Primitive Mom of Two

Today I have another featured shop, or I should say featured etsy artist because I am finding that each shop is more than the items in the shop, it’s the creative artists behind the shop that really make the whole experience such a joy.

BrigaBauble

I met Brig through a forum thread and immediately hit it off with her. That is one thing I am coming to love about Etsy is it’s more than people selling things, it’s a whole community in itself. Now just a side note you will notice that Brig refers to me as PJ which is what my etsy sign on has been shortened down to in all the forum threads, Primitive Junkie is quite a bit to type out. LOL

I was able to ask Brig a few questions via Conversations on Etsy. I wanted to get to know a little bit more about the creator behind BrigaBauble and here is what she had to say.


Where are you from?

Technically, I was born in South Carolina to a mother from Baltimore and a father from Vienna, Austria. We (my parents, my older sister and I) moved to then-rural Maryland when I was 10. But, my sister and I spent about 12 years of summers with our grandparents in Austria. If you ask where I feel most at home…I’d say Austria, particularly Vienna. And my first thought when someone asks where I’m from is “Austria.”

Hmmmm. Well, I had managed to build up a tiny bit of confidence in my jewelry designing and crafting skills purely because friends were trying to buy my pieces off my neck or wrist, etc. And I had two or three friends encourage me to open a shop on Etsy so I thought, “Why not?”

Man PJ, all these tough questions! OK, at this moment in time my favorite piece is my “Something Old and Something New Bracelet.” (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22014807)

I love it because I used parts from an old bracelet that I picked up somewhere along the way and semi-precious round unakite beads to make a bracelet that feels both vintage and modern.

Well, to be honest, sales in my Etsy shop have always been rather slow since I only just started some online marketing efforts and still need to try offline ones as well. Two things keep me going: positive feedback from my customers and the fact that I love designing and making jewelry. I’m a bit “Type A.” Some days, more than a bit. Crafting in all forms has a positive, calming affect on me.

All of the tips I’m writing here are an example of, “Try doing what I say, not what I did;” if you want sales that is.• Open your shop once you have a clear marketing plan—will save you time in the long run. • Build up your stock to at least 20-25 items before you open. It can be really frustrating to go to a shop and find only a few items to choose from.• Spend time in the forums—read everything you can in the “business topics” and “critiques” forums. You’ll get so much useful advice and meet some awesome artisans.• Compare prices among shops that list in the same category that you will. This will make you more confident in your pricing. Also, read the “shop policies” of many different shops and be ready to post yours when you open.• If you’re not a designer, hire one to create your banner and avatar. There are so many talented designers on Etsy who charge incredibly reasonable prices for their work.

This is great advice for anyone wanting to open a store. Having a good variety to start with and promoting your butt off is what will get you going and get the sales coming in.

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brigabauble/
I pictured just a few items of Brigs that I love, hop on over and check her out. If you find something you just have to have, tell her PJ sent you. And go check her blog out, I only aspire to write posts as well and as informative as Brig does