Featured Etsy Seller of the Day: A Nichelle Designs

 A Nichelle Designs specializes in handmade whimsy styled dolls. This "up and coming" folk artist is based out of Colunbia, South Carolina. Her colorful creations beg to placed in your child's bed; whimsical in mood reflecting the true nature of this artist. She accurately describes her creations as "compact, cute, and travel-friendly." I'd have to second that adding that their versatility do a great job in reflecting this artist's true inner creativity.  I would recommend this shop to ANYONE because she makes something, that even on Etsy, is  hard to find...Pure Originality. I dare you to check our her shop!

name: A. Nichelle

business name: A. Nichelle Designs

Email: anichelledesigns [!at] aol.com

website: http://www.anichelledesign.etsy.com

twitter: http://www.twitter.com/anichelledesign

So tell me a little about your shop and what you sell…

I have been making stuffed toys for about five years now. None of the dolls and stuffed animals I create are the traditional, everyday toys that you would find in stores. I’m a doodler. Whenever I’m on the phone, bored or simply passing time, I doodle or sketch images. One day I thought it would be neat to bring some of those images to life and that’s exactly what I did. What you see, is the end result.
Why did you start selling on Etsy?
A few years ago there were very few handmade sites on the internet. When I came across Etsy, I thought it was the next best thing to sliced bread. It was incredible! There were so many talented artists who created such amazing things - I’ll admit, I was a bit intimidated. It took me several months to gain the courage to open my own Etsy shop but when I did, I’ve been on cloud nine ever since.
Is Etsy a full-time job or is it something you dabble in?

My Ultimate goal is to one day turn my craft into a fulltime job. But for now, it’s considered a hobby.
How do you keep yourself motivated to keep selling even if times are slow?
My motto is, “If you keep sewing, they will come”. ..All jokes aside, I enjoy my designs whether they sale or not. I create them because I simply love the process. I figure, patience is a virtue. If you work hard at what you do and ENJOY what you do, the sales will come.
What are your biggest goals for 2010?
I have a stack of sketches that I haven’t yet made patterns for. Although I know I can’t get to all of them, my goals for 2010 is to introduce a new line of dolls and animals. Also, the greatest asset in any business is one’s time and marketing strategies. Another goal I hope to accomplish this year is to get more traffic into my Etsy shop is by way of networking and promoting. I plan to take advantage of every opportunity and resource that comes available.

What advice can you give to those who sign up for Etsy today?
If you are solely creating for a “buck”, you won’t be successful on Etsy. There are a lot of ups and a lot of downs while selling on Etsy-especially for new comers. I know this sounds cliché but if you love what you do and work hard at what you do and promote and network consistently, the downs don’t seem as painful. As long as the new shop owner stays loyal to his/her craft, the sales will follow.
What is your favorite item you sell in your store?
That’s a good question. ..Ha-ha. I love all of my creations BUT if I had to chose “one”, it would be the Rabbit-Less Things - simply because they are compact, cute and travel-friendly.
What is your most popular (either by most views or most sales)?
As of now, my most popular item is an even split between the Pugs and the Dachshunds. Every few months the popularity shifts to something else but now the spot light is on the pug and the dachshund.
What is your favorite shop on Etsy?

There are SO MANY talented artists on Etsy. I have so many favorites-there is no way I can single out a specific artist.