Craft is Art

I am always trying to find new ways to get more shoppers to my store. Over recent weeks, I have been learning about other sites like Etsy where you can build your own shops. Many of these sites offer a basic set up for no fee, or you can pay for all the bells and whistles. Although it's more work for me, I've decided to take the plunge and set up some new shops. I told everyone about my new Artfire Studio a couple weeks ago. It took a while to upload everything from Etsy into my new store, and I've only been minimally happy with the results thus far. What I like about Artfire is that they show you if someone has linked to your item from google search which is interesting. But the item views cannot compare to Etsy. However, if someone purchases an item from there, then I will not complain! :) You can upload as many items as you want, and there are no listing or selling fees.

Next I learned about Zibbet. A basic seller can upload 25 items at no cost, so I decided to give that a try. That store is still a work in progress, as I only have 11 of my 25 items uploaded. It takes a while to upload all the pictures and copy and paste my text from Etsy, so I have been a little neglectful. I have not yet figured out if there is a way to see how many views an item has or link this shop to google analytics. I have some more to do here that's for sure!

Finally, I heard about Craft is Art. A basic seller here can also upload 25 items at no cost. However, here, you can import your items (with images!) from Etsy. It still took some time to go through each item afterward and set all the labels and tags, but I started this project today around 12:30 and am already finished! You can check out my newest store here: http://www.craftisart.com/YardByYardKnits. I already have analytics set up for this shop, so I'm curious to see how it compares to Artfire.

I have no idea how these smaller sites compare to Etsy. But I think each has a following of its own, so now I have to see if a cheapo like me will be found amongst all the pro shops that can do more with their stores!

Sarah's Spotlight - Happy Hands Store

Margaret has been a successful Etsy Store Owner since September 2007. Her first store, Local Gringos, features her Knotes for Knitters cards, magnets, postcards, and tote bags. Until just recently, Margaret's Happy Hands Lotions could be found here. On January 27, 2010, she opened her second store: Happy Hands Store, where she will exclusively feature her amazing lotions. You can see her full selection at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HappyHandsStore.




Margaret is a former archaologist (I love that!) and is now a knitter and graphic designer. She creates her own designs from vintage knitting images for her Knotes for Knitters store. She uses goat milk and honey to create fabulous hand cremes. I can tell you from first-hand experience that her scents are dead on. Just after Christmas, I purchased a winter sampler set, which consisted of: Cinnamon Cider, Gingerbread, Holiday Wreath, Holly Berry, Hot Buttered Rum, Peppermint, Spicy Pumpkin, and Winter Pines. I have to say that while Winter Pines was not a preferred scent for me, it did indeed make my hands smell like a Christmas tree farm! I still have a few scents left to try, but the ones I've used so far are so yummy!

What impresses me the most is how long you can use each lotion. Each sampler pack is 1/4 ounce in size. I have been able to get 3 or 4 uses out of each scent. I was certainly surprised by this! The lotion is nice and creamy, so you don't need much to cover your hands. This is exactly what Margaret had in mind when she created these lotions.




Margaret offers several seasonal sampler sets (how's that for alliteration?), 2-, 4-, and 8-ounce bottles of lotion. She has just introduced her newest item, a 1-ounce Tottle. Only a few scents are available at this time, but she hopes to expand this to other scents in the near future. These tottles allow you to keep your favorite scent within hands reach at all times. These refillable bottles look great, since you can purchase this once and refill from your favorite scent over and over again.

If you're wondering what makes these lotions so great, here is an overview of the key ingredients Margaret uses. I pulled this information directly from her store:

~ Goat’s milk is naturally high in protein, triglycerides, and loaded with absorbable Vitamins A, B6, B12 and E ... making it an excellent natural moisturizer that helps hydrate and nourish your skin.

~ Bee's honey has been used in skin products since ancient times, because it is a natural antioxidant, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory.

~ Shea butter comes from the nut of the African karite tree, and is an extremely therapeutic emollient, helping to heal cracked and damaged skin.

Margaret uses pure cosmetic-grade fragrance oils (all phthalate-free) to create her scents. The Happy Hands lotions absorb quickly into your skin, but the scent stays strong.


Margaret is a fellow Etsy Knitter.