Interview with SpaceDog Studios

As a relatively new member of Etsy Team Columbus, I have not had the pleasure of meeting too many of the team members in person yet. Sarah, from SpaceDog Studios is one of those people. But after reading her answers to my interview questions, I cannot wait to meet her! It sounds like we'd get along great! Check out the interview and giveaway below!
Tell Us About Yourself: My name is Sarah, and I'm a total dork. I love reading, tearing it up on Dance Dance Revolution (yes, I know this is at least the year 2000), I take my dog to agility classes, play video games, misspell things on crossword puzzles, and ruin movies for my husband by seeing how fast I can guess the endings. Oh, and coffee, I drink lots of coffee. Oh yeah, and I turned thirty this year!

What Kind Of Items Do You Sell In Your Etsy Shop: I sell handmade books. Nice watercolor sketchbooks for artists, bookmark books for readers, flash card books for studiers, that sort of thing. I make the kind of books I would want.

What Brought You To Etsy: I just heard about it this one day and thought, what the heck? At the time I was teaching and working as a floral designer and I had all this stored up artwork from college that I thought should find a home. So I got on Etsy and tried to sell my art and some bird corsages. I wasn't taking it very seriously at first.

How Do You Promote Your Shop: By posting most days on Etsy, by being visible and consistent on that site. Also, by doing local shows, donating to charities, and doing some blog give-aways.

What Is Your Favorite Item In Your Shop Right Now: Mmmm, I'm always a fan of the recycled pages books, there's something about all that random paper that just invites you to start scribbling all over it. I also really like the last two sketchbooks I posted up-Nightingale and Aoi. I love that vintage patchwork print fabric on the first journal. Orange and purple is a really underrated color combination I think. And on the second, I'm really into that beautiful clash and play of patterns. I truly love things that have no business being together.

What Is Your Biggest Shop Goal In The Next Six Months: I want to hit 1,000 sales by Christmas, which I think will finally happen (although I've probably just jinxed it). And next year, I want to work on incorporating more of my actual artwork by possibly listing it, making prints to sell, or possibly just devoting more time to doing it and finding even just one show.

Favorites: My favorite books-this is so hard since this is my true love and I love so many. I just finished re-reading Wild Swans by Jung Chang which is an amazing book about China and the changes a family (from Grandma to Granddaughter) endured as the country changed from imperial, to Japanese occupied, and finally as it passed through communist phases under Mao. It's really an amazing, hopeful, and violent story.

In general, I think everyone should read The Woman in the Dunes, House of Leaves, Lolita, As I Lay Dying, and The Fountainhead at least once in their lives. Seriously, these are good books. I know there are a lot of other good books out there, probably even better ones, but these are the first ones that come to mind.

Food: Right now I want some strawberry cake from the Golden Delight Bakery. BEST CAKE EVER. Maybe some Jeni's ice cream, and a cup of coffee. Sweet tooth, anyone?

Movies: I always fall asleep. It's been like two years since I've seen a movie I've liked.

Music: A whole lotta Tom Waits, some Duran Duran, all topped off with a dose of Skid Row Youth Gone Wild. That's a good morning. (I told you what to expect in the beginning, remember)

Thanks to Sarah for a fun interview. Sarah has been kind enough to hold a giveaway for my readers...here are the details.

How to Enter: Leave a comment on this blog before Friday, September 11th at three o'clock in the afternoon, Eastern time.

What You'll Win: A recycled pages book from SpaceDog Studios like the one shown above.

And Even More Good News: If you mention this blog, On A Limb Paper, when buying something in Sarah's store, she will ship your items for FREE to anywhere in the USA!