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| What a busy mom she must be! |
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Georgia. I graduated college with a degree in accounting. I currently work 6 hours a day as a controller for a vinyl railing manufacturer. I am married to an awesome guy who helps me with my bow business. He is the one behind all of the social networking. Thank goodness, because I think I might run out of time if I had to do that too. We have 5 children. The oldest is almost 12 and the youngest, Ava, is 10 months. We all love to travel whenever we get a few spare moments. To some, my life may seem very overwhelming, but I couldn't imagine it any other way.What made you want to become an artist?
Ava Bowtique started soon after my baby, Ava, was born. Since she had very little hair, I loved putting headbands on her and attaching hair bows. I saw the cost of this love rising with every new outfit.
Since my mother and sister are very creative I thought I might have some kind of hidden talent so I explored the craft of making hair accessories. In the end, I found that I love it and want to make more and more.
What is your favorite item to create?Although I enjoy creating all the items that I sell on Etsy, I especially enjoy creating the stacked bows because the variety of ribbons and the combination of colors give me a good deal of satisfaction.
What advice would you give to new artists on Etsy?Don't give up when the sales aren't rolling in at first. Tweak your marketing methods and test a variety of different ads. When you find a promotion that works, build on that.
How do you promote your work?While my Etsy shop is my primary transaction facilitator, I also use social media, blogging, and giveaway contests to drive traffic to my sites. I've also exhibited and sold at local boutique events and children's consignment sales.
Do you have any websites connected to your shop
Facebook fan page is www.facebook.com/avabowtique
Twitter username is avabowtique or go to: www.twitter.com/avabowtique
My new blog is at avabowtique.weebly.com
Do any of your items go toward a special cause?I recently sent a number of my first bows to Haiti to be be given to orphan children there. I've also considered making bows for fund raising purposes, so girls could sell my bows and their share of the proceeds would go to their charity, fund their mission trip, etc.
Do you have a job outside of Etsy? How do you handle both?I'm am an accountant for a vinyl rail company. I work for them by day (about 30 hours a week). At night, I make bows, list my items, handle customer orders and think of new bow and clippie designs for Ava Bowtique.
Where do you create?
In the corner of my living room. A big comfy chair and ottoman serve as my workspace. And it's positioned where I can still see the TV.
What are your goals for your shop?To sell more consistently, to design and make available an even greater variety of bows, clippies, and other accessories, and to become one of the top boutique hair bow artists on Etsy.
You have a chance to win a set of 5 Pink Ladybug Clippies!
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| Super Cute, huh? |
Here's how to win:
