Following His Leading & How Heartmade Began...

I have been meaning to share our latest exciting venture with you for such a long time...but alas!  I have been ever so busy and just with what, you will find out in a moment...

 

Mini bunting...

If you have been a regular reader of Beautiful Girlhood for some time, you will know that I am a craftaholic (with no desire to find a cure...) and take after my incredibly crafty and creative mother... 

With five younger sisters, all of whom love to dabble in some creative pursuit or other, we decided it was high time we did something about the piles of fabric, shelves of crafty books and heaps of ideas in our minds...

Little Miss Handbags...

I knew my heart lay at home, and with my eighteenth birthday in just a few months time and my schooling pretty much complete, I realised I couldn’t wait around and do nothing...

Of course it is actually very rare indeed to find me doing absolutely nothing at all (and I owe this particularly to my parents who taught my sisters and I from very young that saying “I’m bored” was just a no no!) – inbetween managing our family vegetable garden, trying to keep my little blog running and assisting my mother with housework, cooking and schooling my younger sisters, I always find plenty to keep myself occupied.   Plus did I mention I am a crafter?!

I needed a means of earning an income whilst living at home...

 I love making the embroidered cushions...they are so intricate and pretty!  I also make other cushions such as patchwork and appliquéd cushions...

It is truly a blessing for a young lady living at home to have a small income, and of course it is always excellent and never too soon to begin saving!

I also knew that I planned to continue living at home for as long as God deemed fit and I would most certainly require finance at some point or another, a small business that could be run from home seemed ideal...

Nancy makes these adorable crocheted owls which come in two different sizes...

I intend to write more about my stay-at-home-daughter journey in another post sometime in the near future, but today I want to share with you how the Lord guided our path as a family and led us to officially starting (one of) our dream business(es!), making and selling unique, handmade gifts and decor items...

 They are so irresistible!

You might remember I looked into starting with Etsy not too long ago, (Okay - it was actually quite a long time ago now), but the Father had other ideas (for the time being anyway) and despite my frenzied attempts to launch my online shop, it never progressed beyond a certain point... 

One thing I have discovered along the way is that it is never worthwhile to push God...  He will move when He feels it is the right time to move, and then MOVE He does! 

I let go of my plans and stood back and watched as my mom made the first step towards starting at a local craft market with our products because she felt this was the right move to make...  After speaking to the organizer, things began to happen...

We were accepted...

 We each have our own ‘department’ – the Little Miss Handbags are made by me...

I have been completely blown away at how our little business (Heartmade) has been received by the public... 

I honestly didn’t expect to make a sale for the first month or so considering it is our quiet winter season, but the Lord smiled down upon our efforts (how else could I describe His amazing grace, friends?) and blessed our stall... 

Our story is unique and I think that is perhaps one of the reasons why it is loved by all those who visit us on a Saturday morning...  

 My mom makes traditional jointed teddy bears – this is one of her larger bears called Granny Alice.

In an age where various crafty efforts such as sewing, crochet and knitting are regarded as ‘uncool’ and ‘old-fashioned’ by the majority of teenagers around, I think it must be refreshing for adults to stumble upon Nancy and I, who bring our handwork to the market and sit and either sew or crochet during trading hours. 

Currently, it is just Nancy (14), Mom and I who are involved in Heartmade.  As my younger sisters grow up, so each of them will find their own lines and join the business should they wish to... 

  

At the moment, Mom is making all the bunting while I play with new lines...

An added bonus is that we get to work together in a happy, safe environment with the full support of both our parents, plus we are able to do something we love!  It is hard work but it is also very rewarding...

 

Hand sewn fabric coasters...we love using ribbon around here!

I can feel God’s hand is leading us all the time and I excitedly wait to see what else He has in store for us and where He takes us next! 

 My first love is papercraft, and I love being able to play with as many new designs as I like!

Should you also be a young lady at home, wishing to earn an income without compromising your convictions, may I encourage you to seek the Lord and spend time praying about what He would have you do...?

A lovely ebook on this subject which I found very helpful, written by Crystal Paine with Esther Clark, is The Merchant Maiden which offers plenty of practical advice and Biblical encouragement...  You can purchase this book here...

 Fabric bunnies – these sweet bunnies have no faces and their limbs are jointed with hessian twine...

Another reason I love what I do is being able to meet new people at the market or fabric/craft store...  Jesus has given me so much and blessed me in so many incredible ways, that I can’t help smiling and greeting people at the different places I visit!  
I thank God for this wonderful opportunity to pour love into another person’s life and perhaps brighten their day in some special way... 

The Bible says that we are to go out into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, not just the warm, friendly people who make it easy to be friendly to...

 My new craze – fabric house ornaments which involve machine embroidery and plenty of fun, colour and patterns!

There is so much more I would like to write and so many more photographs I would love to share, but here I must end off for I have some sewing I must complete before the end of the day...:)

{I love sharing on my blog and try to devote as much time as I possibly can to keeping it updated, but I confess I am not always able to do so...  However, whenever possible, I promise to write and also to keep you informed as to how we are enjoying the fun but also challenging experience of running a business!}

May you have an extra special day!

 

 

P.S.  Have you visited me on Busymitts yet?