I've always been a doodler and crafter; not quite an artist. In the fourth grade, I first discovered my ability to draw. My teacher saw some of my drawings and asked me to draw all of the presidents in time for President's day. My recess time was spent drawing all how many? Presidents. She taped them all around the room above the chalkboards.
I remember my own mother accused me of tracing a picture that I entered into a contest in jr high. Mom, you can't trace a pic and make it twice as large ;) at least not back then !
Over the last 25 years I've always been doing some type of crafting on the side and sometimes as a full time biz. In the late 80s I was making the rabbit dolls that were so popular with the settlers style dress of pantaloons, petticoat, dress and apron.
I then moved on to making beaded earrings and tole painting wooden pieces and furniture to sell in Brown County, Indiana at different craft malls.
I love gardening and if I were younger with a stronger back I would be going to school as a landscape designer. Though, truthfully, it's the hands on work I love.
In 1997 I started selling online. I was a long time auction goer and have always bought all my household goods at auction (reuse what you can THEN recycle). I bankrolled my business by selling off my collection of pink Dogwood depression glass and crockery (still miss some of those items !).
I was living in Kansas at the time and wow do they have great farm auctions ! I was taking a pickup load of packed china and glassware 3 times a week to my local teeny post office. They loved me and would even call me on days I didn't show up since they knew I lived so far from my friends and family and would worry ! Ah, the days before PayPal when I would get dozens of checks in the mail every day :) Was like Christmas or your birthday all the time !
After I moved back to Indiana and after 911 and shipping price increases I had to switch items and started focusing on vintage linens. Soak in bleach, boil in hot water, lay in sun to bleach, spray starch and iron. Rinse, repeat several hundred times.
Next were vintage postcards which in a roundabout way brought me to where I am now. I loved the old illustrated holiday postcards and wanted to offer those images to people who weren't interested in the old postcard but who enjoyed the vintage look. Thus was born my first Etsy shop where I sell items decorated with public domain images that I have saved over 8 years of being a postcard dealer.
In working with the old images to fit the different items I sell, the idea to design my own began to manifest and here we are today. I love the design work, love making the vision become reality.
I'm grateful every day for the opportunity Etsy gives all artists and crafters to express ourselves and share our designs with the community of fellow lovers of unique, handcrafted items.
I have grown to the point of needing help but have luckily been able to keep it *all in the family*. My parents owned their own business for almost 40 years before retiring. HA retirement is just a dream for them now as they help me with production and shipping. As I grow, I hope to continue to keep our little cottage industry in our family.