Date joined etsy - 7/10/08
Sales to date - 795
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.hi there! my name is christen strang and i'm a 23 year old artist, graphic designer, and screenprinter. i was born and raised in mobile, alabama and i still call it my home today. no kids yet, but i do have a little fuzzy baby, macy - a miniature schnauzer. don't tell her she's a dog though.. she thinks she's a human. i'm not sure it's even possible to pick a single favorite ice cream flavor, but if i had to, i'd go with cherry. cherry with chocolate covered cherries mixed in. and big chocolate chunks. yeah, that's what i'd choose.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
well, let's see. i get up around 9 or 9:30 in the morning (NOT an early bird, haha!) . i turn on some music, answer convos, relist, renew, package orders from the day before, catch up on blogs, and twitter like a maniac. eat lunch when that rolls around. now that it's starting to get nice outside, i like to sit out for an hour or so after lunch and sometimes sketch and brainstorm for new projects. i head to the post office around 3:45 to see my boys, wayne and dave. they're awesome, and they know just how to send my packages. back home from there, macy lets me know that it's time for her adventure. (i can't say "walk" out loud or she'll come running..) after that, a combination of supper, tv, and family time takes up the rest of my evening. i still live with my extremely supportive parents (i call them my roommates) so that's our time.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
ya know.. i can't say that i really was that creative growing up. i didn't take my first art class until i was a sophomore in highschool. that's when i started realizing that i was happiest when i was making art, and that hey.. i was also pretty okay at it too!
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
my mom actually heard about etsy from the martha stewart show (which she.. okay, WE watch religiously). she started selling her hand-painted silk scarves on there while i was still in college. i didn't have much time to devote to it, but i helped her with her photography and the more technical parts of the site. after college, i moved down to orlando, florida for 3 months to work at disney world.. something i'd wanted to do since i was little. i came back home in december 2008 and started my shop in january 2009.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
i think it took a little less than a week to get my first sale. it was a single card for $2 and i think i danced around the house for 2 days!
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?foods:
pasta, sushi, salads, fried chicken, and mcdonald's double cheeseburgers.
tv shows:
this is hard for me because i watch WAY too much tv. i'd have to say.. lost, chuck, grey's anatomy, psych, and friends.
bands:
the beatles, aerosmith, queen, onerepublic, and maroon 5.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
i played the piano from age 7 to about 20, and i'd really like to get back into doing that. i quit because i simply didn't have the drive or time to put in the practice time necessary, but now that i've written out my day's schedule, i'm starting to realize that there are probably several holes in there that i could fill with some piano playing.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
i really didn't have a plan when i started my etsy shop, and looking back, i wish i had. if you know the kinds of things you'll be selling, get a bunch of them ready, photographed well, and list a few each day for at least the first week. it will keep you towards the front of the search listings. put some of your personality into your listing descriptions. people like to know they're buying from a human, not a machine. that's the appeal of handmade. make customer service your absolute number one priority. i also really love twitter as a way to meet like-minded people and promote what i'm selling.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
everyeskimo.etsy.com
lamarquisedesanges.etsy.com
skunkboycreatures.etsy.com
-By December 31, 2010 I hope my number of sold items is ______.
my dream number would be 2000. as i write this, i'm 9 sales away from 800. it's a lofty goal, but a little dreaming never hurt anybody! ;)
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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 :)
