By Contributing Columnist Lauren aka Jewels Of Saraswati

1. Lindsey ell us a bit about the Shrimp Salad Circus Blog. When did you begin blogging? Why?

Shrimp Salad Circus has been evolving constantly since I began it at the end of last March. It began as a way to reach out to my customers a little more personally for my vintage shop, but since then it has become a source for inspiration, ideas, and all sorts of other things. My target audience has branched out far from Etsy since then, and my vision for leShrimp has grown by leaps and bounds.

2. You also have an Etsy shop by the same name where you sell vintage items. Tell us about your passion for vintage. What kind of items do you sell in your shop?

I sell anything that I would want to buy for myself. I have shoes, train cases, looots of handbags, jewelry, clothing, and all sorts of kitschy odds and ends. I’ve had to kind of put the shop on the back burner with my work, class, and extracurricular workload, but I still love it dearly and plan to kick it back into full swing this summer.

3. Speaking of the name Shrimp Salad Circus…..what was your inspiration for this name?

My best friend Marion and I were sitting on the trolley in San Diego after returning from a three-month backpacking trip, and I think that we might have been a bit delirious. We decided to start a handmade shop on Etsy and began playing a bizarre word-association game. For some reason, the three that stuck were shrimp, salad, and circus, and so it was. We never did start that shop, but I snapped the name up for my vintage shop and now the blog, and it has definitely made a stir!

4. My favorite feature on your blog is the anti-treasury. I would love to hear more about it. Where did this idea originate? Can people submit their items?

The Anti-Treasury began from my frustration with the Etsy treasuries. I feel like you have to sit there and babysit the treasury to snag a slot, and even then, it’s only once in a blue moon that you get one in time. I decided to quit even trying, and so began my Anti-Treasury. I get to make them whenever I want, with as many items as I want, and they don’t disappear after 48 hours. If you make it into a Shrimp Anti-Treasury, it’s there for keeps to link back to and revisit. It has a permanence that the Etsy version lacks.

I don’t take submissions for the Anti-Treasury at this time, simply because it’s usually created spur of the moment based on a subject or idea that has inspired me. I do take submissions for Handmade/Vintage Features and/or giveaways, so those are always welcome, of course!!!

5. Shrimp Salad Circus definitely aims to inspire! You have marketing tips, fashion inspiration, tutorials, even recipes! Can you tell us briefly about each portion of the blog? (And how you keep up with it all!)

As I said earlier, leShrimp is definitely constantly evolving, growing, and being tweaked to fill my ever-changing vision and inspirations. I have many recurring features, as well as a few that I just post as I’m inspired, so I’ll just touch on a handful:

* I want my blog to be the place people go to answer questions for their small indie businesses, so I created the Marketing Minute feature. That has taken a backseat with my shop, but I need to bring it back en force, since I think that it is really helpful for small business owners to learn from the mistakes and trials of others.

* The Be Inspired feature showcases artists that I find from all over the world and gives a fresh perspective on color, imagery, and art in all its many forms.

* I recently took on a fashion component when my interest in fashion and beauty grew from everything I’ve been seeing all over the blogosphere. I think that fashion and beauty are a form of art and inspiration in and of themselves, and though I sometimes feel that it can give a superficial slant to my blog, I think it’s all very worth noting.

* My How-To’s Day is my favorite, and I think it’s a favorite of my readers as well. Creating tutorials has forced me to step outside my box and find something new and interesting to make every single week (Okay, okay – I’ve had slacker weeks, but most every week, anyway…), and it has really helped me to hone some new skills. I have made tutorials covering just about every topic you can topic you can think of, from sushi birthday cake to hand-stamped garden markers from antique spoons and painting with bubbles, and I especially love reader suggestions for projects!

* The Good Eats feature has been sorely neglected lately, but that one comes easily for me. I love to cook and eat, and I think that most us of can share that love for food, right? I get to share amazing vegetarian recipes with my readers and show them that meat-free doesn’t really have to be limiting and can be cheaper, easier, and more gourmet than some of the carnivorous concoctions that they’re used to!

* My Handmade Features and Giveaways are one of my favorites because I get to showcase indie businesses with crazy interview questions that keep people engaged and leave them wanting more.

6. You have a dedicated following of over 1,200 and blog postings almost every day of the week! How do you keep yourself organized, efficient, inspired? What would be your advice to those new to blogging?

I set a goal of 1,000 subscribers by leShrimp’s first anniversary, and I surpassed that over a month before my deadline, yet it still never ceases to amaze me that that many people actually care what I have to say! I am a full-time Master’s student, an intern, President of a busy professional organization, and in the process of found Bridges Beyond Borders, a refugee youth mentoring organization, so I absolutely have trouble finding the time necessary to keep up with my blog and shop.

I can absolutely admit that I have days where I have to just tell my readers that I have too much going on, maybe with finals and research papers or the conference that I attended this weekend, for example, and they’re always very understanding. When you provide consistent, fresh, unique, and heartfelt content, they will stick around even when you sometimes can’t be there as much as you’d like. Whenever possible, I try to write a few posts over the weekend and schedule them to post each day so that I don’t get behind, and much of the time, my posts are spur of the moment, inspired by something that has sparked my interests right this minute. It also helps to have a steady feature schudule, like Marketing Minutes on Thursdays, Shop Features on Wednesdays, Anti-Treasuries on Fridays, and so on. It takes some of the brain-racking out of it.

I would suggest that new bloggers set a schedule like that for themselves. It gives you direction, while giving your readers something consistent to look forward to. I would also definitely say to post unique content. If you’re positing the exact same thing that you just saw on Decor8 or Design*Sponge, your readers have likely already seen it 30 other places, and they aren’t going to come back. They want to know what you have to say, and they’ll appreciate that even more. You want to strive to be the blog that others are linking back to, not the one always linking back to everybody else. Also – this is a pet peeve of mine; if you show somebody’s photography or products, always credit them. Don’t be the blog that exists on stolen content. It is illegal, shady, and will come back and bite you. I cringe when I see a post featuring somebody’s brilliant art but no way for me to find the artist.

More than anything, I would say to just have fun with it and let your voice show though. If you’re enjoying what you’re doing, so will your readers! Don’t write to build a following. Write to build your voice, and the following will come naturally.

Nina Newton of mamas*little*treasures has been designing and creating clothing for women and children for many years.

In addition to designing a variety of clothing and craft projects, Nina also has been writing eBook patterns for her creations for the past five years.

Having been a free-lance writer for local newspapers and other publications, it just seemed natural for her to move into the editorial position for a small online Christian women’s magazine, Ruby for Women, this spring when the opportunity presented itself.

In addition to designing, sewing, quilting, and writing, Nina has also been fascinated most recently with hand-embellished and vintage garments, shoes, and accessories which are available through her Etsy shop, Gossamer Wings Studio.

Nina and her husband live in rural northern Indiana in the midst of cornfields and woods, near a beautiful little lake, with their two beautiful daughters who were both adopted from China. With eight biological grown-up children between them, and 10 grandchildren who live in Michigan and Colorado, this is a pretty busy family!

Working from home is the perfect opportunity for this creative mama! In you are interested in knowing more about Nina and her work, please visit her blog at www.mamaslittletreasures.typepad.com or the Ruby blog at www.rubyforwomen.com.

Her Etsy shops are at www.mamaslittletreasures.etsy.com and www.gossamerwingsstudio.etsy.com

ARTICLES written by Mamas Little Treasures:

Tracy Smith of Cinnamon Jewellery

I have to be honest, sewing is not one of my favourite things, in fact if at all possible, I avoid it like the plague. I can sew I just choose not to. Hem of your trousers come undone? No need to get out the needle and thread, just use safety pins! See what I mean!

Needlework classes at school were interesting. The first thing we had to make was a needlework bag to keep everything in. Lets just say the way my foot hit that peddle on the sewing machine wouldn’t have put a boy racer to shame at a green light. I made various items of clothing, including a checked granddad shirt (hideous) and a voluminous blue skirt (even more hideous). I never wore either of them and was very relieved when I could drop the Needlework class and try woodwork instead. My efforts there resulted in an “interesting” but rather shapeless piece of wood, but at least it was lovely and smooth ( I was very good at sanding apparently). I’m so glad I eventually found my “calling” in beads and wire! Strangely, I still have the needlecase I made for my Mum years ago. It’s tucked away in the sewing tin that I never open……

I asked three Folksy sellers who do enjoy sewing to let me into the secret of the attraction of the world of needles and thread and sewing machines.

Zoe of Top Floor Treasures has always wanted to be an artist/crafter since she was a young girl. She uses beautiful fabrics to make pencil cases and cushions. “I love working with printed fabrics that have a design that I love; the best part is seeing the finished product and feeling proud of what I have created. It’s lovely when you create something and someone wants to buy it, that’s the biggest compliment you can get and is a great feeling!”

Gemma of SugarandRhubarb is inspired by fabric prints and life’s little happy moments. She takes beautiful fabrics and turns them into tea cosies, take-away cup huggers and iPhone covers. She has just lauched her new range of cute Ninja Kitties on Folksy. Gemma loves the sense of achievement she felt when she got a gold star from the teacher when she was at school and when she had finally finished a piece of work that had taken a long time to do. “I get this same buzz when I sew. The process of thinking of a design, figuring out how to create it and then the end result is so rewarding, it may take a while and several moments of throwing unsuccessful attempts across the room, but to be able to create something beautiful gives me that same sense of achievement that I felt as a child. Being a part of a community like Folksy makes it even better, you can share ideas and support and you really feel that there are fellow craftsters out there rooting for you to do well. My favorite moment is when a customer buys an item and then takes the time to thank you for it. As each of my items are handmade I become attached to them so it’s lovely to know that someone else is enjoying it as much as I did making it.”

Kate of Bluebell and Rosie makes cushions and purse and also sells sewing supplies. She likes the way sewing takes her away from the stresses and strains of everyday life. “I love being able to get lost in the moment. I find it doesn’t matter whether I make something thats useable/wearable etc – its the whole process of making that I find really therapeutic and a great way to relax.”

Being handy with a needle and thread means recycling is an important part of creating for Zoe, Gemma and Kate.

Zoe recycles materials if she has enough for the task in hand. “I’ve used old jeans to make bags, ribbons from other bought items get re-used. At the moment I’m working on some magnets which feature scraps of a lovely fabric that used to be one of my daughter’s blouses!” She also uses buttons from old clothes in other projects.

Gemma gets a particular buzz from using fabrics that other people might have just thrown away. “When I was younger I’d regularly clear out my wardrobe for new items (My name’s Gemma and I’m a shopping addict) and send the unwanted clothes to charity shops, now they become a part of my fabric hoard, and I love that. I love being able to make a cosy or lavender bag out of something that was once unwanted by myself or someone else. If anyone is having a wardrobe clearout I’m usually there stroking the clothes or inspecting the print, the same happens if I go near a charity shop!

I never throw out the scraps that I create whilst sewing new goodies. I have a box filled with randomly shaped ends of fabric that I find are perfect for those appliqué moments. It’s especially satisfying when you find a scrap from a yardage you had months ago and, even if it’s the size of a penny, to be able to use it in another project makes me really happy.”

Kate has been given a lot of fabric which she recycles. “I’ve not been sewing for long but I have a stash of materials passed to me from my mother in law which she has had for years and I’m constantly on the lookout in charity shops for any materials I might be able to use.”

It’s not just the haberdashery store that provides a source for new supplies. There are lots of other sources to increase your stash.

Zoe: “The materials I use come from a variety of places, such as charity shops, online auction sites, fabric websites, local craft shops, and I’m also given things by friends that they think I might be able to use. I can happily spend hours looking at fabric websites wishing I had enough money to just buy everything they have!”

If fabric obssessed Gemma had the money she would build another house just to store all of her finds, “colour-coded obviously!” She is always on the look out for pieces to add to her collection and will find any opportunity to buy or nip into a fabric shop. “The unexpected pleasant surprises come from eBay or online stores like Fabric Rehab. Otherwise my favourite places to spend an afternoon are Kirkgate Market in Leeds and Ditto Fabrics in the North Laines in Brighton. I bought some stunning Paul Smith and D&G fabric from them in their sales which I can’t wait to use. Plus charity shops, be it old clothes or pillow cases there’s always a fabric treat to be found, my best find was a duvet cover on sale for 99p which will make some lovely homeware goodies and toddler dresses.”

Kate loves the sales for her fabric finds. “I’m in the process of building up a varied fabric stash so I’ve got fabrics from Ikea, Fabric Rehab, Gaga Fabrics and Laura Ashley.”

Thank you to Zoe, Gemma and Kate. When I look at the lovely things in their slideshow it’s possible to make with a needle and thread a small part of me wishes I liked to sew. It’s only a very small part though!

Pic courtesy of Hello Monkey

By Contributing Columnist Lauren of Jewels Of Saraswati

I have always had a fascination with vintage. Roaming through thrift stores, handling materials that were once a reflection of eras gone by, pondering who once owned and loved various items. It all creates an exhilarating nostalgia that I am sure all vintage lovers can relate to!

One day, as I was browsing the cyber vintage world on Etsy, I came across Marie Retro Revival and just knew Christine Marie had a story to tell. Here are some questions I posed to her all about her passion for the past, and her little vintage “problem”. It all began with a striped sweater from the 70’s…..

1. Tell me about yourself and your passion for vintage…
Well, I am a 30 year old mother, married to a dashingly handsome man, living in the middle of nowhere who also happens to have a blog and an etsy vintage shop. I am extremely lucky to have a plethora of vintage clothing available to me and have come to love, honor and respect the quality, uniqueness, and charm of vintage pieces. It sounds like I am married to this stuff, and, in a way, I sort of am. It has become such a huge part of my life’s passion and, well we live together, so I thought we should probably just make it official. Just joking.

2. When did you start loving vintage?
My respect for vintage actually started with an old, 70’s striped sweater that I found at a thrift store as a teenager and wore just about everyday the winter of my Junior year. It was .25c and made me the envy of every cool grunge girl in my art class (this was the mid 90’s) Growing up, my family didn’t have much money (in fact my “Reward” for not having cavities when I went to the dentist was that I got to pick one item out at the thrift store! Without sarcasm, thank you mom.) The ability to dress well from things others have discarded, and for next to nothing, is a skill I am so thankful to have been taught.

3. What made you decide to open your own shop?
Well, vintage collections sort of multiply like rabbits and since I am compulsive about thrift shopping, the huge walk in closet (my husband actually moved out of for me) the two closets in my spare bedrooms, the 4 rolling racks in the studio above my garage and all my vintage suitcases were stuffed to the brim and over flowing and making me feel like a greedy, dirty, terrible hoarder. The really sick part was that I never wore the stuff. . . And I quit my job. . . I felt guilty using money I hadn’t made myself to buy more stuff I didn’t need or wear, so I decided to start selling it off to fund my shopping trips. It was so exhilarating to let it go and feel some weight of my guilt removed! I kept my prices really low and still do, in an effort to move more stuff. I still have rolling racks full of stuff waiting to be listed and I have given so much of it back to the thrift shops since It feels better to have a very paired down collection than just a ton of junk.

4. You describe your town as a great place to find rare “pre-loved” clothing. Tell us about it!
My town is small, but very picturesque, old (for the west), and nostalgic as a Norman Rockwell painting. Many people have either been living here their whole lives, or come here to retire. To be very delicate about this, well, people of retirement age lived through some really great years fashion wise and many women who have saved their clothes from those times, as memories or because they simply still love them, bring them when they move here. Through eventual turns of events, these very loved and cherished clothes end up in the thrift stores. Due to the lack of a “youth scene” in any great quantity, I have most of it to myself. The shop ladies say, “You are the only one who buys that crazy stuff!” Good for me!!

5. What elements attract you when purchasing vintage?
I love the idea that this garment had a full life before it met me. It was born way before me (usually) and has lived through things I can only read about. I would like to say I was influenced by being “green” or whatever, but it has never been about that. I just like good design and feel like it never really goes out of style. Plus it is very inexpensive!

6. I have always wondered about the admiration of vintage style. What do you think creates this fascination with vintage? (I know I am fascinated!)
You know, I am not sure what it is exactly, but I know that my fingers understand it when they feel the fabric, my eyes understand it when they see the patterns and colors, and my body really gets it when I put the clothes on and feel the fit. There are usually so many special details that provide the wearer with a one of a kind piece that may have at one time been mass produced, but now is just an individual.

7. What would be your ultimate vintage find?
I am still endlessly searching for the perfect vintage boho, flat riding boots. I refuse to buy a pair online in my size because it will defeat my efforts. They are out there waiting for me in someone’s closet I am sure.

8. What are you up to when you are not on the vintage hunt?
I do a lot of freelance work. Right now I am working at a residential care facility for individuals with eating disorders where I give Yoga instruction and facilitate Art Therapy projects. (if anyone would like more information about getting help to overcome an eating disorder please contact me) When I am not working there, I volunteer at my town’s local High School in the Art Department. They let me use their ceramics studio (my major in college) and screen printing studios in exchange for giving workshops on ceramic whistle making and thrifted clothing reconstruction. It is a pretty sweet deal because I love working with and among teenagers!

Get your vintage fix at her Etsy shop Marie Metro Revival

And some sweet styling tips on her blog Second Skin….

By Contributing Columnist, Cynthia Nodland aka Puddin Pies.

Some of the most beautiful stationery artwork I have seen on Etsy comes from a store called Saratams

Owner Sara Tams, a stay-at-home mom of two, started her shop in 2007 as she is a “firm believer in the handwritten thank you note”. Sara’s shop features not only beautiful note cards, notepads, and address labels, but also personalized canvas prints, water bottles, and bookplates.

My favorite product in the store is the Personalized Canvas Art Print. The silhouette style reminds me of artwork from when I was a child in the seventies, but Sara adds her own modern edge to it, creating a unique gift that can be made just to your specifications. She states her inspiration comes from vintage children’s illustrations, as well as watching her own children at play.

Many choices await you as you work with Sara to design your custom item–you may choose from a number of features, hair and eye colors, boy or girl children, and even pets, as well as choosing from a wide variety of colors for your creation.

One of the most unique things I found that are currently available are customizable Valentine cards, where you can choose options to make the child on the card look just like your little one! You can guarantee no one else at school will have Valentines as special as these!

Sara also runs a separate online store as well at her online craft shop

Additionally, this talented shop owner keeps a blog , which includes tutorials, current store specials, and tales of the experience she’s gleaned as a home business owner–something I can absolutely appreciate!!!

Don’t miss a chance to learn more about this wonderful addition to the Etsy community!

Share

By contributing columnist Barbra La Bosco aka All About the Buttons

My mother used to say “Smile & bite your cheek…I know what you’re thinking but smile instead” and boy, is that advice good for those of us who do craft shows and meet buyers in person.

Fortunately,my recent show was pretty good but I still had many opportunities to bite my cheek. These comments were honestly what I heard:

 1-Oh, now I know what to make with my mother’s buttons.
2-Did you knit this? (Yes) No way…
3-My grandmother made something like this only it was better.
4-All this is is a ribbon and a button (regarding a bookmark).

Now, my sarcastic side was gnawing at my cheek while my little bitty mature side, smiled and smiled and smiled with my mother on my shoulder. But the smiles came easy as I recalled the comments like “Oh, this is so clever” and “This is beautiful. My (blank) will love it”. Across the aisle from me was an elderly woman selling scarves and dried flowers. Everytime someone picked up a scarf she ran out from behind her table with a scowl on her face. She did not make one sale all day and her work was lovely. She literally scared everyone away.
>

We are so used to the anonyminity behind a computer monitor that in person we must pause and while we wonder why people say what they say, we can only control our reactions. They want to make conversation. They want to appear interested. And maybe their grandmother did do it better and they forgot to bite their cheek! Anyway, my 2cents for today….smile!
Share this article on Facebook

Happy Trees courtesy of Paper and String

3 Little Gingerbreadmen courtesy of Daintiedesigns

By contributing columnist Megan Eckman aka Studiomme

Like all good things, the Polaroid Land camera has come back into fashion. Some may argue that it never left but there is no denying that less boxes of instant film have been stocking the shelves this last decade.

The digital camera, which offers a similar instant gratification with a lower film cost, has quickly replaced the Polaroid as the American family camera. With the announcement in February of 2008 that the Polaroid Corporation would be discontinuing all instant film, a movement of photographers and vintage lovers began to revive the camera.

The Polaroid was developed in 1947 with the help of Edwin H. Land, who founded the Polaroid Corporation. Land’s purpose was to create a seamless and easy-to-use photographic system. The resulting camera could be used by anyone, even children, because it took care of focusing, exposure settings, and flash. The Polaroid allowed people to see if their picture turned out or it they had to shoot. It was also ideal for ID and passport portraits.

Over 60 years later, the Polaroid has infatuated another generation of photographers with its instant gratification and frequent “happy accidents”. The Land cameras take pictures with a signature muted palette and soft focus, which gives a vintage feel to modern photos. Inconsistencies in color and texture crop up frequently due to the chemicals reacting to external temperatures or too-eager fingers. However, most photographers agree that they love the singularity of the instant photo and the old square format that lets them watch a memory take form in their waiting hands.

Megan Rhodes, a Polaroid photographer, does admit that the vintage camera has some “not” happy accidents. Due to the packaging of the new Fuji film, there’s more waste for each photo, making it hard to hold several wet Polaroids and their tear-sheets without getting dust on the developing photographs. However, she loves the way that people want to know more about her camera when she uses it. She also enjoys the fact that the instant film offers a “healthy limitation” to what she can shoot because of the number of sheets in a film pack. “It makes you more considerate and aware of how you are capturing your subject. It really makes you approach how you are capturing your images, and how you view the world, in a whole new way.” Megan Rhodes sells her Polaroid prints, and larger archival prints of the photographs, in her Etsy shop.

Other Polaroid photographers on Etsy include: Opart and Bucks County Frames.

So no matter if you grew up with the instant camera or want to try it out for the first time, you should act now before they’re all gone because there’s no telling when the Polaroid will be back again!

Polaroid Camera image courtesy of Lola’sRoom

All other images courtesy of the various Etsy Shops mentioned herein.

Share this article on Facebook