wrap up: {giveaway winner}

remember these velvet pumpkins?  well, i was so excited when i ran across these fabric pumpkins earlier this week over at design*sponge!

the lovely photographer danielle thompson of thompson-family blog and tiny bazaar (remember that great shop?) has posted wonderfully detailed instructions on how to make these gorgeous ever-lasting pumpkins!  click here for the tutorial!

you’ll never have to add these to your compost pile!  thanks for the great tutorial danielle!

wrap up: {diy} {fabric} {holiday} {pumpkins} {weekend}

i love browsing the blogosphere and clicking away at all the lovely links my commenters leave behind.  a while back i stumbled across butterfly food and have been *loving it ever since!

i knew i liked ash as soon as i read her intro, “Fall and winter is here to stay and the holiday’s are cheerfully approaching. I know I may just be ready for some lazy cozy nights, comfy sweaters, spice cake, Christmas crafts, cups of hot cocoa and getting lost in a good book.” i thought, ‘now that’s my kind of gal!’

butterfly food is all about food and photography.  ash does her own photos and the results are fresh, unique and inspiring.  if you have a few moments- i encourage you to go get lost in it all today!

wrap up: {blog} {butterfly food} {photography}

country winter

hello lovelies!  this week etsy released their goals and expectations for december!  just in case you haven’t taken a look already- i’m going to sum them up for you.  there’s a lot of great information that will help you and your shop succeed this holiday season!

mourning dove in snow

i thought these points were so helpful- that i giving them all to you! coming straight from etsy- these are what they specifically want you to keep in mind as you prep for the holiday hustle and bustle:

• Seasonal Holiday Gift-Giving: Find our full list of seasonal gift-giving thematic topics in the newly released Holiday Gift Guides. Reevaluate your line and describe why your items make great gift ideas; take the time to photograph your items in a way that shows the potential uses it could have.
• Seasonal Home Decor: Winter and holiday home decor accents, displays, accessories, centerpieces, ornaments, and all the home accoutrement that make us think of a cozy dwelling.  Think candles, baskets, wreaths, garlands, furniture, tabletop, quilts, blankets, pillows, storage solutions, rugs, windows, lighting, bedding, and bath.  Rich materials and fabrics remain at the forefront of styling options.
• Entertaining: Celebrations including dinner with the family, holiday parties, and those notorious over-the-top New Year’s galas abound. We’ll be looking for creative and unique seasonal tabletop solutions, dinnerware, glassware and bar, table linens, food for your feast, centerpieces, place settings, place cards, invitations, menus, favors, and hostess gifts.
• Winter and Holiday Fashion: Vamped up holiday, formal, and party fashions along with warm layers, winter coats, winter accessories, boots, bags, and jewelry all sparkle this season.
• New Year’s Eve: Ring in the new year in style. We’ll be highlighting party options, celebration accessories and party fashion. Keep in mind with New Year’s Eve, resolution time is right around the corner. January sneek peek: Health and wellness, relaxation, detox, reorganization, and all that emphasizes a fresh new start.
• Calendars and Paper Goods: Thank you card sets, stationery sets, 2010 calendars, and gift wrapping elements.
• Shopping Local: With online shopping, comes shipping deadlines. As we near these deadlines, we’ll be looking to promote the Shop Local Etsy shopping feature along with other location-based highlights. Make sure your location is up to date in order take advantage of last-minute shoppers in your area.
• Boxing Day: Boxing Day is a recognized day of rest in many countries, originating as a day of extending goodwill to those less fortunate. Over time, it has traditionally become known as a shopping holiday for sales and promotions. For many retail merchants, this marketing strategy has become their highest revenue driving day of the year. We’ll be hosting a special Boxing Day extended promotion for sellers interested in participating. Stay tuned for details as we get closer to December including how to participate as a seller.
• Winter Weddings: Attire, decor, invitations, favors, and gift ideas.
• The International Vacation: Global adventures, features on warmer weather destinations, highlights of spring/summer fashion in the Southern Hemisphere.
• December trends: The all-encompassing forest imagery including holly, branches, berries, pine cones, acorns, and related animals (deer, squirrels, chipmunks). Boots, pumps, Oxfords, and ballet flats. Winter accessories. Statement jewelry, metallics and sequined clothing and accessories.  Gem tones, deep berry, plum, forest green, and classic combinations of red, white, black, green and royal blues. Vintage decor, eco-friendly options, and tribal motifs continue to top the trends this season.
• Turquoise is December’s birthstone, and December’s astrological signs are Sagittarius and Capricorn (November 23 – December 21: Sagittarius and December 22 – January 20: Capricorn).
• Promotional Opportunities for Sellers:
  • In preparation for our Turquoise Gift Guide, we will be looking for community suggestions and nominations for what items you’d like to see in the guide. Suggest your favorite turquoise-related items in this nomination thread.
  • Suggest and nominate items for Etsy’s Holiday Gift Guides in this Forum thread.
  • Stay tuned to the Selling section of The Storque for additional promotional opportunities through December.

winter snow wreath with cardinal

so, what should you do with all this info?  translate into something meaningful for your shop.  that means update your listings, photos, shop announcement, descriptions, tags and titles.  this way, etsy will be able to find and promote you- and your consumers will be able to find and purchase from you.  also, try to keep in mind the holdiay rush- because who doesn’t wait till the last minute? by building up your stock- you’ll be able to ship more quickly and appeal to all those last minute shoppers.

duikers in red pillow cover

one last thing to remember is that etsy often curates their homepage themes by holidays and special events.  so- here’s a list of dates to keep in mind during december.  if you can fit any of your products into one of them- tag them as such- and you may just find yourself on the front page!

• November is known as Real Jewelry Month, Peanut Butter Lovers Month, and Aviation History Month.
• December 1: World AIDS Awareness Day
• December 6: Spain’s Constitution Day
• December 6: Saint Nicholas Day
• December 9: Christmas Card Day and National Pastry Day
• December 10: Final safe date for international shipping deadlines (save for express and overnight)
• December 10: Nobel prizes presented
• December 11: Hanukkah begins at sundown
• December 12: Poinsettia Day
• December 12: Feast of Our Lady Guadalupe in Mexico
• December 17: Hari Raja Puasa
• December 17: South Africa’s Day of Reconciliation
• December 18: Final safe date for online shipping deadlines (save for express and overnight)
• December 18: Muharram
• December 21: Winter Solstice — shortest day of the year
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 25: England’s Constitution Day
• December 26: Boxing Day — also known as the Day of Goodwill
• December 26: Saint Stephen’s Day
• December 26: Kwanzaa begins
• December 31: New Year’s Eve

fabric tubby

do you have any advice? experience? xox, bonnie

do your homework :: {customer service virtual labs} {colors to focus on}

wrap up: {descriptions} {etsy savoir faire} {etsy shop help} {holiday} {tags} {titles}

everything has a story to tell

dreaming of fall

untitled

i walk this road alone

wander

elsewhere :: {shop} {blog} {flickr}

wrap up: {fall} {new shop} {photograhpy} {photos}

hello dearies!  i’m really excited to kick off a new series today called ‘holidays the handmade way’!  i’ll be featuring holiday themed handmade items over the next 6 weeks to gear up for the holidays.  my mission is to help you beat the big box stores and go handmade with you holidays this year! feel free to sumbit your items or others- your suggestions and all the ways you been able to beat the big box stores!

all of today’s items come from papernstitch- a lovely site to promote your shop through!

1 :: wee ornament ($7)

2 :: deck the halls ($5)

3 :: wellesley and winslow ($19)

4 :: holiday mix gift tags (8 for $6)

5 :: snowflakes wall decal ($39)

6 :: reindeer silhouette (4 for $16)

7 :: holiday spirit animal ($28)

8 :: happy winter magnets (4 for $6)

9 :: pink peppermint ornament ($35)

i know we’re a little off this week- check back in tomorrow for this week’s etsy savoir faire – ‘gearing up for the holidays!’

xoxo, bonnie

wrap up: {christmas} {holidays} {promote}

rare finds gallery

today i have the honor of welcoming the steel fork to going home to roost!  ben and kate gatski uniquely honor agriculture through art.  they collect old farm machinery and turn the metals into one of a kind art pieces.  they are strong believers in farming and local food- and i just love how they show their appreciation!

clockwise :: pamelas bee :: tractor :: moose head :: elk head ::

you can read their story, their blog, visit their site, and shop all day!  thank you, ben and kate for sharing your world with us!

wrap up: {art} {farm} {metal} {recycled} {sponsor} {upcycled} {welcome}

top row :: felted wool 1 :: yellow roses :: lime stylized rose ::

bottom row :: silk/cotton ikat cover :: printed butterflies ::  felted wool 2 ::

fabricadabra is an online store full of adorable (and affordable) organic pillows.  with fabrics such as ikat, suzani, batik and african mud cloth- these pillows are truly one of a kind!  all of them are made using natural dyes and only the purist ingredients.  there is such a wide range of designs, textures and feels- i just can’t decide which ones i like the most!

wrap up: {covers} {dyes} {natural} {organic gardening} {pillow} {sustainable}