one precious present

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When I was a young child, my granny taught me to to do many things. We would spend our days sewing, crocheting, and making crafts. One thing that I really loved was hand embroidery. She started me off making magnets out of plastic canvas, but eventually I was moved up to using a hoop and real fabric. I think I mostly practiced letters and stitched over pictures. Nothing too fancy. One year, for their anniversary, I gave my parents a toaster cover that I had embroidered with "Rise and Shine" and a great big sun. A simple, free gift. You see, it was their cover to begin with. I just prettied it up a little.

Some rights reserved by davis.jacque

I can never turn down pretty embroidery, or things that remind me of my granny, so when friend Kat, of Mama's Sewing Room, posted a link to a perfect present idea, I couldn't resist.  Kat is quite the web shopper anyway, and is always sending us girlies links to her favorite things.  Think... a crafty Oprah on steroids.  In a good way.  She ought to go to work as a personal shopper because she has super taste.  So, this is what she had in her basket today:

Hand-embroidered children's artwork by JamisyJo on etsy

How neat!  JamisyJo takes your child's drawing and hand embroiders it onto linen for a keepsake that you will absolutely treasure.  She does these in either black thread or matches the colors in your child's art.  After she's finished with the handiwork, she stretches the linen over a canvas frame and then covers the back with white felt, so there are no raw edges.  This piece is an 8x8, but there are larger sizes available, too.  Oh.my.gosh.  When Katie becomes slightly more masterful with her scribbles, I am totally having this done.  I'll send in one of Alex's, too.  This is such an awesome idea.  She suggests giving these to grandparents and family members, but I want one to keep for myself! 

Visit JamisyJo on etsy

* I was not compensated in any way for this post.

So, you want to open an etsy shop?

source

Having an etsy shop isn't all it is cracked up to be, but lots of stay at home moms are jumping on the work at home wagon.  For those of you looking to cast your net into the etsy ocean, here are some tips and tricks of the trade:

• Don't get your hopes set on the perfect name before you make sure it is available.
• In regards to pricing, wholesale is typically 50% of retail, which is also what I need to get out of each piece to make it profitable. So, this is why I price my items as I do. You may not be interested in doing wholesale right away, but make sure you can afford to, should someone ask. You also don't want to underprice yourself. If your items are too inexpensive, people will think they are poorly made.
• Don't get your hopes up that this will be the solution to financial difficulties. Very few etsy sellers actually "make it" in terms of having a profitable business.
• You might want to look at other venues like zibbet (for instance) that don't have as many shops in your particular category. Just a suggestion. Check out their fee structure first, though.
• A stocked shop is a happy shop. Customers like to have plenty to browse through.
• Fill out your shop policies and your profile. Put a face behind the business.
• Join a team. Personally, I recommend the OWLs (Off the Wall Ladies).
• Be active in the forums, but avoid the games in chat (featured seller, or FS, for instance)
• Set up a twitter account and facebook page and use them, especially the facebook page for your items. Most of my sales have recently come from posting items on facebook. Don't post every new item you put out, but do try to post something at least one a week.
• Check out the small business laws in your area. I had to have a business license and I have to file a sales and use tax form each month. I also had to register my DBA name. This all cost about $60 initially and $50 each year. If you are selling online to make a profit, it is legally a business, not a hobby.
• Have fun.  Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your shop immediately find success.  Make sure you're doing something you love and allow your enthusiasm to shine through to all potential customers (and all contacts are potential customers).

If I could have anything...

 After seeing this necklace, I don't think it would be world peace.  Look at it!  This is a gorgeous thing.  This is the sort of accessory that I plan a whole outfit around.  Normally, I would rather feature indie artists than a large company like Anthropologie, but come on... look at it!  Really, I have to have it.  really.  Although... now that I take a look around, I find other fabulous statement necklaces that I also adore.  

Decisions... decisions...

 English Rose by MissAnnieMay on etsy

Secret Garden by LoriAnnEnchanted on Etsy

Another by LoriAnnEnchanted: Bellissimo Blues

And, okay, I guess I just love LoriAnnEnchanted on etsy.  This one's called Tangerine Dream.

So, what about you?  Have you ever come across something online that you just had to have?  Did you buy it?  Was it everything you expected and more, or were you sorely disappointed? 

Raggin' It

Do you ever wonder how women survived without Kotex and Tampax?  No monthly trip to the grocery store, or husbands running out in the middle of the night?  No plastic wrappers tucked into purses and plastic bits stuck to their lady bits?  No chemicals, dyes, irritants, and trash?  How did they make it while on the rag in a world of, quite literally, rags?

As Aunt Flo made her monthly appearance and supplies ran short, I made a hasty decision to take care of my little inconvenience the old-fashioned way.  First up: the pad.  I followed an easy-peasy tutorial to sew my own quick stash using an old bath towel, unused baby blankets, and a strip of fleece.  (The fleece actually only made it onto one).  As I finished my first one, I ran to the bathroom to check the fit... quite large and diaper-like, similar to the postpartum pads I received in the hospital.  But, not bad for an overnighter.  With some tweaks and adjustments, I went on to make a couple more with what supplies I had on hand.  Each pad consisted of four layers of flannel and one layer of terry.  Next came the panty-liners.  I'll use these on days when Aunt Flo isn't quite so flow-y.  I made my own quick pattern for these and just used two layers of flannel and one layer of terry.

Today I decided to tackle the question of the reusable tampon.  What to use?  I found a neat set of crocheted ones on etsy, but figured that was too pricey and wouldn't get here quite quick enough.  The same seller offers patterns, but I didn't really want to have to make a special trip to the yarn store.  I imagine, once I get around to crocheting some, I would prefer to use organic, unbleached yarn for such an item anyway.  So, I looked to the internet once more and found the suggestion of using a clean baby sock.  Again, I wasn't really feeling it.  Finally, I decided to cut a prefold diaper into small rectangles, finish the edges, and roll them up.

Off to the bathroom for a try....

I have to admit, I felt a little barbaric shoving a rag up inside my lady bits for the first time.  I really do prefer the tampons with the nice, smooth plastic applicators.  However, my little prefold-rolled rag is working pretty well.  I probably wouldn't go swimming with it, but for around the house it's fine and dandy. 

I feel liberated to not be obligated to throw money at giant companies for a box of plastic and chemicals each month.  I do wonder if using more natural products really does lighten one's flow, as some moms claim.  I suppose it would take a few months to really find out.  At any rate, my new mama cloth stash will come in handy on days when Auntie pops in for an unexpected visit or funds become too tight for tampax.

Where, oh where, have they all gone?

Today is Click and Pick Monday, and it is also my best-friend-from-high-school's birthday.  In her honor, I wanted to choose a birthday etsian to feature today, one who crafts products that may be to my former bff's liking.  However, in searching the Etsy Birthdays, I found a lot of blank profiles and empty shops, which led me to wonder, where have all the etsians gone?

Is Etsy the home of the fly by night home-based crafter?  I hope not.  I would hope that most people who open up shop on etsy will be there for years to come.  That way, should I buy something from them, I can become a repeat customer.  However, I realize this is idealistic.  Many shops will not flourish, lives change, and artists find new outlets in which to market and sell their wares.

Perhaps it is much like my old high school friendships.  Times changed and we grew apart, speaking to one another seldom, if at all.  Now, with the likes of Facebook, we can reconnect, but will it ever be the same?  I don't know.  Somehow, I don't think so.

So, Happy Birthday Kim, my friendly fairy-loving, poetry-writing, wild cat.  And, happy birthday to all the long-lost etsians out there, where ever you may be.  May peace and profits come your way.

Caged Bird Sings

I can't think of a better way to welcome spring than with a new set of wind chimes, especially a gorgeous handmade stained glass and hemp chime from Caged Bird Sings.  Wouldn't this just look gorgeous, hanging inside or out?  Put it in a baby's nursery, by your kitchen window, or out on your back deck.  I especially love the purples, but all of this artist's wind chimes are beautiful.

Wordless Wednesday

Watch the OWLS blog for more information!

Click and Pick: DIY Paradise

 http://diyparadise.etsy.com

Browsing through the etsy Time Machine this morning, I came across this picture.  The background of music notes immediately appealed to me, though the main subject was a supply of cabochons.  While I was looking for a fascinating artist or designer to feature, I had to click on this store.  I have never before seen a supply shop in which the owner take so much time to develop their photographs.  Each picture is an outlet to the seller's creativity.  Doilies, music books, fabric, and flowers flit amongst the backgrounds of the photographs of jewelry supplies.  The store is a delight to behold, something very rare for a supply site.  The seller's hard work and diligence are paying off, too, as the shop has had a few thousand sales since it opened in August. What would you make with these fabulous trinkets?

Wordless Wednesday: Bib Necklace

 

Turquoise, Gray, and White Bib Necklace

Click & Pick-- Maimies Merchantile

Maimies Merchantile is a relatively new etsy shop featuring vintage and antique paper goods.  I found so much delight in adoring all the little postcards, trading cards, and so forth that I decided to share my favorites with you.  I came across Maimies while perusing the Time Machine search feature on etsy, which showcases newly listed items.  The beautiful colors in this 1910 postcard (left) caught my eye right away.  Upon clicking, I found that the shop is named after the seller's pug, Maimie.  However, it won my heart because my grandmother was named Mamie.  The pretties I found in the Merchantile (the seller had to be creative in the spelling) reminded me of the stacks of cards, magazines, and peripheral that my granny used to keep stacked in the closet under the stairs.   She loved flowers and little animals, and Maimie's abounds in both.

Maimie's Merchantile opened a mere six weeks ago, on January 9, 2010.  However, the seller, Suzanne, has already had over 750 sales in that short time.  I can see why.  Her product is appealing, her prices are reasonable, and her photographs are lovely.  Here are a few more of my favorites:

Isn't this little Easter postcard just darling?  It reminds me of the stories that my mother would tell about how she and her friends would receive baby chicks at Easter. These intricately-drawn chicks look fluffy enough to squeeze.

I adore the icy coolness of this winter scene, though I am personally tired of the snow.  The little bluebirds and the flowers promise that spring is on the way, though the pond remains frozen and the trees are bare.

And, how about this playful Christmas scene?  Can't you just imagine the trouble that this young man is going to find himself in?  As he sleds down the hill, he spills the fruit and frightens the peasant, looking forward to "A Joyfull Christmas."  So enchanting.

Maimie's collectible cards would be great for many craft outlets.  I can see myself sitting down to make a collage, partake in some decoupage, or embellish scrapbook pages with these quaint reminders of the past.  That is, if I did any of those things.  More than likely, though, I'd just order it to look at.  Maybe I'd fill up the coat closet under the stairs, just for old times' sake.  You never know.

What would you do with these quaint little paper cards?  What would be your craft of choice?  I'd love to hear how these items might inspire you.