Etsy Seller Interview with Adeline of ArtsyPaperieShoppe

How ArtsyPaperieShoppe 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 am Adeline Mansilla, owner and founder of Artsy Paperie Shoppe on Etsy, where I design faith-based productivity tools, printable templates, and custom-made educational games. There is an innate satisfaction when checking things off to-do lists and organizing so many thoughts and ideas in my mind through journaling, meditation, and writing down plans. It helps me organize my day and be much more productive. Although gadgets and apps helped a lot, I am fond of journal pages and planner sheets that are specific to the theocratic study. So, I’ve created Artsy Paperie Shoppe to share my designs with my niche community. It makes me very happy when I know my designs could be useful for others too! Most of my designs are digital downloads, but I also make tangible items like books, planners, and gift sets. I would build a product from drafts to final artwork layouts and work with local craftsmen or printers to prepare small batches to ship out to customers.

Favorite items

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

My favorite products are:

Each piece was researched, illustrated, and designed with so much care and attention to detail. I'm grateful to say that I've received a lot of positive feedback on these items, and it makes me so happy to know that they've helped make family worship sessions more fun and engaging for both the young and the young at heart. Hearing all of this positive feedback is incredibly encouraging and only motivates me to keep creating even more amazing items in the future!

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?

When I first opened my shop, most of these initial sales came from my family and friends who saw my announcement on Instagram. This was a good boost for me to continue creating products. To get the most customers, I use a combination of social media platforms (like Instagram and TikTok) and SEO techniques (like Pinterest and Etsy Search). My niche is very specific for now, so it's been a journey figuring out what works best. But we're always trying new things to get people to visit!

Managing ArtsyPaperieShoppe

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?

I ran Artsy Paperie Shoppe for about 4 years all by myself, starting as a side hustle and then transitioning to full-time. After taking a break from 2019 to 2022 to focus on other things, I've decided to jump back into the business in 2022. However, I know that I can't do everything on my own anymore, and am working to expand the business to collaborate with various freelancers.

One of my favorite things about running a small business is using technology to streamline operations and increase efficiency. There are so many great tools and apps out there that have made a huge difference for me and my business!

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Adobe Suite: I can't live without my Adobe apps, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign! They're essential for creating all of my products.
Dropbox: I use Dropbox to store all of my digital downloads and business files. It's been a lifesaver for easy backup and sharing.
Clickup: My go-to project management app is Clickup. It helps me stay on top of tasks and collaborate easily with other freelancers.
Quickbooks Online: For bookkeeping, expense tracking, and budgeting for commission fees, I use Quickbooks Online.
Metricool: When it comes to social media planning, I love to use Metricool.
Final Cut Pro & Capcut: For video editing, my top picks right now are Final Cut Pro and Capture One. I use them to prepare all of my social media video content.
Grammarly: As someone who struggles with spelling and grammar, I rely heavily on Grammarly to quickly proofread customer communications and anything else I might be typing online.

Fulfillment for my digital files is quick and easy since download links will be automatically provided after purchase. For my physical items, I fulfill them manually, packing and sending them through our local post office. I am glad this is still manageable for now, but if it needs to be scalable in the future, I would venture out to seek more effective options that suit my business needs.

The future of ArtsyPaperieShoppe

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

Looking ahead, I would love for the Artsy Paperie Shoppe brand to be more recognized, not only in my niche community but also on a wider, bigger scale. I’d love to expand my products to help other niches, such as students, teachers, homemakers, and entrepreneurial small businesses, with unique stationery, productivity tools, and thoughtful gifts that give back to the community. I'm hoping to achieve this by expanding into new areas like online courses, flexible remote job opportunities, and even hosting fun creative events. I'm excited to see what the future holds for my business and can't wait to keep growing and evolving.