Savvy Seller Feature & Giveaway: modmomME

I have recently had the honor of getting to know another great Etsy seller, mod momME, (what a clever name!) and I knew you'd want to meet her, too! She has been so gracious to let me feature her and is also offering a giveaway (not just for moms!). Read further for details!

Kristen, tell us a little bit about yourself and your craft:

My name is Kristen! I am 25 years old, married to my HS sweetheart, Jason. We have 2 beautiful kids--a 2 1/2-yr-old boy named Kameron and a 1-yr-old girl named Kallee (as in Cali... not Kay-lee). They make our life interesting, to say the least. I enjoy photography (mostly of my gorgeous kids), scrapbooking, cooking, the beach, and sewing. Sewing is my craft and I absolutely love it. It is my release from a day of dirty diapers and cleaning!

How did you get started as a designer/crafter/sewer?

I actually taught myself to sew back in February. My hubby had just bought himself some new computer gadget, so I decided I wanted a toy, too! I told him I was buying a sewing machine so I could make our baby girl some dresses, a tutu for her first birthday, and some cute purses for myself. I never expected to love sewing this much. I actually had withdrawals from sewing 1 month after starting because the machine died on me. Thank goodness I was able to take it back and exchange it. I think I would have died if I had to go with out it any longer.

How/why did you get started on Etsy?

Somehow I came across Etsy and I fell in love with all the wonderful handmade items. Why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner? I had no intention of selling, but I fell into it somehow thinking,"This will be easy." Because I am a SAHM, I needed to find a way to help our financial situation. By this time I was making nursing covers for my friends and I decided to open a shop under my buyer account. I had no idea what I was doing and listed 3 different pictures of nursing covers on 1 listing because 20¢ per listing seemed like a lot of money to “test the waters”. I was sure they would sell right away, but they didn't. I did not give up though. I began researching the ins and outs and took care of the details. I had eDub design all of my graphics, ordered business cards, and sought out every free social networking site I could think of. I officially opened on June 15th and made my first sale* as I was uploading my items.

*Whoa! How crazy is that? I'm so jealous!

What inspires your creations?

Moms inspire me. As moms, we sacrifice a lot for our family and it is very easy to lose sight of who we are as individuals. I create because I know I am not alone in how I feel. I do not expect to deliver miracles to moms, but I do hope my designs bring a smile to their face, make them feel special, and make their life a little easier!

What is your advice to aspiring Etsy creators/sellers?

I think the most important thing is to research. The Etsy forums and chat rooms are great resources for that. You learn more from people who have been there before. I am still new, so it is sometimes hard for me, but you have to learn how to take criticism. List new items every couple of days, as it helps with your exposure. List more than 1 item :) I listed over 50 when I opened modmomME. Also, take great photos and know that they can always be better. I am still working on this myself. Lastly, do not be afraid of failure and do not beat yourself up over your number of sales... it's ok! When you make a mistake, learn from it and move on.

What is your favorite thing in your shop?

Definitely my Dispose a Diaper Bag © key chain. I literally whipped the first one up in no time at all and it was the same pattern design I use now. I cannot believe I got it in one shot and I am loving the compliments I get on them. I had no idea they would be this popular!

Where can we find your creations?

I am a part of many social networking sites, but the place to buy my products is www.modmomME.etsy.com.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I enjoy reading about other people and their lives. I guess that makes me nosy. I especially like the pointless, yet interesting, facts like: when I was little I asked my granddad for some peanut butter toast for breakfast. He swore I asked for peanut butter on my toes. To this day he calls me Peanut Butter Toes!


Kristen has been kind enough to offer a giveaway to go along with this feature, so here are the details!

Kristen is offering one lucky reader their choice of one of her awesome keychains from her shop!

Here's how you can earn multiple chances to enter:

1. Visit her shop, www.modmomME.etsy.com, then come back here and leave a comment listing your favorite item in her shop.

2. Visit her blog, www.modmomME.blogspot.com, show her some love and leave a comment!
(Comments make bloggers happy!)

3. Follow her blog, www.modmomME.blogspot.com.

4. Follow her on Twitter: www.twitter.com/modmomME

5. Become her fan on Facebook.

6. Blog about this giveaway and leave the url in the comments section.

7. Tweet about this giveaway and leave the link in the comments section.

8. Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/savvystitcher

9. Follow this blog=)

10. Become a fan of Savvy Stitcher on Facebook

Remember to leave a separate comment for each of your entries! Please also include your contact information so I can get in touch with you if you win.

You have 7 days to enter! Winner will be chosen at random on July 22!

Good luck=)