Hope Studios...The Shop

I haven't given an update on Hope Studios, The Shop since the fall and a lot has happened since then!  I have continued to "meet" some great people, hear their stories, and help them give some great personal gifts.  I combed through my photos to find a few to share.  Here are some of the custom orders I have worked on recently.

The 16x16 Photo Plaques like the one above have really taken off as an alternative to my usual 20x20 Photo Frames.  This plaque has endless options when it comes to photo placement and has been really popular for it's price point and flexibility.   I have painted some quotes that made me cry and some that made laugh like the one above.

Here is the same size 16x16 photo plaque with the photo center mounted to mimic the 20x20 inch Frames. Isn't that the greatest baby name ever??

Of  course, my mainstay remains my 20x20 Wood Photo Frame with a custom quote and center shadowbox-style photo mount. There is just so much space on this frame that the sky is the limit when it comes to quotes.  I have even painted text from actual love letters and wedding vows on this style frame.  The quote on the one above is actually the one I painted for my own mom!  Yep, trouble!

My most reasonably priced 12x12 inch Photo Plaque with custom quotes is always a great choice.  This Pooh quote is just so sweet!  I love it when couples have their own special love language I can help capture.

Check out this little number I painted to commemorate someone's first experience at a major league baseball game, this customer needed flexibility for two differently sized photos on her 16x16 inch Multi-Photo Plaque:

A gorgeous rich red 12x12 inch Photo Plaque - I wish my photo was of better quality! 

And here is a wedding gift, 20x20 inch Photo Frame. Weddings make up about 80% of my business with people choosing vows, special lyrics, and Bible verses most often:

So, that's a highlight on what has been up with Hope Studios, The Shop over the past few months!  Still chugging along!

I have sold on Etsy since 2008 (and Ebay before that), and have been pretty successful (Almost 700 sales! Over $54,000 worth of merchandise!) but the latest policy changes have left me unhappy and looking for a change. 

I noticed a site called Storenvy.com and I'm considering opening a shop as a test.  Anyone have any experience selling or buying from this site?  From what I can see, there is no listing fee but they charge a 10% fee after you sell something...hmmm...