Interview Series: Week 20 – Sister’s Home of Unique Gifts

I’m sure quite a few of you who follow this blog have heard about GoDaddy by now.  If you haven’t, GoDaddy was hit by a DDoS attack.  Unfortunately, this also had a rather nasty effect on Zibbet, since Zibbet uses GoDaddy for at least a portion of its site.  Gaining access to the site throughout the week has been a nightmare, since I did mention last week, I have two interview blog posts to RE-do.  This is the first interview, and I’ll be working on the other (Zibbet’s uptime allowing), when I am able to get access to the photos and such I need!

Edit 9/18/12 – It looks like GoDaddy is behaving properly now, though Zibbet has announced that it is swapping servers, and that there will be some downtime associated with it.  So far I’ve not had any trouble at all since the announcement, but I did want to keep you all informed in case you are unable to get to any of the lovely items I have showcased in any of my blog posts that are on Zibbet.
End Edit.

Today, I bring you a half of a team of sisters who create unique gifts for all ages, in many different areas, from little lanterns, to silverware/goodie pockets to angels, to… well, you’ll just have to go look for yourself!
Due to the format, I’m going to allow today’s artist to speak her story, her way! Without further mucking about on my part, I offer you Laurie from Sister’s Home of Unique Gifts of Zibbet!

 

My name is Laurie Gregie

I do a variety of crafts such as, plastercraft, kitchen hanging towels, potpourri vases with lights, angels, lanterns, candle holders, felt items and much more.

Because I do such a variety of crafts its kinda hard to pick one. I guess I would say making holiday items our my favorite.

My most popular seller would probably be Hobby Lobby. They have the best variety of craft supplies.

What got me into crafts hmmmm. I was a newlywed. We didn't have much money. I've always believed that giving a gift that is handmade shows more love than picking a sweater out in a store.

Stained Glass Lantern Blue Swirl Light Up
I’m a sucker for blue, glitter and butterflies.  If I had room for something like this in my decor (which is all gamer stuff, and nothing that allows for anything with doilies…), it would so be here.

I went to the plastercraft store and bought piggy banks for all the kids and a variety of other items for the adults.I painted them all and gave them to family members for Christmas.

I taught myself by trial and error. Bought craft magazines, went to craft shows, bought items and took them apart to see how they were made. I would then make improvements and start making my own items. Coming up with new ideas is a challenge. I will spend many hours of putting it together and taking it apart until the item meets my expectations.

Fall Design Cream Stained Glass Lantern Light Up
This looks like it would make an adorable centerpiece on a little table or whatnot.

I'm a people person and a perfectionist, if I don't love what I make, I don't sell it. I enjoy making my crafts because it gives me great joy when I see how people smile and appreciate the work and love that goes into each item.

My days are the opposite of most people. My husband works the night shift. We eat dinner at midnight. We usually don't go to bed till 3 or 4 am. My day starts at about 10a. I do my computer work till about 1230pm. I then do some housework and laundry. I take breaks inbetween and work on my crafts.
When the housework is done I work on my crafts until about 10pm. I then start making dinner. After dinner I go back on the computer and work on websites, answer emails and package items for mailing.

Clay Pot Angel Large w/Bells
I’ve always loved angel figurines and ornaments.  These are adorable.

I never really "finish". Selling crafts online is neverending. I set goals and usually achieve them. Since I make a variety of items, some are finished in a few hours and some take much longer. If I start on a long process item one day, I usually finish it the next.

Oops always happen. If I make an oops, I don't get frustrated, I just take apart the oops and fix it then continue on. I'm not the type of person to continue on and see what happens. If its not right I have to fix it. Meantime I reprimand myself making the oops.

Christmas Gold Lantern Candle Holder With Free Pillar 2 Pieces
This lantern would make a lovely center for a holiday sideboard or coffee table, bringing a warm glow to whatever its light touches.

I usually think long and hard about a project. Make drawings, call my sister for feedback and write out the process. Sometimes it comes out right the first time. Other times it takes 4-5 tries. I never give up until its the way I want it.

My greatest roadblock is when my husband is home. When he is not home I have a routine that I follow everyday. When he is home that all goes out the window. He's up and down and up and down drives me crazy. lol But I still love him.

As far as pricing goes, I don't really have a locked in formula. I basically decide how much I would pay for it. Sometimes I figure what it costs to make it then double the amount. I think my prices are pretty average, at least that's what people keep telling me. Yes I think my prices justify my work.

Blue Stained Glass Globe with Potpourri and Lights
This was the very first one that caught my eye, and by far my favorite.

Speaking for myself I think handcrafted items given as gifts means you took the time to shop around for that perfect gift. Walking into any store with your gift list showing a "pink blouse for Jenny" doesn't take much thought. Walking around a craft show or shopping online with a gift list showing a "candle holder for Mom" leaves the door wide open for a loving gift for Mom.

Most people appreciate handmade gifts over store bought gifts because it shows you took the time to shop around for a gift that shows you care.

Thank you, Laurie, for sharing your work and your story. I agree – most people do appreciate hand crafted gifts.  Often, they are one of a kind, which means you had to do a lot of pondering, shopping, and hunting for that one perfect thing for someone, and you’re absolutely right, it shows you care, and you took the time to not only find something that proves you know that person well enough, or that you took the time to hunt for something unique.

Make sure to visit Laurie and her sister at Sister’s Home of Unique Gifts on Zibbet!

Until next week, thank you one and all for reading!