Saturday, February 13, 2010

#30 unofficial etsy featured seller - SepiaLepus

#30 unofficial etsy featured seller - SepiaLepus
Date joined etsy - 10/19/07
Sales to date - 526
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

Hi! I'm Carrie Wagner the artist behind SepiaLepus. I live with my Husband and my Corgi pup Francesca just south of Boston in Quincy Ma. I love nature shows, animals, walks with my dog, ice hockey and Rocky Road ice cream.

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

I work in a picture frame shop/gallery which takes up most of my day but I still find time to work on my art, spend time with my family and try to work on growing my business.

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

I started drawing at about 4 years old. I was obsessed with drawing dinosaurs and whales battling giant squid. I'm still painting creatures with tentacles! My parents signed me up for all kinds of other types of activities like dance and music but I was never interested. Drawing and painting has always been number one for me.

-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

When I came across Etsy in 2007 I was really impressed with some of the work I saw. I started my first shop to sell the ceramics that my Mother and I worked together to make. We did craft shows all over Southern California and I wanted to have a online shop as well. I ended up opening my own shop for my illustrations and after about a year I closed the ceramics shop when I moved to the East Coast and couldn't work with my Mom anymore. I really miss it!

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

I made my first illustration sale in a week.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

:Foods - German chocolate cake, olives, Korean food, mushrooms and poutine.
:TV Shows - Venture Brothers, Ghost Hunters, Nat Geo Channel documentaries, Dog Whisperer and Haunted History.
:Nick Cave, The Bravery, Death Cab, Emporer and Flight of the Conchords.

-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.

Large scale welding, furniture making, using resins...this list could get very long!

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

I renew to help with views. It works for me. I also really like to advertise on Craftcult because it's inexpensive and I get lots of traffic from it. I have recently started to do smaller craft shows which has really been a great experience. You get so much exposure and they can be lots of fun. I have met some great people. It may seem daunting at first but I think it is worth it.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

: http://www.etsy.com/shop/marymaryhandmade Love her cute jewelry.
: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sleepyking Adorable Plush.
: http://www.etsy.com/shop/waterbears Great, fun illustrations. I love their style.

-By New Years Eve 2011 I'd like to have twice the amount of sales that I had in 2009!



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Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)