Theme Challenge: Spring Fashion Trends

Mandarin Orange and Apricot Scarf by LuncheonetteVintage

Welcome to our March treasury challenge. The theme is Spring Fashion Trends. From a floral skirt to a pastel clutch, spring is the time of year for all things feminine. The challenge is to build a collection based on this spring's trending styles, from accessories to shoes to home decor. Here is a link to the Etsy March Merchandising Desk if you need a little help. It details the most recent trends on Etsy.

Challenge Rules:
1. Each treasury must feature a 5 Selection Perfection team member minimum. Please no more than 7 members. Do your best to branch out!
2. Anyone with an Etsy account can join in on the fun, whether they are on the team or not. The challenge is not mandatory for team members. You may enter as many times as you like!
3. You must follow our team blog.
4. The title of the treasury can be anything you want. Be creative! Please do not put "Treasury Challenge" in the title though!
5. Please tag the Treasury: "spteam"
6. Please tag the Treasury: "spchallenge"
7. Please tag the Treasury: "spring trends”
8. You must include a link back to this blog entry in the description.
9. Come back and include a link to your treasury in the comments section of this blog entry. No need to leave a message, just the link will do.
10. If you are a team member, go ahead and submit the collection as one of your monthly required treasuries.
11. The winner will be contacted and featured in a mini ad on the right side of the blog.
Challenge will end April 1st, 2012.

Best of luck and have fun and be creative and branch out!
Megan

September Merchandising Report

DruDillonPhotography on Etsy

Here is a summary of the September Merchandising Report from Etsy, with Selection Perfection team member product photos added to illustrate trends:

Stay Engaged in September: Our central merchandising will focus on autumn, Halloween, and preparing for the holidays ahead. While emphasis will be placed upon the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, it’s important to remember that the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for spring. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.

• Celebrations and Traditions: Look for references to the activities classically surrounding Labor Day, the U.S. Tennis Open, Oktoberfest, weekend cookouts, family gatherings, references to sports, beer drinking, festivals, and German traditions.
• Back to School: We’ll be wrapping up back to school promotions early in the month, with a heavier focus on fashion and office gear. Think organizational essentials, gadget and computer accessories, notebooks, writing utensils, cases, book bags, backpacks, satchels, lunch carriers, and fall fashion.
• Halloween: Halloween searches are in their prime right now. Particularly popular at this time is decor, party supplies, full costumes and accessories (both baby and adult), jewelry, pumpkin decorating ideas, DIY kits, treats and treat alternatives, and the darker side of Etsy. Get in the game by listing your full Halloween line now.
• Autumn: Seasonal shift in weather, colors, and activities. Think autumn home decor, entertaining, woodland motifs and nature’s symbols. Harvest themes encompass fall planting, preserving the summer garden’s bounty, rustic farm references, and fall food favorites. Tagging tip: “Autumn” is a more global seasonal association than the more American-based “fall” term; try including both as descriptive words.
• Fall Fashion: Entering the height of 2011 fall fashion in clothing, accessories, and jewelry. More specifically, key basics, layering elements, the introduction of winter accessories and outerwear components, thick fabrics and rich leathers, autumnal tones, vintage boots and heavy-weight all-weather bags.
• Weddings: Coinciding with our Halloween promotions, unconventional approaches to pulling off a creative event will have their time to shine. Don’t forget to stay a step ahead for brides currently planning and shopping for 2012 winter and spring weddings.
• The Holidays: That’s right, now is the time to list your full holiday focused line. Emphasis on gift ideas, decor, and options for entertaining.
• Sapphire is September’s birthstone; September’s astrological signs are Virgo and Libra (August 24 – September 23: Virgo, September 24 – October 23: Libra).

ellabelleboutique

Trending Topics:

• Halloween:

Celebrity references, film and pop culture reinventions, clever costuming plays on words, pet costumes, baby costumes, group options, vampire themes, folk and vintage decor, photobooth props, and the classic color combinations (orange, black, yellow, white, red, green, purple).

• Wizardry, magic, owls, and mysticism with the release of the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
• Vampires: They’re back on the radar with shows like HBO’s True Blood and fall’s approaching premiere of Twilight: Breaking Dawn.
• Feather Hair Extensions: Still going strong.
• Sports: The U.S. Open this month brings attention to athletes and tennis while the start to NFL and college football seasons brings on the football and tailgating fever.
• Weddings: Handmade and Vintage variations on the wedding dress, and engagement ring along with creative invitations, save the dates, and signage on the rise.
• Fashion: Plaid, polka dots, tribal and snakeskin patterns, and lace embellishments. Feathers, menswear, blazers, vests and jackets, maxi skirts, gray basics, tailored and wide leg pants, patterned leggings and opaque tights, oxfords, vintage boots.
• Colors: Pantone’s color trend report for fall 2o11 includes quarry, cedar, and teal greens, nougat and coffee browns, orchid and phlox purples, bamboo mustard yellow, honeysuckle pink, and ember-glow coral. We’re also noticing interest in turquoise, rustic fall colors, jade greens and mustards.
• The Local Artisanal Shop and the Speakeasy: The butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie. Barware of mixology, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords.
• Garden Preservation: Canning, jams, preserves, and stocks.
• Culinary Trends: Year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaron. DIY culinary kits are on the rise. Classic cocktails, home brewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions, garden to table.
• Designer Vintage: Authentic fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.
• Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.
• Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiac, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
• Natural History: Woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.
• Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, arrows, diamonds, paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling.
• Large scale vintage and handmade paper maps, botanical and anatomy charts.
• Upcycled lights, lamps, exposed bulbs, and chandeliers.
• Creative gadget cases, docking stations and accessories.
• Bike caddies, baskets, and creative accessories.
• Shabby chic decor and accessories.
• Video game inspired references.
• Writable chalkboard surfaces.
• Wall and laptop decals.
• All things steampunk.
• Vintage cameras.
• Braided hair.
• Mermaids.
• Peacocks.

For those of your who enjoy making treasuries, we’ll be looking to highlight lists that interpret these themes in a creative and cohesive ways throughout the site. Please tag your treasuries accordingly. Special tip: Tagging your treasuries with a single word, or a multiple word that is meant to be a multiple word, will help us find your lists. Tagging with multiple words that do not relate to one another might be detracting from your list from being found. For example, using a single tag for “skeleton key” will help you get found in tag searches for “skeleton key” though using the tag field for “skeleton key nostalgic pink” would not be returned in tag results pages for “skeleton key.”

fionadesigns

Upcoming Dates to Remember

• September is known as National Honey, Classical Music, and Self-Improvement month.
• August 29 – Sept 11: U.S. Tennis Open Tournament, NFL and college football seasons begin.
• September 1-4: Ethical Fashion Show (a Parisian-based show featuring ethical trends and designers)
• September 5: Labor Day
• September 5: Back to school day for primary and secondary students (France)
• September 7: Brazil’s Independence Day
• September 10: Sewing Machine Day
• September 11: 10th Anniversary of World Trade Center attacks
• September 11: Grandparents Day
• September 12: Harvest Moon Festival, Mid Autumn Festival
• September 16: Mexico’s Independence Day
• September 17 – October 3: Oktoberfest
• September 17- 18: Hello Etsy Summit
  
• September 19: Talk Like a Pirate Day
• September 23: Autumnal Equinox
• September 25: International Rabbit Day
• September 27 – October 5: Paris Fashion week
• September 28 – Conficius’ birthday
• September 28 – 30: Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown
• September 29 – October 2: Art Forum Berlin, biggest international art show in Germany

Original article found on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/from-etsy%E2%80%99s-merchandising-desk-september-2011/

August Merchandising Themes

LiciaBeads on Etsy - featuring Peridot, August's Birthstone

Welcome to August 2011! Here is a (long) summary of the Etsy Merchandising Report:

Our central merchandising will focus on back to school season, intros to autumn, Halloween, wedding season, preserving the summer and outdoor activities. While emphasis will be placed upon the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, it’s important to remember that the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for spring. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.

· Back to School: Typical college go-ers move into the dorms/apartments mid to late August, while elementary through high schoolers are heading back during the first two weeks of September. Think college dorm room, organizational essentials, gadget and computer accessories, notebooks, writing utensils, cases, book bags, backpacks, satchels, lunch carriers, and fall fashion.

· Halloween Preview: It may seem early, but Halloween searches are on the rise. Particularly popular at this time is decor, party supplies, full costumes & accessories, pumpkin decorating ideas, and DIY kits. Get ahead of the game by listing your full Halloween line now.

· Preserving the Summer: Final summer vacations, outdoor activities, community events & fairs, open air soirees, summer fashion, and lighter, brighter colors. Emphasis on outdoor entertaining, hostess gifts, bath and beauty, outdoor lighting and savoring the last of summer nights.

· Harvest: Autumn decor, fall planting, preserving the summer garden’s bounty. Farm, rustic, and woodland motifs.

· Fashion: Emphasis on intro to fall fashion. Think layers, outerwear accessories, boots, and autumn color palettes.

· Weddings: Autumn wedding options are in full swing. At the height of wedding season, think about how your line can offer or evoke both indoor/outdoor options for both the ceremony and after-party. Additional highlights on warm weather honeymooning.

· Outdoor & International Travel: Think in terms of the beach, countryside, forest and mountains. Outdoor activities on the rise include music festivals, camping, biking, hiking, fun at the beach, fishing, and water sports.

· Collecting: Summer months are an opportune time to take advantage of antiquing, collecting, flea markets, outdoor bazaars, and vintage renewal.

· Peridot is August’s birthstone; August’s astrological signs are Leo and Virgo (July 23 – August 23: Leo, August 24 – September 23: Virgo).

Trending Topics:

• Wizardry, magic, owls, and mysticism with the release of the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
• Vampires: They’re back on the radar with shows like HBO’s True Blood and fall’s approaching premiere of Twilight: Breaking Dawn.
• Feather Hair Extensions
• Icon: Amy Winehouse
• The Smurfs & Smurfette comeback with their 2011 movie release (think authentic vintage souvenirs).
• Sports: The US Open this month brings attention to athletes and tennis.
• Fashion: Tribal and snakeskin patterns, feathers, menswear, blazers and jackets, gray basics, tailored pants, patterned leggings & opaque tights, oxfords, vintage boots.
• Colors: On the rise: deep jewel tones, fluorescents, classic reds and kelly greens. Pantone’s color trend report for fall 2o11 includes quarry, cedar, and teal greens, nougat and coffee browns, orchid and phlox purples, bamboo mustard yellow, honeysuckle pink, and ember-glow coral.

Pantone Color Trend Report - Fall 2011

• The Local Artisanal Shop and the Speakeasy: The butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie. Barware of mixology, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords.
• Garden Preservation: Canning, jams, preserves, and stocks.
• Vintage Designer: Authentic fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.
• Culinary Trends: Year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaron. DIY culinary kits are on the rise. Classic cocktails, home brewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions, garden to table.
• Writable surfaces: Chalkboard and whiteboard.
• Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.
• Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiac, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
• Natural History: Woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.

RedandMain on Etsy, featuring a hedgehog - a bit of Natural History

• Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, arrows, diamonds, paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling.
• Large scale vintage and handmade paper maps, botanical and anatomy charts.
• Upcycled lights, lamps, exposed bulbs, and chandeliers.
• Gadget cases, docking stations and accessories.
• Lions with Leo Zodiacs in focus.
• All things steampunk.
• Braided hair.
• Wall decals.
• Mermaids.
• Peacocks.

For those of your who enjoy making Treasuries, we’ll be looking to highlight lists that interpret these themes in a creative and cohesive ways throughout the site. Please tag your Treasuries accordingly.

Special tip: Tagging your Treasuries with a single word, or multiple word that is meant to be a multiple word, will help us find your lists. Tagging with multiple words that do not relate to one another might be detracting your list from being found.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

• August is known as National Golf and National Peach month
• July 21 – August 21: Paris Plage
  
• August 3: Wacken Festival (Germany)
• August 6: Chinese Valentine’s Day, also known as The Daughters Festival
• August 7: Friendship Day
• August 11: Ramadan begins
• August 12 – 14: La route du rock in St Malot (French music festival)
• August 15: L’Assomption de Marie aka Assumption, busy French vacation weekend
• August 21: National Senior Citizens Day
• August 26 & 27: Rock en Seine (French music festival)
• August 27: Long Night of the Museums (Berlin, Germany)
• August 27 & 28: Screenprinting Festival (Berlin, Germany – Etsy will be present)
• August 29- Sept 11: US Tennis Open Tournament

Thanks to marymary for the original version of the report on the Etsy Blog. Hope these ideas and tips help you have a great month filled with success!

- Rachelle

June Merchandising Themes

We love MaryMary and her great Merchandising themes articles. She gave us a little advice for June. You can find the original article on the Etsy blog by clicking HERE.

but in case you want to read it without clicking, here it is:

June is on the way and along with it a welcome shift in season. By sharing our merchandising tips, our goal is to create a healthy balance between promotions for traditional holidays, seasonal changes, cultural events, and lifestyle trends. It's also a great way to change up the way you approach managing your Etsy business.

Promotional Opportunities for Sellers:

1. Keep up with May's seasonal themes, holidays and trends in the May edition of Merchandising Desk.
2. As Etsy continues to work with partners like West Elm, it's increasingly advantageous to describe your work and any custom options you are able to offer. Make sure to include any options for personalization, expedited shipping, and larger scale options with the estimated time frames for these customizations in your item listings.
3. Holiday Tip: Think it's too early to begin listing your 2011 holiday line? Think again! Now is the time media and press publications are finalizing their print plans for holiday. Take advantage of this knowledge by listing your holiday line now with clear seasonal tags. To keep things looking in line with the current season, use Etsy's Rearrange Your Shop tool to move these holiday items to the final pages of your shop.
4. Learn how to take advantage of image quality improvements currently being implemented by reading this Forum Announcement. Tip: You will need to upload new images for the changes to take effect.
5. Create and tag treasuries fitting May's merchandising themes for a chance to have your collection featured on Etsy's homepage or linked from promotional emails. Sharing these collections via your social networks during relevant time periods will help increase traffic and engagement around your items and shop. Tip: We're looking to introduce a wider variety of unisex, men-centric, music, and vintage niches into the regular rotation. Make sure to tag lists appropriately for the best return.

Stay Engaged in June
Our central merchandising will focus on Father's Day, wedding season, and outdoor activities. While emphasis will be placed upon the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, it's important to remember the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for autumn. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.

• Graduation and Teacher Gifts: As the traditional academic year comes to a close, think about offering items that would show appreciation for teachers or a sentimental congratulation for graduates. Personalization, handmade cards, and keepsakes are always sought after. While the typical college year has already come to a close, high schools tend to close in mid to late June.
• Father's Day: The rush is here, so make sure your Father's Day items are listed and expedited shipping options are easy to find. Focus on gifts that would make a great gift for the many types of dads out there: business and office accessories, gadgets and tech gear, the cases to carry them in, outdoor equipment, sports gear, men's fashion, keepsakes, and luxury gifts. Keep in mind the home chef, the auto enthusiast, the handyman, the trendsetter, the music lover, the classic, and those dads who seem to have it all. Personalized options are always a good idea to offer.
• 4th of July: Patriotic decor, outfits and accessories. Stars and stripes, Americana, American flags, picnics, barbecues, grilling, spirits, fireworks, and summer sports.
• Summer: The first day of summer belongs to June; keep in mind seasonal activities like summer travel, outdoor activities, open air soirees, summer fashion, and lighter, brighter colors. Emphasis on outdoor entertaining, hostess gifts, bath and beauty, and clever ways to stay cool all summer long.
• Fashion: Options for summer emphasize showing some skin, open toes, lightweight materials, and sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen, makeup, balms, hats and coverups. Summer dresses, swimwear, shoes and accessories, and options for hair are key. Design labels are already launching previews for for fall lines and lookbooks.
• Gardening and Artisanal Food: Expect farmer's markets, seasonal food options, raising animals, community gardens, and co-ops to continue to grow in popularity. Think in terms of how you can lend to these concepts in the form of tabletop accessories, containers, tools, and seasonal calendars.
• Weddings: In the height of wedding season think about how your line can offer or evoke outdoor options for both the ceremony and after-party. Additional highlights on warm weather honeymooning and early preparations for fall and winter celebrations.
• Outdoor Travel: Think in terms of the beach, countryside, forest and mountains. Outdoor activities on the rise include camping, biking, hiking, fun at the beach, fishing, and water sports.
• Collecting: Summer months bring an opportune time to take advantage of antiquing, collecting, flea markets, outdoor bazaars, and vintage renewal.
• Etsy's 6th Birthday: The celebration of handmade! Stay tuned for more plans and party ideas to come.
• Pearl is June's birthstone; June's astrological signs are Gemini and Cancer (May 21 - June 21: Gemini, June 22 - July 2: Cancer).

Trending Topics:

• Vampires: They're back with the return season of HBO's hit show True Blood on June 26.
• The Typewriter: With the recent closing of the last typewriter manufacturer, these nostalgic forms of technology are becoming hot commodities.
• Carnivals and State Fairs: Bright colors, side show spectacles, animals and costuming.
• Sports: Tennis (Wimbledon), swimming, volleyball, cycling, archery, croquet and outdoor sports.
• The Local Artisanal Shop: The butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie.
• Throwback to the Speakeasy: Barware, mixology, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords.
• The Garden: Indoor, outdoor, community, and rooftop gardens. Glass domes, terrariums, air plants, window herbs, succulent plants, garden markers, planters, tools, buckets, baskets, gloves, organic seeds, and boxes.
• Fashion: Slim clutches, espadrilles, wooden platforms, maxi dresses, stripes, tribal references, tailored classics, full short skirts, retro swim, summer scarves, circle lensed sunglasses, and sweetheart necklines.
• Culinary trends: Year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaron. Summer cocktails, home brewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions, garden to table.
• Colors: Jewel tones, orange, blush, and neon.
• Vintage Designer: Fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.
• Writable surfaces: Chalkboard, whiteboard, fingerprints.
• Geometry: Shapes, patterns, triangles, chevrons, facets, and arrows.
• Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.
• Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiacs, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
• Natural History: Woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.
• Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, arrows, diamonds, paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling.
• Large scale vintage and handmade paper maps, botanical and anatomy charts.
• Upcycled lights and lamps, specifically with exposed bulbs.
• Feather hair extensions, earrings, and accessories.
• Gadget cases, docking stations and accessories.
• Scandinavian patterns and motifs.
• Facial hair, beards, mustaches.
• Wall decals.

If you'd like to stay engaged and involved with the approaching merchandising themes, use them in your own artistic voice as you add to your shop. They can be translated in your listings, photos, shop announcements, descriptions, tags, titles, sales promotions, and more.

If you make items that would fit well with the themes outlined, try stocking up and listing them in advance to take advantage of potential shipping deadlines and site features. Do you already have items in your shop that meld well? That's great! Now it's time to revisit those items to make sure your tags, titles and descriptions reflect keywords that shoppers might be looking for this time of year. This is also a great opportunity to revamp your item photography with a new look. Check out some great how-to's for item photography to get started.

For those of your who enjoy making treasuries, we'll be looking to highlight lists that interpret these themes in a creative and cohesive way throughout the site. Please tag your treasuries accordingly.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

• June is known as candy, rose and dairy month.
• June 6 Dragon Boat Festival
• June 8-9 Shavuot
• June 13 Queen's Birthday
• June 13 Sewing Machine Day
• June 13 Whit Monday
• June 17-19 Aspen Food&Wine Festival
• June 18 Etsy's 6th Birthday
• June 19 Father's Day
• June 21 Summer Solstice
• June 20-July 3 Wimbledon Tennis Championship
• June 23 Feast of Corpus Christi
• June 24 St. Jean Baptiste Day
• June 29 Laylat al-Miraj
• June 29 Camera Day

May Merchandising Themes: May Planning

I can't believe May is almost here! Is it just me, or has this year gone by very quickly!? Hopefully the tips below - taken from Etsy's Blog here - will help you tag great shop items and create and tag great Treasuries for this upcoming month. And, of course, remember to tag your team Treasuries "selectperfect" and "etsy team" and remember that each team Treasury must include at least 6 teammates.

As you will see, there are some fun things coming in May and I hope this Blog entry helps you look forward and prepare for them.

Happy Creating!

- Rachelle

An important tip from Etsy (especially for Treasury makers!) - "We're looking to introduce a wider variety of unisex, men-centric, music, and vintage niches into the more regular rotation. Make sure to tag lists appropriately for the best return."

Our central merchandising will focus on Mother's Day, graduations, and Father's Day this month. While emphasis will be placed upon the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, it's important to remember the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for autumn. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.

• Mother's Day
• Graduation and Teacher Gifts: Personalization, handmade cards (think monetary gifts), and keepsakes are always sought after. The typical college year comes to a close in early to mid-May, while high schools tend to close in mid to late June.
• Father's Day: Business and office accessories, gadgets and tech gear, the cases to carry them in, outdoor equipment, sports gear, men's fashion, keepsakes, and luxury gifts. Keep in mind the home chef, the auto enthusiast, the handyman, the trendsetter, the classic, and those dads who seem to have it all.
• Intro to Summer: Consider how you can market toward seasonal activities like summer travel, outdoor activities, open air fetes and soirees, summer fashion, and lighter, brighter colors.
• Fashion: Options for summer emphasize showing some skin, open toes, lightweight materials, and sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen, makeup, balms, hats and coverups. Summer dresses, shoes and accessories, and options for hair are key.
• Gardening and Artisanal Food: Thoughtful cultivation of food is becoming less a trend and more of a sustainable movement. Think in terms of what you can offer toward organic methods, growing, non-processed options, recipes, and education around sustainable food options. Expect farmer's markets, raising animals, community gardens, and co-ops continue to grow in popularity.
• Weddings, Proms, and Celebrations: Embrace your inner teenager and think about glam prom options with a touch of sparkle and edge: dresses, shoes, jewelry, bags, hair accessories, corsages, and make-up. Smack in the middle of the busiest time for wedding season, think about how your line can offer or evoke outdoor options for both the ceremony and after-party.
• Outdoor Travel: Be it a day trip or an extended vacation, outdoor destinations and activities come into focus. Think in terms of the beach, countryside, forest and mountains. Outdoor activities to think about include camping, biking, hiking, fun at the beach, fishing, and water sports.
• The World in Sports: The Kentucky Derby (May 6th and 7th) ushers in horse racing and equestrian themes, while the French Open (May 17th - June 5th) brings up tennis matches and French themes.
• Emerald is May's birthstone; May's astrological signs are Taurus and Gemini (April 21 - May 20: Taurus, May 21 - June 21: Gemini).

Trending Topics:

• Sports: Horse racing and equestrian themes, Tennis and France, biking.
• Cinco de Mayo: Celebrations and honor of Mexican culture: beverages, food, festive decor, bright colors, and music.
• Throwback to the Speakeasy: Barware, beverages, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords.
• Cannes Film Festival: South of France, film, international travel, glitz and glam, celebrity, awards.
• Gadget Accessories: With the recent iPhone and iPad availability on Verizon, coupled with the release of iPad 2, accessories for smartphones and tablets are on the rise.
• The Local Artisanal Shop: The butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie.
• Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.
• The Indoor Garden: Glass domes, terrariums, air plants, window herbs, succulent plants, garden markers, and planters.
• Vintage Designer: Fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.
• Fashion: American prep, nautical, and equestrian references. Tribal, geometric, and color-blocking. Peekaboo cuts, sheer panels, and lace. Wooden platform heels, reversible swimwear, and vintage sunglasses.
• Food trends: Year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaron.
• Writable surfaces: Chalkboard, whiteboard, fingerprints.
• Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiacs, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
• Vintage: Globes, maps, crates, baskets, barware, industrial appliances, farmhouse, typewriters, cameras, brass and cast iron animals.
• Geometry: Geometric shapes, patterns, triangles, chevrons, facets, and arrows.
• Constellations, zodiacs, fortune telling.
• Up-cycled lights and lamps, specifically with exposed bulbs.
• Removable fabric and vinyl decals, small run designs.
• Feather hair extensions and accessories.
• Home brewing, beer, and bar accessories.
• Vintage carnival, circus, sideshow, animals, and bright colors.
• The beard and its many variations have transcended the mustache in popularity!
• Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, feathers, arrows, diamonds paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones.
• Natural history and woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.

For those of you who enjoy making Treasuries, we'll be looking to highlight lists that interpret these themes in a creative and cohesive way throughout the site. Please tag your Treasuries accordingly.

• May is known as National Barbecue, Photograph, and Bike Month.
• May 1: May Day
• May 1: Fete du Travail, Labor Day
• May 3: Constitution Day (Japan)
• May 3: National Teachers Day
• May 5 : Cinco de Mayo
• May 7: Kentucky Derby
• May 8: VE Day
• May 8: Mother's Day
• May 15: Saint Isidros's Day (Spain)
• May 11-22: Cannes Film Festival
• May 18: International Museum Day
• May 21: National Bike to Work Day
• May 22 - June 5: French Open
• May 23: Victoria Day (Canada)
• May 30: Memorial Day

April Merchandising Themes: April Showers

Can you believe it's already April? Well, I definitely can't!!! But, I will say that I am very happy about the spring weather here in the Northern Hemisphere.

Here is my summary of Etsy's April Merchandising themes. Hopefully this will give all of you some great ideas for treasuries during the month. Be sure to tag your treasuries accordingly so that Etsy Admin are more likely to view them!

And, of course, remember to tag your team treasuries "selectperfect" And remember that each team treasury must include at least 6 teammates.

You can read the merchandising themes for yourself here.

Good luck and happy creating :)

Jessica

• Easter:

bright and pastel colors

bunnies

rabbits

eggs

baskets

candy

toys

children's spring formal attire

religious mementos

• Mothering Sunday: The equivalent of Mother's Day in the United Kingdom falls earlier than the American celebration.
• Mother's Day:

personalization options

pampering

jewelry

creative framing and photo displays

gadget accessories

flower and bud vases

planters

home decor

cards for Mother's Day

• Spring:

spring cleaning

spring fashion

spring break

spring planting

a fresh outlook

rejuvenation

splashes of light, bright color

• Gardening and Food:

tools

plant markers

composting solutions

gloves

scrubs

seeds

plantable papers

organic methods

farmers markets

organic meats and dairy

the butcher

dairy farmer

cheese artisans

seasonality

planting calendars

tips

recipes

vintage industrial farming references

• Earth Day:

eco-friendly options

recycling

repurposing

upcycling

use of reclaimed, naturally sourced, self-sustaining, and environmentally-friendly materials

• Fashion:

basics

spring and summer dresses

lightweight bags and carryalls

sunglasses

swimwear

hair accessories

jewelry

sandals

• Weddings, Proms, and Celebrations:

glammed up prom options with a touch of sparkle and edge

dresses, shoes, jewelry, bags, hair accessories, corsages, and make up.

• Graduation and Teacher Gifts
• Diamond is April's birthstone;
• April's astrological signs are Aries and Taurus (Aries: March 21 - April 20, Taurus: April 21 - May 20).

Trending Topics:

• Japan Relief
• Little Red Riding Hood:

forestry

red capes

wolves and werewolves

the moon (blood moon)

young love

legends

dark fairytales

• Gadget Accessories.
• The Indoor Garden:
• Glass domes
• terrariums
• air plants
• window herbs
• succulent plants
• garden markers
• planters

• Vintage Designer:
• Fashion
• collectibles
• bikes
• auto accessories
• The Butcher:
• Cuts of meat
• diagrams
• butcher paper and knives
• bacon
• aprons
• Fashion:
• Black paired with white, gold, or navy
• Orange
• camel
• chartreuse
• lace
• neon
• brights
• It's all about the shoulders: structured, elevated, outlined, embellished.
• Faux reptile skins
• the 1970s revival
• structured wearable art
• sporty
• nautical
• American classics
• tribal influence
• Food trends:
• Year of the homemade pie
• whoopie pie
• macaron
• Writable surfaces:
• Chalkboard
• whiteboard
• fingerprints
• Personalization:
• Monograms
• initials
• text
• numbers
• zodiacs
• constellations
• portraits
• custom labels
• stamps
• fingerprints
• family trees
• Vintage:
• Globes
• maps
• crates
• baskets
• barware
• industrial appliances
• farmhouse
• typewriters
• cameras
• letterpress
• brass and cast iron animals
• Geometry:
• Geometric shapes
• patterns
• triangles
• chevrons
• Other Trends:
• The beard and its many variations
• Redhead
• Lockets
• secret hiding places
• skeleton keys
• feathers
• arrows
• diamonds
• paper cuts
• silhouettes
• fortune cookies
• wishbones
• fortune tellers
• Natural history and woodland forest themes:
• animals
• birds
• owls
• squirrels
• hedgehogs
• chipmunks
• bunnies
• butterflies
• feathers
• nests
• eggs
• acorns
• leaves
• trees
• branches
• woodgrain
• natural colors