As you all know, I am on Etsy.
I am also on a site called Luula, which I am loving.
Here's a little information about the new handmade site:
What is Luulla?
Luulla is about your handmade story, it's about telling your story and showcasing your creation to the world.
We believe that behind every beautiful and creative item, there is a touching and beautiful handmade story. Every story is unique, and as we started our journey meeting different crafters months before Luulla even got started, we were so excited to hear about the experiences, the story and the passion from each handmade seller.
From that moment, we realize that we would love to build a special place for handmade lovers. A place that allow sellers to connect with people that share the same passion and love for all beautiful things created.
We grow to love everything handmade, and few weeks later Tommy and Maggie left their day job and started the journey founding Luulla.
Why the name Luulla?
The name Luulla comes from the Finnish language. It means to imagine and to believe. We believe that with the passion and determination, we can build a community that can bring happiness to both the buyers and the sellers. We would one day imagine building a site where all sellers are successful, a place where everyone help out each other, a place that is cheerful.
When we first started building the site, it was only with hope and dreams. We live on our savings and only hope that we could build something useful. Each of the seller that we approached shows their support, it was with the help and support from the sellers that eventually lead us to finish building the first version of the site.
Many sellers that we approached has a dream, that one day they will be able to live a life making the things they love and be able to earn a living doing so. We are on the mission to fulfill that, and we think that everything starts from having a bold imagination and a strong believe in the things you do.
And therefore, we choose the name Luulla.
How it got started?
The site was founded by Tommy and Maggie. Initially, we sat in a small kitchen coding ten hours a day living mostly on donuts and coffee.
Six months later, we launched the initial version of the site. The site was first rolled out to public at late November 2011. Nick and Ethan joined the team a month later. Our lovely designer Shin joined the team three months after Luulla was founded. Today, the team consists of eight people, and is split half into engineering and half community.
What's the greatest joy launching the site?
During the first day of launch, one of the seller got her first sale. The team jumped up with joy!! There is nothing that can describe this special feeling. For the whole six months of long hours coding, the moment a seller made her first sale, it was all worth it. It was very special.
And today we celebrate each seller's sale, especially when a new seller get her first sale!! It just keep the team moving and moving. And yes, we spend time browsing through all your beautiful creation and discussing about them. They are really beautiful!!
Where is Luulla located?
Luulla is located on the beautiful island of Penang, Malaysia. We are located in Asia. It's a place with beautiful beaches, rich in culture and also a place full of heritage and historical background.
We love working on this beautiful island, and enjoy everything from the rich variety of food, people, and also the warm and sunny weather.
We hope that by selecting a unique place to start Luulla, it will attract sellers from different countries, background and culture.
How do you promote the sellers?
Each day, five to ten stores are chosen and the community team promote your work at different places such as Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, WeHeartIt, and many more. Each of the seller's item is unique, and therefore depending on the items listed, the community team normally run different promotion for the sellers to introduce new buyers for your store.
It would be great if sellers can promote your new store at Facebook and Twitter too, so that more people will know about the site. Sellers that also promote her Luulla store generally also generates higher sales.
I am a crafter, how can I participate?
If you are a handmade artist, and if you wish to join us in this wonderful journey building a beautiful handmade marketplace, do write us an email at mail@luulla.com and we will send you an invitation.
check it out when you get a chance! My luula shop is located at:
http://www.luulla.com/store/byStephanieSmith
