Fabulous Find Friday - BonTons

My fabulous find for this week is BonTons - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6079580

She makes fabulous personalized gifts. My favs are the pillow cases and tote bags. She also has a blog where she talks about her craft and her family. http://personalisedgiftsforsomeonespecial.blogspot.com/ She lives in Australia and like many of us is upset by the CPSIA legislation. Stop by her shop today.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Ever have one of those weeks where you work on a bunch of little projects but don't actually acomplish anything. That's the story of my life. I have nothing to share with you this week. The kids and I are working on Valentines Day cards. I hope to have them finished for next week. Stay tuned.

So whatcha working on?

ByNanasHands "CPSIA Inspired" listing

I blogged about Ozarknana and ByNanasHands http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5809669 on a Fabulous Finds Friday a few weeks ago. Today she posted in her blog about Etsy and the CPSIA law. http://wwwbynanashands.blogspot.com/2009/01/etsy-stands-with-its-sellers-of.html

Check out her CPSIA Inspired listing.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19881057

Quoting from the listing:

Based on the new CPSIA law which goes into effect on February 10, 2009, and using the current costs quoted for testing this tool box will sky rocket to $10,940.00!

My Tool for Tots Tool Box has a grand total of 26 "different" components....as follows:
* 6 different fabrics
* 17 different embroidery and regular sewing threads
* 1 kind of interfacing
* 1 hypoallergenic polyfil stuffing
* 1 length of belt webbing for handle

At $70 PER COMPONENT for lead testing, that adds $1,820.00 to the cost.

PLUS each of the 26 components need to be tested for phthalates at $350 per component which adds an additional $9,100.00, total with the actual cost, $10,940.00. That is the "true" cost of what the Tools for Tots tool box WILL BE AFTER FEBRUARY 10, 2009.

Many Etsians have posted similar CPSIA Inspired listings. To find them under Handmade search CPSIA and click price to sort by price. The highest price ones are what items will cost if the law goes into effect. The lowest priced ones are Etsians who are selling off their stock and getting out of the children business if not competely closing their shops. Tragic.

For further informaiton see: http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/cpsia-deadline-for-changeorg-vote-cnn-article-3247/

Fabulous Finds Friday - Superflykidz

Time for another fabulous finds Friday. This week I've choosen Superflykidz. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5058462

Santa brought a pair of her capes to our house this year. My boys have had a blast as "Super boy and Captain Destructo". I luv how the capes are customizable, inexpensive and easy to get on and off.

These are pics of my own boys. Superflykidz has even more pictures in her Etsy shop.

My ETSY One Year Business Survival Tip list by LaveMeSoapCo

I saw this post in the Etsy forums today and loved it so much I had to share. I hope to keep all of these things in mind with my venture with LittleSpots

My ETSY One Year Business Survival Tip list by LaveMeSoapCo

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5560733

1. You might just fail.Yep, I said it. You might also succeed, but if you are not ready to realize that starting a business is not a guaranteed thing for a million dollar investment you will be blindsided when you are not thriving as you want to be. Accept the fact now and be prepared to do whatever it takes to get ahead.

2. Not everyone is going to like you.This is a world wide community with differing opinions, religions, political views, shop ideas ect. You will not become everyones best friend. Get a thick skin now and brush off what irks you. I spent many a nights crying and soon realized that people are not perfect and neither am I.

3. You will make some of the bestest friends you will ever have. I have not made only friends here but I have a true family of moms, brothers and sisters that I rely upon to give me honest opinions about how I am doing and maybe just be a shoulder for them to lean on or vice versa.

4. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SLOW TIMES! This is major. When sales are slow start a newsletter to bring in business. Make ads with project wonderful, do craft shows if possible, market, twitter, blog, retake photos and create business cards, ect. Do all of these things to improve when you have a chance.Go into critiques for an actual critique. Pop into the virtual labs as well. Make connections cause when the sales are piling in, you will wish you had.

5. Stop whining that sales are slow. Pity sales are not what you need. See above for things to do instead.

6. Join a team if possible. I am an admin with the CYA soap team and I love it! I get to chat about issues I care about, cross promote, teach, do treasuries ect. Working as a team means there is a greater force moving as one to promote handmade.

7. Follow your gut, not just trends. Nuf said.

8. Have confidence. Who wants to buy from a seller who doesn't believe in their product or ability. Self pity gets you no where. Trust that what you do is unique because you are as a person and your shop is an extension of that. Make people want your items because you know they will love them and want them.

9. I forget #9. Expect to go brain dead every once in a wile from thinking too much.

10. Customer service is #1. Good product, good photos, good marketing will get you only so far if you don't respond to convos, send product in the time promised and communicate with your buyers. Repeat business is why business succeed. Think about that seller that you always go back to 3 times a year for that special something. Now multiply that by 1000 buyers. You wonder how to become a top seller? Start by being a good business person.

I hope all of these tips help and ty ETSy!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

It's time for another Whatcha Working on Wednesday.

This week I've been making marble crayons. The plan to include them at LittleSpots during shop opening. I just need some sunshine so I can take some better pictures. I'm getting very tired of our long, snowy, Canadian winter.

Last week Who's a Blogwhore commented she's working on a round ripple afghan. I can't wait to see the finished product. See her blog post about it here... http://whosablogwhore.blogspot.com/2009/01/destashing-part-1.html

So whatcha working on?

CPISA

The CPISA - Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is a bill which was past in the United States and is starting to come into effect. It has huge ramifications for small handcrafters of childrens items like myself. I don't have a clear comprehension of the whole thing, and I have been searching for an article or blog I could share with you to help you understand. Today I finally found one. A commentary on Forbes.com by Walter Olson.

http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

This bill has highly upset the Etsy community. Many shops are closing down because they simply cannot afford to comply with the act. Some say they won't get caught and are staying open. I am still deciding what to do. I've considered stopping shipping to the USA even though they are the majority of my customers.

Fabulous Find Friday - Electric Boogaloo

Tiffany Ard the artist behind Electric Boogaloo http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002595 describes herself as "the biggest nerd you've ever met." I think she may be closely followed by me. I'm a cytogenetic technologist by day which translated means I grow cells and use a microscope to examine their chromosomes (DNA structures). I luv Electric Boogaloo's Nerdy Art, especially her Nerdy Baby Art.

The above picture is is my fav because of the letter Y.

The one below is called "I love my microscope". I think I should hang it above mine at work to remind me how much I love mine, especially on the days I'd rather be anywhere else.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Time for another Whatcha Working on Wednesday.

Last week Dinah from Who's a Blogwhore said she was working on crochet dishcloths. See her blog post about her dishcloths here... http://whosablogwhore.blogspot.com/2008/12/over-rainbow.html

As for me, I've been working on Klean Kanteen Covers for my AngelaSpots Etsy store. I've been sewing, made my listings uniform and actually got outside to take some snowy pictures. Stop by AngelaSpots to see all of my hard work. http://angelaspots.etsy.com/

So whatcha working on?

ByNanasHands - made with love

Time for the second fabulous finds Friday. Today I am featuring Ozarknana. I first saw her shop when her "Girls Tools" were featured in a treasury on Etsy. Anyone, with enough patience, can make a treasury and the best ones end up on Etsy's front page.

Find Ozarknana's shop here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5809669
and her blog here http://www.bynanashands.blogspot.com/

Here are my favourites. For your little handy man/woman.

Growing up my brother loved turtles and he still has his pet turtle. Everyone loves turtles!

Whatcha working on Wednesday

With this blog going to publish "Watcha working on Wednesday". I'll talk about what I'm working on. You can leave me a comment telling me, and my other readers, what you're working on.

So for my very first whatcha working on Wednesday (or sometimes Tuesday night) post. This is what I'm working on...

Fingerpaint! This was my first attempt. It needs some tweeking but my kids (Jeremy age 3.5 and Christopher age 17 months) had a blast. The plan is to eventually sell a natural fingerpaint through LittleSpots.

So whatcha working on?

Fabulous Finds Friday - MissPrettyPretty Playhouse

I choose this fabulous playhouse for my very first Fabulous Find Friday (or technically Thurdsay night) post.

I first saw Missprettypretty's shop when one of her playhouses was featured in an Etsy Gift Guide. I can see why, each is so detailed, well constructed and the fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles. She customises each to fit over your existing folding table and when not in use they fold down to be stored nearly anywhere. Genius!

Of course the firestation is my favourite. The only thing that's missing is a dalmatian. Check out her shop for all of her other wonderful creations. http://missprettypretty.etsy.com/

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! What's your New Years resolution? Mine is to get LittleSpots off the ground. I want to launch my Etsy shop with a flurry, but I'm not ready yet. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Check back most Fridays for "Fabulous Find Fridays". All will be child related, and if you love buying for kids as much as I do you have to check them out.