Crafter Interview: BlinkKids

My name is Amanda and I live by the ocean in a cute little house on a farm in Delta BC with my wonderful husband and two kids, Brooklyn 5 and Lincoln 4. 
 

I have a very busy but satisfying life. When I'm not running the kids to school or doing daily house and farm chores, I enjoy creating new things in my studio, gardening, planning parties or events, rearranging or redecorating my house (yes that happens often!), baking new recipes I find on pinterest and shopping for new fabrics and supplies! 

I started sewing (on a real machine) when I was about 9 or 10, before that I had a plastic kid's (toy) sewing machine, and before that I use tape or a stapler to "sew" my projects together. I had always been super crafty from the first time I discovered glue and markers and I always wanted to create new projects even if the only materials I had were from the recycling bin. Eventually, my grandma gave me her old sewing machine and a bag full of scrap material. She showed me how to use it, and from then on I sat in the basement sewing various projects and gifts for people. 

I love creating things for preschool kids because that's the ages that my kids are now. They are pretty much my inspiration for a lot of the things I make and that way I can watch them get used. They are like my guinea pigs! I like creating all my different bags because I have such a big variety and use so many different fabrics!  

I like different themes, especially when it comes to decorating bedrooms. And so in my "Blink @ Home" collection, I have created different items based on various themed rooms and I find inspiration for the different themes just from life around me; nature, books I read to the kids, events we go to etc. The owl pillows I made at the time we had snowy owls on the beach outside our house! The monkey/giraffe/elephant pillows I made just after we went to visit the zoo! 

We live on a farm so there is always things to do and it's great to be outside especially when I spend so much time inside my studio! I love gardening, this year I have planted a massive fruit and vegetable garden, as well as several flower beds. I like to go for walks and bike rides with the kids and explore new beaches, lakes and parks we have never been to. I also teach various classes on crafting including paper crafts such as card making and scrapbooking. I love to entertain and so quite often I will host barbecues, playdates and tea parties at our home. 

I would say I've had more success offline. I have great relationships with my customers at craft fairs and markets, and I find a lot of my other customers come to me through word of mouth. 

Take great pictures of your products and give really specific descriptions. The first thing I do in a store is pick up or touch a product and since we're unable to do that online, you need to create an illusion like the product is in my hands. I also think that a good selection of items is important so you can draw in as many people as you can.