The Ferrets Have Gone Rogue ( and you can win free stuff)

We have quite the dilemma on our hands. We had 50 ferrets, and they've busted out. They're hiding all over the shop, and we don't know what to do. So, we need your help. The 50 ferrets are scattered all over the pictures of our items. Being cute and doing the things they do. Of course, we have to reward you handsomely for your help.



The rules are simple:

1) Whomever finds the most ferrets wins $20 worth of free items (no strings attached). The next best wins $8 worth, and the one after then wins $5.

2) Just go ahead and convo us (in chunks and not one at a time, please!) or email us at FindTheFerrets@gmail.com with the titles of the listings you've found. We'll be keeping track of the results (you might want to keep record yourself, just to be sure.)

3) When the contest is over, we'll announce the winners. Should we get multiple people finding all 50 there will be a drawing for the top 3 slots.

4) Contest runs from May 26th- June 2nd


By the way the little guy you are looking for looks like this:
*Hint: Only their little bums or eyes may be peering out.

What To Do When Your Humble Shop Fails Like a '89 Ford Taurus

This is a subject I know a whole crapload about. I know everything, mind you, but I know this better than you. It's happening to me now as I write this, and as you read this, and most likely as someone in the year 2020 is reading this.

In the course of running your business, things happen. I don't know what these things are. I'm not a damned psychic. Nor can I be bothered to research "things". I can just guarantee you it happens. I can also give you an "extended warranty" on your car. Send me an e-mail for details.

You're cruising along with your business. Sales are kicking names and taking ass. You're on the high horse. Making 50 dollars or more a day. And then it hits. You're making 5 bucks every 3 or 4 days. Maybe more, maybe less. Whatever your threshold may be. I'm just speaking from my experience, because it's the most valid out of everyones.

And then it happens. You start getting angry. You start worrying. You wonder who you've pissed off, and what you're doing wrong. You're wondering if you kicked a box full of newborn puppies and kittens in your sleep, and you're getting a truckload of bad karma for it. Look, the puppies and kittens were going to be communist guerillas in Latin America anyways. Don't sweat that.

Look, what you need to do is change your perspective on the situation. You can't wallow in self-pity and oceans of doubt. All of this negativity and stress is going to give you a heart attack or five. And then you're stress will become your family or pet guinea pig's stress. Also, you'll have to pay lots of money for exotic drugs you can't pronounce. No one wants that.

So, instead of stressing about what you could be doing right or what you've been doing wrong, let's look at it from another angle.

1. You could always burn down your shop and collect the insurance.

They called it Jewish Lightning back in the day, but even if you fit under another religious system, that doesn't mean you can't do it anyways. Now, I'm sure the insurance agent will have lots of pesky questions such as: Why did you burn your computer? Do you have a policy with us? Did you know health insurance doesn't cover property? Are you trying to defraud us? Plan your answers out ahead of time. Take the $50 dollars you make out of doing this and run. This should help cover the lost sales for a while.

2. Take your dog for a walk.

Now, this requires you having a dog, obviously. If you don't have one, go buy one. You're hemmoraging money anyways. Take what you can before you go bankrupt. Write it off on your taxes. Say it was for office decor. They're cheaper than a psychiatrist after you have a mental breakdown, for sure. Of course, the dog will love it. Until you walk the thing for 16 hours a day and it gets a little testy. You might also be known as that crazy person who walks their dog up and down the street all day while babbling to themselves frantically. But, who cares about them? Your health is #1.

3. Take up unhealthy amounts of smoking and drinking.

Look, most medical professionals will tell you this is a horrible idea. I'm not one of those professionals, but I did Google this statistic. I found at least one 2 pages that said getting plastered is a great way to relieve stress. I can tell you from anecdotal evidence that drinking a 12 pack of Busch Light in an hour will take your mind off of most of your worries. This brings me to our next point...

4. Take a whole boatload of LSD.

If this world sucks, leave it. Take 6 tabs of blotter and go sit in the park. Become one with the trees. Now, there is one problem with this, but you can use it to your advantage. Some people with delicate mental constitutions might, as we call in the industry, "totally lose their shit". At which point, trying to piece yourself back together atom by single atom will distract you from your failing creative endeavour. Who has time to worry about SEO when the entire illusion you call your life is imploding before your very own eyes in slow motion and reverse? I know I sure don't.

5. Blame everyone else on your failure.

It's never your fault. In the 21st century, no one should be accountable for your own actions. Your items aren't selling because of you. They're not selling because no one out there has good taste. How can they be so blind to the value of the products you sell? Does your feedback scare people off? Well, the feedback those jerks left was just uncalled for. How dare they question how you do your business? "Blah blah blah, I didn't get my item on time and the craftsmanship was lousy and blah yadda yadda blah". These people just have too high of standards, and nothing will make them happy. They're all soulless, miserable people. You do everything perfectly, and all of the failures around you were caused by the cruel fates that be. At which point, I refer you back to point #3 or #4.

There you go. These are the best ideas I can come up with. I'm sure people will accuse me of giving horrible advice no one should follow. These people are not right, because I'm right. That means they can only be wrong. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a computer to burn and a 12 pack to bust open.

Giveaway Winner is...

According to Random.org the Winning # is 6! According to my calculations...


The winner of the 500 fan giveaway is Ms. Amy Marks of Stella Relics!


Woohooo, big round of applause, drum roll, whatever have you!

Also check out her really neat shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/stellarrelics

Just a Quick Update and Some Pictures....

We are expanding! I've added an artfire and Zibbet account. I'm pretty stoked about both! If you use the code "NEWZIBBET" at checkout on the Zibbet shop you'll receive an automatic 25% off at checkout. Test it out for me ;-) I'm pretty excited I can do discounts and coupons with this venue. Take a look at both and tell me what you think:

http://www.zibbet.com/TwoIndustriousFerrets
http://www.artfire.com/users/TwoIndustriousFerretsSupplyCo


We've also been featured as a successful seller on a blog. Who knew we were successful huh? Either way if you went a little look into our minds and to give Katherine's blog some love check it out here:

http://www.kathleenmcgiveron.com/2010/04/6th-of-31-days-31-artists.html#comments


And now for something completely different.... travel Pictures!

So, Why are Ferrets the Coolest?

I am giving away 5 free advertising spots for the month on my blog, I believe in supporting our fellow artists not charging them a butt ton to show off.

But I'm going to make you work for it.

Go to by blog and follow it, then leave me a one paragraph explanation of why ferrets are the coolest animals ever created.

Bonus points awarded for creativity ;-)

I'll give it 24 hours, and the 5 best posts will be sent a message to gather their info. The spots are the 150x150px squares on the left.

Have fun!

California is the Windiest Place I Have Ever Been

Maybe someone from California can answer me here, but is the whole state a terrifying white knuckle experience to drive?!

So we had heard that you can stay in casino parking lots in Laughlin NV for free, we were looking for somewhere to get jobs easily and this was about 150 miles from where we were. Sounds okay right? I'm not a gambler but you'd think casino should have some cheesy jobs a monkey could do right? Well we get there and our aircard doesn't work. Cute huh? Without that I can't run our business, not okay. We did however go in the casino to blow off some steam upon arrival, played $5 won $60, left immediately.

So we started researching places with free camping, good reception and a decent size town where there might be work. We decided Needles, CA wasn't far and had all these things. Let me put it this way, free camping is so far out of town that it would be just a waste of all the money you made to drive to it and this "camping" was a desert road it may ot may not have been illegal to be on.

What now?! Well we can either go north to Vegas, No. We can go West to LA, No. We can go south to the salton sea, which does have the appeal of being a "fringe" town and good reception but there's no way we'll find a job. Or very north, the closest decent size town being Lone Pine, CA. Well after much debate, angst, and worry we decided we'd take our chances with Lone Pine. It's a tourist town right at the base of Mt Whitney, both beautiful and with tourist season coming up potential jobs.

So we set out. The stretch of I-40, 58, and 395 we terrifying! When you are in a large box-ey RV and there are hurricane force winds whipping across desert, salt flats, and hills hitting you directly in the side and you are slamming on the wheel just to stay slightly in the road, it is nerve racking! Of course every time someone passes you or someone comes at you from the other direction the wind comes through an it's nearly impossible not to veer straight through their windshield. Also Barstow, CA sucks, the end.
We arrived, intact and frazzled 6 hours later. I'll tell you what though, this is a beautiful town and a gorgeous campground sitting at the base of an amazing set of mountains. As long as one of us can find a little part time job we will definitley be here for awhile. This is awesome!
Also, I added a whole bunch new stuff while we were driving. Check it out!

1,000 sales!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***In honor of our 1,000 sale, between now and midnight on Monday you will receive 25% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER (not including shipping and will be refunded via Paypal within 24 hours)!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TwoIndustriousFerret

Gary is in the Latest Storque Article!

No really, it is! Look for yourself...

http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-etsy-seller-basics-get-a-jumpstart-on-a-stellar-shop-7428/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/8088design

And no, we have nothing to do with this...

Creating a Brand is Such an Intense Thought...

Heck, you're no mega-corporation. You don't have a marketing team and a fleet of graphic designers. How on Earth is one little crafter who is trying floating in the sea that is the internet supposed to do that?

Well, let's talk about one facet that is pretty simple but very overlooked. This is one I think we do a good job with, so I feel comfortable talking about it. Part of branding is creating personality that is unique to you and your product. It distinguishes you from the masses and makes you memorable.

1) Don't be so uptight!

Obviously, if you're a jerk: don't do that. What I'm trying to say though is: if you're a sarcastic, happy, goofy person... use it to your advantage. Don't be afraid to write your policies and announcement with silly little remarks. It gives your shop life, if done right. Read ours, it is professional yet amusing. It tells you who we are and why without being annoying. Don't be so stoic: people want to know that there is a real person behind your business.

That's what sets Etsy apart from other online buying venues. It's handmade, so give everything the life of something made by a real person. When you send people e-mails, don't pretend your customer service rep for Comcast. We deal with enough of those all ready, and VERY few people like dealing with those. If your "business persona" isn't your real persona, it'll be exhausting to keep up.

2) Create an awesome name.

What sticks out to you more: "Stone Beads LLC" Or "Two Industrious Ferrets Supply Co"? I don't know about you, but I'm personally more intrigued by the thought of adorable little ferrets than "Hey, we got beads." That's just me, though. Obviously, you want said name to correlate to what you do. It needs to make sense. I had to add the Supply Co to the end because, frankly, two industrious ferrets could be a number of things. In context of Supply Co., it makes sense. Ferrets are notorious for gathering shiny things, beads are shiny... you see where this is going?

Green Giraffe Candles has nothing to do with anything, unless you're using giraffe milk as the base of your candles, and something tells me that's rather illegal. I know the name of your two sons has sentiment to you, but it doesn't for the rest of the world. Nor does "Makeup Designer". Okay, well; what kind of makeup do you design, whats it feels, what colors do you provide, what age range is it geared at, what do you care about?

3) Now take your name and make a fantastic graphic!

I made one myself at first, it was cute but nothing spectacular (if your still small and/or have no ambitions of being anything more then a hobby, go with this. No pint is wasting money right?). I decided when we arrived at 500 sales, I quit my job, and started doing this Etsy thing full time that if I was going to be serious I needed a serious graphic. If you suck at computers/design then do yourself a favor and just pay someone (if your going for the humorous cartoon look this guy is fantastic: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Coconauta). Now here's where you need to start pondering how YOUR personality fits in with your shop, becuase it needs to be translated into your graphic. Your graphic is basically your face on the internet, you have an opportunity to show who you are and be memorable. Take it.

If your a sweet, graceful, well spoken woman don't pretend to be loud and bright becuase you think that is what will sell your stuff, pick a soft, elegant, wispy graphic. If your loud, forward, sarcastic pick a bright, bold, goofy graphic (can you guess which I am?). It needs to reflect you, and fit in with this whole "being you" thing I keep talking about. And, don't forget make sure it is something eye catching, beige damask is NOT eye catching. Something that will translate into a memorable image, whatever that may be.

4) Now brand EVERYTHING

Use the SAME image for your avatar, banner, facebook profile picture, blog header, your twitter avatar, etc... EVERYTHING! They say it takes someone about 7x of going through a shop, hearing something, reading something before it sinks in or it correlates into a purchase (I have no idea if this is accurate, but it sounds pretty good doesn't it?). If your constantly changing your avatar from your cat to your daughter, to a penguin eating sushi how will say someone in the forums remember you?

Pick something you love and stick with it, it will build your brand through that image, people will start seeing your penguin eating sushi all the time and be like "oh there is that sushi eating penguin again, that is hilarious!" I'm known for my purple shade wearing ferret as my avatar in the forums, why? I picked something amusing and I stuck with it! Heck I even get emails just to tell me that me avatar/name makes them smile everytime they see it, you just can't put a price on that!

Also, Read this:
http://www.modishblog.com/biztips/2008/09/4-things-you-need-to-do-to-build-your-brand-image.html

*Throughout are graphics of shops that I think CONSISTENTLY brand themselves and use their personality to their advantage. I encourage you to check them out and study their design and lingo throughout their entire shop and all over the rest of the internet.

Shops used as examples:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/seababejewelry
http://www.etsy.com/shop/beebeebee
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TwoIndustriousFerret
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mixedspecies
http://www.etsy.com/shop/rpfeikgraphics

"Hipster Conformity is a Disease of the Soul"

Today, just a picture...

Tomorrow (perhaps) a blog on branding/personality in your shop (need to do just a smidge more reading)

The Reseller Witch Hunt Begins in Earnest

I blathered a little about this yesterday elsewhere. So, I'll elaborate just a tad. Feel free to Inquisitionize me if you wish.

The reseller frenzy on Etsy is peaking with a fever pitch. If you were to go off the Site Help section of the forums, reselling on Etsy might be a greater threat than climate change/global warming/global cooling/global whatever and that there terrorisms. Resellers will eat your children, set your house on fire, and replace the contents of your bank account with fake Gucci bags.

Before you consider me being a pro-reseller, I'm just going to tell you we two lovely ferrets do not support reselling. We don't condone the pushing of knock off junk on Etsy either. It's not good for anyone on Etsy.

With that pesky factoid out of the way, I'd also like to say we really don't give a flying squirrel about hunting them all down and bring them to e-justice either. Maybe we have better things to do. Maybe they haven't come to our door and forced us to buy knock offs yet. Maybe they haven't stole our hard earned money. Maybe I can spot a knock off merchant from 1000 yards away. Maybe we're just jaded.

It's not that these people shouldn't be reported. Go ahead and report Hello Kitty factory junk straight off the boat from China. Go ahead and report people selling Glade candles as handmade. That's the right thing to do.

However, my biggest problem is the people who spend most of their day bitching and whining about resellers in the forum. It's like they're just itching for some sort of crusade. You come into the forums, post page after page of how resellers hurt your business, and spend all day hunting them. It's not hard to see that it might not be the resellers hurting your business there, bucko. It's the fact that instead of working hard at your shop, you're off hunting straw men. You complain it's ruining Etsy's reputation. Maybe so. Frankly, I spend most of the day on my side and resold items barely register on my radar. You have to be looking pretty darn hard to find them. Etsy is NOT eBay yet, nor will it probably ever be. Stop thinking that a tiny handful of bad apples are singly going to ruin everything and leave us bankrupt. That's reactionary junk at it's finest.

So, now the completely competent at everything Etsy administration is asking for our help in fighting the reseller problem. How could that ever go wrong? It's not like history is not filled with activities like that which went horribly and fatally astray. Before I get reamed for comparing Etsy fighting resellers with the Holocaust and the US Communism episode, they're not completely comparable. There are small parallels, though.

Mark my words: This won't end where people want it to. As an amateur history buff, stuff like this always goes badly. Always. It won't be long before good, honest shops end up labeled as resellers. It won't be long before good vintage folk come under the long hard gaze of suspicion. It won't be long after that when all supply shops start receiving nasty glares.

The resellers need to be stopped, but having Etsy react the way they did is going to be a serious issue. If you see an resold item, report it. Report it twice. Whatever. That's noble and great. Seriously.

Just don't join the hysteria. Or do go ahead and join the hysteria. I can't force you to choose. Whatever you choose, when things go badly, remember that this little ferret tried to say something. And if I'm totally wrong, and this whole war against resellers succeeds, we all win.

So, to close all of this long winded junk up: Choose what you do wisely. Don't let the battle keep you from tending to your shop. Make sure not to hurt any innocent people. And, this is important, do not try and sell your baby on Etsy. That's the kind of stuff that brings bad attention. And a whole trainload of cheesy jokes.

Mark it 8, Dude
The Surly Ferret

So, Your Having a B*tch of a Time Taking Pictures, Ey?

Well, allow me to throw in my two cents. I may not be a master photographer but I'd like to think I do have a pretty decent understanding of photographing jewelry/beads/accessories. I figured this out myself and you can too, I promise! I'm not guaranteeing they will be perfect immediately, but if they suck now they'll be significantly better when we are done.

1) It starts with white.

No, white is not boring. It is professional and it makes your product pop. Until you get a good grasp of taking a decent picture, please do me a favor and just stick to nice clean white (or black if it's something incredibly pale). Get a giant piece of matte white paper and follow me on to step 2...

2) Now, go outside!

No, a light box is not the same. No, going next to your window is not the same. They will both suffice in crappy weather (Aka I have an awful time with wind, some people hate the cold winter weather), but they still are not a replacement for the real thing. Now, you're going to want it to be bright out, but here's the catch: you can't be in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will cause harsh shadowing and make all your pictures look like junk. Now if you go outside while it's bright but overcast, or diffuse your light (say with a big white sheet) then you'll be rocking. Simply: Natural indirect light is superior.

3) Figure out your darn camera!

My camera is a $99 piece of junk. It's not perfect and I want to throw it against a wall a lot, but I still get fairly good pictures out of it. Anyone who tells you that you need a bazillion dollar camera or else your pictures will suck and your whole business will fail miserably needs to be slapped thoroughly. What am I getting at here? You camera probably has a "macro" or "closeup" setting. Use it! It will allow you to zoom in closer and get clearer, crisper shots. Secondly, turn your ISO up a bit. The ISO either elongates or shortens how long your shutter stays open and therefore how much light it absorbs. Higher ISO = more light = brighter picture. This will help combat the gray dull picture plague of your photos. I saw in the Storque an article which had a good way to figure out how high it should be: shoot at a piece of white paper a few times, turn it up each time until it comes out a true white in your viewer and this should be a good setting for it.

Word of warning though from a fellow Etsian (with stunning photographs): don't get crazy with the ISO though, if you turn it up too much it will give you grainy, fuzzy, unsharp pictures! If your feeling froggy, a better option he thinks is to use a longer shutter time and a tripod. This allows more light in becuase the lens is open longer without risk of your camera shaking and making everything fuzzy.

4) Interesting angles set you apart.

Any dumb person with a camera phone can take a picture of something. You need to take an amazing pictures that stands out from all the rest. Part of this is intriguing angles. If I learned nothing before dropping out of art school, I do remember one thing: an interesting picture will drag your eye around. It will make you keep looking at it. Dead center isn't interesting and straight on isn't interesting either. Get on your knees, wiggle around, put your camera flush on the paper, mess around! Crop it so I can only see the front edge of your pendant and a snaking chain out the other end.

The other reason this is important is becuase there are only about 37689.22 bazillion people selling on Etsy too. I know: you're unique and your jewelry is TOTALLY and utterly different then anything else EVER created or known to man. Well, even if it is, most traffic comes directly through Etsy and let me ask you this: When you're cruising through the categories, do you click on the bright, bold, visually interesting pictures; or those gray zoomed out ones where your not entirely sure what it is? Guess what? Your customers click on the big bright shiny ones too!

5) Okay I've got pictures, I'm done now right?

No! You need to edit them! Even professional photographers edit their photos, why do you think you're exempt? If you want your shop to succeed, you can't half ass it, sorry! I want you to download Picasa or GIMP. Go online and use Picnik.com or Aviary. Either way, MS Paint ain't going to fly. Tweak your contrast so that it is true to life. Yes, you can hold your hair clip in your hand and match it to the screen for all I care. Turn up your highlight to the point where your background is white but your item isn't overexposed.

Now, crop it!!!!!! Don't be afraid to get up close and personal. I tend to think you should have at least one super close picture to show detail, a few interestingly cropped ones so you can see different facets of your item, and then one overall shot where you can see the whole thing at once. Take a necklace for instance: get super close in and show me the texture of the filigree on your pendant, the whole pendant, the chain, the clasp, and then the whole thing. Does that make sense?

6) Sit back, relax and enjoy your beautiful photography and go ask for a "critique" to show off how awesome you are!


Helpful links:

A bit more thorough explanation of indirect light:
http://www.aguntherphotography.com/tutorials/better-photo/direct-indirect-light-quality.html

Product Photography Tips:
http://www.tabletopstudio.com/TTS_Product_Photography_Tips.html
http://etsytreasurechest.blogspot.com/2009/06/product-photography-tutorial-how-i-do.html

Photo Editing Programs:

http://picasa.google.com/
http://www.gimp.org/
http://www.picnik.com/
http://aviary.com/



www.TwoIndustriousFerret.Etsy.com

I Stumbled Upon the Motherload...

So every morning/afternoon, ok anytime, we walk past the "cabana" in the front of the RV park we are staying at I hear: "Good morning kids!" As I turn and look I see an elderly lady with short wavy white hair, wearing some cute sweatshirt ( yes cute, you know, the kind with puppies and what not) holding a little yellow mug with a smiley face on it. This is Elsie. Elsie sits out here all day talking with everyone who comes in and out of the park. There is an ever rotating cast of character sitting around enjoying the sun and each other's company, under said cabana.

One morning, we found ourselves sitting her, again, talking with Elsie, her husband, and another older gentleman (who's name I STILL can't remember) when they began they're regular questioning of how it is us "city kids" wound up in there park and how it is we can get away with not having jobs and aimlessly roaming the countryside. So again I began to explain to them that we sell beads online, and how paypal works, and that the internet is not the devil... at some point during this Stan (Elsie's husband) looks at the other guy and says: "Doesn't Jim have a whole trailer stuffed full of trade beads he bought like 20yrs ago?"

Make a long story short Stan wound up throwing us in his truck, driving us to "No Name St." to Jim's trailer. Sure enough there was a trailer overflowing into his yard with beads, jewelry, baskets, bones, antlers, dream-catchers, pogs and assorted another knick knacks to boot. My jaw almost dropped. I was like a kid in a candy shop squirreling through mountains of shiny objects. There is spools of copper chain, buckets of trade beads, strands and strands of beautiful sparkling glass, it was insane.

The moral of the story is, don't be afraid to talk to people, you never know what you'll find. :-)

Stay Tuned to our Etsy shop to get a load of some of these finds...

www.TwoIndustriousFerret.Etsy.com

Spotlight: A Rocker Chic Ferret!

As Some of you know I have been featuring Etsy Artisans who embody some of Two Industrious Ferrets values; such as recycled and new vintage Jewelry. As part of that I would like to present to you one of our coolest customers: HellKat Inc. She has combined some fabulous vintage pieces with stunning reclaimed material to create some exquisite rocker chick jewelry! Enjoy!

"HellKat Inc is jewelry and accessories with a rock-chic vibe. Heavy metal pieces combined with vintage and upcycled materials make this a truly unique line.

HellKat Inc was created to fill my own need for statement-making affordable jewelry. I love combining vintage with rock&roll to get perfectly tough yet feminine pieces.

One of my most popular creations is the Brushed Silver Finish Thick Chain Necklace. With its delicate gunmetal chain and fringes this necklace provides just the right amount of drama.

A perfect complement to the necklace is the Brushed Silver Finish Thick Chain Bracelet. The thick chain is flanked by fishbone-style gunmetal chain. This piece is dark, edgy, and bold.

My most sought

after limited edition piece is a one-of-a-kind cocktail ring. A big, blingy Swarovski Crystal button reclaimed and attached to an Antiqued Filigree Adjustable Ring Base by Two Industrious Ferrets. This sparkler is not for the faint of heart.





Check HellKat Inc out at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/hellkatinc