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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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October 7, 2012

Sutton Place Designs~In the Spotlight!



We are so thrilled to be featuring Ann from Sutton Place Designs and the blog
  On Sutton Place today! 


Not only is Ann incredibly creative and talented, she has also become a dear friend to us here at the Fence. She has a passion for her designs and we know you will enjoy learning a little bit more about the Talent Behind the Shop!


Be Grateful Pillow Cover
Fall Thanksgiving Decorative Pillow Cover

 What led to your decision to start your own small business?

I started my blog first and through that was introduced to the world of Etsy. At the same time I was looking for a way to work from home. I needed time to help my parents and after 17 years working full time I was ready to have a more flexible schedule. I knew sewing was the answer and Etsy was the perfect platform. Together they provided the opportunity I needed to be able to open my own online shop. 


Flax Linen Tea Towel

Tea Towel Flax Linen with The Help You is kind You is smart You is important
From where do you draw inspiration for your products?
Many of my products are designed in my head when I’m sewing. I try very hard to come up with original collections that haven’t been done before. Even if I am using a popular fabric, such as a grain sack, I try to make my designs look different from anyone else’s. My best source for inspiration is Pinterest and Etsy itself. When I’m contemplating something new I search Etsy to see what’s out there so I can make sure and put my own spin on things. 

Christmas Stocking from the Linen Flax Collection with Vintage Lace Cuff


Christmas Stocking from The Linen Collection Flax with vintage lace cuff lined 17 in. long







What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment as a small business owner? 

My greatest accomplishment (so far!) was when I took a giant leap of faith and quit my day job to become a full time Etsy shop owner and blogger. Talk about scary! At the beginning I considered my Etsy shop part-time. I worked both jobs (my day job and my Etsy) for 9 months.  At that point I knew I couldn’t continue with such a busy schedule and had to choose one or the other. Leaving my job was hard but I am 100% sure I made the right choice.

Flax Linen Table Runner with Ruffle
Flax Tan Beige Linen Table Runner 20 x 74 with ruffle

What is one of the challenges you face as a small business owner?
My biggest challenge, hands down, is being in business by myself. I sometimes wish I had a partner who could offer support and advice. Someone to share the successes as well as the failures. Many times I introduce a new collection in my shop and hold my breath that someone out there will like it enough to buy it. I think being on my own tends to make me more conservative about taking chances. It’s much easier to jump off that cliff if you’re holding hands with someone!

Blue Toile Lavender Sachets (Set of 2)
Lavender Sachets Set of 2 Blue Toile



What advice would you give to someone interested in starting their own business?
Do your homework before you open. Have your business plan in place, your marketing strategy mapped out and your brand designed and printed. Decide on a work schedule and try your best to stick to it. Working long days can burn you out much quicker than you think. Save some money. There will be good months and believe me there will be lean months.  I opened my shop on a whim and I’ve been back-pedaling ever since. It’s taken me a full year to feel like I have things under control. The early months would have been less frustrating had I taken the time to plan things out. 

Vintage French Grain Sack Tote Bag

Vintage French Grain Sack Tote Bag Burgundy Red Stripes


We Gather Together Pillow Cover
Fall Thanksgiving Decorative Pillow Cover


Thank you so much Ann for sharing with us your journey as a Small Business owner.
It is an absolute honor to get to show off your talent and hard work!

We hope you will pay Ann a visit at



to see more of her incredible items…and do a little shopping too of course!
Thanks for joining us for this Sponsor Spotlight today at the Fence,

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Comments

  1. Shelia says

    October 6, 2012 at 2:09 PM

    Oh, Ann’s work is so beautiful, isn’t it? So nice of you to feature her work! Hope you have a lovely weekend.
    Be a couple of sweeties,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  2. Sandy says

    October 6, 2012 at 4:19 PM

    Ann puts her whole heart and soul in decorating her lovely home and at producing beautiful products.
    I love reading her blog and purchasing from her Etsy shop.
    Thanks Heather and Vanessa for introducing Sutton Place Designs to your readers.

    Reply
  3. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    October 6, 2012 at 5:42 PM

    Hey girls, I couldn’t agree with you more! Ann does amazing work! I own quite a few of her pillow covers, I just bought another one from her a few weeks ago and it just came. I love it!

    Reply
  4. Ann from On Sutton Place says

    October 6, 2012 at 7:07 PM

    Well…thanks doesn’t seem like enough but thank you for everything. Your friendship and support, your faith in me and your generosity. I’m not sure where my business or my blog would be if I hadn’t met the two of you. You are simply the best. ~Ann

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth (Blue Clear Sky) says

    October 6, 2012 at 8:11 PM

    Love both Ann’s creations and her blog. Thanks for featuring her, it was lovely seeing the photos and I especially like her tips to starting a new business, something I am trying to do.

    Reply
  6. It's All Connected says

    October 7, 2012 at 2:04 AM

    She does such a lovely job and I’m glad Etsy has been successful for her! ~ Maureen

    Reply
  7. Suzy says

    October 7, 2012 at 3:17 AM

    I am such a fan of Ann – both personally and of her gorgeous creations! Thank you for featuring her. And thank you, Ann, for your genuine answers and great advice.

    Reply
  8. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    October 8, 2012 at 12:29 PM

    I just received my pillow form from Ann (We Gather Together)….I must say it is more beautiful that expected!…
    Ann, you are a real talent!!…May you have continued success in all your endeavors..

    Reply
  9. Dawn says

    October 8, 2012 at 2:18 PM

    Love that Be Grateful pillow! Ann’s work is so beautiful.

    Reply
  10. EuroAmerican Home says

    October 8, 2012 at 3:14 PM

    Thanks for showing us Ann’s designs. They are crisp and elegant. I bookmarked her shop for when I move the the US.

    Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
The sun decided to make another appearance today! The sun decided to make another appearance today! It’s been such a lovely Sunday. Chocolate croissants for breakfast followed by church then naps/football/reading/etc and soon we’ll be heading out to dinner with friends. These are my favorite kind of weekends. Hope yours has been lovely too! 🌿
Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
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The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter! 
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
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