Recently, one of my girlfriends was asking me how she could start an Etsy shop. Immediately, I started rambling off a slew of tips and tricks As I was in my stream of consciousness a thought popped in my head, "Other people might benefit from these tips!" rang through my brain. I've been selling on Etsy since 2017, and during my time as an artist on Etsy I've stumbled forward in making sales. Today I am going to share with you a few things I have learned. I hope these tips can serve you well and help you just as much as they helped me! 

Tip #1 - Research Your Competition 
When I was first getting started on Etsy, the most helpful thing I did was look at my competitors. When looking at the profiles of other artists selling on Etsy, I looked at a few key areas of their page. This included...

1. their product photos,
2. tags they are using,
3. keywords they are using,
4. their branding,
5. and what they included in their product description.

It's important to understand how you stack up to your competitors. What do they offer that you do not? What do you like about how they have their store set up? What will you do to distinguish yourself from others? Etsy is a saturated marketplace, so it's VERY important to understand what is already out there and how you can set up your shop to standout in the crowd! 

Tip #2 - Take Good Product Photos
This seems obvious, right? But taking quality product photos can be HARD. Especially as an artist. You want to have good lighting (preferably natural lighting) and a good setting. It's also important to have photos of your product from multiple angles. Even if you don't have a professional grade camera, you can still get quality photos using the lens on your phone. There are also some great photo editing apps on the market that can help make your photos look professional. I use AfterLight to edit photos on my phone and post them to my social media and etsy accounts. 

Tip #3 - Select Your Name 
Another obvious step is setting up an Etsy shop, but don't over think it. Some people can really get stuck on trying to create a fun and catchy name for their store. It's important to remember that your name is part of your brand, but it should also indicate to the customer what you offer. For example, my shop name is simply ' Kelsey Meyer Art' this indicates to the customer that they will be purchasing original art by Kelsey Meyer. You can take some time to get creative with your name, look at the shop names of your competitors, but don't overthink it. At the end of the day, keep it simple. 

Tip #4 - Create Your Branding 
It is important to have consistent branding. Choose a few select colors that you want to be part of your brand, and begin creating your Etsy header and Logo Icon. A great platform to create branding is Canva. They have free templates that you can use and download. 
Remember - Keep your branding consistent across all social media platforms. You will wan to use the same logo or header on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and even Tiktok! 

Tip #5 - Research SEO Tags
Etsy functions like a google search engine, so it's important to select tags for which people are searching. When selecting your tags and keywords, again, look at your competitors. Are they making sales? If so, how? What tags are they using? What keywords are they using? A great way to see how your items rank in the Etsy search engine is by linking your Etsy account with an app like Marmalead. Marmalead will help rate your listing as they stand up to Etsy best-practices. This allows you to see which listings need better tags, titles, and keywords and helps to optimize your searchabiity. 

Tip #6 - Build Your Inventory
Before you officially launch you Etsy store and social media accounts, you want to make sure that you have your inventory ready to go! Have at least 20 items in your inventory for which you have quality product photos. The more items you have in your inventory, the better the chances are that your items will be found. In the Etsy search engine, shops with more items are pushed to the top, so get your items ready! The more the merrier! 
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Tip #7 - Tell People!
Last but not least, tell people! People want to buy items from someone they know. Once your Etys site is live and your have built your social media accounts, be sure to link them on you personal pages so that your friends, family, and colleagues have the chance to support you in your dreams. People love to see others flourish! 

The perfect way to brighten up your garden or landscape! I make custom garden peace poles based on your specificity. Custom designs include colors, flowers, words, phrases, your home address - your imagination is the limit!

Garden Peace Poles are available in the following sizes and prices:

• 4 x 4 x 4 Pressure- Treated Timber   $50.00
• 4 x 4 x 6 Pressure-Treated Timber    $75.00
• 4 x 4 x 8  Pressure-Treated Timber   $95.00

Garden Peace Poles are created used Pressure-Treated Timber in your selected size. They are sanded and painted with acrylic paint and sealed using UV-proof varnish for protection in all weather. 
Process for Oder Completion

1. Complete the order form below and email to the artist at kelseylmeyer@kelseymeyerart.com
2. Artist will contact you to coordinate the design of your custom garden peace pole.
3. Artist and patron will confirm design and expected date of completion.
4. 50% of total payment is due upon order confirmation BEFORE the artist begins work.
5. Artist begins work and will send progress photos along the way.
6. Artist completes work and contacts patron to coordinate delivery or pick-up of final piece. Patron is responsible to cover any shipping costs. 
7. The remaining % of total payment is due upon delivery of final custom garden piece pole. 

I am very excited to announce that Kelsey Meyer Art is now available to purchase in store! If you have ever wanted to view my items before making a purchase, you can now do so by visiting my booth at Unvaulted Treasures in Luckey, Ohio to see all that is available!

Items include scarves, coasters, earrings, prints, and note cards. It's been my first full year of business operations as an LLC and I could not be more thankful for this opportunity to expand my business! This is even more special to me because the store is just a few doors down from my Grandpa Lowen’s electric business, which is still in operation!

Store Location: 238 Main Street  Luckey, Ohio
Follow Unvaulted Treasures on Facebook for information and hours of operation:
 https://www.facebook.com/unvaultedtreasures

Today marks the official first day of fall, and yet it still feels like summer in Ohio. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for crunchy leaves on the ground, the smell of cinnamon in the air, and a big comfy sweater. While it might not feel like fall quite yet, the season of fall arts and craft shows is well under way. Fall marks a busy time for artists, as we are preparing for and attending many arts festivals. Currently, I am preparing and restocking some of my best selling items like my hand-made coasters and mini-paintings, in preparation for my next festivals.
 
As a subscriber to my mailing list, you get first notification of my upcoming fall and holiday festivals! These shows will feature hand-made items such as coasters, scarves, mini-paintings, ornaments, holiday cards, and prints that are great options as gifts for the holidays (or a gift for yourself!) You can find information about my upcoming shows below. And, remember, I do a giveaway box at each of my shows! So remember to stop by my booth and enter your name to win!

​I wanted to give a special 'Thank You' to everyone who came out to visit my booth at the Black Swamp Arts Festival! This was my first year at the festival, and needless to say, I was VERY nervous! First of all, I had never done such a large festival. Secondly, I had never done a two day festival. So I had NO IDEA how the festival was going to go....or if I would survive the two days! Would people like my art? Would I sell anything? Would anyone show up?  But, guess what? People did show up and they did like my art!
Every single person who visited my tent made the event special and meaningful to me. I was so happy to meet and speak with everyone who took the time to visit my little area of color and joy during the festival. If you bought a piece from me at the festival, I would love to see where you have placed it in your home or office! Please feel free to send me a picture of your piece to my email kelseylmeyer@kelseymeyerart.com
 
Once again, thank you all for your support!

Do you host an arts and/or craft fair? Would you like to feature me? I am always looking for new arts & crafts shows to attend! If you are interested in working together, please complete the contact form below and I will reach out to you! ​

It is the versatility of scarves which have made them so iconic. A simple google search will return over 20+ ways to wear a scarf including as a head wrap, shawl, neck tie, or kimono. Not only are scarves so versatile, but they can be warn all year as a way to dress up any outfit. There is something about wearing a scarf that makes me feel so elegant and transports me back in time.

In dedication to my scarf obsession, I'm excited to announce that I have partnered with the Canadian company, Art of Where, to begin producing my own line of scarves! All scarves are handmade and feature my original artwork. Scarves will ship from Art of Where in Montreal, Canada. View a snapshot of my collection below and click on the button to begin shopping! ​