Halloween and Things that go Bump in the Night

Dressing up for Halloween is so much fun! Enjoy it even more knowing that you and your little goblins prepared their faces for the frightful night. Face paint is inexpensive when you make it yourself, and it's safer than a mask that can obscure vision. Try these ghoulish recipes yourself!

Homemade Face Make Up

1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp water
1/2 tsp cold cream
food coloring
Stir together starch and cold cream until well blended. Add water and stir, then add food coloring.

Wash your face and any area that you will be applying the makeup to. Dry thoroughly. Use fingertips to spread onto large areas. Use a small paint brush to paint designs on face. Removes with soap and water. Store in airtight container.

Homemade Bruises

deep blue powder eyeshadow
charcoal or smoke gray powder eyeshadow
shimmery green powder eyeshadow
make up brush

Using a blot of deep blue powder eye shadow, apply with a wet make up brush. Use your fingertips to add blots of charcoal gray and blue shadows. Touch up the edges with a shimmery olive green. Smudge the bruise to complete.

Homemade Blood

1/2 bottle of light corn syrup
very hot water
squirt of liquid soap
red food coloring
blue or green food coloring (optional)

Pour light corn syrup into a bowl and add hot water sparingly, adding and stirring until you have the right consistency. Add a squirt of liquid soap to make it the blood easy to clean off later. Tint with red food coloring. You may add a drop of blue or green if you like to make the blood a darker color. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Smear on as needed!

Customer Appreciation Sale!

Customer Appreciation Sale!

Thanks to all who took part!

SWTC Vegas




To see the entire range click here


SWTC Rock

To see the entire range click here


SWTC Inspiration

To see the full colour range click here


SWTC Fur Real

Colours are here


To see the entire selection of beautiful yarns available, please take a look at
Crochetgal.etsy.com

Technical Support

Caller: Hello? Hello?

Support: How can I help you today?

Caller: Hi. My printer isn't working right.

Support: What's wrong with it?

Caller: The mouse is jammed

Support: Mouse? Our printers don't use a mouse..

Caller: Really? Well mine has one!! I'll send you a pic










Caller: Now what do I do???

The Continuing Adventures of Tzipi

Tzipi arrived in the desert southwest just as the spring temperatures were fading and the summer heat was starting.

After a few days to aclimatize, (she really wasn't feeling well when she arrived) we started touring.

Tzipi spent time volunteering with the local Project Linus group and helped out with making blankets for some of the children. Yes, she's there, hiding amongst all the blankets!

I learned that Tzipi has a real knack for the artistic just like her mother, Raisinlike.

Tzipi also found solace in the desert gardens. She especially liked the orchids!

Tzipi enjoyed the beautiful desert sunsets.

and made quite a few new friends. Although I realize that she must continue on her journey her smile will be missed.

Hopefully Tzipi will have a chance to visit again during the winter months.

Inquiring Customers Want to know!!

Do you have lots of views but very few sales? Here are some great tips!

1) Inquiring customers want to know!
- do you have your shop policies outlined in detail? What happens if someone wants to return something? How do you ship?

Here is a great article from Etsy’s Blog the Storque on Setting up shop policies.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/tech-update-plus-customer-care-tip-hello-policy-1681/

2) Are you being served?
Outstanding customer service can bring buyers back.
Etsy has done a wonderful series on Service Tips for sellers
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/service-tips-for-sellers/


3) Marketing vs Promotion
Are you always having a sale of some form or a special promotion? Too many sales and buyers will wait to make that purchase. If you are going to run a special promotion or a sale, don’t do them too often but make them really special when you do!

4) I’m looking for a green widget!
How many times have you heard people say that they cannot find what they are looking for on Etsy? If you are selling green widgets, please tag them as such! A buyer looking for a green widget won’t find you if your widget isn’t tagged.

There are some excellent tagging guidelines in the Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy-281/
You have 14 tags available, use them responsibly!

5) you want it HOW big?
Do you offer your products in a range of sizes? Everyone is NOT a size 2! Sometimes
having a section for each size or colour can be a great advantage.

6) Are your prices too low (or too high)?
Sellers always seem to be asking if their prices are too high. There is nothing wrong with having different price points in your shop. Have you considered tiered pricing?
Beth writes an excellent article in the storque about how to use tiered pricing to your advantage.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-art-of-pricing-tiered-pricing-627/

And the Etsy Success newsletter had a recent article on Three Helpful pricing exercises
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-art-of-pricing-three-helpful-pricing-exercises-37
88/
in their art of pricing series.
There are many other wonderful articles on pricing in the Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/art-of-pricing/


7) It can’t get there from here!
Sure it can... you just have to ship it.

Great basic shipping information is available .. you just have to read it!
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shipping-how-to-the-final-frontier-1821/

Etsy makes it easy to ship anywhere by setting up shipping profiles which can be applied to multiple listings.
http://www.etsy.com/faq_selling.php#shipping_profiles


And fellow Etsy Seller Goto has one of the most comprehensive forum posts on shipping from the US that I’ve seen.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6382394

Hopefully, buy applying a few (or all) of these tips, you can convert your browers into Buyers!

'Twas the Night before Christmas..

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished crocheting not under the tree,
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care'
Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep---he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6" too small.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my hook to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.

The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.
When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.

And although I was tired--my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.
Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.

"Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite! Move over!
Lopi, don't circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it's just your first year
But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."

I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!
And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's big boots stomping on the porch floor.

I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe
And his clothes were hand crochet from above to below.

A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran crochet sack.
His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.

The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:

"S.C." in duplicate on the cuff. So I asked,
"Hey, Nick, did YOU crochet all this stuff?"
He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to crochet when I was just a kid."

He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.

He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my crochet hook and yarn for a cap.
He began then to crochet, first one cap then 2--
For the first time I thought I might really get through.

He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
Quickly like magic his hooks they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!

He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year, start your crocheting sometime around JUNE!"

Etsy shop tips

Often times there are things that you want to do with your Etsy shop but don't really know where to start.

Here is an easy index to a few useful posts that I've written.

1) 12 steps to a better shop
provides a basic outline to use to critique your shop. Included are points on your banner and avatar, shop policies, tagging, photos, etc.

2) Easy ways to be seen on Etsy
A list of places to 'hang out' on Etsy and be seen!

3) Twitter and the power of social networking The 'basics' of twitter in clear, easy to read English.

4) Search Engine Optimization for Dummies and how it applies to your Etsy Shop. Written in an easy to understand format!

None of these tips and techniques are new, but I have found them all to be very useful.

Search Engine Optimization (for dummies)

There have been many questions asked regarding Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is what has worked for me...

1) Use relevant words in your title. for example.. call a bracelet a bracelet. You may refer to it as 'a moment in time' but its a bracelet. I don't search for 'a moment in time'. Titles are searchable!

2) Use the first words of your description to describe the item, using as many adjectives as you can. Keep the whimsy to later on. The first 160 characters of the description are the most important! This is what shows up in a Google search.

3) Use your tags effectively. Select tags for your items that describe the item.

4) Use titles on your shop sections that make sense for searching. If you have a section for purses, include the word purse in the section.

5) Make sure your shop title is relevant and relates to what you sell.

6) Use the first few sentences of your shop announcement to accurately describe what your shop is about. Those characters are searchable. So for example, 'welcome to my shop' really doesn't help your shop, but

"Crochetgal carries one of a kind crochet items, hand made soapdishes, and yarns at affordable prices" tells exactly what it is you do.

Thats about it in a nutshell!

For more details you can refer to the Etsy Sellers Guide for SEO

or check out Google's SEO Starter Guide
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2008/11/googles-seo-starter-guide.html

or TechCrafter's notes on SEO Optimization
Part 1: What is SEO?
http://www.techcrafter.com/2009/07/seo-starter-guide-part-1-what-is-seo.html


Part 2: 10 things that will hurt your site
http://www.techcrafter.com/2009/07/seo-starter-guide-part-2-10-things-that.html


Part 3: Understanding Keywords
http://www.techcrafter.com/2009/07/seo-starter-guide-part-3-understanding.html

Not getting enough Views on Etsy?

There are some great tips in the Etsy forums for getting exposure for your shop. But, before you go running off and starting a twitter, facebook, myspace, blog, 1000markets,DaWanda, etc page, what about exploring all the opportunities that are right here on Etsy?

Here are a few... (in no particular order)
1) Virtual Labs - workshops and classes. http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php
You can get some wonderful tips from the newbie chats, the shop critiques etc. And just being there and asking a couple of pertinent questions can get your avatar noticed by quite a few people

2) Chat rooms - Find one you like or start your own http://www.etsy.com/chat_main.php

3) Treasuries - are a great place to do some 'passive marketing'. When I curate a treasury, I look at each of the shops that have commented and possibly feature them in my next one.
main treasury - Accessible from the Etsy home page http://www.etsy.com/treasury.php Treasuries are also a great way to shop for that elusive gift for someone.

treasury west - a 'test' treasury, but a treasury just the same. http://www.etsy.com/treasury_west.php
If you want to create one yourself just scroll to the bottom of the page to find out how!

4) Teams - are a wonderful way to meet other Etsians who share some sort of a common bond.
Find a team for yourself http://team.etsy.com/

5) Forums - With all the discussions going on, there are so many Etsians who are willing to comment on your latest creation, offer you advice or just give you a shoulder to cry on.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_main.php

6) Have you looked at the other Resources that Etsy offers? http://team.etsy.com/downloads.html

There are plenty of ways right here on Etsy that can help you increase your views. And none of the resources that I've mentions cost you any money..just a little bit of time. They may not bring you the immediate sale, but without views, you cannot get that sale.

Do you have lots of views but very few sales? Here are some tips from the Virtual Lab
session run by Daniellexo

1) Inquiring customers want to know!
- do you have your shop policies outlined in detail? What happens if someone wants to
return something? How do you ship?

Here is a great article from Etsy’s Blog the Storque on Setting up shop policies.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/tech-update-plus-customer-care-tip-hello-policy-168
1/

2) Are you being served?
Outstanding customer service can bring buyers back.

Etsy has done a wonderful series on Service Tips for sellers
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/service-tips-for-sellers/

3) Marketing vs Promotion
Are you always having a sale of some form or a special promotion? Too many sales and
buyers will wait to make that purchase. If you are going to run a special promotion or a
sale, don’t do them too often but make them really special when you do!

4) I’m looking for a green widget!
How many times have you heard people say that they cannot find what they are looking
for on Etsy? If you are selling green widgets, please tag them as such! A buyer looking for
a green widget won’t find you if your widget isn’t tagged.
There are some excellent tagging guidelines in the Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy-281/
You have 14 tags available, use them responsibly!

5) you want it HOW big?
Do you offer your products in a range of sizes? Everyone is NOT a size 2! Sometimes
having a section for each size or colour can be a great advantage.

6) Are your prices too low (or too high)?
Sellers always seem to be asking if their prices are too high. There is nothing wrong with
having different price points in your shop. Have you considered tiered pricing?
Beth writes an excellent article in the storque about how to use tiered pricing to your
advantage.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-art-of-pricing-tiered-pricing-627/
And the Etsy Success newsletter had a recent article on Three Helpful pricing exercises
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-art-of-pricing-three-helpful-pricing-exercises-37
88/
in their art of pricing series.
There are many other wonderful articles on pricing in the Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/art-of-pricing/


7) It can’t get there from here!
Sure it can... you just have to ship it.

Great basic shipping information is available .. you just have to read it!
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shipping-how-to-the-final-frontier-1821/

Etsy makes it easy to ship anywhere by setting up shipping profiles which can be applied
to multiple listings.
http://www.etsy.com/faq_selling.php#shipping_profiles


And fellow Etsy Seller Goto (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6650) has one of
the most comprehensive forum posts on shipping from the US that I’ve seen.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5933779

Hopefully, buy applying a few (or all) of these tips, you can convert your browers into
Buyers!