Etsy Store Profile: Pet Posies

Happy 2012!

Perfect for Valentine's Day is Etsy seller Cynthia Tate and her store, Pet Posies.

1. Name: Cynthia Tate
2. Etsy Store: Pet Posies
3. Year Founded: 2011
4. Is this your first online store? yes
5. I decided to open an Etsy store because.... I had a friend who was on Etsy and heard great things about it.
6. I would describe my store as.... a unique place for pet owners to find a one of a kind accessory for their pet.
7. The biggest surprise in opening my store has been... how much fun it has been to see other shop owner's work and how friendly the Etsy community is to each other.
8. Typical number of hours spent per week on my store: 12 - 20 hours
9. My most marked characteristic is... empathy for others.
10. In my spare time I... write children's books, listen to podcasts and read biographies.
11. Length of time before listing my first item and making my first sale: about 2 months
12. Biggest business mistake I learned the hard way was... to promise more than I could do in the amount of time alotted.
13. I market my store by... doing treasuries and posting new listings.
14. I wish I knew how to... entice more people to my shop.
15. If I could change one thing about myself it would be...not taking time to smell the roses.
16. Best part of having an Etsy store: Receiving feedback from shoppers and seeing the creative endeavors of others.
17. Worst part of having an Etsy store: Never having enough time to do all I want to do and see on Etsy.
18. The best piece of advice I can share on having a successful Etsy store is... get involved with teams that share your interests.
19. Last item I bought on Etsy was... a pair of red earrings for my best friend for Valentine's Day.
20. The product I chose to feature from my store is a a Valentine Pet Posie for your pet's collar. I chose it because its title is My Heart is Yours and that is so true for every pet and their loved one.

Thanks to Cynthia for sharing her products with us. Any pooch would certainly look festive at the dog park or out on their walk with this piece. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, a Pet Posie would also make an adorable surprise for that special person on your holiday list.

We're always on the lookout for dog-themed items to showcase. Encouraging fellow Etsy sellers is huge and getting the word out on unique products you won't find anywhere else is what this blog is all about. Be sure to spread the word and share the love :)

We love email! Write us at: loveatfirstbark@gmail.com

Etsy Store Profile: flashgordondesigns

1. Name: Flash Gordon

2. Etsy Store: FlashGordonDesigns http://www.etsy.com/shop/flashgordondesigns

3. Year Founded: 2011

4. Is this your first online store? Yes

5. I decided to open an Etsy store because.... I wanted to start my own business doing something creative around a subject I love.

6. I would describe my store as.... Wooftastic! Pawsome! Meowrific! Purrmazing! Grrrreat!

7. The biggest surprise in opening my store has been... How much work it is to market.

8. Typical number of hours spent per week on my store: 20.

9. My most marked characteristic is... perseverance.

10. In my spare time I... take a dog to one of the many fabulous dog parks here in Seattle.

11. Length of time before listing my first item and making my first sale: I listed my Etsy shop at the beginning of August, 2011. First sale was August 28, 2011.

12. Biggest business mistake I learned the hard way was... Don’t be in a rush to put your listing up – make sure it’s correct and appealing.

13. I market my store by... Facebook, Twitter, tags.

14. I wish I knew how to... take great pictures and do amazing html/css stuff.

15. If I could change one thing about myself it would be...

16. Best part of having an Etsy store: Customers who appreciate my work.

17. Worst part of having an Etsy store: Dry stretches of no sales.

18. The best piece of advice I can share on having a successful Etsy store is...swift communication is important.

19. Last item I bought on Etsy was... a pendant for my wife.

20. Product I chose to feature from my store is my 3D Stainless Steel Heart Pet ID Tag. I chose it because because this piece is my most innovative design.

Thanks Flash for sharing your experiences and giving us a peek at the products your create!

Etsy Business Profile: TheEclecticHound

1. Name: Lara Stahler

2. Etsy Store: TheEclecticHound.etsy.com

3. Year Founded: 2011

4. Is this your first online store? Yes!

5. I decided to open an Etsy store because.... I was being "hounded" by friends and family to offer my unique items for sale and I've always been a huge etsy fan so it all made sense!

6. I would describe my store as.... fun, whimsical, colorful, a cool place to hang out and share your creative design ideas.

7. The biggest surprise in opening my store has been... the contacts I've made with people all over the world! I think it's so special when someone finds my shop.

8. Typical number of hours spent per week on my store: 10-15.

9. My most marked characteristic is... Eclectic brilliance! And an openness to custom design. I know what it's like to to have an EXACT idea of what you want and not be able to find it, so I'm totally happy to work with any of my customers' needs, wants, requests, hopes, dreams, etc.

10. In my spare time I... SEW! Ride my horse, play the piano, paint watercolors, make beaded jewelry.

11. Length of time before listing my first item and making my first sale: 1 or 2days maybe?

12. Biggest business mistake I learned the hard way was... don't be afraid to stock up on materials you'll need to make your products!

13. I market my store by... word of mouth, facebook links on friends' pages, a great news segment on the Vermont Channel 3 News: http://www.wcax.com/story/15713939/mivt-colorful-canine-collars

14. I wish I knew how to... design and print my own original fabric designs. ...and convince my husband to adopt another greyhound!

15. If I could change one thing about myself it would be... I saw an etsy team called "hermits unite" and I had to chuckle. I'm not the only one out there! I'm not the best at aggressive promotion and elbowing my way in.

16. Best part of having an Etsy store: seeing the activity and watching items get favorited, and making a little extra cash that I can donate to our local hardworking humane societies for less fortunate pups.

17. Worst part of having an Etsy store: I wish I could customize my shop a little more (fonts, colors, graphics, etc.) I feel like I can't put as much of my personality into my store as I'd like. Other than that, there isn't a "worst part," I love having a shop and I'm not going anywhere!!

18. The best piece of advice I can share on having a successful Etsy store is... respond to your customers immediately and be friendly and helpful to your customers and encouraging to your fellow etsians! We're all in this together! Also, seriously, good grammar is key. Maybe it's because of my day job as a science journal editor, but I just can't trust the professionalism of anyone who can't be bothered to put effort into good grammar! It makes a difference.

19. Last item I bought on Etsy was... is it sad that I had to stop and think about this for a minute? I buy a lot on etsy! My last purchases were gorgeous vintage graphics from http://www.graphique.etsy.com/ that I plan to use to make custom fabric for very unique vintage-inspired dog collars.

20. Product I chose to feature from my store is my Toesties Winter Boots. I chose it because I spent two years perfecting the design of these boots and they really solve all the problems I see people posting regarding dog boots ("They don't stay on;" "The sole is too thick and my dog can't walk;" "There's an opening and snow accumulates;" "They wore out very quickly;" etc.). I took all of these concerns into consideration myself when designing Toesties and the product I came out with I have to admit is really good! I just took my frisky greyhound Phoebe for a walk in our FIRST BIG SNOW of the season today in her Treefrog green Toesties. She jumped and hopped and galloped and plowed into snow banks and leaped through the snow and those boots didn't slip a bit! I have not seen anything else like Toesties available so I'd really love to get them out into people's general awareness. They are available in 8 beautiful colors and in size increments of 1/2" and will be custom fit and made to exacting standards by me with each of my customer's special pups in mind.

Thanks Lara for sharing your experiences and if you have a dog in need of some new shoes this winter season, be sure to check out Lara's store!

If you have a dog-themed store on Etsy or sell products that feature dogs and would like to be featured on my blog, please email me at loveatfirstbark@gmail.com. You can also covno me at my store, LoveAtFirstBark.

Etsy Store Profile: SimJaTa

1. Name: Lynda Norton

2. Etsy Store: Sim Ja Ta

3. Year Founded: 2009

4. Is this your first online store? No.

5. I decided to open an Etsy store because.... I had problems with the selling platform I used before. It not only didn't work for me, it was very unfair on my fellow sellers and not something I wanted to be a part of.

6. I would describe my store as.... Unique. I like to choose as many themes as possible to try appeal to everyone.

7. The biggest surprise in opening my store has been... How many new crafting friends I have made.

8. Typical number of hours spent per week on my store: 25 hours (on line) many more hours sewing.

9. My most marked characteristic is... creativity, I just love to create.

10. In my spare time I... am learning to draw and paint, this is taking over though as spending far too much enjoyable time with a sketch book.

11. Length of time before listing my first item and making my first sale: 3 weeks.

12. Biggest business mistake I learned the hard way was... Trusting, far too trusting results of this can hit very hard.

13. I market my store by... Promotion, as much as possible, also business cards handed out in the real world, blogging, chatting on other craft forums, donating to charities.

14. I wish I knew how to... work with wood, something I would love to do one day.

15. If I could change one thing about myself it would be... Oooh, now I don’t know, I think I am at an age were I am now quite happy with myself.

16. Best part of having an Etsy store: So much to do.

17. Worst part of having an Etsy store: So much to do and not enough free time to do it.

18. The best piece of advice I can share on having a successful Etsy store is...As above, awful lot of competition out there so an awful lot of promotion needed to be noticed, how about emailing ‘love at first bark’ to do a feature on you!

19. Last item I bought on Etsy was... A wonderful handcrafted necklace from http://www.etsy.com/shop/axevictimus?ref=seller_info

20. Product I chose to feature from my store is my Yorkshire Terriers Tote Bag. I chose it because my dog themed bags are my favourite items – I am always searching for dog breed fabrics. Not many are breed specific, but this cute one is one of my favourites.



Now that we have a few Etsy store profiles under our belt, the theme that keeps coming through with every Etsy store is that they are created by talented individuals who want to express their creativity and share it with the world. They are willing to spend long hours not only creating, but photographing their projects and often wear their heart on their sleeve.


I know from personal experience that I get excited to share my new designs with others, but when you send one out into the world, there's no guarantee anyone will even see it, let alone buy it.


There's an emotional rollercoaster to being an Etsy seller. You invest a lot of time and energy into your products, then anxiously post them. Then the waiting game begins. How many views will your product get? If it's a lot, you're overjoyed. People like your work! If you see zero, or one or two views, you get deflated. Why don't people like it? What's wrong with it? Is it the wrong color? Are the keywords I'm using wrong? Is it the photographs? You lie in bed at night trying to think of ways to drive traffic to your site. If an item you had such faith in languishes without being sold, it can feel as bad as being the child picked last for a team.


There's a big degree of courage to putting yourself out there and hoping for the best. That's what's hard about being your own boss. You're in the spotlight and the buck stops with you. This is why it's so important for Etsy sellers, who already have such a great and unique platform in place, to continue to nurture and teach one another. The beginning of the road for one person is a memory for another and the ways we can learn from one another are immense.


Thanks to all who have already chosen to feature their stores here and sharing their insights. We continue to welcome other Etsy stores so if you'd like to be featured and have a dog-themed store or product you've made, let us know at loveatfirstbark@gmail.com

Xylitol: Good for You, Bad for your Dog

I received my recent copy of Drs. Foster and Smith and they had an article about Xylitol, a sugar alcohol sweetener often used as a sugar substitute in many products we eat.

Now that Thanksgiving (and let's face it, the entire holiday season) is upon us, the ovens will be firing, and large quantities of yummy goodness will be cooked and baked to share with friends and family and more often than not, your pet.

Now I'm someone who reads every label and only feed my dogs high quality food that can hit the pocketbook, but nonetheless, I buy it because I know it's best for their overall health. I even bake their treats so I know exactly what they're eating. I was a little suprised, however, to learn of all the products that contain xylitol, so be sure to keep any food that has the following ingredients off your dog's menu:

Sugar alcohols: mannitol, sorbitol, erythritol, maltitol, lactitol, ribitol
Herbal sweetener: stevia
Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose

As always there's a debate as to the levels of these ingredients and just how damaging they can be to your dog, but I only have to hear that conditions such as liver failure, low blood sugar and problems including loss of coordination, depression, and seizure within 30 minutes of ingestion can happen and now I do an additional scan to see if these ingredients show up in anything I might think about sharing with my pack.

Etsy Business Profile: Cadeaux de Catherine

Whether you're a new business or an established one, everyone can learn fom the experiences of others. This installment of our Etsy Business Profile isn't exactly canine-related, but informative nonetheless. Even though none of my German shepherds would fit into one of Cahtherine's pet beds (except maybe when they're eight weeks old), I know they'd jump into one in a heartbeat if it was only gigantic size!

1. Name: Catherine Walker

2. Etsy Store: Cadeaux de Catherine (cadeauxdecatherine.etsy.com)

3. Year Founded: 2010

4. Is this your first online store? Yes

5. I decided to open an Etsy store because....Nearly four years ago I moved from the UK to France where my parents had finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning a chateau that they had found on the verge of collapse, with the vision of restoring it to the grand building it had once been. It was a difficult transition for me, particularly at a time when I wasn’t sure which career I wanted to pursue. I’d always been creative and all I knew was that I wanted to have a job that I loved. One afternoon I decided to have a root around in our cellar which was still full of stuff from when we had bought the place. My cat Archie decided to tag along and I soon caught sight of, through all the discarded farming equipment, a crate as old as the 1920s. Intrigued I pulled it out and had a look, wiping away the dust to reveal the old writing down the side. Already my imagination was conjuring up ideas of what I could do with such an item once it had had a good clean, but Archie had other ideas. He had jumped inside and curled up. And that was the beginning.

6. I would describe my store as....unique as your pet. Entirely authentic and sourced in southwest France, my pet beds are crafted from vintage crates, baskets and trugs, some as old as the early 1900s. As all owners will know, cats each have individual characters but I think that the majority of commercial pet baskets do not reflect this. Surely our four legged best friends deserve something a little more special to call home? Pet baskets are also, ultimately, another piece of furniture in our homes. They should enhance a room, look wonderful.

7. The biggest surprise in opening my store has been...just how popular my cat beds were. Almost instantly they were inundated with views. I was so happy people appreciated my work.

8. Typical number of hours spent per week on my store: I’m not sure but certainly many! I love creating. If I’m not restoring the crates or working with the fabrics, I’m taking the photographs which can be tricky when you’re working with animals.

9. My most marked characteristic is...My love for animals, especially my cats, all of which were once strays or kittens of strays that I have taken under my wing. I wouldn’t do what I do if it wasn’t for them.

10. In my spare time I...love writing. As a child I was always to be found with a book and now an adult I have sought to create such adventurous or heartfelt worlds of my own with characters whose footsteps readers hopefully follow with a need to stick with them to the end. Whether it is a comedy or a story with a more serious subplot, I love creating with words.

11. Length of time before listing my first item and making my first sale: My first cat bed sold within four days of being online. Sales aren’t always as regular but I’m thrilled every time one of my cat beds is destined to be shipped across the world.

12. Biggest business mistake I learned the hard way was...Initially I completely underestimated the shipping costs. They are the biggest hurdle I have to overcome, particularly when so many of my customers are international.

13. I market my store by...having a Twitter and Facebook page, yet it can be so hard to get your name known. However I always hold my target audience in mind.

14. I wish I knew how to...Publicize my shop further.

15. If I could change one thing about myself it would be...I find it hard to take a risk.

16. Best part of having an Etsy store: I enjoy making a living from what I love and being my own boss. Only a year ago I would never have thought it possible but I have sold cat beds all over the world and hopefully will continue to do so.

17. Worst part of having an Etsy store: It can be demoralizing when traffic to my store is low.

18. The best piece of advice I can share on having a successful Etsy store is...Take great pictures. They’re so important when selling online.

19. Last item I bought on Etsy was...I recently bought a great pair of vintage leather boots. They keep my toes warm when I’m scouring the French countryside for more crates and trugs.

20. Product I chose to feature from my store is an authentic French trug. I chose it because... This authentic French trug makes an adorable cat bed. It’s unique, chic and this little piece of history would look great in any home. In this bed, your cat will always snooze à la mode.

Thanks Catherine for letting us learn from your experiences!

Give Some Holiday Bling with Unique Pet Jewelry from Etsy!

I'm always on the lookout for unique dog-themed items; especially ones that feature my favorite dog breed. With the holidays quickly approaching, you might be wondering what to give to someone special you know who also happens to be a dog owner.

There's the typical tee or sweatshirt. Perhaps a tote or notecard set. What's harder to find is good quality pet jewelry. Now normally jewelry can be a tricky thing. You may not know exactly what a person's tastes are, what ring size they wear, if they like bold jewelry or are more the dainty sort. Even with these obstacles, it is inherently a given that pieces such as this prove you've been paying attention. You not only remember their dog's name, but also their dog's breed and have taken the time to pick out a special gift that certainly won't be returned on Dec. 26th!

I created a Treasury of items you can take a peek by clicking here. I've provided pics for some of them below and links to each when you click on a photo. Not the right breed? Be sure to check out each seller's store as many carry various dog breeds and personalization options so you can truly give a custom and unique gift someone will cherish for years to come.