Cookies And Cream Cake

Over the weekend I had a chance to make a brand new cake.  Here I have layers of chocolate and vanilla cake with dark chocolate icing.  I added a dab of vanilla frosting on top with chocolate sprinkles and topped it wit a wafer cookie.  

I like the colors so much, the I hope to make a cookies n cream ice cream, and perhaps even a matching cupcake. 

All my newest foods are available at my new shop.  My latest designs are the cookies and cream inspired cake, and a variety ice waffle cone ice creams. 

If you missed out on the Hotdogs or plain cheese burgers, I made new small batches of those items.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Heather

Is Poaching Too Strong of a Word?

Just a quick warning, This particular post is meant more for documenting how Etsy has changed incoming traffic to listings.  I wanted to show other shop owners what is happening, and why their shops may have slowed down.
I just stumbled across a change Etsy made to incoming search results.  I often perform searches on google, to see if my items are showing up.  I am showing up on a number of google searches, but my views on Etsy have been plummeting.   If you are an Etsy shop owner that has built your business, only to find yourself struggling this may be the reason.

Here is the google shopping results for snow cone necklace today October 22, 2013.  My snow cone necklace is in the first slot top left.

 Once you click through to see the item this picture of the screen below is where you are taken.  An Etsy listing page.  The top is very different though, Notice that you don't even see the item.  You are shown other "similar" items.  Then you see the shop name next to some thumbnails of shop items.  You actually have to scroll down in order to find the item you clicked on.

How many people clicking through to find your item, will know to scroll down?
Sorry they are photos guys...  There were errors when I tried to post with actual screen shots
Heather

Here is another way Etsy is directing traffic away from your shop
 I search for chocolate cupcake charm then click on images.  Mine is the 6th in on the top

 Here is the screen after I click on the image.  Instead of saying my business name on Etsy, It says Popular items for cupcake charm on etsy

Then when you click on  to Etsy you are taken to a search page of many items.  The one you clicked on may or may not even be there

I deactivated my listings. My item was in the top row in the third slot.  There have been reports by other sellers that their item did but appear on the page at all, or it was towards the bottom of the page.

I don't want my images to lure people to directly competing items.  Amazon at least shows competing items on the bottom of the page.  This is not fair to the shops that spend countless hours researching SEO, taking the best pictures they can, only to have it used to promote their direct competitors items. 

To my wonderful buyers..  You can still contact me through Etsy for the time being, or find me here
This along with the allowing factory mass produced items to be called "hand made"  was the reason I took all my listings down on etsy.

Self Preservation

First I want to thank all of you for your support of my business. 

There have been a great deal of changes on Etsy that has me concerned about the future of my shop.  The latest one has me the most concerned.

Recently Etsy announced that Mass manufactured goods will be allowed on the site.  There has been many stores claiming that their

items are handmade, and drop shipping sales straight from manufacturers.

What this means for Sweet & Savory Trinkets

In the last month and a half, I have been emailed from manufacturers in China asking if they can produce my products for me.  I have also had some of my photos stolen and used on other sites.  

Since some manufacturers have already taken notice of my Etsy items, I will continue to sell them there for the time being. 

However all my new designs will be in my shop on Zibbet .  I am trying to make it harder for large manufacturing companies to find my items and copy them. 

 My promise to you! 
Every miniature food you buy from me, is hand made by me!  I am not going to mass produce my products.  When you are contacting me, calling me, or buying from me, I am the person that will be writing you back, making your items, packing your items, and shipping them to you. 

Your can find my items in my shop on Zibbet, and at least through the Holidays on Etsy.  My new designs will no longer be on Etsy though.

I will also be doing local fairs, and I am in a few retail locations.  Blossom Beauty Lounge  , Emerging Thoughts,  Two Elephants, There are two other locations that carried a limited selection of my work, once I have permission to link them here I will update the blog with live links. 

Things here have slowed down a great deal with the new changes on Etsy, so I have been unable to continue donating the 2.5% of sales to disaster relief at this time.  I am now putting it back into supplies for creating new items. 

Thank you again for your past support.  I do hope you will stop by my Zibbet shop, I am currently trying out a couple other handmade sites too to see what I think of them. 

Heather