Featured Etsy Seller: Erin Keys

Featured Seller: erinkeys.etsy.com



Does This look familiar?
Well, it should if you have been doing your homework! This is a smaller version of the Front Page Star: Dream in my shop. Doesnt it look amazing on this necklace?!

I did a search on etsy of INCROWD team members (Indiana Street Team) and found this amazing seller. The Carrie necklaces caught my eye. I went out on a limb and asked her if she would be willing to use my flowers in her necklaces. And the rest is history!



Lemon Chiffon- Doesnt it look good enough to eat?! It's perfect.




Erin is from the "big city". Close enough to personally deliver the flowers... maybe next time!
Hopefully there will be much more collabrating in the future for us!

Summer Feeling!

I've got that summer feeling!
Today it is a sunny 80 degrees in Indiana. It feels like summer. Has me thinking of summer.
I bought some bright orange and peach at the fabric store. Im planning on going back for some purple and reds.
What colors are you guys wanting to see more of?

Soon I will put up pictures of what comes from my trip to the store yesterday... until then, new items!!

Front Page Here I Come!

Are you ready for this?
It is a great day in the world of an Etsy seller when they are featured on the front page! My day was this past saturday. I received 1 sell, 15 shop hearts and tons of item hearts. Hopefully more people have discovered Renegades items.

Other news, I have listed a few new items. One has already sold. The cutest little bobbies. I call them Earth Day because they make me want to go out and save the world.

Hopefully I can figure out how to add this widget that shows me on the front page. Off to try it.

dreams

I know... 2 posts in a day. I am just showing off now.
but really... I have done a lot of soul searching lately. I realized I have been on auto pilot. I have been going about life as if I were just trying to get through the day. does anyone know what I am saying?
let's start with dreams and goals. I didn't have any for a long time. I think I was too scared to fail. well you don't know if you don't try. I also had tried to put everyone else in front of my own needs. so as a result of realizing this I have an action plan now. I am writing a business plan and taking actions toward meeting that plan. what have you done to get yourself jump started?
I am allowing myself to listen to music to decide what I like. I am redecorating my room in colors only I could love. I am setting my own routine. its scary. if I keep with it I think I will learn a lot about myself. only good things from here on out. it is bound to affect my creativity as well. who knows what I will be making next!

did you miss me?

I am sorry for being gone for so long. if I were to try to explain why I have been without internet it would take a while. I will just say I am back and connected.
I am blogging right now from my new palm treo. which means anywhere I get a spare moment I will be on the web blogging or tweeting or hanging out in etsy forums.
so the family left for colorado springs this morning. when they get back I promise to have pictures of the beautiful store where some renegades origionals now live.
on another note... has anyone noticed that etsy seems to be everywhere now? on page 118 of the april elle mag there are 3 pendants from sweetmaggie.etsy.com. and I was reading home companion and saw an article in there too. that can only be good news. I guess I need to start getting some new stuff up. keep on the look out!
check ya later

Feature Friday! (A Day Late) FunkyBlink

Featured Seller
Funky Blink!



Blinky is a colorful, happy & creative 26 year young designer trapped in a body of black-wearing, even more creative & just slightly older person.When she makes her beloved colorful jewelry she's wearing a red hood that her grandmother gave her.The red hood has not been tested as THAT-RED-HOOD, because Blinky thinks that sometimes it's better to believe - then you have all from life!Our Creature has two worlds - one is here, where she harvests sunrays and weaves them into her colorful creations... the other one is where she's traveling all the time with NEW-FRIENDS - in search of Morpheus - her beloved one.

So Usually, I will interview the Seller and ask questions about what her influence is and stuff like that... It's nice, but I feel like I can wing this one. FunkyBlink has become a buddy. Her shop is amazing!

Funky hosted a threadkiller on etsy. I started keeping up with it mearly to help out a friend. I quickly became addicted to the thought of having a pair of her earrings. I started checking the thread everyday! Now I am one of her biggest fans!

Her items are high fashion meets flayful fun. The color combos are mind blowing! Her creativity is huge. I just cant say enough about this super talented etsy seller. She's just starting out but the 2 sales she has have come quickly. Every day her pictures are more intreging and her jewelry more amazing and FUNKY!



And lastly... I just realized as I was picking pictures for this blog, that not only did I lose the threadkiller for free earrings, but the ones I was going to buy if I didnt win are the ones that the winner choose. Crap! What do I do now?

Well Whatever... I have many other items on my favorite FunkyBlink items list. I will just have to chose another one.

Check out her shop! http://funkyblink.etsy.com/
I guarantee you will find something you enjoy.

Etsy Featured Seller: EllaPhantePhashion

So, I know it isnt Friday... but Friday will be the start of my weekend Vaca. Going to Denver and roadtripping it back home with my brother and dad. I will be sure to take the camera along. I will have lots to show you guys. Consequently, today becomes Feature Thursday!

EllaPhantePhashion
The story of Ellaphante:
The name EllaPhante came from my obsession with elephants. An inside joke among friends lead to me collecting elephants and becoming known as " The elephant", " Huffilah', 'Heddaphant" and so on....so I created my elephant logo and named her Ms. Ella Phante!




How long have you been making the craft/art that you sell? What started your interest in it? How did you learn?
_ I've been making things my whole life, really. My mom is pretty crafty, and I was always watching her make things with her hands.I think I started sewing by hand around...age five I think. Monkey see monkey do, you know? I really got into it! I kept practicing, and Mom started letting me use her sewing machine when I was about ten.That's when the magic really happened. I was an awkward size and shape,clothes never fit me right,and I really didn't like a lot of what I had to wear. So I altered what I had or made something new from scratch...and just learned by trial and error.As for everything else I make, I pretty much learned all of that by trial and error as well...a girl can't have too many hobbies!

What made you decide to turn your art/craft into a business? What support or inspiration have you had along the way?
_Last year I decided to make my living from my art/craft skills.I have some health issues that were making it difficult to hold down a normal job, and I needed something I could be motivated to do and that would make me happy anyway.So I just dove in!I come form a long line of entrepeneurs and self-employers,so I had lots of help and experience with all the ins and outs of having a business.
As far as support and inspiration goes, my husband has been my biggest supporter and motivator.I couldn't do this without him. He supports us financially(so far my income is just paying the groceries,but I have high hopes!) as well as gives me honest critiques on my designs, lets me bounce ideas off of him,and generally is just inspiring in his own way. I've also gotten a lot of support from my parents and my in-laws, they buy me great fabric and supplies if they see something they know I'll like, they find me customers, and they even helped buy a lot of my equipment!And most importantly,they believe in me. They pretty much rock.

Do you have any other hobbies / interests?
OH yes. I play drums (not as much as I'd like),go to concerts , I read a LOT, I'm a gym rat...I love lifting weights! Weird, I know. I like being outside and active, running,hiking,swimming...all that jazz.Oh , and movie watching.That's a big one.Especially going to see them in the theater!And my Etsy shops pretty much show off all my other hobbies.



How long have you been selling on Etsy?
I've sold things here and there for a few years now, but I've only been seriously selling for a less than a year, and on Etsy since September '08 I believe.

Do you sell outside of Etsy? If so where?
Not right now..a few of my items had a short stint in a gift boutique/sewing repair shop downtown, where I also worked doing repairs in exchange for fabric and well, experience. She taught me a lot, but it was just time to move on.

What is your favorite way to promote your Etsy store?
_Doing blog interviews , of course! And the usual, flyers, business cards...that's about it.

Do you have a blog? If so what is your blog address, and what do you feature / write about?
I have a myspace...http://www.myspace.com/smurdypants
but I don't blog on it really. I plan to start a business blog or website eventually though!
Where do you hope to see your business / Etsy store in the future?
Where it is, only better. This is my life...I just hope it stays that way!

What is something that you want to make SURE you do in 2009?
I want to make sure I make time for the things that matter most.I'm going to be making a 700 mile move very soon, and I want to really stay in touch with the people here who matter to me!

What is the thing that you are most proud of?
Thing I have made? Probably this one bag/stuffed animal I made...it was custom ordered, and I was very sad to let him go...I named him Reginald. Check him out :http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=12370355

What do you wish you had more time for?
All of my many many hobbies...I wish I didn't have to eat or sleep so that I could devote a fair amount of time to all of them! Oh, and playing with my dog. I think he gets tired of watching me sew all the time.

What is your favorite part of the day?
I'm a night owl. Early evening is when I spend the most time with my hubby, and then after he is asleep I do most of my creating. It's such a peaceful time..I can really get a lot done...and for some reason my brain just goes into creative overdrive at night!

Be sure to check out EllaPhantePhashion.etsy.com
Tell Her Renegades sent you!