I will have other articles to add here soon, but for now check out my month in review at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wyrdcynthia/may-2022-update
Keep on making art, and making magic!
Happy New Year from Wyrd Armouries!
This year’s update from Wyrd Armouries!
Hello everyone! From long time followers to those who we’ve met recently, we hope you have an amazing 2022!
We know the last couple of years have been hard. It has been a daily struggle from our end keeping going as full time artists with shows and events so uncertain for the last year. But we are actually starting to be optimistic, and we hope you are too!
We recently came back from an absolutely amazing first Louisiana Renaissance Faire. (First for us, that is. The event has been around over 20 years.) We made some great new friends, had an awesome batch of neighbors, and were able to introduce ourselves to a whole new batch of customers. We hope this year was just the first of many for us at this event!
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2021 Crooked Treehouse Shop Update!
Updates from my Witchy Shop!
Hello from the Treehouse!
First of all, Jac and I would like to send you all a hearty thank you for sticking with us through a tough year. I know a lot of you have been wondering how we’re doing, how our plans are going, and how the future looks for the Treehouse, so here’s a long anticipated update.
Well, the big thing is we all made it through 2020. 😉
We are fortunate enough that none of us have gotten sick – knock on wood and all that – and even though we did close the physical store for a couple of months we’re still here and happily open again. We are still observing safety protocols. Since our store is tiny, we ask that no more than 2 people or 1 family unit come in at a time, and that everyone wears masks. We’re almost to the vaccination point…
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Looking Back at 2020, and Looking Forward
2020 update from Wyrd Armouries!
Hey guys! Wow, so… a lot has happened since we last posted in our blog. That was May, and back in May we thought problems due to COVID would be short lived. We had hopes for Summer, or at least possibly fall, might see events happening again.
Obviously, that is not what happened.
After the last crazy weekend of March 13th, we had one additional in-person event in the Fall. A local winery, Stonefield Cellars, threw an awesome tiny event with local vendors who usually work the renaissance faire circuit. Even with the small numbers there, it was awesome to see some familiar faces! It was weird – by October, we discovered we were really out of practice with shows and just about everyone forgot something. We had a good laugh about that, and realized just how much we missed all our awesome vendor friends. Sunday, we vended and…
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Why I Still Recommend Etsy
If you go and take a look at my Wyrd Armouries Etsy store, you can see its opening date of 2016 and its 1800+ sales. This may not seem like much to some, but it does not tell the whole story. And what a story it has been!
Wyrd Armouries is actually not my first Etsy store. My first Etsy store was made not long after their founding in 2005 – I probably opened my jewelry shop in late 2006 or early 2007. In the beginning, it was a terrible little shop. I knew very little about how to represent a product online. I am still grateful to whoever that first stranger was who bought a little wire heart charm necklace I had made. That first sale really kept me going!
In those early years, you had to do a lot of work to get things seen. And you know what? That has not actually changed.
Sure, a lot of things have changed. I was a member of the short-lived Etsy Wholesale, and I loved it while it lasted. It put me in touch with stores I never would have met otherwise. It taught me how to price for wholesale, how to bundle my products, and how to create a wholesale line. These are still useful even without their wholesale support anymore.
I have seen the definitions of what is allowed on Etsy change. They expanded to allow artists to work with manufacturing partners. And I am okay with that! I am not okay with sellers misrepresenting their goods as “handmade” when they have nothing to do with the production of what they are selling, or “vintage” when something is definitely new. And yeah, I’m an evil Etsy user who reports the hell out of any of those when I see them.
I have seen Etsy’s focus move to a more and more commercial site… and while I definitely enjoyed the handmade love, support the seller from the early days, I understand that they are running a business. So am I. So I do my best to promote my own handmade love in other ways and in other venues.
So I’m going to take a moment and retort to all of the “But now Etsy!” that I read or hear.
- But the Fees! They take so much! Most often when I see this complaint, it really means someone didn’t do the math before they started their store. Etsy charges 0.20 per listing to post, 5% of your transaction when an item sells (this includes shipping, so hold on one second), and 3% + 0.25 per transaction for credit card processing. Thing is, are you are comparing that number to just selling one-on-one, or to other websites? The credit card transaction fee is about in line of what is taken by any processor. Other sites, like Amazon Handmade, take a much higher percentage of your sale. And you’re going to pay a higher monthly fee as a standalone website, something that will only even out if you manage to sell in a high volume.
- I don’t want to offer free shipping! I complained about this one when it was announced, I admit. Etsy encourages free shipping by offering better placement in search, supposedly. But here’s the thing we all know – free shipping isn’t free. It’s marketing speech. You’d not being asked to not make your customers pay for shipping. Take your time. Examine your prices. Figure out what your items will cost to ship and work that in to your prices. You are getting charged the same amount by Etsy whether your shipping is bundled or separate. (In the early days, some people tried marketing tricks/fee avoidance by putting items up cheap, and then charging extra high shipping. So yeah, shipping now has the same fee as your transaction.) Sure, on some items it won’t make sense. But you don’t have to put everything at free shipping either.
- It’s all *other country* made stuff now! Yeah, it really bugs me to see so many resellers, too. It really depressed me a couple of years ago when I had to tell a fellow artist that no, Etsy does not “allow” that. The seller handbook clearly states that handmade means that the artist/store must be in some way involved with the production. You can not resell someone else’s handmade work. I really wish Etsy policed this in some way. But, unless you have experts in a lot of industries, it’s hard to catch. If one seller was the artist, and then five sellers are knock-offs, how can you tell which is which? I personally report metaphysical shops breaking this rule when I find them – you all know damn well you were in no way involved with the creation of the Rider Waite Tarot deck from US Games. And yes, it does make it hard to stand out.
- It’s oversaturated! No one will find me. Alas, the internet is like that as it has become more and more accessible. Yes, you need to put in work to be found. Don’t expect any website to be a magic button to sales. Like a lot of life, you’ll get out of it some proportion of the work you put into it. Learn to take good pictures. Learn Etsy SEO. And promote yourself however makes sense for your work, to bring people in to Etsy.
- They can shut you down at any time! These are scary stories. When we take a deep breath, though, we realize that any website we sell through is allowed to do that. If you do not fully control your selling venue, they have the right to allow or disallow you as within their contracts and terms of service. How do you deal with this? Familiarize yourself with the rules and terms of service, back up often, and don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Diversification is a good rule of thumb as a seller anyway.
- Buyers are terrible! This has been a general shift on online sellers over the years, and I a) would not say it’s Etsy specific and b) would say it’s a horrible generalization. In my years on Etsy, I have fired one customer, and it felt good. Other customers who have looked like they were going to be trouble? Clear communication and setting expectations led to happy customers in the end… and sometimes, surprise glowing reviews. Remember that you are talking to another person, and communicate clearly in a way that reminds them that you are also a person. And if you really need to, set clear boundaries and expectations. Don’t be afraid to stand your ground and say no, and go the extra mile where its not unreasonable. The vast majority of customers are excellent and we love every one of them!
So, with all that said, why Etsy?
Etsy continues to honestly have the best value for the money as a handmade seller, at least that I have found.
Their audience reach is well above what I could manage on my own without a whole lot of additional marketing investment – both money and time.
And you see that 1800+ sales I mentioned above? Almost all of our sales are $25 or more, and regularly over $100 for our popular winter cloaks. That kept my business alive when shows shut down in 2020. Without Etsy, we could not have paid for our studio for the last year.
I don’t have to like everything they do to still call Etsy one of the best places to start as a handmade seller.
Put in the work, and it’s still worth is, 15 years later!
Interested by don’t have an Etsy store yet? Use this link to get us both 40 free listing credits!
Good bye 2020, Hello 2021
I try to start the year with a special tarot reading to look ahead. In the past, it’s been a simple Wheel of the Year, with one card for each upcoming month. But as I have studies tarot more, I’ve found that reading is less useful. It can be good if you remember to look back over it through the year, but it’s a lot to frontload.
Instead, this year I designed a new spread. I based it off the Celtic Wheel of the Year, but instead of it being for those specific times it uses the holidays as themes and representations of life’s cycles. So, thus it can be used at any time of year. It also, well, doesn’t pull punches, so it seemed like a good spread to use to reflect on what’s past and think about what is needed for the future.
This year I used my current go-to deck, The Muse Tarot.
Yule – What can be expected to repeat again and again?
8 of Inspiration – Fast moving, forward energy, constantly driving you forward. You’re carrying a lot of other people’s energy with you, so you need to decide if that will be motivation to keep you moving or a weight holding you back. Events will keep moving quickly, so keep moving with them.
Imbolc – What to Leave Behind
2 of Emotions – Partnerships and relationships. Take the time to look at the partnerships in your life and decide if you’ve grown past them. There is a time for collaboration and a time for going at it alone.
Ostara – What to Look Forward To
6 of Inspiration – Rising above the rest, being the center of attention and gaining recognition. Overcoming your fear of success and being in the spotlight. Being a “star.”
Beltane – What is Coming Into Full Bloom
Knight of Emotions – Embracing your heart, being in love and in love with being in love. Going for your relationship with joyful abandon, diving right in.
Litha – What Needs Healing
Awakening – Putting the past behind you and lifting yourself up, breaking cycles and rising above. Accepting all of yourself that you can truly become what you are meant to be. Embrace all of yourself and that you are divine.
Lughnassah – What Hard Work Has Brought to Completion
8 of Materials – You’ve been juggling tasks and juggling money and trying to make it all look easy while you perfect your craft. Well, it’s been worth it. Now you see the fruits of your labors. You’ve mastered your craft and become a recognized expert.
Mabon – What Should Be Cherished and Protected
The Tower – When things crumble, you can adapt. Recognize your ability to weather change. You can’t put things exactly how they were, but you can find the pieces that are important and build something new from them.
Samhain – What to Let Go Of
9 of Inspiration – Break through the boundaries you’ve falsely put in front of yourself, and push ahead. That you are doing this alone is an illusion – recognize those who helped you get to the point where you can do this. This is the push that decides things. Hold nothing back.
(If you want to print out this spread for your own use, you can find it in my Spoonflower store.)
Event Review – Anachrocon
Here’s some recent fun from our time selling on the road! Take a look at Anachrocon in Atlanta.
We spent last weekend at another event that was new to us, though it was the 10th anniversary of the event overall. The fun of moving south means that our day-travel radius has shifted… if we’re willing to push it, as far south as Atlanta.
So that’s where we went!
The other fun part of this is that we are meeting all new vendors and customers. So we had a nice weekend meeting fun new people.
Unfortunatly, much like our show earlier in February, we had a lot of time to meet our fellow vendors. Traffic was light, and those who had done this convention repeatedly all agreed that things were down year over year. Still, we did generally well, met awesome new people, and have some new custom orders to tackle – which I will definitely be sharing in progress pictures of! Keep an eye on our Instagram if…
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Living Out Loud – The Artist Persona
I am one of those people who grew up in the weird begining time of the internet. It started to be easily accessible when I was in high school. When I learned my way around the internet, you didn’t use your real name. Ever. You didn’t tell people where you really were, how old you were, any of that. Having another persona to hide behind was expected.
My how things have changed. As a result, it took me a while to adopt Facebook and Instragram, and I am regularly behind the times on social media tools. The idea of putting myself out there, being at all transparent, is still scary.
But as an artist, I know I am not just selling my work. I am selling the handmade nature of it, the work that goes into it, my love of my craft, etc. I am selling a story. And wow, does that not come naturally.
It would be wonderful for all of us as artists if our work could just speak for itself, but that is not the case. Why should you buy my handmade leather bag, and not the one you can find cheap in a major chain store? Sure, I can argue that my materials are nicer, and that I create a higher quality piece. That is probably true. But the real reasons someone is going to buy it go beyond that.
The buyer of that beautiful (or strange, or funny…) handmade bag is likely buying it because it is handmade. They value something unique, that they can’t get from that chain store. They want something that is one of a kind, something that was made by an artist. They want to connect on some level with you, the creator of that special piece. It is you, the artist, who contributes greatly to making your work special.
But maybe like me, you don’t want to share your private life. Maybe you feel awkward about it. Maybe you are shy. Maybe you just don’t like sharing your blemishes with the world. And you know what? That’s okay.
You are in control of what you share with your audience. Not just that, you are in control with who they get to know.
This is the artistic persona.
Who I am at shows, selling my work in person, who I am online… they are not the same person my family and friends know day to day.
I dyed my hair bright red, partially because it’s fun, but also partially because it is much more visibly memorable. I wear outfits that are often actually costumes when I am out presenting my artist self. I am more vocal, more outgoing, and more upbeat. And you know what. This has all taken practice.
So, what should you share with your audience? Who do you want them to see?
Work in Progress: The obvious start is that they want to see you, working on your work. They want to know it was made by you, by seeing your process, not just your finished work. Don’t be afraid to show when something doesn’t work! We are human and we mess up. Sharing that makes the person behind your art more approachable.
Where You Work: People love to see where artists work, messes and all! Your space does not have to look like it came out of a magazine. The creative process is messy, and so often our studios show it!
Why You Work: What inspires you? People constantly ask me where my ideas come from. Sometimes it’s that I just want to make something pretty. Sometimes I found this really cool product I want to try, or odd object I want to incorporate into something. I’m not good at sharing these early stages, but I really should.
Who Works?: All those above… those tie right into the business of being an artist, and people know that self promotion for what it is. So here’s the hard part with what I’ve been talking about. You need to share something of yourself with your audience. But you get to decide what that is.
- Your pets – You can’t go wrong with pictures of yourself with something fluffy…or scaly, or weird! It’s an easy thing to connect over.
- Your kids – You might go sparing on this one, but if your artistic experience is also informed by you being a parent, it’s another good connection with your audience.
- Shared Experiences – I make art because I love costumes, and so do a lot of my customers. So, sharing pictures of me in costume or telling my personal costuming adventures is a connection. What do you share with your customers?
- Odd Stories – Tell a tale! Share an anecdote! It can be as related or not as you like, but again it serves to help make a connection.
I am sure you can think of some more things as an artist to share (come on, add in the comments!). But if you are shy or private, remember – you don’t have to share the real/all of you.
Think of it like a costume. A mask. A silly hat. Put on your artist self and go to town!
And at the end of the day, you can relax by taking it off and being just yourself again.
Crazy Money Apps: February Update
Hello again everyone! It’s been a bit over a month since I started this project, so here’s my update. Let’s jump right into it!
This past month I both went on a vacation and got sick. Vacation meant a bit more “play games for money,” since what else is there to do in airports, and sick meant a bit less of everything because sleep is a thing. A couple of new apps have been added to the list, and some others have gotten less attention, though none have been removed… yet.
Remember, click on my app links if you want to try them out and play along! (Yes, you will give me a little boost if you do so. See, honesty!)
Starting with the apps I already had last month:
- Shopkick – Gives you points towards gift cards for going into specific stores, scanning select barcodes in them, and buying particular items. I’m sort of remembering to use this in spurts now. Current balance: 1590 points, I could redeem for a $5 gift card but for now have upped my goal..
- ibotta – Buy items in their selected offers and get cash back. I feel like if you’re already good with coupons, you’ll be good at this app. Use my referral link to get $10 to start with. Cash out starts at $20. Current balance: $11.65 in my account, with a lifetime earning of $30.22.
- Longgame – This app is actually one that encourages you to save money by making it a game. You open a savings account through them and it gives you coins to play on games for every dollar you save. It’s simple games like slots and card flips, with the chance to earn more coins or money. You can remove money at any time. Current balance: Have deposited $40, earned $1.05 and 40 coins. Not much luck on my coin games this month, but the amount of coins you get a week goes up as your balance goes up, so more chances for games and money.
- Inbox Dollars – I’ve pretty much stopped doing the surveys unless I’m really bored, as they really aren’t worth the time. I confirm the advertising “paid emails,” and I check the cash offers any time I plan to download a new app to see if it is listed. You can cash out at $30. Current balance: $40.37
- Lucky Day – Here’s one of the free “play games, make money” apps. It’s basically digital scratchers (plus a couple of other small games) that can earn you cash or tokens. Tokens can be used for raffle tickets or saved up for gift cards… which is what I am doing. You will get ads every few scratchers. Only a couple of minutes a day needed to do everything in this app, which keeps it high on my list. Current balance: $8.25 and 26,198,141 tokens
- Achievement – I would love to have more friends in this one! Between this and picking up Pokemon Go again, I am definitely being more active… which is usually quite the winter challenge. Connect a fitness app – mine’s connected to FitBit – and earn points for what you track. 10,000 points = $10 you can redeem. Current Balance: 2,350 points.
- Lucktastic – Very similar to Lucky Day… but takes way longer to use with lots of ads and loading screens. Plus there have been days that this hasn’t even loaded, so it’s gotten a lot less use. Current Balance: $3.00 and 27833 tokens
- Coin Pop – New games and apps are recommended regularly, which is nice. Suddenly having different amounts credited that was originally there when the recommended app was downloaded, not so much. Still, I have a couple of puzzle games that I found through this that have credited well, so I still recommend it. Current Balance: 49909 tokens
And now here are ones I added in January:
- Receipt Hog – Scan receipts, get points towards gift cards. Pretty simple! Receipts from grocery stores and places you buy food (even that snack stop at the grocery store) get you points, shop receipts many other places get you a chance at points. No referral link for this one, but you should be able to find it through the app store. Current Balance: 686 points
- S’more – This app gives points towards gift cards for allowing lock screen adds on your phone. A little annoying, because that now means I have to go through two lock screens, and occasionally it gives me other adds in the middle of doing things too. I probably won’t keep this too long. Current balance: 295 points
I did take a look at a couple of additional apps that some of you recommended off of my previous post. They didn’t fit my spending or shopping habits, but could certainly work for others and I may look at them again in the future.
Speaking of the future, this month I am going to start redeeming some of these! So expect next month’s update to include just how easy or reliable that is.
Wish me luck, play along, and share your experiences below!
Other Crafty Hobbies: Woodburning
I like to joke that between Nathaniel (friend and Wyrd Armouries business partner) and I, we have the crafting and creating skills of a medieval village. Well, here’s another one of mine!
One of the crafts I do more for my own enjoyment than for sale (though make no mistake, I am glad to sell it when I do) is woodburning. Or pyrography, for writing with fire. I’ve used it to embellish my showy tool boxes that I take with me to shows, to make sales signs for our renaissance faire booth, and just when I want to make something pretty with heat.
Speaking of heat, my favorite time to do woodburning is on particularly chilly days in the winter. From the warmth in my hand to the nostalgic smell of burning wood, it is one of my favorite winter crafts.
Sketching out the designs for witchy wooden spoons
An older project, one of our first Wyrd Armouries Signs
Witch hat wooden spoon
Set of three kitchen witch spoons
Wood burned pentacle box
My celtic raven embellished tool box
This holds several sizes of dowel for different diameters of chain and my wood burned draw plate. Glass bottles now hold my jewelry findings.
I have never found woodburning to be really hard, but it does require patience. So here’s a couple little tips from me!
- Buy your started tools from the hardware store rather than the craft store. You’ll get a more versatile tool for less money.
- Sketch your design very lightly in soft pencil. You can erase after you have done your word burning. You can’t get rid of deep grooves from pressing too hard.
- Patience! Wait for your tool to heat up before you start, move slowly as you work to get even dark lines, and wait for your tool to cool fully before you change tips. Burned finger tips is no fun!
There you go! Another fun crafting highlight.
Wyrd & Witchy 