Etsy Seller Interview with Jan and Kacka of PaperAndCrayons

How PaperAndCrayons 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?

We are Jan and Kacka, owners and founders of PaperAndCrayons on Etsy. We design and sell graphic watercolor clipart and other hand-painted design resources, like colorful backgrounds.

We started Paper and Crayons in 2017 because we wanted to create a business fueled by our love of design and of making things by hand. We believe we can realize our dreams, travel, explore, meet people, and live our lives. We wanted to have our own small business, which we can do by having time for our small children and our passion, traveling.

We love flowers and animals, so we make floral arrangements and many cliparts of dogs, cats, and birds. This gives us a lot of joy.

Favorite items

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

Kacka´s favorite products are our dogs. It´s really easy; she loves dogs very much, and some pictures of them give her a lot of joy. These products are also some of our top sellers at Clipart. Maybe because we are made by love:-)

 She also likes our plush toys and teddy bears, especially our two daughters, who love them!

A lot of customers like our colorful background. It is very simple and inspirational; it is often used for wedding invitations and birthday cards or as backgrounds for logos. I like them because there are many colors and types, and each has its own atmosphere.

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?

The first order was placed two weeks after opening the shop. We were so happy! I remember it very well; it was the big start of our dream.

Managing PaperAndCrayons

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?

We manage our shop together; Kacka is the creative author of all designs, capable of both brush and computer. She is the mastermind of our studio. Kacka is also a photographer. She is using Adobe products, like Lightroom, for photo editing. And often uses the nature around us as inspiration. Honza is currently working on shop marketing, sales, and all technicalities. He works on our website.

The future of PaperAndCrayons

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

The main goal is to make new products and new animal clipart. We would like to reach more customers and inspire them to create their own diaries, invitations, and greeting cards. We are happy with every positive feedback from customers; we always see that our work has meaning because it makes people happy.

Advice for new sellers

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

Don’t be afraid; just try. I like this quote: "You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way"."

― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull