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!!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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?
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!
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!
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!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Teal and Ruffle Clutch - How To
So last night I was trying to come up with a really cute clutch. My original idea was to create it so that the front of the clutch was ruffly and had a giant bow. I still haven't figured out how I am going to do that yet - when I do I will post. But I came up with this, instead in the mean time!
I frequent Joann's fabrics A LOT! At the fabric cutting station there is always a "remnants" section, which is just leftover pieces of fabric from the bolt that don't quite measure out to a yard. These are usually half off. I enjoy this section so much because you can get some great fabric for small projects at low prices!!
One of my discoveries was this great satin teal, which I used for this clutch. I cut the satin long and wide, and my base for the clutch 9" by 5.5" (you will need 4 pieces for the base) . I ironed on some fusible interfacingon the back of 2 of the base pieces.
Next I made the ruffle by individually ruffling the fabric it up and slowly stitching down the center.
Next I pinned the ruffle onto the base with interfacing and stitched it into place.
After that, I pinned and stitched the zipper into place. Don't forget to add the lining (one of the base pieces without interfacing)!
Unzip the zipper and sew the clutch together (right side to ride side so that the WRONG sides are facing OUT). You want the zipper unzipped because it is VERY hard to unzip when you can't grab the handle of it. Take it from me, I learned the hard way...TWICE :-p
Oh, and don't forget to trim the excess off of the seams.
TADA!!!!
You can purchase this clutch purse and other styles by visiting my Etsy Shop skinnyhound.
I frequent Joann's fabrics A LOT! At the fabric cutting station there is always a "remnants" section, which is just leftover pieces of fabric from the bolt that don't quite measure out to a yard. These are usually half off. I enjoy this section so much because you can get some great fabric for small projects at low prices!!
One of my discoveries was this great satin teal, which I used for this clutch. I cut the satin long and wide, and my base for the clutch 9" by 5.5" (you will need 4 pieces for the base) . I ironed on some fusible interfacingon the back of 2 of the base pieces.
Next I made the ruffle by individually ruffling the fabric it up and slowly stitching down the center.
Next I pinned the ruffle onto the base with interfacing and stitched it into place.
After that, I pinned and stitched the zipper into place. Don't forget to add the lining (one of the base pieces without interfacing)!
Unzip the zipper and sew the clutch together (right side to ride side so that the WRONG sides are facing OUT). You want the zipper unzipped because it is VERY hard to unzip when you can't grab the handle of it. Take it from me, I learned the hard way...TWICE :-p
Oh, and don't forget to trim the excess off of the seams.
TADA!!!!
You can purchase this clutch purse and other styles by visiting my Etsy Shop skinnyhound.
Happy Sales!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Featured Seller #1 - RockStarHottie
Our first featured seller is RockStarHottie, who hails from Chicago! I atually first met RockStarHottie when I "bought in" to my very first BNR. For those who don't know, on Etsy you can create treasuries which are mini galleries featuring different artists and shops. BNR stands for "Buy 'n' Replace", which is simply a treasury that is always changing. BNR's are great ways to market and promote your shop, especially if you are new. One must buy an item from a featured shop in order to have an item from one's own shop featured in the BNR. It can be great fun.
ANYWAY!!! Back to RockStarHottie! This woman is amazing. She runs several different shops, has five children running around, and a husband who she sometimes considers her 6th child. RockStarHottie's shop is full of great colorful goodies - mostly hairclips, resin rings, and keychains.
RockStarHottie's shop is bright and welcoming, and has GREAT prices, too. I have a few goodies on their way from her shop and I can't wait to open them up with you readers and share how great they are!
So what does RockStarHottie have to say for herself? I designed a list of questions for our featured sellers to answer:
1. RockStarHottie.Etsy.com
2. Found Etsy about 5 years ago when I was Googling something.
3. The Most Difficult Thing: Finding new customers
4. I try to keep my shop fresh by adding something everyday, browsing the pages of Etsy and getting/giving ideas thru BNR's
5. Future Plans include clothing, purses and jewelry
6. I promote my shop and other shops by curating BNR's through a little brainchild of mine (and AlteredEras.ETSY.com), Facebook and Twitter, hopefully the word of mouth thing will be soon to follow... :)
7. Life Beyond Etsy, I tried that by having a website and the traffic through Etsy is so much better that it became a waste of time for me. I do hope to have my stuff in retail stores, boutiques, online stores.
Well there you have it, my creative readers! RockStarHottie is truly a rock star when it comes to her shop!!! 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!
ANYWAY!!! Back to RockStarHottie! This woman is amazing. She runs several different shops, has five children running around, and a husband who she sometimes considers her 6th child. RockStarHottie's shop is full of great colorful goodies - mostly hairclips, resin rings, and keychains.
RockStarHottie's shop is bright and welcoming, and has GREAT prices, too. I have a few goodies on their way from her shop and I can't wait to open them up with you readers and share how great they are!
So what does RockStarHottie have to say for herself? I designed a list of questions for our featured sellers to answer:
1. RockStarHottie.Etsy.com
2. Found Etsy about 5 years ago when I was Googling something.
3. The Most Difficult Thing: Finding new customers
4. I try to keep my shop fresh by adding something everyday, browsing the pages of Etsy and getting/giving ideas thru BNR's
5. Future Plans include clothing, purses and jewelry
6. I promote my shop and other shops by curating BNR's through a little brainchild of mine (and AlteredEras.ETSY.com), Facebook and Twitter, hopefully the word of mouth thing will be soon to follow... :)
7. Life Beyond Etsy, I tried that by having a website and the traffic through Etsy is so much better that it became a waste of time for me. I do hope to have my stuff in retail stores, boutiques, online stores.
Well there you have it, my creative readers! RockStarHottie is truly a rock star when it comes to her shop!!! 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!
Busy Bee
So lately I have been sewing my butt off. Last week I got 4 accepted bids on alchemy - all items that require extensive work and time. Last week I was also feverishly preparing for my very first craft show! Needless to say, I got behind on my alchemy requests. This week and this past weekend I have been slowly catching up. Today I am working on a backpack tote for a woman who has chronic pain and needs to bring a set of cushions almost everywhere she goes.
I am also recruiting shops to be featured in my blog for FREE until it gets up and running, and lots of readers. When that finally happens, I will likely start charging for ad- space. Right now, if you want an ad-space good for a week and be a featured seller (I will blog about your site and promote you) you can send me a hand crafted item made by YOU, not Wal-mart, and I will critique your item and promote your shop!
Send your freebies to:
Handmade Hound by skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757
Also, if you are a bake shop, I realllly love baked goodies! I do not like nuts or coconut in my baked goodies though, so if you send me anything with those in it, you are asking for trouble! :-p
I will be featuring my first seller later this evening, so stay tuned!
Happy sales!
Handmade Hound by skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757
Also, if you are a bake shop, I realllly love baked goodies! I do not like nuts or coconut in my baked goodies though, so if you send me anything with those in it, you are asking for trouble! :-p
I will be featuring my first seller later this evening, so stay tuned!
Happy sales!
Monday, August 23, 2010
First Blog Post
Just a little background, I am an Etsy seller, and I have also just jumped into the world of craft shows. I have a dog, "Arthur"; two male cats, "Stuart" and "Walter"; and one female cat, "Lars". I have been creating anything and everything since I was a small girl - from pages and pages of drawings, sewing tote bags and clothes, creating doorbells for my bedroom, to crafting anything imaginable. I know a little about a lot of things.
So this is my first blog post! What I am hoping to do for this blog is to have you, my readers, write to me and tell me about yourself, and I will do a critique of your shop or an item! If you send me a free item of yours I will give you a free advertisement space on my blog and my website (http://www.skinnyhound.com) good for one week. You may also purchase a spot advertising your shop on my blog or website - I have to first get the ball rolling a little and I will open that up to everyone. I will also be posting how-to's, and other DIY projects that I make for my Etsy shop.
If you are interested in being a featured shop, please write to me at sarah@skinnyhound.com. I would love to hear from you! If you are interested in an ad-space on my blog or website, please send a handcrafted item to:
Handmade Hound by skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive, #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757
You will receive an ad-space good for 1 week, and I will promote your shop in one of my blogs.
Here's to making sales!!
So this is my first blog post! What I am hoping to do for this blog is to have you, my readers, write to me and tell me about yourself, and I will do a critique of your shop or an item! If you send me a free item of yours I will give you a free advertisement space on my blog and my website (http://www.skinnyhound.com) good for one week. You may also purchase a spot advertising your shop on my blog or website - I have to first get the ball rolling a little and I will open that up to everyone. I will also be posting how-to's, and other DIY projects that I make for my Etsy shop.
If you are interested in being a featured shop, please write to me at sarah@skinnyhound.com. I would love to hear from you! If you are interested in an ad-space on my blog or website, please send a handcrafted item to:
Handmade Hound by skinnyhound
10270 East Taron Drive, #266
Elk Grove, CA 95757
You will receive an ad-space good for 1 week, and I will promote your shop in one of my blogs.
Here's to making sales!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)