Etsy Twitter Team

We are excited to be a part of the VERY active Etsy Twitter Team. I am taking the time to post about a fellow Etsian who also tweets... Peanut and Tommy fun handmade gifts.

This is the first item that caught my eye. Product description includes, "Cafe Kitchen is a fluffy, 100% acrylic yarn that has been blended with positive silver ions, which makes it more resistant to mildew and bacteria than regular acrylic yarn. The acrylic yarn holds it's shape well and scrubs like a breeze. The Japanese call these scrubbies "Magic Scrubbers." They use them to clean without detergent in the kitchen and bath. Do they work? You'll have to try one to find out!" Click on the picture to see more. This one caught my eye too. Love the colors!

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Fake Flowers

I share my distain for fake flowers with a friend and co-worker, Cheryl. Let me explain. I don't like fake, or better yet imitation flowers that are trying to look real, but are obviously FAKE. One of my biggest pet peeves, people who put FAKE flowers OUTDOORS!!! I mean, gimme a break! Plant some REAL flowers! Sorry for the rant...

Obviously, I do like REAL flowers, fresh flowers. I belong to my local florist's Friday Flower Club, getting a bouquet of fresh cut flowers weekly. I like dried flowers as well. I try to dry my fresh flowers. I like unique fake flowers, not immitation flowers, but fake flowers that aren't trying to look real. Maybe some pictures will help me clarify. These are some of my Etsy favorites:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27278601

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27101663

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23932977

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21062627

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27261324

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22077258

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21963546

I hope to make these above items an addition to our new downtown loft someday. I am also crocheting some flowers for Cheryl now, I hope to be able to crochet some for myself as well. When I do, I will share some more pictures with you.

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Help Out My Little Artist

Jacob is creating again and he has two listings in our Etsy shop. His very first listing sold immediately, but these two are taking a bit longer. It is a good lesson, but the little guy could use a boost. :) I mean, how can you pass up this cute little face?

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Come out and see us today!

Racks by the Tracks, Downtown Kinsgsport on E. Main Street, Saturday, May 16th from 3pm to 8pm. Ribs, blues and beer. I have made beer glass cozies per the suggestion of Angela Vachon and help from Paul and Amber Vachon. I will post some pictures on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone!

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Recycled Walk in the Woods Merino Wool Neckwear

I loved working with this yarn. I'm sad I can't buy more. Definitely one of a kind! Made from this beautiful recycled merino wool yarn by play at life fiber arts called "Walk in the Woods." The name and colors of the yarn inspired the design. Three individual pieces which can be worn together or separate. One is a long, thin, double crochet scarf. The second is a twisted spiral, simiar to a vine of sorts. The third is a freeform leaf design so intricate that there is a center vein raised up on each leaf. These three pieces make a fantastic combination of textures.

This piece is ready to ship. Crochet by me. Individualize and show off your style! Wear not only as a scarf, but also as a headband or belt. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

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Alpaca Farm

I was promoting our Etsy shop on Craig's List. While I was there, I decided to check out some local listings. I was so excited to find a listing for alpaca yarn. The family business/farm was local and within about 3 miles from our apartment! June was very friendly when we spoke on the phone, and was more than happy to have our family over to meet the alpaca. I was very excited! I had never seen alpaca. I never met anyone who raise, shear, spin and sell their alpaca yarn! AND to have to opportunity to buy the yarn and make my own crochet creations! I was thrilled!

June's daughter had the flu, so I, being the only one in my family having had the flu vaccination this year, went inside the house to check out the yarn, while June's husband, Ed, took Michael and the boys out to the barn. Ed put the boys to work and had them feed the alpaca! They also met two llamas, a pig, and a goat... Oh, and three dogs!

The yarn was beautiful and so soft! June had three colors left in her stash: a white, brown, and black-brown... Natural colors from the coat of the alpaca, undyed! After ooooing and aaahing over June's yarns and some creations she had, I accompanied June outside to find the boys. She pointed out which animals provided which color of yarn. She also has other colors of alpaca. She was anxious to get rid of her current stash, because they were going to be shearing again in late March/April.

I couldn't wait to get home and begin crocheting! This is my first creation from it... Creamy Natural Mini Cowl / Capelet / Shrug with Flower Crochet Alpaca. Please check it out and let me know what you think!

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Colors of the Rainbow Crochet Clutch

Listed today! Colors of the Rainbow Crochet Clutch

ONE OF A KIND!!! This crochet clutch is just the right size to place in another bag or carry alone. Crocheted by Talina with a merino blend handspun/handdyed yarn by EvergreenCreations and then felted. It is finished off with a beautiful handmade {by Michael} maple button and various fibers/ribbons. Dimensions are approximately 7" by 5.5".

I tend to be a perfectionist, and Michael is always saying "embrace handmade" meaning to celebrate the qualities that make handmade items unique. In this piece I express colorful creativity and asymmetry! When felted the right side of the flap drew up more than the left, leaving the interesting angle. To accent that, I placed the button to the left and weaved a narrow red ribbon along the edge of the flap! The felting has made this pouch thick and cushion-y. Perfect to protect your electronics/valuables.

GO TO OUR ETSY SHOP TO SEE MORE!!!

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Blogs I'm Following

Well, in order to get some readers, I have been networking, mostly with other Etsy sellers. In the last 24 hours, I have followed 27 blogs (see my Blog Roll) and have barely skimmed the surface. The experts say that having a blog is one of the best marketing tools for your business. I realized last night that although I am not only an Etsy seller, but also an Etsy customer, as are most of the Etsy sellers, I am not doing a very good job of marketing my shop if I am only targeting other Etsians.

So, I asked myself this question (thanks Heather), "Who is my target market/audience/reader?" Well, we sell various things in our Etsy shop http://ripperarts.etsy.com/, but the majority of our items right now are Michael's cutting boards. How can I reach those who love to cook? So, my goal today is to visit some cooking blogs. Does anyone have one that they frequent? Does anyone have any other ideas how I might reach those who love to cook?

I mention Heather above. I bought her "Savvy MARKETING for Successful Etsy Sellers" yesterday. I already knew of some of the tips she mentions, but I highly recommend this resource, especially if you are a brand new Etsian.

Also, I said not only am I a seller, I am a customer of Etsy. I purchased this yarn from Rebecca http://evergreencreations.etsy.com/ and have almost completed a project with it that I am going to sell in our shop. So, stay tuned...

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