INTRODUCTIONS: Tell Everyone A Bit About Yourself!

[Former_Member]

Hi Guys!

I'm Nikki. 24. Live in North Yorkshire, UK with my fiancée and our dog.

My craft is cross stitch, simple, quirky, funny! It's not something I have been doing very long. I only started in November 2013 when I moved into a new house and wanted something specific for my wall... which didn't exist anywhere it would seem! So I thought why not make it myself, and despite having no idea what I was doing, the result was nice, I was proud of myself! I got so many compliments on them, but never thought much of it. Then I lost my day job, and that is how HomemadeArcade was born.

Cross stitch is what I love doing, I also make things with felt, be it a felt cake or some little hearts to hang up in the house, and making bathbombs with look and smell like cakes, as well as making actual cakes!

So what about you?

Where do you live? What's your craft? How did you end up on Etsy?

=)

[Former_Member]

Hi, my name is Tammy. I am 32 and live in Teaxas, US. I am 7 months pregnant with my second child. I recently decided to stay at home with my children instead of punching in at a day job. I have been crafting since I was 7 years old when my mother taught me to crochet and then I received my first sewing machine. I also know basic knitting and make jewelry. I want to start my own Etsy shop but thought it would be a good idea to do some networking first.

[Former_Member]

Hello & welcome!
Hopefully this team will get off the ground and we will soon have lots of active members who can offer you any help or support you need!
I spent a little while trying to learn a bit about Etsy before deciding to open up.
Good luck Tammy!
=D

[KoroCinco]

Hi, my name is Lisa and I guess I work mostly with paper, I have 3 shops, one making stones, druzy and geodes from paper pulp. One where I indulge my passion for keeping my hands busy by making paper beads, jewellery, templates and supplies.
And then my current most favourite baby, PrintsOfHeart where I just get to tip anything I find funny, annoying or thought provoking out onto a card or poster.

I am 35, living 'in sin' with my boyf of 8 years lol (STILL no ring). We have two cats, Geoff and Una. I enjoy anything zombie related, find simple pleasures like walking round the block quite refreshing and I left my job in Pharmacy mid February with the intention of not working for the rest of the year.
I live in a seaside town in North West England and ended up on Etsy one day after looking for looking for alternatives to Ebay.

So yeah, that's me :D X
Glad to join the team.

[hart2hartdesigns]

Thanks for the invite Nikki. New to etsy since mid dec but been doing craft shows for 30 years. My mother was a crafter/artist so for me its always been a way of life. My love is making jewelry out of coins from all over the world which you will find on my first shop, hart2hartdesigns. But for many years I made greeting cards and have lots of backstock, hense my second shop , hartbeatcards. Recently I fell in love with wool felt and have even been felting old wool clothes that I find at the resale shop. Working on several new items for the fall and christmas shows and yes on etsy.
I live in Dallas, Tx with my little ball of fluff, Miss Daisy, see my about page.
Retired last year I am learning how to live with retirement. But trying to have fun. Looking forward to chats with out the routine complaints on the forums.

[Former_Member]

Hi my name is Jacqui and I own Touch Of Chic Boutique Knits. Born and raised in Scotland, I moved to the States 7 years ago. My passion is knitting and crocheting and my dream is to own my own wool shop one day. Knitting is a big part of our culture, grew up watching my mum and granny knit everything from socks to jumpers ( sweaters). I am a single parent of four wonderful kids..well some are adults now lol. My mum comes and visits once a year for 3 months and she brings me a whole suitcase full of wool and knitted goods, we craft fair for three months and are known in our local area as the " Scots Knitters' and do quite well. Etsy is a new venture for me as well as Photography Props. I am excited to be part of the Etsy family and look forward to mingling with so many talented people :)

[Former_Member]

Hi my name is Carole I am the owner of Cazziescards. i have lived in somerset all my life. I have 4 children. i enjoy making cards but as yet am still to get a sale so any advice would be much appreciated received thanks

[Former_Member]

Hello and Welcome everyone!

Hello Carole. Etsy can be a difficult place to get a sale, I haven't yet had my first one. Hopefully I will get it soon!

I have just had a little peek at your shop. I would suggest maybe retaking some of the photos of your cards (I know, it can be a pain! I retake mine so many times!), I think taking pictures on a white background in natural light would really help. I have noticed some are a bit fuzzy and the flash has spoilt them by reflecting, so it's difficult to see what they really look like.

Also using advice I was given, maybe work on your tags a little bit. Use strings of words if you can rather than just single words "handmade card" "homemade card" and so on. It can take some practise, but there is lots of help available on the forums, and hopefully some of the other members will be able to offer you some more help!

Good luck on getting your sale!

=)

[Former_Member]

Hi! my name is Anna!
I live in Bellingham, WA. Just opened my first etsy shop yesterday! pretty darn excited, but there's a lot to learn.
I work full time as a registered nurse, but I really enjoy spending my free time crafting. I like to paint, knit, crochet, and I recently just started to work with wood. As I have just started this etsy adventure, I've decided to only list a few of my favorite creations for now, but I'm looking forward to creating and sharing more on Etsy!
I've been thinking about opening up an etsy shop to market my creations for awhile now, but finally took the initiative and pulled the trigger!
I'm welcome to any and all advice, as this is my first shop and first time marketing my own creations.
Thanks to all, and good luck out there! :)

[Former_Member]

Hello & Welcome Anna!
I hope you have lots of success here on Etsy!
Don't be disheartened if you don't get any sales straight away, it can take a few months to even get your first sale!


I love your prints! I have wanted to have a go at making prints on old literature for quite a while, but it's just not something I ever seem to get round to looking in to!

[ScrappingWithStyle]

Hi, I'm Karen and together with my niece, Monique, we make scrapbooking layouts and mini albums. I've scrapped for quite a few years and introduced my niece to it when her first daughter was born. We ponder each page and try to create "art" through our choices of color, paper, themes, and embellishments. People often think "hobby" rather than art when I say I scrap. There isn't an appreciation of the amount of time and technique involved, especially considering the importance of preserving family memories and history. And scrapbooking has completely changed from the days when construction paper was covered with play tickets, yellowing newspaper clippings, and grainy photographs.

I also sew, make cards, paint and a few other artistic endeavors. Etsy is a great outlet for small and large businesses alike. We belong to several paper crafting teams, but I haven't found one that offers much more than promotion, which, of course, I take advantage of. I would like to trade ideas with other scrap artists (did I just create a new descriptor??) about trends and products. And trends cross all genres, so if anyone would like to chime in with his/her perception of upcoming trends, that would be great.

I've researched on Etsy and the web and have found that raw materials such as burlap, leather, bamboo, and raffia will be very popular. The color of 2014 is Radiant Orchid, and foxes, geometric designs, and pastels are also being seen.

Thanks for letting me vent a bit. I'm looking forward to sharing ideas that lead us to more success on Etsy.

[Former_Member]

Hi everyone!
I'm Kelly and I am a metalsmith. I currently live in Salt Lake City, though I am on the go about every year and a half or so. Upcoming move is back to my home town of Reno, NV.
I have been making jewelry for a really long time, now, I seriously have no idea just how long. But I was able to fulfill a dream of mine and learn the art of silversmithing while living in Atlanta, GA a few years back.
I absolutely love the feeling of creating something gorgeous, tangible, and most of all unique to help express my style and individuality.

If I am being totally honest, it took me a long time before I was ready to offer my creations to the world. I prefer to own a more one-of-a-kind style and didn't like the idea of other people wearing something similar to me.
...then I realized how great it was to see how happy something I made made other people. It's addicting.
I love getting to talk to someone who has fallen in love with something I created, and see how it lights them up.
And really, most of my stuff is still one of a kind anyway. So, it helps those who want to shine as the unique stars they are- just a little brighter. (I realize how corny that sounds, don't judge me.)

I am happy to be a part of this team, and am looking forward to seeing all of your shops and chatting with you.

Thanks,
-Kelly

[Former_Member]

Welcome Karen & Monique, and Kelly!

Karen your scrap books are lovely! I have never had the eye for it!
Kelly I love your work! The Fern Leaf is amazing!

=D

[Former_Member]

Hello, I'm Alexis. I live in New Mexico, US but will be moving with my husband, 4 young children, 2 dogs and a cat to Texas this summer. I have Fibromyalgia and can't get out of bed a lot of the time. I purchased a 1950's Corona-Smith Clipper (Typewriter) from a vintage Etsy shop last year because I thought it was beautiful. I started typing out my husband's jokes from his Twitter account onto greeting cards (but to be perfectly honest I don't think the ladies who would come out to craft fairs were ready for his type of humor hahaha). Anyway, I gave up on that and put my typewriter away for a while until my cousin asked me to type up her, "Save the Dates." She wanted something that looked and felt rustic and couldn't find her vision anywhere, including Etsy. I broke out my Clipper and typed them up for her. She fell in love with her Save the Dates and I fell in love with typing and card making again. In fact, I loved it so much that I started my Etsy shop and now I'm here, trying to connect with the Etsy community and having a wonderful time!

[Former_Member]

Hi! My name is Kali and I live in Mumbai, India. I have two kids who keep me on my toes, but I never let go of my passion for crafting! I love Indian craft and thought Etsy would be a great platform for them.
You guys are so talented! Nikki- I love the moustache motif, Jacqui- your pics are amazing :)
Thats about it from me...very new to Etsy and still finding my feet

[Former_Member]

Good morning all! (Well it's morning here in the UK!).
Alexis, I am absolutely in love with your pieces! It's a shame I am in the UK (Maybe I will have to try and talk you into sending to the UK!) Your work is exactly what I am looking for for our invites (it's a while off yet, 2016, so plenty of time to try and convince you!). You have such a lovely story for how your work came about! My sister suffered with something similar to Fibromyalgia when she was younger, so I understand the pain and frustration it can bring about... she is hiding somewhere on this team actually!

Kali, your jewellery is beautiful! Your gold and pearl pendant necklace is gorgeous!

=D

[EssentialApothecary]

Hi there.
My name is Jane . I'm from the UK and I have just opened my shop on Etsy.
Although my products are based around skin care and essential oils I also do lots of knitting and drawing.
I can't wait to get to meet some new people.
Namaste

[Former_Member]

Hello Jane, and a big crafting welcome to you!
Your products look lovely! I love making bath bombs myself, but have always been a bit wary of going about selling them! I wish you all the luck in the world! Etsy can be a difficult place to break, but once you do it you will love it! (I am not there yet, but at the moment I am not putting much time in to my shop at the moment =( )
Happy crafting!

[Former_Member]

Hi I'm Karen and I live near Wigan in the UK.

I've always loved to knit, crochet and cross stitch as a hobby. A year ago a friend of mine began to make soaps for craft fairs and asked me to help her with the stall, which I really enjoyed so in November last year I decided to set up my own business.

Since all of my items take a long time to make and I work full-time, I decided to make candles as they can be made pretty quickly, I will be adding some of my other crafts to my shop in the next few weeks but thought I would see if I could sell my candles on line initially. I've been on Etsy since April and haven't managed to sell anything yet but I know I need to be patient as it can take a while.

[Former_Member]

Hi everyone!

My name is Christina and I am a student at Arizona State University who is currently enrolled in bar tending school. My craft is embellished bottles and glassware. I ended up on Etsy because I am addicted to crafting and I had enough sisters/friends tell me they want me to craft them something or that they would pay for me to craft for them. Crafted bottles are the perfect gift for any occasion and a must-have addition to college home decor.

Here's a link to my shop, let me know what you think!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CraftyyQueenBee

[Former_Member]

Hi Karen, and welcome! Your candles look so lovely, I love the use of the jars! I have added the Strawberry Shortcake candle to my favorites, and have every intention of making a purchase as soon as I get paid!

Welcome Christina, I love your margarita glasses! They are such a lovely idea!

Good luck with your Etsy ventures, both of you! Don't be disheartened by the time it can take on Etsy. I am yet to make my first real sale, but I am not putting much time in at the moment as I have just started a new job which is taking up a lot of my time at the moment. Try using other websites/apps for free marketing, it can really help you to gain a following.

=)

[lighthousememorials]

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[thecrochetloft]

I hope this is an active team.  Hello I’m Renee. I crocheted since I was 9 years old.  Enjoy looking at my shop.