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.

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.

Table displays at craft fayres

Happy new year to everyone first of all, I hope last year was a good one and I hope this one will be even better!

I am sure that many of you like me are crafty addicts and partake in the odd craft fayre or market from time to time. As much as I adore making the things I make I find selling them rather more difficult. I find it confrontational and awkward.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask for some advice on table display as this is one of the things that stresses me out at these events.

I always feel like my individual items look awesome on their own but put all together the table looks a bit like a jumble sale.

I don't usually have this many different types of product it's usually just jewelry and felted brooches but I wanted to try and de stock a bit at this one.

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I always feel like my table looks very amateur and I covet that of my friend though she has one main product and it is much easier on the eye.

Any help would be very gratefully received. Don't be shy I am a big girl...lol

Childbirth and felted Booties.

One of my very good friends gave birth to her fist child on sunday morning after 24 hours of labour...OUCH! Not that I need any excuse to get crafty I sprang into bootie making action when the news came through that baby Alice had added her heartbeat to the world.

I didn't want to make them in advance in case God forbid anything bad was to happen. My friend is Sweedish so I made the booties in the Sweedsih national colors of blue and yellow, not very girlie I know but hey. They are made with 100% merino wool fleece and I used soap that I made myself too.

I then had the idea of doing a photo tutorial for felted booties, so I got to making another pair. I have my photos on the computer just waiting for five mins to put it all together. I love learning new crafts soap making being my latest hobby and I really appreciate it when people share recipes or techniques on their blogs. I figure that you have to give to receive.

So be sure to check back over the next few days as I will be posting a hand felted bootie photo tutorial.

First BNR treasury on ETSY!

OOOOOh how excited am I, I have made it into my first BNR treasury on ETSY. For those of you who aren't familiar with "Treasuries" it is a way of promoting other Etsians and their items. By compiling collections of 16 items the powers that be at Etsy choose treasury collections to go on the front page.

So when you go to the ETSY home page the items you see will be a treasury compilation made by one of the shop owners. The beautiful thing about this system is that you cannot promote yourself in these collections.

This is why I am so honored to be listed in a BNR treasury. BNR stands for buy and replace, so if anyone wants a real chance of making a sale they have to buy something from one of the featured shops then their shop replaces that from which they bought from.

So a big thank you to my Promotional Frenzy forum pals for including me!

'Out of Whole Cloth; Fiber-Lovers BNR ' by Giftbearer

Artists who work in Knit/Crochet/FeltThis will be Monday's Specialty BNR Opens 4:00 PM - 1 AMJanuary 31st$15.00 Buy-in MinimumFirst 4 buyers will get 2 spots! Please click, comment, and promote!

Slouchy Newsboy Cap - B... HogansHandiwor... $28.00	Heart Felt Multi Brooch SensoryFelteds $20.00	Chunky Heathered Red Et... bagsofblessing $38.00	Follow in my Footsteps ... crochetedbycha... $19.00
White Chiffon Trio of F... prendasbyenid $18.00	Purplelious scarf and b... IsabellesAttic $32.00	Swirly Twirly Scarf Blu... PowersOfLove $15.00	handmade wool felt bag/... sammi10 $30.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

Check me out in this cool ETSY treasury

'My two favorites: Green & Blue' by toystorynutty

There's nothing on Earth more beautiful than things that are green and blue. Blue like my husbands eyes and the sky...and green like the grass and lush Pennsylvania meadows.

Sodalite Cluster Br... krystalsjewelr... $80.00	Blue Heart Crystal ... BijiBijoux $12.00	Sea shore acrylic m... NewCreatioNZ $26.00	Caribbean Dreams So... bagsofblessing $29.00
NEW Swarovski Eleme... galla15 $30.00	Swarovski pearl nec... Sabtisdesigns $43.00	3 Ruby in Zoiste Cr... SunnyCrystals $12.50	handmade cobweb fel... sammi10 $28.00
Laughing Fingers Am... Giftbearer $43.00	Green Grass Wool Wr... SeaFlowerStudi... $20.00	Button Bag gift bag... Toddletags $3.95	Emerald City Neckla... petitehermine $28.00
Panda Blue Moon Zen... laurali $12.00	Turquoise Circle Sc... HogansHandiwor... $18.00	A Blue Heart Bracel... prendasbyenid $12.00	32 Blue Ford Larrysartdirec... $175.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.