Tell me a little bit about yourself.
My name is Julie. I am married to a really wonderful man, and we have two children, a boy who is 5 and a girl who is 4. I am an “older” mom who feels very lucky to have started a business that enables me to be at home with my kids!

Where can we find you? (website, craft shows, etc.)
You can find me at missprettypretty.etsy.com . I am too busy with my online business these days to do craft fairs, but I am definitely an arts/crafts fair veteran! I earned extra money and sometime supported myself on craft fairs for about 20 years. Back then, I made a lot of embellished clothing, denim shirts, sweatshirts, etc. All of that applique work was a good foundation for making my playhouses.

What first got you interested in your craft?
I started sewing when I was very young, and am self taught. When I was about 20 years old, I invested in a really good (although used) New Home sewing machine, and discovered machine applique. I loved it! I started making shirts for my mom, then her friends started buying them, and suddenly I was doing craft fairs and doing very well. I have always loved putting all the applique pieces together to make a picture, almost like a puzzle. That was almost 23 years ago! Now,
with my card table playhouses, I am still doing applique work, only on a larger scale. Some of the designs on my playhouses are actually designs I created many years ago to embellish children’s clothing.

Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).
When my nieces and nephews were toddlers (about 12 years ago), I decided to create these little houses for them to enjoy. I love handmade toys that encourage children’s imaginations and help them to play creatively. Now, I have my own children who help me dream up new designs! A couple of years ago, my sister encouraged me to sell my playhouses on Etsy, and the business just exploded! It’s been so much fun for me, and I have been very, very lucky.

Usually, I get an idea about a playhouse and think about it and mull it over for several weeks before I draw it out. I try to imagine what would spark my kids’ imaginations, and that helps a lot with the designing. My husband has had a lot of great ideas, too, and some of my customers have helped me create some of my most popular playhouses by providing me with their ideas. Sometimes it seems like a group effort! I really strive to make playhouses that will make children’s
eyes light up, and that will become an heirloom toy that is played with and remembered for generations.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I spend a lot of time working on my business these days, but I also teach water aerobics at a local college where I was the Aquatics Director before I had my first child. I have taught swimming lessons and water aerobics and have trained lifeguards and swim instructors for most of my adult life. I love to sew, swim, read and spend time with my family.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you so very much for the opportunity to be featured on your website! I do appreciate it so very, very much!

Type up a checklist of things to bring to your shows, and save it as a file on your computer. As your displays evolve, keep adding to this list to keep it current.

Before each show, print out your checklist and use it as you prepare and pack, to be sure you don’t forget anything. Check things off as you go.

Highlight anything that has to wait till the last minute to go in your car (such as the cool-chest that contains your lunch).

2) Make Your Booth Setup and Takedown Faster

Pre-loading your displays with your jewelry at home, a day or two before the show, can easily shave an hour off of your booth setup and takedown time!

You can simply wrap a sheet of bubble-wrap around each of your loaded displays to protect everything and keep the jewelry in place. Then place your displays in the boxes or bins you transport them in.

When you get to the show, just pull your loaded displays out of their boxes, remove the bubble wrap, and set them on your display tables – all ready to go!

3) Reduce Your Load

Pack smaller by making things do double duty.

That makes it easier to pack for your shows, easier to transport things to and from your booth space, and easier to set up and take down. Also, the less clutter you have at your booth the more efficiently you can operate during the show.

One way you can make things do double duty: Create risers for your display out of the trays or boxes you empty as you set up your booth.

Once you cover your empty trays or boxes with a pretty cloth, who would guess what’s underneath?

4) Take the Time to Get Organized

Rather than making more jewelry right up till the last minute before you leave for the show, take the last couple of days to organize yourself for the show.

Clean your jewelry till it sparkles, make sure everything has earring cards or jewelry tags, put prices on your tags or make attractive price signs, do a practice setup, pack everything well, and go over your checklist.

5) Rest Up!

Most important of all – get a good night’s rest before the show!

That’s a thousand times more important than staying up till 2:00 a.m. making a dozen extra earrings.

Setting up at a jewelry show and selling all day can be exhausting. You need to be well-rested at the outset in order to do your best and sell a lot of jewelry!

————–

Rena Klingenberg’s Jewelry Display Ideas website has free tips and projects for everything from a better craft show booth to making your own displays.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I’m a fiber artist who knits and spins, and I also dye my own yarn and wool roving.

The name The Yellow Hobbit comes from the fact that I’m a Tolkien fan, and I consider myself to be a hobbit because I’m really short (I’m 4′11″). Being a hobbit is much more fun than just being short. I started going by this nickname my freshman year of college, and it stuck. So I figured that it would be a good name for my store as well.

Where can we find you?
I mainly sell on Etsy. My store is here: http://theyellowhobbit.etsy.com. I have a blog where I’ll often post pictures of things I’ve created: http://knitterofshinythingsknits.blogspot.com/

What first got you interested in your craft?
I’ve always been rather crafty. I used to do a lot of beading, but when I got to college, I made friends with people who knitted in class. Wanting a portable craft that I could also do in class, I asked my mother to teach me how to knit when I went home for winter break. I picked it up quickly, and by the time I got back to school, I was an avid knitter.

The spinning came along my senior year of college. A friend and I had been going to a weekly knitting circle which was held at a local yarn store, and one night a woman was spinning. I asked her if I could try it, and she said sure and handed me the spindle and gave me brief instructions as to what to do. I started spinning with the spindle, and it worked! It also happened to be the week of my birthday, and the friend who was with me at the knitting circle then gave me a drop spindle and roving as a birthday present. I was quickly addicted, and I got a wheel as a graduation present from my parents.

The dyeing came about a few years later. I had a friend who had an alpaca farm, which wasn’t doing too well and she wanted to go out of the business after her husband died. She had previously sent her fleeces to a fiber mill to be processed, but that was really expensive, so she asked if I would be interested in spinning up her fleeces for her. I said yes and set up my Etsy shop for the purpose of selling the yarn that I made. I decided that I should also get into dyeing, so that I could make prettier yarn. And while I was dyeing the yarn I decided to get into dyeing roving as well.

It turns out that dyeing yarn and roving is actually a lot of fun, and I really enjoy doing it.

Please describe your creative process.
I usually dye roving in big batches. Since I’m also a full-time student, I usually only dye things every couple of weeks. I don’t usually plan out in advance what colors I’m going to dye with; lately, the process has been to look at my big desk full of roving, and ask myself “what colors are missing?” I like having a complete rainbow, so I’ll fill it in. Sometimes I get ideas of color combinations that I think are really pretty, and I’ll do those. And every so often I’ll think of a witty name for a roving, and then dye something to match the name. But usually the naming comes after the dyeing.

I spin much more often than I dye. If I’m at home I’ll use my wheel. Conveniently, there is a television in the same room as the wheel, so often I’ll watch something while spinning. When I’m out of the house, I’ll either spin on my drop spindle or knit, depending on what I feel like doing.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I’m a master’s student at the Simmons Graduate School for Library and Information Science, so that takes up a lot of my time. (I’m concentrating in archival management, and am hoping to work in a museum once I graduate.) In terms of fun things, I’m really into gaming (role playing games, strategy games, etc.). I’m a huge nerd, and am into Science Fiction and Fantasy. I’m also in an a cappella group at MIT. I live in a hippie commune with 5 other 20-somethings. Most of us are crafty, and one of my housemates actually has her own jewelry studio in the basement. It’s a fun life.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Spinning is fun and addictive. You get to work with really soft fiber, and create really beautiful yarn. I would highly encourage anyone who is interested to try it.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I worked for a number of banks for many years, but lost my job because my medical leave expired and they couldn’t hold my job until I got better. Still on disability. I have loved gemstones for forever. I started making simple jewelry about 2 years ago. When I lost my German Shepherd Silvia a year ago and lost my job, I started to actually learn about gemstones. My wonderful husband has invested a lot of money in my learning process. Caliper gauge, carat scale, refractometer, microscope, loupe, loose gemstones, reference books & DVD’s. It has been a wonderful learning experience. I love setting my gems & then creating something around them. My loves are my husband Gabriele, my dogs Lacie & Tiler, Family and my gems and being cancer free for 10 years and running! (breast cancer & then skin cancer due to radiation)

Where can we find you?
I am on Etsy at silviasheart.etsy.com, and I am also under Facebook at MaryKatherine Mayhew-Valente.

What first got you interested in your craft?
I fist got interested in gems with my Grandmother’s tiara when I was a child! I have always been a jewelry buff!

Please describe your creative process.
I create when the mood hits or I see something of color that strikes me. Lately, I have been redoing my pics again & again trying to get them right with not too much success. A work in progress still!

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
Apart from creating my items, I love my family, the outdoors, gardening, cooking, and decorating.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Because I love my craft so much and can’t wear everything I make, I donate to Sequin Level Lodge 140 of Newington, CT, the Shriners at Newington, CT and the Rainbow girls for charity auctions. My husband is an officer for his Masonic lodge, so I do what I can to raise money. I am currently working on items for the John Wheatley Golf charity event in July. It benefits Dana Farber Cancer Institute, CT Chip program, The Jimmy Fund & Team Suzy Q as well as the Shriners Childrens hospitals. Please visit the website at www.johnwheatleygolfclassic.org for the information. Since I am home, I intend on working with Gabriele at the golf classic at whatever hole they place us at to raise even more money! We will also be working the CT Chip program this month in Newington, CT. A great day always! I consider myself a lucky woman. I have a wonderful husband & family and a family of Masonic Brothers & their wives! Very lucky indeed!

My name is Mary and I am a very busy lady. I am the Director of a community museum which brings a lot of stress into my life, yet gives me the opportunity to be creative. I have one daughter who is away at University studying to be a teacher for handicap children. I live in the small community that I was born in and share my life with my best friend, 4 adopted cats and a little dog called Rosie.

I have always love to make things and as a child, I was considered very different from my four sisters and three brothers because I traveled around with a pen and pencil drawing everybody that I knew. I also learned to knit and sew when I was very young. Throughout my life, I was never bored for there was always something to make and I learned to do just about all the crafts there is, from quilting,wood carving, painting, stitchery and so much more. I have often said that I would have to live until I am 95 to be able to do all that I want to do, and maybe that is what has kept me young at heart.

These days with my heavy work schedule, I have had to cut back on my many craft projects and so I knit at the end of my days. Knitting does not require a lot of equipment, space or mess and it is relaxing. I love colour and I have a large supply of wool. I always pick up extra yarn on my shopping trips to to the city just in case I run out, but I do not think that will ever happen. I have set up a quiet place to knit in my office at the back of my house. I watch movies or keep up to date with what is happening on Etsy as I knit. As soon as I finish one pair of slippers, I am thinking about the next pair and what colour to knit them. I feel like a kid with a big box of crayons as I look at my yarn stash. It’s wonderful and one of the simple pleasures of life. I am grateful to have been given the ability to enjoy this creative process for it has been a source of comfort through the hard times in my life.

I set up my Etsy shop as an outlet for my creations and I love it. It is addictive but I tell myself that I could be doing something worst than playing with yarn and needles. You can find my shop at http://maggiesraggedyinn.etsy.com. You can also follow my blog at http://maggiesraggedyinn.blogspot.com.

Like so many others I hope one day to be able to spend more time creating and building up my little business. It has always been my dream to write stories, make things and work from home. Maybe someday I will find a way but for now I have to help my daughter get through school and so I will satisfy my creative needs trying to fill my Etsy shop with felted slippers, dolls and my barn cats!

I am an x-ray tech, cast tech that works for 10 orthopedic doctors. I became interested in jewelry when my neighbor made jewelry and became my jeweler. She decided to leave to further her education and I had her teach me how to make jewelry. That was 4 years ago and now I am a beadaholic!!

I have my etsy site and always list on my front page what craft shows I will be doing!!

I use sterling silver and love simple/elegant designs!!

I am a NASCAR fan and love my church family! I collect Raggedy Ann’s because they have red hair like me!!

Head over to Jeridiehard’s Etsy shop and check out more of her creations.

Here is a link to the pattern in Ravelry.

Miy Project: Easter Retro Collage Creations

In today’s edition of Featured Crafter, we interview an inspired at-home crafter, Maddylane (Madeleine Langlois). She specializes in creating “Make it yourself” (Miy) craft projects for kids, teens and the whole family. The Miy mantra is to make things naturally simple, and have fun with recycling! She showcases great projects to make and decorate all year round, including Easter, Christmas, Halloween, St Patrick’s and more.

Continue reading to learn about Miycreations, and Maddylane’s projects and inspiration!

What exactly is Miycreations?
Miycreations is a Creative Arts Lifestyle magazine by Designer, Columnist Maddylane….For the pure joy of making things – Naturally simple. Our goal is to provide quality, creative, educational and innovative “make it yourself” (Miy) creations and inspirations for the home and family.

Make it yourself GREEN craft Creations for the home and family. Miy creations for kids, teens and the whole family. Miy Easter, Christmas, Halloween, St Patrick’s and much more to make and decorate all year round. Making things naturally simple. Having fun with Recycling.

Where can we find your site and your work?
Miycreations by Maddylane can be seen at http://www.miycreations.com/index.html
Miy photo galleries can be seen at http://maddylane.com/photostore/

What first got you interested in crafting?
Since I was a young girl, with my mother. We did all sorts of crafts and decorations as family activities with my sisters instead of watching TV. I just kept on making things for the pure joy of it and when on to study fashion design and became a designer. I worked as a fashion designer and home décor designer and when on to be a décor columnist for the Montreal Gazette and this has lead me to create my website called Miycreations.

Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).
I get inspired, it like a creative feeling and vision and then I make it. I take then photographs of my creations, and write how to make it to inspire others.

Apart from creating things, what do you like to do?
When I’m not making things, I’m outdoors enjoying nature – it’s a great source of inspiration for me. I love to take nature photographs. I love kayaking and combine both, I take photographs while I kayak.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the crafting community?
Keep making and creating the things you love, and love what you do.

Where can we find you? (website, craft shows, etc.)

Most of our products are available on our website, www.NikkiInStitches.com. Custom requests are the most fun for me to work on. I feel like I get to be even more creative with them. Those are available at any time, just contact us through our website for details. We can do custom apparel similar to what you see on the website, but also blankets and quilts to match any nursery decor or theme, as well as cards, invitations, and birth announcements. Nikki, In Stitches products can also be found at craft shows in Pennsylvania and Connecticut this upcoming fall.

What first got you interested in your craft?

I have always been a crafter. I have always dabbled in different mediums and techniques. The last few years I found myself making more and more items to give as gifts to friends and family members having new babies, so it just seemed natural to focus my business on baby items. I also enjoy making these items the most. I get to use a variety of techniques and I get to make items in a wide variety of styles, so I never get bored.

Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).

Most often, I get a picture of an item in my head, and then think how could I make this into something tangible. I try to take as many classes as I can to learn different techniques, and then think of ways to adapt them to fit my products. If I’m working on a custom item, it helps to see pictures of where the item will go. For example, if a customer requests a quilt to match a nursery, I like to see pictures of the nursery. It helps me get a better idea of the customer’s style and preferences. I then usually come up with a few ideas, and discuss what aspects of each the customer likes and dislikes, and then combine this together to come up with a final product. I work from home. I have two children, so I don’t always get as much continuous time to work as I’d like, but I keep myself to strict timelines in order to keep on top of the demand for my items. I try to use natural fabrics as often as possible. All of the onesies I make start with a 100% cotton base. Unless a customer has requested specific fabric, most of the quilts I make are also made from cotton fabrics and wool batting. I also try to only use fabrics and yarns that are both washable and dryable, considering baby items tend to need to be laundered frequently.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Aside from my business, I spend a majority of my time being a wife and mom. It is sometimes difficult to balance all three pieces of my life, wife, mother and small business owner, but a very supportive husband and family often help make it much easier. My mother-in-law is my business partner and I couldn’t ask for anyone better to help me get my business started. She is so supportive and always willing to jump in whenever I need help. She is great with customers. She also has great style, which I’m hoping starts to show itself more and more in our products.