Tell Us About Yourself!
Hello! My name is Lindsey and I'm the mom of two girls. Madeline is 4 and Amelia is 2. My husband and I have been married for 7 years and much enjoy the adventure of life together! I'm an art teacher, though my "occupation" changed to stay-at-home-mom when we started having kids!
What makes you unique as a woman?
Hmmm... the idea of a pedicure makes me cringe, and I have little to no pink in my wardrobe! Though having two little girls in the house means that I paint their toenails often and their closets are overflowing with pink!
What do you love about Kids?
I love watching my girls grow and learn and change. I love watching them play and pretend together. Some days it seems like most of my job as mom involves reading books, cleaning up spills, changing diapers, and kissing owies. I wouldn't have it any other way!
What are you currently doing besides your creative craft?
See answer above! :) Besides the normal mommy stuff, I love to paint and knit. Also coffee with my friends, being silly with my girls, dinner with my husband, and strolling art fairs in the summer!
What is the address for your Etsy shop?
http://www.twirlaway.etsy.com/.
What do you offer in your Etsy shop?
Right now, it's all lovely skirts for little girls! But stay tuned... I have many ideas for the future! And check back SOON for holiday/Christmas skirts!
Where do you create?
I have a corner of the basement set up as my studio right now! With an area for kids to create also, my daughters and I are often together in this space, creating side by side!Where do you find your inspiration? Of course having two daughters is inspiration enough to make lots of cute skirts and clothes! As far as design, I really just get to create what is going on in my head and then change and develop it from there. Also, I'm very inspired by the amazing fabric designers whose fabric I use often in my skirts.
How did you get started in your line of business?
I love to create. I feel that I'm a better mom and wife when I'm able to use my gift of creating! As an artist I've gone through different phases. Right now it's sewing. I was informally taught how to sew from my mother and always saw my grandmother sewing too. When I had my girls, I started making them things like blankets, burp rags, dresses, and skirts (lots of skirts!). So it took off from there!
How do you promote your business?
I really have relied on word of mouth to get things started. I have been fortunate to be noticed by a few bloggers in the "Etsy world" and have had some features on different blogs. I'm a part of a couple teams in the Etsy community and I have my skirts in one shop in Australia too, which is a thrill! Also, special emails and offers just for past customers is a great networking tool in spreading the word!
What is one of your most important lessons you've learned since starting your business?
Go with the flow! Since Twirl Away really isn't a full time job for me, I've learned to promote and be smart about my shop set up, but after that, keep creating and let the "ebb and flow" of sales happen. Some weeks there's lots of orders, some weeks there's none! I try not to get frustrated when it seems like my skirts are just floating out there in cyberspace with no one seeing them!
What advice would you give someone just starting out?
In preparing to open my shop, I outlined some goals and put on paper where I'd like to be in 3 months, 6 months, 1 year. This has been helpful in seeing if I'm meeting my goals. Also, taking good photos is so important. With the help of a good friend, I'm continually trying to make my skirt photos as eye-catching as possible.
What are some of your favorite online shops on and off Etsy?
And
www.freashsqeezedfabric.etsy.com is a great fabric resource! I admire work from so many different shops, let's just say that I probably wont have to leave my computer for Christmas shopping this year!
What are your other sites (i.e. Blogger, Wordpress, Facebook, Twitter)?
Just on Etsy for now, but a Facebook page will probably be coming soon!
Be sure to visit Lindsey's Etsy shop and leave a comment here letting her know how much you enjoy her work!
EtsyMoms face the challenges of taking care of family, home and business head on! As team members we share many common goals and tricks of the trade, but each Mom has seemingly developed her own formula for success. Read on to find out more about our Marvelous Mom Lindsey, the multitalented talented owner and designer of Twirl Away,