Date joined etsy -2/12/08
Sales to date - 888
Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.my name is shellie jernigan and i live in wilmington nc. i have 4 kids ages 22, 20, 9 and 7 (last one's a girl!), and 2 dogs, brandy and wilson. and a cute and fun husband.
my favorite ice cream is peanut butter and chocolate.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
let's see. a normal day is waking up early (and i'm not a morning person), and getting the young kids off to the school bus. then, i usually go back to bed. i love sleep, and comfort. probably why i was drawn toward creating pillow designs!
then, i have coffee, check emails, and convos. i stay at home with the kids, so i try to do anything that involves driving around town while the kids are in school. i mix in mom stuff like grocery shopping and cleaning with fabric shopping and sewing.
i will sew a couple of hours, and package as well while helping a little bit with kids' homework. then, before i know it, it's dinner time, and usually i'm doing a little bit of sewing in the evening when the kids go to bed. i create when the spirit moves. i stop my normal orders and create a piece. it's important for me to create new things and keep my shop fresh, and my soul happy!
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
i took piano lessons beginning when i was 5. i loved music and crafts. at school, i took the art projects very seriously. i loved art. i also was the "bossy director" in many neighborhood productions. we'd make up a variety show, and bring all the parents into a garage to watch. i also loved creating haunted houses in our basement and stuff like that. when i got a little older, i sang a lot, and faked my way into auditions for dancing. i actually made it further than i thought! i never took dance, but always loved dancing too. my sister was the artist....she went to college for drawing and painting. i thought i'd be a business person of some sort and never really thought of myself as creative.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?my sister in law and i were talking on the phone. she mentioned etsy and we started looking at the site for gifts, etc....we both decided we wanted to "make something". she is an excellent photographer and well, the only thing i was doing at the time was sewing slipcovers for my couches and old chairs. i was going crazy doing that. i thought to myself, "i want to make something!!" and so i started by looking for cool textiles and fabrics and turning them into pillows.
after a bit, i began dreaming about pillow designs. i loved creating new pillows , and each pillow was a canvas for me to create "pillow art". it's been quite a pleasant surprise that i enjoyed this so much, and that people were enjoying my pillows!
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
i think it was 60 days! and how exciting that first sale is! i still remember it! someone bought my little dandelion messenger bag i made. i couldn't believe it!
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
i love avocados, guacamole, salsa, cilantro and tortilla chips. i also love popcorn, and i'm kind of a popcorn snob. i make it myself in a special popper. every night pretty much!
tv shows: arrested development, the office, 30 rock, hoarders, intervention, and "I made it out alive".
bands: i like a lot of different music. lately, coyote grace, tracy chapman, and now i love pandora. it opens me up to more of music i love.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.i play the guitar a little bit and write my own music, but i've also wanted to always learn the banjo and the harp.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
relist every day which keeps your shop fresh when people are looking for your type of items.
be true to your style and let it evolve and grow. don't try too hard to do what you "think" you should do. be inspired, and see what happens. don't be too desperate to make etsy work. just focus on creating something lovely, and doing your best with your customers. i love my customers.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
sawgrasscandles.etsy.com
sherylsprattdesigns.etsy.com
thebeeskneesdesigns.etsy.com
-One year from now, I hope my number of sold items is...
i don't have a number. (it makes me feel pressure) plus, i'm not a great numbers person. but i do hope to have more customers that are thoroughly pillowhappy!
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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 :)
