Biz Card Swap

Reminder!
This is the time to ship your last minute business cards & promo items to Zesty Betsy for a business card swap. Send her a convo for the mailing address

What makes a good Promo?
Something the customer will keep around long enough to see again & remember you/your product by.
Something that isn't cost prohibitive
Best ones for Etsy are hand made!

What do you use?

More Events - deadlines very soon!

Hamden, CT Craft Show weekend of Aug 24 - 26. - send email to SulimosDesign@ yahoo.com for info

shop til you drop
Stoughton, MA

Canalfest
Worcester, MA

Sign of the Dove
Belmont, MA

This Thursday (August 2) you can stop by the Shops on South in Jamaica Plain (Boston) to meet and support a group of Etsy crafters showing their works as part of JP First Thursday events from 5-8-ish.

Free Vending Sapce this Saturday!

From an associate on the NH Street Team:

Hey guys,

I just got a heads up from Open Market headquarters that if you show up on Saturday at the Providence Open Market (corner of Westminster and Union Streets in Providence, downtown), you can set up for free to sell. This Saturday only. Woohoo!

If you have questions you can convo muchachaK, OR email Chris the Market Director. Also see the market website for basic market info http://providenceopenmarket.com.

SHOW UP BY 10AM, you get your tax ID's there so you don't even need to worry about that part. And make sure you have weights for your tent (see the weights thread here in the group posts for more info about weights).

That is all :)

Katy

Go - it's a nice cozy spot & sales can be OK there. Go - to check out the other sellers & show support for your fellow crafters. POM sometimes has music & has a super cute cafe across hte street - yummy scones!

Seller Profile: Bonny from BonnyJewelry

Hi there! My name is Bonny.

I joined NEST (New England Street Team) to connect with all of the New Englanders who love to craft as much as I do!
I'm definitely a New Englander at heart - I was born and raised on the Maine coast near the Canadian border but now live in Manchester NH with my hubby and collie.



I found Etsy by looking around the web for Christmas ideas and stumbled across some items that belonged to other Etsy shops. After checking into it a bit more, I decided to open my own shop for my jewelry business (I sell beautiful and affordable handmade beaded jewelry items). I got hooked on making jewelry when I visited a small bead store in Maine and made my first necklace - I love the creativity and "instant" gratification of being able to wear something that I made with my own two little hands.


My jewelry is inspired by lots of different things - color combinations that I like, my flower garden, the beach - I'm always trying new ideas. Many of my items are also sold at craft shows - it's a great way to test the market to see if your items are liked, helps with pricing, and gets your name out there for others to find you online. I highly recommend trying some just to get some feedback on your craft!


Current projects include my new anklet line (all sterling silver on marine quality jewelry wire - you can wear these in the shower and they won't unravel or fray!). Other things I love to do is play in my flower beds, cross stitch and other needlework, and read. My books of choice really depend upon my mood - whether I want to read something "serious" or just relax and enjoy a bubblegum book (nothing substantial - just something to chew). I must admit though, I am looking forward to receiving my copy of the last Harry Potter book!


Getting back to Etsy - the best thing about Etsy? All of the people I've met online who are willing to share their ideas and suggestions and support to someone who is just starting out in the online selling world. Without them, it would have been a much tougher road.

Craft Fair Review - Country Folk Art Craft Show – Sturbridge, MA

In our ongoing search for the perfect craft fair to sell our jewelry, I came across the Country Folk Art Craft Show website which sponsors shows all over the U.S. They did advertise that they had "Home Décor & More!" but they also mentioned that they allow jewelers. So I sent in my application fee and a few pictures hoping to get into the November show. I attended the July show in an effort to see what kind of show it was and find out what they meant in the contract by "creating your own room."

Right off I can say that this is probably not a show any of the Etsy crafters I know will want to consider. This is a trade show complete with a woman (with microphone attached) hawking a new kind of cleaner, 2 vendors of pain reducing magnetic bracelets, and a large display of beautifully embroidered table runners and doilies with the "made in China" labels still attached.
There were a few real crafts people, however. Sandy Fair was there from PA selling hand-stenciled, cut and pierce lamp shades. She kindly allowed me to take her picture before I was informed by another vendor that pictures were not allowed. I also met Mary Shalkowski from CT, aka Artful Ramblings. She's familiar with Etsy and knows Pam. She was one of the 3 jewelers (and the only one I would call a crafts person) exhibiting but, as it was only Friday of the 3 day show, she couldn't tell me if she was happy she came.

This show is well-known and gets around 10,000 people over the 3 days. Admission is $6; $5 with a discount coupon. But you only have to pay if you make the mistake of entering the only one of the 4 entrances where they are actually collecting money. People were spending a lot of money. But they are there because they love the distressed country décor in maroon, navy, brown and black and they need some new Halloween or Christmas decoration or some new piece for the mantle. Parking is a mess. Once you get into the parking lot you need a GPS system to find your way out as they block off all the entrances but one.

I did learn a lot though. A "room" is a 10' x 10' space that you block off with pipe and drape configurations that you buy, rent or make yourself. But several people didn't have that and it seemed to be ok. This really angered the people who spent money renting the set up.
I thought my dilemma about this show would be "do I exhibit because I won't have much competition from other jewelers or do I not because no one goes there to buy jewelry". But on Sat. morning I received the letter that we did get accepted into the November show. They only want $460 for a 10' x 10' space (that's on top of renting a "room") and the prices go up to $1100 if you need more space.
I don't think so.

Behind the Scenes

Check Etsy Street Team pages to make sure you are listed properly on that page. Send convo or leave comment here if there are issues.

Updated Member List page here on blog in preparation of a member roll call.

Created structure & am in planning to create one more blog page to focus on Marketing (as opposed to Team Business as this is.) Marketing blog will need more team effort. If you have any interest in working together as a smaller group to plan on how to market New England Etsy sellers on a blog, and writing, photographing and managing it - send a convo as well. It will need a couple dedicated individuals to make it fly.

NEST chat meeting

A very informal NEST meeting was in the Chat rooms yesterday.

Generally discussed:
Reminded folks of the business card swap. Zesty Betsy has already received a nice group of promotional items & it looking forward to more.

Yahoo Polls online for fundraising/budget/marketing ideas. NESTshop had another sale!

KathiParker has found a free hosted database application she will set up for us to log and catalog and rate arts and crafts events.
Decadence Designs Boston Event in general.
Western Massachusetts plans for a fair for the fall.

Zesty Betsy found that stART on the Street might be interested in items for goodie bags for the September 16 event. If you are interested in adding items (More than business cards) send her a convo. If anyone else knows of promotional opportunities such as this; event goodie bags, hospital baby bags, home party gift bags....etc - let's make a list!