Katie's Basement

2009-08-23T20:22:00.009-04:00

Hey hey!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine has been super busy! I'm moving back to school on Tuesday, so this weekend has been spent doing some last minute shopping and packing, packing, packing.

BUT I'm pausing my packing to tell you about a fabulous new friend and amazing Etsy seller I met through the Etsy forums!

Meet Lola! When she first contacted me and we started talking, I remember being intrigued by her shop! She sells handcrafted and beautifully designed hula hoops! Not going to lie, I was surprised at first but the more I looked into her shop and the more I got to know about her and her business... the more I realized we have some very similar mindsets!

To start, I asked Lola "Why hula hoops?" Her answer amazed me! She told me all about how a friend turned her onto the "soothing meditative qualities" of hula hooping. She was interested and went out to purchase one only to find that her new hoop wasn't designed for adults and it just didn't work for her! Later and with renewed interest she found a new hoop designed especially for adults and fell in love with it!

It's obvious to feel her love for hula hooping when you hear her talk about it. Her passion pulls you in! "The pure joy & comforting massage an adult hoop provides is amazing. I started by just being able to hoop 50 times on my hips without dropping it ( only

months ago!), now I confidently jump in and out

of hoops and can hoop on my neck and elbows! I love to get funky to live music or just play some music in my backyard while the sun sets!" And this passion you feel through her words is how her shop got started! She says she opened her Etsy shop "with the hope of sharing the simple joy hooping brings to anyone who tries it."

Her goals for her shop are very similar to my own goals for mine! She says her main goal of the business is to "

provide as many people as I can with a hoop so they can find that the simple, childish, joy we have all experienced in our youth is still easily found within a hoop!" She also want

s to team up with the local hospital to help patients with physical therapy through hula hooping (what a fabulous idea)! She is talented in all areas however, not just hula hoops! She paints and is currently studying fine art and tattooing.

In short, I am so lucky to have found such a wonderful person on Etsy. We need

more sellers like this for whom their business is a means to spread happiness to others. And not just sellers and artisans, but our entire population. If everyone in the world stopped worrying about making millions and started trying to spread peace and joy to their neighbors, I am positive we would be better off as a society!

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." ~ Jimi Hendrix

I hope you enjoyed meeting Lola as much as I did! Be sure to check out her shop HERE. She also has a fabulous BLOG that you should check out!

Thanks again for all of your support!

peace and love,

Katie

2009-08-20T22:32:00.004-04:00

Hey hey everyone!

Some exciting treasury news...

I'm currently being featured in a couple of treasuries! One is beautiful with maroon colored items and the other is named Marshmallow! Check them out if you are bored.

BUT, the most exciting news, is that I finally got a treasury! Haha I staked out for about 30 minutes afraid that I would miss it when it opened up but it was a success!

It's themed for the coming season of Fall that I love so very very much.

Here's a preview!

You can check it out here.

Hope everyone is having a great night :)

peace and love,

Katie

Fall is almost here!

2009-08-19T17:04:00.003-04:00

Hey hey!

Wow everyone, it has been entirely too long since I last posted!! I've been extremely busy because I just recently realized that I'm going back to school in less than a week... haha, the end of the summer kind of snuck up on me didn't it?

Alright.. so here go the updates:

In the past few weeks I've received my first sale on Etsy, which was quickly followed by quite a few more! I'm super excited about it... it means that making the move to Etsy was a good choice! I also received some sales on my 1000Markets account, which was unexpected but very exciting :) They weren't kidding when they said sales start to pick up in the fall and winter!

Also, I've been back and forth between my place here in GA to Athens, GA and I just have to say I love it SO MUCH. I've been thinking for a long time about taking a few art and jewelry classes over at UGA after I graduate this year from Sewanee. Sewanee is a great place, but it just doesn't have the art and jewelry classes that I feel I could really benefit from. And I LOVE the town of Athens. Most importantly though, a few of my best friends are there and I just feel so comfortable and welcomed every time I visit... something that Sewanee and my place here in Woodstock is beginning to lack.

This also sounds crazy, but I really want to bar tend for a few years as well. I think I'm going to get a bartending job somewhere and work during the night and do the jewelry thing during the day to see if I can't keep it going and really get it started.

Gross... see what senior year has done to me? It's gotten me into "Future Career Mode." Haha, no wonder I want to stay in school a little bit longer!

Oh well, I've been crazy productive jewelry wise, so once we have a clear day here I'll get some pictures taken and show you what I've been up to! In the meantime, I've been featured on not one, but TWO fantastic blogs!! Be sure to take a look!!

You can find the first feature here. This blog is incredible.. You'll see some of the most amazing mosaics EVER! Go check it out!
The second feature is entirely my work! This blog is also pretty great! It's called LunaGirls and it features a new artist every week! You can check it out here.

So check these blogs out and give them a follow! I've enjoyed reading them both!

peace and love,

Katie

p.s. I'm going to try to hold a free contest giveaway here sometime this week! So keep an eye out for that :)

My first giveaway EVER!

2009-08-05T14:58:00.002-04:00

Hey hey!

So today marks my first ever giveaway contest! Once I get a few more blog followers I'll start having them on my blog, but for now... I am holding it on my Facebook Fan Page. Everyone is free to enter! Just 'Become a Fan' and you can find the contest rules and entry section under the "Discussion" tab! You can find my fan page HERE.

Other than that, I've finally started going back to the gym constantly to get ready for school. My gym offers these awesome group classes, and I think I've become addicted. Has anybody else done RPM spin classes or any other LesMilles classes? I LOVE THEM! They are soooo soooo hard and tiring, but they are so much fun. But let me just say that if you have problems with a nocturnal sleeping schedule (like I do), just go to the gym a couple times a day haha. I have been OUT by about 10:00 every night since I started going!

Hope everyone is having a good week! I love hearing from all of you!

peace & love,

Katie

New Start!

2009-08-03T20:53:00.002-04:00

Hey hey!

I just wanna say thanks again to all of you who read and comment! It makes it a lot easier knowing somebody is listening, haha.

Well this weekend was great, but sooooo long. Art fairs are one of my favorite things in the world because you actually get to see real live people's reactions to your work, which is always motivating AND it lets me know which of my things draw the most attention. The only downside is that now I am soo tired and everything is packed up again, which means I have to unpack in order to start creating.

I realized that I only have 3 weeks until I go back to start my final year of school at the University of the South. WOW, these 4 years went fast! It motivates me even more to get Katie's Basement up and running so I can have something to turn my sights to after college. It's going to be near impossible to juggle senior year work with all this, but something that I feel like I really need to do. We'll see how it goes! I believe.

I'm all filled up until then though... A few more business trips to surrounding boutiques, a visit to Athens, GA to see my friends one last time before school, and all that packing I have to do...

But yes, I hope everyone had a great Monday! And I hope y'all have the best week ever!

peace and love,

Katie

Back From Raleigh!

2009-07-31T12:24:00.004-04:00

Hey hey!

I'm back from Raleigh, and let me just say what a great trip it was! Very successful! I'm so excited to finally see some change and progress! I get to come back to some good news too, because I am being featured in a couple different places! Y'all should all check them out, because the blogs are great and the treasury is BEAUTIFUL!

So first thing's first! I am being featured in a pretty sweet blog right now. I swung by to check out my feature, and ended up reading for about 30 minutes! This blog is SO interesting and she has such great taste. I definitely followed and you should too! Check it out at this link. Again with the hemp bracelets! Haha, maybe I should switch over for good.. Everyone seems to like them!

I'm also currently in TWO treasuries! This one is my favorite.. the theme is "Rivers" and everything in it is absolutely beautiful... I want to buy everything, haha. You can check out this treasury here. My "Flowing River" anklet is being featured front and center!

This weekend is going to be busy busy busy, so I better get back to work! Hope all of you have a fantastic weekend and get some better weather than we have here in Atlanta!

Peace and Love,

Katie

First Boutique: A Success!!

2009-07-29T16:37:00.005-04:00

Hey hey everyone!

I just got back a few hours ago from my first boutique visit in Raleigh on this business trip and I am proud to say it was a success! We managed to negotiate a home for 28 pieces!!! TWENTY-EIGHT! I am beyond excited! The store is SO cool... it's called Get Dressed in Raleigh, NC. Some is consignment, and others are 6-month or longer vendors, and still others are the sel

lers of vintage clothes/shoes. The whole store consists of very etsy-ish stuff. Lots of soldered jewelry, upcycled jewelry, and vintage stuff. The clothing though is out of this world! There is a TON of bohemian, hippie-looking shirts... haha, MY TYPE OF THING!

But yeah, I was surprised that the pieces they were most interested in were my upcycled and recycled jewelry and my hemp jewelry! Who knew? I have always enjoyed those 2 lines the most out of all of my creations, so I can't wait to get home and start on more to bring in! Being creative, saving the planet, and making other people happy... what's better than that?

Tomorrow is another busy day... visits in the morning, flying back to ATL in the evening, and then spending all night getting set up for my big art market this weekend!

....... not too sure when sleep is going to fit in there, though.

I'm just so excited to finally start seeing some success. It really helps to hear those compliments, to have people ask to buy your stuff, and to hear all the uplifting comments people give like hearts on your items and compliments in the forums or over the phone. It makes getting up in the morning so much easier when you know people are looking forward to your next move. So THANK YOU to each and every person that has helped support me and my work! Readers, that means you! THANKS!!!!

Peace & Love,

Katie

p.s. To make things even better... guess who was in downtown Raleigh about 1 mile from me? PRESIDENT OBAMA! How cool is that?

Katie isn't the brightest when it comes to blogging....

2009-07-27T23:07:00.005-04:00

Wow, I just had such a moment! Haha, I kept missing comments because I didn't have a notification turned on! So sorry if I missed your comments! I'm all set now, so I won't be missing any more.

Thanks everyone for following and your comments are the absolute best!

Peace and Love,

Katie

New Earrings!

2009-07-27T15:23:00.003-04:00

Hey all!

Sorry it's been a little while since I last posted, things have been so busy! This past weekend I got a chance to hang out with 2 of my best friends that just graduated, so I'm just so glad that we're actually doing stuff together! I would DIE if we lost touch. Growing up is the worst, haha.

BUT, I have some very very very exciting news! I am on my way back to Raleigh in a few days on a business trip! Yeah that's right! A few boutiques in Raleigh have taken interest in my jewelry and want to set up some appointments to talk about purchasing some! I am so excited! I love Raleigh, it's such an untapped art market that seems like it's about to take off, so the timing is perfect for all of this!

Check out my newest listing too if you get a chance, here. They are some pretty awesome shell earrings that remind me of the beach all year round. I love to wear them in the fall!

But yeah, I hope you all have a great day and an even better week! Get ready for a contest very soon, I just have to pick out the right piece of jewelry as a prize!

peace and love always,

Katie

2009-07-21T16:12:00.004-04:00

Woohoo!!

My favorite peace is currently being featured in a treasury! You guys should all check it out, the theme is "Summer of '69" and it's so retro and bohemian. I love everything shown in it!

Go give it a look! Also, check out my newest addition to the shop! It's a buri seed necklace focused around an encased leaf. One of my favorites and most popular items! Let me know if you all like it! It's called "Mother Earth in a Necklace"

Hope you all enjoy! Have a great day, I know I am so far!

peace and love,

Katie

2009-07-09T09:10:00.002-04:00

On my way back to Atlanta! What a fun trip :)

What a gloomy day here in Charlotte though, when I get back I'm gonna make some rain cloud earrings!! Oh well, it's on the road again... bye Charlotte!

peace and love,

Katie

Exciting Day Today!

2009-07-09T00:44:00.005-04:00

Hey hey!

Well today has been pretty great! I left my wonderful city of Atlanta to visit Charlotte, NC for the night! What a beautiful place... I really like it a lot. This is actually my first time being here, so it's pretty exciting :)

Today was not without work though, here are some of the things I've been working on for the past couple of days! First is the start of my recycled line! As many of you know, I already have some recycled glass earrings in my shop, like these... But these bracelets are my first listings that include recycled newspaper! Check them out:

But my favorite creation of the day would have to be this bracelet! It's called "Ice" and it resulted in me making something that reminded me of the winter since it has been so incredibly hot out lately in Hot-lanta, haha.

Well I hope everyone had a GREAT day... As soon as I get more official followers we'll be having our FIRST GIVEAWAY! So get ready to win some free Katie's Basement jewelry :)

peace and love,

Katie

Etsy<30

2009-07-07T14:15:00.002-04:00

Hey hey!

So exciting news today! Last night and this morning, I have gotten involved with the GREATEST group of people on Etsy! It's a group of young sellers (everyone is under 30 years old) and we are working on putting a team together. Not just a team, but we already have 2 treasuries, a blog, and a Twitter page! Wow! These guys are awesome.

I'm really looking forward to meeting and getting to know some younger sellers like myself, because it seems like almost everyone I run into outside of Etsy is wayyyy older than me. It'll be nice to see other successful sellers that are like me!

I'm so excited about it!

More pictures of my work to come later today, I promise!

peace and love,

Katie

2009-07-06T21:54:00.002-04:00

Hello all!

So.. any other etsy sellers read the article about Etsy that was just posted in Fortune Small Business magazine? Not gonna lie, it paints Etsy in a pretty bad light..

peace and love,

Katie

It's go time!!

2009-07-01T22:23:00.004-04:00

WOW, have I been busy the past couple of days! I don't even know where to start really... Between my etsy life, my real life, and my constant creations I haven't had any time to just sit and relax. I would KILL for a pause button sometimes, wouldn't you all?

Things have been busy, but I'm loving every minute of it. This is the first time I've actually had a chance to get this business off the ground, and I am so surprised at the success and how fast it is taking off. It's very very exciting when your dreams come true!!!!! I LOVE IT!

I'm in the process of revamping my entire shop.. New logo, new packaging, new banners, new avatar... everything! I'm really excited about it. I'm working with an extremely talented etsy designer! You can check out her shop here. I'm very excited to see what she comes up with for me! Who know

s, the banners and cards she is designing now could very well be all over the country one day! It doesn't hurt to dream big!

Things I've done to up my game lately:

I created a twitter page for my website! Follow me and I'll be sure to follow you! My twitter name is Katiesbasement!
I'm working on a virtual booth at Cafe Handmade, one of the coolest blogs around. Check it out if you haven't already.
LIVING on Etsy, haha

If I've learned anything, it's to re-list and re-list often. .. so that's my main goal. Thanks to all you readers too! Once I get a few more followers I'll start with the

free give-aways!

I'll aim for at least one every month and one lucky reader will

receive one of my pieces!

OH, and I just got some vintaj brass pieces! So be looking forward to that!

peace and love,

Katie

2009-06-29T20:15:00.003-04:00

Hello all!

What a busy weekend! I finished up my swim season this past weekend and managed to visit my best friend who has just gotten set up in his new place! Then today, I went to White Water the biggest water park in my area with some swim team friends.

There was one thing that all of this AND the creation for today have in common. THE SUN. It was so unbelievably hot this weekend! Entirely too hot. So I finally found a use for some findings I've been holding on to for a while and created these simple, but loud earrings.

I call them, Here Comes the Sun after one of my favorite beatles songs. You can find them online at my etsy shop!

Hope everyone else out there isn't burning up as much as I have been! I'll definitely be enjoying the indoors for a few days!

peace and love,

Katie

2009-06-25T23:30:00.001-04:00

Michael Jackson?!?!?! Really?

R.I.P. man..

Switching gears...

2009-06-24T20:59:00.003-04:00

Heyyy all!

I attended my first virtual lab on Etsy today. Technology sure has come a long way! Who thought I could attend a virtual class and get all of my questions answered in person by someone so far away! It's pretty far out and AMAZING! I can't wait to take more classes like that!

Tonight I've decided to branch out from my usual artistic endeavors. When I first started with wire jewelry and earrings I began with copper wire in smaller gauges, but the past 6 months or so I have switched to silver, thicker gauge wires. So tonight I'm pulling out my old wires, some scrap beads, turning on some Janis and some Jimi and getting to work! We'll see what comes of it!

My coaching is almost done for the summer! This is the last week and although I'll miss the kids, I am SO ready to be done with it. That means I can focus all my time on Katie's Basement! The goal for this summer is going to be to get at least 10 sales on my newly created Etsy account, try out 4 more craft shows (other than the ones I frequent now), and possibly get my work into a boutique here in Woodstock! Lofty goals I know, but I believe I can do it!

peace and love,

Katie

New Item

2009-06-23T14:24:00.002-04:00

Hey hey,

I just uploaded a new item to my websites (Katie's Basement, Artfire, and Etsy!). It's one of those pieces that I originally made for my own personal style. I never thought I'd get so many compliments and questions about them!

So check them out. They are earrings made from recycled glass and the recycled leftover hemp from other hemp projects I've been working on.

We'll see how they do in my shops!

peace and love,

Katie

First Post!!

2009-06-23T12:19:00.002-04:00

Hey hey!

So this is my first official blog post. Welcome to the Katie's Basement blog! I will periodically update this blog to keep my customers and bloggers up to date on the things I am currently working on.

A little bit about me:

I LOVE:

*animals

*orange

*chocolate chip milkshakes

*anything to do with the 60s (music, fashion, ideas, ALL of it!)

*all forms of art

*music

*swimming

*roller coasters

*tea

*the beach

*tie dye!

I HATE:

*drama

*thunderstorms

*little dogs

*babies

*war

*baseball

*pepsi products

*spiders

*smores

*FEET

I'm currently a senior at Sewanee: University of the South located in Tennessee. I also coach a swim team of kids aging from 5-18! I have been making jewelry for almost my entire life, but just decided last year that I was going to make jewelry my future. I've decided that making jewelry is my passion and something I'm ready to commit to completely! So about a year and a half ago, I created my company Katie's Basement and couldn't be happier. I've expanded my art form from the simple hemp necklaces I made in my younger years to include all types of jewelry such as wire working, gemstones, soldering, and most recently "upcycled" jewelry made from recycled items.

As of now, Katie's Basement is back in business after a hiatus in the fall while I finished up my junior year of school. This summer I have really began working my hardest to make Katie's Basement the best it can be!

So keep an eye on my blog! I'll not only post my most recent projects, but also new techniques and new designs that I come up with! Also, come here for the most up to date information concerning Katie's Basement!

peace and love,

Katie