Meet Etsy Seller KSMonkeysBoutique

KSMonkeysBoutique has been selling on Etsy since March 2014, they sell beautiful handmade custom clothing and embroidery items! 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 started sewing as a young girl, helping an elderly neighbor sew for babies in the hospital. From that time forward I was always sewing. After I had my first child in April of 2005 I wanted the cute boutique clothing for her but as a young couple we couldn't afford the high prices. I started making her cute outfits and then my family and friends started asking for me to make their girls dresses. I didn't officially open KSMonkeys until my 2nd daughter was born in 2007.

What is the story behind your shop name?
I originally names my shop Beautiful Baby Bugz, After I had my third daughter in 2009 I knew I wanted to rename the shop something after my girls. I have always called all of my girls my little monkeys and my older 3 first initials are K, S and M. So after playing with lots of names my husband said on day how about KSMonkeys. And so KSMonkeys was born!

What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
What surprised me the most is the amount of orders I get! My family has always said that is a nice hobby to have, but won't pay the bills! I love that I am now doing something I love and paying those bills!

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
Oh jeez picking just one!! I think if I had to pick one it would be my set with the shirt "Happy Girls are the Prettiest Girls" I tell my girls this all the time!

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
The most challenging thing about selling on Etsy is the amount of creativity that is out there. There are some days that I will just browse Etsy! There are a lot of creative and talented crafters out there!

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I have always said If I won't put it on my girls then I won't put it on yours! I am somewhat of a perfectionist and I have been know to redo an outfit for the slightest imperfection.

What do you do when you aren't working?
When I am not working I love playing with my girls, hanging out with my husband or jsut relaxing after a hard days work.

KSMonkeysBoutique 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.


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September Design Challenge Winner!

Septembers's Design Challenge had the theme "Team Colours".
We had lots of lovely entries from our team member but the winning entry with the most votes was...

Crochet Auburn Football Inspired Beanie with Paw Print Toddler to Adult by WhimsicalMimsys

Let's get ready for some football!!! Get toddlers through adults ready for football season with this Auburn inspired beanie. Navy blue with orange trim and paw print lets you show your team pride while keeping your head warm.

Here are some more lovely items from WhimsicalMimsys.
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Bubble Wrap Fall Tree Project

Have your little ones create Fall trees using left over bubble wrap.  This is a fun and super easy eco-friendly craft for little ones of all ages.

What you'll need:

                   paper: heavier stock paper works best

                              squares of bubble wrap. mine were about 4x4
         paints-yellow,red,orange,brown
 brown markers or crayons

Directions:

1. If you child is older they can draw their own tree trunk, if they are younger draw it for them.
2. Put a thin layer of each color of paint on a left over lid or reusable bowl or plate.
3. Show your child how to take the square of bubble wrap into their hand and dip it into the paint, then dab up and down on the paper in different spots above the tree trunk.
4. Use different colors to create a fun Fall picture. Enjoy!

Dorinda's shop, Raising Green Kids, offers natural and eco-friendly products for your household. Follow her on Facebook and twitter and at her blog.

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September Design Challenge. It's time to Vote!

For September our Design Challenge theme was "Team Colours"
We have lots of lovely entries from our team members, browse down and vote for your favourite item!
Voting is open until 27th September.

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Treasury Challenge #43 - Pirates!

The theme for the EtsyKids Team treasury challenge #43 was "Pirates!".
Our team members created lots of beautiful treasuries featuring some amazing items, but the winner with a whooping 166 views is...

Pirate's Gold! by magicalattic

PIRATE Thank You Cards - set of 15 polkaprints $12.45	REDUCED - Bandana bibs baby toddler dribble bib set stripy bandanas stars blue red black white four organic cotton bamboo stripes pirate OliveAndVince £18.00	Pirate Birthday Party Edible Cupcake Fondant Toppers, Pirate Face, Pirate Baby Boy Shower Decor, Boy Summer Sea Birthday Nautical - set 12 LenasCakes $21.95	Pirate Snack Tray, Pirate Ship Snack Tray, Children's Snack Tray MoodieArt $20.00
Cute Diapers and Wipes Carrying Case -Black White Red Pirates, Crossbones, Skulls, Polka Dots SewABC $10.00	Pirate Boy or Girl Party Custom Cake Topper - Ahoy Matey Collection from Tea Party Designs TeaPartyDesigns $10.00	Pirate mobile - Pirate themed nursery children decor - Pirate ship - pirate parrot - treasure island LullabyMobiles $233.00	Pirate Birthday Shirt - Pirate Party, Pirate Shirt, Pirate Ship, First Birthday Shirt, 1st Birthday Outfit, Jake and the Neverland Pirate jcoolcreations $27.00
Pirate Tooth Fairy Box - Pirate Non Toxic Vitamin Box - Tooth Fairy Box for Boys - With optional matching Pin Back Button Badge - Powder Box WalterSilva $8.95	Pirate Hat Shirt LAFitupCreations $23.00	Pirate Chest Tags For Favor Bags or Gifts Qty 6 By Your Little Cupcake YourlittleCupcake $5.00	Baby bandana bib - Little pirate - baby boy - baby shower gift - handmade in canada Matelele $10.00
Children's Pirate Shoes, Skull and Crossbones, Hand Painted, Black Hi Top Sneakers boygirlboygirldesign $30.00	Pirate Chalkboard Mat Reusable Art Draw Toy Boy or Girl Blue Red Quiet Travel Toy bamcraftymommas $10.00	PRINTABLE Boy Pirate Party Circles (Personalized) yourblissfulday $8.00	Anchor Print - Anchor Art - Nautical Print - Nautical Kids Room - Pirate Room - Etsykids Team KryderPrints $10.00

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Thank you Magical Attic for creating such a lovely treasury!

Magicalattic makes custom children's costumes. We love their pirate girl size costume set. Visit her shop to see more of her wonderful creations.

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Meet Etsy Seller JoellesDolls

JoellesDolls has been selling on Etsy since January 2007, they sell beautiful unique art dolls and cloth dolls. 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 had been selling my one of a kind handmade cloth dolls at arts and crafts shows in Upstate New York. I wanted to reach a wider market. So I opened a JoellesDolls shop on Etsy in 2007. It was my first online shop, and it worked. I sold my first doll on Etsy to a customer in California. That was pretty exciting. Since then, I've shipped dolls throughout the U.S. and to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom. Someday, I hope there will be one of Joelle's Dolls on every continent.

What is the story behind your shop name?
My mom named me Joelle after a nun who was my brother's kindergarten teacher, Sister Mary Joelle. My husband said my name is pretty and unusual, and recommended I use it as my shop name.

What is your favourite creations from your shop?
I make a variety of dolls, from mini dolls and dress up dolls that are mostly aimed at children, to very fancy collectible dolls. Over the years, I have made original characters that are angels, brides and grooms, ballerinas and bikers, cowboys and farmers, fairies, mermaids, nuns, princesses, pirates and witches. All of my dolls come from my own original designs and no two are exactly alike.
My favorite dolls to make are girls with fancy outfits. I love going through my stash of fabrics, imagining an outfit, and selecting the material and trims to make it.

What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
Getting my dolls seen on Etsy is the toughest challenge. The marketplace is so big, it is hard to get noticed. Allowing shops to sell items on Etsy that are not handmade has made it even more difficult. I try to drive traffic to my Etsy shop using an off-site JoellesDolls.com website, a Joelle's Dolls page on Facebook, and a Joelle's Dolls account on Twitter.

What do you do when you aren't working?
I am a mom to three grown sons who are creative. One is a cartoonist and illustrator, one a writer, and one is a guitarist in a punk rock band.
In addition to being a dollmaker, I have another unusual job, working at a Syracuse teaching hospital as a standardized patient. Standardized patients are people who help train the resident doctors and med students. We are given a script with a character that has specific ailments. We act as patients during simulated visits to the doctor so that the students can practice giving examinations and their diagnostic and communication skills. Sometimes I have my heart listened to six times a day.

Anything else you'd like to tell us or share?
I love cats. If my husband would agree to it, I would have a house full of cats. But I only have two right now. So I make a lot of cat dolls.

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