WhiMSy love

Today I am pleased to introduce Nikki Mans of Richland WA. She is the creative force behind WhiMSy love. She sells an assortment of handmade goodies. Anything from vintage button rings,watercolors, book art, wee t-shirts & onesies, paperitems, even some vintage collectibles. She says, "I love to try everything--I can’t help it. Sometimes I think it’d be best to pick just one thing & put all my energies into it, but I wouldn’t know where to start." He shop is eclectic and whimsical, just as the name implies. My favorite item is the fork easel- show below.

What is your real life like?
I’m a stay-at home-mom. That’s my #1 duty. After feeding kids & reading stories & playing games, I make stuff. And in-between putting off loads of laundry, I make stuff. After the days errands are complete, dishes are done & littles ones are sleeping, I make stuff. I LOVE making stuff! I also love thrifting, taking pictures, spontaneity, the color pink, laughing, eating peanut butter, cuddling with my hunky hubby & anything cupcake-y.

What is your process?
Because I make a random assortment of goodies, I have a random assortment of supplies. But mostly I like taking vintage items like buttons, lace, trims, fabric, books, eating utensils…& making them into something super duper! I use anything from a sewing machine, to pliers, to hole punches to drills.

What are your goals and vision for your business?
Short term I’d like to make it through the holidays in a successful crafty whirlwind. I’m doing my first show this December! Long-term, I’d like to help bring home the bacon.

How and where do you market your business?

I’ve found that how much or how little I put into my business equals how much or how little I’ll get out of it. And being a mom of two kidlets, that’s a little tricky. I do simple things like handing out my biz card wherever I can, updating my blog on a regular basis, networking with other artists online & selling/consigning my items to other online shops. And I just joined Twitter. Eventually I also plan on approaching local boutiques about selling WhiMSy love goodies.

What inspires you?
My 2 girls inspire me A LOT! Kids see things in a very different & very cool way, & so a lot of times I steal their ideas. HAHA! They sometimes say the most silly things…that make complete sense. I wonder what I’ll do when they grow up & move out? I guess I’ll have to borrow someone else’s kids. I also find that an occasional break is very inspirational---anything from a nice relaxing candlelit bath, to a spur-of-the-moment daytrip, to a kooky outing with a friend. A refreshing break brings renewed energy. (That sounds like it should be in a fortune cookie.)

Who is your favorite musical artist?
I love music. I listen to all styles of music. I’m on a Damien Rice fix right now. But I could listen to this version of ‘Rain King’ by the Counting Crows over & over & over.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
I love the vintage button rings! I wear a different one almost every day.
(pictured above)
And I also really like my book art, “Writing on the Wall”. I have them hanging in my own home & they‘re just funky pieces of artwork! (pictured below)

I am a fan of…
Besides checking my email & blog a bazillion times a day, I’ve also been known to visit these sites:
http://projectplaylist.com I love having music on while I’m crafting or blogging.
http://oneprettything.com Rachel lists tons of DIY craftiness & tutorialsalmost every day that she gathers from around the www. I love this site!
Flickr--http://www.flickr.com/photos/whimsy_girl/
http://allrecipes.com
I just recently joined Twitter & it’s so much fun! http://twitter.com/whimsylove

Find Me…
Come visit my Etsy shop
See the goofy girl (that’s me!) behind it all on my blog.
Oh, & this is totally random, but I was super psyched that one of my tutorials was recently featured on the CRAFTzine.com blog
AND mentioned on the ThreadBanger blog