Meet the Artist! Dana of Pish Posh Creations

I love Dana’s tag line for her adorable shop, Pish Posh Creations. Dana and I are EtsyKids Team members together, and she has also graciously agreed to be one of my giveaway sponsors in the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Hop November 27-December 4.

I wish I had been able to order custom bedding from this shop three years ago when we were expecting Little Man, because her work is beautiful! No, I’m serious, I’d have ordered one of everything she makes, because it’s just my style, unique and creative. Not only that, but it’s affordable as well. At Pish Posh Creations, Dana offers one of a kind, custom items for your nursery and home, including custom bedding, curtains, bags, toys, nap mat covers, carseat covers, and more! 

Not only does Dana run Pish Posh Creations on Etsy, you can also find her on her website, PishPoshCreations.com, Facebook, and Blog! Needless to say, she’s a busy lady making beautiful creations in her “spare” time.

I asked Dana a few questions, just to get a bit of a behind the scenes look into her life and how she makes it all happen. Here’s what she had to say…

How or why did you get started with your craft/business? 

I have always had a passion for design, so when my oldest son was born, I needed something to do since I was planning on being a stay at home mom. I purchased my first sewing machine, a Singer from Walmart, and quickly fell in love! Of course, I burned out that sewing machine in a few months and then had to buy a more heavy duty one since I wasn’t going to stop sewing.

Is there a story behind the name of your shop? 

Yes. It is actually something my grandmother said all the time. “Oh, Pish Posh!” She would say it often and always do her little old, belly rumbling laugh with it. She was a great lady! 

What has been the most rewarding thing about running your own shop? 

Definitely being able to stay at home while the kids were growing up. I get to make my own hours which helps myself and also my customers out.

What has been the hardest? 

The hardest part about having a business, I guess, would be that my imagination and designing never stops. It’s both a good and bad thing to have. I love it because I come up with ideas that turn out great, but then I never seem to be able to let my mind rest. It takes me an hour to get to sleep at night and even then I’ve been known to think of something in my sleep and then it’s impossible to go back to sleep.

Do you have a specific schedule during the day you follow while working on your craft, or do you fit it your work in whenever you can throughout the day? 

I’m more the fit it in whenever I can throughout the day. I workout at the gym 3 days a week and then a lot of the time I spend at the fabric stores purchasing fabrics for customers. But then, once I get home, it’s sewing time until the boys come home from school. Once they are home, I hang up my sewing and devote all time to them.

What is your most favorite item to create? 

OMG, this is a hard question. I would probably say the crib beddings. They take the longest, but then once they are finished, TA DA! I really enjoy hearing what the customer thinks of the finished product. It’s such an ego boost!

If you have children, how do you manage everything (being a mom, running a shop, etc)? My 3 boys are all in school, so now it’s not as hard as it was in the beginning. I do all my sewing while they are at school so not to interfer with their time. Sometimes they even like to come to my sewing studio and help me coordinate fabrics. They feel like they are being creative and helping.

Where do you create (your own room, a corner of the kitchen, in a pile on the dining room floor, etc)? 

My sewing studio is set up in the basement. It’s not the prettiest of things because it is unfinished, but that also means that no one ever comes down there so it makes it a sanctuary for me. :0)

What is your favorite color? 

Do you find yourself using it often in your work? My favorite color is pink, and it does seem to make it into a lot of the girl items I make.

How do you spread the word about your shop? 

Word of mouth is AMAZING! I’m having to rebuild the word of mouth now that we’ve moved to a new area, but over time it is the best way to get the word out. I also participate in shows.

Are you a morning person or a night owl? 

Both, I like to get up and get started, but I also do some of my best work at night. I guess that is a reflection of my never ending creation mind flow.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what do you listen to? 

I could not live without music! It is a HUGE part of my life. I listen to either the radio or my ipod which consist of everything from my favorite group Third Day to Cold Play to Michael Jackson, to Lady Gaga to Nickelback. I’m a melting pot of music.

Where do you see yourself and your shop in the next year? Five years? 

I would eventually love to see myself with a brick and mortar storefront, but with my husbands job moving us around every 2-3 years I’m happy with being able to work out of my house and have a small storefront at home.

Any advice you would give to someone considering opening their own shop? 

The best advice that I’ve learned is that success doesn’t happen over night. It takes time to build up the customer relationships as well as the money flow to reinvest back into your business. Don’t give up though. If you are passionate enough about your talent others will see it through you also!