Etsymom: Nichole, ByNichole (http://www.bynichole.etsy.com/)
All my life I have been a crafter; from the time I could use safety scissors and elmer’s glue I explored every medium you can possibly pick up at Joann’s and Michaels craft stores.
When my daughter was born and diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality I immediately thought about her future. Will she ever become a self sufficient adult, will she be able to get a job? We don’t know what Angel’s future holds, but I decided that I want to own my own business by the time she is an adult, so that she will always have a place in the family trade. She is only nearing her 6th birthday, but before you know it she will be in high school and I will be ready.
It was natural for me to start crafting and selling online. I got my start with tutus. Angel is so tiny that I could never find any dance clothes to fit her for class. I ended up making tutus for the whole class and my friends daughters, so I thought I would try it out on EBay. It didn’t become an income, but a hobby I did on the side.
Last October I became an American who was laid off from a corporate job. It was my job to hire drivers for Swift Transportation, and they stopped hiring drivers, so they didn’t need me anymore. And so I was at home worrying about what would happen next. Just before Thanksgiving Angel had three seizures in one day. It was at the point that I realized it was God had a plan for me and losing my job allowed me to be home when she had the seizure, instead of at daycare. At that point I got serious about looking for a way to stay at home. I closed up my EBay store and jumped into Etsy with a lot of faith and prayer.
It took 3 weeks to get my first sale, but on February 1st my cousin bought 4 things from me. With a boost of confidence I started stocking my shop more and more. The Lord has been good to me, I have reached 20 sales in the month of February!
Everything in my shop is based on kids: my kids, my friends kids and all those parents out there. I have been focusing on three categories right now, but I have a lot up my sleeves!
My tutus are all hand cut and tied to carefully picked ribbon.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41082761
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38016531
My toddler bathrobes are on my mind a lot. I match fabulous flannel prints with bath towels. The hooded robes are completely lined with actual bath towels, making a warm and cozy transition from tub to pjs.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38016956
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38198427
Stuffed animals have been a new avenue for me, but I am loving creating huggable creatures. There are many more animals to come, but I can only sew so fast!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41435409
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40263745
I’m still a newbie, but watch out Etsy: Nichole is on the scene!
http://www.bynichole.etsy.com/