Date joined etsy - 12/11/07
Sales to date - 1562
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etcMy name is Elizabeth, I live in San Francisco with my partner and a dog named Jeff.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
I stopped wearing a watch at the same time I left for Mexico on a spiritual journey. That was 9 years ago. I wake up when my body decides and I go straight for the computer. I check my Etsy shop and my Facebook and work on any other computer related work. I love reading blogs, they inspire me to live a life full of creativity . After I catch up on people and things, I head to the garage and get orders ready to ship. I grab Jeff and we stroll to the post office. By late afternoon, I take a walk or short run through Golden Gate park. Then I head back to the garage until about 8pm. It’s a simple life.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I liked to draw and play dress up and I always had a camera but mainly I was a day dreamer.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?Etsy just fit. I had taken photography classes in High School and in college so I had that part taken care of and liked the idea of an online store because that meant that I didn’t have to haul my goods from boutique to boutique trying to make contacts.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
I had my first sale after 3 months and only 20 sales after 6 months. It took time but after I introduced lower priced pieces & things started to pick up.
Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
I love butter and homemade plum jam, asian pears, chocolate covered cherries, champagne, and goat cheese
I have many favorite movies, recently I fell in love with A Single Man with Colin Firth and my old favorites are In the Mood for Love and An American in Paris
I am always moved when I hear a Michael Jackson sing, anything from the 80’s (including Wham), and Nina Simone
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
I’ve always wanted to be a painter, I took a drawing class last year and was humbled. I’ve always wanted to learn how to crochet.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?I would suggest having a nice price point range (something for every budget)and…
Even if you’ve never taken a photography class, Picassa can help make your photos so much better. You can use the crop tool to cut out any background stuff that clutters up the shot. You can lighten the photo if your photo is too dark, and I like to use the glow tool, to make things look dreamy. And it is super easy to use. It’s any easy free download from Google.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
I love:
Sugarbakerdesigns
Beanandthesprout
christinaromeo
-By December 31, 2010 I hope my number of sold items is ______.
I don’t have a specific number of sales I want to have but I plan on introducing new items in all price ranges, and hopefully this (along with more promotion on my blog and my facebook fan page) will help keep my sales up enough to make a living.
--Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)
