As many of you know, EtsyBABY team members are extremely talented. We wanted to take a peek at the person behind the creativity. All through May, we will be interviewing shop owners, to get a glimpse of the designer behind those adorable baby products!
What inspired you to begin a shop featuring your own designs? I was pregnant with my first child, a daughter, and I starting making dresses and jumpers for her before she was born. After she came, I found myself less concerned with her clothing and very disappointed with the quality and functionality of many of the generic baby items I was using. There had to be a better solution to changing diapers in a public place! I was taking my diaper bag into the restroom and being forced to place it on the dirty floor or just searching all through it to find all the things I needed to change her diaper. I needed something that had everything all together and I could just grab and go without needing the entire diaper bag. So after many many prototypes, along came my All-in-One Diaper Clutch! As time went along I found many more issues with baby products, I found solutions for those as well. Most of my products are the answer to a common problem with many big chain store bought baby products. I thrive on organizing and functionality and my products reflect that. And as a bonus, they are cute too!!
How long have you been practicing your art/craft? I learned to sew in high school in 1997 and continued to do small things through the years. But I picked it up again for these more extensive projects in Aug 2009.
What training have you had or are you self-taught? My first training with a sewing machine was with my grandmother as she was an avid sewer. I had more structured training in a Home Economics class in high school. However, many of the techniques I know today have been self-taught over the last few years.
What is your favorite material to craft with? I love working with good old fashioned (and unbelievably cute!) cotton apparel fabric. I have an addiction to fabric and am constantly trying to find a storage solution for the copious amounts that I have in my craft room.
What has been the hardest aspect of creating a hobby into a business? Definitely for me it would be finding the time. Up until today (May 31st), I had a full time job, I also have a 2-yr old, and have been taking classes for entrance into a nursing program. It has been challenging to find the right balance. There are definitely many late nights, but it has been well worth it. My mother, Toni, has been a huge help and does most of my cutting and pinning, which helped out more than I can say.
Any advice for other Etsy sellers? First and foremost, your product must be very high quality. This is extremely important, so take pride in your work and make it beautiful and durable. Secondly, take the time and take good pics. This is HUGE! Use a neutral background and take good close ups. You don't need a fancy camera, a simple point and shoot will do. Take advantage of natural light and avoid shadows. Thirdly, list, list, list!! And be sure you use all your tags and they are relevant. These are important to getting your items to the top of the search and will eventually translate to sales. Don't give up!! It took me several months to get the sales going.
What do you enjoy doing in your off time? In my free time, I love playing outside and reading with my daughter. I also enjoy going to movies and sporting events with my wonderful and patient husband. We are huge sports fans and love to support the local teams. I also love crafting other things and scrap booking. I am a creator at heart and that is what I love to do in work and play.
Describe a typical day in your life... Well my last day of full time work is today, so while I was working a typical day would go something like this: Wake up around 5:45 a.m., get myself and my daughter ready for work and school, drive 1 hr to work, drop my daughter off at daycare, work until around 3:30 p.m., pick my daughter up and make the 1 hr trek home, play with my daughter and spend time with my husband until 6:30p.m., then eat dinner, give a bath to my daughter and put her to bed around 7-7:30. I would then go upstairs to my sewing room and begin on the orders that are on the schedule for that night. I would typically do this about 4 days of the work week and spend about 6-10 hrs each weekend day working on orders if there were many for that week or I had a show to build inventory for. Now that I will no longer be working (at least until I start nursing school full time in the Fall) I hope to spend both more time with my family and a lot more time working on and expanding my craft.
Where can we find your products online? You can find my products for purchase on my Etsy page or at my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Pampermebabydesigns . I also have a website with Fabric Options and Product Information at www.pampermebabydesigns.com . I am also on Pinterest which is linked on my website and Twitter @PamperMeBabyDes
Thank you Ami, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to grant us an interview!
