A Few Ideas for Safe Shopping on Etsy...

make...it...stop...

... and similar online marketplaces. 

If you are like me, you would rather have your wisdom teeth extracted (again) instead of battling hordes of shoppers, busting doors and fighting mature adults over ninja trains, gothic fairy diaper dolls, and action figures that really should not have been resurrected from the 80s.  

Online shopping is more popular than ever.  Reasons include convenience, the ability to compare prices easily, curing boredom, and impulse buying.  While I agree with these reasons, I feel there are different reasons for shopping on Etsy, Artfire, etc.  Convenience is definitely a factor, but people often come to Etsy because they want something more than the average online shopping experience.  They want something special, something lovely, something unique, and something that makes a difference.  Paying a little more for a beautiful sweater isn't so painful when you know that your money went directly to the talented person who made it, a person who wants to do things differently and make their own way in life.  (Some Etsy sellers even let you pay for the pricier items in installments).  Furthermore, the quality and design of a handmade item is usually superior to anything you will find at the shopping malls.  

What is a shopping mall?

Unfortunately, there are bad online shopping experiences and while the good outweighs the bad by far, the bad ones are the most publicized.  It's human nature to want to tell the world when you feel you have been wronged.  

Here is a list of my personal guidelines for safe Etsy (and Artfire, and Craftsy, and eBay, ...) shopping:

BEFORE YOU BUY:
LOOK AT THE SELLER'S FEEDBACK SCORE - This is obvious but there are things to examine.
1.  Feedback as a buyer.
2.  Feedback as a seller.  
3.  Responses to negative feedback (if any).  The way someone handles a negative response says a lot about their character and the way they do business.    NOTE: Just because that person has 1 or 2 negative feedbacks (or more if they do a LOT of business) doesn't mean they are off limits.  Examine the feedback, see if reasons are listed.  If someone just leaves a negative and there is no explanation, to me that is a worthless report. 

4.  Also remember that shops with lots of small items are going to have MORE feedback usually, as feedback is left for each individual item.  
5.  Do not abandon a shop just because they have made very few sales!  The quality of the feedback can be more valuable than the quantity.  Everyone has to start somewhere.  

LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES - How do you know this shop is making everything they claim to make by hand? This may not apply to every seller, especially if they sell vintage items or supplies.  
1.  Look for images of the shop's work in progress, studio, owner, etc.  This can often be found on the shop's "about" page.  If not, seek other sources...
2.  Find another site associated with that shop.  Often shop owners have links to their blog, Facebook page, etc. available.  Blogs are great for finding out more about the shop and the owner, a glimpse into their creative world.  
3.  If this shop has nothing like this available, contact them and tell them you are interested in their work.  Ask them about their craft, their process, etc.  
4.  Keep in mind... some artists and artisans would rather spend their free time creating rather than social networking;  furthermore, they may feel "technologically challenged."  

Obviously there are exceptions to all of these "guidelines."

CONTINUITY OF LISTINGS - Does everything in the shop look like one person (or small guild) created it?  (Again, this will not apply to vintage or supply shops).
1.   If it's an artist selling items with their artwork, look for the actual artwork in their shop.  Also look at the image quality and resolution of the listings, make sure it isn't something they ripped off/downloaded from another shop.  Ask them for a clearer image if it looks sketchy.  Or say "This is lovely, do you have this available as a print?" OR "This image is lovely, does it have a name?" 
2.   A shop is selling 1 leather handbag, 3 velvet corsets all in size XS, 1 pair of silk stockings, 20 friendship bracelets ... and the "about" section indicates very little other than the fact that they love "all things artsy."  I'm not saying this isn't legit, but it probably merits a little research.  For the sheer sake of entertainment, you should at least message some questions concerning their inspiration and process.  

This image is irrelevant.

3.   Descriptive listings.  How well does the shop owner actually know the item they are selling?  Most artisans love to talk about their work, the fibers that went into the scarf, the old barn supplying the reclaimed wood for the bench, the smell in the air that lingered as they shot the image of Uther Pendragon's stomping ground.  There should be a story behind every handmade item, even if it's as simple as "this is so soft and cozy" or "I made this using reclaimed vintage carpet fibers from an old pet store."  
4.   With all that said, my shop is a haphazard array of art, jewelry, glassware, crocheted items, and even CDs.  A lot of people probably look at my shop and say "What the heck does she do, exactly?"  If you look closely, however, you will see a very common theme... trees.  Also, if you look at the jewelry, the stationery, even the album artwork on the CDs, you will see images from the actual artwork that is also available in my shop.  Of course, the crocheted items are a bit out of place, but I really don't want to manage multiple shops.  

SHOP POLICY - This is another obvious source, but it is often overlooked.  
1.  How do they handle shipping fees/overcharges?  Shipping is not a handmade item;  therefore sellers should not profit from shipping fees.  However, it can be difficult to predict shipping fees.  As a shop owner, I would rather overestimate and promptly reimburse as needed, as opposed to underestimating and going broke.  
2.  How do they handle returns?  
3.  Do they seem to have a pleasant approach to policies or do they seem to be scolding you before you have even made a purchase (my personal pet peeve)?
4.  What is the estimated shipping/processing time, what do they offer, etc.?  Shops that do a lot of business are going to need a longer processing time, especially if they are making the item or items to order.  While it is important for the shop owner to be realistic up front about the length of time it could take for you to receive your item, it is important for the buyer to realize the importance of shopping in advance for certain items.  

free to pet or scratch behind the ears

5.  Smoke free/pet free home.  How important is this to you as a buyer?  Most sellers will let you know what kind of environment they work in.  

DURING/AFTER THE PURCHASE
COMMUNICATION 
1.  Be specific about your needs in the "message to seller" field during the transaction.  If there are choices, let them know what you want.  If offered, do you need it gift wrapped, do you need an enclosure card, what do you want it to say, is it going directly to the recipient ("do not include invoice").  
2.  Make sure your shipping information is accurate.  
3.  If it's a big ticket item, ask the seller to add insurance to the shipping fees.  

RECEIVING
1.  If you should have received your order yesterday and you're getting frustrated today, give it another day (unless you paid extra for a shipping upgrade).  Verify the shipping method you paid for and look in your "purchases" section to see if the item has been marked as "shipped."  
2.  If the item has not been marked as "shipped" and you should have already received it according to the shop policies, by all means, contact the seller.  It's possible they just forgot to mark it as shipped.  



FEEDBACK
Sellers love feedback.  It's not just because they like a nice feedback score, they want to know they are doing the right thing.  Most artisans take great pride in their work and they want the buyer to love it as much as they do!  I have had buyers to send very happy messages to me personally about their purchase, yet they forget to leave feedback in the official feedback section.  Personally, I am COMPLETELY okay with that.  What matters to me is a happy customer and I understand some people don't get into leaving feedback.  If someone has a small or a low feedback score, however, and you are happy with your purchase...


These are just suggestions, loose guidelines, and a lot of words.  If you fall in love with something online, don't rule it out just because it doesn't meet one or two of my personal guidelines.  

Merry and Bright

note cards

gift tags/enclosure cards

messy business

I go through about 4 of these punches a year!  

Wassail wine glasses

Cranberry Cordial glasses

How to Make a Butterfly Fairy Dress!

Here are some slaphappy instructions for making this dress.  If you have very basic crochet and sewing skills, you can master this.

First of all, you need to be able to crochet a basic fish net stitch.  You will need some worsted weight YARN -- I used Lily Sugar'n Cream. You do not need anything fancy and it will not take a lot of yarn for this stitch.  Use something fairly durable, soft and silky isn't the way to go here.

You will also need TULLE (I prefer spools) in colors of your choice.  The amount you need depends upon how full you want the skirt.  I used about 3 spools here (7 on the blue dress below).

Other things you need...
-- a crochet needle (I used size I or 5.50 mm)
-- an embroidery needle
-- sturdy thread to match your bodice
-- a cotton, stretchy camisole to match the bodice
-- sharp scissors, fabric scissors if you have them
-- ribbon for decoration

Use the child or a dress form to determine the size you need for your foundation row (it needs to be snug).  I prefer joining the bodice in the end since I'm going to be adding tulle and stitching it to a camisole.

Fish net back and forth until the bodice is the right length to fit the child.  PLEASE NOTE:  This stitch will stretch a lot once the tulle is added.  If you are adding a lot of tulle it could double in length, so be careful not to make the bodice too long.  For this particular dress the bodice has 14 rows, but it all depends on the yarn and the size you need.

Be sure to secure the stitch when you finish.  I always add another string of yarn into the last stitch to tie everything together, just to be safe.  Simply weaving in the ends is not going to be enough for such an airy stitch.

Your bodice should be a big rectangle.  You may have noticed by now that I do not normally write patterns or instructions (and that is probably for the best).

Now for the fun part... adding the tulle!  You can be as sloppy or as precise as you like here.  I like to use the spools of tulle, it's a lot easier for measuring and cutting.  Just roll out the spool, cut with some sharp fabric scissors,  and remember, you are going to need each strand to be TWICE the desired length.

If you are planning for the skirt to actually function as a skirt (no leggings needed), you will need a lot of tulle.  I still recommend using a little slip or tights underneath.  For the butterfly dress, we were planning to use leggings so I added just enough tulle to make it full and fancy.

As for colors, be creative!  My daughter wanted to be a monarch butterfly, so I used (in descending order of quantity) orange, black, yellow, and fuchsia.

After you have your strips of tulle ready, you can simply pull the strands through the openings in the bottom of the bodice.  When a strip is halfway through the opening, tie it into a double knot to secure it.  You can make the skirt as full as you like, but remember, the more tulle you add, the more your bodice is going to stretch.  For this dress I used two strips of tulle in each opening along the bottom, and at least one strip in each opening in the next row above.  For the blue/purple dress to the left, I used almost twice as much tulle, and the the yarn in the bodice was almost too soft and stretchy for that.  Again, just use a fairly stiff yarn if you want to use a lot of tulle.  Even that scratchy Red Heart Super Saver stuff works well for this.

Now you have a fish net rectangle with a lot of tulle hanging from it!  Let's make it functional by finding a matching camisole.  I like the cotton camisoles at Target, especially the ones with the soft lacy trim.  Any cotton, stretchy camisole will do as long as the color is right and matches your bodice.  I was lucky enough to find blue ones at Target this summer to match the blue flower girl dress.  Finding a black camisole was easy.  Make sure the camisole has a snug fit!

Go find a needle and some matching thread.  I suppose you could use a sewing machine for this but I felt more comfortable doing this by hand.  Position the bodice over the camisole so the ends meet directly at the back center (or as close as possible).  Sew the bodice to the camisole along the top.  Use lots of stitches and secure them well.  I am neither a a sewing expert nor a sewing instructor so I wish you the best of luck here!  Just make sure you use plenty of stitches, sturdy thread, and if the thread is a good match, all those crooked stitches wrapped around the yarn will not be noticeable.  When you are finished, the bodice should be securely attached to the camisole and the opening should be at (or near) the back center of the camisole.

Now it is time to stitch the camisole together with your matching yarn.  I like to use slip stitches then go back and tie with several pieces of yarn.  If you feel like the closing looks messy, take some pretty ribbon and tie some bows back there for distraction.  I am a lace/ribbon/bow/trim hoarder, mainly because I am impatient and I like distractions.

You're almost finished!  Decorate it however you like -- I added lots of ribbon to the monarch butterfly dress.  For the flower girl dress, I attempted to make my own silk flowers.  I made enough for two dresses and I burned myself a few times.  Just be careful if you do this and there are tons of tutorials out there for making these.  Of course, you could just buy some silk flowers or (even better if you have the time) find some at a local Goodwill store, flea market, etc.

It was fairly cold this Halloween (yay!) so we used a plain black stretchy shirt underneath, plain black leggings, black socks, and ideally black shoes (but my daughter wanted to wear pink sparkly shoes... it worked).  I decorated her black leggings with strips of tulle (see photo, this was a 30-second decoration) and painted her face a little, which she loved.

I was going to attempt to make the wings, but after having a sinus infection all week I broke over the day before and purchased wings at the some big Halloween chain store.  By the way, those stores are not child friendly in my opinion.  Why should my kids have to see a plastic yard scene from SAW or disfigured zombie babies when they walk in the door?  Lesson learned.

Believe it or not, it took us twice as long to come up with the "sweet, cute, friendly werewolf" outfit for  our older daughter.  I can only take credit for the disheveled furry "leg cuffs" and that thing hanging on her arm.  Oh, I smeared some blackish grey paint on her face.  Fortunately my husband found a mask at a local costume rental shop, as the chain stores only had scary, mean grizzly werewolves (and no "normal" wolves whatsoever) with severed arms hanging from their jaws.

USEFUL ADVICE
-- Help your little one get into and out of this dress!  It is made to fit snug, there are tons of holes in that bodice for little arms to force their way through, and you do not want a struggling child caught in this mound of fish net and tulle!  A strong, angry child could possibly destroy this dress in a fraction of the time it took you to make it.

-- This is not an easy care, wash and wear type of dress.  Wash it by hand if needed and lay flat to dry (be sure to shape it properly).  It's fine for play as long as they aren't bouncing off of the walls.   With that said, how durable are those cheaply made costumes at Target or Wal Mart?  I can assure you that this dress, if made properly, will not only be more durable but 10 times more beautiful than anything (affordable) you will find at a chain store.

-- Do not attempt to sell your creations unless you have made quite a few and tested their durability on actual children!   So far, the dresses I have made have not fallen apart after a few outings, but I am still not to the point where I would personally want to sell these.

-- Feel free to experiment!  If you want a more durable bodice and you have the time, single crochet all the way around.  For the last 2-3 rows, double crochet to give yourself openings for tulle.  You could even create a bodice with straps or sleeves that will not need an attached camisole.  I personally like the fish net design, not only because it's quick to create, but it has lots of decorating options.  Furthermore, if I am going to devote the time and effort to crocheting a solid, functional sweater,  I am probably going to let it remain... a sweater.

Once Upon a Winter Eve

I finally got around to making a "sampler" video for the album I released last winter, "Once Upon a Winter Eve."  While putting this together, I was reminded of how much fun I had creating this album.  While it isn't technically a Christmas album, there are elements of wintery magic, anticipation, a hint of darkness, and even a little adventure.

Far Away
This is a sweeping landscape type of song, with adventure, grand beauty, and even a little yearning for simple goodness.  As you may have guessed, I was completely inspired by Tolkien's world of rolling green hills, snow-capped mountains, and very important missions.
“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Frost Arrives

While creating this song I envisioned Jack Frost and possibly a team of ethereal winter fairies lacing the trees with ice, breathing frost on the window panes, and stuffing the clouds with flurries.

from Fantasia

The Night Before
Many have said that this song sounds "Burtonesque," although technically that would be "Elfmanesque."  While I certainly consider Burton and Elfman influential in some of my work, this song was more inspired by "The Nutcracker Suite" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Following a Star
Hope, magic, enchantment... peace, contentment, and beauty in knowing you have something to follow, even if it seems far away.

Candlestick Waltz
For this song I imagined a curious little girl wandering around in her nightgown in the middle of the night, in search of something magical.  She walks into another place and time, a grand ballroom full of dancers who may or may not be ghosts.  They immediately bring her into the dance and she is a part of their waltz and their world.

New Snow
This is actually a revised version of "First Snow" from "The World Beyond."  I loved creating the first version and I really wanted to add more.  When I created "First Snow," I envisioned (here is a shocker) a blanket of snow on the ground, undoubtedly the first snow of the season.  Kids are playing, a little girl in a red coat is taking on two little boys in a snowball war in the front yard of an old church.  Everything is fresh and sparkling, litter on the streets covered, barren twigs glisten with a coat of glass.  "New Snow" is slightly more contemplative than "First Snow."  Instead of being out in the wondrous winterland, the perspective is from the inside looking out the window.   There is hope and enchantment along with some darker, more complex elements.

Wishes
Inspired by O. Henry's "A Gift of the Magi," one of the most memorable Christmas stories in my opinion.  

Frozen Rain
Originally I wanted to simply call this "Frozen," but I did not want to duplicate a popular (or relatively popular) title by Madonna.  It is really hard for me to describe this song, I would have to say it is different from most of the other songs on the album.  Not only is the style a bit different, but the theme and inspiration is more modern.  Most of my songs are inspired by a time in the past, "Frozen Rain" is inspired by the present and the need to preserve moments in time.

Once Upon a Winter Eve

Burton's Sleepy Hollow

Some of my fondest memories involve being at my grandparent's house out in the country.  It was an old farm house in the middle of 200 acres of trees, so a roaring fire and power outages were quite common in the winter.  They had a "fancy" wood stove in the living room, but we always preferred the fireplace in the kitchen/den where we could all gather around (and be near Grandma's food).  My dad and grandfather would take turns telling ghost stories and getting us way too scared to sleep that night.

http://www.poemuseum.org/

Haunted
Inspired by my own natural spooky tendencies, along with Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and of course, Edgar Allan Poe's "Haunted Palace," "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Masque of..." okay, basically Poe in general.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before...
from "The Raven"



Treasured
This song was directly inspired by Tolkien's "All That is Gold Does Not Glitter."  In fact, you can sing along...

All that is gold does not glitter,  

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

Myth
Here is where I have to admit my total enthrallment with Arthurian legend and the sappy romance of it all.

The Lady of Shalott by John Williams Waterhouse

Stories by Firelight see Once Upon a Winter Eve

Passages
This song makes me cry, thanks (again) to Tolkien...  sing along...

JRR Tolkien

I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think

of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see

For still there are so many things

that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think

of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.  

But all the while I sit and think

of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.

"Bilbo's Last Song" or "I Sit Beside the Fire and Think"

by J.R.R. Tolkien

More Painted Glass

It's official.  My painted glassware withstands wash and wear better than my kids' Hello Kitty Thermos cups.  Well, the paint/design withstands, obviously my wine glasses would break if you dropped them on the pavement after soccer practice.  Even washing by hand, I have noticed that Hello Kitty and Minnie Mouse are fading and chipping after just 2 months.  Grrrrrrrrrr.  

Anyway, back to painted glass.  By the way, these painted designs should last years if handled and washed properly.  

Sleepy Hollow stemless wine glasses

Sleepy Hollow stemless wine glasses

Seaside Twilight champagne flutes

Samhain champagne flutes

Frosty Sea stemless wine glasses

Cozy Crochet

Virginia is a beautiful state, but there are quite a few weeks in the summer that are downright miserable.  When the heat index is 107 and the only creature stirring outside is a hungry mosquito, the last thing one would normally think about is wooly scarves!   Crocheting is actually quite accommodating for indoor, air-conditioned days when the kids are stuck inside reading, practicing their instruments, and ...well... watching way too much My Little Pony (friendship IS magic, by the way).

It was a very long, hot summer!

These scarves are in my Etsy shop.

Of course I had to make a "Rainbow Sash!"

Who is the swirliest of them all?

There is nothing like opening your Etsy messages first thing in the morning to find that a fellow artist is accusing you of copyright infringement because they think you copied their trees.  An artist I had never heard of accused me of copying their "swirly trees."

When I asked this artist if their work predated Klimt's "Tree of Life" they replied that they have been selling swirly trees since 2005.  Surely Klimt can't top that!  Interestingly enough, this artist's work is available at Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond, which leads me to question why this person is on Etsy picking on artists who do not have their work mass-produced.  Artists are supposed to support each other!

I am older than I look and I was probably doodling swirly trees before this person was born.  My dad drew swirly trees back in the 70s.  Klimt did swirly trees back in the early 1900s.  Van Gogh did swirly stars.  Tolkien, Blake... trees... swirls... this person's legal team must be good.  Clearly, this person is the original, one-and-only swirly tree artist as they have now added to their Etsy shop announcement!   I really didn't think swirly trees were that big of a deal, they have always been fun for me.  The idea that adding a swirl to the end of a tree branch is a groundbreaking, trademarked artistic technique is absolutely absurd.

This artist doesn't even paint glassware... at least they don't have any listed, yet my champagne flute listing (above left) is the offending listing that was in the original message.  If this person had taken the time to look at my work, they might see that I paint all kinds of trees and forests and I also compose music, clearly I have my own source of creativity that extends beyond the branches of a swirly tree.

Copyright infringement is rampant on Etsy.  There are more resellers and copycats than you can stuff into a hand-woven, repurposed, steampunk basket, yet this delusional person is focusing on and reporting a legitimate artist who actually has to print her own work.

I hate toxic stuff.

Swirls make me happy and I will not stop making swirls.

Fairy Tale Forest

Mermaid Tree

Fantasie

This was painted in 2002... 

Timeless, an Etsy treasury of art and music

The following Etsy shop owners were kind enough to let me use images of their original artwork and photography in this video...

Vegablue Photography
http://www.etsy.com/shop/vegabluephoto

Photography Dream
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PhotographyDream

Artistic Release
http://www.etsy.com/shop/artisticrelease

FotoArtiste 58
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FotoArtiste58

Arpad Lukacs
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArpadLukacs

The Maidens Flower
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMaidensFlower

Carl Bork Fine Art
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarlBorkFineArt

Calico Sky Creations
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CalicoSkyCreations

Color Landscape Photos
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColorLandscapePhotos

Song by Karen Altman (that's me), "Timeless," released in 2010 on "The World Beyond."

View the treasury...http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzI3NjUwMXwyNTczMzE5MTc4/timeless?index=1

Queen Anne's Lace scarf

My favorite crochet pattern ever...

Queen Anne's lace scarf

A Forest Painting Evolves