Meet Ashley from Isabell’s Umbrella

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a mother of three little monkeys (Mason 6, Madeleine 4, & Logan 2), a designer, illustrator
and someone who is obsessed with books, fine-tipped pens and unique office supplies. I married
my high school sweetheart and best friend almost ten years ago – he is a wonderful support.

If we were to follow you around for a day what would we see?
My morning usually starts in a whirlwind, getting the kids up and ready to go for the day – rushing
out the door to get my six year old to school on time. I am then on my way to my “day” job,
working as a graphic designer / marketing coordinator for an architectural firm in downtown Salt
Lake City, Utah.

When I arrive home, it is again a whirlwind of activities – playing, getting dinner ready, homework,
picking up, reading and getting the little ones to bed. It is only after they are all in bed that I can
begin work on Isabell’s Umbrella. At night when the kids are all asleep, I am downstairs in my
office packaging up orders, drawing, or responding to emails, etc. Sometimes I can squeeze a
little bit of Isabell’s stuff in during the day, but more often than not, it happens all at night.

When did start drawing? Have you always been a creative person?
Since I was little. I have always had a love of art and design.

How would you describe your “style”
This is probably the hardest question to answer, because I never know exactly what to say. It is
somewhat playful and quirky. I hate to use the word whimsical because it brings to mind faries
and such (which isn’t bad), but I guess that is also a good description of my work.

What mediums do you use to create your works?
I have experimented with several mediums, I love working with pastels, prismacolors, and
watercolor, but I mostly lean towards pencil and digital now.

What is your work space like?
I have a dedicated area in my basement that I call my studio. This room is home to my Mac,
printers, and other supplies. It is my sanctuary! I also share the space with my husband (as seen
in the photo). We recently updated the space, hung a few new paintings and prints that I have
been collecting and created a pin-up area for ideas, notes, etc. – I am surrounded by stuff that I love,
which makes it easy to sit down and start working.

Your designs are some of the cutest things I have EVER seen! Where does
your inspiration come from?
I feast on cute and pretty things, so I try to surround myself with stuff that falls into these
categories. I follow many designs blogs such as Print & Pattern, Design Sponge, and A Beautiful Mess. I also love HOW Magazine, Communication Arts and Uppercase. My husband and kids
also help too – my son Mason always has suggestions on what I should create next.

What do you do if you HAVE to create something but you just can’t get your
creative juices flowing?
Working at night can be a challenge sometimes – it can be really difficult to get those creative
juices flowing when you have already had a really long day. Sometimes just stepping away for a
few minutes to work on something else that you are more interested in at that moment can help
get your creative juices going again.

Music also plays a very important part of my creative process. When I can just zone out the
things around me and focus on the job at hand, I actually enjoy the creative process more
thoroughly. When I enjoy what I am doing, getting the creative juices flowing is natural.

Have you ever sold your adorable goodies at markets or in stores?
Yes. I have participated in several markets over the past few years – I actually love participating
in markets, and meeting new people. Markets are kind-of stressful getting ready for, but they are
always very rewarding.

Isabell’s Umbrella is also slowing growing in the retail market as well. In 2012, my focus is to
more fully expand in this area. Exciting times!

Do you prefer selling in person or online?
One reason I love participating in markets are the people I meet. I love watching their
expressions when they visit my booth, and I love talking with them. I go home with a renewed
excitement for my business.

If you had to pick one of the items in your etsy store right now to be your
favourite which would it be?
That is a hard one… probably this one (above) or this one (below) Sorry, that’s two.

What advice do have for someone who wants to start their own etsy shop?
To love what you do, before you take the plunge. Etsy is a fabulous marketplace, and a
wonderful place to get a start, but it also requires a ton of work. If you love what you do, it will make things easier.

Find a way to be different – and embrace it.

Take awesome photos.

Be consistent in your branding — make sure you stand out (in a good way) from the competition.
Develop a look for your business and follow it through in all aspects, whether it is your banner,
business cards, packaging – make sure it all looks like it came from the same place. You want to
become recognizable even if your name isn’t on it.

Being a graphic designer and working in marketing I’m sure you know how
important marketing is to the success of a little handmade biz, do you have
any marketing advice for handmade sellers?

I cannot stress enough how important marketing is. My participation in handmade markets has
been the most valuable marketing experience I have had, so I highly recommend them. Find a
good one, do some research and apply. A good market will advertise their vendors, will drive
excitement and will be an open door to new faces, customers, and friends.

Any crafty websites you are currently addicted to?
Oh yes…
printpattern.blogspot.com
orangeyoulucky.blogspot.com
abeautifulmess.typepad.com
designsponge.com
blog.spoongraphics.co.uk
just to name a few…

Last of all if you could live anywhere in the world (outside the US) where
would you live and why?
I have always dreamed of living in the UK or Australia, they would both be spectacular. I just
need to find a sponsor family. 
yea come down to aus, we can hang out. 😉

Make sure you pop over to Ashley’s wonderful etsy shop! You too will fall inlove just like I did. Love at first sight. Or in etsy terms favourite at first sight. 😉