Interview with Smarty Pants Design

I'm so excited today to have my first real interview with Heather of Smarty Pants Design. Heather is a member of Etsy Team Columbus who I've had the opportunity to meet at a couple of different team events, including the Eco Chic Craftacular back in May. I can't wait to share Heather's work with you.Tell Us About Yourself: I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland...took watercolor lessons at age 12 and gradually art just became more and more a part of my life. I moved to Columbus to study painting at the Columbus College of Art and Design and loved the city so much that 9 years later, I'm still here. I love to dabble in all kinds of mediums, and have tried my hand at stained glass, feltmaking, woodworking, and all sorts of mixed media projects. A few years ago I started making jewelry, then began making my own beads from polymer clay, and that's evolved into my current business, Smarty Pants, where I make and sell my own handcrafted beads and buttons.

What Kind Of Items Do You Sell In Your Etsy Shop: Polymer clay beads and buttons, all individually hand rolled by me...I don't use any molds, and I typically mix my own colors. I also sell finished pieces of jewelry made with my own beads. I have an additional shop under my own name, HeatherWirth.etsy.com that I use as an outlet to sell my paintings and other artwork.

What Brought You To Etsy: My friend back home in Maryland turned me onto the site. She sells baby gear on Etsy as part of her own business, Bitchen Stitchen. She's always been such a huge supporter of my artwork that once she realized how fantastic the website is, she told me I had to try it out.

How Do You Promote Your Shop: I frequently post links to new items on my Facebook page, or visit Etsy chat rooms to advertise new pieces, but mostly I focus on print media - business cards, postcards, etc. I recently participated with some fellow Etsy Team Columbus members to create a brochure featuring our Etsy shops, which each member then in turn distributes to their own clientele.

What Is Your Favorite Item In Your Shop Right Now: It's a pendent I just created this week...it's a blend of chocolate brown, cream, yellow and emerald green polymer clay, rolled together in such a way that it looks to be half woodgrain, half gemstone. I particularly love to use clay to emulate other materials, like a woodgrain, slate, a piece of turquoise, a gemstone, etc. I think the biggest compliment is when a customer doesn't realize my work is created with clay.

What Is Your Biggest Shop Goal In the Next Six Months: I would like to list things more frequently. I have quite a bit of merchandise that is sitting on my worktable waiting on me to photograph, so I would love to have a faster turnaround, and have things listed on my site the same day they are created.

Favorites: Food, Music, Books, Movies, whatever you love: I love all kinds of Mexican...although Mexican would probably call it Tex Mex...fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, and a margarita of course. Right now I'm listening to quite a bit of Brett Dennen and Ray Lamantagne, and in general I'm a sucker for a heart-on-his-sleeve acoustic guitar player. I haven't read it yet, but Wally Lamb, who is my ALL time favorite author recently put out his third novel, so I anticipate that it will soon be my favorite book.

Thank you so much for the interview, Heather. Your work is beautiful and I'm so happy to know you a little better now!

If you'd like to own something from Smarty Pants Design, leave a comment here before Friday at noon (Eastern time). You could be the lucky winner of this Surfer Girl Pendant!

Winner will be announced on Friday!