A*D*O*R*A*B*L*E is all I have to say about this weeks feature. Lydia of Shup (G) has the cutest shop! She has a little bit of whimsy and a little bit of vintage. Mix them together and you have amazing options! If you haven't seen her shop, what are you waiting for?! Get over there and get shopping!!
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name's Lydia and I live in the sunny (sometimes sorching and humid) island of Singapore in South East Asia. I spend most of the day teaching violin and the rest of the time, I spend with my family, my little jack russell terrier (or I like to call him, terror-ier) and at my work table dreaming up new ideas. I'm a quiet person, and have no problem being alone, in fact most of the time I prefer it, there are just too many ideas and thoughts filling my mind, or sometimes I just pray silently, so my inner-world is pretty exciting enough.
What is your first memory of being crafty/artsy?
One of the first books without pictures I read was by Enid Blyton, and that really got me going. After that I used to dream of christmas stockings and all the fun things my toys would be doing at night :) And one of the first things I made I think were christmas stockings for me and my brothers out of paper bags! They were pretty squarish but still fun nevertheless!
Where do you get inspiration for your products?
Well, actually I think most of my inspiration is from God, I don't think I could have thought of any of my products on my own. Indirectly I suppose I draw ideas especially from my bus rides! I take public transport most of the time because I don't drive (or rather, I choose not to...I can't park for nuts!) and I especially love it on a rainy day, and I'm sitting in the bus wrapped warmly in my scarf and with my headphones one, listening to jazz, cuban or classical music and looking at the world zip past like my very own movie! Even if it's the same route everyday,you still see different people, different events, under different lights, at different times of day. And I marvel at what I see when I look up, I think oftentimes we walk and don't see much because we're used to looking at eyelevel, but occasionally look up and you'll be amazed at what you see, or down and see what a dog or child's point-of-view would be.
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Tell us a little about your workspace.
Oh gosh, my workspace is actually rather messy right now! And materials are piling up faster than I can use them :) But I'm a little of an organised-mess person. If the place's empty, I can't think, but when I have all my materials strewn around, I can look at them and ideas just form in my head. Yes, a lot of times I can't find what I want or I forget I have things, so I make it a point to do a weekly run through of all my things just to refresh my memory of what I can work with.
Other than Etsy, where can we find your products?
I also sell on Dawanda and and in the process of setting up my bigcartel shop, and I've registered my own website http://www.shupg.com/ but that's in a long building process :) hehe. But i promise I'll get it up and running soon (or as soon as I can!) . Locally I sell at craft shows/bazaars occasionally and also have some of my products at a shop in a shopping mall (that'd be inqbox at B1-40 of Raffles City Shopping Centre).
(click on pic to be taken straight to item)What is your best marketing advice?
I think to wear your items and talk about them. I say that, but I'm actually really bad at it! Even bazaars freak me out sometimes because I'm not too good at sales and am also rather shy about lauding my products. I try to wear them as much as I can, though I think most of my friends wouldn't associate my products with me 'cos outwardly I'm like a aloof, black/white person.... but hey, that's why I love that I can create these products because they reflect my inner-world, a little secret side of myself, a side people can't really see straight off.
Is there anything else you would like the readers to know?
I'm actually doing a recession-reduction-run in my shop at the moment, the prices having gone down about 20%.
Just for your readers, I'd like to offer a further discount:-
- A 5% for any purchase totalling $20 - $49.90 (excluding shipping)
- A 10% for any purchase totalling $50 - 79.90 (excluding shipping)
- A 15% for any purchase totalling $80 - $99.90 (excluding shipping)
- And big buyers any purchase totalling $100(excluding shipping) and above will get 20% off!
All offers valid till 30 April 2009 They just have to convo me before or after buying and quote ASD09, tell me what they're buying and I can either adjust the listing for them or refund them vial paypal! :)
Even more incentive to go visit Shup (G)! Thanks Lydia!! Pin It
