{Artist Spotlight} Our Interview with April of Mini Muse

April burns the midnight oil to work on her Mini Muse line. Her typical work day begins at midnight and she does all she can until 3 a.m. She describes her shop as fun, lively, one-of-a-kind custom heirloom dolls. 

You’re going to love her adorable dolls, and we know lots of little ones and moms-to-be are going to want these for the holidays. You can choose your perfect Mini Muse at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash, sponsored by Etsy, on November 10 at the Fashion Industry Gallery. We caught up with April for a quick interview. 

What are you most looking forward to for the Jingle Bash?

I can’t wait to meet more Mini Muse lovers. I met so many people at the Spring Bash and received so much amazing feedback that really motivated me to bring out more designs.

Is Mini Muse offering anything new at the Bash?

I will be releasing our new Mini Men line as well as adding a few more animals to our collection.

What makes this event special for you?

I love the holidays. The holiday spirit makes my heart happy.

Is there a story behind your shop’s name?

My daughter’s nickname is Mini. She looks like my husband yet has my exact personality and interests. The nickname Mini fit her perfectly for us. She has been my muse and motivation since day one. Thus Mini Muse was born.

Shop from over 100 artists offering unique handmade wares at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 10. From original art, home goods, and artisanal soaps to local jewelry designers, leather workers and so much more! Check out the event on Facebook here. And find out how to shop the Bash like a pro here. We’ll see y’all at the Bash! 

{Artist Spotlight} Our Interview with Emily of My Head Cozy

Emily loves booth design. She calls it an artform in and of itself and we couldn’t agree more. We are so excited to see My Head Cozy’s setup at the 2018 Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash, sponsored by Etsy, on November 10 at Fashion Industry Gallery.

She works as a teacher by day, and Emily unwinds at the end of the day by crocheting hats for her shop. We love her work and are excited to see her new booth at the Bash. We caught up with her recently for an interview. 

What are you most looking forward to for the Jingle Bash?

Interacting with my customers is my favorite part of the Jingle Bash. There is nothing that sparks creativity like chatting with the wonderful folks who come through the show, and sharing my story and process with them. I also look forward to seeing all of the other wonderful sellers. It’s always an all-star cast at the Jingle Bash.

Is your shop offering anything new, special or different at the Bash?

My handmade Santa Hats are epic. They are warm, wonderful and oh so Christmas-y. I’ll be offering a special where you can buy any 2 hats and get $5 off. 

How would you describe your shop? 

It’s delightful. My mission is to warm hearts and noggins with handmade hats of the greatest quality, care and charm. And I think that describes my hat shop in a nutshell.

What do you most enjoy about working with your team?

It is just me, myself and I at the moment, although I have had many helping hands along the way. I love collaborating with my friend Paulina Martin, who does the photographs for the shop. 

How did you get into crocheting? 

Once upon a time, I read a story about a chef who started cooking when he was 4 years old. And at the time my little 10-year-old self said, “Oh man, I’m already 10! I need something cool that I can do and be able to say, ‘I’ve been doing this since I was 10.’ It won’t be as impressive as 4, but it will have to do.” I thought I was really behind. So on the next trip to the library, instead of checking out another Tin-Tin comic or Boxcar Children book, I went to the DIY section and checked out about 12 different books. Knitting, crocheting, quilting, beadwork, card making, plumbing, carpentry – you name it. At the end of the day, crocheting stuck. I learned from a book. Good decision, 10-year-old self! 

Shop from over 100 artists offering unique handmade wares at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 10. From original art, home goods, and artisanal soaps to local jewelry designers, leather workers and so much more! Check out the event on Facebook here. And find out how to shop the Bash like a pro here. We’ll see y’all at the Bash! 

{Artist Spotlight} Our Interview with Dustin and Karen of Bearded Buffalo Co.

Dustin and Karen are so excited to be part of the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash, sponsored by Etsy, on November 10 at Fashion Industry Gallery in Dallas. We are excited too! Bearded Buffalo Co. is releasing a new limited-edition scent for their beard balm and oil at the Bash. 

Bearded Buffalo Co. is a veteran-owned and operated company. The use natural ingredients and make their products in the USA. These two both work full time and go to school full time in addition to running Bearded Buffalo. We caught up with them recently for quick interview. 

Is your shop offering anything new or special at the Bash?

The weekend of the Jingle Bash is kind of the perfect storm of events for us. November 10th is also the Marine Corps birthday and the following day is Veterans Day. Both our owners are veterans and one served in the Marine Corps which makes this pretty significant. We see this as the perfect time to release a new and limited-edition scent of beard balm and oil. We’re calling it “Yeti,” and it will be a great scent for the winter!

What do you most enjoy about working with your team?

We currently have a two-man team. My wife and I. We started this company together after only a few months of dating. It was a scary thing to do, but somewhere in the back of our minds we must have known it would all work out. The trials we faced starting a business together helped us learn a lot about each other and laid a good foundation for our marriage. 

Is there a story behind your shop name? 

We see our business, including all of our oil and balm scent names as a homage to great men. Men who have had a hand not only in building our country, but also men who have influenced us in our personal lives. One of these great men being Karen’s grandfather. He was part Native American, loved nature and had an affinity for buffalo. 

What do you find most challenging about your work?

The most challenging thing about our work is creating new product. We want to provide our customers with awesome products, and we don’t release anything we are not supremely proud of. This takes research, formulating, time, testing and usually more formulating. Though daunting at times, it’s worth it when our customers tell us how much they love our products or what a difference our products have made for them. 

Shop from over 100 artists offering unique handmade wares at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 10. From original art, home goods, and artisanal soaps to local jewelry designers, leather workers and so much more! Check out the event on Facebook here. And find out how to shop the Bash like a pro here. We’ll see y’all at the Bash! 

13 Tips for Shopping the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash Like a Pro

The highly anticipated Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash is November 10 at F.I.G. Admission is free! We will have a free photo booth and fun make-and-take crafts. We put together a few tips for making the most of your Jingle Bash experience ...

1. Bring your favorite shopping buddies and be sure your phone or camera is charged. There are fun photo booths in the works and you’re going to want those selfies. Don’t forget to tag @etsydallas so we can see too!

2. Make your list before Bash Day so you won’t forget anyone on your shopping list. Don’t forget holidays are right around the corner. You can even browse the 2018 Jingle Bash Artists ahead of time.

3. Grab a map when you come in so you can head straight to your favorite booths. We will have some Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash swag at our information booth while supplies last. And be sure to visit the free make-and-take craft table hosted by Creative Arts Center of Dallas.

4. Bring a tote bag for your purchases if you want to keep your hands free for browsing all the beautiful handmade pieces our artists will have at the Jingle Bash. We will have extra totes for sale but supplies are limited.

5. The first 50 shoppers in line get our coveted Bash Bags. We are always excited with the contributions for the Bash Bags. Those 50 lucky shoppers who are first in line will love what they find inside.

6. Don’t stress if you arrive at opening to see people lined up outside the door. Diehard Bash shoppers are there to get their hands on our Bash Bags. Once doors open, everyone gets ushered right in without a wait.

7. Our all-volunteer leadership team works on planning for our Bashes all year long! We are passionate about putting on an event you will love but we can’t control the weather or traffic. If you’re planning to wait in the line before the show, be prepared.

8. Expect traffic. Plan your route ahead of time. It’s downtown Dallas, y’all. Check the news for construction or any big events that may affect your route. Consider carpooling with friends or taking DART if driving downtown stresses you out.

9. Thankfully there are several parking options for F.I.G. We will have food trucks and a bar onsite as well. 

10. Expect a crowd. We love how the community comes out to show support for our artists! If you want to browse with a little more elbow room, arrive after lunch. Don’t worry. Our artists are stocked for the whole day.

11. You may want to leave the stroller in the car or at home. If possible, wearing your little one may make shopping the Bash easier for you.

12. Find the Etsy Dallas table to find out how to win Bash Bucks (that’s money that only works at this Bash, y’all). We want to give you extra $$ to spend at the Bash, so don’t miss out!

13. If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter. We promise we only send out fun and happy emails. It’s a great way to get the scoop on all our upcoming events.