Date joined etsy -10/9/06
Sales to date - 1024
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.my name is lori marie and i make pretty littl things. i grew up in the SF bay area and i currently live in the oakland hills in a little red house tucked in the trees. i work from a small artist studio in my front yard that i call "the tiny house". my sidekick is a little french bulldog named matilda. she's very good about reminding me to take breaks. we enjoy long walks through the neighborhood, quick trips to the local village and vanilla bean haagen dazs ice cream.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
anyways, a typical day begins when matilda decides it's time to get up, which is usually around 6 AM. we stumble downstairs and start up the coffee. i spend the first few hours on the computer while matilda snuggles by the nearest heater vent. i like to get all of my surfing done in the morning while i figure out what i'm gonna work on during the day. i also like to do most of my sewing in the morning and i usually do my cutting in the afternoon. i tend lose brain power as the day goes on so it's best to get anything that needs thinking done in the morning.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?i have been making things for as long as i can remember. i have always been creative and i have always made things with my hands....from macrame friendship bracelets to little hippie tank tops for the grateful dead shows. my mom was an interior decorator while i was growing up and i was always very inspired by her wallpaper books and fabric samples. she would let me pick through discontinued styles and i would whip up little bags and such on a borrowed sewing machine.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
i started selling on etsy because it was an affordable way to market my pretty little things online. i don't remember how long it took for my first sale, but there were much less sellers on etsy in 2006 than there are now...so it wasn't as easy to get lost in the crowd. i think it is much trickier to get noticed as a new seller these days.
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?i usually listen to music while i sew i also like to watch netflix instant on my laptop. some of my favorite artists are ani difranco and the be good tanyas. i also love slow moving quirky independent films and documentaries like 'Grey Gardens' and 'Herb and Dorothy'.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
i think it's important to challenge myself as an artist and i like to stay inspired by trying new things. i recently taught myself how to crochet and now i am completely hooked ! i would also like to try my hand at painting and drawing...and i am dying to put together a book of simple projects for people to do on a rainy day or a long summer afternoon with the kids.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?my advice to anyone just starting out would be to start a blog and update regularly, network using social media like facebook and twitter...and provide a product or service that is different and unique from anything else out there.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
my favorite sellers are the ones who are seem to be a fountain of creativity. a few all time faves are:
vivstrauss: http://www.etsy.com/shop/vivstrauss
tamar: http://www.etsy.com/shop/tamar
janethill: http://www.etsy.com/shop/janethillstudio
-One year from now, I hope....
one year from now i hope people that have enjoyed collecting my pretty little things will continue visiting my shop to see what i've been working on and how i've expanded my collection.
--Have an etsy shop with over 300 sales and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)
