Meet Etsy Seller Lemon Lane Organics

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop Lemon Lane Organics

Lemon Lane Organics has been selling on Etsy since 2012, they sell beautiful organic accessories for babies, toddlers, kids and moms. 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 have been crocheting for many years, and before my son was born I had dabbled with a small Etsy shop, not really knowing what I was doing when I started. After taking a long hiatus from Etsy after I had my son, I was ready to get back into creating things to sell, and I wanted a fresh start. I had more knowledge about how to run an Etsy shop well and more focus on what market I wanted to reach with my products.
As an infant, my son suffered from eczema due to food and environmental allergens, and I began searching for ways to help and heal his skin without medications. My search started me on the path toward using more natural and organic products in our home and diets. I began learning about how even the chemicals we use in growing conventional cotton for our clothing can be detrimental to the earth and to our own health. This knowledge inspired me to create a line of baby and kids accessories using only yarns made from organic and minimally processed fibers. It is my goal to provide beautiful, heirloom quality crocheted and hand knit accessories that are also created in a sustainable, responsible manner.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
It is really tough to choose a favorite, since I only make things that I enjoy making. I think one of my overall favorite things to make are boy's newsboy or flat caps. They are so cute and stylish and look great on boys of all ages.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
For me, the most challenging thing has always been time management and balancing my family responsibilities with my shop work. Being a stay at home mom means that I have no set work hours, so it is entirely up to me how much time to spend on making items and working online versus how much time to be fully present with my family. It is hard to find that balance and manage my time so that everything gets done well.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
One of the most important aspects of Lemon Lane Organics that is different from many similar shops is that all my items are made using organic fibers. Sourcing my yarns from companies that support sustainable, responsible and humane farming practices and animal husbandry is very important to me, both as a consumer and a maker. I want parents who are concerned about these same values to feel confident knowing that every item they buy from me was made from materials that are not only going to be gentle on their little one's skin but gentle on the earth God gave us.

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I am not focussed on shop work, I am usually spending time with my little boy and my husband. We enjoy being outside enjoying our quiet little bit of Southern Illinois countryside. I also have two cats and a sweet rescue collie to care for and love on every day. My son has wheat and peanut allergies, so we eat gluten free as a family, which means I often get to spend extra time in the kitchen preparing meals that we can all enjoy together. Aside from crocheting and knitting, my other creative passion is music, and my husband and I have always been very involved in our church's music ministry.

Lemon Lane Organics is offering a 10% discount in their shop. To use the coupon visit their etsy store and enter code "ETSYKIDSBLOG" at checkout. Valid until December 19th 2014.


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Meet Etsy Seller House of Laylayt

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop House of Laylayt

House of Laylayt has been selling on Etsy since July 2014, they sell beautiful unique felt nursery decor, banners and tooth fairy pillows! Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.


What motivated you to start your shop?
What motivated me was a combination of couple of things. Birth of my beautiful daughter made me rethink the ways we work for living, and of course made me want to spend more time at home. Naturally, we have to work for living. I love making those small crafts that make our kiddos happy, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a kid with big smile on his/her face. I put those two things together, combined pleasure with business, and came up with this idea of having my own independent shop... My husband always wholeheartedly supported my desire to chase my dreams. One morning, I put 2 and 2 together, and ended up registering on Etsy. My sweet little shop was born.

What is the story behind your shop name?
My shop is a big part of our home, I didn't have to go any further than that. I simply call it "House of Laylayt". Why "Laylayt"? Because that was one of the first words my daughter said out loud. We were outside, early spring, life started waking up after quite long and nasty winter. She pointed with her little finger towards the grass and kept repeating "gwass, gwass...", then she pointed towards the Sun and said "laylayt" couple of times. It was her way of sharing happiness Spring is finally back, life is waking up. It was her way of saying "Sun, sunshine, light". All people need more sunshine in their lives, it makes us cheerful and feel happy. We feel good when washed in light... besides, we all need as much light as possible when taking good product photos...  therefore "House of Laylayt". My choice was simple.

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
It surprised me how easy is to maintain everything, to navigate through Etsy shop console, simplicity of having your own shop (even if it's online one) even though this whole system is far from being simple, it's super complex. One thing that surprised me the most was when I discovered how detailed shop statistics are, and how much they help me to understand where my customers and followers are coming from, what people search for, and what is that they're interested in.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I can't say I have favorite one, all my items are dear to me and they are special. All my items are favorites in its own way. When I start the creation process, I keep thinking of it as my favorite one, but at the end I realize all those little crafts are equally cute, so I end up having as many favorites as I have items for sale listed in my little shop. I would never make/sell something I don't enjoy myself, so all my creations are made with love and dedication, truly believing in what I do.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
This whole thing is challenging, but challenges don't scare me. I am up for one whenever it pops up. Challenging is the fact that you never know if there will be any customers interested in your little creations. Challenging is to constantly keep your shop and items gallery neat and tidy. Challenging is to stay on the top of your game. Did I say I love challenges? :)

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
My goal is to make as many kids smiling and happy as possible. They are our best creations ever, and we need to do everything in our power to keep them happy. If I manage to make at least one customer happy per day, I can say my work is well done.
Success is not easy and it does not happen overnight, but I've always been determined person and firm in doing what it takes to succeed, of course without stepping on anyone's toes in the process. Success of my business is not measured by how many products I have sold, it is measured by percentage of happy customers. Joy is complete only if both parties are happy and satisfied - 50% is already achieved by the time I complete my product, it's coming from me truly enjoying what I do... the rest, those other 50% comes with that happy customer.

What do you do when you aren't working?
All those things that make my life the way it is - beautiful. Enjoying life to the fullest, raising my beautiful kid, being full time wife and mom. Doing all those little things that make our life interesting and fulfilled... biking with my family, watching movies, traveling, going to Caribbean when it's deserved vacation time.

Anything else you'd like to tell us or share?
I invite you all to visit my little shop, you won't be disappointed. It's not officially called "The Sweetest Etsy Tooth Fairy Pillow Shop" for nothing.

Instead of promotional code, I am offering small presents with each item ordered from my shop through EtsyKids. When sending me custom request, make a note you're coming from EtsyKids, and I'll include a little present in my custom listing. Little presents are in a shape of small plushy toys made of felt. You'll get two instead of just one smiles from your kid... one for the product you've ordered/received, and another one for that little toy.

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Meet Etsy Seller tinybrushstrokes

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop tinybrushstrokes

tinybrushstrokes has been selling on Etsy since August 2010, they share collections of colourful, contemporary paintings to amuse little ones and their parents! Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.


What motivated you to start your shop?
Like many artists here on Etsy, my shop is the result of an on-going  journey to find an outlet for rewarding, creative work that allows me to connect my artwork with kids, kids-in-training and kids at heart. My background in visual art, interior design, teaching and retail has played a big part in developing my creative business.
I love sketching for new paintings & designing artful products just for kids which I hope will inspire a love of art. With each painting, I get to share colourful, contemporary designs to amuse little ones and their parents!

What is the story behind your shop name?
When I paint, I use a lot of tiny paint brushes and my paintings are mostly created for little ones. Tiny Brushstrokes was actually the name of my blog originally and when it came time to refresh my business name – it just seemed like a natural fit!

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
The thing that continues to surprise me about my Etsy shop is the daily support by fellow shop owners and customers through likes, purchases and inclusion in treasuries. I also love the wide customer base Etsy provides – it is exciting to ship out orders to customers, from down the street to across the world!

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
That is a tough one - I love each and every one of my products! But I do enjoy painting the peekaboo birthday cards – animals are one of my favourite things to paint and I enjoy adding the pops of colour to each one. And to know that most of the recipients of these cards end up popping them in a frame is awesome!

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
The thing I find most challenging about being an Etsy seller is the balance between creating the work, promoting the business and being active in the shop on a daily basis.
Also connecting with the customer is always on my mind - I aim to make my shop approachable in this online space and to connect with potential customers through photos and descriptions, as if I am speaking with them in person at a marketplace.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
My personal philosophy behind my products is to celebrate the painted image and inspire a love of art in little ones. To create a painting that will decorate the space where they rest, play and grow is so rewarding – especially when it is a custom order which is my specialty. I strive to create each individual painting and artful product with colour, creativity, thoughtfulness and skill.

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I am not working, my weekdays are dedicated to our 3.5 year old son who loves to play with cars, build cities and play outside. We try to draw/colour together every day and I have inspired a little love of painting in him, albeit painting using cars instead of a brush! Weekends are a balance between family life and painting, with a little fun and Sunday pancakes thrown in there!

Anything else you'd like to tell us or share?
I am currently painting my way through an ongoing series of 100 objects that evoke memories of childhood. These paintings aren't geared towards children yet they are inspired by childhood & a sense of nostalgia geared towards those from "my generation" and others.  
I invite you to follow the project along with my blog http://100tinybrushstrokes.blogspot.com and check out the 100 tiny brushstrokes section of my shop to add a little childhood memory to your own art collection. These paintings are always conversation starters and bring smiles to people’s faces at the marketplaces I participate in.


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Meet Etsy Seller kappamakidesign

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop kappamakidesign

kappamakidesign has been selling on Etsy since early 2014, they sell beautiful handmade felt applique designs for babies and toddlers! 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 have been creating felt appliqué designs for the little people in my circle of family and friends for years as gifts. Over the years, people had encouraged me to produce more and try to sell them but I had no desire to create a whole bunch of stock and try to sell them at shows.
In 2011, my sister-in-law announced she was expecting and I decided to create a series of monthly milestone onesies for the new baby. At the same time I was doing more and more shopping on Etsy and began thinking... why couldn't I sell my stuff on Etsy? It would give me a creative outlet while appealing to my self-employed mentality. This was 2011... I didn't ACTUALLY get my shop open until almost 3 years later well after my own child was born.

What is the story behind your shop name?
One of my signature styles when creating my monthly milestone shirts for my niece and my best friend's new baby was a maki sushi roll. I love sushi, which is what inspired me to create the design in the first place, plus it translate really well to the medium of felt.
When I decided to open my etsy shop I wanted to find a name that I would still like after a year or two, could lend to a simple but effective logo and had the possibility of being more than just a kid's clothing shop (I do have some designs on invitations, etc in the future).
I also wanted something that didn't exist on the internet (at least not when you did a simple Google search). I went through a lot of possibilities and finally settled on Kappamaki Design (which I am still very happy with).

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
How much I would want it to be "perfect", meaning when I originally set it up I was of the mind, "this is my creative outlet - if I don't have any sales that's fine, let's just get my listings up and see what happens".
That evolved quite quickly to trying to find ways to improve my photos, my listing write-ups and most importantly my tags (I had really poor tags at the start). Then I decided to start joining some teams that could help me get out there more and meet other like-minded artists.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
My First Birthday Shirt. It has been my most popular item but also the most fun to do since every time it's different and very personal. I really enjoy working with my customers to make the design really reflect their little one.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
I run a video production business with two partners (one of whom is my husband). That is technically my "day job" although it can spill out into my evenings and weekends depending on work load. We also have a 2 year old who isn't in any kind of formal daycare (just nursery school 2 mornings a week) who needs to be looked after... so the most challenging thing is finding dedicated time to work on my shop (and my orders when I get them).
Some people might ask, "why on Earth would you start an Etsy business if you already have your own business, plus a kid?" but to me my Etsy business is a creative outlet that I might not make time for otherwise. I love making my designs and it's nice to have someone to make them for and share them with.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
With each product I make I put in as much love and attention to detail as if it was made for my own daughter.

What do you do when you aren't working?
I love spending the day out with my daughter and husband, if time allows (and their isn't any pressing house maintenance to do!) Sometimes just walking down to the park by the beach and having a coffee at our local coffee shop together is just the ticket.
I've also recently started doing Yoga again and it's been wonderful to have a couple of hours to myself every once and a while. Hopefully, I can keep it up!

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Meet Etsy Seller TheToadstoolForest

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop TheToadstoolForest

TheToadstoolForest has been selling on Etsy since November 2013, they sell waldorf inspired creations for living, learning and playing! 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 have always been a crafty mama making toys and gifts for my family.  My hands need to be busy.  Just over a year ago I joined an on-line swap group where we each made five of the same item, sent them off and received five lovely hand made items in return.  I created my first Lantern Children for that swap and they were so well received. Mamas who didn't get one in their packaged offered to purchase them and that started it all.  This year's Lantern Children have just made it to the shop.  Amazing what happens in a year.

What is the story behind your shop name?
I've always been drawn to toadstool and mushrooms.  I find them beautiful and amazing.  So when thinking about a shop name that would carry mostly gnomes and other "little people".  Toadstool Forest just seemed to fit.  I imagine little gnomes and fairies playing among them in the forest and hiding behind them when we human approach.  Lucky for us the gnomes I create aren't the least bit shy and love to come out and play.

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I think what surprised me most about having an Etsy shop is the number of true friends I have made, both with customers as well as other shop owners.  It is an amazing community which I am so proud to be part of.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
Oh this is hard.  Honestly I only make things I love.  I think that shows through.  And while I have some old favorites I try to continually create new toys.  I guess nearest and dearest to my heart would have to be the Complete Perpetual Calendar set.  We have the first one I ever made and use it every day.  It is a wonderful morning "ritual" in our home.  I also love the Daily Rhythm Gnomes!  My favorite would have to be Grain, the Baker or Forest, the Nature Gnome.  I truly love them all.  It always enjoy hearing what other people's favorites are.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
I think the most challenging thing about being an Etsy seller is balancing my job as a mother and wife with my job as an artist.  It takes time and commitment to have an Etsy shop.  Balance is key but not always easy to find.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I strive to create toys that are not just beautiful but also serve a purpose while being fun to play with.  Many of my creations have a learning element to them.  Matching games, calendars, Math and Weather Gnomes as well as story sets.  Toys that inspire creativity and fun is what I hope to create.  It is also important to me to use all natural materials.  I find they feel so much nicer in little ones hands.  They have a warmth and feel that can't be matched.

What do you do when you aren't working?
I'm a Waldorf inspired homeschool mama to three wonderful girls.  We live in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire and love to spend time out doors hiking, paddling and camping.  I also love to cook and bake.

TheToadstoolForest is offering a 10% discount in her shop on orders over $15. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "ETSYKIDSPROMO10" at checkout. Valid until Nov 15th 2014.
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Meet Etsy Seller JosCreationsGR

Today we would like to introduce you to

Etsy shop JosCreationsGR

JosCreationsGR has been selling on Etsy since June 2013, they sell handmade polymer clay jewelry - baptism and wedding accessories! Today they are going to give us a little peak behind the scenes of their Etsy shop.

Spongebob Earrings, Spongebob and Patrick, Stud Earrings, Clip On Earrings, Cartoon Earrings, Polymer Clay Jewellery, Post Earrings JosCreationsGR €8.50

Baptism Witness Pins, Baptism Favors, Baptism Crosses, Clay Tags, Baptism Pins, Martirika, Religious Gifts, Baby Boy Shower Gift JosCreationsGR €14.00

Girl Baptism Decorations, Girl Favours, Witness Pins, Cross Tags, Guest Gifts, Martirika, Christening Favors, Μαρτυρικά JosCreationsGR €14.00

Baptism Favors, Guardian Angel Favors, Christening Decoration, Communion Favours, Baby Boy Baptism, Baby Girl Baptism, Angel Clay Tags JosCreationsGR €5.40

What motivated you to start your shop?
I've always loved art and designing my own jewelry.
Approximately 3 years ago I came across polymer clay. I was amazed by this material and excited of its endless possibilities.
After many years of working in an office I decided that it was time for me to change. It was time for me to do something that I actually love and enjoy.
So, it did not take me long to decide that I would open my own shop and share my polymer clay creations.

What is the story behind your shop name?
My actual name is Ioanna but since I grew up in Australia my non-Greek friends would call me Joanne or Jo.
When the time came for me to choose a name for my shop, I knew that I wanted something nice and simple. Jo's Creations came automatically to mind.
Further to some research I realized that Jo's Creations was not so unique after all so I decided to add GR at the end as in 'Greece' where I currently live.

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
The fact that your items are sold internationally. It is fascinating to know that your creations are worn or used by people at so many different countries.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I love all of my creations equally as they are all made with love, care and attention to detail. However if I was to choose just one then that would be the baby boy and baby girl baptism favors:

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
Customer satisfaction and exceptional quality comes first at Jo's Creations. If I am not 100% satisfied with an item then I will not sell it.

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I am not working I am either hanging out with my gorgeous two little boys; reading a book; catching up with friends; or just relaxing!

Please tell us a little about the children's items market / handmade movement in your Country? 
For the past (at least) two years the handmade items/creations have become very popular in Greece. People tend to spend time to do their research when they are after a particular product and they have become much more appreciative of creativeness.

JosCreationsGR is offering a 15% discount in her shop. To use the coupon visit her etsy store and enter code "ETSYKIDS" at checkout. Valid until December 31st 2014.

Snowmen Earrings, Polymer Clay Jewelry, Snowman Earrings, Christmas Earrings, Kawaii Jewelry JosCreationsGR €8.00

Letter Decorations, Decorative Letters, Baptism Decorations, Clay Letters, Name Banner, Pink Letters, Christening Favors JosCreationsGR €1.70

Polka Dot Letters, Boys Baptism, Name Banner, Personalized Favors, Baptism Decoration, Polymer Clay Letters, Letter Ornament JosCreationsGR €1.70

Best Wishes Tag, Gift Tags, Wish Tree Wedding Tags, Baptism Favors, Wedding Favors, Wedding Wish Tags, Pack of 10 or 25 JosCreationsGR €7.00

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