9 Months Later, The Baby is Born

On July 11, 2009, my etsy store, BusyBeadLady, has been opened for 9 months.

Nine months ago, the seed was planted and fertilized by a brief encounter with the Martha Stewart show. The idea that there was a place to show and possibly sell my product, was romantic and irresistible.

As with anyone finding out that they are about to have a baby, I tried to find out as much as I could about the process. Oh the excitement of a new adventure! Of course my baby was going to be the most perfect, desirable baby ever born.

Over the last 9 months, my baby has grown in the belly of etsy. I give it the nutrition of listing, blogging and twittering. I brag to everyone about it on the forums and chat rooms. I check it's health with site optimizers and google analyst.

Being the proud mother has a set back. When nobody views my baby, it makes me sad. Am I a good mother? Where did I go wrong? Then I think of all there is left to do do to give my baby every chance in this cyber world, better pictures and descriptions. Perhaps remaking the item. Is the pricing right? Am I showing my baby in dirty diapers or giving it the scrubbed, baby powder look that will attract the attention it deserves.

As with any child, the more love and respect I give my store, the more I will receive back in the end.

As we embark on our life together, mother and child will grow. Hopefully my child will take care of me well into my old age.

WHO IS THE INDIE ARTIST?

One evening, not long ago I spent quite a few enjoyable hours on the forums in etsy.

I had started a thread in promotions. Now, the promotion threads die easily, so to keep it alive I visited the stores who did post and wrote a little comment on each.

I met some amazing etsy sellers. Wheither it was a seasoned or newbie store, I wondered how buyers pick just one to buy from. It was overwhelming.

I reluctantly drew myself away from my computer.

With the wish of winning the lottery (so I could buy everything I saw) and a slight backache from sitting too long, I ran a hot bath and made a cup of tea. I settled in the tub, ready to relax. Closing my eyes, a strange thought entered my head.

Who are these people that open shops on etsy?

I imagined the whole world crafting away!

Now, looking at the handmades on etsy, it is hard to tell who is behind them.

A beautifully crocheted item may have been made by a grandmother, a teenager or even - gasp - a man.

The maker of childrens items may have a house full of children or none at all.

Imagine a jewelry maker who doesn't wear jewelry.

But making something with your own two hands is not a geographical concern. Nor does it know age or gender. What is involved is imagination. A desire to create something tangible from a wisp of an idea.

It is knowing that even if the whole world is making the same thing, your's is unique because there is a piece of you in the item.

So I decide that I must look at the indie artist differently. I don't care about the age or gender. And I could care less if the view from their window is the Pacific Ocean or the sidewalks of Paris.

When I see a get well card, I know the hands that made it felt a need of making the receiver feel better.

When I view a felted monster or toy, I feel the smile behind it's making.

There is a warmth that is added in all the knitting, quilting and crochet.

Can you feel the love in the wedding products, the desire to adorn you by the jeweler.

And what about the photographer who give us that nano second in time to hold forever.

I could go on and on (I bet you thought I was going to).

The indie artist is all about feeling while creating. It's what handmade is all about.

And thats who these people are. I'm proud to say I am one of them.

ETSY OR ARTFIRE

I finally got off my butt and got creative. I made new product, took and edited my photos and listed the items.

I sell on two sites right now http://busybeadlady.etsy.com/ and http://busybeadlady.artfire.com/

The dilemma for me is what to list on which sites.

I have a few good reasons to have the two sites.

Etsy was my first. Etsy is a site that has a loyal following. I love the artsy look and feel of etsy. I like the fact that I can list items for a fairly reasonable price, and pay a minimal commission when I sell an item. I think the way the etsy community connects through the forums, chats, virtual labs and treasury is wonderful. I also like the look of my store on etsy. I do find that getting noticed on etsy is a constant battle, especially for jewelry makers. At first I relisted all the time. This can become a costly proposition. It does bring you to the front of the searches, but that is only momentarily. And I don't think etsy markets itself enough.

My artfire store on the other hand lets me list as much as I wish for a monthly fee, and no commission. The searches are random. I have searched my items and sometimes they are on page 1 and other times they are on page 50. The look of the site and my store is not so artsy, but I am beginning to see many very good people putting their work on site. Also I love the fact that they let me connect back to my etsy site! I like that my item stay on the front page longer and larger, when I list an item. The community is not as tight, but I think that part is coming along. I found artfire though a magazine ad and I see their ads on many sites, so I know they are spending advertising dollars.

I try to spread my lisings to both sites. If buyers are like me, they get bored after looking at a couple of pages in a site and lose interest. Between both sites I have 72 items listed.

I don't feel compelled to love one site and hate the other, which is how many have expressed themselves on both sites. I think of it as an opportunity to reach as many people as possible.

A way to have my cake and eat it too. Besides, it gives me more places to check 20 times a day to see if I have made a sale!