Selling Handmade ~ Meet the “Teachers”

Welcome here!  I’m so glad you’ve come to join us for this coffee time chat!  As I mentioned previously, this series is a dream come true for me.  As I was starting my Etsy shop a few weeks ago, I longed to sit and chat with some blogging friends about all my questions.  This interview series was born out of that desire.  I’m beyond honoured that these busy blogging/ shop owning ladies took time out of their busy lives to answer my questions.  Today they’re going to introduce themselves and their handmade businesses.

So, pour yourself  a cup of coffee and we’ll get started.

Day 1 :  Meet the Teachers {4 Bloggers tell their Handmade business stories}

_{{bird graphic used with permission from Heather @ Sewing Daisies}}

Question:  I’ve been reading some of your blogs for a long time, and one of you I’ve just met.  Could you introduce yourselves for us and tell how you got started selling with Etsy?

 

    Gina from Shabby Creek Cottage:

Hi, I’m Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage & The Shabby Creek Shop. I started my blog to capture the process of transforming my childhood home (where we live). I started my blog in April 2009 and after lots of encouragement by readers I opened my Etsy shop in October 2009. I very recently moved to my own site (TheShabbyCreekShop.com).

{Gina’s new shop has its own catalogue you can view online.  It’s beautiful!}

  Jami from Freckled Laundry:

Hello, loves! I’m Jami, author of the DIY Vintage Chic blog, freckled laundry, where I share my love of decorating and crafts, and my journey as an Etsy shop owner and {someday} textile designer. I am the wife of a hardworking man and the mother of three little ones – a 9 year-old son and 2 year-old boy/girl twins…

Meet Jaden, Edyn, and Grey. (L to R)

In those {few} quiet moments to myself, I fix up our little home in Upstate NY, blog, and take steps toward my dreams {goals for the more practical folk!} for freckled laundry, which includes owning an Etsy shop and eventually separate online and brick and mortar shops. Etsy is my creative outlet and a great way to supplement income as a stay-at-home mother.

freckled laundry originally started as the name of my blog and evolved into my brand so it’s the name of my Etsy shop too! Inspired and led by other successful stay-at-home-mothers slash bloggers turned successful business owners, I started an Etsy shop of my own in November 2010, selling handmade baby shoes. I started making clay tags in February 2011 and everything changed!

{Oh, I love Jami’s beautiful creations and photography!}

  Lisa from the Pennington Point

I started my shop almost 3 years ago.  I had 3 reasons: 1) to supplement our income since the economy had effected our family 2) to have a creative outlet 3) to bring my 4 daughters into the business and teach them how to manage a home-based business so that once they leave home they can either continue working with me or start their own business.  While my shop has changed and grown over time, those purposes have stayed the same.

I have so many interests that it was challenging to decide how to focus our shop.  Then one day I was dropping off some towels to have monogrammed as a gift.  I love monograms, so I had frequented this local shop and was constantly frustrated with their lack of creativity.  On this day I asked if they could use two different fonts in one word.  They looked at me like I was crazy.  So I left.  I decided to look into other options.  I ended up buying an embroidery machine and was originally planning to just do my own monogramming.  But my friends loved what I was doing so much that they started asking me to do it for them and that’s how we decided to focus on personalized products.  I took something I love doing for myself and turned it into the perfect business for me.

{Lisa’s family ~  She’s a mom to 9!}

 

  Aimee from My Pink Life

I’m a wife to a wonderfully supportive husband and a mommy to 3 little ones ages 5 and under. They keep my very busy, but I also enjoy exploring my creativity through my blog and Etsy shop. I’ve had my Etsy shop for a few years but started getting much more active with it about a year ago. I sell handpainted signs using salvaged barn wood through my shop and the business started when I made some signs for my house. Friends saw the signs and liked them so much that they ordered them from me. Word of mouth spread, and here I am!

{Aren’t they just the cutest little family?  And…they live in a place in Pennsylvania that we’ve visited!  I love that…}

I feel like we’ve just got this party started, and it’s already time to go!  If you want to get to know these ladies even better, I encourage you to click on their names {that is above each comment}.  You will then be taken to their blog homes and see even more of their beautiful work.

Tomorrow we’ll be back to talk about product branding and graphic design.  See you then!

Linking up to Home Stories A – Z