Please meet Karen Mertens, owner of Le Petit Poulailler, Three French Hens and The Little Chicken Coop on Zibbet. Karen resides in New Jersey.
Describe your style and how it sets you apart from your competition. I am interested in ... everything! Honest! I adore my quilting, embroidery, and sewing ~ those were my first loves and I never tire of them. If there is a craft shop within 50 miles, I’m there! I can find a tag sale blindfolded. I’m a prolific reader, a fair writer, an awful housekeeper and a better cook in my head than in reality. I grew up with my father’s books and encyclopedias, my mother’s antiques and my grandmother’s quilting. Here’s the thing: I know a little bit about a lot of things ... and my one advantage is ~ I can remember it all. (Just ask my friend Lori about her capybaras!)
What is the story behind your shop name? I have a thing for chickens. I wish the story were more intriguing that this, but there it is. Chickens are just about the best thing out there. They entertained me growing up in my nursery books and continue to be just plain goofy and fun now that I’m grown. Naw ... I have to be honest. After I sold my general store, I was planning on opening a holiday-themed boutique and took out all my licensing under the name, Three French Hens. When I opted instead to open online as a quilt shop, I kept the name. So when the time came and I needed another shop for vintage and antiques? ... this little chicken was called into service.
What is your favorite item in your shop at the moment? It changes just about daily but right now, today? It has to be the 1882 Wildflower Engraved Monograms ~ they’re so completely yummy! Botanical. Engraving. Monogram...perfect! And the paper from these volumes is wondrously heavy ~ almost a linen feel to it. And it’s like the ink lays atop the paper...you can actually *feel* it. Each letter is different ~ there are dozens and dozens of letters, but each one is a different flower, each one a different font. They’re gorgeous!
What is your favorite Zibbet shop? Hmmm...favorites. I don’t like choosing favorites but if you insist!! It has to be Amber’s shop, Bijoutiful. And for those of you taking notes, Ill happily accept anything from her shop as a belated birthday gift (May 13th!) If I can choose just one thing from her work, it would be the beautiful, simple Sterling Forget Me Not Earrings. Yum!
How long have you been a Zibbeter? I joined the fun on March 23, 2010.
As a seller, what do you like best about Zibbet? Zibbet is a lovely looking site, isn’t it? And that is wonderful, but the best part is, the loveliness doesn’t stop at the surface ~ the site has good bones. I mean that, from a user’s point of view, the mechanics are good, too ~ it’s a breeze to list my items and the presentation is superb. And the site is starting off right, too, I believe. Community will play a big part in our success ~ I truly believe Jonathan and the Z Crew want to get it right the first time. And they’re willing to wait until it IS right before they put it out there for us. Yeah. Z shows great, great promise.
As a buyer, what do you like best about Zibbet? Back to that Presentation Factor. Everything looks absolutely scrumptious! The photographs are a wonderful, showy size ... I’ll admit that as far as I’m concerned I’d like to have a dozen more photo slots for each listing, but I’m pleased with having 4. The organization, the categories ... all that is right on the mark.
What else would you like the world to know about you and your Zibbet shop? Easy! Don’t be a stranger! Come by and see what I have new! I love conversation, questions, suggestions, hunting treasure ... are you looking for something special? Ask me to find that 1830 Regency fashion engraving you’ve been wanting framed for your dressing room, request a set of Kay Nielsen bookplates for your nieces expanding library. We’ll have some fun!
Vintage 75 Piece White Button Packet
1935 Antique Engraved State Maps- Wyoming, Alaska
1909 Edwardian Bride, Harrison Fisher Lithograph
1954 Vintage Redoute Rose Botanical Lithographs 31
Buy Handmade ~ Buy Handmade ~ Buy Handmade
2 comments:
Great interview, nice to see a vintage seller. I agree, stop by, it's a great store.
Great interview! And I agree on so many of your points. Having a ball on Zibbet :D
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