For the Love of Color & Craft by: 10eisha

20 Etsy Tips for Newbies

2011-03-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

1. Sign up with google analytics.

2. The longer your shop is open the better your SEO is with search engines like google which means you have to be sort of patient. After 2 years or so I get 150 hits a day without doing anything at all – not even renewing. But when I first started I was getting like 5 hits day.

3. Sign up for google places (I think that’s what its called) so that you will come up for people doing local searches. Its also helps your SEO in general.

4. Figure out how long you stay on the first page of your category on etsy after renewing. Only renew accordingly so you can stay on that first or second page.

5. Don’t bother with those pay for being featured in a category things on etsy. As far as I have seen and heard – they are totally not worth it.

6. Make sure you first picture of each listing is “treasury” fitting. Go to etsy treasury’s and see what kind of pictures they use. Usually you should try to have muted backgrounds, no added borders on the picture, and on some (not all) of them try to have a human or animal model.

7. Tags…besides your general category tags you will want to try to think of what people will actually be searching for. So for example, if I want to see handmade furniture I might type in “handmade artsy coffee table” or “decor steampunk inspired furniture” - So you look at those and you can make one tag “artsy coffee table”, “steampunk inspired”, “decor”, “handmade”. Also put in multiple names for certain colors if you have room – like teal can also be aqua, turquoise, bright blue, etc.

8. I’m going to give you a whole bunch of links that will change your etsy sellin life

9. Blogs, twitter, facebook fan page, this that, yadda yadda. Etsy people are huge on this stuff. Its also very time consuming. I know successful etsy seller who do not have any of this stuff…I have all. Lol. I wish I didn’t though I can tell you that much. It’s a personal choice. My suggestion would be to just do one. Twitter is the easiest and you can update from your phone.

10. OTHER bloggers love having stuff to feature. Find some blogs that feature stuff like yours and send them some pictures and a blurb about you or your new shop.

11. Use all 5 pictures in your listing even if it means using one slot for a logo and one for a picture of you working on a piece that is not the piece your selling.

12. Pricing….one jumping off point I tell people is this- materials x 5 = retail price. This can totally vary of course up and down if the price that the equation spits out seems totally wrong. BUT that is the equation that small businesses and stuff use. I would check out your category and look at the highest priced items and the lowest.

13. More pricing. Another trick for your shop is this. People like to buy things in the middle price rage. If you go to a restaurant and look at the wine list – one is $8, one $15 and another $25. Which one do most people pick? The $15. We don’t want bad, we don’t want extravagant, we just want good. So this basically means that you should take one or tow items in your shop and price them higher than you are comfortable with. Take a few and price them lower than normal. Then everything else should be exactly how much you want to sell them for.

14. Make sure you use all of your featured spots. And use your best photographed items in these spots.

15. Join an etsy team. This is the best way to a. get on the front page, b. get into treasuries, c. be featured on blogs, etc.

16. If you do any off etsy advertising, find a target market. Don’t bother doing an ad on some huge site – go for a well trafficked blog that is genre specific or something like that. Advertise to people who are already interested in products like yours.

17. Make youtube videos of you working on stuff. Or instructional videos of how to do simple stuff like “the right way to sand wood”, “how to make a treble crochet” stuff like that and then put your etsy shop address in there and in your youtube profile. You would be surprised how many people will view and then go to your shop. People love simple instructional videos! And again anything that links back to your shop will help you SEO become stronger faster.

18. Consider opening a second shop for supplies, scraps, etc. Supplies sellers make the most money and sales on Etsy hands down. BUT you need to think about whether or not you want to go that route. You may very well become busier in your supplies shop than in your creative shop.

19. Etsy puts out, on their blog, this thing every month called the merch report. In it are tags that they will be searching for for front page features. For example in January the big thing was garnet (the color and stone) – so if you had anything in your shop that you were tagging as burgundy you could add garnet to your list and come up in more search results. Sort of time consuming to keep up with so take that as you will.

20. Make sure you fill out everything in your profile and shop policies and all that. If you need help filling it out check out other peoples profiles and see what they have in there. There are people who have been doing this for 6 years and have everything perfected!

Ok links:

http://www.etsyhacks.com/ (download the most popular ones for sellers – These hacks SAVE SO MUCH TIME – seriously)

http://www.google.com/analytics/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color (scroll to the bottom for the easiest to use color chart/names – I use this for tags)

http://craftweasel.com/TagToolQuery.do (this is an easy way to find out median prices for items that are tagged the same way your are and to find tags that will help the perceived value)

http://www.craftopolis.com/ - just sort of a cool way to visualize your hearts and sales.

http://www.stylishhome.com/ - I’ve never used this but I just saw it on etsy as a place to get free advertising for “home goods” on etsy – might be useful.

http://metricly.com/signup/etsy - have not used this one either but it looks prettier than google analytics!

Offbeat Grooms!

2011-01-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

'Offbeat Grooms' by 10eisha

St.Gloomth Academy Hors... gloomth $175.99	Laudanum - Tobacco and ... scodioli $8.00	Maroon, Black and White... KirahleyKreati... $14.00
Steampunk clockwork hat... BunniBizzare $100.00	Necktie set of 5 for 1... RokGear $115.00	Misbehave with Burgandy... CrudeThings $23.00
Steampunk Brooch - a wi... dayslonggone $38.00	Plaid Bow Tie SouthernBeaus $35.00	HUGE Wood Guitar Bride ... braggingbags $54.99
Men's Steampunk Vin... CompassRoseDes... $26.00	PUSHIN UP DAISIES - Sku... runningwithsci... $12.00	DAY Cravat Victorian As... elegantascot $20.00
Pelican Love Birds Wedd... beckykazana $25.00	Gun Metal Noir Victoria... tempusfugit $49.99	Black Maple Leaves Set ... TeroldegoAndTo... $5.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

A team treasury challenge from the "Offbeat Wedding Etsy Team"!

Interested in our team? Check us out here: http://www.etsy.com/teams/6082/offbeat-etsy-weddingsAnd our blog here: http://offbeatetsyweddings.blogspot.com/

Ostrich Feathers ARE NOT Ethical.

2010-11-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Ostrich feathers can NOT be collected ethically? The worst of the ways to obtain ostrich feathers is to hand pluck each feather one by one from the socket while the bird is alive and immobilized. Nine months later, once all the feathers have grown back, the bird goes through the process again - for their entire lives.

Cruelty-Free feathers from other birds, like the ones I use, are picked off the ground after the birds drop them during seasonal molting which most birds do on their own. I make sure that I only buy from sellers who have happy free range birds. Most of my suppliers even post pictures of their happy birds laying around on the porch in the sun like a family dog!

Buy Cruelty Free!

Buy Art For The Holidays!

2010-11-11T06:01:00.001-08:00

'No sweeter gift than ART' by 10eisha

An art inspired gift guide for those who would like to feed a starving artist for the holidays!

Custom Order Example, multip... paintsquare $345.00	BEAR by DIMDI Original water... dimdi $25.00
Blue Bottle Original Waterco... studiotuesday $70.00	The Coyote who wanted to joi... horribleadorab... $80.00
Custom Portrait 16x20 Mandawlfe $500.00	A tree sprouted from her hea... StoryOfASeed $45.00
Robin Rainbow --- ORIGINAL d... Cookstah $20.00	Horsehair Pottery Vase - Lar... LisaDPottery $49.00
Pugg Life-mixed media print ... retrowhale $38.00	Mixed Media Rustic Bird Indiandollartw... $39.00
Pair of Wood Grain Plates, G... MudHandChan $54.00	Beyond Eternity (Golden Meta... HengamehKaghaz... $290.00
Green Christmas Gift for tha... focuslineart $98.99	Follow Me - 8 x 10 - Archiva... LoveSugar $20.00
Who knows where they grow - ... floradelgiudic... $11.00	HANGING GRAPES - ORIGINAL ST... Spreggo $100.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Flower Girl Sets

2010-11-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Ive started making little flower girl hair barrette sets for offbeat weddings.

I am trying to stick with things that will possible match an offbeat bride like black & red veiling, dark colors, etc.

What do you think?

The creative world of 10eisha

2010-11-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

Here is what is going on in the creative world of 10eisha:

1. I am to be in an Art show this coming weekend for my printmaking. I am very excited about this! But of course it comes with lots of matting and framing tasks, picking what to show, making labels, etc., etc. But again, I could not be more happy about this and 20% of the proceeds go to help art programs at a local high school!

Close Up of a Colograph -->

2. I landed a consignment deal with a non-local shop and I have been making a few custom pieces to send to the owner. Unfortunately I have hit a few road bumps during production such as running out of my metal tags I put on the backs and loosing a rhinestone here and there. But they are coming along!

Not one of the consignment pieces -->

3. I realized when it came time to re-order my custom stamped metal jewelry tags that I was paying WAY too much so I found an alphabet stamping set on ebay and blank discs to stamp myself...hopefully its as easy as it sounds to make them!

4. I am trying to re-vamp and update my colorfulveil.com site because it seems that magazines and such are sick of showing etsy sellers all the time so having a stand alone website/shop might set me apart from the crowd. Or so i hope :)

NOT the revamped version -->

5. My new team, offbeat etsy weddings team, has been a huge success. We won a team grant for advertising which we plan on using for offbeatbride.com and have really kept the energy up about doing press releases and all this other stuff that seems so daunting on your own.

6. I am completely out of money but have 3 fairly large custom orders on my plate so i am hoping that the completion of those will help jump start my winter season. Keeping my fingers crossed.

What has been on your creative to-do list?

Oooh good resources!

2010-08-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

This is a great resource post from Overnightprints.com sharing a list of must haves for freelancers like affordable advertising, time management and so on.

Good stuff!

Resources

ha!

2010-08-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

Ok so wedding season is kicking my ass (in a good way) but i swear to all that is holy i am going to start blogging for real again very soon.

I have all kinds of stuff to share- A new DIY tutorial that I am making for http://www.wtfetsy.com, new "i wish someone would invent this" posts, and perhaps some things i've learned about brides and customers...

Ive almost hit 500 sales in my etsy shop!

I just turned 30!

I got a dog!

Ha.

Talk to you soon, i promise.

A custom, cruelty free, wedding set

2010-07-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

A few new items

2010-06-07T14:51:00.001-07:00

TheColorfulVeil.com

So much radness

2010-06-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

I was contacted yesterday for the best custom piece ever. The bide is getting married while running the rock & roll half marathon in Vegas! Her outfit is super cute and fun.

I can't wait to start on this one! Hopefully the word will spread that i like nutty custom jobs :)

UGH.

2010-05-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about this vacation mode issue on Etsy?

No friggen wonder my sales/views have been down!!!

I sort of feel like they should give me a free month of fees or something....I mean, shouldn't they have sent an email out?

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6492737&page=1

1 Step at a Time....

2010-05-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

So it seems that my shops are finally starting to pick back up after having a slow month following my 2 week vacation mode. I have definitely been spending more money than i am making as well with all the new changes and trying to roll out new styles and such.

However, i think the initial investment phase is over and now i can start getting new stuff out there. I'm getting a tad worried that all of this might not happen fast enough and i may end up having to get a real job...again. boo.

Ive been lightly considering getting a micro loan for advertising...Just bumping my budget for my ebay ad on google adwords from $2 to $4 a day made a huge difference...so imagine what $50 a day would do. I think that is getting a bit ahead of things but you know what i mean.

I don't know i think i am just in that place of - what happens next. I had a steady flow of income, a legal small business and all that good stuff in California. Here in Georgia I have not even gotten my drivers license yet never the less registered my business.

1 step at a time I guess.

I hope you are all well!
Teneisha

Introducing.....

2010-05-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

The new website is up!!!

TheColorfulVeil.com

Wonderfully designed by Chris at iheartgraphics.com

What do you think?

I need your help!

2010-05-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am in the process of having my own e commerce site built so that I can stop paying etsy and ebay fees. To do this I need to come up with a new domain name.

What do you think of ColorfulVeil.com? How about BraveBrides.com? BraveBrideVeils.com?

I think my vote is with ColorfulVeil.com....

What do you think?

I'm Baaaaaack!

2010-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Ok so, I am back to having etsy/ebay as my full time job and I will for sure start blogging again.

We just moved across the country and my supplies came today so I can open the shops back up soon.

I have a ton of new ideas, materials, and discussions to have with you all so stay tuned!

~ Teneisha ~

Holiday Hit List

2009-12-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

So I have a big show this weekend- The Holiday Hit List. There are 75 vendors, a fashion show and djs. There was a HUGE turn out last year so hopeful we will get the same this year.

In preparation I have been slowly making hair pieces and not taking the time to list them in etsy but instead just putting them in my craft show box. I counted today and i have 131 pieces, new and old. If I don't sell anything I am going to have a LOT of new stuff to put up in my shop!

This will most likely be my last craft show in CA. It has not been very profitable for me and i dont have much time these days. So I will be selling all my supplies (tent, tables, chair, etc) sometime very soon.

So wish me luck and if any of your are in the area, stop by!

Love, Teneisha aka 10eisha

inhale....exhale.

2009-10-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

I have decided to put my etsy shop on vacation mode for a week. I need to catch up and figure out a better system to shipping and all that. I sure as hell can not run to the post office for international orders everyday! I also need to do my business taxes. bla.

Wish me deep breaths.

Back to work!

2009-10-08T08:05:00.001-07:00

So...I found out yesterday that after 8 months of looking, I was finally chosen for a full time job which I start next Tuesday.

Back to work!

What does that mean for my etsy shop, blog, twitter, etc. etc....I have no idea.

For the time being I will most likely finish the custom orders I have now and stop taking new ones, and this blog will most likely fall by the way side. I will keep my shop open and will still sell what I have I there now but who knows about new stuff going up.

I'm sure once I'm settled in the new job I will get back into making the hair pieces for fun.

Life is funny how quickly it changes.

For now, I have lots to do today.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

What I learned last week. #7

2009-10-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

What did I learn last week?

Well life was a bit stressful last week so I guess I learned that sometimes you just need to switch gears to hold onto your sanity. Read a book, take a walk, tend your garden. Let it go.

I also learned that you should weigh one of your packages after you have the label all taped on because i'm willing to bet that they are an ounce heavier than you think.

I learned that people, in this case other crafters are so very sweet and really do want the best for you as you do for them. Thank you ladies... :)

I hope you all have a fantastic sales filled week!
Teneisha

A few things you prolly don't know about me:

2009-10-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

I am a vegetarian. In fact I am a octo-vegetarian which means I eat eggs but no meat or dairy.

I'm kind of a nerd. I love Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, apocolypse anything, NPR and reading.

I like anything that is pumpkin pie scented or flavored.

I have 4 big tattoos and 6 total.

I love pretty much any hot beverage.

I have a plate with 6 screws in my left arm.

My favorite flower is freesia.

I don't have a favorite color.

I am 29 years old.

woohooo I'm Famous!

2009-10-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

Check me out on the It Looks Good From The Front blog!

Click Here

A few Custom Pieces from September

2009-09-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

What I learned last week. #6

2009-09-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

I learned that shipping supplies from Staples are half the price if you order online and pick up at your store. Seriously.

I learned that it is impossible to buy small quantities of real chenille "dots" or wired chenille for veils. There are approximately 2 websites that sell them in the world and both have outrageous minimums and shipping charges. True story.

I learned that there is a sticky situation when you are between not being able to afford bulk but selling to many of your product to not buy in bulk. a.k.a. : you run out of stuff....A LOT.

I learned that out of necessity you will come up with ways to keep things in order. Don't waste a lot of time trying to force it, it will happen on its own.

I learned that returning supplies to the craft store instead of just saying "oh well it didn't work for this project but I'm sure i will use it later" is much more satisfying than ending up with more supplies than you have storage for.

I learned that USPS first class mail to your own state isn't as solid as you would think. Thank you, post office, for helping me to stress a Bride out and force her into a non veiled wedding.

On that note I learned that if someone wants something with expedited shipping...make them pay for priority, even if they live in your own state.

I learned a lot this week!!

What did you learn?

2009-09-25T19:38:00.001-07:00

via you are remarkable:

Every day is the best day ever. No second chances and no regrets, now and now and now. Memory is a reminder of… memory is a reminder that things were one way before, but TODAY is the chance to make everything how you want it to you be.
The first step is the first step towards the sun.
Start your day:

Today is going to be the best today that I can live.

Wake up.
Breathe in; the sun warms the air and your lungs smile.
The sunshine in your lungs permeates your blood.
Spreads throughout your entire body.
Energy, energy, energy.

Today's Shipment

2009-09-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

I have one more to add to this pile!

My To-do List

2009-09-24T08:52:00.001-07:00

Go to the DMV (booo)
Go to Joann Fabrics & Micheal's for a few supplies
Figure out how to make wired chenille
Go pick up shipping supplies order at Staples
Go to Post Office
Finish 2 Custom Jobs
Post the dotted Veils on Ebay
Take pictures of new clips on Head & all of the hair attachment options
Set up a new level on worm composting bin
Email Misery Kid guys
Call Mom
Call t-mobile
Write Landlord back
Pack up 3 orders

Following directions...

2009-09-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ok so I need some advice.

In my DIY Birdcage Veil kits I state:

♥•♥ During checkout please specify *HAIR COLOR* and choose a:
• COMB (METAL: black or silver / PLASTIC: brown or clear)
• CLIP (to match hair color)
• or BOBBY-PINS (to match hair color)

The words vary sometimes but the jist is the same:

♥ During checkout please specify if you would like a:
• comb (in black or silver metal, brown or clear plastic)
• clip (in black, silver, or red)
• or bobby-pins (in blonds, browns, and black).

Or

♥Please specify if you would like a:
•comb (in black or silver metal, brown or clear plastic
OR
•clip (in black, silver, or red)
OR
•bobby-pin (in blonds, brunettes and black)

Now the problem is...no one EVER says in the message to seller on etsy or paypal what they want. Maybe 1 out of 10 people tell me what they want. For all the other people i email them and ask and wait....sometimes they never respond and I end up just sending it with a variety of hair attachments which costs me extra money.

Any suggestions?

Teneisha

What I learned last week. #5

2009-09-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

This past week or two has been pretty fantastic sales wise. Listing the DIY kits has done wonders for my shop! So what did I learn?

1. There really is a magic number of items in your shop that helps drive traffic. I had boosts when i hit 50 products, 80 products and then 90+. Between 98-101 has been pretty good to me!

2. For every 1 tough and annoying custom job there are 5 awesome ones.

3. Buying a small postal scale to get the exact weight of my packages really will save me money.

4. Sometimes its really hard to find time to sit down and make more of what you sell!

woot woot

2009-09-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

I HIT 100 SALES!!!!!

101 if you want to get technical :D

Have a great weekend!

2009-09-19T08:23:00.001-07:00

Check out Dumpster Ninjas this week (and today) because I have a backlog of artists to feature!

The Hillcrest Art Nights went better this time but still wasn't good enough to call it a success. I think my two sales may have been more than what most people got so I am grateful. The bummer about these San Diego shows is that there are a lot of great artists and crafters around...but no one is buying.

In other news my DIY Fascinator and Birdcage Veil Kits seem to be doing well which is exciting!

Have a great weekend!

Mom, Net Mom - Funny Name, Cute Blog

2009-09-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Etsy Mini by: Mom, Net Mom

price points

2009-09-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my second "Hillcrest Art Nights" booth set up and I'm trying a new pricing strategy this time.

I am grouping into price points.

Before i had everything individually priced and people inevitably picked up the most expensive thing on the table (because it was the prettiest) and then walked away because they assumed that everything on the table was that price. This time around i will have a display of $5, $8, $10 and maybe $12.

I'm not bringing anything worth over $15.

Although my talents will not be shown...people are not going to impulse buy a $35 hair piece on the street.

Wish me luck!

Teneisha

Gosh, I forgot...

2009-09-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Totally forgot to do a "what i learned last week" post! Oops. OK, here goes.

I learned that:

If you stop thinking about something and just do it, it really wont take that long.
That people always want what you just ran out of...
That once you find the right combination of marketing it really does seem work.
That even when your marketing seems to work there is still so much left to do.
That other people can think of ways to use your creations in ways you never would have thought to market!

Have a fantastic week!
Teneisha

If I had been a....

2009-09-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

In my last post i said "if i had been an ivory bride" but I didn't specify what kind of bride I was. So here you go!

If I had been a "Ivory" bride...

2009-09-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

I think I would have made myself something like this:

New Poll!

2009-09-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

USPS Automated Machines Ripping Us Off??

2009-09-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

I could not wait to get home and post about this because its a doozy.

I have often wondered if there was something fishy going on with the automated machines at the post office. I had my suspicions because there were a few times when i came into the post office for other reasons with boxes in tow that already had postage on them calculated through the usps website. During those times a postal worker was sitting at the automated machine, i guess to help people use it. They said oh let me just weigh those for you to make sure they have the correct postage on them...

And they never did.

Which of course infuriated and confused me.

A few other times I had used the machines on my own free will and it would add a whole POUND to the weight which i could not understand how my scale at home could be soooo off.

Then today happened. I went into a different post office to specifically use the automated machine. I weighed the package, asked for insurance and was ready to print out the postage (which i thought seemed a little high) when it told me that unless the large label would fit, I had to go to the counter. Usually you have a choice between a small or large label and I assume the machine was either out of small labels or it had something to do with the insurance.

So anyway- I go up the counter and ask for the same exact thing. Postage and insurance on a small domestic package.

Guess what...at the counter it was $1 less than at the machine.

!!!!

Has this happened to anyone else?

I will not be using those machines ever again that's for sure!

Le Sigh Blogger

2009-09-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

This blog format is driving me nuts.

I don't know what is going on with blogger but the picture sizes are all wacky! I've been using blogger for years and years for my other blogs and then i start this one and the pictures either look like crap or are all lined up strange.

Le Sigh Blogger....Le Sigh.

A peak at Halloween!

2009-09-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

http://10eisha.etsy.com

Introducing: Matching Bridesmaids Sets!

2009-09-09T09:56:00.001-07:00

I now have a matching bridesmaids sets!

What I learned last week. #4

2009-09-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

What did i learn last week?

I learned that in CA getting your sellers permit is just the first step. That once you have said sellers permit you then need a tax ID which means you need to pay your first tax initiation fees which are not cheap. I learned that even f you work from home and sell online you still have to pay higher zoning fees if you live in a neighborhood like mine. So what I really learned is why people keep their small businesses illegal.
I learned that headbands are my biggest seller and that I need to make more...soon.
I learned that rotary cutting blades do not help my craft in the least.
I learned that bead shops have way cheaper Swarovski Crystals.

Good morning, Good week, I'll blog to you soon!
Teneisha

Introducing: DIY Birdcage Veil Kits

2009-09-04T15:57:00.001-07:00

I am really excited about this new addition to my shop. DIY kits! For now I only have DIY Birdcage veils going up but soon I would like to start doing fascinator kits as well.

I know that sooo many brides, including myself spend hours trying to figure out what kind of veil material to buy, where you order it from, what is a good price, what color do i need...etc. etc. etc.

So I made a easy peasy kit. You get 18 inches of high quality netting, a needle, 6ft of clear thread, instruction and the buyers choice of hair attachment (comb, bobby pin, etc.).

So Check them out!

My space.

2009-09-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

This is where the magic happens!

I've had these drawers for a while but I just recently reorganized and made these cool fuzzy felt labels.

And this is where I sit at this very moment.
Writing this post!

Hair Accessories for the Brave Giveaway!

2009-09-03T15:50:00.001-07:00

WIN A HAIR FASCINATOR OF YOUR CHOICE!

Go to the Live, Love, Laugh Blog to find out more.

Open to the USA, Europe, Mexico & Canada.

Go to the Live, Love, Laugh Blog to find out more.

Help for the Helpless Bloggers

2009-09-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Ok so this morning I somehow came across the idea of "Site Maps" and Verifying your site (blog) with Google and all this other stuff I had never heard of. I thought that my Google Base and Google Analytic's were enough...Nope.

As a side note, you do not need to do this for your etsy page. Hopefully one day we WILL be able to, but not yet. You can do this for your blogs and any other website you may have.

So here is what Ive learned...

Step One

Go to: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/
Sign In (or sign up if you don't have a google user name)
Click "Add a Site" and enter your URL in the pop up

Step Two

Click the link called "Verify This Site"
Now you will see a "Meta Tag" which looks something like this:

Select and copy the entire tag beggining with <>

Step Three (For any web site you own)

In a new window go to your site
Find where you can edit your HTML sometimes known as your "Template HTML"
*For Blogger go to "layout" and then "html"
Look through your code to find your "Head" marks which will be inside these: < >
You want to paste the "Meta Tag" code before your end head mark which has this mark before the word head: < / >
Example:

Save your Edits

Step 4

Go back to your Google Webmaster Tools page where you were verifying your site
Click Verify
If you put the code in the right place Google should find it quickly!

When I figure out the "site maps" issue, i will post about that as well.

Good Luck!

Dark Cabaret - Hair Fascinator

2009-09-01T16:00:00.001-07:00

Dark Cabaret - Hair Fascinator - Black Pink Purple - Hand Beaded Swarovski Crystals - FREE SHIPPING - Electro Glam Burlesque by 10eisha on Etsy

Shared via AddThis

It's a new day people!

2009-09-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm lacing up my boot straps and jumping back in. Not that I was out yesterday but I had a a few hurdles to jump over.

Tax and emotion hurdles.

What I learned last week. #3

2009-08-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

I learned that doing a weekend sale and not promoting the heck out of it is basically like not having a sale at all.

I learned that StumbleUpon will get you a ton of hits...Which does not translate into sales necessarily but hits none the less.

I learned that sometimes it is no so easy to stay confident...

80s Punk Hair Fascinator or Brooch

2009-08-30T10:38:00.001-07:00

80s Punk Hair Fascinator or Brooch - Rosette - Pink and Black - FREE SHIPPING - Cruelty Free by 10eisha on Etsy

Shared via AddThis

BOGO!

2009-08-29T11:09:00.001-07:00

~ * Buy One Get One Half Off!* ~

This weekend only. Buy one hair accessory and get a second one of equal or lesser value half off! Difference will be promptly refunded through paypal after payment.

10eisha.etsy.com

BOGO Sales in my shop and all over Etsy! Check out this Storque gift guide for more participating shops!

3 Tools You Should Be Using...and Why

2009-08-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Craftweasel : Tag Finder - The trick with this tool is to know what your best tags are in the first place. If you just type in "hair clip" you are going to get a million tags that may or may not have anything to do with your item. But if you type in something like "goth fascinator" you are going to get color tags, description tags and other genre tags that you may not even have thought of otherwise. And by the way - the best way to use this tool is to type in your words - hit "find tags"- then "complete table of related tags" then "average views per day".

Statsy : Featurator - e-mail every time you get featured on Etsy's front page. It's good to have something like this because being featured on the front page these days usually lasts about 4 minutes.

Craftoplolis : Treasure Hunt & Gift Guide - All you have to do is type your shop name in and you can see if you are in any treasury's or gift guides. Easy peesy.

Working With Feathers 101

2009-08-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Craft Picture Of The Day

2009-08-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

What does it all mean!!!!???

2009-08-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Today I was on the front page for what seemed like just a few seconds. I got over 500 views from it and 30 new shop hearts. The item featured received 25 new hearts.

But I didn't sell one thing as a result...

What does it all mean!!!!??? This etsy stuff is hard....that's what it means. Featured, front pages, ads, free publicity, paid publicity. I'm really starting to thing that none of it matters. Its sort of just being in the right place at the right time and having the right viewer.

I think the only thing that we can do as sellers is just try to work on our craft more than our marketing. If you have an amazing product...word will get out eventually, right?

So far the things that work for me are: Facebook and $10 ads on Offbeat Bride. My two biggest hit makers are google and direct hits on etsy which cost me nothing.

What are your top 4 traffic sources?

What I learned last week. #2

2009-08-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I learned that good things normally come in bursts. For example after not being in a treasury for a few weeks I was, in one day, in two treasury's and a gift guide AND I got my acceptance letter for a huge juried show (Holiday Hit List) in December.

Actually, come to this of it, that good day, which was Friday sort of steamrolled into the weekend and i managed to make a box full of awesome new fascinators, found time to keep up with listing new items, my weekend sale was successful...and i even cleaned my house and got chores done.

Amazing!

Ok so back to what I learned.

Twitter, on a daily basis does not bring me much traffic. For example, when looking at a single day on Google Analytics it usually ranks #20 or so. However, overall when looking at a few months, it makes it to #4. So I guess Ill keep doing it.

I've also learned to keep up with that sort of thing. Meaning you should just be looking at your hits but really thinking about where your traffic is coming from so that you can stop wasting time with avenues that are only bringing in 1 hit a day or whatever.

Looking ahead I'm thinking about doing a tutorial for a craft but I am trying to decide whether i want to do a video or picture tutorial. I'm thinking videos are usually more interesting.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!
Teneisha

2009-08-23T07:41:00.001-07:00

By the way everyone- this is the last day of my sale! 20% off with the code WD21. Enter it in the message to seller in Etsy or PayPal and I will refund 20% of your order.

Have a fantastic Sunday!

fantastic

2009-08-22T20:45:00.001-07:00

wow, I can not wait to take pictures of the hair peices I made today! They might be the coolest yet. woot!

Thank you to anyone who has passed on my sale information. I have gotten 8 sales out of it! Granted they are mostly small ones, but that's ok!

Have a fantastic Saturday night!
Teneisha

Etsy Weekend Deal Gift Guide

2009-08-21T19:06:00.001-07:00

wooohoooo! I'm in a gift guide! Woot woot woot!

Sale Sale Sale

2009-08-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

http://10eisha.etsy.com ... sale code - WD21
8/21 - 8/23

Heads up on a sale THIS WEEKEND!

2009-08-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Summer Weekend Sale!
10eisha.etsy.com

From 8/21 to 8/23 (this weekend) I will be offering 20%-off all hair accessories in my shop, including Bridal!

Enter code "WD21" in the message to seller during checkout, and the discount will be promptly refunded through Paypal.

And as always, all small hair-fascinators come with FREE worldwide shipping!

http://10eisha.etsy.com

I'll just keep doing what works - creating and listing

2009-08-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

So...this craft show, which was a really cool set up, was still not profitable for me.

Maybe craft shows are not my key to success. That's ok. I'll keep all my stuff for the big Holiday Hit List show in December and then maybe ill just sell it all as one big package - "perfect set up for craft shows, table, chair, canopy and lights"

For now I guess I'll just keep doing what works - creating and listing.

Oh and by the way - I have been going nuts with twitter lately. I have something like 325 followers so far and Ive been twittering multiple times a day. Well guess what...I haven't gotten any hits from twitter! What the? The funny part is that when i was using my personal twitter account for marketing i had way more hits from it.

Live and learn, Live and learn. jeez!

This picture makes everyone crack up.
Sorry for the quality, it was taken with a camera phone.

HILLCREST ART NIGHTS - Tonight!

2009-08-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Free event in Hillcrest tonight!
Over 40 local crafts people and artists (including me!) set up from 6pm-10pm on University Ave between 10th and Herbert.
Come and check out local talent and get an early start on Christmas gifts or just network!

See you there!

What I learned last week.

2009-08-17T15:15:00.001-07:00

I'd like to start doing a post every Monday called "What I learned last week" which will be filled with my "learning form mistakes" tips, frustrations and so on.

So, what did I learn last week?

Craft Shows

You should try to find out what the average age is for a certain show because it may not mesh well with your target age group. The craft show that I was in on Sunday had a much older crowd than my intended age group which meant that I only sold 3 things and traded 1.
Sometimes networking is more valuable than sales. Even though I didn't make a lot of sales i met a few people who want me in their future shows.
Always pack a lunch. Pretty self explanatory!

Etsy

The most important thing, hand down, for an accessories person like me....listing new items. Not renewing, not social networking, not any of that. Just listing new items every day as often as possible. When i list, I make money, when i just renew, I don't make jack!
When you purchase a showcase spot it is not grabbing items from your featured starred list. There is a whole other list which populates automatically with the last 10 items that you listed or renewed. Unless you go in an manually change the purchased showcase list of items you might be showcasing a whole bunch of old renews.

Things I hope to learn (not through mistakes) this week

If people price their items differently between their online shops and their craft shows.
If Ebay is a good place to sell handmade items
If a destash shop will bring me sales.

What did YOU learn this week?

A few links for the day!

2009-08-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

An awesome feather treasury

A fantastic handmade blog

And a cool craft show that I am in this weekend!

Craft Show Preperations

2009-08-13T12:13:00.001-07:00

So...I have a craft show on Sunday. And then another on Wednesday and another at the end of the month. This week I have been frantically trying to finalize my plans for canopy/table/chair/lighting and so on. The reason its been sort of frantic is for a few reasons. The first show is indoor and i only need a table and chair. However the others are at night outside and during the day outside. So If I'm going to buy a canopy deal I better get the right size folding table now instead of having to buy another one down the road.

So i searched and searched for canopy's and did some measurements and holy cow a 10x10 canopy is WAY too big for me. I am a small person selling small items. :D

Eventually I settled on a 60x60 inch canopy (5x5 feet) and a 47 inch long table. I also went and bought a money box, receipt pads, table cloths and a mini calculator.

What makes me very happy is that now that I have all this stuff...I wont need to get it again! For the rest of the summer, Fall and Winter I can use this same stuff and all I have to worry about is making more fascinators! yahoo!

Anyone else preparing for craft shows for the first time?

Do you have a free gift with your purchases?

2009-08-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of talk lately about including a free gift to your customers with your shipments. I myself have gotten a few great free gifts with orders and even when they are simple or cheap to make they are still a fun surprise.

So I decided to also jump on the free gift bandwagon and thought...what can i do with the leftovers of my craft? I have scraps of tulle & faux flowers which I finally decided would make fun little pins or brooches. All I had to get was some pin backings from the craft store and I was ready.

I have only given away 2 or 3 and have not heard any feedback about them yet....But I think they are fun!

Do you have a free gift with your purchases?

My top 5 tips to taking a good product picture

2009-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

I am no expert...however I am often told that I take pretty good pictures for my etsy listings. Here are a few tips I have picked up along the way. (click the pictures to see a more detailed size)

1. Learn about the macro settings on your camera. If you do not have your user manual anymore you can most likely find information online. Just look up your model number and "macro settings".

Notice how the camera is trying to focus on everything in the "without"
pictures. In the "with" picture only what you want to showcase is in
focus the rest is nice and blurred. It may seem like a small difference...
but It really does make a nice photograph that is easier to look at.

2. Use as much natural light as possible. Open every window shade in the house. Or better yet, go outside!

3. Buy a large sheet of white paper. Using good lighting and white paper will give you a lit from all angles look. Take the sheet of paper and tape it to a wall or object so that the paper acts as the background and the flooring for your product with a nice curve.

You do not need a piece of paper this large, we just had this
around the house. Also, Set yours up on a table and wall to
save your back!

4. Use angles to your advantage. Extreme angle shots are a trick that even professional product photographers use. Think about shaving razor ads or cell phones, cars, even food products. Angle shots are a way to make your product look cool and larger than life. It's also a way to make something simple look artsy and a fantastic way to capture details.

5. Get to know a photo editing program. It doesn't need to cost $500 but you should find something that has the basics like contrast, cropping, and color/white balance.

This is a huge difference with just one command - Auto Levels. In
Photoshop thats - shift+command+L. Seriously thats all I did!

A few notes:
I recently started using a mannequin which has completely altered the way I photograph and edit my products. Be ready to try different things each step of the way. For example if you make white products, try shooting on a shiny black surface instead. Also, to safe yourself time and headache, make sure everything is clean. Your surface and your product should be dust free, hot glue stringy free and so on That stuff DOES show up when you use your macro settings.

I hope this helps!

Teneisha a.k.a. 10eisha

AH - HA !

2009-08-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

After much agonizing I finally figured out how to find small shows that are looking for small vendors....CraigsList....doy, why didn't i think of that!?

Hello Hello!

2009-08-03T08:36:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! I just set this up yesterday, so please excuse the lack of posts and so on.

If you would like to see something with a bit more content check out my inspiration blog: http://dumpsterninjas.blogspot.com/

I will start posting here very soon! Thanks for looking!

Teneisha a.k.a 10eisha

For the Love of Color & Craft by: 10eisha

20 Etsy Tips for Newbies

Offbeat Grooms!

'Offbeat Grooms' by 10eisha

A team treasury challenge from the "Offbeat Wedding Etsy Team"!

Interested in our team? Check us out here: http://www.etsy.com/teams/6082/offbeat-etsy-weddingsAnd our blog here: http://offbeatetsyweddings.blogspot.com/

Ostrich Feathers ARE NOT Ethical.

Buy Art For The Holidays!

'No sweeter gift than ART' by 10eisha

An art inspired gift guide for those who would like to feed a starving artist for the holidays!

Flower Girl Sets

The creative world of 10eisha

Oooh good resources!

ha!

A custom, cruelty free, wedding set

A few new items

So much radness

UGH.

1 Step at a Time....

Introducing.....

I need your help!

Ok so I am in the process of having my own e commerce site built so that I can stop paying etsy and ebay fees. To do this I need to come up with a new domain name.

What do you think of ColorfulVeil.com? How about BraveBrides.com? BraveBrideVeils.com?I think my vote is with ColorfulVeil.com....What do you think?

I'm Baaaaaack!

Holiday Hit List

inhale....exhale.

Back to work!

What I learned last week. #7

A few things you prolly don't know about me:

woohooo I'm Famous!

A few Custom Pieces from September

What I learned last week. #6

Today's Shipment

My To-do List

Following directions...

What I learned last week. #5

woot woot

Have a great weekend!

Mom, Net Mom - Funny Name, Cute Blog

price points

Gosh, I forgot...

If I had been a....

If I had been a "Ivory" bride...

New Poll!

USPS Automated Machines Ripping Us Off??

Le Sigh Blogger

A peak at Halloween!

Introducing: Matching Bridesmaids Sets!

What I learned last week. #4

Introducing: DIY Birdcage Veil Kits

My space.

Hair Accessories for the Brave Giveaway!

Help for the Helpless Bloggers

Dark Cabaret - Hair Fascinator

It's a new day people!

What I learned last week. #3

80s Punk Hair Fascinator or Brooch

BOGO!

3 Tools You Should Be Using...and Why

Working With Feathers 101

Craft Picture Of The Day

What does it all mean!!!!???

What I learned last week. #2

fantastic

Etsy Weekend Deal Gift Guide

Sale Sale Sale

Heads up on a sale THIS WEEKEND!

I'll just keep doing what works - creating and listing

HILLCREST ART NIGHTS - Tonight!

What I learned last week.

A few links for the day!

Craft Show Preperations

Do you have a free gift with your purchases?

My top 5 tips to taking a good product picture

AH - HA !

Hello Hello!

What do you think of ColorfulVeil.com? How about BraveBrides.com? BraveBrideVeils.com?

I think my vote is with ColorfulVeil.com....

What do you think?