Thursday, December 3, 2009

Front Page Treasuries Made for December

12-29 by PipingHotPapers
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12-22 by jennyndesign (originally 6 team members)
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12-18 by cyndiesmithdesigns
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12-14 by glassetc
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12-3 by theNightJar
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12-1 by Handamade
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12-1 by schemata
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Team Treasuries made for December 2009

December Incentive - Cyndie of cyndiesmithdesigns is offering an incentive for December's winner of the most treasuries - a pair of sterling silver, change-a-bead earrings with your choice of beads.

Geraldine of Handamade will contribute an apple cozy for December's runner-up.

This is a team list of treasury makers for the month of December. When you make a team treasury, featuring at least 6 of your mates (6 different shops), you will get a star next to your Shop Name.


Who has made a Treasury:

5/09 BeckyM *
8/09 BlueNostalgia*
6/09 BovineBubbles*
5/09 BrownBagVintage***
6/09 CarvelCountrySoaps
5/09 CatherineReece*
5/09 CyndieSmithDesigns^^
11/09 DawnCorrespondence***
6/09 Eclu
6/09 Elefint *
6/09 EdensWake***
11/09 FairyFolk****
6/09 FiveForty****
6/09 Glassetc/PhoFun ^***
6/09 Handamade****
6/09 hcHappyCat
5/09 InboundThread *
6/09 Ixela****
5/09 Jenji1
6/09 JennyNDesign/EightFold ^
5/09 JenSanCandles^***
5/09 JewelsOfEden
6/09 JuicyGraphics/JustineNielsen**
8/09 LaChiffonniere/AnnyMay****
5/09 LinenMe*
5/09 Mamachee/BornWithIt^
6/09 Mandag *
5/09 MooShooPork/LittlePapoose*
8/09 NancyWallisDesigns**
5/09 OrganicOdysseys/PolkaDotSandals/AlmostArtifacts/StudioARTBEAD^
11/09 PattyLakinsmith***
5/09 PipingHotPapers ^**
12/09 PonderandStitch **
6/09 SarahJohnAfana/Schemata****
7/09 SayYourPiece****
6/09 SmallEarthVintage^*
7/09 Sooooound
12/09 TheFancyLamb *
5/09 TheNightjar***
5/09 TrendyKnitting/EliteBrides**
6/09 VintageAimee *
6/09 VintageConfections ^
10/09 WhiskerKisses


Thursday, November 12, 2009





Sunday, November 8, 2009

November Team Member Feature - JenSanCandles!

Jennifer and Sandra (JenSanCandles) were one of the firsts to join TeamTreasury in may of this year (09). They are very talented candle/soap makers with so many great products! We are very happy that they are apart of our team and that we get to help support their great business!

Thank you JenSanCandles for doing this feature - it's great to get to know you both better!


Personal…

JenSan Candles is a partnership between sisters Jennifer and Sandra Mapp. Sandra is the one answering the questions for this Q&A.

What furniture/design/home décor piece do you love most?
Both Jennifer and I love older houses. Our neighborhood has some of the best housing stock in New Jersey. There are 5 historical districts in our town. Our house is not in any of the historical areas but it’s a beautiful old colonial from the 1930’s set off on a double lot. The previous owner did not want a neighbor right on top of him so he brought the lot next door and made it into a huge lawn. And I’m so glad that he did. My favorite piece of furniture is probably a couple of chairs that Jennifer and I brought at a thrift shop a couple of years ago. We had our friend Jackie who is an amazing interior designer recover them for us and they look fantastic. I also love our off white sofa. It’s so soft and plush and you don’t want to get up when you sit down.

Married/single?
Single
Kids/no kids?
No kids but my niece and nephew Rachad & Rashida live with me and, it’s the same pain and joy as having your own
Pets/no pets?
With kids come pets. We have a dog (Happy) and two cats (Nikki and Nibbles). Happy barks a lot and thinks that he rules the roost but it’s really Nibbles who’s the queen of the castle. All she has to do is raise her paw and Happy is off to the races. Nikki is the shy one. If you ever stopped by my house you would never see her, as she spends most of her time hiding in the basement or under Jennifer’s bed.
Location?
Born in Barbados, raised in Queens, NY, and living in New Jersey for the last 18 years. My sister Jennifer (the Jen of JenSan) and I have talked about relocating to another state and I think that we’ll probably do that in the next 4 to 5 years. I would love to live in a milder climate but I still want to experience the change of seasons so it probably won’t be too far west.
Age?
The right side of 40
How many languages do you speak and what are they?
English only, although I’ve always wanted to go beyond my high school and college Spanish.
Do you play an instrument?
No. The closest that I’ve ever come to a musical instrument was the flute back in elementary school.
Can you sing?
Does singing in the shower count? I was in the glee club when I was in high school, but if you ask my niece and nephew, they would say that the instructor was just being kind….LOL!


Lets Talk Business…
What’s a good story behind your craft and what got you started?
Jennifer and I would often talk about someday starting our own business. Between 2004 and 2007 it seemed like every time we opened a business magazine there was an article on a woman who had taken the plunge and started her own business. We have always loved candles and spent quite a bit of money on them but quite often we would be disappointed when we burned them at home. One day Jennifer decided to take a stab at making some at home. The results were pretty good and after receiving many compliments on them, that’s when the idea to start a candle making business was born. This was about 3 years ago.


Where do you get inspirations?
Some things from which we draw inspiration are the colors and changes in the seasons and the bright colors and fragrances of flowers we recall from growing up in the Caribbean. We are also inspired by other companies like Carol’s Daughter, a business that also started at home but has grown tremendously.
Does your family help with your business/hobby?
It’s mostly my sister and I but the kids will help a bit when things are really busy. Of course they always want to be paid! I will generally pay them a little something when they help out.
Do you like your craft/hobby?
We love it! There is a big investment in both time and money but there is nothing like creating something that you are proud of and that others also like.



How do you market?
Friends, family, craft fairs. We’ve also done some advertising on a couple of blogs. We picked up some wholesale clients by just beating the pavement and visiting local stores. We have also offered market our products to local organizations for fundraisers and have had some success with that end of the business .
What gets neglected when you're tending to your shop or creating?
Sleep! Socializing with friends. Jennifer and I are both big movie fans but we have not been to a movie in months. Although I don’t think we’ve missed much because not too many quality movies were released this year.
What are your future plans for your business?
We started out with candles three years ago and have since branched out to include soaps, reed diffusers and bath scrubs. Our future goal is to expand to include lotions and other bath and beauty products and increase the number of candles selections we offer for sale.
Any bad experiences with etsy…rude customers/bad buy?
None so far.

For Fun…..
Are you awesome?
I think that I am
When was the last time you had a staring contest?
With my cat Nibbles a couple of days ago. I blinked.
When was the last time you fell asleep with the TV on?
LOL…Last night and almost every night. Luckily my TV comes with an alarm and I generally set it to turn off after a couple of hours.
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Only in movies and song but you can fall in lust at first sight.

Are vampires real?
I would love to think that there is a Lestat or Louis out there somewhere but I’m not sure that vampires as depicted in literature are real. However, I think that there are creatures here on earth and other planets that we have not met or discovered yet so maybe a vampire will be one of them.
Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
LOL…in my mind it does.
Were you named after anyone?
No.
What is the first thing you notice about people?
If they look me in the eyes.
What is on your mouse pad?
Nothing. My MACs are mouseless
If you were another person would you be friends with you?
Yes. I think that I make a pretty good friend. I can be impatient sometimes and I don’t suffer fools gladly but I’m a good listener and I always have a friend’s back.

Favorites…..
Favorite number?
I don’t know why but from a child when asked about my lucky number, I would answer 8. I don’t think I have ever won anything with this number, but I’m confident that I will someday.
Favorite flower?
Gardenia
Favorite color?
My bedroom is painted gold, the dining room is in red, the living room is yellow, the family room is green and the master bath is in shades of brown. As you can tell, I love color but if I had to choose, I would say my favorite colors are red and gold.
Favorite smells?
The smells emanating from the kitchen when my mom is cooking. She is an amazing cook and the kitchen always smells great when she is cooking or baking.
Favorite food?
Pasta. But my favorite comfort food items are Kellogg’s Raisin Brand and Frosted Flakes.
Favorite etsy shop?
There are so many fantastic Etsy shops with amazing product offerings that I would not know how to choose. It’s almost like asking me to name my favorite movie. I could never narrow it down to just one.
Favorite pass-time?
Although I haven’t had the time to do much of it recently, I love to read. I read all different types of books from classic literature, to contemporary fiction, to horror, romance and mysteries. And I’m a big science fiction and fantasy fan. Some of my all time favorite books are John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, James Clavell’s Shogun, the mysteries of Elizabeth George and of course The Lord of the Rings. I have also read almost everything written by Stephen King. The Stand is my favorite. I’m also a diehard NY Mets fan. I’m always threatening to give them up but I can’t. They are just too much a part of me.
Favorite memory?
Mookie Wilson’s grounder going between the legs of Bill Buckner in the 6th game of the 1986 World Series championship that MY METS went on to win in 7 games. As much as I was screaming, I am amazed that I even had a voice left after that series.
Favorite YouTube video?
I’m not a big YouTube viewer but I do like to watch clips of musical performances. And two videos that I really like are of Barbara Streisand and Heather Headley singing “He Touched Me.” Two very different interpretations by two amazing singers.

Heather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N212oq9vfVE
Barbara: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuYFZXw4c6M&feature=PlayList&p=420C76E7480C17F0&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=6
They do Soap Too!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Front Page Treasuries Made for November

curated by jensancandles on November 16
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curated by nancywallisdesigns on November 15
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curated by inboundthread on November 13
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curated by nancywallisdesigns on November 5
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curated by fiveforty on November 3
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Team Treasuries made for November 2009

This is a team list of treasury makers for the month of November. When you make a team treasury, featuring at least 6 of your mates (6 different shops), you will get a star next to your Shop Name. I think this will be motivating! I know it is for me...I want to have the MOST stars (:


November Incentive: Sandra (JenSanCandles) and Heather (VintageConfections) have generously offered free gifts from their shops for the winner(s) of the most treasuries made for November. Sandra is offering a free candle and bar of soap of your choice to the top winner and Heather is offering an order of marshmallows for the runner-up.

The date before the shop names is the month the member joined so we can keep track of that too.

Note: * = 1 treasury; ^ = 5 treasuries

Who has made a Treasury:
5/09 BeckyM**
8/09 BlueNostalgia*
6/09 BovineBubbles**
5/09 BrownBagVintage
6/09 CarvelCountrySoaps**
5/09 CatherineReece**
5/09 CyndieSmithDesigns****
11/09 DawnCorrespondence^
6/09 Eclu*
6/09 Elefint*
6/09 EdensWake***
11/09 FairyFolk***
6/09 FiveForty***
6/09 Glassetc/PhoFun^*
6/09 Handamade^*
6/09 hcHappyCat*
5/09 InboundThread**
6/09 Ixela**
5/09 Jenji1
6/09 JennyNDesign/EightFold***
5/09 JenSanCandles^*
5/09 JewelsOfEden
6/09 JuicyGraphics/JustineNielsen^****
8/09 LaChiffonniere/AnnyMay****
5/09 LinenMe**
5/09 Mamachee
6/09 Mandag**
5/09 MooShooPork/LittlePapoose*
8/09 NancyWallisDesigns****
5/09 OrganicOdysseys/PolkaDotSandals/AlmostArtifacts/StudioARTBEAD^
11/09 PattyLakinsmith*
5/09 PipingHotPapers^*
6/09 SarahJohnAfana/Schemata^**
7/09 SayYourPiece***
6/09 SmallEarthVintage^
7/09 Sooooound*
5/09 TheNightjar^*
5/09 TrendyKnitting/EliteBrides**
6/09 VintageAimee****
6/09 VintageConfections*
10/09 WhiskerKisses *


Thursday, October 1, 2009

Front Page Treasuries for October 2009

Curated by nancywallisdesigns on October 15

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Curated by SmallEarthVintage on October 15

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Curated by SmallEarthVintage on October 9

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Curated by OrganicOdysseys on Oct. 7

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Curated by EdensWake on Oct. 5

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Curated by VintageConfections on Oct. 2

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Team Treasuries made for October 2009

This is a team list of treasury makers for the month of October. When you make a team treasury, featuring at least 6 of your mates, you will get a star next to your Shop Name. I think this will be motivating! I know it is for me...I want to have the MOST stars (:


OCTOBER INCENTIVE: Sarah (SarahJohnAfana) and Cathy (GlassEtc) have generously offered free gifts from their shops for the winner(s) of the most treasuries made for October. Sarah is offering a free ornament of your choice to the top winner from her other shop, Schemata, and Cathy is offering your choice of a plant stake from her shop for the runner-up.

The date before the shop names is the month the member joined so we can keep track of that too.

Note: * = 1 treasury; ^ = 5 treasuries

Who has made a Treasury:
5/09 BeckyM**
8/09 BlueNostalgia**
6/09 BovineBubbles*
5/09 BrownBagVintage****
6/09 CarvelCountrySoaps**
5/09 CatherineReece**
5/09 CyndieSmithDesigns^^****
6/09 Eclu*
6/09 Elefint ***
6/09 EdensWake^^
6/09 FiveForty****
6/09 Glassetc/PhoFun^*
6/09 Handamade^^***
6/09 hcHappyCat *
5/09 InboundThread**
6/09 Ixela****
5/09 Jenji1
6/09 JennyNDesign/EightFold***
5/09 JenSanCandles ^*
5/09 JewelsOfEden
6/09 JuicyGraphics/JustineNielsen****
8/09 LaChiffonniere/AnnyMay^
5/09 LinenMe*
5/09 Mamachee*
6/09 Mandag**
5/09 MooShooPork/LittlePapoose*
8/09 NancyWallisDesigns^
5/09 OrganicOdysseys/PolkaDotSandals/AlmostArtifacts ^
11/09 PattyLakinsmith
5/09 PipingHotPapers^*
6/09 SarahJohnAfana/Schemata****
7/09 SayYourPiece^
6/09 SmallEarthVintage****
7/09 Sooooound**
5/09 TheNightjar***
5/09 TrendyKnitting/EliteBrides****
6/09 VintageAimee*
6/09 VintageConfections^**
10/09 WhiskerKisses *

Sunday, September 6, 2009

September Featured Team Member: SarahJohnAfana

Sarah is a very talented artist, painter, photographer. Sarah's artwork is original, colorful and fun. There is a little bit for every taste in her etsy shop. You can get her original work, prints of her work, or get her work on blank cards that you can send to all your favorite people. I know I would love to one day own something from Sarah.
We are so glad to be able to have Sarah as our team member and love supporting her works!

Home: sarahjohnafana.com

Blog: sarahjohnafana.blogspot.com

Etsy: sarahjohnafana.etsy.com and schemata.etsy.com

Twitter: @sjafana

What furniture/design/home décor piece do you love most? Our home definitely leans towards modern, while trying to remain warm and comfortable. We were lucky enough to be able to build our home completely custom a few years ago. Ever since then I have been working hard to create a space that we love to live in. One of my favorite pieces is a coffee table handmade by the owner of The Art Works (the frame shop/gallery I work). We used it the gallery for a while and I had my eye on it the whole time. (I know that there is a tall matching sofa table somewhere in his shop he hasn't finished yet, fingers-crossed.)



Married/single? I am married to my high-school sweetheart Terry.

Kids/no kids? No kids.

Pets/no pets? Unfortunately, I am allergic to most all animals. But we have taken to feeding several wild cats, six regulars at current count-Mama, Mimi, Niner, Spooner, El Gris, and Nancy (she has boots). We have an occasional visit from Pepe a beautiful little skunk who comes by for a late dinner most nights.



Day job? I have worked for many years at The Art Works in Paso Robles. I am considered family now by the owners and I can pretty much show anything I want in the gallery-again, very lucky.

Location? My studio is in my home which is located on Terry's families almond ranch just a few miles outside of Paso Robles, CA. We built our house on the hilltop that he chose when he was just a kid; it has amazing 360 degree views.

Age? 37, shhhhhh

How many languages do you speak and what are they? I really only speak English, even though I have taken both Spanish and French in school. The only result of all those classes being the occasional foreign phrase that meanders into my dialog.

Do you play an instrument? Not proficiently. I have a piano that is yet another thing I wish I had time for.

Can you sing? Not that anyone will ever hear.

Let's Talk Business…

What’s a good story behind your craft and what got you started? There is no big story here. I have never seriously considered being anything but an artist. I admit that life's distractions have kept me from being consistent with my work, but I have a good momentum building now. Finally being settled in a studio and having the venues that are available online have given me the exposure I have been missing in such a small area of California. I joined Etsy earlier this year sort of as an experiment and have found tremendous opportunities and support through it.



Where do you get inspirations? All over, but here is a few- my figures are usually inspired from fashion magazines-addicted to Vogue and W. (I can't believe my Vogue Fall Fashion Issue has been sitting here over a week and I haven't even peeked.) My landscapes are sometimes specific c locations worked from photos, and sometimes they are imagined. I really just enjoy the experience of working with paint, creating colors and textures. I prefer to work in my studio from photographs-being on location limits me to whatever supplies I brought along. At home I can bounce from medium to medium layering textures and experimenting, it's far more freeing and expressive.

Does your family help with your business/hobby? So supportive in so many ways.

Do you like your craft/hobby? I have never considered anything else.

How do you market? I have a blog where I post work in progress and other news. I am on twitter where I can also post quick shots of a painting in progress and the occasional "check out my shop" but I try to keep that to a minimum. The sales and marketing aspect of this business is one part I do not embrace. I often wish for a studio apprentice who could do all the busy work of photographing, listing, tweeting, etc.

What gets neglected when you're tending to your shop or creating? I have almost forgotten what I used to do with all this time. One thing I do wish I had more time for is cooking-I love my kitchen and love making fancy food. We end up eating the same dinner too many nights because I doubled up knowing I wouldn't have time to prepare a new dish. I miss more work in the kitchen-does that make sense?

What are you future plans for your business? At this time I am working out the details for my second shop on Etsy, schemata.etsy.com. For this fall and holiday season I will be listing my fine crafts including my hand-painted glass ornaments. I have been making them for a few years and selling them locally at the gallery and SLO Art Center and doing well. I am still working out the best photo styling for them but I hope to start listing them soon.



Any bad experiences with Etsy…rude customers/bad buy? Like I said I haven't been on Etsy long and so far so good. I have heard some stories though...

For Fun…..

Are you awesome? I like to say "legendary"



When was the last time you had a staring contest? Does it count if my opponent was a kitten?

When was the last time you fell asleep with the TV on? The tougher question to answer would be "when was the last time you fell asleep WITHOUT the TV on?"

Do you believe in love at first sight? Si'

Are vampires real? I will say I own every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel on DVD. And- I have considered downloading them from iTunes to watch on my iPhone. But I know those are just actors pretending to be vampires.

Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster? I will never know the answer because I push it over and over until it comes.

Where you named after anyone? My father "John" must have wanted a son.

What is the first thing you notice about people? Whatever they shouldn't have chosen to wear that day.

What is on your mouse pad? A wave of course



If you were another person would you be friends with you? I would, but I would never see me. I am too busy.

Favorites…..

Favorite number? Can't come up with one-I must not have one.

Favorite flower? Orchid-the more wicked and surreal looking the better.

Favorite color? The perfect shade of gray. It's particularly hard to find, but I have a pair of Cole Haan Biker boots that nailed it.



Favorite smells? Fresh pineapple, mmmmmm and citrus.



food? Is cappuccino a food?

Favorite Etsy shop? There are so many and I have a tendency to be a little fickle about favorites. I do have a couple of other painters I continue to enjoy

SarahGiannobile.etsy.com - her work has great patterns

aliherrmann.etsy.com - her style is consistent and dreamy

Favorite pass-time? I do love my television, and I wish I had more time to waste with Lego's.

Favorite memory? Memories are personal. Honestly-just reading that question created a storm of images in my head and I couldn't possibly narrow down.

Favorite YouTube video… (Please provide link)? I don't spend time on YouTube-but I do love a good recipe search on Epicurious.com.

Try these, AMAZING flavor

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheddar-Burgers-with-Balsamic-Onions-and-Chipotle-Ketchup-242711


Friday, September 4, 2009

Front Page Treasuries for September 2009

Curated by ixela on September 28

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Curated by nancywallisdesigns on September 23

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Curated by fiveforty on September 21

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Curated by brownbagvintage on September 17

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Curated by Handamade on September 17

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Curated by jensancandles on September 15

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Curated by nancywallisdesigns on September 12

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Curated by SmallEarthVintage on September 8

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Curated by SarahJohnAfana on September 8

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Curated by AnnyMay on September 3

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Team Treasuries made for September 2009

This is a team list of treasury makers for the month of September. When you make a team treasury, featuring at least 6 of your mates you will get a star next to your Shop Name. I think this will be motivating! I know it is for me...I want to have the MOST stars (:
The date before the shop names is the month the member joined so we can keep track of that too.

Note: * = 1 treasury; ^ = 5 treasuries

Who has made a Treasury:
5/09 BeckyM *
5/09 BetsybDesign **
8/09 BlueNostalgia ****
6/09 BovineBubbles *
5/09 BrownBagVintage****
6/09 CarvelCountrySoaps**
5/09 CatherineReece**
5/09 CyndieSmithDesigns ^****
6/09 Eclu*
6/09 EdensWake ****
6/09 Elefint
6/09 FiveForty^
6/09 Glassetc/PhoFun ^***
6/09 Handamade^^
6/09 hcHappyCat**
5/09 InboundThread*
6/09 Ixela ^**
5/09 Jenji1
6/09 JennyNDesign/EightFold ****
5/09 JenSanCandles ^***
5/09 JewelsOfEden
6/09 JuicyGraphics/JustineNielsen ^
8/09 LaChiffonniere/AnnyMay ^
5/09 LinenMe**
5/09 Mamachee*
6/09 Mandag ***
5/09 MooShooPork/LittlePapoose*
8/09 NancyWallisDesigns ^****
5/09 OrganicOdysseys/PolkaDotSandals/AlmostArtifacts **
5/09 PipingHotPapers^**
6/09 SarahJohnAfana/Schemata^
7/09 SayYourPiece***
6/09 SmallEarthVintage****
7/09 Sooooound**
5/09 TheNightjar ***
5/09 TrendyKnitting/EliteBrides***
6/09 VintageAimee*
6/09 VintageConfections***

Friday, August 7, 2009

Featured Team Treasury Member: SmallEarthVintage

Karen joined team treasury in June 2009. Karen deals in Vintage and has an wonderful shop on etsy. I hope you enjoy getting to know her better ( :

Thank you Karen for all you do for our team (you're super!)

My blog: http://smallearthvintage.blogspot.com
Etsy: smallearthvintage.etsy.com
eBay: stores.ebay.com/SmallEarthInc
Twitter: twitter.com/SmallEarthVtg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Small-Earth-Vintage/36171012803



Personal...

What furniture/design/home decor piece do you love most? Thats a tough one! We have a very eclectic decor. the kitchen has lots of primary colors -- yellow and orange Herman Miller chairs and my brightly-colored collection of Pyrex. We have great mid-century modern furniture in the living room, including some cool 1950s lamps, and old paint-by-numbers on the walls. My favorite things might be the amateur paintings (mostly dogs) that line our main hallway. But I also really like this hall tableau, with my dog collection on it (including a cast iron Scottie lamp - a recent find!), and kitsch art on the wall behind. (I'll shut up now. I could go on forever about home decor and the stuff we collect!)



Married/single? Not married but very attached to Mr. Small Earth Vintage, Andy. I moved here from NYC to be with him 10 years ago. He's the one who got me into the vintage business! I was a children's book editor in New York before that.

Kids/no kids? No kids.

Pets/no pets? Yes, Lucy, our much-loved dog. She is a terrier mutt (best guess is a Corgi/Jack Russell mix) that we got from the city pound.



Day job? This is it! I sell vintage full-time. I sell on ebay and on consignment through vintage clothing stores throughout the US. Etsy is the newest--and most fun!--addition to the business.


Location? On a beautiful small lake, just north Grand Rapids, Michigan


Age? 40

How many languages do you speak and what are they? Just English, sadly. I took four years of Latin in high school, which made my college Italian class really easy, but I've forgotten it all. I wish I'd taken some French, as I'm a perfume collector and sound *really* dopey when I try to pronounce the French names!

Do you play an instrument? Nope.

Can you sing? Sure. Especially in the car on long road trips.


Lets Talk Business…


What’s a good story behind your craft and what got you started? It's a romance! Seriously. I started buying and collecting vintage when I was a teenage punk rocker, and continued to haunt vintage stores all through college and my years living in New York. (I was the only book editor who wore vintage to work; heck, I was one of the few editors who "dressed up"! I miss the daily dressing up now that I work at home.) I didn't get into the business until I met Andy (through my best friend in NYC, who had gone to college with him.) Andy had been a vintage dealer since, basically, his college years. When I met him, it was love at first sight. After about 6 months of long distance romance, I moved to Michigan to be with him, and that was that. We've been living, traveling and working together ever since!


Where do you get inspirations? From movies, old and new. Movie stars like Katharine Hepburn, Anouk Aimee, Ava Gardner, and Shirley MacLaine. Definitely by the look of certain films--It Happened One Night, The Thin Man films, anything Fellini, Bonnie and Clyde, Quadrophenia, Grey Gardens. Films by Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry, and Spike Jonze. Sometimes TV. I still love everything about Twin Peaks (woodsy/cabin coziness combined with retro 1950s glamour is so wonderful it about makes my head explode!). Mad Men, is, of course, amazing. I also love Japanese fashion magazines (when I can get them), and Scandinavian fashion blogs.

Does your family help with your business/hobby? Well, Andy is the other half of Small Earth Vintage. My parents live in Colorado, and they are always excited to go thrifting with us when we visit.



Do you like your craft/hobby? Absolutely love it!


How do you market? Aside from Team Treasury, which is just the best (and the most fun)? I just started blogging, and I have a Facebook fan page, and am on Twitter. I also post photos on Flickr. I try to not make my blogging/Twittering all about heavy promotion, which would just be too boring and against my nature.


What gets neglected when you're tending to your shop or creating? Um, everything. I try to be balanced, but Etsy, in particular, takes a lot of time and effort. Luckily, I totally enjoy it! But a "vacation" for Andy and me means a thrifting road trip.


What are you future plans for your business? We just had a massive score of vintage clothing from a woman who bought tons of stuff, and never got rid of anything. Our entire garage is--literally--filled with it. That is going to be keeping me busy for a very long time. Etsy is the newest addition to our business, and I'm planning to keep selling there. It's been working out really well for us, so I foresee being an Etsy seller for years to come. And we're always looking for more vintage shops to supply.




I have to honestly say, being part of Team Treasury has been *such* a boon to me! I have gotten much more exposure than I would have otherwise, and it's been so much fun and a huge honor to be on a team with so many talented artisans (and another fabulous vintage purveyor). Kudos to TeamT!

Any bad experiences with etsy…rude customers/bad buy? No! So far my buyers have all been absolutely delightful. Now if you'd asked about ebay...


For Fun…..

Are you awesome?
Totally. I was a teenager in the 80s--don't I have to be?

When was the last time you had a staring contest?
It was probably a month or so ago, versus Lucy.

When was the last time you fell asleep with the TV on? A couple weeks ago? Andy drives a pedicab (bicycle-cab, kind of like a rickshaw) some weekend nights, and if I'm home alone, and Lucy starts making spooky faces (when she hears the house creak), I have to turn on the TV for company.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes!

Are vampires real? I don't know, but the book Salem's Lot sure did scare me.

Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
No. And tailgating won't get you to your destination faster! People need to relax.

Where you named after anyone? No.

What is the first thing you notice about people? Clothes and shoes.



What is on your mouse pad? Don't have one.

If you were another person would you be friends with you? Yes. I hope so, anyway.

Favorites…..

Favorite number? Don't have one.

Favorite flower? I love daisies. They are just so simple and bright--kind of the mods of the flower world!




Favorite color? red



Favorite smells? Lucy's fur, ground coffee, wood fires, basil. In perfumery: immortelle, frankincense, cedar, sandalwood, black pepper, almond.

Favorite food? Bacon cheeseburgers, french fries, avocados, Andy's linguine carbonara, asparagus, strawberries, really good bbq, tapas, pesto. Food good. :) So is drink. I'm addicted to iced coffee, but also love water, classic cocktails, and microbrews.

Favorite etsy shop? SO many! Here are a few:
blockpartypress.etsy.com
vintagerevolver.etsy.com
5gardenias.etsy.com
13bees.etsy.com
mobilosity.etsy.com
matteart.etsy.com
studiolyon.etsy.com
And of course, everyone on TeamT rocks. :)

Favorite pass-time? Reading.

Favorite memory? My first visit to NYC, when I realized it was just like in the movies. It was just so full of atmosphere, it did not disappoint on any level!