The Web has given artists an easier way to pursue their passions — and make money from them

By SHARA TIBKEN

Sherry Ward has spent decades crafting and selling handmade goods, everything from quilts to crocheted hats to costumes for tribal dancers. But last year, she decided she needed a new way to reach customers. She was getting tired of traveling to countless craft fairs — one of the biggest venues for her work — and packing and unpacking boxes of products. So she began offering some of her creations on Etsy Inc.’s online marketplace for handmade goods. Now she gets steady orders from the site and recently sold a batch of hats to a shop in Europe. “I love that it’s an international community and that it’s primarily focused on handmade things,” says the the 60-year-old from Maryville, Tenn. “You can get a good price for your products, and they don’t charge you so much that you lose all your profits.” Every entrepreneur faces an uphill battle — but artists and craftspeople have an especially rough time. They turn out small batches of items with a big investment of time, and often find themselves trying to reach an extremely small audience. And most of the time, they’re crafting their wares while holding down a day job. Now they can get help…