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Meet Our June/July Sponsor

Many thanks to Sandi of Shweet Potato Dolls N Patterns for sponsoring our June & July Boxes! Normally, our Sponsors only "serve" one month at a time, but some difficulties on our end opened this opportunity for Sandi, and I am incredibly grateful to her for helping me out in this way. I am also very excited to share Sandi's interview with all of you!

So, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea and join us as we get to know Sandi and Shweet Potato Dolls N Patterns a bit better!

What is your "Real Life" name?

Sandi Ramirez

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a self taught doll artist from Carrollton, TX. I share my Tree House Apartment with my daughter Kassy and my hubby of 22 years. I have one other daughter, Keelee who will be making me a Nanna in September. I have a hearing ear dog named Chico and also a 4-legged grandson named Bubba. I taught myself to sew when I became disabled to take the stress away from living each day with chronic pain. Once I started sewing and selling my creations, I decided to write up my own designs as patterns. Most of my designs are based on graphics from Carm with Shweet Potato Designs, with her permission of course. I love to create and do so on the days that I am able to do so.   

What is your favorite color?

Green

What are your two most and least favorite movies?

Sound of Music and all the Harry Potter Movies are my favorites. Don’t really have a least favorite as I am deaf so I only rent/buy Movies I want to see (for the closed captioning). 

What are you reading right now?

The Gluten Free Bible

What is your favorite handmade item either purchased for yourself or received as a gift?  

I have an Angel Doll handmade and sent to me from Dawn Kocha. The Angel is made to honor her sister Heidi, and she sent it to me when my momma passed away.  

What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?  

Growing up, I was one of 6 siblings and my parents had little money. I would take plain tee shirts and draw on them with momma’s magic markers. I made everyone shirts and we would wear them to Davis Park in Memphis all summer long.  

Why do you create? 

I create to live. From a young age, creating to me became a way of expressing how I felt about something or someone. If you were my best friend, you would have a handmade bracelet, pin or hand-painted shirt. While at Union University in Jackson, TN, I joined a group of amazing gals, Zeta Tau Alpha. My creations made it to almost every member 's or pledge's room at least once each semester. Later in life when my health began to cause issues with walking, sitting and even hearing, I turned to painting to cheer me up. From painting, I decided to learn to sew. So many primitive online friends told me how it would de-stress you and give you new meaning each day. Gosh darn, they were so right! So I taught myself to sew on my daughter’s sewing machine and then it grew into making patterns and now my own brand of Shweet Potato Dolls N Patterns.

What inspires you?

Everything and Nothing. If I can see it, breathe it or think it, there is a good chance I will make it. My most favorite MUSE is Carm Gonzales with Shweet Potato Designs. Her graphics touched me the moment I saw them, and they are the graphics I use in all my personal shops. I can just see one of her dolls and it begins to develop itself in my head and then my table. I’ve been very blessed with her permission to use her as my muse. 

 

What are your favorite materials?

Fabric, fabric, any and all kinds of fabric. I love to try new and vintage fabric. If it works, awesome! If it is a flop, then it becomes stuffing for one of my baby doll lines. Coming in close are vintage buttons and paints!

Do you sell only online, or do you also sell in shops and/or at craft shows?

I sell online 100%. Being disabled makes getting out and selling in shops and fairs way too hard. I started selling with an amazing gal at DJDoodles many years ago and love the many interacting types of shops she offers. I also sell on Etsy and eBay as well as a few other marketplaces and pattern places.

Any tips on selling Handmade creations online?

One thing that I found for myself is create in a medium that makes YOU happy. You could sell 100 pieces of something you really don’t care to make and although your pockets might be full … you heart will be empty. Selling online is twice as hard as selling in person. Make sure your pictures are bright and showcase your product. Show as many pictures as you can. Think about how a client would pick it up and look at it and shoot your pictures that way. Give an accurate description and don’t be afraid to be flexible about a price with a client. We all know the many hours we spent on just one item and the emotions that piece takes from you but if a client falls in love with it and you can reach a deal, that client will be back for more inspiration from you for their home, office and gifts.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Well, living life as a late life deaf person and one who deals with daily chronic illnesses, I spend a great time in what many of you know of as my Tree House in Carrollton, TX. It’s a beautiful upstairs apartment that I share with my daughter Kassy, her 4-legged baby Bubba, & my oh so patient Hubby Marty and our 4-legged Chico who is a hearing ear dog. On days I am not able to sew, I read many books mainly about sewing, life itself, and of course Gluten Free Cooking and how to make one’s home free of Gluten. I spend many Sundays in Church if my body will make it up and down the stairs... and if it doesn’t, we spend our own time talking with the Lord in the Tree House.

Where can we find you online?

Website ~ Etsy Shop ~ Facebook  ~ Blog

Here a few examples of Sandi's work...

 

 

This doll set is perfect for the upcoming holidays…they can be purchased already created or order the PDF ePattern and start your own tonight.

 

 

My Etsy Shop carries completed dolls, ornies, magnets, and patterns.

 

I am also a proud member of Chicken Fried Primitives - we add new products on the 15th of each month.

 

 

I sell my extreme primitives at Lemon Poppy Seeds

 

 

 

If you like Halloween and Gothic style, come by the Lemon Poppy Seeds Halloween Shop and check out my little Space of Spooky.

 

 

You can also find my patterns in the following marketplaces:

ePattern Shoppes ~ Pattern Mart ~ Crafty Avenue ~ The Pattern Cupboard