This months Design Challenge was moved to a bit later in the month to bring it inline with Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales!
All the items submitted to the challenge this month are also running sales in their shops, so vote for your favourite, and then pop along to some shops and grab a bargain or two!
Meet Etsy Seller Buttonowlboutique
Posted Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Today we would like to introduce you to
Etsy shop Buttonowlboutique
Buttonowlboutique has been selling on Etsy since May 2013, she sell handmade unique and beautiful room decor and accessories for children. Today she is sharing a little about her shop and selling handmade items.
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What motivated you to start your shop?
Button Owl was created after my search for unusual and unique products for my daughters rooms. I couldn't find anything I really loved and so designed and made my own, then realising that others were looking for these types of unique products.
I have absolutely fallen in love with working with felts as they are available in so many beautiful colours and allow me to create beautifully tactile products while still sticking to a designed shape. I combine all the attention to detail and techniques I have learned in the past, adding small details and embellishments to Button Owl products.
What is the story behind your shop name?
I spent many hours brainstorming for a relative name for my shop and eventually decided on Button Owl, as owls are usually perceived as a neutral (neither male or female) and wise creature. I thought button suggested something craft related and most importantly the name doesn't describe a particular product.
I thought this would allow me to expand product ranges in any direction I found most enjoyable!
What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I was surprised when I first set up about how hard it was to actually be found online. With alot of reading Etsy blogs and advice from others, I slowly learned about ways to make products more visible and think will always find it an ongoing learning process.
I was very pleasantly surprised at how many people contact me asking for custom orders and the fantastic ideas they have, which in turn help inspire me to make other exciting products.
What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I love creating my large cushions as I just love the finished soft cuddly cushion and the felts are so soft and colourful. My Space Rocket cushion is one of my favourite items to create (although not the easiest to create at all) and also one I find myself making the most!
What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
My most challenging aspect at the moment is being able to find time to work and post my products and looking after my youngest daughter full time. It is however a good challenge which I love!
What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I love creating items which are completely designed from scratch and very individual and unique. I believe that each item should be created with the love and care that I would appreciate in something I buy.
I love the thought that my products are out there making children happy!
What do you do when you aren't working?
I have two very young daughters who are 2 and 4 years old, so I spend most of my day taking either taking them to and from school and classes or entertaining them! I try and fit working in after they go to bed so have turned into a creative night owl.
What makes the coming holiday season special for you?
I love Christmas with small children as it is all so magical and eagerly anticipated. I've always really enjoyed creating unique Christmas items for our home and now absolutely love the fact that my goodies are now making their way all over the world to help make Christmas magical for others too.
Buttonowlboutique is offering a 10% discount in her shop at the moment. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "ETSYKIDS10" at checkout.
I was surprised when I first set up about how hard it was to actually be found online. With alot of reading Etsy blogs and advice from others, I slowly learned about ways to make products more visible and think will always find it an ongoing learning process.
I was very pleasantly surprised at how many people contact me asking for custom orders and the fantastic ideas they have, which in turn help inspire me to make other exciting products.
What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I love creating my large cushions as I just love the finished soft cuddly cushion and the felts are so soft and colourful. My Space Rocket cushion is one of my favourite items to create (although not the easiest to create at all) and also one I find myself making the most!
What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
My most challenging aspect at the moment is being able to find time to work and post my products and looking after my youngest daughter full time. It is however a good challenge which I love!
What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I love creating items which are completely designed from scratch and very individual and unique. I believe that each item should be created with the love and care that I would appreciate in something I buy.
I love the thought that my products are out there making children happy!
What do you do when you aren't working?
I have two very young daughters who are 2 and 4 years old, so I spend most of my day taking either taking them to and from school and classes or entertaining them! I try and fit working in after they go to bed so have turned into a creative night owl.
What makes the coming holiday season special for you?
I love Christmas with small children as it is all so magical and eagerly anticipated. I've always really enjoyed creating unique Christmas items for our home and now absolutely love the fact that my goodies are now making their way all over the world to help make Christmas magical for others too.
Buttonowlboutique is offering a 10% discount in her shop at the moment. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "ETSYKIDS10" at checkout.
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Re-Purposed Spool Holiday Ornaments
Posted Monday, November 25, 2013
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I do a lot of sewing these days and therefore I have a lot of empty thread spools. I've been saving them because I knew that eventually I would come up with a project for them. After a little bit of surfing on the internet I found some great ideas. I wanted to find a craft that my girls could participate in and with the holidays coming up I came across a great idea, holiday ornaments. I found the tutorial on the Thirfty Fun blog and modified it slightly to adapt to what we have in our home and what my girls enjoy using to craft.
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What you'll need:.JPG)
What you need to do:
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- Measure a piece of wrapping paper around the spool and cut paper wide enough and long enough to cover the body of the spool.Glue the paper strip to the spool.
- If you would like to cover the top and bottom of the spool with paper as well you can do that by cutting 2 little circles and gluing them on.
- Thread the pipe cleaner into the bell and fold it in half. Thread the pipe cleaner through the spool hole. Bend the 2 sides of the pipe cleaner into semi circles so they meet in the middle and twist to secure them together into a circle.
Meet Etsy Seller Plumberrycouture
Posted Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Today we would like to introduce you to
Etsy shop Plumberrycouture
Plumberrycouture has been selling on Etsy since June 2013, she sell handmade kids clothing. Today she is sharing a little about her shop and selling handmade items.
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What motivated you to start your shop?
I have always had a love for sewing and creating things. However after my own daughter was born in 2011 , my passion was reignited and I began making her items here and there. My husband suggested that I begin the process of setting up my own boutique to sell the items and thus Plumberry was born!
What is the story behind your shop name?
My name is actually a homage to the two women who taught me to sew, My grandmother and great-grandmother. They both were wonderful seamstresses and also both had tons of fresh berries always growing in their gardens, including a giant plum tree. My cousins and I always found great joy in picking berries and fresh plums during the day to eat on. Plumberry was a way to honor those two phenomenal women while giving a nod to one of my fondest childhood memories.
What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
The amount of dedication and work it can take to be everything all at the same time. Larger companies have departments such as accounting, customer service, and shipping, however as a solo business owner I have to wear all of those hats plus some! If you do not truly love what you do it can be easy to burn out and give up, but I'm blessed to have an awesome support system in family and friends that help me however I need.
What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I love anything that is bright and girly! My personal favorites are Peasant dresses and the ruffled bib Peggy Sue Dress with the matching ruffle pants. My daughter likes anything that is "fancy" and I love making anything that makes her smile!
What do you do when you aren't working?
When I'm not working i love to spend time with my husband and our three kids. We love to visit parks and the museums. I am a bookworm so I can completely spend a day immersed in a book! I also love board games and love beating my hubby at monopoly and scrabble!
What makes the coming holiday season special for you?
I LOVE the holiday season! From the food and decorations, to being able to enjoy time with family and friends, I live for it! Christmas is special to me as a Christian for obvious reasons, but this holiday season is special because it is my first year as a business owner. I am looking forward to my items being given as gifts. That is so humbling to me to be chosen to celebrate such special moments. I am also looking forward to spending some time creating a few items to donate to a children's home. I live a blessed life, and though a simple handmade dress might not be much to some, it can mean the world to a child who isn't as fortunate.
Plumberrycouture is offering a 15% discount in her shop at the moment. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "GIVETHANKS13" at checkout. Valid until 27th November 2013
The amount of dedication and work it can take to be everything all at the same time. Larger companies have departments such as accounting, customer service, and shipping, however as a solo business owner I have to wear all of those hats plus some! If you do not truly love what you do it can be easy to burn out and give up, but I'm blessed to have an awesome support system in family and friends that help me however I need.
What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I love anything that is bright and girly! My personal favorites are Peasant dresses and the ruffled bib Peggy Sue Dress with the matching ruffle pants. My daughter likes anything that is "fancy" and I love making anything that makes her smile!
What do you do when you aren't working?
When I'm not working i love to spend time with my husband and our three kids. We love to visit parks and the museums. I am a bookworm so I can completely spend a day immersed in a book! I also love board games and love beating my hubby at monopoly and scrabble!
What makes the coming holiday season special for you?
I LOVE the holiday season! From the food and decorations, to being able to enjoy time with family and friends, I live for it! Christmas is special to me as a Christian for obvious reasons, but this holiday season is special because it is my first year as a business owner. I am looking forward to my items being given as gifts. That is so humbling to me to be chosen to celebrate such special moments. I am also looking forward to spending some time creating a few items to donate to a children's home. I live a blessed life, and though a simple handmade dress might not be much to some, it can mean the world to a child who isn't as fortunate.
Plumberrycouture is offering a 15% discount in her shop at the moment. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "GIVETHANKS13" at checkout. Valid until 27th November 2013
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Getting Kids Outside This Winter
Posted Tuesday, November 19, 2013
The cold is upon us! I personally don't do well in the cold BUT I know that it is still important to get outside for fresh air and sunshine.
Our girls need a little nudging to go outside but we have found a few tricks to get them outside.
1) Bundle up!
I probably overdo it at first BUT they can always take layers off. Yes, you can put layers on but our girls will just keep playing rather than come in to get more layers.
Speaking of layers, I wanted to share this sweater from one of our team members...
(CasitaDeLana)
Doesn't it just seem like a perfect layer for under a coat?
2) Create play spaces outside.
We do this year round for the girls. They are still at the age where they may have a difficult time putting things together themselves so I love to help out!
For the winter, we add pillows and blankets inside their "house" to add some warmth.
3) Get outside with them.
We are fortunate to live in a place where the girls are free to wander outside on their own and I know they are safe (yes, I do check on them quite frequently) but I still try and get out with them. It is good for us adults too!
We need the vitamin D (we can still get it in the cold weather) to help with calcium absorption and to keep out moods lifted during these long winter months.
Don't forget the fresh air! I talked last month about indoor air pollution so this is a great way to refresh those lungs.
Need some leggings? We have a team member for that!
(littleMoSo)
4) Welcome them back inside with hot cocoa.
I don't think I need to explain this one...who doesn't love hot cocoa on a cold day? If you can't do hot cocoa, how about some warm tea? Or even some warm bread!
It doesn't matter what you do...just get outside! Of course, there will be times you just can't due to weather but when you can please do.
Jacki can be found blogging about natural living, parenting and homeschooling over at Crafted by Mama. She is on Facebook and Twitter. She recently opened her reusable item store Green Mama Shop to provide reusable, earth friendly items for home and family.
Treasury Challenge #22 - So thankful!
Posted Saturday, November 16, 2013
The theme for the EtsyKids Team treasury challenge #22 was "So thankful!". Our team members created lots of beautiful treasuries featuring some amazing items, but the winner with 160 views is...
HarmonyGirlsClothing makes beautiful clothing for girls, including this colourful and beautiful girls kimono. Visit her shop to see more of her wonderful creations.
Thank you HarmonyGirlsClothing for creating such a lovely treasury!
Meet Etsy Seller ChildishThoughts
Posted Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Today we would like to introduce you to
Etsy shop ChildishThoughts
ChildishThoughts has been selling on Etsy since January 2008, she make items for young children in hopes to get Mom a few quiet minutes while out and about. These items are fun quiet time activities for out on car rides, at the doctors office or just a little peace and quiet at home. Today she is sharing a little about her shop and selling handmade items.
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What motivated you to start your shop?
At the time it was me and my son, we started the shop just for something fun to do and to keep us off the streets getting into trouble. Not that a 25 year old Mom and a 4 year old boy can get into too much trouble, but it was safer to stay at home and play with fabric than to be out and about.
My son was really into it, he enjoyed picking out fabric and helping me design items, so we fell in love with our little ideas right away.
What is the story behind your shop name?
I wanted something fun and that was comical, I think my shop name fits that perfectly.
What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
What surprised me most is how much it has flourished. And also how addictive it is, 5 years later and we are still having soo much fun creating and selling our little items.
What is your favourite creations from your shop?
My most favorite item is the crayon aprons, they are just sooo much fun to make, I love all the pleating, and just the over all look of the finished item. Its not a best seller and I don't get to make very many of them on a regular but still my favorite.
What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
The amount of competition there is can sometimes be over whelming and challenging, like when I have new item something I haven't sold before, I find it hard to want to put it in my etsy shop, for fear that it wont sell and be buried in all the other listings, but once I have it out there I realize I was just being scared for nothing. And I realize the competition is what makes it fun.
What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
Just to do what is fun for me, I also like to try to do something out of the box and different than what the norm is, maybe a step up from the normal.
What do you do when you aren't working?
Bake and play with my kids, they are what got me started on this and they are what keep me going.
ChildishThoughts is celebrating their 5 year anniversary on Etsy by offering everyone a 10% discount in their shop. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "JAN5YR" at checkout.
What surprised me most is how much it has flourished. And also how addictive it is, 5 years later and we are still having soo much fun creating and selling our little items.
What is your favourite creations from your shop?
My most favorite item is the crayon aprons, they are just sooo much fun to make, I love all the pleating, and just the over all look of the finished item. Its not a best seller and I don't get to make very many of them on a regular but still my favorite.
What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
The amount of competition there is can sometimes be over whelming and challenging, like when I have new item something I haven't sold before, I find it hard to want to put it in my etsy shop, for fear that it wont sell and be buried in all the other listings, but once I have it out there I realize I was just being scared for nothing. And I realize the competition is what makes it fun.
What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
Just to do what is fun for me, I also like to try to do something out of the box and different than what the norm is, maybe a step up from the normal.
What do you do when you aren't working?
Bake and play with my kids, they are what got me started on this and they are what keep me going.
ChildishThoughts is celebrating their 5 year anniversary on Etsy by offering everyone a 10% discount in their shop. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "JAN5YR" at checkout.
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