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A handful of Utah moms are making a living, or supplementing their incomes, by using a Web site specifically designed to sell handmade and homemade goods. A Layton woman who owns a virtual store on the site even caught the attention of Martha Stewart.
Ashley Blanch Steele makes unique wooden toys at her Layton home. She sets her own hours, she controls the quantity she sells, and she's sold to people all over the world. She owns the virtual store Hiccup Decor on Etsy.com.
"It's like an eBay for homemade goods. You don't bid, but it's an e-commerce site that hosts all these different vendors that make their own products," Steele explained.
There are over 100,000 sellers from around the globe who sell millions of handmade goods on Etsy. Ashley Giessing owns Isabell's Umbrella. "I specialize in stationary, and the whole Isabell's Umbrella idea is that it lifts the cloud over a rainy day," she said.
Giessing is a mom and works full time. She launched her Etsy store about a year ago and works hard at it every night. "If things keep on going the way it is, I hope it will provide a full-time income for me," she said.
Just like Isabell's Umbrellas success, Hiccup Decor has been growing since launching on Etsy. Steele was even on national TV with the "Queen of Craft" herself, Martha Stewart. [VIDEO:Click here to view the Martha Stewart show segment featuring Steele's baby wooden blocks.]
What could possibly be next after appearing on the Martha Stewart show? Steele is working with another Etsy contributor on a whole new line of wooden toys coming soon.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
