Be Bigging Oneself!

Wow! What a week!
I opened my Etsy store a little while ago. I took some poorly composed pictures and listed my chalkboards, clocks and bunting. It was not an easy process for me and I spent a couple of days trying to get my head around it all and basically got quite stressed!

So I joined up to be a part of the 'Etsy Creative Challenge' on facebook which was going to be starting up offering a lesson a week, emailed to you to help with making your store a success and hopefully make sense! In my inbox on Monday morning was my first lesson. It talked about your inner critic and encouraging you to be proud of what you have in your store. 'Be Bigging" yourself, not belittling. There was homework attached to the lesson. 'Be big' yourself on the facebook page to all the other challenge goers! Pick a listing and be proud!
After reading the lesson and watching other people' s homework appear on my timeline, I almost didn't participate. Everyone looked so professional and truly artistic. I felt a bit like I didn't belong, that what I did was not in the same league at all!

Before I allowed myself to completely chicken out, I posted a link to my chalkboards.. Seeing my little Harry's happy face pop up, I felt proud :)
Before I knew it i was getting post likes and some truly wonderful and encouraging comments. By the end of the day I had made my first Etsy sale and sold 2 large chalkboards. The excitement I felt surprised me. How overwhelming the day was!

Later in the week, I was also plugged on an instagram site and asked to be featured on some body's blog! And went on to sell 4 more chalkboards! CRAZY!

I spent yesterday with my parents and Harry, having a lovely relaxed day and a bit of a celebratory lunch in one of our favourite teahouses.
It was a wonderful day with a little geocaching in local cemeteries and discovering historically significant convict graves, bush walking and bird spotting, discovering a MASSIVE op shop not far from home (squeal!) and indulging in a Chinese restaurant for dinner once Harry's Daddy knocked off work.

Harry's PaPa and I spotted a wonderful bird to add to the list while on a little bushwalk. He was a Powerful Owl. So big and silent! Sitting with his lunch in his claws. Not sure what it was that he had caught, but he certainly wasnt going to starve!

A great day :)

Market Day - September

Been a little tardy with my blog last week. Sorry about that my 3 faithful readers!! I was flat out getting all my new products ready for yesterday's market. Not to mention that this weekend was also Father's Day and Harry's Daddy's birthday! So, a busy, busy week leading up to a busy, busy weekend.
We had some lovely celebration though the weather turned a little cold and blustery. We spent a lot of the weekend blowing bubbles.

 The turn in the weather, however, was fortunate for my positioning at the Blackheath Community Markets. Due to some cancellations I nabbed a spot indoors! I went into this market not expecting much. Being as it was on Father's Day, and my product is not really for that audience, I was going to be happy to simply cover the cost of my stall. I was pleasantly surprised to find at the end of the day that I had made a little more than that :) My new bookmarks being the biggest seller of the day!

Because it was a quieter day, I managed to have a little browse of the other stalls and chat with the other vendors. I got some lovely comments on my products and a couple of customers from last month came to tell me how well my chalkboards had been received as gifts :) It's these sorts of lovely things that makes me excited to be giving this whole venture a go and I am already looking forward to next month :)