Check out the fun back-to-school goodies in this Etsy treasury!
Treasury tool supported by the dog house
If you have time, I hope you visit the Etsy artisans listed and see what else they have to offer! :)
Happy shopping!!!!!
Can you believe it’s that time already? I am shocked at how quickly this summer flew by. And also amazed at how quickly the school supplies are disappearing from the stores. This is the LAST year I will have “back-to-schoolers”…although college seniors are hardly typical “back-to-schoolers”. I must admit, back-to-school was much more fun when it involved a new box of crayons! Oh, how I miss that smell! :)
Our household was divided between the pink frills of twin girls and the primary colors of a boy. I think red and blue will forever remind me of Spiderman…but the trucks and playgrounds are definitely a part of boyhood too! Just think of the fun childhood memories this scrapbook would hold!
August is birthday month around here. My girls will be hitting a milestone birthday this year…but it’s not 16! They will be 21 in just over a week. TWENT-ONE! Wow! It seems like yesterday though that they were eagerly anticipating turning 16 so they could drive! Times change quickly. :)
All these scrapbooks are available in my Etsy shop but you can also place custom orders if you want something a little different from what you see here! Just send me a convo through Etsy or pop me an email at apicketfencelife at gmail dot com. :)
Sometimes we start something with no plan or idea of where it will go. About 4-1/2 years ago I saw a paper bag scrapbook online and thought it was adorable. I had been playing around with scrapbooking a little bit for a few years…mainly just collecting supplies (ha)…so I thought this type of book would be fun to create…and maybe even use up some of my stash. I made a couple and then decided to try to sell them on Etsy.
Over the past year or so, I’ve noticed a huge change in my business. There was a time when I typically had 60-70 books listed in my Etsy shop. These days, however, that rarely happens. In fact, lately I’m lucky if I can bump that up over 35. Am I creating fewer books? Nope…more than ever. These days more and more of the books I produce are for custom orders, some come through Etsy and others find me through different paths. Obviously that’s a good thing…but the competitor in me likes to see BIG Etsy numbers! Ha!
One advantage I’ve noticed, however, in NOT listing items in my Etsy shop is that my best work (wonderful custom items) are not copied by other Etsy artists! I know, having someone copy your designs is supposed to be a form of flattery…but seriously, does anyone really think that when it’s their work being copied? Every time I search on Etsy for paper bag scrapbooks I am frustrated by shops that have either copied my designs or copied my descriptions…or both! I do know though, that it’s just the reality of the business. So for the most part I rarely “search” and just feel fortunate that it hasn’t seemed to hurt my business….proving, I suppose, that there truly is enough business out there for us all!
So, what about the next 750 scrapbooks? Hmmm. I’m guessing there will be a little bit more of the same…and more than a little bit of change coming. Every other area of my life has gone through a major change this year…so why not my scrapbooks too?!!! Now…if I could just get caught up so I had time to change….. ;)
I’d love to hear some of the ways you beat the “burn-out” in your creative life.
anticipated with pleasure,
experienced with discomfort,
and remembered with nostalgia.
~Author Unknown
Definitely makes me want to have some sand between my toes. How about you? :)
