I discovered Etsy (www.etsy.com) about a year ago.  It is a consortium of sellers of handmade and vintage items and a great way to supplement the success of a regular website.

Unlike Ebay, with Etsy you are permitted to link to your regular website.  So when I first signed up for Etsy, I didn’t necessarily expect to receive any sales there.   I would have been content if some people found me there and migrated over to my regular site from Etsy.  But I know from customer communications that both happened.  I have had Etsy sales and people have wandered over to my regular site to see what my lettering styles look like or what items of mine are available there that are not available on the Etsy site.

Now for the benefits — There are no sign up fees, there is a low 20 cent per listing fee to list the items (regardless of value).  As you probably know, the cost to list on Ebay depends on the starting bidding price or the buy it now price.  And with Etsy, the completion fees are low too.  Best of all, everything on the site is handmade, so it is a great forum for my embroidered and personalized items because people who are searching there are searching for my kind of work.

My experience with Etsy has been very positive and I recommend it to anyone with a handmade product who wants to further their sales.  Do let me know if you have any questions.

I can’t brag as much about my daughter anymore.  She is 19 now and finds it most tiresome.  So I have myself a pair of Ragdoll cats.  Not only do they not mind being the center of attention, they seem to thrive on it.  Cats are like that — it is all about THEM!

But these cats are truly a delight.  If you have never experienced a Ragdoll, you are missing a world of love and the softest fur and brightest blue eyes in the animal world.

McCormick is my boy.  He was named after the McCormick tractor — a nod to my husband’s farming childhood.  McCormick is a big boy - he is about 14 pounds at one year and will keep growing until he is 4.  His grandfather is a 22 pound cat.

McCormick at 6 months old

Peaches is dainty by comparison.  She is about 1 1/2 now and is a breeder.  The cattery she came from is partnering with me and I get to be an accomplice to bringing some darling white fur balls into the world. 

As a point of interest, all Ragdolls are born completely white and get their color and markings as they mature.  So you never quite know what you have until after you know them for a while.  Of course, you can increase your chances by pairing the right two in the first place.

Peaches is a seal bi-color tortie.  Tortie’s carry a recessive gene that only appears in the female and manifests as a mottled pattern to the fur.  Here is Peaches:

Peaches the Ragdoll at 8 months

Finally some snow in Colorado!   We have ten inches so far.  Meanwhile I am working on 22 custom embroidered aprons for a child’s birthday party in Pennsylvania.

We have an enormous deck and snow is heavy, so I had to take a break to shovel the snow off the deck.  I heard from a local emergency room physician that there are an inordinate number of heart attacks triggered by shoveling, so my husband doesn’t do that anymore.  Apparently, most of these heart attacks happen in the early part of the day.  The theory, according to this ER doc is that the strenuous activity is more stressful to the heart when it has not had time to wake up and start its day normally.  The ER doc said that men should shovel later in the day if they have to do it themselves.

Seems a bit strange, but that is what he said…

Today I took a break from embroidering to tend to my fledgling vegetable and flower seedlings, transfering them to larger containers while letting my mind wander to thoughts of spring and ideas for spring and summer additions to the website - flowers and gardening motifs.

The process of gardening has led me to think of some fun ways to use the embroidered aprons for gardening aprons instead of kitchen aprons.   Stay tuned!

Today I work on some of those cute aprons embroidered with children’s faces and names - such an appropriate Mother’s Day gift for grandmom.

After that, I turn my attention to a group of wedding gown labels for the upcoming June weddings.  When I started those labels, I had no idea how huge they would be.  Brides Magazine even saw fit to suggest them as the something blue” in one their articles.

Dear Santa,
I know you’re busier than ever this year and may have a hard time getting all your shopping done. To make my website easier for you, I’ve compiled a list of the top-ten most popular items at Initial Impressions. You’re our Number One customer, we’ll do whatever we can to keep you happy.

1. Lovie Stuffed Animal Blankets
2. Patchwork Quilts for Babies
3. Children’s Chef Aprons
4. Children’s Towel Sets
5. Children’s Bathrobes
6. Waffleweave Kitchen Towels
7. Adult Shower Wraps
8. Cotton Stadium Blankets
9. Cotton Sheet Sets
10. Adult Aprons

This is for a Washington based Obama campaign worker who had a busy night when it became apparent that his son would be born the night of the Presidential election.  This embroidery will be a framed picture for the baby’s nursery.