Thursday, August 26, 2010

:)

SUCCESS. The show aired Wednesday morning. It was definitely a blast.  The producers/crew were super nice and helpful.
Here is the video clip of roxy [me!], lora, and sandy.
and here is the video clip of melanie! [who was on the show last week and told the producers about etsy houston!]
we're having a meeting soon. i will send out a google group message when we decide on a date.
also, etsy houston is planning a show with the lovely sarah of sew crafty.

more details to come :)

i leave you with some "behind the scenes" action!





make sure to check out my blog and sandy's blog for a couple other posts from our great day houston adventures :)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Great Day Houston

hi everyone! myself [roxy] and a few of our other members will be making an appearance on Great Day Houston tomorrow morning!

tune in to channel 11 [cbs] at 9am tomorrow to watch us as we super nervously try and explain ourselves :)
OR visit the website later that day to check us out :)

big thanks to melanie for giving etsy houston a jump start by appearing on the show last week!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Etsy Houston Profile - Andria of The Hello Baby Store

Name:  Andria

Where are you from?
The fabulous Crosby, Texas

Where do you live? 
I still live in Crosby, I love it here!

What types of things do you make/sell? 
Stuff for kids and babies.  Tutu's, onesies, blankets, wooden blocks, and personalized puzzles.

How long have you been crafting? 
I was raised by a crafter and I've been crafting my whole life.  I can't remember a time when it wasn't part of my life.  Mom would sit us down almost every day during the summer to do crafts, and she does it with my boys now too!




When did you decide to open up a shop? 
When I realized that I could turn my hobby into a business.  I quit my job to stay home with my kids and while I was pregnant with my third child, and I was looking for a bedding set for her and nothing was right.  I started looking online for something custom and handmade and I realized that I could make her something.  That's when it all started.

Do you prefer to sell your crafts online or in person? Or both? 
Both.  I like selling online because I like the process of taking pictures and coming up with descriptions, and I love doing shows because I like talking to people and setting up and displaying my stuff.  I'm proud of the things I've made, so I like to show it off! 

Do you have a second job?  If so, what is it? 
Yes.  I'm a stay at home mom of three beautiful children, it's the biggest job i've ever had.

What inspired you to start crafting? 
I've always been a crafter, since I was a child.  But in my adult life, I'd have to say my kids.  Most of the things I make are for them, eventhough I do still make things for myself and for my home, they're my main inspiration.

Have you learned anything along the way, as far as your business is concerned? 
I've learned a lot.  Trial and error has taught me a lot about business.  I have also learned that patience goes a long way.

What other hobbies or interests do you have?
I enjoy gardening in my spare time.  I am also interested in conservation and recycling.  Upcycling is very cool.  I like music and movies, and taking my kids to do cool stuff for the first time. 

Who inspires you?
I find inspiration everywhere.  Sometimes, just walking into a fabric store does it.  A lot of times, it's just my kids.  They're so cool.  They're perfect kids, jumping from one thing to another every ten minutes.  This inspires me too!! 








Do you have any tips to share with newbies?
Yes.  I've got a ton of them!  Here's just a few for ya!
Make sure your pictures aren't  yellow-y.  Sometimes when you take pictures, the  lighting may not be quite right.  Try putting your items next to a window to get good natural sunlight for your photos.  Try to make sure that all of your pictures are in focus.  And there shouldn't be any shadows, like the lighting should be even across the photo.  The pictures are the first thing that people see, and most of the time this is what gets them to look at your listing.  Also, you could try laying your itmes on a different background, like a piece of fabric instead of just a table.  Also, sometimes when you're trying to sell something FLAT, it helps if you put a photo prop with it, like lay some flowers next to it, or a classic toy like blocks, or a little car or something like that, something that goes along with the theme of the item. 

Use  your Tags to your advantage.   They give you space for 14 tags.  When customers do a general search for an item, they will be looking for something specific.  Either a color, a theme, or  event, and these need to be listed in your tags.  Anything that could bring a customer to your listing.  So be creative and be sure to use ALL 14 tags.  You can even put more than one on each line (as long as you dont use a comma.  they will still come up in a search). 

Be sure your description is completely accurate. If you offer personalization or customization, say something in each one of your descriptions about how they can be personalized (people like this), and you can do custom work.  Also say something about how they will be shipped.  Be sure to make it known that you take very good care in packaging and shipping.  You should also put in the description about the materials that you use.  Let the customers know you haven't skimped on anything and you use top of the line (whatever it is!?).  (Using the word "premium" helps!) 

Ok, this is the last one!  Tidy up your profile.  You need to accept paypal, and put in your "Shop Policies" section that you do so.  Also, you need a banner and an avatar for your shop. Be sure to fill out all of the sections that Etsy has for you.  Be welcoming and inviting for customers to contact you and ask questions.  But make sure that EVERYTHING is listed on Etsy so that there aren't any questions.  They should all be addressed somewhere on your profile or shop policies section. 

Well, that was quite a bit more than I expected...  enjoy!~ Andria

Monday, August 16, 2010

Etsy Houston Profiles - Roxy of Feisty Fabrik

Name: roxy


Where are you from?
         I was born in California and traveled back and forth between there, Texas, Florida, and Saudi Arabia, until finally settling in Texas when I was 11. [my dad worked in oil]
Where do you live?
         I currently reside in Houston, Tx with my lovely boyfriend of 5 years and 3 beautiful dogs.

What types of things do you make/sell?
          I make a lot of feisty! hand stitched goodies.  These include headbands for women, teens, and children, brooches [unisex!], and hairclips.  I also make brightly colored zipper pouches, pocket mirrors, and plushies.  The Mustachasaurus brooch is one of my most popular items :)
How long have you been crafting?
         I remember spending hours making greetings cards for my parents when I was younger. In high school I didn't know how to work my mom's sewing machine so I hand stitched cute little pillows and scarves. Finally I tried my hand at more detailed work, and my mom showed me how to use a sewing machine :) I also took a great class at Sew Crafty and totally love using my sewing machine!

            When did you decide to open up a shop?
         I finally took the plunge in March 2009 after loving and shopping on Etsy for 2 years.
Do you prefer to sell your crafts online or in person? Or both?
My lazy answer is that I like dealing with everything online. I'm a pretty web savvy gal and prefer taking care of everything there! But it’s really uplifting to watch people’s facial expressions as they walk by my craft fair booth J

Do you have a second job? If so, what is it?
          By day I teach 7th grade mathematics to crazy little middle schoolers I definitely use my crafting as a sort of release! But I probably get a lot of my inspiration in the work place, too.

What inspired you to start crafting?
          I’ve always loved creating, and I think it’s partly because of my grandmother. She used to make the most amazing outfits for my sister and I when we were younger. I think that part of the reason we are so close is because we share that bond. J

Have you learned anything along the way, as far as your business is concerned?
         There are so many great books that have taught me so much.  I've also taken online classes such as Indie Biz, and other online communities/craft blogs.  The most important things I’ve learned have been from mistakes I have made!   J
What other hobbies or interests do you have?
          I love traveling and photography. I rollerblade with my dogs pretty often, and lately I’ve been getting into roller SKATING. I am hoping to partake in some roller derby fun J

Who inspires you?
Crafty blogs are highly inspirational! I love reading about people’s new ventures and seeing the cute things they are making.  I’ve been reading a lot of crafty books, too!
I often check the featured etsian because I want to know what gets noticed J


            Do you have any tips to share with newbies?
Yes! Take amazing photographs.  Photos are the first thing that get noticed when searching for an item. Make sure to use natural light [shade vs direct sun] and MINIMAL distractions in the background. Also, cute packaging makes people happy J

Monday, August 9, 2010

Etsy Houston Profiles - Allison of Swish Productions


Name: Allison


Where are you from?
Houston, TX (BUT I swear in a past life I was a Broadway star from New Jersey)

Where do you live?
Oak Forest

Favorite Quote-
"If you have to cry, go outside."
- Kelly Cutrone

What types of things do you make/sell? 
I make boutique style accessories for women and children.  That includes tutus, hair accessories, onesies, luggage tags, casual and bridal clutches.



How long have you been crafting? 
I have been crafting for a little over two years now.

When did you decide to open up a shop? 
I decided to open up a shop when I started making tutus and planning parties for all my friends' kids.  

Do you prefer to sell your crafts online or in person? Or both? 
I think both are great for different reasons.  I like selling crafts online because it gives me a chance to sell to people all over the world, but i also like selling in person because I actually get to meet and talk to the moms and kids that I sell to.  It kind of gives you more of a sense of who your customers are.  Selling at a craft show one time, I learned that one of my tutus was going to Paris!!!!  

Do you have a second job?  If so, what is it? 
By day, I am a Media Buyer for a Houston based live endorsement radio agency.  By night, I am a super crafter and bingo diva. 

What inspired you to start crafting? 
I have always been a crafter, making different things for friends in high school and college, but I actually started sewing when I took a sewing boot camp at Sew Crafty.  I always wanted to learn how to sew, but could never teach myself.  Sarah was an awesome teacher and made me the sewing diva that I am today!!!!  

Have you learned anything along the way, as far as your business is concerned? 
I have actually learned lots of things and continue to learn more each day.  Owning a business doing something that you love is NOT as easy as it sounds.  There are lots of things that go into making a business work, no matter what it is.

What other hobbies or interests do you have? 
I love to read, hang out with friends, cook, work out (when I can make myself go) and play with my awesome dogs, Guido & Stella.  I'm kind of a reality TV junkie, so I am always Keeping Up with the Kardashians and livin' Life on the D List with Kathy Griffin.  If you love reality TV and want to talk about it, come sit next to me!!!!  I'm not much of a risk taker, so you will never see me jumping out of an airplane or snorkeling in shark infested waters.  About the riskiest thing you will ever see me do is wear white after Labor Day.  

Who inspires you?
I never really followed any craft blogs until I started talking about them with other members of Etsy Houston, but I do get inspired by Etsy in general.  Etsy is an awesome place for people to showcase their talents, whatever they might be.  Looking at everyone's pages and shops just gets you inspired to craft.  I also do a lot of custom work, so my customers inspire me a lot.  Life itself is great inspiration for creating.  You can get a lot of ideas for a cute tutu or handbag from things that you see in your every day life.     

Do you have any tips to share with newbies? 
If you are going to craft as a side or main job, join a group like Etsy Houston.  There are so many things that you can learn from other crafters that you never would have thought of yourself. There are parts of career crafting that you don't even think about or don't know how to do.  It is nice to have other people that love doing the same things you love doing to talk to and share ideas with.  There is always something new to learn.


Sunday, August 8, 2010

Etsy Houston Profiles

Oh hi! I bet you thought I, Roxy, head Etsy Houston Blogger Extraordinaire, had disappeared off the face of the earth! no worries!  The summer craziness has ended and I have returned to blog to you about the fabulous

:D

Starting this week I will be sharing Etsy Houston Street Team Profiles with  you all!
That way you can find out what kind of amazing folks we have in our lovely organization :)

I will be posting 1 - 2 profiles weekly.
Current members, if you have not yet submitted your profile...get on it! :)

xoxo
roxy rodriguez
ehst blogger