** 25% off of all paintings, dreambeads and brooches for Gigglebot readers! Just mention “Gigglebot discount” when you check out.

I think being cute is one essential part to why many people love handmade. Cute is the new black! Nanda at Lilmisspolkadot is definitely not lacking! Nanda’s little slice of Etsy includes party decorations, paintings and neat little paper goodies. Her illustration aesthetic is unique and memorable, and did we mention cute?

Background info:

Nanda, 32, Alhaurin el Grande Spain. I am a mother of 3 and married to a wonderful husband, they mean the world to me. I started Lil´Miss Polkadot in 2009…

The Interview:

What is the story behind Lilmisspolkadot?
I always have been creative, drawing, painting, crafting…
When i was pregnant of my first i started making decoration for the nursery and i started selling my paintings and painted furniture in the store of my best friend, who had a little store at home with all kind of handmade items. Later i moved to Spain and i stopped selling my items for a while, focussing on our new life… After the birth of my 3th child i wanted to start making things again, and i discovered Etsy… And Lil´ Miss Polkadot was born. Lil´ Miss Polkadot is named after my daughter, who loves polkadots, princesses, pink and all girly stuff…she is my very own little miss Polkadot.

How do you stay connected with your customers?
During the process i keep in contact with my customers, showing pictures, let them decide on colors etc. When the item is finished i send them an picture with the endresult for aproval.

I also have twitter, facebook and a blog to stay connected with my customers.
http://www.lilmisspolkadot.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/lilmisspolkadot
http://www.facebook.com/lilmisspolkadot

How often do you list new items?
I am trying to list new things often, but a lot of my items are custom made, and therefor i spend most of my time creating custom orders… I try to list fresh and new items frequently…

How do you decide what to create next?
While i am working on things, new ideas are bubbling… I write all of my ideas down and when i have some time left i start with these new things… I have a whole list of things that i want to create… handpainted peg – clothes pin dolls picture frame, mirrors, plates, bead and felt mobiles, and more…

You seem to have a multitude of different talents, was your family creative or did you discover these talents on your own?
Actualy my family is not creative at all, my mother is always saying that she is wondering from whom i have the creativity… LOL
I just love trying new things, materials, combinations… i buy materials, experiment with them…
There are so many things i like… painting, working with fabric and felt, making jewelry, workings with beads, design on the computer, working with clay, crocheting etc….
In the future i will probably opening an extra store to offer some more and other things…

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a shop owner in Spain?
Disadvantage is that i have to ship most of my items to USA, Canada etc. And that i have to sell in Dollars, while here i can sell in euro´s and will receive more money for the same item…

Are there any crafts that have caught your eye lately? Do you want to try anything new?
Yes, i want to try so many new things… I would love to try to work with polymer-fimo clay, creating cake toppers and sculptures. That is on my ¨what i would like to do as well¨ list…

** 25% off of all paintings, dreambeads and brooches for Gigglebot readers! Just mention “Gigglebot discount” when you check out.