Etsy Seller Interview with Maria of QuaternionCreations

How QuaternionCreations 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 am Maria, the owner, and designer behind Quaternion Creations. I create magical and fairytale-inspired cross-stitch patterns and kits that immerse stitchers in the world of fantasy and wonder. I started my Etsy shop quite accidentally; at first, I created patterns for myself and then slowly evolved into a full-time professional designer. In my art, I draw inspiration from the world of myth and folktales, sometimes from well-known ones and sometimes from obscure and weird stories from different corners of the world, for example. the story of the frog that carries the world on its back. I love adding floral motifs and intricate ornaments to bigger designs, and I am particularly fond of goddesses and strong female figures.

Favorite items

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

My favorite patterns are usually the ones I am working on at the moment. However, if I had to choose from the already listed ones, I would choose these:

The Very Viking design: originally created as a stitchalong, this was my first SAL and my first big venture into Nordic mythology, which now has a special place in my heart. This sampler-style design is packed with symbolism and remains one of the customers’ all-time favorites. And you won't have to guess all the symbols, as the design comes with a storybook with motifs explained.

The World Frog: the mysterious frog I mentioned in the previous answer The image of the world being carried by a giant frog is a very powerful symbol, and the pattern conveys this in a primitive and ornamental style. It is a new listing, but I expect it to lift off and become quite popular.

Sakura Morning is a celebration of spring in a Japanese setting. This is a blackwork pattern made for lovers of graphics and clear lines, and it has a lovely dainty feeling to it.

Embroidery and cross-stitching are slow kinds of art, and most people do them not only for the final result but for the inner peace the process brings them. I love how fairytale designs have the magical quality of transporting you to another realm as you stitch.

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?

My first sale was a flop: the buyer canceled the order before paying for it. It was quite a setback for me - especially psychologically. That took some time to get over, but then the sales picked up (as did, I have to admit, my designing abilities). Currently, my sales come either from Etsy SEO or from social media (Instagram, TikTok). Social media requires a lot of work, but if done properly,  it can be an amazing source of customers.

Managing QuaternionCreations

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?

Since my store is mostly digital, it does not require extra hands for shipping and fulfillment - I do the work by myself and occasionally outsource harder tasks like accounting or marketing photos. I work from home, where I have a desk and some storage space for supplies  (both are a creative mess). I used to have a furry intern too - but he crossed the Rainbow Bridge a couple of years ago. I am thinking of acquiring another one.

There are many tools that help me run my shop, from cloud storage to video editing. Here are my favorite few:

Dropbox: all my files in one place, accessible from any device from all over the world.

Adobe Photoshop Elements: for mock-ups and photo editing

Canva: for all my marketing and graphics needs. I love it dearly!

InShot editor: because sometimes you need to feed social media with videos

Notion: stores all random bits of knowledge I might need to use

Mailchimp: for mailing lists and email marketing

WordPress: to run my own website outside of Etsy

The future of QuaternionCreations 

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

There are two big goals that I am planning to achieve in the near future: enter wholesale and start selling my cross stitch kits in physical stores, and publish a book with my designs. Both are already in motion, but I don’t know which one will work out first.

Advice for new sellers

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

There is one simple truth that I’ve learned the hard way: your marketing won’t bring you any results if you don’t have a simple marketing strategy. It does not have to be complex; just go through the basics: your unique message, your selling point, and your audience. Once you have that in place, growing any shop—and an Etsy shop as well—will be much easier.