Store and Blog are back up and running!

Whimsical Paper Garland

Sorry for the long hiatus friends!  The past few months have been CRAZY busy.  hoop~da~loop exploded in sales, which was awesome and overwhelming at the same time.  I think us etsy sellers know how that goes sometimes :)  Andrew and I also moved to Nashville woohoo!  And are very glad to be back amongst our families and closest friends.  Bailey is also very glad that our new space includes stairs.  She loves running up and down them to get in a bit of exercise.  Posts here will probably still be on the lighter side, but I hope to post here and there with some DIYs, inspiration, and updates on the shop.  So check out what I've got going on for the spring... some new shapes!

Butterfly Garland- Totally Customizable!

Etsy How-To: Free Advertising Through the Holidays

Now, I can't say from experience that I have used tons of paid advertising.  I have paid for advertising and been pleased with the results (another post sometime), but I have also sought out lots of avenues for free advertising and that's what I am going to talk about today mostly because it is HOLIDAY SEASON!  It is time to get your shop out there so people in the holiday shopping mode can find you.  So today I present you with 10 ways to advertise for free throughout the Holiday Season.  Make it your goal that by November 1st, you will try at least 5 of these.  I promise it will bring you more traffic and the more you work at it, the more traffic and sales it will bring!

1)  Start a Facebook Page for your business.  There are lots of how-to's out there.  Also consider Twitter, Flickr, and Tumblr.  Get your voice heard and your products seen!

2) Read blogs in your niche and comment on them with your shop link.  Aka if you sell wedding decor, start following some wedding blogs.  Don't spam them with your comments, but try every day to leave a comment on at least 3 blogs with insightful thoughts and leave a link to your shop with the comment.  People will click and be interested.  They were already somewhat interested because they were reading about weddings (or whatever your subject might be).

3) Start a blog.  This one may sound like a lot of commitment and it is more than the others, but it's always great to get your web personality out there.

4) Don't want to start a blog or already have one?  Doesn't matter which, seek out guest blog spots.  It is a great way to get your name out there so start contacting blogs that feature writers or DIY projects from other artists and send them an email with your ideas for a guest post.

Vintage Book Heart Paper Garland

5) Get your products featured on blogs.  Contact blogs that feature items like yours or in your style.  Give them a 3-4 sentence blurb about your shop and your product and include 2-3 great photos.  Follow up if you haven't heard back in a week.

6)  Get Pinterest and start working on building up a great inspiration board.  Include a couple of your items in your boards, but not too many.  You don't want to be a spammer.  (See how to grow your business with pinterest here.)

7)  Leave business cards sitting around in public places.  People are bound to look you up.  If you include a coupon code on the back, they are even more likely to purchase something.

8)  Go for wholesale accounts now.  If you are considering wholesale (which you should at least consider), this is the time for sales and the time that brick and mortar shops will really be looking for great products for holiday sales.  You have great products!

9)  Come up with new items and tell people about them through Twitter, Facebook, your blog... every avenue you have.

10)  Talk about your shop to everyone you know.  You are your biggest advocate and you should be proud that you took the time and energy to start your own business and nurture it!  Your shop doesn't have to be the only thing you talk about, but people should know you do it!

Now commit a bit of time every day to work on these ideas.  Free doesn't mean you don't work at it.  You will have to work even harder than paid advertising, but if you even commit 10 minutes a day to building a Facebook page, you will see a difference! 

Happy free advertising!

Artist Highlight and Giveaway: hoop~da~loop

Today I thought it would be fun to interview myself (weird? maybe... fun?! yes!) and tell you a bit more about hoop~da~loop.  I am also hosting a fun fun giveaway and offering you wonderful readers a discount!  So be sure to scroll down to see how to enter!

Autumn Garland

Hi hoop~da~loop! Welcome! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your whimsical party decor.
Hello!  I'm Allison.  I live in Knoxville, TN with my most wonderful husband, Andrew aka "Scout" and trusty pup, Bailey.  Besides creating, I love to be in the great outdoors, learn new things, and hang out with my family and friends.  I'm also a bit of a foodie and LOVE tracking down delicious restaurants and eating at them.  My Etsy shop hoop~da~loop is full of happy and whimsical party decorations and unique gifts.  It's pretty much the perfect place to find anything from wedding decorations and rehearsal dinner invitations to holiday home decor and dorm goodies.  I love custom work and do a lot of it so if customers don't see exactly what they want, I will make it happen!

Woodland Gift Tags

Besides the paper crafts and such that you have in your Etsy store, what else do you like to do?
Like I mentioned above, I love to be outside.  Specifically I love running and walking my dog.  We go to the park or at least to the walking path near our place almost everyday.  I also love watching a good movie and learning new languages.  I know four.

  
What first drew you to party decor?
 I love colors and textures.  They add so much life to plain decor in the home or at special events.  I also love the one of a kind uniqueness that comes with handmade.  That all culminated in me stealing my mom's sewing machine (thanks mom!) and creating fun paper garlands and the rest just sort of blossomed and continues to blossom from there.  Plus I think every event and lived in space should reflect you and these paper garlands can do just that!

Halloween Greeting Cards

 
What advice would you give to aspiring artists and Etsy shop owners?
I give lots of advice on this here little blog :) but I would say that you should never give up.  Sometimes I have a great week and I think oh man!  I have hit the big show!  But then everything is quiet for a week... and I'm like man what happened?!?  When things get slow, instead of sitting at the computer and watching my shop stats not increase (been there done that)... I hit the studio (my kitchen table) and start creating new items.  Not only does it renew my love for my shop because I love creating, it helps it grow at the same time!
 
Where else can we find you?  Right here on this blog!!  You can also find me on facebook here and Pinterest here.

And because I love giveaways!  I will be giving away my newest design... not even in the shop yet!... which is perfect for decor in the home, adding an extra special touch to your gift wrap, or sprucing up your holiday decor (Aka Christmas Tree garland!)--- My newest vintage heart paper garland!  I will make it as long or as short as you want up to 10 feet!  You can see a mini example here.  The winner will be drawn on October 15th so be sure to get in your entries by then!

Here's a Mini Version!

To enter, head over to my Etsy Store, hoop~da~loop, and leave a comment here about your favorite item(s). Additional entries for: 1) becoming a first time follower of A Girl and Her Scout 2) Posting this giveaway with a link to my blog on your blog 3) Posting this giveaway with a link to my blog on your facebook and/or twitter 4) “Hearting” or adding hoop~da~loop to your “Favorites” on Etsy and/or 6) making a purchase out of my store (one entry for every purchase). Be sure to leave a new comment for each additional entry!

Multicolor Paper Garland

In addition to such fun and because I love all of you, I will be offering a 15% discount plus a free gift on any items in my shop through October 15th.  Use coupon code "agirlandherscout" at checkout to receive your discount. 

How to Use Pinterest to Grow Your Shop

This has nothing to do with this post, but it's cute right!  Baby Bailey and silly momma!

This is a part II of my post this morning.  As I mentioned, I advocate working on getting your arts and crafts out there in a way that shows customers what you have so they can find it instead of just being a random link!

One huge way to do that is Pinterest.  Pinterest is a great way to share your products with a HUGE group of creative people free of charge and then share it and share it again.

You may have heard people telling you to sign up for Pinterest, but they might not have told you why.  Here are two great reasons:

1)  It gives you a bit more of a web face.  People get to know your style more by what you pin and they can interact with you in a non-invasive way.  You show your personality, which is important in internet based companies.

2) This is the more important of the two- You can and should post your shop items to your Pinterest Boards!  People will find them!

How? When you pin your items, people will see them, and then people might repin them (if they are interested which means effective and efficient traffic is on its way).  Then people that follow that repinner, may repin it, and their followers will repin... and on and on it goes.  Really.  Having only done it with a few items, I have seen how hugely it can bring views to your shop.  I see pinterest.com views every day on my Etsy shop stats and these are people clicking on your item because they are interested... not just because it is a link.

Now you don't want to list all 350 items to your Pinterest boards and nothing else.  That would look like you are using it to advertise and people won't be as likely to follow you or repin your pins because you aren't as fun.  BUT I advocate pinning one or two items from your shop a day (or spreading it out more if you don't have many items).  Just don't forget, pin other things too and pin your items under the headings they might go like "Wedding Ideas" or "Home Decor" and watch those views come in!

So go, sign up and start pinning [and follow me]!

Share your pinterest boards in the comments so we can all start following you!

Traffic? Is it always good for an Etsy Shop?

Some of you may be shocked by the title of this post.  Allison? really?  Of course traffic is good for an Etsy shop! Well, to answer that, let me tell you this- No traffic is flat out bad traffic for an Etsy store, but some traffic is better than others. 

Going back to the ideals of the how-to package your Etsy products effectively and efficiently post I did the other day, time is money in a business and not everything you hear about how to make your Etsy store successful is as effective and efficient as the rest.  That means not every way that you bring traffic to your store is going to be as effective as other options.

So there are about a billion ways to bring people to your shop, but for the purpose of keeping this post [relatively] short, I am going to boil those down to two different ways:

1) Blind Dates: People see your link somewhere like the Etsy forums, teams, blog links, etc and click on it just because they are generally curious and/or click happy. They know nothing about your shop except the name, possibly website address, and possibly avatar.  (Clever name right?!)

2) Intentional Views: People see a photo of a product that your sell and click on it to find out more.

Now that you know my categories, which one do you think will be more effective?  In one scenario, the blind date, the potential customer, if you can even call him/her that, doesn't know a thing about your shop.  S/he's not interested in purchasing anything from your shop because s/he doesn't even know what's there.  In the second scenario, the intentional views, the potential customer sees your product, therefore knows what you offer, and chooses to check it out further.  This person is not just a happy link clicker, this person really wants to know about your product.

Wedding Favor Tin

So.... that second scenario, the traffic from intentional views, is by far going to be more effective.  These customers have seen your product, like it, and at least follow the link to buy it or find out more.  These traffic sources are more effective.

There are lots of ways to make that happen.  The My Etsy button for instance (see my how-to here) allows customers to see your shop without counting it as "views" on your Etsy shop stats.  If they click on a product (thus actually counting as a view in Etsy shop stats), it's because they liked what they see and are legitimately interested in it.  AKA More likely to purchase it.  So, to increase more legitimate views, get your products out there!  Add the My Etsy button to your Facebook page.  Add the Etsy Mini to your blog.  Be sure to put pictures of your products on your blog and be sure to link them up!   You are your own best advocate! Get a Pinterest, a flickr, court blogs to feature you.  There are lots of ways and if you check back later today, I will give you an in-depth tutorial on how to grow your business using Pinterest.  It's easy (aka fast) and effective. Lots of people say sign up for it to grow your Etsy business- I'll tell you how to use it after you sign up to get your products out there.

In closing, blind dates don't always turn out badly, wasting your time.  You may find the love of your life.  AKA- someone who randomly clicks on your link somewhere may end up purchasing 5 items from your shop and come back for more later so don't stop commenting on team forums, blogs (especially not blogs), and such "Blind Date" tactics.  They are valuable.  But remember the chances for this true love is much slimmer than the intentional viewer.  Be sure to get those product photos out there!

Lucy Blair, in her How-To-Quit-Your-Day-Job post on Etsy, made a great point that Etsy shop owners and current buyers already know about Etsy and how to use it to find their perfect products so she insists on focusing a good chunk of time on bringing non-Etsians to your shop.  (Side note: This article is a must read.  It is filled with tons of nuggets of wisdom! see it here)  Those teams forums... those people know about Etsy.  They know how to find your shop.  That blog about weddings that features products every day... those readers might not. 

Artist Highlight and Giveaway!: La Santa Muerte

Zombie Cake Toppers

I am so excited to introduce Ebelyn of La Santa Muerte to you today!  Her shop is filled with the most beautiful and original artwork perfect for the home and weddings!!  See below for Ebelyn's interview which includes great shop tips,  A GIVEAWAY, and a DISCOUNT CODE for her shop for all A Girl and Her Scout readers!  Thanks for joining us Ebelyn!

Custom Embroidered Cloth Napkins

Hi Ebelyn Welcome! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your awesome Dia de Los Muertos art.

Hi!  I’m a 23 year-old artist from Los Angeles, CA who got a little tired of one too many bad job interviews and rejection letters after graduating college in 2010.  Tired and a little frustrated, I took matters into my own hands and opened up La Santa Muerte on etsy to share my Dia de Los Muertos art!  But it wasn’t until earlier this year that I really buckled down and began to take my shop more seriously to try to offer a variety of colorful and cultural Day of the Dead artwork for anyone and everyone.  My favorite items so far are those in my Day of the Dead Wedding line.  Weddings are great, but Day of the Dead Weddings? How fun is that?! 

Besides all of the Day of the Dead art you have in La Santa Muerte, what else do you like to do?

I love to paint and make lino-cut prints!  I had my own studio when I was in college and a million resources at my fingertips that allowed me to build large canvases that were much, much, taller than I am while staying on a shoestring budget.  I drew inspiration from old family photographs and painted 6-foot portraits of lost memories.  I completely enjoy losing myself while making art to escape stress and other worries.  But aside from art, I spend a lot of time with my family, especially my nieces and nephews who are ages 4, 3, 2 and 1 and keep me busier than I could have ever imagined.

Day of the Dead Save the Dates

What first drew you to representing the Mexican culture in the way that you do?

When I first began drawing day of the dead art I did a lot of traditional skeletons and skulls, which a lot of my peers found to be sort of dark and macabre.   They didn’t understand or had never heard of the amazing and spiritual tradition behind Dia de los Muertos, which honors and celebrates the life of loved ones who have passed away. Over the years I’ve changed and developed my art to reflect the lively and colorful celebration of life and exemplify that skulls and skeletons don’t have to represent death but can depict and commemorate happy and loving lives.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists and Etsy shop owners?

Work hard, be patient, and never underestimate yourself! 

I think at the beginning of opening a new shop many of us are full of high hopes and big expectations for our carefully handcrafted work.  But we forget about the insane amount of work and patience we have to develop in order to be successful.  It’s ok to get frustrated from time to time when we feel our work is going unnoticed, but it’s important to take everything day by day and not allow our negative emotions to take over us entirely.  Take a breather, jot down your emotions, and make a plan of action to change the way things have been going for you.   Who knows, your frustration might lead you to develop new products that are a big hit.

And always, always have faith and courage in yourself.     

Day of the Dead Wall Art

You can also find Ebelyn on Facebook here, Tumblr here, and her personal website with work she created her senior year of college here. Pretty soon you’ll be able to find her at My Petite Doll on etsy, but that’s still a well kept secret!

In addition to such inspiring words, La Santa Muerte is hosting a giveaway here at A Girl and Her Scout! Ebelyn will be giving away this original 5x7 in. Day of the Dead Sugar Skull giclee print! Sweet! [frame is not included]

 

The winner will be chosen (via a random assorter) this Friday, September 30th so be sure to get in your entries by then!

To enter, head over to her Etsy Store, La Santa Muerte, and leave a comment here about your favorite item(s). Additional entries for: 1) becoming a first time follower of A Girl and Her Scout 2) Posting this giveaway with a link to my blog on your blog 3) Posting this giveaway with a link to my blog on your facebook and/or twitter 4) “Hearting” or adding La Santa Muerte to your “Favorites” on Etsy and/or 5) making a purchase out of her store (one entry for every purchase). Be sure to leave a new comment for each additional entry!

Day of the Dead Pendant

In addition, until October 27th she will be offering a  15% discount to all A Girl and Her Scout readers! YAY!!! Just use key word “girlandherscout" at check out to receive your discount.

Etsy How To: Make Your Packaging Matter

I've read A LOT about packaging your products for shipment for websites like Etsy and Big Cartel.  It's kind of a confusing relationship for me.  I could spend hours developing great packaging and then spend 30+ minutes on perfectly wrapping and shipping an item and then go wait 20 minutes at the post office and for what? Well one argument (and in a business sense definitely the strongest argument in my opinion) is that this great packaging is to attract returning customers.  AKA a customer orders from you and not only gets a great product, but also gets a great package, enticing them to return again.  People love to be loved.  You took the extra step to show your appreciation.  My question, however, is how many return customers do you really get because of your packaging?

You may disagree (and please do if your experience proves otherwise), BUT I think that unless you are just haphazardly throwing stuff into an ugly box that will not hold up in the mail, you probably aren't going to attract customers because of your packaging.  Or at least not so many that it would be worth your time.  Think about it... You have probably ordered something from amazon.com.  Boring packaging blah blah blah.  Great product.  BUT---VERY diverse product availability.  You buy again (probably something different).  And then buy again because of the diversity of products.  It's the product that sales not the packaging.  

 

I say this because, while I think that cute packaging is awesome and to an extent, valuable, you are going to attract customers and create return customers because of the quality and diversity of your products.  If you are spending hours a week creating packages and only making a few sales- rethink your strategy.  Focus that time on creating new and different products for your store.  THIS is what attracts customers.   Amazon has thousands of different products (obviously you are not going to), but that's why people shop there.  They can find what they need.

Think about that for your store.  Do you sell wedding decor of all kinds?  Think about EVERY aspect of a wedding... pew markers, seat assignments, centerpieces, guest book table, gift table, cake, bridesmaids... and the list goes on.  Do you have something that a bride could incorporate into all of these aspects of a wedding?  If you don't, strategize.  Do you want to expand your products?  Maybe your answer is yes.  Great!  Work on adding one new item a week for a month or so.  If you feel overwhelmed by expanding your product, that's okay.  You already have a design of whatever it is that you create, so think about providing new color schemes or sizes.  This will increase views, traffic, and sales. Offering diverse products in diverse price ranges is key to a successful shop.

But back to packaging... I do think that packaging is worth it if you have the time and resources.  For example, I like to include a little freebie.  I include a mini paper garland if they order invitations.  I include one of my blank greeting cards if they order a paper garland.  And so on and so on.  Nothing too too fancy, BUT notice that I'm not including an extra of what they ordered.  I am introducing them to a new product that they might be interested in in my shop.  If they like it, they will come back.  And they will appreciate the gesture.  I also include a handwritten note and a copy of the invoice (invoice is a definite must).  Then I stamp a little "Thanks so Much" on the outside of the envelope and send it away.  I sometimes include business cards... it's probably a good idea for me to include one every time, but I think a freebie and a note are better communicators of your customer service.  I pass out business cards to people that are interested in buying something... not those who have already purchased. It's not a bad idea to include them though.

This may seem like a lot in my package... and like I said... I can't say I disagree, but if you do ONE THING (besides the invoice) make sure your logo is on/in the package somewhere.  You can see in my personal note that I have it on the front.  My website address is on the back.  The more people see it, the more they remember.  These notes are SO easy to make... just pick up some blank note cards... you can get them at any craft store and just print your logo to the front... or draw it.  And there you have personalized stationary for less than $10 for sure.  Those boring Amazon boxes? They say Amazon everywhere.  Return address... on the sides... on the invoice.  You don't have to go that overboard--- remember products sale, not packaging.  Maybe consider investing in a custom rubber stamp of your logo so you can easily stamp it everywhere.  They are fairly inexpensive and can be used everywhere!

Other ideas to consider:
**Instead of packaging every single item like it's a gift, make it pretty, but then offer free gift wrapping as an option for gifts.

**Lots of articles that I have read say that traditional business cards are outdated.  People just toss them in the junk pile.  While I've got them, consider making pins, pens, magnets, or pocket mirrors that people will use and see often.

 

**Cellophane bags are cheap and easy for packaging.  I wrap my paper garlands on a piece of kraft paper card stock, stick them in a cello bag and then staple another piece of paper on top that I draw my logo on.

** If you don't want to go the personal written letter route, or it's just a busy week.  Write a little note on the bottom of the invoice.

** Some people like to include a coupon code for return customers.  I haven't had much luck... with my vintage shop at least.  And people tend to give mixed reviews.  Might be worth trying just to see if it works.

This is by far my favorite quick and easy packaging post by I go by Katie on Freckled Nest.  You should definitely check it out here! 

Artist Highlight and Giveaway: Daisy Dog Creations!!

I am so excited to introduce Laurie of Daisy Dog Creations to you today!  She has a great shop filled with pet accessories and has a great heart.  She donates 10% of all proceeds to a local animal rescue group that she works with.  Snaps for that!!  See below for Laurie's interview which includes great shop tips,  A GIVEAWAY, and a DISCOUNT CODE for her shop for all A Girl and Her Scout readers!

Hi Daisy Dog Creations! Welcome! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your fun pet accessories.
My name is Laurie and I live in Connecticut with my two cats, Sabrina and Sam and my newly adopted Cocker Spaniel, Charlie. Charlie is a rescue that came with a lot of medical problems.   Let's just say I call him my little money pit.  LOL. I started out fostering him but then fell in love immediately so I had to adopt him. I love to craft; I've been crafting since I was a small child.  If I didn't have a constant creative outlet, I'd go crazy.

I think my favorite thing to do in the craft area is sew home accessories and decor and craft items.   I could absolutely live in a fabric store! I will buy fabric just because it's pretty and have no idea what I'll do with it but I gotta have it.  When I adopted Charlie earlier this year I began looking for really  nice collars and leashes; I found a few but they were expensive. One day I was looking at one of his collars and I thought "I could make this."  I went to the store, got some supplies (and of course, more fabric!) and made a collar that night.  The problem was, Charlie now had too many collars!  So I decided to try my hand at selling them to friends and family and when that went well I decided to try selling them on Etsy.    I  just started on Etsy but so far so good.  I'm now working on a line of leash bags (to hold the poop bags), harnesses and leashes.   I still don't have all my inventory on Etsy but I'm getting there.  The name DaisyDog comes partly from my beloved cat, Daisy, who passed away earlier this year at age 17.   I also donate collars to non-profit animal rescue groups. 

 

Besides the dog collars you have in your Etsy store, what else do you like to do?
I love to garden when I have time.   I also love to scour flea markets and garage sales for vintage items for my home.   The older the better!   I also like to scrapbook and make jewelry.   And thanks to Charlie, I now really enjoy walking on a new trail behind my house. 

What first drew you to pet accessories?
I started working part time at a local dog bakery/store and I saw all the accessories available for dogs and was surprised by the variety.  I hadn't lived with a dog since I was a child (many, many years ago) and at the time I only had cats.    Then when I adopted Charlie, I just turned my sewing and crafting in that direction.  I "test" all my products on Charlie (he's very patient) and if I won't let Charlie wear it, I won't sell it.   

What advice would you give to aspiring artists and Etsy shop owners?
Don't give up.   I really started this as a hobby and it's slowly but surely taking off.   I just got a couple requests for wholesale orders!   I would also strongly recomment networking.  I had no idea what that was when I first started but the more you get your name and product out there, the better.   Another thing I strongly believe in is "pay it forward".  I got a lot of help with my Etsy shop from total strangers on Etsy; we are all competing for sales and yet many people helped me out when I first started.  I try to do the same for other Etsians.    I've even purchased a couple items on Etsy to help out a new seller.  

Where else can we find you?I just started my blog:  Daisy Dog Creations.    It's mostly about my adventures as a first time dog owner and some great items I've found on Etsy.   You can also find DaisyDogCreations on Facebook.  

In addition to such inspiring words, Daisy Dog Creations is hosting a giveaway here at A Girl and Her Scout! She will be giving away a dog collar of the winner's choice from her Etsy shop plus an added surprise!  The winner will be chosen (via a random assorter) on 10/01/11 so be sure to get in your entries by then!

To enter, head over to her Etsy Store, Daisy Dog Creations, and leave a comment here about your favorite item(s). Additional entries for: 1) becoming a first time follower of A Girl and Her Scout 2) Posting this giveaway with a link to my blog on your blog 3) Posting this giveaway with a link to my blog on your facebook and/or twitter 4) “Hearting” or adding DaisyDogCreations to your “Favorites” on Etsy 5) Following Laurie's blog and/or 6) making a purchase out of her store (one entry for every purchase). Be sure to leave a new comment for each additional entry!

In addition, until 10/01/2011 she will be offering a 15% discount to all A Girl and Her Scout readers! YAY!!! Just use key word “girlandherscout" at check out to receive your discount.

Etsy Shop Tip: Customize your Facebook Page URL

Last week, we looked at customizing Etsy Facebook pages by adding an Etsy Mini.  If you haven't added it yet, you should!  Check out the tutorial here.   Another great and SUPER easy way to better your social media?  Customize your Facebook URL!

If your url looks something like this:

It's not easy for people to go directly to it.  It's complicated and (no offense) ugly.  People can't remember it and it doesn't look nice and clean as you spread the word about your page and shop.

No fear! Simply go to http://www.facebook.com/username/ and follow the simple instructions to change the url to something like this:




**Bonus Tip** I suggest you make your url the same as your Etsy page for continuity for customers.  If you run into an issue where your shop name is already taken on Facebook-- like me-- try adding "by" and your name.  You can see I added "byallison." It's an easy way to mix it up and still have an intuitive (that's what we like!) name for people to find.

Now that new URL of yours looks so much better!  Beware though, you must have 25 "likes" in order to customize your url so if you DON'T, do about 10 minutes of networking... leave a comment here with your current Facebook Page URL, comment in your teams, drum up some valuable support!  These people may not end up being your customers, but they will help drive actual customers your way.  And no traffic is bad traffic right?  (I hear a discussion for next week....)

Now that you have 25 likes, change that URL everywhere you have it listed!  Make sure you have it in your public profile on Etsy as well so people can easily pop over to the page and be sure to use that page!

Etsy Facebook Page How-To: My Etsy Button

It's time for some more helpful tips for you Etsy sellers out there!  

Today, I am going to take a look at the monstrous social media outlet known as Facebook.  Social media like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and blogs are GREAT ways to reach a lot of potential customers quickly and a great way to give another face to your shop.  You can add more personal details, network with customers and fellow Etsians, etc.  Thus, I HIGHLY recommend creating a Facebook Page for your shop if you don't already have one.  If you don't, it's really easy.  Today, I won't go into that, but you can easily find the directions here. 

 So let's assume you have a Facebook page representing your shop... but what should you put on it and why?  The obvious answer is product photos so customers can learn all about you.  I TOTALLY recommend this and need to add some more to my new Facebook page (it's just a day old for hoop~da~loop though I had another for my vintage shop), but adding photos all the time is time consuming.  You have to find them on your computer, wait for them to upload, add captions..... lots of stuff.

A really easy supplement (notice I don't say alternative) is to add a "My Etsy" button to your side bar on your page.  "My Etsy" buttons create a tab within your page that shows your current Etsy shop with its current products.  Photos and all!  That sounds great!  How do I add it you ask?  

Just follow these simple instructions!

(Before I go further, if you do not have a business page and don't want to create one, you can still add this fun App to your personal Facebook page which you should do!)

1) Search in your Facebook search bar for the "My Etsy" App.  You will be directed to a screen that looks like the screen shot below.  Click on "Add to My Page"

 2) It will ask you what "Page" you want to add your My Etsy to.  I recommend adding it to your business page and your personal page.  For now, I will go with the business page instructions.  It will automatically add it to your page once you select it.  So head over there and click on your new "My Etsy" button (cause we aren't done quite yet).  It's that little orange button on the left hand side bar.

 

 

 3)  This will bring you to a screen that asks for your Etsy username.  Simply type it in as it appears on Etsy.

 4)  Then choose if you want to include just your shop or your favorites as well.  Because this was my business page, I wanted it to be clear and straightforward so I only added my shop.  Of course, do as you please.  (I always add shout-outs and reviews of other stores on my blog which I link to my Facebook page so I drum in that extra traffic that way.)

 5) Click "Create My Etsy Tab" and there you have it!  Your Etsy store via Facebook with easy to use Share buttons and Facebook networking buttons right there.  This will definitely bring more traffic to your store and more traffic = more sales!  You can check mine out over here.  Do you have a Facebook? Send me the link so I can check it out! 

PS- Did you know that if you have 25 fans on your Facebook page you can customize the web url (web address) to include the funky ID code?  That How-To to come!

Fall Colors

Autumn Beauty Geometric Triangle Bunting Necklace by The Polkadot Magpie

It's a rainy afternoon over here so I thought I would put together a little treasury of my favorite goodies for fall.  Check it out here. 

Happy Labor Day!! Hope you are enjoying your long weekend as much as me :)

Peace Crane Line at hoop~da~loop

Origami Peace Crane Cupcake Toppers and Wedding Favors.  Great for weddings!  

When I was a rising senior in high school, I spent about 2 months living in Japan, studying their culture.  It was unreal amazing.  Their culture of peace is inspiring and convicting and was the inspiration behind a blossoming line of party and wedding decor (also looks great in the house) in hoop~da~loop.  Whether  you choose to use them as cupcake toppers, party/wedding favors, or hang them from the ceiling to watch them sway back and forth, I hope the sense of and commitment to peace that I found in Japan finds you and your guests.

Paper Crane Garland

Party Cupcake Toppers

I'm Back!!

Hello All!!

I am finally back to the blogging world (or at least the writing part as I have been reading them all summer)!!  I am so excited to announce that after a crazy fun summer in Nashville, Andrew and I are back in Knoxville and my big dreams and plans of opening a handmade etsy store have come into fruition so without further ado....

Welcome to hoop~da~loop, your go-to place for whimsical party, baby shower, and wedding decorations, which also happen to work well as room decor! I provide unique, handmade party goodies to make your party the perfect one.  I specialize in vintage fabrics and paper goods and have lots of yet to list but head on over and check it out as I've got some super cute items already in the store!   

(Ps- This week I'll be posting new products daily and in honor of the grand opening, I'll be hosting a giveaway.  Stay tuned....)

Lots of paper garlands for great parties! 

Here, here, and here.

My Vintage Fabric Buntings look great at weddings, baby showers, and as nursery and house decor!

I specialize in Party Packs which include a custom blend of Invitations, Paper Garland, Fabric Bunting, and Confetti for decoration, cupcake toppers, cupcake wrappers, party favors, and Thank you notes.  Having a Halloween Party?  Check this one out! 

And if you are just wanting to top your cupcakes or tasty treat with something cute, I have those too!  Check out these origami peace crane cupcake toppers here.

And then I have lots of cute accessories that work great for your own crafts!  Check out these vintage fabric covered buttons here!

Much more to come!hoop~da~loop

Artist Highlight and Giveaway!! Ancienesthetique

A little contrary to my typical midweek post {it's been a crazy busy week},  I am hosting a wonderful international artist, Victoria from ancienesthetique.  Victoria and her husband reside in France but have a wonderfully romantic story of traveling around the world, which has resulted in a beautiful style illustrated by her store.  Some of my favorites:

Vintage Espresso Cups

 Vintage French Keyring 

 Vintage Floral Espresso Cups

Hi Victoria! Welcome!  Tell us a little bit about yourself and your wonderful vintage collection.
Well I’ve recently ( a year ago) moved to France with my husband and baby.. he was just a bump when we moved, he’s now ten months!
Previous to that we lived in Bolivia where we were doing volunteer work for some months….then I found out I was pregnant! SURPRISE! So we thought we should be sensible and be in one place for a bit, why not try France? Where my brother and family just live down the road….
Originally I’m Welsh and Trevor is from Oxford…we met in sunny Malta..
As to our vintage collection, well it’s a life project! Trevor is an antiques furniture restorer so he loves the old and the broken! We are avid goers to all things such as car boot sales in England, vide greniers ( empty attic in French) here and garage sales in the states…I LOOOOVE flea markets..
Some of my best finds have been out of skips or off the pavement in Oxford!
So basically we collect all over the place and have a constant space dilemma, we currently live in small apartment so it was time to share our finds with the rest of the world in a shop!
MMM the smell of old books.
We will never be minimalist , hard as we try!

{Bloggers note: SO JEALOUS!!!!!!}

Besides the vintage goods you have in your Etsy store, what else do you like to do?
I love sport, snowboarding and skiing particularly, I love reading and writing letters to my friends… not much time for the latter these days though! I love swing dancing and any excuse for a party, getting together with friends, picnics and swimming in lakes and rivers…
CHOCOLATE and RED WINE!!
Making jewellery, bits of stuff out of stuff!

What first drew you to vintage wares?
I’m a keen enviromentalist so try to recycle wherever I can, I don’t like having or wearing the same as everyone else, I like bargain hunting and feel like I’m getting a good deal and treasure find, and I simply find that with vintage you get something that has stood the test of time so therefore in my eyes has increased greatly in value… I also love handmade which many vintage items are…

What inspires what you put in your shop?
I just pick up things that I would like to have in my home or wear myself… in fact it’s pretty hard to part with some things and they stay in my home for awhile before I give in!
I also like to keep an eye on current London fashions as it always seems at the forefront of vintage and new trends that way.. so I like to read magazines on vintage clothing or homewares..
Also I think travel broadens my taste for different pieces or styles…

What advice would you give to aspiring vintage artists and Etsy shop owners especially the international sellers since you are in France?
Be careful how you post stuff!! I had a few breakages at first, and especially around christmas when the postal service is less careful it seems…don’t skimp on bubble wrap!
Try and explain as accurately to customers as possible how long it will realistically take, there have been major shipping delays recently due to increased U.S security but hopefully improving now….
I think get involved in the etsy world, join some teams, participate in bnr’s, make treasuries, comment on others…
I also have a recycled jewellery shop on etsy which is sorely neglected, and so I know the difference these efforts can make, as I practically don’t bother with my first shoo…due to time, not lack of love!
And also just really enjoy the ethos of etsy and promote it where you can.,,….have fun, don’t get too stressed!

What is your favorite part of French culture?
Ooooh la la, that’s a tricky one! It’s so different in some ways here… you know the scene in the film ‘Love Actually’?? where Rowan Atkinson is wrapping a necklace gift up for the customer’s mistress and he’s trying to be quick but it’s taking ages with all the wrapping, and the trappings and the faffings… well that’s very French I think! Why say it in three words when you could use fourty three?? Why just have a sandwhich when a five course meal is available…why start the wedding on time when you could delay by and hour or two by chatting about it first?
So basically I think I’m trying to say that the pace of life here is lots slower and smaller things, like eating, and talking to each other are more greatly valued.. so the quality of our life feels good!
I also love the markets, food or flea, I loooove them!

In addition to such inspiring words, Victoria is hosting a giveaway here at A Girl and Her Scout! She will be giving away an espresso cup of your choice like one of these.

This is open to all international entrants!

 

The winner will be chosen (via a random assorter) on April 30th so be sure to get in your entries by then!

To enter, head over to her Etsy Store, Ancienesthetique, and leave a comment here about your favorite item(s). Additional entries for: 1) becoming a first time follower of A Girl and Her Scout 2) Posting this giveaway with a link to my blog on your blog 3) Posting this giveaway with a link to my blog on your facebook and/or twitter 4) “Hearting” or adding Ancienesthetique to your “Favorites” on Etsy and/or 5) making a purchase out of her store (one entry for every purchase). Be sure to leave a new comment for each additional entry!

In addition, until April 30th she will be offering a 20% discount to all A Girl and Her Scout readers! YAY!!! Just use key word “girlandherscout" at check out to receive your discount.

Cherry Blossom Time

Cherry Blossom Stamps

These past two weeks I was able to see lots of friends as I headed back to Nashville for work.  It was EXTREMELY busy, but very wonderful.  One of our good friends is from DC and he was excited to head back to see the cherry blossoms.  I love cherry blossoms, especially the ones in DC since they were given as a sort of peace offering from Japan.

London, England

Cherry Blossom Abstract