Grand Central for Coffee Talk & Etsy

Ok - I clearly had way too much coffee before this pictures was snapped by the unsuspecting gentleman who happily obliged. I thank him for his time. He should have taken my jacket as it appears to be much too large for me.

The Tweet Up

A few weeks ago I asked Aki from Oktak if she would meet me at Grand Central for coffee. She lives in New York City and I hail from the burbs of Connecticut…to New Yorkers, Connecticut is the Country. We had to reschedule a few times on a count of  back to school colds but finally today was the day. It wasn’t raining, usually when I go to the city it rains. Today was sunny, warm, and a fabulous day to travel to NYC. I was a bit constrained on time. I had to drop off and pick up my preschooler and the MTA was not accommodating with their on the hour train schedule. I traveled 2 hours to have a 1 hour coffee and would do it again. So often people are bound by time. They think it is too much work, but I feel you miss out on the sweet spot in life…meeting people. We are always too busy but today we both found time.

Get out of your Pajamas and make some friends

When your selling world is online and you do very few Fine Art & Craft Shows, meeting others artisans is so important. It is also important to form friendships and a support network. It is kind of hard to advise someone or take advice when you haven’t actually met them. It is hard to ask an opinion when you don’t know the soul. You really get a full sense of a person when you see, hear and speak with that person.

Aki was so very sweet and warm. You may have seen her treasures online but once you know the person behind them, you know you are getting a one of a kind gift. The warmth and love for what she does shines through.

If you were a fly in grand central today…here is what you might have heard

1. ways to be involved in the Etsy community
2. what has worked in your business
3. what hasn’t worked and was it just me or did you have that experience…lol
4. how did you feel when it happened
5. teaching a class at the local library
6. life and politics and Etsy
7. things that matter
8. the bitterness
9. the sweetness
10. how will we continue to last
11. what is a reasonable time to expect to grow a business

I am sure you are looking for more specific details…but some things are better left to experience for yourself.

I leave you with this…

For me, I am thankful she took time out of her busy schedule to share her wisdom with a newbie like me. I already knew that we had so many things in common because on twitter you might see us talking at length about our little ones or about cooking. I just didn’t realize that meeting IRL would feel like just like we’ve always been friends and we were just catching up with a coffee.

The support, the encouragement, the words of wisdom, the experiences we’ve shared, the knowledge each of us gains or can offer and bring to the table this is your Etsy community.

Yes a profit is to be made but the greatest winnings in life are the friends that you make in this journey called life.

This is the true beauty of the Etsy community go out and find yours!

 

Oh the places you’ll go

Local orders are the best! To have the support of your friends and neighbors is so wonderful.

My almost 8 year old asked the other day…Mom where have you sold your handbags? She was wanted to know the name of each state and she wanted to know every country outside the United States.

There is a bit of humor with Oh the places you’ll go. I personally have not traveled much. This was not by choice, I would have loved to travel more but I never had the opportunity. I’ve been to Milan, Italy (paid for by my company for a corporate Olympics). I’ve been to Saint Lucia (where I got married) and to Grand Caymen Island (with my now husband). And then I’ve traveled a lot of northern part of the east coast with my Track team but have only made it to one west coast state Oregon for the National Cross Country Championships.

My handbags however are well traveled, with the help & resources of Etsy.com a piece of me has been to the following places…

I’ve sold my handbags & accessories in 38 states within the United States of America.

United States

• Alabama
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Michigan
• Montana
• North Carolina
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New York
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin

And if you’ve never sold outside the US here are some reasons to do so. I ship my items to Canada via US first class mail and it costs the same as shipping within the United States. Yes we have custom forms to fill out and I have to go to the post office to ship it rather than having Joe my mailman take them from my front door but it is worth it. I’ve had many sales to Canada and wanted to share the provinces that I’ve sold to.

Canada

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Ontario

Other Countries that I’ve had sales to outside North America are:

• Australia
• Finland
• India
• Israel
• Malaysia
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

Some of the ones that have made the list I’ve sold to on more than one occasion. I’ve even had repeat customers. What I’ve found for shipping outside the US is that if you can possibly avoid using a box the shipping is not expensive at all. Well, my items are small, soft and don’t weigh more than 4 pounds. But consider that a box takes person hours whereas an envelope can go on a conveyer belt and tossed into a mail bin or sent through a shoot.

I’ve made some great friendships outside the US, so if you are thinking about it…I am telling you it is not bad idea or as scarey as you might think. I am so happy I opened up my shop to outside orders. I was nervous about shipping first class mail but have been pleased with the results. I’ve enjoyed meeting people online throughout the world and I am sure you will too. It is not just a sale after all, it is a friendship that can be formed. This is what I love most about Etsy.

Happy selling!!

peace love happiness,

Jen xoxo

Finding My Style

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the question “What is my style?”

There are some other handbag designers on Etsy that when you see a photo of one of their bags you instantly know who’s it is before you see the sellers name. I want that same brand recognition.

Finding your style is the fun part of the journey. I’ve been crafting my bags for 2.5 years and I’ve explored many styles of bags in the ultimate pursuit of finding my style.

The past can sometimes provide guidance for the future

Recently, I returned to a journal entry that I wrote over a year ago. I was given the opportunity to have a meeting in my studio with Liz Conover. Read her Linked-in profile and you will see why this was an amazing opportunity for me. The best part of that meeting had nothing to do with business. I was able to see just how sweet and utterly sensational she is. I’ve seen her at a few other events since this meeting and she has such a warm personable charisma (as does her husband Udi) that you just can’t help but want to be around them.

I digress but was necessary to explain the next part. She is a consultant for the highest end market of handbags and fashion. That said, she is a supporter of grass-roots efforts, Eco-friendly ideas and being yourself without compromise. Having a full on vision of where you want to be in five and even ten years. Is your life about bags or being the caretaker of your family. That is to say do I want sitters, long hours, vacations, and time with family.

You can’t honestly give it all, to all facets at the same level, I have to share my time with my business, my family, and me. In other words finding my ratio. All of these need to be considerations for growing your business. Whether or not you hire help or outsource any responsibilities is another consideration. Also, is this a business that I’d want to sell in 1o years.

Another important part of our conversation was more about the type of bags that I create. As I said, I’ve tried many designs in part to see what I like and in other to see what my fans/customers like. So when Liz and I spoke a year ago she said to me you are not preppy, preppy is plain and boring. You are unique and whimsical. That my items are not mass-produced and that I put detail in every stitch. The colors and color combination are outstanding and that I combine colors that your mom said you shouldn’t. That I am totally a spin-off from the 1950′s.

So needless to say I was floating after this conversation and sort of put aside the most important part. She told me to be me always me and that I should never compromise who I am or change for another person. Bag lesson and life lesson. As I said, she is sensational.

My personal style

My clothing style is a clash of preppy boring and sustainable. I only wear solids but especially when I get dressed up, I am all 1950′s and vintage (but mostly solids). Generally I seek out cottons, a whimsical feel (but not print) with ballet style tops but sometimes you’ll see me in a blue polo sweater and pink shorts but not everyday. I do like to accessorize with something fun like a bold belt, pink shoes (atypical), scarves, pearls, bracelets and fun handbags.

Designing risks

I know that when I design I take a risk that I will lose fans & customers but that happens from time to time even with big store chains. I take a look at their color palate for the season and sometimes I swoon and other times I run for the hills.

I like that I change and evolve with new ideas that meet my lifestyle as many others share the same style. I don’t just make one thing and stick with it, I always keep trying new things. Sometimes they work and other times they do not.

A recent design element that I want you to weigh in on

I believe that I have found my style and what I love most. I love embroidered elements. The time and skill that it takes to complete such intricate designs all by hand. I am not hip with the machine embroidered design. They are fine but not for me. You can tell the difference and I like that someone toiled endlessly to draw and then stitch by hand the fine little details that make an item certainly unique. As my daughter said when she was 6, it is the love that you put in it that makes it special.

Unfortunately my other half dislikes embroidery. His preference is my burlap designs with fabric band across the front, sometimes a grosgrain ribbon but usually that is too much for him.

I trust his judgement as we’ve done a lot of design work together. We argue quite a bit about design and we do disagree from time to time but most often we see eye to eye and our combined style is pretty nice I think. If you’ve been to my house, it is not just my thumbprint but a collective of both of our ideas on design, decorating, and photography.

I’ve not abandoned my burlap design and it is still one of my favorites. So he need not worry. I still want to make them but sometimes a girl needs options.

Enter…my new designs for the winter with the following features:

1. Wool, Tweed, Corduroy (we both like these fabrics)

2. Brightly colored whimsical interiors (same, we both like them)

3. The loop and button (me)

4. The embroidery (my favorite element and his least favorite)

Of course, I still do custom work so if you liked an idea of wool without an embroidery feature or you wanted a different color fabric that is always an option unless it is one of my OOAK designs and I have no more of that particular fabric.

What other elements of my designs that are my favorite

1. Burlap designs

2. Winter designs that are neutral with a pop of color

3. Winter colors that are bold, bright and whimsical like the purple flower tote

4. Spring designs with a whole lot of color

5. Short handles as I am not a shoulder bag girl

6. Small totes and honestly even my large totes are pretty small but no more weekenders or full on mom diaper bags

7. Wood handles may come back in the Spring

Thanks for taking the time to read but here is what I need from you.

What are your likes and dislikes about the colors, embellishments, size, shape, anything really?

I need your feedback to help me stay on track. Yes a large part of the design process is what do I like to make but if I am the only one that likes them, then my sales will reflect that and certainly that is not the road I want to travel.

peace, love and happiness,

Jen xoxo

Here are a few of the designs I mentioned

Winter Collection 2011

Burlap Collection

Whimsical Fabrics

Handmade Mom Journal Planner for Nancy

I have more details on the reasons behind the mom journal/planner in my post “Handmade Mom Journal” but I had to share the pictures of my last mom journal.

I love the scroll fabric, my intern named it lulu lime. It makes me smile. We decided to put the monogram on the inside it was just placed on here and then I attached it later. I didn’t add front pockets as the fabric was just too beautiful to cover or layer it.

This is the front inside. It has one pocket and a cute little owl page to write fun memories or events to remember.

Here are the planner & journal pages. The left side to keep track of your week and the right side to keep track of your to do lists, groceries, notes, work related items or projects and even a spot to remember to take time for you and your love. These pages were handmade by me. It is not permissible to copy them in any form. If you would like a journal similar to this one, please contact me and I would be happy to make one for you.

It includes a section for monthly events, birthday planning, holidays to get a big picture view of your month and items you may need to take care of earlier than the week they are due.

With my little ones, I always need pockets for forms to fill out, as you can see more cute pages for little random thoughts or notes that you don’t want to forget.

Nancy, thank you so much for always supporting me and all my ideas. It was a pleasure making this for you. As I mentioned before, this one came out even better than the first. Enjoy!!

JSJ

xoxo

This journal can be customized in my Etsy shop and the fabric can be selected from my Flickr Album.

Handmade Mom Journal

I am the mom you see that always has several pieces of paper with my to do lists and grocery list. It is true that my iPhone has an app for that but I hate having to switch from app to app to get a picture on my day. Also, I don’t know if I will have time to go to the library at 2 or at 4pm but I know that I need to go. This makes it impossible for me to make an appointment that will eventually pass without completion. Before I discovered the joy of my iPhone, I had an iPod and still little pieces of paper. Before that…a Palm Pilot and still pieces of paper. Before that, my love…my day planner. Everything in one handy location. I still have my old day planner, it is black, 3 ring binder, pockets and leather but it reminds me too much of my former professional days and does not match my artist, hip (or so I think I am) mom days. It is also quite heavy. I already have so much to carry around, I don’t want something big and bulky.

I’ve been eying the Mom Agenda planners and I love them. They do a great job of making something small and offering enough styles and paper options. My only problem is the way my brain thinks today. I like to be organized and it is such and addiction that I crave it (hmmm…that pantry needs cleaning) see there it goes again…I could just put that down on another piece of paper.

So after trying to find the perfect planner and it not matching my own scattered but artistic personality. I decided to make one.

The first step was the most labor intensive. It was designing my pages. After several sketches, I thought I had created the perfect planner. It had all the elements of my day/week organized on a one page spread (2 printer pages). I used my color sharpies to color it in but it looked more like my 3-year-old had doodled. I decided to get crafty and by crafty I mean craft scrapbook paper and a whole lot of glue and tape. After another full day. I had done it.

Organized by week. I have the top section, for my top view of my schedule, followed by the most important, when mom gets to exercise and making the “taking care of me” a priority. Next up, the family and what footprint that has on my day and getting everything done. The bottom left, is a row for planning dinner; when I start to get hungry, the kids are all crazy, I know what I am making and I can say when it will be done.

The right side is for that part of my brain. The mile long to do list, shopping list, daily chores, weekly chores, my etsy shop and then just things I am thinking about or space to write little notes.

You’ll see many pockets for school forms, applications for shows that need filling out and stamps; something to do while you are waiting for the kids to finish practice.

The right side of the above picture is one of several pages that make this a bit like my journal. It can reflect my creative side. I’ve already added other pieces of paper with happy thoughts like “how does your garden grow…with patience, love and lots of hugs”, trying to remind myself not to sweat the small stuff.

I’ve also included a section for my monthly calendar. As this can change on a dime. So rather than add it in to my weekly, I can check my monthly calendar as I am planning out my week for upcoming appointments, get together with friends, birthdays or other items that might come up.

The exterior was much faster. I used a sun and shade fabric in a fun beachy pastel fabric. I used fuchsia solid for the lining. I added pockets to the inside and outside. I also love my monograms as they are eye-catching and people know it is personal. I wanted a pen loop…I mean sharpie loop and a flap to hold it closed. Tall order I know but I wanted it all.

I used a standard back-stitch and frayed the edges. I love the simplicity of the same fabric going in the opposite direction. I thought about a contrasting color but decided that was too much for me.

You’ll see that it is almost as thin as my ultra-fine point sharpie. Perfect for keeping it light weight but still providing the sturdiness that I need.

I added a few ribbon separators just in case I need them. At that back, I also included some pages from the free printable from Mom Agenda that have my important phone numbers, home contacts like my contractors and painters, and my daughters class schedules.

I used a very sturdy German glue to bind the papers together and I am testing to make sure that it holds. That being said, I am probably a lot gentler on my items than most people. I would say the sturdiness is that of scrap-book paper that has a very thin-film of glue on one side to tear out the pages. I’ve tugged and this baby isn’t going anywhere. If you drive over it, or your dog runs away with it, you are on your own.

So I’ve saved the pages and can update them with your families info. Since this project was very time-consuming, it would be hard to make one completely different and not have it be cost prohibitive for me. Feel free to contact me for details.

Organized and feeling fabulous!! ~ Jen

Note: I may update the weekly section with generic terms, offering a pdf to purchase, without the soft cover. The monthly calendars were a free download and the other pages were also free downloads but feel they are all important to the overall use of this item.

*Remember, all my ideas are protected by personal copyright, this is not a tutorial and permission is not granted for use for sale of this item. That said, if you would like to create your own personal agenda for your own use, I’d love to see your ideas.

Too high, too low or just right?

 

Retro Mod Mini Tote

Case Study

• Retail Price $20
• Priority Mail Shipping $5 (if I were to ship regular mail the cost is $3-5 and takes up to 7 days to receive)
• Tangible costs: Fabric, Interfacing, thread, metal snap
• Time 1 hour labor to create / 1/2 hour to photograph & list
• Intangible costs: photography, shopping, sewing machine & parts/supplies (see full list below)

To groupon or not to groupon is the social media question of the day!

There are many social coupon websites out there that promise customers 50% or more off their purchase. Seems like a great way for a small business to market as you only pay if someone is interested and buys your coupon. As a customer, who doesn’t love a sale. Seems like a win, win for everyone. As the shop owner or restaurant that issues the coupon, you share the percentage of the coupon price with the coupon site (typically 50%).

Recently, I was contacted by a social coupon company in the Washington D.C. area about doing this type of discount in exchange for free marketing and I declined. It was a tough decision because we all want the publicity. I listen to Pandora radio regularly so I am constantly hit with living social and groupon commercials. And here is where I stand, I am not going to do it.

I want to share a testimonial from another small business. I only read about this restaurant this morning over coffee, a local tweep shared her groupon experience and it confirmed my suspicions about it not being good for small business. I took one of my small bags and did the numbers and thought for free marketing would I want to do this? Then I wondered whether or not any of the groupon buyers would ever be back. How would I handle the additional workload in addition to my current volume. Then what would I do after all the groupon’s were full and I was back to my normal volume. Here is her story and how she lost thousands of dollars. http://posiescafe.com/wp/?p=316

But whether or not you use discounts to incent buyers, free shipping, or social coupons, for small businesses what is the real cost? Well I guess it depends on your overhead and if you are over-charging in the first place. I only charge actual shipping costs. Large commercial company’s have a “retail mark-up” that I choose not to implement in my prices. This is important if you want to offer sales or to wholesale your items to stores. Recently, even Etsy.com posted a business discussions on pricing your items. Am I charging the right price?

I must admit, I am not a quick shopper which is why my husband took over the shopping in our house. I need to think about my purchases, I am ok with waiting. If I’ve waited a long time and still want it, then I know I must have it and will use it. It is the quick purchases that make me think…I might regret that. So I don’t mind if my shoppers take their time, stew a little, feel the item, dream about it, and then when they have it…love it. This creates customer brand loyalty when they are happy about their purchases. I love that my customers can see my designs, dream about what they want, send me an email and I can make them exactly what they want. This is my version of win, win.

I’ve gone through times of frustration in not knowing how to price my items, we’ve all been there but I feel that my pricing accurately reflects where I am in my business. And you should know, I do not have a retail markup. I know this is crazy right? Anyway, when I see other sellers, selling their items for what I can only imagine did not even cover the cost of materials, I feel sad. Sad that they devalue their own work. Think about all the things that go into making an Itty Bitty. I’ve spent time Blogging, Tweeting, Facebook, my website (husband works for free!), marketing materials (husband), photography, purchasing fabric and materials, shipping, PayPal expenses, Etsy expenses, advertising, childcare costs, taxes, and my time for making all my items. I guess this is why most small businesses do not succeed. The one big cost that I don’t have is space. My studio is out of my home but the rest of the items are real fixed costs. There is no way around it.

But here is the thing. I love what I do, I love to share what I do and I love to bring happiness to others. I want to make sure that I cover all of my costs and perhaps make some money along the way. So with all this information, what do you do? Well there is still something such as perceived value. How much is something worth? So with all of this inner turmoil…here is where I am and I am comfortable for now.

Please don’t devalue your work and I hope that you don’t think my items are overpriced. If anything given all the costs, I should probably be charging more but I find this hard to do. I work hard to bring you these lovely items and I hope that love shows. I know we asked this question before, and I’ve posted many times on pricing but here it is, my question for you is what do you think of my pricing, I know it is hard because I haven’t provided you with actual costs of my materials but using your best guess…Too high, too low or just right?

An Interview With The Designer Of The Itty Bitty Bag Company

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful girls, 3 miniature dachshunds and a very loving husband with whom I have been best friends with since High School. I relocated from Boston to the suburbs of New York (Darien, CT), to be with him. Prior to my handbag company, I worked in financial services, in the law and compliance division and had very long hours. After our second daughter was born, I returned to work for about 3 months. I thought I would
always work outside our home but life started to feel pretty stressful for me.

After about 2 weeks of being at home, I was at my sewing machine designing my first bag. Previously, I would only take my sewing machine out to decorate our home, weekend projects that included headboards, pillow cases, nursery linens, and of course curtains. My first bag design was a little pearl handle wristlet for the bridesmaids in my best friends wedding. I wasn’t too excited about what the bridal shop offered and wanted something to hold my
lipstick, the bare necessities. After this design, I realized that I didn’t own a handbag; I retired my briefcase & laptop bag and never really cared for all the bags at department stores. I wanted something original and small; this
was not an easy task when 2007/2008 was the oversized bag craze. This left me constantly carrying my phone and credit card in my pocket. I set out to design a little bag for me which resulted in the first Itty Bitty Bag. I posted a
picture to Facebook and my friends started to ask me to make bags for them. Eventually I needed a more efficient way to show them my design and accept money. I also realized that if all of my friends loved my designs, maybe others
would too. I researched and found Etsy and knew instantly that Etsy was the right fit.

Do you really make all of these lovely items yourself, do you have any help?

All of my items are handmade by me in my home studio and I take care of most of the business aspects of my company as well. I do receive a tremendous amount of technical support from my husband. He designed my fabulous
website ittybittybag.com and also designs my marketing materials. He is an Artist and takes the most beautiful photographs. He taught me how to photograph my products.

Apart from creating things, what are your favorite things to do?

I have been an avid runner since the 8th grade. I fell in love with the sport immediately. I ran very competitively in college and there after. I had dreams of being an Olympian. I wasn’t far from this dream with only a couple seconds
separating me from the Olympic Trials. In one fell swoop, I realized that this was not why I loved to run. I run for me and not just to say that I am better than the next gal. So now I run when it feels right and for peace of mind. I
take in all my surroundings, it is quiet and I am alone with my thoughts. My other favorite past-time is cooking, which is a very good thing because we have a whole host of food allergies in our house. I love to spend a quiet evening
with my best friend, aka, my husband, watching a movie and having a glass of red wine.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I am often inspired by my mom. She is one of the most artistic people I know. She can sew, knit, paint, draw…I am not sure there is much creatively speaking that she hasn’t tried or been successful at. It is this whimsical behavior that is the essence of my shop. I don’t just make bags, I make so much more. I love that friends and neighbors come to me with their creative challenges, from batman capes to Easter baskets. You don’t see all of these items in my shop but you’ll find them in my blog and they often include how to’s and tutorials.

How do you balance being at home and a home based business?

In addition to my mom inspiring my creative process, she also gave me a lot of responsibility as a child that most girls my age did not have. I have 3 brothers, two of which are younger than me. So I had to help my mom often
around the house, cooking and cleaning. We did not have a lot of money growing up, so my mom returned to school and often worked until 4 or 5 at night. It really taught me how to manage my time and how to have a career and a family.

What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade is actually best quoted from my 7-year-old and shows that I am instilling the same values that my mom instilled in me “Handmade is special because it is made by someone who fills it with love and that is what
makes it special.” and “Buying stuff from a store is something that anyone can have, I don’t want what everyone has.” I love her with all my heart and soul.

Who has been most influential in your craft?

I have to say Martha Stewart. At a very young age, I started buying Martha Stewart Living magazine. She always had the most amazing crafty ideas. I love that you don’t have to make just one thing that is beautiful. I love that
her ideas taught me that I don’t have to work from patterns, though patterns may inspire me. I always put my own touch or twist on an age old idea. I love that Martha is all about the home, garden and cooking. All things that I love.
So she has been the most influential.

When did you know that you were an artist/maker?

I have been an Artist all my life, from taking my security blanket and turning it into a wedding dress at the age of 3. I’ve always loved being creative and crafty. In school, Art was my favorite subject. I took every art class I could in Junior High and High School. I thought of applying to Art school, created a drawing portfolio and everything but I also wanted to run division 1 Track and Cross Country. So it was hard to pursue both. I did minor in Art in college but didn’t finish my requirements as they interfered with running practice. I studied exercise science while in college which armed me with an enormous amount of information on running and nutrition.

How would you describe your creative process?

It is probably a bit more scattered than some. I get these visions in my head and I sketch them down. I take in everything from my surroundings, even my daughters math homework which includes zipper pouches with money or my 3-year-olds polly pockets. I love going to my studio and saying “What will I make today.” I think of the holidays approaching, the seasons arriving, and select a fabric. I think about items in my shop that are starting to run low
and then let my mind wander and be creative. I love trying new things and even if I fail, I learned something.

What makes your handbags different than other designers?

There is no shortage of handbag designers on Etsy. I offer clean lines, a touch of old school, and an ever changing assortment of items, fabrics and designs. Also, I let you customize your designs. This speaks to who I am. I can’t ever order straight from a menu, I always know best and even the chef didn’t know how good it could be. I work the same way. Many of my custom orders have become new designs. It is fun for me, I love the conversations, and I love
meeting people and hearing their ideas. I love seeing the finished product and making people happy.

How do you compete with other famous handbag designers of the world?

I know that I am not these designers, for one, they are on a mass production level. Two, when you look at our styles they are very different. They have machine capabilities that my Professional Viking is not capable of doing. So I make up for where they lack. You can not call Vera and say “your phone cozy does not fit my phone, can you make it larger by 2 cm?” Also, I offer so many different fabrics, I think I am close to 200 different fabrics and all are in 1 yard increments. I only buy them by the yard to keep everything unique and totally original.

If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?

Wow, there are so many to choose from but I think it would be Ralph Lauren. He is an icon in my humble opinion. Though I wish his women’s fashion was back to the way it used to be and less project runway. I would love to know
more about his life story and how it came to be that he chose a life of fashion. My husband and I absolutely love and use many of his ideas to decorate our home. I love plaids and nautical and he represents this theme best in my mind.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

It is one that I don’t currently own but will forever be in my mind (I still have the pattern from my mom) and that is my Junior Prom Dress. I wanted this Jessica McClintock dress so very badly. And we just couldn’t afford it. I
feel bad that I made such a stink out of it to my mom but learned a very valuable life lesson. My mom made me the almost exact same dress by hand. It was lovelier, it was one of a kind, and it fit like a glove. I never worried about anyone having my dress at that Prom.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

I will make something special for my girls. I really love to make pretty dresses for my girls. I also love to decorate my home, making curtains and buying furniture. Getting out of the studio and soaking in your surroundings
can be very inspirational.

Where would you like to be in 5 years?

In 5 years, I’d love to have a more consistent schedule for work and more than a few hours a day. I will continue to push and challenge myself every day. Trying a new technique and pushing my creative talents. After all, we are
all artists here and I don’t believe any of us set out to be a hub and spoke or to be just another production line. I feel my shop is the essence of that.

Where would you like to be in 10 years?

In 10 years, I would love to have a small factory in town with a group of seamstresses, all working to together to bring back quality handmade products for the home, clothing and accessories. A girl can dream, right? When
I tell others in town about my dream…they swoon over the idea, so I know it is possible.

Looking Backwards and challenging yourself going forward

Best advice ever! Look at the first items of any successful Etsian and what you will see is 1) courage to take the first step 2) not giving up when sales were down and 3) always pushing themselves harder and challenging themselves to create something unique every day. The most important item when you are selling online is what you write and trying to take better pictures every single time! Never giving up hope of being a “Featured Seller” or “Quit Your Day Job”. I push myself way too hard. I am my worst critic. Every time I step up to the sewing machine, create something or photograph my items, I try harder. I never settle. There is always more that I can do, if only I had more hours in my day. Though I am sure I’d fill them up pretty quickly. To my friends, thank you for all your support, don’t give up on your dreams and try harder every day and you will see something beautiful (but don’t forget to take some time off to enjoy the beauty…Ha!).

Orange is a hot color for Spring…did someone say birthday?

So you are wondering what to get her for her birthday? The color orange is all through the fashion magazines this Spring/Summer. Here is a gift that is unique and sure to make her say wow…you put a lot of thought into that.

First up is the Original Itty Bitty Bag in Orange Dot!

Original Itty Bitty in Orange

But the gift wouldn’t be complete without a Smartphone cozy. It is something every girl needs. Great wallet, it holds your credit cards, phone, and change. It can also hold your lip balm. Perfect for when you don’t want to take a bag as it has a D ring and you can attach it to your keys.

Phone Cozy in Orange

You’ll want a key fob so she can find her keys in her bag and attach her phone cozy. How about this one?

Orange Dot Key Chain

The total cost for this gift is…$30 for the tote, $18 for the phone cozy, and $5 for the mini-fob for a grand total of $53 plus shipping. And it is 100% unique and totally in fashion.

Fashionably yours,

Jen

A minute with Martha Stewart

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A few days ago my husband asked if I had seen the Ad that Martha Stewart was going to do a book signing for her new book “Power Foods” at the Fairway Market in Stamford, and it was a pre-register book signing. I shot off an email not thinking I would get it to them in time but happily they came back with a confirm saying Yes. I was very excited.

My husband is always thinking and gives me so much support with my little company. He sends me the following text message “You should make Martha a bag.” I won’t tell you exactly what I responded back with as this is a PG show. LOL. In a nutshell, I thought it would be wrong for me to put my product in front of her at her book signing. I felt shy and worried.

I then took a much needed coffee break and met up with my friend Patti from Easton Place Designs. I asked her what she thought and she said the same thing that my husband Shawn said, when will you ever get another opportunity to do this? Go for it.

I have been a huge Martha Stewart fan for about as long as I can remember, 20 years or more. I have read countless number of issues of Martha Stewart Living and like every pre-married 20 year old, waited impatiently each year for the newest issue of “Martha Stewart Weddings”. Suffice it to say, I was excited to meet this icon in person. She exemplifies to so many all that is home and family. She gives working & stay at home mom’s very creative ideas for gardening, sewing, cooking and the list goes on. And on my top fav books is her “Encyclopedia for Sewing and Fabric Crafts”.

Ok – huge tangent and back to the main point of my story. What bag do I make for her? Well everyone in the Northeast can not wait for spring. A lovely spring bag would be perfect. Everyone knows how much I love my burlap designs; I know that Martha loves fabric & textures, so I was very excited to use it in this bag for her. Next decision, what color and which fabric do I line it with? At the end of last summer, I picked up this very lovely fabric in Gaithersburg Maryland, I’ve used a little bit of it in one design that is posted to my website right now in my Spring Preview category. It is a very lovely pastel pink with a very nice texture and natural leaf print. I’ve seen so many of her shows where she is wearing a pink button down blouse. Recently on twitter, she had a twit pic of her new wallet. It is a longer wallet, so this design I made it a little bit wider to accommodate her wallet. All in all, I was very pleased with the result. It was perfection!

This morning, I was getting ready and it all felt quite normal. It wasn’t until I saw her in the supermarket that it hit me. OMG, it is really her. She looked fabulous; she had this very long wool scarf that Tehlia would drool over. It was long and loosely woven. It was scrumptious. Tehlia, I wore my blue scarf and I do believe it brought me luck.

I had a reservation number but was very thankful that we got there 20 minutes early. We watched Martha walk around the store before the signing and then stood on-line for about 30 minutes and at that point I realized numbers were not being used and mine was 300! I asked Shawn if it was cold in the store because I had goose bumps. We had to check our bags and jackets at a security desk. I told them the bag was for Martha, they looked it over and said ok. I was ridiculously nervous.

I approached the table and she already has my book in hand, she glances up at me. I said, Hi I am Jen, I made this handbag for you. About 2 years ago I started this little company making handbags. You’ve been such an inspiration to me so I wanted you to have one of my bags. She stopped me and repeated you made this bag? She continued on about how she thought it was quite lovely. Then she said, “Oh you should be on my show.”  And I am pretty sure I fainted because I am not even sure what else was said after that…I am seriously overjoyed. Watching her study my bag, the craft(woman)ship and seeing her smile giving me the “approval” was more than she had to do. She asked if my contact information was included with the handbag and I told her it was and she said Thank you. And that was my one minute with Martha.  I don’t worry about tomorrow or the next day and feel very happy with all that happened and would not be disappointed if they didn’t call. I really do not expect them to. I mean…I am just one little woman making little bags.  I’m just so thankful to have been able to have this one amazing experience.

Enclosed in the bag was the following sealed note:

Dear Martha,

You are a source of inspiration to me as an artist, homemaker and business woman. Please enjoy this handbag that I made by hand. It is a one of a kind, made from colors and fabrics that I adore. I look forward to enjoying your many fabulous ideas and creations for many years to come and thank you for paving the way that handmade is a beautiful thing.

My best, Jen

Designer, wife, mom, and runner (but not always in that order)

The Itty Bitty Bag Company

A summary on my Etsy vs Non-Etsy business

As I’ve mentioned before, it is not so important to me to make resolutions but to look at the past and reflect.

It’s all in the numbers

Sales numbers are difficult to hide, they are what they are. I am still thinking about my past year and when I had done a quick numbers check, I believed I was doing so much better than the year before. I thought the beginning part of the 2010 was pretty slow for both my Etsy and non-Etsy Sales but I had nothing to compare, since I opened my shop in April of 2009. When I compare the last 6 months of 2009 with the last 6 months of 2010, 2009 my Etsy Sales were much higher but my non-Etsy sales for 2010 went through the roof. I did a lot more shows in 2010 and I can look back and see why certain months sales were better than others. It works out that in 2009 I had 1 Etsy sale every day and in 2010 I had 0.6 Etsy sales each day. This was not the trend I was hoping for but have heard from others that their sales also declined. But when Etsy reports on their total sales numbers, you’ll see an increase in sales for this past year.

What are the highlights of 2009

2009 was a great year, I opened my shop. Shawn (my husband) and I did many photo shoots of my bags. I think having a person in each one of my pictures was very helpful in selling my handbags. Each one was one of a kind and the big treat was that I was featured in an Etsy Storque article on handbags. Another huge selling point was that my handbags were new to all of my friends/family and it was exciting for everyone. The number of items available in my shop was fewer, not sure if that helps or hurts my business but until the end of the year it was just handbags.

What are the highlights of 2010

In February 2010 the trade photoshoot with Kristina V Photography was huge for my business. Doing wholesale orders with Vineyard Kinda Life & Seaport Studios were also fantastic. Being featured in Pregnancy & Newborn magazine generated a few sales. I was out in the public doing shows, meeting great people and growing my brand name. I spent a lot of time with social media growing my base of friends and contacts which is very important when you have big news to share. December of 2010, was my biggest sales month on Etsy to date. The only thing I did differently during that last month was I relisted at $1 a day and I did see a huge increase in both traffic and Etsy sales. My non-Etsy sales were huge this year, again with my focus on Trunk shows and Craft Fairs. This part was essential as it allowed customers to see everything in person, now they wouldn’t hesistate to just buy online.

Summary

Examining just the numbers would be counter productive to what I do. I can’t express enough, how amazing the social connections have been for me as a stay at home mom. My sales year over year were exactly double from the year before, so it is still positive number no matter how I analyze the days. I feel as though I spent a lot more time working on my shop but maybe not enough time in my studio. So I will try to set up a more scheduled approach to my social networking and see how that works for getting more sewing done in my shop. All this said, getting my name out needed to be done and I am so grateful for all my new connections. I feel that my brand name is stronger, people are recognizing my company name when I say it and that alone is amazing to me. So I’ve done my job spreading the word, now I  need to produce some amazing new things to keep it going. I have some FANTASTIC ideas and can’t wait to share them this Spring. Be sure to stay connected April is going to be big!

To my fellow Etsy peeps! Keep listing new items and re-list daily, that is all I can say. I’ll promise to keep up with my bliggity blog, facey spaces and tweetie pages but will try to space them out a bit more. lol…time to get a sewing!