Search results (tags) for: "fun"

Etsy Finds: Warp Zone

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:03:00 -0000

If only life was set up like a Warp Zone...If only I could jump down a pipe and end up back in my youth. Ah, the days of being a kid! There was never a better time in my life. Being a kid automatically allows you to have fun at everything you do. The only thing you have to stress over is homework and your parents grounding you. Life was simple back then, so many years ago it seems. Well, today I decided to travel back in time (in my mind of course) to reminisce on the good old days of being a kid.

Even though I haven't been able to find a time machine that would actually send me back into my childhood years, there are always a million wonderful things to remind me of what life as a child was like using the Time Machine on Etsy. For instance, today I found some Superhero Capes by babypop for the times that my brother and I would attempt to save the world. I was never really the fireman type, but my brother was and he would always play with these little dudes. Of course when I wasn't saving the world, I was playing music, video games or with my matchbox cars.

I want to be a kid again! Perhaps one day Etsy will invent a Time Machine 3 that would actually send us back in time?! Well, one can hope right?! :)

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

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

Summer Fun & Games

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:25:00 -0000

Guess what caught my eye and whipped me into a nostalgic frenzy...Hula Hoops! There's no better way to get a kid out of the house and burning off some energy.

Lately the hula hoop craze of the 50s has been rekindled by the Burlesque/Burning Man/Circus Fashion set. These hoops aint just for kids, witness the amazing Gumby hula hooper [photo by Lush.i.ous on flickr].

What are your favorite summertime games? For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, what outdoor activity are you longing for?

Etsy Teams Digest: Super Events!

Wed, 21 May 2008 19:51:00 -0000

With over 12,000 members and new Etsy Teams forming daily, there is always something going on with the Teams. This is just a little taste of all the events they're planning and running now. For more information from Etsy Teams, join the Teams Mailing list!

Seattle's Team EtsyRain is really gathering steam! They just held their first big team craft show and have many other upcoming Team events planned! Check out more photos of the event here.
Kick off the summer season with Etsy Dallas! Bring your appetite, creativity, and support for local artists and get ready for a day full of handmade food, music, and fun! The 1st Etsy Dallas Beer-B-Q will boast over 30 local artists and crafters selling their handmade goods. Customers can enjoy grilled food, cold beer and live music! The first lucky 25 in will receive a goody bag. The event will feature a free Make & Take booth for all ages. Everyone can explore their creative side, and experience the joy of handmaking! (All unused supplies will be donated to a local children’s charity.) For more information, check the Etsy Dallas blog.
Boston Handmade is preparing for a huge outdoor show that is all about Etsy! The Boston Handmade Marketplace is an outdoor fair celebrating all things handmade and Massachusetts artists, craftspeople and artisans associated with Boston Handmade and other Etsy sellers in New England. Over 20 artists, artisans, and craftspeople will be showing and selling. Also, there will be live music, craft demonstrations, and more!! Check BostonHandmade.org for details. Registered exhibitors at the Boston Handmade Marketplace include AmyBurhoe, AmyOlsonJewelry, BlueAlvarez, DesignsByLulubelle, ElizabethBrennickDesigns, FernAnimals, FraskeDesigns, Glamourpuss, Knight27, LBranchD, LittleWishes, LuckyMonkey, MadeInLowell, mck254, muchachaK, Nancyrosetta, Pogibabies, ReclaimedToYou, SeaGlassThings, StonehouseStudio, TheHoleThing, TwigsAndHeather, and TwoGuitars.

The do - it - yourselfers of the Connecticut Etsy Street Team are proud to present their second event: The Connecticut Etsy Team Jewelry Spectacular on June 7! Over 25 jewelry artists, and accessory designers from all over the state (all from Etsy!) will attend. Also featured will be special guest, Anne Mitchell, MD, promoting breast cancer awareness and prevention. The team is offering one free jewelry item to the first 200 people through the doors. For more info on this event check out the show's website. The CT Team is also looking forward to meeting with Bethela soon for an informal Q & A kinda luncheon. The CT Team is always looking for new members - if you'd like to become a part of this little crafty family, check their profile page!
On April 26th, the Arizona Crafty Burrito Collective took part in the first-ever Phoenix Indie Craftorama at the Duck and Decanter in central Phoenix. This event was different because it focused on the 7 major craft collectives in Phoenix. Organized by Kathy Cano-Murillo, from CraftyChica.com, it brought together music, food, book-signings, raffles, demos, make-and-take projects, and more than 40 artists from all over the valley!
Etsy Hempsters fosters a community that shares and supports each other in their work, promotes, educates about industrial hemp and advocates for political change in current laws in the United States, the only industrialized nation without this industrial crop. Their first team event is a donation drive where members will be donating hemp items to be sold to the Hemp Industries Association. All proceeds will be going to the HIA to further education, research, and development of the hemp industry. Support eco-friendly alternatives, support independent artists, support Etsy Hempsters.

The EtsyBABY team is excited to be hosting Special Events & Promotions to be held on Etsy, including Customer Appreciation Week, & Seasonal Promotions. Look for EtsyBaby Baby Showers over the next few months! In April,
EtsyBABY held a Mother's Day Give A-Way. The promotion was a huge success and one very lucky client walked away with a gorgeous gift basket!
EtsyGreetings just completed a successful and fun collaboration with JET and EtsyFAST. Members from all three teams designed items with a wedding theme. Mission Soldier Support is a new effort for EtsyGreetings. Member CapturedTimeBooks is coordinating a collection of blank, handmade greeting cards to send to US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for their personal use. EtsyGreetings is in the process of a membership renewal - having been active for over one year, this is an opportunity for shops to renew their membership, update their information with the team, and respond to a few survey questions.
The EtsyKnitters Team is running a month-long Wedding-themed challenge. Members are encouraged to post wedding related items to Etsy.com, and more than 20 EtsyKnitters are participating. Check their blog for more information.

Hearts Born of Love and Consciousness Team is actively recruiting members to join in and spread the word about Etsy by making, wearing and selling heart pins from scraps of fabric. We have begun pollinating with jewelry, photography, and stationary - our bees are meeting soon! If you want to be part of a young team that brainstorms about non-traditional marketing ideas please consider joining.
The Fashion, Design and Lifestyle Team unites like-minded enthusiastic artistic people, who are passionate about style, fashion, life and good taste in every step of their daily lives. For their first team project, the Team chose to an introduction to Etsy “society" through a virtual “debutante” ball. Members are busy working on items for the debutante ball, including invitations, clothing, jewelry, gifts, paintings, and anything else imaginable, united by a common color scheme and the debutante ball theme. All of the items will be pulled together on June 1st for the team launch and the virtual “party.”
Etsymetal members are pleased to announce tutorials at the Etsymetal blog. Search for 'tutorial' on their blog to find them all. Etsymetal members have fun and try out new ideas for the monthly challenges. The April theme was insects and the May theme was cold connections with a spring feel. Look at photos of our monthly theme pieces in the Etsymetal flickr group.

The Bookbinding Etsy Team will be hosting a shop hop over at their team blog! Head over to find out how you can receive discounts at team shops! They are also looking forward to an upcoming Virtual Labs Trunk Show, which they plan on having at the end of May/beginning of June. Be sure to keep an eye out for the team blog entry that will give more details on how to take part in the fun!
EJA is holding a giveaway and we have fantastic handmade prizes for you to win! Visit the EJA website for more details!
The Lampwork Team (LEST) is holding a big promotion with Beads of Courage, a non-profit group that collects beads for children diagnosed with serious illnesses. Check out the challenge going through the end of the month on their website for more information. Purple hearts are the final beads the children are given once they beat the disease and are released from the hospital. Everyone is encouraged to come to the site and vote for their favorite heart. Various members of LEST have donated prizes to be given to the artists with the top three number of votes.

There are so many Etsy Teams and so many Team events happening! We're so thrilled with how active the Teams program is, and be sure to check your favorite Teams' profile pages to find their blogs and see what they're up to! For more information on Etsy Teams, check out this Frequently Asked Questions page, and check here to read all about May's Team Grant winners!

Last-minute Gifts or Ways to Entertain Younger Relatives

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:13:00 -0000

Remember when Great Uncle Al used to amaze you when you were little by pulling a quarter out of his ear? The time has come. Now it's your turn to do small miraculous things with legal tender!

Enjoy this video, courtesy of abitabite. These make great last minute stocking stuffers or Christmas tree ornaments. Plus, you never know when making origami items out of dollar bills may come in handy when you're snowed in for two days with 15 screaming little cousins...

Gift Ideas: Love Holidays with Little Friends!

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:52:00 -0000

A coy look? A funny face? A sweet demeanor? Yes! These are all things that I love about the toys I find on Etsy. There are so many talented artists here that it's hard to choose only a page-full. These are my favourites because they made me squeal in delight at first sight. The photos are great and I'm sure that they don't even do the toys justice — the attention to detail on some of these is absurd (but assuredly only in a good way!). Quality my good friends. Quality! :D

Gift Ideas for toy collectors by smeeta.

(Coloring) Book Review: U.S. Supreme Court Coloring and Activity Book

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:21:00 -0000

SarahSays writes a regular Storque column in which she provides legal info for indie entrepreneurs. As Etsy's in-house attorney, she also has the tough job of dealing with the intense and varied legal issues that come up for any young web commerce site. After hours, she feels like doing something a bit more soothing...coloring. And so she offers us this book review.

I am the proud member of many legal publication mailing lists. This is one way I stay on top of the most current legal news, case law, and theories. And most of the time I order a legal book and then hide in my office to read it. But not this time! Not this book! When this book arrived I ran around the Etsy Labs to introduce everyone to the newest member of the SarahSays library.

The U.S Supreme Court Coloring and Activity Book, by Jenny B. Davis is published by the American Bar Association Journal. The 32-page coloring book features connect-the-dots, the matching game, and a maze. The book also contains illustrations depicting significant Supreme Court Justices of the United States to color in — including all current sitting Justices. And unlike any of my other legal books, this book comes with crayons.

This book is fun yet creative and educational. The book claims to be suitable for all ages but I would assume that older children might better benefit from the content than younger children. This coloring book would be a great way to start a dialog with kids about the United States’ legal system.

Misaki Kawai: Punch of the Tiger, Cream of the Fight

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:00:00 -0000

I recently (well, six months ago) checked out the work of Misaki Kawai, a Brooklyn-based artist with cheeky, off-the-wall installations and paintings. "Tiger Punch," her first solo show, was held at the Clementine Gallery in New York. It involved wall and floor installations of painted objects and works on paper.

Upon arriving at the space, I was instantly among a variety of brightly-colored kooky characters. Kawai creates a world of quirky cartoons with a child-like drawing style and whimsical approach to her subject. She constructs her works with handmade objects into an environment full of color, playfulness, humor and wit. Working from everyday materials like cardboard, paper, yarn, cottonballs, fabric, and glue, Kawai crafts what I like to call "wall-mounted, 3-D collage." Her narrative invites you into a world where spiders kiss instead of bite, birds hang out on a toilet, people burst through walls, giant waves are surfed by three people simultaneously, and farts and explosions go hand in hand. It's a cute and comical dreamscape drawn with a mastery of the skillfully unskilled aesthetic.

Misaki Kawai's work has also been featured at the Greater New York Show '05, at PS1 MOMA in NYC, and in a two-person exhibition at the Watari Museum in Tokyo, Japan. She recently had a solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, MA.

Photos courtesy of Clementine Gallery and Misaki Kawai.

Erin from Etsy: New Orleans Trip (Pt 2)

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:30:00 -0000

Four years ago, I spent a year in New Orleans. This past February, since I had begun working at Etsy, I decided to try to meet all the Etsy sellers of New Orleans, and see how they were spending their Mardis Gras. It was great to be back there to see how the city was doing. I hadn't been back there since Katrina, and now, just after the anniversary of the storm, I've revisited some of my New Orleans video footage. I'll be sharing those here on The Storque as a series. Here is Part 1 and below you'll find Part 2.

Watch the Video

I was in touch via email with Monique Leon from gurlygirl.etsy.com before my trip, but she missed our first face-to-face meet-up at the coffee shop. Later that night, at a circus-themed party, she overheard me talking about Etsy and we found each other! Luckily I had my video camera and I interviewed her right on the spot.

The next day I went to visit her at her home studio in the Bywater neighborhood, which is adjacent to the 9th Ward. In fact, Bywater used to be called the Upper 9th Ward until residents decided it needed a more specific name. They borrowed the telephone company’s designation, Bywater (by-the-water), and it has been known that way since the 1940s. It’s a special neighborhood situated right on the curve of the river between the Marigny and the Industrial Canal. The houses are all charming and close together. Stepping out onto the porch in the Bywater guarantees conversation with neighbors. When Monique came out to say hello to me, she saw several people she knew walking by, and they stopped to talk. We all shared a laugh about the skywriting overhead that protested the fact that people were having too much fun in the French Quarter!

The first thing I noticed about Monique’s home was the color. The outside of the house is painted bright lavender. People in New Orleans love to paint their houses in bright colors (not unlike Burano, one of the islands of Venice). A hot orange house with bright blue trim won’t turn a head. It just complements the turquoise house next door, whose bushes and trees are strewn with glittering beads, built up from past years’ Mardi Gras.

Monique’s home is a shotgun and it’s set up with her studio in the front room. Her jeweler’s bench takes up the majority of the space and her polishing station is nearby. She has all of the tools a professional jeweler needs and the enviroment of her studio is cheerful and inspiring! There was a striking hot pink Georgian era wig on the wall. Her television was gilded in gold from a previous experement just to see how it might look. Pretty amazing, it turns out! Her closet was stuffed with costumes. All the boas and sequins mixed unassumingly with her everyday clothes.

You'll find that her jewelery has a similar character to her home. Superb, traditional craftsmanship meets the whimsy of a costume ball, like in these "stearling heart fluff earrings".

I bought this ring from Monique -- and would you believe it, I ran in to a guy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn last week wearing the same ring! I think gurlygirl is catching on.....

Funny Forum Quotes: pawandclawdesigns

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0000

pawandclawdesigns says:

"people make no bones about sleeping on a motel mattress, so why the fuss over buying a used one ONE GUY slept on as apposed to upwards to 500 people?

My mattress is used AND from a motel.

i love danger."

From the "Creepy Thrift Store Stuff" thread.

Check out abitabite's Etsians Say blog.

Recommended Blogs: Plush-a-holic

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:00:00 -0000

Hey folks!

Do yourself a favor and check out LookWhatICanDo's blog: http://plush-a-holic.blogspot.com.

We also love her flickr series of her daughter's lunches. So colorful and wonderful!

Etsy Comics: I'm Just a Caveman Crafter

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0000

I grew up in and around Providence, RI. Father. Cartoonist. Tall person. Very proud brother of Etsy Person Vanessa Bertozzi! I do a regular series for Nickelodeon Magazine and just had my first graphic novel "The Salon" published. Please visit my website: NickBertozzi.com

Funny Forum Quotes: odkins

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0000

odkins says, "I, too, could be a Luddite. I dream of making home-made clothes on a foot-treadle sewing machine in a cabin in the woods. With wi-fi."

Oldies but Goodies: ClocksByArty

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0000

Arty showed up at the Labs after reading a piece about us in Newsday in his native Long Island. We gave him a tour and were totally inspired when he started telling us about his energetic "retirement."

We did a short interview with Arty to accompany the video we made with him.

The Storque: What is your name? How old are you? Where are you from?

My name is Arthur Moskowitz and I am 81 years old or young. I was born in Brooklyn, New York.

The Storque: How did you first hear about Etsy, and what is your shop name?

My wife Doris, who is also 81, noticed an article about Etsy in Newsday, and showed it to me. I thought that it might be a good outlet for me to sell some of my clocks. Also, my shop name is "Clocks By Arty."

The Storque: Why did you decide to get involved with Etsy?

I met some of the people at Etsy and found them to be very nice. Also, I found the fees to be quite reasonable.

The Storque: Are you retired? What was your previous profession?

I retired from full time sales work to two days a week in 1988 and have been working that way to this day.

The Storque: How long have you been crafting? What do you make?

Two years ago, I decided that I was sitting around too much. Also, I never thought of myself as artistic. However, one day it came to me that I might like to make clocks. I started by putting some ideas on paper. Then I kept designing clock after clock. I then made clock after clock and gave them to everybody in the family. Then I started to sell them. I use mainly wood and acrylics.

The Storque: Do you use the forums or read the Etsy blog? If not, what would it take for you to start?

I guess I would need a computer. [Arty's son helps him list his items.]

The Storque: Do you participate in any craft fairs in your area? Do you sell your wares anywhere else?

I have not yet sold at craft fairs, but I may give it a try in October.

Soaring Over Etsy Labs

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0000

Our first wacked-out, DIY green-screen video. We are so very inspired by cable access.

Note: This was originally posted in the Etsy Garden.

Etsy Labs Deconstructed

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0000

We undertook a major construction project at the Labs. The DIY construction was care of Peter Corrie, Josh Wise, and Evan Vendetti.