I gave two of my girls a challenge yesterday, a bit of incentive to get creating. Usually they need no encouragement, but we're in the last couple weeks of a long, cold, snowy winter, and a push was just what they needed. Here is what I offered them: if they could create, photograph and list a new item in each of their shops by day's end, I would blog about whomever accomplished that goal.
The thought of new traffic to their shops was enough to get knitting needles flying! They set right to it, and had no problem with the creating part. Riley Mae, my 10 year old very recently opened her own Etsy shop, The Poisoned Apple, and joined the rest of our Etsy lovin' family! She actually had most of her newest sprout knit already, so finishing it up, tediously adding hair, and sewing on funky glasses was definitely within her reach. She finished it up before lunch... and then stalled. I was pretty sure she wouldn't make the deadline, but when I made a completely "random" comment that there would be no mention of her funky sprout in my next blog, well, that got her moving! It was down to the wire, but she proudly announced "it's listed!" and made it in the last precious minutes!
Jordan, my 12 almost 13 year old, has had her Etsy shop for a year or two now, Spring Showers. She also set to work with the knitting needles. She's been making hats and selling them like mad locally, but with warmer weather approaching, she figured she might want to branch out into other areas. Enter Dumplings. I knew once she got moving she would come up with something unique, and that she did. A little fluffball on a leash! 
Once she had a diretion we took a detour and went scouting around in Etsy until we found a shop that sells cute, little doll eyes. But since we couldn't magically transport them to us, she went on a treasure hunt, digging through my copious craft supplies for a suitable nose and eyes. She found them, and then proceeded to fashion a leash out of ribbon. She had hers photographed and listed before dinner. She loves taking the pics and editing them, she's very talented in that area. And so, there you have it. A day of creation, with only a tiny bit of prompting from me. :) Two adorable, little creations, just waiting patiently for a new home! Mission accomplished.
Once she had a diretion we took a detour and went scouting around in Etsy until we found a shop that sells cute, little doll eyes. But since we couldn't magically transport them to us, she went on a treasure hunt, digging through my copious craft supplies for a suitable nose and eyes. She found them, and then proceeded to fashion a leash out of ribbon. She had hers photographed and listed before dinner. She loves taking the pics and editing them, she's very talented in that area. And so, there you have it. A day of creation, with only a tiny bit of prompting from me. :) Two adorable, little creations, just waiting patiently for a new home! Mission accomplished.
P.S. Even though my 14 year old wasn't part of this challenge, it feels wrong not to mention her and her beautiful shop ~ The Forest Faery. That's also on Etsy, and her blog, Dreams of Fae, can be found here on blogspot!