How KatieFullerArt got started
Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?
I’ve always drawn and created things, and I’ve had a passion for wildlife, particularly birds, for as long as I can remember. In 2010, I made some greeting cards to say thank you to some friends, and it was only then that I thought about perhaps making art to sell to other people. I sold canvas prints of wildlife vector art designs for a few years before opening my Etsy shop in 2015 (alongside my full-time ‘proper’ job). I’d started learning how to make handmade, original linocut prints. With an ever-growing pile of prints and burgeoning confidence that people -- even strangers! -- liked what I was making, Etsy made it easy to offer my work to a wider audience.
At the moment, I mostly sell a mix of linocut prints and greeting cards that I get professionally printed. I’m also trialing dropshipping (via Gelato) for prints of my digital work, as I’d like to be able to offer a broader range of designs, but investing in stock up-front (and then storing it) can be a challenge.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
My favorites are my linocut prints. I try to create work at different sizes and price points, and I enjoy developing my skills and challenging myself (there is always so much to learn with linocut printing). Sometimes my personal favorites are not necessarily popular with customers, but I’ve realized that it’s futile to try to predict what other people might like, and it’s better to create things that I enjoy making.
I also find that some people buy my greeting cards to frame as ‘mini prints," which I think is quite flattering! I think it’s helpful to have products at a range of different prices, and I’m guessing that in difficult economic conditions that will become even more important.
Getting sales on Etsy
How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?
I think I made my first Etsy sale pretty quickly, which felt like a big boost. I’d sold quite a lot of work to friends and colleagues, but it was nice to sell to people I didn’t actually know!
I use social media to promote my Etsy shop; I find Twitter and Instagram to be the most effective. I’ve had a Facebook page for quite a while, but I find it hard to get my posts in front of my followers without paying for them. I have started using Mastodon, and it’s been great to make some sales via that channel. I think that’s something I’ll put more work into this year. I’ve been planning to start a mailing list for some time, and I think with recent issues around social media (algorithms and dubious proprietors), that is something I really ought to get started with...
Managing KatieFullerArt
How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?
Yes, I’m a one-woman band. Very occasionally, I ask my partner to take things to the post office for me, but that’s it (apart from Redcliffe Imaging, which I currently use to print my greeting cards). I buy shipping labels from Royal Mail via the Etsy app and print the labels at home (maybe I should invest in a label printer, but at the moment printing, cutting out, and sticking is manageable for me most of the time).
For smaller orders that I can send by First Class mail, I like to use ‘pretty’ stamps and address envelopes by hand, as I think it’s a little gesture that shows I care about my customers. I also decorate my envelopes with a handmade stamp; it doesn’t cost much and hopefully makes people smile. I don’t have a lot of spare cash to spend on branding or fancy packaging, so I’ve developed an approach that fits with the ethos of my business.
The future of KatieFullerArt
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
I’d like to continue to make a bit of extra pocket money via my shop. It keeps me thinking about new designs I could create and enjoying the challenges that different media -- linocut, vector, pencil drawing -- present. I like having that creative outlet. I have recently started a new, full-time job, so I might need to adjust the amount of time I spend on art and my business, but for now, I hope I can keep going as I am.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Make sure you price your work at a figure that reflects the time you’ve put into it, as well as the costs of your materials, packaging, and shipping. It can be hard, but I think it’s really important. Have a look around Etsy and see what other sellers do with their listings; there might be things you can apply to your own. Remember you’re writing for humans in the end and not just search engines, and ask friends and family for their feedback. Getting good images of your products can be challenging (especially for flat things like prints and cards, I find), so experiment with different types of photos and find something that works for you. When you’re creating art, it’s quite a personal process, and it can be off-putting if it doesn’t sell quickly. Try not to be put off; make things that you enjoy making, and your passion will shine through.
KatieFullerArt
Linocut prints and cards inspired by nature
