West Corinth Studio

It's Tuesday and I am excited to introduce you to another "earth-friendly" seller- Heidi Shaulis and Issac Willis of West Corinth Studio. They reside in the same house and virtual shop -even though they work with different mediums they both keep it green in art and life....

Name
Isaac Willis and Heidi Shaulis

Location
Corinth, Vermont

Business Name
West Corinth Studio

Describe what you sell.
Folk art. Heidi produces mainly oil on canvas original paintings, and various reproductions of her images on recycled and hemp papers. Isaac is a woodworker, and buildseverything from jewelry boxes to electric guitars.

What is your real life like?
We live in a tiny little house on top of a hill surrounded by very wild woods. We get lots of organic produce from our garden and pick gallons of berries in the summer. Winter is harsh, with lots of shoveling, but as long as the power doesn't go out we have DSL and Direct TV. Isaac and the boys play guitar and Heidi devotes much time to her dog, Bea and her 6 cats.

What is your process?
Isaac does pretty much everything by hand. He uses only sustainably harvested north american species of wood and lots of salvagedand/or recycled material. Finishes are organic and everything is a one of a kind.

Business Goals and Vision...
Right now, all energy is focused on finishing Heidi's painting studio. It is a passive solar design and we've made it a priority to use as many recycled and sustainable products where possible and within our tight budget. ( Pictures of the studio progress can be seen on Heidi's blog; http://heidishaulis.blogspot.com.) Having a dedicated workspace will enhance her ability to produce a variety of new products. Isaac will be building more guitars as well as guitar stands and related gear shortly.

How do you market your business?
We are currently marketing exclusively on Etsy, but we do have many wonderful, regular customers who have been with us for years.

What inspires you?
Most of our inspiration comes from the natural world. Our favorite place has always been Vermont, mostly for it's natural setting. On our little hill inspiration abounds.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
Isaac's favorite is Eat Your Heart Out, semi hollow electric guitar (first picture)
Heidi's is The Sheep Next Door, framed original oil painting. (second picture)

Am a fan of these places...
Hinessight.com for current news
We check daily http://forecast.weather.gov; the National Weather Service website, so we can plan our outdoor work/activity
RedRiverPaper.com for 100% recycled Greenpix paper
Greenfieldpaper.com for hemp paper
There are too many great stores on Etsy to narrow down to any favorites...we love the whole site and also the forums are fun.

Find seller at...
Our work is for sale in our etsy shop; www.westcorinthstudio.etsy.com, and we also have an informational website at www.westcorinthstudio.com

Sprout Jewelry

Name
Krista DeJoseph

Location
New York, NY

Business Name
Sprout Jewelry

Describe what you sell.
Handcrafted jewelry. I describe my style as “Industrial Organic,” because it’s a fusion of sleek lines and natural shapes. I use very few stones or gems in my work; instead I try to create visual interest by mixing metals and multi-dimensional shapes.

What is your real life like?
Hmmm. Well, no kids, no pets. I live in an apartment with two roommates, an ever-rotating cast of house guests, friends that live in the apartment above us, and both of my brothers live a few blocks away. Ultimately, I feel like my life is a circus of friends, family, and jewelry making! Jewelry is my full time job, though I also work one or two days a week as an academic advisor at a local University. I’m always busy with jewelry, but I definitely make traveling and seeing live music priorities too. I spent most of August in Morocco, and I’m already plotting my next journey!

What is your process?
Well, my creative process is usually born out of procrastination. If I’m not feeling motivated to fill orders, I’ll usually start messing around with some scraps and sometimes something cool comes out of it. As for my tools, well, as any jewelry designer will attest, buying jewelry tools is truly addictive! I have to be careful about acquiring too many, since my work space is so cramped. But I do love my torch and my dremel!

Business Goals and Vision...
Ha ha, well, my vision for the business is always changing. Sometimes I feel like my newer pieces have evolved beyond what are considered the “signature” style of Sprout Jewelry, so from time to time, I consider producing my newer, more industrial pieces as a separate line under a different name. But then I worry about saddling myself with the added responsibility of juggling two lines, two marketing concepts… two of everything! So that’s something that I need to resolve. Also, I need to start making bigger investments in the business, beyond materials and such. I hired a graphic designer a few months ago, and that was scary! I was entrusting her to shape the look of my business. But she has really done some great work, so the investment proved to be well worth it.

How do you market your business?
Ads in magazines like Bust, Venus and Craft. Lots of promotion on Etsy. A mailing list. Business cards. A customer appreciation program. Word of mouth is huge too. Whenever someone emails me to tell me they love their new Sprout piece, I tell them the best way that they can thank me is to pass on my website to their friends.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs,zines or magazines?
I read Accessory Magazine. And I’ve been trying to read a lot of books and online articles about marketing and graphic design, to help me improve the “business” aspect of my business!

What inspires you?
I love light fixtures! I’m forever photographing lights in NYC. I really love light bulb encased in cages of metal. I’m working on a new line that is inspired by these shapes!

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
I love the Paloma necklace (first picture) – visually, the shape is just very unique, and the touch of copper that I incorporated is a fun twist. And the Cleo bracelet;(last picture) making it was truly a labor of love, but it came out so well in the end.

Am a fan of these places...
Aside from the obvious (email, etsy, and facebook) I always check the Onion, NYTimes.com, and Feministing.com. Oh, and Perezhilton.com, though I feel guilty admitting it!

Find seller at...
I have a website: www.sproutjewelry.net which will link you to my blog: www.sproutjewelry.blogspot.com and my etsy page: www.sproutonline.etsy.com

Find a Graphic Designer on Etsy on Your Budget

I was first introduced to Gabbie (MissEvilKitty) through IndiePublic
If you are not familiar with Indie Public- have a look...it's a place where Indie artists meet and network. Gabbie has her own group called "How to Get Yourself Out There" she often posts articles that are helpful to Indie business owners. I am very impressed with her advice and am pleased to have her writing for me on Sunday's. Show her some love and leave her a comment here, visit her website which is linked throughout this article or visit her Etsy shop- click on her Etsy mini to the right.

Your image as a shop?
As a graphic designer what grabs my attention is simple NOT over the top design/s .
I know A LOT of people always say I don’t have the money to hire a graphic designer.
You do only you don’t want to get out of your “comfy” zone. Am I right?

I have matured with my designs over the years my latest work at Missevilkitty.com Has to be the best I done this year or the past six years I been online as a tiny shop.
My image right now is simple , vintage inspired and young . Am a young designer am 24 so my “branding image” grabs your attention it looks like i paid good money to get my look. but in reality it took me 30 mins to 1-2 hours to get my look!

Gabbie, how do I find a graphic designer I can afford ?
Etsy has TONS of designers go to etsy.com and then:
Home > Buy > Categories > everything else > graphic design
On the left you well see:
avatar,banner,business cards,logo design,web design
If you need a template look for
Say : business card template .
A lot of shops sell premade packages some vary in the price range of $12-60. Most shops well let you add more items for a small fee make sure to shop around.


Gabbie what should I check for when am graphic designer shopping?
1. Is the design style they offer like yours ?
2. Feedback and sales how long have then been on etsy?
3. Do I get the copyright of the design once I buy it ?
4. Do they offer printed items like business cards , labels and such?
5. Customer service ! send them a convo and see how long they take to get back to you.

Other tips:
Some shops wont re design a design they sold in the past for you so when you convo to request a design make sure to be clear as to what you want .( I had more then 10 customers ask me this and i have to simple say i cant redo that design)

Read shop policies, check to see what kind of payment they accept, how long the turnaround ..
Most places are 1-2 days


- Gabbie designs for three websites which are her own and designs for her Etsy & DaWanda shops. Gabbie enjoys working with people to get that new look. You can find Gabbie's work on Etsy at Missevilkitty2.etsy.com and Missevilkitty.com

Jennifer Love Beads

Name Jennifer Mu

Location JenniferLoveBeads

Business Name Santa Clara, CA
Describe what you sell. Semi-Precious Beads

What are the best sellers in your shop?
Tourmaline, Topaz, Apatite

How do you market yourself?
What is your target market? My target market is individual jewelry artisan

What do you offer that sets you apart from the other supply sellers on Etsy?
I sell high quality and unique beads that are hard to find anywhere else

What is your “real” life like- kids- animals- job-hobbies- interests:
I work for a financial service company as a software engineer. Married about 5 years ago and no kid yet. I like hiking, travling, BBQ, and play Texas hold'em

Where can we find you on the web?
I have a store named jennifertuzi in eBay and an online store www.jenniferlovebeads.com ( still in construction)

Any offers you want to give blog readers?
I would like to provide free shipping for blog readers with order more than $100.

Lil Cubby

Name
Mary Ayres

Business Name
Lil Cubby

Describe what you sell.
My daughter Sara and I sell handcrafted items for babies and toddlers. I am the designer and create all the items we sell. My daughter takes care of everything else. We embellish onesies, t-shirts, tank tops, diaper covers, burp cloths, and bibs with our original designs and we also make booties - lots of booties!

What is your real life like?
My kids are grown. My parents live with my husband and I. We live in the country. It’s very beautiful here. My hobbies are sewing and crafting. I have a small room that has floor to ceiling cabinets that are filled almost every craft material available and even some that are no longer available. I love old vintage items, especially buttons, ribbon and lace. I have many jars of old buttons. I just can’t resist them.

What is your process?
I love monotone print fabrics that look like solids. I consider them to be like paint. I have all the colors. When the fabrics are appliquéd on the baby items, they have so much more texture and life than solid fabrics. I’m a big fan of rick rack. I’ve always loved rick rack, even when it wasn’t fashionable. Maybe it’s still not fashionable but I think it’s fun. I use little bits of rick rack in my designs whenever I can. I also like to add pieces of ribbon, buttons and hand embroidery. The finished designs have more of a three dimensional look with all the different textures of the materials. The booties are made from wool felt, fabric and ribbon. I like to find fabrics that have a different look, like a leopard print, or skull and crossbones - something unexpected. But I also love traditional fabrics, like linen and chenille.

Business Goals and Vision...
My daughter and I want to keep our business small and personal. We love the interaction with our customers, trying to create something special for each person. My short term goal would be to continue spreading the word about our designs to increase our sales. My long term goal would be to do this full time. We want the business to grow but not too much.

How do you market your business?
An article about www.lilcubby.com was featured in our local newspaper. We currently have a two page spread in Crafts ‘n Things magazine. The article is called “Turn Your Passion Into Profit”. We have a shop on Etsy and that’s where we have gotten the best response about our business. You’ll find us there at www.lilcubby.etsy.com. A few people have put links to our Etsy shop on their blogs and we’ve participated in a couple of give-aways on blogs.
Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
I subscribe to Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion magazine. They feature artists and their homes. It’s always full of unique, very creative people.

What inspires you?
I’m inspired by almost everything. I love to go through catalogs that come in the mail. I’m always tearing out little pieces of catalogs and magazines and I keep them in my idea box. Whenever I need some inspiration, I go to the idea box. I can always find something interesting there.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
One of my favorite things in our shop is the monkey birthday shirt. It’s simple and fun. You can find all of our birthday shirts at http://www.lilcubby.com/birthday.htm. My second favorite would be all the booties. When I look at new fabrics now, I contemplate whether or not it would look good as booties. I guess if I really have to pick, my absolute favorite booties are the white chenille ones. I love the nubby texture. They have a vintage look to them. You can find our booties at http://www.lilcubby.com/babybooties.htm.

Am a fan of these places...
The websites that I frequent most are www.reprodepot.com (they have wonderful fabrics that you don’t see other places), www.paperaddict.com. (I love Basic Grey papers - the textures are great!), www.purlsoho.com (more great fabrics but these are more contemporary), www.blueridgemist.com (wonderful natural scents), and www.yourATCstore.com (interesting little finds).

Find seller at...
You can find my daughter and I at www.lilcubby.com and www.lilcubby.etsy.com. Please come visit us.