Coming to an End, Yet Just the Beginning

This class is coming to an end, yet it is just the beginning of something that I will continue for a long time.  I have really enjoyed learning about opening an Etsy shop!  I have learned so much information that will help me as I open my shop and for years to come as continue to operate, develop, and improve it.  So much of what I learned, I didn't even realize I needed to learn and might not of if it hadn't been for this class and all the time I spent researching and reading and asking my mentor questions.  I am excited to continue to learn new things through reading, experience, and meeting new people.

June has been busier than I ever could have imagined so I have decided to delay opening my shop until after I graduate.  I was really looking forward to doing it before I presented but I don't feel like I can put the time into making it what I want it to be, now.  In order to make it to the best of my ability I need to wait until I can spend the time needed on it.

As I said before, I really enjoyed this project and I am grateful for the chance to do this.  I stayed motivated and interested throughout the whole semester which is great since my project doesn't end here.  It also allowed me to learn so much.  Some days I would go home and research and read for hours.  I didn't complete everything that I wanted to, like the number of clutches I wanted to have sewn or taking pictures of all of the ones that I have but I am proud of what I did accomplish and know that I will still complete those, just not before the end of the school year.  Even though I didn't complete all of my goals, this project has been a huge success and I am prepared and excited to open my shop!

One obstacle that I faced was being motivated to sew.  I love sewing but when I have to sew and it's the same thing over and over again, sometimes it's hard to want to do it.  That's when sewing something else can be helpful.  Another obstacle was time, especially near the end of the year during this busy season of my life. I also know that I will face many more obstacles as I continue on this journey but that I have lots of resources to help me through them.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.    -Colossians 3:23

This verse has been a theme throughout this project.  God has given me this gift and passion and I want to use it for him!  The through-lines that apply and connect with my project are beauty-creating and image-reflecting, which I think can be very connected with each other.  Genesis 1 talks a lot about God creating and everything he created.  When we create we reflect that quality of God, especially when we create something beautiful.  We also praise God and worship him when we create.

Lots of Learning

The internet has a plethora of information.

I keep finding more and more useful information and it always leads to even more.  My goal for this project was to learn about everything I'd need to know to open up an Etsy shop before I opened one and I have learned so much helpful information and tips but there's still so much more out there.  I've read so many articles on people who continue to learn and improve their shop even years after opening it.  I'll definitely keep learning for as long as I have a shop.

Here is some of the information and advice that I have found:

-If you want to have a successful business you have to treat it like a business and not like a hobby.

-Price your items properly, a cheap price will make your product seem cheap too, it won't make more people buy it.

-Make goals for your business, but remember to be realistic.  Think about and write down long term goals, short term goals and the steps required to complete them.

-Always continue to improve your shop and your items and be open to change if you want your shop to continue to grow.

-Be patient.  You won't start making money overnight, it takes lots of time and effort.

I am so thankful for the internet and everyone who has taken their time to write about what has or hasn't worked for their Etsy shop.  I would have been extremely overwhelmed to open up my own shop if I hadn't read tons of articles and posts on tips and advice from everything from promoting your shop to taking good pictures to running your own business to a bunch of little details I wouldn't have thought of otherwise.  I guess the real test will be when I finally do open my shop though!

They information I posted about today I found on xosarah and the Etsy blog (this post and this post).

April Goals

So April's done and I did not finish all of my goals.

April
-sew at least 10 bow clutches
-look into and research shipping
-research SEO
-blog at least twice

I sewed a whopping 2 bow clutches - in my defense I did start all 10 that I had wanted to finish but I only completely completed two.  Time got away from me and I may have sewed something else instead...

But isn't it cute?  I have had the same Bible cover for as long as I can remember and I don't like it as much anymore.  It was so big and I never used all of the pockets and the colours just weren't my favourite.  Plus I just got some new fabric - the mint and gold chevron - and it was calling me to use it for something.  My new Bible cover is much smaller and easier to carry, plus I love the fabric and colours!

I'm thinking of selling them in my shop on Etsy as well, I just have to work out a few kinks in the pattern.  What do you think?

Back to my goals.  I have looked into how to ship my items a bit and I've got some really great advice from my mentor about it too.  I haven't looked into SEO (search engine optimization) more yet so I guess it will have to be added to my goals for May.  And last but not least, I did blog twice!

My newly revised goals for May are:
-get a PayPal account
-sew at least 10 bow clutches
-finish the bow clutches started in April
-take pictures of all of my items
-research SEO
-blog at least twice

Let's just hope I have time to finish all of these goals this month!

Advice for Opening an Etsy Shop

I've been researching a lot of tips and advice for opening an Etsy shop and these are some of the ones that I've seen again and again:

-Have some variety of products in your shop because you will then have a bigger audience and there's more of a chance of people finding your shop.  With a good selection you are more likely to make a sale and even a multi-sale transaction.

-Keep adding new products to keep your products at the top of the searches so that people will find you and get to 100 listings as fast as possible because the more items you have in your shop, the longer people will have to browse and the more likely you are to make a sale.  Daily sales only happen in shops that are big enough for them.

-Your shop needs to look professional if you want your products to be perceived as good quality products that people are going to buy.  To do this you need to create a good brand for yourself and have detailed, clear, eye-catching pictures.  You should have a nice banner because it will be the first thing that people see in your shop.  You also need to have good prices for your products, not the cheapest prices.  If your price is cheap, people will assume your product is cheap.

-Understand SEO (Search Engine Optimization).  I don't really understand it yet, this is something that I definitely have to look into more because I've read how important it is a few times already.

-Since people can't touch or hold your products, make sure your photographs are the best they can be and show everything there is to see about the product.  People won't want to be surprised by something you didn't show in the pictures.

I got this advice, and more, from the blogs The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made it on Monday, and Handmadeology. 

Everything Etsy

A lot of people don't know what Etsy is.  And it gets tiring trying to explain it again and again to different people, so I thought that I'd make a post dedicated just to Etsy and why it's so great!

Basically, Etsy, is a global marketplace where people can buy or sell handmade items, craft supplies, or vintage items.

A bonus to selling on Etsy is that there are no membership fees.  Instead, it costs $0.20 to list an item in your shop for 4 months, or until it sells, and once you sell an item they collect 3.5% of what you sold your product for.  I like this because you only pay as long as you are using your shop.  If you take a break for an extended period of time, you don't have to continue paying because you are not listing or selling anything and if you come back and reopen your shop, it's still there.

Another advantage to selling on Etsy is that it's a great community.  All of the businesses are small and most of the products are made by the people who sell them so the customer service is usually great!  To become more a part of the community on Etsy there are thousands of different Teams that you could join.  And since there are so many, you are sure to find one that is perfect for you!  Teams allow you to collaborate with and get advice from (or give advice to) other shop owners.

The best reason to sell on Etsy is that it allows you to make money by being creative and doing what you love!  Plus you can work from home whenever you have time!

This isn't all the information about Etsy so I'd definitely recommend reading through Etsy's policies and guidelines and looking into it yourself before opening a shop, this is just some basic information on Etsy and why I think it's a great place to start or expand your business.

Live Love Sew

And he(Christ) died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.  -2 Corinthians 5:15

We live by faith, not by sight.  -2 Corinthians 5:7

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.  As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.  -2 John 1:6

Do everything in love.  -1 Corinthians 16:14

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. 
-Colossians 3:23


Why Live Love Sew?
It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to name my Etsy shop once I could open one.  My mom and I each brainstormed but we couldn't think of something that I really liked.  Finally, she came up with Live Love Sew.  I wanted people to be able to tell what I was selling by the name but I didn't want it to be too cheesy or common so this was perfect!

So what am I selling?

Bow clutches!  I got the tutorial from the blog Elm Street Life.   It used to have a FAQ page where in the answer to one of the questions Whitney gave permission for people to sell bow clutches made from her tutorial in small quantities, but that page seems to have been removed.  I might sell something else in my shop too but I haven't decided yet.

I love these clutches! They are fun to make and super cute.  Each and every one has a different coordinating fabric with a fun print inside!  They're the perfect size to carry your essentials and can be used for a casual day or a formal dinner.  I made one for my mom in summer and she uses hers everyday.  I would have made one for myself as well but I can't pick a colour.

Sorry for the bad quality of the pictures, that's something that I'm going to try and fix by the end of this.  The colours are a little different that in real life.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!  In case you don't know, my name is Emily.  I love reading, sewing, and spending time with my family and friends.  In Bible class at school we are doing something called a passion project, which means we get to work on something we are passionate about every Monday for the rest of the year!  For my passion project I have decided to open up my own Etsy shop!  For the past few years I have had a table at a local Farmer's Market where I have sold some of my sewing.  An Etsy shop would allow me to reach a wider audience and be able to sell my items all year long.  I think it would be great if I could make some money doing something that I love to do and will be doing anyway

 Before I do that though, I will need to learn about Etsy's policies, how I will ship my items and how much it will cost, how I will promote my shop, how I should price my items, how to take good pictures of my items, among other things.  Since I have never done something like this before, I hope that none of these things will be too big a challenge.  Thankfully I have a mentor who will be able to help me because she has an Etsy shop herself!

This is something that I've wanted to do for a while so I'm looking forward to working on this project!  I hope to be really well prepared by the time I plan to open up my shop!  This blog will be where I post my progress and what I learn.  Thanks for stopping by!