Tell us a little bit about yourself...
My name is Emily, from London, England. I live with my partner Georgia in a small flat and make homemade shabby chic style items at my dining room table during my spare time! I’m quite an outdoorsy person I like mountain biking, climbing, skate boarding and going surfing (when I have time to escape the chaos of London!)
I spend a lot of time browsing Etsy/Tumblr/Pinterest and was inspired to start crafting items for my own house and friends and family but then realised I could potentially start selling my things. Having just finished uni, I have had a bit more spare time on my hands so decided to put it to good use. I begged all my family to donate me their old jars and bought some craft items from local stores and eBay. I opened my Etsy shop mid May 2014 so it is literally brand new and only has a few items so far but much more to come in the near future so watch this space! My dad used to call me Melody as a kid as I never stopped singing and I think it has a bit more of a ring to it than Emily so thats what inspired my shop name.
How did you get the idea to start up a shop?
My favourite item to make is the small make up/clutch bags in my etsy shop. I’m a typically girly girl and love carrying my make up around with me from day to day but it usually gets lost in my huge bag so I will definitely by making one just for me!
What is your favorite item to make?
Do you do custom orders?I would love to do custom orders so just let me know what you’d like and I’ll tell you whether it can be done and how much etc...
I have made a set of jar candle holders for myself which look lovely in my living room!
Do you use the items you make?
What are your goals for your products and shop?I don’t have any long term goals for the shop but I would love to branch out and for someone to ask me to do a whole wedding collection, i.e. bunting, table centre pieces, favours, cutlery holders, bridesmaid bags etc. The thought of organizing a project from start to finish and making everything from scratch excites me. I think i’ll need a bigger table though!
Do you have any advice for fellow small business owners like yourself?Use social media to your advantage; Facebook is great in terms of getting people you know on board/seeing your products. I also use Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram to draw attention to my Etsy shop which seems to have worked so far. Word of mouth is also a great way to promote your small business so use your networking skills and be passionate about your product.
In the last couple of years I have used etsy a lot for birthday/Christmas and occasion gifts and really believe in supporting local/small businesses who make their products by hand. This makes the shopping experience so much more personal as you know where your product has come from and can often custom order to get exactly what you want. Doing business with small homemade shops is never unappreciated as you are enabling them to continue doing what they love!
Why should we buy handmade?
How do you balance your personal life and your social media/Etsy/small business life?Social media/Etsy life fits in well as am only working part time this summer since finishing studying. My iPhone is constantly attached to my hand and the etsy apps both for shopping and selling are great for keeping track of your products and visitor statistics. I’m a little bit addicted to social media but I think in terms of my Etsy shop this will be an advantage!
Let's all show some love from In A Dream Boutique and follow Emily!
Instagram: @melodystreasure
Etsy: melodystreasure.etsy.com
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