(in case you weren't sure, those are my garnet earrings in the middle)
You can visit the actual T Over Here...
Sunday, July 31, 2011
My 2nd feature on the Etsy Front Page - 7/30, 5am!
Courtesy of this lovely Treasury from one of my fellow AAG Team shops, MilkandHoneyHandbags, I woke up to a notification of my 2nd time on the Etsy Front Page! Ok so it was 5am on a Saturday, not exactly the busiest time of day, but still brought more than a day's worth of traffic in to see my shop in that hour! Quite a thrill.
(in case you weren't sure, those are my garnet earrings in the middle)
You can visit the actual T Over Here...
(in case you weren't sure, those are my garnet earrings in the middle)
You can visit the actual T Over Here...
Friday, July 29, 2011
Adding to my shop - starting with August Peridot
First, I promise I really have added a several new necklaces and bracelets lately! I'm getting more "balanced" with my inventory, and on track to hit my goal of 200 items by the start of the holiday shopping season - just made it to 160 today with some of these new additions!
Since Peridot is August's birthstone, I added the gem all over these mini chandelier forms that just arrived this week (and yes I'll be thinking of other gem combos for more of these):
You know by now I love garnet. I linked together a teardrop and circle of silver for a simple modern design....
And I liked it so much I made it with Iolite too!
Finally, these mini silver teardrop quads are so pretty and elegant I just added a citrine and voila. Of course I'm considering doing something with these pieces and some garnet too.....hmmmmmmmmmmm
Since Peridot is August's birthstone, I added the gem all over these mini chandelier forms that just arrived this week (and yes I'll be thinking of other gem combos for more of these):
You know by now I love garnet. I linked together a teardrop and circle of silver for a simple modern design....
And I liked it so much I made it with Iolite too!
Finally, these mini silver teardrop quads are so pretty and elegant I just added a citrine and voila. Of course I'm considering doing something with these pieces and some garnet too.....hmmmmmmmmmmm
Sunday, July 24, 2011
My Mango Tree thinks it's Fall already...
The fruit have all fallen now and my Mango is quickly preparing to do it all over again, first by shedding leaves all over the patio and yard. Since we don't exactly get "Fall Foliage" here in South Florida, at least it's nice to see these colors...
A couple of neighbors stopped by to harvest many of the mangoes during their peak, but many, as usual, became treats for squirrels and blue jays. My back yard smelled like a tropical cocktail for a solid month no matter how often I went around gathering the fallen fruits! Often the critters got well done with their bounty leaving only a central husk from the mango...most of these I left in the grass.
While raking up the leaves, I found that many of these discarded husks are now sprouting forth baby trees. So I gathered up about 8 and potted them to coax them along for a while and maybe find new homes. I was interested in the way the husk splits open to give birth to the new trees...mother nature repeating her own design but adapting it with a different color ;)
A couple of neighbors stopped by to harvest many of the mangoes during their peak, but many, as usual, became treats for squirrels and blue jays. My back yard smelled like a tropical cocktail for a solid month no matter how often I went around gathering the fallen fruits! Often the critters got well done with their bounty leaving only a central husk from the mango...most of these I left in the grass.
While raking up the leaves, I found that many of these discarded husks are now sprouting forth baby trees. So I gathered up about 8 and potted them to coax them along for a while and maybe find new homes. I was interested in the way the husk splits open to give birth to the new trees...mother nature repeating her own design but adapting it with a different color ;)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
A trip to the park
Last weekend I went to check out the South County Regional Park looking for running trails, but found - even better - a nature center with a boardwalk and natural preserve area.
So this weekend I went back with my camera. The sign marking the start of the boardwalk warns of the many wildlife you might encounter, including alligators. So I'm glad the path is mostly 8 ft above ground...but I didn't see anything scary (lots of scurrying noises as most critters heard me coming no doubt).
I saw a lot of butterflies along the walk, but most of them did not stop still long enough for a picture, except this one. I thought perhaps he was damaged by the look of his wings, but then with a little research I found this is a Ruddy Daggerwing Butterfly, and his wing design is the normal pattern, and actually the one the trail is named for:
The boardwalk extends along two paths, keeping you safely above ground with some nice views:
At one end is an observatory tower, about 3 stories high, great for a real feel of the space - totally quiet up here except for the birds and trees rustling...
I love the look of these simple bird houses - while it's a bit of a contrast to see these manmade objects amongst the wildlife, at least it's only to extend a helping hand:
During normal weather, this should be a good wetlands area, but we've been having a drought the past few months. I plan to go and check out what it looks like at the end of the summer when the rain has had a good chance to come back.
So this weekend I went back with my camera. The sign marking the start of the boardwalk warns of the many wildlife you might encounter, including alligators. So I'm glad the path is mostly 8 ft above ground...but I didn't see anything scary (lots of scurrying noises as most critters heard me coming no doubt).
I saw a lot of butterflies along the walk, but most of them did not stop still long enough for a picture, except this one. I thought perhaps he was damaged by the look of his wings, but then with a little research I found this is a Ruddy Daggerwing Butterfly, and his wing design is the normal pattern, and actually the one the trail is named for:
The boardwalk extends along two paths, keeping you safely above ground with some nice views:
At one end is an observatory tower, about 3 stories high, great for a real feel of the space - totally quiet up here except for the birds and trees rustling...
I love the look of these simple bird houses - while it's a bit of a contrast to see these manmade objects amongst the wildlife, at least it's only to extend a helping hand:
During normal weather, this should be a good wetlands area, but we've been having a drought the past few months. I plan to go and check out what it looks like at the end of the summer when the rain has had a good chance to come back.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
It's Christmas In July ~ on Etsy that is!
A few months ago I joined a great team on Etsy with other sellers, focused on building our shops and sharing lessons and tips with one another. Since many sellers are opting in to run "Christmas in July" specials, many of my teammates organized around this as well.
For a complete list of the Aspiring Artisan Guild participants, please click over here:
Aspiring Artisan's Guild CIJ Sale
For a sampling across my team, and a few others mixed in, I put together this treasury as well:
Oh, and of course my own shop special is a coupon code: AERIJULY15 now through July 24th. Hope you find something nice!
For a complete list of the Aspiring Artisan Guild participants, please click over here:
Aspiring Artisan's Guild CIJ Sale
For a sampling across my team, and a few others mixed in, I put together this treasury as well:
Oh, and of course my own shop special is a coupon code: AERIJULY15 now through July 24th. Hope you find something nice!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Handmadeology Article: My Etsy Story
Handmadeology is a premiere support site for the handmade community, and by extension of course Etsy. They often ask for articles and have a strong presence in the Etsy forums - so I answered a few questions on a thread a few months ago, woke up this morning and found my post featured - yay!
My Etsy Story: Aerides Designs
Here's the full article:
1. Tell us your Etsy story.. how you got started in your craft and how you started selling on Etsy.
My first trip to a bead store with my mother as a child…maybe I was 12? Once I was allowed to have my ears pierced, we went and picked out beads to make our own earrings – and with that I was hooked! I’ve come back to it many times in my life, and last year decided that if I was ever going to work for myself, it would be via my own jewelry business. Research research research…and I found Etsy! Started very small, read a LOT, created a business plan. Redid(do) my pictures frequently. I’m still just starting but I like that it’s all mine to drive to success.
2. What have you learned about business since you launched your Etsy shop?
Once you have a wonderful product, marketing is really more important than anything else – so many wonderful shops list a few amazing items, then weeks later come to the Etsy forums asking why they haven’t sold yet. You can’t “list it and they will come” – not even the seasoned full time sellers. The business aspect, fortunately for me, is as attractive as the creative side.
3. Tell us one piece of advice for new sellers.
See #2…and have patience – if you sell one thing in your first month GREAT! Many don’t…but they do later. Many shops that are successful today will still tell similar stories. You said one, but the other tip is NEVER think your pictures are good enough (or at least, never say “I know my pics aren’t great but why else am I not selling?”) – Mine are always a work in progress. Plan to spend a LOT of time behind the camera.
My Etsy Story: Aerides Designs
Here's the full article:
1. Tell us your Etsy story.. how you got started in your craft and how you started selling on Etsy.
My first trip to a bead store with my mother as a child…maybe I was 12? Once I was allowed to have my ears pierced, we went and picked out beads to make our own earrings – and with that I was hooked! I’ve come back to it many times in my life, and last year decided that if I was ever going to work for myself, it would be via my own jewelry business. Research research research…and I found Etsy! Started very small, read a LOT, created a business plan. Redid(do) my pictures frequently. I’m still just starting but I like that it’s all mine to drive to success.
2. What have you learned about business since you launched your Etsy shop?
Once you have a wonderful product, marketing is really more important than anything else – so many wonderful shops list a few amazing items, then weeks later come to the Etsy forums asking why they haven’t sold yet. You can’t “list it and they will come” – not even the seasoned full time sellers. The business aspect, fortunately for me, is as attractive as the creative side.
3. Tell us one piece of advice for new sellers.
See #2…and have patience – if you sell one thing in your first month GREAT! Many don’t…but they do later. Many shops that are successful today will still tell similar stories. You said one, but the other tip is NEVER think your pictures are good enough (or at least, never say “I know my pics aren’t great but why else am I not selling?”) – Mine are always a work in progress. Plan to spend a LOT of time behind the camera.
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