Savage Seeds - July 2014 - Portraits of Home Made

Welcome to the 14th edition of Portraits of Home Made! I have to say that I am very excited about this month's feature and it has been tough to keep it under wraps until now! 

July is a month where we celebrate Canada Day on July 1st and our neighbours to the south celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July. So I thought that for this July feature, it would be fun to do something a little bit different and celebrate... an American creative entrepreneurial Mom!!

Although this series was initially developed to feature all of the handmade Canadian entrepreneurial Moms, we (this unique group) are all in this creative community together. We support and are inspired by one another as we work to grow our creative businesses from our home based studios while raising our little ones. Some days are easier than others; some days we play, some days we get a lot of work done & others not so much. But we love what we do and we love our kids so really, we have the best jobs around! 

So onto this month`s Portrait of Home Made already! Trust me, you will fall in love with the cutest handmade products produced by this amazing artist and her business Savage Seeds - enjoy!

C.V. Savage is a fiber artist and children`s clothing/costume designer who creates handmade & earth friendly clothing, toys and decor through her business Savage Seeds. She lives in the Sonoran Desert, USA with her husband, a little one and another one on the way! 

Savage Seeds original creations aim to nurture imagination, encourage creativity and are also a positive contribution to the planet by using earth friendly materials and packaging.

Q: In 3 words, describe your business.

A: Modern, Eco-Friendly, Kids.

Q: Did you start your business before or after becoming a Mom?

A: I have always been a maker of some sort. My daughter inspired me to design for children. I started sewing and creating toys and nursery decor for her while I was pregnant. My first Forest Critter (a Wolf) was made for her and the first Owl Costume I made was for Halloween when she was 3. She won 1st place at a local costume contest and the compliments from other parents helped me realize I could make more and turn this into a business. And with that, Savage Seeds was born.  My daughter continues to inspire my work and even sews her own projects along side me. Many of her requests have become some of my best sellers.

Beautiful Owl Costumes.

Perfect for Halloween and Imaginative Play.

Q: Mixing business & motherhood can be a balancing act! What is your approach to making it through the day accomplishing growth in your business alongside nurturing your little one?

A: My five year old has her own space within my studio for her to play or work on her art projects. That way we can both get something done together. 

I get the bulk of my work done in the evenings, after she has gone to bed or on the weekend. I save cutting, emails and packaging for the daytime and balance these tasks around play dates, trips to the Children's museum, lunch, swimming, gymnastics and whatever else we have planned for our day.

It's really great that I get to be flexible with my schedule most of the year. I've had to hire people to help me cut and also child sitters at Halloween - Christmas season and also when I've had magazine tutorial deadlines but over all I think she has a unique opportunity being at my side through the process and the daily business errands. She enjoys our trips to the post office and watching materials come to life for another child to play with.  She also gets to learn that her creativity and hard work can earn a ethical and rewarding living.

Then it's time to play.   

A glimpse at the workspace. 

Neatly folded felt.

Playtime looks fun with all these Forest Critters!

Q: What do you consider the biggest perk to having your business at home? What is the biggest challenge?

A: I feel blessed to be able to raise my family while working from home. It can be a lot of work to balance but it is all worth it and, at the end of the day, really gratifying. I love that I get to spend everyday with my little one and to watch her grow. I wouldn't trade this time for anything. 

I think for any stay at home Mom its difficult to find time for yourself. When you are taking care of your family, your home and your business, where do fit yourself in? I feel a bit guilty just relaxing when I know I could be sketching that new idea or reading to my daughter or even cleaning the kitchen. I need to remember that it's OK to put myself first sometimes - especially now, when I am expecting baby #2. If I don't get something done today, there is always tomorrow. 

Just a few of the cuddly Forest Critters.

Q: What is your favourite social media platform to share and connect with your customers and why?

A: I'm spending a lot of time on Instagram lately. There is a large community of Mom run, small businesses that are thriving with the help of photo sharing and promoting each other with giveaways. It's really great.

Hard to choose a favourite...!

Q: If you were able to add another element/extension to your business, what would it be? 

A: We recently bought a screen printing press and added my hand drawn designs to the shop. We are printing baby onesies, kids Tees and tote bags. This is really exciting for me. I have always wanted to print clothing!

A portion of each Save Some Bees For Me Please shirt sale will go towards bee conservation. 

This is just perfect!

Q: Please name an inspirational artisan you would like to collaborate with on a product/project if anything was possible! 

A: I really love A Beautiful Mess blog. Their DIY section is so fun and always great style. I'd love to contribute or collaborate with those ladies. Or just have lunch with them! 

(I totally agree! Their posts are always adding to my ever-growing DIY wish list) 

Messenger Raccoon Bag - not just for the kids!

Q: If you had an unexpected afternoon of free time, how would you

spend it?

A: In bed. Alone. I wish I was joking. 

Sleepy Black & Grey Foxes from the Forest Critters collection.

Q: Is there a creative skill you wish you had?

A: I would love to learn to weld one day. I want a yard full of metal sculptures and fabricated, industrial looking furniture. I have a creative side that making plushies doesn't really fill. 

Woodland Pillows - such a cute addition to a little ones space.

Quick 3:

1. Coffee or Tea?

Tea but sometimes coffee.

2. Music, Movies or Podcasts while you work?

Music. Mostly Pandora stations but Project Runway is my guilty pleasure. 

3. Imagine your Forest Critters are the featured characters in a children's picture book. What would be the title of their story?

Mischief Makers

A monochromatic grouping - Forest Critters fox, raccoon & squirrel.

Those who love to support small business will appreciate the attention to detail in design and execution of Savage Seeds creations. And for all US (not available internationally) orders, a little wild flower seed pack that has been hand stamped with a wax seal is included in your package. It is these little touches that make shopping from independent artisans a special experience. 

Thank you so much C.V. for taking the time to share your creativity and insight into Savage Seeds and for being the 1st American Portrait of Home Made! I think my favourite responses from your interview reflect your thoughtful approach to a creative handmade business and the honest and happy reality of work from home Moms. Congratulations on all of your success thus far and more to come!

You can keep in touch with Savage Seeds online:

shop      instagram       facebook

blog          twitter

 Check out the new plush Sea Critters - a Whale & a Narwhal!

To my readers; thank you for following along with this monthly blog series - your comments are always appreciated! Feel free to share this post with your friends! 

As always, I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with other creative entreprenuerial Moms and share their stories and insights behind developing and maintaining their small business from a work from home environment with kids! Thank you for taking the time to participate - I really appreciate it and look forward to meeting more of us!

See you again in August for the next Portrait of Home Made! 

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Are you or someone you know a work from home Mom creating an amazing product or offering an awesome service? I want to meet you - contact me and you just might be featured! wendy [at] tinybrushstrokes [dot] ca