Craftopolis: A Treasure Unto Itself

If you use Etsy and don't already know about it,
http://www.craftopolis.com
It tracks views, hearts, (my favorite) if and where you appear in treasuries, and when the time-dependent treasuries will "open" for new creations.
Some of us remember scrolling through each page of the treasury list, just hoping to see a star. Treasury creators weren't allowed to convo treasury includees to let them know they'd been featured. The forums were filled with debates on whether or not it should be considered spam and people posting "Have you seen me??? My item suddenly has a ton of views! Was it on the Front Page or in a blog or something?"
You know, waaaay back in 2008, when Bush was still president and you actually knew what that thing was at the back of your freezer.Well, now I pop into Craftopolis and check the treasure hunt with my shop names and voila! Treasuries featuring me, not hunting required!The original treasuries had a finite list to check, but Treasury East can go on forever and there's no easy way to see if you're featured unless the creator tells you. For the new Treasury East searching feature on Craftopolis, you have to have Google Analytics installed and at least one person has to have clicked on your item in the treasury, but hey, it's better than nothing. (Full disclosure: I'm a Treasury East fiend. Love it. Very useful as wish/idea/giftlist, and without the time pressure and gambling I can do way more creatively.)
So here's some of my current stardom. What's yours?

Most Amazing Thing Ever: Oscar Diaz Ink Calendar

I read about this in Modern Magazine (yay free copy from Merchandise Mart):

Ink Calendar by Oscar Diaz

Every month starts out as an all-white paper conjoinment of numbers. Place the end in its ink bottle (different colors for different months based on color and perceived climate temperatures) and the paper absorbs the ink so that every day, the new date fills with color.

Wow. Consider my mind blown.

Check out Oscar Diaz's website, including the Ink Calendar (under "Projects").
Brilliant.

Good (Price) Point

How often do I give kudos to someone else's philosophy on pricing?

Go mark your calendar (and I'm following this with a post of the greatest calendar ever invented), because The Crafts Report has good advice.
Four Reasons to Increase the Price Points of Your Craft

Etsy Suggested Shops: Stats 101, not Abnormal Psychology

Ohmigawd the new Etsy "Suggested Shops" feature is going to punch puppies and lock your grandmother in a cage! All the "Suggested Shops" on my list have tons of sales! Etsy is trying to widen the classist divide between the haves (sales) and the have nots!

Bull.

When other sites' algorithms suggest books and movies, the more popular movies will show up more often on more people's lists, because by their very nature of being more popular, more people have read/seen them and liked them so they have more crossover with other books/movies that more people have seen, etc. etc. etc.

Go look through your own favorite shops. Odds are (and I really mean ODDS are, as in statistically more likely) the majority those shops have way more sales than 1) the average Etsy shop 2) you.
It's not because you value sales when choosing a shop to like, it's because shops that have made it across your screen and into your hearts are making it across other people's screens and into their mailboxes.

It's not evil or suspicious, it's human nature and Stats 101.

Go send promo packages to the big-name bloggers and get yourself more hearts.

Statistical Baby Burp Cloths by NausicaaDistribution


Addendum: Perfect explanation by Etsy Admin stefankarpinski (thank you Ookami Snow)!

Guilt-Free Shout-Out to Mom

Happy Mothers Day!

My mother writes books and articles on motherhood. In honor of Mothers Day, I'm giving her a bit of a publicity bump.
Debra Gilbert Rosenberg

The Story of the Mengel Cabinet Knobs

The electricity and water were shut off ages ago and they'd been draining the hot water heater for a good 30 minutes, so everyone was a little surprised when the overhead pipes poured down the last of the house's reserves.
"Hey, you wanna take a shower?"
I was the only female and glad I hadn't ditched my sweatshirt around the third time they made the joke.
The knobs came off the Mengel cabinet quite quickly, but for whatever reason I decided I wanted the hinges, too. Five screws per hinge, four hinges, and no real hurry unless the water never stopped, in which case the puddle might make it to my part of the floor.

Park Ridge Demolition Shower

Park Ridge Demolition Sale4
Originally uploaded by JillHannah

One demolition sale, two estate sales, two garage sales, an antiques show, and a stop at one of my favorite antiques/salvage places in Chicago. Not bad for a 2-day weekend.