Etsy's Handmade Blog
Quit Your Day Job: Spiderbite
Story by marymary
Published on August 31, 2009 in Spotlight 		Photo by

Spiderbite

Sarah Jane, the creative mind and savvy businesswoman behind Spiderbite, was just 8 months out of earning her degree from art school and working at the Subway fast food chain when she decided to make selling on Etsy her full-time business venture. She's truly been able to start from the ground up with a fresh idea and feels the flexible hours outweigh the isolation she often experiences in running a one-woman operation. Keep reading to find out why she recommends email lists and branding a business as the best marketing one can do for their shop and why some months she's willing to live on PB&J sandwiches and Ramen noodles.

How did you originally get into the business of making things?
I went to the Rhode Island School of Design for illustration and while there I took a class on developing products. For our mid-semester assignment we had to develop a product and sell it at the student sale. That’s when I came up with the Nightmare Snatcher journals. At the sale I sold out and thought it was great. So I added the books to my illustration portfolio site and a teacher of mine showed them to his friend who owned a gift shop. Next thing I knew I was wholesaling to several stores. I think I just got a bit lucky and knew some of the right people.

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
When I started on Etsy I definitely knew that my goal was not to work at a fast food joint the rest of my life, but I didn’t really anticipate being able to do it so soon. I was really disappointed to graduate from art school and spend my days working at Subway. But I was really only out of college 8 months before I was working for myself. It was the greatest feeling in the world to finally stop working at sandwich shops and shoe stores and be my own boss.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?
For the most part I just jumped into it. Since I was so soon out of college, I didn’t have a family to care for, a mortgage to pay, or too many bills, so it was kind of easy. I picked up a couple of bigger wholesale clients and was selling consistently on Etsy to the point that I didn’t need to work another job. When I figured out that I was making enough to pay my rent, what few bills I had, and my student loans, I decided to go for it.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
The most effective marketing I have done by far is having an email mailing list. It’s a good non-intrusive way of keeping in contact with former customers as well as people who are just interested in your work. You can let them know about new products, sales, and special offers. I often include coupons and first dibs on certain products for those on my mailing list, which is a good incentive to keep people signed up. The key is to never add anyone to your mailing list without his or her permission and to not send out too many emails. I send about one or two a month.

My best marketing tip is to brand your company and your product. Keeping a consistent and cohesive look to all your packaging, logos, and products helps to solidify your image and company in people’s minds. That way every time they see a package, a new product, or your logo, they are immediately reminded of your company and of where to get more great items.

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?
People always seem to recommend Twitter, Myspace, Flickr and a myriad of other free online venues to advertise your wares, but I’ve personally never found them to be that beneficial. For the amount of work you have to put in to get it to work for you, it seems like it would be more cost effective to pay for advertising. I’d rather pay for ad space and use my time to refine my craft and make more products to sell.

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
I enjoy the flexibility of the hours the most. I’m pretty much a night owl and being able to start my day around 2-3 p.m. is ideal. I’ve worked night jobs before, but then I ended up missing everything else that my friends and family were doing because I was always working while they were off. Being able to make my own hours, I can work late at night one day and if I decide to go out the next night, I can just get my work done earlier in the day. I miss having co-workers to pal around with and complain about work to. This is probably the reason I’ve spent so much time in the Etsy Forums. I’ve gone whole days without seeing a single person, so it can get lonely working all by yourself.


Walk us through your typical workday.

  • Typically I get up between 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (I said I was a night owl!) and jump on Etsy. It can be really addictive to check. So I try to limit it to 3 times a day, but I usually end up checking about 6 times a day…
  • If I have orders, I go through and pick them out and package them up.
  • Next, I start making monsters. Typically I’ll pick one main job for the day depending on what I’m running out of, whether it's cutting fur, putting together the monster faces, or adding pages to the books.
  • If it’s a Tuesday or a Friday, I take a trip to the post office to drop off my orders.
  • Finally, I just work on into the night until it’s time for bed.

What's the hardest part about running your own business?
The hardest part is probably cash flow. It’s a Catch-22 when you don’t have a part-time job or a financial backer to fund your business. You need to spend money to make money, but you need to make the money in order to have money to spend. So, it can get a little tight some months. When that happens I usually eat PB&J and Ramen noodles for a month.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? What advice would you give someone else?
I would have started on Etsy sooner. When I signed up, I didn’t actually open up shop for about 6 months. As soon as I did, I was outselling my personal website ten-fold and had more stores contact me about wholesaling.

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?
I'd like to finally reach my 1000th sale, which I’m hoping isn’t too far off. I would also like to make some new lower priced items, and some larger sized books for Spiderbite. I would likewise like to get my second shop, WeirdlingWorks, which I run with my dad, filled up and going.

Thanks to Sarah Jane for sharing her story. Have your own questions to ask? Come on by and chat with her Thursday, September 3 at 5 p.m. ET in Etsy's Virtual Labs. 

You can see some of Sarah Jane's beautiful work in the Related Items. Check out previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Tags art school, Books and Zines, branding, Delaware, full-time, journals, Quit Your Day Job, sellers, selling, spiderbite, spider bite, Spotlight, SPOTLIGHT, workflow, working
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238 comments     Login to add your own!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:31 p.m. Faeriedtreasures

I LOVE Spiderbite's nightmare snatcher journals! I've always thought how great an idea, how unique, and its great to see her showcased like this for her great success!

CONGRATS!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:32 p.m. ptitebaloue

I've been admiring these little monsters for months... congrats spiderbite!! :) I envy your success!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:33 p.m. gloilocksandbody

Aw, I LOVE this Spiderbite! Congrats! :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:34 p.m. Lunatiger

Thanks such an awesome article! I love Spiderbite's journals. It's one of the sellers that really caught my eye when I was just beginning here on Etsy!

^_^

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:34 p.m. EJPcreations

I just love her shop! So nice to read her story :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:34 p.m. LoellaMedina

I enjoyed reading Sarah's story! I admire her work. Very original twist to creating journals!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:34 p.m. GeorginaKay

These are THE cutest little notebooks and a great idea! congrats on quitting your dayjob!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:37 p.m. trinaberg

Sarah, these are just way to much fun! I can't wait for my kiddos to get big enough to have their own...I think every young student should have one. It would make writing, journaling, sketching, etc., soo much more fun! Thanks for your inspiration...congrats!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:37 p.m. thebestvintage

Love these!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:38 p.m. auryndesign

Yay! I've always admired Spiderbite and her monsters. Congrats!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:38 p.m. moonscreations

I adore Sarah Jane and her wonderful creations. She has been one of the kindest people to me when I started my Etsy adventures.

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:41 p.m. ChloesRuffleButt

I heart monsters! Thanks for sharing with us! Congratulations on your success!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:45 p.m. Snowberrylime

oh yay! Thanks for featuring spiderbite, love the journals!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:45 p.m. clubviv

wow I love those monsters!!! They are so cute.
Thanks for sharing.

http://www.etsy.clubviv.com

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:47 p.m. MeowBarkArt

I love the nightmare snatcher journals- I can just imagine kids hiding under the covers with a flashlight in the middle of the night, scribbling furiously... then drifting off peacefully to sleep!! What a truly creative idea- best of luck to you!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. clubviv

love it

here's my shop

http://www.clubviv.etsy.com

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:51 p.m. Genoire

That's so cool! I remember seeing these journals for sale on a website and thinking what an awesome idea that was! I had no idea that person was a seller on etsy. Very inspiring!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:51 p.m. martice

what a cool idea! :) Didn't see this before on etsy :) great feature :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:54 p.m. sushibooties

LOVE your work! Glad you are being featured!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:56 p.m. KalliopeJewelry

Cute! Thanks for sharing your story! Best of luck!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:56 p.m. foamywader

Awesome! Congrats :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:59 p.m. thriftstore

I love those journals. So darn cute!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 4:59 p.m. lovelygifts

Congrats! What a great story!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:03 p.m. GracieDesigns

High Five Girlie!!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:04 p.m. caoimhamarie

congratulations :) i'd love to be able to quit my job lol

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:06 p.m. LaveMeSoapCo

bravo!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:07 p.m. CopperLeafStudios

wonderful story! Here's to your continued success!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:12 p.m. Toxicguineapigs

congrats! You're livin' the dream :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:13 p.m. juicychristians

So Awesome!!!! Congrats Girl!!!! I wish you the best!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:16 p.m. sandart

What a nice story, congrats!!
I love these cute monsters!:)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:25 p.m. JellyfishJunk

I voted for one of the monsters in a past "member's choice"--it's nice to see more of them!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:29 p.m. mizkatie

Wow!! These are so cute!! Congratulations!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. buttonandboo

takes a lot of courage to do what you love full time. keep up he good work and thanks for all the advice!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:31 p.m. Squier

Great article!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:35 p.m. Trollflings

I am PROUD and HAPPY to call you my pal. Monster love foreverrrrr! Congratulations ((hugs))

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:45 p.m. 4TheSparrowsNest

Love Sarah Jane's work, seen it around Etsy and I love the concept of those furry journals! Finally; someone else who is a night owl!! I too work late and get up, er, late. Having your own hours is a blast. Congrats Sarah Jane; no more Subway for you!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:50 p.m. Zadyball

Spiderbite is awesome! Great feature!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:55 p.m. DeNovoStyle

Ah, those are so cute! Congrats!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 5:58 p.m. Candies64

Congrats! Great story and advice :) Thanks!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6 p.m. HowdySailor

Yay! That's so great that you are making it! I own a Nightmare Snatcher and have given 2 as gifts and they are amazing! Can't wait to get more! xo

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:12 p.m. magicjelly

Go Spidey!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:12 p.m. gothicreations

Nice stry. I've always like the nightmare snatchers.

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:15 p.m. SeaFindDesigns

Yay Spider!!!! WTG.... I'm so glad you're doing so well!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:17 p.m. thelittlecrocodile

Those are so cool!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:19 p.m. cowgirlheaven

I love your shop.

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:19 p.m. senoraalegremuertos

Those are absolutely adorable! I want one and I am sure my kids will too!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:26 p.m. tannerglass

congrats Spider! She always offered great advice in the forums (esp when I was new), and I'm grateful for that! Thank you!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:29 p.m. creativelyspun

great story. inspiring! best of luck to you spider!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:32 p.m. Spaceboyjordo

I absolutely love my journal. One of my prized possessions!

beep

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:35 p.m. poppyswickedgarden

Oh YAY! I've been a fan for a while Sarah! Glad to see how well you are doing!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:37 p.m. tikikiki

LOVE your work!!! Thanks for sharing such an awesome story and keeping it real, PB&J is what it's all about!!! xo

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:43 p.m. FancifulForm

AHHHH! I LOVE YOU SPIDERBITE! CONGRATS!!

E>>>>>

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:43 p.m. clothpaperstitches

These are flippin awesome!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:46 p.m. BlackStar

congrats Spidey! Great interview. :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:46 p.m. MonikaDesign

Congrats! Wish you the best!!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 6:53 p.m. BabbidgePatch

Congrats on your success ~ your items are adorable !

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:06 p.m. SkantiqueJewels

Great story, and what a fabulous idea!
Sounds like you are on the right track. Best wishes!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:09 p.m. tinyspace

love your work!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:13 p.m. sakizome

Congrats - the journals are so adorable! Wow!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:21 p.m. burntmill

those are cute! I love the "quit your day job" my fav thing to read

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:24 p.m. littlesmurphy

You are an inspiration! Congrats!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:41 p.m. SurrenderDorothy

Way to go, Spiderbite!!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. freshandclean

I bought two of these for each of my girls a while ago. My oldest daughter loves her book. It's one of her most cherished possessions! She was just looking over my shoulder and screamed out Nightmare Snatchers! :-)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:51 p.m. worksandfinds

Congratulations, Spiderbite!! Great story.

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:52 p.m. UglyBaby

Huge fan of Spiderbite! Congrats!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 7:53 p.m. lucky0girl0racer

Congrats SpiderBite! I hope you get your 1000th sale soon!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:06 p.m. peachtreelane

Congrats spiderbite!!! that is so cool i will check out your shop!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:12 p.m. FrozenEngel

I've been a fan of Spiderbite's work for a little while now and so its so nice to see this interview! :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:15 p.m. Tresijas

Very cool, such a unique and excellent product. Any child (or adult) who owns one of these will sleep a lot easier at night. Great feature!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:20 p.m. vivikas

Love this kind f article, real people, real stories and so inspirational!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. girltuesdayjewelry

I featured one of Spiderbites journals on my blog.
http://eyespytheuniverse.blogspot.com
I love her stuff!
Spiderbite, keep on doing what you're doing!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. novella

wow! great inspiration!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. ThePinkPirate

Finally a "Quit Your Day Job" artist I can get behind, something really unique! I love these journals, I'm asking for one for my birthday this year from my husband. I need to make up my mind which one!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. metalicious

One of my favorite sellers! Congratulations!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. dragonhouseofyuen

great stuff Sarah Jane - and I completely agree with you about email lists with permission first!
congratulaions and here's to more success for you - you have a great product, witty and fun and a vibrant bunch of faux fur personalities!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:32 p.m. SmugglersChest

Awesomeness!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:38 p.m. Artulia

Congrats Spiderbite- what an inspirational story. Best of Luck with WeirdlingWorks!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:46 p.m. CityChicCountryMouse

Wow! These are so cool! What a fantastic business you have! Congrats and best wishes!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:52 p.m. ragadoos

monsterific! these stories are always so energizing - especially when the featured seller is so real and honest. hooray for the sisterhood of pb&j!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 8:58 p.m. yellowcherry

Genius!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 9:02 p.m. handsewn

Great seeing you all famous and everything and to think I used to bump into you in the red room!
continued success- your monsters are the coolest!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 9:02 p.m. annashoub

What a great story. Always inspiring. Hope this feature buys you some good nutritious food.

Aug. 31, 2009 at 9:18 p.m. pinkytoeclothing

love your monsters! and love these articles!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 9:21 p.m. rctees

Your monsters are just too cute.
Nothing like going for what you believe in....
Good for you!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 9:24 p.m. mustlovehomedecor

spiderbite has always been so helpful in the forums. Much success to her.

Aug. 31, 2009 at 9:40 p.m. BathtubBling

what a great interview!! her nightmare journals are amazing!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 9:45 p.m. cleobelle

I love your monsters, congrats on your success! :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:02 p.m. TheQuietOwl

How cute are these little monsters?!?! I love them!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:19 p.m. blossomnbird

Gorgeous monsters...great story Sarah Jane!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:20 p.m. JJSketch

Wow, what a creative idea! Glad to hear of Sarah's success. :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:20 p.m. VixVintage

You are an inspiration Sarah, love your little monsters!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:27 p.m. dreaminofbeadin

I love to see the real person behind the Avatar that we've all come to know and love. Keep up the great work Sarah!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:43 p.m. Beadz2Pleaz

I've noticed Sarah, her shop and avatar in the past. Great to see get to know the character behind it all a bit more. THANKS for sharing!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:44 p.m. Beadz2Pleaz

I've noticed Sarah, her shop and avatar in the past. Great to see get to know the character behind it all a bit more. THANKS for sharing!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:44 p.m. TreeHuggerStudio

Good job! I love the quit your day job articles, it inspires me to dream that it is possibl e.......one day! And no doubt your journals are adorable!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:49 p.m. michellearnold

We laughed out loud looking at your monsters and journals. Thanks so much for your inspiration - I wish you the best!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:50 p.m. novadesigns

I loorv spiderbite!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 10:57 p.m. shellieartist

awesomeness... love your story spiderbite and congrats!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11 p.m. botodesigns

woohoo!!! your journal was one of my very first purchases on etsy two years ago. congrats on your success!! keep up the great work :)

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:01 p.m. misscourageous

hooray! I've been a spiderbite fan since my first visit to etsy! Love, love, love!!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:09 p.m. Morado

As always, awesomely inspiring :o)
http://twitter.com/MoradoShop
http://www.facebook.com/MoradoShop

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:10 p.m. topsyturvydesign

FAB! Congrats Sarah Jane!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:15 p.m. BeadsInTheBelfry

yay Sarah Jane! Your fab!!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:26 p.m. MollyMolStudios

great product.. love your story. Congrats!!!!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:29 p.m. kirstenfrancis

Wonderful, wonderful. I can think of a few people (young and old) who would love to have one of these journals by their bedside. Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration.

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:30 p.m. brassjewelrysupplies

Congrats Sarah you made it!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:32 p.m. clevergirl

Yay! Great interview! We have a Lomper and a Worry-Woolie in our home- my son uses them to manage anxiety and kid-fears! They, and Spiderbite, are the coolest!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:40 p.m. UglyGerbil

Yay for SpideyB and her well deserved fame and success!

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:46 p.m. Scallyrags

wow your Awesome... your stuff rocks

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:50 p.m. GalleryJuana

I enjoyed reading about how Spiderbite went from concept to wholesale to quitting your day job.

Hurray for nightowls! I am one too.

Aug. 31, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. beyondtherockz

Sarah Jane, congratulations on this feature!
You rock!

Sept. 1, 2009 at midnight MoonLightSally

Wow, great article. Congrats!!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:02 a.m. starvingartistbazaar

Great article! Those journals are so cute!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:03 a.m. WithThisNeedle

Those journals are just too cute

Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:13 a.m. TheSeed

Those take me back to my childhood when my aunt used to sew "monsters" that look eerily similar and sell them/give them away, I used to covet them! Mine are still in my attic- 30 years old. Man she was onto something, but went into the restaurant business instead. I'm such a nightowl too...

Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:19 a.m. GreytEscape

Fabulous article and inspiring story. I wish that I had found Etsy earlier in my career and glad I'm here now! Fabulous journals!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:39 a.m. shannonbatescreates

This is a perfect example of branding, which is something I need to work on. Very inspiring story, and great products! :)

Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:48 a.m. zeropumpkin

what a great idea..like the monsters :D

Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:55 a.m. Iammie

Nice shop!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:56 a.m. 9108designs

How creative and original! Very inspirational to see your success, congratulations!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 2:37 a.m. shopgoldmine

Amazing how things just click sometimes, huh? Congrats on all your success! Your story is very inspiring and makes me want to work harder (thanks!!) Best of luck :)

Sept. 1, 2009 at 3:56 a.m. spacejam

i love those creatures!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 4:36 a.m. PixelWildChild

Loving those monsters... so adorable! Nice interview too!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 4:41 a.m. sonyarasi

Congratulations fellow RISD alumni!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 5:01 a.m. craftaria

Great shop! Good luck with everything***

Sept. 1, 2009 at 5:30 a.m. HarrietsHaven

Sarah Jane, your monsters are adorable! They remind me of the little monsters I were scared of when I was a small child and would wake in the middle of the night. My dad would pretend to beat them with his belt!

Great interview too!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 5:58 a.m. MademoiselleG

Wow these journals are such a great and funny idea! Just love it. Congrats to Sarah Jane, very nice interview :-)

Sept. 1, 2009 at 6:20 a.m. auleecreations

Such a good idea !

Sept. 1, 2009 at 6:26 a.m. wildpen

these are amazing! and how cool that Sarah made the leap into the world of the self employed.

Sept. 1, 2009 at 6:29 a.m. ChocolateMintCrafts

congratulations!!! Your monsters are just the cuttest thing ever!!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 7:22 a.m. PenelopeAndAnastasia

A forever fan of all things monsters...congrats Sarah Jane!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. evihan

such a different work:-)

Sept. 1, 2009 at 7:44 a.m. RedMarionette

A wonderful item! I have admired them from afar for a long while!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 7:57 a.m. Oriol

I'm sure it was a great idea to open an etsy shop. I really liked the interview to Sarah! nice answers for all those interesting questions!!! :D

Sept. 1, 2009 at 7:58 a.m. SimpleJoysPaperie

Adorable ~ congratulations on your success!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 8:08 a.m. steinschmuckdesign

Thank you,
such a great interview!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 8:27 a.m. whisperedtrees

What a wonderful, fun interview. And her ADORABLE creations definitely had me sold. I purchased three for my children.

Congratulations, Sarah, on your success!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 8:36 a.m. danielabesso

great article!! congratulations Sarah

Sept. 1, 2009 at 8:38 a.m. mythunderstood

Heartwarming to hear of the person
behind such a wonderful product.
Best wishes to you!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 8:42 a.m. LadyLuLus

Very inspiring :)

Sept. 1, 2009 at 9:07 a.m. chinacutter

So cute!They are great.Good luck.

Sept. 1, 2009 at 9:38 a.m. graphicspaces

Your monsters are the cutest ever! Love, love your work... congrats!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. monkeyandsquirrel

yay for the monsters... grrr arrg!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 9:43 a.m. polarity

I LOVE Sarah Jane's monsters and it is so glad to see her doing so well- what original, inspiring work she creates!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:16 a.m. louilouivintage

cute stuff!!!!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:17 a.m. CavemanPottery

Thanks for sharing your story, you are such an inspiration and I LOVE those monsters!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:19 a.m. hollygems

I really enjoyed reading this! Sara Jane is a total sweetheart and I could not be happierfor her success! Go Spiderbite!!!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:19 a.m. amandalouise

Congratulations, Spiderbite!!!!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:22 a.m. Tumus

I sincerely love Spiderbite and all her ramblings in the forums too. She's matter of fact and has a really awesome product ^_~ Nice to hear the back story SJ!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:31 a.m. emmieloustudios

Love your monsters!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:40 a.m. mazzoni

Enjoyed reading your story...thanks for sharing...love those monsters.

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:44 a.m. dollfacedesign79

Love the monsters- but love the story too... wish Etsy had existed back when I got out of art school! Guess it's not too late- but having a jump on the game from the start certainly helps. Good for her!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 11:42 a.m. babook

What a great experience ...I totally got it now : )Thanks a lot to share this !!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 11:44 a.m. pinestreetmakery

Very encouraging! Thanks for sharing your story.

Sept. 1, 2009 at 11:54 a.m. DalkullanJewelry

Congratulations Sara Jane!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 1:01 p.m. LizzyBdesigns

Great story...thanks for sharing!!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 1:25 p.m. Fullearths

This was SO super informative for me! Thank you so much for the real *meaningful* tips and not holding them back.. your story encourages me that this CAN be done.. !

Sept. 1, 2009 at 1:44 p.m. amysfunkyfibers

I bet you have fun every day!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 2:23 p.m. DeborahVoizin

Love your creatutres!
Cograts to you!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 3:04 p.m. AtlasSigns

Your story is very inspiring to all the young artists out there who need to take the plunge and start selling the stuff they love. Thanks

Sept. 1, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. raghousenternational

I always love this series. They are very objective and thought provoking. So many things work for so many different sellers. Very good points in the article.

Ren
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=...

Sept. 1, 2009 at 3:32 p.m. CelloRaisen

What a great story and awesome product!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 4:07 p.m. EllaPhantePhashion

yayyyyyy for spiderbite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She's always been so fun in the forums--you go lady;)

Sept. 1, 2009 at 4:58 p.m. LOOKAjewelry

Congrats!! I love seeing artist's work that I have seen around for awhile on the front page!! I think these journals are a brilliant idea and loved reading about your business!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:01 p.m. twolefthands

Congratulations spiderbite, it's great to see someone so young doing so well! You should be very proud of yourself!

Sept. 1, 2009 at 10:22 p.m. psitsinthedetails

congratulations on your etsy success!!!
you have a really great article and i got a lot of good advice from you - thanks so much!
i just saw your monster books the other day and i thought to myself - wow! what a creative idea!
patty :-)

Sept. 1, 2009 at 11:44 p.m. tesorojewelry

VERY INSPIRATIONAL! Awesome story and congratulations on your success! I just recently gave notice at my 9-5 job to pursue artistic endeavors - jewelry, painting, workshops. I'm super excited to be doing what I love.

Sept. 2, 2009 at 12:41 a.m. AntoinetteDesign

Great story, and congrats...I love your work!!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 1:52 a.m. robinmcneil

Your story is an inspiration to all of us "night owls". Best of luck with your "Etsy" business!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 1:55 a.m. dorijenn

Well done Spiderbite! I wish you ongoing success!!!!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 4:16 a.m. MeAndBoo

What a cool idea! These would be great for kids who are having "monster" issues - I could have done with one when I was little! Good way to get over your fear of the wardrobe/space under the bed/shadow in the corner!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 4:54 a.m. Spiderbite

Thanks so much for all the kind words, congratulations, and encouragement everyone. It means a lot to me! And thanks Marymary and Etsy for letting me participate in the Quit your Day job feature.

Sept. 2, 2009 at 5:25 a.m. MeghanT

Great story! Sounds like you hit upon a great idea from the get go. Your monsters ARE adorable. I'm admiring them right now. I wish you continued success in the future!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 5:57 a.m. ayawedding

great story,congrats for your ideas:)

Sept. 2, 2009 at 6:50 a.m. nukilan

a wonderful story. those journals rock too! must put them on my favourites list so i can get my hands on some when i finally have space on my notebook shelf...

Sept. 2, 2009 at 8 a.m. MartiArtStudio

I'm so happy for you. Thank you for the great marketing tips! You have an amazing product! Best wishes!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 8:40 a.m. LHogan

Good for you! I love the notebooks! Congratulations!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 10:54 a.m. freakylittlethings

Cute little monsters and a heart warming story! Bless you, hope it just keeps getting better :o)

Sept. 2, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. DeslynnWDesigns

This is cool. Wishing you much more success.

Sept. 2, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. theflashbulb

Love reading these stories

Sept. 2, 2009 at 3:22 p.m. lilprincessbow

Nice story. amazing product! what an inspiration!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 3:36 p.m. SepiaSmiles

What a great idea! Especially for little ones when they get nasty nightmares.
You must be be so focused to keep going on working for days without seeing anyone.
Very inspiringx

Sept. 2, 2009 at 6:10 p.m. TomBjornDesigns

Congrats!

Great article!

it really gave me motivation to start by myself!

Thanks

Sept. 2, 2009 at 7:11 p.m. CelinaMancurti

Good story...realy inspiring! best of luck to you!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:04 p.m. PixieSoap

Congrats Spiderbite! My daughter and nephew loved these the year I gave them for Christmas. Awesome article with a great seller and fabulous products.

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:07 p.m. dsenyo

Thanks for sharing your story!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:12 p.m. AdornedYou

Great Journals!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:14 p.m. alyssakaycollections

Thanks so much for sharing. Even though I sale jewelry and that is tough, these stories are so inspirational.

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:16 p.m. alyssakaycollections

Thanks so much for sharing. Even though I sale jewelry and that is tough, these stories are so inspirational.

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. piperewan

love it! for so long i have seen you in the forums, and i have a confession to make: i always imagine a monster voice (that matches your avatars) giving advice in the forums! great to read your story. congratulations!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:22 p.m. lizhutnick

Great success story! I am inspired!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:28 p.m. ebbnflow

I came across SpiderBite's work probably a year or so ago from seeing her in the forums. I fell in love with her marvelous monsters and thought she had a very ingenious item. Congratulations on you success and thank you for sharing your tips with us!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:39 p.m. PaperPixieCreations

Thank you for sharing. You are an inspiration. Great products, I really like those monster. They are so cute.

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:48 p.m. darcyarts

Thank you.

Sept. 3, 2009 at 4:59 p.m. myrtleandlloyd

Those little guys are awesome. This post was great motivation (and made me kinda crave a pbj sandwich). Thanks for sharing.

Sept. 3, 2009 at 5:25 p.m. Ildved

Great article! I Love these.

Sept. 3, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. NaturalGemDesigns

I am proud for you. I know myself it is hard to get your product out there and get people to notice you so congrads!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 5:39 p.m. uptownjewel

I love your story, you made it sound so simple.

Sept. 3, 2009 at 5:44 p.m. Uniqueartglass

They are so cute!!!! I love it
Thanks for sharing:-)

Sept. 3, 2009 at 6:56 p.m. ashjewels

THe little monsters are just too cute..THanks for sharing!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 7:34 p.m. AustinElements

Your story is very inspiring, I'm so glad that you could put your art education to good use and get off the food service treadmill! Your monsters are absolutely adorable!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 7:40 p.m. rswilsonjewelry

Your story is inspiring and I can really relate to the night owl work schedule. I agree with you very much about the branding and carving out your own niche, you are well on your way with your very unique products!

Sept. 3, 2009 at 11:29 p.m. mammysshop

Great story. Love the monsters!

Sept. 4, 2009 at midnight heirloomsbylorraine

Just reading your story has inspired me. When things get slow, I get a little wary about my craft, but I love to make my books so I keep going. I'll follow your tips, thankyou for sharing them. I love your little journals. I just showed my grandaughter, who's almost 13, and she also loves them.

Sept. 4, 2009 at 4:31 a.m. feltmeupdesigns

Great advice there, thanks. Am scribbling it in my journal right now!

Am on the verge of chosing to quit or to keep my part time job so this was really inspirational... thanks

Sept. 4, 2009 at 4:46 a.m. plasticmoon

félicitations ! you did it :-D

Sept. 4, 2009 at 5:32 a.m. thedaydreamer

I admire Sarah's journals. And she practices what she preaches. All her journals and photos have a distinctive look. Good going, Sarah. :-)

Sept. 4, 2009 at 6:52 a.m. folkheirloomsbypaige

Great Job! Great advise! I will take this and learn from it thanks!

Sept. 4, 2009 at 10:46 a.m. BlessedRepublic

Great Job! Keep it up and you are such an inspiration!

Sept. 4, 2009 at 11:22 a.m. RebeccaParksDesign

AWESOME PRODUCT! I hope to be an independant someday also!

Sept. 4, 2009 at 12:46 p.m. SandBoxStudio

I just LOVE these books! Best wishes for continued success!!

Sept. 4, 2009 at 2:45 p.m. Yayahandicraft

amazing history. Congratulation for all

Sept. 4, 2009 at 5:36 p.m. amandaatkins

This was so inspiring/awesome. I've loved your journals a long time. Someday I will buy one. I got working on packaging my wholesale print orders right after reading this! :)

Sept. 4, 2009 at 10:36 p.m. IslaNewYork

This is a great article. I can definitely relate to the cash flow issue, since I do Etsy full time too. Figured it was worth giving it a shot since no one's hiring anyways! Props to you for doing this full time :)

Sept. 4, 2009 at 10:43 p.m. bohemiennes

Thank you for being an inspiration to those of us who are new to Etsy!

Sept. 5, 2009 at 2:56 a.m. zen4you

Great advice, very motivating in this economy! Kudos to you for following your passion.

Sept. 5, 2009 at 1:09 p.m. OffOurRocker

some great advice....since I am new to this type of selling, it has become a little overwhelming....'
good luck to everyone!

Sept. 5, 2009 at 1:14 p.m. JenniferTrotter

What an awesome concept! I love their fangs, how scary and cool...

Sept. 5, 2009 at 4:26 p.m. jessgonacha

This is great, and so awesome to see someone doing well selling fun and quirky items! I love reading these 'Quit Your Day Job' articles-- they're very inspiring.

Sept. 5, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. jbeaudet

very cute idea!

Sept. 6, 2009 at 5:55 a.m. MsLegacySews

Well I think it's true that Twitter, Myspace. etc. can be a waste of time. The most importsnt thing is to have a quality product. That will get you regular customers. And that's what it's all about.

Sept. 6, 2009 at 8:06 a.m. jensingh

My daughter would LOVE one of these-very unique! And I agree about Twitter, I'm about ready to throw in the towel with that time-waster!

Sept. 6, 2009 at noon gardenmis

such a different idea, congrats on your success!! : )

Sept. 6, 2009 at 4:46 p.m. OctoberMansion

Great article! Thanks for the advice about not bothering with Twitter and Flickr. Now I don't need to waste time with them and can concentrate on more effect promotion ideas.

Sept. 6, 2009 at 4:47 p.m. OctoberMansion

darn. Should be "effective".

Sept. 6, 2009 at 5:42 p.m. KismaeGrimes

Hey I think these are cute!!! I want a Hot Pink one.

Sept. 7, 2009 at 1:06 a.m. MoonCircus

Wish you the success you deserve !!! :)

Sept. 7, 2009 at 4:03 a.m. bittybambu

I love the nightmare snatcher idea, that is just brilliant. Great work, congratulations.


Sept. 7, 2009 at 12:40 p.m. icanspellit

So much CREATIVITY. I love it!!

Sept. 7, 2009 at 1:51 p.m. LittlebeaneBoutique

I LOVE these... I bought one for my son.. he loves it and like to draw his monsters in it! thanks for creating such a fun item!

Sept. 7, 2009 at 3:09 p.m. bkupcake

ohhh estos están muy bonnitos,,, cute,,, cute!!!

Sept. 7, 2009 at 5:53 p.m. SownComfort

I loved your story and can completely appreciate your typical work day schedule. I, too, am a nightowl and sometimes feel the need to apologize for sleeping in and not wanting to work a typical 9-5 day. You've inspired and encouraged me! Congrats on your success!

Sept. 8, 2009 at 2:38 a.m. Carlottavaldes

I really enjoyed this story. For several reasons: I too try not to check my shop so much - although I check a ton because I just started getting serious with my shop. As a new seller, it was helpful to see another seller's schedule because I could use some tips. I particularly like the "what is the most unsuccessful" marketing question because I too have felt that twitter has been a waste of my time. Thanks for sharing and congrats!

Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:44 a.m. BitOknitting

Great product.. Congrads,

Sept. 9, 2009 at 8:59 p.m. FlutterbyQueen

Thank you for sharing such wonderful info. I am very new to etsy, only on about a month. I checked out your shop and enjoyed your creations. Some of the tips I surely needed. Still working on figuring out the shipping thing, guess that will come. I have just recently been widowed and don't want to have to get a 9-5, haven't worked in 20 yrs.. You gave me great hope. Congrats on the great success!!!

Sept. 10, 2009 at 1:40 a.m. ChudCity

What a good story!! I'm so glad to see another crafter having such success! It makes me feel hopeful that I can get there one day, too. Btw, the nightmare snatchers are adorable!

Sept. 25, 2009 at 6:03 p.m. ZaliahsShop

Great word!

Oct. 13, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. irmaliz

just awesome!!!

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