DIY Tutorial : Framed Embroidery Hoops

Hey Friends! Just wanted to share with you today a how-to on Framed Embroidery Hoops! Framed Embroidery Hoops are every where, they make great gifts, wall art, and a perfect way to show off your embroidery! I'm sure most methods are quite similar but I haven't seen anyone back their hoops like I do so I thought I'd teach you how! 

Adding a little piece of backing fabric helps to create a little finished piece of art work and it's just a nice detail! Plus it really helps to add some sturdiness to your hoop, especially if you're framing a thinner cotton or making patchwork hoops. 

So here we go: 

1. After you've finished up the embroidery you plan to hoop, cut a piece of cotton fabric to fit in your hoop, I usually just use my finished embroidery as a guide for size. You don't often find me measuring things! ;) (thinner fabric works best for backing in this method).  


2. Place your backing fabric front size down on top of your inner hoop, lay your finished embroidery finished size up on top of your backing fabric, and attach your top hoop. 


3. Once you have all your fabrics in place and your hoop tightened down, pull the edges of your backing fabric to get it nice & taunt and then do the same with your embroidered top piece. Tighten down your main hoop once again so everything is snug and in place. 


4. Next trim down your backing fabric so that it is level with your inner hoop. Since everything is snug & in place you won't need to glue this fabric down since your outer fabric will hold it in place just fine. 


5. Then decide whether you need to trim your top fabric - I like mine to just cover the rim of my hoop but not go all the way down to my backing fabric. I just think it looks neater this way. So trim down your remaining edge so it is about a half inch and enough to go over the edge of your hoop. 


6. Time to start gluing! I start from the screw at the top of the hoop and work my way around the circle doing 2 to 3 inches at a time. I like to use good ol' Aleene's Tacky Glue - it's well, very tacky and stays in place great! Be sure you're framing a piece you'd like to stay in the frame because you probably won't be able to remove it easily! 


- I like to do a bead of glue on the very edge of the hoop and then a lighter line of glue on the hoop wall - the glue there I spread out with my finger so you get less glue oozing from the bottom. Begin pressing your fabric down and hold in place for several seconds until the glue starts to bond - keep working all the way around your hoop. You may have a few places that pop back up or some larger folds once you finish but just go back around your hoop smoothing things down and holding for a bit longer if necessary. 

Voila! You've got a nice little finished framed embroidery hoop.


Hope this was helpful! If you have any finished embroidery hoops or other crafty goodness that you'd like to share, post them to the Lova Revolutionary : Blog Pool on Flickr!

New Owl Iphone or Ipod Cozies Now Made to Order on Etsy!

Eco Felt Owl Iphone or Ipod Cozies Made to Order $22

Horray! I'm now offering Eco Felt Owl Iphone / Ipod Cozies made to order in my Etsy shop! There is currently 24 different designs to choose from, just pick one and I'll make it! Of course, you can also customize if you'd like a different selection or see a different combo that you'd like! This is my first made to order offering and I'm super excited - over the next few months I'll be moving more items over to a made to order format to make things more customizable for you all! I should also be continuously updating the rest of the shop little by little so keep checking in with me!

Craft Office Inspiration!

Did a little almost spring cleaning & rearranging around the crib recently and we now have the official offices of Cave House Studios & Lova Revolutionary in our little house! The bf's office surely looks better than mine so far despite having a few computers, a very large tv, and a very large arcade machine! (Bf is currently working on a smaller, more compact version of his awesome arcade machine for the living room, will post about that later! He needs to sell them on Etsy, for real, guys need these!) I've been super busy lately and haven't had a chance to really start making my craft office my own little heaven....looking forward to it though! Although, I have a soft spot for really great by the book design, I'm sure my craft office will turn out more vintage trash chic punk rock bungalow tacky more than anything else! We'll see how it goes...I'll keep you posted! In the meantime, check out a little Craft Office Inspiration below:

Create by Wonderfully Complex

This is neat - I've been looking for an excuse to buy these big paper mache letters I keep seeing.

Home Sweet Home by Yokoo

I just sort of have a platonic crush on Yokoo! Ha!

Sewing Table by Joyful Lova

Studio Spruce by o!rachew!

I'm diggin the clip boards instead of your average cork board. I also really like those painted candlesticks!

Open Shelving for Storage by Yummygoods

lucotinha

This makes me feel like I'm Liz Lemon and all I can I say is I want to go there.

A Craft Revolution - Columbus Dispatch

New generation of do-it-yourselfers churns out goods

Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:39 AM

By Kevin Joy

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Embroidery instructor Amy Dalrymple Murphy, left, helps Jill Burton get started during an embroidery class at Wholly Craft!

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COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER | DISPATCH

Embroidery instructor Amy Dalrymple Murphy, left, helps Jill Burton get started during an embroidery class at Wholly Craft!

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COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER | DISPATCH

Crocheted anatomical heart Shannon Gerard (Toronto): $8

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LEONARDO CARRIZO | DISPATCH PHOTOS

Crocheted anatomical heart Shannon Gerard (Toronto): $8

Bottlecap pin Emily Kircher (Madison, Wis.): $5

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Bottlecap pin Emily Kircher (Madison, Wis.): $5

Ohio corn pin AmyD (Columbus): $5

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Ohio corn pin AmyD (Columbus): $5

Hand-sewn stationery Umbrella Girl Productions (Columbus): $7

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Hand-sewn stationery Umbrella Girl Productions (Columbus): $7

Olivera Bratich, owner of Wholly Craft! in the Clintonville neighborhood

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COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER | DISPATCH

Olivera Bratich, owner of Wholly Craft! in the Clintonville neighborhood

Inside a cotton-candy-colored shop, where crocheted cupcakes hang in the windows and indie-rock tunes float through the air, seven women sat with sewing needles.

Their teacher, 39-year-old Amy Dalrymple Murphy, sporting pink Converse sneakers and jeans with pinup-girl patches, struggled to perfect a difficult stitch.

"OK, this one makes you want to shoot someone in the face," she said. "But isn't it pretty?"

Hosting the kitschy klatsch: Wholly Craft!, a Clintonville neighborhood shop whose shelves hold jewelry made from recyclables, tote bags fashioned from T-shirts and body soap in the shape of grenades.

Patrons can buy washable cloth menstrual pads, aprons with a sewn-in pocket for beer bottles or embroidery patterns featuring geese and the phrase "Honk if you're horny."

"People think things are low-quality if they're goofy," said shop owner Olivera Bratich, 28. "But the best stuff can be offbeat and irreverent."

Although independent crafters have been doing business for years, their wares were typically relegated to infrequent bazaars or homespun Web sites.

A rise in the do-it-yourself culture, blog buzz and the desire to shop locally have helped old-school crafting make a comeback, fueled by new-wave aesthetics and an all-inclusive attitude.

"There's been a big resurgence," said Adam Brown, spokesman for www.etsy.com, a New York marketplace for crafts. "You're buying directly from the creator."

Founded in 2005, Etsy counts 200,000 active sellers and lists 3.2 million handmade items. It took in about $90 million in total sales last year.

Murphy was one of only a few Etsy sellers in Columbus when she joined four years ago. Now, Brown said, central Ohio counts more than 1,000 sellers on the site, with several locals among Etsy's overall top earners.

"(Etsy) changed what people's idea of crafting is," Murphy said. "I could relate to all this stuff I had never seen before."

Such business, however, isn't exclusive to the Web. Brick-and-mortar spaces for crafts are growing, and, in some cases, thriving.

Bratich opened Wholly Craft! in 2005, moving two years later to a larger neighboring storefront as her clientele grew. The goods, sold on consignment, are made by independent crafters throughout North America with cheeky product lines such as Damned Dollies and Get Felt Up. Many sellers are in central Ohio.

Murphy, who makes custom clothing from "found" materials, opened a shop nearby last summer.

Sew to Speak -- a store dealing in independent fabrics and sewing instruction, which last month celebrated its first year in business -- operates on High Street north of Henderson Road.

And, in December, Washington transplant Libby Bruce opened the high-end yarn store Wonder Knit next to Wholly Craft! along a retail strip the 27-year-old has dubbed the "Clintonville Crafts District."

Meanwhile, about 20 alt-crafters known as the Columbus Crafty Cotillion meet monthly to encourage one another while cultivating and promoting local crafts.

Most sellers still rely on day jobs to make a living. But the work, with its anti-corporate roots in punk-rock culture, is satisfying, said Emily-Kitturah Westenhouser, a 30-year-old Columbus art teacher who makes hand-sewn stationery from vintage paper.

"I think people are really excited to buy handmade things," she said.

Amy Neiwirth, an art teacher from the Short North who creates polymer-clay jewelry pieces that resemble food and sweets, said she's "lucky to break even" but has expanded to sell her crafts at Chicago and Boston stores.

Thanks to networking, Neiwirth's work last year caught the eye of Hollywood: Pieces from her Sweet Stella Designs label were included in the MTV Movie Awards gift bags.

"My time-management skills are getting a workout," said Neiwirth, 28. "It's a labor of love."

Her peers understand.

At a recent Columbus Crafty Cotillion gathering, an open get-together on the last Monday of each month at the Surly Girl Saloon, the ladies wind down by talking business, Bedazzlers and boyfriends over beers.

"I know I can come here and say, 'What are you working on?' " said Megan Green, a 31-year-old office manager and crafter from Merion Village who makes soap and plush monsters.

"They're an awesome source of inspiration."

kjoy@dispatch.com

---

Gatherings

Some developments in the growing alt-craft scene:

• The addition of an indie-craft fair to the sixth Agora gathering, a twice-yearly art, music and performance show at Junctionview Studios in Grandview Heights

• The return of Artisan Sundays at the North Market -- a summer craft sale founded last year that will be staged twice monthly from May through October

• The continuation of the Craftin' Outlaws and Tiny Canary fairs in the fall (seller applications for both events are up, organizers say)

• The debut -- in the spring -- of three new craft-centered events: Kidzartz, the Columbus Torah Academy Craftstravaganza and the Etsy Team Columbus Eco-Chic Craftacular

• The Ohio State Fair's recent approval of Columbus Crafty Cotillion's indie-craft bazaar at this year's fair

Hey Ohio!!! You can now find Lova Revolutionary : Handmade + Art @ Wholly Craft! Stop by and check out my lovely Owl Brooches, Birdie Brooches, & Big Tweet Plush! (P.S. My fam hails from the Cleveland Area, Go Ohio! Get Crafty)

Crafting: A Silver Lining in a Tough Economy - MSNBC.com

Looking for an outlet for your creativity? Crafting is bucking the economic meltdown. Here are the latest crafting trends you should know about.

By Laura Tiffany

Entrepreneur.com

updated 2:00 p.m. ET March 11, 2009

In economic times like these, the urge to hunker down in your house, limit spending and jump off the merry-go-round of shopping, credit and consumerism can be strong. And one way for people to step outside the system, if just for a few hours a week, is crafting. Rather than being a consumer, a crafter becomes a manufacturer; the end result of a night on the couch isn't three hours of empty Tivo space, but a scarf, toy or handmade holiday ornament that one can give away, keep or sell.

While data are still being compiled for 2008, the Craft and Hobby Association reported that in 2007, craft sales in 39 categories reached nearly $32 billion, and nearly 57 percent of U.S. households engage in crafting. Online handmade goods siteEtsy.comreported $88 million in sales in 2008, a significant increase over 2007 sales of $26 million. With 1.9 million members and more than 200,000 sellers, Etsy enjoyed $9.9 million in sales in January alone.

Like most retail sectors, it's likely that craft sales may decrease in the coming months. But all signs point to more and more people diving into this market, both as consumers of supplies and handmade gifts, and as entrepreneurs selling their own items and supplies.

At the January CHA show, spirits were high as manufacturers and retailers recognized that the economic climate creates more folks ready to put needle to fabric and stamp to paper to join a crafting revolution that's been in the works for more than a decade.

Some of the big crafting trends present at the show, which featured more than 900 exhibitors, include:

Scrapbooking. This is the most robust craft category that CHA tracks, and scrapbooking companies had by far the strongest presence at the show. While paper still rules scrapbookers' supply cabinets, many crafters are taking skills such as stamping, painting and decoupage into other media for jewelry making--like sandwiching tiny art between glass slides for a pendant or stamping blank wooden bangles. Another trend is personalization of supplies--companies such asBoss KutandJustRite Stampersallow crafters to create their own supplies, such as die cuts and acrylic stamps.

Most heartening, there's still plenty of room for startup companies in this field.Rusty Pickle, a paper company that defines itself in the marketplace with its edgy designs, was started in 2003 by Tasha and Lance Anderson. They release new designs monthly, and most of their products are sold in independent scrapbooking stores. The Andersons reach such stores organically, by teaching at more than 30 scrapbooking conventions across the country.

Christian and Angela Magnuson startedUnity Stamp Co.in Minnesota just last May. They're receiving a good reception online for their unique eco-friendly stamps, which contain significantly less wood than traditional stamps and are packaged with recycled paper. "There are some people who are going to change [to our stamps] just because they like our packaging," Christian says.

Green crafting. It turns out that the Magnusons are on the forefront of the huge green craft movement. Scrapbooking suppliers are using recycled paper. Manufacturers such as Berwick Offray and Coats and Clark are using earth-friendly materials--bamboo, recycled cotton and a new acrylic blend created from recycled water bottles--to create yarn and ribbons. Wooden bangles, fromDIYBangles.com,come from a tree in India that reaches full growth in just seven years and requires no chemical processes for drying.

"Crafting in general is kind of green," says Sarah Meehan, marketing manager for Stampington & Co., an independent magazine publisher that's launching Green Craft magazine later this year and already features re-use titles such as Altered Couture. "People are recycling and reusing things that they have, revamping them, bringing them up to speed."

Crafts for kids. Kid-specific kits and products are hotter than ever, even in this tough economy. "Unfortunately, the schools cut a lot of creative areas, so it's up to the parents to do it at home. And I really think [crafts have] become an important part of the American family," says Jenny Lowe, design director of Moorestown, N.J.-basedSbar's Inc., a 50-year-old supplier of family-friendly crafts that has lived through its share of recessions. "Kids are just so eager to accomplish something. And let's face it--crafting gets them away from the computer."

Some companies foresee growth in this area because of parents wanting to craft with their kids. Parents can purchase a $15 kit and have a fun evening at home, rather than pay $50 to take the family to the movies. There are also ancillary customers, such as church camps and Scout troops. And of course, there's always the need for kids' birthday gifts, too.

"We've grown our business," says Melissa Milne, North American sales vice president forThe Orb Factory, a Canadian company that makes Sticky Mosaic kits, which allow kids to make mosaics with paint-by-number-style stickers. "Our year-end is March 31, and we hit our target for this year two months ago." The company, which was started by owner Steve Kay in 1993, will see its sales increase 50 percent, according to Milne.

Sewing. Among crafters, sewing is the new knitting. "The No. 1 craft onCraftsteris sewing clothing. It's disproportionately popular," says Leah Kramer, founder of the site. Trend Hunter Research listed "Credit Crunch Couture" as its No. 1 trend, citing the poor economy for an uptick in interest in making your own fashions.

When indie crafter Kathy Cano-Murillo set out to design her second line ofCrafty Chicaproducts for Duncan Crafts, she chose to target sewers with her trademark Latino motifs. "I knew that sewing was an emerging trend, and my [grandmother] was a really good seamstress. That empowered me," says Murillo, who's run her art business with her husband for 19 years in Arizona. "So when it came to do the second round of CraftyChica, I was like, 'Please, can we do stuff with fabric.' "

Tough times tend to spur creativity. As an entrepreneur, there are few better ways to channel your creativity than in a crafts business. Whether you start to find your artistic voice or you do it to sell personalized gifts, crafting makes the most out of your creativity--as an artist and as an entrepreneur.

Copyright © 2009 Entrepreneur.com, Inc.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29638824/

Neat Things from the CRAFT Magazine Flickr Pool

Recycled Leather Elephants by Loopy Dolls

Tea Cup Cozie By Knit Storm

Deer in Apothecary Jar - AliciaDesign

Cute Felt Slippers by gaudblogvrudaii

Turn your skills or your stuff into extra cash - cnn.com

• Story Highlights
• Some people who need extra cash are selling crafts or belongings
  
• There are Web sites where you can set up a virtual store
  
• Some Web sites narrow items to crafts, wedding-related items
  
• Consignment stores are good places to sell clothing or furniture
  

By Jen Haley
CNN

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Jessica Marquez was facing the exorbitant expense of living in New York City with nothing but a newly minted Masters of Arts degree and $70,000 in student loan debt.

The recent transplant to the Big Apple has the enthusiasm of someone with her whole life ahead of her, but as bills rolled in, so did reality: Her day job as an image archivist at a Chelsea art gallery just wasn't cutting it.

So to earn extra income, Marquez, 27, started selling her embroidered artwork online at Etsy.com.

"It's become an obsession," she laughs. "My boyfriend says he's widowed to Etsy."

Etsy.com is an online marketplace for homemade goods. Sellers create a profile on the site and upload photos of the crafts they want to sell. There's a 20 cent per item listing fee and Etsy.com takes 3.5 percent commission on sales.

On the site you can find handmade candles, needlepoint, pottery and purses. "People are really passionate about what they make and the DIY movement," says Adam Brown at Etsy.com. Plus, it's a way to make some extra cash. And that's what Brown says is fueling the site's popularity.

Marquez had never sold anything online before. But the process wasn't difficult, and then of course, there's the paycheck. To date, she figures she made about $600.

"I had no idea if people would be able to find me and actually like what I do," she says.

"I was so shocked when I made my first sale. I did a dance. When I do make sales, it makes me feel like I can do this! Maybe I can be my own boss."

Selling your stuff online may not allow you quit your day job, but more people are finding that it's a viable way of making ends meet.

And that's a trend that's likely to continue says Ina Steiner, who runs the e-commerce and online auction industry newsletter, AuctionBytes.com.

"Some people got into selling online because they got laid off or they needed to make extra cash. I definitely foresee that people will be selling more online to make a little extra cash and buying online to save more money," says Steiner.

Aside from eBay -- which Steiner says can be challenging for newbies -- there are a number of smaller venues that make it easy for casual sellers to make a buck.

Bonanzle.com

This is a very visual and shopper-friendly online marketplace, says Steiner. It's geared toward more unusual items such as collectibles, antiques, unique fabrics or furniture. You can sell your items at a fixed price but there's also a live booth chat feature that lets buyers and sellers haggle back and forth. Listing is free and your item remains posted until it's sold, or until you remove it. You will pay a fee when your stuff is sold.

eCrater.com

You can create your own online store for free at this online marketplace. Upload your photos and descriptions of the things you want to sell. You'll be able to customize the look of your "store" with different color templates and fonts. There's also a feature to allow sellers who list on other venues to import listings to eCrater.com. Listing is free and you don't pay any fees.

IdoNowIDont.com

If your engagement didn't work out, you can sell that ring or other jewelry on this Web site. It was created by a guy whose own engagement was broken off. Items for sale also include wedding dresses, watches or necklaces.

Woreitonce.com

This site specializes in selling used wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses or other special-occasion gowns. There's a $25 listing fee and you can upload photos and descriptions of the dress you want to sell. Dresses on this site generally sell for less than $1000 says founder, Eva Lo.

For sellers, Steiner recommends visiting a number of sites to see what layout and design is most appealing, before listing with a service. Check out the forums and see what people are complaining about or discussing. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Other sellers are usually pretty friendly.

Consignment shops

If you don't have some specialized items and you don't want to sell things separately in a virtual marketplace or a yard sale, there are good old brick and mortar stores where someone else will handle reselling your lightly used clothes.

Here's how it typically works: You drop off your items at a consignment store and when they are sold, you get a percentage of the proceeds.

For example, if you bring in a leather coat, you may be given 50 percent of the final price if it sells within 30 days. If it takes longer than one month, the shop may drop the price and you may only get 40 percent of the final price. Generally after 90 days, you have to pick it up or give it up, says Susanne Dennis of Consignmentshops.com.

But there are rules. You can't just drop off any old, tattered thing.

"Consignment stores aren't looking for old things," says Dennis. They want things that are in demand for the current or upcoming season. Go through your closet in February for what you're not going to wear this spring. That's the way to approach your merchandise.

Designer clothing, shoes, purses and jackets are typical consignment fare, but some stores will also stock furniture, toys and accessories. If you're interested in selling at a consignment store, Dennis recommends you spread out your wares over a few stores. And before you do any business with a shop, check out the organization with the Better Business Bureau to make sure there are no complaints on file.

Even more Adorable Felt & Vintage Fabric Birdie Brooches!

http://lovahandmade.etsy.com
Felt & Vintage Fabric Bird Brooches $10

Food Love : Banana Crumb Muffins!

I meant to post this recipe for my last Etsy Bloggers Carnival but since I was x-mas slammed, I didn't get a chance to post it until now! These are the most delicious banana muffins ever - great for breakfast or any time really. I stole the recipe from allrecipes.com!

What you'll need:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 mashed bananas
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter

optional: nuts

optional: Delicious crumb topping (highly recommended)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespons flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of butter

(I don't really go by this to do the crumb topping, I just pinch and eye ball it!)

The specifics:

Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, ready when toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 10 big, fluffy, and delicious muffins.

(Don't try to get 12 out of the batter, you'll end up with smaller, less fluffy and delicious muffins - for more just double the recipe!)

Here's how to make the most delicious muffins ever:

1. Gather above ingredients and vintage Pyrex since its so cute and awesome for baking.

2. Sift dry ingredients, melt butter, lightly beat the egg. Put your banana, sugar, egg, & butter in the same bowl.

3. Mash together bananas, sugar, butter, & egg. I like to use a potato masher, works great! Keep mashing until your ingredients are well blended and banana pieces are roughly the size of peas.

4. Add banana mush to your dry ingredients and stir.



5. Optional Crumb Topping: gather together ingredients & use pastry cutter to blend topping.

6. Fill baking cups with batter almost to the top, or roughly 3/4 full. Sprinkle with Crumb Topping and bake! I like to use an ice cream scoop, makes things super easy!


7. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Cool. Then eat majorly delicious muffins!

Kitsch, but classy: Vintage-clothing seller Holly Pickering has given her 1950s memorabilia a sophisticated home -independant.co.uk

Interview by Rhiannon Harries
Sunday, 7 December 2008

I approach my house the same way I approach the way I dress. A lot of people expect me to wear head-to-toe vintage but I've always found it more interesting to mix retro and contemporary than to go for historical fidelity. It leaves more room for personality and means that every last detail doesn't have to be completely perfect.

This is the room that sold this house in north London to me – there's lots of light but it's soft and peaceful. It's our main living space so it isn't a considered, put-together room at all, but I'm pleased with the way that it has evolved slowly. My boyfriend is really keen on 1950s kitsch, whereas I try to keep things a little more understated. I think we have the balance right – the wackier objects are offset by the calm colour scheme and the natural wooden floor. It's lively, but hopefully it's also quite sophisticated.

We've both been really lucky in that we have inherited lots of wonderful things from our families. The old Japanese pachinko machine on the wall is from the 1950s and was given to us by my boyfriend's father, who found it at Camden Market. The chicken perching on top is a reissue of a 1950s game – you shoot at it and it lays an egg. Most of the time it's just decorative but when we have kids – or men, in fact – round to visit it's the instant entertainment corner.

The wooden chair belonged to my grandmother and when she passed away I wanted to keep one thing to remind me of her house. It looks different here, though – as if it was made to be tucked into a bay window. It goes well with the 1940s Japanese picnic hamper, which my grandfather brought back from Japan, where he spent his childhood.

The animal skulls on the shelf belong to my boyfriend. He collects them because he likes their sculptural quality. They are all animals that have died of natural causes and he gets them from a company that supplies them as props for TV and film. The fish is a piranha from the Amazon and was a present – it's been preserved and sealed but it still seems to drive our cat wild, which is worrying.

The glassware is all 50p charity-shop finds that I pick up when I am back home in the north-east. There, I think people are put off by anything that reminds them of their grandparents' houses, but I think if you put it in a modern context you can transform a piece and make it feel relevant again. So while they are all chucking this stuff out, I am there buying it all up.

www.freudianslipsvintage.co.uk

Harrington: Etsy made for crafters, locals find - knoxnews.com

By Carly Harrington (Contact)
Friday, December 12, 2008

Even though Jenese Patanella pushed numbers for more than 25 years as an accountant, the 46-year-old mother always considered herself crafty.

It wasn't until Patanella made a couple of purses for her daughters that she saw an opportunity for a new career.

"My daughters wanted Vera Bradley purses. I just couldn't justify paying that much," she said. "When they took the ones I made to school, everybody loved them."

In January 2007, Patanella opened an online shop, JPat Purses, on Etsy.com.

Patanella is one of dozens of East Tennesseans who are selling their handcrafted wares on Etsy.

Etsy is an online marketplace akin to eBay, but it is strictly for buying and selling all things handmade.

A few clicks on Etsy and you can find everything from clothes and art to jewelry and furniture. (You will have to create an account to buy an item.)

Setting up a retail shop is free. Etsy, however, does charge a fee for listing items, and it takes a percentage when the item sells. Sellers set their own prices.

Some local online shops include Monkey Sprout, Catchen the Sun, Leatherpedia and Big Daddy Lane Creations.

Even retailers with brick-and-mortar storefronts like Lilly's Bead Box and Yee-Haw Industries have a presence on Etsy.

Micki McBee, who has been operating Babycake's Cupcake and Marshmallow Online Bakery since October, said she's been thrilled with her sales to date.

"It's done 100 percent more than I thought. I'm very happy with where I'm at," said McBee, a 45-year-old mother of two who lives in the Halls community.

Most of McBee's cupcake recipes have been passed down from her mother, who was a brunch chef at the downtown Holiday Inn during the World's Fair.

McBee says she would love one day to have a physical storefront, but right now, she's just trying to supplement her husband's income and get the word out about Etsy.

"A lot of people don't know about Etsy. They know about eBay and Yahoo but not Etsy," she said.

Teresa Minton, whose online store is called Smokey Mountain Scents, said most of the people who do shop on Etsy understand the "quality and love" that goes into making something homemade.

The Dandridge mother, who homeschools her children, sells a variety of natural candles as well as bath and body products.

Minton started selling in November 2007. While the overhead is low, there are up-front supply costs. She said it took about a year to begin seeing a profit.

"It's additional income," Minton said. "It's another outlet for me."

Among shop owners, the site has become fiercely competitive.

Patanella said she's concerned Etsy will become so big that it will become like eBay.

"It's gotten so saturated," Patanella said of Etsy. She has since expanded her product line to include coin purses, wallets and gadget cases.

Patanella admits she doesn't make nearly as much as when she was an accountant, and she's working harder than ever.

But, Patanella said, "I'm having so much fun."

Business writer and The Bottom Line columnist Carly Harrington may be reached at 865-342-6317 or harrington@knoxvillebiz.com.

Way Cute Project from Paper and Stitch - Holiday Gift Wrapping

Holiday Gift Wrap Tutorial for Type Lovers @ Paper and Stitch

December 2, 2008

Here is another wonderful idea from Laura of Lupin! This one I am DEFINITELY going to use because I have some loved ones that are pretty interested obsessed with type. Again, make sure to check out Laura’s shop, right here and blog right here! Take it away Laura (I just love having her as a guest poster)…

Most gifts I wrap involve a tag somewhere along the line, but for a few parcels this year I’m skipping the tags and using names and other messages as the decorative element:

The idea behind this look is really simple - though it takes a little time to put into practice - and will make your parcels really stand out! I think it’s an ideal way of decorating gifts for men and boys who (let’s be honest now) probably have no interest in a “pretty” or “chic” looking parcel and can’t undo a ribbon to save their lives. This is certainly the giftwrapping idea which has had the most positive response from my boyfriend!

First up you need to make some letter templates. Print out the letters you need using your computer - you’ll need a pretty big font size but this will depend on the size of the presents you’re wrapping, and remember to set them as “outline” to save ink! I used Arial set to bold to make nice fat simple letters, and I should have printed out a whole alphabet in different sizes to save time as I just kept thinking of more people this idea would be great for.

I just printed my letters onto paper but if you wanted to use them a few times (or just to make using them easier) you could print onto card instead. Cut them out and you’ve got your templates:

To really save time you could print the letters directly onto coloured paper… but doing it the long way you can use a variety of decorative papers or use up all those small pieces of giftwrap you get left-over after wrapping your parcels. Draw round each letter with a pencil and cut it out, remembering to reverse the letters so they’re the right way round when you turn them over (if that makes sense!). Then use some prittstick-type glue (something light that won’t seep through the wrapping paper you’ve used) and stick your message onto your parcel.

I used bright red giftwrap on nice shiny gold paper for nephews and neices who like something cheerful…
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.. and more muted, subtle choices for our friends - vintage sheet music and an old map of London…

… and lovely gold lettering on kraft paper, which is probably my favourite:

I’m sure you can think of lots of variations - letters cut from pictures in glossy magazines for example would work really well on brown paper, and plain white letters (nice and easy to print straight from your computer) would also look pretty cool.

Love this tutorial! I think I'm gonna try it!