How To Make a Video Ad for Your Online Store

Etsy recently recently posted a video on YouTube of their first TV ad in the UK. All sellers were able to tweak the video and add their own Etsy shop. Lots of folks thought it was cool but many were disappointed that they could only add their store's web address but no pictures of their items for sale.

So we thought we would show you how to make a true video ad for your online shop using Windows Movie Maker.

Go to the link above for Movie Maker details.

We went into Movie Maker on our computer and gave our video a title: Vintage Home. Then we added images of some of our vintage items for sale in our Etsy store Weird Owl Vintage. Next we added animations. There are many options to pick and choose.

Then we went to YouTube's audio library for free background music for our video ad. Music definitely helps make a video better but it is important to use only music which you have permission to use or that is designated free-to-use by the artist or musician. YouTube will remove your music if you are violating copyright or intellectual property.

We could have added captions for the pictures but we skipped that step this time because we wanted to put something together quickly.

When our video was done, we saved it to our computer. Then we uploaded it to our Weird Owl Vintage YouTube Channel. Once you have uploaded your video to YouTube, you can Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social media sites. You can also add it to your blog as we have done here:

There you have it... your very own, easy-to-do video ad!


These are fun to make so we just did one for our new vintage clothing shop on Etsy, Weird Owl Vintage 2

We added Captions to this one so you can see how they look. Enjoy!

Latest Thrift Store Finds: Kitsch, Danish Modern, Gzhel and Books

A bear on a unicycle toilet paper holder, Stelton of Denmark lobster forks, a Russian gzhel blue and white porcelain dolphin that is puzzling us, and some scarce books about Hungary are the latest cool finds from our weekly thrifting.

The bear on a unicycle is an unusual novelty toilet tissue holder. When you pull the tissue, the wheel turns and the bear peddles. We couldn't find another one like anywhere it on the internet. Can't you see this in a man's bathroom? Or in the home of a kitsch lover? He is so cool!

Novelty Bear on Unicycle Toilet Paper Holder on Etsy
SOLD!

We also picked up a set of 6 scarce, vintage lobster forks made by Stelton of Denmark; perfect for a Minimalist decor or for those who love Danish Modern. In the 1960s and 1970s Stelton hired famous designers Arne Jacobsen and Erik Magnussen and it's likely that one of them designed these stainless steel lobster forks.

Stelton of Denmark Lobster Forks for sale on Etsy

The above were finds at national chain thrift stores. Our next stop was at a small thrift run by a local Christian school. I often find good used books there and this time was no exception. We picked up a nice collection of hard-to-find vintage books on Hungary.

We listed this book on Hungarian Embroideries by Katalin Kristo-Nagy and Margit Nagy-Jara on Etsy. It comprehensively deals with the development and regional aspects of Hungarian embroidery.

Hungarian Embroideries Scarce Vintage Book

The other books were about Hungarian history and genealogy.

 A Condensed Geography of Hungary by Leslie Konnyu

 Faith and Fate, A Short Cultural History of the Hungarian People

 Handy Guide to Hungarian Genealogical Records by Jared Suess

 The Hungarian Genius: A Pictorial Record of a Thousand Years

In Search of a New Homeland, Prehistory of the Hungarian People and the Conquest

Last but hardly least, is a treasure we are still researching before offering it for sale. It's a handpainted and signed, blue and white porcelain dolphin, probably a trinket or ring dish, with a lid. It is clearly Russian gzhel but we haven't had any luck so far identifying the maker's mark. There are actually 2 marks and a paper label.

We didn't find another one like it on the internet so that's no help. We checked in Kovel's Dictionary of Marks: Pottery and Porcelain and no luck there either.

Just listed on Etsy: Ghzel Blue and White Dolphin

Books About Michigan and the Great Lakes

Weird Owl Vintage and Books has a nice selection of vintage books for Michiganders and fans of the Great Lakes.

We have several cookbooks from Michigan, including the scarce Official MSU Cookbook published in 1993.

Great Lakes Cookery - Bea Smith Cookbook

If you are into Michigan history, we have regional history books as well as a number of books by well-known Michigan historian Larry Massie, and a hard-to-find book about Michigan's prehistory.

 Michigan Memories by Larry B. Massie

Potawatomi Tears and Petticoat Pioneers,  Michigan History

For the genealogists, we have Michigan Place Names, and Passing of the Gael by Rev. John Whalen McGee. Father McGee chronicles Irish history and the exodus that brought many Irish to Kent County, Michigan and surrounding communities. You might find your ancestors in this book.

If you are looking for a book by a Michigan author, we have you covered with several novels by Jeffrey Eugenides, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning book Middlesex. Or you might like to read a couple of books about war written by Michiganians who served and fought.

 Personal Account of Draftee 36887149 - Clarence Blakeslee, Rockford, MI
SOLD!

Transition to Duty - Leo Flory, Decatur, MI

Did you attend U of M and want to read a history of the University of Michigan?

Or did you go to Calvin College? Promises to Keep covers Calvin College history from 1876 to 1975.

Last but not least, you'll want to check out our books about the Great Lakes which surround the Mitten State.

 Dangerous Coast Pictured Rocks Shipwrecks

 Great Lakes Car Ferries History

Great Lakes Stories, Ashore After 50 Years

Butterscotch Pie Recipe, Pioneer Lady's Country Kitchen

The Pioneer Lady's Country Kitchen Cookbook by Jane Watson Hopping is full of recipes for all seasons. The recipes are for dishes that Mom and Grandma made, time-honored and family-tested.

Below is a November recipe.

Butterscotch Pie
1 egg, separated
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pre-baked pie crust
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium saucepan, combine the egg yolk with the brown sugar, flour, milk, water, butter, vanilla, and salt. Cook over high heat until mixture thickens and reaches a boil, stirring constantly. Pour the hot filling into the baked pie crust.

Whip the egg white until stiff, then beat in the powdered sugar. Swirl over the top of the filling, making sure it touches the crust all the way around the edge. Bake until top is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Makes one 9-inch pie or 4 to 6 servings.