Seductive Mania: I Heart Handmade: Sketch.inc

I'm starting a new series called "I Heart Handmade" featuring products and people I love from Etsy. Today I am featuring Sketch.inc, maker of many beautiful creations. Take it away Becky!

^^ This is Becky, my name twin, the brains behind Sketch.inc ^^

1. In your about me, you mention always sketching and creating, when did you start turning those ideas into sellable prints/brooches/plates/other goods?

Sketch.inc started back in 2011 when I began to sell a few paintings and prints. Discovering a set of blank Nesting Dolls in a Craft shop one summer they seemed destined for a place in my chaotic home studio and the perfect canvas for my favourite character designs. Between the Dolls and Brooches (originally intended for a friends Wedding Party) my sales finally allowed me to give up the day job and concentrate on the business full time 16 months ago.

2. You work in so many different mediums! Which one is your favourite, and why?

I love to learn and test new techniques, you never know what surprises and ideas you may stumble upon. Sketching and doodling ideas is still my first step in any design process and my favourite medium. I enjoy the flexibility of using a sketchbook, constantly to hand in a pocket, I can record an idea or image quickly and freely wherever I am and refer back to it later.

3. What inspires you to create?

My inspiration comes from everyday life! Places, events or memories. I wouldn't say that any one thing inspires me. Growing up my Mother would paint water colours in our back garden and I would attempt to copy her. My Father made model railways and I would help to paint the scenery and stage the tiny figures. So I guess both my parents inspired and nurtured my artistic streak. I love classic Japanese illustration and Nordic Design, which in itself sounds like a strange combination but the simple aesthetics of both are very inspiring to me.

4. Which of your products is your fave?

This is such a hard question! Going back to my love for drawing I would have to choose the two prints from the original Ebony sketches. These sketches were the catalysts to designing the Weather Girl Dolls, plate and soon to be a jumpin jack wooden figure.

5. How has owning an Etsy shop changed your creative process?

My Etsy Shop has given me a fantastic arena to play with ideas and trial new products which in itself has varied my day to day process. With my third Etsy Christmas on the horizon I am planning well in advance for a change. Last year I was so overwhelmed with orders I slept in my studio and ate take-out for 2 months. So this year I am planning ahead. I now close my shop for 1 week every other month from January to September to work on wholesale orders, and creating stock ready for Christmas. Working alone gives you fantastic freedom but it can also be very draining at exceptionally busy times and getting the balance right is a steep learning curve.

6. What has been the hardest part of getting to where you are in your Etsy shop?

It has taken years to get where I am today and I feel fairly well-established as an Etsy seller but that was not always the case. It became easier when I gave up the day job and could focus on Sketch.inc full time but learning my way around SEO is something which has taken a lot of getting used to, experimenting with tags, descriptions, links to Pinterest boards, blog posts etc. Creating a Etsy business takes time and a lot of patience.

7. What is your favourite thing about handmade goods?

I particularly love the fact that handmade goods are not mass produced. Handmade goods have been created directly from the artisan’s design (not watered down and cheaply reproduced by a mass retailer), and above all show case the artistic talents of their creator and their passion for their own work.

Check out more of her awesome work!:

Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SketchInc

Blog: sketch-inc.blogspot.co.uk/

Instagran: @sketchinc