Etsy Featured Artists - Week of March 10th: PromosInASnap and railyuh

I have decided to help promote fellow Etsy artisans by doing a "Feature of the week". This week, March 10 - March 14, the featured artists are PromosInASnap and railyuh. By posting to the forums to feature artists in my blog, I got a slew of responses from many wonderful artists.

PromosInASnap: http://promosinasnap.etsy.com/

If you need promos for your Etsy store or online biz - Check out this shop! They will customized to your store: bags, buttons, product tags, scratch off tickets, address labels, biz cards, bag toppers, stickers, magnets... you name - they got it! Prices you can't beat, fantastic customer service and quick turn-around (not to mention professional products) are all the reasons to get your stores promotional items at Promos In A Snap! They have sold a whopping 91 items - and they have only been open since January 2007! Find out some great things about this store below!

Question & Answer with Promos In A Snap!

Q: Tell me a little about yourself… your background and how long you have been involved in your art/craft/hobby…
A: My name is Crystal I am 24 and I live in Miami with my husband. I have always been craft-oriented; I think I got it from my mother. I used to sew ferret bedding and during this time I purchased my first button-making machine. I made buttons for my promo packs for every order I received. When I did the ferret show everyone flocked to my booth and loved the free buttons I was handing out. That’s when it hit me; I wanted to help Etsy sellers promote their shop too. So on Jan 4, 2008 I opened up my second shop.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration?

A: My customers inspire me. Each item I make is custom made to fit the customer’s needs. I love seeing all the different items come to life when I make them. The best part is to see how your customers use their items; I just love getting feedback with a picture.

Q: What mediums are involved in your work?

A: I have two button presses, one is 1” and the other is 2.25 “. I use 110 lb cardstock for most of the heavier items and glossier papers for stickers. One of my favorite items would be my Xyron sticker maker. I also have various paper punches and a wonderful industrial cutter.

Q: What would set you apart from your competition?

A: I provide top notch customer service; I try to respond to convos and questions as often as possible. I make sure that every product that leaves my studio is perfect and there are no flaws. I make sure my customer is 100% satisfied with their purchase and if they aren’t then I try everything I can to make it right. I use high quality papers, button parts, and sticker accessories to provide the best promotional items for my customers.

Q: What piece are you most proud of?
A: I am proud of my new bag toppers. I haven’t seen this offered yet on Etsy and yet it such a great way to look professional in your packaging. One thing I recommend all Etsy sellers is to look professional. You are a business and you are providing a product, if you are serious about being successful make your product memorable. It’s basic marketing, and can really bring a customer back to your shop for more items.

Q: How do you market your products in and out of Etsy?
A: I have tried a few blogs who have offered some advertising space for a small fee. I also have tried a monthly ad on craftster.com. I can’t really tell yet if it has made an impact on sales. On Etsy I have tried the main showcase and was pretty disappointed with the results. If I had to recommend a new seller I would tell them to promote in the promotions forum. The promotions forum has brought me many sales. It’s a little more work but the results are well worth it!

Q: If I were to ask you – “Where do you see yourself in five years.” – What would you say?
A: In 5 years I hope to be doing Promos in a Snap full time and to be no longer working in a corporate environment. I also hope to have our condo sold and be moved to a single family home up north or out of Florida. Lastly I hope to be a mother by then.

Q: Lastly, tell me something I should know about you – funny, quirky, profound etc. anything you would share with the Etsy community?
A: I love ferrets, I have 5 ferrets right now and they are such a blessing to have. Last year I opened a ferret forum that now has over 1100 members. It’s such a wonderful community to be a part of, especially when you have concerns for your beloved pet. I feel blessed that the forum has been so successful.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next featured artist of the week.....

railyuh: http://railyuh.etsy.com

In a sea of photographers, railyuh stands out. The detail of imagery, depth and diversity of subject matter make her photographs amazing works of art. Not only does this seasoned photographer offer offer original standard sized prints... you can also find note cards, recycled notebooks and magnets! This Alaskan native is not an Etsy newbie and continues to create a steady client base on Etsy and beyond. You will be sure to find something to adorn your wall or refrigerator in this store... and custom orders are welcome!

Question & Answer with railyuh!

Q: Tell me a little about yourself… your background and how long you have been involved in your art/craft/hobby…
A: I first became interested in photography in high school. My father has a love for photography as well, so when I had the opportunity to borrow his camera I started taking pictures for my yearbook. That was almost ten years ago and my love for the craft of photography has grown since then. I especially love film photography and working in the darkroom, so the switch to digital has been a bit sad for me.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration?
A: My inspiration comes partially from the natural world around me. I am inspired by the beauty of nature and love capturing beautiful landscapes on my camera. I am also inspired by lines, angles, and different perspectives on ordinary objects, which is most clearly seen in my black and white photography.

Q: What mediums are involved in your work?
A: My shop is for my photography, but on a personal level I enjoy a few other mediums as well. I love to sew and have recently taken up felting (wet felting and needlefelting).

Q: What would set you apart from your competition?
A: I think every photographer sees the world a bit differently. We could get a group together and all photograph the same subject, but still come up with different final images. I think my landscapes often capture unusual places, and my black and white photographer captures a unique perspective on objects we tend to overlook (like my park bench photograph).

Q: What piece are you most proud of?

A: My caterpillar image from my playground series is one of my favorites. It is one of my earliest photos from college when I first became serious about photographer and fell in love with the darkroom. It was one of those shots that I took one frame on a whim and thought nothing of it. When I went to develop it, I just fell in love with the odd structure. Seeing it in black and white completely transformed the subject.

Q: How do you market your products in and out of Etsy?

A: I am still learning how to do this. I have tried to network through a variety of sites like my blog (I was a blogger long before I had an etsy shop), myspace, flickr (also a long time user of flickr), and through my other online connections on messageboards. I have also begun to advertise locally since a lot of my photos feature local Oregon landscapes.

Q: If I were to ask you – “Where do you see yourself in five years.” – What would you say?

A: I see myself as a mother of a few more children (hopefully), and an artist who has grown in her craft and expanded her artistic repertoire. I would like to become a more skilled seamstress and extend my photographic skills in portrait photography. I also would like to be more skilled in the digital darkroom since the days of the black and white darkroom are largely a thing of the past. Although I still hope to someday set up an old school darkroom in my home again.

Q: Lastly, tell me something I should know about you – funny, quirky, profound etc. anything you would share with the Etsy community?

A: I'm a short Alaskan islander! I'm only 5 feet tall and I grew up in a small town on an island in Alaska. It was a pretty isolated place to grow up, but I was surrounded by beautiful mountains and the Pacific Ocean every day. It was the perfect place to fall in love with landscape photography.

Thank you to the artists for taking the time to answer the questions and much continued success in the future!