In a sector bursting with successful female business owners, here are five awesome male Etsy sellers that I know and love, doing it for the dudes:

1. // I think I first  virtually met Tim Easley over on Twitter and his illustration style is out of this world. There’s some attention to detail in his work that blows my mind and he’s not shy about his use of colour. You should definitely follow along on Instagram where he’s been drawing really cool and complex things on the most unusual of objects – basketballs!

2. // I had the pleasure of meeting Toby from I Like Cats at the recent Etsy Captain Summit in London and he’s just as cool and fun and he seems online. Toby’s illustrations speak the truth for us animal lovers, that cats and dogs are way better than people. I’ve got my eye on this t-shirt that tells the story of my life.

3. // I met Ben from The Owlery when our stalls were side by side at The Bearded Tit market in Leeds a few years ago. His passion for his work oozes out when he chats to customers about his products and his kooky pattern repeats are unlike anything else I’ve seen.

4. // Based in Leeds, Owen from Or8Design is a fellow Etsy Team Leeds member and an incredible artist and screen printer. I own a beautiful ‘The Great Outdoors – Cottage’ print from Or8Design and I have bought a further two prints as gifts. I adore his style and his use of colour. Follow Owen on Instagram where he shares cool poster designs for local folks!

5. // If you haven’t heard of Fat Kitty up until now, you’re welcome! Fats is the real life inspiration behind Dave’s work at The No Such Disco and he’s a no shit taking, bad ass cat with a rare soft side. I’ve known Dave for many years since we virtually met in the Craft Britannia team and he’s a gem!

Who are your favourite awesome male Etsy sellers?

Loves x xx

Tea or coffee?
Coffee! Every single time.

Who are you and what do you do?
Hiyur! I’m Chloe of By The Lock Handmade; a little Etsy shop where I sell zipper pouches I design and make. I like to make useful, unique stuff.

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
Just less than two years.

Do you run your Etsy shop full time or do you also have a ‘day job’?
I have a day job, boooo.

What’s the one thing you wish you had known before you opened your shop on Etsy?
I wish I had realised how much my ideas will change over time and to just roll with it. I originally set out with this clear expectation of what I wanted to be and what I wanted to make and I didn’t let those ideas evolve because I was so set on the original idea! Now I am much more “I love that! I’m making it”.

What are you working on right now?
I’m playing around with printing my own fabrics! It’s totally at experimental stage right now but I’m playing with carving stamps, hand dying and eventually I’ll be screen printing too! Making my own fabrics is really exciting. I can’t wait to start working with them.

If money and time weren’t an issue, where would you like to take your Etsy shop, brand and products in the next 3 years?
I’d have the most beautiful studio full of plants with a little store front to sell my pieces in; it’s always been my dream to have an espresso bar so maybe with a couple of tables at the side so people can sit and enjoy the shop! I’d get a couple of sewers onboard too so I can focus on printing and design.

If you could give one piece of advice for starting an Etsy shop, what would it be?
Just do it! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have everything perfect from day one. You learn so much as you go, waiting until the time is right will mean you’re waiting forever. What’s the worst that can happen?

Are you a dog or cat person?
Easily easily dogs. By a 1000 miles. But I love all animals so will not say no to a good cat

Tell us something fun you do or a silly habit you have when you’re working…
I almost always have a series running on my laptop even though I miss 50% of what they’re saying when my machine is running… so I usually have to re-watch it because ill suddenly be like “wait, what?! Who died!?”

What is your fuel to get through a hard week?
I always reward myself with beer and pizza. Set myself a to do list and once I’ve done it it’s vegan pizza time.

What do success and happiness look like to you?
Success to me is being able to surround myself with dogs every single day. I have a pup and it breaks my heart I’m not with her 24 hours a day. I want to be able to get to a position where I manage my own time completely, then I can adopt a small herd of dogs.

What do you struggle with as a small business? What help would you love to be provided with that you feel isn’t already available?
Time. I’d love more time to be able to work on my own stuff. Day jobs definitely get in the way so it’s hard; I have all these ideas but they take so long to finish! I do a lot of late nights and weekends, it’s totally worth it! But more time to focus wouldn’t be bad.

Thank you for dropping by, Chloe!!

You can find By The Lock Handmade on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram and don’t forget to pop over to Etsy to see Chloe’s amazing handmade zipper pouches and accessories!

Loves x xx