Grumplings - Adorable Indoor Planter Pots

07/03/2025

Announcement time!

Hey friends! Sorry for the long absence. Lately I've been struggling with motivation, and I just recently got back from two week vacation. Plus, there's the whole accidental rhyming situation. 😅

The main reason I'm writing this, however, if to let you all know that I'll be closing my Etsy shop indefinitely starting today. But don't worry, you'll still be able to pick up a grump from my GoImagine shop! https://goimagine.com/grumplings/

If you've read some of my past posts, you'll know I was already not very thrilled with how things are run there. From their allowance of dropshipping (even if the claim they don't) to the AI slop that's sold there, to the shipping policies and algorithms they have that push small sellers to the bottom, it's not a platform I'm happy to support.

In that past, I've just put up with it, since Etsy is by far the biggest marketplace for sellers like me, but that's now changed, and here's why. In the last year or so, they've made changes to their content moderation policies - subtly loosening the restrictions and lowering the bar for what can get you banned.

Most recently, this has meant that the site has been flooded with merch glorifying Alligator Alcatraz. Merch that should never have made it past the first moderation check. You can read more about that here: https://www.valueaddedresource.net/etsy-boycott-alligator-alcatraz-merch/

For those who don't know, Alligator Alcatraz is the charming nickname given to the new immigrant detention camp in Florida, which is surrounded by snake and alligator infested waters. With the current political climate in the US, you can be sure nothing good will come from it. You can find more info on the camp itself here: https://apnews.com/article/alligator-alcatraz-immigration-79190c04f55db8f872a2a802093dc36e

With that in mind, plus all the other issues with Etsy, I've decided it's time to move away from the site entirely. From the time being, grumplings will ONLY be available from my GoImagine shop.

Now is a great time to check out the shop, too, with the Desert Shrewmadillo, Bearded Tree Hermit, and Spotted Grouchfrog all freshly back in stock! Check them out here! https://goimagine.com/grumplings/

12/17/2024

Grumplings are now on goimagine! https://goimagine.com/grumplings/

I'm really excited to be working with the folks over at goimagine to fight against the mass production, drop shipping, AI generation era that Etsy is in at the moment. They're a great organization that's focused on charity, community, and makers. And best of all, they're committed to never going public! That means no share holders or greedy CEO's forcing their profit-pilled schemes onto the platform! Woohoo! 😁

What they need the most right now is more makers to join the platform, so if you know anyone who sells their stuff online, be sure to let them know! I'm super excited to help platforms like this grow !

More info at https://goimagine.com/mission

Shop Handmade | Shop Local | Shop with Purpose

12/15/2024

Hawk’s Tide-beaked Mimicker, or Tonitribus Mimica, is an incredibly rare species, and a member of the genus Rostrum Patera. The Mimicker was discovered by the natural philosopher Agnes during an expedition along the perilous coast of the Chariot Sea. She recalls in her notes hearing “a strange sound, as of distant thunder, but somehow smaller,” which she followed, eventually leading her to the Mimicker, nesting in the crook of a high rock. She hypothesized this behavior was meant as a threat to potential predators. Hawk described the Mimicker as “fierce and magnificent” in her journal, noting that it seemed “extremely protective” of the small, coastal plant growing inside it. Hawk’s encounter was one of the very few recorded sightings of the elusive Mimicker. She later stated that she gave the species its name due to the storm cloud colors of its beak, and its remarkable ability to mimic sounds.

12/06/2024

A few weeks ago, I mentioned in a post that I was starting to shift away from Etsy, and into selling on Finnalby. There's a lot of reasons for that, and today I came across this great video from Sustainable Jungle that outlines everything wrong with Etsy. Check it out if you're interested!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSyEQAWLQbk
https://finnalby.com/Businesses/grumplings

What happened to Etsy? Rising fees, random account suspensions, algorithm changes, continually ignoring the requests and concerns of its sellers and implemen...

11/23/2024

Three big updates!

1. Grumplings are now on Finnalby! More details below 👇
2. There's a new grump in the shop! 🐦 (why is there no crow emoji ;_;)
3. There's a HUGE SALE in the Etsy shop! (15% off everything until December 11th!)

So, what's Finnalby and why the change? Well, the main reason for starting to shift over to Finnalby is because Etsy is becoming less and less hospitable to small makers like myself. If you've looked for anything on there in the last few years, I'm sure you've noticed the influx of mass produced, factory made stuff. It gotten very difficult to find things that are actually hand made on Etsy anymore.

It's a complaint that Etsy makers have had for a long time, and yet, there's still no search filter to search only for things that are handmade. It's an easy problem to fix, but Etsy won't do it because they make more money by cozying up to big business.

That's where Finnalby comes in. If you haven't heard of it, it's pretty similar to Etsy, but with some major differences. Among those is the fact that they let you list your items as "strictly hand made" - they even require evidence of that when listing the item. Unlike on Etsy, Finnalby makes it easy for you to find things that were actually hand made, allowing you to support small makers easily. It's a smaller platform with much less traffic, but I'm super excited to be a part of helping them grow, and I hope you will be too!

Links:
https://finnalby.com/Businesses/grumplings
https://grumplings.etsy.com
https://www.instagram.com/grumplingpots/

Discover Finnalby, the online marketplace where artisans and independent retailers thrive. Sell wholesale, buy wholesale, sell retail, and explore Strictly Handmade creations. Shop handcrafted, eco-friendly, and unique products. Join our community today!

11/10/2024

An update?! On the Grumplings page?! What’s haaaaaaaappennnnniiinnngggg??!?! 😱

10/10/2024

Possibly(?) finished sculpt 😪

09/02/2024

A new friend take shape 🐦‍⬛

09/02/2024

A new friend is taking shape 👀

08/03/2024