Meet the CVWomen Etsy entrepreneurs
WHILE her days are filled with home schooling and meeting the needs of others, Karen McDonald's Etsy shop Pieces of Contentment has been quietly running in the background.
Etsy is an online marketplace where creativity lives and thrives across a global platform. It's home to a wide variety of artists wanting to sell their unique, one-of-a-kind goods without the hassle of a bricks and mortar establishment.
"I started on Etsy about three years ago," she said.
"It was simply a place for me to offer my quilts for sale, so I guess you could call it a niche business."
However, after seeing a gap in the market, Mrs McDonald decided to expand her business 12 months ago and offer different fabrics for quilters rather than just the finished product.
"Some organic fabrics aren't available in the United States and that's mainly where my products are going," she said.
"Sometimes I pick things up that aren't available in the US anymore so my customers are grateful there is still somewhere they can buy them."
We checked out some of the other Clarence Valley women who are part of the 'Etsy economy' and are proving that you can still live in a regional town and be an online entrepreneur:
Husband and wife team Karen and Dehn von Ahlefeldt of Maclean source all of their pieces within the Clarence Valley and then painstakingly restore, recycle or re-purpose them to suit a contemporary home. Boasting sales from Japan, UK and USA, the couple are all about retro quirk.
Grafton-based shop owner Sandra has found her niche selling personalised items for practically every celebration.
With over 4,000 items already sold, Sarah has certainly found her calling selling machine embroidery designs.
Julia King has a passion for textile art and it shows in her pieces. According to her biography, starting her Etsy shop came about as a result of extra time and people commenting about the uniqueness of her work.
While we may live in a digital era, Sarah Preston's sleek designs for calendars, charts, to do lists and posters are clearly a success with more than 700 sales.
Not only has she created a new style with her 'Yamba Scandi' collection (taking the black and white Scandinavian look and combining it with a touch of Yamba's landscape and flora) her work has earned her a spot on The Block Shop as a retailer.
If you're after unique and quirky fine art home decor, then Laia Kaie can hook you up, using only the highest quality materials for wall hangings and other one-of-a-kind pieces.
After working as a graphic designer for 12 years, Tiffany Anderson was determined to keep using her design skills after having children. Along came MeYouEvie.
Inspired by her family and friends, Tiffany creates beautiful prints that cherish the stories and memories of life. With almost 400 in sales, she's definitely found success online.
If you're looking for vintage coastal designs and textures ideal for scrapbooking and invitations, then look no further than husband and wife team Mitch and Eleasha's Etsy store who are based in Maclean.
Johanna Clough can boast more than a thousand sales with her hand-crafted journals, digital vintage linens and baby memory books.
Jelarty
If you're after a unique, one-of-a-kind outdoor mosaic art to brighten up the front veranda, look no further than Jill Blake. The Yamba-based artist has a wide collection of beach-themed mosaics that come in all shapes and sizes. Our favourites are the surfboard shaped designs!
