I’m on papernstitch!

Something has lit a fire inside me. I have been preparing items to photograph and list in my Etsy shop non-stop for the past few days. I have been jotting down ideas for new products. I have been experimenting with how to photograph my items. I have been super-excited about catshy crafts in general! And I can tell you what that something is. Papernstitch!

What is Papernstitch? It’s a curated exhibition site of indie crafts and handmade goods run by Brittni Mehlhoff. She also runs the Papernstitch blog, a wealth of information on running a crafty business. Apparently, she is one of the “Top 150 Makers” and a former high school art teacher! Gotta love that.

And why am I so excited? From November 16 to December 7, I am one of the Papernstitch exhibitors!

How did it happen? How did my little ole shop make the cut? Well, I was wondering that myself. I guess it all started when I subscribed to Papernstitch’s newsletter after first hearing a podcast about creating a niche blog.  I remember thinking that this is just the type of information I needed: Entertaining, to the point, with relevant information for me. I was creating my new Etsy shop and getting this blog started so I needed all the help I could get.

A few days later I found another insightful post and was brave enough to leave a comment and included my blog URL (my etsy shop was not up and running at that time).  This was my feeble attempt at networking. Lo and behold, Brittni Mehlhoff  wrote back and we exchanged a few e-mails about how I found Papernstitch in the first place. Nothing major, but I liked how she connected with her readers and took the time to respond to comments.

Fast forward 4 or 5 months.

The deadline for the next exhibition was that night at midnight. I had seen the submission calls come and go, but I didn’t think I was ready. My shop only had a handful of items in the shop at this point. On the other hand, I did have finished pieces that *just* needed to be photographed and listed.  If only I had the time.

It was a Monday morning and my youngest had a toddler class. She absolutely loves this class and no way would I make her miss it. As luck would have it, my husband is working from home these days and sets his own schedule. Would he be able to take her? Well, if she is the one doing the asking! 😉 I may have whispered the idea to her. And how could a Daddy say no to her 2-year-old?

So, with my time free, I set up my lightbox and went to work. (Well, to be truthful I did a LOT of housework first because we were having guests that night – who actually later cancelled – arrgh!.) In the remaining hour or so, I photographed my felt embroidery hoop art, wrote descriptions, added keywords, etc. By the time I finished I had 14 items up! Not bad for a morning’s day of work.

But there was another kink in my plan. My daughter came home from toddler class cranky and crying. Not only had she bumped her head on the car door (she was too busy jumping in rain puddles). Turns out she was sick! A fever. So with that on plate, I didn’t even think about submitting again until I was lying in bed with her. Reading her stories. Remember, the deadline was midnight (I wasn’t sure if it was EST or PST), but it was 8:30 PST where I live. To be safe, I told myself I only had 30 minutes. Luckily, the submission form was a snap to fill out. And before the clock struck twelve, I had my Invite to join the Exhibition from Brittni!

Lesson learned? Go for it! You have nothing to lose. Cliche I know, but so true.

These are now available in the shop!

So please check out my gallery at Papernstitch! It will be up until December 7. And I can’t wait to check the other exhibitors! myself.

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