KB’s car-free thrift store shopping post yesterday reminded me of something I always forget. You can shop vintage on Etsy.com! Well, the shopping is car-free, but the shipping isn’t. Still, vintage on Etsy goes beyond crafts and supplies. One of my favorite vintage items to search for are eye glasses. Just search for the words: vintage eye glasses. You will get lots of weird stuff, but in the mix you will find all the granny specs that you are looking for.

Take a few minutes to wade through the listings and you will find a really nice assortment ranging from $10 to about $40. Take them with you to your eye appointment, get your own lenses added and you will be so green! Not to mention you get super cute specs without paying $300 for designer frames.

I bought this pair last month for just $10. They were purchased from a retired ophthalmologist who found them in his closet. They were sample glasses that were never used and dated from the 60’s or 70’s.

Here is another pair that I found this morning for $35:

I am thinking about picking these up because they remind me of my great grandma:

And lastly, the Chigal shop seems to always have vintage eyewear:

Ok, enough shopping for me today. I promise I will be back tomorrow to show you something that I am actually making!

Tina Seamonster rarely sleeps. She blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com.

Where do skateboards go when they die?

Novia Scotia!

That is where 2ReVert creates one of a kind jewelry pieces out of 100% post-consumer recycled skateboards. Post-consumer means old, used, broken skateboards. If you think the idea is brilliant, wait til you see the results. These pieces are not only a crazy great use of trash, they are beautiful and stylish. The photos speak for themselves.

To add to the “wow,” their pieces are also incredibly affordable, ranging from $18 to $30 in their online shop.

I’ll never look at a skateboard the same way again!

Tina Seamonster rarely sleeps. She blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com.

My closet is full of old t-shirts for bands that don’t exist anymore. Unrest, Braid, Jawbox. Heavens, we must own every shirt that Q and Not U ever printed. Most of these shirts are too big or too small or too old or the wrong color or just plain don’t say anything about us anymore. But whenever my husband and I are trying to get rid of clothing, someone always says, “No, I love that shirt!” or “Remember that show?” And we keep them. And we carry around our memories in dozens and dozens of pieces of sentimental clothing. We will never wear them again, but we can also never part with them. Hostages, we are.

zJayne has come up with a way to recycle these old t-shirts, by turning them into reusable grocery bags. In her shop she writes, “Paper or Plastic? How about neither. It takes as much petroleum to make 14 plastic bags as it does to drive a car one mile.” I love the idea of dumping plastic bags, but always forget to bring my own bags. And I don’t think that buying a non-plastic bag to replace my plastic bags at the store is really helping anything, just adding more lame bags to my house. But, this, repurposed old t-shirts into bags. This is cool. This is smart. This has character. I picked this one up from zJayne’s shop last week:

She doesn’t waste any piece of the shirt either, as she turns the sleeves into cute little wristlets.

I have been testing the bag out for sturdiness all week by actually using it as a diaper bag. This means it gets filled to the brim with pointy toys, sippy cups and fish crackers. It is awesome. And we use the little wristlet to safely carry our twins’ inhaler. (Seriously, how did this become my life?).

The bags are so well made. They have reinforced bottom corners and a stitch tucked at each handle. The raw edges which do not fray give them a neat urban look. zJayne suggests that you roll a bunch up and keep them in your car or your desk drawer. She even gives discounts if you want to buy a bunch. You can pick up one bag for $5, 2 for $9, 3 for $12 or a dozen for $48.75.

Since upcycling is meant to combat the way we consume and waste in our society today, this product is awesome because it not only repurposes the old shirts, but also solves our plastic bag problem. I would love to see these shirts for sale in every grocery store in America.

But first, I think it would be rad if zJayne would sell a PDF tutorial so that all us DIYers could give new life to our closets full of sentimental t-shirts.

Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com. She makes stuff because she is no good at sports or drinking.

The button ring is so old school indie craft. We’ve all made one or bought one or saved an interesting button for a future project. They are simple. They are beautiful. But unfortunately too many people don’t take the time to find the right glue or perfect their technique and eventually they break.

Hi Tree found a brilliant way to fix that. Her button rings are all made with elastic bands. This makes them not only totally adjustable, but also everlasting.

I bought this one on Etsy recently and love it:

Most of her rings look like little trees, which is just so cute:

Just goes to show that the most simple answer to keeping a button on is to sew it on.

Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com. She thinks that unicorns whine too too much.

When I started making things, I was really inspired by the dirty streets of Washington, D.C. Monday morning trash was always the best. Walking to work down 16th street, I always found the most interesting things. Dropped shoes, dozens of flyers from a closed cell phone store, broken bike parts, thank you cards never mailed. For a long time, I collected these things, these forgotten treasures, plotting their revival. Little did I know that I wasn’t the only one. The practice of using waste materials to produce useful products is called upcycling.

My own attempts at upcycling never really produced anything “useful.” Necklaces made from wine corks found behind the Mayflower Hotel? Um, gross and not at all useful. So I am always fascinated to find crafters who are creating useful products from waste materials. It really is a challenge. Trash is, well, trash, which means it can be dirty, smelly, damaged, etc. From time to time, I will spotlight upcycled products that actually work. I will actually purchase these products and test them out.

First off is the Ornj Tote Bag by David Shock Designs out of Detroit.

Ornj bags are created out of recycled construction fencing, pulled off city streets and abandoned fields. Brilliant. I don’t know how many times I have thought about how beautiful that orange construction fencing is. So orange and lovely.

The bag is well made and very very sturdy. The handles are reinforced so that they don’t hurt your hands. I picked up the bag, thinking I would turn it into a diaper bag, but this is not the best use for it. Diaper bags tend to get too full of toys and stuffed animals and sippy cups and this bag doesn’t like to be over-filled. It gets bulky, etc. It does make an awesome book bag or shopping bag for a quick trip to the market.

You can also pick up a felt liner for your bag:

So far, this is the best upcycled product that I own. It is functional, sturdy and best of all, stylish and fun.

Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com. She thinks you are rad.

If you are currently a seller on Etsy.com or are thinking about setting up shop, you will be interested in their new Cooperative Advertising Program.

For me, I have always been afraid to buy my own ads in national magazines because the price just seems too high for such a small space to show off my work. So Etsy is trying to help sellers out by securing advertisements in magazines like Bust, CRAFT and Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion. Here are some important points from their announcement:

• Etsy will purchase ad space in various magazines, cover half of the cost, and design the ads.
• Etsy Sellers are able to purchase spots in the ad at the discounted rate.
• You will get to display your shop name, an image of one item, its price, and its category.
• The limit is one spot per seller, per advertisement.

The first opportunity for a space in the Bust ad sold out in 6 seconds! The next ad will appear in the May issue of CRAFT and is on sale on Thursday, February 21st, 2008 at 3:00pm EST. 36 spots will be available to sellers at a price of $50 each.

My advice if you do plan to buy a space is to make sure you pick a spot in the right magazine and that you put your best photo forward. You wouldn’t want to pay $50 for a spot and send a bad photograph of the wrong item for that publication’s demographic. So, do some research and know your customers!

Upcoming opportunities are:

– Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion, spots go on sale: Monday, March 3rd, 2008, 30 Spots at $75 each

– Venus Zine, spots go on sale: Thursday, March 27th, 2008

Visit the Storque article for more information on this program (including where to go to buy a spot!).

Oh course, this is only for people who currently have an Etsy shop, so what are you waiting for?

Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com. She thinks you are rad.

Crafty Bastards was crazy fun! Huge thanks to all the amazing vendors for their hard work and fabulous craftertise!

The Washington City Paper would also like to thank Marie Reed Learning Center, the fabulous entertainers, the generous sponsors- Scion, Stitch DC, Adobe, Paper Source, Whole Foods, Avatar Wellness, Pinz-N-Needlez, The Dog Spot, the yummy food vendors- Carmen’s Italian Ice, Cake Love, and Sticky Fingers and the dedicated City Paper staff that made the day such a success.

Big yummy thanks goes to Craft Magazine for providing the sweet treats for all our crafty vendors. CRAFT is dedicated to the renaissance that is occurring within the world of crafts, and carries the torch of the DIY spirit by sharing stories and resources from the exciting independent crafting community.

Huge thanks as well to Etsy which hosted how-to workshops all day long at Crafty Bastards. ETSY is THE place for DIY makers and shakers to buy and sell handmade goods, and network within the ever-growing indie craft community. Check out ETSY for all your shopping needs this holiday season, and get in the crafty-know with The Storque.

Hey, check it out! Crafty Bastards is on the Etsy Storque!

The Crafty Crew is super-duper excited to have Etsy Labs hosting the workshops at Crafty this year. Sounds like they have lots of goodies in store. From the Etsy Storque:

Etsy will be set up with an exclusive tutorial display (find us on the tennis court) and will be leading tutorials throughout the whole event including:

* How to make a pincushion
* Making boxes from recylcled papers
* Making your own envelopes

So stop by, say hello, make something, tell us your Etsy story and get some sweet promo merchandise while your there (rumor has it the Etsy booth always gives away the best free promos at Craft fairs…wink wink).

Don’t miss out! Enough said.

Etsy hosts a full day of hands-on how-tos to get you crafting in no time!

11am Knitting with Stitch DC

12pm Bookbinding with the Paper Source

1pm Food as Art with Whole Foods

2pm Puppet Manipulation with Washington Action Group

ALL DAY! Etsy Labs! Make your own pincushions, boxes and envelopes! Plus learn how to fuse plastic bags into fab new finds! Hooray for Etsy!

Get details here and on page 91 of this week’s City Paper.

My wee microbrand made its 500th sale on Etsy.com last night. While this by no means makes me a top seller on the internet’s best source for handmade goods, I will say that I have some mad skills. And lucky for you, I wanna share. So, let’s go, Etsy 101.

In case you don’t know, Etsy is the best place on the internet to sell all things handmade. It has been around since June 2005 and has an amazing growing community of thousands and thousands of sellers and even more buyers. Registering and setting up a shop is completely free and listing items is a mere 20 cents each. When you sell something, there is a 3.5% sales fee. Sound easy? Yes, setting up is easy, but selling can be another story. I’ve got tips, though. So listen up!

When I started my shop in November 2005, I made the first mistake that all sellers make. I didn’t think about my user name. Be careful when picking your user name because it will be the same as your shop name. And you can’t change it. Lucky for me, the user name that I picked wasn’t far from my indie craft business name, so no harm. But remember that branding and name recognition is super important when creating not only your Etsy shop, but also your microbrand. No one is going to remember “lisa523designs” or something like that. Pick something original and interesting that people will want to talk about!

After I started my shop, it took about 3 weeks to get my first sale. This is something that new sellers need to understand. It takes time to get started. There are so many shops on Etsy that you may not be noticed at first. Do not despair! Here are some tips to setting up a good shop and listing items.

1. Make something interesting. For real. If you are selling something that hundreds of other people are selling, you will not be noticed. I have heard so many times from people that they aren’t selling anything, then I go to their shop and see forgettable knit scarves (in the middle of summer!) or marble magnet sets and I know why. By all means, make and sell what makes you happy, but remember that your most original items are going to actually get noticed!
2. Take good photos. I don’t usually do this myself. I am lazy about it. Recently, though, I took some photos of my hubby, Jeff, wearing one of my shirts out in the world.
   
   I sold 3 of these shirts that day. Seeing a product in action, with good lighting is invaluable.
3. This is obvious, but write a good description. Include measurements, etc. I sometimes think of my descriptions as blog posts. Craft them, make them interesting, give your item a life and a story.
4. Include international shipping information. Think globally. You are selling to the world. And if you tell people you will ship to the world, you will sell to the world. Last month, I sold items to customers in Finland, Singapore, England, Scotland and Australia. Remember that in countries like England, our dollar isn’t worth much. This makes for an entire country of people who think your products are an amazing value!
5. Make your shop’s banner and name and items consistent.
   
   Create your own little world. Don’t just toss up a bunch of stuff that doesn’t explain who you and your brand are. Have a vision for your brand and follow through with it.
6. Create a memorable avatar. The avatar is your face on Etsy. It is beside everything that you do. I find that I like avatars that are actual faces. This reminds me that these are real people making items. Avatars that are items are also nice, they let me know what I might see in the shop. Stay away from avatars of your pets or your children. There are far too many of these on Etsy and frankly it makes me think you don’t have many interests outside of these things. Angels, too, I can’t tell you how many avatars there are of angels. Bored now.

Once you have your shop set up and have added some items, the real work of Etsy begins. This does not have to be stressful, though. It is not the end of the world if you don’t sell a million items. It took me about a year to begin to sell consistently on Etsy. In that year, I have to say, I didn’t really do much. I listed items. I blogged about my stuff, I sent out postcards with orders. Slowly, the orders started coming in. By November 2006, I was consistently selling 1 item a day. Amazing!

So earlier this year, I did an experiment. I set a crazy goal. I wanted to sell 2 items a day or 60 items a month. I decided to treat my Etsy shop like a garden, something I work on everyday. Start with 30 minutes a day. And don’t tell me you don’t have 30 minutes a day. I have two-year-old twins and a job and I can find 30 minutes a day. Skip the phone call with mom, don’t watch Scrubs, wake up 30 minutes early. You can find 30 minutes. Of course, I would not have met my crazy goal by just working on it for 30 minutes a day. I would say I spend closer to an hour or so a day. Some days less, some days more. But starting with 30 minutes a day will get you on your way. After one month of my experiment, I met my crazy goal! So it can work.

Here are some things that you can do in those 30 minutes each day to grow your shop:

1. List a new item each day. If you don’t have a new item to list, relist an old item. Every time you list an item, it cycles through on the homepage and in the “Time Machine”. New items also show up on the first page of a search. Example, I make a shirt about zombies. If I list a zombie shirt every day, when someone searches for the word, “zombie,” I am always on the first page of results. Sweet! Listing a new item only costs 20 cents. You can’t go wrong with spending 20 or 40 cents a day.
2. Check out the Etsy community. There are forums and a chat room and a blog. If you feel comfortable, participate a little in these. Remember that other sellers often make up a large percentage of buyers as well. A few forum posts a day will get your avatar and shop out there into the community.
3. Practice organic marketing tactics. Seriously, no one is interested in someone who only wants to talk about their products. But by all means, if someone is talking about gnomes and you make a rad gnome pin, tell them.
4. Buy a Showcase spot on Etsy.
   
   These are available every two weeks or so. They are hard to get, but if you are at your computer when they go on sale, you will snag one. For $7, your item will be featured in the Showcase for a whole day, which is linked to from the homepage. This can be invaluable. My best showcase day ever, I sold 11 items. Granted, you might not sell one, but at least more people saw your items that day. When you have a Showcase spot, rotate which item is displayed.
5. Have a contest. I have an ongoing contest on my shop where people have to guess the landmark that is behind me in my avatar. If you guess correctly, I send you a free refrigerator magnet. These magnets don’t cost me much to make, so they are a good marketing tool as well as a nice present for someone. I have found that 2 out of 5 people who participate in the contest actually place an order at that time or later on.
6. Along those lines, be generous. I always always send extra stuff with orders. If something costs me less than a $1 to make, it doesn’t hurt me to send it for free. An extra badge or card or magnet sent to someone who buys a shirt, often becomes a gift that they give to a friend. That friend almost always shows up to purchase.
7. Check out the Etsy Wiki for way more tips, people are always coming up with things.

If you have more time, think about marketing outside of Etsy. See the internet as your access to an entire world of buyers. Or perhaps even better, a world of new friends who dig what you do. It is your job to help these people find you.

1. Try Google Adwords. I could talk for an hour on this topic, but here are the important points. You can spend as little or as much as you want per day on this. You can experiment. In general, though, only try Google Adwords if you have a specific item with very specific words that you know someone will be searching for. Again, with my zombie and also seamonster shirts, this is easy for me. I know that someone searching for “zombie” and “shirt” will likely dig my items when they click on my ad. I also try to think of things that people might be searching for and try to buy those key words, too. When the zombie movie, 28 Weeks Later came out, I added the movie title as a key word and got some clicks this way. Only you know your niche and products, but I bet with some thought you could make Google Adwords work for you.
2. Buy ads on other indie craft sites. The prices for this type of thing totally varies, as does the benefit.
3. If you are comfortable, try social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook, Flickr. I, personally, find these sites to eat up way too much time, but you might dig them.
4. Start a blog where you document your craft.
5. Wear or use your own items out in the world. When someone asks about it, give them your card. This is obvious, but I often forget to do it!

In nearly 2 years, using Etsy has increased my online sales by 75% or so. But I have had to work on my little shop. If you click around on the site you see all kinds of shops selling all kinds of items. I have heard from many people lately that they want to give up on their shops. But seriously, if you believe in your work, your shop will succeed. It just takes time and a little bit of hard work. I never thought I would sell 1 item, much less 500.

If you have any questions about Etsy or selling handmade online, please post them in the comments and I will answer them. I totally dig helping out.