Today we’d like to introduce you to Judy Trim.
Hi Judy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, I am married and a mother to one beautiful daughter, and “Nana” to two wonderful grand kids who are now 5 and 7.
Since I was young, I’ve had an entrepreneurial spirit. I was a divorced/single mom in my early 20’s and needed to find a way to make enough money to support myself and my little girl so, in addition to my full-time job, as an executive secretary for a large grocery chain, in Lubbock, TX, I would fly to Dallas and purchase items from a clothing line, I honestly can’t remember the name of the line, but, essentially, they were like “Units”. Cotton tops and bottoms and these waistband-type things that fit over the tops (around your waist). All the items coordinated so that you could get about ten different outfits out of just a few pieces. I would have home parties, with the ladies I worked with, and then I would get additional referrals from those parties, I did this for a couple or three years until that style kind of fizzled out. I then began making jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. I did this for a long time and was pretty successful. I still have a few of those items and I laugh at how outdated they are. I ended up moving to Arizona after marrying my current husband in 1993 and I had two very fulfilling jobs. In 2001 I decided to purchase an Artistic Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Store called Stamp Works. I had started rubber stamping several years earlier and absolutely fell in love with the craft! I had quit my job on September 10, 2001 (yes, the day before the most dreadful day) to purchase this store. I was scared to death on the morning of September 11 while watching the news. I’ll never forget, I had catalogs all out in front of me in the floor, trying to make my first orders for my new, and exciting adventure. At that point I didn’t know what the future held, I know I wasn’t alone with these feelings, I decided to persevere with my decision (at this point no money had changed hands) to purchase my little business! It ended up being the best decision. I discovered that in times of crisis, people turn to things, like art, to keep their minds busy and free from worry. I had a very successful business for about 5 years, In April of 2006 my husband had decided to retire, and the strangest thing happened about two weeks before his retirement date, a lady walked in the store and said she was interested in buying my business. It’s so funny to me, sometimes, how things just work out.
I’ve just recently started my current business, after moving back to Texas in 2015 to be near our daughter and her family. I started selling some handmade items on Facebook Marketplace. I saw that a lot of people liked my items (I have had a few people request things from their own ideas) and decided I needed to create an actual business, which is how CharlieBaby Designs came to be! I’ve just recently done my first Craft Fair and did quite well. I have a feeling that was the first of many! I have a FaceBook page, that is still in its startup phase, but have already sold a few things from there, I hope to have new items in my shop in the upcoming weeks and months.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This particular venture has, quite honestly, been very smooth. Maybe it’s because I’m doing it more for fun than anything else. That kind of takes the pressure off of “having” to make money to survive. I am so fortunate that I have a husband that supports me and puts up with crafts being strewn all over the house (mainly before my recent craft show). I guess the only struggle if you could call it that, is determining a price point that is not only fair and comparable, but that will not break the bank if you want to support a small local business. I can’t compete with the big retail chains that get their merchandise from, well, we all know where the stuff comes from! And since I don’t sell through certain online sites that take a percentage of your sales, I can keep my prices very reasonable! I do put a lot of time and thought into each item that I handcraft, and I hope people recognize that in every item I sell.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I mostly make “Door Hangers”, for holidays and/or everyday decor. I hand-draw almost all of my designs, although a few are from purchased patterns. My husband cuts them all out for me. I’m a little afraid of the saw, I like my fingers where they are! I then sand, hand paint, and seal, then decorate! The last part is my favorite part. Putting on ribbons and bows, burlap, flowers, etc. I just love that part! I’m really proud of the things I draw myself, it’s such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment knowing that I created something from start to finish that is all my own design. I do create lots of other things, like “shelf sitters”, sweater pumpkins (that are absolutely adorable), Jewelry, and several other things that will all be available in my shop.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I had a bit of a strong personality growing up, always starting little clubs in my class and always wanting to be the “leader”. I was a very creative child, always drawing and wanting to do crafty things. I got that from my mom, we did crafts together all the time. I also loved to read and did really well with my grades. I loved being outside, I’d be on my bike from sunup until sundown. When I became a teenager, I wasn’t quite as outgoing, I’m not sure why, but I became a little shy. It must have been a weird phase because I’m not at all like that now.
Pricing:
- $1.50 – $125.00 from Magnets to Special order Wreaths
Contact Info:
- Email: judytrim52@gmail.com
- Facebook: CharlieBaby Designs
