Busy, Busy, Busy -- Weekend.

It was a busy weekend around here -- in and outside the shop.  Several products sold out over the holiday weekend -- which is to be expected when its a small scale handmade shop here. 

Which also caused me to do a little soul searching.  I have been watching how things are going and have been planning a few changes for the shop come 2014:  maybe my own website if I gain the energy to do my own coding in addition to all the other aspects of the shop, maybe a move from Etsy to another smaller, more handmade friendly venue.  There has been a lot of chatter on Etsy of late because of the definition change of "handmade" within Etsy. 

For some sellers its kind of a scary proposition -- having built up a community on Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, etc., of people who love your work -- and then it feels like with all the SEO work one puts into their shop that they are still put back in the back of the line for views.  It's just a hard proposition.

Oh yeah -- did you know that my shop venue, Etsy, changed the rules on what can be labeled "handmade"?  There is all kinds of chatter going on across the interwebs about it -- and it was a polarizing decision made by Etsy.  Personally, I like the community -- but I feel like I am working too hard to re-list items to be seen even when I have pitch perfect SEO after a few years of tweeking.  I even change my SEO according to the yearling changes that happen just before the holidays, sending us all into a tizzy as our "views" and "favorites" crash and burn, like clockwork, each year.

So, as a small handmade shop -- I've been soul-searching, between the cooking of the holiday meal and getting items set to ship this morning, and deciding how I am going to go about 2014, as the changes on Etsy become more pronounced.  (Jan 1 is the day some changes go into effect -- which won't effect my shop as I am in compliance with it all, but it may shove me down the listings because I am a small, one woman shop, and can not compete with manufacturers. ).

Until I make these decisions, however, I will be plugging along making the most beautiful stuff I can muster. Ahh, love the garnets for the holidays. 

Also, as a shameless plug at the end of this posting, check out the rubies, sapphires and emeralds I have in the shop for this holiday season.  You know that's right :)

~Maggie~

http://www.etsy.com/shop/maggiesjewelry