I recently noticed the deliciously tantalizing bakers whimsyandspice, a new Etsy shop started in April, 2008. Their beautifully photographed baked goods are enough to make your mouth water. I can't wait to get my hands on some of those homemade marshmallows! Here's a little interview we did with this Fresh Shop. 

Can you tell us a little about the people behind whimsyandspice?
Whimsy & Spice is a new husband and wife baking and confectionary team. We formed in Brooklyn just a few months ago in March of 2008. My husband Mark has worked in the restaurant industry in NYC for over 12 years, 8 of those years as a pastry chef. I'm an art director and designer and I work on all the packaging, design, and photography.

Mark and I have always dreamed of starting our own food business. We took the leap in March and decided to go for it. We launched our business on the opening day of the Brooklyn Flea. We've gotten such a positive response that it gave us the confidence and momentum to continue, and we opened our Etsy shop a few weeks later in April.

What inspires you as a creative person?
Mark's always been inspired by the spices and flavors of the countries he traveled and lived in as a child. He's always incorporated spices in his cooking, including desserts. As bakers, we infuse herbs and spices into many of our sweets and love to experiment with different flavor combinations that you may not ordinarily think of in a cookie.

How do you like Etsy so far? What are your favorite features of the site?
We love Etsy! It's made it so easy to start selling our goods to people outside the New York area, and indeed most of our sales have been out of state. We love the fact that you can give and receive feedback, and even though this happens entirely online, we've met a lot of great people through the Etsy community, many of whom are Etsy sellers.

Anything else you'd like to add is also welcome! (Your blog, etc.)
I still freelance as a designer in order to pay the bills, but since Mark has left the restaurant world, we've decided to try and make a living off of our business to support our family. Etsy has become a huge part of that: we hope someday to realize that dream. For now, we plan on trying to grow our business smartly and expand the brand by adding new products. We plan on introducing new cookies, as well as spice mixes, in the future. I also hope to come out with a line of printed kitchenware someday (we just need more hours in the day!). You can read more on our blog (http://www.sweetfineday.com), where you'll often find recipes of meals that Mark cooks for the family, as well as writings on the biz, life and cookies.

Looking for more Etsy newbies? Check out our previous Fresh Shops coverage!