(The photos show some of the jewellery which is going to be listed soon so stay tuned!)
I’ve decided to start a series of posts, starting this week and hopefully being a weekly post, where I will interview an online seller of handmade items. To start off I’m mini-interviewing myself since I don’t write about myself much and I want a demo run. So anyway, hope you like it:
How did you get started in your handmade business? Well I’ve been buying and selling online since I was 15 so I was already well accustomed to the ins and outs of that side of things by the time I set up my business aged 22. I had begun this craft blog quite a few months before and it was this that made me consider selling jewellery that I’d handmade myself rather than buying products in and re-selling them (which was my first idea). I don’t do things by halfs so once I’d decided on handmade jewellery I spent pretty much all my savings on tools and more pendants and chains than you’d have ever seen in your life! I then set up a website and ran that until about June ’10 when I switched to Etsy.
What first made you want to become an artist/craftsperson? I’d always loved crafts and design technology was always my favourite subject from a very early age. I just combined my favourite hobby with my second favourite hobby (selling online) and ‘The Wellington Boot’ was the result.
Apart fom crafts, what do you like to do in your spare time? Blogging, photography, reading, TV (bit of an addict of reality shows!), shopping, designing and doodling, watching films, baking and making lists, lots and lots of lists.
If you had to recommend one movie, which perhaps isn’t so well known, which one would it be? I’d probably say ‘Cruel Intentions’ which is targeted at teenagers but I really like it and I’m sure anyone who likes edgier rom coms would do too – the soundtrack is great, as is the ending – but I won’t spoil it 🙂
Do you collect anything? I did start a collection of vintage products which show how people did things differently ‘back then’, or are a bit bizarre, (I have a lipstick applicator which lets you apply lippie all in one go as a sort of ‘stamp’ – not very successfully I’d imagine) but I’ve only got about 4 things in the collection! I also have a large collection of recipe books although that was an unintentional collection lol. I’ve got at least 30 ‘Good Food’ books alone.
What’s your biggest non craft-related ambition? To go to New Zealand and explore, bungee jump and skydive (eek).
If you had the opportunity to learn one more craft you don’t already do, what would it be? There are soooo many and this craft blogging lark has opened my eyes to them all – this question is very tough! I want to learn everything from screen printing to weaving, pottery and mosaic. I guess if I had to choose I’d go for ice sculpting though – for something a bit different.
What was the best holiday you’ve ever been on? Well all of my Disneyland and Disneyworld holidays have been amazing, but I guess the one where I went to Florida has to top the list as it was my 11th birthday whilst I was there and we went to a fab restaurant on International Drive and I fed the dolphins at Sea World, so yep, that was fantastic. Although, one of my favourite moments on holiday was when my brother and I were in the hotel swimming pool in Majorca and a storm started up and everyone went inside whilst we stayed in the pool with the rain bouncing on the water. Was awesome 🙂
What is your earliest memory of creating something you were proud of? I think it was probably a cardboard and paper mache boat I made in primary school. I loved that boat.
P.S. If you have an online shop which sells handmade and would like to be featured, please contact me via my shop for details, thanks!
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