Wings of Spring

A few members of the CK Etsy Team were vendors at the Wings of Spring event held at Rondeau Provincial Park this past weekend. Here's what they had to say...

"Had lots of fun Sat and Sun at Rondeau with Shannon and Christy. We chatted, we discussed, we needle felted, we visited with other vendors, even saw some birds and made a few sales. Christy did a lot of running here and there taking pictures, even lying on her belly in an attempt to befriend a cagey chipmunk who quickly saw through her ruse. She was then upstaged by my husband Doug who had no problem at all convincing 2 chipmunks to pose only steps away from him. While there weren't as many visitors to the park as expected, which meant our sales were down, it was a lovely way to spend the weekend. So pleased I got to know my 2 cohorts a bit better, even meeting some of their family members. I'm now looking forward to September when we can do it all over again, this time outside, at their Monarch Migration Festival."

...   Ann K.

"Even though it was quiet, I had a great weekend and it was so much fun learning how to needle-felt. I'll def be there for monarchs (Monarch Migration Festival).

- Christy

Shannon makes no formal comment, but I overheard her say that she made some sales and had a good time with her friends from the CK Etsy Team. Shannon's a seasoned Rondeau pro, so you can expect to see her at the next event.

Red, White and Maple - Citizens of the World, welcome to Canada!

Last night I couldn't sleep, so I hopped on my computer and around 3:30am snagged a treasury. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to feature, but being the Olympics, I thought it'd be nice to showcase some of the beautiful red and white handmade goods available from Canadian artisans. I did my best to feature artists that belong to the Chatham-Kent Etsy Team (ChristyDekoning, DancingJellybeanDesigns, TwentySix7, TwistedByShannon, London.Art.Girl, MunchkinBabyDesigns, PurplePeony, SunnyDayRain and me, JenMerritt) or the TransCanada Etsy Team. From across Etsy I searched for red items that were Canadian Made and caught my eye.
Which of these catches yours?

Go Canada!
xoxo Jen

A Spot of Colour by Jenny O

Jenny O of TwentySix7 did it again - another treasury featuring CK Etsy Team members! You may notice ChristyDekoning, PurplePeony, JenMerritt, SunnyDayRain, and TwistedByShannon. All aglory in red and aqua. Come visit us at A Spot of Colour.

Thanks Jenny!

Don't Push the Button!

Just a short post to promote my sister Caitlin's treasury (undonedesign on Etsy!). Former resident of Chatham-Kent now living in Hamilton, everything she makes includes buttons in some way or another - including my featured cuff!

Have a look and help us get onto the front page!

Chase away the clouds - CK Etsy Team members featured in treasury

This treasury was put together by PersephonesPlunders and features artists from the Chatham-Kent area (and a bit beyond).


I have an item featured in this treasury! The sushi set (third row, second from the left) is mine. Other team members included are: Christy Dekoning, Brenda Braun, Shannon McDowell, Jess Wyma, Christina Seagrave, Laura Tetreault, Jenny Oriet and Steph Temesey. We would be grateful if you stopped by to visit the treasury, you see, the more views, the better! And who doesn't benefit from a bit of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day?

"Take a bit of sunshine and the whole world looks different."

xoxo Jen

Etsy Treasury including CKTeam Members!

Hello everyone!

I was lucky enough to be online this morning and snag a treasury, which I then proceeded to fill with some of my favourite colourful pieces, including some by team members (although not all, since I was going for an Alice in Wonderland theme).

The treasury, I think, has a very whimsical, Wonderland feel, with lots of colours! Take a look and click on a few listings, or comment and maybe this treasury could make the front page!

Thanks all!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=98788

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: 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.