An Interview With Judy Johnson From Bay Colony Designs, The Creator Of Custom Sculptured Cats

I was poking around Twitter one day and happened to stumble upon a woman that made the most amazing cat sculptures that I had ever seen.  They are made out of wool and after one look I was smitten! I am planning on ordering one of my Angel Bobo and one of Cody as soon as I am able.

I love to feature items on Cat Chat that I would want or that I think are unique so I contacted Judy and asked if she would mind appearing on my blog.

Originally I was going to conduct the interview but Judy mentioned that she had one that she would gladly share and I am pleased to present it to you:

 How did you get interested in cats? 
When I was growing up we lived in the middle of nowhere.  Therefore, any stray animals that needed a home came to our house.

black and white

 

How old were you when you had your first kitty? 
I was about 4 years old.  My Dad still displays a photo of me at that age with three kittens crawling all over me.

 

How did you discover Etsy? 
My step daughter, Sloane Solanto, is also an artist.  (http://www.sloanesolanto.com/category/arts-and-crafts) She gave me all the information about Etsy.  At that time I didn’t think I needed any more activities to fill my day.  It wasn’t until a year later that I decided to give it a try.  I’m sure glad I did!  I love Etsy.

Did you consider other ways to sell your products? 
Yes, I have considered other ways of selling.  I have a vendor in NY that keeps a few kitties in stock.  I have also had pet stores contact me.  But I keep my most of my kitties at Etsy.

long hair

Do you sell your products in a local store in your area? 
No, at this time, I only sell my cats through Etsy.

Have you been successful at selling your products on Etsy?  I started out selling patterns and watercolor paintings.  Although I was successful, I wasn’t as successful as I wanted to be.  I think that is because of my competitive side.  I watched other artist selling on a daily basis.  I wanted to do that!

My husband was the one that said “Make cats.”  I am so glad that I listened.  I have met so many nice people in the cat world.  I love sculpting with wool and each cat makes my heart sing.  I have since branched out into kitty accessories.  I also make collars and toys.

Siamese

Have you always been successful, or did you end up getting a lot more traffic after being featured on a specific blog? 
I have noticed a sizable difference in the traffic on my site when being mentioned on a blog or website.   It gives people a glimpse into my studio and my inspirations.

Do your customers ever give you new ideas for products?  I love it when customers want custom orders!  I love seeing their kitties, and hearing the stories behind them.  It helps me put extra life into my sculptures.  I am always open to suggestions so if you have one, write to me.  info@BayColonyDesigns.com  or come see me on Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/BayColonyDesigns).

Sebastian

Are you a one woman show?  I do all of the artwork.  Sebastian is my live model.  On occasion he is good for typing!  Thank goodness for spell check.

Can someone return your item it if they don’t care for it?  No one has ever asked for a refund.  I aim to please.

Cici

Can you share a story with us behind any of your products that you especially enjoyed working on?  It is so hard to pick one that I especially enjoyed.  Each custom kitty comes with a story and I love that.  I have recently done a kitty that crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.  I think he turned out particularly well.

I also feel the need to give back to the cat world.  Therefore, I have found the Hope for Life Rescue.

 (http://www.hopeforliferescue.com/home/adopt.php) It is a local rescue in Virginia Beach.  At the end of the year, a portion of the proceeds from each item sold at my shops goes to helping the kitties there.  Here is a kitty from the rescue. Her name is Chantilly.

Chantilly

For details on how to order a Custom Sculpture of your kitty, please visit my shop.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/BayColonyDesigns