INTERVIEW WITH ULTRA TALENTED SUZY SPENCE!

With a stash like this:

and a beautiful studio like this:

Suzy Spence, our featured guest and one of our favorite customers, makes fabulous items for her Etsy shop like this:

and this:

We interviewed Suzy so you could get to know this talented and very nice lady!

Suzy, we love your designs and everything in your Etsy shop, GeorgiaPeachez! Would you tell us a little about you and your background?

I am a self-employed RDMS (registered diagnostic medical sonographer) some of the time and a crafter all of the time! I was born and raised in the south but have lived in New Jersey and Ohio. I am married with two daughters and live in Hampton, VA next to the ocean.

When did you first discover your artistic talent and when did you start to sew?

My parents always encouraged me to be creative and as a little kid I was always making something. I received my first sewing machine from Santa when I was 8yo. My mom told me that if I learned to sew she would buy me all the fabric I wanted and she kept her promise!

What are the inspirations for your designs?

I have coveted vintage fabrics and sewing items for a long time. Currently I am getting my biggest jolt from vintage upholstery fabrics, especially mid century designs. On the other hand I am really inspired by the explosion of creativity/design in current "quilt" fabrics. I am not a quilter but put me in a quilt shop anywhere and I am a happy shopper.

What caused you to open an Etsy shop and what advice, if any, do you have for other Etsians?

I have been selling my creations on eBay since 1998 with great success. Opening an Etsy shop seemed a logical next step. Etsy is a much friendlier online market place. Anyone starting up on Etsy or anywhere online for the first time needs to expect that it will take time to develop a following. Also, blogging has been great for my exposure and traffic to my shop.

Do you sell your items on other venuse?

I still sell on eBay occasionally. I've done a trunk show and some craft shows, but eBay and now Etsy have been my biggest success.

Please tell us one unique thing about you that would surprise us!

When I was in my late twenties, before kids, I trained and entered a body building contest!

You can find Suzy on her website: www.georgiapeachez.com which has links for her shops, twitter, blog, etc. THANKS SUZIE!