The Genuine Article

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-22T15:15:00.003-07:00

It has been forever since I posted here on my neglected blog. But I'd like to take a moment to say to all those who are reading: have a safe and happy holiday season! Eat well, laugh, and spend time with the people you love. :)

And if you and those people exchange gifts, you know where to find some good ones. ;)

Huge Teamwide Sale!

2009-10-03T15:51:00.005-06:00

My Alberta Street team is running a huge Prairie Harvest Sale, Oct 3-9, and I'm participating with 15% off every item in my shop.

Below is a list of all 60 participating shops, separated by category.

Accessories

http://appleblossom21.etsy.com - Buy 1 get 1 free on all items

http://baloo.etsy.com - 20% off everything in the store (not custom)

http://ChantillyLaceDesigns.etsy.com - 15% off

http://offthehooks.etsy.com - 15% off your order (excludes items already on sale)

http://silversistersstudio.etsy.com - Free shipping world wide + more specials in my shop

Art

http://calzephyr.etsy.com - free shipping to any Canadian address

Bags and Purses

http://impedimenta.etsy.com - Free shipping on everything plus 15% off all Jewelry

http://mookiedesigns.etsy.com - Buy 2 items get the 3rd item free

http://nanabrowns.etsy.com - Buy 1 item get 10% off, 2 items 15% off, 3 or more items 20% off

Bath and Beauty

http://carvelcountrysoaps.etsy.com - 15% off regularly priced items

http://MisticalAcScents.etsy.com - 10% off everything plus free shipping for three or more items

Books and Zines

http://MolStationery.etsy.com - 15% off all recycled notebooks

Children

http://BarefootTams.etsy.com - 10% off all items

http://GollyGeeBaby.etsy.com - 10% off everything in the shop

http://IraRott.etsy.com - 20% off all items in my "kids and babies" section

http://jacobswoodentoys.etsy.com - Free small Kelly picnic table with a purchase of $30.00 or more

http://littlejumpingbeans.etsy.com - 25% off everything except custom crib sheets

http://myuberlicious.etsy.com - 25% off + free delivery in Calgary on orders of $20 or more

http://nanabrowns.etsy.com - Buy 1 item get 10% off, 2 items 15% off, 3 or more items 20% off

http://thebellefleur.etsy.com - 25% off of anything plus buy 2 items or more and get free shipping

http://strandeddesigns.etsy.com -15% off storewide + $10 gift card for any purchase over $50.

Crochet

http://fpwear.etsy.com - 15% off all items

http://gentlehug.etsy.com - 15% off or free shipping in Canada

Dolls and Miniatures

http://MamAmor.etsy.com - Free shipping world wide

Glass

http://glasscircus.etsy.com – 15% off all items

Handmade Supplies

http://claychicks.etsy.com - 20% off

http://tooaquarius.etsy.com - 20% off

Housewares

http://sybillinart.etsy.com - 10% of all sales

http://twostraycats.etsy.com - 25% off all creations in stock

Jewelry

http://appleblossom21.etsy.com - Buy 1 get 1 free on all items

http://asecondtime.etsy.com - 10% off and free shipping to USA and Canada

http://belladolceboutique.etsy.com - 15% off all items

http://bellissimadesigns.etsy.com - 25% off all jewelry

http://cindylouwho2.etsy.com - 15% off all items

http://dearange.etsy.com - 15% off all Jewelry

http://frogprincessdesigns.etsy.com - 20% off everything except shipping costs

http://galadrielwatson.etsy.com - 20% off all items

http://GenuineArticle.etsy.com - 15% off every item in my shop, including shipping.

http://Greenhousecarol.etsy.com - 20% off all items

http://happybead.etsy.com - 20% off and free shipping to Canada and the US

http://impedimenta.etsy.com - Free shipping on everything plus 15% off all Jewelry

http://jewelrybyirene.etsy.com - 15% off all items

http://jsanderso.etsy.com - 10% off everything in the shop

http://LeanneDesigns.etsy.com - Free worldwide shipping and a sale section in my store

http://metalmorphoz.etsy.com - 15% off all items

http://mookiedesigns.etsy.com - Buy 2 items get the 3rd item free

http://rozzie.etsy.com - Free shipping worldwide

http://Splurge.etsy.com - 15% off all items

http://TheMegShop.etsy.com - 10% off everything in my shop

http://treasurepalis.etsy.com - 10% off plus free shipping

Knitting

http://offthehooks.etsy.com - 15% off your order (excludes items already on sale)

Paper Goods

http://baloo2662.etsy.com - 15% off everything

http://craftedbylindy.etsy.com - 10% off total order excluding shipping

http://dayhomemama.etsy.com - Buy 2 get 1 free

http://hdawnparratt.etsy.com - 15% off everything

http://Impressioninvitation.etsy.com - Free shipping on orders of invitations/program fans over 200

http://mygrandpaspen.etsy.com - 20% off listed prices

http://stampnstuff.etsy.com - Free shipping with the purchase on 3 or more items

Paper Goods – Origami

http://LiliesByLisa.etsy.com - 15% off all individual flowers

Pets

http://furrypawsboutique.etsy.com - Buy 2 Collars get one free

Photography

http://tiffanyteske.etsy.com - Buy one get one 50% off (item of lesser value)

Plants and Edibles

http://MisticalAcScents.etsy.com - 10% off everything plus free shipping for three or more items

Supplies

http://baloo.etsy.com - 20% off everything in the store (not custom)

Toys

http://fakesweatshop.etsy.com - 10% off everything and a free "corporate monster" valued at $25 with orders over $125

Vintage

http://bontonvintage.etsy.com - 10% off all items

http://vintageeyecandy.etsy.com - Buy one get one 50% off (item of lesser value)

http://wearablevintage.etsy.com - $20 and under section in my shop

Huge Giveaway!

2009-09-02T14:52:00.006-06:00

My very good Etsy friend, jessijewels, is part of a massive blog giveaway this September featuring 30 different Etsy shops! There are plenty of wonderful prizes to be won, including these adorable ladybug cards from Jessi. :)

There are 30 prizes to be won, so what are you waiting for! Head on over to this blog and enter the giveaway today!
~*~Entry deadline is September 30/09.~*~

Alberta Team May Madness Sale!

2009-05-02T11:00:00.005-06:00

The Alberta Street Team that I started up last August is having a huge, week-long sale!

May Madness has begun! This is the perfect time to snag some awesome items at discounted prices. Some shops are even offering free shipping! :)

For a complete list of participating shops and their personalized sale details, check out the Etsy promo thread!

I'm an Origami Goner!

2009-03-23T13:42:00.006-06:00

I never knew that I loved origami until I came across CelticKnot's tiny little lucky stars. The patience, dedication and skill that it must take to create SO many tiny little origami stars boggles my mind.

Kristine never seems to run out of new and interesting ideas for the paper and vessels she uses! From stars made from sheets of music, to stars made from Garfield comics, she even makes them into earrings so that you can be lucky all day long. :D

I am proud to say that my house now has a TON of her lucky stars in various colours, sizes and containers, and yes- they really are lucky. ;)

It just so happens that she's having a 20% off sale going on now- so you can snatch up some of these beauties for yourself at an incredible deal!

There's luck to be had! What are you waiting for? ;)

And don't forget to check out her other awesome items while you're peeking at her stars. :)

HUGE sale and GIVEAWAY going on now!

2009-03-20T11:07:00.004-06:00

I recently joined the JET team on Etsy- a collection of amazing jewelry artists, and we're celebrating spring with a HUGE team-wide sale and giveaway!

To ENTER the GIVEAWAY!!!

Just pick an item from a participating shop (you'll find a list in the thread), then post the link to that item in the thread, telling everyone why you like it, and you'll be entered to win one of TEN prizes a DAY!

And don't forget, this is the perfect time to celebrate Spring and all of these shops are having AMAZING sales! :D

As for me, I'm having a 30% OFF sale on all of my Spring Fling items! Come check it out!

St Patty's Day Sale!

2009-03-07T16:17:00.003-07:00

I'm 1/8 Irish on my mother's side, and proud of it! I love the Emerald Isle, the accent, the shamrock...... *happy sigh* So what better holiday to have a sale for!? :D

I'm offering 15% off any purchase from my shop from now until March 17th, including shipping!

I have some awesome "Irish" listings, and of course- lots of other beautiful items. :)

(Click photos to view items.)

Thanks for looking! :D

I have a stalker!

2009-02-05T15:56:00.003-07:00

And it's the best kind of stalker- one who features my items on their blog! :D

These lovely little musical note earrings of mine were featured today on the Etsy Stalker blog in a musical exhibit!

I also make them in copper. :)

Beautiful Blue Treasury!

2008-12-31T09:57:00.004-07:00

An Alberta Street Teammate of mine let me know last night that I'm in her new Treasury! :D

Thanks, Cindy!

Blurple!

Rings with Bling.

2008-12-29T10:07:00.005-07:00

As soon as I was comfortable hammering pure sterling rings, I wanted to add more to some of my designs. I have SO many beads that I'm in love with, and I know that they'll make fabulous rings, but I needed to work out a few techniques for how exactly to attach them to a sterling base.

I'm really pleased with what I've come up with so far, and glancing around Etsy, I haven't seen any others like them. :)

(Click images to view items.)

Amethyst and Peridot.

Tiger's Eye.

Faceted Amethyst.

Hematite.

I have ordered MANY more fabulous stones which I hope will arrive soon so that I can make more of these rings. I'm really excited about the ideas that I have bubbling around in my head. :D

Branching out! Ring making- here I come. :)

2008-12-20T14:31:00.006-07:00

I can't remember what made me think of it, but it recently occurred to me that if I got myself a steel ring mandrel, I could make hammered sterling rings. I already had on hand a few feet of 16 gauge sterling wire that I had purchased before I understood that 20 gauge was what I needed to make earrings like these Musical Notes. So I went online and found a good deal on a steel ring mandrel that came with a small nylon hammer. I was so happy when it arrived. :D

I started by making myself a ring. I needed to practice and learn anyway, and it's nice to have the very first of something when you're branching out into a new technique. :)

I made a second ring in the same style, which turned out really well, and I have that one listed in my shop now.

(Click images to view items.)

Perfect for everyday wear- I have mine on right now. :)

This little beauty has gotten a lot of attention.

And I love the sparkle in this one from the dimples of the hammer in the sterling.

This one was a challenge, but I'm very pleased with how it turned out. :)

I'm having a lot of fun making rings, and am very happy to see that they're getting a good amount of views and even some hearts. :)

I have two more in the works, and hope to list them soon!

Etsy Finds - cindylouwho2

2008-12-17T10:03:00.003-07:00

Cindy from cindylouwho2 is a member of my Alberta Street Team, and has been really helpful lately with a project that I've needed a bit of assistance on. :) So I thought I'd take a moment to share her beautiful jewelry creations with a wider audience!

We share a love of abalone, so this is one of my favourite pieces of hers.

(Click image to view item.)

These earrings are Cindy's bestseller. :)

And this bracelet is just plain gorgeous!

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other Etsy Finds by clicking the "etsy finds" tag just below this text. :)

Ocean Blue Treasury!

2008-11-25T09:53:00.005-07:00

I woke up today to a convo letting me know that my Oceanic blue abalone zipper pull is in a Treasury! :) SerendipityByErin created this marvelous collection and was kind enough to include me. Check out her shop for beautiful handcrafted earrings.

Gorgeous Ocean Blues

Etsy Finds - seajewels2005

2008-11-18T12:55:00.004-07:00

I just came across this lovely shop today and thought I'd share it with a wider audience. :)

Seajewels2005 sells unique and colourful jewelry and supplies. Here are a few of my favourites from her shop.

(Click images to view items.)

Want to see my other Etsy Finds? Just click the "etsy finds" tag below this post. :)

Featured Artist - 2monkees

2008-11-15T12:23:00.009-07:00

This feature is a part of the Holiday Giveaway that I'm contributing to. Running the whole month of November, there are 30 incredible prizes to be won! It's easy to enter- just blog about one of the shops or items participating in the giveaway and then leave a comment (on the host blog) with a link to your blog post and your email address.

(Click images to view items.)
For this feature, I asked 2monkees a couple of questions. Here they are, along with her answers. :)

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am the mom of two active little boys. A lot of my life is spent hustling them around and keeping up with all we have going as a family. Our whole family likes being outside running around and most of our free time involves some kind of sport- running, soccer, hiking, biking or skiing. I started making jewelry a little over a year ago and have become fairly obsessed. I enjoy having a creative outlet for my time!

How did you first find Etsy?
I first found Etsy while trying to promote another business I was working with. I kept seeing references to "Etsy" on social networking sites but had no idea what it was. I was totally floored and hooked the first time I saw it!

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
I first opened an account on Etsy about 18 months ago but it was not until the last six months or so that I became more involved with actually trying to have a shop.

What inspires you with your craft?
I find that I get inspiration from almost everywhere.... Sometimes it is something somebody says or something I see. Most frequently it comes when I am outside working out. Most of my jewelry has some sort of nature theme to it and my mind is often humming with new ideas as I am struggling through one of my slow jogs through the neighborhood.

What is your favourite item currently for sale in your shop?
I think my favorite item right now is this round Eyes Wide Shut Pendant. Last week, I thought I was finished making jewelry for the two shows I had for the weekend, than a catalog arrived that featured all these adorable bird pictures. I had to make this pendant. I love the detail of the eyes and the feathers.

What's the best advice you were ever given regarding selling on Etsy?
I think the best advice I was ever given about Etsy is to promote yourself outside of Etsy. Etsy has brought me many great things- wholesale orders, new community, etc but to be successful, you need to have sales outside of Etsy.

Do you have any upcoming shows, events or projects?
I am very busy with shows during the holidays and I will be keeping an updated calendar in my shop announcement.

If you enjoyed this Artist Feature, check out the ones I did on, lewesiaglass, jessijewels, CelticKnot, and hdawnparratt.

The Lovely Ms Linda!

2008-11-11T12:09:00.002-07:00

I just got a convo from the lovely Ms Lindabutterfly letting me know that I'm in her gorgeous new Treasury! :)

She added my By The Seashore shell bracelet to this beautiful collection. Thanks, Linda!

Alberta Rocks!

2008-11-06T10:20:00.002-07:00

I'm in a Treasury! This beautiful collection was put together by MyGrandpasPen (check out her shop for unique and creative handcrafted cards). She's clearly a talented Treasury creator, and I'm just thrilled to find my sister's Purple Thistle photograph included! :)

Alberta Street Team

Etsy Finds- LaurenAlexander

2008-11-05T21:20:00.007-07:00

I adore owls! :) And searching through Etsy this fine evening I found a stunning set of prints that I thought should be shared with a wider audience. These glorious creations by LaurenAlexander would be a gorgeous addition to any room of the house!

(Click photos to view items.)

Check out this adorable ACEO....

And this fabulous little painting. :)

LaurenAlexander has an amazing selection of colourful pieces with 154 listings to choose from.

Check out my other great finds by clicking on the "etsy finds" tag below. :)

And the giveaway begins!

2008-10-31T21:12:00.003-06:00

The holiday giveaway that I posted about yesterday has now officially begun! The giveaway runs for the month of November, and there are 30 fabulous prizes to be won. Visit SweetFigments.blogspot.com for details on how to enter! :)

Christmas Blog Giveaway!

2008-10-30T21:11:00.001-06:00

I signed up to participate in a Christmas blog giveaway being run by TheTinyFig this holiday season. I donated a pair of earrings (center bottom, the green ones) which will go to one lucky contest participant. :) The giveaway opens tomorrow, so keep an eye out for more information on how to enter!

A little PICK me up!

2008-10-28T12:43:00.000-06:00

I managed to snag a Treasury West the other day, and I was feeling a bit down at the time, so I decided to make it a Pick Me Up collection. Beautiful items to lift your mood. :) I found these pieces from the shops of friends, and it's one of my favourite Treasuries ever.

(See below for a diagram of links to these items.)

Bitty Bird * Watercolour * The Ocean.....

Tropical * Cloud Dance * Pink Rose

Ruffles Hat * Wave Rider * Coffee Mug

Glass Pendant * Poppies * Glamor Ring

Etsy Finds - Christmas and Holiday cards

2008-10-16T09:39:00.000-06:00

That's right, the time has come to start thinking about who you're going to send holiday or Christmas cards to, and what kinds of beautiful cards you will choose! :) This is a great time to get your hands on some items from the talented card makers on Etsy. Here are a few of my picks.

From hdawnparratt - Deck The Halls Cat Card

(click photos to view items)

And Snowmen Sleigh Ride

From jessijewels- Merry Christmas

And Happy Holidays

From rubyclover - Christmas Cards, Set of 2

And Santa Christmas Cards, set of 2

Interested in my other Etsy Finds? Click on the "etsy finds" tag at the bottom of this post. :)

Etsy Finds - laurali

2008-10-15T13:20:00.000-06:00

An Etsy friend of mine, jessijewels, pointed me towards laurili's shop today and her work is so amazing that I just had to show it off. :)

This gorgeous Siamese cat pendant made from polymer clay really caught my eye.

(click photos to view items)

She also has some truly gorgeous art prints.

And show-stopping ACEOs. :)

Take a minute to check out the rest of her shop! You won't be disappointed. :)

Etsy Finds - Handpainted Glass Sunflower Pendant

2008-10-14T21:50:00.000-06:00

This hand painted glass sunflower pendant by LewesiaGlass is absolutely stunning! I love the colours and the way the light shines through it. This piece would also make a beautiful sun-catcher. :)

(click the image to view item)

Learn more about Lynn and her painting techniques in this feature I did on her - Featured Artist- LewesiaGlass.

My First Time Being Featured!

2008-09-29T10:10:00.000-06:00

I've done features on fellow Etsy artists here on my blog, but have never had the honour of being featured anywhere before. I got a wonderful surprise this morning when a lady I made a pay-it-forward banner for sent me the link to the feature she did on me on her blog! :D I'm so excited! What a wonderful feeling. :D

Check it out: The Ordinary Housewife - featured artist- Genuine Article

Kelly has a fabulous little Etsy shop of her own, which she just started listing in this past weekend. :) She does wonderful work with silk and crochet.

(click the images to view the items)

Isn't this the most gorgeous shade of turquoise? :)

An adorable hat for the stylish toddler.

This charming scarf would be the perfect accent to any outfit.

And check out her work painting on silk!

Take a look at some of the features I've done on other Etsy artists- jessijewels, CelticKnot, hdawnparratt, and lewesiaglass.

I'm on the Front Page!!!

2008-09-12T14:43:00.000-06:00

Whoohooo!!! I just got a convo from the curator of a Treasury West that I'm in telling me that the Treasury made the front page of Etsy.com!!! :D

This gorgeous collection was created by floralia. Check out her amazing art prints! :)

Hushhh......

Mine are the Moonshine earrings at the bottom center.

Featured Artist - lewesiaglass

2008-09-10T09:55:00.001-06:00

I met Lynn from lewesiaglass in the Etsy forums- the Group Hug thread to be specific. She's such a warm, kind, and talented woman that I couldn't help but like her immediately. :)

Lynn lives in the UK, has raised three grown sons, loves to travel with her husband of 41 years, and finds glass painting to be a very relaxing hobby. She takes her beautiful creations to craft fairs where she has been quite successful, and also sells her amazing pieces on Etsy.

I just placed a custom order with her for my sister, and she's already been really wonderful to deal with. :)

I recently interviewed Lynn. Here are my questions and her answers. (Click on the photos to view the items.)

What first interested you in glass painting, and how long have you been doing it?

About 12 years ago I visited a craft fair,in our local area, and just by chance there was a glass painter there. I liked the look of it, and thought, I'll try that. That was it, I was hooked.

Can you describe the process of your pieces from start to finish?

Firstly I just look at a the shape of the glass, be it a vase, candle holder, bottle, photo frame, and imagine what would fit the shape. The next step is the cerne relief outline, which is applied and then left for 24 hours to set. The outline leaves a well to which I apply the paint. I mix the paint straight on the glass, so half the time I have no idea if I am marbling how the paint will turn out. Again, I leave it for another 24 hours. Lastly, I add the finishing touches- the staimens in flowers and the viens in the leaves, and at last it goes into the oven for 2 hours to harden off. The last thing I do is wash it, and that's when it sparkles. I get great pleasure to think I have painted this!

What inspires you with your painting?

Anything. I love just to paint. I see glass, I want to paint it.

Do you have a favourite colour or technique to work with?

I suppose green and blue are my favourite colours. Green leaves, tree grass. And blue, there are so many shades of blue. My favourite technique is marbling. I mix the colours straight onto the glass, so in effect, I really don't know how they will turn out. I like doing that.

Do you enjoy painting on any one item in particular?

All items of glass are my favourites, because you start with a clean clear object, and you add to it, hopefully with a beautiful design that someone other than you will love.

What is your favourite item currently for sale in your shop?

My favourite item for sale in my shop is, the square white
and yellow iris.

How much time would you say you spend each day on your craft?

Whatever spare time I have, some days the ideas keep coming and other days not, I'm like all craft workers, you have good and bad creative days.

How did you first discover Etsy?

My daughter-in-law, she told me about this terrific site she had found, and told me, no one does hand painted glass like you, they will love it, but then she's biased!

What is your favourite part of Etsy?

I love the craftsmanship of so many talented people here on Etsy, the time the love and the patience they put into their craft, also the friendliness of it, I have been blessed with meeting alot of good friends just by being on the forums. Etsians also offer so much help.

Do you sell anywhere other than Etsy?

I do the occasional craft fair, not many because there is only so much that I can paint, and if it ever became a job, where I knew I had to paint, my pleasure would be gone.

If you enjoyed this Artist Feature, check out the ones I did on jessijewels, CelticKnot, and hdawnparratt.

Poll: Be Surprised or Know Upfront?

2008-09-02T18:12:00.000-06:00

Would you rather know that you're getting a free gift with purchase, or be surprised when you open the package?

I have been including freebies in my packages and letting it be a surprise, because I think that surprises are fun. But I wonder if mentioning in my shop announcement and/listings that a free gift is included with every purchase might be a bit of an incentive to buy?

I have been sending out free earrings with jewelry purchases, but for the photos that have been bought I couldn't do earrings (I didn't want them to damage the pic in transit), so I included stickers in one (it was to decorate a kids' room, so the stickers were for the kids) and in the other, a bookmark. I was also thinking of branching out into cell phone charms.

So, which do you prefer? To be surprised, or to know up front?

I made one and I'm in one! Treasuries, that is.

2008-09-01T21:51:00.000-06:00

I finally managed to snag another Treasury! I had to wait and wait, but I got a T. West. :) I made it a collection of artists from the very talented Alberta Street Team.

Alberta Bound!

And I'm featured in a Treasury! Collected by the incredibly creative Robin from BeadNestDesigns. Mine is the Rectangle in Red necklace at the top right. :)

With a little help from FRIENDS!

Artist Feature - hdawnparratt

2008-08-28T09:30:00.000-06:00

Heather is a 36 year old embroidery machine operator originally from Nova Scotia. She moved to Alberta three years ago with her husband who is in the military. She loves movies, reading, camping, scrapbooking, making cards, and hockey.

Heather recently joined the newly formed Alberta Street Team which is where I met her. :) I interviewed Heather the other day. Here are my answers and her questions. (Click on the photos to view the listing.)

What first interested you in card making, and how long have you been doing it?

The first thing that interested me in card making was running out of pictures to scrapbook and not wanting to slow down in my crafting I decided to start making cards, I have been doing so for about 2.5 years now. :)

What inspires you?

My husband inspires me and gives me wonderful ideas if you can believe that or not, he goes through my stampin up catalogs and advises me on which sets would sell well, he recommended the fish stamps and the golfing stamps, I have sold enough fish cards to have paid for the stamp set. Another thing that inspires me is making people happy and smile from getting one of my handmade cards, I love reading my feedback on Etsy and that pushes me to do better.

Do you have a favourite colour or technique to work with?

One of my favorite colors are earth tones, oranges, reds, and browns, one of my favorite techniques is the embossing with my cuttlebug machine, I love the effect on the paper.

What is your most popular card category?

I would say the most popular category of cards in my shop are friendship and birthday.

Do you enjoy creating in one category of cards in particular?

Friendship cards are my most favorite to do, cause I can use a variety of stamps and dies for that category.

What is your favourite item currently for sale in your shop?

The most favorite item for sale in my shop right now is my bone jour dog card, I love the French card and love that stamp.

Which item are you most surprised hasn't sold yet?

I'm most surprised that my cat paperbag album hasn't sold, I have it reasonably priced and with the way people talk about their pets in chat I'm surprised it is still for sale and it has the most hearts as well.

How much time would you say you spend each day on your crafts?

I spend about an hour a night on my crafts during the week and maybe 3 hours a day on the weekends (I'm addicted).

How did you first discover Etsy?

I discovered Etsy through the Cricut scrapbooking website, I had someone comment on one of my cards saying that I should sell my cards on Etsy. I tried eBay and it wasn't working so I joined that day I was told about Etsy. So happy I did. :)

What do you wish you had known when you started selling?

I wish I had of known more about pricing my cards, when I first started I listed my cards at $1.99 and sold none, I got advice from other sellers to raise my prices, so I started listing them at $3.50 that is when I started to sell.

What advice do you have for new sellers?

Advice I have to new sellers, is to list daily or renew often and not to get your hopes up to join and start selling right away, every store is different and not everyone does well, and I think some sellers are getting depressed as they are not doing as well as they had hoped. I have met some wonderful sellers on Etsy through chat rooms and I enjoy coming home from work and getting in chat and seeing my Etsy friends, I go there to relax and have fun, I try not to worry about sales, if I do I would drive myself mad, if I sell great if not I'm thankful for having found this amazing site. :)

If you enjoyed this Artist Feature, check out the ones I did on jessijewels and CelticKnot!

Til the cows come home.

2008-08-21T21:19:00.000-06:00

I got a convo tonight that my sister's Mamma Cow and Calves photo is in a Treasury! It was created by MysticStarTreasures. :)

Til the cows come home.

Featured Artist - CelticKnot

2008-08-17T13:41:00.000-06:00

The Etsy forums are a wonderful place to meet talented artists and kind, warm people. I met one such lovely person, Kristine, from CelticKnot a few months ago and have subsequently purchased a pair of her gorgeous earrings as well as two jars of her origami Lucky Stars. :)

Kristine is currently having a really great sale to raise money for a camera. She has tons of beautiful things ready to list in her shop once she's able to take photos of them. So be sure to stop by her little corner of Etsy to check it out. :)

I recently interviewed Kristine, here are my questions and her answers. (Click the photos to view the items.)

What first interested you in jewelry and origami, and how long have you been doing each?

I first became interested in making jewelry during the summer of 2007. My husband was in the Navy at that time and was away on a deployment for several months. I needed a way to pass the time and satisfy my creative side. I researched how to make earrings and dove straight into it. Since then I have been making earrings, bracelets, necklaces, keychains, bookmarks, wine glass charms, cell phone charms, and zipper pulls.

I have been interested in origami for many years, but I was an admirer rather than a creator. I absolutely love stars, so I was extremely excited when I discovered origami lucky stars. In the one month since I made my first star, I have made thousands and they are filling up every possible container in my apartment. They’re very addictive!

What is your favourite colour to work with?

I love to work with silver, blue, and emerald green. Rainbows are frequently seen in my shop.

What style of jewelry do you prefer to make over the others?

I love to make all styles of jewelry, but I would describe the majority of my jewelry as vibrant and fun. My favorite earrings to make are shooting stars and cherry blossoms, and my favorite necklace is my planetary necklace.

What type of jewelry do you, yourself, wear most often?

I wear my gorgeous engagement and wedding rings, a diamond star necklace given to me by my husband when we were dating, and a variety of my own earrings. I love to wear shooting star, Celtic knot, cherry blossom, and rainbow helix earrings. I have recently started making memory wire bracelets, and I have been proudly wearing them.

How did you first discover Etsy?

I was first introduced to Etsy by a friend several years ago. She recommended the site to my in-laws who had a candle business at the time.

What convinced you to sell on Etsy?

I fell in love with Etsy immediately and opened an account when I was encouraged by family, friends, and strangers.

Are you happy with how your shop is going?

At the moment, things are very slow because I no longer have a camera. I have a ton of beautiful earrings and bracelets and lovely lucky stars that I can’t wait to add to my shop. I am currently having a 30% off sale to help buy a camera.

How much time would you say you spend each day on your crafts?

I spend several hours a day on my crafts. I love to make earrings and lucky stars while watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy every evening. I also spend a lot of time in the forums talking to wonderful Etsians, helping to answer their questions, and promoting my shop. Chances are, if you see me in the forums, I’m typing and making lucky stars at the same time. Like I said, they’re addictive!

What advice do you have for new sellers?

My advice for new sellers is to believe in yourself and your crafts. Do not undersell your items; your time, creativity, materials, and talent are worth a lot! Good pictures are essential. Use all of your picture slots; they are very valuable. Photograph your items at different angles, and use size references, whether they are in the picture or described in units within the description. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Get to know your fellow Etsians. Etsy is the nicest, friendliest, most creative and diverse community in the world. I love Etsy!

If you enjoyed this post, check out the Artist Feature I did on jessijewels. :)

My Hard Work Paid Off....

2008-08-15T15:51:00.000-06:00

I discussed in one of my earlier blog posts titled "Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket " that I was creating jewelry to sell to a local bookstore who likes to showcase items by local artists. They bought a batch from me back in May, and were ready for more, so I worked nearly steadily through the whole month of July and into August creating a much larger order.

The tagging and labeling of the pieces actually took longer than creating them, I think! But I finally got it all done and had quite a bit to show for my hard work. :)

The most I made of any one thing was earrings, since they sold quite quickly at the bookstore last time. Here's a few photos of the different earrings laid out on the earring cards I worked so hard on:

This is a shot of them altogether so you can get an idea of how many there were:

A sampling of bracelets:

And all of them together.

A sampling of necklaces (I love the cherry and rose quartz one on the left, but they didn't buy that one):
And all of the necklaces together.

Although the bookstore didn't buy everything, they probably purchased about 3/5 of everything I had created. After my hard work with labeling and tagging, I couldn't bear to remove the tags and photograph the remaining items for my Etsy shop, so I've been finding other ways to use them.

Yesterday I packaged up 4 pairs of earrings, 3 necklaces and 2 bracelets to donate as prizes to a hand mowing competition in Nova Scotia. Sponsors of the competition will get a mention in the cross-country magazine Rural Delivery, which should provide some good exposure for my little Etsy shop. :)

The rest my dad will take down south with him to the town we used to live in to see if the health food store, which sells jewelry, might be interested in me as a supplier.

And when it comes to new items for my Etsy shop, I guess I'll just have to dive back into my bead supply and come up with some new designs. Oh, the humanity. ;)

Windchimes for Sale - 20% off!

2008-08-12T09:43:00.000-06:00

My very dear Etsy friend, Sally, of sallyscreations makes the most amazing windchimes. I bought one a while ago for a friend and she was just thrilled with it! The chiming parts are handcrafted from stained glass and metal tubing, and dangle from a wide variety of objects,. Sally has no shortage of ideas when it comes to these beautiful creations. :)

(click image to view item)

Even though they're often thought of as seasonal (what better way to spend a summer evening than sitting on the porch listening to your windchime?), Sally's chimes are often bought for indoor decoration, especially by those without porches. ;)

Now, as the traditional windchime season comes to a close, Sally has decided to have a sale on all of her glorious windchimes. 20% off!!! Now who can pass that up? ;)

(click image to view item)

This bear chime is one of my personal favourites. My late great uncle would have gotten such a kick out of it!

(click image to view item)

As Luck Would Have It....

2008-08-09T08:51:00.000-06:00

No sooner do I write a blog post about always missing the Treasury than I manage to snag one! :) My luck has changed, whoo!

ANGELic

These are some very talented artists. Take a moment to check out these items and the shops they come from. :)

Top row:
Left - Paris Angels Photomontage
Middle - Memorial Custom Pet Purse
Right - High Heraldry
Second row:
Left - L oved Beach Angel Mermaid
Middle- Rainbow Peace Angel
Right - Orange Feather Angel Wings
Third row:
Left - firefly - necklace
Middle - Angel Heart Glass Necklace
Right- ACEO Lilac or Black Angel Print
Bottom row:
Left - All Dogs Go To Heaven
Middle - Flame Angel
Right - Aurora Hot Angel

Treasury- Swing and Miss

2008-08-08T12:00:00.001-06:00

I love to make Treasuries. Sifting through Etsy looking for phenomenal products with great photos is a lot of fun. I realized that it's been quite a while since I actually made a Treasury, so I recently started checking both the Main Treasury and Treasury West to see if I could catch one.

But luck just isn't on my side. Every time I look they're both very full, meaning it will be awhile before either one opens up again. And when they get to be about an hour or two from opening up, I wind up distracted with a chore or end up going for a walk.

I used to have really good "Treasury Karma" and was able to catch one every time I put my mind to it. I learned a great trick from some people in the forums - never refresh the page. If you refresh it, you resend all of the info and are likely to lose your space. But if you just leave it open and you're patient enough, it will always open up for you. Using that technique, I've snagged a Treasury every time I've sat and waited and been on time.

My problem at the moment is never catching it at the right time to sit and wait. But I shall not give up! I'm sure that my luck will change back and I will once again be a Golden Treasury Snatcher. Oh yes..... I will snatch a Treasury......

Polishing and Caring for Sterling Silver

2008-08-06T15:40:00.000-06:00

I love working with sterling silver. It's beautiful, classic and best of all, quality. But as with any silver product, it will tarnish over time and with exposure to air, light and skin oils. This can be a frustrating process, watching your lovely pieces of shiny silver turn brown. I became quite frustrated with it myself, both with my finished jewelry and with my sterling wire supply, so I researched sterling silver polishing on the internet.

You can use regular silver polish on it, but I have sensitivities to chemical products like that, so I searched further for a more natural solution, and found two.

The first is a slightly more complicated method, but works very well in a hands-off fashion.

-Line the inside of a small bowl with tin foil.

-Put 1 tsp each of salt and baking soda into the bottom of the bowl.

-Fill it with tap water as hot as you can run it, stirring to dissolve the salt and baking soda.

-Add your sterling jewelry to the solution, making sure that the pieces are touching the tin foil as well as each other.

-Leave for about 5 minutes, then pour off the hot water and rinse well. Pat dry.

The second method is more time consuming, depending on how many pieces you're polishing, and it requires more hands-on involvement, but it seems to last longer and is, in my opinion, superior.

-Pour a bit of baking soda onto a plate.

-Make your fingers wet and dip them into the baking soda.

-Rub the paste gently on the sterling silver until it's shiny again.

-Rinse well and pat dry.

I've tried a couple of different brands of baking soda and have found that Arm and Hammer is the very best. It cut my polishing time down in half and worked twice as well as the President's Choice brand. :)

Note: use caution with pieces that incorporate dyed beads, beads covered in a coating or foil (I made this mistake with pink seed beads that had a fine coating), or pearls, which can be delicate. If you're the creator and have some spare beads of the type used in the jewelry, test the method on them alone before polishing the finished piece. If you've purchased the item and don't have spare beads, consider asking the seller about their polishing method if you're unsure.

Store the polished jewelry in a dark, airless place. I generally keep mine in a sealed plastic bag (with the air pressed out) in a tin container with the lid on, but I have found that some earrings I stored in a small plastic container with the lid on remained shiny for a very long time.

I wrote up care instructions cards in Print Shop with the second method, and I print them onto pre-perforated business card paper I buy at Staples. I include one in all of my Etsy packages. :)

Subscribe to New Posts

2008-08-03T12:17:00.000-06:00

I think that there may always have been a little tiny, nondescript link at the very bottom of my blog that people could click to subscribe to my blog and receive an email when I make a new post, but to be honest, the Live Bookmark thing doesn't make much sense to me, so I don't see how anyone who isn't completely computer savvy would see and understand it.

I would like people to be able to easily subscribe to my posts if they find my blog interesting and useful, but wasn't sure what to do to make it simple and user-friendly. The other day, I ran across someone's blogger page, and they had in the side column something that looked exactly like what I was going for. So I came back here to my own blog and popped up the "add a page element" box and sure enough there was an easy-to-add subscription element.

So I now have over on the right, just under my About Me box, two subscription links. One to Posts and one to All Comments. I've tried to figure out exactly how it all works, but I'm not sure that I understand it. It seems that you need to have some kind of blog reading page set up already, rather than just receiving a simple email. So, in that respect, it isn't the instant fix that I was hoping for, however perhaps someone who reads this post will understand more and can explain it as a comment.

And for those who do understand it, I hope that you will subscribe to this blog and enjoy many more posts to come. :)

Featured Artist - jessijewels

2008-07-30T11:30:00.001-06:00

Jessi is a 32 year old graphic designer who works in the art department of a catalog company. She lives in southern Connecticut with her husband of 7 years, and creates handcrafted jewelry and cards in her spare time. She enjoys gardening, shopping at flea markets, and spending time with family and friends.

She joined Etsy in January of this year, and has been a seller for about 6 months. I have personally purchased a pair of earrings and a card from her, and was absolutely thrilled with the quality and creativity. :)

I recently interviewed Jessi, here are my questions and her answers.

What first interested you in jewelry and card making, and how long have you been doing each?

I've always loved jewelry and I've been into art for as long as I can remember. I graduated Elementary School and High School being known as the Most Artistic (kinda funny since I can't draw worth beans!). I won a gold key for an art piece in HS and also designed the cover for our graduation booklet. I was chairperson for the National Art Honor Society and every year held a workshop to involve kids with art projects.

I'd have to say that I first became really interested in making jewelry about 7-8 years ago, before I was about to get married. I was looking for ways to save money and decided that I would attempt making the earrings and necklaces for my wedding party (to save more money I hand painted each clay pot that I used as wedding favors, put together all the flower arrangements for the centerpieces, and added my own touch to the invitations... proof that if you do more, you can save more when you're planning a wedding. :)

I started making scrapbooks before I got into card making. It all started around the same time (7-8 years ago). My first one was a "me & mom" scrapbook that I presented to her the day that I got married.

Which is your favourite, if you had to pick between the two?

I can't really choose one over the other. I constantly switch between the two crafts so they stay interesting to me. "Some days are diamonds and some days are scrap." Of course, having two very different crafts that I can go between at all times makes for twice the mess though! I think it really helps keep the ideas flowing and it's only work if you get bored doing it and I never want that to happen.

Which have you had more success with?

I have had quite a bit of success with my jewelry. Every year my aunt and I have a jewelry party and we both make out really well. I've also had jewelry at an art gallery, and sold some pieces at an annual fair/flea market that's in town. I've never sold my cards before joining Etsy, but I am proud to say that people have been scooping them up! For the past 6 years or so, I have been making all of my Christmas cards and I always get such great feedback from friends and family. They tell me that they look forward to getting my cards every year. I'm kind of afraid that I'll never be able to stop making them by hand or they'll come after me!!!

What is your favourite colour to work with?

I don't have one! I use silver more than gold because that's what I personally like best. In order for me to sell something I have to like it. That means the style, color and items used. I use all types of colors and gemstones, glass, crystals and metals. New and vintage. Dainty and bold. They say "variety is the spice of life" so that's what I shoot for. I like silver best but I make some copper, brass and gold colored items as well.

What style of jewelry do you prefer to make over the others?

I guess I'd have to say earrings because I can usually bang them out pretty quickly if I get myself on a roll. Bracelets and necklaces are usually more time consuming especially if they're intricate.

What type of jewelry do you, yourself, wear most often?

One thing that everyone knows about me is that I wear silver. I always have AT LEAST 5 sterling bracelets on my left wrist. And I have silver earrings in each of the 7 holes in my ears. I LOVE sparkles and love to wear them on occasion, but for the most part I tend to wear natural stones and crystals.

Is your favourite colour to wear the same as your favourite to work with?

Nope.

How did you first discover Etsy?

I had never even heard of Etsy until I typed "sell handmade jewelry" into the Google box and it popped up. I kinda just stumbled upon it. -Guess it was luck!

What convinced you to sell on Etsy?

After scoping out how Etsy worked, researching it and asking questions in the forums, I decided the first step would be to purchase something and see how it goes. So that was exactly what I did. I found everyone to be friendly and helpful and my order went through and arrived without a hitch. Then I was hooked. I ordered some more items... and some more, and then decided it was time to jump right in and set up my own shop.

Are you happy with how your shop is going?

I think if you were to ask just about anyone, they would probably say the same thing. I do like my shop. I think it's orderly and detailed, easy to understand and a comfortable & friendly place to be in. Just like with anything in life, some days are better then others. Sometimes it feels as though you’re selling things left and right and then next thing you know you're having a dry spell that lasts weeks.

How much time would you say you spend each day on your crafts?

It's different all the time. My husband would say I spend too much time; on my cards especially. It can literally take me hours to think up something and make it happen when it comes to my cards.

What inspires you with jewelry making?

I am most inspired by the "in" colors and seeing what is popular at the moment. I look at magazines and websites to see what's new.

What inspires you with card making?

Occasions- birthdays, anniversaries, etc. There are so many things in life to celebrate or to be thankful for. I want to have a card for everything. I like to use fun stickers, bright colors and papers. I want to get as much use as I can from the items that I have on hand.

Are you involved in any street teams?

I belong to the CT Etsy Street Team, a team specifically for Connecticut Etsians. I also belong to EtsyGreetings.

How has being involved with them changed your Etsy shop and/or you?

Being a part of a team makes me feel like I belong somewhere. A team gives you goals to look forward to, ideas and promos and outlets to sell your items at. They give you that little bit of structure you need in life. :)

Would you recommend teams to other Etsy sellers?

Yes! I have recommended that people join teams. If for no other reason than for the support and friendships you will get from them.

What do you wish you had known when you started selling?

How addicting Etsy is!!! Making treasuries has become a favorite of mine. The couple of threads that I HAVE to check in on everyday. I don't know what I would do without the group of great friends that I've made on "the hug" thread. Of course GenuineArticle, along with SosoRosey, LewesiaGlass and SallysCreations have been the ones that have been there all along. Helpful, supportive and always a friend. A special thanks to all of them and to all of the new shops that I've met along the way.

What advice do you have for new sellers?

My advice to newbies would be to give it time. It usually takes a while to get your shop out there and noticed and to make that first sale. The other thing is to promote your shop the best you can. Put up fliers locally, hang around in the forums, join teams and B&Rs and be social. Good luck to all of you, and most of all, Have Fun!!!

_________________________

Jessi has also had success selling at a local art gallery and at flea markets and craft shows.

She has a vast array of supplies and loves to do custom work. This photograph to the right is just her natural stone collection.

She also has a large collection of vintage beads, as shown below, in addition to glass, crystals, buttons, sterling and charms.

Naughty or Nice?

2008-07-24T11:44:00.000-06:00

My dear Etsy friend Jessi has featured me in another one of her amazing Treasuries! She always has a unique and creative concept for her Treasuries, and I was just delighted to find a photograph that I took featured in her latest. :)

Mine is the Heavenly Clouds photo in the middle on the right hand side.

Have you been NAUGHTY???

by jessijewels

I'm interviewing Jessi to feature her on my blog, so stay tuned to find out more about this creative Etsy seller. :)

Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

2008-07-18T11:36:00.000-06:00

When I first started selling online, pretty much all of my free time was consumed with setting up my Etsy shop, learning about taking product photos and writing good descriptions, and trying to figure out as many of the Etsy "tricks" as I could to make my business successful. It wasn't long before I got into the swing of things and managed to trim down the time it takes me to list a new item from 45 minutes to 15, learned how to photograph an item using 12 shots per piece rather than 50, and had enough practice with creating jewelry that it didn't take me forever to make a pair of earrings.

Once I had a system in place, I found that I had more free time on my hands. And when I thought about what I wanted to do with that time, I realized that photographing and listing the items and promoting my Etsy shop were not the activities that really called to me. I just wanted to make more jewelry. Jewelry that didn't have to be photographed, measured, written about and promoted. The perfect outlet for that came when my dad was in the bookstore at the college he works in, noticed that the woman there has jewelry displays by local artists, and brought up my name. She was very excited to get in more product, so I started making earrings like crazy, and my mom and I beaded a bunch of necklaces and bracelets.

The bookstore woman wanted a little placard with a short bio on us and our business, and a bunch of business cards to put out in addition to the jewelry. It took me a few weeks to get it all together. Learning how to design and print off earring cards took awhile, and making little tags and attaching them to each of the necklaces and bracelets was time consuming, too. Once I had a boxful ready to go, I handed it to my dad and he took it in for me. The woman was over the moon, and bought almost all of it to put out in a little glass display case with only my jewelry in it.

That was back in May. She didn't need anything for June, which was too bad because I'd been hoping that a good sale like that could be a monthly thing, but she does want more product now in July. Apparently, my earrings just flew off the shelves, and now the only items left in my display are a few necklaces on leather cording. It seems that they're not the leather cord crowd, so I'll stick to tiger tail necklaces with this order.

Because the earrings did so well, I'm making them the majority of this order. She bought 9 pairs before, but considering how well they've done, she wants a lot more this time. So I have about 14 pairs made so far, and I'm hard at work on many more.

I love the freedom that comes from knowing that I won't have to photograph, measure, write about and promote these creations. I can make whatever design I want, try it out a couple of different ways without thinking about how similar the internet listings would have looked if I listed three pairs of garnet earrings that look so much alike, and I can concentrate completely on making the earrings without worrying about whether or not they'll photograph well. All I have to do is create them, print off and label the earring cards, and attach the earrings. I can make them look fabulous without thinking about the settings of my camera, and the customers will be able to clearly see what size and colour they are without the mystery that the internet lends to one's pieces.

And best of all, the college bookstore gets WAY more traffic than my Etsy shop. Try as I do to advertise, renew and list, I'm still competing with thousands of other sellers. There are hundreds of thousands of pairs of earrings on Etsy. The college bookstore has me and about three other artists. So at any given time there are probably only 100 pairs of earrings to choose from. And there is also the factor of the impulse buy. You're in the shop for a totally different reason, but you see the shimmering rainbow of labradorite calling to you from a display case called Genuine Article. In person, $20-30 doesn't seem like a lot of money, especially when you can pick them up and twist them in the light. And you also have the added bonus of removing the postal service from the equation. Pick the earrings up, take them to the counter, pay for them and take them home. You could put them on right away, if you wanted. Instant gratification.

So all in all, selling my product to a local store has been an amazing addition to my online business. I have had, and am continuing to have, an incredibly positive experience, and I definitely recommend it to others. Find a local shop (or 2, or 10), take in some of your product and ask if they're interested in selling it from their store. If you choose a location that's appropriate for whatever you make, and they're open to local artisans, you just might wind up with them being your very best customer yet. :)

See the fruits of my labour.

I love being in Treasuries!

2008-07-12T14:47:00.001-06:00

I woke up today to a wonderful surprise - I'm in a Treasury! :) The gorgeous and fabulous Miss Jessi of jessijewels created a beautiful Treasury featuring people from The Hug Thread, a friendly little oasis in the Etsy forums.

The sunflower photo at the top right was taken by my sister, Natashia, and is for sale in our shop. :)

luvin' in the garden ...

Coincidentally, I entered a contest run by CelticKnot today, and won $5 off any item in her shop! I showed Natashia her shop and she fell in love with the Rainbow Helix earrings featured in the above Treasury. Thus, they are no longer available. ;)

The art of photography.

2008-07-02T09:33:00.000-06:00

I've heard a lot of artists in the Etsy forums say that they love to design and create their pieces, and they adore their shops and really enjoy selling online, but they hate photographing their items. I completely agree. I've struggled a lot with my photography. I love creating jewelry, I'm always pondering new designs, pairing beads together in my mind and thinking up names for my future creations. I want all of my pieces to find loving homes, and I know as an online seller and shopper that good photographs are the most important tool when selling over the internet.

Online shopping has its advantages. You can do it in your own time, pop in and out between work or chores, view a wider selection of items than there tends to be in any one regular store, and easily compare similar pieces. But the biggest drawback is that you can't pick up, turn over and feel the object. It can be hard to get a sense of size, true colour, or quality. This is where photos become crucial.

Unfortunately, most people who spend their time sewing, potting, sculpting, painting, making jewelry, etc, aren't spending their time learning to become world class photographers, and we can have a very hard time creating photos that are as incredible as our handcrafted items.

As with all aspects of my business, I want my photographs to be the very best they can be. I want them to have the "lust factor," as my mother calls it. That almost indescribable quality that compels you to click on an item photo no matter what it's a photo of.

The first thing I tried was a homemade light box. I found a tutorial online that described how to cut the top and sides from a cardboard box, cover the spaces with thin paper and aim lights into the box to illuminate the object. Those photos came out quite dim and a bit grainy looking, like so:

I quickly realized that though some people seem to have success with it, this method wasn't working for me. It was suggested to me that one of my items might photograph better on a dark background, so I laid out black paper on the cold stove top, turned on the hood range light, set the camera to flash and gave it a try. It seemed to be an improvement, so I spend a lot of time trying to perfect the technique, using PhotoShop to lighten the pictures where necessary. This is what that looked like:

Even though this seemed to be an improvement on the light box, the photos had an almost surreal quality to them. The black background was a bit stark and didn't help to give any depth or proportion to the items. I had about 30 items in my shop at that time, all photographed this way. They certainly didn't inspire "lust" in me, so how could they do so to my larger audience?

It was at this point that I started to understand why there is such a wide spread opinion that indirect nature light is the best method for photographing one's products. I decided that it was time to give the method a try. After experimenting with several backgrounds, including white and coloured paper, my sister, Natashia, tried an item on a weathered wooden bench that our aunt had given us as a housewarming present. The pale gray wood provided an interesting visual and some perspective to the pieces. Combined with the indirect natural light (the bench is in the shade of the garage) it created photographs that make it look like you can reach out and pick up the items.

Very pleased with this presentation, I set about rephotographing my entire shop. It took a few weeks, but I finally got all of my items changed over and was able to add more (I'm up to 79). I did need something a bit different for the first photograph of my earrings, and that was quickly remedied with a small house plant that I take outside with me.

I love the way that the natural backgrounds in natural light convey such a friendly, summery feel to my whole shop. And they do the most justice to the jewelry that I work so hard on. Now I just have to worry about what I'll do come winter..... ;)

And the winner is....... drumroll

2008-06-28T12:55:00.000-06:00

I just ran my very first contest! I was inspired by two lovely women I met in the Etsy forums, HappyTazzie and CelticKnot who have both run successful contests in the Promotion forum. Sales were slow and I was a bit bored, so I decided to give it a try. :)

I made a post stating that the first 20 people to post in the thread would get their name in the hat, and I would pull for three winners. First place got a $10 discount on any item in my shop, second and third place each got a $5 discount.

It took a lot longer than I thought it would to get 20 people to post, but it was probably due to my choice of day and time (mid afternoon on a Wednesday) and also perhaps because my title wasn't "grabby" enough. But with my frequent, determined posts and the generous help of the people who were involved, we finally made it to 20 contestants before the day was out. :)

I wrote down all the names on paper, cut them apart and then drew for the winners.

First place went to mistym03, who has a very colourful, eclectic little Etsy shop. She chose this gorgeous bracelet that my mother, Juanita, designed and created.

Second place went to mystiqueisland, who has some truly gorgeous photographs for sale in her lovely Etsy shop. She's going on vacation and chose one of my premade vacation banners with her prize money.

The person who won third place in the contest hasn't gotten back to me yet, but I will update this post when I know more! :)

On the whole, I think this contest was a great success! I met a lot of lovely people, and was very blessed to have the support of some friends who helped keep my contest running. A big thank you to jessijewels, Debashri, CelticKnot, BrittanyAlecia and cottonlily for all of your help with keeping the thread bumped up in the quicksand-like environment of the Promotion forum. :)

Wow! I'm in two more fabulous Treasuries!

2008-06-25T12:56:00.000-06:00

The wonderfully talented Debashri has a knack for Treasuries! And this one may be her best yet!

A big thanks to Deb for including my Setting Sunflower earrings. :)

Meandering through ETSY

And one of my sister, Natashia's, photos is featured in a truly stunning ladybug Treasury assembled by Kalos. Check out her shop for some really gorgeous jewelry. :)

Thank you, Kalos, for including our Ladybug on Rosebush photo!

Lucky Lady

An Earring Whirlwind!

2008-06-25T10:56:00.000-06:00

Earrings are my favourite type of jewelry to make. I love wire wrapping bracelets and necklaces, which can be very meditative and soothing, but earrings are hands down my favourite items. Something about how small they are, and making two pieces that match each other perfectly appeals to me.

I recently ran out of sterling silver earwires and had a forced break from creating earrings. I had placed a large silver order and thought I'd included earwires, but when I ran out of my old stash and checked the new stash I discovered that I'd made a mistake and forgotten to add earwires to the order. I immediately placed a new order, but unfortunately bubble envelopes from the States are taking about 2 weeks to get to Canada, so I was unable to make new earrings for that period of time.

Thus, when my order arrived with 100 shiny new sterling earwires, I got straight to work bring to life designs that had been percolating in my mind. Two days later I had six new pairs of earrings, which I photographed in one afternoon and listed over two days. I'm very proud of this batch and can't wait for them to find loving homes. :D

More good Treasury news!

2008-06-22T09:53:00.000-06:00

Last night I made it to the front page of Etsy!!! The Treasury that I posted about earlier yesterday created by the fabulously talented BeadNestDesigns was chosen by admin to grace the front page! Views in my shop skyrocketed by over 500! About 250 of those directly to our King of the Castle photo, and the rest spread out through our shop. :) It was so exciting!

A truly gorgeous group of items to be included in. So a big thank you to BeadNestDesigns for making one of my Etsy dreams come true!

And as if two Treasuries and a front page slot weren't enough, the incredibly talented Debashri has also featured me in a Treasury! Mine are the Green Leaf earrings in the middle. :)

Debashri's Picks for my friends

Debashri makes the most amazing clay flowers. They look so incredibly delicate and paper thin, you would never know that they're fake, let alone made of clay! Check out her shop for flower arrangements that will last you for years to come. :)

And just when you thought that I couldn't be in any more Treasuries.....

I get by with a little help...

Selected by my very good Etsy friend, jessijewels, who has some amazing jewels of her own. Mine is the Triple Cherry Swirl necklace at the bottom center. :)

Check out Jessi's shop for some incredibly creative, unique and beautiful pieces of jewelry, as well as her handcrafted cards which are better than anything you'll find in the drugstore.

I'm in 2 Treasuries!

2008-06-21T13:56:00.000-06:00

In everyone's life....
Selected by sosorosey, whom I met in the Etsy forums. Mine are the Lemon Drop earrings near the center. :)

Out on a LIMB!! Save me save me!
Selected by BeadNestDesigns, who has an amazing talent for Treasuries. Mine is the King of the Castle cat photo at the bottom left hand corner. :)

A Treasury is a "way to shop" on Etsy. They are collections of items by Etsy artists and can be created by anyone with an Etsy account and enough patience to wait for a spot to open up. They're a great way to get your items seen by more people, and I'm so happy to have been featured in 2!

Be sure to check out both of these lovely ladies' shops! BeadNestDesigns has some really gorgeous jewelry, and sosorosey does amazingly talented things with crochet. :)

The Art of Choosing a Name...

2008-06-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

Before I created a username for Etsy, I started reading through the community forums, which is where I discovered that once you've created your username, you can't change it. So it's important to choose one that you're going to be happy with for your entire time on Etsy. Now if you're just a buyer, this probably isn't a very big deal, but if you're a seller, your username becomes your shop name and therefore your identity.

I wanted to get started setting up my Etsy shop as soon as possible, but I needed that perfect username first. I literally thought about it for days, bringing my mom and younger sister into the conversation. We spit balled ideas and I typed them into the search bar under "Sellers: usernames" to see what was already taken and how many others there already were that were so similar as to be confusing.

The name had to be something that wasn't exclusive to me because though I run the business end of things, my mom and younger sister both contribute jewelry and art to the shop. I wanted a name that was inclusive of all three of us, but would also work if they ever got tired of creating for the shop and it was mine alone.

I was actually doing something else online when I read the word "genuine" somewhere and the phrase "genuine article" popped into my head. I checked with the search bar and discovered that not only was it free, but the other names that included either "genuine" or "article" weren't close enough to cause confusion to someone who was searching for me.

I thought it sounded perfect. My mother, sister and I are all perfectionists, we love to work with quality materials and put our all into making sure that what we send out is the very best possible product. The Genuine Article.

So we had the choice narrowed down to GenuineArticle or MadeInCanada, which was Mom's personal favourite. We settled on GenuineArticle for two reasons: 1- Mom liked that if you fuzz your eyes a bit you can almost see the word "earth" where the two words meet, just without the "H" and 2- it's more fluid, you're not tying yourself to having Canadian items.

We're all very happy with the name, but I have discovered one drawback to it. It's not as unique a thought as I had originally believed. The fact that it wasn't taken on Etsy made me think that finding our shop would be easy for anyone who heard our name. However, after signing up for Google Alerts (where you get an email every time someone searches Google for the word or phrase you created the alert for) I found that even though people put "etsy genuine article" or "genuinearticle etsy" into the search bar multiple times a week, often the links they get back don't take them anywhere near my shop!

I've noticed that a lot of the links that pop up are personal blogs where someone discusses Etsy and mentions something being the "genuine article," so I'm hoping that one of the things this blog will do is bring up a link so that those searching for me will actually find my shop.

So, things to keep in mind when choosing a name:

It's permanent - you can't change it afterwards, and naming your shop something different from your username is confusing.
Be original - you want people searching online to have your shop pop up quickly, and for those searching inside Etsy to know which of the results to their search is you.
Be true to yourself - choose a name that represents you and your craft, if you have a long selling career it will be part of your identity for quite awhile.

My Journey With Jewelry

2008-06-19T13:11:00.000-06:00

Ever since I was a little girl I've loved to draw, paint and create. I was a girly-girl, so jewelry was right up there on my list of favourite things. For birthdays and Christmas, my parents would get my sisters and me crafting kits that we just adored. One of my favourites was a "make your own clay beads" kit, which we had a ball turning into gaudy necklaces and bracelets that we thought were just beautiful.

A few years after that, my Girl Guide troop was taking apart old VCRs to learn what they look like inside and I found a spool of copper wire that the Guide leader let me take home. I'm sure that it just looked like trash to her, but I thought it was beautiful. I twisted several strands together and made bracelets and rings out of it. I wasn't very good at tucking the sharp ends in, though, so no one was terribly interested in wearing my creations.

Later, I discovered more tasteful jewelry, falling in love with a tiny beading store in the mall. I had a horrible time choosing what to get, there were bins and bins of shiny, colourful beads, charms and clasps. I finally settled on glass beads, leather cording and animal charms, and made necklaces for me and both my sisters.

Not long ago, my younger sister was at Micheal's and found crafting kits for making your own freshwater pearl necklaces and bracelets. She bought a kit for us both on the condition that I string hers for her. That was how I learned about tiger tail wire and crimping, a technique that I'm quite fond of.

When I first read about Etsy and started setting up shop there last January, I bought a bunch of different beads online. As it turned out, I had no concept of size and 4mm beads will absolutely not thread onto 1.5mm leather cording. Leather cording had been my main focus, but since I suddenly found myself the owner of many tiny beads I had to reevaluate. Enter the tiger tail.

Not long after that, I discovered the art of wire wrapping through online video tutorials. It took quite a bit of practice, but it's now my absolute favourite technique.

Collecting appropriate supplies and findings took me a lot longer than I thought it would, so I wasn't able to actually start listing on Etsy until February 20th. I had my first few sales within the first week, bought by some darling women I know from a message board that I moderate. It wasn't long after that that I had my first sale to a stranger, which was a fabulous feeling. :)

Since then, my Etsy sales have been up and down, with the biggest "high" coming only yesterday when I sold 3 things in one day for the first time ever! I have my fingers crossed that this is the start of more consistent sales.

So that's sort of the history of my jewelry career up until now in a nutshell. (A nice big nut shell. ;)

The Genuine Article

Happy Holidays!

Huge Teamwide Sale!

Huge Giveaway!

Alberta Team May Madness Sale!

I'm an Origami Goner!

HUGE sale and GIVEAWAY going on now!

St Patty's Day Sale!

I have a stalker!

Beautiful Blue Treasury!

Rings with Bling.

Branching out! Ring making- here I come. :)

Etsy Finds - cindylouwho2

Ocean Blue Treasury!

Etsy Finds - seajewels2005

Featured Artist - 2monkees

The Lovely Ms Linda!

Alberta Rocks!

Etsy Finds- LaurenAlexander

And the giveaway begins!

Christmas Blog Giveaway!

A little PICK me up!

Etsy Finds - Christmas and Holiday cards

Etsy Finds - laurali

Etsy Finds - Handpainted Glass Sunflower Pendant

My First Time Being Featured!

I'm on the Front Page!!!

Featured Artist - lewesiaglass

Poll: Be Surprised or Know Upfront?

I made one and I'm in one! Treasuries, that is.

Artist Feature - hdawnparratt

Til the cows come home.

Featured Artist - CelticKnot

My Hard Work Paid Off....

Windchimes for Sale - 20% off!

As Luck Would Have It....

Treasury- Swing and Miss

Polishing and Caring for Sterling Silver

Subscribe to New Posts

Featured Artist - jessijewels

Naughty or Nice?

Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

I love being in Treasuries!

The art of photography.

And the winner is....... *drumroll*

Wow! I'm in two more fabulous Treasuries!

An Earring Whirlwind!

More good Treasury news!

I'm in 2 Treasuries!

The Art of Choosing a Name...

My Journey With Jewelry

And the winner is....... drumroll