I had one of “those” days on March 5th. I know. You are thinking, “Wait. Is Fabulous Friday Featured Seller back?”
No, it’s not. This fabulous Etsy seller feature was somehow, sabotaged by blog gremlins and the comment section was turned off on March 5th. I have no idea what happened. I also don’t know what happened to the convo I sent to tell the seller that she’s been featured. But fate would have it, she contacted me to tell me a great news. She opened a second shop – an adult upcylced clothing shop called elsjeboer.
So, I am featuring her two shops today.
Let’s learn how she gets her inspiration to create such fabulous eco-chic fashion for her two shops.
Cats or dogs?
Dogs, so I can dress them up and try out some woolies for them!
Star Wars or Sleepless in Seattle?
Sleepless as far as the romantic in me goes, but my favorite movie right now is “Meet the Fockers” cuz I wish I had parents like Barbara Streisand and Dustin Hoffman’s characters.
Fruit or chocolate?
Chocolate for sure! though I wish it was fruit, it’d be healthier.
Favorite color?
White is my favorite color, it invites the imagination’s palette.
Favorite meal?
My favorite meal is Fettucini Alfredo, with rice noodles since I don’t eat wheat.
City break or weekend in the country?
Small coastal cities in Mexico, or weekend in the country.
Soaps or documentaries?
Is Battlestar Galactica a soap?
Bath or shower?
Bath especially in the frosty BC weather.
Dress or jeans?
Jeans are my default garment when I can’t figure out what I want to where.
Your favorite material?
My favorite material of all time is merino wool, felted preferably.
What brought you to Etsy? Tell us about your shop.
A couple of online shopping mum-friends, who were much more computer savvy than me, first introduced me to Etsy. At the time I was sewing lots of organic cotton infant clothing, and starting to get into felted wool, pull up soakers and pants. They said I could sell them online to a much greater audience than what existed in our small rural town. I have continued along the same infant and children’s clothing vein but my organics have slowly been evolving into more recycled fabrics garments instead, though you may find a bit of all of these in my Etsy shop. Even a few mum things are beginning to emerge due to lots of request.
How is your shop eco-friendly?
As mentioned above I use recycled, organic, natural fibers, and felted wool for my items.
Do you sell anywhere else?
These lovely folks carry my wares:
“Cedar Woods Woolens” on Hwy 6 2 miles past Winlaw
“The Factory” on Baker St. in Nelson BC
“The Craft Connection” on Baker St. in Nelson BC
“Saffron Studios” in Cochrane AB
What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learned (about Etsy) so far?
This is a good question! It is making me think about my life’s purpose at least as far as my career is concerned. The most important thing I’ve learned on Etsy is to have confidence in being myself. By watching others be successful, even some without any other online presence (ie. no blog, facebook, twitter or forum chat), I am inspired to simply create. I do think photos and clear descriptions are very important, because that is all the buyer has to go on when they cannot touch. Simple, childish, innovative, creative designs always catch my attention for some reason too. I am also learning how to balance computer time with actual hands on creation time!
How do you see your store developing?
I think my store will be developing in many ways. I have removed my destash items to make the children’s clothing more prominent, and I am working on a background setting that is hopefully more complimentary to my items in my photos. I also aspire to make my clothing stay personal, ooak, and to develop the customer relationship. I value my return customers. I have purchased items on etsy as well, and that has given me lots of insight into the mail order aesthetic. I love when items arrive packaged like gifts, minus the wrapping paper maybe, but with thoughtfulness, and professionalism. I will be incorporating this into my shipments. Hopefully all this will start to increase my sales to at least the number that I sell in shops and fairs!
What have you been doing today that I’ve interrupted?
Actually, today I was filling a seamstress order for a friend just before this. I get lots of alteration and repair work which help pay the bills, but I don’t enjoy nearly as much as creating. Next I am going to be working on a few mother/child outfits out of reclaimed silk garments for a fashion show I will be putting on in coordination with Morgen (of kootsac on etsy). eek!
{ 3 comments }
Karen you are truly appreciable in all that you do. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy life to still feature fabulous EcoEtsy sellers on your own blog. I am honored!
I enjoyed getting to know you better and just think your clothing is lovely..such style!
Thanks!!! I find a lot of enjoyment in making the children’s clothing especialy. I love the old-fashioned looks, and finding ways to reuse some of the refuse we dispose of.