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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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July 15, 2012

Talking Shop with…Vicki of Curly Willow Collections!



Today we are shining the spotlight on a super talented woman and friend! We have been so honored to have Vicki of the Etsy Shop Curly Willow Collections


and of the blog Vicki Designer Joyful Expressions!

Vicki creates some of the most gorgeous digital items, prints and one of a kind graphics.  Items like these: 

Kitchen, Art Collection, Print, Coffee, Fruit, Stock pot, red, brown, green, yellow
Kitchen Art Collection

and these

Keep Calm and Carry On Art Print Poster Collection
Keep Calm Collection

and gorgeous note cards like this darling one:

Modern Stationery Greeting card Pink Hot Pink Abstract Quotes
Modern Stationary

and our most favorite design of Vicki’s…are gorgeous At The Picket Fence business cards!



We were so thrilled with the design Vicki created for us, and we got so many compliments on them! People actually said, “oooh you all are the ones with the mason jar cards!” So, we know they were getting noticed…and rightly so!  We thought it would be fun to find out a little more about Vicki, the woman behind this fabulous shop! Welcome to the SPOTLIGHT Vicki! 

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

I was creating a lot of custom work for bloggers through a blog I shared with my best friend. It was more of a home and garden blog with room re-dos and decorating, but I wasn’t really great at that so I wanted to move my art, card and pattern designs into a more creative arena. So, I decided to open an Etsy shop. After I investigated other Etsy shops I loved, most shop owners had a blog, a facebook and twitter accounts. So, I moved away from the shared blog and opened shop to see what I could do.

2. From where do you draw inspiration for your products?

I love creating. I think I enjoy creating images that speak to people, whether it’s custom work, like when I designed your business cards, or working with someone to design a blog brand that takes their ideas, words, and colors represent them completely. Plus, my bonus creating time is designing for myself. Taking inspiration and making some sort of art print/poster that embellishes someone’s space. And when someone buys that, well that’s just the icing on the cake. I recently sold one of my new kitchen prints to a gal in Germany. This was a very sweet sale for me, because that is where I was born. So, I felt like a little piece of me was going home.


Retro Art Print Poster Coffee Cake Geometric Turquoise

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

My biggest accomplishment is that people like what I do. The heart of every artist is the ability to create. We must be able to do that or a little piece of us dies. The bonus is having someone like what you do. I don’t love everything I create… But, I do love everything I put in my etsy shop and my only hope is that someone else likes it too.

4. What is one of the challenges you face as a small business owner?

For me, since I am working full time now, the time to creative is so minimal. I miss being able to do it daily. 

5. What advice would you give to someone interested in starting their own business?

My biggest advice is just START! As you move forward, you will evolve, your shop will evolve. I try not to worry about making the money. I’m not the best business person. I’d love to improve that, but there’s only so many hours in the day, and it’s not a priority for me yet.

Spring Art Print Poster Ball Jar Floral Robins Egg Blue Bloom

THANK YOU SO MUCH VICKI for sharing this invaluable advise and insight into owning your own shop!
We are honored to have you as a sponsor and a friend! 

We hope you’ll take a moment to pay Vicki a visit at her blog and her shop! We know you’ll find something that catches your eye!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    July 14, 2012 at 11:23 PM

    So glad you ladies featured Vicki! You may recall that she’s the sweetheart who — unsolicited — created the Bloggers for Hope button I keep on my sidebar … and some printable Valentines, too. She’s such a giving person, and it’s nice to see her creativity well-received.

    Reply
  2. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    July 15, 2012 at 12:04 AM

    Vicki’s got some great pieces! I won one of her Keep Calm prints and picked the “create” one. I’m actually showing it off in my most recent post about my craft/sewing room! It’s a great piece to have right outside the door.

    Reply
  3. Dawn says

    July 15, 2012 at 8:55 PM

    Vicki does beautiful work! I especially love that last piece “bloom. . .fill up daily for optimal growth”

    Reply
  4. Karena says

    July 16, 2012 at 1:01 AM

    I love to hear about the small business entrepreneur making their dreams come true! yay Vicki!

    I think you will like my new Giveaway from Royal Design Stencils..

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

    Reply
  5. carol says

    October 19, 2012 at 10:03 AM

    thank you for taking the time to share
    cheers carol

    Reply
  6. philips coffee maker says

    December 14, 2013 at 12:03 PM

    Since the benefit of the single-serve Keurig K-Cup coffee machine, coffee lovers have been appreciating just-brewed coffee one cup at a time.
    Instantly, your counselor instincts begin to shout for you to climb to her and ask her just what the problem is.
    cooking, air treatment, cooling and cleaning products.

    Reply

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“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom and the principles upon which our country was founded. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
I’ve been on the lookout for small side tables t I’ve been on the lookout for small side tables to pit next to our outdoor couch and when I spotted these plant stands at @walmart from their @betterhomesandgardens line I knew they would be perfect…and they are!! 👏🏻 This is not a sponsored post. I’m just happily sharing this great find and why we should always be open to thinking outside of the box when it comes finding solutions for our decorating dilemmas.

Now we’re ready to head into this beautiful weekend! ☀️
What do you do when you want to use a bunch of boo What do you do when you want to use a bunch of books in your decorating but it can cost $50 or more for just ONE brand new book? Head to the secondhand bookstore of course! I’m so excited about this new look in my family room and this easy, inexpensive decorating tip I’m bringing to you for this #tiptuesday
Today feels like one of those days that is worthy Today feels like one of those days that is worthy of a chef’s kiss. Blue sky with nary a cloud in sight, perfect mid-70’s temps, a gentle breeze blowing through my hair as I walk around my yard to see the status of my flowering plants.

This morning I was running errands and the weight of hard things that are happening in the world, the culture, my own community and even in our circle of friends just felt so heavy.

But, as I was exiting a store, I passed a couple who were in their late 60’s/early 70’s and holding hands as they walked through the parking lot. I happened to glance over just as the husband lifted his wife’s hand up and planted a kiss right on it. It was a moment that reflected such love and tenderness and it was made sweeter by the fact that they weren’t spring chickens. I felt honored that I had been the one to observe and appreciate that moment.

What an incredible thing it is that as humans we are able to hold so many emotions in our souls all at once. To feel sorrow for the pain a friend is enduring, grieve the decline of a culture drifting further from the Lord, ponder how to navigate a challenging school situation, marvel at and enjoy the beauty of creation right outside my door and feel joy at getting to see a tangible example of lasting love while walking through a parking lot.

I truly believe that as we mature in our lives and in our faith, we learn to embrace the tension that comes with the collision of different emotions and recognize that they can all coexist at the same time without one taking something away from another. Simple joys make the hard stuff a bit easier and hard stuff makes us appreciate those simple joys even more.

What’s a simple joy that you are thankful for today?
Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here are some highlights…

*Friday night I joined some wonderful ladies at church for a time of fellowship and yummy desserts. I made a strawberry lemon coffee cake and it was amazing if I do say so myself. ☺️ We are new-ish to this church and have just felt so warmly welcomed and folded in which has been very healing.

*Saturday was filled with getting our outdoor spaces spiffed up and my guys got our new table put together!

*Sitting outside for lunch with a yummy salad and iced tea felt like a little slice of heaven.

*Sunday we went to the iris gardens with my in-laws and then came home for naps and the most mouth watering ribs that my sweet husband had on the smoker all day.

*This glorious weekend ended with some ferocious rounds of UNO-corn (a hilarious version of UNO) and brownies my sweet daughter made for our dessert.

How was your weekend sweet friends? 🌸
I am absolutely and completely a better version of I am absolutely and completely a better version of myself when the sun is shining! Raise your hand if this is true for you too.

And, not only do I feel myself seeming to physically rise up from a slumbered state to greet the sunshine we've been longing for, I find that it seems like my house is rising up too. Every room, every nook and cranny (even though I now see dust bunnies that I missed during my cleaning on the dreary days), every leaf and flower outside...it's all coming to life and breathing fresh hope into my spirit. What a gift it is to be able to enjoy this home in all of the seasons of the year and of our lives. Now, I'm going to head outside and clean our deck and maybe there will be some time leftover for those dust bunnies!
I’m slightly obsessed with these glass dispenser I’m slightly obsessed with these glass dispensers! They come with pre-made labels for SO many different options and would make a great Mother’s Day gift! I love how they add a bit of pizzazz to my kitchen. And they go perfectly with some of my antique accessories like the little dish my mother in law gave me for salt and pepper and the tiny toothpick holder which belonged to my great grandmother. 

If you’d like the link to order them, just leave a comment with the word ‘bottles’ and I’ll send it your way. They’re even on sale right now! 🙌🏻
The lilacs are coming! The lilacs are coming! This The lilacs are coming! The lilacs are coming! This is what I’m thinking (and sometimes saying out loud) every time I pass my dining room window and see my lilac tree bursting forth. I should probably just go full Paul Revere and ring a bell while I shout the news for all to hear. I’m sure my family would love that!

Lilac season is so bittersweet because it’s over way too soon but, fortunately, I’ve figured out how to capture the deliciousness of the fragrance by making my own lilac scented room spray. It’s SO simple!

Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka.

Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

This sweet little project was first featured in my book Life in Season and is definitely one of my favorites.

Have the lilacs started blooming where you live?
The cherry blossoms on the tree in our backyard ar The cherry blossoms on the tree in our backyard are at their peak and I’m here for it!
It’s time for another #tiptuesday! One of the gr It’s time for another #tiptuesday! One of the greatest joys of this stage in my parenting journey is getting to see the results of the years spent pouring into my children. The worry, the sleepless nights, praying, questioning our decisions and learning to trust in the Lord Who loves them even more than we do. We definitely didn’t do everything right, but what an an amazing experience it is to watch them become these incredible teens/young adults. My tip this week might seem simple, but I believe it can make a major difference in the lives of our children, in our homes and maybe, just maybe, in the culture too. 🌸
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