In The Box

This is a new series called "IN THE BOX" where you can get a more in depth look at the artisans who contribute to the Pets Jubilee Box. Today we're talking to SassySashaDoxie:

Introduce yourself:

Hello. My name is Athena and I am owned by Sasha, who is a very spoiled wiener dog. As a hobby we do a little "pawmade" shop on ETSY called SassySashadoxie.ETSY.com. On there, we are devoted to giving our fans and customers a little bit of pet related humor and sharing the joys of relationships with wiener dogs.

What pets do you have and their names?

Sasha. She is a spoiled rotten dachshund and you will all get to know her sassy attitude soon enough. She is my diva girl. Charlie is my mom's dog. He is a rescue foster that came to become a part of the family when we couldn't find the right home for him. Turns out that he had found his forever home with us, and new it before we did. He is a Jack Russell cross breed.

What is the name/location of your ETSY shop?

http://SassySashadoxie.ETSY.com

How did you happen to start selling on ETSY?

I sent a friend's dog a birthday card that I had made using his photo, and she suggested that I start selling my computer made items on ETSY. I put it off for a while thinking what I do is not exactly something that would make any money because anyone with a computer and photo editing software could do it. Well, after situations in my life changed for me, I found myself pondering the idea more. With a little more encouragement, I signed up and put a few items up just to see what would happen. Well, I sold some items, and then a few more. So I was hooked on ETSY after that. I can have fun creating with all my wacky wiener dog ideas and make just a little bit of money while I am at it.

What's your favorite item in your store?

I have so many favorites. It is hard to pick just one. However, I really love the humor displayed in my corn dog cards. They are wacky and cute at the same time.

I also love several of my recent abstract paintings. They are actually painted on with my own hands and not a computer. I find that the painting process is so relaxing, and I never quite know what it will be in the end. Usually, with my computer projects, I have a bit of an idea and work with it from there. In my paintings, it is just moving and mixing the paint on the paper with various objects until it looks like something to me.

What's your most popular line of products?

Well, I had to look. I have so many different products that it was hard to tell. After checking, I believe my dachshund greeting cards and bookmarks seem to be very "PUP-ular".

Where do you get your inspiration/ideas for new items?

From my dachshund, Sasha, of course! I do believe she gives me thousands of ideas all the time. It is almost like a little doggy voice going off in my head. You really have to live with a wiener dog to understand how much they add to the creative process.

What do you want us to know about you as a person?

I am a kind person that loves pets and wiener dogs especially. Sasha and I found each other almost 3 years ago, and my life has changed so much in that time. I think sometimes you developed a special bond with an animal that is like no other. She and I started an ETSY shop to spread the love of wiener dogs around. Most of the items in my shop are inspired by her and what I imagine her thoughts or words would be. I really believe that animals are in a sense human, too. They just speak a different language.

What do you want us to know about you as a crafter/artist?

I love creating and taking pictures of my Sasha. I have combined my love of computer designed art, making usable printed items like cards, other crafts, and dachshunds all in one. It is truly like having your cake and eating it, too. I was once told to find a job that you would be willing to do for free and find people who will pay you to do it as the secret of success. Well, just maybe, this store of mine is that secret.

What do you want us to know about your shop?

My store is 99 percent devoted to dachshunds and about one percent to my recent hobby of painting. I do on occasion have a few non-dachshund items, and I can custom make printed items with people's pets if they wish. However, the personality that comes out in the items words is very Dachshund in nature. You have to be owned by one to know what I mean. The wacky sense of humor and my Sasha's expressions that she has in her photos are just too cute. My shop can easily be any dog or wiener dog lover's favorite store.

What would you be doing/making/selling if you weren't doing what you're doing now?

Well, I probably would still be making the occasional items for friends and family's gifts. I have grown so much over the last year on ETSY and my artistic style has developed in the process. Also, I have developed other skills through this selling process. I have learned about on-line selling, and have gotten over my fears of purchasing items on-line. There is so much that this ETSY experience has given me beyond just my crafting.

Where else can we follow you (twitter, flickr, facebook, blog, other online stores, etc.)?

http://sassysashadoxie.blogspot.com/

What do you have in the Pet Sampler boxes?

I have contributed to the sample boxes a wide range of my products like stickers, bookmarks, gift tags, greeting cards, and so much more. You just never know what might be in the box from me at anytime. However, you can pretty much guess that it will have a wiener dog on it.