Paper crafts key to Etsy success

For local paper artist Jessica DeLorenzo, Etsy success was in the handmade cards.

And also in the paper stars, pillow boxes, and gift tags.

Since childhood, DeLorenzo has been fascinated with the process of creation.

In the summer of 2011, the director of student services at Vincennes University Jasper discovered a new way to channel her impulse to create one-of-a-kind paper pieces.

“I was browsing the internet,” she said, “and I saw this idea of, ‘Make your stuff and sell it online!’ I thought, ‘I’m not going to make billions of dollars, but I might as well give it a shot and see if anything happens.’”

She opened DeLorenzo Arts and Crafts on the popular business site, Etsy.com. Since then, Jessica has shipped her creations all over the United States and even internationally to Canada, Spain, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

“I really can’t believe it! It’s wild,” Jessica said about her international success.

Success, however, did not come with just a few swift clicks of a mouse. Jessica had to put in a lot more work than just posting a few pictures of her items on the popular online store.

With each sale, new challenges arose like clarifying store policies and item descriptions so that customers know exactly what to expect. Fortunately, other sellers in the Etsy community made the learning process easier by providing feedback and answering questions about Jessica’s store. “It’s that small community of artisans and small businesses, so it is really encouraging that way.” said Jessica.

Another stop along the learning curve has been keeping prices fair while covering a variety of business costs. While she states the listing fees and selling commissions on Etsy itself have remained the same over her tenure and are “very reasonable,” Jessica has had her share of trial and error when it comes to covering PayPal fees and shipping rates. This, in particular, seems to be a recurring theme. “Just when I think I have it down, the post office changes the rates, so I have to re-evaluate and see if I’m still being competitive.”

She has also learned the lesson of keeping it simple. In 2012, DeLorenzo began to notice the popularity of lotion bars, which were for sale in a great number of stores. She decided to jump into the market and made some herself, but when she didn’t sell a single bar in a four-month period, she let the listing expire and gave the bars away to family and friends.

She credits this as an important step in the evolution of her store and her business philosophy. “That’s when I knew I had to stick to what’s working and don’t try to over-extend myself,” she explained. “It was getting to the point where I was making things for other people to buy instead of making things that I like and then putting them out there.”

Keeping things simple has served DeLorenzo well. Her office is the coffee table in her Evansville home, and that’s exactly the way she likes it. “It’s Saturday morning with my cup of coffee, scissors, and paper,” she said with a smile.

She would rather create as a form of stress relief than have to meet certain goals, such as creating a set amount of inventory for the store on a daily or weekly basis.

Ideas are inspired by the paper she finds, the punches in her collection, and her imagination. She loves the process of mixing and matching colors while creating layouts, and she enjoys using baker’s twine in different colors, which is prominent in her work.

One of DeLorenzo’s biggest joys is when a request comes in for a custom order. She receives e-mails from many buyers who love the look of a piece but would like a more personal touch added.

“I love when that happens because they like what I’m doing; they just want, maybe, a different color.”

She has even received inquiries about having pieces made to match a baby shower theme or party invitations.

“It is really fun to do those projects. Especially because I’m making something for someone,” she said. “Someone has gone out of their way to contact me, and they want something specific. I love to do that!”

For anyone thinking of wading into the online sales waters, DeLorenzo has some advice that sounds simple but will save vast amounts of time and possible heartache. Do your research, stick to what you know and love, and be internally motivated. Many people will open an online storefront, but within six months, the project will be abandoned.

It also helps to remember that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. “One of the biggest compliments you can get on Etsy,” she quipped, “is when you find somebody else who is doing exactly the same thing as you, but they just opened a few months ago while you’ve been doing this for years.”

She speaks from experience, but given the glowing reviews left by her customers, is it any wonder?

You can browse Jessica’s many creative offerings, all in stock and ready to ship, at www.etsy.com/shop/DeLorenzoArt. You can also find DeLorenzo Art on Facebook and be the first to know about new items up for sale by following @DeLorenzoArt on Twitter.