We think you will be delighted with this week’s Featured Zibbeter’s work. Marsha R Taubenhaus’s hand thrown stoneware pottery is unique and beautiful.At Dovecote Design you’ll find useful pottery for every day and for entertaining guests. Marsha also creates unique OOAK porcelain earrings and pendants.
Marsha currently lives in Saint Peter, Minnesota after quitting her job as a criminal lawyer in New York City. Be sure to see the photos of her studio on her profile page.
Please enjoy the interview, leave Marsha a comment, and then use the Share Tools so others can read it, too. Please spread the Zibbet Love!
I must have been a potter in a prior lifetime, because I intuitively knew I would love it before I even learned how. 12 years ago, I packed up my New York City apartment, got rid of most of my stuff, and moved to a small, rural town in the middle of the country. Taking pottery lessons seemed like such a natural next step, and I instantly fell in love with the craft. I opened my first online shop about six years ago, and have never looked back. I love the idea that my pieces are being used, and hopefully loved, all around the world. When I’m not making pots, I’m representing criminal defendants. I write appeals, which means that I help them after they’ve already been convicted. Probably one of the reasons I love ceramics so much is because, until I started making pots, I spent my work life using my brains; now I get to use my hands and my heart. Now I split my time between my two insanely different careers.
I find inspiration at the intersection of form and function, the idea of making something whose form is both beautiful and useful at the same time. When I make a mug, I think about how it will feel in someone’s hands, how the rim will feel when someone drinks from it, and whether it will give someone pleasure to look at it. I also love taking ancient forms, altering them, and coming up with something new. When I first began selling online, I tried out two of my inventions: an all-in-one ring holder/earring bowl and a stoneware mug with a lid that doubles as saucer. To my delight, when I googled them, I couldn’t find anything like them at the time. (Of course, on the internet, all good ideas eventually get copied, but it still gives me a thrill to know that I dreamed them up!). Now they are two of my best sellers.As a potter, I look up to Gina Phenix (she has a shop on Zibbet called “PhenixPottery”).
She is the person who first taught me how to center clay, throw pots on the potter’s wheel, fire and glaze them. To this day, she is my go-to person for any pottery question, idea or problem. She can also throw the “perfect” pot like no one else I know!First and foremost, my daughter, a beautiful, kind and talented up-and-coming songstress. You can hear here HERE. I consider her my only true work of art.After that, I guess I’d have to say that nothing riles up my passions more than injustice of any kind. Which of course explains how I ended up defending the poor and despised. I am a proud progressive, and am always up in arms when I feel that someone is getting screwed!
Most of all, I love that Zibbet is truly a ‘handmade’ site, not one that is trying to compete with Ebay or Amazon or Walmart. I’m really impressed with the openness of the administrators, who genuinely seem interested in what their users think. I like feeling like I am in on the ground floor of a marketplace that is getting ready to take off, hopefully to the stratosphere.I am hopeful that the category of ceramics will be taken out of “fine art” and put into the “handmade” category. Although of course ceramics is artistic, and some pieces are beautiful works of art (think Ming vases!), I don’t think of work like mine as fine art. And I think of myself as an artisan or craftswoman, rather than an artist. I aim to make functional pieces that are lovely to look at and pleasing to the touch, rather than pieces of fine art. I think many potters feel the same way. And I’m pretty sure my customers wouldn’t think to look in the ‘fine art’ section if they were looking for a good mug or bowl.I’m also looking forward to the rebuild, when the search function will be strengthened. And I can’t wait to see what the new front page will look like.
Because I have been selling my pottery online for a number of years, I have developed a wonderful, loyal customer base. Beyond my “regulars,” I use Pinterest, Wanelo, Facebook and Google+.First of all, make something great! Then take great photos. And like some others have said, fill up your shop. Finally, the forums are a friendly place to get answers to questions and meet like-minded craftspeople.known as the woman who sold you your favorite mug, the one you wash out every morning (even though you have plenty of others), because your coffee just tastes better when you drink out of it, and it’s the one that makes you happy.Tags: Dovecote Designs, Featured Zibbeters
Looking for stocking stuffers at great prices? I searched Zibbet for stocking stuffers and found pages and pages of great items all under $4.00.
Judy writes the ‘Fantastic Five‘ column where she features 5 Zibbet items every week. She is the owner of four Zibbet shops: Portable Graffiti Graphics, Portable Graffiti buttons, Proofreader, and Wild Goose Chase vintage, crafts and supplies. You can follow Judy on Facebook.
This week Zibbet is excited to introduce you to Tammy Allman from Acworth, Georgia. Tammy’s shop on Zibbet is called Kenzie’s Closet where you will discover Tammy’s fine art paintings.Tammy is a full-time artist whose work has been collected nationally and internationally. Her art has been published in magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Accents, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and Veranda.Tammy also sells her beautiful hand painted glass and makes fabulous candles that would make perfect Christmas gifts.Please enjoy the interview, leave Tammy a comment, and then use the Share Tools so others can read it, too. Please spread the Zibbet Love!
My life is full and blessed! I am the mother of two wonderful boys. I have a adorable little granddaughter named Kenzie. I have two beautiful daughter-in laws. I work daily with top interior designers doing art for their clients. My work has been published on a national scale in magazines, such as Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Better Homes & Gardens, Veranda Magazine, Walls & Windows , Southern Accents, ETC. A few years back I did a palette knife mural of a low country scene out of venetian plaster for Atlanta Symphony Showhouse and it was featured in the Tyler Perry movie “The Family that Preys” with Kathy Bates. I developed a scented candle line a few years back “ Tammy Allman Artist Candles that I wholesale to gift shops and offer them retail in my shop. When my granddaughter was born I started doing some children’s art and a friend of mine suggested that I open a online shop. That is how Kenzies Cottage was created and I have spent the last few years selling my art. Honestly how blessed can you be when you get up every morning and do something you love! 
I have always loved water and somehow feel connected to it! I live within walking distance to the lake so in the summer I enjoy being on the lake. I also love riding horses and spend a lot of time with friends and family riding near the Tennessee/Kentucky border at a beautiful park called Big South Fork. I’m the most comfortable being outdoors spending time with friends around a campfire, white water rafting, camping, or just a walk in the woods where you can breathe.God created a beautiful world and I think sometimes we forget to find the beauty in our life because of the stress and day to day activities. Painting allows me to capture a beautiful moment or a mood of something that touches my heart. Even in commission work their, is still a part of yourself that you express. Painting allows you to see the world outside of your normal vision. I teach art to kids and have taught intercity high school students and art makes them happy! I tell my students that art applies directly to their life. People are only limited in life because when they have no vision of what tomorrow looks like. If they have a vision they can create it!
My grandmother was a huge influence in my life! She was sweet, loving and gentle. I always looked up to her and felt safe but she died when I was in my teens. I know this is going to sound strange because in most cases it is the other way around but I look up to my two amazing sons. I was on my own at 16, finished High school at night and worked my way through college then married young . My marriage didn’t last so I ended up raising them as a single parent. When I had my boys I didn’t have much to go by as far as raising them, but during that journey I found out what being a family was really about. They have both grown up to be exceptional men and have made good choices and continue to do so. My boys were my saving grace and my biggest accomplishment in life!I work daily trying to be the person God intended me to be! If I can accomplish that before I die I’ll be happy!
I love the community and how everyone makes you feel welcome. I like the fact that it is still small so that I can create a foundation for growth before I get lost in the numbers. I love the way Andrew and Jonathan are hands on with their sellers and are committed to making Zibbet a great environment for their sellers and buyers! I also like the fact that they are committed to staying handmade and are will to keep the resellers out.I think every company goes through growing pains but I feel Jonathan and Andrew will give the sellers what they need to grow their businesses. I don’t sweat the small stuff!Word of mouth has always been huge with me. Business on line is a numbers game so you just have to put your self out there. Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, Blogs and Google are the online tools I use.
I think the first thing everyone needs to do is to lower their expectations of what Zibbet can do for them and start doing for themselves. Zibbet is just now gaining traffic and new sellers so we as sellers need to be accountable for creating traffic to our shops.Everyone wants overnight success and that will not happen with a young company. Sellers need to team together to do marketing and help to create traffic! One succeeds then we all succeed! Be a team! The rest will come in time so a little patience is required.Loved and HappyIsn’t that what we all want?
Artists hear the word “marketing” and often cringe or run the other way. It isn’t a bad word, though the media and big business has turned our senses against it. 
Guest contributor Martiel Beatty is a graphic and fiber artist, expert blogger, art coach and GIMP Wizard. She is the founder of Sewmantra and Co-Founder and Coach of Dream Your Success. She holds degrees in Anthropology, French and Drafting and has been working in fiber arts since 1986 and graphics since 1998. She lives and works in her home studio outside Washington, D.C.
If you’ve been shopping for Holiday gifts already, you’ll need gift tags when you wrap up all those goodies. Zibbet has a wide array of handmade Christmas gift tags, as well as vintage gift tags and supplies to make your own tags.
This week Zibbet “flew” to Ireland to interview Kay’s delightful shop named Ruby Robin Boutique.Ruby Robin Boutique on Zibbet is like a breath of fresh air from Ireland. You can almost smell the wildflowers and feel the breeze blowing dandelion seeds through the crystal clean air.We think you’ll love this shop’s jewelry creations. Great holiday gifts for someone special you know.Please enjoy the interview, leave Kay a comment, and then use the Share Tools so others can read it, too. Please spread the Zibbet Love!
My name’s Kay and I’m the owner/maker behind Ruby Robin Boutique, a handmade jewellery business which I started just over a year ago. I hail from Cork City in the South of Ireland, where I make all sorts of whimsical, keepsake jewellery in my home studio. I live in a cosy little townhouse, in a peaceful old part of the city, with my boyfriend and our four mischievous cats.To most people’s surprise, I never studied art of design. I actually spent four years qualifying as a Nutritional Scientist at my local university. I graduated just as the recession hit really hard, and work prospects in my field were dismal, with most jobs just in food manufacturing. So I spent a year or two working in utterly unfulfilling jobs and trying to figure out what to do with my life. Gradually I realized that I needed to follow my roots (my parents have been craftspeople for over 40 years), and pursue a more creative path and I started experimenting with jewellery again. Within a few months of starting my business, I quit my day job to focus on it full time. Most of my business is done online, but I also do wholesale both in Ireland and abroad, as well as being a regular on the craft market circuit in Ireland.Being self-employed is incredibly tough, and I don’t get nearly enough days off to maintain a reasonable level of sanity, but the feeling of achievement you get from being truly independent is immense. The best days are when I can make an excuse to go to the beach or the woods to source new plants and flowers to make into jewellery.
As this is my full time job, I spend nearly every waking minute being creative in some form or another but when I have the occasional day off, we love to go away in our rusty old VW campervan for a night or two to recharge and reconnect with nature. We also like to spend time at our allotment garden and I’m a fairly notorious cat lady, so we do our fair share of kitten rescuing, fostering and rehoming.Initially Ruby Robin was inspired by a handful of pieces of Victorian jewellery my mum had in her dusty, old jewellery box growing up. I remember being utterly enchanted by a little oval brooch she had, which had some tiny little wildflowers encased in resin. I am also inspired by my childhood, spent in the rural countryside of Co. Kerry in the South of Ireland.
My sisters were a lot older than me growing up, so I spent an introverted childhood with my collie dog exploring the mountains and boglands, collecting quartz crystals and picking flowers. I was completely and utterly immersed in nature.I have always admired my mum, but since starting my own craft business I am even more in awe of what she has managed to do in life. I honestly don’t know how she managed to raise three children, run her ceramics business, grow all her own vegetables and still make fresh bread for my school sandwiches every week!
My other great passion is for food, nutrition, cooking and gardening. It’s something I hope to incorporate into my professional life again in the future, if I can find the timeI really respect the integrity of the site, the commitment to true handmade artists is incredibly important to me. Apart from that, I love the energy of the sellers there, there is a lot of positivity and excitement about what can be achieved as a community which I find really exciting.
I really like the feel of the site, I find it very intuitive. The one thing I really would like is to be able to list my prices in Euros, and have the conversions handled automatically by the site.I promote pretty much everywhere! I use blogspot and tumblr for a blog, I am also active on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Stumbleupon and Wanelo. This Christmas I have made posters to put up around my city, and will have friends handing out flyers on the street. I also do a lot of inadvertent promoting through meeting people at the weekly craft market I trade at.
Don’t just sit back and expect the sales to happen. Creating a strong presence online requires constant attention, whether it’s regularly photographing and listing new items for your Zibbet shop, or creating conversation over at your Facebook page, you need to nurture your shop every day. The internet is huge beyond comprehension, we are just drops in a vast ocean so you need to give people a really good reason to be interested in you!Doing what I do now with the time to take one or two days off a week!
As we enter the last month of 2013, it’s not too early to start gathering the paperwork you need for closing out your books as you get ready for income tax time and prepare your business for the new year. Here are a couple of reminders to help get you started:
Vicki is committed to assisting her fellow Zibbeters improve their shops for successful online selling. She is the owner of five Zibbet shops: LOC Design Studio, Papa Spivey’s Trunk, A Stitch and a Prayer and Think Like a Fish. You can follow Vicki on Twitter and through her LOC Design Studio blog.
When naming products and writing descriptions, provide as much useful information about your products as you can. Make sure that descriptions are well organized. Double check your spelling and grammar by having a friend read your listings before you make them active. Poorly written titles and descriptions are frustrating to buyers and will likely influence their decision to purchase or not. Search engines such as Google look at item titles and descriptions when indexing–provide them with well written text rich with keywords that are spelled correctly using proper grammar.
As Christmas music was playing this week at my home “Jingle Bells” sounded out from Pandora, and this week’s Fantastic Five came to be.
With Handmade Monday behind us, we can look forward to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday as the 2013 holiday shopping season takes off! In the midst of what I hope will be a successful time of buying and selling wonderful handmade and vintage gifts, I hope that you’ll take a few minutes to look back on the past year and find blessings to count. Here are just a few blessings that I’m thankful for this year…