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Did You Know? Reasons to Check in Daily
by Amber Jordan on 9/03/10 | 0
Did you know that many Handmade Spark Mini-Site Sellers are featured several times a day here on the blog? While we do scout out the entire handmade community on Etsy, Artfire and beyond…sometimes we find inspiration front and center on Handmade Spark. This is good motivation for you to check …
Five For Friday: The Naked Squirrel, Skye Juice, Manoa Roads and More
by Amber Jordan on 9/03/10 | 0
From Manoa Road to The Naked Squirrel, you don’t want to miss this weeks Five For Friday sage green inspired collection. These are five of our newest Handmade Spark Mini-Site Sellers that just happened to catch my eye this week. Be sure to stop by the directory and say hello …
Seller of The Day: kanokwalee, wearable arts
by Amber Jordan on 9/03/10 | 4
“Unique hand crocheted wearable arts, scarves, necklace, jewelry and other fashion accessories that make a bold statement. Each piece allow your creative freedom to style and wear the way that is uniquely you if you choose. Stand out in the crowd and start up conversation.
…like a little …
What do World of Warcraft Gamers and Etsy Artists have in common? A National Science Foundation research study aims to find out
by Laura Kuhlmann on 9/02/10 | 1
From the IU News Room at Indiana University:
Using two of the planet’s largest, creative online communities — World of Warcraft gamers and Etsy artists — as their laboratory, two Indiana University Bloomington researchers hope to understand how the inner workings of such massive, networked collaborations could …
Thursday Blog Links
by Laura Kuhlmann on 9/02/10 | 6
One of the new additions that Amber and I are adding to our Handmade Spark blog is Thursday Blog Links. Coming to you every Thursday (think of it as a handy way to be reminded of what day it is!), Thursday Blog Links will provide inspiration, motivation, and a handy …
Finding your Spark : Product Photography – Handmade Spark’s Finest Examples Of Good Lighting
by Naomi Morgan on 9/02/10 | 3
*Photograph by Nay of Moonangelnay on Etsy*
Importance of Light: I would like to have a recap waaaay back to when I started writing these Spark posts, to one of my first i had written that focused on lighting, and also give some great examples of sellers that use good …
Define your Brand: Quick Tips to Stand Out From the Crowd
by Amber Jordan on 9/02/10 | 12
This is a follow up post to: High Traffic but No Sales? 3 Simple Suggestions. In last week’s post, I covered the importance of your banner, product shots and shop selection. This week we are going to dive a little deeper with this concept. Defining your brand is one of …
Moving Forward When You Feel like You are Behind
by Robin Norgren on 9/02/10 | 4
Image Credit | confusedsam
September is the month every creative entrepreneur should have their plans in place to participate in the holiday craft fair circuit or at least have made some inventory considerations in preparation for the holiday shoppers. BUT Maybe some of you …
Seller of The Day: Metamorphosi, Recycled Glass Jewelry
by Amber Jordan on 9/02/10 | 4
“This shop supports the organization Progetto Metamorphosi, which promotes the use of recycled material to create art and design and opportunities of work. The person who curates the shop on behalf of Progetto Metamorphosi is Ilaria Sadun. Beside our studio in Calcata active since 1997,we started in …
What Happens to My Credit Card Number After I Enter It In To Handmade Spark?
by Handmade Spark on 9/01/10 | 1
Many people in the handmade community have this in common with techies: they want to know how things work. In How Does Handmade Spark Get All My Information From Etsy? I tried to explain a little about how APIs work. In that post I mentioned that when you sign up …
Creative Spark: True Colors (Part II)
by Emily Orpin on 9/01/10 | 12
Color Wheel | $14 | The Light Fantastic
In part 1 of the True Colors articles I shared with you some Etsy sellers who – to me – epitomize clever and creative color use: Catie’s Blue, Draw! Pilgrim, Sir Tom and Milka Loom. Whether these crafters are working with one color, …
Typos are a turn-off: Get your Etsy shop ready for the Fall shopping season
by Laura Kuhlmann on 9/01/10 | 8
Here we are on the first day of September already! Weren’t we just starting to enjoy the warmer weather of May, only a few weeks ago? Here in the US, the week leading up to our Labor Day holiday weekend always signals the end of summer. Vacations are wrapping up, …
Handmade Music: Do Fun Stuff Kid’s Album, Benefiting Smith Magenis Syndrome Research
by Lisa LeBlanc on 9/01/10 | 1
There are certain people that through adversity take a different road instead of giving up and move forward, creating a possible world in which the very obstacles that held them back can conceivably be changed. I like to think we, as a creative bunch here at Handmade Spark, especially get …
Seller of the Day: Camamiel, from Madrid, Spain is inspired by Halloween and Fantasy
by Laura Kuhlmann on 9/01/10 | 5
“My name is Ana Camamiel, and in my shop, you can find adorable felt dolls, original felt brooches, beautiful pocket mirrors, funny pin badges, cute postcards, unique felt ornaments and lovely hairclips. Everything different and cute, inspired by Halloween and fantasy.”
To see more, click here.
Enjoy!
~Laura Kuhlmann
Planting The Seeds of Your Garden and Small Business
by creationsbyviviana on 8/31/10 | 6
Recently I began the long process of starting my herb garden again. I had one when we lived in an apartment complex, but they died before we moved into our new home. I’ve been thinking about starting one since we moved into our new house in June. I just haven’t had …
Best Dressed Kids: Handmade Spark’s Newest Gallery
by Laura Kuhlmann on 8/31/10 | 2
Looking for that perfect baby shower or back to school gift? Then check out our Best Dressed Kids gallery, featuring a sweet selection of handmade baby bows and accessories, clothing, bedding and toys.
Enjoy!
~Laura Kuhlmann
Handmade Spark Category Spotlight: Ceramics and Pottery Artists
by Laura Kuhlmann on 8/31/10 | 7
I’m one of those people who practically wept with joy years ago when a paint-your-own-pottery shop opened up nearby. I had visions of creating masterpieces. How hard could it be? The actual pottery work was already done. (The hard part, right?) Fast forward to the present day, and I’ll just …
Yes, Your Parents Just Might Get a Twitter Account Soon: New Study Shows More Older Adults Using Social Media
by Laura Kuhlmann on 8/31/10 | 7
From Mashable:
A new study from Pew Internet found that between April 2009 and May 2010, social networking site usage grew 88% among Internet users aged 55-64, and the 65 and older group’s social networking presence grew 100% in the same time frame. Young people still dominate social networks like …
Seller of The Day: Uncorked, Repurposed Sustainable Jewelry Creations
by Amber Jordan on 8/31/10 | 5
I am a mad scientist mom living life uncorked and out of the test tube at the beautiful Jersey shore.
“I seek to repurpose sustainable materials in unique and beautiful ways and leave the lightest possible footprint in my wake. Cork is the bark of the cork oak …
Portmonetka in Polish, Purse in English: We share our handbag finds from Etsy’s Poland Team (POLetsy)
by Laura Kuhlmann on 8/30/10 | 16
Denim Bag with Straw Flowers | $29 | iFONA
Etsy’s Poland Team, known as POLetsy, is a diverse group of artists and crafters, producing a wide variety of handmade items. We decided to showcase purses (or “portmonetka” in Polish) made by POLetsy team members. Women worldwide know …
