Thursday, February 3, 2011

Introducing.......


Its that time again to introduce our new members.


I am sure we have already met them in the labs but I would like to take this time to officially introduce them to the rest of the rats and I hope you all welcome them with open arms and lots of virtual hugs.

Drum roll please...................... here's our January members

SmithAndDaphneWhat is your given name?
Kristen DeOrnellas.

Red and White Crocheted Chain Garland for Valentine's DayWhat made you want to start an Etsy shop?
Hmmm... I like making things and thought it would be a good outlet for that urge to create. I've been on Etsy as a buyer/browser since 2007, which is also around the time I started learning to sew and crochet and really get interested in making things myself. My husband encouraged me to start a shop because I'd made a floor pillow for our dog and he thought I should sell them - I do not, in fact, sell dog pillows, but I did decide to open a shop.

Which item in your shop is your favorite?
That's a hard one... I'd have to say that right now, it's the red and white chain garland. I love the colors, the texture, and the process of making it.

What do you enjoy doing when your not working on your shop?
Well, when I can find or make time, I love to read. I also love working in the garden (at my parents' house) or on the balcony (at my apartment). I also find plenty of things to make for our home or as gifts. I also spend way too much time reading blogs and "surfing the net" (do we use that phrase anymore?)

Where does your shop name originate from?
Good question. I just kind of made it up. I debated over the name for way too long and got to a point where I really needed to just pick one so I could open my shop. I liked the association of "Smith" with making things... blacksmith, silversmith, etc. It's also generic, which was something I wanted because I don't know if my shop is going to stay in the direction it is now (housewares) or move into other channels - and I didn't want to box myself in with a too-specific name. The "Daphne" is due to my love of the plant; the smell of daphne immediately makes me think of home. It's also got a link to mythology. I like that there's history to the words in my shop name, that like the crafts I practice, those words reference the past and for me, they reference home and the things I love as well.

DaisyDoeWhat is your given name?
Erin

Rose the Pink Bunny (Crochet Soft Toy)What made you want to start an Etsy shop?
Seeing so many wonderful creative individuals out there with their own Etsy shops really inspired me to start my own. Making items for Etsy really allows me to take my mind off every-day events and just relax. It's also pretty cool to receive nice comments about my items, and to see people enjoying my items.

Which item in your shop is your favorite?
Oh that's a tough one, but I think I would say my favourite item is "Rose the Pink Bunny", she's just got such a cute and innocent look about her (and plus, I love pink!)

What do you enjoy doing when your not working on your shop?
I enjoy designing and building websites, drawing and photography.

Where does your shop name originate from?
My love of nature - both flora and fauna. I find that even though daisies are a bit plain, they are still beautiful flowers,  and deers are very alluring with their gorgeous big eyes. I thought the name "Daisy Doe" was unique, but not so much that others wouldn't be able to relate to it.


What is your given name?
Mokuzai Ninja Valentines Edition: Heart of Gold polymer clay mini art figureMy name is Sandy~ :) Though I've been using my nickname Chi on Etsy since it's part of the shop name and would be easier to remember.

 What made you want to start an Etsy shop?
The thought of opening an online handmade business has never crossed my mind until I had made our wedding cake topper out of polymer clay (It is also the avatar I use on Etsy). It had received some great response from those who attended and a few of our friends and family had planted the idea to sell figures like this~ and when I stumbled across Etsy while shopping online one day, I found the perfect place to start a shop~ :3

Which item in your shop is your favorite?
It's quite hard to choose just one... as I like different aspects of each character creation. I guess an overall favorite would be the Mokuzai Ninjas (Ninja tree stumps), which is the first in the series that has the ability to merge with the "environment" (by turning 180 degrees around~ haha~). For some reason I really like making tree stumps!

I also have a real liking for Ninja Spheria (from the Ninja Shapes series) and have one of her charms dangling off the zipper of my bag~ (I also put her boyfriend, Ninja Square, on the zip of Bon's bag! X3 hehe) I also really like Miss Couch Potato as she reminds me of myself sometimes~ X3 although she haven't been as popular as the ninjas she will be having her own series (Exercise with Miss Couch Potato) out soon, which I hope will inspire the couch potato in us to exercise along with her~ ;) 
  
What do you enjoy doing when your not working on your shop?
Bon and I really like playing video games~ X3 (see the inspiration for Miss Couch Potato?) Though I haven't been playing as much after starting the Etsy shop... We also love playing volleyball, although I can't say that we're pro's at it... Bon also loves soccer/football and we are Barca supporters! :D My favorite player is Xavi~ Bon's favorite would be Messi~ X3 I also love karaoke, but haven't been singing for a looooong time (other than in the shower... does that count?)

Where does your shop name originate from?
The name Bon&Chi is from the last characters of my hubby (Bon) and my own (Chi) Chinese names. Although we were born in Hong Kong and Taiwan respectively, we actually grew up in Australia and New Zealand (so my Chinese is actually not that good... I wish I had paid more attention at the Chinese classes my parents had sent me to when I was younger... :() I first used the Bon&Chi name on T-shirts that I had designed and we wore at the volleyball game during our wedding (Yes! Instead of "first dance" at our wedding we had the "first serve" haha~)



EarthyHabitatWhat is your given name?
Bright Orange Tagua Pendant Necklace Eco Friendly  UnisexMy first name is Sandra but my friends and family know me by my middle name which is Fiorella (or "Fio").

What made you want to start an Etsy shop?
A couple of years ago, I began attending craft fairs and selling my artwork as well as some jewelry pieces. I enjoyed the experience a lot and opened a physical store along with another local artist I had  met at my workplace. A year later, I changed jobs and had to move two hours away from the area the store was located at. My business partner and I agreed that it would be easier for us to just part ways. As I was working on the idea of opening my own store in the town I now live in, I found out I was pregnant and all my plans were put on hold. Then, one day, I somehow ended up on Etsy while browsing the internet for baby items. At that point, I just knew that an online store was the way to go. 

Which item in your shop is your favorite?
I love almost 90% of the items I make so the "favorite" one is usually my latest creation.  In general, however, I enjoy the tagua jewelry very much. I feel good about using an eco-friendly and sustainable materials. At the same time, I also feel very proud because these seeds come from my country (Peru) and with each one that gets sold, I know I'm sharing a little bit of it with the rest of the world. 

What do you enjoy doing when your not working on your shop?
I enjoy spending time with my 5 month old daughter. When I'm not at work or making things for my Etsy shop, I'm always hugging her, kissing her and playing with her.

Where does your shop name originate from?
'Earthy Habitat' was the name of my physical store. I invested so much on  a domain name, website, business cards, flyers and other stationary that it just made sense to use it for my Etsy shop as well. I currently redirect all the website traffic to my Etsy shop (since this is what I've been maintaining the most lately). I also had FB fans for my store page, which are now finding out about the Etsy shop. 

The idea behind the name is that we all belong to the Earth and that humanity as a whole should look at this planet at their natural habitat where no boundaries, borders or any kind of separation exists. 
There are many beautiful things that nature provides us with in every corner of the world. I feel we all should make ourselves aware of that and enjoy them while we can. 

Welcome to the team and hope to see you in the labs soon.


Poppy
(Poppyseedcats)

5 comments:

  1. Welcome to the team, look forward to seeing you guys in the labs!

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  2. thanks for letting me join this team~ X3 I've been looking forward to joining lab rats since finding the virtual labs on Etsy~ X3

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  3. It is wonderful learning about each of you - it makes it a more personal team. Welcome to each of you! You will truly enjoy your membership and the friendships you make with us!

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