OklaTravelNews today!

Hey there friends! I'll be on OklaTravelNews today around noon (CDT) to promote Deluxe. I'm so excited to help spread the word about this awesome event. If you can, watch it live by tuning into the Web site right at 12:00 p.m. If you can't, head to the site any time between 1:00 p.m. today and 11:59 a.m. tomorrow to watch the magic happen. Just click the "Last Show Archive" button on the viewer. I'll be wearing my Deluxe T-shirt and a few pieces made by awesome Deluxe vendors, including a team member or two, so look out for them.

Thanks to Sara and JD for trusting silly little me to help out. :)

Welcome to the world!

The Disciples of Etsy has a new little friend as of yesterday. Samann1121 -- aka Jessie -- had her long-awaited first daughter on April 26. Hip hip hurray! Though she's still less than a day old, the whole team is excited about her arrival. We know she'll be as creative and crafty as her mom in no time. Understandably, Jessie's taking some time off from her store to acclimate to life as a mother. We look forward to her triumphant return when she's ready.

Congrats to new Mommy and Daddy on a job well done! :)

Funky Finds Spring Fling

We all know craft fair season has descended upon us, so why fight it? Instead, I urge everyone who can get away this weekend to head down to DFW for Funky Finds Spring Fling. The show boasts some of the finest indie crafters in the area, including members of the Dallas Craft Mafia, the Etsy Dallas Street Team, and -- yep! -- some of our very own fine folks. Funky Oklahoma vendors include Claudia's Burning Ink, QUiD, Stelabird, and Weather and Noise.

The show will be this Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth. It's free to get into, and pets are welcome. What better way to spend a gorgeous Saturday than shopping for great, handmade items in that big state south of us?

Love your planet today!

No matter what planet you call home, today is the day to love on it a little extra. There are a million ways to do that: start recycling, carry a reusable bag to the store, choose your bike over your car, or bring your own mug to the coffee shop.

Luckily, your favorite Oklahoma Etsians have some great products available to help you "green" (or pink or purple) your lifestyle. Grab a few to stimulate the local economy while also improving the world around you.

Everyone has to go to the grocery store sometime. Why not take your goodies home in a great bag from Weather and Noise?


Would you rather pedal than put it to the metal? Saralynnmo makes lovely liners to keep your goodies inside your bike's basket.


Are you a journaler? Then grab one of BurgundyDistrict's great recycled books. Bonus: a portion of proceeds go to offset carbon emissions through the Clif Bar & Company.

What are you doing today (and every day!) to make the world a better, healthier place?

Meet our Members: nparekh

It's another bright, shiny Monday here in the Sooner State. Weather like this makes me want to grab my camera and head outside for a few hours. In that vein, I want to introduce everyone to nparekh, one of our newer members and a great photographer to boot. Let's learn more about him!

1. Introduce yourself.
Hello everyone, my name is Nimish, I live in Tulsa and I'm the artist behind Nimish Parekh Photography. I'm actually a third year medical student at OU-Tulsa in the midst of my clinical training, so it's been really fun/challenging keeping a balance between photography and school. I grew up in Oklahoma City, went to college in Los Angeles, took a year off during college and lived in Mumbai, India, and now I'm back in Oklahoma for medical school and have no idea where I'll be for residency next year. Life is fun...

2. Tell us about what you make. When did you start making it and why?
Right now my main craft is cards/stationary, photographic prints and I hope to expand to postcards. I started learning photography in 2005 while I was in college. I literally bought an old manual SLR camera off Ebay, loaded it with film and just taught myself through trial and error. I was lucky enough to be living in Los Angeles at the time, so I had a great city to explore and train my eye on. In terms of what makes my work unique, I'm told by friends/fans is that I have an eye for ordinary everyday things, and I capture them in a way that makes them more beautiful or interesting. I'm drawn to odd things like doors, power lines, garden hoses, street markings and buildings, and apparently I find a way to capture them and make them photo-worthy.

3. How long have you been crafting? When did you decide to start selling your handmade goods?
I started making these card series in 2008 because I wanted to start a small business and promote my work. I feel there is much to be gained in learning to manage a small business, but the main reason I started is that I get to meet great people and have really unique experiences when I sell my work. It's really been about the ride, the people, and everything I've learned along the way.

Flower Burst Limited Series

4. Other than what you sell, what's your favorite thing to craft?
I can't say I have any other crafting skills...but I do love gardening!

5. What do you love best about Etsy?
I have been impressed by how supportive the Etsy community is from the top down. You can tell that this really is a community and everyone wants each other to succeed in their creative/business ventures. That seems so rare sometimes, so I really love that part of Etsy.

6. What's your favorite thing about Oklahoma?
My favorite thing to do in Oklahoma is explore local shops and meet people. People in Oklahoma are generally very kind and nice, and this state is full of so many characters that you can't help but have a good time meeting random strangers.

Doors Limited Series

7. Do you sell anywhere else or have a blog, Twitter, MySpace, etc.?
Right now I sell through Etsy and my online Shutterfly store which are linked off my blog: http://nimish.blogspot.com/. Locally in Tulsa I sell cards at Cafe Topeca, Shades of Brown and Inner Peace Yoga studio. Some of my work is being featured at Cafe Topeca in downtown Tulsa, please check it out! I just started a new photo blog here: http://alphabetographee.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for the interview, Nimish, and welcome to the team!

Friday Finds -- Travel

It's a bit of a dull-skied Friday in my corner of the state. Despite the weather, this time of year always gets me excited for vacations, especially road trips. This week's Friday Finds are inspired by wanderlust and all the adventures associated with it.






Where are you spending your next vacation?

Booth inspiration

It's spring, friends, and all us crafty Okies know Deluxe and a whole slew of other great shows are just around the corner. Following on a past post about craft show preparation, I thought now would be the perfect time for some inspiration on setting up your own booth. These photos are all from Flickr and properly credited.

There's about a billion ways to display jewelry, but I'm really digging the shutters-as-earring-holders such as this one by artworkbyandrea:




I love how simply and cleanly everything is laid out in UnapologeticMe's booth:



Do you sell an item that calls for a "theme-y" display, such as cute food or plush birds? Take a cue from glue&glitter, who used a baking sheet to show off her felt cupcake pins:



You can do a really great display using things you have around the house. Check out monda loves' stroke of genius using a dresser:



Looking for a creative, cheap way to make your own banner? Team member claudiasburningink has a great one to show off:


Lastly, don't forget to show off your business cards to make sure every passer-by grabs one. shopmimigreen has an eye-catching solution:



I hope this helps inspire you! If you have any creative display ideas, tell us about them or -- better yet -- include photo links in the comments.

Meet Our Members: samann1121

Things have been a little quiet around here lately, and I apologize for that! However, it's time to introduce all our friends in blogland to a great team member, Jessie of samann1121!

1. Introduce yourself.
I'm Jessie from Norman, OK. I run Chaos Into Art and have two Etsy shops -- handmade (http://samann1121.etsy.com/) and supplies (http://chaossupplies.etsy.com/). I opened my first Etsy shop weeks after Etsy went online, and I've been selling for about 3 years.

Board Game Coasters - Monopoly

2. Tell us about what you make. When did you start making it and why?
I make a pretty wide variety of items from recycled and vintage materials. That's just what interests and inspires me. Because I turn old things into new things, my products are unique from the very start!


3. How long have you been crafting? When did you decide to start selling your handmade goods?
I've been crafting for as long as I can remember, and I've been an entrepreneur for almost as long. When I was about 6, I decided to paint rocks from our rock garden with poster paints and sell them as paper weights. It's entirely possible that the only person who bought any was my grandma, but she still has them!

Denim and Rick Rack pouch

4. Other than what you sell, what's your favorite thing to craft?
Well, I'll sell pretty much anything I make, but I've been getting into making baby stuff lately, as my first child is due in April. I serged some recycled cloth baby wipes last night. It was very relaxing.

5. What do you love best about Etsy?
I find it very easy to use as a selling venue. I love that really anyone can set up a shop and try their hand at selling. I think it really takes down a lot of barriers and lets people who should sell their crafts for a living do just that!

My Favorite Things -- Limited Edition Cards

6. What's your favorite thing about Oklahoma?
Hmm... Probably Braum's and QuikTrip! Braum's milk is the best, and their ice cream is crazy tasty. I don't know what I'll do if I ever move! And although we don't have QuikTrips out in this part of Oklahoma, it's definitely a highlight of my Tulsa-area visits.

7. Do you sell anywhere else or have a blog, Twitter, MySpace, etc.?
I have a blog: http://samann1121.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/samann1121
An ArtFire shop: http://chaosintoart.artfire.com/
And a fan page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Norman-OK/samann1121etsycom/29953418729?v=info&viewas=9609354


Thanks so much, Jessie! We all look forward to pictures of your baby when she makes her appearance into the world!

Friday Finds: Butterfly Season

I guess spring really is taking hold inside my brain, despite the fickle weather. Spring definitely has its complications -- the central part of the state encountered some terrible wild fires last night, and warm weather always spells tornadoes for those of us in the Great Plains. With the danger and the watches and warnings, however, brings my favorite spring visitors: butterflies. Team members have some gorgeous items featuring my winged friends, so I hope you all enjoy.



What is your favorite springtime creature?

Friday Finds: Get Your Craft On

This week's Friday Finds are a collection of new, handmade and vintage supplies on offer from team members. The last row also contains three perfect items for the crafty, especially you sewing goddesses out there.



What's your favorite craft project to undertake on a gorgeous spring day?

Autism Awareness

April is Autism Awareness Month, and today is World Autism Awareness Day. This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart because my 10-year-old sister is on the autism spectrum. I am only one of several members of the Disciples of Etsy Team that has been affected by autism. Art By Betty Refour has an entire section of her shop as well as a few other items dedicated to raising awareness of the disorder, which includes this gorgeous painting among several others:

Landscape Number 4 - Autism Awareness

Just as a personal plug, I'm donating 10% of all April sales in my Etsy shop to Autism Speaks in honor of my sister. If you live in Tulsa, you can also support the Autism Center of Tulsa by dining at the Qdoba near 51st and Yale every Monday and Thursday evening or all day Saturday before April 30. Take this flyer with you, and 10% of your check will go to the center.

If you are another team member affected by autism or doing something to support the cause, let me know and I'll add you here.