Wow! Thank you all for your wonderful comments - so nice to hear that you have enjoyed this celebration of color and maybe even discovered some new shops. I love hearing about what inspires you too, so thanks Cait and NewCreatioNZ

Yes - I love that 'no fear'! They are fearless when they use color - inspiring for when I get stuck in a color rut and have to actively shake myself out of it! Glad you enjoyed the picks

All fantastic tips and I LOVE your no-nonsense approach. More please!

I really like the idea of setting a schedule for the on-line stuff - it's so easy to get sucked in and fritter away an hour or three on things that aren't really productive but as you point out staying away completely is not the answer as they are an important part of self-promotion. Setting aside time and sticking to time limits seems a very sensible thing that I think I REALLY need to do to get through the coming months!

Gorgeous and definitely inspiring - I love the sense of depth the ones using natural light have as well, it kind of draws you in

A great range of links - I love that Christina Hendricks story! I'd like to see the Google Analytics for that shop after the story went up! I think these kinds of things are good for all of us though - the more Etsy gets featured in the 'mainstream' press, the more it will spring to mind as a legitimate, quality place to shop. Nice!

Thanks Deb and you are very welcome! I'm looking forward to seeing some rainbow creations from you now, tee hee!

Thank you! Lovely to hear you enjoyed my finds

Glad you like the blog Chronology! It is updated with valuable, interesting, diverse posts every single day - so well worth stopping by often. I feel so lucky to be able to write posts for it!

Nice analogy! It is a tricky balance trying to figure out how much you're willing to risk when you first start out. I've just started a second shop and the supplies (note cards) for this one are pricey, I'm just trying to figure out whether I should take the plunge and order another batch of cards or wait for a sale...I really like your idea of using items as gifts!

I also need to add to the mix the fact that customers like to see more than a few products in a shop - for some reason having less than about 12 items seems to be a turn off (maybe it shows a lack of commitment?).

Thanks for providing some food for thought!