Featured Seller

FEATURED SELLER : Trisevyeni

Interview

-Tell us a bit about yourself (name,location,affiliation)
My name is Trisevyeni and I live in Patras..I am an artistic soul working for a boutique Hotel..well, I have to make a living somehow!

- What inspires you?Where do your ideas come from?
I am inspired by everything..by my emotions, by the trees, by the sea, by flowers, by fairytales..

-What are your favorites materials?
I love working with sparkle colorful gemmies and silver or goldfilled..I love working with copper and brass too.

- Why should we buy handmade?
Every handmade item, bears a tiny piece of the soul, of the thoughts running through the mind and the feelings of the person that made it..Therefore handmade is unique and with a life of its own.

- Apart from creating things what do you do?
Spend time with my loved ones, read books, study Japanese..

- How do you promote your work?
I don't promote my work actually...Apart from Flickr and all the lovely ladies-friends and their friends that have supported me since I begun selling, nothing else really..I don't blog and I don't spend a lot of time surfing on the internet...

- Do you have a studio or a special place in your house you work your creations? Tell us about this place.
I don't have a studio really..I work wherever I can discover a free and comfortable space..
Most of the times, I put all my tools and gems on a wooden table that my father made and I painted..

Which is your favorite tool?
I actually love all my tools..If one is missing I cant work..Perhaps my round pliers is my favorite..I use it to wrap the lovely gemmies!!

Do you have someone who helps you in some way with your etsy shop?
What exactly is he/she doing?
My fiance helps me A LOT! He gives me many ideas on how to photograph my jewelry, he helps by designing some pieces too..

- Your favorite websites,etsy shops,movies, books,music.
I love flickr and Etsy..
There are so many etsy shops I love..like : theprincessnextdoor, homelab, gemheaven, tigerburningbright, antigoni, silverstorm, mgypsy, lirola, brightstar, psarokokalo and many many others..
Movies-music-books :The Lord of the rings,a Beautiful Mind,The Piano,
Portishead, Beethoven,Mozart, Chopin, Ar.Franklin, Astor Piazzola and many many more
100 years of Solitude

- In 10 years I'd like to be......
........healthy doing what I love most: still learning, and making jewelry :)

Eggplant Salad - Μελιτζανοσαλάτα

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2 lbs eggplants (aubergines)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
1 green mild pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped

Wash, wipe, and put them on, or under a grill and turn frequently, to cook on all sides, for about 20-40 minutes, until soft. Pass each eggplant quickly under running water to cool slightly and peel them immediately, while they are still hot. Do not leave the eggplants to cool unpeeled, as the flesh will turn black. Put in a strainer and allow to cool, then chop and combine with the salt and garlic. Add vinegar, oil and parsley. Garnish the eggplant salad with the chopped green pepper and tomato.

1 κιλό μελιτζάνες
¼ κουταλάκι αλάτι
2-3 σκελίδες σκόρδο λιωμένο
¾ κούπας λάδι
¼ κούπας ξύδι
2 κουταλιές μαϊντανό ψιλοκομμένο (προαιρετικά)
1 πιπεριά ψιλοκομμένη
1 ντομάτα ψιλοκομμένη
Πλύντε τις μελιτζάνες και σκουπίστε τες. Βάλτε τις σε ένα ταψάκι και ψήστε τις στο γκριλ μέχρι να ψηθούν καλά από όλες τις μεριές και να μαλακώσει η σάρκα τους. Βρέξτε τις με κρύο νερό αμέσως και ξεφλουδίστε τις. Βάλτε τις σε τρυπητό και αφήστε τις να στραγγίσουν λίγο. Κόψτε τις σε κομμάτια και προσθέστε το αλάτι, το σκόρδο και τα υπόλοιπα υλικά.

I'm Dina and I'm a Shopaholic - Red, Hearts and Love

from MistyAurora

Even though Valentine's day, or All Hearts Day as we call it here in Sweden passed its never too late or early to shop for loved ones. During a small "walk" around our team's shops you can find so many things to buy for a loved one that its overwhelming. Some reds and hearts managed to catch my eye more than others so let me share them with you ...

A tag or card on a gift package is always the extra touch that can really make the simple wrapping look amazing instantly. Like these adorable heart gift tags by kingsQueens.

A stunning pendant like this one from thalassajewelry is so adorable and the fact that it will be close to your heart by default makes it even more special.

Talking about special here is a pair of earrings from onstage69 that are both special and too cute for words!

Another pick for earrings that i can't not mention is this amazing pair from

theprincessnextdoor.


Leaving the ears to rest for a bit lets go a bit further down.
I just love this gorgeous heart swarovski bracelet from zmnim and whats great is that you can customize the color of the hears to your taste from a very rich color selection.

A heart doesn't always have to be red or pink. Some people say the best is a heart of gold.
Antigoni has a pair of earrings to match that saying and they totally do.

Ending with an amazing scarf from homelab in red with a gorgeous ruffle pattern. She can also make it in other colors so just give her a tell!

We have a lot of jewelry makes in our team, really not good for my addiction but i hope as we grow we will attract a variety of talents to suit every taste and need :)
till next time
xoxo
Dina

A perfect day for wool - Μια τέλεια μέρα για μαλλί

by Tina


We have a cold winter this year in Greece, or maybe I should say a normal winter. Today it's freezing, it's the perfect day to wear felted and knitted accessories from wool to keep you warm and cheer you up, like the ones I show you here, made by Etsy Greek Street members.


Έχουμε έναν κρύο χειμώνα φέτος στην Ελλάδα, ή ίσως θα 'πρεπε να πω έναν φυσιολογικό χειμώνα. Σήμερα κάνει παγωνιά, είναι η τέλεια ημέρα για να φορέσουμε μάλλινα αξεσουάρ, πλεκτά ή από felt για να μας ζεσταίνουν και να μας ανεβάζουν την διάθεση, όπως αυτά που σας δείχνω εδώ, φτιαγμένα από μέλη της Etsy Greek Street Team.








3 days Etsy Greek Street Team promo thread


Sea eyes earrings
3 days Etsy Greek Street Team promo thread

The Etsy Greek Street Team are a Self-Representing Team of Artisans that create a variety
of unique handmade items including Artisan Jewelry, Prints , paper goods, cards and Polymer Clay Beads, Bath
and Body Products, Quilts, Knits and Plush to name a few.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
You can view our complete profile by going to the following link:

http://etsygreekstreetteam.blogspot.com/2009/02/etsy-greek-street-team-members.html

You can also visit our Blog for more information about the Team and what we've been up
to! Please be patient as this is a work in progress :)

http://etsygreekstreetteam.blogspot.com/
or
http://www.flickr.com/groups/etsygreekteam/
also
http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=6942277 (our favorite)
--------------------------------------------------------

This is the place to show us your new listings, your treasuries, your blogs, and anything
else that is new in your life that you would like to share. We’d love to see what you are up to.
And please stop by our 3days chat thread and say hello! It’s a great way to stay
up to date with what the team is up to.

Also here you can ask about something from our products and info about shipping offers and etc...
-------------------------------------------------
dont forget to coming again here because we listen new fresh item !!!

COME AND ENJOY US!!!




, , , , , , , ,

Afraid of black?.... Φοβάστε το μαύρο?

from antigoni




Black is not the color we think of when we try to cheer up :)
Would you dare to use it for your house without fear that the result will be unpleasant or cold feeling? I had the same "fear" so did not use it for my home, but after I saw these great decorating ideas at my favorite site
http://www.bhg.com/, changed my mind! There you can see that with the right color combinations, with creativity and fantasy, black can be a great color to create cozy and pleasant spaces to live! So black with no fear....!
Μαύρη μέρα, είμαι στις μαύρες μου και άλλες πολλές φράσεις που δείχνουν οτι το μαύρο χρώμα δεν είναι για να.... φτιάξουμε το κέφι μας! Ισως το επιλέγουμε για το ντύσιμο ή για αξεσουάρ αλλά το σπίτι? Τολμάτε να το χρησιμοποιήσετε χωρίς να φοβάστε οτι το αποτέλεσμα θα είναι πένθιμο ή το λιγότερο ψυχρό?
Εγώ ομολογώ οτι το φοβήθηκα γιαυτό δεν εκανα καμμία διακοσμητική επιλογή για το σπίτι μου σε μαύρο. Οι
ιδέες ομως που βρήκα στο http://www.bhg.com/ με έκαναν να αλλάξω γνώμη.
Το μαύρο χρώμα στους κατάλληλους συνδυασμούς και στις σωστές δόσεις μπορεί να δημιουργήσει ένα ευχάριστο και ζεστό χώρο!
Featured Seller : psarokokalo

by Stemellina

Interview


- Tell us a bit about yourself(name,location,affiliation)
i am what i do, and i am called maria.


- What inspires you?Where do your ideas come from?
my daughter growing up inspires me , the memories of my grandparents, my childhood, peoples trash, native tribes, a sunny beach, a night drive with my car.


- Why should buy handmade?

handmade staff are beautiful with a personality and ecofriendly usually


- Apart from creating things what do you do?

have fun with my family and friends!



- Do you have a studio or a special place in your house you work your creations?
Tell us about this place.
i have a room in my house where i work and all my staff are. it is a very sunny room and i am happy about that. when i have lot's of work or am in creative mood i spread my 'special place' in all the house and with a little help from my daughter all the house becomes a messy studio.


- What are your favorites materials?
wool, old sheets, scraps of fabric, plastics from the beach, wood.


- How do you promote your work?
i am not good with promoting , i am bored of endless hours in the net, i wait for lovely people like you to write about me :-) .
flickr is a net place that i find exiting, i meet great artists there view their work, get inspired ... and hope that someone will see my work and shop in extension.
in real life to promote myself i take part in trade shows , exhibitions , fairs, bazaars, and be good with my mothers girlfriends :-)


_ Do you have to tell us about a special storage place for your materials.
How it helps you?
i collect tin boxed and use them as a storage, all kind of sizes and colors of tin boxes from cigars, biscuits ....

- Do you have someone who helps you in some way with your etsy shop?
What exactly is doing?
nope no one helps



- Which is your favorite tool?
my eye pincushion.


- Your favorite websites,etsy shops,movies,books,music.
i rarely look at websites nowadays internet has become a blog , myspace, facebook ,flickr .......thing. i do not know if that's good or bad.



some of my favorite etsy shops are :
kmasback.etsy.com
loulouandoscar.etsy.com
thelindentree.etsy.com
takeoffyourclothes.etsy.com
SCRAPdannymansmith.etsy.com

movies and music i can't start writing ...it will be a long boring list... but i can see all the john Cusack movies ( yes i do have a crush on him) :-)


- In 10 years I'd like to be..............living in a Greek island with a few inhabitants and distribute my work from there!

ETSY Helpful Links - Not found Via Etsy

from ColourLab

An interesting list I found during my browsing in the world!!!! :-)

http://etsywiki.com/ Accumulated wisdom from seasoned sellers.
http://etsytreasurydemo.blogspot.com/ Treasury tutorial.
http://www.etsy.com/poster_sketch.php Prepare a treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/tag_fractal.php Tag Fractal Etsy Search. Cool!
http://fix.etsy.com/ Where to go if Etsy is down.

http://searchhandmade.com Site to find handmade items.

http://etsy.ppcalc.com/
Fees calculators.

http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage

http://www.geocities.com/vlhester/index.html TheBeadingTree's international rate chart.
http://www.shelfmasters.com/InternationalRateChart.aspx International Postage rate chart. (Has not been updated.)

http://www.thumbalizr.com/ Cross platform means to screen shots.
http://www.superscreenshot.com/ Another screen shot capture.
http://tinyurl.com/ Make long links short.
http://tools.oratory.com/altcodes.html How to make those little characters.
http://www.onlineconversion.com/ Conversions.
http://picnik.com/ Pic site.
http://webresizer.com/
http://www.primopdf.com/ Convert any document to a PDF!
http://etsyforeveryone.typepad.com/my_weblog/graphics/index.html How to make your own banner. And lots more!

http://www.weloveetsy.com/shops We love etsy shops directory.

mini blogs:
http://etsymini.blogspot.com/
http://etsyminisupplies.blogspot.com/

Business:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/business.shtm Labeling requirements for cloth goods, info about selling jewelry, including appropriate wording to use for silver vs silver-colored jewelry...

Thanks to LooseWireStudio for the above collection!!!!

Enjoy!!!
Jo

10 Tips: How to get a smooth, flat, even surfaced collage

10 Tips: How to get a smooth, flat, even surfaced collage:


1. Heavy Papers. Start with heavy watercolor or printmaking paper as a base for the collage.

2. Uniform Weights. Work with papers that have a uniform weight. For example - use all medium weight collage papers. If your original papers are too thin, too thick, or fragile, photocopy them in advance onto Cranes 100% cotton fiber paper, available in boxes in stationery stores. Photocopying also allows you to create multiples of an image, reduce or enlarge an image. Cranes paper works well with medium weight acid-free printmaking and drawing papers.

3. Plan Ahead. Plan the collage as much in advance as possible.

Sort and select papers you will use by image, scale, texture and color. Determine how you will begin, and if collage papers will overlap or if paper edges will butt.

4. Set up your workspace. Include an area to sort and view papers, to place papers on the substrate (collage base) and to apply glue. Add a space for the glue container, brush and water tub, pencils, scissors, and any other tools. Keep paper towels and trash bin nearby.

5. The Right Glue. Work with the right glue for the paper you use. I

always use PVA white glue because it works well with medium weight papers. Make sure glue is the right consistency (viscosity) – not too thick and not too thin. I also use distilled water to thin my glue, and work with a small amount of glue in a small glue container, separated from the larger glue container. This helps avoid any contamination into the large glue supply. I purchase small plastic flip-top containers for this purpose sold in art supply stores.

6. The Right Brush. Work with the right size brush. I use a 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch bristle or sponge brush. Apply the right amount of glue onto the back of the collage papers. Too much glue causes glue puddles, leaks, streaks and air bubbles. Too little glue reduces qualit

y adhesion.

7. Work on a clean surface. Place each collage piece face down on clean paper towel. Apply glue to back of collage piece with even strokes, starting the brush at the center of the collage piece with a sweeping brush stroke out toward the edges of the paper. Continue brush to just outside the edge of the collage paper (onto the paper towel). This ensures glue is coating the edges of collage paper. Note: I change and turn paper towels often so that paper towels are clean, and glue never gets on the front of the collage papers.

7. Reduce excess glue. Blot glue from the back of the collage paper:

Flip over glued collage paper and place glue side face down onto paper towel and press gently to remove excess glue before placing collage piece onto the substrate. If paper is placed incorrectly, quickly lift it up, place it onto a clean paper towel and reapply glue (steps 5, 6 and 7 above) and place again onto collage substrate.

9. Squegee. Use your hand or a plastic squeegee and press th

e glued paper down onto the collage substrate. Protect the surface of the collage in progress. Use a paper towel or glassine sheet to prevent fingerprints, glue or dirt when you transfer glued papers. Use a wooden 1 inch wooden wallpaper seam roller to roll edges of each glued paper down to ensure a good bond and prevent edges from curling up.

10. Gesso. Continue to apply collage papers until piece is

completed to your satisfaction. If the collage base has curled or warped (for example, the entire finished collage does not lie flat), place it face down on a heavy, clean cardboard surface and tape down back of collage 1/4 inch in from all sides with acid free tape. Brush a single, even coat of gesso in a horizontal direction to cover the entire back of collage right up to the taped edge. Allow to dry. Brush a second coat of gesso in opposite vertical direction to cover the entire back of the collage. Allow to dry. Remove tape and discard. Collage should be completely flat. Protect the front surface of collage with acrylic gel medium or varnish. When framing the collage, do not allow glass or Plexiglas to touch the collage surface.

Stuffed vineleaves with rice and meat (greek taste)

Maybe from a street team this is very unusual but we want to spread everywhere...
all our traditional and goods from our places
why not and receipe from a greek food

this time we have Stuffed vineleaves with rice and meat
and we shall post many others receipes in the future

soo.. are you ready?

Stuffed vineleaves with rice and meat
INGREDIENTS

* 1 lb. ground beef
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1/2 c. white rice
* 1 egg
* 1/2 c. dry spearmint
* 1 T. butter, softened
* 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
* dill, if convenient
* 3-4 T. lemon juice
* salt
* pepper
* water, if needed

For the avgolemono sauce (egg-lemon dressing)
* 1 egg
* 3-4 T. lemon juice
* corn starch

METHOD

Knead all ingredients in a bowl. If the consistency is too hard, add water, one tablespoon at a time (up to 4 T.). Grape leaves are best picked from Grape Vines in the Spring, while they are still tender. They can be washed and frozen between layers of waxed paper and will keep for a year. They are also available in jars from some fruit markets (especially ones that carry a lot of Greek/Italian imported foods). Depending on the size, you will need 20 to 40 grape leaves (Fila - pronounced fee'-lah). Small leaves tend to be more tender. Boil grape leaves until they are soft, but not tender. The time will depend on the leaves. Fresh ones will only take a minute. Fold grape leaves around small spoonfulls of meat mixture, sealing completely. In a large pot (preferably one with a large surface area on the bottom), melt 1/2 stick (4 T.) butter. Arrange rolled dolmades on top. Do this all at once, not as you roll them. Pour 3-4 cups water or chicken broth over dolmades, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

AVGOLEMONO (egg-lemon dressing)
Separate egg. Whisk egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water; add yolk and mix. Add corn starch (she gave no measurement) to lemon juice and stir; add to egg mixture. Skim broth off dolmades (it is now a chicken/beef broth and should be greatly reduced because of the rice) and add 1 T. at a time to the egg mixture, whisking well. Egg mixture should thicken. Remove dolmades from heat. Arrange dolmades in a bowl for serving. Mix remaining broth into egg-lemon mixture. Stir well and pour over dolmades.







The steps demonstrate the preparation of Stuffed vineleaves with rice. The steps that demonstrate the folding of the vineleaf can be also used for the Stuffed vineleaves with rice and meat RECIPE.
Step 1:
The vineleaves of this picture have been preserved in the freezer. When the time comes to be used, you should remove them from the freezer and let them drain in a colander.
Step 2:
Mix in a bowl the rice the aromatic herbs and the spring onions. Unlike the RECIPE, in which the onions are sauteed, in this demonstration we do not saute the onions in olive oil.
Step 3:
This is the first step of the folding process. The vineleaf is placed with the surface that had the stem to face up. Notice also where exactly the portion of the rice mixture is placed.
Step 4:
The folding has started from the one side...
Step 5:
then we fold the left and right leaves...
Step 6:
and finish folding by rolling the vineleaf to a cylinder.
Step 7:
Cover the surface of the saucepan with some vineleaves.
Step 8:
This picture shows the best way to fit the dolmades into the saucepan. When all the vineleaves have been placed into the saucepan we cover them half way with oil and water and boil them until rice is cooked.

good apetite :) yammy !!!!!

PROMOTE YOUR ETSY SHOP WITH 50 WAYS

Promote you shop is very important for more sales and more expose everywhere

You want your name to knows many peoples
so here is 50 different ways for promotion
1. http://www.postaroo.com/postaroo
2. http://www.craigslist.com
3. http://www.myspace.com/etsy
4. http://www.cracker.com.au
5. http://www.cmather.com
6. http://www.stumbleupon.com
7. http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl
8. http://froogle.google.com/
9. http://www.search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx
10. http://www.dmoz.org/add.html
11. http://www.ecom.yahoo.com/dir/submit/intro/
12. http://www.adwords.google.com/
13. http://seocompany.ca/directory/free-web-directories.html
14. http://www.blogger.com/start
15. http://www.flickr.com/ (please see http://www.etsy.com/forums_topic.php?thread_id=18481&page_id=1 first).
16. http://www.freecraftfair.com/link_exchange.html
17. http://www.freecraftfair.com/categories.html
18. http://kijiji.com
19. http://community.livejournal.com/etsy_lj/
20. http://UniversityChic.com/promotions
21. http://etsy.com/forums_topic.php?thread_id=7809
22. http://boingboing.net/suggest.html
23. http://australia.tribe.net/local?guess=true
24. http://bobbiisdesignsndeals.com/Art/gallery2/main.php
25. http://clickthru.com
26. http://www.43things.com/things/view/70128
27. http://linktiles.com/
28. http://craftersbuzz.com/
29. http://www.stylehive.com/
30. http://www.stylefeeder.com/
31. http://digg.com/
32. http://www.adsbay.com/
33. http://www.bust.com/
34. http://www.comcast.net/
35. http://www.comcast.net/comcast.html
36. http://www.oodle.com/
37. http://www.expo.live.com/
38. http://www.robotlaundry.com/index.php
39. http://www.linkreferral.com/adwel.pl
40. http://www.bloglines.com/
41. http://www.linkedin.com/
42. http://www.abwa.org/
43. http://www.ryze.com/
44. http://fogster.com/
45. http://craftersbuzz.com/
46. http://www.thisnext.com/
47. http://del.icio.us/
48. http://www.linktiles.com/
49. http://www.backpage.com/
50. http://www.twitter.com my favorite


Twitter tools for every one for promotion etsy shops

Twitter tools for every one

Many people ask me where can they find some tools for their twitter
here is some

Web Services/Mashups (Utilities):

  1. AlphaTwitter is a tool to see what’s being shared by twitter users. Most popular links rise to the the top.

  2. AnswerMe is a tool to help you track questions you ask on Twitter.

  3. AutoPostr lets your Twitter friends know whenever you post a new photo to flickr.

  4. AutoTwit automatically schedule updates to twitter. This site points out that its pointless.

  5. Brabblr allows you to keep an eye on and update your Twitter and Jaiku accounts from a central place.

  6. Chirrup allows you to collect Twitter comments for your site.

  7. CommuterFeed lets you keep an eye on traffic incidents through twitter.

  8. CrowdStatus allows you to organize your contacts into groups.

  9. EmailTwitter interact with twitter via email. Save money on SMS messages.

  10. FeedTweeter lets you send your plurks to Twitter.

  11. Flix Pulse is real time movie reviews based on Tweets.

  12. Gridjit allows you to see tweets by users rather than in chronological order.

  13. GroupTweet allows you to send private Twitter messages to specific groups.

  14. Hashtags allows realtime tracking of Twitter Hashtags (#).

  15. LiveTwitting is a mechanism to cover conference sessions.

  16. MoniTwitter keeps an eye on your servers and informs status using Twitter.

  17. PingTwitter ping Twitter when you update your blog.

  18. Quotably makes a twitter conversation into a threaded conversation.

  19. Stocktwits lets you follow stocks on Twitter.

  20. Timer is a Twitter bot that helps you set an alarm for things you need to remember.

  21. TrackThis allows you to track your Fedex, UPS, USPS and DHL packages.

  22. Twannabe lets you find out who your Twitter hero is following and you are not.

  23. Tweetl a url shortening service for twitter posts that also allows you to post to twitter from their site.

  24. Twitzu allows you to create an event and let your followers know about it.

  25. TubeStatus Get London tube status delivered via Twitter.

  26. Tweet2Tweet tracks the public Twitter timeline to collect data in order to view conversations between two users

  27. Tweetahead schedule tweets in the future.

  28. TweetAnswers allows you to ask questions, get answers.

  29. TweetBurner lets you shorten, tweet and track the links on Twitter.

  30. TweetShots takes screen shots of your tweets that you can embed in tumblr or other pages.

  31. Twemes follows tweets that have embedded tags that start with a # character.

  32. Twerpscan allows you to identify and block spammers on your Twitter contact list.

  33. Tweviews lets you describe your impression of a song or a movie, a book or an album through Twitter.

  34. Twibler automatically posts your new eBay listings to your Twitter account.

  35. Twictionary is a repository for all sorts of words used on Twitter.

  36. Twiddeo is Twitter plus video.

  37. Twiddict allows you to Twitter even if Twitter is down.

  38. Twistori visualizes tweets through a pretty interface.

  39. Twifter finds common friends for a list of twitter usernames.

  40. Twimbler is a tumble blog that gets updated through Twitter.

  41. Twitabit stores your tweets when Twitter is down and then delivers them when Twitter comes back up.

  42. TwitSay lets you leave voice messages on Twitter.

  43. TwitterCal use Twitter to post events to Google Calendar.

  44. TwitterCounter allows you to display a badge that shows the number of your followers

  45. TwitterFeed will take your rss feed and post it to Twitter.

  46. TwitterFone converts your voice message into a tweet and lets you listen to a recording also.

  47. TwitterPacks answers the question: If someone were joining Twitter today, who might they follow?

  48. TwitThis a button for your blog so that visitors can twitter about it.

  49. TwitterShare allows you to share files (less than 10 MB) while using Twitter. Mac client available also.

  50. Wiiizzz lets you see what tracks people are sharing on Twitter. You can also play the songs.

  51. Who Should I Follow gives suggestions on interesting people to follow.


Web Services/Mashups (Other):
  1. Bkkeepr Tracks the books you are reading.

  2. Confess 2.0 confess your sins to Twitter.

  3. Favrd lists interesting things on Twitter, based on the number of times an item has been declared a ‘favorite’.

  4. Favotter collects a lot of favorites from many Twitter'ers.

  5. FlickrMixr flickr and twitter integration.

  6. Flussgeist integration of twitter and flickr.

  7. InnerTwitter reconnects you to your original happiness by utilizing twitter.

  8. Overheard It is a site that pulls in all the fun things people overhear on Twitter.

  9. PoliTweets tracks conversations about US Presidential hopefuls.

  10. Pulseofopensource follows heavyweights in the open source movement on Twitter.

  11. Qwitter helps you quit smoking.

  12. SnapTweet allows you to send your latest Flickr photo to Twitter.

  13. Start4all a directory of important twitter pages.

  14. Swotter read a book through twitter.

  15. Tweet140 is a game. To win you need to maintain an average close to 140 characters per tweet.

  16. Tweetgift is a simple way to send virtual gifts to your friends.

  17. Twaction allows you to poke, slap, smile at your friends on Twitter.

  18. Tweetweet tweets show up as conversation between two characters.

  19. Tweetwire reformats tweets in a newspaper format.

  20. Twit.io is a social database of categorized (jobs, events) tweets.

  21. Twitdir allows you to search for friends (real or fake). Think of it as Twitter White Pages.

  22. Twitku keep an eye on your Twitter and Jaiku messages.

  23. TwitPic share your photos on Twitter.

  24. Twitslikeme allows you to find other people who share your interests on twitter.

  25. TwitterBlacklist is a list of known spammers of various kinds.

  26. TwitterBrowser lets you browse ones friends graphically.

  27. TwitCash a scheme to make money on twitter.

  28. Twitterer second life and twitter mashup.

  29. TwitterFountain allows tweets to be viewed real-time, big screen.

  30. TwitterGram allows you to post audio messages to Twitter.

  31. TwitLinks The latest links from the worlds top tech twitter users.

  32. TwittPoll follow polls on twitter from twittpoll.

  33. Twitterkarma allows you to see if you have a one way or two way relationship with your friends and followers.

  34. Twitterku unintentional poetry pulled from the Twitter public stream.

  35. TwitterLit publishes the first line of a book twice a day with a link to that book.

  36. TwitterLocal allows you to find out whos Tweeting near you based on zip codes, states and locations.

  37. TwitterMosaic mosaics created from Twitter user icons.

  38. TwitterNotes allows you to check notes on Twitter. Notes start with a + sign

  39. TwitterPlanetarium is a nice visualization for tweets. No options to speak of.

  40. TwitterSnooze lets you disable your followers for a specified period of time.

  41. TwitterTale track all the bad words being used on Twitter.

  42. TwitSpy allows you to see all the incoming tweets in a fancy AJAXy way.

  43. TwitterTube Based upon the latest Twitterings feed, this yahoo pipe creator gathers the matching youtube vids.

  44. Twitterverse presents a tag cloud of all the twitters.

  45. TwitterWatch lets you see all the latest tweets like a slide show.

  46. TwitterWhere makes it easy to update Twitter with your current location.

  47. Twubble searches your friend graph and picks out people who you may like to follow.

  48. Visual Twitter allows you to send an image to your Twitter updates.

  49. Wordy Birdie is a Twitter based word frequency quessing game.

Tips for Promoting your Etsy Shop

The Basics of Promoting

When promoting your shop online you want to get as many people to see it as possible. I break promotion down into 3 types: Display, Advertising, and Social. Many times these can blend into each other for example Squidoo is often a combination of all three.

Which areas you focus on the most depend on your business, the amount of time you have to spend promoting, and your advertising budget but you should work all three into your promotion plan.

Display

This is showing your work off and informing people about it. This is what a blog, other website, or a gallery like Flickr or DeviantArt does. You show off your work, tell a little about it and yourself, maybe post information about deals but it\'s mostly ameans of displayign your work to get people to then visit your shop.
Advertising

This is straightforward placing ads. It could be Google adwords or Project Wonderful placing ads on websites for you, buying an adspace directly on a website, or posting on a free ad site.
Social

This is building a network of people who are interested in you and your products. Site like Twitter, Facebook, and Ning Networks are geared specifically for building networks.
Places to Promote - Short Sample List

* Own The Hour: Independent Etsy Promotion, Fresh Every Hour!
* Indiepublic - Independent art and design community
* Twitter: What are you doing?
* Blogger: Create your free blog
* WordPress.com » Get a Free Blog Here
* Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing
* Project Wonderful - Bid based online advertising broker
* Facebook

Tips for etsy Sellers

Tips For Sellers

Have a Well Fleshed-out Store

Part 1: Fill out All Fields
Include a banner, a bio, a store announcement, a location (more important than most realize), good descriptions with measurements and product details, photos that provide multiple views when appropriate. Calculate the shipping costs accurately and include these in each listing. If you sell internationally take the time to include shipping to each country. Creating shipping profile can help streamline the process.

These are all things that make you look professional and stable to new buyers. They also provide the necessary info for a buyer to make a purchasing decision. If a buyer doesn't have important info such as size or materials they are much more likely to just move on to someone else than to take the time to write you. Don't rely on the customer to contact you for the shipping cost because they won't.

Part 2: Consider Posting Store Policies
This is something many people overlook. You'll be surprised at how often those unexpected circumstances arise, the kind that cause a lot of stress and could've easily been prevented if policies were stated. Things to consider:

  • What happens when you send a package and the buyer claims it was not received?
    Do you refund the shipping? Do you take a big loss and send another item for free? Do you state that buyers are responsible for requesting insurance? Do you state that lost packages need to be addressed with the post office?
  • What happens when a buyer decides they want to return an item? What if it's because they changed their mind? Or what if it's 3 months after they bought it? What if it's a custom item? Do you accept returns? Are there limitations for time or quality? Who pays the return shipping? What if you never receive the item and the buyer claims they sent it back?
  • What happens when a buyer claims an item was received damaged?
    Do you ask for proof? Do you state they should have purchased insurance? Do you eat the cost and send another? Who pays for shipping of the new item? What if you can't replace the item (one of a kind)?

Part 3: Be Thorough & Personal in your Descriptions
Descriptions don't have to be long, but include a sense of personality or a human touch. People enjoy handmade items because of the connection with the artist/crafter. A description that reads like a clinical list of ingredients doesn't create a connection. A short line or two sharing your inspiration for the piece, or perhaps what you like about it, or perhaps just a conversational tone can do a lot to add a personal feel.

Think about why items get flagged. Your descriptions should let buyers know that you make your items yourself.

When you are writing descriptions DO NOT COPY SOMEONE ELSE'S LANGUAGE, NAMING STYLE, LISTING FORMAT, ETC. Using the same creative style or format and changing a few words is STILL COPYING. Copying someone else's description does not mean their success will translate to your success. Personal means a reflection of YOU, not other sellers. Find your own way to present your listings and find a way to stand out by doing something different than your competitors.

List Frequently

  • It is better to spread out listings over the course of a week/month, listing just a few items at a time. Listing all items at once on the same day reduces your exposure on the category pages.
  • The default view for category pages is by recently listed. Things can move fast so items listed on Monday can appear on page 10 by Tuesday. If you list all 8 items at once on Monday that means all of your items are now pushed to page 10 and later, making it harder to find you. Whereas if you list 2 items on Monday, 2 on Wednesday, 2 on Friday... you are continually offering fresh listings for people to find you.
  • However, keep in mind that listing exposure is ONLY ONE SMALL WAY for buyers to find you. Promotion is very, very important, as I'll explain below. Sellers who rely entirely on listing exposure are not likely to be successful on Etsy.
Post in the Right Category

It is very important that you post in the correct category. Put yourself in the shopper's place and imagine where you would first look to find a similar product. Posting in a completely different category does not help you stand out. For example: someone may post jewelry in the books category thinking that they'll get more sales with less competition. In reality, that just means even fewer people will find their items -- people interested in jewelry go to the jewelry category -- and people interested in books are annoyed at the invasion and ignore the listing.

Use Your Tags

This is particularly important when listing on Etsy. Tags will not only determine your positioning in subcategories, but also the descriptive words used to search for your items. Again, think like a buyer and choose words/subcategories that a buyer is most likely to browse.
Check out the subcategories listed in your appropriate category and base your tag words on the relevant ones. Use all your tags (you have up to 13) and include words that are descriptive enough for users to find you. Color, size, style, kind of item are all important. See here for a suggestion on choosing tags: http://www.etsy.com/forums_topic.php?thread_id=23040
I also suggest you do a forum search for the word "tag" to find the latest info.

Good Photos, Good Thumbnails

Photos are the buyer's main access to your product online. They can't pick it up, try it on, smell it, examine it. So your photos need to provide enough information to fulfill those needs. Take good quality, clear photos.

  • There are a TON of tips available on improving photos, resources, tricks, etc. See the Photographs section of the wiki. See also the Photo section member guide thread: http://www.etsy.com/forums_topic.php?thread_id=11644
  • If photography is not familiar to you now, take the time to learn about it and gradually improve your skills over time. Investigate ways to make an impact in both presentation and lighting. If you need hands-on help, get tutoring or assistance from a photography student or professional. Offer a barter arrangement if you aren't in a position to pay them.
  • Use your thumbnail photo well. You need to create an image that is interesting enough to entice a click / view. The first image in your listing is used to create the thumbnail. The thumbnail images are 75x75 pixels (square, cropped from the center of the image). You need an image and composition that will work well at that small size, be clear enough to distinguish the item and make someone want to learn more.
Take a look at what is and is not successful for similar products. YOU SHOULD NOT COPY SOMEONE ELSE'S PHOTO STYLE OR PRESENTATION. This means you should not copy someone's poses, cropping, angles, borders, color palette, props, model expressions, etc. The point here is to take cues on what works and then DISCOVER YOUR OWN WAY TO DO THIS. For example, do people show a close cropping or a full product? Do they show it flat or on a model? Find your own way to present based on those fundamental principles. And find a way to stand out by doing something different.

Have a Unique & Quality Product

If your product is common and can't be distinguished from most others like it, you are less likely to make an impact on a buyer. Think of ways to add your own twist or flavor to a product. Look for ways to improve the design or construction. Find new and alternate uses for an item.

If you feel like you need inspiration, try changing your habits. See a different kind of movie, listen to a different kind of music, pick up a new magazine. Looking at other designers, indie or famous, can also be helpful in allowing you to branch out and try something new.

...OK, THOSE ALL SET THE GROUND WORK, WHICH LEADS TO THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT:

PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE

Make a serious effort to promote on sites other than Etsy. Forum promotion is not enough, since not all Etsy members visit the forums. Successful sellers advertise, market and promote frequently and consistently in all areas. They don't rely on Etsy alone and they don't rely on listing frequently as their only means of exposure.

  • Friends, family and co-workers can be a good place to start. Word-of-mouth is powerful on the web. However, don't limit your marketing to your circle of familiar friends. Continue to network online and offline. If marketing and promotion are new to you, check out some basic books from the library or bookstore. You can also enlist the help of a mentor or your fellow sellers.
  • There is a long list of free places to advertise here, see the last post for the comprehensive list: http://www.etsy.com/forums_topic.php?thread_id=4505&page_id=9
  • HOW you promote is just as important as WHERE. It's not enough to just post a picture or a link for your item on MySpace. You need to think about the angle to approach people -- what message will best reach your buyers and how to deliver it. Are you promoting with a sale? Getting attention with a catchy image or headline? Trying to reach new kinds of buyers? Trying to reach those in your comfortable existing market? Doing a hard sell or seeding? Seeking just online shoppers or looking to bring offline customers to your store? Focusing on bringing in a large number of new customers to build a customer base? Focusing on retaining existing customers?

Think about what your goal is, who you are trying to reach, how to reach them, and how to differentiate yourself from similar products. Find out what makes your product and your service unique or beneficial.

source: http://team.etsy.com/sellers.html

Tips & Tricks #2

"GOOGLE" your Etsy Shop

Geia xara!!!!

Who wouldn't just love to see his creations in the most famous search engine???

Read what follows and give it a try!!!
I was so excited when I found out how easy this can be!!!!

Google's latest database allows you to search for products. By loading your Etsy shop items into the Google Product Search database (formerly called 'Froogle'), you can attract a lot of new traffic from across the web.

The following link is actually what you are going to love since it does all the work by itself.
It very easy to use and the only thing required is a google account.

Let's Ets, is an easy program set up that allows you to load your items in quickly and efficiently.
This is a great tool that will pull all of your Etsy listings and format them exactly the way they need to be formatted for the Google Base tool.

On the link above use at first the Google base formatter.
For more information on how that works please go here.

If you have any questions though, please leave a comment and we will work it out!!!!

Cheers

Jo
just trying out how this works!!!!
hello everyone this is psarokokalo
i will be informing you on several events
that take place in Athens and not only
and will be doing some exiting interviews
sometimes hopefully.
xxxxx maria (psarokokalo)

Tips & Tricks #1

First of all I would like to wish the very best for this blog:-)
Yeahhh!!!

Every now and then I 'll try to do my very best to find and give you helpful information about your etsy shops.

So to begin with I found this practical worksheet. This will help you to track your inventory, shipping and profits. Furthermore will help you figure out your monthly profits, track orders, look over top selling items and keep on top of your shipping.

Below is a screenshot of the Excel file. Click on it to download the file to your desktop.

Oh, if you don't have Excel don't fret — this worksheet is compatible with the free program, Open Office. Google docs This is also a good option for those of you who are into the idea of working online.

I hope that you 'll find it useful....I do ;-)

Cheers

Jo

I'm Dina and I'm a Shopaholic

from MistyAurora
I decided to kick off our new shiny blog with style!
As an admitted shopaholic i will be keeping you company by virtually shopping here every now and then from our team's talented artists. It will be more like torture for me and i will eventually give in and end up bankrupt but its ok the Swedish government is very generous so i will bounce back fast.
My two vices are handbags and jewelry but today i will get a nice variety.

Like this adorable pocket mirror from kissthefrog.
A woman's must have accessory at all times.
You never know when that lettuce will camp between your front teeth without you noticing.


Here is something very usefull to me and specifically my mental health
from the very talented Artistico
Going through the last semester of my Master Degree can be very stressful and neurotic.

And its purple! I love purple!

A nice pair of gloves is a must for the swedish winter and i really love these from homelab

Yes i know they are fingerless and i will probably be too after i wear them here when its -16 degrees but how else can i show off this amazing ring from Nafsika

So since the fingers lost anyway i might as well keep the neck area warm with this
cozy scartlette by the lovely Eve of creationsbyeve

Winter is over soon though so i will close with a pair of
really happy and bright earrings from Antigoni


I hope you liked them all and make sure to take a stroll around the Greek community of Etsy because there are a lot of treasures to be discovered :)
xoxo
Dina

ΔΥΟ ΜΥΣΤΙΚΑ.... for success team

Απο : kings&Queens

Το σημαντικο ειναι να ειναι τα μελη ενεργα και να προμοταρουν την ομαδα με καθε τροπο ....γιατι...

Το καθε μελος οταν κανει promotion της ομαδας προμοταρει και ολους οσους ειναι μεσα σ αυτην αρα:

αν ΕΣΥ μεχρι τωρα προμοταρεις τον εαυτο σου και το μαγαζι σου ΜΙΑ φορα γιατι λειτουργουσες σαν μοναδα, αυτοματα τωρα κερδιζεις ακομα 30-40 προμοταρισματα απο τα υπολοιπα μελη κλπ. κΑΤΙ ΣΑΝ ΑΛΥΣΙΔΑ.

Αυτο ειναι η ομαδα και η δυναμη που εχει, αλλα πρεπει να ειμαστε ολοι ενεργοι για να εχει ολο αυτο αποτελεσμα. Αυτο ειναι το μυστικο.

Η street team εχει δυναμη και οι ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ την εχουμε, ετσι δεν ειναι?

Το αλλο μυστικο ειναι οτι με διαφορα events θα κανονιζουμε SALES,OFFERS κλπ και οτι αλλο εχει σχεση με πωλησεις.


ΚΑΛΩΣ ΟΡΙΣΕΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΟΜΑΔΑ ΜΑΣ

Gia sas kai kalos hrthate sto forum ths omadas :)
Καλώς Όρισες!!!!

Οι κανονες μας ειναι απλοί!

Εαν θελεις να γινεις μελος, πρεπει να εχεις ενα ETSY shop και να ζεις ή να καταγεσαι απο Ελλαδα.

Μπορεις να κανεις upload τις φωτο σου στο group, αλλα 6 τη φορα και οχι πολλες φορες την ίδια μερα, για να αφηνουμε το group pool με διαφορετικους δημιουργους στην ιδια σελιδα

Ειναι πολυ ευγενικο και ωραιο να δινουμε λιγο χρονο να αφησουμε καποιο σχολιο στις φωτο των αλλων μελών.

Όταν γινεις μέλος δωσε λιγο χρονο και προσθεσε στα contacts σου τα υπολοιπα μελη,

Εννοειται ανεβαζουμε δικές μας δημιουργιες χωρις προσβλητικο περιεχομενο, γιατι εμεις οι Ελληνες ειμαστε καλοί ανθρωποι!!!!

Δεν υπαρχει συγκεκριμενος κανονας αλληλοβοηθειας και αλληλοϋποστηριξης αλλα προσπαθηστε να διαδώσετε και να υποστηριξετε την ομαδα!

Σημαντικος κανονας ειναι: Συμμετοχή και...
όταν χρειαζεστε βοηθεια σε κατι να το ζητατε!!!
Αρκετά tips θα βρείτε και στα posts.

Σε περιμένουμε!!!

exoume activity sto flickr kai argotera tha enimerosoume poy allou:)
http://flickr.com/groups/etsygreekteam/

osoi theloun na mas kanoun join sthlete convo
Contact: artistico, antigoni
eyxaristoume poly

Etsy Greek Street Team Members

Share on Facebook!Etsy Greek Street Team Members

Paper goods, Prints, Art cards :

Artbygeorgia Invest in ART.. Watercolor paintings,prints,note cards etc. Please visit me at http://www.artbygeorgia.etsy.com/

Artistico Original art by Kostas Tsipos. Silver jewleries unique prints , posters, handmade art . You can see what I have for sale at http://www.artistico.etsy.com/

Kingsqueens One of a kind paper treasures to give to friends or….keep for yourself !
Please visit me at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6344767
-------------------------------------------------------------
Jewelry

Beads and I Beads, seeds,stones and much more…
Please visit me at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5885283.etsy.com

Antigoni Jewels and Lucky Charms!!! Take a look at it, who knows something good may happen to you ! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5520469


Evrydiki A girl how loves gemstones,silver and felt. Necklaces, earrings and unique bracelets http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6619884

thalassajewelry We are two friends who are designing and working together. We use precious and semi-precious stones as well as glass beads, freshwater pearls and swarovski crystals. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6334165

smallyellowfish Enjoy long & colourful summer breeze many new earrings , broaches & bracelets. You can see what I have for sale at http://www.smallyellowfish.etsy.com/

Paulina_dim Romantic and funky jewelry. Please visit me at http://polindim.etsy.com

Simondatene All my jewelery are unique. Visit my ‘’little people and their own world'’
http://www.simondatene.etsy.com/

Totooto We are two girls that we love what we are doing and would like to share it with all of you. Please visit us at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5584157

Nakedtile Cute, fun, kitschy jewelry (! ) by two sisters. You can see what we have for sale at http://www.nakedtile.etsy.com/

Colourlab Colourful jewlery using polymer clay and findings. Please visit my little shop at http://www.colourlab.etsy.com/

Mistyaurora Dina’s Handmade goodies…A large collection of funky jewelry. http://www.mistyaurora.etsy.com/

Onstage69 Special gifts ….for special people! Please visit me at http://www.onstage69.etsy.com/

Jewels by Jessica One of a kind jewelry….from the vintage to the funky ! http://www.jewelsbyjessica.com/

Zozo_garden Jewels and accessories from various materials, knitting wool, ribbon, vintage beads and buttons. http://www.zozo.etsy.com/


The princess next door I love to play with various materials. Gemstones, silver,Paper mache and much more. Please visit my little shop at http://www.theprincessnextdoor.etsy.com/


Zmnim Bracelets,earrings,necklaces for happy people !
http://www.zmnim.etsy.com/

Mariza1978 I love mixing colours, all kind of beads, cords and fabrics. The metal I am using is sterling silver. Visit me at http://www.mariza1978.etsy.com/

Maroulina Maroulina's handmade creations: jewelry and felt. http://www.maroulina.etsy.com/

Lacravateduchien Here you can find all kinds of handmade crafts! Jewelry, belts, magnets, pillows and more! http://www.lacravatteduchien.etsy.com/


Mod3rnArt Two young artists whom enjoy making beautiful items and sharing them with the world, Please visit us at: http://www.mod3rnart.etsy.com/


marina l Here you can find a collection of my work made exclusively by me at my workshop. http://www.tothemetal.etsy.com/

Trisevyeni I love colours. I am in love with gems..so I combined these three passions by making jewelry. http://www.trisevyeni.etsy.com/

Nafsika Each item is hand crafted and made with the utmost tender loving care!! Please visit my little shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5304476

Ladyaranwen I love styles from older time periods like the middle ages and the Renaissance. I add a bit of Gothic essence and voila! http://www.aranwen.etsy.com/

Stemellina Here you can find unique jewelry and handmade felted supplies. Please visit me at http://www.stemellina.etsy.com/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clothes, accessories crochet and more..

Creationsbyeve etsy One-of-a-kind creations. Shrugs, scarves, hats, capelets, bags and other handmade accessories. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5607989

Kissthefrog Here you can
find cute prints of original drawings.
Hand-painted clothes and unique accessories. http://www.kissthefrogboutique.typepad.com/

Psarokokalo Everything can be made here.. You can see what I have for sale at http://www.psarokokalo.etsy.com/


Homelab This store makes mostly knitted items. Scarfs, scarflettes, fingerless gloves are some of my favorites.
Please visit me at http://www.homelab.etsy.com/

stellamaria Here you can find Crochet characters, pouches and bags. Visit my little shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=97118