1000 Finds - One Crafty Mom

Staying with shops who are members of the Pacific Northwest Market on 1000 Markets, I'd like to introduce Didi Lemoure of One Crafty Mom.


Didi has been in business since 2002 and she sure has refined her craft. I love her clutch bangles - what a clever idea! At least for those of you who can use smaller clutch size purses. :)


But she doesn't just make those amazing bangle clutches, she is another multi-talented artisan. I also love her art boxes and would love to have one on my wall.

Please visit Didi's shop. I'm sure you'll find something you must have. =)

1000 Finds - Ellen Morrow Arts

A new addition to the Pacific Northwest Market on 1000 Markets, I was struck by the beauty of Ellen Morrow's fabulous artwork.

Bright and vibrant colors are the main ingredient of her work, along with her natural subjects. From fogs to fish and birds to cats, she captures nature in all its wonderful spirit using watercolors.

I love it when artists create their work in other forms than pieces for the wall...our walls are full so gift card sets are much more likely to find their way into our house. I absolutely love her birds and flower cards.

Working from Eugene Oregon, Ellen is a welcome and wonderful addition to the PNW market.

1000 Finds - Kooyman Designs

I'm loving the 1000 Markets Pacific Northwest marketplace. We have such an amazing group of artisans that I'll have plenty of fun and unique goodies to share with you.

One such amazing and talented artisan is the folks at Kooyman Designs.


A cooperative effort between husband and wife (which I think is very brave *grin*) this duo creates their amazing work out of Arlington, Washington.

In their own words:

The toys I make are heirloom quality, using the best quality materials with the highest possible craftsmanship intended to last to be enjoyed by many generations. As parents, child safety is of the highest priority. This is why we use non-toxic and food grade stains and finishes on my toy and kitchen products. For a wood toy to last even one child’s lifetime, the wood must be protected. Without protection, one cup of juice spilled on a wood toy would virtually destroy it. Causing staining, sticky nastiness that is impossible to clean.

They don't just create children's toys, though I love them and know that I must have one for my upcoming crumb cruncher. They also design kitchen gadgets like their Tortilla press. I wonder if I had a tortilla press if I'd be more inclined to make my own tortillas. :)


I'll definitely let folks know when I decide on a toy to purchase for my little peanut. :)

1000 Finds - Grizzly Mountain Arts

I'm featuring one of our new Pacific Northwest Market members today and will probably pick folks from this market in the near future.

Grizzly Mountain Arts, husband to Good Dirt Jewelry, is incredibly talented and I am in awe of his creations.

It's hard to pick a favorite but this Starfish basket tops the list.

I especially like Dave's background - Fish and Wildlife! My father worked there for years prior to his death. I hold a special place in my heart for them.

"Ponderosa pine needles are gathered by Dave and Jo in the Ochoco National Forest, then cleaned and stored to be used in basket making. Dave also uses dye to alter the natural color of the needles of some of his baskets. Artificial sinew is used as the binding material as it is much stronger than raffia. In order to maintain the refreshing smell of the pine forest, we do not seal our baskets."

I'm so impressed with this duo and glad they are both part of the new PNW marketplace.

Pacific Northwest Market is LIVE

I am beyond excited to announce that the Pacific Northwest Market on 1000 Markets is now live!

It's taken quite a few weeks and there are more details to be ironed out but we are now accepting new members and looking to grow the market. We have lots of great ideas and goals for promoting the market and the member shops, both online and off.

We are looking for a variety of diverse artisans who make up this amazing part of the world. If you live in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington state and are a handcrafted artisan please check out the membership requirements (they aren't that strict) and join us.

1000 Finds - Andy Mathis Art Co

Some of you may have run across Andy on Etsy or some other venue. I've appreciated his work for at least a year...or longer, I can't remember. As much as his art, I love his sense of sarcastic humor and down to earth ideas.

I'm thrilled that he's started a shop on 1000 Markets and enjoy his contributions to the growing market.


I think his work is incredible.

When I picked Andy to feature today I had no idea that his dog Jethro needed some medical attention ... and in order to assist in funding Andy is having a special Jethro sale. Of course the picture of his sweet dog tugs my heart strings.


Head on over to Andy's blog to read about his special Jethro sale. And add Andy to your list of favorites...

Andy Mathis Art Co
Andy Mathis on Etsy
Andy Mathis on 1000 Markets

1000 Finds - Two Seaside Babes

Since the baby is making me miserable I have to focus on good things about having a little crumb cruncher. One of the funnest things (to me) is the adorable clothes and toys I'll get to purchase. And I do plan to buy handmade items. I've already started a special savings account just so we'll have some extra cash to support our handmade buddies.

Two Seaside Babes caught my eye and are on my list of shops to hit when we find out the sex of the baby.

Look at this adorable Octopus!!! Hello adorable!

And since my little one will be born in October I'll need to make sure their head is covered and cozy...and this darling knit buckle Beanie will definitely do the trick.


And until they get old enough for the buckle beanie I think they'll look spectacular in this Flapper Beanie.


How freaking cute is that?

This shop is definitely being added to my list of places to shop once we know what we're having. She is also on Etsy and has 100% positive feedback.

Oh...and if you like the look of those buckle beanies (which I do...I might have to have one for myself) she makes them for big kids too!

1000Finds - Helene's Dreams

Working from Bend, Oregon (howdy neighbor!) Helene of Helene's Dreams creates simple designs perfect for wearing every day ... without a major pinch to your budget.


I love her color combinations.


Like me, she creates because she must...it's simply part of who she is. And also like me, she finds inspiration in this beautiful part of the world, the Pacific Northwest.

Her earrings are perfect for spring and summer - and her prices are affordable. Get a pair as a gift and for yourself! =)

A New Adventure

As you know, I'm on 1000 Markets with my jewelry. I really like it there and think it's going to be a hugely successful venue for handmade artisans to sell their work.

One of the things that is unique about 1000 Markets is their concept for browsing. You can browse by shop or you can browse by Marketplace.

Marketplace?

Yup..Marketplace. This concept took me a little while to get used to because it really is unique. It's different than simply grouping items by product type. Markets are created by shop owners based on ideas and themes.

There is a market called Ever After that has shop members who cater to that big wedding event. There are markets for different states and regions in the country like New Jersey and California. Temporary markets have been started for Valentine's Day, Christmas, and even one for Dia de los Muertos.

I was having a hard time finding a regional market that I could fit into. There was a Seattle market, but they only accepted shops within King County. There is a San Juan market and a Portland market, but neither fit me either.

So I proposed that we create a Pacific Northwest market. The response has been really great and I'm getting super excited about having an all inclusive market that has shops from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

I may end up being the manager...which is a seriously scary thought! But I won't be without help because I just can't do it by myself. If you have a shop at 1000 Markets and are in the three state Pacific Northwest area please stop by the forums and join the discussion.

1000 Finds - Designs by Velvet

It's Wednesday again and I remembered to find a fun shop from 1000 Markets to share.

I love crochet and knit things and wish I knew how to knit...and that my crochet skills were better.

Designs by Velvet makes it unnecessary for me to learn though - her designs are stunning! I would LOVE one of her romantic Bolero jackets. This one immediately caught my eye.

Just wow! And her pricing is not crazy outrageous. I'd expect something handmade like this to sell for over $100, but she is charging $75. Very reasonable.

I'm also enchanted with this unusual design, which can be worn multiple ways.

I am really enamored with her work and am adding her to my "wish" list. :)

1000Finds - EyeShutter to Think

What a great name! EyeShutter to Think is a great shop I recently discovered on 1000 Markets. As the name may imply, her work is photo oriented.

She has a variety of diverse pictures available for sale...some of which would make great wedding gifts.


I love this Giraffe!

And I love that she offers a variety of different options other than prints.
We don't have a lot of wall space available in our house but she has calendar magnets, bookmarks, and note cards available with her photos. A great alternative for those of us who already have too much artwork.

1000 Finds - Freckled Hound

My week has been a little off so I realized yesterday that I forgot to do a 1000 Markets find on Wednesday. So we'll end the week with a great shop on 1000 Markets.

The name alone caught my attention - Freckled Hound. What could be cuter? And then I saw their products, which are adorable and now on my wish list for the baby's room.



Freckled Hounds decals can be made in different colors and they even do custom orders.

Now I just need to decide what sort of theme the baby's room will be, but that is going to depend on whether we have a boy or a girl. Either way, these decorations will be a great and inexpensive way to decorate and when the crumb cruncher is older we can just peel them off. No fuss. I like no fuss.

First Sale!

I had my very first sale from my 1000 Markets shop. It's very exciting! =)

That is much faster turn around than when I first joined Etsy. My first sale there took several months and I've only been on 1000 Markets for a few weeks now.

If you are on 1000 Markets, what has your experience been with sales? I found it a bit overwhelming at first.

The e-mail notification of the sale arrived almost 12 hours after the initial sale. I hope that doesn't reflect badly on me. I didn't get the notice until this morning, but it arrived in my in-box last night around 10 p.m. The sale took place at 8 a.m. in the morning.

The other thing I'm used to is contacting people via e-mail after they make a purchase. But there's no e-mail address provided to me. Very sneaky! =) All communication is done via 1KM. And that is fine...it just took me a moment to figure it out.

So when you get a sale, you actually have to go into the website and "confirm" the order. This will send an e-mail to the customer. I wish they had a place to include a note to the customer. I needed to tell her something and had to use the "contact" button to send her a message through 1KM. So the customer got two e-mails instead of just one. It'd be nice if they made a spot for notes when you confirm.

Now I just need to make the items and get them ready to ship. Then I will click the shipped button, where I do have the opportunity to leave a note.

Something that I'm used to is printing shipping labels through Paypal, but since 1KM uses Amazon as a merchant processor I will have to go back to using USPS.com. Which is fine, but I felt a little more protected through Paypal. If a customer disputes something through their credit card (which was charged to Amazon) I don't know how protected I am. With paypal, if you used their shipping process and got delivery confirmation you were (supposedly) safer.

It's definitely a learning process, but having a sale so soon is incredibly encouraging to me and gives me more motivation to move more of my work to my 1000 Markets shop. =)

1000 Finds - Cakebox Cookies

My mouth is watering. I love cookies. LOVE them. And when they're pretty and tasty ... what could be better?

The cookies by Cakebox Cookies look delicious. The obvious care and attention put into the details - and her fabulous photos - grabbed my attention right away.


All of her cookies are handmade and hand iced. There is nothing yummier than a shortbread sugar cookie with frosting.

Maybe I'll order these cookies as a way to tell my mom and mother in law about our new addition. *grin*


She's got some simple cookies too, but I absolutely love her frosted fancy cookies.


Cooking out of a fully licensed, health office inspected, kitchen it's hard to go wrong ordering cookies from Cakebox Cookies. I'll be putting my order in soon!

1000 Finds - Strawberry Luna

It's Wednesday again - my how time flies.

And since I'm in a baby frame of mind (keep me in your prayers please ... aunt flow is late!) I thought I'd feature a baby related store.

Strawberry Luna, from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, has some incredible artwork that I would be proud to feature in my baby's room.

Hubby loves owls ... I think they're just okay ... but I would totally put this owl up. O is for Owl! She hand makes each print and her alphabet series was featured in the super cool magazine Real Simple. Isn't that awesome?

Of course, when I see her I is for Inchworm print the song Inchworm immediately pops in my head and it'll probably be there all day. I can see myself singing the song and looking at this print while I rock my future baby. =)

She doesn't just have children's prints though - she also has funky and rock 'n roll prints, as well as t-shirt designs.

I dig her Friends are Neato elephant and birdie t-shirt.


I hope you enjoy Strawberry Luna's work. Her designs are original and hand drawn and I think they are neato!

1000 Finds - My Favorite Mirror

I remembered! It's Wednesday again and I've found a great little shop to feature from 1000 Markets.

My Favorite Mirror actually caught my eye because of their coasters. Do people still use those? We've gotten very bad about not using them at my house but we should really try harder.

They have a great "Dogs Rule" set of doggy coasters, and we know how obsessed I am with my dogs.


Now if they made a snow dog breed set of coasters I'd be all over it! =)

I also love their vintage looking coasters. I love the 20s and 30s and 40s ... and some of the 50s ... and they have a whole collection dedicated to "Fashionably Vintage" styles.


I wish we still dressed like that. :)

I hope you'll check out My Favorite Mirror - their products are hand made by a lovely fun couple who have been in business since 2003.

Support Handmade! Shop 1000 Markets. =)

1000 Finds -

I've decided it would be fun to feature artists from the new 1000Markets venue. I'm really enjoying my new shop there, though I have thought of a few suggestions for the overall market.

Anyway, I'm hoping I can remember to feature a shop every Wednesday. We'll see how far my memory lasts. *grin* At the very least I'll try to find an interesting shop to share once a week.

First up is Lori Forney's Recycled Jeans and Things. Why? Because she left a very nice comment on my "wall" and I really like her shop. LOL

Seriously though. Her work looks incredibly professional and she has a wide variety of items available at various price points. From fabric card sets to head bands to purses, her work is created using recycled (or is it upcycled? I can never remember the difference) fabrics.


I really like her Quilted Pillow set.

A New Selling Venue - 1000Markets

I've sold on a few different online venues in the past few years, but so far Etsy has outlasted them all.

There are other outlets though and so I thought I'd try a fairly recent one that looks super polished.

1000Markets is new but so far it looks great. It is for independent artisans to share and sell their work. I just set up my shop today and here are my first observations.

PROS

I love the listing process for each item. It's all on one page and completely intuitive. Adding photos is simple - and you can add four pictures at a time or one - as opposed to uploading one file at a time. They even provide a cropping tool within the listing page!

The look is much more sophisticated, in my humble opinion, than Etsy. The front page looks more fashionable and less cluttered. Etsy sometimes has *too* many choices, as fun as they are. I really like clean and simple designs.

Each shop comes with a blog. A very unique feature, though I don't know that it'll get much use from me, since I already write three blogs.

Your shop must be approved. I love this. While Etsy is wonderful and anyone and their dog can sign up to sell, sometimes those with really great talent get a little lost in the quantity of sellers. 1000Markets has some standards that you must meet before your shop will go live.

Free to join and start a shop.

Customers must pay before the order is complete. This is one huge complaint at Etsy. A customer can complete their order on Etsy, but that doesn't mean they are done - they have to complete one more step in order to submit payment. 1000Markets seems to have learned from this huge issue.

I really like the "Marketplaces" ... these seem to be user generated and organized. I was asked to join two marketplaces within five minutes of my shop going live, and there are dozens of different marketplaces. You can also ask to join a marketplace, though they all have different rules for membership.

Potential pro, but in my head a con right now, they use Amazon.com for payment. This actually may be a good thing as so many people have accounts as shoppers with Amazon.


CONS

It's pretty new and looks like it's still in a start up phase. I have no idea how sales have been for other shops.

Their fees are higher than Etsy - 5.5% for each item sold plus $0.50. But that is it - there are no hidden fees (according to their fee policy).

They don't use Paypal. All payments go through Amazon. Again, this seems like a con to me right now, but that could be because I'm just used to Paypal. It could be a huge pro. We'll see.

Browsing can be a bit confusing as there are no item categories. It is organized by "Market" or by Shop. There are 168 pages (right now) of shops so there is a lot to see.

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So far that's what I see. Have you joined yet? Do you plan to? Have you had any experience with them yet? I like that there is another option for selling and buying and it looks like a great new option.