Shops That Shine - Suite One Studios

{ Hello! I am thrilled to take a break from all the hustle & bustle to share a truly lovely shop today.  Lindsay from Suite One Studios is as authentic as it gets...not to mention she's chock full of talent! }

I love hearing where makers draw their inspiration from, can you share with us where you find yours?

I find inspiration just about anywhere. I keep myself open to exploring inspiration anywhere my eyes or hands may linger. I want my pottery to be enjoyed both visually and tactilely and because of this I am always considering pottery as I enjoy my world. Nature presents one of the greatest sources for inspiration, perhaps in part because of the medium itself- clay. I love simple, understated elegance and find myself drawn to clean modern lines and organic imperfections. My color palette and forms reflect a delicate balance between the colorful commercial world and the softer side of the natural world.

Your shop is beyond lovely....and looks effortless! We know it can be difficult behind the scenes though. Describe the most difficult aspect to running a successful creative small business for you, and how you work to overcome it.
It is both terrifying and exhilarating to accept that my success is my own. I am in control of my brand, my designs and my reputation; everything comes down to choices I make and their resulting consequences. I always knew I wanted to be an artist but I never considered that I would find myself running a business. In my early dreams there was a gap between creating art and getting paid for it. I knew I wanted to be paid for my art, but the “how” was, and still is a challenge for me to understand and overcome. Running my own business means being my own boss, and I love nearly every aspect of this, but it is also the source for my greatest struggles as a business owner and artist. I have learned the best way for me to overcome these obstacles is to view them as opportunities for growth.

What efforts do you take to make your shop shine?

I spend a great deal of time working on my product photos, and with running an online shop this is a necessity. Pottery is part visual pleasure, part tactile comfort. Selling pots online automatically cancels out the tactile component of what makes a good pot a good pot. I rely on my product photos to convey texture, feeling, weight and function. I have learned the importance of taking clear photos, using natural light and close-ups to allow the consumer to visually experience all the things the hands normally decide when choosing a piece of pottery. I also spend a great deal of time making each piece from hand without molds and mixing my own glazes from minerals, oxides and stains. These extra little details are perhaps my favorite parts of making my work, and are precisely what makes my shop shine.

How do you see your business growing in the future?

I see my business gaining momentum in the future and evolving naturally to fit comfortably in my life. I am excited to be able to say that in the last year my business has become my full-time job! I feel really positive about the future and see limitless possibilities. I am not certain yet the way my business will grow, but I am certain that it will remain a part of my life. I would like to find my way into a studio space outside of my house. I am currently running some aspect of my business from nearly every room in my house. I am looking forward to having a dedicated work space where I can stretch out a little bit- without worrying about knocking over a piece of porcelain!

Tell us what’s in store for your shop; any new products, shop changes, or celebrations?

I have a love for sitting at a beautifully presented table. I have a love for good food.  And, I have an even bigger love for slowing down and spending time with those important people in my life. I am experiencing a subtle shift in my work to reflect these loves. I am working on developing a stronger dinnerware line and am really looking forward to revealing these new products which will add elegance and celebration to even the simplest meal!

November marks my two year Etsy Anniversary and I am sure I will have a fabulous sale of some sort to celebrate this milestone! I have so enjoyed the last two years and still find myself standing in awe of all I have accomplished with the support of my amazing customers, friends and family.

You’ve clearly established a successful shop, can you offer one piece of golden advice for those just starting out?

Don’t underestimate yourself. If you have an idea or dream in mind stay committed and create a path for yourself, as unconventional as it may be. My business grew at a time in my life when almost all odds were against me. I was working two jobs and going to school, and rarely had a minute to spare. I would spend my days at work thinking about the pottery I wanted to be making, and if I managed to extract twenty minutes from the entire week I would sit at my wheel and all of those pottery ideas would pour out of me in that short little session. I now fire my kiln about three times a week, but in the beginning it easily took me six months before I had enough pottery for a single firing. There were times when I became discouraged but I continued to stay focused and daydream about one day making a living from my pottery. I slowly began listing pictures of my work online and very, very slowly began selling my work. This was not an instant career shift for me. I think it is important to be realistic with ourselves, but to still keep that dreamer inside of us alive. If you have a dream just start. Even if the start feels like the teensiest tiniest little baby step, it is a start, and beginning a dream is never a regret.

Thank you Lindsay for sharing your process and dreams!

Find Lindsay here:
shop
blog
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( know a shop that shines? does your shop stand out? submit your link to me at 


allisa{dot} jacobs {at} gmail {dot} com for consideration to be included in the new 


year)

Advent Calendar Tutorial Collection

Adding this list of advent tutorials to one of my all time favorite calendars from Purl Bee. 

Paper cones on a branch: from The Red Thread  includes printable numbers PDFs

Silhouette envelopes: from Le Papier Studio   includes printable sticker PDFs

Stamped pouches: from NuvoNova     *not a tutorial but the possibilities with these are endless!

Fabric Gift Tags: from Skip to my Lou 

let the merry-making begin!

Thankful

My heart is full of thanks.

Blessing & happiness & laughter to you & your family today! 

Shops That Shine - Stephanie Fizer Coleman

{Hello! So happy to have Stephanie Fizer- Coleman here today. I've connected with her during the last year after spotting her charming shop-- she is a gifted artist and inspiration to other with handmade businesses. }

I love hearing where makers draw their inspiration from, can you share with us where you find yours?

For me, it seems that inspiration is everywhere and I'm constanty having ideas pop into my head.  Honestly, it's a great problem to have although it can even be a teensy bit frustrating because I don't always have time to drop whatever I'm doing and dive into a new idea—although sometimes the new idea is so good, I just have to start working on it right away!  I always keep an idea journal on hand though, so I can scribble down my ideas, make rough sketches and keep track of things that inspire me. 

Generally speaking, I draw a lot of inspiration from nature.  I grew up in a rural area surrounded by forest and I now live in small college town that is brimming with trees, flowers and rivers so I'm always finding myself being taken in by the colors and textures of nature.  Colors and patterns in general really inspire me too as do vintage illustrations, especially vintage children's illustrations. 

I notice that you are a self-taught artist (wow!), what steps have you taken to continuously learn and improve upon your craft?

Well, I learned initially from reading tons of art and technique books at first and then later by going through any online tutorials I could find.  And I think that's still an important part of how I continue to learn and grow as an artist, I'm still always adding new art and craft books to my library and I still enjoy browsing through tutorials when I have time. 

People always ask me what books I learned from, as if there is a magic formula, but honestly I've always just poured over all sorts of art and craft books.  The style I've developed as an artist is the result of studying so many different things over the last few years.  My library now contains books on everything from flower identification and typography and from drawing comic books to drawing fairies.

Of course, as I always tell my Inspired Doodles students, the only way to become better at any thing is to practice.  If you want to be an artist, you've got to make time for your art every day, even if it's just a few scribbles in a sketchbook. 

Your charming designs are available in wide range of products including stickers, book plates, note cards and postcards. I’d love to hear more about your process for creating and launching new products.

Usually a product idea will start out as a scribbled note in my idea book.  I used to just try to crank out new products as fast as possible, but I've found that I get better results when I take the time to really think things through. 

My first step is always trying to figure out how I can product whatever product I have in mind.  I have a big fancy Epson printer, so I print some products here in my studio, but in other cases I outsource some of my printing.  When thinking up a new product, deciding whether to produce it in my studio or outsource it really comes down to two factors:  time and money.  Do I have enough time to make this product and still be able to sell it at a reasonable price?  Would producing it on my own be more or less cost effective than outsourcing some parts of the process? 

And of course, I also consider when outsourcing some pieces of my product whether the quality will meet my standards. 

Once I've figured out the how to my product creation puzzle, I can get down to actually designing the product.  And from there it's just a matter of sourcing my materials and either starting the printing process here in my studio or sending files off to the printer. 

Lastly, once everything is ready, I plan out my packaging design and that's it!

Which aspect of running a creative business is the most enjoyable to you? And which has challenged you the most?

I love the part where I actually get to sit down and draw things, of course!  I usually spend my morning taking care of business stuff—answering emails, shipping orders, accounting, etc—so I can spend the rest of my day focusing on freelance work or creating new illustrations for my shop. 

Probably the most challenging thing for me has always been self-promotion.  I'm kinda shy when it comes to talking about myself so when I first started out, I was a bit shy about talking about my business too.  Now, of course, self-promotion and social networking is a big part of how I run my business and stay connected with my customers.  It was a struggle at first to overcome my natural shyness, but in the end I'm so happy to have finally learned to openly share my business. 

In addition to your lovely designs, you also offer creative and business related crash courses. Can you share a bit about why you developed these workshops and what they offer other entrepreneurs?

I've been teaching online workshop for a couple of years now.  I started out with Flourish which was an ecourse that focused on creating and running an indie biz.  And the most recently in 2011 I started offering Inspired Doodles, which focuses a bit on the method I used to teach myself to draw and a bit on tutorials of how I create my work in Photoshop, etc. 

In both of these past workshops, I'd frequently gotten emails from people who really wanted to take part but who couldn't dedicate 4 or 5 weeks to a course because of other obligations.  You know how it is, we're all so busy these days that sometimes it is difficult to make time for the things we really want to do. 

So Crash Courses were born out of my desire to share my teaching with students would didn't have a lot of time but were still interested in exploring business and creative topics.  The Crash Courses are short one week workshops that are delivered daily via email and depending on my schedule, I usually offer a new Crash Course every other month, each one on a new topic.


Thank you Stephanie for sharing your talent and story with us! Look forward to seeing what you create in the new year. 


you can find Stephanie here: 
website
twitter
facebook




{{do you know a shop that shines? would you like to be considered for a feature? Please send submissions to allisa.jacobs [at] gmail [dot] com }}

Make It Do Monday - Project: Give Thanks

My quest to simplify & appreciate moves on...and just in time for the season of thankfulness and giving. 

I made this little thankful board for our family to come together and share what we really appreciate. Not only is the end product rewarding but it was fun to do together...and we can just keep adding to it this week.


For our crafts and holiday decorations this year, I've been trying to create ones that can move on with the seasons and be reused. So just like my felt flower wreath, this frame with linen-covered cork board can be re-purposed (I'm thinking advent design or tree with handmade ornaments)

From Jack: "cat, mom, dad, Luke"  (Love!) 

To make this board, I took a yard sale find frame painted it and inserted a cork board I covered with linen. I trimmed card stock into these tag shapes & added dried leaves we collected on our nature walk.  


Happy giving thanks week!


ps. thank you for all the lovely feedback and sharing on last week's post; Saying Goodbye to Someday

Ready, Set, Launch! Business Coaching

This year, I've been answering all these questions for myself and now hope to help others in pursuit of their dreams. 


After much thought and reflection- I've decided to pursue an additional direction: business coaching. 


For me, it's a natural progression. I have a genuine desire to support others along with a fiery entrepreneurial spirit .  So, I've taken my career in education and combined it with my experience in running a successful handmade business to develop Study Hall. 


Study Hall is business coaching taken back to the basics. I'm not here with quick tips of marketing magic, but instead offer meaningful, personalized advice to help others transform their brands. I'm not going to shout about glitter and shine but instead vow to encourage, guide, and motivate.  I believe in conversations and relationships to make things happen. 


Interested? Read more and find session information on my Business Coaching page. 

Shops that Shine - Creative Mamma

Incredibly happy to have Joy from Creative Mamma here today to chat about her work. I first connected with Joy through the Oh My Handmade community and was immediately impressed by her authenticity and kindness. She shines as a source of creativity and inspiration. I've especially enjoyed discussing motherhood and transitions with Joy...which is why I'm so glad she's here to share her perspective.

Welcome Joy! Your drawings & design are charming - tell us where you find your inspiration.

Thanks so much for having me, Allisa!  I’m honored to be a part of this wonderful series and I really have enjoyed learning about the other shops that you have featured. With regards to my inspiration, my drawings are inspired by just about anything (I know, I know, everyone says that – but it’s true!). The printables that I make are usually inspired by my kids. I love making things that they can hopefully use in the future. Oh, and since I was a former teacher, I love to make things that teachers can use in their classrooms. 

You’ve mentioned your shop is in a transitional phase, can you tell a bit more about what changes, adjustments, or directions you’re taking the business?

In February of this year, my second baby was born. For some reason, I thought that I can keep the momentum of my creative business and balance the two little guys/family, and a full time job.  After a few stressful months, I had to really evaluate what I was doing.  Having a stressed out mom is no fun for anyone, so I made the decision to take huge step back and focus on my family.

Currently, I'm just having fun creating/drawing. Most of what I make end up being free.  Since I started giving things away, I've gotten so much in return (freelance jobs, etc), that I'm really just enjoying this phase of my life. I'm also taking classes/learning a lot because I feel a shift in my art and I'm just going with it...  Plus, not having the pressure of running the shop on top of my regular job and raising the babies has been such a huge weight off my shoulders. Life is just way to short to be stressed all the time.
My current plan is to make some fun free printables, do a little freelance work on the side, and enjoy every moment with my guys. 

Which aspect of creative business is the most enjoyable to you? And which has challenged you the most?

I think the most enjoyable part of the business (aside from creating) is the social aspect.  I really enjoy meeting and connecting with people on twitter, etc. The flip side of that is also the most challenging, I feel like I’m always behind in my social media interactions.  Social media has become a little bit overwhelming to me right now – so I’m also taking more breaks and stepping away from twitter and facebook from time to time.

How have you approached balancing family & work & creating? What works best for you?
To be honest, I don’t think that I will ever learn how to balance everything, and I’m ok with that.  I’m the type of person that has to learn the hard way every time, so here are some tricks that has helped me along the way:

1. It’s ok to take the long road.  I don’t like driving on the highway, so I will purposely take the long-side-street way to get to my destination. The travel time is a little bit longer, but I get to my destination eventually. So with my business, I’m ok, that things are slow – I’ll get to my creative destination at some point, it might just take me a little longer to get there.
2. It’s ok to not do it all.  This was hard for me to accept because I’m the type of person that takes something on and gives it 110%.  So when I had to evaluate my life, I had to really switch my mindset and learn to just chill out and enjoy life rather than run through it.
3. It’s ok to take a break.  I wake up extra early so I can put in some drawing time everyday.  It’s my form of meditation.  When I take breaks for myself, I find that I can focus on my family/life more.

What is your biggest dream for Creative Mamma?
My ultimate dream for Creative Mamma is for the website to be a place where people can go to find fun/useful things (apps, printables, etc.) that they can use in their day to day.  

Thanks again for having me, Allisa!  

you can find more of Joy here:

Creative Mamma CreativeMamma.com
Facebook Facebook.com/CreativeMamma
Twitter twitter.com/JoyCharde
Etsy etsy.com/theartofjoy

Success

 I'm over at The Academy today discussing my definition of success. I'd love to hear your thoughts, come on over and say hello!

{image courtesy artsy girl studio}

Make It Do Monday - Saying Goodbye.....

....to someday. 
In my quest to simplify I've been focused on living more thoughtfully, with less noise, more things made at home, and parting ways with extras.  I said goodbye to lots of stuff this week and more symbolically said farewell to 'someday.'  


As in, 
someday this shirt might actually be flattering
someday I might want to look at this depressing photograph
someday I may want to read this card from someone I no longer love
someday this scrap of fabric may be just the thing I need
someday I'll pass this book to someone who might want it
someday these jeans won't feel so tight
someday I'll feel inspired to wear shimmery green eye shadow
someday  I'll miss this trinket that once meant something


But instead, I let all those thoughts go. 

I recycled, gave away,and sold someday. 

Now, I have room for today. 

is there a someday you can say goodbye to? 

{print via Hands Workshop}

Design Study - Houndstooth

hounds·tooth/ˈhoun(d)zˌtooTH/

Noun:

A large checked pattern with notched corners suggestive of a canine tooth, typically used in cloth for jackets and suits.

Pendleton Throw Blanket from Oh This Nose

Coat from Louisa Bonheur

Kitty from Penguin and Fish

Baby Booties from Garden Alley

Bamboo Coasters from Masters of None

Bag from Dish Handbags 

Quilt Pattern from V. and Co. 

Perfect finds for a warm & cozy Friday!