Dragons Unicorns Fairies and Mystical Beasts

Back in March I decided to leave work because all of my children came home to homeschool. It has been quite a busy adventure! We will continue with it through next year as well. I started a blog based on our home education plans and projects called Little Lyons Homeschool. If you're into home education, why not stop by and take a look?

In other news...

I have also given up my quilting business, Freckle Dots. I still run an Etsy store in which I will post any sewing and/or quilting projects I have completed and that are up for sale. However, I am no longer doing custom tshirt quilts. It just became too much of a hassle, too big of quilts, and not enough time to invest in them.

Spinning also became a new passion in my life to add to the eclectic tendencies I already have. And I'm not talking about spinning as in a bicycle. Spinning as in making yarn from wool, cotton, and many other fibers. I bought a little bunny by the name of Easter. She is an English angora, pretty as can be, and mean as a snake. She's a rescue bunny, and I had no idea what I was getting into when I got her. I was told she was a good wool bunny, which she is, but her first year of handling was obviously traumatic and she's not the friendliest thing. But I still love her.

She also takes horrible pictures! Here she is between the barriers
I set up for her so she could play out on the porch. She loves to find
little hideaway places. Shh..you can't see her. 

I intend to use her fur to spin wonderful angora yarns. Of course, everything is harvested humanely and I have no intentions of maiming or otherwise mistreating her. Her fur will grow very long in just a few months and it is more of a necessity to prevent her from dying from wool block than it is an animal use things. Yet, admittedly, beneficial to me as well!

In view of my new passion and positive feedback I've received on my yarns, I also started a business called Mystical Beast. Mystical Beast is a little different because I not only sell the yarn, but every yarn also has a story (Get it? Yarn? Story?). I am inspired by the colors that I spin, the way things seem to come together as it is stretched into a fiber, and becomes an entirely new creature when plyed and set. I have always loved writing. I may not be the greatest author in the world, but I think I can pen a fair prose when prompted.

So far I have up only a couple of yarns. Each has a story that comes with it. The stories are just snippets of impressions, scenery, or the creatures they represent. All will have a mystical theme of some sort, involving fairies, dragons, unicorns, or the places in which they live.

So you can find me here, of course. I will not be changing the blog name because it is now a domain name. I think everyone pretty much understands that things on this blog are subject to change with or without notice, but one things remains the same - my passion for crafting.

You can find me on Facebook, Ravelry, Google+, and Big Cartel. I hope you will check me out on these sites, follow or like or whatever.

I also would like it if you could check out some of the folks that helped me get to opening a new store. Art of the Spin on Facebook and Etsy is my batt supplier for the two yarns above. Style Point Design designed all of the logos, headers, and avatars for my shops. I always want to give credit where credit is due! 

Why Pattern Designers Should Sell on Ravelry or Craftsy

Do you design knitting or crochet patterns? Have you ever tried to sell your patterns? What outlet do you use to sell your patterns through?

If you said Ravelry or Craftsy, you're up there in the top percentage of very smart and thrifty designers! Ravelry has been around since May 2007 when Casey and Jessica Forbes decided to found a social networking site that allowed fiber artists a place "...to keep track of their yarn, tools and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration." (Wikipedia, "Ravelry." 28 February, 2014.)

In comparison, Craftsy has only been around since 2011 when it was launched by Sympoz (former eBay execs John Levisay and Josh Scott) but had over a half million enrollments in its first year. (Wikipedia, "Craftsy." 24 November 2013.) Craftsy is popular for their video tutorials teaching people various crafts such as sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, cooking, and painting. But did you know they also have a ton of patterns released by independent designers? Everything from sewing to crochet and knitting? Did you also know that it is free to sign up, free to sell, and you keep your profits? http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sell

Neither Craftsy or Ravelry charge fees. Ravelry gives you up to $30 in sales a month before they charge anything, and then it is only a very small fee. Craftsy makes the explicit statement that it is your pattern, your design, and they do not take any of your profits. To make a long story short, Craftsy and Ravelry allow me to keep most of my profits (there is always the Paypal factor) but I lose out big on Etsy! If you want a break down, read on.

Now why am I saying all of this? Because I am also a vendor on Etsy. I sell my patterns there. To sell my patterns, I have to pay a $.20 listing fee, then another 3% +.25 if they are buying through direct checkout. If they buy through Paypal, I lose an additional .5% on Etsy then 2.9% + .30 on Paypal. So if I sell a pattern for $2 on Etsy, it costs me $.57 ($.06 is 3% + $.25 + $.20 listing fee) just in fees, making my grand total of profit $1.43. If I sell through Paypal, I lose an additional $.31. This takes my profits down to $1.12 Etsy and Paypal are collecting a tidy little profit off of me at this point. 

Now granted, if I sell through Craftsy and Ravelry I will still lose a portion of my profits through Paypal. I have a business account on Paypal, so my fee drops down to 2.2%. Which is only $.04. I can handle that. I would rather lose $.04 than $.88! Now, I know I'm going to lose out somewhere along the way and I can't make 100% profit, but the alternatives to selling on Craftsy and Ravelry seem better to me than paying Etsy!

 I'm not an Etsy hater. In fact, I adore Etsy and credit their venue for providing 90% or more of my sales. I can sell through Craftsy and Etsy at the $2.00 rate and still make $1.96 on each of my patterns because they don't charge fees for selling. But on Etsy, I have to charge $2.50 - $3.00 for those SAME PATTERNS just so I can make close to the same profits. 



I'm not going to go into the details of what is involved with pattern writing and production right now, but unless I sell A LOT of patterns, I won't become rich or supplement my income in doing it. I basically do it because I like to and can make a little change here and there. Ravelry and Craftsy are two of my favorite selling venues. If you're looking to sell your patterns online, try out one or both of these sites and see what I mean.

*Disclosure: I am a paid affiliate for Craftsy.com and will make a small commission from sign ups generated through clicking on these links. However, all opinions expressed and recommendations are based on my personal experiences. I do not sell for vendors that I do not use or have experience with. 

Saturday Show & Sell 16

An InLinkz Link-up

Saturday Show & Sell 15

An InLinkz Link-up

Saturday Show & Sell 14 - Share your links!

An InLinkz Link-up

Saturday Show and Sell 13

An InLinkz Link-up

Crafty Saturday Show and Sell #12

An InLinkz Link-up

Crafty Saturday Show and Sell #11

Send in those links and let the world know just how crafty you are!

An InLinkz Link-up

Crafty Saturday Show and Sell

I'm a new host for the Crafty Saturday Show and Sell. I'm really happy to bring you this link party and I hope you'll join in by posting your links and sharing and clicking on others!

So to get started, just click on the link below to add your link. You can add one or two items from your shop as indicated in the text above. The party begins today and will run through Monday, March 3. All times are MST.

An InLinkz Link-up

New Saturday Feature: Link Party

Saturdays usually feature my random musings, which may or may not interest some of you. Yesterday I was contacted by Ellen from The Chilly Dog on Etsy, asking if I would like to join a link party hosted by her and Teena from Serendipitini. Of course I said YES! Link parties are fun and a great way to showcase other artisans. 

The Chilly Dog's Etsy store is packed with knitting patterns, needle cases, and completed knit items. She does some really lovely work and I had to add a few to my favorites. Serendipitini on Etsy puts reuse to beautiful applications in jewelry, sun catchers, and gifts. With all the talent that abounds in these two ladies, I am sure we'll find some lovely links to follow. 

So starting Saturday, March 1, the link party begins. Here is some more information. Remember, we won't start until March 1st, but this is a heads up so you can return here and add your links! I hope you will join us and get some exposure for talented handmade artisans. 

Saturday Musings: Why I turned off the stars

So I didn't literally turn off THE stars. But I DID turn them off on my Facebook page. Why? Is there something I'm trying to hide? No. But honesty is a big thing for me. The way that Facebook page ratings are set up are kinda screwy and they don't allow for honest reviews.

Freedigitalphotos.net

One of my friends posted the other day about a review she'd received stating that her product was messy and unprofessional. This friend, also very proud of the work she does and having received tons of other complimentary reviews, asked the reviewer what she had made for her and how she could fix it. There was, of course, no response because said reviewer had never purchased anything from my friend.

Freedigitalphotos.net by digitalart

I thought long and hard about this and decided to go in and look at my reviews and star ratings. I was plugging along at 4.5 stars. Not too bad. I can't please everyone, although I do try! However, all I had were stars, which were not followed by any comments or actual reviews. Someone had left 1 star and I couldn't think of a single customer that had ever expressed any displeasure with my work.

So I explored a bit further. Seems that the way Facebook has their review process set up is not very favorable for pages and businesses. People can come onto your page and leave however many stars they want or scathing reviews, without actually ever having experienced your product or dealt with you personally! I was a little bit shocked and sickened because this means that anyone, anywhere, at any time can pop on to your page and destroy your business!

Etsy has installed a similar review system, but someone actually has to purchase your product before they can leave you a review. And if they don't like it, at least it is an honest feeling based on something substantial.

My aforementioned friend also said that she looked at some of the other pages this reviewer had followed and found that she had a friend in the same business as my friend. (I know that's confusing, but I don't want to say names or allude to what she does.) She had left a 5-star stellar review on the other person's page. Hmm...seems a bit fishy to me!

Freedigitalphotos.net by ImageryMajestic

I think honest reviews are a way for sellers to show their customers that they can (or cannot) do the work they are saying they can do. If someone honestly likes something, they should let that seller know. If they honestly don't, let them know why. It's just too easy for dishonest people to abuse the system that Facebook has in place. So I shut off the stars.

If you want honest reviews of my work from customers, please visit my Etsy page and see what I'm doing for others! 

Internet theft

Have you ever posted an image of one of your creations to the internet? Many people have, and many people use these images to sell products. I do. I take pictures of all my quilts and use them as examples of my work so that others know what they can expect. I post them all over Etsy, Zibbet, Pinterest, my blog, and Facebook.

Last week I received a message from a fellow Etsian that she had seen images of my work posted in a "secret group" on Facebook and the woman was claiming them as work she could do. The kind messenger added me to the group, and sure enough, there were my images. I contacted the admins and confronted the woman. I told her that while I was flattered she thought my work was good enough to claim as her own, I did not want her using them. She took them down and apologized, but she knew it was wrong and I'm still angry about it.

If you've ever had anything stolen from you, you can understand the feeling of violation and distrust that comes from that action. I know they were just pictures, but here's the thing: I've worked for two years to build up my reputation, business, presence, and skill. I've spent thousands of dollars and loads of valuable time to do this. My business is always on my mind and in my heart. I explore new techniques and improve my skill set whenever possible. The theft and use of my pictures is like having someone else say, " Screw your two years of work. I'm claiming them as my own and building my business off of your back!" It makes me so angry because not only is she trying to profit off of me, but she is also destroying a reputation I've tried so hard to build up. I handle my business with integrity and client trust and recommendation. When I see someone using images that aren't theirs, I instantly think they either can't do the work or have never tried.

We live in a society that includes citizens who think it is their right to take from others when they haven't done a thing to deserve or earn it. While there are some working hard and living off of their own work and profit, there are others that think that should get a piece of the other person's pie. Our own first lady had stated that, "Others should give up a piece of their pie." We'll, I'm sorry Michelle, but if they want pie, let them bake it themselves!!!

For my little incident I spent many hours over a period of 3 days watermarking my images. On Etsy that includes 98 images. I bought a watermark from https://www.etsy.com/shop/NolaRejeweled and a program called uMark. The watermarks only cost me about $6. The program costs $30 if you want the pro features, which I needed. This is not a huge amount, but it was certainly a lesson learned. I'm going to continue fighting to keep what I have earned, as I think all working American citizens should. Don't give up your pie if you've worked hard to find all the ingredients, put them together, and bake it! You want pie? Work for it, but don't give it away. 

Why Buy Homemade?

Art Credit Stacey Sobelman https://www.etsy.com/shop/SMARTdesignsbyStacey

So this holiday season, you're probably going to see a lot more of the "buy handmade" slogans flying around. But why? Isn't homemade more cheaply made? Doesn't it cost more than buying from a big box?

The answers are no and yes. Okay, then what makes it better than a big box and why should I pay more? Here are the answers from my experience both buying and selling:

 What Makes Handmade/Homemade Better? 

When you buy something that an individual makes, you are buying something that they take time to make, usually one piece at a time, just for you. Most artisans that make items for sale make it with the conscious thought that people will buy their items. When people buy the items made by the artisan, that artisan also knows that they will either come back and buy from them again or they will leave positive or negative feedback if they are in a shopfront like Etsy, Artfire, or Zibbet. Negative feedback negates future sales. Shoppers DO read the feedback, just like on Ebay. If the artisan wants recurring sales and positive feedback, they are going to do their best to make your item to the very best of their ability. 

Unique Wooden Bangle Decoupage by UniquelyUJewelry on Etsy

So How is That Better Than Retailers? 

Reluctantly, I'll answer a question with a question. How many times have you bought something from a big box retailer only to find out later that it is falling to pieces or only lasts for a little while? Have you ever stood in line to make returns for an item that doesn't work? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you've answered the above question. When something is made individually, it also means that the item is of more value and better built than something that is made on a mass production assembly line. Rolls Royce, Bugatti, Ferrari...they all understood this. That is why you will pay more to own these vehicles as opposed to a Ford, Chrysler, or Chevrolet. They are individually made, with great care and precision, to give you what you pay for and with fewer problems down the line. 

Good reviews equal repeat buyers and customer confidence

Retailers have no feedback system nor do they care about quality very much. I used to work in the restaurant industry and one of our main rules was that bad word of mouth travels much faster than good word of mouth. This is true! One bad experience can and will be retold thousands of times. One person tells another, then that person tells two or three of their friends, they tell two or three more of their friends and it snowballs. Restaurants have died because of this chain of by mouth feedback. Ask Bennigan's. HOWEVER, retailers don't seem to live by this rule. Walmart sucks. They have terrible service, terrible product, and if we're honest, terrible prices. Yet people continue to go there on a daily basis. If you return a product to Target, you blame whomever made the product, not Target. Why? Because we don't relate that Target is buying their products from the manufacturer - and continue to buy it independent of the negative feedback or returns - so we continue to buy it. There are exceptions, and I've only named two retailers, but many, many more have this same process. There is no responsibility. Eventually, the wholesalers of the item may recall a defective product, but it takes a very long time and a lot of press for this to happen at any level. Restaurants live by the rule because they are seen as a major front running supplier. They cook the food and deliver it. You don't blame the food supplier, the oven manufacturer, or the deep fryer - although these may also be to blame if they're buying cheap food and equipment - you blame the cook and servers. If the servers are rude and untrained, you also have a front runner to blame, not their trainers or managers. So you can hopefully see the correlation? 

Once again the people making your handmade goods are also the front runners. They are making the product. You can't blame it on the wire they use, the beads, the fabrics, or whatever else. 

Wire Wrapped Jewelry Set by Earthly Baubles on Etsy (click image for link)

Although great care is usually taken to provide quality products using quality ingredients, the final product and how it is made are judging criteria. Artisans will fail, repeatedly, if they don't produce a quality product. It's as simple as that. 

Why Should I Pay More? 

After the previous two answers, I hope by now you're getting the idea that to make quality, you must first buy quality. In my quilt process, I use two major ingredients that I must depend on to make good quilts: batting and backing fabric. The batting is all the guts inside between the top and the back. It has to be good, otherwise it won't hold up to quilting, use and washing. The backing fabric must also be of good quality. It has to be thick enough not to let the batting show through, not tear when it is being quilted, and iron out after washing. I want people to USE their quilts. I believe that if you're going to make and buy something, it shouldn't be on a shelf in the closet. That defeats the purpose! But I also want my customers happy. So to buy quality ingredients, I have to pay more than I would for the cheap stuff. I don't get quality cheaply. Even if I buy fabric and batting wholesale, I end up paying more for it than I do the cheap stuff. This is called investment and it must be regained to make a profit. 

Unique custom-made quilt by Freckle Dots

Quality ingredients and attention to detail also mean that I am spending a good deal of time on your quilt. The only employee I have is my dog Freckles. She is the costumer relations manager and business representative. She greets customers that come to the door, represents my business in name and attitude, and provides me with comfort and encouragement on a daily basis. However, she doesn't really help much in the design and manufacture process, nor does she assist greatly on the computer unless she's warming my lap. I only pay her in dog food and chewie sticks, so I can't count her as "helping" much with my quilts. Therefore, I am a one-woman operation and I take care of every aspect of my business like advertising, manufacturing, design, customer service, shipping, and purchasing. I invest countless hours in my business that I really don't get paid for in the final product. 

The hours I spend actually making a quilt add up. I cut the tees, starch them, iron, design, shape, sew, re-cut, sew again, sandwich, quilt, bind, package, and ship each and every one. This process can take up to 8 hours a day, for 10 days. I usually have other things to do like pick up kids, go grocery shopping, buy fabrics, feed the dogs, etc. so the entire process takes about 3-4 weeks. I honestly make less than minimum wage even after raising my prices if I consider the hours I put into each quilt. I enjoy my work, and the income helps with things like those pesky bills and gas, so I keep doing it. I will never become a millionaire though. 

Bugatti Wallpaper (click for link)

Because I am putting individual attention and time into each and every quilt, you can expect to pay more for it than the cookie cutter $25 quilt that comes off the assembly line and ends up at your local retailer. You can also expect better quality and longer enjoyment. My Bugatti verses their Ford, in other words. 

The Final Answer

Again, with the questions. Do you want quality or do you want crap? Do you want an individually made, one-of-a-kind item, or a cookie cutter product? Personally, if someone buys me something from a store I'm like, "Oh, wow, thanks." But if they take their time to make something for me, or buy something handmade, I'm like, "OH, WOW, THANKS!!!! This is awesome! Wherever did you find this? How did you make this?" If you have kids, you know this from your collection of  macaroni necklaces. It touches your heart. 

I'm not saying you should buy Joe's homemade television from recycled parts and rabbit ears, but you should definitely consider buying special items for special people. Have a friend that likes to sew or knit? Buy her a set of handmade wooden or leather buttons or some carved wooden knitting needles. She'll hold those up much more proudly and show all of her friends before she would something you bought from the store! 

BA Knitting Needles Giant by xiane on Etsy 

Boyfriend or husband have a collection of tee shirts taking up closet space? Have a quilt made for him. Check out the artisans on www.Etsy.com, www.Zibbet.com, and www.Artfire.com.

Don't buy cheap, don't make big retailers richer with YOUR hard earned money, and do something unique this year! Buy handmade. Make it personal. Make it unique. Get more for your money. 

Artfire's Bad Move

Let me begin by saying that I have been a member of Artfire since early 2009. I began with my first online account selling dog clothes and never sold a thing. I did not move to Etsy until 2010, nearly a year after being on Artfire. I have been with Zibbet almost since their inception. I have loved Artfire, heralding its benefits and supporting their artisans for the past couple of years. I was seriously disappointed when they stopped showing newly listed items on their front page, thereby decreasing potential views exponentially. They only show curated items that make it to their front page. That was their first strike.

I also began a group on Artfire to help promote listings. The groups are very ineffective and hard to manage because they tools are not there to stay in contact with the members. After a year of promising that they would work on the groups, Artfire decided they would work on other areas and the group upgrades were pushed under the rug. I finally turned the group over to another member and dismissed the stress it was causing me. Straw #2.

Yesterday (July 15) Artfire announced that they will be eliminating their basic seller accounts unless these accounts upgrade and go pro by August 15. They will lose over 42,000 accounts if these sellers decide not to upgrade. While the primary store that I have on Artfire is a Pro account and will not affect me greatly, I do not feel that this a good move by Artfire. The final straw.

All this said, Zibbet sent out a letter to all of their members today. Zibbet is in NO WAY trying to cast stones at Artfire - they would never do that. But they understand the frustration and value that Basic members can bring to their site. While I would also like to see Zibbet bring back their newly listed items on the front page (hint, hint), I would like to post this letter here on this blog for all to see. Zibbet has implied permission to do so in their letter, along with a warm welcome and a 45 day free Pro account for new members coming over from Artfire.

I love Zibbet. They community is warm and inviting, the administration (esp. Jonathan Peacock) are amazing and open, and the listings are simple to create. I don't visit there as much as I should. However, because of Artfire's bad move I am considering shutting down my Pro account there as well. Why would I stay somewhere that can barely get me any page views or sales? I got in on a $5.95 a month group deal, but it does very little for me at that price. I pay a nominal fee at Zibbet and get twice as much. So take it for what it is, like it or leave it, but I'm passing on my thoughts and Zibbet's invitation to you!

Here is the letter:

16th July, 2011

Artfire is Removing Their Free, Basic Accounts From Their Site - What Does Zibbet Think About That?

Firstly, I want to make it abundantly clear that I am not here to throw stones at Artfire. The purpose of this email is NOT to tell you that Artfire is doing the wrong thing - they are doing what they feel is necessary based on their unique situation.  The purpose of this email is to inform you about our reasons for keeping Basic accounts here at Zibbet.

In this email we'll cover a few things (it will be a long email - read when you have time!):
1. The details
2. Why Zibbet won't be getting rid of its free, Basic accounts
3. Are Basic Artfire sellers welcome on Zibbet?

1. THE DETAILS
For those that have never heard of Artfire or don't have a clue what we're talking about...

Artfire is another handmade venue, similar to Zibbet. They had a free, Basic account and an upgraded, paid account - again, similar to Zibbet. Yesterday they announced officially that their Basic Accounts would be shut down on August 15.

How many sellers will this effect?

Over 42,500 active Basic sellers will lose their shop (about 75% of their total sellers), at which point around 350,000 items will be unlisted from the site (about 25% of their total items).

Why have they made this decision?

You can read the full, official announcement here.
2. WHY WON'T ZIBBET BE GETTING RID OF ITS FREE, BASIC ACCOUNTS AS WELL?
Zibbet and Artfire are two different venues, with two different leaders, with two different strategies for moving forward.  At Zibbet, we're a metrics driven business, which means that we track LOTS of different things - the numbers don't lie and we base our decisions on those metrics.  I want to share some of what we know with you, to help explain why having free, Basic accounts at Zibbet works well...for us.

SEO benefits
Firstly, I've harped on and on about this - the more active items we have on Zibbet, the more buyers we will have. Basic sellers list items, and those items help to bring in more buyer traffic - for everyone!  Basic sellers only account for 15% of the total sales on Artfire. They also only account for 25% of the active items - Do you think that would have something to do with their low sales percentage? You bet it does.  Less items, less traffic, less sales. Period.

On Zibbet, our Premium sellers make up 24% of our active sellers and account for around 70% of the sales. Our Premium sellers do get more site exposure, have better tools and features to help them sell more and have unlimited, non-expiring, listings. There's no doubt that Premium is the way to go on Zibbet.

We know that Basics will upgrade to Premium when they see the value to do so (and we certainly hope they do), but even if they don't that's ok - because...

We make money off Basics too!
We have a couple of exciting partnerships launching in the future which will allow us to make a small cut off each sale that is transacted on Zibbet (Basic and Premium). This DOES NOT come out of your pocket - you are not charged a cent, nor will you even notice a difference to your service. These partnerships will be announced when we are ready to roll them out.  Basic sellers make sales too, therefore they will make us money. Just another reason why Basic sellers add value and are here to stay at Zibbet.

Basic sellers need time to upgrade
Our metrics tell us that Basic sellers need time to decide whether to upgrade or not and we're willing to give them the time that they need. Some sellers will never ever upgrade, and that is something that we're aware of and are fine with. Hosting costs are so low these days that these sellers are literally no burden on us financially.

Check out this graph which shows historically how long it takes for our Basic sellers to upgrade to Premium. Most upgrade within the first couple of weeks (as you can see below), but there are still sellers upgrading every day in the 365 day period shown. This means that the Basic account is serving its purpose as a 'taste-tester' that compels sellers to upgrade over time - which puts money in our pockets to keep making Zibbet better and better...

The graph below is a little more crazy and complex, but I'll try to explain. We track your activity (sales, upgrades, downgrades, etc) based on the month and year you signed up to become a member of Zibbet. We call this your 'cohort', which is the group we associate you with for the life of your account. This allows us to find 'trends', which is why I say that we're a data driven company - the numbers don't lie, and they help us to base all our major decisions on.  This graph shows the percentage of seller registrations that go Premium. And as you can see, over time a greater and increasing percentage of sellers will upgrade to Premium over time. The higher lines, representing a greater percentage of sellers that have gone Premium, belong to earlier cohorts. You can see that from the February, 2010 cohort, 20.85% of the seller registrations we received that month have upgraded to Premium.  Therefore, we can again conclude that over extended periods of time, more and more sellers will see the benefits of being Premium, and upgrade.


3. ARE BASIC ARTFIRE SELLERS WELCOME ON ZIBBET?
Yes!  We welcome them with open arms, all 42,500 of them can make their home at Zibbet and they can bring all 350,000 items with them (and hopefully list 50 items each to make over 2 million items!).  This would bring huge SEO benefits to Zibbet and will increase the sales of all our sellers.  If you love Zibbet and you love sales, you should be telling Basic Artfire sellers to join us.

To help make spreading the word even easier, I've created a special coupon code that will give them a free 45 day trial of our Premium Account (monthly or yearly). The code is: WELCOME

This offer is valid until August 15.  Or, they can just sign up for a free, Basic account and upgrade when they are good and ready (or not).

We also have an Artfire Importer, so setup will be quick and painless!  They can import all their items in with a few clicks of the mouse!

If you have bothered to read this far, thank you!  I hope that what I have said makes sense and you can clearly see why Basic accounts are valuable to us at Zibbet and our reasons for keeping them around - for good!  If you're from Artfire and you're reading this, we welcome you to give Zibbet a try. You'll love what we're doing here and the community is super friendly!

Have a great day and please feel free to post this entire email where you feel is necessary to inform all handmade sellers.

Regards,

Jonathan Peacock
CEO, Zibbet.com

---

Follow us on 

  Like us on 

Countdown to Christmas

Hmm...So what do you all think about the new Blogger homepage? I tried opening it in my Google Chrome and all I could see was the title bar. Not a lot of help there, Google! And the fact that it doesn't open in your own browser is not a real confidence booster.

Anywho...I don't have a whole lot to say. My Bead~N~Knot studio is having a sale - 15% off everything - until July 15. It's my mid-summer sale, so enjoy it while it lasts! And did you know that there is now only 167 days left until Christmas? I'm sure you'll find something in my shop to tickle your fancy. If not, let me know what I can make for you! I'm adding a Christmas Countdown to my blog. Yes, it will be here soon. No, I'm not pushing the issue. But with 5 kids and a very extensive family I like to get a head start and little items for all.

I love Christmas. I like the smells, sights, sounds, weather, baking, and most importantly the meaning behind the entire holiday. It's funny to me that the most significant Christian holiday is also the most celebrated by all people, both Christian and non. What does that say about the impact of Christianity? I think that if you're going to celebrate it you should celebrate for the right reasons - and know what you're celebrating. Do people in Britain celebrate the American Fourth of July? How about Hanukkah? How many non-Jewish people celebrate that? Yet, everyone wants to celebrate Christmas - then complain when we use our Christian symbolism and words during the holiday! I don't wish people a Merry Christmas unless I KNOW they are Christians. Why would I? It would be like wishing someone in a foreign country Happy Thanksgiving. It's a Christian holiday, folks, and should remain that way.

I'll be bringing some crafts that I find, sales, and beautiful things your way over the next 167 days. Hope you enjoy them!

Peruvian String Art

So by all everyone knows how much I love being a few generations behind myself. Recently I found some pretty amazing earrings on Etsy that I thought were just beautiful and I wondered how I could make them. The artist called them Peruvian String Art earrings and there were a few others like her selling similar items. I had heard of string art before, but did not know what the difference was between Peruvian and the style they create using boards. Turns out, not a lot.

Peruvian String Art uses wire for the base form with smaller gauge wire coiled and placed on the base wire. Thin string, such as embroidery, cotton yarn, and thread, is place between the coils of the top wire. String can be woven on top of each other at different starting positions to create layered looks and multiple color combinations. I made a set of earrings to match a dress that I made and found them to be quite easy and fun. In my first pair I used 3 colors, proving this is not a difficult technique.

Here are some examples of ones that I found on Etsy:

Funky Lobez

Rubys Handiwork

Southern Breeze Studio

In a few days I will be adding a tutorial on how to make these earrings. I have gathered some supplies and a few tips along the way, which I think you would enjoy seeing. Most of these seem to be in some type of circular or teardrop shape, with the exception of the half moon earrings (which I think are VERY cool, btw). I'm also thinking that there are more shape possibilities. I have also seen double hoop and beaded designs, so there are possibilities for expansion.

Until next time, happy crafting.

Fresh new products

Since I have been an online seller of fine crafts, I have always heard that pictures sell the products. And it is true. A bad picture does not do a product justice in any way. People just do not want to spend money on something they can't see clearly. I have had an HP camera for the last 10 years that I got with a printer that I bought. You have heard me talk about it before on this blog. Well, after doing a tad bit of research I knew that I wanted a Canon. I finally found one to do what I needed it to do and put it on layaway. Six weeks later I was able to get it out and take some nice pictures.

What I ended up with was a Canon A490. It didn't cost me a ton of money, but it is probably the best little camera I've ever had. It takes clear, beautiful pictures and had enough adjustments on it that I can take pictures in any light so they still show up good. Photography is not my greatest asset. So after a few weeks I finally got a chance to re-photograph some of my items.


Here are some "before" and "afters." The top pictures show the first camera and the second ones show the new camera.

 I can't believe the clarity that comes through. I am able to take close shots without blur and distortion that I couldn't take before. Now, I can't give all of the credit to the camera. I also have to give a little to my photo editing program, Lunapic. None of the images were retouched or auto adjusted. I added text and cropped them. But Lunapic can do it all - for free. Yep, free. No subscriptions, no limits, all functions are free. I hated paying for a few more megabytes on Photobucket or a few more functions on Picnik. Neither of them were able to do what Lunapic does, either. Now, this might sound like an advertisement, but this is honestly what I have used and thought I would pass on.

So take a look at my website and tell me what you think about the new stuff. I have a new bracelet and earring combo called "Starry Summer Nights." There is more to come in the next few weeks as well. Hope you are having a fantastic summer.

IKnitQuiltSew - HAF Blog Ring Feature

Being a knitter, sewer, and crocheter myself, I can recognize talent when I see it. This week's featured artisan is IKnitQuiltSew from Handmade Artist's Forum. Her talent is immediately recognizable in her work. While browsing her studio on Etsy, I was so impressed by the arrangement first of all. Her baby items are arranged so attractively by color, so it is not hard to find matching sets for your little one!

Secondly, she gives you these adorable little baby dolls and teddy bears that are practically irresistable.

My babies are growing up and out of the teddy bear and doll baby stages, but they are so great I might just get one for myself. Where I really fell in love, though, was with her Baby Quilt/Wall Hanging. Quilting is a time-consuming, labor intensive act of love, of which I have done once in my life! I know why they are so expensive, but I have never been drawn to one enough to say that I would buy one. HOWEVER... this quilt spoke to my heart.

Welcome Home Quilt

Notice the details

When that happens, I start thinking how will I get the money for this??? It's not really that expensive, though. Only $150 for this beauty. But with my 5 kiddos I have to carefully gauge each and every dime. This quilt, though, echoes the desires of my heart - a home of our own. We've been wanting a home for the last 12 years of our marriage, somewhere our kids can come back to with thier own families eventually. We've had heartbreak after heartbreak, but the dream still lives. This would make a beautiful "Welcome home baby" quilt or housewarming gift.

IKnitQuiltSew has a blog that showcases more wonderful artisans from HAF. She let us all know that she is recovering from surgery on her rotator cuff. Anyone that knits, quilts, or sews knows the challenge of not having your primary arm available for your craft. Her tenacity and love for her art shows through again, though, because she is still knitting. Albeit slowly - but still knitting!

 I have thoroughly fallen in love with IKnitQuiltSew's creations and am just tickled that I can bring them to you through the HAF blog ring.

Twiddletoes

There is nothing like a nice, warm, comfy pair of socks in the winter, especially when the weather is cold and the floors are iced over. But what about those summer sock people? You know, the ones still wearing socks with their flip flops at the beach or pool. While I can't say that I fully understand this concept, there is hope on the horizon for the sock dedicated!

This week (a bit late, sorry), we have Twiddletoes from Handmade Artist's Forum. Twiddletoes began six years ago as a way of helping out those that still insist on wearing socks with their flip flops. These intricately knit socks have a big toe area seperate from the rest of the toes - just right for fitting in that flip flop strap! Not only are they innovative, but they are also made of some of the highest quality yarns available. These crafty artisans also makes traditional socks (with full toes) for those of us still sticking with the "just for winter" look.

You can read more about Twiddletoes and buy your own on her blog. They are also on Etsy and 1000Markets. 

HAF Blog Ring - Haffina Creations

It is amazing how even across continents you can find people that inspire you. Just when you think you are one of the busiest people on earth, you find someone even busier! This week I have the pleasure of introducing to you Haffina Creations from Handmade Artist's Forum. Haffina and I share a lot in common. She is a mom of five (me too!), has eclectic tastes (same here), loves to create (ohhh...spooky), and is so super-busy, but manages to pull it all together and get up the next day to do it all over again (do I have a missing twin???). Haffina lives in Austrailia, one of my dream countries to visit, and makes amazing jewelry and polymer clay beads.

This talented and creative mom also writes a beautiful blog, Haffina Creations, where you can find glimpses of her work and her other creative tasks. When an artist is passionate about her work, it shows through in all that she does. When an artist shows dedication and care in pursuits other than her art, you can expect great things from the art that is produced with that same dedication and care. I encourage you to check out this handmade artisan and her art. I'm sure you will be as delighted as I am!