madebyadventureLin Milestones

Remember how I said I was going to be patient earlier in the month when I launched my side hustle? Well to be completely honest self-doubt crept in as each day passed without a sale. I remained hopeful and just kept practicing my craft and kept adding new signs.

April 20 was my lucky day! One of my bosses asked me to create a custom sign. I was so stoked to make a special order, especially since she gave me the creative freedom to do what I thought looked best. On the same day 2 of my girlfriends ordered from my Etsy shop. My phone made a little cash register sound as a notification and I was so excited!

Fast forward to today and I've sold a total of 7 signs! 4 signs were from my Etsy shop and 3 of them were custom/in person. I shipped my first out-of-state order yesterday. I am so filled with gratitude for the kind words and support I've received and it just motivates me even more to keep living my daydream. 

With love,

-Lin

Hello, Etsy!

My newest sign!

I pulled the trigger and decided to open up an Etsy shop!

I felt it would be the most efficient way to track page views and keep to track of orders. I also liked the ability to have reviews. I haven't reeled in a sale yet, but I'm being patient. Right now I only have 5 listings in my shop. From what I've researched, having at least 10 items in your shop yields better results. Plus I've read that some people waited nearly 3 months until their first sale and now their sold numbers are in the hundreds.

I'm also doing my best promoting my signs via my new Instagram account as well. I've gained nearly 100 followers in a few days. I'm toying with the idea of sending a couple of free products to a few followers on my main Instagram account in exchange for a review post. I've established a healthy flow of fellow Disney fanatics on my main Instagram. I briefly thought about posting all of my  products on my main account, but in the end I felt it was best to keep accounts separate.

With love,
-Lin

I think I'm on to something...

I always wanted a Cricut and I finally got one fall of last year. I found the Explore Air on sale at Michaels at the lowest price I had ever seen it, so I jumped at the opportunity. A few short weeks later they released the latest version (which would explain why it was priced lower). I was initially bummed, but not so much after comparing the models. I like how the new model looks, but aside from the look the only other thing I noticed that is different is that it cuts quicker.

When I first got my machine I made a few cards and a few other paper crafts. My first few experiences were less than ideal and I wish I had been more patient with myself. I wish that I actually took the time to watch how to YouTube videos! That would have saved me hours of frustration, haha. I definitely feel a lot more comfortable with my machine, but I still have yet to master all of its capabilities. I have to admit that my Cricut laid dormant for a while up until last week.

I've finally dabbled into the field of vinyl. I actually ordered vinyl and transfer tape on Amazon a few months ago, but I never got around to using them until recently. I've spent a lot of money on custom decals and other custom projects on Etsy. I like supporting small businesses, but I also like to have creative freedom and make things exactly how I envision them.

I went on a font downloading craze via dafont.com and dived right in. I wanted to make something for my side of our home office. I always thought the phrase "Whistle while you work" was the perfect quote for a work space. I cut the words out first and placed them on my canvas. I felt like something was missing so I decided to add apples to complete the look. I was so happy how it turned out. This piece catapulted me into a creative craze and I've been busting out signs left and right!

My first piece!

I wanted more practice making signs, so I made this for one of my bosses that loves the outdoors.

While making the "outdoors" sign, I thought it would be great to swap it with Disney instead!

I'm very much a dreamer!

Tangled is one of the most underrated Disney movies. I love this quote!

I think I've found my second calling... I've seen numerous wonderful handmade Disney signs before, but I've never seen any like mine. I've decided to take a leap of faith and try to sell my work. I feel that my creations are unique enough to stand out on their own and I've gotten so much positive feedback.

There are so many different avenues of selling items such as Etsy, Storeenvy, etc. I am trying Instagram first. Please check out _adventurelin and provide feedback! :)  To keep shipping costs minimal, I'm currently only selling canvases that are 10 x 8 inches or smaller. If someone local is interested in something, I'd be happy to create larger projects.

I'm really excited (and slightly nervous) to embark on this journey. Hopefully the rest of the Disney lovers in the world will find magic in what I make too!

With love,
-Lin