These lovely vintage graphics have been made into 1.75" circle rounds perfect for a wide variety of craft projects from stickers to scrapbooking elements. Print them on aged looking craft paper for added effect!
This is an 8.5x11" PDF sheet saved for print resolution.
Use these freely in any personal or commercial project, all graphics are public domain.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
PIN ME
You know that feeling when you just don’t want to work? It’s almost like your soul is disconnected from your body and you feel like someone else is controlling your life instead of you. It’s a weird phenomenon that we all go through. Even the most successful people in the world have had their moments where they just can’t seem to bring themselves to do anything productive.
If you are reading this article then chances are, you’re going through one of those moments right now.
In this article, we explore ways to stay motivated when you don't want to work. Read on to find out more.
When you are feeling unmotivated to work, you might think that you have to push through it. You might feel as though if you stop, you’ll never get started again. But, taking a break from work can actually help you get back into the swing of things.
It can allow you time to rest and de-stress from whatever you have been working on and it can allow you time to reflect on the things you have been doing and help you to see what is working for you and what isn’t.
When you are feeling unmotivated, you may not be able to recognize that you need to take a break. You may be too caught up in that negative cycle of not feeling like you are making any progress. Taking a break can help you to re-evaluate your situation.
Recognize that your feelings of being unmotivated are nothing more than a fleeting condition that can be overcome with a bit of rest and relaxation.
Exercising is one of the fastest and most effective ways to
get out of a rut. It will get your blood flowing, get your mind working, and
help you to break out of whatever negative cycle of thinking you might be
trapped in. It has been proven to be a great way to re-charge your creativity and often allows your mind to wander to new ideas.
Depending on what type of exercise you do, it may also give you a chance to reflect on what is going on in your life and help you to come up with solutions to the problems that you are facing.
Now, to be clear, we are NOT saying to go out and run a marathon or lift weights for hours on end.
What we are saying is that even something as simple as taking a walk can be enough to help you get out of that negative cycle and clear your mind.
When you are feeling unmotivated, it can be easy to spiral out of control. You may find yourself thinking about all of the things you have left to do and how you’re never going to finish them. You might also find yourself thinking about all of the times you have let yourself down, and how you are never going to be successful if you keep going at the rate you are going.
When you feel like this, you need to stop and focus on just one small thing. Set one small goal, and focus on accomplishing it. What matters is that you focus all of your energy on it and don’t put it off until later.
Once you have accomplished that small goal, set another and then another. Keep setting goals and keeping yourself busy and you’ll find that you are able to break out of that negative cycle a lot faster than you might expect.
If you have ever gone through this before, then you might have started to judge yourself for feeling unmotivated. You might feel as though there is something wrong with you for not being able to just get over it and move on with your life.
It's important to remember that everyone goes through this at one point or another in their lives. Everyone has periods of time where they don’t feel like working.
What makes someone successful is not that they don’t go through these periods, but that they are able to move past them and continue on with their lives no matter how they feel in a singular period of time.
When you are feeling unmotivated, you need something to get
your mind off of the things that are bothering you or keeping you from tasks at hand. You need something to distract
your mind in a different direction, perhaps something that you can enjoy in that moment. It may be that your mind just needs a break.
Do something that will make you happy. Or find a task that is less taxing on you.
Reading can be a great way to relax and get
your mind off of things. Playing video games can help you to relax and not
worry about anything else. Going out with friends and doing something you enjoy
can help you to break out of the negative cycle of being unmotivated and help
you to get back on track with your life and work.
Everybody goes through times when they don’t want to work. These periods are difficult for everyone, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for them.
When you are feeling unmotivated, the most important thing you can do is take the time to re-evaluate your situation. Look at what you have been doing and decide what you need to do in order to get yourself out of this negative cycle.
Find something that you enjoy and do that. Find something that can help you relax and get your mind in a better place and you’ll find that you are able to get out of this a lot faster than you might expect.
Now, keep in mind that this may not be a quick fix. It may take some time to get yourself out of the rut, but once you do, you’ll be able to come back stronger than ever before.
Sometimes you'll need to grab a screenshot from
your computer screen, whether it's because of a tech issue you need help with
or something you just need to share and if you've done that before it can feel a little frustrating to figure it out in the moment.
Luckily your PC comes with built in tools to assist and make this a super easy and super quick task.
There are two options depending on how much of your screen you want to share:
To create and save the screenshot, just tap the Windows key + Print Screen key at the same time. The screenshot will be saved instantly to your Pictures >
Screenshots folder.
And it's just as easy as that. Should you really not want to share the
entire picture you just snapped, you can quickly crop out the parts you
want to hide, or you can use the second method below.
Here's a keyboard pic showing where the Windows and Print Screen keys are:
To create and save just a portion of your computer screen you'll click on just the Print Screen button (as shown above). A plus sign with dotted lines will appear which you can move around with your mouse to position how you need. Just click and drag to create a box around the part of your screen you want to capture.
Once you release the mouse to create the box a dialog box will pop up with various ways to save the screen grab. You ca use whichever most suits your needs, but the first option 'Save as (displaying dialog)' is most likely the best choice. This option will bring up a save dialog box similar to that of other programs where you just name your file, choose a location to save to and click 'ok'.
And that's it, you now have an image of your screen that you can share however you want, right from your desktop in just a couple clicks.
Happy computing
Shawnna
I am not a font hoarder. I do have more fonts than I can use, but I'm not a true collector by any means. Some of my designer colleagues have fonts by the thousands. I've whittled mine down to a few hundred (i think, honestly it's so hard to keep track).
And that's the point. Once you get beyond a certain number of fonts it becomes difficult and overwhelming to manage. I not currently doing much design work requiring loads of fonts so I'm keeping my list to the absolute best / favorites. The go-to fonts that I love the most.
I recently picked up an incredible bundle deal that has quickly become just that. My go-to font collection when I need something with a little personality. See that feature font in the image above, that one is called Shiplap. On my tech support post images I'm using Farmer's Market.
They are part of a 100 font bundle I picked up in a sale event last year and it is one of the best groups of fonts I have. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of other individual fonts I love and use often, but as a collection this one is - well, just fun.
One of the best features of the bundle that I have appreciated the most (besides fantastic font designs) is a small under-utilized organizational feature - the font file name. Not the name OF the font, but the how the font FILE has been named. Hats off to the designer for this because I LOVE it.
Every font file begins with the letters DTC then the font name. Which means when I go to use a font in the collection they are all lined up in order as a collection in my font manager. Such a small detail but it is so very helpful when trying to manage too many fonts!
Ok, so the fonts are really the important bit. See for yourself if this collection tickles your fancy. :)
Happy creating
Shawnna
please note :: I often recommend resources I love, some I receive an affiliate commission for at no additional cost to you, but all are resources that I personally use. I am not otherwise paid to promote.
At first glance, it would seem that there’s no end to the creativity you can bring to an Etsy shop. With so many categories to choose from and so many products within those categories, there must be endless ways to showcase your artisanal interests.
But as much as we love all things
handcrafted, not every business idea actually fits well within the world of Etsy. You need to
think about the type of work you’re willing to spend time doing on a regular
basis, the resources you have available for creating those products, and
whether or not people are really going to connect with what you have to sell. Not to mention, whether or not it's profitable.
To help you get started in creating your own Etsy shop, here are some top tips for picking the best products to sell in your own eCommerce store.
Even before you decide which products to sell, you need to get an idea for the market you’re operating within. You don’t want to be just another seller in a niche that’s already saturated, but on the other hand, you don’t want to choose a product that no one’s buying.
You can start off your research with some simple Google searches to learn more about the product industry you are interested in. Look at what's popular, how diverse the product range currently is, the popularity of certain products and how broad the customer base is. You want to get a feel for what is going on with the chosen industry and drill down into specific niches.
For example, if you are interested in making pottery, the industry is pretty massive with a high volume of sales, so there is good opportunity to build a strong customer base. Now get specific, what kind of pottery, for whom, what style? Looking at a particular niche, is there anything missing? Can you do something new or different? You want to identify something that is popular but then add your own spin to it.
You want to do this is in the wider market and not just on Etsy. But it's important to do the exact same research on Etsy as well. You want to look for a product type that you have a keen interest in, will enjoy making long term, has good potential to sell well and then you need to create your own special versions.
You might also look at Etsy’s top sellers in different niche's to research what’s selling, and try to figure out why. Looking at the top sellers should give you an idea of what is required to setup a store for success. Study and understand what their doing right and why they are selling so well. Can you come up with your own unique product offering and sell as successfully?
And finally, think about the products you already own and have in your home. What’s missing from the market? What do people not realize they need? Is there some value you can add to an existing product to make it better, or a new product that doesn't exist yet? These insights can help you recognize gaps in the market and pick a product that’s well-positioned to succeed.
If you’re new to running your own business, the concept of niche marketing might not be second nature to you. But it’s something every entrepreneur needs to take into account. In fact, not only does it help you decide which products to sell on your Etsy shop, it helps you decide how to run your business as a whole.
When you pick a niche, you’re focusing your marketing efforts on a specific group of people. You might decide to cater to families, people who work from home, stay-at-home parents, or any number of other groups.
You can find your niche by first looking at what you want from a business. You can ask yourself questions like: Who do I want to work with? What kind of lifestyle do I want to have? What are my goals? Who will my product be most useful to?
If this feels like a waste of time, remember that in order to actually sell your products you need to know who you are actually selling to. Otherwise you'll have the same results as standing on a street corner hustling to random passersby.
Once you’ve got an idea of the type of business you want to run, it’s time to dig a little deeper into the products you can sell. When picking products to sell on your Etsy shop, you have to keep a few things in mind:
How popular is the product? What’s the price range? How unique is the product? Are there patents or trademarks on the product? Is the product easy to source? Can you customize it? How big is the market for the products you want to sell? Are there enough people who want to buy what you have to offer? Are there already tons of people selling this product? Is the product something you can stand behind? Will customers understand the benefits you’re aiming to provide them?
That's a lot of questions! But it's important to have those answers otherwise your products and marketing are likely to fall flat and miss their target entirely. If you want to be successful with your Etsy shop venture you can't just randomly throw products out there and hope for the best, it takes a strategic and targeted approach to get the best results.
Once you’ve narrowed down your product options, you then need to decide which one you should sell in your Etsy shop. You can’t sell everything, so you need to evaluate each product and decide if it suits the business you want to build.
You'll need to look at the market and decide if there’s room for your product in it. You don't want your hard work to drown in a sea of sameness and being a copycat rarely brings true success. You should be looking to see if your product fulfills a need or gap that isn’t being met.
You also need to take into account your own motivation to sell the product. Why do you want to sell this product? Does the product align with your values? Does the product have a strong aesthetic appeal? Does the product solve a problem for customers? Does the product have a clear and easy-to-understand branding? Is the product something you know enough about to communicate with customers?
Taking these considerations into account will help you choose the best product
for YOU to sell in your Etsy shop. And it makes the job of selling it so much easier!
Once you’ve decided on a product, look at your own personal resources and skills. How much time do you have each week, will you be able to fulfill orders, and how many can you feasibly handle at once?
Think about your source of income and how much you have to invest in your business. Is this doable?
And then, how much income do you need from your business to break even?
You also need to consider your personal strengths and weaknesses. Are you good at communicating with customers? Are you a good problem-solver? Do you pick up new skills quickly? Are there other skills you’re lacking? You can’t be great at everything, but you can definitely be good at something.
Now is the time to identify any areas you are weak on or lacking in knowledge so you can spend some time improving or learning in order to make up for anything lacking.
An Etsy shop can be a great way to earn some extra cash from a hobby you love. But before you dive into creating your storefront, you need to think about the type of product you want to sell and how viable the product is. The most important step that most Etsy sellers fail to do up front is the MATH.
The numbers are so important. If your dream is to quit your day job, the product you sell has to be able to scale up to the point where you can earn an income. Some products or methods or selling simply won't offer that and are destined to always be pocket change income.
When you’ve got your product line in mind, it’s time to pick a name and create a storefront that’s as engaging as possible. You have to convince customers to spend their hard-earned money on your products. You have to prove that what you are selling is worth investing in.
Happy creating
Shawnna
Today, there are
so many different graphic design software programs to choose from, with
options to suit every budget or experience level. So choosing one, when you have no experience with them can be an overwhelming task.
You have to spend the time learning how the thing actually works. Make the wrong choice and you've wasted precious time and have to start all over again from the beginning.
The following list, while not comprehensive, gives you at least some guidance into the most popular options currently on the market.
I would love to be able to categorize these accurately based on difficulty or ease of use but 'easy' is relative. If you are a brand new user with no experience at all, likely you're going to find even the easiest program a little bit challenging. It all depends on where you are starting from.
PHOTOPEA
I
recommend this one as a compatible option for Photoshop
files. It looks and feels a lot like Photoshop when you
are using it though it doesn't have ALL the features that Photoshop has
(obviously) but it's great for creating basic design layouts with lots
of editing tool options. If you have any experience with Photoshop or PS
Elements you'll feel at home with it. There are thousands of online
tutorials for Photoshop and simpler actions will easily transfer over to
Photopea.
PIXLR
This is also a lot like Photoshop in how it looks
and feels. Recently revamped there are now two options; PixlrX and
PixlrE.
PixlrX is super basic and only has very limited editing options. Great
for projects where you are just adding a text overlay, cropping or
making minor photo adjustments. PixlrE is the advanced option that mimics
Photoshop and has a robust selection of design and drawing tools.
While it will open photoshop files, it doesn't seem to be able to handle
larger sized files very well and doesn't keep layers organized in
folders, so complex files end up very messy. Photopea works better here.
CANVA
This
design program is a closed system editor. What that means is, you can't
create and save native files the same way as regular software programs.
Files 'in progress' can only be saved inside Canva and you can only
download finished projects in flattened form such as PDF, PNG or JPG.
Designers offering Canva templates therefore will always label their
products specifically as Canva templates. If a designer (like me) does
not mention Canva in the product details... a Canva specific template is
not included.
You'll only be able to use my PNG format files here, which is fine for simpler projects. Canva is very user friendly and reasonably quick to learn. Just note that the free version of Canva has very limited tool options.
SUMO PAINT
It
has a nice selection of tools for beginners and a friendly navigation.
This is not one that I have personally tested, but it comes highly rated
for what it is and is the most likely candidate for me to recommend as a
beginners graphic design tool with an easy learning curve.
It is only compatible with image files such as jpg and png and has a more limited selection of tools than some of the more advanced software options but otherwise a perfect option for the occasional simple project.
GIMP
This is definitely not one of my favorites, but it's been a few years
since I last tried it and I'm adding it to the list because it is a
popular free software with advanced editing capabilities. It is very
similar to how Photoshop works and has all the tools you could need for
either drawing or graphic design. I didn't find it particularly intuitive but luckily there are
loads of helpful tutorials available as Gimp has been around for quite
some time now.
While it will open Photoshop files it doesn't support all features so some files may not function properly.
INKSCAPE
This downloadable software is a vector graphics editor and a
comparable
substitute for Illustrator. It opens any
vector based files with full functionality intact. It has a steep
learning curve but plenty of tutorials can be found online to get you
started.
While you can use it for any type of graphic design projects I don't
recommend it for beginners unless you're prepared to spend some time
upfront learning how to use it.
MS WORD
I list this here only
because so many people insist on using it, largely because they have it
and are comfortable using it. You can do simple design projects, but
keep in mind this is a text editor, not a graphics editor, so there are
big limitations. My PNG window files work perfect here though, just
insert as image into any blank document.
MS POWERPOINT
Personally I would choose this over Word any day. Page setup is a
little trickier (set page size first) but the tools are far more design
friendly so you get just a bit more flexibility. I recommend using the
same PNG window files here as well.
MS PUBLISHER
You have to buy this separate, it's not included in the MS 360 office
pkg, but if you design regularly and want a simple + easy to use
program, this one is aces. Admittedly, I haven't used it myself for a
long time, but when I did I loved it because it was intuitive and had
the same sort of feel as all the other MS programs. You can go from no
experience to design whiz very quickly.
PAINTSHOPPRO
From the software brand Corel. For PC users only, one time purchase
and very affordable. Corel used to be very popular but has been
overshadowed recently by the plethora of newcomers on the market. This
is still a very good quality software program however with loads of
features.
PICMONKEY
This is an
online editor that requires a monthly subscription. I haven't had a
chance to try this yet but it is popular among my clipart customer base.
For the money, there are more comprehensive choices, but I suspect the
attraction will be ease of use and the ability to use anywhere anytime.
PS ELEMENTS
Adored by the scrapbooking community this program has fallen in
popularity only because so many other options abound but it has nice
affordable one time only price tag and is moderately easy to use. You'll
find many tutorials and it's compatible with it's big sister Photoshop.
PHOTOSHOP
Offered via a monthly subscription (get the cheaper photographers
pkg) this program takes some time to learn but online tutorials abound
as it has been around a very long time. I use this almost exclusively in
my own work. Recommended for those who require a robust program that
does it all and will get regular use from it.
AFFINITY DESIGNER
One time payment and very affordable. I only recommend going this
route if you plan to be a serious designer and need top rated software.
There is a steep learning curve for any vector based programs.
As you can see, this list is by no means comprehensive. I've included only programs that are suitable specifically for graphic design, rather than those specifically and only for drawing or photo editing. There are probably hundreds more programs and apps that offer very niche actions that may be a perfect fit for your own needs. Apps for mobile are constantly being created. Online tools come and go. And existing programs are updated or expanded.
If you are still unsure which route is best for you, ask your peers online in any forum groups you're part of for their recommendations or experience. Everyone will have a different perspective or opinion and you may glean something more through those conversations.
Happy designing
Shawnna
Procrastination has been found to be the single greatest inhibitor of performance and success for both individuals and organizations. In fact, procrastination is considered the primary roadblock when it comes to peak performance, effective time management, and the achievement of personal or professional goals.
But what exactly is procrastination? Simply put, it’s the habit of leaving things undone until the last minute or putting it off indefinitely.
Did you know that this unhelpful habit impacts 70% of people on a regular basis? The good news is we all have the power to beat procrastination and get stuff done.
But before we jump, let’s look at why exactly we procrastinate in the first place…
The why of procrastination can vary wildly from one person to the next. However, there are some consistent reasons we put things off, including:
1. Conflicting intentions
If you’re unsure of what you want to achieve and how you want to get there, you’re likely to be a procrastinator.
2. Fear of failure or fear of success
The fear of failure can stop us in our tracks and it's often something we're not even consciously aware of.
3. Lack of focus
If you’re juggling too many tasks and don’t know where to start, you may procrastinate as a way to buy yourself more time.
4. Lack of motivation
When we don’t feel inspired or see the value in what we’re doing, we tend to procrastinate.
Not only does knowing the reasons why you procrastinate help you understand yourself and your tendencies better, but it also provides you with insight into what you need to do to stop. So, if you tend to procrastinate due to conflicting intentions, it may be time to take a look at your values and clarify what you truly want out of life.
If fear of failure is holding you back, you need to find ways to get past that and start taking small steps towards your goals.
If you’re lacking focus, you may need to work on prioritizing your tasks and setting realistic expectations for yourself. And if you’re feeling uninspired, try setting yourself smaller, more attainable goals that help you feel more motivated and engaged in your day-to-day activities.
Whichever category you fall into if you want to beat procrastination, then you first need to identify what’s driving your need to put things off. Once you do that, you can then go about establishing strategies and tactics that help you get things done on time, in a timely manner, and without that nagging voice in your head telling you to “just put it off for another day.”
With that in mind, here are…
1. Set clear goals:
We know that procrastination can be caused by conflicting intentions, but what can you do about it?
One of the best ways to combat procrastination caused by conflicting intentions is to set clear goals. When you know what you want out of life, how you want to get there, and what your values are, you’re less likely to feel lost or overwhelmed. You’ll have a clear path to follow and a sense of direction that will help keep you focused and engaged in your daily activities.
So, when you feel the urge to procrastinate coming on, take a few moments to sit down and clarify what you want out of life or the situation at hand. What are your core values? What do you want to achieve? What are the benefits of completing the task you're putting off?
2. Reframe your perspective on how you view the task:
If you’re putting something off because you’re afraid of failing try re-framing your perspective on that task. Remind yourself that failure is a necessary part of success and that failing is the best way to learn and grow. In other words, if you’re not failing, then you’re not really pushing yourself to succeed.
Mindset plays a key role here in how you frame things in your mind. Check out my post on positive mindset skills to steer your thoughts in a more productive way.
3. Make a plan and build habits:
Another way to combat procrastination caused by conflicting intentions is to make a plan and build habits.
One of the best ways to keep yourself on track and focused on what’s important is to make a plan. And when we make a plan, we’re really making a promise to ourselves to do something. So, when you make a plan and promise yourself that you will complete a particular task by a certain time, you’re less likely to procrastinate and more likely to follow through.
Procrastination can also be caused by a lack of motivation, especially when we feel uninspired by the tasks ahead of us. If you find yourself struggling to stay motivated, try setting smaller, more attainable goals that allow you to take action and see immediate results. Small daily wins can help build momentum and keep you motivated so that you’re less likely to procrastinate on the things that matter.
4. Set a deadline for the task:
If you’re putting something
off because you don’t know where to start, set a deadline for when you want to
start that task. Tell yourself that you need X amount of time to get started on
the task. Once you set a deadline, you’ll feel a sudden sense of urgency to get
it done. You need to be realistic with this, set yourself up for success by working honestly with your schedule. And see point 3 above.
5. Use accountability tools:
Another way to fight procrastination and stay motivated is to use accountability tools. These can range from simple daily or weekly check-ins with yourself, to connecting with an online accountability partner.
Whatever tool you choose, it’s important to find one that fits your needs and keeps you motivated. So be sure to choose a tool that is right for you and your needs. There are many types of online tools out there that can help you stay accountable. Find one that works for you and make sure to use it!
6. Delegate the task if you can:
If you’re putting something
off because you’re overwhelmed by the task, ask yourself if you can delegate it
to someone else. You might be surprised to find that someone else would be more
than happy to take it off your plate! Or they maybe are just happy to help you out, either way, learning to ask for help can be a motivator to getting things done if you're not in it alone.
7. Break the task down into smaller pieces:
If you’re putting something off because you’re not giving yourself enough time to get it done, break the task down into smaller pieces. This will help you feel less overwhelmed and better equipped to get the job done.
8. Focus on your “why”:
If you’re putting something off because you’re not sure where to start, focus on your “why.” What drives you? What makes you excited? What do you want to accomplish in your life? What do you want to leave behind? What are your passions and what are your interests?
If you want to beat procrastination, then finding your “why" is a great place to start. Why are you doing what you are doing? Why are you working the job you are working? Why are you doing the things you are doing in your personal life? Find your “why” and it will help you drive the decisions you make and help you stay focused on what is really important in your life. It will also help you stay motivated and driven throughout the ups and downs of life.
9. Make a public commitment:
If you’re putting something off
because you’re afraid of letting others down, commit to it in public and make a
promise to yourself that you will get it done. Accountability is a very strong motivator!
For example, you can
make a public commitment to your friends or family members by telling them that
you will complete the task at hand before a certain date. If you are a member of an online community this is a great place to make a public commitment. Ask other members to check back with you on your progress, or announce a deadline when you'll 'show' them your progress.
10. Don’t forget to celebrate:
Lastly, don’t forget to reward yourself! A lot of what we do is
forward-looking and focused on achieving our goals. However, sometimes we
forget to celebrate the little wins along the way. When you’re beating
procrastination and getting stuff done, celebrate your successes along the way.
When you complete a task, no matter how small it may seem, reward yourself in some small way. If you fail to make your deadline - no reward.
These lovely vintage graphics have been made into 2" circle rounds perfect for a wide variety of craft projects from stickers to scrapbooking elements. Print them on aged looking craft paper for added effect!
This is an 8.5x11" PDF sheet saved for print resolution.
Use these freely in any personal or commercial project, all graphics are public domain.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
PIN ME
If you've ever run into problems printing something only to be disappointed with how it turned out, I'm here to tell you that you are not alone!
Even seasoned pros
will run into frustrations with print quality or printing mess-ups. The
real trick is in knowing what to do when these things happen. How do you
solve your printing problem without a flood of tears or chucking your
printer out the window? (or blaming the creator!)
Here are the solutions you can use to solve those printing woes...
1. Choose the right printer for the job.
Here's the truth, not all printers can handle any job. So if your
printer isn't up to it, nothing else you do will get your print job to
look perfect. Understanding and accepting this will save you a big
headache.
Rule of thumb, inkjet printers are great for text documents and photos
while laser jet printers work better for graphics and large color
blocks. Because inkjet printers are generally cheaper, this is what most
people tend to have at home, and they work just fine for most home
applications. But you might struggle when printing certain types of
graphics.
Solution: Who do you know who has a laser printer? Is there a printing
service near you that you could use instead? If you need to print semi
regularly it could be worth researching alternative options before
investing in a brand new printer. Either a local option or an online
option, whichever works best for you.
2. Know your printer.
This is something that the average printer owner never really does.
Explore the printer dialogue box and get to know every possible setting
option that you have available to you.
Does that sound daunting? This doesn't need to take long but it will
save you sooooo much agro later if you understand that there ARE
different setting options for your printer. Just get to know what your
printer is capable of with a quick review, make a few cheat sheet notes
if you need to, and when you go to print something double check that
your print settings are correct for the job.
I'll be honest, off the top of my head I don't know all of my own
printer setting options. But I do know that it has a variety of options
available and I'll check through these when I go to print anything other
than a plain document just to be sure I'm making the most of what my
printer can do.
These are things like paper size and weight. Paper tray selection
(specialty paper often feeds better from the manual tray). And ink or
layout settings, particularly the actual print size options.
3. Printing the correct size.
One of the most common print issues that I come across all the time are my templates not coming out at the right size. This is actually quite
simple to correct once you know what to look for.
Most printers will try to optimize your printed page for you through
automatic settings. If your print is too close to the paper edge it
will automatically scale the print smaller to fit within the default margins. If it's really small on the
page it might make it bigger to fully fit the page.
But when you need your printable to print at the exact size as it's
intended to be used these default 'helpful' settings are really not that
helpful at all!
Each printer will have this in the print dialogue box a little
differently but you'll want to look for a setting that says "print
actual size" or "print at 100%". You want to select this option and
make sure that any box that says "scale to fit" is unchecked. Depending on what you are printing, if your printer has this feature you may also need to use the 'print borderless' setting.
4. Printing colors.
This is such a common complaint. And not restricted to the home printer or novice crafter!
The cold hard truth is colors look different from one device to another
and when applied on different surfaces. Computers that are backlit and/or with
retina or 4K display colors will appear more vibrant than they will do
on paper.The screen is actually distorting the image to make it seem more than it really is - and print simply doesn't compare to these over saturated screen enhancements.
And even amongst print surfaces colors will look different on one
surface type from another. Matte paper for example absorbs more ink that
glossy paper, so the colors are going to brighter or more saturated on
the glossier surface.
Each printer will also print a little differently. A little too much
yellow and your blue is heading towards green, a little too much magenta
and that same blue is sitting on the purple side of the fence. These
tiny little differences in how each printer mixes the inks can create
unexpected variances.
So what's the solution? Test printing.
If you have very specific requirements for color the best option is to
test print everything first. Know that you'll need to experiment, make
adjustments or try a different printer and you won't be nearly as
frustrated. It's just a matter of accepting that color isn't consistent
across all mediums and that this is a physical or technological limitation and not the fault of the file itself.
Happy creating
Shawnna
Creating an Etsy shop is just the first step in a long journey. The real work begins once you make your shop live. Running an Etsy shop takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but the payoff is worth it.
It’s not uncommon to see new Etsy sellers struggle to gain
traction with their audiences. It takes time, patience and persistence to build
a profitable business on Etsy. It is extremely rare for any business to be an overnight success, and even then, a lot of work will have gone into the initial launch to make that happen.
However, by following these simple tips, you can increase your chances of succeeding over the long term. There are millions of people searching for new and unique products every day on Etsyso finding buyer is absolutely possible.
And while aspiring sellers might be afraid of all the competition that currently exists in the marketplace, it's really just an opportunity for you to stand out from the crowd and create something amazing.
Here are some helpful tips for running a successful Etsy shop:
One of the most important tips for running a successful Etsy shop is to be true to your brand. You want to be known for offering high-quality products that are unique and authentic. If you’re using an overstock product or sourcing factory goods, your products won’t be authentic, you'll just be another retailer with a lot of competition.
Authenticity is key when building a loyal customer base. Your customers want to feel connected to your brand. They want to know that they are supporting a real person behind the products. They want to feel like they have a direct connection to your brand. If your products are just more of the same 'ol thing customers can buy anywhere else, what is the incentive to buy from you - or become a fan follower of your shop?
Additionally, if you try to be everything to everyone, your brand won’t be anything to anyone. Your unique selling proposition (USP) should be the core of your brand. By understanding your USP, you can dive deeper into what makes your brand special.
What is USP really? It's that special ingredient that you bring to your business that makes you stand out from the crowd. It can be anything, but it should be the thing you become known for.
Your Etsy shop should tell your customers everything they need to know about your brand and products with well written product descriptions, beautiful product photographs and a clear call to action.
New Etsy sellers often expect to make a living from their shops on day one, or day 12, or day 30. Sadly, not everyone will become an overnight success. This is actually a pretty rare occurrence.
The more usual path to becoming a successful Etsy seller is to follow a consistent and steady growth pattern. Realistically, you should expect to see some results anywhere from three to six months. But there are plenty of Etsy sellers that have been in business for years and still struggle to make a profit.
There are some common pitfalls new Etsy sellers encounter, and they can be easily avoided. Spending time to learn the platform as well as good business practices in general will help you move forward more successfully. Keep reading and learning every day!
If you don’t have a clear understanding of your target
audience and their needs, you’ll struggle to provide a solution. Remember,
customer buy what they need or want. You need to be able to answer that
question for them and include it in your sales pitch.
If you aren’t willing to commit to consistent promotion and outreach, you’ll never see the results you expect.
The best way to kick-start your sales initially is to network with other Etsy sellers. Start by connecting with other sellers on Etsy through teams or forums. You’ll learn more about the community and find ways to collaborate with other sellers. It's also a great learning opportunity since most Etsy sellers are happy to share information.
Find Facebook groups where you have honest conversations about running an Etsy shop. There are several big and active Facebook groups where you can grab ideas, get feedback and network with fellow sellers. You can also join various forums and groups on Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest, but you'll likely have more productive conversations in Facebook groups.
When joining any group, make sure to follow the rules and post relevant content that your fellow members will appreciate. There are tons of groups that are dedicated to Etsy sellers so join as many of them as you can and become an active member. Participating in these groups is a great way to learn new tips and tricks.
If you are starting from scratch and have no audience at all you really should start building your audience before your Etsy shop even launches. You can grow your audience in many ways before launching your Etsy shop and gain traction for sales before your product is even ready.
For example, you can start a blog, create a Facebook group or video series. A blog is an excellent way to grow your audience before launching your Etsy shop as not only will you have a place to direct your potential customers, but you’ll have a place to gain confidence within your niche. If you have a blog, you can eventually link to your Etsy shop through your blog posts.
You can also use social media platforms to direct people to your blog so that once you have an established audience you can easily reach out to them and ask them to support your Etsy shop.
Once your Etsy shop is live, it’s time to start promoting it. You can’t expect people to come to your shop and start buying products if they don’t even know it exists. You really do need to actively promote your Etsy shop yourself.
A common misconception is that Etsy will bring all the traffic you need to your store. While this can happen, it really does depend on your product niche and how well your products are placed in the search results.
Use social media and search engines like Pinterest to promote your new shop from day one. Create content specific to each platform and showcase your shop, products or services through regular posts. Each platform has paid advertising options, but tread carefully here, some knowledge of best advertising practices are essential for success and each platform has a different level of ease with their advert programs.
Once your shop is live,, depending on your product, you could start reaching out to bloggers and influencers in your industry and ask them to feature your products.
Create a newsletter sign-up form and create an incentive for new customers to sign up. Use your newsletter to promote your products and sales to encourage repeat buying.
Another option is to use paid advertising through Etsy to promote your products. Etsy offers two types of advertising, onsite and offsite ads. While many new sellers choose to opt out of off-site ads due to the unpredictability of overall costs, if you budget for this in your pricing it could be a great way to attract new customers.
The images you use on your Etsy shop and product pages are critical. People make their purchasing decisions based on images. If your images are blurry and poorly lit, you won’t see a lot of sales.
You don't need fancy equipment to take professional-looking product photos. You can achieve great results with just your phone's camera. The trick is to understand how to set the products up, using the right lighting and knowing what sorts of photos work best.
There are loads of free tutorials online to help you achieve this and a lot of very expert advice. Use that to your advantage.
A common mistake new sellers make is to use their own preferences when it come to styling the photo shoot. Industry best practices exist for a reason though and tailoring the photos for the benefit of the customers is always better than allowing your own personal tastes to get in the way.
It may seem obvious, but we never stop learning in life. There will never come a point when you can say you already 'know everything'.
Running an Etsy shop is hard work for a solo-preneur and chances are you are not an expert in every area required of you to run your business.
Make sure you build time in your schedule to explore new
ideas and new ways of doing things. Or just learning new skills, expanding on
what you do know and taking in random facts.
Customers are a great opportunity to learn from, both positively and negatively. From each interaction examine what you have learned from it and adapt or adjust where necessary.
If you only have a few products for sale, you’re going to struggle to keep your customers coming back for more. You need to have a reasonable selection of products for your customers to choose from.
With only have a handful of products for sale, you won’t be
able to keep your customers satisfied but just as importantly, you'll have
fewer opportunities to show up in search results. The greater the number of
products the more chance you have to be found and seen.
This works through keyword density. Each product listing can only use so many words to be found in search. The more variations or styles or colors etc of your product, the greater the possibility for additional keywords - which leads to more opportunity to show up in searches.
That said, your products still need to form a cohesive collection.
To be successful in any business it is imperative that you are profitable. Pricing your products properly means taking into account all your overheads and having room for things that can't be accounted for (like refunds, lost packages, forced discounts or unexpected fees).
Many sellers look to their supposed 'competition' on Etsy and assume that they have to price their goods accordingly. This is NOT a good practice. For starters, most Etsy sellers completely mis-identify who their competition really is. Or they use the "i wouldn't pay that" mentality for their own goods.
Every product or service on the market has a price range. The price variance depends on the niche but every single product is available at multiple price points from budget friendly to ultra posh. Understanding where you are on the scale of quality/uniqueness/availability is helpful to truly comparing your products to any competition you might have.
Pushing your prices ever lower in hopes of finally selling something is not a success strategy, In fact many sellers have noted that sales increased only when they put their prices up. This is because of the 'perceived value' effect. Put simply, if something has a small price tag it must be of low value. If something has a big price tag it must be more valuable or sought after.
Learning to pivot in your business is a useful skill to develop that can help you stay successful for the long term. This looks different from one business to another but either way being in tune with your niche and your customers is important for longevity in business.
This might mean keeping on top of trends and pivoting as things fall from popularity and new styles emerge. It might mean entirely new products altogether.
The point is to keep your finger on the pulse of what is happening in your industry and being able to react to it in a timely fashion. Even better if you can predict these things in advance.
Other aspects of business tend to change and evolve as well. Things like wages or taxes. New rules to follow or changes to the Etsy platform. Many many Etsy sellers bemoan the fact that Etsy changes things with great frequency.
While that certainly can be more than a minor annoyance, it's really just a part of being in business. You'll experience similar upheavals no matter where or what you sell. Being able to roll with it and adapt is part of the process to being successful in business.
It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of running a business. You might spend most of your time thinking about what you have to do next. You have to put yourself on a schedule, but you also have to make time to celebrate your successes.
You’re probably going to have some bad days where you feel like it’s all too much. You’ll have days where everything seems to go wrong and you feel like giving up. You’ll also have days where you feel like you’re on top of the world.
Make time to celebrate every milestone, every achievement, and every small win. You have to make time to appreciate everything you’ve done because it takes a lot of hard work to run a successful Etsy shop.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
Get this seamless arrow pattern overlay for free to use in any craft project or to make as part of a digital paper pack!
Included are two example paper designs that you can also use for any of your crafty projects.
All three are 12x12" and seamless in design.
Overlay is black on transparent background and papers are saved as PNG in print resolution.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
PIN ME
Selling handmade goods on Etsy is an excellent way to earn some extra income while embracing your creative side. With so many possibilities and countless ways to make money online as a creative, selling your own products might be high on your list too.
However, just because it’s a good idea doesn’t mean you should necessarily rush into it straight away. There are quite a few important considerations to take into account, many of which will likely determine if you are successful or not in your endeavors. Taking the time to figure that out may we’ll set you up for greater success.
So are you actually ready to start an Etsy shop? We'll cover the initial considerations you should take as well as some of the key steps to take when first starting a online shop.
If you are questioning whether now is a good time, as in, is 2022 a good climate to sell in - there is no time like the present to get started, the road is long and you simply can't predict what is ahead of you!
Before you dive in, you’ll want to make sure that this
particular business choice is right for you. If you’re still sitting on the
fence, here are a few questions to ask yourself to see if Etsy is the perfect
fit for you.
1. How Many Hours a Week can You Spend on your Etsy business?
You’ll need to make sure that you have enough hours in your
week to dedicate to an Etsy shop. You’ll probably ending up spending on average
about 30 hours a week doing research, promoting, selling and taking care of
other business-related tasks as well as making and shipping products.
If you’re struggling to find the extra time, you might want to reconsider the idea of opening a shop as a side hustle because it WILL require some sort of time investment to make it work. It will end up costing you and you won’t get very far with it.
So then you might be thinking you’ll start a digital product or print on demand style shop instead - which is passive income after you’ve created the listings. Right?
Sorry to burst that bubble, but Etsy shops are simply not a form of “passive” income regardless of what you sell. There are other platforms that would be a much better choice if you’re looking for less involvement, as those platforms do all the marketing and selling for you, taking a great deal of responsibility off your shoulders. An Etsy shop, unfortunately, is fully your own responsibility and is a lot of work to maintain no matter your product type.
That said, a digital or POD shop uses automated shipping and
products only need to be made once, so they can be significantly easier to
manage from a time spent perspective.
2. Do You Have Any Experience Selling Online?
If you have no experience with this kind of work, you might want to do some research before diving in. Even if it sounds like a great idea, it could turn into a frustrating experience if you just don’t have the skills.
There are so many components to running an online retail store all by yourself and you’ll have to wear all the different hats unless you can afford outside help. Photography, writing, seo, marketing, selling, social media, taxes, legal aspects, shipping and customer service are just the top level tasks you’ll need to master. And that’s after you’ve come up with your amazing product.
Experience and existing knowledge is very much
underestimated by new sellers to Etsy, largely because it’s so easy and
accessible to get started in the first place And with so many info marketers
touting Etsy as easy money and talking about the vast sums they’ve earned, it’s
not hard to understand why so many people fall for the ‘hook’ of their own
successful shop.
While you certainly can build a successful shop on Etsy, the
number of failures staggeringly outnumber the true success stories. Keeping
realistic expectations, while understanding how business and retail actually
work will help keep you grounded in your decisions.
Investing in your own personal business education is going
to be a constant theme throughout the course of running any business
successfully.
3. What Is Your Financial Situation?
Just like any other business, Etsy comes with a set of financial obligations. It’s not free. You’ll have to cover the cost of supplies and overhead if you go with physical products and costs can quickly add up. Deciding whether a particular side hustle is worth the time and money will depend on how the math stacks up and what risks you’re able to take.
Just to be clear, business is a risk. For anyone. No one is
immune to the whims of the markets. Even seasoned professionals in top
performing international brands will have product failures.
Understanding the risks and mitigating those with good research, a solid business plan and some financial acumen is probably a good idea if you are laying out significant funds to start your Etsy shop.
One of the bigger mistakes new Etsy sellers make is in the
assumption that thing they want to sell - will actually sell. Just because
you make it, doesn't mean someone will buy it. Market research and thorough
product testing are truly helpful in figuring out if you have a winner.
If you can start an Etsy shop with very little financial investment, and most people do, the risks are obviously much lower and your investment becomes 'time spent'.
Selling things online can be a really exciting and
fulfilling experience, but you have to do it right. Before even considering
opening an Etsy store, you’ll want to do some research and learn as much as you
can about your targeted industry.
Start by reading online forums and blogs that are dedicated to Etsy sellers. Browse through articles on every topic you can think of related to selling online and on Etsy specifically.
You’ll also want to familiarize yourself with the different requirements for selling on Etsy and the requirements for your products. So many new sellers don't do this basic research before listing products, they run foul of the rules and either get their products revoked or worse get their shop shut down completely. It's absolutely essential to know the rules and applicable laws.
You simply have to read and understand the different rules, regulations, and legalities of running a business and understand how those affect your own product niche. This isn't optional.
The hardest part of starting a business is getting it off the ground. You have to convince potential customers to buy your products. But how do you even find potential customers if you’re not sure of your target market?
This is where market research comes in. You’ll want to conduct research to find out what your potential customers want and need. You can do this by speaking to potential customers and by doing industry research.
It's therefore helpful if you're looking to sell a product that you already know a lot about or have a passion for and have contacts you can share that with.
If you're struggling to figure out who would buy the product
you want to make try thinking about it the other way around. What sort of
customer do you want to cater for and what products do the
need/want/like.
This is an often difficult hurdle. But once you’ve figured it out marketing your product will be so much easier.
Etsy is one of the most popular marketplaces for selling handmade products online mainly because it’s easy to use, easy to get started and users can earn a lot of money by selling their own goods.
Before you can get started selling on Etsy, you’ll need to
open an account. Initially your account will be in buyer mode. I would suggest
getting familiar with the site, how it works, how it's organized and most
importantly, review all the information Etsy provides about seller accounts and
their house rules.
Unfortunately Etsy has a rather strange way of creating the seller portion of your account. In order to become a 'seller' and have access to the backend seller dashboard you have to first create a product listing. Personally I find this very backwards but it's always been setup this way.
My way around this has been to create a fake placeholder
listing, filling out the minimum amount of information, and then immediately
(like a nano-second after publishing) deactivate that listing. This gives you
breathing room to familiarize yourself with the dashboard and get the
bones of your shop setup before launching your products.
This is the most sensible way to open a new shop and the way
you would do it on any other platform.
A lot of Etsy sellers will start very tentatively with that first single listing or even a few products and completely disregard the rest of the shop structure initially. This is not the most successful way to launch a business but is fine if your expectations match the effort you start out with.
Once you’ve opened an account on Etsy, you’ll want to stay
active. You’ll want to post new listings regularly and promote your items in
some way.
If you are starting out with an audience of zero, joining
social media groups or forums might be a good way to start gaining
traction. Pinterest is also a great way to start promoting your products
for free.
Social media platforms provide a great way to connect with potential customers and to get feedback on your products. Start with just one or two options though so you don't spread yourself too thin.
What you don't want to do is list your products on Etsy and then sit back and do nothing. While this might work if you have a product that quickly goes viral or is sought after with no competition most products and shops require a certain amount of marketing. Etsy will not do all the work for you.
If you want to make money on Etsy, you’ll want to keep track of your sales, reviews and other metrics to measure your success. Keep track of your sales by logging them. You’ll want to track the number of items sold, the average price and the number of customers who buy your products. Learn from what works and what doesn't.
You can also use Etsy’s metrics to view sales, clicks,
favorites and other metrics on your account. These metrics will help you keep
track of your success. Repeat the things that work best and improve on areas
that aren't.
Keyword SEO is probably the most important aspect to track on a new shop. You'll want to review how your chosen words are performing over time and change things up that aren't working well.
Reading this you might think that I'm trying to talk you out of starting an Etsy shop! That's not true at all, but you DO need to be realistic and I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. Anyone can start an Etsy shop, but not everyone will be successful with it. And that’s the plain truth.
While Etsy is a great way to make a little extra money online, or even a full time income, you’ll want to spend a good amount of time researching your market, testing your products and perfecting your selling techniques.
Running a shop is hard work. There's a lot to know and a lot
to do. Constantly.
If the above points haven't scared you off, you just might be ready to start an Etsy shop in 2022. Plan well, be confident in knowledge and take your time!
Happy creating!
Shawnna