Introduce yourself!

[Litheartist]

Tell us a bit about yourself and even your shop, so we can all get to know each other. :)

My name is Lillian Bryant (just Lilly is fine), and I am a very artistic person. Both of my parents love to draw, and so do I. I also like to write poems and short stores, play instruments, and make crafts. Just about anything can give me inspiration to create something, and I'm always thinking of new things to make and different ways to make them. I have a wide varitey of interests in art, music, style, etc., and I'm definitely not normal. You can't stick a label on me because I'm an original person. :)

Your turn!

[Former_Member]

Hey Team,

My name is Aisha. I too come from a very artistic family, my father initially taught art and music before going into the business world and my mother is a professional singer by night and teacher by day. I get my creativity from the both of them, I love decorating. Interior design, candles, you name it. I have always wanted to own a business and found what I think is the perfect fit for me right now. My company Candle Allure was founded in 2009 as a way for me to express my creativity and gradually build my business while maintaing a full time job. I am excited about the success I've had up this point and I look forward to building my Etsy business as well!

[Former_Member]

My name is Amandla and I'm a graduate from Arts Management, so I just naturally like to do business. Creative business if I feel like being picky. There's a lot of talent in my family, including extended, so i know were my skills and motivation comes from.

Eli's Body Shop is my family's business of organic skin and hair care products. We've been in business for about 4 years and doing well. It was my father's idea to have one product that worked for the whole family since we all had different skin and hair types. We're very proud of what has been built thus far.

As an individual I have another shop www.akuaofei.etsy.com where I am selling photos from my travels and outtings. Starting with my trip to Ghana and onwards from there. Photography is something I've been doing since 2001 and I'm quite passionate about it.

Overall I'm just trying to grow and see how far my skills can get me.

[nikiartstudio]

My name is Niki. I am a graphic designer, artist and stay at home mom. Just getting my shop off the ground and trying to find out best practices. Graduate from the Art Institute, I also have some artistic family members. Have lots of work to share, and still building and growing and working to make my art a sustainable part of my life and family.

I live in an art community, and i also do web design. Also love music, research junkie and good people and vibes!

[Former_Member]

Hi Niki! Thanks for joining. It's great to have another creative mind on the team. I'll be sure to check out your FB pages and your Etsy shop.

[Former_Member]

Hello,

My name is Eulanda and I am an accessory and fashion designer in Colorado. I make scarves, jewelry and clothes using fiber art techniques. Here is an example of what is listed on my shop:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73695201/hand-dyed-silk-wrap-010

I look forward to participting in this team!

Eulanda

[Former_Member]

Hi Eulanda,

Thanks for joining! Beautiful items. Welcome to the team!

[Former_Member]

My name is Krista I am 23 years old. I am still new to Etsy but not new to designing. My mother has been sewing since she was 7years old so it seemed natural as me being her only daughter that I would pick it up early. I did not start designing and sewing clothing until about 3 years ago and then I wanted to add accessory to my line and it has had more movement so I have decided to focus on accessory from jewelry, hair item and purses. I plan to start a clothing line now based on some jewelry that I've been making.
I'm here on etsy to build an online customer base and to meet and network with people as well. I love meeting new people and learning new stuff as I said I'm still new to this and very new at selling my items. I have a lot of local customers and I've been selling via facebook and I set up a website so i have returning customers from a couple states. Thanks for having me.

Krista
http://www.facebook.com/kashadesigns
http://www.kashadesigns.blogspot.com

[Former_Member]

Thanks for joining Krista! It's great that you are becoming an active member so quickly! I will check out your facebook pages!

[AromasandScents]

Hi All My Name is Toynga and I have always had a business mind, right now I'm a Full time College Student, Majoring in Business, I Love decorating & like the smell of candles because I like my house to smell good. As a little girl growing up I wanted to know how Candles were made.
I purchased a few from this lady in Chicago about 3 years ago & wanted more & it has been Ton Handmade Soy Candles every since!

I offer over 45+ Scents in different categories, I use Soy wax and Eco-wicks, which has just about no soot & allows my candles to be 100% Natural.
My Scents are infused with Natural Essential oils or I use a Premium oil.

I love making my Candles, right now I can say I have 45+ scents but soon that will be 100+ scents so I have something for every customer that comes my way.

I'm from Mississippi, Country, Country :)

Thanks, I would love to grow with all of you in this group
Come check out my Shop.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83868451/magnolia-soy-scented-16-oz-large-candle

[Former_Member]

Hi! My name is Nicole and I'm from Nebraska.I started out making natural hair products for myself and friends.I now also make body products.

Since I had a customer base I started my own website.That website will be closed soon.Thanks to the folks on Etsy,I learned of more cost effective websites!
I've met some very nice people on here.I'm glad I opened my shop.

I enjoy walking,reading,attending cat shows,attending hair shows,networking and SHOPPING:)

[AromasandScents]

Nik, I love everything hair, I finished Cosmetology school about 4 months ago. I love keeping my hair healthy and my two older sisters. Just don't want a Shop right now because I got goshed out, I did hair every day for 1 year and 6 months straight, it was fun but giving it a rest, doing hair came naturally for me. But I love all hair care products if it's right for me.

[ThompsonInspirations]

Hi
I'm Ruth from Missouri. Thanks for excepting me on your team. I make jewelry and leather works. I'm a Christian and I share what I'm thinking as I make my items. I hope to inspire through my art.

[DopeCrochet]

Hey y'all!

I'm Ericka, owner of Dope Crochet. I am from Texas but I've lived all over. I am fairly new to the craft game. Dope Crochet was my hobby turned small business during hard times and it has been a wonderful journey so far!

I am a active runner, vegan, Japanese-speaking, lover of language and unique yarns. I enjoy meeting new people and I am excited to be a part of this team. Thanks for having me!

Ericka
dopecrochet.com
facebook.com/dopecrochet

[Litheartist]

Hi Ericka! I looked at some of your items and they're fabulous! I love the unique designs. :) By the way, I'm a bit of a Japan-enthusiast myself. I've taught myself some of the language by reading books and watching anime in Japanese with the subtitles on. Lol. Nice to see another fan around. Welcome to the team!

[Former_Member]

Hello all, Mixed heritage here. White, black, American indian & prolly 10 other things I don't know about! :P Born & raised in California. Mom was artistic, dad not (a boring engineer). Mom always wanted me to pursue art, but I never did until going on disability due to a car accident. This is a new venture for me - creating things & trying to sell them on the Internet. I've also started showing my art around town. I'm a shy person by nature, so it's kind of hard to put myself out there, but I'm managing. So glad I found this group! :)

[BelindasCrafts]

My name is Belinda and I just opened my Etsy store 3 weeks ago.
I make handmade cards and paper goodness infused with culture. I research different cultures and create unique designs that celebrate a variety of heritages.

I am a mom of two amazing little boys and a wife to a loving and supportive husband.

I am excited about this chapter in my life and thrilled that this team exists on Etsy. I look forward to supporting each other and getting to know some new friends here. Come visit my Shop:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/96489844/african-american-girl-easter-card

[neferknots]

Hi. My name is Marukasa and I listed my first item this past January. Macrame (knotted and beaded jewelry) is my passion, but since opening up shop, I've also started making leather wrap bracelets.

Having an Etsy shop has challenged me to get into the whole social networking thing, which I haven't done previously. I'd appreciate any pointers on how best to put Twitter, Facebook, etc. to work marketing my products and shop.

I am a divorced mother of two wonderful young people, a girl who is finishing up her first year of college, and a 10th grade boy. I am an engineer by trade, but have enjoyed the creative outlet provided by macrame for years. I'm glad to have this medium to share my wares.

Please stop by the shop for a visit :-).

[Former_Member]

Greetings : )

My name is Lauren. I'm a seller if mixed backgrounds. Hawaiian, Hispanic, Asian, etc, etc...

I own The Wild Earth Childe : )

I sell crochet pixie vests, gypsy clothing, handpainted and bejeweled dread beads. I'm going to be adding art prints and jewelry soon, as well. I craft all pieces by hand in my socal home and sometimes on the road.

Here's a sample:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/98586504/fire-dancer-pixie-vest-with-sun-mandala

Wishing you all lots of success here on etsy and beyond : )

<3 L

[Former_Member]

Thought we had already introduced ourselves.. but we haven't, ooops!! We are a married couple living in Norwich, England, but we used to live in Uganda, East Africa. That's where we met and got married, and where we hope to be again some day soon! I am white British, and my husband is Black Burundian, and my wonderful step-kids are British with mixed African / Black Caribbean heritage.

We started our small business when we lived in Uganda and when we came back to England we started up again here, trying to bring some unique African/European styles to the market. And now on Etsy of course! We are a very small company and source the vast majority of all our materials from East Africa - from Uganda, but also Kenya and Rwanda (through Uganda), and as much as possible from people we know. We commission one Ugandan women to make our recycled paper beads, for example. We then employ another person to ship all our materials to us, and then we make them here in England to our own designs.

We hope you like our work! We are very happy to be part of this team!

[Former_Member]

Welcome to all the recently added members! I have looked at all of your shops and you all have some wonderful items. Thanks for joining Creators of Color!

[PrettyJewelryThings]

Hello, my name is Glenda. I own and manage Pretty Jewelry Things Stores on many different venues. I have been selling things since I understood what the concept was. Vintage jewelry and decluttering my home is my main focus at present.

I love to travel, read (Beverly Jenkins is a fav), good movies and any kind of research on the web. Web design is a lot of fun also, I can do most basic things. I look forward to learning how to take my business to the next level and help others too.

[Former_Member]

Hi everyone! My name is Anhoni and I live in San Francisco, I am the creator of Mrs. Patel's Milk Makers, which are Indian Ayurvedic-based postpartum healing and lactation treats. Our products are founded on recipes that have been passed on from mother to mother within our family for over a hundred years. I really want to help women have a smoother postpartum healing period and nurture and support their breastfeeding goals. Thanks!

[Former_Member]

Greetings!
I am new to the team and look forward to supporting all of you talented artists! My shop link is below. Ola represents organic simplicity and cultural presence. Along with the Etsy store, I am also present at art and craft shows in Chicago or you may catch me walking my dogs by the lake or planning events for my day job!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/OLACULTURE
https://www.facebook.com/pages/OLA/210054099091476
https://twitter.com/OLACULTURE
http://www.olaculture.com/

Thanks for supporting!

[Former_Member]

Hi Everyone!

My name is Lee, and my current project that I am working on is Candy Dream Hoops currently available on Etsy, and soon, to the world.

I love what I do and I do intend to expand Candy Dream Hoops and have other lines of accessories, that will definitely make heads spin.

I always had an artistic soul, but over the years I've learned to become more in tuned with myself to discover the area of focus of my abilities, and I've finally found it.

Like everything in life, it will be a lot of effort put forth to make this shop happening.

I am driven to put everything on it, it's my dream.

When you get a chance, feel free to check out my shop and find the sweet hoop earrings of your dreams. Enjoy!

...Satisfy Your Sweet-Ear!™