#29 unofficial etsy featured seller - TessaAnn

#29 unofficial etsy featured seller - TessaAnn
Date joined etsy - 4/23/08
Sales to date - 2146
-Give us some basic info about you:

I live in beautiful Bend, Oregon with my adorable husband, Steven of 11 years. We hope to have a family soon, but now have 3 furry-babies. My husband is amazingly supportive of my crazy need to create. He helps me out in any way he can and I really appreciate him for that :) Before starting my button business I spent the last 10 years working as an office manager in a Physical Therapy clinic and part-time at my local scrapbooking store. I am forever grateful that my little business has grown so much in this last year that I've been able to work at home on The Button Shop full time!

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

My day always starts with a little anxious white fluffy dog dancing beneath me ready to go out for his morning walk :-) I bundle up, coffee in hand and head out in the cold morning air. It really has been a great way to clear my mind before I start my day. I try to get all of my emails answered in the morning, ready-to-ship orders packaged and then I spend the afternoon creating orders and custom orders on my ever-growing lists. My husband and I love cooking in, but since I work from home I usually want to get out and be around other people a few nights a week. Some nights after dinner I will work a little bit more and answer emails...and sometimes wind down with a glass of wine and a good tv show before bed. It's a simple day in my life, but I am content and happy that I can live what I love :-)

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

I grew up being surrounded by crafty women. My Grandmas, Aunts and Mom all were very creative in their respective talents. I dabbled in many crafts throughout my life, really enjoying scrapbooking, drawing and sewing. As a kid, I was in 4-H for sewing and knitting and loved the weekly meetings at our leaders home. She had the most exquisite home and would serve us hot tea as we worked on our projects. During high school and college I was training to become classical opera singer. Music was my art then. As a child I would write and illustrate notebooks with stories of magical ponies and princesses. I love looking back at the imagination I had at such a young age. It amazes me now :-)

-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

I stumbled across polymer clay in my local craft store and picked out a few colors and forgot about them for some time. I needed a special button for a project and I just wasn't finding what I wanted in my button stash. My husband had the brilliant idea to put that polymer clay I had purchased to use, and make my own button. Well, that took some trial and error, before I had a button that was functional and could be used on my sewn project, but a lot was learned in the process ;) I started my Etsy shop after such wonderful feedback locally about my little button creations. Etsy has been an amazing place to get my little business going.

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

I opened my Etsy shop in late April and I didn't receive my 1st sale until July. Once I received that 1st sale it seems like my shop just took off and before I knew it I had reached my 2000th sale.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

• My top 5 favorite foods would definitely be these: I love, love a good salad, hummus, black beans, and sopa lima. Oh, don't worry, I'm normal. I love the bad stuff too like cheese burgers and BBQ chicken wings.
• My top 5 favorite TV shows are: Project Runway, Ellen, The Real Housewives of Orange County, Divine Design, Rachel Ray
• -My top 5 bands. I love the sultry sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, the way that Fleetwood Mac takes me back to my childhood and how my parents would play it in the car on long drives, Jay-Z because sometimes you just have to bump-it-up a little, John Ledgend for a little romantic, wine and dinner music and Jack Johnson's calm upbeat music is perfect when I am creating.
  

-Is there anything creative you'd like to try your hand at doing?

I have been itching to sew. I have so many ideas for children's clothing and accessories. I would love to combine my designs with buttons and appliques to make adorable girlie jumpers and dresses. It would be a fun transition one day! I just need to find my sewing machine peddle. (*wink*)

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

Take advantage of networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. I post my shop updates, as well as free shipping for my fans at FB and my Tweet friends. Create a blog and showcase your work. I love sending my products to designers I admire and showcasing what they create with my product. Be active in your respective online communities. If you sew, knit, scrapbook....join a forum that is about your craft. Networking is key to getting your product out there. Remember....the internet is world wide!

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

It's hard to narrow it down to just 3, but I really love: The Black Apple, Savor and Bohtieque Design.

-By New Years Eve 2011 I hope my number of sold items is 6,000 or MORE. That's right! I'm going to aim high!

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Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)

#28 unofficial etsy featured seller - johnwgolden

#28 unofficial etsy featured seller - johnwgolden
Date joined etsy - 7/23/06
Sales to date - 5970-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

My name is John W. Golden. I live in a town called Wilmington about 5 mins. from the beach in North Carolina. I am married with 3 kids, ages 5,7 and 12. Favorite Ice Cream is Coffee but I put away some Raspberry Sherbert too.

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

My wife gets up and gets the kids ready for school. I get up in time to take them to their respective schools and swing by my family's gallery to cut backs for my prints, cut mats and print may larger prints. Then I head back home to pack orders, print more prints, etc. I try to work in time to answer convos, blog a little, twitter a little, etc. But mostly the day is spent working towards being able to get labels on packages by 3 or 4 pm.

After dinner, I work on art a little, convos a little. Occasionally, I get a few hours a night to devote to this art project or that, making new stuff, but mostly the nights go to making art blocks for orders while we watch movies or TV. We stay up late.

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

My mother is an artist, so there were always supplies on hand to mess with. My dad was a Civil Engineer, but his passion was folk music, so there were all kinds of instruments to experiment with as well. When I was 11, my mom opened her own gallery. I spent my afternoons there for several years after school. Prior to the gallery opening, I probably drew about as much as any kid, but afternoons in the gallery and art classes at school made me more interested in it. I made my first pieces to sell when I was eleven (2 block prints, a surfer on a wave and a sailboat). I have been selling since then.

I did pretty much the basic kid stuff for where I live: Bike Rides, basketball, football, surfing, skateboarding, etc. One of the unique things I was able to do was wander the historic downtown area here (where our gallery is located). It was when Urban Renewal was happening, so there were lots of old buildings coming down. Saw lots of decay and texture, and I think that is where my love of texture came from.

-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

I was working non-stop as a freelance broadcast design (illustration and animation for television). I enjoyed it, but it was taking over my life. My wife found Etsy around the same time that we had been discussing that I could not keep up the pace in my career. At first, it was the hope that I might sell enough to allow me to turn down freelance jobs from time to time that made me want to sell on Etsy. Then, after some time, it became a matter of I could not do both Etsy and freelance.

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

2 days, but it was a much smaller place then, and far easier to be seen.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Foods - Tiramisu, Shrimp Tempura Rolls (sushi), Pad See-U, Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Homemade Chicken Burritos

Bands: De Rosa, Midlake, The Shins, Radiohead, The National

TV Shows: Lost, 30 Rock, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (BBC), The Office, Modern Family

-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.

I'm trying to work out how I can make cast resin figures of some of my robots. I'm mainly focusing on how I can get my work onto things other than walls.

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

Renewing listings was very effective for me early on, but probably is less effective now, but I look at that as a cost of promotion or advertising. I look for blogs/forums that target crafts and art and try to participate there. It's much harder for me to find the time to be as much of a contributor to that sort of thing. I don't visit the Etsy forums much anymore. I just don't have much to add there and promoting there has not been as productive as some other places.

Submit to art, craft and design blogs.

I think the sites that make use of the Etsy API are good candidates for paid advertising.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

Artsy - artsy.etsy.com

Ward Jenkins - wardomatic.etsy.com

AllaKinda.etsy.com

-By New Years Eve 2011 I hope my number of sold items is 12000.



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Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)

#27 unofficial etsy featured seller - MostlyMagnets

#27 unofficial etsy featured seller - MostlyMagnets
Date joined etsy - 2/25/08
Sales to date - 888-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

Mostly Magnets are Marie Wiens and Malin Eichman (twin sisters) originally from Sweden. We love design and being creative! We are very close and like the same kinds of things in life! =)

We went to school at the University of Oklahoma (which is where we both met our spouses). We live in Norman, Oklahoma. We both have one child each (boys). Marie has 3 cats and 1 turtle and Malin has 2 cats. Malin loves chocolate ice-cream whereas Marie can live without ice-cream (one area where we differ)...

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

Marie is a stay-at-home mom. She also watches two other children. Her days are spent helping little kids. Malin works as an academic avdisor for the University of Oklahoma. So her days are spent helping big kids. =) We both love what we do.

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

We have always been very creative. Growing up we did all kinds of crafts. We always had some kind of project that we worked on. We loved to draw and paint. We also loved to paint on flower pots and wooden plaques!

-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

We heard about Etsy from a friend and thought it would be great for us. We always wanted to work on something together and saw this as a good opportunity. How fun to be creative and perhaps sell our creations at the same time!

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

It took five days before we sold something on Etsy and it was so exciting to get our very first sale! Someone wanted to buy something we made! =) We still feel very happy when we see we have a new sale!

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

We like the same kinds of foods: pasta with shrimp (seafood) and Mexican food. We also like the same TV shows: Psych, Monk, Criminal Minds, CSI: Miami and HGTV shows. Favorite bands: love all kinds of music (ranging from Lady Gaga to Coldplay)!

-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.

We both would like to learn how to knit and crochet but it is sometimes difficult to find the time! Carpentry would be fun too!

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

We would suggest craftcult! We have used craftcult a number of times and it has helped us a lot.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

It may sound strange... but we find it very difficult to pick our top three Etsy shops. There are so many!

-By January 1, 2011 I hope my number of sold items is ______.

By January 1, 2011 we would like to have 2,500 sales.



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Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)

#26 unofficial etsy featured seller - Buttonhead

#26 unofficial etsy featured seller - Buttonhead
Date joined etsy - 9/2/07
Sales to date - 2019

-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

Hi! I’m Ali Puckett (a.k.a. Buttonhead). I make things and think stuff! Recently, after 10 years of living and working in Chicago, I gave up the corporate life and moved downstate Illinois to start my own business, making pinback buttons, magnets, pocket mirrors, stickers, cards, and temporary tattoos! I have a 10 year old pet rabbit, 3 button machines, a Fender guitar, and I like vanilla ice cream.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".

Running a business is pretty time consuming. I work from noon to midnight almost every day. I spend the afternoons crafting my handmade goodies, packaging them for shipment, and making a trip to the Post Office. During the late afternoon and evening, I do general office work (bookkeeping, customer inquiries, restocking, planning, promotion). By the time night rolls around, I’m typically working on graphic designs, print layouts, print testing, and prep for the following day. But all work and no play makes Ali a dull girl! Fridays and Saturdays are usually my days off, and I spend that time watching movies, listening to or creating music, making videos, writing, taking photos, or working on some other random art project. I’m also a history buff and political activist, so I spend time making phone calls, writing letters, researching, teaching, and doing my best to be the change I want to see in the world.

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

Oh yes! I was always weird. As a kid, I loved to perform. I used to sneak my little red radio cassette player into school, so that I could lip sync Bette Midler songs for all my friends, as full one-woman performances. I always say, I was born to be a drag queen! As I got older, I became involved in theatre, receiving my Associates in Performing Arts. In my 20’s, I spent a lot of time doing live and recorded vocal performances in Chicago under a few different project names. Today, I enjoy writing, filming, and performing in short sketch comedy videos, taking photos, writing jokes, and turning my strange sense of humor into little handmade goodies for others to enjoy.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

Well, I’ll tell you a secret: An ex-boyfriend of mine owned a small button business that he just operated as a side gig. He always had fun and extra money from doing it, which I found terribly interesting. We eventually broke up, but I took the idea and made it my own. I found Etsy while I was browsing the web one day, and that’s where the rubber met the road! Etsy gave me all of the resources I needed to get my business moving, and I never looked back. Take that, ex-boyfriend!

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

This is a great question, because let me tell you: It took me 2 weeks of promoting my heart out, day and night, just to sell one single $1 button. After that, little by little, the business started growing, like a snowball getting larger as it rolls downhill. For the new sellers out there, believe me, you will get out of Etsy what you put into it. Don’t give up! You can do anything you set your mind to.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Food: Cheese, Bread, Pasta, Hamburger, and Dr. Pepper.
TV Shows: The Simpsons, The Young and the Restless, Big Brother, Antiques Roadshow, Desperate Housewives
Musicians: Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, The White Stripes, No Doubt, Rufus Wainwright

-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.

I’ve always wanted to try silkscreening, and I think calligraphy would be an amazing skill to learn. Also, since I like writing skits and scripts, I would love to design and build sets for my own film projects in the future.

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

There are so many ways to promote your shop to new buyers. I worked with a group of Etsy artists to create a daily video series called Indie 5, which explored the ins and outs of being an indie business owner. If you like watching videos, and you’d like to get 5 different perspectives on this question, you should check it out at http://www.youtube.com/indie5collective. My best personal advice is to focus on the customers you do get, as much as the ones who haven’t found your shop yet. If someone has purchased something that you’ve made, it means they appreciate your work. What an honor! So, be sure to include extra stuff with their order, whether it is freebies, a handwritten note, or info about other projects you are working on. Make that connection count, so that you can turn a new customer into a repeat customer, and watch your business grow.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

LeArmoire: My best friend and amazing punk rock crafter | http://www.LeArmoire.etsy.com
Jelene: Cheerful, colorful, and insanely talented graphic artist | http://www.jelene.etsy.com
Metrogypsy: Goddess of feather fascinators and unique burlesque pieces | http://www.metrogypsy.etsy.com
-By New Years Eve 2011 I'd like to have _____ amount of sales.

A million bajillion?! Haha. Well, I do a lot of business outside of Etsy, but it is still fun to watch my shop numbers grow. I’ve been averaging around 1,000 Etsy sales per year, so by New Years Eve 2011, I hope I’ll be at around the 4,000 mark. Fingers crossed!

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Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)

#25 unofficial etsy featured seller - PetitCoterie

#25 unofficial etsy featured seller - PetitCoterie
Date joined etsy - 11/22/08
Sales to date - 589
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

My name is Michelle Corrao, I life on the Gulf Coast, I have a wonderful daughter and an amazing husband who is always so supportive and encouraging.

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

I always laugh when I am asked this question, as I know no one would like to trade places with me. I start my day at 5:00 a.m. checking emails first then working on orders as well as new designs. I work until 6:00 and I then mentally have to close up shop or I will continue to work. Not very exciting, but I love what I do so I can’t think of a better way to better spend my day.

Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

Actually I was a tomboy growing up, my greatest pleasure was always being outside no matter what the weather was like. I don’t think I really started being creative until I was in my 20’s. Then my passion for interior design started and I would work on projects that could transform a room by painting pieces I already had or sewing duvets and even curtains.

-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

I started making my French grain sack style pillows and through the encouragement of friends I decided to give Etsy a try. I remember telling my husband that it would be fun if even 5 pillows a week sold on Etsy.

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

I opened my Etsy shop on November 22, 2008 and I had my first sale on November 26th. I really didn’t do a lot with my shop until January as I was so busy with the holidays.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

My top 5 favorite foods are, Italian, Chinese, barbecue, Sushi, and good old American meat and potatoes. I don’t watch a lot of TV but I still like Grey’s Anatomy.

-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.

I would love to take a class on cake decorating and learning how to make perfect fondant. I am amazed at some of the gorgeous cakes that people do. I just think it would be a fun diversion.

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

This is a really good question. I know many sellers get discouraged when they are not making sales on Etsy and it is easy to see other shops getting lots of sales and wondering what is wrong with my items. I believe there are always customers that are looking for certain items on Etsy so it is important to make yours stand out. Spend the $7.00 to showcase your items and write good titles. Be original, just because one seller has made lots of sales does not mean they should be copied. I also believe that blogging is a wonderful way to attract customers.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

Blaithin Blair Natural Designs, gorgeous natural wreaths.
Blue Bird Lane has been one of my favorites for years. She makes wonderful unique tags.
Sadie Olive is a wonderful shop full of unique items and she does an amazing job with her photos.

-By New Years Eve 2011 I hope my number of sold items is ______.

I hate to say this, but I really don’t pay that much attention to how many sales I have. I do pay attention to my repeat customers as well as the comments that are emailed to me. I feel if I am offering my customers new and interesting items the sales will continue to increase. I love nothing better then putting a new design up and watching the response. When a new item sales the first day it is listed then I know I am on the right track.

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Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)

#24 unofficial etsy featured seller - staceyrebecca

#24 unofficial etsy featured seller - staceyrebecca
Date joined etsy - 2/5/06
Sales to date - 469
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets,
favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

My name is Stacey Gordon and my husband & I live in Phoenix, AZ with our awesome 6-year-old son & 5 awesome cats and one awesome litter robot. I have the great pleasure of working at a Waldorf school in the afternoons, keeping my mornings open for crafting.

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

The first thing I notice in the morning is my sweet boy waking me up with a kiss & saying "bye mom, I'll see you later!" This is my greatest joy in the day. a) I have so much happiness in getting a kiss from my son & b) I get to sleep in because I work from home in the mornings. I get up and check the internet for a little while. Then I either sit down with my friend, Hulu & make some finger puppets, go to work at my sewing machine, plan workshops, or package orders. I usually eat some lunch & then head out to the Waldorf school where I assist in an after-school program. I come home and have a meal with my family, check the internet again, spend some time with my family again and then stay up far too late, being terribly unproductive. My house recently flooded, so lately my mornings are dedicated to cleaning and remodeling, but I'm excited to see my new workspace once it's sparkling and new.

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

I think what I remember most about my childhood creativity is pretending. I can remember sitting in my backyard as a tiny thing & playing with rocks & dirt clods, pretending they were people. I had them jumping into a puddle of acid (water) until they disappeared, so maybe we can see where my love of twisted things began.

-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

For me, Etsy was (and still is) a way for me to share my art with a huge audience. Even if they don't buy it, it's like a little online art gallery. People from so many countries have experienced whatever silliness I've put out there & for the most part they've enjoyed it. That makes me happy. I think if dignitaries had puppets on their hands at least once a day, this world would be a better place.

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

About 3 months, but things didn't pick up for probably 7 months.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Ethiopian anything

Creme brulee

French toast

Homemade sweet pickles

Canned baby hot dogs

Thanks to Hulu.com:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Parks & Recreation

Community

The Colbert Report

Arrested Development

They Might Be Giants

Fatigo

Joanna Newsom

Dry River Yacht Club

World Class Thugs

-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.

I'd love to take voice or piano lessons...those both make me happy. Oh and I'd love to learn to play the violin. I definitely want to be more musical.

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

-First things first: figure out who your target audience is, where they go, & what their spending habits are. If you're spending all of your money advertising on religious websites and you make things that are edgy and inappropriate for daytime TV, then you're likely wasting your time and money.

-Avoid the etsy chat rooms for promoting and sales. Chatting for unwinding is okay, but your time working is better spent elsewhere.

-Pay for advertising. Even if you can only afford $10 or $15/month. Work it into your prices and it will pay off. When spending money on advertising, give it time. The more someone sees your ad, the more they'll retain the information. The average person needs to see something 7 times before they remember it, and sometimes double that before they act upon it, so stick with it.

-The Etsy forums can be helpful, but there's a lot of information, misinformation, and non-information to weed through. Spend time reading marketing blogs, books, and magazines to store up some helpful tips for small businesses. Then modify it to your income level and start-up status.

-If you twitter, facebook, blog, flickr, and need to save time--and you should save time--sign up for a free account with www.postling.com. It allows you to update everything from one swanky portal. It even allows you to set up updates in advance. If you have several ideas for blogs & are on a roll for writing and don't want to sit next to your computer all day, you can load them all at once and schedule them to post at different times.

-Make new things all of the time. When people come back to your shop, they want to see new products. Not recycled ones. If they keep seeing the same ol', same ol', they'll stop returning. Give your customers a reason to return. Eye candy is always a good reason.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

3 shops of the day:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/oktak mmm handbags

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TimelessVixenVintage mmm fancy things

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtMind mmm delicious simplicity that moves you to giggle & think

Definitely visit my favorites for really amazing artists (favorite shops, not items, I want to buy those--stay away!)

-By New Years Eve 2011 I hope my number of sold items is ______.

500. It was my goal in 2008 & 2009. I have only 31 left to go, and this year it feels within reach. But honestly, right now I'll be happy if my new views and hearts steadily increase. That's a huge indicator for me that my work is being seen and liked. Sales are fabulous, but in a recession, all I can really ask for is that art be enjoyed. Seeing art is delicious cake and owning art is the icing on top.

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Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)

#23 unofficial etsy featured seller - sophiehillartist

#23 unofficial etsy featured seller - sophiehillartist
Date joined etsy - 4/26/07
Sales to date - 808


-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

My name is Sophie Hill and I am lucky enough to live in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. My home is filled with my family and my Birman kitty Blossom (featured in some of the photos - she's a darling model!) and my big ol' Labrador dog Jazz - who guards our house and loves a good lamb shank on a hot summers day! I have a major soft spot for English Breakfast Tea, croissants with homemade strawberry jam and I definitely prefer winter over summer!

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

An average day in the life of me can be one of two ways - Wake up at around 7 - 7:30am, check my email/blog/facebook/every-other-social-networking-thing-I've-got-going, breakfast and all that, and then either off to my bread & butter job in fashion retail - or back to the desk for some much needed designing, making and putting together orders - oh and a few hours spent reading my favourite blogs! I am the resident chef of our home and "knock-myself-off-work" at around 4:30pm in order to get dinner ready for the family - I love cooking! The adventure of cooking is so exciting!

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

I have been armed with a pen or pencil or paintbrush since as far back as I can remember - always had crayons, textas or play-dough to play with as a child. My mother has a very strong artistic flair with water colours and acrylics, my sister is incredibly nifty with the camera. We all love the buzz of creativity and getting on an inspirational roll! It's amazing that we all have something different from one another - yet are tied together by the creativity factor!

-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

About three years ago, I stumbled across Etsy and started out as a "hearter" - I found so many things that I loved the look of, but was always fearful of buying online - it was only until I thought I'd take the major risk of buying something, that got me truly addicted - I remained a "shopper" until January 2008 - in which I listed my first few items - from there I have experimented with all sorts of selling techniques to draw traffic to my store. I think that having been a "shopper" for so long, has helped me grasp a greater understanding of what is important to having a good-working online store - Who really wants to sift through a lot of jargon to find the perfect find?!

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

My very first sale was on the 28th of March 2008... just over two months after I had listed my first item - yes, it was a painful wait, but once you get a few sales under your belt, you are motivated to do more with your shop and make it bigger and better!

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Top 5 Foods:
Tasmanian Blueberries, Escargot (!!!), Oysters, Sourdough bread, Avocado.
Top 5 TV Shows:
Gourmet Farmer, Grey's Anatomy, The Flight Of The Conchords, Brothers & Sisters, The Simpsons.
Top 5 Bands:
Camille, Incubus, Bat For Lashes, Paramore, The Beatles.
(Can't rank any of these! Love them all equally!)

-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.

I would love to learn how to knit/crochet. Back when I was about 6 or 7, my Grandmother (from New Zealand) came over for a holiday and taught me how to knit. I made a rainbow-yarn scarf (it was pretty rough and way too long!) - I'm sure I still have it somewhere. I have since forgotten how to knit-one-pearl-one!

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

My biggest suggestions to new Etsy sellers - HANG IN THERE! It all takes time and patience - and like the saying goes: "Rome wasn't built in a day." - I suggest that you bookmark (and use) the Etsy Shop Lovers website - http://www.craftopolis.com - and keep a check on the treasury clock - if you are going to spend money on renewing items, renew them just prior to the treasury's opening. Also make the most of your tags - if you have a bird in your item go nuts with bird-related words. The photo's of your work are the MOST important part - afterall, they are what sell your product/item - why list something that looks blurry and discoloured? I suggest (if you are listing a small item like jewellery) use the macro setting on your camera - this will help capture the detail of the item.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

The Etsy shops I am currently in love with are:
1 - http://www.etsy.com/shop/saralagace - amazing knitted furry gloves, so cute!
2 - http://www.etsy.com/shop/emilymaysparks - ahh more knitted beautiful pieces, including crochet items that have a current-vogue feel to them!
3 - http://www.etsy.com/shop/lollypoptrees - I am obsessed with wall decals at the moment and lollypoptrees have some amazing ones!

-By New Years Eve 2011 I hope my number of sold items is ______.

NY 2011: 1000+ ...Close to 800 already, I hope I get over the 1000 mark this year!



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Have a successful etsy shop and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)