Give Aways

Friday, September 28, 2012

SHOP FEATURE - september 28th, 2012 - Schalrausch


greetings from Germany!  we are thrilled to present gorgeous scarves from Heike's stunning shop, Schalrausch!  beautifully hand dyed and hand sewn, Heike obviously loves what she does and we are excited to be one of the first places to showcase her work!  so sit back and enjoy her Q & A then shop away with her exclusive DDH discount code!

What made you decide to start your shop? I have been addicted to scarves for a very long time - all sorts of scarves! I used to collect Hermès scarves.

My friends always asked me to buy scarves for them because they loved mine. When I discovered Etsy, I thought that this would be a fantastic chance for me to create my own scarves and share them with the whole world. All my scarves are either hand dyed or completely hand sewn by me.



What type of products do you sell?
I sell scarves. These scarves are either sewn from fabric which I purchase in local stores in and around Munich or are hand-dyed and sewn from unbleached raw silk/linen/cotton. I try my best to offer a wide variety: There are plain colored scarves in soft and bright colors, with fringes, without fringes, pure silk scarves, pure linen scarves, my very popular infinity scarves, and soft cotton scarves. I love them all.

What is your favorite shop accomplishment so far?
I have met so many wonderful people from all over the world here on Etsy and I love to exchange thoughts and views within this community. I would call it a success to be part of such a lovely community. I am also thrilled with the fact that I have managed to do things that I never thought that I would be able to do.


What is your biggest challenge as an Etsy/online seller?
I love to connect and get in touch with people from all over the world. But as most of you are in different time zones and I want to catch up with you all, I spend almost the whole night in front of my laptop, which often means little sleep, but sleep is overrated in any case. J (There are fantastic eye creams on the market)

What is the top selling item in your shop?
So far, my fringed linen scarves have been selling best. I offer them in many different colors, from pastel colors to bright and bold colors and also some nice two-tone ones.

Do you have a tip for others selling in the handmade community?
Running a homemade business is a 24/7 job. But this is the fantastic thing about it, when you do something that you love, you can only give your best when you love doing what you do and when you stand behind it 100%. Same time you need to be patient, it will not start from 0 to 100 and you always need to develop and improve yourself. I am still in the beginning stages and I am learning every day.


What are you currently working on/newest project?

Before I even think of selling/listing a new scarf, I always make samples first, which I gift to my mum, friends and they "test" it in real life and tell me their honest opinion. At the moment I am working with a very special cotton fabric. My supplier, who is THE specialist supplier for silk/linen and cotton raw fabrics in Germany, recommended this gauze cotton fabric to me. I ordered a couple of yards to test the fabric. So far the fabric has been washed, tumble dried and it is a beautiful voluminous gauze fabric, which will make fantastic looking scarves. The dyes are ready and next week I will create some wonderful Fall scarves in rich jewel colors.

Favorite blog or crafty resource that you refer to often!


There is not really a crafting website that I visit. I read a lot of fashion magazines, the Instyle mag i.e. is my "bible" and what also really inspires me are the great artists on etsy. When I see wonderful paintings in great colors, fantastic jewelry in beautiful colors, this is something that inspires me. thank you so much, Heike for working with us here at the Daily Dose!  you can now use her exclusive DDH code
DAILY10 for a 10% discount!  she is also offering free international shipping at the moment - you can't get better than this!!!!!

Friday, September 21, 2012

SHOP FEATURE - september 21st, 2012 - TheWickedShop



happy feature friday, everyone!  we are so happy to feature Jacqueline from The Wicked Shop on the Daily Dose today!  enjoy the Q & A - then shop with the exclusive discount code! 

What made you decide to start your shop?
Through the last twenty years I have been creating art and jewlery. After selling in local markets, consignment shops, owning a small craft shop myself, I have finally discovered the wonderful world of Etsy and online opportunities! Opening my online shop has been a natural progression and an excellent way to market my work and broaden my customer base. After opening my shop I am continuously learning new online tools to market my products. Social networking has been an excellent addition to helping my online shop continue to grow!

What type of products do you sell?
Scrabble Tile Art ~ Glass Tile Art~ Domino Tile Art
New and Vintage Game Tiles can be created into small pieces of art. Whether these are worn as a necklace, sit neatly between the pages of a book as a bookmark, hang on your ears, or sit on your fridge, they are super unique.
I have recently branched out into greeting cards which also hold a scrabble tile magnet on the front. These cards are cute enough to frame or use in scrapbooking. The magnet simply adds another level of Art to the card and can be taken off and used!
Now and then, I will offer One of a kind items, if I find some great vintage game tiles, they will most definitley be featured. I have found some awesome Tri Omino's, Rummy Tiles and Word Search Tiles which will be pretty cool to work with.
Of Course, I also am excited to offer custom work for people who would like their own picture on a tile. I do a lot of wedding's this way as well as pets! What an excellent way to remember a loved one.



What is your favorite shop accomplishment so far?
In a business view, I think my most favorite shop accomplishment has been the increase in the amount of exposure my shop has developed over the past year. When looking through my statistics in my shop that Etsy so nicely helps us with, I can track the amount of views, favorites, and purchases over the months. My shop is continuing in a forward manner and I am excited for this!
I am very pleased that my feedback from my clients have been so encouraging and positive. It is always so nice to see and hear of the reaction my clients have opening up their package and discovering their little work of art.
In a more creative view, my favorite shop accomplishment has been to offer more than just necklaces. I have introduced bookmarks, magnets, and greeting cards as well. It is always fun to work on a variety of things and I now offer a great mix of creations!

What is your biggest challenge as an online/etsy seller?
My biggest challenge has been both challenging and fun at the same time! Learning different ways to increase traffic to your shop is both intriguing and fun, however, very time consuming. Social media is an excellent tool for social networking and marketing, however, there is so much time spent in development and it doesn't just end there we have to maintain what we create! Time management is probably my biggest challenge at the moment.  ---Focus---



What is the top selling item in your shop?
Scrabble Tile Pendant - OM Symbol

Scrabble Tile Pendant Necklaces are the top selling item in my shop. They are unique little gifts, inexpensive and can be a very personable gift. Excellent for birthdays, office gifts, stockings, you name it, they are great!

Do you have a tip for others selling in the online community?
My most important tips would be qualtiy and accountability. It is very important for me that everything I make is a quality piece of art. Something I would be happy to recieve and I am, yes, picky when it comes to detail :).
Another very important tip is to be dependable. You want your clients to know that you are a solid, responsible person who only wants the best handmade items sold in their shop.

Can I have one more? Creativity! Be creative, find something you can make and make it better! Think outside the box and you will surprise yourself with what you can do!

What are you currently working on/new designs?
I am currently working on some glass tile art which will be slowly introduced into my shop. I will soon have a new glass tile section in my shop. All scrabble tile pendants will soon be available in glass tiles. I will also have a large selectionof scrabble size glass tile magnet sets. Great for Christmas shopping, teacher gifts, and always birthday gifts! 



Do you have a favorite crafty/handmade blog/shop/resource that you go to often, if so what is it?
I often check out Dailydoseofhandmade.blogspot.ca, not just for the excellent deals but it is always inspiring for me to read about other shops too. 

thank you so much Jacqueline!  we are so thrilled to work with you!  and now, DDH subscribers, enjoy her exclusive coupon code - DAILYDOSEDEAL (20%OFF) which is valid until OCT. 15!!!



Wednesday, September 19, 2012

win it wednesday - september 19th, 2012 - JulieEllynDesigns (and the Primetime Emmys!)


are you secretly a rocker chick, like me?  then you will absolutely DIE over the fabulous wrapped bracelet (pictured above) that we have up for grabs this week!  our win it wednesday is hosted by our very own JulieEllynDesigns, who is also ramping up for her showcase at the Primtetime Emmy gift lounge through The Artisan Group!  The Artisan Group, an elite art promotions group, will be a platinum sponsor in GBK’s upcoming Luxury Gift Lounge held on September 21-22, 2012 in Hollywood, California, in honor of the Nominees and Presenters of the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards.  (You can check out the official gift guide HERE!)


 
julie's featured item in her Emmy display!


but now down to the nitty gritty... this is how you can enter the giveaway!!!!!

1. Subscribe to the Daily Dose Newsletter (you can enter your email address in the bar in the top right corner of the blog)
2. Follow Daily Dose on Twitter
3. Subscribe to Julie Ellyn Designs Newsletter at julieellyndesigns.blogspot.com
4. Follow Julie Ellyn Designs on Twitter
5. Like Julie Ellyn Designs on Facebook
6. Tweet about this giveaway and post your link  (this is a daily entry!)
7. Heart Julie Ellyn Designs on Etsy and tell us your favorite item

*** OPEN WORLD WIDE ***
Winner will be selected on Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012 using random.org

Good luck!

last but not least - congratulations to LESLEY from WHIMSYBAGS for winning last week's giveaway, hosted by cJoyOrignals!  YAY Lesley - and thank you thank you thank you Carol for being last week's host!!!




Wednesday, September 12, 2012

our upcoming FALL tophatter auction!


we're busy behind the scenes over at the Daily Dose!  after our brief summer hiatus and the rush of back to school, we are ready to rock and roll!  we have tentatively scheduled our second Tophatter auction for September 30th, 2012 (10am CDT) and are really hoping we can be as successful as our 1st auction!!!  sellers - we would LOVE to see you there with your wares!  buyers - well, you know you are totally welcome to browse and bid and shop and chat with us!  you can click HERE to rsvp!  sellers - we will have details as to when to submit items ASAP!

remember, this can only work if we get the word out, so get talking!!! 

xoxoxo

win it wednesday - september 12th, 2012 - cJoyOriginals



we are thrilled to pieces to have Carol from cJoyOriginals to host this week's win it wednesday giveaway!  she is offering the beautiful necklace above to one lucky winner - perfect with that little black dress or jeans and a tshirt!  all you need to do to enter is:

1. Subscribe to our newsletter (you MUST be a subscriber to win).
2. Heart
cJoyOriginals on Etsy.
3. Tell us what your favorite item is in cJoyOriginals shop in comment.
3. Follow the Daily Dose on Twitter @ddofhandmade.


4. Follow cJoyOriginals on Twitter @cJoyOriginals
4. Like cJoyOriginals on Facebook
5. TWEET  on Twitter or POST on Facebook and leave a link in the comment section. This is a daily entry option.


 

NOTE: This giveaway is open to US and Canada only!  You must leave a separate note/comment below for each entry, so do not group into one comment.  The last day to enter is Tuesday, September 18th. Winner will be selected by random.org!

As a special bonus, Carol is also offering a discount code to all DDH subscribers for the week her giveaway runs - you can use the coupon code DAILYDOSE20 for 20% off your entire order storewide!  you can't get any better than this!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

daily dose of handmade - BACK TO SCHOOL gift guide!

Rustic Wood push pins. Perfe...

$11.00
Vintage Chapter Books, Child...

$20.00
Canvas Tote "And They L...

$12.00
Turquoise and Silver Gemston...

$48.00
Natural Wood - Rustic Maple ...

$14.00
Retro Vintage Woman Baking I...

$12.00
Natural beauty bird's ne...

$35.00
Halloween Tags - Trick or Tr...

$3.75
Natural Reclaimed Oak Wooden...

$20.00
Simple flower clips

$10.00
Modern Teardrop Hoop Dangle ...

$19.00
25 Dollar Gift Certificate F...

$25.00
Semi Precious Gemstone Stret...

$35.00
Natural Wood - Rustic Lip Ba...

$12.00
Pinwheel flower clip -- medi...

$12.00
DaVinci Female Image Tote ba...

$12.00

kids heading back to school?  starting to get excited over brand spanking new notebooks and freshly sharpened pencils?  then look no more!  we have a fabulous line up of shops offering you some fantastic deals for the back-to-school rush!


WFBNH: 15 percent off storewide! Coupon code SCHOOL.
Timber: BK2SCH for 35% off storewide!
JED: Sept30 for 30% off storewide!
Bookishkind: 25% off kids books with the code ILIKEVINTAGE
WhimsyBags: schooldaze for 25% off

happy back to school shopping!!!!

Monday, September 3, 2012

congrats to our "memories of summertime" design challenge!



congrats to KAREN from CatchingWaves who won our "memories of summertime" design challenge!  with 31% of the votes, her beautiful series of driftwood paintings embodied the perfect summertime memory!  thank you to everyone who entered - and to everyone who voted!  KAREN - we will be in touch in regards to your blog and newsletter ads!