Meet Jennifer, from Manchester. Jennifer is a knitter, a life coach, a paper crafter, and a mom to FOUR children under FIVE! Props to the amazing and hard working women we find on Etsy! Here is a little bit about Jennifer's shop, JayCee Originals:
Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?
My name is Jennifer and I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home Mommy to four beautiful children: Michael (5), Nicholas (4), Steiven (2) and Tamara (6 months).
My favourite crafts are cross-stitch, hardanger embroidery, crochet and of course knitting. I have been knitting since forever but it took over from cross-stitch as my main creative outlet during my first pregnancy. I was of course motivated to create beautiful knits for my baby and all of our available wall space (and that of our family and friends) was already covered by cross-stitch!
How do you make your shop and product stand out from the others?
While I do use pastel tones in my creations, I like to spice things up with stronger fashion colors and I always try to find a snappy name for my knits. I use a wide range of fibers in a wide range of colors, textures and garment styles to cater for as many individual tastes as possible. There is something for every occasion and to suit every budget!
What is your favourite item in your shop?
All of my items are favourites in their own unique way however I particularly love this organic cotton sweater vest:
What is your best seller?
My best seller varies from season to season, this winter, the must-have garment from my collection is the Sparkle Shrug which I have reproduced in various sizes and colors.
What inspires you?
Obviously my main inspirtaion is my family, my Avatar and Banner both feature my baby daughter. I love to base designs on outfits from old family photographs, one of my favourites (below) is based on a pram set worn by my father in the 1940's. There are so many design ideas jotted on scraps of paper on my desk I fear it will take a lifetime to realise them all and often find myself waking at night with yet another plan for a great garment. Another source of inspiration is my yarn stash - yarn often joins my stash after an idea jumps out at me ;)
What is your goal for 2010? And are you on the right track?
My business goal at the start of 2010 was to maintain "normal" operation through the expansion of my family - on the day of my daughter's birth, I received 2 orders! Having successfully achieved this, I am working at consolidating my "micro-brand". I knit around my children's schedules so in terms of order volumes, I am currently working close to capacity :)
"Expertly handmade boutique quality baby items from classic to quirky."
Jennifer, JayCee Originals
