Date joined etsy -10/25/08
Sales to date - 328
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.
My name is Jill, I live in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges south east of Melbourne,Australia. Soon to be moving back home to the UK though. We have bought a Georgian cottage that we haven't seen yet!
I have 2 daughters, Alice, 17 and Maisy, 14, hence the shop name! An extraordinarily large Bearded Collie named Hamish McDuff and a rescue cat named Marnie who secretly adore each other. Mustn't forget my wonderful Husband, Jason, who gives me free reign to do whatever I please, despite the mess that usually entails.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
An average day is fairly chaotic, I'm very disorganised. I take the girls to school, walk the dog, go to the gym and then try to fit far too much in to my day, processing orders, creating things that are bursting out of my head, photographing, listing, making treasuries, making cookies and at the moment I'm also trying to organise a move to the other side of the world, it's all de-cluttering, arranging containers and pet passports!
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I have always had to create, I remember making a cardboard rabbit hutch so that my mother would let me have a rabbit! I get the strangest creative urges, ideas pop in to my head in the oddest places and I can't rest until I have bought my imaginings to life. I have tried every craft known to mankind and still enjoy many different mediums. I make all my own soap, quilts, etc, etc. I particularly enjoy screen printing and have a lot of ideas for additions to my shop when I get settled back in the UK. I find it frustrating that I have wait, but there we are!
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?I discovered Etsy in a Melbourne weekend paper and was instantly entranced, I realised it was the perfect outlet for my creativity, until then I had done the usual circuit of craft fairs and markets.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
It took over a month to get my 1st sale, I was starting to feel very unloved and then on Maisys' birthday I sold a felt bookmark to a lady in Massachusetts, I was thrilled!
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
I love food and cooking... and eating! I have to go to the gym. I adore lemon sorbet! ( not fattening at all!)
Favourite foods: I'm English so curry has to be up there! Pastries and cakes, CHOCOLATE, pickles and Hungarian(my husband is half Hungarian).
Favourite bands: I love so many different sorts of music, I still love the Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac, I have always adored David Bowie and old bands like The Clash (had green spiky hair as a teenager!) Today I am listening to Coldplay.
Fave TV: I could easily live without TV, however I am loving watching Masterchef Australia at the moment and get drawn in by interior and property shows, If it were just me, I would watch the History Channel.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?I think the best way to promote a new shop is to get out there and make lot's of Etsy friends, make treasuries and talk to people. Regular listing is important and of course photography, You don't need a great camera, but don't settle for a bad photo, keep re-taking until it's as good as you can get it. Photo's are what draw people in.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
There are so many shops it's hard to pick but I love: inaluxe, bookity( just got a great vintage comic passport holder from her) and bridbird.
-One year from now, I hope my number of sold items is...
I just hope I can keep going and hope to have added lot's of those things that are currently stored in my head!
--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 :)
