Etsy NY for your shopping needs!

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With the Holidays upon us we are being inundated with gift ideas and consumerism. This is a great time to sign up for EtsyNY team page on facebook.

Everyday we post treasuries especially made with items chosen from Etsy NY shops.

Check out this past Wednesday's treasury Under 25.00. Not only is each gift under $25.00, it is a beautiful collection of tangerines, yellows and marmalades. A fresh take on holiday colors!  Now the treasury is not only etsy new york members, we like to spread the love. 

from pepper press ny

With the Handmade Holiday Cavalcade around the corner (Saturday) here's a sneak peek at some of the sellers you can find. 

11am-6pm at "The Space"  50 N 3rd Williamsburg

AstrOdub

There will be 35 artisans, crafters and designers at this weekend's fair. You are sure to find something for your holiday needs!  And if you don't feel like leaving the warmth of your home, just follow our Facebook page for ideas from over 250 Etsy artists in NYC! 

Happy Holidays!

Tracey Toole / http://www.etsy.com/shop/traceytoole

Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Makers Share Their Favorite Dishes

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The vendors of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade are selected from Etsy's most talented local makers. When they are not creating, they are running families, and that includes celebrating holidays. People who love to make things also love to eat! The holidays are a special time for family dishes, new creations and great celebrations! Below, these Cavalcade participants share their favorite holiday dishes. 

Some favorite foods are born of traditions, and traditions often involve grandmothers. Annie Bruce of Brooklyn Owl, a line of New York-inspired felt hair clips, unicorn horns, headbands and garlands, has been dining on her maternal Grandma Peggy's stuffing her entire life. "

My grandmother and mom would make it each year. Now my daughter and I make it!" says Annie. But paternal grandma Lois on her husband's side is famous for a delicious fruit cake that Annie likes to pop into the toaster oven for a just-made taste. Grandma Asta contributes a perfect snack mix made with cereals, nuts and pretzels spiced with garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce. Annie's whole family loves it and her grandma still sends it to her in the mail. 

Rachel Rekhter, of Naki Nagi Handmade Body Scrubs, loves her mom's potato latkes for Hanukkah. "They are super greasy, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I think she uses a gallon of oil to cook them. She makes the whole house, and all our clothes smell like latkes, and it lingers on my coat the entire holiday season. I put apple sauce and sour cream on top, I would not have it any other way. My mom can't follow a recipe, so its always some potatoes, some onions, egg, flour, salt and pepper. Simple, yet delicious."

Angeliki Jackson of Astrobub Photography was born in Greece, on the ship building island of Chios, so some of her holiday dishes, such as Smoke Gouda Mashed Potatoes, come from watching Emeril Lagasse on television. In a pinch, she'll take a recipe off the back of a box or bag and adapt it to her own taste. 

"For dessert at Christmas," says Angeliki, "since my parents host, I provide the dessert, which every year is a different flavored cheesecake. Some of the cheesecakes I have baked include pumpkin, lemon, chocolate, oreo, marbled and blueberry. I've gathered the recipes from Philadelphia cream cheese packets."

Another cheesecake fan is Kerry M. Batty of K. Batty Design and Stationery. "What is a holiday meal without dessert? In my family that means cheesecake or pie...mostly pie:

Pumpkin, Apple or occasionally Key Lime. My grandfather was the baker and his apple pie is still famous. It had the most unbelievable crust! My Pa liked what he called a cake pie - one that you could pick up, like a slice of cake and eat it with your hands because the inside wasn't super runny. The crust was very buttery and delicious and never soggy from the filling! That is pie heaven to me. Sometime through the years his crust recipe was lost and my mom and I have been trying to figure it out for years. I think we've finally done it."

Elena Ruano Kanidinc of Simply Nu, who produces green personal and home wares, grew up in Spain. She eats grapes on New Year's Eve right before midnight, during the last minute of the old year. "People believe that if you don't finish your 12 grapes, you are doomed for the coming year," she explains. Spaniards gather in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid much as they do in Times Square, to eat their grapes at the ring of a bell.

Many Etsy makers are vegetarian or vegan, and don't eat meat. That would include Ursula of Pepper Press, who makes beautiful cards. She loves a roasted corn, bean and tomato salsa salad instead of a roasted meat entree. Another of her favorite dishes is butternut squash, cut in half, glazed with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, then roasted. 

However you celebrate the upcoming holidays, have a wonderful meal with family or friends! And don't forget to stop by the  Holiday Handmade Cavalcade.

Wink and Flip

Lion Brand Yarn Studio, a Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Sponsor

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The Lion Brand Yarn Studio is the Flagship retail location for Lion Brand Yarn Company; a family owned and operated business. Visit the Lion Brand Yarn Studio to explore, learn, and get inspired by Lion Brand’s yarns, patterns, and classes.

When visiting, don’t forget to check out the detailed handmade window display, which tends to incorporate pieces that have been knit, crocheted and/or crafted.

The Lion Brand Yarn Studio has taught over 10,000 students since 2009, and offers classes for yarncrafters of all levels. Additionally, the Lion Brand Yarn Studio books “Master Classes” where you can learn special techniques from well-known, professional designers who will be teaching the class.

There’s always plenty to do at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio; you can bring your Lion Brand project to the designated project table in the center of the store and knit or crochet amongst the company of others, you can snip off some yarn from the sampling wall to test out something new, or browse the computers for pattern inspiration.  

If you need follow up help after a class, or have a knitting or crochet question that you need addressed, the Knit & Crochet Doctors are available at the Studio to provide you with free help and advice.  The Crochet Doctor is available every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30p.m., and the Knitting Doctor is available every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30p.m.

Look out for some exciting events this December, such as Carol Sulcoski’s free book signing and chat, where she discusses sock knitting with the release of her new book, Sock Yarn Studio on Monday, December 3rd at 6p.m.  Click here to RSVP.

Click here to find out more about December happenings at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio!

From November 26 to December 31, The Lion Brand Yarn Studio has extended hours for the holiday season:

  • Monday-Thursday, 11:30am - 8pm
  • Friday, 10am - 3pm
  • Saturday, Closed
  • Sunday, 11:30am - 5pm

Etsy New York thanks Lion Brand Yarn Studio for sponsoring the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!

What: Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

When: Saturday & Sunday, December 1st and 2nd

Time: 11am - 6pm

Where: The Space, 50 North 3rd Street (between Kent and Wythe), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

More information about our other sponsors, goodie bag contributions, our awesome food vendors, and other Cavalcade news are coming up, so stay tuned!

What is Your Favorite Holiday Tradition?

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In case you didn't already know, the Holiday Handmade Cavalcadeis coming up soon- this weekend to be more specific! As we get closer and closer to this fun event, I've asked a few of the vendors to share their favorite holiday traditions. Without further ado, here they are (click the pictures to visit their shops)!

Tell me: What is your favorite holiday tradition?

By Nnenna of  star-crossed smile

Brooklyn Charm, a Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Sponsor

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For anyone who likes jewelry, you will be like a kid in a candy store at Brooklyn Charm.  Whether you visit their main location in Williamsburg, their booth at the Union Square Market, or their booth at the Columbus Circle Holiday, you will be giddy with all the jewelry choices. 

For me, the most exciting part of going to any Brooklyn Charm location is creating your own look right on the spot from their huge stock of charms, beads and gems.  Whether you are in store or at one of the holiday markets you can be your own jewelry designer.  All you have to do is bring your creativity, choose your charms and chains, and the knowledgable and friendly staff will make it for you on the spot.  It is dizzying with so many fun choices of charms at reasonable prices.  Also, the staff is knowledgeable in jewelry design and can help you make the crucial choices as you put together each piece of your design. As an extra bonus, at their holiday booths at Union Square and Columbus Circle the labor fee to assemble your design is waived.

Brooklyn Charm also sells handmade, in house designs by the awesome staff members, which you can also find at their Etsy Store.  I heart this shiny, gold, Brooklyn razor necklace.  Sparkly and tough!

After a visit to Brooklyn Charm you might get inspired to learn more.  They offer several classes in design, and for only $40.00, in an hour and half you'll leave with new knowledge and your own piece.  If you become super excited you can purchase your own supplies at wholesale prices at their Etsy store of vintage and contemporary jewelry supplies.

Thank you Brooklyn Charm for sponsoring the 2012 Handmade Cavalcade and design on everyone!

More information about our sponsors, goodie bag contributions, our awesome food vendors, and other Cavalcade news are coming up, so stay tuned!

Outright - Your small business simplified.

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When I began running Fritz & Fräulein, I was the one-woman show for everything from the branding and marketing to the design and production of my pieces. The last thing I wanted to think about was accounting - and to echo the sentiments of so many fellow small biz owners: who really has time to?

Enter my number crunching savior: Outright.

Outright is a cloud-based accounting software that helps small business owners organize their finances and prepares them for tax time in an easy, smart way by pulling accounts into one, easy-to-navigate place.  It seamlessly syncs with all your online e-commerce sites, such as Etsy, Big Cartel, eBay, your own personal selling site and the like, along with PayPal and your bank accounts. You choose what accounts to to sync it with and it will download and automatically categorize transactions all the various transactions on a nightly basis, in a way the IRS expects, to keep your taxes organized and you up-to-speed on where your money is coming and going.  Needless to say, it makes keeping track of your business financials clear cut and easy-to-understand.

One of my favorite Outright features is the business tracking portion, which has fantastic charts and graphs to help you keep track of who's buying, how much money you're making and sales by state.  Oh yeah, and by-the-way, this part is free (and always will be).  Even the tax portion, which breaks everything down for your Schedule C / 1099-K, is free until the end of the year and is only $9.99/mo starting in January.  This, to me, is so worth avoiding the tax headache of trying to do it myself or pulling transactions into one of the more complex programs like Quickbooks. No, thank you.

Not only is Outright incredible for helping so many of us simplify our small business accounting (10,000+ Etsy sellers and counting!), but they're one of our sponsors for this weekend's Etsy New York Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!  Click here to set up your free account and let Outright do the rest.

See you at the Cavalcade!

-Stacy / Fritz & Fräulein

Etsy New York thanks Outright for sponsoring the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!

What: Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

When: Saturday & Sunday, December 1st and 2nd

Time: 11am - 6pm

Where: The Space, 50 North 3rd Street (between Kent and Wythe), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

More information about our other sponsors, goodie bag contributions, our awesome food vendors, and other Cavalcade news is coming up, so stay tuned!