Crafty Divas and Entrepreneurial Empresses

May 2004's Diva
Kelly Butler
of Tramp Lamps

There is underwear so beautiful that it should be in lights. Making this a reality came about in September 2003. With overwhelming support from family and friends, the studio that once housed paintings was transformed into a dangling bordello of unmentionables. Each garment appeared to be worn by an invisible woman.

Tramp Lamps are one of a kind illuminations created from vintage clothing and undergarments. Each lamp is unique to the antique shop or thrift store it came from. The fabric of each peice is stiff and durable like a lampshade. There are certain details of the lamps that will remain soft, such as any flowers, ribbon or overlayed fabric that is too delicate to be manipulated. A matching satin hanger is included.

The lamp maintains its curves by curing in a solution created by hand. It should always keep a girlish figure as long as the recommended wattage is followed. Each piece is ready to plug in and will vary in watts (usually 7 to 25). Do not cheat on her or she could get hot, destroying the guarantee of the product.

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The Interview
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The Basic Lowdown:

Girlposse.com: Who are you?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: I am 29 year old Kelly Butler

Girlposse.com: Where are you located?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: Nashville, Tennessee

Girlposse.com: What is your creation / business?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: I make lamps out of vintage lingerie, Tramp Lamps

Girlposse.com: Where can people buy your stuff?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: we have several retail locations so that people can see the lamps in the flesh the retail locations page on our website is the best means of finding a store near you. we are always looking for new stores to carry our lamps in new cities. i would love to speak with any store owners about wholesale pricing. and as always, Tramp Lamps can be seen in heavy doses on our web site, www.tramplamps.com

Girlposse.com: Tell us something about yourself - your personality:
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: I'm a nut
a coot
a ham
i love working for myself.
i have always been dreadfully honest when it comes to fair treatment for employees
i got into trouble for speaking my mind at previous jobs i have had
the fellow employees loved me for that
but the management always had to have a private discussion with me about speaking out against unfair practices

i once told an employer of mine
that i thought she needed psychological help
she was a very angry person: kicking holes into the store's walls..
and took her temper out on the staff in front of customers
i will always be hated by her i guess
the price for being honest

i love working with my customers
when they realize there is no corporate back bone to my business strategy
and that i am just a girl who wants to make lamps out of underwear
they end up coming back for more lamps

The Nitty Gritty:

Girlposse.com: How long have you been doing this?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: i started in september 2003 and it became my full time job in january 2004 i was so scared to leave my steady job and my "direct deposit" paycheck alas, that is the price of such freedom

Girlposse.com: Beginning a business is a big step. How did this become a "business" vs. just a "hobby""?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: In October 2003, we started getting a lot of hits on the web site
it seemed to become quite the rage in blogs and online journals as a hot topic somehow.
96,000 people came to the site that month alone
i was a bit overwhelmed with that number.
i thought that i would have to leave my full time job if that response level was maintained.
My once a year vacation from work happen to fall at this peak time and i enjoyed the opportunity to focus on what it would be like to run my own business full time.
Going back to my day job after the vacation made me realize just how badly i wanted to work for myself.
Nothing at the 9 to 5 seem to make sense to me anymore after that small taste of 'what if'. In january 2004, i left and have been self employed ever since.


Girlposse.com: Did you have previous business experience - or was the business end new to you?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: The job that i left after 3 years to pursue Tramp Lamps full time
started as a 2 person operation out of the owners home.
i was one of her first employees and i stayed with that company
as it grew into a larger space and a staff of 20 people.
The opportunity to observe the nature of a small business couldn't have been better in that environment.
They made so many mistakes and i have vowed not to do the same thing with my own company.
They also had many attributes that i would certainly build my own business practices from.
So in many ways the business end was not new to me,
but due to the uniqueness of the product
and the realization that no one sell lamps made out of underwear on the planet except for me
makes the business new no matter how much experience i have. Girlposse.com: What was (is) your biggest obstacle in selling what you create?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: Finding out who would be interested in purchasing such a strange light source. When it first started to get noticed on the internet, the gothic scene was the first to pick up on it. This spread very quickly into all sorts of folks. Mothers and daughters have bought lamps together for each others homes. And i have had a great response from families who purchase one and their kids end up being the biggest fans of it. I even sold a lamp to a customer over the phone by description alone, due to the fact that he was blind and buying it as a gift. That makes me feel like there is no such thing as a particular demographic for my lamps, which i am happy to realize.



Girlposse.com: How did you ever come up with the idea to create lamps out of vintage clothing?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: I dont know what precisely made me think that it would work, but i didn't strike me as all that strange. Lamps shades sometimes have an hourglass curve such as a corset, and they were very similar to me. It just sort of happened.

Girlposse.com: Do you ever have difficulty finding vintage clothing for your lamps?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: No , there is a wealth of it in this land. Perhaps it is because people are reluctant to purchase used underwear for their own personal needs. It is sometimes easier to find undies for sale in vintage stores. The demand is lower than other items which allows me to be the main purchaser of it in my field.

Girlposse.com: Are there any plans to expand your product line?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: i have contemplated doing more full length dresses that stand on their own such as a wedding dress. How i would ship this item would be another hurdle all its own. With every garment being one of a kind the opportunity for the gallery to renew itself IS the expansion of the product.

Girlposse.com: What keeps you going on a bad day?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: My boyfriend and my mom and dad. I clip coupons and watch my funds now. There is no guarantee that i will sell a lamp today. And that can be scary. Everyone just tells me to be patient and the right person will come along. I keep creating new lamps so that if there is a person out there who frequents my web site looking for the right lamp.. with my persistent creating, perhaps they will find the one they fancy. The lamp i dont make may just be the sale i have lost.

Girlposse.com: Where are some of your favorite places to shop?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: I love local vintage shops and thrift stores. There is comfort in a second hand stores that i have become very needy of. It has made it difficult for me to shop at malls and fancy stores with new mdse. The prices always shock me because of how long i have been shopping in my favorite thrift store. I am guilty of buying something for myself when i go out looking for Tramp Lamp supplies. The prices are so much better at the second hand stores and it makes it easier to justify a small present for me or my boyfriend if the price is good. i must also admit that some of my favorite pieces were found at my new addiction, Ebay.

Girlposse.com: What was the best piece of advice you've been given?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: for my own business, the best advice i have had thus far would be to keep my mind open. if i had not done this for Tramp Lamps, i would still be at my previous job doing something i did not have a passion for. the risk was frightening, but the it has been worth every pinch. an open mind has lead me to new contacts and opportunities. it has been my best decision.

Girlposse.com: What advice would you give to a future Crafty Diva?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: 1) get a great web site and show your product in great photos. luckily, my boyfriend in a talented web designer and has built some of the most beautiful sites i have seen. he works from home here with me and we are also great friends as well as business buddies. his creative assistance has been essential for Tramp Lamps to be what is is.

2) Email everyone on the planet. The worst that can happen is that you dont get a response. when i started my business, i researched my product to see who was doing anything similar. i looked for web sites that had products i admired. I wrote each one and asked for advice. I also emailed all my friends and told them to Pimp my Lamps! these folks can be your best unpaid employees. take chances and contact big fancy magazines that you feel would make great press contacts. behind every big magazine are editors and writers who want to write about crafty new products. Every bit of notice i have had has generated new customers and keeps people coming back to my web site to see new lamps.

Girlposse.com: Are they any other Crafty Divas or Entrepreneurial Empresses we should know about?
Kelly of Tramp Lamps: yes, my good friends who are also former co workers from my previous job have started their own business called www.buttercube.com it contains adorable t shirts, bras, and panties. i would love for this company to take off. these gals truly deserve it.

~ 2004

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Your Chance to Win!
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This month Kelly is giving you a chance to win your very own Tramp Lamp!

Her name is Fae, and is a modified white/gray floral print top with pink ribbon and gray beaded trim Visit our Contests area for details and to enter. Good luck!

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