Saturday, November 30, 2013

Meet Featured Artist Kirsten Hausman of FlowerThyme!



 
What is your business’ name?

FlowerThyme and I’m Kirsten Hausman!

What sort of items do you make?

Handgrown paper flowers; my booth at the Indie Market will be a modern paper flowers including holiday garlands and my new paper poinsettia plants.

When and how did you learn your craft?

I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and being crafty, but I taught myself how to make paper flowers when I was planning my wedding a few years ago.  I’ve been creating new designs and experimenting ever since.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everywhere, especially nature.  I love scouting new color combinations and my most popular arrangements are almost always inspired by nature and wildlife.

How did you get started doing this as a business?

When I’d finally filled our house with paper flowers, my husband subtly encouraged me to find a new outlet to help share my flowers with others (and move them out of our home).  Around the same time my sister told me about her Etsy shop and I started my own small shop at as a hobby/experiment.  It kept growing and last year I made a move that I could not have imagined 3 years ago: I became a full time artisan/entrepreneur.

Do you have any advice for other crafters/artisans just starting out?

Running your own creative business is lots of fun, but it’s also really challenging.  Fill your community with mentors and people who can offer educated advice – it can be hard to see what is right in front of your face sometimes, especially when it’s something you nourish and love.

Also, if you want to do this for real (like build a business and rely on it for your income), I really encourage you to make a plan.  Regardless of what your goals are, write them down and keep them handy.  Or better yet, create a full blown business plan.  You don’t have to share your plans with anyone, but it’s important to remember what your big goals are.

FlowerThyme will be a featured artist at the First Friday Indie Market on December 6, 2013.  The market is located on the corner of MKL and Elm St in Downtown Greensboro, NC and is open from 4-9pm. 
 



 

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