No Whining on Wednesday or to bee or not to bee, that is really the question

I am a semi-retired almost-spelling champion.

well, I got 2nd place in our school spelling bee in the 4th grade and maybe that doesn't exactly spell c-h-a-m-p-i-o-n, but I really was just one letter away from the title ... (c-h-a-m-p-i-o ?)

and yes (I can hear my sister snickering right now) I am going to tell that story .... again

now I am not just randomly mentioning this fact (and I will get to my 4th grade devastation in a moment) but several things have happened to me in the last 48 hours that have brought all these sordid memories back to me to deal with ... again

(and maybe finally get some closure ... maybe)

#1 - I collect Trixie Beldon books.

(it's kind of a sickness)

Trixie was my childhood heroine. She was sort of a younger, spunkier Nancy Drew. My aunt gave me an old collection of Trixie books when I was eight or so and I fell in love with her.

She was a horse rider and mystery solver and I was a bike rider and mystery solver.

(well, my sister and I did once figure out that my brother was allergic to plums by secretly stuffing him with a huge amount while my mother wasn't looking ... it wasn't pretty, but we solved the mystery of his itchy rashes once and for all)

Anyhoo, flash ahead to Ebay and I started bidding on and collecting a particular series of Trixie books (in the style that I used to own) - I had collected maybe 18 of the 30 or so volumes. I bid on one every month or so and picked up a few at flea markets, so my little collection has been slowly and steadily making its way across my bookshelf.

Then, yesterday morning I accidentally typo'd Trixie Belden instead of Trixie Beldon (e for o) when doing my monthly Ebay search for my missing treasures and ...

there were hundreds of them! Like 1600 and something instead of the 20 or so I usually spot.

My heart started racing and I thought I might need medical attention, so I started motioning for Olive and she jumped in my lap ready to perform whatever kind of medical maneuver this situation required

(I've said before how smart she is. Please take this seriously)

All the books I could ever want to own were right there waiting for me, but wait a minute how could all these people be spelling Trixie's name wrong ...

(I am a bit slow on the uptake sometimes)

After dropping Olive and racing to my little Trixie collection to confirm, I realized that I had been misspelling my beloved Trixie's last name ... for 2 years! for 24 Ebay searches! for an almost spelling champion like me this was a devastating blow!

Of course, now knowing I can get any book (almost) at any time if I am just willing to spend enough money, has taken the fun out of my collecting - so I have decided to just keep searching among the mis-spellers- they are my peeps after all and ignore all those know it alls who think they can spell everything ....

(yes, like you Carole Bober who may have beat me by spelling "disappointed" correctly - can you imagine the humiliation of blowing such a simple, just sound it out for pete's sake, word - ugh! - ok, family I am really over it this time- although I do have to add there was a bit of trickery involved on Carole's part, but I am not going to go there in case she googles herself one day and this post appears - my sister is right now burying her head in her hands)

So anyhoo again- the other strange thing about this incident (and the subsequent spelling bee memory which I have not thought about for years- well except for the annually televised National Spelling Bee finals which I watch and am forced to remember that I was CHEATED OUT OF THAT TROPHY -yes another trophy rant, sorry)

is that the past 48 hours have been filled with synchronicities for me having to do with BEES ....

Let me explain - 1. (or is this 2?) Last night I was going to make a banner for a new Etsy team called the Artisans Collective and I am thinking banner, banner, banner - you get it - my head was pretty much empty, then I remembered my own rant post about how you need an identity before you have a banner, duh, what was I thinking, so I start thinking identity, collective, collection, herd, flock of birds, school of fish

(well, actually some of these things were thought by my daughter before she said them out loud and then they were thought by me and since she might read this, I better throw her in here for copyright protection)

then I thought bees, hive, collective, women, community, working together, the ability to play with the words bee and be- perfect fit. I start to get excited. Then I think maybe a quote will help with a branding statement and I have a quote book somewhere and it's not really much of a quote book (maybe 20 quotes in it, more of a picture book), but I look for it and it is right next to me

(and believe me nothing I need is ever right next to me)

and the paper cover has been long lost and the hardback cover has just one word pressed into the cover ... and the word is ....

be

(this was not the name of the book)

and I open the book to a random page and it says ...

"there can never be good for the bee, which is bad for the hive" ... emerson

(this is not a book of bee quotes, I promise you)

and again my heart starts racing and I motion for Olive and she just looks at me this time, like not this again and I motion like, no, I am really serious this time, and she is like ok and jumps in my lap

so, I make the logo and am so flipping happy with it (plus I got to buy a new font and I love a reason to buy a new font)

and I sign on to Etsy to send my "just meant to bee" little banner to Cindy (marysgranddaughter on Etsy) and there is a convo

from a seller I do not know named Lianne and she wants to trade something in my shop for something in hers and the name of her shop is (I am totally serious here) Lizzie's Bees! and she wants to trade me for a dog collar and I just look down at Olive and Olive is all like - don't you even think of saying no to this one, Cat!

And I then realize the movie on the tv in my bedroom at that moment is called The Secret Life of Bees.

So, what does this all mean, you may be asking yourself, well, of course I have absolutely no idea except that something is clearly "meant to bee" about all this (I just can't stop saying that- sorry)

I am just hoping I am not about to be attacked by a swarm of angry bees or repeatedly stabbed in a freak quilting bee incident and linger in some kind of bee coma before I pass away because of bee-lated medical attention (note to self- get that collar and keep Olive happy), but you know, it would almost be worth it because that would wrap this all up so nicely.

well, not so nicely for me, I guess ...
1. Toddler Honey Bee T by CritterJitters
2. Bumble Bee Pincushion by SeaPinks
3. Dilkabear Magnetic Recycled Locket by Polarity
4. Honeybee Earrings by UnJardinDeHilo
5. Bees In Love Card by YellowCakeCrafts
6. BumbleBee Charmer by LindsayArt

SPECIAL THRU 4/15 - FREE PAIR OF EARRINGS WITH ANY NECKLACE PURCHASE IN EITHER OF MY SHOPS Uncorked or Polarity - JUST NOTE 'the bees knees' or some such something in the comments to seller section of your order!

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

GIVEAWAY - Etsy Shop SPOONERZ Amazing Herb Markers to Rock Your Garden CLOSED

AND THE WINNER IS ECODOG!
True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 487
Result:
482

Since seeing what the amazing Rachelle Fallon is doing with silverware in her beautiful and original Etsy shop Spoonerz - I have not been able to look at my utensils the same way!

(glares at the spoons just lazing around in my silverware drawer - why aren't you guys out making me money- why didn't you guys think of this!)

Rachelle is a totally talented and crafty metalsmith mom of four who hails from Planet Zilverware (she is very clever, too, although I note some kind of letter z obsession we will have to look into). She has taken those spoon rings we had in high school out of this stratosphere and into a whole new level of amazingness!

We are so lucky to have one of Spoonerz totally unique creations for our giveaway!


WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive this stunning set of FIVE GARDEN MARKERS made from recycled spoons. These will turn your spring herb garden into the talk of the neighborhood folks!




HOW TO WIN:

Check out Spoonerz shop and leave a comment below letting Rachelle know which item is your favorite!

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Sunday, April 11th! Good luck!! CLOSED

Standing out on Etsy 101 Part 3. Look Good Naked

Now, this isn't one of those posts where I throw in a naked woman to get your attention

(really...)

I will tie this in, if you are still with me at the end of this, I promise.

In the meantime, let's talk visuals because you can't stand out on Etsy if you don't look good.

(just maybe not in a naked in the supermarket, with that horrible lighting, kind of way)

Your product needs to look good (and be good, really good actually), your photos need to look good, your banner needs to look good, your layout needs to look good.

Now again, this is a process. There are some people who open their Etsy shop and have it all together right away and that is a good, inspiring thing. But it is also a good thing to grow organically within the community, so there is no fear that you have to do everything right (because none of us ever do).

The Visuals

The "B" Word - Some people hate the word branding because it conjures up images of large corporations and things that may not feel like they have any connection to us as people and as artists and crafters, but taking a few minutes to define your work

(I know, you can't be defined and put in a box, but your shop is kind of a box, so trust me for a minute)

can help you create a more consistent visual for your Etsy shop. If you were opening a B&M right now with your work how would you explain it to people - what would it look like?

1. Define the best thing you offer

Take some time and think about defining the single best thing you do. This could be what comes to mind when people think of your work. Or what makes you unique could be the reason you create your art or the life experiences you’ve had which have shaped you as an artist. There is no right or wrong answer.

2. Create a key phrase built around this best thing that you offer

Work towards something that is very short and concise.

3. Create imagery to reinforce the message visually

Having a symbol or visual identity to go along with your branding statement is very effective.

Opening an Etsy shop and then thinking, now I need a banner, is not what you should be thinking if you want to stand out. You don't need a banner- you need an identity.

An identity which will lead to a branding statement which will lead to the creative imagery that represents you which will lead to your banner (and business cards and hang tags,etc).

So, what is it you are trying to say?

This takes us back to the finding your voice thing from Tuesday and if this isn't clear in your mind and heart, you will be changing your marketing materials as you get a better sense of direction. And this is ok - it will just be less expensive if you get a grip on this stuff first.

1. Your banner and avatar - Your banner is your storefront sign (picture that sign over the front door of your little brick and mortar) so it needs to represent you and your brand very well.

A. A professional business should look professional - your banner and logo are a very important part of your brand and worth your time, attention and money.

Someone creating a logo or banner for you should be asking you for pictures of your work. They should be asking you alot of questions. This is going to take a good deal of their time and you are going to have to be willing to pay them for it.

You probably can't go wrong with pictures of your products or your process.

B. Avoid stock images because anyone can buy them and this is about you.

C. Avoid trendy fonts that are hard to read. This may be the hottest font, but I have no idea what this says.

D. Don't rely solely on color. Let choosing your colors become your last decision. I think you should be able to change your colors without changing your branding (and sooner or later you will be printing your logo out for something in black and white). If your logo is really just a trendy swoosh, glow or bevel, then maybe you don't really have one.

E. Make sure your font works with your design and not against it and limit the fonts in your logo to two of different weights.

F. Your avatar should be either a photo of your work or a photo of yourself. No other options.

(Your kids are probably cute, but I don't really need to see them when I am shopping)

I think if you are going to be posting in the forums alot - use your work, otherwise use your kisser.

(I like to see who I am buying from and I think alot of other people do, too)

The biggest problems with banners on Etsy is those that do not represent the work for sale in the shop, include boring stock imagery or use pictures that have been poorly stretched into banner size.

2. Your Item Photos - Now there a gazillion articles out there on taking amazing product photos and I will post some great links next week.

I'm not going to get into the technical stuff except to say that this is something you will have to learn or you will have to send your items out to a professonal for photographing.

There is no way you can stand out on Etsy with poor photos.

Exercise -Do an Etsy search for your item- does it stand out on the page with other, similar items? If your photos are not the ones that jump out at you, take a closer look at the ones that do.

What is the difference between your item photos and the ones that you notice first? Are your backgrounds busier, your items further from the camera, your photos more static and flat?

Now, an important point when you are comparing your photos to other similar items is that you are your own artist with your own brand. You don't want to copy what you see, but you can bring certain aspects that you like into your own photos.

Phydeaux is the knitter who photographs those amazing "scarves coming at you like rattlesnakes" (if we copy specific elements like this with our photos, we are copying someone else's brand and not creating our own).

You can bring the feeling of elements like this into your own photos in your own way.

This will take time and work and no one can really tell you how to do this except you will need to work at your photos just as you do your craft. If it was easy everyone would do it. This stuff is hard.

Often, when I mentor people about standing out and ask them to do this exercise, they tell me that their items stand out to them. And they are not standing out to me.

Sometimes I think we put so much love and energy into our work (good things) that we can't really see it anymore- at least not in the way that a new customer would. So, sometimes another set of eyes may be needed - ask a few people to point out the items that stand out and see if there is anything you can learn from those photos.

Consistency, consistency, consistency. Your photos must be consistent throughout your shop. This can be done with your unique voice and an understanding of your brand.

If you are having trouble getting your shop to have a consistent feel -

I would suggest taking the following photos of each item- 2 photos from interesting angles (both close up and it goes without saying, I hope, that the photos must be clear and bright)- no matter how great the weather and how expensive my camera- it's not super expensive, but it wasn't cheap- I always need to lighten my photos in Photoshop.

1 photo with your product packaging

1 photo of your entire item,

1 photo of your item being used - if you sell clothing or jewelry- you need a live model- well, maybe you don't need one, but if you want to stand out I would highly recommend it - models add movement and life to your shop.

My model pics get many more views than my other items. I always keep a couple on my first 2 pages (where 80% of my views and sales come in).

If you sell prints or photos you need to show a picture of your item hanging in a room or framed on a table - check the vinyl wall art people- they do this very well - don't come up with excuses about why you can't do this - Etsy isn't your portfolio - it is your store - just figure it out and do it.

If you sell a usable item such as a potholder this is where you photograph your checkered potholder lying near a pan on a stovetop with a set of wineglasses in the background.

If you sell a decorative item such as a piece of pottery this is where you photograph the item as someone whould display it in their home.

If you have 5 somewhat consistent pictures for each item, it will be easy to give the first 2 pages of your shop a cohesive but eclectic and interesting visual by varying which picture you use as your first picture.

Take advantage of the fact that you can easily rearrange your items by keeping those first 2 pages looking great- check them daily- if you had a B&M store you would surely walk it everyday and you need to walk your Etsy shop, too.

Your featured items should be changed at least weekly. The first 3 items in your shop (the last 3 you have listed) are the items that show up next to your avatar in people's hearts so you want to keep them varied and representing your entire line.

Other tips:

1. Keep your backgrounds simple. Hanging a pocketbook in a tree is always a bad idea. I use distressed scrapbook paper to add texture to my item photos.

2. If your photos are not square make sure you check the effect thumbnail cropping has on them. When the head is cut off the model purposefully- our eye moves to her dress, but if the dress is cut off, too, due to the cropping, our eye loses its focus.

3. Use negative space wisely. Too little or too much and your subject can be lost.

4. Use props and backgrounds that have some relevance to each other and to your item (again, this is why the hanging of a pocketbook in a tree doesn't work- would you ever hang your pocketbook in a tree? Of course, if this was a really interesting dichotomy, something the customer couldn't miss as a purposeful play on your subject this could work- like a pocketbook in the fridge, or something)

5. When grouping multiple items use odd numbers (even numbers lose their focal point) because you want to control where the customer's eyes end up

Sometimes, very talented craftspeople, the detail oriented thinkers among us who create very fine and intricate work and crave symmetry may need a second set of eyes to create photographs that are balanced but still visually interesting.

Visual merchandising is both an art and a science. Approach it with an open mind. If something doesn't work, try something else. There is no right or wrong and there is no end zone. This is something that will be constantly evolving.


Now, what does all this have to do with looking good naked?

Well, I think that putting your work out there for the world to see (and judge- ugh!) is quite like getting naked in front of everyone.

(not something I am likely to do anytime soon, unless my fire alarm is going off in the middle of my shower and I am running for my life ... and even then I might just wait it out in the shower- those things are kind of fireproof, right?)

We put so much of ourselves into this stuff, the best parts of ourselves; our heart and soul- truly, truly. And we want to do everything we can to make things work the way we want them to. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.

My items have sold well on Etsy, but I have done craft shows where all the jewelry sellers around me were selling like hotcakes and I was sitting there trying to smile and pretending that I wasn't getting my feelings hurt.

(I think maybe if you can sit at a craft show with your art and not feel like you are naked, you probably need to put a little more of yourself in it)

There is no surefire thing here.

But if you can work the process (forget the end zone because they will keep moving it on you) I am totally certain that so much good will come into your life (and yes, sales along with the good!) that you will be truly happy that you got naked.

In fact it will become impossible for people to keep clothes on you and your family and friends will be running around behind you with blankets and embarrased faces at all the commotion you will be causing because damn ... you look good.

xo


Next week I will post some great links to expand on all the themes I have touched on this week.

Standing Out on Etsy Will Return Tomorrow

We had some unexpected (you know who you are) company last night and I didn't quite get this post wrapped up.

Look Good Naked (part 3 of Standing Out on Etsy 101) will post tomorrow!

(in the meantime, maybe do some sit ups, lay off the salt, dim the lights and get ready)



xo

Standing out on Etsy 101 - Part 2. It Takes a Village

When I found Etsy, I joined as a seller, knew one person (who was related to me) and was immediately lost in the crowd.

By the time I opened my second shop, a few months later, I had created a bit of a community for myself and the going was alot easier.

If I was starting out on Etsy today, I would begin as a buyer. I would start a blog before I opened my shop. I would reach out to other people first. Just like our crafty forefathers setting up shop in a small village- I would look for a need to be filled.

1. Be generous with your hearts - If you are a seller, your hearts are more than a wish list. Hearts are a very real way to support other artists, whose work you value.

When I have sellers asking me for advice about "how to stand out" and I look at their shop and they have hearted no one or almost no one, it is very telling about their real problem.

If you want people to give you their money and energy, but do not want to extend any of your own resources outward, there is likely going to be a block of flow. If you want hearts, give hearts. If you want to sell handmade, buy handmade. This is the give and take of the village.

From my first sale on Etsy, I tithed 10% of my profits back to Etsy, I didn't do any exact tabulation, but I would take a look, first monthly and then weekly as things got busier, at what I was making and give a little bit back.

I bought things from the shops I wanted to support (not because they were the hottest thing on the front page, not because they were new and not because they had no sales) - I bought from the shops that inspired me.

Today my tithes also support Kiva artists and the blogs that support handmade.

(I think it is very important to support the blogs that support handmade - if we don't pay them, they don't get paid and they are a part of the community that we would sorely miss if they all left us because they had to get 'real jobs')

Sometimes the money goes into giveaway items for my own blog (which I am sometimes given, sometimes trade for and sometimes yes, I actually buy them).

I have had other blogger's express dismay that I would actually buy something to give away on my blog. But I strongly believe that we need to pay each other - if we don't respect the monetary value of other artists' and community members' work and time, who will value ours?

2. The treasury system - take a look at the front page curation because it's not a bad place to be.

But if you get there and your shop doesn't look amazing, it will not mean anything, trust me on this.

(more on looking amazing tomorrow).

I had given no thought to treasuries or to the front page when my Uncorked shop (which had been open for a couple months) got on the front page for the first time.

The stars were totally aligned for me- it was a Thursday night at 8pm and I was in the center spot in the top row. Primetime on Etsy (and I have been on the front page often enough since then to be certain of this) - I had 8 sales and 150 hearts in the hour or so it was up there. The treasury was made by a seller with a shop called Moxiedoll and she changed my Etsy life.

I started making treasuries and I loved it. Alot of them ended up on the front page. I started commenting on treasuries that I liked. I started commenting on treasuries that got to the front page.

More people started putting me in their treasuries. I got to the front page more often. But the most important thing is that I built a community with some other sellers who loved making treasuries as much as I did.

I loved knowing that as I sat there with my finger on the mouse waiting for that box to open, that hundreds of other people around the world were doing the same thing!

Eventually my treasuries stopped getting to the front page and I decided to move the energy I was putting into them toward a blog. But I still love the idea of seller curated front pages and hope Etsy continues with them.

1. Comment on treasuries that you like and comment on front page treasuries
2. Make treasuries- you can put a couple of your friends in there, of course, but mostly look for things that inspire you.

I know people who keep lists of who has put them in a treasury, so that they can reciprocate and maybe some people expect that, but I think it is best to pass that energy on - like a random act of kindness - you don't expect to be paid back - you just want it to be passed on.

(making treasuries is also a great way to see what others on Etsy are doing, how your work fits in and what stands out - it is also a good way to spot a niche that is not being filled)

3. Join a team. I know, I know- you're not a joiner and I'm not either.

(I'm still more of a "sit arms folded outside the group and snicker" kind of person, but I'm trying)

Some teams require more from you than other teams. There are local teams and if you are planning to do craft shows- that would be a must. There are charity teams. There are medium specific teams. There are niche market teams. There are lifestyle teams. There really is something for everyone. Decide on what you want from a team and what you can contribute and join one or two. Again, you are building your village.

4. The Forums - can be a great place to create even more relationships. Just stay positive and save the drama for your mama, as they say.

(I can whine and moan with the best of them, as you've probably noticed, but it would take something pretty major for me to go into the forums and be negative - I save all the negative stuff for my family and friends)

I am not a forum expert, since I don't go in there much, but you can definitely develop friendships and supportive relationships in there. You don't have to be a big rah-rah, but trust me, snarkiness in a professional setting is always a no-no.

5. Blogs/Twitter/Facebook/Flickr - Now this building your village thing is starting to sound like alot of work (it is) and it can take up alot of your time and energy and it is up to you to decide what to invest your time and energy in.

Many of these work in similarly, mutually beneficial ways. You put energy out there and the energy comes back to you.

(or maybe it just gets passed on like the random act of kindness energy and that is ok, too)

Twitter is the easiest. You follow people. Some will follow you back. If you tweet things people are interested in, they will be more likely to stay with you.

You can't tweet shop listings or sales at people all day long anymore than you can talk to your family and friends about your business all day long.

If you remember that Twitter is a conversation that you are having with other people within your village this will be easier.

Take time to comment on other people's tweets and respond to the people who have responded to yours. Then when you tweet a shop listing or two, people will be interested.

Your blog works the same way. A blog can be a great way to introduce yourself and your life to people- to form connections within your village. You get to decide what you want to blog about based on the goals for your blog, but whatever your goals are you will likely need to blog regularly - at least twice a week, offer your readers interesting information, comment on other people's blogs- that extending yourself thing again- and most of all have fun with it.

Blogging about your work, your upcoming show, your shop, your work, etc- over and over again is fine (maybe), but it will narrow your audience, probably down to people who know you.

So, how does all this help you to stand out?

Well, let's go back to our original village scenario and pretend that my little Etsy shop called Polarity is a totally adorable little village store

(and I think it would be painted turquoise and plum and Olive's little kisser would be proudly displayed on the front awning)

It is 9am on a warm and sunny Wednesday and I pull into town on my bicycle; first stop is my little village's bakery -

not just for a coffee, but I will buy one, in my home brought cup, of course and maybe a donut, because what the hell, I did ride my bike, right?

but also to chat up the other shop owners and villagers about the local news and happenings and the upcoming town festival.

Then maybe as I am walking over to my little Polarity store, keys in hand, I will stop and help Hal, the local hardware store guy who is setting up his ladder display and we will chat for a few minutes about some shelving he is going to be making me for my new locket cabinets.

And then I will spot Noelle, the village screenprinter who will tell me that some girls who saw my lockets on the t-shirts in her window display will be stopping by my store today to buy some.

By the time I am open for business I am feeling relaxed and upbeat and have a big smile on my face for every customer who walks in my door.

(not one of those big creepy smiles where you see gums and everything though)

The customers have heard about my shop and my little, friendly village and they just keep coming.

Now, let's look at my morning another way.

I drive into town because I am in a hurry and I think about that coffee shop, but I really need to save that dollar because times are hard, right, and I sort of see that guy Hal (although I never bothered to learn his name) fumbling with his ladders, but I'm in a hurry so I quickly glance away before he sees me and I just keep moving.

Then Noelle (who is just the pretty girl with the brown hair to me now) approaches me with some hare-brained scheme to put my lockets in her window display (like I am going to just give her my lockets- they will probably get ruined!), so I just tell her I am running late and rush into my shop.

People! I scowl as I settle in behind my counter.

Now, the truth is that we can all totally have the modern equivalent of that little village store and we can have it right now.

We can exchange ideas with each other, convo shops that you love and tell them, have sales and events together, cross-promote our items and shops, put each other's items in our photos, send out other shop's business info with our orders as well as our own, buy advertising space together for a month and trade off weeks, buy from each other's shops and on and on and on.

If you are on Etsy, you already have a village - it is just up to you to make use of it.

(and now that I think of it, I have my awning, too, except it is called my banner and why the heck isn't it plum and turquoise if that is my dream- got to get working on that)

TOMORROW- Standing Out on Etsy 101 - Part III. Looking Good Naked