Etsy Seller Interview with Tetiana of CrazyBeePatterns

How CrazyBeePatterns 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've loved cross-stitching since I was a child.Almost all of the members of my family were very creative people, and I grew up surrounded by handmade stuff. I was lucky to understand quite early what I wanted to do with my life and what profession to choose. I couldn't imagine myself without art, so I started studying cross-stitch design. Along with this, as a hobby, I was engaged in sculpting, sewing, and acrylic painting.

I did not immediately manage to create beautiful cross-stitch patterns at the beginning, so I do not consider myself a talented person. I'm just very persistent; if I set a goal for myself, I will definitely achieve it, even if it takes a long time.

Once, my cousin introduced me to Etsy—she had a shop with handmade tablecloths. She saw my designs and came up with the idea to create my own shop on Etsy to sell my finished cross-stitched pictures. I must confess that I am too attached to my works and cannot bear the thought of parting with even one of them.But I came to realize that I can sell digital designs on Etsy; this is something I'm happy to share. After a week of non-stop work, I've opened a shop on Etsy with a few of my most beloved patterns.

Favorite items

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

It's actually pretty hard to pick just a few patterns because I love them all so much. I realize that I don’t have time to stitch all of them, but they are all on my "to-do" list. At the moment, I am very proud of my Halloween pattern of a spider that sort of "created" the words "Happy Halloween":This pattern consists almost entirely of backstitch, and when I finished it, I actually fulfilled my long-standing dream: to have a non-standard picture—a cross-stitched web with a spider on it. I think spiders are very interesting and beautiful creatures, and they often inspire me to create designs.

I also like the series of patterns with cauldrons, in which various potions are brewed; I drew them with great pleasure and inspiration. I think they'll look great in the kitchen. I suppose lots of people share this idea.

And, of course, I like mandala patterns. The process of creating a mandala is completely different from drawing an ordinary pattern. Here I can experiment not only with colors but also with shapes. Lots of my mandalas have both geometric and floral elements. As an example, this green mandala, which is designed for black fabric, reads:

This rainbow mandala is very complicated and yet very popular. Some psychologists say that drawing a mandala (as well as looking at it) is a form of art therapy where you can soothe your mind and focus your attention. I agree with that. I had a great time while I was drawing it.

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?

I got my first sale in about two or three weeks, and I was unbelievably happy! I was used to receiving praise for my designs from family and friends. And my first sale was not just a financial gain for me; it was also the joy of realizing that other people might like my designs too. It gave me powerful inspiration to continue creating and working. I constantly use Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Google ads for promotion. It is also very pleasant to realize that I have some regular customers who come back for new patterns.

Managing CrazyBeePatterns

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 manage my shop on my own, and sometimes this process takes even more time than creating a design. But it is also a great experience that is useful to me in other aspects of my life. I use EtsyRank; it’s very helpful at finding tag words. And the Canva app—for creating Instagram posts and banners for my Etsy shop. As I am a digital seller, shipping and fulfillment are pretty easy. My customers download files after payment. If they have issues with downloading, I send pdf files to their email.

The future of CrazyBeePatterns 

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

My goal is, of course, to add as many interesting and cool cross stitch patterns as possible. Also, recently my mother and I had the idea to start working on a new category of patterns - for embroidery stitching techniques. (My mom is very fond of embroidery herself).  Together we managed to create two patterns for Embroidery, but we plan to create more.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

My advice is to work systematically, love what you do, study the market and customer tastes, create good quality photos for your listings, think through the tags, be patient, and don't forget to praise yourself even for the smallest achievements!