I just adore Jenn’s etsy shop and was pleased when she agreed to do an interview for my blog.  I hope you enjoy meeting her as much as I did!

Tell me a little bit about your background in arts and crafts. 

I've been knitting and sewing my whole life. My Mother is a craft guru and taught me before I can even remember. She is currently living in Texas and is an award winning Quilter.

When did you first start creating things? 

I first started creating things for sale when my son was about 10 months old. I was on Maternity Leave and wanted to find a means to stay at home with him. Plus, the creative outlet is a true blessing in my life - keeping me centered and fulfilled.

What were the first things you created? and how did your creativity progress from there?

The first thing I created for sale was "The Keepsake Quilt". People would give me their baby keepsake items like clothing and blankets etc. which I would create a quilt from. It was difficult to sell these items due to the consumer involvement required so I branched off into Organic and Eco Friendly Crib Sheets and grew this portion of the business.
How did you come up with your shop name? Sweet Memories Quilts was the name I came up with that I felt was perfect for "The Keepsake Quilt". I now use a variation of this name for my company - Smq Organics.

Is this your only business or do you do other things as well?

I also babysit a child that is about the same age as my son. This allows me to concentrate on the kids primarily and keep the business to nap times, evenings and weekends rather than trying to grow the business and farming my son out during the day. Smq Organics now has a great foundation which I can really expand on when my son goes to school.

Do you still dream about making other things? If so, what?

My creative juices are constantly flowing and I always have about 20 or so ideas on the go.

How did you hear about Etsy? 

I found ETSY via Google just over a year ago. I posted my first two items and then forgot about it. After a month or two I sold an item and the momentum never stopped. I now have almost 100 items in my shop and it is my primary source of income. It's a beautiful relationship!

Any words of advice to others? - On ETSY and anywhere else it is most important to find a niche. For instance, it doesn't matter how lovely your scarves are - unless you have something unique to offer it will be very difficult to distinguish yourself from the 1,000,000 other scarves that are currently for sale.

How will the new law by CPSIA affect you and your shop?

It will not be possible for my small business to comply with these regulations. I have yet to determine how I will proceed in this regard.

Check out Jenn’s Etsy Store Here:  www.sweetmemoriesquilts.etsy.com

Check out Jenn’s website here:  http://www.smqorganics.com

And her blog here:  http://www.smqorganics.com/blog