HOT Topics: Coral - too precious to wear?

Since I was small I have been a bit of a tree hugger. I will bring a plastic bottle home with me if there isn't a recycling bin nearby while I am out and about. I am slowly buying more and more organic and free range foods. While I have always had a passion for the environment and taking care of it, I have been learning more as I try to live an active and healthy lifestyle. I enjoy putting National Geographic documentaries in my Netflix account and will watch several back to back usually about nature, the environment, and health. In a nutshell, I become a bigger and more aware tree hugger on a daily basis.

Recently on Etsy there has been a huge uproar about a blog that was posted in the Storque Blog about Coral and because of it's endangerment, it is "too precious to wear". The blog is written by a woman named Temple St. Clair who is part of a campaign to stop the harvesting of coral for jewelery. Coral, while a beautiful creature is home to much of the ocean's living creatures, as stressed in St. Clair's article, and is endangered because of harvesting. Another aspect that St. Clair didn't mention but is important to bring up is that coral reefs are very sensitive to oceanic temperature changes, and because of global warming they are "bleaching" and dying off. As young children we learn that all living creatures are connected through a cycle of life, and this is not different when it comes to coral. With coral reefs dying off and the healthy reefs being harvested, we are taking more than just the lives of the coral but every creature that relies on the ecosystems created by the coral they live in.

While the article is well-intended, and quite frankly I am in complete agreeance with St. Clair that we need to stress the importance of not using products that are a result of harvesting endangered species, not everyone was happy with this article. Because I am generally a diplomatic person it is easy for me to see the importance in both sides' arguments, I understand why so many people are upset. Just reading through the forums, many people are outraged as seen here. In the defense of the upset sellers, they felt that the blog was implying indirectly that the sellers of coral based products on Etsy are bad. They also feel that it would lower the value of their product. I understand this, and I feel for these sellers. However, I also understand that this was not what the article was implying at all, it was simply trying to spread the awareness.

In my personal opinion I feel that the sellers should continue to sell their product - but when they run out, not to order more coral supply. Our environment is incredibly important and there are so many other alternatives for beautiful jewelery without using an endangered species. SELLERS: You are not bad people! I think it is a bit ridiculous that some are asking for their Etsy fees from coral sales to be refunded to them. And I don't feel that their product value is lowered because of this Storque article. However, I do feel that it is important that as Etsy is a "handmade nation", it is our responsibility to begin the transition into eco-friendly products. Including myself. So, in light of all this uproar, I have decided to feature some great eco-friendly shops.

Dark gray and pink tailored handbag ... ORGANIC fabrics by bymytouch

Large Polka Dot Fish Wall Art Turquoise by recycledwoodart

8 Plantable Gift Tags - Pressed Flowers - with Garden Flower Seeds - Set of 8 - Rose on White by recycledideas

So there you have it! Some amazing eco-friendly shops doing their best to help inspire and influence us toward making the right choice: buy handmade, and buy eco-smart!

Halloween/Autumn Give-Away!

This halloween I will be picking one follower to win a ONE OF A KIND pillow. There will be only one version of this pillow and one winner!

HOW TO ENTER:

First, become a fan of skinnyhound on facebook!
Second, follow our blog!
Third, leave us a comment telling us that you have become a fan/are a fan, have us followed, and what you like about our shop! (http://skinnyhound.etsy.com)

This pillow is sewn by me (skinnyhound)! I use eco-felt and hand stitch the applique onto the pillow case which fits a 12x12 pillow form. This pillow will be bright and colorful! It will be Autumn themed with leaves. Here are some hints to what it shall look like:

As the days get us closer to Halloween, I will be posting small tidbits of my one-of-a-kind pillow!! Stay tuned!

For the Athlete In Us All

 The secret of concentration is the secret of self-discovery. You reach inside yourself to discover your personal resources, and what it takes to match them to the challenge. 

--Arnold Palmer

For the past year I have been on a journey of exercising, eating right, and getting fit. Since January 15th of this year (2010) I have lost 52 pounds! But it did not come easily. Not even a little bit. Starting out, I could barely run for a minute straight on the treadmill! I had to push myself harder and harder every day both physically and mentally, and when I felt that I just couldn't push any harder, that was when I dug deep inside and pushed even harder. 

A few weeks ago, after a few months of training, I ran my very first Half-Marathon, which is 13.1 miles. It was brutal, but I never stopped or walked the entire  time. I went from hardly running for a minute straight, to running an entire 13.1 miles, without stopping or walking, in 2 hours and 39 minutes. How is that for accomplishment?

No matter who you are, or what your situation, you can be an athlete. Anyone can. When you say, "I could never do that" or "I am only able to run this far or this fast", you are WRONG. Maybe you have been hitting the treadmill fairly regularly but you never see any results? Sports and all athletic ventures are 10% physical and 90% mental. If you tell yourself you can do it, you can and you will. 

As an athlete I was searching through Etsy for things that may appeal to my sporty side, and oh boy did I ever! Here are some great items from some really great shops.

Tattoo Print Multi Purpose Backpack Drawstring Bag by DesignsByAmbiana

I Run. Glass Pendant Necklace- White and Black by noelleorozco

Vinyl Wall Sticker Decal Art - Karate Kid by urbanwalls

It has been my experience that many of the Etsy shops are run primarily by women, and often times they are mothers and have very little time between running a family and a shop to hit the gym. Don't let that be your excuse. Take your kids for walks and runs and playing outside in the grass or parks. You can ALWAYS make time for exercise and living an active and healthy lifestyle, no matter what your situation is. And don't give up, it is supposed to be hard at first. 

Start your healthy new lifestyle with some of these inspirational items! Or, add to your regular fitness regime with these useful and cute items! Start today!

Etsy Finds - Getting a little bored?

Every day, I peel off the covers, shove my cat in a tangled mess off of me, and reach for my iPhone. Gotta check my email. Wow, I must be pretty popular, right? Nope, I am checking to see if I made any sales through my slumber or if I have been featured in the daily "Etsy Finds" mass email. If you are a seller, this may sound familiar to you as we all are chomping at the bit for that next sale or more exposure. If I am lucky I will make a sale, but more often than not I am just disappointed at the lack of "featured-ness" in the Etsy email.

As I scroll through the email I just see the same thing over and over again. Dress. Boots. Earrings. Necklace. Crochet. Knits. Steampunk. Something Holiday related. This is all, of course, great for the sellers that sell these types of things because it adds to the desire and interest of buyers who may want to purchase similar items. And of course, I do not want to down play at all what amazing creations are featured in "Etsy Finds" because quite frankly the items tend to be top notch. BUT. What about the weird, eccentric items laden throughout Etsy? Why must I look at shoes and scarves and hats all the time? I honestly don't even click through to any of the items anymore because there is just no variety day to day. While this email full of features should help out the shops being featured, the lack of variety could ultimately hurt (or just not contribute to) shop sales because we are bored!

So what do we want to see on Etsy Finds? Well I made my own little gallery "Skinny Finds" to give you an idea of what I am talking about.

Crazy Pink Cupcake--Polymer Clay Figurine by blamethemoon

Who doesn't love cup cakes? These are hilarious and even though they have no practical use, people need to see these awesome items!

Lab Rat PDF knitting pattern by CraftyHedgehog

Okay, so I know I said I was bored of knits, but this isn't a sweater or scarf.... This is AWESOME!

Origami Moose Journal by jukyandbeatrix

Just because...moose...they are pretty excellent.

So by now it is likely understood that I personally have a strange taste in items, veering way off the normal course of jewelery and hand bags, but Etsy must understand when they put together their "Etsy Finds" that there are people out there, such as my self, who prefer the strange and interesting over the "popular" consensus.  So Etsy, "find" some awesome new stuff every once in a while, will ya?

Robots Are Cute and Silly!

photo source: http://blog.youdesignit.com/

Who would have guessed that a hunk of metal and artificial intelligence could be so darn cute? Well it can be! Robots seem to be popping up all over the place these days on t-shirts, purses, and more! Or maybe I am just slow to catch on... Either way, I was scanning through the Geekery on Etsy and found a bunch of super cute and silly robots. Enjoy this collection!

dark grey robot by moyoworkshop

I Luv U Taco Robot by sleepyrobot13

POWERED BY YOUR MAGNIFICENT HOT DOG by thedollfarm

Android Pillow by Craftsquatch

Robots are so much fun! Has anyone ever heard of Invader Zim? It is a cartoon by Jhonen Vasquez and it features an alien robot...look it up, it is uh-mazing!

Coming up: Soon we will be having another competition. It won't be a caramel cook-off like last time, but more details will be released soon :)

Sellers Beware - Etsy Horrors

Every now and then I like to bounce through the Etsy Forums. Usually I participate in the critiques, or do my own promotions in hopes of more exposure. Last night as I was aimlessly clicking through various threads I happened upon on in particular that caught my eye.



The seller, apparently, had sold an item to a buyer and waited patiently for the payment. To back up a little bit, it is important to understand that there is a huge gap in the Etsy to PayPal transaction process. A buyer can "purchase" an item from an Etsy shop, causing the item to be listed as "Sold" and therefore unavailable to other buyers for purchase. Although the item appears to be sold, the buyer does not have to pay for the item because the shopping cart program on Etsy is not directly linked with PayPal, the buyer is simply given a button to push that sends them to PayPal.

So the buyer, in this case, took advantage of this gap and "purchased" the item via Etsy but did not follow through on payment. In fact, the buyer went so far as to say that their PayPal was not currently working, and asked to make a payment at a later date. It is my experience as both a seller and a buyer on Etsy that shop owners are extremely polite, helpful, and giving because most the time it is just one person behind the shop, and not a huge company. Being a kind-natured "Etsian", the seller granted the buyer some extra time to follow up with payment... 3+ weeks to be exact. No Payment. Not only that, but after the seller decided to re-list and sell the item to another buyer after non-payment for an extensive amount of time, the buyer decided to leave extremely negative feedback on this seller's shop before the cancellation had been completed!

While I would love to totally put this EVIL buyer on blast and tell you which "buyer" on Etsy it is, I won't. (But you can read more about it here and search for the evilness yourself should you so desire: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6655856)

Anyway, the point of this entry was to warn Etsy sellers of the dangers of selling and potential risks. Just as buyers should make sure that the shop they are buying from has generally good and positive feedback, sellers need to take caution and check out the feedback their buyers have. And also, don't just look at the % on the feedback, take the time to actually READ the feedback, just because someone gave a bad review doesnt necessarily mean the shop is BAD.

I went through the feedback that this evil buyer was receiving and decided to promote some of the shops that he/she/it decided to try and defraud.

The Most Fabulous Vintage 1950s Navy Blue and White Polka Dot FULL CIRCLE Skirt Party Dress HANDMADE by DecadesBaltimore

A Glass of Bubbly Vintage 80's Lillie Rubin Strapless Black Silk Petal Dress, S by cricketcapers

Vintage 1970s Green/White Gingham Print Summer Dress - Size Sm/Med by danadaisys

Gorgeous items!!! All of these are clearly great shops that have been a victim of this evil buyer attempting to defraud them through non-payment. So beware fellow Etsy sellers!

On my Christmas list

3 Original Itty Gift Packages, Holiday in Red by CornerShopofLove

So time is quickly pushing us all forward into the holiday season. Halloween is at the end of this month, then we are struck by Thanksgiving (or as I personally prefer to call it, "Turkey Day"), and then suddenly it is Christmas! It has been a long time since I have thought about what I really want for Christmas. Last year I wanted a newer/bigger set of tools and a power drill (happily supplied by my family I got this great gift) and a couple of years ago a new vacuum that would suck up all the pet hair in my carpets without getting clogged. But what do I really, truly want?


I perused Etsy and found some great items I would love to have:

Pink Rose Raspberry - Pink Quartz Drop Sterling Silver Earrings by echosofspring

I love these earrings! They are so cute, and I love the color!!

A LITTLE LONELINESS - GREYHOUND DOG PRINT by ElleJW

Believe it or not, I have purchased a print from this person before. The watercolors are just so beautiful, and you know me, I just LOVE sight hounds! This one is super cute and I wish I could have it blown up real big to hang above my bed!

Handpainted Winter Tree with Birds Duvet Cover and Shams, Queen Size by shanon1972

This duvet cover set is the essence of me and what I like my bedroom to be. Clean, simple. elegant, and Earthy. I absolutely love this set and hope that someone will be so kind as to purchase this for me. I hope that this seller can recreate this if it gets sold because one day I want one for myself!

So there you have it! These were just a few items on my secret Christmas wish list. Happy holiday shopping to everyone! And remember: buy handmade!!!

RESULTS!! Caramel Cook-off Competition!

So, over a week late past the date we said we would post the results, I am finally putting together this blog! I apologize for the long wait, things got super hectic and I wanted to make sure that this blog was worth the while because our winner and runners up deserve it!

Our FIRST runner up is: CC Confectionary .

1. Taste: 9/10 these caramels were SOO GOOD! We loved these and couldn't stop eating them!
2. Presentation: 5/5 Everyone agreed that the packaging was absolutely gorgeous and it felt like we received a great little gifty.

3. Uniqueness/individuality - shape, color, ingredients: 4/5 One surprise to us was that there was lemon in the recipe! Although we couldn't taste a distinct lemon taste, it obviously added to the quality of the caramel.  Another thing that we adored about this caramel recipe is that everything was organic, natural, and GMO-free. Over here at skinnyhound, we are health freaks and LOVED this aspect.

4. Desire for more 5/5 we recommend that everyone try these caramels because they were phenomenal! We ate both boxes pretty much in one day.

5. Quality/accuracy of caramel description 5/5 Wonderful description that VERY accurately described the taste and experience of the caramel. Well done.

6. Did you follow the rules? 4/5 We were hoping to receive the photos of your kitchen/you, but no such luck! Don't worry, though, it did not bring you down very much at all. Besides, these caramels speak for themselves!

Bonus: 5/5 we received more than the required amount (and were so happy that we did!)

Great job, Catherine! Here is an excerpt from CC Confectionary's write-up:
"I have been baking and cooking since I was teeny, tiny with my mom. I love all things sweet and became frustrated because I couldn't find a good caramel to bake with and always had trouble making it from recipes I found. I was on a mission to figure out how to make caramel and came up with my very own concoction. I love these caramels and hope you enjoy them as much as my family and friends do." (Catherine of CCConfectionary).

And oh boy, do we love your caramels, Catherine! I know we will buying from you in the future and encourage our readers to do the same!


And now the moment you have all been waiting for...the WINNER of the Caramel Cook-Off Competition!!!


Goodies by Deidre Wood


Congratulations Deidre!!! Your caramels were fabulous!! So, I went to the mailboxes to check to see if any packages arrived. I found a key in my box which meant that a package came and was in one of the bigger lock boxes. *so exciting*. I opened the door and found this nicely sized packaged. I ran upstairs with it and immediately started cutting into the box. I open it to find bubble wrap and tissue paper. I tear both away and see two beautiful bags of caramels. Two bags! Lucky us! YUM! But wait. There is more. Just like a kid on christmas or your birthday, I wanted to rummage through the rest of the packaging to see what else there was if anything. There was! Another layer of bags of caramels! And then ANOTHER layer! I would like to say that I think we received either 8 or 10 bags of delicious caramel goodness!

So gosh, what to do with so much caramel? Well Deidre, you had our work cut out for us because each back was a different flavor from your kitchen! We received fleur de sel caramels, butterscotch, chocolate, marzipan, pecan pie, pumpkin spice, and more! You name it, we got it!

It took us a long time to score your delicious caramels, but here you are:

1. Taste: 10/10 Obviously the first package that I wanted to break into were the Fleur de Sel caramels. All of your caramels were DIVINE, but these totally took the proverbial cake! Phenomenal. After the judging was over I ate these without stopping. I was extremely sad when the bag was empty! But my second favorite were the Pumpkin Spice caramels - and just in time for the holidays too! Another judge favorite were the Chocolate because of the tiny hint of fleur de sel sprinkled on top. YUM
2. Presentation: 4/5 Wonderful packaging we were wondering how you were able to create a plastic airtight pouch the way that you did for these caramels! What is your secret, Deidre?!

3. Uniqueness/individuality - shape, color, ingredients: 5/5 I think it is safe to say that when it came to unique-ness, you won! With so many different flavors to taste, we had to cleanse our palates constantly. But oh boy it was worth it!

4. Desire for more 5/5 Each flavor left us begging for more. My personal favorite was the Fleur de Sel, which was phenomenal and I kept the rest of the bag to myself!

5. Quality/accuracy of caramel description 5/5 Great write-up which we will post at the bottom.

6. Did you follow the rules? 5/5 Yes! And believe it or not, you were the only one that sent us a photograph!

Bonus: 5/5 I wanted to give you a 10/5 because of HOW MUCH we received, but that would have been unfair :-p. Thank you so much Deidre, for sharing so graciously with us!

Shop Name:  Goodies by deidre wood
Web Address:  www.deidrewood.etsy.com
The baker behind it all:  I’ve never been one for cooking, but baking – now that’s my niche.  As someone who’s always searched for that perfect job, or spectacular school and never really felt that strong connection and desire, I’ve felt like my future has been a continuous ‘when I grow up, I want to be _____’ mentality.  Through it all though, baking has always been what I’ve resorted to in order to relieve stress and truly have a good time.  It’s what I do for fun.  Then the thought occurred to me, at a time that I was working my butt off going to law school, why not work my butt off at something I love?  The thought had honestly never occurred to me to do what I love as a career.  And with the stress of law school, believe me, I was baking a lot!  In this arose goodies by deidre wood when I discovered that not only were the items I made good, but sellable.
Every item is made with care and the desire to spread a little goodness and sweetness.  Every recipe made from scratch, each truffle hand dipped, every batch of caramel poured with precision, hand cut and hand wrapped.  Every item that I make is one that I’d not only devour myself, but also gift to a loved one.  There is no better end to a rough day (or even a fun one at that) than to bite into a delicate caramel or decadent truffle.
It is my main desire and motivation to not only enjoy life but also indulge in the goodies that life itself has to offer.  

Caramels featured: 
Chocolate caramels – All the delicate, chewy goodness that chocolate has to offer – in caramel form.  The only thing better to give than chocolates, is chocolate caramels.  Or, according to my front-toothless niece, ‘chocolate - ‘nuff said.’
Ingredients: sugar, cream, dark chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup, fleur de sel salt
Pecan pie caramels – perfect caramel counter part of fall’s best pie.  Chewy pecan goodness with a crunch and salty kick.  A Mess-less alternative to complete Christmas dinner.
Ingredients:  sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, fleur de sel salt, vanilla, pecans
Vanilla Bean caramels – A flashback to childhood sweets in the summertime.  Light and delicate with a sweet aftertaste that lingers and makes you eager for more.
Ingredients:  sugar, corn syrup, cream, butter, vanilla beans, vanilla, fleur de sel salt
Fleur de sel caramels – The ultimate addiction.  This will fulfill the caramel deprivation in any purveyor of confection.  Satisfyingly sweet, salty and seductive.
Ingredients:  sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, fleur de sel salt, vanilla
Marzipan caramels – the sweet, salty excellence expected but with a smooth, nutty finish.  The unanticipated aftertaste completes this caramel decadence.
Ingredients: sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, marzipan, fleur de sel salt, vanilla
Butterscotch caramels  - Like stealing candies from grandpa’s candy jar! The ‘old-school’ nature of this caramel is not only smooth and scrumptious, but competes with any cookie or candy grandma can make!
Ingredients: sugar, cream, butterscotch chips, butter, corn syrup, fleur de sel salt, vanilla
Spice caramels – Reminiscent of pumpkin pie, starbuck’s spice latte and, of course, fall.  So bring on the turkey and those beautiful fall colors and bite into a spiced caramel!
Ingredients: sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, fleur de sel salt, cloves, allspice, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla
Golden caramels – Buttery deliciousness topped off with the sweet succulence that leaves you wanting more.  Truly mouth-watering excellence.
Ingredients: sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, butter, vanilla

 Well there you have it, Guys!!! I will be creating little icons for both our runner up and winner of this competition shortly for advertisement. I will also be sending Deidre a surprise gift!! (Please email me your address deidre to sarah@skinnyhound.com or convo it to me on Etsy to http://skinnyhound.etsy.com) Both of these wonderful candy makers did an amazing job, and so did the rest of our submissions!! Great job :)

Caramel Cook Off - RESULTS SOON!!!

Hey readers!!! So the Caramel Cook Off Competition is complete! We had a really great turn-out and some AMAZINGGGGGG caramels to eat! All of you were so so so generous in how much caramel you gave to us judges!

We tallied up the results and have our winner - but before we announce the winner I am working on the results blog. The results will be posted Monday October 4th so keep your eyes peeled!

Once again, all you cooks/candy makers did a phenomenal job and we just couldn't eat enough caramels!!! Thank you so much for the great turn out and I can not wait to post the winner and our runner up!

Congrats!

Caramel Cook Off! Update again!

Okay all you caramel cook off competitors!!!

I had to change one of our judges because my boyfriend, who is a chef, has decided to enter the competition! Just so everyone knows - This is a blind taste test, so we will not know who's caramels we are eating until after we have completed judging. Just because I am a mean girlfriend I will also not be naming him the winner even if in fact his are better. I want to do this because I want to promote all you Etsy-ans out there that are working hard to promote!!! Of course I forced him to get a shop on Etsy, but this competition is supposed to be about the people that I don't know :)

Good luck all!!!

Critique - RockStarHottie

So our very first featured shop was RockStarHottie. Today I received in the mail our very first critique gift box!! RockStarHottie has sent us here at Handmade Hound blog a plethera of goodies!

These arrived in a fairly small box so I was not expecting to receive so much greatness in one little box! So, shall we begin our critique?

Monkey Owl wash cloth/baby wipes. What do we love about these? Oh my gosh, first of all they are just super cute! RockStarHottie did  such a cute job piecing these little owls together!

Secondly, they are so soft! I can just imagine getting my baby booty or baby face wiped with one of these super soft, super cute towels!

 

We also received this adorable clutch! We love the fabric used for this small wristlet clutch (RockStarHottie, where did you get it?!). We also love the ribbon flower that is attached in the corner. The seaming on this bag is very well done and there are no frayed or raw edges - which we LOVE. Great quality!

Next in our box of goodies we received some bobby pins and alligator clips! The flower bobby pins are beautiful and securely attached to the bobby pin its self. We especially adore the bright blue flower bobby pin. The alligator hair clips were also very nicely executed. It appears that the are very cute ribbon attached to the alligator clips. The great thing about these is that they do not look cheap, but rather look like something you would find at kids r us. There are no signs of glue gunning or any other type of adhesive which is great because there is nothing worse than a cheap looking hair clip!

We also received this set of hair clips. This is actually a set that I bought from RockStarHottie from her Etsy shop as a gift for my two year old niece. These we are keeping all for her!! We love these clips because the are so cute, well made, and are great gifts for little girls.

Finally we also received this gorgeous large paper crane. This crane is made with a sturdy and beautiful rose origami paper. It is enhanced with glitter sprinkled gently over it, and a pearl bead and hook at the center which makes it perfect for hanging!

All in all, the quality of these products is outstanding and we recommend that people check out her Etsy page, RockStarHottie, to find more wonderful products. Thank you, RockStarHottie, for sending us these beautiful and wonderful items to critique here at Handmade Hound!!

If you wish to be a featured seller, please email sarah@skinnyhound.com, and send a freebie to be critiqued in this blog to:

Handmade Hound by skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757

You will be promoted and featured in my blog, your item will be critiqued, and you will receive a premium ad-space good for one week!

Update!

Hey guys! I have been super busy the past few weeks as I was preparing for my booth at another craft fair (pictures to come soon!). I am sorry I haven't completed the tutorial I promised, but that will be here soon too!

Just a little update on the Caramel Cook Off Competition. We extended the deadline to Monday, the 20th. We have received some really great submissions already, however :) They are amazing! So competitors who haven't submitted - you have some pretty stiff competition!

Give me a day or so and I will get this blog back on track :)

How To Preview - Remnant Flower Belt

Coming up I will be doing a how to on a little design I came up with yesterday. This belt is called the Remnant Flower Belt. The reason is because I used remnants of previous projects to create both the flower and the belt piece!

Anyone can easily make this belt! And I am going to show you how next blog :)

--skinnyhound

Caramel Cook Off!

So in my love for caramels I have decided to hold a Caramel Cook Off for all of you cooks and candy makers out there! Basically you will send me delicious caramels, I will do a huge promo blog on all of the caramels that are entered, and score your caramels. There will be 1 winner, and 2 runner ups! The winner will receive a small gift, a complete blog promotion that just covers their shop, and a free premium ad-space good for 2 months!! ***NOTE: I forgot to mention that the runners up receive free ad-space good for 2 weeks.

The Rules:

1. Send 1.5 - 2oz of your best caramels to

Caramel Cook Off
Handmade Hound by Skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757

(There are 3 judges and so we will need enough for three)

2. Include an insert of your ingredients used

3. A brief description of your caramels and background on yourself as a cook/candy maker :)

4. Your shop name

5. A photograph of your kitchen OR you making caramels. (If you choose to send your photographs electronically, please submit them to sarah@skinnyhound.com with the subject "caramel cook off")
------------------------------------------------------------------
There will be several factors that go into the scoring process:

1. Taste (up to 10pts)
2. Presentation (up to 5pts)
3. Uniqueness/individuality - shape, color, ingredients (up to 5pts)
4. Desire for more (up to 5pts)
5. Quality/accuracy of caramel description (up to 5pts)
6. Did you follow the rules? (up to 5pts bonus)

Want bonus points? Get 5 BONUS points simply by sending more than the required amount of caramels!

So, if you are ready for our Caramel Cook Off, Please fulfill these requirements, and send your caramels to:

Caramel Cook Off
Handmade Hound by Skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757

Good luck, chefs!!!

Featured Seller #3 - GlassCube

So I have been super swamped the past few days and haven't gotten around to blogging! Sorrrry! Anyway, our third featured seller is GlassCube ! GlassCube makes wonderful and unique glass bowls, dishes, and sculptures. Looking through this shop you can tell a lot of thought and love went into each piece.

 These pieces can work either as dishes for bread or fruits, or just gorgeous sculptures around the house that wonderfully accent the rest of your home decor.

So what does GlassCube have to say for themselves?

1. What is the name and web address of your shop (pick any of your shops that you prefer to be promo'ed)?
GlassCube - http://www.glasscube.etsy.com

2. How did you learn about Etsy?
I actually learned about Etsy several years ago when I was trying my hand at making purses. ( I know its far from glass! ) One of my fellow coworkers turned me on to etsy as a good way to get your name out there and meet other sellers that make handmade items. I fell in love with it instantly and have been using it every since!

3. What has been the most difficult thing you have encountered since becoming a seller?
The most difficult thing for me has been figuring out how to advertise. You have to put an investment into your shop if you want it to take off. For most of us this is not an easy task! It is an ongoing balance of trying to make a profit, buying new supplies, funding advertisements, and finding the RIGHT advertisements!

4. What are your plans for the future of your shop?
I plan to keep growing my shop. I always try to stretch the boundaries and learn new techniques. My next adverture is going to be making glass vases. I have all of the supplies ready to go and cant wait to get the items up!

5. How do you keep your shop fresh?
Constantly trying new things. I make fused glass art much different than most artists. My technique of using glass frit, making glass sculptures, etc is unlike any other artists that I have found. Hopefully when fused glass buyers view my shop they are always welcomed with a sense of uniqueness and freshness...even if it is not their style!

6. How are you promoting yourself and your shop?
So far I am promoting myself by advertising on two different blogs: "Lace and Tea", and "Try Handmade". I also post all of my new items on my facebook and twitter accounts.

7. What is your life like beyond Etsy?
Full! I am a full time Process Engineer at a manufacturing company. I reduce waste and variation in the process and do a lot of statistical analysis. I live with my boyfriend Joe and our two dogs: Moose and Chelsea. We just love our life! 

Well there you have it!! Check out the GlassCube's shop on Etsy!

If you wish to be a featured seller, please email sarah@skinnyhound.com, and send a freebie to be critiqued in this blog to:

Handmade Hound by skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757

You will be promoted and featured in my blog, your item will be critiqued, and you will receive a premium ad-space good for one week!

Featured Seller #2 - Boutique De Bandeaux

Our featured seller today, Boutique De Bandeaux hails from NEW YORK!!! I am excited because I too am originally from New York! Our seller specializes in hair pieces for thick, curly, and natural hair and do they sure make a statement! Many of these pieces are large and in charge and so beautiful!

Just to give all you readers an idea of what kind of work spaces are available to our very talented artists, above is a photograph of our featured seller's work space!

I love this piece here- it is big and beautiful! I am pretty sure I don't have a large enough personality to wear something like this - BUT I definitely would!

These hair accessories made by Boutique De Bandeaux can be casual and street ready, but also very chic and formal - ready to be dressed up for a wedding party! These would be really great for bridesmaids, and I imagine our seller would be happy to "cook up" as many as you need :)

Let's see what our seller has to say for themself!

1. What is the name and web address of your shop?
Boutique De Bandeaux
http://boutiquedebandeaux.etsy.com

2. How did you learn about Etsy?
Honestly, I have no idea. I've only been on Etsy a year but its so much a part of my life now that its weird to think of a time where I didn't know about it.  I would think I happened upon it through a Google search or something, but I can't say for sure. I do, however, remember being crazy excited once I began to browse the site! At one point I even started calling family members so they could see for themselves.


3. What has been the most difficult thing you have encountered since becoming a seller?
Photography was by far the most difficult aspect of Etsy to master. Initially, I tried shooting my products indoors with a lightbox. That was so much trouble! I wouldn't the right lightbulbs or the right light placement, etc.  While researching on the forums, I ran across a suggestion to shoot outdoors during sunup or sunset.  It really is so much easier and now the photos come out much better. Now, I have my little routine down where I shoot my models in Central Park under indirect sunlight.  I'm by no means a master yet, but I feel like the look of my shop has improved greatly!


4. What are your plans for the future of your shop?
We'll definitely be adding more products, more variety.  There's been a lot of requests for us to to expand our line of elastic headbands since they're comfortable & stay secure. I'm happy to oblige :)

5. How do you keep your shop fresh?
I try to add new items as often as possible. I like to keep up with the seasons color trends with Etsy's Merchandising Desk Reports as well as forecasts from various fashion blogs.  Since my accessories are couture inspired, I also look to recent runway shows for when I need a little design inspiration.

6. How are you promoting yourself and your shop?
Really my main avenue of promotion is through Twitter. I make headbands for girls with thick, curly, and kinky hair and there happens to be a large natural hair community on Twitter.  It's easy to reach my target market through that venue, expose them to my shop, and find out from them what they look for in hair accessories.

7. What is your life like beyond Etsy?
I'm an aspiring actress in New York City. Aside from my shop work, my day usually filled with responding to castings online, going to auditions, and rehearsals for productions.  I'm really grateful to Etsy for providing me with some income to continue chasing my dreams.


Well there you have it, guys!!! Another beautiful shop to check out! Happy shopping :)

If you wish to be a featured seller, please email sarah@skinnyhound.com, and send a freebie to be critiqued in this blog to:

Handmade Hound by skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757

You will be promoted and featured in my blog, your item will be critiqued, and you will receive a premium ad-space good for one week!