Blog Giveaway! Win a free Lanyard!

Welcome to my first blog giveaway!

If you have to carry it with you, it might as well be pretty! Keep all your everyday items with you - keys, id badge, glasses - but keep them on something that is sparkly rather than the old boring cloth lanyards.

This lanyard is made with a variety of glass beads. The center beads are purple cut glass with silver bead caps on either end. From the inside out there is a small purple cut glass bead, clear czech glass bead, another cut glass purple one, silver spacer, and purple glass bicone bead. In between sets are tiny czech cut AB glass beads, mini seed beads, and clear seed beads. In the back is a strong magnetic breakaway clasp.




You are eligible to win if:

1) You are a US resident and 18+
2) You go to my shop at www.forestcreations.etsy.com, pick your favorite item, come back and post a comment with the link and why you chose it.
3) You leave contact info so that I can let you know if you have won
4) You respond to being contacted with-in 24 hours, otherwise a new winner will be chosen

Thank you so much for participating and good luck!

Weekly Featured Seller - Meet WryandGinger!

It seems that no matter when I'm in the Etsy forums, I always seem to run into WryandGinger. Her funny posts keep us all smiling at her colorful sense of humor, while being an unbelievable help to us all. Her many posts on current Etsy issues range from what I can learn about business from Pat Benetar, to copywriting issues and pricing, each time never failing to entertain. Her shop at WryandGinger.etsy.com contains a variety of humorous cards that sport little animals and funny phrases.



I asked WryandGinger if I could do a mini-interview in order to try to get to know her a little bit better. She agreed whole heartedly on the condition that she not be sensored - of course.

1) Your cards are really funny. How did you get into making them and what inspired the style?
I did this sort of thing on the side for various projects and then found etsy and kablooey! Originally I did calm, contemplative sort of birds in the trees and then a friend mentioned that she thought it looked like the birds were talking. It sort of went to hell from that point on.

My style, if you can call it that, comes from just how I like things - simple and not busy. I like using the silhouettes because it leaves a lot of the impact on the words and doesn't make the cards rely too heavily on any visual humor. The animals are almost blanks, which makes delivery of cruelty a little easier, I guess.



2) When you aren't creating and selling here on etsy or spending gobs of time in the forums, what do you do for fun?
I have a day job that is slowly crushing my will to live. Ha! I kid, I kid! I work in socio-medical research during the day. Academia and medicine...both excellent places for gathering up examples of how to slowly grind down the will to live from any living creature. Works good for the cards.

Also I like to cook.

And since my dog Rudy departed this earth last year, I have focused my unhealthy love on the animals outside. Hooky, my backyard crow, will be learning to weed the garden for me by July - of that I am sure. He's like a twitchy methwhore with the peanuts and will do anything for them. ANYTHING.
JimJam the squirrel is less malleable and is currently trying to woo a lady love. And when I say "woo" I mean he tolerates her most of the time and then occasionally goes primeval on her. And not in a sexy way, poor thing.
Upon reflection, it is possible that I spend way too much time cracking pecans for the backyard gang.

3) What do you think is the best thing about being a crafter?
I have never called myself a crafter. I do sew and knit but that's really like watching Hulk try to bedazzle doilies. He means well but, you know.
And I don't cut or paste (with my actual hands) or glue or stick or build, though I used to make really cool mosaics on hand cut wood forms, but that was messy and heavy and dirty and cards are light and smooth and the ink tastes like magic and makes your teeth pretty!

What was the question? Best thing! Right.

It's having a way to or silence the jabbering fucking voices in my head that doesn't involve hammers or a steady supply of kittens.

4) What advice would you give anyone who wants to start an etsy business?
Learn to do for yourself and to learn for yourself. And toughen up and stop blubbering! Business is like life - full of rejection and spitballs.

5) Anything else that you would like to share on any topic whatsoever?
I think Thatcher was out of line introducing the Poll Tax and the Trafalgar Riot of '90 was inevitable, as was her ousting some months later.
Also, if you have never really listened to David Bowie, then maybe you should reserve your "I don't like David Bowie" opinion for someone else. Say possibly a drooling, slack jawed mountain man with three intact teeth and a heady dose of pubic lice. Perhaps HE would be a more receptive audience to your uninformed opinions.



WryandGinger hosts her own blog that hosts a library of helpful tips for Etsy sellers, and her own commentaries on whatever she believes deserves some attention.

WryandGinger, I think I can speak for us all when I tell you thank you for all your help and all the smiles. Keep up the good work in your own shop and in the forums.

Her Blog and some of the useful forum topics she has contributed to are below.
http://www.wryandginger.wordpress.com
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6031598
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6024480
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6050530

We're up and running... kind of

Ok! Welcome to my new blog. It's still under construction while I continue to learn about html in order to make this a pretty place. So, for awhile it will be a surprise every time you return!

I'll start out by introducing myself. My name is Lauren, and I'm addicted to crafting. I was told the first step to admitting you have a problem is admitting it. Well, I've admitted it, but the only thing to do about it is to keep on crafting.

I currently live in Michigan with my mostly wonderful husband, 2 crazy cats, and a nutty dog. All in all, they keep my pretty entertained. I'm not currently employed by a regular day job, so I occupy myself with Etsy.

It has recently become my dream to just not have a day job, and spend the rest of my life crafting. My husband was not so keen on that idea since he didn't think it will ever bring in enough income. So, after much arguing and stress, I expanded my dream. I have decided to open a completely local handmade shop. It will feature not only myself, but local handcrafters from my town and the closely surrounding areas. Since joining Etsy I have been overwhelmed at the support for the handmade lifestyle. Especially with the economy so low, it is imperitive to support US made goods, and even more importantly state and local made goods. With so many people trying to add extra income by selling handmade items, I think that it is the finest form of patriotism to by from your neighbors. Afterall, every business has to start out with 1 person just trying to make a living. And that's what we all deserve.

In light of all of this, I have made it my vow to support my fellow crafters and artists. My husband is happier with this dream of mine. Now I have to listen to him go on and on about demographic and market research, business plans and real estate locations. But, at least he is now contributing.

My new and latest addiction has been the Etsy forums. I recently posted a thread asking for advice on what people would like in a handmade shop. See below to contribute to the forum, or feel free to leave comments here. I would love to hear your suggestions!
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6052444

Ok, well that was long winded enough for one post. I will be back shortly. Hopefully with a new blog feature to accompany the post!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you back soon!

COMING SOON!!!!

This site is under construction! Check back soon please! We will be opening shortly!