Debbie Ferrell of Rosevine Design
July 22, 2009 | By desertmaidenbathworks
Debbie has a strong belief in family and in God, which guides her through her online pursuits. She's been crafting for over 40 years, and always comes back to one main craft. Her beadwork is stunning, and we hope you enjoy reading her interview as much as we enjoyed interviewing her!
Name - Debbie Ferrell
Business Name - Rosevine Design
Where you live - Festus, Missouri
Personal factoids our readers might like to know
Married 37 years, Mom of 1 daughter, Grammy of 1 grandaughter. The only thing that comes before my family is God, and nothing comes before Him. There are few craft/art areas that I have not dabbled in but I always come back to embellishments. Whether it is fabric, clay, paper, paint, or glass as the media, I love to embellish!
What is your earliest or fondest crafting memory?
I remember putting masking tape on my baby dolls to make their underwear, do you think that counts? I began making my own school clothes when I was 11 years old.
What does the “handmade movement” mean to you?
I don’t really consider it a movement. I have been doing handmade for over 40 years and people have always done handmade. I think people now are looking for ways to fill an empty spot in the busy lives, one of creativity and being able to do something for yourself. Handmade also often means recycled and that is at the top of a lot of people’s minds now.
Tell us a bit about your craft/medium and why you chose it?
Right now I am mostly involved with making bead embroidered jewelry but I still do a lot of sewing and currently have two shops online, one for jewelry and some other embellished items and the other for needlework (knitting, sewing, crochet, etc.) items for the home and family.
In regard to jewelry/beading, I love color and glitz and my jewelry allows me to work with beautiful colors, shine and the detail work I enjoy. I seldom work with patterns and, since I make some of the focal pieces used in my bead embroidery, making the jewelry involves more than one media!
In regard to sewing, it always amazes me that I can take a flat piece of fabric, a long strand of yarn or a discarded item and make something useful and 3 dimensional. I have been sewing for 45 years and have never stopped enjoying it. I now give lessons to beginners and love to share the knowledge.
How has your product line evolved since you began selling your work online?
The quality of my jewelry creations have improved as I have learned new techniques and upgraded the materials I use.
What’s your crafty guilty pleasure?
I buy too many magazines and books but I have to say that I do use them and get a lot of inspiration from
them. I love glossy pages and pretty pictures! I even get inspiration from the advertisements.
Where do you see your business in one-year? In 5 –years?
I will be getting close to retirement age in 5 years so my hope would be to retire and be able to have more time for creating as well as being able to do uncraft related things that I cannot do right now for lack of time. I would hope to be able to do even more online sales. Being a baby boomer and seeing all the changes that have occurred technologically in the recent past, I can’t even imagine what will occur in the next 5 years. But I love technology and hope to be able to keep up with it while still being able to do the low tech things I like to do, like painting, beading, sewing, etc. My goal is to let the technology give me the time and ability to do the other things I want to do while succeeding in my small business.
Do you work from your home, or do you have a separate work space?
I work from home, all over my home! I mostly bead in the livingroom when watching t.v. since I hate to waste time and like doing two things at once. I sew in a dedicated room and I also have a craft room for everything else. My husband is a very understanding man!
Do you have a “Day-Job”, or is this your sole employment?
I am a secretary/adminstrative assistant/office manager or whatever they are calling it these days. I went from a large corporate environment about 14 years ago to being office manager in a small three person office in a rural area for a drywall hanging, taping and painting company. Even though my husband tells everyone that I hang drywall, don’t believe it!
How many hours a day do you work at your business? What are your most productive times?
Some days I manage 3-4 hours but not usually. Usually it is 45 minutes to 2 hours, if I am lucky. Life does get in the way, sometimes!
Do you find that there are ebbs and flows of income with your business? How do you handle the unsteadiness, if there is any?
I do not depend on my income for a living at this time. I think this allows me to be more creative because there is no pressure to create in quantity and gives me time to experiment with new techniques. Although most people express how much they really like my jewelry, I have found that most people would not wear it on a regular basis. Since my designs are mostly closer to $100 than $10 it is less likely to be purchased for only occasional wear. So my sales are sometimes farther apart than I would like but they occur often enough to keep me satisfied with my sales. However, who doesn’t want to sell every piece as quickly as possible?
What has been your most successful marketing activity? Least successful?
I have to say that at this point etsy has been a good choice for me, even though my sales haven’t been huge. I have started blogging more and twitter, facebook, etc. I think it is starting to make a difference.
How did you learn your craft? Did someone teach you?
I am self-taught by way of magazine and book articles and recently online videos. I think I have only ever taken two classes, one on stained glass and one on making books.
Where can your products be found, both online and offline?
http://rosevinedesign.etsy.com is my etsy shop. I sell at two bead shows sponsored by a local bead store, Lady Bug Beads, in the St. Louis, Missouri area and have occasional home parties. Right now, time and physical limitations keep me from doing more shows but I hope to do more, eventually.
Photos are courtesy of Debbie Ferrell
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