Meet Stoic

This week, meet Tia, an Evansville INCrowdteam'er who currently focuses on Scrabble tile pendants and hopes to move to other forms of jewelry soon. She's such a fun interview, and her Etsy love is pretty obvious through her answers. Thanks for helping, Tia!

Name: Tia

City of residence: Evansville

Shop name: Stoic

Is there any meaning behind the name of your shop? I've always liked the idea of being stoic, which I describe as having a poker face. Its living your life strictly by reason and not letting your emotions determine things for you. I could NEVER be this way, as I'm a Pisces and destined to be an emotional wreck! I'm the type of person whose whole day can be ruined because someone died in a movie. Seriously. So I guess for me "stoic" is just an interesting, far-fetched concept and a word that I like the sound of!

Tell me about the types of items for sale at your Etsy shop. I sell various forms of jewelry, the main one being Scrabble tile pendants. The scrabble tiles are fun because you can put almost any image on them, whether it be a photo of your baby or the album cover of your favorite band. I have recently decided to stop making new Scrabble tiles, though. It's pretty tedious work, and I want to focus my attention on other creative outlets, such as my other one-of-a-kind jewelry. Also, my husband, our good friend and I are starting a clothing site where we will focus on screen-printing and one-of-a-kind clothing and purses. We are in the process of getting everything ready, so be sure to check out DirtyStreet for some cool new items soon!

What’s your real-world job? Well, I went to school to get a degree in advertising and public relations, as well as a degree in art, only to realize that I live in southern Indiana -- which basically means that creative jobs are far and few between. So I spend a miserable eight hours a day being an office manager -- i.e. glorified secretary -- at a countertop manufacturing company in Newburgh, IN. I am the only girl, and I work in the office alone, so needless to say I spend a LOT of time on the Internet!

How did you learn your Etsy craft? I learned the Scrabble tile process from a tutorial online, and I used it to put my own spin on it. When I first started doing the Scrabble tiles, it was new, and there were only a few people selling them on Etsy. Now it seems literally everyone is doing it!! That sort of drained the fun from it. With my other jewelry and my sewing, I learned from my mom. She was always crafty and would make unique jewelry and clothing for herself to wear.

What's your muse, or what turns that little creative light inside you on? I take inspiration from everything I see. I am constantly tearing pages out of magazines, which drives my husband crazy since I leave them all over the house! I watch a lot of movies and get ideas from there. I have started making a lot of things for my son, who is the best inspiration.

You've certainly seen some success with your Etsy sales! What's your secret? I'm a firm believer in listing and relisting often. Esty is so flooded with items; you have to keep things new to stay on the front pages. If someone is searching for something, or even just browsing, chances are they are only going to look through a few pages of listings. Also, use other resources to reach out to people. I thing blogging is a neat way to keep people interested in what you do. I have also done a few sales, as well as giveaways through other people's Web sites. You just have to focus on ways to draw as much attention as possible to your shop.

What are your five favorite shops on Etsy?

1. Disco Belly, because its shirts made me feel like a rock star when I was pregnant
2. The Voyagers
3. Pling
4. Cite Fuzz -- I have one of its monkey hats for my son, and it makes me die laughing every time he wears it.
5. The Machine Stops

Which three of your own items for sale are your favorite? Why do you like them so much?

1. Roy Lichtenstein Scrabble tile pendant -- Lichtenstein is one of my favorite artists, and this piece fits so perfectly on the Scrabble tile. (Check out the photo at the top of this post.)
2. Measure 3 Times, Cut Once -- I love the unique charm of this necklace, and think it would be perfect for a crafter or someone who cuts hair! (Photo is second in this post.)
3. Spring is Near... -- I think this is a beautiful necklace, and I love the length and how it hangs so prettily (at right).

What's the best compliment you've received from a buyer? This is actual feedback that I got recently: "OMG (and I don't use that phrase...ever) My 12 year old cousin was in a talent show and sang "Hit me with your best shot" I saw this and knew I had to get it for her. I bought her a white gold chain to put it on and she loves it. It is so unique no one at her school has anything like it. And every time I see her, she has it on. Great purchase for sure! Not to mention I am definitely her favorite cousin now. (I think I may have always been though....secretly)" That just made my day!!!

Where else can we find you on the Internet? Check out my blog Stoic and our new Dirty Street blog. I'm also on Facebook.

Would you like to be featured on the INCrowdteam blog? Just convo me at Jaclyn1423, and I'll send you some questions.