Etsy Houston Profiles - Jag & Nevie

Cherie Duge Paul, Jag & Nevie

I hail from many places from California, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, but currently Houston, Texas!

I design and make eco-chic clothing and accessories for women and children.  This includes organic t-shirts , skirts, halter & tube tops, bibs, "blankies", purses, jewelry, you name it!  All of them feature applique or hand work with vintage & recycled fabrics.

I have been making things since I was a wee child!

I have slowly built up a shop from the early days of eBay and now sell through boutiques and Etsy.

I prefer to sell online, but I do enjoy doing shows periodically.

My "real" job is as a full-time mommy to Jag & Nevie whom are 8 & 4 respectively.  My artistic side squeezes through the gaps in their daily demands;-)

I am inspired by the drive to just make things.  I HAVE to make things.  I get very excited when I see extraordinary work from other crafters, the big fashion designers, fine artists, and girls that put themselves together in unique ways.  Animals inspire me with their innate elegance and beauty.

I've learned to stick to my creative vision over the years and stop being apologetic for it!  I've learned not to be insulted when something I make doesn't sell or gets negative comments when people see it.  I've learned on Etsy to renew all the time (at different times a day) and that I need to take much better photos - much more "fashion" photos.  I would say one of the most important things for newbies is to try to be able to ship within 2 weeks, minimum.   Also, manage money well so you don't get caught, like I often do, with no available funds to buy raw goods because everything you have is tied up in inventory!  Other than that - just work hard and be proud of what you do!

I also paint, sculpt and love to cook vegetarian food!

Name:  Alejandra

Shop: reigrücheStudio

Where are you from? 

The great state of Texas

Where do you live? 

Houston area

What types of things do you make/sell? 

Original paintings, commissioned portraiture, pet portraits, prints, crochet sterling silver and 14kt gold-filled jewelry, upcycled jewelry, and wearable art.

How long have you been crafting?

I would like to say I started when I was a young girl.  My mother and both grandmothers were always creatively crafty ladies, and I remember being so mesmerized by all the different colors and textures, skills and techniques they had fun with (I wish I could sew!).  When I was younger I used to make polymer clay food, figurines, simple pillows, graphite drawings, journals, painted jars.  I studied painting and jewelrymaking in college.  I'm ALWAYS excited to learn new skills and experiment.

When did you decide to open up a shop?

I have been an Etsy fan, buying handmade and oogling all of their eye candy since 2007.  I painted and made jewelry for myself and for friends occasionally, but I didn’t have a shop or anything like that.   Eventually people began to ask me for a business card or asked if I had a website, a price list, etc. and my answer was always, "Oh, sorry, no/not yet…”  A few years later I was inspired by the awesomeness of creative blogs and all the neat stuff Grrfeisty was up to and I was hooked!

Do you prefer to sell your crafts online or in person? Or both?

Both!  I heart the internet and I love observing people’s reactions and comments in person.

Do you have a second job?  If so, what is it? 

I am in the process of becoming an art teacher.

What inspired you to start crafting?

Observing the women in my family, my love for wearing and admiring interesting jewelry, the beauty of handmade multicultural goods and art, and perusing Etsy shops really does it for me!  I am inspired daily. The way a sack of deep saturated yellow turmeric power looks in a photograph, the smell of chopped cilantro, the glow of a pretty faceted glass briolette bead in the daylight, the pattern on someone's blog wallpaper, a crowded little shop filled with handmade ethnic goodies… I must say the power of color and pattern is appealing; it’s so fun to visit neat looking blogs and shops (I can look for hours!). 

Have you learned anything along the way, as far as your business is concerned?

I haven’t been doing this for very long, but I have learned that if you surround yourself with other like-minded people in your community, sharing your gifts, the things you admire and love to do, you will find that it is such a good way to stay informed, inspired, confident, and learn pretty much everything you need to know along the way.  You never stop learning!  Start with baby steps; put one thought into action.  No one is born knowing how everything works or how things will turn out, but once you decide to jump in and begin doing one little thing, you will see how it will all fall into place.

What other hobbies or interests do you have?

I love to prepare food, look at food, smell food, photograph food, share food (and eat it too :)  I think this is connected to many of my other interests because of the strong sensory perception thing that is definitely a source of inspiration for many artists and crafters.  I also love animals, watching indie and foreign movies with my hubby, going to museums of all sorts, and spending time making memories with family and good friends.

Who inspires you?

There are also so many awesome people out there, I can’t begin to name how many people inspire me daily.  Kelly Rae Roberts is one very inspiring lady!  Having a support system of family and friends who encourage you along the way is also important.  But I would really like to thank my best friend Grrfeisty for being the one to inspire me to start it all with a blog J

Do you have any tips to share with newbies?

Be yourself, do + share  what you love, and believe that you have the ability to make awesome stuff happen.

Etsy Houston Profiles - Tina Marie of NY2HoustonStyling

Name:  tinamarie  aka NY2HoustonStyling

Where are you from?  NY

Where do you live? NW Houston

What types of things do you make/sell?  mainly crocheted items, but i like to try my hand at just about anything

How long have you been crafting? seems like forever; since the nuns taught us how to crochet in 8th grade

When did you decide to open up a shop? my husband was after me for years as i was always making and giving away treasures but it wasnt until after quitting 'day job' to care for ill child that i decided to give a craft business a shot

Do you prefer to sell your crafts online or in person? Or both? both - online because it's easy; but in person for the wonderful interactions and new friendships that have emerged.

Do you have a second job?  If so, what is it? haha -- mother of 4 and caretaker of own mother ...  second job that doesnt pay any $, but payment of memories indeed

What inspired you to start crafting? the nuns in catholic grammar school and then later always loving the handmade gicfts i received from friends

Have you learned anything along the way, as far as your business is

concerned?  the customer is always #1; always be willing to try something new

What other hobbies or interests do you have?  anything crafty  and i love to read; teens tell me i need rehab (for reading)

Who inspires you? My Lord and Savior, my family, oh and my dogs have inspired some cute crocheted doggie toys

Do you have any tips to share with newbies?  never say never!

Etsy Houston Profiles - Valerie and Bailey of Spunk&Sass

Name: Valerie and Bailey

Shop: Spunk and Sass Designs

Where are you both from?

Santa Fe,Tx

Where do y'all live?

Pearland, Texas

What types of things do you make/sell?

Jewelry and accessories

How long have y'all been crafting?

We have both been crafting for as long as we can remember. We both come from crafty families.


When did you decide to open up a shop?

Bailey and I decided to open up a shop in August of 2009.

Do you prefer to sell your crafts online or in person? Or both?

We've done both and really don't have a preference. We get excited either
way that someone has decided to spend their money on something we made.

Do you have a second job?  If so, what is it?

Spunk is a marketing manager for an engineering firm in Houston and Sass is a stay at home mommy!

What inspired you to start crafting?

It started as a hobby and morphed into "wow I like that, I bet I can make it!" We love trying to recreate things we both like and that inspires us to make more lovely things.

Have you learned anything along the way, as far as your business is concerned?
We have learned a lot opening this business. We've learned that it takes a lot 

of time and requires balance to really make it work, considering Spunk has a full-time job in Houston and Sass is a full-time Mom. Both of which are really demanding. We've learned that sometimes there will be sales and sometimes there won't be, but really in the end it's about having fun and doing something that we love.

What other hobbies or interests do you have?

Spunk reads and sews. Sass scrapbooks and is learning to sew as well!

Who inspires you?

Everything around us is an inspiration - stores, people, blogs, other Etsians, magazines, etc. There's a multitude of things and it all funnels in to create more fun pieces.

Do you have any tips to share with newbies?

Keep it fun. Remember that you love crafting and that's your reason for opening a store. The best feeling is that you're sharing your talent with the world. Oh and take good pictures :)

Etsy Houston Profiles - Kristen of Frilled&Feathered

Name: Kristen Kramlich           

Where are you from? Houston

Where do you live? Houston

What types of things do you make/sell? Handmade jewelry

How long have you been crafting? I’ve been crafting since I was really little. My momma and grandmaare super woman crafters so I’m sort of following in their footsteps.

When did you decide to open up a shop? I started making jewelry because  I couldn’t find a piece I had my mind set on. My sister called a week later for me to check out something on Etsy and fell in love. Then I thought, hey, I can do this too!

Do you prefer to sell your crafts online or in person? Or both? I’ll sell my craft anywhere you want to buy it from me, but I really enjoy in person sales. I enjoy the chance to meet people who are appreciating my work and I’m able to share a bit of my passion with them as well.

Do you have a second job?  If so, what is it? For 2 more weeks I work in HR. I’m hoping to make a living out of jewelry after that.

What inspired you to start crafting? For as long as I can remember I’ve been learning all kinds of crafts from my mom & grandma. I can’t really imagine my life without it.

Have you learned anything along the way, as far as your business is concerned?  Of course I’ve learned a lot, it would be a shame to stop learning. The thing I’ve learned the most about is picture taking, though. It’s still the bane of my existence.

What other hobbies or interests do you have? I also design clothes and sew, paint (on occasion), listen to live music any chance I can get, drool over new tattoos I want but can’t afford, go to wine club meetings & tastings (mmmmmm), and watch horror movies.

Who inspires you? [blogs, etsy shops, etc] I’m inspired by color and texture.  I like to recreate random instances in abstract form.  Sometimes I just let my materials do the inspiring too.

Do you have any tips to share with newbies? Do what you love & be persistent! Don’t take criticism personally, but realize that there are many who have gone down the road you’re about to go down. There is no shame in asking for help.