Sunday Brunch Special: Whimsy by Jess

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your indie business.
My name is Jessica and I am a stay at home mom to my almost 3 year old son, with another sweet baby on the way (due in 4 weeks!!) I am constantly crafting and have been for as long as I can remember. As a young child my great-grand mother taught me to crochet and it kind of just stuck. I dabble in many different crafts, trying new things all the time and sticking with what I like.

I started my business as a way to do what I love, which is create imaginative, useful items with my hands, pass on these items to people who will enjoy and cherish them as much as I do, and, maybe even add a little extra income to what my husband contributes that makes it possible to stay home with my children.

2. Where are you located?
I am located in the California Bay Area. This is a wonderful place for artists and crafters, with so many resources near by! I have a number of yarn stores that I frequent, depending on the particular yarn I need and what each store carries. There are also many local groups and clubs for crafty types.

3. How did you come up with your business name?
I have really just always liked the word ‘whimsy’, and I really think that everything I create has a bit of whimsy to it.

4. Where do you sell your products?
I currently sell my products on Etsy at www.whimsybyjess.etsy.com

5. Do you belong to any local and/or web groups or affiliations?
I do belong to the local ‘craft mafia’ This group has been a great resource for meeting other crafty business people as well as finding local craft fairs and other marketing information. I highly recommend joining your local craft mafia!

6. What inspires you?
I get inspiration from so many places. My first and favorite place to look is nature. I love moss and leaves and anything green, really. I also look at things like fabric and scrapbook paper, I find some really interesting color combinations and designs from both.
I also love mythical movies like Lord of the Rings, and finding unique illustrations of fairies. From these I find inspiration for things to add to my creations, or ideas for different techniques to try.

7. When you’re not making things, what do you do?
When I’m not crafting I am usually playing with my son or cleaning my house ( an endless job!)

8. What’s your favorite color?
This has got to be the easiest question of all! Green! By far green is my Favorite color. I generally include green in every piece I create.

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

1. What is your favorite meal?
This is a hard one, as I am pregnant and currently going in and out of cravings! My current meal craving is anything with guacamole, I’m a big fan of avocados!

2. Do you prefer tea or coffee?
Tea! I’m very into herbal tea at the moment. I’ve been drinking also of raspberry leaf tea, which is said to be a ‘uterine toner’, being due in 4 weeks this is a good thing for me!