Tag Archives: Etsy Q&A

Meet Justin and Kaylee Moss of The Moss Woodshop

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I have had such a wonderful time creating and writing this weekly (sometimes every other week) Etsy feature. It has given me the chance to share a lot of great art and creativity to The Sunday Sparkle readers, as well as allowing the people behind the work a chance to shine. My goal is to create a well-deserving spotlight of the hard-working families, young couples paying off student loans, or a passionate artist following their dream.

This week I turn the spotlight onto the Moss family, an appropriate last name I might say, Kaylee and Justin Moss are the creators of The Moss Woodshop. Moss Wood, a collection of art and everyday pieces such as frames, planters and shelves are made with salvaged wood and collected driftwood with a well-worn, beautiful aesthetic and sometimes moss adding as an accent.

The Moss family is from Deer Park, Washington, a small town in the vast beauty of the Northwest. I can imagine the nature that surrounds them is tremendously inspirational and lends a hand to the collection of their weathered materials. Another huge source of inspiration came from Justin’s father, Justin spent a lot of time woodworking with his father growing up and describes him as a man who can build anything. The Moss family is looking forward to sharing their skills with their two small children as they grow up.

Nature is truly remarkable as seen in these pieces by The Moss Woodshop. The shelf is a stunning piece to hold a special family trinket.

Q&A with Justin and Kaylee:

1. When did you start your etsy shop?
Justin:
I’ve always had a passion for woodworking ever since I was young helping in my dad’s workshop. Instead of buying gifts for birthdays, I’d often build wooden toys or knickknacks.
In high school I carved a wooden Doberman for a girl I had a crush on, I spent about 30 hours on that thing (one of those embarrassing memories I’ve tried to block out!)
About 5 years ago, I started working as a carpenter for a small construction business, which has helped me gain a lot of experience in all aspects of construction and finish woodworking. A couple of winters ago work was really slow, so we decided to have a handmade Christmas. I had salvaged some cedar boards from my brother’s old fence, and saw potential in the weathered, gray wood. I used some of the cedar to frame a mirror and build a little rustic shelf for my sister. I also built some little wooden boats for all the kids in the family – they were just like the ones my dad used to make for us when we were young.
I found that I really enjoyed working with reclaimed wood, and started constantly thinking of new things to build with it. We had some friends who had told us about Etsy, so we decided to give it a try. We opened the shop in January of 2011 with just a couple of barn wood items, and made our first sale within a week. Soon after, I started adding driftwood shelves to the shop, and they are now our most popular product.
2. How would you describe your collection?
Kaylee:
Earthy, natural. Since our items are built using reclaimed wood, the character of each piece has already been created in its earlier environment, and then put together by hand with a clean design that turns it into a piece of functional, natural art.
3. Describe a typical day in your life?
Justin:
Our days can be pretty hectic, since I have to juggle a full-time job along with my Etsy shop. (Not that I’m complaining – I love that I have freedom in building my products while still having the security of my day job.)
My day goes something like this: Wake up, drink coffee, (my coffee does not taste good – I think I’m becoming a coffee snob.) Drive to work (pick up another coffee on the way,) load up the work van and head to to job (at lunch break, I find my full, cold cup of coffee in the van.) A lot of times when I get home from work I need to package/drop off sold orders, or work on made-to-order items that need to be shipped. I let the kids help me package orders, they love crunching up newspaper and stuffing it in the boxes. In the evenings we spend time together as a family before bed.
Kaylee:
I’m blessed to be able to stay home with our two kiddos, Makensey, 4 1/2,  and Uriah, 3. Our schedule is pretty relaxed, which I love. Some mornings I get up with Justin before work, so that after he leaves I can (hopefully) have some quiet time before the kids wake up. Other mornings I sleep until a little one jumps into bed with me. In between cooking, cleaning, reading with the kids,  teaching ABCs and memory verses, going for bike rides and walks to the park, I check convos and emails. At nap time I’ll usually be getting orders ready to ship, photographing products in the back yard, or editing photos and listing new items. Or on Pinterest. Or reading my favorite blogs. Mostly the last one, though. When Justin gets home we sometimes finish packaging/shipping, or we just hang out and make dinner together (I’m also VERY blessed with a husband who loves to cook!) Lately we’ve been cooking in our NEW (almost finished) kitchen, and eating outside, which is awesome. Then comes the bedtime routine, with toothbrushes, pj’s, and maybe a couple of songs or stories involved, and then Justin and I have an hour or so to watch a show or relax before we start it all over again. :)
4. What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?
Justin:
I love to take the kids fishing, or for walks in the woods, camping, or anything outdoor related.
Kaylee:
I honestly can’t WAIT until we have a day off to go collect driftwood. Does that count?    
Sunday Sparkle side note: It totally counts Kaylee and sounds like an awesome day.
5. What inspires you?
Justin:
Newly found, unique pieces of wood. I’m also inspired by the freedom I have to make things however I think they should be. It’s motivating to see that customers appreciate my art.
Kaylee:
Did I mention Pinterst and blogs? I’m inspired by other people’s creativity, by nature, and my kids. Inspiration is one of the best feelings – I hate not to act on it.
6. What is your favorite thing in your home?
Kaylee:
The things I love the most in my home are the sentimental ones. I have the dining set that I grew up eating at every day, an antique hope chest that my parents bought me for my 17th birthday, handmade blankets from our grandmas, the bed Justin built me, and the drawings I’ve done of our babies. I guess any house could be filled with “stuff”, but for me, a house feels more like a home when it’s filled with things that remind me that I’m loved.
To visit their websites:
The Moss family kids Makensey and Uriah and a few snippets of their home life.
Many thanks to the Moss family and happiness to you all!

Meet Etsy Shop Owner: Krissy Tosi of Cottage Farm

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San Francisco prop stylist and floral stylist Krissi Tosi has the eye for arranging quiet elegance and composing a sense of home, a cottage home at that. In 2009, she launched Cottage Farm, named after her Great Grandparent’s farm in Massachusetts. The farm was a new life for her family who journeyed from Sweden and now Krissi’s shop Cottage Farm gives new life to such things as provincial dishes and farmhouse linens.

As a photographer, I am drawn to antiques because they tell a story, and have a certain quality that you just don’t get with something brand new. With the Cottage Farm I get that same nostalgic feeling, a sense of home and comfort. Cottage farm is described as utilitarian elegance for your everyday life, the quintessential lifestyle of someone looking for simple, useful and beautiful.

A few of my other favorite Cottage Farm items are this and that.

Q&A with Krissy

1. When did you start your etsy shop?

I started my etsy shop in 2009. I was in graduate school at the time and had only moved to San Francisco a year before. I was really enjoying perusing all the estate sales and flea markets on the weekends. A friend mentioned to me that she thought I should check out etsy. When I looked at the site it seemed like the perfect match, I could find treasures and then practice my photography for the listing. The shop helped me pay for supplies in graduate school and was a great thing to transition into after I completed my masters.

2. How would you describe your collection?

I describe my collection as “utilitarian elegance for the everyday”. It is important to me to be able to use vintage items in your every day routine. It brings a bit of glamor to daily tasks and chores. I think you should surround yourself with items that are both functional and beautiful.

3. Describe a typical day in your life?

One of the things I love about what I do is that there is no such thing as a “typical day”. Depending on what my schedule looks like I could be shooting new items for the shop, heading to the flower market before dawn, packing up props for a photo shoot, setting up a wedding. In addition to my etsy shop I also work as floral designer and prop stylist.

4. What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?

I love to try out a new recipe. The more complicated or unusual the ingredients the better. I have been really interested in baking in antique molds recently. Its quite nerve wracking actually.   It is fun to figure out what things are & in San Francisco you never know where the search for an obscure item can lead you.

5. What inspires you? 

History inspires me. Its ever changing and full of wonderful stories that spark my imagination. I am also lucky enough to work with beautiful materials on a regular basis and something as simple as a perfect blossom or piece of elegantly thrown studio pottery be inspiring.  I am always inspired by the changing of the seasons, i think this may be due in part to my New England roots.

6. What is your favorite thing in your home?

 I have an antique spoon that was passed to me from my grandmother and had been her mothers. It is just a simple piece from the everyday but over the years it has taken on a form specific to its use. I have memories of using it in my grandmothers kitchen, learning recipes that had been passed to her from her mother. I love thinking about each of the three of us using it while making the same recipe. that inspires me!

 

Krissi’s websites:

Snippets of Krissi’s home, life and work.

A beloved family heirloom, Krissi’s Great Grandmother’s spoon and more snippets of her home.

Thank you Krissi for sharing your beautiful photography work and collection of cottage antiques. To view more of Krissi’s work and lifestyle as well as her amazing floral arrangements visit her blog.

 

Meet the Etsy shop owners: Jenna and Erik Taylor of BrightWall | BrightWallVintage

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The dynamic duo, also known as Jenna and Erik Taylor, probably are the sweetest and funniest couple I have had the pleasure of getting to know. Jenna and Erik went to the same photography college as I did, and I am not sure the exact moment when I met them, but I remember a lot of awesome things about the pair. Their home was not like any other college dorm room or apartment, the dwelling was full of a lot character and charm; vintage furniture and knick-knacks and bright, vivid colors like an extra-large yellow funky couch. In our Environmental Portrait class, I remember Erik creating stunning images of Jenna sitting in an old vintage chair and remember thinking how you can really see the love that they had for each other through those images.

Now, long out of the college years and living in their beloved home state of Michigan, the recently married couple are the creators of BrightWallVintage and BrightWall. BrightWallVintage, established in 2009, is the home to modern art and vintage finds. Jenna has impeccable taste for home accents, mid-century housewares, women accessories and modern print art and Erik’s BrightWall, which began in 2008, carries men’s fashions and upcycled suitcases, which are pretty rad. The photography and design of the BrightWall team, is smart, vibrant and fun, they have set a high bar for the Etsy community.

By the looks of Erik’s inventory and his fuzzy mug, you can get a feeling that this is the type of guy you want to share large frosty pints of beers with and listen to the tales of his life, he embodies an old salty sailor spirit with a gentle nature and cool style.

The wood chair is a piece that was found in an alley way, with loving care it was given a new sheen and look, but this chair is not for sale. This is rightfully a beloved treasure for the couple, but just look at all the other beautiful items. I am a bit obsessed with the fan, the cat and the lamp and this and these.

Q&A with Jenna:

When did you start your etsy shop? I started BrightWallVintage in May of 2009, after my husband convinced me I’d enjoy it. At that time, he was already selling hand-painted luggage through his Etsy shop, BrightWall, so I began accompanying him on his thrift store excursions. It was an instant fit for me; shopping where prices are ridiculously cheap? Hunting through junk to find a lovely little gem? Yes please! We would often leave thrift stores with armfuls of vintage luggage filled with my vintage home goods, and pack it all Tetris-style into the back of our station wagon. Now BrightWall had a new sister store: BrightWallVintage.

How would you describe your shop? The entire BrightWall brand was named after one bright blue accent wall we have painted in our office. BrightWallVintage carries on the tradition of stocking items that are often brightly colored! I’m always drawn to vintage items that have Mid-Century design, or that have a perfectly-worn antique patina, and ceramics with unique geometric patterns. I also carry a disproportionate amount of kitschy brass animal statues, but they are always a big hit with my customers. The only downfall of having a vintage shop with higher priced items is you miss out on a lot of ‘impulse buy’ shoppers. So, in February of this year, I began adding simple art prints to my shop for an affordable price. Each one features a U.S. state with a heart over different cities, with the word ‘home‘ next to the heart. Since I used to work for a print shop, I have a great line on professional quality prints, which makes a big difference in the final product. The colors look really amazing!

Describe a typical day in your life? My days are seriously the best! Coffee is always the first thing on my agenda before I sit down to answer any Etsy convos I received overnight. I’ll also fill out shipping labels for my sales at that time, and set those aside. I usually package my sales around mid-morning, and take them to the post with my husband’s sales. By lunchtime, if I don’t have any freelance graphic design work to complete, I’m usually ready for some yoga or a good workout. If it’s nice outside, then I’ll take my Corgi, Griff, for a run at the Detroit Riverwalk; it’s totally important to me to get out of the house every now and then when you work from home. In the evenings my husband and I will often hit up a couple of thrift stores, searching for anything else we can fit in the back of our station wagon. His shop, BrightWall, has since evolved into a vintage menswear store, so instead of old Samsonite suitcases, we are now bringing home loads of vintage ties, suits, and vests! If we come home with a lot of items, we’ll set things up to photograph in our living room that evening. We both record item stats for each other, which makes the process easier and much quicker. I love being able to share this lifestyle with my partner, and I would not trade it for anything.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? Go to Belle Isle with our dogs, visit a local micro brewery, get lost in the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, or take a long weekend to the Lake Michigan town of Ludington, where we got married. I do find that if we’re home we’re usually working on something, but I think that’s the curse of most people who work from home.

What inspires you? I find inspiration in looking at what others have created. Browsing blogs, Tumblr, Pinterest, and looking at magazines like House Beautiful or Lucky; seeing what people have created through their personal vision is always astounding, and inspires me to continue thinking outside the box. Because of this I’m constantly rearranging my surroundings…let’s just say that I have painted our living room wall three times in five years!

What is your favorite thing in your home? My husband found an abandoned wooden chair in one of our city’s alleys. He brought it home, refinished it, and made it look like new. I often use it as a prop in my photoshoots for Etsy, and I’ve had more than one person ask if it’s for sale. It has a beautiful yet completely simple Mid-Century shape that makes me smile just looking at it. The fact that he salvaged it from someone’s rubbish makes it that much more special.

Visit their websites:

 

The bright wall as seen above, was the inspiration of the their brand name. Isn’t their office fun? I would not mind working in such a colorful space with a sweet puppy at my feet. I am also a huge fan of Jenna’s wedding dress, she was a gorgeous bride, and Erik is rather dapper too. Below is a glimpse into the Taylor household, full of treasures, pups, talent and love.

Thank you Jenna and Erik, you are an inspirational, dazzling couple that we wish ALL the best to.

Now, Sunday Sparkle readers please click on over to their Etsy sites and enjoy all the gems. Your welcome in advance.

 

Meet an Etsy Shop Owner: Maressa Garner

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The Sunday Sparkles introduces you to another heroine of the Etsy community. Maressa Garner, a native of Santa Barbara, has a fondness for what is old, organic, ethnic, and natural. Maressa believes that a bead holds a story, and has a great passion for weaving, wrapping, collecting and assembling a design to convey a new tale for the beads. Kiss of Venus has a collection of vibrant, earthy necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The artist herself has put thought into selecting each unique bead for their quality, energy and beauty.

Visit Maressa’s esty site HERE and her facebook HERE.

Q&A:
The Sunday Sparkle: When did you start your etsy shop? (Include, any interesting stories that lead you on your path to an etsy shop)
As a full time student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I had a difficult time balancing a job with academia. After a prolonged negative experience working for a local Lebanese restaurant, I was feeling decidedly anti-establishment at the time and thus, Kiss of Venus was born.  I had just started wire wrapping and began adding my pieces whilst versing myself in the etiquette of online mercantilism. My fascination with beads and assemblage came next.  The nature of my designs has truly been a natural & expressive evolution of the self combined with those who take an interest in my work.

TSS: How would you describe your shop?
Refined primitivism with organic, mystic, and metaphysical roots. Bohemian, surely, with a healthy dose of whimsy.

TSS: Describe a typical day in your life?
My cat, Merlin has become my early morning alarm clock. After breakfast (and coffee) I’ll generally check up on my Etsy shop before heading off to campus.  I work (very) part time as a research librarian at the UCSB Classics Library.  Here you can find me for a few hours either reading or cataloguing.  Class follows. This quarter its Ancient Greek (we’re reading Homer’s The Odyssey in the original language), Literature of Chivalry, Medieval Literature in Translation, & a seminar on Hellenistic Greece. As of right now I’m a Classics major, although I continually feel tugged towards the Medieval period and more specifically, Celtic studies. Who knows where graduate studies will whisk me.  After a long day of academic I unwind with either a run or yoga and then return home.  Here I enjoy spending time with my kitty and my boyfriend, Ted.

TSS: What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?
Be in nature, listen to music, create, daydream, Etsy, read UN-assigned literature, cook, and hang out with Ted & Merlin. Of course, I manage to sneak in most of these even on my busiest of days ;) .

TSS: What inspires you?
Mythology, folklore, runes, language, literature, primitivism, landscapes, crystals, natural geometry, Pre-Raphaelite paintings, faerie tales, ‘old world’ paganism, herbal medicine.

TSS: What is your favorite thing in your home? 
A book entitled Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece, given to me by Ted.  It was ritten by his great-grandfather (Edward E. Barthell Jr., whom Ted shares a name). How cool is that!
Maressa’s beloved cat Merlin and the artist and her boyfriend.

Meet Etsy Shop Owner: Jennifer Mills

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Here at The Sunday Sparkle we wanted to recognize all the hard working mothers, students, retirees, driven, gutsy creatives that contribute to the great community of Etsy. Some of these shop owners work multiple jobs, create to the wee hours of the morning, spend their weekends sewing and painting, their days off shipping and billing, all in the name of artistry and entrepreneurship. We applaud you and are happy to start a new feature, which will honor Etsy shop owners, and today we begin with one hard-driven, pretty southern mama.

Jennifer Mills was born in Morristown, Tennessee. Jennifer is a wife, mother of three boys, student, photographer, designer, and creator of Mills Design Co. A wonder woman who started the endeavor when her middle child was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, Jennifer left her job as florist to begin extensive speech, occupational, and physical therapy.  That same year her husband was diagnosed with a genetic disorder which causes him to have diabetes, pancreatitis, gout, and neuropathy. He had to take a medical leave from work and then weeks later, Jennifer found out she was pregnant. Wow. What a year!

While taking care of her family and going to school with a full-course load, she started to sell antiques and original art work on Etsy, but the real inspiration came from her mother-in-law’s attic, a set of olive green velveteen smocked cushions. She saw the cushions and said, ”I know how to make these! My mama taught me when I was about 8 years old.” Jennifer started making and selling the pillows, and in months she had over a 100 orders. Soon people started requesting for special orders, and now she averages 10-15 pillows a week, as well as 4-5 vintage-inspired dresses.

Jennifer is a true testament of how hard work, talent, and a supportive family makes anything possible. Jennifer says “aside from earning a degree and doing something I thoroughly enjoy, my kids have learned the importance of education and hard work by watching me over the last few years, and that makes me proud.”

Please visit Jennifer’s Etsy site HERE  to see her beautiful pillows and dresses and become a fan on facebook HERE.

Q&A:

The Sunday Sparkle: When did you start your etsy shop? 
I opened shop on December 19, 2009.  I had been TRYING to sell antiques and some of my original artwork on Ebay, but I just couldn’t seem to grasp the right customer base.  After months of sporadic sales and rediculous fees, I was feeling horribly discouraged and ready to throw in the flag…Then a friend introduced me to Etsy.  I opened my account, listed a few items and waited.  It took a few months, some trial and error, and lots of patience…but after I had those first few sales, I knew that I had found my spot!

TSS: How would you describe your shop?
Well, I’m a small-town girl, and I think Mills Design Co. represents that.  When people come to my shop, they find pretty things that they won’t find at the mall. I like to think of myself as classy with a hint of trend!

TSS: Describe a typical day in your life?
Oh boy….I get up at 6:30am, clean myself up, start breakfast, get our two “big” boys up and ready for school.  After I get them to school, I come back home, throw some laundry in the washer (yes…it IS a daily chore), and go to my “office”  (aka, the corner in the den that contains my desk and my organized clutter).  I usually get the orders that are completed packaged and ready for the mail lady.  I work on my incomplete orders until my wonderful hubby has lunch ready.  I eat and do some pre-school lessons with Owen (our 3 year old) and then it’s back to work until 2:30, when I go get the “big” boys from school.  Then it’s speech, occupational, and physical therapy for Griffin (the 8 year old), whatever errands I have, and back home to start dinner and help the kiddos with homework.  Then baths, stories, and bed for the kids…Then MY homework (still trying to finish my Bachelors Degree), and more orders if I don’t pass out on my laptop!
TSS: What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?
I usually try not to work on the weekends unless it’s a top-priority order, and we love to take the kids fishing or to the Knoxville Zoo. Weekends are also when we try to find some good estate sales, which is where I find the best vintage merchandise for my shop.  And of course, eating and shopping is always nice on a day off!
TSS: What inspires you?
Oh, I’m totally inspired by the 1940′s era.  I’m really into pinups and that style.  Aside from that, my family inspires me.  We are very close, and my kids genuinely respect the work that I do, and the effort that I put into it.  In 2007 my husband was diagnosed with a genetic disorder which causes him to have Diabetes, Pancreatits, Gout, and Neuropathy.  He spends a lot of time in the hospital and he is unable to work now, but he pushes me to be successful at anything I try.  When I decided to go back to school, he said to me, “That’s good…but I won’t let you stop until your done.”  And he hasn’t…  When sales are low and money is tight, I get frustrated and say, “I just need to go get a normal job, so we’ll know that we have a check coming in every week.”  And he says to me, “Yeah…and you’ll be miserable, because you won’t get to be with your family as much as you are, and you won’t love your job as much as you do.”  He’s absolutely right.  I have a passion for what I do, and I can’t imagine life any other way.

TSS: What is your favorite thing in your closet?
Well, on a normal day it’s my old ratty jeans!  If I don’t get up in the morning and get dressed in REAL clothes, I don’t get anything accomplished all day…Everybody always assumes that I spend my days sewing in my pajamas, but I just can’t get motivated unless I put some jeans on!  If it’s a weekend and we’re going out, I love love LOVE my little black dress.  I like to pair it with different shoes, sweaters, or accessories.
- Thank you Jennifer! You are a true image of grace and inspiration!