The Verdict on Etsy Showcases

Warning: Technical Etsy stuff ahead- feel free to skip this post if you aren't interested. But some of you requested an update on this topic, so here it is.


Remember this post a couple of weeks ago where I asked if any of you had purchased an Etsy showcase? Well, no one had, so I decided to purchase one as an experiment. So, I went to the Showcase section on the My Etsy page (this is the one you can only get to after you have logged in and you are looking at a list of what you have for sale and there is a left sidebar with different options - showcase is one of them) and purchased a showcase spot for Monday January 28 in the Gift Guides section. I chose the Gift Guides section because this section is consistently sold out, so I figured it was a more desirable location. This cost me $7 and got me a picture of my choosing in the right sidebar section of the Gift Guides page for that entire day. I chose to show the purse pictured above because it has been one that has consistently received the most views.

So, at midnight on January 28th, this purse had 366 views and 13 hearts. This morning at 8 am it had 400 views and 13 hearts. This was the only way that people could have linked to my shop from the Gift Guides showcase, so at most 34 people looked at my shop because of this showcase. I did have three people heart my shop on January 28th, but I also added this banner to the shop yesterday, so I'm not sure if they even came from the Gift Guide.

So, for $7, I got 34 to look at my purse and I'm not even sure how many of them went on to look at my shop. That's a little more than 20 cents per view. I usually get at least 20 views in the first day on a new item and that listing only costs 20 cents. I think I would have been better off spending my money on 35 listings, which would have resulted in at least 700 views of my items.

So, there you have it - my take on Etsy showcases. I probably won't ever purchase one again. Maybe a main showcase or holiday showcase would do more good, but those cost $15. I'm not sure I'd risk it. I'd still be interested to hear from anyone who has had a positive experience with a showcase - maybe I did something wrong. My shop wasn't nearly as stocked as I wanted it to be, mainly because I have been lazy and in a funk the last week or two, but also because I sold four purses on the 27th. But, I'm not sure it would have helped as I only had 34 views on that purse that day anyway...who knows? I just know it would take a lot of convincing for me to purchase a showcase again.

they say it's your birthday

What a great birthday weekend I've had, thanks to friends and family who have made it so! Friday's massage was fabulous and then Friday night my friends here threw me a such great party with laughing, great food, and games! Thank you, Thank you! We forgot the group shot, but here I am blowing out the candles on the cake (chocolate with chocolate frosting - perfect!).


I borrowed an idea from my friend Phoebe and made a mix CD (is this what we call mix tapes now?) of songs that I love and have meaning to my years. I shared a copy with all of my gal pals at the party and we listened to it too - fun! And now that I've got you all intrigued, here are the songs, starting with the song that I was named after.

Jessica - The Allman Brothers Band
It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go - Nanci Griffith
Clocks - Coldplay
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan
Galileo - Indigo Girls
Jerusalem - Peter Breinholt & the Big Parade
Ciega, Sordomuda - Shakira
Vivir Si Aire - Maná
Maybe I'm Amazed - Loma Mar Quartet
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - The Beatles
Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies
Sweetly Sleeps - Peter Breinholt & the Big Parade
Landslide (w/Nancy Hanson) - Peter Breinholt & the Big Parade
I Feel It All - Feist
Once In a Very Blue Moon - Nanci Griffith
In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
Birthday - The Beatles

Last night was babysitting co-op night, so we dropped off the boys and went out for Greek food. Mmmm....delicious gyros, hummus and pita, spanakopita, dolmas, etc. It was our first time going there and I think we'll definitely be going back. I love finding a new restaurant.

And then today, I woke up and it really hit me that I am into my thirties (31 this year). It was a little depressing, but I got over it tonight with a nice banana split and seeing Peter and Ned's excitement to eat ice cream. Peter even told me, "Happy Birthday!" and of course, had to help me blow out the candles.Please excuse my piles of clutter - I've been a little too good to myself this previous week in preparation for my birthday.

Thank you Ryan, Mandy, Kelli, and everyone who has sent their birthday wishes in person and by phone and mail! It was a lovely birthday!

dreaming...

We are trying to find a house to rent. Ryan's job here is temporary so we don't want to buy, but we keep hoping that we'll find something in our price range with a yard (right now we are in a townhome with a patio which is definitely a step up from our student life, but the boys and I would really benefit from a yard.) We've been looking at places for about a month now, but everything seems to have something that's just not right. Last night we went to look at a place and everything was looking great until we realized it had electric heat and a wood stove. It's been below zero in the mornings here for the past few days, so electric heat is definitely not an option and the wood stove just isn't something I want to deal with right now - not safe for the kids, messy, and much more work than just programming my thermometer! So, I came home frustrated again. And it's starting to get to the point where it's more trouble than it's worth. Maybe we should just stay here. So, instead of thinking about a new place, I decided to do a little virtual shopping today to sooth my soul.

First on the list, a new bed, one with some character and funk (it's the Noresund from Ikea):Second, new bedding - maybe something like this (photo from Domino Magazine):


And what we really need around here is some storage. Does anyone else fantasize about fantastic shelving like I do? It is so fun to dream...

of hooks and plans

I crocheted for the first time again in a really long time on Sunday night. Just me, my hook, and the Jane Austen Masterpiece Theater Series on PBS - it was lovely. I'm making another one of these. This one is for my Mom and is her Mother's Day present. No, I am not that on the ball - this is her Mother's Day present from last year. Luckily, I have a patient and understanding mother who has no problem with this at all. In fact, maybe I'll have it done for her birthday in two weeks. It could be very likely, as there are two more of the Jane Austen shows before then. We'll see.

Speaking of birthdays, I'm putting the finishing touches on my plans for a great birthday weekend. The beauty of having a birthday on Sunday is that the celebration easily lasts all weekend and sometime into the next week. I've got definite plans starting on Friday morning with a massage appointment. I can't wait!

A few Etsy Topics

Just a few things about Etsy today that I have figured out in the last week or so. Maybe you already know about these things, but I thought I would share just in case.





Have you every wanted one of these fab logos on your blog? I finally found out where people are getting them in the forums this morning.

Also while wandering the forums last week, I found out about this super useful tool, Heart-o-Matic, that will show you a listing of all your items with the number of people who have hearted them. No more clicking on each item individually to see how many hearts it has - such a time saver! Just enter your username or Etsy ID and you are on your way.

And, I wanted to ask my fellow Etsy sellers if you have ever bought a showcase? If so, what did you think about what it did for your shop - was it worth it? If so, what kind of a showcase was it? It's something I've been considering, but I'm not sure if it would really pay off. Maybe just consistent daily listings are more useful which is something I would do anyway.

Thanks for all your warm wishes about the cold weather - it is making it more bearable! I'm a little behind on the second edition of the new purse, but I do appreciate your advise. It's unanimous - more pockets are better, so there will be more pockets!

Have a wonderful day everyone! And try not to freeze!

Tuesday Topics

I'm not sure why, but yesterday and today have really felt like the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas vacation to me. Maybe I was being too nice to myself right after Christmas and things have finally caught up with me now. I don't know, but I sure have felt busy - bills to pay (like 10 of them - how did that happen?), today we had 4 appointments and pre-school plus all of the regular things like cooking dinner and cleaning up little messes and such. And last night I picked up my exercise routine again after a too long holiday break. Busy is good, right?

And what have crafty things have been keeping me busy? First, I wanted to show you the latest addition to my shop - this fun Valentine's Day banner. Anybody need some hugs and kisses? This should do the trick with it's XOXO message.


I've also had a few questions about my new bag. First, does the top fold over? Yes, it does. I got the idea from another bag I saw online and I thought it was a great thing - not just for looks, but for function too. I have lots of people ask me if I can add zippers to my bags for security reasons (and I can, if you're interested), but I thought this fold over top accomplishes the same thing without the zipper.

Second, a request to see the inside of the bag. Here it is - pockets on both sides. The final version might have more pockets - what do you think? Are more pockets better or is there a point where they are just more pockets?
I've been using this bag for a couple of days now and I really like it just how it is, so I'm thinking I might actually offer two versions - one just like this one, but with longer straps and one that is a little wider and has a plethora of pockets inside that could be used as a business bag (like for carrying files and such to and from work) or a diaper bag. I have several friends who are having babies this year and I'd love to give them a bag like this, maybe with a matching changing pad. I'll be experimenting with it in the next few days - I'll let you know how it turns out.

And in the meantime, I'll be bundled up trying not to freeze - six years in California (we've only been here for a year) was not good for my winter time cold resistance. I'm such a wimp now! Or maybe I just have forgotten that when you go out you need a little more than just a coat in a place with a real winter.

Mama's Got A Brand New Bag

First of all, I want to thank you all for your words of support and praise for Peter. I struggle with deciding how much personal info to share on this blog and sometimes I just choose not to talk about Peter because this is such a big part of who he is right now and a big part of what we do in our everyday lives (like me correcting him every time he doesn't respond yes/no to a yes/no question, like driving to speech and occupational therapy and pre-school and making sure he has playtime with other kids and such). I'm glad I shared - I certainly feel your support and appreciate it!
So, here it is, the new bag. Just try not to look at how much I need to vacuum my sewing room floor. This was the only room that is getting enough light for pictures today. It's been so dreary for the past few days. And if I had taken the time to clean it before taking pictures, the light would have been gone. Anyway, back to the bag - overall, I'm pleased with how it turned out. I wanted something a little more tote looking, but still with enough detail and uniqueness to look like more than just a tote. I think I might make this a little bigger by widening it a few inches. Right now, it's about the same size as my bell bag. One of my aims in creating a few new bags for the shop was to offer a wider range of sizes - some larger, some smaller. This one was supposed to be the larger, so it really needs a couple more inches in width. I also want to make the straps just a little bit longer. These just barely fit over my shoulder and they definitely need a little more room there. The bag is still totally usable though and it's definitely going to be mine! Hooray - a new bag for me!
Other than size and strap length, I'm very pleased with it - it has a lot of structure (I love that it sits up on its own - thanks to some stiff interfacing) and I like the shape. It was fun to put together. The quilted straps were a little tedious, but I love how they turned out, so they were definitely worth it. I'm hoping to have a couple in the shop by the end of the next week. And thank you to Sandi for the fabric - isn't it fabulous? It should be in stores soon.

Have a fun weekend everyone!