A Quick Guide to Using Hair Accessories Subtly

I ran across an article online, entitled Hair Accessories: When and How to Use Them, and want to share it with you. It offers some good insight about using a hair accessory in a way that doesn't detract from your own presence. After all, while we DO want compliments on our fashion choices, we DON'T want those items to be what people remember, unable to recall our names or personalities!

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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Talisman Studios Accepted to 1oooMarkets!

The first time I wandered over to 1000Markets.com, I knew I wanted my shop represented there. Unfortunately, I had just signed on to Etsy.com, and had my hands more than full adding product to my new shop there.

Besides, I'd read that 1000Markets was still in beta, had not gone live, and was fairly unknown to the public. Still, I was impressed by their sophisticated look and decided to keep an eye on things.

I love Etsy - don't get me wrong. But the site does have some limitations that seem to cause issues. As I became more familiar with the inner workings and voices of sellers in the forums, I began to feel the urge to look at 1000Markets again. Doing so, I made a decision - get my shop up and running on both venues. Now.

And so, my work was accepted, and as of recently, you can find Talisman Studios at 1000Markets! I'm pleased with this decision and so far my experience at the venue has been very pleasant.

Of course, I've only begun adding product there - maintaining two shops online, along with all my other activities, is fairly time-consuming! But, little by little, both shops will be filled with wonderful vintage buttons turned hair accessory.

For now, both shops will carry the same type of goods, although I do not intend to add my Less Than 4 Dollars Category to the shop at 1000Markets.

It's my intention to develop the new shop as a higher end store in comparison the the Etsy shop. There are so many incredibly beautiful antique buttons that would have to retail in the $2 to $50(and higher!) range, were I to use them, and I have been delaying the step of acquiring them. I wanted to see what people were interested in before biting off such a luxurious morsel. I'll begin to bring in those pieces within the next few weeks, and continue with business as usual through Talisman Studios.etsy.com.

Another consideration has been the utilization of new buttons. While I do love the antiques, there certainly are some well made, and beautiful, buttons available in the wholesale/retail market. I'd love to begin offering them as options for bridal party accessories and other situations where a buyer is in need of several pieces of the same item. Perhaps even to sell as at wholesale to boutiques. Will my Etsy shop eventually transform to showcase this category, or will I add yet another venue? We'll just have to wait and see!


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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Welcome to Etsy!

I subscribe to some news feeds, and this morning noticed an excerp that included the phrase "new shop at Etsy." My curiosity said "Click and see!" So, of course I did.

What a pleasant surprise, to find Audra Jean's Hats and Accessories for men and Women. This shopkeeper hand blocks her beautiful hats on vintage forms, or shapes them freeform. They're quite stunning, with my favorite shown here.



The seller also has a great blog, called Fashion For Nerds. Good luck, Audra Jean, and welcome to Etsy!

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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Slideshow

I'd heard about doing videos and slideshows for product but being inept, hadn't a clue where to begin. Google is my friend, though. Within a few minutes, I had a first slideshow up and online.

PonyTail to HairPin Demonstration

I've realized that in using our thinner elastic cording, our Singlet hair accessories are able to be used in a secondary way! By wrapping the cord around the legs of a large bobby pin, the ponytail holder can be used as a hair pin!

For our rhinestone collection, this is an obvious and easy way to get more value. By day, the hair accessory hold your ponytail in style, and for the evening, with a few twists and turns, it adorns your upsweep sytle in a glamorous way.

I hope you'll take a moment to click over to our "Ponytail to HairPin Demonstration" and see for yourself.

Questions, comments and suggestions are appreciated, and there's a guest log included on that page. I hope you'll let me know your thoughts.

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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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She Does Hair - Stylist Blog

So. You've shopped Talisman Studios and have just received your order. You've got a fistful of beautiful hair accessories and though you know they'll give any Plain Jane ponytail a healthy dose of va-va-voom, you just have the feeling there's more.

Well! There certainly IS more one can do with our little ornamental accessories. I'll be doing an occasional post on stylists who offer tips on ponytail techniques and to start things off - we have an incredible find for anyone who likes to show a creative flair with their hair.

She Does Hair is a blog with so many ponytail styles you could do a new 'do' each day of the year if you felt like it. The writer, who goes by the handle BlackeyedSue, provides clear photos to show how she achieves each look. Her model is her young daughter, and though many of the styles do have a youthful exuberance, they easily translate to looks for teens, young ladies, glamour goddesses, SteamPunk afficionados, sexy librarian types, and even - let's not forget her! - our working women, who want a new way to finish off a simple hairstyle that takes them from the desk to a night on the town.

Some of my favorites:

Technique - Knots

Her is a VERY easy way to get a cute look that anyone will be able to achieve great results with. Imagine a dainty glass button ornament finishing off that twist! Sweet!

Four Messy Piggies All In A Row

The stylist uses bows to give her daughter a cute-as-a-button hairstyle, but with Talisman Studios hair accessories, you can use those buttons to get a cute-as-can-be! look for a teen or punky/emo girl.

Star Part Puffy Braids

This look will take some effort, but - I think it will be worth it! So cool. For office, weekend or a special date. Depending on your choice of ornaments, the look goes from casual to dramatic.

As an enticement to try out these styles - stay in touch with our shop. We've got literally HUNDREDS of diminutive ornaments we haven't yet added to the inventory. We're readying them as we write, and will starting adding them to the shop in the upcoming days. Some of the multiple pony's that our stylist shows on this featured blog will be perfect for these hair accessories!

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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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An Opportunity for Giving

The Cheyenne River Youth Project® Prepares for the Annual "Passion for Fashion" on Saturday, March 7


Here's an opportunity for giving I ran across this morning. The link is here: lakotayouth.org

It's a call for donations of formal wear, hair accessories, make up and such, for high school girls from from the Cheyenne River Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. These girls, who may not have the funds for such items, will attend an event THIS UPCOMING SATURDAY, 3/7, where they will get to choose among the items to wear in their Prom this year.

I am donating several hair accessories from my shop at etsy.com and hope they will add to the magic and memories of prom night for some of these girls.

If you would like more information, or to donate, click that link above, and follow through by clicking the "Read More" link on that page. I've exerpted a bit below for quick reference.

Note: The event is on short notice for donations to arrive, so act quickly. Though they would like to have items received by Thursday, 3/5, they are able to accept later arrivals. Some of the girls won't be able to attend the Saturday event, and they can also save the items for next year as this is an ongoing program.

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EXCERP:

How You Can Support CRYP’s 2008 Passion for Fashion

If you would like to support the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s Passion for Fashion program this year, please considering contributing any of the following:
• New/Gently Used Prom Dresses (Sizes 4-26)
• Dress Accessories (Examples: Purses,
Wraps, Scarves)
• Formal Shoes
• Jewelry
• Hair Accessories & Care Products
• Facial, Manicure & Pedicure Supplies
• Makeup and Bath Sets
• Gift Cards
• Cash Donations

CRYP usually makes a variety of additional purchases for the Passion for Fashion event, including makeup, food and some accessories, so every contribution helps. Please donations to CRYP at P.O. Box 410, East Lincoln Street, Eagle Butte, SD 57625.

To make a financial contribution, either send mail to the above address or simply visit the youth project’s recently redesigned Web site at http://www.lakotayouth.org, click “Help CRYP” and select
“Monetary Donations.”

To ensure that CRYP staff and volunteers have time to prepare for the Passion for Fashion event on March 7, please send all packages and contributions by March 5. The youth project also will gladly accept late donations, since many teens who are unable to attend the event itself will pick up their dresses at a later date. Donations for next year are welcome as well!
For more information, call (605) 964-8200 or send e-mail to info@lakotayouth.org.


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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Esty Shop Spotlight : Garter Lady

Sometimes I find an Etsy shop that wows me. Or makes me giggle, inspires me or moves me in another way. I'd like to share them with you is a series called "Etsy Shop Spotlights." The first in this series is a beautiful lingerie shop called Garter Lady.



The shopkeeper likes to add the sense of mystery, not only in her exquisitely sophisticated naughty niceties, but in her identity too.... Her online bio simply tells us "Whatever anyone needs to know about me can be found in the threads of the materials I use in designing my collection of handmade garters." Now THAT'S sexy!

I've lifted a few images from this seller's shop to give you just a hint of what's in store. Be sure to pop over right now to see what is currently in stock at Garter Lady






Ooh la laa!

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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Want To Do-It-Yourself and Don't Know How?

Take a look at the Smartflix page on Craftzine.com! Here you'll find a DVD library, available for rent, on topics with titles as varied as "Clone Yourself a Dressform," "Constructing Woodland Moccasins" and "Polymer Clay Treasures From Heart To Hand."

From the "How It Works" information:

SmartFlix is a service that rents video DVDs - just like your corner video store... but we rent the kind of videos that you can't find on every street corner. Videos on running lathes, making glass beads, welding steel, oil painting, building guitars... cool videos!

Rent online, at any time of day, and get the videos shipped straight to you (with return postage included free!).

Here's how regular rentals work:

1. Select which videos you want to rent, and then click "secure checkout". Most videos are just $9.99 each (a few are more), per week.

2. SmartFlix will send you the video in a cardboard mailer (there is no shipping charge!).

3. You get to watch the video for one week, then you put the video back in the cardboard mailer, stick a pre-printed return-address and return-postage label on the mailer, and drop it in the mail (no stamps needed! Your initial payment covers everything!)

(Here's what we mean by "one week": If the video arrives at your address on a Wednesday, you must put it in the mail on or before the following Wednesday).


I think I'm into it!


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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Stop The Presses! No - I Mean Keep Them Rolling!

We're very pleased to be the featured seller on EtsyProfiles.com today. If you aren't familiar with the blog, why not pop over and see what they do? It's a nice way to "meet the neighbors," so to speak and find out what interesting, creative people are right next door to you at Etsy.com!

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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Open To the Trade!

I'd read about bartering within, and beyond, the Esty website community and filed the information under "keep in mind." It's easy for me to go surfing off tangentially on the web and I have learned - that is NOT the way to get my projects done.... I can wile away plenty of time, hopping from one intriguing site to another. And so, I filed that memo to myself and promptly forgot about it, safe in the understanding that when I decided to look into the idea, I would be able to.

This morning, analyzing the viewer statistic for my shop, I noted a referrering site, called EtsyTraders on Blogspot. "Well, I thought, "What do you know! My memo has popped up just at a time when I have a moment to address it!"

Off to check out this trading concept. Clicking to the site, I found quite a well-organized list of Etsy shopkeepers happy to trade merchandise with each other.
The list is maintained by members of the Etsy Trade-a-holics Team, which hosts a blog along with the previously linked list. You can find them at etsytradeaholics.blogspot.com. It's a clean, well-designed site that features the work fo the Team members.

Think you might be interested in trading? Check them out!

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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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We've Joined The{NewNew} Etsy Street Team

Talisman Studios has been accepted as a member with The {NewNew} Street Team, a group of NYC Metro area crafters, artists and artisans. The group is very active with promotion and provides a wealth of support to it's members. We look forward to being an active participant within the Team.

You can learn more about The {NewNew} Street Team here:
~ thenewnewny.com
~ The {NewNew} York Street Team Blog
~ The NewNew Facebook Group

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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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New Facebook Front for the Shop

Talisman Studios has added a Shop Page to Facebook! Take a peek, see what's in store and get the code for our Valentine's Day "It Takes Two!" promo, and save $2.00 off any item from our shop!
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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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New Arrival! Natural Horn Doublet

NOTE: Our "New Arrival!" posts are intended as an announcement to customers of special additions in the shop. The types of items that merit special posts would be rare, exceptionally beautiful or otherwise noteworthy pieces. Subscribe to the blog to be notified of updates as these items will likely sell quickly.



Natural Horn Beauties - Hair Accessory, Doublet

Exquisitely understated and casual sophistication are apt phrases to describe these lovely vintage horn buttons. Made by a true craft artisan in the mid to late 1800's, the attention to detail is unsurpassed.

Measuring one inch in diameter, the buttons are created by joining two separate pieces. The base is a buff colored disk, with the center carved away to accept them second piece. Next a dome shaped piece of darker, mottled brown horn is seated perfectly within that framework. It is held in place with a screw, which is shown in one of the adjunct photos. Do take a look!



The mark of artistry is evident when one considers not only the perfection in fitting the pieces and the joinery., but also for the selection in material. The maker carefully chose specific sections from a full horn in order to find the spot with a natural highlighted are cor the center of the dome.



If the Craftsman era is one you appreciate, you will be thrilled with this hair adornment. The subtle, simple, sophistication is evident.
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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Traffic Direction

As a shopkeeper on Etsy.com, one limitation that I find issue with is that we may not have working links within our shops, unless they direct traffic to other Etsy pages.

Most shopkeepers have some sort of personal website or blog that can be an excellent selling tool. We use these sites to provide more information to our customers than is plausible within our shops. Instructional videos, photographs and stories about our working days and creative inspiration, details on special promotions, and interesting anecdotes that provide a sense of who we are as artists, business people and crafters; these are integral to our message as sellers.

Currently, we may include urls to these adjunct sites within our Esty shop, but they may not be working links, and that creates, in my opinion, a massive limitation. For starters, our customers need to take the time to copy and paste the link in order to view the adjunct pages, and in this age where time passes in nanoseconds, that is simply a cumbersome task many people will not make.

Should a viewer make the effort, the chance are high that they will not open another tab to view the page. They'll copy and past the url in the one they are currently in. When this happens - guess what? Elvis has just left the building.... Will I see him again, and get a chance to sell him my goods?

I'm not holding my breath for a policy change within Etsy that allows us to provide working links to our outside selling tools. But I find it essential that I provide a forum where my clients can develop a relationship with my company. So, this morning I came up with an idea that may or may not prove useful.

I've created an illustration that provides the url to my blog and added it to each of my listings as an adjunct photo. For my product line, 5 photos are not necessary. They are one of a kind items which really only need one or two shots. I can add in another photo that shows a model wearing the items, or even two photos, but I certainly feel a little "advertisement" for my blog is a worthwhile use for one of those photo slots.

Now, each time a customer views an item, they see a second photo to click on. When they do so, they get a crisp, clear direction to proceed. It should be interesting to watch my stats to see how my blog views change due to this.

There are problems, of course. The person must actually type in the url - they cannot even copy/paste from the illustration. It would be SO nice if they could click a hotlink that opens the page in a new tab.... But one has to work with what they have!
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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Come Plurk With Me?

In a sentence: Plurk is Twitter with a personality.

I have a Twitter account. So does my dog.... In fact, Teddy wants me to get off the line so he can Twitter all his followers and tell them to come Plurk with me. He says that it might help him keep me in line, when I see fellow dog's telling their owners "WALK ME!!!" He says I'll read their Plurks saying "Oup - Time for Fido's walk!" and...get a clue....

I screwed up my Twitter. It's a mix of my friends and business and I am pretty sure I've crossed the threshold of what the friends can endure on my business doings. You see - I have my animal care service. And a t-shirt shop that focuses on climbing(And, of course I have to plug ClimbAddict, now that I mention it!). When I decided to get my hair accessories on an Etsy shop, I knew it would be....too much.

And just when I was thinking "Uh ohhhh, what to do..." I found out about Plurk! I'd hotlink it, but then you won't get to be on my list when you click the link. And I DO want you to Plurk with me...So - See that sidebar conversation widget? Over on the right? Go over there - yes, now is fine with me; I'll be here when you get back - and click my profile and get connected. Because I want to read about your daily stuff too. We can brainstorm ideas. And stuff.

The interface of Plurk IS a little hard to understand at first. At least it was for me! It might be simply that I am...too old. A 45 trying to spin in an Ipod world.... So - what did I do? I went to ANOTHER of my finds - Squidoo!. That's exactly what I did! And I found a lens that explains everything about Plurking. Check out
Get Plurk-ed! The New Bite Sized Blog Site once you've come on board and see for yourself.

This page tells you just what's possible with Plurk; here are some of the things you can do on Plurk:
~ add photos
~ boldface part of your post's text
~ add photos and embed videos
~ link to conversations and see replies in real time
~ customize your page with CSS

So....I'm Plurking with my Etsy shop, and leaving my Twitter for personal. I think my friends will be relieved...well, at least after I send them ONE last Twitter asking them to Plurk with me!
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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Copy Listings - For Shopkeepers

I came upon a tool created by a fellow Etsy shopkeeper to copy listings within your shop. For me, this is going to be a HUGE timesaver, because my items all have nearly identical information - shipping, names, materials and tags are nearly identical.

You need to be running Firefox/Greasemonkey to install the item. It's a click of a button and done - so easy to install! Here's the link; it's called, obviously enough Copy Listing.

Thanks to Ehax at Etsyhacks.com for this!
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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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GRAND OPENING ~ FREE GIFT!

NOTE: Offer ends February 1, 2009 ~ OFFER EXTENDED! Requests postmarked by February 7th will be honored!

Talisman Studios hair accessories made it's start a few years ago, premiering at the exclusive Fifth Avenue boutique, Henri Bendel. Quite opulent, but not the best venue to reach a wide client base, we moved outdoors and began selling directly through the GreenFlea Market on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Now we are back, offering our collection of hair goods online, at Talisman Studios.etsy.com. As a special promotion, we are offering a FREE hair accessory to you! Please follow these directions to get yours:
~ Visit our website and take note of the Special Promo Code you'll see in the Shop Announcement, above the collection photos gallery.
~ In a separate envelope, place a self-addressed, stamped bubble mailer, at least 5 x 8 inches in size, and send to our address below.
~ You must use a "Bubble" mailer(large envelope with protective inner layer of bubble wrap). This will protect your hair accessory during shipment.
~ Please have mailer stamped with postage of $1.25.
~ Send To:
T.Marcoe
P.O.Box 171, Old Chelsea Station
New York, NY 10113-0171
~ Enter the Special Promo Code in the top left-hand side of the bubble mailer(where our return address will go; please do leave us some room!)

~ Offer available for U.S. mailing addresses only
~ Limit: One per person/address
~ Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery
~ Non-bubble mailers and/or those received with inadequate postage will not be processed. Please address legibly! We cannot be responsible for undelivered packages
~ We reserve the right to extend this offer or to close prematurely if requests exceeding 500 are received. In the event we close the offer early, we will make the announcement here, and will honor all requests postdated before and on the date of announcement.

Note: We will be selecting goods for this promotion from buttons of more recent vintages, from 1970 through 1980. Some examples are shown in the photo below. The hair accessories will be either plastic, metal or mother of pearl. Please allow us to choose.
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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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Be an Educated Consumer!

I've made a web page to provide information about the various types of buttons I use for my hair adornments, which I hope people will find helpful. As many of these buttons are antiques and collectible, I felt it would be a good idea to give some details as to how these buttons were produced, where they were made, and other interesting trivia.

As well, I've chosen a few good reference books for the interested collector, and provided some online resources to delve deeper into the topic.

I hope you'll take a moment to visit Talisman Studios - Hair Accessories from Vintage Buttons and Beads, and let me know if you have any suggestions for additions or changes. This is a site that will be revised and updated frequently. I'll also post promotions and sales events on that page, so it is a good idea to bookmark it.
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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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My First Sale!

Not too bad, I think. And interestingly, my first sale happened to be one of my all-time favorite buttons from the collection. They are made of black glass, likely from the late 1800's, and have a silver lustre finish.

I had decided to try out a "Showcase" spot on Etsy.com, as a way to gain exposure. At the time, there was no way to know if my sale came from that showcase, because the site did not have a way to capture statistics. About a week later, the announcement was made that Google Analytics was up and ready for use with our shops. I hopped right aboard, of course, began scouring for details as to what was happening within my shop.

It was difficult to understand; the program is really very powerful. But I did stumble down some lane and - aha! There was the clue. One little visit to my shop via the Showcase... ONE! I was not a happy camper, having read on the Etsy site that Showcases were an "excellent way to increase exposure..."

Well, it is what it is. I don't think I will do a showcase again; at least the way theu are set up. But the good news is that, of that ONE visitor, I made a sale. My FIRST sale!


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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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No Buttons Were Harmed In The Making of These Accessories!

This is an important distinction to be made. Some craftspeople who work with vintage and antique buttons aren't fully aware of the fact that they are fully devaluing their collectible nature when they use epoxies and glues, or add non-removable metal findings. They use these techniques to attach the buttons to another element in their design.

At Talisman Studios, we are aware that a pretty old button is actually more than just that. They are historical artifacts, collectible not only for their intrinsic beauty but as a relic of our social, artistic and manufacturing pasts. There won't BE buttons like these, once they are gone. There's no place in a collector's cases not a museum's archives for a button that doesn't retain it's true nature. To a button connoisseur, the back of the button often holds as much intrigue as the face, for it provides clues as to the button's age and provenance.

As well, from a practical standpoint, a button that retains it's integrity may be used again, over and over. Whereas, once a button has been altered to perform merely as a decorative element, the damage has been done. The button loses all historical value and indeed any value whatsoever other than the cost of the doodad it is now indistinguishable from.

The above paragraphs may sound harsh to the average person. Talk to a button collector, on the other hand, and you will get an earful!

I've always loved antiques, perhaps due to the fact I was surrounded by them. As a child growing up in the midwest, our homestead, which had once been part of a working farm, still included some relics from it's previous owners. The barn included one of those wooden telephones one cranked a dial to signal an operator, and a glorious old oak icebox. My father collected functional antiques; a wind-up phonographs with 78rpm records, candle molds, lanterns and such became part of the home's decor. I still have an old coffee grinder that has been as much a part of my family as any object can be.

When I came upon a cache of antique buttons at a flea market, it was no surprise that I would sense in them a deeper value than their surface beauty. The idea of reviving their usefulness as hair adornments was obvious to me. Upon turning them over and seeing the craftsmanship in the backings, how could I even think of chopping their shanks, or plopping a glob of glue on them in order to affix the button to another, "prettier" article?

And so I have taken a very understated approach to the collection of hair accessories called "Vintage Notions." In their simplicity, I hope people will feel a gentle pull towards a quieter existence in their own lives.

In order to maintain the button's full function and not lessen their value, I do as little as possible in their transition. Obviously, there's the elastic band, which threads through the button holes or shanks as they were designed to do. In cleaning the caches I come across, I am quite careful. Many old buttons are comprised of several pieces, with metal and paper components. Soaking in water or chemical cleaning agents will be their ruin. Even the removal of patina built up over the ages is a no-no.

Mostly I buff with a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt particles, and leave things at that. Some buttons WILL show their age and use. Though I try to use "perfect" buttons, sometimes a beauty has a blemish. That's not reason to discard them. So, occasionally a gorgeous metal pictorial may show oxidation on the back. An exquisite faceted glass may have a chink in it's polish, nicked in the hands of time. In these cases, that devaluation is reflected in the cost of the item, and I hope people will understand.
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Esty Sellers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to helpful marketing/selling tool/informational sites sites.

Esty Shoppers - Scroll to the lower portion of this page to get links to blogs from Etsy sellers!
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