The new year always reminds me of when I got my start on Etsy, but this Jan. 10 feels like more of a milestone than ever, as I’ve reached my five-year Etsyversary.
I first signed up when we lived back in a small town along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. At the time, I was slowly building a plan to turn my bookbinding passion into my full-time profession. Five years later and transplanted to the great Nashville arts community, I’m binding handmade books every day from my home studio.
And I’ve never had such a busy time on Etsy. My favorite photoshoot to date, with psalm27creative this past fall, encouraged me to list more of my work on Etsy than ever before. Just look at how great these leather journals look! (And if you must look, here’s a page with some early product photos for comparison.)
It’s hard to say how far I’ve come in five years, but here’s another fun example.
My first sale — a pair of small books — went to an acquaintance in Michigan. Flash forward to December 2014, and I found a book-lover interested in receiving four of my Instagram photo albums — all the way in Australia.
It’s odd, but I must be big there, because it’s where I’ve made my most international sales, with 14. I’ve also sent eight to the United Kingdom, five to Canada, and four to France. I’ve also shipped books to Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Spain, and Ireland.
Here in the U.S., I’ve reached 35 states.
I do love sharing my work far and wide and that has been one of the best benefits of being involved with Etsy. Without it, I might not have gained the momentum to start my own business.