{Featured Artist & Giveaway} Amy from Brooks Boutique

Welcome to Featured Fridays on Snuggly Monkey! Every week we take a peek into the artist studio of a talented Etsian, and this week we are visiting with Amy from Brooks Boutique.

Brooks Boutique is an adorable shop filled with a wide variety of handmade gifts including burp clothes, car seat strap covers, hairbows, pacifier clips and more. Amy describes her shop's style as "Fun, Whimsical and Funky".

How did you come up with your shop name? 
My last name is Brooks and I offer a variety of items, baby, adult, women, men, so I needed a "cover-all" name!


How would you describe your work to someone who asked you “What do you sell/make/do?” 
I design and make whimsical and fun items for you and your little ones!!


When did you start doing your craft/art? 
6 years ago when my first daughter was born


How did you first become interested in sewing? 
I saw all these cute items at the high price boutique stores and thought I could make them for a whole lot cheaper. I bought a sewing machine and played with it until I could sew! :)

What is your favorite item to create?
I love making the arm pads for the infant carrier-they are so wonderful! No more hurting arms!

How do you advertise or promote your shop?

I use facebook, twitter, word of mouth, post office bulletin boards, anything you can think of!

What do you do to encourage repeat/return customers?

I send coupons out with every item purchased. 

What do you use for packaging materials? Where do you get them?

I wrap all items in tissue paper and seal with a brooks boutique sticker! 

How do you go about obtaining your supplies? Do you shop online or locally?

I shop in online co-ops and also on ebay. I shop everywhere basically! Don't limit myself to just one shop. 

As a fan of Inside the Actor's Studio with James Lipton, I've always enjoyed his final 10 questions that he asks all his guests. So, inspired by the questionaries of Mr. Lipton, Bernard Pivo (Lipton's inspiration) and Marcel Proust here are a few final questions for Amy..


What is your favorite word? awesome!
What is your least favorite word? hormel
What sound or noise do you love?my newborn cooing!
What sound or noise do you hate? my older kids fighting
If you were reincarnated as some other plant or animal, what would it be? a monkey
Who are your favorite fictional heroes/heroines? Superwoman!
Who are your favorite heroines/heros in real life? God, my parents and my sister
What natural gift would you most like to possess? the ability to sing
What would you like to be when you grow up? an obstetrician
What makes you smile? my family! :)

Thank you so much Amy for giving us a peek into your shop world today! Be sure to keep in touch with Amy by stopping by her shop, Facebook page or blog and saying Hello!

Etsy shop:http://www.etsy.com/shop/brooksboutique

Blog/Website: www.brooksboutique.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooks-Boutique/158507521188   

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/brooksboutique

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brooksboutique

Amy is sponsoring a giveaway for Snuggly Monkey readers! 

Enter for a chance to win a *Winner's Choice* Car Seat Strap set from Brooks Boutique! 

(So the winner can choose whichever Car Seat Strap set she/he likes best from Brooks Boutique!) 

Here is one of my favorites:

Giveaway Start Date: Friday, August 26, 2011

Giveaway End Date: Friday, September 9, 2011

Open to US & Canada Residents Only.

{How to Enter to Win}

The winner of this Giveaway will be chosen at random, so the more times you enter the higher your chances of winning! I like having options, so there are SEVERAL ways to enter.  Feel free to do as many or as few as you like. Don't have time to do them all now? No problem! Come back later and add a few more entries (this giveaway will be open for TWO whole weeks).  

Entering is EASY with Rafflecopter. When you have completed one of the tasks below, just click the green "I DID THIS" button, enter the requested information and move on to the next task! No need to leave a separate comment for each entry (unless the instructions for that particular task ask you to that is!). Good Luck!!

WW: Oh the possibilities....

I love all the possibilities that new fabric holds...

Snuggly Monkey Featured in the Etsy Finds Newsletter!

Snuggly Monkey was featured in today's Etsy Finds newsletter! What an honor!!

You can view the whole newsletter here.

{Giveaway} Bib and Pacifier Set from Quilted Hugs Bibs

Yesterday we chatted with Barb from Quilted Hugs Bibs, and I mentioned that she has generously offered to sponsor a fantastic Giveaway of one of her Waterproof, Quilted Bib and Pacifier Clip Sets.

Giveaway Start Date: Saturday, August 20, 2011

Giveaway End Date: Friday, September 2, 2011

{How to Enter to Win}

The winner of this Giveaway will be chosen at random, so the more times you enter the higher your chances of winning! I like having options, so there are SEVERAL ways to enter.  Feel free to do as many or as few as you like. Don't have time to do them all now? No problem! Come back later and add a few more entries (this giveaway will be open for TWO whole weeks). 

{Featured Artist} Barbara from Quilted Hugs Bibs

Welcome to Featured Fridays on Snuggly Monkey! Every friday we chat with an Etsy artisan and this week we are lucky enough have Barbara from Quilt Hugs Bibs with us. 

Barbara is a talented quilter who makes beautiful waterproof quilted bibs with coordinating pacifier clips.  She has been quilting for over 30 years, and she decided to open an Etsy shop of her own to share her lovely quilted creations with the world a little over 5 months ago. In addition to her love of quilting, Barbara also has a lot of expertise in the sales and marketing arena so she has a lot of great knowledge to share with us. Let's get started!

"Quilted Hugs Bibs" is a great name. How did you come up with it?

Not easily! My husband and I spent several days thinking about how quilting, the warm feeling you get from snuggling with a quilt and how they could be linked to my bibs. After throwing out many names that were either too cute-sy or just lame, we finally came up with Quilted Hugs Bibs. Then I contacted my friend who’s a graphic artist and we spent about 2 weeks going back and forth on how to portray that in my banner. Needless to say, I’m very happy with the results!

How would you describe your work to someone who asked you “What do you sell/make/do?”

I make quilts that just happen to be bibs. Each bib is made from 100% cotton that is laid out carefully inside the bib pattern for the most attractive fit. Then each one is individually quilted on my home sewing machine to highlight the pattern. I then add a NO PVC waterproof liner, cotton backing and finish off with carefully coordinated binding – just like a quilt. To go along with these quilts, I also make pacifier clips in coordinating fabrics that are available individually or in gift sets.

How did you first get interested in sewing and quilting?

I’ve been sewing since I was a teenager, beginning with garments and home dec items. I began quilting in the mid ‘70’s. In 1976 with the US bicentennial renewed the interesting in quilting – I got the “bug”. I used my sewing knowledge, taught myself a lot and then took all the quilting workshops I could afford to sign up for.

What is your favorite item to create?

Other than full-sized hand appliquéd quilts, it would have to be bibs that contain some piecing and/or machine appliqué. I use a paper foundation piecing technique for accuracy and then piece the bib top from there.

What aspects of your Etsy business do you find challenging? 

Without a doubt, pricing and self-promotion! I know what my material costs are and how long it takes to make a bib, but how do you put a price on creativity? I’ve been talking to other Etsy members on various forums and reading articles about selling on Etsy. I’ve revised my pricing, edited my item titles and participate in as many promotions I can. I expect sales to improve, it’s just waiting is soooo hard!

What is your marketing “philosophy”? 

I’ve been in sales & marketing most of my life – my Dad had his own business and I think the entrepreneurial gene was inherited!

Creating a brand is key, no matter what industry you’re in…arts & crafts are no exception. We all recognize the Coca Cola or FedEx truck, but they still advertise. Just like my landscape design business, I keep advertising in the paper and it may take awhile, but people do call…that gets my foot in the door, then the rest is up to me. It’s the same with the Etsy world times 100! 

People come to Etsy to find original and unusual gifts – I’m not sure about other groups, but there are hundreds of shops that sell bibs and accessories…you have to find a way to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Etsy has rules about mass mailings and we all hate spam…that lets out press release type announcements. So you have to find a way to get noticed. By looking at my shop stats, my views go up dramatically in response to being featured in Treasuries…getting involved in Team activities often results in being included in them. You also have to keep up with team discussions.

Any other advertising and/or marketing tips you would like to share?

I wish I had a magic bullet, but it’s important to be on top of your market, make changes when needed and keep making things that will set yourself apart in the market – whether it’s Etsy, an e-commerce site or a brick & mortar shop.

How did you come up with and set up your shop banner and avatar? 

By a lot of trial and error. I relied on the Etsy listing/site set up guide to get started, then I started making changes and re-arranging things – I’m still not finished, but I’m getting better.

I started making quilted bibs for my granddaughter, so I used her as my original model. I

wanted to convey that wearing a quilted bib is like getting a hug, so I used a picture of

her wrapped in a quilt I made her for my avatar.

As for the shop banner, I know how important a logo is to consistent branding and I’m

computer savvy, but when it comes to drawing, not so much! I contacted a graphic

designer I met through an online quilting group to create my banner – I knew what I

wanted to convey, but it took Royce (Graphic Threads Fiber Arts on Etsy) to make it

work.

What is your favorite word? Really?

What is your least favorite word? No

What sound or noise do you love? My granddaughter’s laughter

What sound or noise do you hate? Constantly barking dogs

If you were reincarnated as some other plant or animal, what would it be? A Rose

Who are your favorite fictional heroes/heroines? Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze, “Ghost”)

Who are your favorite heroines/heros in real life? My husband, Randeroo (nickname of course!)

What natural gift would you most like to possess? The ability to draw so people can recognize the subject!

What would you like to be when you grow up? A full time quilt artist with a very successful Etsy shop!

What makes you smile? Cute baby/child stories/commercials

Thank you so much Barbara for giving us a peek inside your Etsy world and for sharing so much great information. Be sure to keep in touch with Barbara by visiting her Etsy shop or stopping by her Facebook page to say Hi!

Etsy shop: www.quiltedhugsbibs.etsy.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quilted-Hugs-Bibs/149620581769485

E-mail: roobarb {at} earthlink {dot} net (no spaces)

Great News!! Barbara has generously offered to sponsor a giveaway for Snuggly Monkey readers! Barbara has made a fantastic and fun Zebra Quilted Bib and Pacifier Set especially for us. Her giveaway will begin tomorrow, Saturday, August 20th so be sure to stop by for details on how to enter, but for a sneak peak at the Bib & Pacifier Clip Set check out this special listing Barbara set up for us. 

Did you feature another great Etsian on your blog recently? Were you featured on a blog this week? Would you like to meet some more great artists and learn about their craft? Then join the party and add your link to our  Featured Fridays Linky!

Joining the party is easy! Just add your link to the bottom of this post and leave a comment for Lindsay. You can also grab the "Featured Friday" button from the sidebar and put it on your post to let folks know you joined the party!

Treasury Thursday

It has been a busy week in our house. I am working on a large Ouchie Pouch custom order (pictures coming soon - they look so cute!) while trying to get ready for my oldest daughter's first day of kindergarten, which is quickly approaching.  Lots to do! 


I wanted to share a couple of my favorite treasuries from this past week, and to remind everyone that there is a great giveaway going on right now for a $25 gift certificate to Bohtieque Designs. Also, I will be starting another giveaway this Saturday morning so be sure to check back for the details.


I was honored to have another treasury featured on Treasury Hunter this week. Many thanks to the great folks over there for showcasing "Giving Thanks to your Best Ladies":





Another one of my favorites from this week was "Stale beer and Top Ramen". Not only is that a great name, but a great collection of shops. Thanks so much TieDyeDiva.

{Giveaway} $25 Gift Certificate to Bohtieque Designs

Yesterday, we had a chance to chat with Julie from Bohtieque Designs, who has graciously agreed to sponsor a giveaway for Snuggly Monkey followers! Here are all the details on how YOU can enter to win!

Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to Bohtieque Designs

'Bohtique Designs' by snugglymonkeyco

Ladybug Notecard Set bohtieque $9.00	Custom Return Address Label ... bohtieque $6.00
Mid Century Modern II Rectan... bohtieque $6.00	Custom Return Address Labels... bohtieque $6.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Giveaway Start Date: Saturday, August 13, 2011

Giveaway End Date: Friday, August 26, 2011

{How to Enter to Win}

The winner of this Giveaway will be chosen at random, so the more times you enter the higher your chances of winning! I like having options, so there are SEVERAL ways to enter.  Feel free to do as many or as few as you like. Don't have time to do them all now? No problem! Come back later and add a few more entries (this giveaway will be open for TWO whole weeks). 

Please leave a SEPARATE comment 

on THIS post for EACH entry. 

For example...
1st comment: I "like" Bohtique Designs on FB {hit submit comment}
2nd comment: I "like" Snuggly Monkey on FB {hit submit comment}
etc... (you get it, right?)


Each one of the following actions is worth ONE (1) Entry. When you complete the action, leave a comment letting me know and that will be your entry. 

Please leave your email address in your first comment.  

(So that I can contact you if you win!)

• Read and comment on Julie's Artist Feature here
• Like Bohtique Designs on Facebook
• Follow Bohtique Designs on Twitter
• Visit Julie's Shop on Etsy and leave a comment with your favorite item
• Like Snuggly Monkey on Facebook
• Follow Snuggly Monkey on Twitter
• Follow Snuggly Monkey on Pinterest
• Visit Snuggly Monkey on Etsy and leave a comment with your favorite item
• Follow Snuggly Monkey's Blog with Google Friend Connect (sidebar)
• Sign up to receive Snuggly Monkey posts via Email (sidebar)
• Leave a comment telling me what you would be if you were reincarnated as some other plant or animal
• Leave a comment telling me what makes you smile

(See I told you there'd be lots of options!) 

Good Luck!!

The Fine Print ... This Giveaway ends at at 11:11 pm (EST) on Friday, August 26, 2011. The winner will be selected on Saturday, August 27, 2011 by random.org.  I will notify the winner and Julie from Bohtique Designs via email as well as by posting the winner on this blog. If there is no email associated with the winning entry, then another winner will be selected.  The Winner has one week to respond and claim his/her prize. If the winner fails to claim his/her prize within that first week after being notified, then another winner will be selected.   I (Snuggly Monkey) am not responsible for the shipping of this prize.  It is up to the winner and the giveaway sponsor to arrange for shipping, when applicable.

{Featured Artist} Julie from Bohtieque Designs

It's {Featured Friday} here at Snuggly Monkey, and today we have the honor of chatting with Ms. Julie from Bohtieque Designs! 

Julie is a designer and illustrator of a wide assortment of gorgeous address labels, cards, favor tags and more. She opened her Etsy store in 2008, but has been involved in the craft of graphic design since her Commercial Art class in high school. Prior to opening her shop, she designed web graphics, identity packages and websites. This amazingly talented lady has a lot to share with us, so let's get started! 

How did you come up with your shop name?The short story is that it's a melding of my maiden name, Boh, with my married name, Tiedens.  It's an alternate spelling of the word b"outieque." The longer story is that right after I got married and changed my name, my high school newspaper students had been jokingly making fun of my most recent round of clothing purchases, and they'd started asking me if I'd gotten something new at the Boh-Tiedens Boutique.  It was about that time that I'd been trying to come up with a name for my business, and I knew I wanted something personal...and something that conveyed unique.  While I was mulling it over, I realized that I could smoosh all the words together and do just that.

How did you first get into graphic design/illustration?I suppose it probably started in high school, where I had the opportunity to take a class called Commercial Art. From there, I took a few design courses as part of my journalism program and kept practicing along the way. I was doing quite well with identity design, but I wasn't enjoying it as much as I wanted to because I wasn't as able to follow my own inclinations and paths. So, when I found Etsy, I decided to try something new--designing things that I loved and had fun with. At first, I started out with a few announcements, but when my sister asked about round address labels, I posted a few of them and they took off.  From there, I've been concentrating on labels and cards to match and I haven't looked back!

What is your favorite item to create?Round address labels--but I think that if you took a look into my shop, you'd figure that out fast!

What aspects of your Etsy business do you find challenging?  I really hate coming across reproductions of my designs.  Yes, we all are influenced by our culture, and we might have similar ideas--that's a given.  But when I find something that's practically a duplicate of what I've done, I get a little miffed. There's a cycle--first I get angry, then I get worried about it, and then I get fired up, go back to the drawing board and design something. Much of the time, the work that I do after a discovery like that is fantastic.

How do you advertise or promote your shop? 

This isn't my strong point.  I think promotion takes a lot of time, and since I have a full-time job that I put a great deal of energy into, time is a really scarce commodity during the school year. However, I'm working on a blog (which serves a dual purpose by giving me an outlet for my photography), and I do some giveaways and blog sponsorships. And then I Facebook. And Tweet a little. See, I say I'm not doing much, but look at that.  For those people who are REALLY connected, imagine the time involved in their marketing.

I agree marketing is VERY time consuming! How do you use Twitter and Facebook to your advantage?

I see Twitter differently than most--for me, it's a place to keep on top of current events, not to promote so much. I do put out a few things, but I try to make it useful for my followers.  Facebook, on the other hand, is a place to do some marketing.  I post new ideas, links to my blog entries...and, sometimes, talk with followers.

How did you set up your shop banner & avatar? 

I set it up myself, and it's the fifth or sixth version I've used.  Usually, I end up basing it on a label design that I've fallen in love with...so for the last year or so, you can tell that Swallow on a Wash of Blue has been my favorite label :)

Do you photograph your own items? Any photography tips to share? Yes, I do--when I photograph.  Truthfully, small paper items like mine are an issue when it comes to photography.  I've had some nice shots, but after getting feedback and trying out several different ways to present my labels, I've fallen back to the old standard for listing shots--graphics, not photos. They're the most easily seen for my type of product.When I do photograph items for my blog, I think natural light gives the best results.  I have a light tent and lights, but they don't work as well as some nice light from one of my windows. 

What else do you do to keep your shop looking great?  

I don't know that it looks super, yet, but I can tell you that I constantly re-evaluate and experiment with better ways to present my work.  Right now, I'm working on changing the backgrounds at Etsy to make them more appealing...you'll see that in the first few pages of my shop. With almost 200 listings, though, it takes a while to get the whole shop changed over!

As a fan of Inside the Actor's Studio with James Lipton, I've always enjoyed his final 10 questions that he asks all his guests. So, inspired by the questionaries of Mr. Lipton, Bernard Pivo (Lipton's inspiration) and Marcel Proust here are a few final questions for Julie...

What sound or noise do you love? Summer--the tree frogs, birds and insects singing outside my open windows.

What sound or noise do you hate? That ambient city-road noise I get to enjoy when I visit friends or family who live in cities

If you were reincarnated as some other plant or animal, what would it be? A well-loved springer spaniel--their personalities match my own!

What natural gift would you most like to possess? I'd love to have better leadership and team skills.  I'm a do-it-on-my-own kind of person, and I'd love have more natural ability to inspire a good team culture.

What would you like to be when you grow up? Me.

What makes you smile? My four-year-old and my husband, cuddled together on the couch and talking through the day's plans.


Thank you so much Julie for giving us a peek into your shop world today! Be sure to keep in touch with Julie by stopping by her shop, Facebook page or blog and saying Hello!

Etsy shop: http://bohtieque.etsy.com
Blog/Website: http://blog.bohtieque.com and http://www.bohtieque.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bohtieque

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bohtieque

Other: http://www.zibbet.com/bohtieque

Great News!! Julie has ever so kindly offered to sponsor a FANTASTIC Giveaway for Snuggly Monkey followers!! The winner of this giveaway will receive....

a $25 Gift Certificate to Bohtieque Designs!

The winner can choose his/her favorite designs from the extensive selection available in Julie's shop. Please be sure to check back in tomorrow (Saturday, August 13, 2011) for full details on how to Enter to Win! 

Did you feature another great Etsian on your blog recently? Were you featured on a blog this week? Would you like to meet some more great artists and learn about their craft? Then join the party and add your link to our  Featured Fridays Linky!

Joining the party is easy! Just add your link to the bottom of this post and leave a comment for Lindsay. You can also grab the "Featured Friday" button from the sidebar and put it on your post to let folks know you joined the party!