Local Etsy seller featured in book

There are some Etsy sellers who list a few items here and there, make a few sales, and are perfectly content. That would be me.

Then, there are Etsy sellers like Spokane resident Cherie Killilea , who manages her online shop like she would a brick-and-mortar store, dedicating 40 or more hours a week to it and promoting it as she would promote any “regular” business.

For Killilea, the hard work is paying off. Not only are her sales going so well that she’s had to hire outside help, her work caught the eye of artist, writer and college professor Garth Johnson , who included a project by Killilea in his recently released book 1,000 Ideas for Creative Reuse.

First, the book:

I think a lot of people who visit Dwell Well are interested in putting old objects to use in clever ways in order to reduce our need (or desire) to buy new products. If that’s you, Johnson’s book will be like a double-fudge brownie sundae with whipped cream on top. For the eyes and imagination, that is.

As the title suggests, it includes 1,000 color photos of items made from discarded objects, like jewelry crafted from the zippers taken off of old clothes and a woman’s dress made from a child’s old Pac-Man bedsheets. Other ideas include a chandelier made from empty Chiquita banana boxes and a loveseat made from a vintage clawfoot tub.

Some of the projects are off the wall. Some are large, artistic expressions. Many, many are items I would love to have in my house.

The project Johnson featured by Killilea is a darling and colorful slipcover she sewed to rescue an otherwise dull, old chair.

Killilea said the e-mail from Johnson asking if she’d like to take part in the book was a pleasant surprise.

“I was like OOOOOO-K,” she said.

1,000 Ideas for Creative Reuse is published by Quarry Books. Even if you’re not crafty, it’s a great conversation starter to put on your coffee table.

Killilea’s Etsy shop, Studio Cherie , is close to making its 800th sale. She sells her original sewing patterns as well as handmade bags, accessories, home decor items and other goods she makes following her own designs.

Killilea said with hired help now, she’ll have time to fully stock her shop.

“There are gaps in products and gaps in patterns” right now, she said. Soon, though, “everything I offer in pattern form will also be available in handmade form, and everything I offer in handmade form will be available as a pattern.”

Killilea said it’s important to offer both patterns and finished products because each side of the business supports the other. For instance, customers will see her pattern for a duffle bag and think, “this must be a good pattern because she sells a lot of those duffles.”

I’m going to write more about my conversation with Cherie in a few days (it’s always fun to talk with her about the direction the craft industry is going), but I wanted to at least get the word out about the book and growing success of her business. Kudos, Cherie!