Stocking up my Etsy store for Christmas!

Several  years ago, when getting ready to do my Christmas shopping, I made up my mind that I wanted to do something different....

It all started somewhere around Thanksgiving of that year, as I started to gather my list together and try to think of ideas for my individual gifts.  Usually, I hunted within the brick and mortar stores  and sometimes I would find things right away, other times, as the days quickly passed and Christmas was only a few days away, I would begin to panic.  I did not have Christmas gifts for everyone on my list.  

This particular year, I ran across Etsy.  I was super excited.  I thought of each person on my list and tried to find a matching gift.  I found something for EVERYONE! It was at that time that I knew how important Etsy was to those of us who appreciate handmade, quality items AND want to try something new this Christmas. 

It wasn't right away, but several years later, as I began making my handmade, wire wrapped rosaries and Christian jewelry, I knew Etsy was where I wanted to set up my online store. 

I do not mass produce things.  I collect beads, vintage and new. Then, I plan a design and pick out the wire I will use.  Some designs take days.  Others I can make in several hours but all are made with love.  My shop will not be the inexpensive priced shop. My beads are quality beads and my items are labor intensive.  I take great care in purchasing my supplies and work carefully to produce a quality product for my customers. 

I will continue to work and add new items to my store;  not only to get ready for Christmas, but also for special occasions: weddings, birthdays, and other occasions that are close to your heart.

I can't believe it is already November 16th.  If you want to find the BEST holiday gifts, give Etsy a try.  There are many excellent sellers on Etsy.  I've had excellent experiences with purchasing on Etsy. I hope you will give us a try.  :-)

Happy shopping!! Jen

https://www.etsy.com/listing/558926256/handmade-heirloom-topaz-five-decade?ref=shop_home_active_1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/561354151/swarovski-womens-handmade-bracelet?ref=shop_home_active_14

https://www.etsy.com/listing/561354151/swarovski-womens-handmade-bracelet?ref=shop_home_active_14

https://www.etsy.com/listing/571349679/handmade-saint-jude-chaplet-st-jude?ref=shop_home_active_2

Etsy vs. Pattern

Today, I made the choice to uninstall my Pattern site on Etsy.  I was still in the free for thirty days timeline and the whole reason I added the Pattern site was because I wanted to draw more viewers to my eStore.  Some may say that I didn't give it enough time but after a bit of research, in my opinion, Pattern is just a fancy template of the same page for $15 dollars extra a month.  

Having bought domain names and purchased and published websites, my goal was to be able to add meta tags into my site so that Google and other search engines would find me.  However, when adding Pattern to your eStore, you are still not in control.  So, for me, Pattern is a great format to look at, but it did not bring any new traffic to my store in the weeks I used it.  

My domain name, which is LetOurLightShine.us will be directed to this blog and from there, customers may choose to go into Etsy and purchase an item they have found.  

I'm learning as I go and right now, I don't pay for any advertising because I am spending all of my time building my inventory of items. I still feel like I have creative designs in my head to add before paying for advertising. In the meantime, I am sharing new items on my social media sites.

The problem for new store owners at Etsy, due to the HUGE number of sellers on the site, is to be FOUND! At this time, I want to spend all of my money on materials and enjoy the design process.  I don't want to sell anything mass produced.  Each item is unique in its own way and when someone buys something from me, they have confidence that it was handmade in my studio and not mass produced and thereby loosing it's uniqueness.  

Someday, I hope to be able to share how my eStore was found.  In the meantime, it's off to more creative wire wrapping.  

Have a wonderful day!
God Bless, 
Jen

Let Our Light Shine

Welcome to Let Our Light Shine Blog!

I'm very excited to share with you my new store Let Our Light Shine! It is a store that I just opened a couple of weeks ago on Etsy.com with my handmade rosaries and chaplets using vintage crystal and glass beads.  My idea of naming my shop Let Our Light Shine is that I wanted my rosaries and chaplets to be a way that we can let our light shine and share our faith in God. Each rosary and chaplet is a prayer waiting to be said by you or a loved one.  

Over twenty years ago, I stopped collecting beads but saved everything that I had previously collected.  At that time, I was making jewelry designs and incorporated these beautiful beads into my work. I saved these boxes of vintage beads and stopped making jewelry. 

My youngest grandson was being baptized and I decided to make him a pair of rosaries for his baptism. I loved every minute of making this rosary and work up one morning with the name Let Your Light Shine.  However, that name was taken as it is a popular scripture verse and so I decided to make the title so that it incorporated ALL of us! 

I plan to share each of the rosaries and chaplets I have for sale in my Etsy store and tell you a little about the beads and thought behind the design.

I hope you enjoy each design as much as I enjoy making it.

God Bless!

Jen  :-)

Let Our Light Shine - Rosary and Chaplet Store using Vintage Beads