Happy Etsy-versary To Lofted Designs

I don't know how this happened, but in the blink of an eye five years has passed. That's right. Lofted Designs has been on Etsy for five years! This may seem trivial to most of you, but to me it's absolutely amazing.

I opened the shop on a whim, never dreaming it would turn into anything lasting, and thanks to all of you—my loyal supporters, customers, readers and fans—I'm still making new things, selling my original creations and finding time to enjoy this creative outlet and expensive little hobby of mine.

Etsy has been good to me. It has allowed me to reach customers worldwide who would have never found me otherwise. I've sold my jewelry and pet tags (including lots of custom orders) to people all over the United States, Canada, Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Norway, Italy, Russia, Taiwan, Singapore, Finland, South Africa, Brazil, and many others. And it's still a rush to receive an international order, even after five years.

Other recent and exciting milestones:

• Hit my 500th sale on Etsy this year, and am now closing in on 600!
• Surpassed 400 followers on Facebook!
• Amassed over 500 followers on Twitter!
• Lofted Designs joined Instagram!
• Soon to be featured in a well-known magazine (more on that soon)!

Over the past five years, I've been constantly trying to improve my shop. Slowly, but surely, I've been optimizing my listings and trying to improve my photography. In 2013, I enhanced my About page to include behind-the-scenes photos and some insights about my process. I've also been an active participant in several Etsy teams, especially the supportive and innovative group Etsy MaineTeam — home to the some of the most creative folks you can imagine.

One area for improvement, and something to work on in year six: listing new items. Right now, I have nearly 50 new items in stock that are not listed on Etsy: rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and more. During the coming year, I'll try to be better about keeping my shop reflective of my current creative direction.

What suggestions do you have for me? I'm all ears. And thanks again for your support over the past five years!