February 26, 2011
On the Road With TAMMACHAT: Sweatshop-free Clothing
We loved their unique, “fusion” designs, so we bought a few pieces and found these sold quickly in Canada at our Fair Trade Textile events.
February 24, 2011
TAFA Team Etsy Pick of the Week: Billie Holiday, Lady Sings the Blues Photo Fabric Art
Billie Holiday Fabric Photo Art by Diana Bracy 15" x 22-1/2" |
Her amazing portrait of singer Billie Holiday is made using a technique she's perfected over the past 6 years turning photos of iconic people into fabric works of art. Making her pieces can take her anywhere from 20-800 hours!
You can read more about her and her process on the TAFA List or on her Etsy site.
*Etsy Pick of the Week feature by Stacey Sharman from Peppermint Pinwheels. Every Thursday, we will post one item from a TAFA Team affiliated Etsy store. In choosing a Team member photo, we will be looking for beautiful, Etsy Front Page worthy photos.
February 23, 2011
Celebrating Black History Month with TAFA Talent
February 17, 2011
TAFA Team Etsy Pick of the Week: Colin's Creatures
Norsk Kvit Sau by Colin's Creatures |
*Etsy Pick of the Week feature by Stacey Sharman from Peppermint Pinwheels. Every Thursday, we will post one item from a TAFA Team affiliated Etsy store. In choosing a Team member photo, we will be looking for beautiful, Etsy Front Page worthy photos.
February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day from the TAFA Team on Etsy!
February 12, 2011
TAFA Team Art Dolls and Animals Meet Evelyn
Evelyn, Evelyn is performed by Jason Webley and Amanda Palmer. Their shtick: Two female conjoined twins perform together with Jason also acting the role of one of the sisters. There are other YouTube videos showing live performances of the two as the twins.
I thought the stop animation video was well done and I especially liked how these art dolls conveyed such a depth of mood and emotion. I have a small collection of cultural dolls from around the world. They stand on the fireplace mantle in my bedroom. Our TAFA Team has several artists who dedicate themselves to making art animals and dolls. Visit their shops.
February 10, 2011
TAFA Team Etsy Pick of the Week: Needle Felted Hearts by Green Baboon Designs
The very first TAFA Team pick is by Green Baboon Designs from Portland, Oregon.
Needle Felted Hearts by Green Baboon Designs |
*Etsy Pick of the Week feature by Stacey Sharman from Peppermint Pinwheels.
February 9, 2011
Etsy Symposium Hits the Craft Community
Yesterday Etsy graciously held an insightful, inspirational symposium to help crafters learn what we all need to do to succeed in our businesses. The symposium, entitled
Success on Etsy Symposium: Let’s Get Off Our Butts: Building a Responsive Business
ran 6 1/2 hours (with some breaks) and was well attended locally as well as online through a live feed that reached about 2000 viewers.
All the sessions will be archived here:
http://community.etsy.com/selling/etsy-success-symposium
The first workshop, The Greedy Crafter: Getting What You Want, was led by Lorrie Veasey | @LorrieMud.
First Priority: Great photos!
Make sure your photos are clear, bright, taken in natural light and set on a background that is not too busy.
Example of good photos: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Spiderbite?ga_search_query=spiderbite&ga_search_type=seller_usernames
Tips
- Use all five photos when posting an item
- Make sure your cropping is precise
- Experiment and learn from others
- Item descriptions must be engaging, to the point, descriptive
- A story can sell, so tell the story of your piece
- Description can compel people to buy
- First sentence is key
- Have a connection with the buyer. Let them hear your voice. Your first chance to do that is in the description.
- Closing — I am happy to combine shipping on multiple purchases
- Add an Interior link = SEO tool
SEO
- Use the Etsi forums — businesstopictures (free)
- SEO in 6 easy steps manual (look on the Internet)
- They have to find you. You will see tangible results
- Consultations about tagging competitively. You can ask for help on Etsy
- Get your sales up!
- http://guides.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-search-engine-optimization
- Drive traffic into your shop. If it were a physical shop you would drive traffic in.
- Your tools are social media applications: Twitter, blogging, Facebook, etc.
- Craft fair; talk about your product; hand out business cards.
- Believe in yourself; invest in yourself; show and feel your commitment! I must sell!
- Blog giveaways: blog catalogs
- bloghercatalog — find customers on a blog; put ad on such a blog; compel the blog to offer your goods; pitch the blogger; don’t pay for the ad
- Promote your own blog giveaway on someone else’s blog
- Promotegiveaway
- Post+ photos+ link to your shop
Rules:
- Get up early and work
- Follow your goals! Don’t be distracted!
- If you want to really do this you have to hold benchmarks and see if anything is changing. Keep your goals on one Post-it Note / day so you can accomplish them.
- Focus!
The second workshop, Beyond the Comfort Zone: Presenting Yourself Professionally was led by Vanessa Bertozzi | @vanessabertozzi, who is the Director of Community and Education at Etsy.
Four basic questions
- Why is your shop unique?
- In five words describe your aesthetic.
- What is your story and why should they care?
- Describe your ideal customer and the world they inhabit
Use 5 words — playful, fresh, modern, young, innovative …
Ask three people in your life who you trust to critique your shop.
Expect growing pains. You need to take a cold hard look!
What do they think of your products? Would you buy this?
Hone your craft; hone your branding;
Branding
- Show a presence
- Have a good name
- Have more than 5 listings; a dozen is better; fill your shop so it looks like you are making an effort and investing
- Offer a custom listing if you can — I’m a one-person-shop and I can still personalize* customize* my item for you!
- Write in the 1st person
Photos
- Product shots should have catalog quality
- Photo styling; story in the photo; vignette in the photo
- Packaging and labeling — very important to show your label
- Headshot or portrait — make it impressive! Represent yourself
- Have style
Reach out
- Prepare your Elevator Pitch – you have a really short time and space to connect with your customer.
- Connect to your product with an artistic flair
- This could be your opening on your bio?
- Newsletter and promotions: Use mailing lists, but content has to be new and fresh and not just another email of junk
- Inspire
- Bio should be short, sweet and personal. Images should be low-res;
- Take part in the community and give back
- Make Friends
- Join Teams
- Make Treasuries
- Join Challenges
- Blog together
- There is strength in numbers
- Use Favorites
The third workshop, Attract Your Target Market — You’re Not Walmart, was led by April Bowles-Olin | @blacksburgbelle.
Target Audience
- What sets you apart? age, gender, married status, virtues, hobbies, beliefs, interests
- What sets your product apart? color, technique, subject
- Characteristics of the ideal customer? What are her interests? age? income? what hair color? clothes? eye glasses?
If you include the likes of your ideal customer in your photos she will find your work appealing.
- What problem do you solve for your customer?
An artist solves an empty wall. Adds light to a room
Get into your ideal customer’s head what story she is telling herself while she is looking at and thinking about your product.
It is so worth it to splurge on this amazing piece!
- Can you make your product even MORE appealing to your customer?
Sell to people the way we would want to be sold to. Don’t be pushy but if it is the right product it will be the right sale.
The fourth workshop, Ascertaining Your Awesomeness & Articulating it Without Sounding Like an Ass, was led by Michelle Ward | @WhenIGroUpCoach.
What makes you different? What is your uniquity? How do you differentiate yourself?
Confidence!
Mission Manifesto
* the only wrong answer is: I’m unique because it is me and there is no one else like me… *
2. Why are you doing what you do in terms of your business?
3. Why do you think you can succeed in this business?
4. What do you want to be known for in your business.
5. Why do you care about your field?
6. What difference do you want to make in this field? What do you do differently that makes your work unique? If you had a goal to change the field, what would you do?
7. Summarize each answer into one sentence for each question.
8. Tell your pitch in 3-4 sentences.
The last workshop, Reaching Your Dreams: One Goal at a Time, was led by April Bowles-Olin | @blacksburgbelle
- Decision Paralysis: too many choices…
Leaves you stuck; you waste time deciding what to do next; your willpower goes down
- Decide now — what to do tomorrow! Goal setting.
- How you make decisions down the line?
Take action over and over. That’s your success.
- Creative dream goal.
- How much do you need to earn? How much do you want to earn and why?
If you don’t know, Get Clear on Money!
Is your business realistic? Figure out if your business model will work?
Do you have to knit 12 hours/day + marketing to make ends meet? Maybe you don’t like that idea?
- Maybe instead… think out of the box
- Pattern in a newsletter people pay for ~$10.
- PDF files of patterns
- Teach
- Make some items as well.
- Your goal is attainable but you have to be clear about what you need to do.
- What is the sign your dream goal is met? What is the feeling associated with that sign?
Fear? Excitement?
If your logic and your excitement are not in sync you have a problem… Find the feeling and hold it; recall it when you are in a funk.
SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely
- Crap excuses: Time; other responsibilities, bad camera, tired, lazy, don’t feel like it, don’t know what to do next, don’t see results…
Don’t allow those crap excuses!
B/W rules of business.
- Every week I post M, W, F.
- Every week I send a newsletter.
- Add 5 items to your shop every week.
- Dream goal is so far down the line you need to shrink the span till you reach that line.
What would you tell a friend if she said what she wants to reach a dream goal?
Actionable tasks — high leverage tasks that will show immediate rewards.
To do lists need to be done in one day. There can be no more than 6 things that take an hour each on that list. Prioritize the items. There are no choices. SHRINK the list!1. First do high-leverage tasks.
2. Focus on the stuff that works. Don’t spend loads of time wasting time on Facebook and Twitter– that needs to be done but not for hours.
3. If something isn’t selling don’t fix it. Stop.
4. Take action consistently.
5. Stop the crap excuses.
6. You will make it and do well. This is what it takes!
To see a more detailed version, visit my post at https://cindyrquilts.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/etsy-symposium-hits-the-craft-community/.On the Road With TAMMACHAT: Spinning Understanding -- More About Silk
Occasionally people ask us whether silkworms are killed to produce silk. Our answer is “no, but…”
Killing the worm, which is actually a caterpillar, would defeat the purpose. Caterpillars spin the cocoons that provide the filaments which comprise silk thread. But cocoons contain pupae and, when cocoons are boiled to loosen the gum that holds the filaments together, the pupae are cooked much the same as an egg is boiled. And, just as a boiled egg will never become a chicken, a boiled pupa will never become a moth.
Read this blog entry on TAMMACHAT's blog. And visit TAMMACHAT Natural Textiles to learn more about our passion and work with handwoven, naturally dyed textiles that support rural women in Thailand and Laos through fair trade.
February 6, 2011
How to Control the Appearance of Your Etsy mini
The Etsy mini is a wonderful tool that Etsy provides for its users. Both buyers and sellers can use it to promote their favorite items. Sellers use it to show off their shop items. The Etsy mini is code that can be posted in any blog or website. We use it promote our TAFA Team members and to post ads on the sidebar of our main site, TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List. Every TAFA member who has an Etsy shop also has the Etsy mini on their member profiles. The mini is also what we used to build our Gallery of Shops on this blog (See the category tabs under our banner).
February 3, 2011
TAFA Celebrates Year One!
TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List is celebrating it's first birthday! This video showcases many of our members in a fast, upbeat gallery show. About half of our members have shops on Etsy, so you will see many of our Team members here. Enjoy!
February 2, 2011
CraftGossip, A Great Resource for Etsy Crafters
Developing a relationship with CraftGossip is a good business move, especially if you have an Etsy shop. Take a look at the different editors and see what they focus on, find the one that best fits you and introduce yourself. They are always looking for new material to post and will guide you on how to go about making your news their news.
Thanks to both Denise and CraftGossip for such steady support!