Wednesday Wellspring: Battle Autumn

Congratulations to #11, babysocutedesigns for winning the fun puppets from MF Crafts!

And now for Battle Autumn. We have three fierce fighters wielding their needles and fiber for this month's fall-themed team challenge.

In this corner, weighing in at a hefty three-ply worsted weight is Duncan Creative's Basic Apple Cozy.

And in this corner, with needles clicking fast as lightning, is team-member Sarah with a new shop, Woolhead Works, and a Pumpkin Head Hat!

And our final contender for Battle Autumn is Textile Treats bringing together needles, thread, sewing machine, and fabric in her fall creation: Wild Pumpkin Quilted Wallhanging.

Show some love to your favorite autumn craft by casting your vote in the poll on the upper right. Voting ends October 5th and the winner will take ownership of the parking space of honor on the 6th!

Make-it Mondays: Write Your Manifesto

Etsy has created a boot camp for sellers this holiday season, along with a list of tasks to complete at this bootcamp. Each task is meant to keep you on track and selling well during the busy holiday season. One of those tasks is to write a mission statement. Etsy suggests that you really think about what you are creating, selling and why. Great idea. Every artist should have a statement, but let's think bigger. Let's make manifestos!

All the artistic big shots have done it, like:

• The Dadaists: "DADA is our intensity: it erects inconsequential bayonets and the Sumatral head of German babies; Dada is life with neither bedroom slippers nor parallels!"

AND

• The Post Postmodernists: "Ghosts exist; so do people who can see them and communicate with them. Extra-sensory perceptions of all kinds are real and must be reckoned with!"

wait...what?

Manifestos are meant to be bold and spark revolution. They go beyond describing what and why you make things. They are a life philosophy. Also, they are ridiculous and funny. Use strong language. Make bulleted points like you're Martin Luther tacking the 95 theses of your shop against the throng of other unrighteous sellers! I'll be making one for my blog next week. If you make one, share the link in the comments :)

Jack's Pick: Matchbook Notepads by Buenahelena

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

Do you smoke? No. Neither do I. Did you play with old cigar boxes as a kid? For some reason I did. And I'm not a pyro, but matchbooks have always fascinated me as little miniature works of art. It was once a very common everyday item, which we don't see of much today as public smoking is banned in most places, and the lighter is now the tool of choice for most smokers. These vintage matchbooks have faded away, like the 8 Track Tape and the Polaroid camera.

Have no fear, Carol of Buenahelena is here reviving this old art form with a new twist, the Matchbook Notepad. Move aside 3M post-it notes. Step off mobile phone. Get old school cool with one, two, three, or even four of these little gem's. As an aside, I am super envious of that tricked-out cigar box she uses as a display....wicked.

I love all the different covers, and I can't wait to see the look on somone's face when I whip out one of these to write down a phone number or website! Priceless.

Wednesday Wellspring: MF Crafts

Congratulations to #9, Jhitomi, for winning last week's giveaway from ChainMaille Maven!

And bubbling up from the well for this week's giveaway is MF Crafts with a fun pair of puppets of the winner's choice!

These felt child-sized hand puppets are sewn with love, completely stitched, with no glue used. Any painted features are created with a non-toxic paint. Each is individually handmade and may vary slightly from photographs.

And the rules (This giveaway is open to US and Canada):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to MF Crafts, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

2. Fan us on Facebook.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, September 28 and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Trash & Treasures Tuesday: What can YOU make from scraps?

My crafting desk is filled to the brim with piles of random scrap fabric. An old McCurdy's box packed with miscellaneous buttons is wedged in the bottom drawer. I wanted to make something with them, but not being a stellar seamstress left me with few options. I started piecing things together and found a fun style of hair clips and pins the incorporates both.

I like the modern fabric juxtaposed with the vintage beads and buttons. They are a statement piece in your hair or a sweet touch to your favorite fall coat.

The best part? They are easy to make! A little stacking, sewing and gluing and the leftover fabric from your latest project has a new life! I've used old calendars, newspaper, magazines and origami paper to add a sturdy base.

So what's your go-to project when you want to use up small amounts of leftover materials? Leave 'em in the comments!

Peace & thanks,
Kaitlin

Make-it Mondays: Build Online Support for Your Etsy Shop

So you thought you could make a fabulous Etsy shop and wait for the tidal wave of awesome to head your way? Wrong. Think about it. Online you are one in a million. Maybe even one in a billion. What are the chances of finding your little water drop in the big crafty ocean? Here are some ways to stand out and bring traffic to your store:

• Create a blog: And use it! Write about your inspiration, share work in progress and let customers get to know you on a personal level. That connection is what makes you far more interesting than going to Walmart.
• Make a Facebook Fanpage: You can post treasuries you make and treasuries you are included in. You can post surveys. You could post giveaways for your 1000th heart or 100th fan. Just imagine, one "like" can connect you to a person who has 500 friends who may like you as well and connect you to their 500 friends.
• Get Your Own Dot Com: You can buy a domain that is short and easy to remember and have it forward to your Etsy store. This may also eliminate some competition with someone who has a similar shop name or product.
  
• Make a Business Twitter: This is a quick and easy way to announce giveaways, contests, and new items in your shop. This is great for your returning customers to access. Be careful though! No one wants their cell going off at your every creative move.
  
• Link, Link, Link: Link your blog to other successful sites you love. Comment on high traffic blogs. Comment on Etsy treasuries. Post to your facebook fanpage and twitter. Participate in street team forums. This will put you higher on Google searches.
  

Alright so here are two things you might be thinking right now: "Jesus, do you live on your computer?" and "Won't I annoy people by constantly updating them about my business?" The answers, if you do all of the above, are yes and yes. So pick and choose. Maybe use one or two ideas. Or maybe use several ideas, but just once or twice a week.

Jack's Pick: Hoot Owl Hat by Duncan Creative

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

The chill is now in the air in Rochester, and we all are starting to think about Fall, and that unthinkable word...winter. We start breaking out the warmer cloths, start drinking more warm beverages, and start settling in for the long dark nights.

Sound depressing? Well, just look at this hat and you won't want to wait for the cold weather! You will be begging for a cold day to wear it! Karen of Duncan Creative has crocheted this adorable "Nobody Gives a Hoot Owl" hat from acrylic yarn, and can be ordered in any size, for kids or adults.

I like this hat because I like owls, and birds. I like hats with ear flaps. I like the friggin' cute kids modeling these hats...I mean how big is that grin! I think this hat may have magical powers to make you smile.

Wednesday Wellspring: Chain Maille Maven

Bubbling up from the well for this week's giveaway is Chain Maille Maven with an gorgeous Handmade Beaded Copper Rosettes Bracelet!

Copper gives fluidity to this bracelet. It's woven in the Euro 4 in 1 Rosette weave and spaced with delicate glass beads to give it a touch of whimsy. This bracelet just screams Spring and will top off any outfit.

And the rules (This giveaway is open to US only):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to Chain Maille Maven, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. Follow the Chain Maille Maven's blog.

2. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, September 21 and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Make-it Mondays: Studio #1 KiraArts

For awhile Make-it Mondays has included tutorials, business tips and creativity starters. Starting today that list will also include a peek into the creative process and studios of our rochester ny etsy street team members. Up first is the lovely Kira Sinclair of KiraArts.


Buenahelena: Where do you work or where is your studio?

Kira: My "studio" is in the smallest bedroom of my 100 year old, 4 bedroom house in the itty bitty country town of Lyndonville NY (an hour northwest of Rochester). The space has been ever-changing and evolving ever since my husband and I moved into the house last August. I knew the day we first looked at the house that the small, pink-wallpapered room would be my craft space.

B: What is your medium or product of choice?

K: I make plush monsters and other creatures out of recycled socks, sweaters, store bought fleece remnants, and pretty much any fabric I can get my hands on. I also make other little doodads like crochet flower and butterfly pins, dog and cat toys, and bottlecap magnets.


B: What is the biggest challenge about your space and how have you worked through it?

K: I have TOO MUCH STUFF and not enough room for it all! But isn't that everyone's problem? A major problem with working with recycled materials is that you never want to throw ANYTHING away! A way I've worked through it is that I had my husband put up shelves made from old bi-fold closet doors. I also use Rubbermaid totes to store some of my fabric. Some of my monsters awaiting their new homes get to hang on clotheslines I've nailed to the walls, while others wait in totes. But even with the extra shelving, it's still a challenge to keep everything neat and organized, since I'm a bit of a "Renaissance Crafter", and I have a lot more craft supplies other than the ones I use for plush-making (I enjoy scrapbooking and painting as well).

B: Describe a typical day at the studio.

K: There really is no "typical" day, but I'm finding lately that I'll design a few creatures at night, cut the fabric, then go to bed. Then the next day, after I've tackled the housework, fiddled around on the computer, and had some lunch, I'll spend the afternoon sewing, stuffing, and bringing the creatures to life. When I'm sewing I'll usually watch a movie or TV series on DVD or my iPod. Some of my favorites are "Coraline", "Fraggle Rock", "The Muppet Show" and "Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends". Most of the time, I'll save finishing touches that need to be hand-sewn for in the evening after dinner, when my husband and I are sitting watching TV together. When I finish a monster, I'll lob it at my hubby so he can see it and give his seal of approval. Other times I'll bring a bag of monsters that need hand sewing to church and sew there while I listen (it helps me pay attention better when my hands are busy).


B: What do you love the most about being a crafter/artist/etsy seller?

K: I love creating. And I love creating colorful, quirky, cuddly things that make children AND adults smile. I originally started making plush monsters out of socks for fun. The fact that people are willing to buy them from me is a bonus!

Thank you for sharing your space with us Kira!! Visit her blog and Etsy store below:
http://kirascraftylife.blogspot.com
http://kiraarts.etsy.com

If you are interested in having you studio profiled visit our team site and get more info at this forum.

Wednesday Wellspring: buenahelena

My apologies, dear readers, for being absent from you last week and being a day late this week! I am so happy to announce the winner of the Back-to-School team challenge: buenahelena! It is perfectly poetical that she should win as the proprietress of buenahelena is a teacher herself! Congratulations, buenahelena, and a good back-to-school for you!

Our next challenge is Farm/Harvest in celebration of fall which is soon upon us, so be sure to come back and help us choose a winner!

Make-it Mondays: What RNEST is Making for Fall

It's fall again. Well not technically, but as soon the leaves start turning and the sky turns gun powder gray it may as well be. Even if you don't like the coming chill, be happy that fall kicks off the highest selling season on Etsy. Start thinking fall colors, warm scarves, spiced scents and holiday themed items. Here are some great fall finds from our street team:

PeachesProducts


TheQuiltedHouse


InkyStarShop


GocksFrocks


MFCrafts

DuncanCreative

Jack's Pick: Beauty in the Eye's Nature's Elegance Bracelet

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

Michelle of Beauty in the Eye has created a stunning bracelet with the help of nature's inspiration. I want to quote Michelle from the item description because her description is just so fitting:

When I look at this bracelet I feel a sense of calm and balance found only in nature’s colors. The magnesite has brown crackled lines that remind me of weathered earth, while at the same time the white background evokes clouds in the sky. Amazonite brings in the water and sky elements also, and the copper beads and copper colored pearls represent for me wood, sand and earth.

I honestly could not describe this wonderful bracelet better than that, so I won't.