DaWanda finds on Stylehive!

Title: Dress Echo - Fashion Design - DaWanda - green - dawanda - evening Stylehive BM 356515 Tags: Description: more

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Blogged By: DaWandaShopDirectoryEditor

Send me your articles and get featured!

So, I'm looking for some new ideas for articles... Can you write about...

How to guides - everything from listing an item, to leaving feedback and buying items.
Craft business ideas
Promotion ideas
A day in the life of a DaWanda Seller
DaWanda Sellers at Craft Fairs
My First DaWanda Sale
Your favourite finds on DaWanda
Your DaWanda Pinboard
Sales or special offers in your DaWanda store
The new collection in your DaWanda store
Your first purchase on DaWanda
Your favourite Seller on DaWanda

If so then check out this link... http://dawandashopdirectory.blogspot.com/2007/10/want-to-be-guest-writer.html

Each article gets a shop link as a byline.

Introducing... Misty Aurora!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: ~*~ Misty Aurora ~*~ Dingalin's Handmade Goodies
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/Dingalin
3. When did you open your shop? February of 2008
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes
5. What Category are you under? Jewelry
6. What do you sell? I sell handmade jewelry and accessories
7. Describe 2 of your current products.
I had a polymer cake craze this weekend so i made a bunch of fruit cakes and pies into earrings that you can find in my shop :)



8. Tell me a bit about you... I currently live in Sweden enjoying the amazing scenery and the clean air (!).

My handmade adventure started about 10 years ago when i was still in school, making and exchanging polymer clay pendants with my best friend.

I love making jewelry and accessories with a variety of materials.

Mostly I work with polymer clay, beads and felt but im always up for the custom order challenge.

Every day I try to discover a new way of making stuff so be on the look out for new special and unique goodies in my shop.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? My blog is at : http://dingalin.blogspot.com/ and you can also find me at Flickr : http://www.flickr.com/photos/dingalin and Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1386586490

What is DaWanda?

To help explain what DaWanda is to those of you who have stumbled across this blog site...

DaWanda is a site based in Berlin, Germany and they state 'Dawanda is the online marketplace where those who love uniqueness meet people with a passion to create.' What does this mean? Well it means that each seller has spent time hand crafting and hand making each item and has put passion and love into each item.

This site is perfect for buying gifts for friends and family, or even that little 'pay-day' purchase! The site offers secure on-line purchase and supports payment by Paypal (more information coming soon).

I have found the DaWanda site to be very easy to use and there are several ways in which you can search for your gift ideas.

1. By category.
2. By colour on the Coloranda, which is great if you have something in mind already.
3. By Seller.
4. Keywords.
5. Technique - for example photo.
6. By new product.
7. By new shop.
8. By featured item.
9. Pinboards - surf other DaWanda sellers favourites.
10. Trends - shop by DaWanda's trend information, from popular items, to popular sellers.
11. Style Lab - your way to buy your own commissioned pieces.

If you would like to know more about DaWanda and find useful hints and tips for buying and selling, then please press the following link DaWanda - Your complete guide to buying and selling on DaWanda This is also a permanent link on the right hand panel.

If you wish to go straight to the on-line shopping site then please choose one of the following links;

DaWanda - English site

DaWanda - French site

DaWanda - German site

Introducing... Studio Bee!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Studio Bee
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/StudioBee
3. When did you open your shop? I registered Aug 2007, but only opened my shop January 2008.
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? I have requested an entry in the Directory.
5. What Category are you under? Art
6. What do you sell? Original paintings. Still lifes and portraits from your own photos.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

The eyes are the most important feature of my portraits. Whether it is the soft melting brown eyes of the two Border Terrier brothers, or the little girl with beautiful blonde hair and smiley blue eyes.

8. Tell me a bit about you... I am a British painter currently living on the island of Cyprus, with my husband, four foundling dogs and two cats. I suppose I am a bit obsessive ... I have to paint, and no day feels quite right unless I do :) I love to find that certain expression in a face that makes it unique. Then I work away until I've expressed it on my canvas the very best way I can.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? Work in progress and snippets of my life on the island of Cyprus can be seen at http://indigoblah.blogspot.com/ and completed paintings at http://studiobeegallery.blogspot.com/

I'll take the Checks!

I am totally smitten with this awesome top and skirt set from Akasha Couture. Too bad I can't fit into a S/M to save my life. Maybe you can and then you will have your very own one of a kind outfit! So check it out and remember to pin her fantastic shop!

Written by Andreanna of http://en.dawanda.com/shop/glamasaurus

Looking For A Handmade Product That You Create?

Then look no further! Find all of your fully customisable products using DaWanda's Style Lab.

The Style Lab is easily accessible with lots of products especially designed for you to add your own personal touch. Here's a taste of their current offer...

English site - Style Lab
French site - Style Lab
German site - Style Lab

It's simple and easy to use...

• Choose the product you like... introductions include the price and shipping costs
• Press 'Create my Style'
• Read the description (there are easy instructions to follow on the right hand side of the screen, if you forget the following)
• (An aside - If you wish to find out who you are buying from then press the sellers icon at the top right of the page, or press profile.)
• To continue buying scroll down the page.
• You will now see a list of items, or 'elements' that you can choose from in order to make your own unique version of this product, from main colour to choice of prints, etc...
• Select you choices by clicking the little blue box under the 'element' you wish to have.
• Once selected these will fill the boxes that read 'Please select an element'.
• Scroll down the page.
• Add a message to the seller... for example if the description does not indicate how long the seller will take to make your item, then ask the question.
• Press the button under 'Create the product with your selection?'
• You now need to confirm your purchase in the usual way

I hope you enjoy creating your own products!

Written by Sara of Sara's Texture Crafts

Introducing... HipKid!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Hip Kid T-shirts
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/HipKid
3. When did you open your shop? I opened my shop January 18, 2008. So it's pretty new.
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Not yet, but I plan to be soon.
5. What Category are you under? I sell under Children. But I have some adult T-shirts that I will be adding soon.
6. What do you sell? I sell funky and hip T-shirts for babies and children.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

In my shop you can currently find silk-screened tattoo T-shirts. You can choose a heart tattoo with either mom or dad in the center. The tees come in pink or chocolate brown. I also am starting a line of organic cotton tees and onesies. Right now I have an organic onesie with a mom tattoo silk-screened on it.

8. Tell me a bit about you...

I am Suzanne. A technical writer during the day and a designer and silk-screener at night. I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband and 6-year old son. My son is my muse. When he was a baby his favorite color was pink, but he wanted a robot on his tee. Try to find a boy's tee in pink with a robot or a cowboy. So I started silk-screening my own T-shirts and found that I loved this creative outlet. I haven't stopped since. I hope to be doing this for a long time, but who knows how it will evolve.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? I have a blog that I updated usually once or twice per week. It's a bit schizophrenic, as I like to cover lots of topics. http://www.hipkidtshirts.blogspot.com/.

Introducing... Lucy's Jewellery!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Lucy's Jewellery
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/-Lucy-/
3. When did you open your shop? I opened my shop January 12, 2008
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes, just today.
5. What Category are you under? Jewellery
6. What do you sell? Handmade jewellery made in various techniques, styles and materials.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

a) These adorable earrings are made of silver and precious rare peruvian opal stone. Earrings are also oxidized and smoothly polished to give them an antique look.

b) Romantic necklace in light rose and white colors with a focal polymerclay bead.
Perfect for any occassion including Valentines Day!

The necklace sits very comfortably and it is lightweight, because of plastic beads. I also used glass seedbeads and antique copperwire.

The lenght of the necklace is 40cm (this type of the necklace sits very close to the neck).




8. Tell me a bit about you... My name is Lucy (Ljudmila) and I'm 19 years old. I'm from Estonia, from the small city Haapsalu. At the moment I'm studying at the university in Tallinn. I study interior design and am totally crazy about it!

My second passion is making handmade jewellery. I have been making them now for 8 years and still am not bored! I get my inspiration for jewellery from the materials, nature, colours and even interior design.

Take a look around in my shop, I hope you will find something especial for you or a gift for a friend!

9. Do you have a website, or blog? Yes, I have a blog- http://www.fun-ljuda.blogspot.com/

The CPSIA and You

We've all been hearing a lot about the CPSIA recently. For those not in the know, that's the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, passed in the US in August and ready to go into effect February 10, 2009.

There are a number of provisions to the new law, and many of them are welcome and make a lot of sense. Among other things, the CPSIA requires that a company do a lot more to publicise recalls, getting information about unsafe products into the hands of those who need it more quickly. It also bans lead and phthalates in children's products. Personally, I don't see a lot to object to in either of those goals.

Another thing it does, however, is require testing for lead in 'all consumer products primarily intended for children twelve years of age or younger.' Said testing must be performed by an accredited third-party laboratory. (Information from the official CPSIA site; I suggest taking a look at this for further information.)

Who does it apply to? Perhaps it might be of more use to say who it doesn't apply to. For starters, this is a United States legislation; if you do not live in or sell anything to anyone in the US, you don't need to worry about it. The CPSIA also doesn't apply to you if you don't sell anything intended for the use of children under the age of twelve.

Which doesn't include a lot of things. But in addition to toys it does include products like:

• Children's clothing
• Sporting equipment
• School supplies
• Baseball cards
• Bedding

Note that the above said nothing about the size of the manufacturer. It does not apply only to large toy manufacturers (many of whom could probably use more stringent testing requirements anyway). It applies to anyone who's making products intended for children 12 and under.

That's a whole lot of us, folks.

Without going into detail I'm simply going to say that the testing is out of your price range. It's certainly out of mine (and believe me, I'm glad I decided to go into bath and body instead of, say, carved wooden toys).

So what's to be done? Alas, most of what follows will only work for US residents, but some of it will still apply to people everywhere.

The goal is to convince the US government that while regulating testing for large companies is fine (and honestly a really good idea), there should be exceptions for small, home-based companies. There are a lot of ways to do this.

Here are some petitions to sign:

• http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/handmadetoys/
• http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/index.html
• http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/Home/our-proposal-to-modify-the-cpsia

Petitions are great and all, but there are plenty of other things to do, too:

• You can always write your congress person and senators; there's a sample letter here. This will be even more effective if they serve on the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection or the House Committee on Small Business. Better yet, call them. Be brief, concise, and above all polite.
• Contact local news outlets -- this is a local story as well as a national one! Find some local sellers (This link will do that on Etsy; I'm not sure how to do it on DaWanda or Artfire), especially those who sell children's things. If there's a local toy store that sells natural children's toys, they'd be great too. Ask for a business reporter and tell them that you have a number of local businesses about to be driven out by this legislation -- chances are if you do the spadework you'll soon see a story.
• Change.org is a great place for making lots of issues heard -- check
• here to vote for the CPSIA. The top 3 issues in each category will be presented to President-elect Obama.
• Send an email directly to the CPSC or contact chairperson Nancy Nord at 301-504-7923. While you're at it, call the CPSC ombudsman's office. The number is 888-531-9070. Again, be brief, concise, and above all polite.
• Get the word out! Blog about it, Twitter (with hashtag #cpsia), find others blogging about the same issue and comment. There's a Facebook group, a Ning group and a thread on Etsy.
• Here's a badge you can put on your blog or website to help spread the word.

This tale is still playing out -- let's all do what we can to keep the US friendly for small businesses.

Written by Kate of http://en.dawanda.com/shop/omshantihandcrafts

My Valentine Finds on DaWanda - post your entries!

Have you got something to sell the world for Valentine's Day? Or have you found the perfect item for your 'special someone'?

I'm looking to feature a selection of artists here as a special DaWanda Valentine's feature... if you are interested please visit the forums and post your items here 'Show me your Valentine's'.

I will also be selecting my favourites to pin on my pinboard at To My Valentine!

Sara x

DaWanda teams... Sellers working together!

Have you seen the DaWanda shopping Community lately? Well groups of Sellers have started to put together several specialized teams at http://dawandashopping.ning.com/groups in order to help promote their shops, their crafts and spread the work about DaWanda.

Here are the few there are so far...
DaWanda Promo Bags
German Sellers
United Kingdom Sellers
French Sellers
Australian Sellers
Jewellery Makers
Glass Anarchists
Fibre and Felt
Everything about Paper

They are all free to join and could prove a great help to newbie shop owners, Buyers who love to buy a particular product and want to find the shops on DaWanda and as fun places to hang out and chat about your favourite crafts.

Meet our new Favourite Finds Editor!

Today I would like to introduce you to the very lovely Andreanna of Glamasaurus who has kindly agreed to share her favourite finds on DaWanda, here on the DaWanda Directory Blog.

You may have already spotted Andreanna's sweet jewellery making waves over on DaWanda and seen her cute little avatar around the forums and the DaWanda Shopping Community ... well now we will have the her very welcomed help here too! To catch up with Andreanna and find a few tips on what to put in your DaWanda shopping basket do check out Andreanna's articles (usually posted on a Thursday) at Index - Favourite Finds on DaWanda.

Thank you Andreanna!

Written by Sara of http://en.dawanda.com/shop/sarastexturecrafts

DaWanda Shopping Community - New Rules

Recently we have had a run of negative things happening on the Shopping Community and so to avoid further disruption and emails from upset members I would like to set some ground rules.

So here are my rules for site interaction and SPAM...

1. MEMBER PAGES - Please feel free to list where you sell and your on-line networks within your own members page only. Please also tell us about you and your work... you can also add an RSS feed from your personal blog here too.
2. MEMBER PAGES COMMENTS - Please leave a comment for other members and help to grow your own network of on-line friends. Remember to keep those comments friendly!
3. MEMBER PAGES BLOGS - Please only relate your entries to your DaWanda shop, your personal work, tutorials or related blog. This is not a space for you to mention other shopping sites, or networks and these entries will be removed. Repeat offenders will be banned from the network.
4. COMMENTING ON MEMBER BLOGS - Leave a comment related to the post in question, or a general 'this is a great place, thanks for sharing' comment... we all like to hear that! Do feel free to leave discussion based comments... it's always good to hear feedback or work with new ideas. Do feel free to ask a question... we are here to help. Please do not leave negative comments... it's unfair to the sellers who work hard to promote themselves and DaWanda here and also to the buyers, who wish to share their DaWanda experience.
5. CONTACTING MEMBERS - Please do contact members if you are interested in what they do, would like to invite them to a group here on the DaWanda Shopping Community (only do it once!), or have a question about their shop, or products. Please do not SPAM other members (or all of your added friends and group members) and ask them to visit your shop, your sale, your external sites. Repeat offenders will be banned from the network, I cannot allow members to be upset within the community.
6. EVENTS - Please add shop sales, events and competitions to the Events page... you are also welcome to add an entry for any craft fairs, markets and shows you may be selling at... who knows we may just come and visit! Please do not create events for other shopping forums, or unrelated topics. These will be removed and repeat offenders banned from the network.
7. FORUM - Please add topics related to each category... you will note that there is a special place to promote your shops and sales here. Please feel free to join in and comment on any of the forum threads you find there. Please do keep topics and discussions friendly and positive in tone... this site is a representation of DaWanda buyers and sellers and a promotional tool for all of us, so let's keep it 'up beat'. No... naming and shaming! This site is not part of the Dawanda company and these topics should be discussed with the DaWanda company through their feedback system only. Repeat offenders will be banned from the network.
8. GROUPS - Please do add groups related to DaWanda and keep them open to all members... this is a community and members should not feel excluded in anyway.
9. NOTES - Please do not add notes... this is for site reference only.
10. PHOTOS - Please add photos of your work, turtorials, events and business. Please make sure that they are safe for all viewers, including children.
11. VIDEOS - Please add videos of your work, turtorials, events and business. Please make sure that they are safe for all viewers, including children.

If you have any concerns, queries or things to report please contact me via the 'Report an Issue' tab at the bottom of the page.

Thank you,
Sara.

Introducing... Lola Van Loo!

1 DaWanda Shop Name: Just my name: Lola van Loo ;)
2 DaWanda Shop URL: http://de.dawanda.com/shop/lolavanloo
3 When did you open your shop? in July 2008
4 Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes.
5 What Category are you under? Jewelry
6 What do you sell? Jewelry made from Swarovski crystals and pearls as well as from glass and plastic beads. At the moment there are bracelets, necklaces and earrings in my shop. From autumn I will also make rings and hair accessories.
7 Describe 2 of your current products.
- MAUDE Earrings - for wedding or other romantic moments - vintage inspired earrings with ivory colored Swarovski pearls and metal cameos.
- COCO Long Necklace - for the colorful and coltish sites of life - bonbon-colored long necklace with lilac, fuchsia, crystal and ivory-colored Swarovski crystals, plastic beads and plastic heart pendants.




8 Tell me a bit about you... I am a crazy and coltish girl who spends her days (and sometimes the nights) interviewing celebrities, writing scripts and hosting radio shows. If I am not at work or spend my time with my favorite occupations such as free climbing, reading, and dancing... I create jewelry pieces all the time! I knew from a very young age that I wanted to live a creative life. So every free minute I sit at my desk and create jewelry. The little girl in me is attracted to anything that sparkles, the young lady in me in all things modern, vintage and romantic. It is a great feeling to see the smile people get when they see something that I have made.
9 Do you have a website, or blog? www.myspace.com/lolavanloo and http://www.lolavanloo.wordpress.com/

DaWanda Sellers Blog Group – how to join and where to find members.

Where to find them…

They can be found at http://www.ringsurf.com/ Select category 'shopping' and then subcategory 'crafts' - This is where we are listed.

The owner of the ring is Sara's Texture Crafts and you can find monthly updates at Crafts of Texture

How do I visit all of the blogs from other members?

On the right hand panel of this blog there is a box with I love DaWanda. Here you will see the words next, previous, random and list. By pressing any of these you will be taken directly to another members blog site.

How do I join?

Membership is free to all participants, but you must be a DaWanda Seller, whose blog links to their DaWanda shop. It would also be great if you could help to spread the word about DaWanda occasionally.

You must also display the group ring symbol on your blog before you can be accepted. The HTML code to place on your blog is on the completed application form – don’t forget to copy it and add it to your site before you exit your sent application.

Here is where to apply - Application Form

Once a member is approved, they will also have an item added from their shop to the DaWanda Sellers Blog Group pinboard at DaWanda Sellers Blog Group Pinboard

I have joined – What happens now?

Apart from enjoying a little extra blog exposure you can read updates at Group News & Updates these include features, ideas for promotion and group news.

DaWanda Shopping Community - Membership Requirements.

With new members arriving almost daily in some cases, it does take time to sift through applications and make sure we are accepting credible members to the community. So to try to make this process easier, safer and quicker I have introduced some new requirements for applications.

You can find them here at Membership Applications

Come and join the DaWanda Shopping Community on Ning!

DaWanda Shopping Community

It's free to join and is easy to use... Come in, pull up a chair and meet fellow sellers and buyers from DaWanda on this new social networking site.

What can I find there?

Each person gets their very own page when they join, which they can customise once their membership has been approved. Here's mine to show you what they could look like http://dawandashopping.ning.com/profile/SarasTextureCrafts. You can add a little bit a bit you and what you do on DaWanda, or if you are a buyer, maybe you could put what you like about DaWanda?? You can also use this page to add blog posts about your latest crafts, purchases or products and to connect with other members as friends and leave them messages.

There is a groups page http://dawandashopping.ning.com/groups, where you can interact with other members and discuss topics of a relevant nature and there is a forums page http://dawandashopping.ning.com/forum where you can catch up with anyone who is on-line or pops in to say 'Hi'.

Do pop over and check it out... would be lovely to meet you all.

Sara x

A Special Thank You!

A special 'Thank you' goes to ContasCoeln aka ContasKoeln for translating the DaWanda Promo Bag thread into German for me and for helping to bring the communities of DaWanda together.

July Blog Carnival – Crafting on Holiday

This month’s carnival is entitled ‘Crafting on Holiday’, so I am looking for entries inspired by this theme. Entries could include;

Holiday additions to your shop
Your favourite finds this month on DaWanda
Up and coming Craft Fairs this month
Your personal craft work this month
Your favourite holiday purchase
Your crafting on holiday check list
Your crafting on holiday tips
Crafts you take on holiday
Crafts you have seen on holiday
Summer Craft Courses you have been on

Of course there are many more possibilities… so I will leave it up to your imagination!

So how do you enter your article? Well it’s simple… post your article on your blog and follow the instructions here http://dawandashopdirectory.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-carnivals.html. Remember your entry doesn’t have to be the longest article and photos always help!

The deadline for your entry is 15th July 2007. All accepted entries will be published on or around the 17th of July.

New Topics to Write About...

Our recent poll just finished and so I can announce some new topics for Sellers to write about.

They are;

• A day in the life of a DaWanda Seller
• DaWanda Sellers at Craft Fairs
• My First DaWanda Sale
  

Please visit this link 'Want to be a Guest Writer?'to find out how to enter your article.

Introducing... Moonstone-Creations!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Moonstone-Creations
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/Moonstone-Creations
3. When did you open your shop? 27 03 2007
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? yes
5. What Category are you under? jewelry
6. What do you sell? jewelry, supplies , paper crafts , cards
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

I have some very simple yet effective earrings made from precious stone chips. They are very casual but add a touch of color to any outfit. All metal parts used are nickel-free.

I have a friendship card that is made with alcohol ink on acrylic sheet, every card is different as the ink never makes the same pattern twice.



8. Tell me a bit about you... My name is Linda and I live in Belgium.

I've been creating all sorts of things for as long as I can remember but lately it seems to beads that rule!

I sell my jewelry under the name Moonstone.Creations at a local store.

I also teach basic techniques in workshops and organize creative birthday parties for children.

I'd love to hear from you, tips for items to sell are welcome! Just gives me an excuse to make some more !!! :)

I'm married and have a Thirteen year old son, a dog , two cats. I lived in California for a while and have travelled throughout Europe.

I love different cultures and wish we all would ....there is so much out there to see, so many people to meet and wonderful things to experience!

9. Do you have a website, or blog? http://moonstone-creations.tumblr.com/

Spring into Spring Contest

Glamasaurus is having a competition! Let's find out how to enter...

'Kiss the Frog' always has these lovely giveaways in her blog so for all my faithful or even not so faithful readers I am going to have a contest. All you have to do is comment on my blog entry at http://blog.glamasaurus.com/2008/04/09/spring-into-spring-contest/. I will either use a random number generator or if the lovely miss Isabella does not try and eat the paper I may let her pick numbers from a plastic noahs ark (yes we are low on hats around here):D.

Your prize will be a necklace from my new collection-



So comment away! (remember to fill in your email address so I can contact you)

In two weeks I will pick a winner!

Introducing... Artemissne!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Artemissne art jewelry
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://artemissne.dawanda.com/
3. When did you open your shop? In the first week of March 2008
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Not yet, but I'm in the Shopping Community by Sara's invitation!
5. What Category are you under? Jewellery (artists)/forging or /pearls, beads & precious stones. There isn't a separate section for glass jewelry (yet).
6. What do you sell? Jewelry made from my own glass beads, combined with silver and (semi-)precious stones.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.
my stormy silver ring: I made this glass cabuchon which I mounted on a snake-like silver ring from purple, ivory and black glass, and melted fine silver in it. The result is dramatically organic, a vortex: if you look at it for too long you might get sucked in! I wonder if it has any stormy powers. Now that could come in handy sometime...

And a series I'm really happy about is the talisman/talisvrouw (transl. -"woman"): faintly evoking primitive cultures with spiral designs on the focal glass beads on a silver chain of tiny Balinese or stamped Thai Hill Tribe silver beads and semi-precious stone beads. The beads reminded me of dryads, tree spirits and protectors, so I decided to donate a percentage (10%) of every sold necklace to an environmental organization, Natuurpunt (they work locally here in Flanders).

8. Tell me a bit about you... Since I've been a bit overly talkative above I'll keep it short: I'm Kristien and I'm owned by two felines and a hedgehog, in a little cottage near Ghent, Belgium. Chronic fatigue syndrome makes my life "interesting" but it's not the end of the world. After all, who doesn't like napping? :-)

9. Do you have a website, or blog? Both. But I guess my homepage is the best start: http://www.aarghh.be/

How to make a DaWanda Pinboard

1. Log in and go to My DaWanda.
2. Press My Pinboards and you will find that one has been already set up for you by DaWanda. If you had previous saved favourite items these will show up here.
3. Give your pinboard a name - At the top of your board is an editable section... You can change the title and leave a message.If you had items already stored, they will show up below... each will be in it's own box and you can add comments that you would like to share. You can also delete (remove from pinboard), add to basket or forward any items to your friends.
4. Adding a new item to your pinboard - as you are browsing through the site and look at any item in more detail you will find in the top section that you can give an item a heart, add to pinboard, or forward to a friend. Select add to pinboard and choose which board you wish to add it to. You can also add a comment here... this will be visible on your pinboard once saved.
5. Creating a new pinboard - When you find a new item and select add to pinboard you can choose to add to an existing board or a new one. Select a new one and give it a name.
   Comment on other people's boards - there is an area at the bottom of each board for comments from viewers...

Viewers can also buy from these boards, so show off those great finds!

Blog Carnival – The Holidays on DaWanda

This month’s carnival is entitled ‘The Holidays on DaWanda’, so I am looking for entries inspired by this theme. Entries could include;

• Your Christmas pinboard
• Your DaWanda shop over the holidays
• Your favourite finds this month on DaWanda
• Up and coming Craft Fairs this month
• Your personal craft work this month
• Your favourite Christmas recipe
• Your Christmas gift list
• Want I want for Christmas
  

Of course there are many more possibilities… so I will leave it up to your imagination!

So how do you enter your article? Well it’s simple… post your article on your blog and follow the instructions here http://dawandashopdirectory.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-carnivals.html. Remember your entry doesn’t have to be the longest article and photos always help!

The deadline for your entry is 15th December 2007. All accepted entries will be published on or around the 17th of December.

Introducing... Aspen Spa!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Aspen Spa
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/AspenSpa
3. When did you open your shop? My shop opened on December 22, 2007
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes, thank you
5. What Category are you under? Beauty and Body
6. What do you sell? Soap, Scrubs, Aromatherapy, Lip Balm, Bath Salts and more
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

**Lemongrass with Sea Kelp Salt Scrub: This exfoliating scrub is made with a blend of mineral salts, grape seed and almond oil, vitamin E and essential oils. It smells heavenly, and gently removes dead skin cells from your body, revealing fresh, healthy skin that is moisturized and nourished.

**All Seasons Hand Salve: This perfect blend of moistuizing oils and essential nutrients is perfect for the seasonal damage that your hands endure. Made with cocoa butter, shea butter, tea tree oil and more, this salve is packed with nutrients to moisturize your skin and heal those troubled spots.

8. Tell me a bit about you...

I have been creating my own bath and beauty products for 2 years. Since I can remember, I've been concerned with all of the "mystery" ingredients in store-bought bath products. When I lived in Arizona, I found that it wasn't just folklore to use fresh aloe vera juice on sunburns--it actually worked to soothe and heal the burn! I'm a high school science teacher, and it's not always possible to buy the best products for my body on a teacher's salary! I began to research nature's own remedies for the common needs of the body; products I could use myself to be at my healthiest. I quickly discovered that the Earth contains many ingredients that gently clean and heal the skin, and leave it more moisturized than a store-bought product ever could. My discovery of nature's remedies, coupled with my passion for creativity, led me to create Aspen Spa--a line of beauty and bath products made with whole ingredients from nature. I enjoy creating new products, using them myself, and sharing them with friends, family, and now customers.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? No

My First Sale!!

I am so happy! I made my first real sale on DaWanda last Friday and the best part of it is that the customer loves the earrings! :)

Here they are:

It was really my "salvation" as I was prepared to give up my shop. I got an order which it was supposedly to be my first sale 9 days ago and I am still waiting to be paid... Actually, I am not 'cause I already asked the DaWanda team to cancel it. Too sad!

I just hope it will be the first of many sales! ;)

Written by http://en.dawanda.com/shop/mysteriouscats

--------------

Sara says, 'I'm sure it will be your shop is beautiful!'

Adding your DaWanda Widget to your DaWanda Community Page.

You can add a DaWanda widget to your page on http://dawandashopping.ning.com/. All you need to do is look under your profile box and there will be a text box. Press 'edit' and add the DaWanda code from your shop.

You can find your DaWanda shop code by logging onto your DaWanda shop page... at the bottom of your shop page there is an 'integrate these products with your website button'. Press that and you will be taken to the screen where you can make your widget. Choose your row and column numbers (how many you want to show) and choose your colours (you can press preview here if you want to). The code is then worked out for you, so all you need to do is copy the text in the little box and paste this into your page on http://dawandashopping.ning.com/. Once you press save your page here will reload with the shop link showing.

Yay, Thanks DaWanda for making my life so much easier!

DaWanda Shop Directory: March Blog Carnival - Vintage Crafts

Please note that this carnival is postponed until I return... therefore I am still accepting entries, so feel free to read about this months theme at DaWanda Shop Directory: March Blog Carnival - Vintage Crafts

How do I confirm a sale?

DaWanda will email you when an item has sold from your shop. You then need to confirm the sale to the buyer. You can do this by;

• Log into your DaWanda account
• In the ‘Overview’ you will see a blue link that says ‘New Sale’. Press this and you will be taken to your ‘Sales’ page
• You will see new and pending sales under the ‘Open Sales’ section at the top of the page.
• On your new sale, press ‘Confirm Sale’ on the right hand side. You will then be taken to the details of the invoice.
• You will need to type in the confirmed Shipping amount in the relevant box… make sure to check where the Buyer has asked you to ship!
• Then press ‘confirm’.
• The buyer will then receive an email from DaWanda stating that their purchase has been confirmed and that they need to pay for the goods.

Remember if you want your Buyers to pay with Paypal, or to your bank account you must set these up before you confirm the sale.

Written by Sara of http://en.dawanda.com/shop/SarasTextureCrafts

Selling Online

by Carolina Gonzalez
Carolina González - My Little Magick Shop
Victorian Tribal Esoterica
http://magickshop.dawanda.com

The Problem

Sara asked me a few days ago to write an article about making the best of your Dawanda shop, since she had read several threads in the forum where sellers showed their concern about the low amount of sales they had. I have to admit that I had mixed feelings about the topic.

On one hand, I absolutely love Dawanda. I love the place, I've had the pleasure to confirm the efficiency and maximum care for sellers that the administrators have, I love the politeness on the forums. Oh, and listing is free! I do not even consider moving my shop to that "other" online venues with more traffic.

On the other hand, I really dislike that "ohmygod I'm not selling" attitudes from sellers. If venues like Etsy have such a success, visitors and sales, it's 80% a merit of sellers only. Etsy sellers are fans of Etsy; they buy there, organize themselves in Street Teams, write blogs, make blogrings, Flickr groups... and a million things I could add here. They promote the venue everywhere, all the time.

I don't see that on Dawanda. If projects like Sara's promo bags are doing so well, why not do it and send her your items? If what we need is traffic, then it's our responsibility to bring it in, in all the ways we can. We cannot just list things and wait for sales to come – selling online is not that easy, on Dawanda or on any other digital market.

To be honest, the only seller that makes a success is the one that works hard and patiently. You can't expect a flood of customers if you have only five items, badly photographed with your camera phone. You can't make what everyone else is doing. You have to become a real professional in order to have a successful life as an online seller. From banners to categories, from pic's layouts to business cards, everything is equally important. Look for an art/craft seller that is making a life out of Internet, and 9 out of 10 sacrifice long hours, sleep and personal life as much as someone who has a "physical" shop. If you really think there is success and future without complete commitment to your business, maybe you should be doing something else.

Do everything that is at your hands to promote your shop, don't use shortcuts and learn from those that you admire. And waste your time learning and becoming a better artist instead on complaining on the forums.

Tips To Become A Better Online Seller

LOVE what you do: the key of it all. If customers can't feel your passion about what you make, you will never sell it, no matter how well done your product is. You have to be in love with what you create to make others love it too. I think that the secret to find our true creative energies is to give it time and being humble. Look up for those that you admire, but don't copy! As we are all unique, there IS a unique way for you to express yourself.

A cohesive look: your banners, advertisements, business cards and pic layouts should all go in a theme, so customers can identify you easily and quickly. Iconographic branding is one of the most important parts of your business, believe it or not! Your image should reflect not only your personal tastes, but also the market niche you want to get to.

Good photographs: you won't make a sale without them. Learn to use macro settings and be playful and original. Attractive colours and textures can say more than any description, and they are the calling for impulsive buyers.

Good descriptions: the more information the better. Customers love to read a mix of personal stories, inspirations and all commercial data about the product (size, weight, uses, etc.). Take your time! My tip: writing descriptions in a document instead than in the listing window – I always write longer and better descriptions when I can see the whole text, and I can use the spell check. The key for non-impulsive buyers.

Professional customer care: there are quite a few online sellers I will never buy again from because they didn't even bothered to send me a thank you note, wrap the parcel secure and pretty, and things like that. A good presentation and safe shipping are a must to make your business known. Your customers are your only investment – treat them as they deserve! Always send them a thank you message after their purchase, and another one when their item is shipped.

Networking: be everywhere! Organize groups, participate in sample gatherings, promote other artists in your blog, write in forums, write in Squidoo, Stumble your friend's pages... again, the more the better. You won't attract traffic if people can't find you.

Organize your time: check the traffic at your page and learn to select the places where good traffic comes from, and leave others aside, so you get targeted traffic. Targeted traffic=sales. Give promoting a time every day, 30 minutes for example, and keep inside that time!

Don't put all your eggs in one basket: diversify the applications of your knowledge by teaching, giving seminars, selling locally, selling at home parties, etc. Online selling has better and worse times and you don't want to rely all your income on it. Also, the more things you do, the most interesting your blog will be. Customers want to know about the artist as much as they can, and who wants to know about the life of someone who's always at the computer?

Become an expert: first, learn as much as you can about your craft; then, help others learning for free. Writing articles, making tutorials and helping in forums is the best way to earn a good reputation, and will always take you to sales.

Conclusion
Having an online business is not instant success; it needs commitment, sacrifice, and above all, it needs true Love, because if you don't love what you do, you will grow tired of it quickly – and patience and continuance will be very much needed to make your business succeed. This process can take a long time and you shouldn't be afraid to make sudden turns and change your business direction until you really find something you can't get tired of exploring. There are no failures, but new beginnings!

How much is this in my currency?

Do you need to work out Euros into US Dollars, or British Pounds? Well, there are lots of easy to use currency calculators on the Internet so do not fear!

This is my favourite http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html

All you need to do is select the currencies you wish to work out, in this case I chose to convert 1 Euro into British Pounds. Then you press calculate and in the top box appears your conversion rate. Couldn’t be easier! Remember to add on the postage amount so you get a total idea of the cost of your item!

Written by Sara of Sara's Texture Crafts

Advertising Spots... more information coming soon!

Here at the DaWanda Shop Directory I am hoping to bring sellers another option for advertising their shops... more details will be coming soon, so keep an eye on the blog.

Sara x

DaWanda are having a Spring Sale!

DaWanda have invited Sellers to participate in their Spring Sale!

Buyers will receive 11% off of purchases on DaWanda from April 19th to April 26th 2009, between 18:00 - 00:00 CET according to the pre-selected product category of the day.

The daily pre-selected category is one of the DaWanda top categories: Fashion, Accessories, Jewellery, Art, Bags, Baby & Children, Home & Living and Supplies. On one day during this period, all categories will be included in the promotion.

All the listings which are included in the 11% discount program will be clearly marked to stand out on the DaWanda website.

Get over to DaWanda now to check out your sale bargain! http://en.dawanda.com


Written by Sara of http://en.dawanda.com/shop/sarastexturecrafts

Introducing.... eCRAFTic!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: eCRAFTic
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/eCRAFTic
3. When did you open your shop? 21/05/2007
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes
5. What Category are you under? Accessories, Bags and Purses.
6. What do you sell? Brooches, Pendants, Hairclips, Headbands, etc etc etc
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

a. Audrey Cameo Set: This Set is King among all my creations, my most sold product and part of my logo too. Wearable, glamorous, and definitively my favourite!!!
b. Amelie Set: This one is also a star in eCRAFTic's universe, bought for all those who worship this beautiful film, those who believe their destiny is really marvellous. One of my favourites too.



8. Tell me a bit about you...

I'm a Phd student who loves to free her mind from the laboratory by creating little fashion pieces made to let anyone stand out from the crowd. I'd love my hobby would become my job.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? http://www.ecraftic.com/

Introducing... La Srta Pil!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: La Srta Pil
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/LaSrtaPil
3. When did you open your shop? 13/03/2008
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes
5. What Category are you under? Art
6. What do you sell? Illustrations, prints
7. Describe your current products. Illustrations originals, i work on ink and watercolor, sometimes with digital, and then print in my own home, with a lot of care.
8. Tell me a bit about you... I'm a mother of two, love draw, make animations, do things with my hand, i like a lot plants and to care of my dog, Cooper.
9. Do you have a website, or blog? My blog is: http://srtapil.blogspot.com/

Love Letters

Dear Andreanna,
I can't live without you. Run away with me yada yada---Ok so I never got letters like this from anyone but I bet someone has. Maybe if you a re not the best on paper buy your sweetie this necklace to make up for her lack of love letters. Made by Tizzalicious this cutie is sure to steal her heart and probably earn you major points!

Written by Andreanna of Glamasaurus