How will online retail change?

I've been thinking a lot lately.

With the major recession, people cutting back and making do with less - how will this change our retail landscape?

Certainly we've seen plenty of large brick-and-morter stores fold (Linen's N Things, Circuit City). The stores still standing are clearly retrenching - Macy's is aiming for a "Kohls with nicer stuff" level, Best Buy is scrambling to match Walmart's prices, etc. What we don't hear about are the smaller online businesses, many of which are struggling too I'm sure.

Which leads me to my major concern - can sites like Etsy survive? Will they have to change - adapt - to make it?

I love Etsy myself, both to sell my jewelry on, and to find neat and unique items. But I'll be honest, I've not purchased from anyone there in a while...and my sales have been few and far between lately.

When times were good, and money was flowing, the idea of buying a felted wool bowl, a plush monster robot, or some cute dangle earrings "just because" seemed fine. Neat and cool made for great gifts, until the recipients started to struggle to buy groceries or lost their jobs outright.

Will Etsy change? Will it move to more utilitarian items (DIY supplies, shirts, books) - and lose the whimsy? Will ACEOs and plush monsters disappear? Will the seller community shrink more and more as profit margins are eaten away by bargain hunters?

I hope not - we all need fun, whimsical stuff, especially at a time like this.

(Blueberry hat courtesy of WoolKnitsNBits, monkey pendant from PiecesOfMePendants, and Sparky the Chichilla plush from IckyDogCreations)

My Divided Time

So, for those who don't read this blog regularly....I'm a busy lady.

I have a day job as an engineer - no stress there. Ha.

I have 4 great kids, all elementary school age.

I also have my own business - running both eBay auctions and an Etsy store.

eBay is our "fun" money generator. I go shopping, sometimes alone, sometimes with kids, then post my great finds (new and used) and make a little extra money. Last year we used the money to visit Disneyland. This year...well, to be honest, part of that money is going to bills of various kinds.

Etsy is my release - I make jewelry to relax, and express myself. That people want it enough to buy it is wonderful, but mostly it self sustains. That is, I use my Etsy profits to make more jewelry.

Except that...both eBay and Etsy have slowed down in sales. And my time has more demands this fall. So I find myself putting what little energy I have into the eBay business...and neglecting my jewelry.

Not that I don't have ideas - I sure have tons of them! I just can't seem to carve enough time to finish anything! I have a bracelet, a ring, and a pendant all semi-done. Ugh.

Oh well. In the grand scheme of life, this isn't such a terrible thing. I'm sure I'll get back to jewelry soon...and with the time for jewelry, will hopefully come time for blogging again!

I'm in a Treasury!

I'm a bit late at announcing this...it expires TOMORROW! But please, check it out

Thanks to Etsy seller Tallib for including me! Be sure to stop by Tallib's Blog and share the love!

Which is Better?

I've been rather busy with lots of things this summer (the bellydance class is going great!)...including 2 custom jewelry orders from Etsy, and 2 custom pieces I'm working on for family.

All this custom work seems to have consumed my jewelry-making time, so other than one 90% complete bracelet, I've made nothing to add to my Etsy store since May.

Which leads to a question...is this a good thing, or a bad thing? Obviously having custom work means I'm earning money. (Yeah!) Still, it also means I'm neglecting my store, which makes me feel guilty.

Opinions?

So Life's Been Busy...

Once again, I find myself apologizing for my 'radio silence' of late. It's been a rather busy week yet again, and I have little time for blogging! So much is going on in my life...

For one, my kids are leaving for the summer. My family is 'blended' - meaning all of our kids have other, non-custodial parents. (My husband and I are blessed to have primary custody at least!) Our youngest daughter flew out with her dad last Saturday, and the sons and eldest daughter leave today for Wyoming. (I'll freely admit, I'm going to enjoy being kidless for a little...a quiet house, a much smaller grocery bill, the ability to eat whatever the ADULTS want) Getting the kids ready to go has been long and painful, however. Not just in the sheer volume of clothing to be washed and packed, but also the time spent with friends before leaving, the summer-vacation-type activites that we've tried to cram into our 3 scant weeks, and the overall emotional tones to everything we've done. Frankly, my husband and I are exhausted!

Adding to all the stress, I've been working on TWO custom orders. I finally finished the first - a lovely coral necklace - last night. The second, a jade ring, will take another week or so. 'Cause I've got SO much free time.

Of course, my biggest stressor right now is my job. (Which I generally enjoy, don't get me wrong) To simplify things, let's just say I'm an engineer who makes computer chips...really small ones lately. In fact, I spent a large part of my morning trying to move TINY little 4mm x 4mm parts from a small tray to an even smaller tray so we could test them. They are this tiny...

So you can see why I'm not only stressed, I'm headache-y too. On the plus side, however...things are wrapping up with these tiny parts, and next week should be much, much easier.

Hope you all enjoy your 4th of July holiday - me, I'm sleeping through it. Catch you on Monday!

Today I'm In Love With...

I don't know about you, but right now I'm hating my wardrobe! With higher gas and food prices, it's hard to justify buying new clothes and shoes (unless I can make a few sales in my Etsy store that is!). Still...it's tons of fun to look! Here's what I'm currently lusting after, mostly on Etsy.

Fun hair accessories

I've been letting my hair grow out, and now I'm ready for fun things to accessorize it! That, and just get it out of my face some days. I love all the gorgeous hair sticks available on Etsy - like this funky one (which I see is on clearance now...hmmm).

Barettes are harder to find, as I don't like lots of fuss - but this gorgeous copper one has caught my eye, and will someday be mine!

Girly Summer Clothes

As an engineer, I mostly wear sensible clothes - pants, flats, loose tops. It serves me well when crawling on the floor beneath a lab desk to hook up equipment...but it's not very fun. I miss dressing like a girl, and LOVE to wear skirts and frilly things whenever I can!

This "pillow shirt" seems like such a great compromise...casual yet girly. And this cut-out skirt could be dressed up or down as needed, yet still be feminine.

No new outfit is complete without shoes of course! I'm a huge fan of Cole Haan...I grab whatever I can find in the thrift stores, which isn't much. But what I really, really want is a pair of their Nike Air shoes for work. I'm on my feet a LOT, and would love to have shoes that look great and feel great! This pair of Jena Air pumps, for instance, would make me supremely happy. (Too bad I can't grab a pic of them!)

Mysteries of the Universe, Vol 1

Randomly inspired by my day...feel free to share your mysteries for future volumes!

1. Cactus Hair. Why, oh why, do balding men think that spiking their remaining hair looks good? Really, honey, it just shows off your scalp that much more!




2. "Gotta Getta Deal" attitudes. My friends on Etsy know all about this - people randomly asking for discounts on something you make/sell. We set that price for a reason, it's probably already too low - and you wouldn't ask the checkout girl at Macy's to give you a "special discount" either. Please stop.




3. 3. Cellphones at Work. Last I checked, most offices provided phones - free! (At least to us worker drones it's free) You don't need that cell, really. And the rest of us don't need to hear the instrumental version of "Don'tcha" over and over again.

4. Morning Talk Radio. Really, does anybody listen to this nonsense? Ok, yes, I understand paying attention for the contests...but Pet Psychics, random trivia, yelling and screaming...all before the caffeine has entered your nervous system. It's just wrong.

5. Cellphones for Kids. My 10-year-old is asking for one, and there are plenty of kids her age (and younger) with phones. What?!? Why, in heavens name, could they possibly need a phone? They don't drive - they can't get further away than their little feet can carry them.

6. Summer Visitation. At least half of you know what I mean - in divorced families, the kids get to visit the non-custodial parent for 6 weeks in the summer. Since summer itself tends to run 9 weeks or so (stupid holidays), this basically means the WHOLE summer. Don't get me wrong...hubby and I are looking forward to some quality couple time. But the WHOLE summer? Plus, it's hard on the kids, particularly when the 'other parent' doesn't live near you. Who thought this was a GOOD thing for kids anyway?

Friday Feature

I must confess…this should have been a Monday Feature. I’ve just been so AWFULLY busy this week!

This week’s featured Etsy seller is JenniferSquires. Jennifer actually contacted ME about being featured on my blog – and after looking at both her Etsy store, and her other website, I was thrilled to be able to feature her work! (Hint for other Etsians: finding featured stores is work for me…so people who take the inititive to contact me have a good chance of being accepted)

Anyway, back to Jennifer’s work. She bills herself as “fresh photography for hip homes”, and I can see why. Her work is very clean and fresh, with a natural palette that compliments most decors. She has prints available with subjects such as flowers, beans, veggies…as well as landscapes and scenes. Much of her inspiration clearly comes from her own garden!

Jennifer has been a professional photographer since 1996, and made the leap to running her own full-time business in 2005. Her Ontario-based business includes studio work – and some of the most adorable newborn pictures I’ve ever seen. Her art prints have been featured in several galleries…and have been available on Etsy since February 2008.

Jennifer tells me her inspiration comes from her surroundings. She looks for the beauty all around us, trying to express the simplicity and meaning of the everyday. Her passion for nature extends to her business as well, where she uses environmentally-friendly practices whenever possible: online image galleries, rechargeable batteries in her digital camera, using natural lighting, printing on 100% post consumer paper with soy inks when possible. She hopes to someday find an earth-friendly photo printing process as well.

The gorgeous prints from Jennifer’s shop are available in a wide range of sizes – from 4x6 to 24x30 – making it easy to compliment your décor, whether a large kitchen or crammed cubical. And as a special to my blog readers…Jennifer is offering a 25% discount of ALL her Etsy merchandise, now through May 16th. (Enter code TT0508 in the message to seller)

Featured Store: JLC Studio

This week’s feature is our giveaway store – JLC Studio! Read the feature, visit her store – then leave me a comment here about your favorite item at JLC Studio to win the gorgeous earrings in my banner (and other great prizes!).

1. How long have you been selling on Etsy? I joined Etsy in December of 2007. I hadn't really heard of it before then but I did quite a bit of googling when I first decided to try selling on-line and I kept finding a lot of artists (of all kinds) who were selling there. I signed up right away! I didn't sell anything for the first three months...once my first item was sold though, I've kept a steady pace (selling at least one item a month).

2. How long have you been making your items? I actually just got into jewelry making last fall. We have a family get-together in October/November every year and my mom brought along all of her extra beads and jewelry findings (she likes to do beadwork in both needlepoint and crochet). All the girls had fun making bracelets and earrings and it just kind of started from there. Once I got the basic techniques down, I kept going with it and found that I really loved it. It's very relaxing to me and something I find I can do while watching T.V. or chatting on the phone. I think it's kind of a natural progression for me, being an interior designer, to be able to create something artistic and designed, yet structured (kind of like I do in my day job).

3. What inspires you in your creations? I've always loved wearing jewelry, especially earrings, and am constantly seeing pieces that I love. I tend to get inspiration from magazines or the internet or items I see others wearing and that is a jumping off point for my designs. I start with the basic idea but then make it my own with the elements I use. I like long, dangly earrings and sparkly stones and gems so I tend to gravitate toward them. I've also had a long love affair with precious and semi-precious stones so I like to incorporate stone as pendants or accents in most of my pieces. I try to make things that I would like to wear, some are fun and funky and some are more reserved...but I like to think that all my pieces have a certain refined and elegant look about them.

4. What is your favorite piece so far? My favorite piece is a necklace that I made for my sister for Christmas. It's a long necklace (it falls to about her midsection) and it's a combination of silver chain and pink rhodolite as well as sparkly pink glass beads that are strung on wire and joined together with the chain. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of it but it's similar to this item that I sold in my shop. I haven't been able to find that particular chain again so I can’t recreate it exactly...although I think I may have just found something that will work and am planning on making more of this type of necklace for a street/craft fair I'm doing at the end of May.

5. What are you dying to make someday? I hope to start doing some metalsmithing in the near future, which involves a small butane torch and solder. I haven't taken the plunge as of yet but this would allow me to set stones in rings and pendants. I have been itching to make rings! I'd also like to make small stud earrings rather than the long, dangly kind as some people (i.e. my mother) don't like to wear them long. Hopefully, I will be able to purchase the tools necessary to do this soon and will be offering my creations in my shop!

Visit Jen from JLC Studio at her blog too!

Don’t forget to leave a comment for your entry into our giveaway contest! One entry per day, per person.

Creating Custom Jewelry – a step-by-step mini guide

If you’ve ever wondered how custom jewelry is created, here’s all the answers you’ll ever need. Enjoy!

Step One: Get a commission. This is actually the hardest part – finding someone who wants custom jewelry, and wants it from you. Etsy’s Alchemy has been good to me, so have family and friends – but I’ve also picked up random orders through my website, my LinkedIn profile, and other places. (Friends and family are great for getting your feet wet, but they can only buy so much stuff. Branch out before you have no friends left!)

Step Two: Design brainstorming. Every customer has some idea of what they want – it’s your job to help them decide exactly what their piece should look like! My example for this post is a recent Etsy alchemy request. Initially the customer wanted a duplicate of a necklace: white ceramic beads with painted roses, brass pieces, and black silk cord. In the process of hunting for just the right beads, he ran across a different style – acrylic, and much more golden. This changed the design of his necklace entirely – these beads, while pretty, were too small to stand on their own. I grabbed screen shots of his focal beads, as well as some coordinating colors in other beads, and created 4 different versions of a necklace. The customer picked his favorite, a necklace with lots of brass and gold, and a little pink. (Give the customer options, but not too many. If you ask lots of questions up front - gold? silver? real pearls or glass? - you can narrow down the design choices to just a few. And that's much easier on you!)

Step Three: Shopping. My favorite part, both online and in-store. When you have an idea of the “look” you want, you have to find the right pieces for it. This means both the obvious focal components, but also the supporting structure – will you use sterling silver or gold-fill clasps? Covered wire or silk? What size and color coordinating beads? Shopping is divided into two aspects: first, an initial (online) browse to get pricing, and second the actual purchasing. My online browsing is critical – it’s what allows me to set a price, and meet all the customer’s needs. (Setting a price is a whole other post!) Fire Mountain Gems is usually my first stop for browsing (and some purchasing), just because they have a huge variety of items and a good search feature. Actual buying, of course, comes after you and the customer agree on materials, and the customer pays the deposit. (Did I mention deposit yet? Always, always have a deposit...at least 50%. This keeps you from getting screwed!)

Step Four: Design Layout. Once you’ve picked up all the materials, it’s time to create the final design. I rely on my beading board – with channels and inch markers – to create necklaces and earrings of the exact length my customer wants (and keep the mess to a minimum). This is where the artist really comes out – tweaking bead layouts, trying different shades of color, etc. Once I’m happy with the design, I take a picture for the customer (still in the bead board) for final approval. (Don't actually put the piece together yet. Some customers change their mind, and want different length/color/arrangement. You'll be really angry if you have to restring something 3 times)

Step Five: Completion. Once the customer gives the final thumbs-up, it’s time to string those beads. Depending on the type of request, this can be quick and easy….or slow and painstaking. My golden-floral necklace and bracelet request was fairly quick; however I’ve also hand knotted pearls and created custom wire-wrapped designs that took hours. Still, the beauty of your finished work is always worth it. I take a few flattering pictures, box the item nicely, and away it ships. (Taking pictures after is important - you want to remember what you did, but you'll also want them for a portfolio of your work, to solicit new customers. Trust me.)

Step Six: Waiting…. When you put hours and hours of labor into a piece, it starts to feel like your child. You do your very best, and you know that the customer has been happy with each picture sent. Still, until you hear from them, you just don’t know for sure if they’ll really like it. Nerve-wracking! And I will admit, I’ve shipped jewelry Priority Mail just so I wouldn't have to wait the 4-5 days for First Class arrival. (I don't really recommend this, it's an extra $2-5 out of your already slim profit margin.)

To view more of my previous custom work, please visit my website: TexasTesla's Custom Jewelry Designs.

Blog Contest! Enter now!

Just an update for everyone...

We have 19 entries so far - just 11 more to get a consolation prize added!

After much though, I've decided to offer the winner his/her choice of earrings as well as the option of original artwork. Your prize options are:

1. Stud Pink Spring Blossoms

2. Amethyst Makes it Better dangles

3. Choice of Cubical Art, matted and ready to hang on the fabric-covered wall of your office! (See one offering at the bottom of this post)

Don't forget - mention this giveaway on your blog, and get an EXTRA entry!

Giveaway - Woo Hoo!

Ladies and Gentlemen...are you ready?

Starting TOMORROW - Thursday, April 10th...

My FIRST blog giveaway!!!

I will be offering the winner a choice of earrings (one of the lovely selection in my Etsy store...but I'm not telling which just yet), OR an item from my "cubical art" series. (Pictures posted tomorrow as well)

To enter - please browse my Etsy Store, and leave a comment about which item you like best. No more than one entry per person, per day. Be sure to leave me a way to contact you if you win!

And a few incentives for YOUR help in cross-promoting this:
Mention my blog/store/contest on your site, and get 2 entries (must provide link)
When the number of people entered reaches 30, I will offer 1 consolation prize
when it reaches 60, I will offer 2 consolation prizes

Contest ends Wednesday April 16th, drawing to be held Thursday April 17th.

Ready? Go!

April 7th Double Feature!

Since my Double Features seem to be so popular, I’m doing it again – but this time, with a twist!

Today’s first featured seller is in the UK! Calexandra is a fun collection of handmade goodies ideal for gift giving. Purses, brooches, toys, greeting cards…all made with love and fun.

Calexandra is run by 30-something mum Charlotte. Charlotte has been on Etsy since October of 2007 – she stumbled across Etsy looking for something similar in the UK, and is very glad she did! (With 52 sales so far, I’m sure her happy customers are glad she did too)

Charlotte has been making her goods for about 3 years now. She originally trained in photography, so naturally started with making greeting cards. Her business has just grown from there, with each new specialty being self-taught. Charlotte confided to me that her work just “comes naturally”, although she claims it’s not really inspiration. Instead, she looks at the materials she has, thinks of nice ways to combine them…then gets to work.

A working mom to 20-month-old daughter Molly, Charlotte stays up late in the evenings to create her lovely items – but as she says, “I love working whilst the world sleeps.” Molly has no doubt played a role in the creation of Calexandra’s toy and baby sections – including the cute felted Whale – but she sneaks in other places too…like the adorable New Baby greeting cards. (Guess whose feet those are!)

And all my crafty friends, be sure to check out Charlotte’s other Etsy store, The Supply Shop!

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My second featured seller is actually on *gasp* eBay! She’s a dear friend of mine, and her store is absolutely wonderful…so I decided to feature her!

Piwykit’s Designer Closet is a store run by my friend Emily, a newlywed living in Dallas. Piwykit specializes in designer clothes – both new and gently used – for absolutely stunning prices. If you love Coach, Chanel, St John, Gaultier…then visit Piwykit’s store frequently!

Emily started her Piwykit eBay store in August of 2000, listing whatever steals she could find in the upscale thrifts of Dallas. Fortunately, there’s a lot of charitable Fashionistas in Dallas…and eventually she needed to take on an assistant…me!

I’ve known Emily since 2001; we are both engineers and worked at the same company until 2006. When she approached me in early 2005 about working as her eBay assistant, I was thrilled. She taught me the ropes of designer clothes (improving my tastes at the same time) – and eventually I was able to launch out on my own.

Emily’s eBay statistics are stunning – she’s a PowerSeller with a rating of 1839, 99.6% positive. Someday, maybe, I’ll be as good as she is. In the meantime…if you’d like an authentic Chanel dress, a fun Coach purse, or affordable cashmere top – visit Emily at Piwykit!

MySpace….must I?

In the course of joining Etsy, I’ve learned so much about online presence and online sales. It’s why I started this blog (my personal blog is just TOO personal…and no, I won’t link to it here). It’s also why I joined Flickr – which I will admit I’m now addicted to, although originally it was supposed to help drive sales.

It's called a "bunny suit"...that cracks me up!

I’ve recently joined IndiePublic and BlogCatalog (see those icons on the left??), and while I’ve found more fun blogs to read – and have slogged my way through many more mediocre ones in the hopes of fun – again, the ultimate goal is to spread the link love, and perhaps drive some people here (and ultimately to my etsy or ebay sites).

So it’s with great trepidation that I read posts on Etsy’s Forums about MySpace. I have enough freakin’ stuff to do already! I mean, yes, for the most part blogging is fun, reading other blogs is fun…but there’s an element of WORK to it as well. If I’m sick, or tired, or swamped at my day job – I still have to find the time to do it! My online presence is just to new and fragile, it needs fed and cared for daily. Where am I supposed to find the time to create and maintain a MySpace page?

And to be honest…I don’t wanna! (Stomping feet like angry toddler) I have a few friends on MySpace (real, offline friends that is)….and their pages are either blank (new mom friend) or filled with silly stuff that reminds me of high school (sorry Daredevil Diva). I’m truly concerned that, even if I spend the time to do it, I won’t see any benefit…or worse, it will be so goofy and unprofessional that it will actually do damage to my business. I mean, heck, I’m a thirty-something scientist…it just doesn’t seem RIGHT to join all those college and high-school kids!

Anybody on MySpace who wants to prove me wrong? All the MySpace people I know seem like cultists to me.

“You gotta join, it’s great” “We have cookies after the leader speaks on YouTube!”

Me, at end of work day

So send me your links, tell me why I’m crazy/silly/stupid. Or maybe, MySpace refugees…tell me why I’m RIGHT to stay away!

Double Feature Mon...I mean TUESDAY!

Sorry loyal readers (and new ones too!)...this has been a crazy week for me. Really, really yucky head cold this weekend kept me in bed,, and when I managed to crawl to my day job yesterday, I was absolutely swamped with work. So I'm running late on my feature – my apologies!

This week I'm again featuring TWO great Etsy sellers – both very friendly people I met in the forums. And because of the time crunch, I've decided to excerpt my questions to them, instead of writing it all from scratch! First up is another jewelry seller, MissTeacher30.

MissTeacher30, or Kim in real life, is a relatively new Etsy seller who specializes in bridal and pearl jewelry. Her designs are very clean and pretty – lovely classic necklaces and earrings. Here's what Kim has to say about her creations:

I have been making jewelry for about 4 years now. It took my mom months to get me to my first jewelry making class. At first, I did a lot of work with stringing beads and making earrings. The second step I have only been doing for about a year and that is bead stitching. I now teach bead stitching classes at a local bead store. And I just recently learned pearl knotting!

Inspiration: A simple bead inspires me. When I walk into a bead store, I do not have an idea in mind and then find the beads to create it. Rather, it is almost as if the beads come to me. I pick out beads that are unique, but it is not until I sit down to bead that the ideas start to flow. What I create comes from somewhere in my head, not from a picture or piece I have already seen.

It's difficult for me to identify a single favorite piece – not because I like to many, but because I am always striving to make it bigger and better. Up until recently, I can honestly say I did not have a favorite piece of jewelry. However, after making this particular necklace for a bridal party, I thought “Hmmm, I did a pretty good job”. (It's the gorgeous 3-strand necklace to the right)

I have been part of Etsy since December 2007. I had never even heard of Etsy until someone mentioned it at an art show. As soon as I logged in...I was hooked. It has given me great opportunities to display my work and to meet a great group of people.

Like many artists dreams, one day I would like to be able to make a living from my jewelry. One day, I would like to be able to walk into a store and say, “I created that piece of jewelry.”

MissTeacher30 sounds so much like myself! I promise, it isn't me though...despite my affinity for pearls!

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My second featured seller is totally different...RecycledIdeas has a wonderfully diverse shop with handmade paper, monkey prints, pendants, and decorated boxes. The overarching theme of course is recycling...including her wonderful “green gifts” - plantable cards!

RecycledIdeas has been open on Etsy just 6 months... but with over 120 items sold so far, that's been a successful 6 months! The shop owner has been making paper for more than ten years, and it shows in the quality and variety she offers! She also does pastel drawings and FIMO sculpting – quite a talent.

The inspiration behind RecycledIdeas lies in a love of primates, and a desire to help with conservation of them and their habitat. Not so surprising when you learn the seller has a PhD in psychology and is studying primate behavior! (That's one smart, successful, and creative woman)

RecycledIdeas share her two favorite pieces with me: “My first would have to be the pyramid box I made out of cardboard and handmade paper. It sold, and when it did I was so excited! I have been making them and giving them as gifts to friends and family for a long time so it was really gratifying to find that a complete stranger liked them too. I would have to say that the decorated Oregon Chai Tea box, that I will probably never sell, is my absolute favorite.” You can see pictures of both here, of course!

RecycledIdeas' biggest goal is to complete the primate portrait series she started. However, since she's been doing really well with handmade paper, there's also the possibility of landing a major wedding account. Imagine, seeded paper wedding invitations that could grow in the couple's favorite flowers!

You can visit RecycledIdeas' blog too, Field Notes from an Evolutionary Psychologist.

Special Monday DOUBLE Feature!

There’s so many great sellers out there, I just can’t pick one…so today I’m featuring two great sellers, both newbies!

First is Two Bees in A Pod, a mother-daughter cardmaking team who have been on Etsy just two months. Their work is eye-catching and fun – and selling well already. Even more amazing, they’ve been making their products for just 4 months!

Two Bees finds inspiration from lots of places, pulling ideas for color, pattern, and ‘feel’ together in their creations. As the daughter told me about the work, “My cards are from the heart, the effort I put into them and the time I take to think of the perfect design takes a lot. I make affordable cards, I don’t know how many times I find cards online that are overpriced that anyone could make in less than 5 minutes.”

Their most popular (and favorite) items are the small “thank you cards” – perfect for Etsy sellers. Two Bees offers a great selection of all-handmade thank you cards…which reminds me, I need to order some too! The “Your Pick” listing of 5 options relisted 7 times in a month – clearly I’m not the only one who likes them.

Two Bees offers other paper goods, such as small tags – with ambitions to move into altered notebooks, paper pads, and other office supplies. I’m sure they will all be great!

You can also visit Two Bees at their blog - http://www.twobeesinapod.blogspot.com/

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My second featured seller is another mother-daughter team! HoldTheFlour is new to Etsy, but Mari and Carolyn have been making their special “diaper cakes” for two years. For those who’ve never heard of a diaper cake (like me at first)…rolled diapers (or new towels) are used to make the shape of a tiered cake…then decorated with various goodies.

HoldTheFlour has many options of diaper/towel cakes. Adorable Layettes with stuffed animals and pacifiers. Bridal bath cakes with organic bath products and soy candles. Beach cakes with sunglasses, sunscreen, and a Frisbee. Even Spa cakes – perfect for Mother’s Day gifts! All are visually appealing and lots of fun. Mari tells me they pride themselves on simple, earth-friendly cakes – they specially select the bath products, and choose baby items that are really useful.

Mari and Carolyn aren’t stopping there, however. They have a “Twin” cake planned for the baby section, and are working on a golf-themed cake for Father’s Day. And they have ambitions of someday being able to add organic linens – maybe even their own!

You can visit HoldTheFlour at either their website http://www.holdtheflour.com/ or their blog holdtheflour.blogspot.com. Just don’t expect baked goods!

It's Been a Busy Weekend

And not just because of all the Easter festivities.

Saturday, I met a fellow Etsy jewelry maker - Rachel of Oak Moon Designs. We had a fun hour and some talking and bead shopping in downtown Hillsboro. We even hit an antique store and browsed the cases...and I found a vintage necklace I can't wait to repurpose! Great chance for us both to spend kidless time on a gorgeous Saturday - and I hope we can do it again soon.

This was also a weekend of finishing projects. I finally got the pearl toggle attached on my embroidered cuff. I won't be selling it- it's not quite perfect, but was a lot of fun to make. I can't decide if it's worth it to perfect my skills on this kind of cuff...it sure was a LOT of work! Still, I like it enough to keep for myself - it's kinda cute, if slightly imperfect!

I also completed a set of dangly earrings and a peridot pendant I've been thinking about for some time now. Pictures of both are posted here, and both are available for sale in my Etsy store.

Tomorrow will be busy in another way. I have several items to list in my ebay store (including some great Coach sunglasses), and I need to finish writing the Monday feature. Makes me tired just thinking about it - guess I'll head for bed!

My First Alchemy!

Today was exciting...I bid on a custom necklace through Etsy's Alchemy, and was accepted! Can't wait to start - but of course, I will HAVE to wait. The buyer wants a specific bead (ordered it from a fellow Etsian today), and I would be crazy to buy the coordinating pieces without having those focals as a reference.

I've done custom pieces in the past, and they are always tons of fun - from shopping for components to finally boxing them up. I think the creation process would make for a neat blog series as well. (Maybe one long post) Just have to remember to take pictures as I go!

Here's the first teaser...the focal beads...