Date joined etsy - 4/21/07
Sales to date - 1571
Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.My name is Natalie and I live near Grand Rapids in Comstock Park, Michigan. My husband Gary is also my best friend and he recently opened an Etsy shop where he sells fabric. We have a sixteen-year old daughter named Mackenzie and a fourteen-year-old son named Noah. Both of our kids are very creative. Mackenzie is obsessed with fashion and baking and Noah loves to create movies and play the guitar. We also have a pair of shih tzu dogs, Gracie and Oliver. They are our babies!
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
I am a stay-at-home-Mom and Etsy has become my full-time 'job'. By seven a.m. on a weekday morning it's just me and the dogs. I create best early in the morning and usually begin as soon as I have thrown in a load of laundry and peeked at my Etsy shop. Sometimes I work with clay and sometimes I sew, it depends on my mood. I like to listen to books on tape while I work, thanks to my friend Angela of raggedyowl.etsy.com. After a couple of hours I will take a break to answer convos, list, check treasuries, pack orders if necessary, and run out to the mailbox. I create shipping and custom labels on the computer so I no longer have to go to the post office. This is a HUGE timesaver. Afternoons are for taking and cropping pictures.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I really don't remember being super-creative as a kid. My mom, twolefthands, was always making something and being creative seemed to be her thing. She has always been great at everything that she tries. I remember her telling me that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. After I got married, I taught myself to sew and caught the creative bug. As babies, my kids had new clothes nearly everyday, not because they needed them, but because I could not be stopped! Through the years, I have learned to enjoy many types of crafting and have always had a project to work on.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?I saw an article in the local newspaper about Etsy and after checking it out, I knew that I had found my place. My Mom and I had tried some craft shows, but we never really fit in. She joined soon after I did. Etsy has been so wonderful for both of us because our creations can been seen all over the world and we are not limited to our hometown. I opened my first Etsy shop, missbeahaven, to sell my papier mache figurines. Shortly after that, I opened humblebea to sell children's clothing, something I really missed doing. I soon added a variety of items to my humblebea shop, such as my latest obsession, my polymer clay figurines. Over time, I combined shops to create one large gift shop. What I like about my shop now is that I am not limited to what I make and sell.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
I have my first Etsy sale ten days after I joined. I was thrilled! I sold to a young man who was buying a gift for his sister. I still remember his name!
-Top 5 favorite foods:
Mackenzie's home-baked cookies
Baskin-Robbins Rocky Road Ice Cream
Steak Kebabs grilled by Gary
My Mom's Beef Parmesan
English Breakfast Tea, and lots of it!
t.v. shows:
Survivor
Desperate Housewives
The Office
Jeopardy
Martha Stewart
bands:
Noah's bedroom guitar performances
Celine Dion
The Bare Naked Ladies
Matchbox 20
Train
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Honestly, if I want to try it, I just do. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
I am a treasury girl and have been since I joined Etsy but treasuries are not for everybody. There are many ways to promote your Etsy shop, but I think it's best to choose one or two and do them well. Etsy offers critiques for newbies in the virtual labs. Check them out, they can be very helpful. Also, be a great business person. Sell quality work, answer convos promptly, ship quickly and it will all pay off.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
twolefthands.etsy.com my Mom's shop for handmade fairies and gifts
humbleboy.etsy.com my husband's fabric shop
makingstuffwithlove.etsy.com Alice makes needle-felted animals and created darling little replicas of Gracie and Ollie.
-One year from now, I hope my number of sold items is 2000.
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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 :)
