Date joined etsy- 4/7/08
Sales to date - 1675
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.My name is Julie Anne Martin...Salem, Oregon. I have 2 girls..Delia (3.5) and Zoe (5)..a husband named, Larry, and a cat named Athena. I can THROW DOWN some vanilla bean ice cream. I am TERRIFIED of birds. TERRIFIED. I grew up in Mississippi. :)
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
My life is INSANE. Straight-up NUTS. During the school year, I work from 8:30-4:30 each day, but the summers are chaos. I get up at 4 am to work most days and stay up late to do computer work. I have 2 assistants that sew the bulk of my orders. I move at WARP SPEED to handle my business and still get the family fed and tucked into bed at night. I am an insomniac to say the least. Zoloft is my friend.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I have been creative since I can remember...back to toddlerhood. I took private art lessons as a child and majored in Fine Art in college. My background is in Fine Art (drawing , photography, and mixed media paintings). I owned a mural-painting business for 10 years before launching my children's clothing line. Creating is like BREATHING for me. I will DIE if I can't do it.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
My best friend introduced me to Etsy. I never had any intentions of selling my creations until the demand for what I was sewing for my girls got to the point that I KNEW it would be successful.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
It took me a couple of months to get my first sale.
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
I am FULL-ON addicted to "Glee". I'm a Gleek and CRAZY PROUD of it. I also LOVE Project Runway. Food? SUSHI and anything involving sugar. Bands? WOW. So varied there. I love everything from John Barry to Lady Gaga. VERY eclectic. I hate Country.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
My secret desire has ALWAYS been to be a rock star. I used to play the piano, flute and guitar years ago..........
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
You HAVE to have good photos. Period. If you have NOTHING ELSE...have good photos. Also..BE UNIQUE. Etsy is RAMPANT with copycats. Find your passion and make it your own. Give the people something they haven't seen before.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
citefuzz.etsy.com, booandboofactory.etsy.com, and thatjewelrygirl.etsy.com (I own a crazy amount of her pieces!).
-One year from now, I hope...
to find that elusive BALANCE!
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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 :)
