Featured Etsy Artisan: FreshlyPressed

I am so excited about this next Featured Etsy Interview! Susan of the letterpress boutique Freshly Pressed is an incredibly gifted friend and an inspiration to me. She is that rare mix of organized and extremely creative. She launched her own shop on etsy awhile ago, so I asked her to share some of her insights from being in business for about a year now. If you're a paper and stationary fan - this boutique is for you.

Enjoy meeting Susan and be sure to visit her lovely shop!

I own a set of the mixed berry notecards (well - they're almost gone - I love them!) And check out her latest designs - the Kensington Note Set?? LOVE IT! Must have!

Tell us a little about yourself – your name, where you live, your work.

Nice to meet you all! I'm Susan Den Herder, owner/founder of Freshly Pressed. I both live and work in a cozy little apartment in Northern Virginia (just outside of Washington, DC) with my husband and son (age 2). In fact, my "office/studio" where I print is actually the hall closet.

Tell us about your Etsy shop and products.

My letterpress boutique on Etsy (www.freshlypressed.etsy.com) is slowly but surely filling up with "ready-to-wear" letterpress note sets. I have also done custom work but the shop is home to products I developed out of my own taste and style and are packaged and ready to enjoy or give as a gift. Letterpress is a 500-year old printing method where an inked plate is pressed into the paper leaving an impression you can see and feel. All of my products are hand pressed one at at time on an antique piece of equipment right here in my home. I like to use design elements that pay tribute to the "heyday" of letterpress and then add a fresh and modern twist. I also adore packaging, so each product has a special finishing touch.

How did you get into your creating? Do you have a favorite item you’ve made? Tell us the story.

I worked at a paper store for a year which had basically been my dream job for some time. I was exposed to--and fell in love with--letterpress. After I had my son and was home with him full-time, I found a letterpress printing class so I could learn the method. I was instantly hooked and started searching for my own press so I could start my business.

As for a favorite item, the Market Street Note Set will probably always have a special little place in my heart. It was the first "official" product I put out as a business and I agonized over every design decision that went into the final result. It was originally designed as a gift for someone, so I was trying to come up with an "old-meets-new" feel that would fit her style. I used the wood type lettering to achieve an old world look and then brought it up to date with fresh colors. The response from friends and family was overwhelming, and it was sweet to know that my note sets were given as Christmas, birthday and bridesmaids gifts that year.

What advice would you give a creative entrepreneur on starting a small artistic business?

Here are a few things I learned in the first year...

First, don't do it alone! While you may be the only one doing the actual

dreaming/creating/making of specific products, a small core of support is key. Of course, you don't want opinions from everyone you know, but choose people that really understand your vision and have a unique skill or gift that supports it.

Secondly, figure out what you are about. You have to find your style and voice and then work hard to stay there. I was surprised how quickly I lost track of that when people started requesting other things and I wanted to please them and say "yes" to everything. As I watch others who have been successful, it's because they have found their niche and stayed there.

Lastly, keep doing the things that inspire you. Once your passion becomes a business I think it's so important to go back to whatever really gets you excited about what you do...splurge on your favorite magazine, walk through a museum, browse your favorite shops, etc.

Do you have a person that inspires you (living or historical)? Tell us about her or him!

Just one?! I feel blessed to know and have worked with many talented and creative women and they all inspire me! I also have what I like to call professional "crushes" on many talented designers and shop owners that I only "know" thanks to the world wide web. My top two are probably fabric designer (and mother of six!) Anna Maria Horner and Urbanic Shop Owner Audrey Woollen. They both have impeccable taste and have reached a level of success that is really inspiring.

Do you have a book or movie that makes you feel creative? Tell us about it!

Anything that involves people making things. True confession: I love watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory mostly because I would like to be the candy shop owner who gets to organize and sell all those perfectly-packaged products all day. I also just read The Friday Night Knitting Club and loved it for the same reason.

What is your favorite handmade treasure?

I love quilts. We have quite a few in our home that were all made by my mother-in-law and given on special occasions. My favorite is not made yet, but I am planning to use some of my grandmother's old bed linens and maybe some of my old clothes to make a quilt for my baby girl, due to arrive in October. I will need the expertise of my mother-in-law to have it turn out well, but somehow I think that one will be a favorite of mine.

Do you have any suggestions for creatively weathering these tough economic times? How are you creatively making the best of it?

On a very practical note, reuse and repurpose! Some of my greatest finds and inspirationshave been from repurposing older materials. My newest product, to be released in the very near future, was totally inspired by some vintage sewing patterns I found on Ebay and the patterns themselves became part of the packaging.

On the larger scale, I try to stay encouraged by remembering that businesses who are forced to creatively succeed in tough times are likely to experience even more success in the future!