Red White and Blue for Veterans!
curated by Buffalove on Etsy
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
We are the Buffalo Etsy Team!
So you've been wondering, what is the Buffalo Etsy Team? We are a diverse group of Etsy sellers from the Western New York region - mostly in the Buffalo NY area.
Etsy sellers have the option to join teams for networking, information sharing, and other types of assistance. Teams can be virtual or location-based as we are in the Buffalo, NY area. The benefit of joining a local team is you get to meet in person and learn from one another face to face. Many of our team members have developed strong bonds and collaborate with one another in many ways.
The team blog - buffaloetsyteam.blogspot.com - has a number of helpful series for Etsy sellers including:
The blog is loaded with other resources and features both for Etsy sellers and Etsy buyers so its worth scrolling through the calendar on the right side of the screen to find something of interest.
As of July 2015, the Buffalo Etsy Team is now meeting at the Whimsy By Kelly Studio. Thanks to team leader Kelly we have a dedicated meeting spot where we can hold monthly meetings, workshops, crafting classes and other activities. This team selfie was taken at our July meeting.
The team has over 600 members who reside in the Western New York region though most meeting attendees come from Erie County and Buffalo area. For those who cannot attend meetings, the team has an active discussion board on Etsy, a team Facebook page, a Pinterest page, and Buffalove on Etsy - a page full of themed collections of items for sale from Buffalo Etsy Team members. If you are looking to see what team members have for sale, visit our Shop Buffalo Etsy Team page.
In addition, the team has held workshops on photography and financial matters, raised funds in a successful campaign to support a veteran's family, and been featured on local TV to promote gift guides during the holiday season.
To join the team, you must be an Etsy seller living in Western New York. Visit Etsy.com to see more about teams and how to join us by searching for us in the Community section.
Etsy sellers have the option to join teams for networking, information sharing, and other types of assistance. Teams can be virtual or location-based as we are in the Buffalo, NY area. The benefit of joining a local team is you get to meet in person and learn from one another face to face. Many of our team members have developed strong bonds and collaborate with one another in many ways.
The team blog - buffaloetsyteam.blogspot.com - has a number of helpful series for Etsy sellers including:
- Craft Show 101 - a guide to selling at local shows,
- the Did I Really Just Quit My Day Job series,
- interviews with sellers from the team,
- useful photography tips for Etsy sellers,
- a look inside team members' studios,
- and coming soon a featured shop series.
The blog is loaded with other resources and features both for Etsy sellers and Etsy buyers so its worth scrolling through the calendar on the right side of the screen to find something of interest.
As of July 2015, the Buffalo Etsy Team is now meeting at the Whimsy By Kelly Studio. Thanks to team leader Kelly we have a dedicated meeting spot where we can hold monthly meetings, workshops, crafting classes and other activities. This team selfie was taken at our July meeting.
The team has over 600 members who reside in the Western New York region though most meeting attendees come from Erie County and Buffalo area. For those who cannot attend meetings, the team has an active discussion board on Etsy, a team Facebook page, a Pinterest page, and Buffalove on Etsy - a page full of themed collections of items for sale from Buffalo Etsy Team members. If you are looking to see what team members have for sale, visit our Shop Buffalo Etsy Team page.
In addition, the team has held workshops on photography and financial matters, raised funds in a successful campaign to support a veteran's family, and been featured on local TV to promote gift guides during the holiday season.
To join the team, you must be an Etsy seller living in Western New York. Visit Etsy.com to see more about teams and how to join us by searching for us in the Community section.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Monday, May 4, 2015
Mint Julep Inspirations
This collection was inspired by the Kentucky Derby and the celebratory Mint Julep's that start off May and its wonderful green colors.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Did I Really Just Quit My Job
A quote from Henry David Thoreau in answer to questions about
why he decided to live in the woods for 2 years (which several years later, in
1854, he wrote about in the book Walden).
In a strange way I feel little bit of Thoreau in my blood. I’m
now 8 months into my journey of leaving the “real world” and I've learned quite
a bit more about life and myself.
Since my last post in November, I've made enough progress to
keep the dream alive, yet by no means am I out
of the woods – haha I had to throw that line in there!!
I finished 2014 with a strong showing at the St. Greg’s and
Heim crafts shows and kept the momentum going as I headed into the new year.
The hymnbook holder project I spoke of previously, turned out great and it
looks like it may lead to more business this year.
On-line sales improved through December, but I realized that
if I want to make a big difference I need to really upgrade my game in that
area. With that in mind I sought the insight of EurekaGuides, an
ETSY store, specializing in very thorough and direct critiques of Etsy stores.
I highly recommend this service to anyone who is looking for
more insight than is possible, or sometimes helpful, through the forums or
teams. I learned quite a bit from this critique.
Every single facet of the store is analyzed.
The cost ($75)
was well worth it to me and the increase in traffic was immediate after I started
implementing some of the suggestions.
My retail molding endeavor, located on my DIY pictureframing website, went live a couple of weeks ago and I had my first sale after
only 6 days! I’m hoping to turn that into a consistent revenue stream.
I’m still edgy about money, I still don’t have health
insurance, and I've cut back on quite a few things. I wouldn't quite compare it to Thoreau's living off the land, but it's certainly a lot different than I was used to.
Luckily for me, my family
and my girlfriend are very supportive and understanding.
I see progress though and can actually feel momentum
building. Each day I wake up with a feeling of anticipation. Wondering what new
opportunity will present itself. Spring always brings hope and re-birth and I'm sure that is some of what I'm feeling now, but not all of it.
So, I’ll just keep planting the seeds of hard work, faith and a positive attitude and see what grows from that.
If its not enough to live on, I can always come out the woods….
Until next time, stay positive and good luck to all!!
Al
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Treat Yourself : Luxury Items
We deserve to treat ourselves once and awhile. Maybe one of these items will catch your eye!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Why I started my Etsy shop: Stories from the Buffalo Etsy Team
More than ever Etsy is connecting with individuals who want to sell their handmade and vintage items. The Buffalo Etsy Team has seen a growth in members and with that a lot of new sellers want to know - how did you get started and why? So we asked some team members and here are their stories.
Jessie of Pigknit sells illustrated prints, clip art and other printables, and she's been selling on Etsy since 2012.
"I sell illustrated prints on Etsy. Years ago I opened an Etsy shop and listed a few items. I didn't know what I was doing, my listings were terrible, and after the unsold items expired I let my shop sit empty for years. It wasn't until a friend expressed interest in a series of alphabet prints I had designed that I decided to try listing them on my old shop. This time, with experience working in branding and marketing from my day job, I took Etsy more seriously and it paid off. I made my first sale within 2 days, and Etsy has since become a much bigger part of my life than I had ever anticipated."
Erica of PECollectibles and a team leader is a collector who sells vintage pieces ranging from jewelry to historic photos to books. She's been selling on Etsy since 2011.
"I am a vintage seller and have always had a passion for preserving history especially in Buffalo. This passion probably comes from my family who taught me about antiques and history beginning as a child. After having little financial success at flea markets and other selling venues, a friend suggested I sell on Etsy. Once I made my first sale I knew I could grow this into a nice part time business and it has been very enjoyable for me."
KitchStudios began in 2010. Erin is a designer and screen printer who sells kitchen and home accessories including tea towels, table runners and other retro and vintage themed decor.
"My husband and I got started screen printing when we were both in touring bands and wanted to make our own merchandise. When I had my daughter, I let my recording contract run out and became a stay at home mom, while my husband ran our shop out of the Larkin building downtown. When I found Etsy, I fell head over heels in love with their mission about hand made goods and decided to give it a go as a work from home mom. I started small with two tea towel designs and have grown every year since!"
Karin of KarinLorenc makes stoneware pottery coffee mugs, bowls, and serving pieces in bright modern colors. She's been selling her pieces on Etsy since 2008.
"I've always loved working with clay. I started making pottery in my home after finding a rustic old kick wheel at a garage sale. I'm a minimalist so I couldn't keep everything for myself. I found Etsy almost 9 years ago, and I've been selling my mugs and bowls here ever since."
Jessica makes women's accessories including unique silk flower hair clips, bobby pins, earrings and necklaces. She opened her shop, Fast|crawl, in 2011.
"Mine is a story akin to the chicken and the egg; which came first? I don't remember if I had the idea for flower hair clips first or the materials, but at some point in 2011, I found myself in possession of two 100 gallon totes full of silk flowers, and Fast|crawl was born. I had found Etsy in 2008 through...StumbleUpon? Word of mouth? Sheer happenstance? and was hooked - I knew I had a ready made market, but didn't know where to begin. Four years later I'm still finding things to tweak, though my focus has shifted and I'm finding more business success. There would be no Fast|crawl if it weren't for the platform Etsy has provided."
Dan sells a wide range of handmade pieces including Concrete Decor, Original Art, Limited Edition Art & Photography Prints, Art Cards Editions and Originals (ACEOs), Jewelry and more. He began his shop, DanDoroArtAndDesign, in 2009.
"I opened my Etsy Shop so that I could share my creative work online with a diverse array of people. My hope was to have others send feedback via conversations, favorites and purchases to learn what products of mine proved to have value in the eyes of others. Those hopes have been realized many times over and I am so grateful for having Etsy as a creative outlet. Much of my work includes rustic handcrafted concrete decor, paintings and illustrations."
Nicole of mealymonster makes creepy, strange, weird, and odd art dolls and creatures (as she describes them) using polymer clay and acrylic paint. She started her Etsy shop in 2008.
"I put my artistic side on hold for a very long time in order to start a family. I found eEtsy back in 2008. I was looking for a place to reconnect with my artistic side and a creative community to share this journey with. Etsy fit the bill. Etsy inspired me to make art again and also offered a place to share and sell the art I was making."
Mary is a Buffalo Etsy Team leader who has been selling handmade wine charms in her shop, CharmedByWine, since 2011.
"I found Etsy in 2010 when I started planning my 2012 wedding. We didn't really have a wedding theme other than our black/ivory/burgundy colors, and that my family is Italian and naturally goes overboard with food and wine -- so we did end up incorporating some wine/vineyard aspects into our day. I found a really neat wine crate on Etsy to use as a card box, and I wanted to do wine charms as our favors -- but I hated all the designs I was finding! The charms themselves were made from weaker wire that bends out of shape easily, and a lot of the designs made it possible for beads to fall off the charm. To make it worse, nothing really reflected US as a couple. So, I designed and made my own!
1000+ wine charms and 3 months later, my fingers hurt and I had watched the entire Harry Potter series twice. I had leftover materials, and just started messing around with different designs other than the 6 I kept repeating for our guests. My "Vibrant Vino" wine charms were the first set I made for Charmed By Wine (which is why it is my profile photo!). Scared that wine charms would slowly take over my house, I officially opened my shop in November 2012. I love finding interesting beads and coming up with new designs, but my favorite part is helping people create something fun and unique for a gift or special event."
If you're new or want to start an Etsy shop, let us know. Looking for more work from Buffalo Etsy Team members? Visit the team's Buffalove Etsy page and the team's Facebook page.
Jessie of Pigknit sells illustrated prints, clip art and other printables, and she's been selling on Etsy since 2012.Erica of PECollectibles and a team leader is a collector who sells vintage pieces ranging from jewelry to historic photos to books. She's been selling on Etsy since 2011.
"I am a vintage seller and have always had a passion for preserving history especially in Buffalo. This passion probably comes from my family who taught me about antiques and history beginning as a child. After having little financial success at flea markets and other selling venues, a friend suggested I sell on Etsy. Once I made my first sale I knew I could grow this into a nice part time business and it has been very enjoyable for me."
KitchStudios began in 2010. Erin is a designer and screen printer who sells kitchen and home accessories including tea towels, table runners and other retro and vintage themed decor.
"My husband and I got started screen printing when we were both in touring bands and wanted to make our own merchandise. When I had my daughter, I let my recording contract run out and became a stay at home mom, while my husband ran our shop out of the Larkin building downtown. When I found Etsy, I fell head over heels in love with their mission about hand made goods and decided to give it a go as a work from home mom. I started small with two tea towel designs and have grown every year since!"Karin of KarinLorenc makes stoneware pottery coffee mugs, bowls, and serving pieces in bright modern colors. She's been selling her pieces on Etsy since 2008."I've always loved working with clay. I started making pottery in my home after finding a rustic old kick wheel at a garage sale. I'm a minimalist so I couldn't keep everything for myself. I found Etsy almost 9 years ago, and I've been selling my mugs and bowls here ever since."
Jessica makes women's accessories including unique silk flower hair clips, bobby pins, earrings and necklaces. She opened her shop, Fast|crawl, in 2011.
"Mine is a story akin to the chicken and the egg; which came first? I don't remember if I had the idea for flower hair clips first or the materials, but at some point in 2011, I found myself in possession of two 100 gallon totes full of silk flowers, and Fast|crawl was born. I had found Etsy in 2008 through...StumbleUpon? Word of mouth? Sheer happenstance? and was hooked - I knew I had a ready made market, but didn't know where to begin. Four years later I'm still finding things to tweak, though my focus has shifted and I'm finding more business success. There would be no Fast|crawl if it weren't for the platform Etsy has provided."Dan sells a wide range of handmade pieces including Concrete Decor, Original Art, Limited Edition Art & Photography Prints, Art Cards Editions and Originals (ACEOs), Jewelry and more. He began his shop, DanDoroArtAndDesign, in 2009.
"I opened my Etsy Shop so that I could share my creative work online with a diverse array of people. My hope was to have others send feedback via conversations, favorites and purchases to learn what products of mine proved to have value in the eyes of others. Those hopes have been realized many times over and I am so grateful for having Etsy as a creative outlet. Much of my work includes rustic handcrafted concrete decor, paintings and illustrations."
Nicole of mealymonster makes creepy, strange, weird, and odd art dolls and creatures (as she describes them) using polymer clay and acrylic paint. She started her Etsy shop in 2008."I put my artistic side on hold for a very long time in order to start a family. I found eEtsy back in 2008. I was looking for a place to reconnect with my artistic side and a creative community to share this journey with. Etsy fit the bill. Etsy inspired me to make art again and also offered a place to share and sell the art I was making."
Mary is a Buffalo Etsy Team leader who has been selling handmade wine charms in her shop, CharmedByWine, since 2011.
"I found Etsy in 2010 when I started planning my 2012 wedding. We didn't really have a wedding theme other than our black/ivory/burgundy colors, and that my family is Italian and naturally goes overboard with food and wine -- so we did end up incorporating some wine/vineyard aspects into our day. I found a really neat wine crate on Etsy to use as a card box, and I wanted to do wine charms as our favors -- but I hated all the designs I was finding! The charms themselves were made from weaker wire that bends out of shape easily, and a lot of the designs made it possible for beads to fall off the charm. To make it worse, nothing really reflected US as a couple. So, I designed and made my own!1000+ wine charms and 3 months later, my fingers hurt and I had watched the entire Harry Potter series twice. I had leftover materials, and just started messing around with different designs other than the 6 I kept repeating for our guests. My "Vibrant Vino" wine charms were the first set I made for Charmed By Wine (which is why it is my profile photo!). Scared that wine charms would slowly take over my house, I officially opened my shop in November 2012. I love finding interesting beads and coming up with new designs, but my favorite part is helping people create something fun and unique for a gift or special event."
If you're new or want to start an Etsy shop, let us know. Looking for more work from Buffalo Etsy Team members? Visit the team's Buffalove Etsy page and the team's Facebook page.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
SALE!!! Buffalo Etsy Team is Spring Cleaning
Check out the items below that are on sale in Buffalo Etsy Team Member's shops!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Buffalo Etsy as teachers!
There's a saying out there that says,"Those that can't do... teach." It's not a statement that really holds up. Teachers are how we learn things, and that's certainly "doing" by any definition. We think that
it's time to amend that statement.
"Sometimes, those than can, ALSO teach."
Buffalo and the surrounding areas are a wonderful creative hub of talent, looking at the Buffalo Etsy Team alone shows an amazing diversity of products and creations in shops showcasing just about everything under the sun.
In addition to making beautiful items for you to purchase, running their shops and often with day jobs and families as well, several of our team members also teach regularly.
We wanted to take the time to tell you about some of these folks today.
Goldhawk Pottery is a shop that I'm sure you're already familiar with for beautiful, well made and purposeful pottery! Did you also know that Sara Goldhawk teaches through the Williamsville Community Education department and has classes on creative entrepreneurship as well as hands on clay classes for kids? You can learn the ins and outs of both online and craft show selling from the Captain of our Etsy team herself! Sign up for any of her classes or review her course listings here.
As classes change regularly through community education, if her classes don't populate, select courses, instructor and Goldhawk and you will have a nice selection to choose from.
Sarah Trumpp has a fun shop that I'm sure you've checked out, if you haven't, what are you waiting for? Wonderstrumpet on Etsy has a great selection of really unique and fun items. I never knew I wanted Dazed Dollies until I looked! Sarah also has an amazing array of online video tutorials that include mixed media, canvas and sculpting!
Heidi Zanelli has some beautiful paintings and cards in her shop ZanelliArts. She can also be found teaching at exhibiting at Enjoy the Journey Gallery in West Seneca.
Kelly Barone is a Certified Zentangle Teacher who also holds workshops at Enjoy the Journey gallery as well as many other local venues. If you've heard of Zentangle® and want to know more about this relaxing and meditative art form she has a full calendar of upcoming classes in the Western NY area. You can find some of her black and white work in her shop, Whimsy by Kelly along with custom sneakers and a variety of other things as well.
Suzanne O'Brien of ZanieCraftsFeltedArt teaches through the Williamsville Community Education department as well when she isn't making purses, pins and other amazing things for her shop. She also displays at Enjoy the Journey gallery and other locations in the area. She is currently offering introductory classes in Wet Felting. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at felting yourself you can check out her current available classes and learn something fun.
As before if the listings won't populate, you can search for her under instructors!
As a lifelong learner I love to get my hands on new knowledge. I'm sure you do too. If you are looking for something to do on these drab winter days, what's better than digging in, rolling up your sleeves and tackling something new?
If you are a member of the Buffalo Etsy team and teach as well, please let us know! We'd love to share what you are doing as well!
it's time to amend that statement.
"Sometimes, those than can, ALSO teach."
Buffalo and the surrounding areas are a wonderful creative hub of talent, looking at the Buffalo Etsy Team alone shows an amazing diversity of products and creations in shops showcasing just about everything under the sun.
In addition to making beautiful items for you to purchase, running their shops and often with day jobs and families as well, several of our team members also teach regularly.
We wanted to take the time to tell you about some of these folks today.
Goldhawk Pottery is a shop that I'm sure you're already familiar with for beautiful, well made and purposeful pottery! Did you also know that Sara Goldhawk teaches through the Williamsville Community Education department and has classes on creative entrepreneurship as well as hands on clay classes for kids? You can learn the ins and outs of both online and craft show selling from the Captain of our Etsy team herself! Sign up for any of her classes or review her course listings here.
As classes change regularly through community education, if her classes don't populate, select courses, instructor and Goldhawk and you will have a nice selection to choose from.
Sarah Trumpp has a fun shop that I'm sure you've checked out, if you haven't, what are you waiting for? Wonderstrumpet on Etsy has a great selection of really unique and fun items. I never knew I wanted Dazed Dollies until I looked! Sarah also has an amazing array of online video tutorials that include mixed media, canvas and sculpting!
Heidi Zanelli has some beautiful paintings and cards in her shop ZanelliArts. She can also be found teaching at exhibiting at Enjoy the Journey Gallery in West Seneca.
Kelly Barone is a Certified Zentangle Teacher who also holds workshops at Enjoy the Journey gallery as well as many other local venues. If you've heard of Zentangle® and want to know more about this relaxing and meditative art form she has a full calendar of upcoming classes in the Western NY area. You can find some of her black and white work in her shop, Whimsy by Kelly along with custom sneakers and a variety of other things as well.
 |
| Zentangle is a meditative art form using repetitive patterns to create art, even by those who thought they couldn't draw. |
As before if the listings won't populate, you can search for her under instructors!
As a lifelong learner I love to get my hands on new knowledge. I'm sure you do too. If you are looking for something to do on these drab winter days, what's better than digging in, rolling up your sleeves and tackling something new?
If you are a member of the Buffalo Etsy team and teach as well, please let us know! We'd love to share what you are doing as well!
Friday, January 23, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
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