It’s been a while since my last blog post. For about a month, my internet connection was incredibly slow, making it almost impossible to go online. Very frustrating since being online is a significant part of my daily routine and it’s my primary source of connection to the outside world.
In addition to my daily aches and pains, fatigue often dominates my daily routine, forcing me to rest no matter what plans I may have had. However, I’m not very good at relaxing, so I use this time to watch YouTube videos, especially vlogs from creators who make products similar to the ones I currently sell or plan to sell in the future.
I subscribe to around 260 YouTube channels, but I have narrowed down my top 10 favourites, in no particular order, which include a range of topics including Store vlogs, Resin crafting, Etsy tips, home DIY and Baking
01. Katnipp – I’ve probably been watching Catherine’s YouTube channel for a couple of years now. She has a successful Etsy store, selling a wide range of items from stickers and plushies, to mugs and mousemats, and created all the fun characters that you see in her designs. She also shares lots of advice, and talks about the good, the bad and the ugly of running a small business. It used to be just her in her small studio, but now employs family members, including her husband.
2. Le Spirit Designs – Another YouTuber who makes stickers, plushies, keyrings, enamel pins etc. What I love about Ashley is the calmness of her vlogs, and they average around 10-20 minutes long. She does a lot of conventions in the US, and although this is something I’m never likely to do, I still find the vlogs interesting and informative. She talks about how she sets up her tables, what the pros and cons were at each, and breaks down her costs vs profit.
3. Anna Williams – Anna runs PlannerFace, her sticker store from her home. She focuses on planner stickers and also sells a range of albums and stationery items.
Her most recent vlog is about vending at a UK event and how she sets up, so interesting to have a comparison between UK vs US conventions that Ashley from Le Spirit Designs does.
4. Just Call Me Meghan – Meghan is a resin crafter, and what I love about Meghan is how she isn’t afraid to try out new things, and vlogs them even if they may go a little wrong, I wish I had half of her courage.
5. Poffle’s Creations – I’m very new to Ria’s channel, she doesn’t have many videos and currently has less than 350 subscribers at the time of me writing this, but she is a resin artist. The items she makes are amazing, as she uses chameleon and mica powders to paint designs.
6. Wanda’s Blessed Creations – Ah Miss Wanda is a very special lady, you’ll soon be joining in when she says “hello my sweet babies” at the start of her resin, or other crafting videos. She is a little kooky with her Monkey Coconut, but has a big heart and always puts a smile on my face.
7a. Starla Moore – Probably the main Etsy YouTuber I watch. I like the advice she, and her husband Marc, provide and isn’t a “Do what I do and you can earn $$$$$ on Etsy” YouTuber, as many are. She does run the Handmade Alpha Academy, which is a paid course but doesn’t give you half the info on YouTube and then expects you to sign up for her course to learn the rest. Plus everything about her course is transparent from the content to the price – there are others who you have to contact just to find out how much their course costs, and it’s a lot more than Starla and Marc charge but with less content.
7b. Along side Starla’s channel I also follow Pam Duffy and the eRank channel
Pam has been selling on Etsy for a number of years and she knows the Etsy policies inside and out; probably better than the people who write them. Each week she talks about what’s happening on Etsy, the good, the bad and the ugly, as well as giving out lots of valuable advice
She also works at eRank, as Starla and Marc do, and appears regularly in their YouTube videos too.
8. By Kristina Nicole – Kristina is a photographer who offers so much info on product photography, whether it’s for Etsy or any other online outlet. From lighting and backdrops to resizing using different tools, plus lots of other advice. If you sell online, and take your own product photos, then check out her channel – even if you think you take the best pics already.
9. Dainty Diaries – If you are looking to revamp your home in any way, then Catherine’s vlog is for you. DIY, Gardening, Home Furnishings, Upcycling – she does it all to make her beautiful home just how she wants it. And she’s managed to find time to write a book too.
10. Joy of Baking – I think Stephanie’s channel was the first I ever subscribed to on YouTube. I’m not a baker at all, but she makes it look so simple. She caters for all giving ingredients by weight as well as cup measurements, and all recipes can be found on her accompanying website.
Penguin and the Bee 