I started an Etsy shop called TheWarmestOne about six years ago when I got really into knitting. (the dabble of the time) The problem was that I only liked to knit smaller items that I could complete in one knitting session (like a couple of hours tops). This resulted in lots of baby hats, ear bands, baby cocoons, some scarves and a blanket that I completed to about 6 inches by 30 inches and gave up on. It is still in my closet actually. But the more items I knit the more people were asking me to make custom items. This created a situation that as a new small business owner I wasn’t entirely sure how to navigate. I didn’t want to lose business but also wasn’t 100% committed to the idea of now having outstanding orders and tight timelines to adhere to. It is way more my speed to have items pre-made and ready to sell then to make them all to order. (I have since evolved in this process as you will see but my feelings still remain pretty much the same about the pressure customizations add)
I was able to sell lots of my items through Etsy and one time I did a craft show which proved to be very productive but the pressure of having to do something that started out as an enjoyment really bothered me. This is easily one of the top reasons that I dabble so much. As soon as something feels like an obligation that creates pressure or stress and I do not feel like I want to do it anymore, I just don’t. But regardless of this my Etsy shop stayed open with the inventory I had and I just stopped adding new knitting projects to my store.
Fast forward to about a year ago when I decided that I needed a Cricut. (the dabble spring 2020) I immediately fell in love with making t-shirt and custom clothing items. Most of these were for myself (or my mom) but it was actually something that came pretty easily to me and allowed me to make items that I myself would have purchased on Etsy. I have a background in graphic design so the program itself seems pretty lack luster. I started using different programs to make my own svg’s (just the file type that allowed my to pull it into the Cricut program and cut it out). The more shirts I made the more people in my life started asking for custom items. I ended up getting another machine to make projects go faster.
With this new dabble my Etsy shop evolved and now offers clothing items, sometimes home décor, etched glasses or whatever else I feel like making at the time. I changed the name to HomewithAngelica so it matched my blog and I have created a space where I take custom orders only when I feel like I can get them done and stick mostly to on hand inventory that I have ready to ship out. It takes away the pressure of having to get things done quickly and allows me to schedule when I feel like creating and not when it needs to be done. I also stick mostly to things that I would wear or buy from someone else on Etsy so it really helps me to expand my wardrobe.
Because I learned when to say no and not feel like I got the wind knocked out of me for doing it I haven’t given up on this dabble just yet. (Now if I could do this in any other part of my life, we would really be cooking but I am who I am and don’t see this changing any time soon)
There is a link to my Etsy shop at the top of my page and I try to add new inventory whenever the motivation strikes me. And to be honest, you will see nothing new when I just don't feel like it.
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