Ready to Rock and Roll!

Moving takes a lot out of you. I'm finally ready to get back into it all. I made a new shop on DaWanda, and am adding new items to it.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Half off Sale!

So, my awesome boyfriend just graduated law school, and I need to get him a present.  He really needs a new buddy.  After canstant nagging for the last three months about how he needs a friend, I've managed to convince him he needs a kitty cat from the local Humane Society.


What I'm getting at is I'm having a half off sale, and 50 cent shipping so I can adopt a new friend for him.









See how awesome he is?


Mushroom stakes.

No, not the weird vegan food, the kind for your garden.
I've absolutely fallen in love with these. They're so cute, and will add pure awesomeness to your garden. I cant wait to move in a couple weeks so I can order a bunch.


Check them out here.


Suzanne aka Kiddo is a Social Worker hailing from Knoxville, TN where she lives with Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson (not the people, the cats). Suzanne's handmade Scrabble, and glass tile pendants have been selling like hotcakes since she began listing them on Etsy.

How long have you been crafting for?
I've been creating things all my life. I used to be really into drawing when I was little. When I was two I drew a picture of "Cinderella Riding a Turtle." My parents are both teachers, so craft supplies were readily available. I did some sculpting in high school, and when the bust I did of a man blew up in the kiln, I painted it to show all his internal organs. But as far as hand-sewing, embroidery, and jewelry making go; I've just really jumped into those areas since the beginning of 2009.

What is the inspiration behind your designs?
There's no certain thing that inspires me. I'm inspired by other people's work, mainly. I'll see something someone had made and then weeks or months later it will pop into my head again and I'll draw inspiration from that.

What made you decide to start selling your products online?
To see if I could. To see if anyone would actually purchase something I had made. I also sell my products because I need money to feed my craft supply addiction. You also have to do something with all your crafts! You can't wear everything you make!

Hardest thing about selling online?
Being patient and waiting for that first sale or the next sale after you've gone a week or two without one.

Easiest thing about selling online?
Packaging the purchase up and sending it to it's new destination! I love it! I love seeing my creations go to new homes!

Favorite site to sell on?
Etsy. The only other site I've tried besides eBay is Artfire, and I've had no luck at all with that site.

Favorite Craft related site?
http://cutoutandkeep.net That site really got me addicted to crafting and I've met a ton of wonderful people there!

Tips for new sellers?
You just have to be patient. Someone out there loves what you've created as much as you do!

Sugar Skull Spotlight

Winter Lights


Winter Lights Clothing & Accessories is an awesome, and unique clothing shop that caters to the curvier girls. Between the Elliot Smith pendants, and corset riddled skirts its hard not to absolutely LOVE this shop. Winter Lights also specializes in made to order corsets in any size, and style.



Interview

How long have you been crafting for?

I've been sewing for nearly a decade, and I've dabbled in other crafts since I was a little kid.

What is the inspiration behind your designs?

Ah, so many things! From random girls I see on the street who are dressed unlike anyone else and emit immense self-confidence to styles such as romantic gothic, pin-up, rockabilly, kawaii, gothic lolita, etc. Anything both sweet and dark is just perfection in my eyes.

What made you decide to start selling your products online?

It was after I fell in love with a lot of diy-ers on Craftster.org and saw that many of them started selling their stuff online that I got the idea in the first place. I was so excited for them and was eager to try my hand at selling too.

Hardest thing about selling online?

It can be discouraging, especially when you're first starting out, to try, try, try without many sales. It's also not very lucrative. As the adage goes, you've got to spend money to make money, and that's very true in this case.

Easiest thing about selling online?

Reveling in the positive feedback! It's the wonderful customers (even the "window shoppers" too) who tell me how thrilled they are to have found a seller who caters to their size. That makes any of the hard stuff so worth it!

Favorite site to sell on?

ETSY.COM!!!!!

Favorite Craft related site?

I will always say that Craftster.org is THE place that taught me how to sew. It's full of diy-ers of every age, style and skill level, and so many of them are more than willing to help novices out. I can't say enough about it!

Tips for new sellers?

As trite as it sounds, you can't give up! I only got 1 sale per month for the longest time until things started picking up. You really do have to follow through with it and keep improving your shop/website and plugging away at it until you start reeping the rewards, so to speak. It will be worth it!


Anything else?

Yes! Join DIYscene.com!

Craft it Forward!

Help brighten someones day, and swap awesome stuff with strangers!
I absolutely love this idea.


This is taken from Kiddo, who got it from a Melissa.


The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

* I make no guarantees that you will like what I make but I will do my best.
* it will be done in the next couple months
* you have no clue what it’s going to be - that’s the fun part!

It could be jewelry, accessories, embroidery, a felt creation, a paper craft, you won't know until it arrives at your door! I promise that it won't be baked goods, since I don't bake!

Here’s the fine print:

In return, all you need to do is post this text into a note of your own and make 5 things for 5 others. What could be more fun! Some ideas you could do for others: artwork, CD’s, burn a DVD, write a poem, crochet a scarf, make a mini book, send a photograph (a printed one, not e-mailed. etc…).

Make sure that I have your e-mail address so I can contact you to get your address!

CRAFT IT FORWARD!

Birdy's Knits


Birdy's Knits is an awesome shop that sells stitch notions, beads, and other great products.

A little bit about the duo behind Birdy's Knits.


Birdy's Knits is a husband and wife duo. Birdy and James run their small business out of their home in San Antonio, Texas. Birdy is a very talented knitter, and James designs and crafts their stitch markers that also double as lovely earrings. They have 2 small children which Birdy home schools. They started selling patterns on their main site about 2 years ago. Birdy's Knits launched their stitch counters 1 year ago, and have been selling on Etsy and Artfire since January.

Questions!

What made you decide to start selling online?
Well Birdy has been working on making a business out of her knitting hobby. So one day I decided to sneak around, and while she was out, I bought her the domain. The kids were so happy they HAD to tell her the moment she came in. We then went about setting up our site, with the original goal of just selling patterns. Two Christmas' ago Birdy made up some stitch markers for one of her secret Santa's and she used some lever back earrings. Soon after James, her husband, picked up some beads and started to make uniquely designed stitch markers that were just a bit more. We called them Dual Use Stitch Markers, and thus a whole new line was born. They went on line last March. We set up an Etsy shop sometime last year, but did not move in until this January after a complete redesign of our packaging. We wanted to make sure everything was right before we launched. Now we are confidant that we not only have a unique item, but a wonderful presentation too!

Why did you decide to start making stitch markers?
Well after Birdy made that one set she sent off, we were shopping at a discount shop and I saw some beads. They just jumped up at me, and I was like I could make some stitch markers with those. Don't know how that hit my mind, but we had been talking about extending our line of products beyond just knitting patterns. So it must have just been in the back of my mind.

Favorite craft site?
Ravelry for Birdy http://www.ravelry.com

Any tips for new sellers?
Great pictures are a must. The better our pictures the better our sales have been. Also you have to market yourself, in either forums of the site or through other sites.

Anything else you want to add?
ByHand.me has been a good help to me to connect with other artisans. I recommend learning the site and getting invo

Please check out their sites!

Website

Etsy

Artifire

44 Cent Shipping! $1.44 International Shipping!

I'm now offering 44 cent shipping, and $1.44 international shipping. 

I only pay 44 cents for the packaging I use so I decided to only charge what I pay.

I'm running this for who knows how long.  At the very least a 2 weeks. 

 Check my shop for more details, 

http://www.tracifaci.etsy.com

Thanks for looking!

 

I'm offering 25% off today and tomorrow on anything in my shop.


Check my shop for more details,

http://www.tracifaci.etsy.com

ByHand Artisans make the best Jewelery!

Don't believe me?

 

 

One Love!

I dont know why, but I absolutely Rastafarian things.  I think I listened to too much Marley as a teenager.

 

 

I'm starting to think Green and Purple are my favorite colors...

I was looking at my Etsy shop, and I noticed I make a lot of thing in Green and Purple.  I always thought pink was my favorite color.  Guess not...