Having never knowingly read a blog before (I guess I have at some point?) I have weirdly decided it's time for me to write my own! Everyone has a story to tell, and it's time for me to tell mine! So let's start at the beginning....
Having grown up with a crafty DIY Mum, I guess the creativity was in my genes. Or maybe it could have been absorbed from my environment? I still remember the bubble skirts my mum used to sew for me! They were much like the suspender skirts you see all over Instagram these days. Those being worn by toddlers, but I was 8 or 9 😂 In my defence it was in the 80's though!
Over the years I was taught by my Mum how to do Tapestry and Crochet, and how to knit by my Grandma. She could knit in her sleep! I preferred to Crochet as there was so much more flexibility to be creative! I never really had an interest in using Mum's sewing machine, though I do wish now that she had of taught me these skills as it would have saved me so much stress in the last couple of years!
Before the birth of my first child, I worked in a small family-run Italian Patisserie and spent most of the prior 8 years making cakes look pretty! I also created the businesses first website from scratch and spent a lot of time marketing and tending to online matters. I feel this is where I had huge growth in my business skills and realised I had a lot to offer.
2.5 years after my son was born, we had our little girl Mya join our family. I was so excited to have a girl and so into all the girly baby stuff!
After crocheting my 15th baby blanket, I decided there must be something else I can make! I found using my creative brain so relaxing, an escape from all the stresses of being a stay at home mum. I attempted to Crochet Mya a dress (you need to see it! 🙈). No pattern. No instructions. And the end result made it a little obvious. Time to move on.
So I went shopping, got some supplies and made a lace hair bow for her. And that's where Inspired By Mya began! After my very first (albeit dodgy) bow, I was hooked!
Picture: The very first "bow" I made for Mya
I wanted to make all the pretties for Mya and searched high and low locally for materials. Nothing caught my eye so I decided to look online. Having NEVER shopped online before (I know, weird right?!) I was AMAZED at all the materials I found and had so many ideas! It was at this moment I thought to myself, maybe I could make bows as a business? Great idea! Little did I know from my lack of online shopping experience that this was already a thing, and actually never realised it was until much, much later!
So after a chat with my partner and some lessons in using PayPal, my online orders started being placed. Lots of orders. Lots of stuff! No idea what I would do with it except turn it into bows somehow!
I did lots of research and lots of fiddling with materials I already had while waiting for the "good stuff" to arrive. My plan was to attempt to sell them on eBay as I had no idea of any other avenues, and not being much of an online person was oblivious to small handmade businesses and social media, let alone even considering having my very own website.
After a few basic styles, I came up with a design that saw me skyrocket to the top of my eBay category and I couldn't keep up with the demand. I found myself cutting and sealing ribbon while visiting my parents with the kids, and staying up til all hours of the night sewing bows. My idea was working! I was so happy to finally be able to contribute to our household income, while juggling a toddler and a baby. I was so determined once I had a taste of success! I had never really chosen a "career", I could never decide what I wanted to do. And after all these years, I felt like I had finally found my calling ❤️
Picture: The original bow design that saw Inspired By Mya hit the ground running.