The Crafty Panda Girl

Meet Melissa Jones, The Crafty Panda Girl.  Melissa is a shop owner and the founder and Captain of the Maryland Promotions Team on Etsy.

The Crafty Panda Girl

1. Why did you decide to form the Maryland Promotions Team?
For a seller, being part of an Etsy team brings your experience to an whole new level. Not only do you get to teach and and learn from a community who shares your craft, your locale, or a common vision, but you also get to share in their successes and have them applaud yours.

My Altered Dominoes are made by staining them with alcohol ink and hand stamping them. They can be made into pendants, brooches or magnets.

After belonging to a few good teams from all over the world and having a wonderful experience promoting them and being mutually promoted, learning new ways to grow my business and making new friends, I thought it would be great to bring all of this to a local team where we might have a chance to meet in person, make a name for ourselves in Maryland and host some local events.

2. How did you come up with the name The Crafty Panda Girl?
I had a boyfriend who was very into Japanese culture, anime and kawaii specifically. He kind of gave me the nickname, Panda, consistently describing my moods as Happy Panda, Sad Panda, Angry Panda, etc. He encouraged me to open my shop, after having closed one that wasn't successful. Hence, the Panda Girl part.

I tried Panda Girl this and Panda Girl that, but since Panda something is a popular nomenclature in the Anime culture, everything I came up with was taken. Crafty is one of my favorite words when used in the context, of describing someone or something who is clever or shrewd. I threw it in front, loved the double meaning and kept it.

I found a box of suspender hooks in an antique shop and just had to have them. At the time, I had no idea what I'd do with them but I love the way they worked with these vintage watch parts.

3. How did you begin crafting?
I actually began crafting as a very small child, when my grandmother taught me embroidery. I've been crafting in one way or another ever since.

I began making jewelry when I was recovering from an accident and a friend thought beading bracelets might keep me busy. Since then, I've just adapted jewelry making to fit my own personality and style.

4. What kinds of items will we find in your shop? 
Right now, my shop is exclusively jewelry, although it is quite a mix. Look for unique one-of-a-kind jewelry made from recycled computer keyboards, vintage game pieces, dominoes, guitar picks and other found and altered objects.

In addition, I've got handmade chunky gemstone bracelets, necklaces and earrings, along with jewelry made from local beach glass that I collect on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

My newest line is very chunky boho necklaces made with chain and porcelain beads.

Porcelain beads are my new passion. I like the chunky bohemian look and feel of the pieces I've been making with them.

5.  What inspires you?

I am inspired by the beauty of the mundane and the joy of the unexpected. I love to mix new and old and natural and unnatural to see the way that the colors, shapes and textures come together to create something beautiful.

These keyboard necklaces are one of my most popular items. I've found no one else who makes them quite the way I do and I'm hoping it stays that way! I get a lot of custom orders for them.

I also like to create simple pieces that allow us to relax, show our silly side and simply bring out our inner child and pieces designed for sub-cultures often overlooked by the mainstream.

Guitar Pick Necklaces are one of my favorite items to make and one of my most popular. They're made from authentic hand drilled Fender Picks and I've even had a few musicians buy them to wear on stage for an extra. 

6.  What has been your biggest accomplishment on Etsy?
The selfish side of me wants to say that my biggest accomplishment is meeting and exceeding my 2012 sales goal almost a month early.

Actually, though I think an even bigger accomplishment is forming The Maryland Promotions Team and seeing all of the friendships it has kindled and the growth that many of the shops have experienced as a result of the knowledge that has been shared and the unselfish willingness of the members to promote and help each other.

7.  What has been your biggest challenge?

I love the Gothic look of this bat necklace. It looks absolutely beautiful on.

The biggest challenge facing any shop owner is staying positive and learning to keep on keeping on when times are slow, especially in the beginning. You set up shop and think that your items are just going to sell themselves. It takes time, patience and lot of work to get your shop off the ground and to start selling.

8. What advice would you give to other shop owners?
My biggest word of advice to other shop owners is first, remember that running an Etsy shop is just like anything else in life, you'll get out of it exactly what you put into it. Keep your shop fresh and attractive, join teams, add people to your circle, make a memorable brand for yourself, take good photos, make treasuries, learn the technical stuff and use social media to your advantage.

The key to success is finding your niche and then always working hard on getting yourself found. Maybe most important is to always make sure you're having fun!

9. Where can we find you?
 www.etsy.com/shop/thecraftypandagirl
www.facebook.com/craftypandagirl
thecraftypandagirl.blogspot.com/search/label/welcom
pinterest.com/craftypandagirl/
twitter.com/craftypandagirl
www.rebelmouse.com/CraftyPandaGirl/
wanelo.com/TheCraftyPandaGirl

Thank you, Melissa!