Search results (tags) for: "trunk"

Shoe-lution: Shoe-horning a Storage Situation

2009-09-02T10:20:00-05:00

I have a lot of shoes. I don't even know how many pairs. I lost count. Rooting through the huge plastic storage bin every morning has become a frustrating part of my routine. It's hideous and inefficient.

Scouring Etsy for shoe-lutions, I was surprised I didn't find more handmade utilitarian items to fulfill my need — even in the Storage Solutions Guide. Let me know if you have something I missed! Any other ideas, friends? Post them in the comments.

I've been inspired by posts I've seen on design*sponge. (Okay, I've whipped myself into a froth of envy looking at design*sponge, but I'm ready to channel that energy in positive ways now.) Peggy Wong had the inspired idea to tidy up some vintage fruit crates with these gray canvas bins with pull handles.

Here's a nice one from 1959 from luckylittledot's shop. These are great for homes with that vintage feel — the typography is a nice touch. Find more vintage wooden crates on Etsy.

These felt storage baskets by TheFeltStore could come in handy. Here's a shorter crate option (perfect for those soda addicts) from TheFancyLamb.

Apartment Therapy posted an idea that calls out the shoe fetish with this expose-my-obsession-shoe-ladder.

This ladder by dustyhans would do be up for the job. Here are some display shelves should you choose to bare it all. I wonder if RiverCitySoaps, who makes these craft fair display shelves to order, could make some a bit wider?

These felt pouches soothe my design sense a bit more than the back of the door hanging organizers you see in big box stores. I found the felt pouches, designed by Henrybuilt, via Remodelista. Or you can make your own with this vintage pattern from Shellbeestreasures.

I could start a new collection of vintage shoe boxes. These ones from backstashandbygones and bellalulu would stack up nice and pretty against a wall.

Try searching for vintage hat boxes too. I think these from jessjamesjake and greatfindz could serve the same purpose.

This trunk by NatJGold would be convenient by the front door.

You could dress up this storage bench by AbleandBaker with a custom paint job or just go with the natural maple finish.

Someday I'll move out of my tiny apartment overflowing with shoes and have a house with a staircase, right? Gregory Han from Apartment Therapy has the right idea!

What do you think? Would any of these work? Where do you stow your booties? Post in the comments below!

Etsy Finds: 30+ Deals in 30 Minutes with Heart Handmade

2009-05-28T12:22:00-05:00

*Update: Shop Live was such a smashing success, we've created a Gift Guide to host all the items picked by Marichelle. You can browse the Shop Live Gift Guide right here.*

Marichelle from Heart Handmade here! I'm back with another installment of "Shop Live: 30 Minute Sale," with a brand new batch of artists. Just like last time, I'll be featuring thirty or so products specially priced just for this exciting 30 minute shopping event. So get your wallets ready... I'm warning you now, there will be lots of deals you can't refuse!!

Need a warm-up? Below you'll find some of the participating artists who are also having an ALL-DAY sale* (today only!) in celebration of Shop Live. Make sure to make your way over to the Virtual Labs today, Thursday, May 28th at 7 p.m. ET for the main event. See you there!

Heart,

Marichelle of Heart Handmade Blog

LOVE Pillow Cover

20% off and free shipping. By Nuka, $16.

View Item | View Shop

Mushroom shaped ceramic pottery bird house

20% off all items. By mudpuppy, $45.

View Item | View Shop

Forest Critters - Wall Stickers, removable decals

20% off store-wide. By lovemaestore, $57.50.

View Item | View Shop

red bird tea cup

20% off anything from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. ET. By littleflowerdesigns, $27.

View Item | View Shop

women's check mate slanted bow top (small, medium, large)

20% off all day! By lamixx, $56.

View Item | View Shop

May No.9

20% off everything and free shipping. By fernanimals, $48.

View Item | View Shop

gray square tiles handheld satchel

20% off DrikaB's special Shop Live Shop Section. By DrikaB, $99.

View Item | View Shop

Trophy Pin

All day promotion: 20% off all jewelry. By BROOKLYNrehab, $14.

View Item | View Shop

BLUE WHALE BOOK STICKERS, set of 6

20% off the entire shop (not including shipping). All buyers are automatically entered into giveaway to be determined at the end of the day. By boygirlparty, $4.50.

View Item | View Shop

Abeego.....Wrap

All items are also 20% off. By Abeego, $17.

View Item | View Shop

The Pull String Person

25% off anything in the shop (excluding wedding toppers). By thesmallobject, $30.

View Item | View Shop

*How do promo codes work? As you checkout, right after the step where you choose your shipping address, you'll see a Message to Seller field under each order. There, you can enter the promo code "SHOPLIVEpresale." Choose your payment method and click the "submit" button. Complete payment. Your seller will refund your discount shortly via PayPal.

Still have questions? Contact the seller (via convo) you would like to purchase from and they would be happy to help you!

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Trends | Gift Ideas

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Etsy Finds: Shop Local with the North American Trunk Show

2008-11-13T09:00:00-05:00

Today at 7pm EST the Etsy Teams are going to make craft and internet history! Talented Etsy Teams located in North America are getting together to show their wares to a live, online audience in Etsy's Virtual Labs. Here you'll be able to meet the maker, learn about the process and even see them live in their studios via webcams! This is going to be the handmade shopping event of the season, and it's not to be missed! I've picked some items from Teams involved in the show, which include the Baltimore Etsy Team, the Cleveland Team, Lincoln Handmade, the {NewNew} Team , EtsyRain and the TransCanada Team. To see more of their work make sure you come by the Virtual Labs!

Would You Love Me Ring

This adjustable ring is a great little gift for someone you love! More Baltimore gifts can be found in the Library at 7pm EST. By blockpartypress, $18.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

eco deal.. 4 stockings for the price of 3...you CHOOSE the style and colours CUSTOM rikrak ecospun felt stocking

Put the handmade stocking stuffers you pick up at the Trunk Shows in these handmade stockings! By rikrak, $54.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Googly-Eyed Polar Bear - Red

I hope this guy and his friends from the Seattle Team will be by the Lounge in the Virtual Labs on Thursday at 9pm EST! By hasenpfeffer, $54.25.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Handwoven Felted Wool Rug

Find more lovely Canadian crafts at the TransCanada show starting at 10pm EST. By fiveforty, $75.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

M - Red Racer back Silkscreened Dress

Love this dress and photo showing the streets of Brooklyn! See more New York and New Jersey work at the 7pm show in the Treehouse! By kimmchi, $40.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Scarlet Flower Ring

Would fit nicely into a rikrak stocking, no? By Shutterkate (a NewNew Team member!), $12.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

break (earrings)

Love the mod silver and bead work in these earrings! See more Cleveland made goods at 7pm EST in the Lounge. By smashing, $38.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Chocolate Covered Cherry .. Amigurumi Wool Stuffie Toy

Too cute for your youngsters! Lincoln, Nebraska will represent at 8pm EST in the Teams room! By chimeracrochet, $14.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Black Cherry Dress Tunic - Velvety Fine Wale Corduroy - Short Puff or 3/4 Bell Sleeve - Ready to Ship 18m 2T - Custom 3 4 5 6

Follow up a crocheted chocolate cherry by chimeracrochet with a sweet cherry dress! Don't miss the Cleveland sellers in the Lounge at 7pm EST. By breadandroses, $34.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Looking for more International Finds? Try these Etsy links:

Shop Local | Geolocator | List of Etsy Street Teams | Storque Shop Local Posts

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Skull Guy Noah Scalin Embraces Death Daily

2008-10-15T17:51:00-05:00

Author and Skull-A-Day maker Noah Scalin shares his Etsy picks for spooky and sweet skulls. Join him this Friday, October 17 at 11am (EDT) for a Skull-A-Thon in the Treehouse of the Virtual Labs. Get ready to share your skull-themed favorites and Noah will do the same. Together we'll created a Treasury with our favorites! Without further ado...

I guess there are worse things to have shouted at you than, “It’s the Skull Guy!”…which is exactly what happened the first time I set foot in the Etsy Labs!

At that point I had made just over 100 of the 365 skulls in my Skull-A-Day project and had
no idea where it was heading. Since then, the project has lead to a Featured Video on YouTube (made by Etsy no less!), my very own book (called SKULLS of course), and even a visit to The Martha Stewart show, not to mention the thousands of fans across the globe, who shared their own work and enthusiasm for the project with me.

It all started with just a small orange cut paper skull I put online, saying “I’m making a skull a day for a year.” It’s a good thing I loved skulls before I started the project, since I ended up spending anywhere from 2 to 10 hours every day for that year, thinking about, researching, making, and photographing them! And it seems I’m not done with skulls yet, as I'm curating a second year of Skull-A-Day with hundreds of skull submissions by artists young and old who continue to be inspired by the project. At this point, I guess I’ve earned the title of “Skull Guy” and considering all that the skulls have done for me, I won’t even mind if you shout it at me.

Check out Noah's last visit to the Etsy Labs...

Subscribe to our iTunes Podcast!

The related items below represent some of Noah's skull-scouting on Etsy. Find your own new favorites with a few of these searches: "Skull Jewelry", "Skull Art", & "Dia De Los Muertos."

Create your own cross-stitched skull with Noah's original pattern or send a skull greeting for Halloween or anytime with Noah's free skull e-cards.

Virtual Labs Schedule: October 6th - October 10th, 2008

2008-10-06T10:04:00-05:00

The Virtual Labs are Etsy's interactive classrooms, a place to hang out, throw paper airplanes and share skills. Keep an eye out for some specific Virtual Labs events this month to help sellers and shoppers get prepared for the Holidays.

Want to host your own workshop or meeting in the Virtual Labs? Fill out an application here!

The following schedule covers October 6th to October 10th, 2008 (all Eastern Daylight Time). The schedule posted in the Virtual Labs is magically in *your* time. If you are confused, just click here to see what's coming up in your real time.

Monday

Newbie Chat with Danielle and Julie — 3pm in the Treehouse. Newbies! Get your questions answered here! Julie and Danielle can help get your shop started on the right foot.

Craft Night! — 5pm in the Treehouse. Fall is in the air! This week we'll be making pumpkin pincushions. We will demonstrate how to hand sew and embellish these lovely little creations. These pincushions make wonderful gifts and decorations for the fall. This project is open to people with all levels of sewing experience.

Tuesday

Show and Tell for Sellers — 7pm in the Lounge. Come share what you are working on! Everyone will get their own time to talk about a project they are working on and get feedback. Come with links to pictures of your work in progress, or if you have a webcam, you can show us live!

Newbie Chat with Danielle and Julie — 4:15pm in the Treehouse. Newbies! Get your questions answered here! Julie and Danielle can help get your shop started on the right foot

Wednesday

Show and Tell for Buyers: Halloween Party Items — 4pm in the Lounge. Hello Shoppers! Throwing a Halloween party? Come see what fun Halloween items Etsy has to offer! Together we'll make a Treasury!

On-The-Fly Critiques with the EtsyLabs ladies — 5pm in the Treehouse. Pop in for a mini-critique with some experienced sellers and Etsy admin.

Thursday

Weekly Teams Meeting with Sara and Danielle — 12pm in the Teams Room.

Office Hours: Vanessa, Alison, Tara and Bre (Storque Admin) — 1pm in the Storque Room.

How-To For the Holidays — 4pm in the Treehouse. Every week we'll be hosting a How-To for sellers to help you get ready for the holiday shopping season. This weeks topic: Shipping and Packaging for the Holidays.

Office Hours: Mary (Etsy Community Advocate) — 7pm in the Lounge.

Bead Art Originals Trunk Show - 7pm in the Treehouse. Hello, Shoppers! Come join the Bead Art Originals Street Team as we show off our unique, original jewelry and bead designs. Artists include beadweavers, lampworkers, polymer clay artists, and more; and several of the participants are offering special promotions for the Trunk Show.

Friday

On-The-Fly Critiques with the EtsyLabs ladies — 3pm in the Treehouse. Pop in for a mini-critique with some experienced sellers and Etsy admin.

Learn more about the Virtual Labs here! Apply to hold your own meetings or online workshops in the Virtual Labs here! Or send me a convo. You can also check out the Events Calendar in the Storque!

And now—a few of my favorite Halloween Party items on Etsy! Enjoy!

Etsy Teams Digest: In Person, Online and New Teams!

2008-02-22T16:55:00-05:00

There's so much great goodness happening among the Etsy Teams right now. Here's a sampling of what's happening around the world with the global and local teams.

For in-person events, several local teams have put together shows. Get out and meet up with others who share a love of handmade!

For those in New York, there's the Brooklyn Home Show. Saturday, March 8, 10 am - 5 pm, 4th Avenue & 11st Street, Brooklyn. Enjoy food, folks, music, and a great day of shopping with an array of Etsy sellers. Delicious scented bath & body products, funky silk-screened t-shirts, elegant stationery, stunning earrings & necklaces, intricately crocheted hats, adorable animal posters, hip apron bags, cute collage cards, photography and more!
The Kansas City Etsy Team has been very busy with monthly trunk shows! Their next trunk show is scheduled for March 7, and the theme is "Go Green!". The image below is some KCEtsyans at their February show.

Are you in a corner of the world where there doesn't seem to be many local Etsy events happening? Never fear! Everyone can participate in these world-wide, virtual team events!

It's Pre-Spring Cleaning time for the Trans-Canada Etsy Team! A team-wide SALE will be held from February 18th to February 24th inclusively! Each seller has their own offers - be sure to check out the Shop Announcements to view all the goodies! Visit the Trans-Canada team's blog to see all the participating shops. The sale ends SUNDAY 24th, so hurry up to enjoy this special event
CGGE (The Creative Glass Guild), etsyBEAD, and HOST (Helping Others Street Team) took the call for cross team-promotion to heart. These three great teams are joining forces in a creative collaboration challenge for charity. We're calling it "Creative Minds for Charity". Here's how it's going to work: CGGE makes gorgeous glass pieces for the etsyBEAD Street Team to create beautiful pieces of finished jewelry with. Then, we're donating it all to HOST to sell and help fellow Etsyians in need. Look for more information here on this event when pieces are released for community opinions in April!
The BookBinding Team is doing their first charitable event. BEST members have donated books, and for the next nine weeks, all the profits will go to aid our charity of choice, H.E.L.P. International. H.E.L.P. is a registered charity dedicated to providing health care and education for children throughout the world who are orphaned, destitute or disabled. Check the Etsy Books blog for more information.
The PlushTeam created a beautiful handmade, plush banner, spelling out "Etsy Plush Street Team" in unique plush characters, each handmade by a different members. They showered this lavish gift upon the Etsy Labs, and the package was met with many squeals of delight from all the admin who saw it. Thanks, PlushTeam, for collaborating on such a beautiful project!
You can check out the Polymer Clay Artists' monthly challenge results in their Flick pool!
EcoEtsy is holding a Saint Patrick's day scavenger hunt on March 16! You can read more details and check out the participating shops on their fantastic blog! You'll be searching for the image below in their shops!

We'd like to extent a warm, handmade welcome to some new Etsy Teams that have formed! The Teams program is growing faster than ever, and here are some new teams that have caught our eye!

The Baltimore-Etsy Team has been working really hard and growing really fast, promoting Etsy in Charm City! You can check out their blog here!
EtsyFriends was formed by several Etsy sellers who've formed a strong bond and friendship in a short time on the site. These wonderful sellers spend their time selflessly promoting one another and providing an friendly ear when someone needs a friend to listen. What a great spirit of community among this team!

Interested in joining an Etsy Team? You can also visit this page for information on how to start an Etsy Team! And, of course, there's always the link to sign up for the Etsy Teams email list.

Plush You: The Trunk Show (and Book Signing!) You Won't Want to Miss!

2007-12-05T07:15:00-05:00

This Sunday, December 9th, the Etsy Labs is excited to bring you Kristen Rask: artist, crafter and store/gallery owner. Her resume also includes the super cute book Plush You: Lovable Misfit Toys To Sew and Stuff. Released in October of 2007, Plush You features the works of 90 plush artists from around the world, and includes step-by-step instructions for making 15 unique projects of your own!

Kristen will be at the Etsy Labs for an official book signing and plush trunk show, displaying the work of several of the Etsy artists that are featured in Plush You. Come meet Kristen in person and get your own copy of Plush You signed by the author, and peruse a full line of plushies just waiting to be picked up in your holiday shopping frenzy!

Please join us from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Etsy Labs (325 Gold Street, 6th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11211) for an unforgettable plush affair!

You can find everything you ever wanted to know about Plush You by checking out all of Kristen's sites:

Website - Schmancy
Blog - Plush You
Flickr - Plush You

Are you featured in this book? We'd love to know who you are and give you credit! Let us know in the comments below!

Find Your Local Holiday Craft Fair!

2007-11-28T12:50:00-05:00

Shopping on Etsy is such a satisfying antidote to trudging through the crowds at the big box stores and shopping malls, isn't it? There's only one thing that compares: and that's seeing the handmade goodies in person, and meeting their makers!

Etsy Labs will be sponsoring the Bust Craftacular here in Brooklyn. See our post about it here.

There are an overwhelming amount of opportunities to browse handmade goods in so-called "real life" this holiday season — far too many to mention here. So, we're getting you started with a few web sites which catalog craft fairs and other off-line places to workship the Handmade.

AND, we are asking YOU to comment on this article, announcing a craft fair or handmade event that you know of (or are participating in), with all pertinent details. Spread the word about buying handmade this holiday season!

Useful Websites with Lists of Craft Fairs

indiecraftshows.com - This is an incredibly comprehensive listing of upcoming events.
indiecraftfairguide - Another fantastic list, this one with logos (so many incredible designers in the handmade movement!)
fairsandfestivals.net - This site has a paid membership service for more serious resources, but there is a free events calender which is inclusive even of the smallest shows. Click on the map to get started.
mymy.us/store/events/ - Indie Craft Fair Guide by Etsian mymy.

Here are a just a few craft shows we have marked in on our calendars:

December 1
No Coast Craft-O-Rama - Minneapolis, MN
Urban Craft Uprising - Seattle, WA
Charm City Holiday Heap - Baltimore, MD

December 2
Urban Craft Uprising - Seattle, WA
Rock Your Stocking -Nashville, TN

December 8
Art vs. Craft - Milwaukee, WI
Handmade Market - Chicago, IL
Holiday Craft Extravaganza- Detroit, MI
Bust Craftacular- New York, NY

December 9
Squidfire - Baltimore, MD
Bizarre Bazaar - Boston, MA
Atomic Holiday Bazaar - Sarasota, FL
Rebel Rabbit - Portland, OR

December 15
Craft Mutiny - Washington, DC
Bazaar Bizarre - San Francisco, CA

December 16
Rebel Rabbit - Portland, OR
Crafty Wonderland - Portland, OR

December 22
PDX Etsy Holiday|Solstice Fair - Portland, OR

Hey, did you notice something? Most of the fairs listed here are in the United States! Please use the comments below to also add online catalogs of craft fairs around the world (we'll keep looking too).

EtsyFAST "Find the Flyer" Contest: Win Tons of Fiber Goodness!

2007-11-15T23:56:00-05:00

UPDATE: You can join the EtsyFAST team and the Labs event via the Virtual Labs' Treehouse this evening at 6pm Eastern. Lazycat will be hosting online.

In honor of the EtsyFAST team joining us this Friday for their fiber-filled trunk show at the Labs, they have come up with an awesome contest for the entire community to participate in to help gear up for the show! Find out all the details below:

EtsyFAST is excited about going to Brooklyn. In fact, some of our members are so excited they've posted our flyer in their shop listings! Some people say this would make us "crazy." We prefer the term deliriously happy. But we love to share the wealth of fiber goodness with the Etsy community at large: so in order to spread as much fiber-y goodness and love, we developed a little contest. (With prizes at the end!)

How to Play:

1.) Search through listings (Yes, even the sold listings.) in the following shops for the above flyer from Nov 12 – Nov 15:

2.) Write down all the sellers with a flyer in their listing. (Not every store has the flyer!)

3.) Email: Mary@etsy.com with your submission and be sure to write "EtsyFAST contest entry" in the subject line

4.) Join us Nov 16th during the online trunk show from 6pm-8pm in the Virtual Labs when we announce the winners!

What's up for grabs (The important part!):

1. Knitting Bag from ValuTree

2. Scarf from SweetyPrize

3. Spinning Kit from FroggyFibers

4. Goody Bag – collection of Various Sellers

5. Citrus scented soap in a felt coat from glorioushats

Winners will be drawn from all participants who identified which 15 sellers have the Trunk Show Flyer in a store listing. Prizes will be drawn at random and shipped to the winner by the seller who donated.

In the NYC area? Please come to the Labs anytime from 6pm-8pm this Friday, November the 16th, for a fun filled fiber arts evening. There will be plenty of spirits and goodies to snack on while you peruse and mingle!

See you there,

Etsy Labs

DIY Trunk Show, Chicago!

2007-11-14T09:52:00-05:00

This Saturday in the windy city, head over to Pulaski Park to get a jump on your holiday shopping at the fourth annual DIY Trunk Show. Cinnamon Cooper and the Chicago Craft Mafia have assembled a stellar lineup with 96 of the finest indiecraft vendors the Midwest has to offer. This year's theme boasts, they're "taking craft to school" – and judging by the vendor list, we believe it.

This year's show will also feature a raffle to benefit Handmade Nation, a documentary by Faythe Levine about the indiecraft movement. Raffle tickets are just $1 each (or 6 for $5), and you get a chance to win some fabulous items donated by vendors at the event.

Here are the details:

When:
Saturday, November 17, 2007
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Where:
Pulaski Park Auditorium
1419 W. Blackhawk
Chicago, IL 60622

How much:
Admission is free!

Check out www.diytrunkshow.com for more information!

November Storque Newscast

2007-11-04T16:21:00-05:00

It's time for another jam-packed newscast from the crew at Etsy Labs. This time we've got another weather report from Chaz aka winenutnyc, interviews with our visiting street teams from Texas and Portland, and lively performances from our artists-in-residence Majestica. HeyMichelle is our newscaster; her wardrobe courtesy of handmadecrafter, tubularist, MrsTsChains (store coming soon), leakarts, and featherwitch. Vanessa interviews Rokali with a special ironing-board chat: we look into the updates to the Showcases.

See all newscasts.

Etsy Teams Spotlight: PDX Etsy, in time for their Trunk Show!

2007-10-26T06:30:00-05:00

UPDATE: PDX Team is also holding a Online Game gift promotion for their Friday, October 26 trunk show at the Etsy Labs. And while we got her here, we urged Littlepubooks to chat in the Virtual Labs about Marketing your Etsy Shop. Here are the details on that October 27th Saturday afternoon How-to.

The Etsy Labs are overrun with Etsy peeps from the Northwest this week, as super-collective Majestica teaches us a thing or two, and the PDX Etsy Team wows us with a trunk show on Friday from 6-8pm. The Portland Team is a really active team, with lots of upcoming events, and they meet regularly for their famous Tea Time. What I think is the neatest part of the Portland Team is that they don't have one leader, but rather they collaboratively run their team as a group. So, in true PDX style, this interview catches up with a few of their most active members.

What's most rewarding about being on an Etsy team for you?
Danielle says: The cookies! You can't go to any team event without cookies. Meeting up with team members at tea time is lovely. There is no other part of my life that lets me talk about Etsy and craftyness for three plus hours. My partner, family, and co-workers can only handle about four minutes of Etsy talk before their eyes glaze over.
Caitlyn says: the best part of being on a street team is, of course, the community building: the camaraderie, mostly, and also the networking with regards to shows and resources. If someone posts 'where can i get a ____', there will be at least a dozen responses....how cool is that?!
Judi says: Definitely the camaraderie. I consider the street team my co-workers and friends. Because I work at home alone, it's great to have people I can run ideas or new items by, and to get inspiration and encouragement from. And don't forget weekly tea time!
Alissa says: I have met some of the most amazing artists and great new friends through the street team. I have loved watching this street team grow. Just last year we were showing in the pizza place with maybe 40 vendors. Now we are holding shows in much larger venues with twice the number of vendors.

What are the team's general goals, and what do you consider success for the team?
The goal of this street team is to increase traffic to team members' shops and increase our sales in general. Successful group shows, online promotions, field trips, skill shares, classes, tea time and picnics - it's all a success! The more networking we do, the more our individual shops grow and evolve.

How do you all delegate work among the team?
It is a volunteer based system. There are To-Do lists available on the PDXEtsy bulletin board and a "Writeboard" where people list their skills and resources. With the current anarchy, if someone wants to make something happen - they do!

In what ways does your team communicate? Do you communicate daily, weekly, etc.?
An online bulletin board that sends emails to the membership - any team member can communicate with the entire group. When one team member knows of a local opportunity they post this information on the bulletin board and then we all know!
There is also a local weekly tea time, which has served as a wonderful way for people to meet face to face in a casual environment... its fun for us to regularly get together, its also proved useful for artists who are thinking of joining Etsy and show up to Tea time to ask questions and get some help signing up. For me (LeahPellegrini) Tea Time is a great excuse to stop working, see some friends and chit chat about Etsy for a couple of hours. I love it!

How do you balance being part of a large, active team and running successful Etsy shops?
As far as balance - networking is a key part of any business - and so this Team can be a great resource for any local seller. Because there is no leader per say, there is not one person who is burdened with the time consumption and responsibility of running the show. We all pitch in somehow. To tell the story of why we have no leader... I tried to do some research - and from what I can tell: PDXEtsy began when the TEAM part of Etsy was first launched... there were enough sellers in Portland to justify a Team and then some artists signed up. There was a successful holiday show back then too, at a Pizza Parlor (it was PACKED and successful!) and then Tea Time started a few months later, a PDXEtsier started hosting http://www.PDXEtsy.com and another member started the online bulletin board - and its all snowballed from there. Now we have a huge membership and there is always something exciting going on. Elections have been proposed numerous times, and while each leadership discussion proves fruitful, the anarchy still remains. It's a great group!

How excited is the Portland Team for the Trunk Show?
Extremely! It's going to be an amazing show!
Fran says: PDX team is so excited that they almost bouncing up and down. I am excited because they are taking my wares with them, even though I am not going. They are a great group of new friends.
Kristin says: My heart is beating out of my chest for New York. I am kind of a wreck but in a good way. My costume is almost complete, I am working so hard I have lost the feeling in my left hand for a week now! Awesome!
Adrienne says: I am thrilled to be able to attend the trunk show. It's a big deal for a homebody like me and I'm expecting to be blown away!

Which sellers will be coming up to Brooklyn for the show?
LeahPellegrini, LittlePutBooks, PrettyThingsJewelry, Leakarts, MissPurl, mmmFiber, DaisyChains, and Urbana. And then Zeldaloo, EyePopArt, CurlyGirlGlass, NewroticGirl, Tadahpdx, and FranWolff are sending their work along with us!

Any other thoughts on teams and Etsy?
Leah says: I would personally suggest to any localized team to have a Tea Time. It's awesome.

Portland Team Shopping Party at Etsy Labs: Friday, 10/26

2007-10-10T14:14:00-05:00

Attention! The Etsy Portland team is coming to Brooklyn for a two-day selling extravaganza! The festivities start Friday night, with a trunk show from 6-8PM, October 26th. There will be free wine, and plenty of awesome handmade goods to buy and browse!

Here's who will be representin':

LittlePutBooks, DaisyChains, Mmmfiber, LeahPellegrini, urbana, prettythingsjewelry, leakarts, MissPurl.

If you would like to come, please rsvp@etsy.com.

The party is at:

Etsy Labs: 325 Gold Street, 6th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Here's a map. See you then!

Etsy Teams Spotlight: Etsy Texas Crafters

2007-09-28T07:12:00-05:00

The Etsy Texas Crafters Team is taking Brooklyn by storm this weekend, and they're kicking things off with a trunk show at the Etsy Labs on Friday evening. I had a chance to ask their fearless leader, Milly of Thistlecraft, and their Trunk Show coordinator, Danielle of FabFrills, some questions about running such a large location-based Etsy Team. The Etsy Texas Crafters Team currently encompasses teams for the entire state of Texas. You can find out more about the team and their current projects at http://www.etsytx.org.

What's most rewarding about being on an Etsy team for you?

Danielle: Lots of things! I've enjoyed getting to know the other crafters in my area, and all around Texas. It is really a nice group of people we have on our team. I also appreciate how much Milly does in marketing the team and all of our activities. I'm not so good at the whole marketing thing — mostly it's related to the limited time I have after my full time job and my family. Participating in the team events has helped me with that aspect.

Milly: I have to agree with Danielle — there are many rewards from being on an Etsy team! I really enjoy getting to know our members, providing and receiving support — both professional and personal, and working together to get the word out about Etsy and especially the Etsy Texas Crafters Team members. We are quickly approaching 300 members. This may seem like a lot, but it is much more manageable (and tangible) than the 75,000+ sellers currently on Etsy.

What are the team's general goals, and what do you consider success for the team?

Danielle: Defer to Milly on this one!

Milly: Our goals are simple: To promote Etsy, the Etsy Texas Crafters Team, our fellow team members, and ourselves! What do I consider success for us? Having close to 20% of our team members send items for a Trunk Show in New York! Holding monthly sales/promotions events (ETC First Mondays) that continues to grow each month — in number of participants, number of sales, and in number of new shop hearts (nearly 1/4 of our members participated last month!), having new members continually requesting to be a part of our team, having members volunteer not only to participate in our various activities/events but to also take on leadership roles for them. It is true that not all of our members are "active" — but we have a very large core of members who are incredibly active and supportive of one another, and that is the best success of all!

How do you all delegate work among the team?

Danielle: I think when Milly needs our help, she asks for volunteers — that's how I ended up coordinating this show. I've taken that same approach with the work for the trunk show. I tell them what we need and ask who can do that. Most of the time, there is someone who jumps right in. There are also frequently suggestions from the team on what should be done, which is really nice! Working on this show has been a very collaborative effort from the team.

Milly: I do exactly what Danielle said, whenever there is a need, I simply ask for volunteers. And most of the time, I get them! Recently, I asked for volunteers for a project, and had to turn down folks because I received more than twice as many volunteers as I needed! And oftentimes, a member will contact me and simply ask, "How can I help?" And I work with them to find the "job" that best fits their time and interests. This really is a team effort!

In what ways does your team communicate? Do you communicate daily, weekly,etc.?

Danielle: Milly arranged for the team to have a website — she can give you details on who to give credit for that piece of work! Part of the site is a bulletin board. We've used that extensively in planning this show. I check it daily for new info and comments. Prior to the bulletin board, we had a yahoo email group.

Milly: We initially used Yahoo! Groups for team communications, as well as a team email distribution list (to which only I have access). However, this really wasn't meeting our needs, so one of our members (Robert aka goldenhour) contacted me about creating a website for us — http://www.etsytx.org. Our website includes a calendar of events, an articles section, a blog (we have several volunteer bloggers), and our bulletin boards (forums). I still send team announcements to our email distribution list, but most of the day-to-day communications goes takes place on our website's bulletin boards.

How do you balance running a successful Etsy shop and leading up a large team?

Danielle: Actually, I'm not so sure you can call my shop successful yet! I've been a neglectful shop keeper this last couple of months. I don't know how Milly does all that she does on a longer term basis! I think she really could answer that question better than me!

Milly: I have been our team leader and our team shop manager since March — I have not yet learned to successfully balance leading our team, managing our team shop, and creating for & managing my own shop. But I'm working on it! I will be looking to delegate more team stuff so that I can spend more time on my own crafting.

How excited is the Texas Team for the Trunk Show?

Danielle: Hmmm....not sure how to quantify that....but here goes... So excited about it that I probably bugged the heck out of Michelle with hundreds of questions and details! So excited about it, there are 50 shops participating! Getting all the details worked out and shipping items to be included in the show has been no small undertaking! So excited about it that we had a huge response of swag to put in the swag bags — I can't wait to see them in person. In the pictures that were taken by the person who collected all that stuff and put the bags together, they look amazing! So excited about it that I was up all night last night getting all the last minute stuff together to bring with me...on top of the boxes I shipped yesterday! So excited about it that several people have gone above and beyond to help with the planning and execution of the show. Overall, I'd say we're really excited about it :-)

Milly: Danielle's answer is perfect. I can't think of anything to add!

Which sellers will be coming up to Brooklyn for the show?

Danielle: There are 8 of us who are supposed to be there....
beckymae, carolinableu, fabfrills, katinkapinka, lucybluestudio, narchi, nutraj, scribbles

Any other thoughts on teams and Etsy?

Danielle: I love the idea of the teams, and feel very fortunate to be involved with such a great, supportive group of people (the ETC team). There are a couple of other teams that I'm interested in — just haven't had time to really look into them yet...much less participate! I'm also quite happy to be part of the creative community that Etsy has facilitated/created. It's nice to know there are lots of others out there like me :-) Can't wait to see the labs!!

Milly: I, too, love the idea of the teams! As I mentioned earlier, teams make the vastness of Etsy more manageable/tangible. While the original intent of the Etsy teams was to help promote and spread the word about Etsy, it has evolved into a wonderful system of promoting, marketing, supporting, and teaching/learning. It is, by far, my favorite aspect of Etsy! And I am thrilled and honored to be a part of such an amazing team! I am also just as thrilled and honored to be a part of Etsy! No, my shop is not one of the most successful ones out there. And I may never have an item featured on the home page or be selected as a featured seller. But that's okay! I get to have my very own online shop, and make my crafts available to the world — without having the headaches of running/managing the website! It is an amazing venue, and I have been able to get involved in some incredible projects and work with some of the most amazing people....things I would not have been able to do without Etsy.

If you'd like to attend the Etsy Texas Trunk show in Brooklyn, please email rsvp@etsy.com

The Etsy Labs are located at 325 Gold St. 6th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201
(A/C/F to Jay St. or B/M/Q/R to DeKalb) and the Trunk show will be held on Friday 6-8PM + Saturday 1-5PM.
Door prizes and free goodies galore!

See the Etsy Events post here.

Texas Team takes over the Labs

2007-09-27T12:06:00-05:00

The Etsy Texas Crafters are doing Brooklyn in a big way. They're hosting the Last Fridays Trunk Show at Etsy Labs, and then heading down to the Brooklyn Indie Market on Smith Street on Saturday afternoon to sell their handmade Texas wares.

Here's what you need to know:

Friday, September 28, 6-8PM, Etsy Labs

Stop by and browse handmade jewelry, bags, and clothes. Swag bags if ya get here early, and door prizes throughout the night. Free wine (and whatever random liquor we have in the freezer if/when we run out of wine) will be served. Very good!

See you then, here: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold St, Brooklyn 6th Floor, 11201. Take the A/C/F to Jay St., B/M/Q/R to DeKalb.

If you're far away, and just want to watch the festivities and chat about it, check out the workshop, Etsy's interactive chat room.

Saturday, September 29, 11AM-7PM

The Brooklyn Indie Market is on Smith Street in Brooklyn, the awesomest shopping mecca in all of NYC (if you like indie boutiques and good places to eat when the shopping is through, like I do!).

It's at Smith St. at Union St., Brooklyn, 11231. F or G to Carroll St.

See y'all soon!

This is an update of this posting.

Texas Does New York

2007-09-18T13:19:00-05:00

The Texas street team is coming out this month to sell their wares and teach us how to square dance! (Even though its more than probable that none of them actually know how to square dance. But we here at the Labs are intent on square dancing this month!)

If you're in the neighborhood come on by EtsyLabs (325 Gold St., Brooklyn, NY) for some fresh Texas goods! Friday Sept. 28 from 6pm-8pm and Saturday Sept. 29 from 1pm-9pm. The Texas Street Team is giving away door prizes and representing over 40 Etsy sellers from Texas!

Sellers you already know and love like:

katinkapinka.etsy.com narchi.etsy.com muttsywonder.etsy.com

We know a lot of you can't make it but might like to join in our excitement so we're holding a little giveaway. Check out the forum post to see how you can win a big bag of Etsy ~~junk~~ merch!

Trunk full o' Trashion

2007-09-02T20:00:00-05:00

Trashion = Trash + Fashion

The Trashion Street team recently descended upon the Etsy Labs and made us feel guilty for not recycling everything in the world. Their trunk show drew in people from all over who appreciate their guile and creativity.

Check out some of the the designers who spring into action when they see something headed for the garbage can. Here's the flickr set for Last Friday Trunk Shows and a video by Shannon:

Last Fridays Trunk Show: Etsy Green and Clean Guild

2007-08-28T13:26:00-05:00

Next up the the Etsy Labs’ Last Fridays art party/trunk show series:

The Etsy Green and Clean Guild makes soaps, bath and body products, makeup, and scents. On Friday, August 31 from 6-8PM, EGCG will be hosting a trunk show shopping party at the Labs. We’ll be browsing the wares for sale, listening to 80’s music, enjoying blender drinks, and playing with samples of these fabulous products.

Click on any of these links for a sneak preview:

Coffin Color
Magickal Realism
Martinsville Emporium
Soap
Xiane

The event happens at Etsy Labs, 325 Gold St., 6th Floor. Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please rsvp@etsy.com…see you soon!

Originally posted on the Etsy Garden blog.

Last Fridays Trunk Show: TRASHION

2007-07-19T20:00:00-05:00

So guys, it's time once again for the Last Fridays trunk show. Up this month: TRASHION.

What is Trashion? Well, as you might guess, it's fashion, accessories, art, and crafts made from trash and upcycled and recycled materials. You can check out the philosophy and some of the work of these artists here:

EtsyTrashion.etsy.com

What will be going on? Well, well, at the Trashion show, you can:

*shop more than a dozen etsy shop's designs, art, clothes, paper goods, accessories and housewares

*pick up some free samples (if you arrive early enough)

*learn more about trashion

*learn how to make some paper beads - and create some to take home for free

*take away some more trashion supplies for inspiration

*participate in our online chat

*eat some tasty treats, talk with the sellers and schmooze

*support indie designers with an eco-focus to their handmade good

What are Last Fridays Trunk Shows? Glad you asked! We invite a different street team each month to visit the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. We have a get-together with music, drinks, fun people to meet and talk to, and awesome goods to browse and buy- basically a great way to start your Friday night.

Please rsvp@etsy.com if you wanna come. See ya soon!

****************************************
When: Friday, July 27 from 6-8PM
Where: Etsy Labs: 325 Gold St., 6th Floor
How: directions

Here's who who:
sweetyprize
dismantled
reneedesigns
YieldToWhim
hillbillyartist
groovyvinyl
Lovepeaceanddye
disCARDS
Kae1Crafts
funkyluke
tomatedepingles
naturemadescents
eyepopart
etsytrashion
miggipyn
trashionmode
pauliina
fairytalefibers
amuckdesign
haptotrope
shandke
spaceoddities
bayousalvage
tiltcraft
reduxdesigns
papercrafts

Note: This was originally posted in the Etsy Garden.

Clay as Art Trunk Show!

2007-07-18T20:00:00-05:00

Do you have plans for this weekend? Well, make some! For your learning pleasure, The Etsy Labs will be hosting a "Clay as Art" trunk show for Tasha McKelvey of Tashamck.etsy.com during her weekend trip to NYC from Richmond. Tasha is making the trip to teach two very specialized workshops:

CLASS 7/21/2007 Making Texture Molds for Clay Jewelry and Buttons
CLASS 7/22/2007 All about Art and Craft Shows

If you're interested in signing up for either of these great classes, just follow the links above to reserve your spot. If you'd like to come to the trunk show, please send an email to rsvp@etsy.com. We hope to see you all at the show!

See the Etsy Labs blog for more deets!

Note: This was originally posted in the Etsy Garden.

CREST Trunk Show Party! Friday, JUNE 29

2007-06-23T20:00:00-05:00

Come on down to the Labs for an evening of art, craft, and spirits (the non-ghostly kind!) with Etsy's Capitol Region Street Team. Its the last Friday of the month, join us for shopping and fun from 6-8pm.

Check out the work of these fab arts-n-crafters, meet your fellow Etsians, check out the Labs, and maybe even get yourself a little something nice.

uglykitty,
oblinaknit,
fortcloudy,
jewelstreet,
pollyscoots,
glitteryblue,
designsbytia,
seasidequilts,
mishutkadesign,
canalecreations,
ericaburnsdesigns

Please rsvp@etsy.com. See you there!

Note: This was originally posted in the Etsy Garden.

Etsy Metals Trunk Show

2007-04-09T20:00:00-05:00

Please come help usher in the Spring with some of the Etsy Metalsmiths at the Etsy Labs on April 27. NinaDinoff, PreciousPups, Stamp, and mylittlestore will be there to represent! They've organized the entire thing and we're happy to open up the Labs to them.

This is a free event and there will be spirits and lots of beautiful jewelry to buy!

Friday April 27
6-8pm
Etsy Labs
325 Gold Street, 6th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Please visit us often at the Etsy Labs!

Note: This was originally posted in the Etsy Garden.

Trunk Show

2007-03-07T16:59:10-05:00

Etsy Labs is happy to welcome Tinymeat and Mamadelic to the space this weekend! Come visit us in Brooklyn, we're fun. Hey! RSVP@etsy.com, fools.

-Anda