I absolutely love waking up here. This is what my morning looks like today … hope yours is beautiful too!
https://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTE1Mjg5M3wyNzI0OTE2OTEw/misty-morning-with-tea
Misty Morning with Tea
Category: treasury
Sunshine and Peridot
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| “Sunshine and Peridot” treasury on Etsy |
I haven’t had time to create many Etsy treasuries of late, but I was feeling so grateful for the summer sun this morning that I decided to make one today. Not surprisingly, it has a summer/sunny theme; I called it “Sunshine and Peridot” to play off of the ruling planet and birthstone ascribed to the month of August.
The astrological sign for August is Leo, which is symbolized by the mighty (yellow) lion. In addition to peridot, gold is also supposed to be well suited to leos. With all of these assorted symbols and lore, this collection just sings “summer” to me.
The selections include fine art prints, jewelry, photos and hair accessories from the Fantasy Artists of Etsy. These offerings are as lovely as they are diverse, so if you’re looking for Leo gifts, you’re sure to find something special for your favorite August child. Click here to see this treasury on Etsy, where you can click through to product descriptions and purchase info!
Inspiring Palette
My time is still at a premium, so I haven’t been creating many Etsy treasuries of late. Today I was compelled to put this one together. The items are mostly unrelated, except that they are all beautifully crafted and inspiring works. They’re reflective of the colors that I’m most drawn to today… soft turquoise and deep greens, along with rich copper and rust.
If you’d like a closer look at any of these items (or perhaps you wish to support one of the independent artists featured here) you can see this treasury here.
Etsy Treasuries
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| “It’s not easy being green” Treasury by HandKnitsByMellissa |
In case you’re not familiar with Etsy treasuries, I should probably explain that these are little groupings of shop items, which are collected (or “curated”) by Etsy members. They are lots of fun, and usually quite beautiful. Some people create these collections based on color or theme, others use them as a sort of virtual storytelling. These treasuries fascinate and amuse me in the way that they function as sort of a lens into the collector’s imagination.
When I first learned that my work was being featured in Etsy treasuries, I would take a screen shot and post it here on my blog, along with a link to the curator’s shop. I also liked to include links to some of the other featured artists. It just seemed like a good way to say thanks, and to give a little bit back.
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| “Cinnamon & Spice” by Amanda23 |
In the past it was sort of a coup to land a treasury, because Etsy could only showcase a limited number of them. So in order for a treasury to be posted, the curator would have to have excellent timing and incredible patience in order to snag that perfect window of opportunity to get their treasury on the site. This changed several months back, when Etsy opened up their “Treasury East” feature (don’t ask me why they call it that — perhaps a more experienced seller can shed some insight). Treasury East allows for unlimited treasuries, so there is no more waiting and pouncing on the perfect opportunity.
The obvious upshot of this is that it’s a lot easier to get a treasury. A more seasoned seller explained that this has a down side in that treasuries are no longer as exclusive. She feels that in the past, her treasuries used to generate a lot more views and sales for the featured artists, but with so many treasuries out there now they just do not get as many views. I can see (and even agree with) the logic in this, but it does not kill my joy for treasuries …
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| “If you love me…” by me |
They still fascinate me, and I still feel honored (and grateful) when my work is included. I’m not sure if they generate more sales, but at very least it lets me know that people do appreciate my work, which I find motivating and encouraging. However, I seem to get featured a lot more now which makes it harder to keep up. Plus, if I posted them all on my blog it would be nothing but treasuries, which would be rather dull. Another seller, Orglamix showed me a simple solution — she features treasury screenshots in an album on her Facebook fan page, along with links back to the curator’s shop. Since late October, I have shamelessly copied this idea on my own fan page.
I kind of petered out on this in mid-November, simply because my world got very very busy. I was finally able to catch up this morning, and I’ve added 45 new treasuries (some of which are showcased in this post) in my Facebook album. These are the treasuries which have featured my work – along with a few that I have curated myself – since I slacked off. A few of these treasuries now have blank spots where items have sold, simply because I waited so long to get the screenshot. Hopefully, I’ll do a better job of staying on top of these in the coming year — silly as it is, I really do appreciate the inclusions and I take pleasure in this small gesture of gratitude.
Many thanks,
~Andrea
Bold and Beautiful Butterflies – Treasury
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I don’t have a whole lot of time to post today, but I do want to convey my thanks to Javagirls for including me in this beautiful treasury of butterfly themed items. It’s bright, colorful and oh-so-springy. Be sure to check it out before it expires, and take a moment to peek at Javagirls awesome journals & notebooks too!
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“May Weather” and “Whispers in the Woods”
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Yesterday I learned that one of my masks was included in this “May Weather” treasury. I love the balance of soft grays and blues in this one, and the selections are wonderful. A few of the items that really grabbed my eye are the Irish proverb calligraphy book by Cindyyount, these beautiful letterpress printed coasters from FullCirclePress, and this photocard set featuring blossoming trees by JulieWebb.
This treasury was curated by Ranzangel, who creates “fine art and funky craft”. Her work is joyful, colorful and generally awesome. She’s got everything from whimsical jewelry to trippy polymer clay sculptures to paintings. Please take a moment to check it out!
Annnd, last night I got inspired to curate a treasury too! I’ve never tried this before, so it was pretty fun (and a wee bit frustrating) to learn how it’s done. My selections were quite varied, so it was difficult to think of a name that would “fit” with everything, but I settled on “Whispers in the Woods” because each of these images looks as though it belongs in a quiet forest. The only exception to that woodsy theme is this “Calm Cup” by AdrienArt – which is evocative of the way that I feel after a good walk in the woods.
I featured a few faeries – like this gorgeous print by RenaeLeaTaylor – and several birds, including this stellar print of ravens and a tree spirit by TommyDaceos. There are also a couple of beautiful butterfly themed pieces, and a liberal dose of trees, leaves and branches.
I enjoyed putting this together, and I may try it again in the future since I dig the whole treasury thing so much. They’re such beautiful and interesting collections, and it’s also a fun and simple way for artists to support and encourage one another.
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Spring things…
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Ok, I admit it … I am a bad blogger. I try, but as I mentioned at the end of last year, when I’m in school it can be pretty tough to find the time to post here. Spring quarter began a few weeks ago, as evidenced by the tumbleweeds blowing through this blog. On the plus side, I am taking fewer classes this time around. Last quarter I took a very full course load, and while I really enjoyed the classes, I found that it put quite a damper on my creative time. I also realized that my creative time is necessary, not only for my business, but for my sanity. So, a moderate course load should afford me more time to focus on being creative, gearing up for the upcoming show/festival season, and maybe even listing a few things on Etsy again.
Speaking of which, I got an Etsy convo yesterday letting me know that one of my little leaf barrettes has been featured in this sweet little “Leaf” treasury, which was curated by
NutfieldWeaver. It’s a precious reminder of spring, and the beauty of simple things. Look at how many artists were inspired by the quiet beauty of leaves!
There are lots of great items in this treasury, but a couple of my personal favorites include this goat’s milk maple leaf soap which was made by Lost River Rags, as well as this stone ware oak leaf trio from Lynn Cardwell Pottery. I’m inspired by this collection of goodies, and I’m always thrilled when my work is included in a treasury … makes me feel like maybe I’m doing something right, and I oughta keep trying ;o)
Thank you NutfieldWeaver, for including my little leaf barrette in your beautiful treasury! I have a lot of fun making these hairsticks, and having them noticed like this makes me want to take advantage of my new found studio time, and make a few more!
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FP Anyone?
Woot – my work was included in another treasury!
As much as I enjoy it when someone chooses to feature my work, I think that one of my favorite things about these treasuries is simply seeing how (and why) different people make their selections…
Some of the treasuries that I’ve seen combine items that I’d never imagine together, but they totally work (like this one, which includes items found using the search term “wicked”). Others connect diverse works by using themes or colors.
This treasury is in the latter group – the curator (Flahwiz) selected items done in soft lavender. I love her choices – the pieces in this collection blend and compliment each other nicely,but they still stand out as separate and unique works.
Thanks Flahwiz! I really appreciate that you included my work, and I hope this act of consideration comes back to you tenfold.
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Talent in Turquoise!
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I’m writing on the fly here … but I wanted to mention two things:
Thing one: the Etsy rain treasury that I posted about yesterday? It made the front page! Maybe it’s a little silly, but I was excited/happy about it 🙂
Thing two: I found out that my beadwork was featured in another treasury today. This treasury features a gorgeous collection of seedbead work and polyclay in turquoise hues.
Thank you, Dreambeadweaver for including my barrette in this beautiful collection! 🙂
Love is in the air
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Over the last 6 months I’ve started listing more of my work on Etsy . As a frustrated eBay veteran, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Etsy community. I’ve met some of the coolest customers there, and I’ve been very impressed by the way that the sellers seem to support one another.
I’ve often wished that I could find that kind of creative community in real life… So I was delighted to learned about a “team” of local artists called Team EtsyRain. It’s a Seattle based group of Etsy sellers that aims to support each other locally and virtually. I recently joined, and I’m excited to be a part of it.
This treasury showcases the work of this talented and diverse group of artists. Check out the hip, eco-friendly clothing at RevivalInk, and the original upcycled cuffs at TrilbyMade. If it weren’t for this treasury I might not have discovered Nikki Wheeler’s gorgeous fiber art, or SilentGoddess‘ original jewelry designs.
I encourage you to explore the featured artists’ shops. Maybe you’ll find the perfect Valentine’s day gift – or even something special for yourself. Many thanks to onawhimm , who curated this fabulous collection!