2012 » Craftsyble

2012 Craftsyble Holiday Gift Guide

Nov 272012

The countdown till Christmas has started! We hope our Holiday Gift Guide will help you choose the perfect gift for your loved one! From the dozens and dozens of submissions, we handpicked some of the most interesting ones. The first ten products are our “Editor’s Choice”. All these products would make a great gift idea this Holiday season or would be a perfect addition to any Holiday outfit or decor. We hope you’ll like them all! Enjoy!

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Christmas and Cookies Natural Perfume
Made by: Esscentual Alchemy
$5.00

Christmas and Cookies, is a seasonal natural perfume formulated mostly by a 9 year old boy, Bowie. He wanted something that smelled like Christmas, and cookies, he picked out most of the notes, and his mom, the founder of Esscentual Alchemy, fleshed it out.

Something fun and quirky to stuff that stocking with!

Perfume Ingredients: 5 types Vanilla bean tincture, Butter CO2, Black Tea absolute, Beeswax/Honey Tincture, White Rose Attar in Sandalwood, Cinnamon, Antique Nutmeg, Balsam Fir, Strawberry Accord

This natural perfume is EdP strength, and comes as a .5ml sample in a glass vial.

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CT River Inspired Mason Jar Soy Candle
Made by: CT River Candles
$19.95

CT River Candles was inspired by the beauty of the Connecticut River and the love of creating handmade products. These soy candles are hand poured in Haddam, Connecticut using 100% natural soy wax. The finest fragrance oils are used and designed to provide the maximum scent possible. Soy wax is all natural and renewable unlike paraffin. Soy Candles burn clean and provide a long lasting scent.

At CT River Candles you can find a large variety of scented soy candles, such as floral, bakery, spices, harvest, fruits and holiday. These soy Candles are colored with dyes to compliment their associated scent but they can also be requested without dye. The CT River photographs capture the essence of this truly amazing natural resource and also give the candles that unique edge when you’re looking for a special gift for yourself or someone else.

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The Candy Cane Collar
Made by: Four Black Paws
$17.50

Is your dog ready for the holiday season? Deck the halls during the holiday season with this festive, adjustable Candy Cane Collar from Four Black Paws. The Candy Cane Collar is created from 100% cotton fabric and lined with heavyweight interfacing for structure and strength. Each seam on the collar is triple stitched for durability and the scarlet curved side release buckle hugs your pup’s neck for comfort. All of Four Black Paws items are lovingly handmade in St. Joseph, MI and created custom just for you and your fur kid when your order is placed. All collars are available in sizes extra-small to extra-large and can by created into a wider width collar (1.5” and 2”) or a martingale style.

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Snowflake Key Chain
Made by: Loralyn Designs
$24.99

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! This adorable key chain features a stainless steel dog tag pendant with a fantastic pink and black marbled design. Embedded into the design is a silver snowflake with a clouded crystal center. The backside of the key chain pendant is solid, shiny stainless steel.

This style key ring makes it so easy to add your keys using the latch on the key ring, no more separating rings and pinching your finger! The silver plated key chain is 3″ long including the clasp, 4.5″ with the pendant.

If you would like the key chain pendant with a different color background, no problem simply contact the designer through their shop at www.LoralynDesigns.etsy.com

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Raw Blue Ice Quartz Crystal Silver Necklace
Made by: Release Me Creations
$65

These semi-precious Blue Ice Quartz stones have an incredible deep blue color, and truly look like ice that has formed on a cold winter’s day. The light hits each free-form stone in a beautifully unique way, creating a dazzling effect when worn. Dress it up for a holiday party, or wear it shopping with friends, this gorgeously versatile necklace answers all of your style needs. These stones are said to have healing properties, and promote wisdom as well. The stones are wire wrapped along a bright silver wire and hang from a 17″ chain with lobster clasp closure. Each stone measures roughly 3/4″ and is completely one of a kind.

This necklace would make for a wonderful holiday gift.

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Gold Origami Bascetta Star
Made by: Live Love Maria
$18.00

This origami paper star is called a Bascetta star. It is folded and assembled from thirty little paper squares. The gold paper has a nice metallic shimmer in direct light. Different metals like silver and bronze are also available. This particular star is six inches but it could be made in any size. The paper is a heavier weight.

It would make a good Christmas decoration if hung. Other options include being mounted on a Christmas tree or as part of a center piece on the dining table. It may also make a good part in an Easter related decoration. The star could also be customized as a lantern. It comes with a string attached for hanging. It has a very modern, clean style but also reminds of mechanical, technological elements with its geometrical fold pattern.

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Peppermint Silk Gift Set
Made by: Bidwell Botanicals
$25.00

Luxuriate in the bath whilst getting in the holiday mood. Bidwell Botanical’s Peppermint Silk Handmade Artisan Soap pampers the skin with silk proteins and moisturizes with natural cocoa butter. Peppermint essential oil refreshes the senses as it evokes the spirit of the season.

The Peppermint Silk Handmade Artisan Soap Gift Set comes with an organic bamboo wash cloth and for a bit of extra indulgence, a travel-sized Shea Butter Sugar Scrub infused with peppermint oil and vanilla, and a Trilogy Body Butter rich with cocoa, mango and shea butters. Then we package it all up in a peppermint striped box with a bow… the only thing missing is the sugarplum fairy!

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Crochet Reindeer Beanie
Made by: Little Momma Boutique
$27.50

This adorable and fun reindeer beanie hat is a great prop for Christmas pictures, that will be here before you know it. The main body is constructed of an 100% organic cotton, to offer your little one that comfy cozy feel during the holidays. Antlers are lightly stuffed to help keep structure. Eyes are sewn on buttons. *Handwash and air dry flat is recommended. Available in size newborn to 12 months.

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Noel Bear
Made by: TG Bears
$79.99

Noel is a 16 inch handmade teddy bear made of the softest and cuddliest minky fur that you can imagine. He has jointed arms and legs. His joints, eyes and nose are all safety items. Noel wears a great Christmas plaid scarf and a very bold Santa Hat that is a loose item and allows you to choose how you would like him to wear it.

He carries a personal message on his right foot. As with all other TG Bears, he proudly wears his heritage on his left foot and comes with a name tag that is signed and dated. If you would like Noel to wear a different fur coat for you, please contact the designer.

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Baby’s 1st Christmas Ornament
Made by: JJewelry
$16

It is a hand stamped Christmas ornament made out of stainless steel; it has the baby’s name and the year of their 1st Christmas stamped on it.

Spice Island 50-hr soy candle by Lux Aromatica	Unique Red Garnet Hand Knit Cuff by Lapis Beach
Long Scarf in Spice Brown Heather by Rotemle.com	Freshwater and Crystal Pearl Bracelet by FaithMarcusDesigns.com
Kolohe Gurl Cherry Blossom Bud Earrings by Kolohe Gurl Jewelry	Magical royalty fairies wings sterling silver precious gemstones by Silver Shells
Peppermint designer glycerin soap by Magic Senses	Christmas Tie Dye Spirals by Shanna’s Tie Dye
Monarch Butterfly Wing Photo Pendant by The Glass Lily Pad	Christmas Santa Claus Holiday IPhone 4 Speck Case
Woven Glass Holiday Plate in Red Green and White by BPRdesigns	MODERN SNOWFLAKE \| HOLIDAY GREETING CARD designed by FINEandDANDY

Accepting Submissions for the 2012 Craftsyble Holiday Gift Guide

General Comments Off

Sep 262012

The Holiday season is almost here! We are accepting submissions for our Craftsyble Holiday Gift Guide. If your product is handmade and can be purchased online, please feel free to send us the following information:

Product Name:
Product Price:
Product Description (120 – 200 words):
Link to Product page: http://
Company Name:
Company Website: http://
*Attach Product Image (minimum 400px x 400px)
Do you give us permission to pin your product on Pinterest? Yes/No

Deadline: October 17, 2012.

We are looking for all sorts of handmade items with a Holiday theme so, if you think your product would make a great Holiday Gift, please send us your suggestion to submissions@craftsyble.com and we’ll take a look. In the title of your email please write: 2012 Holiday Gift Guide.

Please note that we receive dozens of suggestions every week and cannot possibly respond to each one, even though we wish we could. If your product is chosen to be included in the Holiday Gift Guide, we’ll let you know.

Tips on how to increase your chances of being chosen:

make sure your product matches the Holiday/winter theme; while we know that anything can be offered as a gift, we will be featuring products that do fit the Holiday/winter spirit
provide ALL the information requested
make sure your description has a MINIMUM of 120 words.
make sure your picture is attached, not included in the body of the email and is at least 400px x 400px
have your product online, available for purchase or custom order.

Please join Craftsyble on Facebook and Twitter and be the first to know when our Holiday Gift Guide is published!

If you’d like to advertise on Craftsyble, please contact us and we’ll see what we can do to help your business.

Recycle Your Envelopes to Make Gift Bags

Recycled Crafts Comments Off

Sep 172012

As a crafter trying to make money from your talent, recycling materials you already have into decorative packaging can help cut the cost of running a small crafting business. Not only will you save money, but you are also doing your part to embrace eco-friendly business practices. Instead of tossing used or damaged envelopes out in the trash, consider transforming the paper into gift bags to package your crafts.

Turning Envelopes into Gift Bags

1. First, start with an envelope of any size. If you would like to add embellishments to the paper, it is easier to do beforehand. Some people will enjoy printing a label, logo or message directly onto the front of the envelope. Use a premade style or create one to fit your needs. After completing the printing of a design on the envelope, seal the fold closed.

2. Next, cut off one end of the envelope, and then fold one side towards the center – about one inch or slightly less. Repeat this step on the other side, and then fold the bottom up by the same amount. You will be making creases in the paper.

3. Place the bag over one of your hands, and use the other hand to shape a flat bottom for the bag. Push the bottom center crease downward, which will cause the side folds to buckle out. Crease the corners of the bottom to form triangles.

4. A small amount of double-sided tape will help attach the corner triangle flaps to the bottom of the bag.

5. Next, reverse the folds along the sides of the bag – this will give it a bit of shape.

If you prefer, punch holes and thread ribbon through to create a handle.

These small bags can be used to package or display your smaller crafts. You may also want to dress the inside with colorful tissue paper. If you attend trade shows and craft fairs, the prepackaged bags can come in handy to attract shoppers to your booth or table.

Artisans Represented at GBK’s 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards Gift Lounge

In the Spotlight 9 Responses »

Sep 112012

Exciting news, everyone! GBK’s Primetime Emmy Awards Gift Lounge is coming up in a week or so; The Artisan Group will be participating at this fabulous event. Here are some of the artisans who answered our invitation to share information on the products they will be gifting. Enjoy!

If you’d like to check out all the members of The Artisan Group participating to this event, please take a look at the Event Guide.

All pictures belong to their owners.

Handknit Recycled Silk Jellybean Wristlet
$124

Made by: Rosy Toes Designs

Website: www.RosyToesDesigns.com

These beautiful little evening wristlets are hand knit from recycled sari silk yarn in a rainbow of colors, from a beautiful jade green, to a lovely snow white. The lining is crafted from sari silk remnants or peace silk, depending on my availability. The drawstring strap is a lovely hand dyed silk ribbon.

A perfectly lovely pouch that would do well as a bridesmaid’s gift, small bride’s pouch, wristlet at the prom, or an evening out. They are elegant in their simplicity.

The yarn itself inspired the pouch. I wanted to create something with just the right drape and a slight teardrop shape. I couldn’t be happier with how these jellybean wristlets turned out! You’ll also find that your pouch will gain in softness and beauty the more it is used!

Due to the nature of the yarn, each of these beauties is unique and a little bit different. No two balls of yarn used to craft them are exactly alike. The yarn is fair trade and spun by small women’s coops in Nepal and India. The new silk remnants are gathered, sorted, teased by hand and spun to create the yarn.

Nessie – Byzantine/Olivia Chainmaille Pendant with Czech Glass Bead

$40.00CAD

Made by: Jewelry by Saniki Creations

website: www.sanikicreations.com

Measuring 1.5″, our Nessie Pendant features the popular chainmaille weave variant of the Byzantine called Olivia. Each Pendant is made with Bright Aluminum rings and a sparkly wire-wrapped Fire Polished Czech Glass Bead is great worn for a casual or dressy look. Non-tarnishing Bright Aluminum is easy to care for, just wash in soapy water and pat dry with a soft cloth to bring back it’s shine. It is also 1/3 lighter than stainless steel. Available in colours: Amethyst, Champagne, Olivine, Sapphire-Light or Ruby

Isadora Necklace and Kate Bracelet

$350

Made by: Julie Ellyn Designs

Website: www.JulieEllynDesigns.etsy.com

This piece was specifically made to be placed on display for the Primetime Emmys Celebrity Gift Lounge Event to be held September 21-22, 2012.

The Isadora Necklace is inspired by the gorgeous Kate Hudson in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, one of my all-time favorite chick flicks. Besides being a gorgeous color combination, perfect for Fall, the Lemon Topaz focal is unique beyond compare.

Necklace: Smokey Quartz with Lemon Topaz focal; 14kt gold-filled wire and lobster claw clasp.

Bracelet: Smokey Quartz with huge Beer Quartz rectangle focal.

Ocean Dreams Fine Art Print

$28

Made by: Maleah Torney Photography

Website: www.etsy.com/shop/maleahtorney

Ocean Dreams, a dreamy, nautical, 5×5 fine art photography print, professionally matted on a white background. This image was taken at Heceta Beach in Florence, Oregon by west coast photographer Maleah Torney. I happened to be on the beach snapping photos of the ocean, as I often love to do, and suddenly a large flock of seagulls flew into my picture just as I was snapping the shutter button! It was the perfect effect to add to the coastal feeling this image evokes. A dreamy and magical feeling that will take your mind away to another time and place of solitude.

Peppermint & Lavender Rose Designer Glycerin Soap

$10

Made by: Magic Senses

At GBK’s 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards Gift Lounge, celebrities and attending guests will receive one of either Peppermint or Lavender Rose glycerin soap bar. The formula is enriched with shea butter and aloe vera gel; it is very soothing and cleansing while giving off a creamy lather to moisturize and soften your skin.

Peppermint glycerin soap – Refreshing and stimulating fun. A favorite of those who need that zip in the morning shower to get them going before the first cup of Java.

Lavender Rose Glycerin Soap – Top notes of fresh floral, floral apple, muguet and nuances of grape. Mid notes of lavender, rose, gardenia and jasmine. The fragrance is completed with classic orange flower and musk.

Each bar of soap is unique and has its own personality; being handcrafted and imperfect adds greater value and fascination. The eye appeal and beautiful scent make it an excellent choice for unique and special gifts. More fragrances and designs available at www.MagicSenses.com

Collection of Designer Note Cards

Made by: BeezKneez Designs

Website: www.BeezKneezDesigns.com

Founded in 2008, The BeezKneez is a popular online paper goods shoppe specializing in completely customizable invitations, announcements, stationery, and other customizable gifts. With just a few clicks, customers are able to personalize the trendy designs to create their own designer products.

The BeezKneez will be gifting the attending celebrities at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards Gift Lounge, sponsored by GBK Productions, with a lovely collection of designer notecards, including Side Damask in aqua, Doodles in orange/lime, Giraffe Pattern in red, Confetti in purple, and Fashionista Chic in fuchsia.

Hawaiian Cane Sugar Scrub and Shea Butter Lip Balm set

$14

Made by: Shaka Soap

Website: www.shaka-soap.com

A 2 ounce size of our decadently moisturizing sugar scrub, paired with our natural lip balm in a jute bag gift set.

Our sugar scrubs are created with our special Hawaiian cane sugar blend, Hawaiian spring water, pure castile soap, shea butter, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil, and beeswax. To make it nice and thick we use palm derived stearic acid and vegatable derived emulsifying wax.

Our lip balms are made with shea butter, beeswax, and rice bran oil.Made in Hawaii with aloha!

White Topaz Sterling Silver Scrollwork Earrings

$145 (20% coupon available)

Made by: Jennifer Racette for Alison Julien Collection®

Website: www.alisonjulien.com

Elegant post earrings handcrafted of solid Sterling Silver, featuring 3.5 carats of sparkling White Topaz gems nestled in teardrop-shaped scrollwork frames. Designed and created by Jennifer Racette of Alison Julien Collection exclusively for the Official 2012 GBK Primetime EMMYs Gift Lounge. The design is timeless and classic and works well with office attire or after-five fashions, taking you effortlessly from daytime to evening. Available as a limited edition offering at www.alisonjulien.com.

Ohio Flint & Argentium Sterling Silver Pendant

$89

Made by: Angie’s Jewelry Design

Website: www.angiesjewelrydesign.com

The stone in this pendant is Ohio Flint, which is particularly distinctive because of its bright coloration. It’s found only along an 8 mile ridge in Southeast Ohio. For thousands of years, Ohio Native Americans used the flint from Flint Ridge to create stone tools. They traded them with other Native Americans across the continent. Archeologists have found them as far west as the Rocky Mountains and south to the Gulf of Mexico.

I was visiting family in Ohio a few years ago and took a drive across the state to visit Roy Miller, who owns one of the few Ohio Flint quarries. I didn’t get to visit the quarry, but I did see Roy’s work shop. Roy is a flint knapper – he’s well known for the spear points he creates. He uses the ancient technique of shaping tools by painstakingly chipping off flakes of stone. I walked away knowing a little bit about knapping and with some nice pieces of flint. I’ve since been back to see Roy and acquire some more of this beautiful stone.

Each stone is hand-cut, using lapidary techniques of sawing, grinding, sanding & polishing, so each pendant is unique. For a casual look wear it on a leather cord. Or it dresses up beautifully on an Omega chain.

Tarnish-resistant Argentium® Silver was used in creating the pendant.

Gipsy Warriors collection Fall 2012

55 / 60 $

Made by : Beads Of Aquarius Art jewelry

Website: www.etsy.com/shop/beadsofaquarius

Handmade Bracelet made of soutache ( silk cord ) & swarovski crystals , featuring , in the center , a shiny sunflower swarovski cabochon and glass beads in black , blue & swarovski crystals , czech glass beads gold plated chain maille with adjustable gold plated chain maille , sewed and backed with velvet faux leather .

This Gipsy Warriors collection was designed specially for the Celebrities swag bags – Emmy Awards GBK productions Gift lounge 2012 , and now available in my etsy shop.
Get yours before the celebrities .
perfect jewelry to wear every day .

Tie scarves

$35.00

Made by: Andrea Wagner

Website: www.andreadesigns.artfire.com

These TIE-SCARVES are a beautiful accent to any wardrobe that will add PIZZAZZ and give that distinctive accent to your outfit. They can be worn around your neck or around your waist as a belt.

The body of the scarves are made with different type of fiber as acrylic, wool, the borders were crocheted with alpaca , wool or acrylic. These are one-of-a-kind TIE-SCARF, the color varies from black, orange, reds to blue, each one of them are different styles. I have so much fun making them. The measurements are approximately 3 ½ inches width by about 60 inches long including fringes.

Handcrafted Gemstone Pendant Necklace

$72.00

Made by: Gretchen Hind Designs

Website: www.etsy.com/shop/GretchenHindDesigns

Gretchen Hind Designs gift to the press is a handcrafted necklace. It is made with hand-forged, hammered gunmetal hoops, and centered with a rare, solar quartz teardrop gemstone surrounded by pyrite. The metal frame is wrapped with pyrite, moonstone, and yellow jade gemstones. All stones used in this piece have believed metaphysical wellness properties such as providing clarity and strength and promoting positive energy, happiness and inner peace. The pendant measures approximately 1 1/2″ in diameter and 2 1/8″ long. The metal frame is connected with a niobium ring and hangs from a long, antiqued brass soldered link chain, with an extension. The necklace can be worn long or double wrapped.

This necklace is modern, hip, and full of energy. It is versatile and can be worn by anyone and with everything.

“EMMY” one of a kind handmade Bear

$50.00

Made by: Warm Heart Bears

website: www.warmheartbears.com

“Emmy” is a one of a kind bear created by Carolyn Robbins in honor of the Emmy Award Festivities, to be gifted to the Press. She is completely handmade of mohair and is pose able. Her stuffing is composed of steel shot, poly-cotton filling and lavender buds. Emmy sits upon her notebook to keep the important information she will gather at the Emmy Awards. The charms that are attached represent the life of the reporter she has been gifted to. She also has her press pass that allows her to attend the event!

Glam Bracelets

$45

Made by: Jewels For Hope

Website: www.jewelsforhope.net

Gorgeous Glam Bracelets! Perfect way to glam up any outfit from jeans and a t-shirt to your bridesmaids dress. Each Glam Bracelet is color-coded to one of the 18 organizations we support. At Jewels For Hope, everyone can Look Great & Donate!

Silver Midnight Bracelet

$55.00

Made by: Nair & Bjorn

Website: www.nairandbjorn.com/

The bracelet that I created especially for the GBK 2012 Primetime Emmys Celebrity Gift is the Silver Midnight Bracelet. It is a gunmetal finish parallel curb chain with an antique lead-free silver plated clock toggle, antique silver collage pendant, adorned with a mixture of Swarovski crystal beads and since we donate to no-kill shelters, our signature paw print charm.

Inspirational Secret Word Silver and Leather Bracelet

$59

Made by: 2 Sisters Handcrafted

Website: www.2sistershandcrafted.com

This handcrafted and hand stamped leather and silver bracelet, has been personalized with your secret inspirational word or name of choice. The silver is hand forged into a spiral to make the message one that needs to be twisted and turned to reveal. Choose to have your word of the year hand stamped in the font of your choice, your name or the name of a loved one. When the pendant is complete it is threaded onto 10 strands of premium, naturally died leather cord and is finished with a stunning, comfortable and easy to use stainless steel push clasp. Get what the celebrities are wearing.

Spiced Pumpkin Gift Set

$22.00 each

Made by: Bidwell Botanicals

Website: www.bidwellbotanicals.com

Put a little spice in your life with our exclusive Spiced Pumpkin Sugar Scrub paired with matching Spiced Pumpkin Artisan Soap, made with shea butter and enzyme-rich pumpkin pulp, spiked with clove and cinnamon. A delicious way to start your day. Packaged in our gift box and tied with a seasonal ribbon. Gifted to the stars at the GBK Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge.

The Cardinal Standout Print

$100

Made by: The Shutterbug Eye

Website: www.etsy.com/shop/TheShutterbugEye

This TTV standout photograph is a fine art print of red cardinal up in the branches. Pretty red, blue and black will add an elegant touch to your home decor. This ttv photograph is a 10×10 standout print and will be professionally printed on quality archival paper that produces rich colors and vivid details. A standout is a 1.5″ thick, lightweight Gatorfoam with a lightly textured black trim around the edges. Easel stand not included.

Gemmy Petal Earrings

$62.00

Made by: SunshineJewels

Website: www.sunshinejewels.com

My Gemmy Petal Earrings feature Sterling Silver Petals with Carnelian, Peridot, Blue Sapphire, Pink Tourmaline, Green Garnet and Amethyst on Sterling Posts. These are the same earrings that SunshineJewels is pleased to present as a special Press Gift in association with The Artisan Group for the 2012 GBK Primetime Emmy Awards Gift Lounge.

Shea Butter Juniper Aloe Soap

$6.00

Made by: Barefoot Bath & Body

Website: www.barefootbathandbody.com

A fabulous year around soap that exudes fresh and natural, and yet a slight woody note can be detected as well. Loved by both men and women, this Juniper Aloe soap features Shea Butter and is richly lathering.

Spring Into Summer Collection Coasters

Product price: $25

Made by: Nature’s Images By Design

Website: www.naturesimagesbydesign.com

Custom-made coasters featuring images from the Spring Into Summer Collection.

Aragonite, Copper, Wood, and Hemp Bracelets (unisex)

$17.00

Made by: Catherine’s Jewelry

Website: www.CatherinesJewelry.com

Eco-conscious, unisex, and trendy in style.

MINDNIGHT pendant necklace

$45

Made by: Katherine Song Originals

Website: www.katherinesong.com

Made with Swarovski crystal and gunmetal chain, simple yet elegant.

*****

Other participants include:

Helena Pion Photography & Design: Custom-made by me and YOU! Easily personalize my designs and/or alter the templates for free with just a couple of mouse clicks. Nothing like trying it out!
Website: www.zazzle.com/helenapion

Sienna Grace Jewelry: Handcrafted artisan jewelry inspired by nature, art, and my ever changing imagination. I offer easy to wear items to dress up everyday wear or that little black dress.
Website: www.siennagrace.com

Esscentual Alchemy: Pure natural botanical fragrances for those who want luxury. We create memory-making natural perfumes and colognes for women and men. Each natural fragrance is composed by hand in small batches for maximum olfactory enjoyment.
Website: www.esscentualalchemy.com

Kath’s Elegant Accessories, LLC – Kathy Messick launched Kath’s Elegant Accessories, LLC, in 2010. Kathy creates unique handcrafted jewelry designs with the goal that her creations enhance the wearer’s own personal sense of style. She donates a portion of her sales to support The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in honor of her late Mother and Brother.
Website: www.KathsElegantAccessories.com

SimplyCaprine: At SimplyCaprine we believe that simple is best. Our goal is to provide you with affordable all natural skin care products using farm fresh goat’s milk from our own dairy goat herd. natural. simple. clean.
Website: www.simplycaprine.com

MadiBella creates custom boutique clothing for your little blessings ages 3 months – 10 years. We offer a new line with each season and also create custom items upon request.
Website: www.madibella.com

Uni Q Creations is a home based family run business that creates handmade items such as jewelry and accessories out of various materials such at metal, wire, gemstones, hemp, etc. Each of my pieces are Unique and my methods are self taught. I believe in quality, not quantity and the things I create are made with perfection in mind.
Website: www.UniQCreations.etsy.com

Selling Wedding Goods on Etsy

Etsy, Running your Craft Business Comments Off

Sep 102012

If you’re a crafter looking for a niche on Etsy, perhaps you’d like to explore the lucrative world of wedding planning. Every year, an estimated more than 2 million people tie the knot, and there’s a lot that goes into making sure the personal touches of this special day are in place. Artisans that sell wedding goods on Etsy include jewelry makers, sewing wizards, woodworkers, candle makers, and graphic designers. Below are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing if bringing joy to brides and grooms is something that interests you as a crafter:

Paper Goods

Alerting family and friends is one of the first things you will do when it comes to planning a wedding, but handcrafted invitations aren’t the only paper goods found on Etsy. Graphic designers may consider selling guest books, save the date cards, photo albums, and other creative notices.

Wedding Rings

When traditional jewelry stores do not offer the kind of ring a bride envisions wearing for the rest of her life, Etsy artisans offer exclusive creations using an assortment of gold, sterling silver, titanium, gemstones, and any other materials you can dream up.

Bridal Accessories

From glittering hair pieces to photo clutches, there are a never-ending number of bridal accessories available on Etsy. Artisans sell handmade veils with intricate embroidery, shrugs, belts, sashes, creative shoe clips, and one-of-kind jewelry – and the list goes on and on.

Wedding Dresses

When a visit to David’s Bridal just won’t do, many brides turn to Etsy crafters to produce the wedding dress or gown of their dreams. With a range of already stunning creations, brides can opt to have a seamstress add personal touches that doesn’t come with a store-bought frock. Etsy is also the place to locate vintage styles.

Wedding Décor

From customized cake toppers to unique candles, Etsy artisans provide an array of goods that help decorate reception tables and set the mood for a walk down the aisle. Popular wedding décor purchases on Etsy include candles, table numbers, table settings, favors, faux flower bouquets, and of course, decorations galore.

A Guide to Pinterest – Tips on How to Become Very Pinteresting – Part 2

Social Media & Blogging Comments Off

Aug 082012

This two-part series was written by our guest, Faith Marcus – the talented artisan behind Faith Marcus Designs. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter @FMdesigns and, of course, Pinterest!

Thank you for sharing these tips with Craftsyble readers, Faith! Your Guide to Pinterest has inspired us to work on Craftsyble’s Pinterest boards.

If you haven’t yet, please read Part 1.

***

Remember : Content is king! So pin images that are the most visually inspiring !

Other ideas that will help spring- board your following :

1) Create a group/community board — invite followers to pin on a board. When you create, (or hopefully get invited yourself — I now receive board invitations almost daily!!) to pin on a group board, the board will post on your page, and everyone who is included, as well as their followers will see this in the pin stream (this is great way to go viral). I would suggest creating a group board once you have a substantial following. Make it a “theme”, as a random board becomes a mess over time. If you create a group board too early in the game, chances are no one will pin to it, and then it’s sort of a “flop”. I am on two of these boards right now, and it’s primarily due to “lack of theme” provided. I am also on five community boards that have thousands of followers, so I make sure I pin to those on a regular basis! Do not ask to be invited to a board. Post great content, and you will be noticed and invited !

2) Pin It To Win Contest : On my to-do list, I will update when I have some results.

3) Do keep up to date with marketing reports, and also Pins that are generated from marketing sources, chances are you will find a lot of valuable information.

4) Use the statistic sites, pinpuff and pinreach to see which boards and pins are popular. Pinreach also provides you with your most influential followers. Make sure you know who these people are, and see who they pin from, and look at their followers. Take some time to see what makes someone with major followings so sought after. Chances are, they have great boards! Use these as inspiration and follow suite, make it you own and do not copy!

5) Use FaceBook and Twitter to share your Pinterest profile, as well as a great board. Twitter is also a great source to find pins, as all major publications are posting updates that will likely have a “pin it” button on their site.

Other Resources to check out:
www.repinly.com
www.pinpuff.com
www.pinreach.com
www.url2pin.it

I hope you have found this information useful, and that it will help you gain lots of followers and help you become a Pinterest rock star!

I would love your feedback! Thank you and happy pinning!!

Faith

P.S. Please follow me: www.pinterest.com/fmdtreasures

A Guide to Pinterest – Tips on How to Become Very Pinteresting – Part 1

Social Media & Blogging Comments Off

Aug 072012

This two-part series was written by our guest, Faith Marcus – the talented artisan behind Faith Marcus Designs. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter @FMdesigns and, of course, Pinterest!

Thank you for sharing these tips with Craftsyble readers, Faith! Your Guide to Pinterest has inspired us to work on Craftsyble’s Pinterest boards.

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I hope you will find these tips helpful in building a following on Pinterest, and driving people to your site! There are many marketers and bloggers now offering tips for brands, some of these may be covered in what I will share. This is primarily to help you build a following and to give you the basics on how to create a dynamic Pinterest profile.

I had heard about Pinterest when it was first in Beta, and thought it was silly. I joined in March of this year, and decided to pin just for fun. When I signed up, I had 19 followers. At the beginning of April, I crossed the 100 follower mark, and in mid July, I reached my first initial goal of 1,000. I now have (as of August 5) close to 1700 followers, with an average of 50 new followers daily, and continual visits to my website (which I track on google analytics), and sales! I hope my tips will help you to achieve the same results!

If you are new to Pinterest, and don’t have a good grasp on the basics, I highly recommend you go to “BootCamp”. This is a very insightful video series that will cover all you need to know to get started. Also, follow Jason Miles (search by this name and click on ‘People’ on Pinterest), he provides a lot of good marketing tips for brands. The initial video series was free, but this offer has ended. It is excellent, and highly worthwhile, if you are just getting started, and don’t know where to begin! There is also plenty of great free info on the site for brand marketing, if you don’t want to purchase the program.

http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/03/05/pinterest-boot-camp-launched-but-its-not-too-late/

“Because storytelling, and visual storytelling, was put in the hands of everybody, and we have all now become storytellers.” — Levar Burton

● Unlike FaceBook and Twitter, where you can shout it out, and communicate with words and images, one of the most important things to understand, is that Pinterest is a site that people (the majority being women) go to be inspired, and to collect images that they enjoy. Your “job” is not to bombard your page with your products, but to tell your own story through images. This will, hopefully, lead people to your page, to follow you, and to find out what it is you do sell, and then will click on your links and visit your site.

● If your boards are all about you, or your brand, you will likely be considered “spammy” and not very interesting, nor Pin “worthy”, so be inspirational (and patient)!

● If you are just getting started, create about 12 – 14 boards. The boards should be varied, with depth! What are you passionate about? Photography, design, cooking, nature, travel, fashion? The possibilities are endless, but think about what you do sell, and try to build your boards from this “core”, before developing boards that do not relate to your product. So, for example, if you are a jewelry artist, you might want to consider well – known jewelry that you find inspiring, period jewelry, gemstones, etc. If you are a photographer, boards on nature, people, places. Where do you come from? Boards about places are great, and add some identity ! Consider each board a “magazine”, remember you want people to repin your pins, and to follow you! Be a visual curator ! This is the number one golden rule of Pinterest! Beautiful images get repinned! People who post exciting, beautiful content get followed — it’s really as simple as that!

● If you have a business name, use it! You will gain much more recognition as a brand with your business name, than your personal name.

Like Twitter, the more people you follow, the greater your chances are to be followed! Need some ideas for developing boards and finding people to follow? Let’s say, for example. you love the color blue, and would like to create a “Blue Board”. Go to the main search bar and type in blue, and see what comes up. Or use the category search to find what you are looking for. If you find a page that is interesting, and fits your style, repin and make sure you follow that person! If you have a follower, and they have pinned something you like, hover over the person they pinned from, and visit that page! Another way to ‘pick up” interesting people to follow. SEARCH is to the left of the Pinterest logo.

● Pinterest has its own set of etiquette, so do not repin more than 3 images from another page and not follow! Be considerate!

● Want to gain the attention of a cool or influential pinner? Then “like”, repin and comment! People who have tons of followers will not always see the comment, as the stream (on the left hand side is a bit time delayed, and only gives you a handful of recent updates), so do not be discouraged! Commenting and liking are not as “popular” as repinning, so this is one way to get noticed and stand out! Do not ask for people to come check out your page — be genuine! Check in with the people who do follow you, and see who they follow or repin from. This is to the right of your profile page. Or, scroll through the list of a popular pinner, and see who follows them. Another way to connect with like minded followers. If you are following someone with hundreds of thousands of followers, chances are they will not notice you, so stick with pinners whose boards and style relate to yours and go from there! Broaden your following list on a regular basis, as the more diverse your circle gets, the more interesting the content pool will be generated.

● Make sure your boards have “interesting names”, don’t just name a board, ‘cookies’, or ‘soap’ or ‘fashion’ or ‘things for my house’, try to come up with something a little more creative.

● Make sure your boards are categorized properly. This will help in others finding you by proper category. Also, using hashtags (the same as Twitter) in your pin descriptions is helpful. Check out the categories which are below the Pinterest logo. If you are adding a pin description, the source of the image is always best: ie, the name of the brand, photographer, etc. Avoid “cutesie” comments like, my daughter will love this, or anything too personal, that someone else will have to edit before they repin it!

● Rotate your boards so that your page looks cohesive, and make sure your cover photo is set with one of your most visually inspiring and dynamic pins. You can rotate your boards by using the “edit profile” feature (see screenshot — and don’t forget to save!). Freshen your page by changing the cover photo from time to time. If you were a store, you would want to change your window every once and awhile, right?

● Your own board should be in the top row, either in first , second or third position. Do not be discouraged if your own products are not repinned. It takes time for people to discover you, and products are less likely to be repinned, so be patient. Do not pin to your own board each and every day! I pin my own work maximum of three times a week, sometimes less! If you do not have an established following (at least 1,000 followers), I recommend that you have only one board for your work. If you are a photographer and a jewelry artist (or a soap maker and a stationery designer), make one board for each. Include your celebrity gifting and press in one
board (chances are no one is going to repin these, they are more for info and showcasing your brand). Make it the best of the best, and cohesive !

● The top two rows of boards are probably the ones that will have the most attention. Profiles with 100’s of boards can be overwhelming. Remember quality, and depth! To see your most popular boards and pins, check your stats with www.pinpuff.com and www.pinreach.com. Keep your less popular boards, or boards you are developing on the bottom. You can always rotate them at a later date.

● Look at your page with an outsiders’ ‘eye’ : do your boards flow, and look inviting? You want people to discover your board content, so give them a “visual reason” to do so !

● Do not make boards of family, friends, customers. etc, wearing/and or posing with your items. Or your pets, home life, etc. These photos belong in your FaceBook photo albums, not on Pinterest! People will not repin them (unless you want them there for your own personal enjoyment!) . If you create tutorials, then put them in a separate board, along with others that are a good “fit”. Tutorials and DIY are great boards to develop, especially if they relate to your brand.

● Don’t pin “tiny” images or ones that are so long they take up three or four columns. They are generally not repinned ! Try not to pin images with very dark backgrounds, they are difficult to see, and do not ‘pop’ !

● If you are pinning others work a board is fine, but, you can also pin these images to other boards. For example, someone who photographs nature, might work well on a “flower” board. If you have a board dedicated to products you love, or color boards are also a good way to vary who you pin and where. Try it both ways and see which one gets more pins.

● In order to gain followers, you should be pinning daily! Yes, make it a habit! At first it may seem daunting, especially if you are not following a lot of people, so pin outside the box! Use sites such as tumblr, google, twitter, blogs, and major websites to generate your own pins. And make sure pins that you originate have a clickable source. Do not just upload them from your computer (see the Pinterest guidelines for this).

● At the point when you reach several hundred followers, you should be gaining 3-10 followers daily. If not, then you are not active enough on the site. Once you get to 1,000 followers, your daily number of followers should have doubled, and now it gets easier, as, if you are pinning regularly, your following will increase accordingly.

● The best times to pin are morning (I am basing this on PST), between 7 – 9 AM, around lunch hours (12-1 PM) and after 6 PM. Marketing statistics will show you that many pinners are working, successful people, so these are the best times to catch the activity. It varies on Fridays (with a pick up of about 4 PM), and on weekends. There is a bit of a lull mid day, seven days a week, so try to pin during these times, if possible. Try to scatter your pinning time, some in the morning, some in the evening.

● If you have thousands of pins and less than a few hundred followers, it’s time to clean up those old pins and start fresh! Much better to catch followers in a brand new stream of activity. Very difficult to gain followers if you have 50+ boards filled with pins that have no activity!

● To price or not to price, that’s a good question. In my opinion, the price tags are tacky. I think it totally depends on what you are selling. Try it both ways and see what happens. When you do add a price, it goes into the gift section, under categories. 99% of all marketing reports I have read suggest this, but I have found the reverse to be true, so do what works best for you and your brand! Pins with prices may not get you repins, however pins with prices may get you more “clicks” via the gift guide. The best way to gauge your stats is with Google Analytics. (Sorry, I don’t know how this works for Etsy users).

I hope you have found this information useful, and that it will help you gain lots of followers and help you become a Pinterest rock star! I would love your feedback! Thank you and happy pinning!! If you liked this post, check out PART 2!
Faith

P.S. Please follow me: www.pinterest.com/fmdtreasures

Become a Member of The Artisan Group

General 1 Response »

Aug 062012

Today I’d like to share with you fantastic news: The Artisan Group™ is accepting new members!! The Artisan Group membership is, usually, by invitation only. However, right now, you can apply online without an invitation.

The Artisan Group is an elite, close-knit community of over 700 talented artisans from all over the world who exhibit excellence of product, great product photography, impressive branding and online shop presence, unique products, an established online sales record and products appropriate (size-wise) for gifting.

Russell Hornsby holding a Seaside Soap bar by Magic Senses – represented by The Artisan Group at GBK’s Academy Awards Gift Lounge Feb. 2012

The Artisan Group introduces Hollywood to the best of the handcrafted movement. They do it by providing owners of artisan businesses the chance to gift their products to celebrities, industry leaders and members of the press through participation in major award show gift lounges.

The Artisan Group is looking for talented artisans whose handcrafted products include jewelry, bath and spa products, designer stationery and paper goods, crocheted accessories, children’s apparel and toys, ceramics, purses and totes, hand-poured candles, hand-bound books and journals, illustrations and paintings, hand-dyed scarves, fine art photography, hair accessories, pet accessories and toys, woodworked items.

If you apply and are accepted, you’ll have to be active and committed – otherwise your membership will be purged due to innactivity. So, only serious artisans, please.

If you ever wanted to put your product in the hands of the celebrities, producers or members of the Press, this is your chance! Please mention that you found out about this opportunity via Craftsyble.

Apply at WWW.THEARTISANGROUP.ORG.

P.S. Photo courtesy of The Artisan Group and Magic Senses ®.

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