And the Winner Is…

The votes are in, and we have a wonderful Canadian handmade banner for our team blog! Congratulations to Tres Belle Knits, who’s Red and White Fingerless Mitts made the top spot.

The Oh Canada Team would like to thank everyone who voted in the Canadian Banner Contest, and all of our talented participants! Each entry will have a chance to be featured as part of our unique banner in 2010.

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team

Tag Workshop: Mosaic Turquoise Earrings

The Oh Canada Team recently asked some members to help each other with tag ideas. We’re going to share their products and tags here every week, and examine the different suggestions from each seller. This experiment aims to give an outside perspective on valuable Etsy search terms for a variety of product styles. We hope you will find some new tag ideas as well!

Round Mosaic Turquoise Earrings
by Little Bear's Mom

This week’s Tag Workshop item is a pretty pair of earrings with round mosaic turquoise beads, by Little Bear’s Mom. The description reads: From each hammered copper earwire hangs a perfectly round bead of mosaic turquoise with its lovely tones of blue, green and brown. Very organic and earthy looking. Each earring measures 1 7/8 inches in length.

bstudio suggests these tags:

jewelry, earrings, turquoise, copper,
hammered, green, simple, casual, pierced,
blue, gemstone, southwestern, mottled, natural

Blue Jeans Jewelry recommends:

jewelry, earrings, copper, beaded, wire-wrapped,
turquoise, blue, brown, green, earthy, handmade,
classic, Quebec, everyday

Ocean Pearl Jewellery suggests:

jewelry, earrings, dangle, ohcanadateam,
turquoise, mosaic, round, copper, blue,
green, brown, olive, wire, earth tones

And the actual tags are:

jewelry, earrings, dangle, turquoise,
mosaic, blue, green, brown, copper, earthy,
organic, hhway, ohcanadateam

Each list contains some great search terms, including style descriptions that would help this listing turn up in customer searches. Although tags aren’t meant to describe what an item could be used for, using the some of the Five W’s creatively is a great way to get your designs found. What is it? Where is it from? Who uses it? What does it look like? How would you categorize it in your wardrobe or home?

For more tips and information about Etsy tagging, visit:
Guidelines and Tips for Tagging on Etsy
Increasing Your Item Views
Tagging for Maximum Exposure in Etsy Treasuries
Etsy DOs and DON’Ts

Stay tuned to Oh Canada for more great tagging examples every Tuesday!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team and Little Bear's Mom

Canada Helps the Gulf

Gulf Oil Spill
Photo Credit: Greenpeace USA Flickr Pool

April 20th, 2010 could mark the start of the worst environmental disaster the world has ever seen. The tragedy began when an offshore rig, drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded. Eleven workers were killed in the accident, which caused the oil well to rupture.

The resulting leak spews between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of crude oil every day, or as much as 9500 cubic meters. The oil slick on the surface of the water has reached roughly 6,500 square km in width. It covers the shores of four US states, including beaches, wetlands and estuaries. The black sludge has killed hundreds of fish, seabirds and turtles, as well as dolphins and other precious marine creatures.

To get an idea of just how massive the oil spill has become, visit If It Was My Home to see a size comparison with your own location. The area of damage is enormous, and it continues to get larger and more deadly every day. Jay Holcomb, director of the International Bird Rescue Center, says “…it’s like a new spill every day.”

Size of the BP Oil Spill Compared to Ottawa, Ontario

The Deepwater Horizon disaster has halted all marine industries in the area, and put thousands of families out of work. This newest tragedy threatens an economy already sensitive due to hurricanes like Katrina and Rita.

So what can you do to help? Many charitable organizations are doing what they can to repair the environmental damage, and offer aid to impoverished families. A generous group of Etsy sellers has united to raise funds for Oxfam America and the National Wildlife Federation. At Help the Gulf Coast, you can find a stunning array of handmade wares, all donated for this important cause. 100% of the net profits from this shop are divided between these two charities. Help the Gulf Coast has already raised over $5000!

Many of our talented Oh Canada Team members have reached out by donating their time and materials. These exclusive designs are just a few examples of the products you will find at Help the Gulf Coast, with over 400 listings and counting. To learn more about how you can donate an item, or how even the smallest purchase can help, visit the Help the Gulf Coast blog.

Cobalt Blue Wire Wrapped Necklace
Donated by Blue Jeans Jewelry

Neighboats Sea Breeze Soap
Donated by soapstar

Mermaid Tail Beaded Bracelet
Donated by Ocean Pearl Jewellery

Ophelia Vintage Gemstone Earrings
Donated by Joanniel Creations

Other Oh Canada Team members that have donated include Little Bear's Mom and The Sage's Cupboard. We would all like to thank the amazing admins at Help the Gulf Coast, who donate so much of their time to this great fundraiser, as well as all of the Etsy sellers who have donated, and everyone who has made a purchase for these important charities. We can make a difference one handmade creation at a time!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team

Friday Finds: Sea Slug Cuff

Sea Slug Cuff by Wabi Brook Studio

The ocean is an endless source for artistic inspiration. The colors, shapes and even the sounds of the sea are often found in the most beautiful designs.

This week’s Friday Finds treasure is a beautiful hand forged copper cuff with freshwater pearls. The iridescent colors of the fire painted copper and peacock pearls make this piece fit for a mermaid. To see more one of a kind art jewelry, visit Wabi Brook Studio.

Whatever your tastes, chances are the Oh Canada Team has something for you! Include the phrase "OhCanadaTeam" in your searches on Etsy.com to see what our talented artists are making.

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team and Wabi Brook Studio

Tag Workshop: Blue Flower Card

The Oh Canada Team recently asked some members to help each other with tag ideas. We’re going to share their products and tags here every week, and examine the different suggestions from each seller. We hope you will find some new tag ideas as well!

Blue Flower Silk Embroidery Card
by bstudio

This week’s Tag Workshop item is a beautiful silk embroidery greeting card by bstudio. The description reads: Pretty, variegated blue silk ribbon, shading from light to dark, is hand embroidered onto the white silk dupioni background to form this cluster of flowers on a stem of dark green embroidery floss. I have accented each flower center with a pale yellow French knot. The base of the stem has four leaves in green silk ribbon. This original design is mounted in a textured white photo frame card that is blank inside. Complete with a matching envelope.

Ocean Pearl Jewellery suggests these tags:

paper goods, greeting card, needlecraft, flowers,
lilac, blue, embroidery, hand stitched, blank interior,
ohcanadateam, unique design, floss, white, silk ribbon

Little Bear’s Mom recommends:

paper goods, cards, blank, silk, ribbon,
flower cluster, blue, teal, white, art
needlework, embroidery, unique, stationery,

Blue Jeans Jewelry suggests:

paper goods, card, floral, hand embroidered,
silk ribbon, blank, blue, paper, toronto, canada,
needlecraft, classic, elegant, all occasion

Each tag list features a variety of style and technique tags that shoppers might use to find such a unique design! When choosing tags for our listings, it’s always important to list the What’s and How’s that will help people locate exactly what they’re looking for. Remember that tags should only describe what an item is, but you can get creative when it comes to color, shape and size!

For more tips and information about Etsy tagging, visit:
Guidelines and Tips for Tagging on Etsy,
Tag-o-rama with Descriptive Keywords,
Tagging for Success,
and Etsy DOs and DON’Ts.

Stay tuned to Oh Canada for more great tagging examples!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team and bstudio

Canadian Banner Contest 2010

Some of our talented Oh Canada Team members have been hard at work, creating handmade treasures with distinctly Canadian themes. These creations will help decorate our team blog, and add a fresh look to greet our visitors. We want to say “We’re Handmade, and We’re Canadian!”

We have four beautiful entries to choose from. Each one will have a chance to become a part of our team banner for the remainder of 2010. But we need your help to choose who will go first!

Please have a look at each of the wonderful entries. Follow the links to learn more about each creation, and the artist’s inspiration, then vote for your favorite in the sidebar poll. Your vote will help us select which order to showcase these Canadian creations in! Each entry will spend 2 months in the top spot.

Oh Canada Fingerless Mitts
Crochet in Red and White
By Tres Belle Knits and Crochet



Northern Lights Bracelet
With Labradorite and Sterling Silver
By Little Bear’s Mom



Flowers of Canada
Pillow Cover in Silk Ribbon Embroidery
By bstudio



Ice Floe
Inukshuk Beadwork Bracelet
By The Sage’s Cupboard

The Canadian Banner Contest poll closes on June 28th. Thank you for helping us share the joy of local, handmade artistry!

Want to see more? Whatever your tastes, chances are the Oh Canada Team has something for you! Include the phrase "OhCanadaTeam" in your searches on Etsy.com to see what our talented artists are making.

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team