Sieradenstraatje has invited several entrepreneurs to share their own success stories. In this blog post, we meet Lotte , 26, owner of Lottertjes.
Hi Lotte, how nice that you want to share your story with us! Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi, I'm Lotte, a creative 26-year-old village girl living in a former pub in North Holland. I work in primary education as a kindergarten and music teacher, and I also work on my "lottertjes" (little clay earrings). I have an Instagram page ( @lottertjes ) and regularly attend markets. I also welcome clients to my home, in my own studio. 
That's all very nice, how did you actually start?
I loved wearing earrings, but often found large ones too heavy. Surely there was a better way! In my online search for lightweight, large earrings, I read about polymer clay. Since I'd always loved crafting, I decided to buy a few packets of clay. I used the caps of fountain pens and lipsticks as cutters! I quickly got the hang of it and bought my first cutters and tools at Sieradenstraatje.
It's been a year since I started. I love making my earrings unique by working with gold/silver leaf, marbling, and creating gradients. That's where I can really express my creativity!
Have you encountered any pitfalls on your way to success?
In my studio, I have a drawer filled with all sorts of "leftovers": fired clay in all sorts of shapes and colors that I haven't used to make an earring. In the beginning, I was often dissatisfied with how it came out of the kiln, or something went wrong with the sanding, drilling, or varnishing. This also brings me to a tip for other entrepreneurs: practice, practice, practice! Keep experimenting. I've now managed to optimize my "leftovers" to such an extent that I'm satisfied with them, and I now know how I want them. But that took time; I tried a lot.
Finally, a word of thanks:
Thanks to Sieradenstraatje for the high-quality cutters and materials that I enjoy using! And thanks to my dear friend who encourages my entrepreneurial spirit.
Thank you Lotte for your nice story!
Want to check out Lottertjes or follow her on Instagram, or are you interested in her earrings? Then visit her Instagram page at @Lottertjes.