How Does She Do It??? WAHM Series Friday Feature Part 1

Many work at home moms, myself included, struggle with the duties of caring for the house and family on a daily basis- I have started a weekly feature where I search the net to find extraordinary mothers who have found and mastered a way to maintain a home business as an indie crafter.

How Does She Do it??" Is a series of interviews with indie moms of children from birth to teenage years who have graciously volunteers to share their skills, lessons & experiences with us. There will be two guest posts a week every Monday starting July 13th, 2009 all Summer long.!!!

Our First Featured Guest was Children's Footwear and Repurposed Leather Accessory Designer:Audrey Hussey - KaBoogie - http://kaboogie.etsy.com

Now, here is our Friday Feature with our second scheduled guest-fabulous Artisan Jewelry Designer:

Delilah Pearl-Gloria's Jewelry Box- http://gloriasjewelrybox.etsy.com



1) Tell us about yourself:

I am a 26 year old new mommie! I am the mother to a wonderful 1 year old son and fiancee to the love of my life. I love colors and everything that is bright and gold. I am an Aquarius that constantly has creative juices flowing through her head.

2) Why did you make the decision to pursue your art career and work from home?

I decided to restart my jewelry business while I was pregnant with my son. I finished graduate school and I wanted to find a way to stay home with my son and still contribute to the household. I have been making and selling my jewelry since I was in middle school. In college, I sold my work at a few art and craft shows. I decided that this was the time to get back to my first love!

3) I see you have a child under 5.How do you balance work and spend quality/downtime with them during a busy or hectic work day?

It is hard, but I have to work at odd times. My son is 1 now, so he doesn't nap as much as he used to. I answer emails and pack orders early in the morning and I work on my jewelry in the evening. Making jewelry is nearly impossible when he is up and moving. He is learning to stand and walk on his own so I have to watch him at all times. I try to schedule days to work on my jewelry, at least 3-4 days a week. I try to maintain a balance, it is a constant struggle!


4) Do you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed out?If so how do you diffuse or deal with these moments during business time?

There are always times that I feel stressed out, I just take a deep breath and prioritize. As mothers we try to do everything! I remember seeing the book 'Good Enough Mother' by Rene Syler and I thought to myself, I may not be perfect but my son is happy. At times I wished that I could put more items on my site and work on my collection for the next season, but my priority is to take care of my son and successfully run my business. As long as orders go out and my customers are happy, I am happy!

5) Please walk us through an average day at home:

I normally wake up around 6 to 6:30 a.m. to feed and care for my son. I answer emails and convos normally around 8. That normally takes about an hour. I put my son down for a nap around 10 a.m. Then I eat breakfast and water my plants. Immediately afterwards, I check to see if I sold any orders. I have them packaged up by noon so I can walk them to the post office. I live in downtown Philadelphia, so everything is in walking distance and I have a few lingering baby pounds! I get my son up by noon, to give him lunch and read to him. By 1:30, I send out orders and work on my inventory.

I try to at least have 2 of each item that I sell on the site. By 3, I check to see if I received ant more orders. I make the trip to the post office and try to be home by 4 p.m. to cook. I wait until my son is sleep around 8, to work on my jewelry, check emails, convos and anything else business related I didn't get done during the day. I try to be in bed by 11 p.m. but it doesn't normally work out that way!

6) Is your craft your primary source of income?How do you manage during slow sales times/seasons?

Jewelry is my primary source of income. I also make and sell my cupcakes. I am a pretty busy girl! I try to budget my money and only buy what I need. Which is hard, I always see beads that I want. I have a great family that supports my craft.



7)As a jewelry designer, I'm sure you use alot if materials/tools that can be harmful to small children, how do you safe guard all your materials/supplies?

I keep all of my beads and small objects in hard plastic cases. All of the containers have a snap closure which he can't get into. I am constantly sweeping and vacuuming to make sure there are no small beads on the floor. I moved my work area from family space to the private office, to keep harmful objects away from my son. I have also made a conscious decision to use lead-free materials in my work.

8) What do you love most about owning and operating your own creative business?

I love that Gloria's Jewelry Box is created by me, inspired by my grandmother Gloria's love of jewelry. I began beading when I was a little girl. I would love to spend time with my grandmother rummaging through her jewelry box. She taught me everything that I know about precious gemstones and metals. It was her love of turquoise that inspired me to create jewelry for her. This is my first love and it is 100% created and controlled by me!

9)A lot of mothers cannot afford child/daycare in this economy or have no support system, while other moms are simply aren't interested in others caring for their young children but they would like to find a way to support themselves and their families at home? In your opinion, what advice would you give them?

Believe in yourself and your business, you are your #1 fan. If you can't stay at home and pursue your business full-time, do it part-time. Follow your dreams and stay focused!

Thanks so much for sharing Delilah!! You and your baby are gorgeous! What a beautiful family!

You can learn more about her work here:
Blogger-http://gloriasjewelrybox.blogspot.com
Facebook-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glorias-Jewelry-Box/60964029333
Twitter-http://twitter.com/GloriasJewelry

Etsy Mini:

Indie Archive- Morgan Street Patisserie April 2009

What a super day! Bright sun, super weather and more soap to spotlight!

Etsy Artist and another fellow EAOC (Etsy Artists of Color Team) member Morgan Street was gracious enough to stop by for a few.

Welcome MorganStreet

1. Introduce yourself _ name, location , Shop name and product(s)you create.

My name is Sharon, I live in Bridgeport, CT. Shop name is Morgan Street and I create all things Soap and Bath & Body.

2. Where did you get your shop name?

I'm originally from England and I my childhood home was on Morgan Street. It's where I learned all things crafty. I still have strong ties there because one of my childhood friends bought the house after my mom passed away and my best friend's parents still live on the street. Whenever I go back, it's like a big family reunion!

3. What brought you to crafting soap?

When my niece was young she had terrible eczema and was unable to take regular baths like her siblings. I felt so sorry for her, I told my sister that I was going to make soap that she could use. I purchased a couple of books and read them over and over for about 6 months before I got the courage to make my 1st batch of soap and I haven't stopped since. ps - my niece has beautiful skin today :-)

4. How did you come to find a home on ETSY?

I had heard about Etsy on and off for a couple of years but didn't fully grasp what it was about until one day, quite by chance I happened on the site again. On that very day at that very time, I signed up and started listing products. I had no expectations at that time but figured it couldn't hurt.

5. What is (are) your favorite pieces in your Shop

That's a difficult one. They're all my favorite. If I had to choose just one, it would be the Chocolate Cake Lip Balm!

6.What is the best piece of advice you can give other aspiring soap crafters who are considering selling their craft?

My best advice would be to do what you love and do it well. Never think you know enough as there's always new things/techniques to learn.

7. In your opinion, why do you think that buying and selling handmade products benefits society especially in today's economy?

Speaking from my own personal experiences here. My company didn't give raises this year and some companies even cut salaries. Despite this, I am able to create what I love. If customers are buying my products, I in turn am able to turn around and spend it right back on Etsy which hopefully is enabling that seller to keep their lights on or buy from another seller. It's just good all around for the handmade movement.

8. Where can we find you other than Etsy to learn more about you? Any other shops?
I'm in the process of resurrecting my own website. The address will be morganstreetsoap.com

My blog is: morganstreetsoap.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/morganstreet
Flickr: flickr.com/morganstreet

Indie Archive- The Soap Seduction -April 2009

Simple Sunday Soap Special--Try and say that four times fast LOL!!

I wanted to have those fabulous Friday features but with the gorgeous weather we have been having here along the East Coast I don't blame my features for taking it in;-)

I did get a chance to grab Awesome ArtFire Artist LOVELY Lady behind

The Soap Seduction

1. Introduce yourself _ name, location , Shop name and product(s)you create.

Hello world! My name is Patrice Harrison and I am the brains behind the beauty of The Soap Seduction. I craft soaps, candles, and bath and body goodies.

2. Where did you get your shop name?

I really made the name up out of nowhere. I knew I wanted "soap" in the title so there would be no mistake about what it was I sold. I also wanted something that would be memorable and something a little risque, and nothing says that like "seduction." ;-)

3. what brought you to crafting soap?

I came to make soap as a result of my ashy-prone skin being dried out even more by the commercial detergent bars. Even the so-called "moisture" bars did nothing for me. I also wanted a soap in the scents that I like. I'm very partial to food-based fragrances as I know a lot of people are, and I just couldn't find that commercially. Everything was floral or fruity-floral.

4. How did you come to find a home on ARTFIRE? What are the challenges you find selling your goods online?

Believe it or not, I found ArtFire through a forum thread on EAOC (Etsy Artists of Color). The question was "Does anyone sell on ArtFire...?" and I was like "What the heck is ArtFire..." and with one click, I was hooked. It was new and growing, as I am, and what better way to establish my fledgling business than with a fledgling craft venue. It can be considered a risky move, but I'm quite happy there, and I've been relatively successful in the 4 1/2 months I've been selling there.

The challenges of selling online is staying afloat among the ocean of competition. Sometimes I lose focus because I compare my shop to others, but I find that can lead to discouragement and ultimately failure because you feel you don't measure up. I've since learned that I am unique in my own right and that there's room for everyone. I won't appeal to everyone, but I do have a loyal following.

5. What is (are) your favorite pieces in your Shop

My favorite item of the moment is this orange and bergamot soap.

It's both fruity and earthy which makes a seductive (pun intended) combination. It's still curing, but it will be available the week of May 10th.

6.Is soap making/ body products your main income, or do you have a "day job" also?

I only wish it were my main income. I do have a day job. I've been in banking for almost 15 years. I enjoy it, and I like knowing where my money is at all times...LOL.

6.What is the best piece of advice you can give other aspiring soap crafters who are considering selling their craft?

The best advice I can give to aspiring soap crafters is be able to defend why you charge what you do for your craft. I can't tell you how many times I've been hit with the "I ain't paying no $5.00 for a bar of soap when I can get 10 bars for the same price at XYZ store...." And to that I tell them, "First and foremost, you're not buying soap, you're buying heavily-scented, overly-drying detergent bars...." Being able to defend your passion is key in any business forum.

7. In your opinion, why do you think that buying and selling handmade products benefits society especially in today's economy?

Let's face it, our economy sucks right now. With so many people out of work, it can be challenging to convince folks to buy your handmade products, but I believe that handmade is the best way to go. It's not only the major corporations who are suffering, but the small business owners are too. Many handmade artisans rely on their craft to support themselves and their families. You may not realize it, but you're buying that bar of soap or those gorgeous pair of earrings are pumping dollars back into our economy. Where do you think we're buying our supplies from? You guessed it: Other small businesses and sometimes, the major corporations. Also, many handmade artisans are using sustainable materials to craft their goods, so not only is handmade healthy for our economy, but our environment as well.

8. Where can we find you other than Artfire to learn more about you? Any other shops?

I'm trying to take over the web...LOL. I currently sell on Etsy, Funky Finds, and 1000 Markets. I also twitter (http://www.twitter.com/SoapSeduction), and I blog almost daily at www.thesoapseduction.blogspot.com.

Thanks so much for sharing with us Patrice!!! and continued success. Please visit her shops and enjoy the Seduction;-)

Patrice Harrison

www.TheSoapSeduction.artfire.com

www.thesoapseduction.etsy.com

www.thesoapseduction.1000markets.com

http://thesoapseduction.blogspot.com

Etsy Artists of Color Team Treasury - Finding A Muse

I just found this gorgeous treasury featuring some of my fellow Etsy Artists of Color Team members. Please stop by and show some love with a comment or some clicks at this link:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=46087

Thanks for visiting;-)

Ny