Cottage bag was featured on the Etsy Storque

Cottage Bag was featured on the Etsy Storque on June 17, 2010 by marymary. Etsy is a large social commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies. Aika Felt Works has a shop on Etsy since September 2009. I'm still new to Etsy, but it has very nice features like Treasury, lists of curated items by Etsy members, that show up on the top page. It's so enjoyable just too see it. Etsy has brought me new customers mainly from the USA, and I enjoy conversations with them also. I feel it's not just a dream but becoming a reality that handicraft can supply most of our commodities if we want.. when I see Etsy and prosperity of the social web media like Blogs. Don't you think our lifstyle is now changing..??

Felt meets the world! Communication with customers in the world

It's about 10 moths since I have opened Aika Felt Works Webshop last year. It took some time to be noticed, but gradually I am getting orders worldwide. The map shows where and which product I have shipped. It's always exciting to see where my customers are from, in the ordering e-mails. You may think that internet shopping is tasteless compared with face-to-face service in conventional stores. I use automatic confirmation e-mailing system, but otherwise everything is manually operated. As one-woman company, each customer is memorable, because I often start making products after getting orders thinking about who are buying the goods and where my works are going.

Direct communication between customers is a great thing that I appreciate so much. There were 2 customers who bought Felt Slippers for the second time. They bought the first ones some years ago in Finland when they were traveling. They loved and used the slippers until they were worn-out, and still remembered my company name and came back to my webshop to get new ones..! There is nothing happier than this as a designer. I was really glad that they kindly wrote about the stories in the answering e-mails about their purchases. I am amazed how much personal the communication in the internet shop is, and how one customer's voice can influence on my motivation.

Customer's voice is precious, both happy ones and hard ones. I have been reflecting customers' suggestions for improving products as much as possible. Give me just one sentence of your message, to enrich our communication and shopping experience!

Frankfurt Ambiente 2010 has been finished! Thank you for coming!

Aika Felt Works, Mieland, and MAARI have exhibited in Frankfurt Ambiente fair in 12.-16.2.2010 under the name of Arctic Pears, at the joint stand of Finnish Design.

Three of us are all small companies from Lapland, and this was the first time to exhibit in the international fair. We shared the small stand together, so our space was probably the smallest in this hall, but being small wasn't a problem. We've got a lot of attention and contacts!

Aika Felt Works showed mostly industrial felt products. Many people asked pointing at Osampo bag, "What is that?". I realised that people don't recognise it's a bag!! It's good to get straight feedback sometimes;))

Many of Japanese buyers were interested in Osampo bag. Folding bag, Slippers were very popular among European buyers. I must follow up with the contacts now.. Thank you very, very much for visiting us!!

...

I was quite nervous before the fair, when I arrived at the Frankfurt airport, and was terrified to see the huge fair buildings, then wanted to go home immediately when I stepped in our exhibition hall, because all other stands looked so nice!! I couldn't believe that I was going to exhibit my products there.

But this time, I wasn't alone. I had reliable Finnish fellows, ladies of other 2 companies, construction men, a leader of the Finnish stand... we helped each other and everybody spoke Finnish there in Germany, which made me so relaxed.


I have learnt a lot of important things from exhibitors. Normally I work alone, and I don't see almost anybody in my craft business. I was hungry to talk about our businesses, about money, production process, financial supports, etc. Now I've got cooperators, and I can plan my future activities more clearly. This was another big thing there. I want to say big thanks to Maarit, Marjo, Jonna, and Jaana! Kiitos paljon!!

Felt Slippers on VIINI 1/2010 (wine magazine)

Felt Slippers are introduced on Finnish wine magazine, "VIINI 1/2010". The article is about a relationship between good wine and comfortable slippers.

Felt Slippers are available at Okra (Helsinki), 69.00 Eur. Sizes are L, M and S.
tel: +358 (0)9 624 250.

Slippers are available also from Aika Felt Works Webshop. By ordering the slippers from the webshop, you can get them with exact size of your foot at the same price of 69.00 Eur + shipping cost.

I heard from Okra that there had been men customers asking the slippers but they were out of stock. I shipped them to the shop last week. I hope they are now available!

Aika Felt Works will present at Ambiente fair 12.-16.2.2010

Aika Felt Works will exhibit felt products at Ambiente, Frankfurt during 12.-16.2.2010, under
Arctic Pearls, Rovaniemi Regional Development Agency Ltd.

The stand number is Hall 11.0 E41.
To see more information about our stand on Ambiente website, click here!

I will be presenting my works at the stand. Thus Aika Felt Works Webshop will be closed during 11.-17.2.2010. See you there in Frankfurt!

A Happy New Year 2010

Frozen bubbles on the snow. It was very cold morning on Chiristmas Day in Lapland.