Featured Seller Interview: Part 4

What are your favorite features on Etsy?

What new features would you like to see?

I love reading the featured seller interviews and the "Quit Your Day Job" series. Being able to rearrange our shops is really nifty, and there have been lots of good tweaks to the listing process in recent months.

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I would really appreciate being able to search my sold items for specific things, and I'd also enjoy the ability to search sold items on Etsy in general. Having an option to "list similar" or something to make the listing process less cumbersome would be great. Organizing my favorites would really be a dream come true :)

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Photo of fab screenprint above is courtesy of AdamSmith.

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See the other parts of this interview by clicking HERE. The topic for next week: "Tell us a bit about yourself".

Featured Seller Interview: Part 3

Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy.

books: She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb), The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls), anything by Jonathan Kellerman, John Sandford, Ann Tyler, or Nevada Barr.
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movies: True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Terms of Endearment, Groundhog Day, Love Actually

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music: Melissa Etheridge, Nancy Griffith, John Mayer, Neil Young, Lucinda Williams

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websites: (what??? there are other websites besides Etsy???)

my blog (and featured blog list), google, craftcult

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See the other parts of this interview by clicking HERE. The question for next week: "What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?"

Featured Friday Interview: Part 2

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?

Decide the best and most effective way to package and ship your work... streamlining the presentation and shipping process is key to maintaining sanity and conserving precious time. Make friends! Etsy is so huge that it can be lonely- sometimes it's a real challenge to be noticed or feel that you fit in. Find the special place within Etsy where you belong. Whether you spend time in the forums or join a team, it's priceless to be able to rely on a specific group of friends and supporters. Trading advice and morale boosting, and promoting as a group makes everything more enjoyable and effective!

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How cute is that little friend photo up there? It comes from uber adorable Etsy shop Variation.

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For more info about this "featured Friday" thing, and to see part 1 of this series click HERE! I believe next week I will do "Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy". It's not to late to join me in this process- just leave a comment!

Featured Friday Interview: Pt. 1

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

While I have many handmade treasures that I absolutely love, my most cherished is the Christmas Box that my father made for me. I received this special gift on the first Christmas that I lived across the country from my parents.

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As an only child, moving to Utah when my family lived in Virginia was a big, bold step. This was also around the time that the book The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans hit the shelves. I read it, passed it on to my mom, who then passed it on to my dad.

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This precious wooden chest, so lovingly crafted, came at a time in my life when I was so far from my folks in distance, yet closer to them in love and spirit than I had ever been. It is now filled with my best and favorite ornaments, and I look forward to opening it every holiday at tree-trimming time.

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Wondering what this Featured Friday interview business is all about? This blog post explains the big idea. I'd love to have you join in on your blog, or leave a comment here with your answer. Next Friday I will tackle "What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?"

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Have a wonderful, safe holiday weekend!

Wanna Join Me?

So, I've been thinking. I know- look out! Bear with me.

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As an Etsy seller, the pinnacle of Etsy success- or at least one thing that we'd all LOVE to achieve- is to be a chosen featured seller. The featured seller gets a fabulous interview that graces the front page of Etsy for days. Many, many hearts and sales ensue- I assume. They have instant Etsy fame!

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Here's where my thinking comes in, and the part where I'm hoping you'll join in. Consider those visualization techniques; you know, "The Secret"... "see it to achieve it" type things. How would it be if each week we visualize together and work toward being the featured seller on our own blog? Like, choose a part of the featured seller interview and share it with your readers?

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The way I see it, if we go ahead and prepare our answers, all we'll have to worry about *when* we are chosen by Etsy is getting a stunning photo of ourselves! In the meantime, our blog readers get to know us a little better. It's win, win.

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For myself, I'm going to start easy and do this one for my Friday post this week:

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

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If you plan to join in, feel free to link to my blog for the explanation of what you are doing. Please leave a comment here if you are going to do this too, so that I can be sure to visit and read all about you! Don't have a blog? That's OK- you can share your answer to the interview question in the comments section today or on Friday- everyone is welcome! Let's do this!

Friday's Favorite: the Peach Tree

I believe that Etsy should have an award ceremony. You know, like the Oscars and Emmys. Sellers could be nominated from within the community itself, for categories like "Best Use of Humor in an Item Description" or "Most Helpful in the Forums". The awards could be called the *Besties*, hehe. Clearly I have given this too much thought. But, the inspiration behind my grand idea is today's favorite shop. Amy, "the peach behind the Peach Tree", would hands down be my pick for "Best Item Photos". I mean, look at these! She'd win for sure, don't you think?

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With her stunning and unique designs, excellent workmanship, first-rate customer service, and superior quality materials, Amy could very well be nominated in many other categories, too. Would you believe she is also one of the friendliest and most helpful people I have had the privilege to know on Etsy? Total package here, folks!

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With over a thousand positive feedbacks, and over 950 sales, it's clear that I am not the only person in awe of Amy and her work. Even more special and amazing, though, is that she takes no sale for granted. Amy has worked tirelessly (and successfully) to make her shop and jewelry stand out on Etsy in a very saturated jewelry category, and she always appreciates every single customer.

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I have gotten pleasantly lost browsing in the Peach Tree on many occasions. Besides enjoying the jaw-dropping images, it is so fun to read the unique and utterly perfect name given to each item; my vocabulary expands with every visit!

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Go, grab yourself a nice big cup of something and enjoy spending some time perusing the gorgeous offerings in this fabulous shop. Did I mention the free worldwide shipping? Drop Amy a message while you are there, or leave a comment here- let this wonderful woman know that SHE ROCKS!!

You're already gone aren't you?

If not, consider yourself warned: cover your keyboard... there will be drool!***

Adventures in Bulk

I recently decided to place my second bulk supply order. I was running out of boxes, and was also looking for some specific colors and products to help me further brand my "rosey" shop.

One of the things (besides packing tape), that I know I spend way too much money on when buying at craft stores is paper shred. I use it for lots of my wrapping, and it seems like I always need another package. I can get the kraft kind at the dollar store, but, as you may have guessed, I am a sucker for pink. The pink shred at Michael's is $2-$3 a package!


So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to purchase some with my order. Why it did not occur to me that over 11 pounds of shred might be too much is beyond me. I mean, I did wonder why of all of the things I ordered, that one had a big, red *oversized item* next to it on the invoice...but I let that go in the name of penny-pinching.


My giant box of shred arrived last week. I have to laugh out loud at this. For whatever reason I thought I would be getting bags of shred inside of a box. Hahahahahahahahaha. No. I literally have a giant sized box of pink shred!


I love it, but I am starting to believe there may be a Murphy's Law related to buying lots of packaging supplies. I am dying to use my new goodies, but I haven't sold anything since I got my order. O_O. I'm looking on the bright side, though. If Etsy would like to choose me as a featured seller, I am READY, man. Soooo ready!!

Have you purchased supplies in bulk? Was anything different than you expected?

Friday's Favorite: Terraworks

I have a special fondness for pottery, and a very high respect for the artists who can take a lump of clay and create something beautiful. It may look easy, but I have taken a class, and believe me- it wasn't easy and I didn't create anything that anyone would call beautiful!

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Teri of Terraworks not only creates gorgeous items, she defies the norm and handbuilds all of her pieces. Each and every item in her shop is unique and special; she has the kind of corner on Etsy that makes you want to pull up a chair and look at each and every listing.

Teri lives with her husband, sons, and crazy pups near the Rogue River in southern Oregon. They live on a little mountain called Tin Pan Peak, and Teri has a cozy studio situated on a knoll. This is where the magic happens! You can see her love of whimsy and romance in pieces like the mermaid wall pocket or the rustic luna moth tumbler.

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Not only is Teri's style and texture all her own, she adds further interest to her work by choosing such unexpected and fanciful colors!

My favorite items are the ones that can be personalized. For $27 you can purchase a set of 4 coasters customized with your own words, and they even come in a beautiful holder handmade by Teri's husband!! For a less spendy but equally cool choice, you can get a set of three shot glasses for only $9- personalized just for you!

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One peek at Teri’s excellent feedback will let you know that if you decide to make a purchase, you will NOT be disappointed. Her customers simply rave about her workmanship, quick shipping, great communication and follow through.

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Please click on any of the links or pictures to go straight to Terraworks... give Teri your *heart* while you are there, and enjoy poking around in her treasures! I know you will be there awhile, but if you have time, come back here and let me (and her!) know how much you love this shop!