Featured Shop: She's Batty Designs

Thank you so very much, Jamie, for taking the time to answer a few questions about your etsy business: She's Batty Designs - http://shesbattydesigns.etsy.com

Jamie not only has a wonderful shop on etsy, but also helps animals in need. She is a proud owner/friend to 4 amazing animals (7 year old turtle and 3 dogs). I love animals as well and would like to thank you Jamie for your compassion and dedication to saving lives and providing a wonderful, loving home to our little friends. Thank you!

Q. How did you hear about Etsy?
A. I was just surfing around one Sunday afternoon. I don't remember what site I was on that lead to Etsy but I instantly knew that I would an Etsy regular after that!

Q. What made you decide to sell on Etsy?
A. After falling in love shopping on Etsy, and having far more paper creations that I could give away, I decided to open up a shop to share my cards with fellow Etsians.

Q. How did you originally get into Handmade Greeting Cards & Paper Products business?
A. My love of arts and crafts was what inspired She's Batty Designs. After attending Fine Art school and not feeling totally satisfied with the direction my art was headed, I threw out all the "rules" and "norms" that has been drilled into my head. I gather up a bunch of art supplies that inspired me, a few pictures, and a lot of glitter. I crafted like I was a kid again and made art that made me happy. It was very refreshing to make art that didn't have to have a purpose other than my own enjoyment. It was inspiring, and enlightening to drop all the Fine Art baggage and make art without a struggle. Friend and family members embraced my works so I decided to start offering them publicly via She's Batty Designs.

Q. What and who motivates and inspires you to create?
A. Motivation for me, comes from within. I just seem to have a force inside me that drives me to create and be creative. When I need some fresh inspiration (and ideas of what to do with the creative driving focus in me) I do a lot of web surfing, get out and take lots of pictures in some of my favorite places, look more closely at every day “ordinary” things and search for something that’s been overlooked, or just take a long walk with my man and our 3 dogs.

Q. What are your interests outside etsy?
A. Photography, psychology (my major at university), sculpture, soap making, hanging out with my man and our rescue animals, watching cheesy 80s movies or Criminal Minds, and spending time with friends.

Q. How many pets do you have?
A. We have 4. Yup, 4! I worked for the Ontario SPCA for a number of years and bring animals home was a causality of the job lol. Our pets include:

Murtle - a 7 year old red eared slider turtle. He's the only other "man" in the house besides my hubby lol.

Name: Noel
Age: 7 years old
Breed: Shepherd/Collie Cross
Details: Noelie-belly has been with me for almost 7 years now. She came from an abusive household and was scared of everything when I took her in – even the toilet flushing! She quickly bonded with my late husky/collie cross, Boots (my first dog – got her when I was only 9 years old!). After Boots passed, Noel was encouraged to socialize with other animals and people. Thankfully I was managing a pet store at the time so she got lots of safe opportunities for new interactions. She’s not afraid of people or animals anymore and loves to greet everyone!

Name: Princess
Age: 9 years old (or older)
Breed: Shepherd/Golden Retriever Croos
Details: Princess became a part of my furry family 3 years ago when I adopted her from an animal shelter. She had been at the shelter for almost a year and when I heard about her through the grape-vine at work (I was working at another animal shelter) I couldn’t let her spend one more night without a real home! She’s been my big suck ever since. And to add more to her happy ending, she was the “Canine Educator” at a shelter I was working at as the Volunteer and Humane Education coordinator. Life couldn’t get any better for Princess because she loves to be pet – even by mobs of kids! .. .and trust me, she saw a lot of “mobs” lol.

Name: Sassy
Age: 2 years old
Breed: Greyhound/Husky Cross
Details: Another casualty of working at an animals shelter – Sassy was adopted from the shelter I was working at last winter. She has been adopted out once and brought back because she threw up. She spent over a month from then waiting at the shelter for another chance at a good home. Nobody ever came for her and she was withering away to nothing! I just had to bring this bag of bones home and show her what a real family is like. She’s been with us ever since, has gained weight, and doesn’t hide behind the couch anymore! She’s healthy, thriving, and confident now.

(See my flickr photostream for pictures of my babies - I'm a proud mommy to my fur babies hehe. http://www.flickr.com/photos/shesbatty/ )

Q. What is your best advice for new Etsy sellers?
A. Love what you do! Whether you're selling on Etsy as a hobby or as a full time job, you need to love making your craft. If you don't you will quickly get burnt out.

Thank you very much, Jamie!