Tuesday, February 26, 2013

February Red Link Party

The Monthly Challenge for February was Red by Edi of memoriesforlifesb. Her words about this challenge were as follows: "February is about hearts, love, roses...the color red. Create any project you like using the color red!"

Link up with your Monthly Challenge post!











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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Artisan Spotlight - Oh Nostalgia

7 Questions is our spotlight on our favorite artisans. Please welcome...


1. What do you sell in your shop? Well, I actually have two of them. The one I used to join BBA is called Oh Nostalgia and it features vintage-inspired jewelry and a few home gifts. It's basically the hip, younger sister of my original shop, Little White Chapel, which sells wedding jewelry.


2. What is your favorite thing about etsy? There are so many things I like about it. The community is probably numer one and I've made some great friends because of it, but I also like having my shops on a well-known site with name recognition.  The whole setup is much easier (and cheaper!) than having my own website, that's for sure.

3. What is your least favorite thing about etsy? Sometimes it can be cliquey. And I don't like the curated landing pages for certain categories because I think they're misleading, but that's another rant for another day.


4. What does your studio/workspace look like? Most of the time it's messy. Before I went back to school I was a lot better about keeping it clean, but now that I have another plate to spin it tends to stay cluttered. (Oh well.) In terms of space, it's great. It's a small room but since I make small things, it works out. We recently put up a cork wall above my work station, and I plan to get a TV in there sometime this year so I don't have to keep dragging my beads to the family room when a large order rolls through.

5. What do you do to relax? I do all sorts of things. Watch TV or movies with my husband, read books, decorate my house, have wine-and-cheese nights with my friends, try new restaurants, travel...


6. What accomplishments are you the most proud of? I still get a little misty-eyed thinking about it: quitting my day job. I opened my first shop in the fall of 2009 with a $30 bead purchase. Two years later I was earning as much making jewelry as I was going to work, so I pulled the plug and became my own boss. Granted, I'm not rolling around on a pile of money or anything, but I make a decent living and I got here without taking on any debt. It was a lot of hard work and planning, but totally worth it and I'm so proud of my little company.

7. What are some of your goals for the next year? I still love both shops but now that I've been married for a few years, I'm getting interested in other things and want to take some of the focus off of my wedding line. I'd also like to think of a few more non-jewelry products for Oh Nostalgia, but I'm not sure what yet. (Maybe some prints? I don't know.) Ultimately I'd like my company to become more of a lifestyle brand, but that's not going to happen this year unless I learn how to clone myself or time travel.

Find more of Paige here:
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/OhNostalgiaDesigns
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlewhitechapel
Blog: http://littlenostalgia.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @paigeronchetti
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lwc_style/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/littlenostalgia
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Monday, February 11, 2013

Artisan Spotlight - Stalking the Wild Snark

7 Questions is our spotlight on our favorite artisans. Please welcome...


1. What do you sell in your shop? My shop started with a few knotwork items made in rope. I made these items using traditional maritime knots I learned when I used to sail on wooden ships. One day, I got the idea to shrink them by using thread instead of rope and my nautical knot earrings were born. 

Today, most of my items either contain something nautical, something recycled, or something found in nature. I have jewelry, home decor pieces, and a smattering of other items.

2. What is your favorite thing about etsy? There are many things I enjoy about etsy, but I think what I like most is its professional appearance and the ease with which I can create a professional-looking shop using etsy. 

3. What is your least favorite thing about etsy? I'm not complaining because etsy offers fantastic opportunities, but I wish fees were lower, even a little bit. A 20 cent listing fee doesn't seem like a lot, but if you make something small that shouldn't cost much, having to account for that 20 cents can really bump up the price of something/cut into what you make. 

4. What does your studio/workspace look like? I live in an apartment, so I converted the dining area into my workspace. It gets decent natural light and opens straight into the kitchen, which is where I do my metal working. Two wire shelves above my desk hold a lot of my supplies, and three big plastic drawers next to/under my desk hold everything else. 

5. What do you do to relax? I do my best thinking when I'm running or biking. The repetitive motion keeps my body occupied, allowing my mind to be free. It's almost like some strange form of meditation for me.

6. What accomplishments are you the most proud of? They don't get as much love online as they do in person at shows or the local shop where I sell my jewelry, but I really like my knotwork earrings. As far as I know, I invented the idea - I've never seen anything else exactly like them.

7. What are some of your goals for the next year? I am finishing up my master's and have to student teach during the fall 2013 semester. Student teaching is a full time job without pay. I've been saving for it and I can use student loan money to pay my rent and feed myself, but I am very anti debt. I would like to make enough online by next fall to cover at least half of my monthly expenses so I can minimize the amount I need to borrow.
 
Find more of Natasha here:
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/StalkingTheWildSnark
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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Artisan Spotlight - Peri Dot by Duni

7 Questions is our spotlight on our favorite artisans. Please welcome...




1.      What do you sell in your shop?  I sell my own line in sleepwear for women as well as popular lifestyle products such as laundry bags, sleep masks and cosmetic pouches. All of my items are my own design and entirely handmade by me!
 

2.      What is your favorite thing about etsy? I love the layout and simplicity of uploading items. I also love that I'm able to sell to customers all over the world. I think the teams are a great idea and I enjoy "meeting" and getting to know other artisans.


3.      What is your least favorite thing about etsy? I honestly have nothing to complain about Etsy.


4.      What does your studio/workspace look like? cramped. In fact I'm thinking of moving my studio into our large living space (which barely gets any use!). That would help a lot since I require a bigger cutting table. I hope to implement this plan this year!


5.      What do you do to relax? I love reading. I also enjoy interacting with my pets. I find that very relaxing. Other things that relax me are decorating the house, drinking tea and talking to close friends :)


6.      What accomplishments are you the most proud of? I'm most proud of setting up and running my two shops single-handedly, being the sole investor and not relying on any bank loans. I'm also quite proud of my great customer relations!


7.      What are some of your goals for the next year?My overall goal for my Peridot line is to build up inventory while keeping to the basic styles. I'd rather offer a larger variety in colour than diversify the styles.

Find more of Duni here:
Peri Dot by Duni (Duni): flirty loungewear, fun laundry bags, cute sleepmasks
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PeriDotbyDuni
Blog: http://www.dunistudio.com
Twitter: @PeridotbyDuni
Facebook: Duni Buesken Handmade




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Friday, February 1, 2013

February Challenge - Red

This month's challenge is brought to us by Edi of Memories for Life. She says "February is about hearts, love, roses...the color red. Create any project you like using the color red!"

I like this challenge most because it is so open-ended. You can create a simple project or a more elaborate one. And it can be about Valentine's Day, or just something red in general.

Here's a little inspiration to get us all started...



 


Happy Creating :) 
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