A friend of mine has a really creative concept store. She only opens five days a month.... has quite a few vendors and fills her shoppe. Also...pretty much sells out her shoppe every month. It doesn't make it any less work being open 5 days a month...staging and switching out the store every month, dealing with many vendors and tons of customers in a short period of time (waiting at the door for her to open).
I've always been into crafts...mostly buying the stuff to make things...and big plans to someday actually make something. But, working more than full time got into the way of my doing...but I loved the messing around with the fabrics, etc. and imagining what it could be. One day standing at the cutting table in a fabric store, a group of others and I laughed about whether our hobby was to actually make something...or just buy fabric. From the look of my more than full extra bedroom...I would say a bit of both.
I started seeing gnomes and thought they were cute (a few years ago). I had always loved magical, mystical creatures...but didn't really have the time to do anything more than just fantasize about their magical lives. But, one day, I decided to try my hand at making a gnome...and it turned out so cute...so I made more, changing colors and fabrics. I sent them to my friend's store, and they sold out rather quickly. I thought...wow. That was fun...going to make more. So, I did...that was 3 years ago and 100's of gnomes later. We moved and I would still ship to her every month...gnomes. She decided that she was not quite up to the size of the store anymore, etc. and cut her store space in 1/2 and was only going to allow family to be the vendors.
FAST FORWARD: I am now retired (sort of...my husband and I are restoring two homes...a log cabin and a Victorian). SO... I am making gnomes that take me a lot more time, because I am really spending time making each one unique and pretty much making all of the parts and pieces. I see some of the gnomes that people (make) assemble with all Hobby Lobby parts, and they are cute, but not the imaginary, mystical gnomes that I picture (that they really are...folklore). They are dentists, chefs, cowboys, etc. and the only part that seems to make them a gnome is a round nose and a beard. Whatever makes you happy...I'm just not into that. I love creating gnomes that look like they really live and work in the woods, making our world a better place. I like to think that there are gnomes keeping the home fires burning, keeping a pot of stew warm for the hard-working gnomes and mend and fix their clothing and tools. I love to think of them tending to the trees, plants, animals, birds and flora of our planet. That despite what we do as humans, they are always there quietly keeping a balance in nature. I've always loved 'fantasy' movies and stories. And I think that we need more fantasy in this world these days. It's a happy escape to the realm of color, wonder and hope. And I'm hoping that my gnomes will end up in every one of your homes to bring the wonder of fantasy and the color of happiness and good luck to you.
Will be opening my Etsy Shoppe again....maybe...having too much fun making for friends and myself.
