I think genetics is what got me started. My Dad who is a retired Marine and was once a mechanic is very gifted with a pencil. He also liked to build things. I remember him and my mom fixing up an old rusted heater that now sits beside me as I type this…
Elissa
I am a single Mom of a beautiful baby girl who I love so much that I named my shop and blog after one of her many nicknames, "Little Miss."
I am twenty-two years old and in the last month I taught myself to ride a bicycle for the first time.
I'm going back to college this Summer and am changing my major from photography to Business Administration and I hope to transfer to Portland State University in Oregon someday.
My dream is for my business to take off so that I can support my daughter from home and be there for her whenever she needs.
What got you started crafting?
I think genetics is what got me started. My Dad who is a retired Marine and was once a mechanic is very gifted with a pencil. He also liked to build things. I remember him and my mom fixing up an old rusted heater that now sits beside me as I type this.
I've always been interested in some form of creativity. I use to want to be a writer. I went from being a writer to fashion designer, then it was a journalist, artist, photographer and now my dream is to become successful at designing and selling stationery! But I feel that all my interests in the past are starting to come through in helping me with my mini business. Being able to write well helps me out with my blog, knowing the rules of art helps me determine what works and what doesn't and of course the most important of all is my photography; when selling online a product is only as good as it's picture.
It's funny though, looking at the past and all the things that have lead up to this makes me wonder if this is it, if this is what I'm supposed to do. When I was in grade school I use to make birthday cards for all my friends!
What is your source of inspiration?
My source of inspiration is the color of paper I might be using for a card, tools that yell out to me, just yearning to be used to make something wonderful. Often times I get a new inspiration for a new design from a card I just made, it's like a snow ball effect, one great idea leads to another and another and another until pretty soon I have so many creations built up in my head, I just don't know what to do with them all.
What have you made recently?
My newest product that I'm really excited about is The Audrey. It's a Mother's Day card that is bright blue, very ornate, and it just has this feel of crispness and elegance, much like Audrey Hepburn. It inspired The Marilyn, also a Mother's Day card and it's very similar. It's a bright pink, just like the dress Marilyn Monroe wore during her most famous song "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend." What I love about these pieces is they are different from my other greeting cards, they are a brighter color and more detailed and yet simpler than some of the others. I just love them and I hope someone buys them for the Mom in their life, cause I just know someone will love them as much as me.
Where do you sell your crafts presently?
I sell my stationery on only the greatest, most awesomest web site in the universe; Etsy! I post about new items on my blog and twitter, sadly Facebook hasn't really done much for me though. Hopefully soon, I'll be selling some of my greeting cards in a local shop that actually reminds me very much of Etsy but only in the real world. It's mostly an antique shop but there are also handmade items being sold there as well, all of it's from different people.
Why are handmade crafts important to you?
I'm not always successful at buying handmade, partly because I just don't have the money for it most of the time, handmade is wonderful, special and unique, but let's face it, it does cost more than big brands. I'm a single Mom who at the moment is dependent on others financially, which I'm trying to change around. When I am able to buy handmade, I do it because I want something unique and special, something that was made carefully and lovingly just for me. I also love knowing where the money goes. I know that when I buy from Etsy the majority of that money is going to a fellow artist. I've noticed that with buying handmade there's a sense of community. I don't feel like I just forked over my money in exchange for an object. After I've worked with a customer or seller trying to get the item just right, I feel like I've met a potential friend. And the service is just friendlier!
Find Me
LocationPorterville, CA
Email Address
Elissa
Personal Website
http://www.littlemisscards.blogspot.com
Store Website
http://www.littlemisscards.etsy.com
@littlemisscards