An Interview with Nan from Bitty Bambino
As many of you know, EtsyBABY team members are extremely talented. We
wanted to take a peek at the person behind the creativity. All
throughout May we will be interviewing shop owners, to get a glimpse of
the designer behind those adorable baby products!
What inspired you to begin a shop featuring your own designs? Last summer I had a couple of friends who were expecting their first
babies. So I decided to make them my diaper creations for their baby
showers. My friends were thrilled and everyone at the baby showers just
loved my diaper creations!
Right around the time of these baby showers, I was finishing up many
many years of schooling and training in my profession and was planning
on taking some time off to stay at home with my daughter. Crafting
these diaper creations truly awoke my creative beast, who had lain
dormant for so many decades buried under dry textbooks and schooling.
My mind began bursting with new ideas and I discovered a kind of
excitement and innovation that I never knew I had.
What is your favorite material to craft with? Well, I guess you could say my favorite material is diapers! And other
baby products, of course. But for my fabric items, I love minky fabric
and micro fleece because of their luxurious softness. And recently I've
found that I love the look and feel of quilted fabric. So I like quilt
batting now too!
How long have you been practicing your art/craft? Since August 2011.
What training have you had or are you self-taught? I am self-taught and have had some initial training in sewing from a family member.
What has been the hardest aspect of creating a hobby into a business? The hardest aspect of creating a hobby into a business has definitely
been the balancing act between Etsy and my family. It's been a learning
curve, but now I make it a point to spend quality time with my husband
and my daughter no matter how busy I am. And, of course, I also make a
point to have my own time to unwind!
Any advice for other Etsy sellers? Always give your best effort, but know that you are human at the end of
the day. "It's far better to live your own path imperfectly, than to
live another's perfectly." ~Bhagavad Gita.
What do you enjoy doing in your off time? In my off time, I like to do relaxing things like soak in a hot bath, do
calming yoga stretches, and go for walks. I've also started trying to
meditate more. But it's much harder than you'd think! During my
meditations I try to clear my mind, but often find that ideas for new
creative projects dance around in my thoughts!
Describe a typical day in your life... After breakfast, I'll typically run errands purchasing supplies for an
order. When my two-year-old daughter finally naps in the afternoon (if
I'm lucky for an hour!), I'll put the pedal to the metal and slave-drive
my sewing machine to churn out bibs and burp cloths. For the rest of
the afternoon I'll spend time with her either going on a play date, going
to the park or doing a craft together. I love re-purposing things that
we would otherwise throw away for toddler crafts, like paper rolls,
light bulbs, milk cartons, paper bags, cardboard boxes, etc. Afterwards
I clean up around the house and get dinner ready. When my husband
comes home from work, we'll eat dinner and put her to bed. And before I
put myself to bed, I'll either work on something for Bitty Bambino or
spend some time with my husband.
Where can we find your products online? My main site is on Etsy, but you can also find my products on Ebay.com, Ecrater.com and Bitty Bambino's own website at www.bittybambino.webs.com.
Thank you Nan, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to grant us an interview!
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