Shop of the Week: Sumiko Shop

Evelyn Palazzin, of SumikoShop.etsy.com, creates gorgeous jewelry and accessories for women. Her shop is filled with lovely items and the photographs are beautiful, enticing all who stop by to take a look and make a purchase. Evelyn lives in a tourist town by the sea in Italy. Her creations have an old-world charm about them.

“I have always had a passion to create, to recycle items, and to invent and process things from scratch. I don’t consciously think of myself as an artist BUT as a person who always loves to create and learn new techniques. After I became a mother, I used my free time to create jewellery and accessories for myself and my friends. That was also about the time that I discovered Etsy and the world of eShops.

"I have always had a passion for sewing clothes for myself, but I also loved unique and original accessories, and I found such joy in creating them, or seeing people wear such items. I spend countless hours searching for new materials and findings for my jewellery. It’s inevitable to get an idea or inspiration after such intense consideration of materials. Sometimes just studying them creates images of the completed item in my mind.”

If you never become famous with your art, would you still think it was a route worth taking? “Certainly. The joy of art is in its creation, its appreciation, and its ability to enrich the mind. We must not think of art as a means for fame and wealth, but as a way of expression, to keep the mind active, and as the wholesome way to live fully, daily. If success and fame comes, then it comes as a surprise.”

Follow her on Twitter: @SumikoShop
Read her blog: SumikoCreations.blogspot.com

Special Offer for the Week: Free shipping worldwide. Mention “Etsy Twitter” in Message to Seller and shipping will be refunded.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade Sumikoshop.etsy.com

All photos copyright to Sumiko Shop/Evelyn Palazzin

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Shop Talk Friday: Marketing with Purple Lemon Designs

Guest Blogger: Kelly Rinehart of PurpleLemonDesigns.etsy.com

In the last "Etsy Journey" post on my personal blog, I touched on the social media aspect of marketing my Etsy shop. Today, I am going to touch on other ways I market my shop.

Business Cards

I actually have two business cards that I had printed. One is a part of my packaging that also doubles as a business card. The good thing about this one is that it has a bounce back coupon on it. I also have a standard business card that is just a biz card with my info on it. I actually carry both in my purse. When I get a great dental cleaning or I get a great cashier when I go to the store, I say thanks and hand them the business card with a coupon on it. I give them a quick spiel about what I sell and then I am on my way. Does it work? Who knows…it certainly can’t hurt. Other things I use my business cards for are shop mail outs, (I will talk more about that in a minute), I put them up on bulletin boards, and I sometimes even leave them on the table when I go to dinner.

I also give my regular business cards to EVERYONE I talk to about my business. If you meet people and make that personal connection, they are much more likely to purchase from you. They feel like they are buying from someone they know and can trust. This leads me into my next segment, Talkin’ It Up.

Talkin’ It Up

Some of you are really lucky and talking to people is easy for you. But there are others of you out there saying to yourself, "I am soooo shy! I can’t talk to people about my business! That just isn’t my thing!"

Well, sister (or brother), you have got to get over that. I did. I am the world’s biggest introvert. I am much more comfortable in front of my computer, but I know I can’t sell things to my computer (trust me I have tried – he is just not that into rubber stamps). I have forced myself to talk to people. Let me let you in on a little secret, it is not as hard as you think. It also gets easier the more you do it. People really don’t bite (as much as I thought that they might.)

A little tip when starting up a conversation with someone you don’t know: people love to talk about themselves. Start a conversation with them asking what they do, where they grew up, about their kids, or anything else that relates to them. Make sure that you listen and genuinely care about what they are saying – don’t just wait until they stop talking to run through what you do. Ask questions about what they are saying. Then, once you have gotten a good conversation going with them, I bet that they will ask about you and what you do. Then, don’t dominate the conversation, but quickly tell them about your business using a great elevator speech.

I could go through the ins and outs of developing an elevator speech, but it is much better said by Barbara Lopez for the Design*Sponge biz ladies series. This is an excellent post about developing a speech for those conversations when you get asked, "So what do you do?" You can read the full article here.

My Packaging

I take full advantage of my packaging to advertise my shop to my customers. Your best customers are going to be return customers, so you MUST market to then when they are a captive audience - like when they are opening their purchase from you and they are all giddy from excitement!

Once again, I am going to state this is how I market my shop; I am not an expert; this is what works for me. That being said, I will tell you about my Etsy packaging. This seems to be a very taboo subject around Etsy, but I'm not shy and secretive with my packaging. I use my business stamps to their full advantage:

Remember that dual business card I referred to above? Here it is in action:

I also include a handwritten note on customized stationery for my business.

Then I put all those elements together and voila! - a beautiful Purple Lemon-rific package for a customer to open and enjoy. Hopefully, it will be memorable for them so when they need another stamp or some stationery they will come back to visit.

Hope you enjoyed a little more info about how I market my shop!

Kelly Rinehart
PurpleLemonDesigns.etsy.com

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Shop of the Week: Rocki's Supplies

Deb "Rocki" Adams, of RockisSupplies.etsy.com, creates “handcrafted metalwork findings & jewelry in a variety of finishes using Sterling Silver, Fine Silver, 14k Gold Filled & now Copper”. Her signature pieces are Elfin Ear wires and they are stunning. “A couple years ago, when I was selling in my old Etsy shop, I made my own ear wires for my jewelry and started getting requests for my Signature Elfins. So, I started selling them in that shop and it took off from there.” What a nice way to get a start in selling handmade supplies!

When you look at Rocki’s Supplies shop for the first time it’s easy to assume the items are not handmade simply because they are so perfect! But her jewelry findings really are handmade!! It’s amazing! Including handmade findings in your handmade jewelry would definitely increase the value of your work as a whole. Plus you’re buying handmade for your supplies and everybody wins!

“My tag line pretty much sums it up that my findings are more than supplies, they are ‘Handcrafted Pieces of Art For Your Artistic Creations’ - I truly put my heart and soul into my work and although my days are quite long, I value the integrity of each piece I make and customer care is most important to me. I appreciate each customer and am thrilled when they share their creations with me - makes my heart happy!”


What inspires Rocki to create? “I have this inner fire that I never knew existed until several years ago - out of bad situations come good things. You know, ‘when life throws you lemons, make lemonade!’ I honestly eat, sleep, dream, and wear metal - including my mouth! Yep, braces. I have come up with new creations in the weirdest ways - from relaxing in my pool, looking at fixtures around my home, walking through hardware stores - you name it. Even my hubby gets into coming up with ideas! But, I must say that my customers inspire me tremendously! From brand new requests to tweaking some of my current work, I have made some very cool findings.”

Special Offer for this week only: For any purchase made during the week of this blog feature, she will include a small free sample, one per customer. All you have to do is mention you found her via the "Twitter Blog Feature" in "Message to Seller" at time of purchase.

Follow her on Twitter: @RockisMetalwork
Read more on her blog: RockisRocknBeads.blogspot.com

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade RockisSupplies.etsy.com

All photos copyright to Rocki's Supplies/Deb "Rocki" Adams

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Open for 25 New Membership Spots Only

UPDATE: 2:08 PM: We have filled all 25 spots. Thanks for your emails. I'm not taking names for a waiting list. ~Vickie

We are officially open for 25 new membership spots on the Etsy Twitter Team!

Before you apply, please read the Team Participation Policies. You will be asked to agree to these policies when you join. Please read what you are signing up for before you sign up.

How to Join:

Send an email to etsytwitterteam@gmail.com with the subject: “New Membership”. In the email include your shop name (i.e. username.etsy.com) and your full Twitter address (i.e. http://twitter.com/etsytwitrteam). Tell me why you would like to join and how long you have been using Etsy and Twitter. Failure to do these things will disqualify your application.

When I receive your email, I will send you the Participation Policies in full for you to look over. You have not officially joined until you get back to me agreeing to the Policies.

That’s it.

The first 25 people who agree to the Participation Policies are in. If someone doesn’t agree with the policies after I send them, I will move down the list to #26 and so on.

I am not saving the emails for future membership openings. If you don’t get in this time around you will have to apply again.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments.

Thanks and good luck!

Now I am off to hit "refresh" on my GMail account every 10 seconds! :)

The Time Has Almost Come!

Wow! What a ride this has been since January when the Etsy Twitter Team finally got under way! Our growth was exponential! And through the last six months we have formed a really nice tight knit community. We have had some really great promotions and lots of fun. We have put our pin on the map!

At start we had over 300 members. We lost a few when we instituted Participation Policies. We’re down to about 80 members now. But that had to happen because our goal is to be the authority on Twitter for all things handmade. We cannot do that if the whole team is not participating.

Now that we have scaled back to the people who really want to make this team work, we have room for some new members. Starting tomorrow at 12:00 pm EST we will be accepting 25 new members. First come. First served.

Many factors contribute to why we are only accepting 25 new members. First and foremost is my health at the moment, to be completely open about it. I have some chronic pain issues that have flared severely and can only do so much right now even with the support of our awesome co-leader, Kristen. Secondly, we want to grow the team in a controlled manner as there is a lot of information for new members to catch up on and learn. Having someone get lost in a big membership shuffle is not what I want for our new members. We take care of members really well here and I want that to continue.

My plan is to open for 25 new members every so often until we reach a certain number that has yet to be decided. So if you are interested in joining I advise you to keep tabs on this blog. I will not be taking names for a waiting list.

Tomorrow at 12:00 pm EST I will post instructions for how to join. Hope to see you there!

Vickie Porter
Etsy Twitter Team Leader

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An Etsy Twitter Teammate, BeautifulBridget.etsy.com had an apple cozy in the Etsy Voter page! And SHE WON the voting! Congratulations, Bridget!!



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Shop Of The Week: RoseBush Designs

Beth Wietrzykowski is the guiding light ( and hand! ) behind RoseBush Designs' beautiful cards, gift bags, journals and accessories. Beth's designs ship internationally as well as in the US, and offer the beauty and individuality of a hand-crafted card for any occasion, something many of us wish for when confronted by racks of mass-produced cards.

"All of what I make is something I would give to someone myself. I cut, stamp, color and put all these together by hand. I do not have any kind of printing machine or mass produce cards (wouldn't it be nice though!). All of my products are available in multiples and I'm happy to do custom orders or change colors if desired. "

A stay-at-home mom to two boys, Beth finds creating an outlet for her inner girl.

"Most of the time, we are playing outside getting sweaty and dirty so being able to play with ribbons and glitter is a nice treat for me.

My inspirations come from anywhere! I get ideas from nature, magazines, friends, anywhere really. I'm still learning every day about new techniques, ways to make my product better, ways to photograph and edit my pictures as well as new crafting products. It's a never ending lesson for me and I think that is what keeps me going and excited about my craft. "

Beth also has great tips for using Twitter as a means of promoting your work:

"I try to engage. I see it as a big room full of people who want to chat. When I see something that is funny, sad, inspirational, odd or whatever, I comment on it. I try to be fun and lighthearted. I don't see twitter as a forum to air my, or anyone else's, dirty laundry. I promote items that I buy, items I want, my fellow twits on the team and my own items. "

Follow Beth on Twitter @RoseBushDesigns
Read More on her Blog: http://rosebushdesigns.blogspot.com/

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade RoseBushDesigns.etsy.com

Bridal Daze: Thank You Cards!

When all is said and done, the decorations from your wedding are tucked away, you’re both wearing brand new rings, and your dress is on its way to the cleaners, you now have the task of thanking all those who helped to make your wedding day the most awesome event that it was. People who helped, those who generously gave lovely gifts, and the people who stood up for you in the ceremony all deserve the nicest thank you cards you can give them. And what better way to do that than by doing it handmade? The people who receive them will feel all that much more special!

Pretty Cheap Jewelry

In addition to jewelry, Pretty Cheap Jewelry makes lovely greeting cards! You won't believe the special touches! "I make everything with quality and care, and sell for fun and love. My prices are sensitive to today's economic reality. You simply get more for your money at Pretty Cheap Jewelry."

Constellation Photo

A picture is worth a thousand words... So send them to all your friends or send them on special occasions. These are color-rich, stunning photograph note card sets.

Special Offer: Mention in checkout that you saw these cards in the Bridal Daze event on this blog and get 2 extra cards FREE! Get 6 instead of 4!!

The Giveaway!!!

In addition to the invaluable wedding information you will find this week on the Etsy Twitter Team blog, we are having a contest for all of you! Our team members have put together a lovely prize basket that one lucky commenter will win at the end of the week. Some of the prizes include stunning jewelry, a Wayside Violet coffee cozy, and shop discount coupons! It's a great prize package!

In order to enter you must leave a comment on the blog about Bridal Daze. That comment must include a way to get a hold of you either through your user name link to your blog profile page or if you don’t have a blog you can email your info to etsytwitterteam@gmail.com. Please be sure to include your comment in the email. You may enter once per day. No Etsy Twitter Team members are allowed to win. At the end of the week I will draw a random winner from the all the comments. If you know someone who is getting married soon, tell him or her about this contest so they can get in on the action! Good luck! Commenting closes Sunday, June 14th at midnight!

See the previous posts about Bridal Daze!

Bridal Daze: For the Bridal Party Women!

Planning a wedding can be stressful because there are just some things that are out of your hands that you cannot plan, like the weather. All brides hope for a sunny not-too-hot and not-too-cold wedding day. But just in case it’s chilly or raining, your wedding party gals might need a little jacket. This is where JusShar comes in! Look how cute these are!


They are all made to order, can be color customized, take 18-21 days to complete, and comes in XS to L. See the colors here: www.JusSharDesigns.com/yarn.html

How perfect is that?! When I got married the selection of little shrugs was not so pretty! I wish I had known about JusShar! Make sure to order yours ahead of time!

Then there’s that thing I will be cautious to use my wording around. You know. "That Thing" that comes once a month. Can’t always plan for that either, ladies.

So for your minor "needed item" emergency, Abby Chase Designs has created the Incognito Tampon Wallet. It’s both functional and perfectly pretty! Keep all your needs at hand with this cute wallet! No one will be the wiser!

The Giveaway!!!

In addition to the invaluable wedding information you will find this week on the Etsy Twitter Team blog, we are having a contest for all of you! Our team members have put together a lovely prize basket that one lucky commenter will win at the end of the week. Some of the prizes include stunning jewelry, a Wayside Violet coffee cozy, and shop discount coupons! It's a great prize package!

In order to enter you must leave a comment on the blog about Bridal Daze. That comment must include a way to get a hold of you either through your user name link to your blog profile page or if you don’t have a blog you can email your info to etsytwitterteam@gmail.com. Please be sure to include your comment in the email. You may enter once per day. No Etsy Twitter Team members are allowed to win. At the end of the week I will draw a random winner from the all the comments. If you know someone who is getting married soon, tell him or her about this contest so they can get in on the action! Good luck! Commenting closes Sunday, June 14th at midnight!

See all the posts about Bridal Daze!

Bridal Daze: Great Gifts!!

Family and friends of the bride and groom can go handmade for the wedding, too! There are so many items that need to be purchased for a wedding from gifts for the bride and groom to thanks you gifts for the bridal party. The Etsy Twitter Team has some awesome gifts ideas for the big day!

Scrap With Style

Specializes in scrapbooking needs for many occasions. "I love scrapbooking and I'm excited to share these wonderful scrapbooking products with you! I have lots of page kits, coordinating papers, ribbons, albums, chipboard, rub-ons, and other embellishments!" This is a great shop to help your happy couple create memories to treasure!

12" x 12" Scrapbook Page Kit: Timeless Love

This page kit is "timeless" with pretty floral and black and white images, plus I love the touches of red! Great for couples, engagements, love, wedding and even family photos!

Chipboard Layered Album Kit: Our Story

This kit includes everything you need to create an album similar to the sample I've shown here. I love the colors and textures in this kit and I love chipboard!!

I Love You Printed Ribbon: 1/2 inch wide

Super cute ribbon to add to your scrapbooking!

Special Offer: 15% discount in this shop this week -- enter code "Bridal Daze" in Message to Seller at checkout and receive a refund of the discount via PayPal!

Wayside Violet

Many brides have chosen to have Wayside Violet make custom coffee cozies for the bridal party. Personalize the cozies with the bride's wedding colors or other colors of your choice. These make great thank you gifts for the coffee lovers in your life!

Sale: Free shipping on bridal orders!! To redeem type "Bridal Daze" in message to seller at checkout.

Purple Lemon Designs

Monogram address stamps are great bridesmaid's or groomsman's gifts or gifts for the happy couple!




Threepeats

Do you need unique, handmade gifts or favors for the special women involved in your BIG Event? Are you into recycling? This shop is for you!!



All pairs of long, light, dangle earrings (made from recycled vintage beads, chain and ribbon) will be $2.00 off during the Bridal Daze Event (a 25% discount!). Refunds will be posted to your Paypal account after purchase.

Soap Rehab

Made-from-scratch cold process soaps, lotions and other bath and body products... time-honored methods but with a modern kick. Natural yet effective ingredients are used to create products that are detergent free and paraben free. Now you can get clean and feel good about it, too. Bath and body gifts are a special way to say you care about someone!

Pink Champagne Heart Glycerin Soap

Sereni-Tea Shea Body Butter

Blackberry Lemon Drop Pedicure Duo


Fat Daddy Sweets

These would be perfect as favors for a summer wedding! White Chocolate flavored with fresh lemon, just the right amount of tartness and sweetness, reminiscent of sitting on the porch on a warm summer afternoon enjoying an ice cold glass of lemonade. You'll be hard pressed to eat only one at a time!


I hope you have found some new ideas for gifting handmade! Anyone of these gifts would be perfect for almost anyone!

Don't forget... we have a giveaway going on for a Prize Package including a Wayside Violet coffee cozy, beautiful jewelry, and gift certificates and coupons to Etsy Twitter Team Shops. Leave a comment to enter! Commenting closes Sunday, June 14th at midnight!

See all the posts about Bridal Daze!