TGIF feature and giveaway :: dozi

i first 'met' dozi via a mutual friend's blog link. i instantly loved her stuff because of its intriguing graphic elements. when i opened up shop on etsy, another mutual friend told me of dozi because she knew her from college. :) hence, we 'reconnected', or shall i say, connected for the first time. :) since i just think her stuff is great, this friday's feature and giveaway will showcase her shop. my fave item in her shop is the pocket jotter. so cute and wonderful for all the journaling and sketching i do. :) thanks dozi for answering these questions and providing a wonderful giveaway!

Q. Who are you?
A. I'm Wendy Chung and I have a little etsy biz,Dozi. I live with my husband and 9-month-old Boston terrier in Northern California. I don't do this full-time, but hope to one day!

Q. When did you open up your shop and how did you come up with your shop name?
A. I opened Dozi in May of 2008. I wanted a simple-sounding name that conveyed my style. And since I'm Chinese, I thought it'd be neat to use a Chinese word. Dozi is Chinese for "bean" - small, simple, and almost understated.

Q. What do you create and sell?
A. Right now I make mostly cards and notebooks. I hope to focus more on designing patterns and using them to expand my notebook collections, and one day I'd love to be able to design and sell my own line of fabrics.



Q. What is your favorite item in your shop?
A. Probably my pocket workbooks. I really enjoy designing patterns, especially in sets that are coordinated but aren't too matchy-matchy. I love that these workbooks are a bit easier to make than my pocket jotters, and love that I can fill them with graph paper.

Q. Do you have any advice for newbie Etsy sellers?
A. Having good photos is really important since this is the first thing people see. Keep your shop fresh by updating it with new items regularly and make sure your latest listing is not more than a week or two old - relist! Look at successful shops and learn from them. Don't give up and be patient: keep on working to make your shop better, learn from your mistakes and just keep moving forward and trying new things. All good things take time to build.

Q. What is the passion on your heart or your burden for this world?
A. Hm, tough question! I think there is a lot of ugliness in this world -- things that are depressing, heart-wrenching, things that make people cry and hurt and sigh. I hope that in the little corner of the world that I'm in, I can bring a bit of beauty in both tangible and intangible ways -- helping, giving, forgiving, listening. I'm not always good about these things, but I can keep on trying.

Q. Lastly, what is your giveaway this fine TGIF!

(one giveaway winner will be selected at random the following Tuesday at 11.59pm EST. to enter, please comment below with your favorite item from 1. dozi and 2. MustardSeed by.carollai. 'follow' my blog and you'll receive an automatic second entry. :) remember to leave an email address because if you are the winner, you will want to be contacted!)

A. I'll be giving away one pocket workbook - any one of the six cover designs filled with either blank, lined, or gridded pages.

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check out another great giveaway at chocolateandsteel.