Search results (tags) for: "families"

How a Piece of Jewelry Leaves Its Imprint

2009-12-10T14:11:00-05:00

My husband's family has a tradition of setting an extra place at the holiday table for any family member who passed away that year. I'm always moved by this way to celebrate loved ones who can't be with us. Jackie Kaufman, Etsy jeweler rockmyworldinc, sent us this note, and I asked her to share her story of how, in her way, she plays a role in thoughtful remembrance. This post goes out to those of you whose holidays are times of reflection.

Have you ever thought you could create an item that could actually help people and change your own life in the process?

I am a jewelry caster, and per a special request from a customer, I created a Heart Fingerprint Necklace, taking two actual fingerprints from the customer and blending them to create a heart necklace. It was a great success, and I decided to put it up on Etsy.

Then the requests started coming in. I was overwhelmed by the stories I was hearing. One woman whose child just passed away wanted one with her and her child's prints together. A caretaker who had an elderly patient who she loved wanted both their prints on a necklace. A child whose parents died within one week of each other wanted her two parents' prints together and enough of the pieces to give to each child in the family. A woman with a heart transplant wanted to give one to her donor family. An army wife whose husband is going overseas in January wants one that he can hang on his dog tag. I could go on and on.

Of course there are many happy occasions as well. But the most emotional ones — the ones that have changed me — are the sad times in peoples lives.

When I make each necklace, I run my fingers over the prints, and I feel like I am able to feel the person, and the life they have or had. It is quite emotional, especially when people let me know the history of the prints. I am so grateful and humble this season that what I do is able to give joy to people going through hard times, and emotional times. It has changed me forever.

Etsy Finds Decor: The Comforts of Home

2009-10-25T10:00:00-05:00

This weekend’s Get the Look: Decor is inspired by the warm and inviting home of Tamar and Ronen. Four years ago, the couple, their three teenage sons and dog moved away from a life in the city and into a beautiful home in Shelburne, Vermont. Tamar's decorating style incorporates her family's artwork, bright patterned textiles, thoughtfully displayed family mementos, along with collections of vintage treasures and repurposed thrifted furniture. The many different textures and patterns throughout the home create a stimulating yet homey feel.

Tamar told me, "Our home is very laid back. The walls are white washed to highlight our ever growing art collection (many pieces from Etsy) but most of the pieces are from my family; my mother and sister are both painters. We use lots of textiles and our style is very eclectic, from modern country to funky and colorful. Nothing really matches, but that's how we love it."

Tamar works as an interior designer and runs NestDecorating, an inspiring blog focused on home decor, style and family life. She also has a successful Etsy shop, tamar, where she sells beautiful jewelry, accessories and home decor.

Visit Tamar on Flickr to view more photos of her charming home. Check out the Etsy Finds below for creative decorating ideas to add a bit of color, pattern and texture to the place you call home.

Sweet Little Fabric Plant - Green Apple

By janejoss, $28.

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Buttercream Icing Buffet Server

By gypsyfishstudio, $695.

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Provincial Rooster and Roses Creamer

From GeneralWhimsy2, $15.

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Alice Is Looking For Her Dottie dress

By DanaKomjaty, $18.

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Roses Mosaic Tray

By butterflymosaics2, $52.

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Vintage Pitcher Coffee Pot

From Retro2GoGo, $22.

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Vintage Cake Plate

From RickRackVintage, $15.

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Succulent in Vintage Milk Glass Dish

By monkeysalwayslook, $28.

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set of 3 engraved stones

By sjengraving, $36.

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Pretty Plaid Decorative Pumpkin

By SeaPinks, $12.

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Ebony Suzani Footstool

By MaterialRecovery, $108.

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70's Inspired Fun Flower Pillow Cover

By 1000chairs, $25.

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Double Mandala Vintage Floral Suzani

From bazaarbayar, $250.

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Original Flowers Painting 18 X 18

By karenfieldsgallery, $89.

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Vintage Shabby Chic Sea Shell Lamp

From ZenHen, $45.

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Triple Blossom - Large Square Vase

By krystalspeck, $88.

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aggie... crocheted floor throw

By EmmaLamb, $450.

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wallflower pillow

By MintDesign, $15.

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Vintage inspired valentine afghan/throw

From mboetto, $55.

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yellow house archival print

By swallowfield, $18.

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Set of Two vintage looking pillowcases

By lizardous, $9.50.

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Vintage Double Wedding Ring Quilt

From LaBrocanterie, $75.

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Barnwood Earring FRAME

By ParadiseHillDesigns, $30.

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Memories of Spring Treasure Box

By sisterbutterfly, $42.

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Pair of Wooden Mannequin Hands

From grafix, $38.

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mirror mirror on the wall

From sweetcottagedreams, $15.

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Vintage Chippy Spice Drawer Set

From ShabbyNChic, $32.

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Daher English bowl and container

From coventgardenvintage, $14.

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PEONY, 11x14, oil, CA Schiff

By CarolSchiffStudio, $189.

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Vintage Daher Floral Tin Hinged Box

From BlissfullyRandom, $7.

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Shabby Wall Decor Picture Shelf

By davidm9637, $36.95.

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Baby Deer, 7 x 8 Fine Art Print

By SharonMontrose, $25.

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Wire-handled flower basket

By kiefferceramics, $130.

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Shabby Chic Antique side table

From artistforever, $75.

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Vintage Atlas Alarm Clock

From thevintagemoderngirl, $16.50.

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Paradise Limited Edition Print

By betsywalton, $35.

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Pair of white wall sconces with roses

By gingerschoice, $96.

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Jessamine.......large pillow cover

By lostintheforest, $30.

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Vintage Rose Chintz Sugar & Creamer

From SerenityMosaics, $30.

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Beautiful Vintage Handpainted Vase

From Frippelous, $21.

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Looking for more styles and interiors? Check out our video series, There's No Place Like Here, where creative types show us their unique spaces — infused with their aesthetic and filled with the treasures they collect. Get involved and show us your amazing space in this Flickr pool.

Check out other Get the Look: Home Decor Editions.

A Cozy Home Gift Guide | Housewares Category | Vintage Housewares

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Etsy Finds: Room for the Whole Family

2009-09-13T09:00:00-05:00

While many children have recently headed back to school, there are plenty of families who are settling into another productive year of homeschooling. This week's Get the Look: Decor is inspired by the Filer-Dougal family, who have created a home that doubles as an inspiring educational space for their two children. From reading nooks to nature cabinets, the Filer-Dougal home is filled with everything needed to stimulate a child's active imagination. Though the atmosphere is decidedly child-friendly, there is a sophisticated balance of modern design and antique treasures that any grown-up would be happy to call home.

Between homeschooling two children and taking care of a pug, two parakeets, nine fish and 10,000 snails, mother Courtney also manages to find time to create a beautiful line of jewelry, which she sells on Etsy under the name Eva666. Her home studio is a relaxing, well organized retreat where she can briefly escape the often chaotic life that comes with raising two children (who sometimes sell their handmade goodies at LennonAndRose).

Visit the Filer-Dougal family on Flickr to view more photos of their educational and creative household, and be sure to check out the Etsy Finds below for decorating ideas that will add a playful touch of kid-friendly imagination to the place you call home.

Family Living

Create Your Own Succulent Garden

By MyVintageAddiction, $23.95.

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Mid Century Style Bokz Sofa Bench

By lunarloungedesign, $400.

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Jellyfish - Medium

By mudpuppy, $35.

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the brontosaurus

By dinosaurcabinets, $250.

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Potted plant with ornaments - Watercolor

By LindaCaterpillar, $22.

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Vintage Stackable Coffee Cups

From lovethatvintage, $14.

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Large Birch Tree Forest Archival Print

By lisacongdon, $40.

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white lathe forest tile

By iamhome, $19.

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Home Studio

Crafty Bird Second Edition print

By Geninne, $25.

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dual iphone/ipod docking station

By woodtec, $119.

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Wooden Chest

By NatJGold, $345.

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Heavy duty bench pin & block combo

By Romazone, $16.75.

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little black metal rack

From silocurb, $17.50.

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Stack It Up...Wood Canister Set

From ethanollie, $39.

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Children's Playroom or Bedroom

Zooguu Monster Pillow Cover with Pillow

By Zooguu, $42.

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organic two cars and two bridge/tunnels

By littlesaplingtoys, $30.

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Zippy Scooter padded step stool

By babybloomers, $50.

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Doorway Puppet Theater - Mocha Floral

By CountingBunnies, $39.

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Orchard Fruit Felt Play Food

By bugbitesplayfood, $32.

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Planet Earth Large Vinyl Wall Decal

By WilsonGraphics, $30.

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Carries Kitchenette with Pull Out

By imaginethatwoodshop, $165.50.

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CROCHET LADYBUG RUG

By peanutbutterdynamite, $45.

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birdie chandelier

By meggancolleen, $84.99.

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Vintage Bordens Milk Crate New York

From solsticehome, $36.

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Homeschooling

Time will pass, but will you--school clock

From MaryandGrace, $30.

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Vintage Light Up Illuminated Globe

From VonlenskaVintage, $75.

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Learn How to Spell 62 Stuffed Felt Letters

By MiChiMa, $60.

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Sweet Orange scented play clay 4 oz. tub

By MamaKs, $4.

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Creepy Recycled Crayon Monster Fingers

By buppins, $7.

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Grow Your Own Wheatgrass Kit Set of 6

By Revisions, $24.95.

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Vintage Abacus Counting Toy

From bouquet, $22.

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Wooden Map Puzzle States & Capitals

By puzzlepeople, $40.

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Make Your Own Terrarium Kit

By ShaneLilyRain, $16.

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Bright Yellow Apsco Pencil Sharpener

From 26olivestreet, $18.

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Vintage Student Microscope

From ladiesandgentlemen, $40.

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Build Your Own Tinysaur

By kfarrell, $7.

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Vintage German biology wall chart

From luckylittledot, $350.

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Vintage Wooden Crate Box Organizer

From bluebell, $18.

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Check out other Get the Look: Home Decor Editions.

A Cozy Home Gift Guide | Housewares Category | Vintage Housewares

Homeschooling Posts on Etsy's Blog

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Quit Your Day Job: littlesaplingtoys

2009-09-08T16:50:00-05:00

Nick and Kimber, the mother and father team behind littlesaplingtoys, have managed to quit both their regular day jobs and support themselves, along with their two children, due to their business success on Etsy. They've been selling their wooden toys on Etsy for just under two years. With previous careers in historical preservation and insurance companies, both Nick and Kimber took their time planning and saving for their transition into a full-time small business. Read on to hear their answers to our Quit Your Day Job questions — they talk about the steps they took to plan out their venture and which marketing tips have worked best for their business along the way.

How did you originally get into the business of making things?
Nick: It began as an innocent obsession with Lego bricks. I loved building anything my imagination came up with. As I got older, things evolved with me. It wasn’t until I worked at a woodworking store that I really came to see the beauty of wood. I love every piece of wood: the way the grain flows, the color, the way that it transforms when it’s finished. My first woodworking project was a 2’ x 2’ butcher block for our second anniversary. I never get sick of looking at and refinishing it.

Kimber: For me, true creative delight is in my mind. I love ideas, brainstorming, scribbling, discussing and sketching with a batch of stove-top popcorn. As a child, I collaborated with my lil’ brother to design a computer game that my dad agreed to program. I wrote a song with a friend consisting of the lyrics “Oh Baby” and dreamed about the day it would hit the radio. I started a business from my Trapper Keeper observing my peers on the playground and then selling the information I collected. I made Clarissa Explains It All inspired jewelry and sold it at my mom’s craft show tables. I collected flowers and berries to crush on a cement barrier to make perfume. I wrote for my high school and junior college paper, selling my personal humiliation for laughs. I’ve taken on baking, sewing, gardening, woodworking, and countless other endeavors because I love a good idea.

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
We were living above a chocolate shop in Old Town Eureka, CA while Nick worked for Crestmark Architectural Millwork and studied Historical Preservation and Restoration. I decided to go to school after Rex was born instead of returning to the insurance office where I previously worked. Everything changed when we received an invitation to caretake a house with a shop for two years. During that time we each attended school, started Little Sapling Toys, had a second baby and finally moved to a different state. Everything happened so fast that it’s hard to remember just what we expected. Our goal was for Little Sapling Toys to be successful, but we didn’t expect Etsy to be the sole reason for making it so.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?
The most important things we did:

Economize — We projected our income and started to live on that amount. This helped us to save a bit of money for the initial jump. Our budget is limited and we assess wants and needs thoroughly.
Trial — On days off from school and the office, we worked full-time schedules to test our capabilities. It’s important to know your production potential. This helped us to see if our plans would be sustainable and to streamline processes.
Education — We took all of the free classes at the local Small Business Development Center and were then eligible to use their free one-on-one counseling services. We traded with other Etsy sellers to form relationships and gain mentors. Most of our schooling has been through trial, error and success.
Legalize — We got all of the licenses, permits, identifications and insurance that we needed, and then again when we relocated. It can all be a big pain, but necessary and helpful.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
Nick: My goal is to get Little Sapling Toys to as many people as possible because they really speak for themselves.

Kimber: Sales usually increase when we list new designs. I relist often, try different photos and let Etsy do most of the dirty work. I keep multiple quantities in the listings so that when we are featured on Etsy it is visible longer. We occasionally offer free shipping on our lighter items and had great fortune when we were featured in Etsy’s Weekend Deals. We’ve just started a new blog, which is still in its experimental phase. On Twitter (@sparetimeflies) and our Facebook fan page, I share daily tips for play, parenting, and child development.

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?
Nick: Christmas ornaments. They took a lot of time and we only sold one of each (to Kimber’s mom — thanks, Lori!). It seemed like such a good idea, miniature Little Sapling Toys for baby’s first Christmas, who wouldn’t want that?

Kimber: We don’t get many direct sales from sponsoring blog reviews, giveaways and fundraisers, but I still agree to do them once in a while. At first, we peddled our toys directly to shops in person and left a lot of samples. We wasted a lot of time and money. With Etsy, we can just wait for them to contact us.

Walk us through your typical workday.

Nick: Our days are hardly typical, but they usually have some similar elements: Snuggle and playtime with family, shop time, audiobooks, putting the kids down for naps, eating, USPS (by bike when we’re on schedule), and lots and lots of sawdust.
Kimber: We wake and immediately begin to juggle eating oatmeal, answering convos, emails, children’s bodily functions, the shop list, Facebook, Twitter, personal hygiene and the like. If we’re not too swamped and the weather is agreeable, we’ll take a family bike ride along the greenbelt. Rex and Daphne time until lunch. Eat together and naps for the little ‘uns. Convos, shipping labels, packaging, photos, emails, phone calls, bookkeeping and designing toys until Rex, the ball of energy, zooms back into action. Juggle work, Rex, Daphne, dinner, the inevitable phone call and household tasks. Dinner together, play together, kids in bed, Nick back to the shop and work until exhaustion takes me. Sunday we rest.

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
Nick: Even though I work 10+ hours a day, I love that it’s flexible. I love that my commute is 34 steps from the front door to the garage/shop. Mostly, I love all the time I spend with my family. The last few day jobs I had were great though, a woodworking store and then as a cabinetmaker. I miss those co-workers and am grateful for what I learned there.

Kimber: I love to design new toys! I wish they could be manufactured right out of my brain. I’m addicted to the pride of a job well done. We love books but have little time for reading, so we’re nearly always listening to audiobooks. There is absolutely nothing I miss about an office, but I would prefer to spend every moment completely focused on Rex and Daphne.

What's the hardest part about running your own business?
Nick: I have a hard time always being innovative, keeping myself out of a rut, and from falling back on the same old things. All the menial everyday tasks also wear me down.

Kimber: A dissatisfied customer! With all the energy that we put into everything we do, it is just miserable to find out someone was disappointed.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? What advice would you give someone else?
Start bookkeeping with your first dollar. Listen to input. Always get delivery confirmation. Accept help from friends and family. Hire help when needed. Carefully price products, especially if you plan to wholesale. Step back from day-to-day tasks to look at the big picture. Organize while things are manageable. Go to your local Small Business Development Center.

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?
Our goals include our own website, new developmental toys, a more efficient shipping system and to have a small inventory. We’re also opening an interesting little shop at cabbageandpopcorn!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Nick: Thank you to my parents for your support and frequent purchases. Thank you to all our customers, I love to hear about your children playing with our toys and see pictures of your babies drooling on our teethers.

Kimber: A big hug to our past and future customers! A high five to every friend and family member who has helped this year. Thumbs up to bloggers for spreading the word. I’ll give a few more thanks by way of links:
Our logo and subsequent branding: 622press, Elle was there at the very beginning: latestendeavor, our first Etsy mentor: thosegreathousewomen, and most of all my dad, who does beautiful woodwork with our block scraps: dapperscrapper.

Thanks to Nick and Kimber for sharing their story. Have your own questions to ask? Come on by and chat with them Wednesday, September 9 at 5 p.m. ET in Etsy's Virtual Labs.

You can see some of Nick and Kimber's beautiful work in the Related Items. Check out previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Etsy Finds Decor: Kid-Friendly Vintage

2009-09-06T10:00:00-05:00

This weekend's Get the Look: Decor is inspired by the mid-century modern Framingham, MA home of Kim Ludy. When touring Kim's home, it is evident that she has a great eye for finding the most wonderful vintage treasures. Her home is peaceful and uncluttered with just the right amount of vintage accents that still allow her to maintain her minimalist aesthetic.

Kim runs an amazing vintage shop on Etsy known as Trampoline which can be viewed at EthanOllie.etsy.com. Her username combines the names of her adorable six-year-old son, Ethan, and her 13-year-old yorkie, Ollie. Ethan may only be 6, but he is a huge help when it comes to making decorating decisions and running their vintage shop.

Visit Kim on Flickr to view more photos of her vintage inspired home. Check out the Etsy Finds below for creative decorating ideas that will add a playful touch of kid-friendly modern to the place you call home.

Vintage Inspired Furniture and Accents

Seabreeze Vintage Fan

By RetroReality, $42.

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60s Fleur De Lis Modern Wall Unit

From SparkleMeVintage, $250.

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1950s Revere Eye Matic Camera

By SweetLoveVintage, $48.

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Crochet flowers - Gomphrena

By suili, $22.

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Mid Century Modern 3 Drawer Dresser

From fabulousmess, $425.

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Small Catkins Lamp

By Hannahnunn, $85.

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Botanical Stitch Placemats - Set of 4

By Kainkain, $22.

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Vintage Antique Bottles

From ransomedtreasure, $10.

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Vintage deer antlers on wooden plaque

By highstreetmarket, $42.

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Nice vintage paper vase

From toffie, $8.

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Mid Century Modern Paper Plate Holders

From avantgarage, $11.

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Air Plant Mini Chair Arrangement

By EnchantingGardens, $12.

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SAFETY side table, trendy side tables

By fosterweld, $250.

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Freehand Custom Silhouette Portrait

By jennyleefowler, $30.

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Shh Coasters, Industrial Felt

By studiowonjun, $20.

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Silver Plated Wire Basquet

From allisonbean, $18.

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Child's Bedroom or Playroom

large mid century 12 inch globe

From ImSoVintage, $55.

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Set of 3 Junior Deluxe Editions Tales

From tigerluxe, $36.

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Vintage Aluminum Metal Letter T

From SquareFormat, $18.

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Vintage orange-red desk lamp

From luckylittledot, $50.

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1960s Educational Chart visual aid

From ScottieinaCanoe, $30.

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vintage toy merry go round

From beenie2847, $11.

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Set of 3 Framed Retro Clown Prints

From TheBakersDaughterToo, $30.

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candy corn halloween pennants

By pamwares, $30.

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70s Owl Lamp

From vintagetakeout, $26.

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Mid Century Institutional Child's Chair

From lisabretrostyle2, $32.

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View 500 Vintage Slide Projector

From collectorsville, $79.95.

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Distressed Metal All In One Furniture Unit

From oldcrowfarm, $152.

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Vintage framed Cape Cod map

From highstreetmarket, $28.

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Custom Moss Hanging Wreath Initial

By SimpleSweetDesign, $35.

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Vintage Owl Night Light Lamp

From jwhite2, $24.

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Custom Silhouette Portrait Painting

By LePetitEnfants, $55.

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Antique Clown Ten Pins

From elizabethwrenvintage, $125.

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Mid Century Modern Wood Table

By darlingoctopus, $100.

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Check out other Get the Look: Home Decor Editions.

A Cozy Home Gift Guide | Housewares Category | Vintage Housewares

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Gingeroni1 Works for Caregivers' Rights

2009-08-17T15:13:00-05:00

UPDATE: We just heard from Kathi, "Just a quick update to let you know the spousal caregiver bill HB39 has been signed by the Governor and should go into effect immediately. Thank you so very much for writing the original article in the Storque and the exposure that it gave to the bill." Congratulations, Kathi!

[The original post below is from November 2007, so you can see democracy works, even if it takes a couple years!]

As admins, we often get emails from people who work from home and how they use Etsy to reach out to the world wide web for income and community. For us, Kathi aka Gingeroni1's voice spoke out from the home in another way. As a fulltime caregiver for her husband, Dennis, who has Lou Gehrig's Disease, Gingeroni1 uses Etsy as one of her main sources of income.

I am a full time caregiver for my husband who was diagnosed in 1999 with A.L.S., better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. My husband is totally dependent on me.   He survives only by the use of a ventilator, and has done so for 4½ years.

I stumbled upon Etsy in September of '06 as just a buyer and was hooked right away. Since I am not able to go outside my home without arranging for someone to come sit with my husband, I had to do all of my Christmas shopping online.   The site was amazing — so much talent in one space. There were so many choices at fair prices, which is important when you have so very little disposable income. I was already selling some of my jewelry pieces here locally and contemplating using the Internet but, by no means, was I computer savvy. When opportunity knocks, kick that door wide open. I listed my first item in March of this year and said, "Hey, this is easy.   I can do this." Well my pictures of my jewelry were another story. Dennis has always been the photographer. I have been practicing, though, and have become acceptable at it.   Now that I have my own shop on Etsy, it gives me a sense of pride. It has been an amazing journey for me and I have met so many wonderful people on Etsy.   Even my good friend of eighteen years has opened up a shop. It is called Ooh La Lah.

I have done so many wonderful things since my husband's diagnoses. Don't get me wrong, of course, I wish this disease had never entered our lives. However, I believe it not only has made me a stronger person, but also a better person. When you have such a horrific event in your life such as this, you really stop and think about what is truly important.   My husband, Dennis, is my life, my inspiration, and my hero. He has such an amazing attitude and that allows me to do what I do.

Presently, as a spousal caregiver, I get absolutely no help from the government. It is as if I am invisible, yet I save them hundreds of thousands of dollars a year by caring for my husband in our home.   I was informed that if I divorced my husband, the government would pay me to care for him in HIS home. What is wrong with that picture?! That is something that I cannot and will not do!   I am also currently promoting the congressional bill H.R.175 that, if passed, would provide payment for spousal caregivers. I have a meeting this month in our home with Illinois Senator David Koehler to discuss these issues. He has been quoted in a newspaper article as saying there is no program to date, but that he was willing to investigate to see if one could be implemented.   When opportunity knocks, open that door wide. This issue is huge for so many spousal caregivers who feel the same way as I; that the only option is to divorce their spouses to survive.   Well, I do not think that this is an option.

My husband and I, along with a committee of fifteen, have started and chaired our local Walk To Defeat A.L.S. for the last three years. We have raised-to-date a total of $250, 000.00 in that three short years. I also am a mentor to other caregivers. I have done television interviews and newspaper interviews.   Dennis and I have been the profile family for the local MDA telethon. I have initiated the ALS Association Water Bottle Project that sells and distributes drinking water with an A.L.S. label on it. It's currently being distributed In Illinois and Missouri to hundreds of retailers. For every case of water that is sold, fifty cents is donated to the A.L.S. Association for research and patient services.

I have many challenges in my life, but the rewards are much greater. I truly, truly am blessed.

Your Friend,

Kathi

Further Resources:

To learn more about ALS commonly known as Lou Gerhig's Disease go to alsa-stl.org

Kathi's Caretobead blog

The Sister Project

2009-08-13T10:06:00-05:00

It just doesn’t feel like an office to Margaret Roach unless people are excitedly showing her things they just made by hand, and she is in turn showing those to an audience. The former editorial director of Martha Stewart Living left last year to pursue her own forms of creative self-expression from her Hudson Valley garden. Margaret quickly surrounded herself with artisans again by inventing The Sister Project, a network of blogs (sister blogs, if you will) that explores the many meanings of sisterhood, from genetic to soul to feminist (with the occasional geisha or nun).

Margaret’s radar is set to handmade, thanks to a crafty grandmother, whose mending basket and button box yielded snippets for Margaret’s couture dolls’ clothes, and who was a mad gardener, a madder collector (and a master of meringue, Margaret’s first cooking lesson, at age 9).

No wonder Martha made Margaret Living’s first garden editor, and later overseer of her internet site, magazines and books — and how familiar it was for Margaret to be where the power of the handmade article — sewn, grown, or cooked up — reigns. She has recreated that feeling by blogging from her 1870s Swedish kitchen table, especially in The Sister Project Galleries, a place she showcases exceptional talents to a growing sisterhood of visitors.

Her filter is always about the “S” word…and Etsy looks like one giant sisterhood to her:

When we started The Sister Project, my colleague “Sister” Paige (we TSP bloggers call one another sister) suggested the first gallery show be Elsa Mora. It was elsita’s older sister we had sensed in certain images, a sibling still living but lost in the tangle of schizophrenia. “She was my mentor,” says Elsita, but, “we had to deal with the possibility of her going away forever all the time.”

"Goodbye" Papercut Print by elsita, $25.

At TSP we always ask one fill-in-the-blank question: You know you’re a sister when…? “When you can’t discern if a memory happened to you or your sister,” replied painter Amanda Blake, a.k.a. thisisalliknow. “The entire idea of a sister — of someone you have a shared past with — speaks to my use of symbolism and superstition and the idea that everyone on the planet has a shared deeper past.”

Beth and Adeline Original Oil Painting by thisisalliknow, $2,200.

In Julianna Bright’s folkloric, fairy tale realm, images of sisterhood and kinship abound — though the ethereal women she paints are as likely to be paired up with a giant bird or a princely frog as another human. “The pictures I make have became a way to circle back to that wonder I felt as a child,” says Julianna, “that time before I was even able to read when I could fashion a whole universe in my mind around an illustration.” (Does her painting, "Le Mermaid," evoke an undersea sisterhood perhaps?)

Le Mermaid Original Painting by juliannabright, $125.

Lindsey Carr, the Scotland-based Etsy seller LittleRobot, readily admits her sibling-hood of six came with responsibilities and heartache. “I think that the misfortunes are the things which bind you,” she says, but with this brighter punchline: “A story is nothing without someone to share it with.”

A Cage for Two Print by LittleRobot, $19.

Shelley Kommers (Etsy’s Oiseaux and OiseauxNoir) and her younger sister, Carrie, moved a lot as kids, and the stabilizing force of their connection seeps forth from her art. “What I remember most is the magic of our playtime and the inventiveness of the fantasy worlds we’d create,” she says. “A lot of that ‘make-believe’ quality shapes my artwork.”

Strawberry Park Print by OiseauxNoir, $18.

Our TSP definition of sisterhood even reaches across the species. Being a nature girl, I was riveted by Esty seller dailymammal, who aims to draw the Earth’s 5,000 mammals (at one per day, that’s 14 years!). Jennifer and her baby sister (like me and mine) have had some tough, silent times. “She’s still my sister, and that’s everything,” says Jennifer. “Same nature, same nurture, same nose.”

Giraffe Original Drawing by dailymammal, $50.

No Martha colleague showed me more delightful things than Laura Normandin, a.k.a wrenhandmade (well, maybe that’s not true… Marcie McGoldrick, a gifted ceramist and former Storque contributor, was also on my team). Back then, I felt more motherly toward them; these days it’s a peer, or sisterly, connection. Laura matches Grandma’s stitchery talent; her handmade doll would do Grandma proud, as would Laura’s gray felt doll coat (my doll’s was pink, with pearl buttons and a fox collar).

Handmade Doll by wrenhandmade, $90.

You can check out these Etsy artists' full sister stories in The Sister Project Galleries. My own genetic sister, Marion, is a writer and longtime teacher of memoir writing, and part of The Sister Project as well.

Do you have sisters who influence your craft? Share in the comments below!

Shop the Art Category | This Handmade Life Posts | Artistic Endeavors Series

Etsy Finds Decor: Family Matters

2009-06-21T10:00:00-05:00

This weekend's Get the Look: Decor is inspired by the playful home of the Hanson family of San Diego, California. Amy Hanson has decorated every corner of her home with handmade items that have significance to her family of five. She has created thoughtful vignettes using her amazing collections of handmade and vintage dolls, houses, numbers, artwork and more, and she has done it all on a budget. Amy has many favorite thrift shops and flea markets that she frequents, and she does a significant amount of her shopping on Etsy as well. Amy also has a beautiful crafting studio where her family spends time together making handmade gifts for one another and their home.

Besides decorating her beautiful home and spending time with her family, Amy runs Sweet Sweet Life, a lifestyle blog where she shares her favorite vintage and handmade finds, as well as crafting ideas that are perfect for children and families. She also has two Etsy shops where she sells her artwork (muffinsabound.etsy.com) and jewelry (bebeandyaya.etsy.com).

Visit Amy on flickr to view more photos of her charming home. Check out the Etsy Finds below for creative decorating ideas that will add a meaningful touch to the place you call home.

Decorative Touches

Amy has a series of letters and numbers displayed throughout her home that represent the names and number of family members in the Hanson household.

Vintage Wooden Alphabet Blocks

From junkculture, $22.

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M, The Letter

By kelsyhenke, $12.

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Let Me Count the Ways

By raedunn, $42.

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Cool Modern Art Concrete Number 5

From atouchofvintage, $28.

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Vintage Ceramic Letter F

From smallstudio, $4.

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Vintage Bright Red Letter Pair - PM

From 26olivestreet, $68.

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A Soft Place to Rest

Unique colorful pillows are an easy and comfortable way to add color and character to any room.

Window Panes Pillow Cover 20 inch

By meringuedesigns, $40.

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Ferris Wheel - Pillow Cover w/ Insert

By OIive, $38.

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Scrabble Family Pillow

By designlab443, $45.

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Red Cross Pillow w/ Hemp and Kapok

By enhabiten, $30.

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A Cozy Home

Every corner of Amy's home is filled with thoughtful vignettes displaying her many handmade and vintage treasures. I noticed a heartwarming house theme making an appearance throughout almost every collection.

Custom City Hoop--Your Dream House

By LittlePinkHouse, $85.

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Handcrafted Newberg Doll House

By RoyAltis, $425.

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House Rule No. 14 - I will shop at least ...

By wunderlust, $20.

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Little Red Heart - House of Love

By thelittlereddoor, $14.

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House Pillow, 'My Lovely Patio'

By LeiLiLaLoo, $39.

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Metal Doll House

From FluffyFlowersVintage, $60.

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German Wooden Building Blocks

From VintagefromCrystal, $35.

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House Lamp

By Hannahnunn, $75.

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An Interesting Collection

Among the eclectic mix of handmade and vintage treasures found on mantles, shelves and windowsills are tiny storage boxes, playful dishes, artwork, miniature figurines, nostalgic toys and tons of dolls.

Greta Doll I

By marysgranddaughter, $32.

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Vintage Winking Man and Woman Cups

From 5andDimeMemories, $15.

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Little Stumps

By littleseedlings, $25.

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Needle Felted Hawaaian Island Doll Ball

By asherjasper, $15.

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Rainbow Factory Duo

By PearsonMaron, $41.

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Flutter Paper Lantern

By SimpleSweetDesign, $30.

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Tomato Red Vintage Style Suitcases

By nanacompany, $28.

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Dollhouse Dolly with Lollipop

By SugarElf, $45.

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An Artist's Touch

Amy also has an amazing collection of folksy artwork and prints, which give each room a homey charm.

Guinea Hen Family

By VedaArts, $175.

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Julie.....Mixed Media Print

By ChristinaRomeo, $20.

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Original. Collette The White Rabbit.

By craftyfolk, $20.

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Curiouser

By JunkerJane, $16.

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The Cat and the Polka-Dot House III

By sarahogren, $42.

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Maatuska 2

By tsktsk, $15.

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Cloud...Original Painting

By 904EastMillerStreet, $55.

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Serene - original 8x10

By timssally, $60.

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Check out other Get the Look - Home Decor Editions.

A Cozy Home Gift Guide | Housewares Category | Vintage Housewares

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A Dude's Perspective: Life as an Etsy Widower

2009-06-04T10:16:00-05:00

I never dreamed I'd be a widower at age 35...an Etsy Widower, that is. My wife, Stacey, is survived by me, her husband, and our two daughters: Elle, age 3 and our new baby, Liv, due this August. I fear they will both grow up as Etsy Orphans. My only comfort is in the hope that others will hear our story and at least take solace in the fact that they are not alone.

(Oh, I should clarify, my wife hasn't died, I lost her to Etsy.)

Stacey has always been "crafty," and for years I've been supportive of her artistic endeavors. When she found Etsy it seemed harmless enough. We were excited that she would have a venue to share some of the things she's made that make being a mommy easier and more fun for her, like slings and cart covers. So, she opened the Elle Belle shop.

I've come to the conclusion that this site should have come with a disclaimer. I should have been warned — maybe a call, at least an email to the family members, something like "Beware, Etsy has been proven to be extremely habit forming."

I really underestimated the power of Etsy... the allure of the endless diversity of crafts, the variety of search methods, the vast network of like-minded artists. At first my wife was sewing and crafting just on weekends, but before I knew it, the arm of our couch became an impromptu pincushion, our vacuum clogged with strands of discarded threads, and she would even bring the laptop to bed to be with Etsy.

Looking back, I should have seen the warning signs. She had a whole different vocabulary. All conversational roads led to "listings," "treasuries," "tags," and "gift guides." Not only was the home page of every computer in the house set to Etsy.com, but I think I even noticed her mood change following that spiraling string of fellow crafters and customers who hearted her shop.

I'll never forget that fateful day when I overheard what was to be one of Stacey's last conversations with our daughter, Elle. She was trying desperately to convince our three year old that helping Mommy sort a box of mixed up ribbon was a fun way to spend an afternoon. But I realized the end was near when she couldn't even run a quick errand without visiting the fabric pushers or one of her thread dealers.

Stacey is in a better place now. She's gone to be with her adoring customers, loving fellow members of the Florida Etsy Street Team, and the Etsy Bloggers. She still haunts her vendors, too. I can tell from the charges that mysteriously appear in our checking account for designer fabrics, stabilizer, and crafting tools. She lives on through her tireless efforts to keep up with custom orders and dedication to her blog.

I appreciate your heartfelt condolences, and ask that in lieu of cards and flowers you send fat quarters, ribbon, and embroidery floss. Stacey would have wanted it that way.

Our daughter and I are getting along as well as could be expected, I guess, although we're worried about how the new baby will take it. We appreciate your support and want you to know we wear our Etsy Widower and Etsy Orphan shirts proudly in solidarity with all the others who share our loss. Hey, come to think of it, maybe my daughter and I should open an Etsy shop and sell those things. What's the worst thing that could happen?

A Dude's Perspective | Browse the Gift Guides for Father's Day Ideas

More Posts about Etsy Addiction

Handmade Weddings: Five Sisters = One Amazing Day

2009-06-02T17:00:00-05:00

Ann Marie Popko, a.k.a. superduper and cocktailparty, lives in the French Quarter of New Orleans and has been designing accessories for almost 20 years. Her professional creative life includes hair accessories and hats, Mardi Gras costumes, nature photography, pecan cookery and newsletter writing. In this installment of Handmade Weddings, Ann Marie and her family share their story of putting their creative brains together for their sister's big day.

There are five sisters in my family. Growing up, our parents always encouraged creativity, and as adults living in the age of Etsy, the Popko family operates seven Etsy shops! When our little sister Crystal announced that she was going to get married, we all pulled out our specialties (and learned a few new ones) to grant her wishes in style.

The Shower

Crystal’s creative mastermind jumped into gear as soon as her boyfriend John proposed. She is incredibly talented; she studied sculpture at her university and has a thriving Etsy shop, popko, where she sells her butterfly wing and fused glass jewelry. It was no surprise that she would design her own wedding, or that she would enlist her uniquely creative family to carry out her vision.

The bride-to-be chose a delicious pink and orange color scheme, so our crafty Mom, a.k.a. sewsoft, whipped up 40 cheerful cotton napkins and cooked all of the food for the shower. I made my Love at First Bite sweet and spicy pecans, put them in white organza bags for all of our guests, and designed custom photo hang tags to make them extra special.

The Ceremony

The August wedding was held in an historic 1820’s building on top of a mountain in western Massachusetts. The stunning panoramic view of the Connecticut River Valley was glazed with sun and sparkled all around with bright blue skies. John painted plenty of signs to make sure all of the guests found their way up and down the winding mountain trail.

The ring bearer was our year-old nephew Julian, and his job was to carry token rings up the aisle in a nest created by our sister, April (his mommy and Crystal’s maid-of-honor). She decorated a straw nest with marabou feathers, ivy, birds and miniature eggs.

April also used leather, buttons and embroidered ribbon to create tiny lederhosen suspenders for Julian to wear — a nod to our eastern European heritage.

I designed the bride’s hair accessory, the “Velvet Kiss,” made with peach velvet millinery leaves, antique silver sequins and a tiny spray of ostrich feathers. It was made to highlight the peach details in her sandy-metallic wedding dress. The groom and his groomsmen wore boutonnieres I made to coordinate with Crystal’s hair accessory. The great part about all of these accessories is that they are everlasting mementos of a special day, unlike fresh flowers which usually don’t make it past the conga line!

The wedding bands were designed and created by our sister Monique, a.k.a. gurlygirl, using the lost wax method. She hand-carved the rings out of wax, cast them in white gold and set the stones. (In a nutshell…she’s a professional metalsmith and it’s not as easy as it looks!) Since John spends lots of time around trees as a leader of adventure and sports trips, Monique carved a leaf texture into his ring. Crystal was inspired by a 50-cent thrift shop ring and asked Monique to recreate it as a continuous golden circle of hearts and diamonds.

The Reception

As guests walked into the reception (a rustic red barn a few miles down from the mountain ceremony), they knew right away that this was a handmade wedding. It was my job to grow flower boxes full of wheat grass to use as bases for the seating designations. I had never grown wheat grass before, but when the bride asks, one must deliver! Big sis Monique hand-wrote each guest’s name on a card and attached them to twigs we had gathered from the yard, and then we stuck the twigs in the grass. It was a fresh and lovely welcome to the festivities and it wasn’t very expensive to create.
Guests were asked to write well-wishes and advice for the newlyweds on one of 100 yellow cardstock birds (lovingly hand cut by our mom and sister April), and hang them on a tabletop wish Ttee. Also at the entrance was a wonderful clothesline display of images featuring Crystal and John throughout their six years together leading up to their wedding.

The maid-of-honor designed the cake toppers. She gave Crystal’s lovebird a veil (I guess because the bride didn’t wear one herself!) and she gave John’s a flotation vest and a paddle (he's an avid kayaker). The dinner tables were decorated in the pink and orange color scheme, and we created everything on the tables: hand-etched glass vases with rocks picked from our beach in Cape Cod, leaf-shaped table numbers, menu cards, flower arrangements, centerpiece plates. We were a hardworking and faithful crew!

Crystal and John gave their 100 wedding guests favors from the heart. They made fresh strawberry jam and mango-ginger waffle syrup. (Can you believe that even the fruit colors are on theme?) Middle sister Noel hosted a wrapping party at her house, where we poured some wine and went to town with cellophane, ribbon and hang tags designed by Crystal. (Note the rounded corners on each tag, done by us with a special craft punch.) Making all of these things for our sister’s wedding day was an extra special honor. If we could do it all over again, I think we would…there are still two more single sisters in the family!

(Above Photo: Alan Arsenault)

Weddings and Celebrations Gift Guide | Handmade Weddings on Etsy's Blog

Shop the Wedding Category | Sponsored Items from Wedding Vendors

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T10:12:00-05:00

As a youngster, Memorial Day brought forth the earliest hints of summer. It marked the first full day of the year when my parents would allow me to run around barefoot outside (an event I highly anticipated), usually with a hot dog in one hand and a glass of Kool-Aid in the other.

Here at the Etsy offices, we'll be honoring this holiday by spending time with our families and friends. We're thinking of our members and their family members who serve our country, such as the Homefront: Military Spouses Team. If you're in the United States, we hope you have a wonderful day off from work, full of picnics, barbecues, and lots of sunshine.

But Memorial Day isn't about neglecting our international pals! Below you'll find a collection of items from Etsians all over the world.

Etsy International | More Holiday Posts

Crafty Genes: A Mother-Daughter Etsy Story

2009-05-04T15:23:00-05:00

I owe so much to my mother, Raquel: my freckles, an undying love of stinky cheese, and an affinity for Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco objects. Most important, though, is the creativity that can be traced through her family tree — no generation has been spared! Both of my mom's grandfathers were successful jewelers in Mexico City. One of them took up photography as a full time hobby when he retired. Grandma Victoria taught me how to knit, crochet, and sew. She also used to paint tiny beautiful flowers on china. Mom studied graphic design and has, at one point or another, mastered a large number of artistic media. Inheriting this propensity, I've also worked with many different materials and have loved all of them. Our DNA's nucleotides hold the code for some pretty strong artistic inclinations.

On Mom's lap, 1979.

Mom encouraged and nurtured my artistic leanings from a very early age. She signed me up for art camp when we lived in Mexico, drove me to after school oil painting classes when I was 15, and accompanied me to my art school interview. Our creative endeavors have strengthened an already incredible bond and provided us with common interests for as long as I can remember. We took fused glass classes when I was a teen, and she was an invaluable help when I had to make displays for my very first craft show a couple of years ago. (Who else would pull an all-nighter with me, paintbrush and power drill in hand?)

So it comes as no surprise that thirty years, two countries, nine homes and countless hairstyles later, I still see my mom almost every day. I work out of my parents' house in the Chicago suburbs, where my mom also has her studio. Despite our similar aesthetic and shared medium, we have opposite viewpoints when it comes to our creative space. Mom can't work unless everything is neat, orderly and in its place. I, on the other hand, find it impossible to create without at least a little chaos around me. Out of necessity, we work in separate rooms.

Organized - 1 - Mini art feeling

This piece is one of Raquel's favorite Etsy items because it "combines two of my favorite things, porcelain and organization!" By ArtMind, $100.

But our passion didn't always lie in cold, mushy porcelain clay. Just five years ago, Mom was in the middle of a mosaic frenzy and I was making beaded jewelry. We were both teaching art classes and workshops and looking for something different to make our work stand out. Mom found a porcelain tile making class that she was sure would give her mosaic pieces an edge. I signed up for the class as well so that we could spend time together. Soon after, her mosaics were replaced by bowls and dishes, and gemstones became the secondary components in my jewelry designs.

in the tall grass - rich embroidery dangle earrings

Mom is my best customer (or looter, depending on how you look at it). For a little variety in her jewelry wardrobe, I gave her a pair of earrings from the gracious and talented Jennifer Morris for her birthday last year. By jennifermorrisbeads, $137.

Etsy has become another shared interest, another common bond. As any Etsy seller can tell you, it takes a certain amount of confidence to release your creations into the world. We put so much of ourselves into our work that acceptance and rejection can feel intensely personal. With Mom's encouragement I transitioned from timid shopper to full-fledged seller, finally listing items in my first shop, sofiamasri, over a year after I had registered. After a very helpful Virtual Labs critique a month later, I opened poopsie to house my more youthful pieces.

thera necklace, cappuccino

Raquel: This is my favorite necklace from Sofia's shop. I love it because it looks like a little antique treasure and it's my favorite color! By sofiamasri , $32.

Now it was my turn to be the motivator! A little support and a quick orientation is all it took. Mom opened raquelmasri for housewares, and TheMosaicShop for porcelain tiles and buttons. We do our best to cheer each other on, give constructive advice, and lend a helping hand whenever needed. Mom really is my best friend and I'm so glad we've found yet another activity to share: selling on Etsy.

Alphabet Porcelain Dish

Mom's shops are full of gorgeous things. This one reminds me of antique penmanship books from the late 19th century. By raquelmasri, $30.

We hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into our lives and would like to wish all of the moms out there a happy and healthy Mother's Day!

A day at the park, Mexico City, 1981.

Lupus research is important to both of us. Please visit the following sites to learn more:

Lupus Foundation of America

Alliance for Lupus Research

Lupus Research Institute

More Mother-Daughter Stories | Classic Gifts for Mom

Inside A Mother-Daughter Shop: The Story of a Mouse and her Chic

2009-04-30T10:15:00-05:00

When Carmen Marti bought a new sewing machine and gave her 25 year old Singer to her daughter Jamie Halleckson, little did she know what it would lead to. Carmen has sewn since the age of five, when her grandma and mom taught her to sew Barbie clothes. As a single mom, Carmen stitched up many outfits and toys for her only child, Jamie. She had always hoped that one day Jamie would show an interest in sharing her passion. Well, along came Etsy and the 25 year old Singer sprang to life. Jamie and Carmen have been stitching up kitchen and household delights ever since.

They run their Etsy business from two locations, 120 miles apart. Jamie lives in a suburb of St. Paul and Carmen lives in northern Minnesota. The name City Chic Country Mouse is an accurate characterization for the personalities and lifestyles of these two women. Carmen uses her expertise in pattern making, design and sewing, while Jamie has her hands full with marketing, photography, listing, shipping, accounting, and now blogging, too! She is currently a student in the online blogging course offered by Holly from decor8.

Buttons by SLGdesigns

Jamie adores this print from Shanon of SLGdesigns. It hangs in her sewing room and is also the wallpaper on her laptop downloaded from Kindred. Jamie contacted Shanon about the possibility of doing a photoshoot at her home. Shanon kindly agreed and came over to take photos of the mother-daughter team in action. How wonderful to meet a local Etsy artist!

One of the influential factors in starting an Etsy shop was the discovery of a unique store in NE, Minneapolis called Crafty Planet. Jamie and Carmen fell in love with the unique fabrics and atmosphere of this eclectic shop. The owners, Trish Hoskins, along with Rebecca Yaker (known for her sock monkey apparel) are in the process of writing a book, 101 One Yard Wonders, which will be out in October 2009. Jamie and Carmen will have two of their patterns included!

Photo by SLGdesigns

These two women work together when determining which fabric combinations work well for each of their designs. Jamie is now learning the secrets to sewing that her mom has always longed to teach her. The logistics can at times create challenges for the duo, such as when a customer requests a specific fabric, and that fabric just happens to be at Jamie's house, or when the item to be listed has just been completed and is ready to be photographed is at Carmen's. These ladies do get together for what they call "marathon sewing sessions" once or twice a month. It is here that you see how well this mother-daughter team works together.

In order to accomplish as much as possible during a marathon, they plan easy meals that can be eaten all weekend long, such as soups, salads or slow cooker recipes, and stock up on dog treats for their fur babies. They say that their best ideas come out of these marathons. It's obvious watching this mother-daughter team that the two are closely in sync and have a mutual respect for each other's ideas.

Little Chicks by Whisker Graphics

Once the name for the business had been decided upon, a banner, avatar and business cards were needed. The ladies saw this chick from Whisker Graphics and immediately knew this was the style they wanted. Whitney worked with them to develop a cohesive look for their entire shop, including a shop banner, blog header, business cards, and packaging.

In addition, this mom and daughter team has ventured into the wholesale market. After receiving several inquiries, Jamie decided to put together a brochure that could be sent to potential wholesale purchasers. The very first wholesale order came from a shop the ladies often purchase their fabric from, fabricpalooza, for her lovely new shop in North Carolina.

When starting their Etsy business Jamie and Carmen had no idea where it would lead. They have discovered a wealth of information and expertise in the Etsy community, and they have formed many new friendships while building their business. They always knew they wanted to have some sort of business together, but they had no idea how fulfilling and fun this "little" Etsy business would be!

More Mother-Daughter Stories | Classic Gifts for Mom

Mother-Daughter-Grandmother Shops: Crocheting the Generation Gap (en Español)

2009-04-17T10:30:00-05:00

“To be, or not to be,” Shakespeare's Hamlet asked. How about “Two Knit or Knot to Knit?” This is the question for granddaughter Eve Neuhart and her grandmother Martha Villa, who started a shop called TwoKnit. They were introduced to Etsy by Roxana Villa (IlluminatedPerfume and RoxanaVilla), Martha’s daughter and Eve’s mother.

TwoKnit is a new member of the Etsy in Spanish Team and invited lolos and family member Estudio Mullen to translate this post into Spanish.

El nombre TwoKnit representa a las dos tejedoras dueñas de la tienda. El nombre está inspirado en la cita de Shakespeare “Ser o No Ser”, que fue transformada en “Tejer o No Tejer”. Martha Villa y su nieta Eve Neuhart conocieron Etsy gracias a Roxana Villa (IlluminatedPerfume.etsy.com & RoxanaVilla.etsy.com). Roxana es la hija de Martha y la madre de Eve.

Martha began knitting at an early age in Argentina, as seen in the above photo with her cousins on the beach. In 1962 she began knitting professionally in an attempt to bring income to the household. This soon resulted in a TV appearance and a fashion show with her designs in 1964. At the time she had a shop with twelve knitters creating her designs and two sales reps. After moving to the states, Martha took a position at a small boutique in Beverly Hills called "Andrea’s" on little Santa Monica and Camden. This is where she created the crochet hats for Ali MacGraw (Love Story) and taught Natalie Wood to crochet when she was expecting her first baby. Martha’s other celebrity clients have included Lois Clark (James Garner's wife), Shirley Fonda and Charo.

Martha comenzó a tejer con sus primos en las playas de Argentina cuando era una niña. En 1962, tratando de aumentar los ingresos para su hogar, empezó a tejer profesionalmente, y en 1964 presentó sus diseños en un espectáculo de moda en televisión. En esa época, era dueña de una tienda que tenía dos vendedoras y doce tejedoras creando sus diseños. Después de mudarse a los Estados Unidos, Martha trabajó en una pequeña boutique de Beverly Hills llamada Andrea, ubicada en Little Santa Monica y Camden. Allí creó los sombreros de ganchillo para Ali MacGraw (Love Story) y le enseñó a tejer con ganchillo a Natalie Wood cuando ésta esperaba su primer bebé. Otros clientes célebres incluyeron a Lois Clark (la esposa de James Garner), Shirley Fonda y Charo.

Eve, sixteen years of age, has been blessed by a bounty of creativity in her family. Some of Eve’s favorite activities include acting, filmmaking, writing, drawing, painting, photography, quantum physics, Shakespeare Summer camp, and of course knitting. The first knitted item that Eve created was a pocket gnome. From there she moved onto to animals (lamb, lion and a bear) and socks. While Eve was in eighth and ninth grade, she and her best friend had a booth at their school's winter fair where they sold their knitted hats and scarves. Shortly after Roxana opened her Illuminated Perfume shop here on Etsy, Martha and Eve decided to open TwoKnit, featuring both their wares. Martha specializes in both knitting and crochet. Eve currently focuses on knitted hats and scarves and models many of the items for their shop.

Eve, de dieciséis años, ha sido bendecida con toda la creatividad de su familia. Algunas de las actividades favoritas de Eve incluyen la actuación, filmación, escritura, dibujo, pintura, fotografía, física cuántica, Campamento de Verano de Shakespeare y por supuesto el tejido. Lo primero que tejió Eve fue un duende de bolsillo. Luego tejió animales (corderos, leones y osos) y calcetines. Cuando Eve estaba en octavo y noveno grado, en la feria de invierno de su escuela, ella y su mejor amiga tuvieron un puesto donde vendieron sus sombreros tejidos y sus bufandas. El año pasado Eve y Martha crearon su primer proyecto colaborativo; un abrigo tejido, inspirado por un objeto que descubrieron en Fred Segals de Santa Mónica, una tienda muy de moda. Martha y Eve diseñaron juntas el abrigo y tejieron diferentes piezas. Al final Martha armó el conjunto.

Al poco tiempo que Roxana abrió su tienda Illuminated Perfume (www.illuminatedperfume.etsy.com) en Etsy, Martha y Eve decidieron abrir TwoKnit para mostrar sus creaciones. Martha se especializa en tejido y ganchillo. Eve se dedica actualmente a los sombreros y bufandas tejidas y es la encargada de modelar muchos de los productos de su tienda.

Little Roxana!

Martha’s passion for crochet and knitting was rekindled when Roxana asked her to make some pouches for her natural/botanical perfumes. In the realm of niche perfumery, many of the artists utilize similar bottles. As a way to differentiate her products from other niche perfumers Roxana decided to recruit her mother’s extraordinary talent for the task. The heirloom pouches are in keeping with the spirit of the exquisite handmade artifact. Roxana and Martha spent much time together researching yarns and other embellishments for the pouches.

La pasión de Martha por el ganchillo y el tejido se reavivó cuando Roxana le pidió hacer algunas bolsitas para colocar sus perfumes botánicos/naturales. En el campo de la perfumería exclusiva muchos de los artistas utilizan este tipo de presentaciones. Para diferenciar sus productos de los otros perfumes, Roxana decidió utilizar el extraordinario talento de su madre. Estas bolsitas exclusivas mantienen el espíritu de los exquisitos objetos hechos a mano. Roxana y Martha pasan mucho tiempo juntas investigando estambres y otros adornos para los envases.

Since Roxana had color coded each perfume, this system was applied to the pouches and soon all the packaging pieces came together. Lyra, the very feminine floral perfume, has a dusty rose colored pouch for both manifestations as a liquid and solid perfume. Martha also painstakingly embellishes the boxes which house the perfumes by creating silk pillows and lining the interiors with ribbon. Working on this project together strengthened the bond between Roxana and Martha. Thus, when Roxana opened her Etsy shop, Martha and Eve soon followed suit. Greg Spalenka (spalenka and spalenkaart), Roxana’s husband, contributes the illustrations that illuminate each of her perfumes.

Roxana codificó cada perfume en base a colores y éste sistema fue el que aplicaron a las bolsitas, consolidando así todo el sistema de empaque. Lyra, perfume floral muy femenino, tiene una bolsita en tono rosado opaco para el perfume líquido así como para el sólido. Martha también embellece minuciosamente las cajas que contienen los perfumes, creando almohadillas de seda y forrando el interior con cintos. Trabajando juntas en este proyecto, Roxana y Martha fortalecieron la relación entre ambas. Así, cuando Roxana abrió su tienda en Etsy, Martha y Eve decidieron hacer lo mismo. El esposo de Roxana, Greg Spalenka (spalenka.etsy.com y spalenkaart.etsy.com) colabora con las ilustraciones que iluminan cada uno de sus perfumes.

Martha tends to knit and crochet outside in a chair next to her swimming pool in the California sunshine. Roxana and Eve work on their projects in their Santa Monica Mountain home, which serves as a large studio space. Eve also knits in the car to and from school, at school and while watching her favorite films.

Martha teje y hace ganchillo sentada en una silla junto a su piscina, bajo el sol de California. Roxana y Eve trabajan en sus proyectos en su casa en la montaña en Santa Mónica, que les sirve como un amplio estudio. Eve también teje en el auto yendo y viniendo de la escuela, en la escuela y mientras mira sus películas favoritas.

SALE-Blessings Grande Art Pendant Necklace-was 135

Roxana was introduced to Etsy by an article that appeared in the LA Times. Shortly thereafter, Lori Patton opened her shop featuring art jewelry including imagery by Roxana and Greg.

Roxana conoció Etsy gracias a un artículo que apareció en el LA Times. Después de eso, Lori Patton de HeartworksbyLori.etsy.com abrió su tienda exhibiendo joyería de arte que incluía imágenes realizadas por Roxana y Greg. By heartworksbylori, $75.

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Darling Clementine Capelet

When Martha first saw the work of Dennice of fringe, she remarked “Finally, someone who is pricing handmade knitwear appropriately!” Eve and Roxana are extremely found of all Dennice’s creations. This one has a beautiful, vintage quality. Besides LOST, Eve and Roxana’s other favorite TV show is called Fringe.

Cuando Martha vió el trabajo realizado por Dennice de Fringe, dijo: “¡Por fin alguien está cobrando de manera adecuada las prendas de punto!” Eve y Roxana son admiradoras de las creaciones de Dennice. Ésta tiene una bella calidad vintage. Aparte de LOST, el otro program favorito de Eve y Roxana es Fringe. By fringe, $112.

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Deer Portrait Letterpress Flat Card

In the eighties when Roxana lived in Brooklyn and worked as a freelance illustrator, she had a studio space on Perry Street in Greenwich Village for her Vandercook flatbed letterpress. We chose this letterpress image because Eve adores foxes.

En los ochentas, cuando Roxana vivía en Brooklyn y trabajaba como ilustradora independiente, tenía espacio en un estudio en Perry Street en Greenwich Village para su impresora de mesa Vandercook. Elegimos esta impresión de letterpress porque Eve adora los zorros. By letterpress, $3.25.

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Squirrel Chubbikin

Eve and Roxana live up in the Santa Monica Mountains where they are often visited by a variety of creatures, including coyotes, raccoons, tree and ground squirrels, lizards, skunks, families of quail, songbirds, bees, hawks, owls and unfortunately gophers. These squirrel Chubbikins are so sweet, aren’t they?! Our local tree squirrels live up in our native oaks, where they act like Oak Tree fairies planting acorns.

Eve y Roxana viven en las montañas de Santa Mónica donde suelen recibir visitas de muchas criaturas como por ejemplo coyotes, mapaches, ardillas, lagartijas, zorrinos, familias de codornices, pájaros, abejas, halcones, búhos y, desgraciadamente, topos. Estas ardillas Chubbikins son preciosas, ¡¿no?! Nuestras ardillas arbóreas locales viven en nuestros robles nativos, donde actúan como duendes plantando bellotas. By erinaellis, $18.

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Q Botanical Perfume

The first pouch Martha created for Roxana was for the natural/botanical perfume called Q, for Quercus agrifolia, California's native Oak Trees. Roxana gives a percentage of the proceeds from each bottle of Q sold to the California Oak Foundation.

La primera bolsa que Martha creo para Roxana fue para un perfume botánico natural llamado Q, por Quercus agrifolia, nuestro roble nativo. Roxana dona a la Fundación California Oak un porcentaje de los ingresos provenientes de cada botella de Q. By IlluminatedPerfume, $150.

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Paris Rooftop 2- Original Signed Fine Art Photograph

While Martha worked at Andrea’s in Beverly Hills she would occasionally travel to Paris to look at the latest fashion designs. Sometimes Roxana would tag along with Martha on these trips. This photograph of Paris is reminiscent of those fun mother-daughter excursions and also looks a bit like Buenos Aires.

Mientras Martha trabajaba en Andrea, en Beverly Hills, ella solía viajar a París para mirar los últimos diseños de la moda. Esta foto de París rememora esas divertidas excursiones de madre e hija y además tiene un parecido con la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. By AliciaBock, $35.

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VINTAGE BRASS LARGE ART DECO ANGEL PENDANT

These pendants by myshangrila make Eve and Roxana swoon. We are looking forward having some custom necklaces created by an Etsy artisan utilizing these gorgeous, brass pendants. They look a bit like some of the muses in Greg’s paintings.

Estos pendientes de MyShangriLa hacen delirar a Eve y Roxana. Esperamos poder contar con que algunos artesanos de Etsy nos hagan unos collares a pedido, utilizando estos maravillosos pendientes de bronce. Se parecen un poco a las musas que aparecen en las pinturas de Greg. By myshangrila, $10.

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TwoKnit is a new member of the Etsy in Spanish and Illuminated Perfume is a very proud member of the Green & Clean Guild - EGCG!

Links of Interest:
Highland Hall Waldorf School
Sniffapalooza Magazine Interview with Roxana

California Oak Foundation

Let us know in the comments about other mother-daughter (or son) shops!

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How-Tuesday: Bunny Bowling with thelongthread

2009-04-14T14:30:00-05:00

Easter may have come and gone, but we're full of bunny love year round! Download the pattern and complete project instructions here, or follow along below, courtesy of Ellen from thelongthread.com.

Supplies:

Cotton, twill or canvas, 11" x 11" per bunny
Contrasting fabric for ears
Fusible interfacing, 1/4 yard
Fabric Marker
Matching thread
Embroidery hoop (5" or smaller)
Embroidery thread
Embroidery needle
Polyfill or other stuffing material
Funnel
Rice, 1/2 cup per bunny
Wooden ball

Instructions:
Step 1: PREPARE FABRIC. Wash, dry, press all fabric.

Step 2: EMBROIDER FACE. Cut one 5 1/2" x 11" piece of fabric for each bunny you are making. Mark 9" up from the bottom in the center of the fabric and use a fabric marker to draw the face. Place the fabric in a small embroidery hoop and sew the face. Note: You may also choose to sew the face on after the bunny is completed.

Step 3: CUT FABRIC. Cut out paper templates. Fold over fabric front with embroidered face lengthwise, aligning bowling pin template with the bottom edge of the fabric. Be sure to place embroidered face in desired spot and cut shape. Cut backs of bunnies from remaining fabric, cutting along the fold again. Cut ear fronts from contrasting fabric and ear backs from solid fabric.

Step 4: SEW BUNNY EARS. Iron fusible interfacing onto back side of bunny ear. Place ear pieces right sides out using a blunt tool. Fold corners over towards contrasting fabric and sew 1/4" from bottom to create crease in ears. Press flat.

Step 5: SEW BUNNY. Place ears upside down and right sides facing up on right side of bunny back side. Fold ears and pin them in place, making sure that they are pinned out of the way of the seam allowance. Pin bunny back to front, right sides together. With a 1/4" seam allowance, sew along outside edges and 1" into either side along the bottom. Reinforce with an overcasting stitch, making sure all seams are secure.

Step 6: MAKE PLEATS IN BOTTOM. Pull fabric at corners to form a right angle in the opposite direction of the stitching. Press flat. Mark a line 3/4" from the tip of the seam and sew along this line. Trim excess fabric and reinforce with and overcasting stitch. Turn bunny right sides out.

Step 7: STUFF BUNNY. Using funnel, stuff 3/4 full with polyfill or other stuffing. Pack stuffing in tightly using the closed tip of scissors or other blunt object. Using the funnel, fill the remaining space with approximately 1/2 cup of rice.

Your roll, bunny-lovers! See a compilation of how-tos from thelongthread here.

More crafty project downloads can be found in our How-Tuesday series on the Etsy blog! And did you know that you can buy Supplies on Etsy?

Personal Passover Traditions: Afikomen

2009-04-09T13:10:00-05:00

Last year I shared my grandmother’s version of my mother’s Matzah Ball Soup. This year, instead of sharing a food memory, I’ll share my favorite Passover custom: the hiding (and seeking) of the Afikomen.

In a nutshell, at the beginning of the Passover Seder, half of the middle of three pieces of Matzah (called the Afikomen, meaning “dessert” in Aramaic) is hidden, and Seder service can only conclude once a child locates the Afikomen. In my family, the reward for finding the Afikomen ranges from a silver dollar to some Passover chocolate. This fun custom aims to keep young people interested in the Passover traditions.

One year, as my uncle went to hide the Afikomen my brother secretly excused himself from the table to spy. When the time arrived to search for the prized unleavened bread, my brother calmly walked over to the couch and sat down. As us kids frantically rummaged through every drawer, under every rug, and behind every crevice, my brother remained seated. He finally stood up, dramatically reached under his couch cushion and retrieved the broken Matzah. We all demanded a re-do. I don’t remember who legitimately found the Afikomen, but I know it wasn't me because I was laughing far too hard to participate in the search.

This year, my family’s Afikomen competition may be slimmer than usual. However, no matter the economy, these types of memories and traditions hold a family close even if you have to spend a holiday apart.

Please share your Passover traditions in the comments below.

View More Posts on Judaism | Holiday Posts

Carl Honoré on the Power of Slow

2009-04-08T15:00:00-05:00

Carl Honoré is an award-winning Canadian journalist and author. He worked with street children in Brazil before turning to writing. He has covered Europe and South America for the Economist, Observer, Miami Herald, Houston Chronicle, National Post and others. His first book, In Praise of Slowness, examines our compulsion to hurry and chronicles a global trend toward putting on the brakes. His second book, Under Pressure, explores what has gone wrong with childhood – and offers a blueprint for change. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and landed on bestseller lists in many countries. He currently heads up Slow Planet, a gateway into the Slow Movement. He lives in London with his wife and their two young children.

People always ask me if I walk the Slow talk — and thankfully the answer is yes. My life used to be all about speed and quantity, about trying to do more and more things in less and less time. Now I do fewer things but I do them better and enjoy them more. And I no longer feel rushed all the time.

I went from playing four sports to three and cut back on the hours I spend watching TV. I say no to work offers to avoid getting overscheduled. I take breaks during the workday to relax, eat and do a bit of meditation. I stopped wearing a watch, which helped make me less neurotic about time. I switch off my technology (email, cellphone, etc) whenever possible, to avoid being always connected.

I now have time for those moments that give life its meaning and texture — time to read a leisurely bedtime story to my children, to enjoy a glass of wine with my wife in the evening, to chat with a neighbor, to stop and stare at a beautiful building or sunset. I feel like I’m living my life now instead of racing through it.

A big part of slowing down is having the right objects close to hand. Forget tat (rubbish) that is here today and gone tomorrow. I’m talking about handmade objects and crafts that have a story behind them, that make us pause, that are like characters in our lives.

Above our front door hangs a large piece of stained glass made by a young artist nine years ago. We discussed what design and colors might work and then set her free. She came back with a glorious swirly pattern of reds and purples that is a thing of rare and daring beauty. It stands out in our street and lifts my spirits every time I see it. It always reminds me of the moment we made this old Victorian house our own.

Our home is full of other handmade objects – clay pots, ceramic tiles, antique furniture and mirrors, wooden bowls, and soapstone sculptures. Like the stained glass, each piece tells a story – of who made it, where it came from, why we bought it, and what was happening in our lives at the time. I often find myself pausing to stop and stare. Taking a slow moment to savor an object again and delve back into the memories it evokes. You don’t do that with mass-produced plastic objects from Wal-mart.

I’ve never been very good at crafts myself, but we all have the capacity to create – and the act of creation is itself slowing. My outlet is the kitchen. I love to cook, especially with my children. We bake bread. We make fresh ravioli. We pick herbs in the garden and toss them into our sauces.

Cooking is like yoga for me: the thing that slows me down. It also brings me closer to the people I love. The word “companion” comes from the Latin words for “with” and “bread.” That’s because when we break bread together we are connected in a deep and wonderfully human way.

Homemade food will not last as long as the other crafts in our home, but the memory of each bowl of ravioli, each loaf of bread, adds another stitch to the life we are weaving together as a family.

What is In Praise of Slowness about?

It’s about how the world got stuck in fast-forward and how more people everywhere are slowing down. In other words, it’s about the rise of the Slow Movement. In Praise of Slowness has been hailed as a manual for leading a richer, more productive life by publications ranging from Yoga Journal and O Magazine to Management Today and the Financial Times.

What is the Slow Movement?

It is a cultural revolution against the idea that faster is always better. The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible. It’s about quality over quantity in everything from work to food to parenting. It is about forging deep and meaningful connections with the self, with others and with the world around us. You don’t have to quit your job, move to the country and grow organic carrots to join the Slow movment. You can be Slow anywhere, because Slow is a state of mind.

When was this Slow idea born?

People have been defending the value of slowness for at least 200 years — think of the Romantics, the Transcendentalists, the Arts and Crafts movement, even the hippies. But the idea of a Slow Movement which seeks to blend fast and slow to help people work, live and play better in the modern world is more recent. Born in Italy in the early 1990's, the Slow Food movement helped recapture the word ‘slow’ as something positive. But its focus is food. More recently Slow has become a universal label to explain the benefits of doing everything at the right speed: sex, work, education, exercise, design, etc.

Why do we need a Slow Movement now?

We are moving towards an historical turning point. For at least 150 years everything has been getting faster, and for the most part speed was doing us more good than harm in that time. But in recent years we’ve entered the phase of diminishing returns. Today we are addicted to speed, to cramming more and more into every minute. Every moment of the day feels like a race against the clock, a dash to a finish line that we never seem to reach. This roadrunner culture is taking a toll on everything from our health, diet and work to our communities, relationships and the environment.

The credit crunch and global recession are the final proof that the way we have been living is unsustainable. The pursuit of fast growth, fast profits and fast consumption has brought the world to its knees. The time for the Slow Movement has come.

What inspired you to write In Praise of Slowness?

My life had become an endless race against the clock. I was always in a hurry, scrambling to save a minute here, a few seconds there. My wake-up call came when I caught myself toying with the idea of buying a collection of One-Minute Bedtime Stories. Yes, Snow White in 60 seconds. Suddenly it hit me: my rushaholism has got so out of hand that I’m even willing to speed up those precious moments with my children at the end of the day. There has to be a better way, I thought, because living in fast forward is not really living at all. That’s why I began investigating the possibility of slowing down.

Can everyone benefit from the Slow revolution?

Yes, slowing down is not just a luxury for the rich. It is, in essence, a mindset. Many of the things that make up a Slow life are available to most people. Those on lower incomes can cook simple meals at home and eat them at the table with the TV switched off; they can choose to use their technology in a more balanced way; they can resist the temptation to speed-read bedtime stories to their children; they can avoid over-packing their social schedules by saying No to some things; they don’t have to over-schedule their children with activities; they don’t have too drive fast; and so on.

What will a Slow world look like?

It will be a world that is healthy, happy and humane. But you have to realistic. I am no utopian. I am a skeptic by nature. I don’t believe we will ever create a world where everyone does everything at the right speed and no one ever feels rushed. That’s just a fantasy. The world is too complex and interconnected for that. It’s impossible in a world where we have to interact with others. Impatience is also part of being human. I suspect even the Dalai Lama rushes unnecessarily sometimes! Heck, even I forget to slow down from time to time. I face a barrage of requests to give speeches, do interviews, etc. from all over the world every day and it’s hard not to get caught up in the frenzy. But at least our starting point should be to seek what musicians call the tempo giusto and to expect others to do so too.

What do you hope readers will take away from In Praise of Slowness?

I hope that they will pause and reflect on how they lead their lives and how their lives affect the people and the world around them. I guess what I really want is for readers to grasp the very counter-cultural idea that the best way to survive and thrive in the fast-paced modern world is not to speed up, but to slow down. And it seems to be working. Every day I open up my inbox and find a few emails from readers around the world who say the book has changed their lives. It’s exciting, and humbling.

Why do you think the Slow Movement has been so fast to take off in Europe and not the United States?

The two places are culturally different. As a frontier society, the US combines a natural restlessness with a belief that the future will be better than today. With a lot of unhappy history behind them, Europeans are more world-weary – and therefore in less of a hurry to rush off and embrace the future.

The US is also a younger society, and the young are usually more inclined to go fast.

The American emphasis on the individual over the collective can also lead to more speed. After all, one thing that slows us down is relationships - with family, friends, neighbors, communities.

I think the consumer culture has also gone further in the US. And that means the pressure to work, spend, and then work more is stronger there than in Europe.

How does the Slow Movement intersect with craftsmanship and making things by hand?

The world is full of stuff that fails to inspire or nourish – stuff that is made fast and delivers no more than a flash of instant gratification. Craftsmanship and making things by hand are an antidote to that – and both are a clear expression of the Slow philosophy.

I suspect the principles of Slow Making will sound very familiar to the Etsy community. They include using materials and resources in a way that respects the environment; making things by hand on a small scale; promoting diversity, eccentricity and real character rather than cookie-cutter products that look the same all over the world. Slow objects connect us to the person who made them; they have a story behind them.

Slow is also about the long-term, which means thinking hard about what happens to a product when it comes to the end of its life-cycle – can it be recycled, reused, reinvented?

In a culture of rampant consumerism, the only thing that matters is the end product. Nowadays, though, people realize that the process that created the product matters too.

Thanks Carl! We so enjoyed having you! For more Slow-inspired reading and items, visit Slow Planet. For further resources on the Slow Movement, check out these helpful and informative links.

Slow Food Gifts | Gardening and Horticulture Gifts | Plants and Edibles Category

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Meet some eco-minded Italian artists in our Shop Local Italy post!

Passover: The Jewish Fest for Artists

2009-03-26T17:00:00-05:00

Passover is just around the corner (April 9, 2009!), and Israeli jeweler rafya is here to explain the handmade significance behind the holiday. Her post is in Hebrew and English, so if you're familiar with both languages you're in for a treat! First up: Hebrew.

פסח – חג יהודי לאומנים.

בדומה לחגי סוף השנה הנוצריים גם ליהודים יש את "החג המשפחתי". פסח הוא החג שנחוג בחוג המשפחה בארוחה גדולה שנקראת "ליל הסדר".

החג מסמל את יציאת עם ישראל מעבדות מצריים לחרות במולדתו ישראל. עבור רובנו הוא מסמל ערב נעים שמח ובעיקר... טעים בחיק המשפחה המורחבת.

לפי המסורת היהודית נהוג לקרוא ב"הגדה של פסח" שמספרת את סיפור "יציאת מצריים" ולשיר את שירי החג שמוקדשים לסיפור וגם שירים שמסמלים את בוא האביב. נהוג לשתות 4 כוסות יין (ועדיף יותר) וכמובן... כל שבעת ימי החג, לאכול מצות. ישנו איסור לאכול לחם או כל מאכל מחיטה שתפחה.

מאכלי החג המסורתיים מסודרים על צלחת מעוצבת בה יש מקום לכל אחד מהמאחלים המסמלים את החג.

החג הינו הזדמנות טובה לכינוס משפחתי ואין שמחה גדולה יותר ממתנות לבני המשפחה וכמובן לבעלת הבית שמארחת את הסעודה. התקופה שלפני פסח מתאפיינת בחגיגת קניות של מתנות בדומה לחגי סוף השנה אצל הנוצרים.

כאן כמובן נכנסים האומנים לתמונה שהרי זהו גם חגם הגדול ויוצאים בירידים ומבצעי מכירות של כלי בית חפצי נוי ותכשיטים שבבוא החג חליפו ידיים בין אם לביתה – אחות וגיסה – כלה וחמה וכמובן... המארחת שטרחה.

במהלך ליל הסדר יחפשו הילדים את האפיקומן, שהוא מצה עטופה שהוחבאה מבעוד מועד והילד שמוצא יקבל... כמובן מתנה.

כך מסורת הקניות עוברת מדור לדור והמרוויחים העיקריים... האומנים והיוצרים

Photo courtesy of slowlysheturned on Flickr.

And now in English!

Passover is a family-oriented holiday celebrated with a big meal called the Seder. It's similar to year-end holidays celebrated by Christians, such as Christmas. Passover symbolizes the freedom of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery and their return to their homeland of Israel.

For most of us, Passover symbolizes a pleasant, happy, and — most of all — tasty evening. According to Jewish customs, everyone should read and talk about the Haggadah, which tells the story of the Exodus. Songs are sung to praise the story, and songs about the coming spring are also welcome. The tradition also encourages us to drink at least four glasses of wine (the more, the better!) and to eat matzos for the following seven holy days. During this time you cannot eat anything made of flour or yeast, including any type of bread. Traditional Seder foods are each served on a plate specifically designed for the type of food.

Photo courtesy of joshbousel on Flickr.

Families in Israel gather during the Seder and exchange presents, with the hostess receiving the most gifts. For me, the days leading up to the Seder are full of shopping, much like Christmas time. This is the high season for artists and sellers who sell their wares at the market. Handmade crafts, jewelry, and pottery are displayed — anything that would be the perfect gift from daughter to mom, sister to sister-in-law, wife to her mother-in-law, and of course, a gift for the lady that hosted the Seder. During the evening, the kids will look for the afikoman, which is a matzo that's been wrapped and hidden. The child that finds it receives a present!

As you can see, the gift giving tradition is handed down from one generation to another. Handmade craftsmanship is a joy to the Jewish people and the artists they support!

View More Posts on Judaism | Holiday Posts | View More Etsy International Posts | Gifts for Her

Handmade Weddings: A Happy Cake for a Happy Family

2009-03-20T13:10:00-05:00

Hilary, aka bunnywithatoolbelt, created her business in 1987, a time when she could easily be picked out from a crowd in her head to toe bunny suit. Although Hilary no longer goes on daily jaunts dressed as a giant rabbit, she still loves her business name, and more importantly, her business! Today she is well known for her offbeat, charming wedding cake toppers and wooden critters of all sorts.

Some girls dream of being the bride, but as a young girl, I dreamed about making the bride that sits on top of the cake. Romance and relationships have found their way into the sculptures and other artwork I've made since I quit my day job two decades ago and became a full time artist. In that time, I also became a legally ordained minister, and have officiated the weddings of eight of my closest friends. Both of these interests have come together in the line of handmade wedding cake toppers I sell on Etsy.

One of my favorite commissions of all time came last summer. My friends Katherine and Davis were getting married, and I was called upon for double-duties as artist and officiant. Their marriage was non-traditional in many ways, and they definitely wanted their cake to reflect that sentiment. Each was walking down the aisle for the second time, as well as bringing children from previous marriages into the mix. The traditional bride and groom cake topper didn’t quite tell their story. They asked me to create five colorful figures to represent the members of their newly formed family. I also made some matching painted wood flowers to scatter around the sides. Since the couple was footing the bill for this wedding, they economized by making the cake the backdrop for the ceremony, standing in for flower arrangements. The baker integrated my artwork with her cake’s shape and decorative icing, and even built on the themes I started by adding a cascade of floral-topped cupcakes surrounding the base so the guests could have their cake and eat it too.

Creating the perfect set of figures for a wedding cake have given me personal connections with people all around the world. My experience working with friends to create their own wedding ceremony has been incredibly helpful with this aspect of my business and I employ many of the same personal touches when I work with my customers. Cake toppers are a very personal statement about a couple’s outlook on life. They are also one of the few actual mementos of a wedding that couples display in their homes after the special day has passed. I am so fortunate to have a job where I am constantly reminded of the power and value of the handmade object in people’s lives.

For more from Hilary, check out her website and blog. She also put together a photo portfolio with details on her cake topper technique.
Handmade Wedding Series | Cake Toppers on Etsy | Weddings and Celebrations Gift Guide

Quit Your Day Job: gorjuss

2009-03-09T14:08:00-05:00

This week I'm bringing you an incredible twist on our regular Quit Your Day Job feature. The story below not only outlines the success Etsy helped bring Suzanne, the Scottish artist behind gorjuss, but it also focuses on the story of her husband, Grant. He was recently able to leave his day job to help with the growing success and management of Suzanne's newfound business. I think you'll be as touched as I was to read this inspiring story of a husband and wife team working together and finding success.

If you'd like to ask Grant questions of your own or listen in on his advice in real time, we invite you to join us in a follow-up Question and Answer session this Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 2:30pm EST in the Auditorium room of the Virtual Labs (the VL schedule is magically in your local time).

In Grant's words:

On October 6th, 2005 Suzanne followed a link from another artist's website that led her to Etsy, a chance discovery that made a huge difference in the marketing of her artwork. At the time, I had no idea that it would have any bearing on MY life or working day. I was a hardworking husband of an artist. I worked all hours to support her and our family to be able to live the life we wanted. Etsy was a step for Suzanne to change all our lives forever.

Etsy was new, exciting, and more importantly, the community was warm and welcoming. Suzanne's original artworks, prints and products sold quicker than she could make them, and it was clear that it deserved a lot more attention than we had the time to give.

We made changes to our way of working by getting a professional printer to produce the highest quality prints and products we could, and we have never settled for the cheapest options since. I became more involved in the printing and production process with my experience in IT from my day job. Yet I still had a lot of new skills to learn, as trimming is not as easy as it looks. Through hard work and necessity, I consider myself accomplished at what I do, which complements Suzanne's artwork. It grew until I had no choice but to make that leap of faith. Yes, I quit my day job!

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?

At first, I was only really helping out when required, but due to some health issues with Suzanne, it was clear that I needed to be able to run the shop fully at a moment's notice. This was a great thing, as it meant we could share the running of the shop and I thought of it like a way to earn some extra funds for fun things. Fortunately, it did far more than that and things have changed so much since then.

How long had you been on Etsy before taking the plunge into selling full time? What made you decide to do so?

We had been on Etsy for a year, and things were getting busier and busier, but all the time my day job was getting more and more demanding. I would often find myself and Suzanne up past midnight printing and packaging the previous day's orders and getting ready for my next day's work. It was clear that something had to give or I would end up in hospital with exhaustion. With my day job becoming less and less enjoyable, I made the decision to quit while in a hotel in Ireland doing a thankless job for the company. It was the scariest moment. Once the letter was sent, the relief was unimaginable.

How did you originally get into making prints?

Quite simply put, we ordered batches of prints from all kinds of places. Some were good, others not so good. The end result was a pile of boxes, which held prints that never sold. We took the bold move to print to order, or as I like to say, we make all prints fresh and seal them at the time of printing so they reach you in their freshest form. (Not quite foil wrapped, but you get my meaning.) This meant we could send orders out within 24 hours and didn't have to worry about stock levels, and the quality was fully under our control.

I leave the design and arty bits to Suzanne, but I am developing an eye for her talent... I rather simplistically state that Suzanne does the coloring in, and I do the cutting out.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?

To be honest, this was the biggest sticking point of quitting the day job. We had no safety net at all, but all it takes is a leap of faith and the dedication to put the effort in. If you sit back, the sales drop and the panic begins, but when you put the hours in, the rewards are huge. The only guarantee you have is the one you make to yourself to work hard. "Self employed" does mean "self distracted" — as in, three months perfecting Guitar Hero — but it is also important to re-arrange the way you work so that you do have fun. The more you put in, the more you get back, but having fun is key.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?

The biggest marketing skill is to talk to people and show them what you have. If you believe in your products and are enthusiastic about them, people feel the same about you and your items. The more people that talk about you, the more potential sales you have. We also decided that quality and, what I call, "LOW RISK" purchases were the key to success. A LOW RISK purchase is the way that your customers can be sure than even when the worst situations arise (delivery issues or damages) that their investment is safe and that they are always guaranteed a replacement or refund. Also never be squeamish about promotional items...

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?

Paid advertising in magazines: it only seems to generate other magazines offering you more advertising, but frankly it gets your name out there to the public.

Walk us through what a typical workday might entail.

For me, it's gather the printed orders, head off to the printer.
Set it all and print them all off, they print on the roll, so they need trimming too!
Then I take them back to Suzanne for her to title and sign them.
I then bag them up, then package them, and print the stamps online (we use Royal Mail's Smartstamp, which is brilliant).
Then all the packages head off to the post office (it's on the same street as us ... so it's walking distance) and back to check on more orders.
I don't usually answer convo's/emails unless Suzanne is having a really bad day (she suffered a spine injury last year!).

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?

My day job was very much a field based role. I had very little contact with other work colleagues other than special occasions, so I don't miss much about the job. Now, I enjoy being able to do the RIGHT thing, rather than meeting some procedure. I love being in charge of my customers' experience.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?

I would probably stop myself taking so long to get out of the day job!

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?

We have lots of possible changes coming up, like becoming a ltd company. I hope to expand our product range further; the more choice, the better it is for customers.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you're thinking about quitting your day job in these times of economic chaos, just remember: unless you really upset yourself, you are guaranteed not to be made redundant. It's a pretty secure job. The harder you work, and the harder you focus on success, the sooner you realize that your living is very much within your own reach. My father always said, "Work to Live... Don't live to work."

Please join Grant for his follow-up Question and Answer session this Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 2:30pm EST in the Auditorium room of the Virtual Labs (the VL schedule is magically in your local time). See you there!

You can find some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Silver Sparrow Designs: Dream Seeds, Studio Needs, and Good Deeds

2008-12-23T14:00:00-05:00

What you're looking at is the 100 year old barn behind the home of Kristi, aka SilverSparrowDesigns. With the help of her family and members of her community, Kristi was able to transform the space into her very own working environment, lovingly nicknamed "Spider Dodger Studio" by her husband.

As these things tend to, it all started with a dream. During my senior year of high school, I took a year long silver-smithing course at the local community college. I fell in love, vowing to make jewelry for a living, but life happened instead and I followed a different path. I taught 4th grade for a few years, got married to a wonderful man, and had two amazing children. But the dream was always there, asleep.

[My daughters, Hazel and June, wearing hats made by nuxiemade.]

About two years ago it awoke. It stretched and yawned and then got down to business. All of the sudden, I had such a powerful yearning to make silver jewelry that I could think of little else. One of the roadblocks that had originally kept me from pursuing a life of silver-smithing was the start-up cost (materials are expensive!). So, I made a fancy flier that said "I want your old silver-smithing equipment," and placed it in different areas of my community. Miraculously, I got a response. A toothless old man named Arky (short for Arkansas, I believe) called me and even came over to basically set up my shop, all for free. He gave me a lot of the basic tools, helped me set up a bench in my old barn, and built me a buffing wheel out of a dryer motor. A dear friend of mine, Kelly aka kellybaldwindesign, loaned me a torch, and another friend, Maegan aka ironmaegan, offered to come over and refresh my memory on the basic skills I needed.

I started working with silver again. I live in the middle of nowhere in southwest Colorado, but as chance would have it, there is a silver supply store, San Juan Gems, right down the street from me. This is where I purchase silver and all of the incidentals I need. I know it's hokey, but the first time I started sawing a piece of silver sheet, as the silver dust was falling onto my hand, I felt at home. I knew I was doing what I had always been intended to do. And as other "miracles" continued to happen, that feeling was only reaffirmed.

I was having a hard time finding a place to sell my crude little first pieces. I knew something would come together for me, but I didn't know what. Then, Kelly aka kellybaldwindesign started her Etsy shop and suggested I do the same. I figured I had nothing to lose, and lo and behold, SilverSparrowDesigns has been the answer to my prayers! Once I started having consistent sales, I realized I could quit my part-time job and do this for real! So I did. The next hurdle was to establish a place where I could continue to work throughout the winter.

The 100 year old barn behind my house, dubbed "Spider Dodger Studio" by my husband, had been a great place to work at first. However, it was not without its flaws. As it got colder, I realized it would not be possible to work out there through the winter without freezing. I started planning ways to better prepare the barn for the cold months, trying to work with what I could afford on my meager budget. I was at the local hardware store, pricing materials to form makeshift frame walls with black plastic stapled to them and insulation stapled to that. As I was talking to the employees, I didn't realize that the mayor of our little town (who is also a contractor) was standing behind me, overhearing the questions I was asking. When I was finished, he stopped me and offered to come over and take a look at my space to see what we could do. After looking around, he offered to not only help with the project, but to put all of the materials on his account at the store. He said I could pay what I could, making up the rest by babysitting for his son and making jewelry for his wife!

[Jim Lein, the generous mayor of Dolores, Colorado.]

We planned a weekend when my parents could come down from Denver to assist with building and babysitting, and recruited friends to come help out as well. We got the whole project done — framing, insulation, drywall, wood stove — in about 10 days.

About a week after the studio was finished, with its cozy old wood stove blazing away, another wonderful coincidence occurred. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and met an amazing woman who had all the equipment I could ever need, (torch, Foredom, buffing wheel, etc.) all top-quality stuff, just sitting in her garage, needing a new home. She agreed to sell it to me for a fraction of it's worth! Now I had all brand new equipment to go in my brand new studio.

[My dad, Jim, and my husband, Glenn, hard at work on the framing.]

I just know I am doing what I was always meant to do. Ever since the completion of the studio, the orders have been flowin' in. I am doing it now. I am what I always wanted to be, a full-time mother and a full-time jewelry maker. I am so very grateful for all of the wonderful people who helped make my dream a reality, and for Etsy, for all of my fabulous customers who enable me to continue doing what I love while being at home with my kids!

My nice warm cozy new shop!

Feeling inspired? There's more where that came from!

Open Studio Tours | Quit Your Day Job

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Project8256: How Etsy is Helping a Family Grow

2008-12-08T15:27:00-05:00

Amy's Etsy shop, Project8256, was created under unusual circumstances. Read on to hear about how Amy (pictured above at the far right) is using her shop to help her sister Katie (middle) and her brother-in-law, Michael (left) make the world a better place.

If you were to come into my home, it would probably only take mere moments to realize that I am a supporter of, and believer in, Etsy. Artwork lines the walls, and other little lovelies can be found nestled throughout my house from the amazing artists and vintage Etsians. But Etsy has, as a tool, impacted my life in a way that extends far beyond material possessions, or even the joy that has come from being an Etsy artist myself. Etsy is helping my family grow.

I have a tiny, close-knit family, and in it only one sister. She is on the older end of the nineteen months that separate us, and we have always been the best of friends, as well as sisters. When Katie and her husband Michael decided to begin to grow their family, I was overcome with excitement and anticipation. The initial journey was not an easy one, though, nor without heartache. They eventually decided to adopt internationally, specifically from Ethiopia.

When Katie told me their decision to adopt, I knew — maybe before she even finished the sentence — that I would do whatever I possibly could to help. International adoption is extremely expensive, and this was not a weight that I wanted them to carry alone. At the time, I was familiar with Etsy as a customer only. Selling on Etsy was something that I had considered, but had not yet pursued. But as I thought of ways that I might be able to help them raise the much needed funding, selling artwork on Etsy seemed like a possible solution. Katie and Michael agreed, and I got to work.

The initial idea was that I would donate all of the profits to their adoption fund. As we continued to research both the orphan and HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, however, it became impossible for us to ignore that there was a much bigger need. We decided that twenty percent of the profits would be donated to AHOPE, an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that cares for HIV+ children. AHOPE is a tremendous organization whose focus extends beyond basic medical and educational needs. They provide psychological care, further assistance for children with special needs, and music, art and dance lessons as well. They are invested in the community and work towards breaking down the stereotypes and misinformation that is so prevelant in many African communities regarding HIV/AIDS.

From this idea, from this desire to help a family grow, Project 8256 was born. I listed the first item in March of 2007, and since then our project has grown beyond what we could have imagined. I have since opened two Etsy shops of my own — ameliamae and ameliamaepapergoods — and am lucky enough to have my items in local boutiques and galleries. Very recently, Katie and Michael opened their own Etsy shop — thegatherednest. They are selling handmade wreaths and vintage goods. All of the profits go toward their adoption fund. The biggest growth, however, came from their decision to adopt not one, but two children from Ethiopia.

From the very beginning, my only goal was that this plan would work. That's really all I wanted. I just wanted to raise enough money to get Katie and Michael to Ethiopia, to meet their children, and then bring them all home together. And that still is, nearly two years later, my singular goal. What I never could have expected, never could have dreamed of, was the response that we would get from those who have come across this project. I have received emails and messages from individuals who have shared their stories of being adopted, or being adoptive parents, or both. We have received such encouragement and support from the Etsy community and beyond. I know that when we are finally able to meet these children, that we will be able to share this story of the love that brought them here. We may or may not know the story of their birthparents. We might not have a lot of history to give them. But we have lots of stories of love, and of all of the people who couldn't wait for them to arrive.

A huge thank you to Amy for sharing her tremendous story with us. We are sending her and her family tons of e-hugs, and we wish them all the best of luck.

AHOPE Official Website | More Craftivism Posts | Childrens Toys and Holiday Showcase

Gift Ideas: For All the Moms Out There

2008-12-05T12:20:00-05:00

This post is dedicated to all the moms! So many of our mothers were the ones to teach us how to make things. My mom, Judy, is an art teacher/farmer/chef who can make just about anything. She's like a whirling-dervish-artistic-MacGyver in a female body. Although I didn't pick up as many of the skills from her as I should have, she instilled in me a real appreciation for art and craft. But unlike me, she's not into the whole computer interface side of arts and crafts, so I'll be helping her out this season with her holiday shopping online at Etsy.

I know many of you reading this have mothers like mine. Moms are often the ones who give the most, so here are some gifts ideas (inspired by my mom's style) to get you thinking of those ladies in your lives!

More Holiday Shopping Posts | Moms' Gift Guide | Posts about Mothers

Quit Your Day Job: FarmsteadOrganics

2008-09-02T18:46:00-05:00

Jennifer of FarmsteadOrganics recently contacted me with her story of selling on Etsy full time. Jennifer and her husband decided to make the most of some bad news when they found out her husband's company would be making some cut backs and he would be losing his job. After some consideration and noticing an increase in sales, they decided to work together and turn their brand new Etsy shop into a full time family run business. Keep reading to find out how they make it all work, what her husband can't stand about an unorganized house, how the children pitch in the family business, and the new baby on the way!

When you first started selling on Etsy did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
When I first started selling on Etsy, it was my dream to make some extra cash and contribute a healthy second income that would allow my husband to possibly eventually take a lesser paying job closer to home. When the gas prices sky-rocketed, our income basically dwindled to a ridiculous new low because of my husband's daily commute to work. The thought of having a full-time family business was a "dream," but not something that we ever really thought would happen...at least not for several years.

How long were you selling on Etsy before taking the plunge into selling full time?
The plunge into full-time came only 5 months into the Etsy gig when my husband's company began laying off workers left and right...and he was one of them. We were a little freaked out, to say the least. I mean, Etsy has been going pretty well, especially considering how new our shop is, but, to actually support our family on it is another story! Thankfully we have a few months of unemployment to keep us afloat and he can look for other work in the mean time. We also figured that by the time unemployment runs out, we will be smack in the middle of the busy online shopping season (November). The funny thing is that around the time he lost his job our business really started to pick up and the thought that maybe we could actually survive off of this deal started to become a possibility in our minds.

What was the deciding factor resulting in your pursuing Etsy as your full time job?
With the gas prices as high as they are, we find that we save a significant amount of money just by having Dave home. My husband is also a "grab a snack and a newspaper" kinda guy and he would waste a lot of money on little stuff everyday. What we are finding out is that we save such a huge amount of money by him not working, and if we can increase our sales over the next few months and secure some loyal customers, we might end up in better financial shape than what we were in before. So, the money saved, rather than the money earned, by both of us working at home has been the deciding factor in actually pursuing this as a full-time job.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time before taking the plunge?
We did have our DBA and had stocked up on some supplies before this all happened, but that was basically just how luck would have it. We had no idea that he would lose his job and that we would be depending on this business to take off...so, we really did not prepare. I wish we would have been more prepared! But, everything has worked out ok. Dave has gotten us a lot more organized since he has been home. He has organized labels and taken an inventory, built some better shelves and storage space. I am not an organized person at all! I am very creative, but not neat about it. He hates that. I had been trying to build up our inventory like mad because we have another baby due in November but that didn't have anything to do with taking the plunge into full time business, either. Everything has been really like riding the wind the past couple of months!

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
I am a natural health and nutrition researcher, writer, and herbalist by trade. Because of this, we already had an established web site up and running for a couple of years before Etsy. Obviously, this allowed me to bring some customers with me. I have promoted our shop through my simple living newsletter and through some of my articles. Other than that, we promote the shop by listing items...often! I have found that you have to list and relist everyday on Etsy. Especially when you have so many other bath and body sellers. If you don't keep yourself visible, you'll get lost in the crowd. I do post on the forums sometimes, but I am so insanely busy with our children and school and home-life that it is pretty nearly impossible for me to be a forum regular. I did join an Etsy team (The Old Farmhouse Gathering), which I highly recommend doing. We have also branched out into other handmade crafts. I don't want to keep all of my eggs in one basket, so to speak. That would be boring. I think that it has helped us in that someone who is looking at one of our aprons or dolls might end up buying soap even though that is not what they were in the market for originally when they clicked on our shop. Once a person tries our soap or lotion, we usually have them hooked. We have a lot of return customers. It is good to be diverse, I think. Same thing goes for someone who might be looking for soap and they end buying an apron. This cross promotion with unrelated products really helps when you are in such a saturated market like soap. Any promotion is probably good promotion when you are first starting out. Even 1 or 2 customers brought in is a bonus!

Would you walk us through what a typical workday might entail being your own boss?
A typical day at our house is a hoot! We have 5 children, 4 dogs, 4 cats, chickens, ducks, goats, we homeschool, and we run a business...need I say more? It can be crazy...but never a dull moment! Not to mention that we tend to be very creative and are always doing a number of different projects at one time!

When we wake up, usually it is me or my oldest daughter, Savannah, who makes breakfast. We eat meals in this house. I am not into just grab and go food.
While breakfast is cooking, my husband is printing orders that came in overnight or early morning.
We eat.
Dave then heads out with a few children to do chores and milk the goats.
Savannah stays inside and begins taking an inventory on what we need to make that day and what is ready to be shipped.
I answer conversations and emails.
Usually in the midst of this we are already making some soap or mixing up some concoction. When the chores are done, school begins.
The computer usually gets shut down until after lunch.
I am making stuff on and off all day. Dave packages our orders. Savannah does our labels and helps me.

She is thankfully extremely smart and quick to finish her school work which means that by lunch time she is helping fill orders or sewing laundry bags. I can only imagine what that girl will do as an adult. She is so unbelievably talented at her age and has so many good ideas! All of our children help out and even the younger ones are an asset to our business because they give me ideas...and ideas are the key to keeping this business fresh and competitive. Dave tries to get to the post office each afternoon. Thankfully, even though we live out in the middle of an Old Order Amish community, we are only 3 miles from a small town that has a post office! How cool is that? I love that we can ship often and quickly to our customers. That is very important. My husband can't stand to have a messy house, so we stay on top of that throughout the day so that things don't get too out of control, which you can imagine is not easy. He has had to learn to ease up...some serious battles have taken place. In fact, that is something to take into consideration if you are planning a home-based family business. If you will be working with your husband, will you kill each other or can you work well together? Believe me, we have our moments!

Once the children are in bed for the night, we make our big batches of soap. I don't like to bring out the lye until they are all in bed and far away.
During the day we do our rebatching and other things they can help with. I also try to do my writing in the evenings and in general, it is nice to relax a bit.

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
Some days it is exhausting and it feels like from the time my feet hit the ground I am going non stop, but other days are slower and more leisurely. We like the flexibility that we have as a family. If we want to go pick blueberries, we go. If we want to head to my grandparent's for the day, we do it. If the sun is shining and I feel like taking a break out to the garden, I can. Being your own boss is great. I would never want to work for anybody else again. My husband likes being home all day and I love the extra help around the house. I really enjoy having a business that involves our whole family and our kids are learning amazing things! It is so great being able to give them this kind of experience and the freedom to be creative themselves. I would like to see each one of them grow up to have their own businesses based on a trade or skill that they choose to perfect themselves. I believe in artistic entrepreneurship. I believe that we are all created to be creative at something.

How's it going so far? Are you supporting yourself?
Obviously, if we had known that Dave would lose his job, we would have invested more of our time and money in the business before hand. It would have been great if we would have started on Etsy a year ago and had more time to build up a clientele. Things I put off, I wish I hadn't. I would suggest to anyone considering taking the plunge to sell full time of Etsy to build up an inventory and make sure you have enough supplies and materials to carry you through the first several months. The hardest part for us has been having to put our money back into the business right now and not having much surplus left over. Have a business plan, even if it is just handwritten into a notebook. Make a list, set goals, be realistic, but don't be afraid to dream big and take some chances.

Thankfully, like I said, Dave is still collecting some unemployment. He is also most likely going to take a part-time job this fall until we see for sure how we do after the shopping rush slows down at the end of the year. I can honestly say though that we have been shocked at how much business we get on Etsy. It is amazing! I can only wonder how we'll be doing next year at this time. We have only been selling here since March! Considering that, things are looking bright for the future. But, I also know that life can take unexpected turns...I don't count my chickens before they hatch. Nobody should!

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?
We are planning on expanding our handmade goods extensively in the next few months. I have a zillion ideas flowing through my mind at any given moment, but on the front burner is to start selling more of our tote bags, aprons, and launch our baby rag blankets with matching crib sheets, cloth diapers, burp cloths...and we'll never stop creating our goat milk skin care products! I am especially eager to add more skin care for babies and children. Those goats are near and dear to our hearts and I have a burning passion for making soap and lotion with that creamy, wonderful milk! We are very dedicated to keeping everything as natural as possible and we are always looking for more ways to eliminate waste, as well. One thing that we are hoping to do in the next year is to switch all of our packaging back to glass and paper. We began packaging some of our items in plastic due to cost restraints and easier and cheaper shipping but we have not been happy or at ease with that decision. Plastics are getting better. Phthalate free is available now and recycled, but glass is more easily reused, recycled, and does not absorb or release chemicals. I am constantly coming up with new ideas based on my own needs as a mom of a growing family. That is what started all of this in the first place. My kids are all coming up with ideas for their own Etsy shops that they will open in the future too. Who knows where it will all end up! It is one big craft fair around here!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I can't thank Etsy enough for providing us with this amazing outlet to showcase our goods and for supporting handmade crafts! The world needs to get back to supporting small businesses and purchasing based on quality rather than cheap cost. I know of so many talented people who will spend their lives slaving away in a factory or in a job they hate because they don't know how to market their product or their skilled trade. It is sad. People don't think that soap-making is a real "job." We have forgotten that soap-making was once a legitimate and lucrative business in this country...Benjamin Franklin's father was a very successful soapmaker. Painters, seamstresses, woodcarvers, welders (like my husband), goat herders, beekeepers, sheep shearers...those are all real jobs! I would love to see things like they were before the industrial revolution when families could actually support themselves by being creative, smart, skilled, and hardworking! Etsy is a move in that direction!

Thanks to FarmsteadOrganics for sharing her story and business with us! Check out the related items below to see some of her items. You can find some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Special Frontpage Children's Showcase: On Sale on Thursday July 10, 2008

2008-08-05T15:00:00-05:00

UPDATE: The special Handmade Kids Showcase has been extended through August 11, 11:59pm. Sellers can continue to purchase spots in this Showcase for your Childrens category items.

The following was originally posted on July 9.

Dear Sellers,

In conjunction with our Handmade Kids project, we'll be running a special frontpage Children's Showcase for three weeks. Three frontpage banners — rotating one per week — will link to the special Showcase.

The larger Handmade Kids project includes related Storque content, outside ads, a contest and more. A dedicated landing page will serve as an introduction for newcomers to all things kids on Etsy. This landing page will also feature a link to the special Children's Showcase, giving it added exposure. Read more about the Handmade Kids project here.

In order to keep the Showcase on point thematically, the tool will only pull in items placed in the Children's Category (i.e. top-level tag being "children").

The Handmade Kids frontpage Showcase goes on sale Thursday, July 10 at 3:00 pm EDT.
Go to the Showcase Gateway to purchase a spot.
It goes live on Monday, July 14 at 12 am (midnight) EDT and will run until 11:59 PM EDT on August 3.
For $15 USD, Etsy sellers can purchase a 24 hour spot in the Handmade Kids Showcase, which is linked to from a prominent banner on Etsy's homepage, links from the Storque's related series, as well as the special landing page.
Sellers determine which item to be featured in your Showcase slot. Sellers must use the tool in Your Shop. Read more about this process here.

What is this Showcase thing? For a general introduction to Showcase, read Matt's Storque article 13.5 Questions about the Showcase, and for deeper thoughts on figuring out if Showcase is right for you, see Beth's Showcase Deconstructed article.

Featured Buyer: Jenn of Minor Details with Picks for the Family Friendly Home

2008-07-23T12:13:00-05:00

We have a special Featured Buyer this week: Jennifer Ward aka minordetails, the owner, blogger, Imagination Agent and Creative Director of Minor Details Design, a children’s interior consulting firm focusing on commercial, residential, and recreational spaces. Jennifer also writes a daily blog about design for children by the same name, is a contributor for the online children's magazine LMNOP, and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and 4-year-old daughter.

I attended Parson's School of Design for Interior Architecture and then had a daughter. Getting tired of the freelance world, I set my sights on the Creative Agency called The Apartment. It was here where I learned a great deal about running a creative business and the moxie it would take. With my daughter Parker as my main source of inspiration, Minor Details was born in early 2007.

I have a very minimal and clean approach to my design, with a flare for vintage and bargains. My personal style is very comfortable. Most days you'll find me in my Converse shoes, white t-shirt, jeans and hair pulled back. My true passion lies in creating space. For parents, I want to show them that you can set the footprint for your home to include your children and not sacrifice aesthetic or design.

I'm really influenced by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. It's an educational approach that can easily fall into your home, playground or any place a child thrives. The Reggio Emilia approach to teaching young children puts the natural development of children, as well as the close relationships that they share with their environment, at the center of its philosophy.

I love this Bird on Elephant Sculpture! This would make for such a sweet baby shower or newborn gift to get the parents excited about little pieces of art in their child's room. By bunnywithatoolbelt, $45.

The Cretaceous Dinosaur Shadow Puppets are just what any kid needs to stimulate imagination and fantasy play. Get a flashlight and a tent in the living room and you've got instant creative play. By orangemoontoys, $30.

One of my favorite Etsy shops is modmomfurniture, as all of her pieces are truly wonderful. The one that stands out the most to me is the Sammy Toy Box. But that's just me....I'm a modern minimalist at heart! By modmomfurniture, $375.

The By Order of the Management posters are just what any child's wall needs. By johnwgolden, $20.

The Waldorf Playstands are one of my absolute favorites. In fact, I just put one in a playspace for a little girl. I turned it into a fruit stand. These playstands can take on many uses! By palumba, $309.99.

I think that these bird prints would complement any nursery wall very well! By jaimers, $18.

This Wear Me dress is such a fun piece. It's made with just the right mix-match fabric to remain delicate but fun at the same time. Beautiful! By hautechocolategirl, $87.50

The Fancy Folding Furniture Set makes for a wonderful indoor or outdoor table for children. Easy to clean up and simple to put away. By chalkydoodles, $115.

Zaragardner's Pirate Punk set can turn any kid (or adult) into a pirate in seconds. I like that you get two colors for the price of one, as the patch and mustache are reversible. By zaragardner, $12.

I really like the idea of customizing your items. Take for instance the Animal Pull Toys from hiccupdecor. These toys are just right for little hands and are a product of your choosing. By hiccupdecor, $20.

I'm a sucker for vintage toys.

Take for instance this red vintage cash register from bluebellbazaar.

I just missed this vintage child's sand pail over at kelleystreetvintage!

I could also be happy with anything from whiteelephantvintage. Especially the globes!

Don't go into child item overload. Keep a minimal approach. If you overwhelm a baby, toddler or child with too many things, they will lose focus and interest quickly. Leave the large kid items to their bedrooms, but share the rest of your home with them as well. Give them the bottom crisper drawer in the fridge, make desk space for them in your home office, make space on your lower bookcases for their books or toy bin and always keep the art supply bin well stocked. Also, getting items that serve multi-purposes is a nice way to maintain budget and creativity. For instance, get a low coffee table that the kids sit around and enjoy as well. Adaptability is key.

To find out more about Minor Details Design, go to www.minordetailsnyc.com or email info@minordetailsnyc.com. Look for their website this fall.

Handmade Kids Series | Special Kids Showcase | Baby Gift Guide | Children Gift Guide

SouleMama's Creativity: Food & Family

2008-07-21T12:15:00-05:00

Amanda Soule of SouleMama shares advice, Etsy Finds, and a placemat project How-To for you and your kids to explore food and life creatively.

Please introduce yourself and talk a bit about your blog and book.
Hello! I'm Amanda of SouleMama, and author of The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections. Most of all, I'm Mama to three (soon to be four!) little ones. We live near Portland, Maine, where in the midst of the busyness and sometimes-chaos of daily family life, we try our best to do lots of playing, creating, making, adventure-seeking and loving.

You craft at home and you are unschooling your kids. Can you talk a bit about integrating creativity and learning into your everyday life?
Much of the sewing I do happens at night when my little ones are in bed. It's my unwinding, quiet and super important to me: creative "Mama" time at the end of our busy days. Nearly every evening, I write or make something.

But during the days, there's a lot of "making," too. Making things — whether it be costumes, art, a meal or a garden — is one of the primary ways we learn as a family of unschoolers. "Creating" literally brings something to life — and so it becomes a powerful, natural and very real way to reflect and really experience what we're learning about.

What's the best part about getting your hands dirty?
I think for most adults — myself included — our impulse is of course to avoid the dirt. We think about the "adult" consequences — the mess, and the cleanup namely. But there's something really powerful that happens when we are able to just "get dirty." There's a moment of release — for me, anyway — of letting go, when I give in to the task or the creative project at hand. It's incredibly freeing, creatively and spiritually…and good things always ensue.

Sometimes when I'm the most worked up or stressed, I can look to my kids — fully absorbed in what they're doing with every ounce of their body and spirit — and that becomes a powerful reminder to me that we all need a bit of that freedom and exploration in our everyday — however old we may be.

What's your philosophy of food and how does it relate to your kids?
I'm fairly certain — with three growing little ones — that 90% of my day is spent in about a 2 foot square spot in my kitchen! For something that we spend so much of our lives doing, it feels important to me that it be a mindful experience, and that we're as connected to our food as we can be. We do some vegetable gardening at home, and rely on a local community farm for what we can't produce ourselves as much as is seasonally possible. The farm is also where we get an amazing education in local food, agriculture and farming.

Besides the growing, we spend a lot of time making food as a family. The kids are fairly involved in the day-to-day baking and cooking for the family. As they age, and different interests emerge, what that looks like changes. Right now, I have one that is passionate about creating his own recipes — dreaming up different combinations of foods and testing them out; another who is quick to run for an apron to be a "helper" whenever I'm in the kitchen; and one who would be happy to skip the daily food prep, but is extremely passionate about farming food, in addition to being a super adventurous and passionate eater of the food we make!

Can you share with us a story of when your kids inspired you to create something new?
Most of the things I make have been somehow inspired by the kids — things for them, or things that somehow make our days easier, or help our house run more smoothly. My favorite things to make, I think, are those things we use every day. Quilts, aprons, napkins. Simple things, but things that have a presence in our daily lives.

But my favorite crafting projects are those that we collaborate on as a family. Our bird calendar we created for holiday gifts last year might be my favorite thus far. After a year spent really interested in birds, the children had piles of bird drawings that I scanned, and edited into calendar pages, with commentary about each bird from the kids. Every time I look at that calendar, I am reminded of how much fun we had looking for birds, making the drawings, and the joy and pride they had in sharing the gift with friends and family they loved.

What do your kids like to make?
Anything! And they fully believe they can make anything, which is both thrilling to me and logistically challenging! Shoes? A plane (one in which you could actually fly)? The requests always amaze me.

But they do make lots of things — each of them in their own way, and reflective of whatever they might be interested in at the moment. Today, for example: an over-the-door basketball hoop was constructed out of cardboard and fabric; a smoothie was concocted with all manner of surprising things from the fridge; and a farmhouse 'chicken coop' was constructed out of felt, wood and duct tape.

I must say, for a home that is so full of creative materials, do you know what their favorite craft supply is? Cardboard. Endless creations are made each day from the cardboard in our recyling bin — animal cages, houses, traps, masks, swords and so many other things they dream up.

Have you cooked something recently with your family?
Let's see. We've been doing all the regular baking (bread, granola, muffins), and meal cooking. But there's been a big flurry of the fun seasonal stuff that's coming in right now. Strawberries are just about finished up around here, and we've been making loads of jam, smoothies, pies, tarts, and freezing as much as we can for the winter. Next, we're eagerly anticipating the blueberries!

You seem to really live life intentionally, enjoying the little things. Have you always been grounded in this lifestyle? When did you start making things and seeing things through an artist's eye?
I certainly try to live my life with intention, but it's also a practice I work hard at every single day. Some days it flows smoothly and feels easy, and other times, it's much more of a practice and work to stay mindful and present. Meditating, creating, writing — they're all important tools to me in the process.

It was only after becoming a mother that I began to embrace creativity as an important part of my life. I think a part of me came alive through the process of giving birth for the first time, and working my way into the role of Mama. Imagining the world through my children's eyes, I began to see things much differently than I ever had before. The little moments, the small and real connections, the wonders of nature, the everyday living — for me, that's really what this life is all about, and where true beauty lies. Simply by being children, they remind me of this, and inspire me to stay focused on the path each and every day.

Below, I've gathered some of my favorite "food and family" finds right now on Etsy. Amazing and beautiful handmade things that encourage imaginative play, messy play, food-making, growing, eating, and yes — even some food art!

Enjoy!

Toast Print by StephanieDosReis, $18.

Wool Play Food by woolcomesalive, $24.

Patchwork Bib by ScissorStitch, $14.

Crochet Free Range Eggs by annamadeit, $12.

Itsy Bitsy Dishes by rmesdag, $14.

Kids Reversible Apron by whiterabbit21, $26.

Natural Wooden Baby Spoon by canadianwoodcrafts, $26.

Heirloom Linen Bib by bronwenhandcrafted, $25.

Clay Baby Cup by jillsoriginals, $24.

Child Chef Hat by TomKitten, $9.

Breakfast Bunny Print by sarahjanestudios, $24.

Lastly, here's a placemat project from my book, The Creative Family, to get kids excited about art and food!

See Amanda's blog and her book for more inspiring family moments.

Handmade Kids Series | Special Kids Showcase | Baby Gift Guide | Children Gift Guide

Tagging Tips for Sellers: Kids, Baby, and Maternity

2008-07-09T10:58:00-05:00

Hello sellers of children's, baby, and maternity items! The Handmade Kids series prompted us to start a conversation about tagging your items.

Finding the right tags is an easy way to increase the number of buyers who are seeing your items. Here are a few suggestions for tags to use to improve your exposure and get your items in the right places in the Category Browser and in search.

Tip #1: Choosing Categories
Are there multiple top-level categories that your items could fit into? For example, if you make toys for children, you might try listing some of them in Children, and some in Toys. Overall, the Children category is the best place to list Children's items, but listing in other appropriate categories can increase your exposure. After you list, check the views and hearts of your items to see which category is best for your items.

Tip #2: Research in the Category Browser
Look under the category where you've listed your item. Add the names of any subcategories that are accurate to your tags. Look under these subcategories, and add any sub-subs that are accurate as well.

Tip #3: Synonyms
Are there any words that buyers might search for that mean the same thing as the normal word you might use? These make great tags. Some examples:

Children: kids, girls, boys, toddlers, tots

Baby: Infant, Newborn (generally under 3 months old)

Tip #4: Activities and Uses
Think about the uses and activities that apply to your item. Here are some examples:

- Breastfeeding, nursing, feeding

- Play, dress-up

- Educational, learning

Tip #5: Sizes
Add the size as a tag for clothing.

In your description for children's clothing, try putting the approximate age of the child that this would fit. This helps relatives and friends who are shopping for a gift — but don't have kids themselves — find the correct size.

So, there you go! Hopefully, these tips will give you a good start for tagging your items. Please suggest any sub-categories or tags below. We want to hear from you.

As well, check out this tagging tips article for more suggestions for effective tags. Happy selling!

Introducing a New Etsy Project: Handmade Kids

2008-07-09T10:58:00-05:00

Dear Sellers,

This past Spring, we brought you the Handmade Wedding series, so ... bet you guessed what's up next! Handmade Kids.* We here at Etsy have noticed through our research that this special project has the potential to reach a lot of new customers and generate growth for children's sellers as well as Etsy in general.

Simply put, Etsy sellers have a ton to offer new families and we want to help spread the word! We'll be reaching out to the media in order to bring in new folks and wanted to give you the heads up to make sure your shops are ready for business. This special project will launch on July 14 and continue through to August 4, 2008.

Here's what we'll be doing:

Contest with prizes for sellers and buyers, open to US residents. **
Outside ads on targeted blogs and websites.
Original Storque content from Etsians as well as popular bloggers and websites with cross-pollinating posts.
Themed frontpage Showcase, going on sale on Thursday July 10 at 3pm EDT (see details about this here).
Periodic frontpages with kids themed content from the Storque and the Treasury.
Links to corresponding Gift Guides and curated content.
How-tos for the family (How-tos have proven to generate a lot of buzz and bring new visitors to Etsy).
Special landing page where kids' content is grouped. This will welcome first time visitors who click through from related outside ads and blog posts.

How can sellers get involved?

We want you to list your finest items for children, babies, new moms and dads, and make sure those are tagged properly of course! Michelle has written up this informative tagging how-to for you.
Many different types of items could fit in the Children's Category (for example, furniture for kids may be categorized in the Children's Category or in the Furniture Category). Now would be a good time to test out which category works better for your items and track your views and sales.
Clearly indicate if your items (such as toys) are intended for adults or children.
If you do custom work for new families, make sure your Alchemy announcement is set up.
The Children's Category Showcase will be getting increase traffic, so heads up on that.
The more buzz we get going about this series, the more links we get into Etsy, the better our Google search results. This is great for the whole marketplace. So let's all get together and blog (see these posts for help)!
Give us suggestions for sub-categories of the Children's Category.

Thanks so much and let me know if you have ideas or questions in the comments below!

*[No, the Etsy admin are not pregnant. But presumably a lot of our shoppers are! Etsy is 96% female and the average buyer's age is 32. Check out our survey results.]

**[This contest will only be open to US residents. Believe me, we are as frustrated by this as you are! As a US-based company, when offering prizes of any kind, we are bound by US contest law. We can't wait for the day when Etsy opens international sites and we can exclude US residents from contests. I joke... but seriously, we are looking into ways to legally include international Etsians in future contests. Please be patient with us, we love you!]

Etsy Finds: Can I Finally Be a Member, andrealagrillo?

2008-06-06T14:28:00-05:00

At the height of Michael Jackson's fame in 1983, my older brother, Josh, got a super-rad, epauletted Member's Only Jacket. I was so incredibly jealous. Not only did it look vaguely like the jacket that The King of Pop wore in his Thriller video, my brother told me that I would never be allowed to have one because I was "not a member, and this coat was for member's only." I distinctly remember crying.

PS. Not my brother, but this was the coat.

Well, here I am a quarter of a century later, and thank you andrealagrillo for updating the classic look with this beautiful coat.

Your clothing is wonderful, and with your amazing jackets, I finally belong.

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox on the daily!

Father's Day Showcase | Gift Guide for Him | Father's Day Gift Guide | A Dude's Perspective