My Interview with Amy at Amy Kristine Vintage

Your banner graphic is Wonderful, did you design it yourself?

I wish! My artistic skills are pretty much nil. I worked with Solid Art Collective on my logo and banner design, and she was very helpful and patient. It was a fun process, and I am very happy with the result.

Does the little fox have special meaning?

In a way it does. My lovely boyfriend and I like to email each other cute pictures of red pandas and foxes, as a way to make each other smile, so it’s an animal that is close to my heart.

You come from a line of 'treasure hunters' are you the first to open your own shop?

What prompted you to open on Etsy?

I am the first to open an online vintage/antique shop, although I do have an aunt that has a booth at an antique mall, which means I always have someone to go to garage sales with.

Opening a vintage store was something I had been thinking about for a while, but timing was the deciding factor. I finished up college, and decided to finally give it a shot. I hoped that it would be a great (and flexible) side job once I go to grad school for my PhD in history.

However, this is definitely my first choice for what I could do for the rest of my life, so if I am able to increase my sales in the next year, I may end up being an antique and vintage dealer forever (fingers crossed!).

We are going to need to see a picture of the 'even cuter dog', please.

I think everyone with a pet thinks theirs is the cutest! Our dog is a 5 year old Golden Retriever, his name is Hunter, and he is a total sweetheart.

Where are your favorite sort of places to find your vintage items?

My top choices for hunting wild vintage are definitely auctions, with estate sales and garage sales being a close second. Unfortunately, in Minnesota they tend to be pretty infrequent during our long winter. During those times, I have a few great thrift stores I frequent on a weekly basis. But, I try to check out any place that might have vintage items, such as occasional sales, antique malls, and rummage sales. 

What has been your favorite find recently?

It is pretty hard to pick! But I think the weather starting to turn has made the Schmidt picnic basket one of my new favorites, as I can’t wait until we can have picnics every weekend. It’s easily one of the things I love the most about spring and summer. It combines three of my favorite things; showing off my cute vintage baskets and linens, cooking and being outside!

Animal, vegetable, mineral.

While I am an animal lover and a veggie lover, I would have to say mineral. We got to visit some family in Washington DC this summer, and went to the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum. The gem and mineral exhibit is amazing, and it rekindled a fascination with rocks I haven’t felt since I was 6!

How is your home renovation going?

It is going well, although it definitely slowed down a bit over the winter. Last year, we had refinished the floors, painted, replaced fixtures and fixed the fireplace. Painting, sawing, sanding or drilling I can do, but I am a bit clueless when it comes to plumbing and electricity, so it helps a lot that my boyfriend used to refinish houses! Everything that’s left to do is either outside or in the basement, and we have to wait until after the spring melt to start back up again. So this summer, I will probably be blogging about refinishing basements, landscaping and cement mixing. The house was built in 1929, so it has been a fun balancing act to make it cute and ours while maintaining the house’s style.

Your shop has been very successful, could you share with us some things you believe have helped it to become so?

I think selling what you love and always working towards improvement are important factors. I am constantly shopping, cleaning, listing, researching and promoting, and am always looking for ideas that may help my business. And I think it is important to sell items that you would buy for yourself or as a gift or your friends or family. I have also noticed that many successful shops either have a large quantity of lower priced items, or a small selection of carefully curated items. Mine is a bit in between, but having a large variety of items and a range of price points has helped me so far, and I hope to present a shop with colorful and fun vintage décor items at a decent price. That being said, there are many things I would still like to fix and improve in my shop, and sometimes being very self-critical can help you to step away from your shop and truly see what is and is not working.

All in all, sell what you love and show the customer why you love it, either through the description or how it is presented in the photographs. And kindness and generosity is a wonderful thing in business, don't be afraid to showcase or assist other sellers and artists, as that is what will make you feel good at the end of the day!

Thanks Amy for giving so Generously of your time!!

Here's what Amy's giving away this week!

An incredibly cool set of vintage pick up sticks!!  This could be your ticket to the look that is so in right now in home decor...unuasual vertical pieces that draw the eye...things like feathers, and vintage arrows are often used--but how cool would pick up sticks be?! 

To enter-

Comment on this interview, and any post this week

Sign up to follow this blog

Pop over to Amy's blog @ http://www.quixoticfox.com/ let me know you did, and it will get you an extra entry!!

Happy Entering!!

My Interview with Rhonda at ShadowJewels



Rhonda with Coob



When did you start Shadowjewels? How long have you been creating your own jewelry?  Was there a particular event that sparked it?



ShadowJewels is entirely the fault of the internet. About 12 years ago, I got a new computer. Once I got online, unfortunately I discovered cybershopping. I started collecting Victorian jewelry, but that was frustrating for me because the pieces I really wanted were too expensive. Then one day I bought a necklace with a broken clasp~ a bargain! And decided to learn how to fix it. When I found you could buy vintage beads and jewelry parts online, that was the end of my normal life.

 Zowie!

'This will be much cheaper', I thought. Sure! Now I have a whole room full of the stuff. It has not been cheaper than buying the Victorian jewelry, but it sure has been more fun.

What drew you to Etsy?

Finding Etsy was like coming home for me. I love handmade, of course....and when I saw how vintage was taking off, that was wonderful!

The community here is just so creative, and positive, and eco conscious.

I'd absolutely love it if you could tell everyone about Coob. (Your avi buddy)

Oh Cooby. He's a character. When my husband moved here from France, he brought Coob with him. At first we really didn't click, because he couldn't understand me! Coob didn't speak English. "Come here boy!", "Cooby get out of there!", and "Coob, dinner!" were all met with the same puzzled, blank stare. He must have thought I was stupid ("look at thees seely woman, she does not speak a zee francais"). He learned fast though, and it didn't take long for him to become part of the family.

Now if somebody is speaking French to him, it's because he's in trouble. LOL!

You are the Queen of the Treasuries (in my humble opinion)...How do you find inspiration for your wonderful collections?

For me, making a treasury is a similar process to making my jewelry. Sometimes I'm inspired by a special item, a color, a season, mood, song, story, or poem....lately I find I am drawn more and more to Emily Dickinson, that quintessential peculiar woman. I'm right there with you Emily, getting stranger by the day!

What season of the year do you find most peaceful?

Love them all, except summer. I melt.

You create gorgeous vintage-inspired jewelry...do you ever go 'treasure hunting' for other vintage things?

Yes but I'm more of an online shopper!

What are the top three songs on your Playlist right now?

Sixties! Blind Faith~ Can't Find my way Home, Jefferson Airplane~ Somebody to Love, and Jimi Hendrix~ Machine Gun.

 Animal, vegetable, mineral.

Giraffe, artichoke, quartz. Ametrine, tourmaline, garnet, aquamarine, kyanite, labradorite.... wait a minute, what was the question?

If you could spend a day with a picnic lunch, your favorite book, and a beautiful place--what would be in the lunch basket, what book would you bring, and where would you go?

A simple lunch, some brie and fruit; the Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss ( just started it); in Sequoia National Park. I love exploring the high Sierra, and sequoia forests are my most favorite places of all. Nothing else comes close to that feeling of sheer joy, peace, and contentment. My husband and I go out camping every chance we get. You can see his beautiful nature photography on my flickr page

www.flickr.com/photos/sierrashadow/

Any advice or encouragement for fellow artists or Etsyians?

Find what inspires you, hold on tight, and then follow your dreams. Remember to stay positive.

Instant Karma's gonna get you!

Thanks Rhonda!  For the positively wonderful interview!

My Interview with Reana from Niftic on Etsy

Reana from Niftic

It's so nice to chat with the lady BEHIND that crazy Avi…Let's start with that!

Where did you get that picture, and why did you choose it?

I am a huge collector of ephemera and found him many, many years ago. He makes me smile and actually sometimes giggle out load when I play with different words coming out of his mouth. I wanted something a tad unusual and he was the perfect fit. I’m seriously thinking of leaving him behind soon and taking on my true persona, but the word is still out on that. I would miss him terribly.

What drew you to Etsy?

I was a huge Ebay seller when my Mom became ill, I used it to help supplement my income while taking care of her. After she passed I decided to explore the internet market further and thankfully I stumbled upon Etsy. It just felt right to me, the comradery, the sense that your not alone. I opened a store right away only to close a short time later in order to do my research, it took me nearly 2 years until I felt I was truly ready to join the Etsy community. The learning continues daily I still have so much more to explore here.

I've seen you mention your 'personal stash’ have you always been a collector?

I learned the secrets of collecting from my Grandmother who I cherished dearly. We would go to garage sales, church sales and the like. She would always hand over a few dollars and say, “ Find something you love, something different, something that no else has.” Her words ring in my ears every day.

What is the story behind the name of your shop?

I agonized over my name, every time I thought I had it, it was taken or too close to the one I had chosen. 

I finally came across a book of 40’s slang and there it was. 

“Niftic” was used in the 40’s as nifty or keen would be used later on. It suited me to a T.

I just programmed my time machine and you can have five minutes with anyone in history,

who would it be and what would you talk about?

By all means photographer Diane Arbus, a simply amazing woman who died in the early 70’s. Her work was of real people, the deformed, the midget, the giant, she found beauty in everything. She saw herself as somewhat of a voyeur, peaking into the lives of others. One of her most famous quotes…

"My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been before.”

I’m fascinated with her inspiration and her feeling for humanity in general,

she was a little out there but what talent!

Favorite piece you've ever found.

I found a stunning piece at the age of 15 with my Grandmother, we where at a church sale. The necklace I’m wearing now, it just sang to me, all beautiful and glistening. I’ve never seen another piece quite like it, ever. It cost me $15, which was all the cash to my name, but I never regretted that purchase, I have treasured it for a very long time.

You are a leader of the Vesties Team-how do you juggle that along with a successful shop and other team memberships?

One cup of Joe in the morning and I’m off and running, usually up at the crack of dawn. I’ve always been a bundle of energy, especially when forced to deal with something new everyday. I spend a good 10 – 12 hours a day networking, marketing and the like. Each day has it’s own special task, which of course gets thrown out of wack quite often, but I try to stay the course. The Vesties is near and dear to my heart. I just love that team. Opendoorstudios gave me a chance of a lifetime and I am very grateful to be involved. I also became involved with the VM Team, another great group who’s true calling is vintage.

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?

A diamond in the rough, just waiting to shine.

Seen any good movies lately?

Give me AMC or IFC anyday. I thrive on the old classics and I’m a big fan of Independent film. Tim Burton gets my heart racing, he’s an amazing talent as well as David Lynch, I love his dark brooding weirdly entertaining films.

Any advice for other treasure hunters?

Just have fun! Collect only what you love and sell only what you would purchase yourself.

Don’t be intimidated by Auctions, they are my mainstay.

Love the thrill of the hunt and hunt only what you love.

My mantra,

Give of yourself, you will get so much more in return and try to see the beauty in everything.

Thanks Reana, for reminding us to look!

My Interview with Elea from 51VC



                    

Elea from 51VC

You have so much enthusiasm for vintage, how did you get hooked?
"Working in a second hand store! That'll do it!"

Do you have an era that speaks to you the most?

"Eames Era, most definitely. But I get pretty bonkers when I come across items from my childhood a.k.a. the 1980's too."

How did you get started on Etsy?

"I was a manager for a second hand store that was not-for-profit while I was a photography and art major.

It was suggested to me by a regular customer who was an artist to check Etsy out as a place to showcase my pieces in order to supplement my income. 

She really talked it up and I had serious doubts it could be such a big deal. 

Boy was I wrong!"

http://www.etsy.com/listing/43827967/vintage-emerson-am-radio

You have three shops, two vintage and one upcycling…where do you find the time?

"Well, this is a good question. I lived in the Omaha area all of my life. Then I met my husband and we found a big house in a wee little town 40 minutes from the nearest Walmart (no, seriously). 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60760403/rare-pyrex-dish-complete-with-lid-and

The living is easy and the houses are cheap. On top of that my husband makes a comfortable living for the area we live in. But it's actually more difficult than one would think to find time for 3 shops when you have 2 dogs, 5 cats, a Queen Anne to renovate and maintain and all of your family lives out of state." 

*exhausted laugh goes here*

If you had a box of crayons and a blank sheet of paper what color would you use first? Why?

"Teal. It's just the most inspiring color to me.... right now."

What has been your favorite find?

"Most recently, a pair of moon boots.  They were one size too big. :("

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68759364/vintage-shark-necktie-free-shipping

Where do you find your best stuff ? 

"I find the best things at the places most likely to get one in trouble.

The places where your motto becomes, "well I can't afford NOT to get it". Those places usually end up being community-supporting shops.

And that only adds "justification" to the motto. They're the most dangerous places.

But they make you feel like a thrifting superstar!"

Current favorite guilty pleasure.

"Staying up late to list and make treasuries only to end up watching two hours of 
'What I Like About You' re-runs on Teen Nick."

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?  "Vegetable! C'mon Spring Time!"

http://www.etsy.com/listing/58831874/fruit-bushel-basket?
ga_search_query=basket&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5583309


You have such an upbeat positive attitude. What keeps you going when you start to lose steam?

"GOD, my husband, my kitties, my mom, and my fellow Etsy'rs- all of whom are super supportive!"

Let's say you have a totally free day, and a personal jet
ready for your destination input.
Where do you go, what do you do?
"I'd fly to South America and zip-line among Mayan ruins and then take a nap on a beach somewhere."

http://www.etsy.com/listing/47936960/lady-tiki-bikini-glasses-3?ga_search_query=beach&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5583309

Any Advice?

"I just would like to add a tip I've had to recall recently when dealing with 'tricky' customers. "You don't always know the right thing to do but you always know the wrong thing."

It's hard to take the high road but you'll save yourself a lot of energy if you keep this motto in your back pocket. It applies to life in general pretty well too!"

In Reflection..."I'm one of the lucky ones who've been able to make Etsy my full time job.  
It takes alot of work to get there."

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60738587/disinterested-owl-planter

  Thank you Elea, for your wit and wisdom!  

                              Elea and I are both members of the Vestie Team on Etsy.
               ----Use the couponcode 51Love at Elea's shop this week for 15% off!