Etsy's Handmade Blog
Quit Your Day Job: tigerlillyshop
Story by marymary, tigerlillyshop
Published on November 2, 2009 in Spotlight 		Photo by

tigerlillyshop

Allison of tigerlillyshop claims that running her own business closely resembles the life cycle of the perennial tiger lily. Her background skills in working for other professional artists combined with a little bit of risk-taking have lent Allison the necessary tools with which to pursue her own full-time creative business.  Her husband has recently been able to quit his own day job in order to help Allison run the business and make their Etsy shop a venture that now supports their family. Allison says she knew they would have to work really hard to make this all happen, but she couldn’t see it any other way, even though this means the occasional "saying no to fun." Keep reading to find out some of Allison's best marketing tips including testing out new lines of work and the benefits of joining an Etsy Team.

How did you originally get into the business of making things?
I am a fine artist with a sculpture background. It was natural for me to gravitate to jobs where I used my hands. I worked for a few professional artists and self-employed people early on. I even apprenticed with a furniture upholsterer after my undergraduate studies. It never seemed out of reach to do it on my own.


When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
My daughter was six months old when I found Etsy. Looking to sell online, I had been researching consignment and wholesale. I was really desperate to pay my end of the bills since I wasn’t going back to the software/textile production job I had before having my baby. My painter husband’s income couldn’t cover everything, and we relied on my income. Although I had my upholstery shop and working studio set up, there was no way I could work the long hours I was accustomed to. I found Etsy and signed up immediately, and that is the beginning of the wild growth of my tigerlillyshop.

Little did I know, my Etsy shop would take on the characteristics of that old time perennial. Tiger lilies are known to be invasive wild plants. If left unchecked, they grow out of control, just as my shop has done! And it’s a great thing because last year my husband left his mural painting job to make this our sole venture. My sister Maria helps me too; even though she is far away in New Orleans, she has been there for me when I need her. All we can do is try to keep up with it together!

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?
I never took a business class or learned about marketing myself as an artist. This was all built out of necessity and intuition. My Shrinky Dink rings with original drawings were my first real success here. I am so thankful that I had that original pack around while I was trying to figure out what to sell. I started my shop with those rings. From there I branched out over time to include vintage component jewelry, the button jewelry line, one of a kind metalwork, and electroforming. All of these lines are informed by my personal material sense and skills as an artist. I make what I want to and luckily, people seem to like what I make. My education at MICA and having my MFA from Edinboro University of PA informs this, I am sure.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
When I began, I hung out in the Chat Rooms and the Forums; it was about building a community for me at that point. Since then, I have used online networking sites like Flickr with great results, I started my blog, then ventured into Facebook, and I even tweet a tiny bit. But my absolute greatest marketing weapon has been with my BEST girls. The motivation and professionalism in the Baltimore Etsy Street Team has been a powerhouse of promotion. We have done a ton of online promoting with each other and all contribute to our Team blog (which just won an award!). The sheer talent of these ladies is probably enough for them to succeed, but we have capitalized on group networking at shows with Team business cards both locally and regionally. We all volunteer, using our talents in different ways to promote our group. This hard work has paid off with some major printed press in Baltimore Magazine last holiday season.

We have some rockstar sellers on BEST like blockpartypress, TheBrokenPlate, elisasherejewelry, greenstarstudio, just to name a few of the now sixty members. It doesn’t hurt that we have a diverse group with backgrounds ranging from marketing, web development, wholesale gallery experience, teaching, photography, and more. We all work hard at it, especially our Team leader, jenmenkhaus.

I did the Baltimore American Craft Council trade show this year, applying as an AltCraft Artist. This program is an opportunity for artists and indie designers to gain national exposure at a well-established show. As a result of showing there, I got a ton of press on TV, in print, and online. I was proud to be there with my fellow BEST teammate sweetpepita, who showed in the same section! I was not aware of how powerful the marketing behind these major trade shows are. Artists get really good promotion out of these types of venues.

Because of my ACC experience, I took a chance on applying for the Etsy Pavilion at the NYC OOAK Show in December — and got accepted! I am really looking forward to seeing what happens in this show’s premiere year in New York City. I had a peek at the marketing package this show has lined up and it is going to be advertised everywhere.

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?
I paid a lot of money once to be part of an open studio tour event — total bomb. I got to drink all the beer we bought for our no-show visitors, though!

Walk us through your typical workday.

  • I get my daughter breakfast and watch PBS with her. Coffee and check in online.
  • Then studio time most of the day. By studio time, I mean anything from ripping down the latest upholstery job, sewing, pattern-making, doing metalwork, electroforming, making buttons, taking/editing photos, listing online, networking online, assembling orders, shipping and the boring data entry part of the business.
  • My husband and I take turns throughout the week taking care of preschool days, parenting our daughter, and alternating studio hours.

Working from home and being full-time parents is a really tough thing to balance. We try to keep to our weekly schedule. It runs smoothly most of the time since we live where we work and have a large studio to spread out in. My daughter has her own corner of the studio here, where I try to keep her busy if she wants to be around during production time. She is now 4, so if she is not painting or creating something, she is most likely riding her scooter underfoot or “playing ponies” all day.


What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
I love not having a boss. I hate having someone tell me what to do, and I have too much ambition, too many ideas and I work too hard to give my energy to anyone other than my own family. I knew we would have to work really hard to make this all happen, but I couldn’t see it any other way. I know my husband feels the same way about leaving his job. We do miss the social element of a “job” but we have made up for that by making more of an effort to visit with friends.

What's the hardest part about running your own business?
First, being disciplined enough to deal with the boring paperwork end — yuck. But at least my husband and I are working on this system together. When you are in business for yourself, the work doesn’t ever really go away, something is always up next. The next hardest thing is having to say no to fun occasionally. There are times when my husband and daughter are out doing fun stuff while I buckle down in the studio. Or maybe we are at a craft show somewhere, and we all miss a great party or something. We do have to say no to fun sometimes, unfortunately. But we do get to spend a lot of time together, and this is great.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?
To myself, I would say, “You need to get more organized, crazy lady. Really. You should start on that NOW.” To someone else, I would advise, "It is SO worth it, go for it! Research and be smart about your decisions. If you are motivated in your talent, you can do anything you want to do. In this great nation we live in, the sky is the limit.” I would really say that to any of you out there, I truly believe it!


What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?
I will be picking up more wholesale accounts for my different lines of jewelry. I also hope to offer more upholstered and soft home goods in my shop this year. Stay tuned!



Is there anything else you'd like to share?
The growth of this business has not been linear. I have had to learn many things along the way. Attending workshops and the support from my BEST girls have helped me to fill in the blanks as needed. Yes, this is all a lot of work, but I have been able to achieve a manageable balance of art-making and motherhood. I am still learning and anticipate great things on the horizon. How wild will this tigerlillyshop grow? Come visit me at the Etsy Pavilion at the NYC OOAK Show in December! I can’t wait! Long live Etsy!

 

Have another question for Allison? 

Chat with her live in Etsy's Virtual Labs on Thursday Nov. 5th at 4 p.m. Eastern.

Thanks to Allison for sharing her story. You can see some of Allison's beautiful work in the Related Items. Check out previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Tags full-time, jewelry, Quit Your Day Job, sellers, selling, Spotlight, SPOTLIGHT, tigerlillyshop, workflow, working
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159 comments     Login to add your own!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. seababejewelry

Congradulations. Your jewelry is beautiful!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. ShaneLilyRain

Wonderful Work!! Great article :)

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. SimpleTraditions

Congrats! All your work is beautiful!!!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:51 p.m. squidart

What an adorable family, tigerlilley! Love the necklaces!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:52 p.m. monkeyandsquirrel

how wonderful! congrats to you and your lovely family on all of your success. and long live etsy indeed :)

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:54 p.m. lovelygifts

Great story! Nice products! Conrats!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:55 p.m. lovelygifts

Great article! Nice products! Congratulations

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:56 p.m. laralewis

wow, i am loving the pictures of your workshop! fabulous article, congrats! :D

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:57 p.m. ChloesRuffleButt

Congrats! Beautiful work! I love the acorn necklace.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 4:58 p.m. artwithallie

Thanks Allison for your inspiring story.

A big CONGRATS to you and your family for your well deserved success!! I think it must truly be awesome for you to be paid for doing what you love...and to be home amongst it all.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:19 p.m. jennyjen42

awesome Allison! you are my inspiration!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:19 p.m. thebestvintage

Thanks for sharing your story!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:21 p.m. yummyandcompany

great article... you are the BEST!!!! so proud of you!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:21 p.m. glowgirl16

Always love reading these inspirational stories - creativity, hard work and a love for what you do shines through! I love the broad range of what you make!
Very cool...

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:23 p.m. glowgirl16

Love reading these success stories - great ideas, hard work and a love for what you do really shines through!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:33 p.m. HollybyGollie

I love reading these stories. Very Inspiring.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:35 p.m. greenstarstudio

wonderful article, Allison! totally inspirational. You're definitely one to keep an eye on. Thanks for the mention--- SO glad i get to work with you and share in your talent.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:43 p.m. Cantrix

Really great article, thanks!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:53 p.m. tigerlillyshop

Thanks everyone! Hopefully I can keep up with this holiday season. We Have big things on the horizon.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:55 p.m. VivatHandmade

Fabulous! I love reading the Quit Your Day Job series! Maybe someday...

Nov. 2, 2009 at 5:57 p.m. blockpartypress

Great article Allison! I learned all kinds of new stuff about you! I so admire your amazing productivity and commitment to your craft and your family! Thanks for the shout out too!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:01 p.m. elisasherejewelry

Allison, you made me cry! You are such an inspriration, I loved reading this feature, your personality and enthusiasm totally came though. Congrats, you deserve it 100%.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:03 p.m. amadison

Allison, you really are a superstar!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:03 p.m. plumcreek22

Congratulations--great studio pics.
I've been a fan since 2006.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:23 p.m. louloudo

Well done! Your things are wonderful, Tigerlilly!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:29 p.m. PoPkO

this is awesome, i relate with a lot of what you said. congratulations!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:29 p.m. SpaTherapy

Inspiring story!! Congrats!!!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:29 p.m. TianaCHE

OMG, Mary! Awesome picks! Love lace bowl!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:31 p.m. kimbascrafts

Your stuff is beautiful. Congratulations on your success!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:43 p.m. WynnStudio

Huzzah! Well done my dear! WELL DONE! xox

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:51 p.m. michon

congratulations, and best of luck at the NYC show!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 6:52 p.m. happyhound

I always think it is interesting to see the progression of these successful Etsy sellers- from Shrinky Dink rings to this!

Congratulations Tigerlilly!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 7:21 p.m. herekitty

Allison, you're my hero!

Congrats and good luck,
~Cat

Nov. 2, 2009 at 7:50 p.m. SlimHands

beautiful jewelry!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 8:02 p.m. bylynnkrestel

thanks for the peek inside your life -and studio!!

great article!!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 8:12 p.m. LoveTaryn

Amazing jewelry! Congratulations on your success!!! :)

Nov. 2, 2009 at 8:12 p.m. ItsBella

what a beautiful shop! Congrats Tigerlilly!!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 8:35 p.m. juleahdiane

beautiful creations! :)

Nov. 2, 2009 at 9:10 p.m. shellydaly

Wowza!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 9:12 p.m. girltuesdayjewelry

I love these articles! So inspiring! Wishing you continued success with your business, Tigerlilly!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 9:26 p.m. sweetpepita

gorgeous! I love everything about your story, Allison.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 9:32 p.m. CEKCustomDesigns

Congrats Allison!!! Such a great story you have and it's so awesome that you and your husband are doing this together!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 9:39 p.m. sugarpaperie

wow! you've really earned this great success!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 9:42 p.m. AngelasAlchemy

Congratulations on your success!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:12 p.m. lealerjcreates

Congratulations! I love these stories!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:15 p.m. pinkkiss

Great article!! You guys are so cute:)

Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:19 p.m. blackscrapcat

You inspire me! I want my hubby to quit his day job too! We've been hoping for years to do find work to do together from home, and I'd love for my hobby to be it.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:29 p.m. DowntownGirlDesigns

Very inspiring story :) Beautiful shop too!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:29 p.m. breadandroses2

Congratulations, Allison! Best wishes for continued success!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:30 p.m. DowntownGirlDesigns

Very inspiring story! Nice shop too :)

Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:42 p.m. cassidycay

Great shop! Congratulations!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:49 p.m. doxallodesigns

Awesome write-up!! Congrats on the feature and on making your shop work!!

I am so proud to be a new member of BEST!!!
Janice

Nov. 2, 2009 at 11:12 p.m. gilstrapdesigns

You are wearing a lot of hats and doing a great job at it. I loved the article on you and your shop.

Nov. 2, 2009 at 11:14 p.m. TreeHuggerStudio

Congrats on your success!I love these articles great inspiration!

Nov. 2, 2009 at 11:53 p.m. TerrierTrousers

Great real life story and it gives all of us hope that want to take that leap into ones own business. Coming from being without a job for almost a year...Etsy has given me hope and so has all the inspirational stories like yours. Congrats and keep us up to date!! :)

Nov. 3, 2009 at 12:35 a.m. handbagcave

Love your story and those pieces of jewelry you included are just amazing! very original work, congrats on your success!!!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 3:53 a.m. PomLove

so. very. cool. i am totally impressed.....:) thanks for letting us have a peek into your life & talents, allison!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:34 a.m. craftaria

Congratulation for your success! Good luck for the future.

Nov. 3, 2009 at 6:20 a.m. BayMoonDesign

I can relate to what you say about getting organized. My studio resembles yours!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 6:54 a.m. michellepujol

Well done on your success, its always nice to here of other crafters and jewellers making it on their own.

Nov. 3, 2009 at 6:58 a.m. handbagcave

whats up with those annoying huge posts?

Nov. 3, 2009 at 7:50 a.m. foundling

I've admired tigerlilyshop for a long time! It's so nice to see you featured!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. FlanneryCrane

Beautiful cuff bracelet. All is wonderful. Congratulations, and I enjoyed reading about your business and routine!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 7:56 a.m. thebestvintage

It's great to hear about the success of the BEST team.
The networking and support that is available through Etsy is wonderful.
Life in the arts can be isolating, we all need some support. Even to only share stories about the highs and the lows.
Nice story!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:03 a.m. zeropumpkin

wow cool.got to fav the shop.& congrats :)

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:04 a.m. ManoCelebrates

Awesome work and great story! Good luck for the future!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:08 a.m. LadyLuLus

Great inspiration!

Lovely items too :)

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:09 a.m. Morado

Congratulations! Loved all the pictures taken and such a cute family!

http://twitter.com/MoradoShop
http://www.facebook.com/MoradoShop

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:11 a.m. ovgilliesdesigns

Thanks for sharing your story & the inspiration from it! Beautiful works!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:12 a.m. ovgilliesdesigns

Thanks for sharing your story & the inspiration from it! Beautiful works!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:12 a.m. Oriol

O.O
Great article, love to read such inspiring histories!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:15 a.m. kateblack

Go Allison!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:25 a.m. RedBracelet

A CELEBRATION FOR JEWELLERY LOVERS ~~!@

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:26 a.m. RedBracelet

~~!@

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:16 a.m. SaltwaterDesigns

Really cool. I love the variety of jewelry here --- this proves you can make whatever you love!! Good luck at the OOAK show, I'd love to check that out.

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:19 a.m. mydearthing

This seller was my very first purchase on etsy. I have been watching her grow since I signed up here and I am so happy she has put in all the hard work to make her shop what it is today! Congratulations and all the best for the future!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:20 a.m. mydearthing

This seller was my very first purchase on etsy. I have been watching her grow since I signed up here and I am so happy she has put in all the hard work to make her shop what it is today! Congratulations and all the best for the future!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 10:17 a.m. thirtyonedesigns

Congrats! You're very talented :)

Nov. 3, 2009 at 10:19 a.m. cbartist

Congratulations Allison! You're a hard working woman!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 10:22 a.m. abigailleigh

Such an inspiration right here in Baltimore!!!!!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 10:34 a.m. alittlecrazywithwax

congrads

Nov. 3, 2009 at 11:20 a.m. DalkullanJewelry

Congratulations and wishing you every success in the future!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 12:52 p.m. pascalepetit

Beautiful creations!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 2:05 p.m. Lunatiger

I love your story. Thank you for sharing with it us! ^_^ I'm so inspired whenever I read your articles.

Nov. 3, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. beezmiller

Great story. You go girl!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. CoffeeShop

Great Stuff. You're living my dream.

Nov. 3, 2009 at 4:18 p.m. BlackStar

Great read! Nice to see an Etsy vet in the spotlight!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 4:26 p.m. JiSTdesigns

You're living my dream as well... Excellent article. Thank you!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 4:58 p.m. sbdesignz

Congrats! Such pretty items for sale!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:01 p.m. 23rdstreetvintage

My favorite QYDJ story to date!!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:02 p.m. 23rdstreetvintage

My favorite QYDJ to date!!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:04 p.m. elpy

mwah! yay! i'm so excited to see a name i remember from red room chat days in the QYDJ. :)

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. FashionTouch

happy for you and thank you for sharing your story!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:15 p.m. cheepcheep

This was really inspirational and a great motivational piece! I hope one day to be able to quit my 9 to 5 permanently and do the same as Allison.

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:21 p.m. odiliafu

Congrats! Inspiring story. Beautiful work. Thanks for sharing!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:39 p.m. GracieDesigns

Fantastic article! You were my husband's first Etsy purchase, which was a shrink-plastic ring that I asked for. Yay!!!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:42 p.m. underoakstudios

Yay! Love your stuff.
Great article!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:51 p.m. EmeraldCityEmporium

Awesome shop, great article! So inspiring :) :)

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:51 p.m. photoglassworks

LOVE tigerlilly! Inspiring words of wisdom from a talented and smart lady! Thanks Allison! I still have my Japanese print ring from 4 years ago!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:56 p.m. ScentedLuxuries

Nice shop and nice article. Congratulations!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 6:07 p.m. grannysthimble

Congrats...Beautiful work. UNIQUE

Nov. 3, 2009 at 6:32 p.m. KDemARTe

Fantastic story & beautiful shop! Congrats!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 7:01 p.m. theenchantedcupboard

I love reading of these stories, very interesting to see how the play out there day! Great Read!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 7:13 p.m. ladaworks

Great story, great shop. Congratulation.

Nov. 3, 2009 at 7:19 p.m. LoveForEarth

Lovely shop! Congrats on your continued success!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 7:28 p.m. ThePaperTray

Congrats and here's to your continued success!!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:10 p.m. SallyRags

A great artist, business woman and MOM! Congrats!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 8:49 p.m. zaperoco

Congrats on this article. Thank for sharing your experience.

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:38 p.m. BeeGracious

Thanks for sharing ~ love your AMAZING success story!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:38 p.m. schmooks

Inspiring!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:39 p.m. cram

Thanks for the inspiration - hope I can quit my day job and go Etsy full time one of these days!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:40 p.m. cram

Thanks for your inspiration - hopefully I'll be able to quit my day job one of these day!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:40 p.m. 1022SeaShellAve

Congrats to you and your family :)

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:50 p.m. accentonvintage

Congrats! You deserve it!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 9:56 p.m. emcee

Inspiring!

Nov. 3, 2009 at 11:26 p.m. tigerlillyshop

Wow, thanks guys! Such great comments from some of you old schoolers. Remember when listing on Etsy was free and you could keep up w/ the forums? Red Room chat when admin would hang in there sometimes... I feel old. lol!

Really, thanks everybody;)

Nov. 4, 2009 at 12:22 a.m. dorijenn

What an inspiring and eloquent artist!! Thanks, tigerlilly and I wish you much success in the future! Dori

Nov. 4, 2009 at 12:54 a.m. 1AEON

niiiiice!!! congrats!!! glad to hear that another family is in:)

Nov. 4, 2009 at 2:11 a.m. rakshniyavintage

that's a great interview! very inspiring! I hope to be in such an amazing place myself someday : CONGRADS!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 2:11 a.m. rakshniyavintage

what a great interview! very inspiring! I hope to be in a such a great place with my etsy business someday!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 2:59 a.m. visart

Beautiful jewelry, congrats!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 7:10 a.m. ArtistaStyle

thats gotta be some of the most beautiful jewelery i have seen, such delicate work, congratulations on having talent AND gutts!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 8:22 a.m. snollygosters

Love, love, love those acorns! must have one. Congratulations on all your success!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. sewlutionsbyamo

I have always been happy for your success Allison, you deserve it!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 9:02 a.m. outspokenjewelry

I love the simplicity. Beautiful!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 10:13 a.m. TerrorDome

Cunning stuff! Must be a dream come true to have such success with your creations. : )

Nov. 4, 2009 at 10:19 a.m. lterrill9

Great article, great inspiration! Keep up the wonderful work and always remember to enjoy what you do! Best wishes!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 11:16 a.m. labellefairy

well done!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 12:46 p.m. nonchaloir

What a great article! You are such an inspiration to me (a brand new etsy seller). Thank you for sharing your story and your insight. It is so helpful!!! Way to go!!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 1:58 p.m. millalove

Wow wow wow! Your workshop is heaven!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 2:53 p.m. primitiveartdeco

Great job! Congrats!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 4:28 p.m. amysfunkyfibers

HI it's amazing that you can keep track of so much! Enjoyed reading the article. Keep up the good work!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. MeowBarkArt

What a delightful story... I especially like your statement about how you work too hard to give your energy to anyone other than your family... what a wonderful realization. Congrats & best wishes for continued success!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 4:57 p.m. JoshuaByOak

Great job. It's always so inspiring reading stories like yours. I just started listing items in my shop about three weeks ago, and am encouraged by reading articles like this. I would love for this to become my fulltime job as well. I know it's a lot of hard work, but when you're doing something you really love it's never really drudgery, is it.

Congratulations!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 4:59 p.m. JoshuaByOak

Oops, I think I just lost what I just wrote. In a nutshell, congrats! Hope to quit my day job as well someday. sigh

Nov. 4, 2009 at 5:31 p.m. colourbazaar

Great and inspiring article. Well done.

Nov. 4, 2009 at 7:01 p.m. RocKandy777

I really enjoyed this!!!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 7:47 p.m. RitualBath

Great article, I love seeing how you setup your work, and that horn chair, WOW.
Congrats!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 8:20 p.m. Pearlk2

beautiful work

Nov. 4, 2009 at 10:14 p.m. sbdesignz

Congrats! You have such nice items for sale!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 10:52 p.m. NewCreatioNZ

What an inspiration - thank you!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 11:22 p.m. talchen

Beautiful story!Good luck with the OOK show

Nov. 4, 2009 at 11:55 p.m. deluxejunque

Congrats on this feature, nice to see a fellow Charm City dweller achieving so much! Maybe we'll see you in Htown!

Nov. 5, 2009 at 9:34 a.m. chocolatecreative

I so much think and feel the same way as you regarding not liking to have a boss, i am working very hard to make my business a success and since I have been made redundant this week from my main job I am taking the risk of making my cushions work!! Thanks for your story, a great source of inspiration!!

Good luck with your business and family.
Regards from London
http://chocolatecreative.blogspot.com/
The SKY is the limit!!

Nov. 5, 2009 at 10:31 a.m. bstrung

I love your work! Thanks for the information.

Nov. 5, 2009 at 10:39 a.m. CLineCreations

Congratulations! It's so great that you get such quality family time since you (and your husband) are your own bosses. Best of luck at the NYC OOAK show -- my neck of the woods!

Nov. 5, 2009 at 12:26 p.m. Isette

I love what you said - "I have too much ambition, too many ideas and I work too hard to give my energy to anyone other than my own family."

congrats!

Nov. 5, 2009 at 1:10 p.m. yabettasupadont

go sista', shake yur booty get groovy!

Nov. 5, 2009 at 8:40 p.m. buenahelena

This is awesome Allison! You and Maria inspire me so much!

Nov. 5, 2009 at 8:41 p.m. buenahelena

so awesome allison!all you fomich girls are amazing!

Nov. 5, 2009 at 8:42 p.m. buenahelena

and apparently I put in 2 redundant comments on accident...

Nov. 5, 2009 at 9:18 p.m. reworkedart

your stuff is beautiful! thanks for the tips

Nov. 5, 2009 at 11:37 p.m. pattiayn

So nice to read about your great support system. Your shop is full of beautiful things.

Nov. 6, 2009 at 11:02 a.m. LittleWhiteDresser

I just love the acorn!! great item :)

Nov. 8, 2009 at 2:45 p.m. sashasutton

There are soo many beautiful thngs here. I wonder if ther is a waty to list my 2 items and credit the fees to my first sale as I recently was diagnoses w/ a terminal illness and am waiting for disability, and do not have the few dollars to pay at this time. Any way able?
Sincerely,Sue Wegloski

Nov. 10, 2009 at 10:45 p.m. laura1953

A main stumbling block for me is health/dental insurance. If I quit my day job, it will become a significant monthly expense. (As is the case for many others in my position!)
Do you know of any insurance companies that cater to small business owners or craftspeople/artists? Your input would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks, and best of success and happiness in your work!
Laura

Nov. 11, 2009 at 7:23 p.m. HazelmoonflyHairBows

An inspiration. Go artistic mommas!

Nov. 12, 2009 at 10:15 p.m. SpiritMama

Congrats on your success!

Nov. 19, 2009 at 2:50 p.m. DebsUpcycledArt

very inspiring and informative..thanks!

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