Quirky’n Berkeley

Etsy Shop Name: Quirky’n Berkeley

What you sell: Handcrafted cards and origami boxes

Tell us about your featured item: This is a festive iris fold card is suitable for any occasion or for framing. Strips of paper are folded carefully, place into position and secured. Then the “iris” is mounted to a background pattern before being placed into the hand-cut aperture.

What do you enjoy most about running your own Etsy shop?

Making a sale and doing the happy dance, but also feeling humble that someone has selected one of my cards for a special occasion. I also enjoy the sense of community and support that Etsy provides.

Do you set goals for your Etsy shop? If so, what type of goals?

My biggest goal is to make cards that people want to send to someone they love. I set benchmarks for my shop to measure how it’s doing, and the higher various numbers grow, the more inclined I am to treat this as a business instead of just a way to sell the products of my hobby. I observe what goes on the front page and treasuries, and sometimes try to design with that in mind. I know that people have astonishing numbers of hearts, and I try to become a recognizable presence in the community. I try to make treasuries for my street teams on a regular basis to repay the kindness and support I get from them. When things slow down in my shop, I take it as a sign that I need to spend more time browsing through other people’s shops, and to make some new, fresh goodies to look at. I try to be a good Etsy citizen, and to be a friendly, supportive presence in the forums.