Date joined etsy - 7/25/05
Sales to date - 2722
Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.I'm Betsy Carr. I live in Asheville, NC. I have two dogs, two turtles and a cat. I love/hate snowstorms. I love/love peanut butter cookies.
Describe an average day in life of "you".
I wake up about 6:30 or 7:00 and help my husband get out the door. Then I have a little breakfast and head down the stairs to my basement studio around 8:00. I answer email and plan the day until about 9:00 when my studio assistant arrives. She starts in on the shipping and I start in on any soldering that needs to be done. After lunch she switches over to collaging fabrics and papers into bezels and I try to get some photos taken for etsy listings (five a day is my goal). Then, if all the soldering is done, I switch over to office work. I answer more emails, follow up with wholesale inquiries, get some press kits out, apply to craft shows, create blog posts, do some bookkeeping--things like that. Work is usually over about 4:30, when I spend some time tidying things up, giving the dogs a little walk and making something delicious for dinner. I don't work in the evenings, or on the weekends unless I absolutely have to! I need that time to read tons of trashy novels and work on my craft projects.
Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
Yes. I've always felt like I needed to be making things and I've always felt most satisfied when I am. I'm still so thankful to my mother for being so supportive of my creativity. She kept me well supplied with paints and crayons and let me rip up old sheets to sew with. I even started taking oil painting classes as a six year old. But, at some point I decided that I was more academic than artistic. All through jr. high and high school I never took an art class. I finally tried again in college and ended up majoring in studio art.
What made you want to start selling on etsy?
I'm pretty sure I signed up to be a seller the first time I visited the site. We had just moved to Asheville and I hadn't found a job yet. I needed something to do!
How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
About a month.
Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows and bands?
Foods:
peanut butter
buffalo anything
mahal koftas
grits
pimiento cheese sandwiches
tv shows:
Lost
any nature documentary
Man vs. Wild (even though I think Bear is nuts)
any mini-series with historical clothing
music:
Wolf Parade
Neil Diamond
country music from the '70s and '80s
Iron and Wine
Dinah Washington
Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
Gardening. I have little luck with it, but love the idea of it.
What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops
List often. Become a member of other online communities like twitter, flickr and facebook. Keep a blog. Participate in craft shows where people can see your work in person and make sure they get info about your etsy shop.
3 etsy shops I love
sandmaiden
Ninainvorm
dadaya
By Dec. 31 2010 I'd like to have
5000 sales! Is this realistic? I guess I'll find out.
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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 :)
