A handmade gift is a joy to give and a treasure to keep.
Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Johanna, who specializes in crocheted nature-inspired bookmarks. Johanna creates these beautiful pieces and sells them on her Etsy site.
Johanna answered a few of my questions:
I grew up in Illinois. My family moved to middle Tennessee when I was in my preteens, where we began farming. The rest of my years have been spent enjoying nature and family.
My family is large...I have 7 brothers and sisters and wonderful parents!
How did you come up with your Etsy shop name?
I wanted something that reflected one of my most cherished possessions. My joy! And since I consider each of my creations to be a treasure, it seemed only fitting to call my little business Joyous Treasures.
What is your favourite item in your shop and why?
I absolutely love my bookmarks. Right now My favorite bookmarks are the daffodil and lily, though my favorite flowers do change from time to time.
I love my bookmarks because they are so unique. I love to read, and they come in handy. My books always look neat with a flower in them, and they always cheer me up.
Apart from creating beautiful pieces, what else do you do?
I have a variety of passions and hobbies. For some time photography has been a huge passion. I started out with my dad's film camera when I was young, and eventually invested in a nice digital SLR. I've begun adding more and more equipment, and have started doing photography for people locally.
I also enjoy music, I play the piano. I especially enjoy improvising orchestral pieces, and reconstructing them so they fit the piano.
I also enjoy a little bit of jewelry making when I get the time, I love sparkly crystals.
What are you working on at the moment, or what future plans do you have for your shop?
Right now I am working on honing my niche, and adding new and unusual designs.
I am trying to take this one step at a time...once I have determined what products I should be creating (aside from my bookmarks), I would like to focus more on marketing to my target market.
Any other sites you can be found on?
I have a blog, This is where I promote fellow Etsy sellers, and share business advice.
I also write articles for Handmade Spark, a site Timothy Adam created to share advice and business tips with the world. Click here to find me.
And I can also be found on Twitter
