Every month we feature an "Artist of the Month": one special person who always inspires, gives that warm-fuzzy feeling, and insane desire to shop - all through their art!
This month,
Kristina-Nicole is pleased to announce Nicole Agriesti as the Artist of the Month! Congrats Nicole!!
For each artist, we interview them with questions about their business, marketing, art, and who they are as a person. They always inspire both the shopper & the seller! Let's dive in:
{Q&A}
1. Tell us a little about yourself {non-business-ey}.
Hi! My name is Nicole, and I’m the designer behind Passion and Paisley. I’m also a college student and a bookkeeper. Although I enjoy my job as a bookkeeper, I’m pursuing a career in web design and marketing. I’m currently at a crossroads in my educational path and must decide between attending San Jose State or San Francisco State. Wherever I end up, I’m looking forward to new opportunities and experiences! I believe there is a delicate harmony between living things, which gives me great respect for nature. I love finding the beauty in ordinary things and I’m very intrigued by aesthetics. Naturally, I have always enjoyed the arts. I have a deep fondness for music of all types and some of my favorite musicians include Sade, The Grouch and Dixie Chicks. Like a typical girl, I’m emotional, I love spending money, and I’m a sucker for old-fashioned chivalry. Feel free to stop by my blog and submit a question into the “ask me anything” box!
2 . Tell us about your business & how long have you been doing this?
Passion and Paisley is a one-of-a-kind boutique full of lovely handmade items from accessories, to gifts, to home decor. Each item is unique and created with passion. The Passion and Paisley boutique was opened in October of 2009, when I read an article in Natural Health (one of my favorite magazines), featuring various shops on Etsy. Originally, Passion and Paisley was opened as a jewelry boutique, however quite recently I re-labeled the shop to be a “handmade boutique”. I’m always learning new crafts and wanted the boutique to include designs from some of my other favorites, such as sewing and altered art. Passion and Paisley’s journey has just begun.
Wine Cork Coasters
3.Whatʼs your business name & how did you get your name?
People often ask me how I came up with the name Passion and Paisley. I wish there was some glamorous story behind the name, but I really just came up with two words that had a lot of meaning to me. I wanted to use the word passion because I'm a very passionate and determined individual. No matter what I do in life, I do it wholeheartedly. I also decided to incorporate one of my favorite pattern designs, paisley. The paisley pattern is an ancient Persian design thought to symbolize life and eternity. When I combined the two words, I loved the significance it had and they way it rolled off the tongue! As simply as that, the name Passion and Paisley was born.
4. Walk us through a normal work day. What is your favorite part of your creative process? What is your least favorite part of your creative process?
Because of my school schedule and my day job as a bookkeeper, I don’t often get a whole day to devote to creating things for the boutique. But when I do, I’m one happy girl! I don’t like to force myself to create, but rather, I like to make things as ideas pop into my head.
A typical day of designing for me includes a trip to the craft store, because you always think of something else you need; nutrition bars, because once I’m on a roll I can’t pry myself away from what I’m making, even for food; and a HUGE mess all over my tiny apartment, because creativity thrives in chaos.
In fact, I must say that my least favorite part of the creative process is trying to stay organized. Cleaning up is never easy and organizing hundreds of beads and other materials can be quite overwhelming!
On the other hand, my favorite part of the creative process is seeing the ideas in your head manifested in a finished product. It’s so fun to see your idea develop as you create something, and I just love looking at the final piece!
Yellow Lily Hair Pins
5. How do you promote your shop?
I began promoting my shop through Facebook. I created a page for Passion and Paisley, which I use to share pictures and links of new items in the boutique along with any giveaways or sales. I’ve begun using Twitter to promote the boutique as well, but I haven’t gotten as comfortable with it as with Facebook. (If you have any Twitter tips let me know!) A few weeks ago I also created a blog on Blogger, where I promote myself and other artists. I also use the blog to share my thoughts and information about the handmade world. I like to find little ways to promote my boutique, and my favorite shops, via Etsy treasuries and networking with other artists!
6. Do you have a selling secret youʼd like to share?
Since I’m fairly new as a handmade vendor, I don’t have any real “selling secrets” but I have made a crucial realization from a marketing class I’m taking this semester. It has become clear to me that the most successful products and brands make emotional connections with their customers. My item descriptions used to include a lot of detail about the materials and physical aspects of the item; however, lately I’ve been more descriptive with the inspiration behind the item and suggestions of how the customer could use the item in their own life. Another great tip for sellers is to get your shop on a social networking site, like the ones mentioned above. It’s an easy way to connect with your customers and keep them updated on your listings.
Garden Rose Necklace
7. What is one craft or art style that you have yet to try, but are interested in?
I love learning new craft skills and exploring different areas of art. In fact, I’m currently in the process of learning to sew and crochet. If I could pick any new craft to learn it would be silversmithing. If I could learn to make beautiful bangle bracelets or rings out of metals, I would never leave the house again! (Except to go to the craft store of course.) I also have yet to dive into the art of scrapbooking, but would love to learn more. I have a passion for photography and think it would be great to be able to “dress up” my photos in an album. There probably isn’t any craft or art style I wouldn’t like to try!
8.What do you do for fun {when youʼre not creating}?
I love learning new craft skills and exploring different areas of art. In fact, I’m currently in the process of learning to sew and crochet. If I could pick any new craft to learn it would be silversmithing. If I could learn to make beautiful bangle bracelets or rings out of metals, I would never leave the house again! (Except to go to the craft store of course.) I also have yet to dive into the art of scrapbooking, but would love to learn more. I have a passion for photography and think it would be great to be able to “dress up” my photos in an album. There probably isn’t any craft or art style I wouldn’t like to try! I recommend her book to every woman.
9. What is a motto that you live by?
I live by the motto “mind over matter.” I believe you can do whatever you truly set your mind to, and I think that the mind is stronger than most of us can imagine. Life is what you make of it and positive thinking will breed positive results!
10. Where can we find you?
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Nicole is the May 2010 Artist of the Month & will be featured here on Kristina-Nicole during this time! I encourage all of you blogland citizens to visit the links provided!
If you would like to nominate someone as Kristina-Nicole's artist of the month, just send me an email with "Artist of the Month" in the subject line.
xo,
Kristina-Nicole
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