Etsy Shop Feature: A Cup of Sparkle

Finally, the promised new shop feature! My apologies for the pictures not showing up (boo blogger for technical problems). :( There are links to everything though, so go check them out!

Etsy Feature: A Cup of Sparkle

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Melike, and I am the hands and the brains behind ACupOfSparkle. I am originally from Turkey and am currently living in Seattle. Jewelry design and crafting has been always a hobby for me since I was very young. I am a big fan of gemstones, gold and silver.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Turkish, feminine and creative

How long have you been crafting?

ohh.. I can't even remember. My mom is a super creative person who does all sorts of crafts. I have been crafting with her since I was very young.

When did you start selling on Etsy, and what inspired you to give it a try?

I launched my jewelry line 'A Cup of Sparkle' in December, 2010. I have a treasury of beads and jewelry supplies that I have been collecting for a long time. I like wearing jewelry and have two

sisters, so I was mostly making for myself, my friends, and family. I love the business side of things and I thought I should give it a shot and share my jewelry with others out there. I had a lot of
encouragement from my loving husband.

Besides creating, what are you passionate about?

I have a puppy that I love spending time with. I also kayak and ride bikes with my husband. Other than that my full time job takes most of my time. I also have a blog – acupofsparkle@blogspot.com – that I use to write about what inspires my creations, and to share tutorials and other handmade arts and crafts by other Etsians.

What does your craft space look like? Are you an organized crafter or would you be embarrassed for us to take a peak at your workspace? (Please share a picture if you’re willing)

I am glad you asked this question. It is funny :) I am a very organized person normally, which is also a part of my job at work. However, when it comes to my craft space, which I call "A Cup of

Sparkle Laboratory," I have all of beads and supplies scattered on a table and couple drawers. Mess is how I get creative. Seeing colors and combinations together opens up new ideas for me. I don't believe in the necessity of organization in crafts. I think it is ok to be disorganized and creative at the same time!

Describe your Etsy shop in three words.
Colorful, quality, cheerful

Currently, what are your favorite 3 items from your shop?
I have very different designs and lines of jewelry; from crystal and pearl wire wrapped beading to beaded wire jewelry; but, my favorites are the bird nest branch necklace, green pearl circle of love necklace and sparrow bird nest keychain. I offer most of my jewelry and accessories in custom colors, where I give the option to my customers to pick any color and number of beads they want.

What are some of your favorite Etsy shops?

Etsy is full of very creative people, which is the thing I love about Etsy. One of my favorite shops is StorkandMe , the owner is a friend of mine who is extremely talented. I also like Eidrasa and MaaPstudio

Finally, what suggestions would you make to someone who’s thinking about starting an Etsy shop?

Go for it! If you would like to pursue a business and have had the idea on the back of your mind to start a shop, I think you should give it shot! Be ready for a lot of work though, as Etsy is very
competitive and running your shop will take a lot of time. Stay positive and keep it fun!

Feature Coming this Week

Since I was at Creation Northwest, which was SO MUCH FUN, last week I didn't post the new Etsy feature. I know I promised to post in either Sunday or Monday, but I've been busy with work so I haven't gotten to it yet. I'll post it this Friday and will change the schedule around a bit so everyone still has the same amount of feature time.

I added some pics of Creation 2011: Switchfoot concert, Toby Mac concert, and the incredible view of Mt. Rainier from our camping area. I had lots of fun meeting new people as I volunteered, and spending time with old friends at the concerts. Being 5'1" in a mosh pit is NOT easy!!

Camping...Be Back Soon

I'm going camping this week, and won't have access to modern technology. Therefor, I'm postponing my next shop feature until next Monday the 25th. (Also, since the last one got delayed a little due to blogger issues.) Anyways, have a good week and I'll post about my adventures when I get back.

Blog Hop Wednesday!

I like Wednesdays because that means it's blog and shop hop day!

Here's the blog hop:



Here's the shop hop:



Support other artists and follow their blog or favorite their shop!

Etsy feature: Moon Stone Designs pics

These are the pictures that won't cooperate with me.

They're as follows (from top to bottom): shark hat, sheep hat, sewing/work space, and orca hat. I hope you enjoy the new feature and check out her shop regardless of my technical issues.

Etsy Feature: Moon Stone Designs

It's still not posting exactly as I want it to, but I'll just post things separately. Here's a link to the post with pictures: http://arainydaydesigns.blogspot.com/2011/07/etsy-feature-moon-stone-designs-pics.html

Etsy shop feature: Moon Stone Designs

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a crazy busy woman! I always seem to tackle the impossible and succeed most of the time. I am a mother of three boys. I live in a house full of BOYS, even our dog. I was a mother at 16 and still managed to finish high school and I went on to college, and I am the only one in my family to get a college degree. I am now a work-at-home mother and home school my 6 year old in between creating and selling my fashion accessories.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Creative, responsible, silly

How long have you been crafting?

I have been crafting since I was a child. I was always interested in how to make everything. My mother and grandmothers taught me many things, and I just keep learning new things.

When did you start selling on Etsy and what inspired you to give it a try?

I have been creating and selling as a side job for many years. I opened my Etsy shop but I really took a lot of time to build it up before I got serious. The fleece animal hats really started after my 5 year old had brain surgery and a shunt placement in the spring of 2010. We spent an entire month at the hospital and when it was time to leave, his hair was gone, he had horrific scars, and a bump from the shunt. I really didn't like having to explain to everyone in the grocery store why his head look liked that! People really couldn't help stare. So, I started making fleece animal hats for him. They turned out amazing and I kept making new designs, people really liked them, and then I started selling them on Etsy. I now sell them around the world. I keep making them for my kids and because I love to see people wearing the hats and having a great time. They are the perfect mix of function and fun.
I continue to be connected to the Seattle Children's hospital and I regularly send hats to children there as well. On my site, you can purchase a hat at a discount and I will send it directly to a child at Seattle Children's Hospital on your behalf, or to the hospital of your choice!

Besides creating, what are you passionate about?

I am passionate about my kids and working hard to be sure they have all that they need to become amazing, fully bloomed, adults.

What does your craft space look like? Are you an organized crafter or would you be embarrassed for us to take a peak at your workspace? (Please share a picture if you’re willing)

I am a somewhat organized crafter. I live in a very small house and my studio is also my bedroom. My workspace started in the living room, but I moved it to the bedroom so that I could shut the door! It works great as long as I keep it clean.

Describe your Etsy shop in three words.

Colorful, fun, affordable

Currently, what are your favorite 3 items from your shop?

I always adore my new designs. The two newest designs are the Orca Whale and the Great White Shark. My all time favorite is the lamb, because it is so soft and adorable.

What are some of your favorite Etsy shops?

Butterflygirldesigns: gorgeous glittering battings for spinning wool

TianaCHE: fashion accessories, expensive, but amazing

JustHatched: cool wooden puzzles for little ones

Finally, what suggestions would you make to someone who’s thinking about starting an Etsy shop?

If you have something unique to sell, get some really great photos. Be patient and diligent. Read the forums and connect with others. Don’t give up, just get better! Be bold.

Technical Difficulties

Wow! It's been awhile since I last posted on here. I'm sad that I forgot about posting a new Etsy shop feature last Friday (I even have it written in my planner & still managed to forget!). I was busy with work, friends, and other things needing to get done. Now I'm trying to post it, but I'm having issues with adding pictures to the post. I think Blogger is busy right now so I'll just try again in the morning. :/

I have been working on some crochet projects for the fair though. I'm hoping all of the items will make it to my Esty shop. I have to find another baby sunhat pattern though since the one I used 1) says it's copyrighted and doesn't want anyone selling the made product and 2) didn't quite turn out as cute as I had hoped. Off to Ravelry for more pattern hunting! The baby crochet mock crocs turned out super cute though. :) Pics to come when I can get it to work.

Thinking about the Fair

I realized today that the Evergreen State Fair is only a month away (well at least the deadline for entering items is)! This means I've got to get to work on finishing any items I wanted to enter into the fair, and possibly get started (yeah I know there isn't much time) on new projects. This possibly means that I'll be putting my Etsy shop on vacation while I work madly on finishing projects in between my crazy work schedule. I enjoy entering crafts into the fair because then I can volunteer and get free admission. :) I also like the rush I get from looking at my hard work displayed for all to admire with a ribbon (hopefully blue) attached. It's also fun to enter little contests. Last year i made this little cupcake pincushion:It didn't win, but I think it's sweet (haha pun fully intended)! It was made out of scraps of yarn, too. :) Well, I better go work on some projects & think about realistic deadlines. AGH!!