UPDATED: Three Smitten Kittens (3SK) Mini Interview + Giveaway
1:36 AM
As
per my previous post, I did a review on one of my favorite Cosplay shops in the
net, Three Smitten Kittens (3SK). And now, I caught up with the owner and asked
a few questions from Ms. Jakilyn Chipeco.
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| Me with Three Smitten Kittens owner, Jakilyn "Aki" Chipeco |
And since it’s the merry month of December, I’ll be holding a giveaway for my
dear readers and the prize will be from Three Smitten Kittens. Find out more as
you read on.
For now, know more about 3SK with this mini interview with Ms. Jakilyn:
1. When did you start Three Smitten
Kittens? What made you go into this business?
I
started offering my services October last year, and officially operated under
the name "Three Smitten Kittens" January this year.
I've
decided to go into business because my work contract for my actual job (as a
cashier in an cafe in Trinoma) was finishing up and I barely saved anything
with my minimum-wage job, so I decided to get into side-business. I found the
CNPH cosplay market and posted sample works there and got inquiries and clients
in a few days. It's my full-time work now and I consider it a great blessing.
2. What are your exact products and
services?
We
specialize in made-to-order clay replicas of cosplay accessories. While we make
other items made with clay--cute food items, chibis, charms, souvenir items,
etc. our specialty really is on wearable cosplay accessories. If you send us a
reference photo of any accessory or jewelry the character you want is wearing,
we can probably make it.
My
brother who is my assistant also offers graphic art services, and has received
commissions through 3SK to make hi-res graphics of particular anime/game logos
that people can proceed to put onto their shirts, costumes, use as reference
for their embroidered patches, etc.
3. If you don't mind me asking, how do
you do your projects? Do you just do clays or use other materials too?
From
the moment a reference photo is sent to me with an inquiry, I already start
thinking of what materials to use for it. I already see how I'll be doing to it
from start to finish and work based on that. ^^
I
use primarily clay and specialize on it, but I use many other materials to
complement it. Craft foam and plastic folders are my favorite items. I make
small, minor items like hairbows with fabric. I also just recently stocked on
craft resin so I shall use that too when it's appropriate. Sometimes I even use
ordinary items like carton boxes and corrugated board. My workspace really has
a ton of craft materials stockpiled that I just use when the appropriate time
comes for them to be used.
4. You've been running Three Smitten
Kittens for just one year but I've noticed you've had so many projects and
clients already. How is everything in the business and what makes it
successful?
Business
has its ups and downs, but I'm really blessed and thankful it's has been pretty
successful so far. It's truly God and the clients that have made it a great
success. I'm thankful for them so we strive to do our best in our work.
Other
things that I think make the business successful in its own way is thorough
planning from the start before you dive in. I've thought about this business
and researched it well since the early days and I believed in it and had faith
it could work out, and I think that's essential too to why it had success.
Great market research and planning of where you want a business to go right
from the beginning is essential!
5. What/Who are your inspirations in
this business?
My
family! Only my older sister and I earn an income in the family so I do my best
to work hard for them. They've helped me run the shop in little ways so I want
to make it all work out, for them. I also have this special friend who'd helped
me start up and set up shop before anyone did. He'd given me the push to go for
it. I consider working hard and making this successful as my way of thanking
him.
Also
my mum runs an organization in a local high-school which supports kids by
teaching the love of God and having programs that supports their hobbies, so
they stay away from bad influences. We give proceeds of our earnings to fund
their projects. I also have a dream to help the locals by expanding the shop
and helping others have income as well by hiring them. Seeing how many people
you can or could help out with a successful business is very inspiring~!
6. What are the best and worst
experiences you had experienced running Three Smitten Kittens?
Worst
is right now! My Paypal account is still frozen due to "unusual
activity". It's a big blow to us not being able to take international
orders. But I have faith it'll be sorted out soon, and the shop still does well
with local orders. It's in times like these where dedication is tested, and if
you hang on and do your best everything will work out for the good.
(UPDATE: Their Paypal is fixed now and is up and working. You can now transact
with 3SK and pay through their Paypal.)
7. What do you think makes Three
Smitten Kittens unique than other shops?
I
think that something we're definitely very unique in compared to other shops is
that we also aspire to encourage others, and not just earn money for ourselves.
Apart from the organization we support and our dream to employ others
eventually, I personally like to encourage more cosplayers to get hands-on and
crafty by posting tutorials and guides in the shop's blog and answer questions
about materials and how people should go about making their own items if they
wanted to. It probably sounds absurd to some since other crafters won't share
their 'trade secrets' and teach others, but over the year that I've been doing
it, it hasn't damaged business at all! xD
We
strongly believe in generosity and giving back to the community and sharing
what we know. I don't think enough self-owned, self-operated businesses do that
now.
8. Want to plug your shop? Just list
them down.
Anyone
can transact with us through our Facebook page, Three Smitten Kittens. :3 https://www.facebook.com/ThreeSmittenKittensShop
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And
because it’s the merry month of December, Hainrihi’s Discoveries together with
Three Smitten Kittens, will be having a giveaway to my readers who want to have
their own customized/personalized accessories made (whether cosplay-related or
not).
 |
| Thanks to Aki's brother for making this promotional photo. :) |
To join, just follow the instructions in the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
~Hainrihi
The
giveaway will run until January 2, 2014. Winner will be announced on January 3,
2014 and will contact the winner via Facebook PM or email.
UPDATE
1: And since I’m feeling generous, I’ll be picking one more winner for a
consolation prize coming from me. J
UPDATE
2: Already got the P500 gift voucher from Three Smitten Kittens. Pictures
below. So join the giveaway now! J
~Hainrihi
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