Date joined etsy- 12/28/06 - opened shop in August 2010
Sales to date - 445
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.My name is Elana - I live a hop, skip + a jump from Philadelphia proper with my husband J, our twin toddler boys and an extraordinarily lazy beagle. Threddies is a family affair - J is the official MAILDUDE in charge of post office drop-offs and is also our technology guru. I could happily subsist on Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch for the rest of my days. J is partial to the regional delight known as CMP. Twin #1 would rather eat green beans and twin #2 will inhale most any ice cream with gusto.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
Wake up to a sound not unlike a freight train through the baby monitor. Unleash the kids. Perc a giant pot of coffee for me, steep a giant pot of tea for the hubs, make everyone breakfast. Do something with the kids... errands, playdate, build forts, etc. Nap time is noonish... they go down and I pack orders for J to bring to the PO. Kids wake up - make and eat lunch. Hang with kiddos during the afternoon while working... taking pictures, sorting things, whatever I can do while they're bopping around. Make and eat a big home-cooked dinner. Banditos take a bath and go to bed, I get down to business for a few hours. Meet hubby for some hangtime and then it's to bed around 1.
I am completely tethered to my phone throughout the day... answering e-mails, re-listing sold items, tweeting... that is a CONSTANT! We take customer service very seriously, so I try to get back to everyone within the hour (or sooner!) if at all possible.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I've always loved to sew, and used to have a small business making clothing. I have always been absolutely in love with the needle arts in general - embroidery is fun. Pottery has always been a passion of mine, too. I love making things as heavy as I can without making them explode in the kiln!
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
We saw a need in the crafting community for great, fresh basics as great prices. So I decided to offer items that we were selling by the piece (and at a premium) at great prices (in bulk).
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
Not 100% sure, under a week though!
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?I can only speak for myself... foods = french fries, Manchurian gobhi (Indochine amazingness, you don't even know), my dad's killer homefries, my Bubbe's killer latkes and paneer in any way, shape or form. TV shows = Golden Girls, Dexter, My So-called Life, Sex and the City, and all of that Real Housewives crap. Music = Joni Mitchell, Hank Williams, Leo Kottke, Hazel + Alice, the Dead.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
Oh man, I really want to learn to play the Banjo! That would be utterly righteous.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
The most important thing is to make sure your pictures are absolutely clear, clean, crisp and lovely. Use natural lighting. Make them POP. Then get social and get the word out any way you can! Keep on listing your items with fabulous keywords... stagger them... and make sure your stand out from the crowd. You want someone to find your item and go WOW!
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Uffdadesigns takes our headbands and makes them into whimsical works of art. Really special stuff with a lot of heart and soul. OliveLeafStencils takes the art of stenciling to a whole new level, with the most elegant designs... just beyond. Sealmaiden is another favorite. I generally wear lots of solids, but her screens are so gorgeous.
-One year from now...
We're on the hunt for a few acres to get our homestead kickin'. Fingers-crossed, in a year, we'll have found it and will be building a yurt or something to run Threddies out of in the yard! ;)
--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 :)
