ETSY What am I doing wrong?

Ok it's rant time again. I have two shops on Etsy one selling vintage jewellery and French vintage items. The other sells Beads, glass beads, vintage beads stone beads, ceramic beads all kinds of beads.

I believe that my beads are very competitively priced, ok my photography could perhaps be a little better but it's generally pretty good. Why aren't my items flying out of the door?

This week in my shop I have been trying to figure out SEO search engine optimisation. I have changed the tag line of my shop, altered section names and item titles...then BINGO! i got a sale and quite a big one for my shop 8 items! I thought whoopee this SEO business really makes a difference! Then nothing...not a bean.

I thought do i need to be listing in the middle of the night to make advantage of all my American cousins who are awake whilst I am asleep? Does the time of day really matter?

I thought I would check out a few of my competitors to see if they were selling similar items at half the cost. to my amazement I found that some were actually a fair bit more expensive, with higher shipping costs! So what is happening? Have I not filled in something correctly? have I accidentally turned something on or off that I shouldn't have?

Then I thought perhaps it's something to do with the amount of items in my shop? I thought back to just before X mas 2013 I had over 100 items in my shop and i seemed to be getting at least a couple of sales a week. Perhaps Etsy has some kind of algorithm that rewards shops with a lot of listings.

I am not quite at my wits end but I would really like to know what I need to do to make this work for me.

I'm in like 27 teams, I tweet every day, i ve even turned on the promote my listings thing. I ve offered coupon codes for discounts on twitter and Facebook. Do I need to make more treasuries? Do I need to hassle all my friends on face book? What? Will some one please just tell me! It's not like I am afraid of hard work I just want to know how my time should best be spent. It can't be magic or coincidence to make one shop more successful than another. So they are doing something that I am not but What!!!!!!!

Please someone comment even it only to share in my pain.

Vintage jewelry on Etsy

I was looking through the items in my shop on etsy today and I thought I have quite a lot of vintage jewelry so I thought nI would write a blog post about it.

I love vintage anything really though you wouldn't tell to look at me. I am not one of those chicks that looks as though she has just stepped out of a 1940's ad for washing detergent with perfectly rolled and curled hair, ample bosom and a  fabulous dress.

When I go to the brocantes and second hand markets I am always on the look out for something really cool from a bygone era. But as I am such a magpie I can't ( not allowed) to keep all of it. I get almost more pleasure hunting for others than I do myself.

So I thought I would share a few of the lovely vintage pieces I have found over the past few months.

This is a fabulous vintage millstone bracelet, also known as french bakelite or Galalith. It is a plastic that is made from milk solids and I believe originates from France. This bracelet has been made to mimic ivory with its wavy grain




This is a genuine bakelite bangle estimated from around the 1940's This butterscotch color is quite common but still really pretty. Though be aware that there are a lot of fakelites on the market apparently coming in from china, but mostly the more outlandish designs of the day, which are rarer. I am by no means a bakelite expert but be sure to look for signs of age, little nicks and scratches, if it is totally perfect perhaps you should be asking yourself some questions.

When I saw this one it was in a job lot with some other necklaces, I admit it wasn't love at first sight but it does look fabulous on.  I am estimating this to be a Murano piece. The long tubular beads have been hand blown and are exquisite. They are each different and are ever so slightly wobbly which I love. Murano glass comes from Italy and doesn't really refer to one maker but an area where a collective of glass and bead makers originate from.

Staying with Murano, here is another example. This type of bead is known as scottish agate as they have been made to resemble real stone. Scottish agate necklaces usually are seen with many different colored beads strung together, rarely just one color is found throughout the entire necklace. This is the only one I have ever come across like this with its tiny uniform sized beads that look like blood stones interspersed with small gold tone spacer beads which I believe also to be glass not metal as I had first thought. I think this would be 1920-1040c at a guess it is very long and would fit well with the era.

This is an example of the type of scottish agate more commonly found. As you can see there are many different colors strung together. I adore these beads the shape the finish and mostly the pattern as no two beads will ever be the same. I think the shape of the beads is so art deco and again each one is every so slightly different. I say these are more commonly found but I have to confess that these rectangle shaped beads are not as common as the ovals.

Moving on from Murano, I give you this little beauty. I know next to nothing about it other than it is a stunner! I bought it from someone who said it was bakelite, but after testing it with polish it did not pass the test. I think it is probably celluloid ( bakelite's predecessor ) or lucite. These beads are so much fun. it is clear that they have been hand carved as the spots on each bead are different sizes. I have searched and searched to find information or even a necklace that looks a bit like this one but to no avail. So my guess is 1940's-50's I can see this necklace on one of those buxom pin ups in her A line house dress making dinner for her husband.

All of these pieces can be found in my etsy store where I am struggling with my identity. Do I sell beads do I sell vintage? One day I will split them up but for the time being look in the vintage finds section for vintage otherwise it's beads. I hope you enjoyed my post if you love vintage jewelry please let me know what you think and if you have any information about my pieces that I have missed I would love to know more, so please comment.

Buying beads in Bangkok

So if you have read my last post you will know that I have not long returned from a trip to Thailand. I adore Thailand it's just so easy to navigate, with great food and great people and not to forget great shopping.

So if you are any kind of crafting magpie like myself and you have a trip to The great and awesome Bangkok here are a few tips.

Buying beads: There are 3-4 main places that I found.

1/ The weekend market section 24-26. This is great if you have limited time for shopping in bangkok as here is unfathomably the best place to shop in the world ever! For beads it's not bad. Set aside the whole day if not two and wear comfy shoes. If you like it buy it and if you really like it buy three as once you get back to the city shopping malls it's no where near as cheap. Sky train to Mo Chit station…follow the crowds!

2/ 555 Palladium world shopping Mall ( formally called the Pratunam center) It's right across the street from the platinum fashion mall. go to the basement floor and there is a plethora of bead shops selling mostly stone,crystal and pearl beads. Not so much glass or lamp work. This is where I bought most of my beads. I went specifically to Apple wholesale shop number 318-319

3/ Pahurat fabric market: You will find a number of shops selling mainly crystal and pearl beads here, I would go here specifically for beads but if you are wanting fabric too then why not! refer to my last post for details on how to get there.

4/ Charoen Krung rd (Ban Mo jewelry st) unfortunately I didn't get to go to Ban Mo as my feet were killing me and my husband was beginning to grumble. But we accidentally got off the boat a stop early so ended up having to walk a good stretch of Charoen Krung st and there were a lot of bead sellers though they looked more expensive and I did not go inside as I had already filled my boots at the palladium mall.

!6mm coin pearls from Palladium mall with the most fantastic rainbow shimmer i have ever seen.

14mm faceted red agate

here are just a few of the beads that I bought. if you are not going to Bangkok and really can't be bothered with traipsing round the markets check out my etsy store. or for French or European buyers look for samanthatenn on www.alittlemercerie.com 

Dawanda and A Little Mercerie

So ages ago i wrote a post on ETSY vs DAWANDA and I have to say that Etsy won hands down. Though I think the enormity of etsy is sometimes its down fall it is most definitely also a big plus.

I found dawanda to be a little clunky not as easy to navigate and not as easy to promote my items, I felt like I just had to sit back and twiddle my thumb  and hope someone would come to me.

Any way this is not a post about etsy v dawanda rather a post on what am I doing to try and expand my own online presence.

I have recently within the last 12 month started to move away from selling jewelry but rather sell to those that make jewelry. I now sell supplies and vintage items on etsy at www.allthatglittersbeads.etsy.com 

For all you Europeans out there I also sell beading supplies and vintage fabrics at www.allthatglitters.dawanda.com

And for those Francophones I sell beading supplies and vintage fabric at www.alittlemercerie.com/boutique/samanthatenn

Now for those of you living States side and everywhere else in the world these two sites are certainly worth a look too as shipping can be very reasonable and you might find some really funky European items that you wouldn't necessarily  find in your home country.

So why not broaden your horizons and have a look at these two sites you never know they might surprise you

Vintage finds for this week

So I have recently started buying and selling vintage wares on Etsy and I have to say I am finding it quite rewarding.

I have always been a second hand freak in fact it really pains me to buy anything new, this I have my sister to thank for dragging me to all the jumble sales when I was a kid.

I recently have returned the favor dragging her round all the charity shops in her area, re-awakening the thrift store queen that she had forgotten about. She said she was going to have to hide her bags  of swag from her husband as she does have hoarding tendencies...lol

So here is what I have found recently and most of these you can find for sale on etsy at www.allthatglittersbeads.etsy.com

Gorgeous set of 9 vintage french fringe edge napkins in perfect condition.

Very sweet set of six vintage french shot glasses

Set of 3 magnificent vintage Japanese hand painted cups and saucers.

Fabulous set of vintage french magazines from 1937!

And finally for all you quilters out there this amazing 1970's vintage fabric

So I have to hide a lot of this stuff from my husband as Im really not too fussed if I sell most of it as I have inherited my sisters hoarding tendencies too!

This weeks offerings to ETSY

Hi all, as if you all didn't already know I now have two ETSY shops, one selling beads and vintage finds and the other selling jewellery felt items and housewares. So I thought I would start a regular post on what's new and going on in my shops.

I have started a new line of paper mache bowls, using recycled newspaper. I love the idea that all the rubbish we have to read in the news can be transformed into something beautiful... even if I do say so myself.

I also have a range of paper mache beads for sale at www.allthatglittersbeads.etsy.com

Well actually they are paper mache clay beads, made using a recipe that can be found at www.ultimatepapermache.com

You may be sensing a bit of a theme here, yes I do seem to be a little obsessed with paper mache at the moment. But at least it's cheaper than buying shoes!

I have also listed a tutorial for the first time on how to make felt flowers, if you have always wondered how I make them you should check it out.

Instagram...Get some vintage atomosphere

I didn't think that I particularly had an addictive nature but two things in the last few weeks have really got their hooks into me.
1/Yoga... everyone should do it

2/Instagram so much fun

What is Instagram? Well it is an app for i phone or I assume any other smart phone, but it's not just an app its a whole new social network media type thingamy jigg. Well it's new to me I have no idea how long it's been hanging around.

Do you see some of your freinds photos on facebook and wonder how did they get it to look all vintagy like that or misty or like it was taken in the 70's, well chances are it was all down to Instagram.

The app allows you to take a photo then apply one of about 10 filters changing the look of you photo. You can then add a caption and upload it to facebook and/or twitter, or not.

But like flickR or twitter there are a whole bunch of other people looking at and up loading images. Its a bit like a visual twitter a photo community.

What I have found though is that it is encouraging me to take more photos, which is a good thing. I am seeing art in the most random things like a pint of cider ( although after a few pints of cider I generally see art in everything)

I can use it to give my product shots more atmosphere and ambiance:

 Basically I think Instagram is awesome and it's a free app too which is great.

Thank you to the creators of instagram for adding a bit more fun to photography.

Cultivating the creative spirit

I wrote a post ages ago about being creative healthily. I touched on many things like remembering to eat remembering to drink, going to the toilet when we have to and not hold it.

 A lot of us creative types spend hours and hours alone making what ever it is we make, not speaking or moving very much, we are so into what it is we are creating that simple things like eating and drinking get left by the wayside.

I think that to cultivate our creativity even further exercise is essential. It may only be going for a brisk walk a few times a week if that is all you can manage, or have time for as long as it increases your heart rate and maybe even gets a bit of a sweat going.

Exercise creates endorphines in the brain which is what makes us feel happy, This extra blood flow too I believe helps creativity.

I have recently started Yoga after a long time of not doing very much and I love it it is hard and Im not super good at it yet but I feel a release in areas that have been really tight for years. I get up at 7.30 go about my daily chores a lot more energized and find my creative mind buzzing with ideas.

You don't have to be a vegetarian or a hippy or a gymnast to enjoy yoga or any other exercise for that matter. It is important though to remember an active body in turn has an active mind.

Google bot myth exploded!

So a couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post about google bots and how they trawl the Internet collecting information to better index stuff on the web.

I also mentioned that I was pretty sure that those first couple of views you get when you list a new item were more than likely bots.

Well last week a strange thing happened to me that has never happened before. I listed a new item, there she is below.

And for every view I had a heart! Now as far as I am aware Bots don't give hearts so that meant that every one that viewed my item was a real flesh and blood person.

At one point though I had more hearts than views which I didn't quite understand as surely you have to see the item before you can decide to like it. This really restored my faith in the Internet and in people too, but then it made me think.

What is it about this item that prompted so many hearts? Was it the photo? The setting or background? Was it that I listed it in a different category than normal, thus attracting different viewers?

I have no idea but I am happy that finally I have made something that people like. The next step is to make something that people like enough to buy...lol.

Treasury tuesday Rah rah rah!!!!!

So Tuesday is promo frenzy treasury day where my etsy team create beautiful collections using others from our team to try and boost publicity for us.

Unfortunately treasury tuesday always kicks off too late for me over here in france so I end up trying to find them on wednesday by which time there has been so much activity in the forum that I can't find them.

But to my surprise I had a message in my in box this morning telling me I had been featured!! This is rare for me with all my publicity efforts my shop doesn't get that many views ( key the violins quick go run look at my shop) So I was stoked.  In fact I have put off sending invoices and checking bank accounts to blog about it.

So if you are a member of the Frenzy Team but especially if you are not please click and comment on the treasury as the more clicks we get the closer we get to the holy grail that is ...DE DE DE THE FRONT PAGE! And that is where everyone wants to hang out.

'Valentine Treasures' by SusieTenzer

Promotional Frenzy Team

Orange Lily Fine Ar... BreathtakingAr... $12.00	Sweetheart Red Felt... NewEnglandQuil... $12.00	Marigold Popcorn Fl... ThreadedKey $3.50	Fused Dichroic Glas... Mtbaldyglasswo... $24.00
Mauve and Orange Ra... CNJceramics $6.00	Vintage Humingbird ... PaganCellarJew... $16.99	Stampin up Asian ar... theartofstacy $15.00	Rose Hand-Crafted 3... SunnyCollectab... $1.50
Red and White Camo ... MagicByLeah $15.00	Twins Heart Birth ... BellyStickers $12.00	Kingwood Pendant wi... AnitaDeanSews $21.00	Pink sponge coral b... SAMANTHATENN $29.00
4 1/2 inch Pre Cut ... GabbysQuiltSup... $3.50	Plumeria votives DLitesbyDorene $10.00	Red and Yellow Turt... TurtleXIII $20.00	Brown Goldstone Chi... Galla15Whatnot... $2.10

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Gotta love them gotta hate them...Google Bots

I have reentry opened a new shop on ETSY selling beads and jewelry supplies so I am as giddy as the day I opened my first etsy shop. I check it every few minutes to see if I have had any new views hearts or if anyone has added me to their circle.

After a few years of trying to sell my wares on the internet I have a little bit more knowledge about how it all works but I thought I would do a test all the same. After listing a new item tweeting it and face booking it you generally end up after about 10-15 mins with about 4-6 views. I would like to think that they are real people but I know they are bots.

So I listed an item and I resisted the urge to post it anywhere, I left it over night and when I checked it in the morning still not a single view...BOOOO, not even a bot!

So even though those first 3-4 views are not real people they  play a very important roll in the internet. They harvest information and index it for google and other search engines so that others may find us at a later date.

I found this article on google bots that will explain it much better than I ever could...damn those google bots.

Google Bots Types

1. Google Bot: This is the bot used by Google to scour the web to identify new pages. It has two different versions. Deep bot and Fresh bot. As the name suggests, Deep bottries to follow every link and downloads as many pages as possible. It tries to read minute details of a site including the internal structure.

Fresh bot crawls the web in search of fresh content. The Fresh bot crawls the already indexed pages in search of newly updated content. This way Google tries to give fresh and updated information in the search results. Hence it is important to have quality inbound links if you’d like Fresh bot crawling your site more and more often.

2. Media Bot: If you are wondering how Google places different relevant ads in your different pages, here is the answer. Media bot analyzes AdSense pages and decides which ads to be placed on different pages.

So if you want to allow Media bot to access your entire site put this code in robot.txt file.
User-agent: Mediapartners-Google*

Remember that ads will still be shown in your pages even if Media bot has not visited your site yet. In such a case, ads will be chosen based on the overall theme of your site.

3. Image Bot: Image bot is used to crawl the images and place them in Google’s image search. Images are ranked based on their file name, alt text, surrounding text and page title.  If your website is primarily image based, then you’d definitely want to tweak and optimize your images to receive extra traffic from Google image search results.

However, all the Google traffic may not convert into buyers as many people are just looking for images. So if you want to block Image Bot from accessing your images and save bandwidth, you can do it in your robot.txt file.

4. Ads Bot: It crawls and analyzes the advertising landing pages and determines the quality score that will be assigned to your ads. Along with this score, Google uses your bid amount to determine the position of your ads. Hence it is important to have quality content on the landing page of your advertisement. Sometimes Google positions high quality ads first even when others are willing to pay more. It is advised to give AdsBot complete access to your site.

By now you must have understood that it is important to give complete access to Google if you want to increase your search engine visibility. One way is to create a sitemap for your site. A sitemap tells Google about your most important, new and updated pages. Google inturn tells you the pages it was unable to crawl. This helps you pinpoint the problems and fix them as soon as possible with which you can gain increased traffic and exposure from search engine results.

Google is ever-changing and Google spiders are becoming more advanced all the time. However, relevant, updated and quality content along with good inbound links make your site stand front in this every changing search engine world.

Bead Love, support for supplies

'Bead Love' by allthatglittersbeads

I wanted to give some love to some fellow bead suppliers, Etsy without beads would be like the desert without sand.

6mm Purple Beads 6m... CharmingWren $3.25	6mm Round Textured ... SharkysWaters $2.50	Purple Beads 10 Ame... LythaStudios $2.55	Purple Beads - Arge... bigtranchsuppl... $3.00
1 16 inch Strand HE... MnMsCRYSTALILL... $8.99	Vintage Purple Bead... AutumnWindsJew... $2.00	Purple Jade Round B... gemsbeadsandfi... $8.99	Royal Purple Resin ... gypsyspiritstu... $1.95
10pcs Deep Purple A... doubleangeldes... $2.00	14mm Basketball Wiv... PurseSlore $5.00	10 PCS Purple 9x6 m... bkavcak $1.00	Triple Rose Cabocho... ArtfulMarket $3.00
25 Czech Glass - Cu... beadmecca $3.50	1/2 strand of facet... NYSupplies $22.00	57 mm purple handma... Beadcomber $12.00	LARGE - Royal Purpl... dragonbead $4.75

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I have recently opened a 2nd shop on ETSY selling beads and so I wanted to extend some love to my fellow suppliers.