Top Shop: Stats Analysis (part 2)

If you read my first top shop article on stats you already know how to use etsy stats and paypal to get a better look at how your shop is really doing. I have discovered yet another way to get a better idea of how you are doing. This time it is especially for your blogger blog and your facebook fanpage.

I had no idea that blogger had all this information readily available. Sign into blogger and look at the tabs under your blog name. The last tab on the right is called Stats. DUH! They have collected some great information there. You can see how many people have checked out your blog in the last day, week, and month. I found the most popular posts to be very helpful, it gave me a better idea of what people really like. Almost 500 people have come to read my DIY article on recycled art postcards. That is far and away the most views for any one of my articles.

Now lets talk about that Facebook fanpage. I know they send you some basic stuff in an email every week, and they have that cute little box of basic insights in the left-hand column of your page, but did you ever think to click on see more? I have never done that as I am assuming many of you have not either. It is full of useful info on who is frequenting your fanpage. Some of which could be very helpful in finding your demographic. While looking at the insights, I found out that the vast majority of people looking at my page were in their 30's to 40's and female. In fact, I had barely any male viewers at all! There were quite a few people who looked at my page but did not comment on my posts. I am hoping to change that shortly. I could use this information for facebook ads, which I am sure they would like, though I will likely use it to discuss topics that are closer to my audience's heart.

What do ya think? Were you surprised by any of the things you found out?

More for Dudes

Can you believe it? One of my golf club covers has made it to the etsy dude list for the second week in a row!

I have heard rumor that once you are on the radar for the front page you get on it more often. I guess the same is true for the Etsy blogs.

Thank you etsy :) you have made my day.

Undiscovered Gold: for DIvas by Divas

Crazy busy is an understatement. It is the time of year when all of us on etsy stock our shops with every item we can think of in hopes that we will make lots of sales. It is also the time of year when new shops open to take advantage of the holiday rush. I think all of us could use a break and relax in a warm bath with some organic bath products.

GreenAfroDiva is here to provide. Her shop is full of bath scrubs, bath soaks and soap, all in unusual scents you are unlikely to find anywhere else. With names like Toffee Crunch and Mochachocolatte, they seem more like tasty treats then bath products.

Working out of Baltimore, MD, GreenAfroDiva is an African American owned company planning on taking over the personal product universe. She currently has bath on lock, and is working on fragrances, makeup, and green baby products. When she is not creating, she is a wife and mother, veteran, and student. You can read more about her on her blog.

Blog Traffic, what do you do?

I have been reading tons of articles online on how to get people to your blog. Most will say to write about things you are passionate about, and to update often. But in this sea of blah, blah, blah, how do you find your eyes?

Twitter and Facebook are definitely one solution. You are on there anyway (well, most of us) so it is easy to mention the link and find an audience of people who are already interested in what we have to say. You may even consider facebook ads. You can spend as little as $1 a day to get your ads in front of stranger's eyes.

Another advertising option I am trying is Project Wonderful. You can put as many boxes on your blog as you like to create revenue, then spend that money on other blog's ad spaces. It is $5 to start. I paid my money a few months ago and have not had to add funds.

The one suggestion I have not seen work is the theory that if you visit other people's blogs and comment it will drive traffic to you. It is a lovely idea that I would love to make work.

What do you do to bring eyes to your blog?

Undiscovered Gold

If you are reading this you have an appreciation of words. I love an interesting font placed just so on a page to give a dramatic effect. Even better is a subtle visual joke. Maybe it is all those years working in graphic design, maybe it is just because it is so different from what I do day to day.

SwellCrafts is filled with such "swell" cards. Even if she took a pen and wrote these sayings on a piece of cardstock, it would be enough. The added bonus of these greeting cards is her font choices and clever little icons added to give that sense of humor.

Lauren, creator of SwellCrafts, is a graphic designer by trade, working in print, web and video. She even has published photographer in her resume! She lives in Arkansas where all of these cards are made by hand and can be customized by request.

The cards are reasonably priced and are made on textured white cardstock. They come with a matching envelope and are tied together with a piece of organic hemp.

Want more? You can find her full design portfolio online, read her blog, and follow her on twitter.  

Kiwi's Blogger Follower Swap

What is a blog swap? Just another way to meet new people and make friends. This blog swap is hosted by kiwivandal on swap-bot.

should be an interesting experience if nothing else. Thanks to berrysweettreats for introducing me to it.

Undiscovered Gold

Bicycle

I wish I took these photographs. That is probably the greatest compliment any artist can give to another, to not just find the beauty in the piece, but to envy that they got to the image first.

Rene Viescas Allen lives in Colorado and travels the countryside to capture abandoned and neglected items scattered through this beautiful landscape. She strives to tell the story of these items in their heyday. A bold and noble task to take on.

Dodge Truck

Rene's shop, Riviescas, is filled with the images from this project. My favorite pieces tend to be the rusted out automobiles, but she also does amazing work capturing flowers and old barn doors. Her colors are so beautifully saturated, you can almost feel the warm sun and the breeze as you look at them.

Retro Fan

You can find her portfolio online and see items not for sale including beautiful portraits, She also lists upcoming exhibits and contact information here. Want to get to know Rene more personally? Check into her blog where she is taking on the overwhelming project of blogging every day for 365 days. If you want to be updated when new images are for sale, be sure to follow her facebook fanpage.

I look forward to seeing this work on the front pages of etsy this fall.

Lets write a blog

I have been racking my brain over the last few days on how to make this blog different and fun for my readers. I dont have the time or energy to constantly come up with new tutorials like I have done in the past. i already feature many great etsians on a weekly basis, but that is done by many handmade blogs all over the internet. The only thing that sets me apart from them is me. i think it is time to get more personal.

But what does one talk about? My kids hold infinite possibilities of wild stories but I dont want to be "that mommy blogger". The thought of talking about my daily creative activities bores even me. So this is what I am proposing: I will publicly humiliate myself. Intreged?

Yes, I have a dark secret hiding in my home. I am a total mess. Have you ever seen the show horders? I would probably be that bad if I let myself go. SO this is my idea. I am going to document the fantastic disorganization and hopefully the process of improvement. By this, my wish is to not only humiliate myself into improving the situation but to inspire others to see there is a table at the bottom of that pile.

Handmade Shop of the Week: Honey from the Bee

Janet Bocciardi opened Honey from the Bee in 2008. In a landscape overflowing with jewelry, she stands out; combining metalwork, beading and color.

Why did you decide to open your handmade shop? 
Jewelry was multiplying and I was losing control! Seriously, I love creating and finding new stones and objects to include in my jewelry. In order to do that, I had to start bringing in some money. After a couple years of successful art fairs, selling to friends and family, and a change in lifestyle that made it difficult to find the time to do future fairs, I decided to go online. It’s been a learning experience, as I spent the first year wondering where everyone was! Just having a stocked shop doesn’t mean folks that will love your work will find you.

Has your inventory changed much since you first opened? 
Yes. I love to learn new things and as I gain new knowledge in techniques I add them to my repertoire of things to pull out of my hat. You’ll find more metalwork and found object pieces now then say 2 years ago. However, I still like to do beadwork and love color, so beads will always be a part of my work.

Who are the majority of your customers? 
Since I don’t meet my online customers face-to-face I’ll just assume they’re similar to those I met through my shows. In fact, those that bought from me there do buy online from me now either directly or with special commissions. Other artists also will buy from me.

They are 25-70 year olds that are confident in who they are and like to wear jewelry that inspires them. They enjoy the interaction they get from others who can’t help but stop them to ask about the jewelry piece they’re wearing. Life’s too short to wear boring jewelry!

Friends and family were my first fans and still some of my biggest.

How did they find you?
my blog http://thehoneyfromthebee.blogspot.com
Repeat customers
Google search
Word of mouth
Etsy, ArtFire, 1000Markets
Newsletter subscribers

What inspires you to create?
Life is the simple answer. A longer answer would be that my love for nature, protecting the environment, family, emotional experiences, new techniques, color, … my favorites to create are those in which I’m telling a story. My story initially, but the most exciting thing happens when the absolutely perfect person finds it and believes somehow I made it just for them. That’s the universal condition isn’t it?

Touching someone with something you’ve created is the best feeling I’ve ever experienced.

What is your favorite item in your shop currently? 

I have a couple that I’ll probably regret selling so I guess they’d be my favorites:
Marie Antoinette bracelet: http://www.etsy.com/listing/33319309/vintage-mother-of-pearl-and-crystal 
And
Happening at the Barnyard as it reminds me of my youth and hanging out and playing in our big red barn:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/16212620/picasso-ammonite-set-in-silver-and-red 

Your most popular item? 
My jewelry is almost all one-of-a-kind, but overall I’d say my earrings are the most popular over the last year. Sign of the economy perhaps or that we all can use another cute pair!

What has been your greatest resource to make your shop successful? 
Facebook and I believe my blog, which I’ve finally accepted and really enjoy posting in. It’s probably not a coincidence that they are both ways for people to get to know me and what makes me tick.

Any changes coming to your shop in the future? 
There will always be new work popping up. I try to improve my photographs constantly to make it easier for customers to see what they’re buying. Change is a necessity, but I don’t have anything else I can think of right now.

How else can we find you online? 
http://honeyfromthebee.artfire.com
http://honeyfromthebee.1000markets.com
http://thehoneyfromthebee.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/honeyfromthebee
http://facebook.com/honeyfromthebee
http://www.honeyfromthebee.com

Any team affiliations?
EtsyTwitter Team
Olympic Peninsula Team (Etsy)
HAFTeam (Etsy & ArtFire)
Pacific Northwest (ArtFire)
ArtFire Metalsmiths

LET'S DO A GIVEAWAY!

Janet wants you to follow her blog to get the latest happenings at Honey from the Bee. If you sign up between now and July 28th and leave a comment here and on her wall, you will be entered to win a pair of her gorgeous Ginger Jar Earrings. She will even let you pick out your favorite color to make them a one-of-a-kind item!

Interested in being shop of the week? email me for information.

Sell Your Soul

lessons from my first year in the handmade community

Today is the first anniversary of my Etsy shop, http://traceyknits.etsy.com. As with any business, it has been a mountain of lessons learned and lots of hard work. I thought today i would share some of the information I have gathered over the last 365 days. Some you may have heard a million times before, others may be new to you, and bits may not apply to you at all. Whatever your experience level, i hope you get a little something out of it.

1. Get started! You may be thinking, that is not really a lesson, but it really is. If you don’t just jump in you will never know if you can make it. I have had many surprising successes and failures but I would have never known if I didn’t try. 
2. Research! My goodness, did I read everything. Etsy provides ALOT of very helpful information for its sellers and you should take the time to read it all. After you have finished that, do a google search and read anything you find there. Be sure to look up sellers who make similar items to yours, if they exist, and see if they share any advice.
3. Create Handmade! It is easy enough if you like what you are doing to do it every day, so do it. 
4. Share! I cannot extol the virtues of sharing your work enough. Just listing things on Etsy is not enough. You must have a twitter account, facebook account, and flickr account. You must list your name on twibs.com (twitter business directory), wefollow.com (get followers), twellow.com (twitter yellow pages). Facebook offers an app where you can connect your etsy shop to your facebook profile, do it! PS: you never know what a google search will pick up on, so the more places you talk about yourself, the more likely someone will find you.
5. Make friends! It is just a nice way of saying “networking”. If you talk about their amazing work to your friends and family, they are sure to do the same. I can’t tell you how many times I have been talking at a craft fair and suggested another etsian who would be a perfect choice for them.
6. Photos make or break it! Take the time to take great photographs and choose the best SQUARE image as your featured picture. I cant tell you the jump in sales I had when i retook the vast majority of my golf club covers. PS: not everyone will buy pre-worn hats or clothing, so make sure to put in the listing if this is the item they will receive or if you can make a new one for them.
7. Tag, your it! Google searches find your items based on the tags you choose. If you have researched the competition, you know how the best sellers label their items. My Yoda golf club cover is knit, used for sports, and is loved by geeks. How would I tag it? EVERYTHING! Plus I make sure to include things like Star Wars, Jedi, driver, and green. You never know what will be that thing that will connect you with that customer.
8. Work every day! Yes, no vacations. Even when i wasn’t knitting or designing a new pattern, I was tweeting, I was writing on my blog, I was listing and relisting items. I have a web enabled phone so i can check for sales or respond to inquiries no matter  where I am. I have NEVER put my shop in vacation mode, even when on vacation.
9. Take advantage of free opportunities! OMG, they are everywhere. I do an article every Monday about another etsy shop and share it with my followers, and I am not the only one! I have had my shop talked about on blogs just by responding to people who want to talk about handmade items. Again, the more you are talked about, the higher you come up on google searches. I have made the mistake of paying to be featured, a mistake I will not make again. 
10. That costs what? Pay yourself fairly! I cannot charge what I deserve for my hand knit items. It is an unfortunate problem for knitters everywhere. SO I started selling the patterns! Now knitters can share the fun experience of creating my golf club covers and hats and non-knitters can buy one already made. It has reduced my shipping costs and increased my sales. I still get to do what I love, but I get paid more of what I deserve.

have a great piece of advice you would like to share? i would love to hear your comments!

Handmade Shop of the Week: Cut Your Heart Out

I found Jessica of Cut Your Heart Out recently while searching for fun shops on etsy. She would describe her work as quirky, offbeat and slightly creepy but I just think of it as cool.

Every piece of jewelry in her shop is unique. As she states on her website,"All of the pieces created and sold are pieces that I would wear myself. I don't make anything that I wouldn't be proud to wear. I also don't believe in putting a high price tag on the items I create so everything you find in my store is affordable and reasonably priced."

Jessica's love of tattoos, Alice in Wonderland, and loud music shine through in each one of her designs. Her favorite materials are stones, glass and paper which she uses often and with great flair.

Besides her etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/cutyourheartout , you should check out her blog http://cutyourheartoutstore.blogspot.com/ and her facebook fanpage http://www.facebook.com/cutyourheartout. Jessica is a proud member of the etsynj team.

Interested in being featured? Email me for more information.

Handmade Shop of the Week: Serendipity

Emily of Serendipity Hand-dyed & Hand-painted Yarn & Roving sells yarn & roving hand-dyed or hand-painted  from non-toxic or natural dyes & mordants. She has been selling her gorgeous fiber on etsy since March 2009, all the while raising children!

Why did you decide to open your handmade shop? 

I dyed some yarn in my kitchen with my kids and it was fun. I thought it was nice but I have a ton of yarn so I put some of it in an Etsy shop and it sold. Since I got such great feedback, I figured I would keep dyeing yarn and then added roving as well. Last Fall we did out first fiber show and it went great. I am a stay-at-home mom right now, I'm hoping this will allow me to continue to do that. I have kept the kids a part of it as well, most of the colors are named by them.

Has your inventory changed much since you first opened? 

As I dye new yarn I try to get it listed in the shop. I only carried some worsted weight superwash merino wool & some sport weight alpaca in the beginning. I have since added other weights in the superwash merino & alpaca, and a really nice alpaca / wool blend.

Who are the majority of your customers? How did they find you? 

My customers online have mostly been from Ravelry, I believe. I try to be active on their forums and in the blogosphere but being Mommy comes first and there only so many hours in the day!!!

What inspires you to create? 

Fun! I look for fun colors or whatever I'm in the mood for that day. I don't have a background in art or anything but having kids gives me a bright and colorful perspective on the things around me. The other day my daughter told me to "look at the pretty sky" as the sun was setting (it was pink and blue streaked across an almost white background sky) since I was dyeing roving at the time, the next one I did was pink and blue with some spots left white, she named it "Sunset".

What is your favorite item in your shop currently? Your most popular item? 

My favorite is the alpaca/wool blends, they take the color in such a pretty, heathered way and they are so, so soft with such a nice luster. I especially like the Seaside, Lime and Outer Banks colorways, since they can be used together for different projects.

I think my most popular item online and at the fiber shows is the fingering weight yarns that are 3 or more colors (mostly used for socks, I'm sure).

What has been your greatest resource to make your shop successful? 

Ravelry has been really amazing. The experienced people on the threads and all their great advice & support have been indispensable. Meeting people at the fiber shows and handing out cards has been helpful as well. I do have a blog but most people seem to reach the shop from Ravelry.

Any changes coming to your shop in the future? 

After a local show this past week I spent a few days photographing a ton of yarn and roving and will be doing 10 (or more) listings a day on the Etsy Shop until they are all up! Plus, I frequently run sales and promotions (10% off, free shipping, etc.).

How else can we find you online? Any team affiliations?
You can reach Serendipity's shop online at www.lilm4105.etsy.com

The blog is at www.lilm4105.blogspot.com

Facebook as Serendipity Hand-dyed & Hand-painted Yarn & Roving

On Ravelry, I'm Lilm4105

Serendipity has recently joined PhatFiber and was in the March box.

LETS DO A GIVEAWAY!

For a chance to win a full skein of alpaca/wool in colorway "Seaside", visit Serendipity and comment here on your favorite item in her shop.

For additional entries, add a comment when you've done any of the following:

-Favorite the shop on etsy www.lilm4105.etsy.com

-Become a fan on the Facebook page

-Follow the blog at www.lilm4105.blogspot.com

-Post to your blog about the giveaway

-Make a purchase from the Etsy shop

Interested in being featured? I am currently looking for shops. Email me for information.

Handmade Shop of the Week: OneTrueTree

Abbey Taylor of OneTrueTree Creations makes handmade toys and accessories. She has been offering her work online since August 2008 with adorable plush animals and dolls.

Why did you decide to open your handmade shop?
I had been considering it off and on for several months, but I didn't go through with it until one of my friends requested a custom owl plushie, after which I was encouraged by her and others to try Etsy. The owl I made for my friend was made for free, but soon after I received a second request for a custom owl from a girl who'd seen photos of the one I made for my friend. Unfortunately, that order fell through, but I made my first sale the next month (a lion plushie!), and the rest is history!

Has your inventory changed much since you first opened?
Yes and no. I'm still making the original patterns from when I opened my shop, but much less frequently. Recently I've been making a lot of "hugglemonsters," which is one of the first patterns I came up with, but never made very often until the past few months. I've also become fascinated with posable art-toys, like my chameleons and monkeys. I'm actually currently working on another posable art-toy project - a pair of cadejo(s?), which are mythical dogs in Central and South American folklore.

Who are the majority of your customers? How did they find you?
I've had a couple friends order custom pieces from me, but the majority of my customers so far (that I can tell), have come to my shop through Livejournal, which I'm no longer actively using as a marketing tool (having switched over to blogspot and twitter), and a few through Deviantart. 

What inspires you to create?
Oh, man. I think I get a lot of my inspiration from fairy tales and stories like that, legends/legendary creatures, or themes like seasons or ecosystems (jungle, savannah, etc)... I have a pretty active imagination, and I've always got new ideas popping into my head; it can actually be a detriment to my productivity level because I'm always trying new patterns instead of staying focused! Occasionally my boyfriend will chime in with a great idea or modification of my ideas. =)

What is your favorite item in your shop currently? Your most popular item?
I think my most popular item would hands-down be my "hugglemonsters," and my personal favorites are my posable chameleons. =)

What has been your greatest resource to make your shop successful?
I think it would have to be Livejournal, thus far! I've always spent a lot of time posting photos of my latest creations on various craft, plushie, and sewing-themed LJ communities. Deviantart has also been helpful in building a "fanbase," and it's also good for keeping a complete gallery of all the things I've created. I recently joined Twitter (@onetruetree), which has been quite fun, but I'm not sure how it has or will impact my shop yet. 

I think more than any particular site, just keeping active, interactive, and listing new things is probably the most helpful thing. =)

Any changes coming to your shop in the future?
I'm really trying to stay focused and keep a steady stream of new inventory coming into my shop, so hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be listing new items at least three times a week. Other than that, I'm considering changing my shipping policy to a set couple of days twice a week, but I've yet to figure out which days would be most convenient for me, so that may or may not happen in the next few weeks or months.

How else can we find you online? Any team affiliations?
I'm not affiliated with any teams, so far, but you can find me all over the place:

Blogspot: http://onetruetreecreations.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/onetruetree
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/onetruetree/
Deviantart: http://onetruetree.deviantart.com
Formspring: http://formspring.me/OneTrueTree

And of course I can be reached by email at ottcreations@yahoo.com =)


A GREAT DEAL!
go to One True Tree Creations and mention TRACEYKNITS and you will receive Free Shipping!


Interested in being featured? email me for more information

Handmade Shop of the Week: Jenco13

Jennifer Kuebrich, of Jenco13, loves to crochet. Her shop featuring adorable coffee cozies and scarves opened January 19, 2008  but didn’t start selling till 2009. Who knew you could save the earth one cup cozie at a time?

Why did you decide to open your handmade shop? 
I opened up my shop because while my husband served in Iraq I made too many scarves. I didn’t know what to do with them until one of my mom’s friends told me about etsy. I spent a year research etsy and figuring out how to put my shop together. Now I have a new reason to keep doing the art I love so much!

Has your inventory changed much since you first opened?
Yes it has—orginally I only had scarves. Since then I have done baby sweaters, baby blankets, shawls and cup cozies. The cup cozies seem to be really popular from my shop.

Who are the majority of your customers? How did they find you?
Most of my customers come from the United States. I have made a couple of international sales this year as well.

First off I have to thank the Etsy Twitter Team (ETT)and MaryMary from Etsy. The ETT is a team on Etsy and they have been a huge support and helped me with advertisements and setting goals for my shop. My first sale came from and ETT member! MaryMary helps customers on etsy find weekend deals through her picks. She had picked up my sale twice this last year. This helped bring in most of my sales.

What inspires you to create? 
Many things inspire me to create. My mom is a graphic artist and painter. She has taught me a lot about putting colors together and always tells me never to give up. My husband, Joe always tells me if things look right from a different point of view and is very supportive of what I do. The two of us have traveled the country so the colors on our road trips are also big inspirations. I love to sight see while he drives!!

I also find inspiration from my Dad who owns his own construction company. Dad’s final product always inspires me to try different things that I think I can’t do. Its amazing how all three of these people help me to create my items!

What is your favorite item in your shop currently? Your most popular item? 
Hmmm. This is a tough one cause I love them all!! I really do like my shawl though—the colors are really amazing and it was created on one of my road trips across the east coast.

My most popular item is the cup cozy—did you know by using one of the cup cozies you can help the plant out? If you drink one cup of coffee a day in a take through and use one of the cardboard sleaves take a moment to think about this—one person+one cup of coffee a day = 6 pounds of cardboard sleaves in the landfills each year!

What has been your greatest resource to make your shop successful? 
Twitter—hands down! The people who are on the Etsy Twitter Team help me promote my sales/items after I post a tweet. This reaches not only my following but also their following. I have met so many amazing people on twitter.

Any changes coming to your shop in the future? 
Yes there are—but you’ll have to come back to find out what I have up my sleave for 2010! Hint—theres a new go green line coming out and one other line ;)

Also I love to get custom orders so if you don’t see what you want please convo me and I would be happy to help out!

How else can we find you online? Any team affiliations?
Several ways:
Shop: www.jenco13.etsy.com A gift for everyone!
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jenco13
Blog: http://jenco13.blogspot.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenco13/116522301149?ref=mf

I am also the Team leader of the Etsy Twitter Team so please come check out our blog where we show case over 200 member’s work.
http://etsytwitter.blogspot.com/

LETS DO A GIVEAWAY!

Jenco13 is giving away one of her adorable cup cozies. Contest ends May 9th, 2010

Each action gets you the number of points indicated:
Follow this blog-1 point
Follow Jen’s blog-1 point
Follow Jen on FB-2 points
Tweet about Jen’s giveaway by using @jenco13 and receive 3 points
(must use @jenco13 in order to receive all points)
Follow Jen on twitter – 1 point (please DM her to get point-mention this article)
Buy something from Jen’s store- 5 points

Interested in being featured? Email me for more information.

Handmade Shop of the Week: Knits by Jo

Jolén Sindelir, of Knits by Jo, loves to knit. She is young and enthusiastic about her craft. She opened her shop in October of 2008 to share her work with the world.

Why did you decide to open your handmade shop?
I originally opened it after trying to sell my knits on Ebay. I didn’t like that I had to price so low to get a sale there. I felt like they were worth more. A parent of one of the students I was teaching saw me knitting one day on a break and told me about Etsy. I signed up the next day! Truth be told, there was a long period of time that I didn’t attend to my shop, and in November 2009, I got more serious and considered it a sort of “re-opening”.

Has your inventory changed much since you first opened?
Yes, when I first opened it, I had only two items. I now realize I need to add more to my inventory to attract different types of customers for different price points. I didn’t add coffee cozies until late 2009 and I’m glad I did! The one craft show I did got people talking about them, and many more sales have come from word of mouth than online. They are also something I can knit up faster than a scarf, especially the entrelac versions. I also hope to start making fingerless gloves, wash cloths, and to get some patterns up as well to increase my diversity.

Who are the majority of your customers? How did they find you?
So far, the majority of my customers have found me either through a craft fair I did and then word of mouth thereafter, or through showcases I’ve done. I do get many views through listing on forum threads but have not received sales there so far. I’m looking forward to do doing more showcases!

What inspires you to create?
It’s typically either color or challenge. Colors I see together in all kinds of situations inspire me to look for them in a yarn and find a way to incorporate them. I also love looking around at objects and seeing patterns in them that I think might look good in my next project. I remember loving winter in Minneapolis because I would always be checking out other people’s hats and scarves and thinking “I could probably make that”.

What is your favorite item in your shop currently? Your most popular item?
My personal favorite is my Raspberry Mocha Entrelac Scarf. It’s one of those projects you take on because you are so excited about it, but you knit it to sell. Knitting for profit can be so conflicting!

As for most popular, it depends on what the terms are. In sales, my most popular is the Cabled Moss Green Coffee Cozy, but in comments and hearts, my most popular is The Cranberry Waves Entrelac Scarf.

What has been your greatest resource to make your shop successful?
I currently have few sales online, so I am always looking for ways to make it as successful as is possible. I have gotten quite a bit of traffic when doing showcases, but look into new ways to spread the word each day. I truly have been sweeping the country by sending out business cards to family and friends that live in each corner of the U.S. and asking them to help me hand them out to people they think might be interested. I will continue to take part in the shop critiques in the virtual classrooms on Etsy in hopes that mine gets picked! I do find that even if mine is not picked, I learn so much each time. Etsy does a great job of supporting its sellers.

Ultimately, I think my strongest move was to get involved in teams. I find so much support in each of them, and can’t imagine doing this all on my own!

Any changes coming to your shop in the future?
I would love to get some patterns in my shop as soon as possible! Possible patterns I would like to add are for the Cranberry Waves Entrelac Purse, for my coffee cozies, for my entrelac scarves, and for a custom scarf that I knit in the round. I will most likely post my NY Yankees pattern in this round scarf as well as opening it up as a custom order option. It can be seen on my Facebook fan page. I am currently working on a set of cotton wash cloths, would love to do fingerless mittens, projects made out of “plarn” (a yarn made out of upcycled plastic bags), and will continue to expand my inventory as well as my creative abilities along the way!

How else can we find you online? Any team affiliations?

I have a blog through Blogspot
I also have a Facebook fanpage, join me!
I am a proud member of these Street Teams:
Etsy Knitters
Crafting in Color
SC Etsy

LETS DO A GIVEAWAY!
Pick a coffee cozy :)
Here's how to enter:
Go to Knits by Jo and heart her shop then come back and comment about it. Be sure to let us know which one is your favorite!

Want to be featured? email me for details

Handmade Shop of the Week: Mommy's Dream Creations

Cindy Wilson, Mommy's Dream Creations, has been selling her glassware on etsy since October, 2009, but longer at craft fairs around NJ. She adds beautiful imagery to glassware that can be used everyday or for special occasions.

Why did you decide to open your handmade shop?
I have been selling my glassware and ornaments at craft shows for three years and wanted to branch out to the internet. I heard about Etsy from one of my fellow crafters and once I saw the site, I was hooked!

Has your inventory changed much since you first opened?
My inventory hasn't changed much, but I'm still a new store. I'm in the process of working on new designs for this spring. I am currently using a paint that is very transparent (think suncatchers) and it has proved to be amazing for the butterflies I'm painting!

Who are the majority of your customers? How did they find you?
The majority of my customers are other amazing Etsians! I think in the beginning most customers found me by a keyword search so taking time to be accurate and creative in my tags and item descriptions was really important.

What inspires you to create?
My inspiration comes from what I can see. Beauty is all around us and sometimes we get so busy that we forget to stop and just look around. Life is just too short to forget to look for the details.

What is your favorite item in your shop currently? Your most popular item?
I guess my favorite item would probably be what I am currently working on--which would be designs with butterflies like the Monarch Butterflies Wine Glasses. I also like snowmen and I always have the most fun painting scenes with them as with Snowman Warming by an Open Fire Hand-painted Glass Ornament
My most popular item is a set of glasses that has a garland of shells painted around the entire glass. The design is painted in neutral colors (with a bit of peach), but I have had requests to make it more playful with shades of blue. I love custom orders! Shell Garland Wine Glasses
What has been your greatest resource to make your shop successful?
My greatest resource has been to constantly put God in first place in everything I do, followed by making sure that each piece is the best I can do. I won't offer something that I wouldn't be proud to put on my own table. After that, it all depends on whether my designs are what the customer is looking for!

Any changes coming to your shop in the future?
Just new items as the year goes on! I will be trying my hand at different glass items (picture frames, styles of glass) as well as seeing what I can do with wood and fabric. I like the idea of people being able to use and wear my art!

How else can we find you online? Any team affiliations?
My Facebook page: Mommy's Dream
My blog: Mommy's Dream Blog
SHE Team (Schooling at Home Etsians tag: sheteam)
CAST (Christian Artist Street Team tag: castteam)
EtsyNJ Team (tag: etsynj team)

LETS DO A GIVEAWAY! I would like to do a giveaway for a custom set of four wine glasses. You choose any design in my shop and pick the colors that will match your home! If you really like a current design, I will add something to it that will not be added to any other set, so it will always be one of a kind. Giveaway ends April 5th, 2010.

One entry for each of the following options:

1. Heart my shop ( Mommy's Dream ) If you already heart the shop, heart an item and let me know which one!

2. Become a fan on my Facebook page ( Mommy's Dream on facebook ) or if you're already a fan, mention my shop (and link) on your page. Pick an item to highlight! Be sure to include a link to this site ( http://www.traceyknits.com/ ) as a "thank you" as well.

3. Post about my shop on your blog and be sure to let me know about it! Please be sure to mention this site in your blog as well ( http://www.traceyknits.com/ ).

4. Talk about the shop on Twitter, MySpace, and any other forum you are on, as well as a shout-out to this site ( http://www.traceyknits.com/ ).

5. TWO TIMES THE LOVE...make any purchase at my shop and I will double your entries!

Interested in being Handmade Shop of the Week? Email me for more information.

Handmade Shop of the Week: ThreePeats Jewelry

Suzanne Lamberg, of Threepeats Jewelry, has been creating handmade jewelry for her shop since January 2007. She works often with recycled materials to make beautiful new things to adorn necks and ears.

I started creating my unique necklaces for myself, friends and family. When strangers started asking me to make them one I decided to open an online shop. Since I had discovered etsy as a buyer, it was the natural place for me to start selling.

I have added several new necklace designs and incorporated new materials such as vintage ribbon and lace and recycled t-shirt yarn and felt beads. I also started creating earrings at one customer’s request.

The majority of my customers seem to be young women, especially college students (I often ship to dorms!). I promote the shop on facebook and twitter where many customers seem to be hear about my work.

I have many inspirations. The materials themselves, especially the vintage beads and chain, speak to me. I also am inspired by people, places I’ve travelled to and music.

Right now, the favorite group of items in my shop are the T-shirt Yarn Necklaces. They are soft around the neck and lightweight. I’m all for comfortable, affordable jewelry.

I think personal connections ( as much as possible in the virtual world) have helped to make my shop successful. I create treasuries, respond to convos, twitter and blog about other peoples’ work. A new style of necklaces (shorter) I’m working on now came from ideas given to me by several prospective buyers. As an online buyer, I also know how important fast shipping is. I make sure all items purchased from me are shipped within 48 hours (easy to do if you live in NYC:))

I write two blogs, one about my jewelry ( http://threepeats.blogspot.com// ) and one about life in NYC ( http://sittlife.blogspot.com/ ) People can follow me on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/threepeatsJewelry and/or twitter @ http://twitter.com/threepeats I am also a member of the very active Etsy Twitter Team whose blog can be found @ http://etsytwitter.blogspot.com/


LETS DO A GIVEAWAY! Threepeats is happy to offer the item of his/her choice from her etsy shop to one lucky winner! You recieve one entry into the drawing for each of the folowing actions: 1) Comment here on your favorite item in her shop 2) Tweet/Facebook about her shop and/or this amazing giveaway 3) become her fan on facebook and follow her on twitter 4) Heart her shop and/or your favorite item 5) Blog about it or find someother way to share your love of Threepeats with the world. Contest ends March 8, 2010

Interested in becoming Handmade Shop of the week? Email me for more information.