Etsy shops update!

Yes. The rumor is true. I will not be listing anything new or renewing things when they are ready to expire.

From my previous post you can see that we are going through a lot here at home. I feel that my energy and focus needs to be on what's important- MY FAMILY!

I have been on etsy since April 2010. I started out as CReid0409, then in November 2010, I split into 2 shops. FeatherAhead and CreationsByCReid.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67642176/waterfall-of-feathers-on-leather-with

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62892924/crochet-flapper-cloche-red-and-black

 It was a new start..a fresh one. Or at least that is what I told myself. Under CReid0409, I had a total of 6 sales. Since Nov, I have had 3 sales in my FeatherAhead shop and no sales in my CreationsByCReid shop. I know that all of my focus was in FeatherAhead and that is probably why my other shop never went anywhere.

We don't have an extra room at home for my workspace, so the living room becomes my workspace. Currently it takes up a good portion of it. I have to try and keep it "shoved" into the corner, so anytime I want to work on something, I end up stringing it all over the place. I would just organize it better but that would mean taking up even more space.  With all of the supplies and finished pieces piling up, it is overwhelming. And each day, as I obsessively check my shops hoping for a sale, I am more and more discouraged at the lack of sales.

I have had my shop critiqued and one of my sales was by an Etsy Admin. They say, "patience." You are doing everything right. Just hang in there. Well sadly, I am out of patience and more importantly I am out of money.

My oldest is finishing her last day of Kindergarten today. That means she will be home for the next 3 months or so. My attention needs to be undivided for the kiddos for awhile. And for my wonderful husband who works so hard for us. He has supported me throughout this whole adventure even though it has cost us money that we could have better put somewhere else.

I will continue my passion of Photography in the meantime and plan to get my family more involved in it. We will do a photo scavenger hunt this summer which I am super excited for. Hopefully I will get one or two more weddings this year and lots of portraits scheduled.
 Email me for available dates and rates. You can also find me on facebook.

A while back I opened a zazzle.com shop to put my photography to use. It doesn't cost anything and doesn't take up space. So far it keeps the creativity flowing and I get to see my photography in use. A win win all the way around.

Unless I get completely sold out, the last day that FeatherAhead will be open is October 7, 2011 and October 5, 2011 for CreationsByCReid.
Coupon codes: FeatherAhead coupon code: SUMMER15 for 15% off (don't forget to check out the sale section for additional savings)
CreationsByCReid coupon code: CREIDSUMMER15 for 15% off
Now, if the coupons still don't help make my items into your budget, convo me with reasonable offer!

Meet The Talent Behind Malcakes25 Made by Malcakes

When entering an Etsy shop, it is kind of hard to get to know the artist/seller. While there is the Etsy Profile, it still doesn't cover the "personal" aspect you would get, if you were entering an actual shop. Here is my solution..instead of a "shop" feature, I am going to feature the artist/shop owner!

Introducing, Mallory:

 I asked her a variety of questions:

Question:What book are you reading currently or the most recent book you have read?

I am currently reading the book The Sparks Fly Upward by Diana Norman. It
is a historical fiction novel, which are my absolute favorites. I love to
read and finish between one and two books a week. I prefer to buy my books
or rent them from the library, I will never buy a kindle because I like
the old school feel of a page between my fingers, and that is lost with a
electronic version.

Question:If you could choose an era to visit, what would it be and why?

I would choose the 50's of course! I believe that this era was by far the
classiest.

Question:
What inspires you?

The world around me, nature, old found objects, creepy things, old images,
friends and family.

Question:
What are your favorite materials?

Using old paper in a variety of my art work is my absolute favorite.

Question:Do you sell exclusively on Etsy? http://www.etsy.com/shop/Malcakes25

I do not sell exclusively on etsy.

     If not, where else?

I sell in a few small boutiques, I am very fortunate in how well I do
there. I occasionally sell at some shows, and I have been a vendor at the
Pink Parlour Festival the past couple years. I  sometimes sell wholesale
to places as well.

Question:What is your favorite item in your shop currently and why?

My favorite items that are currently in my shop is The Dreamer
Necklace-Anatomy Series .

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72625275/the-dreamer-necklace-anatomy-series

I love the creepy vintage anatomical image that
sits inside the bezel, the weirder the better. I also really like the
Wyatt Earp Necklace that says "Tomorrow is a New Day", I love the old
west, cowboys and the sort.

My personal favorite is:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66052368/queen-maries-sister-made-with-paper-from

I particularly love the quote on this piece!

I encourage everyone to follow their dreams! Create what you want with no
regard to what anyone says, ignore the naysayers, be who you want to be.

XO
Mallory

www.madebymalcakes.com
www.malcakes.blogspot.com

She has given you a coupon code: Here's a 10% off coupon code for anyone who is interested: coolpeople10

What is your favorite item in her shop?
Thank you Mallory for letting us get to know you!

Inspiration from Buyer to Seller on Etsy

For any of you who are married, you know how crazy the wedding planning can be. So many choices, decisions, options. If you are like me..very untraditional..your options become limited. After spending hours of wasted time on the internet, I decided if I was going to get exactly what I wanted, I would have to make it myself.
I started buying hat bases and buckram forms on Etsy. I then fell in love with some gloves from ZenAndCoffee that I would wear on my Wedding day. I then expanded to making my Bridesmaid's hair pins. After much creating, recreating, found a vintage featherband that I added touches of "me" to. It was perfect.

Photos by Dawn Alderman. Gloves by ZenAndCoffee.

After this, I realized that there was other brides out there experiencing the woes that I was going through. From there, I started experiementing with day to day pieces as well. Thats how CReid0409 was started. A buyers account turned shop.
TIP to anyone wanting to open a shop-DO NOT USE YOUR BUYER NAME! A lesson I learned the hard way. My name was horrid. The banner reflected a totally different name. Even so, I had a few sales and 200 shop hearts. A shop name was a desparate must. So, I made the change to FeatherAhead for my bridal, hats, feathery..nontraditional-outside the box pieces and CreationsByCReid for my crocheted pieces.
Crocheting is something I orginally learned from my mom. I found out later on that she taught me the wrong way. lol. For me, its a great way to work out frustrations in a positive way. I can follow most simple patterns but find that I like to alter them to fit my style more. It has taken off locally. It is very hard to get noticed amongst all the talent and variety of Etsy Crocheters.
The shop changes have been slow. I have kept my original shop open as a closeout shop. There is a coupon code listed in the announcement. If you see something here that you would like, please feel free to make me an offer.
Being apart of Etsy has been a learning process everyday. It is teaching me patience too. Something I desparately need more of! I have met wonderful and talented people along the way as well. I hope to feature many of these shops as I aquire more followers.  Here is a sneak peak of one of the shops that will be featured:

Newest piece listed in FeatherAhead. It was inspired by another Etsy shop owner, TatterPunk. She helped me with the initial creative process, the title and description. She is amazing! Check out her shop! She has started a curiously wonderful hat line! Did I mention she was amazing?