Promote a Sister Sunday...Miss Ruby Sue

Miss Ruby Sue is my special CAB Team sister this week. I just love her clutches and bags. They are the epitome of feminine. At first glance you notice the vintage stylings and beautiful colors. The more you peruse her shop, the more you are drawn in by the texture of the fabric. You really want to pick these gems up to feel the luxury. She says it better than I...
"MISS RUBY SUE is an Independant Deconstructed Fashion Label with romantic vintage Appeal. Often using upcycled clothing, thrifted trinkets and extinct vintage cuts in an artful blend of melodious chic and neovictorian deconstructed elements."

Here is a bit from her profile..."I am a very busy, crazy, over-the-top mother who loves to embarass my 4 kids, expecially my 13 year old son who thinks I don't look like a mom... I find balance by keeping my house clean and kids happy so I cam make a mess in my studio. I have developed a love for crazy, unbelievable vintage whimsy that only the daring will wear.

I am a happy 35 year old who finds pleasure in the complicated, difficult and challenging aspects of life. Otherwise I never learn."

You must take a look at her shop and blog
.

Treasury...Blue and Brown

I went shopping today with my daughter and when I got home I found this lovely surprise. Enjoy!

About I Heart Handmade

Directly from the site...

"Join us for the I Heart Handmade virtual arts and crafts shows, presented by American Craft Guide! Our virtual shows are a great way to drive traffic to your online websites and stores and gain added exposure — so you can convert traffic into customers!

We do not charge a commission on sales made through our virtual arts and crafts shows. And we also don’t allow outside advertising on our show pages, like some others. (Why should they steal your spotlight?) We know you work hard for your money, so we only charge a flat registration fee. This fee helps us advertise the virtual arts and crafts shows so that we can drive more traffic to your websites and online stores. The more traffic we get coming in means more traffic for you — and potential sales and lifelong customers!

Here are a few traffic stats from our most recent show, the I Heart Handmade Holiday show:

Total Visits: 4,800+
Total Page Views: 12,000+
We have many shows planned for 2009. Interested exhibitors can view the calendar on our 2009 schedule page."

Click on the title of this blog posting or to the side on the badge. It's a great website! Here is my page...

Treasury...Colorful

New Photographs

Well, I've been reading up on taking good photos for Etsy. I'm desperate to get to the front page at least once. So, I took a long, hard look at what I'm posting and decided to update some items. See what you think of the difference. The new photos are the ones with a white background. The old photos are still part of the listing, just not the first image. I'd love to hear your comments.

Why I Love Etsy...The Community

Etsy is a community of buyers, sellers and administration who work together in support of each other through teams, blogs, forums, chats, articles and feedback. One of my favorite features is the feedback function. With every sale the buyer has the option to leave feedback on the seller's page. Likewise, the sellers have the option to leave feedback for their buyers. This is a quick response of either Positive, Neutral or Negative. There is also the option to leave a few lines of text. Well, today I received one of the nicest comments from a customer. I had to share. Not because I want to toot my own horn or boast, but to show just how positive the Etsy experience can be.

Promote a Sister Sunday...thingsSHEcarried

I just want to say that I take credit for discovering Cathe's shop for our team. As I usually do, I was browsing through the Etsy shops and fell on thingsSHEcarried and was impressed with how artful and unique her bags were. I immediately sent her a convo to join our creative team and she did. Great to have her with us.

Here is a little exerpt from her profile...
"Things SHE Carried are one-of-a-kind, handmade handbags and carryAlls that artfully combine new and reclaimed materials in functional original designs.

Beginning with reclaimed, vintage and new fabrics to create fresh color and texture combinations each piece is a statement of the same philosophy: that beauty & function can be part of everyday life.

I combine a variety of materials in new and unexpected ways, blending traditional materials into contemporary carryalls creating a 21st century tapestry of all the eclectic influences that cross my path.

Skipping past fashion or era or trendy style – it is my intent to assemble a modern carryall interpretation by twisting styles and materials until they produce a relevant and highly usable canvas and shape that is largely appealing. Appealing to many women, but not all.

Following the impulse to shake things up – to make stuffy, traditional fabrics witty; to introduce post consumer recyclables in a useful, acceptable manner and to reclaim old treasured textiles into a small, personal scale is my personal design assignment of the moment."

Etsy Seller Spotlight...Papermode

As you may have noticed, I tend to gravitate toward small treasures and shops with a definite look and focus. Papermode is such a shop. The proprietors/designers are Camille Asseraf and Jennifer Whitney. Papermode is a Rhode Island based company specializing in hand-crafted items like embroidered boxes, paper jewelry and handmade journals. They are also available for stationery and design services. I think you'll love the little gems they produce as much as I do.
Check out their website and blog for more information. www.paper-mode.com

My Very Intelligent Son

I've been trying to make my photographs more appealing for my shop. Tonight I asked my son Sam, a sophomore in college studying computer graphics, to help me figure out how to use layers in Photoshop. Lucky for me, he's a very patient teacher. After some frustration on my part, many laughs and a little diligence, I came up with these. I was hoping more detail, some pretty edges and my shop name would do the trick. What do you think?

Treasury...CABTeam Creations

Since I missed doing a "Support a Sister" posting yesterday, I thought I'd make up for it by creating a Treasury. Hope everyone has success with this. I wish I could have included all of my talented teammates.

Treasury...Feelin' the Love

I was able to get a treasury spot today. Just love these hearts.

Etsy Seller Spotlight...Sophie Isobel Designs

I came across the sweetest shop today and wanted to let everyone in on it. Sophie Isobel Designs is a relatively new shop on Etsy. It opened on October 17, 2008.
In the artist's words...
"Sophie Isobel Designs is a quirky little nook that offers one off handmade artwork, bags and accessories created by a lover of all things vintage, recycled and unique. Teapots, keys, old books, ink, vintage brooches and postcards, buttons, Alice in Wonderland, typography and wild flowers are just some of my favourite things..."
Her blog profile reads...
"If you take a little trip down the garden path and through the secret garden you might find me, surrounded by notebooks, journals, old magazines, material and buttons... just spending the afternoon chasing a little beauty. i am a little bit 50's house wife, a touch alice in wonderland and a smidge 60's love child. i write, i sew, i teach English, i drink tea and i dream of being in Paris again."
I love the combination of vintage fabric and typed text. I bought the "I Heart Handbags" brooch. Go figure...
You simply must take a look... http://herlibraryadventures.blogspot.com/

Treasury...CABTeam Purses in Pink

Nothing could be finer than to be in a Treasury with my teammates! Thanks Pandjcrafts.

Treasury...Valentine

In another Treasury. Thanks to Annieheart Designs.

Bags and Buds Valentines You Tube Video

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What a funny coincidence...

I just posted about Benjamin Button last night and here I am in a Treasury of the same title. How funny!

The Curious Case...

I saw a really fantastic movie this evening with my daughter~"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." What a sweet, poignant love story. I highly recommend it to anyone. It was particularly lovely to see with my daughter. She is just starting her adult life and the message is so important...Nothing lasts, so make your life what you want it to be now. It can be anything you want it to be. Just thought I'd share. Oh, and the fact that Brad Pitt is in it makes it that much more amazing.

Promote a Sister Sunday...Bessie of The Laughing Mouse

I just love these little bags. They are so sweet and feminine. Bessie has had some great Etsy successes~ being including in the Gift Guide and in a Treasury that made the front page. Not to mention the blog article on Brides.com. Check it out. http://www.brides.com/blog/weddedbits/102/2008/12/4195/clutches_bridesmaid_gifts.html
I can't wait to see more.

American Craft Guide Directory

Well, I signed up to be included in the American Craft Guide Directory of Handcrafters and Indie Artists. And to my great delight, it has been posted. If you click on the Clothing and Accessories category you will find Bags and Buds at the top. How exciting! It's a great way to start the New Year.

Treasury...Carried Away Team

It's always exciting to be honored with a spot in a Treasury. I get so excited when I see one of those little yellow stars. One of my fellow Carried Away Team members, Julie of pandjcrafts, has created a really pretty grouping. Thanks Julie!

The Coolest Christmas Present...

My husband gave me the coolest Christmas present ever! This calendar will provide me oodles of inspiration. I've included the link to purchase it. I just love it!

Here is the description-"Handbag lovers, feast your eyes. Handbags—adapted from Anna Johnson's stylish bestseller—is a gallery of covetable purses, bags, totes, clutches, and pochettes, all gorgeously photographed and ready to display on your desk. A wild leopard-print evening bag from Christian Dior. Elsa Schiaparelli's quilted black satin vase bag. Sheer glamour: Luciano Padovan’s silver handbag, Judith Leiber and Emilio Pucci, Miu Miu, Versace, and distinctive antique bags. Each is more fabulous than the last."

Happy Holidays!

Bag Survey Results

This was pretty interesting. The funniest thing is, the purse I currently carry fits all of the most popular answers. Ha! See what you think...

How many purses do you own?
1-5 38.7%
6-10 29%
11-15 9.7%
Way too many 22.6%

What size is the purse you carry?
Small 3.2%
Medium 61.3%
Large 29%
Oversized 6.5%

What is your favorite purse made of?
Fabric 51.6%
Leather 41.9%
Plastic 6.5%

How many pockets do you like your purses to have?
1-2 12.9%
3-4 83.9%
None 3.2%

How long do you want the strap to be?
Handle length-doesn’t need to fit on the shoulder 0%
Strap that fits over the shoulder 54.8%
Strap that adjusts to fit over the body 32.3%
Doesn’t matter-I’ll carry them all 12.9%

What do you carry in your purse?
Just the essentials-lipstick, comb, car keys, cell phone 33.3%
More than essentials but less than the kitchen sink 60%
The kitchen sink 6.7%

What color is your favorite purse?
Black 41.7%
Brown 33.3%
Multi 25%

How do you want your purse to close?
Snap 20%
Zipper 60%
Flap 16.7%

How many purses have you purchased in the last year?
1-4 80.6%
5-9 16.1%
10-15 3.2%
I’m out of control 0%

Where did you purchase your last purse?
Department Store 44.8%
Specialty Shop 10.3%
Garage Sale/Flea Market 0%
Online 44.8%

We Have a Winner!

Thanks to everyone for filling out my Bag Survey. As promised, today I chose a winner for the free Zippy Pouch. Congratulations ShadySideFarm. I will be posting the results of the survey soon.

Treasuries...Good News/Pleasing Pinks

I was able to snag 2 Treasuries last night. One on Treasury called "Good News" and the other on Treasury West called "Pleasing Pinks". Enjoy! I'm off to brave the mall traffic. Help!

Etsy Seller Spotlight...Space+Moderne

I am always looking for unique items on Etsy~those things that you can't find everywhere in mass production. I think truly successful handcrafters are those who make things that stand out. Space+Moderne is one of those shops. I just love her inspired designs. I especially like the wine pockets. How cool would it be to get a bottle in one of these bags?