Before our son was born, I worked in retail. I loved the people I worked with and helping customers find exactly what they wanted and more, but selling stuff that was made for about a cent per hour by someone I’d never know was demotivating. There were also the ‘office politics’ we’ve all experienced one time or another. After a while I decided as much as my job kept me moving and productive (things that are crucial to a happy Nikki), a breaking point had been reached and my departure was nigh.
Eventually Johnny was on the way. I started to make cloth diapers. And I fashioned my own bra extenders so that I could breathe. Then burp cloths. Once he was born and began teething came the crib rail guards and drool bibs (baby stuff is always named so attractively, btw).
It was the bibs that I began with on my Etsy shop. When friends and family took an interest and then even people I’d never met began to ‘favorite’ and buy the things I had made with my heart, soul and precious, coveted ‘free’ time, it felt right.
The theme of my shop is “delightful things for family & home” — hopefully that makes sense! Cedar Bee Handmade Goods is named after 1) the place that we live now, our home away from it all that just may have saved my sanity, and 2) me (the Bee). It is inspired by family and making things better [points to blog tagline].
Without Johnny, this shop would not be what it is. Every happy customer is a testament to how much one little person has changed everything — to how much any little person can motivate us to be more.
With all of that as a preface, thank you! For your interest and your continued support of my handmade shop, for motivating me to move forward, and for being awesome! These are the things that propel people who make stuff — it’s so important to me to make things people love, and which last.
I love chatting about the things I’ve learned (and am constantly learning) with my Etsy shop. Research is a huge part of my shop’s progression. If you have any questions about my experiences, if you’re starting your own shop or otherwise, leave a comment and I’d be happy to answer them as best I can, as soon as I can!
SHOP: Cedar Bee Handmade Goods on Etsy
I’d love it if you’d follow my shop at the links below!
FB: https://www.facebook.com/cedarbeeshop
Instagram: @cedarbeemade
Hey, want to start your own Etsy shop? You can get 40 free listings when you use my referral link!
