Etsy Moms gift guide monthly - Trick or treat!

'Trick or treat!' by LAccentNou

by EtsyMoms

Crocheted Pumpkin for F... stayhomecupcak... $10.00	Cute Halloween Witch Ha... mormishmom $5.00	Halloween Cupcake Toppe... CaliforniaCrea... $6.50	Small Cinnamon Velvety ... Cr8something $8.00
21 3" Halloween Bl... homemadebyaman... $4.20	Halloween DIY Pumpkin H... NattyKnits $2.00	Halloween Trick or Trea... ladesigns2 $20.00	A set (2) 3 inch Hallo... prettybowtique $6.00
HALLOWEEN Applique - Pe... ChiChiKids $3.00	Bright Pumpkin Orange H... peacebabybatik... $17.00	Halloween Shoes Painted... boygirlboygirl... $30.00	Little pumpkins earring... cuteandfun $10.00
3 Candy Corns SugarCake $6.00	eco friendly lexa felt ... feltedkitten $5.50	Orange Camo Necktie for... MeandMatilda $22.95	vintage halloween prett... littlepretties $10.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Let The Color Palette Challenge Voting BEGIN!!

Today's the day! If you want to see the challenge entries & vote 

head on over to EtsyMom.com!

Go LIVE!!

Today's the day to make all your Color Palette Challenge listings live! 

Don't forget to double check that you're using the challenge tag "EMCPC". This MUST be included for your products to count in the challenge!

Treasuries will be made this weekend & the challenge will begin first thing {8 AM} Monday morning...right here. Be sure to vote & remind all your fans to vote too!

It's Almost Time! Don't forget...

It's almost time for the challenge to begin! YAY!

By now, I'm assuming you've got your products made that you're entering into the challenge. If not, HURRY! The time to submit them is almost here!

That's right, don't forget that your product listings need to go live in your shop THIS WEDNESDAY - October 5th. If you've already got your listing ready & saved it as a draft, great! 

Also, don't forget to tag your products with "EMCPC". This is the key to entering your product in the challenge. This is how our treasury curator will know which listings to include in the treasuries & also how voting will take place.

Once you make your listings live, you're not done! Remember to promote the challenge on your social network sites & blog about this challenge. You want as many people coming to vote in the challenge as possible. That gives you a better chance of getting your awesome products voted for! Below are some sample posts & tweets that you can use if you'd like!!

• Come vote in the @EtsyMomTeam Color Palette Challenge! http://etsymom.blogspot.com #etsymomteam

• Wanna see what I made just for the EtsyMom Color Palette Challenge? Come see & vote for your favorite! http://etsymom.blogspot.com #etsymomteam

• Need some great autumn gifts? The @EtsyMomTeam has you covered! http://etsymom.blogspot.com #etsymomteam

Now, the challenge officially starts next week...next Monday that is. We'll have treasuries posted right here on the blog that contain all of the participating products for people to look at & below that we'll have the link for them to be able to vote.

Okay, does anyone have any last minute questions? Are you getting excited? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

How Is It Coming Along?

You've got a little over a week left to finish your products up for the Color Palette Challenge! How's it going?

I'm sure by now you've settled in on a color palette...got your supplies...& figured out your designs. All that's left is to make your products & take some fabulous photos of them!

Below are some helpful links if you need some photography tips! Remember, this is what catches peoples attention so you want your photos to SHINE!

Handmadeology Photography Tips
MeaganVisser.com Photography Tips
Digital Photography School
Etsy Success Photography

Have you already started on your projects or are you finished yet?? 

Care to post some teaser photos on the EtsyMom Team Facebook Page.

Now don't give away what the item is! We're just looking for works in progress...fabrics...of course colors...& some sneaky, intriguing photos to get everyone hyped up. Make sure you post your photos to your own FB page & your blog too!

Last but not least...start preparing your FB posts, tweets, blog posts, & newsletters to let your fans, followers, customers & family know that you're participating in this event. Invite them to come to the blog during October 10-14 to vote on their favorite item!

Keep crafting & good luck!

Marvelous Mom - Katie of Adelle Rose

Tell us about yourself!
My name is Katie and I live in Louisville, Kentucky with my husband of eight years, Josh, and our two little girls. Our oldest, Miriam, is five and just started kindergarten. Our youngest, Leah Rose, just turned two. I've worked in customer service at a local bank for the past ten years.

What makes you unique?
I am admittedly a bit of a geek (I'm a ridiculously huge fan of Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, two things that get me teased constantly at work!) who also loves fashion, clothes and accessorizing. I went to see the second-to-last-installment in the Harry Potter movie series wearing skinny jeans, ruby red high heels and a Hogwarts t-shirt. I try to keep my jewelry designs light and whimsical, too, and not take things too seriously.

What do you love about kids?
There is never a dull moment around my house. One of my favorite things to do is just sit and listen to my girls play together. Leah is now old enough to really play with Miriam -they are constantly playing pretend and they create their own little worlds. I like to listen in and hear how creative they are. They are also hilarious -Miriam will tell you she "doesn't care for pizza" while yesterday Leah said to me "you not Katie -you my mommy!" I love watching these two interesting little girls grow into themselves more and more everyday.

What are you currently doing besides your shop crafts?
Miriam and I craft together all the time. We make clothes for her dolls, soap and we've recently started "rhinestoning," a crafting pastime my sister introduced me to which is basically bedazzling anything that will sit still long enough (today I made myself a Halloween koozie). I also make headbands with feathers and sequins. On my ever-expanding lists of things to do is to take a bead weaving class and also learn how to knit. I've had knitting needles and yarn in my closet for almost two years but I'm determined to learn someday!

What is the link to your etsy shop?
www.etsy.com/shop/AdelleRose

What do you offer in your etsy shop?
I make jewelry, primarily earrings. I also make necklaces, bracelets, and the occasional ring. I do create wine charms, too, and soon I'll be offering embellished bobby pins. The vast majority of my jewelry is made with beads, although I also work with glass charms and I've recently discovered how much fun flower cabochons are.

Where do you create?
I work at my dining room table. I have two plastic bins full of my beading supplies that sit on a card table in the corner of my dining room. I dream of having my own actual studio someday but I love my dining room -it's the sunniest room in my house and my table is big enough for me to really spread everything out and work.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I've always been a girly girl. When I was little I loved playing dress up with my grandma's vintage jewelry. I still find inspiration in vintage designs -I love to wander in antique malls, inspecting vintage necklaces and brooches. I've recently started taking some of these necklaces apart and refashioning them into more modern necklaces as well as earrings.
I love looking at fashion magazines, too, although I've certainly cut back my subscriptions in recent years. I used to subscribe to about 10 different monthly magazines but now I only get a few. I still get lots of catalogs, though, and I like to sit down with them and see what's trendy and then try to create things that follow the trends but with my own unique interpretation.
I love to read and watch movies and some of my designs are inspired by my favorite characters from books and movies. I try not to be too literal in my interpretations, though, and keep things subtle.

How did you get started in your current line of business?
I started making jewelry when Leah was a baby -she took two naps a day and I hated to sit Miriam down in front of the TV every time she was asleep but it was hard to find quiet things to do during those times. So we started crafting together. Within six months, I was giving everyone I knew jewelry all the time and I finally decided to open an Etsy shop and see if I could make a little money.

How do you promote your business?
I mainly promote through my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/AdelleRose0609 and word of mouth through friends and family.

What is one of the most important lessons you've learned since starting your business?
You have to be patient and not expect everything to happen overnight. Also, try to connect with other people through teams and treasury making. Etsy is a great community, everyone I've encountered has been so kind -I love it!

What advice would you give someone just starting out?
I'd reference that patience again! Get your name out there, join teams, start a Facebook page and don't get discouraged if you aren't selling 10 items a day. Have fun and enjoy what you're doing.

What are some of your favorite online shops, both etsy and non-etsy?
It's really hard to pick my favorite Etsy shops because there are so many great ones out there! I especially love Girl 216 Designs, Zias Cottage Industry, em and sprout, and lkfarnsworth. Off Etsy, I am a hopeless Target junkie and I can find just about anything I need on Amazon.

Time's Up!

Time's up! Friday was the deadline to enter your shop into the EtsyMom Fall event - The Color Palette Challenge. 

So participating shops...listen up, because here's the recap on what you need to do!

1. You've got until October 5th to make items that will go into your shop using one of the color palettes shown in the event kickoff post. Click here if you need to see them again. You can enter two items into the challenge.
2. Once your items are made & photographed, you're going to list them in your shop as a DRAFT listing. Be sure your first photo rocks since that's what people are going to see in the treasuries.
3. You'll then make your listings live on October 5th!!! Remember to tag your listing with"EMCPC" in order for your entries to count!

That's it! Simple! Your job is done! Well almost...there's that promoting thing.

Remember that there will be a first, second, & third place winner chosen from all of the entries. Winners are chosen based on how many votes their listing receives so it's your job to hype this event up to all of your fans & followers. You want them to come & vote for you right??

Well, yes...sort of. We want them to come & vote based on the items. This isn't a popularity contest so please, when your asking people to come vote, don't ask them to specifically come & vote for your item...ask them to come & vote in the challenge you're participating in. Let's work hard on making our products great for the event. May the best woman win!

So here's the FINAL list of participating shops that have signed up for the event. 47 in all! Way to go!

Tamsy Trends

Rae Studios

Sahndamarie

Fahionably Me Bowtique

mimmi For Girls

My Artsy Baby

Modern Typography

Jmasciandaro

Twirl Away

Custom Memory Books

Little Tadpole Designs

Stitchin' Netka

Petite Tuques

The Scarlet Scintilla

2 Sprouts Stitchery

Creative Art by Me

Siklo's Photo

Little Sugar Tops

Little Pearl Quilts

This-N-That Handmade Accessories

Cinnamon Spice Papercrafts

The Handprint Lady

For My Sweet Daughter

Sokava Designs

Baby Swank

MiaBoo

Cobbled Stone

My Lovebug Baby

SugarLabs E-Boutique

My Pretty Skincare

Sarahjhanifan

Christie Creations

New England Quilter

Bison Girl

Handmade Whimzy

Sarahndipities

Altered by Jenn

Handmaiden Canada

Happy Tree Press

MegOri Girls Boutique

Leah's Little Bowtique

Bumble Britches Boutique

Favor Creative

Erika K Designs

Adrian's Closet

Rosewill Arts

Butterfly Genes

A La Apron

Next up, let me go ahead & thank all the shops that volunteered to sponsor this event! 20 total! Woo-hoo! You all are SOOOO generous! There's a ton of sweet stuff here for the winners of this event to choose from! So below are the listings from the sponsor shops that the winners will have their choice of. 

Rhoda Design Studio - your choice: Original Clip Art

Loud Waterfall Photography - your choice: Any Item

Cobbled Stone - your choice: Gemstone Earrings

SugarLabs E-Boutique - your choice: Any Item

My Pretty Skincare - your choice: Any Item

Bison Girl - your choice: Bison Booties

One Fine Day Courture - your choice: Any Item

Leah's Little Bowtique - your choice: Fall Accessory

Sketchbook Floral Wristlet SahndaMarie $35.00	Wall Art - Song Bird (tan, p... RedLetterInk $20.00	Fondant Pumpkin Cupcake Topp... LittleSugarTop... $15.00
Green and Pink Floral Twirl ... SassafrasSaige $8.00	HALLOWEEN Decor Party-Wood B... MiaBooo $14.00	Lime Slice - Elegant Crochet... shopannavirgin... $18.00
Baby Bib Cupcakes-12 items G... christiecreati... $28.00	Owl nursery canvas 11x14 Mad... myartsybaby $30.00	Crochet Boho Headband / Head... sarahndipities $15.00
Eco-Friendy Herbs in a Box J... favorcreative $42.00	Dinosaur Cocoa butter Soap P... ImaginaryBee $1.10	Mini Bath Bombs - Bath Fizzi... babyswank $4.50

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Looks good, eh?? Are you ready? Are you excited? Alright, get to creating & promoting & good luck everyone!

Any questions? Leave them in the comments below or on the team FB page & we'll get them answered!

Etsy Moms gift guide monthly - Welcome, fall!

'Welcome, fall!' by LAccentNou

by EtsyMoms

Autumn tree print NewCreatioNZ $25.00	Baby, toddler, girls sk... twirlaway $18.00	Pleated Handbag-Oxford ... jpulliam30 $35.00	Orange Earrings, Crysta... TheHappyPapaya $10.00
Play Food Set - Handmad... littlepearlqui... $32.00	Wood Button Earrings by... TNTees $5.50	Fall Autumn Welcome Bar... CountryChicCot... $21.00	knit baby hat and photo... baruchslullaby $24.00
Handmade Soap 3 pack - ... LifeSoapSimple $15.00	Baby Shower Gift Set: G... peacebabybatik... $27.00	Pumpkin Place Card/Phot... melaniescrafts $6.00	Peanut Butter and Brown... KEcookies $8.99
White Cosmos Flower on ... suchprettycolo... $15.00	New Orange and Yellow F... SugarFlower $4.00	Fall Harvest Hope Wreat... Cr8something $15.00	Tree in Orange Field-Or... jenoconnell $20.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.