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I have been on a quest for fun floral pins and such lately - and when I found the TheJuneBride, I was so excited about all the lovelies! Karen makes an assortment of wonderful things, from gorgeous brooches (like this lovely cashmere true red primrose), to kid's goodies (like these cute animal ears hats). Karen graciously agreed to be interviewed here on Paper and Pearls Featured Etsy Artisan. Enjoy Karen's inspiring interview, and be sure to check out her lovely shop, The June Bride, on Etsy!
(ps part of Karen's proceeds benefit charities! We all need to be generous to help others in these tough times - what an inspiration Karen is!)
• Tell us a little about yourself – your name, where you live, your work.
Hello! My name is Karen Mitzel and I design, market and sell my own handmade products on Etsy in a shop called TheJuneBride. I live near Ann Arbor, Michigan, with my wonderful husband, Tim. We currently have 3 children under 5 years old (all still at home with me during the day!), and Etsy is my impossible dream come true. While my husband really brings home the bacon, I wanted to do something as a self-funding creative outlet. I’m in it for fun and, interestingly enough, that’s just what it is! I love creating and interfacing with other creative people, and I really feel that it has been a successful endeavor from the start.
Hello! My name is Karen Mitzel and I design, market and sell my own handmade products on Etsy in a shop called TheJuneBride. I live near Ann Arbor, Michigan, with my wonderful husband, Tim. We currently have 3 children under 5 years old (all still at home with me during the day!), and Etsy is my impossible dream come true. While my husband really brings home the bacon, I wanted to do something as a self-funding creative outlet. I’m in it for fun and, interestingly enough, that’s just what it is! I love creating and interfacing with other creative people, and I really feel that it has been a successful endeavor from the start.
• Tell us about your Etsy shop and products.
My shop can be found at http://www.thejunebride.etsy.com/, and it is an ever-evolving conglomeration of anything I feel like making at the moment. I use mainly reclaimed textiles, primarily wool, but I also use a lot of sustainably-sourced fleece for winter accessories. Right now I’m doing a lot of business with my Reclaimed Wool Sweater Brooches, each styled after a flower variety. Those are my current favorites to craft. I make cell phone and iPod cases from salvaged materials, and I also sell hats, mittens and baby booties seasonally and have begun selling my handmade patterns as well. It’s a real smorgasbord of eco-friendly materials and products, and what I decide to do next will surprise both of us, I’m sure!
• How did you get into your creating? Do you have a favorite item you’ve made? Tell us the story.
I am the sort of person who is always working on a project or two, so when I decided to open an Etsy shop last year, the groundwork was already in place for a working environment geared around the children’s needs. I think I’ve always been this way… crafting is in my genes (incidentally, both of my sisters have shops on Etsy as well, www.BasicIngredients.etsy.com and www.TheArtificer.etsy.com). I’ve made all sorts of things over the years (that makes me sound old! I just turned 28!), but one thing I made and love that I use everyday is my bed. I made a headboard out of an old panel door and some trim and stained it to my liking. I take pride in being well-rounded in the world of DIY skills, so I’m proficient with power tools as well as sewing machines and tax forms.
• What advice would you give a creative entrepreneur on starting a small artistic business?
Love what you do and work hard at it. Research troubles you’re experiencing. Ask for help. Be your own best resource. Keep experimenting with products and designs until you find your niche. Learn the tools of the trade; for Etsy that means photographing your products, writing to sell, listing often, managing your finances, and impeccable customer service.
“Neither borrower nor lender be.” – Lord Polonius, Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Start within your means and grow when you have the capital to invest in yourself. There were other resources I could have tapped, but I started with less than $100 and worked hard to discover creative and free ways to promote my shop. Blogging, Twitter, forums and Etsy treasuries are great and effective ways to increase item views and hearts, make mutually-supportive friends and, ultimately, to get more sales. At the same time, you need to cover your bases when it comes to shop policies, custom orders and consignment opportunities. Make mistakes, but be smart about it: keep them small and make sure to learn from them!
Love what you do and work hard at it. Research troubles you’re experiencing. Ask for help. Be your own best resource. Keep experimenting with products and designs until you find your niche. Learn the tools of the trade; for Etsy that means photographing your products, writing to sell, listing often, managing your finances, and impeccable customer service.
“Neither borrower nor lender be.” – Lord Polonius, Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Start within your means and grow when you have the capital to invest in yourself. There were other resources I could have tapped, but I started with less than $100 and worked hard to discover creative and free ways to promote my shop. Blogging, Twitter, forums and Etsy treasuries are great and effective ways to increase item views and hearts, make mutually-supportive friends and, ultimately, to get more sales. At the same time, you need to cover your bases when it comes to shop policies, custom orders and consignment opportunities. Make mistakes, but be smart about it: keep them small and make sure to learn from them!
• Do you have a person that inspires you (living or historical)? Tell us about her or him!
My biggest inspiration has to be Mother Theresa. Regardless of one’s religious views, her life and work is a daily reminder to live to the fullest, to be satisfied with and enjoy what you have, and to enrich the lives of all those you encounter simply by caring for them as a whole person. What could be more inspiring? When I think about that, I can see beauty in the mundane and that inspires my work, artistic and otherwise.
My biggest inspiration has to be Mother Theresa. Regardless of one’s religious views, her life and work is a daily reminder to live to the fullest, to be satisfied with and enjoy what you have, and to enrich the lives of all those you encounter simply by caring for them as a whole person. What could be more inspiring? When I think about that, I can see beauty in the mundane and that inspires my work, artistic and otherwise.
• Do you have a book or movie that makes you feel creative? Tell us about it!
If time were no option (though it always is!), I generally prefer books to movies. I’m working my way through a long list of classics; Melville’s “Moby Dick” at the moment. Despite the reputation that they get in high school literature classes as being boring, familiarity with the classics gives you a real feeling for what is timeless, and I think that carries over into your creations. Whether your own goal is to be traditional or fashion forward, understanding the past certainly helps educate the future.
If time were no option (though it always is!), I generally prefer books to movies. I’m working my way through a long list of classics; Melville’s “Moby Dick” at the moment. Despite the reputation that they get in high school literature classes as being boring, familiarity with the classics gives you a real feeling for what is timeless, and I think that carries over into your creations. Whether your own goal is to be traditional or fashion forward, understanding the past certainly helps educate the future.
• What is your favorite handmade treasure?
My favorite handmade treasure is a family heirloom, the baptismal gown that all of my children, my husband, his father, grandfather, and great grandfather (and many, many other relatives) all used as an infant. It is a simple two-layered cotton shift gown with hand-tatted lace and pintucks, made by my husband’s great great grandmother. I cherish the idea that one handmade item can impact so many people’s lives over so many years.
My favorite handmade treasure is a family heirloom, the baptismal gown that all of my children, my husband, his father, grandfather, and great grandfather (and many, many other relatives) all used as an infant. It is a simple two-layered cotton shift gown with hand-tatted lace and pintucks, made by my husband’s great great grandmother. I cherish the idea that one handmade item can impact so many people’s lives over so many years.
• Do you have any suggestions for creatively weathering these tough economic times? How are you creatively making the best of it?
Times are certainly tough right now, especially in the Detroit area, and we are hearing of auto industry lay offs and business closings weekly. I feel very fortunate to be mostly unaffected by it personally, but my husband and I are doing our best to help those who need it. I rely on local charity thrift stores like Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army for the hundreds of wool sweaters I use in my shop. Additionally, at the beginning of 2009, I was able to donate $1000 purely from my Etsy shop profits to local charities that provide food, shelter and medical care to needy families. This would not be possible without people willing to patronize my business, and I’m grateful for the community of loyal Etsy shoppers that is supporting so many independent artists at a time when many truly need that extra income. Thank you!
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