Chances are you’ve heard of Etsy. It’s the world’s most expansive marketplace for handmade and vintage items. With neighborhood networks and a shop-local function, Etsy is revolutionizing the way people shop online. I spoke to artist and team leader of SactoMetro Etsy Street Team, Marianne Bland, about her team of local artists and craftsmen representing the Sacramento area on Etsy.com

Tell me about Sacramento’s Etsy Team

SactoMetro Etsy Street Team has soap makers, painters, people making spiritual items, fine art…just a huge variety of items. We have people doing it to supplement jobs, full-timers, mothers at home school… It's an interesting group of people trying to help each other out and use our team to benefit one another.

And how big is the team?

About 40 people.

How did you come to manage the network?

I’m the team leader, so I oversee people who want to join, keep everyone listed, blog, organize events and things like that. A woman named Betty created the team a few years ago and had difficulties managing so she had to give up on it, but I wanted to keep it going. I think artists typically have a hard time with organization, and I thought I could lend my organizing skills to keep this going. I’m surprised; it's taken on a life of its own.

What is the relationship like between sellers?

The team was created for a few reasons - to get support from each other, to supply help and advise… Everyone has different backgrounds and experiences with this. For example, my grandma was participating in craft shows, and I remember being there with her during pricing and setup. We benefit from these diverse experiences, we share marketing efforts and try to inform people why to shop local and hand-made.

How do you promote each other?

Etsy isn’t just about self-promotion, it's about getting other people excited and feeling that they’re capable! The best stuff out there is handmade because it's quality. It's about individual people who love it and care about it and put their positive energy into it. In this particular economy, where lots of people are being forced to shop at Wal-Mart, I think more and more people are starting to think, What can I do with my own two hands? That’s an amazing, empowering thing. I think lots of people have that creativity… it's just about finding it.

Do you meet for in-person markets?

We organized a craft fair at Regency Park Elementary School in December and plan to do more. We’ve done Second Saturday Art Walks, and some participate in Third Saturday Design Downtown. And we participate in little things here and there.

What does it take to start up an Etsy Profile?

Etsy is easy access to lots of people: people in business, hobbyists... Online, there is a laid-out template. You just create a free username and pay 20 cents to list an item, which stays visible for four months. When you sell something, Etsy receives three and a half percent commission. From an art background, in galleries they take 30-50 percent commission so three and a half percent is really, really affordable. There are several hand-made venues online, but Etsy has the lion’s share, so that’s the main reason people are drawn to it. I’ve shipped to France, England, Canada, all over, and it’s exciting to know that those people have access to what I’ve made.

You’re currently working on an art project.

I’m making a new piece of art every day for a year and blogging about it…I try to keep it snarky, so it’s not just boring art talk.

What inspired the project?

It's something I thought of a couple years ago…a lot of artists do time-based projects. I wanted to force myself to do something creative every day. It’ll help in developing a more solid aesthetic and experiencing what it is to be a professional artist. I’d like to be an art teacher, which is a hard thing to break into. So a year of work will hopefully springboard an opportunity for me.

What motivates you and what burns you out?

Every day I have a mini freak-out moment! The blog has been inspiring to me because my friends and family are paying attention, and I’m now starting to get strangers viewing and commenting. Knowing that other people are looking forward to my posts is a big motivator. If I weren’t engaged in this project, I’d be sitting around waiting for inspiration. Now, I’m forcing myself to see it everywhere. I drove by something with tiles today that I liked…I think I’ll do something with square and tile today. Other artists are also a big inspiration, and Etsy helps with that. It’s easy to be inspired browsing Etsy because there are so many amazing, creative people on there.

To get involved with SactoMetro Etsy, check it out on Twitter or Facebook.