12 Shops of Christmas #2

The next shop up in the 12 Shops of Christmas series is one I discovered in a serendipitous online search. (Don't you just love that word? Say it with me! Serendipitous!). I was hunting for board book party ideas when Jude was celebrating his second birthday and found a gorgeous Brown Bear quilt on Pinterest. It turns out that that the quilt was created by Sandra of Sandra's Studio, who  is practically my neighbor. She is also a book lover, and I was immediately drawn to her bold graphic prints and the literary theme of many of her pieces. She does gorgeous work! 

My favorite gift in her shop (other than that crazy amazing Brown Bear quilt!) would actually be this lovely red floral tote bag. It would be a great gift for a mom, stuffed with a few pampering goodies. A luxe hand cream, some soft slippers, a bar of dark chocolate, and of course, a good book! I imagine it could also hold a couple of bottles of wine instead, just in case you are into that kind of thing!

Please tell us a little about you and your products. 
My name is Sandra, I am a graphic artist, a quilter and the mother of a 4 year old boy. My first introduction to Art and Design was sewing and knitting with my mother and sisters when I was eight years old. Since then I studied Graphic Design and worked in the field. 

How did you get started as a creative business owner?
I started my creative business right after my son was born. I made a quilt for him with a brown bear design (the one from the book Brown bear, brown bear what do you see?). My first quilting attempt came out so good that friends and family suggested to me to make quilts to sell. That's how it all started; I returned to the thing I enjoy the most: creating hand bags and quilts. I incorporate many techniques in my items, including: embroidery, quilting and textile painting. They are all unique and handcrafted in a smoke and pet free environment.

How would you describe the mission/purpose of your business?
My mission is to create artistic and good quality items. Items handmade by me. As a business crafting person, I would like people appreciate more the handmade and crafty world.

What is your favorite part of running a creative business? The biggest challenge?My favorite part of running a creative business is designing and producing my products. I love to see people getting amazed when they see my quilts. I have been asked: How do you do all that stitching? Well, I enjoy and love to sew and when I am quilting it works as a relaxation therapy to me. 

What is the best gift in your shop? Who is it for?
The best gifts for babies is one of my baby quilts. They are colorful and soft. They are good for decoration too, they will brighten any kids room. Because I make quilts from kid's books illustrations, I would say to have one of my quilts it's a beautiful way to introduce kids to the art of reading.