The Etsy shop CreationsAnew is not only full of amazing prints, notepads and paperweights but the quality of her products and her artistic eye make her art especially unique. From gorgeous pictures of rustic churches and crosses to bright and eye catching prints of spring’s bounty, Robin Hall, the artist behind CreationsAnew, always has something awe inspiring and inspirational in her shop.

A brief introduction from Robin herself: “My name is Robin Hall and I reside in Florence, Colorado with my husband and 2 sons. Florence located almost in the middle of Colorado as is known for its prisons, antique shops and Big Dog High School Football.
I was born an “Army Brat” and then married a soldier, so the last 45 years has been spent traveling the world and being part of a special “community”. My husband retired from the ARMY 2 years ago and retirement has been a huge adjustment, but I think we are finally settling into it.
We have two wonderful boys 19 and 17. My oldest in attending College in Lakewood, Colorado and the youngest will be a Senior at the local High School. I homeschooled both boys from Kindergarten through High School and with them almost grown, I have found extra time on my hands. That is where Photography and ETSY has come in.”

How long have you been photographing?
I started this “hobby” about 5 years ago. We live in such a picturesque part of the country and every season has something to photograph.

What inspires you to create your items?
I really love to take photographs when I’m outside walking which is good for photography not so great for exercising. We live in a old town with grand old homes, falling down barns, abandoned dirt roads and wide open spaces. It’s a wonderful area for taking photos. You do have to be careful when taking pictures of residences. For the most part people pretty much ignore me when I’m snapping pictures of their homes, but one time, I was taking a picture of an old gate in front of a house and this guy came running out and began screaming at me…“who are you“ and “why are you taking a picture of my house?” That was scary!

Just this past year I began doing portraits. My nephew wanted senior pictures taken and he only wanted me to take them! So I gave it a whirl. So far, I have completed two sets of senior portraits and a “baby’s first year portrait. You can see some of those photographs on my flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/creationsanew/

When did you decide to start your own business and what prompted you to do so?
I began to create cards and calendars with the purchase of my first computer about 20 years ago. My first calendars were literally typing and printing words out, then cutting and pasting them onto computer generated calendars. I would then take the calendars to a copy shop and have them photocopied onto colored paper…IKES! After buying my first digital camera, which was a Fugi 3.0 pixel, I was hooked on photography! There is something rewarding about taking a photo and being able to view it immediately. I think it was a natural progression to incorporate my love for creating on the computer with my love of photography. I designed calendars, cards, banners and flyers for family, friends and church; I always heard “You should sell theses.”

About a year ago, after attending a “How to make money on Ebay” seminar, I decided that I could do e-commerce marketing my craft. I gave eBay about 6 months and learned many in and outs of e-commerce; however, eBay left me feeling really isolated. That is when I found Etsy and learned about a community of “sellers’; I was hooked!

Do you sell outside of ETSY? If so, where?
Yes, I have my own website at http://www.creations-anew.com
I sell many of the same type items on my website as I sell on Etsy but again, just selling on my website left me feeling like a small fish in a big pond; Etsy helps make that ocean a bit smaller.

My website includes my blog, A Photographer’s Expose, writings about photography, faith and family the three things I love.

I just recently added “FREE on-line Greeting Cards to my website. These on-line greeting cards feature some of my photography. I’m really enjoying creating card ideas and adding photos to the site. http://www.creations-anew.com/products364808.html

How did you come up with the name of your store?
It’s a variation of our Homeschool Name which was “A New Day” We took that name from scripture where the Lord told his people in the Old Testament “ It’s a new day; see I do a New Thing.” Though the LORD is unchanging He is constantly moving, growing and changing us hence A New Day Photography and Design. Unfortunately, it was taken somewhere on the web and so “Creations Anew” was born.

Has being a military spouse had an impact on your business?
My husband has been retired 2 years this month. So the military hasn’t directly affected my business, but being a part of the Homefront group has really been a blessing. After spending 20 plus years as a spouse and before that 20 years and dependant daughter, I have a heart for these young military families. I constantly find myself thinking after reading posts in the threads… “I remember those kind of days, hang in there”, “You can do this” I can relate to the pain of separation and the loneliness of being a single parent trying to do it all.

Military families are a distinctive breed and I think we bring that uniqueness to Etsy. We eagerly welcome and get to know new people because we know how it feels to be a stranger; we are open to change and can quickly adapt to all sorts of situations. One thing that Etsy does for us, is that no matter where the military send us, we are still united and connected on the Homefront.

Do you work outside of your business?
Yes, but not for pay! I still home school our youngest son part-time; this is his last year of home school as next year he will be a full time senior. Our family is very active in our local church. We attend Lincoln Park Church of the Nazarene where I head up our Ladies Ministry, play the piano and teach a young adult Sunday School Class; right now we are studying Revelation. I also lead a home Bible Study where we are currently going through the book of Isaiah.

What are your other hobbies?
I love to read the Bible, especially the Old Testament. Jane Austin is my favorite author with “Pride and Prejudice” being my favorite book/movie. Lately, I have read several books on Henry the 8th and his wives; we don’t get Showtime but I enjoyed watching “The Tudors” in reruns.

If you had one wish what would it be?
I have been so richly blessed in my life; I really can’t think of one thing that I want or even need; The LORD has been so gracious to me and my family! We’ll okay, maybe more sales!

What is your favorite item in your shop?
The set of 4×6 photos called, “I’m Not a Donkey, I’m a Stallion; these photo’s seem to be everyone’s favorite. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11192105

This little herd of donkeys are so fun to watch; there are 5 of them and they are typical donkeys: obstinate, bull headed and foolish. Hmmm, those seem to be some of my characteristics too! There is a scripture that tell us not to be stubborn like the donkey who will not be bridled and led, but to be more like a stallion who is spirited and trainable. I have a sign in my office that reads:
“Are you afraid to fail or are you determined to Succeed”

What is your goal for the next 6 months?
My goal is to be trainable and unafraid of failure with my on-line business; to take risks and to be determined to succeed, but there are some days that I can be such a …..donkey.