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!