The winner of Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks December 11 was WreathIncGifting and her beautiful White Yarn Wrapped Wreath with Plum, Cranberry and Cream Felt Flowers. Here is her interview:
White Yarn Wrapped Wreath with Plum, Cranberry, and cream felt flowers
Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, personal stuff)
My name is Andretta Ross and I live in Groton, Connecticut. My husband and I are high school sweethearts. We have a 5 month old son, Parker, who keeps us laughing every day. I can't leave out our sweet Siberian Husky, Nanook, who loves long walks and even longer naps!
What are your favorite materials?
My absolute favorite materials are vintage buttons. I love everything about them - their uniqueness, wondering where their lives have taken them, and most importantly: the way they smell! It reminds me of my Nana. I have a collection of probably thousands of buttons that I continue to gather from everywhere I can (despite my husband's often but loving reminders that I have enough). I love them so much that I sometimes hate using them for my crafts! Thousands of buttons, and all I want to do is look at them! I also love working with yarn and felt.
I am currently in love with the combination of a cranberry red, deep plum purple, and a warm cream - the colors on the wreath that was shown! They are wonderful winter colors without screaming snowflakes and Christmas.
What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?
My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was probably around seven years old. I kept myself busy for hours. The only problem was that she never taught me how to start a second row! I must have made a twenty foot chain!
I am inspired by people's reactions to the work I create. I love the look on their face when I tell them that I made it myself. That is the look that makes me want to surprise others the same way.
Where do your ideas come from?
I find myself often saying,"I could make that." Whether I am at a store or at a friend's house, I love to look at decorations and think of what I would change about it to make it perfect for me, and then I start from scratch and do it myself.
What are your greatest challenges? How do you overcome them?
My greatest challenge is that I have a son who only takes twenty minute naps. He has always been a power napper, which turns out to be tricky when you have three wreaths you need to ship out the next day!
My mother and my grandmother have always been my greatest inspiration. If I were stuck on a deserted island I would want them there with me. They could survive any situation and could make by hand everything they would ever need.
What is your favorite thing to do with your creativity?
I love gift giving with things that I have made myself. I love thinking of the perfect gift to make for someone and I love how they always know that I spent the time to make it just for them! I think that a handmade gift is so much more special than a store bought gift - no matter the price.
Why should people buy handmade? Any tips of wisdom on selling handmade items?
People should buy handmade because they are always getting a one of a kind product. Even if two people buy the same wreath from me, each flower is rolled and cut differently. There will never be two that are the same. Also, handmade means that so much love, thought, and time went into creating it - and what is more wonderful than that? Selling handmade items can be trickier than you think. Just because you love something doesn't mean that someone else will, and that hurts when you just put so much time into creating it. You have to be ready for a couple of the downsides to selling handmade. There will always be someone who thinks your product is ugly, you will probably leave at least one craft fair having sold absolutely nothing, and there will ALWAYS be someone who thinks that what you made is overpriced. Don't be discouraged!
What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists?
The most important thing I have learned is to never sell something you are not proud of. Once, I made a wreath that didn't come out as beautiful as it was supposed to be. The buyer needed a rush delivery so I was just going to send it out the next day and hope that they still loved it. I ended up tossing and turning all night at the thought of sending someone a product that I did not love myself. The next morning I was waiting at the door of the craft store when they opened and I got what I needed to fix the wreath. That day I shipped off a wreath that I loved and I know I will do that for every order ever placed from now on. With a 5 month old I can't afford to be tossing and turning all night!!
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I am a stay at home mom to baby Parker. We spend our days playing and taking trips to the craft store!
What are the Web addresses for your work?
www.etsy.com/wreathincgifting
Are you offering my readers any specials?
Readers can use Coupon Code: Goofingoff and receive 20% off of their entire order!
Thank you again so much!
-Andretta
Andretta’s wreaths are truly amazing. Check out her shop and don’t forget to use the coupon code. Happy Holidays, Y’all!
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