Etsy Seller Interview with Jessica of OddCompassOutfit

How OddCompassOutfit 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?

I’m Jessica OBrien, and I am the owner of both Odd Compass Outfit, where I make and sell small-batch (generally one-of-a-kind) polymer clay earrings (and recently cement home decor), and Odd Compass Co., where I make tools for other polymer clay makers on Etsy. I technically opened Odd Compass Outfit with my husband in 2014, while we were living in Vancouver, Canada. We originally made small-batch artisanal soaps.

But it wasn’t until after I immigrated to the US from Australia and we landed in Los Angeles in December 2016 that I branched out and started making Ice Dyed Blankets, Bath Salts, Crystal Jewelry, Agate Coasters, Salt Lamps, and Exotic Wood Home Decor.  In 2018, I discovered polymer clay and have not looked back.

I sold my first pair of polymer clay earrings in November 2019 to a woman who has now become a friend. She suggests my store to friends and colleagues, buys my earrings as gifts, and still to this day purchases from every new release (sometimes multiples in different colors or styles). She is my biggest supporter, an absolute joy of a human being, and it is because of people like her that I continue to create. I have the best customers who have continued to support me and my work throughout the years. They give me inspiration and cheer me on every time I release new items. They give invaluable feedback on colors, designs, and styles. My earring styles are named after my customers. Whenever I create new styles, I ask the creators to name them (after themselves or someone else). It is a collaborative effort sometimes, and I love hearing their ideas and listening to all their suggestions!

Favorite items

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

Unfortunately, because of the nature of my one-of-a kind items, my favorite items tend to sell the same day after I release them. I love the new cement items that I released last week (20 March 2023). Especially the Oval Tray and Matchstick Striker Set

But I do love my fruit collection of earrings, and my most popular styles have been the Lemon Earrings and Pineapple Earrings

They sell a lot during the summer, as I think people love the simple yet fun design and the summery vibes. I plan on updating the style soon in time for Summer to include flower charms you can add on as an option.

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?

I made my first sale four months (April 2017) after moving to Los Angeles and actually trying to make something out of Odd Compass Outfit. It took me another year and a half to find my niche (polymer clay earrings), and I sold my first pair a month after listing them. Now, six years later, this is my full-time job, while I also run a second Etsy shop that I started in 2021.

Most of my sales come from returning customers and naturally through Etsy Marketplace. I only use Instagram (which I also have set up to share on a Facebook page) as my social media or marketing presence. I use it to keep my followers and customers up to date on upcoming collections, releases, and sales or discounts. I ask for their opinion on styles, colors, and designs, as at the end of the day, they are the ones I am making for!  Social media can be a great marketing tool to help more people find your work.

Managing OddCompassOutfit

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?

I am the only person completely responsible for both of my Etsy stores. I am the owner, designer, 3d modeler, creator, photographer, social media marketer, mechanical engineer, packer, shipper, tax preparer, and wearer of all the other hats. 

My husband is my biggest supporter as far as encouragement and suggestions but I am the only one who makes the cogs move for both stores. 

Because I also run a store that creates 3D cutters and water-soluble transfers for polymer clay, whatever shape or pattern I need for a pair of earrings, I am also capable of creating that for myself. 

I use 3d printed cutters for all the shapes of earrings and a lot of them I design myself.

So technically, I use Blender, Cura, and a Creality Ender V2 Printer to design and create all the cutters I use.

I then also created my own water-soluble transfer papers using free license images and Photoshop. I print them on water-soluble paper with a Brother Color Laser Printer.

My go-to tools for making polymer clay earrings are:

• A quality pasta machine for rolling sheets of clay to a uniform thickness
• A tile to work on
• an acrylic roller
• Exacto Knife
• Tissue Blade
• Shape cutters (3-D printed or metal)
• A Needle Tool
• Silicone Mat on a Baking Tray
• Dremel Tool with wool buffing wheels
• Drill Press
• Pliers
• UV Light and UV Resin
• And obviously an oven (I just use my home oven)

None of these are necessary to start making polymer clay items. 

All you really need is good quality polymer clay like Sculpey, Premo,  Souffle, or Cernit, an oven, and your imagination. 

All of my earrings are ready to ship. I do not generally make Made-To-Order items.

Because I also run another store, I cannot make earrings whenever an order comes in, so instead, I make items, and there are only ever as many as I make. This also means that most of the items are one of a kind, which I think makes them more special when someone can snag a pair. I will also take custom orders, but I do not advertise that option. I generally only take custom orders from loyal customers whom I know already love the style and quality of my work.

The future of WatermarkForge

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

I have taken a break from creating new earrings as creative burnout is real! After the Christmas rush, I find it very difficult to be creative as I spend the last two months of the year fulfilling orders in time for the holidays. I have started branching out again with new mediums, such as cement home decor.

I would love for Odd Compass Outfit to be an eclectic collection of all the things I love to make.

I stopped creating with other mediums and solely focused on polymer clay earrings in 2019. But only a year later Polymer Clay took off while everyone was stuck at home during the pandemic and the market did get very saturated with new makers. I think there is still enough room for all of us, but I would like to start branching out with new items and new mediums again. 

I love working with wood and cement, and last year I picked up crocheting, so perhaps I’ll start adding more handmade products to my shop.

I would love to one day have a brick-and-mortar shop filled with all the different creative projects I have made.

Advice for new sellers

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

It can be very disheartening when you don’t sell items straight away, but it takes time. Everything good does! There are very few people who have immediate success. Don’t be afraid to fail, and don’t be afraid to try new things. You will learn what sells, what keywords are being searched, and what photographs people are more attracted to.

Don’t beat yourself up about not doing what others are doing.

I for example do not use social media for personal use, so I find it very difficult to use it for business. I have gotten a lot more comfortable using it, but I’m not going to pressure myself to go live or post every day because that’s just not who I am as a person.

Find what you enjoy and are good at, and do that. You will attract customers who love what you create, your way.Just remember that comparison is the thief of joy.