Introducing: Modowl

Meet Jess Wyma Galbraith, photographer, artist, collector, and all-around neat gal. She owns two etsy shops - modowl (retro & vintage treasures) and sunnydayrain (unique photography and art).Shop Names: modowl and sunnydayrain
Location: Chatham-Kent

Tell us about your craft and/or the items in your shop.
At modowl I sell retro and vintage clothing and accessories, fabric, sewing patterns, books, and lots of other home decor items and treasures (as I call them). I especially love fashions from the 1960s hence the name mod owl.
At Sunnydayrain I sell my photography (of nature, things, places, animals, and retro inspired) as well as photoprose which is a mix of my photography and poetry and mixed media art. I have just begun listing items for sunnydayrain so there are still LOTS more pieces to add.
What is your favourite material to work with? camera, retro, vintage patterns
What's the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you on Etsy? I'm fairly new so it would be my first sale which was to Japan, being on a treasury, and knowing that some people heart my shops.
What is your one wish for your Etsy shop/creative business? Creatively, to start doing more art and try some new styles and ideas. Business related, to get more traffic and to make enough money to supplement my other business photographing people. I'd like to make enough being self employed and enjoying what I do so I don't have to get a regular 9-5 job.

What is your favourite Etsy shop? I discover new wonderful Etsy shops every day - I don't think I could pick just one at the moment.
Favourite colour? I love silver,I love lime green, and all shades of blue...especially aquas and deep turquoise. Sorry I guess I have three favorite colours:)

You could make your own dream ice cream... what would be in it? Hmmm, I think mine already exists - a scoop of Moosetracks which I think is a mix of chocolate and vanilla with peanut butter bits and then also a little scoop of lime sherbert...mmmmm!
Favourite place to be in Chatham-Kent? The beach at Rondeau, I'm at home a lot these days with a little one so hanging out with friends and family at home, and I also look forward to my regular visits to Value Village or Villagio as my family calls it to scope out the latest cool retro finds for myself and modowl.

Marketing Your Shop

I happened across this handy marketing tool - free, which is great - that I intend to use to amp up my Persephone's Awakening marketing strategies.

The 30 Minute Social Network Kit

The author runs a website called Handmade Success, which is definitely worth a read. I'm adding it to our links for easy reference.

Fall CLEARANCE Sale Participants

The newly formed Chatham-Kent Team is having a Fall Clearance Sale!

Participants Include:

Christy Dekoning- watercolour artist
http://christydekoning.etsy.com/

Decadence2artbar- collage and assemblage supplies
http://decadence2artbar.etsy.com

Jen Merritt- fashions for self and home
http://JenMerritt.etsy.com

ModOwl- Vintage Treats
http://modowl.etsy.com

PurplePeony- sterling and gemstone jewellery
http://purplepeony.etsy.com

Twisted by Shannon- top hats, bookmarks & jewellery
http://twistedbyshannon.etsy.com

Take a look around and see whats on sale! (Find the rest of the team on Etsy by using the search tag CKTEAM) And a post about this sale can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6291772

A Story of Success!

As some of you may know, I have only been seriously promoting my craft for under six months. My success on Etsy has been very limited thus far, and while I have seen some sales at the Farmers' Markets in Chatham and Ridgetown, my products haven't been selling as I would have hoped.

So..... that changed yesterday at Rondeau's Monarch Migration Festival. This was my first real show (that hadn't been rained out), and I didn't really know what to expect. Imagine my surprise when I had sold over $30 worth of product and had a custom order before I was even finished setting up! My $5 butterfly pendents that I had made on a whim for the show sold out within the first half hour, and the rest of my pendants soon followed. All in all, I made over $240 at Rondeau, which is the most I've done in any event since beginning to sell.

I suppose that all the factors just combined to make yesterday the perfect day. The sun was shining and the weather was gorgeous; lots of families were out camping and biking and learning about butterflies, with little girls looking for a butterfly souvenir of their own; and my booth was placed right next to the barbeque, so as families lined up to eat, they looked over my product.

While I wanted to share this success story with the rest of the team, I also wanted to pass along the lesson I learned: Even if you've never heard of an event, even if you think it won't possibly be worthwhile, you never know when and where you'll find the audience that will appreciate your product!

Best of luck for the upcoming Christmas season!

- Shannon

Introducing: Persephone's Awakening

Err... I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce the owner of the shop Persephone's Awakening... me!


Shop Name: JenMerritt
Location: Chatham, Ontario

Do you have a blog or other website you'd like to share? Persephone's Awakening

What is your favourite material to work with? I have a really hard time narrowing anything down. I started out making purses, so I have an affinity for fabric, but I would have to say that what I love most right now is beach glass. The thrill of the hunt is fantastic!

Tell us about your craft and/or the items in your shop. Much like my real life, I seem to be unable to focus on one thing for very long. Right now I make crocheted scarves, beachglass necklaces, button necklaces, and I have a few totebags left over from the summer. I'd love to narrow down my practice a bit, but I don't seem to be able to. Next journey: tshirts with appliques and bleach-imprinted designs, beach pottery painted stone necklaces, and accessories made from thrifted ties.

What is your one wish for your Etsy shop/creative business? I'd like to be in more brick and mortar shops. I don't expect to quit my day job (social worker), but it'd be nice to have a steady second income from Etsy. I'd also love to have my own space in an artist's collective building. It'd be so full of creative energy, to share studio space! Kind of like Blick Shared Studios in Belfast (incredible building!)

What's the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you on Etsy? It was pretty exciting to have the CK Team approved, but my most exciting thing was when I sold four custom crochet flower scarves in a manner of two weeks. Until I realized I then had to MAKE the scarves!

What is your favourite Etsy shop? There are so many amazing shops, but I would have to say that I am always awe-stricken with TheBlackApple.

Favourite colour? Red + Aqua.

You could make your own dream ice cream... what would be in it? It would taste like the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" soap/perfume by Lush.

Favourite place to be in Chatham-Kent? Somewhere with moss. It's such a magical plant.

Introducing: TwistedbyShannon

I'd like to introduce Shannon McDowell. We just so happened to attend the same grade school, and it was a pleasant surprise to discover the she is the on and only Shannon running her shop - Twisted.
Shop Name: TwistedByShannon
Location: Chatham, Ontario
Do you have a blog or other website you'd like to share?
Often I put my design ideas up on my deviantArt page to get feedback before deciding whether or not to sell something - so check there for previews! TwistedbyShannon.deviantart.com

What is your favourite material to work with?
Wire, for sure. I like what comes from my work with leather, but I often find it frustrating to work with.
What's the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you on Etsy?
My first sale - proof that I was making something that people will buy!

Tell us about your craft and/or the items in your shop.
My handmade philosophy revolves around creating unique designs from unexpected items. Most of the items in my shop are made from scraps and bits that would have otherwise been thrown out as garbage, but I think that anything has the potential to be made into something fantastic.
What is your one wish for your Etsy shop/creative business?
That my experimentations continue to be well-received, and that I will continue to have fun crafting.

What is your favourite Etsy shop?
Merimask - I collect masks, and these are beautiful.

Favourite colour?
Blue - I haven't met a shade of blue yet that I haven't liked. :)
You could make your own dream ice cream... what would be in it?
I would bring back orange-pineapple ice cream. It's too hard to find nowadays.
Favourite place to be in Chatham-Kent?
The old part of Maple Leaf Cemetery, actually. There's a large tree that I love to sit under and read. It's a very beautiful and peaceful place.

Fall CLEARANCE Sale

Tonight I started arranging my pieces on a tablecloth that I intend to use for fall shows, only to find that everything clashes. Pink and rusty yellow just don't seem to work. Bright, summer colours - although very cheerful - aren't necessarily bringing about the cozy, warm feel of Autumn that I'm ready to embrace in my shop.

I decided to do an inventory of all the items I have in my Etsy shop and found many that have been sitting un-loved (and unhearted and unviewed) for some time. [side note - to see who loves you and your items, check out the Heartomatic, shared by Christy DeKoning.] In an attempt to clear out some older items, I have set up a Fall CLEARANCE Sale in my shop. I lowered the price of the items in this new Section (if you aren't using sections yet, you may want to try. It's a great way to organize your shop and be more user-friendly) and well, we will see how it goes!

I invite any of you on the team to join in - perhaps we can make it a team-wide Fall CLEARANCE Sale. If so, I can email Etsy and they may publicize it for us. If anything, it's a good way to clean out shop, maybe make a few extra sales, and participate in our first group activity!

Jen

Introducing: JewellerybyEldon

Next on our list of Team Members, I'd like to present Eldon Austin owner and designer of JewellerybyEldon.

Shop Name: JewellerybyEldon
Location: Chatham, Ontario
Favourite material to work with? Anything I can get my hands on that interests me.

Do you have a blog or other website you'd like to share?
Creative Wire Jewelers (CWJ)on Delphi

What is your favourite Etsy shop?
Not sure yet. Still new to it.

What's the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you on Etsy?
CKTeam and Gems in Bloom where I had purchased some beads gave me a good feedback when I first put up item.

Tell us about your craft and/or the items in your shop.
Jewelery of all sorts and media.

What is your one wish for your Etsy shop/creative business?
That it makes me some money so I can continue purchasing needed supplies to keep making things unique things.

Favourite colour?
Favorite combined colours are pink, purple and turquoise.

You could make your own dream ice cream... what would be in it?
Something with lots of sweet rich flavor.

Favourite place to be in Chatham-Kent?
Besides home not really sure, but would like to get together with the team on a regular basis.

Thanks Eldon! Welcome to the team.