Featured Etsy Artisan: PersnicketyHome

Beautiful pillows make a room pop and hold together the color themes. Designer pillows easily sell for about $70+. These pillows by PerkicketyHome are amazing - the shop has Home Decor, Throw Pillows Covers, Sachets! I love these fabrics and patterns. Cindy graciously agreed to be featured on for my Etsy Artisan series. I think you'll enjoy her interview below. Thanks for sharing your inspiration with us, Cindy!

And be sure to visit her shop - these are my favorite here and here and here (okay - I like it all!). Keep up the great work, Cindy!

Tell us a little about yourself – your name, where you live, your work.
My name is Cindy and I live in Fort Collins, Colorado. I've done many different types of work over the years, every thing from book stores, to landscaping, to working as a Teachers Aide in elementary schools, tutoring literacy.

Tell us about your Etsy shop and products.
I started my shop in January 2009. I have a friend named Kristen who also has a shop on Etsy and we both love beautiful fabric, she kept telling me I could do it , I could have my own business, and to be brave. With a lot of encouragement and a leap of faith, I held my nose and took a deep breath and jumped in! My shop is called Persnickety Home Designs and can be found at www.persnicketyhome.etsy.com currently my focus is on Pillow Covers. I love the versatility of Pillow Covers! They can spruce up the place for a reasonable price and you can change them whenever the mood strikes (which around my house is often...) its also a lot easier to change the covers than the whole house and it brings a comfy splash of color, and after all who doesn't need a little comfort now and then! I also have a few other items including Lavender Sachets and Handmade Birdhouses and Feeders. Also I'm always adding new items.

How did you get into your creating? Do you have a favorite item you’ve made? Tell us the story. I have been making things for almost as long as I can remember. I have always drawn and painted and was constantly found with pencil and paper in hand. Sewing in particular is fun for me because it’s so hands on and I get a kick out of the finished product.My mother taught me to embroider and cross stitch when I was eight years old, she has a real love for handmade treasures. My grand mother, Mommy Ann taught me about sewing machines, she was always making clothes for me and my many siblings. My dad was a real artist; he owned a successful carpentry shop and could build and make everything from houses, to furniture, to sculptures. I can't say I have a favorite Pillow cover because I love all the fabrics so much, but I am fond of my "liberty" bird house. It was fun to create and I'm pleased with how it turned out. (See photo above)

What advice would you give a creative entrepreneur on starting a small artistic business?
Be brave! Choose something you love and pour yourself into it. Your customers will feel the quality and attention to detail that you worked so hard to achieve. Believe in yourself even if it’s scary, after all life is short and talent is God given and should not be wasted.

Do you have a person that inspires you (living or historical)? Tell us about her or him!
Many people have inspired me; I mentioned my mother, father, and grandmother, earlier. I also mentioned my friend Kristen who was probably sent my way to help light a fire under me. But there are so many more, my sister Cecilia was the bravest and strongest person I've ever known, and my husband Paul always believes in me, he thinks I can do anything.I believe you can be inspired by everyone you meet, inspired to be like them in some way or to be different from them. But if you are open to it inspiration will find you.

Do you have a book or movie that makes you feel creative? Tell us about it!
There is a series of books that makes me feel creative every time! The series is called EARTH'S CHILDREN and it’s by Jean Auel. It’s about this woman at the dawn of prehistory and how she and her kind have to survive in a harsh world. It’s humbling because it always reminds me of our beginnings. It is easy in the "instant" world we live in now to forget our struggle to climb to the top. Back when all we had was our big brains, our two thumbs, and our imagination and creativity; it was our need and ability to make things that made the difference. Whenever I'm feeling dull and unimaginative I pick up those books, they work like a charm!

What is your favorite handmade treasure?
I have a corn husk doll that I bought from a local artist for my sister on her 35th birthday. When I lost my sister the doll came back to me. She sits in my workshop with me and brings me comfort. Also, I have a dresser that my dad made many years ago that I won't ever part with.

Do you have any suggestions for creatively weathering these tough economic times? How are you creatively making the best of it?
Well... sometimes it’s hard but try not to get too discouraged if things are slow. Work on a new project and remember that its not just necessity but also adversity that is the mother of invention! Life is full of ups and downs, but as for me I'd rather be on the Roller Coaster than the Carousel. It’s more interesting and after all the view on the Carousel never changes.

Do you know a special Etsy artisan who would be great to feature? Email me at paperandpearls[at]gmail.com .

See the rest of the series here.