Showing posts with label take 10 tuesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label take 10 tuesday. Show all posts

Tuesday Trends - Military Inspiration - Function, Utility, Simplicity

Tomorrow, I will announce last week's giveaway winner and the answer to my little name puzzle, in the meantime let's talk Tuesday trends.

The military fashion trend has been around a couple years now and doesn't appear to be going anywhere.

It does continue to evolve though from a historical infatuation toward a more modern focus.

In 2008 and 2009 the military trend was more focused on the uniforms of the Victorian and Georgian eras while the current trend is all about 20th century's focus on functionality and utility.

How and if you might work this trend into your own work is up to you, but here is what a few Etsy peeps and others are doing:

1. Flying rabbit wings pin by Cosmic Firefly
2. Sleeveless jacket by Malam
3. Wallet by Urban Heirlooms
4. Kevlar wallet by RAGGEDedgeGear
5. Drink charms by Clinks
6. Hand embroidered jacket by RiordanRoache
7. Vintage wallpaper triple switch plate by Fondue
8. Giuseppe Zanotti boots

Take 10 Tuesday - the lazy-girl summer version where we get to 7 this week

1. Are you all in? over at Illuminated Mind

2. It's not time to scale back the gulf oil clean up - is it? over at TreeHugger

3. How much of yourself do you have to reveal to succeed? over at thinktraffic


4. An assistant orders a sandwich at D.A. Wagner

5. Carmen Torbus announces a scholarship contest

6. Brenda shares some tips for selling handknits on Etsy at Phydeaux Designs

7. Rachel's new blog is filled with total gorgeous inspiration!

8. 55 quotes to inspire creativity, innovation and action over at awake at the wheel

authenticity print by emilyleypaper

Take 10 Tuesday - the lazy girl summer version where we get to 7 this week

1. Carmen drops a love bomb (we are totally doing this!)

2. More Than Lemonade Part I and Part II- Sherry Truitt gets real on advertising - excellent

3. Why Entrepreneurs Need Community by Glen Stansberry for Awake at the Wheel.

4. step away from the karma, choosing not to get involved at Danielle LaPorte (this is a little older, but I just saw it - if you are not reading Danielle, you probably will be).

I had jury duty a couple years ago after getting out of it a few times

(a very hard thing to do here in New Jersey)

and I got to be the jury foreman - because I was sitting in seat #1 and the judge asked me a couple questions and determined I was not a total idiot (just a couple questions, so it was easy for me to fool him). It was nothing life or death, very cut and dry and only lasted a couple days and I loved it - a very interesting experience.

5. The cool kids and why that's a flawed idea by Sister Diane at CraftyPod

6. Sheena Iengar podcast on the art of choosing at TED

7. The Law of Anti-Attraction by Sonia Simone.

choose photograph by anwaar on flickr

Take 10 Tuesday - the lazy girl summer version where we get to 8 this week


1. Annie Leonard's The Story of Cosmetics - a must see!

2. On Perfect Timing - when things aren't happening fast enough at Tiny Buddha

3. Time Management Tips for Shop Owners at the Ecoetsy team blog by Greenearthgoodies

4. The Awareness of Pain and the Pain of Awareness at BlissCick

5. 3 Reasons You're Not Charging What You're Worth at the Launch Coach

6. Cowboy Up! break away from the other artists at the Art Biz Blog

7. Too Smart for Your Business at Awake at the Wheel by Alexis Neely

8. Getting Unstuck - solving the perfect problem by Seth



*courage poster by lillebarntoo*

Take 10 Tuesday - the lazy-girl summer version where we get to 7 this week

Take 10 Tuesday - the lazy-girl summer version


This will be my last full week of blogging before I take my blog down a notch for the rest of the summer with less frequent posts.

Poppy's giveaway (don't miss this one!) will be the last until I pick them back up after Labor Day (many incredible goodies on the schedule and I don't want to be unfair to those talented sellers by posting them during my summer slow down)

and lots of wonderful things coming up like a brand new look for my website and blog, my first tradeshows and a brand new collaboration blog (this fall) with the amazing Sherry Truitt!

In the meantime here is some stuff you might have missed and maybe wouldn't want to:

1. The Grateful Dead 4 Step Guide to the Magical Influence of Content Marketing at Copyblogger

2. Crude Awakening - The photography of Jane Fulton -->

3. Work it on Kaboodle on Etsy's blog The Storque

4. 3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Unconventional Website by Holly Jackson for Crafting an MBA.

5. Great article on rest and the creative spirit by Tara on Scoutie Girl

6. Once a week they get together and drop hundreds of love bombs- you will love this!

7. Ideas to Help Green Your Business at the EcoEtsy blog by AnarchyinBeauty

8. Do It So Good That You Don't Doubt Yourself Anymore over at ArtBizBlog

Take 10 Tuesday - the lazy-girl summer version


1. Maintaining confidence in a competitive market by Lauren Venell on Design Sponge - this includes some great business networking links, too.

2. Have fallen in love with Sebastiann Bremer's amazing work -------->

3. Green kettle corn at Not Martha.

4. Nicole at Lillyella wrapped up her amazing stained glass adventure - you will want to check out all 3 parts.

5. Brenda of Phydeaux Designs (an inspiration for amazing product photography) offers us part ll of her "on photography and product styling" series.

6. Waiting until you have all your ducks in a row to do something new? Why Kirsty Hall says to Ignore Your Ducks.

7. The non-optimized life by Seth (or just ready anything/everything by Seth)

8. Chip Conley's TED talk on What Makes Life Worthwhile

Take 10 Tuesday - the summer lazy-girl version where we may or may not get to a ten count

1. Disposable Culture and Our Fear of Commitment over at Scoutie Girl

2. How to Use Photos to Sell More Online over at Smashing Magazine (some new info here)

3. Dr. Evil's 7 Tips for Achieving Worldwide Domination at Copyblogger

4. Believing Mirrors - Do You Have Them? by Robin Norgren over at Handmade Spark


5. CosaVerde's interview with the amazing Elisa Shere!

6. Scoutie Girl's Creative Thinker interview with the incredible Stephanie Fizer!

7. Social mention is a great place to see if people are talking about your business (in good ways, of course) - it seems a bit more complete and up to date than Google Alerts to me. Thanks Sherry for finding this.

8. 5 Etsy Features You Should be Using over at Kate and Oli (just realized I could be Cat and Oli!)

Take 10 Tuesday - the summer version ....

Now that summer has officially come to this part of the world and I am allowed to get officially lazy

(yes, it's like, in the Constitution or something)

as opposed to the unofficially lazy way I usually operate, Take 10 Tuesday will be reduced to Take (insert any number here) Tuesday for the next few weeks.

(why don't I just call it Take 8 Tuesday, etc you are probably asking ... well, I don't know ... it just doesn't seem to have the same kapow, you know what I mean)

Anyhoo, here's some stuff you might want to check out:

1. My own interview with Tara at Scoutie Girl about Creative Thinking!

2. A seriously good podcast over at Crafty Pod where Megan Auman nails it about Professional Crafters and Hobbyists on Etsy

3. Tips for Etsy Sellers - Product Descriptions that Work by the amazing tinahdee

4. 5 Reasons to Title Your Art at Art Biz Blog - why numbering your work is not a good idea

5. Very funny post Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party over at Suburban Snapshots.

6. 5 Quick Tips to Take Better Photographs by the amazing Jessica Torres.

Jessica also found some stunning new work for the Photographers of Etsy team blog which included an amazing photo by my buddy Ann Wilkinson, who is hopefully in North Carolina as I right this, having a wonderful summer and drinking alot of wine (she sends me her corks) - I'm not trying to wish a drinking problem on her or anything, but I do need those corks Ann ...

7. Chris Brogan's post Make the Ask - why is it so hard for us to ask for the sale?

8. Get WAY Better at What You Do NOW by Tara Gentile - what have we done lately to improve our maker skills?



rustic spinner ring by tinahdee
Peek fine art photo by Jessica Torres.

Take 10 Tuesday - some stuff we would be talking about around the watercooler - if we had a watercooler


1. The BP oil spill updates on the Daily Green also some great info here

2. Top 10 Biz Lady Mistakes by the Biz Ladies at Design Sponge

3. Making returns and exchanges easier for your customers over at Smallerbox

4. Ecoetsy's post by Lisa of Lil Fish Studios on Flickr- Moving Beyond the Basics

5. Duct Tape Marketing or Social Media Remorse over at Open Small Business

6. The Spring Inspiration girls take on the Law of Attraction in these podcasts

7. Sister Diane of Craftypod's Craft Blog Tune Up Course starts on the 28th

8. Some of the Summit of Awesome speakers will be broadcast live in the Etsy labs! Check out the schedule here.

9. Seth's post The Wrapper Matters - all his posts are must-reads!

10. John T. Unger's interview over at The Launch Coast.

Take 10 Tuesday - The Goods From the Last Week or so ...

1. Great post by Sister Diane on Crafty Pod - Creative Tithing, What Do You Think? includes some good links like this one on Scoutie Girl by Kristen Walker.

I am taking this topic up again tomorrow with a 2 part series!

2. Using Facebook as a promotional tool by GreenEarthGoodies on TeamEcoEtsy's blog!

I am sort of on Facebook now, but feel like I either need to commit or split!

3. Photography Tips by heidiadnum on Etsy's blog.

Some good lighting information


4. Notcot looks inside one of my favorite NYC shops Fishs Eddy!

5. Pricing Your Artwork over at All Things Littleput (the designer and maker of the orginal scrabble tile necklace)

6. Creating a Culture of Profit post at CraftMBA.

Reminding us again that handmade cannot compete on price - nobody wins.

7. Adorable and free printable teacher's thank you notes over at Giver's Log.

8. Carmen's interview with Tara Joyce of Elasticmind at Carmen Torbus.

9. How to Get Your Family Talking at Kim and Jason's Escape Adulthood

10. Some great packaging products and ideas over at Think Garnish!

Take 10 Tuesday - Some Stuff You Don't Want to Miss

1. Love this Tea Cup Bird Feeder tutorial at Cap Creations.

2. Crafty Pod has a great podcast on Creative Commons Licensing with Martin Ertl and Kim Werker

3. Opportunities You Should Turn Down at ArtBiz Blog

4. What Would You Keep, If You Had to Pay to Keep It post over at Productive Flourishing.

5. Kaboodle announced designer/writer/blogger Mary Andrews (AKA MaryMary of Etsy) is joining them as a guest editor where she will be blogging about all things Etsy- she also makes the coolest pocket knife necklaces if you haven't seen them.

6. What's Your Label? - interesting post and follow-ups from Tara at Scoutie Girl.

7. 8 Great Videos to Inspire You to Draw More on Michael Nobbs blog.

8. 9 Easy Steps to an Organic Garden at the Daily Green

9. Crafty Business Resource List over at One Pretty Thing (thanks for the tweet Piddix)

10. If you haven't seen Spruce Home's process video on Etsy's blog - you have to check this out - it is one of my all-time favorites! These girls are flippin' amazing!

Take 10 Tuesday- some cool stuff you might have missed last week!


1. Yes, that's cork and yes, I am totally excited that Brazilian design firm Oiti are working with it in such an amazingly, unique way!

2. Amanda over at kindovermatter is taking a little break to have a baby! Her and Jenn are the nicest gals with the nicest crafty blog out there!

3. For the most amazing recipes from the most amazing jewelry designer- check out Lillyella's blog and be prepared for some yummilicious goodies!

4. The 7 Deadly Website Sins from Kirsty Hall - I may be committing a couple of these - hopefully not the mortal ones.

5. Loving the amazing studio series over at Art21 - they are seeking donations of as little as $1.00 to keep this all happening

6. Fearless launches e-mag- you will love this!

7. What WE can do about the Gulf Oil Spill

8. The Undeniable Imperative of Community over at the Indie Business Blog

9. The amazing Stephanie Fizer's ecourse Flourish starts May 31st!

10. Noelle from Xenotees great interview for Etsy about quitting her day job and she even mentions me, she's a sweetie!

Take 10 Tuesday - maybe money really does grow on trees and we just have to reach up and pick it


OK - for this week's take ten let's talk moula (moola?, moulah?)

(that's cold, hard cash for anyone not living in New Jersey)

because as the crafty community's discussion of free

(as in giving stuff - mostly your time - away to build an audience who will later buy from you or attract others who will later buy from you, without devaluing what it is that you are actually "selling")

organically grows into a discussion of pricing and value there is alot of good information out there:

1. Tara from ScoutieGirl's amazing post L-Earning my Worth over at Daily Worth.

2. The 3 P's of Pricing over at Productive Flourishing

3. The Design Sponge ladies on How to Price Your Work

4. Price Points for Handmade Crafts at the Craft Report

5. In an Abundant World, Scarcity is Opportunity by Sister Diane of Craftypod over at CraftMBA

6. Pricing Design Work at Smashing Magazine

7. Professional Pricing for Crafts People and Designers by Simone Walsh

8. Pricing Your Work at Creative Choices

9. Brenda, of Phydeaux Designs post on Pricing for Wholesale at PaperNStitch

10. Pricing Work Based on Value at Freeland Switch

Take 10 Tuesday - some great posts in case you missed them - lots of podcast action

1) CraftMBA's post Is Use the Best Form of Marketing (do you wear/use your own work?)

<---- 2) Lovin' Amalia's zippers on canvas!

3) 15 Marketing Tips to Remember by the Bakery

4) Art Marketing action podcast on Placing Older Art on Your Website

5) Kari Chapin (The Handmade Marketplace author) answers crafty business questions over at CraftyPod

6) Kim Tillyer has a great birthday giveaway on her blog for one of her amazing brooches!

7) How to Conduct Your Own Annual Review by Chris Guillebeau

I might have to fire myself now - this could be bad or good news

8. Getting Other People to Hate You at the Gapingvoid

9. The amazing Jessica Doyle's amazing videocast over on Elastic Lab.

10. The amazing Carmen Torbus rocks her video "interview" for the incredible ladies of Spring.

Take Ten Tuesday - Great Links for Craft Fair Tips and Tricks for Your Crafty Biz!


If the spring and summer plans for your crafty business include a craft show or two here are some great links you don't want to miss:

1. My own post on Selling the Benefits of Your Work

2. Indie Craft Shows Beginners Guide to Craft Shows

3. Booth Layout at a Craft Show from the Craft Report

4. Craft Show Applications Unraveled from the Etsy blog the Storque

5. Craft Fair Tips from the Etsy blog the Storque

6. Craft Show Checklist (what to bring) from Badskirt

7. Craft Show Display pics on Flickr

8. 119 Places to Find a Craft Show by Sunshine Glassworks

List of craft shows from Sunshine Artist

Indie Craft Fair Guide

9. Great Tips from Indie Craft Shows

10. More tips from Craft Show Tips

(Picture of Petit Collage's amazing display at Renegade)

Take Ten Tuesday - or drop your glue guns tax day is next week!

Now hopefully, if you have a craft, design or art business you were organized last year with your receipts and paperwork and you know what you made and what you spent and what you actually made after all that spending

(this was a huge awakening for me recently)

How do you know if your crafty enterprise is a business or a hobby? Well, generally the IRS believes that you have yourself a business if you are in it to make a profit.

(whether you actually make one or not).

And if you have a business - here are some links you might want to check out:

1. IRS Schedule C Instructions Profit or Loss from Business

2. IRS Publication 535 Business Expenses (things you can legally deduct from your income- hint, your brand new sephora bronzer probably did not make the list)

3. Turbo Tax (super easy to use and you will not need to download all the IRS forms)

4. Craftypod's podcast Taxes for Your Crafty Business with Hunter Coleman (great info and links)

5. Outright (Etsy bookkeeping tool- I haven't tried this- if you have or do- let me know how it goes)

6. Tax Info for Small Businesses from those crafty mavens at Design Sponge

7. A Free Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop - 9 Lessons from the IRS

8. Tax Resources for the Arts Resource Network

9. The Most Overlooked Tax Deductions from Kiplinger

10. What to do About That Swiss Bank Account (you do have a swiss bank account, don't you?)

Take Ten Tuesday - some info and stuff you bloggers will not want to miss

If part of the village you are creating for yourself includes your own blog (or you are thinking about starting one) here are some sites, posts and tidbits that you might find helpful.


1. Diane Gilleland of CraftyPod has 2 great ebooks about blogging; Making a Great Blog and Creating a Blog Audience.

8. Craft Blog Etiquette from Whip Up

3. The Mark Twain Guide to Better Blogging at Copyblogger

4. 9 First Step Goals for a New Blog by Problogger

5. How to Make a Blog Tutorial from Mitsy at ArtMind

6. Artful Blogging magazine at your local bookstore

7. Chris Brogan's best advice about blogging. Great stuff here.

8. Advertising 101 for Bloggers at Design Sponge

9. Problogger's 8 Tips for Building Community with Your Blog

10. And of course, something from Seth- How to Get Traffic for Your Blog