Janet Lendecker of Janet Nicole Creations
May 19, 2009 | By
I haven’t had to touch a baby wipe in years…ok, in decades. Back then, they came in squishy little packages that leaked or in hard, round containers that took up a lot of space in the baby bag. Not much thought was given to whether or not it made a fashion statement. In fact, who would have thought baby wipes could be a statement about something other than a wet bottom?
Then, Janet Lendecker answered a call I put out for artists wanting to be featured on Handmade News and from the moment I looked at her shop, I was fascinated. Janet is in Nursing School studying to be a pediatric nurse and she’s a mom. Being around children is a part of her daily experience. So taking something like a package of baby wipes, and surrounding it with different fabrics to create something hip, fresh and fashionable makes sense. After browsing her shop and reading her profile, and especially after interviewing her, it makes sense to me, too. In fact, it makes me want one (a wipe case, not a baby – oh, no no no.)
I hope you enjoy reading how this wife, mom and student brings the right brain and left brain into balance to create beautifully unique pieces to compliment the well-dressed baby bag.
Medical School! Congratulations. How soon before we call you Dr. Janet and what kind of doctor are you studying to be?
Well, I am working to become a nurse so it won’t be Dr. Janet, but it will be Janet RN, BSN in a few years. I went back to school 8 months ago, and that was quite a change from the full time day care I was running out of my home previously. I will be starting RN clinicals in 2010, where I will regrettably have little to no time for the crafts that I love. After clinicals are done and I get my certification, I plan to go on to get my BSN and work specifically in the pediatrics field because I love children.
I'm fascinated by the right brain/left brain involvement it takes to be a designer and a nurse. How do you balance the two and how do they compliment each other?
So far, Psychology is one of my favorite classes because we learned a lot about the function of the brain. I find that in the nursing field there has to be balance of the two. For instance, there are many circumstances where you need to have a well thought out plan and follow steps in exact order, essentially using the left brain. At the same time, many situations require creativity to solve a problem because not every patient is going to present the same way that “the book” says. In my crafting, I (of course) use more right brain than left to look at the “whole picture” of a project to determine what the different materials and mediums are going to look like when put together. The left brain plays a part when you have a predetermined pattern to put something together.
Why wipe cases?
Because they don’t take a sewing machine. I love sewing! My favorite projects are my custom name pillows, which involve machine appliqué and patchwork techniques. They take a lot of time, which with all my homework I don’t have much left over. There are many instances when I want to craft with fabric, but can not use my sewing machine. That’s were the wipes cases come in. They can be done while I am working because I work for a call center that allows me to work out of my office/craft room. I can’t exactly run my noisy sewing machine while on calls.
I can't decide which case is my favorite - probably the one with the teal flowers. How do you decide on a design?
The fabric store. I could spend hours in there picking out different types of fabrics. Usually I see a fabric I really like and will then try to find other things to go with it or something to make out of the material. Fabric is the first step to any design I make, it is what inspires me.
What is your support system like? Being a nurse and an artist takes a huge commitment. How does that work for you?
My support system is wonderful. I have family all around me. My husband has been a tremendous help in everything I do. We have a 2yr old daughter, and he watches her while I work. We have a system where we trade off time on the weekends so we can each have our “me time”. My “me time” is almost always a craft of some sort or a trip to the fabric store. My grandmother is another person I turn to for insight when crafting. She is the person who taught me to sew when I was little, and even gave me my first sewing machine. If I am stuck in rut on a project I take it over to her (she lives next door) and ask her for input. She also has piles and piles of anything and everything, vintage fabrics, buttons, odds and ends, and I always find something that is bound to get the creative juices flowing again.
Are you thinking of moving beyond wipe cases to other types of pieces?
If I had the time, I would love to share my custom name pillows with the world. Right now though, I have only been making them for friends and family because they take me around 8 hours to make with all the custom machine appliqué. With school and work, it would be hard to make that commitment to someone. It is not like my family - who doesn’t mind if I run a week behind schedule. I also love to make little outfits for my two year old daughter featuring custom machine appliqué. Summer is coming up, so I may get those pillows out there after all even if it is only for a limited time.
Who do you share the art of crafting with? Is there an heir/heiress who has picked up your passion for crafting? Do you do other types of crafting?
Right now, my daughter is too young to really help me with a lot of it - though she likes to try. I am hoping she will like crafting as much as I do. I still have my first sewing machine that my grandmother gave me, and I plan to pass it on to her and teach her how to sew.
When I was in high school, I took a 3D art class and fell in love with sculpting. I would say it rivals my love for sewing, but for the time being I haven’t taken it up because I don’t have a kiln. Those are just down right expensive! Maybe when I get my BSN and get a good paying job I will be able to afford one.
You do your crafting in your spare time. Do you have a craft project with you at all times?
Since I work from home, my computer is set up in my office/crafting room and I am surrounded by my supplies. Sewing machines are too noisy when I am taking calls, so I work on my cases while I am working.
What lessons have you learned that you can share with someone who wants to be an artist for a living?
Keep at it and don’t quit your day job until you are successful. Socialize with fellow artists, they can be a real help and offer great criticism that your friends or family may feel might hurt your feelings and not want to say.
What lessons do you still need to learn?
I need to work on self promotion. I have a hard time saying “Hey, look what I made?! Isn’t it great!” People won’t know you are there unless you let them know, but it is hard for me to break out of my shell.
Visit Janet’s store at JanetNicoleCreations.etsy.com
Photos are courtesy of Janet Lendecker
All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior
written permission of HandmadeNews.org.
