Mom of 3 fulfills the need to stay home, have an income, and be creative.
My story starts several years ago. I had two wonderful boys, both in preschool, and a couple of hours each week to work on projects. My grandmother was an amazing woman, and she created and sewed necessary items for her family at a fraction of the cost of buying new. Being a stay-at-home mom, I was always looking for ways to save money, so it only made sense to try and do as my grandmother had...make items for my family, all while saving money in the process.
It wasn't until just prior to my third child, that I was encouraged by several to try my hand at selling the items I was making. I started small. I began selling to friends, which then led to friend's of friends. I branched a little further, and participated in a couple of vendor shows. Slowly, via word of mouth, I had more work than I could accomplish during my boy's time at school. We are a military family, so every 2-3 years, I would have to start fresh and market myself (which I don't feel comfortable doing) in our new community. When my youngest was 2, I was asked to sell my items in a local boutique. It was fun, exciting, and it supplemented our income nicely.
Then came Etsy. I had bought off Etsy for awhile, but I was apprehesive of selling on the site. What if no one wanted my items? What if I failed? After lots of encouragement from family and friends, I finally took the plunge. I listed a onesie and sold that onesie only 9 minutes after having listed it. I was hooked. Etsy allows me to "take" my business with me no matter where the Army sends us. Many thanks to Etsy for this incredible opportunity, and many thanks to you for being part of this wonderful journey.
