Who are you? My name is Alison. I am a 31 yr. old mom of 2 crazy kiddies. My son is almost 9 and the smartest kid I know, reading me books now. My daughter is going to be 4 in Feb. and the strongest most amazing person I have ever met. Not only do I have my Etsy shop, I work weekends as well, and am a mom, that one is first and foremost. You see, being a mom to 2 amazing kids is challenging, being a mom to the only child in the world with her sickness is another. My daughter is one of a kind, with a rare genetic disorder and a humbling seizure disorder, with seizures multiple times daily. I will admit it's not easy, and has it's ups and downs, but in reality has made me the woman I am today.....Mommy, Business woman, Shop owner, with the ability to laugh at myself, change plans at the drop of a hat, and maybe just a bit crazy:)
What is your Etsy Shop Name/link? My shop name is
Miss Emma's Closet, named and dedicated to my little love Emma.
How did you come up with your shop name? I named my shop after my daughter, with a shabby chic heirloom sound to it. My designs are ideal for many generations, being trendy, but beautifully created with the highest quality. It's like you looked in grandma's attic or through your baby items and see the quality and the ability to pass them on. Miss Emma's Closet was born.
What do you create? Do you create for children or adults, women or men? I create boutique quality accessories for mommy and baby with high end materials, yet keeping them affordable for everyone. Not only do I have my bib and burp cloths I am working on a line of kiddie clothing including dresses and pinafores, and things for mom as well, diaper bags, purses and zippered pouches.
What do you like about Etsy? I love the networking of Etsy, being able to get my name out there without being pushy. I love having such a creative pool of people together under one "roof", and finding other artisans that create beautiful pieces of art that are just so intricate, it's hard to wrap the mind around, especially when I find a painter or someone that works with jewelry, those are mediums I shy away from, so I find them so fascinating.
Where do you find inspiration for your products? I love to just go out on a whim and see what I can find. Love fabric stores!!! Much more so than on-line purchases. I love to feel the fabric and touch it. Make sure it's luxurious and has the hand and quality that I want to create my designs. I may even find a vintage table cloth and next thing you know it's an apron. My shop has just a small sampling of the designs I come up with.
What do you love about your business? The creative outlet. When you spend as much time in hospitals, doctor's offices and home schooling as I do, any release is good. I have even been known to bring my craft with me for a stint in the hospital. I also love the fact that I can create something and package it up beautifully and have someone receive it and write me such beautiful words of inspiration and appreciation, for instance:
I got your package today!!!!!! They are sooo sooo cute..can't wait till the baby comes and I can use them. I will definately be ordering more and using the coupon..thank you very much for that. I was very impressed with the presentation of everything...the invoice...products...little Christmas card. Very thoughtfull...you are running a very good business:)
It makes it all worth it.
What is your favorite product(s) right now? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the fabric and it's the perfect size for tummy time, nap time, car seats and strollers comes complete with a toy link.
Play Time Nap Time Floor Matt or Blanket Perfect Size to Tuck into Strollers or Car Seats
What makes you unique at Etsy? I would like to think that I use unique fabrics and materials to make high end high quality accessories at affordable prices. I let my travels denote my creations. I let my designs speak for themselves and strive for quality and make things that I actually use and want to use on my own kids and for myself. When I am out and someone asks me, "Where did I get that?" I want to confidently answer "Well it's one of my designs" with confident.
What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create? 2010's resolutions are to be a part of twitter, start a second blog for just Miss Emma's Closet (my personal blog is
www.onemomsstory.blogspot.com it tells the story of Emma), start a Facebook for the business too, and utilize my mobileMe account and start a web page.
