Archive for April, 2009
Successful Online Sellers – Natasha Newton
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Hi there Natasha! Tell us about yourself and how you got into art.
I’m a full-time artist and illustrator from Suffolk, England. I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t draw or paint. Even when I was very young I always seemed to be creating something. I remember the excitement of receiving colouring books and huge packs of felt-tip pens as presents – to me, these were the best presents ever! I also think I’ve always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. I remember making bookmarks and little gift tags and so on and trying to sell them to relatives. I also used to design and make a little newspaper called ‘Newton News’ – I’m sure there must still be a copy floating around somewhere, but it’s probably terribly embarrassing!
I think I was destined to be an artist. I really can’t imagine doing anything else, and nor would I want to.
Featured Seller – Indie Cafe Lounge
Posted by onHello! This week my featured seller makes natural bath and body products that look good enough to eat! And all of them are free from the nasty sulfates and surfactants that can irritate your delicate skin. Please say hello to…
Indie Cafe Lounge
Introduce yourself
Hello, My name is Twianna and I live in Northern California. I run the shop Indie Cafe Lounge. My business is called Pamper Party Divas Bath & Body. I make natural bath and body goodies from ingredients such as Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil – and other skin loving ingredients.
How did it all start?
It all started with a mild breakout on my skin. I noticed when I used store bought items my skin became extremely dry and irritated. I discovered that it was the sulfates and surfactants in the dishwashing liquid, bodywash, soap and hand soap that were breaking out my skin. I purchased all natural shea butter and began to apply it to my skin. The breakouts stopped and my skin was revived. I enrolled in a soapmaking class just for fun and I loved how moisturized my skin felt after using the all natural soap.
Have you always sold online?
No, I started selling online two years ago.
What inspires you?
God, a thought, a dream, an idea, a picture, packaging, etc. I can pull inspiration from anywhere. My biggest inspiration comes from my Mom. She has always been crafty and started sewing at the age of 14. I can always count on her trusted input. She encourages me to be my best. I love to create products that make people feel pampered.
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Featured Seller – PaperOrchid
Posted by onThis week our Featured Seller is all the way from Colorado. She creates evocative black and white photography, quirky jewellery and lovely detailed pencil illustrations. You can find out more about the featured products by clicking on the photographs below… Enjoy!
Paper Orchid
Introduce yourself
My name is Annie, and I am the creator of PaperOrchid. I love working in 2D, something about bringing a flat surface to life really inspires me! Graphite and photography are my two favorite mediums, but I also enjoy watercolor, pen, and acrylic paint from time to time. I live with my partner Eric and 8 month old baby in Westminster Colorado, it snows here a lot!
It pretty much started at the very beginning. My mother was an artist, and was a stiff critic of my doodles as a toddler, it challenged me to keep improving and expanding, and I have continued to try to do that every day since. I went to the University of North Carolina at Asheville, to study art, and it was there that I began to develop my current artistic styles. It has always been my dream for as long as I can remember to be able to support myself with my art.
Have you always sold online?
No! I only began to try to make a go of it selling my work online a few months ago. I have only sold one drawing thus far, but I am hopeful and patient!
What inspires you?
So much about life inspires me. Nature, dreams, and literature probably have the heaviest impact on my work though.
Accessorise your home with Coriandr
Posted by onI love the diverse range of products on Coriandr. This week I’ve had a rummage through the homeware section and found some really gorgeous home accessories.
Coriandr in the press
Posted by onWe received a great bit of press coverage this month, in the form of an interview in the May issue of Let’s Knit! Congratulations to Zoewoods, and all the other sellers who had their items on the front page of the site when the picture was taken. Not to mention a big hooray for our blog editors, Digtheearth, Alibalijewellery and Tiny Pretty Things, who also featured!
Lets Knit article
If you fancy a look for yourself, the May issue of Let’s Knit is on sale now!
Featured Seller – Lilyja
Posted by onHappy Easter everyone! My featured seller this week comes from Israel and has been making jewellery for the past 18 years. Intricate chainwork and bright glass beads combine to create the lovely work of Lilyja. You can read more about the featured products, by clicking on the images below…
Lilyja
Introduce yourself
My name is Lily Jacob and I live in Tel-Aviv, Israel. I have been making jewellery for the past 20 years. I’m also busy with photography, I’m currently working with a writer on a mutual book that should come out this year.
How did it all start?
I’ve been making jewellery for many years, but it all started with painting and drawing. I’ve always been doing some form of art. My first ever jewellery pieces were made of painting! Then it went on and on with all kinds of different materials before I learned silversmithing. I think it really started in my teens, I loved wearing lots of jewellery, I remember buying a new pair of earrings and saying, “I know, I’ll make jewellery myself!”
Have you always sold online?
No… it’s new to me. I opened an online shop about 3 month ago. It’s great fun!
What inspires you?
It can be almost anything really, and it could be at any time! A song, a smell, a familiar place, a sentence, a touch, there’s no end to it. The best time is when I have an idea just before falling asleep. › Continue reading
Plant a Seedling today!
Posted by onA few weeks back we quietly launched a great new feature called “Coriandr Seedings”. These Seedlings are a promotional tool that builds a miniature version of a Coriandr shop, which can then be embedded into an external website or blog. It’s a really powerful way of promoting yourself, and driving traffic back to your shop.
Here’s a little video to explain things a bit more. Enjoy!
Featured Seller – PiratePixieCrew
Posted by onAhoy land lubbers! Come with me this week on a high seas adventure to meet Captain Skulduggery Dug’s Pirate Pixie Crew! Don’t forget to bring some dubloons with you, I’m sure you’ll be wanting to spend a few on these fantastic hand crafted bucaneer accessories!
Over to you Cap’n!
Pirate Pixie Crew
Introduce yourself
Hello, I’m Lynne of the Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops. I live in South Wales with my partner Jon and our 2 monkey punk cats that run rings around both of us. We have the mountains behind our house and the sea is just 20 minutes down the road. So it’s a beautiful setting to be in.
How did it all start?
I started knitting and crocheting as a child and am pretty much self taught. My Grandmother showed me how to cast on and off, knit and purl in knitting, all the rest I worked out for my self and I am completely self taught crocheter. I took up hula hoop making when I found it hard to find adult sized hula hoops in the UK. I have always created and designed things, but I only got serious about it all when I lost my job due to long term ill health. As I couldn’t foresee a time when I would be healthy enough to be employed again I thought I better try and create a job for myself where I could work at my own pace. I doubt I will ever go back to the 9-5 rat race.
Have you always sold online?
I only started selling online a short while ago and it wasn’t a big or deliberate plan. I started up a website for hula hoopers as a way of getting in contact with fellow hula hoopers in the UK and the hoop selling just started through people requesting I make a hoop for them. People then also started to ask me about the hats I had been making for some friends children and the requests for hats started to come in and that is how it all started.
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