Fall Y'all Giveaway: Day 3

UPDATE: COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED, PLEASE CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR THE WINNER!

Yes! We here at Etsymoms are still going strong on the Fall Y'all giveaway! And today we have yet another fabulous giveaway for you!
This giveaway comes from Donna Pool and is a set of six gorgeous flower button magnets



A little about Donna "I make stuff. All kinds of stuff. I take pictures, I sew soft toys, I make buttons...you never know just what I'm gonna come up with next...."

Donna has some wonderful things in her store, so please, go check it out =) If you don't win the flowers, you can always buy them (or other wonderful items) straight from her!

The rules,
1. Leave a comment on this post by Saturday, November 3 at 12:00 noon.

That's it! If you like it though, feel free to link back and let others know about this as well!

If you haven't already,
- sign up to win an 18" doll here
- sign up to win some Christmas Cards/Tags here
- sign up to win gorgeous earrings here

For more giveaways (there are a LOT of them) go here and see what else you can win! =)

Have a great day and don't forget to come back and check on etsymoms! It's a great way to buy lots of great items AND support some moms while you are at it! =)

Fall Y'all Giveaway: Day 2

UPDATE: COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED, PLEASE CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR THE WINNER!

Hello everyone! Welcome back for our day 2 giveaway!
Today we are giving away another fabulous prize. Tamara of TP Design is offering you, dear readers a set of 3 holiday cards and 6 gift tags!


Tamara is the etsymom behind TP Design. She is a mother of one adorable baby boy and wife to the greatest husband. She writes "TP Design was created as an outlet for my imagination. I create handmade home decor and paper goods for the common person who wishes to be more. I love custom orders and working one on one with my customers to create unique new items. Check out my shop for more of my work or contact me for your own unique pieces.
http://tpdesign.etsy.com or
tpdesign01 [!at] yahoo.com"

A big thank you to her for donating this wonderful prize! And remember, if you like her cards and tags, please go visit her shop for more wonderful items from her!

The rules,
1. Leave a comment on this post by Saturday, November 3 at 12:00 noon.

That's it! If you like it though, feel free to link back and let others know about this as well!

If you haven't already, please sign up to win an outfit for an 18" doll! This outfit would make any girl's day and with Christmas coming up ... it would be a great gift to give someone! So head on over here to sign up for it! =)
Also sign up for the button magnets here!
- sign up to win gorgeous earrings here

For more giveaways (there are a LOT of them) go here and see what else you can win! =)

Have a great day and don't forget to come back and see what we'll be giving away for the rest of the week as well! =)

Fall Y'all: Day At the Mall!

UPDATE: COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED, PLEASE CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR THE WINNER!

Hello everyone and welcome to Etsymoms!

To our first time visitors, let me tell you a bit about this site
EtsyMom Street Team is dedicated to promoting women artists and crafters who also
share the joy of being mothers. Some of our members work from home, some work from
other places, but we all share a love of creating beautiful, useful, artful things.
Our goal is to create a forum where these creative EtsyMoms can inspire each other,
discuss our work, share the success of juggling kids at home, with housework, jobs
and creating for our etsy shops, as well as marketing ideas for Etsy.com,
advertising and promotional opportunities, and maybe make a few friends along the
way. (from our Street Team Website)

So thank you for stopping by, and we all hope that you will continue to check back on us even after the giveaways are all done!

Now, on to the first give away this week!

Todays giveaway is for Day At The Mall ....

(more pictures can be seen here)
This outfit is made for the 18 inch dolls. This is a great outfit for a day of shopping or anywhere around town. The top is a teal satin tank with ribbon straps and has a snap closure in the back. I used a fun white beaded trim to complete the top. The pants are a flared capri made from black twill with an elastic waist. PLEASE NOTE: The doll is NOT included.

This outfit was donated by Jills Fabric Designs. Jill is a SAHM from the midwest with 3 children. Jill says "I've been sewing for many years and have really enjoyed creating these doll clothes. I love deciding what to make next and putting the fabric and ideas together!" A big thank you to Jill for donating this fabulous outfit!

If you like this outfit, please go visit Jill's shop to see all the other wonderful outfits she has available. Of course, feel free to tell all your friends about this great shop as well! Jill does do fabulous work! =)

The rules,
1. Leave a comment on this post by Saturday, November 3 at 12:00 noon.

That's it! If you like it though, feel free to link back and let others know about this as well!
And check out the other giveaways:
Christmas Cards and tags here
Also sign up for the button magnets here!
Sign up to win gorgeous earrings here

For more giveaways (there are a LOT of them) go here and see what else you can win! =)

Have a great day and don't forget to come back and see what we'll be giving away for the rest of the week as well! =)

What About My Identity?

What happens when I have more than one product to market, then what? This question was asked by Donna Pool Designs.

You should always be able to market and brand yourself no matter if you are selling 1 item or dozens. But how you ask? First things first, you have to look at are the 3 questions.
1. Who are you?
2. What do you do?
3. Why is that important?
There is a commonality in these questions no matter what you are selling. What is that you ask? That's easy, it's you! No matter what you are trying to sell, you are your own commonality. You made it, designed it, created it whatever you did in the process you did it. So what you need to do now is think to yourself what ties it back to me.

Let me show you what I mean. Take a look at my store TP Design. I have created several different things note cards, mirrors, floral arrangements, paintings, etc. But if you take a closer look the commonality is they all have some handmade detail to them. The note cards have paintings on them, inked details or hand lettering. The mirrors are also hand lettered. So on and so forth. So in my case I have decieded that my description for my store is "The Raw Elegance of Handmade Gifts". My reasoning comes from the second factor that you nedd to look at when decieding how to brand yourself. What do my customers think about me?

Your customers make up a great deal of your business, in fact they are your business. So why do they come to you? What is it about your items that they love? What do they purchase the most of? In my case I have been told that my home decor is simple and elegant and the handmade elements make them stand out over other pieces that are similar. My best sellers are the Faith, Hope and Love Mirrors. So because of that I decieded that 3 words should be used in my description: Elegance; describing the style of work I usually produce, Raw; my materials that I start with and Handmade; I think this one is obivious.

A strong brand is invaluable. Don't be afraid to talk with your customers, see what brings them back to you. Your branding is the foundational piece in your marketing stratigy and something not to be taken lightly. Of course all this said, it won't happen over night either. It's important to spend time researching, defining and building your brand. Talk with others get their opinion. Ask them what they think your commonality is, you may be surprised by the answers. If you are ...well that's for another post.

If you ever have any questions about this, or need to bounce ideas off someone feel free to leave a comment and I will contact you as soon as possible.

Etsymom's Say Thanks to a SAHM of 6

For those of you apart of Etsymoms you may already know about the promo basket that we are putting together for Dawn, a mother of 6 and author of the blog Because I Said So. Dawn has begun to receive national attention from this blog containing crazy stories about her life and the battles of being a mom to 6 kids. She first gained recognition from an Ebay auction that she listed for a pack of Pokemon cards that her kids slipped into her basket at Walmart. Nothing special about the cards other than the hilarious story that accompanied it. The cards sold for over $100. And her fame has gone on from there. Newspapers from all over the country as well as national tv stations, like ABC, have picked up on the story and are telling the world about it.

Dawn, much like the rest of us, was looking for a way to get some extra income for her family when a friend suggested blogging. Well it paid off she announced recently on her blog that she just signed a book deal and Hollywood is calling for her to write a sitcom based on her life's misadventures.

Anyways one of our members, crochetmaggie, came up with the idea to send her a promo basket, filled with goodies from the Etsymoms. As a thank you for making us laugh and to remember to laugh at ourselves every once in a while too. Not only is this a thank you but a chance to get our names out their to Dawn's readers. She has thousands of readers a day at her blog...

Now when I first took this on I thought great idea, but what are the chances that we will get this to her let alone get some kind of response back. Well I took a chance and emailed her, letting her know about Etsymoms and the basket that we wanted to send to her. I also let her know that I was going to be in town for Thanksgiving (yes I am originally from Chicago) and was wondering if I could meet with her then to deliver the goodies. Amazingly enough she emailed me back and said she was flattered and would loved to meet with me! Yeah, she shoots, she scores! The crowd goes wild! Ok, the Etsymoms go wild!

Oh wait, I didn't get to the good part yet. Not only did she want to meet with me but she asked if I, and the Etsymoms, would be interested in having our products being reviewed on her blog! Now we can do the happy dance! Yes we will be reviewed on her blog if we can work out the details but I don't think it will be to hard to work it out.

Now for those of you who are already apart of this great thing there are some things that need to be decided. PLEASE look to the Etsymom Forum for details. Of course if you haven't committed to sending an item yet there is still time! I need all items sent to me NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1! If you are interested in participating email me at tpdesign01@yahoo.com or convo me on Etsy.

I can't wait to see how this effects us all!

Meet DancingHannah

Who are you?
Shelbi, Founder/Owner of Dancing Hannah Designs.

What is your Etsy Shop Name/link?
http://dancinghannah.etsy.com


What tag categories do you specialize in?
Mainly jewelry, earrings, bracelets, brooches, and necklaces.
I am designing jewelry for men, women and children/teens, but eventually I will be moving into print photography, and addding that to my jewelry, as well as stationary, prints, cards and other fine gifts.

Do you create for children or adults, women or men?
All

What do you like about Etsy?
I love the connections I have made with other artists and crafters...I love that everyone is so helpful and takes the time to answer each others questions and lift each other up.

What do you like about creating?
Just that feeling it gives you, kind of like a 'mini vacation'....where you get lost in a blissful place when things just come together. it is very meditative to me.

What do you love about your business?
My business is always there. It is the one thing that no one can take away. It is also an extension of a deeper layer of who I am, because it gives me the chance to create and a place to put those creations out there for all to see.

What is your favorite product right now?
anything that involves nature. This has been the year of the 'bird' for me. I have become deeply in love with birds, and nests, and am planning a collection around this theme.


What makes you unique at Etsy?
Every shop at Etsy is unique, because each one of us has contributed something exclusively made by hand.... My hands can never make anything other than my own creation...and that is what makes it unique. A bracelet can be never be just a bracelet, it will always have it's own little universe going on within it.

What makes you unique as a woman?
I guess I would have to say...hmmm...honestly? my sense of direction. I could find my way out of a corn field and tell you what direction we were headed! and, my love of fishing. don't know too many woman who love to do that .

What do you love about Kids?
their honesty, innocence and pure radiance. they just glow...I love to capture that in my photography.

What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create?

http://dancinghannah.etsy.com
http://keeperofthechocolates.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/keeperofthechocolates/
http://etsylove.ning.com/profile/dancinghannah

Make Yourself Stand Out

Hello all, TP Design here. I have been asked to write a post each week for the Etsy Moms about marketing/branding. I am very excited to be doing this! Sharing my knowledge with you and hopefully helping you all to make you and your shops stand out on Etsy and anywhere else that you sell your products. If you ever have questions or would like me to cover a specific subject please post it here or convo me on Etsy.

A little info about me, I am a graphic designer by trade. I went to University of North Texas for a degree in Communication Design and a minor in Marketing. I have been helping clients of all types of businesses figure out who they are and designing branding/marketing plans for them for over 4 years now. I own and started 3 businesses without any capitol and as of right now all 3 are making money. So I have a little background on this subject. I hope this new post to the EtsyMom blog will help you all. I would love to hear if this does help you and whay changes you make because of it. Thanks again for reading. Enjoy!


Knowing how to market yourself can make the difference. But how do you do this? What makes icons like Nike and Coke stand out from it's competitors? This unsure land that businesses sink or swim in is called the brand gap. It's knowing the difference between marketing and branding and how to use both.

Now I know that you are asking yourself, there is a difference in marketing and branding? I am here to tell you there is! We will start with marketing. The easier of the two, well maybe. Let's start with a product, it can be anything, now you take this product and deciede that you need to advertise it. Get the word out. Well what are it's features? What does it do? What do you want people to think about it? And other such questions... So you come up with a campain. Now after you figured all that out and who you want to sell it and have your campain to you think you are ready to send it out into the world to make you money.

But have you asked yourself, what is the lifestyle of the people buying this product? Or even better what do you want them to think their lifestyle is after they buy your product? Studies have shown that it's not necessarily what the product can do for their lives that sells the item but what people think of themselves after they have bought the item. Does it make them feel hip, cool, in the know, or even rich. The iPHONE (or any product from apple) is a great example of how this works. You can buy an iPHONE and feel like you are part of the "cool" group or "in the know", even though you haven't changed who you are one bit.

Now some people think you can get by with just one or the other of these two different strategies. And some companies do. But if you combine the two together...that's when you get the Apples, Cokes and Nikes of the world.

But now you ask is there some magic formula to get there. No, but there are things that you can do to help you get there. First ask yourself 3 questions:
1. Who are you?
2. What do you do?
3. Why is that important?

The first two are simple, it's the answer that you give to the third that will make you stand out. Of coarse there are a few other things too, but one of the most important is you are never afraid to try anything. And if you fail, get up and try again. It's always ok to fail, just never fail twice the same way. Good luck!

Meet BeadedSocks / Daisy Designs!

Who are you?
Stacey a work at home mother of two girls ~ two and four years old.

What is your Etsy Shop Name/link?
http://beadedsocks.etsy.com

What tag categories do you specialize in?
Children, Clothing, Accessories

Do you create for children or adults, women or men?
Children and Women

What do you like about Etsy?
I love Etsy! I like it's friendly atmosphere. I love that I can incorporate my Etsy into my main website.

What do you like about creating?
Seeing the end result, whether it be a cute hair clip, beaded socks or a sweet doll diaper.

What do you love about your business?
That I can do everything with my girls beside me. My girls are a part of the creating process, by helping choose fabric colors and thread beads. My oldest has started taking part in my color designs. These Rainbow Socks were her idea http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6812584 She gets so excited when I make and sell that specific design.
My business also gives me an opportunity to use my computer knowledge.

What is your favorite product right now?
It is a toss up between the turtle hair clip and my bugs doll diaper. :)

What makes you unique as a woman?
I am a bit of a perfectionist. I like to help people. I am a caring person.

What do you love about Kids?
I love their energy and the energy they put into everything they do. They love to have fun.

What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create?
http://daisydesignshop.com
http://beadedsocks.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlsbeadedsocks

Meet Pinkmarshmallow!

Who are you?My name is Tara. I have 2 kids. I live in Georgia and am married to Brian, a wonderful husband and architect.

What is your Etsy Shop Name/link?
http://pinkmarshmallow.etsy.com

What tag categories do you specialize in?
shoes,accessories,bottlecaps

Do you create for children or adults, women or men?
I create items for both little and big children, and mom's. I've done bridal shoes before too!

What do you like about Etsy?
The connections that you make. Everyone seems to be 'real'. Although we are all competing for customers, noone has that attitude that can be found on some other sites. Everyone is helpful and fun. Forums definitely keep me posting and on my toes!

What do you like about creating?
I like being able to create something so original, that noone has really seen it before. Everyone should be able to wear something original.

What do you love about your business?
I like the fact that someone can look at one of my items and say..."WOW! That would be perfect for my daughter (or myself)!" It is such an uplifting feeling to know that something i made will make someone happy.

What is your favorite product right now?
I think that my Leopard Santa shoes are my fave.

What makes you unique at Etsy? I think that I offer a unique product. Completely custom made for each customer.

What makes you unique as a woman? Every woman is unique. Each woman has qualities that make her stand out - and I think that my ability to keep reinventing myself and my life as it goes along makes me unique. My life has changed so many times - I think right now is the best time of my life.

What do you love about Kids? It's so hard to pinpoint one thing. Children have such a beautiful innocence - a love for everyone and everything. The look in my girls' eyes when they see something beautiful outside that they've never seen before is something to behold.

What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create?I have an ebay ID - pink*marshmallow, a webiste that I must confess to not working on very much - www.pinkmarshmallowboutique.com, weloveetsy.com and indiepublic.com.