Strawberrykitten

I seem to have got bogged down with web work and custom feltpod requests last week, plus overtime at work and a 2 year olds birthday party = no time for blogging. But better late than never hehe

[left] i love butterflies and think this piece by Khristinne would be an amazing signature piece for any outfit [middle] Alice in wonderland is one of my favorite books and disney films, i’d love this bag by Kitty empire [right] These earrings by Leeloo studio are just so beautifully simple, nice sharp photography as well.

[left] How adorable are these little envelope earrings by Looka jewelry [middle] I love these tin planes by Loran scruggs, they are so original. [right] I like the graphic look of these purses by Mingus designs

I didn’t notice this before, but after going through some Google analytics data I realised I’d been featured on a dutch site called yooph

It was reviewing my applepod. Obviously it was in Dutch so I used Google Translate which roughly translated it to this….

Strawberry Kitten on the website came a series of highly original iPod Cases against. Not the standard covers or bags, but fun creations made of felt.

In particular, the colored jacket in the style of the ‘old’ rainbow Apple logo is very original. These covers are all made by hand and the maker of it, Sian Gibson, comes from England. Through an online store to order them online.

I will be featured in a Dutch Mac magazine called Icreate this month and I bet this is where they found me as they’re both from the Netherlands. I wonder if this is why i had rise in sales in September or whether it was my constant renewing on Etsy? We will never know!!

Well strawberrykitten has had a great September when it comes to sales, sold 6 feltpods in total after playing around with renewing nearly everyday, i know 6 probably doesn’t sound like much but it felt like it to me and i was quite proud of that fact!

Every time i got an order though i did feel like i should have the items pre-made, as I’d always get the order, either at the weekend or when i have plans during the evenings, so I’d be up late sewing away.

So the plan for the next few weeks is to get as much pre-made stock feltpods made including packaging, as that takes just as long, so in the future when i get an order i can get it posted straight away, BISH BASH BOSH done!

Oh and i thought i’d mention, i’m thinking about merging my two blogs (this one and two days slow) as i feel i have plenty of content but spread over the two it feels a bit here and there, just a thought at the moment though, i’ll keep you posted!

As usual i’m a bit late with the etsy post, not that i have a special day i post it on. i’m stil super busy making some stock feltpods and spreading the word, but i will hopefully post more often soon.

here’s this weeks faves…
  

[left] Any star wars fan has got to love this princess leia hat by Bleu arts [middle] What a beautiful piece of jewellery and an amazing idea by Art by Winona [right] i love this unusual but cute print by Icebear

[left + middle] I had to feature two rings by Fleathers because they’re so amazing. They are so unusual, and would make people talk. [right] And how adorable is this crochet mushroom by Jack rabbit

Well here goes the first of hopefully a great many interviews of my favorite etsy sellers, i hope you enjoy them as much as i do. I’m not sure how often they will be at the moment so just keep popping by and i’ll mention the features on the etsy forum too.

Touch the dutch made into my favorite folder, because of Anneke van Bommel’s simple yet unusual designs and also the interesting way she photographed her items. her shop looks very well rounded and is extremely successful. Here’s the interview…

Tell me about yourself, where do you come from?, education? hobbies? etc

I am an artist and educator living in Toronto, Ontario Canada. I currently teach at George Brown College, and share a studio in downtown Toronto with five other artists. I obtained my BFA with a major in Jewellery Design and Metalsmithing from a fine arts university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, called the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. I have also taught at the Ontario College of Art and Design, and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. My work mainly focuses on subjects of Canadiana, and I exhibit at galleries across Canada, and online.

list your likes and interests, using only one word each…

Likes/Interests: tap shoes, things that wind-up, Canadiana, brunch, mountain men, pirates, haunted houses, Art, Days of yore, Anne of Green Gables, Tony Danza and other domestic superheros, sock patterns, antlers, squirrels, layers, swimming in the dark, Atlantic beaches, Geat Lakes, Burlesque, Lumberjacks, Ships, beer, Victorian Mourning Jewellery, Val Kilmer and Cockwolf tags, urban pioneers, Nuit Blanche, rocking out at concerts, baking things with oats inside of them, painting things, kid leather gloves, Joey Smallwood, The Queen and the Royals, obnoxious accessories, the 19th Century, wild west and Canadian confederation romanticism, cotton candy, Mary Schaffer…hoodoos, thrift shops, vintage textiles, antiques, campfires

Why do you create?

Why? yes why indeed….I cannot help such things.

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc

Process: Draw, sketch, draw some more, dream, make something, coffee, start again.

Materials: Sterling Silver, nickel, paper, ink, textiles, really I am open to most materials…well most.

Name your top books, movies, tv shows, songs/musical groups, and web sites

Books: The Little Friend, The Secret History, The Time Travellers Wife

Music: Joel Plaskett, The Polyphonic Spree, Vampire Weekend, Chad van Gaalen, Boys who say No!, You say Party! We say Die!, The Ramones, The Decemberists…many more.

Do you blog? describe your process and why you do it?

no blog

favorite craftsperson/artist?

Favorite Artists: Pattie Chalmers (ceramic artist), Marcel Dzama (drawing/painting), Douglas Coupland (objects/author), 

How do you promote your work?

Promotion: Galleries, Select featured Exhibitions, Etsy, the interweb

Where would you like to be in 5-10 years time?

5-10 years? Yikes.

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Hope you enjoyed the first installment, check out touch the dutches shop and pop by soon for more interviews!!

I’m sorry I’ve not posted much lately, other than my etsy faves and the odd feltpod update, just got bogged down with other things.

So i thought i’d give a quick update of what’s going on!

My experiment with renewing my items on etsy is going very well, i have sold 4 this month so far, which is double the usual amount. I know some people don’t think that’s much but that is the only place i sell and i don’t advertise as of yet. Feel i need to start getting a stock of feltpods together, so when someone buys one i don’t have to make one up, as at the moment I’m quite busy with other things too and it’s a pain having to work around things sometimes

I have had my first reply for the etsy interviews, so i will be publishing that some time this week. And I’m still planning on doing a local (to me) seller feature, so if i contacted you about that, i’m sorry for the delay :/

I know posts can be a bit slow coming here on strawberrykitten, but don’t forget to check out my other blog two days slow, as it contains more about my personal life and my design work, which is what I’m concentrating on at the moment.

God i feel like i’ve neglected the blogs this week, felt super busy, but i’m going to really try and blog blog blog in next week or so. Please remember to pop by my other blog two days slow!

Here’s this weeks etsy faves…

[left] mario has to be my all time favorite game, so when i saw this cute mushroom by crafty little things i had to feature it [middle] i love this cute little tree by hitree [right] these milk cartons by ricochet studio are so modern looking, i’d love the whole set

[left] this ring by senayakin is so unusual but absolutely amazing, although it could do some damage if you hit someone [middle] This beautiful bracelet is by stamp. i have to make some bracelets for a friends wedding next year, i wish i could make something as nice as this! [right] why did i never think of making stamps out of a rubber, genius idea by whimsy by jess

I’m so excited, i was contacted the other day by a magazine called icreate, it’s a dutch mac magazine, and they have requested a sample Applepod to be sent and tested for a review in there october issue!! How exciting!?!  So i’ve made the Applepod up and made the packaging a little more custom and will be posting it out today. I’ll post the review up when i receive it

Sorry it’s a bit late, i’ve been suffering from a real bad migraine for the past few days and i’ve had so much to do with my blogs and a few feltpod orders, but heres this weeks items…

[left] i love this sweet bracelet, it has such a handmade look, its by bijoutiful [middle] check out this amazingly constructed, layered ring by blindspotjewellery  [right] this ring by imontoya is so contemporary looking, i love it

[left] i love these adorable little guys by lapomme [middle] what an interesting take on the scarf and so beautiful, its by rudman [right] i adore the shape of this ring by lesthings, it looks really solid too

right i’m off to make a feltpod order up and do more blog research. later!

Got my hands on one of the new ipod nanos yesterday, i wasn’t sure on the photos but oh my god its nice in person, its so thin and light! of course now i need to make new feltpod templates, and i realised last night that my etsy shop needs updating, as my listing state their for the ‘new nano’ when their really for the one before now. I’m thinking about including an image of the nano its made for in the listing…take a look at the new nano…

Pop by later (or maybe tomorrow) for my etsy faves.