Boost Your Sales by Selling Your Wares at Brick & Mortar Shops

Often, it takes more than just your Etsy shop to get your handmade wares noticed and, ultimately, sold. In addition to selling online, you can do quite well by consigning your items at select brick and mortar shops that cater to crafters. I found a list of such shops on the “links” page of Handmade Galleries, a shop in Los Angeles where I rent a booth to showcase and sell my wares. The list was originally compiled by Oak of Boston. Be sure to check out their website (http://www.oakboston.com/catalog/) and Etsy shop (http://www. oakboston.etsy.com) as they deserve due credit for taking the time to search out all of these shops. To note, after stumbling upon this list, I was successful in making immediate contact with a handful of shops that are now carrying my retro-inspired tees and totes. Good luck!

http://bohemiatucson.com/
http://www.handmadegalleriesla.com
http://www.andelimited.com/
http://www.fancytiger.com
http://www.rainydaypaperback.com/
http://beehiveco-op.com/
http://www.uniquefreaque.com/
http://www.aurora-il.org/publicarts/museumshop.php
http://tangokdesign.com
http://www.renegadehandmade.com
http://www.sageanddaisy.com/
http://www.ilovethemakery.com/
http://lunaboutique.net/
http://www.deescrafts.com/
http://www.myspace.com/cherrybomblouisville
http://www.edithandedna.com/
http://www.oakboston.com
http://boutiquefabulous.com/
http://lushbeads.com/
http://magpie-store.com/
http://www.corazononline.com
http://www.coolplanetgoods.com
http://www.designcollectivempls.com
http://www.justplaincountrystore.com/
http://cricketsnest.com/
http://raredevice.net/
http://sodafine.com/
http://www.artezn.com/
http://www.handmadenyc.com
http://www.handmadenyc.com
http://www.whollycraft.net/
http://vixemporium.wordpress.com/
http://www.mewgallery.org
http://artstarphilly.com
http://www.mymy.us/store/
http://www.texasartspot.com
http://www.umedesigns.com/
http://theredthreadstudio.com
http://www.justplaincountrystore.com/
http://www.ashowofhands.biz/Site/Home.html
http://www.torpedofactory.org/
http://www.thesewingloungeburbank.com/

Be sure to check out my Etsy store if you haven't already: anisemouette.etsy.com
Also, look for new "Kitschy Craft" how-to tutorials on my blog: anisemouette.blogspot.com

Friday Flickr Finds: Pink, Coral, & Aqua

These Flickr finds are from our Retro Handmade Team Flickr group pool.

1. The New Claire Wristlet

2. Twisted Red

3. Celestrine

4. Sweet & Dainty Halter Apron

5. Falda patitos

6. Suzie Homemaker 1

It's Not As Simple As B and W

Suzanne (Threepeats) just snagged a treasury list featuring retro inspired handmade items from members' shops! Please check out her treasury list, add a comment, click away, or better yet... shop retro handmade!

Treasury Title Name: It's Not As Simple As B and W
Curator: Threepeats
Expiration date: Saturday, May 24 at 4:24pm EST

Link: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=59576

Have fun browsing! :-)

Featured Member: DCartesianos

1. What is your shop name? 

dcartesianos.etsy.com

2. How did you first get started in your craft?  There has been always a sewing machine in my house, my mom and grandma made me my clothes, and my dolls' clothes... and by the age of 12, I started feeling envious of them, got a yard of fabric, and tried to do what they, with so much fluency, did.

3. What inspires you?  Everything, a film, a flower, a forgotten piece of fabric in the drawer, something I've seen on TV or in a magazine...

4. What are your favorite color combinations?  My favourite colour combination is turquoise and ruby red, it's shocking and reminds me of the "Wizard of Oz", but I also love emerald green with silver grey (that combination is much more for special events).

5. What is your favorite item from your shop?  My headbands, I do love each of them, I make them one by one, choosing carefully the patterns, buttons, and bows, just for a perfect combination. I have lots of them for me, because I think they improve any outfit.

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be?  Crafty, active and creative.

7. What superpower would you most like to have?

To control time, stop it, rewind it....

8. What is the first thing you remember creating? 

The first thing was this skirt

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/luripop/DC5.jpg

I made it when I was 14 years old, and I remember I put the fabric on me and made two pleats on the front, and two pleats on the back, to adjust it. Some ribbon, a zipper, and DONE!

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why?  The 60's in the US, (in Spain, the 60's came in mid 70's), because I love the clothes, the music, the spirit, rock n' roll way of living, the furniture and architecture... almost everything.

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.)
This is my website www.dcartesianos.es
my blog (sorry, in Spanish): dcartesianos.blogspot.com
and my personal flickr: www.flickr.com/kidsdoitbetter

Featured Blog Giveaway: Nikkimichele

Kitsch to classic, fun to funky, bizarre to brandish, vintage to vixen! Have we covered it all?

Our company is all about Nikki and Michele: thirty-something moms and cousins who, after years apart just due to life itself, have rediscovered their friendship and decided to channel their creative energies into making daringly different handmade products and gifts!

Convinced that chic is a personal matter and a matter of personality rather than something dictated by the mainstream world of fashion, we chicks have developed a line of “totally bitchin’ bling” meant to meet the adornment addiction of every woman’s taste and style.

For the giveaway, please stop by our site at http://www.nikkimichele.etsy.com and vote on the item you love the most and you may win it!!!

Giveaway Details

The giveaway will run from today Monday, May 18, 2009, until next Monday, May 25, 2009 at Midnight EST (Eastern Standard Time). The winner will receive an item from Nikkimichele’ Etsy shop. This giveaway is open to the US only.

To Enter:

• Official Entry: Choose your favorite item from Nikkimichele' Etsy shop that you hope to win. PLEASE leave a comment with the name of chosen item from Nikkimichele and a way to contact you (i.e., Etsy shop username).

• If winner does not respond to the winning convo / email within 72 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Thank you so much! :-)

Friday Flickr Finds: A bit of retro

These Flickr finds are from our Retro Handmade Team Flickr group pool.

1. Raglan Dress 

2. The Teresa Purse

3. with the wishing fish

4. Vintage flower pattern

5. The Peggy Sue Handbag

6. Retro and Shwe Shwe Pillow Covers

And The Winner is... {May '09 Design Challenge}

Green and Green - Braided Ribbon Barrettes from Retro80s

First Runner-Up: 

Retro GREEN GREEN GREEN Button Bouquet by RetroReDesign

Second Runner-Ups: (It was tied) 

1) Organic by Liddesignsboutique 

2) Retro Telephone Kitsch-en Magnet by Anisemouette 

3) Kiwi Atomic Tiki Moderne Retro Eames Barkcloth SLOUCH BAG by AtomicLivin

Off to the Emerald City

Steph (TartDeco) created a treasury list of top 16 vote-getters from May '09 Design Challenge. It is called "Off to the Emerald City."  Have a look - it expires on Friday, May 15 at 6:34am EST.

Congratulations to Retro80s, RetroReDesign, Liddesignsboutique, Anisemouette, AtomicLivin, FallingLeafDesigns, BeautifulStranger, Vintagecookie, Haannh, KnottySisters, Bipedalhumm, Threepeats, FartsyArts, Funusual, MyFriendAmy, and WendyBirde.