Blog Feature on My Baby Sweet Pea

Hi Everyone,
Today's Blog Feature is on a Fellow EtsyKids Member My Baby Sweet Pea!!!
She makes adorable Accessories for your little ones!!!

1)How did you first hear about Etsy?:
  I first heard about etsy through a friend. I sold her some hair clips and she told me about the site

2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:
 How did you get started as a designer?
I am a sahm at this time, I have a beautiful baby girl who was born with a full head of hair. She wore hair clips the day I brought her home. She inspired me to make my items. I coudn't find small delicate clips for her, I didn't want anything over the top she was so small, but she needed something for all that hair. so by nature I like to make things, so I started making her clips. she has a clip for everything, to match outfits, special holidays etc... then I started making her crystal pacifiers and pacifier holders, I then noticed that i was now making them for everyone else. So I checked out etsy and thought this would be great! I am a fine artist so I love to draw and paint, I also love making jewlery and cookie & pretzel decorating.

3)What inspires you to create?:
I think I am probably like every artist out there. There are days that I don't have the time or the energy after keeping up with a very active soon to be 3 year old. But then there are the other days that I can stay up till 3 and make 4/5 crystal items and a dozen clips. Everything inspires me, I wish I had more time in my day to get things done!

4)How do you get the word out about your shop and Etsy?:
I  leave my card everywhere, the coffee shop, my daughters gymboree class, I have a facebook page and I also ventured into doing a vendor shows.

5)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?:
I would tell an aspiring artist just to do it! Etsy is a great site because you don't have to invest a lot. You can get your work out there for people to noticed and then branch off from there!

Make sure you check out her shop for more adorable items!!!
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mybabysweetpea?ref=seller_info

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Baby-Sweet-Pea/182275848467675#!/pages/My-Baby-Sweet-Pea/182275848467675?sk=wall

Under The Sea Themed Party Supplies

Hi Everyone,
The past few days I have been busy working on orders and shipping them out. One of the orders this week was a Custom requested theme for a returning customer. I just loved how it turned out and had to add it to my shop. 

Birthday banner, Cupcake toppers, Centerpiece sticks and Party pack are now in my shop available to place a order.

Check out the items here for details on the items:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DevinPrather/search?search_query=under+the+sea&search_submit=&search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5318504&shopname=DevinPrather
I hope everyone is having a WONDERFUL Week:0)

Feature Blog on Tiny Stitches

Hey Everyone,
Today's blog feature is on another Etsykids team member.... Tiny Stitches!!!
She makes classic boutique accessories for babies, tots and kids

1)How did you first hear about Etsy?:
My friend Heather, started her Etsy shop in 2006, http://www.etsy.com/shop/heatherhalesdesigns. It was my first introduction to Etsy and I loved it’s premise and how attainable it made having an online store front.

2)Tell us a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:
I’m a 30-something mother of five living in the sunflower state. I love to make things. I dabble in lots of different mediums, but my main medium is sewing and fabric.

3)How did you get started as a designer?
I learned to sew as a tween. As a college student, friends started getting married and having babies. I needed baby shower gifts that fit my meager budget. I quickly learned that with a few dollars of flannel, I could make a really nice, practical, chic baby gift. Over the years the response has been really positive. It’s been so rewarding to see blankets and burp cloths I made being used by toddlers and get passed on to younger siblings.

4)What inspires you to create?:
My children are absolutely my inspiration. Every item in my shop was first created to meet the need of my children, and my desire to provide them with high quality custom made items that won’t break my budget.

Burp Cloths … My babies were spitter-uppers. Cloth diapers are hands down the best burp cloths, but I didn’t want my burp cloths to be mistaken for cleaning rags, nor did I want them looking like everyone else’s, so I trimmed them out with jumbo ric rac and cute ribbon trims. Pillowcases … Having multiple sets of twin sheets that mix and match, makes laundry and bed making much easier. But my children still love to have bedding that is tailored to their loves, and they really get into having themed pillowcases for holidays and special occasions. Over the years, our kids pillowcase collection has become quite extensive, and it’s now a favorite birthday gift option for friends.


5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Etsy?:
Over the years I’ve gotten involved in two Etsy Street Teams (subset groups within Etsy centered around a commonality): a local team, the Kansas City Etsy Team (KCEtsy), and genre team, EtsyKids. I write for both team blogs, etsykids.blogspot.com, kcetsy.blogspot.com, helping provide increased exposure to my teammates handmade wares, and in turn hopefully bringing exposure to my shop. I blog, www.tinystitches.wordpress.com about projects with the kids and for the kids, and I blog a bit about the shop too. I also dabble in facebook - http://www.facebook.com/TinyStitches.Etsy; and twitter http://www.twitter.com/tinystitches.


6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?:
Give everything your best effort – even if it doesn’t turn out, learn from the experience so you can improve.

Make sure you check out her shop and all the links listed above:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/tinystitches



I hope you enjoyed today's Blog feature. Make sure you check back later this week for another Blog feature on another amazing etsy seller.

Customer Photos

Good Morning Everyone,
I am up bright and early today working on orders and getting them packaged for the post office. I just checked my email and got a email from a customer with some photos from her son's party. I just had to share.
This theme was a custom theme for her son's Grayson First Birthday Party... Beach theme.

I hope you have a wonderful day!!!

Blog Feature on Dapple Gray Designs

Hi Everyone,
Today's Blog feature is on a Fellow EtsyKids Member Dapple Gray Designs. She makes adorable Handmade clothes and so much more.

1)How did you first hear about Etsy?:

A friend who makes jewelry mentioned it on her Facebook page so I curiously checked it out. I set up my shop and over a few months I tweaked it until I was satisfied.

2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:

I live in Annapolis, Maryland and am a mother of 3 children - one in college and two in daycare. My husband is an Equine Vet and we live on a small farm with horses, a dog and pond full of gold fish. I love to travel, treasure my Moms-Night-Outs, painting and creating clothes that are cute & comfortable for little boys and sweet & sassy for little girls

3)How did you get started as a designer?

I actually started with a very big project - my first house in Federal Hill - Baltimore City. I totally ripped everything out of the house and hired a handy man to help me put it back together. We hung sheet rock, light fixtures, doors, cabinets and painted every inch of the house. I laid tile, wood floors, built a deck, sewed curtains & bed coverings and then went on to renovate two more houses. I love creating and designing no matter how big or small. And speaking of small - I have a 3 yr old daughter who loves dresses and a 2 yr old son who loves dinosaurs, thus I now make clothes. My hammer and table saw have been replaced by my sewing machine and serger. I am very proud, though, that I have the skills to renovate my design studio!

4)What inspires you to create?:

I live with my two children and husband on a small farm where we have horses and are surrounded by nature. We also live near the Chesapeake Bay where we love to sail and play on the beaches. Most of my designs have animals, insects, flowers or a nautical touch.

5)How do you get the word out about your shop and Etsy?:

Word of mouth has been my biggest tool. I make outfits for my friend's kids and my own kids and waa laa I have instant advertising when they wear my clothes to school, parties or other venues.

I also have a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DappleGrayDesigns where I post pictures of my clothes and promotional discounts.

My shop on Etsy: www.dapplegraydesigns.etsy.com is seeing some action now that I have joined the EtsyKids Team and started participating in blogs like yours.


6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?:

Believe in your product and own it. Keep your designs fresh and create from the heart.

Make sure you check out her facebook and Etsy shop. ( Link listed above)

All Things New

Hi Everyone,
Some new exciting changes have been made to the blog. Don't you just love it!!! Thanks to the Amazing Kdbuggie Boutique and Designs. I was picked to have a free blog make over done and I am so happy I was picked. I am super impressed by her work. I highly recommend her. She is Wonderful to work with . Make sure you check out her blog for more details on getting a custom made blog design made just for you.
www.kdbuggieboutique.com/p/blog-roll.html

In other New news... I have a new theme in my shop to share with you . I had a custom request for this theme from a wonderful repeat customer.  The new theme is Up , Up and Away Super hero Themed items.

                                             

 Centerpiece sticks and Cupcake toppers are now available for purchase. Coming soon in this theme matching Birthday banner, Name banner and Party pack.
Check out my shop for details on these items.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DevinPrather/search?search_query=up+up+away&search_submit=&search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5318504&shopname=DevinPrather
 

Blog Feature on Stella B Designs

Hi Everyone,
Today Blog Feature is on a Fellow EtsyKids Member Stella B Jeska. She makes AMAZING Hats , Photo props and so much more for your little ones!!!

1) I first heard about Etsy while expecting our 3rd daughter. I was on an amazing Due Date board with some amazing mommies who shared everything! Etsy was a completely foreign concept to me but I was quickly hooked!

2)I am a 30-something Mama with 3 beautiful daughters, a baby due in November, and a loving husband. We spend our time raising our babies, going to church, spending time with family and taking care of our growing lil "farm". While I love sewing, quilting and fabric crafts, I have to admit that my personality is better suited for the relaxing and therapeutic craft of hooking - read, "crocheting". =o) I'm just impatient enough to need the almost immediate results that crocheting hats and accessories bring.

3)The story you hear most times when asking a crocheter how they learned to crochet is that their mom or grandma taught them. I was actually inspired by my brother. Yep, you heard me. My brother was my inspiration. He and his wife were making beautiful blankets and afghans and it sparked my interest. Going back to my impatience, I wanted to make something that wouldn't take me so long... that's when I asked him to help me learn how to crochet in the round so I could try my first hat. From there, I learned more technique and specialized stitches from YouTube and Google searches. The rest, as they say, is history!

4)I am inspired by babies and children and the current fashions. I love creating accessories that today's children can wear with pride. I like to say "this isn't your Grandma's crochet." I will only make items that I would only put on my own children with durable, comfortable and fashionable yarns.

5)I really started seeing more success for my shop when I created a Facebook Fan Page. I started by asking my friends and family to support my page and it's gradually grew from there. I also had success by using the advertising offered by Facebook!

6)My advice would be to hang in there. Create a maintainable creation schedule, stay consistent in your work quality, communication and customer service. While the quality of your items will speak for itself, there is something to be said for sellers who connect and with their customer base. All of these things will pay off!

Make sure you Check out her etsy shop, Facebook Fan page and Blog:
Etsy Shop: http://www.stellabs.etsy.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stellabdesigns
Blog: http://www.stellabdesigns.blogspot.com

Party inspiration : Halloween theme Birthday / Halloween Party

Hi Everyone,
Halloween is just around the corner. If you are having a Halloween party or a Halloween Themed birthday party these ideas are perfect for you.

 Pom poms made by Addi Jai Party Poms
http://www.etsy.com/listing/57971018/layered-halloween-pom-poms

Party Straws By Babsgiddygappershttp://www.etsy.com/listing/80104958/halloween-themed-straws?ref=sr_list_34&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=halloween+themed+favors&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Homemade Mashmallows by Have it Confection  
http://www.etsy.com/shop/haveitconfections?ref=seller_info

Halloween themed Photo Booth prop By  Mister Mustache
http://www.etsy.com/listing/81426934/set-2-halloween-plastic-mustache-and-one?ref=sr_list_5&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=halloween+photo+booth+props&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
Our Halloween Themed items are perfect to add those finishing touches to your party:

Halloween Party Pack by Expressions By Devin
http://www.etsy.com/listing/79966887/halloween-themed-party-pack

Check back soon for more Party inspiration!!!

Blog Feature On The Little Chick

1.) How did you first hear about Etsy? I heard about Etsy from a friend. I was looking for things for my daughter's nursery and thought it was a fantastic outlet for both purchasing and selling.

2. Tell us about yourself and your favorite craft: I am a mother of a beautiful 17 month old. Before the birth of my daughter, I owned a design company specializing in corporate aviation design. Once she was born, I decided to stay at home with her and work on all of the creative ideas that I had been thinking about for years.....so The Little Chick Boutique was born. It has been so much fun being able to share my days with my daughter. I do find myself keeping pretty late hours in order to keep up and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Etsy has been an amazing outlet for me and I appreciate every order that comes my way. My favorite items at the moment are the quilts and blankets that I am working on. Each one is so unique and crafted with special attention to detail and I love being able to monogram a name and know who the blanket is going to.

3. How do you get the word out about your shop and Etsy: Some of the ways that I have been able to get the word out about my shop have been Facebook, Twitter....social networking is always a plus. I have been able to be a part of some amazing teams like EtsyKids, EtsyBaby and ARETSY. Not only are they great for getting the word out, but I have met some other talented members and love to help promote their shops as well. I've just started The Little Chick blog and will be featuring some wonderful talent soon. www.thelittlechickboutique.blogspot.com

Make sure check out her Adorable shop filled with tons of amazing Items:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thelittlechick?ref=seller_info