Thursday Feature with SarahCoffeyDesigns

Good morning!  This week has flown by for me!  Hope it's been a kind week for everyone!  :)  So, I was super bummed on Tuesday when I went to create the handmade link up and saw that I would have to pay to create a new one.  So, I'm brainstorming for ways to make a new one.  Sorry everyone!  But, we can still support small businesses! 

This week we are meeting Sarah, from SarahCoffeyDesigns.   She specializes in home décor and enjoys upcycling items to create one of a kind creations! 

Tell us a little about yourself and how your shop came into being:
I have always been creative. My mother is a painter and seamstress and taught me everything she knows. When my kids were born I made all their clothes until they were 5. I had so many compliments I started selling to friends and it grew from there. As they were born I got into scrapbooking as well. I quickly realized people love the look but don't have the time to scrapbook, so I decided to seek my completed albums all you have to do is add your pictures. As I got requests my business was born. I used to sell on Ebay and as other sites grew, I moved the business to Etsy.

I have always sold at craft shows. It started at small church shows and grew to 20+ shows a year.

         

What inspires you?
I am inspired by my family and friends all the time. So much of what I do was a request from a friend. The sheet music wreaths was a request and now it is a huge part of my business.


What are your hobbies besides creating?
Besides creating I love photography. I have taken a few classes and plan to take more. I also like to paint furniture. I love to take something that looks like it should be tossed and rehabilitating it with paint.

What is your favorite item that you've created?
My favorite item I created is a tough one. I have a bunch, but I would have to say my youngest daughter's Life Book. It is like a baby book for adopted children. It took weeks to create but we look at it and enjoy it all the time. I used to teach classes on how to create them.

 Favorite other small businesses?
Favorite other small businesses are Studio123 in Raleigh, NC. They are interior designers and furniture painters. So amazing. I also love a place inCary, NC clued the Cary Creative Center. They are a re-use-it place with tons and tons of recycled things. I love walking through there and getting ideas. I love KnB's Marketplace in Fuquay-Varina. I have a booth there and seek my items as well as found up cycled vintage treasures.

 Links where we can find you:
You can find me at www.etsy.com/shop/sarahcoffeydesigns and at www.facebook/com/sarahcoffeydesigns        

 

Please stop by her shop and tell her I sent you!  Thank you Sarah, for letting us get to know you!

Shop Feature: HCMCreations!

Welcome and thanks for joining us for feature Thursday!  Today we will be talking to Heather from HCM Creations, a shop specializing in hand painted home décor.  So, get comfy, grab a tasty beverage (hot or cold), and let's get to know this awesome artist!

Tell us a little about yourself and how your shop came into being:
HCM Creations started from my decision to create gifts for friends and family, my cousin saw some of what I did and asked me to create some things for her wedding from photos she saw on pinterest and that she would pay me. As I created her wedding products, I realized just how much I enjoyed creating with different mediums and decided to start my own business creating things for others.
From there I spent a while choosing a name that could encompass many types of items and finally landed on my own initials, it was simple and covered many products without making people think I only did one thing. HCM Creations was born, I purchased a domain (website is in the works and have put it on the back burner to focus more on my customers and my etsy site instead) created a facebook page and started an Etsy page. Within the first few months I attended a few vendor events and expos, put on my own expo and even got some of my products displayed in a store on consignment; all within 8 months of being in business! I have gained 588 fans on facebook since opening day and never could have made it this far without the support of friends, family and my amazing boyfriend.

What inspires you?
I can be inspired by ANYTHING! Yesterday a thought popped into my head from nothing and will soon be one of the new products I will be offering.

What are your hobbies besides creating?
 When I am not painting for HCM Creations, I am working on design work for my OTHER business Krafty Panda Designs ( I also work a 40+ hour job on top of these) so I stay pretty busy throughout the week. I always make time for family and my boyfriend though so I keep it balanced somehow.

What is your favorite item that you've created?
My favorite item so far has been my wedding and family tree frames, they represent such a special time(s) in a couples life and are a great way to show how two lives became one and how their family grew into more.

Favorite other small businesses?
I have SO many other small businesses that I love I couldn't even list them all but a few that I really enjoy are:

https://www.facebook.com/BugabooBearDesigns
https://www.facebook.com/cutetothecoor
https://www.facebook.com/Yourcraftycreations?ref=profile
https://www.facebook.com/crazybeautifuldesigns?ref=profile
https://www.facebook.com/Andbabymakesthreee?ref=profile
https://www.facebook.com/ldthegraphicdesigner?ref=profile

Links where we can find you:
I can be found on facebook at www.facebook.com/HCMCreations
at Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/HCMCustomCreations
on instagram: http://instagram.com/HCMCreations
my website: www.HCMCreations.com
and by email: HCMCreation@gmail.com (creation not creations)

You can also check out my design page www.facebook.com/KraftyPandaDesigns.


Thank you for stopping by and please visit Heather's pages and let her know you found her here!  Be sure to join us next week to chat with another awesome small business!

If you own a small business and would like to be featured just send me an email: mastarkey81@yahoo.com