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Want join our happy and talented throng? Here’s the low down...

We’re always looking for talented and dedicated metal clay artists to join our team. To inquire, please send an Etsy convo to http://www.etsy.com/people/DestinysCreations or visit our team page http://www.etsy.com/teams/5877/etsy-metalclay

We’re a juried team and vote on new members once a month. If you apply before the third Friday of the month, your shop will be included in that month’s poll. If you get your info in a little later, we’ll keep you in mind the next month.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

♥  We’re a metal clay team and want that material to be the focus of our shops. Metal Clay jewelry must make up at least 70% of the items in your shop. Additionally you must have at least 15 metal clay items in the shop for us to take into consideration at the time of jurying. We’re also looking for excellent craftsmanship and original, creative designs. The use of glass, faux bone, enamel, concrete, wire wrapping, soldering and other materials in the completion of your work is welcomed, but please make sure to include a metal clay element in 70% of your jewelry.

♥ At this time we are NOT considering shops that predominantly offer supplies. While some of our members do sell clay, kilns and other supplies in their shops, they also fulfill the previously stated requirement of 70% metal clay jewelry.

♥ Shop appearance is equally as important as craftsmanship. Photographs must be clear, in focus and well staged. Don’t make your backgrounds too fussy or over filled with props. Simple is a good thing. The first photo (the one in the thumbnail) must be your best shot, clearly focused on the most interesting element or detail of the piece. This is the photo that the Etsy robots use when your work is considered for promotions or Treasuries. This is the photo that draws the viewer in and makes them want to click to see more. You don’t have to use a “wide shot” here. A close up may make more impact. Choose your first shot carefully. Often you don’t have to take an additional shot, but just crop the photo to highlight the item’s best assets.

♥ Shop headers/banners must be attractive and reflect the personality of the artist. This is a brand and viewers will remember the banner and unconsciously connect it with your jewelry.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT IN RETURN?

♥ All members are expected to take part in the jury process. If you have a fundamental problem with “judging” another’s work, let us know in advance and we’ll be glad to make a permanent exception. Otherwise you’ll be expected to take part each and every month.

♥ Members are expected to be vocal via our Yahoo! group. Please take the time to respond to questions, polls and important decisions. Light chatter is fun, but you don’t necessarily need to join in if you have nothing to add. When we specifically ask for an opinion - we’d really like you to share yours. This is a democratic team, not a dictatorship and the voice of every member is important. At the time of this writing, we don’t post regularly on the Etsy forums, but that may change and you might be asked to become involved in that activity.

♥ Members must include “EMC Team” as one of the 14 tags you’re asked to detail in every listing. We’d also like you to use our team logo as the fifth photo in your listings as often as possible. The PDF for this is located in the MEMBERS ONLY section of this web site and in our Yahoo group files.

♥ If you have a blog, please mention the team in appropriate posts and try to post the logo and link it to our website or team blog.

♥ We’d like each and every member to try their hand at creating a Treasury featuring other members of the team. Treasuries that are chosen for the front page must not include the work of the curator. The powers that be like treasuries with a common theme ie: color, season of the year, holiday, material etc. Although I’ve seen some that are 100% jewelry, jewelry combined with other items such as ceramics, art, clothes etc. are chosen more often. if you’re not sure how to create a Treasury, check our FILES section or the Etsy "how to" and Poster Sketch

♥ If you have a special area of expertise, please share! One of our members offered to put together this wonderful website and spent lots of time making it perfect. Another oversees our BLOG. Another creates the jury polls each month. If you see a need or a hole that you’d like to fill - please offer to help and follow through.

♥ At the time of this posting we don’t require dues, but will in the future. To open a team Etsy shop, we’ll need to open a paypal account to fund it. We may also decide as a team to take advantage of various promotional opportunities, like ad space in magazines or on blogs like Design Sponge or Decor8. This would be a manageable amount, probably no more than $5.00 per month, although we haven’t had a discussion of this topic yet. But you should know it’s in our future.

♥ We know you have lives! if you’ll be away on vacation or at a show at the end of the month, let us know so that we won’t be waiting for your vote. if you have some personal reasons why you need to take a break from the group, or won’t be able to continue with a project you took on, let us know and we’ll make sure someone else steps in to fill the void. Please do not simply fade away. Silent members will be asked “whazzup” via the Yahoo! group. if there’s no response, they’ll be sent an Etsy convo. If there’s still no response they’ll be removed from the Yahoo! group and asked to withdraw from the team. Don’t make us do that. Just communicate your needs.

♥ You’re also expected to have fun and become our new cyber BFF! We’ve had a lot of fun creating this team and interacting with our mates. I only expect it to get better and better and we’d love you to be a part of Etsy MetalClay’s evolution!