Where are you located?  Winslow, Maine…About 15 minutes from Augusta.
What do you design?  I design clothing.  I used to make a lot of children’s clothing (I have 2 little girls), but recently changed gears and started sewing for young women.  I was always intimidated by sewing darts, adjusting ease, and getting things fitted just right around all the “girlie parts”.  Last fall I took a night course in alterations and that changed everything!  It is so rewarding to be able to design a garment, have it fit, and have someone comment on it.
Where/How did you learn this?  I was exposed to sewing at a very young age.  My mother has sewn ever since I can remember.  I have two younger sisters.  She made so many outfits for us…everything from pajama bottoms to my high school graduation dress.
Favortie Artist who inspires you?  I’d have to say that anyone who has ever made anything by hand inspires me.  I can relate to them.  I understand the time, love, and often tears that go into getting their craft “just right”.  I’m inspired by the artists who have the courage to realize their life dreams and follow them.  Those who love what they do never work a day in their life!
Where does your inspiration come from?  Inspiration for my clothing line comes from a lot of different places.  Sometimes I see fabric and know exactly what I’m going to make from it.  Other times it’s lack of something in my own closet that sparks interest in making a particular garment.  I’m not real big on “trends” and what is “in” for the season, but I do take note, and if I like something I may work it into a few of my pieces.
What do you do to combat creative block?  Usually I will go through old patterns and see if anything jumps out at me like a certain neckline or skirt style.  Most of the time I’ll find something that “clicks” and I can go from there.  Flipping through the latest issues of fashion magazines helps too!  Again, I’m not a big “trend” follower, but I’ll often find something I can put my own take on.
Where do you design your creations?  Hahahaha!  I wish I had a room totally dedicated to sewing!  Right now, my sewing area is on one side of my office/sewing/play area for the girls.  Because of lack of space I don’t have room for a cutting table which unfortunately means cutting on my kitchen table or on the floor.  Believe it or not, the setup is pretty good.  The girls can play at the kiddie table or read books while I sew or use the computer.  It’s nice that we can all be in the same room and not in each other’s way….too much. 
What does your work space look like right now?  Well…as I turn around in my computer chair, I am facing my sewing workstation.  It’s pretty piled up with fabric right now.   I have some pink jersey with brown polka dots over there and some light green jersey.  I have a finished halter top and a white dress folded off to one side.  (Those will be going in the shop soon.)  On my dress form I have a seagreen one-sholder dress with a chiffon ruffle at the bottom and at the neckline.  I’ll include a picture of that one.  You’ll see it first!  It’s not up on the website yet!
How does your family feel about what you do?  My 3 year old LOVES that mommy makes dresses!  She is always saying “Oooooh I LOVE your dress mama!”  She also loves the fact that I make a lot of things for her as well.  My 9 month old could really care less at the moment, but I know she’ll love her one-of-a-kind handmade dresses someday too!  My husband likes that I have a “hobby”.  He’s supportive of my venture as long as I don’t quit my “real job” yet!  He’s been at me to make him a big pimpin’ terry cloth robe for months now….I really need to get that done!  Really though, he’s put up with a lot…trips to the fabric store, random piles of fabric in the house, little threads all over the rug, scissors that he can’t touch….he’s great!
Best advice you received when starting your business venture?  Have faith in yourself and in your craft.  We are our own worst critics.  People buy handmade because they know that there is attention to detail and there is love that goes into every item we make.
Favorite part of owning your own business?  Deciding what to make, when to make it, how to make it, and loving what I do!
Least favorite?  The start-up phase!  This is the phase I’m in.  It’s very hard getting your name out there, making yourself stand out from everyone else, and having people buy your products with very little “feedback” from other buyers.  I’ve always sewn for just myself and my girls.  A few months ago, I purchased Jolie Handmade and decided to start listing my clothing.  It’s been a slow start, but I’m confident in my clothing label.  I know there are people out there who will enjoy wearing my pieces as much as I enjoy creating them!
How do you relax?  Well… I don’t think I do relax….hahaha!  I’d say “in my free time…” but I really don’t have any!  With a job that pays the bills, my two girls and husband, my growing clothing business, and household duties, I have very little time to do anything else!  In the evenings after the girls are in bed, my husband and I like to have a drink and play Scrabble or Cribbage (does that make me sound old?).  I also enjoy scrapbooking, though it has taken a backseat recently.
Favorite color?  Yellow.  It’s such a happy color!
Does this color show up in a lot of your work?  Not lately.  I do currently have a yellow v-neck shirt in the shop, but other than that I currently don’t have any yellow pieces out…maybe that will be next on my to-do list.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing?  Taking more walks with my girls, spending more time with my husband, and definitely more sewing!

A sample of Jolie Handmade products.  For all products, please visit Angela’s website.

Where are you located?  Beautiful Grand Rivers, Kentucky, between two lakes.
What do you design?  Vases, paintings, jewelry, found art scultpure.  I also paint in oils and acrylics and have been painting for years.  I am primarily a self taught painter and am learning and experimenting all the time.  I tend to have a short attention span, a love for the process over product, a passion for all mediums, so my work can be all over the map.
Where/How did you learn this?  A lot was learned from experimentation.  I read a lot of books and I also took tons of art classes in high school and college, where I graduated with an AFA in Art Education.
Favorite Artist who inspires you?  I like different artists styles different days.  I love Salvidor Dali, Van Gough, Matisse, Picasso, Lichtenberg, Mary Cassatt as some all time faves, but I also love to discover up and coming and great new contemporary artists and learn from them.
Where does your inspriation come from?  I am inspired in art from the beauty around me and like to exaggerate and show off the beauty in the everyday and mundane.  I am inspired in life by my 9 year old daughter, whom I am fortunate enough to home school and spend all day, everyday, with.
What do you do to combat creative block?  Haha, I really have more ideas than time!  When I do have a block, I sketch out and draw things others have requested (I draw a lot of tattoos for people), which always requires I focus more on technique than ideas.  I try to draw everyday, to stay in practice, but also to stay inspired.  Sometimes I force it, but it always pays off!
Where do you design your creations?  Everywhere!  I have a small studio in my home, which is so stuffed to the gills with supplies, I end up working in my kitchen, my living room, the driveway…I am in the process of converting/remodeling my outbuilding into a large working studio that offers studio space for rent, workshops, and after school programs.  I currently take donations on my blog and website to help me get the funds to meet this goal.
What does your work space look like right now?  Haha!  It’s actually pretty annally organized, but since I have more supplies than space, it overflows.
How does your family feel about what you do?  They are very supportive and seem pretty proud of me really.  But then, they get great gifts!  My daughter wants to sell her artwork already, so I guess she likes it!
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method?  Have patience, be willing to learn from your mistakes.  My mom always said it’s only a mistake if you didn’t learn from it! 
Best advice you received when starting your business venture?  Gosh, I don’t think I received a lot of advice, I am still winging it!  I once heard an overnight success takes 10 years.  I always remember that when I am frustrated.  I have also heard to be successful, fill a need that no one else is.  In art, though, that can be hard.
Favorite part of owning your own business?  Freedom, loving what I do-by far!  I am a very lucky girl!
Least favorite?  Wow, you can never escape!  It’s always here, staring me down.  My husband is more bothered by this than I am.  Sometimes he begs me to stop drawing and watch TV with him!
How do you relax?  LOL, I paint!  I also love the outdoors, so I hike, go out on the lake, camp or sit on the beach.
Favorite color?  All of them!  I love pure, bright colors.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work?  All my paintings are vivid and bright.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing?  Painting or sculpting.

A sample of Daydream Art Studios products.  For all products, please visit Corinne’s website.

I just got a new item of mine in a store here in town called Funky Things.  My family and I are beyond thrilled with this new opportunity!  These items ~Totes~ I made my daughters and I, on a whim, for the beach and boating season.  Once I found that the store owner wanted these Totes in her store I had to run out and get the materials to make a bunch more.   You can see the slide show and order from my site homepage or visit Funky Things yourself.  It’s a really fun store too.  I finally had the chance to walk around the store and see all the great products she has.  Boy, could I spend a bunch there (and probably will)!

There are a couple of things I’ve learned from this wonderful experience however.

One, name your business wisely.  By having my business in my own name I am safe in changing the type of product I offer without having to rename my business for the product to ‘fit’.  My Totes do not have any beading on them.  I made them to keep them totally washable (which is much needed with active kids).  If you notice on my website, I’ve changed my ‘headline’ to read differently.

The other, be open to change.  If you are a crafter with many talents, use them!  You never know which product will sell or who will be interested in what, so use your talents to the fullest.  Jewelry is my favorite item to make, for me.  But, there is an overwhelming amount of competition out there for the same style, this makes it more difficult to show that I am better or different from others.  By opening myself up to utilizing my other skills, I am able to stand out more from the competition.

Many skills, various types of products and a business name open to these factors, I believe, is the key to standing out from your competition, showing your products in their best light, and making a name for yourself.

How do you find that you stand out from your competition?  Do find showing more than one skill beneficial?

Where are you located?  Indianapolis, IN.
What do you design?  I design gemstone, pearl, shell, crystal, and other natural materials, beaded and wire-wrapped jewelry for men and women.
Where/How did you learn this?  I am self-taught through books and magazines.  I have only taken one wire-wrapping class where I learned how to make findings.
Where does your inspriation come from?  My inspiration comes from nature, the seasons, clothing and interior design, just to name a few.
What do you do to combat creative block?  I browse through my binder collection of beaded designs from magazines, and/or go bead shopping.
Where do you design your creations?  I started out on my bed and now from my couch, usually with the tv on in the background.
What does your work space look like right now?  Covered with beads and beading supplies.
How does your family feel about what you do?  My family supports me and occasionally purchases jewelry as gifts for others.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture?  That I really need to market myself in as many ways as possible.
Favorite part of owning your own business?  That I determine the success of the business and take pride in my own work that I am promoting.
Least favorite?  The large amount of time that I spend marketing and networking, when I could be making more jewelry.
How do you relax?  Beading has become a way for me to relax.  It forces me to slow down and concentrate my attention in a creative and expressive way.  I also enjoy meditating and massages.
Favorite color?  Purple and green.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work?  In jewelry, it is usually oranges, blue and green combinations, or green and brown combinations.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing?  Making more jewelry and taking more pictures (photography is another passion).

A sample of Lucid Jewelry products.  For all products, please visit Amy’s website.

Where are you located?  Edinburgh, UK
What do you design?  Jewellery
Where/How did you learn this?  Edinburgh College of Art
Favorite Artist who inspires you?  There is lots of art that I like, but not all of it directly inspires me.  However, I love:  Andy Goldsworthy, Charles Rennie Mackintosh watercolours, Gustav Klimt, Cynthia Cousins, Maurice Sendak, Arthur Rackham among many, many others.
Where does your inspiration come from?  I always find this a strange question for me…I don’t get inspired to make something in particular, like I don’t look at a tree and go “ooo, I’m gonna make a necklace about that”, it’s more that I get inspired to make and create in general.  I get inspired to be creative in my own way by many different things.  People who are excited about what they do and are honest and truthful about it inspires me a lot.
Where do you design your creations?  I have a room in the flat which is the “studio”.
What does your work space look like right now?  I share this tiny room with my boyfriend who is a musician, so my end of it is tidy in a maximalist kind of way, but the rest of the room is a mass of guitars and cables.  I have lots of stuff in a small space so there are piles of little boxes containing various things and lots of bottles and tubes and tools.  I have just put up a new pin board as a mood board and am slowly filling it.  My large jewellery work bench takes up most of the space.
How does your family feel about what you do?  I think they think it’s great.  I’ve never asked them specifically, but they are all very supportive and enthusiastic.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture?  Keep records!  Write things down so you don’t forget how you made something and take pictures of all your work - even the things that you think aren’t worth selling.
Favorite part of owning your own business?  The feeling that I am not working for ‘the man’.
Least favorite?  No money.
How do you relax?  Sleep, bed, wine, friends, reading, music, and cleaning.  Really, giving a bit of my flat a good tidy is a calming thing for me.
Favorite color?  Turquoise.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work?  No, well occasionally if I use ribbon, but generally not.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing?  I’d make more jewellery.  I’d also read more, I have a huge list of books that I want to read but never seem to have enough time for.

A sample of Polka Dot and Persian products.  For all products, please visit Gail’s website.