Is timing Everything?

When it comes to listing your items on Etsy do you think time of day has anything to do with it?  This has been discussed over and over in many forums, blogs and chat rooms, but have we come up with any conclusions?  At the end of this month I will have been a member of etsy for 3 years (wow, time flies).
It has been educational, fun, exciting, and sometimes slow.  I have not figured out the magical hour, but what I do know is the more you post, the more people see you.  Pictures are also a key to selling, better  pictures + more people viewing your post...equals more sales.   There was a time when I was posting everyday, staying at the top of the category, and really promoting my shop.  Bags were selling, and people were visiting my online storefront.  After a while, I got behind, then I was in a lull.  It is time for Threadbeaur to make a come back.  I am revamping my photos, and increasing my inventory.
Going into the 4th year, I am going to try to keep my shop up to date, and keep it full of glorious eco friendly shopping bags and reusable coffee sleeves.  Tell me about your Etsy experiences.  We all learn from each other and I would love to hear your story.

Where to sell.

I just saw this post on lifehacker.com
best places online to have a shop? Any guesses?! Etsy landed in the top five!
I think Etsy is the best and I'm glad that so many people know about it.
The other day I was at the library, and was chatting with a few people, when Etsy came up.
They love etsy and shop online all the time!  It is so fun to find people that love to shop on Etsy.
Wow!

Thinking Green For Summer

So I am ready for a few trips to the beach.  We take a ton of stuff with us now, because of baby Lincoln.  We have his glasses, hat, sunscreen, towels, and the all important umbrella for shade.
I use my great reusable cloth bags for all the little things.  They make a great place to throw the sunscreen in.  I use a separate one for a snack bag.  After all, who doesn't like a snack when you are at the beach.
This weekend we are headed to Fort Pickens for a little fun.  I will be toting my reusable bags for our day trip there.
Get your bags for the summer.  They are great for the beach or library or your Saturday farmers market trip!

Skip the crowds!

We skipped the crowds this year, and the shopping altoughter. We opted for a hike around a small lake. It was nice quiet and not another person insight! What could be better? I shot a few pictures with my new lens, and Nilla got to run around.

If you are going to skip the shopping at retail locations but still need that perfect gift. Some great places to start looking is on etsy. On Etsy you are bound to find something for everyone on your list. They even have great gift buying guides to help you find something even for the hardest to buy for! Check out Etsy.com for the unique handmade items that you would not find in retail stores.

Or even try your luck on Ebay. I have some Wii Video games listed on ebay. I hope that more people will look there for discounts on must have games of the season. Ebay auctions are fun, and fast. The best part is you get to skip the crowds, and your package is delivered right to your door! So if you see something you like bid on it before the end date so you are sure to have all your holiday shopping lists covered.

Your daily Grind - More Green

Coffee sleeves are routinely used at coffee shops, you know the ones they are cardboard, dull and brown. Every time we go we say no to the coffee cozy that the barista is slipping over the cup. The other day we were grabbing a cup of joe at Starbucks and I asked the girl to leave off the sleeve, and she looked at me as if I were crazy. Then she asked if I would like a double cup instead. So I handed her the cloth reusable coffee sleeve and she effortlessly slipped it on to the cup. She said she loved the cloth sleeve, and could not believe that I made it.
I have a ton of these coffee sleeves in all sorts of recycled fabrics. They make great gifts for the office, or an addition to a gift basket or a little extra in the form of a tie on for the top of a pretty package. If you know a daily coffee drinker, and I know you do, this might just tickle their fancy. Many of the sleeves are just tossed out with the trash, despite the fact that they could be recycled. Why not just skip the trash and use your fashionable cloth coffee sleeve. Keep your eye on Threadbeaur I will be stocking the shop with new bags, and coffee sleeves all week. Of course, if you are looking for a bunch of the coffee sleeves email with the details.

PhunFest is upon us.

The car is packed with my table, two chairs, tent, and my inventory for the craft show. They are expecting to have 2,000 visitors to the show on Saturday September 26th. My inventory includes a ton of reusable bags and some coffee sleeves. I am sure I will have enough, and the ones that don't find new homes during the PhunFest will come home with me and find their way up to my shop on etsy. The weather man says that the rain should hold off until later in the afternoon, so we are hoping he is right for a change.

With only a few last minute things to do like fill the cooler with some water, ice and a few snacks, we are ready to go. I hope that it is as busy as they think it will be. I have been told there will be some great music, and other great vendors at Navarre Beach. So if you are out that way, stop by and say hello!

Fun way to shop!

I just recently rediscovered etsy color finding tool. It is a fun way to shop by color. On the color slide choose the one that you are in the mood for and click. An assorment of fun handmade etsy items will pop up for you to enjoy! I started with blue and ended up going through a ton of different colors, and finding a few new favorties in the process!
If you have not tried out Etsy color tool for shopping, I highly recommend giving it a whirl!

Inspiration

As I was wrapping M's sandwich in my reusable sandwich wrap that I got from IreneDesigns. I realized that I needed to have a snack bag too! So I went to the pantry grabbed a plastic sandwich bag from a dusty box way in the bag of the shelf, and went to the sewing room. I picked some fabric from the scrap bin and started measuring and cutting and within a few minutes the snack bag started to take shape. This one is two apples high, perfect for going on a picnic, or just your regular lunch. No more plastic snack bags, and the best part about it is you can wash it and either machine dry it or just hang it up to dry naturally. This does not have any Velcro to get tangled up in the wash, it is just the fold style that I remember using all through school.
I am thinking of making more for my etsy shop, but for now, I have something to pack a few snacks in for M's lunch so that he gets more than just a sandwich.

If anyone has any comments, or suggestions on the snack bag, please let me know! Of course, these are all handmade with recycled or vintage material. Just one more way to keep more out of the landfill. Thanks.

I'm a winner!

Naturescorridor announced her winner for the contest she was running on her blog! I was so excited to hear that it was me. She sent me a wonderful set of her personalized stationery. The package was sitting in my mailbox yesterday, and it looked so nice. Beautifully wrapped, and the contents stunning. The note cards are on heavy paper and have a wonderful bird printed on them along with my name.

Treat yourself to something beautiful! Sit down and write a letter. The note cards will brighten the day of the recipent of the letter, I am off to do that now!

Thank you Naturescooridor for the great contest!

Earth Day Sale

It is Earth Day and the weather is beautiful here. I will be celebrating by picking up trash on my walk today. I also wanted to celebrate by offering a SALE in my Etsy Shop. Threadbeaur will offer 10% off today Wednesday April 22, 2009 Through Saturday April 25, 2009. This 4 day sale is to raise awareness about the use of reusable shopping bags, and the impact that it can make. Get your reusable shopping bags when they are on sale. I also have great coffee sleeves for the Eco-Friendly Coffee drinking friends.

Come on over to Threadbeaur and check out my eco friendly items today!

Time To List

This week I will be posting new items. I have a few coffee sleeves that are ready to go. I am in the middle of a custom order for 10 bags. Between shopping the local thrift stores for great vintage fabric, I have spend some quality time with my sewing machine. For this order there were a few specific requests, so I am working hard to get it done. Keep any eye out on Threadbeaur's eco-friendly shop so that you can see the new coffee sleeves that are coming this week. I have cut out several bags too and I hope to get them listed in the shop sometime soon.

We have been very busy on the house too. It is up for sale, and over the weekend we did some cosmetic improvements, to help make the house great for showing. We will be having an open house on Saturday. Anyone in the South Chicagoland area, if you know someone looking for a house send them our way! We are hoping for a good turn out, as the weather is improving with every day!

Etsy Shop Slowdown

I have been taking a break from the shop. Not intentionally, it just sort of happened. Once I was back at work after the holidays I was just not able to make as many bags to fill the shop. I am hoping to get more bags into the shop in the coming weeks. Though I have had much success with the reusable coffee sleeves, it is the grocery bags that I love to show off.

Is there anything that you would like to see more of in Threadbeaur's eco-Friendly shop? Grocery bags, shoulder bags, or coffee sleeves.
My sister just sent me a great big box of vintage fabrics that she found in her travels between Mt. Dora, FL and Los Angeles. I hope to have those up in the shop soon. Keep your eye out for more eco friendly items at Threadbeaur's Etsy shop.

Post Holiday Sale

Now that things are back to the regular routine, I want to clear the Holiday bags from the shop.
That calls for a sale. This sale is for the Holiday Section in my Etsy shop. The deep discounts apply to those fantastic reusable bags with the holiday themes. The Sale price for the bags are $10 that is a savings of $5 dollars a bag! It is a good time to stock up on reusable gift bags for next year. These handmade shopping bags are perfect for the grocery store. Check out the discounted bags in the Holiday Section. Get them while they last! Once you finish the transaction wait for the updated invoice to pay.
Happy Shopping!

DoorBusters Black Friday

DoorBuster for Blog readers!
The holiday section is 10$ each for blog readers today only.
Black Friday is for deals, and those that stay home and shop from home are the most rewarded.

Check out the holiday section of Threadbeaur's etsy shop for Black Friday Doorbusters!

Mention code BLOG SALE for a revised invoice on the great holiday shopping bags!
If you found this sale through Twitter type TWITTER SALE in the notes to seller!

$10 holiday bags make great eco friendly gift wrap, get them while they last!

Black Friday Sales

Now that the turkey is cooked, eaten and gone, it is time for a sale. Black Friday as you well know is a time for shopping deals. Deals are not hard to come by this year, but do you want to stand in line and fight the crowds at a MALL? No, I will be shopping on Etsy tomorrow. It is looking like there will be some fantastic deals.
Threadbeaur will be hosting a sale all weekend to include the infamous CYBER Monday. It will be the last BIG sale of the season at my Etsy shop.

Threadbeaur offers great eco friendly gifts for everyone on your list. This weekend you will be able to get the goods for 20% off. That is right you can take 20 percent off the entire purchase. Plus you don't have to stand in line, guaranteed! The items are all handmade and sewn in the USA! I have a selection of holiday prints, and the everyday prints.

The reusable bags are made from reclaimed, recycled materials such as vintage drapes, tablecloths and sheets! The material that could have otherwise found its way to the landfill is given a second chance, and turned into an eco-friendly shopping bag.

The coffee sleeves are also a great "green" holiday gift this year. They reduce the amount of cardboard used and they are fashionable!

Shop this weekend for 20% off at Threadbeaur.
When shopping this weekend use code CRANBEAURY in the notes to seller, and wait for your updated invoice. You can use paypal or Revolution Money Exchange!

Happy Holidays!

Sale of the Season

Tonight is going to be the best sale of the season at Threadbeaur. I will be offering 20% off your purchase for Saturday Night November 15. Think of your friends, yourself, and the earth... tonight you will get 20% OFF. Get your hands on the greenest gift of this year. The reusable cloth grocery bag.
Do you have a friend, or co-worker that has everything? Shop at Threadbeaur tonight and get them a gift that they can really use, and get it at the biggest sale of the season.
Tonight only 20% off your purchase. I accept RME and PAYPAL for purchases at Threadbeaur's Etsy Shop.

Good Mail Day

Today I got out of work early and came home to play with the dog, and when we were out front I checked the mail. The mailbox was filled with great things. Mostly they were addressed to other parties in the house, but there was one small package for me.

Not too long ago I found a great blog that is always packed full of great ideas on promoting your business, and the blog has some great eye candy pictures from his shop, too! Timothy Adam Designs is a great etsy shop...his medium is metal. He is a fantastic metal artist, and that distinction is well deserved. He was one of the my first discoveries on Etsy, and his shop is among my "heart" shops in my Etsy account. So you can imagine my delight when I saw his monthly giveaway on Timothy Adam Desgin's blog. Since I frequent the blog, I decided to enter and see what happened. As chance would have it I WON!!! I was so excited to win such a fantastic prize, I wanted everyone to know. I told all my friends about this amazing metal creator. His ideas are fresh and the product stunning. So in the mail today I got this necklace. Orange is one of my favorite colors, so this necklace is perfect for me. The square orange pendant has great weight and fantastic color saturation. The necklace itself is amazing with the magnetic clasp, it is so easy to take on and off. This is going to be my all purpose necklace. If you live in the Chicagoland area you will be able to identify me by the orange square that will adorn my neck. I can't say enough about this jewelry, but don't just take my word for it, check out Timothy's Etsy shop to get one for yourself.

Twitter Equals Views

I have been working to increase the traffic in my ETSY shop. Threadbeaur has been down in the dumps as far as views go, and it is time to do something about it. With the holidays coming I feel that is important for all etsy shops to promote and don't let the few views get you down. I turned to Twitter. The sign up was easy and now I have several people following me. It seems as though I have gotten a few extra views from it too. One of the ways to ensure that you get more followers and more traffic to your shop is to post often, and respond to those comments that interest you.

I have found some great info by using the twitter search site. It is a great tool. Check it out and you can search and narrow down who you would like to be following.

I was over in the etsy forums when I found this great instruction typed up by dottyral(click here for the etsy forum). She explains in detail how to get your items on the sidebar of your twitter page. I was able to do it in no time flat, thanks to her instructions.

So get out there and Twitter, and hopefully you too will benefit from followers, and experince increased traffic to your etsy site!
Check out Threadbeaur's twitter site.

Brownies, Cookies and Cakes, Oh My!

I won a contest the other day from Steel City Bakery blog. She has a great etsy shop, and the prize that I won was out of this world. I had two kinds of cookies, delicious brownies, mini bundt cakes, and two kinds of cupcakes! My favorite was the cookies named Down on the Bog. They were so great, with plump cranberries and white chocolate chips the combo was sinful! I ate most of those myself. I did share the cupcakes with my coworkers who had never tried red velvet cake before, and she wanted to have more!

I took pictures of the cookies before I ate them. I would recommend them to cookie lovers everywhere! Try these fantastic handmade cookies from Steel City Bakery!

Buy them for yourself or a friend that loves cookies. It will be their new favorite! They would make great holiday gifts for the office, too!

Thank you to Steel City Bakery for the great giveaway and fantastic treats!

Mid Week Sale

It is Wednesday and it still feels like Monday! How about a mid week sale to get things going!

For Wednesday October 28, 2008 any shoppers at my shop can take 10% off their order.
Not only that if you buy 4 bags you will get a FREE coffee sleeve!

You can do some holiday shopping and get a little something for yourself, can't beat that!
Browse around and enjoy Threadbeaur's Mid Week Sale