Hand embroidered goods lovingly stitched by claw
Client
650+ Happy Customers
Services
Hand Embroidery
Crafty Crab Collective started as a creative outlet during lockdown. It became a real business. Anniversary gifts, family portraits, tight deadlines, difficult briefs, and customers who sometimes didn't know what they wanted until they saw it. Just me, my dog by my side, the work, and a promise to deliver.
Client intake
Reference photos, subject description, size, any specific requests. The brief has to be right before work starts — most issues later trace back to an unclear brief upfront.
Execution
Hand embroidered to order. Each piece made once, made right. If it doesn't meet the standard — a new piece gets made, no debate, no additional charge.
A creative outlet that became a real operation
During lockdown, with a demanding broadcast job suddenly remote, I needed something to do with my hands! Embroidery was the answer. The first pieces were for myself. Then friends asked. Then strangers of the internet. Crafty Crab Collective opened on Etsy and grew without a business plan — just consistent work, reliable delivery, and word of mouth from customers who got exactly what they commissioned.
Scoping & timeline
Complexity assessment, two-week standard turnaround. Rush requests absorbed without passing the cost to the client or the delay to anyone else in the queue.
Delivery
Ships on time. Across 600+ commissions, that record is clean. Late is not an option when there's a birthday or anniversary to catch!
Commissions completed — Families, anniversaries, pets, portraits — each one a custom brief with a real deadline.
Digital templates sold — Designed independently, expanding the shop's product line beyond physical commissions.
Overall rating — Maintained across hundreds of transactions, including remakes and rush orders.
Late shipments — Rush requests absorbed internally. The ship date is a promise, not an estimate.
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