Storque articles: EVENTS

Etsy in Action: Upcoming Events August 29 — September 5, 2008

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:55:00 -0000

Enjoy the summer and its many leisurely outdoor activities while they last—just a few days remaining! Let us know what's happening in your area by sharing in the comments below.

Seattle, WA: August 30 — September 1, 2008

Explore the finest selection of regional indie crafts, imported treasures from around the world, and other interactive surprises at Bumbershoot's Indie Market! Etsy Admin missbatch and objecked will be joined by a few Etsy sellers. (For a sneak peak check out the related items below!) You will find us at the International Fountain, hope to see you there!

Call for Artists!

Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn Indie Market is looking for Steam Punkers to contribute to their fashion show and Steam Punk themed day! For more info contact Kathy Malone.

That's all for this week! Are you doing something crafty this weekend? Let us know in the comments below!

News from the Etsy Labs: 9/1 Craft Night is Cancelled

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:06:00 -0000

NEWSFLASH: Craft Night is canceled this Monday, September 1st, 2008 for the Labor Day holiday. Join us the following Monday, September 8th for another night of crafting festivities!

So what exactly is Craft Night, you ask? Craft Night is a free event held at the Etsy Labs every Monday (except September 1) 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, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own project to work on independently. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out. Each craft night is also broadcast live into in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs.

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.

See you next time!

See the gallery below for upcoming classes at the Etsy Labs.

Virtual Labs Schedule: August 25th to August 29th, 2008

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:49:00 -0000

The Virtual Labs are Etsy's interactive classrooms, a place to hang out, throw paper airplanes and share skills. We've also started Show and Tell for Buyers, so if you have a bit of an Etsy shopping addiction, these are your peeps. Hope to see ya around the Labs!

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

The following schedule covers August 25th to August 29th, 2008 (all Eastern Daylight Time). The schedule posted in the Virtual Labs is magically in *your* time. So if you are confused, just click here to see what's coming up in your real time.

Monday

Craft Night! — 5pm to 7pm in the Treehouse. For our Monday craft night, we will be demonstrating how to etch glass. To find out what supplies you need to follow along (or bring to the Labs if you are in Brooklyn) check out this article.

Tuesday

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 Sellers — 4pm 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!

Shop Critiques with Michelle — 9pm 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.

Show and Tell For Buyers — 4pm in the Lounge. Come share what you have purchased on Etsy! Come with links to your purchases in their new home or directly to the items you have collected this week!

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

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.

Office Hours: RobWhite (Forum Admin) — 7pm in the Lounge.

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—for no reason at all—a few of my favorite colorful Etsy items! Enjoy!

News from the Etsy Labs: 8/25 Craft Night

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:00:00 -0000

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Each craft night is also broadcast live in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs. All demos will be shown both in the Labs in Brooklyn and in the Treehouse online.

For our Monday, August 25 craft night, we will be demonstrating glass etching. Etching is a fun way to embellish glass and mirrors. Please bring a smooth glass cup or tumbler or a mirror to etch. If you have a pair of safety goggles on hand, bring those along too. All other tools and supplies will be provided by the Etsy Labs.

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 projects to work on independently. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out.

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

glass or mirror to etch
contact paper
Armor glass etch cream
foam brush
baking soda
simple design to etch
alternative etching resists: fabric paint, stickers, packaging tape

Will we see you on Monday? Let us know in the comments below!

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Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group!

Would you like to lead craft night or do you have an idea for a craft night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line.

Keep an eye on the Storque Events calendar for future updates from the Etsy Labs.

Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Community Chat - Holiday Session #3: Time Management, Friday, August 22, 2008 at 12:00PM EDT

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:53:00 -0000

Dear Sellers,

Please join special guest admin Beth Ferreira, aka bethela (of the famous Mega-Beth Tour), in the Treehouse Room of the Virtual Labs this Friday, August 22, at 12:00pm EDT for our bi-weekly community chat.

Times on the Virtual Labs Lobby are displayed in your local time.

Topic: Scheduling and Time Saving
This week we will be having our third of four holiday 2008 discussions. Holidays in August? Yes, that's right, the holidays will be here before you know it and now's a great time to prepare.

Agenda:
In this session we will discuss creation, inventory, promotion and shipping planning and more. We will cover some time saving ideas and some time-management pitfalls to avoid.

Download materials for this class here.

About Community Chatt With Matt:
Each week Etsy admin Matt invites you to join him for a live, online discussion of topics of interest to the Etsy community. Our intention is to give buyers and sellers alike the opportunity to speak directly and candidly to Etsy Admin. We listen, take notes, and make sure that everybody who wants to gets a chance to speak. We can always be reached at community@etsy.com with more ideas and suggestions.

You can view minutes from past meetings HERE.

Virtual Labs Schedule: August 18th to August 22nd, 2008

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:40:00 -0000

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

The following schedule covers August 18th to August 22nd, 2008 (all Eastern Daylight Time). The schedule posted in the Virtual Labs is magically in *your* time. So if you are confused, just click here to see what's coming up in your real time.

Monday

Craft Night! — 5pm to 7pm in the Treehouse. For our Monday, August 18 craft night, we will be demonstrating how to make paper boxes. These boxes are wonderful to use as gift boxes, storing your favorite trinkets, using in displays at craft fairs....The list goes on!

Tuesday

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!

Shop Critiques with Michelle — 9pm in the Treehouse. Pop in for a mini-critique with some experienced sellers and Etsy admin.

Wednesday

Show and Tell for Sellers — 4pm 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!

Shop Critiques — 5pm in the Lounge.

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.

Show and Tell For Buyers — 4pm in the Lounge. Come share what you have purchased on Etsy! Come with links to your purchases in their new home or directly to the items you have collected this week!

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

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.

Office Hours: RobWhite (Forum Admin) — 7pm in the Lounge.

Etsy in Action: Upcoming Events August 15 - 21, 2008

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:26:00 -0000

While it's still summer, why not grab the family and get out to see what your fellow art and craft lovers are up to? Here are a few of our picks, plus lots of ways for you to get involved. Let us know what's happening in your area by sharing in the comments below.

August 16, Craftin' Outlaws, Columbus, Ohio

This is an event not to be missed, with cool free swag bags given out to the first 100 people through the door, free ice cream, crafty workshops and entertainment on stage, a fun game to play to benefit charity, and of course, amazing handmade creations to buy!

For more information, and a complete schedule of crafting demos (oh yeah!) check out the site.

August 17th, Grand Rapids, Michigan

The Fulton Street Artisan's Market is hosting an Etsy Day. The EtsyWMI team will be attending along with many other local crafters. Come out and meet the team. The market is open from 11am-3pm every Sunday, now through September.

Calls for vendors: Mark your calendars now for these upcoming events, better yet, why not get involved?

Maker Faire, Austin, Texas

This two-day, family-friendly event celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset and features interactive exhibits organized by individual enthusiasts, hobbyist groups and clubs as well as student groups. It's for creative, resourceful folks who like to tinker and love to make things. Maker Faire is an opportunity to share what you do with others.

Call for Makers! Are you a maker who would like to show off your project at Maker Faire Austin, October 18th - 19th? The call for makers is now open!

Click here for entry details.

The Glass House Swap Meet, Pomona, CA

Saturday September 20th, 10am-3pm at The Glass House ...with To Die For Clothing, Kid Robot, Obey, Paul Frank, Rockett, Alphacult, Hooligan Skate, The Militia Group, Kung Fu Records, Trey Q, SP Radio 1, London Calling, and many more to be announced!

Plus, The Handmade District featuring Etsy sellers: AnnieRexic, Armas, CutthroatBodyArt, EveryLittleCounts, JaneClothing, LeanDogPottery, LuckyFindDesigns, MJPartetc, SkullFlower, SpittingImage, SpunByVer, Susuten, VozClothingandArt, Windchime, and ZombieFactory.

We are still looking for more handmade vendors. For more information, please convo LuckyFindDesigns.

City of Craft, Toronto, Canada

Becky of Sweetie Pie Press, and one of City of Craft's organizers, passed on this post, she says:

(Note our hilarious Canadian spelling differences):

City of Craft returns December 13th for a second year of craft vendors, local craft organisations, installations, activities & more!

This community-based craft culture event invites local community-arts groups, craft based initiatives/projects, studios, and other organizations to do outreach to the public alongside a large-scale curated craft fair and craft-based installations. The 2008 City of Craft event will also feature crafty activities in satellite West Queen West neighbourhood businesses and galleries.

Applications are being sought through August 31st (midnight deadline) for craft vendors, community exhibitors, and craft-based installations. Check cityofcraft for FAQ's, applications and more information as it arises.

See below for a small sampling of the Etsy sellers exhibiting at this weekend's Craftin' Outlaws. Best of luck to all involved!

Made it out to any events we've listed in this column? Upload your "Etsy in Action" photos to Flickr here.

News from the Etsy Labs: 8/18 Craft Night

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:59:00 -0000

For our Monday, August 18 craft night, we will be demonstrating how to make paper boxes. These boxes are wonderful to use as gift boxes, storing your favorite trinkets, using in displays at craft fairs....The list goes on! Creating these paper boxes is a great way to breathe new life into old papers, such as discarded magazines, junk mail, and any other paper scraps you may have around. You may wish to bring some paper if you have any on hand that you'd like to put to good use and a bone folder (if you have one). Bringing these supplies is totally optional, as all tools and supplies will be provided by the Labs.

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, snacks, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own project to work on independently. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out.

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

paper (any paper will do, including fancy paper, junk paper, old magazine or book pages, etc)
scissors

Craft Night Study Tip: If you'd like to be ahead of the game for Craft Night, check out this video by marymary all about this box-making technique. We'll be on hand in the Virtual Labs to answer questions during the live broadcast of craft night.

See you Monday!

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Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group!

Would you like to lead craft night or do you have an idea for a craft night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line.

Keep an eye on the Storque Events calendar for future updates from the Etsy Labs.

Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Mega-Beth Tour: Washington, DC Edition

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:57:00 -0000

Ashley and I headed down to Washington, DC last week to attend eTail, an e-commerce conference. We were privileged to see Rob Walker, author of “Buying In: The Secret Dialogue of What We Buy and Who We Are”, speak at the conference. We were pleasantly surprised that he highlighted Etsy as a prominent example of a positive movement where consumers have decided to participate.

The finale of our trip was a round table discussion with a dynamic group of sellers—some veteran, some new—and Sara, an active buyer from Crafty Bastards DC. The discussion was a nice mix of ideas for Etsy and sharing shop tips and promotion ideas with each other. We had a few experts in our midst:

Shoofly is featured this month in How Magazine’s special issue focused on handmade design. The article is titled "Paper Market: If you indulge your creative jones by designing your own stationery, you're not alone. Online outlets like Etsy are helping designers sell their handmade products. Meet 7 people who are doing it well."

Scenicartisans was on DC’s local Fox News coverage (second video) of the Washington Glass Studio where he does his glasswork.

To learn more about how to pitch yourself to local press check out DIY PR: Local Press.

Some of the suggestions that arose in this lively discussion included:

Ability to change name: One person told us she had changed her shop name three times, which meant closing one shop to open another each time.

Easier to get a Treasury: “I just can’t get one.”

Videos in profiles: Videos would be a great way to enhance a profile and show products in a different and compelling way.

Judaica section: “The Rosen Group, Niche Awards and many other quality craft shows consider 'Judaica' its own category. It would be great if Etsy did too!” It was discussed that it would be especially helpful for those who want to attract wholesale as well as retail. And not to mention, “There are a lot of temple shops that like to buy handmade crafts.”

Listing templates: A few of the sellers mentioned that they are cut and pasting anyway. A template would make the whole process a lot easier.

Notification when in a Treasury: Notification is “totally not spam,” one seller exclaimed.

Ability to delete items: If you sell an item elsewhere, the ability to completely delete the item from your shop, not just make them inactive. “It clutters my inactive section.”

Vacation Mode: This is a feature that launched a lengthy discussion. Many were worried about leaving their shops for a few days.

Rearrange items in shop: Ability to arrange items in your shop in another way besides chronological order. This would be great to create color stories and other relevant groupings. One seller mentioned she holds listings while she waits for other items to finish to put them in the “perfect order.”

In addition, some of the new features they really liked were the new separate policy section in shops, drop down categories when listing and the ability to rearrange photos in listings.

Thank you to all the DC sellers who came out to visit with us. We enjoyed meeting you and appreciated your candid thoughts and ideas for Etsy.

Photo at top: Back Row (left to right): AStichtoWear (Allison), bethela (Beth), pileofcraft (Sara), shoofly (Rania), scenicartisans (Sean); Front Row (left to right): geltdesigns (Rachel and Liz), finchmetal (Jill), LizzyJdesigns (Liz), thesoapseduction (Patrice). Special thanks to winenutnyc for the Megabeth t-shirt made by Spiritwear that he had designed using Alchemy.

To read about more of Beth's travels on the Mega-Beth Tour, go here!

Virtual Labs Schedule: August 11th to August 15th, 2008

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:18:00 -0000

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

The following schedule covers Monday, August 11th to Friday, August 15th, 2008 (all Eastern Daylight Time). The schedule posted in the Virtual Labs is magically in *your* time. So if you are confused, just click here to see what's coming up in your real time.

Monday

Craft Night! — 5pm to 7pm in the Treehouse. This week we are pleased to announce a very special edition of Monday Craft Night. The Etsy Labs, the EEAT Team and Sweet Tooth of the Tiger join forces to create a recipe slam! Click here for all the sweet details.

Tuesday

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!

Shop Critiques with Michelle — 9pm in the Treehouse. Pop in for a mini-critique with some experienced sellers and Etsy admin.

Wednesday

Show and Tell for Sellers — 4pm 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!

Shop Critiques — 5pm in the Lounge.

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.

Show and Tell For Buyers — 4pm in the Lounge. Come share what you have purchased on Etsy! Come with links to your purchases in their new home or directly to the items you have collected this week!

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

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.

Office Hours: RobWhite (Forum Admin) — 7pm in the Lounge.