I've been spending a great deal of time on my Etsy shop and it's been a baby of mine, a very good-tempered, sweet baby that I love spending time with. It's not work - it's a passion. I will do this for the rest of my life. There are elements of the process that I like more than others, but it all changes day to day. It's a labor of love. It starts with conception - of ideas. Sourcing. Design (where nothing ever ends up quite as I first imagined, and my fingernails are destroyed.) Photography, waiting for a bright day, for lots of natural sunlight to pour in, and I start shooting. Manipulating the images. Listing the items. Sharing a story with my customers for each item.
It's all tied together by a concept. My concept involves a mythical island in the Carribean, lots of rum punch, pirates, buried treasure, international trade, religion local to the region. A small twist of Dia de los Muertos, a blast of color, and skulls. The geographical aspect keeps me focused, immensely.
The jewelry design started a long time ago, when I made things for myself. Last year - 2009 - I began making small batches of jewelry, inspired by some vintage pieces I picked up at Theater Vue Antiques in downtown Easton. Some wonderful, generous shopowners offered to sell my pieces in their shops. And my friend Sarah wanted to window shop my stuff online. And so began the RUM PUNCH Etsy shop.
It's always a pleasant surprise when I receive confirmation of a new sale. So much wonder, for me, that a total stranger shopped my boutique and committed to a purchase. I wish that I could talk with the customer in person, make eye contact, and thank them warmly. But the endless possibilities of the online shopping experience allow me to reach a global audience. The alternative to the warm in-person experience is the warm old fashioned postal experience. My careful choice of words, my self-designed business card, gift wrap and packaging are, by extension, part of the RUM PUNCH experience.
I'm reaching milestones faster than I ever expected - my first international sale was also my first item priced over $40. Then I did a giveaway and found myself with 40+ brand new Facebook fans - who stuck around after the giveaway ended. I'm always competing with myself, trying to outdo my own photography. And it continues.
Today, I sold 3 items to a lovely stranger in London. One of the necklaces was my absolute favorite - the Dream Catcher. The concept is inspired by Native American culture and features a heavy metal skull that I purchased in NYC. Everything I design is handmade and unique, everything is one-of-a-kind. Here is the bittersweet part --
So the Dreamcatcher is leaving the rest of the necklaces it's grouped with. They're perched on a silver arm of my little spraypainted-white cart with wheels. It's going across the ocean, to be loved by another. In its absence, I'll design something different, but very much the same.
Today has been a new milestone, and in time, I'll know just what the milestone is. I am happy.
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