Etsy Regretsy--One Cat Lady's Confessions

In 2010, I had a very short-lived Etsy shop.  At that time, I was making button-embellished headbands and getting compliments on them pretty much everywhere I went.  I eventually decided to try selling them.  I took some photos, wrote up descriptions, and threw them on Etsy,the beloved online marketplace that I knew and loved from my years of customizing Blythe dolls (Etsy was one of the only places I could find eye chips or doll clothes at that time).  I shared the link to my shop a couple of times on Facebook.  I knew absolutely nothing about SEO.  I doubt I even knew what SEO was an acronym for.

Needless to say, my shop sold nothing.  Rather than try to push forward or figure out what I could improve, I chose to blame Etsy.  Oversaturated jerkface Etsy!  Forget them, their search engine SUCKS!

Fast forward five years and here I am, completely reconsidering the idea of an Etsy shop.  Yes, the punk rock teenager in me is slightly bummed about Etsy's changes over time, going from a tiny niche market to an over-saturated beast full of everyone and their mother's candle and jewelry shops.  But nonetheless, there's no denying the fact that Etsy did kind of create the online marketplace as we know it.  While Etsy may have gone and "sold out," and while it is indeed over-saturated thanks to the recent popularity of indie craft, it still remains the place to be apparently.  When we want something unique or handmade, we run straight to Etsy.  Hands down, through and through, they take the cake every time.

And I'm not just referring to the e-commerce.  The Etsy seller forums are exactly what I've been stubbornly seeking and not finding during fruitless Google searches.  The bitter 25-year-old in the back of my brain still wanted to hate on Etsy for my previous lack of sales action, and when Etsy forums inevitably appeared first in a Google search for "crafter discussion board," I refused to click on their links.  There had to be other great resources out there.  And there definitely are, but they are few and far between, and my other go-tos are print resources, which are by nature much more limited in scope than an ongoing forum thread.

This is basically just an apology to Etsy, because, man, Etsy, you rock.  There is a reason you rule the internet, and I finally have succumbed.  I bow down to you, the almighty Craft Buddha of the Interweb.

Let's just say this will be the spring of serious SEO-schooling, forum-stalking, drafting, and networking in pursuit of my own Etsy shop.  And this time, I'm going to do it right.  Even my recent exploits on Big Cartel were a hustled attempt to get something out there without having to pay a cent.  As I get more products made, I'm understanding that I now is the time to start doing what's best for Lady and the Cat.  Yep.  There it is.  Lady and the Cat on Etsy:  Coming Soon to a Wifi Hot-Spot Near You!!!

Xo*
Jess

Diary of a Cat Lady--April 2015

Meowsers, my friends.  I have 1000% not had my head in Lady and the Cat over the last few weeks, and for that, I apologize.  Basically, life in general has thrown me for a loop and in turn my anxiety has been higher than it's been in quite some time.  I feel horrible, because I promised lots of things to all of you, like a big shop opening online with giveaways, more posts, etc.  But I will keep it real, guys and gals...your favorite weird cat lady has been a hot mess/ball of nerves lately.  My anxiety was reaching a point where I was becoming crazy pj lady who only leaves home (in aforementioned pjs) to buy dollar Speedway coffee, and then comes back to hole up and hide from being a functional adult.

No worries, though!  While I tend to let stress get the best of me,  I'm feeling better again, have some of my life crises solved, and am overall quite rejuvenated.  And I've still been working on more kitty charm pieces!  I may be down in the dumps, but I can't seem to scratch the "make cute stuff" itch!

What do we think, cat ladies?  Fans or haters?  Would you visit an Etsy shop that sold items like this?  Let me know, because as much as I complain about the oversaturation of Etsy, it is still one hell of a marketplace and I'm contemplating setting up shop there with some of my newer items.  I really love the look of my Big Cartel shop, but it's not very user friendly in my opinion (neither on my end nor yours).  I don't know.  Regardless, please leave a comment with any thoughts, because I'm still undecided when it comes to pawning one's wares on the interwebs.  

As for upcoming giveaways, I am full of tremendous ideas on that front.  However, I don't want to keep running my trap until I square away legitimate details, rules, and timelines (as I intended to weeks ago)!  So updates ASAP.  Anticipation.  And so on.

Want to hear one more exciting thing?  At an upcoming craft fair, I plan on sharing a booth with a family friend.  She happens to be a ceramicist, so I'm super stoked to share a space with her for my first show.  Ever since I started making my hand-sculpted kitty charms, I've fallen in love with the medium all over again...I completely forgot how much I loved ceramics in high school until I got my hands back on some clay.  The show isn't until this fall, so I will officially be utilizing all of spring and summer to basically go DIY-Sweatshop and get some crazy cat lady jewelry made!  It's a smaller show than some of the other amazing ones in my area, but seems pretty perfect for my first gig.

As per usual, shout out to all the cats and cat lovers...'tis you that light up my life and (unfortunately for you) keep me a'ramblin' on this little old blog<3.

Until next time...

Xo*
Jess

Cross Country Cat Ladies

Yesterday my mom came over and checked out some of my finished jewelry pieces.  I always value her opinion, as she's a pretty brilliant painter/ceramicist/high school art teacher.  Not to mention she's completely to thank for my love of craft.  One of my earliest memories is puffy-painting and bedazzling my toddler-sized acid washed denim jacket under her supervision...craft days were always a regular thing in our household, and there was never a project too daunting for good old Mair to let us tackle.

Anywho, momma mentioned that she's visiting my cousin Jason in Baltimore for Easter. It suddenly hit me that I hadn't shown off my kitty ear hair clips!  I ran to the craft room, threw them into my top knot, and suddenly a no-brainer hit me.  How could I not make Lola and Lucy, Jason's two little girls, each a pair of cat ears to send along with Mair???

So that's what I did today.  Done and done.

I've been so wrapped up in creating cocktail jewelry that I forgot how adorable yet simple the kitty ears are!  I'm so jazzed to be sending these off to the East Coast...I've been working on different cute packaging details, too, so I plan to go all out with the final presentation.  I will definitely have my Mair send me some pictures of the girls unboxing and wearing their ears for the blog!

What do you think?  I feel like these kitty ears, while quite different from my ceramic charms, have major surprise MVP potential at a craft fair.  Let me know how you feel about cutesy cat ears on human heads in the comments below!

Xo*

Jess

Happy birthday, Roland!

Today our Ro turns one, and he's become such a handsome big boy!!!  I made this photo collage to commemorate his birthday, and it's wild to see how much he has changed and grown.

The photo on the bottom left was taken in early June, almost certainly the first day we brought him home.  The bottom right photo was taken just a couple weeks ago.  As much as Roland has changed physically, a few things remain the same.

He's still hilarious.  He still loves to trill rather than meow....although he still meows (VERY loudly) to announce when he's about to use the litter box.  He still loves to snuggle with me before bed and then go sleep either on or between Matt's legs.  And he still makes us so incredibly happy.  This boy was exactly what we needed for our house to fully feel like a home, and I love my little family so much.  I have butterflies always.

Oh, and if you asked Ro what his first year highlights were, he would probably say killing and scaring away mice, begging mom and dad for bacon, spooning, and trying to eat all the library books.  Pretty sure he is living the dream...

...but then again, so are we.  Because we have the coolest, most loving cat around.

Happy birthday, Roland!!!!  You're the bomb, bro.

Xo*

Jess

Hunt and Gather Pop-Up Market

Hello again, cat ladies!

As I mentioned in a couple of my older posts, there is a local antique/handmade market about 12 miles east of my hometown that takes place quarterly.  I was lucky enough to attend on Friday, March 6th, where the Hunt and Gather Pop-Up Market featured over 140 vendors.

Now, I knew going into the event that I was going to love it.  But seeing is definitely believing, and it's now officially one of my personal missions to show my wares at one of the next Hunt and Gather events.  The market features everything from home decor to vintage posters to dolls and collectibles to handmade jewelry to baked goods.  They even have live music, a fully stocked bar, and a bunch of food carts for people to enjoy.

I took pictures to give you an idea of just how lovely Hunt and Gather was.  So without further ado, here are some of my favorites from the night we went.  These photos highlight not only some of my favorite handmade items (umm the bird plushies?  Just you wait...dead via cuteness overload), but also booth displays that I found to be visually appealing and impactful.

Of course we had to take a mid-festivities selfie...

...because the BFF and I are simply adorable.

These pictures are nothing more than a mere glimpse into the magic that is Hunt and Gather, and I'm so glad that I went...often times, I avoid going out because let's face it, I'm a crazy cat lady and I would rather stay home with Roland and Matt snuggling on the couch.  But I knew that going would be a great experience, not only because I'm a giant fan of vintage and handmade goods in general, but because my instincts beforehand were right...this type of market is exactly the kind of venue I'd love for Lady and the Cat goods to be sold.  So attending was great "research" for me!  The majority of the vendors there were selling quirky, one-of-a-kind, niche items, as opposed to your run-of-the-mill quilted potholders sold at church basement craft fairs.  Not that there's anything wrong with quilted potholders or church basement craft fairs...but one of my main concerns going into this whole Lady and the Cat venture was whether or not I could find an appropriate venue to have some success in.  As it turns out, Hunt and Gather was the perfect mix of family fun and hipster, vintage and handmade, and the positive vibes were simply bouncing off the walls.  So now I am more enthusiastic than ever to strive towards a show like that for Lady and the Cat!

Actually, since visiting Hunt and Gather, I have gotten in contact with the booker regarding vendor consideration for Lady and the Cat at one of their upcoming markets.  Nothing has gone past the email stage between her and I, but I'm proud of myself for making my first official contact about a show possibility, and I'm quite hopeful that Lady and the Cat will be able to score a booth at one of Hunt and Gather's upcoming events.  It's definitely the motivation I need to get all my ducks in a row and keep producing jewelry, that's for sure!

Well, friends, I hope you enjoyed this post!  I know it isn't as feline-heavy as most of my other posts, but I thought this recap would be a friendly addition to the blog, and since it has everything to do with the evolution of Lady and the Cat as a business, it was more than worth documenting to me.

Until next time...

Xo*

Jess

Lady and the Cat Update for March 2015

On one hand, I really need to get back to blogging a few times a week.  I've really missed you, cat ladies!  On the other hand, putting my jewelry-making skills to the ultimate test and focusing on pretty much nothing else has done me some good!  When I'm not working on a piece, I'm brainstorming ways to better construct items, researching new tools/findings, or watching video tutorials.  In short, I am obsessed with jewelry-making.

For starters, I've been making wire-wrapped rings for the first time ever...

Wire-wrapping and ring-making is a serious learning curve for me to deal with, and I truly don't even know how the idea to make rings came about.  It was definitely not my original intention, but I'm so glad that my jewelry-making has evolved into the ring arena.  These cuties will be a proud addition to the Lady and the Cat shop!!!  They're not quite ready to sell yet, but you can definitely expect to find these on sale later this spring!

I also made a new bracelet and necklace that are both ready now for placement on the Lady and the Cat Big Cartel shop...

This is The Snowbell bracelet.  This piece really taught me a thing or two about upcycling, as the non-kitty trinkets were all pried from other jewelry and re-attached to this chain (also re/upcycled). This may not sound hard, but transferring pieces without damaging them can be quite the task!  Worth it, though.  I am thrilled with the finished product.

This is The Duchess necklace.  The Duchess was also made using components of other jewelry, along with the trademark Lady and the Cat kitty charm.  The pairing of the gold and floral makes The Duchess look super-sophisticated, and this piece in particular makes it really hard to not just keep what I make for myself!!!

It's interesting for me to think about how far this accessory line has already come, and learning new skills in the name of Lady and the Cat has been just what I've needed to get my creative juices flowing.  I have lots more to share with my cat ladies, including some reviews and updated Lady and the Cat Big Cartel shop links, but that will all be added to this blog in upcoming days.  Until then, I really hope you enjoy reading this update.  Feel free to leave me a comment here or on social media and let me know what you think about these brand new Lady and the Cat accessories!!!

Xo*

Jess

Spring Inspurrrations

Today I got the rest of my kitty charms back from the kiln.  I am completely absorbed in experimenting with different textures and patterns on these kittens, from makeup palettes to florals to my current favorite, a charm made using Kate Spade spring dinnerware prints (pictured above).  

I also finally rounded out the official product listings for my first line, which I will be announcing in detail later this month!  The finished line will include items for cat ladies and their cats.  The accessories I've created have certainly evolved quite a bit over the past several months, but I'm really enthusiastic about my final decisions and can't wait to share all the details on this blog!

In other news, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I will be attending a local pop-up market called Hunt and Gather this weekend, where there will be over 140 handmade and antique vendors, live music, and food trucks.  Getting a booth at a market like this is one of my big goals for the next year, so attending tomorrow will be huge in terms of research and networking.  I also got some applications uploaded for a couple of smaller-scale holiday bazaars happening in my area before Christmas, and plan to have my submission ready in the next month or so.  It's time to get my feet wet in the craft fair scene!

With all of this excitement, I've been more inspired than ever, which means (aside from churning out kitty charms) coming up with new ideas, tweaking existing ideas, and designing booth concepts.  This spring has already sprung as far as I'm concerned, and I'm more than ready to spring onward with Lady and the Cat!

Oh, and I have to mention this...I checked out this amazing documentary called Handmade Nation the other day.  The full movie is on YouTube, and since finding it, I've already watched it numerous times.  Seeing other people live the handmade hippie dream is totally motivating.  It just further reinforces my belief that I'm doing the right thing by pursuing this, whether it remains a hobby or something more.

I'm so thankful for all the love and positivity for surrounding Lady and the Cat, especially from my loyal readers.  Creating and blogging for cat lovers makes my heart so full, and promise I will make this product line the very best it can be for you.  After all, it's all my fellow cat lovers who keep me inspired most of all!!!

Until next time, have a great weekend!  I love you all.

Xo*

Jess