The Owls ON SALE!!!

Tis the season for tons of bargains, and this post highlights the great deals being offered by some of our members! Please pay attention to the dates of each sale as the dates vary from now through the 14th of December.

Each special is followed by an Etsy Mini of the shop, so you can see some of their items and click through to their Etsy shops. Enjoy, and shop up the Owls!!! (And Happy Holidays!)

• KnitandPearl Super Holiday Sale

11/27: Giving Thanks Day: Every item purchased gets a free gift! If you purchase 3 items, you will receive 3 free gifts! It's a "thank you" from me to you!
11/28: Black Friday: All items are 30% off. Discount refunded through paypal or wait for a revised invoice.

11/29: SuperSaturday: Buy One Get One Earrings! Discount offered on lower priced pieces.

11/30: Knit and Pearl Day: Take 25% off any items that are KNIT or are made with real PEARLS. Discount refunded through paypal or wait for a revised invoice.

12/1: Cyber Monday: Free Shipping all day! Celebrate the joys of internet shopping and get your merchandise sent to you free of charge!!

Remixstudio:

During 11/24 (Monday) through 12/7, will be offering 1/2 price shipping everywhere (US & International!) Prices will be refunded after payment is received through paypal.

WeiOpenSecret

• When you shop at Wei's store from December 1st through 14th, you'll receive FREE Domestic First Class Shipping (US only). I will refund you the cost of shipping as soon as the payment is received. Thank you!
  Also, when you enter the coupon code, GIFT, at the Note to Seller area, you will receive FREE gift wrapping (gift boxes for all jewelry items). Your purchase will arrive ready to give away as a gift (both US and International). What a great time to shop!
  
  
  
  
  
  Suenosdejmi's EtsyFest Madness

Free US shipping on all orders over $25 (after discounts) from 11/28 - 12/1

Gift packaging available---just ask!

All Spain Photography will be Buy One Get one Free from 11/29-12/1 with FREE worldwide shipping

11/28 Black Friday: All Scarves are 50% off

11/29 & 11/30: 25% off storewide (excludes buy one get one free photography)

12/1 Cyber Monday: All Scarves 50% off!

• LaLaLa08's EtsyFest Sale

Black Friday to Cyber Monday!(Starts 12 A.M. EST Friday, ends 3:00 A.M. EST Tuesday!)>>>FREE SHIPPING ON ALL U.S. ORDERS ALL WEEKEND!!!<<<>>>FREE GIFT with purchase on Friday and Saturday!<<<>>>HOOT LA LA SUNDAY: $5.00 off CUSTOM OWL BRACELET ORDERS! Regularly $25.00. <<<>>>MOTHER OF PEARL MADNESS ON MONDAY!<<<>

• Love Alisa
  
  All Onesies are Buy One, Get One Free! Sale ends 11:59 pm pacific time December 1st
  
  
  
  
  
• HollyStott
  HUGE THANKSGIVING SALE!!!!!!!!!!!
  EVERYTHING IN MY SHOP IS 25% OFF + FREE SHIPPING!!!!
  SALE THROUGH 11/26 - 12/7
  To get these great savings put in the notes of the order "TURKEY" and don't pay. I will create a new invoice via paypal w/ the discounted prices. After I send you an invoice you can then pay and I will ship you your order! If you have any questions about how to do this please Convo me I would be happy to help.
  
  (the only exception to this sale are custom orders; everything else is included even sale items)
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Executeme

  
  
  Free Worldwide Shipping with a Free Gift with purchase.
  
  
  
  
  

• Paperwire


Holiday EtsyFest Sale November 27th-December 1st. During that time, I'll be offering free shipping to the U.S. and Canada, and U.S. shipping prices for international orders!

• PresentsforPirates
  
  

  Holiday etsyFEST '08*
  thanksgiving day through cyber monday the following deals will be offered in my shop:
  
  11/27: giving thanks day: every item purchased gets a free gift! If you purchase 3 items, you will receive 3 free gifts! It's a "thank you" from me to you!
  
  11/28: black friday: All items are 20% off. discount refunded through paypal or wait for a revised invoice.
  
  11/29: super saturday: buy one get one half off any set of notecards! discount applied to lower priced piece.
  
  11/30: journal day: take 25% off any journals. discount refunded through paypal or wait for a revised invoice.
  
  12/1: cyber monday: free shipping all day! celebrate the joys of internet shopping and get your merchandise sent to you free of charge!!
  
  *offer not valid with other discounts.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• InkyPaws
  
  Free shipping on everything in my shop from black friday, Nov 28th, to cyber monday, December 1st!
  
  
  
  

• CagedBirdSings
  
  11/28 (black friday!) - FREE shipping on all chimes!
  11/29 - buy TWO get ONE Half off!
  11/30 - buy TWO get ONE half off!
  12/1 (cyber monday!) - FREE shipping on all chimes!
  
  
  
  

• CorkysCookies
  
  Free worldwide Shipping
  Stockings are all Buy one, Get one free of equal or lesser value
  Free gift with every purchase
  Anyone purchasing from my shop between 27th until 1st December receives one entry into the prize draw worth $75
  
  
  
  

• JoniKay52
  
  Now through Mon. mid-night Maine time free shipping on jewelry items. Year round shop discount on jewelry and orders more than $25.00 free shipping. Special for Dec. 1st through 15th $5.00 refund on each necklace set purchased.
  
  
  
  

We've Had A Facelift!

I decided the one column of our blog was getting a bit crowded, so I decided to up us to the 3 column layout. I found out how to do this for my own blog a few months ago through Blogger Buster and I haven't looked back!

This is so useful because it allows you to have twice as many links, pics, an Etsy mini, whatever! It's especially useful for us because we link our team members and our members with blogs, and both of these are very long lists!

The method linked above gives you instructions on how to edit your own layout (requiring you basically to convert to the Minima for the easiest conversion) without losing any of what you have on your blog. There are a ton of uploadable layouts, but changing many of these changes the history of your blog---and I was afraid we'd loose our blog archive, so I chose to convert in this manner. The site above also has downloadable Blogger layouts.

Also, we can now host our banner! Yay! Shoutout to Amanda of HenryRabbit for the awesomeness that is our banner!

Owl Spotlight, StripeyMonkey

Hello...

I wasn't sure what to write about for my first feature but i thought it might be interesting to take you through the type of commission that I'm often working on off-Etsy... i'm pretty new to selling on Etsy but love this way of doing business and hope that one day i can get my shop well known enough that most or even all of my work comes through there.

Anyway, this is a piece commissioned for a special gift from a boyfriend to his girlfriend on her 30th birthday...

The first picture below shows 4, step-by-step photos of the process. You can see in the top-left picture that a heart shape has been cut by hand from a nice generous chunk of sterling silver. The customer sketched the heart shape that I initially used himself. This is one of the lovely things about a commission as the customer has had some real input into the creation and design of the piece.

Picture two in the top-right shows me starting to file to get the shaping of the heart... this is the first and largest of the files I use, I will use three or four more finer files as the process goes on and four or five different grades of emery paper to achieve a smooth shape I am finally happy with (note the state of my nails - another inevitable result of this process!!).

In picture three on the bottom left I have just finished the soldering process. I have soldered on an extra piece of silver for the bale and a little spiral that I have hammered from a piece of 18ct rose gold. Rose gold is my favorite gold to use and I love its warm pinky colour against the silver. You can see the silver is a funny colour, that is because it has been coated with a chemical to stop it being permanently stained bythe flame. It will go into an acid bath next to remove this then I will form the bale by hand while the silver is still pliable from the heat process.

Picture four on the bottom left shows another benefit of commissions, a personal message stamped on the back of the piece, xxx for 30 and of course for kisses too!

Anyone who knows my work knows that my style is pretty dirty with lots of distressing and visible tool marks, I like to see evidence of how the piece was forged and I like a bit of grime! You can see in the final image how this piece is a little shinier and smoother than I would probably have created left to my own devices... it is good when a commission moves you in a direction that whilst retaining your own style pushes you into slightly new territory.

I love how this piece turned out and of course the best bit of all is being part of something that is so special to someone and will be treasured by them hopefully for years to come.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this... if you would like to see or find out about more of my work please visit my blog or of course visit my Etsy shop

Thank you:) linda x

Fall Metamorphosis---Owls Style!

It's Challenge time again! The theme of this challenge was centered around the changing nature of fall, and the only real rule of it was that the entered items either transitioned into seperate items, or had a secret component, or something along those lines. Our Owls took that idea and ran with it, and created some very awesome pieces! The slideshow below shows 2 photos for each entry.

Follow the links below to see each entry's Etsy listing for item descriptions and more photos, and vote for your favorite in the poll on the left!!!

Beornica's convertible stocking cap
CorkysCookies' 2 in 1 wall decor/clothespin bag
InkyPaws' Autumn/Winter Kitty
Knitandpearl's Starlight Metamorphosis Necklace/Brooch
Lalala08's Offbeat Corsage Bracelet
RemixStudio'sLove Clamshell Box
StripeyMonkey's I've Got A Secret Necklace
Zemphira's Owl Tree Topper & Puppet

Owl Spotlight, Remixstudio

Notes From Design Camp

By day, I work as a graphic designer at a small studio. A few weekends ago, I had the opportunity to go to Design Camp. Yep, it is pretty much as nerdy as it sounds. In actuality, it’s just like a lot of professional development conferences, with just a far cooler name. Design Camp is put on yearly by the Minnesota chapter of AIGA (http://www.aiga.org/) (American Institute of Graphic Artists, the professional organization for design.)


What did I learn at design camp? (I better have learned something, work paid for this trip!) Lots of things, like, designers are kleptomaniacs, and border-line alcoholics. (See below photo for what the combination results in.)



Actually, I did learn lots of stuff, and did some networking too. Besides brushing up on design related stuff, a lot of stuff relates well with my Etsy life too, such as:

SELF PROMOTION!

Everything, and anything can be self-promotion. What, you say you don’t promote? You give talks and workshop? I repeat, everything is self-promotion, even if it isn’t the typical, “Hey, here is my card.” As a business owner, everything you do, you pretty much do as a representative of your work.


Why should you self promote, (other than the obvious of getting business?)

// build new relationships

// maintain current relationships

// updates on the business

// landing custom jobs, consignment jobs, etc


Things to consider when self promoting?

// What is my brand? Does my brand have a tight, cohesive focus? Is it recognizable and memorable?

// What do I want to say about myself?


CREATIVITY & IMAGINATION

Somewhere between the 60’s and now we’ve lost our imagination. Now, I can only assume the speaker was correct, or at least more knowledgeable in this than I am, I’m only twenty-four, all I know of my youth is large bangs, and stirrup pants. And I certainly know that wasn’t the peak of creativity.


Anyway, Brian Collins’ (http://www.collins1.com/) point was, language influences everything we do—using words like “kill, debrief, engage, etc” set this mindset that doesn’t influence the imagination. We can only solve problems that are presented to us. In the 60’s, the age of space, we were inspired to dream of things that had never been seen, or even fully understood. Language like “hope, inspire, problem-finder,” we can find the “problems” and use our imaginations to inspire and change things.

Now what that is, is up to you, and me, and everyone in between. One great question was asked after the discussion, essentially was “Well, going out and doing these really great impactiful projects is great, but what about the rest of us who are just stuck making crappy websites for regional siding companies.”* (This question maybe very paraphrased and/or interjected with my personal questions.)


I don’t remember exactly remember what he said (sorry, I’m a bad note taker!) But I think it’s important to realize, that if you have a job that doesn’t seem to be having the reach, or impact you want, you really do have opportunities everyday. Unless you really do work entirely by yourself, you interact with people everyday. There, on a smaller scale are ways to make an impact. Put a bit of yourself, and your views into everything you do, and everyone you interact with, from the smallest, most insignificant job, to the largest.

*Brian Collins worked on re-imagining this gas station in LA:

RemixStudio , also known as Liz, makes awesome bags from t-shirts in addition to some graphic design. Check out her Etsy shop and get to know her a bit better by reading her blog.

Owl Spotlight, WeiOpenSecret

If you’re like me, who enjoy crafting and using as many as non-toxic and eco-friendly supplies as possible, I’ve found some great resources to share. Enjoy and dig in – you can be green, too!

Twisted Limb Paperworks specializes in handmade, 100% recycled paper products, including recycled wedding invitations, business/corporate holiday cards, birth announcements, shower invitations, thank-you notes, programs, guest books, place cards, menus and favors. You can read about their Green Ideas, purchase their handmade paper by the sheet to create your own works.








Of course, Etsy is also a great place to find eco-friendly materials.


If you are looking for unique, modern, eco-friendly fabrics, Daisy Janie offers gorgeous prints and color combinations on linen/cotton blend fabric.


See Jane Work brings in Cocoina's Almond Scented Paste.



Used in schools in Italy since the 1930s, the $8 imported paste comes in a vintage-style silver tin and includes a stiff bristle. You can also get it in the form of a $3 glue stick for handy toting about.

Coccoina Almond Scented Paste is non-toxic, non-solvent, and acid free. Best of all it has the sweet smell and delicate flavor of marzipan, an almond-based confection popular in Italy for making sweets.

This glue is the ideal adhesive for scrap booking,

mounting photos and other crafts.

Or try Stick with your Beliefs.

Creativity is good for body, mind, and soul. Looking for more selections of environmentally friendly products? Check out here.

Wei runs Wei's Open Secret -- a fun mix of different jewelry styles and gorgeous items like the sweet Choo Choo tags! Other than her Etsy shop, you can also find her at her blog

Breast Cancer Awareness with the Etsy Owls

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we decided to create some items and sell them in our team shop to benefit breast cancer research. 100% of the proceeds from these items will go straight to charity. This is a cause that means a lot to us, and we hope we have done it justice with these items.

Click on the blog post title or the link to our shop above to see these pink items, learn more about the individual sellers, and to get in on our cause by buying your favorite pink item!

Owl Spotlight--HollyStott

Have you ever started a project and then like 2 or 3 months later you haven't finished it and it stresses you out. Well, this rarely happens to me, but in the case of this bracelet it happened. I started this bracelet several months ago in preparation for the fall. It sat unfinished in my art room for a very long time. All the while it was sitting in the back of my mind...."you have to finish that bracelet." It was actually stressing me out a bit. I have no idea why. There is no deadline or requirement that is forcing me to bead. However, I decided to make my own deadline...to finish the bracelet before today so I could blog about it. So I did it! Finally! I finished it yesterday and here it is....




I know this is a totally lame post, and I do apoligize. I'm sure I'm boring everyone, but I have an excuse. As most of you know, I'm a law student, and every moment of every day is more or less dedicated to something about school. Most of my days are usually reading (what feels like hundreds of pages) Contracts, Property Law, and Torts. As you can imagine this is a very boring semester. The only semi interesting course is Torts.

So anyways, I don't have any free time and so therefore I have no life outside of school and Etsy. So I don't have anything else to blog about. I'm sorry. I'm a dull person. Maybe when I graduate I will be allowed to have a life.

My next goal is actually getting this listed on Etsy! hahaha! That is a feat in itself. My goal is to have it listed tonight. So if you happen to be interested check out my shop at www.hollystott.etsy.com and hopefully it will be there tonight!

Thanks for reading!

I'm Holly Stott, and I approve this message.

Owl Spotlight--executeme

There's a new hangout in town, a meeting spot for total opposites. Tall and short, sociable and shy, slobby and prudish. There is in fact a lot of slobbering going on here. Some may say it's a godforsakenplace, stinky and chaotic. But for dogs, it's heaven.

Poopy loves going to the dog park, she can smell it from a mile away and knows the way by heart. As we approach the park she gets so excited that she yanks the leash and whines in anticipation to see who's there that day. The yippy Pomeranian? The dopey Great Dane? She doesn't care, she'll play with anyone. Just get me in, I can't take it anymore!

We rescued Poopy from a pound two years ago when she was just a mere pup the size of a guinea pig. We found her in a cage full of other dogs that had not only been stepping all over her, but also pooping all over her. She was very cute, but awfully stinky. So we took her home, gave her a bath, and named her Poopy.

She has since then grown into a beautiful Border Collie mix full of life and energy. She loves to travel and has been with us all over the East Coast. From the Mexican Gulf in Florida to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the most eastern point of America way up in Maine. But most of all she loves to swim in the creeks and rivers of West Virginia where she was born.

We are very fortunate to have Poopy be a part of our lives, and I wish all dogs had loving homes. But sadly that's not the case and I think it's important to do what you can for your local dog shelter. It doesn't have to be much, a little goes a long way, especially if as many people as possible pitch in.

Maybe pick up an extra bag of dog or cat food next time you go grocery shopping. Or see if you have some old stuffed animals collecting dust in your closet. If your animal shelter has a website they usually have a wish list of things they need, it could be anything from blankets to leashes and collars, or even paper towels and postage stamps.

ExecuteMe is Maria, one of the original founding Owls. She likes, obviously, puppies, and makes some amazing jewelry that can be found in her Etsy shop. Maria's also a quite gifted photographer, and some of her photography can be found at MariaAfRolen.com (when it's not down for service!)


Editors Note: Maria photographed these precious doggies on the left at a local shelter in her area. If you are interested in finding out how you can get involved, contact your local shelter. Like Maria said, there are a lot of small ways to get involved. If you are unaware of your local animal shelter, there are easy ways to find out where it is! Visit AnimalShelter.org and search for your local shelter, or even a puppy or other animal to love!

Trick or Treat Challenge

Happy Owl-O-Ween!!!



The theme of this challenge was to create an item that could be taken, worn, or used during Trick-Or-Treating! Three of our Owls were able to take on this challenge, and their entries are scrolling in the slideshow above. For a closer look and the detailed listings, click on the items and shops below.

The Bee Costume belongs to Erin of CagedBirdSings

The Grunge Bracelet belongs to Linda of StripeyMonkey

The Trick or Treat Bag belongs to Corky of CorkysCookies

Please help determine the winner by voting for your favorite! Use the poll on the left!

Owl Spotlight--RobinsonsNest

Autumn Is In the Air.......

As summer winds down and the craziness of the many barbecues, festivals, get togethers and beach outings comes to an end, I am feeling a renewed sense of creativity! Something about the crisp air, the cool breeze and the shorter days gives me a yummy feeling inside and makes me want to CREATE!

My newest paper crafting tool that I am very excited about is the Sizzix Big Shot, there is so much to do with it and it is SO pretty too!!!!

Black and pink with a touch of "bling"!

I'm sure all of you papercrafters out there are familiar with this nifty device and I can assure you, for those of you who haven't tried it yet, it's super FUN!

So, in the coming weeks I am going to be blasting out some cards, die cuts and other fun stuff and uploading them to my shop. I even have this cute little owl die cut that I am planning to use for some upcoming projects!

I have some other cool ones on order now, but I will keep those for a surprise to reveal at a later time! With that said, I am off to create some eye candy for my Etsy shop that I hope you will enjoy perusing!

Hope you all had a great summer and are looking forward to the fall season as much as I am!

The Off the Wall Lady behind Robinson's Nest is Nora, one of our newer Owls. You can get to know her by clicking on her shop name above or by reading her blog. For more Owl Spotlights, type 'Owl Spotlight' into the Blogger search box in the top left corner or click on the Owl Spotlight label at the end of this entry.

The EtsyOWLS Halloween Giveaway Contest!

Get Ready for an Owl-oween!

Here's the skinny on this one...

We have put together three amazing prize packages to go to three lucky shoppers!  Everyone who shops at our participating stores from September 22nd thru October 6th will be entered into a drawing to win these super cool prizes!

The Deal:

Limit TWO entries per person per shop. An entry is considered one transaction with a seller. If you buy 4 items, you get ONE entry for that transaction. If you come back in two days and purchase another 2 items, you get another ONE entry.
You can shop at as many of the participating shops as you like and receive entries from all of them, but only TWO per shop!

You will be contacted to submit your address once your name has been drawn. Please contact us within three days to claim your prize, otherwise we will draw another name. Prizes are distributed at random. You may not ask for a specific prize.

For Our International Shoppers:

Due to the nature of shipping costs, we are unable to ship the prize packages abroad for free.

If you make a purchase from one of our shops, we will contact you about participating. If you choose to participate and you are a selected winner, you will be required to pay $5.00 for shipping and handling.

Unfortunately, some of the prizes are weighty and would not ship cheaply.

The Shops:
Here is a list of the participating shops

AFabricQueen

BiscuitBrigade

CagedBirdSings

ChezMichelle

CorkysCookies

Executeme

GyspyeyeStudio

HollyStott

Jamieleto

KnitandPearl

lalala08

LeatherSculpture

OfftheWall

PresentsforPirates

RaynaE

RemixStudio

RobinsonsNest

Suenosdejmi

StripeyMonkey

Tabmade

UnstrungSisters

WeiOpenSecret

The Prizes:
All prizes will be Halloween or Fall themed! You should have them in time for Halloween!! Yay!
Below are some close up photos of a few of the prizes:

knit handwarmers by KnitandPearl, amigurumi bat by Suenosdejmi

Small windchime by CagedBirdSings, scrabble tile pendant by WeiOpenSecret

oxidized earrings by StripeyMonkey, t-shirt passport cases by RemixStudio

Felt finger puppet bat and pumpkin card holder by RedMarionette, spooky bracelet by GypsyEyeStudio

earrings, bracelet and owl keychain by Executeme, hand sewn Trick or Treat bag by CorkysCookies/AFabricQueen and ghosty glass earrings by HollyStott.

It was hard for me to photograph some of the items due to me not wanting to remove them from their nice packaging.  Also, the Trick or Treat bag is best seen in the first picture.  It's lined and really durable for carrying your load of candy home!

Good luck to all of our shoppers and thanks to all of the owls who donated prizes!

Wendy Does Crochet!

One of our original Owls, Wendy, was featured on a crochet & knitting website. Lime & Violet is the ultimate paradise for all lovers of yarn, the site covers a variety of things yarn to shops to knitting and crocheting patterns. In the case of Wendy, Lime & Violet featured one of her crochet patterns on their blog. This is a pretty big deal, and we're very proud of Wendy! The pattern looks great, and I for one can't wait to try it!

Learn all about how exactly Wendy does crochet and a whole lot more at her blog, and visit her Etsy Shop if you want to check out some of her other patterns. Good job, Wendy!!

Owl Spotlight--Biscuitbrigade

My latest crafting venture:



Button Jewelry!



I have been trying to figure out what to do with some old vintage buttons for a while now. A couple of weeks ago I was experimenting with some medium gauge gold wire and after a few prototypes came out with a button ring that I'm pretty darn happy with!

I wrapped the wire around a medium sized marker (I put one of my regular rings on the marker first to see if it fit - I wear really small rings, so it works for me), and then also looped the wire in through the button holes.

I have a bunch more different styles and types of buttons that I'm looking forward to fiddling around with soon. I will send more pictures when they are complete!



The voice behind BiscuitBrigade is Melissa, who can be found in her Etsy store or on her blog. For more Owl Spotlights, type 'Owl Spotlight' into the Blogger search box in the top left corner or click on the Owl Spotlight label at the end of this entry. Thanks Melissa for being our first Owl Spotlight!!

Owls Stellar Seller, Zemphira

We Owls love sellers who love owls, and Zemphira falls into that catagory! She's got some precious owls in her fabric filled shop, some of which we're highlighting in this feature. Read the interview below to get to know her better, and visit her shop for more items like the ones pictured!

EO: Tell us and the Etsy world a bit about you, anything you'd like to share...

Zemphira: I am one of those people who have always been crafting. My mom had me doing arts and crafts things as long as I can remember - coloring, candle making, sewing, cooking, you name it. Then I really got into rubber stamping, beading, and now sewing. I lived in a very small Yupik eskimo village and I learned traditional beadwork and skin sewing. When I wasn't teaching I was beading. Now I have been reaquainted with my sewing machine, and I am sewing whenever I can. I enjoy making baby quilts as gifts for people, but I really love making art quilts and memory quilts.

EO: How did you end up on Etsy?

Zemphira: One day I was reading one of the crafty magazines and I saw an article about Etsy and I had to check it out. Whenever I make something for a friend or family member it's always "you should open a shop" or "you should sell those" So here I am on Etsy, with an open shop, trying to sell "those".

EO: What inspires you to create?
Zemphira: Everything inspires me - old photos, my family, nature, my travels, other cultures, fabric . . .

EO: Describe yourself in one word.
Zemphira: Impulsive

EO: What is your favorite...

• dessert? Kahlua Cheesecake
• cartoon from your childhood? the Snorkels
• time of year and why? I love all seasons - OHIO is perfect for that - But I guess I'll pick Autumn, I always feel very inspired to create, bake, go outside, get ready for holidays....

Etsy Teams Blog Ring!!

We are now a member of the Etsy Teams blog ring! There's a great little blog element in the top left hand column, that will allow you to surf the blogs of all the Etsy Teams. We have two new cool neighbors, Etsy Kids and Vegan Etsy.

This is very exciting! Yay!

Stellar Seller, 8/25, giftbird

Etsy Buy Handmade Giftbird

This week's Stellar Seller is Giftbird. In the outside-Etsy world, Giftbird is Deb, who was more than happy to let us into her world. We Owls love Giftbird's shop, and we promise that it's for more reasons than the fact that she has a whole section of owls and birds in her shop. :)

But seriously, she has a whole section of owls and birds in her shop!

Get to know Deb by reading the interview below, and click on any of the links or the Etsy Mini to check out her shop.

1. Tell us all about you, as much or as little as you'd love to share with the Etsy world.

I'm 29, going to school full time to become an occupational therapist, and work part time as a ballroom dance instructor. I love using crafts as my own form of "therapy" and hope to share my interests with others. I started becoming interested in my store, Giftbird when I became obsessed with owls and bird jewelry. I wanted to make a few owl and bird necklaces to see if other people would have similar shopping interests and so far, I've found that people like my style. I hope to continue to share my love of birds, roosters, owls, with other people.

2. What made you get started with making jewelry, and how'd you end up on Etsy?

My sister and mother both make jewelry. I wanted to learn how to make jewelry so I could have fun with my family. We used to go to the jewelry store together and I would sit and watch. After a while, I wanted to learn how to make jewelry as well.

3. What inspires you to create?

I love to be crafty. I love looking and shopping on etsy for new inspiration. Usually, I'm also trying to come up with something for one my classes (Occupational Therapy school) that is functional and creative.

4. Describe yourself in one word: Determined

5. What is your favorite:

--song to craft to? anything Latin. I love Latin music of all kinds to craft to, dance to, sing to, etc.
--off-air television show? Chuck (I think it is coming back on TV again though).
--thing to do on a rainy day? Other than sleep, I like to craft too.
--restaurant? BBQ anything. I will just about anything for some home cooked mashed potatoes.
--Etsy seller? DennisAnderson - I love this guys soap. I use it every day. His soap is the only thing I look forward to in the morning other than my peanut butter and banana.

Graphic Designer and Cool Gal: The HenryRabbit ETSY True Hollywood Story

Some of you may remember us holding a contest a while back where we were searching for a graphic designer to help us with a new banner for our team shop.  The winner would receive a generous prize package and a feature on our blog. One such designer arose from the mist and gave us the banner you see here today.

Here we go...

The HenryRabbit Story

EO: Tell us all about you, as much or as little as you'd love to share with the Etsy world.


HR: I am a 31 year old wife and stay-home mommy to two beautiful kids, Natalie who is 3 1/2 and Milo who is 18 months. They are my whole world, and they inspire me in everything I do. Other than graphic design, my hobbies are photography, reading, watching reality TV and shopping. I'm rarely outside with my kids without the camera, and the term "mamarazzi" totally fits me. Reading is my luxury, something I love, but don't get much time to do. And reality TV shows like Survivor, Project Runway, and, well...pretty much all of them, are my guilty pleasure.


EO: What made you get started with your craft, and how'd you end up on Etsy?

Tell us about your graphic designs and about your cute-as-pie plush rabbits.


HR: I actually started doing graphic design through one of my parenting message boards. I started out creating cute signature images for myself and then was asked to do them for some of the other moms on the boards. I was content doing that for a long time, and learned a lot about Photoshop in the process. In March of '07, someone on the message boards posted about Etsy, and warned us not to go there unless we had a few hours to kill. They weren't kidding!! I have always been a huge sucker for stuffed animals, and I was so enthralled by all the unique and wonderful plush creations I found there. I was entirely a buyer for about 7 months when someone (again from my message board) suggested I try making banners. I started out with a few premade banners and most of my first customers were other Etsy mamas from the boards. Once I got a few designs out there, I was hooked!



The henryrabbits came a few months later. Sewing has never really been one of my natural talents, though I do enjoy making things. My husband bought me a sewing machine for Christmas a few years earlier and I had never even taken it out of the box. I realized, with all the plush things I was buying on Etsy, that I could do something like that too. I was trying to do something based on my original logo, and the rabbits just sort of came to be. I didn't have anything real specific when I started. They've evolved since the first few I made. They now have fleece-lined ears, so they stand on their own. They're bigger, and I think I also pay a lot more attention to how the fabrics work together. I never expected them to be such a hit, but they seem to make people fall in love with them quite easily. In fact, I love them so much, I redesigned my logo to match more closely with their appearance.
EO: How did you choose your shop name?

HR: Funny thing about this...my shop name actually came about because of Myspace. Way back in 2004, I joined Myspace and my user name was Natalie's Mommy. My main picture was a picture of Natalie, who was just a baby then. As anyone who knows Myspace can imagine, such a name and picture invited a lot of...well, less than desierable people to contact me. I decided to change my name to something less obvious, and while looking around the room for inspiration, I saw a stuffed rabbit that my husband had bought for me during our honeymoon that I had named Henry. Henry Rabbit came into being that day and I've used the name in most of my online endeavors ever since. It was perfect for Myspace, since most people saw the name Henry and assumed I was a guy. Funny, since I never go on Myspace anymore, but that's where the name came from. in fact, when I first signed up on Etsy, I had no intention of ever selling anything. Lucky that I love the name so much I didn't have to worry about changing it when I started selling.


EO: what inspires you to create?

HR: Just the love of creating something new and cute. My customers come up with awesome ideas, so I'm always inspired by them. Going to the fabric store always inspires me to create new henryrabbits, which isn't good for my wallet or my ever growing fabric stash.


EO: What made you join the EtsyOWLS banner contest and how did you come up with the winning design?


HR: I was contacted by Jamie from suenosdejmi about the banner contest. I love designing owls, so I was very excited to get started. I designed the owl first, and then came up with the background. The details for the contest said that you ladies liked bright and bold colors and funky designs, so I wanted something fun and colorful.



EO:describe yourself in one word:

HR: kaleidescope


EO: What is your favorite:



--animal? cats

--Muppet? Beaker

--pizza topping? pepperoni

--Game Show? Supermarket Sweep!

--Etsy seller? How can I choose just one?? mintconspiracy, chimeracrochet, vickangaroo, siansburys, gorjuss...to name a few!

**Special thanks to Amanda from HenryRabbit for being so awesome!  She does wonderful graphic design and she's been an absolute pleasure to work with!!  Please visit her shop if you are looking for a fun and new graphic to spruce up your shop!**

It's a SPEED sale!

It's another Etsy Owls Speed Sale! We love these! They are our favorite type of challenge!

Several of our Owls have listed items in their shop following our Rockstar theme. The rules of a speed sale are the first item sold wins. Our winner has already been selected, but there are other items still left in the challenge.

If all items sell by 8:05 PM Monday evening, all buyers get an awesome free gift with purchase!

To see the items, check out the slideshow below this post. To see them on Etsy, click the title of this forum post or go here for the offical challenge thread!

Rockstar Speed Sale Challenge Entries!

Giving a little something back...

One part of our Etsy Owls team sale was to raise money for our first charitable donation. We all agreed we'd like to help out some actual real life owls, so we found this owl organization in Canada that rehabilitates owls for return to the wild but also keeps owls that cannot return to the wild, does breeding to keep the owl generations alive, and everything.

So we set out to raise money for the Owls, and over the course of the 2 week sale we raised $125!!! Our team shop donated most of it's proceeds to the charity drive and had a few sales, and several other team members donated percentages of items sold to the charity drive.

We'd like to give a little bit of owl love to Courtney, who donated by far the most money for the cause, and just say thanks for doing so much to help the Owls help some owls! Courtney runs two shops on Etsy, afabricqueen and corkyscookies , so drop by and say hello!

Also, please check out The Owl Foundation website to learn more about the amazing work they do, and if you are interested in helping them, or helping any other charity, you can visit Canada Helps or Just Give if you are interested in finding a United States based charity.

Etsy GIVEAWAYS FREE STUFF!!!!

I have been busy compiling a list of blogs that host giveaways. Each blog is giving away amazing Etsy gifts! Check them out they are free!!! Who knows you might be able to win some of your Christmas gifts.

Compilation of Blog Giveaways.
http://www.appleblossomfl.blogspot.com starting monthly contests on 8/10
http://blog.satindoll.biz – monthly giveaways
http://experiencecreativity.blogspot.com
http://gazeduponglass.blogspot.com/
http://gracedlace.livejournal.com/ - bi-monthly giveaways
http://HeartHugsdesigns.blogspot.com hosting a photography giveaway
http://www.hollysdesigns.blogspot.com– bi-monthly giveaways
http://japanfocusetsy.blogspot.com/ - free samples
http://kbyk.blogspot.com – monthly giveaways
http://koalafuzz.blogspot.com monthly giveaways.
http://www.lamiadesigns.blogspot.com
http://louisefelice.blogspot.com – monthly giveaways
http://naturalamber.wordpress.com/
http://www.ourgreatgreenglobe.com
http://pamperingbeki.blogspot.com
http://pinkcrabcreations.blogspot.com
http://soapdelinews.com/categories/Contests.aspx- monthly giveaways
http://timothyadamdesigns.blogspot.com/ - bi-monthly giveaways

Owls Stellar Seller, Earcmra

We're finally getting around to the sweet stuff! By sweet stuff, we're talking about these absolutely yummy looking caramels from Earcmra.

The brains behind Earcmra is Rachelle, a college student who has definitely gotten our attention with her shop full of candy creations. Read her interview to find out more about Rachelle and Earcmra, and check out her shop to buy yourself (or us!) some of her yummy caramels!!!

**Edit: Since we featured Rachelle, her shop has changed. She is now selling her caramels at CaramelJubilee **





Owls: Why did you start making candy and how did you end up on Etsy?

Earcmra: I've always enjoyed cooking, and I particularly like taking on big complicated recipes. I never would have guessed that I'd be known for working magic with a fairly simple recipe--caramel. One day about five months ago I was looking for something new to make and came across a recipe for anise (black licorice) caramels. I was intrigued so I made them. They turned out fantastically well, and the rest is history!

I came across etsy in December 2007 wile surfing the web and Christmas shopping. I joined that day and started making a few purchases. I started selling my caramels in mid-May. Etsy gives me the perfect flexible avenue to fit my caramel selling in with the other aspects of my life at this time. I love etsy!

Owls: What inspires you to create?

Earcmra: I find ideas for new caramel recipes in my everyday life. While on a vacation in New York I came across delicious pomegranate juice. I knew it was destined for caramel goodness, so I brought it home with me and figured out a recipe. A friend of mine is bringing me hazelnuts from a visit to Oregon and I plan to work up a recipe for them too. It's fun to see how these luscious flavors combine in a caramel base.

Owls: Describe yourself in one word
earcmra Inquisitive

Owls: Tell us your favorite:

--musical group/artist that starts with the letter 'b'?: Badly Drawn Boy

--kind of cookie?: Gooey chocolate chip with German chocolate frosting on top

--song from the 90s?: Green Day's "Good Riddance"

--restaurant?: Sego Lily Cafe in Bountiful, Utah

Help Us Find Figaro!

Oh No, We've lost Figaro! He normally looks like this:

but now he looks like this!

OH NO!!!

Figaro is in 6 pieces and is hiding in these shops:

http://silvernstones.etsy.com/

http://executeme.etsy.com/

http://hollystott.etsy.com/

http://suenosdejmi.etsy.com/

http://cagedbirdsings.etsy.com/

http://afabricqueen.etsy.com/

One piece of Figaro is in each shop, somewhere in the photo listings of an item.

Come to the Etsy forums for hints and sale info about the participating shops. We're playing all weekend at 9 pm in the Promotions forum on Etsy!

Stellar Seller 7/19/08 Home Studio

This Saturday's Stellar Seller is Homestudio. In real life, Homestudio=Stefani & Mark, who, in our opinion, are quite the creative couple. :)

Etsy Buy Handmade homestudio

As you can see from the Etsy Mini, Homestudio's speciality is scrabble pendants. We did a little interview with homestudio to find out a bit more about them and why they do what they do.

Let us hear all about your shop & how you got started:

Stef has made jewelry for a while. Mark has painted art for awhile. Several people started mentioning Etsy to us all around the same time. Was this a sign? Mark suggested, “Hey, Stef wouldn’t it be great if we could both stay home and raise the kids? You know, not go out and get a JOB (Just Over Broke)? Now we make scrabble pendants together. We are a machine.

what inspires you to create? It’s a natural inner instinct like eating or sleeping. Must…eat. Must…sleep. Must…create. Everyone is born with it, right?

Describe yourself in 1 word: mellow

What is your favorite:

---cereal? Stef: Life Cereal
Mark: Anything with 50% fiber (he’s getting kind of old)

---utensil?
Stef: She only eats ice cream with her original baby spoon
Mark: Michael Graves ice cream scooper

---musical group that begins with the letter 'r'
Stef: Ramones
Mark: Ravonettes

---off-the-air television show?
Mark: NewsRadio
Stef: Mary Tyler Moore

---Etsy seller???
Stef: Perdoozy
Mark: Jenmaestre

Etsy Buy Handmade homestudio

Save on gas AND shipping by shopping with us!

Starting on Monday, July 21st, the Owls are on sale. Here's a list of all participating shops and their specials. Click each shop name to visit their shop. Sale ends 8/3/08.

JamieLeto
Free Shipping on all jewelry.
Free earrings of your choice with any knitted or paper purchase.

presentsforpirates,
Free shipping over $10 in the u.s. and half off shipping over $10 out of the states.

silvernstones,
25% off all regular, non-custom pieces, and free domestic shipping.

leathersculpture,
Free domestic standard shipping on non-custom sales. Does not apply to expedited shipping. Sale items are marked as clearance and already marked down.

KnitandPearl
Free shipping on jewelry, half price shipping on knits and other fiber products
25% off OR pay full price and I donate 25% to the Owl Foundation

suenosdejmi
Pick Your Special! Mix and Match!

Shop by special and section. Specials include: Buy one Get one Free, 75% & 50% off with a free gift & reduced shipping rates, and Free Shipping. Prints are Buy a Print, Get a Print half off with free worldwide shipping. There's also a Charity section where each item donates a percentage to the Owl Foundation.

Each description will describe the special for that item. Listings have been changed to reflect discounts on both price and shipping. 'Free' items from the BOGO section can be any item storewide of equal or lesser value.

HollyStott

******SAVE SOME GAS AND SHOP ONLINE: FREE SHIPPING - As part of the Etsy Owls Team sale I'm offering free shipping on everything in my shop from 7/20 - 7/31******* (free shipping only includes first class)

redmarionette
Free Shipping!

CorkysCookies OR afabricqueen

$2 off all International shipments and Free UK Shipment!
20¢ per item sold will be donated to the Owl Foundation!

executeme
Free Worldwide Shipping in Clearance section

stripeymonkey
Free Worldwide Shipping Storewide!

CagedBirdSings
$5.00 off shipping on all items storewide.

raynae,
10% off all orders and 20% off all custom orders!!

OfftheWall

75% of all purchases from the Owls shop, OfftheWall, will be donated to the Owl Foundation, an organization in Canada that helps rehabilitate owls to return to the wild. Each team member has items in the team shop, so check us out!

Etsy Buy Handmade offthewall

What we've been up to lately...

The Votes are all in...

The Official Winner of the Etsy Owls banner contest is Amanda of HenryRabbit. On behalf of the entire team, I'd like to take this small little blog article as an opportunity to say thank you for participating and also what an awesome banner you had.

While Amanda will be receiving the grand prize 'Prize Bucket', we've also decided to send out runner up prizes to all entrants, as our way of saying thank you to all of you for the wonderful job you did and the support you have given to us Owls :)

In the coming weeks, we will be featuring a special article about the contest winner and runner up (runners up, possibly) here on our blog. Stay tuned for those coming attractions!

Saturday Stellar Seller 7/5/08 PinkParchmentSoaps

This week's Stellar Seller is PinkParchmentSoaps. PinkParchmentSoaps is a Michigan based soap company that's been on Etsy for almost a year now. For our interview we spoke with Trish, ringleader for PinkParchment. Get to know more about the business by reading the interview below, and click the link above to check out their Etsy shop.

Etsy Buy Handmade PinkParchmentSoaps

Owls: Tell us all about you, as much or as little as you'd love to share with the Etsy world.

P.P : My name is Trish, I’m a wife and mother of 2 beautiful young ladies. Both of my daughters are involved with the soap making business and my husband is one of our official soap testers.

Owls: Let us hear all about your shop & how you got started

P.P :

Several years ago we were vacationing in North Carolina and went window shopping. There was a small soap store that had the most beautiful soaps that we had ever seen. With birthdays and holidays right around the corner, we spent several hours in the shop stocking up and falling in love with handmade soap.

Once we returned to Michigan, I got a flyer in the mail from a local college – they were offering classes in handmade soap! Not one to ignore fate, I took the class and we began to make our own soap. After a few years of experimenting with different formulas, colorants, and scents, Pink Parchment Soaps was born.

Owls: What inspires you to create?

P.P. : Everything! Foods, nature, scents and people. It doesn’t take much!

Owls: Describe yourself in 1 word:

P.P : Crazy Soaper. Ok that’s two words! Making soap is so much fun. We just love experimenting with all the different ingredients, colors, color techniques and scents.

Owls: What is your favorite:

---decade in the 1900s? The 20’s. Women were wild and taking charge of their lives!

---song from the 80's? Girls Just Want to Have Fun Sung by Cyndi Lauper!

---foreign pop star? Aren’t all pop stars foreign?

---donut? Cinnamon – hot and fresh from the cider mill.

---Etsy seller??? Now that’s a hard one. There are so many Etsy sellers that have wonderful items in their shops! If I had to pick one, I think it would be JanEleven. I just love her ACEO’s and paintings!

Owls: Anything else you want to add?

P.P : We love having a shop on Etsy and meeting the wonderful Etsians!

Etsy Buy Handmade PinkParchmentSoaps