EtsyKids: shop feature

Showing posts with label shop feature. Show all posts

Meet Etsy Seller CwtchBugs

Posted Thursday, December 20, 2012

Today we would like to introduce you to Laura and Kim

and their Etsy shop CwtchBugs

CwtchBugs has been selling on Etsy since May 2011, they sell a beautiful range of handmade items bursting with cuteness for the modern baby. From organic bamboo bandana bibs, organic jersey accessories, natural teethers, newborn photo props and cuddly comforters. Today they are sharing a little about their shop and selling handmade items.

Minky Baby Comforter/Lo...

CwtchBugs

£7.50

Natural Wooden Teethin...

CwtchBugs

£8.00

Organic - 'Robot Factor...

CwtchBugs

£7.00

Minky Baby Comforter / S...

CwtchBugs

£7.50

What motivated you to start your shop?
I started making bandana bibs and blankets when our friends started having babies as I wanted to give a gift that was different to what was available on the high-street & thought a handmade gift was so much more personal. When the gifts were well received a friend told me about Etsy and it sounded great so I opened a shop in May 2011. I think I just fell in love with the idea of handmade items being lovingly made and people choosing our products to give as gifts at a very special time in someone's life.

What is the story behind your shop name?
I really wanted to have the word 'cwtch' in our name as i wanted it to represent where we make our products and it's a word I use on a daily basis! I love the word as it means an affectionate hug or cuddle and that's what I wanted my products to be, a security for babies. As for why I chose bugs to go with it I'm not sure, I think it was the thought of it translating to hug bugs!

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
What's surprised me the most has to be how I fall in love with sewing more every day! There is always so much to learn and I'm always trying out new stitches and new designs! I love coming up with new patterns and learning new techniques! It still doesn't feel like anything other than a hobby to me and I'm sure that will never change!

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
We work hard to ensure every product made and sent out is completed to a very high standard and made with love. We want our products to be loved, to last & be used time and time again!
We love organic materials and use 100% cotton on nearly all of our products and like the thought of our products sending out a Cwtch to all that receive them. :)

How would someone (other then you) describe you?
A dreamer someone who doesn't really live in this world! I always try for the Unachievable and never have a back up plan! I think they would also say I talk too much!

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I'm not working I'm drinking lots of Starbucks, catching up with friends, walking my puppy and spending time with my handsome husband! I also try and keep fit but my gym membership keeps gathering dust! :)

Natural Wooden Teethin...

CwtchBugs

£8.00

CHOOSE Any 3 ORGANI ...

CwtchBugs

£22.50

Baby Swaddling Blanket -...

CwtchBugs

£25.00

Hand Crocheted Newborn...

CwtchBugs

£12.50

Meet Etsy Seller LilBDesigns

Posted Thursday, December 13, 2012

Today we would like to introduce you to Rachel

and her Etsy shop LilBDesigns

LilBDesigns has been selling on Etsy since October 2006, she sells a beautiful range of handmade crayon wallets, chalk mats, art folios and more!! Today she is sharing a little about her shop and selling handmade items.

What motivated you to start your shop?
A big family move prompted a career shift for me. My daughter Lillian was a toddler at the time and opening a shop on Etsy enabled me to be home with her and still contribute to our household finances. I loved the challenge of taking my sewing skills, combining them with my prior marketing and communications background, and crafting a home-based handmade business!

What is the story behind your shop name?
My beautiful 8 1/2 year old daughter Lillian inspired my shop name. It's a take on her name. About a year ago, she had this "ah-ha" moment realizing my shop name is derived from her name. Since then, she has certainly had a more vested (and vocal!) role with my design choices -- and she has become quite the marketer with her classmates and teachers, very cute!

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
Lots has surprised me! But, the happiest of surprises are my international customers. A large percentage of my sales are to amazing customers outside of the U.S. I keep saying I should have a map with push pins showing the various corners of globe where my products have travelled My daughter's first question when I tell her about a new order is, "Where's it from?" My sales have been a really good lessons in geography for my 3rd grader!

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
Keeping up! When I opened my Etsy shop in 2006, the Children's section had a mere 10,000 listings, which I thought was a lot at the time - silly me! Now it's in the hundreds of thousands, making it a daily quest to keep my items fresh - and found - by Etsy shoppers. Keeping up with Etsy's evolution with SEO, tagging, titles, and so forth has made nothing about being an Etsy seller a "cookie cutter" process. It definitely keeps me on my toes between balancing the necessary sewing time and computer time.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I'm a bit of an anti-technology mom, who prefers unplugged fun activities over electronic toys. Between all of the gadgets and gizmos it seems like every toy on the mass market requires a battery to operate. Encourage children with crayons or chalk to spark their creative imaginations...and let them soar.

How would someone (other then you) describe you?
Positive, funny, determined.

What do you do when you aren't working?
Time away from the sewing machine is time with my daughter - whether it's homework, Brownies, choir, building Lego cities, painting, American Girl tea parties, and now she's really into learning how to cook -- omelets are the latest! I also love DIY home projects - giving new life to old furniture, re-purposing household items, and painting. My home is definitely a never-ending work in progress, many thanks to Pinterest!

LilBDesigns is offering a a whooping 25% discount for our blog reader To use the coupon, visit her etsy store and enter code 'ETSYKIDS25' at checkout. The voucher is valid undtil the end of December 2012.

Meet Etsy Seller Pink Mouse Boutique

Posted Thursday, December 06, 2012

Today we would like to introduce you to Karyn

and her Etsy shop Pink Mouse Boutique

Pink Mouse Boutique has been selling on Etsy since October 2008, she sells a beautiful range of handmade fun and funky girls dresses and boys clothes. All of their kids clothes are versatile, contemporary and affordable. Today she is sharing a little about her shop and selling handmade items.

What motivated you to start your shop?
I started sewing when I was young. I think it was an inherited gift as my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother were all seamstresses. I have even inherited their sewing machines!

I started making kids clothes to sell on etsy after I had a car accident. The accident left me unable to stand for any length of time so I couldn't cut out large pattern pieces but I could sit and cut
out smaller kids clothes. Etsy became a life-line for me, giving me something so much more rewarding to do besides watch TV and play farmville.

What is the story behind your shop name?
My cat Timmy got me up and sewing after my car accident. He got me out of bed by annoying me with his little pink toy mouse. Of course he just wanted to play but he and that mouse made me forget about my injuries and motivated me in so many ways.

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I was surprised about how easy it was to get started on Etsy. The Etsy layout is easy to follow and the guidelines are simple and straight forward.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
At first it was getting photos correct and appealing. Now it is keeping up with SEO and those changes. I am not a web designer and so much of the SEO language seems like Greek but I think I am getting the hang of it.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
Fun designs in superb fabrics made with quality constructions. I hate buying clothing that just falls apart after the first washing. No matter how cute it is, if it doesn't hold up, it is not worth it - especially with kids clothes. All of my clothes are very well made and hard wearing. No planned obsolescences here, I want my designs to be passed down.

How would someone (other then you) describe you?
Friendly, Fun and Determined!

What do you do when you aren't working?
I enjoy a meal out with my daughter and husband, playing with Timmy and just relaxing with Hulu.

Pink Mouse Boutique is offering a free shipping for our blog reader To use the coupon, visit her etsy store and enter code 'ETSYKIDSPROMO' at checkout. The voucher is valid on US mail shipping and May 2013.

Meet Etsy Seller PinkNounou

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Today we would like to introduce you to Ana

and her Etsy shop PinkNounou

PinkNounou has been selling on Etsy since September 2009, she sells a beautiful range of handmade softies, dolls, baby goods, accessories and paper products designed for the little ones and also for their parents who appreciate creative, practical and unique pieces. Today she is sharing a little about her shop and selling handmade items.

What motivated you to start your shop?
I started my Etsy shop as a way to showcase my products to a larger audience.

What is the story behind your shop name?
I was "playing" with my daughter's short name and the name come out combined with a colour ;)

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I am always surprised by the number of people I make contact with and get to know from all over the world.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
Standing out in such a big, big "crowd" is really challenging. There are so many shops on Etsy that you really need to have something special to catch peoples eye.
Also English is not my first language, so I am always trying to find the right words to describe my products and work in a clear way to customers.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
Quality is really important to me, and also creating products that are original and functional in design.

How would someone (other then you) describe you?
Hmmm that is a hard one! Thorough maybe?!

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I have a chance to get away from work, I go to the beach with my daughter. It is so refreshing especially when it gets too hot.
We also love the green and mountainous landscapes (specially my husband), so it is also nice to meet up with friends and go for a picnic in the very nice Lisbon surroundings.

Please tell us a little about the children's items market / handmade movement in your Country?
I use a number of antique and traditional Portuguese techniques in the creations of my toys and baby/children items. I find it gives them a special uniqueness compared to other techniques.

Meet Etsy Seller PersonalityChildrens

Posted Thursday, November 22, 2012

Today we would like to introduce you to Salinda

and her Etsy shop PersonalityChildrens

Personality Childrens has been selling on Etsy since February 2008, she sells a beautiful range of handmade
custom children's clothing! Today she is sharing a little about her shop and selling handmade items.

What motivated you to start your shop?
I'm a momma who loves to sew! Since college I've sewn all sorts of things for myself. When my kids came along, I began sewing children's clothes for them, and then as gifts for my friends' children. When my friends began to request pieces for their own kids, my shop was born. The shop was just a hobby until the winter of 2011 when two friends encouraged me to buy a bolt of seersucker fabric and jump into the hand-made children’s clothing market with both feet. (Thanks Jane and Ashley for the push!) It took a lot of faith, but I LOVE my job!

What is the story behind your shop name?
When I first started sewing for customers, the process was simple: choose a style (jon jon or jumper), choose a fabric, and choose a design. It was, and still is, my aim to create the perfect piece to capture a child's personality to a 'T'. That's how the name PersonaliTy Children's Clothes came about!

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
I started my Etsy shop with only the most basic of retail knowledge. I knew customer service was key, but I didn't have the first clue about SEO or tagging or even shop stats. In the last 2 years, I've learned a few essentials. The most helpful advice I read was about finding my niche! I've also learned how to create detailed and inviting listings, beautiful photos, accurate tags, and marketing with social media. Today, I strive to find the balance between being a full-time mom and a shop owner. Google Calendar, Evernote, and a pile of sticky notes certainly help with that.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
My goal is simple: to create sweet, Southern children's classics that a family can treasure forever. I'm honored to be a part of the special moments in so many lives--baptisms, christenings, weddings, holidays, birthdays. These are the moments that mommas are going to capture in photographs and share again and again. Because of this, I'm careful to create only the best.

Many pieces I offer have a little Louisiana flair. As a Louisiana girl, my shop would be incomplete without southern classics like seersucker and gingham. I also stock plenty of Mardi Gras, purple and gold, and black and gold designs!

How would someone (other then you) describe you?
From my 11-year-old: My Mom is creative and kind and cool in a nerdy sort of way.
From my 7-year-old: My Mom makes the best red beans and rice and pound cake in the world.

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I'm not by my sewing machine, I'm probably in carpool line or beside the pool! My two are 7 and 11. They swim year-round with our city's competitive swim team and we love every minute of the chlorine, the meets, the craziness, and the water! I also spend a lot of time volunteering at the kids' school and with our preschoolers at church. No matter where I am, you can bet I've got a glass of sweet tea, a Sonic drink, or a hot mug of Community Coffee in hand!

Personality Childrens is offering a free shipping on your holiday orders for our blog reader To use the coupon, visit her etsy store and enter code 'HOLIDAYRUSH2012' at checkout. The voucher is valid on domestic Priority Mail shipping and expires December 17th 2012.

Meet Etsy Seller CreativiDeeWorkshop

Posted Thursday, November 15, 2012

Today we would like to introduce you to Denise

and her Etsy shop CreativiDeeWorkshop

CreativiDee Workshop has been selling on Etsy since November 2010, she sells a beautiful range of handmade bibs, burp cloths, pillowcase dresses and more! Today she is sharing a little about her shop and selling handmade items.

What motivated you to start your shop?

The CreativiDee Workshop began after a friend introduced me to Etsy and all of the wonderful items! I spent hours looking at so many incredible things and adding to my wishlist. During my shopping, I stumbled upon a few shops that offered digital items and something clicked knowing that this could be the perfect place to provide similar items.
In addition to having a degree in architecture, I've been designing other things for many years prior - parties, cards, weddings, holidays, etc. My children were getting older and since the economy wasn't doing so great in the profession of architecture, I found myself researching more and more.
After LOTS of discussion and encouragement from friends and family, I opened shop on Etsy and still continue to do research! It's such a wonderful fit for someone who can still work from home, be a mom and wife and also still be able to share their creations with others. It's taking me a bit longer than anticipated to figure out exactly where I want the shop to go and what I want to create, but I'm enjoying it and feel very blessed that I can use my talents in such a wonderful platform.

What is the story behind your shop name?
My nickname has always been "Dee," and while playing around with shop names, this one just seemed to work. It originally happened as just a happy accident - my daughter was asking to spell "creativity" one night and replaced the "t" with a "d." It first clicked with my husband, then me and then just stuck. I wanted something where I wouldn't be limited in what I created and the addition of 'workshop' fit that bill.

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
How many wonderful people you can connect with and how many incredible places your items can be sent to! I would have never imagined things that I created would be shipped to Australia, Spain or even Seattle. It's so much fun!

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
Trying to find a balance between creating, maintaining, updating, business things and marketing. There's always so much to learn and do and plan. Whew! I'm still figuring these things out, but I figure that it's all just part of the journey and I will get there.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I always try to create items that are flexible, easy to use, original, fun and on trend with other items so it's easy to coordinate and add to. I like having a variety of items in different categories, so I'm not always creating the same thing. Many of the items in the shop are things that I've already used on a personal basis for my own family or friends.

How would someone (other then you) describe you?
I'm a perfectionist, easy-going, determined and always trying to improve. We teach our children the philosophy of "always do your best" here, so I believe in living by example.

What do you do when you aren't working?
Reading. Planning. Decorating. Playing with my kids. Cleaning the house or doing laundry!!

CreativDee Worskshop is offering a 30% discount Holiday sale! To use the coupon, visit her etsy store and enter code 'Holiday2012CWS' at checkout. The voucher is valid from November 15th till November 22nd 2012.