Hi Shirley! I agree with you. It's such a tough issue to navigate because who can tell others how to sell their products, right?! But, yes, those who are trying to run a profitable business can't get away with lower pricing. When you are in an industry that has both hobby-level artists and professional (meaning business/selling)-level artists, it is very hard to have an even playing field. The only thing an artist who wishes to have a business can do is make sure the quality of their products are top-notch and their marketing efforts speak to the quality and true value of them. It's all about "positioning" yourself in the market. There is room for all price points, but the artist has to work hard to justify a higher price point. I appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective!! xo Amy

Complaining about other folks’ freedoms seems to be your best genre. Count your blessings.

Hey, Jen! It is not easy running a handmade business (or any business, but handmade selling has some unique factors that make it especially challenging)! I get burned out, too, and regularly think about quitting!! Definitely do not compare yourself to others. Many people have very different circumstances and many people are not honest about things or maybe don't share everything (which is totally their prerogative!), so it doesn't do any good to compare. For example, my kids are basically grown, so I have more time to devote to running a business than someone with young kids, like you. I could never have done what I am doing now when my kids were young! You have

@Jennie Mae June Sorry for the abrupt end of my comment! I had to sign off! So, what I wanted to say was give yourself grace for the season of life you are in. And do what feels good to you and try to ignore what everyone else is doing. That is what I do, too. I try to stay in my own lane and focus on what works for me and leave the rest. Thank you for adding to the conversation!! 🤗💖💖💖💖

A lot of people mass make their journals. Go at your own pace and stop comparing yourself to others. Stop being negative, you sabatoge yourself. If you want to do this, be happy about it. Or find something else to do

Hi Pam! Never rambling! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic! I think we do forget about all the "extras" we have to do to sell our work! The photos, the marketing, etc.! It's a lot to take into consideration when it comes to pricing and also just to the work expectation. I'm sorry for the loss of your mom! How nice you have so many of her art things! It *is* exciting to sell and that can bring another level of enjoyment to your craft for sure! The marketing and business side can be kept really simple. And the tech piece of it, too. It seems overwhelming and difficult, but it's only because it's not something you have learned yet! And it can be easily learned (and is something I hope I can make easier for you!)! Pricing is tricky and I, like I said I will do a whole video on that subject soon. You said "even at the lower prices I'm not selling, so not sure what to do." Remember the other day I said you know you will have no trouble selling because you were able to sell several journals immediately after posting about them in my group? It's not because they were priced low. It's because you were in front of people who were looking for those exact kind of journals! It isn't a pricing issue (and I have lots to share on that topic!)--it's an audience issue. You just need to "find your people." When selling online, it really does help to use social media. Even though you are new at social media, doesn't mean you can't learn the basics of it. It does not need to be complicated or take a ton of your time. But sharing your work consistently with people who love junk journals and want to buy them is how you will be able to sell your journals with ease--and at the price they are worth. Stay tuned for more on that!! You have not gotten into this too late. Yes, junk journals have become a bit of a trend and there are more sellers today then just a few years ago, but there is more demand than there are journals (especially since they take awhile to make--people can't churn them out fast enough to meet the demand) and plenty of room for more sellers! Thank you for your kind words about my work! I appreciate that!! I will talk to you soon!! xoxo Amy :)

Same

Hi Jewell!! It's so great to learn more about you!! Wow! Thank you for sharing your experience! Gosh, it SO hard to run a craft business! I go back and forth all the time wondering if I should close my business down and just go back to making for the fun of it. My husband would love that! :) I do love the business side of things and have a burning desire to help other crafters/artists, so I think I am going to continue on for now. I am determined to make this work and then teach others how they can do the same! You are wise to move forward!! There is no one right path! We each have our own to travel!! If I ever decide to close down, I will do it with no regrets! There are too many wonderful things to do and explore in this world! You have a lovely day, too, my friend!! xoxo Amy :)

@@KittywittyPapercraft Hi, Amy! I hope that you will continue to make your wonderful videos. And as you know, I am absolutely loving your Etsy shop! :) But if you do choose to one day close your business, I would of course support your decision and pray for your happiness going forward. I hate to think of the stress that you are under putting in so many hours. I would like for you to know that you have made a difference in my life and in the lives of so many. Your positivity and honesty are greatly appreciated, especially in today's world. I am truly inspired. In fact, my Kittywitty inspired craft room 're-design' is coming together pretty quickly. Because I have a huge stash of children's books and very vintage coloring books (2 Sterilite drawer units full) that I used to digitize my embroidery designs, I had a pretty good start. My sweet Ruth Newton doll will be arriving soon, and my dear sister has several vintage dolls, nursery planters, etc. that she has been trying to find a home for. When everything is in place I will send you pics. Even unfinished, I find myself just sitting in the room and absorbing the sweetness of it. It recharges me. :) Thank you again for your inspiring Nursery Craft Room video and all of the other fun and informative videos you have shared. You are the best! xo

Hi! Thank you for watching! I actually talked about selling at craft fairs in my first video in this series! I mentioned that craft fairs can be tricky for handmade journals. It depends on the audience at the fair and what the typical price points are for the vendors at the fair. Many people have said that craft fair attendees often are crafty people themselves and don't want to pay what the prices that one needs to charge for the level of detail and labor that go into many journals. Again, it depends of the type of fair and what kind of customers come through. It's wonderful you have had success doing that! I think having examples is a great idea and I'm sure that was very helpful! The other reason I focus on selling online is that you can get in front of many more people on a daily basis and you don't have the set up/breakdown time, fees, etc that are associated with craft fairs. It is certainly another option, though, and might be better for some! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us!! I really appreciate it!! xoxo Amy :)

I am curious what do you consider a your simple journal that sold well. Also what type of area do you sell in? Urban? Suburbs? small town. Thanks for sharing you expertise

@@janelpirate9125 They are composition books that I tape three pages together so markers can be used. I use junk journal digital kits to decorate the covers and 10 more of the pages also making pockets on them. I sell them for $25. We live in a community of only 6,000 people but many faith journal. I usually sell out of the composition book journals. I also make Little Golden Book and pattern journals. Lots of the people know us here and that helps too. We don't mind the work of setting up and tearing down because the social interaction makes it worth it.

@@jimkehn524 thanks for all the great information. I really appreciate you sharing!

good idea about having samples. I guess talking about journaling in general would help also.

Hi there! Thank you so much for watching and for your comment! Boy, if you are looking for honesty and integrity, let me just say there is a *mix* of honest and not-so-honest people in the crafting niche--not unlike any niche as it sounds like you experienced! There's actually a lack of integrity in the entire online business world. Some people are waking up to it and starting to speak out about it. I know of 3 people who are working tirelessly to share the "dark side" of the online business world. I hope more people become aware and things start changing. It was a big part of why I stopped selling my journals and creating content. I don't mean to be a downer! LOL I'm a very upbeat, optimistic person! But I've seen too many people get duped and hurt. I wish you all the best!! xo Amy :)

@@KittywittyPapercraft Exact same, Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I so appreciate it.

@@Glitzystitcheshome You bet!! Have a great night! 🤗💕

Hi! I'm so sorry I missed your comment when you posted it! Thank you for watching the video and sharing your experience! I wish you all the best with your journal selling!! xoxo Amy :)

Hi Tammy! Thank you so much for sharing your perspective!! You are totally right about the breakdown of art vs. business! I just commented that a good rule of thumb is 20% art, 80% business/marketing, but it's probably closer to what you shared! :D xoxo Amy :)

Thank you so much for watching and commenting, Vicki! Yes, balancing expenses is tricky when you are selling!

Hi Anne! Thank you so much for watching and commenting! It's good you realized what suits you best and you are honoring that! Happy crafting!! 🤗💕💕💕

Thank you for watching, Maggy!! Yes, so much work goes into it! It took awhile for my Etsy shop to start getting regular orders. Do you drive your own "traffic" to your Etsy shop, like through having an account on Instagram? That is my #1 advice to anyone starting an Etsy shop! I will be talking more about that, but let me know if you have any questions! xoxo Amy :)

@@KittywittyPapercraft yes I have my Instagram account. I have posted some there but it doesn’t sell yet. So I wait a couple of days then I posted in Etsy. I do post on IG but not constantly. Anyways, thank you so much for your series, Amy!💞😊

@@Maggita2015 You are so welcome! Building a following on IG is one of the best things you can do to sell your journals, in my opinion! When you have a community of people who love your work and that come to "know, like and trust" you (marketing speak!), it is much easier to sell. I'm going to be sharing more about that in upcoming videos, as I mentioned. See you soon!! xo

@@KittywittyPapercraft thank you so much, Amy! I cannot wait 😊💞

@@Maggita2015 Thank you, Maggy!!! 🤗💗💗💗💗

Thank you for sharing your experience! Running a small business is so hard!! Wishing you all the best! 🤗🩷💛🩵

Kitty you did an excellent job. I’m listening to your explanation about selling your journals. Can you send me the link to that or I can find a PDF? Thank you so much.

@@KittywittyPapercraft can I get the link that you were speaking about on how to sell your journals? Your information is very informative but I didn’t see the PDF that you were speaking. Thank you so much.

Hi Gina! Always so great to hear from you!! I love your idea that selling would allow you to do what you love and keep things out of your house! LOL Please let me know how I can support you!! Thanks for watching and being here!! xoxo Amy :)

I am in the same boat.

I feel the same way Gina. Not many people I know understand the work that goes into papercrafting, so it’s a bit wasted on them lol. I have 2 huge rooms and a garage full of craft supplies. I’m thinking of selling kits to free up some space, share the craft wealth and make a little money. Like Amy suggested, I might sell a few journals but for the most part, it would be items I didn’t have to create.

Hi Tammy! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and what you are doing! Congrats on your Etsy shop and new YT channel! I like your plan to supplement your retirement income. Thank you for your question about pricing recycled/vintage materials! It's tricky, but I have come up with something that seems to work. After calculating the average per page cost over several different types of vintage books (cookbooks, Little Golden Books, song books, etc), I put the cost of each page I use from a vintage book at .05. That way I am not trying to calculate every single page from every single journal I make. When I buy something used/vintage, I will also write the price I paid very lightly with pencil on it, so when I use it in a journal, I can figure out and jot down the cost of it. I keep a sheet for tracking my costs for each journal. As far as time--I literally keep a sheet on my worktable where I write down the start and finish time every time I work on a journal. If I'm working on multiple journals at the same time, I just divide the time up between the number of journals. It is *very* eye opening to do that! I highly recommend tracking the time as you work on a project and not just estimate how long you think you took. It is almost always longer when you actually track the time! And yes, absolutely, do "mass producing" everywhere you can!! I call it "batching" and it is a very important practice to engage in when you are running a handmade business. Actually, it's a great practice for any business! It greatly increases productivity and efficiency!! Thank you so much for watching! I hope you continue sharing your experience and any questions you might have! Feel free to ask me here on my channel, or DM me on Instagram (@kittywittypapercraft) or email me at kittywittypapercraft@gmail.com! xoxo Amy :)

Aww, you bet, Connie!! Thank you so much for following along!! xoxo Amy :)

Hey, Amber!! Thank you so much for watching this video, too, and sharing your experience! It is good to know we all deal with these things and it's not all fun and games all the time! I am so determined to find a way to make this work and to be an example for others. And I just have to say wow. You have a full time corporate job and have your amazing channel?! I can only imagine how challenging that can be!! Kudos to you!! Thank you for sharing all that!! Have a great day! 🤗💖💖💖💖

Hi Cheryl! You are so welcome!! I appreciate you taking the time to watch!! xoxo Amy :)

Haha! Thank you for taking a minute to share your thoughts, Rovelyn!! It's so good to hear from you!! Yes, the time and energy to have a craft business is quite consuming! I'm glad you've found a happy medium! I will be covering pricing in my next few videos, I think! Lots to share about that!! Thanks again for watching!! xoxo Amy :)

Sure thing!! Thank you so much for watching!! xoxo Amy :)

It absolutely is!! Thank you, T!!! xoxo Amy :)

You are so welcome!! Thank you so much for watching and commenting! I truly appreciate it!! Best wishes to you!! 🤗😘💕

You bet, Cathy!! Thank you for watching!! xoxo Amy :)

Hi Kim! Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comment! I truly appreciate it!! xo Amy :)

Hi! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Making a living selling your own handmade work definitely requires learning a whole new way of thinking, really! It's not a business if it doesn't make a profit, and it is very difficult, if not impossible for one individual to make enough profit to make a living, selling only one of a kind items (painters and sculptors who can command thousands of dollars for their work may be an exception). From what I learned, artists need to have items in their collections that are low-material and low-labor costs, especially if they don't have help for production for their one of a kind pieces. And I agree that Etsy makes it hard because you have a mix of hobbyists and professionals there and it can come down to price for a customer *if* the value of the higher priced items is not conveyed well through branding, marketing, etc. And like you said, that takes a whole lot of extra time! I shared in another comment that marketing should be about 80% of an artist's time with 20% dedicated to actual creation. Not easy at all!

You are so welcome!! I promise to always be honest and transparent. Unfortunately there are many "teachers" in the online space who are not. I have found this out the hard (and expensive!) way! 😝 I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment! 🤗❤❤❤❤

Hi Lila! Thank you so much for watching and chiming in! It really does take a lot of mental energy to create, doesn't it?! And yes, the business side takes so much more time than one might think! A good rule of thumb is 20% of your time creating, 80% on business and marketing!! Best of luck with your business!! Please let me know if I can ever be of any help!! xoxo Amy :)

@@KittywittyPapercraft It does! And thank you for all the information on the business side! It's so helpful, and you have quickly jumped to the top of my favorites to watch on KZfaq and Instagram because of the valuable information you are sharing, and also it's really encouraging! 🙌

@@RaindropLila7 Aww, thank you, Lila!! That means a lot to me!! I was worried this video might be discouraging!! 🙊 Appreciate you being here and on IG!! 🤗💗💗💗💗

Hi again! Thank you for your kind words about the series and for following along! I really appreciate it!! Yes, all the business stuff is so time consuming!! I'm sure it is keeping you quite busy in your retired years!! I am happy to help in any way I can, Tina, so let me know if you ever have any questions! Feel free to ask here on YT or DM me on Instagram (@kittywittypapercraft) or email me at kittywittypapercraft@gmail.com! xoxo Amy :)

When you enter “junk journals” into the Instagram search you can see a bunch of related hashtags. I will spend maybe 20 minutes creating tag lists for different topics such as “journal ephemera” “journal spread” “autumn junk journal” and put them in a google doc. That way whether you’re on your phone or desktop, you can copy and paste the appropriate tag list into the Instagram post or as a comment to your own post. Also, if you change your ig account to a “business” account you’ll be able to look at “insights” meaning you can see who your followers are age, city, gender, etc. and what are the peak times they are on Instagram. That way you know when the best time to post is. You also need to engage and respond for at least an hour after you post so your post is elevated in the algorithm. This is the invisible work Amy is talking about and it is so hard to get compensated for it.

@@JennieMaeJune Hi Jennie! Thanks for sharing! Yes, that's an easy way to handle adding hashtags. I'm going to be talking about all the things you mentioned here when I talk more specifically about using Instagram! FYI...from what I've learned, you only need to be active on IG for 10 min or so before you post and respond to the initial few replies that come in (which usually translates into about 10 min or so) to get your post reach up. I do then make sure I reply to every comment and DM, as much for building connections as working with the algorithm. Yes, so much behind the scenes work!! 😄 Thank you for watching the video!! 🤗💗💗💗💗

Thank you so much, Amaia, and thank you for following along!! Best of luck with your Etsy shop! Let me know if I can ever help!! xoxo Amy :)

@@KittywittyPapercraft Thank you so much! I do appreciate your kindness :) Looking forward to watching more videos! Amaia :)

Yes, it is SO much work as you know!! I'm not sure if you know, but I've let my crafting business go (for the most part--I still have an Etsy shop where I sell supplies) for this very reason. Soo many hours creating content...photos, videos, tutorials, answering DMs, replying to comments... when you start a business, at least 80% of your time needs to be on marketing, either only 20% of your time actually making things. I highly recommend picking only one platform and focusing on that to grow a following of people who will lole to buy your work. IG or YT are the best for crafters. I would start with one of those...whichever is more comfortable for you, and only add another once you are able to consistently post content on one. I loved Intsagram for that (and people are slightly nicer there than KZfaq!😄), plus, as I mentioned on your other comment, you can sell right from there, too! Best wishes to you!! 🤗💖💖💖

Thank you so much and thanks for watching! 🤗💖💖💖

Hi Jodi! I think it's pretty normal to move at snail's pace, *especially* today when there are SO many YT channels, IG accounts and just social media options out there!! I think anyone who started a social media channel in the last couple years will see much slower growth than those who started years ago. It's just a matter of oversaturation and people being overwhelmed with content. Keep making videos and experimenting to see what gets the most views. Since you had good luck with your Christmas in July series, maybe doing a series every once in a while might be helpful! Just keep trying different things and do more of what gives you good results! And always be learning ways to improve the quality of your content (try different camera angles, lighting, audio, etc.). Definitely answer every single comment you get on every video so you build relationships with your viewers. Also, not sure if you do tutorials or more "watch me craft" type videos, but try doing more of either what you aren't currently doing OR, again, more of what video types tend to get the most views (check your Analytics to know which videos perform best!). Do you also have Instagram? That can be an avenue to get more traffic to your YT channel. But IG is a beast itself and if you don't have a lot of time, it may not make sense to do both and spread yourself thin. Best of luck to you!! Thank you for watching and commenting! xo Amy :)

Hi Trish! Thank you for your nice comment and for checking out the video! Congrats on selling your journals! I hope you will consider pricing your journals to cover all your labor time! It really can be done! It is awesome to just enjoy the process, but if you are selling, you deserve to receive for all that you put into it. I find most (not all!) journal makers don't charge near what they are worth and it's often due to a fear of what will people think if I charge that or people won't pay that price, etc. If you want to chat, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram (@kittywittypapercraft) or email at kittywittypapercraft@gmail.com! I wish you all the best!! xoxo Amy :)

@@KittywittyPapercraft I’ve wondered if there’s some kind of app we can use as like a time card for how much time we spend on creating things with like an alarm reminder or something. I always forget to track time for at least a couple sessions of creating.

@@JennieMaeJune I just use the timer on the "clock" app that comes on my phone! You can stop and start it and it will be where you left off when you reopen the app each time. The trick is to remember to use the dang app! I'm always forgetting, too!!! Then I just do my best to estimate! 🤗💖💖💖

Hi Lilliam! First of all, thank you for subscribing to my channel! I'm not posting new videos any longer, but I hope you can find some helpful info in my older videos. Thank you for your kind comment about my videos and journals. I really appreciate it! If you ever have any questions, please let me know! I do still reply to comments and answer questions. Have a great day!! xo Amy :)

@@KittywittyPapercraft thank you! I was hoping that you were having just a break from YT. I love all your journals. You inspired me to do a journal with a better home to garden binder! When I saw that video and look everywhere for that binder to make it! Thank you for sharing.

@@lilliamb.4988 Aww, thank you, Lillian! And I'm so glad you made a journal from a BHG binder! I just love those! Thank you for sharing! 🤗💕💕💕

Thank you for watching! I hope it was helpful! Best wishes to you!! 🤗💕💕💕

Thank you and thanks for watching!!

Hey friend! I missed your comment! Thanks so much for watching! And I just want to say crafting is never pointless if it brings you joy! That is the most important factor, whether you're a seller or not! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment!! 🤗💖💖💖💖

You bet, Tammy!! Thank you for watching! I will have a video out next week all about pricing! I wish you the best of luck!! 🤗💖💖💖💖

@@KittywittyPapercraft Have you done your pricing video yet? It has been 2 weeks since this comment so I was wondering. Maybe you could let us know a release date for it? TIA

@@weekiwacheepaperco8334 I have not made the pricing video yet! I had planned on it being 2 weeks after this one, but had some difficult things comes up in my business and personal life that have pushed it back. I would like to get it done and posted this week, but I'm also leaving for a weeklong trip in 6 days, so it depends on how things go this week between my other commitments and getting ready for the trip. It will definitely get done the week of the 18th (of July), if not this week. Thank you for your patience and understanding!! 🤗❤❤❤❤

Thank you and thanks for watching!! 🤗💖💖💖

Thank you so much!! And thank you for watching! 🤗💕

You are welcome! Thank you for watching!! 🤗💕

You are welcome!! Thank you so much for watching!! xoxo Amy :)

Thank you for watching a chiming in!! I wish you all the best with selling your journals!! 🤗💗💗💗💗

Thank you so much for your kind words!! Happy crafting!! 🤗💕💖💕💖

Thank you, Maria! And thank you for watching and commenting! That is great your drawing is a creative outlet that helps you focus! Best of luck with your sticker shop!! 🤗💖💖💖💖

@@KittywittyPapercraft thanks!

Hi Ann! Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts!! Yes, you really need to utilize social media to sell online (or email at the very least)! It can be done with just one avenue--my favorite being Instagram because there is already a large craft community there and the platform is great for visuals which are so important when sharing art! But the key is having an "audience" for sure! Thanks again for being here!! xoxo Amy :)

Hi! Thank you and thank you for watching! I did make a 3rd video in that series, but I stopped creating content for Kittywitty Papercraft shortly after that. I had to scale back my business to just being a hobby...for many of the reasons I shared in the series! I appreciate your comment! If you have any particular questions, please let me know and I will answer to the best of my knowledge! 🤗🩷💛🩵

Hi Nancy! It is quite challenging, but I keep a running list of everything I am using in the journal I am making and the cost of each item. So what I do first, is I write the price, with very light pencil, on everything I buy for journal making. If it is something that I will only use a small part of--say a page from a book--I will figure out what the cost of 1 page is and right that on the running list. It can be hard to estimate for some things, so I just use my best guess. If you didn't track the price you paid for things before you began, you can just estimate how much each thing cost. But keeping a running list as you gather materials will help with that. For paper I cut down, like scrapbook paper, I estimate that I use 75% of the sheet, so I take 75% of what the sheet cost me as my cost. You can treat fabric and trims the same way. Just take a percentage based on how much you're using. You should also add in a dollar or so, maybe less, to cover the cost of things that are hard to measure, like glue, tape, and thread. I am going to do a video sharing how I do this bc I've had a lot of people ask! Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any questions!! 🤗💖💖💖💖

@@KittywittyPapercraft thanks Amy, it makes sense. I will definitely look forward to your next video! Thank you for taking your time to answer me, I really appreciate it!

Hi Betty! Thank you for sharing that! I haven't used a calculation like that, but it looks about right compared to my formula! I appreciate you sharing your expertise! xoxo Amy :)

Hey Laurel, I know! It's a real shame and so frustrating. I think the key if you want to make a profit selling handmade is to have a collection of products that are quick to make and low material cost as your main thing and one of a kind items as occasional offerings. Beat wishes to you. Thank you for watching! 🤗💕

Thank you very much! I'm not really working on my crafting business any longer, so I don't have plans to make any more videos as of right now. Thank you for asking!! xo Amy

That can sometimes happen! If you don't have a burning desire to sell your work, then don't! LOL Keep it as a hobby and give as gifts! That is wonderful! Thanks for watching and commenting!

Hi Tina! Thank you for your questions! I never do free shipping! I'm not one to criticize Etsy too much bc there are lots of great things about selling on that platform, but I disagree with their telling sellers they should offer free shipping and their practice of giving items with free shipping priority on displaying their items on the first page or so of Etsy's search pages. I have calculated how it might work for me and I lose money on free shipping, and so would many other sellers. Now, that is if I didn't add the shipping cost to the item. I think it's an unethical practice to build the shipping into the cost (so pricing the item higher with the shipping built into it) and calling it "free" shipping. Someone is paying for the shipping. It is not free. And the bottom line is, you are still paying fees on the total price, so whether it's built in or separate doesn't matter and I think the consumer should know what they are paying for the item and what they are paying for the shipping. Etsy says they are basing this on the fact that consumers today *expect* free shipping (maybe bc of how many people buy from Amazon). But, Etsy is not Amazon and to expect artists and vintage sellers to set their businesses up to compete with Amazon doesn't make sense. But Etsy became a publically traded company a few years ago and now they are beholden to their stockholders where the bottom line is the most important thing. Oops. Didn't mean to get on a soapbox! Haha! To determine shipping costs, I weigh every item at home (with the packaging it will be shipped in) on a small scale I bought to weigh my packages. And I set the shipping based on the item's total shipping weight. I then print out shipping labels for USPS right from Etsy. It's super easy. Etsy gets reduced shipping prices from the USPS so it costs less than if you went to the post office yourself and bought postage. I looked at some of the services out there and I don't think there was much, if any savings, plus it is just so easy to do it all right from Etsy. Let me know if you have any questions! xoxo Amy :)

Tina, my situation is similar to yours. I’m retired, but I don’t really need income from my journals. BUT I need my journals to go live somewhere else so I can create more journals. I was selling at an annual art fair, but Covid struck; the fair was canceled last year, and this year I am cautious about the variants even though I’m vaccinated. So here I am with you learning about selling on Etsy. 💐

Hi Lisa! Thank you for watching! My income was from journals, selling supplies in my Etsy shop and selling my 2 online courses. I made about $200 a YEAR from KZfaq. 😄 It takes a lot of videos and views to make much money on YT! I never had any sponsors. Thank you for your question! 🤗💕

Hi Susi! Thank you for watching! I think many, if not all, crafts go through periods where they are a fad, but many stay popular with those who love it. Take scrapbooking for instance. I would say it was more of a fad or more popular, in the 90s, but people still scrapbook today. I think if you're a hobby crafter and see yourself creating for the long-term, it can be fun (and sometimes profitable) to focus on what is popular at the moment, knowing you can always move onto something new in a few years. There certainly is an audience for junk journals now and it may be a bigger audience now than there will be later, but I think there will always be people who love journals. And people will always have a need to journal and do memory keeping. If you have a love of junk journal making, then why not do that now until you feel called to do something new? I don't think the popularity is going to wane for them anytime soon. Now, I will say in terms of the market, that overall, the junk journal market is fairly small compared to other crafting markets. That actually makes it a little bit easier in some ways because you have less of a chance of being drowned out! It also means there may be more demand than supply (I think that is probably still true--at least for now) which is a plus for sellers. A big caveat I will put here, though, is that it is very difficult to price junk journals so that you are making a decent profit because they are so labor intensive (and could be costly in materials, too, depending on what you use). When it comes to successful selling, the sweet spot is having a product that does not require a lot of labor or material costs, and junk journals really do not fit that description! I highly recommend making journals that are as simple in design and materials as possible. If you make a very high quality journal and have really good marketing (photos, videos, social media, etc) you can command a higher price, which will help you not only recover your costs (don't forget about shipping and fees and taxes!), but provide you with a profit (which is the money you actually make). The other part of that is getting your work out there. It takes a lot more time to market your work, than it does to make the actual products! Or it should, if you are going to be successful. You need to have a way for people to get to know you and your work, in order to sell. Just listing your journals on Etsy, for example, won't necessarily lead to sales. You need a way to lead people to your work. Social media (Instagram and KZfaq are great for crafters) is really key if you are selling online. I hope that is helpful! I wish you the best of luck!!

That's awesome you realize that! Complicated journals really are best for keeping or gifting! Happy crafting! 🤗💕💕💕

Thank you so much for sharing your valuable perspective!! That is so helpful! It's great to hear from someone working in the field! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and share your perspective! Happy crafting and best wishes for continued success! 🤗🩷💛🩵

@@KittywittyPapercraft thank you! I love your channel and just hope it wasn't taken the wrong way. Love n light to you and your success

Hi! I think I said 50 hours (although during some seasons, it's been 60) and between the making of products, taking photos and creating Etsy listings, making videos for IG and YT and my Facebook group and editing them, sourcing materials for my Etsy shop and kits and journals, communicating with my followers on IG and YT and answering questions in my free Facebook group, creating online courses, and learning how to use all different sorts of technology and software to run my business, it all adds up to about 50 hours a week. I am always completely honest. I would never count my personal shopping hours in my work hours, again, because I am honest. I have met many people who lie and cheat in the online space, but I promise I am not one of them. I do not have a shopping addiction. That's the furthest thing from reality. My vintage collections are not anywhere near as big as many people's, and most of what you see in my craft room is inventory for my journals and kits that I sell. I keep a strict budget and very little of it goes to buying things for myself. I'm not sure what makes it appear that I have a shopping addiction. All of my "stuff" is in my tiny craft room (8×9). As I mentioned, much of what you see behind me in the video are items I put in my journals and kits. I keep careful track of what I buy for myself and what I buy for my business. They are totally separate. I am currently packing over 100 ephemera packs and I am using a large amount of the items you see in my room. That's not evidence of a shopping addiction. That is just inventory to keep up with demand. Oh, and believe me, every day I think about quitting.

I don't count a single minute of any "shopping time" I might do as work time. I truly work 50 hrs a week strictly on my business. I work really hard to provide high quality products and lots of value to those who watch my videos or follow me on Instagram or belong to my Facebook group. I give away TONS of information for free. I answer people's questions and tell them resources for things that took me MANY hours to find. I just give the answers away. I do it happily, because I know I am helping people. I think anyone who has followed me for awhile knows how giving I am of my time and help. I do tons of tutorials and help explain things to people who send me emails or private messages. I try to go above and beyond for people in my business. I do everything with kindness and integrity. And yes, this all takes me 50 hours a week, and do know what that equates to hourly? Last year I made $5.25 an hour, based on what I earned. Way below minimum wage for neglecting my health and well-being and relationships so I can try to build a business. Trying to do things better than many people who are out there taking advantage of people. And then I get comments like yours. So, yes, maybe I should quit. Who knows if all of this is worth it? Thank you for taking the time to leave your comment on my video where I was hoping to help people. You've given me lots to think about.

I am a brand new subscriber and follower on IG. Please don’t let this negative troll and their comment bother you. You have gorgeous products and you are obviously a creator with integrity. I am glad to see all of the favorable comments. I am now going to go binge your videos😊 And, if you see this comment, I’d love to know where you got the bracelets you’re wearing in this video. So cute!

@@donnadaniels1577 Hi Donna! Thank you so much for following my channel and IG!! I appreciate it so much!! And thank you for your kind comment! I usually ignore them, but I felt like it was so far from the truth, that I had to say something! 😄 I also appreciate you checking out my other videos! I forgot to see what bracelet I was wearing before I started replying, but I think it was the pastel one! If that's not right, I'll come back and reply again, but if it is, it is one I bought from Sweet Eye Candy Creations on Etsy! She only makes bracelets occasionally, but when she does, she posts about it on her IG account, sweeteyecandycreations. Her bracelets are amazing!! I have 3. She makes earrings also! Thank you again!! 🤗💖💖💖💖

Hi Erika! I'm sorry I am just seeing your comment now! Thank you for watching and leaving your thoughtful comment! Yes, you see all sorts of price points and people selling in various ways. That's sort of the way it is with handmade goods. And yes, there can be some really nasty people in this community (like in any community), but you just have to focus on the nice ones! LOL Hope you're enjoying some crafty time! xoxo Amy

@@KittywittyPapercraft aww its ok. Thankyou for taking the time to reply. Yes over all i love this community. I have come across wonderful people, like yourself, that are willing to help, a newbie like myself, through the process. I wish you lots of success in this new hear and the ones to come. 💕

@@erikaf1215 Thank you so much, Erika! Same to you!! 🤗💖💖💖