Operation Make Dollars on Etsy

In case you didn't already know, I own my own business with one of my bestest friends. We started out making wedding invitations and then, upon request, we expanded our business into planning weddings. It has been a wild ride. We have spent hours and hours with a computer, a printer, a paper cutter and glue dots. We have laughed hysterically, we have gotten angry (mostly at technological equipment) and we have totally stressed out. This past year my dear friend Brie'n had a baby and so we decided to take some time off. Now that time is over and we are forced to evaluate where we want to take our business going forward.

We currently belong to the Snohomish Wedding Guild and had our monthly meeting tonight. In May we are participating in the Snohomish Wedding Tour and will be at Craven Farm which means we have to start planning the event. While we have had a great time planning this event in the past, this year everyone seems a bit less enthused than previous year's. It could be the economy, it could be the number of new members in the Guild, it could be that we're just at the end of our planning journey and need to start something new.

On the way home we chatted about the possibility of dedicating more of our time towards expanding our Etsy store. Brie'n and I are both pretty crafty. With her new addition she has expanded her crafting repertoire to include adorable projects for babies. She wants to start crocheting. I am becoming more and more obsessed with organizing in a pretty and sensible way. I also still love paper crafting. We are two peas in a pod when it comes to our passion for crafty stuff. And we have complimentary talents - where I lack skill, she is proficient and vice-versa.

An invitation we created for Kirk and Tiffani
Photo complements of our incredibly talented friend Laura Marchbanks

And so we have some work to do.

We really need to make a decision whether the planning thing is something we still want to pursue. From our discussion tonight I get the impression her passion for it is as deflated as mine. It's not that I don't get satisfaction from seeing an event that we created come together flawlessly (at least in the eyes of the bride), I'm just not so sure I'm willing to subject myself to that much stress anymore.

We also need to get our Bella Vita blog back up and current to bring the world a way of connecting with us, not only for the products we create but to indulge in the ups and downs of the creative process with us.

One of our issues is: What should we make? What will sell?

So tell me: What kinds of crafts do you see on Etsy, or Pinterest, or somebody's blog, that you wish you could make but either lack the craft gene or just don't have time? What would you be willing to pay for that item?