http://persimmonandpink.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/persimmonandpink
I can be contacted at hello@persimmonandpink.com
The Interview: Persimmon and Pink
How did you get started on Etsy?
It seemed all the world was a buzz about Etsy so I checked it out. I thought it was a wonderful resource for selling handmade items and thought I would give it a go. I made these embellished kid hoodies and listed two of them. They never sold. I finally unlisted them and then used them for my own daughter. So was it the best intro to Etsy success? No. But I after feeling a bit sad and embarrassed I got over it and gave it another try.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm a thirty-two year old woman, wife and mother. I have red hair, but my natural color is a beautiful mousey brown. I use the red to amp it up as well as cover my lovely patch of early grays. When I'm not mothering and taking care of my home I love to read and create.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
As seen above, I am a mom. Creating (and surviving) an entertaining day with two young children is a success in itself and by the end of the day I'm wiped! Sometimes I work for a bit in the evenings but often I relax with some lovely TV with my husband after the little ones are in bed.
What first made you want to become an artist?
As a child I loved to draw and create and did well in art classes. It wasn't until I'd bombed out of Chemistry in college and realized that being a nutritionist wasn't going to work for me that I thought I'd turn to my backup—an artist!
Please describe your creative process.
Usually I get an idea in my mind of something that I want for myself or something that I think would just be cool. I stew on it for a while thinking of how I want it to look in style, color and typography and then finally I get it created. I often am harboring ideas for a good six months before they ever are made a reality.
Also, I would be a real low person if I didn't mention my amazing husband Marc who is a big part of my success. My computer skills are abysmal and I'm lucky to be married to a graphic designer and techie. Part of the design process is refining it in my mind or through sketches and then sweet talking my husband into sitting down with me for an hour (or four) until we have the design just so. I tell him the font I want, colors, where I want things moved, move things back, etc. He is so great to be humble to just be there for me and follow my vision. He is my creative partner.
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I try not to get too attached to things because with small children everything is bound to get dinged, scratched, chipped, busted, stained and flat out ruined. One thing that came to mind are the quilts I made for my children. Many hours went into them and they were made while waiting for my children to join our family. I suppose a lot of hopes and dreams were stitched into them as well.
How do you promote your work?
I wouldn't consider myself a natural business woman and don't think I do the best job at promoting my work. I do have a few blogs that I pay for sponsorship on and host giveaways on other's blogs occasionally.
Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy.
Books:
• The Good Earth
• The Seamstress (my most recent read)
• Scriptures (Bible/Book of Mormon)
• Summer of the Monkeys
• Sense & Sensibility
Movies:
• Danny Deckchair
• Pride & Prejudice
• The Road Home
• Matilda
• The Bourne Identity
Music
• She & Him
• Neil Diamond
• Adele
• Beyonce
• Corrine Bailey Rae
Websites:
• http://www.designmom.com/
• http://smittenkitchen.com/
• http://pretavoyager.blogspot.com/
• http://www.purlbee.com/
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/
(I don't want to admit to people.com and justjared.com)
How does your faith influence your work on Etsy?
The whole reason that I started making prints with religious and upbeat sayings was because I felt guilty. Besides a print of Christ hanging in a hallway I had no religious artwork in my home. If someone was to walk into my home could they tell my love of Christ and His teachings? Were my children seeing images of the temple? Where were the little reminders to help renew my faith? While such products existed they did not fit my personal style and decor, so I made my own.
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Don't be afraid to try, don't be afraid to fail. Just give things a go. Doesn't sell? Switch up your prices or make something else. And above all to be original in your work.
In ten years, where would you like to be?
I'd like to have another child or two and be done building my family and onto the adventure of growing old together. I would like to get back into doing some fine art. I have all these blank canvases stashed away that I'd love to work on. I hope to have gone to India by then, to not have excessive wrinkles—just an age appropriate amount. Still very in love with my husband and hopefully not still making the same old things for dinner. I better have some new stuff in rotation by then.
What is your favorite item from your shop?
My favorite is the 'Love One Another' print in green. They don't sell as well as my other designs but if I and everyone else would just try harder to do this, our relationships within our families and the world over would be better. Plus I love the Archer font and am a sucker for a map.
What are your top five favorite shops on etsy?
There are loads, but here are a few:
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/NoteTrunk
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/evelynkate
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/dutchdoor
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/fabricbee
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/sundropclips
How has selling on etsy changed your life?
It has made me feel successful in a way I never anticipated. I never thought I'd run a small business like this. It's such an honor that people choose to have my designs in their homes—to spend their hard earned money on my work. Its something I'm very grateful for.
I was also contacted through my little 'ol Etsy account by a major gift company to design a line for them that I'm just finishing up. Being creative and selling your work requires you to really put yourself out there, and that can be scary, but also very rewarding as well.
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