Meet the HOSTies - SmileyMoo

SmileyMoo

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be? a dolphin!

Fruit or chocolate? chocolate covered fruit! but if I had to choose just one I would say fruit.

Your favorite meal? Chicken alfredo and garlic toast.

City break or weekend in the country? a weekend in the country. Preferably the mountains.

Why did you join HOST? I am trying to find my place on etsy and felt HOST could help me by offering encouragement and helping me learn how to promote etc.

How did you first get interested in what you do? To be honest, my husband and I live a very frugal lifestyle. In doing so we make a wide variety of things homemade for not only ourselves but for gifts. It's simply a part of our lifestyle choices.

Tell us about your shop. SmileyMoo's is truly a variety shop for the reasons I mentioned above. I enjoy crafting as does my husband. I enjoy sewing, making soap and other bath products while he is more interested in jewelry. The name SmileyMoo is one of my daughter's nicknames and I just thought it was a generic name for a variety shop.

What do you love most about selling on Etsy? It pushes me to become better at the crafts that we do and opens me up to new ideas. It also allows me to meet people I normally wouldn't have a chance to.

Where else can we find you?
Blog: http://smileymoos.blogspot.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmileyMoos

Any advice you would like to share with others that might read this? I think my advise would be the lesson I am learning now. Keep your eyes open, learn from those that have been around longer and know what they are doing. Keep striving to be better with each new listing and each new craft you make.

Meet the HOSTies - Sedgeworks

Sedgeworks

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
I already have her; Sofie, my jenday conure parrot.

Fruit or chocolate?
Premium chocolate loaded with bits of fruit and nuts.

Your favorite meal?
Italian pot roast and roasted veggies.

City break or weekend in the country?
Waaaaaay out in the back country.

Why did you join HOST?
Because a little help and encouragement goes a very long way.

How did you first get interested in what you do?
Several years ago, I moved to the middle of nowhere, which provided a long hoped for opportunity to create and sell from home.

Tell us about your shop.
I make a wide range of styles and colors, from rustic to elegant and chunky to sleek, and don't focus too much on trends. My jewelry designs primarily feature select stone beads accented by other quality materials. I have numerous ideas I hope to bring to fruition as my shops grow. I also have supplies at stashworks.etsy.com.

What do you love most about selling on Etsy?
The outlet it provides for me to sell from home, with one shop or five, as my creative self dictates.

Where else can we find you?
I'm still learning about networking...
sedgeworks.blogspot.com
flickr.com/photos/sedgeworks
twitter.com/sedgeworks

Any advice you would like to share with others that might read this?
Right now, my online shops are my job, but for me, designing, creating and selling still need to be relaxing, inspiring, and flexible. It is very important to keep loving what I do and be challenged by new things, even when the results are laughable at first.

Meet the HOSTies - Tias

Tias

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
I'd love to have a hedgehog, they amaze me.

Fruit or chocolate?
Chocolate, I am not a fruit person. I love eating healthy and eat loads of vegetables but rarely any fruit. But I love chocolate.

Your favorite meal?
Beans and pasta stew made by my mum.

City break or weekend in the country?
When I used to live in a city I'd go for a country break. Now when I live in the countryside I am craving some city action.

Why did you join HOST?
I bumped into your forum thread by chance, and loved the philosophy of the team. Then I browsed the HOST member's shops and absolutely loved the shops, hearted most of them and decided that I want to be a part of such a great community.

How did you first get interested in what you do?
I saw glass work of a local artist and absolutely loved the colours being trapped in the glass. I loved the idea of me being able to do the same.

Tell us about your shop.
In my shop you can find fused glass rings, necklaces and earrings. I cut and design each piece individually. I use glass colours to paint between two layers of glass and my favorite glass pigments produce a bubble effect which I absolutely love.

What do you love most about selling on Etsy?
It is so simple to become a seller and to get into this big creative community. There is a big support from other sellers and lots of side activities like treasury making, teams, forums which keeps you active and informed. It would be much harder designing and maintaining your own website- I often take Etsy for granted.

Where else can we find you?
http://www.facebook.com/GlassTIAS
http://facebook.com/tiasglass
www.twitter.com/tiasglass

Any advice you would like to share with others that might read this?
Love your life ;)

Meet the HOSTies - soulinchains

Soul In Chains

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
A donkey of course , they work hard and carry the load of the world and still smile.

Fruit or chocolate?
Fruit, watermelon or strawberries.

Your favorite meal?
My very favorite meal is wheat bulgar with garlic and butter with oven roasted chicken baked in onions and green peppers, along with a nice salad and a piece of cheesecake.

City break or weekend in the country?
I really dislike city life , country.

Why did you join HOST?
I like to do things for others and all items sold in my shop I usually donate back to others by buying things from people needing sales and stuff like that.

How did you first get interested in what you do?
I have always been crafty since birth i guess.

Tell us about your shop.

It is a mix of what ever I happen to have made. I like to loom the mini bags they are not knitted they are made on a jenny loom. Each one is different and I really enjoy creating them. I like to make fun one of kind items and strange items ... nothing normal here.

What do you love most about selling on Etsy?
I like getting Positive feedback; it's the thrill of having someone like my item. I have met a lot of really nice people on etsy.

Where else can we find you?
Just on Etsy and facebook. We also have several websites : www.usenergyindependence.com Our green energy site. My partner is a Inventor/aerospace engineer. www.renewablethermodynamics.com Our other Green energy site and site for our inventions www.appliedthermodynamics.com Our engineering site.

I am also a ham radio Operator and maintain our Club website.
www.yates-arc.com

Any advice you would like to share with others that might read this?

Always follow your gut feelings. Do what is right for you not what
is right for them. Be proud of who you are and take pride in your work.