Tell us a little about yourself and your creative business
My name is Melina and I live in Cornwall in the UK with my husband and our 3 guinea pigs George, Basil and Charlie. Linen and Lace primarily sells home decor items, including nursery furnishings and items for seasonal decorating (a big passion of mine!).
How did you get your start?
I've always been an avid crafter, being taught embroidery by my mother at a young age and also to knit by my beloved late grandmother. I became passionate about home decor when I first moved in with my husband and began to set up my own home for the first time. I'm a huge home body! After I was made redundant from my job in local government and had a period of ill health, I began to refocus on sewing and crafting again. They really were my savior during that time and it felt like a natural progression to try my hand at selling some of my creations. I started locally at first and then thought I would take the plunge into Etsy!
Where do you get your inspiration?
I love all things rustic, vintage and country and can spend hours pouring over home decorating magazines! I love the American way of decorating seasonally and really embracing that within the home. I'm always in awe of the stunning autumn porch and home decorations in particular. I really hope that catches on in the UK! A lot of my ideas come from designs I have created for our home that I think others might enjoy as well.
What has been your biggest successful moment so far?
Getting my first Etsy order was so amazing! To think that out of all the thousands of talented creators on there, someone chose to spend their money on one of my items is so wonderful. I recently got my first enquiry about selling wholesale which is so exciting and scary at the same time!
What challenges do you face selling online?
I think for me the main challenge is the competition on Etsy. There are so many sellers selling some truly unique and beautiful items that it can be hard to get noticed. I'm still learning a lot about how to tag and list items in the best way to get found by potential buyers.
What advice would you give someone just starting out on Etsy?
I've only just started myself so I'm probably the person asking that question! I think it's important to realize that it's normal to have to wait a while for your first order - don't give up and be patient. Keep going!
Thank you Milena for sharing your beautiful items with us. Next week we'll choose another artist to feature. If you would like to be considered, please send Zoica or myself a link via Etsy convo.
Until next time...
Thanks for stopping by,
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