What made you decide to open your own shop?
I had my own online store, but mainly sold at craft shows. I met some other Etsys at a craft show in May 2008 and they all had wonderful things to say about Etsy, so I decided to try it out. I am really glad that I did!
What is your favorite material to use?
Magnets! They are so much fun, and really appeal to kids and adults.
Talk briefly about your favorite item:
My favorite items are my magnet boards. I really just love making and buying functional art because I have never had a house big enough to just have decorative items. I love getting new fabrics and being able to display them on a wall in a useful way.
What are your creative inspirations?
My kids are where I get most of my inspiration from, but I am also inspired by my customers. Lots of my new items have come about because of comments that customers have made. They challenge me to try new things.
Are you a crafter full time or part time?
I am a full-time mom and a crafter during any extra hours I get! I lost my job in April, and decided to dive in head first. It has been a roller coaster ride, but everyone in my house is so much happier having mom at home that we are just making sacrifices in order to keep it that way. I worked from home for about 4 years, so I got a good dose of how to allocate my time.
Who encourages you to create?
My friends, family, customers, and other crafters.
Do you have any advice for other shop owners?
Make your shop your own. There are many people who will tell that you need to change this or that, but you need to be happy with your own shop first. Only seek advice about the things you don't like about your shop.
Tell me any other interesting things about yourself you'd like for me to include in your article: Most of my life I was a crafter out of necessity. My mom was a single parent, and so I spent most of my teenage years buying clothes and furnishings that were broken or seconds and fixing them. My parents always told me that I could be anything that I wanted to be, and encouraged me to try new things. I consider myself to be a jack of all trades and I have had jobs that range from changing oil at Jiffy Lube to administrative/legal assistant to retail. Finding something that incorporates the variety of things that I like was always a challenge, but being a crafter allows me to be all of those things. I love what I do, and I love being married to a man who allows me to do that!
1 comment:
I love the magnet boards. It's such a fun (and pretty) way to stay organized.
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