Operation Write Home

I am participating this weekend in the Memorial Day Operation Write Home Bloghop. Check back Saturday AM for my Patriotic Card and also a crafty tutorial, too. See you then : ) Sb

Beautiful things have washed ashore...

with NovaScotiaBeachGlass -
EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week

This week, the Etsy Twitter Team is featuring NovaScotiaBeachGlass for our Shop of the Week. NovaScotiaBeachGlass is the creation of Lori Stewart who collects seaglass from the beaches of Nova Scotia. She hunts the beach with her black lab, Willow, looking for beach glass, seaglass, driftwood and any other treasures the sea might reveal to her. She turns these treasures into lovely works of wearable art: pendants and necklaces.

Lori told me that beach glass is also called seaglass or mermaid’s tears. "This collectible is formed after years of tumbling in ocean waves, softening the sharp edges of shards of broken glass. Sea glass originates from man-made trash - bottles or jars tossed overboard ships or dumped with other garbage into the ocean, where they would break into pieces and tumble around. Most sea glass found today dates before the mid 1960's (when plastics became the norm). A perfectly smooth piece may have been in the ocean for decades, even a century. Collectors value the glass for its beauty and the mystery of its history - whose hand might have held the original item? What story might the sea glass tell?"

Lori appreciates the history and romance of her chosen material. She says there is nothing so soothing as to handle seaglass. In addition to her interest in recycling the vintage seaglass, Lori also expresses her artistic nature using resin. While she is always experimenting with new designs, this year she would like to improve her jewelry photography.

Lori ships worldwide and the interest in her work is ever growing. "I've been asked to do a home party...plus several stores have expressed interest in displaying my necklaces." On the Twitter front, Lori likes to keep people interested by tweeting a little about everything...not just about Etsy and her shop.

NovaScotiaBeachGlass is offering
Free shipping for the month of May to
Canada and the US
Also, a sale: 25% off orders over $100.00
~~~~~~~
Etsy Shop: www.NovaScotiaBeachGlass.etsy.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/seajewelry
FaceBook:www.facebook.com/NovaScotiaBeachGlass
Blog:www.novascotiabeachseaglass.blogspot.com

Special thanks to Judy of Wellspring Creations for this article : )

Get your Geek On with...

Geek Details: EtsyTwitter Team's
Shop of the Week!

Meet Amanda Roberts, the talent behind the Etsy shop, geekdetails, and EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week.

Amanda makes and sells a variety of what she describes as "geeky things". Her product line ranges from artistically embellished luggage, pinback buttons and art prints, sculpted singing flowers; even some jewelry items! Her product line is varied and reflects the sources of her inspiration. When asked what she loves most about creating, Amanda states: "That I get to make stuff every day...I love the process of making new items, seeing something lovely and knowing that I made that pretty thing."

As she puts it, her inspiration comes from, "Everything! It can be a music lyric, something a friend says, a glass of wine, the way the colors of my flowers blend. I try to find inspiration everywhere and then I mix it up to create something new." This is further reflected in her business resolution: to step "out of my box" and attend gamer conventions! "I went to my first in January (it was called VisionCon) and had a blast! I’m hooked and glad I did it! I met some amazing people that have been excited about what I do. They’ve become some of my biggest fans and really encouraged me in my retail endeavor." The result is an eclectic blend of fun products which Amanda ships worldwide (on most items*)!

How about a "poisoned apple"?

Amanda has several exciting activities planned in the next few months. She's attending many shows this summer, including Origins in June. She's helping to develop a new website called Con-Vixens. AND she's "appearing" on an online radio program called Dragon Talk Radio this Thursday, May 20!

Amanda is @geekdetails on Twitter. Her Twitter philosophy? "Follow who you like and converse with them. Don’t just mindlessly follow everyone...and don’t follow people simply because they’re following you. This may lose you some followers, but the quality of your twitter connections will be higher! For me, twitter is about making connections with people. One connection with a rabid follower of your work is (imo) far superior than 50 followers that don’t really care about what you’re doing and are just upping their numbers. It’s quality over quantity for me!"

This week geekdetails is offering
Free domestic shipping on orders over $80 when the buyer mentions “etsytwitter” in the notes to seller section

* Some large items can vary greatly in shipping price from one country to the next. Convo geekdetails for the international shipping rate specific to your location.

~~~~~~~

ETSY SHOP: www.etsy.com/shop/geekdetails
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/geekdetails
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/geekdetails
BLOG: www.geekdetails.com

Special thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post.

Unique Handcrafted Jewels by

SouthPawStudios:
EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week:

Our EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week is South Paw Studios, which offers handcrafted jewelry by Toledo, Ohio artist Katy Mims. She not only makes necklaces, bracelets and earrings, but she has a unique bridal line. Her styles incorporate faceted gems, Venetian glass, pearls and precious metal. As she puts it, it "brings the jewelry to life."

Thanks to EtsyTwitter Team Member Judy for this interview with Katy!

Judy: What do you want your customers to know most about your products?

Katy: I feel that I offer functional jewelry that you can wear everyday with jeans and a simple white t-shirt, yet you can wear it to a formal function if preferred. I don’t want my customer to seem pressed on the thought of “I love this necklace, but where am I going to wear it?” I want them to be more, “I love this necklace, and I can wear it with anything”. I want there to be “No Fuss”. Jewelry shouldn’t be complicated, it should be enjoyable. That is why I feel I create jewelry that is much more appealing and affordable to a wider range of woman, from the younger jewelry lover to the seasoned shopper.

Judy: What inspires you to create?

Katy: I get inspiration from everything from a shower curtain, to sunsets. I know that sounds cliché, but really there are great color combinations in sunsets. I also get my muse from new supplies. I really have an addiction to beads and gems. I buy way to much stuff, but I just cant help myself. Having new supplies really keeps me excited to sit at my work bench for hours on end.

Judy: What is your favorite thing about your craft?

Katy: This question is tricky, but when I sit down and think about it, one of my favorite things about my craft is it is very competitive, but that keeps me on my toes. I like a little friendly competition. With jewelry, I love that everyone can take part in this particular medium. It is a little piece of wearable art that you can take with you and wear with pride every day, to work or even the grocery store. It makes art become functional. I love that it is an appealing part of the art world that seems to be able to survive even in the hardest of times.

Judy: What are your Twitter tricks of the trade?

Katy: I really don’t have time to log in and out of all the accounts I use online on a daily basis, so I use Facebook, primarily to twitter from. I used to use Tweetdeck, but it started to have some glitches a little while back, and I just couldn’t seem to find the right patch. I am sure it is fixed by now, but again, TIME! So anyways, I linked my Facebook fan page to my Twitter account and “whola” I get two birds with one stone (no birds were actual harmed in this sentence) and only have to type something once. I may not seem like much, but it is a time saver for me and works just great.

Judy: What is one of your business resolutions for the New Year?

Katy: I really want to beat each month’s sales, compared to last years, and have my profit margin higher as well. To achieve this I feel a combo of getting more money per piece, and as well as tighten down on my expenses / cost of goods sold (COGS) will help me reach my 2010 business new year’s resolution.

This week, Katy is offering a special Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week Discount! 15% off all regularly priced items, now thru May 2nd. Enter code “Etsytwitter15” in message to seller during checkout. Discount will be refunded via Paypal.

ALSO: special promo item, these earrings will be on sale for only $7, regularly $16, no code necessary.

Etsy Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/southpawstudios

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SouthPawStudios

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/SouthPawStudios

BLOG http://southpawstudios.blogspot.com/

Main website http://southpawonline.com/

Bead website http://www.etsy.com/shop/southpawsbeads

Art by Betty Refour

EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week:
brefour on Etsy

A couple of month's back I was preparing a treasury for Etsy and I selected one of Betty's cards - a reproduction of a painting with a gold heart in the center [above]. I loved it so much I bought it! I sent her a note in the comment to seller and I told her I was so excited to frame it and hang it in my studio with my other inspirational ART. She not only sent me the card I purchased, but sent me a larger size to frame. I intend to send the card to my sister for her birthday next month. Not only unique artwork, but an outstanding and thoughtful fellow Etsian. Thanks Betty for setting such a great example for your teammates : ) Sb


Let me introduce you to Betty Refour, the proprietor behind our Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week, BRefour. Betty's Etsy Shop, offers original art and note cards created by Betty and Betty's sister, Rose, who has autism. Both artists use bright colors in small spaces, offering art that is both visually appealing and affordable. Betty says much of her inspiration comes from fabric and architecture. She loves art because, "with art there are no boundaries... limitless imagination." Betty is very inspired these days--she has joined a local 'daily painting group'!

The art of BRefour is internationally known. Her stellar customer feedback reflects the quality of product and service. Not only does Betty offer products that are made with care, but a portion of the shop's proceeds is donated to charity. Betty applies a similar selfless attitude to Twitter: to “establish relationships, tweet about things other than myself and retweet other tweets.”

Betty is practical about her 2010 resolution: to destash* She says "I think creative people can see something in everything and because of that, we end up with so much more than we need." All of us can relate to that!

This week, Betty is offering a special Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week Discount! 50% off all items in the SALE section. Use code SOTW in notes to seller and she will send you a revised invoice.

~~~~~~~

Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/brefour

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bettyrefour
Facebook: http://artist.to/artbybettyrefour
Blog: http://artbybettyrefour.blogspot.com

Special Thanks to EtsyTwitter Member Judy for this interview.

*DESTASH means to get rid of excess art/crafting supplies…to get rid of your stash!

All Hearts for MySassyGlass

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

This week's shop of the week is mysassyglass run and owned by Susan Buchanan and Emilee. Located in Buchanan Fond Du Lac, WI the girls ship internationally. "I started the business about five years ago after I was downsized out of my fourth job. My plan was to make larger glass pieces to sell, but glass is expensive so I started making pendants to practice different techniques and found there was a market for them. Emilee was drawn to my studio and soon received a blue ribbon at an art show for this piece. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mysassyglass/2243252424/She started helping me sell at craft shows and when I expanded my business to the Internet, she became my photographer, Internet marketer, and technical support."

Within the shop Susan told me your can find the following : "For Etsy we make and sell fused glass slides, pendant and pierced and clip on earrings. When we are selling at art and craft shows we add wind chimes, garden stakes, jewelry dishes, melted wine bottles and table art to draw more people to are booth. In my supply store, I sell some of the jewelry bails, ear wires and display cards that I use for my jewelry. I like to buy my supplies in bulk, so this store allows me to pass on savings to etsy shoppers."

Her twitter tricks of the trade are: "When using twitter we like to limit our direct promotion tweets and sprinkle them in with tweets of miscellaneous information that people might find interesting. We also feel that interacting with people is important so we like to ask questions and try to get responses. We like to select people at random and RT something for them. We find that most of the time, they will reciprocate by RT’ing something of ours. This not only increases the chance that your tweet will be seen and read by your followers but it also now can be seen by people that are currently not following you. You never know from where your next sale will come. I sold a pendant because I responded to a random tweet about a woodpecker. We tweeted back and forth a few times until he got curious and went to my profile page. He then went to my etsy store and selected a pendant for his wife…."

Susan's favorite thing about her art "My favorite thing about glass fusing is that when things go well… you open the kiln its like “Christmas morning”. But unlike other crafts, once the kiln was turned on there is no going back to alter something that doesn’t work quite right. In the kiln, the glass is slowly heated to over 1300 degrees and then slowly cools down to room temperature. This process can take a minimum of seven hours and can be 15 hours or more. When glass is heated it can move or just one layer can slip, bubbles can form and sometimes large bubbles can pop. Glass can also stick to the mold being used to create a shape. When things go unexpectedly, it is important to be able to envision a new plan for the glass. The following image is two pendants that slid together in the kiln, I was disappointed until I rotated the piece and saw this. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mysassyglass/2406866958/ "

Mysassyglass is offering the ETT readers the following deal:

FREE SHIPPING until April 30th on all purchases totaling $40 or more from either of our Etsy shops. Items will be shipped either USPS First Class OR First Class International. Please use code: SOTW in the comments at checkout to redeem this offer. Shipping charges will be refunded via Paypal after payment or you may convo me before payment for a revised invoice. Wisconsin residents - applicable purchase of $40 is calculated before sales tax. Also…..We invite you to check out our facebook pendant giveaway. http://www.facebook.com/MySassyGlass

More links for this shop are as follows:

Etsy Jewelry Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mysassyglass

Etsy Supply Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mysassysupplies

Our Website: http://www.mysassyglass.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mysassyglass

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/MySassyGlass

Blog: http://mysassyglass.blogspot.com/

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mysassyglass/

Thanks to Jen Kubrick, EtsyTwitter Team Leader for this article:

www.Jenco13.etsy.com

So Impressed with PurpleLemonDesigns -

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week!

Put together my favorite color and some lemons and you get PurpleLemonDesigns [sounds like a refreshing summertime cocktail, mmmm]. This shop is one of my faves - rubber stamps galore - many unique custom designs, too ; ) Sb



Kelly Rinehart is the creative mind and designer behind PurpleLemonDesigns, this week's Etsy Twitter Team's Shop of the Week. Kelly's Etsy Shop designs and produces custom rubber stamps and stationery, both printable and professionally printed. Her custom products are designed to complement her customer's personality. Kelly says, "When using my products, I like for my customers to feel as if they are sending a stamp imprint or piece of stationery that reflects them." Customer satisfaction in what drives her: "When I create a stationery or stamp design that my client loves and feels is perfect for their everyday needs, wedding day or other special event, that makes all the hard work worth it."

Her main goal for 2010 is "to get my business in order. I was able to take a fabulous business crash course that helped me write a business plan, marketing plan, advertising plan, and other pieces of my business puzzle. This has really helped me think through my business, and really see what I need to do to move it to the next level." She has a relaxed attitude toward Twitter: "I just like to make connections and converse about a little bit of everything...I just like to make new friends that I normally wouldn't run into everyday." With 548 sales in less than two years on Etsy, her business approach and products are obviously successful!

To celebrate her spotlight as Etsy Twitter team shop of the week, Kelly is offering 10% off your entire order {excluding shipping} if you enter ETSYTWITTER in the "Notes to the Seller" section during checkout. The discount will be refunded through Paypal. This offer is good April 5 - 11th.

Etsy Store: http://purplelemondesigns.etsy.com
Blog: http://purplelemondesigns.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/purplelemon
Facebook: http://facebook.com/purplelemondesigns

Thanks to team member Judy for this article.

Fun Friday Facts...Did you Know???

Yesterday being April Fool's Day - I have a little interesting cultural tidbit about how the French celebrate April 1st. It's called "Poisson d'Avril".

In France on April 1st, the victim of a hoax is called "Poisson d'Avril", an April Fish - which refers to a young fish which is easily caught. The French delight in shouting "POISSON D'AVRIL" at the denouncement of foolery. French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying "poisson d'avril" when the prank is discovered. Ooooh-la-la, would Pepé le Peux approve....

Above is an A.T.C. { artist trading card } I created for an April Fool's swap with my local swap group. I must admit, it was the most challenging theme for the group, and turned out to be one of the best swaps we've had since we started in 2006. It was quite interesting researching different cultures and how this "all pranks day" is celebrated around the world. I couldn't imagine where would we be without google & wikipedia.

Let's see what I can dig up for next Friday : ) Sb

April First - Lucky Day!

Was just quickly checking Craftopolis treasury time clock and I found that I am feature in a new treasury "Fabulousness - A collection of bold blues and warm..." by a FABULOUS fellow Etsian PaaPuu who makes gorgeous 100% handmade lampshades and home goods. Please check out the treasury - it's a beauty. Don't forget to sign in to click & comment. : ) Sb

Prettycheap is Pretty CHIC...

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

This week's shop of the week is Prettycheap, run by owner and creator Nina Danza. Nina ships her items internationally from Ventura, California.

Nina describes herself and her shop as the follows "I am the Frugal Artisan making many different kinds of beautiful bargains! Look in my shop for classic timeless jewelry designs in precious metal, natural stone, and pearls as well as richly colored original photo cards, pressed flower stationary, and embroidery and needlework cards (all very time honored classic crafts)."

{ I love this card that is part of a Set-of-Three Water Inhabitant Photo Cards. This little guy looks like one of my turtles "Moe" that moved up to my sister's pond last summer. I hope they've survived the COLD Florida winter in Orlando. : ) Sb }

When walking through her shop please remember the following: "Everything at Pretty Cheap is made with quality and sold at inexpensive prices. Once you get past the name, my customers can't believe what a great value they get in their purchases: "These are just as sweet and well made as can be! Thank you for great items at good prices! In the words of my granddaughter, Prettycheap rocks" ... "I LOVE these earrings!!! Even prettier in person. They are gorgeous! I have gotten a ton of compliments on them. Fast shipping and very well packaged too. Thanks so much" are just a couple of the 100% positive feed backs."

As always we here at the etsy twitter team love to share our information about how we work on twitter. Nina would like to continue to inspire all of you to use twitter by using the following trick of the trade: "Focus on following and interacting with those of the same passion. Instead of singing to the choir, figure out what sets you apart (ok, easier said than done) and use http://www.twellow.com to find others of like mind. I am such a die hard saver it was easy to start seeking out other thrifty folks. How convenient to have a recession come along and make frugality a trend!"

Nina's business resolutions for 2010 is as follows: "Last year I did an experiment to see what scale of profit I would earn by selling at an increased number of in person shows. The result was good, and gave me first hand knowledge of what price range and type of items shoppers were buying especially at the year end holiday season. I learned that I want to develop the perfect all around gift, that would fit in a medium 2" square box, for a moderate price, by fall of this year!! (and if so I'll let you all know what it is!)"

Nina is offering our readers for this week only:

Free Recycled Guitar String Bracelet with every order (no minimum purchase necessary). While supplies last. Lots of colors and styles, great environmental fashion statement. Just ask for it at checkout. See examples here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/prettycheap/4368649814/

TWITTER ADDRESS http://www.twitter.com/prettycheap

FB PAGE http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pretty-Cheap-Jewelry/250706407767?ref=ts
BLOG http://www.prettycheapjewelry.savingadvice.com

MAILING LIST Click on the blog link and add your email in the left sidebar box

Special Thanks to Jen Kubrick of Jenco13 for writing this article : ) Sb

Mrs. Kwitty's Cottage - This Week's

EtsyTwitter Team Featured Shop!

Special thanks to Judy of Wellspring Creations on Etsy for this article.


Karen Witkop is the proprietor of this week's EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the week, misseskwittys. Her shop offers a variety of handmade cottage style items in fabric and paper, which she is delighted to ship domestically or internationally. Her attitude about her work shows clearly. "I just love to make things with my hands---pretty, colorful things. I love to get an idea in my head, go down to my studio and pick out some pretty fabrics or papers, and then allow that thought to become something you can actually hold in your hand! It's very gratifying....and FUN!"

When I asked Karen what she wants her customers to know most about her products, she responded, "there is a lot of love involved in my crafting-- from picking the colors of fabrics or papers, hand-stitched or embroidered details, pretty papers, cool old buttons and laces and ribbons (which are often really hard to part with!) for the 'perfect little detail'--and I design my own patterns". Her inspiration is vintage/retro things like embroideries, laces, ribbons, buttons, and rickrack. She says, "I am especially inspired by the linens and fabrics of the 30's and 40's. Don't you think it's wonderful how the housewives of that era, which was a pretty dark era in terms of the war and the economy of the time, did all they could to make their homes beautiful and colorful places--and they did it with their handwork". It is no surprise she also carries some of these vintage items!

Karen has an interactive approach to Twitter. She says, "it's all about being part of the community--I like to tweet my new listings and promotions for the Etsy team, but I also make sure to click on other people's links, too, and leave a comment if I like what I see."


Karen is offering a special deal to celebrate her Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week status: With every order this week, she will include a free Gift Tag Sample Pack with each order!

Karen maintains her Internet presence in several ways:
Mrs. Kwitty's Cottage Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/misseskwittys
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/misseskwittys
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=708146164&ref=name
BLOG: http://misseskwitty.blogspot.com/
FLICKR: http://flickr.com/photos/misseskwittys/

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.*