by guest contributor Fina Tejada

Letitia Henville is an English teacher by day and jewelry designer extraordinaire by night. Living in Nice, France (Ooh la la) Letitia is surrounded by beauty and history, a perfect muse for her designs. She is also a member of the Eco Etsy Street Team and maintains her blog, Fabiquer, where you’ll find delightful pictures of her travels, friends, and inspiration. If a French holiday is not in your vacation plans this year, have her jewelry do the traveling for you.

1. Tell us about your business.

I’m a jewelry designer, and I make bright and bold necklaces, earrings and bracelets. I love combining vintage beads with silver, wood and stone. I came up with the idea to start my business largely out of necessity: I found that I owned so many beads I couldn’t justify making jewelry only for myself and for my friends. I’ve been in business since March 2007 and have sold over 500 pieces on jewelry, largely online

2. What did you do before you started your business?

I currently work part-time as an English teacher here in the south of France. Nice is a very expensive city to live in! Jewelry selling makes up about 1/3 of my monthly income, though, so I’m proud of my little business

3. Where do you sell your products

I started selling on Etsy, but have since expanded into dawanda (a fantastic site based out of Germany), Mintd (a smaller Australian upstart) and Modishoppe (a small adorable ‘e-boutique’). Etsy is a great site with lots of talented artists and artisans, but its size can sometimes make it overwhelming, for buyers and sellers alike — which is why shops like Modishoppe are so nice. Dawanda is also great for me, being based in Europe, because within the EU selling is very easy — bank transfers are free, shipping is quick, and customs is a non-issue

4. What can you tell us about your international customers?

I love them! It’s so cool to think that my designs are being worn by people in northern Canada, rural Australia, Brazil, Austria, Germany, Ireland, and, of course, here in France. And the Americans! Love y’all, too! You’re international to me!

I’d encourage US-based buyers not to be shy about buying from abroad! Often, we overseas sellers have access to materials and supplies not available in the states, which makes your handmade purchase all the more unique. I’ve also had buyers write to me telling me about the time they’ve spent in the south of France. I like that my little piece of jewelry will remind them of their Mediterranean holidays. On etsy, you can add the word “europe” to your search times to find EU-based sellers like me. Of course, shipping from overseas is always going to be a bit longer than US domestic shipping, but my average shipping time from Europe to the US is something like 10-14 days. Not a big deal, really.

5. What do you consider is the best way you’ve attracted customers?

It’s really hard to say where customers might come from. I think my friends are some of my best advertisers — I’m really lucky to have a supportive group of buds who are happy to tell other people about my little shop (and sometimes even buy a piece themselves — always a huge compliment.

I also have a blog that I use mostly to share photos and little anecdotes of day-to-day life here in the Cote d’Azur. I don’t know, though, if the blog creates interest in my shop, as I don’t tend to blog about my jewelry; I have attracted a dozen or so regular readers, which makes me happy.

6. How do you stay motivated?

I mentioned above that my friends are some of my best spokespeople, and they also serve as my muses. When I’m seeking inspiration, I sometimes try to imagine what kind of jewelry would suit the characteristics of one friend or another and create pieces based on their personalities. I think about who likes chic and shiny (my friend Jen ), who wants lots of contrast (Delphine), who likes to be subtle & original (Julia ). If I only made pieces for myself, my shops would be filled with chocolate brown wood and champagne-colored pieces. Creating jewelry with my friends in mind keeps my shop diverse, and, hopefully, as fun and beautiful as they are.

About the interviewer: Fina Tejada owns Miss Fruitfly, an indie lifestyle company featuring artwork and home accessories. She is also a blogger who loves to cook, is a closeted reality show junkie and supports independent designers. She will be posting periodically on the Indie Fixx Guest Blog featuring international indie crafters & bloggers to find out what motivates them creatively, how they started their businesses and how they approach the U.S. market. Fina will be posting periodically on Thursdays.