Meet Etsy Seller Kaetoo

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop Kaetoo

Kaetoo has been selling on Etsy since May 2011, they sell beautiful textured notice boards. Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.


What motivated you to start your shop?
Hello! My name is Kate. I am from a very artistic family (seriously, on Etsy alone my aunt makes clothes, www.etsy.com/shop/jacksdaughter, my brother makes cards, www.etsy.com/shop/BreakfastTime, and my cousin makes underwear, www.etsy.com/shop/LicoriceandCream), but once I left school and began working, I didn't have much time to be crafty anymore. In 2011, I had a year off with my baby daughter. She was so good at sleeping (I know! I'm lucky!) that I found myself with a lot of free time. So I rediscovered painting. After I ran out of walls in my house, I started selling my artworks through kaetoo.

What is the story behind your shop name?
In secondary school, I studied Korean. My Korean teacher wrote my name, Kate, as k-ae-too. It stuck. Friends and family started calling me kaetoo. My business name was born from there.

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
Being naive, I never imagined that selling crafts online required so much work that isn't crafting! All the photography, SEO, marketing, networking and other behind-the-scenes work that is essential to any successful business... for some reason, at first I didn't put two-and-two together that this applied to crafts as well. Now I know!

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
My favourite items to create are big artworks and notice boards. Unfortunately, although these pieces are popular locally, they are not ideal for an international market because shipping is relatively expensive.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
Every kaetoo artwork is vibrant, cheerful and original.

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I am not crafting, I'm a busy lady! My usual day job is as a molecular biologist. However, I am on maternity leave at the moment with my baby son, so my current day job is super-mummy-extraordinaire combined with exceptional-house-renovator.

Please tell us a little about the children's items market / handmade movement in your Country? 
Handmade in Australia is BIG! Independently designed children's artisian products are very popular at the moment and the handmade movement has a lot of momentum, which has spawned some brilliant online marketplaces, markets, magazines and Blogs so that everybody can keep up with all the great talent out there. In fact, I am the editor over at Handmade Cooperative (http://www.handmadecooperative.com.au), which is a select community of Australian designers who hunt out the latest children's products in the Australian handcraft marketplace.

Links:
Blog ~ http://kaetoo.blogspot.com.au/
Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/kaetoo.canvas
Pinterest ~ http://www.pinterest.com/kaetoo

Kaetoo is offering a 5% discount in her shop during the month of August. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "ETSYKIDS2014" at checkout. 

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Meet Etsy Seller GeorginaGiles

GeorginaGiles has been selling on Etsy since August 2010, they sell lovely handmade toys & games to make every day an adventure! Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.


What motivated you to start your shop?
I teach workshops, write a sewing blog (georginagiles.co.uk) and make handmade toys. I opened an Etsy shop because I was looking for a way to sell my toys online and to a global audience. I love wrapping up a dinosaur and sending it off to the other side of the world!

What is the story behind your shop name?
My shop has the same name as my business and it is simply my name! When I set up my business I wanted something simple and I decided that my name was the best way to go.

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I love the sense of community that Etsy has, I am always amazed by the amount of support and advice you can find on the forums and in the teams.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
My favourite item at the moment would have to be one of my Tic Tac Toe travel games. I love choosing the fabric, felt and buttons to team together and they are such fun to make. I have really fond memories of playing games with my family when I was little and I love to think that my games will bring other families together in the same way.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
It can be tricky planning ahead for seasonal products. Before you know it, Christmas is on the way and it can be a mad rush to get everything photographed and listed. I now make sure that Christmas is planned over the summer and ready to be listed in September!

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I want to design and make beautiful, quality and quirky toys that families will treasure. I place a big emphasis on the quality of my work and I always try to source my materials from UK based companies.

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I'm not working - which isn't often because I love what I do - I spend time with my husband and my family. I love cooking and eating out, going for long walks and reading a good book. I live by the seaside so going for an ice cream on the beach is another favourite thing to do!

Anything else you'd like to tell us or share?
I also write sewing tutorials, which I publish on my blog. I have written a really wide range of patterns, including one for a drawstring bag, a complete guide to stitching a patchwork quilt, gifts to make for men and also some knitting patterns.
You can find them all here : http://georginagiles.wordpress.com/category/tutorials/

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Meet Etsy Seller The Bow Next Door

The Bow Next Door has been selling on Etsy since May 2013, they sell all things bows, hairbows, bow bracelets, bow ties, bow storage and lots more! Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.


What motivated you to start your shop?
I'm a stay-at-home mom to two little ones and wanted to have something to do during naps and school days. I love to sew, embroider, and smock so starting an Etsy shop was an easy decision!

What is the story behind your shop name?
When I was thinking of names, I knew I wanted something catchy and obvious. My family threw around names, some off the wall and some cleaver but already taken. I liked the idea of my bows being like the 'girl/boy next door' and so the same formed!

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
Once I opened my shop, I was most surprised with the many aspects of running your own shop. Not only are you designing and creating your product, you have to market it. You learn tricks of photography, ways to write captivating descriptions, and working with multiple social media platforms. Not to mentions profit and loss and taxes :)

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
My favorite creation is my solid wood headband holder. It mixes my love of organization, bows, and monograms all into one!

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
The most challenging thing about selling on Etsy is finding a way to stand out. There are thousands of other bow businesses so keeping up with trends, paying extreme attention to detail, and marketing helps my shop stand out!

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I'm not working you can find me in carpool lines, at yoga, cheering on TCU (Go Frogs), or at my "book" club (we ditched reading books and now just eat, drink and be merry!).

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Meet Etsy Seller JoellaCrochet

JoellaCrochet has been selling on Etsy since September 2013, they sell beautiful handmade crochet hats, booties, photography props and more for babies and children! Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.


What motivated you to start your shop?
I decided to teach myself how to crochet out of the blue and when I became pregnant with my first child my son, I started making baby items for him and little baby shower gifts for friends and family. That is when I started to get the encouragement from my friends and family to try and sell my work. It wasn't until almost two years later that I would finally get the courage to start my own Etsy shop.

What is the story behind your shop name?
My shop name JoellaCrochet is a blend of my two children's names. First my 2 year old son Joseph’s name and then my 8 month old daughter Gabriella. I combined the two and JoellaCrochet was born!

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I'm surprised about how much I really love having my own shop, I'm always trying to come up with new items to list! I really love making crochet pieces for others and it’s a great feeling when you make something that puts a smile on someone’s face. I'm also surprise at how having my own shop has helped me expand my skill, it has pushed me to learn new stitches and patterns I otherwise my not have.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I love to making my crochet photo props, especially the ones for newborn babies, they are so cute and small. I love coming up with new diaper cover sets for them especially the ones for twin babies. There are so many adorable combinations depending on their genders.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I like to put a lot of attention to detail in my work so that I can provide the best product that I can make. I also like providing something a little different and unique.

JoellaCrochet is offering a 15% discount in her shop. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "ETSYKIDS" at checkout.

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Meet Etsy Seller Melinda Bryant Photo

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop Melinda Bryant Photo

Melinda Bryant Photo has been selling on Etsy since September 2011, they sell party items, such as invites, decor items etc, plus some lovely photo art prints! Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.


What motivated you to start your shop?
My kids!
Our rowdy boys shared a bedroom and it just wasn't working.  We decided it was time for them, and us, to get some sleep.  They weren't happy about being separated so I offered to decorate their bedrooms in the themes of their choice.  That got them excited!  One son chose animals and the other chose dinosaurs.  So the three of us set out to take some pictures, which eventually became the first of many products offered in my shop.

What is the story behind your shop name?
I had already built a photography business under the decidedly un-creative name of Melinda Bryant Photography.  Titles aren't my thing.  When I went to open my Etsy, I decided to take advantage of the internet presence I'd already built.  Unfortunately it was too many characters for Etsy, so a truncated "Melinda Bryant Photo" was the perfect solution.  I kinda like it better anyway.

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I think I have been more excited than surprised.  The idea that I have the freedom to create anything I can dream up, and offer it to the world is so thrilling!  The possibility inspires me.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I love my party animals.  Back when I only sold prints, I used to look at my ferocious dinosaurs and imagine them with monocles and top hats.  One night, as I lay in bed, my T-Rex wandered into my head wearing a party hat.  I loved it!  The next morning I put together the first of my birthday invitations.  I quickly realized that any animal is adorable with a party hat on :)

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
My biggest and best challenges are the custom order requests.  People have great creativity!  It used to worry me when I first started, that people would ask for things I didn't know how to make -- so of course it happened all the time.  I'm so glad!  It forced me to jump hurdles I would have avoided without the pressure of expectations.  Some of my best products have been the result of custom order requests.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
Foremost I want everything I sell to be of the highest quality.  If I wouldn't buy it, I won't sell it.  Most of my products are print-at-home items, so ease of printing is also at the top of my list.

What do you do when you aren't working?
I'm a mom.  I drive carpool, volunteer at the school and church, and shuttle kids to games and practices -- meanwhile we eat ramen noodles for dinner and the clean laundry never gets put away.

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Meet Etsy Seller Baby Delights: A Children's Store

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop Baby Delights

Baby Delights has been selling on Etsy since October 2011, they sell unique baby gifts such as washcloth lollipops, bodysuit sundaes, and washcloth cupcakes! Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.


What motivated you to start your shop?
As a new stay at home mom, we had a tight budget and I wanted to make some extra cash, so I made a few items to sell at a craft show.  By the end of my first day, I had sold out on almost everything I had brought.  People were asking if I had a website and asked for a business card...neither of which I had at the time, since it was my first experience selling crafts.  I remember writing my email address on scraps of notebook paper...things developed from there!

What is the story behind your shop name?
I chose my shop's name with the intent of helping shoppers at craft shows know what I sold, so I wanted to put Children in the name.  I was drifting off to sleep one night and the name Baby Delights:  A Children's Store came to me.  I can remember being so excited that I jumped out of bed and wrote it down!

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I am always surprised by the amount of time spent on the seemingly small stuff, like promoting online each day, or how long it takes to carefully package and ship items!

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I love the washcloth lollipops.  Even after making hundreds of them, they still make me smile.   I love setting them out on my candy display at craft shows and seeing people stop and coo over them.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
Taxes.  I was in for a rude awakening my first year, when I had to count every extra washcloth, bodysuit, sock, ribbon spool, yard of fabric, tape roll, box, etc.    Entering numbers into Excel spreadsheets, keeping up with receipts, paperwork for sales tax...I would love to give that job to someone else!

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
Items sold online should be perfection.   That means I wash my hands a hundred times to make sure things are perfect and stay perfect.  There is no room for flaws in my supplies or in my sewing/crafting.  My customers are counting on me to provide exactly what they see in the pictures.  They are looking for the perfect baby gift and I want each of my items to be perfect!

What do you do when you aren't working?
I take care of my 3 year old daughter and often times babysit my 2 nieces (ages 3 and 1).  My daughter loves art, so we spend a great deal of our day cutting, pasting, painting, and baking (when she's not making me be a mermaid or help her "look for treasure").  I am hoping she will be my craft show partner in a few years!

Baby Delights is offering a 10% discount in her shop. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "ETSYKIDS10" at checkout. Valid until July 31st 2014.
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