Check out my new and improved Facebook Fan Page!

http://facebook.com/LisaRaspinoJewelry

Here you'll find photos of my creations, as well as a handy link to my Etsy shop (http://lisaraspino.etsy.com/)

Mourning a Loss of Sorts

As many of you know, I list my jewelry for sale on Etsy. Last fall, I met a couple of really terrific sellers based in my home state and we decided to form a team, LouisianArtisans or LArtisans, for short (click on the link and check out some really amazing shops from the Bayou State.

The LArtisans Team established an executive committee for Membership, Treasury, Public Relations, Local Liaisons, etc. We were on fire, baby! We have our own online portal with message boards, chat, a blog (I was the blog committee chair). We had our own groups on Flickr, IndiePublic, MySpace, WeLoveEtsy...it was almost a little daunting. But there was a lot of interest.

Our membership comprised over 200 Etsy shops. Etsy chats twice a week. Local group meetings. And then, around Christmas, it all started to fall apart. Not pointing fingers at all. Life is so much more than our art and Etsy business; no one understands that more than I.

But still, I'm sad. I've met a lot of very cool, very inspiring people. We've shared coffee, conversation, marketing tips. We've cheered each others' successes, commiserated with each others' disappointments. I've actually done what I tell my kids NEVER to do: I made a friend online and *gasp* gave out my personal information. But she's a kindred spirit of mine: part friend, part enabler (bead shop sales? road trip?), part encourager. She's a keeper (her shop is here).

So I guess I can say that I received most of what I hoped with this team. I'm just sorry that others may not have the great experience that I did. Perhaps they joined later when the activity was waning. Perhaps we didn't reach out enough to get them - and keep them - actively involved. Who knows.

Perhaps we'll try again some day. I would like to think you haven't heard the last of the LouisianArtisans.

1000 Markets

In addition to my Etsy shop, I can now also be found on the 1000Markets.com. Here's the link: www.lisaraspino.1000markets.com

1000 Markets is another online artisan venue, much smaller than Etsy (although perhaps not for long). They have a very simple fee structure: free to list items, no expiration on listings, 5.5% + 50 cents if the items sells.

Rather than accepting PayPal (I do like PayPal), 1000 Markets accepts Amazon Payments. What this means for the buyer is that if they have an Amazon.com account (and many people do), they can pay that way. As a seller, I never see the buyer's personal credit card information (the same is true with PayPal).

The downfall: right now, 1000 Markets is a U.S. only site, whereas Etsy is international. Still, I like the streamlined look of 1000 Markets. Check it out sometime.

LouisianArtisans Meet & Greet

I love meeting and talking with artistic people. Our LouisianArtisans Etsy Team (tag: LArtisans Team) members periodically have local meet and greets. I attended one last week for the Etsy sellers in my area. We discussed local marketing opportunities, upcoming shows, promotional items, as well as shared our creations.

In the photo, from left to right are the owners of the following Etsy shops: JodieFlowers, Mamaslittlemonkeys, Cheeseandchocolate and LisaRaspino.

Clicking on their shop name below will take you to their Etsy shop. If you click on the photos, it will take you the specific item in their shop. I encourage you visit...great stuff!

JodieFlowers

JodieFlowers works in a variety of media. She brought some of her adorable patches to show us:

These appliques/patches measure 5 1/2 by 7 inches and are sewn for durability. They are perfect for kid's t-shirts, denim jackets, fabric totes, robes...the possibilities are endless!


I'm coveting one of Jodie's colorful spiders made from polymer clay and wire, which can be attached to a window/porch screen or made with a magnet on back. Check this out:

Mamaslittlemonkeys

Mamaslittlemonkeys is a great place to find baby items: clothing, cloth wipes, nursing pillows, bibs and blankets. She made this blanket and Sammy the 6-Legged Octopus set out of the softest minky fabric:

In addition to being an artist with needle and thread, she's also a talented graphic designer. If you're looking for a website banner, avatar or graphic for your social networking site, you can order one through her shop.

The same artist has a second shop:

Fleurdeink

This shop has beautiful silk flower pens for the person who likes to write with flair.



CheeseandChocolate

This shop is a mother/daughter owned shop featuring beautiful, trendy (yet not dated) jewelry, as well as original drawings, art prints, and ACEOs (Artists' Cards, Editions & Originals). Below is her new listed earrings.

The owner of CheeseandChocolate has another shop:

WorkingtheStash


WorkingtheStash sells supplies for making jewelry, scrapbooking and stamping. She has a nice selection of Christmas stamps, just in time for your holiday card-making.

LisaRaspino

This is my shop, where I sell handcrafted beaded and embellished chain jewelry. Below is a necklace made with purple glass beads and sterling silver.

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I hope you enjoyed the brief introduction to these shops. I encourage you to click the links and get better acquainted!

LouisianArtisans Meet & Greet

I'm a member of the LouisianArtisans team on Etsy. Our team comprises 172 Etsy shops whose owners reside in the great state of Louisiana. Some Etsy artisans have more than one shop.

Our Louisiana team has local subgroups that will hold meet & greets, pair up for craft shows, etc.

I attended my first Meet & Greet on Tuesday. The turnout was small but we're a lively group. We exchanged business cards, exchanged ideas and tip, and - my favorite - showed samples of our work.

Here we are - click on the links to visit their shops:

From left to right: The Watermelon Tree, Lisa Raspino (me) , Tu2Cute, and Cheese and Chocolate.

Conversation flowed for two hours before it was time to head our separate ways. It was a great opportunity to put 'faces' with the names we see on Etsy, in the Portal, on Flickr....

If you'd like to visit all of the LouisianArtisans shops, click here: LArtisans Team Favorites.

SOLD: Rose Quartz Nugget Necklace

It was such a pleasant surprise to log on to my Etsy page today and discover that one of my pieces sold! It's an irregularly faceted rose quartz nugget that I wire-wrapped, added a freshwater cultured pearl and put on a chain (all metal components are sterling silver).

I have a similar piece in my own personal collection. I made one for myself and was wearing it to be sure it was comfortable and I received several compliments so I made a second one (even better, in my opinion) to list in my Etsy shop.

I was so excited that I immediately took it to the package store near my house so I could sent it off today. Rude awakening, though. I charge close-to-actual shipping and like to send my items in a 4 inch cube box via First Class mail with Delivery Confirmation.

I explicitly requested peanuts for my box, First Class with Delivery Confirmation. The woman at the shop adds the peanuts, seals the box, prints the label and tells me the total - which is quite a bit higher than usual. I look at the form and see that she circled Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation. I ask her about that and she replied that they "don't do" First Class with Delivery Confirmation anymore. Lovely.

But wouldn't the time to have mentioned that have been as soon as I made my request (which not incidentally was before she added peanuts and sealed the box)? Grrrr. I could've opened the box, suggested an alternate use for the peanuts, taken my package and left. On principle, I should have. However, I wanted to ship it today (I wouldn't be able to drive to the post office today). Plus I was determined not to let it spoil my "Seller's High."

I did write a letter to the owner of the packing store letting him know that I didn't appreciate my experience today and that I'm highly unlikely to return (I'm sure he'll be heartbroken).

As a side note, when it comes to small parcels, Priority Mail isn't always any speedier than First Class. Next, I'm going to invest in an electronic postal scale for my home. Delivery Confirmation is much less expensive ($0.18 versus $0.85-.95) when you print your postage online - which you can do via PayPal.

But back to happy thoughts: a sale! Woo Hoo!

By the way, the Lampworking Supply Kit (Never Used) is still available. Click the link at the right (below my photo slideshow) for details.