I was married 32 years to my high school sweetheart.  During a great deal of my marriage I worked in the insurance industry while raising my family.  After I found myself unemployed at the onset of the recession I found a job working in the Davidson County school system. I've spent the past four years working for a special education pre-k teacher's assistant during the school year.  Now that school is out I plan on spending the majority of my time studying every available source to find out how to get my Etsy Shop up and running.  Not just up and running but how to make it profitable.  

I ordered a great kit from another Etsy shop called Homemade Success.  It's called The Complete Etsy Kit.  I have also found a number of helpful blogs on the Etsy site as well as a couple of forums that help people such as myself.  Those having a hard time getting their feet off the ground.

 I have been very pleased with what a close knit community Etsy  is.  It is crafts people and artisans helping each other, and admiring each other.  I have been very pleased with that aspect of my experience so far.  

I have spent a good deal of time racking my brain trying to think of other things that I could add to my shop other than my drawings.  In high school and college I did many crafts, and enjoyed them immensely. 

My daughter moved into a new apartment in January.  She had often talked about wanting to get a letter "B" to put in her new place, so I bought an extremely large one while shopping with a friend.  It didn't take long to paint it, and not only did she love it, but everyone I showed it to loved it as well.  

I've been painting some smaller letters.  Painting with characters on them.  Characters that would appeal to children.  I'll be finished by the 
end of the weekend.  I'm going to put my first letters in my shop and see  
how they are received.  Then I will start adding more as I complete them.
I'm thinking that I'll take custom orders once I get rolling also, but that will come later.   

I'm going to continue to think back to times gone by and try to remember what other types of crafts and such might be good to add to my shop.  I have two drawings to do this summer.  I must make room for those.  Drawing is my first love, one day I will sell my drawings, but for now I will find crafts to get "the ball rolling".  And then, I can move on from there.