Featured Artisan: Quilted Hugs Bibs

QuiltedHugsBibs.Etsy.com

     All of you have to meet Barb, the very kind woman behind Quilted Hugs Bibs!  She has made the outstanding leaf appliqued bib and pacifier clip shown below for one of you!  It's perfect for Thanksgiving or any autumn day!   This set is valued at $19.00, but the lucky winner pays only the minimal shipping charges as seen on the listing in her shop.  For a chance to win you must comment here with the name of your favorite item at Quilted Hugs Bibs AND like her Facebook Page by midnight PST on September 20th. Invite your friends to join us for this!! Now, on to the interview!

Giveaway Set

What do you make and what was/is the inspiration for your shop?  My shop features quilted bibs and accessories for infants & toddlers. They’re quilts that happen to be bibs...all items are individually quilted and finished with coordinating cotton backing/binding. When my granddaughter was born in 2009, I turned my love of quilting to making her quilts, soft toys and quilted bibs...I got a great response and after many “You should sell those!” I decided to do just that! I chose Etsy because many of our friends and family turn to Etsy when they’re looking for unique and creative gifts...so here I am having a blast quilting & making bibs using all types of cool fabric!

Tell us how your creativity has woven itself into your life’s journey to make you what you are today. (What instances helped give you the confidence/motivation to pursue this as a career?)  I’ve been sewing since I was a girl (too many years ago to count!) and when the USA celebrated our Bicentennial in 1976, I was introduced to quilting...there was no going back to “regular” sewing after that! Quilts are now part of most of what I do.. they and the fabric to make them are everywhere in our house.

I started my quilting career by making quilts with traditional patterns, and then realized that hand appliqué and quilting were my favorites. I began teaching quilting during that time...it’s wonderful watching a new quilter gain confidence and start creating pieces on their own...and I got my National Quilting Association Judges’ Certification shortly thereafter – it seemed like the kids and my husband were learning as much about quilts as I was – you should have seen them at shows, telling ME why a quilt won a ribbon! 

In the early 80’s the focus of my work changed to specializing in pictorial appliqué quilts, mainly with ice hockey and baseball themes in collaboration with my sports fan husband. That led us to meet many great people and having one of my quilts selected to be part of the permanent collection of the Hockey Hall of Fame & Museum in Toronto, Canada...that then led us to meeting a bunch of wonderful Canadian quilters.

I’m never far away from a quilt or quilt idea, always on the lookout for new fabric and techniques. My family has been an integral part of my creative journey whether critiquing a quilt-in-progress, accompanying my on a quilt shop tour or becoming a “quilt judge” when I was working through the certification.

In addition to working on making my Etsy shop a success, I’m working on a series of family pictorial quilts...so many quilts, so little time!

Ready for Some Football!

What is your vision for the future of your business?  I come from an entrepreneurial family, so working for myself is in the blood including my landscape design business, so I’d like the future of my quilting business to become the major focus of my creative life...it’s especially easy with a family to quilt for, a supportive husband and an adorable granddaughter to keep me on my toes! It’s been great to have my daughter-in-law close by and always eager to give helpful advice on Mom-preferred materials, hot styles and a sounding board for new ideas!

What is your favorite item you have ever made? What inspired you to make it?  I think my favorite item would have to be making the quilt titled “Welcome to the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field”...there was a big controversy in Wrigleyville, Chicago when it was decided to put lights into the baseball field – prior to that, the residents of that neighborhood prided themselves in playing baseball “the way it’s supposed to be – on natural grass during the day”. So when the lights finally went in, my husband and I started talking about how this was the end of an era...what better way to celebrate the tradition than to make a quilt commemorating the original field. The quilt is hand appliquéd and quilted showing the field and surrounding buildings (no lights in sight)...all baseball fans know about the ivy covered brick wall behind the warning track in the outfield, so the quilt features a pieced “brick” border with appliquéd ivy.

A couple of years after I finished the quilt, we were at a baseball card show with Ernie Banks (“Mr. Cub”) and Willie McCovey (San Francisco Giants) as guests...instead of getting a baseball card signed, we asked that Mr. Banks be in a photo of us with the quilt. When he saw it, Mr. Banks called down the hallway “Hey, McCovey, this is what real Cubs fans do!”...it was a day we’ll never forget.

Are you trained as an artist? If yes, what degree(s) or certificates do you hold and where did you earn it/them? If no, how did you learn to make the items you offer in your shop?  In a word, “no”...I’m lucky to have a good sense of color and design (that you really can’t be taught, I don’t think) so that has helped me tremendously in my quilting. My background in sewing translated easily into quilting and I took my cue from the old saying...”How do you get to Carnegie Hall?...Practice, practice, practice!” Making time for me to practice quilting techniques and buying a good sewing machine has made it easier to develop my style. Having good tools is so important because working with inferior equipment will sap the creativity right out of you!

I belong to an online quilt group (Quilt with Us sponsored by Connecting Threads) and one of the discussions was about learning paper piecing (sewing fabric onto a paper foundation to increase accuracy and make quilt & block assembly easier). One of the projects was a quilted bib with a paper pieced center medallion and the light went on in my brain. I made several bibs for my granddaughter and the rest, as they say, is history!

Dress for Success

In what other areas of your life (or interests that you have) do you see your creativity shining through? (gardening, music, performing arts, writing, creative ‘foreign’ language expression etc.)  I’ve always loved crafts (they took a back seat to quilting early on), so that’s been fun. My creativity is also poured into the landscape designs I create – not that much different from quilting I’ve learned...you take bits and pieces, then put them together to improve your client’s living space.

What is one thing you will be going out of your way to learn more about in the coming year to benefit your business?  It may not be strictly creative, but I’m going to learn to use my Etsy website to promote my business...there are a lot of bib makers out there, so I have to separate myself from the crowd. My husband says that me and computers are dangerous together – I know just enough to make me think I’m a geek that almost always gets me into trouble!

There’s a lot to web design and I need to learn more about it!

What steps are you taking to ensure your products follow applicable child safety laws?  I’m very careful not to use components that would be dangerous...I use a NO PVC plastic liner to make my bibs waterproof and the pacifier clips I use are certified lead free. All the bibs are made from 100% high quality cotton fabrics (prewashed to remove any excess dye & sizing) and I stay away from metallics and/or glitter since we all know that kids put everything in their mouths and I’m not sure how safe that would be.

I don’t have a brick & mortar store or a blog…yet…so please visit my shop or FB page!

Etsy: www.quiltedhugsbibs.etsy.com

FaceBook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Quilted-Hugs-Bibs/149620581769485

Keep on Sharin’ the Love!

Kristin

Featured Artisan: Kelly Brannan of The Adorned Abode

Fellow Sahm of Etsy teammate Kelly Brannan from the Adorned Abode stepped into my {online} office the other day for a chat about what she does.  She is so sweet to offer you a coupon for 10% off your entire purchase at The Adorned Abode valid today through August 31st.  The code is LOVEINBLOOM.  Here's what she had to say:

Woodland Jewelry Box

What do you make and what was/is the inspiration for your shop?  I make decoupaged wooden recipe boxes and divider cards, trinket boxes and lightswitch plates. My main inspiration is my children; after making most of the décor for my daughter’s “big girl” bedroom, and some for my son’s nursery, I decided to start making and selling items. And beautiful paper is another inspiration; just walking into a scrap booking store gets my creativity flowing, imagining all the things I can make. 　


Tell us how your creativity has woven itself into your life’s journey to make you what you are today.
I’ve always enjoyed doing “crafty” things, just for myself and our home. Last year I went to a painting studio where they show you step by step how to do your own painting, and I so enjoyed it and found it so fulfilling that I just had to keep making things. I’ve always been a little creative, but doing the paintings really “woke up” a sleeping creativity that I didn’t even realize was there. Compliments from others on my creations gave me the confidence to try my hand at an Etsy shop. And part of it was just a risk, a “why not give it a shot” type of thing.


What is your vision for the future of your business?  I feel my shop has been pretty successful so far, considering I’ve only had it open for half a year at this point. My vision would be for that to continue and grow, and to add some new items to my inventory as I’m able to. I would also like to start advertising, though I haven’t worked that out just yet, and I’d love to try a craft fair as well. So far, I haven’t been able to get enough in-stock inventory built up to do that, but that would be my hope for the future.

Owl Switchplate

Tell us about your typical day.  I have a 2 year old son and an almost-4 year old daughter, so my typical day starts with coffee (a few cups!), and the regular day to day things regarding caring for my kids and home. I usually work on orders, or new items, at a few different times throughout the day, just whenever I can fit it in. And of course, lot of play time with the kiddos. J And then once they are in bed at night, I work some more, often into the wee hours!


Are you trained as an artist? If yes, what degree(s) or certificates do you hold and where did you earn it/them? If no, how did you learn to make the items you offer in your shop?  I’m definitely not trained as an artist, though I would love to be! The only training I’ve had is the painting classes I’ve taken, if you count that. And of course, I don’t offer hand painted items in my shop, other than painting a box at times. Actually, I don’t consider myself an artist at all, though I do think I have some artistic ability, which I really didn’t acknowledge until the past year. I have an Associates Degree, and a Paralegal Certificate, and worked as a Paralegal until I was pregnant with my son and came home full time. As for how I learned to make my items, some of it was intuitive, and the rest I learned from research on the internet and trial and error.

Recipe Cards {and Box}... for Mom!

In what other areas of your life (or interests that you have) do you see your creativity shining through?  I do love to write, and have always dreamed of writing novels (maybe I’ll try that someday after all!). I’m not a gardener at all, and have no musical skills…well, I love to sing, but I think most people would prefer not to listen to me, lol!

I think my creativity shines through mostly with my kids. I love to do age-appropriate crafts with them, and look forward to all the fun crafts we can make together as they get older. I definitely try to encourage their own creativity and imaginations!

What is one thing you will be going out of your way to learn more about in the coming year to benefit your business?  Book keeping, for one! I must learn a more organized system for keeping up with sales and expenses. And as I mentioned, I’m thinking about trying advertising, so I need to look more into that.

You can find Kelly in these wonderful places for now, but we hope she'll keep us posted if she starts up a blog later too. {wink!}

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheAdornedAbode?ref=si_shop

http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheAdornedAbode

Featured Artist: Heidi of Little Tadpole Designs

Say hello to the very sweet Heidi, owner of Little Tadpole Designs and fellow team member on both SAHM of Etsy, EtsyKids and Christian Artists Street Team (CAST) teams. She is offering you, my wonderful readers, 10% off any purchase from her shop when you use the coupon code BLOGLUV10.  This offer expires next Monday night, so you only have one week to get in on it. 

Custom Binky Leash

What do you make and what was/is the inspiration for your shop?  My creations revolve mainly around babies and preschoolers right now… because that’s what my children are!  I have a 28 month old and an 8 month old and they are most definitely the inspiration behind all that I do.  Soon after my son was born, I made my first Cuddle Blankie and binky clip for him… and things just “took off” from there, pulling me along with it!  It is very exciting to me to look at a need my children have, and come up with a unique design for satisfying it that is adorable, functional, offers something “different” than the conventional, and is of high quality.  In addition to the blankies and soother clips, I make mitten clips, Snap Belts for preschoolers, fun infant-sized and pretty flower hair clippies, and one-of-a-kind crocheted dolls & toys.  I’ve already got a few NEW things “in the works” that I will be adding to my shop in the very near future.  I love variety… of materials, designs, ideas.  It’s what makes it fun!

Tell us how your creativity has woven itself into your life’s journey to make you what you are today.  It seems that I’ve never really been “cut out” for the daily 9 to 5… but I never imagined that I’d be able to use my creative talents in the way the I am now able to thanks to Etsy.  It was always my husband and my plan that I would be a stay-at-home mom and I don’t miss “going to work” in the least!  I love making “stuff” though and I guess I do need some outlet for my creative energies that doesn’t involve the kiddos.  I still feel that my shop is really my hobby even though I spend a lot more time at it than I originally imagined.  Perhaps that is the difference when it comes to doing something you really love to do… it doesn’t seem like “work”!  That’s the way it is with being a mom, and with my little business (most of the time at least!). 
       Before we had children, we had our dog and cats and my first small business venture was pet-related and it was a very good endeavor that I was proud to pour my time and energy into until we moved to a new home.  That experience was what got my feet wet and really showed me that having the freedom to create my own job was the way I wanted to go.

Cuddle Blankie "Circles"

What is your vision for the future of your business?  I have pretty modest goals.  I’d like to be able to balance things so that when I’m inspired with a new design I will have the funds to buy what I need and continue the creative process without having to dip into our family budget.  Because I don’t have any other income, it really feels good being able to have my shop support itself.  Pretty much every sale goes directly back into getting what I need to make more items and I’m happy with that.  Of course, I wouldn’t mind having just a teensy bit of extra for myself… after all, I also love to SHOP on Etsy!!

Tell us about your typical day.  My day usually starts with getting my son breakfast and then seeing what is happening online while he eats.  Often I even have the freedom of both hands as my daughter is getting more and more able to entertain herself too!  Later in the day, during little miss’s naptime, I follow up on anything that I started in the morning.  My husband is always wonderful about being a helping hand with the little ones in the evenings so I can run to the post office or put an order together for mailing.  Then, after the youngsters are in bed, I can do some creating!  It’s really just a matter of fitting it in here and there where I can.  Some days I get lots done… some days not so much.  It’s a juggling act really!

Are you trained as an artist?  If yes, what degree(s) or certificates do you hold and where did you earn it/them? If no, how did you learn to make the items you offer in your shop?  I have to give most credit to my mom.  She taught me the basics of sewing and crochet when I was a little girl.  Most of it I used sparingly until after I got married and even then I kept it pretty basic.  I actually just picked up a crochet hook for the first time in years only a few months ago!  I’m no good at all at reading and following patterns… so I just try things that I think should work and usually they do!  Most of my family is pretty creative and isn’t afraid to try working with new materials or different styles of activities… and that helps to push me to experiment.  

Crocheted Shanice Doll

In what other areas of your life (or interests that you have) do you see your creativity shining through? (gardening, music, performing arts, writing, creative ‘foreign’ language expression etc.)  I love to paint.  I haven’t picked up a brush and palette for many years but I really want to get back to it.  Something else I really enjoy is building things.  I’m slowly building up the variety of tools I own and very much want to try making wood art (also known as Intarsia) like my Grandfather does.  I’d also like to try my hand at some simple furniture making.  I don’t really have any time to develop new skills right now because the kids are so young and my focus is on them… but as they grow up I hope we can learn some of these things together.

What is one thing you will be going out of your way to learn more about in the coming year to benefit your business?  There are so many things!   J  I really feel that there are so many thing that I don’t even know that I don’t know, ya know?  Really though, I’d like to continue working on my photography and internet skills.  I’ve gotten a lot of help from fellow Etsians but I know there is a LOT more that I can learn and play around with to have my shop be represented the very best that it can be. 

What steps are you taking to ensure your products follow applicable child safety laws?  Because I’m in Canada, we have similar but not exactly the same requirements that crafters of children’s items are faced with in the States with regards to labeling and testing finished products.  However, I believe strongly in the intent of the child safety laws on both sides of the border and because the items I make are first and foremost made for my own children, this is something I consider in every design.  I have checked with the companies that I buy from to ensure that the materials I am using either have been tested according to current Canadian & US standards and have the documentation to back that up, or are already exempt according to the legislation.  This satisfies the intent of the laws and I always make sure that if an item has small parts or may present a safety concern it comes with a caution to that effect.   I’m sure everyone will agree that children are too precious to take risks with and their safety should always be considered first.

Be sure to check her out in the following places on the web:
www.littletadpoledesigns.etsy.com  
www.littletadpoledesigns.ca  
www.facebook.com/LittleTadpoleDesigns

Keep it inspirational,
Kristin

Feature Post on Screaming Sardine today... It's me!!

Hooray!  I am featured on the Screaming Sardine today!!  Check it out for a chance to win a $10 to spend to spend at my shop.  Give-away ends August 8th 11:59 PM Central Time.

Also, check out the post below for today's installment of the Healthy Food Series.  It's a tasty recipe you'll enjoy.

Keep it joyful!
Kristin