Storque articles: ETC

About Us: Mike aka MikeH

Thu, 15 May 2008 20:27:00 -0000

Etsy has had quite a growth spurt in the past year, and we have the awkward pictures to prove it. We are posting a series of About Us pieces to help you get to know the Etsy admin (and since many of us work remotely, for the admin to get to know each other!). You've seen the admin badge, and maybe you're a bit curious about the person behind it! For more on Etsy's mission and about the company, please see our About page (the link is in the little blue footer of every Etsy page).

Next up is Mike aka MikeH, on our Engineering Team. Mike works remotely from Massachusetts so we don't get to see him all that much here at the Labs. When he comes to visit, he strikes me as a really smart and gentle soul. Plus, he's also from the armpit of Massachusetts, a bond I also share with Etsy engineer, Alec.

One of his main interests outside of Etsy is video and filmmaking. We on the Storque Team are eager to get him to make a video for this here blog!

Mike sounds like a fellow with very interesting talents, especially when you ask the other engineers for Fun Facts:

He's a dwarf-shaman.
His cat types for him half the time.
He has a black belt in twisted.

Mike, unlike most of us, can actually play the guitar instead of just Guitar Hero.* He sent this to me as his awkward photo, but he just looks...talented.

As we all know, Mike is a ninja, but we've uncovered early evidence of him as a young pirate:

*Bonus points: in the comments below, name the other Etsy admin who also play guitar.

Mike picked some favorites below. See all posts in this About Us series.

My Top 10 Whales

Tue, 13 May 2008 18:07:00 -0000

Ever wondered what whales were really saying to one another when they are singing those mysterious songs and clicks? Are they warning each other from danger, or do you think they are talking about how much they would really just like to try tasting peanut butter once in their lives? Well, I would like to go whale watching at least once in my life. Here are my top 10 whales on Etsy at the moment:

Above, you will find my Number One Etsy whale from Itybitybags' shop. This whale tote would be perfect for shopping at the farmer's market or a stroll to the post office and it's a steal at just $35.

This print conveys a carnivalesque nature that grabbed my attention right away. I might display it in a half bath or tiny little nook in a hallway. eggmanstudios's shop $12.

These little whale shakers came VERY close to being my number 1....but alas, here they are ranking in at number 3. It's too bad I recently switched over to sea salt and cracked pepper grinders or else these babies would be mine already (I have to make up exuses sometimes, ahem). domestikate's shop $15.

This whale belt buckle would make any outfit an instant showstopper. Guys, go out with this one on and just wait for the ladies to start commenting on it! buncombebuckles's shop $54.

This whale softie is more of a work of art than a toy in my mind; it just seems so fragile and gentle. I think it has a couple secrets under those sunken eyes. SloGator's shop $35.

These must be the first whale dishtowels I have seen on Etsy thus far; do I smell a trend about to explode? artgoodies's shop, $12.

Ok, these little whale booties would be perfect for my little niece or nephew that's on the way, right!? GraciousMay's shop, $16.95.

I can't get over the articulated mouth on this whale necklace, this one is a true gem. citizenfox's shop, $18.

Thank your friends in style with these whale cards. nydampress's shop, $4.

I am a tried and true fan of these little whale card minis; they make the perfect little thank you for your Etsy packages that are going out. time2cre8's shop, $3.

What's that you say? You can't get enough whales either? Give me links to your favorite Etsy whales in the comments below! Email to your tchotchke-addicted friends! See our other Top 10 posts here.

About Us: Anda

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:00:00 -0000

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Anda, Anda, Anda...where to start? Anda is an old skool member of Etsy, where she began selling her wares as stopsandstarts back when she lived in Richmond, VA and attended art school in 2005. Ah, the Richmond days, when life was much more affordable than Brooklyn, where she now lives and works as an Etsy admin. Anda often waxes poetical on the various stages of thrifty living. One such period renders many an entertaining tale: freegan-ish, crashing at Shakespeare & Co. stint in Paris, when she and her friends figured out how to live on nothing in one of the most expensive cities in the world. She still loves a good thrift shop and always has her eye out for dollar-stores.

Back in the early days of Etsy Labs, Anda coordinated all of the events and goings-on. Now, she works on the Marketing Team, doing merchandising and design. Yes, Anda is our go-to person for amazing illustrations and we've even made her handwriting into a font for our Etsy video series and other design-y visual elements. Sometimes bursting into hysterical laughter and sometimes a prickly pear, Anda is truly unique Etsy admin with great taste, a talent for making just about anything, and a disarming knack for telling it like it is.

Here is early proof of her sense of style. (Check the Reebok hightop with the yellow laces in the background.)

Anda is someone who shoots for what she wants with incredible focus. When her then-soon-to-be-husband Pete was in grad school in Scotland, Anda decided she wanted to have a baby. And despite being an ocean away and working like crazy at Etsy Labs, she made it happen. And such was the beginning of the cutest baby in the world, Sidonie. Sidonie is also officially the first admin baby (except for Charles' babies, who are cute too but weren't born on our watch).

Whilst hugely pregnant, she made her own wedding dress with Burdastyle's help. She had a really fun, last minute DIY wedding.

Anda's mom Appalachia, who is also a seller, should feel very special this Mother's Day because Anda is always talking about how awesome her mom is (and her dad, too)! She passed on the crafty gene to Anda and she will surely pass on the crafty gene to little Sidonie.

Anda Fun Facts:

Anda's real name is Amanda.
Anda used to be a substitute teacher.
She can recite the entire script of Goonies, according to Matt (who is a known pathological liar).
She hated living in Scotland because it was dreary.
She has mad Scrabble skills.
Like some kind of Rainman, she can remember sequences of numbers from years past. And she loves math.
She and Pete have two kitties.
She claims to have synesthesia.
Julie notes that Anda can make dumplings out of random dregs found in the back of the kitchen cabinets (she has boasted of this multiple times).
In art school, she was the most coveted nude model because she would bust out crazy poses, plus she was skinny and had great muscle definition. One time she was so hardcore about holding a contorted pose that she fainted. And that, in a nutshell, is Anda.

She's picked some favorites below. See all posts in this About Us series.

When You Don't Like Your Mom...

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:18:00 -0000

Mother's Day can be pretty annoying. Not to disparage all the amazing moms out there, but some of us have "challenging" relationships with Mama. Here is a collection of humorous pieces to lighten the overbearing load.

Most likely you have other cool people in your life and Mother's Day is a good time to share a laugh with them! You are not alone!

About Us: Jay(red) aka Jay

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:07:00 -0000

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Jay is one of the first engineers to be hired at Etsy. He came to us via his wife Luca of Lollibomb. Jay is a smarty-pants but he's not in your face about it; rather he's just has this very cool and approachable way about him. He's a true gentleman and geek at heart. It's so nice to work with someone who sincerely wants to help and make Etsy a better place!

Jay Fun Facts:

His real name is Jared, but Etsy admins decided to rename him Jay, so as not to be confused with Jared Tarbell. No one else in the whole world calls him Jay. Just us. His mom hates it.
Jay recently relocated from sunny Florida to be closer to Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Jay lives in New Jersey.
Jay is usally dressed in all black.
He's very accident prone -
- he's a member of the Etsy Admin Head Trauma Club.
- he was hit in four separate hit-and-run accidents in one year.
- he fractured his toe in his sleep!

Despite all the injuries, he still manages to play some mean hardball.

Baby Jay — so cute!

You can see some of Jay's posts here. See all posts in this About Us series. Some of his favorites are below.

My Top 10 Ceramic Figurines

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:41:00 -0000

All this talk about Mother's Day has me reflecting on the tchotchke-collecting gene. I got it from my mom and she from her parents (both her mother and father had vastly different tastes). While pining away for my grandparents' house and all the long-gone the curios therein, I studied up on the art and science of collecting ceramic figurines. Here's my personal Top 10 List...

Old Standby:
therunnybunny has some classics that give you such a strong sense of nostalgia, it's almost hypnotizing (and this owl couple is only $15):

Vintage clowns are always there, peeking out at you around every corner of every vintage shop. They're old friends:

ModishVintage $14.75

Sensuality:
You wouldn't think you would find your sensuality-totem in a camel, and yet here we are...

DagaDesign $54.00

Abstraction:
I didn't even know what this one is supposed to be at first, because it is elemental.

nightlydeity $5

Slightly Primitive Precariousness:
Delicately, quietly...

Runningrabbitpottery $35

Functionality:
I need a fat lil piggybank. Yes, I do.

KelasBabyBoutique

At first I thought I'd put this mouse under the above category, but then realized its awkwardness is due to its function: ring-holder/extravagant mutant tail holder:

OliveVintage $8 (I'm buying this.)

Solice for your Desperation:

creativelo $14

Fear:
See also the bear at the top.

fruitflypie $14

Give me links to your favorite ceramic figurines in the comments below! Email to your tchotchke-addicted friends!

About Us: Zak aka zakj

Mon, 05 May 2008 21:42:00 -0000

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Zak aka zakj was once the world's youngest insurance salesman. Now that he's outgrown that career, he works as an engineer for Etsy. The Storque has a special place in its heart for him as he's currently making improvements on this here superblog. He lives out in San Francisco so we don't get to see him all that often, sadly.

Zak Fun Facts:

He's a security expert.
He is Lakin's secret twin.
He's a Mac fan-boy.
He loves Jelly Belly jelly beans.
He's deathly afraid of mounties on llamas.
Zak is originally from Australia and, according to MarietheBee, always forgets the American versions of two words: "dressing gown" (robe) and "face washer" washcloth.
He loves Lamingtons and misses them so much. Marie recommends you please send him Lamingtons.
He also feels a bit tormented by having lost his Australian accent and the allure it entails.
Apparently, he also gets really snoozy.

And here's the little Zak munchkin!

You can see some of Zak's posts here. See all posts in this About Us series.

Etsy Gossip #5

Fri, 02 May 2008 22:38:00 -0000

In pleasant news...More Birthdays! Happy bday to Jared yesterday. Happy Birthday, Adam, Julie and Rob White today!

Etsy HQ has a new pet: a huge octopus named Otis has unexpectedly taken over the Storque. This may sound ominous, but he's really quite cuddly.

Deelind, his former mama.

An undisclosed female Etsy admin was mistaken for a nun on the subway platform this morning.

We found out that Bre is a cyborg.

Honestly, this doesn't come as much of a surprise, considering his deep communicado with the internets.

Rob has been wearing plaid pants all week. All the guitar playing in Nashville has gone to his head... where the music trasformed into four bold colors, aligned to cross-cross each other in a perpendicular pattern, and then expressed theyselves on his trousers.

And finally, Vanessa is has another mysterius illness, and she fears she may be slowly going insane. (Thus this post.) However, her spirits were lifted by a surprise bridal shower/crafting night where we made cute pins and gocco thank you cards. (Thanks, friends!)

Happy Birthday, Jared!

Fri, 02 May 2008 03:18:00 -0000

We didn't forget! We love you Jared! Happy May Day Birthday to our artful, elegant, warm, nature-loving, desert-dwelling, peaceful, Etsy Flash Guru! Jared, you are truly Albuquerque's most beautiful gem and we wish we saw more of you in Brooklyn!

Below are some Etsians who share Jared's Bday. I found these through the Birthday browser. (You can find it on the Buy page!)

Handmade Profiles: Jen from Sweetestpea

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:53:00 -0000

Sweetestpea, a maker of enticingly round plush stuffed animals, visited us down at the Etsy Labs. Jen calls her line of plump ones "Zooguu," and you can see some of them in the related items below (as well as some of her favorite Etsy toymaker compatriots). She was brave enough to get in the "cardboard videobooth." Here's her Handmade Video Portrait!

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Click here to see our other Handmade Video Portraits! Do your own and tag it with Etsy on Youtube so we can find you. Don't forget the ten second dance break!