Search results (tags) for: "thank you"

Thank You, Etsy Community

2009-11-26T10:35:00-05:00

In the United States, we are gathering together with family and friends this Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving, a day of gratitude for all we have. For fellow Etsians outside the U.S., it may be just another day hard at work; nevertheless, it is a good reason to take pause and thank each of you for being our partners in this wildly wonderful and inspiring venture we call Etsy.

As Etsy grows, the responsibilities we have to our community also grow. We take our responsibility very seriously. It is humbling to know that so many of you have come to depend on the service we provide. We are grateful for your support and will strive to continually earn your loyalty.

Over the course of 2009, I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting many Etsy sellers not only in the U.S., but also in Canada and Europe. Next year, I hope to meet in person with many more members of our global community. It is incredibly motivating to hear your stories and to understand what Etsy means to you. I am excited and inspired by the possibilities of what we can accomplish together.

Here’s to you, your many achievements, your vast creativity, and your immense talent.

Warm wishes and a heartfelt thank you.

Maria

Etsy Finds: Wait a Minute, Mr. Postman

2009-01-07T07:56:00-05:00

Now that the long and busy holiday season has passed — filled with the arrival and departure of Etsy products, we hope! — it's time to give thanks to the dutiful folks who worked through "sleet and snow and dark of night": the ever dutiful letter carrier. Show some gratitude to your loyal post office employees and give the gift of handmade and vintage! We're sure your parcels will continue arriving at the usual speed (or perhaps faster? Wink, wink!) as a result.

Manfelts Felted Woolen Slipper Socks Size 9-10.

By pawfelts, $45.

View Item | View Shop

Leafy diary III

By lacunawork, $27.

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Cafe Mocha Soap Bar

By dennisanderson, $5.

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Soda Fired Golden Yunomi

By khphillips, $16.

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RECYCLED CIRCUIT BOARD MAGNETIC GEEKERY Stocking Stuffer CLIPBOARDS FOR POST-IT NOTES for FRIDGE home office or school pkg 3

By DebbyAremDesigns, $15.50.

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Real Vintage German Airmail bag Beige Tube scarf/ Neckwarmer/ Cowl

By malam, $56.

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Hand knit wool gloves with fingers

By ArtyCousinJenny, $40.

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Spalted Maple wood pen

By ArtisticWoodProducts, $10.

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1954 Vintage Childrens Book - At the Post Office - Great Images and Text

From ShaneLilyRain, $5.

View Item | View Shop

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Featured Buyers | Trends | Gift Ideas

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

News from the Etsy Labs: 1/5 Craft Night

2008-12-31T12:17:00-05:00

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Start off the New Year on the right foot and come try out a new craft with us at our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Each craft night is also broadcast live into in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs. All demos will be shown both in the Labs in Brooklyn and in the Treehouse online.

Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. Each week the Etsy Labs organize a skill-sharing project. We provide supplies, tools, space, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own project to work on independently. Craft night is a time to create, learn new skills, and hang out.

On Monday, January 5th we will be embroidering cards! Create thank you cards for all those thoughtful friends who spoiled you this holiday season or get started on your valentines!

If you are joining us at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn, please bring card stock, embroidery thread, a sewing needle and a simple outline design. If you don't have these supplies on hand, don't worry; we'll have lots of extra supplies for you!

If you are joining us virtually for Craft Night this week and would like to craft along with us, you'll need a few supplies:

Card stock
Tracing paper
Scissors
Thread
Sewing needle
A simple outline to embroider

Or, just be ready to take some notes and see if this is a project you'd like to try out later on.

Upcoming Craft Night Projects

1/12: Sugar scrubs with Tammy

1/19: Craft Night Canceled for Martin Luther King Day

1/26: Open Craft Night

2/2: Make Valentines with Julie

2/9: Needle felting with KnitKnit

2/16: Melt and Pour Soaps with Diana

Would you like to lead a craft night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group!

Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list. Will we see you Monday? Let us know in the comments.

Thank You, Thank You: Post-holiday Cards

2008-12-28T14:15:00-05:00

Take a moment to sit down away from the holiday buzz and relax by writing out some thank yous. These beautiful handmade cards help express your thanks to your family and friends for all the wonderful memories you shared. Make someone feel special while showing your gratitude!

Paper Goods Category | More Posts about Holiday Cards | Etsy Greetings Team

Team Tip: Give Thanks!

2008-12-01T14:59:00-05:00

Here at Etsy, we know working as a Team is no simple task, and we think it's important to acknowledge your peers' hard work. Letting people you collaborate with know they're appreciated goes a long way. On that note, this week we wanted to take a moment to give a big thanks to the many, many Etsy Team leaders and Etsy Team members who make the Teams program as great as it is.

Thank you to the ever patient, generous, hard-working Etsy Team leaders. We know running a successful Etsy Team can be an unwieldy, occasionally confusing and sometimes thankless task, but we think Team leaders are amazing. They organize, promote, and inspire the Etsy Teams and the creative projects that Teams accomplish, in addition to running their shops (and balancing the rest of their busy lives!). Thank you, thank you, Etsy Teams Superstars, for your dedication, enthusiasm and perseverance!

A giant thank you, also, to all members of the Etsy Teams. With almost twenty thousand (and counting!) Etsy buyers and sellers taking the time to promote Etsy and your shops, you're an important, giant part of getting the word out about Etsy as a marketplace. We love to see you network, meet up locally, make connections virtually all around the world and come together as a strong facet of the Etsy community.

As the holiday shopping season has everyone super busy this time of year, take a moment to let your Teammates and Team leaders know how much you appreciate all their hard work. To show your thanks and support for the Etsy Teams, search "team" to find hundreds of thousands of items made by Etsy Team members.

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

What Are You Thankful For in 2008?

2008-11-27T11:39:00-05:00

We are thankful for the over 30,000 people who have pledged to Buy Handmade. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our community — to all those members who tell their friends and family about the importance of supporting indie artists and spreading the Etsy love. We're thankful there's an alternative to shopping at big box stores.

In the past 14 months of this blog's existence, close to 600 people have authored posts — we salute you! We want to give a shout-out to all the folks who post comments here and give us editors feedback — especially dogties!

We want to thank all the talented artists and crafters and the style mavens with great taste (you know who you are and you know we're watching your favorites). Thank you for being so amazing and providing us with an endless supply of beauty, creativity, and playfulness — we'll never run out of stories to share.

Please comment below and let us know what you're thankful for this year!

Starlet of Customer Appreciation: beeczarcardsandgifts

2008-07-28T15:30:00-05:00

As a shopper on Etsy, Mari-Claire aka beeczarcardsandgifts has become well known for her dedication to the "Customer Appreciation" photo — that photo a buyer can upload to accompany feedback on a purchase. In honor of an enhancement we're making to the feature, we invited her to share her thoughts on some of her Customer Appreciation photos. We know she had a tough time picking which of her favorite shops to highlight — she is a loyal return customer to many!

I truly feel that Customer Appreciation is the best way to support and encourage fellow artists. It physically shows just how valuable and important the work is to the customer who now owns it. It's more than just a positive feedback or a thank you, but a visual acknowledgment to the seller of just how much the work means to the buyers themselves. It's a morale booster for everyone involved. Also, showing that work in the feedback column may encourage future buyers to look further at a shop they have recently come across. They will be impressed that someone took the time to take a picture of the item as an extra thank you.

More than anyone else from whom I have been fortunate enough to buy, none compares to DownToTheWireDesigns and the number of purchases I've made from his shop. There is an excellent reason for this, too. His work is exceptional. Each piece is a real treasure: well crafted and well designed. So right from my earliest purchases, I was compelled to post Customer Appreciation pictures to display the beauty of that work. I try to capture the essence of each piece and its intricacies.

I sometimes use natural lighting in my pictures to best highlight the items I'm wearing. Perhaps the most dramatic of these is this photo, which also suits the grand nature of the necklace itself.

Another seller I've shopped with several times is SarahsSky. Her shop has a unique style of stained glass jewelry that I'm personally drawn to and truly admire for its exciting designs and colors as well as its craftsmanship.
This particular piece grabbed my eye and I was thrilled to get it along with a lovely special heart pendant during one of her sales — an extra bonus I was only too happy to also display in my photo for her feedback.

As for the photo itself, I decided to have a bit of fun and be more playful, using bright colors and designs to collage the images together and match the joy of the pieces themselves.

Extra tip: beeczarcardsandgifts suggests that customers experiment with Photoshop (or Gimp — a free online photo application) to get creative with their Customer Appreciation photos.

Another seller from whom I've bought several items is Experimetal. In this case, it was for an excellent cause — protesting the harp seal cull (read more about Experimetal's work for this cause here). This is a cause that many people, including myself, feel strongly about. This photo was an opportunity to shine a light on a serious cause as well as the piece itself, both of which I was thrilled to take part in displaying and sharing.

I was initially motivated to take Customer Appreciation pictures because I wanted to thank sellers I had come to know on a more personal and friendly level through the Etsy Forums, chat rooms and convos; people that had taken the time to be helpful, thoughtful and genuinely kind to me. The Etsy community has always been very special in that way. It's a community that supports its fellow artisans and their work.

As soon as I began to take photos for those items, I felt I wanted to honor each and every seller I shopped with. Thus began a long tradition of Customer Appreciation pictures dating back to January of 2007. Another really big motivating factor was my involvement with the online photo sharing site Flickr. In fact, my very first Customer Appreciation picture was also part one of my self portraits for an ongoing Etsy Forum weekly tradition called Self Portrait Thursday (read more about this Community Project here). This tradition now dates back to November of 2007, and I've been with this Flickr group since its inception. Also, I started a project on Flickr with a few other Etsy sellers called 365 Days. The idea behind it being to post a self-portrait each day of the year. This gave me an excellent opportunity to show off all the items I've bought on Etsy and use those photos for my Customer Appreciation pictures. That way, they served a dual purpose and gave extra exposure to the items, sellers and to Etsy as well.

Many of the the sellers have asked me if they could use the photos in their own promotions in their shops and on their personal blogs and websites. That has made it even more personally rewarding. I feel I've helped fellow artists get their work seen by a larger audience that might not have seen it before. That alone is worth it to me.

Want to learn more about photography? Check out our how-tos, as well as this profile on Self Portrait Thursday!

Handmade Weddings: Thank You!

2008-04-11T17:13:00-05:00

Here's a big thanks to all the bloggers and Etsians that contributed to the Handmade Wedding Series! If you can believe it, there are many topics we didn't have time to cover this go-around, but we'll just have to save them for the next wedding series.

So have fun on your honeymoon and don't forget to write your thank you notes to your friends and families!

Handmade Weddings: Almost there...Crucial Last Minute Details!

2008-04-11T01:19:00-05:00

As we wrap up the Handmade Wedding Series, littlethings1 reminds us about some of those little details that will make your whole wedding come together!

The date is nearing, the chapel is booked, caterer is set, and the bridal party has been chosen. Hopefully you've stuck to your budget.

Many brides are now looking for a personal touch to add to their wedding celebrations by having custom and handmade details, as a way to show your own personal touch. Perhaps you've been DIYing some decorations, but trust me, you don’t want to be hot-gluing things the day before the wedding! The most important thing you can do is to have everything completed for your wedding day several weeks in advance, and to plan everything so your wedding day is stress free from last minute details! If you're running out of time and want to get some handmade items, do a search on Etsy.com for one of a kind handcrafted decorations to purchase for a one of a kind statement. A few custom ideas are:

engraved or hand painted votive holders:

cjoglasswareandgifts

flower-girl baskets:
BrassPaperclip adapts vintage doilies into baskets:

Or have her carry a pomander by EverythingButTheRing!

Here's a classic one from foreveryoursflowers:

ring bearer pillows:
EasterYu's dear ones with birdies

Sophisticated silk one by ShopBub

Another fresh option from tinarie21

cake toppers:

custom ones by tikiarnold

Whimsical topper by simplysweetbydawn

melabo's artistic squirrel and groom topper

Don't forget the pesky "something blue":

earrings by JenniferRydinDesigns

GarterLady

Having personalized bridal party gifts can show your bridesmaids and groomsmen that their support is truly appreciated. A few of the most common gifts include personalized watches, jewelry, flasks, and money clips. Some more original ideas include such things as one of a kind gifts suited for the individual; you can use Alchemy for custom orders. Here's an article with some tips for groomsmen gifts, and also this post about bridesmaid gifts.

Last, but not least, don’t neglect one of the most important items: thank you cards. A sweet note with a hand written appreciation of the gift received.

by dutchdoor

by woodenapples

Have a fabulous wedding day!!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

March Numbers: No Foolin'

2008-04-02T14:40:00-05:00

As tempted as I was to post this yesterday and throw some April Fool’s numbers into this article, March’s numbers were just too good to mess with. You better believe it!

All of the numbers below are the highest Etsy has ever achieved, even more than this past December 2007!

We sold a hair over 400,000 items representing $5.6 million. There were just over 700,000 new items listed.

We added over 66,000 new registered buyers to the site and they contributed to the incredible number of page views in March: 285 million.

Wow, what a month — no foolin’!

Thanks to everyone for such a great month! You can also look at the February Stats and read more statistics-related articles by searching the Storque for the tag "statistics."

Handmade Correspondence in the Twenty-First Century

2008-01-09T17:51:00-05:00

My grandmother’s refrigerator was always covered with handmade cards we kids had sent to her as thank you messages for presents. She and my mother taught us the value of handmade things – and how to return the favor by sending a hand-written thank you note in return.

In today’s world, sometimes buying a card, locating a pen that still writes, jotting a note, finding a stamp and getting to a mail box can seem like a lot of work, especially when a couple of clicks will send your thoughts and feelings around the globe in seconds. Who can even keep track of postal rates, after all?

Bicycle Card Set by vanessakimball

Snail mail greetings on one-of-a-kind handmade cards have gone the way of the dodo, haven’t they? Not quite.

There’s a community of artists and crafters who are using the internet to both acquire unique correspondence materials - like handmade greeting cards - and to find friends with whom to exchange them. Upon receipt, members post photos of their handmade greetings to share the cards with others.

Cool Blue Leaves Personalized Stationery Set by crescentmoonpaper

But you don’t have to send something around the world to honor the dying art of hand-written correspondence. Perhaps you could write out your New Year's greetings on some handmade cards available from the EtsyGreetings Street Team. (Or anywhere else on Etsy!)

Personalized Stationery Set of 8 by InvitaPaperStudio

Further Resources:
History of Mail Art
Flickr.com/groups/LetterLovers
Nervousness.org
PostCrossing.com
EtsyGreetings.blogspot.com

Thank You Notes: Artful Expressions of Gratitude

2008-01-01T17:04:00-05:00

My husband and I live very far from our family and friends. For us, the winter holidays are a whirlwind of traveling and visiting, gifts and fun events.   Though I initially welcome the quieter space of our little home when we return, it is not long before I miss all the people with whom we were lucky enough to share the holiday.

I've learned this is the perfect time to begin writing thank you notes. For me, the purpose of this little note is not solely to acknowledge a gift or kindness, but also to let that person know he or she is still in my thoughts.   I find the process of choosing (or making) just the right card and thinking about what I want to write brings that person close for just a little while longer.

Not surprisingly, the same kinds of feelings that accompany sending a thank you note are also true on the receiving end.   When that hand-addressed envelope appears in my mailbox, I'm always pleased to find inside a reminder of the good time we shared.

I know that for many people the task of writing thank you notes is more chore than joy. This can be particularly true if your holidays are filled with many gifts and events, leading to a long list of thank you notes and some pressure to get them all done quickly.   Though etiquette may suggest you write and send these cards within a few days, I would like to encourage you to take your time.   The recipient will be as delighted to hear from you in three weeks as in three days. This is even more true if you are thoughtful about your choice of notecard and sentiment.

["Merci" card by moderncard]

Michelle from CicadaStudio was gracious enough to offer some tips on the art of writing the perfect thank you note:

First, grab yourself a fabulous EtsyGreetings thank you note and make sure your favorite pen has ink. Then, get a piece of scrap paper for an initial draft (you may not get another chance if your Etsy card is one of a kind!). Finally, get down to the business of writing!

Step 1

Salutation. This is easy! "Dear Aunt Sally"

Step 2

Thank the recipient of your note. Feel free to use adjectives to embellish! "Thanks so much for the lovely frame."

Step 3

Discuss its appropriateness and possible end use "I have so many pictures that I've wanted to display. Your timing couldn't be better."

Step 4

Try tying in the person somehow. Flattery will get you everywhere. "I've always loved the way you displayed your collection of family photos on your mantle."

Step 5

Say it again- it's okay, no one will think you're being redundant. "Thanks again!"

Step 6

Signature. "Your loving niece, _________"

That's all there is to it! Don't forget that thank you notes are not only for gifts, but for event hosts and favors given. You can even send one to someone for just being who they are.

[Thank you card by adorebynat]

Further Resources:
Members of the EtsyGreetings Team offer an incredible array of greeting cards, making it possible for you to send a thank you note that truly represents you. Our 350+ members are as diverse as they are creative. We feature letterpress, photography, watercolor, paper piecing, digital design and a host of other techniques for you and your recipients to savor. What we showcase below is just a glimpse of what is available to you here at Etsy!

The Team's blog can be found at http://etsygreetings.blogspot.com.

What are you thankful for this year?

2007-11-22T06:14:00-05:00

This Thanksgiving, we at Etsy are thankful for the warm spot that handmade craftiness puts in our hearts. Sales are up, the holidays are coming at us and the pie is plentiful. It's a good place to be!

Here are some of the things Etsy admin are thankful for this year:

"I am thankful for the Etsy Teams, who in many ways are the heart and soul of Etsy - spreading the Etsy love person to person, around the globe. I'm also thankful for my rad hubby, my brilliant best friend, my odd cat, and for my job which requires that I flip out over beautiful works of art all day long." - wonderamy

"This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for the visual smorgasbord of pretty stuff I get to look at all day and a job that actually makes me happy. Also, custard pie, my awesome family, my many pals, windy fall days, apple cider and squiggly puppies." - TeenAngster

"I am thankful for kitties and bicycles and feasts! And my friends and creativity and ponies and fun!" - Chillioniare

"I'm thankful for my dysfunctional family. (Especially my mother, who won't let me leave home without a new pair of underpants.) Thankfulness goes out to my little sister, who decided not to be vegetarian this year and my boyfriend, who makes crazy hoodies and lets me drool on his shoulder when I'm tired. I'm also thankful to be working at a place that gives me free hummus and the opportunity to rub elbows with thousands of creative people across the world."- saguirl

"I'm thankful that more and more people are getting hip to the fact there are better ways to live your life: supporting indie artists, recycling and conserving, expressing your uniqueness. I'm also thankful for my new niece!" - Vanessa

"I'm thankful for everyone working hard for Etsy (admin and the community). Cheesy, yes. But it's given me the opportunity to live in Brooklyn (which I'm in love with), and (ready for more cheese) meet a lot of new really amazing people. I'm thankful life is never predictable and you never know where you're going to find yourself a year from last." - daniellexo

What are you thankful for this year? Leave it in the comments!