Kez Birdie - Welcome to Etsy

I discovered Kez Birdie when I was "pouncing" on Etsy- I saw these shoes and felt like I had found undiscovered treasure! In the meantime Kamaljit has sold a few pieces - congratulations! This is your chance to be one of the first to discover this incredible artist- and snatch up a pair of these shoes for yourself!

Name Kamaljit Kaur

Location Birmingham, UK

Business Name Kezbirdie

Describe what you sell. I sell paintings & drawings, garments, bags (you can never have enough bags!), knitted items, hand painted shoes.

What is your real life like? Well my real life is still largely involved with art. I am to start a BA in fine arts in September. If I’m not painting, I’m doodling, if not that I’m sewing…you get the idea! I gotta keep my hands busy! I’m quite a keen reader, when I get time to read. I love watching movies one of my all time favourites is Seven Swords. And occasionally babysitting my niece who is just the cutest! I’m living with my family which consists of my brother, sister, mom and dad. And it does get quite hectic at times! But bless them they have to put up with my mess in the living room!

What is your process?

Most of my ideas form whilst I’m browsing the thrift stores or looking for fabric, or ref pictures for paintings. In terms of traditional art I love using pencils and charcoals. But I have been branching out into using oils, acrylics and inks. I currently have a huge acrylic painting in process. Traditional art is where this all began! Digital art, well that’s just my beloved tablet and Photoshop! The garments and bags, I’ll use any material as long as it’s not too slippery! The one thing I couldn’t do without is my awesome sewing machine. It really has stood the test of time. Generally with sewing I avoid patterns because it takes too much hassle to figure them out, so I just figure it out when it comes to it or before hand when I’m planning.

Business Goals and Vision... At the moment to sell at least one item! In the long run I’d love to do this full time otherwise it’ll stay part time and I can think about pursuing a career in tattooing. Or something in the art and design field.

How do you market your business? Etsy, word of mouth and DeviantArt.

What inspires you?
Music, I cannot live without it. I always have music on whilst working. Or even a noisy environment helps me work believe it or not. It’s most heavy metal, punk, and occasionally weird stuff like Sa Dingding. Stuff I come across in thrift stores inspires me, it’s amazing the good clothes you find in the thrift stores! At times it’ll be the colours or the textures of fabrics. Movies also inspire me, but not as much as music and thrift store finds. know this will probably make me sound like a soppy person, but the simple things in life are inspiring too. Like the sun rising, the beautiful old trees, the laughter of people. It all helps!

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
Aaaa that’s like asking what’s your favourite band is!!! I love everything in my shop. This is probably the hardest question! I’d guess it would be (picture on the right) from the jackets and (larger picture show at top) from the shoes.

Am a fan of these places...

I spend most of my time on www.deviantart.com as I have for the past 3 years!

www.BigFish.etsy.com I love buttons

www.ClairesArtfulThings.etsy.com

I love looking through http://www.hel-looks.com/ so much style! And inspiration

Find seller at...

kezbirdie.etsy.com kezbirdie.deviantart.com

Analiese Designs - Pendants

Rachel of Analiese has some of the most whimsical and versatile pendants that I have seen on Etsy. She offers them in a variety of materials with beautiful, or funny images, like my favorite below. They are also customizable with your own image or childs artwork. Read all about her and her work....

Name
Rachel Analiese Yakubik

Location
Milford, CT

Business Name
Analiese Designs

Describe what you sell.
I make and sell image pendants. I started making them out of Polymer Clay and now I make some using Glass Tiles - I love making both and the each have their own unique style. I also sell Magnet sets, finished beaded jewelry, and some other random things. I also sell a tutorial on how to make the polymer clay pendants as well as a few digital collage sheets.

What are the best sellers in your shop?
The image pendants are the best sellers - it is even between the polymer clay and glass ones. I also make custom photo pendants which are a big seller as well.

What is your real life like?
I am married with a 7 year old son - who starts 2nd grade next week :) I am also a certified Elementary teacher. I have been looking for a full time teaching job for over 3 years - it is very competitive here. In the meantime - I teach an Adult Education GED Prep class 2 days a week and substitute in my local elementary schools. It is nice because it gives me the flexibility to work on my business and spend more time with my son - by being a room mom, etc. But - I really need to find a full time job soon :)

What do you offer that sets you apart from the other sellers on Etsy?
I think my custom products are different - especially "your child's art on clay" - that seems to get a lot of attention - and has been featured on a lot of shopping websites. I also do custom photo ornaments at Christmas. I try to keep a unique style and have even started creating my own images. Image pendants have become so popular on Etsy - so it has become very competitive. I still have a good customer base - and I hope that my customer service and quality sets me apart as well.

How do you market your business?
I have a blog, an Flickr page and another website that I try to keep up with - but not too much. I hand out tons of business cards, and I do some local craft fairs. I currently have some items in some local shops as well. I am also proud to have one of my pendants currently in a catalog called "What on Earth" - that was a nice bonus for me. My target market is hard to pinpoint - I get jewelry designers who use my pendants for their own designs - and people who just want the pendant on a chain. I have some wholesale accounts for people who sell them in their shops and people who order the custom pendants as gifts. I get both men and women - all ages :)

Find seller at...
analiese.etsy.com
analiesedesigns.blogspot.com
analiesedesigns.com
flickr.com/photos/analiesedesigns
Believe it or not - I have also done some videos on YouTube - my latest is on my Blog.

JennGee- Coffee Corsets

Today I am pleased to introduce a fantastic artist.. Jenn George Burt. Jenn makes these chic, functional and eco-friendly "coffee corsets" in such a wide variety of styles and colors that you will have a hard time picking your favorite! Learn more about her and the coffee corset...

Name
Jenn George Burt

Location
Raleigh, NC

Business Name
Jenn Gee! (she made this for me)

Describe what you sell.
Primarily I sell a little invention that I call a Coffee Corset, which is a basically a small quilt that is laced up and is intended to replace those wasteful cardboard cuffs that you get when you buy fancy cups of coffee. I also sell handmade goodies for Blythe and Pullip dolls, supplies, and (most recently) felt bead ponytail holders. Before the holiday buying season arrives I hope to add quilted coasters and leather coasters to my main shop as well. However, what I sell is not necessarily a full picture of what I like to create. One of my main passions is quilting and over the past 5 or 6 years I've become very interested in creating art quilts using unusual materials and techniques. It is difficult to sell these creations (both because they are my "babies" and because selling expensive textile items online is quite challenging) so I create and sell my other things, which I also enjoy making, to supplement my income and to make it possible for me to pursue my artistic visions without worrying if I can afford to buy the materials and tools I need to get where I want to go artistically.


What is your real life like?
I graduated from NC State University in 1999 with a degree in Middle School Math and Science Education. I was prepared to jump right into a middle school science teacher roll at that point. However, I got an offer that I couldn't refuse and, instead, became an employee of the math department at NCSU. One of my primary jobs there is working with an online finite math course, which means I sit at my computer and help students understand probability and matrices and other basic linear algebra type things. I am also the go-to person for the department for such things as online homework and many other aspects of teaching college in the computer age! I work primarily from home so I spend a lot of my time in my pajamas, which suits me just fine. I really, really love my job and can't imagine ever switching to a regular 9-to-5 job (mostly because they'd require me to get up early in the morning AND wear pants!). I just got married this summer and I'm enjoying every second of married life right now. My husband, Wes, has a culinary degree but is currently going back to school to become a teacher. Since we both have the summers off we managed to extend our honeymoon into a "honeymonth" and had a blast cruising the western Caribbean, being mellow on the beaches of Topsail Island, and running from roller coaster to roller coaster at Busch Gardens. We are the proud "parents" of a fat, lazy beagle named Jada and a certifiably crazy orange cat named Jaspurr.


What is your process?
There is nothing really "special" about the basic techniques that I use to create my pieces - they are the same techniques that have been used for generations by those who sew and create with textiles. However, as with many artistic endeavors, it is how you apply basic techniques and general knowledge that makes your creations special and all your own. I spend a lot of time learning new skills and finding newer, faster, better ways to bring what is in my head into the "real world". Many times I'll wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for a finished piece in my head and then I'll spend the next week or month trying to figure out how to best make it come to life. Sometimes this means that I have to veer far off the regular track and borrow techniques from other disciplines and adapt them to work with textiles. It is a very rewarding process and I feel that I learn something new and interesting all the time.


Business Goals and Vision...
My major short term goal is to get a lot of Coffee Corsets made so that I'm ready for the holiday rush. Last year I did very well through November and December, but I could have done even better if I'd had more inventory. I was selling out practically every day and spent many, many late nights frantically making new Coffee Corsets just so the shop wouldn't sit empty. It was exciting and tiresome at the same time. This year I'm hoping to have so many Coffee Corsets ready that I can simply enjoy the excitement without so much of the pressure! As for long term goals I hope to keep adding new lines and investigating new ways to advertise and get the word out. So far I've relied mostly on word of mouth advertising and it has worked out well for me, but I want to begin to challenge myself constantly to find new and creative ways to get my product in front of even more people so that I continue to grow and expand.


How do you market your business?
As I said before, mostly I've been relying on word of mouth advertisement. I participate in the forums and I've joined my local street team www.nctriangle.blogspot.com. I'm thrilled to have been featured on a large number of blogs and, most recently, I shared the spotlight in an article in a major newspaper.


Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
No, but I'm constantly reading about business related topics in the forums and trying to soak in as much as I can.

What inspires you?
Pretty much anything can inspire me to create, but usually I will find a fabric that I adore and it will lead me down a path. Other times I'm inspired by functionality. I'll think "it would be cool to make something that does *blah*" and then I will come up with a way to make it come to life in a fun and unique way.


What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
My Coffee Corsets, of course, have to be included in any list of favorites - both because I really enjoy making them and because I love the feeling I get when someone else enjoys owning one. Of all the currently listed Coffee Corsets I'd have to say that this one is my personal favorite:
(pictured above) And it is my mom's favorite as well, which is how it got the name "Mom's Favorite"! I'm also thrilled with my new line of felt bead ponytail holders.
(pictured to the right)

Am a fan of these places...
* karenssoaps.etsy.com - Karen is a member of my street team, but before I even knew that she lived right around the corner from me I was in love with her soaps.
* SeaFindDesigns.etsy.com - I "met" Tracy in the forums when I first joined Etsy and I just love what she does with sea glass. My mother-in-law wears the piece that I bought for her all the time.
* magpiemama.etsy.com - Cynthia is just a fabulous person in general and her shop is adorable! When I was first considering opening my shop for Blythe and Pullip items I was in need of a Blythe doll model (which are very expensive). I posted in the forums that I was looking to buy one. Cynthia was only an Etsy buyer at the time, but she was lurking in the forums and saw my plea. She let me BORROW one of her Blythe dolls! I was amazed by her trust and generosity. We became pen pals after that and I suggested that she open her own shop. She did and now look how well she is doing! You have to check out her shop even if you don't have a "creepy big headed doll" you like to buy for.
* myspace.com - I was on myspace before myspace was cool. I don't do much advertising there other than dropping an Etsy mini on my page. Basically I use it to keep up with old friends and to keep them informed about what is going on in my life. I also use it to find out about local bands and events - which is always fun.
* webassign.net - Ok, so it is boring, but it is really where I spend most of my online time. It is an online homework program ... um, yeah ... and you probably thought I was cool until I listed this. Oh, well - not everything in my life is exciting :)


Find seller at...
jenngee.etsy.com
SmallWonderful.etsy.com
isupply.etsy.com

BallAndChain Jewelry

I am in love with Katrina Ballings jewelry creations! Here sterling silver silhouette collection is da BOMB! She makes other types of jewelry as well, another of my favorites being her crocheted chain necklaces. Truly inspired! and inspiring....take a look....

Name
Katrina Balling

Location
Redhook, Brooklyn NY

Business Name
Ballandchain Jewelry

Describe what you sell
I have a variety of jewelry... I will describe it based on the sections in my store:
Kitschy silhouettes- Hand sawn sterling silver silhouette necklaces mostly with a tool or everyday object theme.
Crocheted chain necklaces
Open the door - Necklaces featuring vintage keys, or solid silver castings of my favorite keys.
Casting Call- Jewelry made with the lost wax casting method
Asymmetry- Necklaces made with a focus on asymmetrical design or combinations of chain, stones, and or beads Vintage Reinvented-Vintage findings & parts remade into new jewelry designs Simplicity - Pretty stones or special beads simply on chain Semi Precious earrings Vintage Beads- designs made with a focus on unique & colorful vintage glass beads.
Chunky Chain - simple large bold chain necklaces

What is your real life like?
Job-I do surface design for a home furnishings
company.
I also make oil paintings, and just had a show this
past January in NH. I would have to say after my job,
my painting, jewelry making and Etsy, my hobby is
sewing, though I haven't done that in a long time! I
also like to crochet scarves, and will do that to &
from work on the subway in the winter.
I am happily married to my husband who is also a
painter. We have a cat & dog. We are both originally
from NH, but love our life in Brooklyn & love the
city.


What is your process?
My process is to work on what I am the most interested
in at the time. I suppose I use whatever I need to
realize my ideas. Mostly I have been concentrating on
my hand sawn shapes, but recently I have been
experimenting with the lost wax process. I enjoy
working with the wax-getting back to sculpture, which
I originally went to school for. After learning to
crochet 2 years ago I immediately tried it with chain
& love the result.

Business Goals and Vision...
I love that Etsy gives me an easy to use venue &
presence online. I hope to develop my online presence
more, I think website each for both my painting and my
jewelry are short term goals.
Long term plans, I hope to always be making things and
being creative.

How do you market your business?
I mostly market my business on Etsy itself. I have
images on flicker and indiepublic, but find it hard to
spend time there. I'd rather be in my studio working.
I do have some jewelry in a couple local stores in
Redhook- Atlantis...Found, and at another fellow
Etsian's store: Metal and Thread, and in Philadelphia
at VIX Emporium, another Etsian.


Do you subscribe to any business related blogs,zines or magazines?
Blogs:
dailycandy
rarebird finds
cakespy
etsy finds
Magazines:
readymade magazine
otherwise whatever magazine catches my eye on the news
stand.
I suppose it may be less business related, more for
researching fashion & trend.

What inspires you?
Color is definitely a huge obsession. I can sit &
play with it forever! I love to see vibrant colors
work together. Color makes me happy. I love to
collect vintage glass beads because of this, and
sometimes find them hard to part with. Also I think
jewelry making satisfies my need to hoard pretty shiny
things.
Also humor, is an inspiration. I find humor in making
images of everyday objects into a piece of adornment.
I wish my work to have a sense of playfulness,
sometimes to actually be a visual joke. Wouldn't it be
funny if...


What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
Underpants sterling silver necklace
Milk Jug sterling silver necklace
I suppose I think they are the funniest!

Am a fan of these places...
www.reprodepot.com
www.contemporarycloth.com
printpattern.blogspot.com
www.terryberry.etsy.com
www.gretchenwagoner.etsy.com

Find seller at...
jewelry:
www.ballandchain.etsy.com

painting:
www.mcgowanfineart.com/balling.html

Strategies To Try If Your Crafts Aren't Selling

When a product isn't selling you have three other choices: Stop trying to sell it, change it, or make something else. An here are four ways you can change a product to make it more appealing to buyers:

1. Change your prices

2. Change the materials being used

3. Change your colors or designs

4. Change the name or function of your product

CHANGE YOUR PRICES. The price you place on a product has a great deal to do with whether it will sell or not. Before you even think of lowering the price of a hard-to-sell product, try first to change it in some way to make buyers feel it is worth more to them.

CHANGE MATERIALS. The type and quality of the materials you use in your work automatically determines your market and the prices you can charge for it. Some materials are ordinary or plain, while others are unusual or luxurious. When you elect to work with common materials, buyers may expect your prices to be common as well. When you use luxurious or exotic materials, however, you automatically attract more affluent buyers.

For example, you can either make teddy bears for children, using inexpensive washable furs from your local sewing store, or make designer bears for collectors, using expensive imported fur such as Mohair. Whereas a teddy bear for kids might sell for $15 to $25, collectors will pay ten times this price for a one-of-a-kind bear. If you make furniture or wooden accessories, you can either use a common wood like pine and price it for the general public, or use uncommon or exotic woods that will appeal to buyers with bigger pocketbooks.

CHANGE COLORS OR DESIGNS. Even when you are using the right materials for a product, it may not sell if your colors or designs are wrong for the times. Stay aware of what's hot and what's not where colors are concerned, and strive always for more originality in your designs.

CHANGE PRODUCT NAME OR FUNCTION. What you call your products has a great deal to do with whether they will sell or not, so try calling them something other than what most people might call them. For example, let's assume that you make wheat weavings. They might sell at higher prices if you presented them as "Wheat Art Sculptures" or "WheatArt Collectibles." That's because some people automatically expect to pay more for a product if they feel they are buying "art" instead of "craft." To further illustrate, a wheat weaving affixed to a plaque might be perceived as "craft" while a wheat weaving in a shadow box behind glass might be considered "art." (And the extra benefit is that this product won't be soiled after it has hung on the wall for a couple of years.)

To change the function of a wheat weaving presently being sold as a plaque, consider placing it in a box with a recessed top so the arrangement is permanently preserved under glass. Such a box could be lined in leather or turned into a velvet-lined jewelry box. Now you've not only changed the function, but the name as well. And by adding a high-quality music mechanism that might add less than $10 to your materials cost, you could easily ask four times the price for this product because now the product has become a handcrafted music box.

Wheat weavings also make charming Christmas ornaments. The same people who aren't interested in another picture to hang on the wall may find it hard to resist buying another ornament for their tree. Or, think "jewelry," always of interest to most women. Think "pendants" and "earrings" and "designer pins," and remember that the quality of your metal findings will determine the price you can ask for jewelry. People will always pay more for gold-plated or sterling silver jewelry.

As you can see, price, material, color, design and a product's name and function all work together where sales are concerned. Apply the above logic to your craftwork and see what happens.

MAKE SOMETHING ELSE. Sometimes the only logical solution to sluggish sales is to make something else. Whatever your art or craft, if you're not selling at a profit after a certain length of time, it may be that you're simply in a rut on the wrong road to sales success. Let this be your signal to stop and think about new roads you might explore.

As any successful seller will tell you, changing directions in midstream is all part of the fun of selling what you make. Instead of waiting for a pot of gold that may never appear, make some changes. As someone once said, you cannot expect different results if you keep doing the same thing. Creative ideas will come if you will make the effort to stretch your imagination. To do this, pay attention to what others are doing.

Read. Network. Experiment. Turn left instead of right. Ask "what if?" and "why not?" Dare to be different.

Adapted from barbarabrabec.com