Pick a Card - Any Card!

The Etsypaper team is busy making Cards for this Holiday season... Check out these fantastic Cards!

Michellenstamps



ajsdesigns



thecraftycloset



PapermoonsDesigns




RedLetterPaperCo

November brings...

It's November! Fall is in full swing, orange is the color of the season, holidays are around the corner. EtsyPaper team members are in a creating frenzy! Check out some of our team member shops:

dustbincards



ascrapabove



theowlandtheenvelope



sophienme

Scary Paper!

The EtsyPaper Team continues to crank out some great Halloween themed items! Check these out!

From SnappiGirlCreations



From CharonelDesigns



From craftiechicks



From elteecreative

More Halloween-y stuff from EtsyPaper!

The EtsyPaper Team has more than 100 items for Halloween!  Check out these "BOOtiful" items and the Awesome EtsyPaper Team shops that carry them.

sophienme



ascrapabove



vhemingway



thecraftycloset

Halloween Season

October is here and that means that HALLOWEEN is right around the corner. Check out our facebook page for the Etsypaper team Challenge for October. Submit your spooky, pumpkin-y, sweet (as in candy), ghoulish creations.

Here are a few Etsypaper team Halloween themed items to get you in the mood:

TheGoldenTrees



CamelsandCustard



CreativeZone



velvetonthepage



Check back for more Spook-tastic items from the Etsypaper Team!

EtsyPaper Team Rainbow Challenge Winner

The Etsypaper Team recently completed it's first challenge. Our theme for this challenge was "Rainbow". We had many wonderful entries and with voting over, the winner is...

Sampanink !!!!

What a wonderful piece of art! Congrats to our WINNER and Thanks to everyone who voted. Be on the lookout for our next team challenge!

EtsyPaper Team Rainbow Treasury

Check out our August Challenge Treasury!

Etsy Paper Team RAINBOW Challenge August 2011

Also, Don't forget to go by our Facebook page and vote for your favorite!

EtsyPaper on Facebook

Creative Zone

This month our featured member is Mary with CreativeZone...

Tell us a little about yourself 

I’m married to a fabulous husband who tolerates my paper hoarding (as long as it doesn’t get in his way) and I live in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  I’m self-employed as a graphic designer and I work full-time from home, which works out perfectly because when my day job is slow it allows me the time to be crafty.

I also teach paper crafts at my local scrapbooking store. I started on their design team and that progressed into teaching at the store. I’ve been teaching for about 4 years now and I really love it, it has really opened up things for me creatively.  My latest classes have mostly involved Copic Markers and the Silhouette Die-cutting Machine, but in the past I’ve taught rubber-stamping, scrapbooking and cardmaking.

When did you open your shop on Etsy?

Technically, I opened the shop back in November 2007 but then as a newbie I got discouraged due to lack of sales etc. and life got really busy so I went M.I.A. from Etsy. I’ve been back with a vengeance now since early spring.

Tell us about your shop: 

I sell cards, scrapbooking mini-albums and notebooks/journals (which are my latest obsession).

Name top (3-5) items (for crafting purposes) that you cannot live without

1.    ATG Tape Gun – because once the paper is stuck – it’s STUCK for good.

2.    ScorePal – I’m pretty obsessive about this one because I’m a stickler for perfect scores and straight-lines

3.    Tonic Guillotine paper cutter – perfect straight cuts every time.  I have both the 12-   inch and the smaller 8-inch version. 

What is it about paper that draws you to create with it?

For me, it’s the possibilities. You can transform that 1 single piece of paper into a multitude of beautiful things.  THEN, afterwards, it can be recycled and reborn again and again.  

Are you a clean or messy crafter?

I’m an incredibly messy crafter – the more space I have the more mess I make and the more I’ll spread out. I never start off planning on making a mess but somehow “this” gets pulled out and then I want to try “that” out and then I think what about “the other one” - the next thing you know it looks like a paper bomb went off!  I try to clean up at the end of every project to make way for the next idea AND to keep my hubby from complaining.  (In my next house, I hope to have a door to my studio).

What was your biggest mistake you made when starting out on Etsy? How did you fix it?

When I first started selling on Etsy, I made a sale the first week and I was totally pumped and excited. Then everything stopped, and I got incredibly discouraged and I just let everything expire. I thought long and hard about the whole experience and then I realized why I was successful that very first week - I sold because my listing was near the top.  It’s like that saying about a tree falling in the forest, if no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? The key to Etsy is to create a quality product that is unique, to promote on Etsy and off of Etsy, get involved with teams to stay motivated, list daily to be seen. At least then, you have a fighting chance because people will know your shop exists.

What is your favorite item to make, the one that makes you smile just thinking about working on it?

My favorite things to create by far are custom scrapbook mini albums. You get handed a bunch of photos, you have a theme and then you just go to it. 

I especially love it when the client just says “do what YOU want”. To give the books that personal touch, I always incorporate blank pullouts and flaps so that the client or recipient can journal their thoughts and feelings in afterwards about the photo. Here is an example of a custom book I made for in honour of a little boy’s first birthday: 

We know that Mary would love some comments. Check out Mary's Creativezone shop, too! If you are looking for other Etsy Paper Team members, all you have to do is go to Etsy and type in the key words Etsy Paper, or Etsy Paper Team.

You can find Mary at:

Creativezone on Etsy

Creativezone online

Creativezone on Twitter

Creativezone on Pinterest

Etsy Paper Street Team

A Timeless Journey

We, the Etsy Paper Team, are resurrecting OUR blog. We are going to be highlighting an Etsy Paper Team member once a month. So, for our first Etsy Paper Team Member for 2011 is...

...Laura with Timeless Journey. Enjoy the read and leave some love. Take a look at her studio! What a dream come true for Laura!

Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Laura Cole and I am the owner and creator of Timeless Journey. I have been married to my best friend for 14 years and we have 4 boys from 6 to 13 years old. For my day job, I work part time as a preschool teacher. I teach Art, Music and Sign Language. I love teaching and interacting with others. However, I also enjoy getting away from the everyday commotion and spending time alone in my craft room.

When did you open your shop on Etsy?
I opened up my Etsy shop in March 2009. I realized I needed to find a way to support my habit of buying scrapbooking materials as well as bring in some extra money to the family. A friend told me about Etsy and then I was hooked.

Tell us about your shop.
I LOVE vintage items as well as making things out of recycled materials. The main items that we sell in our Timeless Journey shop are items made from paper and barn wood. Our main sellers are our pre-made albums, money organizers, and chalkboards.

When you look at some of the first projects you made, do you want to:
a. tear them up and start over;
b. get out your new product and add some new stuff to your old project;
c. sit down with a cup of tea and look at it lovingly for a while;
d. wonder where the time has gone?
I started scrapbooking when my first son was born 13 years ago. When I look back at the first pages I made, it always amazes me on how far my scrapbooking has come. The techniques and products that I use have also advanced for the better. A part of me wants to redo the pages. Then I look at them and think, just like the pictures that are on them, they too are memories.

Do you have a day job? If so, are you up all night crafting?
Yes, I work during the day and spend the evenings running all the boys to their activities. Because of my busy days, I have to do most of my work after they go to bed. I have even been up as late as 6:00am working on a huge order.

Are you a clean or messy crafter, do you have a special space for your crafting, or does the kitchen table do double duty?
I am defiantly a messy crafter. We moved last year, and one of the must haves of the new house was an extra area to use as a studio. Since I am such a messy scraper the family was tired of the kitchen table always covered. My handy husband finished off what once was a concrete storage room into a fantastic studio for me. He also added a closet/room to use for shipping. Because I live with so many men, I wanted a girly room with even a little pink chandelier.

Name top (3-5) items (for crafting purposes) that you cannot live without.
The best part of my room is the fact that that I can have my items that I use every day right at my fingertips. My computer and printer, paper, trimmer, crop-a-dial, Scotch’s fast drying glue, and most importantly all my ribbon are used in just about everything I make!

Do you sell mostly online or at craft shows? How many different selling venues do you use?
I sell almost solely through our Timeless Journey Etsy store. However, I do one local craft fair every year. I’ve tried to do more local fairs but I can never seem to get enough inventory accumulated.

How do you package your items?
I think its fun to feel like you received a gift in the mail when a package arrives. For that reason, I wrap the items in brown paper and tie them with twine.

How did you learn your craft?
I learned how to scrapbook from trial and error. I have never taken any classes or and workshops. I have however, taught several in my home and at a local scrapbook store.

What equipment/supplies do you use? Where do you purchase them?
Most of the local scrapbook stores in my area have gone out of business. For this reason, I have to purchase most of my supplies online. A few times a year, I take a road trip with my mom to find new scrapbook stores. I try to stock up on as many items that I can then.

Do you prefer to work alone...or with a friend?
I prefer to work alone. Sometimes I like to have friends over to work on projects. However, since I’m a talker, I always feel like I could have gotten more accomplished if I was by myself. Plus, I love listening to music. It’s almost always Contemporary Christian. Although, if I’m working on Christmas items, I like to listen to Christmas music. Most of my friends think I’m nuts when the Christmas music is on in the summer. Yet another reason I like to work alone.

We know that Laura would love some comments. Check out Laura's Timeless Journey shop, too! If you are looking for other Etsy Paper Team members, all you have to do is go to Etsy and type in the key words Etsy Paper, or Etsy Paper Team.

Thanks for stopping by!
The Etsy Paper Street Team