Christina is a master of many crafts. From her baking, sewing and her musical background she surely enjoys creating and being creative. Her shop, with it’s little bits of this and that, cover a wide range of tastes. If you have a sweet lover in the family, check out her homemade goodies. New baby coming? Cute burp cloths and quilts can be found here as well. Being a stay-at-home mom gives her a chance to express and create while being close to those she loves.
How long have you been crafting?
I have been sewing and baking for nearly 18 years.
What inspires you to create your items? A lot of things influence me. Most of the time, the inspiration comes from family needs and/or desires (clothing, bags, food allergies, etc.). I have been inspired by requests from friends on occasion–for example, the pleated wristlet in my shop came about due to a request from a friend of mine here on Etsy (she and her mom got two of the first wristlets I ever designed and made).
Do you have any major influences?
My mom and my mother-in-law are my two major influences; my mom taught me how to sew and work in the kitchen, while my mother-in-law introduced me to quilting. My grandmother (who passed away a year ago) was also the influence behind my candies.
When did you decide to start your own business and what prompted you to do so?
I started my own business on Etsy after a friend had recommended the site to me. I had met her while we were both stationed at Monterey, CA (we were both US Air Force at the time) a few years ago, and sent her a gift that I had made for her baby last fall (a monogrammed diaper bag with matching portable changing pad, plus some burp cloths). I actually joined about a month before listing my first item, since I wanted to get an idea of how the site worked before committing myself to a new venture.
Has being a military spouse had an impact on your business? How so?
Absolutely. I am a stay-at-home mother of two young children, and as a result we rely on my husband’s enlisted military salary (he’s a Staff Sergeant in the US Army). For me to have “extra” money to play around with that doesn’t depend on what bills have come due (or any other unanticipated expense, for that matter), I have to come up with that on my own. More than that, however, I like to help others that perhaps aren’t as fortunate as my husband and I are. Having my own spending money allows me to get extra fabric to make something for a new family that wouldn’t be able to have something custom-made for them (i.e., diaper bags and/or burp cloths that last much longer than what they could find in the stores), or perhaps to buy ingredients for a goody basket for a friend that’s feeling under the weather.
How did you find ETSY? Has it been beneficial for your business – good /bad?
As I mentioned before, a good friend of mine from my days in the military clued me in to the site when she saw the quality of the items that I sent her. This is my only “store front”, so it has definitely been good for my business.
How did you come up with the name of your store?
I make a lot of things, and I wanted my Etsy shop name to reflect that. Since I “create” all sorts of things in both the kitchen and the sewing room, I chose “Creations by Christina” as the name. Do you sell outside of ETSY? If so, where?
At this point in time, no. If I were to be fortunate enough to be able to afford a B&M (or even to “officially” sell online or via other methods, such as mail-order), I would jump at the chance. Another avenue that I would like to explore would be to sell to boutiques (the items that come from my sewing machine) or perhaps cafes or other food-related businesses (anything from the kitchen, but especially my candies).
Do you work outside of your business?
If you include my stay-at-home-mother status, then yes. If you are referring to a job outside the home, then no.
How do you juggle being a military spouse and running your own business?
Family first, faith second, then business third.
How did your spouse/family react to you starting your own business?
They, especially my husband, have been incredibly supportive. When I have to take my kids into the dining room (also known as my sewing room, due to the lack of space in our otherwise fairly decent on-post housing), my daughter will pick up pins that I’ve dropped on the floor (often seeing them before I realize they’re on the floor) or even get items that I need so that I don’t have to get up from the machine. My husband has been known to take the kids out of the house for an hour or two so that I can have the chance to concentrate on whatever project is currently in the works. My son…well, let’s just say that at 2 years old he already knows enough to back away from the oven when I tell him to so that I can move things in or out (and he’s also more than willing to run over to help eat up the marshmallow “goo” that’s stuck on the whip for my stand mixer after I make up a batch of marshmallows); I’m still working on him not touching the cool buttons on my sewing machine, though, especially when I step away from the machine while it’s turned on! What are your hobbies?
Apart from sewing, quilting, baking, and making candies, I love to read, do counted cross stitch, play a variety of musical instruments (I was a trumpet performance major at college for 2.5 years, but had to give that up and switch majors when it became clear that I was unable to do some of the techniques that were required before I could take junior-level private lessons), and sing. I even tried out for last season’s American Idol, but never made it past the first round (I think the table I went to was there for the sole purpose of weeding out some of the auditioners, regardless of their talent). And no, I didn’t meet Paula, Randy, and Simon–you actually see them for the first time during round three. I would give up my Etsy shop in an instant (though I’d still do the things that I have in my shop as a pure hobby) if it meant that I could pursue music as a career, as it has been in my blood all my life–my parents are both musicians, and both teach music. I was even passed around the choir loft as an infant!
What is the best and worst thing that has happened after starting your business?
The best thing that has happened after starting my Etsy shop has been meeting so many incredible people here. One person, whose shop name shall remain anonymous for the time being, is actually the wife of the senior pastor at my church. At least two others live just miles from me, though I have yet to meet them in person.
The worst thing that has happened to me would be the first time I had a sale. The person had requested a few things on relatively short notice (and needed them delivered to a local train station), and I was able to get those items done on time, but I had to bring my children to the meeting place due to my husband needing to work on that Saturday. When the person walked up to me, it was my ex-boyfriend, who I broke up with several years ago after a mentally trying (and quite possibly mentally abusive) relationship. No other details about the reason behind the breakup are needed here (though I would be willing to talk about them were you to contact me privately), but suffice it to say that old habits die hard…he kept trying to make our strictly business arrangement at least a little personal over the last couple months, and I recently had to sever all contact with him for not only my sanity, but the health of my marriage.
Is there anything you would change?
I would be more organized, especially when it comes to the state of my dining/sewing room!
If you had one wish what would it be?
That I could earn enough money in the next couple of weeks to be able to afford to go to the season 8 auditions for American Idol (the nearest audition city is over 3 hours away, so hotel, gas, and food money is an absolute necessity–even though the auditions themselves are free, you are responsible for all your monetary needs until you get to the Hollywood round, from what I understand).
What is your goal for the next 6 months?
My goal for the next 6 months would be, if I can’t get the money together in time for the auditions this year, to get enough sales to start saving up for either next year’s auditions (my last year of eligibility, unless they change the age requirements) or perhaps for a really nice sewing cabinet. My grandmother left me some money when she passed away, and any money that I would earn towards the sewing cabinet would be supplemented by what my grandmother left me.
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