PunkyJane

How did you start to create your own hand stamped jewelry?

After the birth of my second daughter, I wanted to find a special necklace with my girls’ names on it. I never could find anything that spoke to me. I decided to make something myself. When I was done, not only had I created something I loved, I loved creating it! I remember thinking so clearly, “I could make this into a business!” Punky Jane was born. That first piece I made was so personal, I decided a personal name for my business was important. Punky Jane is what my mom called me as a child…and to be honest, still does to this day. I started in a small corner of our one-car garage on an old metal desk I found for free, taking each piece from start to finish. Five years later, I now have a dedicated studio space and some help with operations, but I still create every order on that same old desk.

Where did you come up with your ‘Mark Your Calendar’ idea?

I’ve always been a planner and addicted to office supplies. I’m also a photographer who takes too many pictures. I began scrapbooking and documenting my family’s events, both big and small. One of the ways I did that was to create a large calendar that I could slip into a scrapbook at the end of the month. About a year after starting Punky Jane while jotting down a few things on one of these calendars, I occurred to me that I should make a sterling calendar. How wonderful it would be to wear an actual calendar page! That rectangle of silver marked my wedding day. My Mark Your Calendar Collection now comes in over 60 styles and variations, including calendar necklaces, charms, bracelets, key chains, cuff links and money clips. And you can personalize them even more by adding charms, crystals and additional stamped pieces.

How has ShipStation helped with your business?

As my business grew, so did the need for new systems. Gone were the days of one at a time shipping via PayPal. Shipping used to be the worst part of the day! Using ShipStation, we’ve cut shipping down to about 1/2 hour. It used to take over 2 hours, and that was on a good day when PayPal shipping wasn’t returning error messages. ShipStation allows me to manage shipping for both of my stores easily, all in one place. The integration with Etsy is seamless. My shopping cart software isn’t yet supported, but ShipStation allows for .csv import. Imagine how wonderful it will be when my both my shops are fully integrated! ShipStation makes it seem as though I have an entire shipping department! It’s not uncommon for us to finish shipping for the day and for me to exclaim, “I love ShipStation!”

What is your favorite ShipStation feature?

I just love the shipping presets. We’ve set up presets for our most common shipping scenarios, including carrier, packaging, rates, etc. Most of our shipping is ready to print with just a couple of clicks. Using ShipStation means more time to create!