Getting ready for Etsy

Wow, the process leading up to selling on Etsy has some interesting twists and turns. Until my shop is open, thought it might be useful to blog about it.

I take pictures. Have done for as long as I can remember, and before that drew pictures. In the course of things people ooh and ahh and some suggest trying to sell my stuff. Someone suggests Etsy.

Go to Etsy and look around. Set up an account. Start buying because it's fun. Learn the key to Etsy is that it's like a friend sending you a gift through the mail. Everyone is so sweet and friendly that it's easy to see the appeal. Start favoriting things I covet and the shops of people whose work I admire.

Next the other fun thing: start making headers and profile icons until am able to settle on ones I like. Looking at other people's headers for trends. Started out with a colorful design, then decide I like the neutral, fade-to-background look for my shop -- thinking this approach avoids the header graphic interfering with the work.

Oh wait, no work yet. Leave the header up, fill in some bio and stop by my empty shop now and then to admire it, mostly in between Etsy searches.

Start to work gathering items to list, when I realize that my digital photo catalog is not as safe as it needs to be and not nearly so organized as I thought. But this is a story for another post.