In Which I Become an Overnight Sensation

I am now at my summer job in California and my Etsy store is on vacation.  I am still spending most evenings making treasuries.

Most?  How about every?

I can stop anytime I want.

Really?  When was the last time you went a night without making one or two.

Was it last week?  I think I only made one on the 4th.

Because you were socializing that day.  Remember?  With other people?  Coversation, food, conviviality?   You need an intervention.

Hi, my name is Tangletale and I am an Etsy addict.

But they’re sooo much fun…

I have had a realization as to why I am so mesmerized by this.  It’s virtual hoarding.  I can select from all the beautiful, wacky, brilliant, clever things on Etsy, group them together in a way that pleases me and it feels a lot like the high I used to get from binge shopping but it doesn’t burden me with any more stuff.  These things don’t need me to find them a place on the mantel.  I don’t have to worry that however much I love an item it won’t  look right with anything else in my house.  I won’t have a panic attack when I get my credit card bill. It doesn’t produce any clutter and I don’t have to figure out where to store it or how to get rid of it when I’m tired of it.

I make these treasuries to please myself.  I usually have 20-50 viewers and some positive comments, mostly from people whose items I have picked.  I would normally expect to lose my obsession with this sometime soon- after all I don’t spend hours every day on Facebook or Ravelry any more.

Eventually, I am sure, the positive reinforcement I get from being noticed on Etsy will fade and the honeymoon will end.

Or so I thought last night as I was, yet again, putting items together, ignoring the clock and pretending it wasn’t going to take anytime at all.

I did a fun assortment of bright colored unusual things, entitled it “The Wild Bunch” and then saw that I had several items in my favorites that could anchor a storm theme and went to work on that.  When I posted that one I just happened to notice that the colorful unusual treasury had had 500+ visitors in under 2 hours. When that happens Esty puts it in the beginning of the treasuries- under hottest- so even more people will see it.

I have a hot treasury!

By this morning there were 1033 hits.  That’s rare even for a hot treasury.

Then someone posted it on her blog. Here.

This has upped the stakes.  Like winning at Blackjack or having my house included in a decorating magazine spread.  I can’t quit now.

Really?  Your House?  You’re kidding.