Meet Shannon, our Saturday Artisan! She is the artist and owner of Faded Leaves Naturals.
I simply love Shannon's shop! It fills with products that you need on a day to day basis. And the plus is, they are all naturals! It's one of the shops I have on my list to go to.
Let's get to know her more, shall we?
Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?
I am a cloth diapering, breastfeeding, babywearing, earth mama. The
birth of my daughter awakened a person inside of me that I was always
meant to be. I became more natural minded and interested in holistic
health. I started creating salves and balms for use on my daughter and
family and soon had family and friends asking why I wasn't selling them.
My products expanded as my knowledge of natural living expanded. I am
now pursuing my certified herbalist degree as well as practicing as a
postpartum doula in my community. I am passionate about a more natural
way of living and love spreading my knowledge and love to others. Peace,
love, and happiness.
What is the story behind your shop name?
I wanted something that sounded earthy but wasnt so far fetched that it
would ostracize anyone. After months of searching, Faded Leaves Naturals
just came to and stuck.
Who is your target market?
My target market is natural minded women, men, and families, or people
interested in pursuing or starting a more natural lifestyle for their
families. The first mentioned group are sometimes known as the "crunchy"
families or the hippies. ;)
Which part of creation process that you enjoy the most?
The education that goes into each item I make, esp the salves and balms.
Learning the function of each herb and plant that I use and how to
combine them to make a product that helps with many issues. Watching all
that hard work come together and form a great product that helps people
is just the best.
Could you share on how your organize your products, we all can use a little
tips here and there in this department?
My products are organized by their main function: salves/balms, sugar
scrubs, lip balms, sprays, etc. Once in their respective category I
typically organize them by color or function. sometime alphabetically if
i am feeling in the mood. ;)
Once made, any extras that were
made but not needed for the order, go into a tub I have and are stored
in my pantry as my items need set temperatures and dark environments.
What is your best seller?
My nursing necklaces, my calendula salve, and hand sanitizer.
How does your day go in general?
M, W, F- i spend 2 hours in the mornings
marketing/listing/creating/accounting for the business. The afternoons
are reserved for my daughter. After she goes to bed at night, I
typically list some more, work on blog articles, more marketing, or
creating items for orders. I try to ship all orders in the morning, but
if that doesnt happen I package them that night and ship the next day.
T, Thu- I work outside of the home at my other, unfortunately necessary, day job until my soul business takes off.
How do you balance your personal and work life?
I hired a mothers helper to come in on M, W, F to watch my daughter for
those 2 hours so I can devote those hours exclusively to my business.
But once those 2 hours are done and the helper is gone, I put work aside
and focus on my daughter. Some days I get very little done after the
helper has left and other days more, but I dont regret the time spent
with her and not on my business. One day she will be gone, but this
business will still be here. I do enough to keep my name out there and
the orders coming in and realize that the success I want will come in
time, not necessarily my timing.
What inspires you?
Nature, my daughter.
What is your goal for 2014? And are you on the right track?
My goal is to get my name out there and to turn a profit. So far I am on
the right track. I keep a notebook with all my goals in it and read
over it often to make sure i am staying on track.
What is the key to success?
Determination.
Any advice for others running their on-line shop?
Never give up on your worst day. Tomorrow is a new day and a new start.
And tomorrow might just be the day you hit it big, but you would never
know if you gave up too soon.
What does handmade mean to you?
Handmade is a way of life. I make all of our own condiments, food,
snacks, detergents, napkins, etc. Handmade means being creative and
using that creativity to bring happiness to others. Handmade is
something, that once started, is impossible to stop. And once you start
shopping handmade, you will never go back.
What is your favorite quote, song, or movie?
Never let success go to your head or failure go to your heart.
Faded Leaves Naturals can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?
Here we are in the mid week already. Hope your week is going well.
I'm so pleased that Adore By Nat is included in this fun 2014 Summer Fun-zine From Our Hands to Yours, compiled and published by Julie and Blu of bluemorningexpressions.
This Fun-Zine is a must to check out! It fulls of beautiful handmade products from talented artists. It also contains Safety guidance and summer recipes. You'll find BBQ safety, food safety, sun safety, pet safety etc. You will also find some fruits recipes, salad recipes, etc. In addition, some gift ideas on Father's Day gifts and handmade gifts in general.
It's a fun and informative!
Just the other day, I was pleasantly surprised that my Nautical Tags are included in Artfire Shout Outs by On Fire For Handmade.
Such an honor to be picked and featured among gorgeous shops! Don't you just love that beautiful Tile Pendant and fantastic Sailboat Puzzle!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
Win this beautiful purple singed satin flower hair clip with a small resin flower center from Down With Plumes.
Learn more about Down With Plumes, the artists behind this great shop, here on yesterday's Saturday Artisan post.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
NO
PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest starts now and ends on June 11, 2014.
Contest opens to Worldwide, Free shipping to US only).
Open to Legal Residents (18years of age or older). Don't
forget to leave me a way to contact you. Entries
without contact
information will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the rules
will be disqualified. Contest winner will be drawn on June 12th. Winner
will be selected by Random.org and be notified by e-mail. Adorebynat is
not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have
represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their
prizes and in a timely manner. Winner must respond within 48 hours after
being contacted otherwise
another winner will be randomly selected. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?
Meet Bethany, our Saturday Artisan. She is the artist and proud owner of Down With Plumes. So many gorgeous accessories to choose from. I love her style, the Victorian and lacey with a modern twist kind of neat accessories.
Let's get to know her a little bit more, shall we?
Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?
I am a work-at-home-mommy to a three-year-old boy named Odin. He is a
fantastic kid and lets his mommy work on Down with Plumes making tiny
top hats, hair accessories, jewelry and much more!
The hats are
100% handmade from the bottom up. No hat bases are ever used, therefore
every hat is totally unique. I really enjoy working on new crafts,
running my blog and spending time with my husband and kiddo.
What is the story behind your shop name?
Down with Plumes was born out of the desire for a fun, play-on-words
style name. It was originally Plumes and Blooms, but I never felt right
calling it that. Over a few days, I thought about it constantly and
obsessed over how to get the name right. In talking to a couple of
friends, using "down" (as feathers) was suggested, and BOOM! It hit me.
Who is your target market?
My target market is women, ages 15-35, who love to have fun and accessorize!
Which part of creation process that you enjoy the most?
I really enjoy watching a few cut out pieces turn into a tiny top hat.
It's a couple of steps, but the transformation from what most people
would consider "recyclables" into wearable art is so fun!
For us who love to travel, could you share a bit about your beautiful town/
city?
I would have to say Seattle, WA. I grew up there, and it is stunning. It
gets a bad rep with all the rain, but in my years living there, it was
worth it.
I grew up on a 44' boat with my dad, so to me, Seattle
is all about the lakes and waterfronts. I had a blast running lines
through the lock system and crabbing in the Sound.
For visitors,
there is so much to do and see. It's not only gorgeous, but also
culturally diverse with lots of interesting activities. It's a great
city to visit!
Could you share on how your organize your products, we all can use a little
tips here and there in this department?
I have a very small craft space, so I've found it's best to move
upwards. I have shelves on top of my desk and up the wall holding less
essential supplies. Under those shelves, I have plastic storage
containers.
I also have collapsible drawers for my fabric and plastic storage tubs for my flowers.
What is your best seller?
The tiny top hats are my most popular item, specifically hats with pins.
They aren't as big of a seller online because the detail is lost in the
photos (even with DSLR quality photos), but at craft fairs and farmers
markets, the ladies go nuts for tiny top hats!
How does your day go in general?
On most days, I wake up with my little boy hovering over my face, saying
"Eat? Eat? Food? Mama. Food?" Lol! Once he's taken care of for the
morning, I start my coffee and hop on the computer to check on my sites.
Once
that is accomplished, I take care of my house and animals and make
lunch for my little boy. After lunch, Odin and I have time together to
do lots of fun things, like play with trains and practice the ABCs.
Once
we have dinner, Odin gets time to play with toys and watch Curious
George, Daniel Tiger or something similar while I check on all my
computer stuff again. Then he gets a bath and waits for his Daddy to get
home, which generally isn't until about midnight.
Once the little guy is off to sleep, I get time to work and my husband works on homework. It's busy, but worth every moment :)
How do you balance your personal and work life?
This is a category I do not excel at. I'm working on teaching my son
that I have to do work and he needs to occupy his own time, but it's a
process. As it stands now, I squeeze things into free moments. Lol!
What inspires you?
Everything! Other people's creations, things I see in stores, and other people in general!
What is your goal for 2014? And are you on the right track?
My goal for 2014 is to be more organized and better at advertising my
own products. I am currently ahead of schedule for my goals this year
(Ya-hoo!!).
What is the key to success?
Never fear failure.
Any advice for others running their on-line shop?
It's all about patience. Whether it be with your page, items, or
customers... Patience is your key. Some shops do well right from the
get-go and other's don't. Both are perfectly okay as long as you are
happy and doing your best!
What does handmade mean to you?
To me, handmade is creating something that wasn't before. This includes
re-making items (for me). I think the line is how much the original item
was altered. If, for example, I'm making a dress out of another dress, I
would have to severely alter the shape of the dress to consider it
"handmade" and not "altered".
What is your favorite quote, song, or movie?
When I'm 64- The Beatles
How to be in touch with Down with Plumes?
Twitter
Instagram
Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?
