Featured Business – Made by Melissa

Name: Melissa

What is your website? http://madebymelissa.etsy.com & http://madebymelissa.blogspot.com

How did you get started with your business? Like many other Etsy folks, I started when I was a kid just making things and giving them as gifts and then slowly the hobby took over and I had way more than I could use and gift, so I decided to try and sell some to make up the costs of my supplies. Then I realized that I was a business and my items were worth more than just the supplies and started to take my shop seriously and began blogging and marketing and promoting.

About the business: My shop is split between two crafts – jewelry and crochet. I make beaded jewelry using primarily glass beads, I really enjoy making long necklaces that can be layered and worn in different ways and with different outfits.

My crochet has seemed to take over the shop lately, I make blankets and scarves as well as washcloths and dishcloths. I just introduced plush amigurimi animals and they are getting a lot of attention. They are so cute and so much fun to make. The tricky part is hiding them from my son, who always wants to adopt them!

About Melissa: My day job is as an environmental engineer (no, it’s not as exciting as it sounds), I work in an office, I sit in a cube, I’m pretty much at the bottom of the totem poll. I’m married, my son is 2.5 and my puppy is 3. I’d much rather be home with my little guy and my fur baby, but the day job pays the bills! My home is overrun by matchbox cars, doggie toys, yarn and beading supplies!

I’ve been making jewelry since I was a little girl, and by little, I mean really little! At 5 years old, I used to take costume jewelry apart and restring the beads and tie the ends in a bow, I’d make a necklace to match whatever I was wearing that day. I have come a long way since then!

My grandma taught me to knit when I was about 10 years old. Even though I was a terrible knitter, I learned to love yarn. A few years later a family friend taught me to crochet and it was like second nature to me. She taught me the basics and from there I learned to read patterns and how to do more complicated stitches.

Where do you find inspiration? Everywhere, really… Supplies typically show me what they want to be, I can look at a string of beads and picture all of the rest of my supplies and in my head just know what they will become. I have a list of crochet projects I am just waiting to start on, but I crochet whatever hits me when I pick up the hook and look at my yarn.

What do you love about your business? I love that I can decide what I want to make and when I want to make it. I can be creative and let the projects go where they want to go. It’s fun and whatever time/energy I put into things is what I get out of it.

What are some ways that you promote your business? I use Facebook and Twitter and I also blog. I have joined two street teams – EtsyNJ and EtsyBloggers – working with other team members and getting to know fellow Etsians has been a big help in getting my name out there. People are also more likely to buy from someone they know, so being friendly with others in the business is always a good idea.

What are your other sites?

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

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/madebymelissa

I am also madebymelissa on Flickr and Ravelry

Do you have any advice to offer others in your same business? Be creative and don’t get discouraged! Etsy is a huge market place and it’s easy to get buried or lost in the masses. Just do what you love, take great pictures and keep yourself out there. People will find you, don’t be ashamed to self promote, just do it gracefully.