Featured Seller - Fashion Touch

What part of the world are you in?

I live in The Rose-City of Welland which is exactly in the centre of beautiful Regional Municipality of Niagara. The region of Niagara is a peninsula located between Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and The Niagara River. This region offers year around fun including visits to Niagara Falls and trips to award winning wineries.

What does customer service mean to you?

I truly believe that great customer service is what creates success and keeps happy satisfied customers coming back. For the last for 4 years I have worked in the customer service where I learned many aspects of maintaining good customer satisfaction. My main focus is customer satisfaction and I am doing my best to keep my Customer happy. Everyone loves to open a nice package of the personalized product they originally fell in love with. It is the little things that go long way. I thankfully was blessed with several long-term customers.

What is your most memorable experience with a customer?

Each and every one of them is memorable. It is like event in your life, like memories you keep. Everyone one of my customers brings me the joy of understanding that I can make their day better, that someone will appreciate my work. This makes me happy.

What sets you apart from other sellers who are selling similar items?

I came from a different country and I would even say from a different world, where design of things is different and even stitches that I use are different. I also had a chance to travel a lot, so my supplies are purchased from different countries around the world. And for the rest I let my imagination go and enjoy the process.

How did you learn the skills that make you successful today?

My education is far away from e-commerce and design, so I have to learn everything from the beginning. Thankfully there is lot of useful info online available now. The biggest help was forums on Etsy and I am very thankful to everyone who shared their best practices (CricketsCreations, TimothyAdamDesigns, etc). Mostly however my skills were aquirred at an early age in school and with learned matrons for example my grandmother and mother.
Do you have any formal training in your craft?

I grew up in Russia, where creative stitching is a mandatory credit in the elementary school where we have learned the stitches, that’s pretty much it.
What is your goal for the next year? To keep enjoying my experience. I would like to develop my market and to attract more customers as well as attract some wholesellers and boutique owners.

What keeps you motivated when sales are slow?

Winston Churchill once said: Never, never, never give up. I think this is the most wise advise we’ve ever got.

What do you do to attract new clients and encourage re-occurring business?

My main focus is to create new items so my clients would have options to choose from. Thankfully I have friends who put my link on their website. I do have some followers on Twitter, so if someone would like to follow my updates please feel welcome to do so at http://www.twitter.com/fashiontouch

If you could share one piece of advice with someone who is considering opening their own store of handmade items, what would it be?

Research. Research what exactly you want to offer, research how to make great pictures, research how to promote your website and be patient and enjoy your craft.

That quote from Winston Churchill is very good advice. We believe in perseverance, dedication and enjoying the whole creative process. Elenas store, FashionTouch, ranges from beautiful scarves (as pictured above) to jewelry to cuffs and each piece glows with originality and beauty. We love your style Elena, it definitely has a warm European feel. Please check out Elenas online store, FashionTouch, located at http://fashiontouch.etsy.com.

Featured Seller- Demonsterative

What part of the world are you in?
I live in Douglas County Oregon. Roseburg to be precise.

If you have never seen this area of the Country you should try to make a trip of it. Oregon is a Beautiful diverse environment. Oregon has everything from Desert to snow Cover Mountains of course there are our wildly popular Ocean beaches.

I've heard Roseburg called the place of a hundred Valleys. We have a Happy valley, that I think would be the greatest place to live. I live in Garden Valley. During the growing season I enjoy the many farmers markets, the local Fruit and Vegetable Stand with my favorite Cherry rhubarb pie available most of the year and a Local you pick Farm.

Anyone else need 10 pounds of Basil and 50 pound of Beets ??? Because I do LOL… My freezer is full of homemade Pesto and my family really likes pickled beets :D

What does customer service mean to you?
Customer Service to me is what I get when I patron these small family run Farm stands. Happy owners that enjoy the regular attendance of myself and the groups of my children and their friends. These owners know I could go to a large Store for my purchases but appreciate the values that I feel are important to impress upon the next generation. I like to know where my money is going. I feel good knowing that my money is appreciated and allows them to live the lifestyle that they have chosen. This feeling of community and friendship is what I try to offer to my Customers too.

What is your most memorable experience with a customer?
I have many happy memories over the years with my customers. Many friendships have grown from a simple purchase. The most memorable in general is the childish delight of opening one of my guys packages...I imagine… since most of my sales are on line… that thought brings me great joy :D

What sets you apart from other sellers who are selling similar items?
This is a very hard question for me. Since I put so much of myself into my designs… I am not a self involved person and can’t really say well I’m better because. I appreciate a lot of the work of other Amigurumi and Teddy Bear Designers, and there are many traits I wish I could do as well as them. How some are so tidy with their work spaces, or so good at rambling on in an interesting way about there work in their blogs. How some can make 24 of the same items and not only make them look exactly the same but actually complete 24 of anything! I am unique…uniquely me!

How did you learn the skills that make you successful today?
My grandmother taught me when I was about 5. I was a VERY busy child to say it nicely and for her sanity :D she taught me to knit crochet and needle point. When in high school and college, lectures bored me and to keep myself from running out of English lit screaming….. I kept my hands busy…. I could have drawn but then I would have never listened LOL…. After 3 years of College and finding myself in nothing but sculpting, painting, and Clay classes. I decided I could be a starving artist without forking out more money towards the degree :D

Do you have any formal training in your craft?
I did work for 5 years in a yarn shop designing and teaching many different forms of Fiber arts. I also worked as a Designer and Furrier for 2 years for a Teddy bear company. Most of even that training was…. Ohh… yeah I can do that.

What is your goal for the next year?
My goals are hard to define for me. I WILL have a study built… right now I work out of a closet in my bedroom. Many of my Amis gets finished sitting cross legged on my bed. I would like to have more Kits available. I want to be consistent with my Bears of the months. I really enjoy doing these bigger bears with so many different elements to them.

What keeps you motivated when sales are slow?
Obsession :D I am truly an addict. Just one more round. I go to sleep thinking of different designs. I wakeup in the middle of the night and have to crochet. Sales are a bonus :D

What do you do to attract new clients and encourage re-occurring business? I try and make the wow factor in packaging… nice boxes Ribbons… Most of all I let the item speak for its self. I do plan on trying some free shipping offers for return customers. For new Clients I do have a small advertising budget, but really haven't tried many venues yet.

If you could share one piece of advice with someone who is considering opening their own store of handmade items, what would it be?

Make what is in you heart do what makes you happy and the sales and customers will come….

Cynthia, we love your bubbly personality and positive outlook, in fact it's infectious! It's also extremely good for business and we know you spoil and treasure each and everyone of you customers. Thank you for sharing with our blog, we wish you the best of luck in life and business in 2009! Please visit Cynthia's online store, Demonsterative, located at demonsterative.etsy.com

Featured Seller - Primitive Junkie

What part of the world are you in?

Portland, Tennessee

What does customer service mean to you?

Customer service is what is going above and beyond what is expected. With so many shops out there customer service is what keeps people coming back to you. Good customer service is what will get them to recommend you to their friends as well. A lot of business is by word of mouth. I remember once hearing a satisfied customer will tell 10 people about their experience, but an unsatisfied customer will tell 100.

What is your most memorable experience with a customer?

The most memorable is getting feedback from the first jar of White Hot Chocolate I sold. It is one of my favorite things in my shop and it felt so good to get that first comment saying "this isn't your normal Hot Chocolate, you need a warning label for how addicting it is" Still puts a smile on my face when i see it.

What sets you apart from other sellers who are selling similar items?

I think the variety of items I offer, from simple crochet scarfs, to the small sewn business card holders, to my White Hot Chocolate mix. There is something for just about everyone and I keep striving to create more variety for my customers.

How did you learn the skills that make you successful today?

From my mom. She taught me to sew and taught me how to crochet my first chain. She gave me the skills to look at a pattern and teach myself how to put it together. I still call her with questions to this day. I am constantly learning from her.

Do you have any formal training in your craft?

No my mom taught me the basics and I have taught myself a lot of it along the way. I am currently taking a quilting class though so hopefully will see more of that show up in my shop later this year.

What is your goal for the next year?

To advance my crochet skills and provide more variety of products in my store.
What keeps you motivated when sales are slow? The knowledge that it will pick up again. Sales are up and down like a roller coaster. Slow inclines of a lot of views but no sales and fast, exhilarating decents where you have sales everytime you turn around.

What do you do to attract new clients and encourage repeat business?

I have some items that can be custom made to the clients wishes and am always open to suggestiongs. For example I had someone contact me that they had a pattern for a hat they wanted made, but didn't know how to crochet. They sent me the pattern and commissioned me to make it...I loved it, not only did I satisfy a customer, but I learned a new pattern as well!

If you could share one piece of advice with someone who is considering opening their own store of handmade items, what would it be?

patient and persistent. Success doesn't happen overnight...or even within a month. And get your shop and name out there anyway you can, in the forums, on blogs, twitter, flickr, any way you can. The more people see your name the better.

Thanks Miranda for the wonderful interview! That Hot Chocolate looks delicious!
Check out Mirandas Etsy Shop Primitive Junkie located at http://primitivejunkie.etsy.com

Featured Seller - DesignByByn

What does customer service mean to you?

Customer Service means to do whatever you can to meet your customers needs. I have spent many hours at Jo-Ann's trying to find the exact shade of blue,etc. I want to make sure that everything I sell is what the customer asked for.

What is your most memorable experience with a customer?

Before we joined ETSY we sold on EBAY for quite a while. My most memborable experience is with my repeat customers. This December I had a customer that requested several special orders.They were so happy with what they had bought, they kept asking for more. In the end, they had four separate orders. This customer has become one of wife's e-mail buddies.

What sets you apart from other sellers who are selling similar items?

All of my items are original designs. I do not use patterns. Most of my items are one of a kind,but I can recreate past products if a customer asks. With many of my things I use both my corchetingand sewing abilities. Our store features several items that combine both talents.

How did you learn the skills that make you successful today?

My mother taught me to crochet when I was 6 years old, and I have been corcheting ever since.I began using patterns, but found that to be frustrating. Early on I learned how to createmy own patterns. I am 46 so, I have been crocheting for 40 years. My grandmother gave me her sewingmachine about 20 years ago. I had never sewn before. I began that night to sew. I started withpillows and then quickly moved on to a dress for my wife. If I use a pattern when sewing, it is just a jumping off point. My final product rarely resembles the pattern. I have gotten very good at making my own sewing patterns and prefer to do that. I really like designing.

Do you have any formal training in your craft?

I do not have any formal training, I am self taught.

What is your goal for the next year?

I continue to create new products. I test the market to see what people are interested in. Ijust started creating art dolls and stuffed animals. I have had a very positive response.I want to do several craft and art fairs this summer.

What keeps you motivated when sales are slow?

When sales are slow, I have the time to create new products. When I am busy filling orders, I don't have the time to make new designs. When business is slow, I feel challenged to findways to attract more customers.

What do you do to attract new clients and encourage repeat business?

Currently, I rely heavily on word of mouth. I have business cards and pass them out wheneverpossible. I have posters I have created to advertise, many of the local grocery stores havecommunity bulletin borads where you can post things, I have received some business this way.I have started a blog (www.designbybyn.blogspot.com), I postin the forums on ETSY, I visit the chat rooms, etc. Currently we only sell on ETSY and throughour home. I am looking into other selling venues.

If you could share one piece of advice with someone who is considering opening their own store of handmade items, what would it be?

Be creative, be patient and have fun. For me this is a hobby, it is relaxing. I enjoy creating things and enjoy it even more when they are appreciated. I am a father of four, my kids ages are: 14, 12, 9 and 6. I am a husband, my wife handles the business end of things. I am a high school and middle school choir and drama director. For many people their on-line shop is above and beyond their other responsibilities. When you stop enjoying what you are doingit isn't worth it.
Thanks so much Design By Byn! It sounds like you have your hands full with your family and we love that you take time to express yourself creatively. You are an inspiration to other men who have creative talent but may not know how to express themselves, we support you and your etsy store and wish you much success in the future!
Check out DesignByByn via their etsy store, http://designbybyn.etsy.com/

Featured Seller - Luvly Gurumi

What does customer service mean to you?

It means being able to put a smile on someone's face at the first glance of their purchase! I take a lot of joy in what I do and just hope that my creations touch people in the same way - when it does, I know I've done my job.

What is your most memorable experience with a customer?

The most memorable experience is still to come! Being brand new to Etsy and the selling scene, I still have much to experience. I'd love to be involved in custom designing – blending ideas of others into existing things that I’ve created or just creating something brand spanking new! When you mush creative minds together, things can only get better!

What sets you apart from other sellers who are selling similar items?

A tad horrible but true, I am a stickler for the perfect stitch. Everything I make is to the best of my ability and I’d never sell anything that I don’t absolutely love myself (which makes selling them and sending them away pretty tough!). Time spent isn’t a limited factor when crafting the perfect item – it’s only complete when you’re honestly 100% happy with your creation. This means it might be a long ride, but unquestionably worthwhile if you’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

How did you learn the skills that make you successful today?

I guess I’ve always been a craft nut! I’d see something that I’d like to make then try to make it. Crocheting came naturally. While browsing on Etsy one day, I came across an awfully cute baby seal pattern (designed by the very talented Amy Gaines). I didn’t know how to crochet but just knew I wanted to make these cuties myself. One week later, with the help of google and books (and of course, lots of trial and error), my first amigurumi had taken form. Things took off from there and I was crocheting things left, right and center! Once I had enough practice, I began designing my own patterns and that’s how my collection came to be.

Do you have any formal training in your craft?

I do not have any formal training in crocheting, only thousands of stitches in practice!

What is your goal for the next year?

The goal for next year and years and years to come is to simply expand the collection! I’d love to add more characters to the family and just keep crocheting in order to improve.

What keeps you motivated when sales are slow?

Hobby first, business second. I do what I do because I whole-heartedly love making amigurumi. I want to share a piece of it with the world and I think it’s wonderful if people are interested in my products. With or without sales, amigurumi will always be my number one hobby.

What do you do to attract new clients and encourage repeat business?

I still have lots to learn in terms of putting myself out there and getting exposure. So far, I’ve been featured in blogs (like this one!) and I hope to dive into chat rooms and forums in due time. Other than that, my friends have been helping me spread the word! As for re-occurring business, I believe my items will speak for themselves – you’re bound to love them and want more!


If you could share one piece of advice with someone who is considering opening their own store of handmade items, what would it be?

Go for it! It doesn’t hurt to put a little piece of you out there to see how the world reacts. Good things ought to be shared!
We ADORE Luvly Gurumi and we know you will too! How can you not, look how cute they are!

In their first day on etsy they already made a sale, it takes most stores 3 weeks to a month to break their first sale. We know this shop will be a fav, and soon enough these items will be in high demand. Best of luck! Although we know you don't need it :)
Check out there etsy store by clicking on the cute pictures in this article or on their name, Luvly Gurumi.

Featured Seller - re:made

What part of the world are you in?
Scotland - just near Glasgow, in a town called Helensburgh. It is surrounded by hills (which, at the moment, are covered in snow) and overlooks the Firth of Clyde. Originally, I am from Ireland but I moved over here some years ago to study at art college.

What does customer service mean to you?
I really want my customers to have a good experience from buying from me and I love getting feedback from them. I think one of the most exciting parts of my experience with Etsy so far is the correspondence from customers – I’ve had some lovely personal emails on top of the more formal feedback on my site and hope that, equally, people will contact me if they are disappointed in any way. I love the idea of people all over the world getting so much pleasure from the stuff I make in my wee studio.

What is your most memorable experience with a customer?
I had one customer just recently who had been searching and searching for a ‘more masculine’ tea cosy for a birthday present and found mine at the last minute – she mailed me through Etsy conversations just on the off-chance that I could quickly send her one by special delivery. She was so pleased that I could and we had a lovely exchange of mails throughout the day sorting it out – it was great fun.

What sets you apart from other sellers who are selling similar items?
I think that when you hand-make something, a personal touch and even personality comes through in the work – it’s in the very nature of selecting fabrics, colours and materials and in what you choose to put together so no two makers are ever really making the same things.

How did you learn the skills that make you successful today?
I grew up knitting and sewing with my mum and gran and building and gluing with my dad, my family is full of artists, designers and makers so it’s in my blood.

Do you have any formal training in your craft?
Yes, I did my first degree in Constructed Textiles (knit, weave and tapestry) and my Masters degree in Fine Art. I also taught in various art colleges before stopping to my have my little boy and concentrate on my own work.

What is your goal for the next year?
I’m really new to all this – I only set up my business, ‘re:made’, in November (2008). Prior to that, all my output have been gallery- based. So, this year, I hope to build up the business and develop my range of products and the materials I use. I also want to emphasize the environmentally friendly element of my work which is a really important factor for me.

What keeps you motivated when sales are slow?
So far, my experience has been very positive and the business is slowing building. However, when I get a chance, I like to review my site and my products - it’s important to find the time to develop new work in amongst producing items which you know are selling well. There are lots of opportunities to promote your shop through Etsy too, through forums and by visiting other sites as well as by spreading the word in your local area.

What do you do to attract new clients and encourage re-occurring business? In November and December, I did a few good craft fairs in my area and handed out lots of publicity material for my Etsy shop. I have been visiting forums on Etsy which is how I was offered this great opportunity and in April, I am doing a small exhibition in a nearby gallery called the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine. I hope recurring business will come through good customer service.

If you could share one piece of advice with someone who is considering opening their own store of handmade items, what would it be? It’s very early for me to be handing out much advice but take good clear photographs in good light, keep adding new items to your site and most importantly, have fun.

Thank you re:made! We love your shop, and wish you the best of luck in 2009!
Please visit re:made at their online store, http://remadeshop.etsy.com/, to check out their fabulously cute items.