My designer for the month of July is.....

Kelli from Simple Delights for You!!

Tell us a little about YOU

I’m 29 and married to the man of my dreams. I grew up in Orange County, California, moved to San Diego for college and have lived here ever since (about 10 years). I currently work full time as an accountant, but look forward to someday being a stay-at-home mom (my dream job!) with a part time job selling crafts. I love kids and can’t wait to start of family with my husband someday soon. I taught Sunday school for almost 7 years and look forward to getting back into it soon at our new church. I love spending my spare time with friends, my husband and family, swimming, sewing and crafts, cooking and baking, taking walks on the beach, bible studies, exercising and traveling.

What led you to Etsy and sewing?

Since my mom was an art major, my sister and I grew up doing crafts at a very young age. Our younger years growing up in Girl Scouts and 4-H helped hone our skills since we entered most of projects into competitions around the County! They had to be perfect if we wanted to win. We both shared the winners circle a few times! We had so much fun and I have never stopped sewing and doing crafts! My mom really taught us the love of art and did a great job nurturing our individual creativity skills and talents.

Consequently, since most of my friends already have children, I just naturally made them homemade baby gifts. Over that past 6 years, many have told me I need to start selling my stuff. I never really had the time or gave it too much consideration until I started a new job a little over a year ago. I then began experimenting a little more with gifts and one thing led to another…and here I am on Etsy!

Tell us a little bit about Simple Delights For You and your concept behind the store

The baby items were a given for my store since I had already received so many positive comments and requests for business cards over the years. I love making baby items (and giving them away!) and have a passion for cute and soft baby fabrics.

Since I also have a passion for taking care of the land God so graciously gifted us, I began changing our lifestyle at home over the past year by “going green.” I began making my own detergents, cleaners, bath products, etc for home use. That then gave me the idea to implement homemade green sewing and bath/spa projects into my Etsy store. Right now I only have coffee cozies listed, but I plan on adding more items that I successfully use around my own home. Right now I am focusing more on building the baby items in my store. Once I feel satisfied with those, I will move on to some of my homemade household items I love. I have a tendency to be ADD with craft projects, so I really have to limit myself to one project at a time! Sometimes I drive myself CRAZY!!

I really desire to sell my items at craft shows in the future. That would be one of my future business goals. That and learning more about internet marketing. I feel there is more depth and reality in an item when seen in person! One day when I am not working full time out of the home, I hope to implement these into my business.

What inspires your designs?

Fabrics mostly inspire my designs. Sometimes, all it takes is a cute fabric design, and the vision pops right into my head. I often have no idea what my design will look like when I walk into the fabric store! I always walk out in love with my new pick. If I’m not in love with it, I don’t buy it. If I don’t love what I make, I just don’t have a passion to sell it. Though, I have been proven wrong! Some of my least favorite designs have sold on Etsy or have the most views! I guess you just never know!

What if any items would you like to add to your shop?

I plan on adding more bibs. They take so much time and I haven’t had much time lately. I also plan on making some of my favorites around my home: dryer/home sachets, fabric napkins/cloths, eye pillows, spa items, etc. I’m also praying about starting another Etsy shop…it’s all about my favorite and yummy baked goods!

I’m also trying to focus a lot of my time right now on internet marketing. I know how important that is for a business, and it’s all so foreign to me! I’m determined to figure it out and plan on writing tips on my own blog. See how ADD I am??

Share with us your most favorite item in your shop and why its your most favorite.....

This is a hard question since I try not to sell anything I don’t absolutely love! I have to say, my Ladybug Bib is probably one of my favorite designs. I melt every time I see it! And the pink and brown bib as well. I just LOVE that color combo! I also love a couple of my cozies; the purple leaf and the purple and blue Hawaiian are a few of my favorites (probably because I’ve been to Hawaii 3 times and it brings back those nostalgic memories!). Sometimes I feel a picture does not do an item justice, you know? Sometimes I wish the internet had a “touch and feel” function…I think selling would be much easier!