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Milk Glass and Tea

This is a beautiful hostess stand made by HighTeaForAlice from two of my milk glass plates.Check out her other items at http://www.etsy.com/shop/HighTeaForAlice

Big Etsy Contest

One day a month or so ago, one of the Vintage Jewelry Sellers on Etsy e-mailed me to say I was in the Big Etsy Contest. I had no idea what that was so headed on over to see what it was all about. Now, I’m a leader of the big Etsy Contest Team and just have to tell you all about this Big Etsy contest idea and the person behind the curtain….

Since 2008, Spacefem has been shopping on Etsy and in 2011 she decided to open her own shop.  She is a “30-something electrical engineer, pilot, php programmer, Kansan, sewing nerd, and mom” and the brains behind the Big Etsy Contest. And, she’s got one hell of a sense of humor!

Now, I have no idea how bots work or how to even start setting up a site like the Big Etsy Contest.  Evidently, Spacefem does because this one is cool.

The Big Etsy Contest pulls a few hundred items from the Etsy marketplace and puts them head-to-head, two at a time, so you can pick your favorite. Items are pulled by price, with the day of the month corresponding to the item prices.

Up to 25% of the items are from people who've submitted their stores and want to be in the contest, the rest are from random new listings from the marketplace.

The contest contains handmade and vintage items, but not supplies.

If you have an Etsy shop, you can sign up for free, pick a day to compete, and join in the fun. Thousands of votes are submitted every day so you're guaranteed a few views, and publicity from winning, or even just placing, doesn't hurt either.

If you're a shopper looking for deals you can search for the best items by price, or browse coupon codes that signed up shops are offering contest voters.

To mix things up, there are often theme days: 

Hue Tuesday -  items tagged with a specific primary color are grabbed.

Welcome Wednesday – items are pulled from Etsy's newest shops.

Theme Thursday – “Themes can be anything from animals (unicorns!) to materials (yarn!) and aren't published anywhere in advance, because I can never make up my mind what the darn theme should be until the last minute.”

Swanky Sunday – “We vote on items that cost more than $31, based on where we're at in the month. So on the first Sunday it's things I probably can't afford, and by the last Sunday it's stuff that I definitely can't afford."

 

For more info check out the contest blog at etsycontest.blogspot.com
or at twitter @EtsyContest
or the Etsy team http://www.etsy.com/teams/12328/etsy-contest.

Oreo Cupcakes

Just a quick post today since I was thinking about chocolate...

Ingredients
Package of Oreo cookies
Packaged cake mix or your own recipe
Frosting of your choice

--Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
--Eat a cookie.
--Mix packaged cake mix according to directions.
--Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner.
--Eat a cookie.
--Take 1/2 of remaining cookies in package and chop coarsely and add to cake mix.
--Fill the cupcake tins.
--Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions).
--Eat a cookie.

Setting up a Booth at a Fair

WOW!… That’s the sort of reaction most of us would like to hear as someone spots our stall. If you have spent time and effort collecting items for sale, allow enough time to plan your display and do justice to your hard work. A display should compliment and highlight each item.

There’s no big secret here – it’s all about the display, and how that display creates an experience that makes people want to buy. With a proper display, and a little effort, your shop can be the most popular stall in the market.

There are two things to know when it comes to setting up your display: First, you need some props, and second, you must give yourself enough time to set it all up.

Equipment

When you first get started you will have to purchase the right equipment and this can be a bit of an investment, but if you think you will continue doing shows then you'll need the following:

o Canopy or tent - The proper canopy or tent will protect your items, your customers, and you from rain and sun.
o Tables - Buy the lightest, easiest thing to carry around. You can find many aluminum models that fold up easily and can be tucked away in almost any vehicle. Don't forget a small chair for yourself (when there is nobody in the stall).
o Weights - Make sure you carry weights, large water bottles that can be filled, or small sand bags. You will need to tether these to your tables or tent with bungee cords in case of a windy day.

Attention Grabber

This is the area where a potential customer enters your booth and needs to slow down and examine your jewelry. Since booth space is limited, the attention grabber needs to work immediately. Something dramatic has to make browsers, rubber-neckers and the "gotta-see-the-whole-show-right-now" folks STOP RIGHT HERE.

Booth Layout

Most booths are designed in a large inverted "U" shape: one table on each side and a table against the back wall. Therefore, after a while, all booths start to look the same. Draw attention with a different layout. You can maximize customer's sight lines by placing tables at an angle instead of the traditional up-against-the-wall layout. This means that more of each table's contents is exposed to the passersby. This is ideal for larger spaces, as customers have more room to maneuver around the displays.

One of the downsides of this layout is that you can lose about 20% of your stock space. The question you have to ask yourself is whether you will sell more by displaying less?

Back Wall

The back wall should be the magnet that pulls someone into your booth. It should be the brightest and most dramatic area. This is where your business name should be, at the highest point you can see from outside your booth. If you have an outdoor space, and it has a roof, make sure the edges of the roof do not block your name from the outside.

Overall Look

Cover your tables in bright fabric. Take your time to come up with a great color scheme. Work your tent color, table covers, and products into a harmonious display. Neutral colors, both light and dark, provide the best backdrops for jewelry pieces. Avoid textured materials on table covers. Bright primary colors (such as traffic light red, yellow and green) should be used to accent the space, as large swaths of them can overwhelm both the space and the customer.

Banner

You want people to remember your stall, but also your company name. It’s important to display a banner or sign on your display. 

Height

Think about eye levels. You want people’s eyes to roam all around the space you have, so don’t lay your items flat. Use furniture, props, boxes and shelving to create height.

Props

Whether you’re selling necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or rings, careful use of props can present them in such a way that will remove indecisiveness from your buyers. Remember to make it easy for your customers to try on each item. But, also keep in mind that very large, cluttered displays are almost as bad as no display at all.

Necklaces should be displayed on proper necklace stands that allow people to picture them around their own necks.

Bracelet displays should show each piece from many different angles, giving buyers the opportunity to see how they hang from a wrist, as well as how they compare to other styles.

Price Labels

For some people, it is intimidating to ask the cost, and most will simply look and leave. If you do not give your customers price starting points, you are missing a valuable signage technique.

The price tags need to be in scale with the work and not distract from the object. Your jewelry should be priced with small tags. There are many different types and sizes of tags available at any office supply, including a bunch that will work with most types of jewelry.

Beautiful labels will add to your overall presentation; shabby labels will detract from it. The most important factor is legibility. If you have terrible hand writing, print out you labels. Ensure your spelling and grammar is correct!

You Are Part of the Booth

You are part of the booth – a very important part! You should not be sitting in a chair looking bored while customers are in the booth; instead, you should be friendly and engage them in conversation. Compliment the jewelry they are wearing if you like it, or find other ways to make them feel comfortable. Remember to “decorate” yourself so you fit in with your booth, too.

Be sure to smile and do your best to make eye contact with everyone who enters your booth. Let them see how happy you are to see them. A friendly salesperson who loves the product and is excited by the customer sells more than one who is not. Be your own best asset.

Packaging Up the Sale

Careful use of props and elegant displays can have a major impact on sales, but it doesn’t stop there. Once the sale is made, you have a final opportunity to impress your customer and make them want to come back for more. This opportunity lies in how you pack your goods.

Do you normally drop those aurora borealis earrings into a paper bag and move on to the next customer? Why not box the beauties instead? There is a whole range of packaging options available to you, with different boxes and bags designed specifically for rings, necklaces, and bracelets, in many different styles and colors. Check some Etsy shops for packing supplies.

The question you should ask yourself, is how do you want your customers to look at you and your business? Do you want them to see you as a box store – cheap, drab, and crowded – somewhere they really don’t want to go? Or do you want them to picture you as a Boutique – elegant, tasteful, and a pleasure to visit?

Adding a Review to Stumble!

Open the page you would like to Stumble.

Click on the “thumbs up” icon in your toolbar.

(If the thumb turns green, it means someone else has stumbled the item already. You will now need to click on the Info bubble in your toolbar and add your review from there.)

If the item is "safe for work" click "yes"

 Now it's time to add your Topic. DO NOT select e-commerce. If your topic does not appear in the list, select one from the drop down menu. 

I've selected "jewelry" as an example.

Now, to add Tags. You'll see that your Topic has also been added to Tags. That's usually fine. Make sure to separate all tags with commas. StumbleUpon allows you to add as many tags as you like, but actually uses the first five you provide.

Next, add your review. You can be as short or as long as you wish. When I'm reviewing my own items, I often use my first few sentences in the description because I write short and concise first sentences. When I am reviewing others, I often use just cut and paste the title, adding a few words at the beginning. "These are beautiful Black and Milk White Rhinestone Goldtone Earrings Weiss Vintage."

Finally, hit "Add review" and you are done.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Altered from the great Mrs. Fields Choc Chip Cookie recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs (I often leave out the eggs!)
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups best quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer blend together the butter and sugars until it they form a grainy paste. Add eggs, one at a time until just blended (or not). Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix on medium speed until the batter is light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed until just mixed. Do not over-mix.

Slowly blend in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. If you find the batter is too soft to handle you can put the bowl into the fridge for 15-20 minutes first so that the dough hardens a bit. It will make forming the cookies a bit easier.

These cookies SPREAD so leave lots of room between them.

Bake for 18-22 minutes until they are slightly brown around the edges. Do not over-bake or they will be crunchy, rather than chewy. Transfer immediately to wax paper to cool.