Team Get-Together

Hope to see my TESTy team mates tonight!

For the Bookworm

This week T.E.S.T. is featuring items for the bookworm in your life. Éditions Tchaï publish several graphic novels, including Ah Gilgamesh illustrated novel by ezhilin. Watch for an up-coming interview with Eugene of ezhilin, right here on the Toronto Etsy Street Team blog.


Vintage Book Journal....Chester House Wins Through by coverstories - a great way to record your reading.



Decorate your home with bookish delights including 1963 Yearbook Upcycled Paper Garland.......free shipping to US and Canada by dervish



Pair the 1960s diagonal stripes secretary blouse -- MY FUNNY VALENTINE SALE -- SALE ENDS FEB 28TH by foundlingsvintage with horn-rimmed glasses for the librarian-chic look.

A cheeky gift for the literature-lover: X Sensual Student X Pendant Made With Vintage Adult Novel Text (Adult Content) by XXXLittWear



Show your book love with this Book Binder pinback button by Zippster

Incidentally, both ratgirl and Zippster/kltrocks are actual librarians, with extra-bookworm cred.

The Olympics Come to Canada

As the XXI Olympic Winter Games begin in Vancouver, the Toronto Etsy Street Team thinks of sports. We wish Vancouver (& Whistler) well, and will be cheering from across the country!






We admire the dedication and training that athletes undertake. Get the Exerciser on Periwinkle. A fused glass pendant necklace. by ellecools



It's no secret that Canada's heart belongs to ice hockey. Ice Hockey FEBRUARY SALE ITEM - an Only-On-Etsy deal ( 8 x 10 print, including border) by anotherangle


Show your spirit with Ohhh Canada by Bebbers





Show your support for Team Canada with BiKay's Olympics 2010 Edition - Maple Leaf Earring with Rhinestone and LOVE



Even your journal can sport the maple leaf! Vintage Book Journal Notebook 'The Silver Maple' by coverstories



Imagine the torch with Smells Like A Campfire Body And Room Spray by mythicmatters




Opening and closing ceremonies will pay tribute to First Nations culture. These archival prints celebrate beauty in mocassins. Moccasins - Tribute to Native American Arts Limited Edition Digital Print from Author Watercolor Finished by hand with Watercolor Pencils Gouache and Hand Writings by LiliesOValley

Chinese New Year: Year of the Tiger

Gong hei fat choi! 恭喜发财! "Congratulations and be prosperous" is a traditional new year greeting for the Chinese, lunar, new year, which will be celebrated this February 14th, and usher in the Year of the Tiger. Chinese new year is a major holiday celebrated in Chinese and other asian cultures around the world and certainly here in Toronto.

Today we share T.E.S.T. items inpsired by or associated with the 3rd animal in the Chinese zodiac, the tiger, like minouette's 'Hu: The Tiger' lino block print. If you are in Toronto, you can see this print and others from around the world at the 9th International Print Exhibition and Exchange Celebrating The Chinese Year of the Tiger 2010 from February 10 to March 6th (with Opening, Sunday, February 14th from 2-4), at the PROOF Gallery in the Distillery District (55 Mill Street, Building #74, Studio 104).

Show your tiger spirit by wearing the tiger-striped Sunset Stripes. A fused glass pendant necklace. 150. by ellecools



Red is the colour of Chinese new year celebrations. Celebrate the Year of the Tiger with the Stripey Red Cat by bombuslane



Lure the big cats with the Here Kitty Kitty Charm Necklace by HibouAccessories




Hip urban tigers wear The Urbanite - Fused Glass Belt Buckle by urbanfusions




Orange and black Starling - Limited Edition Fine Art Print - 8 x 10 by GirlCanCreate reminds us of the tiger hunting.



Cat people wear the Cat silhouette pinback button by zippster





Favour the subtle blends of tiger colours with the Burnt orange enamel id braceletby TorchedStudio




Send tiger-coloured greeting with the Ribbon Rose Greeting Card - Awesome- in pumpkin orange by kiwipunch



Be cat-like with another striking silhouette Perfectly Imperfect Pendant- Here Kitty Kitty by herprettybird



Wear all natural tiger-striped stone with the Striped Rock Necklace by slashpile




Carry your good fortune in the MOO BUSINESS CREDIT CARD HOLDER MINI PURSE - Red Floral Fan by LMCreations



The Chrysanthemum is a popular new year floral decoration, because it symbolizes longevity. Wish longevity when you give the gift of the Tiny Chrysanthemum Clip Kanzashi by magpiecanada

For the tigress in your life, it's the SLING IT BACK - hand-embroidered wall decor by thegirlinyellow




Wear this tiger-coloured Screenprinted Wooden Chickadee Brooch by genevievejodouin




For celebrating this year's tiger babies, you can use a suitably orange
Happy Birthday Invitation - Digital Photo File (MOD1) by FostenDesigns



Send thanks and more with the tiger-coloured flower cards by papierbellerose




Wear a tiger-striped tie pin with the silk tie brooch by ilovetweek

Toronto Etsy Street Team SHOP! Creating for a Cause

The Toronto Etsy Street Team has opened a TEST team shop on etsy. Various talented Toronto etsians, working in a wide variety of media are donating items to the shop to raise money for charity. Our first priority is Haiti and the current charities that will receive proceeds are:
Red Cross: 40%
Médecins Sans Frontière/ Doctors without Borders: 40%
Global Medic: 20%

Check out the shop to see local talent and let your etsy shopping habit help buy some good in the world.

If you are looking for other ways to acquire hand-made goodies while helping out Haiti, check out Hearts For Haiti, an international, collaborative etsy etsy shop started to raise funds since the devastating earthquakes which shook Haiti.

T.E.S.T. member shannellesmith has also started Handmade 4 Change, a shop which allows buyers to choose from a selection of charities to which proceeds will be sent.

T.E.S.T. member wanting to share your philanthropic ventures? Drop us a line! We would love to share it on this blog.

T.E.S.T. Interview: SoRad

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the fourth in our series, an interview with SoRad.

Tell us about your shop.
I opened my shop last summer in hopes to sell some extra cards I had printed for a craft show. Right now, my shop has greeting cards, prints and some baby and kids clothes.

How is your Etsy experience so far? What have you learned about yourself? How does your store fit into your life?
So far, not so bad. I was hoping for more sales, but I'm sure most people are when they first open a shop! I've learned that I definitely love working for myself. I like having all of my stuff online, available to the public and I really like having my own shop! Having a shop on Etsy seems to give me motivation to create more stuff. When you work for yourself, it's SO easy to slack.

Tell us about your creative process - what is your favourite medium to work with?

Creative process.. funny, I had someone else ask me to write an article about my creative process and I'll be honest, it wasn't too long. Ideas just come to me out of the blue. I might get stuck on wording and spend time talking to myself for a day or so, but then I'm back on
track. A bit of my background might make this make more sense - I used to be a digital illustrator for clipart.com. I worked part time and my
monthly quota was minimum 60 illustrations, I sometimes did 90. I also did freelance for liquidlibrary.com and had another 4 (more beautiful) illustrations per month. My favourite medium is the computer! My mac book pro and my tablet *sigh*... My husband said I looked just as excited when I got it as I did when I had my son! haha

Your artwork has quite a bit of variety, how would you define your style?
Being a digital illustrator, you tend to have to adapt. I love lots of styles and wish I could do more even, so I guess maybe I am still searching for my own style. I have been told, I do have a specific style and I need more diversity, so go figure!

Love your monsters! How were they born?

Like I said, I love lots of styles. One in particular are those japanimation characters and creatures. I also love simplicity and wanted something I could work with without too much detail. Something that could be done easily in Adobe Illustrator and resized to 54892 x 7489 if it needed to be.:)


What are your upcoming plans and goals?
I am actually thinking about not doing anymore cards. I love making the artwork and I love the characters (which will carry over into the next endeavor). Right now, I am working on my own baby clothing line - yes, now I am a fashion designer - stay tuned...

Check out more of Jazz's work on her Facebook sorad page, in her blog, follow her on twitter, or on her website and in sorad in etsy.

Interviewed by Zippster on January 28, 2010.

T.E.S.T. interview: Zippster/kltrocks

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the third in our series, an interview with Zippster, also known as kltrocks.

Tell us a little about you and your shops:
About 3 years ago I decided to turn my sewing hobby into a small business. I opened my first Etsy shop (kltrocks) about 2 ½ years ago, focusing on clothes and accessories for Blythe dolls. As I became involved in other crafts, I decided to open a second shop (Zippster) for non-Blythe items – this shop has a little bit of everything: purses, pouches, pins, magnets, cards, vintage sewing supplies. My other hobbies, such as photography and fabric design, influence what I make.

What do you do as your "day job"?:
During the day I work as a librarian in downtown Toronto, which I find very rewarding but can be mentally demanding. Having a creative hobby helps with the life-work balance.

How did you get started sewing/making buttons/making magnets?:
While I’ve always been involved in something creative, I became more serious with sewing about 3 years ago after I bought my first Blythe doll and I realized I really enjoyed making clothes and accessories for these unique dolls. From that I branched out onto other sewing projects, inspired by both of my grandmothers’ fabric stashes. I really enjoy making small accessories, such as the coin purses and zippered pouches. As a librarian, I also have an interest in printmaking, so after taking a printmaking course I became involved in paper crafts. That then led to the button making. There are so many things I am interested in learning how to do (crochet has been on my list for a while), that it’s a challenge sometimes to stay focused.

How do you choose your imagery?:
Many of my button designs are taken from or inspired by vintage reproductions from books, newspapers and magazines. Some of the designs are born out of necessity, such as the food-themed buttons (No Gluten, No Nuts, etc.). I myself have a severe food allergy, so these buttons are fun but also practical.

As for sewing projects, I really love retro fabric prints: two of my favourite fabric sources are Repro Depot Fabrics and a Toronto company called Tonic Living – they both specialize in vintage and retro reproductions. It’s so easy to get inspired when you have such amazing fabrics to work with!

My greeting cards make use of my own photography, linocut prints or silk screen prints. We’re very lucky in Toronto, to be part of a vibrant city but to also have access to large green spaces, such as High Park and Edwards Gardens, where many of my photos are taken.

How do you promote yourself?:
As an introvert, self-promotion is not something that comes easily to me, but I do make use of all the online options, such as Flickr, Facebook, a blog, and message boards. I’m actually in the process of setting up a website, which will bring all the pieces together in one spot.

Do you have any upcoming craft shows or other events you'd like to tell us about?:
For the last 2 years I’ve been fortunate enough to participate as a vendor at quite a few craft shows. This spring and summer I’ve decided to focus more on wholesale.

Any advice for new sellers on Etsy?:
Patience: it may take weeks or even months to start getting regular sales. There may even be weeks or months in between sales. Don’t take it personally, it’s not something you have control over.

Inform yourself: read Etsy’s DOs and DON’Ts, read the FAQs, read the Storque articles, read the forums, learn everything you can about how Etsy works so are fully prepared and your shop is properly set-up (including filling out your shop policies – do this! Please!).

Have some sort of a plan: Decide how much time you want to spend on promotion, and where (Google Analytics helps with this). Make sure you have packaging and shipping supplies and familiarize yourself with postal rates and services. Keep on top of upcoming international holidays, seasonal trends and other special days (have a sale or create special items).

Oh, and have fun creating!

Check out more of Karen's work at Zippster, kltrocks, on her blog 'librarian karen', and in her flickr photostream.

Karen also wrote the wonderful, thorough, and extremely useful Tips for Indoor Craftshows article for the T.E.S.T. blog in November.

Interviewed by SoRad, January 27th, 2010.