Featured Craft artist of the Week: Korinne Wiese from ToyBoxflameOfsilver

This week I would love to introduce Korinne Wiese from ToyBoxflameOfsilver. Korinne loves to create toys for children.  Read on an learn about this wonderful crafter and learn about her 20% coupon to all my wonderful readers.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ToyBoxflameOfsilver?ref=pr_shop_more

1.What would you like us to know about you?
I live in Augusta, Wisconsin and I am a stay at home mom that knits and crochets to bribe myself to keep the houseclean. Clean for 10 minutes during the commercials (Thank you DVR!) and I can work on projects while my show is on!

2.When did you discover Etsy?
I discover Etsy in 2008 when I was looking for an amigurumi tea set pattern. I wanted to make it for my daughter’s 2nd birthday.

3.What prompted you to open an Etsy Shop?
Our family of 5 was living in my parents’ basement due to this wonderful economy and my husband’s company wasn’t paying well and there were literally no jobs in the community we were living in. Okay there was 3: a nursing job (I don’t have the requirements), a pyramid scam, and the topless bar. I wasn’t interested in any of them.
I had 2 totes full of yarn, a box of patterns, every size and type of knitting and crochet needle available to man (Thank you yard sales and Michael’s moving sale!), and our laptop. I figured I had all I needed to attempt to bring in extra cash to get us our own place.

4.What do you sell?
I sell mainly knit and crochet toys sometimes referred to as amigurumi

5.How did you come up with your shop name?
I can’t remember how I came up with flameofsilver, but it was my Etsy username when I was just a buyer and used it when I was branding everything. Then someone pointed out in a shop critique that my username is now my shop name and it didn’t match what was in my banner (at the time Cottage Industries). Cottage Industries was already taken and I mainly have toys so I decided to be Toy Box by flameofsilver

6.How would you describe your shop?
I would describe it as a shop of handcrafted toys made with love. These are my creations and even though I can’t see my customers faces, I hope they mirror the joy in my kids’ faces when I give them one of my handmade gifts.

7.What inspires / motivates you?
I just love to create beautiful things and watch them come together. I see a pattern and think “I want to make that!” or “That is the coolest yarn! What can I use that for?” Then I gather the supplies I want to do and sit in my corner of the couch and start right in!

8.How has Etsy changed your life?
Honestly, I haven’t played Facebook games in months now, since I got serious. SEO (search engine optimization) and promotion threads are my games now. I have learned I can get burnt out from doing too much “footwork” on the computer.

9.Where else can we find you?
(Pick what you want I mainly spend time on fb, twitter, and pinterest)
Connect with me whichever way you choose!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CottageIndustries
Google+ plus.google.com/u/0/b/105722601943937725001/
Pinterest: pinterest.com/flamesilver/
My Blog: toyboxflameofsilver.blogspot.com/
Wanelo: www.wanelo.com/flameofsilver
Stumbleupon: www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/flamesilver
Tumblr: cottageindustriesflameofsilver.tumblr.com/

10.Is there anything else you would like to share?
Always do what you love. Life is too short to waste it on something you hate, even if it is a few hours.


11. When you get a new idea, how long does it take you to execute and list it?
It depends on the size of the item. A big toy can take a couple of weeks where as a small toy can be done at the end of the day. Listing feels like it takes forever! Brain storming keywords, promotion in threads "What is new in your shop?" seem to take the longest. I love doing the pictures and social media though!

12. How much time does you spend on your shop each week?
It is probably most of my day. I am doing what I love. In the mornings, I do the computer stuff: list, promote, edit, rearrange etc. In the afternoons I mix up chores and TV with creating: during commercials, I do chores for 15 minutes and create while my show is on (yay DVR). Evenings after the kids have gone to bed, I work on my more complicated projects. I have playing with the kids here and there throughout the day and I occasionally eat lol. I refuse to do computer work on weekends, except maybe to confirm conversations or drop of a package. But I am constantly creating.

13. How do you promote your shop?
I promote through word of mouth, promotion teams on Etsy, and that HUGE list of social media.

14. How important is social media for your shop?
For all the effort I put into, not that much. I have only gotten 1 sale from social media and that was Wanelo on my hedgehog. I get some views, but not as much as I get through Etsy itself. I keep up on my social media because it honestly doesn’t take that long to share. When I post a new item, it will take less than 30 minutes (and probably closer to 15) to upload pictures, tweet, pin, etc.

I think I got everything. Let me know if you need more!

I think I forgot to add my coupon code: FEATURE for 20%. US shipping is included on all my toys.