This is my “plain Jane” offering and gosh it’s beautiful! I listed it a couple days ago and forgot to put it out here. I had some conversations with another Etsy seller (her shop) who is also a knitter and has been doing this a lot longer than I have. She and I both lean toward the “funky” items but she said that the plain Jane things sell a lot better. So, I thought I’d give it a try. It’s gotten a lot of looks. 

It's milestone time! Hey folks, keep an eye on my shop. I'm almost to 1,000 views!

I've sold 4 things so far. This is just so cool. I need to sell one of my big ticket items to start making a profit but I know I will eventually. I have to wait for it to get cold in order to sell any hats, I think.

Promotion has been on my mind a lot lately. In fact, it woke me up at 1:00 AM the other day and I couldn't get back to sleep. I ordered some business cards to send out to other Etsy crafters who are going to shows. They'll hand them out in little promo packs. I'm thinking I might put a little money into some magnets as a little "gift" to help get potential buyer's attention and as something to send out with my sold items so people remember me. I just can't decide if it'll be worth putting more money into my business when I haven't made a profit.

I feel like I'll be a success - I make cute things and I make them well. But, don't all crafters think that? :) I just need to put more into letting people know I'm selling so they can come see my things. It's a conundrum.

Fuzzy Purse

Well, isn’t this thing awesome? I originally wanted to cover the entire purse in the fuzzy stuff but my husband suggested just the top. He was right! He’s always right about this stuff. He says he’s not crafty and shouldn’t be asked for his opinion but he’s not telling the truth.

I used an old necklace for the strap - love using jewelry in unexpected ways!

I think these pictures are closer to being good pictures. The pictures are just a little washed out but they turned out better than the ones that were just a little too dark. I used my photo tent and messed around a whole lot with the settings on my camera. I think I’m starting to get it. I still have to call Kj to get all the tips.

Right now I’m working on more guitar pick holders and I’m going to get started knitting some little coin purses and business card holders. I’m also considering making some magnets. I just need to get some more inexpensive things in my shop. There are a lot of buyers on Etsy who don’t want to be spending a lot of money. 

Sad sad. I worked on a white cuff with a chain running through it for a few hours. Mistakes mistakes fix them fix them. Then, I couldn't figure out how to connect the two ends. So, I decided to do buttons. Oh, that didn't work at all. It's garbage. It's my first totally failed item. The other things I've made (purses, other cuffs) were prototypes and I made new ones when the first didn't work. I'm done with this one! I'm hanging up the hat. Too bad, because it would have been pretty cute. Oh well. I guess every venture has some failures.

Hand Knit Cuff

I LOVE RED! Red is my absolute favorite color so I have quite a love affair with this cuff. I have one more cuff coming and then I'm going to wait to see if they sell before I make any more.

I started a sweet little purse today and I'm planning to knit some coin purses. I also have to get down to the basement to make more guitar pick holders. Those guys are a hit with the Etsy crowd! 

Hand Knit Cuffs and Thank Yous

Do you not love this?! This is my newest addition to the cuffs collection. I think it’s awesome. Honestly, anything with a brownie or girl scout patch seems pretty cool to me. I feel like I have the market on something just ready to explode.

I have two other cuffs waiting to be posted – a red one and a white one with a chain knitted into it. I’ll get those posted in the next couple days. They are pretty hot.

I also have to thank some folks who helped me figure out an i-cord problem (for those of you who are non-knitters, it’s a way of making a strong cord to use as drawstrings, decorations, etc. Mine will be for the purses I’m designing). These are the helpful crafters – Check out their shops!

Blissful (bags and knitted items)
Heathertoes Handmade(friendship bracelets, beads, lots of stuff. Warning: some funny adult content)
Cozy Knits (literally) knitted items
Isabella Smiles(jewelry)
Tricot Treat (hand dyed yarn and stitch markers)
Knit Happens (knitted items – very cool mittens and wrist warmers)
J.L. Yarnworks (yarn and stitch markers) 

I have always loved the look of cuffs. They are so tough. I am not so tough. I’m especially not so tough with my gigantic pregnant belly and my 2-year-old daughter holding my hand. Oh well. If I can’t wear them at least I can make them!

I have another one done that I’m going to wait to post. It’s red and it’s hot! I’m also working on an orange one that I’m going to try sewing a brownie badge to. Thanks to my sister for giving me her Brownie sash. It rules. I used another badge from her sash on my purse. 

My newest items are bobby pins! Aren't they great? I really hope they sell. If the alien/robot doesn't sell I will freak out! Follow this link to see them: http://kibblesnknits.etsy.com

I also fixed a couple of my pictures. I found a "white balance" setting on my camera that really fixed the pink hue that was in my pictures. However, now they are all a little blue. I guess I'm back to the drawing board! The photos are definitely the hardest thing about this.

I would also like to add that the people on Etsy are soooooo nice! Everyone is super helpful and kind. It's a great community and I hope you all consider supporting these artists and crafters. They are not only talented, they are kind! 

Pom Pon Jewelry

And, here it is! My funnest, most useless creation yet! I have been so in to pom pons lately. What is it about them? They're fuzzy, they're small, and they're versatile. I want to add them to every hat and now I've taken it one step further and made jewelry with them! I posted a listing for rings, bracelets, or bobby pins. I think they are just adorable. I also posted a listing for pompons as supplies. We'll see if anyone else loves them as much as I do! :)

My sister helped me brainstorm ideas for how useful these things could actually be. Prepare yourself to be amazed:

1) Make enough little rings to use as a party favor for a little girl's birthday party. You could fill little candy dishes with them and use them as a centerpiece. Then, when it's time to go, the girls can just pull out a ring!

2) Get one of those styrofoam spheres from Michael's and pin pompons all over them for a nice little centerpiece.

3) Put them on bobbypins! I think these would be particularly cute stuck in a french braid.

4) Attach to hats, purses, key rings, booties, ends of scarfs, ANYTHING!

5) Fill sugar cones with the bigger pompons to make it look like icecream.

6) Just wear them because they are adorable.

Any more ideas from the folks out there? 

I HAD MY FIRST SALE!!!!!! She bought my Alien Guitar Pick Holder. It was by another artist on Etsy so I'd really like you to go check out her shop.

You can either go to Etsy and search for Shelece or this link will take you there:

Shelece’s awesome shop

This is very exciting. It really feels like a foot in the door. It also feels like an addiction. Now, I just want someone else to come buy something. Oh no! I can't be stopped!!!!

In other news, I stood on my sprained ankle yesterday! I actually took a few steps without the crutches. Today, I walked from the kitchen to the livingroom! It still swells a lot when I don't lie down but it isn't painful very often. Sewing machine and photo tent - here I come!

My mom just had her first sale! YAY to her! Check out her shop at

http://nanasknits.etsy.com

This is very exciting.

Now, where is my first sale...... I know you are out there. :)

Hand Knits Hats for Baby Dolls

Awwwww! Hand knit hats for baby dolls. 

This is my newest item. I seriously thought this sprained ankle would slow me down. But, boy do you spend a lot of time sitting around when you can't walk! I can't get downstairs to work on my new purse or my alien hairpins so that's sad. But, I can work on little things like the lipstick case. I am also working on baby doll hats. They knit up really quickly and I’ll only charge $10 for them.I decided that my best chances for a sale are if I have a wide price range. The most expensive things are my adult hat, toddler hat, and shoulder bag. These each took about 5 hours to make so I think the prices are right. I have other things from $5 - $25.

I am starting to doubt my pricing. I think most of the stuff on Etsy is underpriced. A friend of mine sold a hand knit sweater for $250 and there are people on Etsy selling them for $50. Anyway, I am just starting to doubt whether my things are worth what I’m pricing them at. I think this is all just because I really want a sale! I know it’s only been two weeks but I need validation! :) 

Handknit hat

This is my newest listing. I mentioned it a few days ago as the hat that started only as a white hat but that my husband and I decided it needed more flair. I hope it got the flair! I hand-sewed the green verticle stripes into the brim. Whata pain that was! I wanted to tie off the ends but that didn't work so I had to sew each one in. I think I had to sew in about 40 tiny ends along the brim!

I wasn’t going to post on a Saturday thinking that people really didn’t spend their Saturdays on-line. But, then I saw how many other Etsian artists were posting and thought I’d do an experiment. I figured Friday and Saturday would be the worst time to post since most people would be spending their time doing something other than sitting on the computer. We shall see… 

This is my first (successful) attempt at a bookmark. I had this great “tapestry” ribbon sitting around. I held it in my hands and eventually decided that it was right for a fancy fancy bookmark. I attached pieces of a vintage necklace that I found at a garage sale on the ends. Oh, man! What a pain! It took forever to figure out how to get those things on but they were so worth it. 

This is my first attempt at decorating a lipstick case. I love it! It was so much fun to put together. A friend of mine mentioned rocket ships the other day and I’ve been really excited about putting one on something. I think this is a success!

I was really worried about my shop slipping into obscurity after I sprained my ankle. I can’t get down to the basement to take good pictures and I was afraid that would mean I wouldn’t be able to post any of the things I had finished. But, I decided to just put up adequate pictures and press on! I hope that plan works out. 

Things were going great guns! I had a lot of views of my items and I was feeling really excited. I didn't list anything on Tuesday and noticed that the number of views really went down. So, I dedicated myself to taking some better pictures of the items I have ready (I got all my lighting equipment!). I was on my way downstairs and fell! I have managed to sprain my ankle pretty bad. Plus, I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant. This is a pathetic picture. So, things will be slowing down for a bit.

I won't be able to make it down to the basement to finish the sweetest freakin' purse I just started the other day, either. I don't think I'll be able to sew anything for a bit. That's too bad because I had another idea for a toy. I'll just keep working on the little stuff - my lipstick cases (wait until you see these babies!) and maybe I'll make some more hats.

In the meantime, I suggest you all check out the featured seller. She's from Minneapolis! She makes the most amazing dolls.

These are my newest listing. I think they are just adorable. It’s a set of three little flower magnets. I’ve really been enjoying felt these days. You can make some pretty cute stuff with it. Hand sewing is hard, though. I also find that I really like doing small projects these past few days. My toddler hat didn’t seem like much of an undertaking when I made it but now I just don’t want to make something like that! I think I’ll get started on a cabled hat. It’s not any easier than knitting with three colors but it’s different. 

Stranded Knitting

This is the aforementioned kid hat. I am absolutely in love with it but currently not in the mood to start another similar project. 

Guitar Pick Holder

I just posted another guitar pick holder. I already have the alien one out there and he’s being admired up and down. This one was inspired by Woody Guthrie. My husband told me that he wrote “this machine kills fascists” on all of his guitars. I put a felt guitar on one side and the saying on the other. I love it! Let’s see how it does out there in the big bad world of Etsy.
 

I just broke 200 views on my shop! That's so exciting to me. It's like I had a gallery show and 200 people showed up.

My little bag of kid sized bracelets is also doing very well. I’m so glad!

I'm still really anxious for a sale but I'm not quite so obsessive about checking my shop. Now, I'm down to checking it just a few times a day. That's such a lie! I really do check it less in the past couple days but to say I only check it a few times is quite the understatement. :)

I've been working on a bookmark lately. I got the idea to make it from Arlo. His bookmarks are a totally different style than mine (I'll post a picture of mine as soon as it's done). But still, he gave me the idea to try one and I have to show my appreciation! You should read his bio while you are at his shop. He sounds like the best kid of all time.

I just finished a new hat this morning. I am so excited about it. I'll post a picture as soon as I get one taken. It's a really cute cream and light green striped hat. I added some embellishments to it (which I have never done before). My husband helped, too. I started with just a cream hat and he and I decided that it needed to be "fancier" to be worth buying. I have to agree with him. If you just want a plain white hat...why pay the extra money for something hand made? I really expect for hand made items to have a special flair.

Speaking of special flair - check out this adorable diaper cover (she has another one but this is my favorite):

http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=362397

Daisy Diaper Cover

The ones we use are just plain white! A kid would look great in one of these babies.

Hand Knit Bracelets for Kids

My newest item! This is a bag of kid sized bracelets. My daughter absolutely loves these things. If they don't sell I'll be really surprised. I have to admit that I'm not so good at predicting things but I really feel like this would make a great gift!

Here's an example of how not good I am at predicting: My sister and I had a garage sale a few months ago. It was my first attempt. We had a bunch of baby clothes and toys and then some other random things. I'll tell you, in almost every case what we thought would sell didn't and what we didn't think would sell...DID!

Update about the Alien Guitar Pick Bag

So, moving that little bag to the music section was definitely the right choice. He's doing much better over there. So many more people are checking him out. It's what he deserves. :)

I also experimented with the little Rainbow Hat Key Fob. I moved it from accessories where it was totally buried over to knitting where more people can see it. It hasn't had the same success. I'm surprised by that. It's such a cute little hat.

The number of views on my items continues to grow! I feel like a new mom checking in on her sleeping baby. I think I check these numbers at least 20 times a day. That's embarrassing.

I just finished a bag of bracelets for kids to play with. And, I'm just about done with some flower magnets and a hat. I'm going to try to get some pictures of them and post them soon. It's been raining here so I haven't been able to get outside. I can't wait for my lighting equipment. It'll make taking pictures so much easier.

Well, I'm going to finish watching Grey's Anatomy now. Do you watch this show? My sister got me into it. It's pretty good!

Guitar Pick Holder

This little guy is so cute, isn't he? I am experimenting with which category my items belong in. He is a tiny bag but he is a guitar pick holder for tying on the end of your guitar. I first had him in the bags and purses category and got 33 hits. I decided he might do better over in the music category. I moved him and put "guitar pick" in the title. Let's see if he does better over there. I really expected for people to love this little bag. It's done pretty well (33 hits so far in case you want to watch if his chances improve over in music). I think more than 33 people should be loving him.

So far this purse is the big winner at my etsy shop. It hit over 50 views already! I am very proud of this purse. It took probably 15 hours to make since I had to design it and sew it. It's actually the second purse as I royally screwed up the first one. I have taken to calling this bag, "The George Purse". I bought the pants for this purse at a thrift shop in my hometown. Inside the pants someone had printed in permanent marker, "George Allen". I guess he didn't need his pants anymore. 

Etsy is a never ending pit! I swear, I spend hours every day just looking at things. I mentioned it before but the site was so inspiring to me! It's really fun to see what other artists are doing. I troll around looking for neat items but also to learn how to set up my shop well. Here are my favorite parts of Etsy:

The SAMPLER! Oh baby! I love looking at the "recently sold items" and the "random items". Fun fun fun!

I also love to watch the scrolling pictures at the bottom of the home page. It shows all the recently posted items as they come in.

I just found the forums last night. That is going to really cut into my time. :) The link is on the very top of each screen (on the left). Oh no! I just looked at Etsy to double check that info and I found the Etsy blog! That'll be another thing to spend time on....

I would also like to direct you to a few of my favorite shops. They really inspire me to try new media and to stretch myself as an artist:

http://bettievavoom.etsy.com

http://ashleyg.etsy.com

http://nattystuffs.etsy.com

It seems that good photos of a person's work makes a big difference in their sales. It makes a lot of sense. I wouldn't want to buy something that I couldn't really see because the picture was dark, or too bright, or fuzzy. I need good photos of my work. I waited for an overcast day but that just wasn't working out. Plus, our yard is so shady that even though it was overcast, I was actually taking pictures in the shade anyway. Another artist on Etsy gave me some tips - see the link to the right. (Check out her shop - cute cute stuff!) So, I bought some stuff today on eBay! I can't wait to try it out. I'm going to reshoot all of my pictures. The photos I have right now aren't all that bad - they just could be soooooo much better. Check back in a week or so for the "before and after" shots of my work!

In other news - I was inspired today to make bookmarks. We'll see how it goes. Right now I am working on adorning one with some jewelry. I bought a necklace a few weeks at a garage sale and I decided to take it apart to use the beads. I was a little hasty with my scissors and ended up with beads all over the floor! Ah well.

I found out about Etsy a couple weeks ago from my sister. I went out to the site and got so inspired! I used to be really artsy - writing music to perform locally, doing water color, knitting, painting, sewing...Since I started working full-time I just lost the creative push.

Seeing all the great work out on Etsy inspired me to start creating again! WOW! I feel so great. It's so fun to sit down at my desk, look at all my scraps of everything, and create something from it. I've started a book of ideas and it's crazy long. Just a little push has really set me in motion.

So, I worked for a couple weeks on some items to post. I finally had some ready, the descriptions written, and the pictures taken. I sat down to post them and felt SO nervous! I was actually shaking a little bit. How odd! I think it's because these are things that I make that are usually only shared with family and friends. Putting them on Etsy was like debuting them.

So far, everything is going well! I am getting a lot of views which makes me feel very happy.