We were lucky to catch up with Tiffany recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tiffany, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
When I started my business, I knew that I wanted to honor my family in some way. Ivyona is a combination of names from members on both sides of my family. I come from a long line of creatives – on my maternal and paternal sides – and making certainly feels like it’s in my DNA. My family means the world to me and serves as the inspiration for all that I do; having them as part of my business name makes me feel like they are all joining me on this journey, which is really special.
Tiffany, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’ve been crafting for more than 30 years, and I love all things sparkly and glittery. I founded Ivyona Design Co. in 2019 as a way to combine my penchant for design and hand-embroidery; with a nod to the past, I create timeless, heirloom-quality pieces that inspire beautiful and purposeful living. Each piece tells a story, and I hope my customers will cherish their ornaments for generations to come.
Ivyona Design Co. ornaments are hand-embroidered by me in my Houston studio, using signature details: 100% wool felt, premium sequins, Japanese glass beads, and genuine Swarovski Crystals. Each Ivyona Design Co. ornament is one-of-a-kind and a true labor of love. I reference my heritage and cherished memories in many of my designs, and then add touches of traditional and contemporary elements to create classic, timeless, and distinctive silhouettes.
What we choose to decorate our homes with says a lot about who we are and what we value. I would love for people to know how much love and care I put into my designs and creations and that I am honored and humbled to create ornaments that will add to their home’s beautiful aesthetic, to play a part in their family’s holiday traditions, and to bring joy to their lives.
An unexpected but incredibly exciting note is that I reached Etsy Star Seller status in November and December 2021, and January and February 2022. I was so touched to receive the honor, as it’s not particularly easy to achieve when your shop is as small as mine. Etsy implemented Star Seller in late July 2021 as a way to reward shops that consistently offer a great customer experience. It’s based on shop sales, customer reviews, shipping times, and interactions with customers over the previous three months (Etsy reviews your eligibility on the first of each month). I’m so lucky to have the best customers in the world, and the only outstanding item for me was receiving at least 10 orders (not individual items purchased, but total orders) in a span of three months. The steady stream of orders this fall enabled me to satisfy that final requirement. It may be a small achievement, but I was so touched to earn that status. It’s so humbling to know that people love my work and trust me to create ornaments that will hang in their homes (and those of their loved ones) for many years to come.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Last summer, reporters began urging consumers to “shop early” to avoid problems related to shipping delays and supply chain issues that continued to plague the retail industry due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought I would be prepared to meet the early holiday rush, but orders began arriving even earlier than I anticipated. I was continuously busy with ornament orders from late August until I put my Etsy shop in vacation mode in early December. Fulfilling orders kept me so busy that I wasn’t able to finalize new ornament designs for the 2021 holiday season. It was disappointing to not be able to offer my customers an expanded range of items and heartbreaking to realize early on in the season that I wasn’t going to have enough time to accomplish everything I hoped I would.
On top of that, I suffer from Ulcerative Colitis (UC), an autoimmune disease that affects the lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum. Unfortunately, when you have one autoimmune disease, you’re at an increased risk of developing another. In early December, I succumbed to the stress of working a full-time job while trying to manage my small but mighty side business and developed extremely painful arthritis in the joints of my hands. This prevented me from doing any further stitching and also made me realize I needed to change my business model and pivot away from creating made-to-order ornaments. Maintaining the highest of standards is so important to me, and I didn’t want to take a chance that I wouldn’t be feeling well enough to fulfill an order to the quality my customers deserve.
In the end, I’ve taken an extended break from designing and stitching ornaments and have been dedicating the bulk of my time and energy to creating content for my blog. Since January, I’ve been creating content on three topics: Behind the Sequins (where I share my love for all things crafting and design, including helpful tips, tutorials, and techniques); Autoimmune Resources (where I share ways to manage autoimmune diseases while still living a full – and joyful – life); and Clean and Sustainable Living (where I share the ways I’m incorporating clean and sustainable practices into my home and life). I truly hope by sharing my story with others that I spark ideas and inspire others to dream and create.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
When I was creating and selling my heirloom felt ornaments, I sold them all on Etsy. Etsy is a great place for selling handmade items, especially when you’re just getting started. I love that it’s so easy to set up a store and that you don’t need to worry about billing customers or collecting payment information – Etsy takes care of all of that for you. Another thing I love is that customers can often find your shop more easily on Etsy than they can if you only have your own website. I’ve had multiple customers who happened to find me on Etsy because of searches they were doing all within Etsy – and I don’t think they would have found me if I weren’t on Etsy. The biggest con for me is that I don’t have control over what’s happening on Etsy – if they raise their fees or their workers are on strike, there isn’t much I can do about it. At this stage of my business, I think the pros outweigh the cons, and when I am ready to start selling my embroidery designs again, I’ll still only be selling on Etsy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ivyonadesignco.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ivyonadesignco