~•♥•~This weeks TOP SHOP ~•♥•~ Bries Honeybees

~•♥•~

The TOP SHOP of the week is Bries Honeybees.

~•♥•~

Here is a little bit about this fabulous shop 
from Brie...

I am a floral designer and beekeeper in Los Angeles, CA. I opened the Etsy shop to offer design options and products for dried flowers in addition to my fresh flower work, and also offer beeswax candles and honey that can be shipped anywhere in the states.

A bit about our beekeeping...

When my husband and I learned about bees disappearing, we decided we wanted to do our part in helping save the bees even if it's just a small venture of backyard beekeeping. We decided to become beekeepers, and shortly after making the decision, a feral beehive showed up in a birdhouse at the end of our drive way, so we rescued them and put them in a proper hive where they can expand, and we moved them to an area where there is less foot traffic. They are happy, docile bees, and we follow a method of beekeeping where we let them do their thing, we regulate and observe and provide more hives when they grow, but we do not use pesticides or antibiotics on them.

We only take excess honey after they have survived winter, and I decided with this venture I wanted to create a line of candle holders from reclaimed wood and homemade beeswax products so nothing goes to waste after extracting honey. The idea is to have it available for online sales and farmer's markets locally. Thank you for supporting the cause of rescuing bees!

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit this TOP SHOP!

To find out how to be a TOP SHOP visit here

~•♥•~ 100 Views Or Sale ~ Round 41 ~•♥•~

~•♥•~

Let's get this product 100 VIEWS or a SALE.

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit Tender Sprout and ♥ these handmade wooden toys!

To view the team discussion about this challenge - visit here

~•♥•~

~•♥•~ This Weeks TOP SHOP ~•♥•~ Renee Originals 1

~•♥•~

The TOP SHOP of the week is Renee Originals 1.

~•♥•~

Here is a little bit about this fabulous shop 
from Sarah and Rebekah Jones ...

Rebekah and I have always enjoyed creating unique fashion accessories; we are very close sisters with different and yet complementary creative styles. Thus the creation of Renee Originals 1 has really allowed us to create unique crochet, beaded and even sewn accessories that complement many different styles.

When we were little our parents really nurtured our creative side, our mother not only taught herself how to crochet but us as well. This really instilled a love of this sometimes challenging yet rewarding craft. Thus you will see featured in our shop crocheted shawls, hats, scarfs and even Crochet wire jewelry. Our dad has always been really creative as well, whether that was making a working volcano with us for a school project, building racetracks for model cars or just little inventions to solve a specific problem. 


Our dads business and success driven mind has also really helped us to grab hold to the idea of not only doing what you love but making what you love work for you. And since Rebekah and I have never been ones to follow the crowd or buy the same things that everyone else is wearing, creating / running and managing our own business seemed like the logical choice.



Throughout our lives we have also dealt with the struggle of having sensitive skin and the negative effects that some jewelry has on those sensitivities. Thus we are proud to say that in our shop you will find numerous items clearly marked as "nickle free" or "hypoallergenic" so those with sensitivities can feel safe and secure in there purchase.


We really hope that you love what we create just as much as we do.

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit this TOP SHOP!

To find out how to be a TOP SHOP visit here

~•♥•~ This Weeks TOP SHOP ~•♥•~ Carto Creative

~•♥•~

The TOP SHOP of the week is Carto Creative.

~•♥•~

Here is a little bit about this fabulous shop...

CartoCreative is a shop where creativity and graphic design meet a burning passion for cartography.

Our story began in high school, when we met at a school for the arts. We immediately connected and talked about starting our own business where we could create affordable art people would be proud to hang in their homes. This dream has been developing over our ten years together and has now become a reality.

In university, I studied commerce and urban planning while my boyfriend and business partner did a double major in graphic design and cartography, completing his thesis in Italy.

Home barely long enough to repack our bags, we quickly began our globetrotting adventure. We taught English throughout Asia, road tripped across North America, backpacked through Europe, and helped build habitats in Africa, before returning to Ontario, Canada.

Upon our return, we began creating maps and skylines reminiscent of our adventures. In May of 2013, we participated in an artisan market and our work was a huge success. After completely selling out of prints within an hour, we decided it was time to open an Etsy shop and started building it that night.

We continue to create each map and skyline lovingly by hand, revisiting past memories and being introduced to destinations we have yet to discover. Each new city, offers a new place for us to explore. We digitize every print so that they can be customized to represent the connection each person has with a location, whether that be with a quote, a specially placed heart, or a path of their first date.

We are dedicated to creating high quality products and offering the best customer service because this journey includes you and we value every moment of it.

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit this TOP SHOP!

To find out how to be a TOP SHOP visit here

~•♥•~ 100 Views Or Sale ~ Round 38 ~•♥•~

~•♥•~

Let's get this product 100 VIEWS or a SALE.

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit Bagsy Me First and ♥ this wonderful Debutante Handbag!

To view the team discussion about this challenge - visit here

~•♥•~

~•♥•~ This Weeks TOP SHOP ~•♥•~ Second Shot

~•♥•~

TOP SHOP of the week is Second Shot!

Here is a little bit about this fabulous shop...

~•♥•~

Second Shot is a company that was born from a passion for Skateboarding and its culture. Created by John Gibson, husband, father of one and skateboarder since age 10; Second Shot happened organically in his shop at home in Ontario, Canada. 

Originally, John went to school for Auto Body Repair and spent the last ten years in that industry. Acquiring the necessary tools to work from his home shop, John took freelance jobs painting cars, customizing personal items from motorcycle helmets to guitars. Eventually he began to combine his work with his love for skateboarding, "Skate Art" hung proudly in his living room long before it had its name - what would eventually become "Second Shot".

Almost all skateboards are made from seven layers of cross laminated maple ply, with some of the layers dyed different colours depending on the brand and mfg. We collect the used, broken and unwanted skateboards from local skaters, skate parks and skate shops. Once the grip tape is removed the recycled skateboards are ready to be cut, sanded and given a 2nd Shot! When pieces from different skateboards are compressed together you get a one of a kind colourful piece of wood, which can be made into just about anything you can imagine, from bird sculptures to sunglasses and watches. Every item is handcrafted with extreme attention to detail by John. All orders are packaged and processed by his partner Lindsay.

Read more about us here in our Etsy Blog - Featured Shop
https://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2013/featured-shop-second-shot/

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit, fav, and share this TOP SHOP!

~•♥•~ Team Newsletter JUNE 2014 ~•♥•~

~•♥•~Hello and welcome to the June newsletter!~•♥•~

Can you believe it’s June already? Before you know it, it will be Christmas again!! But before that we have another big day coming up, next month will see our 1 year anniversary and we have over 2300 members. How amazing is that, 2300 shops all helping to support and promote each other. Thank you all for making this such a great team to be part of.

~~~~~Twitter~~~~~

We have a new team leader this month, Amy from AmyWonderland will be running our team twitter account. You can find it heretwitter.com/AfternoonTEA13 . A great way to interact with your team members and get retweeted is to use the #atcteam tag when posting on twitter. Use it to find other team members on twitter to follow and they will find you too. 

~~~~~Facebook~~~~~

Have you joined our Facebook group? If you haven’t pop on over, it’s a great place to chat and ask questions. This is a private group so you can ask help from your fellow team mates on anything. Clair Rigby from Obstinate Pursuits runs it for us and she also runs a brilliant Facebook Friday ~ this is a fabulous way to learn how to use Facebook to your advantage, especially if you are like me and not really sure how to use it! Lots of very useful tips and hints and tasks to get you on your Facebooking way.

www.facebook.com/groups/215152655327515/

~~~~~Google +~~~~~

Did you know that we have a Google+ page? Penny from Keneka runs this for us. Google+ is still unknown territory for many people and a little scary. Here is a link to an article explaining the advantages of being on Google+www.entrepreneur.com/article/232283 and the biggest advantage for me is that Google+ has it’s own search engine which the other social media outlets do not, so you are more likely to show up on search engine results pages. 

The team Google+ is hereplus.google.com/105262876667386430873/posts

Penny posts lots of helpful articles to help grow your business. Please pop over and follow and help grow this part of our team.

~~~~~Team Blog~~~~~

Emily from Cottage Sprout runs the team blog for us. Grab a cup of tea and have a read. Along with recent team news she has a TOP SHOP of the week. If you would like to be our top shop of the week on the blog then all you have to do is have a look around the blog, comment on a post or two. The shop of the week is pulled from people who comment so please don’t forget to add your shop name along with your comment so she can find you.

The team blog of course can be found here www.atctteam.blogspot.co.uk

~~~~~Pinterest~~~~~

TJ from Wickstead Family runs the pinterest boards for us. If you would like to be able to pin to the boards please follow and she will send an invite to you. Look out for the pinterest games she runs too, they are fun!

www.pinterest.com/afternoontea13/

www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/discuss/...

~~~~~Team Listings~~~~~

If you love making treasuries featuring your team mates then the team listings page is a great way to find themwww.etsy.com/people/ATCTTEAMFINDS/favorites/items-i-love?ref=favs_index_1 

Simply type what you are looking for in the search box and voila, lots of great items to choose from.

Currently we are at 415 pages which is amazing. If you would like the items from your shop added to this page please post a comment here www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/discuss/...

~~~~~Congratulations, Bravo~~~~~

Please let us know about exciting things happening to you and your shop or if you spot a team member on the front page or being featured, we have a thread dedicated to celebrating amazing milestones, features and exciting times.

www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/discuss/...

~~~~~Afternoon Tea Meet Ups~~~~~

www.meetup.com/Afternoon-Tea/events/178332202/

**St Regis Hotel, Houston ~ 7th June 3pm**

The first afternoon team meet up will be happening in the St Regis Hotel, Houston on June 7th. Lindsey our lovely Team Captain will be there, there are still a few spaces left so if you are in the area and fancy a proper posh tea experience here is the meet up link. 

**Bake Shop & Café, Cypress ~ 19th June 12pm-3pm**

Lindsey and several team members will be meeting at this fun unique café for lunch on the 19th June. 

You can rsvp both these events at the meet up link above.

We hope you all have a wonderful time at these meet ups, I for one am very jealous, they look like fabulous venues and of course you get to meet some lovely team members. I can’t wait to hear how the meets ups went.

~~~~~Daily Thread Games~~~~~

There are some daily threads run by the team leaders for you all to join in and promote your shops.

Ginger from Picadilly Pastimes runs a Daily Treasure Hunt thread which is a fun way to find some great shops from your team members. She posts a different theme every day for you to go find in other peoples shop. This is a great way to show the love to your team mates.

I run the Favathon thread, just post two items from your shop and heart all the other items posted by your team mates, this is a fab way to get favourites on your items while helping promote your team mates.

Father’s Day is fast approaching. If you need any inspiration or you have any father days items please post them herewww.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/discuss/...

A big thank you from all the Team Leaders for making this such a fun and friendly team to be in. 

Happy Sales

Chantal from Snoochy

ATCTEAM Team Leader

~•♥•~ This Weeks TOP SHOP ~•♥•~ Refined Retro

~•♥•~

TOP SHOP of the week is Refined Retro!

Here is a little bit about this fabulous shop...

~•♥•~

"When I opened Refined Retro I was working full time as a Kitchen and Bath Designer in my own little brick and mortar studio - Tableaux. My thought was to cull my collection of vintage jewelry in preparation for retirement. Then the economy took a turn for the worse and I watched in horror as my profession completely changed in the span of a year. If I was to stay in business I would have to become a contractor and "sell" labor in addition to my designs and custom cabinetry. It was time to take an early retirement and start anew."

"I have always embraced change. Like chapters in a book, my life has unfolded in a series of adventures and yes, misadventures! In the moment, my life seemed to just flow along but now I can look back and see very distinct beginnings and endings, so retiring was just a new chapter despite the pain and stress of closing my beloved Tableaux."

"Not long after I retired some friends invited me to a city-wide garage sale and I found so many amazing pieces of vintage jewelry that I realized the "new chapter" had already begun! I would expand Refined Retro and become a bona fide treasure hunter."

"My days are full of estate sales, flea markets, cleaning gunk, photography and chatting with customers. I am also lucky enough to travel the world with my husband and wherever we go I hunt for treasure. It's a good life!"
~ Nilene Thompson-Finn

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit, fav, and share this TOP SHOP!

~•♥•~ MAY Afternoon Tea TRADE EVENT ~•♥•~

~•♥•~

There are a few spots left for the MAY TRADE EVENT!

  This is a great way to shop without breaking the bank.

~•♥•~

More details OR to sign up ... visit here

~•♥•~ This Weeks TOP SHOP ~•♥•~ Piccadilly Pastimes

~•♥•~

TOP SHOP of the week is Piccadilly Pastimes!

Here is a little bit about this fabulous shop...

~•♥•~

At Piccadilly Pastimes we offer a variety of hand painted (not stenciled) wooden signs, burlap banners, mason jar sand ceremony sets, and "hillbilly" wine glasses for use at weddings, as photo props, and save-the-date photo shoots. We also offer various rustic and country decor items and housewares. We will continue to update our items and grow our inventory so please check back often. 

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/piccadilly1/

http://piccadillypastimes.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/piccadilly.pastimes

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit, fav, and share this TOP SHOP!

~•♥•~ Team Newsletter MAY 2014 ~•♥•~

~•♥•~ HELLO TEAM MEMBERS ~•♥•~

It is already May and the year is passing quick. We would like to thank you ALL for being such fabulous members of our team. We have well over 2,000 members and the number increases every day! 

We want to share with you some new ATCTTeam features. Hopefully, each of these things will help you grow your business and increase sales and exposure. We also want team participation to be easy and fun! So here goes…

~•♥•~ Team Listings Page ~•♥•~ 

This is a very exciting new project for the ATCTTeam. We have started a new page that is made up of teammates only. It allows you to search for specific colors, themes, or items within the team. This makes curating treasuries a breeze! Simply visit the page via the link below. Once you are there, you will see a search box in the top right corner of the screen that says, “search available items”. Simply type in whatever you are looking for and be amazed!

Here is the link to the page ~www.etsy.com/people/ATCTTEAMFINDS/favorites/items-i-love?ref=favs_i...

Save it, cherish it, use it often :)

This team page is an ongoing project. If your store has not been added yet and you just can’t stand it ;) send a message to Emily at Cottage and Sprout ~www.etsy.com/people/emeinzer?ref=si_pr OR sign up on the team thread here ~www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/dis....

~•♥•~ Team Blog ~•♥•~

We also have a new ATCTTeam blog. This is yet another way to get your shop out there. We do weekly “TOP SHOPS” that get featured for a whole week. We also promote winning treasuries on this blog. 

Visit and follow the blog here ~ atctteam.blogspot.com

Shops that are featured on the blog are pulled from those who visit and comment on the blog. When you comment on a blog post, please include your shop name so that we know who you are :)

~•♥•~ Meet Ups ~•♥•~

Our lovely leader, Lindsey, has had a fabulous idea! 

Why not have actual afternoon tea? The first team MEET UP will be in Houston, Texas.

All of the details can be found here ~ www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/dis....

~•♥•~ Growing Your Business ~•♥•~

There are lots of ways to promote your shop, but one of the easiest ways is to share your lovely products through Social Media. 

Our team has a FACEBOOK Page! Keep up with what is happening on the ATCTTeam by joining the Facebook group here ~www.facebook.com/groups/215152655327515/

Clair Rigby from Obstinate Pursuit is heading up this project. She is always sharing great tips for how to promote your business. Thanks Clair for all of your hard work!

Our team also has a PINTEREST Account! Find out how to follow the team on Pinterest here ~ www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/dis....

TJ from Wicksteads is the Leader here. Thanks for all you do! 

And last, but not least!

Follow the team on TWITTER! The account name is AfternoonTea13. You can find out more about the Twitter account here ~ www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/dis....

A big thank you to Karen Hafel from Time Talent Jewels for keeping us up to date on this.

~•♥•~ Mother’s Day ~•♥•~

If you didn’t know, Mother’s Day is right around the corner! Time is running out to order gifts for the special mom’s in your life. But don’t worry! We’ve got a whole list of Mother’s Day gift ideas from fellow teammates! You can post your items that fit this holiday too by visiting here ~ www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/dis....

~•♥•~ Photography Tips ~•♥•~

Have you ever had shop envy? You know…when you see another shop that has great pictures and a sharp look and you think “man, I wish my shop looked that good”. Well, yours can! A picture is worth 1,000 words especially in an online business. If you haven’t noticed, most of the front page Etsy features are bright and dynamic photos that catch the eye...

Here are some tips and tricks on how to get that clean, sharp, bright looking shop you’ve been wanting ~ www.etsy.com/teams/18642/afternoon-tea-chat-and-treasuries-team/dis....

Basically:

~ Try to always use natural lighting without direct sun.

~ Try not to use flash, as it creates unnatural shadows.

~ Afternoon hours give the best lighting for pictures.

~ Choose a neutral background to make your product the star. A muddled background does not draw the eye.

~ Extra props are always fun and artistic, but try not to use too many. Again make your product the STAR!

~ Close ups are always appealing.

~ Look at your favorite shops and try and emulate their technique when it comes to photographing your products.

Hope these quick tips help you in your quest to improve your look. If you have specific questions about this subject, ask any of the team leaders for some tips. You could even ask a shop owner that you admire :) people are generally happy to help if you ask :)

We hope this newsletter has been helpful and informative. All of the leaders here at the ATCTTeam love to help team members whenever possible. If you ever have any questions, ideas, or concerns don’t hesitate to ask.

Thanks for all you do! 

Happy sales!

Emily at Cottage and Sprout

ATCTTeam Leader

~•♥•~ Afternoon Tea MEET UP Group ~•♥•~

~•♥•~

Do you want to sit down to tea with your teammates?

Our lovely team captain is organizing an Afternoon Tea!

~•♥•~

~ From Lindsey - Team Captain ~

"I thought it would be a good idea to start a meet up group, where those in the Houston area could meet up on a regular basis. I’m thinking once a month or more for afternoon tea, lunch, brunch or anything else that seems like fun."

"I have started a meet up group, if you are interested in getting together with other members of this team, then please come and join the Afternoon Tea Meet up Group. Even if you can't make this event, please join the group so that you can see upcoming events as they are scheduled."

www.meetup.com/Afternoon-Tea/

For our first event I thought, let’s start with the best...

Afternoon Tea at the St Regis Hotel, 1919 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston

Sat 7th June at 3pm

$45 plus tax

Afternoon Tea is a time-honored tradition at The St. Regis Houston. Surround yourself in elegance in their Tea Lounge, where butler-style service and a traditional menu of petit-fours, tea sandwiches, scones, and Devonshire cream await those who appreciate the finer things in life. A harpist performs daily while guests savor their special St. Regis Tea Blend, just one of a large selection of premium loose leaf teas offered

www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/dining/attraction_detail.ht...

"I look forward to meeting you over Afternoon tea."

~ Lindsey, ATCTTeam Captain

~•♥•~

~•♥•~ 100 Views Or Sale ~ Round 35 ~•♥•~

~•♥•~

Our goal as a team will be to get the selected item to 100 more views or a sale.

Once we reach the goal of getting this item 100 views or a sale our team captain will choose another item. 

Item selection will be based on participation only and purely random.

Your job as an team member:  

Promote this item EVERYWHERE

To see the team discussion about this, click here.

To view the lovely item, click here.

~•♥•~

~•♥•~ Treasury Challenge Winner ~ No. 33 ~•♥•~

~•♥•~

Congratulations!

~•♥•~

Jjantiq 

is the winner of the Treasury Challenge (No. 33)!

  

It surely is a "Basket Full Of Goodies"!!!

Share the love for this fabulous winning treasury here.

~•♥•~

~•♥•~ Top Shop Of The Week ~•♥•~ Meraki Vintage Shop

~•♥•~

TOP SHOP of the week is Meraki Vintage Shop!

Here is a little bit about this fabulous shop...

~•♥•~

Meraki is Greek for "doing something with soul, creativity, or love."
 I chose this name because that's what I put into creating and maintaining my shop. I never understood that old phrase, "if you do what you love it doesn't feel like work" until now. During the day, I'm an Accountant, but in the evening I devote my time to this shop.

My love of thrifting began in college, and took root as I observed over and over again that vintage items are superior in both style and craft to modern day items of the same price.

Meraki Vintage is a mix of 1950's to 1990's finds - from classic to hipster to glam. My secret to great vintage shopping is to stick to what you know. What I find, I would wear. 

~•♥•~

Calling all team members to visit, fav, and share this TOP SHOP!

~•♥•~ Team PRIZE Challenge WINNER ~ No. 5 ~•♥•~

~•♥•~

Congratulations!

~•♥•~

Amanda from Shoppe Zuri Lane 

is the winner of the Team PRIZE Challenge (No. 5)!

  

Her lovely treasury is titled "English Cottage" and it certainly lives up to it's name.

Share the love for Amanda and her awesome treasury here.

~•♥•~

To enter your treasury in the next Team PRIZE Treasury Challenge, click here.