Etsy Labs Archive

Join us at the Storque...

2007-09-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! We here at the Etsy Labs are super excited to announce the Launch of the Storque, Etsy's new and eagerly awaited e-zine! (Which is really just a fancy way of saying super-duper blog.) We're excited about our latest feature, and we hope that you will be, too.

From now on, you can find us and all our tips, how-to's, advice, events, musings, and ramblings over there! There is so much good Etsy content on the Storque for you to read and be in the know...and if you are specifically interested in only what we here in the Labs are writing about, just click on our featured column: Etsy Labs.

Come on and join us, we can't wait to hob nob with you in the Storque!

As always, you can help support Etsy and promote the site with Etsy Merch:

Etsy
Buy Handmade
EtsyLabs

Texas Does New York

2007-09-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Texas street team is coming out this month to sell their wares and teach us how to square dance! (Even though its more than probably that none of them actually know how to square dance. But we here at the Labs are intent on square dancing this month!)

If you're in the neighborhood come on by EtsyLabs (325 Gold St., Brooklyn, NY) for some fresh Texas goods! Friday Sept. 28 from 6pm-8pm and Saturday Sept. 29 from 1pm-9pm. The Texas Street Team is giving away door prizes and representing over 40 Etsy sellers from Texas!

Sellers you already know and love like:

katinkapinka.etsy.com narchi.etsy.com muttsywonder.etsy.com

We know a lot of you can't make it but might like to join in our excitement so we're holding a little giveaway. Check out the forum post to see how you can win a big bag of Etsy ~~junk~~ merch!

Spins & Needles Party * Fri 9/14

2007-09-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Spins & Needles is a Canadian group that travels about hosting parties that are a combo of crafting and dj-ed music. On Friday, September 14, they're coming to Etsy Labs, and the party will be on! Bring your own project, or craft along with the projects that we'll have here (DIY plush monsters, fused glass beads, and more). The fun starts at 8PM and goes to whenever...

Please rsvp@etsy.com if you think you wanna come so we can get a headcount. There will be a $5 cover which gets yer beer & crafting supplies. See you then!

21+, por favor

Paper Night!

2007-09-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you missed last Monday Craft Night you missed out on Doritos, KitKats and good old crafting fun. Don't miss this Monday's paper themed night! We'll be doing Origami, Gocco, as well as anything else you like whether its paper or paperless activities. Should I bring my Wii and we can play Paper Mario or you can take turns trying to beat me at Wii Tennis? If you can I'll give you a big bag of Etsy goods! Do not miss it.
xo
Danielle

Hot Tip of the Day: Resizing your photos the easy way!

2007-09-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered how some sellers always seem to have their images perfectly sized and cropped to make the perfect looking thumbnail?

You want the secret? Well, search no further and check out this great little video tutorial I found on YouTube all about how to resize your photos!

Resizing your photos can also be useful for emailing your photos. Keep in mind, to get that perfect looking thumbnail in your Etsy shop, crop your photo into a perfect square just the way you like it...that way, your image will show up just as you planned!

Tip of the Day: Putting Etsy Mini on your Myspace Page

2007-09-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

1. Log into your Etsy account.
2. On the far left you'll find 'Etsy Mini' go there.
3. Choose whether you'd like to display items you are selling in your shop or items you have hearted. Then choose thumbnails or the larger gallery views and how many columns and rows you want to display.
4. Now at the bottom of the page you'll see the code generated for Flash - highlight the code and right click to "copy".
5. Log into Myspace and edit your profile. Click into any catagory you want your Etsy Mini to appear. Right click and paste. Now save.
6. Voila! Etsy Mini on your Myspace page.

Online Video tutorial tomorrow, be there!

2007-09-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Join me this Wednesday, September 12th, at 3pm EST for super simple tutorial all about making boxes from your recycled papers! All you need is two pieces of paper, a pen or pencil, and a pair of scissors and you're ready!

Meet me in the workshop room with your supplies at 3pm sharp and we'll begin!

These boxes are good for so many things including:

quick and simple storage
organization
pretty packaging
gift giving
get creative...we know you can!

Don't have time to make it to the online workshop? Follow these step by step directions with the photos in our previous tutorial featured in the Labs blog.

See you there!

Craft Night Tomorrow!

2007-09-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

...and everythings going to be alright. alrighhhhhht!!

Tomorrow is the first of many exciting, amazing, crafty, snazzy, sweet and salty Monday Night Craft Nights! Free mini-tutorials to get your creativity buzzing. Free time and almost free reign of the crafty resources we have here at EtsyLabs. Come on out and play with us. We may play a movie. It may be Pan's Labrynth or we might just watch The Hills. Who knows? Oh and snacks. Who can craft without snacks?

When: Mondays, duh! 4pm to 8pm.

Where: EtsyLabs, 325 Gold St. 6th Fl., Brooklyn, NY (Flatbush and Myrtle)

HOT TIP: Discover the Joy of Letterpress at The Arm, Brooklyn

2007-09-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

Have you been hankering to learn to letterpress? Or, maybe you already have the know-how, but lack your own press? The Arm in Brooklyn, NY is the perfect space to print!

The Arm is a public letterpress studio well equipped for printing anything from business cards to 20" x 30" posters. Equipment includes: 5 Vandercooks, 2 C&P Pilots, an antique Challenge paper guillotine, various wood and metal type, and a Boxcar base. They offer letterpress workshops, one-on-one instruction, and hourly press rental for the experienced. It's a terrific space, not to be missed.

For more details or to set up a time to visit, contact:

dan@thearmnyc.com

The Arm Letterpress

281 North 7th St.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Also check out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thearm/

http://myspace.com/thearmletterpress

http://www.thearmnyc.com/

Get started with simple jewelry projects!

2007-09-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

A quick search of youtube.com for "Tutorial" and "Etsy" netted me this easy peasy idea: Making briolette charm drop necklaces

Brought to you by Itsyourlife! Check out her shop at itsyourlife.etsy.com

Art bArter video and photobooth...good times

2007-09-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

What fun we had at the Etsy bArter here at the Labs! Not sure what the bArter is you say? Well you can read up all about it here.

Check out the latest photos and some great video from the event here at the Labs below! Word on the street is there was wii tennis games projected and played all over the labs walls!

bARTer @ Etsy Labs! from sahadeva and Vimeo.

We also had an amazing handmade photo-booth which you can see the evidence of:

For more photos and info about the DIY photo booth, click here.

Hope to see you at the next bArter!!

Tip of the Day: How to knit

2007-09-04T10:18:00.001-07:00

Ever try to teach yourself how to knit from printed instructions? It's impossible! Check out this PDFcast from Craftzine.org. Beautifully photographed instructions for the new knitter.

Tip of the Day: How To Make A Record Bowl

2007-09-01T12:46:00.001-07:00

Learn how to transform an old record into a new bowl.

Labs Wall Project: September progress!

2007-08-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

September brings in new entries for the wall and big smiles on our faces:

The wall is almost halfway full of art works sent in by Etsy members who might not be able to make it out to the Labs to say hello, but know that a small piece of them is always here with us while we work away! We still need your help to fill up the rest of the wall...I wonder if it can be done by the holidays????

Haven't heard about the Wall Project yet? Catch up on the details in this post and this forum thread to see how you too can get involved!

We'll keep you posted as it fills up!

Last Fridays Trunk Show * Etsy Green and Clean Guild

2007-08-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Next up the the Etsy Labs' LastFridays art party/trunk show series:

The Etsy Green and Clean Guild makes soaps, bath and body products, makeup, and scents. On Friday, August 31 from 6-8PM, EGCG will be hosting a trunk show shopping party at the Labs. We'll be browsing the wares for sale, listening to 80's music, enjoying blender drinks, and playing with samples of these fabulous products.

Click on any of these links for a sneak preview:

Coffin Color
Lollibomb
Magickal Realism
Martinsville Emporium
Soap
Xiane

The party happens at Etsy Labs, 325 Gold St., 6th Floor. Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please rsvp@etsy.com...see you soon!

9/2 Skill Share: the Coptic stitch

2007-08-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

book by Your Secret Admiral

On Sunday, September 2 from 3-5:30 pm , we will be hosting an informal skill share on how to bind books using the Coptic stitch (the exposed spine method that results in the type of book pictured above). Please bring paper to fill your book and covers (such as covers from old books, boards from board games, bookboard, etc.). We will supply the rest.

To RSVP or if you have any questions, please contact julie@etsy.com.

Tip of the Day: Shoe Box Shelves!

2007-08-29T14:32:00.001-07:00

Do you have a shoe-buying problem? Do you have a surplus of knick-knacks? Two wrongs DO make a right! Take your shoe boxes and glue them together like a one-sided ziggurat to make a snazzy little display for small treasures or books. Apply craft glue to hold it together and fill the bottoms with rice or cans to keep your unit steady. If you're one for the post-modern ad design-as-display leave the shoe boxes as is, if not simply cover them with contact paper, paint or fabric.

This "specialized" stacking process can also be used to make a quick and sturdy staircase, if you substitute cinder blocks
for steps and use some plywood to box it all in. Be precise when measuring your plywood frame so that the cinder blocks don't wobble. Cinder blocks are cheap from your local hardware store, and often can be found laying around.
This would be good for that loft bed you have to climb a ladder to get into, or for your backyard deck. It would even make a nice display for potted plants in the garden.
Now you can stack your achievements to new levels while I work on my graphic design skills, yikes!

Seller Shout Out: whileshenaps

2007-08-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Today I am really feeling the soft sculptures made by "whileshenaps:"
I always love and appreciate when a plush artist really takes it to the next level...I also can really appreciate a cute softie...but just by looking at the pieces in this Etsy shop I can tell that a ton of time and attention go into making each piece.
One of the best parts of whileshenaps is the fact the title means what it says...this crafty lady actually makes all of her soft sculpture during the day while her daughter is taking her nap! Looking for some good reading or the crafty musings of whileshenaps? Check out her blog here and make it one of your daily reads!

Sell your wares this Labor Day

2007-08-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

JDub Records is throwing a BBQ on Labor Day (that's Monday, September 3) from 3-9PM, and they've told us about an opportunity for craftspeople such as yourself to sell there. It will cost $50, and you can sell what you want and demonstrate your craft if you like. Tables and electricity will be provided. Vendors should get there at 2PM.

The BBQ sounds pretty awesome: There will be music from JDub artists and friends, along with a Kosher vs. Vegan BBQ cookoff (you’ll be the judge), live silk screening, a craft village presented by Etsy, face painting, bocce, magic, and most importantly, a 30-foot inflatable water slide (bring a bathing suit or be prepared)!

The 'cue will be at 400 Carroll St. (between Bond & Nevins) in Brooklyn. Just take the F to Carroll or the R to Union.

Interested? Send an email with a link or photos of your product to aaron@jdubrecords.org and CC jen@meanredproductions.com. Happy Labor Day!

apron by vital.etsy.com

Hot Tip of the Day: Photoshop and Gimp 101

2007-08-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

Have you been hearing a lot about Photoshop lately and all the wonderful things everyone says it can do to better your photos? Are you curious?

Do you have Photoshop and feel lost with how to use it or just need a little refresher course?

Well, you are in luck, because I found this great 50 minute tutorial all about using Photoshop for beginners!! Just click the play button to watch it right here:

Your product photographs on Etsy are essential to your success, because the photos are the only way your customers will be able to see what they are potentially buying. They cannot see it in person or pick it up and touch it. Using Photoshop or other photo editing software programs is such a great way to really make your photos on Etsy stand out from the crowd and get those initial clicks that just might lead to your next sales.

There are actually a ton of great Photoshop tutorials on Youtube that you can watch and learn from absolutely for free! Just search for the issue you need help with and several different videos should come right up! Here's a wealth of information for the beginner in Photoshop right here!

If you do not already have Photoshop and are looking for a free but similar photo editing alternative, check out GIMP. It is often used as a free software replacement for Photoshop and can be downloaded for free right here. You can find similar Youtube tutorials for GIMP on Youtube just like these.

And for a simple GIMP tutorial on how to make a banner, press the play button and look no further:

Happy learning and can't wait to see all of your awesome new photos and banners!!

Win These Beads and Bead Happy!

2007-08-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Oh four LUXURIOUS strands of pandas and angels and some other beads! Aren't they sweet? They were donated to the labs a while ago and they haven't found a good home yet. Perhaps they could make their way into your etsy shop? All you have to do is answer the following quiz questions correctly and post a link to a cute kitten in your reply to this blog.
1. Name one etsy seller who's shop is less than a month old.
2. Name an etsy seller who's been in the news.
3. How many people's work contribute to the etsylabs blog?

Good luck! Don't forget the kittens!

Tip of the Day

2007-08-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

EtsyRecycle Yahoo Group. Get free stuff and give away what you don't need. Brilliant!
textile art by meltedfabrics.etsy.com

Recycle your paper and MAKE BOXES!

2007-08-24T13:08:00.001-07:00

So I’m sitting here at my cluttered desk wishing I had more organizational boxes to put all my “stuff” in , you know? Right! Then I realized I had all these great pieces of scrap paper that were about to be recycled anyway, so I used them to make my own desk boxes. You too can make fabulous boxes of your own with papers of all kinds for all sorts of uses from desk supplies to really great packaging and gift boxes! All you need is paper and scissors…we’ve all got those!

You need a square piece of paper. Yours isn’t square you say? Simple: fold it diagonally along its side like so and cut off excess strip underneath fold and voila, you will have a perfectly square piece of paper ready to work with!

Fold paper from point to point in half and repeat on other side:

Now fold all four corner points to the center and it should look like this:

Fold opposite page point to paper crease and repeat on all four sides:

Unfolded, your paper should look like this, and the four squares in the middle of the paper will be the bottom of the box (your almost there!):

Now fold each corner point to the first available crease on all four sides:

Flip it over and get ready to use your scissors:

Now make cuts on two sides just to the edge of the four boxes in the middle. 4 cuts total, 2 on each side:

Now fold in the sides to make the side of the box:

Fold the opposite side as shown. You will have two points touching in the bottom of the box with two tabs sticking out.

Now fold the other two tabs in to make the remaining sides and you should have all four corner points in the middle bottom of the box:

All you gotta do now is reinforce your creases with a pen or marker…I used my trusty sharpie and you’ve got your box!

Feeling ambitious? Make another one slight larger for a lid!

Tip of the (Yester)day: Don't sell yourself short

2007-08-24T10:13:00.001-07:00

When selling your work, be mindful of pricing. Figure out what you are paying for materials, pay yourself a fair wage for your time, and consider operating costs like Etsy fees, Paypal fees and shipping/packaging expenses.

Many sellers come up with a formula for pricing their items. You can get some good advice here and here on the user wiki.

Don't forget wholesale vs retail! Most wholesale buyers assume the retail price is double the wholesale price. If you are hoping to be "discovered" through your Etsy shop by a boutique or two or twelve, make sure your prices reflect this. If they are not, state this in your shop.

Above all, don't let other people's underpriced items discourage you. For whatever reasons, some Etsy sellers just aren't charging a realistic price for their work. Maybe they just consider Etsy a hobby instead of a business, or they don't really need the income. Its useless to get angry about this! A business that isn't covering its costs has no hope of growing or succeeding in the long term. Focus on developing your designs, customer service and innovation---and make sure your prices are fair. You deserve it!

online barter begins!

2007-08-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

The online barter is full! 28 etsy artist have posted pics of the pieces they are going to swap with each other! Everyone has rated each other (super secretly) and will be given points based on their rating. They now will face off in a series of games to collect more points. It should be fun. To keep an eye on the action and see more of these artist's amazing work have a look at our flickr group!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/etsybarter
Sorry if you missed the original post inviting artist to sign up!

bARTer Art Swap Party

2007-08-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

You are invited to Etsy Labs on the evening of Friday, August 24th for a very special event known as bARTer. Part party, part art exchange, part game, bARTer will be an opportunity for you to share your art, be creative, and walk home with something new and wonderful. Sounds fun, right? Check out the bARTer blog for photos from the last bARTer at http://www.cometobarter.com/.

HOW IT WORKS ---

- RSVP by adding a comment below this post with your name and, optionally, what you're going to bring.

- When you come, bring with you a piece of art. (Painting, music, video, print, sculpture, a sweater you knit, etc.)

- When you arrive, you'll exchange your art for points. (So bring something good!)

- Later in the evening, you'll use your points to bid on other people's art.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! --

-Throughout the evening, you'll have opportunity to earn more points by starting or playing a game! Before the auction begins, everyone will have an opportunity to create and run freeform games/challenges/talent contests/feats of strength/etc. Run any kind of game you like, or just play. Think about games you'd like to run, and bring anything you like for those games. Gamemasters and winners are both awarded points.

- Did we mention you should bring awesome art? :D

WHERE & WHEN? --- Etsy Labs at 325 Gold Street in Brooklyn. August 24th, 7PM till 11 or 12PM (Don't be later than 7:30, or you'll miss out! And be prepared to stay till the evening is over -- the auction will take place at the end of the event!)

AND MOST IMPORTANT! Please RSVP by adding a comment to this post as soon as possible, we can only accept the first 75 invitations that we receive! You can add the name of up to one additional guest on your rsvp comment! If you can't comment on the blog for some reason, just shoot an email to rsvp@etsy.com, and you're in!

Oh, yes, and there will be a small cover ($2) for expenses. That's all!

Hope you can come!

-Your friends at Etsy labs and bARTer

Tip of the Day: Ecospun!

2007-08-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here at the Etsy Labs we are constantly searching for creative ways to be nice to the environment. One focus has been on figuring out ways to reuse plastic bags. Another interesting way that plastics are being recycled commercially is with EcoSpun fiber.

Here is some beautiful hand-spun yarn EcoSpun from SpazSpun.etsy.com.

EcoSpun is made completely from recycled soda bottles and is manufactured into soft fabrics that can be used for clothing, bags, carpeting, home furnishings, fiberfill... The fiber can be combined with other fibers too. First, tons of plastic bottles are collected, labels and caps removed, and sorted by color. Then the bottles are cleaned and chopped into flakes, before being melted in vats. The liquid is extruded into strands of fiber. That's just the bare bones of the process.For more details on how EcoSpun is made, check out these links:

http://www.eartheasy.com/wear_ecospun.htm
http://www.fossmfg.com/bu_ecospun.cfm

Tip of the Day: IKEA Hacker

2007-08-21T12:41:00.001-07:00

Ikea Hacking!!!

I had to do a little of this at the labs the other day and came up with the Brollop, a sweet bookshelf made from two chairs. I have been obsessed ever since. IkeaHacker is a rad blog with tutorials for everything from fabric alterations to weird cat ladders. There are tons of ideas here, and it's constantly updated!

UK Street Team retreat!!

2007-08-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

UK Street Team finally meets one another in Person:

(click photos below to see individual member names)Poor jealous little Lupin who didn't get to make it to the UK team retreat sent in these photos from the great time that happened and writes: "Hi there, several members of the UK Etsy Street Team are currently up in York enjoying our very first official retreat...We'll be sure to send links to more pics & a proper write-up of all the crafty madness that took place, but I thought you guys might like a peek at some of the photos first :) (I'm not there myself and I am dead jealous!!)

Thanks Lupin for sharing, looks like a good time was had by all! We just LOVE putting faces to names and avatars on Etsy!!

See more photos from the retreat right here on the greygoats's flickr page.

Tip of the Day

2007-08-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Flickr groups are awesome. These two can give you some great ideas for packaging:

Free Printables Group

photo by yaelfran

Nice Package Group

Enjoy!

Tip of the Day!

2007-08-16T06:43:00.001-07:00

Do you have too many clothes in your closet that just slip right off the hangers or hangers that stretch out your clothes?? Well, here's a quick and easy way to solve all your slippery hanger problems!!
I found this great tutorial and image from "little pink blog" aka katinkapinka on Etsy!

All you need is:

Your slippery hanger (wooden are great)
some lace trim
scissors
glue

Follow the simple steps linked right here and have no more hanger problems ever again (plus a pretty darn cute hanger!

Do you have an awesome tutorial on your blog? Shoot us an email to labs@etsy.com so we can share it with everyone and link you under the "How To Awesomeness" category of the Etsy Labs Library!

Tip of the Day: Make stickers.

2007-08-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Homemade stickers by Turtlepapers.etsy.com

Forget business cards. No one keeps business cards. They are a huge waste of paper and kind of environmentally offensive, IMO. Want to send a rad promo with your items? Make stickers.

Here are some ways to make stickers:

1. Get full-sheet sticker paper and
- print them with your printer
- draw them with markers
- throw a piece of lace on top of the sheet and spray stencil through the lace
- splatter paint them with a toothbrush
- stamp them
- punch them into shapes

or

2. Get a xyron machine and make anything into a sticker. Like
- old children's books and other ephemera
- neat found paper that you draw on, like old grid paper or ledger paper
- pages ripped from dime-store romance novels
- saved greeting cards
- magazines

or

3. Do like graffiti artists do and lift a stack of postage stickers from the P.O. and
- draw on them with paint markers
- roll paint over them THEN draw on them
- get your gluestick out and collage onto them
- spray stencil them

and then

write/print/stamp your etsy address on the back of them. Cut apart and toss into packages. Discretely write your shop name ON the sticker, but this makes it less likely to be loved/kept. Make your stickers covetable so your buyer keeps the shop name on hand...like a business card!

p.s. Whenever you use a sticker, toss the sticker backing into your shredder, please, and then use the shreddings to stuff something....or cut it into confetti....

Tip of the Day: Photo Research for Sellers

2007-08-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

The photo you choose for your gallery shot is the first glimpse prospective customers will get of your item. An enticing image will draw more views and, therefore, more buyers. Not sure what kind of photo is best? Here are some research tips to help you decide:

* Category Search: Browse through the top-level category that your item is in (eg: Clothing). Does your item "jump out" at you? What photos catch your eye? What sorts of colors, angles, and shots make you want to click? Which types of photos have the most views? (keep in mind that some items with an astronomical view count may have been renewed, or may be featured in blogs or treasuries.)
http://www.etsy.com/categories_main.php

* Time Machine 2: Just Sold: This tool shows the most recently sold items on Etsy (you can toggle between "Just Sold" and "Just Listed"). Check here regularly to get an idea of the types of photos that sell items.
http://www.etsy.com/time_machine2.php

* Photo Comparison: If you have two similar items, and can't decide which type of photo is best, try listing them with different kinds of gallery shots. Which gets more views and hearts?

Getting Creative with the Labs Bandannas!

2007-08-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

So we've been saving some limited editions sets of promo bandannas that we design, rip, serge, and print here in the Labs for the shop and man have they been flying out like there's no tomorrow! whew!

We've gotten some really creative sellers send us some sweet photos of what they've done with their Etsy bandanna and I just had to share:

EbonyButterfly made her bandanna into a drawstring pouch:
You can read all about how she made the pouch in this great tutorial she wrote up on her blog!

Aorta stole our hearts with this pic:
She used the bandanna as the cutest darn doggy scarf ever and sent us the doctored doggy pics to show it off!

We'd love to see what you've done to get creative with YOUR Etsy promo merch!

How to promote yourself on Etsy (and make a cool promo item!)

2007-08-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ryan of Littleput Books (littleputbooks.etsy.com) shows us how to make these cool little books that make great promotional items on her blog: http://littleput.blogspot.com/2007/08/how-to-make-single-signature-book.html

She's also got some great tips for promoting your etsy shop on there. Check it out!

Ryan is teaching a class at the Labs in Brooklyn on October 25 on how to promote yourself on Etsy. You can go here to learn more and sign up: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6421194

Handmade Music Night

2007-08-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, August 23 at 8PM, Etsy Labs is teaming up with Make Magazine and Create Digital Music http://createdigitalmusic.com/ for another Handmade Music Night. Come check out the projects on display, meet other like-minded people, and listen to some handmade music!

At the last Handmade Music Night, there were instruments made from an iron, a Gameboy, wooden blocks, an amp made from a Ritz cracker box, and a weird goo/gel that made sounds when you squeezed it.

Oh, yeah, and you can learn more from this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U927JqTq9Hg

If you wanna come, please rsvp@etsy.com. If you wanna bring something, tell us about it in your rsvp email...

Thursday, August 23. 8PM. Etsy Labs. 325 Gold St. 6th Floor. Brooklyn. See you!

Tip of the Day: Super fast Pallet Table

2007-08-13T11:20:00.001-07:00

Want a quick worktable for almost nothing? Get a couple of pallets (your local grocery store should give them to you for FREE!) and plop a piece of scrap wood on top. Make sure the pallets are the same size and eight screws should do it. Get workin'!

Tip of the Day: Alter Teeshirts with Ease

2007-08-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Taking in a huge teeshirt? Hate pinning? Turn it inside out and have a friend staple around the edges until it fits. Sew 1/2" INSIDE the staples and then trim off excess. Fast!

You too can b(art)er!

2007-08-10T14:14:00.001-07:00

For those of you who can't make it out to the Labs for the b(art)er event (see post below), we've come up with an online version!

How to Play:
1. Send an email to danielle@etsy.com. You need to be one of the first 30 artist to respond because space is limited. You must also be a mostly 2-D artist eg. painter, printmaker.

2. If you make it in time I will send you a link to our Flickr group. Post the piece of art you would like to barter in the Flickr group photo pool. How do you do that? Upload the pic into your flickr account. After you do that you will see the option to "add this photo to a group" select Etsy b(art)er. Its that easy!

2. After all the entries have been added to the flickr group you will
then have to rank each item in the group on a scale from 1(low) to
5(high). DO NOT DO THIS IN FLICKR. This will be done privately and you will given instructions via email on how to vote. Each vote is turned into points. Voting is private and you will not know where your points are at EVER, sorry.

3. You can also win points by answering skill testing questions,
completing scavenger hunts, and other secret contest we'll divulge once the online bARTer game starts.

4. The points you have won will be added to your voted score. This will decide which piece of art you will be trading your own piece with. For example - the person with the most points will trade with the person in second place, third and fourth place with swap, fifth and sixth and so on. You will not know where you are in the ranking - you will only find out which item you have "won". You will be given the etsy name of your counterpart and you both will be responsible for working out the shipping details. Hopefully we won't have any problems but if we do - there is nothing we can do here at the labs to make that person play nice, sorry.

5. Enjoy your new piece of art!

So again - send an email to danielle@etsy.com to get started. Only visual 2-D artist for now. If this works out fabulously perhaps we'll make it an ongoing game and get other Etsyians involved!

xo
Danielle

Tip of the Day

2007-08-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Have you been wondering how to make your own books? Well, here's a tip for you...

The Booklyn ED Manual has fabulous & easy-to-follow illustrated bookmaking instruction sheets, as well as lesson plans. All this information can be downloaded from their website and is copyright free. Instruction sheets include how to make one-sheet books (above), accordian books, stab bound books, flag books, and others.

A little bit about Booklyn:

Founded in 1999 Booklyn is an artist-run, non-profit 501 (c) (3), consensus-governed, artist and bookmakers organization headquartered in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Booklyn's mission is to promote artist books as an art form and an educational resource, to provide the general public and educational institutions with services and programming involving contemporary artist books, and to assist artists in exhibiting, distributing and publishing artist books.

We want to hear from YOU!

2007-08-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, we are just dying to hear from YOU!

On Friday, August 10th at 1:30pm we will be hosting an online workshop round table chatting session to talk with you guys in the community about everything Labs related, how it directly effect you, how you can get involved, and to get your input and ideas!

What we want to know:

What new projects would you like to see and participate in with the Labs?
What new tutorials would you like to see us leading and posting?
Got some great ideas for a new contest that we can host for an excuse to give you some great Labs prizes??
Tell us what type of workshop and lecture topics would you like to see covered at the Labs?

We are really excited to hear your ideas and have more of an online community impact, so put your thinking caps on and your crafting wishes on paper so we can talk all about them next Friday! We have had such a great time you guys hosting the Labs Wall Project, Antonio's Lecture, Danielle's contests and so much more that we'd like to get the ball rolling with many more ways to get the online community directly involved with the Labs!

In the meantime, our Michelle has made a forum post to help get the ideas flowing before next Friday so we have lots of ideas to keep the conversation afloat! Feel free to post your ideas there and bring them to the round table chat with the Labs! You can get to the workshop live chat by clicking here at 1:30pm tomorrow!

See you there,

Mary

Tip of the Day

2007-08-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

FRONT PAGE TREASURIES

Wondering how you can get your treasury to the Etsy front page? Aside from making a beautiful collection, here are some tips for making the front page:

* Good photos. Items with great photos are more likely to be picked for treasuries, and treasuries with good photos are more likely to be picked for the front page.

* Post in the forums. This gives you visibility to other sellers, who might put you in their treasury!

* Have alternates selected. The alternates are switched in if someone buys an item from the treasury. Admin will generally not pick treasuries that don't have alternates.

* Watermarks: There is no rule against them on the front page, but items with watermarks are less likely to be selected. If you feel the need for a watermark, make sure it crops out of the picture in the "gallery view".

that adorable card is from fantasmagoric.etsy.com

Crafting together for a local cause

2007-08-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

Project: Crafting for Charity, making functional resources for the Helen Keller School for the Blind.

Sunday from 2-6pm we hosted a crafting event here at the Labs to benefit the Helen Keller school. The school is non-profit, and is for children age 0-5, most are blind, and some have other developmental disabilities. It is a *wonderful* place, filled with caring and awesome staff members (including our own joannetracydesigns.etsy.com, who got the ball rolling on this project) and amazing, adorable kids.

See:

http://www.helenkeller.org/

http://www.helenkeller.org/graphicversion/clc.html

Below you can see most of the finished projects we got accomplished from the original list of projects the school is in need of. We will be walking to the school later this week to donate them in person from Etsy. We will try our best to take photos while we are there so you can see how happy you all helped to make this school.

Here are some shots of us in action:
And I would like to give a special shout out to Abitabite and the hussies for making and sending us these amazing and magical sewn and textured machine washable hand and feet shapes:
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

your Labs

TIP OF THE DAY!

2007-08-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

Are you participating in a craft show this Summer or Fall? If you are and have been wondering how other vendors around you are collecting credit card payments and might considering it yourself, check out this great article all about accepting credit cards at craft shows. I found it over at Indie Craft Show Directory, a super hip site that lists craft shows and art related events all over the world! It is really easy to navigate, helps you find shows to go to and apply for, and it also lets you upload shows and events of your own for free!

Who knew?

A Family Affair

2007-08-06T12:56:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! In the San Fransisco area? Check out this sweet event hosted by the SF Craft Mafia (who are some pretty awesome Etsy Sellers too):

Craft Work, Craft Play:
An Afternoon with the SF Craft Mafia

San Francisco, CA August 12, 2007 – The San Francisco Craft Mafia (SFCM) strikes again with a community event for Bay Area designers, crafty businesses, and the general public alike. A Family Affair: Tips and Treats with the SF Craft Mafia offers local businesses and designers the perfect chance to network as well as fabulous opportunities to gain new, crafty skills.

Stitch Lounge—a member of SFCM—will sponsor and host, A Family Affair on August 12, 2-6pm. The event will feature a number of work stations to pick up jewelry-making tips, work on selected patterns from Stitch Lounge's published guide to clothing customization, Sew Subversive, embellish and bedazzle garments with an assortment of buttons, beads, and sequins, and decorate delicious cupcakes. Business owners and designers can mingle over treats and exchange their own business tips and experiences.
The San Francisco Craft Mafia (SFCM) is a collective of San Francisco-based small business owners and artists committed to the promotion and growth of the independent handmade business community of the Bay Area and beyond. SFCM provides focused support for growing business ventures, a viable space and forum to network and share ideas and experiences, as well as exceptional community and shopping events. SFCM models itself after the first Craft Mafia in Austin, Texas, where a small group of crafters joined together in 2003 to support one other in their crafty business endeavors. SFCM is one of 47 active Craft Mafia chapters across the country and in Great Britain.

SFCM's inaugural event was the well-attended Mafia Made trunk show at Craft Gym last November, which featured over 20 up-and-coming clothing, jewelry, accessories, craft-related businesses, designers, and artists. SFCM member and owner of Saints and Sinners, Barbe Saint John, said, "A Family Affair promises to maintain the creative energy of Mafia Made and continue to support the diverse, inspired, and outgoing talent of the San Francisco Bay Area."

A Family Affair: Tips and Treats with the SF Craft Mafia
August 12, 2007, 2-6pm
@ Stitch Lounge
182 Gough Street (@ Oak in Hayes Valley) San Francisco, CA 94102-5918
Free to the public, $1-2 donations gladly accepted

Jewelry-making station: Cute n' easy earrings in 5 minutes. Demos provided by Craft Gym, Future Momo, and Saints & Sinners.

Clothing customization station: Get your sew on with patterns from Stitch Lounge's published guide to clothing alteration, Sew Subversive. Demos provided by CraftyBitch and Stitch Lounge.

Garment embellishment station: Sequins, fringe, beads, oh my! Bring in your old duds and get bedazzled. Demos provided by Feisty Elle, MaryJane's Attic, and My Windup Bird.

Cupcake makeover station: Decorate delicious homemade cupcakes with gummy, sprinkly, frosty fun.

Hot Tip of the Day

2007-08-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Danielle's super hot tips ! ! ! Get motivated! Refresh your shop with new pieces. Here are a few things you can do to get inspired:

Go to a color forecasting website for inspiration
buy a new sketchbook! check out these little handmade sketchbooks ;)
and new pens. these are my faves.
find a creative friend and have a craft-a-thon. i've asked featured seller crankbunny to hang out with me this weekend and craft. its always fun to see other artist's creative process.

Skill Sharing!

2007-08-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

This Week's Skill Share!

Tuesday, August 7th at 3pm:
Learn to make a wallet out of recycled paper and tape with Mary. You won't believe how ridiculously awesome and simple this is and kick yourself for not thinking of it first!!

Hope we'll see you here and watch out for tutorials coming here soon!

Skill Share: Making an ear hook

2007-08-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

What you need:

0.7mm - 0.85mm sterling silver wire

pliers: cutting and round
tweezers
torch
striker
2 glass jars
sparex
cheap-o pen

Step One

Cut pieces of wire using your cutting pliers (snips) into 1.5 inch long pieces.

Step Two This is an acetylene set up. First turn the tank on by opening the main valve (turn counter clockwise).

Step 3

Tighten the regulator (turn clockwise). You want to set the PSI to 4-5.

Step 4 Open up the torch valve a bit and light the torch with a striker.

Step 5Hold a piece of wire with tweezers and place it in front of the flame (in front of the small blue cone is the best spot). Keep the wire at a 90 degree angle to get the most centered ball end.Drop the balled ends into a glass of water to quench.

Step 6

Drop your ball ends into a mixture of warm water and sparex (about 1/8th sparex powder) to remove oxidation.

Step 7
Rinse the ball ends in water and baking soda to neutralize the sparex. Dry them off too.

Step 8 Create a small loop using the round nose pliers - holding the wire as close to the ball as possible. With your fingers, push the wire away from you and up around the back of the pliers to create a loop. Step 9
Hold the ball end against a ball point pen or dowel using your thumb. With the other hand wrap the wire around the pen to create your larger loop.
Step 10
To create the final tail use the round nose pliers again at the end of the ear hook. You can just turn the pliers away from you to for the final tail. Lastly clip any remainding wire left over from forming.

Step 11

If you have a dremel or foredom use a cup bur to round the end of the wire. You can also use a small #6 file or a bit of emery paper. If you would like these ear hooks to be super shiny drop them in a tumbler.

Voila!

Your art on our walls!

2007-08-01T08:48:00.001-07:00

Labs Wall Project: August 1st

(click photo to see individual artist names)

Well guys, here it is in all of its glory!! The official Labs wall project as of August 1st, 2007 graced with 37 submissions of your work! If you don't see your entry on the wall it's only because we haven't received it yet...we put up everything you all sent our way!

Please read the original idea and story behind this project on the Etsy blog here. For close up shots of single works, check out the awesome flickr pool especially for the Labs Wall Project here.

As you can see, we only managed to fill up one side of our massive empty wall, so we are officially making the Etsy Labs Wall Project an ongoing venture! Feel free to continue to send in your work under the original guidelines and we will continue to put it on our wall!

Thanks guys for helping to come up with such a wonderful project and making it happen...it's like all of you are here with us everyday!

August workshops and classes are the HOTTEST!

2007-07-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

Have you seen all the classes we have to offer for August!!?? Tomorrow marks the first day of August and officially the HOTTEST classes we've seen all year! Be sure to reserve your spot and come hang with us at the Labs! Are you taking a weekend vacation in NYC this August...make it that much better by stopping by the Labs and taking one of these sweet workshops while you're here! We'll be looking for you!

August class listings:

We're adding new classes all the time y'all, so keep checking out August class listings right here in the shop for the latest and greatest!!

This Week's skill sharing!

2007-07-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 8th at 2:30pm:

Learn how to bind books using the Japanese stab binding technique with Julie

Thursday, August 9th at 3pm:
Making the perfect balled ear hook with Danielle. I will show you how to ball up wire, and how to form the perfect shape for some fabulous sterling silver ear hooks.

Hope we'll see you here and watch out for tutorials coming here soon!

TRASHION* Last Fridays Trunk Show * July 27* 6-8PM

2007-07-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

So guys, it's time once again for the Last Fridays trunk show. Up this month: TRASHION.

What is Trashion? Well, as you might guess, it's fashion, accessories, art, and crafts made from trash and upcycled and recycled materials. You can check out the philosophy and some of the work of these artists here:

EtsyTrashion.etsy.com

What will be going on? Well, well, at the Trashion show, you can:

*shop more than a dozen etsy shop's designs, art, clothes, paper goods, accessories and housewares

*pick up some free samples (if you arrive early enough)

*learn more about trashion

*learn how to make some paper beads - and create some to take home for free

*take away some more trashion supplies for inspiration

*participate in our online chat

*eat some tasty treats, talk with the sellers and schmooze

*support indie designers with an eco-focus to their handmade good

What are Last Fridays Trunk Shows? Glad you asked! They're parties with music, drinks, fun people to meet and talk to, and awesome goods to browse and buy- basically a great way to start your Friday night.

Please rsvp@etsy.com if you wanna come. See ya soon!

****************************************
When: Friday, July 27 from 6-8PM
Where: Etsy Labs: 325 Gold St., 6th Floor
How: to get here: http://www.etsy.com/labs/visit.html

Here's the who's who of Trashion:

http://sweetyprize.etsy.com

http://dismantled.etsy.com

http://reneedesigns.etsy.com

http://YieldToWhim.etsy.com
http://hillbillyartist.etsy.com

http://groovyvinyl.etsy.com
http://Lovepeaceanddye.etsy.com

http://disCARDS.etsy.com
http://Kae1Crafts.etsy.com

http://funkyluke.etsy.com
http://tomatedepingles.etsy.com

http://naturemadescents.etsy.com
http://eyepopart.etsy.com

http://etsytrashion.etsy.com
http://miggipyn.etsy.com

http://trashionmode.etsy.com
http://pauliina.etsy.com

http://fairytalefibers.etsy.com
http://amuckdesign.etsy.com

http://haptotrope.etsy.com

http://shandke.etsy.com

http://spaceoddities.etsy.com

http://bayousalvage.etsy.com

http://tiltcraft.etsy.com

http://reduxdesigns.etsy.com

http://papercrafts.etsy.com

Skill Share: Making A Banner

2007-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I thought I'd show you how I made the new EtsyLabs banner. I'm not a trained graphic artist by any means but I love making banners, avatars, and general photoshopping! So here's the banner and the tips:

Here's the final product. ps click on any of these images to get some more detail!

Tip Alert! Download a fancy font! My favorite place to download free fonts is http://www.dafont.com/. Once you find something you like download it to your desktop and unzip it. Then go to the start menu -> Control Panel -> Fonts and then click "install font" and find that on your desktop. Do this before opening Photoshop.

Step One - Find some sort of background. I suggest a pic that may be floating around your flickr account, scan some fabric or ribbons, or fine something cool and free on the internet (but don't steal! Make sure its for general use.)

Step 2 - Crop this baby. Don't worry about the size yet. Just crop it so you get a good image (as wide as possible). Crop is a tool found on the left vertical toolbar - it looks like a box.

Step 3 - Now lets set the correct width. It should be 760 pixels. On the top horizontal toolbar click Image->Image Size and set the width to 760 pixels and select "OK".

Step 4 - Now lets work on the height. Do this by adjusting the canvas size (Image -> Canvas Size ). The height should be 100 pixels. In the canvas size window you can adjust the anchor if you want the pic to be cropped from the top, bottom, center etc.

Here's what we come up with so far:

Step 5 - Adding text. On the left toolbar you'll see the letter T. Click it! Now click on a space in the pic where you want to add your shop name. Now type in your shop name. Highlight what you just typed. Now you can change the font, color and size (see those options at the top of the horizontal toolbar in photoshop). Play around until you get a good result.

Step 6 - Rasterize text. At the top click Layer -> Rasterize. You've rasterized!

Step 7 - Add some dimension to your text. At the top again click Layer -> Layer style. Play around! For this banner I chose to use a suble "inner glow". Spooky!!

Step 8 - Glowing airplanes! I wanted those paper airplanes to stick out more. So I used the magic wand first. You can find the magic wand on the left hand toolbar. Once you have selected it just click on the items in the picture you want to "glow" (you can adjust the tolerance at the top if when you click on the items they aren't being selected properly). Hold the shift key while clicking away to select multiple items. Once you've selected all the items you want to pop, hover the mouse over any section of the picture and right click on the mouse. Now "Select Inverse". This should select everything EXCEPT the items you want to glow. Therefore any effect you now use will only change the background and not these items.

So now since I want everything BUT the airplanes to look a little less bright I go to Image->Adjustments->Hue/Saturation. I decrease the saturation to make it a little duller. Feel free to play around in this section though! See what other effects you can create.

Step 9 - Save! Select File -> Save As. Save it as a JPG file. Save it somewhere you can find it in a minute.

Step 10 - Upload! Log into your etsy account. On the left side under Shop Setup you'll see "Appearance". Click it! Now in the banner upload box find your new banner! Once you have all you have to do is click "save changes" at the bottom and you are golden!

Tomorrow I'll be following up with a few more photoshop banner tips using actual Etsy members who have requested new banners. So stay tuned!

Danielle

Skill Sharing!

2007-07-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Need to learn how to make a banner for your Etsy shop??
Check out this week's skill share with Danielle!

Thursday at 3pm: How to make an Etsy banner in Photoshop with Danielle! If your shop needs a banner, go ahead and post here and she can use your shop as an example for the skill share!

Tutorial: Make a Giant Pincushion Chair.

2007-07-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Mary taught us all to make simple little pincushions using The Purl Bee's tutorial.

This week I decided to make one 100 times its usual size for a stage in the Labs.

To make it, you'll need:
- a 6' diameter circle of red felt
- one yard of green felt
- one package of green 1" hem tape
- glue gun
- green embroidery thread and needle
- a HUGE amount of packing peanuts, plastic grocery bags, shredded paper and recycled polyfil

First, familiarize yourself with the Purl Bee's pincushion tutorial. You're going to be amplifying this recipe by a large amount.

Treat your large red circle as if you are making a small pincushion. Sew a loose straight stitch around the edges and then pull together to make a little drawstring sack. Stuff the packing peanuts loosely into the sack to give it some body, then sew around the top a few more times to make it really durable.

Stuff the pincushion/chair with everything you got. We filled it for an hour with every bit of clean trash we had in the Labs.

Keep packing it down and getting all the nooks and crannies (plastic bags and shredded paper are great for this) until it has a nice round shape.

Do not quit stuffing until the chair is dense and hard and holds its shape. You don't want a beanbag chair unless you're filling it with something other than packing peanuts and trash.

Use your glue gun to glue the hem tape along the sides of the chair (just like those ubiquitous strawberry ones) then cut out a "leaf" shape for the top of the chair.

Finally, tack the leaf shape down with glue and then whip stitch around the whole thing with embroidery thread.

TRASHION: How to make a long halter tunic from a t-shirt

2007-07-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

So, I made one of these a bit ago, and EVERYONE wanted to know how to make their own. So, in honor of the Trashion trunk show/art party (happening here on Friday, July 27 from 6-8PM), here it is, guys. All you need is a t-shirt, scissors, thread, and a sewing machine (and you could prolly do it by hand if you want). Arright, let's begin!

Here's the "before"

1. With the tee inside out, stitch the sleeves closed.

2. Cut off the top in a straight line, just below the neck band. Cut off the sleeves, leaving about 3/8" seam allowance.
3. Try the shirt on inside out. Pin the sides to fit.

4. Sew along where you've fitted, all the way to the top edge, and backstitch.

5. Trim the seam allowance to 3/8". Press the seams open.

6. Turn the shirt to the correct side. Make two tiny holes (it will stretch) near the top of the shirt for the straps.

7. Cut off the hem and string through the holes. Tie several knots on each side to hold.

AND DONE!

to get to the Etsy Labs for the Trashion show!

325 Gold St. 6th Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Learn more here: http://etsylabs.blogspot.com/2007/07/trashion-last-fridays-trunk-show-july.html

Join us for an intellectual property issues class at the Labs this weekend!

2007-07-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all...did you hear about the latest lecture workshop happening here at the Labs???

Class: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES FOR ARTISTS

Date: Saturday July 28th, 2007
Time: 2-4pm
Location: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street 6th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

This class will be led by Etsy's own legal counsel. Sarah is licensed to practice law in the State of New York. She does legal and business work for Etsy Inc. She has previously worked as an associate attorney at a mid sized general practice firm, as in-house counsel at American Lawyer Media, as a clerk for an attorney specializing in civil liberties, on low income tax matters at Syracuse University College of Law's Low Income Taxpayer's Clinic, and as a reporter for The Daily Record, a legal newspaper. Sarah presents seminars and is currently writing a book on the topic of intellectual property rights of visual artists. For more information on Sarah, visit www.sarahfeingold.com
Description:(1 hour 15 minute lecture, 15-20 minute question and answer session).

When you create a piece of artwork, you may automatically have intellectual property rights to certain design elements. Attorney and jeweler, Sarah Feingold, will provide you with helpful information concerning the types of intellectual property protection available to artists, how to obtain this protection and the rights you should take advantage of even if you choose to take no formal action to protect your intellectual property.

The seminar is around an hour long with a question and answer session at the conclusion. A PowerPoint presentation will be used to illustrate the topics. Each attendee will receive a packet of valuable information.

Topic's Covered:

-Intellectual property
-Infringement
-Copyright
-Idea versus expression
-Trademark
-Patent
-Design patent
-Contract
-Trade secret
-Do nothing?

To sign up for this lecture workshop, make your reservation by clicking here!

Win An Acrylic Class at the Labs!

2007-07-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal: Do you want to come to the labs and take an amazing class like this one:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5871671

And the great work we made:
So you want to come, right? How about for free?! We'll be giving away 2 spots in this class to the first two Etsy member to finish the following questionnaire perfectly! You can find all the answers somewhere on the Labs blog (here).

1. Who won the Trashion Scavenger Hunt?
2. What organization is EtsyLabs hosting an event for on August 5th?
3. What store in Brooklyn carries "exclusive Virgin Vintage knitwear produced in Cleveland, Ohio between 1947-74"?
4. Whats the first step in turning a MuuMuu into a trapeze dress?
5. Name one thing you will need when making an applique.
6. What group organized the supply swap hosted at etsy a few weeks ago?
7. What's a ybox?
8. Where is the Centerville Pumpkin Festival?
9. What tool do you use to add flavor or essential oils to lip balm?
10. What was the yummy theme of the Arts & Craft day that happened on July 7th?

Send these answers to danielle-at-etsy.com! First two to correctly answer all the questions will win a spot in this class (no exerience needed!) Here's the info about the class again:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5871671
Sidenote: You'll have to find a way to get yourself here for the class if you are from out of town.

Trashion scavenger hunt winner!

2007-07-24T10:26:00.001-07:00

We got a whole slew of entries for the trashion scavenger hunt - Everyone was so excited about it we plan to do one for every Last Friday Trunk Show! So lets get to the draw:

Entries!

Michelle drawing the winner!

and the winner is: dinglee!!
~~ *confetti!* ~~

2007-07-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Naturemadescents.etsy.com is rocking my world today! She sent in this gorgeous 'etsy' bookmarker that is going to go in with all the other Etsy and Trashion goodies which are waiting to be won. All you have to do is follow the clues to a skill-testing question and send the correct answer to me via convo (daniellexo.etsy.com). Where should you start? How about here! Good luck!

CRAFTING FOR THE COMMUNITY: Helen Keller School* August 5* 2-6PM

2007-07-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

On August 5th (2-6PM) at the Etsy Labs, we'll be making several projects for the Helen Keller School in Brooklyn, and we hope you'll be able to join us! We'll be sewing, painting, cutting, and basically having a crafty time while helping out this wonderful school.

The Helen Keller school is non-profit, and is for children age 0-5, and most are blind, and some have other developmental disabilities. It is a *wonderful* place, filled with caring and awesome staff members (including our own joannetracydesigns.etsy.com, who got the ball rolling on this project) and amazing, adorable kids.

http://www.helenkeller.org/

http://www.helenkeller.org/graphicversion/clc.html

If you're not able to come to the event, but want to make project either with your street team or by yourself, here are some projects that the school needs:

* Costumes for dress-up- Should be a lab-coat or smock style (easy to get into), with large buttons (1/2" to 1 1/2" diameter) or zippers, etc. so the kids can practice using those skills. Any kind of costume that you think kids might enjoy is great! Mermaid, doctor, prince(ess), firefighter, police officer, whatever! Accessories for the costumes are cool too! Please make sure the costumes are machine washable. The school really wants these, and it sounds so fun! Here's an example of a lab-coat style costume:

* Texture quilt- this could be fun for a group quilting-bee! Make a quilt with lots of varied textures and things to feel. Machine washable, with no choking hazards please!

* Curtain- there is a "fort" in the playroom in the school, and there's a window in the fort. A curtain could be fun for peek-a-boo and hiding. The curtain should be 12" by 12".

* Hands and Feet- ok, this project could be for a group or several individuals. Make hand and feet shapes that can be put on the ground and be used as a learning tool. They should incorporate textures and bright colors. Materials should be durable- you can get creative here, but if you use fabric it should be machine washable (unless it's vinyl or something that can just be wiped clean).

Now, here's some things to know about what we'll be making:
1. Texture: Since most of the kids are blind, texture is really important. Use materials with interesting/varied textures, since that's a major way for these kids to learn about their world. Smooth, silky, fuzzy, hard, soft, nubby, etc...
2. Colors: Did you know that many blind people have some eyesight? Using bright colors with high contrast will make things easier to see. The school is decorated mainly in primary colors. Think about putting, for example, blue next to yellow instead of next to green.
3. Saftey: Make sure there are no choking hazards on the quilt or curtain. Small buttons, any small parts or pieces that can be pulled off are a no-no.

4. Machine washable- projects made of fabric should be machine washable.

So, if you or your street team is interested, please post in this thread: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5162246&page=1, or send a convo to daniellexo to sign up for a project. And, if you can, please send pictures and/or video of you or your group making things...we'd love to post them to the Labs blog, flickr.com, and youtube. We will also be broadcasting the event in the workshop (http://www.etsy.com/workshop.php), so everyone can join in!

If you have art supplies with interesting textures to donate, those are great too! We will post information soon about how to donate money to the school for those who are interested. We've gotten such a wonderful response from the Etsy community already. Go Etsy! And hurray for the Helen Keller School and their wonderful work!

Please send projects and material donations to:

Etsy Labs

c/o Danielle Maveal

325 Gold St., 6th Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11201

To donate money to the school, send a check made out to Helen Keller Services for the Blind to:

Sam Morgan

Children's Learning Center

Helen Keller Services for the Blind

57 Willoughby St.

Brooklyn, NY 11201

If you can make it to the event at the Labs, please rsvp@etsy.com. Thanks!

Skill Share Requests: We want to hear from you!

2007-07-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! We have had a ton of fun leading skill shares here at the Labs and posting them as tutorials for you guys to learn from and make things with us! We have so many more in mind to complete, but first....

We'd like to hear from YOU!

What types of skill shares and tutorials would you like to see us run? Comment here on our blog in the comments section with what you'd like to learn from us here at the Labs and later see on the blog and we will make a list and try our best to make most of them happen (within reason)!

Ok, let us have it!

Clay as Art at the Labs...

2007-07-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Labs will be hosting this Clay as Art trunk show for Tasha McKelvey of Tashamck.etsy.com during her weekend trip to NYC from Richmond. Tasha is making the trip up here to teach two very specialized workshops:

CLASS 7/21/2007 Making Texture Molds for Clay Jewelry and Buttons
CLASS 7/22/2007 ALL ABOUT ART AND CRAFT SHOWS

If you are interested in signing up for either of these classes just follow their links to reserve your spot. If you'd like to come to the trunk show, please rsvp@etsy.com, and we hope to see you all at the show!

Win an Etsy Goodie Bag and a Trashion Goodie Bag!

2007-07-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Want to win a bag of etsy goodies AND a bag of goodies donated by the Trashion Street team? Go to this thread to find out how to begin! And don't forget to pop by the Trashion Trunk Show Friday July 27th from 6pm to 8pm and check out all the amazing goods ! If you're not in Brooklyn you can find us in the workshop too! We'll have a camera set up so everyone can be in on the action. More info about that here!

Unique store concept: Found by us and brought to you!

2007-07-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago I had the pleasure of meeting Steven Tater (pictured above talking with Anda), the president and creative director of the Ohio Knitting Mills store located at 231 Smith Street here in Brooklyn. The meeting was so beneficial, because not only did Steven bring along and donate nearly 1000 reams of vintage trim to the Etsy Lab's growing supplies (pictured in all of the plastic bags above), but we got to learn all about the Ohio Knitting Mills.

This unique store right here in Brooklyn, carries exclusive Virgin Vintage knitwear produced in Cleveland, Ohio between 1947-74 that has never been worn! Wow! All of the knitwear is "Produced by the Ohio Knitting Mills of Cleveland, Ohio between the years 1947-74, the rare collection of sweaters, capes, vests, shirts, dresses and jackets are made from 100% virgin wool, as well as pure linen, cotton, mohair, acrylic, nylon, and blends. The pieces we offer here have never been worn and are in near perfect condition, and many are one-of-a-kind."
I had personally never heard of a store with this concept before and simply can't wait to check it out in person! I particularly love the idea that the clothing isn't reproduced, but actually pieces from that era that have been protected and can still be worn.
From what I understand, Steven still has a good amount of quality vintage trim he is looking to de-stash for a great price, so if you contact him or the store, you just might find yourself a great deal before everything runs out!

We here at the Labs wanted to pass along this gem of a find in the event you have need for some vintage knitwear or new trim supplies! Contact him or stop by the store by sending an email to: info@ohioknittingmills.com.

HOW TO MAKE A TRAPEZE DRESS FROM A MUUMUU

2007-07-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Do you need a cute and swingy dress or top to get you through the summer? Well, grab a muumuu from the thrift store and chop it down to fit. Mary and I had a great time making our dresses, and it only took about 30 minutes. Here's how to do it:

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate (you've made, oh, at least 3 projects)
MATERIALS:
* muumuu, dress, or nightgown that is too big for you
* sewing machine
* matching thread
* clear plastic ruler (or piece of cardboard or printer paper if you don’t have it)
* tailor’s chalk or pencil (or regular pencil if you don’t have it)

BEFORE PICS (sad faces!)

1. Try the dress on inside out.
2. Fit under the arms on both sides: Place a pin vertically through both side seam layers to mark. Fit test: you should be able to move your arms comfortably.
3. Decide the length (optional): Fold the hem up until you find a length that you like. Pin in the front in a few spots to hold it in place. Fit test: stand up straight, and look in a full length mirror. Hint: get it to hit the slimmest part of your thigh for the most flattering look, or just wherever you want you don’t care about such things.
4. Marking and cutting the hem (optional):
a. Put a pin in the crease that marks the final length. Measure ¾” (for the double hem fold back) below this point and mark this spot with your tailor’s chalk.
b. Take the pins out of the hem area, and lay the muumuu flat, still inside out. Measure the distance from the mark to the existing hem (or cut a piece of cardboard or paper to size- you might have to tape several together). This distance is the hem length
c. Moving around the hem, mark hem length.
d. Cut along the marks.
5. Sewing the side seam:
a. On the bottom of both side seams, measure ¾” up from the hem. Mark with tailor’s chalk.
b. Using your ruler (or straight edge of cardboard), draw a straight line from the point where you pinned under the armpit to the mark ¾” from the hem.
c. Sew along this line. Cut off excess fabric on the side seam, leaving 3/8”. d. If you like, clean-finish the seam by pressing the seam allowance towards the back, and zigzag stitch over the seam allowance on the front side.
6. Sewing the hem:
a. Fold the hem up 3/8” towards the backside. Sew ¼” from the edge (you can use the foot as your guide).
b. Fold the hem again 3/8”. Stitch on the correct side with a zigzag stitch.
7. Making the cap sleeve (optional):
a. Turn the muumuu inside out.
b. Measure 3” (approximate guideline- see what will look best on your dress-this is where the bottom of the sleeve begins) up from the armpit/side seam on front. Mark with a pin.
c. Measure 2.5" (approximate guideline- this is the length of your sleeve- look at this with the muumuu on and see where you'd like it to hit) from shoulder seam down outside edge of sleeve. Mark with a pin.
d. Draw a gently curved line between these points.
e. Cut around line. At bottom of sleeve, cut ¼” from sleeve seam.
f. Fold back ¼” all around, and sew with narrow zigzag stitch.
8. Finishing touch: If you want, you can make a belt out of the excess fabric you cut from the hem. I just folded it back 1/4" on all sides and zigzagged around. Mary appliqued on top of hers and added a fat belt for extra style.

ALL DONE!

questions, grasshopper? Send an etsy conversation to HeyMichelle and I'll help you get on the path to muumuu-dom.

Tutorial: Making and Applying Appliques

2007-07-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

How to make and apply an appliqué to fabric:

Here's what you'll need:

iron
ironing board
assorted fabrics
thread
embroidery floss (optional)
sewing machine (optional)
scissors
fusible interfacing (look here)
buttons (optional)

Here's what you do:

step 1: First you will need to have an idea of what you want your appliqués to be shaped like, how many pieces you want, and it is a good idea to make a sketch or sketches of each piece.
step 2: Cut out squares of the fusible interfacing big enough to hold the area of your sketches. To save interfacing, try sketching your applique idea onto the back (smooth side) of the sheet and cutting out the square around it.

step 3: After you have your squares of interfacing cut, place them rough side down on top of the designated color fabric that is on your ironing board. The fabric should be "right side" (the side you want to show) facing down towards the ironing board. Make sure your fabric is a little bit wider than the squares of interfacing so the ironing board doesn't get sticky!
step 4: Now make sure your iron is heated up and set on a silk setting. Start gently gliding the iron over the fabric with the smooth sided interfacing on top. As the paper becomes flatter you can apply more pressure with constant iron movement. This should only take a 2-5 seconds and you will notice the paper adhering to the fabric and becoming one stiffly bonded piece.
step 5: Set down the iron (but keep it on) and start cutting out the desired appliqué shape from the fabric/paper sandwich (I chose a bird on bee printed fabric). Once you have your shapes cut you are ready to adhere them onto anything now!! A bag, shirt, tote, more fabric, pants, skirt, cardboard, and some pieces of wood!
hint: If you don't want to attach them to anything, you can give just the appliqués as presents or sell them alone for other people to use them for their own crafty projects. Just leave the paper on the back of the patch and viola!
step 6: So you're ready to attach your appliqué? We'll use a tunic in this example (the tunic is actually one I reconstructed from another skillshare showing up later this week). Place your tunic flat on the ironing board positioned where you want your appliqué to sit. Run the iron over it a couple times to make sure it is smooth and warms up the surface a bit. Peel off the paper backing from your appliqué and you will notice a clear sheen adhesive bonded to the fabric. Place the bonded side down onto the shirt flat.
step 7: Iron on top of "appliqué/tunic sandwich" keeping movement. As the fabric heats up apply more pressure. Check to see if fabric and appliqué are bonded well; you might have to check a couple times before getting it just right. Once fabric is bonded set down iron and turn off.
hint: You have now successfully bonded your appliqué to your shirt! You can leave it like this if you want, but for a more secure, structured, and detailed appliqué...keep reading.
Step 8: It is now time to reinforce your bonded appliqué with sewing. You can hand sew the edges of the appliqué with either thread or embroidery floss, or you can run it through the sewing machine like we have pictured below. Get creative with your sewing using different threads, colors, and stitches. You can also use buttons to add details like eyes, bubbles, and other round imagery!
You now have a new perfectly appliquéd item! This technique is so great for dressing up old clothes, totes, curtains, etc....get creative!
*Note: Once you have appliquéd clothing, the washing instructions may change due to the material you have chosen to adhere. For best results, hand wash appliquéd clothing!

This Week's skill sharing!

2007-07-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

As part of membership to the labs, we have been conducting a program called "skill sharing." This program includs brief tutorials on basic crafting skills that will go on each week in a casual setting. At the beginning of each week, we will announce each skill that will be shared during the week, who will be leading it, the date and time. All members are welcome to stop by and learn the skill for free while it's going on!

We will also be posting brief picture and video tutorials concerning the skill share later in the week after we have completed the mini workshops...Soooooo come learn with us!

This Week, skill shares will involve:

Wednesday 7/18, 3pm: Learn how to make a one-sheet book with Julie. One-sheet books are very simple and useful 8-page books created from
one sheet of paper and are great for making short zines.

Thursday 7/19, 4pm: Learn how to make your own homemade tags with heat transfers with Anda.
Friday 7/20, 1pm: Reconstruct an old T-shirt inta a Halter Tee with Michelle! Chop a full-sized t-shirt into a long DIY halter top.

Hope to see you there and hope you will check with us each week for tutorials following the skill share sessions!

Supply Swap Success!

2007-07-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the many talents of the NYC Craft Mafia ladies pictured above (who happen to be savvy Etsy sellers as well that you can read up on here), the supply swapping event at the Labs yesterday left us with many happy faces and tons of inspiration!

We got the lounge organized and ready for the event and separated all the supplies onto three separate tables; the crafting miscellaneous table, the fabric table, and the sewing notions table:
Did I mention there were supplies spilling out of boxes underneath the tables and on the floor too?
We also had a larger that life "yarn bowl!"
So many amazing trinkets and ephemera:
And tons of people to come SWAP!!!

The feel of the event was so unique, because as people arrived they seemed so proud that they had just cleaned out their closets and old craft supplies (that sense of accomplishment and de-cluttering after a good spring cleaning), and then as they would start to look around, the feelings would turn to excitement at discovering a new treasure that they simply couldn't believe was actually there...and was FREE!!?? Some left with more than they came with, some with less, but best of all....everyone left happy!

This was definitely an event that we plan on repeating, so keep checking back for the details of the next one!

Church of Craft Summer in the City Salon Series * Thursday, July 26, 6PM

2007-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Join the NYC Church of Craft for the second free Summer in the City salon event at the American Craft Council Library

The title of the lecture is Marketplace Intervention: The Do-It-Yourself Renaissance.

Reverend Callie Janoff of the NYC Church of Craft and Hodge Podge clothing designer Cal Patch will discuss how they're converting, inspiring, educating and creating the next wave of craft lovers.

The lecture will be on Thursday, July 26 at 6 pm, with a reception to follow. The American Craft Council Library 72 Spring Street, 6th Floor (between Crosby & Lafayette)

Please rsvp at http://mailbox.etsy.com/mail/src/compose.php?send_to=education%40craftcouncil.org or at 212-274-0630 x.234

http://www.churchofcraft.org/

http://www.hodgepodgefarm.net/

The American Craft Council is a national, nonprofit educational organization founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb. The mission of the Council is to promote understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft.

The Summer in the City Salon Series is made possible by the support of Leatrice S. Eagle.

Craft Supply SWAPPING MAYHEM!

2007-07-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Etsy partners with the NYC Craft Mafia to host a crafting swap not be reckoned with:
Co-hosted by: New York City Craft Mafia (newyorkcitycraftmafia.com)
Date: Sat. July 14, 2-5pm
Where: Etsy Labs (duh)

Free to swap if you bring stuff, $10 charge if you don't bring anything.
BYOB/snacks to share

These two pictures represent the Craft Mafia's swap from last year...just imagine the possibilities of how ginormously big the swap will be now that they have joined forces with the Etsy Labs....mmooowwwaaahahahaha (evil taking over the world laugh).
See you there...fancy to swap? RSVP to swap by sending an email to rsvp@etsy.com

Cupcakes Took the Cake

2007-07-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday's Cupcakes Take the Cake crafting event was a huge success. Thanks to a mention in Time Out NY, lots of New Yorkers discovered Etsy and the Labs.

The cupcakes provided by Crumbs Bakery were beautiful and delicious (beautilicious?).

And the crafting! Oh, my! Attendees made cupcake-themed crafts out of polymer clay*, covered buttons and bags with cupcakes, and screenprinted cupcakes on shirts.

The chatroom and webcam were in full swing, and it was awesome (as always!) chatting with Etsians from all over and checking out their cupcake crafts. Here was one that caught my eye:

*shout-out to Etsy's Polymer Clay Street Team PGACOE for donating this awesome material to Etsy Labs.

You can check out more photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/etsylabs/

Anyway, thanks to all who came to the party and the chat...see you next time!

Application Time for the Pumpkin Festival

2007-07-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

The festival is now accepting applications and the ladies of the Etsy Labs are excited to see what your entries this year will be! But you best hurry since the application deadline for this year’s event must be postmarked by Friday August 10th, 2007. Acceptance letters will be mailed out the 31st of August, 2007.

The Centerville Pumpkin festival is a Fall, pumpkin, and Halloween themed event that is filled with fun for all walks of life including adults, children, and families. The Pumpkin Festival is an all-day event, outdoors, free to attend, offers fine art, crafts, and produce for sale. This year it will last from 10am-4pm and is located just outside of Richmond, VA.

This year’s festival will be specially featuring the website Etsy.com, your place to buy and sell all things handmade, and is offering a special discounted booth fee specifically for Etsy sellers that apply to vend at the event!

Not in the area or can’t apply? We are also looking for promos and samples to include in the 200 pumpkin swag bags that will be given out to the first 200 people that come to the event, any amount you can provide would be more than helpful! We are also looking for volunteers to help during the Festival hours.

For more information about applying, promos, and or volunteering at the Pumpkin festival, please send an email to Mary@etsy.com and visit our website and myspace pages: http://centervillepumpkinfestival.blogspot.com and http://myspace.com/centervillepumpkinfest

Hope we’ll see you there!

Skill Sharing!

2007-07-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

Re-introducing SKILL SHARES:

We will also be posting brief picture and video tutorials concerning the skill share later in the week after we have completed the mini workshops...Soooooo come learn with us!

Starting this Monday, skill shares will involve:

Monday 7/9, 3pm: Learn to make a drawstring pouch with Anda! Make a simple small drawstring pouch from your leftover scrap fabric. Awesome for promos or to hold the lipbalms you'll make later this week with Julie!

Tuesday 7/10, 6pm: Learn how to make the perfect appliqué patch you've been just dying to make to dress up your shirt, bag, pants, skirt...the possibilities are endless! Then we'll learn how to apply it!

Wednesday 7/11, 2pm: Learn the ins and outs of making your own lip balm with Julie!! Learn how to make your very own lip balm using a vegan base, flavor oils, and recycled containers. Feel free to bring your own lids or used lip balm containers to pour your concoction into.

Friday 7/13, 3pm: Reconstruct a Mu Mu dress with Michelle! Transform a thrift store muumuu into a swingy trapeze dress.

Hope to see you there and hope you will check with us each week for tutorials following the skill share sessions!

How to Make Lip Balm

2007-07-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lip balm is surprisingly easy to make. We made lip balm using the easiest/quickest/laziest way possible that involves all common household tools. We'll also be covering the proper, slightly more involved method of lip balm making (noted in italics).

What you'll need:

-lip balm base or waxes+oils+extras (see The Slower Way, below)

-essential or flavor oil(s)

-pipettes (one for each flavor )

-microwave or double-boiler (see The Slower Way, below)

-glass measuring cup with pouring spout

-spoons or spatulas

-lip balm tube holder (optional, but I'd highly recommend it, if you're filling a great quantity of tubes)

-lip balm tubes, jars, pots, lids, bottle caps, etc.---any container that you would like to use for your lip balm

-shrink bands for sealing containers (optional--but recommended, if you're going to be selling your lip balm)

-newspaper or craft paper to cover your counters

-towels for cleaning up

The Fastest Way

Step 1: Preparation

(a) Buy your supplies. Listed below are the sources that we used and can recommend from personal experience.

(b) Set up all the supplies you'll need on a countertop covered in newsprint or craft paper. You'll be glad you did this because lip balm can be hard to clean up if you make a mess. I would recommend working in the kitchen as close to the microwave as possible, since you'll be using it a lot, if you're following this method. Be sure you have all your supplies ready, including the containers you'll be pouring into. Once the mixture is melted, you'll need to work quickly, but steadily, so the mixture doesn't harden before it has been poured.

(c) Put on your favorite apron/lab coat, if you feel so inclined.

Step 2: Scooping
Scoop out your base into a glass measuring cup that has a spout.

Step 3: Melting

Melt the base in the microwave. Take out every 30-45 seconds and stir, so that the base is heated evenly.

Step 4: Flavoring
After the base has melted completely and has cooled very slightly, use a pipette to drop in the appropriate amount of flavor or essential oils. Use a different pipette for each flavor/scent that you use, so as not to cross-contaminate. The honey flavor oil we used called for 2-4% of flavor oil to base. 2-4% is a good rule-of-thumb for flavor. Essential oils need less, about 0.3-1.5%. The oils you choose may recommend different proportions, so check before you get started. Stir just until mixed.

It is important that you add your flavor/essential oil after you melt the base. If you add the flavor before you melt the base, it will lose its potentcy in the heating process.

Step 5: Pouring

Using the very same measuring cup that you melted the base in, pour your mixed and melted concoction into your tubes or jars or what have you. That's why the spout is so handy. If you're using tubes, fill only to the top of the inside screw. Once the mixture has cooled, finish filling the tube. Pour almost all the way to the top, for that professional and rounded look. This process avoids the risk of cracking that can occur when filling the tube in one go. If you're using jars or lids, just pour all the way to the top in one pour.

Don't be discouraged if you make a mess when you first start pouring. After a few tries, you'll be a pro. It's all in the wrist.

I've read that you can transfer the melted lip balm mixture to the containers using plastic pipettes (but not glass), but I had no luck with that method. I found that the lip balm hardened inside the pipette before it could be dispensed.

Step 6: Labeling
Make some sweet labels. Anda made these on Photoshop. Aren't they beeautiful?

Below are some examples of recycled containers for lip balm. We're currently trying to rack our brains for a good way to make the lid-container lip balm more transportable. Any ideas? Send them our way!

Step 7: Sell your lovely lip balm on Etsy or give it to all your friends!

If you're planning on selling your lip balm, there are some FDA guidelines that you need to keep in mind when creating the labeling and packaging. You can find the FDA's Cosmetics Labeling Guide here: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-lab3.html#clgk. We're not sure of the legalities of selling lip balm in recycled containers, so that is something to also consider.

The Slower Way & Other Tips

Don't be frightened, The Slower Way really isn't scary. Unfortunately we don't have pictures because we were too impatient to get crackin' on the lip balm production and we have a microwave, but not any sort of double-boiler.

1. Instead of buying a pre-made base, you can buy wax (beeswax, candelilla, carnauba) oil (safflower, sweet almond, coconut, castor) and other additives (such as vitamin E, shea butter, cocoa butter, colorant) from any of the suppliers below. You can either play around to try to find a consistency and combination that you find most pleasing or follow a recipe, which can also be found on those sites. A mixture containing more oils makes a glossier lip balm, while a mixture containing more wax and butters creates a more matte lip balm.

2. If you would like to add a hint of color to your lip balm, simply add some pieces of old lipstick during the melting step of the process.

3. If you would prefer not to use a microwave for melting, improvising a double-boiler is easy. You can either use (a) a saucepan or (b) an electric frying pan. Be sure to use potholders and be aware that boiling water is indeed HOT.

(a) Fill the saucepan partially, about a 1/3 of the way, with water. Place the glass measuring cup that contains the base (either the one you bought pre-made or concocted yourself from wax+oil+extras) in the water. Heat till simmering. Once the mixture has melted, pour into the containers, as detailed in The Fast Method (see above).

(b) Using a saucepan is essentially the same thing, except that you'll need need to fit the pan with a wire rack for the measuring cup to rest upon. Proceed as described above.

4. When using with the Fast Method, particularly, working in small batches is a good idea because (a) a small batch is lighter and easier to pour and (b) a small batch doesn't start to cool before you're done pouring.

5. Remember, although the process of making lip balm uses many household tools, be sure to keep these tools separate from your actual cooking tools. Use measuring cups and spoons that you don't mind sacrificing for using only for lip balm. You don't want to eat that stuff.

Resources

Mabel White Home Living Corp.

http://www.mabelwhite.com/

This company has an extensive selection of flavor oils. They also have an extensive selection of everything else you'd need, including shrink bands to seal tubes and jars, plus instructional videos.

Majestic Mountain Sage

We bought vegan base and the tube holder from here. They also have a comprehensive stock of lip balm supplies.
http://www.thesage.com/

Not Martha

http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/lipbalm

This blog has good illustrated step-by-step instructions for making lip balm that features the double-boiler method of melting the base.

The Chemistry Store

http://www.chemistrystore.com/
We bought tubes from here. They also sell all the other basic and special lip balm making supplies.

CUPCAKES TAKE THE CAKE

2007-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Warning: there will be a major sugar-overload at Etsy Labs on Saturday, July 7 from 2-5pm. We'll be eating cupcakes (provided by the delectable Crumb bakery) and doing some cupcake-related crafting. Feel free to bring any projects that you're working on, or come and be inspired by the projects that we'll have going on. Please rsvp@etsy.com to join the fun!

Fibers Night TONIGHT!!

2007-07-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Come help us kick off our weekly Fiber nights here at the Labs!!

Show up tonight and Teusdays from now on 6-8pm to meet and craft with other sweet fiber artists in the area! Knit, crochet, spin, felt, and anything else fiber related you like...even get tips from others on your latest project!! It's free and open to the public, and don't forget to BYOB and cupcakes if you wish! For more info email labs@etsy.com.

Screen printing at the Labs!

2007-07-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

(photo from printing student's work in weekend workshop at the Labs)

This past weekend's screen printing workshop at the Labs was such a hit! Take a look at how the class went below as Phil Sachs of Sheepshead Design leads the class and shares his vast knowledge and screen printing skills:

The students came with a notebook ready to learn (they had never previously screen printed before) and by the end of the workshop, were printing on everything from posters and canvases, to t shirts and potholders! It was so exciting to see all the different designs and imagery that each individual came up with!

If you are interested in learning how to screen print at the labs, we have another weekend workshop with a few spaces left open scheduled for July 21st and 22nd listed in our shop right here. Phil is also in the midst of drawing up a lesson plan for more advanced printers that want to improve their style and dive into more advanced screen printing work so keep your eyes on our class listings for the advanced class soon!

CREST trunk show love!

2007-07-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Friday night's CREST trunk show here at the Labs was such a success! What a wonderful evening we here at the Labs had getting the chance to meet so many talented etsians in person for the first time as well as seeing some other friendly faces again!

The ladies got here early in the day to set up along with us and then we got down to business preparing all the food:

Right about 6pm the guests started arriving and there was a steady stream of traffic from then through 8pm when everyone began to pack up! One of the best parts of the show was the fact that we had the web cam streaming in Etsy workshop mode so that all etsians no matter where they were could join in the trunk show fun too!
CREST made sales, passed out business cards, networked with the guests, and were all in all a fabulous team to work with and have in our presence!
Thanks guys for a great show!

Interested in coming to one of our "Last Friday trunk shows?" RSVP by sending an email to rsvp@etsy.com and stop on by the last Friday of every month here at the Labs between 6-8pm!!

Way to go UK Street Team!

2007-07-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

We just got the latest word from the UK Etsy street team updating us with all the exciting news that is going on with their team! They are not only binding together as team by utilizing the Etsy forums and other online sites like Blogger and Flickr to create design challenges, keep up with each other, organize swaps, and communicate...but they have just recently planned their very first meet up scheduled for this coming August!

(the above photo is an example of one of the entries in the UK Etsy Challenge pool originally uploaded by c-urchin)

Lupin of Lupin.etsy.com writes:

I thought you might like a little update on some of the fun things
we've been up to over in the UK Street Team...

We started a supplies swap group over on Flickr. You can see a big list of some of the crazy supplies we've swapped in just a couple of months here... and you can see some of the awesome things our members have made with their swapped-for supplies here.

We love swapping so much that we organised a secret-santa-esque Secret Swap where everyone who took part made a secret something for someone else and got their own secret surprise in the post around the same time...some of the awesome items swapped (many of them custom-made) can be seen here and here.

We are totally over-excited because our very first official meet-up and crafting retreat has been given the go-ahead. The people of York better watch out in August!
Lots of team members are busy discussing travel plans and activities for the weekend in this forum thread.

And finally (for the moment!) we continue to have awesome design challenges. Every month we have a new theme, any UK Etsy seller can enter via our challenge group on Flickr. and at the end of the month (after midnight on the very last day) we start a voting thread in the "etc" section of the forums that runs for 36 hours to allow everyone to vote no matter what their time-zone! There have been some amazing things created especially for the challenges, and it's great to see so many people taking part.

Last month's theme was "Flowers", all the entries can be seen here. Or on the blog here. This month the theme is "Fairytales", and voting has just begun! You can check out all the great entries in the voting thread here.

A huge thanks to Lupin and the UK Etsy street team for all your hard work and dedication to staying in touch and being an active team! You guys are such a wonderful example of how a team can bind together and make events and challenges happen by communicating not only in person, but over the web!

Is your team taking initiatives to spread the Etsy word? We to hear all about it and share it with the rest of the community, so please email labs@etsy.com with what you and your team are up to!

Bringing the heart of the Labs to a town near you!!

2007-06-29T09:28:00.001-07:00

I'm more than excited to share with all of you how one street team is bringing the heart of the Labs to their own town and encourage each of you to follow their lead and bring the Labs to your town too!
Heidi of Designchic and Danielle of PreciousPups of the Michigan Etsy Street Team organized a skill sharing team event in Michigan open to everyone! They named it a "Make-Out Session," since they would be leading skill shares and making things the whole time as Heidi explains, "yesterday we had a "make-out session". Taryn from TalkingSquid did an embroidery demo and Danielle did a glass etching demo. It was a lot of fun, (and) I'm hoping that we can do them on a monthly basis."
The ladies promoted the event all over the Etsy forums and in the area to spread the word about the event. What a great way to bring what we are doing here at the Brooklyn Labs to their own area! This is exactly the type of initiative we want you all to be taking with your teams and expanding the Etsy love all over! I KNOW lots of you have been wanting an Etsy Labs in your own area, and this is the perfect way to bring the concept there within your own team!
Please check out the rest of the awesome photos from this session on flickr: here.

Thanks Heidi and Danielle...keep up the great work! Have you been taking initiatives with your team and setting up events in your area? We'd really love to hear about them and show them off as examples for other teams! Send me your info to labs@etsy.com.

Won't you join us for a Lecture??

2007-06-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

Many Etsy sellers want to grow their businesses but at the same time, they want to remain in control of what they produce. At Etsy, we would like to help more independent artists make a living from what they make. We’ve discussed trying to find an alternative model to “business-as-usual.” This Monday July 2nd, we’ll be opening our doors at the Labs and to the online Workshop to further discuss how to remain independent while creating a sustainable business. Part of this entails a new approach to marketing and communications.

On Monday July 2nd at 7pm, we’ll be hosting an informal talk led by Englishman Antonio Gould: The Global Microbrand: Using the Web to Stay Small whilst Selling all over the World. Antonio will address many of the issues Etsy sellers face as they try to make a name for themselves. He has worked as a new media consultant in Europe and approached Etsy, seeing it as an interesting manifestation of many of his key points.

If you are NYC-area based, please join us in person for this free talk. As many of our members can’t be there face-to-face, we’ll be using the Workshop to open up the discussion to everyone. Please wait for the virtual doors to be unlocked in the Workshop Lobby at 7pm on July 2nd.
Anyone who has an interest in blogging, social-networking, online video, etc is much welcome. We want this to be a lively discussion with folks sharing their experiences and newbies raising important questions from their point of view.

Please RSVP@etsy.com and say whether you’ll be coming in person or online via the Workshop. Here’s my post in the forums about the talk. See you soon!
–Vanessa

Make Fabric Tags!

2007-06-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

Narchi has a cool tutorial today on making homemade fabric tags using a hand-carved stamp.

I love making tags. My favorite method at the moment is printing logos onto iron-on transfer paper (print it mirror-image from how you want it) and then ironing onto ribbon. Another cool technique is to screen or gocco print onto an old tshirt and then cut the tags from that---tshirt jersey usually curls at the ends instead of fraying, and it looks really cool when the image is larger, like business card sized. And of course, you can get a rad effect with our favorite material: fused plastic bags. That stuff never frays and you can draw on it with a sharpie or print it with any number of techniques.

Sew Useful Contest!

2007-06-25T14:26:00.001-07:00

Have you guys heard about Etsy's Sew Useful contest??? It's a great way to get crafting that could really benefit you in the end!
You could win one of THESE:
And the proceeds from the contest go to THESE:

You guys better read up on the contest right here!! We can't wait to see your entries!

Our new baby!!

2007-06-25T12:38:00.001-07:00

We've been working closely with our new platen press here at the Labs! Check out Julie mastering the press with this sweet plate that Matt found on the the ground (can you believe it)!!??

This is our little unicorn plate:
And all of the type:
Keep your eyes open for new goodies made with this platen press as well as a class that might show up in the class listings soon!!

Success!!!

CREST Trunk Show Party! Friday, JUNE 29

2007-06-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Come on down to the Labs for an evening of art, craft, and spirits (the non-ghostly kind!) with Etsy's Capitol Region Street Team. Its the last Friday of the month, join us for shopping and fun from 6-8pm.

Check out the work of these fab arts-n-crafters, meet your fellow Etsians, check out the labs, and maybe even get yourself a little something nice.

uglykitty.etsy.com
oblinaknit.etsy.com
fortcloudy.etsy.com
jewelstreet.etsy.com
pollyscoots.etsy.com
glitteryblue.etsy.com
designsbytia.etsy.com
seasidequilts.etsy.com
mishutkadesign.etsy.com
canalecreations.etsy.com
ericaburnsdesigns.etsy.com

please rsvp@etsy.com. See you there!

Etsy at Renegade 2007...boy it was hot!!

2007-06-19T12:16:00.001-07:00

What an amazing and crazy time we had representing Etsy at Brooklyn’s own Renegade Craft Fair at McCarren park pool!! The venue was an ACTUAL pool that had been drained and is now used for big events like Renegade! Here is what our booth looked like:

We got there early, and boy was it hot outside!! After setting up the tent and eating some strawberries, we were ready for the day and that’s when the crowds started pouring in from all over NYC!! It was crafting mayhem and we were so excited to meet so many Etsy sellers, buyers, fans, and to also tell those people that hadn’t heard about the site (just a few) all about the wonderful things it has to offer!

We had been working all week long in the labs to make enough promos for the show! We had fliers for the upcoming “Last Fridays” trunk shows, event calendar cards for the Labs, Etsy buttons and two sticker designs, brand spanking new poster designs that were hand printed in the labs, as well as bandannas that were fresh off the sergers and printing press. Whew…and THOSE were just the free promos at the table!! On the Etsy merchandise side we had the new squid designed shirt, the matty8080 shirts, and the yellow bird shirts as well as our brand new fabulous green Etsy booty shorts!!!

One of my favorite parts about the event was getting to put so many faces with names and blogs that I regularly read! For those of you that came to the table and introduced yourself, thank you for doing so as it was truly a wonderful time hanging out with the Etsy community!!

***special note...all of these fabulous pictures of the event were found on flickr!!

Come join us tonight, won't you?

2007-06-19T09:56:00.001-07:00

Don't forget guys, tonight is FIBERS NIGHT here at the Labs!! Julie and I are working on a brand new yarn wall display today as this one below that I constructed fell in on itself while setting up for the party!! Come check it out...and yes I promise some great new pics!!
Show up tonight and Tuesdays from now on 6-8pm to meet and craft with other sweet fiber artists in the area! Knit, crochet, spin, felt, and anything else fiber related you like...even get tips from others on your latest project!! It's free and open to the public, and don't forget to BYOB and cupcakes if you wish! For more info email labs@etsy.com.

A pinata making affair...

2007-06-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, we just threw our 2nd birthday party for Etsy here at the Labs this past Friday night! We here at the Labs took over a ton of responsibilities one of the more fun ones included making the infamous "DonkeyCorn" pinata!! Won't you take a peek at how it was made:
Paper Mache makes a great base...the balloons kept popping for us, so we had to resort to making a large bodied tube from thin cardboard...the rest was just wrapping and wrapping strips of newspaper that had been dipped into a flour/water mixture around the tube and forming a head and neck.

Once the body base was finished and hot glued together, we began to spray paint the entire base a dark brown. Definitely wear a mask and goggles...and take it a step further than we did and spray the beast outside!! (note for next time)!
That's Danielle from precious pups helping me out there!!
We cut a hole in the rear to fill up with the goodies later and then the decorating of Donkeycorn began...and this was a great time!!

Hanging the Donkeycorn was the most challenging, finding the right supports and materials to have it hang just right and be able to withstand the.....beatings....

Quick Tip: If the head of the pinata spontaneously rips off while hanging...don't panic, you can staple gun it back on later!!

And here we go at the party...before the (a hem)...beating began!
Feel free to experiment with your own pinatas! We'd sure love to hear any experiences and see pics of pinatas you have made!!

Limited Edition Run!!

2007-06-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

This super soft white 100% cotton ETSY t-shirt was hand-screenprinted here in the Labs in an electric pink ink. The design is by Julie Schneider aka Etsy seller yoursecretadmiral and our latest Labs Admin. It was printed by our very own Ladies of the Labs including the fabulous and multi talented Manoela aka mmadera.etsy.com who is modeling the shirt. These shirts are a limited run edition that Julie designed especially for the Renegade Craft Fair that we will be selling them at for charity. We managed to confiscate a few shirts in every size available for YOU, because we Care.

If you'd like to get your paws on one before they're gone, you can grab one in our shop here!

Remember...Etsy Labs loves you and squid girl is very excited to meet you!!

This week -- Writing to Expand Your Business

2007-06-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Class: Writing to Expand your Business, two day workshop
Date: Wednesday June 13th and Thursday June 14th, 2007
Time: 1-4pm
Location: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street 6th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Writing to Expand Your Business is a two-part course designed to educate students on how to write to build your business. Topics covered include how to write professional grants, proposals, reports, and business plans. Students will also learn the importance of building goodwill through writing, how to write positive and negative messages, how to target an audience, and techniques to help compose, revise, and edit writing. Each student will receive a folder packed full of the information we will be
covering.

This class will be led by Melissa Chichester of relishdress.etsy.com. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University. She has taught a variety of courses, including Business Writing. Currently, Melissa teaches English at Davenport University in Saginaw and Flint, Michigan. She lives with her husband, two golden retrievers, and two turtles.

Sign up now!

Fiber Nights at the Etsy Labs!

2007-06-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

Please join us for "Fiber Night" at the Etsy Labs every Tuesday evening from 6-8pm!! Meet other people in the area while you crochet, knit, spin, felt, sew, and all of the endless fiber possibilities that there are! This Tuesday the 12th will mark the first Fiber night in the series, it is free and open to the public so come one come all and bring your friends and family!

Thanks to the help of Allena Ruszkiewicz and her knitting group, these gals will be heading up a mission in conjunction with the Etsy Labs and a ton of the donated yarn we have so happily received over the past months to knit and donate items in return to a deserving organization!

Allena is currently in the process of talking and planning with "Good Shepard Services" who offer a myriad of services - foster care placements, adoptions, etc. She with a very nice woman, Annie, who is helping on their end and together we will make it happen!

We will keep you posted as to the goodies they make with the yarns and where it is all ending up!! There is no way Etsy Labs could be facilitating such a task without all your help, support, and generous donations!

So...thank you!!!

It's Etsy's Birthday!

2007-06-05T11:54:00.001-07:00

You are invited to celebrate Etsy's two-year anniversary here at the Labs with all of us. Come dance your face off and party (the night before Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn, so I know you're all in town). We're going to have a crazy stupid time, y'all.
PLEEEZE rsvp@etsy.com so I buy enough beer for everyone.

Puppets, Shows and Classes...OH MY!!!

2007-06-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

A quick reminder to those of you in the Brooklyn area this weekend to check out the puppet weekend and specialty classes including a children's class that will be held at the Labs!

Please also join us for a specialty Jewelry assemblage course and sock knitting workshop if you are around!!

Please don't miss out on this Sunday's PUPPET SHOW from 5pm to 6pm at the Etsy Labs to show off what the weekend brought!!

See you there!

Weekend Goodies at the Labs!

2007-06-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend sure was a busy one at the Etsy Labs with classes and crafting fun!! Check out these great photos from yesterday when Cal Patch was teaching her crochet class and later when the Church of Craft came for their monthly get togethers:
These fabulous students went from knowing nothing about crochet to alternating colors and making fancy designs:

The Church of Craft has their monthly get-together the first Sunday of every month from 2-6pm here at the Labs. The meet ups are a great opportunity to meet other crafters in the area and make cool stuff…plus it’s free and open to the public!
This member from the Church of Craft hand dyed some cheese cloth she had brought with her...she had a great simple project in mind for some curtains....
Aren't they beautiful just drying in the wind! I bet they will be great in her apartment!
And here sits the littlest one in the group from yesterday! She found it quite comfortable in our space and decided she might like to come back to visit us again!

If you would like to sign up to take a class at the Labs, click here for a complete listing and keep checking back as new classes are being offered regularly!

Also, please join us if you are in the area the first Sunday of each month beginning at 2pm for the Church of Craft meet ups....it's all for the sake of making things!

Fashion Mista visits the Labs!

2007-06-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

I hope you all will check out this great post about the Etsy Labs from a visitor (Evey, designer who quit her job to REALLY design) we had a few months back:

Fashion Mista Blog discover's the Etsy Labs!

Labs Promo Production!

2007-06-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a busy and productive week it has been! Please excuse our delay in posts, because we have so many amazing promos and goodies that have been made while working away feverishly this past week!! We are on a huge Etsy promotional push this Summer as we are in the thick of the craft show Etsy Summer tour!

Here's a little bit of what we've been working on making by hand day and night:

This great little tag made using our gocco printer talking about Etsy that was then serged into hundreds of tote bags that were being made: Julie working with love and care on her very own designed Etsy banner that goes up on the wall behind our booth at Craft fairs...and yes we used a lot of donated fabric for everything, yay:
Aren't those whales the cutest ever!?
Check out the new pillow designs that have been made using our original screen printed Etsy manifesto bandannas!!!
Just a peek at the hundreds of totes that were made using new and donated fabrics...can you tell what the handles are made from?? Our up-cycled plastic bag process!!
As you can see, it has been a lot of work and a lot of fun...if we saw you at a craft show this weekend I hope you got to take home a little piece of what's been going on here at the Labs! And if we see you at a craft show coming up this Summer, be on the lookout for more!!

Make your own stamps and prints!

2007-05-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Get a block of linoleum from your local craft store and a couple carving tools to go with it! Draw the reverse of the design you want to produce and carve out the spaces you don't want reflected in the stamp:We chose to make a couple stamps for our recycled shipping envelopes:
Next, roll on ink with a brayer or paint it on your stamp eveningly:

Place your paper on the stamp and rub it evenly and firmly:
Pull stamp off paper and voila:

Won't you make a stamp with us?

Etsy Labs welcomes the Philidelphia street team!!

2007-05-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Etsy Labs has been working hard this year to bring a monthly Street Team invitational Trunk Show and Band to the Labs the last Friday of each month! We'd like to kick off the series with a bang and invite all of you who can make it out to help us welcome the Philly street team this Friday the 25th at 7pm:
If you're in town, please join us at the Etsy Labs and enjoy some great art, listen to good music, meet some new folks and awesome Etsy sellers...and of course partake in the free spirits! See ya there at 7pm!

Questions? labs@etsy.com

Etsy Craft Extravaganza!

2007-05-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, I really can't say enough about what a wonderful event the Etsy Michigan Street Team put together in Detroit this past weekend! They organized a large Craft show that represented Etsy sellers in the area! Lauren (Stellaloella) and I flew to Detroit to help represent Etsy among so many amazing sellers! The event took place in a large theatre on one of the cutest little "Main Streets" we've ever seen! We are more than proud of the Etsy Street team (a huge thanks to Danielle and Heidi who organized the event) for getting together with this idea and really joining forces to make something happen in their area...this was an outstanding representation of their team and I cannot say it enough how proud and impressed we are.

I thought you guys might enjoy seeing some pics from the show:
Here's Lauren helping me set up the official Etsy table at the beginning of the show and a peek at what the table looked like in the morning:

We had tons of promo goodies and examples of what people are learning to do in the Labs! We explained to several people what the website Etsy was and how they could get involved by either shopping or selling on the site! WE are always so excited to hear that most people at these shows have already heard about Etsy, and we get even more excited when we find someone who has never heard of it, so we can open up a new world of the handmade goodness to them...hhaha!
All of the buttons, bumper stickers, stickers, and other goodies had vanished by the end of the show...so I'm hoping lots of Michigan area drivers will see some Etsy bumper stickers out there while stuck in traffic!
Here are the masses of brochures that the ladies of the Street Team designed and made themselves:

They even had a local radio station come out and represent at the show:
The more shows we visit, the more Etsy babies we find all over:
There's another Etsy baby and Daddy winning one of the hourly free raffles that were going on:
There were so many crafters, that the tables spilled out from inside the theatre to the outside sidewalks!

Here's a look inside:

Whew! What a truly wonderful weekend Lauren and I had meeting so many of you Etsy sellers! It was so nice putting faces to names and to give you guys a chance to see some our faces behind Etsy!! Lauren and I both talked the whole way to the airport about how wonderful it was to see Etsy represented so well by you guys and realizing that there are so many more sellers just like you that are really taking initiative and doing something positive with their time all over the world! I hope one day we will be able to meet you all!

Keep up the good work guys!