"Re-shape, Re-Think, Re-Work", is the motto of this shop
Join me in welcoming one of our newer members, PopLoveDesigns. PopLove is run by Andrea Hughes and her husband Shai Wallach, all the way from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Angela says, "Together we make limited-edition and one of a kind fashion from recycled materials. Our main line is woman's clothing and accessories, but we also have a small range of men's clothing."
So like most people, I wondered how she got her big start in fashion?
Andrea responds, "Shai & I both got our start in different areas of the fashion industry. It was a natural progression from there to start our own collection, especially after seeing the wastefulness of the fashion industry first-hand. We decided that we wanted our collection to not only be amazing and beautiful, but to be sustainable as well."
Andrea found us on Craftopolis, and read more about us and I guess you could say, we were the perfect fit! She is an couture clothing designer who is very interested in production of clothing with minimal harm to the environment. She uses upcycled and recycled items in her work, and is always interested in networking with other like minded designers and learning new and innovative green production processes.
Andrea says, "By recycling vintage fabrics we are creating eco friendly fashion, for a better future.". They even take it one step further. Their ccreen-printing is done using eco friendly water based inks.
When reviewing all her wonderful spring, summer, fall and winter creations I wondered how she stays so motivated?
Andrea explains, "Motivation hasn't been too much of an issue for us so far, when you're two people, you tend to feed off of one another, BUT everyone has their moments. We like to check out local art galleries, go to the beach, or watch weird art-films , (The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" is my favorite!."
So if motivation is her strong suit, I wondered what is the hard part of the designing biz?
Andrea says, "Selling is probably the hardest part of any business, but don't despair! Make sure you treasure each and every customer you get. Treat each and every customer like your business depends on them alone as ultimately it does! Create the ultimate shopping experience and earn your customers' loyalty."
Andrea also does a lot of social networking to promote her business and others. She makes treasuries on Etsy as much as possible, and says, "The internet is full of places to get exposure and meet new people."
Please welcome her and be sure to find her all over the web at the below locations.
Melissa Gregan's shop "My Blanket Statements" on Etsy comes to our group all the way from Auckland, New Zealand!
These laptop covers come in all sizes and are easy to use!
This shop features accessories made with vintage kiwi fabrics. Most are hand embroidered with reclaimed wools and cottons. A selection of practical and useful accessories with a one of a kind handmade edge make these great gift ideas.
For those of you who don't know Melissa explains, "The Tui is a beautiful bird, native to New Zealand. They are one of my favourite birds - we have a few living in the native trees around our home. "
The Tui.
Don't stop at the pillow. These eco-friendly blanket buntings make great gifts. Pressed and prewashed, plus made of reclaimed fabrics make them very colorful and a real find!
Priced at $37, these are cute and affordable. Find them here.
This shop is a great shop to give your couch a new look, or to find some throw pillows for that special loveseat or daybed.
This month's spotlight pick is a shop all the way from Holland! Here, Astrid Sikkema's Eco-Indie sense of style meets her passion for upcycling and recycling. I thought it would be interesting to see how it is for an international seller on Etsy, and to learn more about her, and some tips and tricks from her as well. Welcome to the inner workings of LeChatCrochet!
From Holland with Love!
Ira: Astrid, tell us more about you!
Astrid: I grew up in a crafty family. Dad loved woodworking and did everything in the house himself from paint jobs to carpeting and even some furniture making. Mom starred at practically everything from sewing to decorative painting and made a good living from it as a craft teacher.
My parents were never ashamed to use scrap materials and made me toys from leftovers or samples they asked for in shops (imagine my doll house from scrap plywood had 100 % woolen carpeting and real wall paper from such samples) and every bit of cardboard from food packaging was saved. Mom made me fancy party dresses from here old evening wear. Her and grandma made my doll’s clothes with leftovers from leftovers of their own handmade clothing. My brothers and I painted on the back side of leftover wallpaper. And so on.
So I guess I have the homemade and recycling idea deep in my bones. Though I hated the clothes I had to take over from my cousins I was always proud to wear my big brothers’ old sweaters and jeans wear and at 14 started to shop for second hand myself. I much preferred that over what the current fashion dictated me. Then started altering clothes and knitting my own sweaters. Ever since I was a little girl yarn and thread had been my favourite craft materials. At 16, soon after my first sweater done with mom’s help I started to unravel old knits I found in the attic to do my own experiments. And have done that ever since to get yarn.
Reusing was simply to get stuff for free when I was young, but the older I get the sadder I get from new mass produced things.
I designed and knitted for years for myself, friends and family, but had to stop because of a nasty shoulder ache. I turned to crochet just because it was pain free but gradually fell in love with the technique that so far I had deemed somewhat uncool. Then the internet came and widened my horizons and for the first time the idea of selling came up.
One of Astrid's creations using upcycled yarn.
Ira: Explain to me how you found Etsy and more about the decision to sell internationally.
Astrid : I discovered Etsy in its early stages through a craft community but was put off at first by the poor quality of what I saw from sellers and the fact that you needed a credit card to open a shop. I came back because local channels didn’t do anything at all for me and decided to go international. By then, June 2006 Etsy had grown to be a platform for really talented people and I finally gladly accepted to pay the costs for a credit card (thus far my way cheaper debit e-card did everything for me I needed).
Ira: So I notice a good portion of my sales go overseas. Since the Postal Service in the USA has eliminated Surface mail for heavier items, (forcing you to use priority) it has been very expensive. I would like to know more about how Etsy works when you have to ship outside of your own country, for instance, into the USA.
Astrid: Shipping abroad is a problem especially for larger items that need a box. On top recently Dutch Postal services have abolished all lower rates (slower shipping) forcing me to ship priority and the minimum I have to charge for the lightest weight packet overseas is $15. Light weight items that ship in a flat envelope are still affordable though. So I focus on that in my shop, keep my item prices fair (lucky as a recycler who has low costs I can do that) but still list large items because they do attract attention.
Ira: So has this affected your sales, or tell us what percentage of sales come from USA or what percentage from countries near you?
Astrid: Despite of what I said above 80 % of my sales are to the US/Canada. Then maybe 15 % to my own country and only 5 elsewhere in Europe. The fist two numbers do not surprise me, but I wonder why I don’t sell more to other European customers. I thought perhaps it was because I don’t list the shipping fee, but that’s impossible because I’d have to do each country separately, while the amount remains the same. It would be nice if Etsy made it possible to list Europe as one (regional) destination. Now buyers have to convo me about it. Those who did order didn’t bother and paid the everywhere else fee. The difference is not big though to almost neglectable for the very light weight items.
This adorable beanie is lightweight and relatively easy to ship, even internationally.
Ira: So how do you stay motivated, or what specifically motivates your creations?
Astrid : Most times my pretty vast stocks of "found by accident materials" themselves inspire me. While unraveling a knit garment all the possibilities pass my mind. Often that’s enough to get started straight away, sometimes I’m not sure and the material gets stored for a while. Or sometimes the whole garment waits a long time in a box and I only start to unravel it to work out a certain idea.
Simply going through my stocks of yarn, fabrics, buttons, beads may instantly give me new ideas, but if on the other hand an idea comes from the internet or a book I don’t have to wait to get started. I always have what I need right next to me. As said I have a lot, my house is too small to store it all but I love living between my materials and yes, I think that’s what mainly inspires me.
Astrid keeps a wide variety of items available in her shop, from brooches to fruit bowls.
Ira: What tips might you have for others who offer handmade items to promote their shop, or what trials and errors can you share, ie: ideas that have worked for you?
Astrid: Soon after I opened I had a custom order for a tea cozy. Not the cheapest thing! It made me feel so confident but I didn’t know a thing about Etsy and didn’t list it as a reserved order. Handled everything by email with the lady and so missed a visible sale. And you know sales generate sales, and you especially need the feedback too as a starter. Then for a long time nothing happened. It took almost a year before I had another order.
The tea cozy that Astrid refers to is an item usually stocked in her shop, like this one priced at $50.
Ira : I do realize for a lot of the handmade community, it's not uncommon to have a long time in between sales, however, a year is a really long time. What did you do in the interim, and what can you advise others to do so that they don't lose faith or close their shop?
Astrid: I did all the usual things. I started a blog about recycling, put my Etsy widget on it, joined my first team, listed regularly, worked at my photography (still not my strongest point to be honest, but improving step by step).
I then joined a blogger’s community. I marked down some items.
I thought a good buyer may make a good seller. I’m not a big spender but sometimes I need supplies I can’t take from curb found items so I started to look on Etsy for them. Found some interesting things and so at least got my first positive feedback. And finally… yes! Since then I’ve had more or less regular sales (1-3 a month), but I do this next to a job so I’m sure if I had five days a week to put time in it I’d do better.
Ira: So patience and persistence paid off in your case. Any favorite things?
Astrid: I heard a musician – when asked for his favourite piece of music – say: the one I’m listening to or playing at the moment. I think that works for me too. I’m always full of what I’m working on. If I’m happy with the results I’ll make some more, but my attention span is limited and I’m always hungry for trying out something new. I think the diversity in my shop is the proof for that. :)
Ellen loves to sell everything vintage - - from jewelry to household items. Are you a crafter? You'll find a great assortment of vintage fabrics and crafting supplies. Ellen says, "I truly cannot stand to see usable items go in the trash. I regularly comb through curbside offerings."
When time allows, Ellen also makes one of a kind handmade bags and upcycled jewelry. She says, "I also try to repurpose fabric in my tote bags. I am using old tablecloths, dish cloths and upholstery samples."
Ellen loves to recycle and upcycle. "My biggest repurpose projects are mosaic jewelry pictures made from old broken jewelry," she explains.
Be sure to check out her shop as stock is ever-changing!
Powdersticks is home to the very talented Kassia, who loves to ski, knit and make crafty things! Here you will find vintage offerings, handknit items, and one of a kind must-have products made with upcycled jute or burlap. Items sometimes include upcycled burlap bags made into purses, wristlets, and wallets.
Like this awesome bag made out of a recycled coffee sack!
Additionally, she donates a portion of her proceeds to community groups in need and Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland Oregon.
He also illustrated the children's book "Mama Cat."
Matt runs "Scrubbles.Net", a website that is one of my favorites. Matt says of his new venture, " I started LitKids for two reasons. One, to get back into silkscreen printing (which I love), and to channel a love of classic kid's literature into art that everyone can share and appreciate."
Matt is using backgrounds from his collection of old vintage children's books, and silk screening one of a kind whimsical characters onto them. Silkscreening is a big alternative to commercialized printing. Matt then sells limited edition serigraphs of his work.
These make great gifts for adults or children alike, to decorate any home or decor. Matt believes in taking something old and making it new again, preserving some of the best stories ever in his artwork--his love for vintage shines through. Outside of Etsy, Matt has a great love for all things green including using reclaimed objects, collecting vintage, repurposing, and recycling.
The shop address says it all, this shop is loaded with cute, adorable reclaimed home decor, picture frames, and vintage treasures. Most would look great in baby's room, as they are gorgeous colors of pinks, and blues, and pastels. Designs are customizable.
This shop is full of lovely gift ideas. Kathy's designs are simply charming!
Kim and her mom started this business, recycling t-shirts one at a time. Their art of transforming tees into totally useful objects may suprise you. Have you ever seen a woven t-shirt rug, or a purse like pouch made from tees? What about a skirt? You will now and their craft is something special - surely to captivate and suprise you. The colors used are vibrant and what a way to reclaim the old and make it new again. You will find great gift ideas here. It's hard to choose a favorite, but I'm partial to the t-rugs.
MW has been creating since the 8th grade. Her love for jewelry combined with using upcycled, recycled, and discarded goods make for interesting one of a kind items. Here you may find lovely unique broken china pendants, upcycled magazine earrings, button key fobs, and other gifts for all occasions.
Monika's shop is a creative mix of eclectic jewelry items that have been made from reclaimed or recycled items. From brooches to rings, you never know what you will find here. Monika enjoys crafting and lives in the Windy City. Prior to that she was in living in Hungary, and was even born in Romania. Check out some of the rings, that have been made from recycled earrings, very lovely!
Visit Monica on Etsy HERE , or you can check her out her store on Artfire HERE.
