ParisChicBoutique

Today I am featuring Allie from Paris Chic Bouique. What a lovely Etsy shop this is....everything is so lovely and Parisian. They sell hand painted, French inspired products for you, baby and the home. From oil paintings to hand painted tiles, you can find just about anything with an Eiffel Tower, Fleur de lis or French Poodle! Most pieces will even teach you a french word or two!

What is your "real" life like?
I live in a great building in Queens, NY with my wonderful and extremely supportive husband, Philip and our orange tabby, Benson. I cannot begin to function without my morning cup of coffee as I check emails and sales and just break into the day. When not painting, packaging, photographing or posting I love to read, cook, go for a walk, shop and most certainly watch my daily dose of Martha Stewart!

What is your process?
Most of our items are ceramic so we use special paints that are later fired to create permanent art. The tote bags offered are all organic cotton canvas and we use all natural pigments made for fabric painting, again creating a permanent bond. Just browsing through our shop, you can see that we paint on just about everything and use all different types of materials. Right now, our favorite decoration is glitter! Just in time for the holiday season!

What are your goals and vision for your business?
Short term goals are to sell as many products as our little hands can keep up with! Long term we would love to grow our business by obtaining more wholesale accounts and having more availability of the Paris Chic Boutique line.

How and where do you market your business?
Mainly on Etsy but there are so many wonderful blogs that have so graciously featured some of our products:
www.organic4baby.com
http://onthedotcreations.typepad.com/onthedotcreations/
http://trendytots.typepad.com/trendytots/

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
Martha Stewart Living, (lots of entrepreneurial advice & creative ideas)

What inspires you?
So many inspirations...just love Paris (obviously), colors in nature (always stop to smell the roses!), fresh flowers, Spiderman, and love the smell of a bookstore! Oh, and traveling by car; whether it's a vacation cross country or just a ride Upstate NY it's all about the journey!

Who is your favorite musical artist?
Neko Case but love such a broad range...classical music while painting, classic rock while emailing.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
Cabinet Knobs: (pictured above)These were just so much fun to paint on because they are so small!
Wish, Dream & Believe Painting: (pictured below)
Just love this painting because i had no idea where it was going and I love the outcome!

I am a fan of...
www.daisycakessoap.etsy.com: best soaps I ever bought!
www.TRUEGODDESSFRAGRANCE.etsy.com: quality incense in hundreds of scents!
www.pacokeco.etsy.com: creative paper products that will amaze you!
For book lovers:
www.paperbackswap.com : you can recycle your books and get great new ones for free!

Find Seller.....
The Paris Chic Boutique line can be found in many boutiques across the United States. Here's a few;

Flourish Boutique & Gallery
24545 Brick Road, Suite A
South Bend, IN 46628
www.flourishboutique.com

Cherry Blossom Boutique, located in historic downtown Port Huron
327 Huron Ave
Port Huron, MI
810.985.0075
Brentwood Kitchens ; www.BrentwoodKitchen.com

Fortunes Rocks Fine Art
709 Blount Ave.
Guntersville, AL 35976
www.TheBabyGiftShoppe.com

You can also find more paintings and wall mural ideas on my personal website;
www.allisonluciart.blogspot.com

Jangie

Today we have Angie Johnson from Orland Park, IL of Jangie. She sells functional ceramics, crocheted items like hats and scarves and cards. Her items have a stand out signature style that exude a very quality feel. Angie is also featuring me on her blog today so have a look at that also so check that out...

What is your real life like?
Right now I am taking art classes finishing up my bachelors degree.
I'm on the go between school, attending art museums and other cultural events around town, organizing meetings for my crochet/knitting Meetup group and of course creating more things for my Etsy shop. My boyfriend and I are also involved in a German culture organization that his family is part of and we'll be celebrating Oktoberfest this weekend. He also flies gyroplanes and I photograph his flights. I try to keep a running commentary going on my daily-life blog.

What is your process?
I love working with my hands. I've been crocheting for about 6-7 years now and I like experimenting with new yarns and techniques. I've also been doing ceramics for about that long as well and I really enjoy working on the wheel. Unfortunately I don't have access to a ceramic studio right now or I'd be making more functional items. I've also been working a lot with digital media like Illustrator and Photoshop and have been working on letterform design, playing with typography as you can see with the cards I sell. Basically my process boils down to practicality and function. I love designing and making things that people will love and use.

Business Goals and Vision...
I guess the adage that if you do what you love it doesn't feel like work is really true with my Etsy shop. I don't even really consider it an independent business because it's something I just love to do. I have only been selling on Etsy just over 2 months and I love interacting with the community, finding new artists that blow me away with their talent and creativity, and of course selling my items.
Short term I would love to make it to 10 sales, as I told myself I would throw a party to celebrate that goal. Long term I would love to find a market for my cards as I expand into more typography designs.

How do you market your business?
I have a page on WeLoveEtsy, pass out business cards everywhere I go (and of course work on crocheting wherever I go), swap cards with sellers who go to craft shows/send out promotional bags. I'm also in the Etsy forums a lot and part of the Artsy Danger Ladies Team on Etsy. One of the group things we do is have a 20% off on the 20th of the month sale.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
I don't really subscribe to any business related blogs or anything, but I do spend time in the forums, learn from other sellers in Etsy Chat, and read Storque articles.

What inspires you?
I love intricate and beautiful design. I love bold colors, swirls, repetition, Islamic tile layouts, interesting typography, lovely paper, well done graphic design ads, and of course, beautifully crafted and glazed ceramics.

Who is your favorite musical artist?
Hands down, Loreena McKennitt. You can visit her website http://www.quinlanroad.com for details and videos.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
My 5-pack of all occasion cards (pictured below)
Organic White Cotton Scarflette with Light Buttons
(pictured above)

Am a fan of these places...
Etsy, of course.
http://www.etsy.com
Any time I need inspiration, I visit this site (and wish I had a ton of money!) http://www.paper-source.com
Webcomics:
http://www.yhtcomic.com - You'll Have That by Wes Molebash http://www.daniellecorsetto.com/gws.html - Girls with Slingshots by Danielle Corsetto
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com

Find seller at...
http://www.angiejohnsonart.com - my personal fine art website. I need to update it... someday.
http://jangiesetsyshop.blogspot.com - I feature Etsy sellers I love Monday-Friday with a special Friday post featuring a seller who commented on a previous post picked at random. :)
http://adam-angie.blogspot.com - my personal blog where you can keep up with my everyday life beyond Etsy.
Flickr!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jangievarnsen/

PalomasNest- Home Goods

I first discovered Palomas Nest on Etsy during a search for rings. I came upon one of Caroline's listings- it was a bowl similar to one pictured at the bottom of the post that reads "be the change". I think this would be a lovely bowl to have by the sink in my bathroom- a little morning inspiration and a place to put my jewelry when I am washing up. She has a unique style that is easy to recognize- casual yet modern- organic but polished- useful and exciting, always perfectly simple and well crafted. Having her shop in your favorites is a MUST- convo her if you have any special requests- she is a gem of a girl who would bend over backwards to make you happy!

Name
Caroline Colom Vasquez

Location
Austin Texas

Business Name
Paloma’s Nest


Describe what you sell.
Handcrafted gift wares and home goods made of natural materials and stamped with texts


What is your real life like?
I am a full time Mom- that keeps me plenty busy! Hobbies and interests include Art History and Interior Design, and my husband and I design furniture together.


What is your process?
My work is made of pure clays like earthenware and porcelain, wood, cotton fibers, and recycled papers. The few tools I really use, besides my own two hands, are my collection of vintage stamps and my rolling pin!


Business Goals and Vision...
My Etsy shop provides me with an international audience for my work. I love the personal interaction I get to have with my customers there, and the orders from my shop keep my production running at full capacity! In the long term, we are expanding our home-based studio space so that production and my product line can expand over time.


How do you market your business?
Online, photos are the most important part of selling your work. If your photos do not show off your product or attract attention, they will not be noticed.
I honestly feel like excellent customer service is the best way to market and grow your business…happy customers tell their friends!!


Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
I wish I had more time to keep up with the design journals! I love the community of blogging, but again, I just don’t have time to explore much beyond Etsy.
For me, the best way to improve my business is by focusing on my own work. It is easy to become distracted by other artists, or to want to modify your designs to be “more like” something you see selling elsewhere…but the most important thing is to be true to your own design sense and your own product line…in the long run, that is what will make you stand out from the crowd!

What inspires you?
Art history and ancient symbolism inspires me when researching texts and words to use in my work. I also pay attention to tactile senses like the feeling of cold stone and or the sound of crunchy leaves on a cool Autumn morning.


What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
That is like having to choose a favorite child!! I do really enjoy making custom pieces, as I love the idea that I am creating an “instant” heirloom for someone to cherish for years and generations to come.

Am a fan of these places...
www.thisisalliknow.etsy.com
www.simplijessi.etsy.com
www.fieldandsea.etsy.com
www.hijackedceramics.etsy.com
www.manimina.etsy.com


Find seller at...
www.palomasnest.etsy.com