Originality, My Etsyversary

Meep by Schmooks

Yesterday was my One Year Etsyversey (for my jewelry shop, Jeweled Ambrosia) I recently had a two year Etsyversery in my Little Lovables shop. This has been such a whirlwind and adventure for me, I am so happy to have found Etsy, and am so thankful for my customers and all who have helped me out along the way! I am going to share some thoughts with you on success on Etsy throughout the course of my blog, but today, I am going to focus on originality.


Cracker Jacks Recycled Notebook by Ivy Lane Designs

As a kid, I thought Original meant "mundane, commonplace, boring." How did I come up with these assumptions? Because on cereal and snacks boxes, The Original always had the giant words "plain" right under it. It was the new versions of the same cereal that had all the fun stuff, the extra rainbow shaped marshmallows, new cinnamon flavor, more scoops of raisins, honey nut Cheerios... you can see why I was confused.

Embarrassingly, I held these same assumptions until I was an adult. Why would a company claim an item to be their original, but then call it "plain" and release the "New and Improved" right next to the (frownyface) "The Original" ?

I think a lot of crafters/hobbyists/artisans are like that. We take an original idea, add to it and make it ours. I think, one reason my shop has had the success that is does, is because I do create interesting, beautiful and original pieces of work.


Colorful Royal Polymer Clay Cross by Labor of Love

However, I also follow trends. A lot of designers think following trends is a bad thing, that your "originality" is what sets you apart. I find this true, but false.

According to my Google Analytics, people find my shop through my Twilight jewelry. Original? No. I did not come up with the Twilight idea. But, I did create a line to compliment the story in my own fantastic world of jewelry and romance. By producing a line of "Inspired pieces", I stretched my mind on new designs that have improved me as a designer.

Also, by providing a popular and trendy concept into my shop, I have been able to come in search engines a little better than before, and I have invited those interested in Twilight jewelry, to my other jewels that are non Twilight related.


Sweet Vintage Ivory Rose Earrings by Jeweled Ambrosia

I didn't come up with the vintage flower cab earrings, or the vintage flower cab rings either. There are so many on Etsy, but they are beautiful, inexpensive and fun to make and wear. By having trendy and popular items in your online shop, you are inviting fun, trendy customers into your shop and they will find something unique and become trendsetters! Remember, that what may be popular on Etsy (like the octopus and love note necklaces) are not neccesarily popular outside of Etsy, so all of our customers are trendsetters! By also having lower costing trendy items in your shop, you will find that they can become add on items to multi purchase sells and introduce new customers to you.


Recycled Poppy Bobbypin Set by Foundling

Please, I am not telling you to find a popular artist and copy their original idea (this has happened to the lovely Foundling and her poppy pins!) I mean say, owls or babushkas are popular, perhaps have a few of those incorporated in your designs. I am telling you it is okay to run with a trend for a while, so long as you don't count on that trend to sustain you, because it will pass. You need to always be evolving as a designer.

Another note. Treat your customers kindly! They deserve it. They have chosen you out of THOUSANDS of others to entrust their money and time on your product and delivery promise. If a problem arises, take care of your customer. Resize the bracelet, exchange a charm, repay for shipping if you need to have it shipped back, answer convos!



Policies are a MUST have for shop owners, but there are times when you can bend your shop policies to help a customer out. There is a selller, that I absolutely love to go and read the feedback she leaves for her buyers when I need a chuckle. It is so rude and abrupt and scary, that I am amazed she gets the sales she does. If she would help a few of her buyers out, who are new to Etsy and maybe don't understand the checkout process, then she would have wonderful return customers.

Just a thought, return customers are the best! I love them, every single one. They are all so unique with custom design requests and loyalty to me, as well as the other sellers they are loyal too. I know, that I as a buyer become loyal to a seller when I find one I love.


Cardboard Blue and Gold Charlie Brooch by Poaplum Bags Jewelry

Cross Promoting, Screenshots, Happy Day

Look what my husband made me. A warm, buttery, ginormous blueberry muffin with a strawberry and milk in my (new) favorite vintage Popple's cup. I got it from SplishySplashCrafts, she has cute handcarved stamps and lots of vintage goodies. I still have my white Popple by the way... do/did you have one? If you are needing some memories of 80's toys and such, check here. I will find Rainbow Bright, Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Ponies, Smurfs, Muppets...

Also, I was featured in two treasuries today! Thanks to the wonderful Etsy sellers, CreaShines and JanEleven.


My Victorian Blush Flower Necklace

Do you know how to take a screenshot? Me neither. But I DO know how to copy and paste a link, and that is all you need to do to get a screenshot. It won't work on password protected sites (like bank accounts, convos...) but it is great for other things. Just click on the size you want after "thumbalizing is complete", right click the image and save it in your photos. Easy. Go and play with it at Thumbalizr. (In the past, I was able to crop these so the weird white background wasn't all huge, but the format has changed, so it will take me some figuring out, but at least I have them.)

**UPDATE** I learned how to do a screenshot. Here is how:
Screenshot info...
Position your page you wish to copy, then find the keyboard button for Print Scr (top row, right hand side) hit that key, then open up your programs and find Paint, open it...
Open Edit, click on Paste, next open your File tab and click on Save as (save as a jpg.) then put it in any file you want on your computer.


My Compass Ring

Now, a final word on Etsy selling. Have you ever considered cross promoting? I saw on the lovely Talula's site that she had cross promoted a matching item with another seller and vice versa. I thought that was a wonderful idea, so I contacted Miss Indie and suggested we do the same. Her mom, Beautiful Bridget joined in, and now we are cross promoting!



My Tribal Goes to the Ball Earrings with Miss Indie's Old Manor Cowl

Here are some ideas for you:

How can you make this work for you? If you sell jewelery, then a bag, clothing or fiber accessories person would work well with you. If you sell soap, then a candle person would do well (like, if you love my vanilla soap, you will love these vanilla candles by...) If you make baked goods, then perhaps a lipgloss in a matching flavor (if you love my mint cookies, then you will love her mint lipgloss), if you make soap that looks like food, then maybe a seller of that food OR a polymer clay artist who make that food charms (if you love my bundt cake soap, then you wil love to eat this bundt cake OR you will love this bundt cake charm...) Anyways, those are some ideas for you. Sewn baby items can cross promote with baby nursery artists, mixed media and fine art can cross promote similar styles of others (like a painting/photo of an ocean lighthouse, can cross promote with someone who makes sea glass art.

I hope this gets everyone's head turning to think of people you may or may not know to cross promote with each other. Feel free to use one of my listings as an example to show to you who contact.



My Garden Love Necklace with Beautiful Bridget's Miss Marple hat.