Extended Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion

Since I don't want to forget to turn it on, I'm just going ahead and setting up both shops for holiday orders next week.

All orders placed in either my Etsy or Artfire* stores between 11/19 and 11/28 will receive free standard shipping to the United States (expedited and International rates will still apply).

Also, all pendants purchased during that time will receive a free matching chain or copper neckwire (please state preference on the order).

Also, also, I'm offering free gift wrapping upon request.

I know these aren't the deep discounts you'll see at the big box stores next week. But the good news is, I'm not a big box store! Plus, you can purchase gifts from me in your pajamas.



Happy Holidays!





*As a note, Artfire does not require you to have an account to purchase, in case you're wondering what the appeal to buying there is and why I'm in both places.

Artfire: the Batman of the vintage and handcrafted

Where do they get such wonderful toys? From talented and dedicated developers, that's where!

I signed up there shortly after the Rapid Cart launched allowing customers to checkout on a widget on a blog or website without creating an Artfire account or even leaving the site they're on. But, I've been dragging my feet about getting my items copied over there from Etsy. I really hate listing things. I know I've covered this at length before, so I'll spare you from a repeat of that whinefest. This was the major reason why I kept procrastinating setting up my studio there, regardless of the fact that I've been throwing $7 a month their way for quite a while and the fact that I only had about 17 items on Etsy anyway.

Then the Facebook Kiosk came out. Again, I had a little infatuation with the whole idea of people being able to now purchase items from my studio from my profile page and the fan page I created for Gaia's Jewel there. But it was only enough pull to make me move the item up on my lengthy to-do list and nothing more. I was still dreading all that initial set up.

This week, however, they rolled out the Etsy Importer and I nearly fainted with undying love for Artfire and their developers. Free for the month of October, you can now import all or part of your Etsy inventory over to Artfire in three incredibly easy steps. In less than five minutes, I went from having an empty studio to having one full of my Etsy items. I'll stop fangirling in a minute, but I just want to say a couple more things. . .

I can't help but admire a business with a model that includes listening to and implementing features that their customers want. I've seen so many features and tools on Artfire that I distinctly recall thinking, "man, I wish I could do this" on Etsy. Not only do they implement these things but they seem to roll them out rather quickly. I've been quite impressed by the level of development I've seen in just the past 6 months or so that I've been paying attention.

So bravo, Artfire and keep up the good work! I'm not planning to dump my Etsy account any time soon, but I'm excited to get to play with some of these features finally.

Hiatus over

I had taken some time off since my last writing to both work on researching how I should go about getting my store into public view and also to plan my gardens for the spring/summer. While the former task seems like it will never be complete, the latter is pretty much done. My gardens are on paper, now I just have to order plants and seeds and wait on the weather. I can't wait to get my hands back in the dirt. I know along with it, there will be a lot of back breaking work for at least a month, but also a lot of inspiration and enjoyment. I can't wait to see the first flowers and taste the first tomatoes and peppers and bring in a head of lettuce for the freshest salads possible.

I have learned a TON in the past two weeks about how to get myself out there in a new and constantly changing market. I've acquired an ArtFire account, which I'm looking forward to trying out in addition to my Etsy store. I signed up for the $7/month for the rest of your life promotion that's going on right now and you should too!

I've gathered all sorts of Twitter tools and I've more than quadrupled my followers in the past 24 hours and even though I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, it's easier than it was to keep up with followers and those I'm following with some of these tools.

I've also learned a lesson about how it all works that I never dreamed of. Sites like Etsy and ArtFire have brought sort of a revolution or maybe renaissance to the handcrafted market. I started out thinking I would need to hide my personality from my store, keeping it strictly business and using third person descriptions when writing things like store policies and such to really create a brand. As it turns out, the opposite is true. While I don't intend to link anyone to my Facebook or personal LiveJournal accounts, as I understand it, the Etsy and ArtFire models are just as much about social networking as they are about the business. There's a new age where it's ok for customers to know their artisans personally that help them make a better connection to the product or brand. I think someone in business finally realized that the products of artists are pieces of the artists themselves and that it's OK and even helpful to get to know the artisan behind the artwork. It's finally OK to run a business with an artisan's mindset. It's certainly a refreshing concept since all along I've thought I was going to have to force an unnatural business persona in order to sell my work. It's nice to know I can be myself and still find customers to connect with.

Now to just get back to work and give them something to connect with. With the sunny, warm(er) weather today, I'm feeling the spring colors of peridot, lavender amethyst and pale golden citrine. After a good run and maybe some playtime outside for my son, it's to the bench with me for the rest of the day.