Five Questions for ... TheRetroDiva

This time we have a return visit from our previous interviewee, mamaslittlemonkeys, with her five questions for another team member, TheRetroDiva. Okay, make that six questions!

Q.  How did you get started crafting? Did anyone in particular influence you or get you started?

A.  Crafting is a lifelong love of mine. My mother was an artist and had plenty of art supplies to fuel our creativity. My Sister (@amandazilla) and Cousin (@TwinkieChan) have been major sources of inspiration and encouragement as well. Both are insanely crafty and have businesses of their own.

Q.  What are your favourite items to make? Why? What are the most challenging to make?

A.  I have loved making all of my items! Each item I make is unique and never duplicated. The bigger the piece is the more challenging it can be to make. I work with several mediums as well, which adds to the experience.

I would say that hand placing individual beads on compacts has been the most challenging, and rewarding at the same time.

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

A.  Etsy is a user-friendly site that makes it easy to sell your crafts. If I have any questions the forums are always helpful along with all the other resources that have been made available.

Q.  What are you doing when you are not crafting during the day?

A.  I am a full time mom to a 1 1/2 year old lil guy and 4 big dogs. My days are always adventure packed.

Q.  What have been your most effective methods to promote yourself on Etsy? What tips do you have for new sellers?

A.  Being new to this myself, I have become involved with several forums that are either craft of pinup/ rockabilly related. I am trying to talk to as many people as I can to let them know about what I do and look for sources of inspiration.

Q.  What's your favorite food?

A.  I like a good burger and fries myself. Only the burger should be protein style (wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun ) - like at In-N-Out!!

Next time, TheRetroDiva will have five questions for another Etsy Chatters Team member.

Five Questions for ... mamaslittlemonkeys

Our last interviewee, BabyBundleBoutique has returned, with five questions for Team member mamaslittlemonkeys. Read on for her answers!

Q.  How did you get started crafting? Did anyone in particular influence you or get you started?
A.  Actually my children inspired me! I first started learning to sew about 2 years ago because my son was in cloth diapers and I thought...hmm how hard can it be to make cute cloth wipes? Hah! Famous last words!! I couldn't stop myself once I started! All the cute fabric, cute patterns, ideas...oh...I couldn't stop myself!

Q.  What are your favourite items to make? Why? What are the most challenging to make, and why?

A.  Favorite items: my stuffed rocket ships! They are just so fun and I started making them after being inspired by a similar item I saw online. I made one for my son and then kept going with other prints. He wants to keep every one I make!

Most challenging? CLOTHING! I HATE to sew clothing!! I just despise trying to get it all to fit just so...ugh! I'd rather sew a fun toy any day!

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

A.  Meeting new people! I have met some fabulous people through Etsy and the online handmade world. It even caused me to create Handmade Louisiana, a group for artisans in and around LA. www.handmadelouisiana.com is our website. I've made some pretty awesome "in real life" friends through Etsy and I am grateful for that!

Q.  What are you doing when you are not crafting during the day?

A.  For 10 months out of the year I work in the social services field with a local non profit. I'm also a mommy to two boys, one with Autism, so my days are quite full! :)

Q.  What have been your most effective methods to promote yourself on Etsy? What tips do you have for new sellers?

A.  I think I've tried it all, and really it's different for everyone. I completely realize that there is probably nothing I make that someone else couldn't, or doesn't already make. So I don't worry about that...I worry about just making my items the best I can and having FUN. If they sell, fabulous. If not, I want to ENJOY doing them. I will not make things I hate to do. If there is something in my shop that there is only one of, or I sell it and never relist is...chances are I HATED creating it and I drew no source of FUN from it!!

For new sellers, just do what you love. You cannot realistically 'quit your day job' from selling on Etsy. Very few sellers really can do that. Etsy is just like any other small biz, there are legal headaches, responsibilities, taxes, etc and it can get to be quite a lot. Do what you can yourself, turn over other things to professionals and don't be afraid to take a break when need be. 

I recently put my soap shop on vacation but it was just too much. Soap is a huge competition and it was no longer FUN to make soap. I hope taking the summer off and coming back with my Saints soaps will be enough to make me happy in the fall, soapy wise :)

Never be afraid to fail and get criticism. I've made items that I thought would be AWESOME---and then BOMBED. NO ONE bought. So I learned a valuable lesson...not everyone thinks what I think is awesome! :)

Chat Team Treasury by heartsabustin

Team members are the stars in this new Treasury West from heartsabustin. As she says in its title, this team totally ROCKS! Go visit the Treasury any time through Sunday afternoon to click and leave your comments.

Thank you for featuring the team, heartsabustin!

Front Page News #5 - mooshoopork

The last in this series of questions for Team members whose items regularly grace the Etsy Front Page is mooshoopork! Here's what she had to say for herself about life on the FP.

Q.  What does having your items on the Front Page mean to your shop?

A.  Having an item for me on the FP = views, hearts and occasionally some requests or else random  and oddly creative fan mail to me or my dolls :)

JS notes: Just as I finished posting this, there were mooshoopork's pretty blue eggs, on the Front Page!

Q.  Why do you think your items are selected for the FP so often?

A.  The only reason I think is possibly my photos are clean and simple and I have different colored things as well and so they can fit into a lot of different collections well.

Q.  Any advice for sellers who'd like to increase their chances of being on the Front Page?

A.  I think the main thing is photos. People want to see clean crisp photos. That or try sleeping with Etsy Admin. (although I haven't had such an opportunity ;) hehe

Previous Front Page interviews: 

• PonderandStitch

• somavenus

• clearcutcrafts2007 

• TheExtentofSilence

Front Page News #4 - TheExtentofSilence

Our fourth Team regular on the Front Page is here this time with answers to our standard questions! Let's hear from TheExtentofSilence:

Q. What does having your items on the Front Page mean to your shop?
A.  Being on the front page gets me a lot of views and hearts. And not just for the item that made it to the front page, but for my entire shop. I've also gotten several sales from it, but I wouldn't say that it is a guarantee that you will get sales. After being on the front page I also get included in more treasuries than normal for the next several days.

Q.  Why do you think your items are selected for the FP so often?
A.  I think that it is because I have crisp, clear images and I'm putting my best work out there.

Q.  Any advice for sellers who'd like to increase their chances of being on the Front Page?
A.  Make sure that you have great pictures, participate in chat rooms (you can meet sellers who make treasuries that way), renew items every day, and always do your best to make a high quality product.

Other Front Page interviews: PonderandStitch, somavenus, clearcutcrafts2007.

Coming up soon: mooshoopork.

Front Page News #3 - clearcutcrafts2007

With nearly 2000 sales since opening shop in December 2007, clearcutcrafts2007 has plenty of experience on the Front Page, and with making customers happy. 

Q. What does having your items on the Front Page mean to your shop?

A.  It is a real buzz to find your products on the Front Page. When you handmake you put a bit of yourself into it and you need recognition - be it through sales or publicity - to keep you inspired to keep going and designing. The FP definately gets more hearts and views but extra sales via it I cannot be definate about as I receive regular sales anyway. (Plus I have missed my Front Page appearance a few times ssshhh). The views go up a lot and people then wander through your store and definately other Etsyians because if you go into chat they are the first to say congrats so it means. 1. They are looking and 2. Taking notes on the sellers as they know your name straight away.

Q.  Why do you think your items are selected for the FP so often?

A.  Well I believe it is because my products are multi functional, full of colour with simple white backgrounds putting focus on product, and butterflies are such a lovable item. My butterflies are fairly original and are not as saturated as some other products. Most treasuries seem to be colour co-ordinated and I have over 16 colours and over 200 listings so it makes it easier to match my products into someone's inspiration. PLUS my photos are clear and sharp (in my opinion) and represent my products well.

Q.  Any advice for sellers who'd like to increase their chances of being on the Front Page?

A.  My advice to people is take care with photos, do not make them so busy. I also believe in finding a niche and building it. People like a unique and unusual product to add to their Treasury to set it apart and grab people's eyes. I think there are two categories of people on Etsy, the hobbyist and the business crafter, and my advice is different for each. For business: list often and build an array of products that people will keep coming back to see more. Stand by your craft and price it accordingly. For the hobbyist: make it fun and enjoy it to keep shoppers coming back for unique and interesting things.

Previous Front Page interviews: PonderandStitch and somavenus.

Coming up soon: mooshoopork and TheExtentofSilence.

Front Page News #2 - somavenus

We're back for the second in our series of chats with Front Page regulars. This time, somavenus is answering the FP questions!

Q. What does having your item on the Front Page mean to you?
A.  Having my items on the front page does wonders for shop hearts and views which I think translates into sales (even if not the same day they are hearting you). I've occasionally gotten a sale while an item is on the front page as well. I usually get a huge hit in views (sometimes in the 1,000s! vs. the usual under 100 a day). It gives me a nice boost of inspiration to keep making new things and improving my photography to try and get more items on the front page!

Q.  Why do you think your items are selected for the FP so often?
A.  The top secret to being on the front page is the have stellar photographs of your work.  Having good photos will land you in treasuries, which will hopefully land you on the front page. It also helps to stay active in the community - forums and chat. One thing I've recently started doing to try to get into more treasuries is to check the treasury clock over at Craftopolis, and when I see a treasury about to end I may renew a few items to keep my shop fresh in treasury curators' eyes :)

Q.  Any advice for sellers who'd like to increase their chances of being on the Front Page?

A.  The advice I can give to being on the front page is to keep fine tuning your photographs.  Look at other treasuries that make it to the front page to get an idea on how to set up your work to photograph. Look for trends. Take amazing photographs and say hello once and a while in the forums and chat. I've also heard good luck with being a regular commenter on other treasuries. Just believe in yourself and stay positive, and you'll make it!

Our first Front Page interview: PonderandStitch
Coming up in future interviews:  clearcutcrafts2007, mooshoopork and TheExtentofSilence.

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.

Introducing Treasury East!

The long-rumored Treasury East launched today (more info here) and team member tennyoceres wasted no time in putting together a Chat Team Treasury.

Since everyone can have as many Treasury East lists as they like, and they don't expire, we likely won't be featuring them all on this blog, but they are eligible for Front Page selections, and of course visits, clicks and comments are always welcome. Also, they're great to include in individual blogs, as tennyoceres has done on hers, here.

What do you think of Treasury East? Have you made a list? Please post the URL in a Comment so we can all see!