Etsy Supporting Artists: Teamwork - Does it Work?

'Summer Love' by KatsaraYarns

Selections from Supporting Artists team:  It is great to see artisan's try to support each other within Etsy's site, and my hope is members of teams will embrace the opportunity offered by bloggers to enhance their SEO (search engine optimisation) by linking back and forth between non-Etsy sites such as blogs like this.  All too often, blogging is a thankless task because the artists can't be bothered to click through & comment, even with a little "thank you" to the blogger who bothered to upload links to their creations.  Synergy is created one little step at a time, and every step counts. If you are featured here, I do hope you will comment. If you like this blog, I hope you will follow. If you're not featured but want to take advantage of this venue, add your link to your comment.....that's just one simple way to create links for yourself and boost your SEO.

Tribal Heart Clear ... GaleazGlass $27.00	50% OFF Grey Cream ... hennyseashell $35.00	Cream Damask Tags ... AnistaDesigns $6.75	Crystal Broilette P... Cheydrea $38.00
Kitty Dreams About ... THEODORADESIGN... $5.00	GARDEN PARTY PACKAG... OrchidBlueCosm... $	Love is in the Air ... Janit $12.95	Isa Lollies by Vani... vanillastickco... $19.00
Honeycomb Wine Cork... LizzieJoeDesig... $14.99	Mini Cupcake Cupcak... sushiluna $12.00	Purple Lilac Black ... ibics $125.00	Desk set Calla Lily Craftparadise $50.00
Read All About It D... MaiseysDaiseys $12.00	Happy Day Flower Va... CrazieHappy $32.50	Vintage styled gift... WrapsodyandInk $20.00	Set of 3 Ravioli Sh... SweetOldEtcete... $6.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Seductive Creations and A Challenge

'Seduce - Challenge to Find the One That's Different for a Reward' by Piacere

Various creations sending flirty messages to your honey. You can smell or wear all except for one. Find it & convo me to receive a free shipping code for any of my stores: Piacere, ModernEraDesign, KatsaraYarns

White Backless Nigh... NaughtyNaughty $55.00	Fracas Type Perfume... Piacere $7.00	Black Amber and La... OakStreetCandl... $6.00	Sexy Black Pleated ... NaughtyNaughty $
Eau de Cologne FLOR... AmbrozhiaArome $42.00	White MariamSitchina... $30.00	RUBY SLIPPERS taylorsays $340.00	Leather Love Cuff -... LoveAtFirstBlu... $75.00
Black Taffeta Busti... decadentdesign... $110.00	Sensual Massage and... BodyLuxe $12.00	VAMPED Artisan Perf... PoisonApplePot... $1.95	Artisan Perfume Oil... BlackBaccara $18.00
Temptress Handmade ... BLSoaps $	Tangerine Shawl Ellita $90.00	Sexy mysterious bla... auntbattysclos... $25.00	One Shoulder Little... marcellamoda $69.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Silver Jewelry: A Challenge and a Reward

'Silver Jewelry Challenge for a Gift - Find the One that Doesn't Fit ' by Piacere

Huge Clue: All but one of these has precious metal clay in the process. Can you spot it? (You'll probably have to start clicking to figure it out.) If you convo me with the answer, I will send you a perfume oil sample of your choice from my new Piacere artisanal fragrances.

Sterling Silver Cor... prestonjewelry $350.00	Weaving Tool Pendan... dklStudios $179.00	Silver Pillow Penda... EternallyOptim... $145.00	3Dots and a Wave - ... DilettanteCrea... $45.00
PMC Silver Clay, Go... JenLindley $160.00	Tribal - Handmade f... SilverWishes $85.00	Green Leaves Earrin... ivywoodrose $75.00	Silver rose campion... SilverBlueberr... $67.00
Precious Metal Clay... jansfamilyjewe... $65.00	Handcrafted Silver ... SilverWishes $55.00	Reserved for GY - F... debmunroestudi... $50.00	PMC Bachelor Button krinlox $48.00
Superb Hand Made Na... annakdesigns $2950.00	Dotty Spikes -Prec... mindfulmatters $32.00	Charms and Chains B... staciejewelry $180.00	Urban Journey Fine ... dvinedesigns $28.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Piacere Sensuale: Rethinking my jewelry store

I let my listings lapse into expiration, and all those unsold designs are now assigned to oblivion. Some have been given away as gifts, and some are destined to be dissassembled for parts.  Sadly, my designs were simply never going to sell on Etsy, and so bye-bye to that disappointing phase in my creative life.

Loathe to simply close the shop, I first gave it a facelift to better suit my new direction of tapping into the sensibilities of the mass market.  Alas, Etsy buyers feel safe with creations that conform to mass market trends, so that is where I shall take my shop going forward. I made up some earrings that I hope will appeal to more buyers.  I've also included my artisanal fragrances, which leads me to another story.....

When it comes to perfume, I've always had trouble getting past the initial "assault" of commercial fragrances. Too often it takes an hour or more to soften and dry down to "Act III" featuring the basenotes -- the subtle, earthy foundation that interacts with one's body chemistry.  Last year I began mixing my own fragrances and used my favorite commercial perfumes as reference points.  In some cases, after much reading, sleuthing and testing, I've managed to capture many of my favorites in most ways except for that horrid "assault" scene in the opening act.  By infusing my blends into a pure & natural carrier like jojoba oil, I've eliminated that nasty blast of alcohol.  I've also not used commercial fixatives, opting instead for lovely, subtle oakmoss to fix my notes.

Social Marketplace: The Buzzing Bustling Bazaar of Etsy

Molten River
Nuno Scarf by Andria Senini
www.katsarayarns.etsy.com

Traditional marketplaces bustle with social interactions between friendly competitors and customers. The virtual Etsy marketplace has captured some of that character with recent site changes such as circles and the new treasuries.

Now that Etsy has enabled a much wider range of work to appear in treasuries, artisans are less dependant on bloggers for promotional mention.  Members can now easily generate their own showcases to promote each other and themselves, and so I no longer feel as motivated to use this blog for highlighting undiscovered artisans since they can easily do that for themselves anytime they wish.

And so, my new direction for EtsyLounge will be a little more personal, featuring my treasuries and including occasional personal reflections about the artisanal life. I hope readers will chime in with their own thoughts and experiences, share links to their own blogs or stores.

ArjasUni: Emerging Finnish Jewelery Maker

Selections from ArasUni on Etsy
Arja Aalto's beautiful Etsy store reflects a range of styles, executed with wire and artfully chosen materials. Arja is a professional textile technician by day, and a self-taught jewelry maker and magician with knitting & crocheting copper and silver wire on her own time (20-30 hours weekly.) In her words, her designs reflect, "A fusion of influences from nature, art of the ingenious Sami people of Lapland and Kalevala folklore to Celtic aesthestics, steampunk and contemporary design." I also see romance and a little Victorian influence when I browse her store. Arjas' Etsy store, ArjasUni, is her only venue at this point, and you won't be disappointed if you have a look at her remarkable creations.
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Invitation to Artists Previously Featured on EtsyLounge: If you've been featured on this blog before and would like your own mini-feature like this one, please scroll down to the bottom of this page and fill out the questionnaire.

DiademJewels: Faerie Inspirations on Etsy

Some weeks ago I invited the featured artists of EtsyLounge to fill out the interview questionnaire at the bottom of this page, and DiademJewels is our first responder. She blogs and sells her wondrous creations on Etsy. Both sites are a feast for the eyes. The artist/designer is a 23 year old biology student with a penchant for belly dancing, steampunk fashions and geeky conventions. Inspired by faerie lore, nature & flowers and Greek mythology, she imbues her designs with romance and mysticism. The craftsmanship is most impressive, especially given she is self-taught. Her favorite materials are sterling silver wire, faceted stones, freshwater pearls, crystals and lampwork beads. Beautiful designs and photography make her store and blog a true feast for the eyes. *The necklace shown at the left is her best-seller, and the other photos show a few of the many lovely creations from DiademJewels.etsy.com.