Captain's Message: Despite Adversity, Be of Good Cheer

Source: PlumStreetPrints on Etsy

The Church website features a small page titled "Despite Adversity, Be of Good Cheer," featuring quotes by the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Here is a selection from Elder Robert D. Hales:

“In the school of mortality, the tutor is often pain and tribulation, but the lessons are meant to refine and bless us and strengthen us, not to destroy us,” Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles says. “There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand, and He waits for us to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. I testify that if we will be obedient and if we are diligent, our prayers will be answered, our problems will diminish, our fears will dissipate, light will come upon us, the darkness of despair will be dispersed, and we will be close to the Lord and feel of His love and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost."

I hope that when you read this short message you will feel the Spirit confirm the truth. It is so vital to know that Jesus understands everything we experience, and that our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to communicate with Him through prayer. They love us unconditionally and want our growth and happiness.

Please read the Church website page, "Despite Adversity, Be of Good Cheer." Be uplifted and have a wonderful week!

- Rachelle

Team Member Interview: RedSnake

Sara of RedSnake on Etsy, and her adorable dog Lizzie

Name: Sara Haubrock
Location: Richmond, VA
Etsy Shop: www.RedSnake.etsy.com
Pinterest: pinterest.com/redsnake/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Snake/120825211339274?sk=wall
FYI Blog readers: There's a coupon code on her Facebook page for 10% off in her shop!

Rachelle: Tell me a little about yourself:
Sara: I lived in northern California until I was almost 12, and in Richmond, VA since then. I'm 28 (29 next month!), still single, and working full-time as an admin assistant in a mortgage company. I've been a big-time animal-lover since I was little (that's my dog, Lizzie in the photo with me), and I got my Bachelor's degree from BYU-Provo in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation in December 2005. I'm also a bit of a tree-hugger, so I try to make my jewelry-making hobby as eco-friendly as possible by avoiding waste and always reusing packaging material. In recent months I've started learning how to do needle-felting, kumihimo braiding, and loom-knitting. At various times throughout my life, I've also dabbled in horseback riding, ballet, modern dance, painting, drawing, and gardening.

Rachelle: How would you describe your work/shop? Who should definitely stop by?
Sara: My jewelry designs currently include a range of styles, from edgy, modern, or a little bit goth to delicate, feminine, and pretty. My inspiration comes from lots of different places, including favorite tv shows (Abby of NCIS provides lots of inspiration!), things I see in a magazine, or favorite finds on Etsy. Because of that variety, I think everyone should definitely stop by! I try to keep my prices affordable, too, and I'm planning on adding a lot more new stuff to the shop over the next few months.

A selection of my favorites from RedSnake of Etsy

Rachelle: How did you pick your Etsy name?
Sara: Hmm, good question! It's a pretty boring story, actually. When I was first trying to decide on a shop name, I had a pet Beta fish who was a beautiful bright red color. I happened to be watching him swim around his tank while I was thinking about a name, and I came up with idea of naming the shop Red Fish. But I wanted something unique, so I searched Etsy for shops with "redfish" in the name,and it turned out that there were several that already had that name. So then I decided to change it to Red Snake, because I've had a soft spot for snakes ever since I worked as a reptile keeper at BYU's life science museum. I loved that job!

Rachelle: What brought you to Etsy?
Sara: I don't specifically remember how I found Etsy, but I stumbled onto it a couple years ago when I started playing around with jewelry making. I knew very quickly that I had found the perfect way to fund my new jewelry-making addiction - open an Etsy shop and sell my creations! Etsy makes it so easy to do and there's a great sense of support and encouragement from the Etsy community. I'm definitely still learning as I go. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) joining Etsy only created more new addictions for me - shopping on Etsy, creating treasuries on Etsy, and otherwise playing with all that Etsy has to offer! It's proven to be an expensive but fun part of my life! So far, I definitely spend more money than I make on Etsy, but I think it's worth it for the enjoyment I get from it!

Rachelle: What keeps you motivated?
Sara: Truthfully, I think it's mostly the innate human desire to create. I believe that we as human beings and children of God have a deep innate urge to create something that wasn't there before, especially something beautiful or useful. It's part of our divine nature. So that's what drives me a lot. I think I crave that sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing a finished product that I've made. I've also recently joined several Etsy teams, which provide a lot of motivation and encouragement in the form of advice, compliments, and support from teammates.

Rachelle: Any tips for other sellers or things you wish you had known when starting?
Sara: I recommend getting involved and connecting with other Etsy users. For me, that meant joining a few teams, which I didn't start doing until recently, and it's definitely improved my Etsy experience. The key is finding the teams that are right for you. Good choices are ones that you have something in common with, whether it be location, types of products you sell, or religion. It's also important to read the team's rules and browse their discussion threads a bit before joining, to get a feel for what the team is like, what activities they have going on, and to make sure you're comfortable with the level of involvement required by the team.

Other good tips are to always work on improving your product photography (mine still needs a lot of work, but I'm trying!) and use tags well, both on your products and on treasuries you create.

Sara's Favorite from her shop, RedSnake

What are your three favorite Etsy shops?
How in the world can you choose just three??? I have dozens of favorite Etsy shops and all of them are amazing! But for the sake of this question, here are the three I've chosen to share:

· Yes and Amen - www.etsy.com/shop/YesandAmen (I kid you not, whenever I'm depressed, I go browse this shop or her blog. All the cute pictures of adorable little lambs inevitably make me smile!)

· Real Butterfly Gifts - www.etsy.com/shop/REALBUTTERFLYGIFTS (the products in this shop offer a gorgeous up-close look at the miracle of nature)

· Ginaminda - www.etsy.com/shop/ginaminda (I have a bit of an addiction to fingerless gloves, and this shop has a great selection)

Rachelle: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Sara: Hopefully, in 10 years I'll be happily married with a couple of cute kids, working as a full-time stay-at-home wife and mom, but I would have said the exact same thing if you had asked me this question 10 years ago, and I don't seem to be any closer to achieving that dream now than I was then. So you really never know what life will throw at you. But ideally, that's where I'd want to be, and I'd also love to have some free time to work on arts and crafts and play on Etsy, and while I'm dreaming, I'd also like to have a couple of dogs and a pet snake and a comfortable house with enough land to have a large fruit and vegetable garden and maybe a few alpacas, and the time to take care of it all! But if none of that happens in the next 10 years, then wherever I am and whatever I'm doing, I'd really just like to be able to say that I don't have any major regrets. As long as I can know that I'm living the way Heavenly Father wants me to, then I'll be ok.

Captain's Message: The Virtue of Kindness

Image from persimmonandpink on Etsy: 5x7 giclee print

As I have settled into my new role as the Captain of the LDS Etsy Team, I have been thinking about what is needed to do to organize things. Some “house-keeping” needs to be done for the team (and will always need to be maintained!) With a team so large and diverse, it can be overwhelming to identify a direction or purpose. Luckily, I have other Team Leaders to help me, and through speaking with them and personal thought, I feel compelled to share this message which is about the Church, but I also feel applies to the Team:

“The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things, or have perfect thoughts, or have perfect feelings. The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement, support, and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father.

Each one of us will travel a different road during this life. Each progresses at a different rate. Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all. Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another.

Never look down on those who are less perfect than you. Don’t be upset because someone can’t sew as well as you, can’t throw as well as you, can’t row or hoe as well as you.

We are all children of our Heavenly Father. And we are here with the same purpose: to learn to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask, “How well am I doing in helping others reach their potential? Do I support others in the Church, or do I criticize them?”

If you are criticizing others, you are weakening the Church. If you are building others, you are building the kingdom of God. As Heavenly Father is kind, we also should be kind to others.”

-From “The Virtue of Kindness” by Joseph B. Wirthlin, April 2005 Conference

This message is important; I would like our Etsy team to encourage and build one another with kindness. I would like for us to be a source of strength, comfort, and knowledge for one another. This sort of caring environment will improve our entire Etsy experience, which is my ultimate hope. Please remember that we all travel this road at different speeds and in different ways, but that we ultimately are in this together to help one another.

- Rachelle Sharp, LDS Etsy Team Captain

Spiritual Thought: He Is Risen

I have been thinking about some of the recent tragedy that has occurred in the world, specifically the recent earthquakes in Japan. I am sure you have thought of the heartbreaking tragedy too.

Now the Easter holiday season is upon us and I have been reading about the subject of The Resurrection. Here is a wonderful passage that really touched me regarding both the subjects of tragedy and Resurrection and I hope it will affect you as well.

"Whenever the cold hand of death strikes, there shines through the gloom and the darkness of that hour the triumphant figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, He, the Son of God, who by his matchless and eternal power overcame death. He is the Redeemer of the world. He gave His life for each of us. He took it up again and became the firstfruits of them that slept. He, as King of Kings, stands triumphant above all other kings. He, as the Omnipotent One, stands above all rulers. He is our comfort, our only true comfort, when the dark shroud of earthly night closes about us as the spirit departs the human form.

Towering above all mankind stands Jesus the Christ, the King of glory, the unblemished Messiah, the Lord Emmanuel. In the hour of deepest sorrow we draw hope and peace and certitude from the words of the angel that Easter morning, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matthew 28:6)."

- Taken from This Glorious Easter Morn, by Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1996

Sunday Spotlight: Maybe Matilda

I love the pictures from this beautiful shop
MAYBE MATILDA on Etsy

www.maybe-matilda.blogspot.com,
my twitter name is @maybematilda,
and my family blog is jeffryandrachel.blogspot.com
maybematildaquilts@gmail.com

How did you get started on Etsy?

I decided to start selling my work on etsy after it started to pile up in my house--I was sewing baby quilts and crocheting baby hats faster than I could give them away or use them! I've loved being able to share my hobbies with others through etsy.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in New York, got my BA in English from BYU, got married, moved to Iowa for my husband to attend chiropractic school, went to massage school, worked as a massage therapist for a while, and just had my first baby--a sweet little boy who, much to daddy's chagrin, has been modeling my girls' crochet hats since birth. He's definitely earning his keep.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Hmm, good question. Are there other hobbies out there? Other than sewing and crocheting, I love baking, reading, thrift store shopping, restoring old ugly furniture and home decor, and am trying to figure out photography. It's a sloooow process.

What first made you want to become an artist?

My mom tried for years to teach me to sew and it was always a disaster. I finally tackled it on my own as an adult and loved it, and picked up crochet shortly after. It's so rewarding to create something and have other people appreciate it!

Please describe your creative process.

My creative process . . . well, it often starts with seeing a picture of something I love but can't afford, and I think to myself, "I wonder if I could make something similar." Being on a student budget has its perks!

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

I completely cherish a quilt my mom made for me when I was a little girl--in fact, it's still on my bed now. And since I quilt, too, I know just how much time and work and love went into every stitch. That quilt is priceless to me! It inspired me to make a quilt for my baby while I was pregnant, and I hope that he'll treasure it just as much.

How do you promote your work?

I'm definitely lacking in the promotion department. I have a rather neglected shop blog (www.maybe-matilda.blogspot.com) and a twitter page (twitter.com/maybematilda), and I sell my work at the Bungalow Boutique on Main Street in Heber City, Utah.

Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy.

Tough question, especially since they change so often.

Top five books of the moment are Peace Like a River, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Poisonwood Bible, Corelli's Mandolin, and Love in the Time of Cholera.

Top five movies: Everything is Illuminated, Lars and the Real Girl, Slumdog Millionaire, Hairspray, and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (it's dumb, I know, but a classic in my heart).

Top five musicians: Corinne Bailey Rae, Michael Buble, Carrie Underwood, aaaaand . . . hm, I guess it's just going to be top 3 musicians.

Top five websites: designspongeonline.com, oneprettything.com, theboard.byu.edu, creaturecomfortsblog.com, and, of course, I spend way too much time on facebook!

How does your faith influence your work on Etsy?

Definitely haven't considered this before. I guess that I wouldn't have gotten started on etsy at all if it weren't for the creativity and sense of industry instilled in me by my mother, which I have always thought of as very LDS traits.

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?

I still consider myself new to etsy! My advice would be to have confidence in yourself--I would (and often still do) feel nervous to put my work in the public arena; it's scary to make that leap and say, "I created this, I think it's beautiful and valuable," without knowing if others will agree. Also, I have met so many friendly, wonderful people on etsy in the forums and teams--don't be nervous to get to know people and make some online buddies!

In ten years, where would you like to be?

No offense to my fellow Iowans, but hopefully not in Iowa. I can't take another Midwestern winter . . . you natives out here are tough stock. I'd like to have a happy family, a cozy home (in a decent climate!), and lots of time for creating handmade goodies!

What is your favorite item from your shop?

My current favorite could be my fingerless gloves (http://www.etsy.com/listing/65042963/burgundy-fingerless-gloves) or the little critter hat (http://www.etsy.com/listing/64489351/custom-crochet-bear-earflap-hat), but I love them all!

What are your top five favorite shops on etsy?

I find myself always coming back to
http://www.etsy.com/shop/fishandlotus,
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lirola,
http://www.etsy.com/shop/creativethursday,
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RachelleD, and
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaobellaphotography

How has selling on etsy changed your life?

I've loved being able to sell my work and get the reassurance that other people love and appreciate it, too, and be able to expand my talents and challenge myself. It's exciting to think that women and kids all over the country are wearing my hats or snuggling in a quilt I created for them. Makes me feel a little more well-traveled :-)