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| Celtic Knot Cable Braid Cowl |
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| Knitted Tote Craft Bag With Seed Stitch Border |
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| Knitted Kindle Cover With Hand Embroidered Heart |
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| Shabby Chic Neckwarmer, Cowl, Headwarmer |
Showing posts with label Woman in Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Woman in Business. Show all posts
Friday, December 7, 2012
Feature Friday ~ KateJKnits
Friday, November 16, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Interview With Mother Daughter Team Nichole and Francis
Tell us a little about yourselves:
(Mom) Hello everyone! I am Frances Reyes alias "Mom." I am 53 years of age and began my homeschooling journey almost 24 years ago while carrying my first child. The Lord was so gracious to bless me with two wonderful children, Nicole 23 (my business partner), and Christopher 21. I love crocheting, sewing, gardening, cooking, reading and collecting books, and watching old movies but my most favorite of all things is to be by the sea.
(Nicole) Hello! I'm Nicole Reyes, Frances' daughter and co-owner of Nicole & Mom's Creations. I had the wonderful privilege of being homeschooled through the 12th grade, and loved every minute of it! My interests vary from crocheting, drawing, watching old black and white movies, and of course what girl doesn't love to shop! Karate is my passion. I have been in the martial arts for almost 10 years and earned my 2nd degree black belt in 2011. Currently, I run my own school from home and compete professionally. My ultimate goal is to make the U.S. National Team someday.
How did you begin working in your craft and how did it develop into a business?(Mom) It's funny to think back on how I got started at my craft. Crocheting was something I taught myself to do as a child, just like sewing. It was just one of those things on a list I wanted to learn and it never occured to me that one day the skill would develop into a business!
(Nicole) My mom started the business several years back. I hadn't picked up a crochet hook yet and was anxious to learn when we did our first craft fair together.
I love it now!
What is one of your favorite homeschool memories?(Mom) I think my most favorite homeschool memory was the freedom of providing my children with the avenues to discover what they enjoyed learning, and to develop those things into useful skills.
What did you like best about being homeschooled?(Nicole) It was a true blessing that the Lord placed it in my mother's heart to educate my brother and I at home. Some of my fondest memories were simply being with her and spending time learning. We have an amazing relationship and being homeschooled all those years made our friendship blossom!
What is one thing that you liked least about being homeschooled?(Nicole) MATH!
What advice would you give to other homeschool families who are also trying to run a home business?(Mom) My best advice for any family trying to start or run a home business is to enjoy the process of learning and being together. That might mean cultivating more than one business at a time. For example we run our crocheting business, a dojo and a bookstore all from home.
What advice would you give to other homeschool students who would like to start their own business?(Nicole) It's very rewarding being your own boss. Find something you love or are interested in learning and try turning it into a business. You never know what might happen!
Where do you find inspiration for your pieces?(Mom) Being a bit of a rebel at heart, I try to create pieces that go against the flow of fashion. In other words I try to create pieces that you can't find anywhere else. I want buyers to feel like they have on something unique.
(Nicole) My inspiration comes simply from the joy of creating and watching others enjoy the finished product. Crocheting is very relaxing for me especially when I'm a bit stressed!
What is your favorite item in your shop right now?(Mom) I would have to say that currently my most favorite piece is my "Crochet Red Purse."
(Nicole) The bandana scarves are my favorite. Everyone loves them!
Do you have specific goals for your business?(Nicole & Mom) Creating unique, quality items is our main goal. We love to see our customers come back for more!
Do you have any other websites that you would like to share? ie, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Online Shop...(Nicole & Mom) Visit our Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/NicoleandMom. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
(Mom) Hello everyone! I am Frances Reyes alias "Mom." I am 53 years of age and began my homeschooling journey almost 24 years ago while carrying my first child. The Lord was so gracious to bless me with two wonderful children, Nicole 23 (my business partner), and Christopher 21. I love crocheting, sewing, gardening, cooking, reading and collecting books, and watching old movies but my most favorite of all things is to be by the sea.
(Nicole) Hello! I'm Nicole Reyes, Frances' daughter and co-owner of Nicole & Mom's Creations. I had the wonderful privilege of being homeschooled through the 12th grade, and loved every minute of it! My interests vary from crocheting, drawing, watching old black and white movies, and of course what girl doesn't love to shop! Karate is my passion. I have been in the martial arts for almost 10 years and earned my 2nd degree black belt in 2011. Currently, I run my own school from home and compete professionally. My ultimate goal is to make the U.S. National Team someday.
How did you begin working in your craft and how did it develop into a business?(Mom) It's funny to think back on how I got started at my craft. Crocheting was something I taught myself to do as a child, just like sewing. It was just one of those things on a list I wanted to learn and it never occured to me that one day the skill would develop into a business!
(Nicole) My mom started the business several years back. I hadn't picked up a crochet hook yet and was anxious to learn when we did our first craft fair together.
I love it now!
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| Boyfriend Tie in Silver and Gray |
What is one of your favorite homeschool memories?(Mom) I think my most favorite homeschool memory was the freedom of providing my children with the avenues to discover what they enjoyed learning, and to develop those things into useful skills.
What did you like best about being homeschooled?(Nicole) It was a true blessing that the Lord placed it in my mother's heart to educate my brother and I at home. Some of my fondest memories were simply being with her and spending time learning. We have an amazing relationship and being homeschooled all those years made our friendship blossom!
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| Bandana Scarf With Fringe |
What is one thing that you liked least about being homeschooled?(Nicole) MATH!
What advice would you give to other homeschool families who are also trying to run a home business?(Mom) My best advice for any family trying to start or run a home business is to enjoy the process of learning and being together. That might mean cultivating more than one business at a time. For example we run our crocheting business, a dojo and a bookstore all from home.
 |
| Crochet Flower Bookmark |
What advice would you give to other homeschool students who would like to start their own business?(Nicole) It's very rewarding being your own boss. Find something you love or are interested in learning and try turning it into a business. You never know what might happen!
 |
| Scarf Shawl in Shimmery Champagne |
Where do you find inspiration for your pieces?(Mom) Being a bit of a rebel at heart, I try to create pieces that go against the flow of fashion. In other words I try to create pieces that you can't find anywhere else. I want buyers to feel like they have on something unique.
(Nicole) My inspiration comes simply from the joy of creating and watching others enjoy the finished product. Crocheting is very relaxing for me especially when I'm a bit stressed!
What is your favorite item in your shop right now?(Mom) I would have to say that currently my most favorite piece is my "Crochet Red Purse."
(Nicole) The bandana scarves are my favorite. Everyone loves them!
 |
| Crochet Purse in Red or Beige You Choose the Color |
Do you have specific goals for your business?(Nicole & Mom) Creating unique, quality items is our main goal. We love to see our customers come back for more!
Do you have any other websites that you would like to share? ie, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Online Shop...(Nicole & Mom) Visit our Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/NicoleandMom. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Team Member Interview With Adrey of AnACreate
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi, I'm Audrey, and I'm the supermom of a classically-homeschooling, hobby-farming, craft-loving, large family! We live on 2 acres and have crammed every possible thing onto it! After all, our home is our school, and we see chores and responsibility, rather like the dad in Calvin & Hobbes, as character builders. J We have dairy goats, chickens, rabbits, geese, cats, and dogs to name a few animals. We also grow much of our own food and have several large gadens and an ordhard. We have 6 children from ages 1 to 13. We love our school years with them.
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How did you begin working in your craft and how did it develop into a business?
The Etsy shop(s) we operate grew out of a desire to teach our kids how to run a business. From the large gardens we mentioned above, we sell excess produce at our local farmer’s market. One of our daughters started making reusable shopping bags to sell at the market, and another daughter started making aprons. One of our sons grew zucchini to make into zucchini bread and sell at the market. We wanted each child to learn about running a business as soon as they were old enough to understand rudimentary math and economics. An added benefit was learning more math skills as they made change at farmer’s market. But farmer’s market only runs for 5 months of the year and so we encouraged them to look for other places to peddle their wares…and the Etsy shop(s) were born.
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| 1974 Calendar Bag |
What advise would you give to other homeschool families who are also trying to run a home business?
I’m not sure what advice to give others about running a home business because our Etsy shop(s) are a twist on that. We put pretty high priority on our kids running their Etsy shop(s) because it is one of the most concrete examples of real life training we are giving them. They will have to make an income some day! We give them time every day to maintain their shops and consider the time very educationally spent!
Where do you find inspiration for your pieces?
Our daughter who makes the reusable shopping bags haunts antique stores for antique tea towels which she upcycles into her bags. With added ribbon handles, they are fantastic! Our apron-making daughter loves to find exciting, inspirational fabrics on the internet. She has also opened a photography Etsy shop, and her inspiration for her photographs is found in nature.
What is your favorite item in your shop right now?
My favorite reusable shopping bag is this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/89976782/1974-calendar-bag-repurposed-tea-towel
And my favorite apron is this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/90702499/potatoes-have-never-been-so-funto-wear
And my favorite photograph is this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/94628209/signed-zebra-musings-framed-8x10
Do you have specific goals for your business or for your homeschooling? Would you share some of those with us?
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| Reusable Shopping Bag |
Do you have specific goals for your business or for your homeschooling? Would you share some of those with us?
Our goal for our children’s Etsy shops is for them to gain real-world, practical experience in running a business. Without getting political, I think it will be very important for children of the future to know how to make money with as much debt as our generation is leaving their generation.
A personal goal is to start my own Etsy shop! I would love to sell vintage item and supplies, and hand sewn items. (After all, I was the one who taught my daughters to sew!)
This year in our homeschool, we have several new beginnings: we are starting our 4 year history cycle over again, our oldest will start high school studies, and two of our youngest start 1st grade, so our plans for the year revolve around these things. For example, this time through history, we will focus on art and architecture. Last time through we focused on music and geography and next time through we will focus on timelines and inventions. This adds new interest to repetitve material. In general though, our goal in homeschooling our children is to teach them to learn...because then they will be unstoppable! Yes, we will be working ourselves out of a job, but that will give us more time to do things like run our own Etsy shop!
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Do you have any other websites that you would like to share? ie, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Shop...
I would love it if everyone reading this interview took time to check out our children’s 3 shops:
www.bewitchyourself.etsy.com (I haven’t mentioned this one yet, this shop belongs to our photography daughter who also loves to craft things from clay. She has the neatest idea for personalizing clay figures…you should see what you would look like as a princess, witch, or mermaid!)
Friday, July 6, 2012
Featured Member's Etsy Mini
Special thanks goes out to Shelley and Shannon for yesterday's all Sheteam treasuries! They featured so many wonderful items from our fellow team members.
Thank You!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Iterview With Lacey of Gremlina
Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a little bit here, and a little bit there. I love to search, try new things, explore and understand. I LOVE my family and adore the life we share together, homeschooling and starting a business has given us so many opportunities to strengthen our bonds.
How did you begin working in your craft and how did it develop into a business?
I've been hunting and gathering vintage since I was in elementary school. Thanks to a thrifty mom with a small budget, I rarely had 'new' clothes and the value of items with age was hammered in. Etsy inspired me to sell, and it's only grown from there!
What is one of your favorite homeschool memories thus far?
Our trips are the best. Often my husband has to travel for work--and since he works for himself, he can schedule long weekends so we can go on short trips. These are amazing times for us to learn and enjoy each other. Daily we craft and work together in the garden and that's great too, but the stand-out memories are in our little 'journeys' as the kids call them.
What advise would you give to other homeschool families who are also trying to run a home business?
Include the children, make the business about the family on every level. If you're running a business that interferes with family values--including the importance of family time in your own home, it's not worth it. I couldn't do what I do if my husband didn't enjoy helping, and same for the kids. There is no greater life lesson you can give your children than how to run a business in an ethical and loving way. It doesn't matter what you do, if your family can help and support it, it will be all the more successful.
Where do you find inspiration for your pieces?
Usually I'm inspired by the pieces I find! While I LOVE to craft, I find such beauty in the craftsmanship of others. There's a warm, tingly feeling I get when I see the joy in the face of a person with whom a piece has been matched, it's like a reunion of sorts. Sometimes people just walk right up and look at nothing but one dress on a rack and it's so clear the 2 were meant to be together! The emails/notes/conversations I have with folks like this online are very similar. Sometimes things just fit.ometimes people just walk right up and look at nothing but one dress on a rack and it's so clear the 2 were meant to be together! The emails/notes/conversations I have with folks like this online are very similar. Sometimes things just fit.ometimes people just walk right up and look at nothing but one dress on a rack and it's so clear the 2 were meant to be together! The emails/notes/conversations I have with folks like this online are very similar. Sometimes things just fit.ometimes people just walk right up and look at nothing but one dress on a rack and it's so clear the 2 were meant to be together! The emails/notes/conversations I have with folks like this online are very similar. Sometimes things just fit.
Do you have specific goals for your business or for your homeschooling? Would you share some of those with us?
Like I said, family first. My goal is to help a little financially in a way that includes my kids. It's more difficult now because they're very young, but my oldest is already (age 7) VERY interested in participating in the finding and selling of great items. Her eye is getting better and she's even getting good at talking with customers! It reminds me of old general stores where the kids worked the register. I'd love to have something to pass on to them if they decide they love it too--something they helped to build.
Find Lacey
On Facebook
On Etsy
On Her Blog
I'm a little bit here, and a little bit there. I love to search, try new things, explore and understand. I LOVE my family and adore the life we share together, homeschooling and starting a business has given us so many opportunities to strengthen our bonds.
 |
| Retro Vintage Eyeglasses |
How did you begin working in your craft and how did it develop into a business?
I've been hunting and gathering vintage since I was in elementary school. Thanks to a thrifty mom with a small budget, I rarely had 'new' clothes and the value of items with age was hammered in. Etsy inspired me to sell, and it's only grown from there!
 |
| Plaid Picnic Set |
What is one of your favorite homeschool memories thus far?
Our trips are the best. Often my husband has to travel for work--and since he works for himself, he can schedule long weekends so we can go on short trips. These are amazing times for us to learn and enjoy each other. Daily we craft and work together in the garden and that's great too, but the stand-out memories are in our little 'journeys' as the kids call them.
 |
| 1950's Danish Style Mid Century Modern Desk |
What advise would you give to other homeschool families who are also trying to run a home business?
Include the children, make the business about the family on every level. If you're running a business that interferes with family values--including the importance of family time in your own home, it's not worth it. I couldn't do what I do if my husband didn't enjoy helping, and same for the kids. There is no greater life lesson you can give your children than how to run a business in an ethical and loving way. It doesn't matter what you do, if your family can help and support it, it will be all the more successful.
 |
| Retro Kitchen Accessories |
Where do you find inspiration for your pieces?
Usually I'm inspired by the pieces I find! While I LOVE to craft, I find such beauty in the craftsmanship of others. There's a warm, tingly feeling I get when I see the joy in the face of a person with whom a piece has been matched, it's like a reunion of sorts. Sometimes people just walk right up and look at nothing but one dress on a rack and it's so clear the 2 were meant to be together! The emails/notes/conversations I have with folks like this online are very similar. Sometimes things just fit.ometimes people just walk right up and look at nothing but one dress on a rack and it's so clear the 2 were meant to be together! The emails/notes/conversations I have with folks like this online are very similar. Sometimes things just fit.ometimes people just walk right up and look at nothing but one dress on a rack and it's so clear the 2 were meant to be together! The emails/notes/conversations I have with folks like this online are very similar. Sometimes things just fit.ometimes people just walk right up and look at nothing but one dress on a rack and it's so clear the 2 were meant to be together! The emails/notes/conversations I have with folks like this online are very similar. Sometimes things just fit.
 |
| Size 9 Dingo Western Style Boots |
Do you have specific goals for your business or for your homeschooling? Would you share some of those with us?
Like I said, family first. My goal is to help a little financially in a way that includes my kids. It's more difficult now because they're very young, but my oldest is already (age 7) VERY interested in participating in the finding and selling of great items. Her eye is getting better and she's even getting good at talking with customers! It reminds me of old general stores where the kids worked the register. I'd love to have something to pass on to them if they decide they love it too--something they helped to build.
Find Lacey
On Facebook
On Etsy
On Her Blog
Monday, February 13, 2012
Interview With Christy Wilson of Whimsy Gal
Hi, my name is Christy Wilson. I am an artist, mother, marine biologist, and environmental educator who lives on a little green island with my husband, my two daughters and our family dog. I have been crafting all my lif and am always excited to try something new. Right now, I am mainly painting in acrylics, dabblin in watercolours and have started playing with sewing; but,thanks to my life as a mother and homeschooler, I am often trying other mediums and crafts. Sharing creativity with my two girls is one of my favourite parts of homeschooling life!
My Two Creative Girls
As I said, I have crafted since I myself was a little girl (I cherish the memories I have of crafting with my own mom. Painting(aside from the odd school art projects) is a fairly recent undertaking for me. I started painting cusom children's pieces(t-shirts and canvases) for my friends' children when on maternity leave with my first child. Many of my friends also seemed to be having babies and I was looking for a way to celebrate them and save a little money. I soon became hooked on the bold and playful colours and the fast and forgiveable nature of acrylic paints - if you don't like it, you just paint over it! From there I started to get commissions - for children and weddings and anniversaries and my confidence grew.
A Family Tree Commission
I am surrounded by many artist friends, and their support and encouragement has really helped me to branch out. I started selling at local craft fairs and getting referrals and commissions farther afield. Then I discovered Etsy and was excited by the opportunity to reach a larger audience. I have to admit that I still do mainly local commissions and shows, but I am hoping to make more use of Etsy as my children grow and I perhaps find more time for my art as a business.
But for now, most importantly, my art brings me so much joy and I love my escapes into paint and possibility in my magic studio on the top our our house (windows all around, trees beyond...it feels like my own treehouse and I can watch my girls giggling on the grass below as I work.)
It is hard to choose just one of the many favourite homeschooling memories I have. What an incredible time this has been. Certainly it was magic to share the process of my eldest learning to read and now she reads to her little sister and my heart fills with so much love.
Raena reading to Alex
Another memory that jumps out is the one day that I hosted the weekly "Interesting Club" and "took" Raena and her friends to France. We played with the language and made family collages to learn words like "Mere"(mother) and "Pere" (father). We then dined in the garden on a French buffet luncheon and practiced saying "Merci" (thank you) and "S'il vous plait" (please) as we passed around the "raisins"(grapes), "fromage"(cheese), "pain" (fresh bread), "beurre" (butter and "vin" (wine, actually fizzy water in a fancy carafe). We chatted about what it must be like to be a young girl in France, looked up some stories from young person's blog, and remembered our cousin Maddy whom all girls know(she had recenly vistied us from France). Then I read a children's book about Mary Cassatt - an artist who lived in North America like us(more specificall, in the USA, so our general neighbourhood anyways)and at the same age as the girls in our Club (7 or 8), she went to France with her parents. She fell in love with the place and the art of France, dreamed about it for years and in her early 20's she returned to France and began painting with the Impressionists. We looked at examples of Impressionist artists and talked about the style of their art (painting what the see) and their practice of painting "en plein air" (out of doors) and then my daughter and her friends took watercolour paints and chose a solo spot in the garden to paint "en plein air". The results were incredible!
Raena painting cornflowers "en plein air"
I am so inspired by their enthusiasm and passion for all we do. Just last month they dove in with smiles and laughter to help clean up garbage at the annual Great Canadian Shorelin Cleanup at a local beach. Similarly, they will stop everything and direct all their energy to study (and save) a found bug or snail.
My art is really more of a hobby than a home business (for now) but my husband is a co-owner and baker at our Slow Rise Bakery and that business really does affect the rhythms of homeschooling. But being our own boss allows much more freedom to include the kids in your work. Often they play at the bakery or in the garden outside (the bakery is right next door to our home, on our neighbour and partner's property). Sometimes they help bag
and label bread, mix granola or scones or go on deliveries to the local grocery store. From the bakery interaction, my advice would be to try and involve the kids whenever you can, even if it is infrequent, so they can feel included and so that they learn real life experience in your field of work.
Though I often take my daughters to events with my part-time employment as an Environmental Educator, I actually have a hard time following this advice directly with my art. I find it hard to paint with my kids in the room. But I can work on their painting projects with them and I have just taken up sewing and find that I can do most projects (if not too complicated for my beginner level) with my kids in the studio, playing alongside or working on their own sewing creations. I have been sewing mainly gifts but have traded and sold a couple dolls and hope to do more and perhaps get some into my Etsy shop in the new year. Since I can sew with my children in the room, this may be more realistic than expanding my painting business at this time.
One of my First Dolls
Recently, I have been most inspired by words, especially inspiring quotes and intentional writing. I find the power of words really helps me to stay focused on what is most important and good in my life. I love to weave these words into my art to help me to further integrate their messages.
Trust the Universe Original Painting
I have also always been very inspired by nature. I live in a piece of paradise on a small island called Gabriola, off the west coast of Canada. I am surrounded by wild spaces and creatures and I especially love the ocean. My passion for the sea led me to study marine biology at university and my love and knowledge of the salty realm often comes out in my art - from mermaids, to seastars, to vintage beach balls! So many hours are spent exploring the seashore with my girls and I often have a sketchbook or camera with me to capture the magic and save the inspiration for later paintings.
My Favourite Place in the World
For homeschooling, one of my most important goals is to slow down and listen to the interests of my children --- to play with them and to see the world through their eyes. I find that I am too often distracted by chores and projects that call to me and I want to let more of that go and focus more on connecting with my girls. Since I work part time outside the home, the times I do have is so stretched and so valuable. I would like to also help my daughters slow down, perhaps choosing less formal activities(like sports, activities, group classes). Another focus for me is to spend more time outside in nature with my girls. It fills me up, fills us all with so much joy and it nourishes our very souls. As the rainy season descends upon us (we get very little snow on this mild part of the coast) I will try to be more focused on this.
The Girls Sketching on Carlos Island
The specific goals I have for my art business include becoming more playful! I want to paint with more freedom (and less inner judgment) and develop my style. I also hope to integrate my photos into my paintings(photo transfers and collage are speaking to me) and I hope to do more sewing. I am also excited about building my online presence. After thinking about this for many months, I have finally moved forward with this goal and have launched my new website/blog. I will be building up more stock in my Etsy shop over the winter and have a link to my shop from my blog. I will be introducing some new products, reproducing my art in stationary and calendars. I hope these items will help to spread the word about my art a little farther and will allow me to share the love in these creations with more people.
Thank you so much for the chance to reflect on my experiences as a Homeschooling Etsian. It is so inspiring to be a part of the SHEteam and I would love any feedback or advice you might have to pass along!
My Two Creative Girls
As I said, I have crafted since I myself was a little girl (I cherish the memories I have of crafting with my own mom. Painting(aside from the odd school art projects) is a fairly recent undertaking for me. I started painting cusom children's pieces(t-shirts and canvases) for my friends' children when on maternity leave with my first child. Many of my friends also seemed to be having babies and I was looking for a way to celebrate them and save a little money. I soon became hooked on the bold and playful colours and the fast and forgiveable nature of acrylic paints - if you don't like it, you just paint over it! From there I started to get commissions - for children and weddings and anniversaries and my confidence grew.
A Family Tree Commission
I am surrounded by many artist friends, and their support and encouragement has really helped me to branch out. I started selling at local craft fairs and getting referrals and commissions farther afield. Then I discovered Etsy and was excited by the opportunity to reach a larger audience. I have to admit that I still do mainly local commissions and shows, but I am hoping to make more use of Etsy as my children grow and I perhaps find more time for my art as a business.
But for now, most importantly, my art brings me so much joy and I love my escapes into paint and possibility in my magic studio on the top our our house (windows all around, trees beyond...it feels like my own treehouse and I can watch my girls giggling on the grass below as I work.)
It is hard to choose just one of the many favourite homeschooling memories I have. What an incredible time this has been. Certainly it was magic to share the process of my eldest learning to read and now she reads to her little sister and my heart fills with so much love.
Raena reading to Alex
Another memory that jumps out is the one day that I hosted the weekly "Interesting Club" and "took" Raena and her friends to France. We played with the language and made family collages to learn words like "Mere"(mother) and "Pere" (father). We then dined in the garden on a French buffet luncheon and practiced saying "Merci" (thank you) and "S'il vous plait" (please) as we passed around the "raisins"(grapes), "fromage"(cheese), "pain" (fresh bread), "beurre" (butter and "vin" (wine, actually fizzy water in a fancy carafe). We chatted about what it must be like to be a young girl in France, looked up some stories from young person's blog, and remembered our cousin Maddy whom all girls know(she had recenly vistied us from France). Then I read a children's book about Mary Cassatt - an artist who lived in North America like us(more specificall, in the USA, so our general neighbourhood anyways)and at the same age as the girls in our Club (7 or 8), she went to France with her parents. She fell in love with the place and the art of France, dreamed about it for years and in her early 20's she returned to France and began painting with the Impressionists. We looked at examples of Impressionist artists and talked about the style of their art (painting what the see) and their practice of painting "en plein air" (out of doors) and then my daughter and her friends took watercolour paints and chose a solo spot in the garden to paint "en plein air". The results were incredible!
Raena painting cornflowers "en plein air"
I am so inspired by their enthusiasm and passion for all we do. Just last month they dove in with smiles and laughter to help clean up garbage at the annual Great Canadian Shorelin Cleanup at a local beach. Similarly, they will stop everything and direct all their energy to study (and save) a found bug or snail.
My art is really more of a hobby than a home business (for now) but my husband is a co-owner and baker at our Slow Rise Bakery and that business really does affect the rhythms of homeschooling. But being our own boss allows much more freedom to include the kids in your work. Often they play at the bakery or in the garden outside (the bakery is right next door to our home, on our neighbour and partner's property). Sometimes they help bag
and label bread, mix granola or scones or go on deliveries to the local grocery store. From the bakery interaction, my advice would be to try and involve the kids whenever you can, even if it is infrequent, so they can feel included and so that they learn real life experience in your field of work.
Though I often take my daughters to events with my part-time employment as an Environmental Educator, I actually have a hard time following this advice directly with my art. I find it hard to paint with my kids in the room. But I can work on their painting projects with them and I have just taken up sewing and find that I can do most projects (if not too complicated for my beginner level) with my kids in the studio, playing alongside or working on their own sewing creations. I have been sewing mainly gifts but have traded and sold a couple dolls and hope to do more and perhaps get some into my Etsy shop in the new year. Since I can sew with my children in the room, this may be more realistic than expanding my painting business at this time.
One of my First Dolls
Recently, I have been most inspired by words, especially inspiring quotes and intentional writing. I find the power of words really helps me to stay focused on what is most important and good in my life. I love to weave these words into my art to help me to further integrate their messages.
Trust the Universe Original Painting
I have also always been very inspired by nature. I live in a piece of paradise on a small island called Gabriola, off the west coast of Canada. I am surrounded by wild spaces and creatures and I especially love the ocean. My passion for the sea led me to study marine biology at university and my love and knowledge of the salty realm often comes out in my art - from mermaids, to seastars, to vintage beach balls! So many hours are spent exploring the seashore with my girls and I often have a sketchbook or camera with me to capture the magic and save the inspiration for later paintings.
My Favourite Place in the World
For homeschooling, one of my most important goals is to slow down and listen to the interests of my children --- to play with them and to see the world through their eyes. I find that I am too often distracted by chores and projects that call to me and I want to let more of that go and focus more on connecting with my girls. Since I work part time outside the home, the times I do have is so stretched and so valuable. I would like to also help my daughters slow down, perhaps choosing less formal activities(like sports, activities, group classes). Another focus for me is to spend more time outside in nature with my girls. It fills me up, fills us all with so much joy and it nourishes our very souls. As the rainy season descends upon us (we get very little snow on this mild part of the coast) I will try to be more focused on this.
The Girls Sketching on Carlos Island
The specific goals I have for my art business include becoming more playful! I want to paint with more freedom (and less inner judgment) and develop my style. I also hope to integrate my photos into my paintings(photo transfers and collage are speaking to me) and I hope to do more sewing. I am also excited about building my online presence. After thinking about this for many months, I have finally moved forward with this goal and have launched my new website/blog. I will be building up more stock in my Etsy shop over the winter and have a link to my shop from my blog. I will be introducing some new products, reproducing my art in stationary and calendars. I hope these items will help to spread the word about my art a little farther and will allow me to share the love in these creations with more people.
Thank you so much for the chance to reflect on my experiences as a Homeschooling Etsian. It is so inspiring to be a part of the SHEteam and I would love any feedback or advice you might have to pass along!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Interview With Beth of Wired Vintage
1.)Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a 48-year old wife, mother of four and grandmother of 2 (soon to be three). I have a severe chronic pain history which developed as the result of a car accident in 1998. This accident turned out to be life changing. In 1998, I worked as a medical transcriptionist and taught piano lessons privately. As a result of chronic back and neck pain, I was forced to change careers. I had enjoyed making jewelry with my girls for several years and decided to list a few things. Etsy has worked out very well for me! I love the flexibility that allows me to work as much or as little as I want! In addition, I am currently an herbalist student at The School of Natural Healing. I am a Nutritional Herbalist currently and am working towards my Master Herbalist degree. I was able to overcome devastating withdrawal symptoms and control chronic pain symptoms with God's miraculous gift of the "herb of the field". I had such marvelous results that I spend much time studying herbs.
Vintage Button Earrings
2.)What is one of your favorite homeschool memories thus far?
I am currently in my 5th year of homeschooling. It has been an absolute joy. I l ove the flexibility of homeschooling. My oldest three kids (27, 24, 22 years) graduated from the public schools. Although my girls did well in the public schools, I did not feel that my boys reached their full potential in that environment. I would say that my favorite memory is actually seeing the progress in learning--especially in the area of math. Very rewarding to look back and see how far we have come!
Antique Button Bracelet
3.) What advise to would you give to other homeschool families who are also trying to run a home business?
Include your children if possible! My kids were older at the time, so this really wasn't possible for me, but I do have the memories of working together at the kitchen table with my kids on jewelry. The boys even did hemp necklaces at one time! My girls also have Etsy businesses: Jessica, a music major, has a jewelry business (newvintage.etsy.com) and Alexa, a fashion designer, has her fashion sketches currently listed on Etsy (whatheloves.etsy.com). In addition, my husband has an Etsy shop as well (rroyvision.etsy.com).
Marcasite and Chalcedony Vintage Necklace
4.) Where do you find inspiration for your pieces?
I find inspiration for my jewelry all around, but I do believe it is important to just use others' work for inspiration only. I believe that duplicating someone's work exactly is totally unethical!
Antique Paris Button Earings
5.) Do you have specific goals for your business or for your homeschooling? Would you share some of those with us?
My youngest son is a senior this year, so this is my last year of homeschooling. I have enjoyed it very much. I really do not have a lot of specific goals at this time, as I am just trying to get through school. Long-term goals include the possibility of taking some of my jewelry to market, etc. I currently also have my jewelry in a boutique.
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