Ettatorials ~ One Woman's Craft, Business and Story

Another Ruby's Musings Approved Product !

Recently I was messaged by a lovely woman by the name Krissy (@Ettatorials ),  that I am acquaintance with on Instagram about helping to get the word out about her Etsy Shop; of course I said "SURE", as I love supporting small business and especially those that are owned by women.  She asked the basic questions of how this all worked and I filled her in and the ball started rolling. A few days later I received a package in the mail for me to try and review. I already had an idea of what she would be sending but it is always lovely to get a package in the mail and then to have a couple extra surprises included is always even more delightful. 

I received a nicely wrapped gift pack of not one, but three of her products,
and the sweetest thank you card. Each item had a copy of either a
real photo from the 40's or a pinup girl, stitched and then applied onto
the match boxes/ card. So cute! 

For a gal that loves candles matches is always a nice thing
to have around, to have it in a cute little retro themed box is
even better... and the great thing is that after the matches are gone,
you are left with either a treasure box OR a gift box to pass to another! 

After writing a message back to let her know her gift had arrived, I let her know how delighted I was and told her that when she was ready to answer my basic questions and send me some photos that she might want to share of not only her products but also of her, so that you all can get acquainted with this lovely woman, her craft, business and the story behind it all. She obliged and what is to follow is her story in her own words and photos that she provided. **Photographs below were taken by Annie Lipton Photography 

Tell myself and my readers about yourself/dressing/living a vintage lifestyle:
Hi there!  My name is Krissy Harper & I’m the creator of Ettatorials.  I’m a native New Yorker who has been designing, creating & crafting for as long as I can remember.  Early on in life, I acquired a deep love for fashion, particularly the styles of the 1940s & 1950s.  After watching the movie Grease as a kid, I decided I would grow up and become a pink lady.  Being part of a girl gang who drove around in a convertible & met up for milkshakes & drive in movies, seemed more fun than I could imagine!  What really got me though was their style!  Those black cigarette pants, neck scarves & tight tops were the coolest clothes I’d ever seen!

By the time I had grown up, the 1950s were long gone, so I created a modern day version of my childhood dream by collecting vintage clothing & joining a roller derby league.  I realized my love for fashion went way beyond just dressing the part, so I pursued a degree & career in Fashion Buying & Merchandising.  Currently, I run Ettatorials, manage a vintage clothing store & freelance as a visual merchandiser.  Utilizing my talents through various outlets keeps me constantly inspired.

When not conjuring up a new greeting card design or window display, I can be found scouring thrift stores for hidden treasures, searching for the perfect red lipstick, posing for a photo shoot, running in the park or roller skating with my awesome husband John.

So how did you get into business?:
I started designing notecards back in 2000.  I initially made some cards for myself and showed them to a friend.  She loved them & placed an order.  I then went on to become a vendor at The National Stationery Show in NY.  My cards became available at multiple shops across the U.S. Then, my full time job took over and my little business was pushed to the side.  This year, I decided to bring it back to life and I’m so very happy I did!  I opened an etsy shop to reach people worldwide & developed personal relationships with customers by vending at local markets this past summer.  The responses (& sales) were fantastic!  My products are also once again available in several stores, and I can’t wait to expand on that!

Gift/Greeting Cards

Large match boxes....

Tell us about your matchboxes:

After designing my greeting cards, I knew I wanted to offer more upon them.  I liked the idea of creating something that had multiple uses while still being pretty to look at.  That’s when I came up with the idea of decorative matches.  They have the same design concept as my cards, but also have something useful inside!  Then once the matches are all used, the box can serve as a home for hair pins or desk accessories.

and small match boxes, all affordable and great for gifts

Where do you see your business going?:
I’m so excited for the future of Ettatorials!  My plans for the upcoming year are to expand on my brand and include more lifestyle products such as jewelry & housewares.  Also, there are a slew of markets where I will be vending to help reach more customers.

What is one thing you want people to know about yourself & your products?:
I love preserving things from days gone by.  Whether it be a vintage dress, an old letter or in the case of Ettatorials, an old photo.  Something that means a lot to me is helping pass on stories behind old pieces.

I was recently gifted a huge box of unbelievable vintage 1940s photos of a family.  The box came with a list of where each photo was taken and the names of the family members.  Most of the photos were of a woman named Frances.  She became the inspiration for my latest collection, ‘Adventure is Waiting’.  Her stunning beauty, contagious smile and adventurous spirit make her so relatable.  I want each of my customers to find something in my shop that speaks to them the way Frances spoke to me!

I am so pleased to stamp the creations by Krissy for Ettatorials "Ruby's Musings Approved!" I thank her for sharing her own personal journey with me and all of you and I urge you all to go check out her Etsy shop and purchase something for yourself or someone you love....if you do, Krissy has provided you with this code to use for a 15% discount by entering the code...RUBY15 at checkout.  Valid until Dec. 5th.

You can follow Ettatorials on Facebook, twitter, pinterest & instagram and of course ETSY