Storque articles: EVENTS

Virtual Labs Schedule: October 6th - October 10th, 2008

2008-10-06T10:04:00Z

The Virtual Labs are Etsy's interactive classrooms, a place to hang out, throw paper airplanes and share skills. Keep an eye out for some specific Virtual Labs events this month to help sellers and shoppers get prepared for the Holidays.

Want to host your own workshop or meeting in the Virtual Labs? Fill out an application here!

The following schedule covers October 6th to October 10th, 2008 (all Eastern Daylight Time). The schedule posted in the Virtual Labs is magically in *your* time. If you are confused, just click here to see what's coming up in your real time.

Monday

Newbie Chat with Danielle and Julie — 3pm in the Treehouse. Newbies! Get your questions answered here! Julie and Danielle can help get your shop started on the right foot.

Craft Night! — 5pm in the Treehouse. Fall is in the air! This week we'll be making pumpkin pincushions. We will demonstrate how to hand sew and embellish these lovely little creations. These pincushions make wonderful gifts and decorations for the fall. This project is open to people with all levels of sewing experience.

Tuesday

Show and Tell for Sellers — 7pm in the Lounge. Come share what you are working on! Everyone will get their own time to talk about a project they are working on and get feedback. Come with links to pictures of your work in progress, or if you have a webcam, you can show us live!

Newbie Chat with Danielle and Julie — 4:15pm in the Treehouse. Newbies! Get your questions answered here! Julie and Danielle can help get your shop started on the right foot

Wednesday

Show and Tell for Buyers: Halloween Party Items — 4pm in the Lounge. Hello Shoppers! Throwing a Halloween party? Come see what fun Halloween items Etsy has to offer! Together we'll make a Treasury!

On-The-Fly Critiques with the EtsyLabs ladies — 5pm in the Treehouse. Pop in for a mini-critique with some experienced sellers and Etsy admin.

Thursday

Weekly Teams Meeting with Sara and Danielle — 12pm in the Teams Room.

Office Hours: Vanessa, Alison, Tara and Bre (Storque Admin) — 1pm in the Storque Room.

How-To For the Holidays — 4pm in the Treehouse. Every week we'll be hosting a How-To for sellers to help you get ready for the holiday shopping season. This weeks topic: Shipping and Packaging for the Holidays.

Office Hours: Mary (Etsy Community Advocate) — 7pm in the Lounge.

Bead Art Originals Trunk Show - 7pm in the Treehouse. Hello, Shoppers! Come join the Bead Art Originals Street Team as we show off our unique, original jewelry and bead designs. Artists include beadweavers, lampworkers, polymer clay artists, and more; and several of the participants are offering special promotions for the Trunk Show.

Friday

On-The-Fly Critiques with the EtsyLabs ladies — 3pm in the Treehouse. Pop in for a mini-critique with some experienced sellers and Etsy admin.

Learn more about the Virtual Labs here! Apply to hold your own meetings or online workshops in the Virtual Labs here! Or send me a convo. You can also check out the Events Calendar in the Storque!

And now—a few of my favorite Halloween Party items on Etsy! Enjoy!

Etsy in Action: Upcoming Events October 2- 8, 2008

2008-10-02T15:48:00Z

Fall events are in full swing, with holiday planning just around the corner... are you ready? Whether you're a shopper or a seller, here are the latest happenings you should know about.

Delray Beach, Florida

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Stitch Rock is an annual indie craft fair and bazaar bringing back old school crafting techniques with new school flare! Full of handmade crafts and unique products like D.I.Y fashion, funky home decor items, natural bath and body goodies, vintage finds, hot rod paintings, pin up photography, and much more! Skip the mall, shop indie!

Door prizes, music, food and drinks.
Free swag bags for the first 100 people!
D.I.Y Fashion show at 3pm
Special feature: Live painting by local Miami artist, LEB

Montreal, Quebec, Canada
October 4-5, 2008

Puces POP, along with over one hundred artists and craftspeople, invites you to SHOP HANDMADE! There will be art collectives, jewelers, fashion designers, screen printers, indie record labels, cake makers, toy creators, puppeteers, fanzine editors, soap makers, stationary designers, knitters, bookmakers, home accessory designers, and the list goes on and on...

Washington DC
September 8th to October 25th

The Luce Center at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) wants to play with you. They have launched an alternate reality game called Ghosts of a Chance and are calling on the general public to participate.

They want you to fall in love with the museum and its collections, a place that holds the best they have to offer, the excessive desires of our civilization. From September 8th to October 25th, the objects you create will be displayed for all to see. In effect, you will be secularly canonized. So join in, at the Museum, at the live events, online or in person.

Calls for Vendors

Sunnyside, New York: October 11, 2008

Sunnyside Gardens Park's 2nd Annual Arts & Crafts Fair.

Set to coincide with both the Pumpkin Patch Festival and Oktoberfest, this year's fair is sure to be a blast.

They welcome everyone to come celebrate the fall, harvest some pumpkins, drink some beer, and check out lots of great local crafts! Space is still available for crafters. Download the vendor contract for more information.

Los Angeles, California: December 13-14, 200

Unique Los Angeles: Want a place to hawk your goods and reach thousands of shoppers in just one weekend? Join the best thing to happen to Los Angeles since the fall of botox. Visit the website for details.

Space available for over 225 vendors.

Let us know what's happening in your area by sharing in the comments below. Want to report on an event you're organizing? Email us!

News from the Etsy Labs: 10/6 Craft Night

2008-10-01T14:44:00Z

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Each craft night is also broadcast live into in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs. All demos will be shown both in the Labs in Brooklyn and in the Treehouse online.

Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm EDT at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. Each week the Etsy Labs organize a skill-sharing project. We provide supplies, tools, snacks, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own projects to work on independently. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out.

Fall is in the air! This week, on Monday, October 6, we'll be making pumpkin pincushions. We will demonstrate how to hand sew and embellish these lovely little creations. These pincushions make wonderful gifts and decorations for the fall. This project is open to people with all levels of sewing experience.

If you have any fabrics that you would like to use to create your project this week, feel free to bring that along. Otherwise, we will have all the fabric, thread, and tools you'll need.

If you are joining us virtually for Craft Night this week and would like to applique along with us, you'll need a few supplies: a circular template, fabric, felt, fabric scissors, a needle, quilting thread, embroidery floss, stuffing, a pencil or tailor's chalk. Or, just be ready to take some notes and see if this is a project you'd like to try out later on.

Here is a sneak peek at our upcoming craft nights:

10/13: Learn how to turn a t-shirt into a totebag with sakidesign.

10/20: Make Halloween-inspired coasters with kimmchi.

10/27: Carve pumpkins with Christine.

Would you like to lead a craft night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group!

Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you this Monday? Let us know in the comments!

USPS Seminar: Learn Tips Directly From the United States Postal Service

2008-09-30T15:38:00Z

Reminder to RSVP!

[the following was originally posted on 9/25/08]
The holidays are approaching and sellers are looking for tips and tricks when it comes to shipping, particularly international and overnight options. On Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 2pm EDT, we will have representatives from the United States Postal Service (USPS) join us to review the key USPS products and answer our questions.

Some of the areas they will cover for us:

Time saving techniques
Overnight and expedited shipping options
How to save on international shipping online
Where to order eco-friendly boxes
How to print postage online
Walk through the USPS shipping assistant product

This will be conducted via a web-based conferencing site. The conference has a capacity of 100 people. If you want to participate, register at shippingrsvp@etsy.com. We will then send a confirmation to the first 100 emails and send our regrets to the rest. If you aren't included in the first session, don't worry, USPS has offered to conduct an additional seminar (date TBD).

We will then send the first 100 participants the URL and the login information to join the seminar approximately 2 hours before the session. Please note: In order to participate you may need to download an application to see the seminar. Browse to the MeetingPlace Reference Center for more information, including training material, meeting tips, and FAQs. Visit this site to test your web browser for compatibility with MeetingPlace. (These instructions will also be sent with login information.)

We have sent them many of the frequently asked questions we have seen from the forums and support emails so we anticipate a very useful discussion. If you have any specific questions about shipping via USPS please list them in the comments below!

Want more How-Tos for Sellers? Check out Etsy's Seller Handbook!

Virtual Labs Schedule: September 29th - October 3rd, 2008

2008-09-28T16:10:00Z

We are starting some specific Virtual Labs events this month to help you get prepared for the Holidays. Not familiar with the Virtual Labs? Now's the time to learn! The Virtual Labs are Etsy's interactive classrooms, a place to hang out, throw paper airplanes and share skills.

Want to host your own workshop or meeting in the Virtual Labs? Fill out an application here!

The following schedule covers September 29th to October 3rd, 2008 (all Eastern Daylight Time). The schedule posted in the Virtual Labs is magically in *your* time. If you are confused, just click here to see what's coming up in your real time.

Monday

Show and Tell for Sellers — 7pm in the Lounge. Come share what you are working on! Everyone will get their own time to talk about a project they are working on and get feedback. Come with links to pictures of your work in progress, or if you have a webcam, you can show us live! This week, you'll also get a peek at what crafters are working on at open craft night in Brooklyn.

Tuesday

Newbie Chat with Danielle and Julie — 4:15pm in the Treehouse. Newbies! Get your questions answered here! Julie and Danielle can help get your shop started on the right foot!

Wednesday

Show and Tell for Buyers: Scary Items — 4pm in the Lounge. Hello Shoppers! Come see what bone-chilling items Etsy has to offer! Together we'll make a Treasury with the creepiest items.

On-The-Fly Critiques with the EtsyLabs ladies — 3pm in the Treehouse. Pop in for a mini-critique with some experienced sellers and Etsy admin.

Thursday

Special online workshop about using the USPS — not in the Virtual Labs but special for Etsy sellers — details here: USPS Seminar: Learn Tips Directly From the United States Postal Service.

Weekly Teams Meeting with Sara and Danielle — 12pm in the Teams Room.

Office Hours: Vanessa, Alison, Tara and Bre (Storque Admin) — 1pm in the Storque Room.

How-To For the Holidays — 4pm in the Treehouse. Every week we'll be hosting a How-To for sellers to help you get ready for the holiday shopping season. This weeks topic: Holding Specials and Promotions with Mary and Danielle.

Etsy's Edible Arts Team Trunk Show - 8pm in the Treehouse. Etsy's Edible Arts Team is having a Virtual Bake Sale! Come join us for games, door prizes, and a chance to win a $10 gift certificate! Great sales and amazing Edibles!

Office Hours: Mary (Etsy Community Advocate) — 7pm in the Treehouse.

Friday

Office Hours: RobWhite (Forum Admin) — 7pm in the Lounge.

History Hacker: On Your TV Tonight!

2008-09-26T16:00:00Z

About a year ago, I started down the road to developing a TV show to explore historic inventions. Tonight my TV pilot, History Hacker, will be on TV! It's is all about exploring technological history by hacking the inventions of the past. If you can, I'd love it if you can watch it with your kids! While making it, I imagined families watching the show and enjoying it together!

The show is fresh. There are a billion jumpcuts in this show and we achieved some special split screen and in-camera effects. It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen on TV. Also, it's an hour long, so I have time to get into some projects that break down some of the principles that Tesla pioneered and fought for in "the war of the currents." I make a neon bulb, an AC generator from a bike, and I muck about with an old telephone magneto. I also go check out the power plant in the basement of The New Yorker and the space systems lab at MIT to see how the principles that Tesla pioneered are being used today.

Tonight, this show is really in your and your family and friend's hands. It's a pilot and so it will only go forward if it gets the ratings and response from viewers like you! If you feel so moved, write an email with your feedback, ideas for future episodes, or just what you think of the show! I've set up an email address that goes to the people at the network who need to hear your feedback.

I'll be posting live back channel commentary on Twitter and I'll be reading all the Twitters with the words "history hacker" and "bre" in them. I'll also be reading all the responses in the History Hacker Facebook group. I am also going to be checking out all the photos that folks post of themselves watching the show in the History Hacker flickr group.

Etsy Teams Digest: Virtual Teams!

2008-09-26T12:06:00Z

This week the Etsy Teams program welcomed its 400th Team! Here is a small sampling of some of the wonderful things the Virtual Etsy Teams are doing. Virtual Teams are groups of buyers and sellers who join together based on a common interest, not just based on location. To learn how to join a Team, check the Join page.

Sellers Assisting Sellers is a new Etsy Team we're very excited about. This Team, formed by a group of dedicated sellers in the Etsy Forums, aims to help newbies with the the following aspects of selling on Etsy: Etsy Do's and Dont's, Etsy Terms and Conditions, Shop Critiquing, Photographing small products, Photoshop, Treasuries, and Customer Service. It's so wonderful to see the community pro-actively organizing to help one another.

Congratulations to the Etsy MetalClay Team! Four members of the MetalClay Team are featured in an upcoming calendar titled "The Art And Design of Metal Clay Jewelry". There were over 250 entries and only 39 photos selected.

The Paper Designs for You Team is running a promotion from September 19 - October 24, 2008. The participating shops include designdolcezza, valmade, balsampondsdesign, matdi123, milestonesnmemories, scrappybugsdesign, gojodesigns, distinctivemoments, capturedtimebooks, lotsofbubbles4me, 62cards, papermajekbyann, ravynfaire, thesavvystitcher, and scrapsbydenise. Check their shops for Fall/Halloween related handmade items, such as gift cards, paper piecings, tear bears and more!

The theme for the Creative Glass Guild’s October Challenge is “Thankful For….” It's a good time of year for all of us to think of the things in our lives that we are thankful for: our families, our health, our freedoms, and so much more. Each person’s blessings are as diverse as their individuality. Visualize in your mind a work of art that encompasses those feelings. Head for the studio and create your inspired entry for this month's CGGE Challenge using the theme "Thankful for....". The challenge runs from October 1 and ends promptly at midnight October 25th. Each member may submit one entry only in stained, fused, lampworked or mosaic glass by listing it in their Etsy shop. All entries are to be posted to the CGGE Challenge Group on Flickr. Voting will be open to all Etsy members and the winner of the challenge will be featured on our CGGE Home Page. So CGGE artists, put your thinking caps on again this month and let the world know what you’re especially thankful for in you life.

Etsy Beadweavers Team is helping to fight breast cancer! Twenty five members of the Etsy Beadweavers (EBW) have joined forces to help fight breast cancer and create beaded squares to be included in Jeanette Shanigan’s 2009 Beaded Quilt. Jeanette sews the squares together to form the quilts and then frames them in shadow boxes. Finished quilts are auctioned at the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee, WI, and the proceeds are donated to the Medical College of Wisconsin Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 100 percent of the donations go directly to research. This year’s theme is “Bead artists have the heart to take on breast cancer” and all squares will include a heart motif. Almost $10,000 has been raised for breast cancer research from the sale of the quilts. EBW members have set an October deadline for themselves in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can see photos of quilts from previous years here.

The Edible Arts Team is having a Bake Sale on October 1st, 8pm EST in the Virtual Labs! Come join them for games, giveaways, and great sales! Pre-order now for the Holidays! Why spend all of your free time in the kitchen, when Team EEAT can do it for you! Search "team eeat" to see all the amazing goodies the team has to offer.

It's time for The Spirited Autumn Event! From Monday, September 22nd (the Fall Equinox) until Monday, October 6, Members of the Earthpath Artisans Street Team are offering special promotions on selected items in their shops. The event focuses on Autumn themed and Magical items, just in time for Halloween! Search Etsy using the "TSAE team" tag to find participating items. There are hundreds to choose from! Promotions range from specially made items just for the sale, to discounts on tagged items, free shipping, or free gift with purchase. Each participating shop is offering something special!

Team ESST, the Supply Street Team, is having their "Supply your Holidays Sale", from October 8th through October 12th. Team members' shops can be found here.

The Quiltsy Team held an excellent, successful Trunk Show in the Virtual Labs. Members of the Team took turns displaying their beautiful handcrafted, quilted items. To see some of the gorgeous items by this Team, search "Quiltsy Team".

The Etsy Teams are constantly working on really fantastic projects. For more information on Etsy Teams, visit http://team.etsy.com. You can find a recent update on the local Teams in last week's Teams Digest.

News from the Etsy Labs: 9/29 Craft Night

2008-09-24T13:00:00Z

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm EDT at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out.

This week, on Monday, September 29, we're hosting an open craft night! Instead of an organized project, this week we are throwing the doors of the Etsy Labs wide open and letting you work on any project that suits you. Bring along any project to work on during this week's craft night: that half-finished scarf you are knitting, paper you would like to bind into books, an embroidery-in-progress, a skirt you would like to alter, a jewelry project, that spandex jumpsuit you've been meaning to bedazzle... The sky's the limit!

If you need help with a project that you are working on, we are happy to put in our two cents and share our expertise. If you learned a skill in a past craft night or class, here is your chance to develop that skill further. As always, our tools and supplies are available, so join us for a crafty free-for-all!

Not in Brooklyn? At 7pm, we will be turning on the webcam for a Show and Tell for Sellers in the Lounge room of the Virtual Labs. Come share what projects you are working on! Everyone will get their own time to talk about a project they are working on and get feedback. Come with links to pictures of your work in progress, or if you have a webcam, you can show us live! Craft night participants at the Etsy Labs will also have a chance to share their projects with the online community.

Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you Monday? Let us know in the comments!

Holiday How-To in the Virtual Labs: Getting Organized for the Holidays with Beth & Julie

2008-09-22T17:09:00Z

Dear Sellers,

If you missed her past talk, Etsy admin Beth aka bethela will be presenting again in the Treehouse Room of the Virtual Labs on Thursday September 25, 2008 at 4pm (Eastern Daylight Time).

And she means business:

"I will give an overview on how to plan, manage and organize for the holidays. We'll work on goal setting, prioritizing and managing your time and organizing not only your work space, but your records and your computer and email."

Please come prepared to follow along! You can download materials for this class here. Julie will be co-hosting and giving some tips too.

Want more how-tos for sellers? Check out the Seller Handbook! If you want the latest events in the Virtual Labs, see the Virtual Labs Schedule.

Virtual Labs Schedule: September 22nd - 26th, 2008

2008-09-21T12:04:00Z

We have some specific Virtual Labs events starting this month to help you get prepared for the Holidays. Not familiar with the Virtual Labs? Now's the time to learn! The Virtual Labs are Etsy's interactive classrooms, a place to hang out, throw paper airplanes and share skills.

Want to host your own workshop or meeting in the Virtual Labs? Fill out an application here!

The following schedule covers September 22nd to September 26th, 2008 (all Eastern Daylight Time). The schedule posted in the Virtual Labs is magically in *your* time. If you are confused, just click here to see what's coming up in your real time.

Monday

Craft Night! — 5pm in the Treehouse. For our Monday, September 22nd Craft Night, we're doing applique! Applique is a surface design technique in which pieces of fabric are sewn or fused together to create images and designs.

Tuesday

Newbie Chat with Claire and Julie — 4:15pm in the Treehouse. Newbies! Get your questions answered here! Julie and Claire can help get your shop started on the right foot!

Show and Tell for Sellers — 5pm in the Lounge. Come share what you are working on! Everyone will get their own time to talk about a project they are working on and get feedback. Come with links to pictures of your work in progress, or if you have a webcam, you can show us live!

Wednesday

Show and Tell for Buyers: Fall Fashion with Alison and Claire — 4pm in the Lounge. Hello Shoppers! Come see what Etsy Fall Fashion picks! Together we'll make a Treasury with the best items.

Thursday

Weekly Teams Meeting with Sara and Danielle — 12pm in the Teams Room.

Office Hours: Vanessa, Alison, Tara and Bre (Storque Admin) — 1pm in the Storque Room.

How-To For the Holidays — 4pm in the Treehouse. Every week we'll be hosting a How-To for sellers to help you get ready for the holiday shopping season. This weeks topic: Getting Organized for the Holidays with Beth and Julie.

Office Hours: Mary (Etsy Community Advocate) — 7pm in the Treehouse.

Friday

On-The-Fly Critiques with the EtsyLabs ladies — 3pm in the Treehouse. Pop in for a mini-critique with some experienced sellers and Etsy admin.

Office Hours: RobWhite (Forum Admin) — 7pm in the Lounge.

Learn more about the Virtual Labs here! Apply to hold your own meetings or online workshops in the Virtual Labs here! Or send me a convo. You can also check out the Events Calendar in the Storque!

And below — a few of Alison and Claire's favorite Fall Fashions on Etsy! Enjoy!