Friendship Bracelet Kit: Dollar Tree Craft Kit Review

Kit From Dollar Tree

Weaving Failure!!!

Normally, I am not a huge fan of buying cheap, imported plastic things from China, but I found myself browsing Dollar Tree in Murfreesboro and I stumbled upon this friendship bracelet weaving kit. Shrugging my shoulders, I thought, "What the heck?", and put it in my basket. I don't sew, knit, or embroider, so I wondered, how could I do with this kit? The product is clearly designed for kids, must be easy, right?

How did I fare, and was it worth a dollar???

First of all, it most certainly was worth a dollar...for my cat. He loved le mess royale that I created and biting the strings. I was so proud; he even waited for me to remove it from the package before pawing at the pretty colored thread!

My second observation was that you get what you pay for. In this case, what I saved in monetary cost was compensated by the lack of clear directions included. There was a tiny black and white manual, complete with diagrams 1-11, filled with gloriously complicated and poorly labeled strings and arrows.

The item itself was a good value. I set out with the intention to purchase a higher quality thread or waxed linen cord if my project was a success. With that in mind, I put on my glasses, studied the directions and attempted to follow diagrams 1-11. Unfortunately, I ended up with a failed item creation. After 3 rounds of using the weaving wheel, I had a large, colorful knot. I blame this on the unclear directions, not my lack of natural talent, lol.

An hour after I began my adventure, I gave up and discarded my bracelet. I did keep the weaving wheel itself. Maybe in the future, I will try and find a you.tube video showing me how to do it properly, or an unsuspecting relative to regift it to.

Ultimately, I would skip this purchase. It is made for children, but a 35 year old could not figure it out. For the price, it might be a good buy if you all ready know how to use a weaving wheel or know someone who could teach you. As in most crafts, materials are inexpensive compared to the time we invest in learning, practicing, and refining our skills. Next time, I will pass on the bargain price and pay an expert to teach me properly.

The moral of the story is that with handmade, your time, technique, and knowledge is the most valuable component of your products! No one can make exactly what you do in the way that you do it. The next time someone tells you that she could make the same hat/necklace/magnet/candle for much less money, hand her a weaving wheel and tell her to make you a friendship bracelet to trade. I promise, she will come running back the next week to return the wheel and gladly hand over her money for your creation!

Happy Kitty

A New Online Venue For Handmade



Handmade Candles

Happy Mother's Day! Buyers and sellers of handmade, get ready for a new online place for creations and supplies; The Craft Star is supposed to be opening today. With similar fees and appearance as etsy, shoppers and artisans should feel quite at home, although vintage is not allowed. The Craft Star is for handmade and supplies only.

They are not yet open, so no one can predict whether they will be a success or a bust; however, any businessperson knows to diversify and not to put all your eggs in one basket. I plan on opening an account and listing 10 items or so, to see how it goes. At the very least, it is another platform to get my business name out there.

If you are curious about checking out The Craft Star, here is the link to get started:
http://www.thecraftstar.com/signup.html

October Tullahoma Craft Fair Information

Soap from http://www.etsy.com/shop/TreasuresSeven

Laura Franklin from the Etsy shop Treasures Seven is helping to organize a craft fair in Tullahoma in Oct. 2012, and she is looking for some talented vendors and eager shoppers! Treasures Seven offers a great selection of handmade jewelry, soaps, and supplies. Tullahoma, Tennessee is located south east of the Nashville metro area. This would be a great destination for a fall drive in scenic rural Tennessee. Below, is a letter from Laura with all the details about the craft show and links for more information:



Tullahoma Map

Dear fellow crafter,

I am coordinating a craft fair for St. Paul the Apostle school in Tullahoma, and would like to invite you be one of the crafters at this event. The fair is scheduled for Saturday, October 6, 2012. We will be holding the fair in the school gymnasium. Setup for vendors will begin at 8:00am Saturday morning, and the fair will be open to shop from 9:00am until 4:00pm.

There are a limited number of tables available, so crafters for the fair will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to bring a covering for your table, please do so, as some of these tables are not in the best cosmetic shape. Like so many of us, they’re sturdy, but have a few scars to show for their years! =)

There will be a $10 reservation fee per table, plus 10% of total sales to be given to the school. Each crafter is responsible for honestly and accurately tallying and paying their 10% of sales at the end of the day. Crafters are welcome to share a table with another crafter or crafters if they would like.

If you are interested in participating, please contact me at Seventreasures7@aol.com with your name, a list of what crafts you will be bringing (does not have to be comprehensive), and the number of tables you will be needing. Checks for the table reservation fee can be made out to St. Paul’s school, and sent directly to the school at 306 W Grizzard St., Tullahoma, TN 37388. Please note in the memo field that this is for the craft fair. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! This will be my first time coordinating a craft fair, and I am depending on my fellow crafters to steer me in the right direction!

If you would like more information about the school, please check out their web site: www.cafes.net/stpaulcc/

This is the school my son attends, as well as the school I attended as a child. For those of us in this part of the state, it is, in my opinion, the best education to be had—not for its religious roots so much as its strong academic standards. I also believe strongly in my fellow etsy crafters, and would love to help my fellow Tullahomans become more familiar with the great crafters to be found here!

Thank you for your time, and I sincerely hope to be meeting you at the craft fair!

Laura Franklin

Contact her here for more information: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TreasuresSeven

Scenic Rutledge Falls Near Tullahoma TN

Newest Team Treasury Challenge Winner

'Olives and Oranges' by Mylana

Rich shades of olive green with a pop of orange.

Orange Bottle Opener - ... MorrellDecor $9.25	With a twist of Lime Gr... blueroompotter... $34.00	Olive Green Linen Dress... camelliatune $69.00	green owl print, Brutus... corid $20.00
Oranges Earrings - Tang... polishedtwo $9.00	Vintage Sheet Fat Quart... shabbysheets $3.00	Green Neon.....Richly F... Textilemonster $16.00	Mod Orange Candle - Squ... GreenLeafCandl... $12.00
Green Gemstone Chandeli... LeafAndTendril $29.00	Mens Tshirt Anatomical ... darkcyclecloth... $21.00	Boys Bow tie in Orange ... DivineDomestic... $12.00	Green necklace with 9 g... astash $95.00
Gardening Girl Custom P... fAverittecreat... $15.00	Rustic Orange Painted B... happybdaytome $14.95	Hello Wooden Sign Count... SlippinSouther... $42.00	Retro Orange birdie wit... SASSYspaces $33.00

Treasury tool supported by three quick questions

Teamboro April Meetup: The Faces Behind the Shops

April Meetup At Hastings

Before we get to the news, let's introduce everyone who could make it to Hastings for the April meetup. We will have another one in May. I (Clare from the shop Mylana) took the picture, so I am not in it. We have from left to right:

Samantha of CharmingKnits:

Hats, Felted Baskets, Fingerless Gloves

http://www.etsy.com/shop/charmingknits

Becky of TheMonkeyButtons:
Wine Charms, Chemical Magnets, Vintage Buttons, Amino Acid Pillows (coming soon)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theMonkeyButtons

Nichole of BluPoppyStudio:

Sterling Silver and Gemstone Jewelry, Fused Glass

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blupoppystudio

Hise of Tomoandedie:

Brooches, Hair Accessories, Kindle Cases, Other Goods From Vintage Kimono Fabric

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tomoandedie

Rey of Zadzukki:
Knit Goods, Button Earrings, Bird Toys

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Zadzukki

Clare of Mylana (is taking the picture)

Soap, Candles, Jewelry, Cards

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Mylana

Now for the news and minutes:



- Blog
Want your shop featured in the blog or a free etsy mini ad? Follow the blog today and convo me to have your shop featured!

For a free ad, go to your account-> promote -> etsy mini -> thumbnails -> 2 x 2 option. Copy and paste the entire javascript code to me.

-Blog = borocrafters.blogspot.com/

-Facebook
Like us on facebook: www.facebook.com/TennesseeCrafts

You can use the team facebook to promote one new listing of yours a week, any treasuries, sales or promotions, articles of local interest, and announcement of craft fairs. Just keep listing and sale promotions to once a week, but feel free to use it.

-Local Craft Fairs
Hear about any? Let us know here and on FB!

-Team Tag
The team tag is TEAMBORO. We did not have a big enough vote to change it. Use this tag for your items or to label your treasuries.

-Team Treasury Challenge
Will remain every 2 weeks, please play!

-Team Meetup
We will have one in May on a Weekend. Please post suggestions for dates. Tomoandedie wants to get a mom's get together scheduled for a M'boro area park.

-Etsy Policy Changes
You must declare in your profile if you have any shop helpers, assistants, or employees. This includes help from family/husband/kids/wife. If you make all of your items yourself, tell a bit about your process in your profile.

-Need a shop critique?
Just ask in the discussion on the team boards!

-Cool local places to visit
The Art Barn and Moxie Art Studios in Murfreesboro for classes, supplies, art exhibits, live music and more!
http://theartbarntn.com/Home_Page.html
http://murfreesboroartsupply.blogspot.com/

Remember to shop local!

Etsy Shop Marketing: Treasury Teams and Treasury Games

Sample Etsy Treasury Item

Are you struggling to keep views up in your shop and increase exposure? If you need a little boost in traffic to your shop, consider joining a treasury team or playing the treasury challenge games hosted by certain teams. As I am writing this, the Middle Tennessee Etsy Team is hosting a treasury challenge game, featuring Amy Averitte from fAveritte Creations as the featured shop. Being the winner is a big payoff for this Etsy shop; her pillow will now be in every treasury for this challenge!

fAverrite Creations Pillow

First, what are some of the benefits to making treasuries and participating in the challenges?

Number one, it is good for you and the team. You look like a team player and get exposure within your team for making the treasury. Then, you can get even more exposure for your shop if your treasury gets hot or makes the front page. Everyone will want to see who made such an interesting collection. You also could win the challenge and have your item featured in the next round. Finally, you get to use the team tag. The team tag is a very under-utilized tool to be found in search. Often, team members will tag some items with the team tag (ours is Teamboro in honor of our beginnings in Murfreesboro, TN) and use that team tag as a search term when finding items to include in a treasury or when promoting shop local.

Personally, every time I make a treasury, it increases my shop views by 10-20 a day and I have people add me to their circle. All great for more exposure! Furthermore, it gives you material to post on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, that makes you look like an active shop owner, while also being non-spammy. Sometimes, I will convo people telling them if they have been treasuried, but I find it in bad taste to ask them to follow me on Facebook or share the treasury with friends. I like keeping treasury convos simple and straightforward, praise for the item and a link to the treasury.

So, how to get started playing the games? Easy, just look in your teams for treasury game discussions or search under the teams category for treasury teams. You make have to apply for them. Most teams that host game do it every 1-2 weeks and each one has different rules.

Here is some advice for making treasuries:

-NEVER include your own items. This disqualifies you from making the front page.

-Search for and install Schmetzy tools. It is a pack of 3 apps for treasury making.

-Try to include items from a variety of categories, jewelry, books, clothing, furniture, etc.

-Use your team tag to search for items to put in a treasury.

-Do not comment more than once on any treasury. This lowers the rankings on the "hotness" list.

-Celebrate the unusual and include items and themes that will make your treasury stand out.

-Have fun and don't stress about finding the perfect item to finish off your treasury. You can always make a new one!

Team Treasury Game Winner: Tropical Waters Romance

'Tropical Waters Romance' by fAverittecreations

A lovely tale of a tropical water romance...

Reef Soap Dish in Tropi... kaytwoclay $20.00	Hand crochet pure cotto... dachuksb7196 $9.00	Navy and Yellow Drop Ea... FiveThirty $22.00	Tropical waters- Waterc... EstherBayer $32.50
Swimsuits - Creme de Ci... HautePinkDesig... $100.00	Spring Cleaning Sale - ... LittleFever $17.50	Aqua and Chartreuse Cot... TheHeartHat $36.00	Mini Beach Halter Dress... oOlives $30.00
Tropical Blue Door pointfocusflas... $16.00	Yellow Sunglasses Headb... yastikizi $30.00	5 dollar print Ocean Wa... evaricci $5.00	Color Block Turquoise a... LeiliDesign $60.00
Fun and Funky Bright Bl... buttonsoupjewe... $34.00	Tropical Coconut Perfum... Blushie $8.00	BALI SARONG in Clear Ye... aquaenergydesi... $21.00	Lark- Nana Chic in Clou... southernfabric $2.99

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio