Meet Our Newest Contributer

Hello dear OKetsy readers! My name is Brittini Flowers; I am the gal behind Oh honey child. I am a 21 year old wife and mother to four fur-babies :). I have been a crafty maven and attending craft shows and festivals ever since I was a child. I live in western Oklahoma, I sew, I hunt for vintage treasure, I take pictures, I live a true DIY lifestyle and man oh man do I love it! I blog about my life and business on my blog, www.ohhoneychild.com

I am so happy to be blogging for OKetsy.  I plan to share lots of advice, DIY’s, and craft show tips for all my fellow indie business gals.

My first DIY project will be a simple fall pumpkin, good for around the house décor!

For now,

-britt

OHC

Falling in love with Tulsa

I'll admit it- Tulsa hasn't always been my favorite place to live. I grew up in the Northeast and loved almost everything about it- the cities, the history, the cultures, the mountains, the ocean, the trees in the fall. Tulsa is hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. The wind blows right through you, and yet snow is almost unheard of here (well, except for Snowpocolyse 2011). And let's not get started on Tulsa's traffic!

But over the summer, I have started to see Tulsa in a different light. It all started when I moved from the suburbs to Riverside. Suddenly, instead of just driving past everything, I could walk to different destinations and really take in the sights. Brookside was no longer filled with traffic and crazy drivers, but I began to notice the incredible character and atmosphere. 

 

The more I explore Tulsa from my new perspective, the more I fall in love with it. There is some great architecture throughout the city, and some buildings have been restored beautifully. Locally owned shops and restaurants are everywhere. Running and bike trails add a great touch to the city. Just the other day, my husband found a bike trail that offers a great view of downtown Tulsa. I had trouble continuing to pedal as I took it all in. I found myself incredibly thankful that I am able to live in this great city.

What is one of your favorite places in Tulsa?

OKEtsy Featured Seller: Luksi Creations

Please introduce yourself and your shop.
Luksi Creations (family owned mainly run by me Kiamichi Goodbear) -Oklahoma City - Traditional Native American and non traditional beadwork, jewelry, illustrations, plush dolls, woodcarving, custom painted clothing, sewing (quilts, pillows, bags). There are 4 of us, and one apprentice, though right now most of everything is mine. I run this craziness with my mom Catherine and my sister Mauli and my husband Frank also make things for us. We are training my daughter in various things so she is also involved.

What is/was your inspiration?
When I was growing up, my grandmother was always making something. She was sewing me doll clothes for my barbies, she made my clothes, she made dolls, her and my mom would quilt, my mom taught me how to bead. It was just always part of my life. I love doing it. Which is why I think my business has such a wide variety of things. I learned to make doll patterns and clothing patterns from my grandma and my mom and I love making dolls. Doing that and the beadwork just make me happy. Plus I love to draw.

What is your favorite media and why?
Beading is mine. It is calming to me, plus it is part of my heritage. I do lots of beadwork for my family for their dance regalia and I also do it for other dancers as well. I have recently started doing more non traditional pieces for other people. It is very time consuming though. I think people don't understand the time that goes into it.

Where would you like to see yourself 5/10 years from now in this project?
I would love to be doing this full time and making a decent living from it. I wouldn't mind having a little storefront, someplace to sell things and maybe teach classes on how to do things. I would really like to teach beading classes.

Do you have any keys of success to share?
Keep working, build up an inventory. Get out there to shows, even if they are small ones. I set up in the Plaza District once a month and it has been a great experience. You meet people and you never know what kind of opportunities you can get out of it. I also market like crazy on twitter and Facebook and Tumblr. Just keep at it and don't get discouraged. Eventually sales pick up, they just started to for me! It's kind of exciting.

Tell us one thing crazy about yourself.
I can't sit still. I have to be constantly doing something. I get really fidgety if I am not making something, reading something, anything. It drives people crazy lol.

What is something you would love to learn how to do?
I would love to learn how to make stained glass. It's something I have always wanted to do.

What is your favorite color?
Mine is red, my mom's is yellow, my husband's is green, my sister's is purple, and my daughter's changes between purple and pink.

What is one thing you love about Oklahoma?
The people really are very helpful in a crisis. It always astounds me how the community comes together here when it is needed. I think it's amazing.

Check out this great local seller at the following:
Blog: luksicreations.blogspot.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/LuksiCreations
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Luksi-Creations/245385691533
Tumblr: luksicreations.tumblr.com/
Deviant Art Page: luksicreations.deviantart.com/
Etsy Store: www.etsy.com/shop/luksicreations
Zazzle Store: www.zazzle.com/luksicreations
My Portfolio: kiamichigoodbear.carbonmade.com/

OKEtsy Featured Seller: The Cozy Pumpkin

Please introduce yourself.
Amanda Lipscomb - Edmond, OK - Children's Decor (Sewing and Art)

What is/was your inspiration? My kids. I never got into sewing until I had my son. Once I had him I wanted to make everything he had in his room unique to him. I had already been painting just for fun but I got into mixing medias for my children's rooms and more fun art sprung from my little imagination.

What is your favorite media and why? Sewing. I love that I can mentally shut off everything else and just focus on creating, and creating something useful at that! :) I get such pleasure out of using the things I've made.
Where would you like to see yourself 5/10 years from now in this project? I honestly don't know. I'm just kind of riding the wave as it were. We shall see where it takes me. I'd love to say just creating creating creating. Whether it be for my shop or just for myself and my family. That's all that matters to me in the end. Well...as far as my crafting is concerned. ;)

Do you have any keys of success to share? Ha! I wish. I guess it's to make connections and surround yourself with family and friends who believe in you. (Maybe enough to be your first customers!) Because until you have a support system to help you get going it's going to be a slow start!
Tell us one thing crazy about yourself. Oh my! Hmmm...I can often be caught listening to The Imagination Movers (a kid's music group/show) in my minivan, cranked up loud, singing my heart out...and my kids aren't even in the car with me! (I should hang my head in shame at that!)

What is something you would love to learn how to do? Sew my own clothes. It scares the begeezes out of me. I don't know why.

Favorite color? Robin's Egg Blue. And yet, I don't think I have that color anywhere in my house. Weird.

What is one thing you love about Oklahoma? That it's not as humid as South East Texas! :)

Check out Amanda at the following places:

Blog: www.thecozypumpkin.com
Shop: thecozypumpkin.etsy.com
E-mail: thecozypumpkin@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cozy-Pumpkin/198905650140667

OKEtsy Featured Seller: Chocolate Dog Studio

The featured seller of the week is Karen from Chocolate Dog Studio. Karen lives in Tulsa and loves sewing and paper crafts.

Karen, where does your inspiration come from?

My main inspiration comes from the colors and textures in the paper or fabrics. I love putting different colors and textures together in the fabrics and then also the paper crafts. It gives me great joy to see a fabric or paper, envision a completed item, create it and then see the finished item. It is exciting to me to see things appear out of raw materials, recycled materials, or gifted materials that were useless to someone else. It is a little addicting to take a piece paper that someone was going to throw away and make something to sell.

What is your favorite media to work with?

My favorite media is (at this time) working with the paper and then also fabric. In the past I have crocheted, knitted, dabbled in different drawing mediums.

Where would you like to see yourself 5/10 years from now in this project?

In about 5/10 years I hope that I am still following this path laid out before me. I just have no idea where it is heading. I am much happier when I am creating than when I am not creating. It is just something I have to do, whether it is appreciated by buyers or not. :0) Though like everyone, buyers are confirmation that I am doing the right thing!

What is one of your keys to success?

Be nice and kind to everyone that comes across your path, regardless of how they treat you. You are leaving a lasting impression with suppliers, customers and other sellers.

What is one crazy thing about you?

20 kindergartners with paint and paintbrushes doesn't scare me. A regular class full of kids with an academic subject is terrifying! (I used to teach art.)

What is something you would love to learn how to do?

I would love to weave with a giant room sized loom. It just sounds like so much fun.

What is your favorite color?

Green, some pinks, and red are my favorite colors. I wear green most often.

What do you love about Oklahoma?

I love Oklahoma people, they are friendly, concerned and most of all Real. We are used to wide open spaces, fairly large cities, small towns, backwoods.

Be sure to check out this week's featured seller and all of her fabulous sites:

Blog:http: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/

Twitter: chocodogstudio

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Chocolatedogstudio

etsy shop http://www.chocolatedogstudio.etsy.com/

Tulsa World Feature- Plumeperfume

OkEtsy team member Tara of Plumeperfume is featured in a great story in today's Tulsa World.

Check out her story from the front of today's scene section!

And then go see her shop. If the perfume smells as good as the pictures look, I am sold!

Etsy Shop Tips

Hi! My name is Danielle Furstenberg. I live in Oklahoma City, and just started doing Etsy as a full-time job when I finished school in May. It looks right now like I’ll be writing for the OKEtsy Team Blog on the second and fourth weeks of the month.

I just officially started my business in January of this year, so I thought it might be a good idea to share two of the most helpful things I did when getting started. First, I super duper duper recommend signing up for and taking a free New Business Workshop. The Oklahoma Tax Commission offers one every few days all over the state. I was able to take one just a few blocks from my house. The one I went to was about three hours long, but the time flew by because it was SO informative and helpful.

I knew very little about the legal side of starting a business, so this workshop helped me a lot. I learned how to register for a FEIN number, open a business checking account, officially register my business, report sales tax, register my trade name – and I learned about things I can purchase for my business that are tax exempt.

Secondly, Etsy offers so many helpful articles for getting started. In the months prior to opening my shops, I tried to read a few articles from the Etsy Seller Handbook every night before going to bed. By the time I was ready to officially open my shop, I had learned a little about everything from photography and writing item descriptions to shipping internationally and pricing items.

Having that base of knowledge was incredibly beneficial to me starting out. I try to still read a few new articles from Etsy each week, so I’m always learning, but in reality it’s been several weeks since I’ve made time for that.

I hope my suggestions can help any of you that are just starting out! Also, if you’re new to Etsy and have questions or are confused, please head over to the OKEtsy Team Discussion Board! There are a ton of really nice people there that would be more than happy to help! Thanks!

New Treasury - Okie Babies!

Here's a sweet little Treasury I just whipped up with great gifts for babies and toddlers, all by members of the Oklahoma Etsy street team!

[Click through to get the Treasury]

Black Friday, handmade-style

Known affectionately as Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest shopping events of the season. Most big box stores will be offering special savings that shoppers will have the joy of earning by snatching, grabbing, running each other over with carts, and other things our mothers certainly taught us not to do. There is another option, though: get your handmade shopping on!

On Black Friday, lots of Etsy sellers will be offering discounts throughout their shops. The biggest bonus? You don't even have to leave the house. Remember to search OKEtsy Team to find great items made by our friends right here in the Sooner State.

If you don't mind the crowds, you can shop handmade in person throughout the state.

• Head up to The Felt Bird in Enid for savings on tons of amazing goodies, many made right here in Oklahoma.
• Tulsa folks can hit up the Fresh Blend Handmade Gift Boutique at Fresh Roast Coffee House for items made by the Tulsa Craft Mafia and friends while leisurely sipping a cup of locally roasted coffee (mayhaps the Tulsa Craft Mafia blend?).
• If you're in Oklahoma City, Collected Thread will be offering deals and steals on art and gifts.

Do you know of any other handmade stores to hit up this Black Friday? If so, leave a comment. Remember: buying handmade, locally produced goods supports independent crafters, boosts the local economy, and keeps your hard-earned money out of the pockets of corporations whose values may not line up with yours.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Consignment Opportunity

Are you interested in selling your handmade goods in a real brick-and-mortar store?
Here is a great opportunity to do just that!

Estela Romanos (Stelabird) and Riley Jantzen are about to open The Felt Bird, a retail shop carrying local, handmade items, in downtown Enid, Oklahoma. They are looking for products made by local crafters to sell in their store.

"The Felt Bird is an accessory, home decor & gifts boutique that specializes in handmade and original items!! Our goal is to support the independent craft scene by bringing attention to the work of exciting, emerging craft artists and designers around Oklahoma and the United States."

Interested?

This is the information they need from you:

• Your name & company name

• Your email or a way to contact you

• The items you would like to consign and their retail prices

• A link to your website

You can contact them at www.thefeltbird.com or e-mail them at thefeltbird@gmail.com.