Shop Talk Friday: Ready, Set, Market!

A recent Shop Talk Friday reviewed Project Wonderful, but there are other ways to promote your shop and work to the public online.

Online Advertising Options

Google’s AdWords is an advertising program where you create ads that appear when people search Google, and you can set spending limits, such as a daily budget of five dollars and a maximum cost of ten cents for each click on your ad. Google provides keyword traffic/cost estimates, keyword guidelines for choosing effective keywords, and you only pay per click, and not per display.

The companion to this program, Google AdSense, is for websites which would like to display advertisements, and it can also be a good option for entrepreneurs who would like to also generate revenue.

Yahoo Search Marketing is a program that is very similar to Google’s, allowing you to set your limits, pay per click only, etc. To give you an idea, 2.3 BILLION searches occur on Yahoo every month. Yahoo also provides support, ad testing, keyword guidelines, and more.

Magpie - Here you pay per view, but this is also set up on a similar keyword model. You can target fairly specifically here, and click-through rates tend to be much higher than with traditional banner ads.

Non-Traditional Sources for Promotion

Flickr - Don’t sell off of this photo site, use it to show. Show off new work, work-in-progress, or sold items to give people a feel for your product line. This is a great, easy way to build a network of interested people. Tweet about your postings.

My Etsy Book – This is super easy and can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, and other sites. Like a virtual portfolio or mini, only far more detailed, this is a great widget and you can customize it. You don’t have to use their templates, and can upload pictures, or use plain background colors, as well as move and remove elements.

Forums - Most forums have a promotional thread where you can promote your work, website, shop, or latest coupon or sale. A good one to try is the Crafting and Business Help Community, which is a new forum, but already full of great information and resources. ETT has our own private board there as well.

Handmade Pledge - This is one way to access a huge number of handmade and Etsy lovers, many of whom have provided a link/URL or email address. Use this list for networking and for connecting with others who love what you love.

RSS Feeds - This is a GREAT way to provide customers who are interested with your new products/blog posts/website and shop updates, and more. First, find your feed - usually you will find a small button at the top of your webpage on your tool bar that looks like a small, square orange box. If you click on that, it will take you to a link that looks like this one from my shop:

http://www.etsy.com/rss_shop.php?user_id=6174558

Copy the link, then go to www.widgetbox.com (use the basic, free package) and create a widget that will allow people to sign up to receive your RSS feeds when you update your shop. It’s easy, you don’t have to worry about being labeled as spam, and people can choose to be updated.

Additional Stores - places like Artfire, 1000 Markets, Ebay, and personal websites all provide additional promotional opportunities to promote yourself and your work, for a minimal cost.

The one important thing to remember when using any of these opportunities, or any that you find through your own research is to have specific goals in mind that are achievable and targeted to what you want to accomplish. Sometimes that will be generating traffic for a sale or special promotion, sometimes it will be increasing awareness of your shop, and other times it will be to introduce a new product.

Resources:

Handmade Marketing is an excellent and extensive source of great, usable resources, ideas, and links.

Programmable Web is an excellent resource for widgets, etc, with links and details.

Homework for this week: Spend some time on handmademarketing.org investigating opportunities, or if you don’t think you are ready for that, sit down with paper and a pen and come up with three objectives (goals) for your shop. Make sure they are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and have a Timeframe) so that you can determine when and how to meet them, and then begin looking into ways to make those happen.

Next Week’s Shop Talk Friday will be covering wholesaling, so stay tuned!

~ Kristen

Shop Talk Friday: Marketing with Purple Lemon Designs

Guest Blogger: Kelly Rinehart of PurpleLemonDesigns.etsy.com

In the last "Etsy Journey" post on my personal blog, I touched on the social media aspect of marketing my Etsy shop. Today, I am going to touch on other ways I market my shop.

Business Cards

I actually have two business cards that I had printed. One is a part of my packaging that also doubles as a business card. The good thing about this one is that it has a bounce back coupon on it. I also have a standard business card that is just a biz card with my info on it. I actually carry both in my purse. When I get a great dental cleaning or I get a great cashier when I go to the store, I say thanks and hand them the business card with a coupon on it. I give them a quick spiel about what I sell and then I am on my way. Does it work? Who knows…it certainly can’t hurt. Other things I use my business cards for are shop mail outs, (I will talk more about that in a minute), I put them up on bulletin boards, and I sometimes even leave them on the table when I go to dinner.

I also give my regular business cards to EVERYONE I talk to about my business. If you meet people and make that personal connection, they are much more likely to purchase from you. They feel like they are buying from someone they know and can trust. This leads me into my next segment, Talkin’ It Up.

Talkin’ It Up

Some of you are really lucky and talking to people is easy for you. But there are others of you out there saying to yourself, "I am soooo shy! I can’t talk to people about my business! That just isn’t my thing!"

Well, sister (or brother), you have got to get over that. I did. I am the world’s biggest introvert. I am much more comfortable in front of my computer, but I know I can’t sell things to my computer (trust me I have tried – he is just not that into rubber stamps). I have forced myself to talk to people. Let me let you in on a little secret, it is not as hard as you think. It also gets easier the more you do it. People really don’t bite (as much as I thought that they might.)

A little tip when starting up a conversation with someone you don’t know: people love to talk about themselves. Start a conversation with them asking what they do, where they grew up, about their kids, or anything else that relates to them. Make sure that you listen and genuinely care about what they are saying – don’t just wait until they stop talking to run through what you do. Ask questions about what they are saying. Then, once you have gotten a good conversation going with them, I bet that they will ask about you and what you do. Then, don’t dominate the conversation, but quickly tell them about your business using a great elevator speech.

I could go through the ins and outs of developing an elevator speech, but it is much better said by Barbara Lopez for the Design*Sponge biz ladies series. This is an excellent post about developing a speech for those conversations when you get asked, "So what do you do?" You can read the full article here.

My Packaging

I take full advantage of my packaging to advertise my shop to my customers. Your best customers are going to be return customers, so you MUST market to then when they are a captive audience - like when they are opening their purchase from you and they are all giddy from excitement!

Once again, I am going to state this is how I market my shop; I am not an expert; this is what works for me. That being said, I will tell you about my Etsy packaging. This seems to be a very taboo subject around Etsy, but I'm not shy and secretive with my packaging. I use my business stamps to their full advantage:

Remember that dual business card I referred to above? Here it is in action:

I also include a handwritten note on customized stationery for my business.

Then I put all those elements together and voila! - a beautiful Purple Lemon-rific package for a customer to open and enjoy. Hopefully, it will be memorable for them so when they need another stamp or some stationery they will come back to visit.

Hope you enjoyed a little more info about how I market my shop!

Kelly Rinehart
PurpleLemonDesigns.etsy.com

Guest Blogger: Firebird House

Kristen, from Firebird House and Still Heart Studios on Etsy, lets us in on her secrets for a fantastic personal presence in your Etsy shop. Follow her on Twitter @stillheartart. This will be a weekly series!

That Personal Touch

Have you ever gone into a new shop and been greeted with a big smile, or a friendly comment about the color of your raincoat or the state of the crazy weather outside? It probably made you feel good to chat a little, and along the way you probably got a better feel for both the physical items in the store as well as the people who worked there.

Chances are good that you remembered the smile and the warmth the next time you went shopping and it might even have encouraged you to visit again.

In Gatlinburg last year, I went into a tiny import shop crammed full of wonderful and unusual things. The owner was there and she and I chatted about how she got into opening the store, and about the items, many of which had stories. I learned a lot of fascinating things that day, and left with gifts for family that had additional meaning thanks to the owner’s willingness to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for her treasures.

The bad news is that this human connection is missing when people shop online. The good news is that there are some great, easy ways to create that connection. Online shopping already has ease, speed and convenience built into it, and in an increasingly time-and- money-crunched marketplace, those are advantages you can build on by putting a little of yourself into your shop to draw in customers once, and encourage repeat business.

So, let’s start with the Etsy Basics…the Shop Announcement and Bio/Profile.

1. Shop Announcements –Think of your shop announcement as the virtual front door to your store. What kind of welcome would you like to give customers? What kind of feeling? Elegant? Heart Warming? Come Right In and Pull Up a Chair? Or more of an exclusive, make an appointment and we’ll pamper you to death kind of atmosphere? Here is where you start creating that, in the shop announcement.

Use words that are descriptive and appeal to the senses. As an example, if you are selling candles, you might talk about warmth, romance, wonderful aromas, and creating a sanctuary. If you are selling vintage items, you might talk about how much you love the feel of a satin pillowcase, or a beautiful piece of china, or about the history and connections in your items. Put your passion into your announcement. How did you get into making/creating/selling this product? Why do you want to share it with others? What do you love about it? You don’t have to say a lot, but enthusiasm is catching and draws people in, and that is what you want to capture in your shop announcement.

2. Bio/Profile – This can be as long or as short as you like, but a few things should be included. Your name, at least your first, and your location. People like to know where and who they are dealing with - it’s that human connection again. Things that are personal to you, such as children, lifestyle, pets, hobbies, are all things which impact a bio and provide a clearer picture of you the person, and by extension, your items. For example, if a person has 3 children and sews handcrafted children’s clothing, its likely that she also has a good idea what kinds of things are important to both mom AND child (i.e. washing ability, style, fit, etc). This builds confidence in the buyer. When there is not a lot of money to spend, this can be invaluable. Ask yourself what kinds of things you would like to know about someone, then come up with ways you can tell customers the same things about yourself.

3. General – if your craft or art has a history (i.e. pine needle basket weaving, silk painting, beading, glass blowing, pottery, etc) as so many do, be sure to include a little bit about the history and techniques. If you’re not sure, now might be a good time to do a little research and use what you learn to help people connect with you and your work.

So, now I want you to head over to your shop and take a virtual “visit” as if you were a stranger, just seeing your work for the first time. What do you notice? Notice what’s good, and what you think isn’t really having the effect you intended. Have a friend or teammate take a look as well, and compare notes. Do some window shopping on Etsy and see what you like and don’t like about shop announcements and profiles, then add (or subtract) from yours to get the look you want. When you are finished, have your friends pay a second virtual visit and see what they think.

If you run into something you are not sure what to do with, or have questions, leave a comment or post to the group, and we can help!

See You Next Week….

Kristen

Shop Talk Friday with Purple Lemon Designs

Guest Blogger:
Kelly Rinehart of PurpleLemonDesigns.etsy.com

Originally posted to her blog in July 2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I am glad you decided to join me for my 3rd installment of “Marketing My Etsy Shop”. We have already covered using Twitter and Facebook as marketing tools in Part 1, and using business cards, an elevator speech and your shop’s packaging in Part 2. Today, we are going to talk about my experiences with Etsy Teams, an email newsletter, as well as blogging. Let’s chat, shall we?

Etsy Teams

I am on three Etsy teams, Team Etsy Mississippi, The Etsy Twitter Team, and The Etsy Wedding Team. I have “met” so many wonderful people through these teams. I have also learned a ton from many of the members.

So, how did I start with Etsy Teams?

Well I first started with my home state’s team. I had no idea what teams were, but I wanted to find out. There had been lots of talk on the forums about teams, so I needed to know more.

A state team is a natural fit for any seller in the USA (I think). I know my state’s membership is open to any one living in MS with a shop on Etsy. I really enjoyed the team camaraderie, and once people got to know me through our Yahoo group, I made sales to many of the members.

While having a great Mississippi team experience, I joined Twitter. Soon after, I stumbled upon the Etsy Twitter Team. I joined up and it is a great team to be a part of. It is probably the most active team I am on because we are all on Twitter so much. We promote one shop each week, we have a very active Google group, and my teammates are experts at getting Etsy Treasuries (which we also tweet about)! I had never been in a Treasury before joining a team (thanks Michelle!), and I am still not sure how all that works, but being a part of great Treasuries has been such an honor since joining a team.

A few months ago, I started selling some of my wedding items. Since I had such good experiences with teams, I applied to be accepted as a member of The Etsy Wedding Team. This team has been a great experience just like the other two. I really like the focused nature of the team. We all design wedding items, so we have lots in common. This team has become very active in the last few weeks, so I am excited to see where it takes us!

A few tips about joining teams:

• Just as anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it.
• Don’t be shy!
• Just do it.

E-Newsletters

I have put together e-newsletters for my places of employment, but it never dawned on me to put one together for Purple Lemon Designs… until a few months ago. I have only put a few out, but I know that people are clicking through (thanks to Google Analytics). I use Mail Chimp to put my email blasts together. It is really easy to use, and it is free if you send to 100 or less people at a time (up to 6 times a month). You can also customize your blast to look like your blog or your Etsy shop. I know that there are other great services available such as Constant Contact and iContact. I can’t speak about these services, because I haven’t had the pleasure of using them.

This is just another way to contact your customers. Be careful who you send your blast to… you don’t want to violate spam legislation. I only send to people who opt in to my newsletter through a link on my blog, my website’s contact form and my Etsy Shop Announcement. Some people send to people that have purchased from them, but I don’t feel comfortable doing that unless they opt in. The great thing about Mail Chimp or other services like it, they will manage your email list for you. I have a page that is generated by Mail Chimp that subscribers use to sign up. It links directly to my blog. Cool, right?

Blog

Obviously since you are reading this, you know that I blog. Many of you probably blog, too. A few tips that I can give about blogging are:

• Create an editorial schedule – Readers like to know what you are going to be posting on a regular basis. I have a few different series that I feature on my blog (such as Terrific Tuesdays and Lemony Fresh Etsy Sellers), so my readers know what is coming up.

• Post on a regular basis – I know that I get tired of keeping a blog that never updates in my daily reads. I don’t necessary mean that you have to post everyday; that is up to you. I am saying that your readers will be more likely to come back to see you if you maybe post once a week or more. Maybe even post on the same day each week. I know that Word Press blogs have this nifty feature where you can schedule your posts. This has really helped me post on a regular basis. I usually write blog posts in spurts, mostly on the weekend. So if I can space out when my posts are published, that is really helpful with my schedule.

• Read other people’s blogs and comment – This will help make connections with other people across the internet. Always link your blog to your comments. Lots of people like to follow the trails of comment links… You may even gain more readers this way.

• All posts are better with pictures, especially if you are writing a tutorial.

• Make sure to add your Etsy Mini to your sidebar.

• Make it fun!

I hope you have enjoyed my posts about Marketing my Etsy shop. Let me know if you have questions by posting in the comments below.

Toodles!

Shop Talk Friday with Kristen

Where, What, and How Does It Look?

Last week we looked at the virtual front door to your shop, as well as at the information about yourself you wanted to share with your buyers. Now it’s time to take a look at what’s INSIDE the shop, and how to present it in the best way to maximize your sales and traffic.

There are three main things to be concerned with in your shop:

Appearance, Item Descriptions, and Item Pictures

There are other things we will be looking at, but most of them fall under one of the categories above. And when you think about it, most nuts-and-bolts stores have similar concerns.

Appearance (WHERE) – Once you get past your shop announcement, what do you see? Could you find whatever you were looking for if you weren’t sure where it would be? Are your categories clear? Are there enough of them, without so many that the buyer is confused? Think of retail stores like Macy’s, Target, Walmart. They spend a great deal of money and time making sure people know WHERE to find what they are looking for, and that sections of their store are labeled clearly without being overwhelming. Too many is as bad as too few. I have been playing with this in my own shop, and it may take you a few tries to get it right, as how many categories you end up with depends on what you are selling.

Item Descriptions – This is the virtual Sales Sign you have hanging over your work. If you have ever tried to figure out whether something in a retail store was on sale, or whether it came in different colors, etc, you understand just how important a CLEAR sign is, and the same applies for an Item Description.

Two lines usually do not cut it, and forty may not either- be concise but don’t leave out details buyers want to know. Here are some to think about (no special order):

Dimensions – Clothing size, measurements, height, width, whatever applies to your item. How big is it?

Color, Materials, Ingredients - This is basic, but there’s plenty of room for selling here- if your materials are jewelry components from the 40s, say that. If they’re rare, unique, high quality, special to you, organic- all of those are selling points. They also provide a more accurate description as long as they actually apply. I don’t need to say that your descriptions should not mislead anyone.

Uses - Give customers suggestions about how to use what you sell, where it would be useful or decorative, how they could wear it. Doesn’t need to be obvious- putting “keeps your coffee warm AND really helps you keep a grip on it while driving!” is all that needs to be said about a hand-crocheted drink cozy (thank you, Wayside Violet! :D) The customer now knows just where it fits in their lives. My husband LOVES his cozy.

Story – This is where you decide what else you need to tell the customer, and it can be the most important part of the description. Think of people who buy shirts based on whether they can be WASHED vs DRY CLEANED and you have the whole idea. This is where you talk about the softness or warmth of the yarn you use, the eco-friendly nature of the product, the fact that the children’s clothes you make can’t even be destroyed by your own tree-climbing kids, whatever the special story is about your pieces. If you aren’t sure, have a friend, neighbor, or teammate take a look and tell you what they think- this is always a good idea anyway. Think of it as low-tech market research.

Details on Shipping, Special Offers, Wrap Up and Purchase – Tell the buyer how to purchase it, how to get a discount or sale price you are offering, how you will ship it (i.e. eco-friendly packaging, etc) whether there will be a delay in shipping because the item is made-to-order. While these are usually also in your shop announcement, it is always good to remind customers of anything they should be aware of. Reinforcing expectations will help you have satisfied customers and keep your sanity.

Pictures - This is your Virtual Display. In a retail store, clothes, house wares, electronics- all are displayed in ways designed to make them look attractive and desirable. Often items are put out with related products, such as when you see a mannequin wearing a suit, scarf, earrings, necklace, bag and shoes. This is called Component or Related Item Selling, and it used to be taught in retail. It’s a great skill to have, easy to learn, and it can be done in the Virtual World through pictures. Here are some tips for using pictures to create your display:

The 3 “C”s - CLEAR, CLOSE, CORE - Your pictures should always be as clear (sharp) as you can get them, should always feature at least one close up, and should ALWAYS show the most important thing about your work (CORE). So if you are selling yarn, a sweater made from it is nice, but a completely frame filled shot of the exquisite color and texture of the yarn is your CORE shot and should be first, because it’s the YARN you are selling. On Etsy you get 5 pictures- use them all if you can.

Watch Your Angles – Creative pictures are great, but the best product shots show the piece to its best advantage, and that might not be upside down, even though it makes a great artistic shot. Ask yourself if your pictures show the piece best to a potential buyer.

Setting the Stage – This is related to Component Selling. Use props that reinforce your message, such as using old pictures or old books to display vintage jewelry pieces when you take the pictures, or putting a cup of tea or coffee near a shawl, sweater or warm knitted scarf. You are giving the buyer a clearer idea of what your item is, developing associations in their mind with warmth (the tea) or history (the vintage pictures). This is the exact same principle used by stage set designers and you can do it too. It takes just a little effort but it is easy and will help you sell more effectively.

Displaying on a Person or Mannequin - This can be very helpful for some buyers particularly if you are selling handmade garments such as wedding veils, evening dresses, shawls, scarves, and it can also help show off the piece to its best advantage (as in the case of hand-painted silk which catches light wonderfully on a person). When possible, try to include a shot on a mannequin or person, but don’t make it your main shot unless it is very professional. Get close enough to get the product as the main focus, not the person. Ask yourself what you notice in the picture and adjust it accordingly. If you notice the person and not the product, you need to retake the picture.

Now it’s your turn to do a little analysis of your shop - What works? Are the categories clear and easy to navigate? What about your pictures? Ask for advice. Enlist a team member or friend. Don’t be afraid to make changes and experiment a little.

Now that we have looked at some basics, next week I am going to talk about selling and marketing in a Recession, and how to make any economy work for you and not against you.

Kristen
Firebird House

Shop of the week:

This week's shop is from one of our most active members here on the etsy twitter team. FoxyGknits, owned and created by Lois Stifel, is a beautiful shop. Within the shop you can find hand-knit one-of-a-kind shawls, wraps, and scarves that are fashioned by combining diverse yarn textures and color palettes. Designed for today’s woman, all items encompass both style and comfort. You can tell that Lois's world is truly inspired from colors and textures in the which she describes as the "everyday world around me". From everything Lois lists in her shop you can tell that she believes, "Knitting was my avocation long before it was my vocation, and each item is hand knit with love. I take great pride in my workmanship, and if something isn’t up to my standards, it doesn’t go into my shop. "

Lois is always on twitter, tweeting about many amazing things such as: her fellow teammates on ETT, her newest items she or her mama Fox has made, Her Art from the Heart feature on her blog, or beautiful quotes/saying about those who are in her life. When asked about her twitter tricks of the trade Lois shared with me the following:

"I am not sure that this is a “trick of the trade,” but I don’t tweet anything I wouldn’t mind seeing on the front page of the New York Times! On a serious note, I work at building relationships on twitter. I do this by sharing valuable information, retweeting friends’ and colleagues’ sales and promotions and not boring people with what I had for lunch or letting them know when I am leaving for the post office. And I unequivocally never beg for sales, talk about how many followers I have or don’t have or how many shop hearts I have or don’t have."

From February 1st -7th Lois is offering the following discount in her shop:

FREE U.S. SHIPPING on all purchases totaling $40 or more. Put LOVEISINTHEAIR in the Note to Seller. Shipping fees will be refunded via PayPal after
payment has been made.em>

This year FoxyGknit's goal is to make more items that you will all love! She has told me the following about this goal:

"I would have to say that one of my business resolutions is finding my niche. What I think will sell does not always. And what I think might never sell sells quickly. While I have the demographics on etsy shoppers, I do not yet have a good handle on the demographics on Foxy G. Knits shoppers."

To learn more about Lois and her amazing shop please use the links below:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/foxygknits
Facebook biz page: http://www.facebook.com/foxygknits
Blog: Foxy G’s Den of i-KNIT-quity: http://foxygknits.com/

Thank You Lois for sharing this information with us. We love you, your shop and all the beautiful things you do for the ETT.

Please note that there is only shipping to the United States at this time.*

Written by: Jen

Head of Etsy twitter team

http://www.jenco13.etsy.com/

Shop Talk Friday: Branding

The concept of branding is actually very simple, and it can be a powerful tool for the handmade entrepreneur. When you create a brand, you are using design to create a unified picture for the customer of a way of life, an idea, value, or feeling that you wish to relate to your products.

Victoria’s Secret is a good example of branding - everything from their packaging to their signature colors, signs, ads, and stores reflect a cohesive idea that resonates with their customers.

Another example of this is Starbucks’ emphasis on the coffee house atmosphere - the idea of a European-style, relaxed environment where people could come, drink excellent coffee, and relax is integral to the image they want to create in their customers’ minds. That initial concept formed the foundation for their brand, and they built upon it with colors - peaceful, darker greens, beiges, wood and earth tones, signage that was recognizable but lower-key (no neon), and so on.

There are three things you need to know to create a brand for yourself:

1. Your target audience and your competition
2. The visual identity that you want to create - product, packaging, logos, promotional items and ads
3. How your products and services are/will be delivered to your customer (quality, reliability, uniqueness, price, speed, etc.)

Think about what makes your product unique. We’ve covered this part in past Shop Talk articles, but if you need some help, ask friends, coworkers, family, teammates for some help in this area. I will also be recommending some links and books at the end.

What makes your product different from the competition?

Think about who you are talking to (potential customers) and what you want to tell them. How you do this is your visual identity.

A well-designed product is the most important part of the branding idea. You can have all of the other components in place, but without a good product that people connect with, you won’t be successful in the long run.

Now, let’s boil this down to the practical:

You can design everything you need (banners, business cards, promotional postcards, etc) with simple tools like Gimp, Picasa, Microsoft Publisher, and other software, or you can research online printers like Vista Print who can provide templates, or work from your own designs. It may cost you time, but it doesn’t need to cost you a lot of money, and it pays for itself in the long run.

The goal of branding is to create a recognizable look for your items that set them apart from the parade of things people see on a daily basis. It takes creativity (the Chick-Fil-A cows, for example), consistency (Budweiser’s Clydesdale horses appear in every holiday ad they create) and a cohesive idea of what you would like people to think about when they see your products (every Old Navy store emphasizes relaxed style).

So your homework over the next two weeks is to gather together your current business cards, your shop banner, website colors and signage, promotions, ads, packaging. Do they look cohesive? If yes, do you like the look? If not, what changes can you make? Experiment with various looks, colors, and type styles to see what you like, and what appeals. Ask yourself what kind of “look” your design has - does it fit your product and the people you are trying to sell to?

Some additional resources for practical application:

D.I.Y – Design It Yourself , Edited by Ellen Lupton. Covers everything from basic design, to business cards, branding, packaging, and more. A very helpful beginners’ resource.

The Creative Entrepreneur- DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real by Lisa Sonora Beam.

The Etsy Storque also has articles on branding, packaging, and more that can be very helpful.

~ Kristen
Team Co-Leader
FirebirdHouse.etsy.com

Shop of the Week - inmyheadstudios

Our Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week is inmyheadstudios featuring altered mixed-media domino and game piece jewelry, microscope slide glass pendants, ACEOs (Art Cards Editions and Originals) by the talented Vickie Porter.

In describing her work, Vickie puts it best "I have a seriously good/bad relationship with perfectionism so my customers can rest assured they are getting top quality materials and artwork. It’s sometimes hard to tell in photos online, but the dominoes and microscope slide glass pendants have real tiny paper collages on them. I work with ridiculously small pieces of paper sometimes.

"My new line of archival prints on my domino jewelry has allowed me to reach new levels of detail for such a tiny canvas. I have been creating larger mixed media collage work in the same proportions as the dominoes. I scan and print them out in wood domino size, which is 1 3/4 inches x 7/8 inches. I usually add another layer of detail to the little collage to make the domino special."

For such a variety of beautiful and intricate results, Vickie gets her inspiration from colors, lines, and shapes (basically everything). "I simply have to create or I’m not happy. It’s like needing air." It follows that Vickie is not confined by rules, but lets her inspiration and creativity have full rein. While she may not stick to one medium, she admits, "Central to almost everything I do is paper. I love paper."

For the upcoming seasons, Vickie plans to show her work at as many shows as she can fit into her schedule. She has big holiday plans, however to add domino Christmas tree ornaments and admits to having a "couple other things up my sleeve"...so we have some holiday surprises to look forward to in her etsy shop!

Vickie is happy to take custom orders and ships internationally, too!

On the business side, Vickie is adept at Twitter (via TweetDeck) and recommends the team to "Engage! Talk. Share! Provide quality content. Comment on links posted. Retweet. Actually, I rarely tweet about my shop. I probably should tweet it more. I get irritated with Etsy sellers who only tweet their shop links. Tell me about you and what is important to you. Let me get to know you. What excites you about your work? I’m way more likely to buy from you that way."

Tweeting links can be time-consuming to research, but Vickie has a tip to share! "One of my tricks is using Google Reader to find quality content to share. I have a feed set up for the keyword “creativity”. So every morning I have a big shiny new list of articles about creativity, which is a subject I really like to read about. When I read really good articles, I tweet them. Providing this kind of content gets me retweeted a lot and that in turn gets my name out there."

For bringing traffic to inmyheadstudios, Vickie has this tip to share: Connect "with people online in a combination of places– Twitter, Facebook, Ning sites. You have to talk about you or no one else will be talking about you. Get out there! All The Universe asks is that you show up."



FREE shipping to anywhere
from August 16-22!
Discount applied through
prompt PayPal refund.
No need for coupons or codes!
~~~~~~~
Etsy Shop: http://inmyheadstudios.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/inmyheadstudios
Blog: http://inmyheadstudios.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InMyHeadStudios
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/inmyheadstudios
Written by Judy of WellspringCreations

Shop of The Week: Tinker and Po

Tinker and Po… doesn’t that name make you want to click on her shop? I did the first time I saw it in the Etsy forums. Lisa Gergets, of Tinker and Po, creates the most wonderfully warm fingerless gloves/arm warmers and accessories that are made from felted and repurposed merino wool, angora, cashmere or lamb’s wool sweaters. She selects source materials for her fingerless gloves from used sweaters, which present endless possibilities in color, pattern and texture. Tinker and Po has been selling on Etsy since July of 2008.

“Every item I sell is meticulously handcrafted, is 100% repurposed, and 10% of every purchase is donated to autism research,” says Lisa about her work.


She uses Twitter effectively as a marketing tool. “I Twitter each new listing in my Etsy shop, any publicity or blog posting the shop receives, and engage in general ‘shop’ talk with other Etsy sellers on Twitter. I am also not hesitant to Twitter about an Etsy product that I enjoy, since in business, as in life, what goes around, comes around. I have definitely seen an upswing in my Etsy traffic since using Twitter.”

Valentine’s Day shipping deadlines: Domestic – February 10th; International - by arrangement, as normal shipping deadlines have already passed. Tinker and Po offers expedited and overnight shipping on all orders.

Free shipping on everything except the felted sweater scraps!!

Heads up...

Hey all!!
I'm truly excited about opening membership today.
You'll have to hang out just a bit while longer.
However in the mean time these are our requirements so you know what to expect.
Best wishes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being part of a team means working together for a common goal. This means that you actually have to do something in order to reach that goal. So I am implementing new Team Participation Policies effective immediately.

In order to participate in our team promotions and events you must be considered an Active Member. This includes all shops that are currently signed up for future spots as Shop of the Week.

In order to be considered an Active Member, you must do the following:

• Twitter about something team related at least 4 times per month. You must use the team hashtag #etsytwitter or I will not see your tweet. Tweets about your own shop don't count. They have to be about the team. Of course I strongly encourage you to tweet about the team much more frequently than this as well.

~Sign into the MANDATORY SIGN IN'S EACH AND EVERY MONTH! There is no excuse on why you can't sign into these sign ins.
Please make sure you're reading the notes from me on Page 1 to know what to add to your sign in's. Each month will be different and it will help me to manage the team better.


Additionaly I kindly ask you to promote in other ways. Remember when its your turn to be SOTW or on one our team promotions you would want others to help promote you as well.

• Blog about the Shop of the Week. If you can, please blog about each Shop of the Week as well as write up promotional posts about other team members.

~let us know of blogs your having that you would want to have a theme going from our team members

~if your doing a sotw for your personal blog DO NOT post it as SOTW NOW UP (in title) instead write I have a picked a new shop to talk about on my blog so there is no confusion between our SOTW and you're SOTW.


• Create an Etsy Twitter Team treasury (in order for it to post on our blog please email Vickie directly and make sure they are ALL active members in the treasury)

~In order to be considered for SOTW you must do team requirements (tweets and mandatory sign in's). You also must be part of our team for a min. of 6 months. Additionally you must have no warnings against your shops name.

Failure to do these things (TWEET AND MANDATORY SIGN IN'S) will be grounds for one warning. If you get more than 3 warnings in a 6 month period I will ask you to leave our team. **IF you signed up for SOTW YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR WEEK ONCE YOU RECEIVE ONE WARNING!
HOWEVER, if you do sign into the threads and tweet 4 times per month for 6 months in a fow it will remove the warning on your account.


I’m not asking for much of your time at all. Tweeting something takes less than five minutes. A blog post can take up less than 30 minutes. If you have time to work on and promote your Etsy shop and use Twitter, you have time to promote the Etsy Twitter Team.

Thank you!

Jennifer Kuebrich
Jenco13.etsy.com
Etsy Twitter Team Leader

Shop of the Week: Bellflower Textiles

I love bright cheerful colors. Always have and always will. So when I opened up Megan Zalkan’s shop, Bellflower Textiles, my eyes popped open and I felt happy! So much color and cuteness everywhere!!

Megan makes bright and cheerful fabric products for you, your home, and your children. She combines quilting techniques and a love of vibrant color to create modern and quirky children’s tees, crayon and pencil rolls, reusable coffee sleeves, tooth fairy pillows, and hair accessories. She works out of her home in Seattle, Washington, where she also tends to her two year-old daughter. Selling on Etsy since August 2008 has garnered her close to 300 sales.

“Each of my products is lovingly hand created by me, in a smoke free environment, and packaged with great care. Unless otherwise listed, everything in my shop is pre-made and will ship immediately. Oh, and I LOVE custom orders. See something you like but want in a different color or size? Please convo me – I’d love to talk with you! [Editor’s note: Convos or conversations are the way you send private messages on Etsy.com]

I’m inspired by everything around me, but most especially by my two year-old daughter and her friends, and by the natural world. I try to include a botanical element in each item I create, whether that’s a flower, a butterfly, or even just a lovely piece of fabric the exact shade of a leaf I just saw. And of course, I love love LOVE fabric! I have a huge collection of fabric built up over years of quilting, and there’s nothing I love more than to dig through a pile of gorgeous cottons and mix and match patterns to see what pops. Lately I’m loving linen and ribbon too… my collection just grows and grows!”

About her Twitter habits: “I’m a Twitter addict! I try to spend time every morning and evening on Twitter, and often find myself back at other points in the day, too. I’ve recently discovered TweetDeck, which is making a huge difference for me in keeping up with more of my followers’ tweets, and I love the ability to create and follow specific groups of people whose comments I don’t want to miss! I try to just talk and connect about 90% of the time with an occasional link to my shop or a new product.”

Bellflower Textiles ships internationally.

Read her blog at Growing Notes and follow her on Twitter @megzseattle.

Special for the Week: Free Shipping!! Mention “Twitter” in your Notes to Seller and she will send an updated invoice with free shipping or refund your shipping price if you’ve already paid. 


Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade BellflowerTextiles.etsy.com

All photos copyright to Megan Zalkan/Bellflower Textiles

Shop Talk Friday: The Recession

Recession. It’s an ugly word, and as the media points out to us, on a daily basis, it means that no one is buying and the economy is frozen as solid as the food in your freezer. But the actual truth is a bit more complicated because people are not as predictable as statistics.

In the height of the depression, two things continued to sell well - jewelry and makeup. The reason for this was actually very practical - they were easy ways to “fix yourself up” for a very small amount of money when the cost of new clothes was out of reach of your budget. It helped people feel better.

Faced with some difficult economic times of our own, we can learn a lot from the marketing techniques used during the 1930s and 1940s. Here are some crucial things we can take away and apply to our own businesses in 2009.

1. Range of Prices – Catalogs of the day show a range of prices from nice things for not a lot of money to nice things for a moderate amount of money. The emphasis is on the range of options for most budgets and on the quality of the merchandise. The upper level price is also considerably less from 1929 to 1932. For example, a dress that sold in 1929 for $45.00 was only about $30 or less in 1932. Retailers realized that even their highest priced items had to be made more affordable in order to be bought.

2. Reducing Costs – One reason that the catalog manufacturers were able to cut their prices so much was that they reduced their own costs. They kept the quality but produced pieces in two colors and styles, instead of five, or used a season-less fabric so that the styles would span summer and fall, for example. I will have some things for you to think about to apply this to your own stores at the end of the article.

3. Emphasis on “Using What You Have” instead of “Replacing” – This is not something many of us have consistently thought of in the last few years. When money is tight, people don’t spend to replace big items like couches and tables as much as they look for ways to use what they have - that means, using a chair cover or tablecloth, getting new drapes, framing a print to fix up a tired room, or buying new earrings for an old dress. With that in mind, it’s good to think about what kinds of smaller or accessory items you can introduce into your shop.

4. Using Creative Marketing Ideas Instead of Traditional Ones – Much of the Depression Glass you see around was a free or low cost giveaway associated with specific products - you bought the product, and would get the glassware for free as part of the purchase. It was a way of adding additional value and it proved to be a real hit. Jelly in glass jars that were actually glasses, and could be used once the jelly was gone, is another example of this kind of creative marketing. My mom still has her jelly glasses! People saw this as the kind of practical buy that helped their money to go farther.

5. Emphasis on Quality - This was consistent from 1930 on, and it was based on a sound idea - that when money is tight, people want to know that what they buy will last. What is “trendy”, “up to the minute”, or the “very latest” in 1929 becomes “classy, timeless, and season-less” in the 30s and 40s, as retailers emphasized that their clothing/housewares/jewelry or etc would look good even if they couldn’t be replaced in the next year. Quality markers such as hand-finished seams, fine durable fabric, and other details become the main points that retailers emphasized.

Some things to think about regarding your own stores: Are there ways to apply these marketing techniques and ideas to your store and/or products? What about bartering or trading for things? Can you make smaller pieces, such as earrings instead of large necklaces, a small doll instead of a life-sized one, or less detailed items such as a plain pillow with one embroidered flower as well as the more time consuming pieces? What about doll clothes as well as dolls? Can you emphasize quality? Is your soap organic, or does it avoid certain oils or chemicals that can make allergies worse? Does a bar last a lot longer than store bought varieties? Can you offer a value added product? Not everybody can, but it is worth thinking about.

Artists can look into creating prints, offering ACEOs, or even painting on found objects such as thrift store pillows (I have friend that does these and they are amazing and very eco-friendly).

I encourage you to brainstorm about some of the things in this article, and see what appeals to you. Talk to your teammates, friends, and family, or leave a comment/suggestion here. I am always happy to help, too, so feel free to email me.

Next week’s article (and the one following) will concentrate mainly on creative marketing ideas, and how to get the best out of your online and offline presence.

Have a great weekend!

Kristen

Shop Talk Friday: Project Wonderful

Kristen, from FirebirdHouse.etsy.com, has some tips and tricks for getting your advertising feet wet.

I want to Advertise. Now what?

When it comes to deciding where and how you promote/market your shop, do you find yourself lost in a maze of blogs, sites, and complicated information?

If so, take heart. Deciding where to put your promotional efforts, ads, and budget really only requires some good information, a little common sense, and occasional trial and error.

Decisions, Decisions

The Internet can be a lot like a circus, where there is something going on anywhere you look, and all the activities look equally promising and fun. If you have ever been to a three-ring circus, however, and had so much trouble deciding which ring to watch that you ended up only getting bits and pieces of all three, you know that trying to do it all just means you end up scattered.

So let’s start with a good place to begin advertising on the Internet:


Project Wonderful (PW) is an unusual and inventive way of providing ad space to people for what the demand cost actually is, by setting up an auction. If there is no demand or it is small, your cost is equally small, while ads on pages with much larger page views and visitors will cost you more, but only up to what you are willing to spend. This is a great way to spend what you can AND maximize the effectiveness of a smaller budget. They provide excellent stats that are easy to understand, will walk you through the process, and have a lot of help available. It’s a great way to get your feet wet.

Here’s how it works:

You, as the advertiser, bid on advertising slots on websites, which you can choose and target to your needs and to your customer base. If you’re the highest bidder, your ad will appear until someone outbids you. It’s that simple. Your ads can appear immediately, or you can schedule them to appear on a specific date. You set the amount by telling PW how much you want to pay per day to appear on that site.

For example, if you say you want to pay a $1.00 a day for a week, your total cost will be $7.00 max. If someone bids higher, you have the option to raise your amount per day and bid again. It’s all within your control. Since you pay by the day and not per click, you don’t have to worry about fake clicks and fraud.

PW’s powerful search engine can help you find the perfect match for reaching your customers, and you can also set up Ad Alerts, which can tell you immediately if a space you want to advertise on becomes available. They provide extensive data, allow you to compare, see bidding trends for sites, and more. All you need to make really good decisions is right there and easy to read.

You can also set up Google Analytics to track your PW ads by configuring a correct URL that Analytics will read.

Remember: You maximize your advertising dollars by placing ads on sites which reach the maximum number of potential customers for your shop for the least amount of money.

Other good sources of information include:

• Project Wonderful’s blog.
• handmade-business.blogspot.com: ETT team member Sheryl Westleigh’s (noadi.etsy.com) excellent blog on the handmade business.
• etsymarketing.org for great marketing tips, articles, and practical suggestions.

So go over to the Project Wonderful website, read through the ins and outs, then dive in. Got questions? Let us know here on the blog and we’ll be glad to help!

Shop of the Week - Geek Details

Meet Amanda Roberts, the talent behind the Etsy shop, geekdetails, and the Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week.

Amanda makes and sells a variety of what she describes as "geeky things". Her product line ranges from artistically embellished luggage, pinback buttons and art prints, sculpted singing flowers; even some jewelry items! Her product line is varied and reflects the sources of her inspiration. When asked what she loves most about creating, Amanda states: "That I get to make stuff every day...I love the process of making new items, seeing something lovely and knowing that I made that pretty thing."

As she puts it, her inspiration comes from "everything! It can be a music lyric, something a friend says, a glass of wine, the way the colors of my flowers blend. I try to find inspiration everywhere and then I mix it up to create something new." This is further reflected in her business resolution: to step "out of my box" and attend gamer conventions! "I went to my first in January (it was called VisionCon) and had a blast! I’m hooked and glad I did it! I met some amazing people that have been excited about what I do. They’ve become some of my biggest fans and really encouraged me in my retail endeavor." The result is an eclectic blend of fun products which Amanda ships worldwide (on most items*)!

Amanda has several exciting activities planned in the next few months. She's attending many shows this summer, including Origins in June. She's helping to develop a new website called Con-Vixens. AND she's "appearing" on an online radio program called Dragon Talk Radio this Thursday, May 20!

Amanda is @geekdetails on Twitter. Her Twitter philosophy? "Follow who you like and converse with them. Don’t just mindlessly follow everyone...and don’t follow people simply because they’re following you. This may lose you some followers, but the quality of your twitter connections will be higher! For me, twitter is about making connections with people. One connection with a rabid follower of your work is (imo) far superior than 50 followers that don’t really care about what you’re doing and are just upping their numbers. It’s quality over quantity for me!"

This week geekdetails is offering
Free domestic shipping on orders over $80 when the buyer mentions “etsytwitter” in the notes to seller section

~~~~~~~

ETSY SHOP: www.etsy.com/shop/geekdetails
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/geekdetails
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/geekdetails
BLOG: www.geekdetails.com

Written by Judy of WellspringCreations.

* Some large items can vary greatly in shipping price from one country to the next. Convo geekdetails for the international shipping rate specific to your location.

Shop of the week: Wellspring Creations

Our shop of the week for January 25-31 is from Northern California. When shopping in Wellspring Creations you will find beautiful pieces of jewelry that combine lovely stones or crystals with wire: necklaces, bracelets/cuffs, earrings, and rings.
Judy, owner and designer of Wellspring Creations, shows her love for taking a straight piece of wire and turning it into something unique. "With wire and a lovely stone, my imagination simply blooms and I get to play with symmetry, asymmetry, and geometric design."

She would like all of our readers to know that "I find unusual stones; sometimes beads (with a drilled hole) or cabochons (a flattened, polished stone with no hole). Many of my finds come from only one mine in the whole world! I consider the stone and how best to wrap it so that the stone is secure and the setting shows off the stone, rather than overwhelms it. I prefer using natural stones and high quality wire, mostly sterling silver, but often work with fine (nearly pure) silver, copper, and 14K gold filled wire. Since I put a lot of time and consideration into each piece, I prefer the components to be high quality, so they last well. I try to make every piece an heirloom." Her designs ship internationally so everyone can enjoy one of her beautiful pieces of work!

One of the things I love about Judy is that she is always tweeting about her team members sales and the Etsy Twitter Team's important information. She is always Direct Messaging her fellow tweeter's just to see how they are doing. When asked about how she uses twitter and her tricks she told me: "My followers are my Twitter friends. I follow people that I find interesting and engage in conversations. I think of Twitter as a cocktail party: I go to meet new people, touch bases with old friends and, occasionally, talk about my work. Most of my tweets are comments or responses to other people's tweets. I retweet when it's something I personally find interesting or think others would. I sometimes tweet about my work process--what movie I'm watching while I wrap a pendant; if the light/weather is good enough to photograph my work on a particular day; and a few times a week I tweet a link to an item in my shop. I probably tweet links to others' items a bit more than my own to provide some variety and introduce folks to other handmade artists in a gracious way."

Judy's new years resolution for her store is to work on her photographs so that they "look as good as the jewelry I'm trying to photograph! This is often reflected in feedback from clients delighted how much better their purchase looks in their hand than the picture they saw in the Etsy listing!"

Judy is offering a free handcrafted gift with any purchase from my Etsy shop during the week of January 25-31, 2010.

Use code: SOTW in the comments at checkout.

To learn more about Judy and Wellspring Creations please follow the links below:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WSCreations
Etsy Shop: http://www.wellspringcreations.etsy.com/
Facebook: http://www.artist.to/WellspringCreations
Blog: http://www.wellspringcreations.blogspot.com/

Thank you Judy for sharing all of this information with us. We wish you a very successful 2010!

Written by Jen K.
http://www.jenco13.etsy.com/

SOTW- MostFavoriteAunt

It's August and the kiddies are getting ready to go back to school!! Can you hear the adults all cheer while the kiddies hearts are racing?? During this time we, parents and teachers, are running about trying to get the school stuff together. But look no further for cool knits and flair (buttons). This weeks shop of the week, MostFavoriteAunt, is perfect for any kid, kids at heart or anyone who doesn't want the fun to stop!

This shop truly has the "MOSTFAVORITEAUNT" and her name is Pam. Now there are a lot of Knits and flair shops out there on etsy. But in Pam's shop her items are inexpensive and have personality. "I have a day job, and my ETSY store is for fun. People can buy a little piece of me for not too much money."

I asked Pam the following questions and you can see what a kind, loving and thoughtful person Pam is!

What advice would you give a new Twitter user? Be yourself! Talk about you! People want to know about you, not just see a link to the products you're selling.

If you had $1M and HAD to give away every penny, to whom would you give it and why? There are a few projects that are very close to my heart - and from time to time you'll see listings for them in my ETSY shop. AIDS Network, Susan G Komen Foundation, Newborns in Need, and Handmade Afghans Project (HAP)

Who was the most influential person in teaching you your craft and why? My grandma. Not only did she teach me how, she was a wonderful example of why. Our family has some amazing heirloom crafts: rocking horses, afghans, tablecloths, furniture, etc. Not only is it a gift you can use, but a little piece of you.

How does your environment or locale influence your work, creativity, or inventory? When I'm not globe-trotting for work, I live in Wisconsin. The winters are long and cold. It's the perfect climate for wooly warmers. (BRRR!!)

For the month of August: Free USA shipping with coupon code ESOTW.

I do ship internationally!!

(If the country is not listed, please convo me for shipping price.)

Etsy Shop: MostFavoriteAunt.ETSY.com

Twitter: Twitter.com/MostFavorite

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=5547792&trk=tab_pro

Shop of the Week - Lindab142

Amidst the flurry of new members, we'd like to highlight Linda Blatchford and her Etsy shop, Lindab142. Linda creates a variety of personal decorative arts, including beaded and bottlecap jewelry, women's chapel caps (kippot) and Judaica items. Linda is inspired by gemstone colors. She says, "I love to design using different sizes and shapes of beads together. Jewelry design has so many facets and possibilities!" In addition to her inspired art, Linda enjoys custom orders where she uses "gemstone characteristics to enhance a certain spiritual quality" and to fit any budget. Her ultimate goal is that each of her customers is happy with their purchase.

Linda uses Tweetdeck to keep track of the Etsy Teams activities on Twitter. "It's not only a tool for promoting my items, but I've met people on Twitter and we talk about TV shows, movies and other things. I also find it as a resource for asking business questions. It is the 2nd or 3rd Referral site in my Google Analytics program." Linda has two business goals this year: keep organized records of inventory and learn new techniques, starting with wirewrapping.

About the Etsy Twitter team, Linda says "I'm so happy to be on the ETT team, challenging me to come up with more ways to use Twitter. I hope to be able to meet more new ETT team members soon."

Lindab142 is celebrating her
36th wedding anniversary this week!
In celebration, all her shop items are marked down!
Also, in June, a portion of sales proceeds
will be donated to the
Susan G Komen Cancer fund.

~~~~~~~

Etsy Shop: http://Lindab142.Etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lindab142
Blog: http://linorstorecom.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/linorstore

Written by Judy of Wellspring Creations

Valentine Love from the Etsytwitter Team!

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it.  Such a fun and romantic time of the year.  The Etsytwitter Team has a few special items to offer to help make your gifting easier.

Valentine Rolled Hat

JayBirdDesigns has an adorable hat for your little darling!  She even has one for the baby of the family.  Check out her shop for her clever designs.

Siam Swarovski Crystal Earrings

MikiyeCreations is never at a loss for romance in her shop.  These red crystal earrings are only the beginning, but what a romantic start for an evening!

Crocheted Red Bow

Butterflyalley has created some adorable bows to pin wherever your little heart desires!  Pin it on a headband, your coat jacket, your loved one's lunch bag; just imagine the possibilities.  Available in many colors so shop away!

Sweet Talk Valentine Dog Collar

KadysPetCouture reminds us to spread the love to our furry friends with a sweet variation of those little heart candies.  Make sure your pet is ready to celebrate.

Strawberry Cheesecake Wall Decor

FromNancysHeart creates the most endearing pieces to decorate any space imaginable.  Stick these little Valentine pretties around your house, on your little one's door, use them to decorate a package; oh, the places you can tuck them!  How about one at each place setting for the special celebration?

Key to my Heart Save the Date

MyLittleChick is ready for all those Valentine's Day proposals with some unique Save the Date magnets.  Stop by to work out the perfect piece for you to send or use them as the place setting at the wedding.  Great idea for something a little different.

As you can see the Etsytwitter Team is festive and ready to help you prepare for that romantic upcoming holiday.  Search for Etsytwitter team and add Valentine's Day for some other ideas.  Don't forget to tweet what you find!!  Add the hashtag #etsytwitter to everything you tweet!