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Monday, February 23, 2009

Meet Christina, the mom behind JoyfulRose

Featured Mama: JoyfulRose

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First Name
Christina, though I mostly go by Tina online because it's faster to type, especially when I'm holding one of my kiddos. :)

Business Name
JoyfulRose

Business url
http://hyenacart.com/joyfulrose/index.php

How did you decide on your Business name?
Our family was going through a very difficult time. One day I looked at my eldest son K3 (he was just over 1 year at the time) and thought about how much joy he brings me. I decided that rather than tough circumstances get me down, I would focus on how much joy I can have with my family. I decided to be joyful!

I am named after my grandmother Roseann, and thought that Rose would be a fitting addition to the Joyful part of my business name.

Hence, JoyfulRose!

Tell us a little about yourself!
I am eternally married to my sweetheart Keith. We were married in 2002 in Nauvoo, Illinois on a beautiful, hot summer day! We have two incredible children: (K3) - born in 2004, and (AJ) - born in 2006. They keep us busy and happy.

When I'm not sewing or working with Photoshop or html coding I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, singing, doing family history (genealogy), watching movies, and going scuba diving.

I graduated in 2003 from BYU in Family History - Genealogy with a British Emphasis. I did my 4-week full-time internship in Exeter and Plymouth in Devon, England. I absolutely LOVED it! I hope to go back again soon to visit and do more genealogy.

My 4 sisters and I have started our own singing group, Galesong, and enjoyed auditioning in LA in the summer of 2008. We enjoy practicing together and having fun. Our MySpace page is: MySpace Profile for GaleSong

Why did you decide to become a WAHM?
Our eldest son was born in 2004 and wanted to be held constantly. I loved holding him but was struggling to find a way to do chores around the house. I discovered slings from the Maya website and made my own using their pattern. The sling was a great idea but it wasn't as comfortable as I'd hoped.

My husband and I spent several days folding fabrics, measuring shoulder widths, testing fabric lengths, etc. until we came up with a design that was perfect for me!

I used that blue batik-patterned sling constantly and had so many friends and family comment on it that I opened my first website in the fall of 2004 with the name "CuddleBugSlings". I developed a small customer base through that site and enjoyed writing up instructions and taking pictures to help others learn how to use their slings.

When our second son was born in 2006 I discovered the world of cloth diapering, "mama cloth" (cloth menstrual pads), washable nursing pads, longies, etc. I was hooked! I loved the idea of cloth that felt nicer than disposable products and could be reused. I created patterns and started making cloth diapers and trainers for my sons, mama cloth and nursing pads for me, Find-it Bag toys, clothing, art, design, and more!

I opened my new shop "JoyfulRose" in the winter of 2006 and started selling on Hyena Cart the next year. In learning how to do the html code for my HC I discovered that I had a passion for using Photoshop and coding. I've enjoyed helping other WAHMs set up their beautiful new shop designs and seeing their success!

What types of items do you sell?

- Graphic/HC Design (Headers, Animated Banners, Buttons, Business Cards, Labels, Product Diagrams, etc.)
- Ditto Daddy Gear (Trainers, Jammies, etc.)
- Slings for adults, children, and fashion dolls/action figures
- Find-it Bags (poly-bead filled beanbags with an opening to see hidden trinkets)
- Mama Cloth and Nursing Pads
- Cloth Diapers, Wetbags, and Fleece Sets
- the "Hold-it Bag" Pattern and "Hold-it Bags" (for holding plastic grocery bags, cloth wipes, mama cloth, etc.)
- "Tree of Life" images for printing and iron-on transfers
- Other eco-friendly items that seem like fun projects to me!

Which item is your favorite to make?

Lately my favorite has been designing Hyena Carts for other WAHMs. There's something very satisfying about taking a blank page and creating images and text to transform it into a gorgeous shop worthy of showing off their items.

What is your funniest/most embarrassing moment as a WAHM?
I was working on some HC designs for 2 different clients. I forgot that I was still logged into the first's HC setup page and pasted the new coding for the other's page into the first one. I refreshed the second's page a few times and couldn't figure out why the new coding wasn't showing up!

I finally realized what I had done, switched the coding so it was correct, refreshed the page and everything was fine. Luckily it was done at 2 in the morning so I don't think anyone noticed, but I was very embarrassed!

JoyfulRose Discount Code for Hyena Cart:
Thank you for reading about me!

Please use this code for 10% off anything in my shop for the next week: JRBlog10

JoyfulRose Favorite Item to Make:

Hyena Cart Designs!

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Friday, February 6, 2009

Meet Amanda, the mom behind Naturally Chic Designs


My name is Amanda Martinez and I'm the wahm behind Naturally Chic Designs. I've been happily married to my high school sweetheart for almost 3 years. We have a 10 month old son named Andrew, who's the most handsome little boy I've ever laid eyes. (not to brag or anything! ;) My road to becoming a wahm was pretty simple and out of necessity. It all started with my son breaking all of my necklaces, including an anniversarry gift from hubby! I knew that I had to come up with a way to keep my necklaces from breaking. I went to my local craft store and found magnetic clasps. I figured I could attach one to each of my necklaces and they would just pop off when he tugged on them. While I was there, it dawned on me that I could make necklaces and possibly market them. So, I made up a bunch of "baby friendly" magnetic necklaces. This idea was quickly nixed when I learned that magnets are very dangerous if they're swallowed...(OOPS!) So, I was back to the drawing board. But I had the motivation and desire to become a wahm. My husband works out of state, so it was just me and my son. I needed a hobby, something I could do in my down time, however brief that time was in the early days. ;) I was suffering from mild PPD and making jewelry lifted my spirits and helped me relax after a difficult day of caring for Andrew. I always feel a great sense of accomplishment after completing a project. I've come far since those first few novice necklaces. I now make a wide selection of custom birthstone jewelry and have quite a few new projects in the works. My customers have been my biggest inspiration when it comes to designs. They always come up with best ideas and I love turning those ideas into reality. I tear up everytime a customer tells me how special one of my pieces is to them. It truly warms my heart to bring that kind of joy to another mother.
 
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