Blog Feature Sunday - Get to know Allison @ Lila's Locker

Click HERE to enter Lila's Locker!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

-I’m a new wife and depending on when this gets put up, new mommy! My
husband and I recently got married in September and started a family right
away. Our baby girl is due at the end of June!
I’ve been working from home for a little over 2 years now. I graduated
from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. At the time I worked
part time at a public aquarium taking care of the Amazon exhibit, so
things like piranha, poison dart frogs, you know the cool animals! But
funding was tight so they couldn’t offer me full-time work and I needed
more money to be able to afford rent. So, I decided to take the plunge and
work on my business full-time. In the mean time I moved back home with my
parents so I could afford the venture. It started off, and still is mainly
my business making and selling pet supplies for chinchillas
(http://www.CamphorChins.com) but with my extra time I decided to give
Etsy a go!
I now enjoy being my own boss because it allows me to stay home with the
baby and I really enjoy seeing others enjoy what I make!


Congratulations on being a new Mommy!! I am patiently stalking your Blog for a "She's here!" post! :) I had no idea that you also headed up the Chinchilla business, they are such darling little creatures.

Name three words to describe yourself.

-Creative, kind, introverted

Name three words to describe your Etsy shop.

-Fun, colorful, reasonably priced (I know that’s more than 3!)


I will let that slide, this time! :P

How long have you been creating? How long have you been selling on Etsy,
and what made you take the plunge to sell to others?

-Well, I’ve been sewing since I was around 8 years old. One summer my mom
showed me how to use her sewing machine and from there I went on to make
clothes for my dolls. Other than that I’ve always been a creative type. I
loved art in school; I actually minored in it, which was totally unrelated
to my Biology major!
I opened my first Etsy shop in August of 2008. That was selling my
Chinchilla things. Then I opened my second Etsy shop
(http://InuInspirations.etsy.com) in October of the same year. I wanted to
sell dog collars there. Finally, in February of 2009 I opened Lila’s
Locker. Originally it started as selling vintage items, but once I found
out we were expecting I switched gears into baby items!
I started selling to others in 2006 when I got my first Chinchilla. That’s
when I started my website, Camphor Chins. I decided to start because I saw
what other people were making and selling and I knew I could do it too. I
definitely have gotten better over the years though! Selling at Lila’s
Locker though, I decided that I really needed an outlet for the things I
was making. Our baby can only have so many clothes!


I can totally vouch for your dog collars, I still have my Owl one hanging up ready for whenever we decide to add another furry kid to our family. It is so cute! I am impressed that you can manage all of your shops! Multi-tasking at it's best. ;)

Tell me a little bit about your creative process?

-I normally just start with an idea in my head and then just have to see it
out. It becomes a bit of an obsession to find the right fabrics for the
project and get the project finished. Of course things don’t always work
out, or don’t turn out exactly how I imagined, but that’s part of learning
your craft! Sometimes I see something I just have to have, but know that I
want my own spin on it. So there are times where I will make myself
something and like it so much that then I decide to sell it.

Can we see your work space?

-I so wish I had a nice space to show you all! Come back in about 6 months
and maybe I will! I actually right now just work in my husband’s childhood
bedroom. We currently live with my MIL while we search for houses. So,
needless to say I’m horribly cramped and not the most organized.
I so look forward to getting a house and having a work room with a wall
covered in fabric storage!


I think that all of us who craft or have a home business wish for MORE space!

What are your other passions?

-I really love photography. I’m looking forward to documenting our little
girl’s childhood with pictures, I treasure my childhood pictures, so I
think photography is an important thing! We also love to spend time
outdoors hiking and camping. But in my free time I honestly sew for fun!


I also love to take pictures! I have more pictures of my three kids than I will EVER have space for.

What are your two favorite items from your shop, and why?

-First would definitely be my personalized pillows. I just love creating
something special for someone! I love searching out just the perfect
fabric combination's for them too!
Otherwise I just really love all my minky stuffies. I love finding new
minky prints and making up the color combination's on them!


I have to say that Allison's name pillows are amazing! I got one for Anastasia, and it is one of the most precious things in her room. We also have a sweet pink Elephant minky stuffie...we are Lila's Locker addicts here!

What are some of your favorite Etsy shops?

-I’m a real DIY gal, so my favorites are ones that sell patterns.
Ume Crafts has awesome felt food patterns!
Little Lizard King has some adorable girl patterns!

And of course I’ve loved everything that I’ve gotten from Nest of Many
Colors!

Awww, thanks. :) I am going to have to look more at LLK, it looks like an awesome shop!

Lastly, what is some advice that you would offer to those interested in
starting their own Etsy shop?

-To really succeed on Etsy, you need to have something to list often.
That’s the key in being found on Etsy. To really sell, I’ve found that I
need to be listing something new, or renewing a sold item at least every 2
to 3 days. Daily is even better, but I know not everyone has enough stock
for that.
And I always hate to be the serious one, but I also highly suggest looking
into your state’s business laws and regulations. Take the time to become
fully legal and pay your state’s sales taxes. It really gives you a sense
of pride to be a true business owner!
Excellent tips, I couldn't agree more with all of your advice!


Now it is my favorite part, I am going to share a few of my favorite things from Allison's shop! :)

These Dolls are absolutely darling! I love that they are totally customizable!

All of your applied onesies are seriously TOO cute!

Squeeeel, I LOVE this Giraffe!

Allison, thank you SO much for spending the time doing the interview with us! I have loved learning more about you and your business!
You have an amazing product, and one of my first stops for new baby gifts! Each little one needs one of your little lovies!


Be sure to enter the Mega Giveaway to enter to win one of Lila's Locker's Crinkle Squares! :)