Members Monday: lhsblack

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled Members Monday! This week our featured EtsyWMI member is Kara from lhsblack. 

     

Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop.
I am a mother of two young boys and I have managed to stay at home with them to raise them. Since the birth of my first son, I quit my job as an elementary music teacher and just worked a couple evenings part time as an early childhood music teacher. I still teach these classes, though now that my kids are both in school full time I have been trying to teach more during the day and less in the evenings. I started a shop on Etsy two years ago and thought it would be an excellent way to express my creativity in my jewelry making AND make a little money to help support my addiction and possibly bring a little help to our family financially. Jewelry is a very competitive genre on Etsy and it was very hard to get noticed and become successful. I had another little addiction of collecting stones every time I went to the beach and I had an extensive collection. I started making jewelry with beach stones in them and them I decided to offer the drilled stones to the Etsy community. I started my beach stones supply shop one year ago, and I LOVE it!!! I get to beach comb, get creative with how I put my listings together, and make a little money doing it.

What are you currently working on?
I am excited about warmer weather because I will be heading back to the beaches to restock. I am currently trying to list three new things per day and fill up my categories that are empty right now such as connectors and earring pairs.

What do you like to do in your free time outside of your business?
In my free time, I enjoy being outside with my family, cookouts with our friends, and bonfires. In the summer we are at the beach a lot swimming (and looking for stones), boating, and fishing (we don't enjoy fishing, but our kids do). I have a horse and I enjoy going out on trail rides with some of my friends from the barn.

Where would you like to see your shop and business in a year?
In a year, I would like to see my shop consistently stocked at about 100-120 listings, and have a solid customer base. Everyone has been very happy with their stones, and I am steadily growing my repeat customers.

Where can we find you online and/or locally? 
You can also check out my jewelry at 1000 Markets, www.elysiumjewelry.1000markets.com.