Oh The Craftiness Of Me!

Elle Belle :

Your name: I'm Stacey, but I work with 3 other Moms and my Mom!
Check out all their profiles http://ellebelleonline.com/artistprofiles.html
Your site: http://ellebelleonline.com/index.html, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5023533
Your blog: http://ellebelleblog.blogspot.com


From our Online Interview:


How did you get started ?
"It all started when I and a few of my friends started making things for our own children and realized that even though we each only had one or two things we specialize in, colaborating is more fun and makes for a shop full of things we all absolutely couldn't live without."

Where are you from?
"I'm from a really small town in IL. I grew up litterly in the middle of corn fields. I moved to St. Petersburg Fl when I was 21 and really love it here."

Are your creations seasonal?
"Some of the stuff we make is seasonal. I have some really cute "chubbies" in the shop right now that are for Halloween. We have a whole line of Christmas pillowcase dresses in the works right now too."





How long have you been doing it?
"My Mom, my friend Ann, and I have been crafting in some (and many) forms pretty much since we can remember, there's about 75 years of experience between the three of us. Jennifer has a really great eye for color and pattern, she comes up with super cute fabric combinations, so the design aspect of crafting is what got her started a year ago. Karie was a preschool teacher for several years and always had creative projects to work on with her kids there. Once she had her daughter, Ava, and decided to leave teaching, we expanded those ideas for Elle Belle."

Are you a professional or is this a hobby?
"I have a business license, we do lots of local events, and promoting, so I guess that makes me a professional... but it really is just what I love to do, so it doesn't seam so much like work."
What inspires you? "Our children inspire us."

How do you promote your business?
"I always have a mailing list with us anytime we do any type of local event. It's gotten pretty extensive over the year since Elle Belle's inception. I send out emails when we're going to be somewhere locally and any time we introduce a new product. I've gotten a good response from that."

Where are you showing/selling your work?
"We get good results participating in craft fairs at upscale malls. There's one locally that hosts Thur-Sun shows so we get to talk to lots of stay at home Moms with their children in the mall. We also do more traditional outdoor craft shows, baby expos, and even an open house at a couple of the local hospitals."

What is your favorite product and why?
"I really love Elle Belle slings. I think because it was such a huge help to me when I was a new Mom, I hope that other Moms will find it as useful and we can all spread the word."