Date joined etsy - 1/24/06
Sales to date - 1861
-Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff.
My name is Diann Morris, and I am 35 years old. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but now I live in a quaint, old town in North Carolina with my husband, three kids and my dog. At a young age, I took the pilgrimage to the West Coast, served my country for 4 years in the Marine Corps, did a variety of jobs, and then decided to come back east, where I've settled into stay at home mommyhood.
-Apart from creating things, what do you do?
Read, surf the net, nature watch, shop, take day trips to the beach or mountains, hike, did I mention shop? I really like that a lot! LOL
-What first made you want to become an artist?
About 10 years ago, I decided that I could make better candles than one of the big boys. I started researching and testing, and haven't looked back. I have somewhat of an addictive personality, so the bead addiction and paper addiction I have eventually required being turned into something to consume them before they overran the house, so here I am...
-Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
I am not a neat person. I have stuff spread everywhere. Sometimes I put a bunch of stuff on the table, and push it around until I say "Self, that would look great together..." Other times I go with tried and true recipes. If I clean up my area, I can't find a thing, and my creative juices dry up. Make a mess, and I'm right in the middle of it!
-What handmade possession do you most cherish?
A song my husband wrote me when we were apart for an extended period of time once.
-Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.
I would like to name all these deep books and movies, however, I'm so not a 'deep' person. Quite shallow really. I don't watch much TV, however I love to read! The Stand, anything fiction or horror (especially vampire or werewolf based) really floats my boat. My favorite musician is Kid Rock. I like everything by him..otherwise I'm old school 80's rock..KISS, AC/DC, Aerosmith, etc. As for websites, flickr, facebook, google, foodnetwork
-What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Experiment, try new things. Don't rely on someone elses recipe for success to be yours. Create your own recipe. Photographs are HUGELY important! Be sure to have great ones! Don't sit on your duff and expect it to come to you...go find it! Do your best to set goals and achieve them.
-What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?
I love pounce! I would like to be able to add tracking information to sales orders.
-How do you promote your work?
I cross promote between my three shops. Occasionally I do blog giveaways, I do craft shows. This year I've set a goal to advertise more (the paid kind).
-In ten years I'd like to be...
Owning my own shop with my retired hubby, here in my home town.
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Want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)
