Etsy me:

These days, I sell primarily on Etsy.com. I have a store for my jewelry and a sister store for my corset-type stuff.

The funny thing about Etsy is how it twangs an inner competitive string I don't recall having before. There are only a handful of other artists that use similar materials as Strung-Out, and everyone is doing their own thing. THIS is awesome. Nothing irks me more than seeing the same copycat trends popping up everywhere, or the same $1 clearance pendant with a bird's nest on a twig done about three different ways, six hundred times over. *vomit*

But what about the shops that brush very close to what I'm doing, but use sub-par materials? Or that have a similar name to my product, with a similar style, yet not as well-made, with a much higher price tag? Do I raise my prices? Throw rocks at them? Simply continue to be fabulous? :)
I joined Etsy.com because it was for people like me - Lone Rangers of the crafty-poo world sitting up late at night creating handmade wonders to send out into the world. By contrast, eBay is cold, impersonal and overpriced.

I very much adore the community aspect of Etsy - you can 'heart' your favorite items to keep tabs on them, share stuff in the forums, read articles about every aspect of crafting, marketing and drool-worthy merchandise...it's just spiffy. It's also handy for keeping an eye on trends - so that I can keep my work fresh and interesting. :)
Pictured in this blog are a handful of my newer items - the Patchwork, Attitude and Vineyard bracelets. I have a soft spot in my heart for Patchwork - the vintage wood beads came from a single shoe clip that was found and given to me when clearing out my grandmother's house. I love the colors and shapes, and the new beads I added complement them perfectly.