TieDye - Oh How We Adore....COLORS!

Meet Sandy Mitchell, a fun loving 23year old based out of Atlanta, Georgia! She is the proud owner of Tie Dye By Sandy! She is passionate about what she does and it shines right through! We are so happy to have been able to catch her for a short interview! 

Building Bridges: Sandy, tell us a little bit about yourself, your family, and what you like to do for fun!

Sandy Mitchell: I have always had a knack for arts and crafts, and have been tie-dyeing since I was eight years old! My love of tie-dye started when I was younger and learned how to make my first shirt in girl scouts.  My mom was my Girl Scout leader, and she taught me everything I needed to know about tie-dye.  Now, I am continually expanding my skills and learning new techniques and patterns all the time!

Here is a picture of me with my girl scout troop wearing one of the first tie-dye shirts I ever made!  (I’m on the far left)

Building Bridges:  Why did you decide to open your shop and why sell on Etsy.com ?

Sandy Mitchell: When I was in high school, I would often wear my tie-dye creations to school, and soon my friends started buying them from me.  It was not until my third year in college that I got all of my resources together in order to successfully sell online.

Building Bridges:  When did your shop officially open?

Sandy Mitchell: June 12, 2012

Building Bridges:  Do you take custom orders?

Sandy Mitchell: I love custom orders! Most of the designs seen in my shop can be made in any size from newborn onesie up to adult 4XL.  Some of my favorite orders have been for school groups in custom spirit wear colors, or specially made shirts for wedding parties in the bride’s favorite colors.  I’ve also done custom tie-dye shirts for a rowing team in Manhattan, NY for a couple years in a row now.

    

Building Bridges:  What is your favorite part about owning your own business?

Sandy Mitchell: I love that I can constantly be thinking up new designs and creating wearable art.  I get SO excited when I try something new and it becomes not only a favorite in my house amongst my family and friends, but when I get positive feedback from customers all over the country and the world.  Having my own shop lets me have a very rewarding creative outlet, and I am so very grateful to everyone who has helped me get to this point.

Building Bridges:  Do you have a product that you prefer to design/create over others?

Sandy Mitchell: I love all of my shirts and clothing, but I do have color combinations that I like better than others.  Classic rainbow is an old standby, but newer color combinations such as my Inverted Rainbow Spiral which includes some rich black dye for contrast and are really fun to make.

Building Bridges:  Do you have any advice for other crafters who would like to start selling their creations?

Sandy Mitchell: Do your research before you dive in! Everyone has the potential to be successful.  I spent about sixth months researching, preparing, and gathering everything I needed before I jumped into selling online.  I read through countless articles and etsy forum posts to learn the does and don’t of selling online.  Don’t give up! It will probably be slow when you first start out, but working, tweaking, and promoting a little bit every day will bring success.

Building Bridges:  We love to attend craft markets - do you?

                                    
Sandy Mitchell: I love attending, and being a part of them.  I haven’t done many, but a few small craft festivals I was a part of were so much fun, and also a lot of work! ;)
I sold already made tie-dyes, but I also set up a make-your-own tie-dye shirt booth that was a hit for both kids and adults!

                                      

Building Bridges:  Do you use your own products?

 
Sandy Mitchell: Yes!  It’s funny, but I’m pretty sure half of my wardrobe is tie-dyed :P

Building Bridges:  What is your most popular product on the market right now?

Sandy Mitchell: My most popular product is my Inverted Rainbow Spiral Hoodie

  Building Bridges: What is the favorite item you make and why?

Sandy Mitchell: Currently, my favorite item is a new tshirt design that I have been playing around with.  I like it because even though there are lots of tie-dye artists out there, I feel this is especially unique combining different techniques that I have learned.

Building Bridges: Thanks so much for the Interview Sandy!! You can follow Sandy on her tie dye adventures through Etsy  Facebook, Twitter, and Wanelo. Feel free to send her a convo via Etsy for custom orders!