I should be making stuff, but instead I am messing around on the internet... How do you keep focused?? I have a great product that people are buying (yes they are and they give me great feedback!).

I realize that I enjoy the process of developing new prototypes more than I enjoy the mass production of the already developed items. So here I am, I need new stock for my etsy shop and I even have a custom order to work on, but I am messing around with some new materials I just bought.

The blog is meant to help promote my site, but is it simply an other form of procrastination??

Yesterday I got an email from someone on etsy asking me how I make my lanyards, how do I get the hardware so neat and perfect. To convince me that it was an honorable request and she was not going to copy me, she sent a link to a retro soda shop where she said she works, she wants to make something similar for the staff.

My first thought was "well why don't they just order them from me?" or she could have ordered just one to dissect. That's rude!

My second thought was 'no way'. Maybe I am too paranoid (or wise) from reading horror stories on etsy's forums about people who blatantly copy other sellers' items. I told her nicely (hoping for a sale) that I was not comfortable giving away my process because it took a long time and much trial and error to get it right.

There is alot of plagarism out there but I think my designs are fairly safe. Someone who does not have the imagination and patience to come up with their own products would not be able to do this even if I told them how. It's tedious and difficult, when I rush I end up with a lot of seconds that don't meet my standards for sale, I have to give the seconds to my friends!