Featured Member This Tiny Existence

This week's Featured Member is This Tiny Existence

Q.  Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop.

A.  I'm a mom of a two and a half year old and a four month old. I've been a "stay-at-home" mom since my daughter was born. It's been my dream to be a working artist and have an etsy store, and sell in other venues (craft fairs, boutique shops) for a long time but I've had trouble coming up with an original idea, and to find the time to make enough to set up a shop. However, about 9 months ago, my husband was laid off, and with him home so much more, it gave me the time and added drive to really get serious about becoming a working artist. I'm just getting started (I opened my shop in November and then took a break when I had my son in January) but I have a lot of ideas for new designs and products (so check in often!)

A.  What or Who inspires you?

Q. As far as my designs go, I'm inspired by interior design books, magazines and blogs. I also get inspiration from flickr -- my "Retro Kitchen Shelves" design was inspired by looking through a flickr group on "Aqua, pink and yellow kitchens." And as for creating in general, I'm inspired by my kids and husband. My husband is hugely supportive of me, and a great cheerleader for my work. And my kids inspire me because I want to be an example to them that you can do something out of the ordinary and be successful and happy, if you work hard.

Q.  When you're not doing things for your shop can we find you around the internet?

A.  I'm also on twitter at @tinyexistence and on flickr (This Tiny Existence) and I plan on starting a facebook page for my shop really soon . . . and it will be under the same name.

Q.  What tool could you not live without?

A. I thought about this one a lot, and realized, as I was using my favorite tool, that it was my moby (my baby sling.) I couldn't get anything done without it.

Q.  How did you learn to stitch?

A.  When I was 6 or 7 I first tried sewing a cross-stitch pattern. I never finished it. I took up embroidery about 6 years ago after I graduated college. I had been a theatre major (scenic design), but realized at the end of school that I wasn't interested in working professionally in theatre. I got a desk job just to pay the bills while I figured out what I really wanted to do, but I still needed a creative outlet. I picked embroidery basically because embroidery floss was the cheapest craft supply I could find. I bought a kit from "Sublime Stitching" and taught myself from that. 

~Bekah