Meet Beth, creator of Sweet Nature Designs.
Her shop is full of lovely Kitchen towels, aprons, pillows, scarves and bags all with whimsical and unique designs.
Let's take a peek inside her studio & get to know her a little better shall we?
I can’t live without: My phone! Having quick and immediate access to email is super important to me. I pride myself on my customer service and since my business is a reflection of ME I need to be able to respond quickly to emails and etsy convos. Plus, I can handle almost anything etsy related on my smart phone, no matter where I am!
I read Design *Sponge religiously, everyday. It’s a great source of inspiration. I don’t spend a huge amount of time surfing the web…with a husband and two busy kids, my time is filled with family and creating.
This is how I like to Relax:
I go for a run most mornings after I walk my kids to their bus stop. It’s my time to think and plan for the day: work, kid’s activities, and meal planning. I always try to make time for my run!
My favorite Tv Shows/movies:
I often have the TV on in my studio as background noise while I’m working. Being home all day alone is relaxing, but I need the noise sometimes! I can’t watch anything too interesting, otherwise I will get distracted. I’m addicted to Bravo TV’s Bethenny Ever After. It’s funny and inspiring watching her business grow. Plus she’s smart and savvy. I also just watched the entire BBC version of the Office. That was the most hilarious show ever!
My favorite materials to work with are: I love black thin tipped markers and paper…I’m always doing quick sketches. In addition to screen printing, I also paint with acrylics so I could spend hours in any art supply store, scanning all the painting supplies…paints, brushes, canvases. The best store ever is here in Seattle: Daniel Smith’s. I love fabrics, too, especially linen. I can’t stay too long in a fabric store or I’ll spend WAY too much money!
My Hometown: I live in a small suburb, just north of Seattle, Washington. Snohomish is a cute town, famous for its antique stores and cute gift shops. Seattle in general is an awesome place for indie artists of all types. I love it here!
My favorite room in my house is: my studio
I love it because: My house isn’t very big and my studio is our fourth/spare bedroom. It sounds so much more professional to call it a studio, don’t you think? Anyway, I can leave the door open and hear all the sounds of the house. The kids could be watching TV or on the computer and I can hear what’s going on. They could be running in and out of the front door, heading outside to play, and I can yell reminders after them. I like working at home, in the midst of all the family action.
My favorite vacation was in: The beach…any beach…
My guilty pleasure is: reeses peanut butter cups. I have to hide them. They are one reason I make myself go running every morning!
In one word I am: nice. I know it is simple, but I try to be nice to everyone, even in small ways. My new year’s resolution this year was to be nice to people…I think it’s easy to forget this simple quality. Being nice goes a long way.
My favorite fashion item is: earrings. I have short hair, so earrings make me feel put together.
I fear: Not a whole lot. I had a close family member pass away recently, and I decided not to sweat the small stuff. I am grateful for every day!
This is what makes me smile: Realizing how smart and creative my kids are becoming. You are teaching the ones you want to stay with you forever how to live without you in the future. It makes me smile and cry!
My favorite item I bought from another etsy shop is: My fabric labels. I know it’s not something exciting, but having professional looking labels on my products makes me feel awesome!
My advice to other Etsy Sellers: Keep plugging away at your business and treat it just like that: a professional small business. Be confident and proud of your products! During slow times try to perfect or change anything…there is always room for improvement. And this is something to remember every day: the customer is always right. Doing what you can to make the customer happy, without sacrificing your work, integrity, or income is something to always keep in mind.
My typical day is: Get kids ready for school, run, shower, work until 3:00pm, kid stuff, dinner, and then work some more before bed. Seriously! It’s just work and family everyday and I LOVE it.
I stay inspired by: my magazine subscriptions. I love Lucky, Sunset, Better Homes and Gardens, and Country Living. It’s such a treat finding them in my mail box.
Here is how you enter
{must be jessicaNdesigns follower} - Go check out the shop & tell me which towel you would pick.
Want Extra Entries?
Do any of the following & leave a SEPARATE comment for each one you do:
- Add Sweet Nature Designs to your Etsy Favorites
- Share link to this giveaway on Facebook
- Blog about the giveaway
Giveaway open until 7/11/11 & winner announced using random.org 7/12/11
