There are so many fabulous and inspiring quotes on Etsy!  I always enjoy a little touch of inspiration to encourage me to grow my business, be a better person, or just learn to relax a bit more.  Who doesn’t need that??

Decorating your home with inspirational art or carrying around an inspiring tote bag can’t be a bad thing, right!?

Here’s a bit of inspiration from a few creative shops on Etsy…

{Expect Great Things – The Love Shop}

{Breathe In – Handmade and Craft}

{With All My Heart – Emily Rooney Designs}

{Color Outside the Lines – Sharon}

{Lulu Bug Jewelry – Be the Change Necklace}

{Today I Will Choose Joy – Print Design Studio}

{Make Your Mark – Jay M}

Etsy has a lot to offer and shopping from home is awesome!

Do you have a favorite inspiring quote?  I love anything that makes me feel a little lighter!

Have a fabulous day!

~Kim

I can seriously shop on Etsy!  I could buy a few things a day if I had an unlimited budget…what a dream!  I am not only an Etsy seller, but I’ve been an Etsy shopper for years and I treasure each purchase I’ve made.

There’s something about buying a vintage item that has a story behind it, or a handmade purse when you’ve talked to the maker.  It’s hard to even compare these amazing Etsy products to those bought at a store.

Each time you buy something on Etsy you know who you are supporting, and most of those people are a lot like you and me.  I love that!

I’ve gathered a few lovely Etsy finds to share with you today…

{Mini Tabletop Café Chalkboard Sign -  Cottage in the Oaks}

{Boutique Flower Head Band – Miss Ruby Sue}

{Pincushion Ring – Thimbleful}

{Eco-Friendly Large Cloth Napkins – JAQs Studio}

{Red Dangle Earrings – Sigalit Alcalai}

{Party Purses {set of 5} – Mama Bleu Designs}

{Spring Necklace – Lauren Blythe Designs }

Do you have a favorite??

Have you bought anything on Etsy lately?

I’d love to hear about it!!!

~Kim

Win a tote bag of your choice!

We are looking forward to a little time at the beach around here and have whipped up a whole line of beachy and nautical tote bags to welcome the warm weather!

These tote bags are the perfect size to take your towel and a book or two to the beach. You can also buy them in bundles and we’ll customize them for your next party or retreat. 

Take a look at some of these fun designs…

Lobsters…they make me start dreaming of Maine and Lobster Bisque.  Ha!  It’s always about the food around here. 

Seahorses have always been one of my favorites!  These would be beautiful for a beach wedding tote or to take on your next beachy vacation!

Need I say more?  I’m sure you know a girl or two that could use one of these! 

To carry your yarn around wherever you go…

This is one of our colorful totes for all you Parrot Heads out there!

Did you get a crafty tote of your own yet?? 

These are so popular around here…we were even featured on Etsy last week!  We were in a tote bag frenzy around here printing and packaging like crazy people!  It was fun!

We are starting to offer these in a few colors, but haven’t listed photos in the shop yet.  If you would like a special color, just convo me and we’ll see what we can do!

There are a ton of new designs and I’d like to share a tote bag of your choice to 3 Everything Etsy readers!

Which one would you choose?

Visit Handmade and Craft and leave a comment below telling me about your favorite.   Be sure to click through the rafflecopter widget to have each entry count!

{All tote orders ship with an upgrade to Priority Shipping for a limited time!}

Good Luck!

~Kim

Don’t you just love it when you stumble upon an art fair or some unexpected outdoor market?  I was thrilled and surprised last weekend to luck-out and catch the annual Fine Arts Festival in Tarpon Springs, Florida.  It’s one of those really special events that attracts hundreds of amazing and talented sellers and thousands of attendees.  It also happens to be held in a waterfront park underneath huge live-oak trees.  Oh, and the food is wonderful too!

As I walked around the show I enjoyed talking with the artists, photographers, and all around crafty folks who were selling.  The conversation often turned to Etsy and I couldn’t help but think about how Etsy was just FULL of the same amazing and wonderful creations I was falling in-love with at every turn at the show.

And Etsy is open 24/7/365 for your shopping (and selling) convenience.  And oh the stuff you can find!  {Bargains too!}

I came home and spent a little bit of time looking through the shops of some of our sponsors here on EverythingEtsy.com and I was totally inspired.  Here are a few examples of the great stuff you can find on Etsy.  These creative sellers also help keep this blog running every day by advertising with us.

Check these out and take a look along the right side of the page where you’ll find these and many more equally amazing shops!

Everything Etsy Sponsor Spotlight

{Rooster Art – EcoCycled}

{Guitar Pick – Fired Up Ladies Hammered}

{Stacking Gemstone Rings – FantaSea Jewelry}

{Custom Designer Pillows – Modern Touch Designs}

{Chevron Baby Blanket – NotyBaby}

{Sea Glass Bracelet – Beach Glass Shop}

{Paisley Soap Mold – Lather & Lotions}

{I Love Tea Plate – A Kitschy Kitchen}

————-

Have a wonderful week and stay crafty!

~ Kim

North Carolina is full of awesome creative people that sell on Etsy!  Right now we’re visiting this great state on a summer vacation and enjoying lots of the local art daily.  I’m lovin’ it!

Here’s a taste of what you can find from these North Carolina Etsy sellers…

This handmade collar from Catey Blue {Wake Forest} will make your dog smile with pride!  The bright colors are fabulous!

Personalized iPhone Cases make great gifts!  Sarah from Charlotte has tons of designs.  These beachy stripes are perfect for summer!

This tropical decorative pillow from Whitlock and Co. of Chapel Hill is stunning!  I could use a couple for my bedroom.

Get ready to party with 100 paper straws from Dime Store Buddy {located in Raleigh}.  These are super cute!

Check out these custom pocket mirrors from Spotlight Mirrors.  Stephanie from Ft. Bragg has a great selection of fun personalized mirrors for parties and weddings.

What a cool ceramic mug!  It’s created right in Mooresville!

Are you an Etsy seller in North Carolina???

You might be interested in these Etsy teams…

• North Carolina Street Team – based in Wilmington
• Sweet Southern Shops of the Carolinas
• Asheville Etsy Team

You’ll find tons of Etsy Teams to choose from right here!

North Carolina Etsy sellers rock!!

~Kim

Home for Hire is this week’s featured Etsy shop!!  You won’t believe the beautiful selection of pretty things for your home.  This girl has style! 

You’ll find vintage books, lace napkin rings and lovely shabby chic birds like these…

Visit Home for Hire and check it out for yourself!

If you would like to have your shop featured on Everything Etsy you can find all the details in this featured shop post.

I hope you found a new shop to heart today!

~Kim

1. Flower Girl Dress {Olivia Kate Couture}
2. Flower Accessory {Insprink Studio}
3. Hair Pins {Fancie Strands}
4. Caribbean Teal Twine {In The Clear}

5.  Beautiful Print  {Ink Tree Press}

These lovely Etsy finds were all found in the Everything Etsy Directory…it’s a great spot to find a gift for the next birthday on your list.

This week went by so fast, but I am ready for the weekend!!!  We might do a little grillin’ and chillin’ by the lake…what are your plans?  Something relaxing??  I hope so! 

~Kim

Let me introduce you to a wonderful new Etsy shop full of dreamy nautical & vintage themed stationery and invitations…Concertina Press!

Ruth designs simple and elegant wedding invitations, note cards, announcements or any personalized stationery you might need.  I would love to have a whole closet full of her stationery for hostess and birthday gifts!

I thought you might want to know a bit more about the creative mind behind Concertina Press.

Here’s Ruth…

My name is Ruth and I’m a bookbinder and stationery designer who lives in the very pleasant seaside village of Woods Hole. I began designing stationery and invitations several years ago for a small shop, and when they closed up this winter due to a cross country move, I decided to keep on going with my own designs, and that’s how Concertina Press was started. So far it’s been great, but a little scary to work for myself.

What inspires you?

I love browsing etsy and seeing ways that other people have been creative (three of my favorite etsians right now are 2-D artists TheWheatField , Yellena and jeweler MySelvegedLife). I also love poring over antique engravings and illustrations of sealife, birds, plants and animals – often if I’m stuck in a rut, simply looking through my extensive collection of illustrations can start an idea forming for a new design.

What’s the best thing about where you live?

I  live a stone’s throw from the ocean (well, if you had a really strong arm) and I live really close to a rail-trail called the Shining Sea Bike Path, and it’s so great to get to ride my bike to work down this gorgeous path next to the beach and through bird sanctuaries – right now all the red-winged blackbirds are out.

What’s on your playlist?  Any favorite songs you listen to over and over?

I love this question! I love listening to music while I work – or pretty much all the time actually. I like listening to The Bird and the Bee’s album “Ray Guns are not Just the Future”, Jonsi’s album “Go” and Andrew WK’s album “I Get Wet” (yes really) when I need to get some work done.

Where can we find you?

Facebook l Twitter l Etsy Shop l Flickr l Concertina Press Blog

Ruth sent me some of my very own personalized Narwhal Notes and I have to say that they are so fabulous I haven’t wanted to use them just yet.  I’ll need to stare at them on my desk for awhile longer.

Would you like to win a set for yourself???

One lucky Everything Etsy reader will win a Narwhal Notes set of 10 personalized notes and 7 envelopes featuring a vintage etching of everyone’s favorite unicorn-of-the-sea.

Here’s how to win…

• Visit Concertina Press and leave a comment about your favorite item. {1 entry}
• Keep up with the latest designs and specials on Facebook {1 entry}
• Spread the word of this giveaway by Twitter, Facebook or blog post {1 extra entry each}
• If you subscribe to Everything Etsy by email or reader…thanks!  {1 extra entry}

This giveaway ends June 13th at midnight.  Please leave a comment for each entry.

**The giveaway has ended…congratulations to Evelene!  Thanks for all your wonderful comments.

Good luck on this fabulous giveaway from Concertina Press!

~Kim

Today’s Etsy Artist Spotlight is shining on Victoria from sfgirlbybay!  You are going to love this interview with the artist behind one of Etsy’s super successful shops!

Here’s Victoria & one of the most popular items I’ve ever seen….

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’ve lived in San Francisco for 16 years and worked in Advertising as an Art Buyer for 15 years before becoming a fulltime blogger and Etsy seller. I’m a late bloomer – I didn’t start my blog, or Etsy shop until very late in life. I write sfgirlbybay.com, a daily design blog, offering affordable design inspiration and ideas, and encouraging individuality and unique, personal style. I live in a cute 1930s house with my sweet dog, Lucy.

What inspires you?

Creativity and enthusiasm for the creative community. I love unique collaborations and support I find from online friends. I’ve never met most of these people, but they are some of kindest and generous group of artists I’ve ever encountered. They inspire me everyday and make me aspire to do more.

What’s the best thing about where you live?

San Francisco is a dream city for me. I’ve got the city life, and live right in the heart of it, but we’re also surrounded by beauty and nature here. If I want to see trees and expanses of grass, I just need to take a short walk to any of our local parks, or head to the Presidio or Marin. It’s the best of both worlds, and surrounded by water. The people are pretty amazing too – I find most nonjudgmental, friendly and unique. Anything goes.

Is your shop a business or hobby to you? Did you start out that way?

The blog and the Etsy shop both started as a hobby. I had bought a Keep Calm & Carry On poster on craigslist and because I was at the time, working in print production at an ad agency, I knew the print quality and colors could be much improved upon. And, I thought it would be fun to offer them in more colors, to suit different decors, so since it was a Public Domain image, I reproduced them on high quality recycled paper in a variety of great colors, even black and metallic silver. They became hugely popular and between my sales on Etsy and the blog advertising sales, I was able to quit my 9-5 job.

How do you promote your shop?

I don’t do a lot of promoting – I’ve announced sales on my blog, and on twitter and Facebook, but I don’t do any advertising. It’s been a lot of word of mouth from other blogs, and from a few features in magazines, like Domino, and the NY Times. I’ve also started selling some of my photographs from my blog series, Sunday in the City. I blog the images first, and often people ask me to buy a print.

What advice would you give to new Etsy sellers?
I think one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of selling on Etsy is the photography of your product. There are so many very poorly shot items, that I would love to feature on the blog — but if you shoot your product and it’s blurry, or your clothes hamper is in the background, it makes it very difficult for me (and other bloggers) to share your work. You can buy an inexpensive digital camera these days, set up a white background (a simple sheet will do) and really focus on your subject matter. Make the image sharp, and a good resolution. Not only will you sell more, because buyers can make a clear decision about what you’re offering, but bloggers will feature your items if they are well-shot. I guarantee it will make a huge difference.
Could you share with us a couple Etsy shops that you love?

Sure – I love these (and they are great examples of well-photographed shops):

Trampoline l Paulette Edition l Kiki & Polly l Hindsvik l Knot & Bow l
Scabby Robot

Where can we find you?

etsy {sfgirlbybay}| le petite flea {my vintage Etsy shop}| twitter | facebook l blog

{Kim here – I just want to say that you really NEED to stop by Victoria’s blog daily…It’s beautiful, and you’ll love her dog!}

————————————————————————–

Thanks so much, Victoria!  You have an eye for beauty!  I can see why you are so successful on Etsy and with your beautiful design blog.

This is sure to inspire other Etsy sellers to take a second look at their photography and make sure it’s top notch.

**If anyone would like to share a link to a shop in the comments with great photography, please do!

~Kim

Today’s Etsy Artist Spotlight is on Cupcake Cutiees where you can find sweet chic designs and printables.  There’s something for everyone from robots to hearts and so much more!

Here’s a little glimpse into this popular Etsy shop…

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a work at home mom with five wonderful children.
You will catch a glimpse of  my beautiful kids in all my sample photos. I have a  supporting husband who is patient and just plain awesome.  I spend many hours on my computer and he has been behind me all the way.  I am a craft junkie. I love to sew, scrapbook, make jewelry, crochet and just love finding new items to inspire me. I am always on the look for what is new and fresh.  If there is a craft to be done, I love to find out how to do it.

What inspires you?

My children inspire me so much. My girls are very feminine and love to sparkle and shine.  My son is a very opinionated boy who has his own likes and dislikes. He is quick to tell me if something looks good or not. He is in the skater phase right now and anything punk just “rocks” . He also is quick to tell me I do a lot of girls *not enough boy*  items.  I also love going to the craft store. I think I could get lost in any craft store.  I drool over fabrics and scrapbooking tools. I can spend hours looking over fabrics colors and styles. I have a very modern whimsical style, and anything with bright colors is a hit for me. My customers also inspire me. I love seeing jewelry or fun new crafts come up with my collage sheets and graphics.

What’s the best thing about where you live?

We live in a small town. I LOVE it. We have a quaint little downtown with little shops and restaurants.  I have lived in the big city and small towns are more my style. We have so many activities to do in our area. Boating and Camping in the summer and Skiing and LOTS of snow in the winter.
Is your shop a business or hobby to you? Did you start out that way?

My shop is my love and business. I had three children under five under my house at one time. I wanted to stay home with my little ones and do something I love. I started out small. I am a very motivated person. I love helping other people with my graphics and collage sheets. I just pushed and worked my way up.
How do you promote your shop?

I have a blog and have always just got the word out through my business. I try to have the best customer service to my customers.
What advice would you give to new Etsy sellers?

I started out slow and it took me awhile to get where I am at. Just be motivated, follow trends, and don’t give up.  I am always watching to see what is popular and what the growing trends are.  Give excellent customer support. People will come back if you just give them a good product with excellent service.

Could you share with us a couple Etsy shops that you love?

• I love the themonkeycannon – crochet beards are awesome right now.
• I love the thelittlefox – the illustrations are beautiful.

Where can we find you?

• You can find me at Etsy: www.cupcakecutiees.etsy.com
• My website: www.cupcakecutiees.com
• My blog www.cupcakecutiees.blogspot.com

You can catch some fabulous tutorials and freebies on my blog.

Thanks so much Cupcake Cutiees!  Your designs are so fun, and I can see why you’re a super successful Etsy seller!  It was so nice of you to take the time to share your seller tips with us today!

~Kim