September 6, 2009

Upcoming Craft Show Spots Open - October 10th

There are spots open for the Havre de Grace Fall Festival - Artisan Vendors only.

This is in Havre de Grace Maryland, 40+ minutes east of Wilmington & Middletown. This is OCTOBER 10, 2009

Note:

· All booth spaces will be 10’ x 10’ and exhibitors must bring their own canopies, tables, chairs, and other items, as desired

· Set-up will begin at 6:30 am on the day of the festival; booth openings should face the center of the street

· Vendors may reserve one or more booth spaces at a cost of $45 per space ($35 for nonprofits).

· This is a rain or shine event

· In the event of exhibitor failure to show, no refund will be issued

· You will be notified later of where to park and the exact location of your booth(s)



Send this info to the contact below ---

Your Name:

Business Name:

Address:
Phone:
Email:
Website:

Type of Items to be displayed and/or sold:

Number of spaces needed @ $45 each ________ Number of spaces @ $35 ____________

Amount of check enclosed $______________ (made payable to Main Street). You may also pay by credit card on the Sponsors/Tickets page of our Web site at www.mainstreethdg.com.


Contact:


121 North Union Avenue, Suite D, Havre de Grace, MD 21078

410-939-1811

hdgmainstreet@verizon.net; www.mainstreethdg.com



April 6, 2009

Twitter

Please comment with your twitter usernames (a link would be great) if you have one. If you don't have one, feel free to sign up with twitter.com

It's way easier than facebook, and I like it for the celebs.

If you have one let us know!

Follow me: samantha_bird or my Shop's nestinbloom

ALSO, I redesigned this blog today. I just made it sweet and simple. Enjoy.

Woo Hoo!

The Wilmington News Journal's April 6, 2009, has a great article about Delaware artists who are home-based crafters and selling their works on Etsy.

Several of our members are featured in the article along with some colored photographs of Holly Sullivan's and Sarah Dressiers dolls.

A photograph of Lauren Miller's soaps is also included in the article. One of the main points of the article is the fact that we have a market that includes every place in the world because we are a vitual marketplace.

This is great publicity for Etsy, Delaware, and us!

Thank you to BayMoonDesign for letting us know!

April 2, 2009

Sidewalk Event

Spaceboy Clothing is a New outlet for locally made clothing, gifts and art. The store is owned and operated by local artists and musicians that wanted to bring something new and original to the community. Almost everything we sell is made right here in Wilmington and we encourage local artists, designers and musicians to contact us about selling/displaying their work.
Our store is in a great location in Wilmington on Kirkwood Highway with plenty of parking. Please contact us for more details.

Spaceboy Clothing
2306 Kirkwood Hwy
Wilmington, De 19805
302-225-9781
spaceboyclothing@gmail.com
spaceboyclothing.com
They have an ETSY: Their Etsy Site


They are also doing a sidewalk event soon. E-mail them for more info.

---Samantha

P.S. I just created a new web site where you can create fonts in minutes from your handwriting, drawings, etc. It's brand new and will be offering more font services (like creating fully ding fonts from large images, or all signatures) soon.

http://fontsinbloom.com

April 1, 2009

Call for Artists: Philadelphia City Paper's Greatest Trunk Show on Earth

Join more than 100 artists, designers, homemade crafters and vendors on May 16 on opening weekend at the all-new Piazza@Schmidt's in Northern Liberties.

This is our second show and it will be well-advertised in City Paper, online and on various social networking sites.

Set-up is from 9:30 am and the show runs from 11 am to 4 pm. $100 gets you a 10x10' space and we'll provide a 6' table. Vendors are free to set up their space with tents, wardrobe racks, etc. as long as they can break down their space by 5 pm. Interested exhibitors should contact roxanne.cooper@citypaper.net.

Hurry! Space is limited and going fast!

Roxanne Cooper | Associate Publisher | Philadelphia City Paper
215.825.2490 | iPhone 202.538.0274 | http://citypaper.net

March 3, 2009

DELETSY ON FACEBOOK

We're on facebook too! We're also on facebook as a group. Please join the group if you're on!

The facebook group is different for these reasons:

1. It has a forum
2. We can see all of the 'profile pics' of each member, and get to know people by their name (not just etsy shop name)
3. If you're a regular facebook user, it will be easy to keep up with everyone.
4. We can create EVENTS! And invite other DelEtsy's to join.
5. You can invite friends...


The list goes on! Please join!

Click:

DelEtsy On Facebook Groups!

DelEtsy On Facebook Groups!

DelEtsy On Facebook Groups!

Featured Member: TOADSTOOLSNSTREESTUMP






What is your etsy user name?
ToadstoolsNTreestump

Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff.

My name is Sarah, I live in St. Georges, Delaware. I am 5 houses north of the C&D Canal. My Etsy shop opened Black Friday Weekend 2008, I am currently a member of the Fantasy Artists of Etsy team (FAE Team) and am waiting to be juried into the Art Dolls Only team.

Personally - I am a full time mom (2 children 11 & 13 years old), part time art teacher among other things. I graduated from the University of the Arts in 1989, with a BFA in Crafts/Metals.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I read, teach a bit, volunteer, help with homework, listen to instrument practice... I have been a member of the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA) since 2001, where I am known as Sarra the Lymner. Thanks to the SCA I have learned the skills of a medieval calligrapher and illuminator/painter. For my 40th birthday my husband bought me a harp, something I've wanted since I was 10. I don't practice as much as I should, especially since I am teaching my self, but when I do play it brings me great pleasure. The harp is a wonderful instrument, since even when you play badly it makes pretty sounds.

What first made you want to become an artist?
I have been creating things my entire life, I have had jobs in other fields, sometimes I even enjoyed them. The materials and styles I have worked in have changed over the years, but I always seem to be creating with something.

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
When I'm making a new line of dolls I spend a lot of time looking at fantasy images, human figure art (sculpture and 2 dimensional) and start sketching shapes for pattern pieces. Once I have the shapes designed I draw the shapes directly onto the back of the fabric. Until last year every stitch in every doll was hand sewn, but I finally made friends with my sewing machine, and now most of my seams are machine sewn. After the parts for several dolls are all sewn, they get cut, turned, stuffed and closed. Now I get to play with possible fabric and pose combinations. When the combination feels right I pin them in that position and sew them all together. Some dolls I hand paint their "attire" sometimes they are designed to look like they are in leotards, and sometimes I sew clothing on them. All my dolls hair is needle felted on and finally I draw/paint their faces and choose their accessories and embellishments.

When I'm not making dolls I also enjoy making jewelry and working on my calligraphy and illumination projects.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
After living and working in a community of student and professional artists for 10 years and 14 more years of creating since then there are just too many handmade objects in my home. If forced to choose I'll say my wedding band.

Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.
Books - Pride & Prejudice(well really almost everything Jane Austen wrote) , Jane Eyre, Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the Harry Potter series, and Rosamund Pilcher's later works.

Movies: Pride & Prejudice (all versions), the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, most of the work of Hayao Miyazaki, most movies with Katherine Hepburn in them, and Love Actually

Musical groups: The Mediaeval Baebes, Susanne Vega, Loreena McKennitt, Caryn Lin, new age & classical music, and some jazz.

I don't really haunt a lot of web sites, but I do a fair amount of shopping on Amazon and ABEbooks (love the used book searches on both of those sites)

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
I'm still pretty new, but the advice I try to keep to heart is that it takes time to build a reputation, make the best stuff you can, list often and be creative about how to get your name/shop name out there.

Share any ideas you have for our street team.. or plans, hopes..
I'm new to the street team idea but I am hoping to get and give support to teammates and learn effective ways to promote our shops as well as share good sources of supplies, information and inspiration.

How do you promote your work?
Promotion is my biggest challenge. I recently discovered the forums and etsy chat, my google analytics numbers seem to go up when I spend any time on them. I made bookmarks with images of my work and my etsy shop address on them, soon I'll figure out how to distribute them. My sister has a pile of my business cards and has mentioned me on her facebook & myspace pages.

In ten years I'd like to be...
A recognized and respected name in the world of art doll makers.


February 15, 2009

DelEtsy Team Meeting

So far these are some ideas of activities we could do in order for us to "meet":

  • Party Lite Party
  • Open House
  • Victorian Tea Party

More ideas are welcome, remember to comment and leave your Etsy Shop Link so I can contact you!

Have a great week!

Claudia


February 14, 2009

Face Book - Networking


Hi everyone!

How fun to get to know each other and network through Face Book! I recently joined as Antica Treasures! It's free! If you would like to join the fun visit http://www.facebook.com/

All DelEtsians have a great weekend and Happy Valentine's Day!

January 31, 2009

DelEtsy Craft Shows

Hi Team!

I've been thinking of a way for the Delaware Street Team to be active in the community and came up with the following idea.

There is various craft shows occurring year round in Delaware, we could make teams of perhaps 2 - 3 people per opportunity and purchase a booth space together to display and sell our creations. Or perhaps if the team is larger to get two adjacent spaces/booths and make a collective display. Each person would have to code their items so we know what money goes to who and be very organized with the inventory.

Other opportunities to display your work are through Trunk Shows, Networking Sites (Plumdrop.com, Facebook), creating a blog!

It's an idea! An if you are friends with another DelEtsy member, why not working together. A shared booth would cut expenses for both. In addition, participating in shows gives you the opportunity to network with others and promoting your business in the community. Make sure to create cards and flyers!

If you know of upcoming shows and contact names to sign up, feel free to post them in the comments that would be a start!

I know this Spring the Hodgson Vo Tech School, you can find out more information at www.eventlister.com

January 13, 2009

Featured Artist: ScrapStampSew





· What is your etsy user name? SCRAPSTAMPSEW

· Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff: MY NAME IS KAREN COOK. I LIVE IN MIDDLETOWN WITH MY HUSBAND AND 2 SONS. I LOVE TO SCRAPBOOK, STAMP, AND SEW.

· Apart from creating things, what do you do? I ENJOY TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS, COLLECTING JAPANESE CRAFT BOOKS, AND PLAYING WORLDS OF WARCRAFT.

· What first made you want to become an artist? I COME FROM A FAMILY OF CREATERS. MY INTEREST IN CREATING STARTED WHEN I WAS A YOUNG CHILD. I STARTED NEEDLEPOINT WHEN I WAS 9 AND LEARNED TO DO MACHINE SEWING IN HIGH SCHOOL. I BECAME AN AVID SCRAPBOOKER & PAPERCRAFTER ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO AND STARTED SEWING AVIDLY AGAIN ABOUT A YEAR AGO.

· Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc. I LOVE FABRIC! USUALLY A REALLY NEAT FABRIC INSPIRES ME AND THEN I CHOOSE A PATTERN THAT I THINK COMPLIMENTS THE FABRIC AND VIOLA! OTHER THAN THAT I USUALLY CHOSE MY PROJECTS BY GIFTS I WANT TO MAKE FOR SOMEONE AND I TRY TO MAKE MULTIPLES. I’M A SAHM AND BOTH OF MY BOYS ARE IN SCHOOL SO I CREATE DURING THE DAY AND AT NIGHT WHEN THEY ARE IN BED.

· What handmade possession do you most cherish? MY MOST PRIZED HANDMADE POSSESSION IS THE CHRISTENING GOWN MY AUNT MADE FOR ME AS AN INFANT.
Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy. I LOVE ALL KINDS OF MUSIC. I LOVE EVERYTHING FROM THE BEE GEE’S TO YANNI TO ANDREA BOCELLI TO QUEENSRYCHE. I ENJOY ANY BOOKS WRITTEN BY STEPHEN KING. SOME OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES ARE: THE LOVER, FUN WITH DICK AND JANE, BRUCE ALMIGHTY, THE GODFATHER, HEAT
SOME OF MY FAVORITE WEBSITES ARE: WWW.FATQUARTERSHOP.COM, EBAY, OVERSTOCK.COM, FLICKR, & POTTERY BARN

· What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy? CREATE AND LIST, CREATE AND LIST, CREATE AND LIST, IF ONLY I COULD TAKE MY OWN ADVICE, LOL.
· Share any ideas you have for our street team.. or plans, hopes.. MY HOPES ARE THAT THE DELETSY TEAM WOULD GET LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE LOCAL CRAFT SHOWS LIKE CRAFTMAFIA. I ALSO HOPE TO MEET OTHER CREATORS FOR INSPIRATION.

· How do you promote your work? I AM AN AVID FLICKR GROUPEE AND I ALSO PLAN TO MAKE ENOUGH STOCK TO DO CRAFT SHOWS IN 2009

· In ten years I'd like to be... DOING WHAT I’M DOING NOW WITH MORE PRODUCTIVITY ON MY PART.

To those who are interested

To those who are interested in blogging here about ideas, info, etc, please leave your e-mail in the comments. That is the only way I can add you as an author of this blog. Or e-mail me at samanthamariie at gmail.com Thanks!