September was a really good month for Mirth & Reverence, Sacred Seeds and The Silver Kitsune. Mirth and Reverence managed the following:
1. Our first class intensive.
2. A large wholesale order.
3. A delivery order for October.
4. Re-launching and consistently working on the website.
5. Our first order on Etsy!
6. Writing our Purpose Statement.
Go us!

I’m not sure what’s kicked over in my brain but I’ve been running around, doing stuff like crazy for Mirth and Reverence for the last week. Part of it was getting the schedule in place and then knowing the framework of what is to come. For me, having a list a mile long isn’t (usually) intimidating, it is empowering. It gives me a structure and a goal all in one.

So what exactly did I suck up my time with this weekend? A bunch of it was research on etsy.com and how to really leverage it as a marketplace. Sadly, as a jeweler I’m one in a sea of thousands there, so mostly I am using it as a convenient storefront rather than having to maintain one on this domain myself. It’s also a portal and does bring in views that I wouldn’t otherwise get. Hopefully over time it will also build itself into a true internet presence in its own right (but I’m not going to count on that).

Research on Etsy, particularly in the forums that I hadn’t really dealt with has been quite illuminating. It’s led me to our new packaging vendor which does 100% recycled or carbon neutral packaging (Nashville Wraps) which is very much a part of our purpose statement (linked at the top of this page) which is to walk lightly upon the Earth. Even though the all white boxes would be cheaper, we think that the extra 5-7c per box is totally worth it. Did you know that bleaching the paper white is one of the largest causes of toxicity in our water supply? Another thing was to rethink some of my product photography and ways I can improve it. There was also a great thread on ‘one good craft show hint’ that I got a ton of nifty ideas from.

Today was taken up with Kate’s clergy class for the afternoon, this time on people, positions, and sizes of events. Since ritual is another big part of what Mirth and Reverence is about (more on that in the coming months) it helped me refine my ideas and get feedback from others on the stuff that is frequently in my head and nowhere else.

Tonight I hit the etsy forums again, and while I didn’t get any new ideas this time, I’m beginning to get a feel for how that community interacts with each other and how the energy flows. I also sent email off to a friend who has great luck finding a particular kind of stone that I need for the necklace I designed earlier in the week.

It’ll be interesting to see what this week brings me.