My name is Sara Tams, and I’m the creator/editor of Oh My! Handmade Goodness. I’m also the owner of sarah + abraham, an online shop where I’ve been selling handmade paper goods since October 2007.

This blog came about as the result of my overwhelmingly positive experiences over the past couple of years, meeting and learning from so many talented women in the online handmade industry and blogging community, and wanting to figure out a way that we could all work together.

When I first started my business, I began by researching independently owned online children’s shops. I noticed that several of the best websites I came across were created by a company called Aeolidia.

I contacted Arianne at Aeolidia asking her for a quote to build a website for me. At the time, there wasn’t much to my product line, and I didn’t know anything about the market for the products I wanted to sell. Instead of quoting me a price and embarking on a project that I wasn’t prepared for, Arianne provided some great advice and a list of resources for me to consider, including Etsy, which I’d never heard of.

I immediately opened an Etsy shop and started a blog. Through the feedback, advice, and encouragement from other Etsy sellers, Etsy buyers, and fellow bloggers (including Amanda Avutu, Heather Mattos, Lizzie Sorenson, Marla Smith, Sarah Jane, Dacia at Lima Bean Kids, and Tracey at Tiny Sprouts), my product line grew and changed dramatically. One year later I was finally ready for my own website and had developed some wonderful new friendships.

Along the way I began selling some of my products wholesale to Caroline of Little Cupcakes Company and Nicole of Honeybunch (one of the Aeolidia websites I admired). They’ve both become good friends of mine over the past couple of years, and I know I can always count on them any time I have questions or need advice.

I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting a few of my new online friends in person. Meg at Olliegraphic (who I’ve collaborated with on a new line of products) and Megan at Silhouette Blue both live about 30 miles away. Stacy at Name Your Design lives in the same town as me, and Julie at Life Verse Design lives just a couple of towns over. Every time I get together with these women I’m amazed at how much we have in common and how much we truly enjoy helping each other out however we can.

For a while, I’d been trying to think of a way that we could work together and pool our talents. When I won a free blog package from Susie at Zee Studio through Shanna’s blog, My Favorite Everything, it all came together. I began asking all of these women if they’d like to be a part of this new blog that I wanted to create, and I didn’t get a single “no”.

Some will be monthly columnists and others will be occasional guest contributors. They’ll be sharing business tips; tutorials; handmade finds; free downloads; inspiration for handmade parties and home décor; and advice on marketing, PR, web design, and social media. I’ll be coordinating all of the content and lining up some great interviews.

So whether you’re currently running an online business, thinking about starting a business, or looking for quality handmade children’s products, we hope that you’ll join us. Please leave comments or contact us to let us know what’s on your mind or what you’d like to see more of. If you’d like to write a guest post or sponsor a giveaway, please let me know.

We’ve got lots of great content lined up, so be sure to check in often! (Or subscribe to our newsletter or RSS feed.)