Rise Up Designs

 When I first started creating, my focus was pretty simple: tumblers, wraps, and learning everything I could about UV DTF products. Like many small business owners, I spent countless hours figuring out designs, testing products, and learning what customers responded to. But something interesting happened along the way. I realized the product wasn’t really the thing. The creativity was. The skill set was. The ability to take an idea and turn it into something meaningful was. For a while, UV DTF decals primarily meant tumblers for me. And while I still love creating them, I started asking myself: What else can I do with the tools I already have? That’s where the fun began. The same UV DTF products I was using on tumblers started showing up on: 📚 Blind Date with a Book bundles 🔖 Beaded bookmarks 🔑 Keychains 👜 Book lover totes 📖 Annotation kits 🎁 Reader gift bundles Instead of learning an entirely new craft, I simply found new ways to use the skills I already had....

If you’ve been following along, you know weekends are usually filled with market prep, product planning, inventory checks, and getting ready for the next event. This weekend looked a little different. After a trip to Waco and a week of feeling under the weather, I found myself doing something I don’t do very often: slowing down. No major crafting projects. No late-night prep sessions. No marathon product-making weekends. Just rest. At first, I felt a little guilty. As a small business ownerl, there’s always something that could be done. A product to create. A display to improve. A social media post to schedule. The to-do list never really ends. But this week reminded me that sometimes rest is part of the work. When we’re constantly moving, creating, and hustling, it’s easy to forget that our energy is one of our most important resources. If we don’t take care of ourselves, eventually our creativity, motivation, and excitement begin to suffer too. My next summer market is com...

This weekend I participated in a smaller market at a local coffeehouse, and honestly? It ended up being a really good reminder that growth doesn’t always happen in the biggest spaces. Usually, I work larger markets with a full 10x10 setup. This time, I had to scale everything down into a much smaller 5x5 space. At first, I worried about how much I’d have to leave behind or whether it would still feel like me . But once everything came together, I realized something important: Sometimes limitations force creativity. The market itself is still growing, and this was only their second event. The first time I participated, it rained most of the day, so there wasn’t much traffic. This weekend was different. The turnout was smaller than some of the larger events I’ve done, but the conversations were meaningful, the atmosphere was relaxed, and it gave me the opportunity to really pay attention to how people interacted with my setup. One thing I consistently hear at markets is how cohesive ...

 Let’s talk about something that every shop owner stresses over at some point: “How do I get my listings SEEN on Etsy?” When I first launched Rise Up Designs, I spent hours creating products — tumblers, wraps, keychains — and then stared at my stats wondering why no one was finding them. 😩 Sound familiar? Now, I’m not saying I cracked the Etsy algorithm (I wish! 😂), but I have figured out a few key moves that made a difference in getting found — and getting sales. So for today’s Flex Friday, I’m sharing 3 real things that helped my listings show up more consistently. 1️⃣ Get serious about your titles Your title isn’t just a description — it’s a search tool. I used to write cutesy or vague titles, but now I start by thinking: 💡 What would my ideal customer type into the search bar? Example: Instead of “Sparkle Teacher Cup” I go with:  Teacher Tumbler with Straw – Back to School Gift – Glitter Glass Can – Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea It may sound less poetic, b...

Okay, so today’s Sip & Scroll is a little less glitter and a little more real talk over coffee. ☕ Because if you’ve been seeing the word “tariff” floating around lately and wondering what it has to do with your favorite small biz shops… Well—hi, it me. Jecca. A small biz owner who’s definitely starting to feel it. 🚨 What’s Happening? Long story short: Tariffs (aka extra taxes on imported goods) have started increasing on some of the very supplies many of us use—things like: Blank cups UVDTF wraps Keychains Packaging And even some craft tools A lot of these are made outside the U.S. and brought in by vendors here—so when their prices go up… ours do too. 💸 What I’m Seeing In My Shop Right now, I’m still able to keep my prices fair—but I’m watching the cost of materials creep up in the background. It’s subtle… until you realize your order total from your favorite vendor jumped $40 and you didn’t even buy more stuff. 😅 It affects: How often I restock Whether I can offer freebies or...