Wow! Have I Been Busy!

What a crazy couple of weeks. There's been a lot of learning with the start of my little Etsy Shop, StitchingCA and a lot of making.

Inventory is my number one priority right now. It seems new items must be added regularly if you want to stay in the Etsy searches. So, I'm working like a busy bee here. I'm almost half way to my goal of at least 100 items. But in reality, I'll probably need more than that.

I've added cosmetic pouch sets, cork fabric pencil cases, small pouches for your purse, mini ID wallets as well as some of my cross stitched and embroidered items. My shop objective is to make affordable products while maintaining quality. It's a challenge, that's for sure! But a challenge that I'm willing to take.

The main thing to keep in mind is that Etsy's average sale is $25. I keep this price in my head while I do a cost analysis of different items. My end price must be within a certain range for me to make the effort. If it's not, than that item is axed until I can figure out a less expensive way to make it without losing quality. This doesn't mean that I will never list more expensive items. It only means that I'm focused on a certain type of product at the moment, and will see how that goes before expanding into more pricey items.

Also, for as long as I can, I am offering free shipping in Canada. The challenge with free shipping is the 2cm mailbox slot. If the package doesn't fall freely through a slot template that the clerk tests it in, than it cannot be sent letter mail and the jump in price is drastic -- $2.07 after tax to $15+.  I think from this point forward I will always look at that slot as the "slot of doom!" I mean who wants to pay $15 to ship a $25 item!?!?  Not me, that's for sure. As a customer, I'd walk away. Anytime shipping costs that much, I want to be able to buy lots to make it worth my while.

I'll end with some pretty pictures of some things I've made in the last week or so.

Cork fabric Pencil Cases with neon zippers and bright fun linings.

Nautical themed ID wallet with vinyl window, change section and 2 card slots.

Bright and cheerful ID wallet.

Perfect pouches for your purse.

Perfect Purse Pouches

A whole pile of Grab & Go ID wallets.

Set of Double Zipped Pouches. Made with very pretty Rifle Paper Co. fabric.
Pattern by SOTAK Handmade. 

Double Zipped Pouch set made with Rifle Paper Co. fabric.

Double Zipped Pouch set with a timepiece theme.

Double Zipped Pouch set in a tiny floral Sevenberry fabric. 

I'm determined to keep at it and continue to make the things I love. And I will continue to share any stitchy news (although there hasn't been much stitching lately) and sewing news with all of you. If you want to check out my little shop, you can head over by clicking here or by clicking on the big orange Etsy button at the top of the page.

Wishing everyone an awesome week!

Karen

StitchingCA - My Etsy Store

I finally did it - I opened an Etsy store a few days ago.  My brand name is StitchingCA partially because I already own the stitching.ca domain.  Since it's short and can mean sewing or stitching I thought it would be a good brand name for my little store. I also created a logo with a dragonfly that you can see on my blog now.

Everything I've read about Etsy indicates that you need to have a minimum of 100 items and ideally 172.75 items. I'm slowly working my way toward that goal, but that's a pretty big number. Another little tidbit of knowledge about Etsy is that the average sale is $25 U.S. So, it's something else to keep in mind as I make and create my inventory.  This doesn't mean I won't get into more expensive items eventually, however, it's definitely something to consider as I choose which items to make.

I don't plan on selling embroidered items at the moment, but I don't want to cross it off my list either. The StitchingCA brand is sort of all encompassing and allows me the option to do so in the future.  For now, I'm offering some smaller items like pouches, pencil cases and ID wallets.  My goal is to keep the prices low and to offer free shipping in Canada for as long as possible.  

Some things I've made so far:

Cosmetic/Toiletry Pouch

ID Wallet with 2 Credit Card Slots and Zipper Section

Pattern by Uniquely Michelle

Earbud Case/Coin Purse Keychain with Lobster Clasp or Split Ring

So far, it's nothing major, but it's a start. Have any of you considered making an Etsy store or have a store already? I'd love to hear about your experience and check out your stores.

'Til next time,

Karen