Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Hines.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always had a creative bug… I think I got it from my mom. Growing up, she was always crocheting, cross-stitching or something along those lines.
I would always find a cool craft, dive deep in and make many, many of that item then give them to my friends. Beaded bracelets, scarves, hats… you name it. One year, a group of friends went to Broken Bow, OK for NYE and I crocheted everyone a hat that weekend! I love gift-giving and if it’s something I can make, even better!
My most recent craft journey has been hand lettering and calligraphy. I have taken a handful of hand lettering classes and it didn’t take long to fall in love. When I decided to open my small business and Etsy shop, I focused mainly on greeting cards. I find greeting cards to be a necessity! There’s always a birthday or baby shower coming up, so it’s nice to have an assortment of cards on hand. I have progressed quite a bit from the beginning to now make notepads, stationery, invitations, decorations for baby/wedding showers. Most recently, I have started wood burning which is so much fun!
I do a few pop-up shops a year and I like to have products that people can take with them. For the holidays, I made wood slice ornaments with initials as well as gift tags. Those were a lot of fun to make! I also do custom orders, mostly for friends at this point, but that is something I would like to do more of. I would also like to get into designing wedding suites but I haven’t made that plunge yet.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would say the biggest obstacle has been myself. When I am creating something, I want it to be absolutely perfect, especially if I am going to sell it. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that everything I make is hand made or hand lettered, so it’s not going to be perfect, but that’s what makes it handmade.
Another challenge has been time, of course. Calligraphy takes a lot of practice. A LOT! It’s all muscle memory so you have to do lots of drills to improve. This has been difficult since I work full time and have a family. But I find when I sit down to work on whatever it is at the moment, I feel less stressed once I’m done creating something new. And most importantly, I feel proud of the things I can create.
A lot of people will say they aren’t creative enough to make things, but creativity isn’t the main issue, it’s putting in the time to make yourself better.
Luckily, the hand lettering/calligraphy community is so kind and helpful to each other that it has made me feel very supported!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Things For My Friends story. Tell us more about the business.
I love creating anything with paper, so I am drawn to creating greeting cards, stationery… anything I can letter on actually! Funny enough, my best sellers are my “Curse” cards… greeting cards for the adults!
I think what sets me apart from others, is that I make everything myself with love! I love creating things for my friends, which is how my business name Things For My Friends came about. My friends are still my biggest customers, but I’m okay with that! I love that when someone needs a birthday card, they call me and want to come dig through what I’ve made! And, if they don’t find what they are looking for, then, I just make whatever they need!
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
I think the best opportunities for women are where they feel heard and supported. Whether that is at their job, at home with their families or out with their friends, I think if a woman is self-confident and knows who she is, she is capable of doing anything!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ThingsForMyFriends.com
- Phone: 214-796-1418
- Email: thingsformyfriendsemail@gmail.com
- Instagram: @_thingsformyfriends
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ThingsForMyFriends
Image Credit:
Lauren McClure
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