Etsy Spotlight: Arrowsarah’s Faith\Hope\Love\Peace\Soul Wooden Box Purse

by Contributing Columnists Nicole M aka
Sugar Shox Crafts

The printed word is a beautiful thing. In both the visual spaces they occupy and also in their meaning, words can artistically rival a Rembrandt or Picasso painting.

Angela Mosera’s (“Arrowsarah”) Faith\Hope\Love\Peace\Soul Wooden Box Purse (her “Word Box,” as she nicknamed it) shows what power words can have on the senses. The 6” by 6” by 6” cube-shaped pine body uses typeface as its main graphical element to pull one’s eyes in. One word (“Faith,” “Hope,” “Love,” “Peace,” or “Soul”) is written on each side in giant capital Arial Extra Bold letters, including on the top lid.

Color also contributes to the stunning visual effect of the purse body. The natural wood finish of the letters sharply contrasts with the body’s black background.

Angela said the body’s design comes from her background in graphic design. She previously worked for a large ad agency in Dallas, where she hails from, and now freelances her design work, in addition to having it as a main focus in her Etsy shop.

She put a great deal of thinking and persistence into this purse. Angela said she felt something was missing from its first design, where the “Faith\Hope\Love\Peace” words simply went around the outside of the box.

“Once it was done, I knew it needed something on the top. It took me a long time to figure out what word needed to go up there, but when I finally thought of ‘soul,’ it was like a light bulb went off,” she said. “‘Soul’ is the root of all the other words and if you lose faith or hope, you still have soul.”

Angela has made five boxes so far with this design. It happens to be the most popular design of all the many box purses in her shop. It is also mom-approved; her mom carries this very same design!

The work of fellow Texan Enid Collins sparked Angela’s original interest in making box purses. Collins was famous in the 1960’s for her wooden rectangular box purses, which featured hand painted scenery and animal designs. Today, Collins’ work is highly sought-after in the vintage market.

“I had been collecting her purses for a while, and they are just so awesome that I wanted to bring them back with a modern twist,” she said.

Since she started making them in 2008, Angela has made over a hundred of these box-type purses, and plans to make more in different styles.

“I’ve made well over 125 by now,” she said. “I’m always trying new boxes like upcycled cigar boxes and boxes that are different shapes and sizes.”

They are all available for purchase through both craft shows and her Etsy shop.

Creating her box purses has also led Angela to love working with wood. Though she had never really worked with the material before, she’s been incorporating it into more of her work lately (including her jewelry, which she also sells), and plans to try some jigsaw-cut designs as well.

Check out all of Arrowsarah’s wooden creations at craft shows in the Dallas area and in her Etsy shop! She’s also on Facebook!

By Donna aka Glassandwiregems

How do you help the customer find your products? You take advantage of a process called search engine optimization or SEO.

Caleb, ArtFire’s Director of Search Engine Optimization stated that their main goal “is to inform and teach our members about SEO, encourage them to be proactive and test different methods of listings, and give them as much freedom as possible so that they can have an impact on their own SEO.” With that goal in mind, ArtFire has written a number of guides to help their studio owners take advantage of all options available to increase their rankings in the search.

Before you can use SEO effectively, you have to know what is involved. A customer searching for a product uses a search engine, i.e. Google, Bing, etc., to search for the product they want to purchase using what is called a keyword. These search engines then use a multitude of factors in determining which pages are appropriate or relevant and what order to rank them in. Basically, search engines check a page’s content looking for the keywords together which what that page links to. The pages are indexed and follow more links to find new pages. This process is repeated again and again. The search engine uses the data it has acquired to build an index. That index is used to display the results. This result is a SERP or search engine results page.

You can influence your ranking in two different ways. These are called off-site optimization and on-site optimization. Off-site optimization essentially acquires links to your website from other sources, i.e. if one site has 1,000s of people linking to it, that site would be viewed as a better resource than the one that only has a few. Therefore, it is important for studio site to create content that is unique so that others want to link to it.

On-site optimization involves creating good keyword content. Strong meta tags, titles and descriptions are needed to optimize your page. One example of this process is a customer searching for a “custom opal bracelet.” If your web page has those words in its title and product description, you can be fairly sure that your page will come up higher in the rankings than one that says “opal jewelry.”

When you are writing your titles, meta tags and content, consider how someone would search for your product. If you have described what you are selling accurately, you have enhanced your use of SEO.

ArtFire considers their listing page as the most important page on the entire site. The members are given as much control as possible over their items page. The items page has been created in such a way that the information a member provides is optimized for their item. ArtFire stays up-to-date on any changes and news regarding SEO and plans accordingly. They are on top of current trends, i.e. The Alice in Wonderland blog blitz. They take SEO very seriously because they have “found it to be the best way to drive, new, interested buyers directly into our members studios.”

If you want your product to noticed, you should too!

Picture courtesy of Mod3artdesigns

By Contributing columnist Susan Averello aka Fantasy Clay

Google Analytics can be one of those great tools that can give you much information about your store or website. It can let you know the number of visitors to your site on a daily basis, how they get there, even what words they use to find your site.  If you have your own site or sell on a site that is integrated with Google Analytics, this is a must have tool. Knowing where your visitors arrive from can enable you to market more directly.

Your first step is setting up an account, if you haven’t already.  Go to google.com/analytics. This will take you directly to the log in page.  From there you can sign in using your Google account; if you have Gmail and/or a Blogspot blog, you have a Google account. If not, there is a link to set up a Google account. When you  log in, you need to sign up for Google Analytics-they’ll be a box right there.

The next page is Analytics: New Account Sign Up. It will ask you for your website’s URL. You want to use your store’s main page: i.e. http://username.artfire.com. Then just name the account and fill in the rest with your country and time zone.  Click continue. The next page just asks for your name, then click accept policies. After that, you’ll be on a page with some code and some choices. Leave it on the defaults.

And finally,  the last step. If you look at the code- there is a UA number; it should be in this format 00000000-0. In a site that is integrated with GA, you just need to enter this number in the stats page.  I know ArtFire, 1000Markets and Etsy are and Zibbet isn’t. I don’t have experience with any other shops so you need to check. It will usually be under Stats or Analytics, depending what a site names it.

If you own your own site or a blog, you’ll have to copy and paste the code anywhere before <body> in the page’s html code. It’s easy enough to do on Blogger. Click on Edit HTML, then paste the code any where before the <body> tag. Rather than search the whole page, just paste before any other code. Then click ‘save template’.

Google Analytics stats are not in real-time. They are updated daily, so you’ll have to wait a day before seeing any data.  Tomorrow you will have a few graphs, I think everyone gets hooked on the top one; this lists the number of visitors a day. However, Google Analytics will count every visit, including yours, so in the next article, I’ll tell you how to set up a filter so your views won’t be counted.

Photo courtesy of RoundWords

By Contributing Columnist Amy McCarthy aka AmyOrangeJuice

One of the things I have been most impressed with since joining the Folksy community is the quality of the printed items available. I don’t mean prints of original fine art paintings (though some of these are lovely) but lino cut and wood cut prints, each an individual work of art in its own right.

Printing is a very satisfying art technique and its simple to achieve striking, good quality work with few tools;  so here is my guide to Lino Printing. Why not have a go?

You will need:

Lino Cutting tool: Otherwise know as a gouge, is readily available from art supply shops and on the internet. I got a set for around £ 6 so they are not an expensive buy.  Lino cutting tools come with a handle and several different size cutting blades which fit into the handle, each one makes a different mark and depth into the lino.

Lino: Inexpensive to buy from art supply shops and on line, comes pre-cut in manageable squares.

Roller: Again, printing rollers are cheap to buy from art suppliers, but you could also use a brush.  If using a roller you need a flat, clean surface to roll the paint onto. I use an old piece of reinforced glass from an old coffee table.

Ink: You can use water or oil based printing ink or Gouache/thinned poster paint. All easy to come across and inexpensive.

Paper: Lino can be printed onto a wide range of papers. Specialist printing paper is lovely to use, but a wide range of paper can be used. Why not experiment?

Shopping done? Lets get started!

First of all you need to prepare your lino. It comes with a slightly rough surface, so with a couple of drops of water and a piece of wet and dry sand paper give it a light sanding (should only take a couple of minutes). This will give a strong printing texture. Without preparation the surface of the print could look grainy. Try not to get the hessian backing wet as it will make the lino unstable and soggy!

The next thing to do is prepare the design and cut the lino to the desired size with a craft knife. Remember that the parts you carve away will remain white (assuming you are printing onto white paper). You can draw straight onto the lino or trace a design from paper onto the lino. Remember that when printing everything will appear in reverse on the paper.

Now you are ready to start mark making! Hopefully you have tried out your tools and got a feel for what marks the different blades make: some deep and rounded, others shallow and triangular. Hold the handle of the gouge in the palm of your hand with the blade outwards between your thumb and forefinger and push the cutting edge into the lino, keeping the blade and handle close the lino surface and push along the lino; you have made your first cut!

SAFETY NOTICE: Always cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear of the cutting blade!

When you have cut away all of your design you are ready to print.  Having protected your surfaces with old newspaper, roll the paint out on the glass/slab/flat surface till you have a nice even layer of ink/paint. Now place the lino block with the design facing upwards on a clean surface and roll the ink onto it until you have a nice even layer of paint on the design (or dab the lino with a loaded brush until all of it is evenly covered).  Lay your printing paper carefully on top of the lino block and burnish the paper with a spoon or with your fingers. Peek at the paper by lifting a corner until you are satisfied with the print.  You have made your first print~well done! Lay flat to dry away from pets and kids (I have had hand and paw prints everywhere before!) and repeat as many times as you want, or until you run out of paper!

This is the first stage of lino printing, in part 2 I will show you how to use the reduction method to create prints using several colours.

Photo courtesy of A. Deegan

One Shop or Two?
by contributing columnist Ashley Pahl aka AshleyPahl

Having an Etsy, Artfire or Folksy shop can sometimes be a very time-consuming activity. Why would a person want to open a second shop? There are many good reasons for making the decision to have two stores, and sometimes it is the right choice. Some good reasons for opening a second shop include:

1. Introducing a new line of items or a different style.

2. Selling handmade if you own a supply shop, or vintage if you own a handmade shop, etc.

3. A shop appears cluttered and is overwhelming to shop browsers.

4. Separating the popular money-makers from the more serious art forms.

5. Dividing a wide range of prices into two so that shoppers can focus and better compare products.

Buyers may have an easier time focusing on the items they are looking for if they are separated from the additional miscellanea that you sell. For example, if you mostly make knit hats, but also have your handmade earrings peppered in your shop, it may be too distracting for shoppers who came to your shop looking for hats. Alternatively, if you have a shop that specializes in sterling silver jewelry, it may help a shopper to focus on what they really want if the more expensive pieces are separated from less expensive “silver-toned” pieces.

Having a second shop may even get you more exposure. You can be listed in directories twice, in Etsy’s search engine twice (when searching for sellers), and could be stumbled upon twice.

The downside, of course, is that a second shop is twice the work. Two shops to stock; two shops to market and promote; two shops to make listings for; two shops to answer messages for and complete feedback for. Additionally, if you decide to move items that you already have listed in one shop to a new shop, you will need to do so manually: copy and paste the titles, descriptions, and materials, re-type the tags, make new shipping profiles, and upload the photos all over again. Not only that, but you will lose all of the hearts and views you have accumulated for such items. Your shop’s feedback will be back at zero and you’ll have to find a way to bring shoppers to your second store.

For many, it may be worth adding a new product line to the original shop and see how it fairs. Additionally, it may help to organize the “clutter” of the first shop into something more manageable for browsers. The shop sections feature and Rearrange Shop feature are both great for accomplishing such a task.

If the pros outweigh the cons and you decide to go for it, here are some things to remember when opening a second store:

1. You will need a second email address. Each email address can only be linked to one account on Etsy.

2. You will need to disclose your additional shops. You must link from your first shop to your second shop and vice versa either in your shop announcement, profile, or shop policies page.

3. All listings must be manually re-listed. There is no way to just switch them to a new account, and you will have to pay listing fees again.

4. The same PayPal account can be used for multiple Etsy accounts – there is no limit.

5. If you are not using the same banner, avatar, packaging materials and business cards that you use for your first shop, you may need to get new ones, which will add additional costs.

All in all, the decision to open a second online shop is really an individual one. What works for one business may not pan out for another. It may be worth the financial risk to open a new store, or it may be more practical to better manage your first shop. Many Etsy businesses do quite well with multiple shops, and as the old adage goes, “you never know until you try”.

Poster image courtesy of   The LoveShop

“Open” image courtesy of   The Back Porch Shoppe

By contributing columnist Michelle, aka: littletoad

The Daily Foto Project is the unique brain child of Melissa Azizi a self-taught Australian photographer. So what is exactly is The Daily Foto Project? It is a 365-day photo project where Melissa takes a photograph everyday for a year. But, that’s not all. She lists each image on Etsy and donates 5% of sales to a charity of the buyer’s choice. I have been following Melissa’s work for a while now and she was nice enough to answer some questions I was dying to know about her and this project.

So how did you come up with this idea? I’m from Sydney and my partner and I arrived in Berlin in May 2009. I broke my foot 2 months later! So, I pretty much spent my first European summer indoors and immobilized. Of course, I was down about it as my partner had also started a new job working really long hours and we had just moved into a completely empty apartment. The ordeal was a bit stressful, but ultimately being immobilized gave me time to reflect, especially about those that are really in a less fortunate position. I wanted to turn my little foot misadventure into something more positive for me and for others. Personally, I needed a way to happily re-acquaint myself with Berlin again and to develop my creativity.

How did the charity aspect of the project come along? I didn’t want the project to just be for and about me. It’s been done before, I’m sure. I thought it would be a great idea that when people buy a photo, that they’re also giving something positive to the world too. So, I donate 5% of the buyers purchase to a charity of their choice. I like to call it being a ‘Conscientious Consumer’.

Are there days when you really don’t want to take a picture? Not at all! I always think it’s interesting to see what I can come up with, especially on those days when I haven’t left the house until later in the evening and I’m losing light.

Is photography a hobby or do you do it professionally? I’m not professionally trained as a photographer, but I always treat it professionally.

What do you do when you aren’t taking pictures? I’m a film producer!

How many pictures do you take in a day to get the one you plan on using?There’s no limit, but I have taken anywhere between 5 to 50! I take my camera everywhere as I never know when I’ll need it!

Do you have a plan of what you are going to shoot for that day or do you just wait to find inspiration? It’s a mix. There are days where I’ve planned to visit a certain area, such as the Charlottenburg Palace, so I know I’ll use a photo from there. But, I take my camera with me everywhere, even up the road to the grocers. Who knows where inspiration may hit?

How have you been promoting this project? Mainly online and word-of-mouth. I have my own website, use Twitter, have a Facebook fan page and of course, my Etsy shop.

What kind of response from fans and Etsy sellers have you gotten? Positive responses. The good thing about Etsy is that it’s community-orientated and if you need advice or tips, other sellers are happy to help out. And many Etsy sellers are also on Twitter and Facebook, and they happily give their thumbs up too.

Why did you choose Etsy as your platform for your project? I wanted to find a site that was already established as a place for people to visit if they wanted to buy photographs. With an established site comes the pros, such as high traffic and a community. I received an email from someone who happened to have their Etsy store link in their email signature. I clicked on it and discovered a whole new world!

Can you give us a few examples of the charities that have been chosen through your sales? We all know about the recent devastation in Haiti, so the project has donated to American Red Cross for Haiti & Habitat for Humanity for Haiti. A lesser known charity has been the German Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired and even the Wikipedia Foundation.
And now the BIG question,What are you going to do after the 365 days are up? A big party, perhaps? Or, an exhibition? Or, a photo book collection! Too many ideas right now!

A huge thanks to Melissa for taking the time to answer my questions and for the good work she is doing with her talent. Looking at her site I hope will inspire us as artists to not only be creative but to also find ways to use our art to help others.

Image courtesy of  TheDailyFoto.

Camera imageNYLightMetals

Picture courtesy of 3gwoodworks

By contributing columnist Pam aka ElectricPenquin
Once your fabulous picture gets a customer to open your listing, it’s the description that makes or breaks the deal. That’s a lot of pressure on a few sentences! Here’s how I attack the description demons:

First, I come up with the answers to these questions. One good way to answer these is to pretend you’re describing it to someone over the phone. What words would you use then?
- To start with, what is it – necklace, terrarium, hat, coat rack?
- What materials is it made of?
- What color(s) is it?
- For necklaces and bracelets (and anything else that closes), what kind of clasp does it have? Extender chain?
- What size is it overall? Most of the world is metric, so measurements should be listed in both inches and centimeters (confession – mine are not!).
- What sizes are the components? I just list the main pieces, not every single bead.
- How is it packaged – gift wrapped, organza bag, recycled padding?
- Any instructions or information the buyer might want to know beforehand – can’t get it wet, will arrive unassembled?
- Is it custom made? If so, it may take longer to ship out than usual.
- If a component was truly handmade and bought from a fellow Etsyian (like ceramic beads or pendants), I think it’s a really nice gesture to mention that. I usually go with something like “The ceramic beads were handmade by xxxxxxx.etsy.com” (no period at the end of the sentence). That syntax puts a link to their shop, once the listing is saved.

Then it’s time to type all of those answers into a persuasive, item selling group of sentences!
- The first sentence has to be snazzy and attention grabbing, as it’s what displays on a Google search. This is the most difficult part!! I try to put as much in it as possible, while still staying at around 100 characters. I always use the “View a preview of how your item will appear in Google search results” link to see the final result, and tweak it as needed.
- I try to type in coherent sentences, with proper cases and grammar. For terrible typists like me, spell check is a requirement!! Hint – put it in Word or an email, and check it there.
- I proper case the title and keep it to a reasonable length. Arrggh, I can’t stand titles that contain 30 words all in caps! I won’t even open them even if the piece looks really cool.
- Finally, in the beginning, I had someone else look at the final version as if they wanted to buy the piece, and had them tell me what they thought was missing.

Ta da, you’re done! Next, it’s off to the dreaded tags. More fun!!

It took me forever to write up just one item when I first started, but now I’m pretty fast. Descriptions do get easier the more you do them, really they do!

The Best Illustrators on Etsy That You’ve Probably Never Seen:  Part 2

By contributing columnist Michelle AKA: Little Toad

I had the pleasure of getting to ask these talented artist questions about their work and where they hope their work takes them. Please not only read this article but visit their shops I promise you will be transported to a different world and look at ours in a new way. These are undiscovered talents that I know will become your new favorites.

12. MaricarmenPizano

Maricarmen Pizano’s work is a beautiful combination of cute and expressive, displayed in muted backgrounds which just add to the beauty of her work. “I like to use different techniques like watercolor, acrylics, and ink, but for my illustrations I prefer the pencil because it allows me to play with contrast and especially because the monochromatic palette gives more drama to my work. My inspiration comes from many places; music, a cup of coffee but mostly from my own life.  Every single experience that marks my life is part of the story I tell in my illustrations.”

13. art4barewalls

Mara’s work is so bright and vibrant it basically jumps off the page at you. Her characters are charming and drawn in a way that makes them truly unique. I asked her how she got started. “I was looking for art for kids and did not like anything I found. I like edgy bright colored work so I decided to make my own. I then discovered that this may very well be the kind of work I need to do since I had so much fun doing it! My son is the reason I got on this track and he continues to inspire me every day.”

 14. Somethingbunny

Lea’s illustrations grab you the moment you look into the eyes of her characters. They are so sweet and gentle you have no choice but to fall in love with them.“I often find inspiration in things I come across in my daily life. In many cases, simple things such as a sweet gesture, a cute animal or even baked goods strike me with a creative brainwave which carries itself into an illustration. I am also highly influenced by colors and emotions and I find that my illustrations often depict things that tug at my heart strings. I can’t say for sure where I hope my art takes me, but I know that art and illustration will be a love that I will carry throughout my lifetime”

15. Kimsieboldstudios

Kim Sieblod’s work is beautifully simplistic yet complex in the emotions she is able to convey. “I am happiest when I am creating and using my creative skills.”  She is inspired by EVERYTHING! “I am inspired by simplicity, innocence, color, texture, interior design, typography, you name it.  The style of art depends on my mood. My true illustration love is traditional hand-drawn art with ink and then color enhancing with Photoshop”

16. juliettecrane

Juliette Canes is truly an original. Not only do her main characters have personality but her backgrounds display just as much character. You really get a great sense of the environment and the season you are viewing. “I love nature and taking walks and traveling and meeting people. I feel like all of those things, everything I experience, makes it into my artwork. At least I try for that anyways.”

17. ginormousrobot

If you don’t instantly get pulled into Josh’s work I don’t know what’s wrong with you! His illustrations are funny, sweet and truly original. I asked Josh where he hopes his work would someday take him.“There is this dream I have of a little studio in the backyard of my house where I sit and draw robots all day. I never have to wear a tie and I can stop and play tickle football with my kids whenever I want. I’m not there yet, but I hope to be.”

 18. borzoiart

I have never seen animals rendered and interpreted the way that Lena Sennikova does with her illustrations. They are truly breathtaking and amazingly original. Lena was planning to be a vet, but at the last moment she turned to Art College. “I am attached to the animalistic genre, but it a little boring for me to draw the ‘right animals’…  I try to increase their individual attitude, to make their characters brighter, to make them more romantic and kind. And, indeed, I take my inspiration from music, fairy tales, books (especially about animals), cartoons, anything beautiful…children, flowers, clouds…everything can be a source of inspiration.”

 19. Candace jean

Candace not only has one great etsy shop but three, all with their unique style and products. “I make a bunch of random, mismatched art that I spread over three Etsy shops so I feel like each piece is appropriately “categorized”. I find inspiration in all sorts of places; usually flora and fauna. I adore nature and the living world and am continuously fascinated by it. I find inspiration in children’s literature and classic fairy tales, historic fashion and lifestyle, books, old and vintage items, and life itself in all its complex simplicity.”

20. Becca26

Rebecca Menard’s work is unbelievably charming and a little wacky. She fines a great balance between being funny and having heart. “At the moment, art is a side business for me, but ultimately I’d love it to be my everyday job, my everyday joy. I hope to be able to support myself doing what makes me happy and hopefully bring other people joy as well.”

21. GouacheRocks

I bet you’ve never seen work quite like Anaïs Goldemberg’s before. Her interpretation of a subject and the medium she uses come together to create an awe inspiring final piece.”I love to create portraits of funny witches, scary ghosts, wild animals… Nothing serious, as you can see. I’m also an enthusiastic follower of many blogs, a great part of them about illustrators.”

 22. Gisellegonzalez

Giselle’s work is warm, inviting and really charming. It mixes very childlike wonder with modern sophistication. “Creating art has always been my passion. Ever since I was a little girl I spent hours drawing and painting in my notebooks and coloring books. I was obsessed with Disney’s Cinderella and I used to draw my mom and aunts with cinched waists and big skirts! I definitely think that I’ve always been attracted to-really girly, frilly things.”

Photo courtesy of Virginia Lindsay aka: ginia18

Art For Art’s Sake: Staying True To Your Vision

 By Contributing ColumnistBette Miles-Holleman aka BadMsM

 My oldest daughter, an aspiring artist, had two of her works entered in a local show. She didn’t win a prize, but many people praised her for fine work that looks much more advanced than that of a 15 year old. Despite the praise she received, she was upset that she didn’t win a prize. I told her that shows like this only reflect a few peoples’ opinions and tastes, and the fact that they didn’t award her a prize does not invalidate her or her work. Art, after all, is subjective.

I’m not sure if my daughter understands, but I think she has enough passion to carry her through her disappointment. I have to remind myself that this is also a part of the creative process. Every artist must learn healthy responses to criticism, constructive or otherwise.

How many of us indie artists have felt this way at one time or another? Sure, we need to evaluate our work and strive for the best, but we need to be comfortable with who we are and what our art says about us. It will grow and evolve just as we do, but we need to remember the vision that got us here in the first place. Personally, I like to read my customer feedback for a reminder of why I do this. It’s nice to hear what kindred spirits and those who ‘get it’ have said about my work. 

In this competitive world that seems to be all about accolades, prizes and titles, it can be easy to fall into the trap of looking to those things for validation. And while we are encouraged by sales of our works, we still do it for love our art, and the joy of creating unique items that speak to us in a way that nothing else can.

That’s what it’s all about!

Drawing courtesy of Chloe Holleman. 

Medals photo courtesy of drfeltgood