I really want this pig...

A somewhat random post, but he's just too cute!

Winged Kawaii Piggy by StaticWhite'sStitchery

Winged Kawaii Piggy- Rear View (hehe)

StaticWhite'sStitchery and the rest of Etsy's Dark Side Team are participating in etsy's Weekend Deals sale this weekend, so be sure to visit SWStitchery to pick up a piggy or batling, and also the Dark Side's blog for some Halloweeny discounts!

. . .
Don't forget to also enter my giveaway and get a free trial of a premium Zibbet account :)

Quick Questions #1

Seeing as I seem to know far too many useless things about etsy and related bits and pieces, I thought I'd start a regular 'Quick Questions' blog feature. Post your questions in the comments, and I'll choose one to answer next time- it can be an etsy-related question, or you can post about other random silly things....

Question:
A question that came up today was about whether it is possible to add an etsy mini to a facebook fan page.

Answer:
The answer is yes, but it's a bit tricky and facebook can be a bit buggy (the 'boxes' tab doesn't always show up for business pages when you need it). Complete instructions can be found on Anna's blog (from TheHouseofMouse on etsy) here.

To summarise (if you already know what you're doing), add the application 'My Stuff' to your fan page and paste in your etsy mini code, then click 'add to profile'.
Next, go to your profile and find the 'boxes' tab on your profile- you may need to click on the '+' tab and look for boxes. If you can't find it, try later (this is the buggy bit).
Once you find the boxes tab, click on it and go to the 'My Stuff' application, then click on the little pencil (top right). Select 'Move To Wall Tab'. It can take a bit of stuffing around, but this should work. You can see mine here: http://www.facebook.com/morphologica

. . .

Post your questions below :) Be as silly as you like!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway of a free Zibbet premium account for life, and there's a code for a free trial as well so you can try it out for a week LINK

Exciting Week & Brand New Designs...

After launching my new scientific jewellery range late last month, I am happy to say that my rather risky venture appears to be succeeding (phew!).

This week I was lucky enough to be featured on two very popular blogs- one in Russian (!). I was very excited to discover a blog post about Morphologica on the Mind Hacks blog- a psychology and neuroscience blog. The featured piece was my Pyramidal Neuron necklace:

'Morphologica is a neuroscientist in the final stages of her PhD who also makes wonderful brain-inspired jewellery. The piece in the picture is the lovely pyramidal neuron necklace, although there are also earrings and necklaces inspired by the double helix, the contours of the cortical surface and cell proliferation. And if you're a jewellery wearer (sadly, I can never find the shoes to match) you can pick up any of the pieces from Morphologica's online store.' www.mindhacks.com
. . .

I've had a bit of a rush of sales this week, so need to create some more in a hurry!! I did manage to sneak some time today to add some brand new designs:
Helical Symmetry- double helix DNA necklace

bRain- raindrop necklace with brain contours

Multiply- proliferating cell earrings

Pyramidal- pyramidal neuron necklace

bRain- raindrop earrings with brain contours

Geek is the New Cool- geek necklace

Section- laser-engraved brain necklace

So this Sunday has been an unusually productive one ;)
I'm also working on a new more complicated design at the moment, but I think it will take a while to develop it....
. . .

PS Don't forget to enter my giveaway from last week! LINK

WIN a Zibbet Premium Account FREE for LIFE!!

I recently posted about Zibbet - a new international site for handmade and vintage, created by two Sydneysiders ('Zibbet' comes from the word 'exhibit').

I wanted to tell everyone about the site because sellers can sell items for free- with no listing fees, no monthly fees and no commission on sales with a basic account!!! The basic account allows you to have a store with 25 items at a time, and pay nothing at all- sounds good to me :)

There's also the premium account with lots of cool features, including unlimited listings/relisting, a customised shopfront that even allows you to add widgets including an etsy mini, twitter links, facebook fan box and project wonderful advertising- which might mean your shop ends up paying for its own advertising!
Premium accounts are currently available for a reduced monthly fee of $7, but for every person you refer who signs up for a premium account, $1 will be taken off your monthly fee. So refer 7 people and it's free for life!
Readers of this blog are also being given the chance to win a free premium account! Info about the giveaway below :)

Part of my Customised Zibbet Shop

I think Zibbet is a very promising site, and they're extremely responsive to sellers' suggestions. It's a great option for those wanting to try out another selling venue. Also, seeing as we have to put so much effort into promotion, why not direct the traffic that you're generating yourself to a shop where you don't have to pay any fees?
(more info in my previous review here)

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Zibbet has kindly arranged two special offers just for Australian Etsy Blog readers:

Free 7-day trial of a premium account
Have a play! Create a video of yourself for your profile, change the colour of your shop every day!
Just enter the code AUSFREE when signing up (available to readers in all locations)
Try Zibbet Out Here


WIN a FREE premium account FOR LIFE!!!

Sell for free for life, with unlimited listings and a customisable shop!

To Enter the Giveaway:
All you need to do to enter is become a fan on my new facebook page and leave a comment on the 'Exclusive from Morphologica & Zibbet: Zibbet Giveaway' post on my facebook page- that's it!
(there is a 'become a fan' button at the top of the page, and the link to leave a comment is just below the competition post)

For an Extra Entry:
Tweet about the competition with a link to this blog post, then post your twitter username in the comments for this blog post (just below).

The winner will be chosen using a random number generator after the 8th October (closing date), and contacted through facebook (unless alternative contact details are left). Entry is open to everyone in all locations.

Good luck and don't forget your free trial :) (code AUSFREE)
★ ★ ★ ★



(Please note- links in this blog post are mainly referral links for a new store that I am thinking of setting up in addition to my Morphologica store)

Leeloo- Unique Design Online

I'm sure many of you have heard of Leeloo, 'an online community and store for emerging independent Australian designers and artists'. Angela (Leeloo's director) very kindly agreed to do an interview for Australian Etsy Blog readers...

Leeloo.com.au was created to solve several ‘problems’. Firstly, I needed to remove myself from corporate ‘slavery’ and have a job that suited my skills as well as my passions. Having always loved fashion, design, art and all things gorgeous, starting a store that would provide support to young artistic types, so that they would not end up in a job they hated and ignore their creative inclinations as I had was the obvious answer, and felt right. Our online store was launched in November 2007, after several months of planning and creating the infrastructure, scouting for designers keen to take a punt on a new business and away we went!

Who is the real Leeloo and does she help you pick products for the store?
The lovely Leeloo is my dog, who was adopted from the RSPCA. She has a protein allergy, was the runt of the litter (by a big size difference) and wins the heart of whoever she meets. As she is now about 4 and a half years old (and therefore maturing) has some input on who we have in the store, but mostly just likes me to hold her paw as she sits next to me while I do my work.

What do you look for when designers are submitting their work for consideration? Any secret tips for designers hoping to become part of the Leeloo club?

Every week I receive several expressions of interest from designers who are keen to become part of the Leeloo family. I look for several things in both the product and the designer themselves. E.g. If the products fit with the Leeloo aesthetic and the overall feel of the goodies we have in store, that they’re made in Australia, and if they have already put themselves ‘out there’ on the internet, that puts the artist in good stead. In terms of the designer, it helps if they’re passionate, patient, organised and have thought about their work as a brand to some extent. They must also be friendly and keen. We only have nice people in the family.

What advice would you give to independent designers/artists and online small business owners?

I believe research and planning are integral to starting your own business, whatever field it is. In my experience, many young designers get over-excited about the fun stuff, and unfortunately there’s a lot of tedious parts to having your own business as well, but without executing these parts correctly, it can all be pointless. Still, with Leeloo we like to think we allow the team to focus on their creativity so that they don’t have to do the sales, marketing, logistics, delivery, accounts and ‘yucky stuff’, although there is an element of that in any business.

It's often quite difficult for independent creators to find affordable and effective ways of advertising- do you have any suggestions, seeing as you have a lot of experience in the area?
Social networking and the media of Web 2.0 are an independent designers best friend. Get a store on etsy, madeit, eBay or wherever suits you and your business (and is the most cost effective). Set up a Facebook Fan Page, join the Twitter community, create a Flickr page with photos of your work. Set up a blog and request link swaps with blogs you read and like. The lovely people in this community are very supportive of one another, and you have to be brave and a little bold. They can only say no, right?

. . .

Leeloo is holding an exhibition in November at aMBUSH gallery, based on the theme 'Once Upon a Time'
'Keeping with the theme, all accepted artists will be allocated a fairy tale to provide a basis for interpretation for the works which will be displayed'

Interested readers of the Australian Etsy Blog are invited to apply, but hurry because submissions are due by 18th September!!

(click on the image above for details)

. . .

You can find out more about Leeloo here:
www.Leeloo.com.au
Leeloo's Dog Blog
The Leeloo Forum
Leeloo on Facebook
Leeloo on Twitter

Facebook & free advertising offer!!

I have just launched my facebook business page for Morphologica!


Pyramidal - pyramidal neuron necklace in black

If anyone is interested in seeing my new creations and hearing about special offers, I would love to have some new fans of my page :) http://www.facebook.com/morphologica
While you're visiting the site, be sure to check out the link to a free offer of $100 facebook advertising credit! You can run ads for your facebook page, your online store, your blog or anything! (to be shown to US facebook users)

. . .

Some more fantastic facebooky offers for you:

AngeleneEtsy
'Handmade sterling silver, gemstone and crystal jewellery'
Visit and become a fan for a special discount
(details of the offer are given on Ange's facebook page)

Gold and Pearl Handmade Earrings- Ivory Elegance by Angelene


We Heart Handmade
We Heart Handmade is a new label that offers handmade yumminess for mums, bubs and kids'
Visit and become a member for a special discount
(details of the offer are given on WeHeartHandmade's facebook page)

Set of 4 Drink Coasters by Blended Bunch Goodies


Stay tuned for a great interview this week, and a very exciting giveaway that you won't want to miss......

Halloween Preparations...

It's probably time to start planning an etsy Halloween to make sure the goodies make their way across the world on time....imagine turning up to a costume party with some of these creations! (Hmmm....thinking maybe I should have a party just so I can put together a fantastic costume)

These pieces are from the Halloween specialists- Etsy's Dark Side Street Team (find items from the team by searching etsydarkteam )

Dark Embrace- Antiqued Silver Gothic Bat Cuff by LushPunk

Gothic Wedding Prom Ballgown Skirt by SistersOfTheMoon

Bee Mechanique Watch Ring by 19Moons

The Angel Balm Print by ettadiem

Necklace Neo-Victorian- Waltzing Through the Golden Age by EJPcreations

Cute Dynamite Antique Lace Headband by CutieDynamite

Avec Amour - Red Metal Rose Necklace by BellaLili

Dark Angel Cufflinks by Aranwen

Gun Toting Bear Plush by TragicStitches

Miniature Dollhouse Edgar Allan Poe Halloween Cabinet by KaleidoscopicRomance

Batlings! by StaticWhite'sStitchery

There are so many cool things, I think I'll have to do a Halloween series!

To browse more items from Etsy's Dark Side Team:

The DarkSide Website
DarkSideTeam on MySpace
DarkSideTeam on Twitter
DarkSideTeam Blog
EtsyDarkTeam on Facebook

Treasuries

A couple of treasuries I've made recently:

Dreaming of Halloween
(current- click to go to live version)


Sophisticate

The screenshots don't really do them justice, but you get the idea :)

Blue September- Men's Cancer Month

This month is 'Blue September', and is dedicated to raising awareness of male cancer.

"Men are almost 40% more likely than women to die from cancer, according to a report published...by the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) and Cancer Research UK together with the Men’s Health Forum to mark National Men’s Health Week. And they are 16% more likely to develop the disease in the first place. After excluding breast cancer and cancers specific to one or other sex from the analysis, the difference is even greater – with men being almost 70% more likely to die from cancer and over 60% more likely to develop the disease."
Source: Men's Health Forum www.menshealthforum.org.uk


Blue September is a campaign run in Australia and New Zealand, and is intended to raise awareness of the high cancer rates and cancer mortality rates in males, and also to encourage preventative measures. The campaign is associated with Cancer Council Australia, and the Blue September website can be found at http://au.blueseptember.org.
. . .

It's great to see that attempts are being made to raise funds and draw more attention to male health issues, which in my opinion are often seriously neglected. Of course, continued campaigning and support for breast cancer research etc are also essential, but something also needs to be done to increase awareness of some of the serious health issues facing Australian males.

As well as Blue September, keep an eye out for Movember, an event focusing mainly on prostate cancer and depression in men- did you know that men are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than women, and that as many men die from prostate cancer each year as women from breast cancer?
Source: www.movember.com

Zibbet Referral Program Update

Just a quick update...

Zibbet just launched their new referral program today, which allows you to get a free premium account (unlimited listings and customised shop).
For every person you refer who signs up for a premium account, you will earn a $1 reduction in monthly fees for life (basic accounts are completely free). If you refer 7 people, you will be given a free premium account forever. Zibbet now provides sellers with a referral code for a premium shop free trial to help you get referrals, but it appears that referrals only count for premium accounts that are kept once that free trial period is over.

If you'd like to try it out, the free code for Australian Etsy Blog readers is AusFree, which gives you a 7-day free trial of a premium shop.

Sign up to Zibbet

Have you heard about ZIBBET??!

Code for free trial of a premium account down the bottom of this post!

Zibbet is a new international site for handmade and vintage, created by two Sydneysiders ('Zibbet' comes from the word 'exhibit').

As well as the fact that it's an Aussie-based site (but for international buyers and sellers), I wanted to share it with all of you because Zibbet now allows you to set up your own store and sell items for free- with a free basic account, you can have 25 items in your shop and pay no listing fees and no commission on sales either!!!

I thought this would be fantastic for many who may have been reluctant to try out additional online venues because of the fees involved- this way you can sell for nothing :)


There are some other really cool aspects to the site as well. I have just set up a premium shop for my new scientific jewellery line Morphologica, which allowed me to customise the colour scheme and sizing of elements in my shop, and add widgets to my store including a box for my facebook fan page, an etsy button (you can add an etsy mini too and twitter feeds, blog links etc), and I'm planning to add some project wonderful ads to earn some advertising money! You can also add selected photos and a YouTube video of your crafting to your shop profile!

Premium shops have unlimited listings, and again have no listing or selling fees (subscription is $7/month). You get $1 off this monthly fee for life for each person you refer to the site who then signs up for a premium account, meaning that if you refer 7 people your premium account will be completely free forever (please note this is the current referral program- the referral info on their website regarding earning commissions hasn't been updated yet and no longer applies).

Part of my customised shop front

Facebook box and button for my etsy store on the side panel

Zibbet also plans to introduce the ability to offer discount coupon codes so that we can run promotions for our stores easily, and the option to import listings from etsy (although I found just copying and pasting very easy because the layout is very similar).

An excellent feature that's already available is that you can sort your search results so that sellers close to your location are listed first, making it easier to find items from Australian sellers!


So far I really like Zibbet. It's still developing of course, but the Zibbet team is very helpful and attentive, and it's great to see (and support) another promising handmade site to come out of Australia. I think it could be particularly good for the traffic that sellers generate by themselves using project wonderful, blogs, twitter etc.
If you're going to work hard generating the traffic yourself, why not send some of it to a shop where you don't have to pay any fees, and also where your items are more likely to stand out?

There are a few issues that do need to be addressed, such as limitations in shipping options (location and abilty to discount combined shipping), lack of a geekery section for me (hehe), the currency is not clear enough (and it would be wonderful to have the option to view it in AU$ of course, particularly as it's an Aus-based site), and of course many people are not yet aware of the site.

I think it's a great way to gain a bit more exposure and to benefit more from the effort we all put into promotion, and being able to place project wonderful advertising in our shops might mean they end up paying for their own advertising!

. . . . . . . .

Announcing a special offer:
Zibbet is offering a special 7-day free trial of a premium shop to all Australian Etsy Blog readers!!
That means you can easily copy your etsy listings over to your FREE premium customisable Zibbet store and have fun playing around with the colours, banner and photo sizes, lots of different widgets, and post a video of yourself for us to watch :)

To take advantage of this exclusive offer just for us, enter the code AUSFREE when registering for a premium account, and you'll get a 7-day free premium account trial!

There is a space to enter the coupon code on the last page when signing up for your account.

Sign up to Zibbet


Feel free to post your new zibbet shop links in the comments and I'll put them up in a blog post so we can all visit (and let me know in the comment if you're running a promotion during that period).

(Please note- links in this blog post are mainly referral links for a new store that I am thinking of setting up in addition to my Morphologica store)