Get to know the ACE Team: An interview with Merriwood

We've had shop interviews with most of our members already, but we wanted to pay a special tribute to a very hard-working member of our team, Meredith of Merriwood Designs.

Meredith has earned this distinction by her recent achievements of being awarded her BA degree while being a wife, new mother, and artist! Congratulations Meredith!

Here she is, on the right, celebrating with some ACE team members.

I had the pleasure of interviewing her with a focus more on her personal achievements rather than her art and here is what she had to say...

I earned a 4 year Bachelor of Arts in Human Services with concentrations in Criminal Justice & Psychology in 3.5 years. I felt a little rushed but I can even imagine being in school this semester so I'm glad I'm done now!

Since my degree is not at all related to art I plan on finding work in the human services field, probably in mental health, substance abuse, or foster care. I hope to work full time & still have enough energy for etsy.. well see how that goes! On that note, my shop is taking a new direction because of new regulations with regards to lead testing items made for children. I am in the process of changing things a bit to focus more on child keepsakes such as photojournals.

How did Etsy come into your life?

It was really by random chance. I was talking to someone about where they got their adorable garters and cake topper for their wedding and she told me about etsy. I was in the process of planning my own wedding so I ordered some things & instantly fell in love.

Some of Meredith's newest creations in her shop

I have always been into painting and drawing and sewing. I haven't done any drawing since high school so I have really lost my eye for it but I've been able to keep up with sewing through mending jeans and such. I also picked up a love for digital art which I'm hoping to incorporate more into my new board book projects.
The most challenging part of coping with the demands of school, motherhood, and running a business is time! There is never enough! What is odd is that now that I'm done and have less school involvement I feel like I don't have any at all for etsy because I have to do more work around the house, take care of my son, and look for a job.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything?
Never. I get a lot out of every minute of my life. People my age think I'm crazy to be married and have a kid, but we do things a little differently from most people and go for what we want. We always have a good time doing it in the end.

What advice would you offer someone facing the same challenges you faced?
Don't let other people push their negativity in your head. It is hard to stay positive. We're probably facing more challenges now than ever before.. but just smiling and putting some effort into having fun makes my whole day better. I would also suggest to do what you enjoy doing, despite what others may say about it. If it makes you happy, that's all that matters.

An Interview With Gone Doggie

This week's featured artist is Kelly of Gone Doggie http://gonedoggie.etsy.com/. Kelly creates handmade items for our four-legged friends such as collars, coordinating leashes, and blankets. She also makes lovable plush toy dogs. I'm such a sucker for handmade stuffed animals! Kelly also has a blog, http://gonedoggie.blogspot.com/where she talks about the dogs in her life, among other things.

Kelly has a real passion for dogs. She says:

I have three dogs--Gunner, Jorja, and Blue. Gunner is a certified therapy dog. We volunteer with our local school system where we help children with reading difficulties learn to read. I will be testing Jorja in the fall in hopes of getting her certified so she too can be in the schools. One day when my baby, Blue, is mature enough and a little more settled, he too may become a therapy dog.

My ultimate dream is to have my own brick and morter shop where I sell my creations and offer an education center focused on pet education. I want to work with the many local animal organizations reach their goals of stopping euthanasia as a form of animal control and find many wonderful pets loving homes.

Is there a story behind your shop name?
Instead of saying I have gone crazy for dogs my husband would say I have gone doggie!

What made you decide to open your own shop?
I was making many items and donating them to the local animal advocate groups for fundraising events. I really enjoyed doing it and decided that I could make a quality product at a reasonable price and so my shop was born.


What is your favorite material to use?
I love fabric! I am always buying fabric even if I have no idea what I am going to do with it. I know I will come up with something eventually.

What is your favorite item?
My dog collars are my favorite item in my shop. My dog and I teach pet responsibility. The biggest thing people tend to neglect is putting identification on their dogs. If a dog gets lost and is without identification, it can be very difficult to trace the owner. I hope that people will enjoy the patterns of my collars and be inspired to put one with proper identification on their pet.

What are your creative inspirations?
My 3 dogs and all of my clients' pets. I'm always looking to see where there is a need and try to meet that need by creating something.

Are you a crafter full time or part time?
I am a crafter part time, I am a pet sitter part time, and I do volunteer work part time, so I keep very busy. I would love to craft full time but I love doing the volunteer work; it is so rewarding.


How do you find time to create?
I stay up late at night after my clients have been taken care of and my dogs are all settled for the evening. I do what I can, when I can get it done. I have this need to constantly be busy, I cannot sit idle for long, so even when watching TV I am crafting.

Who encourages you to create?
My husband. He has allowed me this opportunity to be able to follow my dreams. He is encouraging as he loves my work and goes to every craft show with me. He is my biggest fan and supporter.

Do you have any advice for other shop owners?
I am still new so I don't think I am in a good position to offer advice. Just love what you do, believe in yourself and don't let anything or anyone step in your way of success.

An interview with Merriwood Designs

The featured ACE Team artist this week is Meredith of Merriwood Designs http://merriwooddesigns.etsy.com/. Meredith makes wonderful pouch slings for infants and toddlers.

Here are some items from her shop. She will custom make a sling with fabric of your choice.

Is there a story behind your shop name?

My father in law dubbed me "Merriwood" when I moved to NC (From Washington DC) because he said I needed a "country" name. He still calls me Merriwood.

What is your favorite item?

My favorite item is the pouch sling. I LOVE using mine and I think they're the ultimate under-appreciated baby accessory that new parents must have. They're really easy to use, affordable, decorative, and even help bond with baby.

What are your creative inspirations?

My son's messes.

Are you a crafter full time or part time? part time

How do you find time to create? in between naps

Who encourages you to create? my husband

Tell me any other interesting things about yourself you'd like for me to include in your article:

I go to Elon University and want to work in the substance abuse field (counselor not an abuser lol!). I love my son but we want another female presence in our house so we will probably have kids until we get a daughter, even if that means having 5 more boys first.