Date joined etsy -4/10/08
Sales to date - 824
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.Online I go by my initials, RJ, and I live in a small town just outside of Toronto, Canada with my husband and our demanding kitty. Kitty likes to spend his day 'helping' in my office {he's especially helpful when I'm trying to take product shots!}. Did someone say ice cream? Yes please!
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
I wake up and check my emails, then enjoy a breakfast smoothie while catching up on blogs. After that I work on any new orders and reply to convos, then after a usually healthy lunch I work on new products, take care of my own blogs, as well as my "other" job ~ that of housewife, which these days includes gardening so it isn't all bad! *lol* I try to wind things down in time to have a few minutes just for me before the mister gets home and it's time to get dinner going. And as hard as I try, without fail I'm back online at least a few times during the evening.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
Thanks to a crafty and creative mom, creativity has always been a big part of my life. I wanted to be an artist from the age of seven, and fulfilled that dream when I received my BFAH degree, majoring in screen printing.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
I already had my own website set up and was doing craft shows, but when Etsy was created I was totally drawn to the community aspect of it and the potential built-in customer base. Of course I also loved that it was all about handmade, vintage and supplies!
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
With my first shop {I currently have three!} it took 9 days back when Etsy was in it's infancy, with RJ Charms it took surprisingly only a day! {But that doesn't mean it's been an easy ride ever since!}
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?Artisan cheese and rhubarb from my backyard, any dancing show {I'm addicted!} and recently I've been listening to the Flight of the Conchords almost daily.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
I've tried so many fun things in my life, but there are so many more still to try! I'm currently an avid baker and have so much fun playing in the kitchen! I also recently discovered the world of homemade natural cleaning products... which means that soap making is only a hop, skip and a jump away!
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
Do promote! And do it outside of Etsy! And don't get too caught up in the forums, they can be helpful but they can also be a big time suck, time that can be better spent promoting your shop!
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
http://www.thelittlereddoor.etsy.com
http://www.kootsac.etsy.com
http://www.transcanadateam.etsy.com
-One year from now, I hope my number of sold items is... 2000!
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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 :)
