“Do More Of What You Love”
Art Print by: happy deliveries
Each piece of type (carved wooden letters shown in the last photo) is hand-set on a mid-20th century printing press and inked with a brayer. Then each sheet is pulled through the press, one at a time, to create a perfectly imperfect look.
This week, I have interviewed Liane Doxey, owner/designer of two Etsy shops, Prairie Garden and Prairie Garden Studio. I enjoyed learning that like our past Shop of the Week sellers, Liane has also managed to turn her personal hobby and love for gardening into a successful small business. It is also the first time I heard about zeroscaping which is a beautiful concept.
As our Shop of the Week, Liane is offering a special Free Shipping privilege for the whole month of July exclusively for The Shopbug readers. Enjoy complimentary shipping on Jewelry and complimentary book rate shipping in the US, 50% off worldwide shipping from Prairie Garden. And enjoy complimentary shipping from Prairie Garden Studio (matted art is the exception). Just enter ShopBug in the message to seller to get the free shipping. Thank you so much, Liane!
What’s the inspiration behind your shop’s name?
Prairie Garden is a name that means many things to me. Let’s start with the garden portion of my name… I am an avid gardener; in fact I recently graduated from the Illinois Master Gardener program. My first journal was a garden journal designed to hold all of the information I wanted be sure I incorporated into my own garden. Also my art work in Prairie Garden Studio is almost entirely botanical in nature. The Prairie portion of Prairie Garden is because I happen to live on Prairie Avenue.
Some people say you grow into your name. Originally this was the concept for the name of my store. Illinois is also known as the Prairie State due to the terrain and the name of my shop has also come to reflect my gardening philosophies which focus on using native plants whenever possible. This type of gardening is the building block to water conservation. The concept is known as zeroscaping, here is great synopsis of the philosophy if you are interested.
The economy and my house. I bought a tiny Chicago bungalow, mainly to be able to have a garden and I knew money would be tight for awhile. Little did I know the economy would take a downturn almost immediately and my property taxes would more than double.
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| Liane’s work desk |
Can you give us a peek on the creative process involved in your craft?
For the journals the driving focus is need. As I said the garden journal was my first journal. My second was a knitting journal for my sister (I have since taken up the hobby of knitting as well). Aesthetically the journal process begins with the cover. I decide what sort of journal fits the cover material and work from there.
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| Journals in the process |
I must admit I am hopelessly addicted to the cover materials and loose myself in the designs imagining what they can look like on a journal. The beading of my journals often takes weeks to make it to the store because I spend a great deal of time looking for just the right bead for the cover. This also catapulted me into making earrings as there are so many beautiful beads that would not work well for the journals and I just had to use them somehow.
Art Print by Prairie Garden Studio
camera, phone
The shops I am frequently at are art shops….not surprising often botanical in theme
merrithyde
jellybeans
MerryBluesArt
labokoff
GollyBard
Genuine
Patience, try new things and you may never have a clean house again. The photos of my home with clean surfaces are purely for show and a rare glimpse. I’m glad I have a few photos to prove to myself it’s actually possible!
I have a full time job and took a part time job to try help with the bleak situation I found myself in. I intended for the part time job to be a fun, no responsibility job but the owners (a startup company) seemed to rely more and more on my ideas and it turned into a situation where I was spending most of my free time trying to come up with ideas for them.
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| living room |
It takes time and hard work. Success is rarely immediate. Be unique and let your craft be a reflection of yourself. I’ve found it is a rare person that has a true “studio”, every room of my house is storage for supplies or work area. I work at my computer for my art and store management, construct on my massive dining room table and sew journals on my sofa, quite the unusual assembly line (perhaps not that unusual for etsians).
One last thing to keep in mind is you are likely to have very little “down” time ever again so you must choose what you enjoy to do and be aware that it undoubtedly changes the dynamic of what was/ is a relaxing hobby. I have offered a few items in my store that I stopped because I realized, for those items, it turned a wonderful hobby into a stressful job. Be assured, it is also immensely rewarding. I’m thrilled beyond words when I hear how something I have created has enhanced someone else’s life in some small way.
Liane Doxey owner/designer of
Prairie Garden and Prairie Garden Studio
Our Shop of the Week is a cute little shop called Dot + Jim. I looove the history behind this shop’s name and I’m happy to introduce you all to Claire Teschel, the dear grand daughter and proud owner of the Dot + Jim.
What’s the inspiration behind your shop’s name?
Turned 2 this month. Break out the bubbly!
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| what a lovely website! |
What inspired you to start your own home business?
Since my ultimate goal was (and still is) to be a stationery designer, I went ahead and launched my own line of cards and prints (dot+jim was born!). I then moved to Cleveland and began designing cards for American Greetings, while at the same time developing dot+jim more and more each day. Now I’m back in Savannah living amongst the moss and magnolias and loving every minute of it.
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| Dot and Jim’s Beautiful Love Story |
Can you give us a peek on the creative process involved in creating your designs/collages?
I’d be happy to! Most of the time I start out with a large sheet of paper. Then I dig into my shoebox of paper scraps (literally, a shoebox) and piece bits together. Within the large scale collage, I zone in on small areas and try to create a new composition within the existing composition.
Claire’s work space
the things you do when you’re not busy in your shop:
spending time in the parks and galleries is one of my favorite things to do around savannah. i also love the beach (who doesn’t?) and taking evening walks with my goofy pup, nattie gann.
And I thought it fitting because there have been changes happening in the shop lately. Works from other talented artists are now available at the shop. Jen is also selling selected items from her home and wardrobe. Check out Jennifer’s Closet and get some quality second-hand items at a good price.
Made By Girl online store
What’s the inspiration behind your shop’s name?
I decided on MadeByGirl because it was catchy and I wanted to make it obvious that the products were madeby a girl…. (me).
How old is your shop?
A little over 2 years old.
greeting cards that Jennifer designed herself
What inspired you to start your own home business?
The ability to work from home seemed like an attractive idea to me, so i pursued it. I had a friend who was in the same industry & her success inspired me to really go ahead and take the leap of faith into starting my own. I’ve always loved Graphic Design, drawing and being creative…..designing my products keeps me doing all that and more.
What was the toughest challenge you faced so far?
Marketing. It is very time consuming and can be very draining at times. You feel like your never quite done.
How did you get over it?
I just take breaks & then give myself time to reflect on what I’ve done and what I have to tackle next.
Please Name: the things you do when you’re not busy in your shop:
Travel, reading and spending time with my dogs at the dog park.
stuff inside your bag you can’t leave home without:
My iPhone & my Lancome juicy tube lipgloss.
your favorite shops:
I have so many….Forever 21, Zara, West Elm, The Mac Store & many more….
your top 3 favorite picks from your shop:
What tips would you want to share for aspiring home based entrepreneurs like you?
Make sure you research the market for the item you want to sell. Get a decent website with some great photos of your products to start off with. Spend time building a blog which you can use to promote the items in your shop….I’ve learned that blogging is a terrific marketing tool!
Any message to your customers and the people who support you?
Thank you for the kind words &; the ongoing support of my blog & business!
And now for my picks:
I’m sure that many of you have visited Made By Girl but if you haven’t yet, I recommend for you to drop by. It’s filled with lots of loveable things. She also has one of the coolest blogs in the blogosphere. Check it out here.
Thank you so much Jennifer for taking part. Continue to inspire other budding artists/entrepreneurs!
Where to go: the Industtrees Gallery
This isn’t the first time I’m talking about Papermash, as you can see from this last month’s post. Today, let’s get to meet the lady behind Papermashand find out how it started.
Unfortunately I do not have one creative idea when it comes to names. I’m always the person in the pub quiz team who does not have one single suggestion for a team name. I asked a writer friend for a suggestion and he said ‘Papermash’ straight away. He actually was joking, but I liked it, and I thought it was easy to remember.
How old is your shop?
I started working on it in January, but it only launched one month ago.
What inspired you to start your own home business?
I have felt really restricted by working full-time for someone else for quite a few years, even though I have loved every job I have ever had. A few years ago I did a course on how to set up a fashion label – another idea I had – but it’s hard to find small-scale manufacturers in the UK, and it would involve a large financial investment. I’ve always loved design, so I thought I could start with paper goods, as my initial investment could be small. I have seen such beautiful paper goods ever since I started reading blogs – so it was easy for me to identify suppliers I wanted to buy from. I’m an accountant, but I love to be creative, so running my own small business is a perfect outlet for me.
the lovely Lynne Robinson What was the toughest challenge you faced so far?
The first web designer I had (who was recommended by a friend) was absolutely useless. I could go on and on about various issues, but he never answered his phone or returned my calls and it drove me crazy, and took a few days to reply to emails. According to him, he has to screen his calls because all of his customers think their project is the most important. Em, yes… But my website was due to launch in two days and I still had only had a (terrible) first draft – and he still did not return one phone call. I had to walk away from him, even though he then offered me a discount – it set me back two months.
How did you get over it?
I was lucky enough to find a great web designer (who I just found online) who understood what I wanted and was able to turn the whole thing round in a few weeks. I decided to use Shopify, which is a back-end solution package, so the web designer just had to do the front end design, which is reasonably straightforward.
Lynne’s work deskPlease Name:
the things you do when you’re not busy in your shop. . .
I’m still working four days a week, so with that, my business and my blog , I don’t have too much free time. I love going to car boot sales and farmers’ markets – and going to the cinema by myself in the afternoon. I’m afraid I often run away from the chaos that is my flat – and sneak off to the cinema instead.
her work desk essentialsstuff inside your bag you can’t leave home without. . .
I’m sorry to say that I’m carrying round Valium and water – I hate travelling on the Tube as I’m really claustrophobic when it gets stuck in tunnels. I’ve never had to take it, but I feel a bit more reassured that I have it with me – and my phobia is much better than it used to be. I’ve been really blessed that I haven’t had to commute on the Tube for three years, and I avoid it as much as possible. I’m not the kind of girl who carries round a hairbrush or lipstick – although I should smarten up a bit.
your favorite shops. . .
I love Top Shop and Reiss for clothes – and Jigsaw for bags and shoes, even though I have bought hardly any clothes over the last few years. I have seen this bag on Etsy and I have to have it – so I’m saving up for that, and also for a belt from Rachel’s Etsy shop.
your top 3 favorite picks from your shop. . .
I love all of the tapes – especially this yellow one and this typewriter tape. I have lots more tapes coming in soon.
What tips would you want to share for aspiring home based entrepreneurs like you?
At the risk of sounding really boring, everyone should have a really thorough business plan. How many items do you need to sell to make the salary you want? Can you even send out that many orders without employing another member of staff? Have you included things like wastage, press samples, tax, printer toner etc in your business plan? ‘Goal seek’ (an Excel tool) is your friend….does anyone else know what that is…?
Being professional goes a long way. One supplier I have been dealing with has offered me free postage on my first order to test the market, free press samples, and has assured me that they always have 1,000 in stock – although I’m not sure if their product is right for the UK market, I’m going to test their product as I have been impressed by their professionalism. I am much more likely to order from them that someone who takes a week to respond to my query.
Any message to your customers and the people who support you?
Thank you to everyone who has made a helped me so far! And thanks to my friend Gemma who introduced me to Daily Candy about a year ago – I’ve just been featured in their London edition and it’s had a huge effect on sales. I’m offering a small discount to Shopbug readers until the end of this month – 10% if you enter ‘shopbug’ at checkout.
Thanks Rachel for featuring my shop!
~*~*~*~I love beautiful paper so I love most of the items in the shop. These are my favorites:
polaroid cards and thank-you card
wine tags and gift tags
notebooks and journals
It seemed like the right time and place to step out of my comfort zone and throw my hat in the entrepreneurial ring. I have an amazingly supportive fiancé who’s career recently brought us to Austria, so I now have the time and freedom to work on English Muffin and figure things out as I go.
her work station• Teach English to Kindergarten and Elementary school kids• Freelance graphic design work• Travel! Living in Europe is a great excuse to visit all the cities I’ve always dreamed of visiting.• Spend time with my fiancé and our dog here in Vienna• Take pictures, eat yummy food and blog about it all.
• sun glasses• burt’s bees replenishing lip balm with pomegranate oil• a snack and some water
The shop offers a variety of delightful goodies for everyone. From beautiful art prints for the wall, to dolls, bunting, cushion, brooches and assorted paper packs inspired by illustrations that will surely make you smile.
I love the lightness and charm of everything in their shop. Anyone who needs a little cheering up will surely feel a lot better opening a package from the Sweet William shop. And so, without much further ado, let’s get to know more about this lovely online store.
What’s the inspiration behind your shop’s name?
Sweet William was a big, orange, Persian cat Shelley and Paula had as a pet while growing up, the flower Sweet William represents friendship too, so we felt the name had both meaning and a sense nostalgia.
How old is your shop?
It started about this time last year.
The lovely Sweet William table filled with lots and lots of goodiesWhat inspired you to start your own home business?
A series of events set Sweet William in motion. We had all moved out of South Africa and relocated in New Zealand and Melbourne within a few months of each other. Changing countries gives one a new opportunity to start new projects.
Shelley started craft selling and Paula started illustrating, so it was not long before we collaborated on a project together. It was such fun that we decided to turn it into a partnership. Jeanine came on board at this point, bringing her architects eye and thrift shop prowess and Sweet William was born.
We were inspired by each other mainly. We are all three are creative in our own ways, so this is a perfect outlet for that, and its also an opportunity to connect with each other despite the distance.
Paula & Jeanine on market dayWhat was the toughest challenge you faced so far?
Initially, this was started to save for a plane ticket to see each other, so it was a bit fun and facetious {still is}. However, its grown past that, and even though we are really pleased with the growth, it does bring challenges – the biggest being the Juggling Act. Time, creative energy, customer service, family priorities – all the very grown up stuff of a
business.
The girls busy with their tableHow did you get over it?
We think we can overcome these challenges because we are passionate and inspired. We come from an African culture where hand work can literally be somebody’s bread and butter, so we truly value Handmade.
It is part culture, part lifestyle, but we are determined to make it work, not just for our own success, but to contribute to the success of the handmade community as a whole.
Please Name. . .
the things you do when you’re not busy in your shop
We tease each other because we say if we weren’t doing this we would have to do the laundry. There are 9 kids between us!
stuff inside your bag you can’t leave home without:
Shelley: I have a little notebook that a fellow crafter made me – in it I write down everything, to do lists, shopping, phone numbers and websites.
Paula: lip balm and wool fingerless gloves
Jeanine:keys.
your favorite shops:
Etsy, Etsy, Etsy – we love it so – please have a look at our favourites to see who we love – there are such great makers out there.
http://www.felt.co.nz is an online selling place for New Zealand crafters, {but some offer international shipping too}
Otherwise our best shop is a good thrift shop – one you can have a really good rummage through to find fantastic old bits for our mad collecting.
your top 3 favorite picks from your shop:
tiny Camille doll in her house
the mixed paper packs
What tips would you want to share for aspiring home based entrepreneurs like you?
If you make a new item, make sure you really love it, because if it does well, be prepared to make it over and over and over. Etsy Virtual labs ROCKS!
sweet and lovely prints to inspire you
adorable gift tags
the handbag print in pink
“little girl” purse ; zippies
