Feature Friday...The Snowshoe Loft

I am so excited for our very first Feature Friday!  This week we are truely honoured to share a bit about one of our favourite Etsy seller's The Snowshoe Loft.

Tell us about yourself?

paradox [par-uh-doks]: "any person ... exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature"

Hello, my name is Coral. I was born and partially raised in little town called Kailua, in Hawaii. A gorgeous tropical, white-sand, ocean-side heaven. Just like the pictures you see on people's screen savers. My Mother has taught hula lessons for over 30 years.

The problem is - I really don't like the heat or too much sun. I prefer snow. And the bigger the flakes, the better. Oh, and falling autumn leaves, windy afternoons, and a sky so gray that it could swallow up an entire city!

What is your creative process?

It all starts in my head. Often I find inspiration in a single word or vision. I always think back to my childhood and what brought me to that jump-out-of-my-skin point of excitement, and it always boils down to things like Halloween, Christmas, winter, and animals.

(PS my very favorite animal is Walnut, my crazy wiener dog.)

What promotional tool or technique has worked best for you?

I have to admit I'm not much of a salesperson at all, I find it difficult to promote myself. I have business cards, and try to update my Etsy store as often as I can with new items.

I am getting more involved in charity work and donating my items which has the added benefit of exposure.

Why is supporting handmade important to you?

I think art supports emotional wellbeing, and artistic people are just happier when they're creating things. If I can encourage that, I most certainly will. I also love that handmade items are often created using eco-friendly products and processes.

When I buy something, I like to imagine what the artist looked like as they were building my new treasure, and I picture them cozily toiling away in a little workshop somewhere in the world.

Where do you see The Snowshoe Loft in five years?

As any shop owner would, I'd like to see my productivity and sales increase. But I never want it to become a stressful, rushed thing. I make things because it brings me happiness and a sense of accomplishment. If it ever starts to become a task or a duty, I'll know I am doing something wrong.
I have a regular 9-to-5 job and it would be wonderful one day to cut back my hours "at the grind" and rely more on my artwork to support me financially, but if it never works out that way, that's fine with me too.

I can still watch a snowfall from an office window.

Thanks Coral for our first interview!

Go to http://www.thesnowshoeloft.etsy.com/ to visit Coral's Etsy shop!