Blogger(s) wanted!

Made on the Left is looking for volunteers to help with our blog dedicated to promoting handmade WA design.
We require bloggers for a few different areas:

Gift Guide blogger
It will be your job to collate gift guides comprised of WA made products for various occasions e.g. Mothers Day. It would be useful if you are familiar with WA makers and their products. You will be required to compile the image to accompany the post.

Profile blogger
It will be your job to create posts centred on people in the WA handmade scene. You can email them questions or interview them personally, it's up to you. This would suit someone interested in writing/journalism/photography.

Opportunities blogger
It will be your job to inform WA makers of upcoming opportunities or items of interest e.g. market stallholder callouts, interesting exhibitions, crafty workshops, etc. You will need to make slight edits to text and source or create appropriate accompanying images.

If you are enthusiastic about WA arts and interested in being part of our volunteer team, please email admin@madeontheleft.com with the area(s) you would like to help us with.

Thanks for your support!

About Made on the Left
Made on the Left is a not-for-profit association founded by independent designers in 2008 to support Western Australian creative talent. The association aims to support all WA-based creative designers, artists, craftspeople and independent labels, by sharing information and creating events.

Re-Love Project Part 2

Stage one of the Made on the Left Re-Love Project was finding our piece of furniture.

Stage two was getting it back to a bare timber surface. We had to remove the varnish by sanding it… and sanding it and sanding it! So much sanding! The trickiest bits were the details in the base and armrest bars. But we did it!



After the sanding was done, we wiped it down with a damp cloth to remove all the dust and then we applied a surface sealer - Feast Watson Proofseal.
Next step - the fun bit!

Re-Love Project Part 1

Last year we redid an old school desk as part of the Feast Watson Re-Love Project and this year we were asked to do it all again!

This time we chose a big old rocking chair and we're going to work our magic on it before it's auctioned off to raise money for the Salvos Stores.

We'll keep you updated on how it's going!

Check out the other participating designers and their projects here.

Do you have an Etsy or Madeit shop?

Do you have an Etsy or Madeit shop? If you don’t have one, and you want one, then what’s stopping you? There’s no time like the present to start making your dreams a reality.

Cross Stitch Jewellery Blank - rabbit shape by osmosis on Etsy

Lots of our Made on the Left blog readers are big handmade fans that dream about selling their own designs but haven’t fully committed to taking that step of opening an online shop and filling it with what they make. So why not? What are you waiting for? Turning your craft into a thriving business is really hard work but opening an online shop and selling what you make on there is a simple step that doesn’t require masses of time and dedication.

You can just start with listing one item.

Don’t keep your amazing designs hidden from view. Get out there and show everyone what you can do to the rest of the world. Once you start you’ll see that you really can do it. Start small but dream big.

Tall Rabbit panda brooch on Etsy

And it doesn’t take much time either. Just a commitment of 15 minutes a day will get you slowly but steadily to a fantastic looking shop full of products you have made with your own two hands. The feeling of satisfaction and joy it will give you is indescribable.

Some Etsy and Madeit sellers have been able to quit their day jobs and work from home doing what they love the most. Others take it easy and sell what they make as a hobby, using the profits from each sale to buy more materials. It’s the perfect hobby, one that pays for itself.

It doesn’t matter where you want to end up, now is the time to start it. Take action. Dream big and take those small steps to a creatively satisfying lifestyle.

Head over to Etsy or Madeit today and open that account.

Jacquie Hughes is on the Made on the Left committee and is the founder of delightsociety.com

5 Things All Crafters Need On Their Website Home Page

Having your own website is a great way to tell your brand story in as much or as little detail as you like. It gives you the opportunity to showcase your products however you like and is also a great place for you to connect with buyers and direct them to whatever information they need. 

It’s also is a great place to sell, free from listing charges and competition. But what if you have your products for sale on your website but they’re not selling as well as you’d like? Here are 5 simple things to include on your home page to make sure you really are being found by customers and directing them to where they need to go to make a purchase.

1. A link to your shop 

Sounds obvious but is sometimes forgotten. Make sure the link is easy to see and completely obvious. If it’s not in your header then make sure you put it there asap. Also add another link somewhere else on the page such as a clickable image or in any text.

And if you have any images or text of a product make sure that links to the product in the shop so a customer can easily find it and buy it.

If you offer wholesale and sell to retail outlets don’t forget to include really easy-to-find links to both those sections on your homepage. Don’t make wholesale customers search for your wholesale page or expect shoppers to know you have products in shops if it’s not obvious to them.

Make it super obvious. 

2. At least one paragraph of text on your page that includes several keywords.

This should be in text, not within an image or in Flash/PDF. The text is there for the benefit of Google so it can place you in search queries so make sure there are plenty of references to your keywords. Keywords are words customers use when searching for your products. They are sometimes very obvious (your name, what you sell) and sometimes a little less easy to think of (a description or feeling of your brand). Below is the text you can find on my website homepage. All keywords I used have been bolded to make them easy for you to see. 

Delight Society is an artisan soap company which stays very close to the simply natural while being a long walk and two bus trips from the frankly artificial. Using only natural ingredients Delight Society produces bath and body products which are free from Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Synthetics, Parabens and Palm Oil. Hand crafted in Western Australia each product is carefully prepared to be gentle and nourishing on your skin such as handmade soaps, decadent body scrubs, skin loving body oils and kid friendly bubble baths. Delight Society also sells to wholesale clients; providing handmade products of high quality to companies who are looking for unique and luxurious items.

Buy Delight Society products straight from the source or from these retailers. 

These aren’t my only keywords throughout the website but they the major ones for what I sell. The first step is to make a list of keywords that shoppers will use when searching for products that you sell. Then build a paragraph around those keywords and add it to your home page. Include inbound links when necessary.

3. Social media links 

This encourages customer interaction and by making it easy for customers to “Like” your Facebook page they will be more likely to do so. Put them in an easy-to-see spot, such as the header, footer, a side bar or wherever they will be easily seen.

4. Constant new content 

By constantly changing some information on your homepage you become increasingly attractive to search engines. Content is king when it comes to being found on the internet so make sure your changes are positive and contain your keywords. The easiest way to do this is to have a blog/Facebook/Twitter feed directly on your home page. Then every time you update your social media it immediately updates on your homepage. Wordpress and other open source platforms have widgets for this but if your website was made by a professional developer then it will not be difficult for them to add this feature in.

5. Amazing photography 

This can’t be emphasised enough. My photography skills are really not as good as I’d like them to be so I stick to simple product shots and am slowly building up a collection of “behind the scenes/lifestyle” shots that I can add in as I go.

If you don’t have a lot of great photographs, start with your very best images and put only them on your home page. Keep updating them as you go, this is also great for SEO. Don’t put any poor quality photos on your home page...ever.

Also name and tag your images correctly. This increases you being found in searches.

These five additions to your home page will help increase traffic and get sellers exactly where you want them...at your website. 

Jacquie Hughes is on the Made on the Left committee and is the founder of  delightsociety.com

December Etsy Team Challenge - VOTE NOW!

:: Edit :: The vote was closed 14th Jan, and the winner was ShinyRabbit Jackalope at Sunset Brooch! Congratulations Cynthia!

Silhouettes, Skeleton Keys and Gold

As part of an Etsy team challenge for Made on the Left, competitors had to design, make and list an item that fit at least one of the above "trends", according to Etsy.

We'd love you to vote for your favourite by the 10th of Jan, so take a peep by clicking on the pics!(Just a friendly reminder not to vote if you competed)

1	2	3
4	5	6

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

If you'd like to compete next time, and you're an etsy seller that makes their own items, join the MOTL etsy team and keep an eye on the discussion boards for the next announcement.



xx Lauren & The Team

Etsy Merch Challenge #3 (Jan)

Hi All,

Welcome to our first 2011 challenge!


We'll be having these little fun comps now and again for those in our Etsy Sellers Team. Come join us on the dark side, you'll need an etsy shop that sells west-aussie handmade.

The Prize



Set of three badges of the latest poster design, they'd set you back $5 normally, but if you win, all their pretty little faces are yours to keep! As another incentive, we will be featuring all entries in an Etsy treasury which will be featured on the blog, plus the winner will have their item featured solo on the blog... woo hoo! (If the winner has won previously, a different badge set will be offered)

The Task

As per Etsy's merchandising post for the month of January, we want you to create an item that falls under one or two (or all three!) of the following trends...

1. DIY kits and projects
2. cozy neutral colours (its winter in USA!)
3. diamonds

For example, you could create a x-stitch pattern, or make a beautiful cream scarf... maybe even whip up a t-shirt stencilled with a picture of a diamond... its up to your imagination!

We'll open them up to a vote here on the blog on the 11th of January, and close voting/announce the winner on the 21st.

What to do
1. be part of MOTL Etsy Team
2. make your item
3. photograph your item
4. list your item on Etsy
5. post the listing link here;
http://www.etsy.com/teams/5162/made-on-the-left/discuss/6727511/
6. vote, and cross your fingers!

Good Luck! If you have any questions please post them below.

xx Lauren & The Team

Etsy Merch Challenge #2 (DEC)

Hi All,

Welcome to our very belated and rushed second challenge! Apologies for that, interstate holidays are horrible for organisation!


We'll be having these little fun comps now and again for those in our Etsy Sellers Team. Come join us on the dark side, you'll need an etsy shop that sells west-aussie handmade.

The Prize



Set of three badges of the latest poster design, they'd set you back $5 normally, but if you win, all their pretty little faces are yours to keep! As another incentive, we will be featuring all entries in an Etsy treasury which will be featured on the blog, plus the winner will have their item featured solo on the blog... woo hoo! (If the winner has won previously, a different badge set will be offered)

The Task

As per Etsy's merchandising post for the month of December, we want you to create an item that falls under one or two (or three!) of the following trends...

1. silhouettes
2. skeleton keys
3. the colour gold

For example, you could stencil an elephant outline onto a cushion, or make a necklace out of skeleton keys and some great beads... maybe even a pair of gold hotpants! Its up to your imagination!

We'll open them up to a vote here on the blog on the 18th of December, and close voting/announce the winner on the 21st.

What to do
1. be part of MOTL Etsy Team
2. make your item
3. photograph your item
4. list your item on Etsy
5. post the listing link here;
http://www.etsy.com/teams/5162/made-on-the-left/discuss/6672851/
6. vote, and cross your fingers!

Good Luck! If you have any questions please post them below.

xx Lauren & The Team

November Etsy Team Challenge - VOTE NOW!

:: Edit :: The vote was closed 13th Dec, and the winner was Petrafanella's Arrow Wristwarmers by a mere 1 vote! Congratulations Peta!

'Honey Bees, Arrows and Vintage Cameras'

As part of an Etsy team challenge for Made on the Left competitors had to design, make and list an item that fit at least one of the above "trends" from Etsy's november merchandising post.

1 KylieO $8.00	2 petrafanella $25.00	3 Osier $37.00
4 iheartcharlie $29.00	5 ShinyRabbit $10.00	6 TallRabbit $12.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Make sure you click on the images to see them bigger and read all about them. Now all you have to do is vote for the winner by the 21st of December, and then we'll crown the winner.

which item rocks the hardest?
	1
	2
	3
	4
	5
	6
pollcode.com free polls

Just a friendly reminder not to vote if you competed. :)

If you'd like to compete next time, and you're an etsy seller that makes their own items, join the MOTL etsy team and keep an eye on the discussion boards for the next announcement.



xx Lauren & The Team

*Blows Party Whistle*

Please note;

1. We do not condone smoking
2. We do condone cake
3. We definitly condone reaching 100 blog followers! Yay!


Thanks All for a wonderful 100 follows, we love each and every one of you and hope that this blog has been able to help you with your stalls, let you know about opportunities, and just really be a great resource. Remember, if you hear about something, or have something you want to share with the rest of us, let us know.

xx Lauren & The Team

p.s. we've got a few new team members in the works, so we might have a group photo soon if we're lucky to show everyone new off, like shiny toys... lets hope they don't get scratched and dented too quick!

Faces Behind Made On The Left - Part 6 - Beth Wachla

We wanted to introduce to you our newest committee member of Made On The Left - Beth Wachla. Beth is an up and coming Perth designer who has been getting a lot of interest with her cool fabric skull brooches, and we are so excited to have her on board. On an official level Beth will take creative control of some future projects which we will release info about at a later date. It may include a spot of shopping and some informative reading. :)

Enough about that... for now I will introduce you to Beth!

Tell us a bit about you & your business.Hi, my name is Beth, I’m 27 and I create beaded jewellery and felt accessories under the label “the tiny little girl” whilst living in my tiny Perth flat with a houseplant named Herbert Greenleaf.I’m currently selling through Etsy, and have a couple of markets lined up (including the November Made on the Left of course!). Some of my skully brooches are soon to appear on www.shopmoose.com.au and I’m pretty excited about that. It’s one step at a time at the moment.What made you want to get involved with Made on the Left?

I wanted to get involved when I saw how hard the Made on the Left team were working to support West Australian design. I think it’s so important to be proud of where you come from, why should we have to move interstate or overseas when, if we work hard at it, we can find the recognition we want for our work right here in WA? I’m so happy to have been accepted into the team, and I plan to work my butt off to help achieve our goals.

What are your plans for the future?

Long long term I’d love to be able to quit my admin job and create and sell my crafts full time under the “the tiny little girl” label. In terms of Made on the Left I feel like I have a lot to learn as I’m jumping in later on in the game and the other members of the team are so much further along than me.I really want to help to make Made on the Left into something truly great. An organization that is able to support all West Aussie designers in a lot of different ways.What was the first thing you ever created?

I believe one of the first things I ever made was probably a tiny jacket for one of my monster finger puppet toys. My brother and I loved playing with them when we were kids and used to make tiny books for them to read and clothes for them to wear. Such fun!What inspires you?Embarrassingly I’m inspired by buying supplies! Scouring online stores for items I can use seems to bring the ideas forth. I try to buy the majority of my supplies on Etsy so that I can support little shop owners like myself.What do you think of Australian design?

I think Australian design is definitely on par with international design. We have some amazing artists in this country and I think that they’re starting to gain the recognition they deserve on the international market. Go Aussies!

What is the most important thing to you when you create your work?I love colour so it’s really important to me to include loads of colour in any piece I create. My flat looks like a rainbow exploded in it and I’d love for my work to reflect that feeling.Where do you see yourself in a years time?

In a years time I hope to be well on my way to supporting myself through my crafty endeavors. At the moment I work full time in an admin role, and then craft full time in the evenings and on weekends, and it’s quite exhausting! I’d love to be selling my work in stores all over the world, and to still feel as passionate about it all as I do right this second.

So, thankyou Beth for introducing yourself & coming on board with Made On The Left. I know it will be tough at first taking on your new role, but we are very excited to have another voice that will help us take our organization to the next level. We can't wait to tell everyone about our plans for 2009 and beyond!