It's a Wrap: Etsy Ireland Pop-Up Shop

Press Shot of the shop by Neville Gawley

The Limerick Etsy Ireland Pop-Up shop is all finished now. It's all been packed up, and the last few bits and pieces are sitting in my living room, and will definitely be sorted today before my housemate kills me! It was a really great achievement for the team and an invaluable experience to learn how a shop works, even just for a month. The space we were using (thanks again to our hero Niall!) is now being turned into a late night cafe, and I for one am delighted, the city really needs it! It's amazing how long it took to put together and in the space of an hour it was all in boxes and packed into the back of Helen's car!

The shop all packed up in bags and sitting in my living room!

It was a really great success sales-wise I never would have expected it to be so popular. I noticed a big difference between selling in a shop as opposed to a market. There seemed to be a greater enthusiasm and appreciation for the craft. People were commenting on how reasonable the prices were(contrasted to some of the comments I get at my stall that I'm ripping people off). It was interesting to note the shift in attitude, I think when people are in town and shopping they are in the mode to spend more money,€20 for a bracelet seems fine when you are next door to a boutique. Whereas €20 for the same item when you are next to a veg stall and a bric a brac stall suddenly seems extortionate-it's all about context.

There was repeated comments throughout the month about how positive people were to see Irish handcrafts and also to see something so creative happening in their city. People are so jaded with doom and gloom in the media that they want to hear about people making a go of it themselves and starting their own business, and lots of people wanted to support that with their wallets.

It was also interesting to look at the figures at the end of the month and see that not all the big sales when to the most popular shops. So if you aren't doing great on Etsy don't be disheartened, maybe a shop would be better for you. There were sellers that have only made a few online sales who did incredibly well in the shop, some things just need to be seen in person maybe.

As for what sold? On the first weekend lots of baby things sold, lots of people were passing through who knew someone with a new baby and they were looking for a gift and a card. Also wedding cards were very sought after. It's true Ireland is going through a wedding and baby boom, so if you can capitalise on it you should. Cards were very popular as they were the lowest priced items and people picked up a few for future occasions while they were browsing. Even though we had lots of jewellery it did sell well, with rings being one of the best sellers.

The cool bags that Etsy sent us!

Etsy were very good and got in touch with me, they wanted to thank us for all the hard work we've put it and they also sponsored our second lot of flyers that we needed to get printed. They also sent us these fab tote bags, which we gave to customers who spent over €10, a great incentive for people to put their hands in the pockets! They are also sponsoring those of us who worked in the shop to go for a few drinks to celebrate, which will be happening when I get around to arranging it! I was delighted that they spotted what we were doing, apparently it was the US branch that got in touch with Amity and told her to hunt down the organiser. So Etsy are watching us!

We also managed to get into two newspapers, both the Sunday Business Post and also the Limerick Leader. The local paper brought us some extra footfall and sales. If we do this again we must try to get the press on board early, as we were nearly finished by the time it went to press.

A mortifying picture of myself and Noreen Foley that was in The Limerick Leader

I have put forward an application to the council to try to get a space in Limerick near to Christmas. I haven't heard a peep from them yet but I'll keep you guys posted. It won't be exactly the same arrangement as before, I've learned an awful lot by doing this pop-up shop, but all details will be discussed before hand. I know that markets were not that great for me last year and it's in my best interest to find another avenue for selling. Last year it was just too darned cold to sell outdoors, and the customers all flocked to the shops where there were heaters, and it wasn't -12! If the council don't give us anything maybe we could look at renting a low priced art space for a month...or something like that. It's early days yet and we have lots of time to throw out ideas. Also it might be good for the Dublin branch to give it a go, if you can't get anything officially, maybe approach individual businesses and see if you could work something out.

Press Photos by Neville Gawley

Press photos by Neville Gawley

I'd like to thank  everyone who gave of their time to help man the shop, this couldn't have worked without the support of everyone. So please click on the links and visit their shops to show your appreciation.
Helen from Stained Glass Fayre
Rebecca from Lucky Rainbow Designs
Neville from Neville Gawley Photography
Jess from Bettyoctopus
Majella and her husband Bart from Delicious Art Glass
Mark from Marmot Art (not on etsy yet but I'll convince him to join soon!)
and
Me(Ruth) from Nice Day Designs and Nice Day Supplies


Noreen and partner Locky from Hanora.K.Designs(not on etsy but I'm helping her set up her shop this month)
Also thanks to Ann, Orla and Noreen for the tables. To Niall and all the staff of Bourkes Bar for their time,patience, and the space! To Michelle and Alice from Fonelifair for sponsoring our flyers. To Neville for taking pictures of the space for us. To Neville for doing the shop on my birthday so I could have a day off!

(A small note to sellers involved: Thanks for being understanding with my lack of emails sometimes.The project turned into something much bigger than the two day event that I originally took on. It's taken longer than expected to sort through all the work, but I'll be posting out the rest of it today. If you haven't heard from me yet I'll also be in touch today, I've about 6 people yet left to email.)

Trend Watching: The Future of Home Sewing – Sewing Blog | BurdaStyle.com

Just read this interesting article on Burda Style... also the comments section is facinating!

Trend Watching: The Future of Home Sewing – Sewing Blog | BurdaStyle.com

Check it out!!

Committee Vacancies

Handmade greeting card by jmmcards

Our new Etsy Ireland Team Committee is nearly complete. However, we urgently need volunteers for the remaining jobs:

Blog Co-ordinator (rotated every 6 months)

• work with the 'blog hosts' to provide daily content on the blog
• create a blog timetable/ calendar through shared docs, for instance Google Calendar
• write articles, especially when there are gaps in the schedule
• edit submitted articles if necessary
• deal with minor technical glitches on the blog
• add blog hosts/ regular contributors as blog authors to the blog so that they can publish their articles themselves
• encourage members to submit content, this involves mentioning the blog in the team forums and to new members, as well as publishing calls for new content on the blog regularly
• co-operate with the Blog Designer to have regular design changes
• be the contact person for the blog and respond to queries

Weekly Crafty News Reporter: reports on interesting crafty events, markets and developments

Natalie from the Blue Sylph

Treasury Curator: publishes summary of the weekly Etsy Ireland Team Treasuries and runs Team Treasury Challenges

More Blog Hosts: responsible for assisting Blog Co-Ordinator in maintaining a complete blog schedule and help fill gaps where necessary.

Mo from Huggleknits

More people for the PR Team/Think Tank
 
Area representatives for Dublin, Belfast and Cork

Dublin: Natalie from the Blue Sylph

To keep the blog running smoothly and have regular content, it is important that we do have dedicated writers and a blog co-ordinator. I (Purls) will be hanging around and write the odd article, so whoever takes up my mantle will not be left hanging out to dry in this Irish weather.

Puzzled by fiorejewellery

It seems our potential crafty writers and editors are a bit shy. Step forward and shine!!!

And the winner is...

Congratulations AuntyApplesReFinery for winning this month's Etsy Ireland Treasury Challenge 'Teamwork'!!!

Thank you to all those who participated and voted in this rather difficult challenge, and once we have a new Treasury Curator *hint hint* there will be more challenges to come! A special mention goes to Dita Maulani, who joined the challenge from as far as Indonesia.

Now the spotlight is on Apple. You can also admire her Mini Etsy on the sidebar for a week.

Apple is 31 and lives in Arklow. Married to a Dublin man, she has one child, Lennon, who is a cute two years of age. In a past life, she was a Software Engineer, but after having her baby, she fell ill and was made redundant. This very difficult situation led to a new opportunity when her sister, our very own Etsy Ireland Blog Designer, Maggie (thebowmakers), introduced her to Etsy and convinced her to start "the secret making things club" again. This is like a think thank for Apple and her friends - they make lovely, high quality products and sell them as cheaply as possible.

 Pink peonie and wild flowers mosaic pieces

Apple's passion is baking (mostly for family and friends) and out of necessity she had to make her own cake stands. Therefore, she started collecting vintage plates to fill her dresser and ended up with a wendy house full.

 Rose garden, three tier cake stand

She would love to take other people's heirloom mis-matched plates from dusty corners and turn them into something usable. Her inspiration comes from Arklow pottery, because it was made in the place she lives in, Arklow. Furthermore, Apple's mother worked in the pottery in the 1970s. Sadly, like so many things, it is not being made anymore and is getting very hard to find.

Pink and cream vintage wild flower tea cup pincushion with felt balls

Please visit Apple's blog for more:
auntyapplesrefinery.blogspot.com/

Welcome New Members...

It's my pleasure to introduce you to our latest group of Etsy Ireland members. We have nine great new shops to browse. So if you get a chance over the next couple of days please pay them a visit and drop off a few hearts. And to all our new members, remember you can see who hearts you at a glance here.


Above from left to right:

1888 Rare Antique Book - The Light of Asia - Marbled Cover Blue Gold Turquoise from The Ink Spot Book Shop;

Hand spun wool yarn, cream cheviot 80g by Teddy Baby;

Resin Cameo Cabochon Lady from Irish Findings.



Above from left to right:

3 Angel Head Embelishments from vixyvixy;

Bella Figura Wedding Invites-Nantucket Letterpress by Pretty as a Picture;

Silk White Wedding Hat by Shabbycloche.



Above from left to right:

Spring Sunrise Purple and Blue Hooded Jumperdress by Pooka Designs;

Little Feather Long Chain Earrings by nicobel;

and last but not least Vilette by Charlotte Bronte and Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson from TheDukesHat.


Great to have you all on board and looking forward to seeing more gorgeous goodies popping up from you in the near future. Until next time....

Crafty News Desk

Greetings from the Crafty News Desk. 

As I am coming to the end of my 12 months tour of duty I would like to thank all of you for your news items and comments over the last year. 
If any of you are interested in taking over I would be more than happy to help in any way, even stay with you for the first few weeks.    All you really need is the information -  some of which comes from the rest of the group, some from trawling the internet, twitter, facebook and the news papers and some from tapping into weekly news sheets.  That's if for the Job Advertisement......

This week's mixed news bag:

There are a number of very interesting talks/demos happening in our museums over the next few months e.g. a talk from 2 of Ireland's jewellers on 2 July;  a tour of  Neillí Mulcahy's Fashion Designs on 8 July and a tour on the history of glassmaking on 5 August to name but a few - all at Collins Barracks.  Well worth a look as you never know what you might find there....  Museum

Summer Evening Mosaic Workshop in Bennetsbridge, Wednesdays 6, 13 + 20 July 2011, 7:30pm – 9:30pm.  E: jenettecastle@gmail.com              www.castlerinstudios.blogspot.com 

Craft West - Carlton Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, Co Galway - 24 July 2011.   There are stands available to all exhibitors who produce Irish made goods.   Any questions you have or if you would like an application form email  Mary, at craftwest@gmail.com.

The Drawing Workshop in The National Botanic Gardens will run on Wednesdays this July 6, 13, 20 in the beautiful and inspiring gardens in Dublin 9.     Cost: E75, materials included.   The  workshops are designed for adults with little drawing experience, or those who’d like to refresh their skills, in a supportive, relaxing environment guided by two tutors. Places limited to 12.     E: debbiejenkinson@gmail.com     

T: 086 0565907    hedrawingworkshop.tumblr.com

Exchange Market have some stands available for their next Art and Craft market in Dublin on 9 July ..... info here exchange market

Thats about it for this week.  As always thanks for the info.  If I missed anything please tag it on to the end of this post. 

Cheers
Mo
huggleknits

Fab 5 on Friday - Honeysuckle

Inspired by one of Pantones prominent colours for Fall 2011 - Honeysuckle (mixed with a bit of Fresh Green)




... this is me wishfully thinking we will get a proper Summer before Summer is over.

1. Pink and Cream Crochet Roses from AnnieDesign
2. Pink Powder Felt and Ceramic Necklace from joannafelt
3. "Apartment Sweet Apartment" Print from ThePrintMakers
4. Floral Purse/Wallet from joanyg
5. Spring Garden Lampwork Earrings from FioreJewellery

Chosen by Rach of balanced
If you would like to suggest or curate a Fab Five on Friday collection of your own, just send me an Etsy convo :)

Crafty Ireland Skills Swap

Sundial Fine Silver Pendant by Ella Green Jewellery

Hi Anne-Marie of Handmade by Amo'r here reporting on a successful exchange of crafty know-how. The Skillz Swap Shop was born after an inspiring Dublin meeting back in March this year. The discussion thread gave team members a place to find others willing to exchange skills and knowledge. I've heard that a few team mates have since followed up. Recently I had the fantastic opportunity to meet up with Eimear of Ella Green Jewellery for our own swap.

Eimear (above) offered me an introductory lesson in using PMC (precious metal clay) to make fine silver penants and charms. In exchange I offered help and advice in regard to online selling and her new Etsy shop. I also brought her some gemstones and beads from my stash. I still feel like I came out best in that deal!

The lesson took place at Eimear's home and studio. Though she normally works from her designated office, she had moved everything into the more spacious and airy kitchen.

First she showed me Siligum moulds she had already made from a variety of objects. I set to work pressing some PMC3 clay into them. I used a piece of leather to create interesting texture on the back of this piece.

While leaving the clay to dry on a mug warmer, I answered Eimear's initial queries regarding topics such as shipping rates, Google Analytics and seasonality on Etsy (eg, prepare for Christmas by mid September.)

Eimear then showed me how to cut shapes in the clay using stensils as an alternative to moulds. She used two small, equal piles of playing cards on each side before rolling the clay. This ensures that the clay will roll out evenly. In the picture above I am placing a small flower stensil onto a piece I have rolled out. It was quite a delicate matter getting the flower to land exactly in the middle. (I have to admit I made a bit of a mess cutting around and shaping this flower though....oops!)

Again, the cut-out was left to dry on the mug warmer. While waiting, I showed Eimear how to make an Etsy treasury.

And here is her first team treasury, 'Bye Bye Blues.' (Thanks for the inclusion Eims!)

In the meantime the clay pendants had dried. Next came the real fun as I got to use a butane torch to fire them. I'm afraid we were so caught up in what we were doing that I don't have a decent pic of this in action. This clip from Cooksongold, where I purchased the PMC3, gives you an idea of what it is like. It was so much fun, I'm still not sure if I unleashed the alchemist in me or discovered a disturbing interest in burning things....speaking of which, is that the dinner I smell?

Eimear took me through the follow up stages from soldering on a jump ring, through pickling and quenching to the final stages of brushing and filing. I had to admire her dedication to perfection as she patiently filed away the edges of a pendant.

Meanwhile, I did my best to impart useful advice on pricing and listing her gorgeous jewellery.

Here is my first PMC effort, not perfect, but I love it all the same.

...and the textured back of my second effort. Alas, the dodgy stensiled flower was too embarrassing to show. Methinks I will leave such delicate operations until I am more familiar with the clay.

Eimear often pulls from nature to create elegant jewellery.

I can't wait until I have collected all the tools and equipment to get going! A big thank you to Eimear. The lesson has openend a door to so many possibilities, limited only by my imagination...and that's one thing at least that I have in plentiful supply.

I have a penchant for the asymmetrical and abstract as well as Celtic motifs and sea themes. With precious metal clay I can introduce a new dimension to my designs. I hope Eimear benefits equally from the skills swap.

Ocean Moon by Handmade by Amo'r

The Skillz Swap Shop thread remains open to members of the team. If you have already taken part in a swap session, or plan to, we'd absolutley love to hear about it on the blog!

Crafty News Desk

Greetings from a sick and sorry Crafty News Editor.
I have been laid low with a flu virus since Sunday night and have only just come out from under the duvet. 

Can I ask anyone who reads this, if you have any news items you would like to share with us all, please add the details underneath in the comments.  If there are any aspiring reporters out there who are considering taking the seat at the Crafty News Desk in July, now is a good time to try it out.

I will be back behind the desk again next Monday.

Till then
take care
Mo

A Huge Warm Welcome......

It's my pleasure to introduce you to our latest group of Etsy Ireland members. We have six fab new shops to browse. So if you get a chance over the next couple of days please visit and drop off a few hearts.


Above from left to right:

Curragower Falls Limerick - 8x12 Photograph Original Signed by Neville Gawley Photography;

Tea lovers greetings cards - set of 2 (green and blue) by BottleHeads Crafts;



Above from left to right:

Little Beaded Killer Whale by Alisa Julie;

Victoria. Vintage Chocolate Brown Leather, Bohemian Shoulder Bag Handbag with ornate medal detail from Lark Vintage;



Above from left to right:

Just emerald earrings by emeraldmystery;

and last but not least Pictures from the Unconscious - IVY DANCE by BallinPaintings.


Great to have you all on board and looking forward to seeing more great things popping up from you in the near future. And don't forget to our new members you can check out how many hearts you receive at a glance here. Until next time....

Step forward and volunteer!

'Shakespeare Print' by designbirdie

The last six months just flew by! One minute we held the fabulous St Patrick's Day Treasure Hunt, the next moment the Etsy Ireland Pop-Up shop opened, and now we are coming towards the end of June, are still waiting for the summer, and have to start thinking of a new committee.

Letizia (Team Admin) and I, Purls (Blog Co-Ordinator) have been in our posts for a year and it's been a blast. However, we are now looking for two people who can take the Etsy Ireland mantle from us. Don't worry, we'll be around for help and advice. Letizia will keep our Twitter page updated, and I plan to write the odd blog article or two ;)

Volunteering on the team committee is a very satisfying experience. You get to know lots of amazing crafty people, you learn new skills, and get lots and lots of inspiration for everything, from your own craft to life in general. You also get a great sense of community, and don't feel like you're just a lonely crafter in a big world of people who don't care about handmade.

The following posts are up for grabs, so don't hesitate and bring your enthusiasm and ideas to the team!!!


Team Admin (rotated every 6 months)

• responsible for making newcomers welcome, send out information about membership and passing on links (facebook/flickr/blog...)
• add/invite people who become members to the Etsy team page & update the shop directory. Also add new members blogs to the members blog list.
• encourage members to tag items correctly with 'craftyirelandteam' 
• be on hand for general queries from new and existing members 
• take random queries from press and send queries/press to the relevant person in the team who can help them. Also to update the contact tab on the blog when neccessary
• email the New Member Admin weekly with the names of new members for inclusion in the 'Welcome' post on the blog
• fresh picks on the blog - every few days pick 3 new favourites for the blog sidebar 
• contact craft shops and ask for team discounts & update the craft suppliers tab on the blog

Blog Co-ordinator (rotated every 6 months)

• work with the 'blog hosts' to provide daily content on the blog
• create a blog timetable/ calendar through shared docs, for instance Google Calendar
• write articles, especially when there are gaps in the schedule
• edit submitted articles if necessary
• deal with minor technical glitches on the blog
• add blog hosts/ regular contributors as blog authors to the blog so that they can publish their articles themselves
• encourage members to submit content, this involves mentioning the blog in the team forums and to new members, as well as publishing calls for new content on the blog regularly
• co-operate with the Blog Designer to have regular design changes
• be the contact person for the blog and respond to queries

New Member Admin for 'Welcome' updates

• announce new members publicly on the blog (Member Update) once weekly email is received from Team Admin: this involves visiting each new member's shop, getting a pic and title of a current item, creating the collage or composite graphic of that week's members and then getting a slot from the Blog Co-Ordinator to do the Welcome post

Blog Hosts

Responsible for assisting Blog Co-Ordinator in maintaining a complete blog schedule and help fill gaps where necessary. There are regular hosts and hosts who don't have a weekly slot.

Anne Marie who has been a regular contributor to this blog for a year now has decided to take a break, and Mo, who has kept us informed about all things crafty in the Crafty News also wants to take a break. This means, we need somebody who would love to write the Crafty News once a week, and also more blog hosts. We also need somebody who currates the Eyes Open Ireland feature since Rachel will be currating the Fab Five on Fridays.
If any of the other hosts who have regular slots would like a break, or 'change jobs', please let us know here. Maggie, our blog designer who has been working quietly in the background, will stay in her post.


PR Team/Think Tank (long term role for 3 - 5 members)

The Think Tank has yet to get off the ground properly, although we had some great work from more informal groups of team members in relation to the St Patrick's Day Treasure Hunt and the Etsy Ireland Pop-Up shop. However, maybe this term we might finally get a bunch of proactive creative thinkers and most importantly 'doers' to help generate publicity for the team, online and offline. This would include writing press releases, organising team promotions and publicising the team at events or organising publicity events for the team. The Think Tank works closely with the Team Admin and Blog Co-Ordinator.

The Think Tank is also responsible for applying for team grants and informing the team of progress via blog, facebook, twitter, Crafty Ireland Team forums, and Etsy chat room.

Area Representatives:

Represent your Area! Hosting a team meeting is a great way to do that! We need reps for
Dublin, Belfast, Galway, Limerick and Cork. If there is a significantly large group of Etsy Ireland team members elsewhere, do let the Team Admin know and discuss where to set up meetings for said group!
Each rep will be responsible for setting up meeting time/location and inviting members in your locality to come along. No big agenda! Just meet up, chat, show off your latest makes, maybe have a craft supply swap and have fun. We’d love each rep to blog after each meeting with some photos and a little summary of what you all got up to!

That's it for the moment, new or new vacant posts might be added to this list - we are always open for  new suggestions - so keep an eye on this blog. Informal enquiries about posts can also be made to me, Purls, and Letizia.

Purls

New Committee:

Team Admin: Sue from amazingbeads
Blog Co-Ordinator:
New Member Admin for 'Welcome' updates: Ellen from Spiralgoddess

Web Designer: Maggie from TheBowMakers
Techie Backup: Apple from AuntyApplesReFinery
Blog Hosts: Ruth from nicedaydesigns, Mante from MedusaJewellery

Crafty News:
Treasury Currator:
Eyes Open Ireland (monthly): Ellen from Spiralgodess

Fab Five on Fridays: Rachel from balanced
Tea and a Chat: Rebecca from LuckyRainbowDesigns
Twitter: Letizia from ooakie
Facebook: Nadine from thethistlepatch

PR/Think Tank: Angela from graceandfavourshop, Sue from amazingbeads
Area Representatives:
Galway: mariposavintage
Limerick:  Ruth from nicedaydesigns

Tea and a chat with.....

The lovely and very creative Mollie Barrow from Spleodar. Sit down and put the kettle on everyone!

Tell us a bit about yourself!

Hi there! My name's Mollie Barrow and I make sparkly fused glass things from my studio in North Tipperary.  I live in Cloughjordan, home to Ireland's first eco-village and next-door to Barack Obama's ancestral home of Moneygall, with my 10-year old son Elliot and a couple of cats.  I also co-own Sheelagh na Gig (http://facebook.com/sheelaghnagig), Cloughjordan's bookshop and café, though since February I've been artsying full-time and have left the shop in my business partner Liz's capable hands. 

Liz is also coordinating the upcoming Cloughjordan Festival, and I'll be exhibiting my work during it at the Totally Tipperary (http://www.facebook.com/totallytipp) slow food event in the grounds of Cloughjordan House on the 25th and 26th of June.  Also as part of the Cloughjordan Festival, I'll be running a series of fused glass workshops for children.  I've never taught anyone anything before, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you how terrified I am!      

How do you find selling on Etsy?
Slow, to be honest. I opened my shop in 2009, but didn't give it any attention.  In 2010, I kept the shop closed whilst I stockpiled my pieces for the National Crafts Fair in December.  I re-opened when I stopped working in Sheelagh na Gig, and have been putting a lot of time and effort into it since. 

Because of the nature of glass and the fact that my work needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated, and of course Ireland's being  an island in the middle of the Atlantic, I think the majority of my sales will continue to be local to Ireland.  And that suits me.  I am very grateful to Etsy for  exposure, though!  In just a few  months, my work has been featured in blogs and articles all over the internet thanks to the traffic to my Etsy shop.   

Describe your artistic process: 

I experiment!  All the time.  Kiln-forming glass involves melting glass in a kiln at temperatures 

up to 815c/1500f and then slowly cooling it to harden and to prevent thermal shock, depending on the effect you're trying to achieve.  

There are lots of cold-working methods that come into it too: 

like grinding pieces into shape, or sawing or sandblasting.  

But I love the actual kiln-work itself. 

I love the thrill of taking temperatures up higher than usual, 

I love combing glass when it's almost molten to 

create mad patterns, or letting it 'boil' at 1800f. 

I think glass has a mind of it's own.  I just facilitate it expressing itself! 

I do have respect for and appreciate the rules of kiln-forming glass, 

you have to if you don't want your pieces to shatter, but beyond that I just allow it to do its own thing! 

     

Future goals or ambitions?
Dirty words, as far as I'm concerned!  I look forward to having a bigger studio someday, though.  And once the sprog is off to university or down t'mines or wherever, I'm going to try to do some serious long-stretch travelling. He's 10.  I have a bit of a wait.    


What does handmade mean to you?
Now that's a loaded question! Beyond the obvious answer of not being made on an assembly-line, I'd say handmade implies quality and real people and skill and soul.    

Finally, any words of wisdom?
You're asking the wrong person if you're looking for wisdom! I'll just give you someone else's wise words.  Offaly artist Emma Barone (http://emmabarone.com) posted this quote to her facebook page today:  'A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.'--Lou Holtz 

Lovely Links
Etsy: http://spleodar.etsy.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/spleodarglass
Website: http://molliebarrow.ie

Thanks Mollie! Best of luck with the children's glasses, I'm sure you'll do wonderful!

Fab Five on Friday

Featured items:

1. Summertime Bunting, from aroominthecottage

2. Cottage Garden Purse/Wallet, from joanyg

3. Oh Sweet Garden How I Love Thee, ACEO Mini Print, from designbirdie

4. Social Butterfly, Fabric Pendant, from QueenofCuffs

5. Sweet Summer Strawberry Brooch, from ShinyJane

Chosen by Beth of magpieandbutton.
As always, if you would like to suggest or curate a Fab Five on Friday, just send me an Etsy convo :)  

Treasury Challenge with a twist...

Penny for your Thoughts by 9design

Time flies! It is nearly six months ago since the existing Etsy Ireland Team committee started their jobs, and soon, we'll be looking for volunteers for the new committee. I shall post the job descriptions and call for volunteers this weekend.


To combine the playful with the necessary, I've decided to kick start the change-over process with a Treasury Challenge. What better way to think about our team and volunteering for a team position than looking at the lovely goodies our team members produce. And we all might get new ideas for the team and what we are going to do next. AM actually gave me the inspiration for this - she should really get a job as a muse!

The topic of the Treasury Challenge is

TEAMWORK

(and yes, it is a challenge, but you can be as creative as you want to!)

Here come the rules:

The treasury must be curated between today and Friday 24 June (midnight GMT) - this is an extension because it looks like people need more time to join the challenge. Voting will then go on until Monday, 27 June, 23:59, and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, 28 June.

• A link to your treasury must be posted here in the comments of this post to enter.
• Your treasury must contain two tags:craftyirelandteam and citchallenge8 (note the 8).
• You must include 8-10 Crafty Ireland Team members in your treasury.
• Your treasury must not include one of your own items.

For those who are new to the team and haven't made a treasury yet, here's a link to a handy 'how to make treasuries' written by Anne-Marie from by Amo'r.

The happy winner will receive a a little feature post here on the blog AND their Etsy Mini listed in the sidebar for one whole week!

Happy creating! Looking forward to your inspiring treasuries! If you have any questions about treasuries and the treasury challenge, do not hesitate to post in the comment section, or convo me.

Purls

Entries:

Dita Maulani: Let the pair dance

Fiore Jewellery: Teamwork
byAmo'r: Team Spirit - go Ireland!
Mia loves Jay: Teamwork
Aunty Apples ReFinery: Cool Foggy Dew
Purls: Together, we... 

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Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.......

It's my pleasure to introduce you to our latest group of Etsy Ireland members. We have six great new shops to browse. So if you get a chance over the next couple of days please pay them a visit and drop off a few hearts.

Above from left to right:

Vintage Brooch Bouquet in Gold and Blue with Antique Paper Flowers from StarryFlowerLove;

Organza/Satin Wedding Table Confetti Scatter Flowers from Happy Hands.



Above from left to right:

Polka dot Bloom handbag by MiaLovesJay;

Two ladies in a boat - Original Fine Art Oil painting by Polly Bell.



Above from left to right:

Sterling silver hammered bangles by Beadmag;

and last but not least Lilac Rose Hair Clip by Natalie Katona Design.


Great to have you all on board and looking forward to seeing more fabulous things popping up from you in the near future. Until next time....

Crafty News Desk

Greetings from the Crafty News Desk
This weeks photo was taken at the Bloom Festival over the Bank Holiday weekend.  I just love this colour combination.....

Continued congrats to Ruth from  nicedaydesigns  and all the other volunteers who are working in the Pop Up Shop in Limerick.  Nice article in the Limerick Leader limerickleader  . 
Only one more weekend left to browse and buy in the shop so get on down to Bourke's Bar in Catherine St.  Closes next Sunday......

The Pop Up Shop and Etsy Ireland also were menetioned in the Irish Craft Supplement in the Irish Times last week.  Onwards and Upwards ladies and gents!!!!!!!

For those of you in Dublin, there is a series of weekend Craft Fairs in the Powerscourt Centre over the Summer.  The rates for the tables are reasonable.  Are there any Dublin crafters interested in being part of an Etsy Ireland corner?  If so, contract me through my etsy shop and leave your email address.  It could be interesting......

Print Block is a collective of textile artists and designers working predominantly in the field of screen print. Print Block originated in 2010 to collaborate on exhibitions, to share information, to gain access to printing facilities in Dublin, and to elevate the medium of textiles within Ireland. At present we are looking to expand our membership and are looking for new members.   For full information please visit printblock.tumblr.com.
Batik Techniques for Beginners at The Studio, Bennettsbridge, Co. Kilkenny, Sunday 3 July 2011, 10am – 5pm 
A one day workshop introducing basic and contemporary processes of batik – an ancient fabric dyeing and decorating technique where hot wax is used as a resist on cloth.
Fee: E75 – including all materials used during the day
For availability and bookings please contact Tunde: 087 2543362

21st Century Irish Craft Exhibition - The National Museum of Ireland's collection of Irish contemporary craft on display at the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7, from 8 June to 08 December 2011   

Mary from QueenofCuffs  and I Huggleknits  will be at the Dancing Buffalo Art + Craft Fair at Spawell Dublin next Sunday 17 June from 12 to 5.  Mary will have a selection of her wonderful cuffs and other crafted items and, as well as my Tiny Chuus, Baby Cards, Knit Kits and knitting needles,  I will be offering a large range of craft books and magazines at a "never to be repeated" price.  It would be great to see you there......

Thats about it for this week.
As always, keep the information coming in.
Cheers,
Mo
Huggleknits

Fab Five on Friday

 

Soft... feminine... pale... pretty... warm... delicate... simple... heavenly

Featured items:
1. Cream Vintage Button Shoe Clips, from TheBowMakers
2. Cream Silk Hairbow with Cream Birdcage Veil, from WhateverGetsYouTrue
3. Time Piece, Crocheted Wall Clock, from HeliCreations
4. Bonzie Ethereal Couture Cape, from bonzie
5. Irish Cream Shawlette, from HuggleKnits

Chosen by Beth of magpieandbutton.
As always, if you would like to suggest or curate a Fab Five on Friday of your very own, just send me an Etsy convo :)