Date joined etsy - 2/28/09
Sales to date - 379
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor :Hi, my real name means Blueberry in french! I'm 31 and I am a french girl living in Chicago. I am expecting my 1st baby for mid-march!
I live and work in Chicago, I have no pets and I don't eat a lot of ice cream! I'd say I like pretty much all flavors, except chocolate!
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
From monday to friday, I wake up around 6am to get ready for my "real life" job ; I check my emails, try to answer them. From work, I relist a couple of items a day, if I don't forget! I come back home around 5 pm, and then I try to spin some yarn ; I prepare my orders, if any. Before I was pregnant, I'd also dye all my fibers : it meant that every 3 weeks, I'd spend one whole weekend in my kitchen, preparing my rovings.
On weekends, I try to spin more, but I also love to be outside and see the world!
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I have always been imaginatively creative, but my family background is very classic and I'm not gifted at all for all stuffs made by hands! I had to make huge efforts to learn how to spin! I have a quite strong will and the conviction it was the right craft for me now.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
Seeing a friend doing it : bykes.etsy.com ; and the fact that I love to make but hate to keep. I have strong ideals of simple living.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
I can't remember ! I have to check. Well, not too bad ! 5 days. But it was not handspun. 1st handspun sold after 3 weeks.
It's the kind of things I don't remember, because I keep working my pace, even if I don't sell one thing. I have a long distance confidence, even if sometimes I'm impatient!
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?foods... well,I'm a french girl ! les macarons Adam de Saint Jean de Luz, le roti de boeuf avec des pommes de terre, mashed potatoes and ham, les carambars au caramel, and cinnamon rolls! I'm not very food oriented... and I don't have TV :)
I stopped watching it when I was 15. I do like House MD though! But that's the only tv programm I can mention.
For bands... I'm just a old teen.. I love psychedelic era strange stuffs, early punk music ; I also love contemporary and some classic music. I am a huge fan of Philip Glass and cry with Sibelius. I have songs that I can listen to death and then give up... for example "Fade to grey" (Visage) or "California Draming" (the Mamas and the Papas). I have also songs that make me up for something : "London Calling" got me amazing results in ancient greek poetry!!!
-Is there anything creative you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.
I'd love to have a garden, with vegetables and fruits, but also a lot of flowers! I'd love to wander in it, and to make bouquets.
I'd also love to make ceramics, and to make all my clothes (I do some, but I'm still clumsy..)
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
First, trust yourself! and make what you love and believe in.
No pressure
Keep working, no matter you don't have a sale or have a bad feedback ; keep a positive attitude and love around! Etsy is a great community of people.
To be honest, I don't promote a lot even if I should.. but as a slow spinner, I don't produce a lot...
Basically, I do 2 things : I'm active on ravelry.com ; I relist items almost every day.
Sometimes, I chat on Etsy.
I should FaceBook, Twitter, etc.. but I don't.
I don't write a blog and will not.
I don't try to connect online so that people could spread the news and promote my shop. But I love when somebody comes to me and say, like you Lauren, "I'd love to speak about your shop". It seems that a seed, somehow, started to grow... and that's very rewarding!
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Hard to give only 3 !!! let's say my friend's : bykes.etsy.com ; studioleroux for the baby Kanoe I chose for my soon-to-be-born ; owlyshadowpuppets for her beautiful shadow puppets
-By New Years Eve 2011 I hope my number of sold items is ______.
800.
But I don't really make such plans !
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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 :)
