Spotlight: papernstitch

For those of you who are familiar with the blossoming entity known as papernstitch, then you already know how fabulous it is. And for those who are not, allow me to introduce you. Different than my usual Spotlight interviews which feature an artist and their shop, papernstitch is an exhibition site and blog started by an artist with the purpose of promoting fellow artists and designers, and quite simply, sharing fabulous things. Whether you are an artist looking to promote your work, a shopper looking for new finds and talent or a person just looking for fresh inspiration, papernstitch is for you. That kind of sums up everyone, doesn't it?

I'll let papernstich editor and owner, Brittni, take it from here as she tells us how papernstitch came to be, what it takes to run the sites, plus a bit about herself, her own work and what advice she has for fellow artist out there. You can also enter to win a gift certificate to use in any shop featured on the papernstitch site!

Tell us a bit about you and papernstitch

My name is Brittni. I am 26 years old. My husband, Jeff, and I live in a 1930s brick bungalow that we've been working on since we bought the place almost three years ago. I am a business owner, freelance writer, and an artist, although unfortunately haven't had a lot of time to work on my personal art lately. But I have recently managed to spend a little time on creating a combined shop called laur that features my handmade and vintage items.

My business is papernstitch, which is both an exhibition site and a blog. On the exhibition site, we promote talented artists, designers, and makers selling handmade goods, artwork, and vintage wares. The online exhibition space is a submission based site that is curated monthly by me, and we showcase the best talent each month on an international level.

I also write weekly posts on several other blogs, which include Scoutie Girl, Dujour magazine, and Zibbet. And previously was a writer for Bloesem Kids.

Where are you from originally and where do you now call home?

I am originally from California. Stockton to be exact. Bonus points for anyone who actually knows where that is. And I currently live in Jacksonville, Florida. Quite different from my home town roots.

When did the idea for papernstitch first blossom in your head and how did it expand from there?

I started the papernstitch blog just a few months prior to the exhibition site. I had another blog before that, but it lacked focus. The pns blog started simply enough, with the idea of just showcasing things I liked. Items I would want to buy, homes that inspired me, etc. As time went on, I realized it needed to be more than that, and that's kind of when the exhibition site came into play.

Jeff and I created the site from scratch in 2008. As an artist myself, I had always felt it was a challenge to get my name out there online, even though I had a personal website and shop already. Basically, I just needed an extra boost. And I thought if I was having trouble, there most be others with the same issue. And that is how papernstitch came to to be.

We weren't reinventing the wheel. We just knew that we had something to offer that we hoped other people would enjoy and could make use of. I don't think either of us really expected it to take off so quickly and become what it is today. But we are both so thrilled that it did. I feel incredibly lucky that I am able to help artists and makers promote their work for a living. Its amazing.

How long did you work as an art teacher before 'quitting your day job'?

I worked as an art teacher for two and half years total. I was lucky enough to get the job there very shortly after I graduated college. And at the time, it seemed perfect. I really enjoyed it for a while; but as time went on, I realized it wasn't something I wanted to do forever. And right around that time, I started the exhibition site. I worked on papernstitch every night after I got home from teaching, which was tough as you can imagine. A year later, I quit my teaching position to pursue papernstitch full-time and have never looked back. I've now been working on papernstitch full-time for a little over a year.

How long have you been selling your own artwork and how did you get started?

Well, I've been selling my artwork since I was in college, so probably about six years now. Although, I am not really actively selling my work right now. I'll sell a piece here and there, but my main focus is papernstitch. So, unfortunately, my work has really taken the back burner.
But, I got started selling my work through art shows and exhibitions. A couple of friends and I put a few shows together and we started drawing pretty decent crowds. Eventually, I began showing in more and more exhibitions at larger galleries, and that's how I made the bulk of my sales.

What inspires you?

So many things. Quite possibly too many to list. So, I'll only name a few... my family, seeing other people create (whether its a painting or a plate of food), and learning something new.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

I like to sleep in (one of the perks of working for yourself), so I usually wake up around 9:15 am. Make the bed and pick up the house a little bit before getting dressed and starting my work day. Around 9:30 am, I begin checking my emails for the morning, along with a little breakfast, and then I usually stay put at my desk until lunch time. In the morning, I am doing anything from writing and responding to emails to writing and researching blog posts to sending out invoices checking submissions and sending out exhibition invites.

For lunch, around 1 pm, I usually take a 30 minute break if Jeff is home. If I am home by myself, I might go pick something up. Then its back to my desk until around 7 pm. If I have any side projects I am working on (and I have several right now), I spend part of the afternoon working on those. And then of course, working on things for the site (daily favorites, shop of the day, the weekly e-newsletter, making sure products are properly categorized, switching out old products for newer ones, etc). After spending a couple of hours with my husband, eating dinner, or going to the gym (around 9 pm), I usually hop on my laptop and work from the couch for the rest of the evening. Finishing up blog posts for the next day, answering emails, and tying up loose ends to get a jump start on the next day, while watching a little television before bed. And that's about it. Everyday is a little different, and I enjoy the variety.

Do you have any advice for sellers on Etsy or those thinking about pursuing their craft?

Etsy is a wonderful place to shop for handmade goods, but if you are a seller on Etsy, or you want to be one, you really need to think outside of the Etsy bubble in terms of promoting your shop. Why? Because there are thousands of shops listing products everyday and if you want your work to be seen, you need to put in the legwork. This doesn't mean scouring the forums, it means taking your work to "the streets" so to speak (the online streets).

Be your own spokesperson. Don't be afraid to reach out to people you admire and build relationships with those people. Send out simple introductory emails about your work to blogs, sites, and magazines that cater to your specific style. Remember not to send out a bunch at once though! No one likes receiving the same email that 20 other bloggers also received the very same day. And of course, don’t forget about the power of social networking. I almost hate to say that, but its so true. If you don’t have a twitter, flickr, or facebook account for your crafty business, I would recommend getting one asap, and more importantly - using it!

Five Etsy Shops you love

This is truly beyond difficult considering how many wonderful Etsy shops I have come across over the years. But if I can only choose five...
Alexandra Grecco
Debbie Carlos
The Shop at No. 144
Spin Thread
Tastes Orangey

Five things you love

1. animals 2. letterpress 3. new beginnings 4. mid-century modern 5. everything from EmersonMade

Five things you dont

1. rudeness 2. jealousy 3. mayonnaise 4. the kids from Jersey Shore (sorry) 5. clutter

Where is the coolest place you have ever been?

I should preface this by saying I am not the most well-traveled girl in the world. But the coolest place I've been is Washington. It was one of the stops on our honeymoon. And it is the most beautiful state I've been to. So, many trees, parks, friendly people; its just lovely.

What is your favorite leisure time activity?

I love going to lunch on Saturdays with my husband and then catching a matinee movie or doing a little shopping.

Favorite junk food

I'll go with cupcakes. I have quite the sweet tooth, and cupcakes are hard to resist.

Share some of your favorite music

This is probably going to freak some people out, but I actually don't listen to music at all. Its not that I hate music, or even that I don't like it, its just not really on my radar. When I was younger, I listened to music all the time, but I guess I just sort of phased it out. Don't hate me!

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play you?

Ginnifer Goodwin. She's cute as a button.

What does the future hold for you, your art and papernstitch?

I typically get uncomfortable with this question because there is usually not much I can say about future projects before they come out, even though we are constantly working on new ideas. BUT, I can say that we have more than one "top secret" project that we are currently working on. In fact, we have three at the moment!

I am really excited about all of them, and can't wait to announce more details in the coming months. The first of the three projects will be released within the next two months. We are always looking for new ways to promote artists and makers who deserve recognition, and that was the inspiration for this new project.

In addition to visiting the papernstitch blog and exhibition site, you can keep up with new happenings, sales, giveaway and more by following papernstitch on Twitter and Facebook.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Brittni is offering a $20 gift certificate to spend on any item on papernstitch!

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
Head over to the papernstitch exhibition site and leave a comment on this post with what item you would spend your winnings on and also include a link to the item.

You may enter once per day and YOU MUST INCLUDE your first name -AND- etsy username or email address with every entry. (If you are worried about email spam, you can spell out the 'at' and 'dot' rather than using the standard email format.)

Receive additional entries (one each) if you:

Follow or subscribe to this blog, my Twitter, or my Facebook or

Follow papernstitch on Twitter or Facebook

(You DO NOT need to leave separate comments for each additional entry, just mention which apply)

You have until Sunday, August 22 at 10 pm (est) to enter and I will announce the winner Monday morning. Good luck!