Exploring Color at 10eisha and a Giveaway Too!

Since I created my Facebook fan page two weeks ago, I was introduced to so many talented artists and wonderful shops I had no idea about. A few shops in particular captured my attention and I will be featuring a few of them in the coming weeks.

The first shop that really caught my eye was 10eisha. Artist/crafter, Teneisha (what a clever shop name!) creates fabulous hair accessories and plush toys but the colors are what struck me. Her items are so vibrant, and Teneisha is a Master of mixing and matching! Yes, the "M" deserves to be capitalized!

Earlier this week I asked Teneisha if she would tell us more about herself and her shop, and fortunately, she agreed. In addition to taking time to answer my questions, Teneisha is offering Nature Manipulated's readers a chance to win one item ($12 and under) from her shop. Find out how you can win after the interview ...

NM: How would you describe your work?
T: Very colorful

NM: How long have you been making hair accessories for?
T: Since February 2009…I’m a newbie! However, I was selling plush monsters and puppets for a few years.

NM: How did you get into this line of work/hobby?
T: I made my own birdcage/fascinator for my wedding and I enjoyed it so much that I said, "You know…I could do lots of these…in crazy colors!"

NM: Do you do this full time?
T: I would like to. I have been unemployed for almost 6 months, so I guess you could say this is my full time job. Right now I am gearing up to start doing wholesale as well as craft fairs, swap meets and so on.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
T: I love all the small fascinators. They are such an easy accessory. You can stick them on anywhere and forget about them, yet everyone else notices them. I get a ton of compliments every time I wear one outside of my house. I think they also set a tone for your outfit. There are some that I feel like I have to throw on matching heels with and some that work perfect with jeans and a t-shirt.

NM: What are some of your favorite handmade shops or items online?
T: I love the supplies sellers that hand make their items. I’ve recently been getting my brads this way. Aimoobaroo is a great one.

I love love love the wristlets from meringueshop. I have one in black and white and one in red and white, and I get a ton of compliments on them. You can carry your purse without even realizing its there!

I’ll also give a shout out to Briana Edelman Designs. I got my wedding necklace from her and it was such a high quality. It also came in a great box that I have been using since!

And last but not least, Etsy Hacks. These hacks will change your Etsy selling life!

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
T: I do a little bit of everything. The one that gets me the most purchases I think is Offbeatbride.com. I advertise in the tribe on that site which is a pretty direct marketing approach. I also do occasional one day $2 Facebook ads. I was trying Google AdWords for a while but I suspended it for now. I have a Facebook Fan Page and a blog. I also stay involved in the Etsy community forums which I think is a great way of networking.

NM: What advice can you offer other handmade sellers to boost their sales?
T: Stick with it! I know that Etsy is really slow right now and a lot of newcomers are discouraged. Just keep making what you make and get as much stuff up there as you can. Talk to people in the forums. Just stick with it.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
T: I tried ArtFire and Ebay for a while. I actually did well on Ebay…Its just a pain to add items. I’m hoping to get out into real life venues soon.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
T: I have a blog called Dumpster Ninjas. We have multiple contributors but I am the main admin. We blog about art, design, ideas, crafts or whatever seems inspiring at that very moment. I’ve started featuring a lot of Etsy sellers and we seem to be getting more traffic.

NM: Tell us something interesting about yourself.
T: I have a degree in Industrial Design (Product Design) which I always forget pertains to exactly what I do with crafting. I always forget that product design doesn’t have to mean shoes and cars. It can mean handmade items and functional art!


Business Information:

Name: Teneisha (aka 10eisha)

Business/Shop Name: Hair Accessories for the Brave

Location: San Diego, CA

Website URL: http://www.teneishabydesign.com

Etsy URL: http://10eisha.etsy.com

Blog URL: http://dumpsterninjas.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/10eisha

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hair-Accessories-By-10eisha/120030310942?ref=mf


Hope you enjoyed learning about Teneisha and her shop. Now, ... for a chance to win one item ($12 or under) from 10eisha, leave a comment with your favorite item from Teneisha's Etsy shop. Tell us why you like it and make sure you leave your contact information (email, Etsy username, Artfire username or link to your Facebook page). One entry per person. All entries must be submitted by July 31, 2009, 6pm ET.