Q: How did you come up with your shop name?
A: My shop’s moniker has two sources. ‘Heartfelt’ comes from my love of and use of felt for most of my items. The second part, ‘MsMegas’, comes from my nickname Megas. At my shop’s conception, I thought the name was so cute and clever, but, after spying several shops with the word ‘heartfelt’ in them, I realize that it is not very unique. Oh well. lol
Q: Do you only sell online?
A: Currently, I only sell online because I’m just starting off, still learning how to run a business, and am a crazy busy college student. I look forward with great anticipation to selling at craft fairs and small shops after I graduate and no longer have the demands of homework.
Q: What inspires you?
A: Cuteness is my muse. If it exists, it can be cutified! My little felt creations are inspired by everyday objects and animals that I sketch into cute little characters. For my embroidery hoop wall hangings, I'm inspired by the fun fabrics I find. I have about a million different fabric swatches sitting there waiting to be made into wall hangings, and I can picture different characters on each one! I'm also inspired by my love of geekery so you'll find several items in my shops with glasses and mustaches.
Q: What is the hardest part of what you do?
A: Keeping my creativity under control is one of the most difficult aspects. I’m always finding more fabrics and sketching more ideas than I can create! The hardest thing by far though is figuring out how to run a business. There are so many factors that have to be taken care of for each item and sale, and it’s a constant learning process.
Q: What is one of your favorite items from your shop?
A: That's so hard to choose! My Indian elephant embroidery hoop is one of my favorite items, but, surprisingly, it's one of my least popular items. I think he's just so cute, and I love his little details.
Q: Do you only sell on Etsy? If yes, what made you decide to use Etsy instead of sites like ArtFire and MadeItMySelf?
A: Etsy is not the only site I sell on. I also sell on Bonanza. I decided to sell on there too because it doesn't charge listing fees, so it was a safe way for me to branch out without taking any financial risk. I’ve definitely had more success on Etsy though, so it remains my main focus.
Q: Is Etsy your only "job", or is it something you do on the side?
A: My shop is a little side job for me. I've only had 9 sales, so it's definitely not enough to support me full-time. It's been extra income while I've been a student and worked a couple other part-time jobs. I'd love to get to the point though where Etsy is my main source of income. Working at home doing something I love would be fantastic!
Q: Are you attending any art shows in the future?
A: I'm not attending any art shows any time soon.
Q: Any future projects?
A: I'm really excited about the holiday season coming up! I have a few projects in mind. Hopefully, soon you'll be able to find cute felt gift bags and party decorations in my shop. I'm also hoping to start working on a Christmas advent calendar.
"Plan and be organized!!! I began as an ambitious, over-excited dreamer who thought I could build a successful shop overnight. I wasn't really prepared for how much goes into a shop, especially the business aspect." -Megan
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