New! Bookmark My Blog on Your Mobile Device

In the sidebar of my blog you can now see the shiny new QR Code for my blog. When read with a QR Code Reader on a mobile device (iPhone, iPod, Android, etc) it opens a link to my blog. Add me to your bookmarks!

There are many apps to read QR codes for Apple products, Android, etc. On my iPod Touch I use RedLaser. This app works with the camera on your device. 

When you open RedLaser tap the little lightening bolt at the bottom. That opens the interface to align your camera to the QR code you want to open. You can see in the image below where it says to line up the edges with the arrows. Once the QR code is in place the arrows turn green and it tells you to hold still for the camera to read the QR code.

A little window opens showing you the URL that was read from the QR code. It offers you the choice to open the link or cancel.

Click "Open" and ta da! The link opens a tab in Safari and loads the page to which the QR code was directed. Usually it will open the mobile version of the site.

Now you can bookmark my blog quickly and easily on your mobile device! Yay!

I chose to use bit.ly to create my QR code. Above you can see the address I customized to make it clear that the link goes to this blog. When a QR code is generated through bit.ly, the service will track the number of clicks you get on that link. This is always juicy information for anyone who uses metrics to track website activity. 

The neat thing is that bit.ly creates a QR code for your link automatically. All you have to do is save it and plop it everywhere you want your readers to be able to open your links.

You can make a link to any website you want to - not just your own blog, Twitter, Facebook, Etsy, etc. I believe bit.ly is a better choice than to have just any QR code generator make your code.  

This isn't just for online uses either. You can print your QR code on business cards, fliers, and other promotional items so people can find you online from "real life". I've seen some really creative uses out in the field. I've even seen them posted up on billboards around town. (Please don't try to read that link while driving. Ask a passenger.) 

I'm going to print my code for my craft show booth so shoppers can learn more about me right away.

If you have questions please post them in the comments so we can learn from each other (or email me using the link at the top of my blog). I would love to see your uses of QR codes!

- Vickie 

Happy Mail Day!

I heart fun snail mail! And I got a double whammy of it last week when these goodies showed up.

My pal from Twitter, @LadyMissSusan, sent me a beautiful card and a white gel Signo pen. I didn’t know that Signo made a white pen. She was kind enough to inform me AND to send me one! Signos are my favorite black pens. And this one did not disappoint. It’s awesome!

You should check out her blog. She is an amazing scrapbooker! The layouts on this post are particularly stunning! So many layers! Such pretty papers!

I’ve been a long time fan of The Little Red Door and her shop on Etsy. She makes teeny tiny little clay houses. They are adorable!! I have a thing for little things like this. Maybe because I’m so tiny myself. So when she posted on Twitter that she was giving away free little houses just for signing a petition to save the TV show Heroes I was all game. That show is one of my favorites and I don’t want to see it end. So I signed and she sent me a mini house! I love it! I might have to order myself a little village to go with this one so it’s not lonely.

Postcard Swap 2010 and #CraftSocial

Recently I've been getting myself into various art swaps. It started with the artist trading cards on flickr and has now grown to more and more swaps! I'm hooked! It's just too much fun!

I came across a tweet about a new swap a few weeks ago. I have not done any postcard swapping yet so I thought I would give this one a try. This is also quite a large swap. I have to make 10 original postcards to send. But that means I get 10 original postcards from who knows where in the world! For me, it's really more about the giving than the receiving. Receiving is just the icing on the cake of getting to share my work with someone. Plus who doesn't like snail mail (besides bills)?!

I started on my postcards yesterday. So far I have three in the early stages of paper collage. They measure 4" x 6". I just cut them out of 140 lb cold press watercolor paper. I think that's a nice weight for mail. They are all getting an extra thick coat of gel medium to protect the artwork. Stay tuned in the weeks to come for pictures of them.

Click the banner above to go to the blog post to join! The last day to sign up is February 7, 2010. The postcards are due to be mailed out by Valentine's Day on February 14th. The swap is hosted by iHanna. She will be emailing me 10 addresses for the swap. They could be going anywhere! Fun!

The postcard swap project was conceived at the Twitter party called #craftsocial. They have a website at CraftSocial.net. Read more about this Twitter party on their "About" page. It's a bunch of crafty tweeple chatting up artsy craftsy things on Twitter! The next Craft Social will be on Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 3 – 5 PM, EST. The first hour of the event will be dedicated to craft #fails – they dare you to show your worst! Yikes! I'll be there! But that also means I have to go photograph some art fails! Double yikes! See you on Twitter!

Interview With Gloria From Facebook Fans On Etsy

Ruthie Stickney, of Roseworks Jewelry, posted such a great article about Gloria Bray and Facebook Fans on Etsy Street Team (FFEST) I asked her if I could repost her article and she said yes! So the original article can be found here.

Here is what Ruthie had to say on her blog:

I interviewed the team leader of one of my teams, FFEST, to tell you a little bit more about our new team! Sorry for the lack of pictures in today's post - just not up to it.

1. Can you tell us how the team started?

In mid-July I began a thread on the Etsy Promotions forum asking for Facebook fans for my shop's fan page. My original intent was to get to the magic 100 to have a shortened URL. It became a very popular thread and I decided to begin a group on Facebook to share information. One day while checking the thread I got this crazy thought, "There should be an Etsy Street Team for Facebook Fans on Etsy." Silly me, I decided to post that on the thread and it sort of took on a life of its own. The wonderful thing that happened was other Etsy sellers jumped on the bandwagon and most importantly volunteered to assist with this crazy idea. Once we got started it started to fall into place rather quickly. By mid-August we were "official". As of September 1st there are 22 members signed on to FFEST! My hope is that we grow at a slow and steady pace.

2. What are the goals of the team?

Networking and promotion with a heaping side of FUN thrown in. Here is the description that I originally used on the FB group:

"A diverse group of artisans and crafters who have shops on Etsy.com and Facebook pages in order to promote the sale of handcrafted items. Also, to share ways to improve sales and promotions through Facebook."

First and foremost, promoting the team and each other to increase traffic in all our shops. Each month the members have a point goal of 20 to achieve to remain listed as an active member on the team blog. Many of the tasks suggested involve promoting another members shop or the team as a whole. We use more than Etsy and Facebook to do so. We tweet on twitter, have contest and in the future some giveaways, and we blog. I have already found that the more visible you are as a team, the better chance of increased sales. I recently had sales that I can contribute to the promotion of our team!

Another wonderful aspect of the team is the concept of "Pay It Forward" What I have found is this group is made up of many caring individuals. If some one is in need of fans or assistance, everyone steps right up to help. When I think about the FFEST team, I am moved and grateful that they have come into my life. As we learn about being a team and grow in numbers, it will be exciting to see what directions we will go in. This is a group effort and as a team we are open to suggestions and ideas.

3. My readers want to know, "I want to be a member! How do I join and what do I need to do once I've joined?"

There are two basic requirements to request membership.

• ♥ You must have an Etsy shop with 10 or more items for sale. We want active sellers!
• ♥ You must have a Facebook Fan page with 100 or more fans. This will only increase the visibility of the team as a whole.

We are Facebook Fans on Etsy, so it makes sense that those two elements are non-negotiable. So if someone has those covered the next step is visiting our forum home and checking out the other requirements. At that time, if someone believes this team will be a good fit, they can follow the directions at the left-hand side of the forum home page and we will set the approval process in motion. This involves emailing me the requested information. Once I receive it and check for the basic requirements, I will send an invitation from the forum for that person to join us.

Once a member is approved, they can post to their heart's content on the forum, use the tag "ffest team" for items posted in their Etsy shop, and participate in team promotion through our monthly points roll call. That info can be found on our team blog and forum.

4. Where can we find the team? (blogs, FB, ning...)

We seem to be EVERYWHERE. Our main page is:

ffonetsy.ning.com - the forum that serves as our team "home"

facebookfansonetsy.blogspot.com - the place where we blog it! You can find our team treasuries posted here along with contests, featured FFESTy friends, and more. This is a work in progress! There are also a links to our shops, blogs and twitter accounts.

www.twitter.com/EtsyFBTeam - follow us and we will follow you!!

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113391211629&ref=ts - the FB group that got the ball rolling and a great place to find fans! We ask that you join the group before requesting membership to FFEST.

www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6223696 - the now famous thread on the Etsy Promotions forum that is still active! It was started on 7/20/09 and now has 88 pages of 879 posts! And to think I was just looking for 100 fans on Facebook!

5. Anything else we should know about the team?

There are some incredibly talented and dedicated individuals that step up to this challenge and have become part of the FFEST Admin Team (thank goodness because I couldn't do this alone!)

Missy of MissMooseDesign.etsy.com - she set up the Ning forum and spent a Saturday afternoon on the phone with me working out the logistics of creating a street team... it was so nice to talk in real time with such a kind and talented person!

Heather of aktie9.etsy.com - she is our liaison between the team and the Etsy staff. She was the point person for all the info that needed to be sent with the initial team request.

Cheryl of cherylspurplecow.etsy.com - keeps the official team roster and is a lover of all things purple! She recently snagged a team treasury that was (you guessed it!) purple!!

Talina of ripperarts.etsy.com - did an amazing job with our team blog and our graphics! The one thing that I thought was extremely important was branding our team and our team avatar is bright and easily recognizable! It goes for Etsy orange to FB blue!

Anglea of Amievoltaire.etsy.com - contributed tons of time and ideas to the team start up and now has the role of Promotions Goddess! She is always looking for giveaway and contest ideas. I know I am looking foward to some of the things she has planned.

Vickie of inmyheadstudios.etsy.com - is the Leader of the Etsy Twitter Team and has signed on as a blogger, tweeter and all-around wealth of information! She blogs about any team treasuries we might snag.

Without these ladies, this team would not have come to be. I am eternally grateful for their time and talents. We are still learning what works and what needs to be changed. It will take time to settle into a good pattern. With these ladies on board it will happen sooner rather than later!

6. Take a minute to promote your self! Give us you shop addy and tell us a little about what you sell :)

I have a shop on Etsy called Lucky Ladybug Designs (LLD) at glorybe1024.etsy.com I set it up in April of 2007. At that time LLD wasn't in the picture. I put some bracelets on there and nothing and I pretty much forgot about it. I took my bracelets in to work one day and sold quite a few and had a great response to my designs. One woman suggested that I sell them online... Etsy popped into my head. I needed to come up with some sort of name. The date was 7-7-07... needed to have something to do with luck. Then it hit me! Ladybugs are considered lucky and after a couple of different tries, I came up with Lucky Ladybug Designs.

I have the cutest little ladybug as my avatar... branding!

I began by selling jewelry and branched out to crocheted items and now I am moving in the direction of sewing. I love my mini key fobs... they would make a perfect stocking stuffer!! After many attempts I came up with the fat-bottom clutch which is a wonderful make-up bag since is stands up and has easy access. I love to crochet simple things like the cotton cloths and scarves. I am constantly getting inspired by things I might see in a store or the work of others. I usually see something then say to myself "but I would change this or that" and go home and try it.

About me in general, I am 47. I live in Indianapolis. I have two children, a grown son - 20 and a teenaged daughter - 17 who receives a lot of my "attempts". I am married to a wonderful man who tolerates my crafting. I am also active in the local community theaters in Indy. I am an administrative assistant by day - the job that supports my crazy crafting habit. And I happen to love ladybugs ~ go figure!!

###

Thanks, Gloria, for sharing your story! And thanks to Ruthie for letting me repost this!

I hope you stay tuned for more great stuff from this team called FFEST that I'm helping out with. We have some great things on the fire coming up soon!

Fun Videos I Found On Twitter

I don't normally post videos on this blog but now I wonder, “Why not?” I like 'em. I watch 'em. I should share the great ones I find! And I found two yesterday and today that I think you will really enjoy.

The first one is called "Extreme Sticky Notes Experiments". I like this one because it involves paper and we all know that I love paper! This short film makes me want to run out and buy more sticky notes! Enjoy!

This next slightly longer “short film” is called “The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello”. It will be the best 26:08 you have spent today! Seriously… if you’re into this kind of thing. And by “thing” I mean “silhouette style steampunk gorgeously delicious art animation plus a good story”. My jaw was literally hanging open during most of this as it is so beautifully animated and the art is stunning. I had to watch it twice in order to take it all in. I know you’re going to like this one, too! Have fun picking your jaw up off the floor!

I hope you are having a lovely Labor Day! I don't really have plans at all so I'm going to hang in the studio. I applied for four craft shows this holiday season so it's full tilt domino Christmas ornament making time. I begrudge having to do Christmas stuff in September but I won't be ready if I don't get a move on it now.

I hope you enjoyed these videos as much as I did. And I wish you and yours a Happy Labor Day!

I'm still having a sale! 15% off ALL purchases made now through September 7th at InMyHeadStudios.etsy.com!!
Just checkout like normal and I will give your discount through a prompt PayPal refund. Happy Shopping!

Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week: Safiya Beauty

Everything about Nailah Safiya Blades’ shop at SafiyaBeauty.etsy.com is sumptuous. She creates natural bath and body products that merge natural and eco-friendly ingredients with luxurious indulgence. You can moisturize, polish, make suds, lather, and soak with her products.

Her shop announcement says, “Safiya’s philosophy is to provide you with the finest, purest natural and organic products, but never at the risk of neglecting your need to feel beautiful and smell delicious. Our products contain only what is absolutely necessary to make the absolute best product for your body without sacrificing your desire to feel fantastic.” It makes me want to check out her shop for something that will make me feel soft and pretty. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed!!

Nailah wants you to know that she works “very hard to make sure that my products are made with the very best ingredients I can find. I think as a culture, we pay very close attention to what we put into our bodies but not so much what we put on them, which is just as important. Because of that, all of my products are made with natural ingredients and contain no parabens, phthalates, or harsh preservatives. I also strive to provide an environmentally friendly product and go to great lengths to ensure this.

“I’m an indulgent person and I think that shows through with my products. I really enjoy creating products that will transport my consumer to their own little private spa. I love using creamy butters and skin-loving vegetable oils because they create such opulent products. I’m also slightly inspired by food! All of my bath bombs are cookies or cupcakes – I have a major sweet tooth.”


You can even see the indulgence in her products through her photos. The way the butters peak up firmly, you can tell they have a lot of body to them and will be luxuriously creamy.

Her favorite thing about her craft is “how the finished product makes others feel. I love watching someone try my body butters for the first time and see their eyes light up as they rub it into their skin or as they smell the scents. That’s definitely my favorite part!”

About Twitter: “I love Twitter! I think my biggest piece of Twitter advice would be to make sure it’s not all about you. I try to ‘RT’ [retweet] others or share articles that others may find helpful. I also use Twitter to announce any specials on my shop or when I have new blog posts.”

Are you looking for the perfect gift or favor? Custom and wholesale orders are welcomed by Safiya Beauty! They offer private labeling for weddings, showers and parties.

Follow her on Twitter @safiyabeauty
Read her blog at www.safiyabeauty.wordpress.com

Special for this Week: 15% off your entire order – just mention “EtsyTwitter” in the seller’s notes and she will reimburse you via PayPal refund.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade SafiyaBeauty.etsy.com

All photos copyright to Safiya Beauty/Nailah Safiya Blades

Reposted from my original post at Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week: Safiya Beauty

Etsy Twitter Team: Shop Of The Week: Glitzy Events

Kimberley Williams, of Glitzy Events has one mission: to provide high quality products and personalized service her clients. Whether working with brides-to-be, or those planning graduation, anniversary or other celebrations, Glitzy Events is a one-stop source for everything from gorgeous, fully customized invitations to products such as unity & memorial candles, place cards, menus, programs, etc.

Born out of Kimberley's frustrations while planning her own wedding, Glitzy Events is happy to design something unique for a customer. "We can take any design in our shop and customize it completely for our clients. If a client loves our work but wants something a little different we will work with them until we can come up with a design that they love. We don’t charge any additional design fees as we feel that this is part of the custom process." Located in New York, the shop currently ships to the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK and is always happy to provide shipping quotes for other International customers.

With a full service website as well as an Etsy location, Kim's always looking for ways to save time and has found Twitter to be very useful in reaching new clients. "Twitterfeed.com has been an extremely helpful tool. As I list new items they are posted to my Twitter account automatically within 30 minutes which then results in immediate views for my products. Using this tool saves me a lot of time and allows my products to be seen by hundreds of people almost instantly. This has helped me to connect with other professionals within and outside of my industry. These connections lead to referrals which lead to sales."

Glitzy Events is offering two specials this week:

- Become a Fan of their Facebook Page (http://facebook.com/GlitzyEvents), leave a comment on their Wall, and receive 5% off your full invitation order

- Order 2 or more INVITATION samples and get free shipping. Refund to be issued via PayPal.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade GlitzyEvents.etsy.com

Reposted from the Etsy Twitter Team blog: Etsy Twitter Team: Shop Of The Week: Glitzy Events

All photos in this post copyright to Glitzy Events/Kimberley Williams

My HTML Color Code

I took a quiz I saw on Twitter and it is weirdly accurate about me.

you are aqua #00FFFF

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well. Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

I do like greens and blues and have been painting a lot with this color turquoise. I am not afraid to lead people, which is why I took on leading the Etsy Twitter Team. It's true that my hard work keeps me going through the tough times. I try to be optimistic and bright even when I am not feeling well.

Go take the quiz and leave your results in the comments! I want to get to know you!

Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week: A Cagey Bee

I like the creative name for this Etsy shop. The artist is Kris G. Brownlee – or KGB = A Cagey Bee! Very clever!

“I'm a painter, so my first love is creating the actual paintings - from sketching to swirling the paint around my canvas. But because I know a lot of us can't afford to buy original work, I try to offer a variety of lower cost reproductions: prints, notecards, and even little pendants with my characters!

I want my customers to know how much heart and soul and pure joy is poured into my work. I think most of my customers *do* know this, but it's not always easy to get a sense of who someone is via the internet. I was a very quiet, shy child and spent years creating elaborate stories for my imaginary friends. It's really no wonder that I've started to bring some of them to life in my paintings. The idea that I get to share that with my customers? That new friends from all over the world look at my girls and smile? I couldn't have dreamed up a better possibility for my life. :)”


What inspires you to create? “Everything! Favorite storybooks, movies, lyrics to songs, interesting characters I meet in real life... my biggest fear is that I'll never have enough time to paint all of the things I want to paint. If I ever run out of ideas, I can just walk out my front door and almost always see *something* interesting. There's this one woman in my neighborhood that I see every so often who I've been itching to paint since the first time I laid eyes on her. She walks this pack of 6 or 7 dogs - those giant long haired Afghan hounds! It looks like a scene straight out of a cartoon with their hair swishing and bouncing and swirling along!”

What are your Twitter tricks of the trade? “My newest favorite Twitter trick is installing Friendbar. It adds a toolbar to your browser so you don't have to load the Twitter page to tweet plus it makes it really easy to just click 1 button & tweet about the page you're currently viewing, including an already shortened URL. You can set it to update your Facebook status too. Very handy!”

Read her blog at www.acageybee.com
Follow her at Twitter: twitter.com/acageybee

As a special thank you to her Twitter pals, all prints in her shop are 2 for the price of 1 this week. Buy one print and simply enter the name of the second print you'd like in the notes to seller box. Double the cuteness!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade acageybee.etsy.com

All photos copyright to Kris Brownlee/A Cagey Bee

Reposted from my original post at: Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week: A Cagey Bee

Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week: Bellflower Textiles

I love bright cheerful colors. Always have and always will. So when I opened up Megan Zalkan’s shop, Bellflower Textiles, my eyes popped open and I felt happy! So much color and cuteness everywhere!!

Megan makes bright and cheerful fabric products for you, your home, and your children. She combines quilting techniques and a love of vibrant color to create modern and quirky children’s tees, crayon and pencil rolls, reusable coffee sleeves, tooth fairy pillows, and hair accessories. She works out of her home in Seattle, Washington, where she also tends to her two year-old daughter. Selling on Etsy since August 2008 has garnered her close to 300 sales.

“Each of my products is lovingly hand created by me, in a smoke free environment, and packaged with great care. Unless otherwise listed, everything in my shop is pre-made and will ship immediately. Oh, and I LOVE custom orders. See something you like but want in a different color or size? Please convo me – I’d love to talk with you! [Editor’s note: Convos or conversations are the way you send private messages on Etsy.com]

I’m inspired by everything around me, but most especially by my two year-old daughter and her friends, and by the natural world. I try to include a botanical element in each item I create, whether that’s a flower, a butterfly, or even just a lovely piece of fabric the exact shade of a leaf I just saw. And of course, I love love LOVE fabric! I have a huge collection of fabric built up over years of quilting, and there’s nothing I love more than to dig through a pile of gorgeous cottons and mix and match patterns to see what pops. Lately I’m loving linen and ribbon too… my collection just grows and grows!”

About her Twitter habits: “I’m a Twitter addict! I try to spend time every morning and evening on Twitter, and often find myself back at other points in the day, too. I’ve recently discovered TweetDeck, which is making a huge difference for me in keeping up with more of my followers’ tweets, and I love the ability to create and follow specific groups of people whose comments I don’t want to miss! I try to just talk and connect about 90% of the time with an occasional link to my shop or a new product.”

Bellflower Textiles ships internationally.

Read her blog at Growing Notes and follow her on Twitter @megzseattle.

Special for the Week: Free Shipping!! Mention “Twitter” in your Notes to Seller and she will send an updated invoice with free shipping or refund your shipping price if you’ve already paid. 


Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade BellflowerTextiles.etsy.com

All photos copyright to Megan Zalkan/Bellflower Textiles

Reposted from my post at the Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week: Bellflower Textiles

Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week: Rhodes Annals Designs

Posted from Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week: Rhodes Annals Designs

This week’s shop has extermely lovely handmade items. Claire Elizabeth Annals (her maiden name was Rhodes), of RhodesAnnalsDesigns.etsy.com, sells bags, hats, crochet purses, knitted scarves and cowls. She also sells some of her sister’s jewelry and vintage patterns.

“Each item is 'lovingly' handmade, by that I mean that I enjoy making them and like to imagine how they will be used by their new owner. When I made the wisp scarf, I couldn't shake the feeling that it should be used as a light shawl at a wedding. I am always on the look out for new ideas, and if I wouldn't use an item, it doesn't go into my shop. I use the best materials I can source, and I am always on the look out for unusual yarn and fabric patterns.”


Her family inspires her to create. “There have been many things over the past where one or another member of my family has said 'you could sell that'. The hats came from my mum giving me a metre of fleece fabric one day as my son had outgrown his hat and she, rightly, reckoned I could make one myself. The 'hug a hottie' came from a special request from my sister for a knitted hot water bottle cover. The flower hair clips came from a childhood memory of hair grips and bun covers that my mum used to crochet for me when I was a little girl, and the pouches came from a necessity to be able to find things in my voluminous handbag (which I made because I couldn't find anything big enough in the shops).”

Rhodes Annals Designs is located in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK, and ships internationally. She is more than happy to make custom items just for you.

About her Twitter habits: “I like to engage in conversation with others over Twitter - I do a fair amount of link posting but hope that I balance that out with friendly banter and sometimes even advice. I know personally that I am more likely to purchase from someone that I felt I had 'bonded' with on Twitter or in the Etsy forums - and I have purchased many, many items that way. I love the immediacy of Twitter - you can post a link to your latest item and then sit and watch the view count mount up. I think that there are lots of very courteous people on Twitter who click on every link and I am thankful to them.”

You can read about her projects on her blog at Claire's Stitching Adventures. Find her on Twitter @RhodesAnnals. Become a fan of her Facebook page.

Special for the Week: Put “Twitter Rocks” into the “Messages for the Seller” box and await a revised invoice with a 10% discount off the item price.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade RhodesAnnalsDesigns.etsy.com

All Photos © Rhodes Annals Designs

Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week: Curious Mess

I, for one, would not call Starla Petersen’s Etsy shop, CuriousMess.etsy.com, a mess at all. It’s a shop filled with curiously wonderful items! And the item photography is delicious to boot.

“When I first opened my shop, I was only making the wood paintings. But as things have progressed, I've begun to work my love of fabric into it as well, with the newest items being fabric bowls and fabric brooches/pendants. I love fun and whimsical.”

And it shows in her work. Her fabric bowls are stunning in their design and detail. You can really see the fine craftsmanship in her new line of embroidered brooches, too.

“Everything you see in my shop, I truly enjoyed making. It makes me so happy to be able to express myself creatively, and I hope that comes through in my artwork. I want my work to make people smile.”

What inspires her to create? “The whole entire process inspires me. From start to finish... sketching out ideas... playing around with fabric... picking colors. My absolute favorite part of it all is that first spark of a new idea or design. I get giddy. Unfortunately, my ideas usually come to me as I'm lying in bed about to doze off. It's very hard to get to sleep once I've got a new idea bouncing around in my head.”

When asked about her Twitter habits: “I like to make sure I keep my Twittering fresh. I want people to see not only the shop updates and the things I create, but get a good glimpse of my personality as well. You want to be memorable in a good way. Reply to what others are saying. Make connections. Yes, I just added a new bowl to the shop. But I also LOVE 80's movies!”

Free shipping worldwide April 6th - 12th. Just mention “EtsyTwitter” in your message to seller and shipping will be refunded.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade curiousmess.etsy.com

All photos © Curious Mess/Starla Peterson

Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt Contest Results

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

We had a tremendous amount of turn out for our “Find the Leprechaun” Scavenger Hunt Contest! Our total number of entries was 292! Out of those 292 entries, five were drawn for prizes! And the winners are…

Wasabi Ginger Soap Bar by Soap Rehab: Leigh P.

Vanilla Caramels by Fat Daddy Sweets: Alorinna

Fabric Flower Brooch by Tamdoll: Jennifer I.

Fairy Chime Bracelet by Emily Claire Creations: Elizabeth F.

Natural Green Chrysoprase Earrings by Joslin Jewels: Michelle

Thanks to all of our prize donors, participating shops, and all who blogged and tweeted on Twitter about our contest. A special thank you goes out to Etsy.com for tweeting about our contest! I know our numbers were boosted by the @Etsy mention.

Of course, a great big thank you goes out to all who entered and found the leprechauns. Lots of the entrants mentioned how much fun they were having finding the little guys. I’m glad it was entertaining as well!

I must say that I am very impressed by how this team has come together in the past few months. Our members share resources and information with each other all the time on our Google Group. A few new projects have been created by some of our members in part by belonging to the team. So if you participated in this promotion or not, I want to say that I really do love running this team and being a part of such a wonderful group. We are the best team on Etsy!

Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week: Paw & Claw Designs

Die, Die, My Darling - Scarab Scarlet

Nichole Jeske of PawandClawDesigns.etsy.com creates a mix of many different types of jewelry from traditional earrings to fun, geeky necklaces for “one-of-a-kind people with one-of-a-kind taste”. Paw and Claw Designs is filled with necklaces made from 20-sided roll playing game dice, stamped sheet metal earrings, wire and beaded pendants, and beaded earrings. Truly something for everyone can be found in her shop, even for the geeky man in your life. Her shop has been open on Etsy since October of 2006. She offers free worldwide shipping on all her items.

I asked Nichole where she gets her inspiration from and she said, “I'm most often inspired more by the materials than anything. I'll see a beautiful die, or notice a random bend in some scrap wire, and just run with it. I'm a bit of a ‘geek’ and I love to incorporate that into my work. Little elements, 20-sided dice, and other obscure pop culture references make me happy. Since making jewelry makes me happy, too, it was only natural to me to mix the two.”

“When you buy something I made, you are essentially buying a part of me. I would never sell something I was not 100% in love with. If I wouldn't present it as a heartfelt gift to my best friends, you won't see it in my shop. I pour my heart into every piece, and I think it shows in each and every item.”

"Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything" Earrings

I asked Nichole to tell me how she makes Twitter work for her and her shop: “I'm a HUGE fan of TwitterFeed. I have it set up to automatically tweet when I list an item in my Etsy shops, upload a new image to flickr, and post a new blog post on either of my blogs. Basically anything I can RSS gets put onto TwitterFeed. This frees me up to tweet about ME. The ‘promoting’ is automatic. I tweet about what I am doing, thoughts that amuse me, funny or interesting links, and to chat with my pals.”

“On Twitter, everything has ‘been done’. I worry less about getting people to look at my shop and more about making friends. Real good friends. That's the stuff of Life. More important than sales, more important than making money, more important than most anything.”

I have to agree completely about that… creating relationships is key to using Twitter to make sales.

When asked how Nichole promotes her shop, she pointed me to an Etsy forum thread where she outlines her daily, weekly, and monthly promotional plans. If you need some promo ideas, read this thread for some great information. I have to say, this gal is organized as well as very talented!

Paw and Claw Designs’ Special for this week: Use the coupon code "Twitter” in "Notes to Seller" for an upgrade to free gift wrapping with every order.

Order and shipping deadlines for Valentine’s Day: Domestic - February 6th; International - January 31st

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade Paw & Claw Designs

All photos © Paw and Claw Designs/Nichole Jeske

Etsy Twitter Team

Late last year the Etsy Twitter Team was created thanks to Sarah from scraparcs.etsy.com. I thought this was a great idea and joined immediately. Since then Sarah has been kind enough to make me an admin for the team. We have a blog and a Google group going, too.

I’m really enjoying helping to promote other Etsy shops. It’s a nice break from working all the time just to promote my own. Plus I like giving back to a community that has taught me so much over the last year and a half.

I’ve had so many ideas for the team that I needed to start keeping a team journal! Quite a lot of people have joined so it was clear to me we required a big database to store everyone’s information. The better part of this week was spent creating that database. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know, but I really like making databases! Geeky!

My first project launched today. “Shop of the Week” has been born! We’re asking team members to sign up for the week they want to be featured on our team blog and promoted on Twitter by our members. As of this writing we already have three shops signed up. I hope this takes off and brings the sales fairy to our featured shops!

One problem I am still trying to solve is that of the Twitter tweets showing up on our blog. My dream is to see the tweets by team members in the sidebar of the blog, but I cannot figure out how to do that yet. If you know how to do that, please let me know!

So give three cheers for the Etsy Twitter Team! Yay! Yay! Yay!

I’m an Expert?

I love how Twitter is connecting me to really neat people and projects. Through Twitter I found out about Wishpot.com.

About Wishpot.com:

“Wishpot is a free social shopping service that makes it easy to save and share interesting things you find in stores and online. Items are easily collected online or from stores and organized using simple online lists. Lists and items can be kept private or shared with others. You can collect and discover products you like, recommend your favorite stuff, share and explore gift suggestions or ask for opinions and advice.”

They recently opened up part of Wishpot to be exclusively for Indie (independent) artists and designers. This section features all handmade items, not that mass-produced junk you see all over. Real people make these things and make a real living doing so.

I was asked to become an Indie Expert at the Indie channel on Wishpot.com! I’m not entirely sure I am an expert at anything, being such a jill-of-all-trades, but then I thought, “Why not me as an Indie Expert?” I know about the importance of buying handmade, the hard work of artists, how much work it takes to do it Indie style, and the power of social shopping sites and creating community between artists and buyers. So maybe I am an expert at something!

My goal is to share with you my recommendations of Indie artists and designers through my lists at Wishpot.com and through the Wishpot Indie blog. I’ve met great people over the past year being on Etsy and Twitter. I’ve discovered lots of really neat art and crafts. And I love love love the go-get-‘em attitude of Indie artists!

Please check out my lists. I have something for everyone, even your hard-to-shop-for man!! Check back often as I am adding new recommendations all the time! And feel free to let me know of your favorite Indie artists and designers in the comments. I'll add them to my lists!