Reopening My Etsy Shop after Vacation Mode

 As you know, I really enjoy making simple and small quilts. And since I took the Kawandi Quilt Workshop last month, I've been hook to hand quilting. I have many small patchworks waiting to be made into something, but always got sidetracked. Well, I always have several projects going on besides working on orders. But you know what? Working in something you love is a great mood booster. And no, you don't have to follow so and so design or style or trend. Just simply do what you're happy to do. Even if it's a simple project. 

Last week I finally open my UFO/WIP bins and started working on small hand quilting projects and I am so happy with the result. In the Kawandi workshop last month, Saba told us about big stitch quilting (check out this post), which apparently trending now. I looked up about it on Pinterest and it's basically running stitch hand quilting like sashiko, Kantha, boro, and kawandi. Now, there is more than just running stitch! All those arts have a significant style and history behind it. And I'm so happy I'll be learning more about Kantha in next month's Workshop with Brinda Ma'am. so stay tuned and make sure to subscribe to my blog :D. 

I've been procrastinating about re-opening my small quilt shop on Etsy and finally a few days ago I did it! Wish me luck and if you have a little time, do check it out and favorite the shop! Thanks!!

VISIT MY QUILT SHOP

Right now, I only listed ready to ship items. Mostly are mug rugs and coasters! I really love the rectangular coasters. I used solid color at the back, so it will have a unique design and make it reversible! 

The coasters come in a set of 2 and since the gifting season is here if you buy 3, I offer free Express Shipping (5-7 days delivery)! The offer is also valid in my Handmade Shop.

What happened during Vacation Mode? 

Well, if you also thinking of re-opening your Etsy shop after a long hiatus like me, there are a few things you have to keep in mind.

According to Etsy, here's what happened when you put your shop on Vacation Mode:

• Your shop will still appear if someone searches for your exact shop name, but will not appear as an auto-suggestion in Search or other shopping tools.
• Your items won’t appear in Search.

And when you re-open your shop, it's basically like starting a new shop. What I noticed tho, my products still WON'T appear in searches for at least 24 hours after I activated the shop. Well, I used to put my fabric shop and handmade shop on vacation mode when I travel for a month or two, but I always able to bounce back within a few days. 

I think it's because the shop was not active for a long period of time, and during that time many changes have happened in Etsy, and all my previous data sort of deindexed. Now, I will have to work from scratch again! How exciting is that! :D

Now, how to get your shop up and running again after a long vacation mode?

I've been reading a few blogs and articles and I'm trying out a few things right now. When I checked my stats, I still have visitors every month even though it's very minimal. The visit mostly comes from my other shops. 

Here are a few things I am doing now:

• Edit my shop - fill up all the shop policy, announcement, about info, etc
• Editing the listing photos. If you have stock of your previous products, you can retake the photos, editing the title, tags, and description. 
• Adding new products at least one every day! If you have many items to list, DO NOT list them all at once. By listing one or a few products each day, your shop will get a little booster in search placement. 
• Post shop updates every day and
• Share it on Social Media as much as you can. Using Etsy social media updates comes with a link to your listing. It's very convenient instead of copy-paste the link from the browser.
• If you have a blog, it's a good time to post about it too (like what I am doing now).
• If you have a small budget to spare, you can consider using Etsy Ads, starts with a minimum amount, and increase it as needed.

I've seen an increase in views and visit since yesterday and hopefully will hear a ka-ching soon :D

If you're thinking of opening an Etsy shop, use this LINK to get 40 free listings! 

Thank you for stopping by today.

Happy Sewing!

~ Elvira

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Weekends Lockdown and Shop Updates

New Fabrics

I've been pretty busy last week sending out pending parcels and stuff. Lockdown is relaxed and some businesses and offices are allowed to operate with few guidelines. I guess they follow the world's trend because we cannot shut down the economy much longer. We have to learn to live with it, inculcate new habits, learn to be more disciplined and considerate. I'm happy to announce that for international shipping now we are delivering via DHL. I was busy with the paperwork for opening an account with DHL and finally able to send my pending orders last week. 

As for domestic shipping, in my previous post I wrote about Shiprocket which is good, but contacting their agent is really really frustrating. I wanted to downgrade my plan since last month but no callback or email from them even after I sent numerous emails and DM on Twitter, except some automated email and DM reply on Twitter. I could not use my balance to send my orders because my request for the downgrade is pending. I wonder if this Nupur, Divya, and Arushi is only an avatar to send us promotional emails:( A few days ago I finally signed up with Delhivery because I have to send out orders. This is a really disappointing service from Shiprocket. 

Handmade Face Mask

On the sewing front, yes I am still making masks. The 3D fitted mask is very popular and since I introduced the Trio 3D Face Mask, now my family and friends are asking for one. Both are very comfortable to wear especially during the summer months.

Here is the preview of my messy sewing room. Well, it's less messy actually because I just cleared the cutting area. Running a small business on your own from home is not easy but it keeps me happy. And with lockdown, sewing becomes my sanity. A much-needed distraction. Even cleaning messy table or folding fabrics after cutting fabric orders is therapeutic.

The boys are still having online classes and even piano classes are online. He's preparing for grade exams this few weeks. The student has to play three exam pieces, record it, and submit it online. We've been practicing to record the videos according to the guidelines given by Trinity College. 

Here's our new fave potion to boost our immunity. It's called golden milk. It's easy to make. Simply mix 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp ginger powder, and 1 tsp of honey in a cup of milk. Have it warm before bed. Namrata told me about this potion and we've been having it for the last 2 weeks. If you're using fresh ginger and turmeric, you may want to boil them together with the milk. I read this article that turmeric can eliminate certain viruses. When we were small, our mother used to give us a mix of turmeric and honey whenever we have a fever and I even gave my sons when they were small. It always worked wonders. 

That's all this week's stories! I hope you keep your self creatively busy during this lockdown. Don't dwell on what we can't do, but explore what we can do.

Take care & stay safe!

- Elvira -

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