Monday, January 10, 2011

Family of Monsters

Back in the fall, my friend Carrie asked me (commissioned me) to make 8 monsters named after her kids and all the other grandkids in her family. It was in the middle of my very gross first trimester days, so it did not get started on until just a couple weeks before Christmas. She wanted to give them to her parents for Christmas so that each kid would have their special monster always at Grandma and Grandpa's house when they visited- such a cute idea.

It was very fun designing some new faces and writing their little descriptions based on some of the kids' characteristics Carrie had given me. Here's the whole bunch-





I had hoped to make multiples of each and get them in the shop before Christmas. Here's the thing about having an Etsy shop: You have to keep making things in order to keep selling things. Revolutionary idea, I know. But you can't just open your shop and let it sit. And I didn't when I first opened. I kept listing and relisting pretty regularly. I had big plans for diversifying my products and price-points and all that stuff the emails from Etsy tell you to do as a seller. (I still get those emails. I used to read them, now I delete them immediately. Yet I haven't unsubscribed from them because I know that someday soon I want to be motivated again and start reading them. Isn't that silly?) But after getting pregnant again, I guess I kind of lost interest. I do enjoy making a few things to sell and having people appreciate that, but I really enjoy sewing for gifts and for my kids and occasionally even me. And I never expected to try to be one of those sellers featured in a "quit your day job" article, but it would be nice to just make enough to take care of a bill or two each month. Anyway, I know I'm totally rambling now, but I was just wondering if any other half-assed Etsy sellers out there could relate to the ebbs and flows of motivation... But I guess that is one nice thing about the way Etsy is set up- everything is already there and ready for me when I decide to get selling again. And it will sit and wait when life/apathy gets in the way again.



Hey, did I tell you guys yet that I'm having a girl?!? I don't think I've mentioned it here, but yup, it's a girl. We are pretty excited about that :)









6 comments:

  1. I am so with you on the etsy shop business. The thing I love about art is making it, I do not love selling and promoting. I've decided that this is ok, because like you I don't want to lose myself in the commitment of selling and promoting, when I have limited creative time as it is.

    So, I leave my shop open, because it can't hurt, but I am definitely not active like so many others.

    Anyways, all that to say, I get you.

    P.S. Love the family of monsters and that you are having a girl too! Now we can make fun girl projects too.

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  2. Totally understand! I've had offers on stuff I've displayed before and I've never sold anything. And I've had commissions that I've dragged my feet on or turned down altogether...I think I was born business-ly inept.

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  3. All the monsters are so beautiful and bright, I love them. I always have a picture of our little girl in my mind, blonde, blue-eyed and wearing red shoes and an adorable and unique dress made for her by her Mom. I can't wait to be Nana again.

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  4. these monsters are adorable! and i know what you mean, i love to make stuff, but i REALLY love to make gifts. in fact, i can't wait to have kids just so i can see what they make me :) congrats on your little baby girl!!

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  5. Oh, I can sooooooo relate to the Etsy-seller-syndrome to which you refer! I am stuck in an off and on pattern so bad. Thanks for sharing, I like to hear there's company here.
    Great monsters.
    And congrats on your girly girl!

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