Black Friday to Cyber Monday Deals - Bonus!

This last group of EtsyWMI sellers have awesome multifaceted deals with a combination of free shipping, discounts, and freebies.  Remember to shop all of our Black Friday to Cyber Monday Deals for fabulous, handmade gifts on Etsy!

3prince1princess.etsy.com : Free shipping on all US orders and 30% off orders over $20.00. Also on bows for every 5 you get 1 free

abacusbeadcreations.etsy.com : Free Worldwide Shipping on everything in my shop. Plus free gift with all of my necklaces, bracelets, and watches - a pretty fabric drawstring bag for safe keeping or gift-giving

Delainie.etsy.com : Free Domestic Shipping on any purchase of $20 or more. Plus a free gift with every purchase through December 25th

forrestconcepts.etsy.com : 2 journals for $25 plus free shipping for purchase of 2 or more journals. Discount will be refunded through PayPal
genesisonedesigns.etsy.com : 30% off all jewelry.  
Free shipping on all orders over $75.00
Discount will be issued PayPal.

gentleadornments.etsy.com 10% off all orders. Free shipping for all US order & free shpping for all international orders over $50

Lhsblack.etsy.com : Free Worldwide Shipping on all orders over $10. Plus receive a free gift of some surprise extras! Shipping will be refunded through Paypal

Black Friday to Cyber Monday Deals - BOGO

These EtsyWMI shops are offering special Buy One Get One deals!

2craftychix.etsy.com : Buy 1 quilt get the 2nd quilt 10% off excluding shipping. Refund through PayPal

CatherineMarissa.etsy.com : Buy 3 Itty Bitty Studs, get a 4th pair free! Just order 3 and leave me a message at checkout with the design you'd like to receive free

MariaSoleil.etsy.com : Buy 2 items, get 1 free. Free item will be refunded through PayPal

secondsight.etsy.com : Buy 1 item, get a 2nd item of equal or lesser value half off

thepreppyblueberry.etsy.com : Buy 2 get 1 Free. Free item will be refunded through PayPal

Whatcirca.etsy.com : Buy any 1 item, get a $5 item Free! Purchase one item and your pick of one item in the $5 section free

Black Friday to Cyber Monday Deals - Discounts

These EtsyWMI shops are offering discounts in their shops! Be sure to check them out.

articulations.etsy.com : 10% off regular prices excluding shipping

craftinator.etsy.com : All scarves half off

firstfruitsllc.etsy.com : 10% off Everything excluding shipping, limited to $10

MomNMiaQuilts.etsy.com : Take 10% off regular prices excluding shipping

NancySellsGlass.etsy.com : 10% off purchase excluding shipping

Ooahvintageglam.etsy.com : Take 10% off any one item, 15% off two or more

ShowerTreatSoap.etsy.com : 10% off your entire purchase excluding shipping
WindyLou.etsy.com : Holiday bibs 20% off excluding shipping

Black Friday to Cyber Monday Deals - Free Shipping

Absolutely everyone is aware of the madness that takes place the day and weekend after Thanksgiving - sales, sales, sales!  EtsyWMI is no different.  Over 30 member shops have let us know about the deals they're having this weekend.  Our members are offering everything from free shipping, discounts off, buy one get one sales, and freebies!    So spend your weekend saving money while getting fabulous, handmade gifts on Etsy!


To start, here are some EtsyWMI shops with some great shipping deals.


bysaralynn.etsy.com : Free Worldwide Shipping
butterflyheavens.etsy.com : Free Shipping refunded through PayPal 
DelightedHands3113.etsy.com : Free US Shipping on orders of $30 or more (refunded through PayPal)

GypsyMoonArt.etsy.com : Free Worldwide Shipping

JewelrySupplySource.etsy.com : Free Worldwide Shipping on all orders over $5

julieandco.etsy.com : Free US Shipping when you buy 2 or more Christmas ornaments

JustJaynes.etsy.com : Free Shipping to US, Canada, UK, Australia

la01shelle.etsy.com : Free Shipping refunded through PayPal 
PitBullLadyDesigns.etsy.com : Free shipping when you buy 2 or more needle felt items

Skindeep.etsy.com : Free US and Canada Shipping on all orders over $10.00

TheMonkeyShop.etsy.com : Free Shipping to the USA I will reimburse you through Pay Pal

VivianLaneJewelry.etsy.com : Free Worldwide Shipping

How to offer Free Shipping in your shop

With the holidays approaching, many of us are thinking about offering discounts. One of the easiest offers is Free Shipping. The Etsy.com blog has a tutorial on batch shipping that is worth taking a look at if you're new to Etsy and this is your first sale.

Shop the Etsy West Michigan Labor Day sales

AbacusBeadCreations:
15% off everything in my shop! Discount will be refunded through PayPal.

Come and check out my necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches, id lanyards and eyeglass holders.

Plus FREE gift with all of my necklaces, bracelets, and watches - a pretty fabric drawstring bag for safe keeping or gift-giving.

GypsyMoonArt:
FREE SHIPPING this weekend Friday through Monday.
Shipping will be refunded back to you! :)

JustJaynes:
15% off your entire order.
Enter "Weekend Deals" in message to seller for a refund of the item price, before shipping.

LaShelle:
10% off my designs shop, anything in there right now.

LydiaLayne:
All jewelry is marked 30-50% off for moving sale!

MomNMiaQuilts:
Save 10% off throughout my shop! No promo code or anything needed, discount will be refunded through PayPal.

ScheilDesigns:
$1 off drink stakes and $2 off bottle holders starting 9/3 and ending 9/7 as an "End of Season" sale. Type "End of Season" in the message to seller and I will discount the prices.

TheMonkeyShop:
$5 off your $50 or more dollar order.
Please convo me so I can take $5 off your order.
On note to seller add $5 off order.

TrinasTrinkets:
Sept.3 through Sept.7 I will be offering 25% off select merchandise. The sale price will be posted on the item... immediate savings! Come and see beaded bobby pins, bead in cage earrings, and much more!

AND... this week only FREE SHIPPING on Autumn cards just added to Trina's Trinkets!



To shop more Etsy West Michigan team shops, search "Etsywmi" at etsy.com

LaShelle's sale is currently running...

LaShelle is offering 10% off anything in her shop. These colorful vintage earrings are gorgeous!

The Monkey Shop sale

TheMonkeyShop started her sale yesterday and runs through September 9. Receive $5 off any order of $50 or more! See store announcement for details.

Early Labor Day weekend sale

MomNMiaQuilts has started her sale early!

Enjoy 10% off throughout the store through September 7th. 10% exclusive of quilts which are already marked at their sale prices. Discount will be refunded via PayPal. 10% discount is exclusive of shipping fees.

Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights

Some helpful information from Rhonda Geneva of GeneveaGirlsDesigns.

Anyone wishing to look into the legal grounds for patents, trademarks, and copyrights, look into the newly formed group in Grand Rapids called GRIN (Grand Rapids Inventors Network). They can answer questions regarding rights.

Patents are very expensive (I know I've filed for one in 2007/2008). Not only expensive, having knowledge of the various types of patents and what they cover could be helpful. You need to ask yourself if you plan to use a patent for litigation or just to ward off copycats. If you plan to file a patent on a product you've designed, it is best to file before exposing your products on public sites. There are limitations on whether you can file a patent depending on when your sales begin.

For more info, contact Rhonda!

Pipemaking goes from pastime to passion for Kalamazoo man

by Jessi Phillips | Special to the Kalamazoo GazetteThursday July 23, 2009, 12:35 PM

KALAMAZOO -- When Andy Henderson's wife, Jessica Hayosh, gently encouraged him to trade his video games for a more worthwhile pursuit, she had no idea it would lead to what Henderson calls "an instant obsession."
"Maybe I made a few comments here and there, like, 'Why don't you spend more time doing something productive?'" Hayosh said. "I knew he had some sort of creative spark in him."

Henderson had already sold most of his gaming equipment before their wedding in February 2008, but still had plenty of games on his computer. At around the same time, he'd also started smoking a pipe in an attempt to cut back on his two-pack-a-day smoking habit.
"I was puffing on a cheap $15 pipe when I thought, 'I can do better than that,'" Henderson said.
Thus, a new addiction was born. Henderson carved his first pipe in August 2008, and though he says that pipe "was horribly ugly and smoked terribly," seeing the finished product motivated him to keep going. He joined some pipe-making forums on the Internet, and soon created his own "shop" on etsy.com, an online purveyor of handmade and vintage items. Hayosh uses the site to sell beading supplies and knitting wares.
"I didn't make take many art classes and never really felt like I was that artistic," Henderson said. "But just getting one finished and looking at it, I think, 'Holy crap, I can't believe I did that.'"

Henderson now creates three or four pipes a week, selling them almost as quickly as he can make them. The pipes start as a block of briar wood, a fire-resistant wood imported from Algeria, Italy and Greece. Henderson then uses a drill press to create the airways and tobacco chamber and a bandsaw and disk sander to create the rough shape of the pipe. Then comes the most laborious part of the process -- sanding the pipe by hand.
"I'm someone who is usually fidgety, and it's actually turned into a very constructive outlet for that energy," Henderson said. "My wife is very tolerant of the wood dust that's everywhere."
"To see how far he's come is amazing to me," Hayosh said. "He really has this talent."
Each pipe takes between eight and 20 hours to make, and runs from $60-$140. While most of his patrons on etsy.com are women buying for husbands, fathers or boyfriends, he has had one woman say she was buying the pipe for herself. Henderson sees pipe smoking catching on with the younger set as well.
"It's a lot cheaper to smoke a pipe than cigarettes," Henderson explained. "Tobacco will never be safe, but it's more about the flavor of the tobacco, more about the taste. Smoking the pipe, I get by smoking on it a half-dozen times a day and I'm satisfied."
Both Henderson and Hayosh have been pleased with the results of their etsy.com endeavors and the support the site has provided. In February, the couple's "Etsy Love Story" was featured on the site's blog, and in June, Henderson won an etsy.com poll for "Best Father's Day Gift." Both try to put most of their profits into building their business, and each has considered the possibility that these crafts might someday turn into a full-time occupation.
"The master guys can do a pipe in two hours and then turn around and sell it for $5,000," Henderson said. "I hope I'm a lot faster after a decade of doing this."

Mark Your Calendars for June 14th!

Check out this article for more information on Etsy Day on the opening day of the Fulton Street Artisan Market.

Congratulations!

Congrats to Andy at HendersonPipes! His pipe won the vote for best Father's Day gift on etsy.

Become a Fan of EtsyWMI

Do you Facebook? Become a fan of the Etsy West Michigan team. Get updates on group shows, sales, and blog posts.

New members!

Please vote for Dulce

Hey everyone! There's a friendly competition going on...please visit here http://cafehandmade.blogspot.com/2009/03/friendly-competition.html and support a team made! Vote for the Monkey Shop!

thanks!

Etsy Day at FSAM

Our team has been invited to the opening day of the Fulton Street Artisans Market (FSAM)!

Sunday, June 14
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
$10.00 per artisan, for up to two market spaces

Market provides: permanently set up tables and structure.
What to bring:
• Shade: If you have an easy-up canopy, those work well. Most of the "regulars" at the market use a tarp and bungees. The tarp is attached to the market structure, and anchored to your vehicle. Vehicles can be backed right up to your space. The FSAM artisans are a friendly bunch, and will be more than happy to help you with this!
• Table covering: The market tables are used by the farmers market. They are a bit rough. You will want to bring a blanket or other covering. Please note that the tables are a bit sloped.
• Chair (many use a stool). The tables are a bit high.
• Money to make change

FSAM is an open air market at the site of the Fulton Street Farmers Market on Fulton and Fuller in Grand Rapids. It is a fun, laid-back venue and a great opportunity for people new to art/craft shows as well as experienced artisans. Many members of the etsywmi group participated throughout the season last year. FSAM is currently in a growth stage. We are busy making plans and putting organizational structure in place to really grow this market. I think it has a lot of potential, but we need lots of artisan participation to make this happen. It is our goal to make the market a West Michigan Sunday destination.

Please use the poll here on the blog to let us know if you plan to attend. You are also encouraged to leave comments on this post. As always, join us in the etsy forum for questions and discussion with members who attended last year.

Thanks!!

One of our own has been featured!

Check out this article in the Muskegon Chronicle featuring Rhonda of Geneva Girls Designs: http://www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-16/123288214917210.xml&coll=8

She also had a video - check that out here: http://videos.mlive.com/chronicle/2009/01/inventor_rhonda_w_geneva.html