Eye Candy of The Day - Microbe Soap

Bacteria Soap by Cleaner Science

Handmade soaps by a Pharmacy student made to look like bacteria cultures growing in lab petri dishes!

E. coli Petri Dish Soap. Grapefruit Scented.

No, they were not made with real bacteria...But still, don't eat them just to be safe.

Candida albicans Petri Dish Soap. Coconut scented.

Glow in the dark Cyano Bacteria Soap. Cucumber Melon.

"This particular soap is modeled after a closeup of cyanobacteria dyed with fluorescent markers to show fat content."

Cool.

And now for something completely different...

~Quote of The Day~ 

Today I would also like to share a quotable quote. This hilarious and brilliant 'Seussical' was posted in the Etsy forums today by Dadswoodentoys and is concerning the unfortunate habit a lot of us newbs have of underpricing our handmade crafts when we start selling.

"Under-priced items have you concerned?
have you lost money you should have earned?

To another seller who prices so low
for all of their time there is nothing to show

The answer of course is unknown for sure
did one of your customers bite at their lure?

But allow me to give you some food for thought
perhaps things are best with the prices you've got

pricing the lowest may not win the sale
it's not all buyers want in each case without fail

unless you are selling supplies such as beads
quality craftmanship is what each buyer needs

assuming your content and pictures are great
the question is how will your product rate

next to a listing that is underpriced
will your sales be stolen by prices so sliced?

If what you are selling requires a skill
and if it's on Etsy it most likely will

then your price tells more than what they should pay
confidence in workmanship you also display

the time you invested into your piece
will appear to be more than the one priced the least

when buying a commercially produced doodad
comparing just price will make buyers glad

but when dealing with makers of handcrafted wares
a price that's too low may only get stares

"Surely they couldn't have worked very hard
perhaps the seller is a fat lazy lard

I'd rather pay money for items that last"
They'll say as they remember stuff bought in the past

oh sure there are buyers who buy just whats cheap
inside their closets there is most likely a heap

of broken items long since discarded
but not in the closets of those who are guarded

discerning buyers are those that you need
who see that your price is not fueled by greed.

those buyers are out there don't think that they're not
Etsy is probably their favorite spot

So make sure your description and pictures show
the work you invested so the buyers know

It's worth it to buy from your quality store
even when paying a few dollars more"

Pricing is a great source of anxiety for many sellers and is a frequent topic in the Forums. And speaking of forums, they're are a great place to find loads of information, make friends, laugh and occasionally witness some impressive trainwrecks. But my favorite part is seeing the development of a unique human community. A culture complete with its own code of conduct, language and symbolism, rites of passage and initiations, not to mention all the interesting roles played by some especially visible members: alphas, leaders, followers, pacifiers, anarchists and underdogs, wise elders, self-help gurus, opportunists, philanthropists, etc.
And it's all Live! It's like watching an ant farm but with ants that have verbal communication and internet access, and they unwittingly build a culture while just trying to ask a question, relate a problem or make a friend.  

Cool.

Lastly, I would like to toot my horn a little with some shameless self-promotion:

*Look at mEee! Look At MeE! La La Laa! LoOk at MeE!*

Look who got a picture accepted to Craft Gawker!:

  Retro Blue Bird Necklace

And a little update of what I've been up to in the 'studio' (hijacked sofa-less living room):

..oo00* PrEtTy ShiNy neCklacEs *00oo..

Horizontally strung vintage beads of all sorts with various vintage and new US-made chains. I will be listing them shortly in my "bead and chain necklaces".

*Look at mEee! Look At MeE! La La Laa! LoOk at MeE!*

...end of shameless self-promotion.