03.01.08
My Interview with Stacy, Owner of Tum Tum Tree Designs
Meet Stacy Wolfenden, Owner of www.tumtumtreedesigns.com.
Where are you located? Kelowna, British Columbia in Canada.
What do you design? Sustainable children’s wear and accessories made from hemp fabric.
Where/How did you learn this? I have been sewing since a very young age, having learned from my Mom and Grammas. I took design studies in college and put the two together to create my line of wares.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? There are so many! One of my all time favorites is Arthur Rackham. I collect illustrated classics, especially children’s books.
Where does your inspiration come from? I live in a very beautiful area of the world, surrounded by mountains and a beautiful lake, so nature is a big inspiration. Also, my kids and the materials I use. Hemp is such an amazing fabric, much like linen, it has an inherent beauty to it.
What do you do to combat creative block? Going for a walk definitely helps, spending time outdoors, or reading seems to work for me.
Where do you design your creations? I have a studio/office in my basement, so I am a work at home mom. I draw a lot though, which I do pretty much anywhere.
What does your work space look like right now? Don’t ask! I am an organized chaos production worker. I tend to get very bored with the production end of things (which frankly sucks the fun right out of it), so I’m always starting something new or changing things up and this makes for somewhat of a messy work area. Also, I am challenged with storage in that I don’t have enough shelving for my (ever growing) stash of fabrics.
How does your family feel about what you do? They are very supportive. My mother is an artist and my father is a retired CEO of a large company, so they are both happy that I seem to be combining the best of both worlds, creativity and business. And I still get to stay home with the kids, so everyone wins.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their creations using this method? Keep at it. There are always bumps in the road, but if you stick to your vision, it will pay off eventually.
Best advice you recieved when starting your business venture? Do something for your business and for yourself everyday; there has to be a balance.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Being the boss!
Least favorite? Being the boss!! And the accounting side of it is my most dreaded task.
How do you relax? Watching movies.
Favorite color? Green of course.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Most definitely.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Sewing and drawing.
A sample of Tum Tum Tree Design products. For all products, please visit Stacy’s website.
