Visiting with KimWhiteCreations:

EtsyTwitter Team's shop of the Week:

This weeks Shop of the Week (SOTW), kimwhitecreations, is run by the lovely Kim White. Within Kim's shop you will find knit and crochet wearable and usable art. "I like to call my creations, Creative Mentionables! I make Care Shawls and Lap Wraps which are like a warm hug for a loved one. I also knit Coffee Cozies that are like a warm sweater for your coffee cup. I have a Cozy Closet full of Slouches, Caps, Beanies, Scarves, Granny Square Purses and more!"

Kim is inspired to create from family and friends, seasons, colors, foods, and the feel and colors of fabric and yarn. Within her products she offers "creative mentionables...literally wearable/usable pieces of art! I put love and care into every piece I create. If you shop regularly on Etsy, you can appreciate that. I like to buy handmade things as well, and understand the time and effort it takes to produce a quality product. "

Kim's Twitter tricks of the trade: "It's all about relationships. Business is personal, so getting to know my customers, their needs and wants through Twitter has been beneficial for me personally and professionally. I have met some great people, promoted my Etsy shop, found some other wonderful artists. I can promote and purchase from my daily business.Daily tweets about my business and fun/interesting tweets about my personal life keep my Twitter account fresh, fun and follow-able!"

Her favorite thing (scratch that the thing she loves the most) about her craft is when "customer(s) lets me know how their purchase from me, has been a huge hit with the recipient. It really touches me when a Care Shawl or Lap Wrap has been given to a widow, or used for an ill family member."

This year Kim's goal for her shop is "To continue to build relationships with my existing customers, and to grow my customer base. That's tied with adding more Care Shawls to my shop, and continuing to create more custom-order Care Shawls."

This week only Kim is offering our readers:

Any Coffee Cozy FREE with a $50 or more purchase before shipping-just let me know your Coffee Cozy selection in message to seller.
(I will ship internationally if requested.)

To learn more about Kim and her beautiful creations visit her at:

TWITTER ADDRESS http://twitter.com/kimwcreations

FB PAGE http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kim-White-Creations/450797680577?ref=mf

BLOGhttp://kimwhitecreations.tumblr.com/

Thanks to Team Leader Jen Kubrick for this article. Please visit her shop at Jenco13.etsy.com

PS-- March marks crochet month & national Craft month ;) Happy crafting to all!!

Simple & Stunning Photographs

by DeeJayPhotography - EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week:


Meet Denise Montville of DeeJayPhotography, this week's Etsy Twitter Team’s Shop of the Week.

Denise and her son work together to maintain a shop full of lovely photographs. They are available in several formats including bookmarks, cards, ACEOs aand, of course, prints. When asked about her work, Denise says, “The world around me inspires me to create. I love looking at textures, shapes, colors, and nature and I usually regret the days I leave my house without my camera!” Browsing through the shop, this is immediately apparent, with the result that there is something for everybody.

Their talented eye picks out the detail in an everyday scene and using unique angles, they turn the pretty and almost mundane into a unique and striking photo. Denise says “My son always sees things from different angles than I do” and the result is a broad spectrum of pleasing photography. When asked about her business goal this year, Denise laughed, “to try to shoot more photos and actually get them listed in my shop!”

Denise is a skilled Twitterer. With over 1200 followers, she has found a balance between sharing her life and art with her Twitter friends and retweeting items that she feels would be of interest to her followers. This balance invites followers because she is interesting!

Follow Denise on:

TWITTER ADDRESS : http://twitter.com/D_J_Photography
FB PAGE http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dee-Jay-Photography/133391096559?ref=ts

DeeJayPhotography is celebrating one partner’s 17th birthday by offering a 17% discount. In addition, as Shop of the Week, they are offering free shipping this month (just wait for a revised Paypal invoice before paying for your purchase). International shipments can be accommodated, too. Just convo Denise first to request a shipping quote.

Thanks to Judy of Wellspring Creations on Etsy for writing this article. Sb

Mikiye Creations Designs so In Style...

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

Article Written by Jen Kubrick from Jenco13.etsy.com - thanks Jen! : )

This week's shop of the week is run by the lovely: Mikiye Narita. In her shop, Mikiye Creations, you can find various types of jewelry and Specialize in designing one of a kind customized hair accessories. "I am constantly learning and being inspired by my Brides. They always have me on my toes when it comes to creating their one of a kind pieces, many of which are heirloom quality for their Special Day. It's so fantastic to always be striving to be the best I can be and creating heirloom pieces that they will cherish forever."

When interviewing Mikiye she told me a little about herself.

"I grew up in a family full of artistic women and was bit by the art bug early in life. I have always loved keeping myself involved with anything that I can express my talents in. I spent 15+ years working as a Professional celebrity Makeup artist in Los Angeles and about 7 years ago began my love affair with making flowers. It wasn't long until my clients and friends were asking me to make them flowers and accessories so it was a natural move to start my own business. I am completely self taught so it's great fun for me to see how far I have come and how much my skills and techniques have improved!"

As an artist the world that surrounds us normally inspires us to create. (well at least that's what my art teacher taught me in elementary school) For Mikiye she is inspired by "history! Art History was one of my favorite classes! I just drooled over the elaborate clothing and accessories. The paintings, colors and representations of opulence drove me wild! I try to incorporate that richness into my work. Little inklings of it here and there. I think my attention to detail and high quality help bring my passion to fruition. Everything in fashion can be traced back to the beginnings and I love to pick and choose from each era a little something special and add my own twist."

Mikiye's trick of twitter is as follows: "I really enjoy getting to know people on twitter. It is such an easy way to see what people are up to. I check out new items my friends tweet about as well as just see what they are up to. I like to make sure I comment/interact with others and I always like to share something I find interesting that another person has tweeted about. Definitely take the time to get to know who's on there because it is amazing the tight knit family that can actually develop when you really pay attention to who's doing what. Frankly, it's just A LOT of FUN!"

As all of our members have Mikiye has shared her business resolutions for the New Year. "One of my business resolutions is to get my personal site up! Literally, this has been in the making for the last 5 years and keeps falling through the cracks. I can't wait to have this available for my clients!"

Mikiye is offering our readers the following special this week:

FREE U.S. SHIPPING on all purchases. Please add SOTW in notes to seller to redeem this. Shipping will be refunded through Paypal.

To learn more about this shop please use the handy links below:

TWITTER ADDRESS http://www.twitter.com/mikiyecreations
FB PAGE http://www.facebook.com/mikiyecreations
BLOG http://www.mikiyecreations.blogspot.com

Check out EtsyTwitter Team's

Shop of the Week: Amievoltaire 2/21-2/29/2010 -- & a SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!

Angela Keller of Amievoltaire http://www.amievoltaire.etsy.com/ has a shop full of colorful handmade classic children’s clothing with a modern flair. Skirts, dresses, aprons, and even doll clothes abound with bright patchwork and all-girl ruffles. She has provided many happy clients with her clothing apparel since she opened her Etsy shop in January, 2008. She ships internationally, too!

In our interview, it was very apparent that Angela loves what she does. “My items really are made with love.” she said “but my customers say they like working with me because I take pride in my work.” She loves seeing her customers come back, knowing that they enjoyed their experience. She stands behind her work with her workmanship guarantee.

“My zest for the artistic spans my lifetime.” Part of the joy in her work comes from connecting two or more gorgeous artistic creations into something pleasing, but completely different. She says many things ranging from “my children, the seasons, the weather, my childhood and currently – fabric!” inspire her. Like many fabric enthusiasts, she says “I need to control my pine for fabric”!

What are your Twitter tricks of the trade? Angela responds, “It's clear that if you want someone to listen you need to provide them with something interesting, something they can care about. I try to be open and honest and share what my friends are doing. I need to continue to establish relationships. I believe this is working for me on Facebook and I'd like to foster it more on twitter.



To celebrate her status as the Etsy Twitter Teams’ Shop of the Week, Angela is offering a special giveaway that ends February 28.

Anyone who mentions Etsy Twitter Team will receive 20% off their total purchase. In addition, check out her giveaway on her blog at http://rosepetalcustoms.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-02-17T10%3A23%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=1.

Follow Angela of Amievoltaire on-->

Twitter: http://twitter.com/amievoltaire

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amievoltaire
Blog: http://rosepetalcustoms.blogspot.com/

--Judy

http://www.wellspringcreations.etsy.com/

Stamped in Silver - PunkyJane...

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

I love stepping into Sandy Simpson shop, PunkyJane. She has these amazing hand stamped and personalized sterling silver jewelry and gifts, but also work a bit in copper and fine silver. PunkyJane ships internationally from woodland, CA since October 2008. With over 500 sales on etsy Sandy feels that the most important thing about selling on etsy is that "to know is that I truly enjoy working with customers to help create their vision. It's not all about MY design. Hopefully my work will be something they treasure for a very long time. I love a good challenge!"

All of our team members here get the SOTW questions (just some basic questions) from our Team Leader Jen Kuebrich & Sandy has turned one of our questions into a fun twist. Here is how the conversation went...
Jen: "What are your Twitter tricks of the trade? "
Sandy: "Say that 10 times fast!! I think being a part of the Etsy Twitter team has really taught me how to be a good tweeter. It's all about community. Sure, tweet when you list a new product or have a special sale, but I truly believe you'll have more success if people get a feeling for WHO you are, not just WHAT you do. And the nice thing is that it doesn't have to be too deep...it's only 140 characters after all!"
(to tell you the truth Sandy and fellow readers she did say it 1oX fast-it was not pretty;)

PunkyJane's favorite thing about her craft is : "As a graphic designer, I always had my undo button. It saved me all the time! With stamping, there's a finality to it. I've had to completely change my thinking about how to create. It's taught me that perfection isn't possible, and for me, that's a great lesson to have learned."

Sandy's business resolutions for 2010 for her shop is as follows: "I resolve to become more efficient at the paperwork and communication parts of the business so I can focus on what keeps me going...being creative."

This week Sandy is offering the following sale to our readers:

Free standard shipping on everything in my shop now through February 25, 2010. Use 'TwitterSOTW' in the message to seller box at checkout and your shipping will be refunded via PayPal.

To learn more about Sandy's shop (aka PunkyJane)

please use these links and check out the other blogs here on our blog (ETT).

http://twitter.com/punkyjane

W E B ~~~> http://www.PunkyJane.com

B L O G ~~~> http://PunkyJane.blogspot.com

F A C E B O O K : Become a fan! ~~~> http://facebook.com/PunkyJaneJewlery

"Feeling Lucky" Etsy Treasury

Happy Chinese New Year! I'm feeling "Lucky" & blessed with so many things with this new year of the tiger so to commemorate I have chosen these items to bring you Luck, celebrate the coming of spring, or donning a little green for St. Patty's Day!

This Etsy Main Treasury features my friends from the EtsyTwitter Team - Enjoy! Susan : )

Glitzy Events -

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the week!

With the wedding season coming up, the Etsy Twitter Team’s Shop of the Week GlitzyEvents has the invitations and the customer service attitude to make the experience perfect for the bride-to-be! The shop proprietor says, “I just want brides to be able to get exactly what they want. Often times with mass production companies there is no personal interaction, so you can’t just say I love this part about this invite, but can you change this. I want my clients to be 100% happy with the product that they receive, so almost all requests can be accommodated.” Since she ships internationally to Canada, UK, Australia, and Ireland, that’s a lot of happy brides!

Kimberley Williams is the talent behind GlitzyEvents. She specializes in custom invitations; the process from start to finish is entirely for the client. They choose all paper colors, fonts, & text, and can also mix and match invitation styles. Coordinating pieces to complete the look and feel of the wedding are also available, i.e. menus, programs, placecards, unity candles, seating charts, & more!

Kimberley’s is inspired by her dedication to quality goods and customer service. And she loves all the options available for paper goods. “There are always tons of new papers in production so I can continually evolve my line.” And with her high quality paper goods, hardware, and machinery, “everything from samples to full invitation orders come beautifully professionally packaged, and with useful freebies for the modern bride.”

Facebook and Twitter are key tools for Kimberley’s business, but most importantly, she enjoys them as a means of building relationships. In addition, she says she has ‘met’ and been able to cross promote with many great wedding professionals. When tweeting about a new product or promo, “the retweets from these ‘tweeps’ have been really priceless.”



Her 2010 New Year’s resolutions is to “reach a larger audience. The start of 2010 has been fantastic. I have literally tripled my business from this time one year ago. It really has been an awesome start to the year.”

From February 8-14, GlitzyEvents is offering
Free shipping on all invitation samples
Just mention EtsyTwitter @ check-out for a refund on shipping,
or convo me ahead of time for an updated listing.

To learn more about Kim and her amazing shop please use these links:

twitter is http://twitter.com/glitzyevents

blog is http://blog.glitzyevents.com/

facebook: http://facebook.com/glitzyevents

Thanks to Judy for this article - WellspringCreations.etsy.com

2010 Lake Worth Steet Painting Fest

This is the painting I will be recreating for the Annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival in Lake Worth, FL on Feb. 20-21st, 2010.

It is by artist Bruno Zapan, entitled "Barges Under Pont des Arts, Summer Light" an Oil on canvas, 32 x 25 1/2". Part of the recent exhibition "en plein air" at the Galerie D'Orsay - which I stumbled upon from searching for a painting on the web. Bruno Zapan is a living artist who work is a modern incarnation of Impressionist & Post Impressionist masters. "Zupan’s inspiration comes from spending his life in the pursuit of light. He prefers to paint en plein air rather than in his studio, and his locations of choice are Mallorca, Venice, and Paris. Picturesque vistas, the haphazard growth of flowers along stucco walls or well-worn footpaths, and the golden tones of sunset on Venetian architecture all owe their inspiration to Zupan’s observance of light and the recognition of the varied yet simple manifestations of its beauty. Bruno Zupan was born in 1939 in Slovenia. Once his studies in Zagreb, Croatia were completed, he immigrated to Paris in 1962 where he enjoyed a bohemian lifestyle. He traveled to the United States in 1964 and became an American citizen in 1969."

Special Thanks to the Galerie D'Orsay | 33 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116 Ph. 617-266-8001 | for their beautiful website and featured online exibitions. One day I have to plan a trip to Boston and visit this Gallery myself.

I am so enticed by this painting and I am excited to be paying homage to a 'living master' painter. Sb

Do You Know my Friend FoxyG?

FoxyGknits is the EtsyTwitter Team's
Shop of the week:

I LOVE THIS SCARF! It's so uniquely purple! As one of my fellow EtsyTwitter Team -mate's, and lover of PURPLE - Lois Rocks!!! Her work speaks for itself. She always is on top of the team goings on with posts and tweets, and is a regular blogger as well. I have had the pleasure and honor of being featured in her blog posts. So many Etsians are grateful and lucky to have such a woman to look up to who leads by example... Thanks Lois for all that you do AND ALWAYS giving back to the Etsy & Twitter communities. Sb

This week's shop is from one of our most active members here on the EtsyTwitter Team. FoxyGknits, owned and created by Lois Stifel, is a beautiful shop. Within the shop you can find hand-knit one-of-a-kind shawls, wraps, and scarves that are fashioned by combining diverse yarn textures and color palettes. Designed for today’s woman, all items encompass both style and comfort. You can tell that Lois's world is truly inspired from colors and textures in the which she describes as the "everyday world around me". From everything Lois lists in her shop you can tell that she believes, "Knitting was my avocation long before it was my vocation, and each item is hand knit with love. I take great pride in my workmanship, and if something isn’t up to my standards, it doesn’t go into my shop. "

Lois is always on twitter, tweeting about many amazing things such as: her fellow teammates on ETT, her newest items she or her mama Fox has made, Her Art from the Heart feature on her blog, or beautiful quotes/saying about those who are in her life. When asked about her twitter tricks of the trade Lois shared with me the following:

"I am not sure that this is a “trick of the trade,” but I don’t tweet anything I wouldn’t mind seeing on the front page of the New York Times! On a serious note, I work at building relationships on twitter. I do this by sharing valuable information, retweeting friends’ and colleagues’ sales and promotions and not boring people with what I had for lunch or letting them know when I am leaving for the post office. And I unequivocally never beg for sales, talk about how many followers I have or don’t have or how many shop hearts I have or don’t have."

From February 1st -7th Lois is offering the following discount in her shop:

FREE U.S. SHIPPING on all purchases totaling $40 or more. Put LOVEISINTHEAIR in the Note to Seller. Shipping fees will be refunded via PayPal after payment has been made

This year FoxyGknit's goal is to make more items that you will all love! She has told me the following about this goal:

"I would have to say that one of my business resolutions is finding my niche. What I think will sell does not always. And what I think might never sell sells quickly. While I have the demographics on etsy shoppers, I do not yet have a good handle on the demographics on Foxy G. Knits shoppers."

To learn more about Lois and her amazing shop please use the links below:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/foxygknits
Facebook biz page: http://www.facebook.com/foxygknits
Blog: Foxy G’s Den of i-KNIT-quity: http://foxygknits.com/

Thank You Lois for sharing this information with us. We love you, your shop and all the beautiful things you do for the ETT.

Please note that there is only shipping to the United States at this time.*

"Love-ly" Greetings

HEART's A-FIRE with Red ROSE Flourish Handmade Card: a new item in the SalonD'Arte shoppe at Etsy.

Show your love with this hand-stamped card: 5 1/2" tall x 4" wide made with My Minds Eye patterned paper, featuring a hand-stamped embossed layered rose with flourish and finished off with satin ribbon. Inside is blank for adding personal message and comes with an envelope for mailing. **Each card is handmade; there may be slight variation in stamped image and patterned paper texturing.

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! I will be celebrating with my husband of 18 years by camping out on the sofa with snacks to watch the Daytona 500 & the return of Nascar racing ; )

Visiting with Wellspring Creations

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week!

The shop of the week for January 25-31 is from Northern California. When shopping in Wellspring Creations you will find beautiful pieces of jewelry that combine lovely stones or crystals with wire: necklaces, bracelets/cuffs, earrings, and rings.

Judy, owner and designer of Wellspring Creations, shows her love for taking a straight piece of wire and turning it into something unique. "With wire and a lovely stone, my imagination simply blooms and I get to play with symmetry, asymmetry, and geometric design."

She would like all of our readers to know that "I find unusual stones; sometimes beads (with a drilled hole) or cabochons (a flattened, polished stone with no hole). Many of my finds come from only one mine in the whole world! I consider the stone and how best to wrap it so that the stone is secure and the setting shows off the stone, rather than overwhelms it. I prefer using natural stones and high quality wire, mostly sterling silver, but often work with fine (nearly pure) silver, copper, and 14K gold filled wire. Since I put a lot of time and consideration into each piece, I prefer the components to be high quality, so they last well. I try to make every piece an heirloom." Her designs ship internationally so everyone can enjoy one of her beautiful pieces of work!

One of the things I love about Judy is that she is always tweeting about her team members sales and the EtsyTwitter Team's important information. She is always Direct Messaging her fellow tweeter's just to see how they are doing. When asked about how she uses twitter and her tricks she told me: "My followers are my Twitter friends. I follow people that I find interesting and engage in conversations. I think of Twitter as a cocktail party: I go to meet new people, touch bases with old friends and, occasionally, talk about my work. Most of my tweets are comments or responses to other people's tweets. I retweet when it's something I personally find interesting or think others would. I sometimes tweet about my work process--what movie I'm watching while I wrap a pendant; if the light/weather is good enough to photograph my work on a particular day; and a few times a week I tweet a link to an item in my shop. I probably tweet links to others' items a bit more than my own to provide some variety and introduce folks to other handmade artists in a gracious way."

Judy's new years resolution for her store is to work on her photographs so that they "look as good as the jewelry I'm trying to photograph! This is often reflected in feedback from clients delighted how much better their purchase looks in their hand than the picture they saw in the Etsy listing!"

Judy is offering a free handcrafted gift with any purchase from my Etsy shop during the week of January 25-31, 2010.

Use code: SOTW in the comments at checkout.

To learn more about Judy and Wellspring Creations please follow the links below:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WSCreations
Etsy Shop: http://www.wellspringcreations.etsy.com/
Facebook: http://www.artist.to/WellspringCreations
Blog: http://www.wellspringcreations.blogspot.com/

Thank you Judy for sharing all of this information with us. We wish you a very successful 2010!

Need to feed your SweetTooth?

Find your Fix at Sweetwater Inspirations -
EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week:

In Sweetwater Inspirations , owner and designer Wendy Hamilton offers her customers distinctive hand-crafted jewelry of exceptional quality and value. Within her shop you can find gifts for men, women, brides, and teens. You can see that in every piece that Wendy makes she takes pride and is very meticulous with her workmanship to ensure a special pieces for each of her customers. Please see her shop for international shipping details and convo her if you need more information.


Wendy admits that "I love to work with metal wire (sterling, copper, brass) and love the sparkle and unique qualities found in glass, stone, and semi-precious beads. I choose materials of quality and pride myself on representing my materials and jewelry with integrity. I purchase my materials in small quantities, so I sell limited production or one of a kind pieces."

She explained to me that her inspirations really are not much of inspiration as it is an "Addiction. Really, my inspiration is as uncontrived as seeing something new to 'play' with, the interplay of color, or the hypnotic affect of sparkly things. Although my husband groans at stepping into a bead or craft store, he has learned to bring his Blackberry for company and is really very patient when my head starts spinning with possibilities."

Although Wendy is new to Twitter and Etsy (opened on 1/5/09: Happy One Year!!) she would like to share what she has learned on Twitter: "I’ve tried to develop a following for my business by tweeting new items in my shop; but I also like the camaraderie of tweeting with other business owners. I think that Twitter and especially the Etsy Twitter Team offer a great way for business owners to connect and help support each other. It’s amazing how a kind tweet or re-tweet has the ability to open each business to a whole new network of people."

Since her store just celebrated its first anniversary on Etsy, Wendy has taken on the following resolution for 2010: "Last year I put a lot of time into learning about e-commerce and developing the software I needed to make my business end run efficiently. This year I am taking courses to hone and expand my metalworking skills and will put more of my time into design development and building my portfolio."

Good luck Wendy! We look forward to seeing your new metal work and designs in 2010!

From January 18th-24th Wendy is offering the following discount in her shop:

FREE US SHIPPING on all items in her Etsy shop
- PLUS a 10% discount on purchases totaling $50 or more* ·
Discount will be refunded to PayPal after payment or you may convo her before payment for a revised invoice. Texas residents - applicable purchase of $50 is calculated before sales tax. International shipping is not included in applicable minimum purchase and discount does not apply to shipping.


Wow! What a great idea to tell our DH and family members to do while we shop for the things we love the most! Thanks for the amazing tips Wendy about your shop and about your how you work on Twitter.

To learn more about Sweetwater Inspirations please visit Wendy's shop at:
http://sweetwatergifts.etsy.com/

Use the links below to follow Sweetwater's latest information:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SweetwaterGifts
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweetwater-Inspirations/115542896770

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade SweetwaterGifts.etsy.com

EtsyTwitter Team has found...

the Lost Mitten: ETT Shop of the Week

When stepping into this week's Shop of the Week, LostMitten.etsy.com, you can feel Lauren Y.'s love for all things that come from video games. Lauren's shop includes handmade crafts, Perler Bead goods for your office and home, needlepoint creations, Nintendo DS cases, and more. In addition to video games, she loves to knit and crochet! You have to check out these amazing fingerless gloves and awesome hats! A perfect gift for this chilly season (and I do mean chilly)! Lost Mitten is also known for a variety of pinback buttons.

Lauren's shop ships internationally and is located in Brantford, Ontario, Canada (near Hamilton, Toronto, London). Lauren would like all of her customers to know that "Each item in the Lost Mitten Etsy Shop is lovingly handmade by me. The designs and concepts for the creations are a collaboration between myself and my fiancé, Paul. My shop has been open since September 2006."

Here at the Etsy Twitter Team we love to share our tricks and favorite ways to use Twitter. Lauren has told me that she just "loves to tweet about my handmade creations and anything else that happens in day-to-day life. I have met some awesome people through my tweets, so I feel that it is important to make these connections and friendships for an improved Twitter experience. I think it is important to establish a balance between tweeting for your business and tweeting about yourself because people don't want to feel like they are being advertised to all of the time. They want to hear about your interests and other interesting things, too!"

So true Lauren and we love to read your tweets about what’s going on in your Etsy store and your day-to-day life!

Lauren's favorite part of her craft is when she finds out that one of her items have made a wonderful gift for anyone or themselves. Her favorite items to make are the Perler Bead items that she started to make in 2006 when her shop opened on Etsy. Lauren also enjoys taking on new challenges in her craft. (Please convo her for custom made items.)

Since it is the beginning of 2010, we have challenged all of our members to take on a New Year’s Resolution. Lauren admits (like most of us here at ETT) that Etsy becomes addicting. She hopes to spend more time creating this year as a part-time job. We wish you tons of luck, Lauren, in this new resolution and want to say congratulations to you and Paul on planning your wedding.

Follow her on Twitter: @lostmitten
Fan her Facebook Pages: http://www.facebook.com/lostmittenetsy
http://www.facebook.com/lostmitten
Read her blog: http://lostmittenblog.blogspot.com

This week ONLY (ends January 17, 2010):
10% off all items for anyone who mentions this article! Mention "Etsy Twitter Team" in comments at checkout and after payment is received via PayPal she will refund you for the amount of the discount.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade lostmitten.etsy.com

Scrapping the New Year in Style

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop Of The Week:
Scrap With Style

If you're always on the lookout for unique papers and embellishments, Scrap With Style is a dream come true.

As owner Janelle Jones says, "I have papers, ribbons, rub-ons, embellishments, cardstock, scrapbook albums, fun things that can bring family photographs to life! I also make some premade scrapbook albums (paper-bag, recycled CD style and others) and put together page kits and cut paper packs too."


A stay-at-home/work-at-home mom with two little girls, Janelle finds inspiration " in the tons of pictures I take of my two girls. Those pictures are what got me into scrapbooking and making photo projects! I really love displaying family photos."


She also loves the fact that the business allows her to work at home alongside her girls, ages 2 and 4. "My 4 year old particularly likes to help with packing the orders and ribbons!"

From a business perspective, Janelle finds Twitter great for connecting with fellow crafters. "I love to meet people and I really enjoy the social aspect of twitter. It's fun to meet other crafty people and share tricks and tips about papercrafting!"

The shop happily ships both across the country and internationally.

For more information about ScrapWithStyle:

http://www.twitter.com/scrapwithstyle
http://facebook.com/scrapwithstyle
http://janellescraps.com/
http://scrapwithstyle.com/

For this week, Janelle is offering the following great discounts:

10% off orders of $5 or more, 15% off orders of $10 or more, and 20% off orders of $20 or more just put "SOTW" in msg to seller @ checkout. Refunds made via paypal or you can request an updated invoice before payment.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade scrapwithstyle.etsy.com

Go Under the Sea with Noadi's Art -

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop Of The Week


"Merry Squidmas" Everyone! Noadi's Art under the sea and scientific creations are unique and have a sense of whimsy - they always make me SMILE - proving even geeky things can be artsy and chic. I really love Sheryl's specimens in a jar. This brain in a jar necklace is the perfect keepsake to commemorate my seven years of working "BRAINSTORMS" Advertising [really] and the good old days...we actually made Christmas Cards with brains. We had a photo shoot with a shelf of brains in Jars and another with a large gelatin brain that we photoshopped into a string of christmas lights [back when photoshop was a baby and didn't have all the bells and whistles it has today, or layers for that matter]. Those were the days...

And if all Noadi's swimming and science stuff has worked up an appetite, Noadi can also fill your appetite with the "Culinary Cuttlefish" - a blog about Sheryl's passion for cooking. With all things culinary to feed your mind and stomach - AND - homestyle recipes, in a quirky, step-by-step experimental fashion. YES, I am a fan. For the new year, I am preparing my first roast beef following her recipe ; )

There's a genuine love and passion behind the sculpture and jewelry that you find swimming at Noadi's. Cephalopods, fossils, crabs, and other denizens of the sea fill this shop and artist Sheryl Westleigh wouldn't have it any other way. A 27 year old Maine native, Sheryl's love for science and these unique and intelligent creatures inspires every one of her original, polymer clay creations.

From intricately tentacled steampunk cephalopods bristling with gears to quirky specimen jar pendants and platypus ornaments, you can find the perfect gift for the science lover in your life, or for yourself, in this unique shop.

Sheryl says, " I really do love the subjects I base my creations on.It's really wonderful that I've found an outlet for it that sells, and that allows me to bring in my other interests."


In addition to the Etsy Twitter Team, Sheryl is also a member of Seller Helping Sellers on Etsy, and has plenty of tips for those wanting to use Twitter as a means of promoting work and building your business.
"Make strategic use of autoposting of new items and deals. No more than 3 new items at a time. When I have deals that are scheduled to autopost, I do it no more than once every 4 hours. That seems to be a frequency that gets enough attention from my followers without becoming annoying. I also network with others who share my interests in science, etc, outside of the Etsy community, and that has led to sales. "

Sheryl's favorite thing about her art? "That I can do it for a living. And working with polymer clay is a joy, too. I love the stuff! Its so versatile." But marine animals and polymer clay aren't her only loves- she has a beautiful llama named Lauren, as well.

Noadi ships internationally to the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and all of Europe. Visit Noadi's Art at http://noadi.etsy.com/ or find her on:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/noadi
Blog: http://noadi.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.noadi.net/

Free stamped octopus cards with every order, no code needed.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade noadi.etsy.com

12 Crafts of Christmas - Simple Elegance

Every year for the past 6 or 7 now, I make a batch of crafty goodness for my Grandmother in Chicago. She is 86 this year and teaches painting classes. She has dozens of students and I make her two dozen ornaments to give to her students.

These vellum quilled paper snowflakes are this year's creation. They are actually what I started to do way back when, for my very first batch of ornaments, but there was so much paper piecing, I wasn't able to finish them in time. I was looking around my studio for something else and came across these that were halfway completed. Forgetting what I went upstairs for in the first place, I grabbed the bag and went to work finishing these "Simply Elegant" beauties...it took two nights of quilling to finish them off.

The package was received yesterday afternoon and my Grandmother loves them. She gives them out a luncheon this week : )

Stay tuned, I have more crafty Christmas goodness to share....

12 Crafts of Christmas is here!!!

Every other Christmas my husband and I travel to Chicago to spend the holiday with my Grandmother. There is nothing like experiencing Christmas in Chicago (ok maybe Paris may win out, but I've only been to Paris in April). I sort of know what I'm talking about living in South Florida where just two days ago it was 92! Yes 92 yuk!!! We do have a very nice annual Winterfest boat parade, but it's not the Festival of Trees at the MOSI in Chi-town...

For these travel holidays, I have my Holiday Tree to bring the holiday cheer to my house, without dragging out all the trimmings. Fashioned from wood dowels, and square of wooden fence post is lavishly embellished just like a regular tree - adorned with keepsakes, family photos, paper snowflakes, Scrapbooking embellishments, ribbon and garland. This is just the one side, and there is more to be added yet, but I snapped this photo before I junked it up too much - less is more...

This makes a beautiful centerpiece on the table and keeps the family busy reminiscing on all the photos I cherish on this tree. Best of all, I can change it for any season.

This tree is approx 26" tall and longest limb is 14". If you are interested in a naked tree form, base, various size hooks & star for the top ready to assemble and decorate - I'm happy to produce as custom orders for $15 each plus shipping. Please E-mail me at mail { at } sbartist dot com.

Check back tomorrow for the next installment of my 12 Crafts of Christmas ; )

A Candy Cane Christmas

With Love, From the EtsyTwitter Team

Thanks to Lois at foxygknits for this awesome post on her blog "Foxy G's Den of i-KNIT-quity"
and for featuring one of our Paper Lanterns in this...

When a chill hits the air, acageebee digs out her cozy winter gear and is reminded of the warmth her old friends bring. This candy cane striped scarf always makes her smile:

Candy Cane Scarf Painting by acageebee

Here is a welcome that is fit enough for Candy Land itself:

Peppermint Welcome Ornament by FromNancysHeart

This is one-of-a-kind ornament is reminiscent of peppermint swirl candies:

CHRISTMAS Vintage Candy Cane Swirl Large Origami Paper Lantern by SalonDArte

A Candy Cane Red peppermint candle that will burn for 40-60 hours:

Candy Cane Candle by DavesHomemade

How about a peppermint mocha latte festively wrapped in this peppermint stick coffee cozy?

Peppermint Stick Coffee Cozy by HandmadebySandi

Wouldn’t this taste delish in your hot chocolate or cocoa? Or just by themselves - simple & minty sweet...oooh in vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate hershey's syrup...mmmmm

Candy Cane Marshmallows by VintageConfections

And when you write to Santa, you’ll need to give him your return address:

Medium Candy Cane Holiday Address Stamp by purplelemondesigns

A darling little tissue cozy for a purse or schoolbag – just the right size to fill a stocking:

Peppermint Tissue Cozy by AmieVoltaire

You can decorate your tree or a gift package with this altered domino:

Glitter Candy Cane by inmyheadstudios

Merry Christmas to all – And to all a good night!

Big Announcement!!!

SalonD'Arte has been selected as one of the Holiday Sampler artisans. I am so excited to be part of this. Also one of my EtsyTwitter Team members ACageyBee is part of the Holiday Sampler, too.

I've been working my fingertips to the bone folding hundreds - LITERALLY... hundreds of paper squares making ornaments to prepare for my submission for the Holiday Sampler.



For those of you who are subscribers, I hope you enjoy a my gift of a Handmade Holiday to you, with a paper origami ornament, that is not only beautiful, but easy to make and I've included instructions to begin a new Handmade Holiday tradition with your family and friends.

I'll begin a special "12 Crafts of Christmas" post beginning this weekend...so check back to see what I've been up to in elf land : )

Getting to know JusShar Designs...

EtsyTwitter Team Shop Of The Week

Brr! Winter's chill is in the air even here in Atlanta, and that means getting out the warm toasty goodness of my fav pair of fingerless gloves. It also means its time to pay a visit to Jusshar Designs. This snuggly Etsy shop is brimful of hats, scarves, fingerless gloves, shrugs and more, all designed with enough flair to keep winter's worst at bay in style.

Owner Beth Newbern-Hallam loves the satisfaction of taking a "skein or two of yarn and creating something from it. I'm also really beginning to appreciate the process of making yarn. I've been slowly starting to take raw fleece and spin it into yarn. I haven't done enough to actually make something with it because there is so much involved. I have a new respect for spinners!"

Beth gathers inspiration from everywhere. "Every time I see a show, movie, or commercial with fiber creations in it, I think to myself...."bookmark that idea for later". Sometimes I can't sit back and enjoy the movie for all the fiber seeking I'm doing.
Mainly, though, I knit and crochet because I absolutely love to do it. It's almost like I HAVE to do it to feel right with the world."

A growing fondness for the warm beauty of Icelandic wool is fueling Beth's newest interest in working with raw fleece.

"Icelandic sheep are gorgeous animals, and their wool is so incredibly soft. I haven't dyed any of it yet, because I really like the earthy tones ...reds, browns, and blacks are my favorites."

Jusshar Designs is happy to ship internationally as well as create custom items. "I absolutely adore making the sweater shrugs that I have listed as a custom item in my shop! I was surprised at how popular they are with brides."

Beautiful handknits and crocheted pieces make fabulous gifts, so now's the time to take advantage of the discount below:

10% off For Fans of Jusshar on Facebook, With

Free Shipping in the US and Discounted Rates for Those Outside

The US.

Visit JusShar Designs: http://jusshar.etsy.com/

Follow Jusshar on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jusShar

Fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jusshardesigns

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade jusshar.etsy.com

Yarn Coture - EtsyTwitter Team's

Shop Of the Week!

Exquisitely knitted creations take center stage in YarnCoture. The shop is filled with amazing pieces that will have you looking forward to weather cold enough to wear them!

Owner Maryum Karim says, "I try to offer a wide variety of designs to appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers. I love to create custom designs as well as OOAK (one-of-a-kind) items in order to provide a personal shopping experience for my customers. Every item is made with great care and will not bear the Yarncoture name until I feel that it's just right. I am constantly educating myself on new knitting and crocheting techniques to improve my craft. "

In addition to scarves, shawls, and fingerless gloves, Maryum also offers vintage inspired designs. "My favorite pieces that I make are my Vintage Inspired Ascot neckties... I just love the simplicity of the design! "

Maryum admits that inspirations for her stylish creations come from everywhere. "I can have a dream about a design and then wake up and create it that same day. On the other hand, a set of beautiful vintage buttons or really funky novelty yarn may inspire me to make something new. A medley of my vintage patterns collection or just a simple knit or crochet pattern coupled with my special touch will sometimes do the trick. It all depends on what mood I'm in!"

A self-taught knitter, Maryum's passion for her craft is another source of inspiration. "there's always a new technique, stitch pattern, a new yarn fiber, or design to try or learn. I love the way the yarn feels as it glides off my knitting needles or how quickly I can crochet a beautiful flower. I also love the fact that I have been teaching my 2 daughters to knit and crochet, and have even featured some of their finished pieces in my shop! Being able to pass these ancient crafts down to my daughers has truly been a joy! "

Maryum admits that its sometimes difficult to balance all the areas of her busy life, so her favorite twitter trick is using her shop Facebook Page to update twitter as well. " I love to tweet, however lately I have been swamped preparing for an upcoming craft show as well as custom orders. Tweeting through my Facebook fan page saves me a lot of time and enables me to allow my fans as well as fellow "Twitteroos" to sneak a first peek at new items in my shop. I usually tweet about my day and sometimes ask fellow Twitterers about theirs. Watching what others are saying also helps me to get a feel for my audience and what a potential buyer may be looking for. "

YarnCoture offers unique gift ideas for everyone on your gift list, including great accessories for those hard-to buy-for men on your list, and ships both domestic and international.

Free standard worldwide shipping for every item in my shop. This special offer will be available through December. Priority Mail and Express mail services will be available for an additional charge.

Follow YarnCoture:

http://www.facebook.com/yarncoture

http://www.twitter.com/yarncoture

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade yarncoture.etsy.com