Etsy Seller Interview with Stefanie of KITTIEKATSTUDIO

How KITTIEKATSTUDIO got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

Hello, my name is Stefanie, and I am the owner of Kittiekatstudio, an Etsy shop for quirky papermaché, paintings, and stationary. I started doing what I do at a very young age, drawing on everything, making foil into little people, and creating books and calendars for friends and family—if they wanted them or not. Although all I ever wanted was to create, I was not brave enough to make art my profession, so I started quite late in life to show my creations to the world. An Etsy shop was the ideal platform to try myself out. I work at my studio in Karlsruhe, which is big with high ceilings, but it could be twice as big for all the papers and stuff I collect to work on my papermaché people.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

One of my favourites is the ballerina with a skirt out of old sheet music. It is elegant and subtle and shows my love for upcycling old things that would be thrown away otherwise. Another favourite with my customers are my ironic postcard sets with sassy ladies.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

It took a while, but I didn't force it back then; I just waited and watched. Nowadays, I use Instagram, and I attend exhibitions and art fairs where potential customers can take my card and order via Etsy at a later date.

Managing KITTIEKATSTUDIO

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

It is only me... And that is a lot sometimes. But, honestly, to employ someone, for example, for shipping and packing, I would have to get my chaos in order, and somehow, that never happens. So I do everything: managing my Etsy shop, taking photos of new items, packing, writing invoices,etc. And, in spite of the workload, I love packing my orders! It's so great that so many people like what I do.

The future of KITTIEKATSTUDIO 

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

I want to get more organised, but this has been my goal for the last 10 years, so reaching it is doubtful. Otherwise, I hope to bring a little joy to the world with my work and go on doing what I do now.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

For artists, it's a bit different. We are not strictly ruled by fashion; we do not have to know which colour will be hot next season. So it is a bit harder to believe in yourself and keep going. But: Stay true to yourself. Don't look too far left and right. There are a million ways to do art and to express yourself; try to find your way. And don't panic. If you are any good, you will find your audience.