Gypsy Road

Sha~ na na na: Time to Change

2011-05-23T10:09:00.010-06:00

Dearest Gypsies,

The road we've wandered down has changed for the better.

image courtesy of annacupcakes19

We started as a jury based team, to build our core principles. Now that we have our standards in place, we are ready to welcome more open minds who want to play with us.

Invite your creative friends and family! We want YOU to share in this journey.

Just remember, we gypsies are fiercely loyal to one another and have a close relationship with the truth.

image courtesy of alexandra valenti

Not sure this is the place for you? Decide for yourself.

Our Mission:::: commitment to the creative community, ethical business practices, and mentorship.

COMMON GOALS

Earth Centered Hearts with use of eco friendly or recycled materials
Low impact packaging & lifestyle
Community of makers dedicated to quality handmade goods
Respect of creative Integrity of ALL other makers
Room for everyone at the table of glad tidings and self-expression
Assistance in growth, wisdom, and methodology

MEMBER PARTICIPATION::

One blog post per year and/or quarter via blogger (More details to come )
Tag Esty listings with team name "gypsydreamteam"
Promote each other via Facebook, personal blog, twitter, ect.
Presence in our Etsy Forum

*Current members can invite new members via the Etsy forum page on the bottom left hand corner.*

Let's party!

~brenna

Dress Conversion

2010-07-18T11:13:00.006-06:00

I hadn't realized how much a wardrobe would change after having a baby until I had one myself. First off it was finding clothes that would fit my new body. But then it seemed that after my life had changed, so had my clothing preference. I looked at some of my clothes that I had pre-baby and thought, I'm supposed to wear that??

I did look into some nursing shirts, but so many of them are just SO ugly! They look matronly and simply, NOT CUTE! Dresses?! Who can wear those when nursing?? Wrap dresses might work, if you feel like undressing halfway while nursing your baby.

Recently a friend asked me to alter a dress that she'd bought from me while pregnant. It was this one:

She needed the bodice taken in and nursing access added, somehow. Since she is a smaller-framed girl, I had extra room in the bodice to work with. First I trimmed the top part of the bodice, leaving the straps connected. I re-stitched the bodice, making a new seam-line at the top and used the same gathers in the bust as before.

I serged the lower part so it wouldn't fray inside. This became the framework inside the bodice for the nursing panel. After I added snaps (this took about an hour because I didn't know how to use my snap pliers and I ruined lots of snaps on a scrap piece!), I realized that the center portion would droop if nothing was supporting it.

I needed to anchor it, but it still needed freedom when each side was released for nursing. A short piece of elastic gave the structure some support while still leaving room for ease.

I reconnected the new bodice, added the skirt and it was done!

the neverending question...

2010-06-11T11:03:00.006-06:00

Two weeks from now, I am packing up all of my gear and heading out to vend my very first away-from-home shows. Aside from the flurry of last minute production and detail patrol, there is one major question keeping me awake at night:

What on earth should I wear?

Inspired by Gypsy Moon Julie's recent post, I decided to dig into Etsy and put together a few dream outfits. Here's the first in the series:

What do you think, Gypsy mamas?

dress: greatestfriend.etsy.com
shoes: blusher2.etsy.com
belt: AudraJean.etsy.com
necklace: indigorhinodesigns.etsy.com
petticoat: TheMeasure.etsy.com
ring: SweetPCrafters.etsy.com
money clip: donnaOdesigns.etsy.com
sock garters: SWANclothing.etsy.com

If you happen to be in Montana, come on by my booth and see what I actually adorn myself with at the Montana Herb Gathering and the MissoulaMADE fair, both on the weekend of June 25-27.

Stroll Down Gypsy Road

2010-06-07T22:12:00.019-06:00

Let me offer you a cup of hot spearmint and green tea while we take a stroll through some of the Gypsy Road Team shops on Etsy.

The Peaceful Peacock created this yummy signature blend tea.

With warming weather comes the opportunity to shed those sweaters for lighter wear. Originality is guaranteed with hand made clothing designed with hemp jersey, re purposed fabric, organic cotton, and bamboo blend fabrics.

Goddess skirts and dresses make a gypsy feel so free. Throw on your boots and you're ready for a hike or just run barefoot across your own back yard in any of these artisan designed pieces. You can find batik, applique, hand dyed to patchwork in one of our Gypsy Road shops.

Bohemian jewelry is a must! It can express how you feel, what you desire to project to the world or just be a special sentimental piece that you want close to you that day. A goddess never needs an excuse to wear her baubles either, be it a long lunch at her favorite cafe or a trip to the market.

Looking for a showy head piece for that much anticipated festival? A pair of wild panties or a colorful dreadband? One of our gypsies is sure to have designed something just for you.

Now I shall leave you be, to stroll on your own. Hope you enjoyed your tea!

Rejoice the Hands Handmade Jewelry Inspired by Nature and Man
Nature Gear Hand dyed organic clothing
A Green Banana Eco friendly handmade clothing
The Leather Flower Leather crowns and fascinating fascinators
Sweetgrass for SandieClothing created with our earth in mind
Green Cocoon Eco-friendly , wearable art
Tangled Hangers Hemp Organic Eco Fibers Original Designs
Camille Wanders Hand Batiked goods created out of eco-friendly fabrics
Magnolia Skies Ecofriendly & wearable art clothing & much more
Savoy Truffles Fascinators Electroformed jewelry from New Orleans with love
Barefoot Stitches Handmade wearables
Eleven Stones Healing stones and macrame jewelry
Scarlette Rose Fairy Hand dyed clothing, dreadbands, baby clothing
Spirit River Studio Minnesota Fine Art
Potomac River Goods EcoFriendly Handmade Batik Clothing and Jewels
Starlily Creations Crochet Scarflettes and Unique Accessories
Artistically Stitched Organic Hemp handmade & recycled clothing
Raimbow Tree Headbands Yo!
Sun Loving Baby Healing Salves, Baby wraps and more
Lazy Mare rustic threads~ Original Clothing
Beautiful Chaos One of a kind art wear for one of a kind people
Gypsy Moon Designs Handmade boho chic jewelry created in beautiful Montana
The Peaceful Peacock The tiny empire of tea
Perpetual Sunshine Creations Bohemian Hemp Jewelry
Carmenas Earthly Delights Crocheted & Vintage Collectables

Visual Inspiration: Gypsy Meet Up

2010-05-06T09:34:00.007-06:00

While visiting one of my favourite cities, New Orleans, I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow member of our beloved Gypsy Road.

The wonders of technology enable us to connect with so many resources, with the best being one an other. I can't tell you all how surreal it was to meet someone, you already knew, in person.

Generally, I am not the type of person who is ever at a loss for words. In this case, when I met Miss Theo of Savoy Truffle, I was over whelmed by all of the creative love she had to share.

We talked about her methods, materials, and what inspires her. It was incredibly exhilarating and encouraging to visit with Theo about all of her artistic endeavours.

I look up to Theo, now more than ever. She said, "you have to believe in what you are doing as an artist. All the other details will work themselves out, if you put yourself out there. "

On to the visual inspiration..........

Click the links below for further explanation of each image.

1. Lotus zoomer, 2. Lotus Love, 3. Pretties from the Earth, 4. Second Skin, 5. Supplies of Glory, 6. Personal Challenge Head dress, 7. Handbeaded head dress, 8. Mood Board, 9. Mood Board zoomer

hugs!

all of the images used in this post were taken by Brenna of *agreenbanana*

Top Model?

2010-04-13T11:32:00.004-06:00

One of the pitfalls of modeling all of your own creations, is that they don't always fit you.

I can't help but giggle, while taking pictures of my comfy wrap pants. I wrote a little haiku about my experiences.

::::::

Silly girl am I!
Too short to model the pants
Wears ugly high heels

::::::

~hugs~
Banana

turquoise

2010-04-10T09:53:00.004-06:00

1. Rainy Season in Thailand, 2. My first weaving project..., 3.gypsymoondesigns.etsy.com , 4. Macho de Saí-azul, Saí, Saí-bico-fino ou Saí-bicudo (Dacnis cayana) - Male of a Blue Dacnis or Turquoise Honeycreeper - 01-04-2009 - IMG_7725, 5. Turquoise Cuff1, 6. Neck Rag, 7. mylittlewings.etsy.com, 8. 1609, 9. Turquoise Pyrex

gypsy road team listings are written in red.

mosaic created by julie from ~ the peaceful peacock ~

take five

2010-04-06T14:30:00.004-06:00

a bit of talent from that amazing members of our tribe. click on photos to see individual listings.

:: nature gear :: organic goddess ::

:: gypsy moon designs :: trumpet flower ::

:: beautiful chaos :: jellyfelt ::

:: magnolia skies :: botanical dancer ::

:: a green cocoon :: black and brown ::

what's your gypsy style?

2010-04-03T18:23:00.005-06:00

1. An old gypsy caravan - 4,946 Views to date ??, 2. racing the moon...., 3. Pretending he just doesn't see..., 4. Day 28 / My favorite position! / Saturday 25 August 2007, 5. gypsy, 6. a vehicle of poets, 7. whirlaway, 8. Staring at the Vastness of Forever (Day 108), 9. Day #112 ~Like a Gypsy you dance in circles, all around me & all over the world~, 10. Falkland Islands, 11. 52/365, 12. Rachel Brice at Baxtalo Drom

posted by Julie of ~ the peaceful peacock ~

Visual Inspiration : Believe

2010-03-24T10:20:00.004-06:00

picture taken by Gypsy Road team member Banana

This month's visual inspiration is dedicated to believing.

Some may see a faery ring as a part science or nature, however, others believe there is magic in these occurrences.

.............

I encourage you to believe in yourself. Draw on the creative magic that lies in your heart.

~hugs~

Visual Inspiration: Break on Through

2010-02-25T09:47:00.005-07:00

picture taken by Gypsy Road team member Banana

This month's visual inspiration is dedicated to pushing yourself further.

The warm months are ahead, take advantage of the cold weather that keeps you inside. Create like crazy before the warm sun shine calls you out to play.

................................

May the circle of inspiration be unbroken. While taking this picture on this brisk February morning, only one song came to mind.

~hugs~

Copyright Corner: The 20% Myth

2009-12-10T18:29:00.002-07:00

Hullo team!

For the next few weeks, we are going to spend some time digging into copyright laws.

There is a common notion that if you take a design and change it by 20%, you have made it your own. This is false. It would never hold up in a court of law. 30% won't do it either.

Example:

The red fox jumped over the mossy log yesterday afternoon.

Here the original sentence has been altered by 20%:

The red fox leaped over the fallen log yesterday afternoon.

Here the original sentence has been altered by 30%:

The quick fox leaped over the fallen log yesterday afternoon.

Look for more tidbits in our new series ~ Copyright Corner ~ and please feel free to bring up any questions in this discussion on the forum.

Stepping outside my comfort zone

2009-11-12T12:45:00.009-07:00

As most of you around here know, I am a stitcher by trade. I love my fabrics so much, that sometimes I just want to lay in them and take a little cat nap.

I have spent the last two months month working on a collection for my shop using my scraps of fabric. It was so much fun, but mentally and physically exhausting.

While deep in the rabbit hole of creation and my sewing time was done for the day, I still felt wound up like a clock. My little hands still wanted to craft. My mind needed to unwind and enjoy some quality time with my man.

My knitting needles glistened from the dusty corner. The cotton yarn I bought ages ago surfaced the top layer of my sewing studio.

Eureka!

I taught myself to knit with a Thread Banger video tutorial last year. If there was a term for less than novice, that would describe my knitting skills. I have only made two things, ever. I do not feel nimble with knitting needles at all. Nevertheless, I decided that I was going to hone my “skills”by making a bunch of reusable and machine washable cotton pads for facial use.

It was revitalizing to craft carelessly, especially because I was making something for myself. All of my fellow crafters know how seldom that actually happens.

Maybe someday I will learn more about knitting and maybe even crochet, but for now I will watch and admire my fellow Gypsy Road Mamas doing their thing.

fluffy hugs

<3>

Vintage Christmas - Gingerbread Kids

2009-11-03T12:41:00.003-07:00

Big News From Gypsy Road

2009-11-03T07:37:00.004-07:00

Hello from your fearless leader, team members!

I'm posting this on the blog in addition to the forum so that everyone is aware of a few major changes regarding our team.

I am currently working on some guidelines for Gypsy Road. This includes a clear mission statement, a monthly roll call, and an acceptance of policies for new members and old. The life of a small business owner is a busy one, and in order for our team to be a powerful force then it is essential for our team members to check in regularly and participate. I understand that this doesn't necessarily fit in with the schedules of everyone--it's important to determine what your priorities are as a business owner and I will not be offended if you decide that Gypsy Road isn't at the top of that list.

We are one of the very few teams that requires a formal application that goes through a jury process. Your jury members spend a significant amount of time and energy evaluating each applicant and determining if that Etsian is a vital asset to our community. This is a benefit to each and every member because it keeps the quality of the work represented by our team very, very high. It enables potential buyers to easily navigate the shops of their favorite sellers. It also makes it incredibly easy for buyers to find new reputable sellers that have unique, meticulously made pieces.

In exchange for the unity of this "brand" (for lack of a better word), members will be expected to contribute, communicate, share, and grow with our team members.

Again, I will not be at all offended if this means that Gypsy Road is no longer a good fit for you. This team is more than a band of gypsies--it is a means of marketing, honing our business skills, and creating time-saving, effective ways of making money. We will continue to publicly share our forum in order to be of benefit to those who are not on our team.

Beginning this month, we will have roll calls. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to do this on a regular basis, so please keep checking in to see what each particular month's roll call requirement is. For this month, your roll call is to send me (the peaceful peacock julie) a private message on our forum.

Members who miss three roll calls in a row will be removed from the team. If you are removed from the team you will have to re-apply to secure your position.

Thank you for your continued patience and grace--the addition to our family earlier this year has come with its expected (and unexpected) challenges. We are finally easing back into our routine at this point and I feel confident about getting back into the saddle and grabbing the reins of our fair Etsy team once again.

For your roll call this month, please send me a private message through the forum at gypsyroad.ning.com. Again, the roll call requirement will change each month while I determine which method is easiest for me to keep up with.

Featured Seller for September: Amber from Raimbowtree

2009-09-10T13:52:00.004-06:00

* Tell us a bit about yourself

I am a nice gal, I love to please people. I have always enjoyed working in retail and selling really great functional and fashionable products. Raimbow Tree was the perfect way for me to supplement my love for creating beautiful things and selling them to others.

* What inspires your ideas?

I get inspired by colors a lot, if I see a nice shade of blue paired with mint green, and a rich chocolate brown It gives me a sense of comfort and big energy boost- I normally go where ever those colors tell me to. All parts of nature and Goddess also inspire my work a great deal, every day I find inspiration in things that I see outside like a friendly butterfly fluttering around my son while he cheers it on and copies its majestic motions.

* How long have you been doing your craft/ how did you learn?

I started felting for the first time in college (maybe 5 years ago), we did a small needle-felting workshop in a class focused on making art with kids. Wool felting is a very fine art form, I soon found out that it was for me after successfully making a small elephant finger puppet free form from wool roving. I like to make my own patterns, it didn't take me long to start creating fun new ideas from wool, like headbands.

* What inspired you to begin selling your work?

I have always been into selling my work, I used to make beaded necklaces when I was a pre-teen to sell at school. A big part in my recent selling has been Etsy, Etsy rules! Blessings oh joyous Etsy. It's so well run and filled with friendly folks who never cease to inspire me.

* Where do you do your crafting?

At home, Raimbow Tree is all over my house. We are always doing fun art and gardening projects.

* Do you have a day job?

Just my motherly duties to my two young boys.

* What one word best describes you?

Amma

* What is your biggest challenge?

Keeping myself centered and stress free while I work, also keeping my studio clean and organized is hard when I am always in there to create.

* Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you while you're working?

I think of so much weird stuff when I work... I think a lot of words people have said and say now inspire me, so I couldn't pick just one.

* What do you see for your business in the next year?

I am making a push to use all handspun and dyed wool, no more commercial yarns for me! I have been spinning yarn for a while now and am taking the plunge to dye my own fiber and make all my own yarn. For this coming year we have plans to do more street fairs and music festivals. After that who knows, we might be planning a big move back to the Pacific NW.

* Where can we find Raimbowtree?

Online mostly, at www.raimbowtree.etsy.com. I am all over this summer doing craft shows, street fairs and music festivals. Find me in Asheville, NC this weekend. Raleigh, NC next weekend and all over NC for the rest of the fall and winter.

Recycling Fibers

2009-08-26T15:45:00.004-06:00

I love yarn. Yarn of all (well, most) types. I hoard it. :-)

A few years ago I heard about recycling yarn from sweaters, but never really took the step to start it. Until recently. This is last night's work:

The first shawl was made for a dear friend going through a personal crisis. This is a "hug" I crocheted up for her using recycled yarn. The blue shawl is also recycled yarn. I knit it for myself, but I'm not really a "blues" person, so it may find another home.

To get started on recycling the yarn from sweaters, check out these sites:
Recycling Sweaters
My Virtual Sanity
CraftStylish - How to recycle yarn
Neauveau Fiber Arts

Featured Seller for August 2009: A Green Banana

2009-08-07T16:23:00.004-06:00

> * Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Brenna. My nickname, Banana, was given to me back in college because it was easier to remember than Brenna.

I'm a festive, bold, wild, and outspoken spirit. I am scatterbrained and generally unorganized. I thrive in chaos. I multi-task and am forever distractable. I was born and raised in the Midwest and I lived all over the St.Louis, Missouri metro area. Most of my family still lives there, though I currently live in Northern Alabama with the love of my life. We have decided to grow some roots here for the time being in a fairly progressive area where the artist scene is growing and thriving. There are beautiful mountains and farmlands all around us. I love to cook healthy vegetarian foods and enjoy hiking and camping with our two furry four legged dogs. I love music as much as I love to sew. My fiance and I take our vacations together at music festivals and we try to see as much live music as often as possible. It's quite cleansing, not to mention fun!

> * What inspires your ideas?

I am inspired by fashion of the past. I favor the 1970s and the classic femine silhouette though I try not to limit my style. I love to create classic hippie mama fashion as well one of a kind everyday wear.

I try to think about someone wearing one of my creations in their everyday life. I practice dance moves in my clothing to test for movement. It's a little silly, but these are the types of things I consider during design and construction. I ask myself if it will be comfortable, functional, unique, and durable. Durability is a huge part of my master plan because I always hate when threads or seams start to ravel in clothing. I have never had this problem with items I have made. I have some things that I made for myself when I first started sewing that are still like new.

> * How long have you been sewing/ how did you learn?

Ever since I was a little girl I have been around creativity and self expression. My mom was always stitching up pretty dresses for my little sister and me. She also decorated and created all things textile for our home.

I began sewing when I was 15 years old. I took three semesters of “Sewing” in high school where I learned a lot about basic garment construction and patterns. My favorite teacher Mrs. Melinda Brown taught me how to create my own patterns and how to tailor clothing for a better fit. I received my own machine around this time. Being alone at home with my very own sewing machine, without time contraints, was invigorating. I felt like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole. As my journey continued, my sewing skills improved and my personal style began to blossom.

> * What inspired you to begin selling your work?

When I first started going to shows (concerts), I noticed all the amazing patchwork dresses hippie mamas were wearing and I knew that I could create similar things for myself. I had friends that would buy imported “hippie” clothing which brands shall remain nameless. I wanted nothing to do with this because there was no originality or flair to the designs. I would pull my mom's decorator scraps, score vintage fabric, and reconstruct my own clothing. It felt so good to have a style all my own.

I didn't start selling my items until one of my friends suggested it to me in college. My very first expereince of selling my wares at a tiny festival in Makanda, Illinois I made $100. That is a lot of money to a broke college student, let me tell you! I was hooked from then on.

> * Where do you do your crafting?

I work from my home. These days I am blessed enough to have an entire room all to myself. When I sew, it is a whirl wind of thread and fabric scraps all over my room. I like it though, the messes are signs of progress.

> * Do you have a day job?

I actually have a night job. I work at a fine dining restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama that focuses on sustainable food. This is the first time I've worked for such a progressive business. I actually work in the bar, which is much more casual and fun. We take martinis and cocktails to another level. It's a great place to work because of the small staff--we are an extended family that takes care of each other. Someday I hope to just sew and vend festivals.

> * What one word best describes you?

Bouncy.

> * What is your biggest challenge?

The thing that I love about clothing is that it allows one to change the way they feel and project themselves. This concept drives my mind to wander over the possibility to create. Staying focused is something I struggle with in the studio. I will get a spark of an idea that I have to initiate immediately no matter what I'm working on and I often find myself with about six or so projects that are started at the end of the day. I don't mind though, it keeps the processes interesting. You could say I enjoy being overstimluated and challenged.

> * Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you while you're working?

If at first you don't succeed, try,try again.

> * What do you see for your business in the next year?

I hope to start dyeing some of my own fabrics. I also want to incorporate eco friendly fabrics. These have been dreams of mine for a while but you know how life has other plans first.

> * Where can we find A Green Banana?

I have an etsy shop in where I sell most of my creations. You can find it at http://www.agreenbanana.etsy.com/ and I also have a Facebook Fan Page which you can find here.

Visual Inspiration: Sparkle and Shine

2009-07-16T09:10:00.002-06:00

found here on flickr, taken by honey 77

In honor of our fellow team member Heidi of Tangled Hangers (who is slightly infatuated with all things sparkly), this month's visual inspiration is devoted to *sparkle and shine*.

Please share your submissions here.

New Orleans, my muse

2009-07-06T11:21:00.005-06:00

Life in New Orleans is enchanted, mysterious, full of serendipity, and brimming with inspiration. Our slow and sensual culture can only truly be understood from within, but even as an outsider, if you stop to really listen to New Orleans she'll be happy to share her magic with you.

Directly behind my house is the last fully operating voodoo temple in the city. On balmy Saturday evenings I sit in my courtyard and draw up sketches of new designs while listening to the sounds of Haitian drum beats and the beautiful lilting voice of the voodoo priestess calling out in song to her congregation. I like to think that the blessings that the priestess sings out into the night are somehow integrated into my creations, as she is the guardian of our neighborhood and casts spells to keep all of us safe.

I believe that being a part of an environment of magical realism means that at least some small piece of my home ends up in everything I create whether or not that is my intention, because from inception to completion, this place is an integral part of my creative process.

The following are a few photographs that I’ve taken over the past few years that I feel capture a bit of the spirit of my home:

--Savoy Truffle

www.savoytruffles.etsy.com

Featured Seller for July: Flutterby Butterfly * Sweetgrass for Sandie

2009-07-03T09:20:00.012-06:00

* Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, Iʼm silly. I laugh a lot. Nervously. It's awkward. *heh* Ummmmm.....Iʼm a Canadian prairie mama, lost in the wide open skies.

These ponderiffic days, my activities consist of : sewing, scribbling, sleeping, designing, gardening, eating, being mom, yoga, immersing myself in breath, writing, snapping pictures, reading, walking, and rearranging the furniture.

>* What inspires your ideas?

Everything. Iʼm not picky. Insatiable, in fact. I absorb everything I read, see, experience, gobble it, chew it thoroughly, ingest, churn, and poop it out. My sketchbooks keep my bookshelves full of this process. If itʼs not in a garment medium, then itʼs in another one ; painting, sculpting, moving about, cooking, dancing badly, inventing, musical plunkery, planting, growing, on and on.

Technically, I refuse to think I understand where ideas come from.

Sometimes I can understand the point of contact with my stratosphere of thought for a millisecond, but mostly I believe that “where ideas come from” is a bigger question than most zen masters/buddhist monks/mediums/meditational wizards/whathaveyounot have been puzzling to answer for centuries.

I just take it all in, clear my mind, and there you have it.

Ideas pop in and out of my thoughts at random continuously, like electrons, so Iʼve always a pen & paper at hand to try and capture them in some physical form when they present themselves. Then, the sketches get rifled through intermittently ; some go in the sketchbook, some go immediately to the construction board, and some I go “huh? wtf?" to and they get filed in the recycling bin.

Thereʼs the gems, that make me stop everything Iʼm doing and create them full-swing on the fly. Youʼve got to sway when the spirit says sway, ya know? Thereʼs the ones that take a lot of deep thought and time to compile, construct, tweek, and look at upside-down in a mirror... which are also rewarding because I get to sink a LOT of energy into them and always end up learning tons from. Each creation has itʼs own identity, itʼs own personality, itʼs own purpose. I believe that in order for me to experience the creation fully in itʼs purest form, I need to remain open to itʼs personality, itʼs destiny, and itʼs unique reason for existence.

Yeah, I know, *yawn*, huh? but for, me, thatʼs just the way she goes, and Iʼm a lover not a fighter.

My personal style does have direct influences. These come from a limited but forever metamorphasizing stock of artists and sources : Alligator Pie's illustrator Frank Newfeld, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, Quantum Theory, English fashion designer Alexander McQueen, 1800's architect Antonio Gaudi, Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci, Patanjali, icon Bob Marley, artist Andy Goldsworthy, musician ThomYorke, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, sculptress Nikki de Saint Phalle, visual artist David Lynch, musical collective Animal Collective, poster artist Bob
Masse.

Check out my flutterbybutterfly.net links as well as my favorites on Etsy to see some handcrafted influences for my garments.

Which brings me to my manifesto, which shapes the essential ideas of the garment creations you will see in my online shoppes.

Eco-savvy thoughts, processes, materials, and consciousness. Ultimately, iʼve been recycling and creating eco-items since the get-go... but by growing this idea and passion year by year, breath by breath, idea by idea, Iʼve developed more and more into a sustainable business. That is my greatest inspiration... to be creating with a miniscule or absent eco-footprint.

What does this mean? Creating quality ready-to-wear garments that last through years, through hand-me-downs, and through dancing in thunderstorms before finally biodegrading. You may read more about all the little eco-steps that make a difference in my Bioʼs online.

Then thereʼs the Business-nonsense, which I can credit wholly to my Dad. He gave me a fantastic foundation by being the most creative Professor of Commerce. Ever. When I would see him borrow my toys for a lecture demonstration, or go to work dressed up like Spock, I learned that you can have fun thinking outside the box AND knowing all about economics, accounting, marketing, and entrepreneurship too. Business decisions are different than my creative process, but itʼs been most beneficial to maintain an education about how these “less fun” things run the
capitalist machine, so that Iʼm not pinned down by rules and regulations I canʼt control. Like the recent economic crisis and plummet of the Canadian Dollar! So, yeah, my Dad is awesome. Go Dad.

Wait... haha...sorry... what was I supposed to be talking about?

> * How long have you been sewing/ how did you learn?

My partner, Mikel, taught me how to use a sewing machine. I sewed everything by hand with a needle & thread the old-fashioned way up until I began sewing "professionally". I love the hand-felt look of sewing by hand, but until I can perfect a time machine constructed out of old toasters, and grow another ten hands, Iʼll settle for the machines. They do a pretty good job.

Iʼve been sewing/creating since I can remember. My dolls had tube dresses, tube tops, tube skirts, tube hats, tube socks, and tube purses (as well as short brush-cuts and marker all over their faces). This mad skill peaked in Girl-Guides when I started altering my own clothes, and combining them in unusual ensembles.

Iʼve always been known for an eclectic style and quirky-alterations. Friends and strangers would come up to me saying “where did you get that?”. When traveling and at music festivals, I started to get “can i buy what youʼre wearing”?. So In Uni, while acquiring a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and hanginʼ with a gang of crazily creative cats shootinʼ for the moon, I sewed for my first market, and never looked back.

> * What inspired you to begin selling your work?

Who : Sandra from Gypsy Circus.

Once I saw her work from the festival circuit of 1999, I realized it was time to take my hippie-fashion-passion to the next level. I began selling clothing and bits & bobs that next summer. Sheʼs been a constant inspiration through this journey, and such a lovely lady in person!

* Where do you do your crafting?

Sewing :: in the City, Iʼve converted our brightly renovated basement into a small studio. I simply didnʼt appreciate the overhead and extra ecological resources needed to support a separate studio, so Iʼve set up at home. In summers I sneak outside and sew the day away in the summery goodness under a nice big umbrella.>

I also travel between the City and the Little Cabin in the Woods, to stay connected. My family & machines get packed up along with what other random fabrics, and I have the blessed opportunity to work in the lovely silence that is the Boreal forest.

Everything else :: Geurilla Crafting. No holds barred. Everything, everywhere is game. W-w-w-hatchout...

> * Do you have a day job?
Iʼve been a student of yoga for fifteen, and a teacher of Iyengar yoga for five years. Teaching and studying yoga helps keep my connection with people and balances the solitude of my sewing life. It's awesome, I get to slap people. *heh*

> * What one word best describes you?

ubiquitous? Higgs-boson?

perhaps those describe best how i feel from the vast and peculiar inside of my head. from the outsides? eclectic.

not as in catholic... but as in all over the place.

> * What is your biggest challenge?
Unassumingly keeping my head from imploding.
*blink*
*blink*

> * Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you
while you're working?
embarrassing, but true : Nikeʼs “just do it”. Iʼve got this photo from the Louvre with me boisterously cheerleading beside the statue of Nike (Victory) tacked on my sewing board so as to remind me every day to pitter-patter just get at ʻer. Total. Geek.

> *What do you see for your business in the next year?
hmmmm... Iʼve taken the fashion route, and learned that I donʼt want to be a fashion star, because thatʼs too shallow and greedy for me. Selling out just doesnʼt feel great. Iʼve tried to go bigger, with contracting work out-of-house, and felt like a fraud not having my touch from tip to tail on everything I sold. So, for now, Iʼll say Iʼm content with where I am.

Itʼs taken years of hard work and mistakes to know where I want to be, and now Iʼm concentrating on staying here, hanging out, digging my heels in, and getting better at it. I feel that I will deepen my understanding and technique of working with fabric, be a better ETSY seller by learning more about itʼs groove, and continue to learn how to tweak all the small things without spontaneously combusting into confetti from imbalance.

I also hope to continue exploring the work and lives of other artists in my field, like those at Gypsy Road, to become more aware of our innate creative expression. Creativity is a gift, and the most fascinating element, for me, to learn life through.

Mannequin Tutorial

2009-06-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

I am someone that is forever looking for a head-and-neck mannequins for the hats, scarves, and neckwarmers I make. I've not been real happy with what I've been able to come up with so far. Until today!

I was happily crocheting a neckwarmer, and my mind started wandering (this happens often). An idea suddenly hit me for a head and neck manniquin. I have no idea if this idea already exists, so if someone else has come up with this I certainly
did not set out to copy your idea. I just had to fill a need I had. :-)

I have a stash of empty coffee cans and jars. You never know when you are going to need one of them for a craft project, or for storage. Anywho....here is my tutorial. If you make one of these PLEASE share. I'd love to see your version!

Head-and-Neck Manniquin Tutorial
Materials:
- 34.5 oz coffee can and lid
- 1 19.50"W X 7.25"L piece of jersey knit fabric / fold in half to measure 9.75" X 7.25" (neck part)
- 2 23"W X 7"L pieces of non-stretch fabric (head part)
- poly stuffing. I didn't gauge how much it took, but it does depend on your desire for a loosely stuffed or fully stuffed head.
- matching thread
- hand-sewing needle
- clear packing tape (optional)

Note: I used 1/2" seam throughout except for when I attached the head piece to the neck piece...then I used 1/4" seam. No reason in particular, but I wanted to note it.

This is the neck (can) cover that is cut on a fold.

I know this pattern shows "notches" cut out on either side, but ignore those. Cut out these two pcs as if the paper goes all the way to both sides.

Sew part A to part A, and part B to part B.

Basically, what you end up with is an extra long hat.
Next, stuff the head part until it's like you want, and then slip it onto the coffee can. The botton (neck) part will ride up on the can, so you are going to have to secure it down by handstitching the bottom.

I added a piece of clear packing tape over the threads to help hold them in place, and prevent them from catching on something accidentally.

Hiding in plain site - Etsy meta tags

2009-06-16T21:27:00.005-06:00

This subject can be quite confusing, so I'm going to try to simplify it for everyone.

Apparently, since April, Etsy has been adding there own words (keyword stuffing) in the meta tags of each Etsy listing. This changes/alters how your items are found (or in this case NOT FOUND) in web searches.

On individual item pages, the page title format currently is:
• For handmade items – "Handmade [Category] on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]"
• For vintage items – "Vintage on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]"
• For supplies – "Craft Supplies on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]"

What is basically going on is, the words Etsy has tacked on is showing up in web searches now instead of our shop items. So how will people find each of us? Good question, isn't it?

I've been reading through the Etsy forums about this hot topic, and CapriciousAdornments made a comment that really illustrated the point to me:

It is relevant - we work very hard marketing our shops and exposing them to the web - uploading to base, choosing our tags "wisely", driving traffic and then analyzing that traffic!

It's like a store with a barricade in front of the entry - except we didn't barricade it!

Many sellers have suggested going to Scrub The Web to analyze your Etsy shop. A lot of the info was a bit confusing to me, but there is some bits of info that I found useful. It does no harm to check it out.

Something scrubtheweb said that got my attention is: If you are not on the first page of search results, over 60% of Internet users will not find you!
Guess what? That's exactly what is happening with these relatively new changes.

Google and other search engines prefer titles that range from 60-75 spaces...Etsy's newly added titles takes away approx. 31 characters. If Handmade [Category] on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username] runs over the 60-75 spaces, your item is skipped completely by the search engine because it's too long. Yes. You read that correctly.

So, what do we do?
Check your listings. Open one, right click on your mouse, pick View Source or Source and see what *YOUR* titles really look like. My example title would look like:
Handmade Weddings on Etsy - MANGO orange hand knit mini cable shrug S M by jusshar

Mine is too long, so this item is more than likely NOT showing up in web searches. No wonder sales and views are down, huh?

If your views and sales are down and you can't find your shop in google search using relevant keywords....it's not your photo's, a slow time, the economy, or that you don't market enough, or any other reason you can think of. It due to nothing you have done or haven't done. Changing your titles may change things, but you will likely have to leave out relevant words in your title.

Some related reading:
Storque Article
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/seller-how-to-optimizing-your-etsy-shop-for-search-engines-3835/

Threads on Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/forums_search.php?search_type=forum_title&search_query=meta+tags

UPDATE: June 18, 2009

http://jusshar.etsy.com
https://twitter.com/JusShar

A Tutorial: Washing Raw Fleece

2009-06-15T17:35:00.002-06:00

For those who are interested in buying raw fleece and washing it to spin or felt, here are the basics for the cleaning process or what is known as “scouring” it.

Raw Fleece

While visiting my daughter in Montana, the seminar on scouring fleece had been canceled due to weather. So to replace that time, we made a visit to a local, organic sheep ranch called Thirteen Mile Lamb & Wool. They not only sell organic lamb, but also fleece, handspun yarn, roving and batting. I love being able to choose a fleece that I want for my spinning needs by feeling and touching a fleece “hands-on”. Needless to say the choices were overwhelming, but I settled on a mix breed that had a wonderful fleece and dark color. My skirted fleece weighed over 8 pounds (skirting is the process of removing the unwanted parts of the fleece – around the legs, belly, etc. that are usually short, matted and very dirty).

Teased fleece with some of the debris(left), teased fleece (right)

Depending on the fleece, the first step is to decide how much you will wash at a time. For these instructions, I will be doing a small portion for demo purposes. The fleece will need to have the extraneous straw and dirt particles removed. This is done by a process called “teasing”. The wool fibers of the fleece are pulled apart with the unwanted debris falling out. It is good to have a newspaper underneath or just do it outside.

There are many different ways of “scouring” a fleece. I found this recipe in one of my books on spinning, scribbled on the inside cover. When washing or scouring a fleece, it is important not to mix, scrub or agitate the fleece unless, of course, you want it to felt up. The next most important thing to remember is to NOT have sudden temperature changes. The temperature of the water should not go from extreme hot to extreme cold as this, too, will felt the wool.

The recipe that I found is a 4-step process. Nowadays, it is difficult to find King Lear or Ivory boxed soap so I use one of the liquid detergents that do not contain enzymes. It is made for fine garments. This type is a lot easier on the wool fibers.

I also try to put the teased wool into a bag made from netting. It is easy to buy some netting at the fabric store and sew up three sides and have one edge open and stuff the wool in for washing. This keeps the wool from going down the drain and lets debris fall away from the wool when scouring.

Teased fleece in a netted bag - water after step 1 - bagged fleece in step 2 or 3

Scouring Wool – Solutions

Bowl	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4
Water	Any amount	Per Gallon	Per Gallon	Any amount
Soda (baking)	None	1 ½ Tablespoon	1 teaspoon	None
Soap	None	1 ½ teaspoons	1 ½ teaspoon	None
Time	3 minutes	2 ½ minutes	1 ½ minutes	1 ½ minutes
Temperature	90 F	130 F	125 F	120 F

The above solutions are just guidelines. Usually, I just use hot water from my faucet and it is around 120F. Remember, hot water will not felt wool, but agitation and sudden temperature changes will.

I will fill up the sink (a double sink is great for this process as each step can be prepared while the wool is soaking). When transferring to the next solution, gently squeeze out the excess water before putting it into the fresh solution.

After the scouring process, the wool can be put on screen or towel and let dry. If the clean fleece is put outside, this only takes a short time.

Clean fleece drying outside

Once the wool is clean, the next step is to prepare it for spinning or felting or even dyeing, but that is another lesson.

~ MaryAnn

Etsy: MaryAnnCleary.etsy.com

Website: MaryAnnCleary.com

Blog: MaryAnnCleary.blogspot.com

Our First Visual Inspiration Exercise!!

2009-06-15T15:23:00.004-06:00

"Simple Summer Floral Bokeh" by Susan Keller Photography

This is the first of our Visual Inspiration Exercises. The purpose of this exercise is to get your mind revved into a new direction or jump start your creativity. Feel free to make a creation inspired by this photograph, write about it, doodle in your sketchbook, compose a song, whatever your muse drops in your lap at first glance.

Gypsy Road members, you can share your contribution here in our discussion forum and all are welcome to leave a comment.

Domain Names and Other Indoor Sports

2009-06-11T06:30:00.005-06:00

There's been a great topic introduced by Gypsy Moon Designs over at the Gypsy Road forum involving domain names. So while the little beans are sleeping, I'll fill you in on what I know about registering your business name online.

Snag it up. Register your domain name as quickly as possible even if you don't have somewhere to direct it. This is called "parking" your domain name. Though the chances are slim, there are squatters out there who will register them just for fun so that you can't have it, or people who will try and piggyback off of your hard work. This happened to me when I tried out Typepad (a blogging platform) so I'm assuming it's a pretty common occurrence. Though no one is actually using thepeacefulpeacock.typepad.com, I can't get it as a username. Thankfully, I do have the domain name "thepeacefulpeacock.com" reserved.

It's also a good idea to register your actual name (ie--"juliecleary.com"). I am unable to do this because apparently there are an awful lot of real estate agents with the name Julie Cleary. Reserving your actual name is important if your name is part of your branding strategy, like if you create fine art. Check out an example of this at MaryAnnCleary.com.

Even if you don't have a website up and running, you can map your domain name just about anywhere. This includes your etsy shop, your blog, your profile page on Gypsy Road, etc. Oftentimes, your domain host will include this service but there are quite a few out there who will charge you an extra fee for this service. $10-$30 per year is a reasonable price for mapping service if you have to pay for it separately.

When you are ready to launch your website, you can have the name redirected to the website and then apply a subdomain to your Etsy shop, your blog, your Gypsy Road profile page, etc (ie-thepeacefulpeacock.com/blog).

At this point, my domain name is mapped to my blog. I have chosen this route because I have a 9 week old baby and a 21 month old toddler. Needless to say, it's nearly impossible to keep inventory in my Etsy shop on top of participating in our summer market. Maintaining a blog is a much more effective means for me to promote the inventory that I am able to create since I have developed a devoted following of readers. My marketing is based on an overall picture of our lifestyle, my creative process, and the importance of family values and spiritual growth in this high speed day and age. It works for me because I can incorporate our daily activities into my posts without putting too much extra stress on our family. As the children grow and become more independent, my focus will shift and evolve. Etsy is the perfect match for this lifestyle as well since I don't have to worry about updating an entire website on top of my daily responsibilities.

You can also map your domain name to your Etsy shop! Having a website is an expected level of professionalism in our culture now--how many times have you been asked, "Do you have a website?" People are more likely to remember gypsymoondesigns.com than they are to remember gypsymoondesigns.ETSY.com. While Etsy has dug its heels into the subculture of creative types, it's not yet a household word all across the globe. It also eliminates clutter on your business cards and letterhead, not to mention the fact that you don't have to RE-ORDER all of your business cards and letterhead when you make the jump into your own website. Directing your domain name to your Etsy shop also gets your business started on the climb up the search engine ladder, which is another topic altogether. If you are able to keep a stock of revolving inventory in your shop, then directing your domain to your Etsy shop is the way to go. It instantly sends potential customers to your point of sale.

So go and get your domain name. Right now. And point it somewhere.

Featured Seller for June: CorysHandmade

2009-06-05T10:44:00.005-06:00

* Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi all! My name is Cory, I’m 28 yrs old and I live on a small farm in southern WI with my husband and three daughters ages 8,6 & 4. Here I indulge in my passion for self sufficient living and our ever-evolving earth friendly lifestyle. We keep a few horses, a couple of dogs and a mess of chickens.

* What inspires your ideas?
Most of the time I’m not really sure, sometimes the idea comes first, then the fabric, sometimes the other way around. I usually have 2 or 3 ideas in my head at a time and try to work on them in order, because if I don‘t get them finished and outta my head they just sit there and pester me till I do!…. I’m always drawn to earthy colors - greens and browns - nature really inspires me the most with color. I like to think that when someone wears somthing I’ve made say...on a walk in the woods or a picnic in the hay field...that it “fits” or matches the surroundings - I like when my clothes blend with the outdoors.

We are lucky to have the full range of seasons here in WI so there’s never a shortage of ideas! I love the randomness of nature, rarely is anything even or centered - and when it is it‘s perfect so, that’s something I’d like to represent more in the future. Music and movies play a part too, I may go on a run of earthy simple clothes and then put in an Elvis CD and Whammo! It’s a pink polka dot dress with rick-rack trim LOL…I always look at those later and think “where the heck did THAT come from” heh heh, or watch a Jane Austen movie and come out with something pastel and lace….

I enjoy a wide variety of music but I think my favorite pieces come from listening to CCR, Skynard, Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel or Billy Holiday - at least that’s what’s been in rotation lately. I LOVE period movies and find myself paying extra attention to the clothing of any era (other than mine, of course ;) I try to make pieces that will look good on a variety of sizes, I love the adjustability of drawstrings and apron tops - which is great because it appeals to a wider audience… but at the same time can be a little restrictive when it comes to design.

* How long have you been sewing and how did you learn?
I’ve been sewing since I was 11 yrs old, my mother helped me make a quilt for 4-H (fun fact: I raised pedigreed guinea pigs as a kid - yeehaw!) I really only made patchwork quilts until about 5 yrs ago.

* What inspired you to begin selling your work?
Ah, yes…being a creatively stifled stay-at-home mom I was always cranking out new ideas and one day decided to sell vintage-style aprons on eBay. It was a leap for me to even consider anyone would pay money for something I made. But I traced out a few patterns based on some antique aprons I had, and made them up out of calicos and binding - the response was good but I got bored. Then I started looking up other handmade items on eBay and discovered all the beautiful clothing! So I gave it a try, it was slow going at first and the eBay fees were killing me.

Then I found etsy - Yeah! Etsy has been Fantastic! I adore every customer who comes my way - it’s like making a new friend with every sale! I’m still pretty self-conscious about my work but I have a good friend who has been immensely supportive (Yeah I’m talkin about you Jen!) and gives me the kick in the butt I need now and then.

I’m gradually discovering that this just *might* enable me to continue to stay home with my kids next year when my little one goes to kindergarten, which would be absolutely wonderful... I probably spend more hours on Cory’s Handmade Originals than I would at a part-time job, but I love the freedom of being HOME for the kids - plus the flexibility allows me to work around the seasonal work changes the farm brings.

* Where do you do your crafting?
Surprisingly I have a room! Our house has three bedrooms - I have all the girls sharing a room upstairs (which works great for now, I’m not sure how that’ll go over when they hit their teens though - yikes!) and the third bedroom downstairs was storage. Last year I rearranged the junk and set up a table for my sewing machine and can claim about ½ of that space. It’s hands down the messiest room in the house - I’m incapable of being both creative and neat at the same time. That and the fact that the room is still a catch-all for book bags and snow pants, boxes of stuff that doesn’t have a home anywhere else…on the average day you could barely walk in there. During the winter time that room gets so cold my fingers won’t work so I move my machine and ironing board out to the living room by the woodstove until spring.

Last month I decided to clean the room out and paint it green before I move back in. It’s not quite ready so unfortunately I don’t have a nice picture of my workspace at the moment, which is too bad because I’m sure it would give everyone a good laugh.

* What is your biggest challenge?
Time Management. I’m all over the place. Organization is not my strong suit but I do make lists - lots of them.

* Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you while you're working?
I wish! I need one. LOL....though here's one for life in general (and for those of us with too many irons in the fire): “You can have it all, just not all at once” - I’m not sure who said it but it certainly is true.

* What do you see for your business in the next year?
I’d like to nail down the business side of things a little better, which is yawn-inducing but must be done.

As for the rest, well, my head might explode if I tried to articulate all the possibilities! …but in the next year I see my style evolving. The super talented ladies at Gypsy Road just helped introduce me to the wonderful world of appliqué (thanks guys!) so I can see a lot more of that happening. I’m interested in plant dyes and would love to learn to dye my own fabric with native plants….I have some new designs rolling around in my head in my head I’d like to try, so expect some new shapes coming up!

* Where can we find CorysHandmade?
My store on Etsy
Dress gallery on flickr

Let's Get the Show On the Road!

2009-05-12T08:14:00.002-06:00

While many of you are preparing to actually take your shows on the road for the summer, life here with the two little ones is finally settling into a groove. Thanks everyone for your patience and understanding while I've been tending to the moment by moment lifestyle around here. I'm finally coming out of the fog a bit and hope to be more present!

Some changes are afoot... It's time to shift, adapt, and re-create a few things here and there in order to lighten my load. This team blog is now open to guest authors--please contact me at gypsyroadetsy(at)gmail(dot)com in order to contribute. I'd like to continue to have a monthly theme to create some unity and continuity among what will hopefully be many different styles of posts and different authors. Posts can be photos, articles, poetry...anything that you would like to share as a member of Gypsy Road.

May's theme is Inspiration. Any takers?

Now Where Were We?

2009-04-17T11:02:00.004-06:00

Thanks for your patience everyone as we've been getting adjusted to the new little burst of energy around here. On a personal note, the baby is a good sleeper (yay!), is very alert and active, and adores her big brother. As expected, the biggest challenge I'm facing right now is attempting to keep our tiny house somewhat in order.

Yeah, right. Time to give up that dream...

So we'll be back to our regular scheduled programming here pretty quick. I'm hoping to post a couple of times per week and am toying with the idea of opening this blog up to guest authors. There are so many of you who write such wonderful blogs, I think it would be inspiring to have a few more voices on our team blog rather than subjecting you all to me prattling on in my post partum stupor. The PeaceNiks team does this with great success...please pop on by their site to see a great example of an Etsy team blog. If you are interested in writing posts here, please email me at gypsyroadetsy(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll get it set up.

Hope you are all having a happy spring!!

She's Here!!!

2009-04-04T15:39:00.003-06:00

Our beautiful baby girl was born at 8:53 am on Friday, April 3. 8 lbs, 9 oz; 20 inches long.

We rocked through labor in about four hours and had a quick, natural birth. Hooray!!! Will be back once nursing gets off the ground!!

Check It Out

2009-03-24T15:42:00.003-06:00

I have started a new section of blogs over on the sidebar there. It's called "Inspirational Artists" and includes blogs of professional artists who offer great advice as well as create really cool stuff.

Here is a post with some tips about vending that I thought was particularly interesting from Dennis Brady, who has been participating in art festivals and fairs for over ten years.

If you have any suggestions for inspirational artists to follow, please email me at gypsyroadetsy(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll take a peek!!

Where'd She Go?

2009-03-17T13:31:00.002-06:00

Ah, yes. Your team leader is very pregnant and very self involved at the current time. I have not forgotten about our marketing topics, don't you fret. They're just a bit boring to write and I keep finding other things to keep myself occupied, like making chocolate chip cookies and staring at tiny dresses.

Next up: The Wonderful World of Blogging

Featured Seller for March: Magnolia Skies

2009-03-06T07:54:00.006-07:00

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Connecticut with my husband Pat and our furry brigade of two cats and a dog, whom I can’t help but to spoil rotten. We’re also expecting our first child in May, so as my friend has recently coined me, I’m Heather-and-a-half. I love making things with my hands, to me there’s nothing more satisfying. I’ve established my own little business Magnolia Skies, where I sell my handcrafted eco friendly and wearable art clothing, body herbals, and crocheted goods. These are the things I focus mostly on when it comes to crafting and art, but I also love to research various other crafts and mediums- with a LONG list of things I need to learn to do in the future. Aside from creating things, I’m a total outdoors chic. I love to hike, bike, camp, and just enjoy being outside.

What inspires your ideas?

My primary inspiration comes from nature, music, and the random people from different walks of life I meet. I’m also inspired by so many of the talented stitchers that I’ve networked with over the years.

How long have you been sewing/ how did you learn?

I’ve been sewing regularly since I was about 18, but I guess it all started when I was much younger, probably about 10 years old, and requested a sewing machine for Christmas. I can’t remember what made me want a sewing machine at that time, but do know that it sat in a box in my closet untouched until I was about 15. It was then I sewed up my first project, a pair of funky curtains for my room and a pillowcase for my body pillow. My mom showed me how to thread the machine and bobbin, and from there I went, pretty much self-taught through trial and error in all aspects of sewing. When I was 18 I went to a Phish concert and was in absolute awe of all the handmade clothing in the parking lots. My best friend bought a 4 panel skirt from one of the gals selling there, and as soon as we got home I made a trip to the fabric store and busted out my sewing machine to make my first piece of clothing- a 4 panel A-line skirt based off of my friend’s skirt. And from that first skirt I haven’t stopped making clothing. The first few years of making clothing I let the fabric do all the talking, picking out funky prints for simple skirts and dresses. But then I delved into the world of appliqué work and quickly realized that was where my creative heart was. I’ve always loved art but always sucked at things like drawing and painting. When I found appliqué I finally found my niche in the world of art- fiber art. In the recent years I’ve had the natural desire to increase my sewing skills and learn new techniques and have mostly used the internet to research and learn different techniques.

What inspired you to begin selling your work?

I had been sewing clothing for myself for a couple of years when one summer I gathered up enough confidence to try selling my clothing in the parking lots of some concerts. I still remember the incredible natural high I got sitting on my blanket with all my skirts and apron tops spread out, selling my creations. I have to thank my husband Pat (then boyfriend) for giving me the final push to sell my stuff- we arrived at the concert with me having plans of setting up my stuff to sell, but then I started to chicken out when it came time. He pretty much pulled me over to a spot, spread out my blanket, and told me I better start putting out my clothing (in a nice way of course!). It gave me just enough confidence to get over my fear of rejection and just do it.

It wasn’t until early 2004 that I discovered that people were selling similar clothing items online. A guy at my work introduced me to Ebay that year, and one night I stumbled upon some gal selling a patchwork skirt there. I immediately did a search for handmade hippie clothing, and was in utter amazement as all kinds of gals started popping up. I couldn’t believe that they were sharing their art with the world- at the time I thought that style of clothing was only in the parking lots of concerts! That summer I sold a few pieces on Ebay, and by that December I had learned enough webpage design to launch my little internet business, www.magnoliaskies.com

Where do you do your crafting?

Currently I’m lucky enough to have an entire room dedicated to my sewing and crafting. Although I do find that when it comes to crafting space, I’m like liquid, I’ll fill whatever container holds me! When I first started sewing I worked out of my closet. All of my fabric and machine fit perfectly in one little corner of my closet, and when I wanted to sew I would pull out my machine, set it up on a tv table and then tuck it away when I was finished. Then I upgraded to a full room when Pat and I moved in together the first time. I was primarily sewing stuff for myself then so I still only had my sewing machine and a small stash of fabric (maybe a tote bin full if that). Then I decided to go back to college and get a degree, so I moved back in with my parents to make things easier for myself to accomplish that goal. There I had an entire corner of their basement for my crafting/sewing area. It was during that time that I started making clothing to sell, accumulated a massive fabric stash, and started working with body herbals. So when I moved from my parent's house back in with Pat to our current apartment just over two years ago, my crafting stash had morphed from a sewing machine and a small tote of fabric into 3 machines, several extra large totes of fabric, a dresser full of fabric, several totes of body herbal supplies, and a few totes and several boxes of miscellaneous crafting supplies... Along with a table and a couple of chairs. It was actually pretty embarrassing on the moving day when I had an entire pickup truck bed packed to the max with just my crafting and sewing stuff. Not including the tables or chairs.

Do you have a day job?

I have a part time job as an Environmental Geologist. In the summer of 2006 I graduated college with a BS in Geology/Earth Science and that winter got introduced to my boss. He had recently started his own environmental company and was just at the point where he wanted to try taking on a part time employee. I started working for him that winter and have now been there just over 2 years. I love my day job. I get to be outside a lot, and we’re always working on something new so I don’t get bored. Also I got really lucky meeting my boss when I did, it’s really hard to impossible to find a part time environmental job in Connecticut- most are full time plus. I’m able to make the money we need to live comfortably, yet still have plenty of time to devote to my own business, Magnolia Skies. To sum it up in a nutshell, making things keeps me sane, my day job keeps me grounded.

What one word best describes you?

Determined

What is your biggest challenge?

When it comes to Magnolia Skies, my biggest challenge is time management. When I first started my little business, I had dreams of making it my full time job. At the time I was still in college, and I did manage to make it a semester or two surviving off of my business profits. But I quickly realized that at this point in my life I lack the self-control to make that a reality. I can’t get myself to make a working schedule. I love to be outside, I love to sleep in, and I’m easily distracted at my house. I also found that when I tried to force myself to sew and create on a schedule, all inspiration and motivation went out the window. Not to mention I’m a very social person, I thrive off mixing my energy with the energy of others. When I was trying to make this my full time job I found that I was grumpier more often since I had spent the entire day or days by myself. Even though I quickly realized that I lacked the self-control to make a living off of selling my creations, I still battled with this idea for a few years. It wasn’t until recently that I’ve made peace with the fact that at this point, and maybe all points in the future, selling my creations and working for myself for a living is just not for me. Instead it’s a great way to supplement our income doing something that I love to do, when I want to do it.

Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you while you're working?

Years ago an old friend/flame used to write me letters and something he ended with in one has stuck with me since, while I’m working and in life in general- “Strive for perfection lest you'll go mad”

What do you see for your business in the next year?

With our first child quickly on it’s way, I’m almost clueless as to what will happen with Magnolia Skies. I definitely know I will continue with it, I just don’t know if I will end up devoting more time to it and less time to the day job so I can be home more, or if I will end up making things more sporadically if I keep my current part time schedule at the day job. It’s that whole time management thing that I mentioned above! One thing I would like to see for Magnolia Skies is for my new made-to-order eco clothing pieces that I have in my Etsy shop take off a bit. I just started designing a few pieces in eco fabrics that I’m offering in multiple sizes. I’ll always make my one of a kind pieces as that’s where my heart is, but having this other option gives me the opportunity to sew even when I’m not feeling inspired with ideas for new one of a kind pieces.

Where can we find Magnolia Skies?

My primary shop is my website www.magnoliaskies but this year I’ve also branched out to the world of Etsy www.magnoliaskies.etsy.com with some of my goods. I also consign locally at the boutique Dava in Hamden, Connecticut, mostly around the winter holiday season. And in the summer I love to vend festivals, with Merlefest in North Carolina being my favorite. With our first bambino due to arrive in May, my festival vending will be pretty limited this summer- you can find a link to my summer vending schedule at www.magnoliaskies.com. I also love to blog about my current projects and life in general at www.magnoliaskies.blogspot.com

And the giveaway:

If you would like to enter the random drawing for a 4 oz. soy Cinnamon Chai candle handmade by Ms. Magnolia Skies, please leave a comment!!

Drawing will be held on Friday, March 20, 2009 at 10am MST.

Please check back here to see if you have won!!

Name will be picked using a random number generator--void where prohibited.

Diving In To Marketing: Social Networks

2009-03-03T11:02:00.002-07:00

There are two major social networks out there that are commonly used by people from all walks of life: MySpace and Facebook. I'm sure there are more but these are the two that are the most popular and will therefore give you the most marketing bang for your buck.

The benefit of social networks is that they open your work up to a huge audience of like-minded friends of friends of friends of friends. Both MySpace and Facebook are relatively easy to use and they give you the opportunity to make and keep connections with your contacts. You can check in on a regular basis and keep your business fresh on people's minds. You can upload photos of your work, keep a portfolio of previous works, and seize the opportunity to connect with people in a very real and personal way.

The drawback to social networks is that they can be total time suckers. It's incredibly easy to spend hours on end tending to once-lost relationships with old friends and getting into the action of the daily drama that unfolds in these arenas. They also make it really easy for anyone to find you, and that includes everyone from your grandma to your ex-boyfriend from high school. Inevitably, someone will post pictures of you from junior high so be prepared.

Overall, using social networks for promotion is a pretty good investment of energy as long as you are disciplined with your time management. They make it easy to show the personal side to your business endeavor or to show your friends the business side of your interests. The benefit that I've found from starting a group for my business on Facebook is that people I know take my work a lot more seriously when they see the huge grouping of pictures of items that I've made in the past year. Set the tone to impress--this isn't so much an area to do a sales pitch as it is an opportunity to visually lodge your work into the minds of a group of people who would never find it otherwise. Checking in with your "status" or "mood" on a regular basis keeps you on the radar and encourages people to check out your work when you update your photos.

We have the meager beginnings of a group on Facebook for Gypsy Road and I will be starting a MySpace for our tribe as well sometime this month. While setting these pages up, my primary objective is to make them very easy to maintain so that I don't have to spend a lot of time updating what's on there. I do the same with the pages for my own business, but with a much more personal twist.

Above all, keep it easy to maintain. Promoting your business online takes a huge investment of time and energy so keep it as simple for yourself as possible. Social networks are valuable, but you may find that another venue is a better fit for you and a more beneficial use of your time. When pursuing a new marketing idea, it's always best to ask yourself whether it will help you fly gracefully or if it will just hold onto your feet while you flap your wings madly.

Whether you choose to engage in social networks or not, the most important thing is to pursue marketing tactics that give you the time and ability to do what you do best: create!!!

Round Two From January's Team Challenge

2009-02-27T09:17:00.002-07:00

From here on out, the team challenge submissions will be posted twice per month. This gives all the laggers (including me) a bit more time to finish up without stress.

Our good friend Banana sent these submissions my way a couple of weeks ago for January's challenge: Taking Care of Number One. She chose to finish up a bunch of projects that had sitting around for a bit and here they are:

*"A precious velour octopus made from vintage materials...it even has his initial on one of the feet" made for a friend's bambino...

*A handmade handkerchief for her man using some free motion embroidery...
*patching up some pants for the man...

***Wouldn't it be nice to have a team challenge strictly for taking care of all of the mending? lol***

*And finally, a sweet lil pair of handwarmers made from fleece scraps.

Busy girl! Thanks for the submissions, miss! Be sure to drop on by A Green Banana on Etsy to check out her freshest goods.

Bringing It Into Focus

2009-02-26T10:31:00.002-07:00

There are a lot of paths to choose from when it comes to marketing, there's no doubt about that. In addition to Etsy, we will be taking a closer look at some of the online options that are available to today's artists. These include:

Social Networks
Blogging
Personal Websites
Crafting Networks
Auction Sites and Marketplaces

Over the next few articles, I'll be concentrating on each one of these options in detail explaining their strengths and weaknesses.

The key to effective online marketing is to keep it simple. It is far more effective to develop a couple of key tactics rather than trying to immediately get your presence known everywhere. Developing a business takes time and the more quality energy you devote to each endeavor the better your results will be.

It's tempting to do it all at once: start a blog (or two or three), join every forum and group that pertains to your field of interest, list your work in every available venue that's out there, create profile pages and groups on all of the major social networks...it's endless. And it all takes time and devotion if you want to do it right.

This is precisely why the challenge for this month is to focus on ONE marketing endeavor. Develop it fully--honor your efforts by giving them your full attention. It is possible to reach out to all of these opportunities but there is no need to do it all at once. Give it time.

Those beautiful redwoods didn't grow into their full majesty in one year either.

Marketing on Etsy

2009-02-19T10:32:00.003-07:00

I have had such writers block for the last few days!! Marketing is such a huge topic to cover and it can be incredibly overwhelming at times. Let's start simply and focus on effective means of promoting your shop within the world of Etsy.

Top Notch Photos for Your Goods
It doesn't take too long to figure out that in addition to the skills you have devoted to your craft, you suddenly have to become a pro at photography as well. Photos make the difference and we will cover this topic more extensively at a later date so I'll just cover some basics that really make photos stand out on the tiny thumbnails of Etsy.

Closer...closer...closer. Surf around on Etsy for a bit and take notes about which photos stand out the most. Chances are good that the majority of these are close ups of the product. You have five opportunities to show off what makes your item unique--use them all!! Don't assume that people will get the gist of it--show them in detail. Be sure to include at least one full picture that gives a full view of the product.
Create a theme for your pictures. We've all noticed the common theme of Etsy sellers: stark, clean, simple white backgrounds. This works really well for a lot of products, but keep your target audience in mind. Is it a stark, white, clean group of folks? Don't be afraid to develop your own style of product photography in order to best convey the vibe of your goods. There is a comment in the Seller's Handbook of Etsy that states "Photos taken outside look unprofessional." I beg to differ. If taken with care and an artistic eye, photographs taken outside can have a huge visual impact (check out cocoricooo's photos for a perfect example). Keep a common theme, change up the scenery, and focus on creating a style that is uniquely yours.
Above all, make sure your photos are IN FOCUS. Seriously. Don't ever publish photos that are blurry and make the details of your product difficult to make out. It gives the impression that you are trying to hide something about the item.

Use Your Words
Make sure your descriptions are accurate, complete, and somewhat interesting to read. We can start a workshop for description writing if you guys are interested--let me know. Here are some simple basics:

Provide measurements.
Use a template if you have multiple items that are similar in nature--you can then tailor a small section in the beginning of the description for each item. See Drew's items for an example.
Include some basic background information on the process you use to create the item, particularly if it is an unusual product (like Dawn's gorgeous jewelry).

Reduce, Reuse, Renew
This is one of the little known secrets of selling on Etsy. On the "Your Etsy" page, there is an option to renew items in the sidebar. Once your traffic for newly listed items slows up, you can easily renew the item in order to put it back on the top of the heap of listings. It also lets your potential customers know that you regularly update your shop and are readily available. Don't just sit and wait for people to find you!! They won't and they can't. A month of checking the more advanced analytical stats of my shop has proven this to me--once my products go past the first 3 or 4 pages of listings, people are unable to find my shop by simple searches.

Get By With a Little Help From Your Friends
Devote a bit of time each week to networking. Now this part is painless and fun, so stop cringing. All you have to do is shop around, list items on your favorites, and put new sellers on your favorites list. This is an easy way to open your shop up to new audiences and increase your traffic. Reciprocate--when someone marks you as a favorite, find something that you really like in their shop and mark that as well. Don't lie--if you don't like the stuff and you aren't inspired by it then don't include it on your favorites. Remember that your listings of favorites are another way that your customers get to know you--be genuine.

Be Grateful. Always.
If someone takes the time to ask you a question or send you a compliment, you need to respond. This is probably common sense for most folks, but we are living in a world where people have forgotten their basic manners. Answer questions promptly. Send thank you notes. Be nice.

What Etsy tricks do you have up your sleeve?

Marketing--Jump On In

2009-02-10T10:51:00.003-07:00

In order to fully utilize the energy that you invest into marketing, it is essential to determine who you're actually marketing to. This process is a valuable tool no matter how long you've been in business. Your direction will grow and change it's important to re-evaluate what needs your products are filling and who actually needs them.

There are three key elements to understanding your market:

Understanding your target customer
Evaluating your competition
Knowing your industry

This can also be summed up as defining your "niche". It is a mistake to think that pinpointing your target market means that your products will not appeal to those outside of your niche. It is crucial to limit the scope of your energy in order to fully captivate the people who are most likely to buy what you have to offer. This doesn't mean that those outside of that perimeter will refuse to buy a product simply because your marketing isn't geared toward them as an individual. It will merely pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of your marketing efforts and give you the most positive results for the investment of your time.

Understanding Your Target Customer
It's incredibly helpful to create an actual profile of the person you are selling your goods to. Imagine a crowd of people who would be interested in what you have to offer...pick one person out and describe everything about him/her on a piece of paper. Common traits include:

age
gender
occupation
income level
buying habits
marital status
family status (kids?)
geographic location
ethnic group
political affiliations
hobbies or interests

This exercise really helps to clarify exactly who you're selling to. Don't worry if your target market is low income students!! The purpose of this exercise is to make you better at marketing to your target audience, not to scare you into lowering your prices or completely overhaul your products. Defining your target customer will help point out weaknesses in the representations of your products and give you the insight to effectively communicate how your product is a sound investment.

Evaluating Your Competition
This is your opportunity to spend a whole lot of time surfing around on the internet. It is integral for you to know how other sellers in your niche are approaching the market and that means investing a considerable amount of time checking out what's working for them and what isn't. Make lists of these observations. How can you approach it differently? What individual spin can you develop to successful marketing tactics? Your first observations are generally the most powerful--write down what you immediately notice and see if you can spot any trends (photos, product description, tone, etc). As you become more adept at this exercise, you will begin to notice some of the more subtle layers of marketing that can really set you apart from your competition.

Knowing Your Industry
Your industry is not the same as your competition--it's the broader scope of businesses that operate in your general field (ie--jewelry, clothing, sculpture). This is where you want to watch for trends and be ahead of your competiton by adopting those that are not being tapped into.

A great example for Etsy right now is bird jewelry. This trend has been huge but it has definitely hit its peak. Rather than attempting to compete with a world of jewelers who have already successfully cornered this market by making your own version of bird jewelry, instead get ahead of the industry and see if you can dig into the newest craze. Check magazines, observe what celebrities who fit your niche are wearing, dig through funky catalogs. How can you put your own spin on these ideas that have not yet been a victim of overkill? Be ahead of the game.

While all of these concepts are definitely not new, they are some of the most overlooked aspects of independent businesses. These techniques are tried and true and will serve you well if you take the time to really process where your work stands.

Welcome to the world of Research and Development!! Much less painful than you anticipated, isn't it?

February's Featured Seller: Drew from Fairytale Fibers

2009-02-06T09:37:00.009-07:00

Tell us a bit about yourself:
My name is Drew. I'm a maker and momma to one awesome three year old wonder. We live in Portland Oregon, sometimes called puddle town USA.

What inspired you to begin selling your work?
My daughter is my constant inspiration. My daughter inspired me to find a profession that could be done from home. Making hats is a way to make staying home financially feasible.

Fairies, Elves, and Stories of old inspired the pattern.

Etsy inspires me.

Folks making small steps toward sustainability everyday brings me joy.

Where do you do your crafting?

I craft wherever I go. The neighborhood children giggle because I am always carrying a ball of wool and working on a hood while we play, sing, and tell stories. I handle the other aspects of my Etsy shop in my home.

Do you have a day job?
I'm a mom, that's my "day job". I make hoods deep into the night and when my daughter is at playgroup or visiting family.

What did you do before you had your daughter?
I worked in a local yarn store. I was teaching crochet, helping people choose the fibers for their projects, fixing dropped stitches, interpreting patterns, and slinging good coffee all at once! I knit and crocheted in my spare time, creating new patterns and innovations to old ones.

Did you plan on creating a business for yourself or did it just happen?

It happened.
What one word best describes you?
Maker.

What is your biggest challenge?
Managing stress is my largest obstacle. How am I constantly working to over come it? I breathe. I remember my joy. I remember all the things I am grateful for. I set tangible goals and work on them steadily.

Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you while you're working?
Alis Volat Propriis.

"She flies with her own wings"

That's our Oregonian motto and it certainly fits for fledgling businesses.

What's your favorite thing to make?
Love. Love is definitely my favorite thing to make. Everything I make is imbued with love. My dream for each hood is that it will bring warmth, joy, and inspiration to the head it cozies. I believe a good functional and artistic piece of clothing can nurture self-esteem and eco forward thinking. Once you have one piece you realize all your clothing and accessories can be handmade, and just as perfect for you and the world!

What kind of machine(s) do you use?
I use a macbook, printer/scanner, and camera for my sales and marketing process. As far as my actual crafting I use simple tools: scissors, hook, eyes, arms and hands.

Do you have any advice for fellow Etsy shop owners?
There is no need to reinvent the wheel or be alone. There are lots of resources available, use them! Here's a couple I've found helpful:

Street teams are awesome for getting added exposure and networking!

The Etsy Storque is chock full of useful advice and learned wisdom. My favorite is the Etsy Seller Handbook

Heart-o-matic is an un-official site where you can look up the hearts for all your items at once, or how many views you received in one month…super useful!

Unique stands out on Etsy.

Customer retention strategies make a giant difference!

At what point did you know FTF was going to take off?
Well I'm hoping it will be this year! I've been reigning in to keep it manageable. This summer I hope to take on wholesale clients.

That may be my version of taking off!

Where can we find the Fairy Tale Fibers?
Etsy shop
Blog
Flickr

January's Team Challenge: Taking Care of Number One

2009-02-05T10:15:00.010-07:00

Here are the participants from last month's team challenge. The challenge was to make something just for you:

Heather of Magnolia Skies made this awesome Nalgene water bottle holder...

And these super sweet hand dyed pants.

Miss Sandie of Sweetgrass for Sandie
whipped up this slinky little nightgown for herself...

Check out the gorgeous vintage cameo print.

And I (Julie from the peaceful peacock) even managed to make myself a little skirty from vintage paisley corduroy fabric...

Wraparound of course, to make room for the belly.

Thanks everyone! Don't forget: February's Team Challenge is "Pimp It Up". The challenge is to revamp one aspect of your marketing, whether it be photos, giving your shop a makeover, setting up a blog or website, etc. Please email me at gypsyroadetsy(at)gmail(dot)com with links to your submissions.

Our New Little Blog Home

2009-02-01T10:28:00.002-07:00

In Honor of our Marketing theme for February and March, our team blog has received quite the makeover.

Though I'm still tweaking things a bit, I'd like to welcome you to our blog's new home!! Blogger is a better fit for us in a number of ways--more customization options, the ability to use Flash and Java in the sidebar there (hello, Etsy mini for the Featured Sellers!), a list of all of our member blogs and when they've last been updated...oh, there's just so much. Virtually all of you use Blogger for your personal weblogs too so the familiarity will be a great benefit to all.

I hope you enjoy the new look (don't worry, that header image will be cropped for a better fit here pretty soon).

Coming this week:

***The lovely results from January's Team Challenge: Taking Care of Number One
***Featured Seller Interview with Drew from Fairy Tale Fibers!

If you have any submissions for the team challenge, please email pics to Julie at gypsyroadetsy(at)gmail(dot)com so we can share them with everyone.

The newsletter is also going out today (much shorter then the last one!) so please be sure to check for it...yahoo accounts are notorious for sticking communication from Gypsy Road right into the spam file. Lots of important information including this month's team challenge, information on the webring progress, and preparations for my maternity "leave" in April so be on the lookout. If you do not receive a newsletter, let me know and please check the discussion forum under "Newsletter Archives" where it will be published as well.

Blessed be to all!

Allow Me to Introduce the Sexy Voice of Reason

2009-02-01T10:26:00.001-07:00

This is it. Here it is. Make no mistake about it: this is the voice that is in charge of most of the decisions that you make in your life. Monkey Mind.

Monkey Mind is a Buddhist concept that refers to the chitter chattery voice in your mind that well, never shuts up. Even His Holiness the Dalai Lama admits to having trouble with this little fella, so don't feel bad. And if you do, it's just Monkey Mind telling you to feel bad.

The purpose of this voice is one of survival. This is the entity that keeps us safe from harm ("That dog is going to bite you! Stay away!!") and is probably the reason that we exist as a species today. Instinct comes from this voice. Survival comes from this voice. It lives in the first and second chakras if that makes sense to you.

While Monkey Mind can be a useful tool (after all, you didn't try to pet that dog, right?) it tends to take over and disrupt the balance. Imagine if you will a screaming, jumping, hysterical little monkey that is so over the edge it's throwing its own crap at you. This is the voice that most of us hear in our thoughts. And sadly it's the one that most of us listen to.

It says things like:

"Oh, I could never do that."

"I should get a real job."

"No one is going to pay such a high price for this."

"I don't have time in my busy schedule to do that."

"No one is going to like the things that I make."

"What is _____ going to think?"

"I need to _____ before I ____."

"When I get ____ done then I'll get to that project."

"My Etsy shop looks like crap right now."

"No one is interested in what I have to say."

Hmmm. Sounds eerily familiar, doesn't it? It's important to realize that the purpose of Monkey Mind is to maintain survival. He doesn't like risks. He doesn't like disrupting the comfort and safety of the way things are, even if they are bad. He will do everything in his power to keep you from making those changes that are necessary to attain your dreams, he will literally hop up and down in hysterics to keep you from following your heart. He does this because, simply put, he thinks it's going to kill you. But it won't.

The trick is to still this voice. Not rid yourself of it, because it is useful and it definitely has a place in your life. You must be aware of the difference between Monkey Mind and your Authentic Voice. How do you know the difference?

Well, who's listening to all of that chatter?

Who is saying with a big sigh, "Well, ok. I guess you're right." Who feels the pain when you stay within the confines of what you have always known? Who whispers the inspirations to you? Where does all of that come from? That is your divine inspiration. That is the voice that will bring you the results that you crave. That is what you're afraid of. That is your dharma, or your divine mission in life.

It is when you follow your dharma without fear that the real magic begins.

Setting a SMART Goal

2009-01-30T13:07:00.001-07:00

Now let's get to the fun stuff... There is a discussion on the ning forum for Gypsy Road members. Please look in The Sacred Circle to participate--if you are currently a member of our team and have not yet joined this private discussion group please do so and I will approve your request.

This exercise, like the previous two, has been paraphrased from Maria Nemeth's The Energy of Money.

"A goal is, literally, a projection of a Life's Intention into physical reality...It is a promise that we make ourselves about how we will fulfill that Life's Intention. In this work, we use the dictionary definition of a goal: "an area or object toward which play is directed in order to score" (page 24).

There is a major difference between a goal and a task. A task would include such drudgery as: getting rid of credit card debt; opening a retirement account; buying health insurance. A goal is powerful and comes from deep within your soul--it is backed up by your Life's Intentions. "These Intentions anchor your goals and provide conduits for energy that bring these goals into physical reality. [They] allow for maximum creativity and fulfillment" (87).

This is where being willing comes into play. For example, the Intention behind getting rid of credit card debt might be "to be financially successful". Paying your credit cards bills off would be a task that you are willing to do in order to fulfill the Life's Intention: "to be financially successful". OK, now take out your trusty pieces of paper.

Write down the word "goal" at the top of the page. Then write down every word that comes to mind--positive or negative. Be honest. If you notice sensations in your body, write those down as well. When you are finished, read through your list. Would you have written the same thing when you were 10 years old?

On the same piece of paper, list at least 10 goals that you have that would take time or money to accomplish. It's ok if this feels like a burden--you're right on track! Keep going! Now would you really want to post these goals up where you can see them everyday? Do they feel empowering and motivating, or do they feel heavy and depressing?

Now close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting in a seat of power, whether that be in a throne, an executive's chair, or at the top of a very tall tree. In this seat, anything you truly want to have, do, or be can be made real...All you need to do is let yourself know what it is. Let yourself pick what your heart really wants...What brings you joy?

Let yourself feel, see, or hear what it is you really want...What is it that makes you glad or excited? Find the words for what you want and say them to yourself...

Whether you have become aware of some goals or not, something wonderful has happened. Sitting in this seat of power you have begun to energize your imagination. You will also see that you have always known somewhere in your heart what these dreams are. When you are ready, open your eyes and write down whatever goals presented themselves to you.

List the goals that come from the top of your head and the bottom of your heart. List whatever comes up, no matter how silly or frivilous it sounds. Keep going until you have 10-15 items on your list. Feel free to repeat this process as often as you like--each time will open you more to this process of digging for goals.

Refine your list. You must be willing to put some of your goals on hold for now, so pick one that you are willing to have by one year from today. When you choose a goal, you embrace it as a possibility. This simple act displays more courage than anything else you could do.

***************************

Now it's time to put your goal to the test--is it a S.M.A.R.T goal? This stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based.

Specific:

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-based

*******************************

Next up: understanding the difference between Monkey Mind and Authentic Voice.

defining your life's intentions

2009-01-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

A Life's Intention is a direction, aim, or purpose that comes from deep within you. It's the living spirit behind your goals and dreams, a shunt that directs and carries energy into the physical realm. This exercise will help you define these intentions in such a concrete and physical way that it makes working towards your goals a pleasant and meaningful process. Each leg of this exercise will take about twenty minutes, though you may take as long as you want.

On a sheet of paper, list all of the things you have ever wanted or have wanted to do in life. They can be real or fantasy--it's your list. For example: running a marathon, flying, saving the polar bears, owning my own house, etc.

After you have completed this list, ask yourself two questions: Why do I want this? What desire will it satisfy? Write the answers on another sheet of paper, and put them in the form of "to be". For example, you may want to take your kids on a vacation because it would satisfy your desire to be a good parent--write "to be a good parent". You may discover that the reason that you want to become a pediatrician is "to be a healer of children".

It doesn't matter if you actually accomplish the items on your list--this exercise is intended to magnify the desires that influence your choices. When you complete this phase of the process, you will have a list of Life's Intentions.

Copy this list down on the back of the card with your Standards of Integrity. In the next phase of this exercise, we'll begin to put them to work!

Paraphrased from The Energy of Money by Maria Nemeth, PhD. (76-82).

defining integrity

2009-01-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Integrity is one of those words that is casually tossed around without much consideration to its actual meaning. In case you're curious, it's official meaning is: honesty; moral soundness.

Well, that doesn't really clear it up, now does it?

Defining integrity, much like defining faith, is a deeply personal process that involves more than a simple glance at the pages of a dictionary. Your integrity is defined by your actions and the motivations behind those actions. In this part of our series on "A New Approach to Setting Goals", you have the opportunity to define integrity for yourself in a tangible, meaningful way.

This exercise has been paraphrased from The Energy of Money by Maria Nemeth, PhD (68-71):

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On the left a piece of paper, write a list of all of the people who have qualities that you admire. These people include family, friends, teachers, religious leaders, sports figures, mythological characters, etc.

After you are finished with that list, write down the qualities and attributes that you admire about that person on the right side of the paper.

On a new piece of paper, write down each of these qualities. This list can be as long or as short as you like. Ask yourself:

*Does reading this word aloud warm my heart, if only for a moment?

*Do I like being in the presence of people who have this quality?

Circle the words that received "yes" for an answer. Write this new list of words, adding any new ones that come to mind, on a 3x5 piece of paper. Title it "My Standards of Integrity". Follow that with the quote, "I know these are mine because I see them in others". Carry this with you and refer to it often.

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I have published my list of Standards of Integrity on the blog function of our forum if you would like some help getting started. Please feel free to share your lists in the same manner.

Have fun!

Next up: Defining Your Life's Intentions

january's featured seller: the peaceful peacock

2009-01-24T11:55:00.001-07:00

It's a bit late out of the gate (normally Featured Seller articles will be published on the first Friday of the month), but here it is:

January's Featured Seller: Julie from the peaceful peacock

Tell us a bit about yourself:

My name is Julie Cleary and I live in the mountains of western Montana with my soul mate Jeremy and our 16 month old son Nico. We also have a wee little girl who is due in April. She too will hopefully have a name at some point.

Jeremy and I are both from Arizona though we met at a show at Red Rocks. It was love at first sight and we've never turned back. He actually came up to Montana just to visit for a week and well, that was five years and two babies ago so I'd say we're doing pretty well.

How long have you been sewing?

I don't remember not sewing. My grandmother used to make elaborate wedding gowns and my mother sews and weaves. Sewing and fiber art is a legacy of sorts to me--much like speaking a second language is for some folks.

What inspired you to begin selling your work?

I remember the first time I entered the search term "hippie patchwork" on ebay almost a decade ago--it was like I had suddenly found the missing piece. I saw so many talented people actually making a living doing what they loved and it was like I had finally found my path. Though I went the college route (bounced around to four of them actually) I never really understood why I was there. I knew I didn't want a "real" job, I wanted to sew. Finding a community of people who were making it happen by their own rules officially sparked the desire to devote myself to the craft.

It was the birth of my son and the support of Jeremy however that have finally given me the opportunity to truly spread my wings and begin to take flight. I don't think I would have the courage to do this without them.

Where do you do your crafting?

I officially took over a (large) corner of the living room of our home and created my studio. I do my sewing in here but with a busy toddler on the move I work on a lot of projects that are portable, like knitting, crochet, beadwork, and wool painting.

It took about six months to really get it organized in a way that works for me. I followed the Montessori approach (yes, we're researching preschools already!) and keep everything accessible, out in the open, and easy to find and put away. Keeping this discipline of organization is the only way I can balance my family and my business without going nuts. It makes it much easier to use my spare moments for crafting instead of setting up or finding supplies.

What is your favorite organizational tool?

A label maker. Seriously. Having everything labeled keeps me from just throwing a bunch of crap into a box--I have to deal with it and put it away. It also makes it incredibly easy to find rarely used, obscure things when I need them.

What one word best describes you?

Maven. It pertains to those who are intense gatherers of information and impressions, who seek to pass on their knowledge.

It made me laugh when I first ran across that word, it describes me so well. Here's my crafting library as just one example:

There's probably about 150 books on subjects ranging from applique, quilting, beadwork, general sewing, business, etc. Most of them are vintage--I began collecting them about fifteen years ago, back when you could pick them up at a thrift shop for less than a dollar. Here are a few that get the most attention:

The next subject under scrutiny? Product photography.

What is your biggest challenge?

For me the biggest challenge of all is my unrelenting perfectionism. I realize it sounds trite but it's definitely at the heart of all of my other challenges with creating this little business. "If I had more time, I could get it just right," "If I could just figure out how that application works it would be exactly what I want," "If I had a better camera I could get that picture to look perfect," etc.

The problem isn't time, the problem isn't my lack of knowledge--it's my overwhelming drive to arrive looking like I've been doing it for years. It's difficult to let this go to say the least. Am I happy with how it all looks right now? Of course not. I haven't even begun to start making the kind of pieces that I am envisioning and it kills me. There's so much energy to invest in this concept that I have to slow those horses down and work on it a bit at a time, realizing that it will all suddenly come together in the blink of an eye.

The feeling of isolation that most artists experience is also challenging. That's the main reason that Gypsy Road was created. There are only a handful of people on this earth who truly get what I do and why I do it, a tiny, tiny sect of the population that empathizes with the intensity of this desire to create despite all of the obstacles put in the road. There is a certain loneliness that comes with breaking the rules, that's for certain. When I connect with my fellow team members it softens this impression, reminding me that there is a whole network of people out there embracing their lightness and carving out their own little niche in the world. That in itself is quite an inspiration.

Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you while you're working?

Our friend Fernie came over one day and was looking at something that I made and exclaimed, "You sure showed that who's boss, didn't you Jules?" It still makes me laugh whenever a project starts to take an unexpected turn. Basically it reminds me to just go with the flow and keep at it.

What's your favorite thing to make?

That's a tough one. I'm really into learning new techniques and abandoning preconceived ideas. I rarely use a pattern for anything, instead I might use parts of patterns or consider them as a jumping off point. I just let the project take me where it wants to go. I suppose my favorite thing to make at the moment is hats. And I currently have a minor obsession with all things felted so it's a good match.

What's the craziest thing you've ever made?

I used to work for an interior design company that catered to a very high end clientelle. It was there that I made a set of pillows created from hand beaded fabric that sold for $200 per yard. The pillows were for the client's Christmas mansion in The Yellowstone Club.

What kind of machine(s) do you use?

I use an older Kenmore (not computerized) for detail work, a Juki Pearl Series serger, and a Juki industrial machine. I fell in love with my little Kenmore after finding it at a pawn shop for $20 and later found out that it was made during the period when Janome was building the innards for Kenmore. Juki is also the company that makes the parts for Bernina so both machines are super high quality at a fraction of the cost of their counterparts. I do love a bargain. My next major machine investment will be a Bernina embroidery machine with design capabilities.

What do you see for your business in the next year?

Currently I'm working on developing my blog following and getting Gypsy Road off of the ground. And then there's that baby coming in April to consider of course. My ambition is to create a stable enough environment for myself to make working with the two little ones as effortless as possible. We're investing in a high quality camera this year so that should definitely help save some time and enable me to really make some magical things happen over the next few months.

Ultimately, I'm just getting the foundation laid at this point. I'd like to do the Farmers Market on a limited basis again this year. There's no real reason to plan until after the newest member of our little tribe arrives and finds her place in all of this so I'm not pressuring myself to figure it all out quite yet. I know that down the road I'd really like to pursue pattern design, but that will probably wait until after the kids are in school.

Here's my vending partner superjennylove in our booth at the market last year:

And the GIVEAWAY!!!

I have two things that I'd like to share. The first is a set of four reusable grocery bags:

These are all made from vintage fabrics (the pink one is hand dyed) that I've collected over the years. These are definitely one of my most popular items--they're so funky and useful at the same time.

The second item is a felted mohair scarflette lined with lambswool. It's super warm and soft next to the skin. The scarflette features a snap closure to keep it in place, and the pin from the dollar store will happily accompany it.

Where can we find the peaceful peacock?

My Etsy shop and Gypsy Road of course. I also have a blog that I update at least three times a week--it's a good spot to see what I'm currently working on and to see what's going on in my life. I'm also working on a website that will be launched by the end of March if all goes well.

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To enter the drawing:

Please leave a comment here on the Gypsy Road blog. A random number generator will be used to pick a winner. Please specify which item(s) you are entering to win. A drawing will be made for each item. Drawings will take place on Friday, January 16, 6pm MST. Good luck!

The winners are:

Scarflette: Nancy
Grocery Bags: Tia

Thank you all for entering!

a new approach to setting goals

2009-01-24T11:54:00.001-07:00

Originally published 1/6/2009

And so we begin. During the month of January, we will be focusing on a completely different approach to setting and achieving our goals. The process of setting goals is a tricky road for the creative sect. It has always seemed like such a left brained kind of thing to do, right up there with quadratic equations and organizing the paper clips.

It is imperative to balance these forces in our lives however and the purpose of this month's topic is to teach you an effective, soul-based method for making your visions erupt into the real world in real time. Each step of this process is a powerful, personal creation. Yes, it's homework. Yes, it can be time consuming. And yes, you have to physically write and participate in order to reap the benefits.

Just as you cannot touch, see, or share a creation that you have in your mind without going through the process of actually making it, you cannot fully grasp the concept of setting and attaining goals without working through these steps. There will be the inevitable twists and turns, just like when you're creating a piece of art. These "surprises" are often what makes the creation (the experience) unique.

With that being said, here is what we will be covering this month:

Defining your Standards of Integrity

Understanding your Life's Intentions

Redefining the concept of Goals

Creating a Goal

Establishing the difference between Monkey Mind and Authentic Voice

The information that I will be sharing with you all, primarily paraphrased from the book The Energy of Money by Maria Nemeth, PhD, has the potential to empower you beyond any measure of what you have accomplished before. This is nothing that can be given to you--you must undergo the process in order to give this gift to yourself. I am merely the messenger sharing an idea that has worked for me and I humbly offer it to you.

First up: Defining Integrity.

the results are in! "celebrate solstice" team challenge entries

2009-01-24T11:51:00.002-07:00

Originally published 1/2/2009

There are three:

An artist's tote by Magnolia Skies...

Ms. Magnoliaskies also made this gorgeous swag from repurposed tree branches...

and an interpretation of Vesica Piscis from the peaceful peacock.

January's Team Challenge is "Taking Care of Number One". Please see the sidebar on the forum for details (or scroll down a bit to find info here). Submissions are due by January 31, 2009.

Thanks everyone!!

bringing in the new year

2009-01-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Originally published 12/31/2008

"a monk asked the Master 'what is zen?',

the Master replied 'find me an exit that is also an entrance'"

photo found here on flickr.

As we bring on the New Year, I thought we could cruise into it with some thoughts from Deepak Chopra:

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Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. Success is the ability to fulfill your desires with effortless ease. And yet success, including the creation of wealth, has always been considered to be a process that requires hard work, and it is often considered to be at the expense of others. We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence, which is the abundant flow of all good things to you. With the knowledge and practice of spiritual law, we put ourselves in harmony with nature and create with carefreeness, joy, and love.

There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. Moreover, success is a journey, not a destination. Material abundance, in all its expressions, happens to be one of those things that makes the journey more enjoyable. But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind.

Even with the experience of all these things, we will remain unfulfilled unless we nurture the seeds of divinity inside us. In reality, we are divinity in disguise, and the gods and goddesses in embryo that are contained within us seek to be fully materialized. True success is therefore the experience of the miraculous. It is the unfolding of the divinity within us. It is the perception of divinity wherever we go, in whatever we perceive--in the eyes of a child, in the beauty of a flower, in the flight of a bird. When we begin to experience our life as the miraculous expression of divinity--not occasionally, but all the time--then we will know the true meaning of success.

excerpt from The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra

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Happy 2009 everyone!!

january's team challenge and copyright concerns

2009-01-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Originally published 12/15/2008

I hope your preparations for the holidays are treating you well! Myself, I am madly crocheting, knitting, and and giggling a bit as an unintentional felting theme emerges along with intended color theme of all of the gifts that I'm currently working on. (The color theme is to announce the sex of the little bun in the oven to our families. Sneaky, eh?)

So let's get to it: I received an email from a fellow team leader today about the formation of a united protest against the changes in copyright laws going into effect February 10, 2009. I haven't delved into any of the information yet, but I wanted to let everyone know of this important movement in the works. From what I understand, the changes in copyright protections essentially leave independent, small artists completely unprotected. This is obviously cause for great alarm and it's essential that our voices are heard.

Look for details to follow within the next couple of weeks. This is definitely important enough to cram into the already packed schedules that I'm sure everyone is struggling with as it is. I will do my best to provide as much information as I can--any help along the way would be much appreciated as there may be a few of you who are already familiar with what's happening regarding the copyright legislation. Exercise your rights!! Make your voice heard!!
Whew. Onto more pleasant matters.

Today is the fifteenth and it's time to announce January's Team Challenge!!

The theme for January is: Taking Care of Number One.

This time of year has a tendency to deplete one's energy, no matter what festivities you do or do not partake in. The crowds, the traffic, the money spent, the decorating, cooking, baking, seeking the perfect token, it goes on and on. This flurry of activity has a tendency to leave one's soul a little rattled after the New Year to say the least.

The purpose of this challenge is to inspire you to make something just for yourself. Feel free to tackle that pr0ject you've been thinking of for awhile, finish up some UFOs that are taking up precious real estate in your workspace or studio, experiment with new techniques, or even take yourself out for a special energizing outing to help replenish the energy you've given so freely in the last few weeks. Sky's the limit. This is just for you.

the holiday pile-up

2009-01-24T11:45:00.001-07:00

Originally published 12/11/2008

It's that time of year again!! I'm sure everyone else is as slammed as I am right now so the blog postings will be brief and infrequent--probably once a week until January.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm looking into a couple of options that can give us a private discussion group on the ning page. It's important that we can dig into some topics that we might not be comfortable discussing in the public forum (such as asking for advice to resolve a conflict with a buyer). Etsy will be re-structuring the way that teams are promoted sometime within the next 3-4 months so the possibility of opening a forum there is an option. It would be optimal to keep all of our interactions on one site however because I'm sure we all spend too much time on the internet as it is.

Hopefully the solution will present itself within the next couple of weeks, until then I am working on a welcome letter for our new members which will hopefully help clarify a few things for everyone.

And here's a little reminder that this month's challenge is "Celebrate Solstice". Feel free to submit items that you have already made! The team challenges are an exercise in inspiration so you are not required to list the item in your shop. Think of it as a show and tell.

Thanks for all of your beautiful energy!! I always look forward to checking in to see what's been happening every day!

Charging What You're Worth

2009-01-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Originally published 12/5/2009

One of the items in the Toolshed that I would like to share with everyone is a list of books about business and marketing that won't bore you to tears.

One such book is The Energy of Money by Maria Nemeth, PhD. If you are willing to put in the effort, this book has the capability of changing your entire world. Speaking from the heart, I have always had a very turbulent relationship with money. I always assumed that the solution was more money. In reality it was my relationship with the energy of money and how I looked at it...it had nothing to do with actual currency.

Think of it this way--we are the fish, money is the water. Money is such a force in our lives, like the fish in water, that we are hardly even aware of how much we depend on it. How are we supposed to know if we are swimming in filth if it is all that we have ever known?

Although I had not planned on diving into these topics quite yet, I am coming to the realization that this one needs to be brought into light right now. We are living in tough times, there is no doubt about that.

There is no need to lose hope.

There is no need to despair.

There is no need to panic.

And there is certainly no need to undersell your talents and energy for the sake of a little money.

I was reading Heather's post about pricing yesterday and it just made my heart ache. Dealing with pricing is a common emotional issue for all of us and I believe that this excerpt from The Energy of Money dives right into the heart of it. It has been my solution and I hope that it inspires you to examine your pricing structure and make the necessary changes that will give your soul the breath of fresh air that it has been yearning for.

This is only the beginning, folks.

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Charging What You're Worth

by maria nemeth, phd

It's not unusual for people to tell me that they're good at what they do, but they just don't seem to be able to charge what they're worth. The issue comes up a lot for those of us who charge by the hour or the project, rather than collecting salaries. Why is it so hard to set a fair price and collect it from our clients?

After working through this problem with many people, I've come to realize that the crux of the matter is this: If we charge what we're worth, then we'll have to deliver on our promises. We'll have to go 100 percent for it. Setting a lower fee leaves a trapdoor open, an escape hatch. We're not getting paid enough, so we don't have to be diligent. In effect, we don't have to guarantee that we'll go all out to do what we said we'd do.

When you charge exactly what you're worth, you're putting yourself on the line. You're telling your client, "I'll do what I said I'd do, and give you my full effort and attention. If I don't end up doing what I promised, I'll rectify my work so it will satisfy you."

If you're fretting about why you just can't bite the bullet and raise your fees, I'd like you to ask yourself this: "When I agonize about how much to charge, am I giving myself permission to sit on the sidelines of my path and not participate? Is it possible that all it would take for me to change my situation would be to take a stand for myself and my work and promise to perform to the best of my ability?"

These questions can lead you to a lot of growth. But when you allow yourself to make the leap and charge what you know is appropriate, you'll probably feel pretty shaky at first. All of the sudden you'll be operating outside of your structure of knowing, focusing on how to do a good job.

Allow yourself to be paid what you're worth. You'll grow. You'll be honor bound to do your best. Yes, I know that you may want to do your best no matter how much you're paid. But there is something to be said for being paid exactly what you're worth. It causes a special kind of maturity to develop.

If you wish, you can donate work to worthy causes, or take on some work for charity at a steep discount. But you will be at a more powerful choice point. You will be taking yourself and your contribution more seriously. For example, my own company does management and communications training for corporations. My success in that arena allows me to call the local food bank and offer such training as a donation.

from The Energy of Money, pages 236-237

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Don't change your prices, change your strategy. If you need a financial boost, try offering a promotion or a special limited product but make sure it doesn't cost you. Work smarter, not harder. If offering free shipping will cut into your profits, don't do it.

Use what you already have! That is the truest spark of creativity.

2009-01-19T14:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks again to everyone who has already joined the forum! It's really starting to rock over there and I'm sure we're all eager to see what happens.

So I had planned to just jump right in with the blog schedule but then I realized that Christmas is in three weeks. This is an incredibly busy time for most of us and the information that I had planned on publishing is just too important to glaze over during such a chaotic time of year. January will be a much better fit I think.

With that being said, I'd like to share a little bit about what the tentative monthly schedule for the Gypsy Road blog is going to be.

Week One
This will be the time that the Featured Seller's interview is published. I have begun a discussion on the forum regarding what questions/information should be asked. Please share your thoughts! I figure we'll start with my shop so that you have the opportunity to get to know me as well as see the layout for the interview. If you are interested in a Featured Seller spot please email me at gypsyroadetsy(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll get it underway.
This will also be the week that the topic of the month is introduced. January's focus will be devoted to a new approach to setting goals and the emotional ties that we have to pricing. These articles have already been written but I would love to consider any submissions for topics down the road (as well as suggestions for the topics themselves!)
Week Two
More information on the topic of the month.
Week Three
More information regarding the topic of the month.
This week the following month's Team Challenge will be announced.
Week Four
Wrap up on the topic of the month.
Obviously it's pretty bare bones right now but I'm sure that will change in time!

Until January, I will be concentrating on getting the blog established and helping everyone navigate around the forum. Please feel free to start up groups, discussions, and spread the word about our little world here. Please check the "Pages" section over there to take a look at The Toolshed and our Member Blog links. I took the liberty of adding a few blogs (please be sure to check your link and let me know if it isn't working) but please leave a comment here if you would like to have your blog added too. I will also be adding a Member Website list later in the week so let me know if you'd like to see your page included in that list as well.

Goodness. Lots of info.

Look for more changes in the coming weeks!!

and we're off!

2009-01-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who has already joined our new little family! The response has been wonderful so far and I'm grateful to get the opportunity to connect with each and every one of you.
This week look for some changes here on the blog--I'll be creating our "Toolshed" which will include helpful links to some great resources online. Our Flickr group will also be underway sometime soon as well. If you have a blog and would like to add it to our list of reads, please leave a comment and I'll get you hooked up.

There will also be a weekly / semi-weekly article beginning this week as well. Our first topic will be "Charging What You're Worth--How to Break Your Emotional Ties to Pricing". December's articles are all lined up but submissions are welcome!! It would be wonderful to hear from some of our veterans out there--please contact me at gypsyroadetsy(at)gmail(dot)com if you would like to discuss sharing an article with the group.

If you're curious about when your shop name will show up on the Community Profile page, I will be sending the team coordinator (Sara) a list later this week once folks have had some time to join the forum and get their regular emails to me. This list will be updated once a week or so in order to help streamline the process so thank you for being patient.

Stop by soon and as always please feel free to drop me a line with any questions or concerns.

december's team challenge: celebrate solstice

2009-01-19T14:04:00.002-07:00

One of the features of our group is a monthly team challenge! These challenges are meant to serve as an inspiration and are completely voluntary. The theme will be announced during the prior month (like December's challenge will be announced in November, January's challenge will be announced in December, etc) so that you will have plenty of time to pull something together and get your pictures tricked out. The theme of the challenge will be open to your interpretation of the subject matter.

With all of that being said, the theme for December is "Celebrating Solstice". I had an idea of making it an exchange but that might have to wait until next year when our membership is a little more solid. All submissions will be presented here on the blog during the first week of the following month.

welcome to the tribe!

2009-01-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Gypsy Road! It is a pleasure and a privilege to host the team that helps unite us as artists! I've been looking for a home on the Etsy Teams page for months and finally realized that one needed to be created. Please stop by our forum and join the group there. If you are a member and have a blog address, please leave a comment here and I'll get you a spot on our blogroll.

I appreciate your patience as everything gets set up--it will take a few weeks to really get everything rolling. The more you participate, the better our team will be.
We will be starting the Featured Seller in December--more information will be provided on how to nab one of these spots in the coming days.