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

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]

Featured Etsy Seller

Our very own KeysAndMemories was the Featured Seller on Etsy on November 27. Check out her interview here. Elizabeth is one of the team's most successful sellers and an all-around sweetheart. Congratulations on being featured!

Learn to embroider

Have you always wanted to learn hand embroidery but weren't sure where to start? Then this class is for you! Team member EarlyBirdSpecial and friend CraftyMinx are holding a beginners' class in Oklahoma City on November 15. Cost is just $32.50 and includes a goody bag full of supplies. You can then use your new skills to join in on the Okie Stitch Along!

Space is limited to 10 students, so visit this blog post to sign up and learn more.

Indie Emporium TONIGHT!

It's finally time for Indie Emporium! Head to Tulsa tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. or tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to get your shop on. It all goes down at the VFW Post No. 577, 1109 E. 6th St. (two blocks west of Peoria). You don't want to miss this!

Tune into OklaTravelNews today around 12:40 to see me promoting the show.

We hope to see you all at Indie Emporium tonight!

Craft show bonanza!

I'm excited to use our 100th blog post to discuss some truly exciting team news.

Tulsa's most rockin' craft show, Indie Emporium, has accepted a whole slew of Disciples of Etsy team members to its line-up. Check out the Vendor page over the next couple of weeks for the full list. Remember: Indie Emporium is October 9 and 10 in T-Town. Check out the web site for times, ticket information, and more.

On November 6 and 7, the BUST-approved Girlie Show will again showcase some of the finest independent female crafters in Oklahoma City. This year, an impressive crowd of team members will be representing, many for the first time. The 2009 vendor list is not yet available, but keeping checking back. You don't want to miss this great event!

Go ahead and dig out your pens (or your smart phones) and mark your calendars for both of these phenomenal shows. Holiday shopping has never been so much fun! Congrats again to all the team members who wowed the show directors with their unique, high-quality, handmade goods.

Craft fair tips

The fall craft fair season is about to come into full swing, so now is the time to prepare. We did a post in February about how to prepare for a craft show. A little later, we posted some booth inspiration for your perusal. Last week, our own AudreyEclectic, who will soon round out her first year on the circuit, wrote a nice post on her blog about her experiences with craft shows and some tips for beginners. It's a great read for brand-new booth dwellers as well as those of us you've been around the block at least a little while. Another team member, ChristieCottage, has run a feature the past two Mondays about craft shows. Check out today's and last week's all about upping the ante at shows.

While we're on the subject, what's your favorite thing about fall shows?

Dustbowl Arts Market

Don't forget to head to Norman tomorrow (Saturday) for the Dustbowl Arts Market. The fun starts at 10 a.m. with crafts and kids' activities. The live music begins at 2 p.m. and continues until 11 p.m. Make sure to arrive before 6 p.m., though, to do some shopping. Lots of team members will be selling or buying, so go say hello!

South Tulsa Music Fest

If you're looking for a fun way to spend the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, then head to the Jenks Riverwalk for the South Tulsa Music Fest. Starting at 2 p.m., enjoy great music and the handmade goodies of some great local crafters, including Audrey Eclectic, Sweetheartville, and members of the Tulsa Craft Mafia. Admission is totally free, so come out and enjoy the local arts and the first inklings of fall.

Friday Finds: Back to School

Hordes of Oklahoma kids are hitting the books once again. Luckily, Sooner State Etsy sellers have tons of fun, handmade supplies for the return to the classroom.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Friday Finds: All Felt Up

Oh the puns I came up to title this week's Finds. Just consider yourselves lucky. :)

Anyway, this week we celebrate the wonderful material that is felt. Check out these great, creative pieces using our favorite craft-stash staple.


So go on. Hit me with your favorite "felt" pun.

Disciples on your newstand

Two more of our illustrious members are making a foray into the published world.

Pick up the most recent issue of Woodcarving Illustrated for some great work by BuckBoardWoodWorks.



His little bearded man is on the bottom right of page 10.




I know several of you undoubtedly peruse the wonderful Somerset Studio magazine. This month, you'll find the original art of our own AudreyEclectic!



Flip through the pages to find this lovely piece of Halloween art looking back at you.

Congratulations to our wonderful team members!

Friday Finds: The Sweet Stuff

This week's Friday Finds comes straight to you from the bakery. These goodies are all inspired by desserts and the sweet teeth (tooths?) that crave them.



What's your favorite decadent dessert?

Deluxe Craft Weekend

The masterminds behind Deluxe are now providing us all with another chance to craft up a storm. Sara and JD bring you the Deluxe Craft Weekend! Coming to Oklahoma City this September 25-27, the event will offer classes, creativity and conversation with fellow artsy folks. So sign up for the whole weekend for a chance to make great stuff, learn something new and maybe even gain a new friend. Both your co-leaders are teaching classes, so look out for those.

To register for the fantabulous weekend, click here. There is a limit of 30 campers, so sign up soon. We hope to see you there!

Meet Our Members: Funkybella!

I want to formally present to you the team's new co-leader: Katie, AKA Funkybella! Katie has already come with great ideas and enthusiasm for the team, so I'm very excited to introduce you to her.

1. Introduce yourself.

Hi! I’m Katie Winters and my shop name is Funkybella. I live in Norman with my husband, Jason. We have a cat (Saturn), a Quaker parrot (Sunny), and a chinchilla (Ella Bella. I named Funkybella after her).

2. Tell us about what you make. When did you start making it and why?

What I make is always growing and evolving. I knit, crochet, embroider, needle felt, wet felt, use resin, and wrap accessories. I also sell vintage clothes and household items. My favorite and best-selling craft is making jewelry using vintage parts. I started making my vintage jewelry after discovering some beautiful supplies from Etsy sellers. I enjoy finding different parts that compliment each other, such as a vintage harlequin stone and an antiqued gold ring band. The pieces I make have a distinctive look.

3. How long have you been crafting? When did you decide to start selling your handmade goods?

I’ve always made things. I was homeschooled for some time, and I often completed crafts as part of it. In the fall of 2008, I encouraged my sister, a fine art painter, to open an Etsy shop. I had learned about Etsy from an ad in Craft magazine. Kelly opened her shop (murphystudios.etsy.com), and wanted to know why I didn’t have one of my own. At first I didn’t think I had anything to offer, but at the end of February 2009 I opened Funkybella, and I’ve been encouraged by its success so far.

4. Other than what you sell, what's your favorite thing to craft?

I use to be a professional photographer (I belonged to a gallery co-op and was the Chief photographer for a newspaper). I like to photograph and then edit pictures. I also bake and garden.

5. What do you love best about Etsy?

I can find almost anything on Etsy! I recently traded some of my jewelry for all the seeds I needed for this planting season! I love when one of my customers leaves me feedback telling me how much they adore their new item. I also enjoy knowing my jewelry is being purchased from women in other countries (France, Canada and Australia, so far).

6. What's your favorite thing about Oklahoma?

I’ve only lived here for two years, so I’m still exploring. I would really like to go camping and visit some state parks. I feel very safe in Oklahoma; the crime rate is very low.

7. Do you sell anywhere else or have a blog: Twitter, MySpace, etc.?

I have a blog: http://shopfunkybella.blogspot.com/, MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/shopfunkybella and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Funkybella/65000277844.

Yay! We're all so glad to have Katie on board. Look for her at this month's Dust Bowl Arts Festival in Norman!

Friday Finds: Peace, Love and Happiness

Today's Friday Finds celebrate the carefree spirit inside us all. Enjoy these great items celebrating peace, love and happiness.



Tell us about your inner hippie!

OvernightPrints Coupon Codes

Do you need new business cards or postcards to promote your Etsy shop? Our very own Jemellia found a link with several different discount codes to OvernightPrints, one of my personal favorite online printers. You can access the codes here. Act fast, though. Some are only good through July 31.

Friday Finds: Va-Va-Vintage

This week's Friday Finds invite you to step back in time and celebrate pieces of the past. Each item in this Etsy mini is vintage or created with vintage materials. There are tons more great old-is-new-again items from Oklahoma Etsy sellers, so make sure to check them all out.




What do you love about shopping vintage?

Presenting your new co-leader

Friends, Okies and country(wo)men: I am so pleased to announce that we have a new co-leader. Everyone help me welcome Katie of Funkybella to the position! Hurray! I am so excited to have Katie around to do some great things with the team. Her first contribution to the Disciples was creating an OKEtsy account on Etsy. You can now contact us using the team account, the email address or by convoing us directly.

Look for more updates soon in your inbox as we get to work on team stuff. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, send them to us!

Audrey Eclectic Opening

Last Friday night, Heather of Audrey Eclectic opened her month-long show at Shades of Brown Coffee and Art, a delightful coffee shop in Tulsa's Brookside area. Her paintings looked amazing on the walls, so I wanted to share a couple of photos:

For more pictures and details, go read Heather's post.

If you're in the Tulsa area, drop by to check out the exhibition. Get there soon before everything sells!