Friday, July 31, 2009

Tea Party, Vintage Style.

Boy, there are some great vintage tea party items on Etsy! I'm always on the hunt, because I have baby daughter who has several female cousins her age. I see teaparties in my future!

I had such a hard time choosing, but I did my best. So here goes, these are my Etsy teaparty picks. I included the brown teapot for sale in my shop, too :).

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Fashion Rebellion!...as seen on The Today Show

This morning I was watching the today show, and they had a segment called "7 Style Rules to Break". The #1 Rule to Break? Glittery Jewelry is Meant for the Evening. Amen to breaking that rule!

I am drawn to gorgeous glittery vintage pieces, as you can see from my collection available in my Etsy boutique, oldbagvintage. You can read the complete TodayShow article on their website by clicking here.

Monday, July 27, 2009

New Blog! ~ The Penny-Pinching Mama ~


Who doesn't love a great bargain or freebie?! I've decided I need to share what I've learned and came up with this brand new blog. Check it out by clicking here or on the graphic above.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Shop of the Week: AshleeBonaparte1

This week's shop of the week features a young lady, Ashlee and her appropriately named Etsy shop AshleeBonaparte1! She is both an artist and fellow vintage junkie who lives with her baby daughter Ella, boyfriend James and Cilantro, the kitty. She's only 7 months in on Etsy and already has had over 500 sales! It's a great shop, too - take a look see right now!


How did the idea for your business come about?
I was about 4 months pregnant and was really bored/wasn't out on the jobforce, so I let me creativity and my eye for vintage things take me over.

What inspires you to keep chugging along? My loyal customers! They are always so fun to work with, and they say nothing but good things about the items I produce!


To what do you attribute your success? Being able to devote an allotted amount of time to go out vintage hunting and brainstorming ideas for jewelry.

Best advice for fellow Etsians aspiring for success in our marketplace? List things in your shop that are attractive to yourself, no matter how off the wall they may be. It's fine to follow trends, but in the long run, people seem to appreciate the more unique and special things you have to offer!

How do you go about marketing your business? I do light advertising through my Twitter (http://twitter.com/AshleeBonaparte) and I occasionally purchase showcase spots!

Anything else you'd like to share? I think that if you are a creative person, with a keen sense of style and are looking to share that with the world, I would encourage you to open an etsy shop or start your own website as well!

Death is a Part of Life - Etsy Funeral Collage

I'm sorry I've been MIA this past week. We had a death in the family, which got me thinking. I did a search on Etsy for 'Funeral' and below are a few of my favorites. Does anyone wear those hats with the netting anymore? I love those hats...


Friday, July 17, 2009

The Love of Art is Timeless...


As an artist whose been out of practice for longer than I'd like to admit, I'm always looking for new (or old) artwork to add to my collection. Besides, I get tired of looking at my own work! The great thing about vintage art is it's eco-friendly, inexpensive and unique - you can say that about a vintage item of any kind, actually!


Take a look at some wonderful framed art I found on Etsy.


Friday, July 10, 2009

A day in the [vintage] garden

I just love this time of year, been spending lots of time in the garden. The work is so very therapeutic and when the it's is all done, I like to relax outside with a tall glass of iced tea and enjoy my surroundings.


Here are some wonderful vintage items I found on Etsy that any gardener would love. What is your favorite?


Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Christmas in July Sale! (July 8-22)

Don't miss this great sale on Etsy!
I've been looking forward to this all year - both as a seller and a buyer! Who doesn't look forward to Christmas? I'm offering 15% off all of the items for sale in my shop. The prices are already adjusted. Below are the items in my shop with FREE SHIPPING in addition to this great sale:

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Shop of the Week - Heatherly Designs

This week I'm featuring Heather Lynn, who runs a successful Etsy shop called HeatherlyDesigns from the one-bedroom apartment she shares with her beau Seth and their min-pin Bella. Her jewelry designs are vintage-inspired and some of her creations include vintage parts, which I love, and her prices are very reasonable! See below for some sound advice - we can learn a lot from this young lady. At only 24 years of age, she has it together. Her Etsy shop alone has had over 1400 sales! Want to learn more about Heather? Visit her Etsy shop, and while you're there, browse the wonderful collection of jewelry available for purchase! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5086593.

How did the idea for your business come about?
I started making seed bead necklaces with my cousin when we were 11 or 12. I got bored with putting little beads on a string and decided to move on to bigger and better beaded jewelry. My mom encouraged me to do festivals and fairs with her in the summer and sell my designs. After a lot of positive feedback & sales I decided to open some type of online venue to sell my jewelry. I created a myspace page for my company and met a friend who also made jewelry. I was checking her page one day and saw her etsy shop. I signed up that day and started listing later on that week. And have been making jewelry ever since.

How did you come up with your shop name?
Well my name is Heather Lynn. When I was a kid my dad used to tease me and call me Heatherly. I struggled with a name for my jewelry for quite a while until using my nickname hit me in the head like a brick. From there I went to register my DBA as Heatherly Designs.

What inspires you and what keeps you going?
What inspires me are new supplies. I love coming across new suppliers to buy from and when I look through their goodies I think, “Oh I know what I could do with this!”. What keeps me going is my passion for designing, my happy customers, my positive feedback and my family & friends' encouragement.

To what do you attribute your success?
I would have to say my mom pushing me and always encouraging me to be creative. She graduated from F.I.T in Manhattan and 90% of her jobs have been creative. She always had the patience to sit and teach me things and when I would get frustrated because mine was not as good as hers she would always say, “Heather, practice makes perfect.”

Three pieces of advice you can share with fellow Etsians aspiring for success in our marketplace? The most important thing is to take good pictures. People can’t handle your items so your pictures are your main marketing to sell. I hate to sound cliché but love what you do and do what you love. Your passion definitely shows through in your work. And follow the trends; it’s not selling out, it’s being business savvy. I feel you have to follow fashion trends to some extent. Take them and make them your own by finding your own niche in the current market of what’s popular. Pop culture drives a lot of people.

How do you go about marketing your business?
Wear my jewelry as much as I can. Always have business cards on hand. I am outgoing so I have no problem handing them out to people when they ask where I got a piece I am wearing. Doing festivals got my name out there locally. Getting into local boutiques on consignment. And of course the free sites out there; Flickr, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Indiepublic & Blogspot.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this week's shop of the week! From one Heather to another, I am inspired! ♥

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

a VINTAGE Independence Day!


A few of my favorite Patriotic finds available on Etsy. In honor of Independence Day I'm offering FREE shipping with the purchase of 2 or more items in my shop - or 10% off for all blog followers.
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New Blog! My Weight Loss Journal

I had this idea to start blogging about my weight loss journey. I'm hoping this will give me more motivation - having followers will make me accountable and keep me on track!

I'll be sharing what I bite, my favorites recipes, progress and more! Check it out!

http://thisismyweightlossjournal.blogspot.com/