Sunday Brunch Special: Sophie & Spice

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your indie business.
I have a BFA in Illustration from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I used to do a lot of editorial collage illustration and I also design youth sports posters for photographers. After my daughter was born, I was inspired to create children's items. Right now I sell name plaques, mommy calling cards, and children's photo collages. I am working on wall art and onesies.

2. Where are you located?
I live in the Philadelphia suburbs and work from my home studio.

3. How did you come up with your business name?
Sophie is my daughter's name. I wanted something that would evoke the playfulness of childhood and the funky, modern look of my designs.

4. Where do you sell your products?
Right now they are sold on my own site, www.sophieandspice.com. I am looking into other online retailers for some of my products.

5. Do you ever get stumped for ideas? How do you work through it?
Ideas are the main aspect of being an illustrator. I just sit down with a pen and paper and let my mind go. Sometimes I need to get out 100 bad ideas before nailing down that one great one. I also find it helpful to look for inspiration in everything around me.

6. What would be your dream job?
I would love for Sophie and Spice to get to a point where I can manufacture and wholesale boutique quality items. I'd also love to do fine art and show in galleries.

7. Do you have any quirks or obsessions you care to share?
Though I would have made fun of it as a teenager, I love American Idol. I'm also a really big Queen fan and am notorious for singing their songs during karaoke.

9. What's the most difficult aspect of running your biz?
It can be hard to project how much work I will have on any given week. When I have a lot of work on my plate, I focus on that. During slow times, I focus on marketing, new designs, cleaning my studio, etc. Since I work from home, I think it's also important to let people know that you work during certain hours. You don't want your mother-in-law constantly calling during business hours, and you don't want clients always calling at night. I have to be clear about that, otherwise it would be impossible to separate home life and work.

Ok, now these two are mandatory and I have to ask (this being a diner, after all)

1. What is your favorite meal?
Pretty much anything Italian, with red wine and my own tiramisu for dessert!

2. Do you prefer tea or coffee?
Coffee.