Tell us a bit about yourself.
Me - an entirely self-taught artist that makes wings, dolls, stained glass, spins, felts, makes handmade paper, sews, sculpts in clay and does just about any other craft form. Most folks find my lifestyle intriguing; I'm a recluse - it is nothing for me to go for months without seeing another soul, aside from my husband. I actually LIVE a faerie tale life: deep, deep in the middle of the forest, my nearest neighbor is 10 miles away, nearest village (yeah, not town, not city) is 2.5 hours away and even my mailbox is 27 miles away - yeah, I have to get creative to get my sold items out:-)
I live alone, except on the weekends when my husband joins me for a few hours - the trade off for living in paradise. During the week, my company are my magickal llamas and my new little (challenging) wolf pup.
How did you come across Etsy?
I'm a coordinator for a large yearly craft fair, one of the largest in northern BC. It was thru one of the exhibitors in 2006 that told me about Etsy. I joined immediately, but didn't take it seriously until about a year and a half ago. Apart from creating things, what do you do?
Apart from creating, I exist in the most self-sufficient way I can. Grow all my own food. Heat only with wood, so cutting, storing, chopping and keeping the home fires burnin', do take considerable time - oh, I live in the northern central interior of BC, Canada - so we burn a lot of wood ;-) With a HUGE garden and greenhouse, between caring for those and the llamas, I guess I just watch things grow and play with the faeries, that are abundant 'in this neck of the woods' - LOL!
Where does your inspiration come from?
Obviously, my inspiration comes from nature; For color schemes; sunrises and sunsets. For textures, flowers opening, plants going thru their cycles. As for ideas, both nature and fellow Etsy-ers; Like any artist, taking an idea, shape, color or texture and putting a twist on it.
How would you describe your creative process? What have you learned so far as a seller?
What I've learned as a seller: Like any plant or pet, if you want it to grow, your Etsy shop must be cultivated. Regular tending is the key. Join teams for fabulous information on what's hot and not, further ideas and selling tips and hints. Use ALL your photo spaces and be creative with your photos. Join circles to network your work. Either list a new item every other day, or renew your oldest listing - this keeps your shop in high profile. Etsy Admin has done a phenomenal job at creating a user friendly site, that has so many tools and information to make your shop a success. Make use of all their opportunities to help you become a successful seller. Try to spend a little time every week, poking around an Etsy area you have yet to explore. Knowledge is a wonderful thing. Your favorite part about having a handmade business?
Favorite part: I'm my own boss. If I want to work on my shop, I can do it at 2 a.m. if I so choose. If I don't want to work that day, I don't have to. Best of all - it is SO self fulfilling!!!
Do you have a blog?
I don't have a blog - yet. It's on my 'to do' list.
Personal comments: If I can have a successful shop on Etsy, anyone can. As a computer illiterate, I have taught myself how to navigate around a computer - Etsy is so user friendly that way :-) When my mailbox is 27 miles away and the nearest post office is 2.5 hours away, if I can get my orders out in a timely manner, anyone can.
I do have to say, once I started making the Ear Wings, my sales just took off - started flying, if you will ;-) What I absolutely LOVE about making the Ear Wings are the type of people they attract! I have made several cyber friends thru Etsy - some I've been in contact with for years!
My 2 favorite comments so far have been:
I'm getting these for my niece. When she climbs into bed at night, she arranges herself just right, so her imaginary wings don't get squished.
and another - again an auntie
I'm getting these for my niece. She says she's not going to university when she gets older, she's going to go to faerie school.
I mean, how can you GET better inspiration?!?!
'Artlandish Creations' by sunshineluvsu
This treasury is featured on my blog for my seller's feature: http://sunshine-luvs-u.blogspot.com/. If you are interested in being featured, let me know!
 Purple Fairy Wings $12.50 |  Lavender Butterfly Ear ... $12.50 |
 Fairy Ear Wings with GL... $13.50 |  Fine Art Quilt Picture ... $450.00 |
 Purple Butterfly Fairy ... $12.50 |  BUTTERFLY Fairy Ear Win... $12.50 |
 Llama Needle Felted Hal... $59.00 |
Such cute and unique designs!
ReplyDeleteWonderful interview! I love the fairy ear wings and learning about what inspires a fellow artist.
ReplyDeleteOoh I have some of those favorited already, I really love the fairy ear wings-they're so unique and cute!
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