Meet Our Featured Shop: Blinky

I am pleased to introduce you to our featured shop, Blinky.  Blinky's supply shop carries a fantastic selection of fabric, and even some patterns.  Her shop is cheerful and inviting, with all of the lovely fabric colors and designs.  I asked Blinky how she got started, she said "I love sewing, but I am a huge hoarder, and I buy way too much.  That's why I use my shop to detash some of my extras.  I have 3 little girls that I sew for, so I need at least 5 yards usually, but I buy the whole bolt (15 yards)."  Blinky does this by ordering her fabric at wholesale prices, and usually buys 10-15 bolts at a time.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

These lovely polka dots are available for purchase here.

These pretty stripes are available for purchase here.

Blinky's shop also boasts a great selection of patterns.  She told me that she has tried most of them out, and can answer questions about them.  She also gets the patterns from vendors.  Here are a couple teasers for you:

This pattern is available for purchase here.

This adorable skirt pattern is available for purchase here.

There is one last thing you should know about Blinky's shop, she is having a fabulous sale this month.  Use coupon code SEPT15 and get 15% off your order!

Love and Peace,
Luci

Helping Another Person: A Tale of a Beautiful Experience

On Monday, I received a message from BellasBNS Founder, Rocco.  Kelly, an artisan that many of us know, had suffered a tragedy in her family.  Her son was working on an oil rig in North Dakota.  There was an explosion, and he was badly burned.  She lives in Utah and had to get to Minneapolis, which is where the burn unit is that they had air lifted him too.  She absolutely needed to get to her son, but money was tight.  Enter Annie, Wanda, and Chaya.

Annie, Wanda, and Chaya are the three phenomenal women who came together to organize a benefit BNR for Kelly to help with the expense of getting to Minnesota.  Rocco had sent me a message earlier in the day asking if I had heard about this yet.  I had not, but was instantly worried about Kelly and her son.  Unfortunately, I am flat broke, so I had no money to donate or buy into the BNR.  I faved the board so it would appear in my activity feed.  I also posted the link to every social media site I have access to, and put it on a couple of blogs that I post on.  It was the most I could do, until I received another message from Rocco.

Wanda, Annie, and Chaya could only stay open until the early afternoon because they didn't have anyone to curate the board after that.  They had several sales and had done a fantastic job, but Rocco felt the board should continue and I agreed.  He asked if I had a couple of hours to help man the board and I readily agreed to help, as did the other leaders of Bellas.  He offered to move the board onto Bellas and we would run the board and keep the donations to Kelly going.  Together we kept the board going for another 6 hours or so.

We raised enough money to cover Kelly's expenses that day.  I was happy to help Kelly, but I can't say that I didn't get anything out of it.  That day I got to be a part of a beautiful experience.  I got to see many artisans coming together to help another artisan in need.  I was blown away by how many people came to the board and were buying and donating and promoting.  It was incredible.  I am truly grateful to Wanda, Annie, and Chaya for allowing me to be a part of it, and for the opportunity to meet these wonderful women.  Their selflessness and kindness will stay with me forever.

This is not the first time I have been involved in a benefit to help an artisan, and seen the flood of generosity that comes with it.  I was moved deeply then, and I was again on Monday.  I am not ashamed to say that I cried several times on Monday.  I cried for Kelly and her son.  I cried for the amazing thing Annie, Chaya, and Wanda had started.  I cried at the sincere concern everyone on the board showed for Kelly and her family.  And I cried for the generosity and compassion that everyone showed that day.

In the world we live in, acts of atrocity have become routine.  To be a part of something like this, reaffirms your faith in humanity.  It makes me feel better about the world around me, and ties me even tighter to the artisan community.  I have been immersed in it since I was a child, and I am so grateful that I was.  I learned at an early age how the artisan community takes care of everyone around them.  Every artisan I know, and I know thousands, have gigantic hearts.  They will take you in and take care of you.  They will show you love and compassion.  They don't judge.  They are open and welcoming.  I am so appreciative of this community.  This community played a major role in the kind of adult I developed into.  I do my very best each day to remember the lessons they taught me, and Monday was a great reminder.  That to be open, loving, and compassionate is the only way to truly be happy, and at peace with the world around you.

Thank you Chaya, Annie, and Wanda!  For starting the benefit, and organizing it, and for letting me be a part of it.  I can't tell you how much I took from it, and how grateful I am to you.  I have so much love and respect for you girls, and for what you did, and how hard you worked.  I am truly humbled by it.

In a modest effort to do something kind in return, I have listed some links below.  There is a link to Kelly's shop, to every shop that worked to organize this, and to every shop that worked on a board.  Please take a moment to visit their lovely shops, like their Facebook pages, and follow them on Twitter.  They are a fabulous group of people.

Love and Peace,

Luci

List of Shops:

Kelly - Treasure 2 Remember
Annie - Aunt Annie's Antics
Wanda - GA Girl Jewelry and Gift
Chaya - Pearls Plus LLC
Rocco - Rocco's Country Spice
Luci - Idle Hands Yarn Supply
Amber - Cosmic Cauldron
Raven - Divine Deliciousness

Meet Our Team Challenge Winner: Letha from Time For Crochet

I am please to write about our second August winner of our team treasury challenge, Letha from Time For Crochet.  Letha has a lovely shop full of goodies that range from household and kitchen items to hats and scarves.  All are beautifully done.

Letha started to crochet at the age of 10, and can also knit and sew.  She says her favorite medium is cotton yarn and she loves working on her American Girl line.  Cotton is also one of my favorites, as it is so durable.  Let's look through Letha's shop!

These beautiful pot holders are available for purchase here.

The pretty dishcloths are available for purchase here.

Letha also makes fabulous accessories!  Just look at these!

This lovely scarf is available for purchase here.

This fantastic bag is available for purchase here.

You should also know that Letha belongs to a knit and crochet club that makes and donates items to a battered women's shelter in AZ.  Visit her shop and enjoy browsing through Letha's handmade treasures.

Love and Peace,

Luci

Please Welcome Kelly from Art by Kelly Michelle to the Bellas BNS Blog Staff

Please let me introduce you to our newest member of the Bellas BNS blog staff, Kelly from Art by Kelly Michelle.  You will find Kelly's bio on our Blog Staff Members page.  

Kelly will be writing a series called A Beginners Journey Through Etsy.  She will talk about her experiences as a new shop owner and what she has learned in the few months her shop has been open.  

I know when I was a new shop owner I found a lot of support from other newbies and I am confident that Michelle will provide that here.  Her series will premiere on Friday, August 10.  Be on the lookout for it.

Love and Peace,

Luci

Meet Our July Team Challenge Winner: Dana from AbraBOWdana!

Meet our July team challenge winner, Dana from AbraBOWdana.  I am very excited to tell you all about her and her shop.  She makes the most adorable bows and puts them on everything from headbands to flip flops and she upcycles!  Dana's shop is full of color and very fun to browse.  I enjoy looking through all of the pretty bows and admire all of the many styles.  I had no idea there were so many things that could be done with bows, but I should know to never underestimate creativity.

This summery bow is available for purchase here.

The first thing I always want to know about an artisan is how they got started.  Dana told me that she "had been buying bows from many shops on Etsy.  I had admired the work and wished I could do it myself.  And then one day I bought some ribbon and tried!"  I love it when people love a handmade product so much they decide to try to make it themselves!  That is what keeps these arts alive.

This elegant jersey headband is available for purchase here.

So how does learning to make bows yourself become an Etsy shop?  I asked Dana and she said, "I decided to open an Etsy store because I had purchased from Etsy myself and loved everything I had ever bought.  I wanted to be a part of the community that is Etsy!"  Etsy is a fabulous community.  I can relate to wanting to be a part of the Etsy community.  That is why I opened my shop up on Etsy too!

This Chicago Blackhawks bow is available for purchase here.

As a fellow upcycler, I couldn't help but notice all of the upcycled items Dana used.  Bows made from upcycled denim, as well as bottle cap magnets and bottle caps used in the centers of some of her bows.  I even noticed some vintage button in the centers of some of those bows.  I asked Dana about her upcycling.  She said, "I absolutely LOVE upcycling materials!!!  My aunt was a HUGE crafter and she used to work in a thrift store.  She would take buttons and fabric from the clothes that had stains and could not be sold.  So when she stopped crafting and I started she gave me an entire box of buttons and gemstones and lace and denim!  I was so excited!  To me, it's a challenge to take something old and make it look new again.  Right now I'm on the hunt for old vintage earrings and broaches to use as bridal or baptismal flower centers!!!"  My heart skipped a beat when I read that.  An entire box of goodies to upcycle???  Talk about upcycler heaven!

This pretty jersey headband is available for purchase here.

As I mentioned above, Dana has a fabulous variety of designs in her shop.  Adorable bows for everyday occasions, bows with a sports team theme, bridal bows, and on and on.  I wondered where her inspiration came from.  Dana told me, "I would say my daughter Carli is my inspiration!  I kind of go off what she is into and what she likes.  Barbie, Hello Kitty, Bubble Guppies, Minnie Mouse, anything Disney!  I also am trying to pay attention to the outfits she wears or what is in the stores right now.  I never really looked that close at fashion, but now I definitely do!"  It's great how owning an Etsy shop can open your eyes to things you had never noticed before.  I love broadening horizons.

This adorable Hello Kitty bow is available for purchase here.

I want to give a special shout out to the jersey headbands!  These are labor intensive and require a lot of sewing, but the result is beautiful.  They look very comfortable and so stylish!  I love it when comfort and style combine with such fabulous results.  Here are a couple more of those headbands.  I can't help it.  They are so fun!!

This lovely jersey headband is available for purchase here.

This darling jersey knit headband is available for purchase here.

Although Dana is a "new" crafter, she is obviously a hard working one.  I think these jersey knit headbands might be my favorite.  Dana says, "I definitely aim to please.  I am my harshest critique.  I am going to keep learning and trying new things and having a ton of fun while doing it!"  What a fantastic attitude for an artisan to have.  I think it is in our blood.  

Thank you Dana for sharing all of your wonderful thoughts and your beautiful bows!  I have tried to show a good sampling of the variety in AbraBOWdana, but you will really have to visit the shop and browse her items to see all of the beautiful work she does.  You can also find Dana on Facebook.  Please stop on her page and show this hard working artisan some love.

Love and Peace,

Luci

The Winner of the July Treasury Competition (Drum Roll Please...)

Dana from AbraBOWdana will be our featured shop on the August Weekend BNS Bash!  Our semi-finalists for the month will also have spots on the board.  Please give some love to Jan from JanDavis2, Cindy from CE Crafts, and Susan from Oh Edith.

What is our treasury competition? Well, each week team members submit treasuries in a defined format to be chosen as that week's semi-finalist winner. They get the board posted on the team blog and are entered to win the monthly drawing. If they win the monthly drawing I will feature their board on the Bellas Weekend BNS Bash.  If they don't win, they will still receive one spot on each of the Weekend Bash boards for being a semi-finalist. Our next Bash is August 4-5. Once a board fills we will start another and the fun continues!

Want to enter the treasury contest? It is very easy. First, you must be a member of BellasBNS. You can join from that link. The thread for this week's competition is here. Build your treasury according to the rules on there and post the link. You are then entered!

Be on the lookout for a shop feature on AbraBOWdana in the next day or two!  Dana has a beautiful shop and you will love it!

Love and Peace,

Luci

Etsy Shop Promotion Series: Using BNS and BNR Boards on Etsy to Promote Your Business

If you have ever looked through the list of treasuries on Etsy you have seen BNR and BNS treasuries.  You will also see threads on every active Etsy team's discussion boards with links to these boards.  There are several teams on Etsy built entirely around participation on these boards.  What are BNR and BNS boards?  Well, I already covered that in a previous article.  So let's talk about why these are so popular.  Why do shops participate in these?  What makes it worth their time and money to invest in these boards?

Shops participate in different boards for different reasons.  So let's look at this board by board.  Let's take a moment to talk just about BNR boards and another to discuss BNS boards because both have different pros and cons, as each present different opportunities and challenges.

BNR Boards and How to Use Them

BNR boards are very popular.  I think it has something to do with our love of instant gratification.  You make a purchase and the item of your choice is immediately featured.  It is thrilling to see your shop immediately up on a board that is getting a lot of traffic.  Your adrenaline increases with the number of views your shop is getting.  And it happens instantaneously.  I have sold items in minutes after buying in on some boards.  I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it!  

These boards tend to move fast and have a lot of action.  There are usually several people chatting away and sales can be fast and furious if it is a busy board.  These are very social and fun boards.  There are often games, like trivia games, for a free feature in an upcoming board.  You can buy in several times.  Most boards have a max of 2 spots, but if someone buys from you then you can buy in again.  It is great exposure for your shop, as many people will see it and you have a great opportunity to get your product out there.  Once people see how wonderful it is they will be back for more!

The down side of these boards is that one buy in will only get you one sale because once someone buys from you they take your spot and you are no longer on the board.  Unless you buy in again.  Now that sale can be a significant sale, but my experience has been that money wise you usually break even.  People will often, but not always, buy a lesser priced item because their main goal is to get on the board while spending as little as possible.  BNR boards have never been a real source of revenue for me.

So why do I do them?  I consider it advertising.  Several people see my shop and get an opportunity to interact with me and experience my customer service first hand.  If they buy from my shop, they also get to hold my product in their hands and that is so very important.  BNR boards are a great way to get your product into someone's hands.  And that is the obstacle of selling anything.  Your first priority should always be getting your product into a customer's hands.  Once they are holding it, they develop a personal connection to it and can see it as being theirs.  Getting product into a customer's hands is a challenge to selling online and the best way to overcome that challenge is to use whatever tools you can to get your products out to customers.  And it doesn't stop with the customer because they will have friends, family, and co-workers that will potentially see that item and hold it and then they develop that personal connection to it and can see it being theirs.  The circle of life, retail sales version.

I recommend trying these boards out if you are looking to get exposure for your shop.  It will get you out there and known to potential customers.  You will put product into customer's hands.  You may even make a little money.  You might just break even.  But your shop name will be out there for hundreds of people to see.  And all it costs you is a buy in fee that is usually $5 or less.  That is really cheap advertising.

BNS Boards and How to Use Them

I love BNS boards.  These boards run on rounds so you stay on the board until the round ends.  A round is usually around 6-12 sales.  The buy in to a round runs around $5 or less on most boards.  Even after someone buys from your store, you still stay up there until the round ends.  This gives you the potential to make multiple sales for one buy in.  I love getting more for less.

There are often opportunities to get an extra round by buying form a certain row or column.  Sometimes you get extra rounds for buying from the curator or a featured shop.  Often a board will run a referral contest, the person to refer the most people to the board to fave it or once a person gets to 10 referrals or whatever random number they decide will win an extra round.  Sometimes the curator will give opportunities to buy in at no minimum buy in cost.  There is always a coupon list and most shops will have a coupon code for you to use.  These boards are full of great deals.

They are also very social boards at times.  A BNS doesn't have a constant curator.  They are set up to be able to kind of work as self service shopping.  So sometimes a board will be completely dead and you will just see pages of people leaving comments that they faved or refaved.  Or they will say that someone sent them for that person to get a referral.  Or you will see transaction links and the curator updating the list for the next round.  These are slow times during the board when there aren't many people coming in.  I mean this is retail and all stores have their slow times.  I have a friend who works in a shoe store.  When it is slow they all go into a back room and knit.  If a customer comes in one of them stops and goes out and takes care of the customer, but they take turns so no one is having to put their knitting down often.  I think this is awesome!  

That is what our curators are doing too when it is slow.  They may not be knitting, but they are crafting something.  They stop working and check in on the board and update it as needed.  They thank everyone that stopped in.  They may ask if there are any shoppers.  If it is still quiet they will go back to crafting or whatever they need to do and then they will check in on the board again and go through the same thing.  If there are people around that want to chat the curator will often join in.  You will often find chat going on while the curator is out.  If a group of people are on the board at the same time you will often see conversation going on.  There are friendly people everywhere you go on these boards.

These boards are also great exposure because your shop stays up for an entire round.  Usually a full day and sometimes two or three if sales are slow.  This give an opportunity for many hundreds and, occasionally if the board moves a time or two, even over a thousand people a chance to see your shop.  The visibility to your shop is fabulous!

Both boards have their unique pros and cons, but both boards do give your shop exposure.  People see your shop on them.  They will browse through it.  They will favorite items or your shop.  And they will buy from you.  Each person has their personal preferences as to which board they like best, but I recommend trying both out and see how you feel about them.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing our new blog writers Natalee and Francesca's experience with BNR and BNS boards.  I will also go into strategies to employ on both boards to get the maximum benefit of each.  Until then, I hope you will visit these boards and learn more about them.

Love and Peace,

Luci

Congratulations Dana from AbraBOWdana!

Dana from AbraBOWdana is our semi-finalist winner this week in our treasury competition. Find her treasury under the Treasury Competition Semi-Finalists page. Each week our semi-finalists boards will be listed there for all to admire. Congratulations Susan on a beautiful treasury!

What is our treasury competition? Well, each week team members submit treasuries in a defined format to be chosen as that week's semi-finalist winner. They get the board posted on the team blog and are entered to win the monthly drawing. If they win the monthly drawing I will feature their board on the Bellas Weekend BNS Bash.  If they don't win, they will still receive one spot on each of the Weekend Bash boards for being a semi-finalist. Our next Bash is August 4-5. Once a board fills we will start another and the fun continues!

Want to enter the treasury contest? It is very easy. First, you must be a member of BellasBNS. You can join from that link. The thread for this week's competition is here. Build your treasury according to the rules on there and post the link. You are then entered!

 Love and Peace,

 Luci 

Congratulations Susan from Oh Edith!

Susan from Oh Edith is our semi-finalist winner this week in our treasury competition. Find her treasury under the Treasury Competition Semi-Finalists page. Each week our semi-finalists boards will be listed there for all to admire. Congratulations Susan on a beautiful treasury!

What is our treasury competition? Well, each week team members submit treasuries in a defined format to be chosen as that week's semi-finalist winner. They get the board posted on the team blog and are entered to win the monthly drawing. If they win the monthly drawing I will feature their board on the Bellas Weekend BNS Bash.  If they don't win, they will still receive one spot on each of the Weekend Bash boards for being a semi-finalist. Our next Bash is August 4-5. Once a board fills we will start another and the fun continues!

Want to enter the treasury contest? It is very easy. First, you must be a member of BellasBNS. You can join from that link. The thread for this week's competition is here. Build your treasury according to the rules on there and post the link. You are then entered!

 Love and Peace,

 Luci 

Welcome Natalee and Francesca to Bellas Blog Staff!

It is my pleasure to introduce you to two new member of the Bellas blog staff.  Natalee from Black Willow Soaps and Francesca from The Shop At Pooh Corner have joined up and are already coming up with great ideas.  We are thrilled to have them writing for the blog and are certain you will enjoy their articles.


Natalee will be doing a series on social media and how it can be used to promote your business.  She will be tackling things like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Wanelo and more.  Be prepared for some fantastic insight into how to make these sites work for your business.  


Francesca is working on a series on some Etsy basics.  She will cover rules that are commonly broken, how to create an Etsy mini, how to be featured in treasuries, tagging listings (SEO), how to host a giveaway, Etsy apps, and an Etsy lingo dictionary.  I'm sure that newcomers to Etsy, as well as seasoned veterans, will find something in this series that will help them with the ins and outs of selling on Etsy.


Please join me in welcoming Natalee and Francesca.  Also be on the lookout for a new page that will contain a calendar of dates articles will be posted.


Love and Peace,


Luci

Congratulations Jan from JanDavis2!!

Jan from Jan Davis2 is our semi-finalist winner this week in our treasury competition. Find her treasury under the Treasury Competition Semi-Finalists above. Each week our semi-finalists boards will be listed there for all to admire. Congratulations Jan on a beautiful treasury!

What is our treasury competition? Well, each week team members submit treasuries in a defined format to be chosen as that week's semi-finalist winner. They get the board posted on the team blog and are entered to win the monthly drawing. If they win the monthly drawing I will feature their board on the Bellas Weekend BNS Bash. Our next Bash is August 4-5. Once a board fills we will start another and the fun continues!

Want to enter the treasury contest? It is very easy. First, you must be a member of BellasBNS. You can join from that link. The thread for this week's competition is here. Build your treasury according to the rules on there and post the link. You are then entered!

 Love and Peace,

 Luci

Congratulations Cindy from CE Crafts!

Cindy from CE Crafts is our semi-finalist winner this week in our treasury competition.  Find her treasury under the Treasury Competition Semi-Finalists above.  Each week our semi-finalists boards will be listed there for all to admire. 

Congratulations Cindy on a beautiful treasury!

What is our treasury competition?  Well, each week team members submit treasuries in a defined format to be chosen as that week's semi-finalist winner.  They get the board posted on the team blog and are entered to win the monthly drawing.  If they win the monthly drawing I will feature their board on the Bellas Weekend BNS Bash.  Our next bash is August 4-5.  Once a board fills we will start another and the fun continues!

Want to enter the treasury contest?  It is very easy.  First, you must be a member of BellasBNS.  You can join from that link.  The thread for this week's competition is here.  Build your treasury according to the rules on there and post the link.  You are then entered!

Love and Peace,

Luci 

Meet Our June Team Treasury Challenge Winner: Kelly from Kelly's Craft Items

I am so pleased to introduce the first winner of our monthly team treasury challenge, Kelly from Kelly's Craft Items.  Kelly displays an exciting variety of talents in her shop.  I had a lot of fun looking through it and you will too.  I couldn't wait to find out more about it.

A love of learning and a fantastic sense of adventure are obvious in Kelly's work.  I was curious to know how Kelly got started.  She told me, "Art skills run in the family so I've always been around it and encouraged to develop those skills.  Growing up I would win art contests.  I am a college graduate and I have worked in the corporate world; however, I stay at home with my children right now so I have a little more free time to 'play'."

This lovely pair of earrings can be purchased here.

This stunning bracelet can be purchased here.

I was entirely enchanted with all of the beautiful items in Kelly's shop.  What inspires this level of artisanship I wondered.  I asked Kelly where her inspiration came from.  She said, "I love to learn new things and challenge myself.  I have a NEED to create.  It brings me joy and calms me.  I am new to jewelry so the various styles there reflect my dabbling to see what I like, what I am capable of, and what other people will buy.  I really would like to work with precious metals and gemstones."

This fun set of cards is available for purchase here.

This pretty set of gift tags is available for purchase here.

You can see Kelly's love of creating in her work.  She has so many fabulous items, but I was curious about her favorite material to work with.  Kelly said, "I am really enjoying the metal wire!  I like to find new and interesting ways to work with materials, I've just scratched the surface!"  She isn't kidding about scratching the surface either.  Just look at these jewelry trees!

This fun and functional jewelry tree is available for purchase here.

This adorable jewelry tree is available for purchase here.

You should also know that Kelly's 3 and 6 year old children craft with her.  Kelly thinks we will be seeing some items from them as they get older.  I sure hope so!  I love that Kelly is passing these skills onto her children.  I can't wait to see what the next generation designs.

Kelly also has a charity section in her shop for christian ministries that features jeweled crosses, cross charm keychains and more!  There is something for everyone in Kelly's shop.  With Kelly's amazing creativity, you can count on finding many fun items at great prices.  This is a shop to keep your eye on. You can also find Kelly on Facebook.  I recommend liking her page to stay updated on new items.

Thank you so much Kelly for participating in our team treasury challenge!  You can find Kelly's lovely board on our Weekend BNS Bash happening July 7-8.  You can find out more about the team treasury challenge in our team threads.

Love and Peace,

Luci

Congratulations Kelly from Kelly's Craft Items!

Kelly not only won the last weekly semi-finalist spot for June, but won the big prize for the month!  Kelly's board will be used for Bellas Weekend BNS Bash.  Kelly will also have a shop feature written up on her that we will promote throughout the BNS.  The shop feature will appear on blog on Friday, July 6.

All semi-finalists are also getting 1 free spot on the board.  I will also include a link to the semi-finalists page on the blog where all of your beautiful treasuries are being shown off.

Thank you so much to every one who entered.  I can't wait to see the entries for next month!

Love and Peace,

Luci

BNS and BNR Tutorial: Don't Understand How a BNR or BNS works? Let Me Tell You All About Them!

I can't tell you how many people I have encountered that were intimidated by a BNR or BNS.  I was too before I was involved in my first one.  I didn't buy in or choose to participate, but I was featured by a lovely woman on her BNR board.  I had no idea I was being featured, so when she sent me a message telling me I was in a BNR I thought I should go figure out what I had gotten into this time.

I had heard of them and looked at a few, but always lurking.  I never participated because I didn't understand the rules.  That was when I learned the most important thing you need to know about these boards and that is that they are run by the nicest and friendliest people you can find.  They don't mind questions.  They don't even mind a lot of questions!  They are there to assist you with whatever you need.  Remember that they are salespeople and you are the customer.  I can assure you that their behavior will prove that they understand this well.  Don't be afraid to ask a stupid question because there are no stupid questions when you are new to these.  We were all newbies once ourselves and we are happy to guide you through the process.  Once you start to participate you will get the hang out if quickly.  They aren't nearly as complicated as they appear.

So what are they?  They are, very simply, a treasury board that is moderated by a curator or other member of the team.  The curator runs the board.  They update features on the board, answer questions, and keep the chat lively and fun.  By chat, think early 90s chat room where you have to hit the refresh button to see what has been said.  The posts will not update automatically.  You must hit the refresh button on your browser to see any new posts.  A BNR has different rules from a BNS though, and this is what tends to get people confused, so let's go over how each one works.

What is a BNR?

A BNR simply means Buy and Replace.  This means that when you make a purchase from the board, you will immediately replace the shop you buy from.  Your shop will stay on the board until someone buys from you.  If no one buys from you in that round, most of the time you will go onto a carryover list to be featured in a future round, but this varies from board to board so ask the curator.  

So what do you do?  In a BNR, you will need to get approval before you shop.  This is because you will be taking that shop's place on the board.  Since there is only one spot up for grabs, there can only be one person shopping it.  Call out the shop you wish to buy from in caps.  Say I wanted to buy from Rocco's Country Spice.  My next message would be "ROCCO'S PLEASE?".  The curator will then say "Luci OK for ROCCO'S" if that shop is available.  To complete the transaction, there are a couple things I need to do.  First, I need to make a purchase from that shop that meets the boards minimum buy in amount.  That is usually somewhere between $2-5 and is posted at the top in the treasury description.  Once I complete the transaction, I will need the link to the transaction ID.  You can get this from the screen telling you your order is complete or from the order confirmation email you will receive.  I take it from the last screen of the order completing. I will need the amount the purchase was before shipping and after coupons or no coupon if you didn't use one.  There is almost always a list of coupon codes for every board.  If the shop you are looking in doesn't have one on the list, do not be afraid to ask.  Often it can be posted earlier in the thread, but not added to the list.  Or the curator may message them to see if they offer one or they may even be on the board to tell you themselves.  I will also need the link to the item from my shop that I want featured.  So after my purchase is done, my next post will look like this:

FROM ROCCO'S

www.etsy.com/your/orders/56645265?receipt_id=56645265***(This is the link to the transaction)

$3.50 before shipping, after coupons

Please feature:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/101297545/eco-friendly-recycled-t-shirt-yarn***(This is the link to the item from my shop that I want featured)

If you forget to put a piece of information up there don't worry about it.  We have all forgotten to include something, even the most seasoned veterans.  If the curator needs to know anything they will ask.  And that is it.  You will be immediately featured and will stay on the board until someone buys from your shop.  Most BNRs will let you buy a max of 2 spots if you want more than one.  You will just need to purchase from 2 shops to get those 2 spots.

What is a BNS?

A BNS means to Buy and Stay.  These run on rounds.  There are a predetermined number of open spots that will need to be filled before moving onto the next round and the shops featured stay on the board until the list for the next round is full.  The board is then created for the next round and that round will feature the shops that bought onto the board from the previous round and any specialty spots they may have for the curator and spots for the carryover list and such.  All 16 spots on the board are always clearly marked.  There is complete transparency.  The number of open spots is usually posted in the title of the treasury, along with the cumulative sales that team has accumulated.  There is still a minimum buy in amount that will usually range from $2-5.  Unless it is down to the last spot or two, you do not need to get approval to shop, so you do not need to call out a shop in caps to get approval.  Just make a purchase that meets that boards minimum.  If it is one of the last couple spots on the board and you are calling out for approval, call it like you would on the BNR when requesting approval.  Once the curator approves you getting the last spot, go ahead and complete your transaction.  Either way, you will need to post the transaction once you are done.  Your post should look like:

FROM ROCCO'S

www.etsy.com/your/orders/56645265?receipt_id=56645265***(This is the link to the transaction)

$3.50 before shipping, after coupons 

You do not need to add what you would like featured.  BNS boards are built on a theme and the curator will pick something from your shop that fits into the theme of that day's board.

Your shop is then added to a list that is kept and updated on the threads.  When all the spots are filled the round is full.  Then, usually the next day but sometimes the same day, a new board is made from shops that bought onto the previous round's list.  Your item will stay on that board until the round is full, even after someone buys from you.  Even if 3 people buy from you.  Nothing gets you off the board while that round is going.  In order to be included in the next round, you will need to buy onto the list again or win a spot.

Win a spot?  Why yes, that is common in both BNRs and BNSs.  There are many ways to win a round and it varies from board to board.  Some boards will give a free round with a purchase from a featured shop, the curator, or a featured row.  And some offer it as a prize for being the next buyer.  Others do trivia or referral games where you can win a free spot.  Referral games involve you getting people to favorite, commonly called faving, that board and leave a post saying that you had sent them.  As you participate, you will see some familiar faces pop up on the boards and you will get to know some very fun people.

It is also great exposure for your shop.  You will experience an immediate increase in views and favorites of your items and your shop.  I have received emails from people who read a thread of me helping another person.  Even though they might have found my shop otherwise, I may not have seemed as approachable to them if they hadn't seen me in action on a BNS or BNR thread.

I will be working on a series on how BNRs and BNSs can be beneficial for your shop and how they should be used for best results.  Until then, I hope that this has helped take some of the apprehension out of these boards and that you will visit one soon.  Feel welcome to lurk and watch the conversation until you are comfortable joining in if it will make you feel better.  And when you are ready, please say hello.  We can't wait to meet you.

Love and Peace,

Luci

Congratulations Iliona Busch from Nonoluna!

Ilona from Nonoluna is our semi-finalist winner this week in our treasury competition.  Find her treasury under the Treasury Competition Semi-Finalists above.  Each week our semi-finalists boards will be listed there for all to admire. 

Congratulations Ilona on a beautiful treasury!

What is our treasury competition?  Well, each week team members submit treasuries in a defined format to be chosen as that week's semi-finalist winner.  They get the board posted on the team blog and are entered to win the monthly drawing.  If they win the monthly drawing I will feature their board on the Bellas Weekend BNS Bash.  Our first Bash is July 7-8.  Once a board fills we will start another and the fun continues!

Want to enter the treasury contest?  It is very easy.  First, you must be a member of BellasBNS.  You can join from that link.  The thread for this week's competition is here.  Build your treasury according to the rules on there and post the link.  You are then entered!

Love and Peace,

Luci