Friday, March 14, 2008

Meet Jennifer Ladd


Needlework is a broad term for the handicrafts of decorative sewing and textile arts (Wikipedia). This definition immediately puts me in mind of Jennifer Ladd who makes handmade bags, purses, and baby items in the online shop that bears her namesake - "Jennifer Ladd".

A former French teacher turned stay-at-home-mom Jennifer opened her Etsy shop in December 2007. When asked about selling online, Jennifer cheerfully stated, "I am LOVING the experience!" Her handmade bags, purses, and baby items carry a common theme - bright colors and funky patterns. "I strive to pay attention to all the details of my pieces, such as adding cool linings or surprise ribbon accents to the inside pockets." Yet Jennifer admits, "I also love simplicity, sleek lines, and modern design." When asked, "What inspires you?" It was no surprise when Jennifer responded, "pretty colors and pretty patterns." This is evident in the various completed projects - baby booties, purses, bibs, etc. I could not help but laugh when Jennifer went on to say, "when I see beautiful color combinations, my brain does a happy dance."

I learned that Jennifer has been sewing for longer than even she can remember. "My mom says I started when I was 3 - I think she's exaggerating!" Amazingly, Jennifer learned to sew by watching her grandmother and then replicating what she did to make clothes for her dolls. Let's just say, I attempted to learn to sew in my 7th grade Home Economics class and have yet to produce anything close to the beauty and perfection of the items found in Jennifer's shop. Speaking from personal experience, Jennifer possesses a natural talent.

"My dream job was to run my own business and sell my handmade items." Now that Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom she will have the opportunity to turn a former hobby into a successful business. Although, Jennifer's first love will always be her daughter whom she and her husband adopted last summer from Vietnam. Visit her personal Flickr site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/vietnamladd/ to see this proud mom's bundle of joy.
You can admire and purchase Jennifer Ladd designs online at http://jeniferladd.etsy.com/ or if you live in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area at:
  • The Paper Boat Boutique
  • Milwaukee Fasten Collective
  • Milwaukee MoCo Market
Jennifer's advice to fellow crafters and Etsy Sellers... "Have fun with what you are doing. Don't get so caught up in the sales and the hearts and the money that you stop having fun. We have the best job on earth! Enjoy creating!"

19 comments:

MillieDog Designs said...

wonderful! Love those bags!

Unknown said...

Love the vibrant colors!

Melanie Plummer said...

Great blog, article and seller! Nice work!

Moodwax said...

Beautiful bags! Nice to learn more about you.

Bonghi Nautra said...

beautiful feature! i love the bag, the fabric is lovely!

Plaidfuzz said...

I love the bag, beautiful colors!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for featuring my work. You have such a talent at writing, it was wonderful to read your sweet blog post!!

Simply Sentimental said...

What a beautiful feature...You have a wonderful way with words.....

http://www.customcreationsbysydnei.blogspot.com/

njm said...

I agree with all of you, the fabrics and bag are simply georgeous! The colors alone make me happy! :-)

njm said...

SimplySentimental,

Thanks for your words. I'll visit your blog soon. I have to sign off within the next few minutes.

Anonymous said...

I love all the bold prints!

Dharma Designs said...

I LOVE that she can make bibs and burp cloths so beatiful and hip! Nice feature! :-)

TexasTesla said...

Great items, and an even better attitude towards crafting and etsy! Nice feature

Mary Richmond said...

nice post--thanks for letting us know about other cool crafters!

Anonymous said...

Nice feature. Great artist with so much talent!

Athena's Armoury said...

She does amazing work. Your features are really nice!

Waterrose said...

I love your last paragraph....the etsy shop, blogging, flickr, stumble upon...it all becomes overwhelming. We all need a reminder of why we do what we do!

njm said...

I am very glad to have had the opportunity to bring Jennifer Ladd to your attention.

Thanks for visiting. I hope to bring you more great articles and features in the future.
Until then...happy blogging!

Vanessa @ See Vanessa Craft said...

I love that purse!!