The Artist + Etsy Shop Interview series are Q & A’s with some of my favorite talented artists and designers! I am hoping these interviews can be both an inspiring and resourceful behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to own and run a creative business using the Etsy platform. Let’s support and encourage one another and create enthusiasm for what we are passionate about and a sense of camaraderie for the imaginative and artistic community!
It is no secret that I am a HUGE animal lover! If I see anything animal related or pet friendly I HAVE to stop and check it out. Liz and Squish’s bright, fun, and whimsical custom pet portraits definitely caught my eye- I also love the name of the shop :) Not only can you get an awesome portrait of your beloved pet, Melissa– the artist behind LAS– also donates 10% of each purchase to animal rescue groups! Pets + giving back = a winning combination.
Liz and Squish
Providing custom pet portraits for the hippest of pets.
For every purchase, 10% of proceeds will be donated to animal rescue groups.
Shop Owner: Melissa Carroll
Opened: November 20, 2013
{{ Shop Link }}
Melissa also has a blog, DesignWellSpent.com, dedicated to featuring great design, i.e. products you actually want to own, that will also do a little good.
Please tell us the story behind your creations and your Etsy shop!
I recently got out of the mass market fashion industry where things can get very stressful and taken a wee bit too seriously. You can’t even imagine how upset a room full of adults can get over the wrong shade of pink! I wanted to spend my time doing something that would combine my passions in a fun, light hearted way and create a product that would make people happy. I’ve been a designer for 12 years and a dog lover my whole life. Design is one of the few things in life I’m good at (seriously, you should see me attempt cooking, singing, or creating an excel document). My dogs are my world and make me feel like a rock star everyday when I open the front door. It seemed inevitable that eventually the two would merge. Plus, who doesn’t love a dog in a bow tie?
What was the hardest thing about starting your Etsy shop?
The hardest thing was just deciding what to do. I dream up about 5 new business ideas a week! But this is just a side project for now so I needed something that wouldn’t require a huge investment upfront and could maybe build a little fund to start something larger down the line.
What is the best thing about being an Etsy shop owner?
The best thing hands down is connecting with so many people all over the world. It’s a lovely community to be a part of.
How do your customers find out about your products?
I pin images every couple of days on my pinterest accounts, pay for a small amount of ads on Etsy, comment on blogs and post on Facebook. Since my shop is still pretty new, I haven’t invested in a lot of advertisement yet.
What marketing / advertising method(s) have worked well for you and which have not?
So far commenting on blogs and pinning things on pinterest has been the best source of traffic.
Is your Etsy shop your full time job? If so, when did you realize you could do this full time? If not, what is/are your other job(s)?
My day job is as Lead Designer for a dog bed manufacturer. It’s random, but I love it! I spend my days asking questions like, “which of these fabrics would be softest on a dog’s belly?” or “what changes can I make to this that would make a dog just a little bit happier?”. For me, it’s a much more fulfilling way to spend my days than my previous professional life.
What is a typical day like for you?
My day job is 7 – 4 and my commute is 1 hour each way. It makes for an early morning but I get to watch the sunrise everyday and I’m home with plenty of daylight left to enjoy. I work on orders and researching for other personal endeavors at night. I also run a blog dedicated to shopping ethically for well designed products (designwellspent.com) which consumes a lot of my time. Luckily my day job and personal interests overlap quite a bit so any work I do throughout the day benefits all areas of my career.
Do you do everything from creating the artwork to shipping them yourself? Do you have any help?
I do everything myself. Occasionally I rope my husband in to shipping something but my shop is most definitely still at a very manageable point for one person.
If you work without any help, how do you divide your time up between creating new items, marketing and advertising, accounting, and all the other aspects of running a business?
Since my shop is still pretty new, I haven’t had major issues with dividing my time yet. My orders are custom so when an order is placed I usually drop everything and work on the order. I’m still learning all the other aspects of running a business so I spend more time researching business practices than I do on actually applying them.
What are a few of your favorite items from your shop?
I love this one (shown below) but I really love every custom piece I create.
Tell us 3 fun facts about you :)
1. I’m obsessed with mint green, gold polka dots and Teen Mom.
2. I majored in Art History and somehow landed a job as a rug designer right out of college.
3. If I could find a way to make it work, I wouldn’t even have a home. I’d just travel from one new place to another
Thank you Melissa for sharing more about yourself and your business! We love what you are doing and wish you much success in 2014 and look forward to seeing the new pieces you create!
Check out all the items in the Liz and Squish shop and email Melissa at LizandSquish (at) gmail (dot) com to get started on your own custom portrait!
All photos are courtesy of the Liz and Squish Etsy shop.
