Wordless Wednesday

Pink Dawn

CraftIsArt - Branching Out

It’s Shameless Commerce Tuesday and today I’m announcing the opening of my branch online shop at http://www.craftisart.com/pasqueflower.

On a sleepless night near the end of tax season (was it a full moon, I wonder?), I decided to expand my online presence by opening a shop on CraftIsArt.com – an alternative online marketplace for handmade items, fine art, vintage and supplies. 

At first glance it appears to be a smaller, cheap imitation of Etsy that could use a little window dressing.

Then what, you may ask, attracted me to CraftIsArt? 

Simply put, I weighed the pros and cons, and decided to give it a try.

PROS

Fewer fees.  Sometimes I feel I'm being nickeled and dimed to death on Etsy, although the per item cost of listing, renewal, and selling fees is still less than the cost of a craft fair booth rental divided by number of items sold.

A premium CraftIsArt membership is $7.99 per month (or $79.99 per year), but there are --

-          No listing fees

-          No sales fees

-          No renewal fees

-          Unlimited 90-day listings

-          Instant payments

Low risk.  Since my Etsy fees run WAY over $7.99 per month, I figured I had nothing (but $7.99 per month) to lose.

And it is another way to be found by search engines.  SEO! 

Less likely to be lost in the crowd.  Etsy's new rule changes, allowing an influx of manufactured items "designed" by an artist or craftsperson to glut the formerly handmade/vintage marketplace, coupled with an amazing rate of annual growth in the number of sellers and products on Etsy, make it harder to stand out in a growing crowd.

I was also able to import my Etsy shop listings as a CVS batch upload.  (This sounds great in theory, but it took over four hours to complete all the uploading, editing and tweaking – and even then I lost Category designations I had manually entered and re-entered.)

CONS

Lower traffic. The site does not generate nearly as much traffic as Etsy.

It will be more difficult tracking inventory in the two shops.

I’ve noticed some serious search glitches.  (For example I clicked on “Fiber Art” and landed on paper scrapbook printables – not my definition of fiber art!)

CraftIsArt accepts PayPal, but it only accepts credit card payments through ProPay ($39.95 annual fee) or Authorize.net.  I’m still in the process of setting up the ProPay account – definitely not a seamless process.

I have limited ability to rearrange my shop – and “featured” items are just a random scrolling of listed items.

I still haven’t successfully uploaded a new banner, even though I special ordered a cheap one that was supposed to be the required minimum 728 px. I ended up going to a totally different vendor - Plan B. I hope to get a new banner installed within a day or two.  Setting up an Etsy shop was easier.

Shipping options are not seller-friendly, and they subtly push sellers toward Free Shipping.  (There's a separate Free Shipping box to check - or not - when listing each item.) I ignored that nudge.  Been there.  Done that.  Will only do it again for special seasonal promos.

SO -----

Despite the Cons, I decided there was little financial risk, and a potential for increased online exposure for my products.  

On Etsy, my store is a little urban boutique among other boutiques.  On CraftIsArt, my shop will be a little small town virtual craft fair booth among other virtual craft fair booths.  Etsy and CraftIsArt are different venues with (presumably) different shoppers.

It’s too early to tell whether I’ll get any substantial sales on CraftIsArt.  The jury may be out for a few more months.  

If I don’t get at least 50 sales by the holidays, I may opt to use the CraftIsArt shop as a Bargain Basement --I'd remove slow-moving or aging items from my Etsy shop and list them on CraftIsArt.  That would help keep my Etsy shop fresh, and limit the potential problems of having the same inventory listed on both sites. 

Have you tried other online marketplaces?  If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences.

TTFN

LeAnn

Treasury Thanks

This week I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to the curators of Etsy treasuries who featured items from my Etsy shops, Aunt Pheba's Vintage and Pasque Flower Creations, in their treasuries during the past week.  A longing for Spring was evident in many of this week's treasuries, and I can truly relate. I have a bad case of Spring Fever.

Sharla of BeadedTail featured my tangerine and green floral oven mitts in her treasury, Spring Is Filled with Green, Flowers, and a Kitty or Two.   This cat lover's journal in sunny yellow from Sharla's shop would brighten up a cold, gray day.

Lauren Maddaford (buyer only) featured my green chevron oven mitt in her beautiful treasury, Green.  Thank you, Lauren!

Judy of MisterPenQuin featured my roses on light blue oven mitts in her treasury, Spring Around the Corner. Spring may be just around the corner -- the forecast calls for temperatures above 60 by the end of the week.
This pretty shabby pink posy mini book from Judy's shop reminds me of apple blossoms, which I hope to see and smell in a few weeks.

ARTGIFTBOX from Latvia featured my green chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Spring Freshness.  I just love this beautiful fiber brooch in lilac and white.

Diana Mallea of KitchenWitch1 featured my green chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Green Goes with Everything...PTP Team Fresh Finals.  Here is a rose bath and body gift set from Diana's shop.

Renee Lavocat of SomethingHeliotrope featured my poppies on teal oven mitts in her Mother's Day themed treasury, Fo Da Mama.  This living locket in black with bird and birthstones would make a wonderful Mother's Day gift.

Ayla of Eyelah featured my girls prairie sunbonnet in pink in her treasury, Pretty in Pink.  This beautiful lace zipper pouch is pretty and pink.

Ilona of Nonoluna featured my tiny cars baby boy bib in her beautiful treasury in aqua and yellow, Monday Express.  I love this rose garden five strand beaded stretch bracelet - so fresh and Spring-y!

Lolo Sinclair of lolos featured my aqua chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Aqua.   Lolo is having a super sale with big discounts on clutches.  This lovely pink pleated clutch caught my eye.

Nantia of prettyobject featured my black and tan chevron oven mitt in her treasury, April.  This beautiful lavender scarf would be perfect for those chilly Spring evenings.

Margaret of SplendidLittleStars featured my flowers on yellow baby bib in her treasury, Spring Has Begun.  This beautiful hand dyed silk scarf is a perfect Spring accessory.

Nantia of prettyobject featured my brown and white chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Happy Tuesday.  This beautiful Hope coin purse would be a lovely gift.

Jamie Birkholz of jaysworld featured my green chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Say Green.  Jamie's shop is full of vintage books.  I love this vintage pink book set

.
Nantia of prettyobject was BUSY making treasuries this week!!  She featured my red chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Good Evening!  This black coin purse with flower is SO pretty!!

Cindy Tousignant of Cervelle Doiseau featured my black and white chevron oven mitt in her stunning treasury, Black and White Classic,  I think my daughter would love these geometrical feathered earrings from Cindy's shop.

And there you have it!  Another week of inspiring treasuries.  Thanks, again, curators!

TTFN
LeAnn

Hippity Hoppity Easter's On Its Way

It's Shameless Commerce Tuesday, and today I'm featuring an adorable little bunnies figurine from my vintage shop, Aunt Pheba's Vintage:

The little glass eyes are so lifelike!

And one bunny seems to be cuddling his friend, as if to say, "Some bunny loves you."

Yes, Easter is only three weeks away!

TTFN
LeAnn

Treasury Thanks

Each week I like to extend a big

THANK YOU

to Etsy treasury curators who featured items from my Etsy shops, Pasque Flower Creations and Aunt Pheba's Vintage, in their treasuries during the past week.

Although it is officially Spring according to the calendar (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), many of us are still experiencing cold, gray days.   One treasury this week embraced that grayness to create a beautiful treasury in gray tones, but most of the treasuries used bright colors and Spring themes as a temporary escape from the cold and drab.

Valentina Zhurbich of ItsyBitsyBabyToes (you guessed it -- she makes ADORABLE handmade baby booties) featured my Spit Happens baby bib in her treasury, April Baby Showers - Boy.  I just had to share these precious baby girl ballet booties with all of you.

Nantia of prettyobject embraced the grayness of a cold, cloudy morning in her treasury, Good Morning!! She featured my gray and white chevron oven mitt -- one of my best sellers.  Who knew?!  I love this little crochet coin purse in gray and pink:

Edi Royer of memoriesforlifesb featured my green chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Spring Greens.  Edi has added many new engraved wooden wedding invitations to her shop.  Here's a sample of some of her laser artistry:

Sylvia Swasey from SSDestash featured my orange chevron oven mitt in her bright and cheery treasury, Seeing Orange.  My beading buddies will want to check out Sylvia's shop.  She has a wonderful assortment of beads, like this Happy Orange variety pack of 40 beads.

Lana Moes of LanasArt featured my yellow linen retro-inspired bow clutch in her pretty treasury, Spring Time.  Lana is such a talented artist!  You can see that for yourself in this beautiful watercolor fashion illustration.  This one reminds me of a 60s-era flower child, and the lyrics to an old song performed by the Cowsills, "flowers in her hair -- flowers everywhere."

Deniz Deniz of natureandpaper featured my poppies on teal oven mitts (in short supply as this fabric is out of print), in her treasury, Spring, Love, and Poppies.  This pine wood handmade journal is a sample of some of the wonderfully handcrafted pieces you'll find at natureandpaper.

And last, but by no means least, is a beautiful treasury by Kim Huff of hhprint, in one of my favorite new color combinations, Mint and Coral.  Kim makes incredible personalized iPhone cases, like this lovely case in coral.

As some of you know, I REALLY want to purchase an iPhone before the fall craft fair season begins, so I can take credit card payments with The Square.  And if when I do, I just may have to visit Kim's shop to find the perfect cover. I'm afraid the budget can't stretch to buy one before my first Spring craft show on April 26.  (Yikes!! That's only 4 weeks away!)   In the meantime, I still have 16 more days (not counting today) until the end of tax season....and counting!

Today promises to be a truly gorgeous Spring day!!  My brother from SD drove down this weekend to watch college baseball, and he treated us to dinner out on Saturday before he headed to Omaha to watch more college baseball today.  It SNOWED on Friday night, but the game went on --- and my brother NEVER leaves a game until it is over, even when he's freezing his skinny butt off!

That's probably because one of our most vivid memories as kids was seeing Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th inning at a stadium which has since been demolished to build the Mall of America.

Our dad (who died of a sudden heart attack on March 28, 1968 at the age of 43, when we were 13 and 14 years old) was a huge baseball fan.  We could actually earn a "bye" from doing evening livestock chores if we would keep a scorebook of the radio broadcast of a Twins game so Dad could see a play-by-play recap.  He also helped start the first Girls 4-H Softball league in our county.  I played for the Farmington Farmerettes back in the day.

My brother, Jeff Larson, is just as passionate about baseball.  He ALWAYS keeps score when he attends baseball games, and he has kept every score book since he was 9 years old (that's 50 years' worth!). He has visited every major league baseball park in the US, and almost all minor league parks, and he regularly attends the College World Series.  He and his college roommate take an annual week-long baseball pilgrimage, also visiting Civil War Battlefields and now National Parks along the way.  

It's a much-needed reprieve from the stress of being a criminal defense attorney. He has six pending homicide cases, including a death penalty case.  His super-talented paralegal, Kara Duncan, was my star student when I taught Criminal Justice and Legal Studies night classes at Kilian Community College in Sioux Falls in the 1990s.   I gave her a glowing recommendation when she applied to work at the Minnehaha County Public Defender's Office, and she and Jeff have been working together ever since.

Temps are already above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and I should be able to leave the tax office by 3:30 pm today, so I'm hoping to take a walk in the sunshine!!  I hope you also have a chance to enjoy some time outdoors in the lovely Spring weather.

TTFN
LeAnn

Wordless Wednesday - Laws of Nature

Laws of Nature

Larry Root

(Part of a much wider art installation at UNL College of Law)

Treasury Thanks

Each week I like to pay it forward by featuring an item from Etsy shops whose owners have added items from my shops, Pasque Flower Creations and Aunt Pheba's Vintage, to treasuries they've curated over the past week.  So to those curators, let me say:

THANK YOU!

First up, my Blogging Business Artisans teammate, Duni of PeriDotbyDuni, featured my blue woodlands baby bib in her treasury, Dazzling Blue.  If you're looking for a new accessory to freshen up your Spring wardrobe, consider this beautiful pastel pink floral infinity scarf:

Margaret of SplendidLittleStars featured my roses oven mitt in her pretty Spring treasury, Longing for Flowers.  And speaking of Spring accessories, here's another pretty option, a silk scarf with flowers from Margaret's shop.

6-pocket tract wallet

Jamie Niebergall of PoppyHillCreations featured my yellow chevron oven mitt in her sunny treasury, Here Comes the Sun.    This pretty watercolor hibiscus clip art hearkens sunny days ahead.

Candice of keepeweclean featured my orange and gray Lotta J baby bib in her treasury, Gray and Orange for ALL.  Candice is also a sewist.  I love this pretty 6-pocket tract wallet with the roomy pockets. (Mine
is splitting at the seams.)

Lesley from ClayIsMyArt featured a green and blue vintage lotus scarf from my Aunt Pheba's Vintage shop in her treasury, Cool Blue . . .  This cool blue coffee mug and plate caught my eye.  Perfect for a little treat while reading on the deck some future sunny day.

Patti Marko of PattiStuff featured my teal and brown fabric covered notebook in her treasury, Teal Is Real.  Patti says, "Teal is happy. Teal is Spring.  Teal is fresh."  I couldn't agree more!  Patti is an Etsy newbie from Canada who just opened her shop on February 4, 2014, so please stop by and give her shop some Etsy love.  You won't be disappointed.  I particularly like this Licorice Regaliz leather bracelet.
 

  
Linda B. of lindab142 featured my yellow linen bow clutch in her treasury,  It's Spring - Be Happy!  And I AM happy it's Spring.  Even though it is cold and blustery here on the prairie, I know that Spring cannot be too far away.   I would love to wear this turquoise wire-wrapped necklace from Linda's shop with a new Spring outfit. How about you?

Nantia from prettyobject featured my Peeps baby bib in her adorable Easter treasury, Easter.  Nantia is a crochet artist.  I just love this cute little crochet coin purse!

Kim Huff of hhprints featured my poppies on teal oven mitts in her treasury, Color Therapy.  Just looking at this pretty mint feather phone case leaves me feeling calm and relaxed.  And I can almost hear Paul McCartney crooning, "Let it be. Let it be. Let it be. Let it be.  Whisper words of wisdom, let it be."  Not to be morbid, but I think I'd like that song played at my funeral -- hopefully not anytime soon.

I REALLY would like an iPhone so I could have internet on the go, and use a Square to collect credit card payments at craft fairs.  But it's Sunday, and Lent, so I'll remind myself once again, "Thou shalt not covet."

Brittany C. of PreciousBowtique featured my aqua chevron oven mitt in her cool, refreshing treasury, Aqua and Mint.  My youngest granddaughter is growing out of her doll stage, but isn't this 18" doll cap just the cutest?

Madeline still likes glitter and bling, though.  Thanks to DIL Carrie for posting this photo of Madeline (far left) and her friends at last night's Father/Daughter Ball in New Hampshire. (Note the fairy wings -- re-purposed from Halloween.)  They must have agreed to be totally teal.

The grandkids are growing up so fast!

TTFN
LeAnn