Search results (tags) for: "rikrak"

The Collectors: My Favourite Dress's Vintage Pyrex Bowls

2009-11-25T15:16:00-05:00

I just love seeing what folks are collecting. I guess I feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their homes. Today, I'm delighted to present the next in an ongoing series here on The Storque: The Collectors. First published on my own little blog, the rikrak studio, it's 11 and a half quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting (apart from their art supplies!). Hope you'll just love this vintage kitchenware collection with the charming myfavouritedress.

Yum!

As our thoughts turn to the upcoming holidaying seasons around the world, our kitchens emerge as our handmaking studios and workshops, where we each combine tradition and creativity to handcraft scrumptious feasts and delicious delights to share with friends and loved ones!

Indeed, cooking and baking are, for me, a wonderful part of the delight of holidaying time, and I thought you might just love a peek at this particular gorgeous collection of vintage kitchenware, which would surely inspire any home chef, and host(ess) as we look forward to the season of entertaining.

Psst: And just in case you’re like me and love the idea of baking, cooking, and entertaining, but it isn’t quite your forte (let’s be honest – I’m a wonderful disaster in the kitchen!) — fear not! Help is near! How about some delectables by the pros!

Who (are you) : Claire of myfavouritedress

What (are you collecting) : pyrex

When (did you start) : This collection here is about 6 years old.

How (many do you have?) : I have around 30-40 here in Vancouver, and a whole lot more in storage at my dad's in Australia.

Where (do you find them) : I find them all at the thrift stores (or op shops) and church sales.

Where (do you keep them) : I keep them in the kitchen. They get used every day.

What (‘s a crazy/interesting story behind one) : I have a friend who often picks me up little things at the thrift store, and one time we were sitting at the kitchen table talking when she casually reaches into her handbag and pulls out a huge butterprint bowl in perfect condition, and hands it to me — "Oh, I found this for you," and keeps on with what she was saying. Like no big deal. She's actually given me some beautiful pyrex and Fire King over the years. She is awesome.

What (piece would you like to add): Dots. I have absolutely no dots. And I love them.

Why (do you love them) : They're beautiful and functional, and they obviously last a long time.

Which (one is your favourite) and why : This tiny little blue bowl that is quite old, but I love the shade of blue and how it has worn away at the top.

What (else do you collect) : I have a pretty ridiculous collection of kitchenware and fabric, but I'd say what I really collect would be records.

Oh, how wonderful! I love how Claire USES her collection in a functional and wonderful way on a daily basis! How splendid! And I adore the ways in which she craftily combines her love of sustainable living in her home and in her own beautiful handcrafted works, too!

So let’s raise a toast: to the kitschy kitchen and all that is created in it! I think my perfect kitchen is like that ideal holiday recipe: You start with tried and true main ingredients, add a handpicked pinch of vintage, a dash of modern, and a teaspoon of eclectic to make something all your own!

Thanks so much, Claire. And be sure to visit her lovely shop and fabulous blog, Just Me and My Dad (What a brilliant idea this one is: dual photos by Claire and her dad! Love it!) and her deservedly popular and inspiring Flickr photostream!

Cheers! And happy celebrating, nicies!

What do you collect? I’d love to hear! Please post in the comments below!

The Collectors Series | Vintage Pyrex | More Collections Posts on Rikrak's Blog

Fabulous Packaging and Wrapping With rikrak

2009-11-03T10:30:00-05:00

Have you missed the first half of our series of holiday workshops for sellers? Don't worry, there are many workshops left to help you get your shop in shape this season. (View the entire schedule here.) Last week's workshop was hosted by Etsy seller, rikrak, our resident branding-with-packaging specialist! I've put together some great references from her workshop here, but make sure you read the thorough notes she's provided on her own blog, the rikrak studio.

Packaging How-To Videos:

Etsy Holiday How-To #1: Packaging

Etsy Holiday How-To #2: Packaging

Etsy Holiday How-To #3: Creating Labels and Hang-Tags

Furoshiki Gift Wrapping

Packaging Blog Tutorials:

Holiday How-To's: Sellers, Wrap It Up With Gift Wrap!

Team EcoEtsy Tip of the Week: That's a Wrap

Team Eco-Etsy: Make Your Own Waterproof Shipping Envelope

Furoshiki Fabric Wrap Techniques

Funky Felter's Blog: All About Labels for Handmade Items

Craftster Tutorial: Making Personalized Labels

Team Canada: Making a Cereal Box into a Beautiful Mailer

Packaging Downloads:

Envelope Pattern

Flying Floating Mailing Labels by the Small Object

Free Printable Mailing Labels by Creature Comforts

Free Printable Labels and Gift Cards by oh smile

Sweet Mailing Labs by Elephantom Knits

For more packaging tips and tricks, don't forget to read all of rikrak's workshop notes here. Happy packaging!

More Packaging Tips | Holiday Tips for Sellers | Holiday Workshop Schedule

The Collectors: Boopsie Daisy's Pez Dispensers with Rikrak

2009-10-22T10:00:00-05:00

Oh October! How I love you! And I just adore this month’s featured collection, too! Like Halloween, BoopsieDaisy’s Pez dispensers showcase an appreciation of nostalgia, a love of whimsy, a panache for color, and a celebration of…candy! Delightful! So join me as we skip hand-in-hand down Gumdrop Lane and revel in the sugar-covered sweet sweet joy of collecting!

Who (are you?): Missy Munday of Boopsiedaisy

What (are you collecting?): Pez Dispensers

When (did you start?): Seven years ago

How (many do you have?): 209 at last count

Where (do you find them) and (do you keep them?): Yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets & souvenir shops. I keep them in our dining room.

What (piece would you like to add?): The two that top my wish list are Snow White and Frankenstein, the original 60's versions.

Why (do you love them?): Besides that they double as delicious, colorful wall candy, they're instantly recognizable as collectible, totally timeless, and seem to beckon back to a time that was simpler.
Plus they spoonfeed you candy.

Which (one is your favorite?): It's sort of a three-way toss-up between Gargamel (for looks), the vintage clown (my rarest) and the vintage witch (which has sentimental value).

What (else do you collect): Too much to list, really, but primarily different editions of Snow White and Alice in Wonderland books, dolls, Wizard of Oz merch, Muppets stuff, vintage valentines and squeak toys, and anything relating to Drew Barrymore.

Like her delicious and fun-filled collection, Missy’s brilliant shop is genuine eye candy for the soul. Just a moment savoring her sweet and sugar-coated, tantalizing and gasp-worthy, rainbow-sprinkled handmade world, promises to banish the grayest day and delight your senses!

Her enchanting and whimsical creations have captured the wide-eyed imagination of many, and it’s with holding-my-breath delight that I tune in on a daily basis to see what fantastical new fairy tales she’s crafted in her vivid life and work. What a joy!

Thanks so much, lovely BoopsieDaisy! Wishing you all the sweetest of days!

What do you collect? I’d love to hear! Please post in the comments below!

The Collectors Series | Vintage Pez | More Collections Posts on Rikrak's Blog

The Collectors: themefragrance's Birds

2009-09-29T12:39:00-05:00

What a wonderful time of year! Sunshiney warm afternoons, beloved sweater-weather evenings, and the vivid colors of summer transforming into those sumptuous autumn hues. For me, it’s nature at its loveliest!

This is also the time in the calendar when I look for ways to bring the outdoors indoors, something I know so many of us universally love about interior design. As we cozy up our homes and indoor spaces, this month’s gorgeous bird collection brings the joy of the vibrant woodlands and the spirit of natural history alive inside. Here’s a wonderful collection interview to inspire us.

Who (are you?): Elizabeth of themefragrance
What (are you collecting?): Bird objects  
When (did you start?): Five years ago
How (many do you have?): Lost count!
Where (do you find them?): Antique stores, gifts, Etsy.
Where (do you keep them?): I live in an old brick house in Brooklyn that has six mantelpieces, and I rotate all my collections on them. 
What (piece would you like to add?): Bird prints from Etsy shops (so far I’ve collected prints by geninne and mincingmockingbird) .
Why (do you love them?): You can't have too many! The variety keeps you going!  
Which (one is your favorite?): My lovebird, Buddha (the real one).
What (else do you collect): Antique doll parts, typography blocks, hands, old magazines, perfume bottles, postcards, children’s books.

Like the modern perfumer she is, I love the way Elizabeth’s collection so aptly mixes design and modern handicraft with the natural world. Aren’t the rich and variegated hues of these lovely birds just gorgeous atop the classic white mantles of her brick home? Elizabeth’s brilliant use of color and hand-picked historical elements brings nature indoors not only with her beloved bird collection, but also in her delightfully vibrant shop. Like the splashes of antique history in her collection, Elizabeth’s work builds on the traditional to craft fresh, modern perfumes with enticing organic scents. I just adore her integration of nature in her collections, both in her home and in her shop. Thanks so much for sharing with us, Elizabeth!

What do you collect? I’d love to hear! Please post in the comments below!
And have a most colorful, vivid day, nicies!

The Collectors Series | Vintage Birds | More Collections Posts on Rikrak's Blog

Prep Your Shop for the Holiday Rush: 2009 Seller Workshops

2009-09-24T10:29:00-05:00

Looking at the upcoming calendar can be a daunting prospect for Etsy sellers this time of year. If you're wondering how to optimize your shop to appeal to the coming influx of holiday shoppers, you're in luck! We've created a series of live workshops in our Virtual Labs, hosted by your fellow Etsy sellers and Etsy Admin. We'll talk about everything from developing the perfect gifts that will fly off your virtual shelves, to making sure you're prepared to ship all of those items.

These workshops are sure to whip you into shape for the holidays! Most will be held on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET in Etsy's Virtual Labs. Core tips from these sessions will also be shared in the Etsy Success newsletters, so be sure to sign up here.

Wondering how our online workshops work? Have a look at this blog post to get a quick understanding of Etsy's Virtual Labs.

Sept. 24, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Product Development and Photography Hosts: Daniellexo & MaryMary Topics covered: Product development brainstorming session Colors and styles that will be hot this season Tips for photography and tagging from a merchandising expert For more info, check out these posts on creating great products.
Sept. 28, 2009 at 9 p.m. ET	Creative Ways to Gain Exposure Host: Amy from Pikaland Brilliant ways to gain exposure Building a solid reputation Start thinking outside the box! Recommended reading: Creativity, Competition and Copycats by Pikaland.
Sept 30, 2009 at 8:00pm ET Oct 1, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. ET Oct. 1, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. ET	Bigger Than a Breadbox: Photography for Medium to Large Items Host: Amby from JulipBags For more info on JulipBags, check out this Quit Your Day Job interview. Photography for 2-D Artists JenKiaba will cover taking photos of paintings, prints, collages and drawings. Jewelry Photographing for Etsy Host: Rhonda from ProlifiqueJewelry For more info on ProlifiqueJewelry, check out this Quit Your Day Job interview.
Oct. 8, 2009 at 5 p.m. ET	How to survive your first Holiday Season on Etsy Host: Aja from SagittariusGallery Topics covered: Question and Answer session for newbies Making your first sales on Etsy Lots of tips and insights for your first holiday season Check out SagittariusGallery's Ultimate Newbie Guide.
Oct. 15, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Tagging, Titles and Descriptions Hosts: Daniellexo, HeyMichelle, MaryMary, JulieinCharge Topics covered: Using tags to get noticed Creative descriptions to woo buyers Optimizing tagging, titles and descriptions for SEO Recommended reading: Guidelines and Tips to Tagging on Etsy.
Oct. 22, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Promo Mojo: Get Recognized This Season Host: Jen from JStephens13 Topics Covered: Spice up your shop How to coordinate your look and get recognized A complete look, from your shop banner to your packaging Etsy friends who can help Where to get labels, banners, tech help and packaging How to get the word out there For more info on JStephens13 check out this Quit Your Day Job interview.
Oct. 29, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Brown Paper Packages Tied up With String Host: Kristal from RikRak Topics covered: Beautiful, budget-savvy, eco-friendly DIY packaging ideas How to make a great first impression with your package How to efficiently organize your packaging supplies Packaging and shipping materials and shop branding For more info on RikRak check out this Quit Your Day Job interview.
Nov. 5, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Shipping Tips Host: TBA
Nov. 12, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Make the Most of Cyber Monday Host: Beth from DiffractionFiber Topics covered: Product tips Having a sale Promoting Customer service and more For more info check out these videos from DiffractionFiber's last workshop.
Nov. 19, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Customer Service for Your Handmade Business Host: Stephanie from StephanieFizer Topics covered: Great customer service communication Handling tricky situations with style and grace More nifty skills to help run your business For more info on StephanieFizer check out this Quit Your Day Job interview.
Nov. 24, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Staying Organized in the Holiday Rush Host: Nicole from Lillyella Topics covered: How to prepare your shop Maintain your sanity and stay on top of your work load Organization, time management and efficiency For more info on Lillyella check out this Quit Your Day Job interview.
Dec. 3, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Top Ten Tips to Bring in Last-Minute Holiday Sales Host: Corrina from Piddix Topics covered: Small changes that make a huge difference Research on holiday buying trends for 2009 Great places to find last-minute packaging supplies What to do if and when those sales start pouring in For more info on Piddix check out this Quit Your Day Job interview.
Dec. 17, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET	Holiday Recap and Party Host: Etsy Lab Rats Team Reflections, reactions, and fun!

Looking for more Holiday Tips? Check out this list of all our Holiday How-To's:

The Seller Handbook | Visit the Virtual Labs | Virtual Labs FAQ

The Collectors: Vintage Super 8 Cameras

2009-08-19T16:17:00-05:00

Who (are you?): Rikkianne (Chakra Pennywhistle)

What (are you collecting?): Vintage Super 8 Cameras

When (did you start?): About 8 or 9 years ago.

How (many do you have?): 23

Where (do you find them?): Local thrifts and antique stores.

Where (do you keep them?): They are placed on a book shelf in my living room.

What(‘s an interesting story behind one?): Lots of them still have film in them! Someday we plan to get a projector and check them out.

What (piece would you like to add?): I want to find one in an odd color.

Why (do you love them?): It is actually a collection that my husband and I share. He loves them just as much as I do.

What (else do you collect?): Vintage Vera Neumann scarves. I have over 300 of them!

Which (camera is your favourite?): This one was my Grandfather’s. My Grandfather loved films. He loved recording and fiddling with all things film related. That camera was one of his treasures.

Oh I just adore this gorgeous collection, Rikkianne! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. I also adore Chakra Pennywhistle's beautiful handmade creations and her eco-forward style. Her integration of gorgeous, vintage textiles, and newer organic materials helps make her beautiful accessories, for your home, your children, or your self, simply divine, not to mention, wonderfully eco-conscious! She's been an inspiration to me for as long as I've known her (we first met through the wonderful EcoEtsy Team!). I'm inspired by how she incorporates sustainable design and business practices into her beautiful work, blog and life. Plus... she's a wonderful, generous, kind soul! How splendid!

Hope you'll find something she's made that you might like to add to your own collection of wonderful goodies:

Trees

By chakrapennywhistle, $50.

View Item | View Shop

Custom CIRCLE THE DATE Patch

By chakrapennywhistle, $7.

View Item | View Shop

What do you collect? Post in the comments below!

The Collectors Series | Browse Items from the EcoEtsy Team

See More Collections Posts on Rikrak's Blog

Quit Your Day Job: rikrak

2009-04-27T15:33:00-05:00

Kristal's business rikrak was born when she found out she was pregnant with her son. As her passion for making quilted baby play mats grew, her quilts began catching the eye of local boutiques and Etsians. Since joining Etsy, Kristal has made well over 1,500 sales, has sold through 90 boutiques around the world (after finding her shop through Etsy), and has been featured in five major print publications. Her success on Etsy has enabled her to stay at home with her son instead of going back to her previous teaching job. She hasn't looked back since!

How did you originally get into the business of making things?

I was very fortunate to grow up in a home that fostered hand-spun creativity. My brother and I were always concocting and making, and our wonderful parents encouraged us to create grand artistic messes! Over the years, I also had the great delight of spending extra-special time with my amazing grandmother – a master quilter – whose talents I had admired ever since I was little enough to play in her sewing and notions baskets (brimming over with colourful rickrack), and whose great fascination with repurposing I’d always shared. When I was pregnant with our little sweetie a few years back, my grandmother taught me to sew and quilt. I just loved it! When she sadly passed away shortly after his birth, I inherited her collection of beautiful vintage fabrics. Soon, our shelves were overflowing with lovely retro prints and my new works in progress (my poor hubby). So, there’s a bit of that personal history in all the work I make for rikrak now.

With that as a foundation, my little business came together in early 2007. Shortly after I started making quilted playmats and gifts for all of our baby friends, my family and friends started encouraging me to sell them! I was hesitant, but I also realized how fabulous it would be to handmake things to supplement our income, while also fulfilling our dream to have stay-@-home parenting for our little sweetie. So I got to work designing, creating and repurposing my fabrics into fun and functional patchwork goodies. Eventually, I garnered the courage to list some items on Etsy, and around that same time, a shop here in Ottawa kindly took my work into their brick and mortar store! And the rest, as they say, is history!

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

In another lifetime, before our little sweetie was born, I was an elementary school teacher. While I loved teaching curious little kiddies, I knew there wasn’t the flexibility of being able to stay at home with our son in that career. So, most of all, becoming a full time crafter was born out of brainstorming fun ideas to envision a workable career move. To be honest, becoming a full time handcrafter was a wonderful surprise! When rikrak was just starting out, I would play all day with our son, then work away like crazy at night once he was asleep. It was an ideal fit for our family situation, despite the long nights!

I first came to Etsy (which I discovered after joining the wonderful world of flickr in 2007) because I heard it would be a great way to build my little business. After getting up the courage to list something (two months after I first joined!) I realized that, through Etsy, I could build my business bigger than I ever thought possible. Within that first year, I had over 50 shops from around the world selling rikrak goodies, and had begun to establish a great base of friendly support. This wonderful handmade community encouraged me…and soon my little sweetie was in school ½ days…and this meant a little more work time. Soon it became my new dream to craft full time! I’ve been so fortunate…the little project just grew and grew. Soon I was creating, designing, making whenever I had a minute, and loving it! Isn’t it funny how things in life just open themselves up like that?

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?

I have to be honest. The way I prepared for a bigger business was the way I prepared for my little business. My parents would call it trying to be resourceful and thrifty! They always taught me to solve any problem with creative brainstorming, using what you’ve got on hand, and working to your strengths, rather than being something you’re not.

Still, starting a new business can be daunting. When I started out, we didn’t have any extra cash to invest in a lot of business overhead, or bulk materials, or other start-up expenses. So instead, I tried to get creative, and decided to take care of as many parts of the business myself as I could (to save on outsourcing).

This was DIY-ing, indeed, as it meant that I designed and printed my own labels, cards and business paper goods. I also only bought as many supplies as I could afford (and then more as needed), I kept my inventory small and made orders for shops as they came in (so the more orders I had, the more supplies I could buy). While this isn’t always ideal, for me it was the only way to make it work. I couldn’t invest in a great leap at the start. So I took small steps, building as I could.

This was my business strategy and safety net, and it still is; I still do all these small tasks myself, and it continues to make my work sustainable, especially as the market or sales fluctuate. In slower periods, I have the chance to create new goodies and I’m not stuck with a grand amount of materials. In super-busy seasons, I supply myself accordingly.

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

Here are a few things that I’ve found most effective that I’d be happy to share!

Be kind, friendly and positive. This is how I try to live and work. I know that’s not always so easy to do, but I really think that relaying a genuine kindness to your customers through your work can go a long way. One of my greatest hopes is that I’m building a kind, eco-forward, sustainable business.

Make great, quality, eco-friendly products that you love and are proud of.

Having a loving, supportive family that spreads the handmade word. (I’m so lucky!)

Figure out your strengths and work to them. We live in a great little place in the heart of our beautiful city and we don’t have much extra room for a full-time at-home business. So, our dining room does double-duty as family table by day, craft studio by night. Spending money on advertising was an expense my little business couldn't afford at the start, so instead, I focus on my adoration of photography, and spend a lot of time taking the best pictures I can. I use an inexpensive point and shoot camera, and only natural window-light in all of my photos (even though waiting for a sunny day can sometimes require patience, especially during those long winter months in Ottawa!). I think the time investment of making great pictures has really been a good one!

Finally, I have to say that the best marketing I’ve done is creating listings on Etsy and being part of this great handmade community. I’ve been so fortunate, I’ve never paid for an ad for rikrak, but I’ve invested money in listing whenever I can on Etsy. For me, that’s been a great strategy with great returns.

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?

When I was first starting out, I promoted some high-end products, trying to present the most complex crafts I could conceive. These were fun yet time-consuming, and would take me weeks to complete. But, I never felt comfortable charging for the immense amount of time these projects took, and sometimes even lost money on them! I’ve since dropped many of these items from my regular lines, and streamlined my projects so that market pricing has played a role in what I sell. Most of those extra special items are reserved, now, for loved ones.

Walk us through your typical workday.

Gosh, it's a fun one!

6:30 am: We wake up with little rikrak

6:30 – 8: 30 am: Lego-building projects, arts and crafting for fun, a yummy breakfast, coffee-ing begins.

8:30 ish – Mr. Rikrak goes off to work and the mommying morning starts! Most days, little rikrak and I take a walk, play at the park, work on some fun little projects we’re doing, have 80s dance parties in the living room, or mess up the kitchen, etc. I take a few little breaks here and there to check rikrak messages, sales, do a listing, etc, planning what to do once work time starts. My previously written blog post goes up!

If it’s a beautiful morning, I encourage little rikrak to help me take my natural-light product photos beside our dining room window (he’s a great little photographer!) and if little rikrak has a fun extra-curricular activity that morning, then it’s onto Morning Plan B: work, work, work!

1:00 pm: After lunch, drop little rikrak off at school for a few hours and race home to start rikraking! Respond to orders, queries, etc. pack up new orders, do some cutting, sewing, and ironing.

Run to the post office. Reward myself by dropping into the forums or hopping on twitter for mini-breaks. More coffee!

3:30 pm: Pick up little rikrak! Or Plan B: have Mr. Rikrak pick up little rikrak

Around 5:30 pm: Dinnertime for the family rikrak. Family visiting. Then, a fun board game or two. Funny tales from the day, bathtime, and story time.

7:30 pm: Cute little rikrak goes to bed and the rikrak night shift begins! These days, this is when the real bulk of work time happens for me. More cutting and sewing. List more goodies, design new works, pack up orders, prepare the next day's blog post, etc. Mr. Rikrak is a fun doctoral student and instructor, so sometimes (when he’s not working on his thesis) he’ll be so cute and will read a novel for the class he’s teaching out loud while I sew! I love it.

Around 11:30 pm: Try to stop sewing. Go to bed, cuddle and dream of new designs!

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

Oh gosh, I just love so many things about this job! I mostly love the joy of being able to choose my own adventure. I love being able to design and craft to make a living! I can’t think of a better job. Rikraking + mommying = wonderful. What I miss? Like so many folks, I find there’s no "off button" in having my own business. I often feel like I’m always on, creating new goodies, filling orders, responding to queries, and my head is constantly filled with new designs. I’ll keep working at that one!

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? What advice would you give someone else?

This might sound like a cliché, but I think anything’s possible if you put your mind to it! Believe in yourself. It makes things much easier!

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

I’m so excited about the new things afoot at rikrak!

Finish structuring a book project that I’m working on with my designs and patterns.

Continuing to build my little business in new ways.

Growing my new little blog.

Continuing to make fun new designs and eco-friendlly products... stay tuned!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I’d just like to say… I owe such a huge thank you to Etsy and the Etsy community! Two years ago, I would never have guessed that this career would have even been possible. For me, Etsy has been the single best way to build my handmaking business. Its global exposure is just phenomenal! Through Etsy, I’ve now sold thousands of items, had over 90 shops from around the world find me and sell my goodies, had five major print magazines discover my work and feature it, and had the immense fortune to meet many like-minded, handmaking superstars who have become dear "colleagues" in the virtual work-world! Through Etsy’s various Teams (I’m so proud to be part of the TransCanada Etsy Team, Team EcoEtsy, the Trashion Team, and EtsyMom) I’ve met so many kindred folk! Thank you so much, Etsy, for making this wonderful community possible and for launching many a handmaking career. Cheers to you!

Keep up with Kristal on the web:

Her blog: http://www.rikrakstudio.blogspot.com
Her flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikrak

Her twitter: http://twitter.com/therikrakshop

Or see her Tuesday, April 28th at 4pm EDT in Etsy's Virtual Labs for a live Quit Your Day Job chat!

You can find some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here! Take a look at some of Kristal's gorgeous bags below.

Etsian How-To: Make Your Own Holiday Stocking!

2007-12-19T01:42:00-05:00

Even if you're getting nothing but coal this year, don't hang some stiff, store-bought stocking on the mantle... make your own! fernfiddlehead (aka Cathy Moore) shows you how to sew a fully-lined stocking using fabric scraps and items from your home. Divided into 3 short segments, each video is full of great tips for the beginning seamstress or tailor. Follow along and maybe Santa will be impressed enough to fill it up with Etsy loot!

Check out the first segment here:

Click to see Part 2 and Part 3.

Check out fernfiddlehead's stockings and more:

fernfiddlehead.etsy.com
rikrak.etsy.com
cranberrymak.etsy.com
GreenWayBabywear.etsy.com