Homemade Body Products: Easy and Cheap

I make and sell handmade soap, lotions, lip balm, and other such wonders. However, I know there are a lot of folks out there who would rather make their own. That's part of the reason I write books--to teach people how to make their own body products, and save money and be more independent.

There are some products, though, that are just so easy to make at home, I don't even bother making them to sell. This is for various reasons, usually involving packaging and preservatives I don't want to hassle with.

In the spirit of giving (after gassing up my car the other day, and wondering how on Earth I even manage to do that some weeks), I present some recipes and ideas for your own body products. You already have some of this stuff at home, so the cost is minimal.

1. Scrubs

I do make and sell scrubs, but if you don't care about scent, you can make these yourself, easily. Combine sugar and oils until the consistency is how you like. The end. I recommend olive oil and refined sugar. Scrub up before soaping off, and enjoy. I make this with rougher, raw sugar, to sell, and add fancy essential oils--my customers love it. Any scrub is great on the feet--used daily, your heels will be soft and smooth and sandal-ready. Unlike mine, because I usually can't be bothered. I'm the soap makers daughter going smooth-less.

2. Face Exfoliants

Use a washcloth! I wash my face with soap and a washcloth every day, and it really helps to smooth out my skin. You can make a facial cleansing oil from castor oil (buy it at Walgreen's) and olive oil, combined. Put your washcloth in super-hot water in the basin, while you massage the oil into your skin. Wring out the cloth, and then steam your face with it. Wipe off your face, dunk the cloth, wring it out again, and wipe off the oil one more time. Your face should feel clean and super-soft.

Another exfoliant is baking soda. Be careful with this one, as some folks might find it a bit too abrasive. Mix it with olive oil, and gently rub it on your face. Use soap and a washcloth to clean it off.

If you have hormonal acne, like I do, you might try an aspirin facial. Keep a cheap bottle of uncoated aspirin around ($4 at Walgreen's), and put 3 tablets in your palm. With your other hand, flick water on the tablets to get them to dissolve. Scrub your face or only affected areas with that stuff, then wash off with soap and water. The salicylic acid in the aspirin is what is in all the expensive acne stuff. Now you know. Also, I am not a doctor of any kind.

3. Facial Treatments

Again, start with olive oil. Put it on your face and rub it in. The end. Costco now sells grapeseed oil, too. This stuff is just as cheap as olive oil, and it just as good (if not better). Soap makers all know this, and you should too: just slap some oil on your skin and be done with it. It will soak in.

If you want an actual facial treatment, and have and extra half an avocado (Who leaves an avocado uneaten? I mean, really), mash it up and smear it on your face and let it sit. Then wash it off. For something soothing, you can grind oatmeal up in a clean coffee grinder until it is powdered. Combine that with some honey and a little water, to make a facial paste, and proceed as usual for facials. Oat powder is great in the bathtub, as well, to soothe itchy skin.

4. Hair Treatment

Can you guess what I'm going to say? No? Readers, really. Slap that olive oil in your hair, comb it through, put it up in a cloth, and go gardening. For hours. Then shampoo all that out, and style as usual.



Enjoy frugality! Celebrate anti-corporate action! Go green! And when you want to learn how to make soap, I'm here for you.

Featured Crafter: Deedra Wilburth from Astoria Lane

"Words of Wisdom" bookmark

Please welcome Deedra Wilburth of Astoria Lane on Etsy, who makes the most delightful magnetic bookmarks.

How do you find out about craft fairs in your area? Do you sell online exclusively?

As of right now I only sell online. I am hoping to be part of a local craft fair in the fall, so I am focusing on creating enough inventory for that. I research events online, as well as researching ideas and products and what is "up & coming." I do this to make sure my shop is still relevant to what potential buyers may want.

Pink dot bookmark

What was the impulse to start your business?

Making my own schedule was highly important to me. I am involved as a volunteer in the deaf community teaching the Bible in American Sign Language, so I am constantly traveling everywhere. I have been to other countries and all aross the United States doing this--so that is the main reason. A second reason behind my descision is I love what I make, and try to see what I can create today. I love seeing my friends' reactions to what I make. We are all really creative and we bounce ideas off of one another, and the end results sometimes are so amazing. To be able to do that for income is really awesome.

Peacock print bookmark

What is your niche? What sets you apart?Why did you choose that niche?

Right now I guess my niche would be my magnetic bookmarks. They sell like crazy in my shop at the moment. No one seems to be making them the same way. I like clean lines and a modern look in general, so I try to bring that into the shape of the bookmarks and I like to meld that with vintage and fun-looking papers. I chose these bookmarks because I always lose bookmarks. I remembered when I was a little girl, a friend gave me a bookmark that had magnets, so I wanted to make some that were more grownup-looking and something I could show off proudly.

"Stroll on the Beach" bookmark

Which materials/colors/techniques interest you the most right now? What is inspiring you, creatively?

I have been changing direction lately on new creations, and have been focusing on vintage window frames from old houses, turning these into something useful like memoboards. I put magnetic chalkboards and fabric covered corkboards on them so that these windows can continue their usefulness, even in this energy-efficient world we live in. I love the idea of turning something that has no more use into something completely different that helps it regain its usefulness again.

Purple flower bookmark

What piece of advice do you wish you had, when starting your business?

Be patient with yourself, and do not set impossible deadlines. Whenever I accept a custom order, I have to make sure I give myself enough time to complete it. For the first couple of these, I set deadlines and I ended up so stressed out to keep it. Even though the buyer loved it, I ended up not happy with the end result because I didn't enjoy making the item.

Thanks for participating, Deedra. Where else can we find you online?

Here are my links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Astoria-Lane/161817923870333

Blogger: astorialane.blogspot.com/

Readers, how cute are these bookmarks? Deedra's items have a low price, are super-cute, and sell easily. What items can you add to your line that meet these criteria?

Hoseshoe Craft and Flea Market is one week away!

Featured Crafter: Michelle Dempsey of Talia Custom Designs

Fancy Flower-Topped Bowl Cover

Please welcome Michelle Dempsey of Talia Custom Designs to our legion of Featured Crafters. I am IN LOVE WITH her bowl covers. My grandma had these, only hers were made of plastic and elastic, and they were a bitch to clean. Of course, grandma didn't have an automatic dishwasher--all of those horrible plastic bowl covers had to be hand-washed. These covers are bright! And groovy! And machine washable! Does it get better? I think not.

Onward with the interview!



How do you find out about craft fairs in your area? Do you belong to a crafter's alliance? Do you do all your own research? Do you sell online exclusively?


I have a few local crafty friends that I can have "craft" talk but I'm currently not in a crafter's alliance and haven't been in craft fairs. yet. I just started my business, again, after taking a hiatus to focus on family life. I want to establish my work and store before I venture into craft fairs. I hope to do it sometime in the very near future. In the meantime, I'm working on selling wholesale in addition to online.

Groovy Green Bowl Covers

What was the impulse to start your business?


The joy and passion of creating things started my hobby. Having such satisfaction after finishing each product, I decided to share my finished product with other people. I was in the corporate world for 10 years before getting married and having kids. Even with my successful career, I didn't feel complete. I always admire other people who follow their dreams and do things they truly enjoy with the talent given to them, whether it be playing sports, performing on stage, or creating an amazing recipe. I, now, feel like one of the people I would admire.

Brownie Pan Cover

What is your niche? What sets you apart?


Finding a niche was the most challenging part of starting my business. I had doubts on whether my items would sell or who would buy them so rather than having that as my main focus, I decided to make products that are fun and bring me joy. When sales are down, my passion is what keeps me motivated. I feel multiple niches can enjoy my products.

Which materials or colors interest you the most right now? What is inspiring you, creatively?

With Spring around the corner, I've been inspired to make things with bright colorful fabric as well as items that are appropriate for the warmer weather.

Brown and Blue Bowl Cover

What piece of advice do you wish you had, when starting your business?


Have fun! Enjoying what you are doing is a strong motivator. Another advice is to not get overworked and take time to do other things that I enjoy. When it gets to be too much work, it's not so much fun anymore.

Ultra-Groovy Rainbow Flower Bowl Covers

What question would you like to ask our readers?

What do you enjoy the most about handmade products? What attracts you to handmade sellers?

Thanks for joining us today, Michelle! Readers, what answers do you have?

Featured Crafter: Maria Konstantin

Crochet beads

This week's featured crafter is Maria Konstantin. Her Etsy shop has the most delightful crocheted items. Maria is from Bulgaria, so I have edited her responses for clarity. Enjoy.

Where do you sell your crafts?

I sell my creations exclusively online in my Etsy shop: www.MariaKonstantin.etsy.com. I totally love it and I spend every spare minute working on my products and my shop.

Rose brooch

What was your inspiration for your business?

I was always obsessed by crochet and knitting. I remember it was back in December, 2008, when I lost my day job, which made me look for opportunities to help my husband with supporting our family. So one day I came across Etsy and it was like, wow that is my thing! To create and make money out of what I love to do the most. Later, I got a new day job, but I just could not give up on my shop. Now I try to balance between my two jobs, which is not always easy to do.

Flower garland

What do you love to create most?

What I love to create the most are the crochet beads and making necklaces with them. But I must say those beads were not the products that I started my shop with. I was always thinking of necklaces that are made out of fibers, textiles, cotton thread - soft materials, mostly pure cotton and I wanted the best part of the necklace to be NO metal parts. So I came up with the idea of the cotton crochet beads strung on crochet cord or ribbon. I think they are perfect for little ladies.

Amigurumi fruits

What are your favorite materials? What is inspiring you right now?

Like I said before, cotton thread is my favorite material and the round wooden beads too, which I use for my crochet beads. What inspires me are the colors that I see around me. If a certain color pops in front of me I always start playing with color combinations in my mind. Lately I get inspired by fruits, too. That is why I started making my crochet amigurumi fruit necklaces. I just love them!

Lilac ruffle wrist warmer

What piece of advice do you wish you had, when starting your business?

At the beginning of my Etsy adventure I wish I was told that pictures and descriptions are very very important for selling online.

Thanks for participating, Maria! Readers, she obviously has some great photography skills--what photo tips do you have to share?

Featured Crafter: Amy Castle of Rainy Roots Studio

Pear III

Please welcome Amy Castle of Rainy Roots Studio on Etsy. Her art makes me happy. What about you?

Please tell us about yourself and your art.

My earliest memories of being really happy and feeling worthwhile and “good” are of my elementary art classes. I was horrible at math and science but was really lucky to have had some phenomenal art teachers early on. That, along with a loving mom who really couldn’t

afford to, but encouraged and bought any and all art supplies I wanted – and trust me I LOVED art supplies, and that love has not changed one bit. You name it, I have it! That exposure has led to my interest in many different mediums over the years.

Without question, art is my therapy. Although I have studied art all my life, my degree is in Interior Design and I’ve been in the design field for 25 years. It is my “bread and butter” although I’d love nothing better than to be able to work full-time as an artist/craftsperson and hope to do so at some point. I am really concerned about the Earth we all share and I feel like if each of us would just make little changes for the “greater good” we’d all reap the benefits. I’m that person who hangs on to stuff “cause I can make something from this” and drives everyone nuts…cardboard, bubble wrap, used dryer sheets, potato bag netting…..you name it! That’s why, for me, my pop can art makes me feel like I’m doing my little part to bring attention to

recycling and upcycling. Things CAN be made from what most people throw away!

Hand-stamped cards

Do you vend in shows? Do you sell online exclusively?

I have done shows in the past although not for the pop can art I’m currently doing, but I’ve never had much success. I’ve been encouraged by fellow artisans to do a few shows this summer, so I may just check it out again. It is nice to give people the chance to see and touch my art in person.

What was the impulse to start your business?

I don’t remember ever not having that impulse! My experiences with working for others have not been positive, so I’ve come to the conclusion over the years that self-employment is the only way I can grow and be happy.

Cupcakes II

What is your niche? What sets you apart?

Honestly, with everything I do, I strive for originality from beginning to end. Everything is always my original art to start with. Many of my pop can designs started out as original hand-cut stamps that I make (you can see an example on my Etsy site) and stamp onto recycled stock for greeting cards. I avoid using other people’s art--I want it to be ALL MINE!

Which materials/colors/techniques interest you the most right now? What is inspiring you,
creatively?

I continue to love the process of creating a hand-carved image and then creating a print with that image. I am also really quite obsessed with letter type and fonts…I have a friend who calls me a font geek and that’s fine with me. I love doing custom work for people – names, monograms, etc. I love the process of embossing a design into the metal from a pop can – it gives me immediate gratification, which I really need! None of this working on a piece for days stuff for me…I want it NOW! I have to say though that the process of getting the can to that stage is quite a tedious one – All the cans are cut by hand with my special scissors, cleaned and hand-flattened. (Let me just say that I am a manicurists dream.) I live on 8 acres in the country and am continually inspired by my woods, the farm next door and the textures and colors in the landscape that’s all around me.

Bunny Rabbit Block

What piece of advice would you give to someone starting a business?

• Be very organized right from the start…it’s much harder as you get busier. Keep good accounting records and save all business related receipts…mileage, office supplies, etc.
• Be proud of your work. It’s yours – All yours!
• Be thankful and say “thank you” a lot. Even if someone shows interest but doesn’t buy, let them know you appreciate them and they may come back later to purchase something. The internet is a cold, faceless, impersonal world; make it more personal whenever you can.
• Don’t be afraid to self-promote: Mention your art business in conversation, do a Facebook page with a link to a website or shop, Tweet about your art AND others’ art. Make friends in these social media outlets and promote their stuff, too. These efforts will pay off if you are consistent.
• Try to be patient. It takes a little while for the rest of the world to realize that you’re an artistic GENIOUS! (still waiting…)

Spring Blooms

What question would you like to ask our readers?

I’m wondering how many other sellers are involved in shows and whether they feel it is a good investment in time and money. Also, how do they get information on what shows are coming to their area, and how do you know which shows are consistently good?

Where can the readers find you online?

Twitter: http://twitter.com/RainyRoots
Facebook: http://facebook.com/RainyRootsStudio
Etsy: http://RainyRootsStudio.etsy.com

Thanks so much for your participation here, Amy. So, readers! What answers do you have?

Soapcrone at Makerie Market (by Firefly Handmade) in Boulder, Colorado

I will be vending at the Makerie Market this coming weekend. If you are in Boulder, are near Boulder, or think about Boulder more often than once per year, then perhaps you should come visit. This market is going to be amazing.

Stop by for the crafty! And bring a friend!

Featured Crafter: Becky Fowler of Harriet's Haven on Etsy

Dinner napkins

Please welcome Becky Fowler of Harriet's Haven on Etsy. Her delightful designs make ordinary items special. I hope you enjoy her interview.

How has owning and running a business changed you? Is your life better? Worse? More stressful?

Owning my own business has been wonderful in the sense that I get to keep my own schedule and balance the daily activities according to my family's needs - not someone else's. I find that I am free to make my own decisions and am more relaxed and easy-going. My husband and children benefit from that because I am there when they need me, and I am better able to make sure their needs are met. I love that my job is creative and the success of it relies on the time I put into it. The only complaint I have is that there never seem to be enough hours in the day to work on all of the ideas in my head.

Ladybug snack bag

What was the impulse to start your business?

I've always had a creative side. I can remember as early as elementary school and making papier-maché birds and watercolor paintings. During the summer months, I created wizard hats, wands, capes and other things out of construction paper, glue and glitter. They were quite impressive! When friends came over, we rode our bikes around the block while wearing my creations. I braided bracelets out of embroidery thread and set up a stand near the road and went door-to-door in hopes of making a sale. I tried to convince my friends that it would be more fun to draw fashion designs instead of playing outside. I loved all of this.

Later on, I continued art classes in high school and took a couple of photography courses in college. It was evident that a creative lifestyle was my calling, but it wasn't until 2008 when a friend told me about Etsy that I realised there was a global marketplace for people like me. By that time, I was ready to leave my bank teller position, so I began working on product development almost right away.

Stegosaurus gathering bag

What is your niche? What sets you apart? Why did you choose that niche?

My products have fallen into an eco-friendly type of category and are perfect for people concerned about our environment. Even though all of my products are made from new material, they are made from natural cotton and burlap. They serve the purpose of replacing costly and wasteful products such as plastic sandwich bags and brown paper lunch bags. My draft dodgers serve the purpose of cutting energy costs and blocking drafts caused by poor insulation. My new line of clothes pin bags reinforce the importance of saving energy and line-drying clothing when possible. There are items similar to mine on the market, but my products are unique in that they are all meticulously stenciled with one of my original designs. The designs are either nature-inspired or kid-friendly and appeal to many tastes. As I have gotten older I have become more aware and concerned about environmental issues, so I feel it is important to incorporate eco-friendly items into our everyday lives. Since I enjoy making the products, it has been a pleasure to offer them to others.

Burlap kitty placemat

What inspires you creatively? Do you think you will go off on a tangent and change things, or do you prefer to keep things the same?

Many things inspire me, but if i had to choose 3 things, I would say my children, nature and travel. I am constantly amazed at what my kids accomplish and I especially enjoy seeing what my oldest (age 5) creates. When she finishes a piece of art work, I can visualize how she interprets an idea. Both of my children seem to have a bit of musical talent which they get from their dad, so I can't wait to see how that develops through the years. Many ideas come from nature and things seen while traveling, especially color, shape and formation of objects.

I love what I do, so I will continue on this path, but I plan to offer more choices in design and product. I'm still working on adding all of my clothespin bags to my shop, and I plan on adding another line (to be announced) before the end of the year. Because I love photography, I have prints available in another shop: legendsphotography.etsy.com. And to round everything out, I love searching for vintage items, so I have began offering them for sale in this shop: nobodysdarlings.etsy.com. In this shop, there will soon be handmade products made from vintage fabrics and other repurposed objects to fill my need to create with other media.

Orange flower clothespin bag

What piece of advice do you wish you had, when starting your business?

I guess the biggest piece of advice I wish I had would be about the financial part of running a business. It's easy to keep records of purchases and sales, and I do have a little background in accounting, but I still find tax time to be stressful. Other than that, I wish I would have paid attention to those who told me to keep at it. I wasted too many years at various jobs that I was unhappy with. My mom would often tell me to keep creating, crafting, and photographing. A few years after high school graduation, I was approached by my art teacher and she was disappointed that I hadn't followed the creative path at that time. But because this has finally happened, I am truly grateful for the support of my husband and family and friends and all of my wonderful customers.

Where else can we find you online?

Here is my Facebook page: facebook.com/harrietshaven

And I have a blog, too: harriets-haven.blogspot.com

Thanks for the interview, Becky! Readers, what is your favorite item in her shop?

Accepted!

Soapcrone.com has been accepted to vend at the French Nest Open Air Market in Fort Collins, Colorado! The first one is May 21, 2011. The third Saturday of the month is when the market is held, May through October. I won't be there in July, but otherwise--that's where I'll spend my Saturday. Hooray!

Featured Crafter: Cari Shannon of Coquette Bath on Etsy

This week's featured crafter is Cari Shannon of Coquette Bath. Her interview has a lot of good information for crafters starting a business. There are several lessons to learn, here. Take one!



How do you find out about craft fairs in your area? Do you do all your own research? What about selling online?

I find craft fairs from eventlister.com. Once at a show, I do ask the other vendors where they sell and if they’d recommend a show. It’s also very helpful to find shows not to do! I do shows, mostly in the fall, and I sell on Etsy, Artfire and eCrater. I also have a standalone website: www.coquettebath.com


What was the impulse to start your business?

I owned a gift store from 2001-2006. When I’d go to Market, I couldn’t find the ‘right’ items for my store. After a bit of frustration, including finding a product I’d just ordered ‘stacked high and sold cheap’ at JCPenney, I decided to learn how to pour candles. After that was mastered, and they were selling briskly in my store, I branched out into other areas, based on consumer request. My product line now includes votive candles (by request only), jar candles, fragrance oil, sachets, soap (3 kinds), lotion bars, lotion (returning soon), lip balm, perfume, sugar cube scrub, and bath bombs. With all of the scents/flavors offered, I probably have about 350 different choices for my customers at any one time.

Solid Lotion

What is your niche? What sets you apart?


As mentioned, I had a store. It was rather fun and a touch funky…and that was what I wanted to find. Something made with great ingredients, but also something colorful and happy. I could find a lot of lines that were ‘spa’ themed. Or luxury themed. Or geared to kids. But nothing that was what I envisioned. So I made it myself.

Nom nom sugar scrub

Which materials/colors/techniques interest you the most right now? What is inspiring you, creatively?


We’re coming into spring, and I’m a super floral lover, so this is a good time for me! I’ve already introduced a new line: Simple Indulgence Soaps that has a lot of wonderful floral scents such as Sweet Pea and Gardenia that are hard to find in soap. I’ll be pouring candles very soon in springtime fragrances. But honestly, most of my products come from noticing a lack in a category, introducing a new product and listening to my customers. Of course, customer requests are also very welcome! A few top sellers have come from a simple ‘hey can you make X product in this scent?’

Kiss lip balm

What piece of advice do you wish you had, when starting your business?


Knowing how to get folks to find me. I’m somewhat dense with the entire social networking/online promotion thing. When I went to college, I learned to program computers with punch cards! Not joking. I worked, as a student employee, on one of the very first intranets. But I’m not ‘tech’. I’m creative. And understanding this world is not easy for me. So, knowing more about it would be a blessing.







What question would you like to ask our readers?


Well, I’m always very interested to know what you like. Feel free to drop me a comment through my Etsy shop. I’m there everyday, reading and learning. You can also reach me through my website email at ‘info @ coquettebath dot com.’ Finally, I do have a Facebook page, but I don’t have it set up appropriately at the moment. Eventually, I’ll change it to reflect just business. Right now, it is a bit of a mix of everything. Finally, I do have a blog: www.coquettebath.com/blog


Thanks so much for the interview, Cari! Readers, what can you take from Cari's experience, to make your business better?

Business Update: 2011 Moving Right Along

World's best lip balm. Yummah.

Earlier this year, I posted some of our goals for 2011. Things are moving right along, and I thought an update is in order--not just to show you all what the goal-setting and follow-through process looks like, but to keep my ass in check. Keeping such close tabs on my goals is an actual goal of mine this year, but I don't think I wrote it down. Or kept track of it. Sigh.

The 2011 Business Goals Update:


Original goal #1: Attend one craft fair/market per month (as available) on Saturdays, varying the location.

Update: I've been accepted into the Firefly spring market (April), and the Horseshoe Craft and Flea markets (May and October). I don't know why I haven't applied for the third market I was looking at--probably because of deadlines. I will check on that next week. Additionally, I signed up to sponsor the Handmade Soap competition for the first-annual Denver County Fair! That's four days straight at the end of July. Whee! Outcome: Successful! Keep going!

Original goal #2: Increase contact with shop/spa owners who may want to do private label body products.

Update: I have one private label client who has re-ordered. I have been talking to another one: saw in person, got an email from the buyer requesting samples, emailed to remind her twice, she liked them and asked for a price list. Awesome. I also contacted a new shop opening up in Denver, and the owner was immediately responsive to the idea--I have an appointment with her on Friday, to show her samples and talk about it. My husband made a sample batch of a special soap, and he will begin talking to people in his world about those deals. Outcome: Potentially succesful! Keep pushing!

Original goal #3: Create a monthly sale for the website, and advertise it through our newsletter list.

Update: I have done this--had a monthly soap sale and have been sending newsletters every two weeks. Sales keep coming in, but I don't know if they are more or less than last year. Outcome: Successful! Keep it up!

New goal: Guest blog 3x per month, to increase traffic and sales.

Update: I'm adding this goal because I've been guest blogging already, and it is a direction I want to take. The guest blogging is for my publishing business, but it's crafty, too, so I'm including it here. Outcome: 2x per month achieved.

New goal: Continue Featured Crafter segment weekly, for the entire year.

Update: If you follow this blog, you know I've been keeping up ever since I said I was starting it again. I predict success. Outcome: In progress.


How has your progress been? Let us know in the comments!

Broke

Photo by ribarnica on Flickr. Used through a Creative Commons license.

What do you do during the hard times? What can an entrepreneur do, to make it? Furthermore, what defines "hard times?"

I have been creating an Environment of Economic Scarcity in my household, because our refrigerator died. We have almost saved enough money for a new one. But as far as I'm concerned, we're broke. That money in savings does not exist.

So, to make more money, I'm having a soap sale for my newsletter people, this week. (Wanna sign up? You can do so here. I'm having a newsletter-only sale right now!)

What else can an entrepreneur do to increase income?

• Have a sale
• Send a newsletter
• Write a blog entry
• Tweet like the dickens
• Email prospective clients
• Do the taxes
• ??

What else do you do when you're broke?

Featured Crafter: Alison Goyette of Boston Sea Glass on Etsy

For your inspiration, today we offer a glimpse of nature, elegance and the shore. Please welcome today's featured crafter, Alison Goyette of BostonSeaGlass on Etsy.



Describe your online selling experience.

Right now I sell online at Etsy. It has been a huge learning experience for me, but it is so satisfying to create something and have someone send you a note telling you how much they love it--especially if it is for their wedding day.





What was the impulse to start your business?


I had been selling sea glass in bulk to other collectors and crafters since 2008. In September of 2010 I lost my job, and decided to give this a try. I was blown away by the response, and had a wonderful holiday season, sales-wise. That got me really inspired to dive right in.

Anytime I talk about sea glass, I notice that people go all soft dreamy and say, “Oh I love sea glass." So many people have told me that they collect it with their moms, or grandchildren or best friends. There is a something magical about sea glass, not just the pieces themselves, but warm memories people seem to associate with it. I think that accounts for more than half of my sales.





Jewelry crafting is competitive. What is your niche? What sets you apart?

There are a lot of jewelry crafters out there, and no shortage of sea glass jewelry crafters. I am still working on discovering my niche. I started wire wrapping basically because I don’t have the right drill to create drilled sea glass. But I think I have come to prefer the wire wrapped look; it adds a little personality to each piece. Also, I try to do everything very simply. I don’t want the glass to look like it is being held prisoner by the wire. My goal is for it to look "flowy," and allow the sea glass to be the focus.




Where do you get your sea glass? Do you collect it all yourself?


I collect most of it on a beach near my home with my mom, my husband or my 5 year old son. I also find quite a bit at a beach that my dad and his wife showed me, but they swore me to secrecy as to its whereabouts.

The area where I live, Hough’s Neck, was a popular tourist destination at the turn of the century. There was a street car that brought visitors here from Boston, and they left a lot of glass behind. Also, there is a ton of sea glass out on the Boston Harbor Islands. I don’t have a boat to access them, but my neighbor and her sons have brought me some of the most beautiful pieces from islands.It is a little challenging to be dependent on the ocean for your inventory. If something sells well, I am at the mercy of the tides to get more. Luckily I have friends and family who are willing to let me pick through their collection. I just did a custom order of twelve coordinating necklaces for a wedding party and I had to go house to house, digging through jars and vases.




What do you see for the future of your business?


I am hoping to expand the business and do some craft shows, add more items for the home and create an entire wedding line. I was married in Key West and love the idea of beach weddings. I would love to make a sea glass tiara, although it would be heavy.

And here' a twist, readers. Instead of answering the standard last question, Alison has a question for you:

How do you get to know who your customers and and what types of things they are looking for when you primarily sell online? Is there a faster and more cost effective way than simply trial and error?

Thanks so much, Alison! Readers, please reply to Alison in the comments. Also, if you are interested in purchasing an item from her shop, she is running a free shipping promotion, through Mother's Day, with the code MOTHER2011.

Now We're Talking

So this is the quote from today's featured seller on Etsy, Julie Nolan:

"Handmade means dirty fingernails, scratches and cuts. And an occasional blister, maybe even a burn."

Now you're talking, sister.

Funny

I have been looking over the "stats" option on the blog, and I find it hilarious that this post is the second-most popular post for this blog's lifetime.
Hee.

Take Time for Yourself

Image by the tahoe guy on Flickr. Used through a Creative Commons License.

If you are:

• ill
• short on sleep
• uncaffeinated because you just couldn't get your act together
  
• seething with bitterness
• wanting to poke your eyes out with a stick

then you should take a day off. Whether you work for someone else or for yourself, you must take a day off every once in a while. You must.

Or else you are no good to yourself or anyone else. Just take a break, already. If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything.

You may now return to your regular, mom-voice-free lives.

Handmade = Slower? Seriously?

Image by William Hoffman used under a Creative Commons license

I just saw this quote from the featured seller on Etsy:

"Choosing handmade is choosing a slower way of life, one rooted in tradition and creative expression."

Okay, I can accept that handmade things are traditional and creative. But a slower way of life? Really?

Not if you sell your crafts, it ain't. I'm just sayin'.

Featured Crafter: Jessica Partain of Inedible Jewelry on Etsy

Cupcake earrings with pink sprinkles

Please welcome Jessica Partain of Inedible Jewelry to our featured crafter party. With her sister, Susan, she creates teh kyootest (but inedible!) miniature foods and turns them into jewelry. Their items will appeal to all of us who love teeny-weeny cuteness. Count me in.

Your inedible food jewelry is adorable. What was the impulse to turn this artwork into a business?

Thank you! Susan and I have been sculpting our tiny foods since we were kids. We started out making foods for our dolls, and developed a passion for it. We kept making the minis, and decided they were better suited to jewelry than tiny tables.In 2006, we decided to try selling our pieces at the local Charlottesville City Market. The market is hugely thriving and a major social tradition on Saturday mornings- everyone goes to get fresh local veggies, locally-roasted coffee, and the fried-on-the-spot cinnamon sugar donuts. We were lucky to have such a great market that provides a lot of support to local artists, farmers, and food vendors.We set out a little table with just a few pieces, and immediately people connected with our work. From there, we built up slowly, and were lucky to have such great feedback from people each Saturday morning. I went full-time with the business in early 2007. Susan is part-time (she is equally passionate about her full-time job working for a non-profit up in DC.)

Bacon and eggs necklace

How long does it take you to make your items? Do you make them in batches?

Just like a real bakery, we do make most of our pieces in batches. There's burger day, cupcake day, etc. Each piece is assembled very much like its real-food counterpart. For example, when we make the burgers, we create the bun, the lettuce, the tomato, the patty, the melty cheese, and then assemble all of the pieces together. Then we make sure t

he bun looks nice and toasty and add the sesame seeds (each one made by hand!) on top. If you'd like to see how we make the burgers, we have a fun YouTube video.

Burger necklace

Please describe for our readers a typical Day in the Life of a Fancy Fake Food Jewelry Maker.

Susan works full-time, so she does her sculpting after she's home from work and on the weekends.I'm full-time, so my day is all about the tiny food.

9.30a coffee, english muffin (with bananas and almond butter- yum!), email, a quick scan of Twitter and Facebook

10a to-do list for the day, print off any orders that need to be shipped, thank you notes

10.30- I flip on my Pandora happy mix and get sculpting

lunchtime- coffee, lunch, email, Twitter, Facebook, maybe flickr (especially if it's Wednesday, when I try to post photos of my works-in-progress)

1ish- sculpting, photography

3ish- finish up packaging orders that need to be shipped

4ish- post office run, and then head to the gym with my fiance, then dinner, something fun (Wednesdays it's always Modern Family, Thursdays it's often salsa dancing)

Later: I often head back to sculpting for a couple of hours after he heads to bed (he owns a coffee shop, so gets to bed early since he'd up around 5a).

After 10p, that usually means hoping that Hulu and Netflix have some great overly-dramatic shows to listen to in the background. A last check of email, Twitter, and Facebook, then I head to bed and read for half an hour or so.

Coffee!

What sort of networking and promoting do you practice? What do you recommend to others?

We're on Twitter, Facebook, and flickr, and have found all three to be great forms of networking online. I enjoy chatting about all things food and miniature, so those are the kinds of conversations I end up having. In real life, we're at a market or show once a week from April through December, so we meet lots of people. I recommend social networking o

nline only if you're interested in conversations with people. I love the Twitter chats about new foods or recipes, the Facebook comments about new work and how we could tweak it, and the flickr chats about beautifully photographed foods and crafts. They're the conversations I have in real life too.

Chinese takeout earrings

Sushi roll studs. So teeny!

The fifth question is always the same: what advice do you wish you had when you started your business?

1. Have an accountant set up your spreadsheets, or give you advice on setting them up before you begin selling. It's MUCH easier to just update them than do this retroactively. If you don't know the first thing about bookkeeping or spreadsheets, hire an accountant to do it for you- it's money well-spent, and not expensive.

2. Spend out. This idea comes from Gretchen Rubin, author of one of my favorite blogs, The Happiness Project. This doesn't mean spend ridiculous amounts of money on your business (I'm a huge advocate of growing slowly so as not to go into debt, but that's off-topic!). Rather, "spend out" means to not hold on to ideas for fear. Fear that you'll be copied, fear that you'll never have another good idea like this one, fear that you should "save" this idea for a specific time. Let that brilliant idea out into the world! Let people comment on the idea, see how they react to it! You'll clear that mental space where you were holding the idea, and the feedback will spur you to have 100 new ideas.

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Jessica! Readers--what about Jessica's story inspires you?