Started a blog!

Well, this is officially my first blog post. I have no idea what I am doing, but decided to start this after seeing one that a fellow Etsyian made to advertise her Etsy site. I am currently selling handmade fused glass pendants on my Etsy site (www.Etsy.com/shop/eyeseesage). The jewelry market is very saturated (millions of items for sale!) and it is hard to get noticed, no matter how much I work on getting accurate titles, tags, etc., which help with SEO. SEO, I have learned this month, is Search Engine Optimization. It is what helps get your stuff seen. There is tons of advice out there, which leads to a lot of tweaking of your shop, but doesn't always seem to help!
So, because I have found that I enjoy working with glass, and it has proven to be somewhat costly to do it at my local shop (as well as limiting my creativity to what they have available), I am taking the plunge and buying my own kiln on January 1, 2012. I have already started buying the other things that I need, such as glass cutters, a mat for catching the bits of glass when I cut, starter glass, etc. I have a few books for inspiration and background knowledge. Now, all I need is the actual kiln! My plan is to expand my product line to include things such as coasters, nightlights, switch covers, magnets, etc.
Did I say it was costly to work through my local shop? Well, the start-up costs are proving to not be cheap! LOL. But, in the end, I think it will be worth it. The reason that I am waiting until 1/1/2012 to purchase my kiln is that will be my first official business expense for next years taxes. If my business doesn't take off the way that I hope, I will need the tax deductions to make up for some of the losses.
So, today I am working on some business paperwork, and organizing my work area. A few more days until my first order of glass comes and until I can order my kiln.
Stay tuned!