Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp and Other Goals

I have decided to participate in Etsy's Holiday Boot Camp this fall in order to prepare myself and my little shop for the upcoming holiday season. It really is just what I need after keeping my shop in vacation mode all summer, and only just returning to it in the beginning of September.

I feel like I have so much to catch up on in terms of building inventory, re-photographing my existing work, organizing shipping supplies, making sure I have enough of all of my supplies, etc. All of the Boot Camper's receive an email from Danielle at Etsy each week with a checklist of different things we should work on accomplishing for the week. It has helped me to prioritize what needs to be done in the next few months and has been an awesome source of motivation. It is nice knowing that thousands of other Etsy shop owners are working on the same tasks I am each week!

I have already started to inventory my supplies, and noticed that I could really use something new to adorn each of my flowers with. I decided that filling each of my new flowers with tiny faceted gemstones would make for some absolutely gorgeous and luxurious flowers! So, I went ahead and ordered aquamarine, quartz, peridot, garnet, topaz, spinel, and citrine faceted beads. These little gems will be in each of the new flowers I create, so be on the lookout for these new pieces as they enter my shop! I listed the first one yesterday and it sold an hour after I listed it! The gemstones are a hit!

Each week I will keep all of you filled in on some of my new shop features and products as I continue to work my way through Etsy's Holiday Boot Camp! It has been an inspiring and motivating journey so far.

Marie Antoinette Fall/Winter 2010 Collection

Over the course of this Fall/Winter season, portraits of Marie Antoinette will inspire a majority of the flowers I create. After all, she was and is still recognized as a major fashion icon of her day. I have scoured the Internet as well as the database ARTstor (which I have access to through my university's library) for portraits of her to use as color inspiration.

Each of the gowns she wears in her portraits are so richly colored and to my surprise, many of them feature color palettes that are currently considered to be the hot colors for fall! I hope you all enjoy the great colors in this new collection as they are released throughout the next few months. Each flower that is part of this collection will have a "-Antoinette" at the end of the listing name in my Etsy shop. If you have a favorite portrait of Antoinette that you would like to suggest, please mention it in the comments!


Portrait of Marie Antoinette by Gautier D'Agoty, 1775. More pictures of the flower inspired by the portrait can be seen here.

Back After a Long Hiatus!

I have really neglected blogging for quite a while, but I am back and have hopes of posting regularly without anymore major breaks!

As inspiration, I am planning on purchasing 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion by Tara Gentile of Thinking Big for Small Businesses. If you are also an aspiring blogger you may want to check her book out here: "52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion".

My First Treasury: A Rococo Inspired Valentine

Just earlier this morning I finally made my first treasury on Etsy's Treasury West. Sitting at my computer and waiting for the treasury number to get down to 222 was quite nerve-racking, but once the treasury opened up, I quickly entered my title and got to work. The treasury features Valentine Themed pieces from my last post "Etsy Weekly Feature: Valentine's Day Edition" plus a few others I found since posting those items.

You can see and comment on my treasury here: A Rococo Inspired Valentine Which piece would you absolutely love to get for Valentine's Day?

Enjoy!

Weekly Etsy Feature: Valentine's Day Edition!

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This week's vibrant Etsy feature showcases items with a Romantic twist.

Featured sellers/items (from left to right/top to bottom):

Red Aqua Pirate Queen Tribal Hoop Earrings by bionicunicorn

Leather Moleskine Cover Hand stitched Nota Buttone Feral Empire by feralgirl

French Kiss by risamay

FRANKLY MY DEAR (with silk ribbons) by gildapearl

ROYAL Ruby Red Silk Dupioni Lily Headband Fascinator by ThreadRare

Presentation 12x18 Print by vorpal

Lady Worsley - Large Rococo Inspired Flower by RococoFleurs

Heart in Hand, Valentine's Day, Love, Romance, Engagement, Wedding, Friendship note cards by SimpleJoysPaperie

Spring Melody in pink - teal - olive by violetbella

Valentine Scarflette no.3 by flutter

Large - Reversible - Hobo - Deer Valley Terra Cotta and Azure by retrofied

LOVE Letterpress and Screenprint Greeting Card and Envelope by amyb13

How do you like my Valentine themed selection? I adore the ROYAL Ruby Red Silk Dupioni Lily Headband Fascinator by ThreadRare! Which one is your personal favorite?

If you are an Etsy seller and would like to be featured in next week's collection please leave a comment, or send me a convo on Etsy!

Inspiration: Madame de Pompadour

I recently began creating a collection of flowers inspired by the illustrious Madame de Pompadour, one of the mistresses of Louis XV. Originally named Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, she was born in 1721 in Paris and was raised in a convent. She was well educated by tutors her mother personally hired, and she eventually became a talented actress and singer. She was married to Charles-Guillaume Le Normant d'Étiolles, and became quite well known in society. Her notoriety earned her the attention of Louis XV, and only four years after her wedding, she became his mistress and moved into her own apartments at Versailles. Shortly after that, she and her husband were officially separated.

As mistress of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour gained wealth and power. She was able to have many portraits commissioned of herself and often helped artists rise in popularity as a result of her support. My latest flowers have all been inspired by a pastel drawing of her by Maurice Quentin de La Tour created in 1755 when she was 34. In the drawing she is wearing gown made of light blue fabric patterned with contrasting gold and turquoise flower designs. Each of the flowers incorporates these colors in some way. I love how the complimentary colors work together to create such lively little compositions in each flower!


To view or purchase one of these flowers, please visit my etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/RococoFleurs

Weekly Etsy Feature

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Featured items/sellers (from left to right, top to bottom:

Side Tie Panty - Cream and Black Polka Dot by LonelyGirlLingerie

Beaded Charm Bracelet by Kim Smith SRAJD - Serenity by KIMMSMITH

Vintage Venice - 8x10 Print by DanaLaymon

The Claire Cuff in Peachy Pink by laktjohnson

Croquet with the Queen Earrings by lookingglasshouse

Little Delovely by clairelafaye

CUPCAKE shabby chippy cottage chic pink Valentine sign
by SignsByDiane

Princesa necklace - Hand knotted freshwater pearls. by jennyhoople

The Love Letter - Rococo Inspired Flower Headband by RococoFleurs

July 09. Letterpress Limited Edition of 100. 8 x 10. Original Print. Meredith Prevot by sycamorestreetpresss

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN lip balm .15 oz tube MARIE ANTOINETTE Queen's Patisserie Collection by Vintage Bella by vintagebella

Champagne Clay Necklace or Choker by LavenderField

So, there are all of my lovely finds for this week. I am in love with the letter press print by sycamorestreetpresss! Which one is your personal favorite?

If you are an Etsy seller and would like to be featured in next week's collection please leave a comment, or send me a convo on Etsy!