Craft Market Tomorrow.

Come join us at the Craft Market at Trinity Lutheran Church in State College tomorrow from 9 am- 1 pm.

Meet the Maker: Kaitlyn Timms

Hi, friends! Welcome back to another post in our Meet the Maker series. How are you? How has your week gone? I hope well. We have had a different week than expected with two of our kids getting sick. It certainly can change the flow of life. 

Today, I am sharing my interview with Kaitlyn with you. This interview will be different from the others in the series so far because Kaitlyn does not sell products on-line but actually is a product reviewer. Kaitlyn approached me about reviewing one of our products and I thought it would be interesting to interview her about what she does. Not only does she review products but she is a young homeschooled girl who is helped by her parents to take on this job.

Kaitlyn is from upstate South Carolina and currently lives there. But she dreams of moving to Tennessee when she is older.

I asked Kaitlyn "How long have you been a tester and reviewer of handmade crafts, and products?" Kaitlyn shared this "I started contacting different companies about one or two years ago!"

I also asked if she crafts herself and she resoundingly said "YES!!! I absolutely love creating things homemade, I especially love to make things for my family!!" That's great Kaitlyn. I love making things for my family as well.

I was curious to find out what drew her to become a tester/ reviewer. Kaitlyn shared with me "Well, when I started contacting people, I had big hopes and dreams, so I started contacting big business, business that you would see while shopping, well, let's just say my dreams were busted when they never replied. So then I sat down and started thinking, I wonder if I could help smaller businesses? And then I contacted a few people here and there, and amazingly, they were super happy to send me items to review! I remember the first small business that I contacted, agreed to send me items to review, and I was so happy and surprised! The one thing I always think to myself when I review smaller businesses is if I could be the person to give them that little boost, that would be amazing! I personally am really glad you started working with smaller businesses. I am looking forward to our collaboration together.

I asked Kaitlyn when did she start posting on YouTube and Instagram? She shared "Well, I started YouTube when I was maybe ten years old, and my mom managed my account, so, I have been doing YouTube for about 4 years now! As far as Instagram goes, I just started it about 2-3 months ago!" Wow, that is very interesting. Welcome to the world of Instagram.

When asked "what drew you to do this kind of work?" Kaitlyn shared this fun story. "Well, when I was little, I always watched all these videos of people doing different things on YouTube, and it looked so cool! I remember my first video I watched was a girl opening things she had received in the mail to review, and I thought that was so cool!! So, I asked my mom and dad if I could do videos on YouTube as well, like all these other cool kids, and they said yes! And I was so happy they did!" That's great Kaitlyn.

Another question I asked was about her future hopes for her business, Kaitlyn shared this.  "My hope is that one day I will get to meet all my amazing and sweet viewers! And I would love to be able to walk into the mall, and just have people come up to me and say, 'hey, aren't you that girl on YouTube?'. That would definitely be a dream come true!"

I was curious to find out what her most favorite piece to review was and Kaitlyn said  "Well, all the items I have received have been absolutely amazing and beautiful, so that would be a really hard one to say... I really couldn't decide!!!! I love all the items that I have reviewed so far! That is so great to hear.

I asked Kaitlyn what advice she has for others that want to become a tester, she shares.  "Well, I would have to say, make sure you have the best interests at heart, don't just be contacting people so they send you free stuff, contact people, so you can help them grow their business! And also, I would have to say, if you want to get into the YouTube world of making videos, don't be scripted, just turn on your camera and have fun!!" Thank you for this great advice, Kaitlyn. It has been great to get to know you better. I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

If you are a small business and you would like for Kaitlyn to review one of your products, you can contact her at the following locations.

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/simplykaitlyn21/?

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC10TwwWwGDG3mtLsS-SJh-Q?view_as=public

Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/kawaiilife17/

Photos are courtesy of Briana.
You can find her here:
Instagram- http://instagram.com/briana.be_yt

Meet the Maker: Peggy from Peg and Mo

How was your weekend? Did you do any fun crafting or yard work? It was pretty yucky weather here so we weren't outside much. Today, I have the special privilege of introducing you to another maker. Her name is Peggy and she is the founder and maker of the small shop Peg and Mo.

Peg and her husband Mo.

Peggy was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. She continues to live in Ontario and her family goes back several generations. How cool is that?

Peggy has been crafting all of her life or as she puts it "it feels like it." Peggy told us "I have always been a person who colored as a child. I learned how to crochet and knit from my mom." What a blessing to learn these skills from your mom.
When Peggy was 15, she started to learn how to sew clothes. After learning how to sew clothes she learned how to sew quilts and home decor items. Peggy shares this with us about sewing " I love sewing and creating things. I especially like smaller projects as they are easier to carry with you. I also have a huge love for fabric and working with wool felt." How fun is this?

She recently started selling online. For the last 19 years and still counting, Peggy and her husband own an online non-creative business. She is blessed to learn a lot about owning a business through this experience. 

When asked what she likes about selling online, Peggy shared this "I love the convenience of selling on-line. No line-ups, it's easy and
less expensive than a brick and mortar." This is true, thanks for sharing Peggy.

I asked Peggy about her future hopes for her business. She shared "I hope to build my business to the point where I can retire from our other business and work in this full-time. I would also like to be published in Where WomenCreate Magazine." These are great goals, Peggy. Please share with us if you do get published.

Peggy's favorite item she sells is her wool felt garland/vines. She told me that "They are fun and creative and look so pretty when they are displayed." I can attest, they truly are very pretty.

When asked what advice she would offer to others wanting to start a small business online, Peggy shared "I would say that whether it is a creative business or you sell widgets for a living. Business is Business. You need to treat it as such. Listen to the ones who have come before you and learn as much as you can. It is
not always going to be easy, but as I tell myself sometimes "what is the
alternative". Have fun, enjoy it and share your wisdom." This is sage advice, thank you, Peggy.

To find Peggy and her sweet shop online follow one of these links: https://www.instagram.com/peg_and_mo/
https://www.pinterest.com/pegandmo/pins/
https://twitter.com/PegandMo
https://www.facebook.com/pegandmo
https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/peg-mo-14851427
http://pegandmo.com/shop
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Meet the Maker: Maggie Murray from Diversified Designs NC

Hi, Friends! How are you? We have had a fun week with our Instagram giveaway. Have you entered yet? Make sure you head over to our feed and enter. The giveaway goes until Saturday night May 6 at 10 pm EST.

We have had the privilege to interview another great small shop maker, Maggie Murray from Diversified Designs NC.

Maggie is originally from the foothills near Blowing Rock, NC and currently, lives in the middle of the state near Greensboro.

When asked "How long have you been crafting?" She shared the following "Really, my whole life I'd venture to say! Always making something out of nothing or painting things on the walls or canvases. My parents instilled in me that making things was far better than buying them in a store. We always made gifts instead of buying them. Love that about my family." That is really neat Maggie that your parents did that for you.

I asked Maggie to share what drew her to her particular craft. Maggie said "When I'm out with my mother and we see something, we always say 'we can make that!' So the event that really sticks out in my mind was at a farmers market last summer, saw a few booths and I just knew I could do it too. So, I had some tools and started making things and really hit it hard on social media and bam!!! A little side business was born."

Maggie just started selling on-line in January 2017. Maggie has a technology background and is always shopping online. She finds that selling online is an easy way to get her stuff out for the world to see. Maggie uses Etsy. She told me that it has been neat to learn and she is getting better as she goes.

When asked what hopes she has for the future of her business? She shared the following "I just want to keep having fun with building things and doing custom orders for people. It makes my heart soar when I hear that clients love their creations. I want to do festivals and continue to meet awesome people as I go. It is so fun that it makes your heart soar when your customers love your creations.

I asked Maggie "What is your most favorite piece that you have made?" She commented "A piece of barn wood with two silhouettes of birds made from pallet wood with twine as their resting spot. It's just the most beautiful thing and it came from a thought and then I just made it. So neat how that happens!" That is neat how that happens Maggie. Thanks for sharing.

When asked" What is one thing you would love to share with others who are considering going into the handmade business?" Maggies shared this "Find what you love and do it. It's easy to work super hard on something after an 8-5 job when you absolutely love what you're making. That's the biggest thing. If I hated woodworking, then I wouldn't get so pumped up to get home to work another 4 hours on top of my 'real work day'. It's so rewarding and fun. Oh, yes. Always keep it fun! :)"

Thank you, Maggie, for sharing about yourself, your business and sharing some great advice. May we all be so blessed to love what we do.

You can find Maggies Shop Diversified Designs NC at the following places online.

www.diversifieddesignsnc.com
Instagram: @diversifieddesignsnc
Facebook: diversified designs NC

Instagram giveaway!

Hello, Friends!

Hope that this finds you well and having a great week! We have reached 3 thousand followers on Instagram and have teamed up with some awesome small shops to give away some really cool prizes to four winners. Head over to our Instagram feed to enter.

The shops joining us are:

Heavenly's Creations

Art By Mel

Teal Owl Co

Wishy Yo Washi

Made By Kately B

Sew Shy Blondie

Little Red Kit

Another Day Young

Southerly Charm

Creative Crafty Mom

Where Piglets Fly

Meme Sew Blessed

Alesso Shop

Tweet Notes 4 Little Loves/ Jlynne Dreams

Come check it out!!!

Meet the Maker :Susan Carl from Sue Made That.

Welcome to another addition to our Meet the Maker series. I am really having fun getting to know these artists. I hope that you will too.

I met Sue through Instagram. She was a winner of a feature on our Instagram feed and I offered if she would like a blog post as well. I am so excited to be able to share about this maker and her shop with you.

Sue is originally from Upstate NY. Her younger years were spent in the small-town area of Dryden (near Ithaca), but her adult years (from college on) were spent in Rochester. Sue and her husband lived for a bit in Texas while they served in the US Air Force.

Currently, Sue and her husband (of 36 years) moved to Virginia last year for a very special reason. Here's what she told me. "When my son told us that he and his wife were preggers with our first grandbaby, we sold the house, packed up, and moved where they are so we could help raise our granddaughter. We care for her full time while they're at work. It's a very rewarding life to be on the scene for all her precious phases of growth!" I am sure that is very rewarding Sue. What a blessing that you were able to do this.

Sue has been doing one craft or another for most of her life and she has tried her hand at many things, including sewing, crocheting, jewelry, Coptic-bound journals, and so much more. Sue mentioned to me that "Creativity is in my genes. I HAVE to be making something or it feels unnatural." Do you feel this way too? I know I do.

When asked what drew her to her particular craft or what inspired you? Sue shared "I remember seeing my mom wood-burned some pieces when I was an adolescent. I thought they were so beautiful. When my son was 1 yr old, I burned a set of wooden blocks for him as my first attempt at the craft. They were fun but rough. (We still have them. My granddaughter plays with them now!) I didn't do any more until about three years ago when I picked up the art form for real. I usually get bored with a craft and move on to something else, but this art form is so diverse that I still haven't begun to get bored. I have so many ideas, so I'll be learning and burning for years to come. :)" That is so fun Sue. How neat that this began with your mom and now you can share it with your granddaughter.

Sue opened her Etsy shop a little over two years ago. Here is what Sue shared with me about her first experiences. "It was slow going the first 6 months as I learned about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), taking good pictures and writing good descriptions. And did I mention SEO? ;-) As I applied all I was learning (the learning and tweaking never really does end, by the way), sales finally began to come in. Now I find I'm having to apply some strategies that slow sales down a little! I'm a solo artisan and my hands can only move so fast!" What a blessing that you are receiving so much business.

When asked what drew her to sell on-line? She shared "Before selling online, I sold in open-air markets. I loved the markets. The people are fun and the atmosphere is intoxicating. But not having to give up an entire Saturday or weekend to sit at a market has been a blessing. More time to burn. I also love the idea that people all over the US (and some international) find my shop and buy. I think I'm only missing a sale from one state (come on, Rhode Island!). " Anyone from Rhode Island out there reading this, can you help Sue out?

I asked Sue what hopes do you have for your business in the future? Sue remarked "I haven't committed to international sales, yet, but only ships internationally upon request. I don't think I could keep up with the business if I were to go full-out international. I think something would suffer - my sanity for one :-), my time with my granddaughter and family for another, and the quality of my work and customer service. Those are non-negotiables for me. But I hope to go international when the time is right. In the meantime, I'm branching out in the variety of products I offer, as well as learning and practicing more design forms to burn (mandalas, Celtic knotwork, zengraphics, fantasy languages) and learning new burn techniques (stippling, shading, etc.)." Sue's new designs and techniques sound really interesting.

Sue loves doing custom work. Being able to create a one-of-a-kind piece or set is very rewarding for her. And creating something special for someone to give as a unique gift Sue considers it to be the best feeling ever. She recently did a full salad service set (large salad server, individual bowls, and serving spoons) as someone's wedding gift. It was designed with specific elements that were meaningful to the couple. She loves to think about the fact that this set reflects who they are as a couple and their lifestyle choices and that the set will be a cherished gift for years to come. That is really exciting. 

When asked what is one thing she would love to share with others who are considering going into the handmade business? Sue shared "Oh my! I've learned so much in the last several years about the handmade business. Where do I start? :) Offer something people will want (not just what you like to make). Practice your craft so you're offering the very best (your best and among the best in your field). Provide exceptional customer service (communicate, communicate, communicate - clearly and with kindness). Learn about the ins and outs of whatever sales venue you choose (markets, online, gift shops, drop-ship, etc.). Seek out and listen to advice from others with experience (forums, FB groups, etc.). Prioritize (keep the people and things most important to you front and center, not the business). Believe in yourself and your product (let the nasty criticism roll off your back; it's unlikely those critics could do what you do). And Don't Give Up! Launching a business takes time. Experimenting with what works and doesn't work for you takes time. Reputation building takes time. Getting those first sales and reviews takes time. But as you apply what you learn, your business will grow." This is some really great advice. I feel blessed to have learned more from and about Sue. I hope you have too.

Head over to her shop on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/509236478/wooden-planter-wooden-pot-woodburned-pot?ref=shop_home_active_2

Also, check her out on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/suemadethat2/

Sue has graciously offered a special code for our readers. Head over to her ETSY shop and use the code SCOTTBLOG15 on your next purchase and you will receive 15% off.

Meet the Maker: Rebecca Hang

How is your springtime going? Have you done any fun springtime activities? We have done some yard work and are now on a staycation, enjoying family time.

I am super excited to continue on with our series "Meet the Maker"! 

Today's Meet the Maker is Rebecca Hang from Ava and Ari. It is so fun to learn more about the people behind the small shops. When you buy from them, you are truly investing in their lives. It is such a different experience from buying something at a big box shop. It's not only a quality product but so much heart is put into making each piece. I have heard it said that each time you buy from a small shop, the owner does a happy dance. Let's get to know Rebecca.

Rebecca is from and continues to live in lovely California. She has been crafting since she was old enough to talk. She told me that "I always wanted to be a fashion designer or an artist." Rebecca mentioned her family didn't have much growing up but one of her fondest memories was designing her sister a dress out of wallpaper samples. Rebecca's remembers the dress "was not comfortable but mind you, it looked amazing." ;-)

I asked Rebecca what drew her to a particular craft or what inspired her, she shared: "An idea just popped into my head one day and I went with it. I don't overthink I just do. Unlike many people who can choose one task and say that's what I'll do, that's what it'll look like and then do that... I am the kind of girl who would sit in an art class and begin sculpting a flower but eventually have it turn into some type of crazy detailed sea monster. I like to let my imagination take over and lead me. I don't want to limit myself."

Amazingly this talented lady only started selling online about one month ago. She was drawn to sell online because there were so many other makers who inspired her and encouraged her to do so. She told me "I was painting the dolls and giving them away because I loved doing it and kept getting asked why I wasn't selling them, and so it was begun." We are certainly glad that you have begun this new adventure, Rebecca.

What hopes does she have for her business in the future? Rebecca says, "I'd love to be able to quit my day job one day and do this full time. It's always been a dream of mine to do something I loved and make money doing it. Most importantly though I hope to continue to make unique pieces that people love and slowly add more items to my shop. I have tons of wild ideas." Rebecca, we can't wait to see some of these wild ideas you have in the future.

Rebecca has a hard time picking out what her favorite piece has been; "I put so much time and detail into each doll and every doll is unique. At the moment though I'm getting to ready to launch my new line of mommy and me dolls which I'm pretty excited about. Those may be my favorite yet."

One thing she would love to share with others who are considering going into the handmade business, "Try it, you may just love it. I'm still sitting here wondering why I waited so long. It really brings me so much joy."

I am so glad that it brings you so much joy, Rebecca. I can't wait to see some of these wild ideas you have brewing and your next adventure of  "Mommy and Me" dolls you are working on.

Mommy and Me

Head over to these links to find Rebeccas' shop instagram.com/ava.and.ari.shop/ and her brand rep account for her kids instagram.com/ava_and_ari