I have always been the kind of person that would rather make something by hand that was unique for a birthday or Christmas gift than go the easy route and buy something, but I never thought of turning my creations into a lucrative business until...
It all started back almost four years ago, well before my Etsy debut. My friend Kadi, a seasoned seller and crafter, convinced me to help make some hemp necklaces to sell in the parking lot of the concerts we were going to that summer. I figured why not, hell, if it helps pay for the cost of going to the show, I'm all in! So for a few weeks, we got together numerous times and made dozens of necklaces.
July 6, 2006 at Darien Lake amphitheater was the first day of the rest of my life. I knew what I was meant to do. I loved walking up and down those isles of cars talking with fellow Deadheads and selling my wares. To tell ya the truth, I don't even remember how much money we made, but I can tell you what a GREAT time I had. Not to mention at that show, I reconnected with a boy that I had not seen in years, we have been in a relationship ever since. So that day was special to me in so many ways.
Fast forward to this past Fall. I was on Phish tour, I think it was in Albany, selling my recycled spoon pendants on the lot, I had heard for the hundredth time that I should take my wares on Etsy. I had heard many stories of crafters on tour doing very well on the site. Since Winter is a rough time to try to sell outdoors, Etsy was starting to look like a pretty good idea.
January 21, 2010 was my grand opening of Sunshyne Silverwear on Etsy, and when I got that first sale about a week later I was BEYOND ecstatic. I think I did the happy dance around the house for ten minutes while calling and texting everyone I knew. I knew this was gonna be a fun venture.
