Gift Guide - Something for everyone - Gifts from the Dorset Team

The Dorset Team is a group of over 700 local makers, designers, vintage sellers, craft suppliers and artists who all sell their wares on Etsy.com. Members sell a diverse range of different products so there really is something for everyone!

You can find some examples of their work on our Pinterest board here or by searching #DorsetTeam on social media.

Dorset Team - April Treasury Tuesday themes

Exciting news....our Treasury Tuesday themes for April have been announced! Big thank you to Lynn for coming up with the different themes for the team, we can't wait to see all the beautiful collections that you all make.

Themes:

5th - April Showers -  Let's see those clouds and raindrops and also the rainbows and flowers that follow them!

12th April - For Him - We would love to see your collections for items that might appeal to guys

19th April - Fresh and Fragrant - Hopefully we're getting a bit of spring sunshine by now! Let's see all the freshest, zingiest, brightest and sweetest-smelling items you can find to give us all a spring clean.

26th April - Pattern and Texture'. Whether you like spots or stripes, woolly or shiny, geometric or floral, colourful or monochrome... pick your favourites and share them!

Don't forget to tag your Treasury with 'dorsetteam' and to tweet with hashtags #treasurytuesday and #dorsetteam so we can all find and share.

If you're still not sure about making a Treasury there is lots of helpful info on this team forum thread: https://www.etsy.com/teams/14319/dorset-etsy-team/discuss/16990487/page/1

and of course there is the searchable list of some 4000 Dorset Team items here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/people/dorsetteam/favorites/items-i-love

Be an Expert - Panetone Colour of the Year

Panetone have released their 'colour of the year' - except this year it's 2 colours!

You can see the announcement here: http://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2016

And on the Etsy blog here: https://blog.etsy.com/uk/2016/03/10/pantone-colour-of-the-year-2016/

It could be worth adding the tags 'rose quartz' or 'serenity' to some of your items that match these colour hues. There might not be that many shoppers who know about the colour trends but there will be some, but more importantly Etsy, and press like magazines or bloggers, may search those tags to see what products to feature in an on-trend article!

The other popular colours for the year can be seen in the Panetone Spring Repot here: https://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr/?season=spring&year=2016&pid=11.

Product Feature - Do a Little Dance

This weeks product feature is this beautiful hoop art from Do A Little Dance which is run by Sojung Kim McCarthy

Wouldn't this be so perfect for spring?! You can find this adorable bunny embroidery art in Sojung's Etsy shop 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/270102381/do-a-little-dance-baby-bunny-rabbit

Mother's Day Gift Guide by the #DorsetTeam

Mothering Sunday is fast approaching (6th March) so this week we wanted to share our brand new Dorset Team Mother's Day board.

The board is full of wonderful Mother's Day items by members of the Dorset Team and has been beautifully curated by Frankie from Frankie and the Buttons

Mother's Day Gifts by #DorsetTeam curated by DorsetTeam on Etsy

The board includes both handmade and vintage gifts which would be perfect for Mother's and Grandmothers.

Please share far and wide so we can show everyone what amazing gift ideas the Dorset Team has for Mother's Day!

Find the full collection here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/pages/dorsetteam/mothers-day-gifts-by-dorsetteam

Here are some of our favourite items from the #DorsetTeam Mother's Day collection....

#1 - Hearts and Flowers Necklace by Lynn Davy (Nemeton)

Photo Credit: Lynn Davy

This bright and cheerful necklace will be sure to bring a smile to your Mum's face this Mother's Day. The necklace has been made from pressed glass beads and has been made by Lynn who is based in Wimborne.

Find the necklace here in Lynn's Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/268152203/hearts-and-flowers-bright-multicolour

#2 - Why my Mummy is Brilliant Book by Lou Brown

How adorable is this "Why my Mummy is Brilliant" book?! The book can be personalised for each Mummy from each child.

Find the book here in Lou's shop. Lou is based in Bournemouth

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/157861292/why-my-mummy-is-brilliant-personalised

#3 Wooden button sign by Mantra Makes

Photo Credit: Mantra Makes

This giant button sign has been handmade by Mummy of two, Samantha Wilcock from Mantra Makes. Samantha is based in Bournemouth and you can find her giant button sign here in her Etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/264006256/wooden-sign-mothers-day-gift-gift-for

Treasury Tuesday - "My Unique Style"

Photo Credit: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/228441055/rainbow-hearts-giclee-print

Big thank you to those who joined in using last week's 'stationary' treasury theme. This week's theme is 'my unique style'. As the new year begins we all try to re-invigorate ourselves - now is your chance to define your style and show off what it means to be you!

Add items to your treasury that you would love to wear or have in your home, which would really show off your personality to everyone else. Which items just scream 'you'?!

When you've created your treasury please tag it with 'DorsetTeam' and share them on social media using the hashtag #DorsetTeam so we can see what you've created. This is a great way to connect with the community and get our products seen by a wider audience.

For an explaination on treasuries see here: https://www.etsy.com/teams/14319/dorset-etsy-team/discuss/16990487/page/1?ref=team_page 

You can link back to the above so other people understand what treasuries are all about!

Featured Product - Cactus print by Isobel Barber

Decorate your home with this wonderful paper cut by Dorset artist Isobel Barber.

Isobel is a 3D paper artist and illustator who lives in Dorset. 

"When not wielding a pair of scissors or a scalpel, some of her other passions include baking, long walks, fossil hunting along the Dorset coastline, knitting, flowers and photographing colourful things."

Find her beautiful cactus print here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/238330127/papercut-art-print-wall-art-wall-decor

Twitter and Twitter Hours explained

Photo Credit: The Dorothy Days 

Twitter can be a fantastic platform to use for spreading awareness about your shop but it is not just about promoting your items, it is about building your brand.

Wish you knew more about Twitter and Twitter hours? 

Here is a back to basics guide by Dorset Team Captain, The Dorothy Days,which goes through the Twitter basics

http://thedorothydays.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/twitter-basics-and-twitter-hours.html

It explains what hashtags are and how to use them, how to participate in a Twitter hour, what the difference is between a promotional Twitter hour and a Twitter chat hour and other Twitter basics such as retweeting and mentioning other people in a post.

Want to join in a Twitter chat hour? The Dorset Team run their own chat hour every Tuesday 7.30 - 8.30pm just use #DorsetTeam to join in with the conversation!

Be an Expert - Achieve your goals!

Photo Credit - Lindsay from SlumberMonkey who is a Dorset Team member

Happy New Year!

This week our 'Be an Expert' post is all about goal setting for 2016 and achieving your goals. Setting goals is a great way to keep motivated throughout the year and keep track of your progress.

There is a fantastic resources on how to set your own goals for this year here:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/ready-for-etsy-success-start-with-an/22665600045

 https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/how-4-sellers-achieved-their-goals-in/36568397091 

This article from Etsy also goes through different goals and share resources for how to achieve those goals. There is something from Etsy sellers of different expertise from total newbies to those more established.

What are your goals for 2016? We would love to hear.

Please share them by adding a comment below or by sharing on #DorsetTeam

Merry Christmas from the Dorset Team!

Merry Christmas everyone, we hope that you all have a fantastic Christmas. The social media team are taking a well earned break over Christmas but we will be back with lots of new exciting things in the New Year!

Treasury Tuesday - Words and Stories

Photo Credit: Bound Books who is part of the Dorset Etsy Team

As November is NaNoWriMO (National Novel Writing Month) our Treasury Tuesday theme for this week is all about word and stories.We invite you to make team treasuries on this theme by using our searchable Dorset Team members list which can be found here: Dorset Team searchable list

Some ideas on the theme include.....printed words, words on jewellery, embroidered words, die-cut words, items that tell a story or which look like they've come from a fairytale or classic story!

The more creative the better and don't forget to tag your treasuries with 'DORSETTEAM' so that we can find and share them.

Last week's featured treasury on the theme of Autumn Colour was by Lindsay Buck from Slumbermonkey who made 'Cosy Orange Glow' please take a look at her beautiful winning treasury here:

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MzY3ODg5NDR8MjcyNzk1NTI4Mg/cosy-orange-glow

Congratulations Lindsay and thank you so much for putting together this beautiful collection. The warm hues certainly make me feel like sitting under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate! 

Lindsay make beautiful jewellery and cards please head over to see her Etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Slumbermonkey

#DorsetTeam Twitter Hour

Photo Credit: The Dorothy Days 

Very excited to announce that the Dorset Team are launching their very on Twitter chat hour!

The first chat will be Tuesday 3rd November - 7.30 - 8.30pm and the topic Christmas Preparation and getting your Etsy online shop and your stall ready for the Christmas Fair in Wimborne. 

Details:

- Chat Hour (rather than promotion hour) and a great place to come a network with other local Etsy sellers

- Every Tuesday 7.30 - 8.30pm

- Hashtag: #DorsetTeam

- Each week will have a theme

How to join in:

- Login to Twitter at 7.30pm when the chat begins and search #DorsetTeam to read other member's tweets. To join in the chat include #dorsetteam in your own tweets.

We will also be using #DorsetTeam throughout the week so if you miss the chat or would like to share with the rest of the team which you have been making or doing, contribute to the chat or show us a new product you have been working on please tweet it using #DorsetTeam and remember to also retweet and share other member's tweets.

Hope to see you there!

Community News - Etsy Community

Want to get more involved with Etsy and influence its future?

Last week, Etsy launched the Seller Advisory Board, a new group which will include 15 sellers from around the world who will advise Etsy on matters facing our community

To find out more about applying to be part of this, along with other ways to get and stay involved with Etsy, take a look at the following link.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/announcing-etsys-seller-advisory-board/34287741664

You can also stay involved at a local level through the Dorset Team. 

If you already have an Etsy account and want to join our team please click here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/teams/14319/dorset-etsy-team

We have an active team forum with a range of different topics.

We also are active on social media you can find us across social media by searching #DorsetTeam please take a look, share, comment and like.

We run #DorsetTeamTips every week for our top tips for being an Etsy seller too.

Backstage Pass

Sign up for Christmas Bootcamp...

...we promise it is not as scary as it sounds....!

Christmas Tree Garland by Made By Ewe 

Etsy have just announced that they will be running Christmas Bootcamp again this year to help sellers prepare for the busiest shopping season of the year. It is totally free and you will receive four weeks of emails with advice to help you prepare for Christmas. In the past these emails have included advice on selling at markets, what are the big trends this year and help with time management.

To sign up please click here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/emails/seminars 

We will also be discussing how to prepare yourself for the holiday season over on the team forum. 

Applications for our Dorset Team Christmas Fair are now OPEN

Exciting news, the Dorset Team will be holding two fairs this year. One in Autumn and a Christmas Fair.

Autumn Fair Details: 25th October in Christchurch - Booking information and costs will be released in late summer/ early autumn so please pop that date in your diary!

Christmas Fair: Saturday 5th December in Wimborne Minster - We are taking bookings NOW (deadline to apply is midnight on the 15th July).

It may seem rather early to be thinking about Christmas but, if you would like to sell at our event please fill in the application form. Last year's fair was a huge success so we are hoping this one will be even more successful.

Application Form: goo.gl/forms/Dxn46YldQs

The Christmas Fair is part of the Etsy Made Local events taking place across the country on the 5th and 6th of December.

Details:

Allendale Centre,
Hanham Road,
Wimborne Minster
Wimborne
Dorset
BH21 1AS

Open to the public 10am - 4pm

Please see the form for full details and requirements.

We hope lots of members will apply. If you are currently not a Dorset Team member but would like to take part in the Etsy Made Local event there is a group run by Etsy Admins which will help you get your shop set up in time to apply for our Christmas Market. You can find the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1592485134333249/

If you have any queries please contact the Team Captain directly on thedorothydays@hotmail.co.uk

Dorset Team Craft Party 2015 - #CraftParty

We had so much fun at last year's Dorset Team Craft Party that this year we are holding a larger craft party event.

When: Friday 5th June 5pm - 8pm
Where: Library Cafe, Poole
Entry Charge: FREE!

Please RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/856533177768637/


What is Craft Party?

Each year, all around the world, people come together on the same day in locally organised Etsy Craft Parties. The idea is that it is a fun gathering and a way to get together local creative to create together and inspire one another. It is a great time to meet other local creatives, share a creative skill and who doesn't love a party?!

The Dorset Team will be hosting a Craft Party this year in Poole. The theme is Kaleidoscope and we will be focusing on paper craft, in particular collage but please feel free to come along and do any type of craft.

The event is free.


Things to bring:

*Old Magazines to collage with

*Paper

*Glue

*Scissors etc

So you can make some beautiful collages and paper crafts and of course any other crafting materials you have laying around which you can use.


Hope to see lots of you there. Please see the link above to RSVP

U.K Etsy Captain's Summit in Bristol

Hello everyone,

As some of you will know, last weekend I was invited to the U.K Etsy Captain's Summit in Bristol. It was a wonderful weekend and I learnt so much.

U.K Team Captains and Etsy admin from all over the world in Bristol

I got to meet lots of other captains of U.K Teams (some of whom I had met before and lots of new U.K captains too) as well as listen to talks by inspiring community members, gain advice from Etsy staff by listening to their presentations and get involved in brainstorming activities and planning. I also presented to the group about our Dorset Team Christmas Fair and felt very proud of all that we achieved as a team including all our team fairs last year.

Here are some of the captains listening to a presentation and learning about how to work with venues.

The summit is a fantastic opportunity to hear what other U.K teams have been up to as well as meet the people who lead those teams. Some U.K teams including Cambridge, Brighton and Leeds had done a Christmas pop-up shop. The Manchester team had created a local discount card for team members where they partnered with local businesses so their members could receive discounts. And, Trudy from the Glasgow Team showed me her branded team bags, notepads and stickers which looked fantastic. I spent the weekend frantically scribbling down notes and ideas.

This is Rose from Team Leeds presenting

Two very exciting pieces of news….

Etsy are launching an 'EtsyMadeLocal' event in December which will involve U.K teams and I hope that the Dorset Team will also take part. I will post some more details about this in our Dorset Team forum soon.

The second piece of exciting news is about the Craft Party! Etsy hold craft party each year and we joined in as a team last year at Nicolette's house and had a great afternoon making Dorset themed postcards. This year the theme is Kaleidoscope and the craft will be Collage. We will be thinking as a team about what kind of event we would like to hold. If you are interested in getting involved with the craft party and particularly in helping us organise the craft party please message me! 

Thank you for reading and I hope to share more of what I learned with you all.

The Dorothy Days (Dorset Team Captain)

With thanks to Nausika from the Greek Team who was a special guest at the summit and took all the photos you see in this presentation.

Meet the Dorset Team Christmas Fair Stallholders - Jill from Trawler Studio

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for reading our Dorset Team blog. We hope that you are enjoying the blog posts.

It has been wonderful to see over the last few weeks our Dorset Team Christmas Fair stallholders getting ready for the fair and the new products they have been making. 

One of the sellers who will be at the fair is Jill who runs a successful Etsy shop, Jilly Bird but has also launched her brand new company Trawler Studio this month and has already been featured in Country Living magazine! What an amazing start.

Meet the seller:

This is Jill, she lives in Bournemouth and her work is inspired by the beautiful Dorset coastline.

Trawler Studio: 

Trawler Studio is a beautiful online shop which sells sells homeware, clothing and prints. 

In Jill's words....

"Trawler is a lifestyle brand with one foot on the beach and the other in the sea. I’ve always lived on the coast so it seemed a logical step to make an Etsy store that reflected this and so Trawler was born. I love using natural materials like linen, wool, denim and cotton and enjoy the way they all improve with time. Trawler also allows me to skip from one discipline to another, one minute I’m printing mugs or drawing in my sketch book and the next I’ll be hand stitching or taking photographs. The Etsy platform is a perfect professional way for me to reach a global audience and at the same time stay connected to the other makers like me."

Jill will be selling her wares at the Dorset Team Christmas Handmade and Vintage Fair in Wimborne on Saturday 6th December. Entry to the fair is FREE. Please click the link above to find more information. There will be 80 stallholders and the fair is the first fair in Dorset to be sponsored by the global online marketplace Etsy.com so is going to be a good one and the perfect place to pick up unique Christmas gifts.

By coming to the fair you are supporting local independent businesses who take pride in their products and they are beautifully made and high quality. You also can chat away to the maker and find out more about their process and find out about how they got started.

Jill made this wonderful video showing the final stages of putting together her cushion covers:



Please be sure to take a look at Trawler Studio on Etsy which can be found HERE!
All information about our Christmas Fair is located HERE

Hope to see you at the Dorset Team Christmas Fair!

Welcome to the Dorset Team!

A big hello and a warm welcome to the Dorset Team blog!

Firstly to those who don't know, the Dorset Team is a crafting community who have found each other via the wonderful online marketplace that is Etsy (more about this in a future post). 

For those of you who are part of the Dorset Team, I am a fellow team member and am looking forward to spreading the word about our lovely Team.  To find our team on Etsy, simply click on the link: https://www.etsy.com/uk/teams/14319/dorset-etsy-team

In this blog, we aim to communicate news, upcoming events, tips and advice,  provide information about Dorset and to showcase our lovely Team Members.

We very much value feedback so if there is something you would like covered or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch here!