Etsy and Blogs

Since my work load in my counseling has decreased, I've been working at increasing my exposure online to my Etsy shop and blog.  I've been spending a lot of time playing on other social media sites too.  Which is great, but it will never be a substitute from getting out in the world and talking to people.

This weekend, my sister was visiting with her boyfriend.  We spent some time wandering around a part of the city with lots of small shops and restaurants.  We popped into a used video game store to take a peek, and I noticed a large shelving area that appeared to have handmade, gaming related items.  I spoke with the man working there, who happened to be the owner, about whether they sell a lot of the handmade stuff.  He became visibly excited when I shared some photos of items I've made that were game related.  We wound up exchanging information, and I agreed to work on some clay items this week to bring to him.  

I've been thinking of trying out craft shows, and been considering selling to local stores.  I've walked by that game store many times but have never gone inside.  It just goes to show you, nothing will get the same success as selling yourself in person.  And you can't know the answer to the question, unless you ask.  If I saw other  people's handmade work, and didn't ask if there was room for mine...well, that would have just been silly.

I already have some ideas about what to work on, and I'll be going to the craft store today to pick up some supplies!  It's exciting to have a more focused project and a goal, as opposed to making random, whatever I feel like, kind of items.  Stay tuned for photos.

In other news, my friend Ben Yolton, is an awesome artist and just recently started an Etsy shop.  I wish him much success, and encourage you all to go check it out!  Yolton's Art 

Treasury Thursday (Etsy)

One fun feature of Etsy is the ability to create treasuries.  You search for items based on your unifying theme of choice, whether it's color, style, mood, season, etc.  I shared my Mother's Day treasuries in an earlier post.

I decided to create one that celebrated the great weather here in Richmond today.  It's one of the first days in a while that it hasn't been raining, or bumped the thermometer over 70 degrees.  This is the longest we've gone into spring with the heated mattress pad still on the bed.  But I've also been enjoying all of the geeky crafts that are on Etsy lately....I recently bought one of these shirts from Enlightened State, to wallow in my love of Walking Dead until the new season starts.

Combining geekery and spring greens was easy and actually produced a pretty cute treasury.  Enjoy!

Spring Green for Geeks

Mother's Day is on the way!

Mother's Day is sneaking up on us.  For those of us who haven't gotten their mom anything yet, Etsy.com is a good place to start.  I love the idea of buying from small businesses or individuals, who have some passion about what they are creating...instead of coming from some mass production factory in Asia.  Often the quality of the items is better, and the prices are reasonable (depending on what you buy).  Be careful of who you choose to buy from if you are looking for genuine hand made items.  There are still sellers sneaking on to Etsy who claim their items are handmade, but when you take a closer look, they are selling mass produced junk.  It's been an ongoing issue with Etsy, but I don't see them going away in the near future.  Just be aware that fakers exist!

For inspiration, I made a treasury collection called "Orange you glad your mom is awesome?".  Hopefully this will give some of my fellow "last minute Annie's" some motivation to pick out a good gift for their mother, aunt, wife, or grandmother.

I also made a treasury the other day, specifically to celebrate my mother, based on her interests and fun attitude!  Celebrate Your Mother

Good luck and happy hunting for just the right gift!