BIZ CRUSH: Pink Linen Designs

Kait has a killer sense of style, color & an overall eye for design. She turned what started as some doodles & some cut outs into a thriving business often seeking creative suggestions from her 3 daughters. Clearly, they have great ideas, because everything Kait creates is ultra whimsical & crazy cute.

Keep reading to learn more about Pink Linen Designs + get a giant dose of playfulness.

Photo by Beth Cath

What kind of kid were you growing up? I loved playing outside, being active, drawing and creating in my room. I was also pretty shy....except if I knew you well. I’ve always been more of a visual learner. I remember just always doodling in class, I think every single notebook I ever owned was filled to the brim with doodles in the margins!

How did that affect your creative path? I’ve always loved drawing and creating and trying new art forms, that I think it makes sense I ended up with my own business that involves making and designing. After my third kid was born (all under 3 1/2 years) I wanted an outlet to create and this all came together. It has been so fun!

If your story could fit into a 30 second commercial, how would it go down? Girl living life the best she can raising her three girls to be the best that they can be, lots of grocery shopping, homework help, car rides, emails, painting, making, creating and fun thrown in there!

What ultimately made you decide to do the lovely thing you do? Fulfills a need to create, I wouldn’t feel complete without being able to do and make.

Who’s positively influenced your path the most? My husband

How did the name “Pink Linen Designs” come to fruition? After playing around with words and and thinking about things I enjoyed and different mediums....these words seemed to fit together well!

How would you describe your style? Modern, whimsical, with a little hippy/bohemian vibe

Favorite part about working for yourself? Calling my own hours, can work anytime, still able to be home with my kids full time Most challenging thing about working for yourself? Tricky doing it all at home and learning the mom/business owner balance

Photo by Beth Cath

How do you get your creative juices flowing? Hanging out in my girl’s craft room with them, magazines, Pinterest, exploring

If you could be a fly on the wall to anyone’s creative space {dead or alive} who would it be? Joy Cho of Oh Joy!

Talk about a failure you’ve learned from. I think in the beginning of my business I didn’t give myself enough credit and stand up for myself enough, but I have learned that is very important to do when working for yourself.

What’s one of your proudest accomplishments in business? Getting published in a few magazines, and having my house tour on design sponge.

What do you wish you knew when you first started that you know now? I have to stand up for myself in my business and be confident in what I do

What has been your favorite project to date & how did it come to fruition? Getting to design a new piece that was used in a new t.v. show coming out. And doing a photo shoot for my products with Bethany and Ashley.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen or experienced thanks to your career path? To do fun craft shows around the cities and meeting so many people, it has been so fun!

What’s next / what are you most excited about? I’m excited about keeping on making new products, connecting with more customers and stores and taking it all one step at a time!

Photo by Beth Cath

Time of the day you are most productive:

8pm-midnight

The app you couldn’t live without:

Instagram, podcasts

Social media outlet you love most:

Instagram

Favorite account to follow on this outlet:

@ohjoy

Favorite internet radio station at the moment:

‘How I built this’ podcast

Favorite Netflix binge:

Queer Eye

Go to piece in your wardrobe:

Cropped high waisted jeans and a tank top

The coolest tool you own:

CNC machine (what I use to cut out my products) and my giant loom my husband made me. Favorite medium to work with:

Drawing, painting and working with my mdf and plywood products. And I also love sewing, weaving and learning and playing around with lots of other art forms, there’s so much out there!

The best “hidden gem” in the community:

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for the kids play yard and the hiking trails

Where can we find your work? I like you (St. paul and Mpls), Golden Rule, Pip and Pal, Hwy North are the Twin Cities stores

Photo by Beth Cath

See more from Pink Linen here: Online | Instagram | Facebook

#wordsofwisdom #bizcrush #entrepreneurship

BAG 02 of 18: Ruth

Being in the midst of this 18 Bags Project while planning a wedding- it only seemed appropriate to create a purse for the occasion at hand. ⠀

Photo by Kellie Rae Studio

There’s not much to say about the exterior. I threw together a color palette to coordinate with a few other details & copied a different leather envelope of sorts I made a couple months back {#timecrunch} ⠀

The details inside- both visible & hidden are really what make it special. ⠀ ⠀ 1. The lining. It’s my favorite fabric EVER & the same silk I used in creating the very FIRST leather bag I ever made.

2. The hidden message. It’s sorta sweet & a little tongue in cheek. Not pictured: our wedding date in the lower right hand corner. ⠀

3. What was inside. After the ceremony, it held the hankie that 9 other women in my family have carried down the aisle since 1856 #talkaboutsomethingold ⠀

4. The name. After posting a photo on social, the convo got rolling & my sister suggested Ruth. My Dad’s mom who was a seamstress herself & carried the handkerchief on her wedding day.

Photo by Kellie Rae Studio

To be honest, this photo is pretty much the extent of how much it was actually USED. But whatever. Cool story, bro. ⠀ ⠀

BIZ CRUSH: Mandi Smethells

If the fiber community was a band of superheroes, Mandi would be Wonder Woman. Her knack for creating colorful rainbows & fringe-y animal shaped artwork caught my eye on Instagram (it also caught the eye of The Loome who’s featured her on their social platforms & in their email newsletter!)

One glance at her work & you’ll get addicted, too. It’s mesmerizing, whimsical & in Mandi’s words, “imaginative.” She enjoys mixing unexpected materials, photographing her creations & teaching others the basics of weaving. But that’s not all. Keep reading to hear about all the wonderful things she’s up to.

What kind of kid were you growing up?

I was a total nature kid. I spent a lot of time outdoors, exploring the nearby woods and streams, finding and identifying animal and plant life. I just loved insects and water. By the time I graduated high school I had built two ponds surrounded by perennial gardens in my parent’s backyard...which they still maintain to this day.

How did that affect your artistic path?

I am very much influenced by colors found in nature. I look at photographs of florals to get inspired for colors or shapes. Being a big fan of insects growing up made me a little odd, and I continue looking for ways to identify as just a little weird or different. I want to surprise people with my work.

If your story could fit into a 30 second commercial, how would it go down?

Well, the music would be really important...something that would get my little girls dancing (I have a six and one year old.) …and lots of color. Beyond that, I would need a director, haha.

What ultimately made you decide to do the lovely thing you do?

I am continually looking for creative outlets in my life. Sometimes that is a home DIY project, others it is an art project with my children. About four years ago I tried weaving on a homemade loom out of curiosity and that perpetual desire to make something new, and I fell in love with it immediately. I knew I could never stop working with fiber as I just love it so much.

Who’s positively influenced your path the most?

Being a mother. My older daughter is so whimsical and a huge color fan, and it inspired me to make things that make us both very very happy to look at.

Favorite part about working for yourself?

Having the flexibility to spend time with my family when needed. Raising two young children, you never know when they will need you, and I always want to be there. Sometimes that to volunteer at school, other times it is to cuddle them when they are sick, but whatever it is, I can almost always make myself available.

Most challenging thing about working for yourself?

Allowing yourself to not be working. When I have about 15 or 20 projects in the works, it can be very tempting to get work done on the nights and weekends. I certainly do indulge in that temptation, but I am careful to still allow for time to relax and enjoy my family.

How do you get your creative juices flowing?

Looking at raw materials. Handling yarn and rope and letting my mind be receptive to what it could be.

If you could be a fly on the wall to anyone’s creative space {dead or alive} who would it be?

I can’t decide, but I would probably say a musician’s studio as they create an album. Let’s say Neil Young. I listened to him on repeat in my formative years.

Talk about a failure you’ve learned from.

In a creative business, there are so many little failures. Little mistakes that cost you time or materials. I feel fortunate that in this moment nothing momentous stands out. Instead, I have learned with all of these small setbacks, to undo the mistake and keep going. Always undo the mistake, it will bother you if you leave it. All of these little failures have left me with a heightened attention to detail, which is valuable when selling handmade work.

What’s one of your proudest accomplishments in business?

Within my Etsy shop, an order has a a little flag indicating repeat buyers. Being internet based, my buyers are taking a leap of faith, as they haven’t seen my work in person. I am so proud that I frequently see returning customers, and that is the greatest feedback of all.

What do you wish you knew when you first started that you know now?

I could say “it takes time to find your voice…maybe even years,” but I do think I always knew that. I guess I wish I would have known for sure that it would happen, and in less than five years. Would have been nice to know.

What has been your favorite project to date & how did it come to fruition?

I LOVE color (this might be obvious.) Just recently I made a big rainbow swirl with a good chunk of my fiber stash. It was part of an effort I am making (when time allows) to make pieces in a larger scale that are addressing my artistic voice. The response was wonderful, and I hope to make similar larger scaled pieces soon.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen or experienced thanks to your career path?

Meeting people and having them know my work! That is really cool.

What’s next / what are you most excited about?

I have some big work in mind for this summer…I have all the materials, just waiting for the time!

Time of the day you are most productive:

9pm ...after my kids are asleep.

The app you couldn’t live without:

Instagram

Social media outlet you love most:

Instagram

Favorite account to follow on this outlet:

@gucci

Favorite internet radio station at the moment:

Just whatever enters my brain on Spotify

Favorite Netflix binge:

ER

Go to piece in your wardrobe:

Anything linen

The coolest craft supply you own:

A glorious amount of vintage, unique yarns

Favorite medium to work with:

YARN

The best “hidden gem” in the community:

Mall of St Paul- Antique Mall

See more from Mandi here: Online | Instagram | Facebook | Etsy

#wordsofwisdom #bizcrush #entrepreneurship