Hey, all!
Couldn't wait to tell you! The $5.95/month Group Deal at Artfire IS ON!!!!
There are now 20,000 people signed on ... the number required to activate the deal ... but it will remain open and available until 50,000 have signed on.
DON'T MISS OUT!
ARTFIRE GROUP DEAL CONFIRMATION ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
CLICK TO SIGN ON TO THE DEAL!!!
I send you smiles!
The Knitwit 
Hey, all! So here I am again in the same evening, this time with the second link I want to tell you about.
I think all of us have experienced someone near and dear being on the transplant list. And while all attention and energy is placed on hope and prayers for a viable organ becoming available and then being accepted by the recipient's body, the rest of life still marches on whether we are paying any attention to it or not.
And part of that life that's still marching on while we're stunned to motionlessness is finance and the growing mountain of debt accumulating at a wreckless pace due to all the medical expenses not covered by insurance and such.
Nothing we can do about it, right? WRONG! We now CAN do something. IGive.com is striving to help ease this problem at least a little. Each time someone goes to the over 700 sites via IGive, a penny goes to the transplant fund of the designated recipient. Any purchase also gives a percentage to the fund. Linked sites include Sears, JCPenney's, Target, QVC, HSN, EBay and Barnes & Noble. There are also lots of coupons and offers. It's truly a win-win.
The link I'm providing is targeted for the son-in-law of a friend, and I'd appreciate it so much if you'd go there, install the toolbar and then click on at least one of the links each day.
IGive to help Matt! Thank you!
I send you smiles!
The Knitwit
Hey, all!
Shock! While it being my "normal routine" to post once in a great long while, I think tonight I will post twice! There are two links I want to pass on to you. Both have time constraints, and I want to get both to you without delay. They are so far removed in subject matter, however, that I will post them separately.
This first is of lesser importance from the standpoint of making a change in the world. It can, however, make a chance in your life (and mine) if enough people sign up for the offer.
I'm assuming that y'all are familiar with Artfire. It's a venue much like Etsy, concentrating on handmade goods, artwork and artistry as well as vintage goods. It's newer than Etsy (although older than Zibbet), and it's soon to come out of Beta. Corresponding with that and a desire to make a great splash in the marketplace, lifetime Pro Memberships are being offered at an incredible price ($5.95/month) if 20,000 sign up for them to comprise a "group." Once the 20,000 requests have been reached, the memberships for all will be activated. It's really too good an offer to pass if you are selling these goods online or even if you've been thinking about giving it a try. Here's a link to check it out and sign up. I encourage you to do so!
Group Deal at Artfire!
I send you smiles!
The Knitwit
PS - My current prayer/extra support list:
- Lovlee
- Gloria
- Kate
- Jeanie
Hello, all!
Two somewhat cliche statements keep coming to my mind.
... Know your limits
... Accept yourself
I had thought I’d mastered these many years ago, but I learned within the last few that I’d either forgotten them and become harder on myself OR I never learned them well enough to fully integrate them into my life on a permanent basis.
I periodically shut down. When I’m stressed or overwhelmed or needing to concentrate on matters demanding focus and action, I automatically shut down the normal day-to-day things that are less important. That’s not to say that these things are not important ... just that they’re less important than the pressing or critical matters.
I’ve learned the first platitude -- “know your limits” -- and I am fully aware that I can accomplish only so much at once. To push past this limit is, of course, possible; but the result is less effective handling of the pressing matters as well as shoddy or poor quality completion of the less important ones. So, I just automatically shut down the latter and concentrate on the pressing. The other things aren’t going anywhere and will be waiting for me when I can better manage them. The one “hitch” to this is when it’s connected to others and their understanding that I’m on shutdown for a while and not to take it personally. Those who know me for a while learn this about me and, thankfully, aren’t insulted or hurt. I can only hope that those who don’t know me as well will understand and realize that I will be back when I’m better able.
I’d thought I had mastered the second platitude as well -- Accept yourself. I mean, I like myself, I respect myself, I know my good traits and bad, and I’m well able to be my own friend. The last couple years have showed me, though, that I hadn’t mastered this as well as I’d thought. I realized this because I kept feeling guilty about not keeping up, not returning correspondence or emails as I would like, not getting that little extra something to so-and-so, etc. while I’m on shutdown.
I felt guilty, and guilty to the point of shame. Not good.
So I’ve worked on that last part ... not only accepting myself but also rejecting guilt for doing what I know is best for me and keeps me most healthy.
So you might wonder why I’m writing this. It’s because I’ve so many friends .... I’m truly blessed to have so many ... and I’ve recently been on shutdown and still am to a large extent. After shutdown there is much more than usual with which to catch up, more contacts than usual to reach, more chores to complete before resuming the normal day-to-day routine.
And that’s why I’m writing this ... so that those of you, my friends, who don’t know me as well as some others will not be hurt or misunderstand why I haven’t been chatting with you for the last little while.
I’m still here. Just busy.
Till I’m back on track (this time as well as others when this occurs), I send you smiles and loving friendship.
The Knitwit
I send you smiles!
The Knitwit
For the most part I have not posted much unrelated to my business or what I consider "personal" ... but I'm stepping aside from that with this post.
Everything came to a screeching halt yesterday afternoon when I learned my octogenarian parents had been scammed. They happily told me of their "purchase," having no idea that anything was amiss.
... All evening on the phone and into the wee hours being wired and rattled ... little sleep ... tossing and turning ... MORE tossing and turning. LONG night. Exhausted today. And that's not to say that I wouldn't follow this schedule and routine indefinitely to protect them.
I think it's fixed now although only time passing will tell us for sure. Money loss is one thing, but the thought of them being physically hurt is just ... well ... too much.
They allowed the scammers to install a "security system" in their house. Just unbelievable; and it took me a couple hours to make them understand this WAS a scam. They kept insisting that these were "nice" fellows, connected with GE and Nationwide. ARGH! I couldn't make them understand that GE and Nationwide's names were being used without their knowledge. Elders just trust ... and we all know it. Pathetically, the scammers know it even better than the rest of us do.
My parents still don't want to listen when my siblings and I BEG them to NOT do business with anyone who knocks on their door. They don't want to accept that the world is mean and ugly and that people wish to rob or harm them. They WANT to trust and have forgotten how to be skeptical and wary. Even when they try to do as we ask, they forget once someone starts talking and SEEMS nice. They are too sweet to refuse someone who is smiling and talking nicely ... like it's an affront and slap to a nice person. We explain that nice people will understand this rejection and not be offended AND that good businesses aren't knocking on doors for work. The message just doesn't get through.....
They've already been taken for a driveway (twice), house painting, a roof, windows ... and I actually can't remember what else. This was one of several times they've allowed strangers into the house, again against our PLEADING that they don't.
TOO FRIGHTENING! I was nauseous and shaking and angry and AYE!!!!!! They need to NOT be alone anymore but refuse all our begging to allow us to move them and care for them. Pathetic and frustrating.
This time, you could send ME some smiles and prayers and support vibes. While you're at it, include my parents and the hope that they will understand their lives would be safer, happier and healthier if they allow us to watch over them.
The Knitwit
Hey, all!
For once, I'm actually posting in the same vein and topic as my last post! Ya just never know what I'm gonna do next, eh? All over the map, usually; so maybe this is the one time that lightening is striking in the same place? LOL
I thought I'd give a bit of an update to the last post as well as a couple comments have occurred to me since. I promise this post won't be as long as the last one, so you don't hafta go make yourself a cuppa and get your slippers to be comfortable while reading this!
I subscribe to the Etsy newsletters as probably most all Etsy sellers do. They're interesting, inspiring, helpful, cool to see the new creations ... and I just generally enjoy getting 'em 'cause I rarely make it to the front page to read all the articles and nearly NEVER go directly to the Storque or blog.
Anyhow, this week one came that was quite normal, announcing changes/improvements to Treasury creation, workings and such. However, down at the bottom of the letter was something I'd never seen before. If it's been included in the past, shame on me for not noticing; but I do get the feeling it might not've been and that this is a bit of a reaction from Etsy to retort to comments/complaints/worries/upset from sellers regarding the drop in visits and sales and the future of Etsy and what it means to us as independent businesspeople. They call it the Weather Report, and this one is regarding the month of March. Here's a link to check it out: http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/etsy-statistics-march-2010-weather-report-7792/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=our+monthly+weather+report.&utm_content=etsy_news_042110&utm_campaign=etsy_news_042110
Another thing that I think I should clear up is that I said (I was repeating what I'd heard without full research ... shame on me!!!) that Artfire is facing bankrupsy. This is not true! Artfire is simply placing ads in non-paying sellers' shops to boost earnings for the whole of Artfire. I personally don't see much wrong with this even though it might send a buyer to another place and lose me a sale. I mean, Artfire is providing this service that costs them something to provide; and they are getting nothing in return from the non-paying sellers. I think they're totally within their rights and ethics to place ads in these shops. But that's my opinion...... Just thought I should correct my statement that they're facing bankrupsy. If they are, I don't see evidence to that effect other than comments by upset sellers.
In that vein, though, I started to think about eCrater. They offer everything there -- selling, buying, tools, support, blah, blah .... almost endless offerings and really high quality -- and they charge absolutely nothing for it. I actually didn't think much about this until the whole discontent issue fired up at Artfire; but I started browsing around eCrater looking for ads and such, wondering how in the world they are making any money. I have found NOTHING except a note from them when a link is broken saying "open a free shop at eCrater." But that's not generating income either. I find not one single thing that's creating any income for them. I'm starting to wonder if this is a wealthy person behind eCrater who's got a huge heart and love for artisans and sellers. It's amazing. I still wonder what I'm missing..... :P
Well, I'm off to do some more work on my Facebook page for The Knitwit's Hues and also get some chores done here at home. I send smiles to all of you!
~~~
The Knitwit
Note: My current extra prayer/support list is:
- Gloria
- Lovlee
- Kim
- Jeanie
- Kate
- Gypsy Froggie
Hey, all!
Any of you with whom I keep regular (or at least as regular as *I* ever manage!) contact have probably noticed I've been even more absent than usual for the last couple weeks. In my last post (in February!!) I told you about my uncertainty with the online selling market, changes there, different venues, a drop not only in sales but in visits and browsers ... and that uncertainty continued to nag at me and prompt more investigation and research.
Rather than write it all out here once again, I'm going to cut and paste a letter I composed to send to my artisan/selling friends so they can benefit from my research and wandering as well as get in on what I feel will be a profitable venture for the not-too-distant future.
Here's my letter:
Hi!
For the last couple weeks I’ve been investigating, testing, reading and chatting like crazy ... trying to find other venues like Etsy. I love Etsy, but I’ve been getting frustrated that so many of my listings aren’t showing up in Google search. It seems like random ones show while others never come up at all. Google Analytics started showing a steady decline in visits, and now sites/venues I haven’t promoted or barely touched are getting hits like crazy while Etsy has dropped to the negative side on visits. This is not to say that there are no visits, just that they’ve dropped so far that they’re way into the negative.
I wrote to Etsy about this feeds to Google issue and finally did get an answer from them this past Friday. They said they are still not finished with getting everything all set up for submitting the feeds, and that sellers’ listings are slowly being added all the time. From the sound of it, heaven knows when this will be up to speed and keep pace with the listings. I am now aware that not ONE of my listings in my second shop has been submitted to Google. :( Only some for my main shop have been ... and those seem to be mostly “older” listings.
Even prior to the response I received from Etsy, the traffic drop off and not finding my listings on search got me looking for other venues. I do have shops on eCrater, but that venue is not specific to handmade and vintage, and I want to continue selling in venue(s) limited to those categories.
One friend moved to Artfire, and I followed her and opened an account there to experiment. On listing just two things, though, I was unhappy with the inability for buyers to enlarge the pictures. This is a huge impairment for my listings since I can’t get up really close (like with jewelry or something small) and still show the items properly.
I did make some friends at Artfire, though, and one mentioned Bonanzle and Zibbet to me. I’d heard of neither and so, of course, checked them out. Bonanzle is a terrific alternative to Ebay or even eCrater ... offering great tools for shop (booth) set up, listings, etc. I may sell there when I’ve things that are not handmade or vintage, but I didn’t get the “family” feel there as I’ve had at Etsy and wanted to find elsewhere.
When I checked out Zibbet, I fell in love almost at first sight. It’s very much like Etsy, but you can open a shop there for free and see how things work without making any commitment. While setting up, I had a question and couldn’t find a forum, so I wrote “admin” ... whoever that might be I hadn’t a clue except for that I’d read a little bit about one of the fellows founding the site. To my huge surprise, I had a personal answer from him in less than two days’ time ... and being that he’s in Australia, this was really just the next day that he answered me. Remarkable! He welcomed me, answered my question in detail ... and then told me about the Ning community where the Zibbet sellers chat, have forums, network, bounce ideas around, etc.
I’m telling you, it’s really remarkable. Everyone there is supporting everyone else, knowing that it will take the effort of all to succeed and gain recognition of the Zibbet name in the buying market. The three fellows who are building Zibbet are conversing with us almost constantly in the forums, and they’re listening to everything we suggest. Even more remarkable, they are trying their damndest to tailor things to how we request. !!!
This past week there was a big blowout on Etsy. I never hang out in the Forums there (plus was busy and spending most my ‘puter time at Zibbet or Ning), so I didn’t realize it was happening. There were rumblings coming through the cosmos, though, and echoing into the Zibbet community since almost everyone at Zibbet has a shop at Etsy too. Apparently push came to shove with the sellers questioning Admin, and Admin wasn’t owning full responsibility and was making people angrier with double speak. There was a big exodus there for two days ... even though most cannot afford to pull out no matter how frustrating it might be or how slow sales might have become.
Also unknown to me, there was a big shakeup at Artfire too. Apparently the Admin there placed ads on non-paying sellers’ pages that are/were distracting buyers if not sending them elsewhere, and Admin supposedly was telling the offended sellers that this would stop if they opened a paying account. There were other things that happened with, supposedly, the founder blowing his top ... and repercussions of that resounded into Etsy and Zibbet too. Apparently most the sellers at Artfire are non-paying, so AF is facing bankruptsy.
Zibbet experienced such an influx of new members from Etsy (and Artfire too, I think) that the site crashed Wednesday night (I think it was). The fellows are working non-stop trying to install a new, big server to accomodate this growth; and they had one helluva time as there is so much info that the system kept timing out and forcing them to start over again. They finally got everything back up running Sunday night -- Monday morning for most of us here in the States.
At any rate, I’m urging you as a friend and fellow artisan to come over to Zibbet and give it a try. You can join and set up a shop for free, and there is no commitment on your part. I urge you too, to visit (if not join) the Ning network (http://zibbet.ning.com/) to see how great everyone there is.
I will send you an invite from the Zibbet site, and that is because if you decide to join as a paying member in the future, I will get credit for having referred you. I wouldn’t ask you, though, unless I felt this is a really worthwhile site and venture. Zibbet is very new and is still (for the most part) unknown to buyers ... and we need to get the name echoing all over so that people recognize it the way they do Etsy and now Artfire. Listings are not yet being fed to Google product search, though Google is picking up on the indexes (i.e., traffic on the site). This makes listings gradually available on “regular” Google search ... but not on Product search. So at present, about 5% of the traffic comes from Google search. We obviously need to increase this; and the fellows have Google feeds high on the list to do, plus we sellers are working at ideas to get the name out so that it’s more and more recognized. The more sellers who come to the sight and list items (with free or paid accounts, it doesn’t matter), the more the Zibbet name will appear in Google, and that’s a snowball effect.
I really feel this site will become as popular as Etsy is, and I’m much more confident and impressed with the founders than I am with the Admin at Etsy who always remain rather aloof and rarely answer questions directly. These fellows are totally committed, and you can read their comments and discussions with us at http://zibbet.ning.com This particular thread was written by one of the three and will give you an idea why I am so impressed and like these fellows and Zibbet so much:
http://zibbet.ning.com/forum/topics/the-zibbet-way
Please come to Zibbet and set up a shop for yourself for free. I did, and it wasn’t long before I knew I wanted to dig my heels in and make it my primary home. I’m not saying I won’t continue to sell in other venues, but I do intend to make Zibbet my main focus. I really think you’ll be equally impressed, so I urge you as a friend to give it a try.
I’ll send the invite via the Zibbet site separately.
Smiles to you,
Diane Eve
PS - Contrary to what I’d thought, there is not a letter to send from Zibbet to you. You just need to follow this link to Zibbet when you join, and then it will be saved in my record that I referred you. Here’s the link:
http://www.zibbet.com/KnitwitHues/sell
~~~
The Knitwit
Note: My current extra prayer/support list is:
- Gloria
- Lovlee
- Kim
- Jeanie
- Gypsy Froggie
Hey, all!
A few weeks ago I was trying (as always) to catch up with email, correspondence, facebook, Flickr, rss feeds from the shops and, finally, the blogs I like to follow. I laughed right out loud (truly!) at a friend's post when she said (something like) "Hi! I'm Susan. I sew. I knit. Apparently I do not blog!" And Susan, I might add, blogs more regularly than anyone else I know except those who have blogs that are strictly for their profession. She was feeling remiss for having missed a couple days! It still makes me laugh when compared with myself......... !!!
As I'm sure you know, I am more likely to surprise you WITH a post rather than by missing! :P Here we are squarely into February and pushing at the hinges of Spring (WOO HOO!), and this is just my second missive since the new year. I think I'm Queen of the Procrastinators!
So, what've I got to tell you after this long pause? Nothing, really ... which is fairly good and reasonable explanation FOR the long pause. Yes, still knitting. Yes, still crocheting. Yes, still designing. Yes, still mounding up things for the shop(s). But not much movement in the sales department. I keep walking the line about what's the best market on which I should focus (Etsy, Artfire or eCrater), and I've set up shops with each. There are pros and cons to each one, and so I seem unable to make a decision and stick with it. I guess I'll continue with all three and let them battle it out without intervention ... and may the best marketplace win. :P
The property next door still presents an uncertain future. It's to be sold, but to whom is the question. This could be good (leave us much the same as present), or could be completely devastating (ruin our life here and force us to move.) Obviously the latter is upsetting and unwanted, but we will just have to wait and see what happens. We've spoken our piece, but it's fallen on deaf ears; even though if they'd listened, they would be happy and benefit from a more chosen outcome as well as we. You can lead a horse to water, but.....
Otherwise, we're totally enjoying retired life. We passed the one year anniversary on 2/2 and have happily adjusted to the new lifestyle that provides such a huge amount of freedom.
Till next time that I am embarrassed for not posting sooner, I send you smiles!
The Knitwit
Hey, all!
Yeah, I know it's almost February; I just thought I'd "try on" the new year 'fore sending wishes to everyone. :P
Actually, I've been busy ... and fussing with 'puters and stuff so that my online time has been limited and also feeling somewhat like a chore after hours of fussing with settings and whatnot. I just last night finally caught up on the rss feeds from Etsy, and tonight I hope to read all the blog posts I've been missing.
2/2 marks a whole year since Bobby retired! Though we were so scared, it's been a GREAT year!
I'm off to do some reading and try to catch up with y'all. Just wanted you to know I'm still here, just not blabbing much aside from a comment here and there on FB.
The Knitwit
