It's been a pretty exciting week

Etsy has made some major changes this week that have truly polarized their members.

For all the details, see this post by the etsy admin staff
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7716/announcements/discuss/8808260/

I happen to be in the "thrilled with the changes" group, but based on the pages of enraged comments I've been reading in the forums section, I don't believe I'm in the majority. The new changes are a benefit to me because now I have a much better chance of people finding my store and my items.

And they already have.

Case in Point - I have been on etsy for a couple years and have never had any item from my shop be included in a treasury (a compilation of twelve to sixteen items created by another etsy member for the sole purpose of making a nice looking collection of etsy items.) There is absolutely no guarantee that inclusion in a treasury will lead to a sale, but it is great shop exposure to the etsy public, especially if the treasury lands on the elusive FRONT PAGE.

When the new changes were announced, I immediately went to work rewriting my product names and descriptions and re-working my product "tags" according to the instructions and advice given to me. And suddenly, within three days, I've had items included in three treasuries, I've sold one wallet and the visits to my shop have increased dramatically. Yeee-Haaaaaw!!!!

I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but this could be the start of something really great for me and Sunshine Handbags! I'm so excited!!!

Treasury #1

Treasury #2

Treasury #3

I'm in the mood for School! And Apples!

Evan should bring this apple to his teacher on the first day of school, but since he has a 2 out of 3 chance of having a male teacher this year, the odds are pretty good that we're not going to be gifting this bag when September rolls around. I've been holding on to this fabric for at least a year, looking for the perfect mates, since it didn't come with any coordinating prints that I liked. I finally ordered the green leaf print last month and the red/black dot pattern jumped off the wall into my hands at my favorite local quilt store. I'm so happy with the results!

This is SO Cool!

I have found something that could potentially change the way I create with fabric. I was so excited yesterday when I stumbled upon this that I immediately called everyone I know who would also think this is SO cool. Okay, that list is short and includes only my sister and my mother-in-law, but still, they agreed that it is super cool - maybe not in the life-changing way I was suggesting while I was jumping up and down in my kitchen, but still cool.


My discovery is morecloth.com and it was created by Catherine who is, among other things, a fabric designer. She's a true artist with respect to the scientific way she evaluates and critiques color combinations and textures. Her obsession with fabrics led her to develop this uber-clever site that actually helps you search for fabric colors and patterns that complement each other. Not only that, but if you see fabric swatches that you can't live without, you just click on the swatch and you're taken directly to an Etsy shop where you can purchase that piece of fabric!

This site will save me countless hours of time searching for the perfect fabrics to use in my bags. If you are a crafter forever in search of the perfect swatch, this is your lucky day!