You've seen those big sellers on Etsy who seem to be making sales left and right. You have to wonder how they've made it to where they are: can they actually be FOR REAL? What's their recipe for success? And just how do they do it?

How did you first hear about Etsy, and what made you decide to open a shop on the site?
Hmmm… I think I first heard about Etsy in Bust magazine…Boy, it’s hard to imagine a time before Etsy! This whole paperedtogether thing was purely a whim - I made some stationery for a neighbor and woke up the next morning thinking I’d give selling it a try. I certainly never expected it to become an actual business. I loved the clean design of the site and it couldn’t have been easier to set up shop. I realize now how lucky I am to have created this business with no start-up costs, no advertising expenses and a built-in audience.

What do you think your key to success for selling on Etsy has been?
Well, listing frequently is undoubtedly a key element, and customer service is always important. I do think photographs are very important, but I also admit mine could use a lot of work (one of my goals for the new year). I love packaging orders and I think customers really appreciate the little extras. It only takes a minute or two extra to transform an order into a special little present.

How do you promote your shop?
I’m so thankful for the features I’ve had on various design blogs, and even some real life magazines! I really don’t have time for much promoting, so I always feel really lucky to be noticed by the lovely blogging community. Word-of-mouth is by far my biggest marketing tool. I’d love to one day be organized enough to maintain a mailing list.

How do you handle such a large volume of sales in your shop? What systems have you created to manage the orders?
I tend to be really hard on myself, and have just recently come to grips with the fact that I can’t ship daily. My process right now goes something like this: print out a list of my sold items, walk out through the foot of snow to my studio, package up all the orders, write the buyer’s name on the package, trudge back in, cross reference all the addresses (Paypal vs. Etsy), then weigh packages and print shipping labels, ticking the “shipped” box as I go. I set aside international orders and take those to the local post office. My process is far from perfect, and I look forward to the day when every job and each business decision stops being a learning experience. I’d also like to start making dinner for my family again.

Are your orders mostly from repeat buyers or new buyers? What do you do to gain repeat buyers?
I think I have a pretty even mix of both. I suppose a combination of good quality, nice customer service and lovely packaging brings them back. Also, the seasonal nature of the paper goods business keeps things fresh.

How do you stay motivated? Does it come naturally?
I’m honestly never content unless I’m doing something and I have some serious issues with sitting still. In the olden days (pre-Etsy), I would sew, read, bake, clean the house, etc. Now, I generally just work all of the time. I always have more work to do than there are hours in the day, so even if I’m not printing or working on orders, I am thinking of new designs, working on a catalog, or planning for a show (generally NOT cleaning the house). Of course, that doesn’t mean I necessarily love working all the time: I guess it’s just in my nature.

Do you "Etsy" full time or do you have another job too?
Well…I have three kids - twelve, nine, and three. I stay at home full time with my youngest, a sweet boy with more energy than anyone in the entire world should ever be allowed to have. I also have an additional full-time job. I go to the office three evenings a week and try to get the rest done from home. I have thirty or so wholesale accounts and do custom work when I can.

If you "Etsy" full time, were you able to quit your day job due to your success selling on Etsy?
Etsy has been amazing. I wholeheartedly recommend it to every artist/crafter I meet, and fully credit Etsy as the foundation of it all. Cutting back or quitting my day job altogether is definitely on the horizon!

What is your favorite current Etsy Feature?
I love the “paid” and “shipped” boxes, and reading feedback makes me really happy! The Storque is a great read when I feel like I’ve been out in the studio for weeks at a time and need to catch up on the wider world.

What features do you use most on Etsy?
Definitely the ‘relist’ button! When I get a chance to browse, I love the Time Machine.

What goals do you have for your Etsy shop one year from now?
My long-term goal is of course to quit my day job. Design-wise I’d like to work on more prints and a variety of new gift-type items and somehow magically produce amazing photographs of my work! My personal goal is to get organized and learn how to gracefully balance work with my family life. 

Anything else you want to add?
Thank you, Etsy! I’m often so caught up in the process of designing and printing and packaging and shipping and parenting that I don’t have enough perspective to think of myself as a ‘success story.' Thanks for making all this possible!

Check out paperedtogether's top Etsy picks are in the gallery below: