Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Meet the Artist: Natta from LoftFullOfGoodies

I am delighted to introduce you to Natta, the brilliant artist behind the magic over at LoftFull of Goodies!  Want to be the envy of all your friends, not to mention millions of people who visit the pages of Etsy? That's right, Natta has donated one of her well publicized felt coin purses to the Family Tree Giveaway!

An Old Friend: Handmade Wool Felt Coin Purse
Buy it here
Don't be jealous, Natta sent me one, too! What she didn't know is that brown is one of my favorite colors! Being obsessed with trees and all, this was like THE most fun gift ever!

If you think these are cute in the pictures, you won't believe how amazingly fantastic they are in real life! The felt is super soft. The colors pop! Natta clearly pays attention to the small details, from the stitches, to the color matching of the zipper pull and ribbon. The purse is fully lined with more luxurious felt, too! In case you were wondering, they are the perfect size for cards and cash, although I can't stop thinking of other uses for them....jewelry, makeup, buttons, business cards, gift cards, stamps....

Natta also makes needles books, bracelets, magnets, tags, hair accessories and other odds and ends. You may have seen this on the front page of Etsy recently. 

Deep Dark Woods: Little Wool Felt Needle Book
Buy it here
These needle books are fun, and practical (an excuse we all need to buy ourselves stuff, right?!) Natta's use of colors is just inspiring. 
As if Natta's items were not enough fun to get in the mail, she sews them into the most adorable pouches! I didn't want to open mine, so I took like a dozen pictures while I pondered what was inside. After awhile, I couldn't resist! If you are buying this to gift, these come already wrapped!

Deep Dark Woods: Little Wool Felt Needle Book



I know you are going to want to get to know Natta. Let's take a look at what she had to say:

Q: How did you get started on Etsy?
A: I guess my story is similar to many others on Etsy. As a stay-at-home mom, I’d been looking for opportunities to work at home. I’ve always enjoyed craft work, and when I found Etsy it seemed like the ideal outlet for my ideas. Since the start-up costs were low, I decided to give it a shot. Along the way I’ve found the Etsy community to be very welcoming and helpful.

Q: What is your favorite item in your shop, and why?
A: I’m going to have to say all of them, and I’m sorry if that’s a copout. If I don’t love each item enough to want to own them myself, I don’t put them on the shop. But I suppose the most successful products are the most gratifying. So, if you want me to pin it down, I’d say “Secret Garden Coin Purse”.

Q: What inspires you?
A: I like to experiment with color combinations. The beauty in creation, and the colors from nature are key sources of inspiration for me. I find encouragement from people to be helpful too. Sometimes Etsy shopper will see an item and ask me if I can apply design elements of that item to a different application for them. This can lead to interesting results. Inspiration is all around us if we keep our eyes open for it.

Q: Do you have any advice for new sellers?
A: Well, I’m not sure I’m successful enough to be giving advice to new sellers. I think Etsy is probably like any other business. Regardless of what you are making the primary focus must be on customers. With all my products I offer to personalise and customise for the preferences of the customer. I find that a large percentage of customers want to do this. Also, it might take awhile for things to get going. Give it a chance, and stick with it. And don’t be too shy to ask for help if you need it. 

Q: What are you most proud of in regards to your shop?
A: I don’t think I feel proud so much as I feel surprised and excited. It is a wonderful thing when somebody buys a product that I made with my hands and then they take the time to write feedback and say that they are delighted with the product. I’m happy when the customers are happy.

Q: What are your future plans for your shop?
A: I’m really happy with the way my shop is going right now. I enjoy making the products, getting to know my customers a bit, and making friends along the way. I hope to continue doing what I’m doing now, and constantly adding new products and designs to the shop.

Q: What's the last thing you bought on Etsy?
A: Supplies! Stitched ribbons (from CardBlanc) that I use in my needle books.


I've asked Natta to share some pictures of her work space, just for fun :)





Jealous! Thanks for sharing Natta. Can't get enough of Natta? Check out her Etsy store and blog. You'll be glad you did.

Natta has graciously offered to host an exclusive coupon code for my blog readers during the Family Tree Giveaway. Just use the code MODERN10 at checkout to receive 10% off your entire purchase!

You're the best Natta, we are SO glad you decided to stop by. We hope to have you back again soon!

-Melanie

1 comment:

  1. Wow, Natta's work is gorgeous! Happy to hear she's a customer of mine! :) Thanks for mentioning my shop! :)

    ReplyDelete