Feature Shop: Lilly Bunns Boutique

This week, meet Celesa, our blog team leader, and proprietress of Lilly Bunns Boutique. Celesa and her team make sure this blog is interesting and useful every week! -Cori of Peace, Baby! Batiks.

What is your name?
Celesa J.

Where are you located?
Just outside of Houston, TX

Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a SAHM who was born to be one. I've pretty much always known I wanted to be a SAHM. I'm very blessed to have a great little three-year-old daughter.  I love being able to be the one to teach her and shape who she is. I've been married to my wonderful hubby for six years.

Zebra Print Embellished Prefold Burp Cloths

What type of merchandise will shoppers find in your shop?
My merch is always changing. I'm always inspired by new things, and my shop reflects that. My items will always be expanding because I'll always be changing and looking for new ways to put my spin on an old hobby.

How/why did you get started?
Absolute boredom got me started on the path to be a WAHM. I still wouldn't consider myself "there" yet. I've always been the type of person who sees something but refused to buy it because I could make it. I kept getting more and more friends and others asking me to make things for them. When I stumbled across Etsy, I knew it was something I needed to do!

How long have you been crafting?
For freaking ever, lol. My grandmas were always crafting around me, and I just fell in love. I wanted to do what they were doing. They always had crafts for me to do. Eventually they taught me to sew and crochet, and the rest is history!

What inspires you to create?
Everything. I love to get on the crafting blogosphere and go from one craft to the next. I have crafting ADD, so it's hard for me to focus!

What is one thing you need to have with you while you craft?
Sound. I am one of four children raised in a 1500 square foot house. It was always noisy, and I can't focus on what I'm doing unless I have something to tune out!

Zebra and Lime Green Key Fob

What is your favorite thing to browse Etsy for?
I love to browse Etsy for just about anything. I'm usually looking for supplies or a present for my daughter.

When you're not crafting, what are you doing?
When I'm not crafting, I'm blogging, tweeting, on Facebook, perusing Pinterest, or spending time with my family. Oh, and cleaning. I hate to clean, but someone's gotta do it.

Where can we find you?
I have a NEW blog! crunchycraftyandcrazy.blogspot.com
Twitter: @lillybunns
Facebook: Facebook.com/lillybunnsboutique
Store: Lillybunnsboutique.etsy.com

Little Punkin Hat

What is your favorite shop (not yours) on Etsy currently?
Besides the shops of the lovely ladies on the SAHM of Etsy team, I adore SimplyByBex. The craftsmanship is absolutely amazing!

Pink and Brown Double Minky Blanket

Treasury Thursdays

You've probably noticed by now, but we will be having "themes" for each day now! Thursdays are set aside just for treasuries! "What the heck is a treasury?" you may ask.  A treasury is a curated list of item put together by the Etsy community.  It's a great way to see several items at a time.  I love to "shop" with treasuries, cause it gives me an opportunity to see coordinating items all together!

I've chosen several of my faves this week made by members of our wonderful SAHM of Etsy team! Please take the time to comment, and click on several of the items!  I just love the colors in these!

Oh My Lemon Pie

Oh My Lemon Pie by Paper and Whimsy

Pretty Princesses Prefer Pink

Pretty Princesses Prefer Pink by Scissor Goddess

My Sweet Blue Baby

My Sweet Blue Baby by Growing Up Wild

Great job on the treasuries ladies!

Celesa- Lilly Bunns Boutique

Top Ten Craft Show Tips

The spring craft show season is upon us, so it's no wonder that our team has been abuzz with people asking for craft show tips. Our team is full of wonderful ladies who have all sorts of experience working craft shows. Some have done only one, but a few are participants in the regular show circuit in their area!

I've taken the top ten most common ideas and compiled them into a nice little list for you all! Several members also included pics of their wonderful booth spaces! Hopefully they can inspire you all.

1) Have a checklist of things you'll need for the show. There's nothing worse than forgetting something! Brandie at My Silly Blue Hippo posted a great checklist on this forum thread

Rachael at Little Birdie Baby Shop did an Awesome job displaying each product in an interesting and inviting way.  There's no digging through to find something.  

2) Consider your options for accepting payments. The consensus seems to be no checks. Unfortunately, you just never know who will write you a hot check. So that leaves you with cash and credit cards. A few have commented on the little wonder that is the Square credit card reader (www.squareup.com). The thing is amazing, and a very inexpensive way to accept credit cards. All you need is a smart phone with the app on it, and the free credit card swiper! You also need to consider giving out receipts. I'd say most buyers may not want a receipt, but you need to be prepared to give one just in case. You can get an inexpensive receipt book at an office supply store. Don't forget somewhere to put the money. Lora from ButternutBoutique recommends wearing an apron with pockets to keep money in!

3) This one will be on your craft show checklist, but it's so important I'm including it here. You NEED your promotional materials!! Business cards, post cards, flyers, and anything else with your business information on it. You'll have a lot of people stop by your booth and not buy, but if they have your promo things, they can buy online in the future. I also suggest custom order forms, if you take custom orders, and an e-mail list sign-up sheet.

Love how this booth set-up by Little Owl's Nest offers various levels of display.  It looks warm and inviting!

4) Plan your display. Get information about how large your space will be and plan how you want to lay everything out. It's inevitable that you won't be able to do everything exactly the way you want, but having a plan will help you get everything set up much more quickly and easily. Some people even set up everything before the show to be sure it looks good. (And, you may even snap a picture of this early run-through as a reference, to help your show morning set up go faster) Make your display as eye-catching as you possibly can. You don't want people walking right past you. Try to create different levels to your display. Having everything flat on the table is boring and will do nothing to get anyone in your booth.  Many people suggest to have everything very clearly priced.  I found that I did better without having the signs up.  

5) Network with other sellers. Get to know the other sellers at the show. The last show I did I was placed right beside "the monogram lady." I can't tell you how invaluable it was to have talked with her there. She sent several people to my booth to get things she didn't have, and I sent my people to her to have things monogrammed. Until I get an embroidery machine, I'll always send people to her to have things monogrammed. You might also be there by yourself and having someone to talk to will make it MUCH better.

This display set up by Dirty Deeds Soaps is warm, inviting, and well organized.
She has represented her brand well!

6) Know the show before you go. You won't always be able to attend the show before you sign up, but you can get an idea for how it will be. Some good things to know are: How many shoppers are expected? How many vendors? Is it open to all types of vendors or just to crafters? Crafter-only shows tend to be better for handmade. If you are able to, attend beforehand, then pay attention to which type of items people seem to be gravitating. It may just not be the type of show you should be in. After you sign up, be sure you know the rules for sellers. Sometimes you'll need to offer a door prize. You might need floor length table cloths. Heck, they might even require that you stand on your head for 10 minutes out of every hour. You need to know, so that you don't break the rules and can get the deposit back.

7) Look like you love being there. I hate getting a rude, unhappy cashier at Walmart, whose only connection to the product is scanning the barcode. It would be way worse if the person was selling things made by their own hands. People want to buy from someone they can relate to. Lora from ButternutBoutique advised, "the more personable/friendly you are, the higher your sales volume will be. My friend and I noticed that the more (genuine) compliments we handed out (about a buyer's outfit/kid/jewelry/etc.) the higher the likelihood of a sale. It was unreal!!" Don't just sit there reading a book, or gazing off to la-la land. Be engaging and people will be jumping at the chance to buy something from you!

Lora from Butternut Boutique looks very comfortable, friendly and stylish here!
 I love the way the booth set-up adds interest! 

9) Know your product, or maybe it should be know what people want to hear about your product. Be armed with little tidbits of information that might make a buyer more likely to purchase something. Think about things you might see on a package if the item was for sale in a store. What uses does it have? What size is it? What makes it different from similar products?

10) Keep yourself comfortable. No one wants to buy from a slob, but you will be on your feet all day. If possible, wear something you make. You want to represent your brand well. If you sell high-end jewelry, wear some, and dress like you're selling jewelry on Fifth Avenue. If you're selling boutique baby items, look like a stylish mom that people want to be--you know you have "that" friend who has 10 kids and is always so put-together. The great thing about buying handmade is that people want to know the maker, so make sure your represent yourself well.


Celesa Jackson- Blog team leader
Lilly Bunns Boutique

Treasury 52 Challenge

We mama's on the SAHM of Etsy team love to have fun! We've recently started a little challenge for our team members called Treasury 52.  The idea is simple, our captain and co-captain pick out a theme each week, and the team members who choose to participate make treasuries based on the theme.  It's a really fun way to see what all is out there on Etsy and explore what other team members have to offer.  The winners are chosen by our captain and co-captan, Rebecca and Anne.  The winner gets to be our Facebook Page Goddess for the day!

This week's theme was based off the Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond duet, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore." The submissions were awesome! I know it must have been hard to judge!  But, a winner must be chosen....Drum roll please...... And the Treasury 52 challenge winner of the week is.....Lilly Bunns Boutique with her submission "You Don't Bring My Flowers--I want to Relax!" Congrats mama!!