Etsy Shop Owners Support Breast Cancer Charities

October is Breast Cancer Awarness month and there are a number of Etsy shop owners who are donating some or all of the proceeds of their sales to charities dedicated to finding the cure. There's MLRStudio and Sea Breeze Creations who have each created pieces of jewelry to bring focus to the cause and are donating a portion of the profits raised by sales of these items.

Our focus Etsy shop today is Atomic Rose Boutique. This shopowner is participating in a 3 day, 60 mile walk in Philadelphia on 10/6-8. She opened her shop to donate all profits to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund and to date has raised over $2125. She and a group of crafters make all the items for sale. Some of the items were donated by other Etsy shopowners who are credited on the Atomic Rose Boutique front page.

Prices range from $1 to $20 with shipping included. Their most popular item to date has been the "Slippery Nipple" soap on a rope which retailed for $5.50 and appears to be sold out right now but is really worth taking a look. I'd check with Atomic Rose Boutique to see if they are going to be replenishing their stock .

Finally, I'd like to single out Robotpop. This shopowner brought Atomic Rose Boutique to the attention of this writer and has donated a portion of her shop's sales to Atomic Rose Boutique in support of their efforts. It is this kind of generosity that makes it easy to support the shops of the Etsy community.

New Feature - Daily Reviews of Etsy

Starting October 1, 2006, Craft Trend Watch will feature a daily review of some of our favorite Etsy Shops.

For those of you who don't know about Etsy, let me catch you up. Etsy is an on-line shopping venue that features only handcrafted merchandise, presented in shops which are operated by thousands of independent artists, crafters and designers. You can shop by category, color, materials or by individual shop. You can find everything from lipbalm to fine works of art. The pricing is more then reasonable and the service is first rate. You can leave feedback if it isn't.

One of my favorite features is Alchemy, where anyone can request a custom order (the sky is the limit) and any Etsy shop owner who feels they can handle the job can bid on it.

Most shop owners accept credit cards through PayPal and will ship internationally. Some accept checks.

Please bookmark this blog and check back often. You don't want to miss one day of the wonderful world of Etsy.

Etsy & MLR Studio get some good press!

I recently had the opportunity to work with a well known author (Oprah Book Club selection well known), designing a future project related to her new book. We made our connection via Etsy. It was a great experience and I really am looking forward to completing this work.

And as if this experince wasn't already positive, this author writes about Etsy and MLR Studio along with several other Etsy artists on her blog.

Thanks, Jackie, for your kind words about Esty, MLR Studio and all the independent artists, designers and crafters who appreciate your support.

I Have a Thing for Vintage Pendants & Beads

I am addicted to vintage pendants and beads. I can't get enough of great german carved glass pendants and I'm using them on many of the pieces I am creating for my fall/winter 2006 jewelry collection at MLR Studio.

One of my favorite and most reliable resources for vintage beads and such is The Beadin Path. They have a great website and a retail location in Freeport ME. Whoever buys their merchandise has exceptional taste and quality control standards. I can honestly say that I have never received a thing from them that was not of the best quality.

They also sell Swarovski crystals & components and all the basics.

Not Martha

I recently found Not Martha, whose author offers her insights on everything from home decorating to the new sandals she's searching for - complete with links to the relative info.

Of particular interest to the chronic crafter is her "how to make stuff" page, which gives detailed instructions (complete with pictures), on a myriad of projects she has undertaken.

I have not personally attempted any of these projects, but the instructions look clear and easy to follow.

Etsy - Check It Out!

Etsy is a website for crafters, artists & designers to sell their wares at a very low cost to a worldwide audience. The only caveat is that the items you intend to sell on Etsy are handmade and not mass produced. This is a great venue for all indie crafters, artists & designers to get a foot in the cyberspace doorway.

Upon joining Etsy, you receive you very own website which is simple to use even if all you've ever done on a computer is answer email. There is a tiny fee to list each item. Item listings last for six months or until the item sells or you remove it yourself. When an item sells there is another small fee which is a percentage of the selling price.

Etsy is worth a look if you don't have a website now or if you are looking for a quick, inexpensive way to get more traffic to an existing site.