Thank You Series – Avlor’s Imprints

Since I am on a “branding” kick as of late, I thought I should start putting labels on my products, especially on the items I sew. I think those nifty little tags are cool and so professional looking. So I looked into buying them. But most of them are not so eco-friendly and the organic cotton ones are expensive AND I have to buy like 1000 labels. I wish I can sew that fast to need 1000 labels but I just needed about twenty labels to start. Then, I read a tweet from a graphic designer turned Otedama (Japanese bean bag) maker who decided to make her own labels. So I nudged her to make some for me. She custom designed twenty labels for me and I just got them the other day and boy, was I impressed. She upcycled jersey shirts and used iron on transfers to make labels with my new logo. Now I have tags to attach to my items. I feel grown up now. I haven’t used them yet on my products but I just wanted to show you how they look.

What is your name and what are your shop’s names?

I’m Amy Vander Vorste, owner of Avlor’s Imprints and Ojami on Etsy.

What are your businesses about and what inspired you to open the companies?

Avlor’s Imprints is really an outlet for me to express myself graphically.  Up until last month, I focused mainly on print your own stationery and computer graphics. But I found I needed a solution for labeling and tagging my juggling sets to be compliant with the CPSIA labeling requirements.  So, a new product was born.

At Ojami, I sell Otedama sets.  What is Otedama? It’s a traditional style Japanese bean bag juggling and jacks game and it’s quite addicting.  I made over 20 small sets for my son’s class one Christmas and I was hooked!  I’m a Japanese culture fan (otaku, if you like) and Ojami is just a natural extension.  Keep an eye out for new products!  I’m looking at expanding my line.

In both my shops I really work hard to have the absolute best customer service.  It’s truely an honor when someone purchases from me and I want my customers to know it.  Communication, being fanatic about my product being just perfect for my customer, special touches when prepping products, etc.  On occasion it’s cost me to make sure my customer was absolutely happy, but it’s worth it.  Customers come back, leave good feed back, and I feel proud knowing I’ve done my best.

How long have you had these shops?

Avlor’s Imprints has been open since December of 2008. Several of my other friends here in town had Etsy shops and I succumbed to the peer pressure.  (Just for fun of course!)

Ojami just opened this summer.  I felt I needed a separate shop to keep the look of my original shop more consistent.  It wasn’t an easy decision to open a 2nd shop, as I’m pretty busy.  But I work on a product or two for one shop then go do the same for the other and it’s working well to have the variety.

Do you work in an office outside the home or do you work at home? And if you work at home, how do you manage your office space and personal space?

My business is run out of my home.  I have a craft area of my own and it’s not always easy to keep business things separated.  So I label my business supplies.  Labeling has been a lifesaver for me.  I also put my business projects in bins so I can keep most all of the project together and can just grab the bin.

Hubby and I decided I needed my own computer years ago, when we found we wanted to use the computer at the same time and wanted to do very different things.  Man it was a marriage saver for us!  (Two geeks in the same house MUST have their own computers or they get grumpy!)

I try to keep everything but basic supplies off my desk.  Though, I must admit labeling is working much better than keeping my desk clean!

What’s your secret for balancing work and personal life, if there is such a thing?

This is really not an easy thing for me.  I keep having to remind myself to slow down.  It’s in my nature to want to do and try everything!

Lists and flexible schedules help keep me sane and more focused.  I try hard to limit what I will attempt to do in a day.  It’s the only way I can get anything done!  Every once in a while, I need to sit back and examine what I’m doing and if it is what I want for myself and my family.

What does your week look like?

I keep a weekly flexible schedule with my shop promo activities.  Rarely do I get everything done on the schedule, and I move, add or delete things as needed.  I also try to work on a product almost every day at least for a little bit and twitter at least a few times.

Mondays – plan and write a blog post, submit to promo sites
Tuesday – Forum time – Etsy, Ravelry, etc.
Wednesday – Anyalytics (Google, twitter, facebook ,etc), Team Activities
Thursday – blog tutorials
Friday – Follow Friday on Twitter

What did you say when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” at age five?

An astronaut.  NASA and the spaceshuttles in my eyes were the bomb!  (I was almost 5 when the first shuttle went into orbit.)

In my first job out of college I worked at a government facility that houses satellite data and aerial photography.  We worked with NASA and I enjoyed it immensely!

Since ecokaren is all about the environment and our health, what do you do at home and in your office (if outside the home) that’s healthy for the environment as well as your own health?

I’m newer to the concept of “being green”.  But, so far my family and I:

• have sewn our own shopping bags.
• purchased washable wipes instead of using paper towels all the time. (Though with a hamster we still use paper towels, just not as many.)
• use Japanese style lunch boxes and lunch packing ideas (to cut down on stuff thrown away and to eat healthier).
• pack a furoshiki in my purse so I always have a bag or wrap on hand.
• make my own cleaning supplies for my house, when I can.  (I love vinegar as a cleaner!)
• walk to and from the my son’s school, when the weather permits. (This is one of the best times of communication for us.)
• use CFL light bulbs. (Which my hubby tolerates because I don’t bring anything else home.)
• work out at home with the Wii.  (Uses electricity, but saves on gas and I get the exercise I desperately need!)
• are starting to tinker with upcycling.  (I’m just dipping my toes in here with sew in labels and otedama sets with upcycled materials, and it’s fun so far!  It’s all Karen’s fault of course here – she challenged me to make my new sew-in labels eco friendly.  Then poof, I’m looking at unwanted items as usable material!)
• we recycle as much as we can.
• we buy used instead of new when possible.  (I love the neighborhood garage sales here!)

For our one income household, “eco friendly” must also be budget friendly.  I’ve been slowly finding ways to do both.  I think “being green” has resonated with me because many aspects of it are comparable to the rugged determination of my pioneer ancestors – be independent, make it yourself, reuse it, patch it, be efficient, use things for more than one purpose, or do with out!

Cats or dogs?
Cats.  Dogs are fine.  But I understand cats better.  We both need a good amount of independence, our favorite foods right when we want them, and to run around crazy-like every once in a while with out worrying what others will think.

Favorite color?
Orange of late.  But any fall color will grab my attention.  Well ok, color in general will.  (I was the kid who really enjoyed organizing her crayons in rainbow order.)

Beach or the woods?
Woods.  I grew up near the Black Hills of South Dakota.  The woods just draw me in with good memories, the flora and fauna, and sheer beauty.

City or the country?
City – but the smaller town version.  I like being able to drive out of town in a few minutes, but have the open friendly atmosphere and to able to find most everything I want in town.

Favorite Movie?
Charade with Audrey Hepburn and Carey Grant.  A old fabulous murder mystery spoof!  (Though I generally prefer a good action flick, animation or something historically based.)

Dress or Jeans?
Jeans with the occasional dress.  I’m less picky about jeans than I am about dresses.  A dress must be just the right one if I’m going to bother with it.

Favorite Book?
I think it would be nigh impossible for me to pick one favorite book.  But my favorite book this year has to be Shadowmagic by by John Lenahan – rip roaring fun from start to finish. 

Where can we find you?
Besides in front of my computer or in my craft area?

On Cyberspace:
Avlor’s Imprints Shop
Ojami
Avlor’s Imprints blog
Twitter
Facebook: