Etsy Around the World: Snow Fish

Are you ready to begin your Holiday decorating? This is the shop to start in. Our world wide shopping spree takes us to the UK for some handmade decorations and goodies.



WHO ARE YOU?
My name is Kirsty New and I run three Etsy shops:
SnowFish.etsy.com - Handmade Christmas goodies BigFish.etsy.com - Colourful Supplies
PaperFish - Unique bunting, brooches and badges

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
I am a UK designer and Maker. Blog: Kirstyfish.blogspot.com - i LOVE to blog and keep it regularly updated with my Crafty Life x

WHAT DO YOU CREATE?
I love to work mainly with felt, fabric and buttons!! I am addicted to buttons.
I make bunting, badges, brooches, decorations...

I have NEVER visited North Carolina, sorry x I did go to Disney World once though!
There is no place to 'visit' in my hometown - I live in the middle of rural countryside so i visit alot of trees and fields with my dog, a fat chocolate labrador.

WHERE DO YOU CREATE?
I work from a very chaotic Art Room in the English Countryside near Oxford. It is BIG with a huge 10 seater dinner table and loads of shelves. There is no spare inch in that room and it is crammed full of supplies. I keep meaning to tidy it.... I am also a Mom to the best little 4yr old girl so i do my creating wherever she is playing.

What do you do when you are not creating?
Truly, i only ever walk, yoga and create... all day, every day.
Creating is something i have to do. A project or idea springs into my head and i cannot settle until i have tried it out. My partner says I am 'obsessed' by crafting, but that isn't true! Crafting just makes me happier than almost anything else! It is the biggest part of who I am and I'm not happy unless I am cutting, sticking, sewing or selling!

When did you start creating?
I have always created. All my family are Business People, Inventors and Entrepreneurs. We all work for ourselves and not one person in my dads side or moms side works for another company. Even my partner just started his own business. We are all very creative people! AND, we must all be either very hard to work with or very wacky and un-controllable!

The key to success?
First decide what it is that you think is 'success'. Always be yourself.
Never copy what other people do or sell. Work hard and Play hard. Put the whole of yourself into a project and you'll get what you want in return. To me, work and play are the same thing and i love every minute of what i do x

What online activities have brought you the most noticeable success?
Etsy has totally changed my life and bought me so much business. It has given me a great base to work from and meet so many other talented crafters who have become friends.
Also, my blog http://kirstyfish.blogspot.com/ it is a great way to connect with people and i love to share my crafty life with people who are just as passionate about MAKING as I am.

The Most Cherished Handmade Item i own...
That is so difficult - having a 4yr old means i get cherished handmade crafts given to me every day, with dripping paint and loose glitter everywhere! But at this moment, it is a pair of knitted mice that i bought from a church craft sale last weekend. They are a pair ready to get married, knitted by a 92 year old lady! They are for daughters Christmas present and she will ADORE and cherish them