Date joined etsy- 5/29/07
Sales to date - 1169
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.Hello, my name is Alayna. I live in a small town just south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. We are surrounded by desert and sky. The sky, in fact, seems limitless here, and I love it.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
An average day right now is pretty full. I wake up at about 5:00 a.m. and after a quick shower, I get to work on jewelry orders. This is one of my favorite times of day because I get to jam to some Thom Yorke, bend wire and answer emails. Then, it's off to work. After work, it's time for homework and more jewelry. Two classes + full-time work + jewelry = always busy.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
Growing up, I loved to draw and paint. In college, I discovered clay. My favorite subjects were always people, and I drew faces endlessly.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
At the law firm where I work, I met a woman who beaded beautiful jewelry. She inspired me to start beading, too. I remember the first time she taught me to bend a headpin to make earrings. Shortly afterwards, another friend at the same law firm introduced me to Etsy. I browsed on the site for months, fascinated by everyone's awesome creations.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?My first three sales were to friends, so I would have to say I had my first "real" sale after three weeks. However, I only sold a total of 36 items in the first six months that I was on Etsy. During that time, I had to seriously reevaluate the quality of my photos (they were pretty dark).
Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
My five favorite things right now are: sliced tomatoes with fresh mozarella and olive oil (so yummy), Thom Yorke (see above), fuzzy socks, the color red, and my piano.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
I would love to learn to knit! I can do some basic crochet, but knitting is a mystery to me.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?If you want to promote your Etsy shop, get to know other Etsy sellers! Make lots of treasuries, too. It is another form of creativity, and teaches you to appreciate the beauty of other people's work. Also, take time with your photos. Natural, indirect light is your best friend.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeadsInTheBelfry
http://www.etsy.com/shop/tushtush
http://www.etsy.com/shop/yogagoat
-One year from now...
One year from now ... I hope to be a full-time student, nearing the completion of my master's degree. I would love for jewelry making to become my "day job".
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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 :)
