Date joined etsy- 6/27/08
Sales to date - 2126
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.My name is Gina and I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a 106-year old Victorian with my husband and our two awesome kids. I drink tea with milk almost every day, and sit at a very messy desk in a very messy home office. (I’m working on it! Any advice?)
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
During the school year, I usually work from 9-3 while my kids are at school, and then pick up the slack at night if I need to. Summer has been a bit more complicated because I don’t want them to have to go right from a school schedule to a summer schedule. I usually work in the mornings now, from 6-8, then spend some time with my kids and try to fit in a few more hours during the day if they have plans. Some weeks they go to day camps so they can have fun while I’m getting caught up.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
Like a lot of other artists, I’ve been creating things as long as I can remember. I started my business, Dreamland, 18 years ago designing custom wedding stationery and holiday cards. After a few years working only with local clients, I started working with a handful of retail stationery stores around the country, and then in the fall of 2008 I opened my etsy shop under the name lettergirl.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
I had a few sales on etsy that first holiday season, but my heart wasn’t in it quite yet. I still do a lot of custom holiday orders so I didn’t have time to devote to figuring out how to make etsy successful. I put more effort into it in January – and the results were amazing! After I uploaded some new items, I was featured on a wonderful blog (Paper Crave) and it’s just been crazy ever since. In addition to a number of really generous bloggers writing about my products, I’ve been doing some sponsorships and giveaways on blogs too. The blogging community has really driven my sales on etsy.
I actually wish I had more time to spend on the overall etsy site. Since I still have my design business AND etsy, I don’t have much time leftover for all the administrative stuff that goes along with having a business. I would love to hear what your readers think is the most helpful part of etsy for them!
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.Even though I’ve handwritten thousands of envelopes, I am still not sick of writing. I also like to handsew garments, keep scrapbooks, and quilt. Right now I am focusing on having enough time for all the things I enjoy doing and not thinking much about new pursuits!
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
My best advice for new etsy sellers is to give yourself perspective – spend time thinking about your product, why you’re selling it, what kind of business you want to have, and how you can make it happen. Time spent on “why” is never wasted!
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Three etsy shops I just love are:
ChickadeeSupplies (she sells amazing German fabric trims),
EightSeasons (I’ve been itching for one of those iPod cases),
and TreacleToffee (because it is the first shop I ever favorited).
--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 :)
