Etsy Seller of the Week: LilMouse

Please welcome LilMouse as featured seller this week! Chainmaille is a fascinating art form - be sure to check out this great chainmaille artist!

LilMouse says, "Thank you so much for including me in your blog as a featured artist, I feel very honored. As a thank you to you, and to all of the wonderful people who will be reading your blog, I would like to extend an offer of 20% off all items in my shop! Please mention this blog in the notes to seller, and I will send over a revised Paypal invoice."

How did you find Etsy?
I was working at a bead store about 2 years ago, and one of the regular customers came in talking about how she had started selling her items on Etsy, she gave me the website, and I looked into it. It took me a few weeks to get up the courage to actually list my first item, but I am very glad that I did!


What do you love about Etsy?
The thing that I love most about Etsy is the support and encouragement that I have received from the friends and contacts that I have met here. I have defiantly made some great friends that I will keep for the rest of my life. The camaraderie and support that I have received is wonderful! (Hehehe the money isn’t too bad either...lol)

What is your favorite dinner?
Well, there are so many things that I love to eat, but I would have to say that a really good steak and baked potatoes has got to be my favorite. mmmmmmmmmm, YUM-O!


What would you like us to know about your craft/shop?
Everything is very different and unique. This allows me to express my creativity. I have never been formally trained, so no one has told ‘you can’t do that’ so I just do what the heck I want to! Also, all of the rings are opened and closed individually by my own little hands. This is a serious time killer that a lot of people don’t appreciate, but it’s very therapeutic for me after a long hard day at the office.

If you could take an all-expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
That would be a toss up... I would either got to Ireland or Scotland. I absoulty would love to go on a horseback riding treck thru the lands of either country. They are both so beautiful, and so steeped in history and lore.

What do you love about what you make/sell?
I love the fact that chainmaille is so different and unique. You don’t see a lot of chainmaille out there, and it is very satisfying to me to make something so different. There are over 300 different weaves that you can make, and many more that you can design yourself. Just by changing the size of the rings, you can change the look of the entire piece. Not to mention all of the different metals and colors that the rings come in. Niobium, Sterling Silver, Gold, Gold Filled, Aluminum, Anodized Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, Copper.... and the list goes on...lol

What is your favorite way to relax or unwind?
Believe it or not, one of my favorite ways to relax is to sit in front of the TV with a new batch of rings, and just sit there and open and close the rings. Then I get the fun job of piecing all of those individual little rings into some new creation! Deciding which colors go best with each other, and what weave would work best for the picture in my head... Very fun and very relaxing for me!

What do you like to shop for on Etsy, even if it is just browsing, not buying?
hehehehe, I am a handmade soap addict! I never tried handmade soap until I started shopping on Etsy, and I have to say I will never buy another bar of store bought soap! I love to look thru and see what great concoctions the wonderful soap sellers on Etsy have come up! Also, I have a serious addiction to anything with a hedgehog on it! LOL

What is your most unique pet?
Wow, I have had several…. The most recent ones have been a lil mouse that I named Fwed. She was a sweetie, loved running on her wheel. She would get out in her cage and tease the cats! Just running around and playing, knowing that the cats couldn’t get to her!
Then there was the hedgie that I had. His name was Acheron. He was born here in my house, and when he was old enough he went to a good home in Texas. While he was there, some bad stuff happened to his human family, and we ended up making an emergency run down to Texas to bring him back home. That was one heck of a trip! Driving 20 hours straight to get there, picking him up, and then turning around and driving another 20 hours to get home. But Acheron was defiantly worth the trip!

Etsy Seller of the Week: Greenbelts

Thrift shops and landfills applaud this week's featured seller! Greenbelts uses reclaimed belts to make all kinds of unique pieces - from dog collars to wrist cuffs (even dog collars and matching wrist cuffs!) AND until next Monday, July 28, she is giving blog readers 10% off any purchase over $10! Just put "Rainy's Blog" in the notes to seller. Now read on!

How did you find Etsy?
My neighbor (who has since moved) used to have a shop on Etsy. He saw some of my dog collars at a neighborhood party and suggested that I give it a try.

What do you love about Etsy?
I am a graphic designer by trade. I mainly specialize in printed pieces (ink on paper). I am not really excited about the idea of designing, producing, and upkeeping web sites - especially my own. Etsy is a perfect fit for me and my Greenbelts. They do it all for me and all I have to do is find time to list and create. I adore Etsy.

What is your favorite dinner?
My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I love a hot loaf of French bread with butter, a sliced crisp red apple, and a hunk of yummy cheese. With a glass of freezing cold milk. Mmmm, yum.

What would you like us to know about your craft/shop?
I worked out of my neighbors basement for my first year. They were nice enough to loan me a workbench on a temporary basis. After a year of their kindness I decided that I needed to give them some space. I begged my husband, Chris, to build me a tiny shed out in the corner of our back porch. So now, my 4yo son and I go out to the shed whenever we want to work. He has a little workbench too. He's learning how to hammer and use a electric screwdriver. He's been making some fun sculptures out of the scrap wood we have left over from building the shed.

If you could take an all-expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I'm not picky. I have only been to 3 countries (Canada, USA, and Mexico) in my lifetime. I feel like I have so much more to discover. I would love to go ANYWHERE. Especially Europe, Australia, Africa and anywhere that is warm. :)

What do you love about what you make/sell?
Because I base my pieces on recycled items, I love the thrill of the hunt. When I find a really cool belt that makes me want to run home and start cutting it up immediately, or a super-cool button that is just begging to be sewn onto a piece of leather, that is FUN! There are more and more of us belt recyclers out here on Etsy now. It's important to me that I find really unique pieces to start with so I can keep my items fresh and interesting. Searching and reclaiming the findings is half the fun.

What is your favorite way to relax or unwind?
I pound, cut, punch, and sew all my pieces by hand. I get my aggression out on my poor belts while I sip a glass of wine and listen to my favorite music. That's pretty darn relaxing. Even when we go camping or sit in front of the television, I'm cutting out leather flowers or sewing on buttons. That's still 10x more relaxing to me than sitting in an office all day (which I used to do). I have no complaints.

What do you like to shop for on Etsy, even if it is just browsing, not buying?
I'm obsessed with earrings right now. And necklaces. I can't seem to get enough of them. And, of course, buttons and buckles.

What is your favorite sound?
The sound a dry, puffy pine cone makes when you step on it. That crunchy, crackly, smooshy sound. Love it.




Thanks for stopping by!