Meet the Maker: Shayna Gabor from Coconut Cuties Tie Dye.

Hi, Friends. Happy Friday. How are you this week? Have you found any fun makers, crafts or DIYs? Please email me or share in the comments below. I would love to hear from you and what you have found. If you would like to be interviewed for our Meet The Maker or you would like to contribute to our new Top Five series each week, please contact me. Also coming July 1 we will be starting our annual Christmas in July Craft Challenge.

This week, I have the special privilege of introducing you to Shayna Gabor from Coconut Cuties Tie Dye. Her tie-dye shirts are adorable.

Shayna where are you from and where do you live now? I Grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, but have lived in Fort Lauderdale, FL since 1993.

How long have you been crafting?
I have been crafting as long as I can remember. When I was a kid people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say an artist. I used to have a pottery wheel for kids, I did all kinds of painting, crafting, I even made and sold earrings in junior high school. Arts and crafts have always been an important part of my life. That is great that you have known for so long what you are passionate about.

Shayna, what drew you to tie dying? I first started doing tie-dye when my 20-year-old daughter was just a baby. My best friend and I noticed another baby wearing a cute tie-dye onesie and we asked the mom where she got it. She told us that her cousin sent it to her from California. We looked all over and couldn't find any locally. So that's when the lightbulb went off for both of us and we started coconut cuties tie-dye.What a fun way to get started.

What is your favorite thing about this type of craft? I love that every item is a surprise. I rubber band it and then I put the dye on it and wrap it up overnight and the next morning when I unwrap it to rinse it and wash it you just never know how the dye is going to travel in the clothing. So even though I may try to make two of the same thing at the same time, they will never ever come out exactly identically.That is really cool.

Do you have a job other than making? I have had a bunch of jobs over the years, but since having my son almost 5 years ago I have mainly been a stay at home mom, just doing the odd jobs here and there to bring in some extra cash. But currently, I am a contract card writer for chewy.com. That job I get to do from home, writing thank you cards to each and every one of their customers.That is an interesting job. That is such a blessing you get to stay home with your kids.

When did you start selling on-line and what drew you to sell on-line? I believe that I started selling tie-dye on Etsy about two years ago but I have had my shop since 2010 when I had started it selling wine cork keychains. Selling online is a great way to have a larger reach than just selling to your local market.That is fun you started out in selling wine cork keychains. It is so true that you are able to reach a larger market.

What hopes do you have for your business in the future? I would love to be able to help support my family with my tie-dye business, I just find it difficult because there is so much competition. But if I could eek out a little niche then that would be great. I hope that will become a reality for you in the near future.

What is your most favorite piece that you have made? I have made a lot of fun pieces over the course of time, but my most favorite is one that I just made this weekend and it is a tank top that was a custom order for a woman and she chose a red heart with a blue and red background, and it just came out so beautifully I love how the colors fanned out from the heart in the center it just came out really nicely. This sounds very nice.

What is one thing you would love to share with others who are considering going into the handmade business? It's really complicated topic because you may have a passion for something that you may be very good at, but it may not be a big seller. So I guess you would just have to be prepared for that. You can either try to do something where you know you will make money if that's your objective, or you can just do something that comes from your heart but you may not be able to make a living from it. So I guess just think about those things before you actually get started.Thank you for sharing your thoughts. This is great advice.

You can find Shayna online at the following web addresses:

FaceBook: Www.facebook.com/coconutcutiestiedye
Instagram: instagram.com/coconutcutiestiedye