Wishlist Wednesday: littlebitofpretty

This week Kim (aka: littlebitofpretty) was selected to choose 5 items from etsy that she would buy in half a moment's time if she could. Take a look at her gorgeous collection!

1). Kim's first pick comes from our very own rat, moonthroughfog! Kim says the original acrylic painting has great texture and lovely colors, and loves the zebra-like print to it. She REALLY wants to buy it!

2). This wooden bracelet comes from 3dots is Kim's next pick, she said she loves this bracelet so much she's included in a treasury and really just adores the whole shop.

3). Since Pride and Prejudice is Kim's favorite book, the Mr. Darcy Proposal mug from Brookish is right up Kim's alley. Jane Austen is her favorite author, and she says she might just have to buy the whole set.

4) Despite having nowhere to wear it, Kim really wants isadoraclothing's Chameleon Full Length customizable gown. The material (rayon jersey) would be super soft and it comes in lots of colors. I might fight you for this one, Kim. This dress is killer!

5) Finally, since Kim is from Canada, she frequently experiences sweater fever and she just wants to buy every sweater and shawl she sees. The Rococo Shawl from TickledPinkKnits is no exception! In a luxurious merino wool/alpaca/silk blend, she really feels like it's self explanatory why she loves it.

Fabulous stuff, littlebitofpretty! I leave you with my favorite item from Kim's shop:

Mosaic Monday: Meandering in the Meadow

Another week begins! I do love fall, but I thought I'd change up what I've been seeing and create a collage inspired by a bustling, lively meadow. Enjoy!

1). Free Spirit Feather Necklace by DreamsAndOutfits
2). Deer and Fawn Cinch Sack by rctees
3). Just Ducky by yarnabees
4). Elegant Lotus Small Purse by elizabethnormand
5). Pink and Yellow Poppy Print by PamLefcourt
6). Goldstone and Tiger's Eye Cluster Earrings by ladnamedfelix
7). 1960s Rabbit Figurine from VintageRoom
8). Cocoa Brown NeckScape Scarf/Necklace by BabyEtte

On flickr?

Because we are now! Join our flickr group (if you have a flickr account, of course) and start adding images to the team's page!

Flickr Page

Acceptable images:
-Your items
-Any pieces you are working on
-Craft fair set-ups
-Screen shots of team treasuries
-Screen shots of a rat on the front page
-Etsy meet-ups

Can't wait to see!

Feature Friday - Shirley of ScrapHappieAZ, RomasMasion, and PeaPodRay

Hello all! It's another fabulous Friday! Today's feature seller is Shirley, who runs three great shops - ScrapHappieAZ, RomasMasion, and PeaPodRay.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your shop, and what brought you to the Etsy community.

I have degrees in Fashion Design and Microbiology and Health Administration. I guess you might say I have a balanced brain, both strongly creative and analytical sides. Sounds balanced but it can create a bit of chaos. I have a hard time focusing on just one process.I want to do it all!

When I was laid off from my job in the healthcare industry, I decided to go back to my creative roots. This is when I decided to join the artisans of Etsy. I love the resurgence of creativity.

2. Besides creating beautiful things for your shop, what do you spend your days doing?

I am addicted to Buzztime Trivia and my husband and I play at least three times a week at a local restaurant.

I am the mother of three adult children. Two daughters and a son. In Nov my first grandson is due so I am excited to make some baby clothes for the new addition to the family.

I also love to cook, read and awwwh heck I just love to create, whether it is crocheting, cross-stitch, scrapbooking, refinishing furniture.
 

3. What sources do you draw your inspiration from and what is your creative process(es)?

My grandfather was a professor of architecture at Syracuse University and I believe some of my artist tendencies come from him. He found beauty and inspiration in butterflies, a simple ceramic vase or in the ornate Westminister Abbey.

Much of my inspiration comes from different periods in fashion history: The Victorian ages, the Pinup girl days of the 1940s and the roaring twenties when my mother was growing up.

I also try to find inspiration in nature and all things around me. I feel that I am ever evolving, I may not have found my niche but I will continue to grow.

I believe that women are so busy with jobs, children and their home they become overwhelmed and forget to enjoy those things that use to bring joy such as cooking and being in the kitchen. That is why I believe that there is such popularity in cooking shows. Women want to be feminine in their kitchen and so I want to make these awesome aprons to show off in the kitchen.

4. What market (group of people) do you see your items being for?

My market is mainly cooks, women, mothers, new brides and other local crafters and artisans who want upscale trendy items. I will be adding some more men’s BBQ aprons in the future.

5. Name your top three:

- Books

Anything by Patricia Cornwell and Jeffery Deaver.
Recently, I am loving the books by Anna Godbersen based in turn of the century New York socialites

- Music (song or artist)

I love most all music so I don’t want to narrow it down to three. This week it may be country, next week rock, then some rockabilly.

- Movies or Television Shows

NCIS, CSI, HOUSE, GREY’S ANATOMY and Project Runway.

- Websites

Google Earth

6. What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see added?

I like the new rearranging feature but my favorite is being able to link to facebook. I network with Facebook directly. This is fun to update for all my Facebook fans.

I would like to be able to build a listing and save it before I actually complete for public view.

This way I can spend a day writing the listings and then add pictures another day. It would help my organization.

7. How do you market your work? What has or hasn’t worked for you in the past?

I am trying everything: Facebook, Twitter, Etsy forums, Featured Seller Chat rooms, local networking, craft shows and Etsy Teams. I am new enough that I won’t say something has not worked yet. In the future I want to start a blog but I have not taken that plunge yet. My goal is before Halloween.

8. What do you like most about the Virtual Labs?

I enjoy the sense of community and support that most Etsians offer. I have met so many helpful and amazing people. I want to continue meeting and helping new members of Etsy.

9. What topics or events would you like to see added to the Virtual Lab offerings?

I would like to add more ship critiques. So many people want their shops critiqued and there never seems to be enough time. Perhaps smaller and more frequent one and one critiques.

Wishlist Wednesday - Mary from emptynestegg

Hello rats! Here's another great Wishlist Wednesday lineup from one of our members:

The first pick by Mary is this beautiful Peyote Beaded Bracelet titled "Oui Oui" by roiaobrien. Mary says that "My first Treasury was about travel. I came across this bracelet by roiaobrien. As a beader I am in awe of the detail. I just love it."

Mary's second item is this great group of vegan soaps from DeShawnMarie. Apparently, Mary has been "drooling over DeShawnMarie soap for awhile now." And I agree with her, there are so many wonderful, inviting soaps on Etsy!

Mary picked out her next item because "This wrap from nancywilder is such a great color. Like a Luna Moth."

Mary's fourth wishlist pick if from a seller who is close to my heart because I made my first ever purchase on Etsy from this seller, tummymountain. Mary chose "when friends drop in" as her fourth wishlist item, and I agree with Mary when she says: "Who doesn’t like TummyMountain. They bring a chuckle every time. This one is when friends drop in."

Mary's final wishlist choice is these adorable hedgehogs. "I love hedgehogs. They are just the cutest. And lesjoujou are delightful." I agree!



Many thanks to Mary for being this Wednesday's Wishlist person!

See you around the water cooler.  :)   

Allysattic

Reminder!

Don't forget! Tomorrow is our first Lab Rat meeting in the Vlabs!

Where: Moon Room in the Virtual Labs
When: 7:30pm EST
What's being discussed: We'll be chatting about each other's shops (introductions)!
How long?: My predicition is about hour-hour and a half.

Looking forward to chatting with everyone!

Mosaic Monday: Meaningful Words

This Mosaic Monday's items were selected by cris0809!

1). Heart Print by moonthroughfog
2). Serenity Beach Stone by jmliss 
3). All Who Wander Artist's Binder Journal by SimplyInvitingCards
4). Dare To Be Fabulous by CardsBetweenFriends
5). Scholastic Aptitude Necklace by WorksInProgress
6). Once Upon A Time Gift Tags by SunshineandRavioli
7). Beaded Layers by spookychandelier


Thanks for picking this week's Mosaic Monday, cris0809!

Feature Friday - Malarie from itsastitch, spookychandelier, and MissingColors

I'm sure many of you have wondered about our team leader - and now, the wait is over! Malarie, the head rat herself, has agreed to be today's Feature Friday person! As some of you may know, she currently runs three shops on Etsy: itsastitch, spookychandelier, and MissingColors.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your shop, and what brought you to the Etsy community.

My name is Malarie, I'm 22 and a libra; also known as itsastitch (and spookychandelier and MissingColors). I sell, mostly jewelry in itsa & spooky, and clothing/totes/housewares in MissingColors. They all show a side of my personality and style. My main shop, itsastitch, shows my general style, spooky shows my evening attitude and how I like to dress up, MissingColors is the random rockstar side of my personality that comes out every now and then (like when I drink :P). Initially, I heard about Etsy through my very dear friend Lauren (aka: jerseymaids on Etsy). She always talked about how wonderful the community was and how the items are so awesome, so I hopped on in November 2008 to buy Christmas gifts. After admiring shops and building up stock of my own, I thought why not? And the rest, as they say, is history.

2. Besides creating beautiful things for your shop, what do you spend your days doing?

I spend a lot of my day on Etsy, since it's my full time job. I wake up when my boyfriend gets up for work (much to my chagrin). I usually fart around online for a while before I list something. I try to make at least 3 new things each day. I usually have some kind of meeting or phone call to make regarding one of my 3 shops, so I handle those, too. Sometimes I prep for an upcoming photoshoot my boyfriend has, I'm usually his artistic director and fashion stylist. If one of my friends happens to be free, I usually go get sushi and shop with them. My evenings are spent with my man and a delicious dinner that he prepared.

3. What sources do you draw your inspiration from and what is your creative process(es)?

Some of the most random things inspire me. Usually it's just a mood, a song I hear, a piece of jewelry I see that I want to recreate into something different, chatting with friends about what they like, a color that I just HAVE to use. I work at my make-shift corner desk in my apartment. One desk is sewing, the other jewelry and my laptop is over here as well. It's cramped, but I make do. For MissingColors I usually doodle a bunch until I like something then recreate it onto contact paper and use a spray bottle of bleach out on the balcony.

4. What market (group of people) do you see your items being for?

I always wonder this. I would guess, in itsastitch, it's young hipsters. That style is funky, youthful and different. spookychandelier is more classic style, so I imagine it appeals more to the 25 and older crew. MissingColors, I haven't a clue. I could see the totes being used by some young girl with pink hair and a nose piercing at a farmers market.

5. Name your top three:

Books:

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Most horror novels

The Chronicles Of Narnia

Music:

This was really hard, so I picked three artists that I always listen to their entire album without skipping

Prince

Girl Talk

Ferraby Lionheart

Movies/TV:

I'm a TV addict.

The Office

Project Runway

The Simpsons

Websites:

popurls.com

videosift.com

foodnetworkhumor.com

6. What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see added?

I love that we can rearrange our shop, and I love alchemy. The list of things I would add or change is long, but the main thing I can think of is being able to choose the thumbnail that appears when you upload a photo. It is IMMENSELY frustrating when you get great shots and then it looks crappy on the thumbnail.

7. How do you market your work? What has or hasn’t worked for you in the past?

Well, I use twitter a lot. I have a facebook fan page, but I don't update it nearly enough. I don't keep up with my blog, either. BUT, I (obviously) run the Lab Rat team and I am also a member of Etsy Chatters. The teams have been really helpful. I've also gotten a few features in the Gift Guides and Front Page, and I have a couple more exciting things that are going to be rolling out soon, but it's hush hush right now.

8. What do you like most about the Virtual Labs?

I remember the first time I came into a lab I was like what the hell is this? I ended up leaving because I had no idea what was going on; turns out I went in when there wasn't something going on. I came back a month or so later and saw that there is actually scheduled events and came into a Shop Critique session with HeyMichelle. I immediately thought it was rad and came back over and over again. It's a fun way to chat and get great advice from people on the inside.

9. What topics or events would you like to see added to the Virtual Lab offerings?

Well, I would love to have critique sessions for the rats, I feel like I (and some other regs) would have great tips for people. I would also love to have interview sessions with members who have been around on Etsy for a while who would have some great tips for us.

Wishlist Wednesday: Fresh Picks from rathina

This Wednesday the lovely rathina was randomly selected to pick any 5 items of her choosing from Etsy. Here goes!

1). First item comes from LittleSidekick. This is her Cotton Crochet Monkey Hat for 0-24mths. rathina says her son would look just adorable in it, and I'm totally betting she is right!

2). This Stained Glass Kitty Business Card Holder comes from Glass2Class and rathina calls it adorable, and says she just loves cats!

3). Continuing to show her love for cats, rathina chooses woodnamesandmore's Custom Corner Cats for her home, saying hubby limits her to 2 kitties so these would be the perfect way to sneak in more.

4). PoshDots' Sea Dreams Hand Painted Wooden Letters would look fabulous in rathina's soon to be finished under the sea master suite, saying she loves these letters by this talented artist.

5). Finally, being a big scrabble fan this Scrabble Family Pillow from designlab443 is going to be bought as soon as rathina's family grows, she says.

Great items, rathina. I'll wrap this up with a lovely switch plate from your shop!

Annoucements and Such

Just popping in to say a few things!

• Our very own rctees is in the Etsy Voter! Please be sure to vote for her Mighty Oak Tee!
• Our meeting is next Thursday! Please be sure to come by the Virtual Labs' Moon Room at 7:30pm on the 24th to get to know members AND discuss preparations for the holidays.

Stop by tomorrow for some great items in Wishlist Wednesday!

Mosaic Monday: It IS Easy Being Green

Some lovely green items to feast your eyeballs upon.

1). Irish Plaid Large Journal by nightowlcraftworks
2). Forest Keepsake Print by jellybeans
3). Green Flower Button Earrings by HappyBead
4). Liz Claiborne Silk Shirtwaist Dress from AgelessThings
5). Wow - Orig. Watercolor Painting by Squier
6). Mini Handbag by SmallbagBigheart
7). Jade Aventurine Glass Beads from texasbeads
8). Set of Two Bigfoot Pillows by Pixelknit

Great stuff, everyone!

Before and After: spookychandelier

I thought I would totally put myself out there, and post these for you guys. You can use it to laugh at me, for inspiration, or to scoff at, whatever!

I re-took a BUNCH of old picture from both of my shops (itsastitch and spookychandelier), and the difference is, frankly, staggering. If you have some awesome before and after shots of your etsy shop pictures or banner or what have you, tell me in the comments! I'd love to see :) Maybe I'll post some other Before/After if they really strike me. These are just from my other shop, spookychandelier. Click to make them bigger!

Have an awesome weekend!

Feature Friday - Kim from 1022SeaShellAve

Today's Feature Friday person is Kim, who operates 1022SeaShellAve. As the name suggests, Kim's shop is filled with things focusing on the sea.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your shop, and what brought you to the Etsy community.

Hi All :)

First I would like to thank Allison of Allysattic.etsy.com for inviting me to be this weeks Feature Friday, I was thrilled to be asked to participate.

My name is Kim Bauer I live in New Jersey and love walking the beach with my 5 kids. My shop is filling quickly with the Sea Shells we find during our hours of scouring. Even my youngest who is 3 gets to fill her bag with as many as she can carry. I have been with Etsy 7 months and have been having the best time. I first heard of Etsy through a friend who said her son had a shop here and for me to check it out, I was amazed at what I saw and have been addicted ever since.
 

 

2. Besides creating beautiful things for your shop, what do you spend your days doing?
 
Wow, what a question, what do I spend my days doing? Well, if I could, I would Etsy all day everyday. Recently my computer went down and I was without Internet for a few weeks and was going through Etsy Withdraw big time. I even started to wonder what I even did with my time before we even had a computer, which has only been about a year. After a few days went by and I realized it was "gonna be a while" before I got online again, I turn my attention to my Sea Shells and truly focused on them. It really was a blessing in disguise, I could concentrate and wasn't distracted by needing to lurk in the forums.

I also spend my days doing mounds of laundry and dishes, my husband is like my 6th child, even though school has started and we now only have 2 little ones home with us during the day, he is high maintenance. He is a fisherman and makes our living off of the Sea, and in a smaller way, so do I.
 

 

 
3. What sources do you draw your inspiration from and what is your creative process(es)?
 
I love the beach year round. We are on it all the time regardless of the weather, the best time for me to collect Sea Shells is after a storm. Last weekend Tropical Storm Danny past up the coast, and the weekend before that it was Tropical Storm Bill. The rough surf brings up the best Sea Shells. We bring them all home, clean disinfect and sort them. Ones that I find that arent up to being hand painted we put in our Sea Shell garden. I just started drilling holes in the Sea Shells, and will be listing ornaments and necklaces shortly. (remember that blessing I was talking about earlier)

4. What market (group of people) do you see your items being for?
 
Well, I think Sea Shells are for everyone, and since anything can be written on them and anything can be painted on them it is an open market. For years I have been leaving hand painted "I Miss You" Sea Shells at the graves/resting places of loved ones who have passed away, they are always there when I go back to visit, and folks who visit after me know I've been there. Mostly I enjoy painting the beach scenes, with the sand and the dunes, and a beautiful sky. Anyone who enjoys the view would appreciate the work involved, and enjoy these authentic ocean treasures.
 

 
5. Name your top three:

- Books

- Wow, it's been so long since I've read anything cover to cover, I do love to read and with the kids getting older I will put it back up on the "to do" list. I do enjoy anything by Sidney Sheldon, and a favorite to take to the beach would be ANYTHING by Jackie Collins!

- Music (song or artist)

My favorite is Rob Thomas of Match Box 20, his voice sings to my soul.

- Movies or Television Shows

- I am a fan of Rescue Me with Dennis Leary, my brother is a firefighter, he called me a few years ago and said "Kim, you gotta watch this show." I've been hooked ever since.

- Websites

I am a huge fan of Do You Etsy, Chili Mango does has done an excellent job of making that site very user friendly, I linger there alot :)

I recently discovered the Lab Rats Blog, I love it, really well done I'm so happy to be a part of the team.
 
6. How do you market your work? What has or hasn’t worked for you in the past?
 
I talk about my Sea Shells where ever I go. I'm a chatter box at heart and can almost always find a way to talk about my Etsy Shop. I was at the market this morning and gave the cashier my card, we were talking about the weather and I said "Looks like I won't be going to the beach today" she said "I love the beach" so I told her about my Etsy shop :)
 

 
7. What do you like most about the Virtual Labs?
 
I like learning in the Virtual Labs, and listening to all the helpful advice. Alot of times I hold back because I can't type fast enough. I really should have paid more attention in typing class in high school. I wish I was as fast as some seem to be. Maybe I'll add typing to my "to do" list.
 
8. What topics or events would you like to see added to the Virtual Lab offerings?
 
I would like to see more Virtual Labs scheduled. With so many etsy shops that are here world wide, I'd like to pop in all times of the day or night and see something going on that I can participate in. The chats are OK, but that's where my typing skills are put to the test, and most days I just can't take that kinda pressure. . .
 
This was fun, thank you Allison, and all the Lab Rats team, lets all of us keep in touch

1022seashellave.etsy.com
:)
Kim

Wishlist Wednesday - Chu-mei of SmallbagBigHeart

Good morning everyone - time for another great Wishlist Wednesday. This week's wishlist was put together by Chu-mei of SmallbagBigHeart.

Chu-mei's first wishlist item is the "Garden of Joy Olivine Bracelet" by ellejewels. Chu-mei says that she adores all the jewelry ellejewels has made, especially the bracelet with branches. "I'm so in love with it. It's such a simple design but so elegant. I would buy all the bracelets in different colors!"

Chu-mei's second item is this cute little "Mrrgluglg Custom Handmade Murloc Tadpole" by lulahoops. She writes that "Being a World of Warcraft fan and having spent lots of time in front of the computer playing the game, this little knitted toy is a must have. Anyone who has played World of Warcraft will know Murlocs are such annoying creatures, making lots of funny sounds but this knitted toy is just so cute, it makes me want to hug a Murloc!"

Taking it back to the jewelry side of the aisle, Chu-mei chose "Little Scallop Bird Earrings" by Joannarutter as her third wishlist item. Chu-mei "found this seller from Etsy's featured sellers section a few days ago and oh my god, aren't these bird earrings sweet? It will definitely be on my Christmas wishing list! Must make sure the boyfriend knows about that! ;)"

 The fourth item on the list is this beautiful garden titled "The Secret Garden Moss Terrarium Globe" by doodlebirdie. Chu-mei writes that "Living in London, I need some greenery, peace and some space!! This mini garden would be perfect for my imaginary walk in the forest! Also, moss doesn't die that easily, does it?"

The fifth and final wishlist item is a great ring by FancifulForm. This "Custom Rose Ring, Any color" was found by Chu-mei on the "Quit Your Day Job" series on Etsy. This ring by FancifulForm caught Chu-mei's eye because "It's neat, pure and simple! :) Most important thing is she plays World of Warcraft too and said in her QYDJ interview."


Have a great Wednesday everyone. :)

Member Critiques

Hello all. Allysattic here. Today in the lab with Danielle, she told us about a new thing she is starting - basically, you sign up to give a shop critique to someone, and in return, your shop gets critiqued by another member of Etsy.

Here is the link to get in line:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGotMnpuRTZEblQ4SXgtS18zdG02M0E6MA..

Mosaic Monday: Cherry Cordials

Today's Mosaic Monday is inspired by yummy chocolate covered cherries. Tasty!

 

1. Red Lacy Mini Clutch by AuntKarensCreations.

2. I'm in your picture frame Earrings by Katiesbasement.

3. Merlot Floral Headband by BabyEtte.

4. Hummingbird Vase by firepotter.

5. Ruby Red Ruffle Nightie from zwzzy.
6. Crimson Glass Ring by itsastitch.
7. Naked - MM Original by mizkatie.
8. Recycled Sketchbook by somavenus.


Delicious stuff, rats!

Rat Spotlight

Happy Sunday, Rats. I know most of you are still in bed, but it's nearly 9am where I am so it's rise and shine.

I wanted to speak out on a feature we just added to the blog. If you scroll down the sidebar, you'll see a new piece has been added - the Rat Spotlight. This was a random choosing from our member list (good ol' random.org) for a member's Etsy Mini to appear on the sidebar from Sunday-Sunday. This will be a weekly occurrence, so each person will, eventually, get a chance. This week it is alyssakaycollections.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday & long weekend. Don't forget to scroll down and check out all of the awesome deals some of our members have going on. Check back tomorrow for Mosaic Monday!

Labor Day Weekend Sales

It's Labor Day Weekend, the (in my mind) last summer weekend. Pools will be closed, weather will get a bit chillier, the sun will set earlier and everyone is back to the daily grind.

It's also a 3-day weekend for most, so in honor of that, some rats are having sales! Check out these shops for some deals:

zomoandbara
15% off ALL aprons, just enter "weekend sale" in message to seller to be refunded through paypal.

DesignsByShellie
10% off entire order, refunded through paypal!

MichMade
Buy any item and receive these earrings, free!

spookychandelier
ALL earrings are marked down 15% from Friday evening-Monday Evening.

LushBoutique
Technically not a sale, but a giveaway! Win your choice of ANY earrings from her shop by entering HERE!

If anyone else is having giveaways, don't be shy! Tell us in the comments.

Happy Long Weekend, Rats!