Etsy Seller Interview with Elizabeth of SylvanDreamDesigns

How SylvanDreamDesigns 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 Elizabeth Shea, the owner and founder of Sylvan Dream Designs on Etsy. I sell handmade jewelry, home decor, and occasionally crystals. I originally started Sylvan Dream Designs back in 2014, mostly because I needed a means of income since, at the time, I had severe social anxiety, making it difficult for me to muster up the courage to work a normal 9–5 job. Knowing I wanted to try making a living involving my artistic background, Etsy was that knight in shining armor for me.

I decided to start with jewelry for my Etsy shop since that was something I was already familiar with making. I used to make the occasional necklace, earrings, or bracelet as a gift for a friend or family member making. I used to make the occasional necklace, earrings, or bracelet as a gift for a friend or family member. Working mostly with natural materials like hemp twine and natural gemstones, I knew I wanted my designs to be inspired by nature. Nature was a huge outlet for me when it came to my anxiety, so it was a no-brainer when it came to deciding where my designs would draw inspiration from. Eventually, down the road, I will offer dried floral wreaths and pressed flower art. I know they say "find a niche and stick with that," but when I’m feeling inspired and I think others might possibly like it, I just make things and add them to my Etsy. It’s worked out so far. I mean, I guess you could say nature is my niche.

Favorite items

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

My favorite items also happen to be some of my best-selling celestial-inspired pieces, like Celestial Moon , Celestial Quartz & my Celestial Sun earrings. I think as an artist and someone who suffers from anxiety, it’s safe to say my head can be stuck in the clouds a lot; I’m quite a big daydreamer. I think that always drew me to the spiritual and metaphysical parts of the world. which really plays into these celestial-inspired designs I create.

I think that's also the case for my customers, who also love these designs. These designs resonate with those who also have that sense of wonder about the metaphysical and spiritual realms of life. Plus, they’re all really fun designs, so even if you don’t believe in that kind of thing, which is totally ok, they can still be a cute pair of earrings for someone to wear out. I see this often in my reviews or personal messages from previous customers that when they wear these earrings, they feel sexy or like a goddess wearing them, and that helps boost their self-esteem.

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 only a couple weeks for me to get my first sale once I launched my Etsy, but then it took about a month after that first sale to get my second sale, and it kind of went like that for the first 4-6 months after opening. I didn’t really start gaining momentum with sales until about the six-month to one-year mark. My shop really took off when some of my designs went viral on Instagram a few years ago. At the moment, I attract customers by using the more popular social media outlets like Instagram and TikTok, but really, Etsy has been doing such a great job with their SEO and marketing tools that I’ve been relying heavily on them these days.

Managing SylvanDreamDesigns

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?

Sylvan Dream Designs is a one-woman show; I have to wear multiple hats. I’m the designer, creator, photographer, editor, packaging and shipping, customer service—you get the idea. There are lots of roles to play to keep my business running. I use some software like Adobe Lightroom for editing photos and Quickbooks to keep my bookkeeping and accounting in order, but Etsy has great tools to keep things organized on their end for me, which has been a great help! I love that they partner with a bunch of other companies to help make us Etsy sellers' jobs a little easier.

The future of SylvanDreamDesigns

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

I would love to be able to turn my designs into a line of fine jewelry and offer better quality materials for my customers.

Advice for new sellers

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

Be patient and believe in yourself! The more you believe in what you're doing and stand behind yourself, the more you will find things fall into place. The beginning is always tough when starting out, but stick with it. Do your research! Once you know what kind of product you will offer, make sure you take the time to do your research to make sure all your questions are answered so you can feel confident going into your business.

This one, in particular, was difficult for me to do in the early years of my business but is now a must; give yourself the time you require. You know what's best for yourself and your business; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you need longer processing times so you don’t burn yourself out, then take that time! More often than not, your customers will understand.