Monthly giveaways

I'm considering doing a monthly giveaway here on my blog. What do you think? Would you want to participate? I'm testing the waters over at the etsy forum as well to see if people want to contribute some samples and business cards to help promote their businesses.

It has certainly been a while.

I apologize to everyone who reads my blog. There haven't been many updates because I fell ill for a while, but I'm recovering and getting everything back together. I just purchased some new tools and supplies so I'll be hardcore crafting, so there will be photos of new products to come. Also, I'm catching up on my features, so those will be coming soon, and as soon as those are finished, I'll be searching for more people to feature. Thats all for now, but there will be more to come!

I had another feature!

I was just getting through some emails, and realized that I had been featured on another blog. Follow the link to have a look.

http://childishthoughts-childishthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/07/featured-artist.html

Two sales in one day!

Well, I have reached the milestone of ten sales. I've been renewing my items regularly, and I ended up selling off the last of my ivory rose earrings. Also, I got a convo back from the owner of a consignment shop letting me know that my items were received and are on display. Hopefully they'll be selling soon. I have more features to post, and its been a while since I put one up, got lost in the crush of life, I guess, but I will finish up all my features by the end of this month!

My showcase was July 18 and I don't know if it helped to impact my sales at all, but I did get a bunch more views on all my items, a few hearts on items, and a few hearts to my store. I think the secret to getting boatloads of exposure is being in a treasury, though. I would love to snag one sometime, but it seems to be pretty hard. I made a treasury in Treasury West a little while ago and it seems to be easier to get one of those spots, but who knows. In any case, more coming soon.

My Jewelry Showcase is Today!

So, my jewelry showcase is today and I have eight items lined up in it. I really hope that it helps me gain visibility and get some sales. I will keep you all posted on how it goes, and even started a post on the Etsy boards about it, so, if you have anything to contribute to the discussion, please, by all means! Here's the link to my post: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5717744

Got some new items up for sale.

I've got two new items up in my store, ladies and gents! These earrings are really lovely. Highly detailed, and pealized, which I adore. I made a bunch to send out as samples to some places, but I have one pair up for grabs in my shop. Also, I have a ring up to match my star shaped earrings. Its pretty simple, just an adjustable ring. I have more coming, though.

I snagged my first treasury!

I don't have a screen cap of it yet, but I will soon. You guys should check it out, its pretty nice, but thats just my opinion. Its not a main treasury though, its Treasury West. Oh, I guess I should specify that I made it, not that I'm featured in it. I'd love to get featured in a treasury someday...

My first feature on another blog!

As far as I know, I'm getting my first feature today on another blog, Blossoming Tree. I hope that it helps me get more customers. I have decided to start making something that I love, and feel I can't get enough of: charm necklaces! I have to go and find some supplies though, so I'll be scouring ebay, etsy and Fire Mountain for charms, jump rings and various other findings.

Also, I put a new item up in my store, and I'll have more to come. For now, though, I have a pair of these, but I'm only selling one at the moment, to see what the reaction is. Thoughts?

They are two blue birds sitting in a nest attached to steel barrettes. I think they're really cute, but I wonder if they might be too "out there" for the etsy crowd.

Etsy Feature: OMGLia

Today's feature is OMGLia. She's amazingly creative and super talented. When I checked out her store I practically drooled over her adorable jewelry and chic wallets. If I didn't have to save my money to buy stash, I'd go broke buying up all her stuff. Well, I guess that means my loss will be my reader's gain!


How long have you been crafting?
As long as I can remember! When I was 5 I sold braided yarn bracelets with pony beads to my mom's friends for $1.

What inspired you to craft?
I've just always had to be creative in some way, as far back as I can remember. I experimented with just about every craft, from friendship bracelets to collages to those crafty kits, like make your own soap and whatnot that I'd always get for Christmas. It took me a while to find something I was really good at!

What inspires your designs?
I'm inspired by the items I craft with! I have a huge stash and I'm always excited to use it all up so I can buy more. When I want to make a piece of jewelry, I look at my entire stash and pick out a bunch of beads that match well together, and then start mixing and matching until I get something that hangs perfectly and is bright, funky and eye catching. The more variety I have in my stash, the better.

Why did you decide to start selling your crafts?
When I was 16 I got my ears pierced. I bought a bunch of jewelry supplies to turn all of my clip-ons into pierced earrings. I had never made jewelry before, but I did have some beads lying around at the time, and while I was changing all the clip-on backs I started rearranging and adding onto my earrings to improve them. Then I went through all of my necklaces and turned THEM into earrings. By the time I'd turned almost all of my jewelry into pretty awesome earrings, I decided people would be willing to buy them and I listed them (and, at the time, some knitted items) in my new etsy shop!

What brought you to etsy?
I came first as a buyer, which proved to be a problem because my shop name was a lame buyers name and I had to recently switch over everything which was a hassle.

Are you a full time seller at Etsy?
I'm not as of yet, but I do plan to make my business my career, both on etsy and off. My major in college at Indiana University is Apparel Merchandising and business, which I hope to use to expand my business by the time I graduate!

Have you been featured in a Treasury on etsy?
Oh, many I believe.... mostly ones that involve colorful things!

Have you received any honors because of your store or products?
I've been featured on a few blogs, but nothing important yet. Though BITCH did publish a letter of mine when I first started selling wallets made from their magazine!

Have you participated in any craft or fashion shows?
I just started doing craft shows this year and I love them! I've been writing about my experiences on my blog. Here are some of my favorite tips: http://omglia.blogspot.com/2008/06/craft-fair-tips.html

Do you sell anywhere besides etsy?
I sell at http://omglia.com !

Do you find that people in your life are supportive of your choice to be an indie seller?
My friends are all of my best customers, and my father is a never ending fountain of business tips and support - he comes to craft fairs with me and runs to the post office whenever I need him to! Overall I've gotten nothing but support.

What are your long term goals for your etsy store?
I want to expand my business to be full-time soon after I graduate college, and eventually I'd like to open up a brick and mortar store in my hometown of Louisvlle, KY to sell my own merchandise and other funky DIY stuff from all over Etsy!

Do you have any bits of wisdom to share with your fellow etsy sellers?
Advertise! Target your advertising to your demographic! And then advertise to it all the time! ;)

Etsy Feature: LilyCobWeb

My second feature, and final for today is, lilycobweb. She's a fiber artist and her work is amazing. She makes me want to learn how to crochet! You can also find LilyCobWeb's etsy mini featured on http://dzfantasy.blogspot.com for the month of July.

I'm LilyCobWeb (aka Rena). I live in Northern Ireland near lovely Carlingford Lough. I've always been creative in some form or another since I was a child. Crochet was the first fibre art I learned. It has a specific Irish history to it, and traditional methods and stitches. Now, I like to give it a contemporary twist. I like to paint and draw, though I don't find much time for that. I have four children, a husband and a very busy household.

I've been creating and crafting since I was about 9 or 10, making crocheted hats and ponchos! I always was drawn to making, and hit it in spots over the years. I didn't begin to do this seriously until three years ago, when I gave up my job as an Art teacher.

I craft as a means of self-expression. I have a need to create. I find working with shape and colour very therapeutic and relaxing. I love to explore new ways of coming up with the romantic, elegant look I like.

Nature has to be my primary inspiration-especially the organic shapes of leaves and flowers. I'm also inspired by the clean lines of Art Nouveau. Fashion designers like Vivienne Westwood inspire me a lot, in the way they harmonise references to the past in their very contemporary clothing.

I had been selling locally to friends, and making gifts for family. I enjoyed it so much. One or two shops began to stock my items. Then, I began to do the odd craft fair. That's how it all began. It's a way to fund my creative experiments, and actually show people what I do. That's almost as important as the money I make.

Quite by accident, I found Etsy while browsing the net two or three years ago. It's not well known in Ireland or the UK. even now. I was amazed by it, by the constant element of surprise as you browse the shops. It was a visual treat for me. Though I actually opened an account on Etsy in 2007, I didn't start to sell until April of this year. So far, so good! Another great aspect of it is that crochet is a very neglected and uncool craft in Ireland now, despite its great history here. To find so much of it, and such well-designed pieces, on Etsy was pure inspiration for me. Not to mention validation! There were other sculptural-crochet enthusiasts like me out there!

I guess I'm still part-time. Special family circumstances mean I can't spend all my time being an Etsy seller, but I'm working on that.

Treasury? Not as far as I know. I live in hope!

I've been featured in DaWanda Shopping Directory.
http://dawandashopdirectory.blogspot.com/2008/03/introducing-lilycobweb.html

I've been interviewed about my work on BBC Radio Ulster 'Your Place and Mine'

I was the first Etsy seller to have her work critiqued in the Saturday Writing Critique on 'In the Night Kitchen' blog.
(Is that a good thing?)
http://inthenightkitchen.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/saturday-writing-critique-5/#comment-483

'DesignSpotter' online magazine featured my leather flower choker on its products page. http://www.designspotter.com/product/2008/06/leather-flower-choker-mellow-yellow.html

I've been doing local craft fairs for the past year. I did a marvellous Yuletide fair in Warrenpoint Park last December and made a killing in hats and scarves because it was so frosty and cold. A local organic shop (also in Warrenpoint) called Fresh Fields,(www.freshfieldsfarmshop.eu)
holds a once-a-month Craft Fair that I love doing. We've become a club or support network as well. The owners don't charge us for the use of their great premises and the staff there are wonderful, too! I have a couple of big fairs coming up soon. Next one is in an historic mansion called The Argory, near Armagh on 25th. August.

I have a shop on DaWanda, a European version of Etsy.
http://en.dawanda.com/shop/lilycobweb
Lovely site with great talent from all over Europe.

My family are generally supportive, especially my eldest daughter Parisa, herself a great knitter/singer/songwriter (www.myspace.com/parisar)
She understands the artist's struggle. My husband is great, but can't stand the chaos when I'm up all night before a craft fair. I have some great craft buddies, especially Laura whose website will soon be up and running (www.goodthingsonline.org). We have weekly meetings to keep each other motivated. Some people think I'm wasting my time, and tell me that, but I don't get discouraged easily!

My long-term goal for my Etsy shop would be to have one sale per day at least, and to be able to make items to the same high standard I've set for myself. That would require more input of time and planning, sourcing more cost-efficient materials and generally improve my professionalism all round. I'm determined to get there:)

I'm very grateful for the wisdom Etsy sellers have shared with me since I've started. Etsy is a very supportive environment. Make the most of it. Enjoy what your art/craft brings in all kinds of ways, not just in terms of sales.