Grimm Season Finale

I opened a small Etsy shop in December 2012.  Until recently, it contained these two purple bottles.  About a month ago I sold them to a gentleman from NBC Studios.  He said if they were approved, they'd appear in the season finale of Grimm.  Of course I had to start watching the show, and now I'm hooked.

The season finale is Tuesday, May 21 - 9 pm Central Time.  Can't wait to see how they defeat the zombie army with (hopefully) the aid of my little bottles!  :)

Etsy - Here I Come!



One week ago, I launched a business on Etsy - the shopping website that allows you to,

 

"Buy unique handmade and vintage items directly from independent sellers around the world." 

The items pictured in this post are items I've sold so far.

To see my own little shop, go to: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChrissQuiltsnCrafts

Original name, I know - but that's what people know me as.

Its a little crazy to launch a business just 3 weeks before Christmas,

but I wanted to keep my 2012 New Year's resolution before the year was out. 

 

Besides, I broke all the others!  LOL

As I launch this business, I'm working full time; trying not to use vacation; preparing to sell my house; trying to decorate, bake, wrap, etc. and of course, keeping up with the usual chores and errands.   

Funny thing is - it all seems to be working.  I'll have a lot of homework to do in 2013 - fun stuff like international shipping, and sales taxes.  But so far I'm truly enjoying my contact with customers.  Some have shared who they'll be giving my item to, and asking if I'll put a card in the package for their loved one.  That feels good!

I've you've dabbled with Etsy, please share your story.  How did it work out for you?  What did you learn along the way?  I'd love to hear from you. 

Thanks and Happy Holidays!   

Chris :)

Cardinals and Crafts

I've been whipping up small projects from scraps and stash, in the hopes of using them as gifts and/or selling them.  I'd been saving this cardinal scrap fabric for years - I loved it too much to cut it.  But I DID finally fussy cut some birds and came up with this.  Here's the backing fabric:

I pieced it so the barns are right side up, no matter which end of the runner you look at it from.  Doesn't this fabric make you want to pick apples and take a hay ride in the warm autumn sun?

I worked another craft fair yesterday.  I sold the large cardinal quilt pictured, along with a few smaller items.  Enough to make the effort, but not as much as I'd have liked.  But there was more to gain than money.  With each of the three fairs I've done, I've learned things.

I can now say with certainty that doing a LOT of craft fairs is not my "thing."  The people who really make money are those who have a limited line of products, buy all their material in bulk on sale, then mass produce so that they can crank out maximum number of product in minimum time.   The vendor next to me turns out 70 cat beds in 4 hours - and she has over 1,000 beds in inventory!

I, on the other hand, use the fairs to cover the cost of a one time project - usually made to learn a new technique or to just for fun.  I'm neither cost effective in my purchasing methods, nor efficient with my time.   And I'm not sure I want to be.  Currently, I sell just enough to help support my quilting habit.  And maybe that's OK!

One vendor suggested that I might do better at an art fair, versus a craft fair.  It's something to think about.  I HAD intended try Etsy in 2012.  But after attending an Etsy lecture at the quilt expo, I discovered that there too, the secret to success seemed to be mass production - which to me sucks all the relaxation and creativity right out of it!  So for 2012, I dabbled with the craft fairs instead.

Heck, maybe Etsy or Craig's List would be a better fit for me.  I'll continue to experiment until I find the right outlet for my goods.  I craft and sew for the pure joy of being creative - and I don't intend to stop any time soon!  :)