Folksy Blog » Featured Sellers

Shop Talk :: It belongs to turtle

Hilary — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 06:00:23 +0000

Welcome to Shop Talk, where sellers tell us about their Folksy shops and their craft, as well as offering a few words of advice for new shop keepers. This week we’re talking to Elki from Folksy shop It belongs to Turtle

“It belongs to Turtle! – for something a mite special”

It Belongs to Turtle sells fun greetings cards and little gifts printed with very distinctive bright animal designs. Elki’s banner and avatar have been carefully designed showing ‘Turtle’ and the descriptions of the items are great fun and add lots of character to this charming shop.

Could you describe your shop?

My shop, It Belongs To Turtle, is a platform upon which Turtle (the tortoise-shaped protagonist of the shop) introduces his animal friends to the world via the medium of cute cards, prints and gifts.

Who does your Folksy shop appeal to?

Mostly, my Folksy shop appeals to me! But, other than that I would say that Turtle is generally a bit of a hit with the ladies. Being that almost everything in the shop features an animal of some kind, I would expect my items to appeal to animal lovers but also to those with a quirky sense of humour.

Is this your day job?

As much as I would love for running my business to be my day job, unfortunately it isn’t. But coming home from work to do it is definitely my favourite part of the day! My daytime identity is that of an under-stimulated customer service type person. I would tell you where I worked, but I’m not sure I’m allowed to. You’d probably like me less if I did anyway! The best part of being bored and complained at all day is that it pressed on my brain so much that it squeezed Turtle out!

It belongs to turtle – Blog, Elki has created a beautiful autumnal banner.

Have you been into craft and the handmade lifestyle for long?

I have always loved doing crafts, and get very, very excited in shops with arts and crafts departments. In particular I have always been happiest drawing; I find it very relaxing and satisfying when something comes out just how it looked when it was inside my head.

I’m truly amazed by so many of the handmade things that I see on Folksy and always want to give them a go myself so am usually trying something new every few weeks (with varying degrees of success). Nothing but drawing has really stuck so far though!

Where do you promote your shop?

I promote my shop in all the usual places really. I use Facebook quite a bit these days; although, I was never really a fan of it for personal use so it took me a while to get into it. Now that they have introduced “pages” and all this “liking” business I find it to be a really useful tool. There is an It Belongs To Turtle Facebook Page and I have set up profiles for Turtle and some of the other animals and now Turtle has more friends than I do.

My other big promotional tool is Turtle’s Blog, and even though I don’t get that many referrals to my shop from it, it’s been really important in the development of Turtle and his personality. I’m trying to make the blog much more interactive and have just recently introduced Turtle’s Tea Army (where readers can join and take part in little missions), a Flickr pool where sellers can submit their items to be featured on Turtle’s Blog, and I’ve also been really lucky to have some other Folksy sellers write guest posts for the blog and am always looking for others to give it a go too.

Do you have plans to expand your business in the future?

As most people probably do, I hope to get to the point where running my business could provide me with a reasonable income. The route that I’ll take to get there is forever changing, but I definitely plan to expand the range of products in the shop and also to finally give Turtle a chance to shine and feature him on some products. I’ve been lucky enough to have some of my items stocked in a new shop in York, The Gift Gallery, and have found it to be a real boost to my confidence that my things have actually been selling. So I think this might spur me on to pluck up the courage and approach some more local shops. The only long-term plans I have that seem to stick are to eventually write a Turtle-based book and also to learn to make some kind of plushie versions of all the animals (then again, my sewing skills aren’t that great…).

What advice would you give to someone thinking about opening up a shop here on Folksy?

The best advice that I have been given is to do what you enjoy. Not everybody will love what you make, and it wont always fit in with the current trends, but if you feel passionate about it and love your end product then it will really shine through. There was a point where I was desperately trying to think of new products that would definitely sell, but only when I simply concentrated on making what I liked did I actually start to sell anything.

The best part I find about selling on Folksy is the sense of it being like an online community, where if you’re a bit stuck on something, there are oh-so-many neighbours to ask for a little help or guidance; some would probably lend you a cup of virtual sugar too if you asked nicely!

We’d love to hear your comments!

Get in touch and let us know who you would like to see interviewed in our Shop Talk series, or if you have an idea for an article you’d like to see on the Folksy Blog – hilary@folksy.co.uk

Shop Talk :: Woolly Duck

Hilary — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 05:00:43 +0000

This week we’re talking to Angela from Folksy shop Woolly Duck

“Woolly Duck! – treats made from 100% wool”

They look so realistic! All of the fruits and treats in Folksy shop Woolly Duck have been created from 100% wool fibres, using the technique of wet felting. They can be used as pin cushions, toys or decorations for around the home. Angela has created a beautifully delicate shop front, not just with the range of unique felted products but also with the careful styling of her shop. The backgrounds and borders are consistent throughout all 5 pages of items, which is an excellent way to gain brand recognition.

Could you describe your shop?

My Folksy shop is a colourful display of goodies, all made from felted wool. Most of my items can be used as pincushions, or simply displayed on cake-stands and fruit bowls. They can also be used in gentle play for older children, as long as they don’t try to eat them! I also sell a few brooches too.

Who does your Folksy shop appeal to?

I think my shop appeals mainly to women or children due to the sweet and cake theme, although I’m sure that men would like it too ( after all, who can really resist cake?) My items also make great gifts, so anyone who is looking to buy an unusual present for someone special should stop by and take a look too

Is this your day job?

At the moment, my felting is just a part-time job. My main job is doing sewing alterations and making skirts and trousers for my dad, who is a bespoke tailor. I also have three children ( the youngest is only three ) so I have a very busy life at the moment, working around their school hours. I would love nothing more though than to make felt cakes, day and night!

Find out more about Woolly Duck over at Angela’s Blog

Have you been into craft and the handmade lifestyle for long?

I’ve always loved to make things. From a very young age, I would be making ragdolls, home-made cards or anything really that I could make using glue or glitter. Even as a teenager when my friends would be out discovering pubs and nightclubs, I’d be at home knitting! I like hand-made things. I appreciate other peoples talents and I also like the feeling I get when I have completed something, and I look at it and think “I made that!”

Where do you promote your stock?

I must confess, I don’t really promote my shop anywhere right now. I make the odd tweet, flickr upload or blog post from time to time but I really never seem to get around to doing anything on a regular basis. My mum has been the a good source of promotion for me by handing out business cards to anyone who has shown any interest. Also, I have been very lucky to have had a lot of mentions on Folksy Friday blog posts. I am really grateful to all those sellers who take the time to do this each week, to help promote other peoples work. One day when I am felting full time, I will be tweeting, blogging and face-booking up there with the rest!

Do you have plans to expand your business in the future?

I certainly have plans to expand my business one day. I want to make and sell a much bigger range of felt food items in my shop, and also I would love to make up enough stock to have a great display table at craft fairs – bunting, cakestands piled high with cupcakes and scones, plates of doughnuts and sandwiches. Maybe even whole cakes on display too. I could even see myself wearing a vintage pinny! But for now I am still very loyal to my dads business, so I will continue to do my sewing until he retires (he’s 65 now so maybe one day soon….. )

What advice would you give to someone thinking about opening up a shop here on Folksy?

I’d say to mainly sell something you enjoy making and that you can do well – quality is important. Clear photographs are also helpful to buyers – show a few different angles or shots of each item to show as much detail as you can. Put as much information as you think is needed in the item description – especially measurements, or what the item is made from, what the packaging will be like. I’d also suggest to charge a fair price for postage too – try not to make a large profit on this as high postage can sometimes put a buyer off making a purchase. I would also suggest to communicate well with your buyer. I like to send a quick message to thank them for their purchase, I leave them possitive feedback to show I appreciate their custom, then I send another message to let them know that I have posted their order. Finally, don’t forget to pay your Folksy bill each month!

We’d love to hear your comments!

Get in touch and let us know who you would like to see interviewed in our Shop Talk series, or if you have an idea for an article you’d like to see on the Folksy Blog – hilary@folksy.co.uk

Featured sellers: Beautiful Skin, The Home Press, The Old Lamp Shed and Rae Welch,

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:18:10 +0000

Please welcome our four new fabulous featured sellers:

Beautiful Skin – Simply stunning leather cases for your mobile phone, iPod or iPad. Printed with designs that range from the cool to the delicately elegant.
The Home Press – these cards are bold, bright and wonderfully ‘Folky’. Featuring birds, flowers and typography, in a rainbow of colours. If you don’t send them, then hang them up!
The Old Lamp Shed – handmade drum lampshades, with a colour, fabric and design to suit any room in the house! Jazz up your lamps with The Old Lamp Shed!
Rae Welch – the sweetest, quirkiest little bird sculptures – bluetits, magpies, black birds. They a bring a smile to your face.

New featured sellers

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:19:36 +0000

Please welcome our four new fabulous featured sellers:

Amy Orange Juice – Catch the sunshine, through these brightly coloured stain glass pieces! Boats to bunting all in an array of stunning colours! Fill your home with rainbows
Toggle – Knitted, sewn, tactile covers for IPods and Laptops. Plus quirky upcycled note books and snuggly accessories. This is cosy meets city chic!
Mengsel – bold bright, screen printed home products such as handmade screen printed posters, pillow covers and tea towels. Modern, quirky and fun. Brighten up your home!
Helkat Design – Bring a little vintage elegance to your home…cushions and canvases inspired by iconic, heraldic images. Bold but gentle, muted but edgy!

Featured sellers: Bird is the word

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:03:00 +0000

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed some recent changes to the Folksy home page.

For the last few weeks the featured items have shown off a smaller set of items with a particular theme. This week ‘Bird’ is the word. Before that we had the seaside and flowers – all very summery so far, even if the weather isn’t.

It’s a great chance to show off some of the lovely things on Folksy. There are great products right across the board, in all price ranges. C’mon, have a look.

There are also three new featured sellers, all with plenty of birds in their shop. So, feast your eyes on:

Cherryloco – characterful silver jewellery from Lauren Ridley
Sooziebee – delightful prints and illustrations on a birdy theme
Lost at Sea – fabulous mid-century inspired jewellery from a London-based design duo

The themes will be changing weekly now so do send your requests if you have any.

Photo: Wee birdy necklace from Cherryloco.

July Featured Sellers

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Hello.

Jemima Lumley was picked out of the hat from last month’s Featured Sellers to choose this month’s. We’ve upped the number from four to five, partly due to the fact that more and more sellers are joining Folksy so we want to try and reflect that in the number of Featured Sellers that are, er, Featured. So, here they are with Jemima’s comments:

Hello Monkey

I’m a sucker for a screen print or two. But there’s something extra special about Kerry’s work. I think it’s the combination of unusual colour palette and the spare, graphic style of her work. Fabulous.

Caroline Green Pottery

Caroline’s shop was one of the first one I hearted when I first discovered Folksy. I love the cool clean lines, simple yet familiar shapes and the subtle decoration.

Tamsyn Amber

Corsages – I love them! I have many more corsages than I do clothes to put them on, but there’s something about them that makes me feel smart. Tamsyn’s purple organza ones are on my wishlist.

Susan Green Books

My sister calls me the Notebook Queen (and Imelda Marcos but that’s another story), so I had to put my favourite notebook maker on my list. The orange leather one will be mine, so hands off.

Gooseberry Moon

I always have a stash of nice cards for those occasions – all too regular – when I forget a birthday, or need to apologise for forgetting… well most things, and when the drawer is running low, I shall be buying a fresh supply from here. Lovely!

Thanks to Jemima for making the choices – never easy. What do you think?

May Featured Sellers

admin — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:18:00 +0000

Hello.

MrsElliotBooks was picked from the hat to choose the Featured Sellers for May. You can see Francesca’s choices and comments over on her blog. The criteria as ever was :

4 shops
Different types of ‘things’ for sale and craft practices (so we get a range)
Must use good quality images
Must have at least five items for sale in the shop at time of choosing

So, here are the next four:

Great choices, no?

Thanks to all of last month’s sellers (and in particular MrsEliotBooks for her choices) and good luck to you guys in May.

April’s Featured Sellers

admin — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:38:00 +0000

Lucy Player was picked out of the hat from March to chose the Featured Sellers for April. Lucy has written a blog post saying a little bit about each one, so you should read that. I’ll just re-announce the chosen one’s here:

Great choice! There are a couple of sellers that I had not come across. Seeing new talent on Folksy is a fantastic buzz for us. And I’m pleased Mrs Eliot Books was chosen as we’ve been admirers of her work for a while.

Taking a sideways view

admin — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:47:00 +0000

We love seeing things on Folksy that take a sideways look at the world. This one today that made us laugh:

Death by Chocolate, by Dan Jackson who does some marvellous things.

February’s Featured Sellers

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:08:00 +0000

Thanks to Nicola for choosing February’s Featured Sellers. Take a look at her blog post to see why she decided to choose the shops, below.

Gilfling

Quercus

Milomade

Amanda Sainsbury who, I see, has a sale on…

A few people have expressed concern that they won’t be chosen as Featured Sellers as people will only pick ‘friends’. I appreciate this concern about favouritism but we’ve found that most people have expressed a desire *not* to pick people they know, but to choose from a wide range of work. Going forward we’ll be introducing new ways into Folksy for those who are perhaps less well known in the craft ‘community’.