Some of my favorite from CNY Etsy Team

Blue Cupcake Potholders Originals By Lauren

Husky Paper Cut Silhouette My Serenity Way

Turquoise Dichroic Fused Glass Pendant Minty Fresh Fusions

Touch Me Ladybug EcoLeeko

If you are looking for more items from the Cny Etsy team just search cnyetsyteam (written just like that as all one word) on Etsy.com

Mid September Update!

Hi everyone!

I've updated the blog with our more recent additions to the group (look to the right under "MEMBERS") as well as added a few blogs. If I missed anything or if there is link trouble, just send me an email at luckalilly@yahoo.com.

If you would like to see some CNY photos from the August Clinton Arts and Music Festival, visit this post on team member Heather's Blog:

http://holisticallyheather.blogspot.com/2009/08/clinton-arts-and-music-festival-in.html

Happy Fall!!

Caroline

A Treasury of CNY Etsy Products

Hello!

Today I would like to share some wonderful items lovingly handcrafted, by some of the talented artisans of the CNY Etsy Team.

Enjoy!






Sterling Silver Rectangular Pendant








Farewell summer sweets.








Medium Foundation mineral makeup set








Handcrafted Duratemp Wood Butterfly House


Feel free to peruse these shops and ask questions if needed. They will all be more than happy to help you out!

Feature Friday: Minty Fresh Fusions

The Feature Friday series is back after a short hiatus! This week's featured artist is Jen from Minty Fresh Fusions. She is quite the experienced Etsian, and has owned a total of 7 shops!! She is celebrating two years of selling on Etsy this month! Right now she is focusing on fused glass, and she makes stunning work. Check out her interview for more!


First and foremost, what is it that you make/sell?

I make fused glass jewelry and housewares.


What do you most enjoy about your craft?

I think the thing I enjoy most is opening the kiln. There's a pretty commonly repeated phrase about it being like opening presents at Xmas, and it's so true. That and getting to know some of my customers and hearing they're happy, especially when working with people's custom fused photograph pieces.



How has your experience on Etsy been?

My experience on Etsy has been wonderful, I joined 2 years ago in July and started selling 2 years ago this month.



What would you like to see from the CNY Etsy Group in the future?

I think I'd like to see the group get together more informally, a few people for coffee of whatever comes up, but then again my 2 year old always keeps me from participating in much, so I don't know if I'd make it to do much. I had fun at the 4th of July show and look forward to more team shows, definitely!

Check out Jen's shop here:

Minty Fresh Fusions

4th of July Sale at Porter Studios Gallery

I've finally gotten around to posting the pictures from the 4th of July sale at Porter Studios Gallery! The sale went really well; Jane was so generous to give us this opportunity!

Tangbaby's booth

My Serenity Way's Booth

Luckalilly Ceramics' Booth

Ecoleeko's Booth

Beaded Bird's Booth

Zosio's Booth

Sorry we don't have pictures of everyone's booths, but if anybody has any more you can send them to me and I'll post them here!!

Feature Friday: MGW Photography

For this installment of the Feature Friday series of posts, I interviewed Michael from MGW Photography.  He is located in Binghamton and takes awesome photos which he sells on Etsy as a hobby.  I believe he is the only photographer on our team (sorry if I am mistaken and overlooked someone!).  My mother was a photographer, so I've always had an interest in the medium and great respect for people who can conceive and execute a great photo.  One of Michael's photos was recently selected to be printed in the Sony World Photography Awards Book for 2009 out of a pool of over 70,000 photographs! Pretty impressive.  Read the interview to find out about more about Michael and his work:

First and foremost, what is it that you make/sell?
Fine Art Photography.

What do you most enjoy about your craft?
That no matter how much you know there is always more to learn. When I am not learning I get bored so photography has given me a opportunity to continue to learn.

How has your experience on Etsy been?
Etsy has been a great boost for my confidence. People had told me that they liked my photography when I first started taking picture but it wasnt until others started buying my stuff on etsy that I really started believing it. I now have an exhibit coming up in either Oct or Nov during Binghamtons First Friday Art Walk.

What would you like to see from the CNY Etsy Group in the future?
I would love to see the team grow and become more active. I am trying to spread the word the best I can when I meet people on etsy that live in the CNY area.

I had a really hard time choosing which photos to showcase for this feature, so make sure you check out MGW Photography's Etsy shop for more, as well as Michael's blog!!

Summer CNY Sales Events

Our team has been busy preparing for our first ever team events!  This summer, CNY Etsy Team members will be holding two local sales as a group.

The first is on July 4th during the Hamilton Farmers Market at Porter Studios and Fine Arts Gallery from 9am to 3pm.  Thanks again, Jane for offering up your gallery to help make this happen!

The secondly, several of our members will be representing the CNY Etsy Team at the Clinton Arts and Music Festival in Clinton starting at 10am.

Also-thanks to Patti from Beaded Bird Designs who made up these neat-0 graphics for us to advertise with!

If your not participating in either of these events, we would still love you to come check it out, support the team and help us get the word out!

CNY June Events!

Hi everybody! This week in lieu of the "Feature Friday" post, I'm continuing a new series of posts about the goings on of the CNY Etsy Team. Here goes!

• Firstly, Lauren from Originals by Lauren has scored a treasury (above) and filled it with items from the CNY Etsy Team's shops!  Be sure to click every picture and comment so maybe we can get to the front page!!  Click here to go to the treasury!  Thanks Lauren!

• Oneida County master Gardeners 13th annual Herb and Flower Festival 2009

Saturday June 27, 2009 9 am to 3:30pm at the Parker Scripture Botanical Gardens Farm & Home Center(Co-Op Extension), 121 Second St, Oriskany NY

Plant Vendors~Workshops~Demonstrations~ Butterfly House~Food~Raffles

visit http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/oneida

Dan Brown from Dan's Wuud Werx and Collectibles will be a vendor during the Festival with Woodcraft Birdhouses, Butterfly Houses,Garden Items,etc.  Stop by and say hi!

• Myrhieah of TangBaby will be participating in the summer Indie Garage Sale, which will be held on Saturday, June 27th at 94 Genesee Street @ the Resonance Center.

• The Westcott Art Trail Sale is June 6th and 7th at the Westcott Community Center in Syracuse.  Over 50 local artists will be participating! Visit the site for more details!

(Belated) Feature Friday: Nicole's Homemade Treats

Ok, so I totally spaced out this Friday, and I completely forgot to put up the Feature Friday post! I don't even have an excuse, I wasn't even super busy-I just plain forgot! My apologies to Nicole, who I had interviewed last week.  Her shop is a bit different from most found on Etsy, because she makes things you can actually eat!! And my, do they look tasty! I think I might need to order something with dark chocolate soon! (Hey, it's organic, and dark chocolate is good for you, so they say...)

First and foremost, what is it that you make/sell?

Preservative free, all natural, homemade chocolates, candy and granola. I try to use mainly organic ingredients.

What do you most enjoy about your craft?

The smell of the chocolate when I am "creating" and the pleasure people get out of eating my product.

How has your experience on Etsy been?

Etsy has been a great venue - as with everything, it is not perfect, but what is! I am able to have a "website" to sell my
products and do not have to worry about site maintenance. I have met some wonderful people and purchased amazing items!!!

What would you like to see from the CNY Etsy Group in the future?

I think as a group we need to do more promotion, I wish more members participated in the forum and other venues.

Thanks so much Nicole, for the interview and for not even complaining when I forgot to put up the post!!!

Make sure to visit Nicole's shop to order a batch of delicious chocolate goodies, and check out her blog to learn more!!

June Events

If anyone has any upcoming events, sales in your shop, treasuries, artsy things going on around town, ANYTHING of interest to our group, let me know via email at luckalilly@yahoo.com. (two l's at the end! I'll email you back to let you know I got it, if I don't email you, I probably didn't get yours.)   I'm going to be putting another post together about these upcoming events.  

Thanks!

-Caroline

Feature Friday: Originals By Lauren

Finally another Feature Friday post! I know it's been a while, but I had a down internet connection, as well as some other things going on that prevented me from getting it done!

This week, I interviewed Lauren from Originals By Lauren.  She sews beautiful quilts, aprons and more.  Her shop is coming up on it's one year anniversary this month, and she has over one hundred sales to show for it! Congratulations, Lauren! 

First and foremost, what is it that you make/sell?

I sew and make jewelry. My items are original designs, and I make everything I sell. My main focus is on quilts, aprons and potholders. I have a little bit of sterling silver and copper jewelry too, but I am primarily a seamstress.

What do you most enjoy about your craft?

I love to sew. I enjoy picking out fabrics, mixing prints, and coming up with new items. I have been sewing since 6th grade, and I still love to try new things.

How has your experience on Etsy been?

I joined etsy on May 1 of last year, but started listing items on May 23, so I am coming up on 1 year of sales. I looked around for a few weeks to see what sells and what doesn't. I originally was going to focus on jewelry and saw how saturated etsy was with jewelry and changed my focus, and it has worked out well. My sales started out slowly, and I dropped items that didn't sell and focused on the ones that did, and around the holidays things started to take off for me. I belong to 2 teams and really enjoy being on etsy. I have sold things as far away as Fiji and Australia, and as close as New Hartford.

What would you like to see from the CNY Etsy Group in the future?

I am so glad that our local team was formed. I loved meeting other etsy sellers in person, love the postcard, and look forward to going to some of the shows to meet more members. I no longer do craft shows, but still think I can get alot out of this group. I started a team thread and hope more members begin to stop by. It can be a great tool for bouncing ideas off each other and sharing successes. This is a great group and I think together we can enjoy alot of success.

To see more of Lauren's work, visit her Etsy Shop,  and don't forget to check out her blog!

Also, Lauren can answer any other questions from the team in the "comments" section below!

Upcoming Events!

Ok, ok, so instead of the usual "Feature Friday" post, I went ahead and did something a little different this week.   I put together a list of upcoming events/shows/sales team members are participating in.  I know everyone is super-busy promoting their shops around town, and so I thought if we had one place where they were all promoted it would be easier to get out and support each other!!  I'm thinking this might become a monthly thing for the blog.  *If you have an event coming up in May thats not listed here, just convo or email me, and I can add it! I put this list together somewhat last-minute, and I'm sure there are more things going on that I missed!*

Ok so here is the list!

• Cathy will have a table set up at the "Ted Moore Walk and Run" at MVCC on Saturday, May 2. She will be promoting her Lotus-Butterfly Project Items at this event, and the donations go to the Mohawk Valley Council on Alchohol and Addictions. 
• Lynn's paintings are being featured at the Oriskany Library through the month of May.  The artist's reception on May 7.  More info about the event on her blog.
• I (Luckalilly) am going to be in a Pottery/Jewelry sale at "The Other Side" next to Domenico's Cafe on Genesee Street on Sunday, May 3 from 11 am to 5 pm.  I am also participating in a Bridal Expo at Angela and Co. Hair Salon  on Commercial Drive in New Hartford on the same day from Noon to 3 pm. 
• Nicole will be having a sale soon, so check back for more details!
  

Again, if anyone has any more upcoming events, be sure to let me know so I can post them here!!

Feature Friday: Ecoleeko

This week, I thought that it was about time we got to know the person who is responsible for getting this whole group started! Therefore, this week's featured shop owner is Sue from Ecoleeko.  She makes adorable eco-friendly little critters for kids! Check out her interview to learn more!

First and foremost, what is it that you make/sell?

I make colorful fun eco-friendly plush dolls, soft baby rattles and bath mitts. I use all natural fabrics like organic cotton blends and bamboo fleece and use all natural fillings, threads and yarns. I hand dye and print all the fabric with low impact fiber active dyes to get the bright colors. I make everything by hand and sell Ecoleeko through my website, my etsy site, through various retail stores across the U.S., Canada and soon at the Hamilton farmers market in Hamilton NY this summer starting in May! The market will be a first so I hope it goes well. I am in the process of making and designing the displays.

www.ecoleeko.com
www.ecoleeko.etsy.com


What do you most enjoy about your craft?

I love working with all natural materials, fabrics, designing fun stuff and love to sew, so it merges everything I love! Kids toys are fun and colorful to design and I enjoy researching new animals or insects and trying to come up with an interesting way to make them. I also love the freedom to come up with new designs, play with color combinations & research new natural or recycled materials whether it be for my items or for packaging and wrapping. It's really exciting developing a small business yourself.


How has your experience on Etsy been?

Etsy has been amazing. I started my own website, but also felt like Etsy could be a great venue to sell through as well. I find that it is a wonderful venue to network. I've been introduced to a lot of wholesale accounts, press and blog interest through Etsy, as well as meeting great people and other Etsians! It's a great way for anyone who wants to sell their handmade items to have their own shop and feel their way through.


What would you like to see from the CNY Etsy Group in the future?

I'm really happy to see how far we've come already! Postcards are getting printed and our first show coming up is pretty great. Also the volunteering that everyone is helping with shows that the team has some really great people who want the group to prosper, which is wonderful.
I hope in the future to see more shows or more group events. I want other members to feel free to organize an event for the team on their own if they have an idea they feel would be fun. I'd like to see events in various places, like shows in different towns. We'll see!

Thanks so much, Sue, for starting the CNY Etsy Team and being responsible for all the great things that our team is now doing as a result! 

To see more of Sue's work, visit her Etsy Shop or her website, and don't forget to check out her blog!

As usual, Sue can answer any other questions from the team in the "comments" section below!

Feature Friday: Spongetta

Its Friday already?? AND we had two sunny/ almost warm days in a row up here in Central New York?  Lucky us! This week's feature is Spongetta, a shop comprised of two women who love to sew and quilt, Betsy and Sara.  Together they have built an impressively successful shop with loads of sales all over the world-very inspirational!

First and foremost, what is it that you make/sell?
Spongetta is known for the ring purses and stockings predominantly, but Betsy and Sara are both quilters at heart. Sara employs more traditional techniques and fabrics. Two of her quilts are currently available in the store. Betsy has been side-tracked from a love of piecing unexpected textures and colors by the success of the bags. Most of the fabric for the purses has been found in the back of fabric stores, pulled out of trunks in the attic of various friends and family members or are repurposed clothing.

What do you most enjoy about your craft?
Designing something unexpected by substituting a nontraditional fabric or technique to make a piece that is unusual or one of kind.

How has your experience on Etsy been?
Etsy has been an amazing experience. I (Betsy) had been selling at local craft shows with family members and could not give my items away in Upstate New York. The Etsy store opened up an international marketplace and helped me to find an outlet in places I did not dream I could reach. Most of my sales are to Texas, California and Toronto. For someone living in such a rural area with limited resources, this has been astounding.

What would you like to see from the CNY Etsy Group in the future?
I look forward to more opportunities to meet in person with others who are making and selling their items. So much is gained when we all share in that creative energy.

To visit Spongetta's shop, click here.

If you have any additional questions for either of the lovely ladies, feel free to ask them in the comments section below (or just leave a note about how cool their stuff is!!)