T.E.S.T. Interview: SewnWithLoveByMom

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the 73rd in our series and is with Anne Pathammavong of SewnWithLoveByMom.  

How did the idea of starting SewnWithLoveByMom appear?

When I was pregnant with my son Benjamin I spent way too much time browsing for baby items. I noticed everything was pink or blue and nothing that matched my modern decor. I wanted to create modern and practical baby items I would use with my own son. I love sewing and creating items and it seemed like a natural fit.  

Where does your inspiration come from?

A few things - Benjamin, my son, mid-century furniture and Modern Art and design. From a practical stand point I also wanted functional baby items that would get a lot of use. I created baby bandanas for Benjamin because he wouldn't stop drooling and I didn't want to have to change his outfit five times a day. 

What materials do you like most to use for your creations?

I love the variety of prints you can get with basic cotton and how soft fleece is. I'm also working on a few projects that involve organic materials like organic bamboo, organic terry cloth and organic fabric.

What advice would you give to the other young mothers, who want to start their own business?

I would just tell them to jump right in and do it! Make a business plan and work on your business when the baby sleeps. Doing a bit every day is better than nothing.   

What marketing strategies do you prefer?

As a brand new shop I'm focused on perfecting the basics like Search Engine Optimization in Etsy. I hope to have more strategies in the next few months.  

Anything else you would love to tell us?

My mom is a seamstress and I grew up sewing on industrial sewing machines in my parents basement. While other kids were playing during march break and summers I was there helping her with her business. I'm also slowly adding new items every week and look forward to being a part of the Toronto Etsy Street Team.

Check out the other items available from Anne in her Etsy Shop! You can find also find her on:
Twitter: @SewnwithLoveMom
SewnwithLoveByMommy on Facebook

 
Anne Pathammavong was interviewed by Julia Alimova of VIVIDClothingToronto, February 16, 2015. 

T.E.S.T.'s 3rd Annual Handmade "Spring" Marketplace

We'd like to share some photos from our Marketplace last weekend! Here are some of the great displays and lovely sellers at the event. We didn't capture every table - some were too crowded when we tried to gather photos! (Let us know if you too have photos to share - we would love to add them). Remember to vote for your favorite seller! VOTING WILL CLOSE THIS FRIDAY, so don't miss your chance.

TESTy Survey

Calling all Toronto Etsy Street Team Members!
We want to hear from you.
Please take a moment and fill in this brief survey.

Thanks! You're the best.

T.E.S.T. interview: CandiWare

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the 22^nd in our series, an interview with CandiWareJewelry of Candiware.

First, tell us a little about you and your shop. What prompted you to open up an Etsy shop?




CandiWare is a one-stop shop for delicious miniature food jewelry that is scented! After making my own jewelry for years, I finally decided to open my own Etsy shop because whenever I went out wearing the jewelry I had made people would always ask me where I bought my fun jewelry. At that point, it was simply a matter of time before I wanted to share my work with the public and bring a sense of fun to their lives.

How did you become interested creating such uniquely crafted jewelry?



As a child, I always loved small toys such as Polly Pockets. In addition, I have always had a knack for crafts. When I began creating my miniature food pieces, it just perfectly fit my style! 



Other than your shop, do you have another occupation or a ‘day job’? If so, what is it? Do you have a background in jewelry design or business? 



Yes, I actually do have a day job, I work as a background painter for a Disney children’s show. I’m lucky because I thoroughly love both my work with Disney as well as my Etsy shop. In terms of my background, I have degree from the advanced animation program at Seneca College.




Through your shop, CandiWare, you offer not only jewelry pieces, but also items for both men & women as well as some seasonal pieces. Do you find that this makes your shop constantly grow & reach diverse markets?



Yes, I do think that having a variety of different items in your shop is a big plus. In terms of seasonal pieces, I find it is very helpful to keep your shop new and fresh! Seasonal items can also draw in buyers and hopefully, keep interested in returning to check out new items or find a new purchase.



I love the whimsical & fun aspect of your designs, why is this an important feature of your shop?

I really believe in what I’m selling! I have found that my pieces are able to provoke laughter and enjoyment from customers or even when I’m out wearing it or at craft shows. I also meet some individuals that think my jewelry is odd or “gaudy”! I actually had a women say that to me at a craft show! I just think people like that don’t know how to have fun!



You mention in your shop’s announcement that your food themed jewelry actually contains scent, which is almost too delicious to resist! Can you describe how you create your jewelry & how they become scented?



When I create my jewelry, I make my pieces called, little minis, out of fimo then I add the scented oils to the clay as it’s baking. Trust me when I say they really do smell good! : D



What is your biggest inspiration for your pieces?



My biggest inspiration for my pieces comes from cookbooks if you can believe it! I have a lot of recipe books that are all about tarts, cakes, cookies, and other sweets. For inspiration, I simply flip though the recipes and find a sweet treat that I would love to make in a miniature form.




Do you have a favourite piece or one you enjoy crafting? If so, which piece?



I do have a lot of favourites! Currently, I am really in love with my teapot necklace. 




In what ways do you, CandiWarejewelry, promote your business? Are they any current promotions on your Etsy shop, CandiWare? Other than your Etsy shop is there anywhere else where readers can find out more about Candychick?



I promote my business through various social networking sites which include Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler as well as my CandyWare Blog. For Etsy promotions, I currently have a big sale going on in my shop in order to make space for my new stock. To visit, go to the “Sale” section in my shop to see the special items on promotion.

To someone considering opening his or her own Etsy shop, do you have any advice for him or her?



My advice to new sellers is to make sure you read the Etsy Seller Handbook and go through all of the Etsy Online Labs too. They are incredibly helpful! My main goal with my shop is to always update whether it be through my blog, Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook. Just get yourself out there!



You can find more of CandiWareJewelry in her Etsy shop, the Candiware blog, the Candiware Tumblr, the CandiWare Facebook page or follow CandiWare on Twitter. She was interviewed by Meg of FrameBoutique in September, 2011.

T.E.S.T. interview: Menace Creations

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the 19^th in our series, an interview with MenaceCreations.


I loved the Enginearrings title and the item. How does your training as an engineer influence your art?


Thanks, I'm glad you like them! Civil Engineering is all about simplifying a problem, and capturing it's essentials. In my earlier work, I strived for photorealism to the extreme of shading individual leaves on a tree separately, or drawing individual blades of grass separately - even my "sketches" took me hours to complete, and as a result my drawings, although they were impressively accurate, lacked life and movement. In my more recent work, I've been more successful at catching the essentials of my subjects - the movement and shape, and allowing the viewer to fill in the more minute details. For example, drawings like my jellyfish are something I wouldn't have been capable of a few years ago.

I think this newfound respect for simplicity is also what has drawn me to start exploring origami again. There is something incredibly elegant about making complex shapes out of nothing but paper. I'm particularly proud of having developed my own origami/kirigami dragonfly pattern. You can see an example here .



I love the natural feel and flow of your pieces. What is the creative process behind collecting the materials and creating the pieces? Do you spend a lot of time gathering the materials?

I've always been a bit of a tinkerer and collector, and I'm very drawn to the natural world, so I find it really gratifying and cool to use found objects and upcycled vintage pieces in my work. When I crafted just as a hobby, I would just "come across" cool things every so often to craft with on hiking trips, visits to the beach or browsing through a vintage store.

Now that I'm crafting for a wider audience, I've had to start planning my supplies collecting a lot more carefully. I go on full-day seaglass-hunting outings with my ever-eager little sister, I have a circuit of thrift and vintage shops I visit on a regular basis for different supplies. I buy brass findings in bulk (conventional brass production uses over 98% recycled materials). I'm currently sourcing some fair-trade recycled glass beads for my necklaces and sari scrap ribbons to hang pendants from in place of chain. I do still use some conventional materials, but I'm working very hard to gradually transition to all environmentally-responsible materials.

It does take me a lot longer to get my materials this way. I'd say about a quarter of my crafting time is currently dedicated to acquiring materials, but I love every moment, and I know that it makes my products unique. You won't find a necklace like this one anywhere except for the Menace Creations shop.


What was the most exciting part of your venture to open the Menace Creations Etsy shop?



The most exciting moment for me was when my first notecard order arrived from the printers. It's a dream come true to have a stack of professional looking greeting cards with my artwork printed on the front and my company name and URL printed on the back. What's even better is that people are actually buying them.

Do you find a lot of support in your family, friends or community? If so how do you keep them involved?

My parents and partner are unwaveringly supportive of everything I do, which is really helpful in my moments of self-doubt. My partner has helped me with everything from photography to banner design to notecard layout, and my parents promote me on facebook. My friends are all encouraging, and more than a few have remarked on my crafts and artwork "Wait, you MADE all these things? Why the hell did you ever go into engineering?!?!"


My most avid fan by far, though, is my younger sister. She looks up to everything I do, and wants to help out every way she can. She comes materials-searching with me, gives me advice and inspiration for my artwork, even folds origami for me, and always thinks I'm the coolest older sister ever, even when nobody else agrees with her.

It's really great to have such an awesome support group.


Any suggestions or lessons for fellow creators who want to take their hobby to a greater public?

Have a clear goal about what you are trying to sell and who you want to sell it to. When I opened my shop, I really wasn't sure what I would sell except for "my crafts". I went out and bought materials for all sorts of different things, most of which ended up deciding I wouldn't sell anyway. Even now I have trouble controlling myself and not starting 27 unrelated projects at the same time, and I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how to narrow my focus.

Which is your favorite item in your store?


I wouldn't try to sell anything that I didn't think was wonderful in some way, but I have a particular soft spot for these snail notecards.

Earlier this year I left engineering school for mental health reasons, and was feeling very down on myself. Getting back to drawing and crafting was very therapeutic for me and that little snail was one of my first sketches in years, and I'm really proud of it.

Check out more of MenaceCreations artwork, cards and jewelry in the MenaceCreations Etsy Shop. Interviewed, June, 2011, by Pusha

T.E.S.T. interview: Dylana Designs

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the 14^th in our series, an interview with Lady Dylana of dylanadesigns.

How long have you been knitting or crocheting?

I have been crocheting since I was 5 and knitting for 25 years.


In your profile I noticed you have two etsy shops - what makes dylanadesigns different?

Dylana Designs sells knit and crochet designs and The Joy of Knitting (my other shop) retails new yarns, books, magazines, patterns, knitting needles and accessories, plus a few cross stitch kits. Brands like, Aero, Debbie Bliss, Fil Diamond Yarn, Inox, James C Brett, Patons, Sirdar, Stylecraft, Schachenmayr Nomotta, Kertzer, Vogue, to name a few, at excellent prices.


Do you make your own patterns? Where do you get you inspiration from?

I design and make all my own patterns. I get inspired and creative when looking at nature, architecture and colour. Customization is a major part of my business and I get most of my sales this way.


What is your favourite item to make?

I love to knit and crochet everything but my most fun thing to do is one-of-a-kind bags from different materials. I just made a bag from all biodegradable material.


What is your day-job?

I am an Office Manager/Executive Assistant with over 20 years experience.


Other then your etsy shop where else do you sell your items?

I sell at showcases and open houses.

My other business, The Joy of Knitting, is 12 years old.



Find more from Lady Dylana at
dylanadesigns and The Joy of Knitting on Etsy. Follow her on twitter @LadyDylana. Read her blog here. She also has an upcoming website for The Joy of Knitting and a Facebook fanpage The Joy of Knitting on FB.

Interviewed by Jacqueline from madebyjacqueline, in March, 2011.

Tickle Me Pink Treasury

Check out T.E.S.T. member Sahetah's pink treasury of Toronto treats.

T.E.S.T. interview: KateCanCreate

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the 13^th in our series, an interview with katecancreate.

What got you started in making handmade creatures?

When I was in university I picked up a copy of Stuffed Magazine, which is about "the crafting of softies". I was so inspired by the different artists' work that I wanted to make my own unqiue band of characters. I started buying fabrics and sketching little pirates and monsters and I haven't stopped making them since.

What do you find to be your greatest rewards and challenges with your creations?

There are so many rewards in creating my softies. I love dreaming them up and watching them come to life. When I finally finish a new character and give them a silly name it is really satisfying. I also love laughing at them as I pose them in ridiculous scenarios for photographs. Creating my characters allows me to express my sense of humour which is a great release for me. My nephews reactions to them are adorable and I cherish that part of it too. My three year old nephew can't stop hugging the monsters, I had to make him some.

The biggest challenges have just been setting up my Etsy shop and figuring things out as I go along. Promotion has been very overwhelming for me and I still haven't decided what would be most successful for my shop. I am considering trying some local craft fairs, creating a blog and things of that nature to increase my exposure.

Where do you see KateCanCreate in ten years?

My dream for KateCanCreate is that I successfuly launch my brand and am able to support myself and my family from it. I would love to create more shops on Etsy to sell my paintings, drawings and quilts and anything else I could possibly dream up over the next ten years.

You mentioned in your profile that you have been creating since you were little, what other things did you enjoy making?

I have been creating things forever. I can remember sewing little teddy bears with my mother when I was a little girl. While other kids played sports I took quilting and sewing classes, painted and crafted. My birthday parties would be centred around crafting and my mom even gave me a crafting room in one of the houses we lived in. I feel I am an artist through and through and nothing makes me happier than creating.

Check out more creations at KateCanCreate! Interviewed by clairevowles of Crafty Mosaics in February, 2011.

Sleet Street

Check out the lovely gray items that T.E.S.T. member wintergarden found in T.E.S.T.y shops!

Toronto Team Eh!

Another treasury this morning, featuring T.E.S.T.y people, by T.E.S.T.'s own mythicalmatters!

Upcoming Event: Methinks’ Holiday PopUp Art Show Village

Project 165 is thrilled to present Methinks’ Holiday PopUp Art Show Village: a contemporary art and craft showcase housed inside a life-size diorama, curated and art-directed by Ryan Ringer, from December 10 – 27, 2010. A press preview will take place Friday, December 10, 6 – 8pm, followed by a holiday party from 8pm – 12am.

@ Project 165
165 Augusta Ave
Dec 10-27th

It will include more than 50 local makers including T.E.S.T. members spontaneousreality and missquitecontrary.

Event: Retro Prom Night

New T.E.S.T. member killercosmetics will be at the Phoenix this Saturday night. Not only will you have the opportunity to score some great deals on our vegan eyeshadows, but you’ll also have the opportunity to win some throughout the night! See the event facebook page and her blog for more details!

Art Show: A Hidden Place

Two of our T.E.S.T. team members, Ron Caddigan (aka Cyclops And Owl) and Ele Willoughby (aka minouette) along Chris O'Brien, Reynardin and Faunalia (possible future T.E.S.T.y people) will be having an art show entitled A Hidden Place at 1254Art. Please join us for the Opening!

Place: 1254Art, 1254 Dundas St. W (at Dovercourt)
Time: December 3rd, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Info: The show can be viewed throughout December, by appointment. Please contact ahiddenplace '@' gmail.com