Meet Tina Cauthorn, Artist and Etsy Seller

Tina Cauthorn is a retired buyer from Fred Meyer, a division of Kroger. She has put her creative skills to work by having fun with buttons. Her "Button Factory" is in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Tina buys all her buttons on Etsy, on eBay, and at antique stores. So many Buttons, so little time! Check out Tina's button frames and other creations by visiting her Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/allbuttonedupbytina.

1. How did you decide to focus on making and selling button frames in your Etsy shop?

I saw a button frame in an antique shop and I thought, "I can do that." I went home and found an old picture frame and started gluing buttons on it. I still have my first "creation," and when I look at it, I realize how far I have come. Once I made enough to give away frames as gifts to friends and family, I decided that I should try selling them. I initially did a few craft shows. Boy, is that hard work! Everyone at the craft events was talking about Etsy. I looked into it and figured I would give it a try! My product seems to find the right customer base on Etsy.

2. What do you especially like about working with buttons--and how do you choose the buttons to work with in your creations?

When I worked as a buyer, I did a lot of design work, and this was a great way to challenge my creative side. One of the things I did as a buyer was buy "Novelty Underwear." All those boxer shorts with hearts on them for Valentines Day? I kind of took that idea and transferred it into button frames. It's fun to think of ideas. Holidays were easy! But then, I thought "Minions." What about "Wine," "Weddings," and "Watermelons"? I love that my customers send me a request for something special, and I'm able to make it happen.

3. In searching for buttons online and offline, how do you distinguish antique buttons from more contemporary ones?

When I started binging on buttons, I bought a lot of buttons on eBay--by the POUND! I got all kinds of old, vintage buttons. Since then, I've gotten very discriminating in only picking buttons that I know will complement what I already have. I've had to add new, current buttons into my assortment. It's tough to find nice, vintage rhinestone buttons or vintage button in bright, vibrant colors.

4. You have some great reviews on Etsy! What has been your experience in selling on the Etsy platform?

I've always said that Etsy is really a fabulous community. I find almost everyone I've dealt with has been a pleasure. I use my many years in retail to set my standards for my shop. "The customer is always right," and I want to make sure its a pleasant experience. I know I love it when I get a package from Etsy and its nicely wrapped and presented. I've had a lot of the sellers I buy from become regular customers. It's a nice world.

5. What is your advice to others who want to start selling arts and crafts projects online?

I think if you want to start selling online, you need to do your research. What is out there? What is the pricing? Does it compare with what you do? I know my first frames were not as nice as they are now. I did not start selling on Etsy until I had it perfected. So, make sure you are putting your best foot forward. You won't get repeat customers if things are not well put together and presented nicely. Think about how you like to receive things. Be patient. It took me awhile to sell my first frame, but now my sales are pretty steady: steady enough for me to say I am an "artist," even if the medium is glue and buttons!

Thanks, Tina!

Are You Teaching Your Kids to Sew?

Have you ever thought about teaching your kids to sew? When I was a kid, you had to learn on a big, adult-sized sewing machine. Where's the fun in that?

Today, kids can learn to sew on sewing machines that are specially made for kids. These machines are simple in their appearance and functions. They also are easy to thread with a foot pedal that depresses easily. And of course they are made to withstand the wear and tear that kids tend to inflict on, oh, everything.

There's a very nice-looking line of sewing machines for kids featuring Hello Kitty designs. Click here for more info. The page I've linked to is part of the Best Sewing Machines for Kids site, which is a good all-around resource on kids and sewing. The site includes detailed reviews of four different Hello Kitty kids' sewing machines made by a company called Janome. The different models are designed with kids of different ages in mind. Prices start just under $100.

I was always a bit intimidated by sewing machines as a kid. I have to wonder if I'd be more into sewing today if I'd gotten started with a kid-friendly machine myself!

Crochet on Etsy by Michele Whittaker

I posted about California-based Etsy seller Michele Whittaker earlier this summer when she had a special sale on Etsy to celebrate her birthday. I thought I'd follow up with more info about Michele and her creative process--and, of course, her Etsy shop.

Michele makes some really sweet clothing for babies. Not all of us have someone in our lives who can crochet, and having crocheted baby items is always something special. Her baby dresses are charming and unique. She also sells women's tops and purses and a variety of gift items, including pretty designs for Christmas.

What I especially admire about Michele's work is that she creates her own designs rather than working from standard patterns. I asked her about her history with crocheting, and she said that when she was very young, her godmother taught her to crochet. Her godmother also taught her knitting and sewing, but crochet became Michele's clear love. She says, "With just a crochet hook and a some thread, you can create anything, and sometimes I amaze myself when the final product comes out even better that what I expected."

Michele says she likes to just lets the thread guide her as she works. She even does this while choosing colors: "I'll have an idea in my head, and as I keep working, I get inspired to do this or that, and at the end it is completely different from what I had in mind. It goes the same for what color I am going to work on. I'll go in front of my stock of colors, and there will be one that says, 'Pick me.' I know it sounds funny, but this is how it is, and if for some reason I don't pay attention and choose another color, believe it or not whatever I try to do will not work, and I eventually take the color that spoke to me in the first place, and it will work like a charm."

Michele is a master of her craft, and a nice person to work with as well if you have a special project in mind and want to find the perfect crochet artist to create it for you. The video below shows the products Michele makes and sells on Etsy.

Meet Laura Dufresne, Artist and Craftsperson

Laura Dufresne is an artist in Montreal, Canada who creates unique handmade items. She currently specializes in fabric bow ties and coin purses / cell phone cases. If you like work with a geeky-cool aesthetic, be sure to check out Laura's creations. Learn more about Laura and her work on her website called Retroactive Legacy and in her Etsy shop.

1. What inspired you to start making handmade bow ties?

That's kind of a strange story. My boyfriend and I both have an affinity for geeky items and are both aficionados of the creative process. As my sewing skills grew, I found that smaller accessories with bold or interesting themes or characters became more important than the overall look. As a result, I tested a bow tie. I made a simple, Spiderman-themed bow tie for an event we attended. I received a number of responses--and to my surprise, excitement, and horror, people wanted to order them from me.

The experience blindsided me; I had no clue what to charge, how to proceed, and whether selling handmade bow ties made any sense at all. It turns out it does make complete sense because current mass-produced bow ties are poorly made, kind of boring, and mostly are pre-ties, which detracts from the allure of self-tied knot.

So in essence, what inspired me the most was the ideal of a great tradition, brought into modern times, made into something more interesting than the novelty ties our dads would wear once a year.

2. I see you are expanding into coin purses and cell phone cases. How do you get ideas for your products?

The coin purses was first inspired by this awesome fabric I found on Spoonflower featuring cameo skulls. I wanted to really showcase the skulls because the entire look was so well done. I thought it appropriate to create something heart-shaped and it just so happened that I had a batch of purse frames in my crafts stash. I tested patterns until I found one that suited the fabric perfectly and voila.

I think fabrics often inspire my work: I don't want to do what might be obvious with them; I want to do the unthinkable, the out-of-the-box, without over-reaching and not being relatable. There should be some sort of connection, but it won't necessarily be immediately obvious.

3. How do you choose the fabrics to use in your creations?

For one, most of the fabrics I choose are not commercially available. I do sometimes use commercially available fabrics, typically when it involves creating something using a copyrighted character. I think copyright is extremely important and believe that as customers become more and more aware of the issues of copyright, this will become of significant importance in the future.

It is also important to me to support independent artists. I love finding independent designers and creating something that really highlights their work. Bow ties are great for this; all bow-ties have a "window" of sorts, and I look for designs that meet the size requirements for this 1" by 2" space.

My fishing tie is a perfect example. The fish on this fabric are quite large and take up a significant portion of the window. I chose it because it fit the personality of bow ties as the modern replacement to the ubiquitous novelty fishing tie of our fathers, and also because the dimensions that would allow me to showcase the fabric in a way that might otherwise have been overlooked.

4. As an indie artist/craftsperson, what do you feel are the pros and cons when it comes to selling on Etsy?

I'm really not sure about Etsy anymore. I have found that the philosophy that made me jump into the mix has been lost with the refusal to address resellers in the marketplace. It really has torn me apart. I could continue to sell there, and with a little more involvement, I know I would/could be highly successful, but I am still not very sure I want to continue with this medium. This is a discussion for another day and another interview.

In favor of Etsy, there are still numerous independent artists and producers on the website. It is essential we support that as much as possible. In doing so, we solidify the economic sense of maintaining a handmade marketplace. For myself, even if you don't buy my products, I hope you buy things through Etsy that aren't produced in factories.

Cons: often times it is hard to tell what is handmade. :(

5. What do you think that people creating handmade objects can do to make their work stand out online, where buyers are inundated with cheap, pseudo-handmade imports?

I think it is important not to jump on bandwagons. I know it can be hard to resist, but making a bow tie of blue boxes would be stupid-boring, because it's just too common. I don't want to be mean, but if there are a gad-zillion of something, there is just no way to stand out. If you want or need to be on trend, try to get ahead of the curve. Also, you really do need to KNOW your subject.

Research is the key to connecting with your potential customers. One of my most successful bow ties is a Godzilla bow tie, but customers are not directed to my product through the keyword GODZILLA, but through the keyword GOJIRA, the Japanese word for this awesome monster! Know the fans, know the lingo, and that is how you'll reach your key audience.

Thanks, Laura!

Introducing Grandma Likes to Sew, A Sewing Machine Review Site

I've seen a lot of website with product reviews, but grandmalikestosew.com is one of the best I've ever come across. The content on the site is written by a mom and grandma who has enjoyed sewing and sharing her love of sewing with others for over 50 years. The emphasis on the site is on sewing machines, with special tips for beginners who want advice in buying their first sewing machine.

This is a useful site written by a well-informed author. If you want help in making a purchasing decision, you'll find detailed reviews with lots of information about different machines. As an example, check out the Brother CS-6000i review; this model is an inexpensive computerized machine, and the review gives a solid overview of the features and what you're getting for your money.

You can find reviews about machines with special features like embroidery machines, quilting machines, and heavy duty machines. There are also recommendations for helpful sewing books, plus a growing list of sewing resources online. It will be interesting to see how the site grows over time as the author has more time to share reviews and other content to inspire more people to take up (or continue!) with machine sewing. The site has a clean and easy to navigate layout, and I enjoyed the author's friendly and knowledgeable voice.