It's a snowy cold Monday and what better day to take a few minutes and peruse some wonderfully unique holiday gifts from the Etsy Mud Team. A group of over 150 potters joined at the hip via the internet.
Enjoy
Monday, December 7th, it's an all Etsy Mud Team Pottery Showcase Day! Check it out....
http://www.etsy.com/category/ceramics_and_pottery
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Gotta Love a 1967 Spirograph
Those were the days huh? I ran across this last summer and forgot I had it. After seeing them on ebay selling for over $40.00 I decided it's time to sell it.
click on the title "Gotta Love a 1967 Spirograph" to be re-directed to the listing.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Etsy and their black friday sales tactics
There is a big buzz around the etsy community for Black Friday sales. Once again, etsy has decided to promote those sellers shops who will offer deep discounts, free worldwide shipping and other profit cutting offers.
While I am all for a sale in the mainstream world of big box stores, I have a hard time swallowing the idea that an artist should spend hours and hours of time, plus material costs and unique talent, only to sell an item that results in paying yourself the equivalent of less than $5 hour for their work. But this is the trend with so much competition on etsy for a seller to "make a sale", that they are willing to do it. I couldn't even find a babysitter for that kind of pay, let alone try to put one meal everyday into the families mouth. Why do they belittle themselves that way. Not to mention, this is the day when people are out shopping the malls. I read the disappointment in so many sellers forum posts, yet they need to be realistic. If 40% of the etsy sellers are joining in the etsy promoted sales, their items are just one in hundreds of thousands of items also on sale.
A seller with a great product will always sell their pieces. Now or at a later date. On etsy or off etsy. Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales won't change whether or not a customer will buy or return to buy more.
One of these days I would love to see etsy promote the artists for their talents, their customer satisfaction history and their beautiful creations......not their willingness to lower prices or cut profits by paying for shipping. Somehow though, I don't see that happening. Kind of a sad thing.
While I am all for a sale in the mainstream world of big box stores, I have a hard time swallowing the idea that an artist should spend hours and hours of time, plus material costs and unique talent, only to sell an item that results in paying yourself the equivalent of less than $5 hour for their work. But this is the trend with so much competition on etsy for a seller to "make a sale", that they are willing to do it. I couldn't even find a babysitter for that kind of pay, let alone try to put one meal everyday into the families mouth. Why do they belittle themselves that way. Not to mention, this is the day when people are out shopping the malls. I read the disappointment in so many sellers forum posts, yet they need to be realistic. If 40% of the etsy sellers are joining in the etsy promoted sales, their items are just one in hundreds of thousands of items also on sale.
A seller with a great product will always sell their pieces. Now or at a later date. On etsy or off etsy. Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales won't change whether or not a customer will buy or return to buy more.
One of these days I would love to see etsy promote the artists for their talents, their customer satisfaction history and their beautiful creations......not their willingness to lower prices or cut profits by paying for shipping. Somehow though, I don't see that happening. Kind of a sad thing.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Is it really Autumn in Wisconsin!
Wow, time get's away from me faster everyday. For some reason I missed out on a normal Wisconsin fall season, seems instead that we went from summer straight into late fall early winter temps. I had a great time doing the Holy Hill Art Festival September 19th..... the weather was nice and warm, it was sunny and so many shoppers it would make your head spin. A perfectly coordinated and well attended show indeed that I will look forward to applying for again next year. My husband and I especially got a kick out of the lady that was making announcements over the PA system throughout the day. She was a hoot and made me chuckle more than once.
From that weekend forward the weather took a turn and we've had unseasonably cool temps and gray days frequently, I donned the long johns already and I am hoping for an indian summer the rest of the month.
Been working on making mugs in an attempt to have a decent one for our etsy mud team annual mug swap. Tonight I will upload my picture of the one I have chosen to trade. This is a feat for me, I seldom make mugs, but have now kind of come to finding a way to make them that I am reasonably happy with. I hope to have a half dozen of them available for sale in my etsy shop before christmas.
From that weekend forward the weather took a turn and we've had unseasonably cool temps and gray days frequently, I donned the long johns already and I am hoping for an indian summer the rest of the month.
Been working on making mugs in an attempt to have a decent one for our etsy mud team annual mug swap. Tonight I will upload my picture of the one I have chosen to trade. This is a feat for me, I seldom make mugs, but have now kind of come to finding a way to make them that I am reasonably happy with. I hope to have a half dozen of them available for sale in my etsy shop before christmas.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
I am selling my 1921 Vlist Gouda pottery lamp - click this headline to see
A while back I decided I needed to start decluttering around the house. My collections are no longer collections, they are clutter virtually everywhere. So after lots of procrastinating I decided to thin some of my collections, keeping only the pieces that truly fall into the category or pattern that each original collection started with, rather than just buying and holding onto everything that I like that was similar. My biggest move came today, when after acquiring 3 new lamps to match my new furniture, I found I have absolutely nowhere to put my beloved little Gouda Lamp. (sniffle, sniffle) I am hoping I find a new home for it that will love it as much as I have.
I have a bunch of cups and saucers, Old Raggedy Anns, games, animated toys, dolls all hiding in my attic, curios, trunks and boxes. My winter will not only be full of pottery making, but working towards my declutter and letting go goal.
I have a bunch of cups and saucers, Old Raggedy Anns, games, animated toys, dolls all hiding in my attic, curios, trunks and boxes. My winter will not only be full of pottery making, but working towards my declutter and letting go goal.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Cash for Clunkers has me ticked off!
Whose came up with this bright idea. A bunch of overpaid, over benefited government people said "hey, I got an idea, let's tax the shit out of the american people for yet another "stimulating" stimulus offering of up to $4,500.00 to people who get rid of their "clunkers".
And the purpose of this is what? I ask.
Do you know what the car dealers are doing with the vehicles known as clunkers that they are taking in? Well, let me tell you. They are to disable the engines by running a fluid through the motor that will seize it up, and then off to the boneyard with yet another pile of metal.
Tell me, is this not horrendously wasteful?.... a true story/example of what I consider very wasteful:
a 2004 F150 which is in perfect like new condition, has under 60,000 miles on it gets traded in and then destroyed via the seizing fluid and then junked! You can't even take the perfectly new battery or tires off the vehicle, nope.....EVERY PART of it is to be junked.
Seriously, saving a few miles per gallon, will most likely result in the vehicle owner just feeling free to drive more. What is the true gain in this program?
Feel free to comment and chime in.
***************
update, moments after I posted this the television had a breaking news alert that this program has been discontinued! Yippee!
And the purpose of this is what? I ask.
Do you know what the car dealers are doing with the vehicles known as clunkers that they are taking in? Well, let me tell you. They are to disable the engines by running a fluid through the motor that will seize it up, and then off to the boneyard with yet another pile of metal.
Tell me, is this not horrendously wasteful?.... a true story/example of what I consider very wasteful:
a 2004 F150 which is in perfect like new condition, has under 60,000 miles on it gets traded in and then destroyed via the seizing fluid and then junked! You can't even take the perfectly new battery or tires off the vehicle, nope.....EVERY PART of it is to be junked.
Seriously, saving a few miles per gallon, will most likely result in the vehicle owner just feeling free to drive more. What is the true gain in this program?
Feel free to comment and chime in.
***************
update, moments after I posted this the television had a breaking news alert that this program has been discontinued! Yippee!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Some talent on the etsy mud team - getting mugged!
There are some relatively undiscovered fellow members of the etsy mud team that could use some well deserved recognition. For instance check out this pedestal mug by Julia Terr of Bobcat Studio. It's wonderful and you can see more of her work at www.juliaterr.etsy.com
I will keep adding to this list as I can, and feel free to search the web for Etsy Mud Team. Buy handmade!
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