Etsy Artists of Color

TEAM EAOC MAKES THE FRONT PAGE OF ETSY!!!!

2009-11-13T06:41:00.004-05:00

What an exciting way to celebrate Friday the 13th!!! Some of our illustrious team members made the front page of Etsy last night, and I am over the top with excitement! Congrats to all who were part of this Etsy-created Treasury! (See sidebar for actual Treasury image)

Hair Apparent

2009-10-25T10:29:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but my hair literally is my crowning glory. Some days I hate it. Most days I love. But I always celebrate it! I almost never have a bad hair day because with a few well-chosen products and some cool accessories, I am stylin' and profilin'! Check out these uber-cool hair must-haves courtesy of Team EAOC. Don't forget to tag your listings with "eaoc" to be found by your team members!

Gothic Spring Kanzashi Hairpin-Random Cat Girl

Loc Tam-Ayana Red

Eight Star Hairclip-Gina Be Jeweled

Orange Headband Tube-Virtuous Creations

Bold Black and White Hair Tie-Beyond Jewellery

Get Me Bodied!

2009-10-07T21:42:00.005-04:00

Check out these delicious, handmade body treats courtesy of our wonderfully-talented team! As a fellow B&B'er, let me say that handmade bath and body products are the best. You can rest assured that the quality of these selections is top-notch and made with the utmost care.

Eucalyptus Rose Soap by Christine Gant

Ginger Lime Body Butter by Safiya Beauty

Juicy Peach Kernal Nectar by Darcy Botanicals

Sweet Fig Body Polish by The Ivory Magnolia

Vanilla Ylang Ylang Perfume Roll On by Astrida Naturals

Cool Weather Luxe!

2009-10-02T18:39:00.006-04:00

I've been a bad blogger lately, and I apologize to the team. The approaching holiday season has me on edge with planning and crafting and such, but I'm back! I thought I'd start off this beautiful autumn season by featuring a few cool weather finds by searching the term "eaoc." Make sure that you tag your items "eaoc" so that we can find you! I'll be doing regularly posts like this with varying themes featuring our various talented artisans. But for now, check out these delightful discoveries!

Lotus Flower Ascot by Yarn Coture

Passion Red Body Knit Dress by Raghouse International

Pink-O-Licious Scarf by Jarvis Gift Boutique

Stylish Hat by By Ging

Triple Wave Afghan by designbcb

Labor Day Giveaway!

2009-08-30T23:00:00.011-04:00

Labor Day Giveaway

September 1, 2009 - September 7, 2009

winners announced on September 9,2009

Every shop will have one prize that they will be offering. The item will be posted in each shop and the listing title will read:

Reserved For Labor Day Winner

How to Play/Win

Visit any shop on the list, find an item that you like and tweet about it using #teameaoc. Every tweet will be equal to one entry. The more you tweet the more you will. You can tweet about as many items or shops as you like the more the merrier lol

Each shop is offering free shipping so that the people that don't win still get a prize for playing (Free Shipping)

So search, twit, shop, and have fun

Participating Shops

SarenzoBeads.Etsy.com

Norahz.Etsy.com

NikkiCandles.Etsy.com

SydneyAustinDesigns.Etsy.com

PureSpa2.Etsy.com

BlossomingTree.Etsy.com

Fangirlnista.Etsy.com

TaiwoSoaps.Etsy.com

BeinspiredDesigns.Etsy.com

BklynMoMos.Etsy.com

TheGiftHutch.Etsy.com

StarCrochetCreations.Etsy.com

Calling All Artisans!!!

2009-08-19T09:37:00.001-04:00

Hey EAOC'ers!

Would you like to be profiled on our blog? Let the world know who you are and what you do! If you're interested, please comment on this post, and I'll be in contact with you shortly regarding your feature.

Let's Talk Photos

2009-08-17T10:30:00.001-04:00

Photo cred: kcc.ac.uk

As online sellers, we are charged with the difficult task of making our wares look appealing and "sellable." The potential buyer can't physically see it, hold it, feel it, smell it, or taste it for that matter. So what can we do? Besides making an excellent product (aren't all our products excellent), the photos must be top notch. We read this in the Etsy guides and Etsy forums ad nauseam, but it's true. I'm no professional photographer, but I have picked up a few tips along the way:

Use natural light. Do not use the flash on your camera. It washes out the color of your items, and it cheapens your product. Read your camera's manual and learn how to use the macro setting. This is especially important if you're a jewelry maker.
Invest in a light box or build your own. I bought this one at amazon.com, and I love it. Or click here to learn how to build your own.
Use relevant props but not to the extent where they detract from your product. Don't confuse the buyer to the point where they can't figure out what it is you're actually selling.
Please, please, please do not use blurry or unfocused pics in your listings. It's such a turnoff and the quickest way to lose a sale.
Take multiple shots of your item-front, back, and sides. Aim to take at least 10 pics or more. Only about half of those will be actually usable once you download them to your computer. Use free web tools like Picnik or Picasa to edit your photos.

This is your forum! If you have any tips or techniques you'd like to share, let us know. Pretty pictures sell, and that's why we're all here, right?

I Did It! An All-EAOC Treasury!

2009-08-14T20:52:00.002-04:00

Okay, I've got the ball rolling:-0! Please give our team treasury some C&C (clicks and comments).

Let's Talk Twitter

2009-08-14T11:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!

As we head in to the weekend, I want to touch on Twitter for a moment. One thing I've learned from being a member of some of the more "popular" or "prominent" street teams is that they use Twitter, and they use it very effectively to network and promote!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Twitter, it is one of the endless social networking tools on the web. This is a perfect forum for us to chat and just hang out if you will. It's a very simple matter of "tweeting" or letting everyone know what you're doing at that moment. It can be as light-hearted or as serious as you want to make it.

For those who currently "twitter", let's use the hashtag #eaoc so that we can find each other or so that we can find tweets about our team and its members. For more on hashtags, click here. If you're on Twitter and are in search of followers, post your Twitter ID in the comments section so that we can find you and follow you. We hope you'll reciprocate the follow in return. Here's my user url: http://www.twitter.com/soapseduction. What's yours??

Have a safe and blessed weekend, and I'll see you in the forums, and maybe on Twitter!

August Theme!

2009-08-12T12:06:00.000-04:00

Photo credit: Norahz

Can you believe it's the middle of August already? It seems like it was just the 4th of July and I was barbecuing with the fam! Be that as it may, it is August, and Bklyn MoMo has issued a challenge! The challenge, more like a theme, shall we say, is to create and/or showcase all of our animal-inspired designs. Here are the rules:

1. Whatever you create must be new. Not an already listed piece.
2. You must list it in your shop and tag it with EAOC AugustTHEME.
3. Post a link to your item here so we can all ooh and aah at your creativity.

By the way, doesn't that pic of Norahz look hot? C'mon! Submit those entries. We need at least 12 to make a Treasury!

Give This Treasury Some C & C's!

2009-08-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

That's clicks and comments for those of you not familiar with all the Etsy lingo! This treasury was created by Swiedebie, our fellow team member. Let's give it some love!

If you are fortunate or fast enough to snag a Treasury, or if you're featured in a treasury let us know, and I'll do my best to post it on the team blog before it expires. Of course, it would be great exposure if some of your selections would feature our team members. An all-EAOC treasury would be ideal...just saying:-D

Change Is A Comin'!

2009-08-11T17:39:00.007-04:00

Hey Fellow Etsians and EAOCers,

My name is Patrice, and I'm one of the newly appointed admins for our blog. I run The Soap Seduction (shameless plug) on Etsy, and Lisa, our fabulous team leader, has been gracious enough to let me assist with keeping our blog fresh and updated with news and events. I have many ideas for our team, and this blog will be the main meeting place for sharing them with you.

First Up: Welcome New Team Members! As they say, there's strength in numbers and teamwork makes the dream work!

Secondly: I'd like to get a blog roll started, so if you have a blog, please comment on this post with your link! How can we discover your talents if we don't know how and where to find you? I love to read blogs, and we are now 300+ strong! Let's get those links up!

Lastly (for now): If you're not a follower of this blog, please consider following. In order to make our team strong, we need all the support we can get, and that starts within. Many announcements will be made here in addition to our ning group, and you don't want to miss out!

My goal is to make 1-2 new postings a week to include artist features and to share general team news. Let's make EAOC the street team on Etsy!

Photo cred: accuracyandaesthetics.com

EAOC Summer Madness Treasure Hunt - Day 4

2009-06-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

Today is the last day of the EAOC Summer Madness Treasure Hunt. There are still many prizes left so join in on the fun. The rules are simple and can be found on the Etsy team profile along with the list of participating shops. Come on over and give it a try! Visit teameaoc.etsy.com for all the details.

Today's phrase is:

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

EAOC Summer Madness Treasure Hunt - Day 3

2009-06-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

We are really excited! There were 2 winners in yesterday's hunt. Congratulations to Maria and Jen. We still have lots of items available to giveaway. There is a chance that you too will win a prize, but you have to play. What are you waiting for? Hop on over to teameaoc.etsy.com for all the rules and the list of participating shops.

Today's phrase is:
SUMMERTIME BARBEQUE

EAOC Summer Madness Treasure Hunt - Day 2

2009-06-19T12:00:00.001-04:00

Moving right along...

Visit the team shop ~ teameaoc.etsy.com ~ for the rules and list of participating shops. Remember, the treasure hunt run only from 12pm - 12am each day.

Today's phrase is:

HERE COMES THE BRIDE

EAOC Summer Madness Treasure Hunt - Day 1

2009-06-18T12:00:00.001-04:00

Today's the day! Day 1 of EAOC's Summer Madness Treasure Hunt. Look below for the phrase of the day then head over to teameaoc.etsy.com for all the rules and list of participating shops.

Today's phrase is:

Graduation Class of 2009

Will You Be There?

2009-06-16T09:00:00.009-04:00

~~~DON'T MISS OUT ON YOUR CHANCE TO WIN GREAT PRIZES!!!!!~~~

Mark Your Calendars! EAOC Summer Madness Treasure Hunt!

2009-06-13T13:08:00.004-04:00

Etsy's Artists of Color street team is sponsoring an outstanding summer promotion! The Summer Madness Treasure Hunt will take place in the Etsy Promotions forum beginning June 18 and ending June 21. Each day the treasure hunt will begin at 12 noon and run until 12 midnight, EDT. There will be lots of wonderful prizes to give away so you don't want to miss out. The rules are simple. Peruse through participating shops and find special letters that have been hidden in listings. The letters will be one of the listing photos. Take those letters and form a phrase pertaining to summer. The phrase will change each day. Simple right? You will have a chance to visit the shops of very talented artists and maybe find a new favorite. No purchase is necessary but if you happen to come across that one item that you just can't resist by all means BUY IT! :-)

Are you ready for Summer Madness?

Look For New & Exciting Things In May

2009-04-29T08:59:00.002-04:00

EAOC is changing and with that change will come many new & exciting things. Keep checking this blog for more awesome interviews by talented EAOC crafters/artisans, watch for more sales & promotions, information on upcoming giveaways and introductions to a few new features.

Thank you to all those who have supported this team!

Spotlight On...

2009-04-27T12:10:00.005-04:00

Amber Johnson of Erama

Tell us a little bit about who you are and your life up to this point in time.
My name is Amber Johnson and I am all over the place. I grew up in Los Angeles and should have known I was an artist when I drew two perfect flamenco dancers in the 6th grade. Didn’t get the hint. I wanted to major in Interior Design in college. Granma told me “you better not waste your momma’s money.” I took the “braniac” route and went to college for Communication. I graduated with a BA and MA from Saint Louis University in 4.5 years, and went on to Penn State for my PhD in 3 years. At 25 I had my PhD and a great teaching job. Then, I took a jewelry class since it was free. Fell in love. It inspired me to start painting, learn photography, and make jewelry. I do them all now in hopes of quitting my “day career” and enjoying life as I should be.

The name of my company, Erama, is my son’s name spelled backwards. His name, Amare, means beloved, immortal, and builder in different languages. So, you can say that I am a building a company that will be loved by many and last forever.

Besides your fantasy creative life, what else are you doing currently?
I am full time professor at Loyola Marymount University.

What do you offer in your Etsy Shop?
Custom Hair Ties for thick hair, curly hair, locks, super sleek hair, thinning hair, or any other hair that doesn’t mesh well with traditional ponytail holders. They won’t pull the hair out, and instead of carrying around unsightly elastic bands on our wrists with little hairs dangling from them that have been pulled out, these hair ties can double as pretty bracelets or necklaces instead.

I also make custom jewelry with natural gemstones, fuzed glass, and crystal.

Where do you create?
I have a lab at home. It is definitely big enough to share. I would love to host an EAOC workshop. Come over and let’s be creative together!

From where do you draw inspiration?
My inspiration comes from nature, African Adinkrah Symbols, and really anything I see that looks cool, unique, or interesting. I find myself browsing through etsy for inspiration a lot. There are some really amazing products begging to inspire us!

How did you learn your craft?
I am a self-taught beader. At Saint Louis U I started working with a brother named Jebel of Spider’s Web Custom Jewelry. He is an amazing beader and wire-wrapper who taught me about semi-precious stones, metals, spacer beads, so many cool tricks and tips! When I moved to Pennsylvania, I stopped creating and focused on my final degree. Lat summer I took a metal-smithing class at Loyola with Sue Dorman and fell in love all over again. In her class I learned glass fusing, metal manipulation, and lost wax casting techniques.

How do you promote your wares?
I blog, participate in forums, and talk to everyone I meet with thick hair, locks, afro puffs, etc.

What has been the most important lesson you've learned since you started selling your own creations?
Don’t spend hours mulling over a design. If you have an idea, then put something together. If you don’t like it, someone else will. You don’t have to like everything you make. I used to make things for “me.” But my style isn’t everyone’s style. I had to learn to watch what other people are wearing, doing, and enjoying and use that as inspiration. It makes it much easier to let go of creations. I also find myself making things much faster because I don’t second guess my style and taste. It isn’t for “me.” It is for someone special who is going to love it!

Is there any advice you can give others who are just starting out?

Be nice, cordial, and inviting at all times. When people like you, they want to buy from you. I am nice anyway, but at shows and in dealing with other artists, customers, etc. I am always nice, positive, and energetic, even if I don’t feel like it.
Sharing your ideas is a good thing. We are taught to keep our ideas to ourselves in fear that someone will run with them. However, one-man boats tend to sink. Working together creates more energy and inspiration. Besides, fear is an illusion. Don’t let it blind you.
Get a merchant account and take those credit cards. I don’t know if it is the economy, or cash is just 1980’s. I have lost so many sales because I didn’t have one. I have on now!!!

My etsy page can be found at: http://erama.etsy.com/
My blog can be found at: http://designed-living.blogspot.com

Spotlight On...

2009-04-06T09:20:00.015-04:00

Nicole Parrish of Honey Child Designs

Tell us a little bit about who you are and your life up to this point in time.
I've always been artistic, as a student, I've studied Theater, Film and the Arts. In the late 90s, I moved to Los Angeles from Philadelphia and landed myself in graduate film school. I began to sell my jewelry to family and friends as a way of earning money for my student projects. Upon graduating, I realized I had found my true creative outlet, and Honey Child Designs was born.

Besides your fantasy creative life, what else are you doing currently?
I'm currently offer jewelry making classes and I host bridal jewelry parties, children's parties and other ice breaker events to bring people together thru the united task of jewelry making.

What do you offer in your Etsy Shop?
I offer my unique line of Crystal and Gemstone jewelry. My line showcases One-of-A-Kind Agate Necklaces as my main focus. I also offer a line of crystal Chakra jewelry, designed in mind to help balance the seven energy fields of the Chakra system.

Where do you create?
I have a home studio, dedicated to being a cozy haven for me to design and handcraft my line. I also keep all of my collected stones and materials there.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
my inspiration is derived from nature. You could say that mother nature is my Muse. I just look around and appreciate all of the natural wonders in the world.

How did you learn how to do your craft?
I am self taught. I started by doing simple stringing and beading, but it slowly evolved into more elaborate designs. I use the Agate slice itself as the catalyst and I just go with the flow and build around it. I'm always amazed when a piece is finished.

How do you promote your wares?
I've created a dedicated website www.honeychilddesign.com, which I use it as a promotional and networking tool. I pass out lots of business cards with the link to my etsy site. I also participate in local and online craft shows and do a lot of social networking.

What has been the most important lesson you've learned since you started selling your own creations?
Persistance. If you truly love what you do, you will stick with it, thru thick and thin.

Is there any advice you can give others who are just starting out?
Stay true to yourself, think of your art first, and let your personal constitution lead you to your end result. I believe good things come to you when you build upon your own integrity.

Do you have any favorite Etsy artists you'd like to promote here?
Sure! A shout out to my friend Lisa of Sehra's, she makes the cutest little cupcake soaps. We haven't known each other long, but she has been a great inspiration to me. We can definitely give credit to Team EAOC for bringing us together! Also, my good friend Mindy of Tangent Designs has been in my corner since I've joined Etsy, she has been a wonderful teammate!

Website: www.honeychilddesigns.com
Twitter: @honeytweets
MySpace: www.myspace.com/honeychilddesigns
Blog: www.honeychilddesigns.com/honeyblog.html

Spotlight On...

2009-03-30T00:50:00.005-04:00

Gina Hullum of Urban Adornments

Tell us a little bit about who you are and your life up to this point in time.
I am a military brat, originally from California, but currently in Phoenix via Atlanta, Georgia. My love of jewelry making has turned my hobby into a part time business!

Besides your fantasy creative life, what else are you doing currently?
I am an Estimator for a demolition company!

What do you offer in your Etsy Shop?
Handmade jewelry and accessories.

Where do you create?
I currently operate out of my home studio.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I live in the desert, so inspiration is all around me!

How did you learn how to do your craft?
Self taught - read alot of how-to books and magazines!

How do you promote your wares?
I pass out alot of business cards and flyers, purchase Etsy showcases, and word-of-mouth.

What has been the most important lesson you've learned since you started selling your own creations?
That not everyone is as thrilled as you are about your wares!!!

Is there any advice you can give others who are just starting out?
Be persistent, think about the BIG picture.

Do you have any favorite Etsy artists you'd like to promote here?
Myself!

Spotlight On...

2009-03-23T00:53:00.004-04:00

Crystal Carlton of Charm & Jewels

Tell us a little bit about who you are and your life up to this point in time.

I am Crystal Carlton, a wife, and a mother of 1 lovely little daughter named Taya. I am 38 years old, and I live in Akron, Ohio.

Besides your fantasy creative life, what else are you doing currently?

I have been a hairstylist for 19 years, and I have been an Independent Artist/Designer since January 2004.

What do you offer in your Etsy Shop?

My etsy shop offers a wide variety of beautiful handmade jewelry. The designs in my collection are unique, eyecatching, and elegant. Designed with the finest components including handmade lampwork beads, charm beads,gemstones, sterling silver, bali silver, gold-filled, jangles, ceramic, Swarovski Crystals and much more. My designs include earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, beaded ink pens, children's jewelry and much more. I love to design wedding jewelry and designs for special occasions. Not only do I have a shop on etsy, but I also have my own website.

Where do you create?

I create my jewelry designs in a extra room in my home, I have designated as "My Studio"! Sometimes when I want to relax a bit more and spend some time watching television with my family, I take a small table into the family room and do some beading there as well.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I have always been artistic, but I get my inspiration from just about anything I see, I love to watch the seasons change, with all the beautiful colors we see they sometimes inspire me to design pieces made up of those colors. Designing jewelry really began with "My Little Inspiration", Taya. I was working 4 days a week 16 hours a day in the salon, and when I had her I decided I wanted to be home more to be with her, and that's when I decided to make jewelry and sell it.

How did you learn how to do your craft?

Again because I have always been creative, I purchased a bead kit, put it together and that was it! I began to go to local Bead Shows, and began to frequent Bead Shops. For the most part I taught myself, and when there was something I couldn't do I would not hesitate to take a class!

How do you promote your wares?

I promote my wares any way I can. I sell it in several shops here in the Akron area. I always donate to charities and auctions for even more exposure. I've also been in several malls, selling my jewelry for short periods of time, and of course my website,and my Etsy shop.

What has been the most important lesson you've learned since you started selling your own creations?

The most important lesson I've learned is to budget my time and my money!!! You have to this business can be time consuming and can consume you financially!!!

Is there any advice you can give others who are just starting out?

It's a tough road, hang in there!!!

Bad Hair Day? ~ Bath & Body pt 4

2009-03-22T00:55:00.009-04:00

Oh no! Who told the frizzies to come for a visit? There's help to stop those bad hair days before they happen, with Team EAOC.

Darcy's Botanicals

Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme ~ Coconut Lemongrass Transitioning Creme

Organic Coconut and Hibiscus Hair Conditioning Oil ~ Organic Cononut and Aloe Moisture Pudding

Northwest Scents

Lavender Patchouli Shampoo for Men

Floral Bouquet Shampoo

Sample for dry, curly and textured hair

Spotlight On...

2009-03-16T00:46:00.004-04:00

LaSonya of Good Enough To Eat Soap

Tell us a little bit about who you are and your life up to this point in time.
I am from Atlanta, a wife and mother, I have two wonderful boys ages 18 and 5 I currently live in Bronx NY.

Besides your fantasy creative life, what else are you doing currently?
I am big on watching government issues and world affairs.

What do you offer in your Etsy Shop?
Bath & Body Products

Where do you create?
Here at home, I come up with idea from the internet & research on what I think my customer would like.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Looking at different products and see how I can make it better or how can I flip to offer something unique.

How did you learn how to do your craft?
Reading material on online and watching youtube video

What has been the most important lesson you've learned since you started selling your own creations?
That you must be on point everyday it is an ongoing daily work to make your product successful if you really want to make your business sell and improve. Having a open line of communication for your customer is key

Is there any advice you can give others who are just starting out?
To take things slow and research the business you are in and do a lot of networking.

Do you have any favorite Etsy artists you'd like to promote here?
Not currently