Weekly Challenge

Hello lovelies!

It's time to announce our Weekly Challenge winner!
This week's theme was "Don't Be Sheepish!"

Our winner is Elizabeth from Foret
with her knock-out Ruby Chandelier Earrings.

Congratulations Elizabeth!

Rebecca chose Elizabeth's entry because "there is nothing sheepish about them at all... bold and colorful and daring!" She also added that she "truly loved the three entries and wouldn't mind having each of them in [her] home!"

A big thank you to
Suz of Simply Suzula
Lisa of ThatOldBlueHouse2
Kristin of loveartworks (better late than never!)
who also participated last week.

You can check out their fabulous entries on our Weekly Challenge page.

Elizabeth's choice for this week's theme:
"blessings to the Gulf waters"

To participate in the fun:
1) Start creating!
2) List the item in your Etsy shop.
3) Contact me with a link to your entry by next Monday (July 5th) 12 midnight EST.

**I just want to remind all of our teammates
who sell vintage or supplies that you can enter too!**

I will post all of the lovely entries on our Weekly Challenge page as they come in. The new winner will be posted here next Wednesday. The winner then gets to choose the following week's theme, and of course, it's winner!

Happy creating!
xo, Jen

Engagement Marketing

I sat in on some of the Virtual Labs that Etsy had while they were in Portland. One of the topics was Engagement Marketing. The definition of which is building an audience with ongoing relationships.

Approach people as friends. Don't let your first interaction be about selling your creations. Earn the right to market to people. People who tweet, read blogs, visit facebook have a great tool to turn your "pitch" off with the ease of a click, their mouse. We are all so overwhelmed and over communicated with stuff... if people feel that you are not sincere or authentic they will just turn you off. It is so much harder to win people back then to gain their trust first.

People value little tidbits of helpful information. Rather then tweet "just listed," or updating your Facebook or blog with your wares share something useful. If you blog, why not do a tutorial. It doesn't even have to be in your area of expertise. Maybe you have a recipe that you really love. Or, a hint on the best place to purchase ink cartridges (sorry I couldn't think of anything else). Be the person that the audience seeks out for valuable information. Once they think of you this way they will listen/read about your creations. Even better, they will give you feedback on what they think about them!

Have a great 4th of July!

Member Interview

Who are you? 

Rasa of Happyment and MissScarfy. 

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m Rasa Spulle and I live in Latvia. That’s one of those small countries near the Baltic Sea, in the north of Eastern Europe. My life is often divided between the capital and a picturesque town in the middle of national park. I’ve degree in management of arts, but somehow I felt that it’s not enough for me to help others to be creative; I wanted the creativity to be part of my life too.

I have two shops on Etsy. Happyment is quite eclectic. I started out selling felted brooches, but I love to play with different media – vintage fabrics and lace, beads, wood, paper. My favourite tool is brush, so sometimes I give in and add some paint too. The name Happyment comes from a song by Swedish band Komeda and I enjoy the many explanations and associations this word has. None is wrong.

 

 My other shop is MissScarfy (the name just got stuck in my head) and, yes, it’s about scarves. At the moment I’m working on new designs and waiting for a colder season to speed things up again.

How did you learn about Etsy Project Embrace?

Kim a.k.a. slinkymalinkicat told me about Laura and invited me to join the group in the very beginning. It has been wonderful to see it grow.

What is your favorite item in your shop at the moment?

  

My favourites are the rose brooches, although I’m learning enameling and working a new collection of enamelled jewelry, so all my thoughts and excitement goes for it at the moment.

What is your favorite possession, and why do you cherish it?

There are a few things that relate to my family history - grandfather’s photo album, an embroidered handkerchief, a dress made by my grandmother. Postcards they wrote to each other. That sort of things.

What do you collect?

I’m into all kinds of beautiful or artistic things, but I don’t have any collections. I’d say I collect stories – who made it, how it was made, where it came from, to whom it belonged. Actually I’m into all kinds of stories – theatre, film, literature, music, etc. Half a kingdom for a good story! I’m always curious what motivates and inspires people.

Where would you like to be and what do you hope to be doing ten years from now?

I’m not a planner and ten years is quite much time. I’m a bit like a skydiver – ready to pack my belongings and grab the chance. The most important for me is to be happy with what I do, to be open to new experiences and learn from them, to enjoy the journey. Even if it sounds like a cliché.

Weekly Challenge

Hello lovelies!

It's that time again!
This week's theme was "a picnic in the park"
Our one and only entry came from Rebecca of Knee Deep Originals. Her gorgeous Summer Flowers wine glass charms are therefore our winner.

Congratulations Rebecca!
And thank you so much for your ongoing participation in our Weekly Challenges!

Since we had just one entry, I decided to peek through "teamepe" tagged listings and look for some pieces that would have fit this week's theme:

You could use this pretty stationery from paperinstyle to invite your friends.

This pretty pastel tray from Sigmosaics would be an adorable way to serve food.

Care to do a little birdwatching?
These vintage binoculars from opendoorstudio will do the trick!

What to wear? Well, you could start with this sundress from goodmorning...

... accessorize with this sweet bracelet from adornbyamysingley...

...and finish off your look with this vintage basket weave handbag from 5gardenias.


Rebecca's choice for this week's theme:

"Don't Be Sheepish!"

To participate in the fun:
1) Start creating!
2) List the item in your Etsy shop.
3) Contact me with a link to your entry by next Monday (June 28th) 12 midnight EST.

**I just want to remind all of our teammates
who sell vintage or supplies that you can enter too!**

I will post all of the lovely entries on our Weekly Challenge page as they come in. The new winner will be posted here next Wednesday. The winner then gets to choose the following week's theme, and of course, it's winner!

Happy creating!
xo, Jen

Member Interview

Who are you?

Lisa of That Old Blue House.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Green Valley, IL. A small town of 700ish, a short distance from Peoria. I think I have the best of both worlds, small town life but only a 2.5-3 hour drive to the big cities.. St. Louis or Chicago.

Over twenty years ago I took a stained glass class while I was dating my future husband. I fell in love with glass ... and him too! After our first child was born, I wanted to be a stay at home mom so I sold my suncatchers at craft shows, shops, etc.... to bring some money in. Through the years it has evolved to what it is today ... jewelry made with vintage quilts, lace, paper and found objects.

My business name That Old Blue House came from the old family tenant farmhouse we live in that has blue siding! I have just recently opened a second shop on Etsy InaMaeVintage, named after my Grandmother.

How did you learn about Etsy Project Embrace?

I learned of Etsy Project Embrace from all the gorgeous Treasuries made by members, and friendships with a couple members. I decided to join this wonderful team after my good friend had a recurrence of her cancer, and have seen lots of other friends and acquaintances diagnosed with cancer lately.

 What is your favorite item in your shop?

My favorite item in my shop is probably my heart lace pendant. I love hearts, even though these are my least favorite items to make!

What is your favorite possession?

My favorite possession is a ring of my Grandmother's that my mother gave me when I graduated from college. She had passed away when I was much younger, and it really is special to me.

I gave my daughter a ring from her grandmother when she graduated college last year ... Maybe this will be a start of a fun tradition.

What do you collect?

Old postcards and paper. I am starting to delve into collecting old photos and snapshots.

Where would you like to be and what do you hope to be doing ten years from now?

I would like to still be creating and selling ... It scares me to think who will buy from a 60 year OLD lady. Oh, well time will tell!!

Weekly Challenge

Hello lovelies!

It's that time again!
This week's theme was "fun in the sun!"

And our winner is Mickey from Beggars Tomb Pottery
with her cute little Blue Marble Flip Flops.

Congratulations Mickey!

Mollie chose Mickey's entry "for the happy memories of summers past, and sweet anticipation of summers yet to come, that they'll bring indoors year round."

A big thank you to
Jean (3squares)
Rose (Waterrose)
Lisa (ThatOldBlueHouse2)
Katie (Black Star)
Rebecca (Knee Deep Originals)
who also participated last week.
You can check out their fabulous entries on our Weekly Challenge page.

Mickey's choice for this week's theme:
"a picnic in the park"

To participate in the fun:
1) Start creating!
2) List the item in your Etsy shop.
3) Contact me with a link to your entry by next Monday (June 21th) 12 midnight EST.

**I just want to remind all of our teammates
who sell vintage or supplies that you can enter too!**

I will post all of the lovely entries on our Weekly Challenge page as they come in. The new winner will be posted here next Wednesday. The winner then gets to choose the following week's theme, and of course, it's winner!

Happy creating!
xo, Jen

What's Your Location?

I was browsing Etsy the other day and when I find a shop that I like I almost always look to see where it is located. I am always surprised when people use odd locations in their "locations" option. Things like, "where harry potter lives, somewhere over the rainbow, Wrigley field, etc." While it's fun to read these things it does nothing to help you when someone is shopping by location.

The location feature on Etsy allows people to shop local or in certain areas of their choice. But if you put in a cute location, the etsy database is not going to list your shop when your potential customer does a search. I would also recommend not stuffing your location. I use my city and state. It's important to use city, state, country since someone living in Bavaria may not know where Cleveland is. Then there is the confusion of which Cleveland you live in -- Cleveland, Ohio or Cleveland, Tennessee? Or, any of the other locations.

I also like to know where you are so that I have an idea of how long it may take for my purchase to arrive. Plus, I know whether or not the item can be tracked through the postal system. It also helps when I order. If I'm shopping in the late afternoon and find something I want from Germany, then I know the shop keeper probably will not see my order until the next day. Knowing that keeps me from being anxious if I don't hear for the seller for a day.

What is your location?

Member Interview

Who are you?

Hi! I’m Karon of Wild Woman Jewelry and The Garden Shed.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I live with my husband in Fredericton (our small capital city in New Brunswick, Canada) and we spend summers and lots of weekends at our cottage about 40 minutes from town. We are lucky to be close to the water (a river and a lake) in both places - the sparkles of dancing sunlight, the movement of the water, the birds, the sunrises and all the beautiful blues and greens connect me to nature and amaze me at such awesome beauty. I garden, read, and love to travel - especially to the seaside. Again, it’s the water that draws me – the amazing colors, and the ocean with its power, immensity and beauty. 

Wild Woman Jewelry and The Garden Shed are my two Etsy shops.

Wild Woman Jewelry was first - I’d been making jewelry for about four years, first as a hobby while I was still teaching. Looking for change and a different creative outlet, I decided to take a break from ‘school’ and really began to focus on my jewelry….the name came from my desire to capture a sense of fun and to touch on that river that runs through each of us, calling us to let go and enjoy and be who we really are…one of my favorite quotes is ‘Well behaved women seldom make history’…for me, this is not a want or need to be well known, but is a gentle reminder that we must follow our own voice in all things for the best possible result to occur! So, that’s what Wild Woman means to me.

 

The Garden Shed really combines several of my loves - my delight with photography, especially photographing flowers (it’s like discovering and seeing whole new and marvelous miniature worlds!), gardening, my own much loved garden shed and my obsession with old, rusty, well-loved ‘stuff’ also known around our house as ‘garden junk’. In this shop, I offer my original photographs and notecards at the moment, but I plan on adding some vintage garden collectibles at some point. I also totally love the photography of my jewelry and that whole aspect of both my Etsy shops.

How did you learn about Etsy Project Embrace?

I learned about Etsy Project Embrace early last July, before we even were Etsy Project Embrace. Kim (slinkymalinkicat) sent me a note while I was on vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine, telling me about Laura and her very recent diagnosis. She wondered if I might be interested in joining her, Amy (thepeachtree) and a few others in donating some or all of the proceeds from one of my pieces in Laura’s honor to ACS. I ‘knew’ Laura a bit, from the treasury of course, and already thought she was generous and delightful! And I was so moved by their efforts and what I could only imagine Laura was dealing with – that I said yes, of course! Just tell me what I can do… I remember Laura writing me a note within a day or two of this and feeling such admiration for her and inspiration from her strength and attitude - I was in for the long term.

What is your favorite item in your shop?

I’ve recently been inspired to create some pieces that remind me of the beach - right now, my favorite items in my jewelry shop are from that collection ~ BoraBora and Dunes Earrings. I love the color and etched finish of the lampwork beads and the silver sparkle! 

I also have a lot of fun with my Flower Child Earrings - I have a little ‘groovy’ in me as well!

What are your favorite possessions? 

My favorite possessions are probably my photo albums - I have tons of them telling the stories of family and friends and adventures going back at least 25 years.

What do you collect?

I collect old stuff – enamelware pitchers and bowls, especially in black and white, small weighscales (the rustier and worn, the better), bowls, garden ‘junk’, and shells and little jars of sand from our travels…and beads, oh the beads!

Where to you hope to be and what do you hope to be doing ten years from now?

In 10 years, I’d just like to be alive, healthy, doing things I love, travelling with my husband and continuing the adventure!

Finds 'n' Fancies

paper or plastic?

Customized Love Letter by WhiteDragonPaper, Recycled Newspaper Necklace by hippiekingdom
Mini Wall Sculptures by Paperfaerie, Bowknot Handbag by babook


March print by essimar

Black Gold Paper Bowl by etco, The Thinker V1 by Kenjio
Comic Book Heart Garland by bookity, Kingyo by naokosstoop

Modern Vintage Child's Chair from lisabretostyle2, Vintage Beaded Necklace from mazuli83
Clump by boxtop, Fisher Price Little People from therunawaypancake

Arny Eco-Friendly Clutch by arnym

Vintage Black & White Clutch from Kathrynnn, Market Bag by TheMissesGlass
Newsprint Plarn by SkeinsandSteins, Plastic Bag Dog by edyodeco

Weekly Challenge

Hello lovelies!

It's once again time to announce our lucky winner!
This week's theme was "wind and water."

The winner is Mollie from Rough Magic Creations
with her stunning Seventh Wave necklace.

Congratulations Mollie!

Rebecca had such a hard time choosing our winner, but decided on Mollie "because that swirl of copper is so like a wave with the sun glistening on it. And the colors of her Peruvian Opal remind me of the wind over the ocean."

A big thank you to
Deanna (Zo-Be Designs)
Jill (Moonlight Beadworks)
Gabriele (emmarts)
Karon (The Garden Shed)
Sam (City Road)
Katie (Black Star)
who also participated last week.
You can check out their fabulous entries on our Weekly Challenge page.

Mollie's choice for this week's theme:
"fun in the sun"

To participate in the fun:
1) Start creating!
2) List the item in your Etsy shop.
3) Contact me with a link to your entry by next Monday (June 14th) 12 midnight EST.

**I just want to remind all of our teammates
who sell vintage or supplies that you can enter too!**

I will post all of the lovely entries on our Weekly Challenge page as they come in. The new winner will be posted here next Wednesday. The winner then gets to choose the following week's theme, and of course, it's winner!

Happy creating!
xo, Jen

Favourite Things

Another Tuesday, another round of favorites! I'm having so much fun reading all your answers and getting to know everyone a little better, so thanks for playing along! I'm not sure what the weather's like all over the world, but I can tell you that in my neck of the woods, it's HOT. The kids are officially out of school for the summer and freedom is hanging in the air. Or maybe that's just humidity...

Today's theme: Summertime (Hot Weather) Favorites

1. What are your favorite summer eats?
2. What's your favorite ice cream (or gelato or custard) flavor? Cone or cup?
3. What was your favorite summer of your childhood?
4. What's your favorite scent of summer?
5. What's your favorite way to beat the heat?

Have fun! --Katie :D

Keeping Your Treasury Tidy

Yep, I said it..."tidy."

Etsy admin does use treasuries with sold items in the collection for the front page. They also use treasuries that are days/week old. However, they will put an alternate in place of the sold item. Since treasuries do not expire and if you don't delete your own then you should consider keeping up with the sold items. I generally check mine once a week and choose to delete some and then replace the sold items with new items from the same shop.

I have noticed in many of my treasuries that one to five items have sold in a very short time. If five have sold you will not have enough alternates to cover the ones sold. Good reason to keep an eye on those rascals!

There is also a bug in treasury making. Some people have found that if you use an item for your treasury that has a number in the title, either that item will not show up, or one of your other items will not show up. It doesn't always happen, but a pattern has been observed. If you have numbers in your titles, you may want to consider taking them out so that people feel safer using your creations.

Clicking and commenting is still important for treasuries. Doing this helps keep the treasury you made on the first page of that huge list. I've seen one of my treasuries stay on the first page for an entire day when it got plenty of comments and clicks.

So, get those brooms and dust mops out and clean up your treasury!

Member Interview

Who are you? 

Suz of Simply Suzula.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. 

 

I used to be named Susan, but that has changed recently. I live in a 75 year old farmhouse on 25 acres of mountainside in middle Tennessee. I've been married 51 years to the same tolerant man, and I'm a great-grandmother. I moved here in 1982 after living near the sea in New Jersey since birth. I miss the sea, but love being a country gal!! 

My Etsy shop is SimplySuzula, and Suzula (or Suz) has become my new name. It was given to me 60-odd years ago by an old Jewish neighbor lady, and lay dormant in my memory until I needed a shop name. I sell anything and everything old...

How did you learn about Etsy Project Embrace? 

I quickly became a Treasury addict, and that's where I "met" Laura and the others. I am a 19 year cancer survivor and have been active in "Relay for Life" and "Reach To Recovery," so a team that raises money to fight cancer is perfect for me.

What is your favorite item in your shop?

My favorite items change rapidly, so here's a linked photo comprising several items.

What is your favorite possession?

My goldfish pond/water garden because my son and I built it together (he did all the hard work). Every spring I add more plants and he adds more rocks. It's an ongoing project that has no end, and I'm OK with that. :)  To see how we built it, please click here or on either picture below.

 

What do you collect?

I collect EVERYTHING vintage, but I keep very little for myself. I do have some nice old glassware, china, and tin stuff which I display in my country home.

Where to you hope to be and what do you hope to be doing ten years from now?

Ten years from now, when I'm approaching 80 (OMG!) and many of my peers are rocking in their rocking chairs, I hope to be sitting in front of my computer listing, and making Treasuries, and posting to my blog.

Finds 'n' Fancies

lighthearted

Third Island From the Left by emmarts, With Her Mary Janes Flying Through the Air by levansphotography
Monster Mook by ilovegreyskies, Dos Palomas banners by aymujer

Salty Seas bracelet by ayofemijewelry, Ocean Swirl Vera scarf from theluckyfish
Your Technicolor Teardrop by laurageorge, (large) Happy Eggcup by elsieteague

Lighthearted by jennifersquires, Cuts of Meat dress by imyourpresent
Don't Hold Back by NanLawson, Monogram Hankies from birdie1

Hey, everyone! This may be the last you hear from me for a little while. I'm compiling and scheduling posts to go out every Thursday, but I doubt there will be much--if any--commentary from this point on. In other words, when you start seeing picture/link-only posts, you'll know I've got my arms full of fresh baby!

Speaking of fresh baby, I thought today's finds embodied playful, child-like sweetness. I can almost smell the baby powder in the air...

Wishing you a whimsical, giggle-filled day! --Katie :D