Handmade Monday and Etsy Finds

Well, we have been loving the lovely hot weather here at Poppy Designs Towers. What a beautiful few days of sunshine we have had. Unfortunately today has been a bit of a downpour here in Manchester but at least it has given us some time to devote to our blog.  We have had a really busy few weeks here and as usual, our blog seems to have got a little neglected amongst all the action. We are entering into our busiest time of the year, we have our summer shows and then the run up to (whispers) *Christmas*.....we have been working really hard on some new designs and have got loads more ideas to bring to fruition.

It really has been a fantastic year for us so far, our online sales have really improved and we are now 21 sales away from 800 sales on Etsy. This is in no small part due to all the effort we have put into improving our online presence and a lot of how to do this has come from other crafters and sellers in various Facebook groups and forums. Other than adding our animal themed ranges, our stock and designs haven't really changed that much, we have just been lucky enough to get great advice from others on how to get our products 'out there'. It is for this reason that this week we have decided to devote our blog post to the Etsy Manchester group as there are some really lovely people there that have given and shared some fantastic advice which we have benefitted from. We also benefitted from having our cat rings featured on Buzzfeed over the Easter weekend which gave us a huge boost.....

Cat rings

Therefore, this week we have decided to feature some items from Manchester-based Etsy sellers in our blog, our very own Mancunian 'Etsy Finds'. We decided to go with the theme of 'Animals'.....so here goes.....

1. I have long been an admirer of Adam's shop AdamClarkPhotography and this photograph of cygnets feeding on a lake has to be one of my favourites. Adam has a lovely selection of prints from nature in his shop and well worth a visit. 

   

   Cygnets

   
   
2. These absolutely gorgeous little dachshund felt keychains can by found in MisHelenEous. How beautifully made do these look? Just gorgeous. 

   

   Gorgeous Dachshund 

3. Owls have long been a popular animal as it is easy to see why when there are creations such as this beautiful owl bag available by CrochetByChance. I love owls and I am always blown away with how pretty crocheted items look. 

   

   Crocheted Owl Bag 

4. Another favourite shop of mine is The Fabric Badger run by the lovely Molly. She has all sorts of beautiful creations made from vintage fabric but my absolute favourite has to be these cat earrings 

   

   Cat earrings 

5. Not only does IslaCoast have some awesome creations, but she has this gorgeous dog modelling the hare print bandanas. This shop is a dog lover's dream with gorgeous dog cards, collars and t-shirts.....but this hare print bandana had to be my favourite, if only for the most adorable little dog modelling it. 

   

   Hare print bandana

6. Another animal that seems to be very popular at the moment are giraffes. There are lots of lovely giraffe items appearing on Etsy, but my absolute favourite is this watercolour by ArtByMonika. 

   

   Giraffe Watercolour

7. Last, but certainly not least is this Manchester Worker Bee Cup by the very aptly named TheManchesterBee. 

   

   Bee Cup

I could really go on forever, there are so many gorgeous things on Etsy....but for now I am going to finish up and head over to Handmade Monday over at Lucy Blossom Crafts and see what everyone has been creating over the past week.