She exploded into the crafting scene with her puff quilts...................literally................her puff quilts were ALL over,on every blog worth its salt & believe me...........I was blown away with her craftsmanship & I have been a fan ever since!
Imagine my excitement when she agreed to do an interview for my blog.....................so meet the super talented Heidi from
Honey Bear laneI just drool & drool with amazement everytime I see her puff quilts!
So here is a Q & A with the super mom,wife ,businesswoman all rolled into one -Heidi...........
1. Describe Heidi
Hmm...I guess I'm kind of a weird person, 50% extrovert, 50% introvert. I love being social but I also could stay in my apartment for several days at a time without seeing anyone and be fine. When I get too much social interaction I have to retreat to be alone or just with my husband. I love to craft and sew (which is obvious) and am pretty ambitious--too many ideas, too little time! I love being a mother most even though it's so hard but they (and my hubby) are the best thing about my life!
2.Describe your typical day
M/W/F I go running early with a friend so I'm usually pretty productive on those days. If I run errands they have to be at around 11:00-1:00 due to my kids nap schedules. I will do computer/blog stuff for a bit in the morning while my older son watches Super Y and my baby naps, then I clean or sew or play with him during the gaps. During their naptime I try to do the majority of my work. Then we have dinner and put them to bed and I veg on the couch with my hub doing more blog/computer stuff and watching TV. I'm super boring!!
3.What inspired you to start blogging?
I started a personal blog back in 2006 and was pretty regular about blogging in it until I got into my Honeybear Lane blog, about August 2010. I have always loved to write and it's even funner when people are actually reading it! I also wanted a place to share my girly crafty stuff that my brothers were super bored by so I didn't put it on my personal blog. So when I started to really go for it with my Etsy shop, I started a blog to go along with it and my crafts found a home.
4.How did the puff quilt idea pop into your head?
My sister is a really amazing quilter and made a puff quilt, queen size, for her bed. Pretty sure she did it the traditional way though, she has the patience for that! I always loved it and wanted to make a puff quilt someday. When my best friend asked me to make her baby a quilt, the thought occured to me that I could maybe do a puff quilt, although I HAD to find a way around the hand-stitching thing!! So I came up with my own little method which I have perfected many times over now.
5. Would you consider opening up a B & M shop in future?
Hmm, there was a time when I thought it would be fun, but I would say no. My kids and family will always come first and having a brick and mortar shop would prevent me from being able to just pick up and go as needed by my family. Plus my interests are always evolving so it would be hard for me to stick with the same thing for a really long time!
6. What is your idea of a romantic getaway ?
I would love to go to New York City or Europe with just my sweetie. Of course a cruise or resort would be fun, but I have more fun discovering fun things with my husband and sharing memorable experiences and pictures. We've always dreamed of doing those things together.
7. What did you want to be as a kid?
This is so funny, but as a kid I wanted to be a cartoonist!! I loved drawing little cartoon characters and they were so lame it was funny. Glad I abandoned that idea. My sister actually is becoming a 'cartoonist' (animator) but she's an amazing artist!
8. Dreams for your future.
My dreams are pretty simple...I just want to raise good kids and have a happy family and husband. I want us to be able to pay off our student loans and own our dream house and be able to travel and do some charity work.
9. Why did you shut down on Etsy & do you plan to reopen it?
Etsy has his own little community and a nice way to be found without making much effort. However, I was getting bombarded with requests and my work was overwhelming me. I didn't have enough time for my family, so I needed to close down for a bit to reconfigure. I have actually opened up just to sell patterns and it's working well so far.
10. Advice for women who want to be moms,business women,bloggers & successful!
There will be times when you get frustrated, maybe feel like you are failing or too overwhelmed with everything. If you really love what you do and really believe in it, then it will be successful. You just need to get through the hard parts and re-evaluate your situation when it isn't working. Don't be afraid of expansion, such as hiring employees or renting a workspace. But above all, keep your priorities straight! Don't let your work consume you and make you neglect your family. Keep them on your side so you can find the best situation that works for you!!
WOW...............I am soooooooo glad that she is back with a pdf for her puff quilt,so now you know my next project;)......................THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH Heidi for this fun interview & I wish you ALL the success in the world to you,your lovely family & your business!
