Michele has a great eye for color, and she makes really adorable items. I'm a sucker for retro themed fabrics, so when I was actively searching out people to feature on Handmade News, Michele immediately made my list. She sent me her interview and I was so excited because well, I get excited when someone is wordy!

She also has fibromyalgia, a disorder near and dear to my heart. I have several friends with fibro, and I know that they endure a lot of pain at times, but are also some of the most creative minds I have ever met. She also shares my fear of spiders! Eek! Check out her offer on promo packs and get in touch with her for getting your name out there!

Hi Michele! Tell me about yourself?

My name is Michele Bingham and I created Sweet Irie in Pineland, Florida.

Do you have any interesting personal factoids?

1. I am a perfectionist
2. I am a graphic and web design major at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
3. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
4. I am deathly afraid of the dark, spiders, locusts/cicadas.
5. The name Sweet Irie comes from my kitty, Irie, who is the light of my life and inspiration! Her name means supreme joy…she likes to supervise while I work, so adorable!

Tell me about your craft...

This is kind of a long story, as I dabble in several different crafts; I am a handmade addict…always trying to figure out how something is made, rather than buying it in a store. I learned to sew when I was in middle school (I think from a Home Ec. Class…remember those?) and used to make my own clothes; I guess the artist in me loved being different…everyone else was into designer stuff, but my family never had the money for all that, so I made use of my grandma’s old sewing machine! I guess it is just natural for me to have a business making things, although I have to admit, it was never some big dream of mine…I just stumbled upon it five years ago after going back to school; I needed some way to pay for my tuition!

In any event, I started out selling on Etsy as a jewelry designer, but given the overwhelming amount of jewelry there, it was hard to get established, like I had been here locally. I then dusted off my sewing machine (which broke soon after…) and started making wallets, purse, keychains, and other various accessories. People loved them, and I LOVE making them, so I think it just fits! I work endless hours and am always tired, but I do love what I do…I learn something new everyday and hardly ever use patterns…I just dive right in! *laughs*

Why do you love your particular mediums?

Wow, what a great question! I love doing what I do because of the awesome compliments I receive from my customers; it brings me such joy! I enjoy learning and making sweet little goodies that will make someone else smile… At a craft show one time, I had a customer pick up one of my items, nothing new, right?!? She did this little wiggle and said, “oooh, I can just feel the love you put into making this!” What better compliment is there!?! I mean, really!?! I think that says it all…

Who are your influences?

Influences…hmmm… I think my mom has been a big influence on me, all around, as she has always been a crafty and creative person. She actually worked for Levi Strauss when I was a child, sewing purses and belts…so perhaps this is how I was instilled with the knowledge I have. How does one ever know?

Tell me about your most enjoyable experience with a customer

Wow, there are so many… I truly enjoy interacting with my customers, which is one of the reasons I love Etsy and Art Fire so much! You do not have the opportunity to “meet” your customers in any other online setting, so I think it really helps the customer to appreciate what they are getting that much more…to know that you are buying something from a real person, not something that was made in a factory by some machine on an assembly line.

A while back, I had a sweet gal buy several different items from my shop on Etsy. She was purchasing the items as gifts for friends, one of which was a special order…created just for one of her friends! It was special fabric that had angel bears on it, as a memorial for her friend who had just lost her husband and child. After I had made it and sent it to my customer, I listed it in my shop… Shortly after that someone new came along and bought the gift set. That same day, I got a message from the original customer telling me that her friend had just purchased the angel bear gift set from me! Yikes! This was supposed to be a surprise! Now her friend had to tell her she had bought her one and the surprise was ruined… The friend ending up having me make her a surprise gift and she took the gift set from her friend (the original customer). Such a strange coincidence…but I made it even more special for the friend by making a little patch for a snap wallet I made her with a memorial for her husband and baby. I asked for the original customers input and put a little heart with the words “Forever and Always, Papa Bear and Baby Bear.” (This is her husband and baby’s nicknames.) She said she cried when she got it and loved it so much! It was touching!

Where can we find your work?

http://sweetirie.com
http://sweetirie.etsy.com
http://sweetirie.artfire.com
http://sweetirieoriginals.blogspot.com

Any advice to new or young sellers just getting their feet wet?

Never give up on your dreams! If you fail miserably the first time, get back up and try again! I made the mistake of jumping in head first when I started my business; I never did any research on the venue I was selling on, never got into the legal stuff, and didn’t pay attention to trends or the little things in my shop. I think research is important when you have business, you need to research your competition, trends, all things pertaining to the venue you are selling on…ask for help from mentors, and get all your legalities out of the way; which can be really confusing, but I think it is important to start off right…unless you just intend to sell a few things as a hobby.

Finally, I think great pictures are a must! I started out with horrible pictures and never sold a thing for 6 months on Etsy…it was only when I invested in a good camera and read the manual that I learned what photographing my products was all about. It made a huge difference in my shop and my sales! If your pictures don’t turn out right the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time, try again…and again… I can’t tell you how many times I have re-taken my pictures…I am actually in the process of making new ones now!

What do you do outside of your business?

Ha! I don’t have a life…or so my mom says! I seriously work from the moment I wake up until my head hits the pillow, for the few awesome hours of sleep; I love my bed and miss it terribly! I really do not go anywhere anymore, I have no time to…I do go to Church and school, which is online, so my social time is spent on the computer when I have a few minutes to blog or play on internet…

What does the "handmade movement" mean to you?

I think the handmade movement is beyond awesome! I can’t tell you when the last time I stepped foot in a Wal-Mart…I buy everything from Etsy or Art Fire sellers! There is something special about getting a sweet little gift from someone who made it with their own hands…you know it was made with love and care! I buy all handmade gifts and I am an advocate, I suppose, for handmade…I am always talking about it and showing off my goodies! I am grateful to places like Etsy, Artfire, and 1000 Markets for bringing people together and really helping to get the word out there! It would be wonderful if we could get rid of some of these manufactured goods and get back to way things used to be…support our independent artists, rather than big corporations!

I also like to hand out promo packs with all my orders, promoting other handmade artists around the world! I was recently featured on Etsy Marketing to help spread the word about promo packs! http://etsymarketing.org/etsy-promotion-packs/ They are so much fun to put together and I get great feedback from them, people don’t just throw these things away, they keep them and pass them out to others! It is a great way for artists to get their name out there and for others to see there is more to life than factories and Wal-Mart. http://sweetirieoriginals.blogspot.com/2009/03/latest-promo-packs.html

If you could have lunch with and pick the brain of any artist living or dead, who would you choose and why?

Hard question! The first person that comes to mind is Edward Robert Hughes, http://www.illusionsgallery.com/ERHughes.html a painter who was not really well known, but his work is mesmerizing! He has always been my favorite artist and an inspiration! I have several of his paintings (or prints…I can’t afford a painting!) and could get lost in them…I find something new every time I look at them, which is saying a lot because I have had them for more than ten years!

Photos are courtesy of Michelle Bingham