And a month goes by...

Sorry for all the people who have subscribed to this blog. I'll be honest with you, since there's really no need to lie, here:
I am not thrilled with the idea of religiously updating this thing. Not right now. I guess you could say that I've been discouraged lately with my Etsy shop.

I am always grateful for my sales. Always have been, always will be. I adore wrapping everything up especially for you, and I love the opportunity to share what I make with the world. I've been spending my time bouncing around the promotional forums, which has indeed paid off. I've met some lovely people who someday will get my own money, since they do make gorgeous things,
ArtofAmy being one of them.
Seriously, I know so many people who promote on Etsy and off, who make wonderful things, and STILL don't get the attention they deserve.

A few things that have been bugging me: lately the BNR things have been going crazy in Treasuries. I'm not against these people or their Etsy success methods... What bothers me is how it seems like more and more, you have to spend money in order to make it in the Promo forums. It's the mentality of "you give me your money, and I'll give you a chance."
I have done this before. You buy something to get on a special forum list, you buy something to get in a special spot. But really, I ended up spending more than I made, buying things that I didn't really need or really want, but dangit, I wanted the promised Etsy success and to have my sale plopped on top of the high number being paraded in the thread/BNR title.

Also it usually turns out to be sellers buying from sellers, and if you're not popular with the group promoting, you get little response.

But, this is just my experience and I hope someone else has had a much better one. I know I can't do these things anymore, what with being a poor college student and all.

The other thing that bothers me is how you get those threads that are like, "Fan me and I'll fan you!" or "Subscribe to my blog and I'll subscribe back!"
How many of these people who follow are actually interested in what you're doing? It seems to me more like people trying to gather numbers so they can look popular rather than trying to get a legitimate following of readers.

Honestly, I stopped following people back on Twitter because I couldn't kid myself that I could be legitimately interested in 100 people's lives and businesses. Maybe it's Twitter etiquette to immediately follow someone back, but all I use it for is promoting myself or other Etsy sellers, then pop off to go do something else. I rarely read people's tweets, and if I do follow back, it's because I am actually interested in hearing from someone.

I am discontent and letting off steam on my blog because that's what angsty young people do. :D

I'm just a college kid, trying to make my life into something that it is not by following my dreams and concocting new ones. I am a creator, a writer, an artist. And right now, I need to create some sales or be poor until I get my tutoring job back.

Another promo fest!

By me! NaviWing! Because what better way to start off a blog post than by indulging in shameless self-promotion.

But this isn't about me. It's about all the other awesome artists who visit the promo forums! Check these people out, give them some hearts, and if you can, support them by making a purchase!

These are so adorable, and with the Fourth of July coming up, they're sure to show your pride for the red white and blue!

By DesignsbyKari

What an awesome ring! It reminds me of the depths of the ocean, or the night sky.

By Kirameku

This little birdy is so sweet! :D I'd love to have her sitting on my book shelf, or maybe sitting as a centerpiece on the living room table...

By bgordon2

Fun colors and girly charm come together in this bracelet! Great for summer.

By TheMayFlower

Attention Twilight Fans! This necklace is definitely for you! There's a touch of gothic charm here. I may not be a fan, but this necklace rocks.

By swelldameinc

A great zipper bow! It has this edgy and feminine charm, and what makes it even better is that there's free shipping!

By Toastory

Very romantic earrings in a lovely plum color!

By TheMossGarden

Kawaii~! :D With those big shiny eyes, how could any anime fan resist?

By starryeyedbowtique

I got excited because THAT'S MY NAME. But in an unbiased view, I seriously wish I was on that beach.

By malibelle

Another dive into the promo forum!

Okay, let's see what we found today...

This beautiful necklace is made by PrairieStarJewels. I really love the shades of blue and that bezel. Reminds me of a large crown...

A cool and dramatic photograph taken by MBWPhotography, "Love Cards" would look great in a gaming room or study!

Birds are always lovely in jewelry, as we can see here with lindab142's awesome deal of the day!

ruthkim's cute and squiggly headbands would look adorable on a little kid! Or maybe you could turn them into something else? Creativity has no limits!

PrairieWindDesigns really knows how to upcycle something and turn it into something adorable! How cute is that elephant?

This hat and matching pair of shoes are just adorable! Lovely color scheme, and made by cmu55. Really nice work throughout the shop, I say.

This guy makes me smile! :D A cute crocheted red bird from craftylittlekitten. He's all fuzzy and smiley! Give him a home, won't you?

KimsSweetCreations put together this amazing charm bracelet! Everything on here has something to do with the ever-loved story by Lewis Carroll. Lovely photo, lovely bracelet.

Made by clarify, this sweet skirt makes me think of garden parties and a nice summer day outside. Purple poppies! Alliteration! :D

bedbuggs created this adorable owl pillow! Love that innocent, somewhat cross-eyed look. Makes me want to cuddle him!

These HIP Pads made by HIPpadBaby are so colorful and cheerful! And best of all, useful. Great for your baby and convenient for you.

OKAY~ So! That should be everyone that I got to post in my promo thread. If you can, stop by their shops and support them either with some hearts or some purchases!

Thanks for reading! :D

Artists galore!

So I went into the promotional forums and cried out to the masses something akin to, hey! I want to promote your stuff! And here is the awesome collection I accumulated. :D

This here's heartmaggpie's Roxanne necklace. It's really fun, isn't it? Lots of colors and textures for a fun summer look.

VintageWhale's adorable animal button cards are sure to put a smile on the face of the person receiving your note. :D Personally, I'm a fan of that penguin.

lindab142 has a swanky necklace in a dusty pink with nice green accents. Along with a great color scheme is an awesome price! Snatch it up!

blancheb presents this unique vintage whisky decanter, great for a father's day gift!

Alright, that was all I got from a late-night walk into the promo forums. Great artists, great sellers, and I hope some of you who see this can help support them by giving them your love or even buying their items!

And now, I'm off to bed!

This is one of the necklaces that I've added lately, and I really hope it sells. The charm was from an old toy, I think... not entirely sure about that, though. Either way, added to a vintage chain and a lucite flower, I think it's pretty sweet.

So I definitely have to find out how to do taxes and whatnot for my shop. Going through everything, figuring out how much something cost... which is difficult, especially when most of my components were given to me or I found in my house after having them for years.

I'm trying to go for simple and sweet right now. Nothing that requires a lot of beading, nothing that's too over-the-top. Besides, when people create absolutely beautiful necklaces with colors and components every inch, it becomes impractical. Unless of course you're someone who has people to impress... or just likes something super flashy.
I am clearly tired and should just stop talking.

Shenanigans!

Alright! So, obviously I haven't been religiously updating this blog, but as no one has sent me messages complaining, I'll assume that's been pardoned. So, what have I been up to? I have a new (and first ever) boyfriend. He's wonderful. :D Aaaand my birthday is coming up tomorrow, June 2nd. I'll be turning 20! Goodbye to the teenage years, hello next ten years of my life where everything will change.

Anyhow, Etsy! I've just sold a vintage Barbie watch, and am rather excited for that. It was one of those items that everyone looked at, and liked looking at, but wasn't actually sold until now. Before that, I sold my stripey glove bunny, and that was rather hard to part with. He was one of the first ones I ever made, but he's in a good home.

Now, my goals are to get rid of the other critters and sale items. I'm not going to lower my critter prices any more, because according to my artist friends, everything being hand-stitched and hand cut should make them a higher price. So, as I'm already losing out a bit, I'm just going to try and promote these dudes via Twitter and hope someone dandy comes along to take one. Or ten.

I'm so excited to get to go to a book sale tomorrow! :D Hopefully I can find some vintage goodies to sell on Etsy. I've already sold two books, and am wondering how that might go if I look into this a bit more... Anyone have any insight into the vintage book business?

Oh, and here's something interesting that I learned about media mail from the post office itself: even though it's cheaper to ship things through media mail, it'll take longer to get to where it's going AND there's a good chance the USPS will open your package in order to ensure you are actually sending some form of media. Imagine my shock at learning that! They can open your lovely package to make sure you aren't lying. I'll have none of that, so no media mail for me.

I have to think of some kind of theme to have in the next post. Does anyone know why the picture thing doesn't really work on here? I tell it to make the photo small and then it makes it absolutely huge. Resizing should be resizing.

And now I leave you Etsians and other fine people with some questions:

- Do you like the idea of giving vintage books new homes?

- Do you know any book collectors?

- And will you wish me a happy birthday? :D

Here Be Dragons!

It's really no secret that I love dragons. They've become the harbingers of the world of fantasy, and they mean something different for every culture. And also think that dragons existed in one form or another all over the world, when some cultures had no way of communicating with one another.

And so, I dedicate this blog post to the universal concept of the Dragon.

Mythologicae puts a fun spin on the ideas of dragons and fairies. Artist Thomas Davies creates and sells these pieces, and sometimes along with Renae Taylor, who is also one of my favorite artists. The hatchling you see here is just adorable! But what about when it grows up? Imagine what an adult would look like.

Next up is a water serpent, placed on a vintage locket by chinookhugs. This kind of dragon has a more refined, ornate look to him, perfect for a steampunk look or for people looking for a bit of a romantic mariner theme.

And of course, after reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, I have a newfound love for the Chinese Dragon. Carried by LOOSEPARTS, this stunning medallion shows the winding, curving form of a revered spirit.

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And now, for a bit of an Etsy reflection. Have you ever hearted an item, and looked at it in your favorites section, feeling more attached to it as time goes on? Have you ever had your heart drop to finally see that SOLD label stuck on to it? Sometimes I wish I had all the money in the world just so I could surround myself with one-of-a-kind pieces of art, so I could have that care and beauty around me always, and also so I could support independent artists.

Repurposed, Recycled, Renewed!

Alright, so, I'm sure that we've all had the recycling message ground into our brains, but it really is an important thing to do. One of the essentials, really, to keeping our planet healthy. So here I'm bringing together some amazing pieces of jewelry and other items that have reused or recycled (or upcycled, whatever you want to say) bits and pieces of life.

The first piece is (get ready for some shameless advertising!) one of my own necklaces. The story behind this is that I had this lovely sterling silver vine ring. And then... I stepped on it. Squished, bent, definitely not resembling a ring any more. Short story, yes, but hey.

So, instead of trying to reshape it or just throw it out, I reused it in its new form to adorn this quartz drop!

The next bit of earth-friendly goodness is made by thecuriouscupcake. These awesome earrings are made from pop can tabs! There's some swanky wire-wrapping going on, along with some snazzy beads. Sure to be a conversation starter, and what's better, they're really affordable! Make sure to check out the rest of her shop, too. I've seen her get compliments galore in the forums, especially on her wire wrapping. :D

And now, I shamelessly promote one of my favorite shops ever, reqbat. She works a lot with recycled materials, and draws these awesome crows. You'll see one in her shop with a bowler hat on. And while the crows on this box do not have bowler hats on, they add a lot of character to the decoupage on this secondhand box! I will also unabashedly admit that I want this box, and that crow with the hat.

And the next artist we're going to mozy on over to is buttercupbloom. As she says on her shop's first page, it's always Earth day, all year round, and she really does her part to stay true to that! Her owls (which seem to be quite popular) and other critters are upcycled, cuddly, and adorable. Take a gander at this owl and some of her other dolls, and you'll see what I mean!

So I think that concludes this post on some great eco-friendly artists and their beauteous creations! Be sure to stop by and favorite, heart, and if you can, purchase from them to show your support!

Quirky Critters

So today, I wanted to bring together a few stuffed critters who I think have a lot of personality. I mean, come on, look at that mustached octopus! Now all we need is a jellyfish with a goatee and a squid with sideburns. Jayne Danger's definitely captured all that is cute and quirky.

The wee Pocket Viking just makes me laugh in general, what with having some Scandinavian blood in my veins. How could you not like a fuzzy viking? OopisNein also has some awesome octopods and monsters to share, too.

The pink monster made me think of this guy, Beedle, from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. I think it's the nose, but anything that reminds me of one of my favorite video games is a good thing! 2Sisters1Love has such a wide array of monsters, adorable birdies, and I think I even saw a unicorn in their midst, too. Definitely check them out!

And finally, my own little striped bunny. It's not often that you see a blue, boldly striped bunny. He kinda reminds me of a totoro. If you haven't watched that Miyazaki film, please do! It's so heart-warming, with a bit of a quirky nature.

So, please visit these loverly artist's shops and if you can, support them!

By jaynedanger

By OopisNein

By 2Sisters1Love

And my own work,

The Start of Something New

Alright, so, already this blog is looking much different than my shop. The colors are darker (though not depressing) and there isn't one happy chick poking its head out anywhere. But I think that's okay, since I think people need to see that I have a lot of different sides. There's the super happy peppy fun wow side, and the more contemplative one. And, as my About Me says, there's that stuff betwixt and between.

I suppose what I'll do here is try to figure out how I want my Etsy shop to go. Where am I heading with all this? What do I want to do? It all started in January on a whim.

The story behind that is really simple. I started sewing because of all the things I was finding on Etsy. Beautiful stuffed animals, ones that made me squee from their cuteness, and ones that made me go wow, that artist has a great imagination. And so, I started making my critters.

I listed them all, and they've gotten a lot of attention. People love them, but only one of them has ever sold. Now, when I started making jewelry, that brought a few sales in. But even with what's popular, I really have to figure out what I want to make.

I've always loved the idea of old watch parts, tarnished metals, and things that have a lot of aged character. Thing is, I am also short on money, so a lot of what I have was made from whatever supplies I had laying around. Being a college student does not make one rich, I can tell you that much.

I also tried going into the Promotional forums. I joined this one thread where if you make a purchase from someone, you get your name on the list for two days. Buy more stuff, get more days. There are a lot of these threads there.

It seemed alright, and I was told they get a lot of sales. I met a lot of great people and I'm not trying to put anyone down. But, thing is, I noticed a few things about these kinds of threads:

- more often than not, any sale you make will be a result of that buyer wanting their shop to be on the list of promoted sellers for a longer period of time

- because of this, most sales come from within that group of sellers who want to keep promoting

- if you have a shop that is not very popular with that group of people, you depend on outside sales

- most people in the promotional forum, I've found, are not there to buy

I really gave it a shot, but was buying more than I was selling (I made no sales while being a promoted seller) and so, left.

I've since gone elsewhere in the Promotional forum, and I'm not entirely sure that any of my sales have been a result of this. I do know, however, that I'm getting my name out there and people know I exist. Huzzah for that!

I've made myself a Twitter account, too. I'm NaviWing on there, if anyone wants to follow. :D I love posting an item on my... feed... or whatever (jeez, I'm 20, tech savvy, and there's something about Twitter that creeps me out) and see that in moments, it gets over 20 views. That's more attention than an hour or so of promoting in the threads gets me.

So! New blog, new chance at promoting, and here's hoping everything goes well.