thelittleblackboat

My journey as a crafter began with my upbringing. I was raised in Seabeck, a tiny little town just outside Silverdale, WA. I grew up in a very crafty, art-oriented family. At a very young age, I was learning to paint, sew, draw, and appreciate art and hand-made pieces. My Grandmother, I know her as Mum, could make almost anything with yarn, paint, fabric, & many other mediums, while my Grandfather was the consummate woodworker, creating equally wonderful items made with expertise. I, too, love to create things and enjoy sharing them with others!

Fast forward 20 some years and I still have my hand in some kind of craft. Anything can be made into something wonderful with a bit of imagination. Writing, sewing, and crafting feel good to me. I can’t seem to remember a time when I haven’t been creating something. I am a collector of paper, ribbon, buttons, and anything inky. I make cards, sew, scrapbook, and much more. You know you’re a craft addict when you come up with designs in your sleep. Several of my close friends refer to me as their own Martha Stewart.

Being a wife of a US Navy Submariner, I find a lot of pride being part of our nation’s military family. To show this pride I’ve developed a new little business creating military pride signs. What’s it’s name? {the little black boat.} It’s very fitting, don’t you think?

With our last PCS, like so many other military spouses, I got fed up with leaving job after job, just to start all over again in a new location. After years of making signs for my friends, I decided to take it to the next level and {the little black boat.} was born. My mission is simple; Give military families a way to showcase their pride in serving our country.

My wooden signs are rustic and perfectly imperfect and no two signs are exactly alike. After I design the signs’ shape and decide on wording, I cut all the signs out and then sand and prime them. Then its given lots of love with paint. All signs are then signed and dated by me prior to shipping.


I work mostly from my shop. All of my creations are original designs that you won’t find anywhere else. They are all handmade by yours truly and all machinery used is mine, nothing is outsourced. I run the shop mostly on my own with occasional help from Mr. tlbb. I keep stock, photograph all my work and handle all promotions. I also order shipping supplies, package everything myself and post each order. There is love in everything I make!

All items come from a smoke-free home. I have two pups (Abby & Duke) and they don’t smoke either. If there is any specific sign you’d like that you don’t see here, please feel free to message me. I love custom work... especially when it makes me step outside of my comfort zone.

It has always been a dream of mine to start my own business, and with the blessings and support of my friends and family, I hope it will grow from 1 page to several more. I hope you will find the time to stop by and visit {the little black boat.} again and again. I will be working hard to make this a valuable resource for you!

xo,

jess



PS. You may have noticed I use the word “we” here at {the little black boat.} a lot but I also use, “I” and “me”. Why? Well my husband happens to be underwater a good portion of the year, so sometimes I’ll be making things on my own, and other times he’ll be making things with me. {the little black boat.} is definitely a joint venture.