I Was In the Neighborhood

I think it's so exciting when I run across an Etsy shop that is owned by someone who lives"right next door (city-wise at least) in my neighborhood"... and today's featured shop, CraftedByDesign, belongs to someone who lives in my old stomping grounds of Mesa, AZ. Mesa was actually the first city I lived in when I moved here back in 1982 and 2 of my 3 children still (or again) call it home! One of the things that I loved about the city when I lived there was the neighborly attitude so many of the people that live there have... the values tend to be traditional, the people tend to be very genuine, and I can honestly say that many of the people that I know from there are hard working, down to earth, honest, and well...nice people! KeriAnne, who owns CraftedByDesign, with her husband Shaun, is no exception.

This new Etsy shop is definitely a family affair. While Shaun does the woodcrafting, KeriAnne does the majority of the rest of the varied crafts you'll find in their shop... although she admits that she does occasionally get some help from their brood of five, count them, five children! As you can see by the pictures of her studio/work area, this mom combines creativity with family life and I'm sure gets quite a bit of her inspiration from everyday life in a busy family. From the versatile and oh-so-handy ring slings to the beautiful turned wood pens, CraftedByDesign has so many useful and lovely items... and thanks to KeriAnne's penchant for trying new things, there are sure to be new things coming along all the time!

Kerianne shared these answers to the questions I sent her...

I love shops that offer a variety of items - it's like a one-stop shopping trip! What's usually the deciding factor in determining what you might want to list - or are you likely to try different things just to see what sells? The deciding factors for me are:
1~Is this something I can finish in one sitting, or easily pick up and start again?
2~Is this something I would either use myself or for someone in my family?
If someone would like a custom job, I'm up for anything once!

Since your shop is primarily a husband and wife team effort, who likes to make what crafts or is it a collaborative effort divided between creative and administrative duties? I enjoy doing all the sewing and crocheting, and my husband does all the woodworking. Woodworking is one craft I haven't even attempted yet. We do ask the others opinions for color choices and material combinations.
Could you share a little bit about what a typical "day in the life of" your family is like with 5 children? INSANE! Really. It is almost never quiet in my house, and everyone wants to go somewhere. Summertime is pure chaos, but once school starts, we'll get back into a routine. I typically spend a little bit of time every day at the elementary school, as I work as a substitute aide, and am Vice President on the PTO there. In fact, my youngest is fondly known as the school mascot!

Do you have any family traditions that you hope are carried thru to future generations? The only real tradition I can think of is making cinnamon rolls for Christmas. We give them away, and, of course, eat them for breakfast Christmas morning. When my children move away, I hope they'll be close enough to have a weekly dinner with everyone together.

What's your favorite outdoor activity? Camping is my favorite thing to do outdoors. It is work, but relaxing at the same time. And the kids get to be kids with no regular chores to do.

What would be a better weekend getaway for you - Cabin in the woods on a wintry day or a romp on the beach on a warm sunny day? Cabin in the woods, as long as I'm well stocked with food, books, and yarn!

I hope you'll take a peek at CraftedByDesign - there are some great items available there and new treasures making their appearance all the time!