Weekend Feature: thetinyfig

This week I discovered The Tiny Fig. I think I'm in need of cuteness because this shop is full of polymer objects that are sweet as pie. Connie makes everything from cell phone charms to jewelry and each item is pinch your cheeks cute! Click on a pic to see her etsy listing or visit her at thetinyfig.etsy.com. You can also find her at her blog, thetinyfig.blogspot.com or view her Flikr photos here. Read The Tiny Fig interview below.

Bread Buddy Phone Charms

Timmy The Pirate Necklace

Happy Blue Cloud Brooch

All photos used with the permission of The Tiny Fig

What do you do for a living in the daytime?

Etsy is my day job and I love it.

Tell us a little about your etsy self

I am an Etsy addict and not ashamed to admit it! I am always in the forums some where giving advice, seeking advice or just chatting. I've met really great bunch of sellers and learned lots and LOTS of things from them about business and crafting. Being able to run my own shop really excites me I love coming up with fun ways to get my shop out there and share my learning experiences with others. Some days, I think that the whole business operation excites me more than the crafting does!

Tell us a little about your non-etsy self

Hmm.. I'm not very good at talking about myself but here goes. I'm 21 and I live in beautiful Vancouver, B.C. where there are beaches and mountains. Aren't we lucky? I have a 3 year old dog (pomeranian cross poodle) named Suki that I love to death. I love watching movies, cooking and just hanging out with my friends. I am currently taking the semester off school but I'm working on getting my degree in Marketing or Accounting or maybe both ;) I have a love for graphic arts (shhh.. it's a secret). I love to doodle. I wish I could sing. I really REALLY can't draw. I heart my nintendo ds. I dream of owning my own retail store one day. I love watching hockey games. I love guitar heroes even though I'm terrible! HAHA this is all so random!

What do you make and why did you start making it?

I just got bored during the summer and started crafting. Lots of things strike my interest and I dab at this and that until I find something I really like. Working with polymer clay is really relaxing for me. It's a lot of fun experimenting with different techniques and seeing what I can create with it.

How did you discover etsy and how long have you been selling on etsy?

I discovered Etsy from a blog. I don't really remember which one exactly but I fell in love with Etsy at first sight. I've been on Etsy for almost 6 months now.

I noticed you’ve made quite a few sales in a short time on etsy, any selling secrets you’d like to divulge?

There are no secrets. I do a lot of promotion off Etsy. It's about finding what's right for you. Before you go promoting you have to determine who your target market is and consider how someone like them would think. It's also about finding a good logo and creating a strong brand for yourself. For me I have my winking bread as my avatar and even though I changed my shop name people still recognize me for who I am because of it.

Where did you come up with your shop name?

Recently, I changed my name for business purposes and some sellers on Etsy helped me come up with it. It was lots of fun! I originally wanted to name the shop Figments but it was already taken so we came up with a few variations, I did a poll on my blog and we ended up with The Tiny Fig. Fig being short for figments. I love it. Everyone in the forums refers to me as "tiny" and it's funny because I really am a tiny girl.

What inspires you?

The question should be what doesn't inspire me! I get inspired mostly by yummy food I eat, things I see during my daily activities, or things people say to me. I get a lot of suggestions from people about things I should make and eventually I do get around to making them.What advice do you have for people trying to sell their crafts?Don't give up! People who are just starting off always expect that their shop will take off and get hundreds of sales. It takes A LOT of work to promote a shop. I spend countless hours everyday just doing this. When the sales aren't coming in you have to be creative and think of new ways to attract customers. No one can buy from your shop if you don't tell them about it.