Wednesday, May 23, 2012

You Are the Key

sylvie's perspective

...from the

I have been a seller online for 5 1/2 years now. It has been a great learning experience. And really, I've learned that there isn't much I can't do on my own to succeed at it.  If that's what I want.

Some years ago, a topic of discussion caught my eye and what got me thinking about all of this.  Apparently, the venue had been promoting sellers offering sales, discounts and free shipping. The author as well as many others, felt that this somehow denigrated artists and their work by cheapening it and the handmade movement in general. That by promoting sales and/or free shipping "puts pressure" on other sellers to offer similar discounts and likened the marketplace to a flea market where people could shop for 'cheap'.  No offense to flea markets!!

As the conversation progressed, many comments revealed a general consensus that whatever venue you sell from has a responsibility to its members to educate the public about the value of art, the uniqueness and worth of handmade and to promote the site as such. In their opinions, the site had been doing the exact opposite thereby hurting their selling endeavors to succeed as sellers of handmade.  Sound familiar?  This was 3 years ago.

While it would be nice for our venues to help, as I'm sure we all know by now, they will advertise, promote and operate their business as they see fit even if we don't agree with those practices. But do those practices really affect the success or failure of our individual businesses or of the larger handmade movement?  Well, maybe not necessarily.  But I do respect the concerns brought up in that discussion and understand the fears expressed about the face the venue was putting forward.

I don't know if merely promoting sales, discounts and free shipping does in fact cheapen the value of handmade. In my opinion, the vast underselling on a regular basis does much more harm in this regard.  What I do know, is we, the business owners, are the one factor that can make the biggest difference.  Hard work, relentless promotion, introducing our customers to the value and worth of handmade, with or without the help of any venue, is what we do to make that difference. This is where our energy will have the most direct impact.  Not by waiting for the venue to do what we think it should do in order to help us succeed and spread the love of handmade.

That does not imply that certain expectations of the venue are unreasonable.  In earlier years, asking for changes, and sometimes with the volume turned up really loud, is what has gotten many good features implemented on the site. But is never a guarantee that we will be listened to or that our concerns will be addressed and alleviated.  Especially of late.

Recent happenings are far more damaging to the value of handmade than promoting sales or discounts.  The site appears to be taking a direction more conducive to larger and high volume sellers in the form of  'collectives', much to the detriment of many smaller competing shops.  There is absolutely nothing we can do about that.  This is when you decide it's time to direct your energies where they will have the most direct impact on your business.  A sentiment that pretty much gave birth to this team.

Some may disagree with my point of view, but I feel that it ultimately won't matter what any venue does or doesn't do as far as promoting sales, discounts or otherwise, because it is completely out of our hands. Only we can effectively achieve success.  Or not. Even with one hand tied behind our back.  Who knows your business better than you do?  The venue is just that--a venue.  A place to set up shop.  . 

So if we just keep rolling up our sleeves and tackling whatever comes at us and make it work to our advantage, even collectively, we can pretty much accomplish whatever we want.  You just have to want it badly enough and believe that you can do it.  I know, because there are plenty of successful sellers who have proven you can make the system work for you.  Finding that formula is the trick.  But you are the key.  You are the one variable that can and will make a difference in your own experiences.

Our team is structured to help each of us become our best and make the system work to our advantage.  With so many smart, creative and caring people, I'm certain, together we will find the way to elevate all of our businesses which in turn also elevates the love and value of handmade.  Here's to us!!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Tuesday's Teamie


This week's Tuesday Teamie is  Kelli of Accessories by Kelli.  Kelli is one of Etsy Handmade Team's most active members and she can be found in the forums helping out other members and sharing the handmade love!  Kelli is the Chairperson of the Survive & Thrive Committee and keeps us updated to important changes on Etsy and how we might Survive & Thrive here. Thank you Kelli for all you give to our team and thank you for sharing your story. You are an inspiration to us all!


My life spans 2/3 of the 20th century, and so far 12% of the 21st. I grew up in a traditional family. My father taught high school math in a private boarding school and my mother taught piano in our home. Predictably, I married a man whose father taught high school science and mother taught first grade. He became a college professor, and I spent pretty much my entire life on or around private school and college campuses until 1997 when we both retired. I have been a realtor, a banker, an insurance processor, and a librarian at different times in my life, but, contrarily, never a school teacher.

My mother and my two grandmothers were skilled in embroidery, knitting, crocheting, lace-making, hand sewing and machine sewing. They passed these skills on to me (except for the crocheting and lace making, those were too much for me and still are). During World War II, we knitted for the war effort. We knitted 10” x 10” squares that were bundled up in batches and given to the Red Cross. They made them into afghans and blankets for the hospitals near the war zones and also gave them out to victims of the London Blitz.

My grandmothers and mother made sheets and pillowcases for our families from sheeting they bought in bolts, and decorated the edges with delicate crochet patterns. They made lace tablecloths and napkins with matching lace edging. They made sweaters, winter hats, socks, mittens, my aunt even made a full length coat of boucle yarn, it was gorgeous! My mother made most of my clothing when I was young, until I became a rebellious teenager and demanded “store-bought” clothes like the other girls had!

Wool was precious, especially during that war, so any damaged or outgrown garments were unraveled and knit into something else. When I used to stay with my grandmother, every evening after the supper dishes were washed and put away, the radio would be turned on in the living room and we would sit together with our knitting, listening to Jimmie Durante, Jack Benny, Fred Allen, and friends, or Fred Waring’s Orchestra. Saturday afternoon at home the opera was always on and we sat and knitted together.

In college I knitted whenever I was not in class or studying. At Bennington College things were very flexible so I knitted argyle socks in class, until one professor asked me to stop. He said that my classmates were distracted, watching the yarn bobbins bounce around as I flipped them from side to side. I knitted sweaters with Norwegian patterns of snowflakes and deer for all my friends, and gave everyone mittens with snowflakes on them. Later I knitted layettes for my babies, and made clothes for them when they were young.

Today I knit while watching television; it is relaxing and at the same time it is exhilarating to me to see an item take shape as I build it. My process is always the same: I select a design and a color palette, and begin building a hat or scarf or bag. As I build it, I make decisions along the way; whether to knit a colorful design into it or knit a lacey pattern into it or make it a solid color with textural features. The process also helps me stay away from the snacks; if I think I want a snack, I always feel the need to knit just one more row before I get up and go to the refrigerator. One more row turns into one more inch, then one more, until an hour has gone by and I haven’t put the knitting down. Once it’s finished I can’t wait to start the next one.

The same works for my sewing. I made a lot of quilts when we first retired, then ran out of people to give them to. So when I make a hat or a bag, I do it the way I did the quilting. I select a style, and a size, then select the fabrics from my stash, and begin building the sunhat or the bag. Decisions are made along the way – shall I add lace edging or rick rack to the hat, how many pockets shall I put into the bag, etc. The process of building it is absorbing and the result is very satisfying. Whether it sells right away or sits in my shop a long time, I still look at it and think “that’s a good one, glad I chose these colors…” or whatever. They are my creations and I am proud of them. If I couldn’t continue making them I would be very bored and unsettled.



The tradition and the personal contact of handmade are very important to me. I love it when buyers strike up a conversation with me. I like the connection; these are my creations that they are acquiring, that I am turning over to them to enjoy and care for. It’s sort of like when we bred spaniels, each puppy that went to a new home I made a connection with the family that was going to love and care for the pup, and I placed it into their arms with love and hope. That’s how I feel about my creations.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Monday Makeover Challenge

Today's Monday Makeover Challenge is a little off-beat and not your typical "makeover challenge," but concerns a very important topic. Kelli of Accessories by Kelli has written a very informative article about the importance of avoiding trademark infringement and we are asking all members to review their shops for trademarked items.

Also this week, we will continue the Banner Challenge from last Monday and will post some before and afters next Monday.

 HEADS-UP ON TRADEMARKS


Every few days, it seems, another thread is created on Etsy dealing with trademark infringement. Either someone has had an image or design copied or stolen, or someone has a question about another shop’s trademark image item listing, or a seller asks for opinions as to whether a product s/he made would be considered infringement of a major trademark holder. Search on Etsy using the Discussions section in the drop-down search menu, type in trademark, and you see a long list of threads dealing with trademark infringement. In reading those threads, it seems to me that most of the infringements are unintentional, but they have unpleasant consequences if discovered by the trademark holders.

One of the most costly (in time, money and reputation) things that a craftsman/woman can encounter happens when s/he makes a product that uses a trademarked image, and offers it for sale , and the trademark holder sees it and takes legal action against the maker-seller. A legal liability is created when recognition of the trademark holder is not adequately given in the advertisement of the product that you have made using their image. Here is an example:

Becky just started a cake shop. Her slogan is "We Bake Them, You Take Them" and she has registered it as her trademark. If another cake business uses the same slogan in their TV commercial or as their shop name on Etsy, Becky could file a lawsuit for trademark infringement against the other cake business.
(link)

Another example: If Sally Bagmaker uses a piece of solid blue fabric to make an iPad™ case, and lists it on Etsy as “Blue iPad Case”, and she fails to have a disclaimer in that listing saying that iPad™ is a trademark of Apple and that the item is not an official product or in any way associated with them, she can be accused of infringing on Apple’s trademark. Apple’s website states that sellers of items showing their trademark are supposed to point out that the cases that they (Sally B. and others) make and sell are not official nor are they made by Apple. If Sally calls it a “Blue Case for iPad”, then she may not be infringing on Apple’s trademark. Ref: section 2 of this. However she is still vulnerable to action by Apple if she fails to show the TM symbol, like this: “Blue Case for iPad™” or “Blue iPad™ Case”, anywhere that the word iPad is used in the listing. (link)  In any case Sally Bagmaker would be well advised to consult an IP (Intellectual Property) attorney before making iPad cases to sell.

These are two examples of trademark infringement that we may encounter as makers of handmade items.
Another kind of trademark issue has to do with First Sale Doctrine. First Sale Doctrine situations have to do with buying supplies, like fabrics, that have a licensed trademarked logo on it, making a clothing or accessory item out of the fabric, and listing it for sale in such a way that it could be misconstrued by a buyer as having been made by the logo owner or a company licensed by the logo holder.

An example: If I buy fabric at a store that has the Hello Kitty logo on it, and make a child’s hat with the fabric, how is that infringement, since I bought the fabric from a licensed vendor and I made the hat myself? While the doctrine of First Sale gives the purchaser of the fabric the right to make it into a child’s hat and sell it, the listing of the hat can be considered infringement if it is listed as “Hello Kitty child’s hat”, because a reasonable person could misinterpret the listing to believe that they are purchasing an authentic hat made by a “Hello Kitty” licensed maker. To protect myself from legal action by Sanrio, the trademark holder, I could list the hat this way: “Child’s hat made from Hello Kitty cotton” or “Hello Kitty theme child’s hat”. Even then I would need to consult an IP attorney for help in wording the listing correctly, and if I forgot to add the TM symbol to the “Hello Kitty” phrase I could still be vulnerable to action by the trademark holder. So, with the approval of my IP attorney, I would list the hat as “Hello Kitty™ theme child’s hat”.

“So what If I don’t pay attention to trademark infringement”, you may say, “I see it all the time on Etsy and elsewhere…..How bad can it be??”

Well, to begin with, whether intentional or not, it can be misleading to buyers. Then there are the potential legal and financial consequences if a trademark holder notices that you are infringing on his/her trademark.

The trademark holder can send you a Cease and Desist letter, requesting that you cease and desist from advertising items for sale with their trademark. If you fail to respond to this letter and/or do not comply with the Cease and Desist request, the trademark holder can sue you for compliance and monetary damages.

The trademark holder can also contact Etsy and request that your listings which infringe on their trademark be taken down. Etsy can/will only do this at the trademark holder’s request. When they get such a request, they will ask you to take them down, and if you fail to comply, Etsy will take them down and may close your shop. The cost in time and money to defend against a trademark lawsuit can bankrupt a business, and even if you can keep your business open, the resulting tarnishing of your reputation as a seller will surely impact your sales and will very likely spill over, causing collateral damage to the positive image of handmade crafts, and to other seller members of teamhandmade and of Etsy.

Trademark infringement is a significant concern. Here at teamhandmade, where our mission is to raise awareness about the importance and value of artists' handmade products, to promote and support handmade artists and to provide assurance to our buyers that purchasing from a team member is purchasing authentic handmade directly from the artist or artists, we feel that there is no place for trademark infringement. As a result, when we see something in a teamhandmade member’s shop that might be viewed as trademark infringement, we will give the shop owner a heads-up so that s/he can take remedial steps. We do this in an effort to protect you from costly and time-consuming legal action, and to protect the reputation of teamhandmade and its members.

The information in this article was compiled by Kelli from accessoriesbykelli, from postings in forum threads, and the sources listed below. Kelli is not an attorney. It is recommended that you contact an attorney for advice in individual circumstances regarding trademark law.

Resources

You can read more about trademark law here: www.uspto.gov.

You can also find Etsy's Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy here.

And what can happen if a trademark holder discovers a possible infringement of his trademark in your shop? We obtained the following guidelines for a trademark holder on what actions they can take against an infringer, quoted below directly from this site: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/enforcing-trademark-rights-29902.htm You can scroll down to the lower section of page 1 to see these two sections.

How to Stop Others From Using a Trademark

Typically, you begin by sending a letter, called a "cease and desist letter," to the wrongful ("infringing") user, demanding that it stop using the mark. If the wrongful user continues to infringe the mark, you can file a lawsuit to stop the improper use. The lawsuit is usually filed in federal court if the mark is used in more than one state or country, and in state court if the dispute is between purely local marks. In addition to preventing further use of the mark, you can sometimes obtain money damages from the wrongful user.

Damages for Trademark Infringement

If you can prove in federal court that the infringing use is likely to confuse consumers and that the[sic] business has suffered economically as a result of the infringement, the infringer may have to pay you money damages based on the loss. If the court finds that the infringer intentionally copied your trademark, or at least should have known about the existing trademark, the infringer may have to give up the profits it made by using the mark as well as pay other damages, such as punitive damages, fines, or attorney fees. On the other hand, if your business has not been damaged, a court has discretion to allow the other company to continue to use the trademark under limited circumstances that are designed to avoid consumer confusion. ]

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Brand Image

Sylvie's Perspective

               ...from the

Do You Have a Brand Promise?
I have seen this subject come up frequently in online discussions and at those times, I had honestly, never thought about it.  After doing a little research and 'studying' shops with an obvious brand image and promise, I now understand how important it is to have that branding.  This also fits in well with part of our team mission and member certification--to present shops/businesses that elevate the value and worth of handmade.  Having a professional demeanor and image can immensely help us achieve that goal.

I am still not well versed enough on the subject to give advice to anyone, so will let some of the online experts do the talking.

Let's start here, with one definition I found:

The brand promise is what audiences are assured of receiving as a result of their relationship with the brand.

And another from Brain Trust contributor: Jean Wilcox, Co-author of Abullard's ABC's of Branding :

A brand promise is the statement that you make to customers that identifies what they should expect for all interactions with your people, products, services and company. It is often associated with the company name and/or logo. Sometimes also called a "tag line," here are three examples of brand promises following a name or brand:

  • For a heating and air conditioning company:  ABC Heating and Air -- "We're not comfortable until you are."
  • For a tire company:  Dave's Tire Company -- "More than tires, we deliver peace of mind.
  • For a fine dining restaurant:  Carl's Steak House -- "Our food is the best, but the memories we help you create are even better."

One more definition by Christine Hendricks, Director of Brand Strategy:

A brand is a promise a company makes to its customers, which must be delivered upon consistently with every single interaction.

I'm sure you now get the gist of what a brand promise is. And the importance of having one for your business as well as a brand image.  They are tied together. It's an identity of who you are, what your product is, your customer service and what your customers will come to recognize and know you by. It also should convey to people who are not yet your customers, what they can expect from you.

Sounds simple but it's not been that easy for me to create a brand image or promise. That's because I was all over the map with my work. There was no cohesiveness or balance between my creations and my image. I was trying too hard to be everything.  And it wasn't working, but that doesn't mean it can't work for someone else.  In the right hands, a menagerie can be a brand image in and of itself.

So I took the advice of some very successful artist/artisan friends, who, by the way, all have successful businesses with very defined images and brand promises--let your work dictate what your brand is. In other words, look at your work and draw from those elements to create your brand identity. From that, your brand promise will naturally develop. And because you reached inside of your work, in essence, you, it will honestly represent you and your image.  Some of you may already have a very clear idea of what you want.  Just go with it!

It definitely is something to seriously consider.

So I end with this last, and my favorite definition of a brand promise that I believe happens to fit in perfectly with our team mission.  Also can be applied to the recent happenings at Etsy, where many feel that they broke their promise to us:

From Garr Reynolds :

Brands are Personal--

The greatest brands of all — that is, the greatest brands to you — are much like a trusted friend. In a sense, we judge brands by asking ourselves the same kind of questions we would ask about people we know or are thinking of doing business with. For example, we might ask: Is he authentic? Is he reliable? Is he honest? Can I trust him? Does he make me feel better about myself? The bonds we have with our most trusted friends, are bonds based on a promise. Our relationships with brands are not (usually) as strong as those with people, of course, but if a brand breaks a promise, you can bet that customers will feel betrayed, anger, and take their business elsewhere. Great brands have distinct personalities and people choose brands, more or less, that match their own unique personalities.








Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Tuesday's Teamie

Our Tuesday blog feature will be Tuesday's Teamie, where one of our member shops will be featured.  We currently have 546 members, so it will take us about ten years to feature all shops! But ---------- hold on, you'll get your turn!


Our first Tuesday's Teamie is Cyndy of Luke's Blankets. I chose Cyndy for the premier Tuesday Teamie because she was the very first member to join my team of one! Cyndy is from Anderson, South Carolina and is new to Etsy. She opened shop on April 10, 2012, and has a beautiful story behind her handmades. Here is what she says:
I learned to crochet from my grandmother when I was in grade school. I remember thinking how fast she was! She taught me how to chain as well as a few stitches that I eventually figured out the names for and taught myself how to read a pattern.

Last summer I was blessed with my son Luke. I wanted to make him something special, and therefore made him a blanket. I enjoyed making his so much that I just kept making more. I found after a long day of teaching and running around it relaxes me.

I am a certified teacher currently working as a sub and teaching at the local afterschool program. My hope is to be able to stay home with Luke making blankets this summer while I am interviewing for a full time position.

I do most of my pieces in cotton because it breathes and is so soft and durable. Not to mention natural. My son loves falling asleep with his blanket and anything else makes him so hot. He is my inspiration and each of my blankets is made as though I am making it for him!



Thank you Cyndy for sharing your story.  I know all of your blankets are made with love, and do hope you and Luke get to spend the summer together! You are wished much success on Etsy and you will find lots of support from your team!

Let's all stop by Cyndy's shop and say "welcome and hello!"

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Monday Makeover Challenge

Our newest blog feature is the Monday Makeover Challenge.  This weekly feature will challenge each member to self-critique a particular section of their shop (banner, profile, listing descriptions, etc.) Those who decide to makeover the section can submit their "before and afters" and some of these will be featured on the blog the following week. Reach out to other members if you need help!

This challenge is designed to help each of us get our shops in tip-top shape for presentation to buyers, and also help us get ready for certification. So even if you do not want to submit your "before and after", please take the week to critique the particular section of your shop. Again, reach out to other members for their opinions and advice.

Our first Monday Makeover Challenge is Shop Banners. Think of your banner as the front door to your shop. It may be the first thing a buyer sees when they enter. A blurry or sloppy looking banner can be a turn off and may discourage the buyer from looking any further. When critiquing your banner, ask:  Does it reflect my style?  Does it give the buyer an idea of what they can find in my shop? For help with this challenge, read this article for banner tips and check this team thread.

Thank you to Matt and Jill of
Mystic Knotwork for allowing me to
post their shop banner here to use as an example of a well-done banner. As you can see, the banner reflects the style of their shop and gives the buyer an idea as to what can be found there. It also incorporates the nautical theme of their products and doesn't compete with product photos. Their banner draws me into their shop and that is what we all want!

Have fun and can't wait to see the before and afters!

Kathi

Friday, May 11, 2012

Friday Finds

Visit our blog for Friday Finds where each Friday a new team treasury will be featured. This
 is our Team Front Page where everyone gets a chance to be found. So to all our talented treasury makers - keep 'em comin' - we love showcasing our artists'  handmade lovelies!

Today's Friday Finds,

'{{Coffee & Cobalt}}' by ChYMieRa

All handmade by Etsy Handmade Teams' members... and some things that are on my Mother's Day wishlist! do enjoy!!

Repurposed Vintage Button Bracelet with Magnetic Clasp - DixiesNightOwl
Olive Oil Soap, Ginger Mocha Latte Fragrance, Cold Process, Handmade, Natural, Exfoliating, Coffee Grounds, Vegan, Dark Brown - MikeandDianeSoap
Black and Blue Bowl with Stormy Blue Pattern - MiriHardyPottery
Moth Pendant Beaded Necklace, Unakite Gemstones, Nightwing - CalicoJewels
Cobalt Seaglass & Sterling Ring Handmade etsy metal jewelry - JudithGayleDesigns
Carved Coffee Tea Stoneware Mug Sapphire Blue - RedBarnStudio
Suede lined leather iPhone case with belt loop. - WoodBoneAndStone
Vintage Button Bracelet Iridescent Cobalt Blue - 2Good2BeThrough
Leather Bike U-Lock Holster - Rack-Mounted - - for 5.5" x 7.25" U-Lock - WalnutStudiolo
NAVY BLUE EARRINGS Dark Blue Agate Gemstone Earrings with Antiqued Gunmetal Hooks - KachinaDesigns
Trestle Table, Tavern Table,  Plank Top, 1/12 scale dollhouse miniature - CalicoJewels
Deocupage Bracelet Cuff Pressed Leaves Autumn Brown and Copper Nature Jewelry - AlbinaRose
KINDNESS ring beadwoven with miyuki triangles in aqua, brown and gold - downtoearthcreations
Feather and Leather Keychain - Royal Blue - PursesByTascha
Sterling & Stichtite Pendant Handmade etsy metal jewelry - JudithGayleDesigns
Love Birds in Carved Egg - purpleinkgraphics

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

About Me

Sylvie's Perspective

               ...from the

About Me

Hello, I'm Sylvie, also known by my business name Albina Rose or Sophie as my hubby and friends like to call me.  It is my absolute pleasure to write a weekly feature on our team blog.  Mostly, I'll talk about the different aspects of being an artist/artisan, on and off Etsy and all that entails our handmade adventures.  I'll include my experiences, others' experiences, things I've learned along the way, links to a variety of sources that address the subject at hand, a few tutorials and on occasion, I'll throw in little anecdotes, recipes, or observations about life. Maybe even a little team challenge from time to time.  My hope is to keep it light, informative, interesting and of course, fun.  But first, let me tell you a bit about me.

Albina Rose
1895-1988
I was born into a family of creative people who work with their hands. My father, Ray is a master carpenter and a barber, my mother Anita, a seamstress. The first anscestor we have been able to trace back on my paternal grandmother's side of the family is Olivier Quesnel. He was a master amorer who emigrated from St. Malo, France to Montreal, Quebec in the 1690s. I come from a long line of his direct descendants who worked with their hands. The love of handcrafted art, working with my hands and creating is in my blood, literally, and goes a very long ways back.

My maternal grandmother, Albina Rose, taught me how to crochet at the age of 9. I remember sitting on her front porch helping her tear fabric into strips, sewing them end to end, rolling them into a big ball and watching her crochet them into rag rugs. I still have my little rug I made that summer. After she passed away in 1988 at the age of 93, all I asked for was her well worn wooden crochet hook. I still have it today and my business is named after her.

When I was 11, my mom taught me how to sew on our dining room table where she did all of her sewing. She used to supplement our family income by sewing for other people.  Often well into the wee hours of the night.  I was in seventh grade when I made my first "outfit". A plaid tweed poncho with fringe and a pair of matching bell bottom pants. I wore them all the time! My mom made all 3 of her daughters' and even her daughter-in-law's wedding dresses. All the grandchildren have worn pajamas made by their Noni and at the age of 80, she is still sewing, but now for the great grandchildren. After learning how to sew I took right off and just couldn't get enough. I made all of my own clothes until I was in my early 30s.  That's when I had to devote my time to raising our three little boys under the age of 4.

My dad had his workshop in the basement. As a little girl, I loved going down there to help him in any way I could. To this day, the smell of freshly sawn wood puts me back there with him. When we were little, my siblings and I never got upset if a toy broke. We always said "Daddy will fix it!" And he always did. To this day, he can fix anything. In recent years, in his late 70s, he has built 3 woodstrip canoes, one for each of my siblings. And for me a woodstrip kayak. We will cherish those forever.

On my 28th birthday, September 17, 1983, I married the love of my life. Howie has been my biggest supporter in everything I do. He is my rock, my anchor, my guiding light. Our greatest accomplishment together is our 3 boys. They are now in their mid-twenties, forging their paths in life and we are very proud of the young men they have grown into. We live in Western New York on 8 peaceful wooded acres. My studio loft is surrounded with windows and I have the best views of the woods where I can see all the wildlife right from my desk working at the computer, or in my wing chair doing handwork or at my sewing machine, sitting right in front of a window.  I am blessed in life and very grateful for those blessings.

In the mid-90s I taught myself how to beadweave and fell absolutely in love with jewelry making. In the years since I have learned many different techniques and eventually combined many of them together creating something totally unique.
Anita
Ray


I am completely self-taught and the only problem I have is that I always want to know more and more. But there are only so many hours in the day, so I am learning to direct my focus on perfecting the techniques I have already learned. My jewelry is handcrafted for the free spirit. Enchanting, magical, romantic...I am inspired by, and my love of nature, faerie tales, faeries, romance and fantasy is infused in every piece I make. I love what I do. Each item I create is done so with love, joy and meticulous attention to detail. I am a perfectionist by nature and in some aspects of my life that can be a detriment. But in my handcrafted work, it is a MUST! My hope is to create little treasures that will release your free spirit, leave you feeling unique, enchanting and maybe even a little romantic.

I hope someday I'll be sitting on my front porch teaching some eager little hands how to sew, crochet, or beadweave.