Check Out This Weeks Featured Seller

I am a proud dog owner. I have two Boston Terriers and a Dalmation who are just as much a part of my family as my daughter is. When I visited this weeks featured sellers shop, not only was I in awe of her obvious talent, but I thought her work was such a great way to display the love you have for that furry family member. It is my pleasure to introduce you to....



1. Why don’t you start by telling us your name and when and how you got starting crafting?

My name is Seann Vicente. I have always loved to draw, but just started painting a few years ago. I was a Biology/Chemistry major in college, and never really took any painting classes, but I loved to paint to help me relax during my busy schedule.

2. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I love color, so I like to pick the pictures with the most personality and just accentuate that with bright colors!



3. Do you ever get in a creative slump? And, if so, what do you do to pull yourself out of it?

Not really, I do mostly commissioned work, so the clients keep me busy :)

4. How many hours a day do you devote to your craft?

It depends on how many orders I have, or if I have a gallery opening coming up that I need to supply new paintings for. I paint very quickly but the paperwork (invoices, organizing prints, sending emails) takes much longer. Maybe 3-5 hours a day?







5. Do you have a job outside the home or is your online business your full-time job?

Yup I am working right now, and plan on going back to Vet school in the next year.

6. Do you sell anywhere else in addition to Etsy?

I have my own personal website www.StudioSRV.com where I do most of my custom work. Etsy is more for prints. I also have a few galleries up in Colorado.


7. What would you say is the most difficult thing about having an online shop and what have you done to overcome it?

When you are online, you get a lot of traffic, and not everyone is serious about purchasing. So it was kind of hard at first when people would string me a long for a few days and then nothing would come of it. But I have gotten used to that now and just go with the flow :)

8. What are your long term goals for your shop/craft?

I'm not sure. I never really considered myself an artist and were kind of surprised when people wanted to buy my stuff! So I am still figuring that out! I guess when I am a vet I would still like to paint and maybe display my stuff in my office :)

9. Do you do custom orders?

Yes!

10. Where would you say has been the most helpful place in finding information to help run your shop on Etsy? The forums, the help guides, other sellers’ blogs?

Forums, there are a lot of nice people out there willing to help!

11. If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about opening a shop on Etsy, what would it be?

Just be patient. It can be a little frustrating when you open shop and don't make any sales for a few weeks, or even longer. Just stick with it and promote promote promote!

Not only was Seann kind enough to answer my questions, she also took the time to give us a little behind the scenes look at what her life is like on an everyday basis :)

I get up, take my doggies out for walks and then go to work. I get home at 4 play with the pups (2 chihuahuas) and then go to the gym for a swim. Then my husband normally cooks dinner and we all just snuggle up for the evening after I finish up a few hours working on my website or painting. here are my babies! http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll20/SeannJonCO/HPIM4623.jpg

You can also find Seann on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34562905@N03/?saved=1 and her personal website: www.StudioSRV.com

I want to thank Seann again for letting us get to know her and her beautiful shop. Go visit her shop and take a look at all of her beautiful artwork.

This Weeks Feature Artist

This weeks feature couldn't have come at a better time. With Easter just around the corner, this artist has the perfect addition for any Easter basket or Easter celebration. It is my pleasure to introduce you to..............


1. Why don’t you start by telling us your name and when and how you got starting crafting?

My name is Debra Amon. I started crafting about 10 years a go. I sold personalized letters from Santa to people at work. I earned about $200. It really came in handy. I had been widowed a couple of years before, had two kids (12 and 6), and was temping at a job making only $6.50 an hour. Then I got into making cards, and now I dabble in a lot of different crafts. I still sell the letters to Santa every year!

2. How did you learn about Cascarones?

I live in San Antonio, Texas, and cascarones are everywhere! They sell them in the grocery stores; they sell them at events; families sell them in their yards. Next to the pinata, cascarones are the most popular celebration "accessory" at a party. In the spring, San Antonio celebrates Fiesta. No one's head is spared a confetti shower of a cascaron at Fiesta! My granddaughter's daycare is very small--only about 6 kids. Last year at their spring party, they had 30 dozen cascarones to crack. And they cracked every last one of them.



3. How many hours a day do you devote to your craft?

I usually start working on projects and marketing as soon a I get home at about 6. Before I know it it i midnight, then I keep going a little bit longer. Since my kids are grown, I do not have the same family obligations that many of my fellow crafters and artists do. I don't know how they do it!

4. Do you have a job outside the home or is your online business your full-time job?

I work at an educational publishing company during the day. I love my work and the people I work with, and I need the health insurance.


5. Do you sell anywhere else in addition to Etsy?

I sell a lot of products at work and I also sell at craft shows (about one a month).

6. What would you say is the most difficult thing about having an online shop and what have you done to overcome it?

Getting the word out that I exist! I have been participating in forums and I just launched a super-cute blog. I am going to start marketing as much as I can at events in San Antonio. The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo starts this week and goes for two weeks. I am going on opening day and will pass out free cascarones and business cards to rodeo-goers. San Antonio's number one industry is tourism, and I plan to take advantage of that by reaching out to that demographic. I think that tourist will appreciate being able to order online a product that they discovered in San Antonio. San Antonio is a huge city (believe it or not it is the 7th largest city in the nation!) and there are lots of people to target out there!


7. What are your long term goals for your shop/craft?

I don't think I can ever make a living at my crafts, but I do earn extra cash to help pay off some of my debt. When my husband died, everything he left to me would have fit in a shoebox (and unfortunately, it wasn't money!), I had been laid off my job the day he went to the hospital, and things were pretty desperate. I lived off my credit cards and racked up quite a bit of debt. I am sure I am *still* paying for underwear and socks I bought my kids! But, slowly and surely, I am inching my way out of debt. Selling crafts has helped to achieve that. And since I don't expect to make a living crafting, I think I will always have fun doing it!

8. Do you take custom orders?

Yes! That is one thing that makes my cascarones different than the ones found around here in the grocery stores and events. I can make them to fit the occasion. If you child is having a Dora party, I can make them in the color palette of Dora. I can make them for a wedding in a color palette to match the wedding. I can decorate them however you want them to be! It is surprising what you can with an egg as your canvas.

9. Where would you say has been the most helpful place in finding information to help run your shop on Etsy? The forums, the help guides, other sellers’ blogs?

I have found a lot of help in the forums. Everyone is helpful in either answering your pleas for help or guiding you to where you can find the answers. I have also found the resources page very helpful (especially when I created my first banner). I have just started to get into blogging, but it looks like there is a wealth of information out there as well!

10. If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about opening a shop on Etsy, what would it be?

Be patient. It really takes time to be seen. Just because a shop is online and accessible to millions of people, that doesn't mean it will happen overnight. You have to market, market, market! All of that takes a lot of time, but I see it as an opportunity to learn and network with people. And that can be as much fun as making my crafts.


I want to thank Debra for taking the time to let us get to know her and her awesome shop on Etsy. If you want something different and fun for Easter this year or if you just want to add a uniqueness to that next birthday party, definitely go visit Debra at gracieseggies.etsy.com

And remember she does custom orders, so you can design you Easter eggs however you like.

Thanks Debra!!

I Haven't Disappeared

I apologize for not posting anything new in quite a few days, but I received some surprising news that I needed some time to wrap my head around. I found out last week that I am pregnant. While I am extremely happy, I am totally shocked. I am 38 and this has come as a BIG surprise.

So with that big news, getting back to business, I am working on a really great piece on Squidoo and how you can use it to further your business, so be sure to look for that in the next for days.

March Blog Carnival

So, this month's topic for the Etsy Blogger Street Team Blog Carnival is: What have you accomplished with Etsy this year, have you followed your New Year's resolution and what are your plans for the rest of 2009.

This one was a little challenging for me but, here it goes.

I started on Etsy in November of this past year and in those 5 months I have been fortunate to have had some sales and have been blessed to make some good friends. What I love about Etsy is that no one understands an artist like another artist, and on Etsy you are surrounded by them. Being on Etsy can be just as challenging as it can be rewarding. There is so much to learn. There are always ways to improve your shop and there are always new ideas for promoting, so it's good to know that there are fellow artists out there who are not only encountering the same challenges but that some of them have overcome them. What's great is that most are willing to share their advice and the tips they used in order to help fellow artists also find success.

As far as my New Year's resolution, well honestly, I'm not doing so hot sticking to it. I told myself that I wasn't going to take on too much this year. I had read that the way to fail is to set too many goals for yourself. By setting too many goals you are bound to lose focus and not accomplish any of them. So one of the keys to be successful is to keep your goal list short, stay focused and take one step at a time. But as usual, my list of things 'to do' is ever growing, so maybe it's time to sit back, pick the most important on the list and focus on just those.

So, with the promise to myself to keep the goal list short, my goals for 2009 are to really focus on my Etsy shop and try and make it as successful as I possible can, learn some new jewelry making techniques, improve my jewelry making skills and my most important goal for this year is to stop and enjoy each day as it is happening, stop worrying about tomorrow and stop thinking about what I could change about yesterday.

March's Featured Etsy Blogger is ..

Nora of DesignsByNora

What I like about Nora's blog us that it's light and fresh. From questions of the day, sharing her latest creations and sharing her life with us, Nora's blog is a fun read.

So, the next time you are looking for a new blog to check out, drop in on Nora's blog and then be sure to visit her at her Etsy shop, DesignsByNora, she has the most adorable stud earrings - which right now are on sale.

**For those of you who signed up for Entrecard or who were already a member, Nora is too, so when your drop by her blog be sure to drop her a card**

Congratulations to Nora for being selected this months featured blogger for the Etsy Blogger Street Team :)

New Way to Find Out If You Are In A Treasury

StudioMarlene just posted a link in the forums for a new place you can go to see if you are in a treasury instead of having to scroll through them looking for the little star next to the treasury name. The name of the site is Craftopolis and all you have to do is type in your Etsy username. It is so neat I thought it was definitely worth a post.

Go check it out :)

Featured Artist of the Week

I want to introduce you to a jewelry designer with a flair for creating jewelry that is not only beautiful but also unique. It is my pleasure to introduce you to..........



1. Why don’t you start by telling us your name and when and how you got starting crafting?

My name is Amy Ratcliffe. I've been crafting in one form or another since 5th grade or so. I remember visiting my grandparent's house and getting clay from the creek. I was convinced I could make a vase. It didn't turn out as planned, but I was hooked. The joy of making things has hung around ever since!

2. What made you choose your niche?

Jewelry making has always been the hobby that I have turned to. It's the one that sticks if that makes any sense. I love that there are so many options with jewelry.



3. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Photos of textures, aging metals, the desert, vintage fabrics...

4. Do you ever get in a creative slump? And, if so, what do you do to pull yourself out of it?

I definitely run into creative blocks. Sometimes I run into this after spending too much time making stuff in one period. When this happens, I have to make myself stop. I can't tell because I'm just looking at beads and pieces, putting them together, arranging them, and then changing my mind. If it is a longer creative slump, I remedy it by looking through my how-to books, color swatches, and jewelry catalogs. I usually come across something that will get me going again.

5. How many hours a day do you devote to your craft?

Usually at least an hour and on weekends, anywhere from 1-4 hours.


6. Do you have a job outside the home or is your online business your full-time job?

I work a full time job outside of my jewelry making. I work anywhere from 40-60 hours a week, so finding time for the business side of jewelry-making. (the time spent taking photos, posting listings, and marketing) can be challenging.

7. Do you sell anywhere else in addition to Etsy?

Not at this time.

8. What would you say is the most difficult thing about having an online shop and what have you done to overcome it?

I think the hardest thing for me is marketing my online shop and getting traffic there. Despite your best efforts, it doesn't always feel like it's actually working. Your item views aren't going up, you're not selling things. It's frustrating. I make an effort to spend fifteen minutes a day at least promoting my Etsy shop somehow – even if I don't feel like it's making a difference.


9. What are your long term goals for your shop/craft?

I hope to grow my online sales at Etsy and also sell my jewelry at local markets and bazaars. I would also like to teach jewelry making classes at craft stores and bead shops.

10. Do you do custom orders?

Absolutely. I love the challenge!


11. Where would you say has been the most helpful place in finding information to help run your shop on Etsy? The forums, the help guides, other sellers’ blogs?

I find the forums helpful, but I mostly use the help guides. The tools available through the help area (like seller's worksheets, etc) are invaluable!

12. If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about opening a shop on Etsy, what would it be?


Be persistent. Don't just give up if you don't have a sale in a week or two weeks. Keep promoting, keep telling everyone, and hang in. Don't be afraid to ask for critiques in the forums!

I want to thank Amy for taking the time to let us get to know her. Be sure to visit her shop PrettyLemur.etsy.com and take a look around at all of her beautiful jewelry.

Drive Traffic to Your Blog Using Entrecard

Entrecard is a free blogging network with 13,000+ blogs. Not only does Entrecard bring visitors to your blog but by becoming a member of Entrecard you can advertise your blog on any site within the network for free.

It is so easy to get started, and if you are anything like me, (a little technologically challenged), the site is extremely user friendly. After signing up, you create your Entrecard using any image you want. Your Entrecard is essentially a 125x125 business card you use to promote your site within the network and it is also the ad seen on the sites you advertise on. You want your Entrecard to draw visitors to your site, so choose an image with 'clickability'. If you don't have an image you want to use, Entrecard provides links to a few sites where you can get custom images. Click here to go to the page that will give you those links.

After you have created your 'business card', you then place the Entrecard widget on your blog. The widget is what visitors to your site will use to drop their card for you. It is also where they will advertise their site on your blog. When members advertise on your site, it will earn you credits.

Okay, now lets talk about credits. Earlier I said that advertising was free, well that's not exactly true. Entrecard uses a currency they call Entrecard Credits or EC's. You earn 1 credit every time you drop your card on any members blog. You can earn up to 300 credits a day. You also earn 1 credit when someone drops their card on your blog (there is no limit as to how many you earn per day). You earn 25 credits for each new blog post you add to your site, with a maximum of 1 payment every 3 days and then there are also contests you can enter to win credits and you can even buy credits if you want.

Advertising with Entrecard is a breeze. The advertising price is shown below each members card, and if your have enough EC's to cover it, you just click on the 'advertise' link. That's it - no joke.

Entrecard has just recently opened a market, which I think is totally cool. You use your credits to purchase anything from physical goods to advertising. Since I'm on the subject of the marketplace, I want to take this opportunity to tell you about some awesome lip balms I purchased using some of my EC's.

I received 3 different flavors and each one was better than the last. I'm usually not a big fan of lipstick or putting anything on my lips because everything I have ever tried either feels too heavy or too goopy. But these balms are awesome. They are so smooth and light. I am totally a new fan. Go see Jenelle at her blog Living Botanical and you definitely have to visit her Etsy shop Organic Couture

Okay, so I highly recommend Entrecard not only because it is a fast and easy way to drive traffic to your blog but it is also an awesome way to find new and exciting blogs you otherwise might not have found.