Internet Artisan Interview - Dawn Correspondence

I had loads of fun, looking through DawnCorrespondence. I'm a lover of paper, like Amanda is, and am partial to exploring stationery stores. One thing that attracted me to her shops are all the classic motifs used in her papercrafts. I don't know anyone who's getting married, but if your looking for wedding invitations, DawnCorrespondence is a must stop. Amanda has custom ordering available, in addition to her unique stationary and gift tags. Here are a few things she had to say:

• What's the name of your business/shop?

My shop is DawnCorrespondence. I can be found on Etsy and Art Fire .

• Do you have a registered domain name and/or a blog?

I have a blog, and am working on getting a website of my own right now! My blog can be found at http://www.dawncorrespondence.blogspot.com

• What type of handmade products do you sell?

I am passionate about paper, so I create customized stationery wedding invitations, announcements...basically, all things paper! I also create handmade envelopes, and have recently started selling boxed stationery that is personalized for gifts!

• Show us a piece you recently finished

I've been listing my holiday line recently, and this is one of my favorites of the season:

• What are you working on right now? Any sketches?

Right now I am working on getting all my holiday items listed! I've also started gathering ideas for my Valentine's Day cards. I don't have any sketches - I typically keep an ongoing list of ideas (a notebook that goes with me EVERYWHERE!) and I work straight from the computer! I'll be listing holiday items for the next couple of weeks, though, so stay tuned!

• If you have a website or blog, what do you use for advertising? What do your avatars look like?

I do all my advertising through word of mouth and social networking. I've found them to be really powerful resources and tools. My avatar is ever-changing. I use a photo of something I am currently working on, and it changes every couple of months or so.

• If you have a website or blog, tell us about your favorite widget.

I really enjoy the Facebook widget. It's a great way to get the basic Facebook info on a website. It also makes it super easy for people to fan me if they like my blog!

• Which online selling vendors do you use? What do you like best about each one?

I use Etsy and Art Fire. I think they are both great in their own ways. Etsy admin work really hard to promote Etsy as a whole and get Etsy at the top of searches through strategic SEO. Art Fire, on the other hand, provides a variety of tools for sellers to market themselves - the Facebook kiosk, coupon codes, and ability to add widgets to your shop are all great tools.

• Are you involved in social networking? What's your favorite and why? If you're not involved, you must have a good reason!

I LOVE social networking. Number one: It's FREE! How can you not like that?! Number two: It's more personal than other forms of advertising. Number three: It's like the crabgrass theory - if someone sees me post a new listing on Facebook, they may give it a "thumbs up" or leave a comment, and that disperses to THEIR group of friends. I don't necessarily have a favorite, because I think all social networking tools work together to help create my "brand", and each help to promote me in different ways.

• All of us can use a helpful business hint once a week. What's yours?

The most important tip I can give, that I absolutely live by, is to have STELLAR customer service. Communicate with your customers throughout the buying and shipping process. No matter how busy you are, or how many customers you have at any given time, it shows that customer that you are giving them one-on-one attention. And it only takes a minute to send them a quick progress update!

• We'd love to see your little corner of the world, where you create.

Oh, no! No judging please!

• Do you have a "modus operandi" for computing the price of a handmade object?

Tell us your formula? That's something I have been working on lately. I calculate the cost to create one item (or one package of stationery) and I add a percentage to it. That percentage covers my time put into creating the item, and other various expenses (percentage of office space rent, tools, etc.)

• Where do you see your artwork in one year? Any plans in the works?

In one year, I'd like to be creating full-time. I am getting closer and closer each day, and that is certainly my ultimate goal!

• It's the storybeader's turn to pick a favorite!

This pineapple thank you card says it all. It's beautiful and sweet - what more could you want?