February 2013 Treasury BLITZ!

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team


Welcome Back Team! Happy New Year, and here's hoping the first month of 2013 has been good to all of us.

Let's start the year off with a brand new Treasury Blitz focusing on a theme to get us back in the swing of things. This blitz the theme will be "Fresh and New" inspired by our hopes for the new year. Please take this theme in any direction you want, meaning spring, clean, green, original, colour, whatever!

We thought we might try something a little different for this Blitz - Prizes! This is something I've done with another team to fun results. We have two prizes donated so far, one from myself and from Brazen so far. We are looking for one more from any member of the team (preferably something small and letter-mail-able for ease of postage).

EDIT - The Treasury Challenge rule of SIX teamies in the top three rows will apply to this Blitz as well, just for continuity's sake. Sorry for any confusion my earlier post may have caused.
 The idea of the blitz is to promote each other, and the team, get as many views on our items, and get them looking fantastic in a group of complimentary items. Make as many as you want, make them beautiful, bold, interesting, and heck, maybe even front-pageable!

 Once you've made your treasury (or treasuries) post the link to your treasury in the comment section of this blog by midnight (Toronto time) Friday, February 8, 2013. If your treasury link isn’t here, your treasury isn’t entered for voting!

If you can't make a treasury, for whatever reason, please check out the others, fave, click, comment, heart as much as  possible to get our teamies out there! The purpose of a blitz is to have FUN and to get our teamies SEEN. And of course, PLEASE come back and VOTE.

WHEN: Our three day Blitz will run from Feb 6, 7, 8th. That's wednesday, thursday, friday. (perfect to get those bored-at-the-office browsers).

VOTE: Feb 9, 10 - saturday and sunday! Come back to this blog, cast your vote for your fav three (3) treasuries. Votes should be tabulated by midnight monday (toronto time).

PLEASE - contact me via etsy with any questions or confusion, or if you would like to donate a prize! I hope the little small changes add some variety to the Blitz, but there is bound to be some mix ups! (I'm still a little new at this blogging thing, we'll figure out the details eventually!)


One more thing - Here at the OhCanada Blog, we'd like to start up some of the features we've had in the past, as well as some new ideas. Some things like features and interviews we can conduct mostly through Etsy and email, but other things Like friday finds and wordless wednesdays would be greatly aided if we started posting items to flickr again! That way, I know I'm allowed to pluck you out of the pool and put you on display.... er, your items at least. Go here, join the team (I just did!) do this ---

OhCanadaTeam on Flickr

Can't wait!
Cari and OhCanadaTeam Leadership!





Copyright 2013 Oh Canada Team

Butterfly Dreams Hair Band by Clara Clips

Doesn't this make you think of Spring?  This hair band has been designed, hand cut and stitched by Clara Clips.  Clara's shop features all sorts of felt goodies!  I was immediately drawn to the finger puppets she has created, as well as the vintage styled dress up dolls.  Her shop also carries felted purses and all kinds of fun hair accessories.  All of the items in the shop have been designed and created by Clara. 

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and claraclips.

Friday Finds: Doctor Horrible

Have you decided on your Hallowe’en costume yet? If you’re thinking of going handmade, now is the time to shop and plan the perfect get-up! There are so many unique possibilities for dress-up on Etsy - from handmade costumes to unique vintage pieces. And while you’re browsing, you never know what imaginative things you’ll find.

Dr. Horrible Yermit Doll

This horribly adorable character is part of the Yermit family of fabric dolls, handcrafted in Guelph, Ontario. His shiny goggles make the terrible effects of his freeze ray even more intimidating! To see more wonderful characters and creations like this guy, visit the Yermits shop!

Whatever’s on your fall shopping list, 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 and Yermits

Tag Workshop: Ladybug Party Favor

Every Etsy listing can be broken down into sections, with each component serving a different purpose. The most important aspect of any listing is the photographs, which can invite searchers to click, encourage them to stay and look around, and convince them to make a purchase. But without really effective tags, even the best photos can get lost in the crowd.

Choosing keywords for an Etsy listing can be the toughest part of the job. Even when we know our own creations inside and out, we have to put ourselves in a shopper’s frame of mind to decide which terms will bring the most valuable search results. Every week, the Oh Canada Team shares some examples of which search terms shoppers and sellers use to locate different types of products.

Ladybug Party Favor and Card
by Favor My Party

This week, our Tag Workshop will focus on a cute customizable hair bow and thank you card set by Favor My Party. The description reads:

Cute as a ladybug. Your guests will love receiving these party favors, either on their own, or inside a goody bag! A two inch white and red hair bow is set on a thank you card with happy ladybugs. The message can be personalized with your child's name and age.

Joyous Treasures suggests these tags:

children, party favor, hair bow, thank you card,
red, white, ladybugs, girls, handmade, cute,
holidays, personalized, customized, kids

Dolls and Company recommends:

holidays, bow, ribbon,
white, red, personalized message,
children, beautiful

Oh Canada Team suggests:

children, accessories, hair clip,
party favors, ladybugs, lady bugs, white, red,
bow, thank you card, girls, cute,
custom, made to order

And the actual tags are:

children, kids, 1st first birthday, party favors,
thank you card, red, white, ladybugs,
hair bow, personalized, unique, cheap, coccinella

Each lists includes many of the same search terms, with variations on Etsy’s subcategories. When you select your main category, you can also select appropriate sub-categories for your item to display in, suggested by Etsy based on your first choice. As with all tags, it is important to only choose those headings that apply to the actual item you are selling.

The order of your tags can also effect how shoppers find you, because the first 5 keywords are considered the most important for SEO. When creating a listing, you can type in the 4 most important descriptive tags first, and then go back and choose the correct subcategories to maximize your exposure around Etsy.

For more help with tagging, check out:

Tag Wars
Tag Finder
Guidelines and Tips for Tagging
Etsy DOs and DON’Ts

Stay tuned for more tagging ideas on Oh Canada every Tuesday!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team and Favor My Party

Friday Finds: Cookie Headband

Cookie Headband
by Berry Sweet Treats

Ask anyone what their favorite thing about going back to school is or was, and there’s a pretty good chance they’ll say “New things!”. Brand new clothes, shoes, and school supplies used to be the norm, with parents and students gathering up all of these staples in a rush to be ready for that first day in class.

But it’s the 21st century now, and we’re changing the way we buy and consume. Now vintage and upcycled is the new new! It’s Reducing at it’s finest - and very fashionable.

Still, there is something magical about getting something fresh and new for the first day of school. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be from a factory, or a big-box store, or wrapped in miles of plastic. By buying handmade, we can still treat ourselves to something new, and support an entrepreneur at the same time!

This adorable cookie headband is one example of a great gift to start out the new school year. Whatever you need to make 2010/11 special for your students, chances are you’ll find it on Etsy! You can even use the Shop Local tool to find sellers in your area.

Add the tag OhCanadaTeam to your searches on Etsy.com to see what our Canadian artists are making!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team and Berry Sweet Treats

Friday Finds: Back to School

When it comes to fashion and accessories, the first day of school is one of the most important days of the year. Whether we want to admit it or not, this is one of the days where trends are tested, created and judged the most.

Luckily, handmade and vintage is always in style, and the Oh Canada team can provide plenty of fresh back to school ideas for everyone!

Senior Girl Threads

Handmade Bamboo Poncho
by Anny May

Sleeping Late Upcycled Top
by pondhopper

Eco Canyon Bamboo Top
by Heidi the Artist

Mini Houndstooth Skirt
from The House of Hearts


First Day of Kindergarten

Rock Girl Cloche Hat
by Tres Belle Knits

Recycled Jeans Coloring Bag
by La Chiffonniere

Hand Painted Owl T-Shirt
by Leah Jane Designs

Monkey Bow Hair Clips
by Footprint Designs


Bookworms

Silver Moth Blank Notebook
by Farren Square

Unakite Beaded Bookmark
by Ocean Pearl Jewellery

Howling Wolf Gift Card Holder
by The Backyard Bear

Bees Photo Bookmarks
by ennadoolf


Around the Dorm

Coneflower Lavender Sachet by bstudio

Batik Blues Photo Memory Board
by Jen's Dream Decor

Delish Red Apple Lip Balm
by Bubble Tub

Rhodonite Heart Pendant
by Magnetic Creations

To find more back to school essentials by Canadian artists, add the tag OhCanadaTeam to your searches on Etsy.com!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team

Friday Finds: Baby Ear Flap Hat

Chocolate Teal Ear Flap Hat
Originally uploaded by TresBelleKnits.

Today’s find is an adorable crochet hat in chocolate and teal. These soft accessories are not only warm and cozy, but make great accessories for professional photographers. Imagine having a custom portrait of your little one wearing it!

You can order your own ear flap hat in a variety of charming colors from Tres Belle Knits and Crochet. It is available in 5 children’s sizes, so you can have a matching set for all the tykes in your family!

Also in the spotlight today is Oh Canada Team member Knotted Nest, with a recent Etsy Front Page feature. Congratulations!

To see even more incredible creations by Canadian artists, include the tag “OhCanadaTeam” in your searches on Etsy.com.

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team
Text by Mortira