Friday's Faves: Hey! Teachers! Leave us kids alone!

We don' need no education... Oh, sorry. I was thinking about today's post being about the up and coming new school year and I carried away. If you know what song that's from then you rock and that's all there is to it.

My favorite thing about school starting back up is starting everything new again, new clothes, supplies, a new bag; starting out fresh with a new outlook on life. Then comes finals and I just want to quit school forever. But enough of that, onto the good stuff.

Grey and Yellow Marbled 3 ring binder

This is a handmade binder and I really like the color selection, it's serious and yet fun. I think anyone, from a child to someone in college would enjoy this binder. $17.50 at Manuelasbindery

Agenda Planner for 2011 and 2012

OH. EM. GEE. I am so in love with this! Planner's are so important, especially for students who need to keep track of all their homework and extracurricular activities and who wouldn't want to in something as adorable and fun as this? It even comes with stickers...STICKERS! $40 at veekee780

The Rolston Bag

"It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine." - Mike Meyers, Waynes World.

$138 at shelterprotectsyou

Vintage Wallpaper a Set of 10 Washi Coated Pencils

How adorable are these mini pencils? I prefer pens myself but I think I would use these. $9 at maoiliosa

Handmade Phoenix Pen

Speaking of pens, this one is made from Amboyna Burl and is absolutely beautiful. $35 at WoodManArts

Hand Stamped Bookmark

I chose to showcase this bookmark because I thought it would be a very nice gift to someone going off to college for the first time. $18.50 GracensDesigns

Chickadee Pouches

Are these not the cutest little pencil pouches? And you get two of them! $18 at dwelladorn

Hand Embroidered Eyeglass Case Holder

That's adorable. It's an eyeglass case and it's embroidered.$12 at VintageandWhimsy

Laptop Envelope

Probably the coolest laptop case I have seen yet on Etsy. Yeah, you totally just favorited it didn't you? It's okay, so did I. $128 at Kushn

Friday's Faves: Our Furry Friends

Hello, my name is Sophie, my human is busy today and she asked me to do Friday's Faves, so, naturally, I chose to do it based on my furry friends. So, carry, drag, or call over your furry friend and you both can drool over the finds I sniffed out today.

All Natural Dog Treats Cute As A Button

I would totally eat this. SignatureBonz $5.99

Three Blind Mice eco friendly cat toys

I'm not a huge fan of cats but Mommy said it was biased to do the entire post on dogs. Whatever biased means. And get this! This cat's human let them type of the description! MarvelousMelissa $7.00

Double Sided Hello Blue Pet ID Tag

I'll take two of these clever dog tags please, thanks. id4pet $11.00

Ivory Linen Small Pet Bed

OOooh... I could use one of these in every room. Yep. BreezyBeachCottage $48

Aqua Blue Leather Rose Collar

Bow WOW. I would be the envy of the neighborhood with this one. luxemut $69.95

Oak Canine Caddy Dog Treats Storage Box

Talk about snazzy. WoodTECHWorkshop $148.42












Well, that wraps it up humans and fellow animals. I think my Mom would be really proud of this post. I wonder if I'll get a treat for this?

Special Saturday Post: Money

Ah yes, money. Kind of one of the bigger reasons for doing a craft show other than trying to attract new people, right? Well, today, we're not going to actually talk about how to get more of it, we're going to talk about how you should price, er, display that price I mean.

There's a couple of ways to do it. One is the no brainer of individually pricing each item. But that's time consuming and uses all of your stickers and price tags and can even effect the look of your packaging in a not so good way. I like the idea of grouping items by price and then putting a sign near that group stating how much it is. You could just print a sign off of your computer on just regular paper but that's not very eye catching. My favorite idea of doing this is chalkboard paint. What ever you paint with chalk board paint (cute frame, cookie tray, whatever) it can be reused forever. Where the printed version will get messed up and end up in the garbage creating more trash in the world. It's much more eye catching and draws attention to your booth. It also let's see passerby's your prices which could draw them and see what's so special for it to be priced that particular amount.

Speaking of money, make sure you have some cash on hand to make change, including bills and the kind that jingles in your pocket and somewhere to keep all your hard earned cash safe. Last Saturday I had a yard sale, and I myself used a cigar box that I kept hidden behind a chair in an area that no customer should need to go. Another way of keeping it safe is in an apron with lots of pockets. It also helps to have a good friend helping you out so that you can have an extra pair of eyes to ward off those with sticky fingers and to help with customers fill out papers, place orders, and hand out pamphlets.

Friday's Faves: Watches

I use to wear watches all the time, so much it kind of became my signature. Everyone knew who to ask when they needed to know the time; me. I've been thinking about buying a watch from etsy, or buying the face and creating my own watch band for it. So, here are a few of my favorites and then some.

Hand Tooled Tan or Cocoa Brown Bohemian Leather Snap-on cuff watch

What I love about this watch I think is that green face against the golden brown, detailed leather. It's also custom made to fit! And the price is not bad neither, $42 at creativeurges.

Large Tank Color 2in Solid-Bar

If I were going to make my own watch band I'd choose from one of these, the one dead-center in fact. I just love that cool blue. $10 at WhichWatchDesigns

Vintage Russian Mechanical wristwatch Raketa

I think what catches my eye here is the yellow-ish face and the minimalist design. I think it would look great on a man or woman. $54 at ClockworkUniverse














Sorry for the short post today folks. I had more to show you but one person was on vacation and the other item had been sold, but I hope you enjoyed today's post.

The Pieces of Me Collection by LMG Design

Tell us your name, the name of your shop and what it is that you do here on Etsy.
My name is Lisa and my Etsy shop is The Pieces of Me Collection by LMG design.
It features unique creations from my studio including art, beaded items and recycled puzzle piece jewelry.

What is your family life like? (i.e. how many children, their ages, names, are you a single mom? Are they supportive of what they do and so forth?)
I am happily married with a very supportive husband who met me in college and understands my creative side.
We have three children ages 10, 8 and 5.

Do you have another job outside of Etsy and outside of the home?
I am a working illustrator and graphic designer.

How do you balance home life, Etsy and work?
It is not always easy. Family comes first and that makes being a working artist a little more of a challenge. When I am on a strict deadline for a project, I do explain to the kids that I may need more studio time than usual. It certainly means working 7 days a week at all hours, but I do it so that I can have as close to a balanced life as possible between family and studio.
My Etsy store is a wonderful "side job" for me and it lets me really flex my creative muscles, which I LOVE! I do try to set aside at least one day a month to focus on production for my Etsy shop, or photographing work so that I can list a several pieces a week. That is the intention at least.

What made you decide to sell on Etsy?
I had a surplus of pieces from my studio and was getting a lot of comments on items that I had made for teachers, friends, family. I decided to just give it a go, and so here I am... several years later and still meeting some wonderful people in the process.

Do you feel pretty successful in your Etsy shop or is there room to grow? If you feel successful is there a secret you'd like to share with us?
I think there is always room to grow. For me it is about pushing myself creatively and seeing what I can do with a medium. Recycled art is another really wonderful way of exploring as an artist, so I would like to continue in this direction.

What do you feel makes your shop special and unique?
I would say it is the fact that you will never find the same thing twice. I don't follow a pattern with my work but really create things that might match my mood for that time in the studio or based on a beautiful gemstone, or some new brushes that I want to play with. So, in that sense my shop is truly unique in that pieces are really, really, original. When its gone, its gone! I also think that my recycled puzzle piece art charms are very special. People react to them for different reasons, but they are what I get the most comments on and requests for.


As Mom's, things get chaotic and find it hard to stay focused, how do you stay focused and motivated?
Yes, life of a Mom, is ever-changing, and just like any other working Mom, I am easily effected by "Mommy Guilt". When I feel the pressure of my schedule or am disappointed that I didnt have time in the studio that day because it was spent in the car shuttling kids around, I do my best to let it go and focus on when I will have time. It may mean understanding that creative time won't come for a few days, but realizing that I do need to make the time for it and myself. Going for a walk, playing outside, getting to yoga, all those things help me de-stress and refocus. Same thing with motivation, sometimes it is just about putting on some music that will get you up and moving to make me feel refreshed and ready to start/finish a project. Understand your limits, push those negative thoughts out of your head, and just get back to what makes you happy.

Is there anything else you'd like the readers to know?
If you believe in what you are doing, whether it is painting, knitting, sewing, etc... then keep at going and don't give up. Set realistic goals for yourself, have a plan in mind for your Etsy shop. Is this a hobby for you, a part-time gig or do you want to make it your everything. Once you decide what you want to do, keep at it and don't give up. Stay positive and keep plugging away until you reach your goal.

Special Saturday Post: Displaying

Hello friends, I know it's been a little while since I've done the Special Saturday Post since I went on vacation from blogging for a full week, so here's a little refresher...

Last time we talked about planning the event, when a good time is to have it, where to have it and a list of things you'll need. I also promised to talk more in depth about some of the items on that list and among those items was a way to display, which, in my opinion, is the most important.

As artists, we know that appearance is everything, it draws attention to your item and makes it look nicer, than say, just sitting like a lump on a table next to a bunch of other lump-like-sitting items. Here are some examples I found online.

I like how the items in this one are put on risers, it draws the eye up forcing the one to notice all the different creations. If they had just been laid out on a table a potential buyer might not notice an item or two and walk away from something that they might have bought if it had drawn their attention. I also like that they chose a simple, solid cloth to drape over the risers. The simple background makes the items really pop.

 What I like about this one is the shutter, It has so much potential and can be used to display jewelry, drape scarves, if you attach twine from end to the other you can display cards. The possibilities here are endless.

Here's another example of using a shutter for display. I love how they painted it to match the paintings beside it.

This is so nice. Everything is laid out nicely and neatly, I'm really diggin that stand.

Love how it's organized and I like the signs, isn't chalkboard paint the best?

 

This is great, again, great for jewelry, cards, you can even use it to display your business cards along with some pamphlets, I love this idea, I may use this in the future.

Pretty. Great use of some crates and helps to create its branding.

I hope this gives you guys some ideas and gets you excited about doing your own show in your own town. Next week we'll look at different ways of pricing and creative ways to keep track of your cash. Stay tuned.

Special Saturday Post: The planning

How cute is this? I would definitely head over to this booth at a fair

Planning your own craft show should probably be done WELL ahead of time, you don't went to start making items right at the last minute (although knowing me I would probably do it anyway).

When planning, first thing you should do is figure out the date or at least the month you plan on having your show so that you can give yourself a deadline which will keep you motivated. I think the best time's to do it is right before a holiday like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Christmas and it should be on a weekend at the very least. If you do well in one weekend and you have time before that holiday you could extend it to another weekend.

Okay, so you've got the date set. Now, where will you have it? To keep it on the cheap, you can hold the show inside of your house or the house of a friend. If the weather where you live is nice when you plan on having it you could have it in your backyard or your friend's. If you don't have a place to hold your show, you could try renting a place or ask some local shops that could benefit from your show to set up there. But make sure you choose a place that won't be competing with your products, but compliments it. For example if you make and sell jewelry don't go to a store that sells jewelry, find one that sells handbags. You get the idea.

Now you have a place set, wonderful! Now it's time to compile a list of supplies to collect before the big day:

Tables (You can rent these often from party places or you could borrow them from your church or friend)
Business Cards
Information sheet (ask customers to put their name and email so you can send them a newsletter. You can also use this information to tell them that you're going to extend your show)
Pens (for the information sheet)
*Something to display your items on to make them even prettier!
*Some way of pricing
*Cash box
Change for those with big bills (remember to keep track of how much change is yours so you can put it back once the show is done)
*Bags
*Wrapping paper/ tissue paper
*Flier
*A friend
*Refreshments

Not all of what's listed are must have's, some are just suggestions. The items marked with an asterisk will be talked about in detail in another article. So stay tuned!

Distinctive Decor

Distinctive Decor

Tell us your name, the name of your shop and what it is that you do here on Etsy.
Rhonda Koebel, Distinctive Decor, Hand Painted, Personalized Gifts and Decor

What is your family life like? (i.e. how many children, their ages, names, are you a single mom? Are they supportive of what they do and so forth?)I'm a homeschool mom of 3 kids and have a wonderful supportive husband. He's actually the one that encouraged me to give Etsy and crafting a try.

Do you have another job outside of Etsy and outside of the home?
I homeschool all 3 of my kids which takes quite a bit of time.

How do you balance home life, Etsy and work?
I try to set a schedule to make sure I have time for everyone and everything. It works "most" of the time.

What made you decide to sell on Etsy? I've always loved painting and finally started doing craft shows. They were pretty successful so I finally got the courage to try Etsy.

Do you feel pretty successful in your Etsy shop or is there room to grow? If you feel successful is there a secret you'd like to share with us? I feel successful in my business, but I'm also the type of personality that has to be perfecting everything. I add new items frequently and offer discounts to repeat customers. I think the fact that most of my items are personalized help with my sales.

What do you feel makes your shop special and unique? Everything I offer is completely unique. Ideas come to my mind and I can't rest until I paint them. I love coming up with new ideas and products.

As Mom's, things get chaotic and find it hard to stay focused, how do you stay focused and motivated? I take at least one or two hours after everyone goes to bed, with the house completely quiet for myself or my shop. This helps relieve a lot of the stress of trying to do ten things at once.

Is there anything else you'd like the readers to know?
I'm always looking for new ideas and love to create things with the customer. I love a challenge and am happy to paint a completely new product.

Missy Maddy Shop

Tell us your name, the name of your shop and what it is that you do here on Etsy.
My name is Melinda. My shop is Missy Maddy Shop and I sell classic children's clothes, mostly items for girls.

What is your family life like? (i.e. how many children, their ages, names, are you a single mom? Are they supportive of what they do and so forth?)
I have one daughter, Madeleine, who we call Maddy. She is the inspiration for my shop and everything I design. Maddy just turned one year old this February. My husband, Shawn, is very supportive of my business. He's an incredible father and husband.

Do you have another job outside of Etsy and outside of the home?
Yes, I have a "day" job. However, I work out of my home office, which affords me the time to create and care for Maddy.

How do you balance home life, Etsy and work?
I do? LOL. I break everything down into clusters and assign priority. This allows me to dedicate100% of my time to the most time-sensitive items and move it off my plate. Then on the next one!

What made you decide to sell on Etsy?
I've always loved Etsy and the amazing artists that sell through the site. It really seemed like the most relevant and efficient way to launch my shop's online presence.

Do you feel pretty successful in your Etsy shop or is there room to grow? If you feel successful is there a secret you'd like to share with us?
There is absolutely room to grow. I'm new to Etsy, so I do not have the luxury of hundreds of sales like some of the more senior shops on the site. I think even then, there's always room to grow. Even at my level, I would advise on staying connected with your audience. Take advantage of all the free social media outlets. Also, treat each customer like your only customer. I’m such a stickler for customer service in generally, so I strive to treat all of my customers like gold.

What do you feel makes your shop special and unique?
What brings uniqueness to my shop would definitely be my own personal taste for fashion. I love all that is classic, vintage, and girly. Since all of my designs are for kids, I have my daughter in mind when creating anything. I consider how it would look on her, how flattering is the piece, and most importantly do I absolutely love it. Each item that I offer to the public is a little part of me that I love and have crafted to perfection.

As Mom's, things get chaotic and find it hard to stay focused, how do you stay focused and motivated?
I'm fortunate that I really enjoy what I do. However, sometimes I do get side-tracked with life and lose a little focus. What brings me back is the fact that I love the end result. I love holding that dress that was just a few pieces of fabric and lace when I started and thinking "wow! this looks gawwwgeous!" I actually love my creations so much that I get a little sad each time I have to send it to the client. I always have ideas for new designs or altering existing designs, which keeps me consistently focused on getting it done.

Is there anything else you'd like the readers to know?
Yes! Thank you for reading through my feature and enjoy a special 10% discount on your next purchase at www.missymaddyshop.etsy.com. Just use code "LittleMissCards" at checkout.

Stay connected withe Missy Maddy! Check us out on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MissyMaddy
Blog: www.missymaddy.com/blog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/missymaddyshop

We have new member getting us to 65 minions followers so here is the coupon code of the day!

REFERRAL15  for 15% off at PositivelyWhimsy

Friday's Faves #9

Friday's Faves Theme: Mother's Day

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I thought today's theme was very appropriate. I hope you'll find the perfect gift for the Mom in your life! (Or maybe drop a hint to the hubby for?)

All Natural Clay Trio

Being a Mom can be very stressful and stress isn't just felt, it can be shown; weight gain or loss, tiredness, skin... So why not pamper the Mom in your life by giving her skin some special attention with All Natural Clay Trio by opheliasapothecary. It has three different masks for her to try for $25. I can't wait to try these babies out myself!

8 x 10 custom matboard silhouette pink

How about a custom portrait Mother dearest, yourself or her grandchildren for Mother's Day? Silhouette portraits are VERY popular; they're affordable and fit in with any decor! You can get one at SuzieLouLou for $25.

My Babies

You can never go wrong with jewelry. This custom necklace would make a fantastic gift, you could put her children's names on it or her grandchildren's for $38 for this particular set by hiphophippos (Love the shop name by the way).

Rhinestone Rhonda Mini Blank Book

Two words, brag book. Cute, miniature, photo album to store pics of the kids or grandkids in her purse so she can whip them out and make herself the envy of the neighborhood, cause you know she just has the cutest kids on Earth; or grandkids. You can find this gorgeous one at KandiceInWonderland and many like it (I just love her work!) $20.

Vintage Apothecary Terrarium

I don't know about you, but I've done the whole, give-mom-a-bouquet-for-mothers-day which is nice and every lady loves flowers, but why not something different that's just as lovely and will last longer? Buy her a terrarium! I've always wanted one myself, but you can get one at doodlebirdie for $38.

Vintage Circle Daffodil flower Pin

I think this is a very sweet pin. I think a vintage gift is a very thoughtful, there's just something special about vintage, don't you agree? You can find this lovely pin at HoofAndAntler for $8

Harbinger Journal

This is a great one for husbands to give their Moms-to-be, after all, being a Mom starts as soon as she discovers she's pregnant. This journal can be kept as pregnancy journal or as a way to keep track of all of babies firsts. You can find this at moxieandoliver for $95

Triple 4x6 Distressed Picture Fram

I think this is a very cool and unique idea for framing photos and would make a wonderful gift with photos of the kids or grandkids already in it! Only at roundthebendshop for $55

Magnetic Spice Rack Coral Pink

I absolutely fell in love with this idea the first time I saw it and would love to put one in my Mom's kitchen someday (It would really free up some cabinet space) You can find this and other less expensive versions (and DIY kits) at saltcityspice for $45

Marcela

If you'd like to go with something a little more traditional, like flowers, then go to floresdelsol. There you can find beautiful dried boquets. This one is $45.