Archive for May, 2011
Lace and Thimbles’ charming greeting cards combine artist Rene’s two greatest passions: drawing and sewing. The style is dainty with a vintage flair, and there’s an adorable card and matching hand-stitched envelope for every occasion in her Etsy shop.
My favorites include the cheeky and creative where babies come from card for an expecting mom, and the sweet I Miss You card.
Need a card? The Lace and Thimble Offers Free Shipping on all US and Canada Orders!
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
I kind of feel like a broken record, but I’ll say it again… I love husband and wife teams! And when I heard Betsy’s story, I jumped at the chance to share it with you. Let me give you the run-down…
Filled with hand-engraved brass, dripping chains, and mixed metals, jewelry shop, betsy and iya, exploded on the scene just three short years ago. Betsy, along with her helper Lupe, creates every piece for her shop by hand in the most adorable studio/ office/ retail space I have ever seen (which I am sharing today). She built her business completely from scratch and is now proudly in more than 75 shops across the country. Now remember I mentioned that betsy and iya is a husband and wife team? Yep! Let me get to that… Because Betsy’s business is doing so well, her husband Will was recently able to quit his deskjob to work with her full time behind the scenes.
Is that incredible, or what? I am so thrilled for Betsy’s success and I thought you might be interested in how she’s done it. So, I sat down and asked her (and her hubby Will) questions about their success, snagged some tips for you on getting started and keeping the train moving, and a whole lot more. Let’s get to it…
1. In three sentences or less, how would you describe your jewelry line? “betsy and iya” is a Victorian Breakdancer, where dainty elegance meets bold grit. Focusing on asymmetry, betsy & iya jewelry inspires confidence, packs attitude, and winks at strangers. Big statement pieces, mixed vintage metals, repurposed hardware, hand-formed findings and pop colors push boundaries and exude sex appeal.
2. Your shop and studio space is to die for. I can’t wait to stop in next time I am in Portland. So, where exactly is it located? Our shop, studio, and office are squeezed into a 289 square foot box under the I-405 freeway in Portland. We’re neighbored by warehouses, salons, a Montessori school, food carts, painters, a dog hotel, the Willamette River, and a huge indoor kids’ playground.
3. Having a dedicated space outside of your home to work is fantastic. What have you found to be the best time of day (or night) to get work done? I work all the time, and I’m best under pressure. I’m at my most productive when I have a deadline looming. But I’ve found that I can trick myself into getting in the work groove by setting up mini challenges. “Can I cut, hammer, and file 20 pair of earwires in 5 minutes?” “Can I sketch out three new designs before the coffee is done brewing?” I figure out a lot in the shower. It’s my moment of stillness everyday.
“I’ve found that I can trick myself into getting in the work groove by setting up mini challenges.”
4. How long have you been pursuing work as an artist and shop owner? I started betsy & iya in March 2008, but I feel like I’ve been preparing for this my whole life. I’ve always seen the tiny details, heard the buried melodies, loved patterns and chaos. I’m an obsessive perfectionist. I have an MFA in Physical and Ensemble-based Theatre. I’m incredibly competitive, but completely silent about it. I’m teaching myself bass. I love dancing. All of this has made me the designer I am.
5. Being in more than 75 stores nationwide is a huge accomplishment. And certainly something that most every artist dreams about. But we all define success differently, so I am curious to know… What has been your most exciting / noteworthy event or happening recently that you interpret as a success? There are so many things I see as successes, from my husband quitting his job to come onboard full-time with betsy & iya, to getting emails from customers about how beautiful they feel wearing my designs, to discovering a new design in the shower. I see success in so many things and I think this is probably the single most important reason I’ve been able to stick it out through the tough times. Success doesn’t come in a lump sum. It’s in every sale, every time I unlock my studio in the morning, every moment of inspiration. It’s a million tiny victories and it’s important to see them all, appreciate them all.
“Success doesn’t come in a lump sum. It’s in every sale, every time I unlock my studio..”
6. So true! I love how you define success. Before I let you go, I have one last question for you, and it’s kind of a big one. What advice can you share with other artists and makers who may be just starting out, or are struggling to be seen? My biggest lesson is to just do it. Jump. That thing you’re thinking about doing—whether it’s a new design, or quitting your day job, or making that first wholesale pitch—it’s worth doing. Especially if it terrifies you. You will succeed and you will fail, but not all at once, and you will learn from all of it. This is a lesson I continuously remind myself of: push through the anxiety, self-doubt, the “what ifs.” It’s the only way to grow.
“You will succeed and you will fail, but not all at once, and you will learn from all of it.”
Great advice! Thanks so much for the tour and interview!
Please be sure to visit Betsy and Iya online, and if you’re in the Portland area, stop by their shop and pick something up! I know next time I am in town, I’ll definitely be popping in. Location and store hours can be found right here.
If you stopped by the blog last week, you probably already know that my sister in law just got married on Friday. The wedding was so much fun, and I still kind of have wedding on the brain today. So, I am sharing a little (or should I say lil’) wedding inspiration from LilMissi wedding shop…
Visit LilMissi now to pick up a few things for your own upcoming wedding or celebration.
Something looks different, right? Well, that’s because Jeff and I have been working on a little blog re-design (well, mostly Jeff, though I gave my two or three cents).
And I am really happy to be able to finally show off the new, streamlined look.
We’ve been talking about doing this for a long time now. So, I am really tickled that it’s here and finished. I wanted something that focused more on the content, was easier to navigate, and was more integrated with the overall design of the exhibition site. And I think we’ve done that.
Jeff and I added some drop downs to reduce the clutter on the sidebars and there are now several ways to shop papernstitch.com from the blog as well. Fun stuff!
I’ll be making some tweaks and additions over the coming weeks. So keep checking back for new little things. And if you have any feedback or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you. So, please leave your response in the comments below.
It’s hard to be a big success in your already-saturated niche. No subject is new, so you have to work hard to stand apart from the crowd.
Here’s the secret formula to being an instant success in your niche: provide what isn’t there.
1. Do Something Different
The first way you can provide what isn’t there in your niche is by examining all of the sites and designers you share it with. Look at their websites, online stores, blogs, and Etsy shops. Take it all in, take notes if you must: then do something completely different. Use a completely different color palate, write in a different style, do exactly what they’re not. It’s an instant way to stand out.
2. Use Your Unique Talents
There has to be something you can do that others in your niche simply can’t. Harness your unique talents to help you stand out. Is there a distinct lack of poetry in your blogging niche? Why not start writing haiku based on your art? Be creative. Use your talents to create something irresistible.
3. Give The People What They Want
Pay close attention to questions you and others in your niche receive. Sometimes, common questions keep reappearing. Another way to spot common questions is to take a look at your Google analytics, look at the search terms people are using to find your websites. Now write plenty of content that answers the frequently occurring questions for your niche. Give the people what they want, and you’ll stand out as an authority.
4. Keep Being Yourself
Just being you helps you stand out. Being you is an asset no one else can aspire to, so take advantage of it! Harness your uniqueness. If you have a blog, add a photo of yourself to the site, write up a detailed about page, and schedule personal posts from time to time. If you’re an artist, make sure there’s a piece of yourself in everything you make.
Standing out in your niche and being successful is easy when you don’t follow the crowd, use your unique talents, and provide value for your readers. Don’t make it difficult, just keep being yourself and listening to your audience.
image above Go Your Own Way by Letterhappy
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
Amelia Coward’s eco-friendly art is made from recycled materials. She puts her skills as a trained textile designer to good use for her shop, Bombus , crafting a line of paper goods and decoupaged furniture with an airy feel and a keen eye for editing.
As a rabid fan of whimsy, I’m drawn to her decoupaged superhero notebooks and decoupaged map letters, but there’s something in Amelia’s shop for everyone. (Like these children’s book decoupaged letters perfect for a child’s bedroom!).
Take a peek at the great selection and prices in the Bombus Etsy Shop.
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
I love ideas. My work is always sparked off by an idea, a phrase I’ve heard, a conversation, or just a random thought. I like simplicity so my paintings are based on a simplified landscape and always feature people and often animals especially dogs. I would say that I paint visual metaphors.
2. And where is your studio located?
I have the tiniest studio but I love it. It is in my house, which allows me to be flexible about when I want to work. It has French doors onto an enclosed courtyard, a long skinny window that shows all my roses in summer, a skylight and an under the stair cupboard feeling because the stairs come over the door. On beautiful days I open the doors up and half feel like I’m painting in the garden and on cold days it’s warm and cosy and the rain sounds wonderful on the skylight. I live in a very multicultural inner city suburb in Wellington, New Zealand. Wellington is a fabulous little city and when I need to go and find inspiration I head out my door and start walking. The central city and the beautiful harbor are about a twenty minute walk away.
3. Since your studio is a part of your home, I imagine you can truly work at anytime. So, what have you found to be the best time of day (or night) to get work done?
I’m a very perky early bird. So I get up at the crack of dawn, make a cup of tea and head straight into my studio. I adore the peace and quiet of the mornings and being up before anyone else. My brain is humming with ideas at that time of day (quite the contrast at night).
4. Very cool. How long have you been pursuing work as an artist?
I don’t remember a time I wasn’t making things or drawing. But I really saw being creative as a career when I ended up in design school (after being side tracked trying out other things first) in my early twenties. Since then I have always made my living through being an artist in one form or another. I started painting full time about nine years ago and opened Barkingmad (my greeting card and image company) about five years ago.
5. Just being able to call yourself a full-time artist is quite the measure of success for many. But we all define success in different ways. So, I am curious… What has been your most exciting / noteworthy event or happening in your work recently that you interpret as a success?
It is of course lovely when you sell lots of paintings in an exhibition or have great sales in a shop, but what I find most rewarding to me is when someone tells me how inspiring they find having one of my paintings. I recently had an email from a woman whose house had been destroyed in the Christchurch earthquake. She said the one piece of artwork she managed to save was my painting. It is now hanging in her dining room and every time she looks at it, it makes her calm and gives her hope. When I get an e mail like that I know I’m doing something right.
6. Absolutely! What a fantastic story. Switching gears a bit… What advice do you have for other artists who may be just starting out, or are struggling to be seen?
Find your style……..the way you express yourself and what you want to say…….this can take time and perseverance. Always be honest and fair with your customers and try and give them a little more than they might have expected then they will recommend you. And don’t forget business can be creative and fun too. Surround yourself with good people and always have a laugh.
Visit Cripsin’s available work at the BarkingMad shop now. And visit her website at www.crispinkorschen.co.nz.
Thanks so much for the interview and tour of your studio Crispin!
