Selling Online --- Part One

Today we are starting a series of posts on places to sell online.

We had quite a few people answer our survey stating they did not sell online but would like to so maybe we will be able to help them get started.

I am starting with what I feel is one of the best places to sell online at a reasonable cost.   http://www.etsy.com

What is Etsy?   Etsy is a marketplace started in 2005 to give handcrafters a place to make a living selling their handmades and to connect the makers with the buyers.

Etsy sellers number in the hundreds of thousands today and the buyers and sellers come from more than 150 countries.

What can you sell on Etsy?   Pretty much anything that is handmade by you,  crafting supplies, and vintage items that are 20 years old or older.

It is free to open your shop on Etsy but you will pay a 20 cent listing fee for each item you list.   Your item lists for four months.
When you sell your listing you will pay a transaction fee to etsy that is 3.5% of the selling price of your item.

You will receive a bill each month on the 1st for your previous month's activity.

The first thing you will need to do is register on Etsy. This entitles you to be a buyer.
https://www.etsy.com/register.php

 Choose your name carefully because you won't be able to change it.

Once you are registered,  you will then  have to upgrade your account to seller.  You will find that option when you login to your account.

The majority of buyers pay with Paypal so if you don't already have an account with them,  you need to think about getting one.  http://www.paypal.com    You can accept money orders or checks but it is a slow way to do business and most buyers prefer paypal.

Click here for the help guide to setting up your shop.
http://help.etsy.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/246/

Once you have your shop setup you will want to start listing your items.  You will need a good description,  good pictures (you are allowed 5 of them),  price for the item,  shipping cost and decide what countries you will ship to,  and tags.

Tags help people find items they are searching for.   Learn all about how to use tags here. http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/seller-how-to-tag-o-rama-with-descriptive-keywords-5474/

So you have your shop all set up and your products listed so now what?   A lot of people think they are done and get upset when the sales don't start rolling in.  lol    Unfortunately,  that doesn't often happen.   It is like anything else in life,  you reap what you put into it.

Here are some ways to promote your shop:

Start a blog to:
Keep customers updated on new listings.
Share your skills by doing tutorials.
Have a giveaway of one of your handmade items.
Add one of the gadgets that is a portable version of your shop.  Customers can shop right from your blog.  http://www.craftcult.com/shop_widget.php
Go to the community forum on Etsy and post about your new listings.

Add your banner to relevant topsites.  They are free.

Look for low cost advertising on busy sites if you have advertising money.

Join an Etsy Team. There is nothing like being able to chat with other like-minded sellers. And it is a great way to learn from ones that have been on Etsy for a long time. http://team.etsy.com/teams.html

Here is a free pdf download, Secrets of Savvy Etsy Sellers,  that I just came across on the internet.   You can download it here:
http://onthedotcreations.typepad.com/onthedotcreations/secrets-of-savvy-etsy-sellers.html

And lastly,  there is a lot of help from Etsy here. 
http://help.etsy.com/app/home

Next week we will be talking about another marketplace,   Artfire.

Thanks for visiting today.
Bette
www.byyourhands.com 

Would you like to sponsor a giveaway?  Do you have a special skill you would like to share with our readers?  Would you like to share a trash to treasure makover?

Are you interested in promoting your store or blog at a very reasonable cost?   If so, just email us. 

We would be happy to send you the details. byyourhandsblog@gmail.com

Trash To Treasure - Recycled Paper

I'm amazed at some of the things one can make by recycling paper.

This first one is a place mat made from recycled paper grocery bags. The folks at www.favcrafts.com show us (step by step) how to make them.

This next idea is really clever and cute. It's from www.countryliving.com and they have made paper flowers out of sewing patterns. What a neat idea!

At www.alteredobsession.wordpress.com they show us how to make beads out of paper. I remember making these in 6th grade art class. We used comic strips.

Need a basket? How about making one from old magazine pages? The artful crafter shows us how. www.theartfulcrafter.com

Maybe these ideas will make us think before we take out the trash next time.

Have a great day!
Deena Davis
www.byyourhands.blogspot.com

If you have any trash to treasure projects and would like it featured on our blog, please send us an email at byyourhandsblog@gmail.com or use our CONTACT FORM. We'd love to see what you have and if we use it, we'll give you a FREE link to your website or blog.

Today's Featured Artist - Homespun From The Heart

Today's featured artist is Cindy Marcovcy of Homespun From The Heart.

Tell us a little about you?

I am married to my best friend and a stay at home mom to 2 babies. I have been at home working on my first baby, Homespun from the Heart, for a couple years and then my daughter came along.

How long have you been in business?
 
 Homespun from the Heart opened more than 6 years ago online, but I have been sewing and selling my creations for years before that. I just opened another business, www.SaveOurHooters.com in partnership with a friend, focusing on breast cancer awareness items; we were just featured in Create and Decorate’s “Finds” column for the October issue, very exciting!

 How did you get started?
 
     I started sewing for my girl scouts sewing badge, many years ago; in college, I was visiting my dad and stepmom for Thanksgiving and my stepmom was making a quilt. I started asking her questions about sewing and the next thing I know I got my first sewing machine for Christmas. I taught myself how to do various craft things, like Christmas tree skirts, table runners, sewing hems for curtains, etc. And shortly after I was married 8 years ago, I discovered the world of primitives and just fell in love! This year, my stepmom and I will be doing our first craft show together in upstate NY – we still talk ‘crafts’ and primitives/sewing every time we are together.

What is involved in making your craft?

   When I am designing a new doll/pattern, a lot of time goes into the process. I create templates first, those are later the pattern pieces used to make the pattern, but there’s usually a couple of rounds of changing things with the head shape, etc. Then, I am always tea staining something it feels like! And the time to create each face and hair style is just part of the process; sometimes I can get to the very end – say a hair style – and not like the doll then start over! I also take my time writing instructions; after the pattern is finished then I spend quite a bit of time marketing it.
    When I am creating dolls to build inventory, it’s a similar process with less pressure – sometimes I can finish up to 20 dolls in a week.

What is your favorite thing to make?

Definitely dolls! I have been refining my style of dolls for the last few years; I feel they are more unique to me – I tend to use funky colors for hair and noses; I also go with different types of fabrics not just primitive. Someone called my style “shabby prim” once and I thought that fit - lighter colors but still tea stained. My line of Cupcake Dolls, with really funky hair colors/styles, cupcakes, and scents - have been really well received. If the customers like it, then I am happy since I like it too.

Do you have set hours to work?

I have to set hours to work since I am also at home with my 2 year old. I usually am up by 5:30 and work until she wakes up at 8am; then I go back to work during naptime and again after she goes to bed. When I am in ‘crunch time’ like leading up to my big craft show in Lititz, PA I will often sew while she plays, taking lots of breaks to have tea or hold her dolly, etc. I try to keep us involved in activities offline, like our local Mom’s club and the YMCA. I really want to enjoy these years with her as they are already flying by!

What are your future plans for your business?

I was published in Create and Decorate a couple of times; I loved seeing my work in print and would like to do more of that. After my daughter starts school, I will return to doing more shows and also open up a wholesale section for my finished dolls online. I have been limited in time right now.

What does handcrafting mean to you?

It means taking my time with every single doll I create – 1 or 20 in a week; some weeks I have a groove and can do 20 each one having her own style and personality. Some weeks I can only finish one; and that’s OK with me. Being creative doesn’t have a set schedule, even though I have to work a set schedule. I try to go with my energy level and when I am in a slump I will try something new or do something a little more mundane like tea staining some fabric, or cleaning my sewing room. The main thing is that every customer who buys from me (online or at a show) knows that I hand-stitched the face, I created this doll from a piece of fabric and she has her own personality now.

Where do you sell your crafts at?

Online, my main website is where I sell my finished work and patterns, kits, and doll hair www.homespunfromtheheart.com.   Right now I don’t have much finished work listed as I am getting ready to go to Lititz; I will be listing a LOT of new Halloween and fall items after August 18th.

I also sell online at www.saveourhooteres.com and I have an Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/CupcakeDolls.

Offline, I just started selling in both retail and wholesale at In Grandma’s Attic, in Kinzer’s PA. The wholesale shop is for made in the U.S.A. only crafters.

I also do a few craft shows every year, the main one is Sat. August 14th in Lititz, PA http://www.lititzrotary.com/craft.htm   I have a new location this year, near Wilbur’s Chocolates – so if anyone happens to come, make sure you stop by to say Hi! I am really looking forward to the show!

Handmade Spotlight - Craft Supplies

Do you need crafting supplies? ArtFire.com has them in every color of the rainbow.

Take a minute to check out this collection of supplies I made on ArtFire.com, this morning.

Need Supplies?

  Curated By: ewenmeprintab...

ArtFire.com

Enjoy!
Deena Davis
www.byyourhands.com

Rag Quilting Tutorial --- Part Two

Welcome to part two of my rag quilting tutorial.    If you are following along with me you should have all the pieces for your first block cut out and the individual blocks pinned together.

This week I will show you how to machine quilt the blocks.    This is done to hold all your block layers together.     If you can sew a straight line,  you can do this.
     First we will sew all the squares.    You will be sewing an X on the block by sewing from corner to corner.
It is not necessary to backstitch these seams as you will be sewing over them when the blocks are sewn together. 
The blue lines on the block indicate the sewing lines.   Sew all five of your blocks like this.

Next are the triangles.     First you will sew a line from the middle of the long side of the triangle to the point.
Then sew across the triangle as shown in the picture.    Repeat for all the triangles.

Now we need to sew the triangles together.     You should have four of each value,  dark fabric and medium fabric.   
You will be sewing a dark and medium together.

   All seam widths from now on will be 3/4 of an inch wide.  The seams will be sewn on the right side of the blocks and will be clipped into fringe.

Pin the triangles together.  The blue line indicates the stitching line.   Sew across the triangles 3/4 inch in from the edge of the fabric.   These seams I do backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

I always clip my seams as I sew the blocks.   Some sewers do all their clipping after the quilt is completely sewn but I feel this is the best way to do it because your seams are easier to see and your hands will thank you for breaking this very tiring job up.  
And before,  we clip the seam I want to show you the scissors I use for rag quilting.   They are special made for this purpose and they are really easy to use and easy on your hands.    I have tried other rag quilting scissors and these are my favorites.    For a part time rag quilter,  regular scissors will work just fine.    These are for someone who does a lot of rag quilting as they are pricey but worth it to save the wear and tear on your hands if you do it alot.    Joann's Fabric runs them on sale every so often for half price and that is when I bought mine.  

Okay,  now we are going to work on the triangle seam.    The first thing I do when I clip the seams is to cut a piece away from the corners.  Doing this will eliminate a lot of bulk and make it easier to sew through many layers.  Measure in 3/4 of an inch from the side.    Staying at least 1/16 inch away from your seam line,  you are going to cut that corner away.

 Repeat for the other side.

Now we will clip the seam for fringe.    You will be making approx. 1/4 inch cuts into the seam.   Make sure you stay at least 1/16 inch away from your seam line.  

Here is what your finished block will look like.

Sew the rest of the triangles together in the same way.   You will end up with four of these blocks.
Next week we will sew all the blocks together to make the first large block of our quilt.

Thanks for visiting today.   See you next week with part three.
Bette

Do you have a special skill you would like to share?    If you  would like to do a tutorial for By Your Hands,  please email us at byyourhandsblog@gmail.com or use our contact form at the top of the blog.     Alll tutorial contributors will have their logo permanently placed on our Crafty Guests page.