floridascarf

This shop will be temporarily closing soon. Due to the pause in production and selling I am having a MAJOR SALE!! Use the coupon code FREE2016 to receive 89% off your entire order!

I opened an Etsy shop, back in 2007, to have some consistency with my sales. In art school they don't teach you how to run a small business. Etsy makes it easy. They afford me the ability to reach out the public and let them know I'm here. It's also wonderful for networking with and supporting other small artists.

I've got two words that describe my workspace:
Organized - It's more organized than you would think. It's something I'm proud of since I work with so many different kinds of fabric and buttons. I get inspired by many things. If I just left them in a pile, I'd never get to what was on the bottom. That thing on the bottom could be the most important ingredient.
Dusty - and that I'm not proud of. I vacuum and wipe everyday. Cutting and sewing frabic creates massive amounts of debris that I find difficult to control. It really urks me in the summer time because I always feel little pieces of thread or fuzz sticking to my face and nose. If I focus too hard I start to get itchy. I want to design a sewing machine with a suction hose, like the dentist has for your mouth while he's working.

When I'm supply shopping my goal is to never go to the same place twice, unless it's really killer. I'm proud of the fact that my creations are one of a kind. If I want to keep it that way I can't just always shop at Joann Fabrics. So I keep charging forward, down the supply path. I'll go anywhere from another Etsy shop (I always check Etsy first) to a thrift store, to a hardware store. Some of the best supplies I've ever gotten have come from the Etsy community. Currently I live in Germany. It has opened up a whole new world of supplies and inspiration.

This might sound funny, but I think my brand is unique because it is me. I'm not bored. I don't have an agenda. I love people. I love life. I love new experiences. I think getting dressed should be fun. You should be comfortable, but you should be proud of who you are and want people to notice you. You wake up everyday and give life an effort. You should be celebrated for that. I hope that shows in the scarves.

I still get really excited about every purchase that comes to my business. I haven't celebrated sale #5000. I take each sale as a personal compliment. I wish each customer were in front of me so I could shake their hand. I put a lot of effort into the production of all the pieces. When a purchase is made I put the same effort into the packaging and shipping. Usually I get on my bike immediately and get it to the post office that day. If a customer would ever have a problem I'd do everything I could to right it, whatever the cost to me.

My work is, basically, inspired by inconsistency. I have trouble with routine. Doing the same things everyday is nearly impossible for me. The only thing I do everyday, twice a day, is brush my teeth. I can't even water the plants everyday or wind the clock. It may be a problem in real life, but not for my business. I like to let myself be inspired by unorthodox things. I'll read a crusty old version of a Lewis Carroll book and then start making scarves that are black and white checkered with light blue accents. I'll watch a bunch of old movies and then be inspired to go out and buy houndstooth. Or I'll move to Germany, get stoked on the European soccer championship and sew some scarves to show my support.

Oh!... and Special Orders. I get inspired by the customer! People have requested all sorts of scarves that I just go nuts with. I loved making a couple of MISFITS inspired hoodies for my friend. Another time I had a kid ask if he could have a geodesic rock inspired hood. I had to do a liitle research for that. I've had special orders for everyone from a German soccer player, to a die-hard Crimson Tide fan, to a working professional in need of a sophisticated, waterproof hood. The list is endless. I love working with customers just as much as working in my own head. The two balance one another quite nicely.