Etsy Day is here!

SOOOO excited. A week or so ago I read a post about creating a worldwide Etsy promotion blitz day. So, here are the wonderful, exciting details courtesy of Shugirl:

(for full post go here - http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6101448)

The long awaited details are here!
When:
Friday, April 24th ALL DAY!!

Where:
globally, with any luck!

Concept:
So many people don’t know what Etsy is. Wouldn’t be great to do a grassroots, marketing blitz to raise awareness and create a buzz. The idea is to create a mystery about Etsy. We want to educate the public by throwing the word out there in mass numbers without telling them what it is, thereby getting people to notice it everywhere, wonder about it, talk to people, and eventually researching it on the internet. See initial thread:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6092607

Materials:
I know some of you want to buy shirts, bumper stickers, car decals, etc. That’s great. You can do that in ADDITION to printing our car sign for free here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36935450@N03/3403147220/
(This sign is only to be used for Etsy Day or future Etsy Days TBA)

We want everyone to be able to participate. We are strongest in numbers! And this car sign is the simplest method. For those who don’t drive or live in the city, you could:
1. Arrange to meet other fellow Etsians (if you live in metropolitan area) to hold the Etsy car as a sign. Ex. Meet in Times Square for 15 min and wave the sign or pass it out as fliers. Then leave…blitz-like.
2. Print car sign and post in the local coffee shop, diner, etc
3. Wave it on the Today show! Hehe
4. email me at www.schuschu00@aol.com and I can send you an email with bookmarks, cards, fliers to print and distribute.

*I think it will be a little flimsy when printed so I think it would be great to glue the sign to black construction paper.

** Remember: For this one day we are asking that you just promote Etsy, not your personal shop. United, we stand to gain the most!

*** With the recession looming over us, we have a great opportunity to explain to people that there’s a need to go back to simpler times ie. supporting artisans and craftmen(women).

****Please try to spread this thread to as many fellow Etsians as you can. If you notice your state’s team not responding to the thread, send them an email with the link.
Let’s make this BIG!!!!

Totally out of control!

Browsing through the forums as I usually do, I cam across this fantastic piece of information...

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6101394

This is totally ridiculous! Who does this guy think he is? Maybe some talented people decide not to go into the gallery because of the pompous arrogant attitude that seems to permeate the industry. The people who make those items work out of their homes and private studios just like the rest of us. And many of the most famous artists did not necessarily go to a university to learn their craft.

What a schmuck....

Some cool stuff I found while pouncing!

If you scroll down to the bottom you will find some etsy mini's for some awesome stuff I found while pouncing! It's kind of my new obsession and I'll try to add a few new ones during the week. I'm off to pounce some more...... Enjoy!

My computer is back!

Thanks so much to my friend Chris who fixed it for free! Now that it is back up and I can start listing new things on etsy and post some new and wonderful things here as well. Sorry about that everyone. Check back soon for some new posts!

My computer strikes again!

My computer finally crapped out... gone... dead... done.

So, needless to say, posting will be sparse over the next week until I can get it fixed or just get a new one. Sorry about the slow news. Hopefully I will have something new up and running in the next week and will be able to post all those wonderful pictures of all the lovely stuff I finally had time to make.

Until then I'm stuck using my neighbors computer... poo...

You've got to be kidding me!

Well the wonderful Etsy admin strikes again.... but this time I mean that with complete sarcasm.

The following thread was extremely funny, completely unspecific, and shut down by admin for no particular reason. You mean that people can buyer bash as much as they want but we can't seller bash? Expecially when no names were given, most of the references had to do with craft shows, and no one had said anything that even warranted shutting it down. I don't think it's fair to shut down threads just because they "might" go somewhere bad. It seemed to me that everyone was having nice conversation and enjoying the thread in such a way that didn't involve calling out, bashing other posters, or lots of cussing.

Anyway, thanks PussDaddy for the laugh. I really needed that. Sorry it got shut down. I was at least enjoying it.

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6090964

Praise to the Sunday nap!

Life can be tiring. So today, I took a much needed nap. And it was wonderful. Now I have the energy to make more wonderful things for others to buy. Now, if only I could get the dog to entertain himself for a few hours... or if I could get the dog to sit down and craft with me that would be great too. But, I have the feeling that's not going to happen.

I also bought new batteries for my camera. I originally got the rechargeable ones, but I'm beginning to think that those are crap. If I leave them in the charger too long they die, and if I leave them in the camera too long they die too. So they aren't that great. Now I'll be able to list all those wonderful goodies I've been making the last few days. And it's been almost a month since I listed anything so I think it's about time. I'll put a few pictures up here when I finally get them finished.

Well, that's all the updating I have for now. I'm off to make new lovelies!

Today's Treasury

Ok, I have gone Treasury crazy! Here's one in red for you. To click on individual items, you can view the whole thing here.

Desperation for attention much?

Ok, I'm not normally one to complain about other people's negativity; I usually just let it roll off my back. But this forum post kind of pushed me over the edge today. It was originally in the business topics and then rightfully moved to promotions, because that's exactly what it is, cleverly disguised as a complaint about sales.

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6086471

When I looked at the seller's shop, there were plenty of sales. They had slowed up a little but there was still at least one sale a week. I would be happy with that much consistency in my shop! I would kill for a minimum of one sale a week. And I'm not threatening to just pack up shop and "throw in the towel". I wait patiently, happy with making awesome new items, and if I sell something to someone then great!

This seems to me like a desperate cry for attention - "I haven't had a sale in day so please look at me! Look at me!" It reminds me of a child in the middle of the grocery store crying because mommy wouldn't let them have some candy today. It was a poor attempt to promote the shop to see if whining might bring some pity views and perhaps pity sales.

I feel bad at taking a shot at someone, but this is just the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. I'm so tired of hearing about low views, and low sales, and it's the ecomony, and blah blah blah.... Yes, the economy sucks, but people are still buying. Plenty of them! Instead of sitting around whining about how it sucks and getting views that way, take the energy and find something positive to do with it. Have a sale, redo your shop and give it a new look. But don't complain to me when I would gladly trade places with you.

Ok, that's my rant for the day. Thanks for bearing with me on that one.

Here's another laugh for you!

This one went around in January and is mentioned in my thread. I thought I would save everyone the trouble of searching for it and give out another laugh. Enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6002154

A Funny Day at the Forums, courtesy of me...

... of course. I'm not opposed to being the butt of a joke every now and then, especially when I can admit that it is pretty funny, as this was.

I posted a new thread in the forums regarding accurately pricing items and what a pain in the ass it is to try to do. Well, what should have come out "Pricing is a Bitch", was wonderfully transformed by Etsy to say "Posting is a Puppy".

To give yourself your daily dose of funny, go here to see the full post.... you will not be disappointed!

Here are some more great items for you!

Here's another Treasury for today. This one is themed around the color "Lime". You can view the treasury here to click on individual items.

Featured Sellers and items from left to right, top to bottom are:
Lemon Lime Ball-n-chain earrings by decoratethediva
Lime Cilantro Huge Bar 6.5 oz by smellitlikeitssoaps
Harmony by karingrow
Lime and Coconut Scarf by CozyGirlDesigns
Lime Blossom Handspun Tencel Merino Yarn by tlwoldc
Opaque Vibrant Green Faceted Fire Polished Glass Beads by RJBeads
Black Bird Large Tote by rainbowswirlz
Lemon Lime Bath Bombs - set of 3 by KBShimmer
Pink and Kiwi Daisy Infant/ Toddler Elastic Lace Headband by plumdaisy
Keep calm and Carry on (lime) by cutpasteprint
Wood and Lime retro bohemian style necklace by yukijewelry

That's right! I got a Treasury Baby!

Here it is! My wonderful treasury. I try to usually work around themes, so this time I went with apples. I hope you all enjoy it, and thanks and good luck to all those that are featured in it.


If you'd like to view larger images and click on the items for more info, view the treasury here - How do ya like them Apples?

This Weeks Featured Seller: DesignedbyLucinda

Ok, so I'm a forums junkie! But it's not all bad because every time I'm in there I meet someone new and awesome. This time, it is DesignedbyLucinda. Never failing to chime in her two cents, or start a positive thread, Lucinda has been a pleasure to see there. Upon visiting her shop, one finds wonderful items made from natural stones. And there is quite a variety of designs, from necklaces and other jewelry, to bookmarks (at least she's good, friendly competition).

A couple of weeks ago I asked her to let me post and interview and she kindly agreed. DesignedbyLucinda - I'm sorry this took so long to post! Thanks so much for you kind patience and understanding.



1) You have some very lovely designs. What inspires them, and why do you choose the materials that you do?
I have always been a rockhound who loves to look into rocks and see images inside. Nothing thrills me more than seeing a pretty stone just begging to be made into wearable art. I listen to what the rocks have to say (yeah, I am a crazy person) and sometimes it can take a few days before I decide to match this stone with that piece of silver etc. I started working crystals into my designs because my neighbor was very into *bling* and 14 kt gold, and I could afford to use the crystals more than adding in the gold. I liked the way the crystals added some flash to the stones so I started mixing the two mediums. I just sit with a few pretty new stones and some crystals and my box of silver beads and then I follow what the stones tell me :)

2) How do you keep things new and fresh, and keep yourself motivated to make new designs?
I am always cruising the internet for new colors/shapes of stones and/or new pieces of silver. That keeps the pieces looking fresh and keeps me motivated. I also try to expand my range by adding more accessories like the bookmarks and wine rings. The bookmarks allow me to buy heavier stones than I would normally use in jewelry while the wine rings let me buy tiny fun shapes that might get lost if used as jewelry.

3) What do you think are the best things about owning an online business?
The best part about owning an online business is being able to access it anytime I want. If I want to put up new stock at midnight I can do it. If I want to take off a few hours to go watch the snow fall, I can do that, too. I can set my own hours without having to be At The Counter 70 hours a week (my retail store, while fun, was a huge time sucker). Also, the opportunity to be available worldwide is huge for me - - I get an enormous kick out of looking at a map and seeing all the places hundreds of thousands of miles away where someone is wearing a DesignedbyLucinda piece. Marketing globally is a tremendous advantage to having an online business.

4) What do you like to do in your free time?
I like talking to people, whether sitting on my porch or on the phone or in the forums. But I am bad about taking totally free time - - I will usually tinker with some stones or be surfing the net for new supplies at the same time. I should work on that ;)



5) What advice would you give to someone who is considering starting up on etsy?
Don't make the mistake so many do, that you'll put up a store and the sales will just fly out the door. It is hard work and just like with a real local shop, it will most likely take you 2-4 years to start making any decent money (know that going in so you don't start selling your items for less than they are worth just to get a sale unless you really need to). Also, don't limit yourself to thinking that your shop is there for already-on-Etsy sellers/buyers - - you have *worldwide internet presence* so market off Etsy to the world, as well.

And the Winner is ... (insert drumroll here) ... WindyCindy!!!!

Congrats on winning a beautiful new lanyard! I will be contacting you shortly to get the details of where to send it.

As for everyone else, thanks so much for playing! I'm thinking of making this a monthly thing so keep checking back to see what I may be giving away in April. If Windycindy doesn't respond withing 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Long time, No post

I'm back!!! It's been awhile since I've posted, but life has been CRAZY!!!

My husband and I both lost our jobs recently, and last week he got a job in another state. So this week we have been packing like madmen. So, I haven't had much time to do anything else. The weekly featured seller piece will be back up next week. I was supposed to have it up last week and was never able to post it.

Today is also the last day to enter my giveaway! I will be choosing the winner tomorrow and will post it on Monday. Good luck to all and congrats to the lucky winner whoever that will be.

I will also be adding new items to my shop starting up again next week. Again with the packing, I haven't been able to take any new pictures or fix the old ones in order to renew them.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great weekend!