ETSY and ARTFIRE

I've started another store at Artfire. They are running a deal I can't pass up 7.00 a month membership to the first 5000 people. After those are gone it will be 20.00 a month. You can list as many items as you want with 10 pictures! It's so exciting to get in on the ground level of something! Especially when I think it will be huge. I looked over their business plan. It looks sound and the main thing that really impressed me is the fact that they are going to spend millions on advertising their site. They have already started advertising and targeted the kind of consumers who will SHOP! Here is a link if you are interested in signing up. http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=sevenforlife&afuid=4375

I would also like to say that their listing page is amazing! Everything is right there on one page! It takes me a 1/4 of the time to list on ARTFIRE as it does Etsy.

I have only been on Etsy a month and already have seen some major problems. The main one being their advertising. You can't get people to shop at the site if you don't advertise it! You the seller are responsible for getting people into your shop. Do you realize how much time that takes? On Etsy it seems to be mainly sellers selling to other sellers. The percentage of sellers to buyers is way out of proportion with sellers winning by a landslide! You simply can't sell at your best potential with a lack of buyers to buy! Sellers can only buy so much or what is the point?

I don't plan to close my shop on Etsy just yet. I put too much time into driving traffic to it already. I do plan on letting it phase itself out and making my Artfire shop as huge as I can get it!

Meanwhile, Artfire will be growing by leaps and bounds and I will be there when it explodes! I am so excited!

Some more notes..

ARTFIRE has awesome on the spot customer service. Artfire is working constantly to get their site the best it can be. Of course there are a few bugs to be worked out..it is new! Etsy has bugs too and when you go to forums to try and get them fixed..they tell you it is something to do with you! I have found that not to be true on several occasions, but try to tell them that!

You WILL get on the front page of ARTFIRE. It's almost impossible to snag a treasury on Etsy let alone get picked for the front page.

I LOVE ARTFIRE (I need a button to wear) I am so excited! It will be huge huge huge!

Colonial Farmhouse Primitive Chalkboard Abacus

One of the items that I have for sale in the Plow and Pony is a Chalkboard Abacus. Besides my cadelabra this is one of my favorites. It is a vintage item anyway and then I have reworked it to look very old and Colonial. The picture in my shop just doesn't do it justice. I thought maybe you can see it better here in my blog. Not only is it totally farmhouse primitive it is functional too! I have it with my Primitive Star Series. I have several items that I painted stars on with my special color blend.

I love this Primitive farmhouse shelf!

I love this little shelf I made. Extremely distressed and so primitive! I have some old squarehead flat head nails that I used for the pegs. This would look great in a kitchen or a bathroom!

Farm Inventory

I am new to blogging and was reading up on the subject. It was suggested that you keep your blog short. I do believe I may have failed on that account yesterday! From now on I will try my darndest to keep things short!

Today I will give you an inventory of all the critters on the mini farm:

7 Horses (4 too many) want to buy one?

35 Goats Mostly Boers or Boer cross bred

25 chickens plus 2 roosters

6 Guineas (the best defense against ticks that I have ever found)!

1 turkey, she's a pet and doesn't have to worry about Thanksgiving!

2 Pugs (1 Pug has 3 puggle puppies 2 weeks old)

1 Puggle

1 Beagle

1 Lab

1 Chow mix

1 Kid Goat that thinks she is a dog

Total 9 dogs if you count the puppies! Holy Smoly!!!!!

I think that is it at the moment, but one never knows what tomorrow will bring!

TODAY AND YESTERDAY

Primitives have long been a hot decorating style. They are like comfort food for the soul. This world has gotten to be so fast, so technological and in many ways so impersonal. It's tough to imagine but there was a time not so very long ago when there were no TVs, no computers, no cars, no cell phones, no phones, and no electricity to make life easier! What we call primitives today were much needed functional items from that time! Homemade candles along with handmade candle holders for lighting. There were hand carved wooden utensils, what we call treenware and homemade lye soaps for cleanliness. Shelves, boxes and cupboards that were functional and had places for everyday needful items. Clothing was hand sewn with sturdy material. You made your own food and knew where that food came from. Can you smell that fresh baked bread? Can you taste that sweet cream butter that was churned by hand? If something was needed you made it. Christmastime didn't involve a trip to the mall or Wal Mart but a trip to the sewing box or wood shop to make gifts for friends and loved ones. Gifts of love made with your own hands. Entertainment was reading a book, sewing with family and friends, playing musical instruments, singing and just being with family!
Looking back at that time is like looking through a hazy window. We have come so far so fast that we almost forget there were the times before we had all this technology to make our life easier and full of pleasure. But with that it seems there has been a trade off. Our families are scattered. We have so much stuff, or stuff we need to have to care for other stuff. Closets filled with clothes and shoes and purses. We have bill piled upon bill, the car payment, the house payment, the cell phone bill, the home phone bill, the Internet bill, the electric bill which we pay not only to keep our lights on and our home warm or cool but also to keep all of our stuff running. We pay insurance for everything imaginable even for all of the above stuff. We have credit card bills and store accounts. The list goes on and on. If you really think about it, it will make your head spin. We have traded in time. No one seems to have time anymore. Everyone is busy taking care of "stuff", working to pay bills, to keep the car running and filled with gas to get to work and home. We get home and take care of what needs tending. We make dinner, shuffle the kids here and there, do a quick housecleaning, and if you live on a farm there are chores too! If you are lucky, you get a little time to enjoy some of the "stuff" you have worked so hard to get like the TV or the computer or music on the Ipod. Then you go to bed and hope for more than 6 hours of sleep before you have to get up and do it all over again!
I think we know somewhere inside ourselves that all this fast paced, get more stuff, live for the moment, way of life could be temporary. We might even realize that one day we might have to go back to a more primitive way of life or to some facets of it.
Making primitives gives me a deep seated joy and satisfaction. I think I could do it if I had to. I think I could live without electricity and all the other amenities of life we have all come to enjoy. I wouldn't want to but I could. Please don't get me wrong here. I know that life back then was extremely hard. People didn't live as long. I still can't help but to believe, that at the end of the day they went to bed with a satisfaction of work accomplished, a job well done and with a pride of family that worked together, lived together and loved together.

Teenagers and Vintage Jewelry

This week has been crazy! I have 2 teenage boys and they have been really needy this week. Both of them are in band and 1 also wrestles. I have had to have one to early band practice all this week. That involves getting up at 5:00 am and then I pick him up from wrestling practice at 6:30 pm. It's just crazy! I don't even know what day it is anymore. I live out of town about 11 miles too which makes all this running back and forth more difficult. Thank God gas prices have gone down!
Very little time for my Etsy shop and I have some great ideas too! I kinda wrecked the look of my shop by putting in some great vintage jewelry!
Let's talk about vintage jewelry for a sec. I love it! I have several pieces that I wear when I go out. I always get compliments! There is something so Stand Out about it! The rhinestones, the aurora borealis, the form and the dazzle! I know that jewelry companies have tried to reproduce the look but I have to tell you, I can tell the difference! It just doesn't have that same "look".
Not many people wear brooches anymore that I have seen. I do a unique thing with my vintage brooches. I have a couple of light over jacket/sweater type pieces of clothing (plain color, like black) and instead of closing them with that one button, I use a vintage brooch! It just looks fabulous! You can do the same thing with scarves. I always like to stand apart from the crowd in fashion and have always had my own fashion style. When I was in my 20's and HOT I would wear short shorts and cowboy boots. I couldn't get away with that now and back then it was unheard of but looked great! As a matter of fact my friends from back then still make the occasional comment going back to that cowgirl meets Daisy Duke style of mine..hehehe. I love that!
Another thing with vintage jewelry I need to be careful with is selling it! I have sold pieces that I have truly regretted later. I still miss them!

Etsy and The Vintage Sellers

I came over to Etsy from Ebay. My Etsy shop is new. It has been quite the learning experience! On Ebay I have 1600 something feedbacks and on Etsy 3. I don't much mind that though as I love Etsy! Ebay..not so much. It feels cold over there while Etsy gives me that warm fuzzy feeling. In the Etsy chat rooms I found a group of vintage sellers and they are just simply the best group ever! So helpful, fun and kind! They have given me a renewed energy for my little slice of Etsy heaven! Their shops are amazing! So many great items! A must see! A special thanks goes out to: http://www.mysouthernlace.etsy.com/ http://www.carrierscozycottage.etsy.com/ and http://www.reprise.etsy.com/ You all have been so helpful. Thank You! I know there are more of you and I look forward to getting to know all of you!

Now I must be off to work. Work interferes with Etsy darn it! I hope for the day that my work becomes my Etsy shop. I know it will happen. I have faith.

Stunning Blue Rhinestones Set in Pewter Vintage

I found this stunningly beautiful auroa blue rhinestone brooch at an estate sale. The rhinestones are set into pewter. I have never seen a piece of vintage jewelry like this! Has anyone? Too bad it's not marked. Comment and let me know what you think! I don't have it lis

ted in the shop yet http://plowandpony.etsy.com/ I still want to admire it for a bit!

FUN at The Etsy Vintage Sale

This weekend flew by! I had the best time in the Etsy Vintage sale. They held it in the Etsy site chat rooms. 50 shops participated. Met some great people and browsed the shops for hours. Fabulous items there! Incredible deals. I felt so at home there amoung all the vintage antiques and collectables. Being a dealer of vintage myself, I was impressed with all the items they have. There is no place like Etsy. Love it!

Soooo, I did nothing in my shop. I was having too much fun shopping. A few days ago I did get 4 of my Primitive Star Series items put in the http://www.plowandpony.etsy.com/ . They are some interesting and 1 of a kind items that I reworked and painted with prim stars. They look fantastic together! Please go take a look! I may need to redo a couple of the pictures though. They just don't seem to do them justice.

Farm update:

My Pug had 3 puppies and 2 more Nanny goats had their babies making a total of 6 babies now with more on the way. Boy am I tired! Hehehe.

Candy Hangover or What's Left after Trick or Treat

I had a candy hangover today! I had to do some serious detoxing so I could feel better. Glad Halloween is over. Now it's on to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Time flys so quickly around here! I am hoping to have the Plow and Pony fully stocked in the next couple weeks. I have some great crafting ideas and I need to get busy! Hope everyone will check the store to see what's new! I just love the ETSY web site. So many friendly people there. Many fabulous extremely talented artists there too! I love hand made. If you haven't checked it out yet, now is a great time!

Today was busy on the farm. Had to make sure the triplets were all getting enough to eat from Mom. Fence had to be mended. A nice couple brought us their pet turkey, as they couldn't keep her in town anymore. She is huge. I swear we are just 1 animal from being a zoo out here!

No time to craft today and it is all I really wanted to do. Chores come first and they took all day! Dang. Tomorrow I am hoping to have a full crafting day! I am crabby when I don't get to craft.