Holiday Gift Guide: for the Ladies

We rounded up a few of our favorite gift ideas for all the moms, sisters, nieces, wives and girl friends on your gift list this year. You can find even more of our favorites on our team's Etsy page.

Cupcake Quote Poster by Silently Screaming, $12.00 and up

Cashew Cardamom Brittle with Black Lava Salt by Catskill Candy Co., $18.00

White Feather Ornament by HestersStudio, $14.00

Moon Phase Necklace by Incarnate Anew, $30.00

Pink Druzy Earrings by Nixe Jewels, $39.99

Lavender Roses Bath Soak by Beau Tea Studio, $14.00

A Visit To Hudson, NY

Wandering on (and off) Warren Street is a great place to start your visit to Hudson, NY. The shops on Warren Street are amazing and very high end. Many of the antique stores (over 300) sell museum quality pieces with price tags to match. Creativity and style is everywhere. 

Hudson combines the best of both worlds: nature and the kind urban ease that you would expect to find in the city.

As an artist and maker, a visit to Hudson is inspirational. The window displays are imaginative and styles are tightly curated. Katherine Moore, founder of the Hudson River Exchange says the Hudson Valley is "...an ideal place for creating. Setting up a sustainable living here poses several questions. Part of what we do (at Hudson Exchange) is seek people from the greater maker community to stimulate that dialogue." They have a lovely pop-up shop on Warren Street (just closed on October 18) with locally crafted items and studio spaces. They organize local events offering visual and community inspiration as well as platforms for commerce and exchange for local makers.

There is also a lot that you can do on the cheap in Hudson says founder of The HudsonRiver Exchange, Katherine Moore: "There are two art stores - Sketch up by the park and Spotty Dog - along with a lot of parks including the river front. Grabbing some art supplies and heading to the river is amazing. Another nice thing to do in Hudson is just wander Warren. Go into antique stores and just look at the oddities and eras of design. There is one antique store Hudson Mercantile in the 300 block of Warren. You can buy little industrial trinkets from a dollar or two. There is also the Red Chair in the 600 block. Also sells small little items from France." 

Our favorite spot was the Spotty Dog Books and Ale: a bookstore, watering hole, art supply shop rolled into one. Beer on tap is mostly local and always delicious. Growler friendly. Also loved the funky vintage clothing shops on and off Warren.

Hudson River Exchange upcoming events include: a workshop on Visual Merchandising with Nick Blaine of Hawkins New York (a design shop and brand on Warren Street in Hudson) on October 27th. 

The workshop will be directed towards market booths as we approach the holiday season, but will include foundations of visual story telling relevant for people selling on Etsy as well. Importantly it will also be attended by other creatives and is a great way to connect with peers. 

We ventured out of Hudson on two day trips. One to Frederic Church's Olana and the other to the home of Church's mentor, The Thomas Cole House. Both locations offered insight into each artist's work and passions and hosted a contemporary art exhibit called, River Crossings. The surrounding landscape was also quite beautiful. The Hudson River School artists painted the American landscape and our relationship to nature through themes of wilderness, discovery, exploration, and settlement. The artists often traveled to remote locations and painted from memory or from an amalgamation of sketches.

Looking forward to exploring more of the Hudson Valley. 

For more info about Hudson, NY check out the following websites:

Design Sponge Hudson Valley Guide

Hudson River Exchange

What are your favorite places in Hudson or the Hudson Valley? 

Susan - Lunule

Where To Find Hudson Valley Etsy This Weekend

Attention Lords and Ladies, don your regalia, 

summon your squires and handmaidens, 

get thee to Fort Tyron Park Medieval Festival this Sunday

 for frivolity, games, and feasting

    

White and Gold Wing Shaped Leather Mask by Dara Gallery

Fort Tyron Park is the location of the beautiful Cloisters Museum, a place not to be missed. Whist wandering the festival, you definitely should not miss Hudson Valley Etsy's Dara of Dara Gallery, purveyor of handmade leather and paper mache masks extrodinaire, as well as accessories to compliment your attire.  

Please, scrolleth down for more information.

Brown Mulberry Paper Mache Mask, by Dara Gallery

Leather Hair Slide Celtic Symbol by Dara Gallery

The Medieval Festival at Fort Tyron Park brings to life the customs and spirit of the Middle Ages. Performers, guests and festival goers dress in medieval costume. Visitors are greeted by authentic medieval music, dance, magic, and minstrels, as well as jugglers and jesters. The afternoon is concluded with a thrilling joust between four knights on horseback. Costumed vendors will be on hand to demonstrate and sell a wide variety of medieval crafts as well as food and drink.

What's New In September

It's finally here! Our favorite time of the year.  Living in the Hudson Valley, we already know how extra beautiful it gets up here in the Fall.  Although it's going to be a wet one the next couple of days, cozy on up and check out what's new with our members shops. You can see a full list of all new items from the team here.  We have a lot to show you so make sure click the "Read more" link at the bottom.

Maple Leaves Felt Cup Sleeve from QuarterLifeLuck

Cinnamon Spice Soy Candles from Beau Tea Studio

Feather Charm Necklace From Pulp Sushi 

Fiber Art Scarf In Merino Wool from Elena Rosenberg

Harvest Moon Lunar Cycle Necklace from Incarnate Anew

Where To Find Hudson Valley Etsy This Weekend

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus

 

Harvest Moon Lunar Cycle Necklace by Incarnate Anew

 

As we head into the last full week of Summer, Hudson Valley Etsy members have both sides of the Hudson River "covered." 

On Saturday, meet Erica, from Incarnate Anew  at The Town of Wappinger Community Day with her unique copper, brass, silver and gemstone jewelry. Erica incorporates hand beading, and hand stamping in her unusual work.

 

 

On Sunday, a trip to the Village of Warwick would make for a great day. At  The Makers' Market you can say hello to Cindy, from Cynla designs as you stroll the village green. Cindy's notecards and paper goods are all based on her lovely original artwork. You will find beautiful cards and invitations for every occasion in her collection.

 

Summer is winding down, but Hudson Valley Etsy is going strong, with some great events yet to come, so stay tuned for much more in the weeks to come.

What's New In August

There's no heat wave coming, just keep telling yourself. Besides, we're in September and Fall is just around the corner. Let's check out what was new with the team in August.  You can see the full list of ALL new items in our Etsy page. 

Red and Gold Brocade Mask from Dara Gallery

Two-Color Rope Nautical Coasters from Twisted Thread and Hook

Nuno Felted Sky Blue Shawl from Huzzah Handmade

Black and Red Long Strand Necklace from Pulp Sushi

Jack Rabbit Coin Purse from Hand J Star Creations

Tomato Soap from Beyond The Picket Fence

Pearl Dagger Necklace from Incarnate Anew

Pumpkin Sleeve Felt Cozy from Quarter Life Luck

Broadway RENT Lyrics Poster from Silently Screaming

Nesting Bowl Set of 3 from Hester's Studio

In My Studio: Instagram 2.0

Recently our very own Hudson Valley Etsy started an Instagram account. I wrote a blog post introducing our new account and how to get started with your own Instagram account (click this link to view the original blog post)

When writing it I realized I had only touched on the tip of the iceberg and there was so much more to discuss. In this follow-up blog I hope to give some more tips and suggestions on how to get the most out of this uber popular social media platform.

To curate the best possible Instagram feed, create a cohesive look. By making sure your photos are of great quality and similar themes it will encourage people to follow you when they look at your profile. 

Think carefully about your posts content, don't be too "salesy." Bring your followers closer to you by showing them behind the scenes photos, your techniques and tips, your studio and inspiration and most importantly your personality.



Mira's Naturals have great continuity in their Instagram feed

Apps and Programs to enhance your feed:

1) If you generally do most of your craft business on a PC or laptop it is still possible to post to your Instagram feed without using your device. Download Gramblr a free program enabling you to select photos from your desktop and download them straight to your feed.

2) Also a useful program for your PC or laptop is Fotor. In this free program it is possible to manipulate, edit or collage your photos. Alternatively from your device you can use the Overgram app to add text to your pictures or Pic Stitch to make a collages and add frames.

Meet our new members! Spring part 1

Well it feels like we skipped right over spring and went into summer, but still I have some great new members to show you now that it's just getting hot.  There were so many great shops this time around, I had to split it up into two parts, so keep an eye out for the next installment!  As always, please stop by our awesome new members' shops, say hello, and maybe pickup something great to treat yourself - or someone else - while you're at it.

Tooth Fairy Pillow by RightHem

 First off is Right Hemisphere by Patrice, who does her work in Peekskill, New York.  Most of her creations are unique and fun soft creations like pillows and super cool tooth fairy pillows, but she has some cards and wood-burned door pulls, too.  You should really check out the tooth fairy pillows. They're awesome!  Happy to have you on the team.

3 Hand Cut Custom Silhouette Portraits - each 4" × 6" by SilhouettesbyElle

Silhouettes by Elle does her creating in Croton-on-Hudson in NY.  Her shop is full of awesome hand-cut silhouette artworks, many of which are custom made to be whoever it is you want silhouetted, including pets, kids, and wedding memories!  I'm a huge fan of silhouettes, especially on jewelry, and look! She has those too!  I'm a fan, glad to have you.

Organic Moroccan Mint Full Leaf 8 Tea Bags Pack by BeauTeaStudio

If I said I was a fan of silhouettes, I'm a super fan of tea!  And if you're the same check out BeauTeaStudio run by Jules and Olya in Montgomery, NY.  Their shop is full of delicious looking teas along with tea goods like infusers, tea cups, and bath and body products.  Earl Grey lip-balm anyone?   Welcome to the team!

Mira's Naturals 2oz. Sanitizing Spray by MirasNaturals

Meghann Reimondo of MirasNaturals mixes up her creations in Woodstock, NY.   She fills her shop with wonderful bath, body, and home goods many of which are made of bee products!  She even has some unique goods like her sanitizing spray which comes in a bottle with a bee on it that I just love, and even deodorant.  I wish I could smell her home after she's done creating.  Hope you like it here!

Just a note - notebook by pveshop 

pve design does their art in Ardsley, NY.  This shop is full of lovely watercolor and ink illustrations both as originals and prints.  You can also get custom pieces made of your home or business.  I personally love working in watercolors, and these ones have some great colors and styles that I just adore!  I wish I had a house to get an illustration of.  Thanks for joining us.

There's more where that came from! Check back later to see 5 more new member shops that also have wonderful creations of their own. I can't wait to share them with you.

Enjoy,
Amber

Congratulations To Etsy!!

Etsy reached a huge milestone yesterday by going public and began trading in the NASDAQ market (ETSY).

As Etsy sellers, many of us here in the Hudson Valley are able to sell nationally and globally and Etsy has provided the outlet for that.  We are excited to see what the future has in store for Etsy and it's community!

Etsy took over Times Square yesterday to #sellerbrate the occasion and set up a Pop-Up Market just outside of the NASDAQ building.   Sellers were brought in from around the world (!!) to showcase the diversity of makers that make up the Etsy Marketplace.

They could not have asked for better weather and there was a ton of media present for the event.  It was very exciting to witness even if I was just a spectator.  

In My Studio: Hudson Valley Etsy's NEW Instagram Account

The Hudson Valley Etsy now on Instagram

Hudson Valley Etsy has recently started our own Instagram account. If you are a newbie to the whole Instagram revolution as I am, I hope this blog post will introduce the basics, inspire you to start your own account and encourage you to follow all the team currently on Instagram.

To start with Instagram is an online photo and video sharing network. It is a wonderful and fun way for small craft businesses to post pictures of their products, life, studios and inspiration in a quick and easy way. Photos can be manipulated within the app to give them some extra ummph so don't worry if your photo taking skills are questionable- in Instagram you can turn them into works of art within seconds.

Getting Started

1. To get started you will need an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or an Android handset. Go to the app store and download the free app to your device.
2. Choose a recognizable username, if you are starting the account for your small craft business in the interest of continuity choose a name consistent with your business name and Etsy shop name so that people can find you easily.
   

Etsy Visits Karmabee - Kingston, NY

I recently had a visit from Etsy as part of their seller studio tours. Etsy staff visit sellers because, as they explain in a recent blog post, "...nothing beats visiting a seller in person to witness her creative process in action and the challenges she faces on a daily basis." It was lots of fun! The five Etsy staff who came to Karmabee from both the Hudson and Brooklyn offices had great questions about my business, and I got a chance to ask questions and make suggestions about all things Etsy.

Etsy visits Karmabee in Kingston, NY

First I gave them a tour of my store, which sells both my own Karmabee products and items by local artists and makers, including quite a few members of the Hudson Valley Etsy Team (many of whom have been with me since I opened in 2011!). We discussed my experience running a brick & mortar store and what a typical day is like.

I then showed them around my studio area, which I've reorganized many times since I opened, with its separate work stations and table surfaces that allow me to work on many different projects at the same time, as the multitasker in me loves to do. Unfortunately it's the the office portion of my studio that gets the most use, and they acknowledged that most sellers spend at least 50% of their time running their business rather than creating. They had lots of great questions about my systems, such as how I manage my inventory (my weakest area!), handle shipping, and manage social media.

They were very patient with my various questions (and a couple of complaints) about the technical side of Etsy. For example, I mentioned the problem of not being able to adjust shipping rates for different quantities in the same listing (e.g., 1 notecard vs a pack of 10: either this has to be two separate listings, or buyer has to pay crazy shipping for the single item). They are aware this is an issue, and explained that this feature was originally intended for color/size variations of the same item, and thus wasn't set up to handle different shipping weights, which makes sense. I also begged for more bulk editing options, especially for tags, titles and descriptions (as Craftopolis and Betsi offer), and they said they're on it! Yay!

After many more questions and ample time satisfying my dog Annie's need for belly rubs, they perused the store and made some purchases, which I really appreciated. I used my Etsy payment swiper for the first time, and learned that it's a great way to have in-person sales adjust online inventory and to gather customer reviews.

As both Etsy and the controversy surrounding Etsy's definition of handmade continues to grow, I am happy to know that the company dedicates time and effort to hearing from sellers. We all hope Etsy finds a way to support handmade sellers in a marketplace free of cheap mass-produced competition.

Karen - Karmabee

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home.

Card design by The Illustrated Rat

In My Studio: Creative Block

Storyboard

Creative block is that awful feeling when you just can't get into your groove, your studio gets you down and  your ideas dry up. I periodically suffer from this malady and have found some great ways to help me out of the funk.

1. Make a story board. Rip out pictures you like from magazines and brochures. Stick them down on a large piece of paper.

2. Take a creative field trip. Go visit a museum, gallery, ikea! Or take a class. Seeing what is happening in the outside world might help spark an idea

3. Look at the forecasting reports and see what colors and imagery will be on trend for the following season.

4. Clean up and organize your studio, a long forgotten scrap of fabric or sketch you put away might spark a great new idea. And a clean and organized studio will give you the space you need to create when the ideas start coming.

   

   A page from an old sketch book might spark an idea

5. Talk to store owners where you sell your products. What has been selling well and is there anything customers have been asking for. Look at comments you have received at craft fairs or conversations on Etsy. Customers sometimes give us great ideas for new products.

6. Listen: I have recently found some great podcasts that have really inspired me and given me a lot of good tips for running a small craft business. The best of these is called 'Elise gets Crafty'

7. Silence: Great ideas come sometimes from giving yourself a little distance and space from your studio. Take a walk, a yoga class, go skiing whatever you enjoy and just let your mind relax and see where it wanders.

"Inspiration is hard to come by. You have to take it where you find it." Bob Dylan

Good Luck and Good Making!
Sarah
So Handmade

Winter Whites

White Winter Dreams

from the Hudson Valley Etsy Team

December Narcissus by DigilioDesigns

Hand Knit Cowl by Elena Rosenberg

Brocade Bag by Huzzah Handmade

Penguin Notecards by Karmabee

Bridal White Earrings by PulpSushi

Linen Drawstring Bag by Frau Lammli

Jody

a Studio by the Sea