Sarah Waterhouse, General Manager at Folksy, was kind enough to answer a few quick questions about her experience at Folksy, her understanding of the handmade boom and what we can expect from Folksy in the future. Sarah is also a very talented textile designer and sells her collection of printed accessories and home textiles on Folksy. I bought some for my Sister back in March and they are lovely!
SD: How long have you worked for Folksy?
SW: I took over as General Manager in November 2010. "I will be managing the day to day running of the site but will also be taking Folksy forward by working on site improvements, planning new projects, building partnerships and increasing our PR and marketing." (Extracted from Folksy blog)
SD: What is your favourite thing about working for Folksy?
SW: Every day is different as my job as manager is so varied. I am involved in every area of the site and not only deal with the day to day running of Folksy but I also get to create exciting new projects to take Folksy onwards and upwards.
SW: Yes, I'm a textile printer and have a shop on Folksy. I started my business 4 years ago and have been selling on Folksy since 2008.
"I’ve been selling (and spending!) on Folksy since 2008, my shop is Sarah Waterhouse Textiles (previously Plain Jane Textiles) I sell fabric, home textiles and accessories and everything is hand printed in my little studio in Sheffield. I also run a non-profit organisation in Sheffield called Craft Candy which promotes Craft in Sheffield and encourages craft businesses by offering support, advice and opportunities." (Extracted from Folksy blog)
SD: Why do you think handmade things have become so popular in recent years?
SW: I think people care more now about where an item is made and who has made it. Handmade items by their very nature become a more treasured item and are less likely to be thrown away. A connection to the maker is very important too as being able to talk to the artist about how an item has been made gives it an added importance and makes it more special.
SW: Very exciting! We have lots of projects on the horizon and will be making some major improvements to the site over the next 6 months, we cant wait to share them with you all.
