Our Thursday Treasury Challenge winner for 08/09/12 is:

Our Thursday 08/09/12 Treasury Challenge Winner is no stranger to creating fabulous collections for Team Elite!  Betty from  AlegriaCollection.


In our last interview with Betty after winning a previous challenge, we learned why Betty is inspired by vintage and about her shop.  This week I wanted to find out how Betty goes about curating her winning collections and what inspires her!

Tell us how you came to love curating treasuries:
When I first joined Etsy I was fascinated by treasuries, but they were a mystery to me—how to be featured on one, how to create one, how exactly did it all work? Then, my guesswork having failed, I read the instructions (what a novel idea!), but I was still “afraid.” After a few months I finally closed my eyes tight, held my nose and jumped in! My first treasury was for Mother’s Day: “Blue, Oh So Blue,” in honor of my mother whose favorite color is: blue! (www.etsy.com/treasury/MTk1Nzk0ODZ8MjcyMjc4ODczNg/blue-oh-so-blue?index=7) I was pleased with the results and received a lot of positive feedback. From then on I was hooked!



Do you pay attention to the treasuries on the front page? 
I do pay attention to FP treasuries, but I find many of them a little pale and minimalistic, although I’ve seen many lovely FP treasuries. I’m a “maximalist”—more is more—and love bold colors and plenty of texture. I choose items that evoke a certain emotion and fit the theme I’m following as much as possible. I use FP treasuries to stay informed—like reading the newspaper or watching the news—but I don’t try to emulate the FP because my style is very different. 

'Autumn in Paris - Team Elite's Thursday Treasury Challenge Entry' by beatrizmcdavid

"Autumn" themed treasury for Team Elite's Thursday Treasury Challenge. Anyone can participate. See our blog for details: http://teameliteonetsy.blogspot.com/2012/08/weekly-thursday-treasury-challenge_8.htmlEnjoy!

Autumnal House - 8x... MarcoLaGrenoui... $22.00	ORIGINAL French La... RueDesLouves $390.00	Mustard fingerless ... fatoss $20.00	Ceramic Tile, Citri... elementsinspir... $42.00
Brown and cream tut... TutusChicBouti... $165.00	Paris Street - 8&qu... PhotografiaLum... $23.00	Parisian Graffiti. ImagineStudio $30.00	Ethiopian opal cab ... Michaelangelas $85.50
Leaf Finding Charm ... NadinArtGlass $4.00	Pet Photography Kit... DesignByJV $20.00	Abstract stained gl... Nostalgianmore $150.00	Paris Photos - Drea... KathyFornal $30.00
Iced Coffee - brown... valezhki $35.00	Handmade French Cop... ChaseVintage $35.00	Fingerless Gloves W... reflectionsbyd... $28.00	Brown honey necklac... azulado $17.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

How do you choose a name for your treasury curation?
It depends. If it’s a treasury for a team challenge with a predetermined theme I try to tie the theme to a quote I love or a phrase from a poem. Sometimes I will use one of the featured items as the inspiration for the treasury’s name. For example, I curated a Team Elite treasury for the “pink and yellow” challenge and named it “Dream.” The first featured item was a yellow scrapbook page with the word “dream” on it. It just seemed to fit the overall feeling of the treasury. I’m also a writer and always have phrases running around in my head, and often I have a name before I start selecting items to include in a treasury.

'Autumn Fires - Team Elite's Theme Treasury Challenge #3' by beatrizmcdavid

This week's treasury theme is Fall Emotions and includes 7 predetermined TE members and 9 random non-members. My treasury's inspiration comes from Robert Louis Stevenson's poem Autumn Fires, text in comments below. Please favorite, share and

A Fine Art Photogra... KeriBevan $30.00	Behind The Curtain.... FrancesPhotogr... $1080.00	A Very Smokey Night... JensMark $20.00	little red riding h... FollowTheRaven $18.00
Sisters by Kathleen... RockySpringsVi... $22.95	Old Gold, Yellow, P... sassalynne $12.75	Abstract Fine Art N... sherilwright $25.00	Children Clothing, ... delightcrochet $25.00
12 acorn place card... JDooreCreation... $4.00	Elegant Knit Circle... KrissWool $52.00	Smokey Quartz, Gold... CoparAingeal $24.00	Broken China Brown ... PamelasPieces $50.00
Lucite Flower Earri... PiggleAndPop $17.00	5x7 Photograph Aged... heidirainville $29.00	Hand painted Kaua&#... PetrinaBlakely $20.00	October 1923 Autumn... TheCleverCousi... $20.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

What inspires you when creating treasuries? 
I love to travel, I love books, flowers, rainy days, color, autumn (I curated an autumn treasury entitled “Summertime . . .” and in my comments I said, “but I love Autumn best of all.”) Current events, like Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee, inspired a teapot-themed treasury. Inspiration is really everywhere for me.

'Summertime . . . ' by beatrizmcdavid

But I love Autumn best of all.

Artist Note Card--N... GreenInkGaller... $4.99	Love Autumn Woman A... PortLove $35.00	1923 Marine Inverte... carambas $14.00	Business Card Case ... StarlessClay $30.00
12.25x6.25 Autumn&#... sAm26 $15.00	Autumn / Fall Orang... SugarFlower $6.00	Hand Dyed Long Silk... BeneathTheRowa... $32.00	Knit Unisex Circle ... KrissWool $52.00
Autumn Swarovski Cr... futureheirloom... $24.00	Hand Dyed ribbon - ... abbyandellie $3.95	Autumn photograph, ... EyePoetryPhoto... $30.00	LEAF ME ALONE--Autu... POSIESnPEARLS $147.00
Fall Leaves Gift Ta... Bluebirdlane $6.00	25% OFF SALE CLEARA... ara133photogra... $4.50	Autumn Colors Orang... galleryzooart $22.00	Autumn Masque Open ... MickieMuellerS... $15.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

What is your advice to getting views on a treasury curation?
The first thing I do after completing a treasury is convo all featured sellers and tell them they’ve been treasured. (I’m often surprised to find out one of my items has been included in a treasury but I knew nothing about it.) I also remind the featured sellers to “favorite” the treasury and ask them to share it. I’ve noticed many people leave comments but forget to favorite, which is the most important part for promotion purposes. Lately, I’ve started Tweeting and posting my treasury items on Pinterest and Wanelo. I’m not sure how much traffic that generates for those shops, but it can’t hurt! It’s time consuming but I let the sellers know that I’ve promoted one of their items; I think they appreciate it and many reciprocate. I also convo Etsy friends who aren’t featured in the treasury but are more than glad to offer support—and they do!

'July Daffodils' by beatrizmcdavid

"Yellow" - Team Elite's weekly blog challenge, with featured shop ViksVintageJewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ViksVintageJewelryAnyone can participate! For details, see: http://teameliteonetsy.blogspot.com/Enjoy!

Vintage Paul Webb M... ViksVintageJew... $40.00	Felted purse cosmet... galafilc $59.00	Glow in the Dark St... TheAmethystDra... $18.00	Vintage Pre WWII Si... BrightgemsTrea... $28.50
300gr of organic Li... SuppliesForHan... $18.00	Daisy Art Summer Fl... BrazenDesignSt... $15.00	Vintage Yellow Stil... NicoleNicolett... $23.00	wedding jewelry,swa... xxyz $27.00
Medieval Wooden Chu... EyeShutterToTh... $25.00	Art Print of Origin... nesaquarelle $9.00	Elegant Spring Rhi... AntiqueAlchemi... $5.00	Art Deco PRYSTAL Bu... Butterflysue $32.00
Vivid Fine Art prin... SCPerkinsPhoto... $30.00	Iron Yellow Tumbler JeffPenderCera... $18.00	30% off - Lemons - ... LupenGrainne $21.00	Orange, yellow and ... amostroutstudi... $15.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Do you think treasuries help sellers gain views in their shops? If so, how?
I think they do. We are all curious by nature, and if someone features one of my items in a treasury I want to see what the curator’s shop looks like, what kinds of items she carries, do I want to add her to my circle or follow her on Twitter, do I want to favorite or Tweet the shop. Even if what I see isn’t my style, I always try to return the favor by selecting a few favorites. What goes around comes around, or better yet, “you shall reap what you sow.”

'Peach Sorbet With Mint' by beatrizmcdavid

"Peach and Mint Green," Team Elite's Thursday treasury challenge entry featuring http://www.etsy.com/shop/ViksVintageJewelry?ref=seller_infoVisit our Team Blog to participate: http://teameliteonetsy.blogspot.com/

Peach, Green, Clear... MASHUGANA $64.50	Enchanted Forest 8x... AnaPontesPhoto... $21.00	Peach Rhinestone Ea... laurenblythede... $22.00	Rose Earrings Peach... BrownEyedRose $5.00
Venice, The Green P... PhotografiaLum... $25.00	Vintage Austrian Gr... TheOpenSesame $17.00	Porcelain Dove Bird... AimerLeTerreJe... $15.00	CHRISTMAS Ornament ... BoldFolds $45.00
Neon green bookmark... PaciorkyArtStu... $16.00	Bulky Silver and Me... riorita $91.00	Art Print of Origin... nesaquarelle $9.00	Vintage Writing Jou... AuriesDesigns $24.50
Vintage Green BAKEL... BrightgemsTrea... $38.50	Limited Edition Pri... 4073 $130.00	Vintage Lisner Rhin... ViksVintageJew... $9.99	Busy Morning on the... rebeccaplotnic... $30.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

What is it you look for when selecting items for your treasury curations?
Beauty, emotion, evocative colors—items that say “wow”! But—and this is really important and something I’m working on in my own shop—if I love the item but the picture isn’t good, I won’t use it. Pictures are everything, and I mean everything!

'On a clear day...' by beatrizmcdavid

. . . you can see beauty.

Pink Love - Reiki I... PreciousTempta... $51.00	RESERVED listing BaciRubati $82.00	Vintage Glass Flowe... Cottonridgevin... $19.50	Vintage Bridal Wedd... luxedeluxe $168.00
Moonstone Briolette... JarosDesigns $28.00	Crystal clear rosar... GypsyFeather $14.00	La Belle Mariée St... prestonandoliv... $200.00	Vintage Rhinestone ... ohmymilky $18.50
Freshwater Pearl Cr... SerebaDesigns $68.00	ART DECO Bracelet R... DresdenDollz $140.00	Paris Photo - There... GeorgiannaLane $25.00	Off white Headband... WomanScarves $19.90
early 1900s Antique... TreasuresPast4... $39.95	French Antique Cann... Vintagefrenchl... $100.00	Soldered Pendant, E... Uniqueartglass $27.00	Hand Blown Pitcher ... MariasFarmhous... $18.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

What is one piece of advice you can give new Etsians when it comes to making treasuries?
Don’t be afraid and get started! But be thoughtful about it. Whatever your theme, make sure the items complement one another somehow. Depending on the treasury’s theme or objective, the featured items can be 16 versions of the same thing (like my teapot treasury), or they can be a contrast of colors and textures, or a collection of completely diverse items that tells a story. For example, my Italian friend Cris of KrissWool, who I believe is a master curator, built a treasury around old, utilitarian items:www.etsy.com/treasury/MjA2MjM2MTh8MjcyMjkxMTY3Mg/strong-and-simple-life2.... What could have been a hodgepodge, turned out to be a visually beautiful collection that evoked earlier times, regardless of the item’s original use. And the name, “Strong and Simple,” is perfection!

'From The Heart - Team Elite's Thursday Treasury Challenge' by beatrizmcdavid

Team Elite's wedding-themed Thursday Treasury Challenge entry featuring www.etsy.com/shop/sassalynne. Thank you to Owl and Hourglass for the title inspiration.To participate, see our team blog: http://teameliteonetsy.blogspot.com.

Ex Animo - From The... OWLandHOURGLAS... $22.99	Tan, Teal, Green, F... sassalynne $7.00	original watercolor... AlisaPaints $129.00	Blue Gray Pocket Mi... PatBarnes $14.00
LOVE Birds. Unique ... museumshop $9.99	Personalised Gift T... PhotographyByA... $3.00	Blue Chrysophase Ea... expressyoursel... $85.00	bridesmaid gift adj... xxyz $10.00
Photo of Coffee Cup... CarlaDyck $25.00	Custom Bracelet: We... RusticCuff $40.00	Sarafina Curls - Or... TribalStyle $28.00	Vintage Philippe Lo... NicoleNicolett... $23.00
Bamboo BATHROBE Org... loovee $75.00	Summer Collection -... oenopia $34.00	Vintage Bracelet Pe... PhotosPast $30.00	Home decor - weddin... PhotographyDre... $13.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Who are your top three favorite Etsy sellers and why?
It’s impossible for me to pick just three! I love so many Etsy sellers and they are all unique in their own way! I love the ones I love for the originality of their creations, for the quality of their vintage items, for the beauty of the supplies they offer. But I have to make special mention of one shop I’ve bought several things from: Ozma Of Odds: www.etsy.com/shop/ozmaofodds?page=2. I don’t know where Rosemary finds her inspiration, but not only is her shop beautiful to look at, but her inspirational offerings are exquisite—they speak to me on a very personal level. And she sounds like a lovely person to boot! 

'DREAM - Team Elite's Thursday Treasury Challenge Entry' by beatrizmcdavid

This week's theme for Team Elite's Thursday treasury challenge is "pink and yellow." Visit our team blog to participate: http://teameliteonetsy.blogspot.com/Thank you to SweetConceptDesigns for the "Dream" theme!

12 x12 Scrapbook P... SweetConceptDe... $10.00	Baby Shoes Print of... GailsArtsAndCr... $20.00	Christmas in July B... Lusmysticjewel... $9.00	100% Bamboo Spiral ... pippisLongstoc... $33.00
Ornament Home Déco... BoldFolds $45.00	Romantic Bridal So... riorita $185.00	Light Yellow Leathe... LadyYesterday $20.00	Vintage Express She... HappyMoonDesig... $55.00
NATURAL Cotton ,Eco... loovee $25.00	natural antibacteri... yarnsupplies $10.00	Baltic Amber Ring R... expressyoursel... $185.00	16" long (22 p... carriegems $9.99
Xania, Crete Sunset... WarriorWonderl... $15.00	Photography,digital... picsoflive $9.00	Pear photograph - C... Raceytay $15.00	Decoupage Wide Cuff... AlbinaRose $36.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

When you buy handmade, what is it you look for? (Price, Quality, Uniqueness?) 
Uniqueness and quality first, price second. Although I do not have an unlimited budget, I don’t mind paying more for something someone put her heart and soul into, and which in turn touches my heart and soul.

Anything else that you would like to tell us about, we would love for you to share with us:

'Etsy's Got Talent!' by beatrizmcdavid

This is a very eclectic treasury. All of the items are first-time treasury selections--a tribute to just a few of the amazingly talented and creative artists and craftspeople on Etsy. You inspire me!

Beautiful hand knit... EvasJewellery $20.00	ORIGINAL Large Abst... ModernHouseArt $475.00	FREE SHIPPING.. Han... eliziatelye $78.00	beloved amongst the... ozmaofodds $9.00
Rose Garden Green G... TaleaStudios $24.00	Bellasoiree Origina... Bellasoiree $795.00	DeNatura. . Salad T... CosyGiftsbyDeN... $60.00	One Way Ticket To T... lilithist $145.00
Black lace and nude... TutusChicBouti... $235.00	RUIN. Abstract Phot... WhoIsCharley $28.00	Free shipping / Chr... mamaOksana $950.00	Peridot and citrine... CreativityJewe... $105.00
Wire Rings Sterling... MandaWolf $30.00	Exclusive Handmade ... Artbagss $300.00	Parisian Street - 8... PhotografiaLum... $25.00	Crocheted Scarf Nec... KrissWool $35.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

I’ve learned that Etsy is a community and you can’t go it alone if you want to succeed. Joining a team is a great way to garner support and get noticed, but also to make friends. And some of those friendships go deeper than just “Etsy talk.” I’m experiencing that myself and nothing could be more rewarding!