Fitting It All In with Stitch’N Love

Time management is something that I have struggled with my whole adult life. I seem to be the one that everyone goes to get something done or to figure out a problem. Probably because everyone knows that I don’t like to tell others no, I am too much a people pleaser. This has left me in a bit of a quandary for time to fit everything in.

Now here I am a few years later…Mom of six between my husband and I, left the teaching field to stay home with the two youngest, started an online shop nearly a year ago and the new leader of my husband’s Family Readiness Group. I need to learn a little time management! Here are a few things that have worked for me or that I plan to implement in the very near future.

1. No matter how much you try to plan, expect the unexpected. My husband taught me shortly after we got together that you just never say “I plan to (insert desire here)” unless you want to NOT do it. We always a talk in “We hope to” or “If things work out”.

This holds true for trying to stick to a schedule. We have tried having certain days for things, like each person has a laundry day, clean house day, etc. But, alas, it never works out.

2. After the first one, this will sound weird, but get a calendar on the refrigerator and get everyone used to writing important events in it. We have a great family one that has a place for 5 names. Of course, some of us are doubled up, but we all know the routine. Everyone puts their things that they need to go to on the calendar and then I know who needs to be where at what time, who has a field trip coming up, when will hubby be at drill or at a conference. After that is all written in, then I can work in the “schedule” of things to do.

3. Never be afraid to tell someone “No”. It’s the hardest thing for me to say to someone in need, but people do try to take advantage. If you have a bunch of things to do with the family and other long-term obligations, there is no shame in saying no to more stuff.

4. Even when you have a set schedule, sometimes it’s okay to deviate from that schedule. Try to give yourself sometime for you. Even if it’s thirty minutes in front of the computer playing a mindless video game, it’s your time! I personally like to snag a bath every once in a while without any kids or hubby around.

5. As a WAHM or WAHD, make sure that you don’t spend more than 40-50 hours working your craft. This is something that is very hard for me to manage. I can get little snippets here and there when it’s just me and the little ones so I tend to multitask when everyone else is at home. While watching TV at night, I will gather dresses and get them ready to sew or even stitch some hairbows together. I have even been known to pull out the glue gun and line some clips while watching a movie!

6. Remember that you are only human, and no one can do it all. Delegate some work load onto others as needed. Children are only in the home for a little while. In our families, Dads and Moms have to go away for short and long periods of time. Take time to always be a family!

Artist Spotlight on Beth Thompson

Tell me about yourself.

My name is Beth. I am originally from Canada, but have lived in so many places it would take me too long to count them. I stay at home with my two kids who are five and two. I am a military spouse of 13 years. My husband is active duty Army and we are currently at our fourth duty station in Washington state. I stopped going to work outside the home when we had our first child. In a short time I felt the need to do something other than be mommy, but still had no desire to go back to the "real world". So I took up drawing again, which I had been doing all my life, but had gone on a hiatus from since college. I taught myself to draw portraits and used my son for my inspiration and in turn did many drawings of him at various stages of his baby and toddler years. I soon had people asking me to draw portraits for them and I decided to shoot for the moon and try out a business. I opened http://www.thompsonportraits.com/ and was quickly busy drawing portraits for people that were willing to pay me for it. I could hardly believe it. Fast forward a few years and it got stressful. I found drawing portraits for other people not as rewarding as drawing my own family members for my pleasure and I slowed down on it. I began only taking the commissions that I thought were inspiring and continued to create drawings of things I chose to do. A few of those drawings are available in my etsy shop http://bethjt.etsy.com/.

Where did you discover Etsy?

Three years ago my mother moved to the US Virgin Islands. On my first visit to see her I discovered the joy of seaglass hunting. I couldn't get enough of it, it was so relaxing and I found it really interesting what the sea had done with carelessly discarded pieces of glass. They were smooth little gems and begged to be treasured. I immediately felt the need to make something with them and began making earrings and pendants. This is where I discovered Etsy. I did searches for seaglass artists and found this was amazingly a big thing, that people actually wanted. I signed up for Etsy as a buyer and on a whim decided to open a shop for my artwork and photography. Then I started adding the jewelry I made, including some I'd gotten into with beads and crystals. It was fun and gave me an outlet that got me "outside" of our cozy home where I played mommy all day. And I couldn't believe the amount of handmade things people were pedaling. Incredibly creative and original things that I couldn't wait to see more of and own some of.

How did you learn to crochet?
Last year I asked my mother if she would teach me to crochet again. She had taught me the basics as a child, but I had completely forgotten how to do even a basic stitch. She agreed and spent two days showing me how to do the absolute basics, how to make a chain, how to make a single crochet, and how to slip stitch. It seemed to click, and I caught on quickly. She then headed back home and I became obsessed. Within two days I had made my first hat. It was horrible! In another two days I had made another one, with a flower! It was better... Hats became my focus. Within a month I was making hats I felt were sellable. I tried a few out in my Etsy shop and I couldn't keep them in stock. So I continued and became more and more addicted. Finally the crocheted items were taking over my jewelry and art shop and I decided it was time to open a second shop. So I started http://theyarnchick.etsy.com/. I listed one hat, and the first day it sold. Hooray! The rest is history. I have written my own patterns and have a house full of yarn.

You are multi-talented in drawing, jewelry making, knitting, as I am sure many other crafts. What do you wish you could do?
Although my husband would kill me, since I already draw, make jewelry, crochet, paint, take pictures, do a bit of lampworking, play with polymer clay, and just randomly create things that go through my head...I really want to learn to knit. At least I would be able to use the same supply stash right? (good justification?) I would also love to learn to make soaps or candles. I could also really get into vintage hunting if I didn't know it would be another obsession to drive my family members crazy with. For now I am holding off on learning anything new. My home is already overflowing with my stashes of addictions.

How do you view your shops, as hobby or business?
It is a business, in that I am committed to it and I am determined to make each customer happy and want to come back. But it is also a hobby, where I'd like to bring in extra money to use to purchase things I might not normally buy, or extra fun things for the kids. And to buy wonderful handmade things on Etsy that I can't resist. My husband is very supportive and is happy as long as it is self sustaining.
Where would you like to see your shops a year from now? 5 years from now?

A year from now I'd like to see my shop full to the brim with a great selection of inventory for every member of the family. I'd like to be able to offer a lot more custom listings. I'd also like to have a few craft shows under my belt. I guess I better get to crocheting! I honestly don't have a plan beyond that. Keep doing what I'm doing as long as I enjoy it and it is still an outlet for me. If it becomes too stressful and I don't enjoy it anymore, it will be time to stop. I don't see that happening, I've been doing this for over a year now and I love it more than ever.

-Thanks Beth for a delightful look into a great teammember, pal, artisan, military spouse, mom, and everything else you do!

See Beth in her multitude of shops!

http://bethjt.etsy.com

http://theyarnchick.etsy.com

http://www.1000markets.com/users/theyarnchick

http://bethetsy.blogspot.com

Pay It Forward by TheMadisonGallery

I’m happy to be a part of the Homefront Team’s bloggers!
I’m a jewelry designer, fairly new at this, and decided to focus on various resources that I’ve found over the past few years. When I say I found them, it’s not necessarily that I looked under every rock to discover these resources, but I have spent many red-eyed nights scavenging the internet, and clicking and clicking and looking and looking - I’m sure lots of you know what I mean!! First, let me say that I felt compelled to write about this topic because of a certain “non-conversation” I had with a fellow Etsy member about 9 months ago. Since I was relatively new to the Etsy world and still getting my bearings on the forums, teams…oh, and the quad-rillion other jewelry designers also selling their wares, I happened upon this specific jewelry designers shop, located in New Mexico, and began clicking away, honestly admiring her collection and getting inspired…not only at the various components she used, but also by the prices she was posting and SELLING!
Well, sure enough, her shop also listed her blog address, so I clicked on that and began to read her entries, which on occasion included comments about her visit to her favorite local bead shop!
So, I’m reading and clicking, and reading some more and clicking some more, wondering if this local bead shop she constantly referred to is the MECCA of all bead shops - based on the styles and unusual stones she was designing with. So, being the inquisitive person that I am, I decided to send her a “convo” on Etsy and graciously ask her what was the name of this shop? I offered that I was a new Etsy member, had honestly admired her work as a fellow jewelry designer, had enjoyed reading her blog, and it was there that I noticed her comments about the local bead shop - and wondered if she would give me the shop’s website or phone number so I inquire as to wholesale pricing, catalogs, etc.
Ok - so I did it; I sent the request, and sure enough, she never responded! That totally blew me away - not in a good way, but in a very confused, ill-feeling manner. I thought, was it something I said? I mean, I had actually contacted other Etsy artisans to ask for their resources, and NEVER did I receive a cold shoulder or a refusal to share their knowledge of the bead, gemstone, pearl & component world, as well as also receiving excellent jewelry-making tips.
So I figured it had to be one of two situations -- either her blog entries were not technically true, that this fabulous bead shop didn’t exist, or it did exist and she apparently was not willing to share this resource - and that in and of itself I thought does not do the jewelry designer’s world any good - I mean, wouldn’t she have wanted her favorite local bead shop to prosper & welcome more customers? Surely, she could not have been their only customer, right?
And that brings me to this article --- we are military spouses, we share everything --- the best hair stylist in a new town, the only place to take your car when your husband is deployed, the only place to register your kids for daycare, the only person to talk to in the housing office, etc., etc.! We network very well, and in some instances, we certainly could do better - but we are usually full of resources and are quick to help somebody out.
So, I thought I could pay it forward to those in the jewelry designer world - the little bit of knowledge I have from the thousands of late night hours I have spent online trying to find my own MECCA! While there are more and more websites popping up daily, these seem to be the ones I go back to over and over again, and are pretty user-friendly:


http://www.gemmall.com/ - I stumbled upon this place over two years ago, and thought it was a pretty good supplier, and had placed a few orders but not on any specific repeat order. Then I discovered last year that had I entered my name and wholesale number, I also then qualified for discount pricing! Ok, didn’t know that and was then VERY happy because even though the pricing was somewhat good prior to that, it was now even much better! And, no minimum!
http://www.limabeads.com/ - Great source for gemstones, and just within the last year, they have added Vintaj and Green Girl Studios brands to their inventory (at normal retail prices). Once you register as a customer, you receive emails that allow discounts on your next purchase; no minimum required; and they also offer half strands which helps when you’re on a budget.
http://www.earthbazaar.com/ - ok- this site specializes in faceted, high quality gemstones, briolette & teardrop shapes, etc. I only purchase though when they send our their email offering their Deal of the Week promotions.
http://www.bluemud.com/ - this is an excellent source for Swarovski, sterling charms, sterling alphabet letters, sterling charms, etc. They have no minimum purchase - and the shipping is only $1.95 - this is one I use to quickly purchase a handful of Swarovski, or a smaller supply of sterling without breaking the bank. Oh and I don’t know how they do this, but my package almost arrives the next day! Who doesn’t’ love that?
http://www.halsteadbead.com/ - about my only source for sterling wire, chain, and larger sterling orders - they have LOTS - and that also includes pewter, copper, gold filled, etc. They are a wholesale company, minimum order of $100, but if you budget the right way, you will save money in the long run. Very user friendly, and they have coded items that are being discontinued or new, as well as an area when you can save the info of the items you usually purchase.
http://www.purebeads.com/ - this is a really nice website specializing in Czech beads - the gentleman who owns this shop seems to be a very honest, hard-working guy. I appreciate his descriptions and pricing; he will tell you the honest truth about the beads, and will discount them when he feels they are irregular or the colors don’t match exactly, etc. If you sign up as a customer, you will receive updates on new stock, etc.
http://www.guyotbros.com/ - this is a manufacturer of raw brass components. Yes, they are the big daddy of where to get your brass filigree, dragonfly, sparrows, links, etc. The deal is you have to purchase 1 gross per item minimum. But, when you consider the wholesale cost of raw brass, and what you might currently be paying from other sites, I still think it’s worth purchasing from Guyot. Consider going in with another jewelry designer and you can split your order and each get the components you want. And there are various websites that can tell you how to age brass. I have used household ammonia, and liver of sulphur.
http://www.grecoleather.com/ - Greek leather cording (the best product for jewelry making); small minimum order required - great selection & very fast shipping.
http://www.brightlingsbeads.com/ - their site sells items similar to Fusion beads, but I specifically enjoy their lampwork selection - very different - and great bargain. Also, great pricing on silk cording. No minimum, and when you sign up, you get emails offering discounts, etc.
http://www.conniefox.com/ - this site is fairly new to me, but it offers the popular design stamps at the cheapest price I have seen online, as well as the sterling, copper and brass blanks use for stamping, tools & tutorials.
Hize Silver and Twinklehut shops on Ebay - they are excellent sources for Thai silver; no minimums, and free shipping @ Hize Silver when you order 7 items, which is easy to do when you need to stock up!

Well, I guess I could really go on and on, but I tried to include a cross-section of various jewelry making sites. If you really are looking for a specific bead or component, you can certainly contact me (www.themadisongallery.etsy.com) and I will try to help! In the meantime, I hope you get a chance to browse these shops and tell me what you think - and if you also have a great source you’re willing to share, please pay it forward! I promise it will make you smile when you do!

To see TheMadisonGallery's work:
www.themadisongallery.etsy.com

Getting Inspired from Your Supply Stash by MooseThreads

Every crafter has one. For some it receives no more than a curious nod or casual glance. For others it can draw an "Oh wow" or "Yikes" from those who see it.But for the rare few - such as myself - a crafter's "STASH" can result in the following.....

"OMG! Do you think Jimmy Hoffa is buried in there?"

"What did you do, knock over a JoAnns?"

Or my favorite.

"If yarn were crack you'd never make it out of rehab."

As you can see from the pictures, I'm not hurting for supplies. HOWEVER, what I am lacking is inspiration. When it comes to crochet projects I'm often like a hyperactive hamster with short term memory loss. At the store I have all these idea running through my head, thus resulting in purchasing enough yarn to provide King Tut with a new technicolor wrap job. But once I get home and the yarn gets sorted into the correct color-coded bin it often gets lost or forgotten about. I can not tell you the number of times I have bought the same skein of yarn because I forgot I had already purchased it. So after some careful thought, some prodding from my husband ...and well.... nearly losing a cat amid the chaos... I made a promise to myself that unless it was a custom order for a client, I would only make projects from my stash. And so far I can say it's better than Christmas. I'm discovering things I completely forgot I had -or even better - finding uses for yarn I purchased for no reason.

In February I was asked to donate a sweater to a local silent auction. As soon as the words left my friends mouth my eyes glazed over, I started to twitch and my friend realized she had just given the addict a reason to visit her local crack den "aka yarn store.""WAIT!" she practically screamed while pulling my back from my yarntastic fantasy."I will only let you use what you already have."Darn. I forgot I had friends actually committed to helping me stay fiber-free. After some moping and some chocolate to dull the pain of a yarn store trip foiled, I began to dig amid the bins and boxes. I discovered a bulk skein of chunky turquoise acrylic purchased on sale nearly two years ago. It was soft and cushy and slightly inspired I set it aside and began to dig further into the depths of my stash. I found a bright hot pink skein bought during a brief flirtation with reliving my 80's glam days. And then I discovered a piercing skein of purple. Paired with the turquoise they somehow managed to tone each other down. A small remnant of bright green and some sunflower buttons I found shoved in a forgotten bin and TADA! I was inspired. Not only did I manage to use up most of the turquoise skein but it's texture prompted me to attempt a new cardigan design.

My next "stash" project initially started with my idea to make a blanket for my friend's daughter.Being that she is a bright and fun little girl I started looking through my stash for anything that reminded me of the recipient.Way in the back, behind some boxes I discovered BAGS of this TLC Wiggles yarn. It's an acrylic yarn that sports these crazy loops made from tightly wound colored thread. I had multiple skeins of it in nearly every color of the rainbow and just new using the right stitch I could crochet up a fun blanket. As for why I had so much I have no idea.After some thought I decided to pair it with some white worsted acrylic I again had in a 16oz skein. The end result, which used a slanted shell stitch was not only cushy but one that I loved so much I'm ashamed to say I have yet to give to the intended person. I'm debating on making a second one for my store, but that's only if I don't get distracted by yet another project inspired by my stash.

Come see the knitting genius of MooseThreads at www.moosethreads.etsy.com

Etsy Starters Guide by BubbaRye

First of all what is an Etsian?Etsian (et-c-ann): 1) an artisan (crafter) who has located the handmade site Etsy, and has grown obsessed with it. 2) an artisan (crafter) who has become intwined in a community of artisans (crafters) on www.etsy.com. 3) an artisan (crafter) who may at times get frustrated with getting their shop or business noticed on www.etsy.com .

Well, I started my shop Bubba and Rye on Etsy Feb 19th, 2008 (although my stat says earlier, this is when I became active). Bubba and Rye, now with over 200 sales. On July 11th, I officially opened my second shop Lilac Ave, which has over 100 sales. It was 100 times easier to get Lilac Ave up and running, knowing what I learned from opening the Bubba and Rye shop. Now I know some people interested in Etsy, and I was going to give my best tips, and figured, why not share what I know. I am not claiming to be an expert, or an Etsy hot seller, but I do ok, and there are things I have found that worked.

onesie above from http://www.monsterbugblankets.etsy.com/


Here are those tips:
1. Your photos are so hugely important!!!! I went to the critique section in the forums many times over and kept being told my photos were too dark. I tried EVERYTHING!!!! Finally these things ended up being the key for me:- use the macro setting on your camera if your items are smaller (I use this on my candles and cards). It is the tulip shaped button on your camera.- take your photos in natural light or in a light box. Do not mean in direct full sun, this will make a glare. My perfect place is on my kitchen table with the window facing north on a sunny day. Try different places around your house until you find your sweet spot. However a light box can do wonders, and I recommend that for jewelry photos. Instructions to make one are available through and online search.- Picasa is a god send! Go to google and search for picasa. It is a free photo editing program by google and can make a fantastic difference. Maker sure to crop, and give "I'm feeling lucky" a whirl. You'll see a major difference.

Sweet Card above from http://www.bubbarye.etsy.com/

2. Scream it from the rooftops! Send out a Grand Opening email to everyone you know! Most will be very supportive, and even if they don't buy from you, they can talk about you to other people. Even their sheer knowledge that Etsy exists, can be a help.There is not a person, place, animal, rock, that I haven't talked to about Etsy. You'll find as the obsession grows this is a very easy task, and someone may tell you to shut it at some point.

Rug above from http://www.thechameleonsattic.etsy.com/

3. Be part of the Etsy Community. Go to www.etsy.com , then go to community, and there are our forums, where so many questions can be answered and info by experienced sellers read. There is also a teams section. There may be a team for you. I am part of the Etsy Homefront Team, which is for military spouses. I am also part of Hampton Roads Artisans Street Team, which is a local group of Etsians in the southeastern Virginia area. Not only are these teams a great support, but also help you attack promotion as a team, rather than by yourself. Together you can create treasuries to get noticed, you can have group promos, or even have a local show like I am with my HRAST group.

Burp Cloth Set from http://www.smocksnstuff.etsy.com/

4. Get your product seen. This is best done by listing or renewing daily. This helps get your items to the top of the search category and getting new eyes on your product daily. I call it the invitation to your shop.Recently I've found www.twitter.com. This is a great place to post new or renewed listing to get your views better, and get more attention to your item, and your shop.You also want to study your views and hearts. The most awesome tool is Majaba...Mah-who-ba? www.majaba.org It is a website to help you track views on items, to see how much your views increased after promoting. Really without this running an Etsy shop can be a blind mission. By the way, you can even advertise on majaba for a small marketing fee.


A delicious treat from http://www.nikid.etsy.com/

5. The more the merrier. In both shops business increased after I had more than 30 items in the shop. Why? Because your customers have choices. They feel like they are shopping and are sure about their purchase when they check out. I know this sounds unimportant, but it really does matter, it somehow gives the perception of established, professional business.You'll see a lot on Etsy about using Flicker, MySpace, Facebook, Blogging. I have to say, if this is not something you do anyway or are savvy with, I am not sure that it increases views or sales. It has to be something you are into doing, and not just doing to gain sales. For instance I m not a myspace or facebook natural (or arguably a blogger). This seemed like a chore, and I wasn't really connected with that community...absence isn't going to bring them to you. All this info is for you to take in and digest, and spit back out the right formula for your shop. These are the things that have helped me, and will hopefully help in your Etsy business as well.

I hope these tips can in someway help your own Etsy business!

Shipping Phobia by SewHappyFabricShop

I’ve been selling on etsy for over a year now, and I have to admit, I was clueless about shipping in the beginning. I always guessed about my calculation, sometimes went to USPS.com to calculate shipping, and then dragged myself and my children into the post office only to discover that I had guessed wrong and was now out $1…or more. I knew that Paypal offered a shipping program, but I was timid about using it.

Most of my fellow Homefront Team members are well versed in shipping, but after receiving a package recently from a top seller on etsy who didn’t use Paypal shipping, I decided to write a post about the subject.

So you accept Paypal… why should you use the shipping feature?
First of all, if you use Paypal, you are paying for it. And by shipping through the postal service on Paypal, you get discounted fees. For example, if I waltz into the post office and ask for confirmation on my first class package, it’s going to cost me 75 cents. Online through Paypal will only cost 18 cents.

Secondly, it is easy. Really. You will need a small scale that will fit your product, but that is the only equipment required.

Third, it looks professional.

Now, how to do it?
Ebay has a great link at http://pages.ebay.com/usps/shippingitems/labels.html which is applicable to your Paypal account for etsy users too.

Personally, I print off my order details from the Sold Items page in Etsy. This allows me to keep my orders straight and checked off as I ship. It also provides me with their shipping address and any notes that may affect shipping that I can look at once I have logged into my Paypal account.

When I’m ready to ship, I log into Paypal. Basically, when you look at your account in Paypal, you will see the payment you received and a button to the right that says “print shipping label”. Don’t be scared.

Click on the button, and it will show the information to be printed. Double check the address of your buyer on the right hand side with your etsy statement. In the center of the page, you will be able to select your shipping method (first class, priority, etc). For less than 13 ounces, you can use first class. Over that weight, use priority mail (unless you are using media mail, and then compare first class weights as it is sometimes less expensive and quicker).

Weight your item and enter the amount. Select confirmation if you want it (18 cents for first class, free with priority mail). Continue on, and print your label.

What should you print on?
I personally use these shipping labels. **
It makes life easier for me. However, you can absolutely print on a regular piece of paper, cut off the confirmation side, and save that for your records. Then tape the “label” onto your package. Just make sure the bar code section is not taped over. (Personally, I make two printed copies of my Etsy sold statement, then stick the confirmation label on the back side so that I can put my hands on both pieces of information if needed.)

You’re done. If you selected confirmation, your customer just got an email with that information. You can log back into Paypal and track any of your shipments.

I have never tried the postal pick up, but I know that many sellers swear by the USPS.com feature which allows you to request your mailman drop by and pick up your package. I have ordered priority mail supplies and received them within a week or two.

I hope that if you haven’t used the Paypal feature, you will give it a try. Please feel free to convo me for any additional information.

-Thanks to Becky for her article contribution http://sewhappyfabricshop.etsy.com

How An Etsy Shop Is Born by lyneya

Just a quick word of introduction...I'm a working mom of a two year old boy. It was in the interest of providing him with safe and beautiful playthings that I ventured into the crazy world of etsy and opened my own little shop, Lyneya's Toys. I firmly believe in creating well rounded little men and providing a variety of house-play toys and dolls to nurture.

Boys are NOT the same as girls and never will be. But little boys grow up to be fathers and husbands and need to learn the same house-keeping and parenting skills through pretend play. So I set off to find my son a buddy to take care of. I finally found a style I liked, but they were all adorable little girl dolls. I set out to make my own and loved the process! I had so much trouble finding a contemporary little boy doll that I liked, that I decided to make a few extra before Christmas and see how they did! Turns out...other mamas out there wanted boy dolls! And my shop was born.

Every doll I send out to another little boy makes me smile. I know that his new buddy is destined for fun adventures. There might not be a lot of tea parties and princesses in its future, but if their new homes are anything like our house, there will be trains to conduct, jungles to explore, and farms to run. And everything is more fun with a buddy!!

To see Lyneya's shop, visit:

http://www.lyneya.etsy.com