Tell me a little bit about yourself.
My name is Julie. I am married to a really wonderful man, and we have two children, a boy who is 5 and a girl who is 4. I am an “older” mom who feels very lucky to have started a business that enables me to be at home with my kids!

Where can we find you? (website, craft shows, etc.)
You can find me at missprettypretty.etsy.com . I am too busy with my online business these days to do craft fairs, but I am definitely an arts/crafts fair veteran! I earned extra money and sometime supported myself on craft fairs for about 20 years. Back then, I made a lot of embellished clothing, denim shirts, sweatshirts, etc. All of that applique work was a good foundation for making my playhouses.

What first got you interested in your craft?
I started sewing when I was very young, and am self taught. When I was about 20 years old, I invested in a really good (although used) New Home sewing machine, and discovered machine applique. I loved it! I started making shirts for my mom, then her friends started buying them, and suddenly I was doing craft fairs and doing very well. I have always loved putting all the applique pieces together to make a picture, almost like a puzzle. That was almost 23 years ago! Now,
with my card table playhouses, I am still doing applique work, only on a larger scale. Some of the designs on my playhouses are actually designs I created many years ago to embellish children’s clothing.

Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).
When my nieces and nephews were toddlers (about 12 years ago), I decided to create these little houses for them to enjoy. I love handmade toys that encourage children’s imaginations and help them to play creatively. Now, I have my own children who help me dream up new designs! A couple of years ago, my sister encouraged me to sell my playhouses on Etsy, and the business just exploded! It’s been so much fun for me, and I have been very, very lucky.

Usually, I get an idea about a playhouse and think about it and mull it over for several weeks before I draw it out. I try to imagine what would spark my kids’ imaginations, and that helps a lot with the designing. My husband has had a lot of great ideas, too, and some of my customers have helped me create some of my most popular playhouses by providing me with their ideas. Sometimes it seems like a group effort! I really strive to make playhouses that will make children’s
eyes light up, and that will become an heirloom toy that is played with and remembered for generations.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I spend a lot of time working on my business these days, but I also teach water aerobics at a local college where I was the Aquatics Director before I had my first child. I have taught swimming lessons and water aerobics and have trained lifeguards and swim instructors for most of my adult life. I love to sew, swim, read and spend time with my family.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you so very much for the opportunity to be featured on your website! I do appreciate it so very, very much!

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I am a thirty-something career girl, born and raised here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Though I have a full time, very fulfilling job, I often have the need to create something. I think all of us need to find hobbies and interests outside of work, and The Pink Camellia has quickly become mine! My brother and I were raised by our Mom, a hardworking (and very talented) single Mom that always encouraged our creative pursuits. As a little girl I used to watch her sew. She was a very talented seamstress, and used to make us things to wear that would bring such lovely comments. I think that is where all of my creative juices really started flowing, sorting through my Moms “button tin”, helping cut patterns and ironing fabrics. I can remember getting sent home from school with notes from my teachers, thinking I was somehow in trouble, and wondering what I had done. When my Mom would open the letter however, it would be a compliment on a cute outfit she had made for me, my teacher wondering where she could get something similar for her own daughter! I still remember being so proud of that. My inspirations for items really all stem from things I have made for friends and family in the past. Or I might just see something sparkly one day and decide I HAVE to make something from it!

Where can we find you?
Etsy: www.thepinkcamellia.etsy.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepinkcamellia
I can also be found in the 2009 “Handmade in California” Summer Gift Guide.

What first got you interested in your craft?
I’ve been making gifts for friends and family for a long time now. My urge to go into business though really began with custom gift baskets I made for my Brother’s wedding. Those were a hit, and I started getting a lot of comments that I should open up a custom business. I researched it a bit, and found it wasn’t the area I wanted to go into. When my Nephew was born, I made him some gifts, and quickly was asked to make things for my friends to purchase and give away themselves. When I heard about Etsy, I checked it out and finally found a place I could set up shop to make it easier for friends and family to pick items they wanted, and have me ship them directly to the recipient. The Pink Camellia is a name I chose just by picking one of my favorite flowers from my own garden (another hobby of mine). Slowly, and with much hard work, I’m making some sales, and am coming up with new items all the time. I never sell anything I wouldn’t be excited about buying, and I try and keep my prices reasonable too. It’s so exciting to know I’ve got people wearing and using my creations all over the world now! There is nothing better than giving or receiving a one of a kind gift that was created straight from the heart. And that’s the reason I do what I do!

Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).Well, the items I create really are usually created out of a need for a gift that I want to give, or by something I see that catches my eye. My Baby Wipes Clutches, Washcloth Lollipops, and Baby Bodysuits were the first items I decided to sell, and are things I give as gifts all the time myself. I was so inspired by my own garden this spring, and by spring fashion shows showing some beautiful floral headpieces, that I started my line of Hair Blossoms, and most recently, my line of Swarovski crystal hair pins that I like to call Hair Sparklers. I came across some beautiful crystals, and other findings I thought would be so gorgeous in a wedding updo, or just an accent with a great outfit. I have some more I’m working on now, I’m sort of addicted to these Hair Sparklers currently! Any interesting fabrics, or pretty findings I see can inspire a creation for my shop. On my weekends and after work I like to go hunting around at different suppliers, and imagine what I can make from what I see. My head sometimes swirls with ideas all day long! I keep a notebook with me at all times to write down whatever might pop into my head. Because I also have a full time job, it sometimes takes me longer to get my ideas translated into reality, but I’m always really proud of the way they come out.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I also really love gardening, and spending time with family. They both are my main inspirations when it comes to creating items that I sell. My family is very important to me, and they are so supportive of the time I spend working on my shop, especially my fiance, who has spent many hours watching me cut fabrics, burn myself with a glue gun, and work on marketing my shop. Such a wonderful support system! I’m also an avid reader, and can burn through books so fast it makes my fiance’s head spin. Because of this, he thinks I’m part robot, by the way…and maybe I’ll let him go on thinking that…

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Yes! I’d like to say that I have had such a positive experience opening up my shop. I get so much pleasure creating items and posting them, and hearing what people think of them. So, that said, I’d like to offer your readers a 10% discount on their purchases from my shop (before shipping). They just need to mention “Free Craft Fair” in the message to seller, and I’ll refund them the discount. I appreciate all the positive energy of the people I’ve met in the Handmade World thus far, including people like yourself! I think sometimes in our busy lives, our creativity gets stifled. In this day and age, we aren’t as encouraged to spend time following creative pursuits as much as we should be. Creating the items I sell is a way for me to unplug from the rat race and use my hands, something I think more people long to do, and I am lucky enough to have found my outlet!

I will be seeing Handmade Nation in May and I am extremely excited to see the film after reading the book.
I would love to hear your thoughts and comments about Handmade Nation.

SHOP SETUP

1. Banner: Make a banner (or have one made) that has your shop name in it, preferably a picture or two of your products too.

2. Announcement: Make your announcement short and sweet. If you click on your shop and have to SCROLL to see products, your announcement is too long. A quick hello, here is what I have, and any VERY important info should be in your announcement. The rest can go in store policies and/or your profile.

3. Fill in your profile and tell a little about yourself and your crafting. Lots of people want to read about who they are buying from – that’s the fun of Etsy!

4. Store Policies: Etsy has a great tutorial/article about setting your store policies. I also like to check out some of my favorite shops and get ideas from their policies. Make sure to include things like returns and damaged items.

5. Set 3 Featured Items for your site and change them every few ways. This is a great way to showcase new items you have in your shop, seasonal items or best sellers.

ITEM LISTINGS

1. Titles should be catchy but not too long, and should include what the product actually is (i.e. “necklace”, “bib”, “pocket diaper”). Many people will find your items by doing a search, and they could potentially have HUNDREDS of items to scroll through. If you are vague in what you have they won’t even click through.

2. Descriptions: Describe your products as if there are no pictures – in my opinion you can’t have TOO MUCH of a description. The big difference between shopping online and at b&m stores is that the customer isn’t able to touch, feel or try on your products over the internet. BUT you can help them get that experience through your descriptions! Make sure you’re adding in the colors, how it feels, who might like it, what you might use it for, and size/measurments.

3. Tags: Tags are probably THE most important feature of Etsy as far as marketing goes. This is THE way customers find you through a search on Etsy, and a way that fellow Etsians find your products to potentially use in a treasury, so use up all 14 slots! I’m not sure of Etsy’s stats, but something like 70% of people who shop on the internet go STRAIGHT to the search. Because of that, you want to make sure your tags are up to par. Use descriptive colors (brick red instead of just red), sizes, and even other words to describe the same thing (i.e. “shirt” “top” “blouse” as an example). Don’t forget to add common misspellings, and if you run out of ideas, your name, your shop name and your location are good fillers.

4. Photos: Photos can and will make or break a sale. Do NOT skimp on your photos! With a little planning and knowing how to use your camera correctly you can take GREAT professional looking photos with ANY kind of camera!

The best product photos are taken in natural light with the flash turned off. A flash lights up a subject but also adds unwanted glare and harsh shadows. Direct sunlight can create the same harsh shadows, so a nice bright room near a window or outside in the shade are two good alternatives.

Always use a non-distracting background – a yard of white or black flannel creates a soft background that doesn’t wrinkle easily and doesn’t reflect light either. Or, make a cheap lightbox and take pictures anytime – sunlight or not! Homemade Lightbox

If your products are small and/or you need to take close-up pictures of details, use the macro setting on your camera. It is usually the little flower icon.

Again, remember that customers can’t pick up and look inside and around your product from the internet. So help them “see” your product by taking good INFORMATIVE pictures. Fill up all 5 slots with pictures of the entire front, back and close-ups of the workmanship. If applicable also take the inside, open, closed, in-use and “ideas for use” photos too. Artistic photos are great as long as they still show
what a customer needs to see.

5. Shipping: Most shipping costs are lower than you think. The best way to figure out shipping is to package up one of your products exactly as you would if it was an order and bring it to the post office. They can usually tell you what the “usual” first-class and priority rates would be. Then add $.50-$1.00 to account for packaging material and time. It also maybe a good idea to look at your competitors and see what they are charging. Depending on how heavy your items are, usually adding one or two more to the order is cheaper yet – check this out again and charge accordingly. Cheap shipping on additional items can equal more sales!

Keep in mind that high shipping can really turn customers off. I have seen many shops that had too high of shipping and had a hard time selling. However, if they reduced their shipping but UPPED their product prices accordingly (i.e. they were still making the same amount of money per sale) they SOLD more! People would rather pay more for a product and less for shipping than the other way around.

Think about offering International Shipping. Many people from different countries (Canada especially) shop on Etsy and are perfectly happy to pay the additional shipping. Again, you may be surprised at how inexpensive it is to ship internationally. Canada is not that much more than US shipments and overseas is only a few dollars more. Of course this is for smaller, lighter items so if you sell heavier or large items it may not be totally worth your while.

6. Item Pricing: This is always tricky! The best thing to do is shop your competition and see how you compare. You don’t want to be too much higher OR lower than your competition, but there is usually a good baseline for what people are charging for similar products. Obviously you want to make enough to cover materials and TIME. Don’t feel bad about charging what you do! We will assume that everyone on here, although they love crafting, are also trying to make some money. It’s hard to get past that sometimes, but make sure you’re also making some money for yourself! Some people like to figure out how many of an item they can make in an hour and figure out an hourly rate for themselves to figure out price.

Sometimes it’s tempting to underprice your items to get sales. Although this does work, in the long run you’re short-changing yourself and other Etsians. If everyone charged a fair price it actually makes everyone sell more!

Also, don’t forget to add in “hidden fees” when choosing a price. Etsy charges $.20 to list an item as well as $.20 to renew. Assume you’ll be renewing an item at least once if not more before it sells. Etsy also charges a fee when the product sells, and if you use PayPal to get paid, they also take out your fee. I assume that $1-$2 per product is going towards fees.

Overall you will always have some people who think you charge too much and others who would gladly pay more. Pick the happy medium!

OTHER

Feedback: If you are brand-new to Etsy and have little or no feedback, consider making a few small purchases from other Etsy sellers to get some positive feedback. Many buyers are wary of buying from brand-new sellers especially if they do not have feedback.

Always leave feedback for your buyers. Some sellers like to leave it right away after the buyer has paid and others wait until the product has arrived to make sure the entire transaction goes smoothly.

The nice thing about Etsy is that it is a pretty “open” marketplace. This means that you can rather easily keep tabs on what your competition is up to. You can see recent sales, recent listings, shipping, etc. all on their site. Don’t be afraid to check out what your competitors are up to! I learned some great tricks by trying to figure out why certain sellers were SELLING so much!

PROMOTION

Etsy does not work on the “If you build it, they will come” philosophy. If you take the time to put together a nice Etsy site with all of the above factors, you STILL won’t get many sales unless you PROMOTE!

The easiest way to promote is to renew your items. Renewing them brings them back up to the top of the search and gets it in front of potential customers and/or Treasury curators. There are many philosophies on renewing. Some people with tons of products renew multiple times a day. Others (like myself) like to renew one item once a day – usually an item that has been listed for the longest time.
Another way to promote is to spend some time on the Etsy forums. Not only can you learn a lot from the forums about how Etsy works, fix problems, and get critiques on your products and your store, you and also get SALES! Create an avatar that has a great product picture on it and post away! Do keep in mind that BUYERS as well as sellers post and read the forums so keep it nice!

Creating a blog is another great way to promote your site. Write about what you have been creating lately, other sellers you admire, shows you are planning to sell at, etc. Most blogs can also be tagged and it’s a great way to get traffic to your blog and your site. Create an “Etsy Mini” for your blog that shows your latest items on the sidebar of your blog and allows people to go directly to your shop.

And TRACK your orders, views and hearts! One of the easiest sites to track hearts and views is www.craftcult. com. When you add a new item, renew an item, change pictures, or just want to see how many views you get, it’s the best. Also sign up for Google Analytics. It will give you a TON of information about who is visiting your Etsy site, how they are finding it, what items they are looking at, etc. For marketing purposes it’s essential!
http://www.etsy. com/storque/ etsy-news/ tech-update- etsy-web- analytics- now-available- 3141/
http://www.etsy. com/storque/ etsy-news/ tech-update- etsy-web- analytics- enhancements- 3350/

And last, use every resource you have to get the word out about your shop. Get business cards made (VistaPrint.com is quick and cheap!) and leave them EVERYWHERE! Give them to friends and family. Think about donating some of your items to local charity auctions to get your name out. The possibilities are endless!

HELPFUL LINKS
http://letsets.com/
http://www.etsywiki .com/index. php?title= Main_Page
http://www.etsyhacks.com