Etsy Interview with KBJ Handmade

Well, my name is Kim. I am a new mother and stay-at-home-mom to a beautiful daughter, Maddie, who is 4 months, and wife to my sweet husband, Patrick, who is also my graphic designer and unpaid assistant.

How and when did you start making jewelry and your other items?

I have always been crafting. My parents encouraged me to try lots of different things growing up. I had the mentality of seeing things I wanted and going home to make them myself to save money and to create exactly what I saw in my mind. Jewelry has always been a popular skill in my crafting arsenal. Besides making jewelry I also sew, knit, crochet, bake, print, make journals, scrapbook....you name it! I enjoy doing it!

When my daughter was born, I knew it was time to put all this "training" I had gathered through my life to work and turn it into KBJ Handmade. I wanted to stay home with Maddie and raise her, but didn't want to compromise the lifestyle we have become accustomed to. I am only just starting out and things are already looking very good. KBJhandmade is slowly starting to make money and I'm able to put it back into the household. My husband has been wonderful encouraging me and assisting me when needed.

When and how did you originally find Etsy?

I found Etsy several years ago while browsing craft blogs. As soon as I saw the site I knew it was for me! I set up a very unsuccessful shop that sold only a few items. I had a mish-mash of items and there was no sense of cohesion in my store. I closed down after a few months, but I always knew I would be back. I learned a lot from that experience that has helped me start out much stronger this time around.

What is unique about Etsy and what about the website do you like the most in regards to your shop?

Etsy is unique in so many ways! It will always be amazing to me that I can easily uplist my items and moments later someone in Australia or Israel or Ireland is looking at that same item. Considering that item to purchase. I love that KBJ Handmade could easily be seen worldwide, and I could never do that without Etsy. Etsy also makes it a breeze to keep track of sales, so I can concentrate on what I love: making jewelry!

What inspires you the most in regards to your creations?

There are so many things to be inspired by! I love flowers and nature. Supplies are always inspiring, so shopping helps me be creative. I love anything vintage. Yarns, fabric and sewing supplies make me swoon. Sometimes I have things I just can't wait to use, and other times things sit for a while before their use is discovered. I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to craft supplies, so sometimes just looking through a drawer full of ribbon will do the trick. I also love magazines and books and blogs, so I find a lot of inspiration from those places, as well.

What is your favorite piece you've created and why?

My favorite is always whatever I am working on right now. This week it's flowers, next week it will be acorns. I especially love my custom orders because I know that I made something specifically to someone's desires and that it is perfect for them.

What do you want to accomplish with your online shop?

Well, I hope to maintain my lifestyle, mostly. But I know there are lessons for my daughter to learn and me, too! I hope that our family benefits from having their mom at home and running a business. I hope to be able to keep doing what I am doing: raising my daughter myself and still making money. I'm not sure what KBJ Handmade will turn into, but I am enjoying everything I do and making a living doing it. That has always been my dream. To really love what I do and to be able to support myself and my family doing it.

Do you have any new creations in the works? If so, what can shoppers expect to see from you soon?

I have several fall items I am working on now. I have many nature inspired pieces that will look great all the way through the holidays. I am working with acorns, pinecones, branches and other nature inspired items. KBJ Handmade will have lots of new listings over the next couple of months. I plan to have holiday items ready for shipping in early November. I have some beautiful flower and bead necklaces that will look fantastic for all the holiday parties!

Where can readers find out about more information regarding your jewelry and other creations and possible special offers (including additional websites, blogs, facebook, etc)?

I have a facebook fan page: Kimberly B Jennings Handmade and my etsy shop: kbjhandmade.etsy.com. I will be posting promotions on my facebook page throughout the holidays.