Interview with SharmSimplePleasures

This is the. coolest. rock. ever!!! Check it out!

Today I'd like to present a lovely lady, Sharmon. She is a creative entrepreneur and sells lots of lovely handmade items in her Etsy shop. Psst.. Be sure to read her business tip - short and sweet, but oh so true! :) Enjoy!

1. Name: Sharmon

Where are you from? Montana

2. Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop/ business. 

I handmake all of the items in my shop and specialize in polymer clay items such as pendants for necklace or my fairy princess. I also handburn and created signs that I can personalize on wood that I rescued from an old country farmhouse floor.

3. When did you open your shop?

August 3, 2011

4. Why did you decide to start your shop?

I love life and I love people. Opening a shop on Etsy helped me to combine both. Creating items and meeting wonderful people through my shop.

5. How do you promote/ market your business? What works best?

I do have my own blog. But I also follow several other people's blog from my Etsy team as well as blogs of friends.I also promote through Etsy search ads.

6. Do you also do business offline?

I do sell offline, to whomever wishes to buy. I have a lot of inventory available to search through.

7. Where do you get inspiration?

The rainbow! My children and my imagination!

8. Who is your target audience? Who would typically buy an item from you?

Women

How cute is this?!

9. Do you ship internationally?

Yes.

10. What has been the most challenging part of starting and running your own business?

Getting a customer base started and spreading the world.

11. What has been the best part of starting and running your own business?

Having no rules and being able to create whatever my heart desires!

12. Do you have any business tips you’d like to share with us?

Have fun and treat everyone the way you would treat your Mom :)

13. What are your goals and dreams for your business for the future?

Build more customer friends!!

This is sold - but I couldn't resist sharing it with you!

14. Where do you hope your shop will take you?

To a publishers desk!! I would love to be an author!!

15. What’s next now? Could we get a sneak peak of what you’ll be doing and sharing next? 

I would like to start making polymer clay angel figures with lots of glitter and sparkle!

16. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I would like to thank you Katrine for featuring me and my shop.

I am glad to have this chance to shine, hopefully my reflection will add some sparkle to your day:)

Thanks so much Sharmon!! It's been a pleasure getting to know you - and you've definitely added a lot of sparkle to my day ;) We share the same dream - I would also love to be an author!! Good luck with your shop and dreams, and I can't wait to see your book in the bookshelves ;) - Keep us posted!

Blog readers, please be sure to show Sharmon some love in the comments below!! What's your favourite item from her shop?

Be sure to visit her shop, blog, follow her on Twitter - and don't hesitate to send her an e-mail!

Ps. Be sure to check out our past interviews also.

Knitted Bangles GIVEAWAY!

PRIZE: Three knitted bangle bracelets in pink, turquoise,
and multicolored (pink, green, blue)

Winter is just around the corner, at least here in Norway, and everyone needs a couple of warm accessories to wear this cold season. That's why I'd like to introduce Josefin, a really talented Swedish woman (yay, Scandinavia!) behind the shop Made in Heda. She creates the most amazing accessories that are perfect for the upcoming winter (and autumn) season.

Josefin is kindly giving away a whooping three knitted bangle bracelets, in pink, turquoise and one multicolored (green / blue / pink) to one lucky winner!!

Before entering the giveaway, I'd like to show off some of my favorite items from Made in Heda:

I am in LOVE with this necklace!! Love the colour!

These boot cuffs are SO cute!! Perfect for winter!

Love the colour! I'm addicted to yellow..

Every Gentle Flower needs a matching leaf ;)

Isn't she talented!? Please head on over to her shop and favorite / buy your favorite items!! ;)

And be sure to enter the giveaway below :D

The giveaway ends on September 30th and is open worldwide.

Enter using rafflecopter below!

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"I Wish You..." Animal Necklace GIVEAWAY

PRIZE: One necklace of winner's choice from the "I Wish You..." Collection

Handmade jewelry with a message - three things I love. Today I'd like to present Sara Max, the talented artist behind Flower Land. Sara Max creates beautiful polymer clay jewelry with a message. She also creates beautiful bookmarks, home decor and the cutest figurines!

And I've got some great news; Sara is giving away a necklace from the "I Wish You..." collection (the winner can choose which animal they'd like from the collection!!) to one lucky winner!!! SUH-WEEEET!!

The necklaces in the "I Wish You..." collection each come with their own wish. What could be better than a lucky white starfish that wishes you to find true friends, for example!? I just love the idea behind this, and the necklaces are so cute!!

Before entering the giveaway, let me show you some other items I LOVE from Flower Land...

This bracelet would be perfect for a sea/ beach lover like yours truly.

I will never outgrow my love for anything ladybug related.

Every Gentle Flower needs a Sunflower bookmark - am I right? ;)

Isn't she amazing?! I love her creativity and originality!

Go check out her amazing shop here.

The giveaway ends on September 5th and is open worldwide.

Enter using rafflecopter below!

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Asymmetrical Green Rose Necklace GIVEAWAY

Yay! Another giveaway! Do you remember Brittany Chavers Studio?? She did a giveaway right here last summer which was a huge hit! And I've got some great news for you... Brittany is kindly doing another giveaway!

One lucky winner will get an Asymmetrical Green Rose Necklace :D I'm sooo super jealous of this giveaway's lucky winner..

Prize: Asymmetrical Green Rose Necklace

Before entering the giveaway, join me in swooning over Brittany's jewelry...

I looove the colours in this super cute bracelet <3

Woooowww... I love the details!

LOVE <3

If you don't want to head over to her shop RIGHT now and buy something.. then I don't know what to say!


Brittany's items are not only for sale in her Etsy store, but are also available at Simply Vague in Delaware, Ohio. Simply Vague will be opening a second location in Dublin, Ohio at the beginning of September as well. So if you'd like to have a look at her amazing jewelry in person, be sure to head on over there! This is a huge accomplishment for a creative entrepreneur, and this makes me really happy! So please, be sure to spread the word :) And click here to check out Simply Vague's website.

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway!

The giveaway is open worldwide and ends on 16th August.

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Ear 2 There

Blue Crystal Earrings

Today I'd like to present an amazing woman, Pegah Attarpour. She's an extremely talented artist behind the shop Ear 2 There, and it's a pleasure knowing her!

1. Name: Pegah Attarpour
Where are you from? I'm from Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

2. Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop/ business.
Well, I am a college graduate. I got my BA in French and my BS in Biology. I'm actually working a 9-5 office job, but the moment I come home, I immediately jump on the opportunity to work on my Etsy shop. My shop, Ear 2 There, is all about (at the moment) earrings. I hope to expand my line into necklaces and bracelets one day, but who knows! Hence, from "Ear 2 There!" 

3. When did you open your shop?
August 20, 2011

4. Why did you decide to start your shop?
I started making earrings a hobby with my mom and the more we made, the more we decided we wanted to share our earrings with others. Etsy was the perfect place! I love being a part of the community. 

5. How do you promote/ market your business? What works best?
I try to use Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy teams. I think the best that has worked so far is Facebook. 

Ivory Sun Earrings

6. What’s your favourite item from your shop and why?
My favorite item has to be my Ivory Sun Earrings I think they are very beautiful and unique and that's really a theme I've been trying to go for with all of my earrings. 

7. Do you also do business offline?
I haven't done business offline, yet. Everything has gone through Etsy. 

8. Where do you get inspiration?
I get this question a lot! I usually get my inspiration from just about anywhere, really. Whether it's sitting and playing with the different beads, or going outside and letting nature, and people around me influence me...It's really a culmination of things. It's very difficult to pinpoint it to one specific thing. 

9. Who is your target audience? Who would typically buy an item from you?
My target audience is women of all ages! I make earrings for children and for adults. I'm slowly venturing out into making earrings for men, as well. 

10. Do you ship internationally?
Not yet. This is something I have been looking into and hope to provide one day. 

11. What has been the most challenging part of starting and running your own business?
I think the most challenging part has been staying organized and having enough time to do everything. There's always something that needs to be done!

12. What has been the best part of starting and running your own business?
I love love love making earrings! Being able to sell them to others especially through an online site, is also a treat. Also, I love learning and with this whole process, I have been learning a little more everyday. 

Tiny Rose Studs

13. Do you have any business tips you’d like to share with us?
I think my biggest piece of advice is to never give up and be patient! Running a business is a lot of work and time-consuming, but doing something you love makes it all worth it. 

14. If there were anything you could change about your business, right now, what would it be?
If I could change anything, I would have started doing this a lot earlier! It has been such a great experience so far. 

15. What are your goals and dreams for your business for the future?
I really hope to expand my jewelry to necklaces and bracelets, and to continue being a part of this community for as long as I can!

16. Where do you hope your shop will take you?
I heard a story about a woman making jewelry and selling enough to quit her day job and move to the Carribean! I hope this shop takes me as far as that. Doing what I love and being able to support myself with it. 

17. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I want to take the opportunity to thank Katrine for this amazing chance and this interview! It was really a pleasure. 

Thank you SO much for taking the time to get interviewed! It's a pleasure knowing you, and I wish you all the best with your beautiful jewelry!

Please show Pegah some love by visiting her links below, and please let us know what your favorite item from her store is in the comments below :D

Shop

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

E-mail

The Gentle Flower is a Winner!!

Do you remember the Norwegian Handmade competition I told you about a while back, "Håndlaga 2012"? Well, if you don't, you can read all about it here.

My A Ray of Sunshine - Ivory Coloured Ring with Sun Rays was nominated in the jewelry category for being the best handmade piece of jewelry.

I was super-excited because it made it all the way to the finals.. but not JUST that.. it came in 2nd place!!!
The ring came in 2nd place!!!
Can you believe that??!!

I'm so so happy - this is such an accomplishment :D
Thank you for all your support, and for voting for me - I couldn't have done it without you :)


Now be sure to enter the two giveaways I'm sponsoring (you can win two $15 shop credits!) Hurry - they end tomorrow!! Link here and here.

Katrine <3

Smokin' Hawwwt Necklace

Have you seen the newest Rosette necklace? It's smoking haaawwwwt!!
- it looks hot, and it's really hot on the market.

After it was published it got lots of hits.. and has already been featured in TWO treasuries on Etsy!!
Check 'em out:

Click here to heart see it!

Click here to see it

The necklace is fire truck red (which has been a popular colour on the blog), and perfect for any occasion!

The necklace is perfect for those summer outfits that are aching to get out of the closet... so be sure to order it before the temperature hits 25º C (yes, that's "warm" here).
And don't worry if it doesn't get very warm where you live... cuz if you haven't already noticed.. this necklace is HOT! ;)

So please go and check it out over here. And if you're not gonna purchase it, will you please at least heart it? :)




And if red isn't your colour.. check out our other rosette necklaces by clicking here.




What do you think?
Do you like the colour red?
Is it warm where you live?
Have you made anything lately?
Let me know in the comments please-poli-cheese :)))))

Interview with Emma's Earrings

Daisy Earrings

I've had the pleasure of interviewing Emma, the creative lady behind Emma's Earrings!

Keep reading to find out more about her and her business

1. Name: My name is Emma. 
Where are you from? I am from Massachusetts. 


2. Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop/ business.
I sell jewelry (mostly earrings, but do make other pieces). 


3. When did you open your shop?
I opened my shop this September. 


4. Why did you decide to start your shop?
I decided to open my shop because I had only sold at one event and wanted to expand. 


5. How do you promote/ market your business? What works best?
I started joining teams and spreading the word about my shop. 

Olive Green Earrings

6. What’s your favourite item from your shop and why?
My favorite item in my shop are the olive green earrings. 


7. Do you also do business offline? If yes, what do you prefer and what works best?
I do sell to friends and family, but rather if people do the transaction online. I have always wanted to run a business. 


8. Where do you get inspiration?
I had taken a jewelry class over the summer and decided to stick with it. 


9. Who is your target audience? Who would typically buy an item from you?
I make items for girls, some for children, some for adults. 


10. Do you ship internationally?
I currently only ship in the US and to Canada. If other places are requested, I will add them to the list. 

Green and Pink Earrings

11. What has been the most challenging part of starting and running your own business?
The most challenging and most frustrating part was trying to add all the listings. I wanted to just put them all on quickly, but it was time-consuming. 


12. What has been the best part of starting and running your own business?
The best part is learning tips from numerous sellers about starting a successful business. 


13. Do you have any business tips you’d like to share with us?
Be patient!! It takes time to get up and running! 


14. If there were anything you could change about your business, right now, what would it be?
I would want to put more listings up, which I am currently working on. 


15. What are your goals and dreams for your business for the future?
My dream is to have lots of sales, and to have a successful business. 


16. Where do you hope your shop will take you?
I hope this will help me in life and to also give me something to do as a hobby. 


17. What’s next now? Could we get a sneak peak of what you’ll be doing and sharing next? 
I am going to start making more necklaces and bracelets and may be starting a line of greeting cards. 


18. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Use SNSEARRING for 15% off your purchase.

Blue Clay Earrings

Thanks so much to Emma for letting me interview you!

Your items are lovely and we wish you all the best.

Please show Emma some love by visiting the following links below: 

Shop

Plumdrop

E-mail

And be sure to leave a lovely comment for Emma below :)

Interview with Frozen Crafts

Christmas Earrings - Candy Canes and Mistletoes

I have recently interviewed Ugnė, the lovely entrepreneur behind the wonderfully creative and happy store, Frozen Crafts.

1. Name: Ugnė
Age: 17
Where are you from? I am from Lithuania, Europe.

2. Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop/ business. 
I mostly sell handmade jewelry and accesories made from polymer clay. Bracelets, earrings, keychain and lots more! Sometimes even sculptures.

Making stuff from polymer clay was (and is) my hobby. I'm glad I can make some money off it :) other than that, I am just a simple teenager, who likes music and going out with friends!

Right now I'm trying to convince my best friend into starting a shop - she's a wonderful traditional artist! We made a deal, that I put one of her drawing in my shop to see how it goes! You can see that here.

I have two years of school left, after that I will be moving to England, to study in a university. Preferably something to do with computer graphics :) If there are any graphics (banners, custom icons, etc.) you need done, please contact me! I need to set up a good 
portfolio, so it's a win-win :)

Cute Bracelet - Strawberries

3. When did you open your shop?
June 30, 2011

4. Why did you decide to start your shop?
I had a bunch of stuff made from polymer clay and I always wanted to make more, but with time it became expensive. So I decided to sell them - I make a profit AND have money to buy supplies to make even more!

5. How do you promote/ market your business? What works best?
Mostly social networks. I started off on deviantArt.com, then I joined some etsy teams, finally I made a facebook page AND, after that, a tumblr account. The most traffic comes from etsy, but I'd say deviantArt and Tumblr work best from social networks.

Cute Sushi on Plate Necklace

6. What’s your favourite item from your shop and why? 
Oh, that is a hard question! But I think I'll say that this sushi plate is - I love the way the details on the miniature sushis came out! I'm actually surprised it hasn't sold yet.

7. Do you also do business offline? If yes, what do you prefer and what works best?  
No. I tried, but selling here doesn't make much profit and it's really hard.

8. Where do you get inspiration? 
My friends, boyfriend and well, the internet! I don't really have a single thing that inspires me.

Though, even if it sounds a bit greedy, I get inspired to make more stuff every time I see "someone has purchased you item" :D It's a really good motivation!

9. Who is your target audience? Who would typically buy an item from you?
Well, mainly my audience would be women and girls, as I sell jewelry and, for example, rainbow accessories. But sometimes, something geeky kicks into my shop, like little 
sculptures from games, which make a nice gift for a guy as well!

Mario Mushroom Earrings

10. Do you ship internationally? 
Yes, I ship everywhere!

11. What has been the most challenging part of starting and running your own business?
At first, it's having no feedback. I was very lucky to get a sale in less than two weeks! The thing is, when you have no feedback, people can't really trust you. But after my first sale, I get more and more feedback, sales and attention.

The hard part now is advertising and trying to get some more eyes on your shop. I spend a lot of time on the computer, constantly updating and finding new ways to show my work. It's the only way you can get your shop noticed!

12. What has been the best part of starting and running your own business?
The happiness of your first sale! I was soooo happy to see that I've sold my first item! I called my friend and literally screamed into the phone, that I got a sale!

Right now I'm always happy to get featured somewhere, get sales and all things like that - it shows that people like your work and what you do, so it's really flattering :)

13. Do you have any business tips you’d like to share with us?
Always take nice and clear pictures of the stuff you are selling;
Advertise wherever you can - maybe it's called spam sometimes, but it helps;
Always keep track of holidays and how much time does shipping/making the item takes - people start their holiday shopping pretty soon, so be sure your shop is filled with holiday-ish stuff when the times comes!

Earrings - Christmas Trees

14. If there were anything you could change about your business, right now, what would it be? 
I'd like to have a model for taking pictures of my stuff. I thought of asking my best friend, but she doesn't have her ears pierced (strangely almost none of my friends do...), and since the most I have are earrings...

Other than that, I like my shop and there's not much more I want to change.

15. What are your goals and dreams for your business for the future?
If I could make money for a living from this, I'd be more than happy. "Find a job that you like and you won't work for the rest of your life".

I wish I could, someday, open a shop of my stuff in England!

16. Where do you hope your shop will take you? 
I dream of having my own shop, but I just hope to keep this bussiness running better and better every day!

17. What’s next now? Could we get a sneak peak of what you’ll be doing and sharing next? 
I'll be filling my shop with new items in the next few days - some Christmas, some gaming stuff and some stars!
Nothing more I can tell now :)
 
18. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?  
I would be glad to get some tips, critiques and anything else, just contact me! :)

Rainbow Star Bracelet

Thanks so much to Ugnė for letting me interview your lovely self!  We can't wait to see what you're making and selling next.

Please show Ugnė some love by visiting her links below.

Shop

Blog

Facebook

E-mail

deviantArt

Be sure to ask her questions and show some love in the comments below!