Five Questions for ... BabyBundleBoutique

This time our previous interviewee, JohnToftBasketry, has made up the questions to ask fellow Team member BabyBundleBoutique!

Q.  Of all the items in your Boutique, which is the most fun to make? Which is the most challenging? And which is the most creative?
A.  I think the sock monkeys are the most fun to make. Little details such as the hand stitching, the sock patterns, etc,  give each monkey a personality. Sometimes a smile on one monkey will look just plain happy, while on another it looks a bit sly. I was making a girly sock monkey, and the eyes turned out in a way that resembles long eyelashes; good thing it wasn't a boy monkey!

I think the monkeys (and sock cows) are also the most challenging, mainly because they're the most time consuming. I have a toddler and an infant, so it's hard to find any significant amount of time to work on any one project.

I'm having a hard time deciding which items are the most creative. My first thought are the fabric covered buttons I've just started making, since there is so much to choose from when looking for fabric to use. When I was first waiting to receive the supplies to make the buttons, several people in Etsy Chat told me that making buttons was addictive...they were right!

Q.  When you are not making products for your Boutique, what are you doing?
A.  When I'm not making products, I'm usually either taking care of my kids (my daughter is 11 months old and my son is 2), or doing online work for my shop; either promotion, shop upkeep, research, etc. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I'm sure we'll be spending a lot more time outdoors. I try to get housework done, but that tends to be low priority for me and gets done more in the evenings than during the day.

Q.  I know that you are moving to a new home very soon. What do you look forward to in the first few months after you move? What do you have misgivings about for those initial months after the move?

A.  Yes! We're in the process of buying our first house and will be moving in 2 weeks! I sooooo look forward to being in the house. Right now we're in a walk-up apartment with no laundry facility, no yard, and at the edge of town. Deciding to go for a walk involves lugging the double stroller downstairs with the kids crying because I have to leave them alone in the apartment while I bring it down, then carrying to kids down stairs, and walking along the edge of a busy street with no sidewalk for 20 mins to get to town.
We'll have laundry and a yard in the house, so just that makes it huge for me! I hope to have a better area for my crafting in the new place, but I'll have to figure that out when we're actually in. I think the biggest misgivings about moving are unpacking and organizing while trying to get day-to-day chores done. This is my 7th move in 4 years, and I'm glad it'll be the last for a long time!

Q.  What is your favourite part of having a shop on Etsy? Why?

A.  My favourite part of having a shop on Etsy is feeling productive; that I am contributing financially to our family. I didn't work that much right after my husband and I got married just over 3 years ago because I just had a casual position, then I got pregnant right away, was on bed rest for a while, then before my 1 year maternity leave was up, I was pregnant again so didn't go back to work. So it's nice to feel like I had a part in helping clear debt, provide for our family, and buying the house. I also love the community! The chatters are so helpful, and the forums and virtual labs are so fun.

Q.  What has been your most effective method in promoting your Boutique on Etsy? How did that promotion help?

A.  My most effective promotional method has been making myself seen on Etsy in the community section. When I first was starting out, a large portion of my sales came from other chatters. The advice I've received from other Etsy sellers has made a huge difference in my shop. I have a hard time listing new items frequently, so when I don't have anything new, I renew a couple of times a week. I'm just starting to get a better hang of Twitter so I'm hoping that increases sales in this slow season so many of us are are experiencing right now. Most of my sales are from random searches so I try to focus first on keeping my shop visible, then work on Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter. I've also made a SoopSee page, which is the link I'll be putting on my new business cards after we move, so that customers can see my products, my blog, and my online links all in one place.