Baby Swank: Etsy Feature Seller

Bewhiskered

This week we have a new featured seller from Etsy. So please get to know her here a bit, check out her shop, and leave her a comment letting her know what you think! Check out where you can find her on the web at the bottom of this post!!

This is Kenzie, the owner of Bewhiskered. Kenzie is a seller from Laurenceville,GA, and she sews adorable security blankets for children! I hope you all enjoy getting to know her as I have!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Kenzie, and I am a stay at home Mom who has always had her hands busy with some sort of crafty endeavor. Along with my husband and son, I share my house with a brain damaged manx and a calico with a drool problem. We all reside in a suburb North of Atlanta, GA.

I started making Ruggles when I had my son. I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for when I shopped. I liked the idea behind a tag blanket, but they were too small. Normal blankets were nice, but boring. As a child, I had a Tiger rug my Mom had latch hooked for me. I started making my own version - a (stuffed) Tiger skin rug. My son liked it, but it was a bit too big for portability. I took that idea, made it smaller and added tag like elements and voila! My Ruggles were born.
I love the idea that I am creating something that will be loved and can give comfort. My hope is that the security blankets I make will be used and loved and then passed down to a new generation.

How did you come up with your shop name?

I love animals and knew that whatever I'd be making, it would have some sort of animal connection. Thus the name Bewhiskered. :)

Look at this cute kiddo with his Tiger Ruggle! Can we buy him??

When did you start sewing?

My Mother taught me to sew when I was very little and I've sewn off and on since!

What first made you want to start selling your creations?

When I became a stay at home Mom, I needed some sort of outlet for my creativity and sewing seemed like a natural choice. I was already sewing cloth diapers for my son, and he's the reason Ruggles were born. They were so cute, I couldn't stop at making just one. After I'd exhausted all of my pregnant friends, I turned to Etsy to give me a place to spread the Ruggle love.

Describe your creative process to us.

It starts with an animal. Sometimes I'll see a new animal on Cute Overload or Zoo Borns and that becomes the inspiration for a Ruggle. Sometimes I sit down with a giant encyclopedia of the world's creatures I have and flip through until I find something that catches my fancy. Other times the inspiration comes from clients who want something I've never done before. Then I just try and make the Ruggle resemble the actual animal as much as possible, while still keeping it cute.

Monster Ruggle

What inspires you?

The vast number of animals that exist and would make excellent Ruggles. :)

How do you promote your work?

I belong to, and am active in, several Etsy Teams which helps a lot as everyone helps each other promote. I also promote through a blog, Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook.

Moose Ruggle

Are your items pre-made or made to order?

Each Ruggle is made individually, one at a time. I offer ready to ship Ruggles in my Etsy shop, but also do customs for clients wanting something a little different or unusual.

Tell us two short-term goals you have and one long-term.

One short term goal is to organize my studio space. I'd love to have everything neatly put away when it's not in use! Another short term goal is to have the baby I'm currently 6 months pregnant with. LOL And my long term goal is to have Bewhiskered be successful enough to fund my other hobbies: photography and horseback riding.

Walk us through a typical day in your life.

I wake up around 7:30 when my son Jake wakes up. Kiss my husband as he leaves for work and fix breakfast for myself and Jake. Then I'll check email and return any convos I've gotten overnight. Prep and ship any Ruggles that have sold and spend an hour or two interacting with my Etsy team members and writing blog and Tumblr posts/updating statuses on Facebook and Twitter. Play with Jake until it's time for lunch and then after lunch we take a nap. (Yes, me too. I'm pregnant!) When we wake up it's time for a snack and we play until dinner time. My husband comes home from work around 6 and we eat dinner as a family. After dinner my husband plays with Jake while I check my email one last time. Then it's getting Jake ready for bed, getting myself ready for bed, journaling, reading a magazine and sleep.

What is your favorite item in your shop at the moment?

I love them all, but right now I'd have to say it's a toss up between the Polar Bear and the Bunny.