Today is Etsy Day!

Today is officially unofficially* a day to celebrate all that is Etsy.com. What is Etsy? It’s the best place on earth to find all things handmade. Art, woodworking, jewelry, ceramics… you name it, they have it for sale. Over two million people use Etsy everyday! Etsy has grown exponentially in the last few years. Exposure from The Martha Stewart Show and other traditional and online media has made Etsy’s numbers explode.

So how does Etsy work? Artists open their own shops with their own shop names. Shops can carry all handmade items, vintage items, craft supplies, or a mixture of all three. The individual artist runs his or her own shop. When you buy an item, you are paying the artist directly. It’s like a big craft show that you can go to anytime!

Many ways exist to interact with the artists and shops on the site.

Shop by Categories: Etsy is divided up into many categories such as jewelry, bath & body, knitting, paper goods, housewares, clothing, ceramics, weddings, glass, and many more. Subcategories are listed within the main categories to help you narrow down your search such as “necklace” under jewelry and “teapots” under ceramics.

Shop Local: If you are a fan of shopping local you can do that, too, on Etsy! Just type in your location and up pops shops listed for your region. If you are sending a gift to another place, you can also use this feature to shop local for your gift’s destination.

Shop by Color: The color interface on this part is really neat. You can get very specific shades of any color you want. Click on a color bubble and you’ll see listings tagged with that color. Shopping for someone who collects blue bowls? This feature will help you find just the right color.

Pounce: This feature lets you discover undiscovered shops that have had few sales or peruse through shops that recently had a sale. Just keep clicking “Pounce” and more items come up. It’s kind of addicting watching all this beautiful artwork pop up!

Treasuries: The Treasury feature is one of my personal favorites. Etsy users can curate a mini exhibit of items. Many are created with a theme like a specific color or style. Random selections of Treasuries eventually reach the front page of Etsy. Getting a treasury can be difficult but worth the wait.

Custom: Formerly known as “Alchemy”, the Custom section lets you place a request for a custom item. This can be anything you dream up! Maybe your sister loves angels and you want to have an angel painting created just for her. This is the place to ask for it. Artists will place bids on your request, and you get to choose who will make your item.

The Storque: This is Etsy’s blog. Find all kinds of articles here about Etsy shops, technical issues, and the handmade movement. Really worth a read as you will discover new shops and really good information about running a shop or buying handmade, vintage, or supply items.

Showcases and Gift Guides: Artists can purchase advertising spots in the Showcase. Etsy creates Gift Guides for holidays, for certain people, or for items like “A Cozy Home” and “Spring”.

Virtual Labs: This is where Etsy holds live workshops and classes. Etsy teams can hold meetings and trunk shows here. I love the Labs. I have learned so much from attending workshops.

Forums and Chat: Here is where you can pose site help questions, business topics, or look for sales and promotions. Etsy also has chat rooms.

So get on over to Etsy, sign up, and support handmade art and hardworking artists! Tell them ByLightOfMoon sent you! (Seriously – there is a referral box to fill in when you join. I could win something

PLease also see our Etsy twitter team blog at


* The Fine Print: This promotion is being sponsored by independent Etsy shop owners, not Etsy.com. But Etsy is excited about it!!

frstyfrolk's Boutique

Come look at my Bonanzle Boutique items, just click on the item in wiget square, and it takes you to that item, Smiles, Cyndi

Junk Gypsy Prom

 

A collage of the Junk Gypsy Prom, April 2, 2009 in Texas at their tent, live music played and fun was had by all,
see my facebook page for more photos



smiles, cyndi

Happy Earth Day 2009

I wanted to share some photos I took in our back yard of these cute blue birds. They are a daily event, see the bird in the box looking out in the third photo down, sitting in the nest in the box! Darling, they are so good about watching the nest. They try to run off the blackbirds that try to stop by and have been doing a pretty good job. I guess they are used to Emma being out their. They don't like it to well when we try to sit out their under the canopy for beach or camping that we put up in the backyard. I also picked up these ball moss once i discovered in Texas that grew on the trees and then dropped to the ground. I picked them up and even bought two wire baskets to keep them in till we got home. The third wire basket I picked out of the dumpster at a rest stop in Texas. I had no idea why, just didn't want it in the landfill and as I do so much, I figured it would find a place doing something. I just had no idea how fast I could use it. That evening we camped in a beautiful campground that had the Spanish Moss of Louisiana hanging in the trees and falling to the ground. Well, guess what, it is full of that moss from the grounds. Now, the trick to keeping it alive it NOT to water it too much! That was an awesome campground and we plan to go back. We were camped on a cut-out in a cliff that we could see the river from the doorway in the trailer. It was very chilly that night so we had a little fire again and then went to bed to read as we had done in Texas. We had by this time not missed the TV we lugged with us as no reception in TX. If we ever take another , I will be much smaller. We took the 13 inch we had in our other RV in the bedroom and even took the new antenna for the TVs when they changeover this year. Never again! Too much room and really no where to put it to watch it anyway. I have a wicker table in the tiny trailer, but I really do not want that heavy TV on it. I got it a a thrift store and a little wobbly, but light to move around when needed.
I also saw this web-site this AM in my mail. I adore Design Sponge and it kind of profiles the cactus that needs less water. Look how they display it, you will love it! Do something Eco-friendly today if it means new light bulbs, plant a tree or bush for shade, or article or clothing you purchase.

Smiles, Cyndi

Giveaways and Fabulous Finds

I visited a blog I love to follow today and I found a giveaway and then another giveaway and these are some of the dealers from Texas where I just visited.

The Feathered Nest sent me to Time Worn Interiors to sign up for her blog 100th post. By posting here I get two entries for her fabulous offerings and they are just FINE ITEMS! Anyone would love them. Here is what she is giving away and look on her blog for the photos:

Living with Lace by: Bo Niles
Small cloche with (fake) bird nest and egg
Small ironstone pitcher (with small stained crack)
Necklace with prism pendent
A couple old letters (1957)

And A Beautiful photo to accompy them.

Also the best thing I discovered is that Theresa is the published designed for the trailer interior in Country Living in June 2007, (see the link on her blog while you are there) that I told everyone I knew about. She is a fabulous designer. It is so fun to see these blogs with more Texas event photos, I think I Shall be busy for all evening now, and maybe tomorrow also. Maybe you can also win a giveaway while having all this fun!

Have fun and smiles, Cyndi

Purple Flowers Treasury on Etsy

See the new Treasury on Etsy by"Huayruro" who made it up in all things Purple!

I love it as it is my favorite color and has some very exciting art in it.

See it for yourself, Huayruro's Treasury

Smiles, Cyndi

Pay It Forward

I hope it's ok to announce this here~

You can visit my blog to find out more detailed information about JoAnnA & Ron Pierotti or Ron's chip in page

my blog~ http://izabella.typepad.com
Ron's "Chip In" page~ http://ronpierotti.chipin.com/ron-pierotti

Thank you for your time!!

xo ~Bella

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I received the email today from someone I have never met but it came through a site I hold very dear to my heart. I share a love for fairies and dragonflies with an ART Group " The Fairy Zine" by artist's much better than I am at Art but I still think they are the best group around and will do anything for each other.

I visited the first blog by Isabella and was so impressed that this blog was so lovely. I loved the design and appearance of the blog. I wish I was so good, but anyway then I followed Isabella's instructions to go to the next blog to hear about Ron and his desperate need for brain cancer surgery. Moss Hill Studios is just as fabulous, these girls really know their art!

I wish I could dog-sit their dogs while this is happening in their lives. It could be any of us and this is out of character for me really to respond to an email I don't know them, but their story could be anyone's in any of our groups we belong to.
I wish I could dog-sit their dogs while this is happening in their lives. It could be any of us and this is out of character for me really to respond to an email I don't know them, but their story could be anyone's in any of our groups we belong to.

I especially liked the post from April 17, 2009 about "Diamonds in the Rough", very interesting ~

But, more important the message of their need struck me as something I could help with just a small donation, I could only donate $5.00 as my sales are nill and void now, but so is my art. But, I have this in my Paypal account ans I just felt the need to do something.

Please just follow the links to read it, just remember, it could be anyone we DO know!
Let's Pay it Forward, with what we can. Maybe we can help save Ron's life.

Blessings on this Sunday afternoon!
Cyndi