an offending tweet is inherently stupid and it may even be something you'd say out loud to a friend in real life.  Just take a few seconds to think

  

  Did you know that your tweets are in Google and Bing?

  ahead about how people may react to it or take your statement personally.  And most importantly, just like anywhere else on the internet, people can take screenshots of comments they see online, access search engine caches (i.e. images of your deleted tweet) for days and sometimes weeks, and even get around your password protections if they're really savvy.  Do not ever make the mistake of thinking that having a protected account is the same thing as privacy or that deleting an offending tweet will erase all traces of it instantly.  The internet doesn't work that way.  Think before you tweet.

• Criticism directed towards a customer.  This is dangerous for two reasons.  The first should be obvious.  That person could come across your rant and decide to do everything they can to oppose you if they haven't already - from leaving scathing feedback to starting an active online campaign against you (I've seen it done).  Alternatively, if they are a reasonable person and would have accepted your genuine attempts to correct their dissatisfaction, you pretty much end all chance of that working out when you attack them on Twitter.  At best, you've just lost a customer and lost any business that customer might have referred to you.  The second reason is also pretty easy to figure out.  People are generally turned off by that kind of negativity.  A potential customer is going to think "Gee, look at the way she's talking about Customer X.  I don't want someone talking about me like that!  I bet she has poor customer service if that is how she treats people!"

• Controversial topics.  Now this is going to be different for different people.  While I originally stayed away from tweets like these, I do now post about my support for LGBT issues, women's rights, and progressive political causes.  I've probably lost a few followers for that, but I don't mind.  My support
  
  
  for different issues, especially those affecting LGBT persons, is clearly reflected in both some of my work and in some of the charitable causes I'm involved in through Etsy.  If you are someone that has a problem buying from someone that holds these types of convictions, you're not going to purchase from me whether or not I'm tweeting.  And for the record, I seem to have a diverse group of Twitter followers who have all types of different belief systems.  So there is nothing wrong in theory with voicing your personal opinions on your business twitter, but keep it calm.  Don't attack other users for their views, don't bully, and try not to alienate large portions of your potential customer base.

The rest of this article is scheduled to post next Friday.  After that, the Hotlist will be on hiatus as I will be enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday studying like a mad woman for the December LSAT.  I will likely spend all of December finalizing law school applications and waiting impatiently for my test score.  Weekly BEST features will still be posted each week, but they will be scheduled in advance.  I still encourage you to post your comments!  Thank you for your understanding and I look forward to learning from and with you in the new year.  Have a safe, happy, and super profitable holiday season.

Until next time,
Elle

EB Friday Hotlist: One Year on Etsy

Time flies when you're not quite paying attention!  As you know, my focus lately has not been on my craft business and so I completely missed the fact that my one-year Etsy-versary was last month.  On September 16, 2010 I concluded my first year of selling online, which quite honestly is a little mind-blowing for me.  Now I can't boast that I've turned a major profit or that I'm ready to "quit my day job" (it's not even my goal...), but I still feel like I've been successful.  I've learned how to sell at craft fairs, the farmer's market, and the flea market.  I've gotten a blog, Twitter, and Facebook following.  I've made 25 online sales between Etsy, Zibbet, and Artfire and learned how to package and ship across the country.  I've also sold a large wholesale order and seen my jewelry on display in a local shop (more on that in a later post).  I've made friends, honed networking skills, and organized and led a local team event.  Most importantly I've learned a great deal, not just about running a small, independent business, but about myself - my personality, my strengths, and my passions.

I've been talking a lot about inspiration lately, and if there was one piece of advice I could give to anyone starting out it would be to stay inspired.  Do something you really enjoy or it's really just work.  Crafting is generally not easy money (hence the popular term "starving artist"), but it is possible to turn your passion into a successful business - whatever "success" means to you.

Many thanks to each and every one of you that read the blog, tweet the posts, leave comments, subscribe to the newsletter, and purchase from the shop.  I don't know what I would have done without you this past year.  I genuinely appreciate all of your kind words and support.  Happy sales!

Until next time,
Elle

EB Friday Hotlist: Pride Edition

Anyone that follows me knows that I'm openly bisexual, a member of the Queer Etsy Street Team, and a huge supporter of all things LGBT.  A lot of people celebrated LGBT Pride earlier this year, but here in North Carolina we are celebrating this weekend.  Tomorrow I plan to head up to Durham to meet a friend who will accompany me to my first ever pride events (yay!).  So, I decided to take this post as a mini-celebration online of something that definitely influences and colors my craft.



As you may have heard (even right here on this blog), the Queer Etsy Street Team is raising money to benefit the Trevor Project.  The Trevor Project provides the only 24-hour national (US) suicide and crisis hotline for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning teens.  They also provide a host of other services to benefit queer teens and young people and actively advocate for their rights, protection, and safety.  Purchases from our team shop go to benefit the Trevor Project.  We are donating 100% of proceeds to them from this year and we're offering free shipping to all customers for all items.  Please take a look at the shop and purchase something to support this cause.
____________

If you're interested in taking a look at other LGBT art, feel free to browse some of my old Weekly Treasures blog posts.  You'll find several treasuries featuring queer-themed work found on Etsy.
____________

I've been talking and thinking about inspiration lately and how I find it necessary in order to create.  My bisexuality plays a significant role in my work.  Most of you have heard the story before, but to make a long story short...due to stress and a host of other factors (including personal conflict over my identity), I decided to start making jewelry as an outlet.  That wasn't the first time I'd ever dabbled in jewelry making though.  A couple of years prior I had searched and searched online for bi-themed jewelry and was unimpressed at the relatively minimal selection.  I ended up going to Michael's, purchasing an assortment of findings and pale pearls, and making my own bi pride jewelry.  I still wear it on occasion and I have a pair of earrings made with the same pearls for sale in my shop (see picture).  When I started selling jewelry on Etsy, I made a conscious effort to add an LGBT line so that others in my situation would have a little more to choose from.  Unfortunately because of time constraints, I haven't been able to replenish my stock for that line or for any of my others.  I am, however, immensely pleased that one of my sources of inspiration turned into a product line that resonated with customers.

What aspects of your personality do you put into your work?  What is it about you that bleeds over into your creative projects?  Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,
Elle

Announcement: Elle's Beads Future

I'm sure if you regularly follow the blog, you've noticed I'm not posting as much as of late.  I feel as though I owe an explanation for this.  The good news is that I've made the decision to apply to law school.  I want to further my education and I'm taking the time now to prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and fill out applications.  The bad news is that test prep and application writing take up the time I used to be able to spend on Elle's Beads.  While I will still update the blog and my shop whenever I have the opportunity, I won't be spending a lot of time on either for the next few months.  Thanks for your patience and understanding.  The best ways to get in touch with me will be through Twitter and email.  Feel free to drop me a line anytime!

EB Friday Hotlist: More on Guest Blogging

 

Two weeks ago I wrote about how guest blogging can benefit your business.  If you missed the article, you can check it out here. I put my own advice to use and pitched my Tumblr article from July to Jonathan, the very approachable CEO of Zibbet, and landed the guest blog opportunity.  I reworked the article and it was published on the Zibbet blog this week.  When you check out the article, you'll notice a small blurb with my information and a link to my blog and my shop are at the top.  Remember, depending on the traffic the blog you post on gets, that little piece of web "real estate" can bring real traffic to your blog and your shop.  I hope you'll seriously consider taking advantage of this aspect of blogging.

Now, I was contacted by Ann Smarty on Creating the Hive (one of my recommended sites) as a result of my last article on guest blogging, and she shared her site with me.  It's called My Blog Guest and is dedicated to connecting guest bloggers and their articles with blogs that want to host their content.  Limited membership is free and that's the level I recommend for the average craft blogger.  The best feature is the forums where you can announce your availability to guest post or post requests for guest content.  Only one forum section is limited to premium members, so you will still be able to make great use of this area.  Definitely check this one out if you're interested in getting or sharing blog content.

And just in case you're curious, the traffic to my Zibbet shop this week is up 190%.  It does work!  Happy blogging!

Until next time,
Elle

Weekly Treasures: Rainbow Bright and Cutie Pie

Here are a couple of throwback queer pride treasuries I found out I was in after the new treasury search was implemented.

The first is Rainbow Bright by caseyyoder:

Rainbow Bright

The item of mine that was included is my Square Striped Rainbow Ring:

Square Striped Rainbow Ring $15.00

The next is a treasury called Bright Cutie Pie Random by NanaMommy:

Bright Cutie Pie Random

The item of mine selected for this treasury is my Bicone Rainbow Beaded Ring:

Bicone Rainbow Beaded Ring $15.00

I'm always excited when curators put my pride items in non-pride related treasuries. I'm flattered that these items are considered appropriate for the mainstream.

Have you curated or been in any great treasuries lately?  Be sure to send me a link!

Until next time,

Elle

Weekly Treasures: Rainbow and Get Your Pride On

There is an exciting new feature in the new Etsy Treasury, previously known as Treasury East.  Treasury now has search capabilities!  The search allows you to not only type in tags and themes and pull up related treasuries, but you can also type your name in the search bar to see a list of every treasury you've created or in which you've been included.  If you haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to go check it out!  It makes Treasury more manageable and allows you to find treasuries you're in that aren't registering on Craftopolis because the curator didn't click on every listing.

I found several treasuries I didn't know about, and I'm sharing two with you today.  Rainbow was created by lala24ch on Etsy.  Check it out below:

Rainbow

Get Your Pride On is a treasury created by findingsforyou for Gay Pride Month:

Get Your Pride On

The earrings of mine the curators chose for these treasuries are these Rainbow Striped Post Dangles:

Rainbow Striped Post Dangles $12.00

Be sure to check out the new search to see what treasuries you're in and feel free to leave a link to one of them in the comments!

Until next time,

Elle

Weekly Treasures: Plum Passion

Here is another of my Kaboodle styleboards featuring plum colors:

Plum Passion by ellesbeads

As usual, this styleboard is both all-Etsy and was built around one of my own items.  The item I used this time was my Plum Czech Glass Beaded Cluster Ring:

Plum Beaded Adjustable Ring $15.00

Building these boards has been both a fun exploration into handmade and vintage items sold by other Etsy sellers, but it has also opened my eyes to the possibilities of my own products.  I like to make simple, elegant pieces and I love my bold, statement jewelry even more.  Building these styleboards around different pieces allows me to envision how the jewelry I make can actually be worn as a fashion accessory.  I challenge anyone to give it a go with one of your own items and see if you're not inspired!  (Remember per Kaboodle rules, you're not allowed to have more than one of your own items in a styleboard.)

Do you Kaboodle?  Add me as a friend!  And be sure to leave your own link in the comments!

Until next time,
Elle

Weekly Treasures: Azure Dreams

Here's another one of my Kaboodle Styleboards, this time featuring items in shades of blue:

Azure Dreams by ellesbeads

All of these items are from Etsy.  Be sure to click on the Styleboard so you can visit the different shop owners.  Items are often not still available because they were added to the Kaboodle search months prior, but have no fear - the earrings I based this collection around are still currently for sale in my shop!

Vintage Inspired Blue Beaded Earrings $15.00

Be sure to friend me if you're on Kaboodle and let me know what you think of this Styleboard in the comments!

Until next time,

Elle

Weekly Treasures: Mosquito Coast

One of my most unique pieces of jewelry has been featured in a rather different summer treasury entitled Mosquito Coast.  It features - you guessed it - mosquito-themed items.  Check it out:

This treasury was curated by Etsy shop owner MamiMadeIt, an Austrian seamstress specializing in toys, bags, and accessories.  Check out her shop and her blog.

The item of mine she selected for this treasury is my pair of beaded obsidian mosquito earrings:

Black Mosquitoes - Funky Beaded Earrings $20.00

These statement earrings are truly one of a kind.  As they are quite bold, they definitely aren't for everyone.  I'm thrilled that they finally found their way into a treasury!

Have you made or been featured in a treasury lately?  Post a link in the comments!

Until next time,

Elle

Weekly Treasures: Fuchsia Fashion

Now that I can make Styleboard collages on Kaboodle, my weekly treasures posts will include them as well.  Check out my latest compilation of items from Etsy.  Click on the picture to see the Styleboard on Kaboodle as well as see who the individual sellers are:

Fuchsia Fashion by ellesbeads

I'm still finding it fun to build the collage around one of my funky jewelry pieces.  This time I used my funky fuchsia beaded ring:

Funky Fuchsia Beaded Ring $15

Do you Kaboodle?  Leave a link to your brand or profile in the comments!

Until next time,
Elle

Weekly Treasures: Red, White, and Queer

Independence Day may be over in the United States for 2010, but it hasn't been forgotten by those on Etsy.  There was a huge outcry over the seeming lack of Front Page treasuries celebrating the holiday, so many people decided to create and promote their own treasuries to celebrate - some were even curated by sellers from other countries who wanted to show their support.  To see the treasury I created, check out my July 4th post.

BunnyKissd, a Queer Etsy Street Team member and jewelry artist, took it upon herself to come up with a queer patriotic treasury featuring team members' red, white, and blue work:

Red, White and Queer

The item she selected of mine for inclusion in the treasury is my Cherry Red Czech Glass Chain Necklace:

Cherry Red Czech Glass Chain Necklace

Be sure to check out the entire treasury and give our team a little support by clicking on the items and then leaving a comment at the bottom.

Do you have a treasury that you've recently created or in which you've been featured?  Leave a link in the comments!


Until next time,
Elle

Weekly Treasures: 24 Karat Gold and Queer Team Challenge

I've been included in a beautiful golden orange, citrus-themed treasury this week entitled 24 Karat Gold:

This treasury was created by the Etsians Birch + Bird, vintage sellers with a treasure trove of home interior items in their shop.  Their description of the theme of this treasury put a smile on my face:

The item of mine these ladies included in their treasury was the Orange Glass Seed Bead bangle bracelet I created for the June Queer Etsy Street Team challenge.  As I mentioned last month, we are systematically going through the colors of the rainbow and doing a piece per month in a specific color.  Here's a close up on my June bracelet:

Orange Glass Seed Bead Wrap Around Bracelet $15.00

To see all of the Queer Team challenge items for June, please visit the blog entry here.  For some reason, a challenge treasury has not been created this month, but when one is made (even if I have to do it myself) I will update this post with the gallery!


Have you been in or created a treasury lately?  Leave your link in the comments!

Until next time,
Elle