May, who owns the shop 'The Mayflower' on Etsy, creates a variety of things in her shop, like jewelry:
and clothing:
I was especially interested to see more of May's creations after seeing the above 'Cage Me Up' skirt. Isn't it great? She sells the bandage part separately, too so that you can combine it with different skirt colours. May revealed to me that she really loves to make custom clothing, so if you're looking for something for an upcoming party, do think of May!
1) I noticed that you have quite a variety of items in your shop. What is your favourite type of thing to make?
If I had to choose, I'd definitely say dresses. I LOVE DRESSES. I'm a big believer in simple, elegant dresses. They speak out the most to me. You don't have to wear the most gaudy and over the top, Lady Gaga-esque gown to get attention. By the end of August, I hope to have listed at least 7 new dresses. I really want to work on more clothing items this summer, so be prepared to see an invasion of skirts, pants, shorts, tops, and more!
2) What is the story behind your store name?
The Mayflower is actually one of my nicknames. Actually, when I chose this name, I was thinking of a creative tag line to use and I said "Why not make a pun on the actual Mayflower" So, my tagline was "Bringing You What the Pilgrims Couldn't." Unfortunately, not many people on Etsy are as nerdy as I am and don't understand it. I eventually took it off, but I might just put it back!
3) How do you fit in your art practice with the rest of your life?
It kind of doesn't fit into my life. But I push to work on my Etsy shop anyway. I'm currently a full time student, so there's not much creativity flowing in my mind when I have to focus on my business and political science courses. I create more during my winter and summer breaks and focus on marketing and promoting the rest of the time. But don't worry, just because I have a lot of work doesn't mean I slack when it comes to orders. I normally always ship within 1 business day and no matter what, I always start an order right away. It makes my day and I'm happy to do it!
4) What sort of custom orders do you get?
Most of my custom orders are for a different color or size of a dress or skirt I already have listed. I have done a tennis skirt, which was an interesting experience. I've also done a few summer dresses as well! I hope to do more, they're very fun.
5) Do you have any goals for your shop?
Yes, my current goal is to make 50 sales by the end of the year. And I'm very close! I also plan on expanding my clothing items, making shirts, shorts, pants, jackets even. I like dresses and skirts, but they might not exactly be everyday wear like the others. I'm trying to improve on my pictures and make all of my items more cohesive.
