Friday, April 27, 2012

Theme Thursday we had to have: Birds

Yesterday's theme Thursday was one near and dear to my heart: stuff with birds on it!

Let me first say that even though the number of birds on etsy is sort of a running joke, I fall for them every time. In my sewing room I have these beloved bird ornaments I bought last year... my favorite bird item that I've ever found (and let's face it, at this price for a set of six they're a STEAL!)

Whimsical Birdhouse OrnamentsWhimsical Birdhouse Ornaments
by dreamwvr81




But back to the contest! Here are winners that I particularly loved:

Keeping up my ongoing obsession with cuff bracelets:

Turquoise cuff bracelet , black crow, bird design, handmade jewelry by theshagbag on EtsyApril 26th, 2012 - 60th place
Turquoise cuff bracelet , black crow, bird design, handmade jewelry by theshagbag on Etsy
by theshagbag




Metal Cuff Bracelet - Vintage Style Song Bird in Nest Metal CuffApril 26th, 2012 - 11st place
Metal Cuff Bracelet - Vintage Style Song Bird in Nest Metal Cuff
by TheCuriousCaseLLC




I rarely feature patterns, but this is so wonderful:

Colorful Birds and Birdcages Cross Pattern, Cross Stitch Pattern, Counted Cross Stitch, Needlepoint Pattern, Bird Cross Stitch PatternApril 26th, 2012 - 46th place
Colorful Birds and Birdcages Cross Pattern, Cross Stitch Pattern, Counted Cross Stitch, Needlepoint Pattern, Bird Cross Stitch Pattern
by LosAngelesNeedlework




Always on the lookout for original art!

Chickadee - Original Mini Painting With Display EaselApril 26th, 2012 - 36th place
Chickadee - Original Mini Painting With Display Easel
by betsymclellanstudio




This is sold but I'm showing it ANYWAY with hopes there'll be another:

Bird shaped Bowl in Turquoise - Perfectly holds one cupApril 26th, 2012 - 33rd place
Bird shaped Bowl in Turquoise - Perfectly holds one cup
by MaidOfClay




Purple is my favorite color:

Bird Charm 0412-31April 26th, 2012 - 19th place
Bird Charm 0412-31
by MenagerieStudio




And this is just too wonderful not to post:

Felted bag wool pouch purse needle felted yellow bird birdie and sunApril 26th, 2012 - 6th place
Felted bag wool pouch purse needle felted yellow bird birdie and sun
by HandmadebyMia


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Featured Etsy Artist: Tamara Kraft

Today's featured artist is Tamara Kraft, maker of magnets and buttons and bookmarks with serious attitude. She has one of the top shop averages in our daily contest and you can catch up with her on her website at Pithitude.com. She caught my attention with this button that was just so freakishly unexplianably awesome I had to email it to like ten friends:

I Pooped Today Beaver Magnet or Button - You ChooseI Pooped Today Beaver Magnet or Button - You Choose
by tamarakraft




Oh but that's me, on with the interview:

Tell us a bit about yourself?
I have a tendency to giggle inappropriately. I am left-handed and have crazy hair.
I believe that bursts of spontaneous laughter are the most fulfilling type of instant gratification. It’s one the best gifts to give, too. Sharing those moments can be uplifting and grounding at the same time.

Decaf Magnet or Button - You ChooseMarch 29th, 2012 - featured
Decaf Magnet or Button - You Choose
by tamarakraft





What got you started making buttons?
I wanted a button maker for years!

The attraction to small magnets and buttons for me is the challenge of expressing an idea within the confines of a 1 ¼ inch circle in five words or less. It’s liberating within its limitations, because you are not overwhelmed by the scope of the project. A big blank page can be a scary thing.

I just started drawing a couple years ago. I was always creative, but never an artist. I started to draw as an outlet for a personal tragedy, and there was no pressure to impress anyone. I ended up with a pile of bizarre pictures that had no real purpose -but I liked them, and they made me laugh (which was saying something then). I made them into gift tags to attach to family Christmas gifts. I later asked for the pictures back, so I could trace them. I had no confidence that I could reproduce them, but I wanted to figure it out. I did a lot of erasing.

Frog Prince Dissection Magnet or Button - You ChooseApril 5th, 2012 - featured
Frog Prince Dissection Magnet or Button - You Choose
by tamarakraft




What got you to open your shop on etsy?
My cousin was posting items she had found on Etsy on her Facebook page. She has great taste, so I checked it out. I was immediately hooked. I had sold crafts online before, but it was awkward. There wasn’t a natural platform for crafters and artists before.

Beet It Magnet or Button - You ChooseBeet It Magnet or Button - You Choose
by tamarakraft




What's your home like?
Last October I bought a hundred-year-old house that my husband and I are renovating. My studio is the big, slope-ceilinged room upstairs. Which is not to say that I don’t spread my projects all over the rest of the house. And the back yard. Our kids are grown, so we share our home with our Poo-Chi, Lily, and our free-range dwarf bunny, Dandelion. They make us laugh a lot. ¬

Nap Dog Magnet or Button - You ChooseNap Dog Magnet or Button - You Choose
by tamarakraft




What inspires you?
Other illustrators. Painters. Real-life situations that should be serious and weighty. Funny noises. My husband. Shapes in the clouds. Lily and Dani interacting. Things people say to each other.

Big Girl  Panties Magnet or Button - You ChooseBig Girl Panties Magnet or Button - You Choose
by tamarakraft




Tips for other etsy artists?
1. Keep asking yourself what sets you apart from other sellers. If your answer isn’t significant enough, keep evolving. Many people start doing Etsy because there is something they enjoy making that they would like to keep making more of. That’s just fine, if there is enough difference and appeal to your product to please the potential customer, too. If they aren’t getting joy from your offering, you won’t be getting sales.

2. If you aren’t satisfied with the way a project turned out, don’t list it. Be proud of what you ship out, and be able to stand behind it. Your reputation and self-respect are too valuable for you to be flippant about quality.

3. Don’t quit your day job unless you have too. Being creative is more natural when do you don’t have to rely on it to pay the bills. Allow your business to grow naturally. I promise you will enjoy the adventure more that way.

Lab Assistant Magnet or Button - You ChooseLab Assistant Magnet or Button - You Choose
by tamarakraft




Most important thing you've changed about your shop or products since starting on Etsy?
I had a line of t-shirts with my designs on them that were really cute. But I was having trouble with sizing and production consistency. It was causing me more frustration than joy, so I pulled the line from my shop. That was over a year ago. I continued filling local orders and experimenting with production techniques, trying to get a certain look and feel in my finished product. I put a lot of time into it, but only when I felt inspired. I’ve thrown out a lot of shirts.

Just this month, I think I nailed it. It’s my intention now to put together a cohesive line of samples that I can build on, and launch them next month.

Kitty and Mouse BookmarkKitty and Mouse Bookmark
by tamarakraft




Have you bought anything cool off Etsy lately?
Every day. I belong to the Teamdream and Daily Dose of Handmade teams. They are bursting with people who make great stuff and offer fun vintage finds. I enjoy the items I buy, and I like supporting other Etsy sellers.

Any 10 Magnets or Buttons - You ChooseAny 10 Magnets or Buttons - You Choose
by tamarakraft




Want to make an "I did great at the contest" acceptance speech?
Thank you, Etsy Contest, for offering a venue for people to peruse handmade and vintage goods in a simple, fun, no-pressure atmosphere. My success in this forum inspires me to keep creating and finding more things to laugh about!

Cussing Brain Magnet or Button - You ChooseCussing Brain Magnet or Button - You Choose
by tamarakraft


Monday, April 23, 2012

Quick guide to stuff I can't afford

When I first launched the contest a number of people asked how I'd include items over $31. This month I finally came up with the concept: Swanky Sunday! We'll throw in more price categories, starting with the basic "over $31" on the first sunday of the month and climbing to the rare "over $1000" by the fifth Sunday of the month... tune in for that one, it could be interesting! So what have we found? Amazingness! Not just jewelry, but custom jewelry, like this ring that can be stamped with your name:

Name Ring with April 22nd, 2012 - 18th place
Name Ring with "Pierced" Band in10k Yellow Gold
by SorellaJewelry


I knew we'd get to see more furniture, but who can predict shelves like this?

6FT Curved ShelfApril 22nd, 2012 - 16th place
6FT Curved Shelf
by WoodCurve


This vase is an amazing piece of art:

Round Golden Hand Carved VaseApril 15th, 2012 - 11st place
Round Golden Hand Carved Vase
by MarieWrightPottery


Paintings, to leave you breathless:

Impressionist Art Oil Landscape Glorious Clouds Parrish style Original Plein air artist PaintingApril 22nd, 2012 - 6th place
Impressionist Art Oil Landscape Glorious Clouds Parrish style Original Plein air artist Painting
by ARTpaco


Lamps you won't find anywhere else:

PoodliciousApril 8th, 2012 - 5th place
Poodlicious
by ARTificialLights


Conclusion: I'm definitely keeping Sunday for higher price ranges. It's great fun whether you're in the market for fine pieces or not, that's the great thing about Etsy, we all get to window shop.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Featured shop: SugarLandNaturals organic skin products

Today's featured shop is SugarLandNaturals, a great place for organic skin products, body polish, bath melts, scrubs and soaps. Laura's delicious soaps are a contest favorite and she has our 5th highest winning average this month.

Tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Laura and I am from Sugar Land, TX. I love making organic bath products! It all started 5 years ago when I was broke and had to make Christmas presents. That year I made these great handmade candles....totally surprised myself that I could do it! So I started SUGAR LAND NATURALS.

VERBENA MINT THYME Olive Oil SoapMarch 5th, 2012 - 25th place
VERBENA MINT THYME Olive Oil Soap
by SugarLandNaturals




What got started selling homemade skin products?
When I was a young child, my grandmother used aloe vera from her plant on our cuts and scrapes. It always felt so good and it worked! It made the burning feeling go away. The same is true of many things in nature….things our bodies are meant to use for health and longevity. For hundreds of centuries, there was no Neopsporin for your cuts. There is an alternative in raw nature to almost every thing you can find in a pharmacy. That being said, I wanted to find a cure for my dry skin, so I investigated how to make a body scrub at home. Once I knew the basics, over time, I began to apply my knowledge of herbs and natural remedies to the recipes. That is how I got into making organic body polishes. I love combining fruits like pomegranate and papaya, or mango and banana. Using the proper natural preservatives, the scrubs are able to be preserved for a very long time.

Cinnamon Tangerine Shea Butter Soap (Organic)April 4th, 2012 - featured
Cinnamon Tangerine Shea Butter Soap (Organic)
by SugarLandNaturals




Once I got this formula down, and it took a while, the rest was all fun with fruits! Everything our skin needs is in fruits, vegetables
and the sun. I wanted to apply that principal to skin products…and in particular, bath products. Probably my best seller at the moment is the Hand Saver Skin Putty. It is a putty derived from an organic fruit and dark sugar base that leaves your hands incredibly moisturized and smooth, without any residue whatsoever. It has been popular amongst customers with severely dry, “WInter skin” and Excema. My favorite product is probably the body polishes, or the bath brownies. The bath brownies (or smaller “scrub squares”) are also made from a fruit and sugar base, then added to fresh grown herbs, natural oils and essential oils. They look like actual brownies, and they completely dissolve in your bath and leave you in an intoxicating, herbal soak that is to die for! My husband is addicted to them I think.

Golden Body Polish Soaps (Organic)April 7th, 2012 - featured
Golden Body Polish Soaps (Organic)
by SugarLandNaturals




What got you to open your shop on etsy?
Etsy is the only website dedicated to products like the ones I make. I had considered selling my products on Ebay in the past, but my research shows that my results would not be anywhere near what I see on Etsy. I get about 350-400 views a day on Etsy if I promote my items properly. You cannot beat that in any other online shop, or even at a walk-in shop. People know what to expect when they come to Etsy. I am in awe of my competitors on Etsy. They truly have some amazing handmade products listed. You can pretty much find anything you want on Etsy, and the prices are very competitive.

ORANGE GRAPEFRUIT Body Scrub 9 oz. (Organic)ORANGE GRAPEFRUIT Body Scrub 9 oz. (Organic)
by SugarLandNaturals




Tips for other etsy artists?
Keep promoting your items. It can get expensive (.20 every time you promote an item), but it is worth it. Promotion is where you get all the views, and the more views, the more sales. It is a numbers game. But it pays off. And there is nothing more satisfying than hearing back from your customers on a product that you made with your own hands. It is truly gratifying.

CHOCOLATE MINT Two Layer Olive Oil Soap (Organic)CHOCOLATE MINT Two Layer Olive Oil Soap (Organic)
by SugarLandNaturals


Thursday, April 19, 2012

I love cuffs

I keep seeing cuff bracelets, they're great in treasuries but also I just really really want them and wanted to post up some favorites.

Silver Cuff Bracelet Polymer Clay Black Wide Cuff Leaves Flowers Hand Stamped Art JewelryApril 18th, 2012 - 36th place
Silver Cuff Bracelet Polymer Clay Black Wide Cuff Leaves Flowers Hand Stamped Art Jewelry
by PolymerPlayin




Silver cuff bracelet Asian floral blossoms design, handmade cuff bracelets by theshagbag on EtsyApril 16th, 2012 - 22nd place
Silver cuff bracelet Asian floral blossoms design, handmade cuff bracelets by theshagbag on Etsy
by theshagbag




Black leather cuff March 23rd, 2012 - 22nd place
Black leather cuff "Keep rooted"
by felicitystyle





Leather Cuff - The Dusk Lit Stars CuffApril 19th, 2012 - 19th place
Leather Cuff - The Dusk Lit Stars Cuff
by LabyrinthLeather




Dragonfly Half Cuff Bracelet Embossed BrassApril 18th, 2012 - 17th place
Dragonfly Half Cuff Bracelet Embossed Brass
by sandrandan




Shiny Ethnic cuff braceletApril 14th, 2012 - 48th place
Shiny Ethnic cuff bracelet
by akissofromance





Little Red Flowers on a Wide Leather CuffMarch 25th, 2012 - 24th place
Little Red Flowers on a Wide Leather Cuff
by aosLeather




AVA Leather CuffApril 17th, 2012 - featured
AVA Leather Cuff
by BotLeather


Sweet mothers day deals from Daily Dose of Handmade

I love Daily Dose of Handmade and they love me. It's published by two Etsy enthusiasts/crafters/buyers (Julie and Cylene) who want to help small businesses and ma & pa shops get the word out about their amazing wares. They look for unique and gifted artisans who would like you to get to know them.

They post up shop features, deals, giveaways, and hold contests. Their recent features have been about mothers day which is where I ran across this post with some AWESOME 30-40% off coupons: Mothers Day Gift Guide Features. Several of them are this week only so check them out.

There's even a coupon for JulieEllynDesigns who was in our contest recently!

Teeny Tiny Dove EarringsApril 14th, 2012 - 18th place
Teeny Tiny Dove Earrings
by JulieEllynDesigns




Simply Silver, Very Tiny Filigree Drop Earrings, Sterling SilverApril 18th, 2012 - 25th place
Simply Silver, Very Tiny Filigree Drop Earrings, Sterling Silver
by JulieEllynDesigns




Go check them out and tell them hi from the etsycontest!