Adventures In Selling Beyond Etsy

Greetings!

So this blog is a little bit more of a reflection blog - a how NOT-to blog, if you will. In the three years since I've opened my Etsy shop, I more than doubled sales in year two, and now in year three I am on pace to double revenues again. Maybe.

The reason I say maybe is because I realized recently that I have been doing a lot more for Etsy.com than I realized - and although I am truly grateful for this platform, I feel frustrated because the way Etsy does business has changed in a way that benefits my competitors more than it benefits me.

Let me explain, and hopefully I can help you avoid the mistakes that I made. When people search for things that I sell, or link to one of my products on Etsy.com, they now will see "suggestions" of similar items - which may or may not be items from my own shop. Which means that if I drive potential clients to my Etsy shop, they may instead choose to purchase from my competitors. Not cool.

I realized recently that posting pictures on Pinterest of my items sold through Etsy.com was the leading cause of this. If people clicked through on my link, they would go to my Etsy.com shop, but now they would also now be exposed to suggestions from similar competitors rather than the item that I created.

The funny thing is, when I started selling on Etsy, I sold the only thing I had ever made - photo collages on wooden letters for players on my volleyball team. Then came the day that someone asked for collages on numbers. I went to the craft stores, and at this time, they did not sell numbers. So I had to find a way to make my numbers myself. That is how I know I was the first person to make a jersey number collage - no one else had done it or could do it without making the numbers, too!

15 Inch Jersey Number Collage by Match Point Gifts

Fast forward to now - you can get generic numbers in almost every craft store and there are several people who now make number collages. I am not offended by this - I see that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I also believe that there are certain benefits that my collages and numbers possess that other people can't touch - partly because I understand things about athletics that only come from firsthand knowledge as an athlete and a coach.

What does bother me is generating leads for other shops. And I would love to help anyone else who might experience this by offering two important pieces of advice:

1. Create a web STORE, not just a website.

My webstore is www.matchpointgifts.com. It was a lot more difficult to set up than setting up my shop on Etsy, but I believe that doing this early will help you avoid the frustrations I have experienced.

2. Link every shop update and photo that you pin on Pinterest of your creations to your WEBSTORE, not Etsy.com. 

Then it will drive your interested Pinners and followers to your unique works of art and not advertise for others!

I wish I would have known this before pictures of my collages generated 24k pins or more. *sigh* Those pins were attributed to Etsy or to a general collage genre, but not to my shop, Match Point Gifts.

But that's ok. Business is all about learning and because I'm also a teacher, I live to inform others to do better than myself!

I hope you can learn from my mistakes! In the meantime, I will be trying to build my web store beyond Etsy, and I'll keep you posted with what I learn!

Don't forget, if you need any custom wood numbers, letters, or cutouts, you can find them in either of my online stores:

www.matchpointgifts.com
www.giantnumbershoppe.com

Thanks for reading! Tell me about your experience with any of the above - I'd love to hear your advice as well!
Crystal

The Giant Number Shoppe: Now on Etsy and Amazon Handmade!

Hello out there! We are so excited to add a new brand to Match Point Gifts! We opened the Giant Number Shoppe on Etsy AND on Amazon Handmade! Look for this logo:

Look for our new website, www.giantnumbershoppe.com! You'll find giant wooden numbers, letters, and anchors and craft party registration!

For now, check us out on Amazon Handmade:

https://www.amazon.com/The-Giant-Number-Shoppe/dp/B019TN3YX8

and on Etsy:

www.giantnumbershoppe.etsy.com

We made our local news!

So, I'm a little late in the announcement but I wanted to share our big news here: we completed a large project for the Chicago Public Library! When I say large - I mean, over 100 giant letters and numbers! So exciting!

(If you need giant wooden letters, numbers, anchors, or collages, please visit our website: www.matchpointgifts.com!)

It was one of the first opportunities for us to maximize the capabilities of our CNC machine, so we felt very excited and also blessed for the opportunity! What a big moment it was for our handmade shop to complete such a large order.

We look forward to more projects like these and will keep you updated. If you would like to read the news release, click the link below and scroll down!

See you next time!
Crystal

Link to article here

How it all Started!

Just recently one of the parents of my former players shared this photo with me ... with the caption, "Can you believe this is how it all began?"

The original Match Point Gift Letters

As I look over these letters, I am first extremely proud of my first effort. I made each of these by hand - printing the photos on my home computer, individually cutting out the photos, and decoupaging each photo one by one onto each letter.

I remember thinking to myself, after I finished the lonely first letter, that "this is going to take forever!" And I wanted to quit. But the competitor in me wouldn't let me quit. These are 6 of the 10 letters that I made for my team.

Everyone always asks me, why did you start doing this? At the time I made these letters, I was looking for a way to use all of the amazing photos that one of our parents had taken. It seemed a shame to leave them in digital folders on the internet!

Over the last few years, my methods have changed. I no longer print and cut everything by hand - I use photoshop. I no longer by the letters at craft stores - I make them myself! But what stays the same is the effort and care that I put into each one.

That's because I know how much these letters mean to the ones who receive them, and even to their parents - if they are for young athletes. They are amazing frames of memories, of times and teammates and moments full of magic and hope.

I am so glad that I can share this photo with you! I hope it gives you a little glimpse into my process and the "why" of my shop! I look forward to our next project together!

Sincerely,
Crystal

How To Make a Collage in the Shape of a Wooden Letter

Hello! Welcome to my blog on how to make a collage in the shape of a wooden letter! I apologize for the delay ... but I think I have some helpful information for you today. Please let me know what you think and if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below!

So to recap from the last two weeks, I own a shop online called Match Point Gifts (www.matchpointgifts.com and www.matchpointgifts.etsy.com). You can purchase a variety of wooden letters, numbers, and shapes that are perfect for collage from either of my shops! The best thing about our letters is that they are custom made for you - so if you have a shape or size in mind that you don't see, just send us a request and we will make it for you!

To get started and follow along with this tutorial, you'll want to make sure that you have your wooden letter or shape prepped and ready to go, and the following list of materials:

Materials:

1. Match Point Wooden Letter or Shape.

2. Mod Podge (I used the glossy version).

3. Foam brush.

4. 20 pictures you would like to use, printed onto copy paper.
5. Exacto Knife (not pictured)

1. Match Point Letter.

4. About 20 photos for project.

Step 1: Layout Your Collage.

I have the benefit of using Photoshop, which is a high-powered photo editing software program. If you don't have access to photoshop, you can physically lay them out AFTER step #2.

Step 2: Mod Podge Your Pictures.

I learned the hard way that using mod podge on my pictures BEFORE handling them and trying to put them onto the wooden letter works best. The modge podge gives them a little extra strength and stability PLUS you don't have to worry about smearing ink or damaging the photos as you move them around. TIP: Use thin layers, and try not to "over-wet" the paper, especially if you are using copy paper. Give the photos plenty of time to dry. 20-30 minutes is usually sufficient.

Mod Podge over all of your pictures. I had some extra "help" :)

Step 3: Cut out Your Photos and Arrange.

This step always takes the longest, particularly if you aren't able to make a design of the photos prior to decoupaging them onto the letter. When I first started making collages, I just laid them out as I went. I got a lot of great feedback from my early projects, so this method works as well!

Tip: When you are laying out your photos, make sure to trace an outline of where you want them to go onto the letter. I've included an example below. That way you can glue them down in the correct place. This ensures you align the photos the way you want them.

Layout Photos

Trace around the bottom edges of each picture, so you have a guide when it's time to glue it down.

Voila! You have a "map" of where to put the pictures! Make sure to glue the ones at the top first. Use your exacto knife to trim the edges that overlap the sides of your letter.

Step 4: Cover with thin layers of mod podge.

Another important fact that I've learned about mod podge is that it is very forgiving - but to maximize it's use here, use THIN layers, and let them dry for 3-5 minutes and apply another one. Three coats minimum has yielded the best for me. With mod podge, less is more, but the greater the buildup of layers, the better the effect. It will really start to look like a puzzle masterpiece!

Let it dry and give your masterpiece as a thoughtful gift or display proudly in your home!

I'm going to give this one to my mom as a gift for Mother's Day - its full of photos of our family and in particular, all of her beautiful grandchildren!

I really hope you liked this tutorial - I'll be doing another one in a few weeks with a simple wooden frame, so check back again soon! If you'd like to see more examples of my work, you can follow me on Instagram @matchpointgifts and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/matchpointgifts.

If you follow this tutorial and make your own collage, I'd love to see it! You can post your comments below or email me at design@matchpointgifts.com if you have any additional questions!

Happy Collaging!
Crystal

Prepping Your Letter or Number For A Collage - What It Looks Like

Hi there! I hope you had a great week! Besides my iPhone screen breaking and running random programs, I had a great one, too! I am participating in an Instagram challenge this month, called #marchmeetthemaker and I have posted several pictures of myself, my home studio, and the wonderful machine that makes all of our wooden letters, numbers and shapes. Please follow me if you'd like, @matchpointgifts on Instagram.

But I digress - this week I wanted to follow up my last blog post with pictures of an actual project. And I have to start off by saying, I may be wrong about foam brushes. At least for painting the back of my collage letters/numbers, they definitely have upside. One being that they absorb the paint very well and two, you can really get into the nooks and crannies of the letter.

I realized that if I was going to tell people not to use foam brushes, I should at least try one to see what all of the fuss was about - but the jury is still out for me on using foam brushes as a finishing brush. But I digress, again!

So here I go, following my own steps from the last post. I took pictures so that you could follow along, too!

Step 1: Purchase Your Wooden Letter, Number or Shape.
You can purchase your wooden letter or number from www.matchpointgifts.com or in my shop on Etsy, www.matchpointgifts.etsy.com. These letters are thick and you can't get custom fonts in any craft store! So check us out, made in the Carolinas, USA!

I chose a 15 inch letter A in our block font. I'm going to make a collage for my parents, my son's grandparents, of my son, Asher! This style of letter is for sale in our shop for $20.

15 Inch Letter "A", block-style font

Step 2: Choose a Paint Color.

I prefer black for the edges of my collages... and I'll use this example collage to show you why. For this project, I went with Pure Black.

I feel that you can never go wrong with Folk Art paint.

Step 3: Select the Right Brush.

Here is where I have to share my change of heart (I've learned this from watching all of the Political Debates on TV!) Foam brushes are more than ok for this step in this particular project. I used both a gold haired brush (that I thought was too narrow for painting the back, but I couldn't find my wider-bristled brush) and then the foam brush.

It's the battle of the brushes.

Step 4: Paint Your Letter, sides, then back.

This is where the foam brush kind of separated itself from my beloved gold-bristled brush - it seemed to really flow over the unfinished wood, and the foam brush navigated the crevices of the A's cutout and it's block intersections. 

Side view of the painting job.

The bottom photo shows why I don't like to use foam brushes as my "front" of the letter brush - there is a lot of streakin going on. But for the back, it will dry ok.

And we're done! With the back.

So ... a lot of people might think this is all very simple, and it's true. But I want to stress to you, gift recipients are going to turn your collage over - and you want it to have a finished feel. And it's a lot easier to do the back BEFORE you do the collage, please take my word for it!

Next time we will prep the photos and finish this tutorial, so go ahead and pick out 15-20 photos that you would like to use. It's best to print them with a laser printer, but if you don't have one, no worries. I'll walk you through my processes with an InkJet next week.

Happy Collaging!

Crystal

How to Prepare a Wooden Letter or Number for a Photo Collage in Four Easy Steps

Hi! I'm Crystal, the owner of Match Point Gifts (www.matchpointgifts.com and www.matchpointgifts.etsy.com). I've noticed a trend over the last year of DIYers purchasing our letters and numbers for personal collage products, so I wanted to post some (hopefully) helpful tips to help you make the best collage possible!

Today I will explain how to prepare a wooden letter or wooden number for your collage project in four easy steps! I hope to have a video version of this tutorial linked here soon!

Step 1: Purchase Your Wooden Letter, Number or Shape.
You can purchase your wooden letter or number from www.matchpointgifts.com or in my shop on Etsy, www.matchpointgifts.etsy.com. One reason I would suggest this is that we offer a variety of sizes, from 12 inches to 60 inches! I personally have made 3 foot collage projects, and I've sold numbers larger than that to those who wanted to make the giant collage themselves!

12 Inch Wooden Number, Block Font (Great for Sports Collages!)

24 Inch Numbers, Block Font

15 Inch Wooden Letters, Standard Bold Font

We also make the block fonts pictured above and can custom make any shape you would like, so just shoot me an email if you don't see what you have pictured in your mind's eye ... we will custom design any shape for you!

Step 2: Choose a Paint Color.
I personally prefer to use black for all of my collage projects. Black provides a clean edge and cohesiveness that I like. Clients request customization when it comes to color, though, so every once in a while, I will choose a finishing color that is not black.

I have used a lot of craft paints, and my favorite by far is the regular acrylic version made by Folk Art. Sometimes it goes on sale, but you can almost always get it for 40% off by using a craft store coupon. (TIP: most craft stores accept competitor's coupons! YES!)

Here's a quick glance at the Folk Art paint:

Folk Art Acrylic Paint, My FAVORITE!

Step 3: Select the Right Brush.
Some people say that foam brushes work well for painting, but foam brushes are not my top choice when it comes to painting wooden letters. I love them for decoupaging collages, but for painting, I prefer gold-bristled brushes like this:

Gold Bristled Paint Brush - My choice for painting wooden letters, numbers, and shapes!

Step 4: Paint Your Letter, sides, then back.

When I first started making collages on wooden letters and numbers, I made a big mistake in assuming that I did not need to paint the back of the letter or number. I chose not to paint the back to "save time" ... and while skipping the back may have saved time, the letter looked terribly unfinished when people flipped over my beautiful collage, only to see an uneven splattering of paint covering the back of my letter or number.

You want your final piece admired from front to back and side to side, so make sure to paint the back of your number and letter completely BEFORE you collage the front!

Thanks for reading! Next week I will share a detailed tutorial for prepping your photos for your collage, and give you a couple of different options for putting your collage letter or number together! Now's the time to get your letter or number at www.matchpointgifts.com!

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think - and is there anything you would add?

Happy Collaging,
Crystal