"Lost My Day Job" Chapter Five: Depression, Etsy Induced Stress, and Shipping

I have to be honest. I am failing miserably at focusing on ColieArt. I've done nothing I said I was going to do, have not followed through on thing I've started, I haven't even posted here since March. 

When I first starting seriously creating it lifted me up out of a terrible bout of depression. Over the years since it has helped keep my depression at bay. Recently I've been experiencing some difficulty, in addition to my regular depression I am dealing with a few serious problems. So far, this time, creating hasn't helped...I hate to say it but sometimes it has even become a source of stress. 

OK. I've got my new goal. Working my etsy shops will not be a source of stress. I will figure out what is causing the problem and fix it! 

  The first thing that comes to mind is shipping. Two of my last 3 orders have been to the UK, I paid $12- $13 but only charged $8. I can't afford to lose $5.
    How do I fix shipping? I've noticed that etsy will now calculate your shipping costs for you! I wonder how long I've been missing out on this? Are you using this feature? If so I'd love some advice! If not, well, now is the time! I'll be sharing my process for those of you that are interested. 

So, go to your shipping profiles. 

I went to my shipping profiles and found like 5 different profiles I had created over the years so the first thing I did was delete everything. 

Then I click on the orange "Add a shipping profile" button. The first thing to fill out is the shipping costs and what do you know? "Calculate them for me" is recommended! 
There is a link to a handy article about "Calculated Shipping" there which I will share with you here: "Calculated Shipping"

You plug in where you want to ship to and then select up to 6 USPS services to offer your customers. 
Up until now I have only offered USPS First Class. I have not consistently offered international shipping because it's been a pain to estimate shipping charges! Guess that solves that. 

This is nice: there is a place to add a handling fee and etsy says the buyer will not see it separately! I learned the hard way that tissue, ribbons, boxes, bubble mailers...all add up. 
This sucks: there doesn't seem to be an easy way to apply the new shipping profiles to listings...if I try to do it in batches it won't work because each listing needs to have its weight and package dimensions entered first. You might as well apply the new shipping profile while your doing that- one listing at a time.

Pressed Flower Phone Cases!

Just googling around I happened upon these beautiful I-Phone cases! Aren't they lovely? I'm just going to share a few of my favorites...

This one is from House of Bling

This is from ShopOhMyGoodies

And this is from MattFlowerShop

"Lost My Day Job" Chapter Four: Trying to Make it Work

In chapter two (http://colieart.blogspot.com/2015/02/lost-my-day-job-chapter-two-what-are.html), I identified some things that top shops were doing that I wasn't. I have made some changes to my shops hoping they will increase my sales. 
1) The first thing I noticed was that top shops carry very specific items. I've been slowly doing this since I opened my second shop but now I'm really getting it done, as I said in chapter two, I opened a 3rd shop. 
I had opened a second shop because my original shop was becoming a catch-all for everything I like to make. So I decided it made more sense to have that shop be strictly jewelry and to move my polymer clay beads, destash beads and supplies, and origami boxes to a 2nd shop.Soon enough that 2nd shop became a catch-all for everything I like to make besides jewelry. Thus my 3rd shop. I am in the process of making the 2nd shop strictly polymer clay beads (I haven't decided if I should or shouldn't continue to destash my craft books and beads) and moving my origami boxes to the 3rd shop. I also love making books so those are going in there. Things I make from paper and or fabric will go in the new shop.

   Check out my 3rd etsy shop! 

ColieArtBooksnBoxes

                                               

2) I have been working on my titles. But unless I figure out how to use the shop stats I won't be able to tell if that is helping or not. I'd appreciate any advice on how to do that.

I've been trying to copy the way top shops title their listings. For example the title for that box at the bottom right is "Pearl Pink Mosaic Mini Trinket Box, Small Round Handmade Polymer Clay  Box". The one on the right's title is  "Pink, Turquoise, White, and Lime Green Chevron Tall Origami Box, Fabric Origami Box, Chevron Print Tall Gift Box"
3) I am offering variations for listings. 
For example a customer can choose to have the necklace with a chain 16", 18", or 20" long, and the earrings with a hammered, brushed, or polished finish, and this pendant in blue, pink, or purple. 

Another way I'm trying to make it work is by using up all the materials I have in stock. Trying to work with only what I have on hand and not buying anything new used to be something I did as a challenge! Without income from a day job I have to do it that way. I found myself unable to pay my etsy bills because I had transferred all the money from pay pal to my bank account so I could eat the billing period before last. Sales were non existent and I only had enough money to keep one shop open. I kept my jewelry shop open and had to wait for a sale so I could pay the bill on my other shops. That can not happen again. 

Today I pulled out all my canes and scrap clay and started to make beads.

all my canes and loaves from my stash, some couldn't be saved because they were hard and crumbling

scrap clay container

I rolled the scrap clay into sheets which I then rolled into logs, ready to make beads with

Now I'll use those scrap clay logs to make beads by covering them with slices from canes or loaves or with a sheet in bead color I want. For example

So, turning scrap clay and forgotten canes into beautiful beads...stay tuned to see if I made it work!

update...
So those turned into these! Which sold within a few days! I love them so much I want to make more. I don't usually recreate designs but...and it kinda defeats the point because now I have to make a new cane instead of using up old ones...