Treasury: The People's Color

See this treasury list on Etsy!

Etsy Treasury List's Featured Shops

FIRST ROW
eleanorjoseph - hand painted jewelry (Minneapolis, MN)
sweetknitting - handmade, timeless fashion (Izmir, Turkey)
CarolynCochrane - fine art photography prints: nature, beach, flowers (New Jersey)
Morrgan - fingerless gloves, scarves, slippers, magnets and more (Turku, Finland)

SECOND ROW
FiberFusion - unique handwoven items, felted items, and yarn (Minneapolis, St. Paul)
stephaniecorfee - Stephanie Corfee: illustrations & decorative art (Malvern, PA)
kylieparry - handmade ceramic jewelry and art beads by Kylie Perry (Wisconsin)
Briole - New Orleans photography, travel and more (St Louis, Missouri)

THIRD ROW
thewheatfield - The Wheatfield by Katie Daisy (Portland, Oregon)
Splodgepodge - original watercolors & prints by Louise DeMasi (Coffs Harbour, Australia)
mcfarlanddesigns - ethical beauty: fair trade & recycled jewelry (Arcata, California)
swiftfiberstudio - hand dyed yarn in flying colors (New Hampshire)

FOURTH ROW
beadsforever - handmade beadwork, dichroic glass, polymer clay jewelry (San Diego, CA)
JulieKnowlesPottery - handmade pottery yarn bowls, jewelry bowls, & more (Sedona)
MariaPaceWynters - mixed media paintings by Maria Pace-Wynters (Edmonton, Canada)
alidouglass - illustration, prints, original art, pillows (Asheville, North Carolina)

Treasury: Winter Blues

See this treasury on Etsy!

Etsy Treasury List's Featured Shops

FIRST ROW
CarlaDyck - fine art photography by Carla Dyck (Winnipeg, Canada)
SquishySushi - eco-friendly jewelry and gifts with an Asian influence (San Francisco, California)
SevenBlooms - organic women's clothing - dresses, t-shirts, tops, skirts (New York, New York)
molMolly - original paintings, artwork prints (Gdansk, Poland)

SECOND ROW
katrinchen - paper and yarn items (Florida)
AlyTheRed - cozy up your life (Eugene, Oregon)
LeBestiaire - embroidered, painted, one off clothes ... (Paris, Ile-de-France)
SusiDjewelry - the beauty of everyday jewelry (Los Angeles)

THIRD ROW
NaderShenoudaArt - watercolor and acrylics (Cairo, Egypt)
alvant - unique hand-woven Alvant accessories with fringe (Brooklyn; NYC, Waterford, CT)
MarianneLoMonaco - original fine art photography (Barrie, Ontario)
SunnyLeeStudio - watercolor paintings, ACEO, Christmas stockings (Alexandria, VA)

FOURTH ROW
easternsky - squishy yarn goodness (Tuusula, Ulusimaa)
bellehibou - vintage inspired handmade goods and photography
spinup - spinup yarns: freestyle handspun and fiber (Flagstaff, Arizona)
PomLove - the original (tissue paper poms) on Etsy (Portland, Oregon)

Quick Pick: 2012 Pit Bull Calendar Benefiting Animal Rescues

The Unexpected Pit Bull 2012 Calendar

Price: $18.99
(price per calendar decreases the more you buy)

Recommendation: Great holiday present for any dog-lover in your life! They'll enjoy the beautiful photos and you'll know that the gift you purchased benefits animals in need.

The Unexpected Pit Bull Calendar 2012, $18.99

I don't think I've done any dog-related posts yet, which I'm kind of amazed by, since I'm obsessed with my pit bull, Caramel (photo below). You know those parents who think their child is the most amazing being in the world just for breathing and carry around photos that they always want to show to people the minute the subject comes up? ... Yeah, that's me. But with my dog. *blush*

I started fostering for the Baltimore-based pit bull rescue Adopt a Homeless Animal Rescue in June 2006 and have be absolutely in love with the breed ever since.

There are a lot of great organizations that work to reduce the stigma surrounding pit bulls and try to show people how wonderful these dogs are. I didn't previously know about The Unexpected Pit Bull, but saw a post on Facebook advertising their 2012 calendar and had to find out more (I mean, come on - look at that face on the cover! How could anyone not click?!).

The organization revolves purely around putting out a new calendar edition every year in order to raise money for animal rescues. I'm very familiar with the first one, since they're at the forefront of pit bull advocacy, but was not as familiar with the others:

My adorable pit bull Caramel - cutest dog in the world!
"Dogs Can Smile Too," $10.00-$16.00 + $2.00 s&h

• BAD RAP (Oakland, California) - Securing the future of the American Pit Bull Terrier as a cherished family companion
• Best Friends (Kanab, Utah) - Pit Bulls: Saving America's Dog Campaign
• Out of the Pits (Albany, New York) - Showcasing the true nature of the Pit Bull and its ability to perform as a therapy, sport, and working dog
• PSPCA (Pennsylvania) - Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Safe Humane Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) - Court Case Dog Program

Starting with this calendar, the organization is partnering with HeARTs Speak, a nonprofit made up of artists from around the world who are working to improve the lives of animals in need. Their photographs are the ones featured in this year's calendar and from those previewed on the site, I have to say these artists are obviously extremely talented!!

A great find and one that was automatically added to my wishlist.

"Honey," featured in The Unexpected Pit Bull's 2012 Calendar, $18.99

Pre-order today The Unexpected Pit Bull's 2012 Calendar, $18.99

Images come from The Unexpected Pit Bull and my Etsy Shop Eleventh Muse

*Review* Pendant Necklaces from Handy Maiden (4.5 stars)

HandyMaiden.Etsy.com - hand-painted miniature sculptures and collectibles (San Diego, California)

Little owl pendant necklace

Product: "Little owl pendant necklace"
Order Date: August 15, 2011
My Total: $30.00 + $5.00 s&h
Discount: $28.00 Heartsy voucher
Artist: Danielle Pedersen

I first learned about the Handy Maiden shop through the Heartsy giveaway. I absolutely love the miniature pendants and had a hard time choosing which one I wanted to buy. I've been trying to not load up on things that have no functional use, so decided to go the wearable art route and choose one of the pendant necklaces.

There is a great amount of detail in each of the sculptures and collectibles and I can only marvel at how the artist, Danielle Pedersen, is able to do it without shaking and smudging anything. She has a wide variety of items that she offers in her Shop: miniature animal sculptures, brooches, chalkboard zoo series (adorable and very funny! see below on the left), earrings, necklaces, and more.

Verdict

Woodland wedding cake toppers - foxes, $160 + free s&h

The pendant looks just as it did in the photos - better, actually! - and arrived very quickly: I ordered it on a Monday and received it on the Saturday. It arrived very securely and safely packaged. I had asked for the chain to be shortened and it was.

+ PROS + Even prettier and more delicate-looking than in the photos. Owl pendant always faces the right way and doesn't twist around as you wear it. Very comfortable to wear, not at all heavy.

-- CONS -- Chain does turn as you wear it, so am always having to check where the clasp is and move it back so it's hidden. The price.

= BOTTOM LINE = I love the necklace and am very happy with my purchase. I wish that the pendant had been attached to a link in the chain so it didn't always twist around though; always an annoyance that I try and avoid when I purchase necklaces. It is a little pricey and I wouldn't have been able to afford it without a Heartsy voucher, however the price is fair given the quality and intricacy of the work.

Chalkboard pig figurine, $15.00 + free s&h

Shop Information

Opened: June 30, 2009
Items currently for sale: 64
Total sales: 518
Feedback: 487, 100% positive (487 positive, 0 neutral, 0 negative)

Links:
* HandyMaiden - Etsy Shop
* @HandyMaiden - Twitter
* Danielle Pedersen - Etsy Profile

NOTE: I purchased the item reviewed and am expressing my own uninfluenced opinions.

*Review* Eye Depuffer from Erzulie Cosmetics (5 stars)

ErzulieCosmetics.Etsy.com - All Natural Mineral Cosmetics and Holistic Skincare (New England, United States)

Photo Credit: Erzulie Cosmetics

Product: "Eye Depuffer Balm Soothe (TM) All Natural Helps Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles Proven Highly Effective"
Order Date: January 31, 2011
My Total: $5.00 + $2.00 s&h

I have always had a problem with under-eye puffiness and shadows - my high school roommate used to tell me my "bags had bags." I have been on the lookout for different solutions for years and what I tried either didn't work or I didn't have the patience for - masks, lotions, cucumber slices, etc.

When I was full-on into my Etsy craze, I realized this was the perfect place to look for what might finally be the solution to my puffiness and dark circles! Imagine my surprise when my search yielded almost no results (still true) - search for anything on Etsy and you usually have to slowly wade through the massive number of products you're given, but that was not the case here.

When looking for a specific item, I like to find all the results that appeal to me and then methodically cancel them out until I'm down till one. This time, the choice was pretty much made for me. There were three sellers who had eye depuffers and while the photos for the other two were nicer - and therefore attracted me more - I'll admit that one of the main reasons I decided to try Erzulie first was because hers was significantly cheaper than the competition's.

Applying my depuffer balm!

Verdict

It works! That is, of course, as it should be, but so many times products like these do not work as advertised, so it was a wonderfully nice surprise.

I noticed a definite visible reduction in puffiness within ~6 weeks of regular application and now use it every night before I go to sleep. It also lessens the shadows under my eyes, but I would say that was secondary - does not have any color in it so there is no masking or covering up that goes on; I think the lessening of shadows is more of a side effect from the reduced puffiness.

For those people who wear makeup often (I do only about once every other month), they should stick to applying it before bed at night. I used this once in the morning and followed with an under-eye cover-up - it ended up looking odd and not drying smoothly, looking a little grainy/spotty.

+ PROS + works wonderfully: reduces puffiness, slightly reduces dark circles / shadows; has a lovely scent that is very calming and soothing as you go to sleep; easy to apply; very affordable and lasts a long time; great during the day for a refreshing pick-me up

-- CONS -- don't use with under-eye makeup

= BOTTOM LINE = Would recommend to everyone. When mine runs out I'll be buying another!

Shop Information

Opened: September 15, 2008
Items Currently for Sale: 311
Total Sales: 6,191
Feedback: 4,325 - 100% positive (4,277 positive, 44 neutral, 4 negative)

Links:
* ErzulieCosmetics - Etsy Shop
* Progress in Health and Erzulie - website
* Blog
* Facebook Page
* @naturalcosmetic - Twitter
* progressinhealth Channel - YouTube


NOTE: I purchased the item reviewed myself and am expressing my own uninfluenced opinions.

Discussion: Sellers Giving Feedback After Buyers

Sweetheart Cuff Bracelet, v1 by Victoria Camp Designs

I have always been a big ratings/feedback buyer - on eBay, Amazon Marketplace, etc. - and I continued this when I started buying on Etsy.

I like to give detailed feedback so I usually wait till I have actually used/worn/whatever the item and then I try to leave review on as many aspects of the purchase as possible - shipping, packaging, customer service, etc. Especially for things like bath and body products or edibles, I know that I am always looking for more details in the feedback before I decide to buy, so I try to give the type of information that I look for myself.

It took me awhile, but I began to notice that there was a pattern developing: every time I left my feedback for the seller, they then left theirs ... and it began to really, really annoy me! When sellers only leave feedback after they receive one from the buyer, it leaves the buyer feeling as if they are being held hostage - a neutral or negative feedback might result in receiving one themselves, even if on their end they may have done everything right.

I have since become a seller myself and know that it's sometimes difficult to remember to leave feedback - especially now that Etsy has buyers pay right away, in some cases there doesn't really seem much to review.

Additionally, waiting for the buyer gives the seller the opportunity to feel like they can give an explanation for any bad review they may get. I write "feel like" because they are not tied to one another, and while you can sometimes clearly see the connection (check out this example from the doughadeer feedback and the left for others section), if enough time has passed you can't unless you dig for it.

So, what would be a good solution / compromise?

My suggestions are as follows:

1. Sellers make a concerted effort to always leave feedback once the buyer's responsibilities are done (how they were as a customer if there was convoing beforehand, prompt payment).

2. The feedback system allows for the kind of "rebuttals" you see on eBay: i.e., a seller can reply to any neutral or negative feedback they get and that would then be shown, indented, under that specific feedback.

Checklist Greeting Card by Red Letter Studio

What do YOU think?

Post your thoughts and comments below!

Treasury: Brighten Up Your Day

See this Treasury on Etsy!

Etsy Treasury List's Featured Shops

First Row

going places 2 - Inspirational Dog Art Prints, Motivational Art Prints

sewZinski - Hand Embroidered Wallets and Eco-Friendly Accessories

CreaShines - Handmade Polymer Clay Jewelry, Accessories, & Housewares

LBCpaper - Handmade Paper Decor, Garlands, Greeting Cards, Goods

Second Row

Cookieletta - Handmade crochet baskets, scarfs, shawls, brooches, hats

Peony Forest - Cute and slightly geeky

Deep Indigo - Little goodies & handmade haberdashery

The Vapor Trail - Custom fine art prints

Third Row

Kettle Confections - Premium Gourmet Nougat Candies

ShelleyRoze - Indulge your art craving ... watercolors, oil and acrylic

laura mccabe - Prints, cards and original art

Felting by Grazim - Felting World

Fourth Row

Pig Castle - twine, wood, paper, miscellaneous

lori nichols - Eco Friendly Handmade Art by Lori Nichols

peaseblossom studio - Handmade Leather Journals Linocuts Wedding Guest Books

Thirteen 13 Creations - Original Artwork Mixed Media Paintings