featured seller: ruby wren:

Tell us a little bit about yourself…
My name's Hayley, I'm 21 and live in Northamptonshire. I run two little Etsy Shops; "Ruby Wren Boutique" for my handmade jewellery, and "Ruby Recycled" which stocks my handmade eco-friendly greeting card range. I love girly things like long baths, jewellery, clothes etc...but also love my football team, and war-games on the Xbox 360. I may also be slightly obsessed with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, but I'm convinced that's normal, right? And all I watch on TV is American drama and property programmes...oh, and Columbo!

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
I registered on Etsy in March 2008 but completely forgot about it until my first sale last summer...I wonder now how I could ever live without Etsy! I launched Ruby Recycled in May this year.

Do you sell on Etsy full time or do you have a day job?
I work from home moderating and editing website content part time...it's a job I love, for a company I love, so I'm very lucky. One day, I'd ideally love to sell enough on Etsy to combine the two together to make a full time job out of it. I would love to spend the rest of my life being my own boss, working for myself.

What made you decide to open up shop on Etsy?
I discovered Etsy while looking for a product that I could visualise but couldn't find anywhere. I was on an endless search for that perfect item when I discovered Etsy, where I could buy all these amazing things that I knew I could have without knowing everyone else had the same thing, like most high street products. When I started making jewellery as a hobby, I didn't know what to do with all the necklaces I was making and remembered Etsy. Since then I've gained more of a business mind about Etsy and am making things to sell rather than selling things I've made. When I decided I also wanted to make greeting cards, Etsy was the first thing in my mind.
What inspires you?
There are so many amazing artists on Etsy and every time I discover beautiful items (which is very often!) and see other sellers being successful with their craft, it drives me to work on mine. One day, I want to be in an Etsy 'Quit Your Day Job' article also, so that inspires me too! My cards are inspired by nature and I sit with a view of my garden when I create them, so you can see the bird influence in a lot of my cards. Little boutique shops, 'old hollywood' and what other people are wearing inspires my jewellery, but most of the time I sit with my tool box of beads and it just comes to me.

How would you describe your style?
I think my style for both the cards and the jewellery are still developing and evolving, but I'd probably describe my jewellery as girly with a vintage feel, and the cards are definitely modern, simple with raw, textured paper.

What do you like least about your craft?
Probably the scrapes from raw wire! I love to wire wrap beads and glass, which gives lovely rustic results, but I end up with very sore hands at the end of it. There's also tonnes of jewellery sellers on Etsy, which makes it a very competitive craft to get into, but I guess that gives me the drive to work harder and create new, different things.

Do you have any advice for other sellers on Etsy or those thinking about pursuing their craft?
I've found that Etsy is about more than just the product itself...customer service, photos, packaging all make a huge impact as well, so it's always good to put some extra effort into your shop even once you're happy with the product. As Etsy is primarily American, it's always nice to find members from your home country, so I make sure to tag my items with 'UK' also to make sure my fellow Brits can find my items too.

Top Five Etsy shops?
This is going to be difficult!
Pretty by Pistachio, of course!
Pocket Studio
Prince Design UK

Blogs you follow?
I rarely remember to check blogs regularly, but the blogs I do follow are:
http://prettybypistachio.blogspot.com/
http://www.indiequarter.com/blog/index.php
http://lillyella.blogspot.com/

Five Random facts about yourself?
1. I suffer from Fibromyalgia which is a chronic pain condition...it's frustrating and painful but I probably wouldn't have been pushed into selling on Etsy otherwise.
2. I enjoy having the tv on while I work and have probably gone through all my House and Bones boxsets a dozen times each.
3. I was a Time Team bone-washer for a local excavation.
4. I have an organic vegetable garden and get so excited when I eat things I've grown myself.
5. I have a phobia of lifts/elevators and take the stairs where I can.

What is your favorite leisure time activity?
When I'm not working on my products or at the computer promoting them, I like to watch films, photography or go find ducks to feed.

What craft would you love to learn?
I'm jealous of anyone who can make clothes! I would love to be able to make my own clothes and bags.

What does the future hold for Ruby Wren Boutique / Ruby Wren Recycled?
I recently signed up for my first craft fair so I'm really looking forward to having an offline venue to sell at. It's my dream to be able to work full time on Etsy, so I'd love that to be a possibility in the future also.

Comments

1 Response to "featured seller: ruby wren:"

anna and the ring said... 2 September 2009 at 15:05

What a fabulous range of loveliness. Love the colours. Thank you!

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welcome...

... to pretty by pistachio, a blog about all things pretty. You can expect a variety of daily features including window shopping, beautiful boutiques, featured seller, weekend deals and monthly giveaways. pretty by pistachio is also a place for me to talk about my handmade jewellery and my upcoming wedding.

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101 things in 1001 days

1. GET MARRIED (Spring 2012)
2. Go to Ibiza with Dean
3. Go on a girls holiday
4. Take a weekend break with my mum
5. Go camping
6. Go to a festival
7. Visit Oxford
8. Visit Bath
9. Visit another UK City
10. Go to Cornwall and have cream tea
11. Sell my jewellery wholesale / sale or return to at least 3 shops (0/3)
12. Reach 100 sales in my etsy shop
13. Reach 250 sales in my etsy shop
14. Open a new online shop
15. Get my jewellery featured in a magazine
16. Send out a press pack to relevant magazines
17. Run at least 3 times a week
18. Run a 10k
19. Run a half marathon
20. Don't drink alcohol for a month, twice a year (0/5)
21. Lose 1 stone
22. Go a month without chocolate/sweets (0/30)
23. Go a month without fizzy drinks (0/30)
24. Learn Yoga
25. Learn Pilates
26. Get a workout DVD
27. Go on a bike ride
28. Do 100 sit-ups a day for a month
29. Play tennis
30. Learn to sew
31. Make an item of clothing
32. Learn how to oxidise silver
33. Learn a new craft
34. Design a website
35. Participate in the 365 project
36. Pay off my Credit Cards
37. Save £1000
38. Buy a new bike
39. Buy a sewing machine
40. Food shop online for a month
41. Buy a new camera
42. Bake a cake / muffins / cookies once a month (0/32)
43. Make breakfast for dinner
44. Make homemade ice-cream
45. Make a casserole
46. Learn how to cook a poached egg
47. Have a date night with Dean at least twice a month (0/64)
48. Treat Dean to dinner at a Goucho restaurant in London
49. Take a photo of Dean and I once a month (0/32)
50. Kiss in the rain
51. Cook a 3 course meal for Dean
52. Go to a football match with Dean
53. Write a love letter
54. Visit a mortgage advisor
55. Play 5 video games with Dean (0/5)
56. Spend the day in bed with Dean
57. Diary the wedding planning process
58. Go to the cinema by myself
59. Have a picnic
60. Give blood
61. Go to a Spa
62. Have a professional massage
63. Have a professional facial
64. Have a pedicure
65. Don’t buy any clothes for 3 months
66. Read 35 new books (0/35)
67. No TV for one week
68. Teach my brother to ride a bike
69. Go to a show in London
70. Have Afternoon Tea at the Ritz
71. Blog every day for a week (0/7)
72. Blog every day for a month (0/30)
73. Meet up with an old school friend
74. Go to the Ice Bar in London
75. Go to a poledancing class
76. Go to a dance class
77. Upgrade to a Flickr Pro account
78. Have a slumber party
79. Offer a monthly giveaway on my blog
80. Go for a walk in the rain
81. Spend a whole Sunday in my pyjamas watching movies
82. Go to a concert at the o2
83. Get another tattoo
84. Get another piercing
85. No takeaway for a month
86. Start a cleaning rota and stick to it for a month
87. Go on a night out with friends and drive
88. Have one bubble bath a week
89. Have a dinner party
90. Go to Ascot
91. Go strawberry picking
92. Become a redhead
93. Perfect the smokey eye look
94. Go Ice Skating at Somerset House
95. Go to 5 gigs (0/5)
96. Build a snowman
97. Play golf with Dean
98. Watch a sunrise
99. Go zorbing
100. Take Dean to Go Ape
101. Inspire 5 people to do the 101 in 1,001 days list (let me know if i've inspired you!) (0/5)