Welcome — I’m so glad you’ve joined us for this coffee-time chat. As I mentioned earlier, this interview series is truly a dream come true. When I began preparing my Etsy shop a few weeks ago, I wished I could sit down with some blogging friends and ask all the questions I had. This series grew out of that wish. I’m deeply grateful that these busy blog- and shop-owners took time from their lives to share their experiences. Today they introduce themselves and their handmade businesses.
So pour a cup of coffee and settle in.
Day 1: Meet the Teachers — Four Bloggers Share Their Handmade Business Stories
{bird graphic used with permission from Heather @ Sewing Daisies}
Question: I’ve followed some of your blogs for a long time and recently met another of you. Could you introduce yourselves and tell how you began selling on Etsy?
Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage:
Hi, I’m Gina. I began The Shabby Creek Cottage to document the restoration of my childhood home, where my family and I still live. I launched the blog in April 2009 and, encouraged by readers, opened my Etsy shop in October 2009. Recently I moved the shop to its own site to better showcase products and a lovely online catalogue for shoppers. The blog led naturally into selling handmade and curated vintage items, and the community’s support helped the shop grow.
{Gina’s shop now has a beautiful online catalogue.}
Jami from Freckled Laundry:
Hello, I’m Jami. I write the DIY vintage-chic blog freckled laundry, where I share decorating, crafting, and my path as an Etsy shop owner and aspiring textile designer. I’m a wife and mother of three — a nine-year-old son and two-year-old twins — and I use the quiet moments to update our home, blog, and build my shop. Etsy became my creative outlet and a way to supplement our family income as a stay-at-home mom.
Freckled Laundry began as the blog name and evolved into a brand, so it became the shop name too. I opened my Etsy shop in November 2010 selling handmade baby shoes. In February 2011 I started making clay tags, and that product shift significantly changed my business. My shop now reflects those popular handmade pieces alongside other vintage-inspired items.
{I love Jami’s photography and handmade creations.}
Lisa from The Pennington Point:
I opened my shop nearly three years ago with three clear goals: to supplement our family income after the economy affected us, to have a creative outlet, and to involve my daughters in a home-based business so they learn skills they can carry forward. Over time the shop evolved, but those purposes remain central.
I enjoy many crafts, so narrowing a focus took time. A turning point came when I dropped off towels to be monogrammed and asked whether they could use two different fonts in one word. The shop staff looked at me oddly, so I left and decided to explore options myself. I bought an embroidery machine intending to monogram for our family, but friends loved the results and asked me to make items for them. That demand shaped our focus on personalized, embroidered products and turned a personal hobby into the heart of our business.
{Lisa’s family — she’s a mother to nine!}
Aimee from My Pink Life:
I’m Aimee, wife to a supportive husband and mother of three young children. Family life keeps me busy, but I also love expressing creativity through blogging and my Etsy shop. I’ve had an Etsy shop for a few years and became much more active about a year ago. I paint signs on salvaged barn wood — pieces I originally made for our home. Friends admired them and began ordering their own, and word of mouth helped the business grow. Today I continue to make handpainted signs and similar rustic, handmade decor.
{Aimee’s lovely family — and a reminder of the small communities that connect handmade sellers and buyers.}
We’ve only just begun this conversation, and already there’s so much to learn from these makers. If you’d like to know them better, click the names above to visit their blogs and see more of their work. Tomorrow we’ll continue the series with a discussion about product branding and graphic design. See you then!
Linking up to Home Stories A–Z