Interview-Art by Susmitha/Veganosaurus

How did you choose the name of your shop and how long have you been a member of Etsy?

I'm Susmitha and my store offers art created by me so I just went with Art by Susmitha :) I've been selling online since 2003 and on Etsy since 2007.


What kinds of items do you sell in your shop and what inspired you to startcreating them?


I have 2 Etsy stores. In my Art by Susmitha store I mainly sell jewelry and beads made of clay, wire, gemstones, crystals and other media (all Vegan). I occasionally list a few other odds and ends like wire bookmarks, mobile phone danglers and photographs. I also used to sell my miniature clay sculptures of critters and monsters at this store but since November 2008 they have a space of their own at Veganosaurus on etsy.


Do you donate to any charities or do any volunteer work?

A portion of the sales from the Art by Susmitha store goes to animal charities each month. My preferred charity is theVSPCA Cow Sanctuary.


What are some of your favorite things about etsy?

The ease of listing, the community atmosphere and the look and feel of the website are some of the many things which I love about Etsy

Do you sell your items outside of etsy, either online or in retail shops?

Etsy is the only global online marketplace I currently sell at. For Indian customers particularly I have a small collection of items at a gifting website called Exciting Lives

Have you been featured anywhere?

I have been featured on a few blogs. My most recent feature was on Etsy's blog The Storque where my tutorial on Creating a Facebook Fan Page.


What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have?

I am very interested in metaphysics. I practice Reiki healing and Tarot reading.




Do you have any websites besides your shop that you would like to tell us about?


http://www.veganosaurus.com

How long have you been vegan and what made you go vegan?

I've been vegetarian since birth and I've been vegan for a little more than 6 years now. My husband became a vegan after learning about what goes on behind the scenes in the dairy industry. I followed suit. We haven't looked back since.

Do you have any favorite vegan things, like books, websites, stores, etc.?

Vegan Books are easy: Very Vegetarian and Vegan Planet are right at the top of my list!

Websites and Blogs - I have many many favorites, here are a few off the top of my head:

http://vegan-food.net

http://cherrybombpie.com

http://vegspinz.blogspot.com

What are your favorite foods?


I'm a foodie so there really isn't much that is not a favorite. As long as it's vegan and made with love I'm going to love it :)

Is there anything else you would like to add or share?

I love being a member of Vegan Etsy! It really is a blessing to be part of a group of so many like minded people where I can speak my mind without needing to justify or argue for my beliefs.